UK’s Dixons Carphone enters USA with Sprint
UK retailer Dixons Carphone has struck a deal with Sprint to expand into the USA and will open and manage 20 Sprint-branded stores as part of a pilot programme that could see up to 500 US stores opened. If the pilot is successful, Dixons Carphone will invest up to $32m (£20m) for a 50% stake in the joint venture during the second stage of the programme.
The deal is the first major expansion programme since Dixons and Carphone Warehouse merged to form Europe’s largest retailer in Dixons Carphone last year. Sprint is the third largest wireless provider in the USA and the partnership is expected to see Dixons Carphone expand heavily into the USA for the first time in several years.
Andrew Harrison, Dixons Carphone deputy chief executive, said:
“This is a very exciting venture for us, and is a significant step in growing our business in the US.
We bring specialist knowledge and skills to this partnership and will be looking to deliver innovation and outstanding customer service under the Sprint brand.”
News of the deal saw Dixons Carphone shares increase 1.5% to 465.10p at close of play on Friday but the move into the USA does come with historical risks the company needs to be wary of. Both companies have previously attempted to expand into the USA and while Carphone Warehouse had some success, Dixon’s last efforts failed spectacularly.
Sprint Phones in Video:
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Dixons bought US electrical store chain Silo for £210 in 1987 but within a few years, it was losing £22.4m per year and was eventually sold to Detroit-based Fretter for $45m (£29m) in 1993. In comparison, Carphone Warehouse had a successful partnership with Best Buy through Best Buy Mobile, which ended in 2012 when the latter bought out Carphone’s stake for $1.3 billion.
While Best Buy Mobile was a success, the joint venture between the two in Europe failed miserably, with all 11 Best Buy stores in the UK shutting down once it became apparent that the big store format just wasn’t going to work. With Dixons Carphone now the largest retailer in Europe, it’s hoped that the company’s size and scope will allow its latest attempts to crack the US market to be a success but this remains to be seen.
Android One QMobile A1 arrives in Pakistan
Android One may not have shot to success, but Google isn’t giving up on its long term plan for the project. Responding to requests from social media, Google has announced that the new QMobile A1 smartphone is now available to purchase in Pakistan.
In a bit of a change from previous Android One releases, the QMobile A1 will be available in retail stores up and down the country, rather than placing a heavy emphasis on e-commerce. The lack of a shelf presence is suspected to be one of the reasons why Android One hasn’t been able to grab a notable market share so far.
Hardware wise, the handset’s specifications remain firmly in the budget category, but that’s what we should expect for Rs. 11,500. The QMobile A1 comes with a 4.5-inch 854×480 display, unspecified 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera with LED flash, 2MP front facing camera, and 8GB of storage with a microSD card slot for a further 32GB.
There’s also dual SIM support, a 1,700mAh battery and Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box. Sadly the A1 is not 4G compatible, but the phone still matches up with other handsets at this price point.
The QMobile A1’s selling point is being touted as lightning fast updates to the latest version of Android as soon as they are available. A promise made with previous Android One phones. We’ll just have to see if updates appear faster this time around.
In other Android One news, a second wave is rumored to be heading to India. Local smartphone company Lava is expected to unveil a new smartphone on July 14th.
Do you think that the QMobile A1 will help Google shift more Android One smartphones this year?
LG G Pro 3 could have pupil recognition and 4GB RAM
LG is widely tipped to launch its LG G Pro 3 phablet later this year and ahead of the launch, several leaks have revealed the specs of LG’s upcoming flagship big-screen smartphone. Over the weekend, two leaks revealed the specs list of the G Pro 3 along with a feature that will have every tech lover salivating at the mouth.
The G Pro 3 is the successor to last year’s G Pro 2 phablet
If both reports are correct, the LG G Pro 3 will be equipped with a 6-inch display offering 1440 x 2560 pixels resolution (QHD), which works out to be a pixel density of 490 pixels per inch. The handset is expected to be one of a raft of devices powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 chipset and should include 4GBR AM, 32GB internal storage and a microSD card slot to expand the storage.
