Apple’s Services Revenue Up 24% on App Store, Apple Pay, and Apple Music Growth
During today’s fourth quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the significant growth Apple saw in its services category, which is up 24 percent year over year.
In the quarter, Apple’s services segment, which consists of the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple Pay, AppleCare, and more, brought in $6.3 billion, up from $5 billion in the year-ago quarter.
According to Cook, services growth is driven by continued increases in App Store revenue and the increasing popularity of Apple Music. Revenue from Apple Music was up 22 percent in Q4 2016 compared to Q4 2015, while the App Store saw its fifth consecutive quarter of growth.
Apple Pay is also seeing steady growth. Apple Pay transactions are up over 500 percent, and in September of 2016, Apple saw more Apple Pay transactions than across all of fiscal 2015.
All in all, Apple has nearly doubled services revenue in the last four years and expects the services category to reach the size of a Fortune 100 company in 2017.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tags: App Store, Apple Music
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Here’s a super-cheap way to keep your phone safe while you cook – CNET
Your iPad will stick to its Smart Cover, even in a Ziploc bag. Josh Miller/CNET
When I hastily grabbed my phone to check a recipe during my first attempt at bibimbap, gunk from my fingers landed on the phone screen, nearly seeping into the speaker and damaging my favorite kitchen companion.
And it really is just that. With fruitful recipe apps like Allrecipes and Epicurious, along with my phone’s built-in timer and calculator for measurement conversions, my iPhone and iPad are extremely useful tools, right after a freshly sharpened knife and KitchenAid mixer.
There’s just one problem: these gadgets are hanging out in the dangerous war zone that is the kitchen. Chopping, rinsing, and transporting ingredients always involves the inevitable splashing, and your phone or tablet is right there, vulnerable to these kitchen elements and your messy fingertips.
How to find and use a Chromebook’s local storage – CNET
Chromebooks are built and sold with the idea that you’ll use cloud storage for most if not all of your files. A Chromebook’s files are likely stored on Google Drive. Music is likely played on Google Play. Photos are likely viewed on Google Photos. (Or alternative cloud services such as, say, Dropbox, Spotify and Flickr.)
This web-centric view of the laptop makes Chromebooks easy to operate and inexpensive to acquire, but Chromebooks are not without some local storage. Typically, a Chromebook supplies either a 16GB or 32GB solid-state drive, but ChromeOS treats this local storage as a cache and may delete older files to make room for new files.
I wouldn’t keep the only copies of treasured photos on my Chromebook’s SSD, but it is useful as a temporary storage spot for downloaded files. (For example, to set a custom image for your desktop wallpaper, you first need to download an image from the Web.) Because local storage is deemphasized on a Chromebook, finding it isn’t as straightforward as locating your C: drive.
With this guide, I’ll show you how to access your Chromebook’s local storage, find out how much free space remains and how to save, delete and move files.
Find your Chromebook’s local storage
To view the files stored locally on your Chromebook, click the Launcher button in the lower-left corner of your Chromebook’s display (it’s ChromeOS’ version of the Windows Start button). A window will open showing the apps you have used recently. Look for the Files app. If you don’t see it, click All Apps and find the Files app listed among all of your Chromebook’s apps.
Enlarge Image
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
From the Files window, click Downloads from the left panel. The files in this Downloads folder are stored locally on your Chromebook.
Find out how much free storage remains
To see how much of your meager allotment of local storage remains free, open the Downloads folder and then click the triple-dot button in the upper-right corner. This opens a small panel that show’s how many GBs you have left.
Enlarge Image
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
How to save files
Any file you download from the Web to a Chromebook gets saved to your Downloads folder. If you find an image online you want to save, for example, you can right-click on the image and choose Save image as and it gets saved to the Downloads folder.
How to delete files
To delete a file, open the Downloads folder, click to select a file or files and then click the trashcan button in the upper-right corner.
How to move files to the cloud
Instead of deleting a file, you can free up local storage space by moving a file from the Downloads folder to the cloud. Actually, you can’t move it as much as copy it and then go back and delete it.
From the Downloads folder, click on a file and drag it to Google Drive listed in the left panel. This copies the file to Google Drive, leaving the original in the Downloads folder. But once you have copied it to Google Drive, you can then go back and delete it from the Downloads folder to free up your local storage.
