Samsung’s supersized Galaxy View tablet looks like this
It’s hard to visualize how big an 18.4-inch tablet is without reference. Nevertheless, if you want to see Samsung’s upcoming enormous device called the Galaxy View up close, check out the images above, courtesy of evleaks. The South Korean manufacturer first gave us a glimpse of the tablet back in September, clearly showing its Microsoft Surface-esque kickstand. More recently, early listings on third-party sellers spotted by several websites revealed that the 32GB version will cost you $600. Those listings have since been removed, but according GSM Arena, it’s powered by an Exynos 7580 SoC, has a fullHD resolution display, 32GB of storage, 2GB of RAM and a microSD slot that supports cards up to 128GB in capacity. There’s a basic, WiFi-only model and another one with 3G and LTE, which will definitely be more expensive of the two. Since $600 is still cheaper than the most basic iPad Pro, though, we’re guessing the whole line will be priced lower than Apple’s smaller-but-still-gigantic tablet.
Via: GSMArena
Source: evleaks
TalkTalk customers must prove fraud to avoid cancellation fees
With investigations making progress and a 15-year-old suspect in custody following a “significant and sustained” attack on its website, TalkTalk has begun notifying customers of their next steps. In its latest update, the company says that “as a gesture of goodwill,” subscribers wishing to cancel their service can have their termination fees waived only if they can prove they had money stolen from them. Personal details including names, addresses, phone numbers and credit card/account numbers were taken in the attack, but the company later clarified that banking data was obfuscated and could not be used to directly empty customer accounts.
Source: TalkTalk
The BlackBerry Priv has a Productivity Edge that makes the most of the curved display
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
BlackBerry‘s first Android-powered smartphone, the BlackBerry Priv, is now available for pre-order for the very handsome sum of $699 USD. While the device boasts privacy features, which is its namesake, the BlackBerry Priv has a Productivity Edge that can be used in similar fashion to the edge on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. You’ll be able to drag out a panel of apps for quick access, located close to the edge of the display to make use of the Priv’s curved display – note that unlike the S6 Edge, the actual panel isn’t curved; rather the glass above it appears to be curved.
There also appear to be a number of other interesting features that will come in handy for Priv users, including pop-up widgets, a customized recent apps menu and a charging bar that only appears on the curved edge when the device is charging and the display is off. This is likely just the tip of the iceberg, and we’re interested to see what else BlackBerry has up its sleeve – though we’re not sure we’re $699 USD interested yet.
What do you think about the Productivity Edge on the BlackBerry Priv? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: CrackBerry Forum via Phone Arena
The post The BlackBerry Priv has a Productivity Edge that makes the most of the curved display appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Deal: HTC RE Camera now on sale for just $50 (save $150!)
When HTC introduced the RE last year, it came as a bit of a surprise; here was a dedicated smartphone OEM making an action camera? Nonetheless, we gave it a thorough examination and gave it a very respectable 8.0 in our official review. Pros included the compact size, long lasting battery, excellent picture quality, and ease of use. The device is now more affordable than ever, as HTC is selling it for just $50, a discount of $150 from the original $200 asking price.
At the time of publishing, all four color options are available, however as this would appear to be a clearance sale, supplies may be limited. Standard shipping is included free of charge, however note that tax is not included in the $50 asking price.
For a detailed look at the device, please see our video review here:
In our written write-up, we concluded that the device is “a very small, pocketable, and portable camera, that really simplifies the photo taking experience, along with being a lot of fun to use. This is another attempt by HTC to branch outside of the smartphone market, and they certainly have a great product on their hands. With that price point though, it is not exactly going to be an impulsive buy, and HTC may have their job cut out for them in having to convince people to buy it.” Given the $50 price it’s now going for, the one perceived problem is seemingly no longer relevant.
It is also worth pointing out that, at the time of announcement former CEO Peter Chou had expressed a sentiment that HTC made the device essentially to keep from having all its eggs in one basket. At one point the company was even promising there would be a follow-up this year. While the clearance sale might be indicative of such a new offering, given the Taiwanese OEM’s fiscal performance this year chances are it can’t afford to risk on more uncertain product categories like this.
HTC will bump the price of the One A9 up by $100 in the U.S. on November 7
When HTC unveiled the One A9 last week, the company also stated that its latest smartphone would carry a reduced price tag of $399 in the United States for a limited time, too. However, it didn’t give any details on when the promotion would end, and by how much the device’s price would increase.
Thankfully, HTC has now rectified this by putting out a statement, which establishes that the price of the One A9 will, in fact, be $499.99 after the pre-sale ends on Saturday, November 7.
Here’s what HTC had to say:
“The cost of the HTC One A9 is the same worldwide to all distributors and operator partners. For end consumers, HTC’s sales regions are given the freedom to set prices and promotions as they see fit for local market needs. The One A9 price in the US is a very limited-time promotional offer for that region’s online store, as well as select HTC-only franchise stores. The offer is a special promotional pre-sale and is expected to conclude once the One A9 is available on-shelf at major retail and distributor partners.
