HTC’s bleak future could turnaround in Q4 2015, report says
HTC has, suffice to say, come into a bleak future this year, losing a whopping $372 million USD. However, things could look brighter for the company going into Q4 2015, as they plan to announce mid-range and high-end devices that will bolster sales, and hopefully, boost profits, according to industry sources.
HTC already announced the One M9+ and Butterfly 3, which is set to hit Japanese shores later this month. HTC also already has a variety of new Desire handsets that they’re pushing, particularly the Desire 728. However, the Taiwanese-based company is really banking on its latest flagship, the One A9, which is expected to be announced on October 30 in New York, London, and New Delhi.
It’s sporting a 5-inch AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 617 processor, and a 13-megapixel rear camera, according to the report from Digitimes. The Snapdragon 617, if true, is an interesting choice considering that its one of Qualcomm’s mid-range processors going into what is expected to be a high-end and premium flagship. Some are hoping HTC’s new flagship is outfitted with the Snapdragon 820, but a recent report claims its sporting a MediaTek Helio X20 chip.
Let’s just hope the new One A9 will turn HTC’s bleak future around. But if the company isn’t able to market its devices like Samsung advertises theirs, HTC may be in the same spot it’s in now in just a couple years.
source: Digitimes
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This paper origami bird actually flies
Origami and technology go together pretty well. Lightweight, efficient structures… and animal shapes. But there’s nothing more “origami” than the humble paper crane. Now, courtesy of a small, light, power-efficient microcomputer from Rohm (a Japanese company: don’t let the name fool you), the crane can fly. Better still, it’s remote-controlled and can even keep itself afloat for around five minutes, according to the spokesperson. It’s almost the most Japanese thing here at this year’s CEATEC. Almost. Slideshow-326617
That said, it’s not just some electronics attached to paper. While only a mere 31g (including battery), The structure is fortified with a network of carbon tubes, while other parts involved with the movement (two paired motors provide the flapping) are 3D-printed nylon. Better still you can remotely control the throttle of your paper bird over 920MHz — it’s all on the same tiny chip. The makers told us that they aim to put all the schematics online for others to make, but it’s all a grand promotion for the company’s Lazurite Fly microcomputer. Lighter and less power hungry than your typical programmable computer, Rohm says can sip up to 90 percent less energy than than other well-known tiny computer manufacturers that might (literally) shoot it down. And it’s all a bit more refined than a drone, we’d argue.
Windows 10 Mobile begins its roll out this December
What, you thought the Microsoft news would end once the keynote from the Windows 10 Devices showcase did? Guess again because Redmond’s latest operating system hits existing mobile phones starting in December — the outfit said as much on its Lumia Facebook page. However, as Winbeta notes, it’s going to be up to carriers to actually push the updates out to your handset. A way to sidestep that, of course, is by signing up for the Windows Insider preview program. Is your device going to get the update? That’s a little iffy. First off, it needs at least 8GB of internal storage, and then it needs to be running Lumia Denim (system version 8.10.14219.341) to be eligible. So if you have a low-end Lumia you might be left wanting.
Via: Winbeta
Source: Microsoft Lumia (Facebook)
New Chromecast teardown reveals slightly better heat dissipation
Much like the original Chromecast streaming stick, Google’s new Chromecast video and audio gadgets aren’t things you’d want to try and repair if anything goes wrong. “Ultimately any device like those in the Chromecast family will be the same story—a board in a box,” iFixit declared in its teardown. Then again, at just $35, you’re probably better off just replacing your Chromecast when it conks out. There are some intriguing reveals in iFixit’s teardown though: Google went a bit thermal paste crazy this time around, which should help the new Chromecast avoid overheating as much as its predecessor. It also looks like the HDMI cable in the video Chromecast is plenty tough, while also being internally detachable. If it does get damaged, there’s a chance you’ll be able to swap it out for a new part. Beyond that, both the audio and video Chromecast models look pretty similar internally.