For more, learn how a Chromebook differs from a laptop and how to make ChromeOS feel more like a full OS.
Cheap Chromecast Speakers: Best Under $35
Just because you want a great sounding speaker doesn’t mean you have to spend more than you did on your Chromecast Audio.
Chromecast Audio provides us with an easy way to stream media from our mobile devices to our favorite speakers, whether they feature Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or neither. We’ve selected five of the best portable speakers that go great with this audio accessory and cost no more than the Chromecast Audio itself. Keep one in your bedroom, living room, kitchen, or bathroom — these speakers will give you the superior sound you crave without breaking the bank.
DKnight Magicbox Portable Speaker
This portable speaker has earned its place at the top of our list. As one of the highest rated speakers on Amazon, the DKnight Magicbox rocks your favorite tunes over its impressive sounding dual 6W acoustic drivers. There are plenty of buttons on top to manage your music if you wish to use them, and the 3.5mm auxiliary input for your Chromecast Audio is found on the side along with the power button, microUSB charging port, and a microSD card slot for turning the Magicbox into a standalone MP3 player. Take your pick of black, red, blue, or gray for a very reasonable price, usually starting around $27.
Read our in-depth review
See at Amazon
SoundPal F3 Portable Speaker
Providing rich bass and impressive volume levels is the SoundPal F3 Speaker which packs two 7.5W drivers along with a couple passive radiators. On a full charge this portable speaker will supply you with up to 12 hours of your favorite tunes while hooked up to your Chromecast Audio. A built-in mic allows you to manage your calls over the speaker, if that’s your thing, and the 3.5mm aux-in on the side is easily accessible for connecting your Chromecast Audio. You can snag this miniature beast for only $29.99.
Read our review on the SoundPal F3
See at Amazon
Cambridge Soundworks OontZ Angle 3
While the Chromecast Audio may not be waterproof, the OontZ Angle 3 from Cambridge SoundWorks certainly is. This 5-inch speaker speaker has an IPX5 rating, making it completely splashproof for any setting. Inside is a long lasting 2200mAh battery that provides up to 15 hours of music through its dual drivers for a total of 10W of stereo sound. The OontZ Angle 3 sounds great on every level — mids, highs, and even bass are clear thanks to the passive subwoofer design. If you’re after a speaker that’s built for a tougher environment, this is a great option for you.
Read our in-depth review
See at Amazon
AYL Portable Mini Speaker
For something a bit more compact, but surprisingly loud, the AYL portable mini speaker is definitely one to check out. The 3W speaker on top provides quality sound that jams for up to 10 hours on a full charge. The unique design of this speaker makes it ideal for travel, quickly collapsing into a smaller size when needed. There’s even a built-in 3.5mm headphone cable on the bottom for hooking up your Chromecast Audio, along with an extension cable if you need a little extra length. Priced around $15, you can’t go wrong with this mini speaker.
Read our review of the AYL Mini
$15.40 on Amazon
Anker Classic Portable Speaker
Anker’s Classic Portable Speaker, a box design that uses a single 2-inch, 4W driver and bass port to deliver its amazing quality sound. Powering the unit is a 2100mAh Li-ion battery that will keep the music going for up to 20 hours. The built-in mic allows you to use the Anker Classic as a speakerphone, but for keeping things simple just plug in your Chromecast Audio to the 3.5mm port on the side and enjoy what this crafty speaker has to offer. Included is a longer auxiliary cable, travel pouch, microUSB charging cable, and an 18-month warranty. You can grab one in black, blue, or white for around $35.
Read our review of the Anker Classic
$34.99 on Amazon
VTIN Cuber
If you’re looking for a speaker to use with Chromecast audio that is ultra portable, check out the VTIN Cuber.
With an IP67 rating, this small square speaker is made to withstand the elements, which is great if you every want to use your Chromecast beside the pool or when your outside grilling.
Believe it or not, this tiny thing actually has a pretty solid battery life, giving you up to 8 hours of listening time. It comes with a strap you can attach to make it even easier to carry, and if you want to venture away from your Chromecast you can always use it with standard Bluetooth.
See at Amazon
What speakers are you using with Chromecast Audio?
Those are our top picks for an affordable speaker to use with the new Chromecast Audio. What speakers you’re currently using or looking into getting for your new audio accessory? Sound off in the comments!