After the promotional pre-sale offer ends, the new price in the US at htc.com will be $499.99 beginning 12:01 a.m. on 11/7.”
If you’re based in the United States and are interested in purchasing the One A9, best get your order in by Saturday, November 7 to save $100.
Come comment on this article: HTC will bump the price of the One A9 up by $100 in the U.S. on November 7
Coocheer Bluetooth Earphones review
It’s interesting to see how different manufacturers decide to build their Bluetooth headphones. We come by a lot of them at AndroidGuys, and they’re all different. Most wired earphones have the same look, more or less. But when you make them wireless, it’s a whole ‘nother deal. Manufacturers have to fit in a battery, microUSB port, and Bluetooth radio. Hence, they end up being much bigger and potentially less comfortable.
Coocheer was the latest accessory manufacturer to let us have a try at its approach to the affordable Bluetooth earphone. At a retail price of $30, I imagine there’s quite a challenge to fit all that technology in, make a great sounding product, and a profit. Let’s check out how Coocheer did and if this is a Bluetooth headset you should have by your side.
Design
When I opened the box, I had a positive first impression of the Bluetooth earphones. The design seemed to make sense from a functionality standpoint.
The shape is reminiscent of high-end IEM pods, which redirect the cable over and behind your ears. Although, these are much bigger in comparison and don’t fit the same way, I’m strictly speaking about the design.
Interestingly, the earpieces are bridged by a thick cable that really resists being straightened. Its desired form is to be coiled up. But this isn’t a design flaw, that was the intent.
When you’re not using the earphones, it hunkers back into a compact, portable shape. What’s neat is that when you stretch the cable out, it forms the wearable shape.
The cable is meant to go up around your ears and against the back of your head. The stiff guides that curve out of the earpieces are what forces the form. We’ll talk about fit and comfort a little later.
I appreciated the earpiece design. While a majority of the build of the earphones is typical, hard plastic, the surface of the earpieces have this cool triangular texture.
Also, it’s glossy, so the varying angles of the texture reflect in different ways. It’s a nice little touch to simulate a high-end look.
The audio component stems out of the earpiece. There’s a plastic bubble between the eartip and earpiece. I assume this is where the audio magic happens.
The eartip is your typical silicon form, which is meant to go inside the ear canal and isolate.
Functionality
So one of the biggest questions with earphones is how does it fit? It was honestly a bit of a mixed bag for me. The stiffness of the cable causes a bit of resistance when you’re trying to situate the earpieces in place. Also, for some reason I just couldn’t get any size of the eartips to create a reliable seal (three different sizes are included – small, medium, and large). But this is a huge “your mileage may vary” scenario, it totally depends your inner ear shape.
The good thing about the stiff cable is that it won’t be flopping around if you’re exercising. It will keep its form when it’s set. And with bouncing and moving my head around, I found that the rigidity substantially helps to keep the earpieces in place.
A minor annoyance was with the flap that covers the microUSB port. It too easy pops open. The flap isn’t flush and is a little flimsy, so it’s sensitive to bumping open as you’re handling the earpiece.
As far as features, there is a blue/red LED that lets the user know the status – charging (solid red), pairing mode (blue/red flashing), or playing (slow blue flash). There is a microphone in case you’re interrupted with a call (there is a button you press to pick up the call) and a volume rocker. The Bluetooth standard is version 4.1. The signal range is about 30 feet.
Battery
Coocheer’s Bluetooth earphones pack a 120mAh battery. The company rates it for 6 hours of music time, 8 hours of talk time, and up to 160 hours of standby time.
I tested the music time (playing music from a full charge until it died) and was left impressed. Instead of the rated 6 hours, it went to about 9 hours. This is a decent amount of battery life for Bluetooth headphones.
Sound
Considering the $30 price tag (and the development needed for the wireless-enabling components), you may not be expecting the best audio output out of these things. That’s certainly justified, but let’s go over exactly where they stand.
If you’re a basshead, these earphones may not be your cup of tea. The first thing I noticed off the bat is that fullness that bass should provide (particularly, mid-bass) is lacking. This can also be described as a thin sound. Also the treble lacks some detail. For instance, sounds from cymbals fall flat, when there should be some sparkle.
I did enjoy vocals, however. Clarity in the mids is decent and vocals sound natural. Also, in regard to imaging, there is distinct separation between instruments.
Final Thoughts
With budget earphones, the consideration revolves around value. In other words, how much you get for your money. So despite the cons I’ve found, are Coocheer’s still worth the low $30? I think so. It’s not like they don’t work. They’re just not as refined as I would like them to be.
But at $30, you know they won’t be perfect. Actually, on Amazon
The post Coocheer Bluetooth Earphones review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
The HTC One A9 will jump $100 after launch
If you’re looking to get the HTC One A9, you may not want to wait.
The newest phone from the Taiwanese tech giant will be $399 at launch, a seemingly great price. Unfortunately, that price won’t last. As of November 7, the price moves from the limited time, promotional price of $399, to the normal price of $499.
Pre-Orders for the first HTC phone with Android 6.0 Marshmallow have just begun though their website. You may be able to get the phone through a carrier’s payment plan later on down the line, but it’s going to cost you significantly more than if you buy it outright and unlocked right now.