On the back, the LG G Pro 3 is expected to have a 20.7MP rear camera with laser autofocus, dual-LED flash and possibly the color spectrum sensor from the LG G4. Presumably, the handset will also include Optical Image Stabilisation and 4K video recording although this is yet to be confirmed. On the front, the LG G Pro 3 will have an 8MP camera, which should capture outstanding selfies and will be one of the highest on current flagship smartphones.
The G Pro 3 could be inspired by LG’s G4 flagship
The first G Pro 3 rumor suggested that LG would include a fingerprint scanner while the second rumor confirmed the fingerprint scanner before adding that the handset could also support pupil recognition. The addition of pupil recognition would make the G Pro 3 the first smartphone to support iris detection as manufacturers try different methods of providing smartphone security.
If these rumours are correct, the G Pro 3 will represent a significant upgrade over last year’s G Pro 2 with the G Pro 3 expected to have a better display, faster processor, fingerprint sensor, better camera, iris scanner and a lot more. While some manufacturers opt for incremental updates, LG is seemingly set to offer the best features possible in the G Pro 3, which is likely to cost $760 USD once it does launch before the end of the year.
Now watch: LG flagships in video:
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No Android Lollipop for the UK Samsung Galaxy S3 or Note 2
Samsung has issued many an Android Lollipop update this year, but Samsung UK has stated that the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 smartphones in the UK will remain absent from the update list.
The news was issued via the Samsung Mobile UK’s Twitter account, but no reason has been given for the lack of an update. This news is even more curious as a Lollipop update for the Galaxy Note 2 has already been confirmed for release in Poland, Denmark and Finland. Although last month Samsung Gulf announced that it won’t be releasing Lollipop for the Note 2.
@WesoLabeshnai We don’t like to give out bad news Rohan but the Note 2 and the Galaxy S3 won’t be receiving the Lollipop update.
— Samsung Mobile UK (@SamsungMobileUK) July 4, 2015
It appears that regional branches have their own control over updates, at least when it comes to some of Samsung’s older handsets.
Back in late June, Samsung UK also declared that the Galaxy Ace 4 would be left out from any Lollipop updates. However, this was expected to have something to do with incompatible hardware.
Samsung was never likely to be able to bring Lollipop to all of its smartphones. Fortunately with updates scheduled for other regions, there’s always the possibility that custom ROMs could bring Samsung’s Android Lollipop to the UK Galaxy Note 2 and S3.
Amazon offers £20 Prime discount for its 20th birthday
Not content with holding traditional retail sales events, Amazon’s decided to make up one of its own. “Prime Day,” as it’s known, starts on July 15th and will let the company celebrate 20 years of selling things on internet by selling you more things on the internet (if you already have a Prime subscription). Amazon knows that people will want in on its upcoming discount day, so it’s marking down its yearly subscription for those who haven’t yet signed up. Between now and midnight on July 8th, Prime will cost £59, saving you £20 for your first 12 months.
Of course, Prime Day is another way for Amazon to bait people into handing over more money, but the company has added more perks to the program over time. Just last week, the company debuted one-hour deliveries in certain parts of London, which will roll out to more UK cities before the end of the year. That’s on top of the 15,000 movies and TV episodes, unlimited photo storage and access to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library already included in the subscription.
If you’ve been deliberating over whether to stump up the cash for Prime but came unstuck over the price, Amazon’s gesture might be worth taking up. However, know that there’s every chance you’ll cancel out that saving should you decide to get involved when Prime Day comes around later this month.
Source: Amazon’s Prime Day
Sony’s preparing to launch the Xperia Z5 in Asia later this year
If the latest report out of Japan is anything to go by, Sony is gearing up to launch its upcoming flagship smartphone of 2015, the Xperia Z5, later this year in Asia for around $650.
The device is rumored to sport 4GB of RAM, a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 4,500mAh battery, fingerprint recognition and be powered by the unannounced Snapdragon 820 SoC.