Samsung to push OTA to European Note 7s limiting battery to 60% capacity
Plenty of people have yet to return their Note 7 to Samsung.
In an attempt to get remaining Galaxy Note 7s out of the hands of customers and returned to the company, Samsung is pushing out an update starting on October 31 to phones in Europe that will limit the capacity of the battery to 60%. Samsung is touting this as yet another way it’s working to get phones returned to the company, adding to regular push notifications, media advisories, emails to customers and the like.
Limiting the phone’s battery to just 60% capacity isn’t so much a safety feature as it is hopefully a big enough annoyance to customers that they’ll give up and finally return their Note 7 to Samsung, which makes it extra odd that the update isn’t simply being pushed out as soon as possible. Considering there’s absolutely zero reason to keep holding onto your Note 7 at this point, the update should be headed out sooner rather than later.
Samsung claims that two-thirds of Note 7s in Europe have already been returned for an exchange or refund, which is a solid share — but we need every Note 7 out there to be returned to Samsung, and it shouldn’t be taking this long. It has now been two full weeks since Samsung officially cancelled the Note 7 line and started collecting all phones that were sold and exchanged.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Galaxy Note 7 fires, recall and cancellation: Everything you need to know
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- The latest Galaxy Note 7 news
- Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!
Press release:
SAMSUNG ISSUES BATTERY SOFTWARE UPDATE TO GALAXY NOTE7 DEVICES IN EUROPE
Software update limits maximum battery charging capacity to 60 per cent
London, Tuesday, 25th October, 2016 – Samsung Electronics Europe today announced that it will issue a new battery software update to all Galaxy Note7 devices across the region, which will limit the maximum battery charge to 60%.
As part of Samsung’s absolute focus on customer safety, the new software update will roll out across Europe from Monday, October 31. The update is the latest measure taken by the company to reduce customer risk and simultaneously drive all remaining Galaxy Note7 customers in Europe to replace their device immediately.
Other measures taken in Europe since the decision on October 11 to discontinue sales and production of the Galaxy Note7 have included:
1) Continuous communications with our Galaxy Note7 customers to keep them fully informed of the latest updates and information through Samsung.com and across all relevant social media channels
2) A series of direct communications, including push notifications, to Galaxy Note7 customers in Europe urging them to replace their device through the Galaxy Note7 Replacement Programme
3) Continuous collaboration and coordination with local carrier and retail partners to make the replacement process as efficient as possible for customers
4) Ongoing engagement with relevant regulatory bodies and institutions throughout Europe to ensure that all stakeholders are informed of our plans and latest messages. This includes regular dialogue with the European Aviation Safety Agency and local airlines to ensure the communication of accurate information relating to restrictions on Galaxy Note7 usage during flights
These continuous communications have contributed to driving the rate of replacement, with two-thirds of all Galaxy Note7 devices in Europe replaced to date. Customers are offered a choice of a full refund or an exchange for an alternative Samsung Galaxy smartphone, with the difference in price also refunded.
The new software update is similar to a previous software update rolled out in September to original Galaxy Note7 devices across Europe. The software update was found to effectively minimise customer risk, with no incidents reported among the devices that received this software update.
Conor Pierce, Vice President of IT & Mobile, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland, commented: “Our absolute priority continues to be customer safety. This new battery software update is specifically designed to remind all Galaxy Note7 customers to replace their device at their earliest possible convenience through their local Galaxy Note7 Replacement Programme. We once again would like to apologise for not meeting the standard of product excellence that our customers have come to expect from Samsung and we sincerely thank them for their continued understanding and cooperation.”
For more information on the Galaxy Note7 Replacement Programme, visit http://www.samsung.com/uk/note7exchange/.
How to recycle or donate your old Android phone
Experts suggest that 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed of worldwide every year. We need to make sure we’re doing what we can to help manage it all.
How many phones are you in your house right now? I’m not just talking about the one(s) in your pocket, I’m talking about the ones stuffed in drawers, under other obsolete pieces of electronics that will likely never get looked at again until you wake up one morning determined to clean, and stuff everything in the garbage. Your house may benefit from a good electronics purge every once in a while, but unless these devices are exposed of properly, they usually end up in landfills, wasting the potential to recycle the rare metals and other components responsibly.
Here’s how to do just that: recycle your old Android phones responsibly.
Get all your stuff
Recycling a phone should be treated the same way reselling one is — don’t leave anything personal behind.