There’s already been some controversy in Europe about the pricing of the A9. The phone costs upwards of £479.99 for a version with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, which is less than the US version that sports 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Now that we’ve learned the $399 price point is just a promotional offer, the UK pricing doesn’t seem so out of wack.
The HTC One A9 will have a Full HD (1080p) 5″ AMOLED display, Snapdragon 617 processor, with 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage (in the US). It will be the first phone outside of the Nexus line to launch with Marshmallow and HTC promises OS updates within 15 days of release.
Still, you have to ask yourself: Is the HTC One A9 worth $499 with phones like the Huawei Nexus 6P and Moto X Pure on the market at the same price point?
Source: GSM Arena
The post The HTC One A9 will jump $100 after launch appeared first on AndroidGuys.
World View tests a small version of its balloon-powered spacecraft
World View, the company that plans to offer relatively affordable trips to the edge of space using ginormous helium balloons, has successfully completed its first major test flight. While it aims to use balloons the size of a football stadium for the actual flights, the one it tested is a scaled-down version carrying a replica spacecraft. The test system reached an altitude of 100,475 feet, which means the company reached its goal: it promised to take passengers 100,000 feet (around 20 miles) up in the air inside a capsule for one to two hours, after all. That’s about 40 miles below sub-orbital space, but it’s still high enough for passengers to clearly see the curvature of our planet.
Source: World View
The HTC A9’s price will jump to $500 after November 7th
HTC is very proud of its A9 handset, even going as far as to proclaim that Apple copied the company’s design language which is now billed as “metalmorphics“. While the device may be divisive, interested parties are no doubt taken by its near-stock Android build, the generous warranty, solid specs, and the reasonable price. While the Taiwanese OEM has openly noted the $399 cost was only a limited time affair, today we know the full picture: from November 7th the A9 will cost $499.99.
Specifically, the company has provided the following statement to clarify this issue:
The cost of the HTC One A9 is the same worldwide to all distributors and operator partners. For end consumers, HTC’s sales regions are given the freedom to set prices and promotions as they see fit for local market needs. The One A9 price in the US is a very limited-time promotional offer for that region’s online store, as well as select HTC-only franchise stores. The offer is a special promotional pre-sale and is expected to conclude once the One A9 is available on-shelf at major retail and distributor partners.
After the promotional pre-sale offer ends, the new price in the US at htc.com will be $499.99 beginning 12:01am on 11/7
Pricing a problem?
On a global scale, the A9 seems to be replicating the same pricing problem seen in the new Nexus devices. Due to regional and/or exchange rate-related issues, Carphone Warehouse is listing it as £469 ($720). When considering that the MSRP for US customers is devoid of tax, even $399 becomes a slightly more costly creation. At $499 however, it’s roughly $50 cheaper than last year’s iPhone 6. In fact, a quick perusal on Amazon.com reveals that even US versions of this year’s Galaxy S6 can be had for roughly $50 more, with some sellers offering unlocked international variants for under $490.
A misstep?
Given the significant price hike about to take place next week, it begs the question as to if HTC has made a mistake with either the price itself, or else the manner in which it disclosed it. When the product was announced, the $399 cost was definitely a highlight for some. The product was basically presented as a viable alternative to products like the Moto X Pure Edition and the company’s promises of fast updates struck a cord.
Now, roughly a week later, the proposition suddenly seems less of one. At $499, the Moto X Pure Edition has a lot of extra specs to boast for example, and even products like the OnePlus 2 or Axon Phone are worth considering. Meanwhile, customers who see the A9 in a store might find it nice, but more carefully compare it with the competition – including the company’s own M9 – and choose either a cheaper option or a better one.
Keep in mind that a device of this is not a cheap proposition. HTC’s metallic phones have always cost a lot, and the company needs to improve its cash flow.
Wrap up
When it comes to pricing, the HTC A9 may be closer to the the Apple iPhone 5C.
In a sense, the A9 has become HTC’s iPhone 5C: it was designed at a very specific market yet due to pricing practices, has become less viable. At $500 pre-tax, it is competing directly with some major rivals, many of which offer better specs or hardware for the same cost, slightly higher, or lower.
What do you think? Is the A9 still a good purchase at the FRP or was $399 really the most it could have feasibly charged for this device? Please take our survey below, and share your thoughts in the comments section!
// <![CDATA[
(function ()
document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(opst);
());
// ]]>
AIG has an insurance policy for your drone
Owning a drone is sometimes a harrowing experience all by itself, but it can be downright agonizing if your robotic pride and joy gets into an accident. It’s not like you’re likely to replace an expensive 4K drone on a whim, after all. However, AIG thinks it can set your mind at ease. The company recently trotted out insurance for unmanned aircraft that covers damage to your drone and anyone involved in operating it, whether or not they’re pilots. How much you pay depends on what you’re looking for, but policies can tackle everything from liability (good for drone racing) through to “war, hijacking and terrorism.”
Via: Business Insider
Source: AIG
AIVAnet 