As with all leaks and rumors, we have to take these alleged specifications and launch time with a pinch of salt until Sony provides us with some evidence with regards to what it has in store for its next flagship.
Via: Technodify
Come comment on this article: Sony’s preparing to launch the Xperia Z5 in Asia later this year
LG’s new touchscreens will make your next laptop thinner and lighter
LG’s display subsidiary is promising drastically thinner, lighter touchscreens that will be ready for notebooks later this year. With full HD (1080p) resolution, the Advanced In-Cell Touch (AIT) screens substitute a touch panel layer for a touch sensor built into the LCD itself — that’s what makes it thin. It’s the same tech found in smartphones like LG’s own G4, but this is the first time it’s been sized up to laptops. Thickness savings will be around 25 percent, while weight reductions could be as much as 35 percent compared to typical laptop touchscreen. That reduction in layers also translates to less light reflection, which LG Display reckons will make the new screens brighter and clearer. The company plans to roll out multiple sizes, with stylus-compatible models also on the way. If these screens are going to shave the profile of your next Ultrabook even further, there might be no other choice but to go with a few of those oh-so-slender USB-C ports.
Filed under: Displays, Laptops, HD, LG
Source: LG Display
Amazon’s ‘Prime Day’ sale will have ‘more deals than Black Friday’
Amazon’s turning 20 on July 15th and will celebrate the occasion by giving you another reason to sign up for Prime. The company is launching Prime Day, a “global shopping event” that promises to have “more deals than Black Friday.” Unfortunately, you’ll only be allowed to participate if you give Jeff Bezos $99 a year, or you take this chance to sign up for the free trial. The event kicks off at midnight PST on July 15th, and is open to all members in nine countries including the US, Canada and the UK. Of course, since Amazon sells more than just big-box electronics, you’ll also find lightning deals in every department from clothing and sports through to patio furniture. We don’t know if this is intended to become an annual event, but we’ve asked the company, since it’ll take a few years for the diary makers to catch on.
Second rumour appears to confirm impressive hardware for LG G Pro 3
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Just yesterday we reported on a rumoured LG G Pro 3 phablet coming from LG before the end of the year. The specification list was impressive, boasting a Snapdragon 820, 6-inch Quad HD display, 4GB RAM, 20.7MP rear camera and a 8MP front camera. Normally rumours don’t line up with one another terribly well, but in this case, a second rumour has reported exactly the same rumoured specifications for the LG G Pro 3, and also detailed a few other features as well.
According to this new rumour, the LG G Pro 3 is also going to have a fingerprint scanner and pupil recognition. Security features like this often turn into gimmicks, despite how popular they are, but we’ll give LG the benefit of the doubt until we see how it actually works. Either way, we’ve got two rumours talking about the same device and describing it pretty much the same, which is either a sign that it’s genuine, or a sign that there’s a conspiracy afoot – all we can do is take this news with a grain of salt and wait it out.
What do you think about the LG G Pro 3 rumours? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: MobiPicker via Phone Arena
The post Second rumour appears to confirm impressive hardware for LG G Pro 3 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Artists paint light using 3D printers and twisted video walls
Who said that you had to paint light by waving an arm around? Certainly not Ekaggrat Singh Kalsi and Daniel Canogar, both of whom have created art using some decidedly unusual tech. Kalsi’s project generates floating color portraits thanks to a modified 3D printer — as you’ll see in the clip below, it’s akin to forming a hologram line by line. Canogar’s work, meanwhile, uses twisted, mobius-like LED tiles as video walls that produce unique (and occasionally mind-bending) effects at different angles. You probably won’t see these pieces in person, but they’re proof that light-based art holds a lot of untapped potential.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/131520686?portrait=0
https://player.vimeo.com/video/130317261?portrait=0
Filed under: Misc
Via: 3D Printing Industry, The Creators Project (1), (2)
Source: Vimeo (Kalsi), (Canogar)
AIVAnet 