Turn the phone on one last time and give it a good once-over. Make sure you’re signed out of any accounts, have uninstalled all the things you’ve accumulated since you first got it and make sure things like pictures and music are taken off the phone (and backed up safely somewhere!). Take care to make sure any on-device address book entries are erased and any credentials you need to log in have been removed.
Never get rid of a phone without clearing your data from it.
Pull out your SIM card and any SD cards you might be using. If you’re recycling an Android phone, we recommend a factory reset and wipe once you’re sure nothing is left stored on the phone.You should also let things restart and skip through the setup process so you can double check that everything is gone.
We’re not trying to imply that anyone at a recycling center is eager to dig through your phone, but you should always protect your privacy.
Sorting it all
You’ll want to separate the electronics from the rest of the stuff. The box, the papers that came with it and the incidental stuff you’ve accumulated and will never use again needs to be gone over so it can go into the proper recycle bin.
Papers, cardboard boxes, and plastic or rubber phone cases can go with your normal household recyclables. The charger, any cables and the phone itself need set aside unless you have a pickup for discarded electronics. You should leave the back of the phone on if it’s removable, and there’s no need to pull off any skins or screen protectors. Use your judgment for other accessories, and a good rule of thumb is that if it needs power from a battery or a cord, it needs to go in the same bin as the phone itself.
Where to take the rest
Not everyone has easy access to a recycling center and some private centers will charge you when they take your stuff. Don’t be discouraged if this describes your situation and be tempted to just toss the whole kit and kaboodle into the trash with the rest of your household waste. Some of the stuff inside a phone — especially the battery — is pretty nasty and is not something we want to be buried in a landfill. Do you want roving bands of mutant super ants? Because that’s how you get roving bands of mutant super ants.
Recycling your phone is easy and it does make a difference.
There are plenty of places that want your old phone. Besides all that nasty battery stuff there are also a number of internal materials worth money to the right person. Aluminum. Copper. Gold. All of these fetch a good amount of cash if you have enough of it. You won’t find enough in one old phone to make it worth the time to retrieve it, but there are people and companies who collect enough old things to make it worthwhile for them. You don’t even need to look for those folks because they have bins at places you probably already visit.
Chances are the place you buy phones, like your carrier, will also take old ones back. They don’t want to have something with their name on it responsible for those super ants, and many of them have ongoing relationships with electronics recycling companies. Best Buy is another place that you can drop off an old phone, and you’ll find a bin right at the entrance. And if you purchase by mail you can ask for a prepaid bag to send your recyclable phone back in. Samsung has its own electronics recycling program, for both its own products and others.
If all else fails, ask the people who pick up your recycle bins.
Canadians can donate their devices at most carrier stores, or at drop-off locations hosted by Recycle My Cell across the country.
If your phone still works
If you want to recycle your phone because it no longer works, the above directions are the right way to do it. But if your phone is still functional, just not desirable, there are plenty of ways to donate it to the right cause.
In the U.S., organizations like Cell Phones for Soldiers and Verizon’s HelpLine are wonderful ways to donate old devices, either for people to use, or for them to sell to raise money on their own.
We’ve only got one planet. Until we figure out a way to pack it all up and fly to some place better we all need to do everything we can to keep it clean and super ant free. Taking five minutes to sort out a phone and charger from your everyday refuse is easy and finding some place to take it isn’t difficult, either.
New MacBook Pro with OLED touch panel revealed in massive leak
Apple’s new MacBook Pro will feature an OLED touch panel that offers built-in Touch ID and works with Apple Pay.
Apple released MacOS Sierra 10.12.1 on 24 October with hidden images of Apple Pay, according to MacRumours and 9to5Mac. They showed a yet-to-be-unveiled MacBook Pro with an OLED touch panel. Apple has been rumoured to be developing such a device and might introduce it during an event on 27 October. The leaked images not only confirm the laptop is coming, but gives us a good look at the new touch panel’s functionality.
- New MacBook Pro (2016): What’s the story so far?
As you can see, the OLED touch panel is located at the top of the MacBook Pro’s keyboard, where the physical function keys would normally be located. The touch panel appears to support Touch ID, and you can even see it being used with Apple Pay. Apple might brand the OLED touch panel “Magic Toolbar”. It’s rumoured to be contextual, allowing it to change options based on what’s displayed on the MacBook Pro’s screen.