Source: iFixit
Volkswagen will recall its super-polluting cars in 2016
Matthias Mueller, the man that Volkswagen hopes will save the company after Emissions-gate, has revealed the first stage in his rescue plan. According to Reuters, the executive told German media that the firm will begin recalling its emissions-cheating vehicles in January, with the program running until the end of 2016. Mueller is quoted as saying that the vehicles will all be “fixed” by that date, implying that the company has found a safe way to reduce their emissions levels. In addition, Mueller has revealed that he’s using the crisis as justification to conduct a top-down reorganization of the German car conglomerate. The chief has pledged to make his company smaller and less centralized, adding that each of its various divisions will have to justify their contribution to the overall firm. Which, if we’re honest, sounds ominous in the extreme.
[Image Credit: AFP/Getty]
Source: Reuters
TYLT’s Energi Charging Station charges all your devices at home or on the go
TYLT, makers of popular products like the TYLT Vu and Energi+ backpack are launching a new product that aims to be the solution to your charging problems. The Energi Charging station will charge five USB devices and has an included 3,200mAh battery pack you can take on the go to charge your device anywhere.
The Energi Charging Station has four built-in, rapid charging 2.4 Amp USB ports plus the previously mentioned battery pack for a total of 50 Watts total. The battery pack slips into the station so you can conveniently recharge it. No more leaving your battery pack laying around and forgetting to recharge it. While charging you’ll also be able to keep your cables in control with the included cable management system. Simply wrap your cable around the smartly designed system until you have just enough cable to charge your phone or tablet without making a mess.
The Energi Station has rubber grip feet to prevent sliding and Rapid SmartDetect technology that detects what device you’re charging and provides the maximum charge it can handle. The Rapid SmartDetect will prevent battery damage, overcharging and heat issues.
TYTL currently has an IndieGoGo campaign up right now to fund the Energi Charging Station. They have a goal of $30,000 and they’re already halfway there, but may produce them even if they don’t meet it. There are several perks left but the perk featuring lowest price ($35) is already full. You can still get the Energi Charging Station for as low as $45 plus shipping and since the price will be $100 after release, that’s a great deal. TYLT makes fantastic products and we’ve reviewed several of them here at AndroidGuys like the Vu, Energi+ Backpack, FLYP-DUO, and Energi5K. Based on their track record, there’s little doubt that the Energi Charging Station will be a quality product.
Campaign Link: IndieGoGo
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Marshmallow heading to the HTC One M8 GPE this month
I’ll forgive you if you had forgotten all about the Google Play Edition range of smartphones, as I had, so it’s lucky that HTC is planning to breathe some new life into its stock Android handsets with an Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the HTC One M8 GPE.
@athreya7777 M8 GPE will include Marshmallow OS update. Our target is this month. Will advise once we are close to release.
— Mo Versi (@moversi) October 6, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
According to HTC Product Manager Mo Versi, an update for the phone is expected to arrive at some point this month. He didn’t specify a specific time frame, but HTC was pretty fast with a 5.0.1 Lollipop update for the same smartphone, which appeared within a week of the Nexus roll-out. I guess HTC isn’t planning on being quite that fast this time, as further details will be announced once HTC is closer to releasing the update.
Unfortunately, there has been no word about whether a similar update will appear for the HTC One M7 GPE. HTC has already released a list of smartphones (above) that will be receiving Android 6.0, but the M7 and some of HTC’s other slightly older smartphones are all absent from it. Marshmallow updates for its current range of smartphones are expected to begin rolling out towards the end of 2015 and into 2016.
Sony weighing up options if smartphones are unprofitable next year
Whether you’re a big Sony fan or unimpressed by its latest batch of smartphones, the past couple of years have been tough for the company’s mobile division, with dwindling revenues and an unimpressive share of the global market. 2016 looks to be the make or break year for Sony’s smartphones, as Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai suggests that Sony may begin looking at “alternative options” for the division if it doesn’t look like breaking even.
The company has given itself an ultimatum to try to return its mobile business to break even following 2016, before considering the fate of its Xperia brand. We don’t know exactly what the alternative options could be, but exiting the smartphone market altogether hasn’t been ruled out. Hirai has already presided over a number of important cost cutting measures at Sony, including the decision to axe the struggling PC business.