When used with Apple Pay, the OLED touch panel will ask a customer to confirm a purchase with a finger on the panel. That means Touch ID is built directly into the OLED touch panel. Otherwise, the new MacBook Pro looks a lot like existing models. It should be thinner and lighter than previous MacBook Pros, but thickness can’t be determined in Tuesday’s leaked images. We also can’t see ports or any hardware tucked inside.
However, we can see that the font on the keys has changed. Look closely and you’ll see the “R” key is different, for instance. Elsewhere, the machine is expected to feature four USB-C ports, a headphone jack, and more ports for HDMI, MagSafe port, and SD card. We should know more on Thursday at 10 am PST, when Apple unveils the MacBook Pro in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes.
- Apple ‘Hello Again’ Mac event: What to expect and where to watch
AT&T’s streaming DirecTV service will cost $35 a month
It’s been just a few days since AT&T announced that it would be buying Time Warner for $85.4 billion. Now Time Warner CEO Jeffrey L. Bewkes and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson are on stage at WSJD Live to talk a little more about their plans going forward. In particular, Stephenson announced that AT&T is going to release a new OTT offering called DirecTV Now for $35 a month. It’ll be an “all-in” service with 100 channels, and it’s coming by the end of this November.
“This deal was about one thing: how can we change the ecosystem?” said Stephenson, adding that it wasn’t about preserving the status quo. “I don’t think you can characterize it as defensive.”
“We’ve done video on-demand at HBO,” said Bewkes. “We knew people wanted it for every channel […] You should be able to get any network you want on demand.” He goes on to say that every TV channel should be as on-demand as HBO Now. Indeed, AT&T even wants Time Warner to break up channel bundles into a la carte offerings, which is relatively unheard of with most cable companies.
As for whether the merger will actually go through regulators, Stephenson was quite confident. He said that unlike their failed deal with T-Mobile, this isn’t nearly as high-risk. This is despite the backlash it’s received from both politicians and Wall Street, with everyone from Senator Al Franken to presidential candidate Donald Trump expressing their displeasure about the buyout.
Of course, Stephenson says that the deal is actually beneficial to consumers, saying that it’s now able to offer lower prices, such as the $35 streaming service. Plus he said that the market won’t really change. “When we wake up after this deal is approved, the wireless market will look exactly the same as it does today, and the media market will look exactly the same as it does today.” Time Warner, he said, will be run as a separate wholly owned subsidiary.
As for net neutrality concerns, Stephenson said that it’s no longer an issue. “You guys from Google, you won. It’s done. You don’t have to worry about net neutrality anymore.” He also says that there’s no real need to protect OTT competition, adding that “Netflix is probably going to be OK.”
tephenson also said that 1-gigabit 5G wireless service will be deployed in 2018. He said it’ll significantly accelerate media consumption on mobile, and will turn AT&T into a nationwide platform of video delivery.
In the end, the deal was about creating a nationwide competitor to cable. “I border on the evangelical about it,” said Stephenson. “This is the most exciting thing I’ve been a part of in a long time.”
The NBA’s live Twitter shows debut this week
As promised, the NBA and Turner have launched their two original shows on Twitter… and they might scratch your itch if you can’t get enough basketball in your life. The first, The Starters, streams live every Tuesday at 11AM Eastern and delivers passionate commentary from the crew that hosts NBA TV and official podcasts. The Warmup, meanwhile, is a more interactive affair: the half-hour show from Ben Lyons and Ro Parrish integrates Twitter chats into each episode (Thursdays at 7:30PM Eastern), and it merges b-ball with “lifestyle, music and pop culture.” It’s more of an entertainment show that just happens to have basketball as a hook, then.
You can visit either show on the web, and the NBA’s Twitter account will also host shows as they air. Twitter is also marking the occasion with hashtag-triggered flags for all 30 league teams: tweet hashtags like #DubNation (Warriors) or #WeTheNorth (Raptors) and you’ll show your pride.
The shows aren’t the same as watching honest-to-goodness games, but they help fill out Twitter’s strategy of offering live programming for virtually every major sport in the US and beyond. The jury’s still out on how well this sports-centric strategy works, though. Twitter has only been offering its live sports coverage since July, and it remains to be seen how many will tune in online versus tweeting while they watch games on TV.
Source: Twitter Blog, The Starters, The Warmup
Xiaomi’s Mi MIX is all about its gorgeous edge-to-edge display
We’re used to surprise announcements at Xiaomi events, but this time, it’s a rather special one. After showing off the Mi Note 2, the company unveiled the Mi MIX “concept phone” — one that’s headlining with a cool 6.4-inch, edge-to-edge 1080p LCD (even at the top two round corners, and without using the old optical illusion trick). The high-end device also features a glossy full ceramic body and buttons, with no earpiece or proximity sensor, allowing for a cleaner look on the device’s top edge. And, naturally, as flagship phone it has flagship specs. For a moment there, we were wondering why Xiaomi would spend so much time talking about a concept phone, but then, as a final surprise, we learned it’s something people will actually be able to buy.
According to Global VP Hugo Barra, the Mi MIX was kept under wraps before launch, to the point where CEO Lei Jun didn’t even use the relevant slides during rehearsal. It’s no wonder, then, that were no leaks about the device. The closest I got was a rumor — which turned out to be false — about Xiaomi launching two versions of the Mi Note 2: one curved and one flat.
Xiaomi’s collaboration with famed French designer Philippe Starck on the Mi MIX was another surprise. Barra said the project started in 2014, with Starck’s main contribution being that he helped set the high-level direction for the team. Later on, he was heavily involved in guiding the device’s look and feel. While sharing the stage with Lei, Starck took the opportunity to express his fondness of the ceramic edition Mi 5, which was Xiaomi’s first attempt at using this fancy-looking material. By comparison, the ceramic edition Mi 5 was apparently more difficult to manufacture than the Mi MIX, due to the body’s 3D curve.
Going back to the Mi MIX, you’ll see that the earpiece and infrared proximity sensor have been removed from the top to make way for the edge-to-edge display. It’s so expansive, in fact, that it occupies a whopping 91.3 percent of the available surface space. These features are replaced by a cantilever piezoelectric actuator behind the glass to produce both audible sound for phone calls. There’s also ultrasound for proximity sensing — a first for smartphones. The latter is powered by Elliptic Labs’ cunningly-named “Inner Beauty” software solution (because it contributes to the device’s outer beauty, get it?), but as simple as it sounds, this Norwegian startup has been working on this technology with Xiaomi since the end of 2014.
“Qualcomm tried to do this but they pulled out of this market,” Elliptic Labs CEO Laila Danielsen told Engadget. “We know that many other smartphone manufacturers have been trying to do that, but they’re not able to because it’s really difficult,” she added, referring to how you’d need a sophisticated algorithm to address the distortion when the signal travels through glass.
Danielsen believes that a Norwegian company like hers is more likely to succeed in this field thanks to the local expertise on ultrasound technology, which is used in the region for fishing, healthcare and seismic analysis. Now, with the launch of the Mi MIX, Elliptic Labs is apparently already 16 to 18 months ahead of the competition as it has the automatic testing tools plus scalability. Its next goal: to bring ultrasonic gesture control to smartphones as well.
The rest of the Mi MIX is just as impressive. This Android phone features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset clocked at 2.35GHz, along with either 4GB or 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 128GB or 256GB of UFS 2.0 storage, a massive 4,400mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support, a fingerprint reader, NFC, HD audio playback, a 16-megapixel main camera and a tiny custom-made 5-megapixel selfie camera (the module is half the size of conventional ones). Like the Mi Note 2, the Mi MIX also supports LTE Cat 11 with download speeds of up to 600Mbps using tri-carrier aggregation.
Combining these great specs with such an ambitious design, it’s only fair for Barra to call this phone the “Formula One” product from Xiaomi. Still, there’s no doubt that the Chinese company will also continue to serve the mainstream market — after all, it does have some catching up to do if it wants to gain Chinese marketshare. Even so, devices like the Mi MIX feel refreshing at a time when the market for phones — and the rate of innovation, for that matter — is otherwise slowing.
The Mi MIX will be available in China on November 4th. The base model costs 3,499 yuan (around $516), while the top-end model — which sports 18-karat gold rims around the main camera and fingerprint reader — is priced at 3,999 yuan, or about $590. These cost a good deal more than what Xiaomi usually asks for, but given the unique design and specs, the price is still reasonable compared to other phones, and will probably indeed sell well in a country where Xiaomi has already won many fans.
AIVAnet 