“We will continue with the business as long as we are on track with the scenario of breaking even next year onwards … Otherwise, we haven’t eliminated the consideration of alternative options.” – Sony Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai
Despite cost cutting measures and a number of restructuring efforts, Sony’s mobile arm is expected to post a 60 billion yen ($480 million) loss this year. Substantially higher than the 39 billion yen ($310 million) that it anticipated it would lose back in April. This makes it seem quite unlikely that Sony will be able to turn the division back to a profit in such a short space of time. Xperia smartphones make up less than 1 percent of shipments in the US and just 17.5 percent in its home nation of Japan.
Although Sony has continually made improvements to its high-end Xperia Z range of smartphones, some have argued that the similarities between generations have sapped broader consumer enthusiasm and interest for the range. Sony has been trying to build a portfolio for the growing mid-range markets, but price pressure from inexpensive Chinese brands continues to make this segment tougher to profit from.
Sony’s latest Xperia flagships:
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This isn’t the only company reshuffle on Sony’s plate at the moment. The electronics giant also recently announced that it is looking to give more independent control to its highly profitable image sensor business, in order to keep it competitive with the likes of Samsung and Omnivision.
2016 is going to be a crucial year for the Xperia range. Do you think that the Android space would be worse off without Sony in it?
Samsung Galaxy View passes by FCC, headed to AT&T
Tablets are getting bigger, that’s a fact and while Microsoft, Apple and Google itself have pushed the boundaries of tablet size, Samsung looks set to push it even further. The Korean company has long been rumoured to be working on a large 18.4-inch tablet and ahead of its launch, the Galaxy View has paid a visit to the FCC.
The FCC has approved the tablet, which comes with model name SM-T677A, and the A moniker (along with the list of LTE bands) confirms the tablet has been designed for use with AT&T’s LTE network. This is further referenced by the presence of the AT&T logo on a sketch of the back of the tablet and this also reveals Samsung’s tablet will sport stereo speakers on its rear.
Further digging by PhoneArena into the FCC documents also reveals the dimensions and shows that the Galaxy View will certainly be the largest tablet on the market. The tablet will be 447 millimeters wide and 272 millimeters tall with a diagonal size of 513 millimeters. The screen will measure about 18.6-inches, which far surpasses the 10-13 inches adopted by the largest tablets on the market. The size of the Galaxy View display also seems to put the tablet firmly in the laptop category.
A recent visit to GFXBench revealed some of the hardware specs, which include an octa-core 1.6GHz Exynos 7 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage and Android 5.1.1 with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. The display is expected to be just 1080p resolution, which is average but with an expected pixel density of just 118 pixels per inch, we’re really hoping this is a mistake; after all, even entry-level Android smartphones offer a higher density and such a low density is likely to have a major impact on the Galaxy View experience.
It’s unclear when Samsung plans to release its larger-than-life tablet but with the holiday season approaching, a release can’t be too far off. Would you buy an 18.6-inch tablet and do you think the Galaxy View is a prime candidate for a 4K display? Let us know your views in the comments below guys!
Nexus 6P and 5X to launch in India on Tuesday
Last week, Indian price details appeared for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P and now we have a release date. Google has been issuing invites to a launch event in New Delhi at 11am IST on Tuesday. Google’s Rajan Anandan, Vice President & Managing Director for South Asia & India, will be at the event.
If you missed our launch coverage, the Nexus 5X kicks of the range at a lower price point. The phone is set to cost Rs. 31,900 for 16GB of internal storage and Rs. 35,900 if you want 32GB of space. The phone comes with a 5.2-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 2,700mAh battery. Both phones share a 12.3 megapixel rear camera, support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology and have a fingerprint scanner on the back. Don’t forget the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system too.
Latest Nexus videos:
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The Nexus 6P is the slightly more high-end of the two phones, featuring a 5.7-inch QHD display, more powerful Snapdragon 810 SoC, 3GB of RAM and a larger 3,450mAh battery. The phone also has a metal build and front facing speakers. In terms of price, the 6P will cost Rs. 39,999 for the 32GB internal storage option and Rs. 42,999 for the 64GB variant.
The Nexus 6P will be available in Frost White, Aluminium, and Graphite colour options, while the Nexus 5X will come in your choice of Carbon Black, Quartz White, or Ice Blue. Keep your eyes peeled for all the official Indian launch details on Tuesday.
AIVAnet 