Apple cuts iPhone 13 output forecast on chip shortage: report

SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Apple is unlikely to meet production goals for its new iPhone before the holidays because of a global electronic chip shortage, a report said Tuesday. 

The firm had planned to produce 90 million iPhone 13s before the end of the year, but will have to settle with 80 million as suppliers Broadcom and Texas Instruments cannot meet demand, the Bloomberg News said, citing sources familiar with the matter who asked to remain anonymous.

Apple presented a new line of iPhones last month, with four new models, including the iPhone 13 Mini, which sells from $700, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which costs $1,100.

"We estimate that overall demand has been robust globally," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said, highlighting strong demand in China and the United States especially. 

"Apple will be running into a 5 million-plus iPhone 13 unit shortage for the holiday season if consumer demand keeps up at this pace," he added.

Chief executive Tim Cook warned during quarterly earnings reports in late July that supply chain constraints would have an even bigger impact on the current quarter than it had in the previous three months. 

He pointed out that electronic chip shortages were affecting all parts of the industry, not just Apple, and stemmed from significantly higher-than-expected demand.

Agence France-Presse

China's Xiaomi soars as US judge lifts it from backlist

HONG KONG - Shares in Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi surged more than 10 percent in Hong Kong on Monday after a US judge removed it from a blacklist that barred American companies from investing in it.

The firm's stock price has been hammered since mid-January when Donald Trump, in his last days in office, included it in a group the White House considered a threat to US national security.

The move classified Xiaomi, which is among the biggest smartphone makers in the world, as one of nine "Communist Chinese military companies" that also included state oil giant CNOOC, and popular social media app TikTok.

But US District Judge Rudolph Contreras ruled Friday that the Department of Defense and the Treasury "have not made the case that the national security interests at stake here are compelling".

He removed Xiaomi from the blacklist and suspended the investment ban after the firm appealed against the blacklisting.

The news sent shares in the firm surging 12 percent in Hong Kong morning trade Monday, having lost more than 40 percent since Trump's order. 

However, while Xiaomi was removed, US regulators listed Huawei and ZTE among Chinese telecom equipment makers considered a threat to national security, signalling that a hoped-for softening of relations is not on the cards.

Washington claims Huawei has close ties to China's military and that Beijing could use its equipment for espionage -- accusations the company denies.

Agence France-Presse

Samsung embroiled in 'One China' row after K-pop star pulls out

BEIJING, China — The world's number one smartphone maker Samsung Electronics became the latest global brand to face criticism Wednesday for damaging China's "territorial integrity," with a Chinese K-pop star ending an endorsement contract.

The row broke out after Chinese viewers noticed that the South Korean tech giant offers different language versions of its website for users in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan—in English, simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese.

All three appear as choices in a list of 'countries.'


Beijing is very sensitive about anything it perceives as portraying semi-autonomous Hong Kong and Macau or the self-ruled democratic island of Taiwan—which it views as as a renegade province awaiting reunification—as separate countries.

Hong Kong has become a particularly thorny issue for Beijing in recent weeks with the financial hub plunged into months of pro-democracy protests.

Chinese K-pop star Zhang Yixing—popularly known as Lay, from the boyband EXO—on Tuesday cancelled his agreement with Samsung for it allegedly "hurting the national feelings of Chinese compatriots" by maintaining the separate websites.

The hashtag "#ZhangYixing Ditches Samsung#" went viral on China's Twitter-like Weibo with his cancellation notice being viewed 840 million times in the 20 hours after it was posted.

"Its act of blurring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country has seriously hurt the national feelings of our compatriots, which we strongly condemn," Zhang's Chinese agency said in a statement on its official social media account on Weibo.

Zhang had been a Samsung Electronics brand ambassador in China since December. The firm declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

The move comes days after several luxury retailers apologised for labelling the semi-autonomous cities of Hong Kong and Macau and the self-ruled island of Taiwan as separate countries.

Austrian jewellery company Swarovski apologized Tuesday for "hurting the feelings" of Chinese people after calling Hong Kong a separate country on its website.

Luxury brands Versace, Coach, and Givenchy also all apologized this week for making perceived affronts to China's national sovereignty with T-shirts listing Hong Kong and Taiwan as separate countries.

The row also cost them the support of their Chinese brand ambassadors as the companies scrambled to minimise any potential damage in the lucrative mainland market.

source: philstar.com

Mahathir says Malaysia will use Huawei 'as much as possible'

TOKYO, Japan — Malaysia will continue using Huawei products "as much as possible," bucking a global trend prompted by security concerns and a US ban on the Chinese firm, the country's prime minister said Thursday.

Mahathir Mohamad, speaking at a conference in Tokyo, acknowledged the security concerns but said they would not deter Malaysia.


"Yes, there may be some spying. But what is there to spy (on) exactly in Malaysia? We are an open book," the 93-year-old said at the Future of Asia forum.

Mahathir said Huawei had access to research "far bigger than the whole of Malaysia's research equivalent."

"So we try to make use of their technology as much as possible."

"Everybody knows, if any country wants to invade Malaysia, they can walk through, and we will not resist because it's a waste of time," he added.

His comment came after a wave of controversy over the Chinese telecommunications firm, which has been hit by allegations of espionage and faces a US ban.

A number of countries have blocked Huawei from working on their mobile networks and companies have stepped back from the firm after the US ban, citing legal requirements.

The spat comes as the United States and China raise tariffs in tit-for-tat moves along with blistering rhetoric accusing each other of unfair trade practices.

Mahathir warned about the heated exchanges between Beijing and Washington, which come as the powers and their allies lock horns in the hotly contested South China Sea.

Mahathir said the United States and "the West" must accept that Asian nations now produce competitive products, and should not "threaten" business rivals.

"Yes, I understand Huawei has tremendous advance(s) over American technology even," he said.

"The US must compete with China. At times China will win, other times the US will win," he said.

He warned that the tense relations between the US and China might impact the situation in the South China Sea, where China claims sovereignty despite rival claims from other regional nations.

And he urged calm in the area, warning that small incidents could easily escalate into violence.

source: philstar.com

Vivo spreads summer feels with V15 in limited-edition Blossom Pink

MANILA, Philippines — Vivo is introducing a limited-edition Blossom Pink color to its V15 smartphone to bring a touch of tender summer feels.

V15 handsets with the exclusive color variant, which celebrates the season of bloom, will be available at selected stores nationwide, until supplies last.

Aside from its refreshing Blossom Pink color, the Vivo V15 sports a 6.53-inch Ultra FullView display to provide a 90.95% screen-to-body ratio for an immersive viewing and gaming experience.

The handset has a 32MP Elevating Selfie Camera and an AI-powered triple rear camera setup of 24 Million Photographic Units, 8MP AI Super Wide-Angle camera, and 5MP Depth Camera. The AI Super Wide-Angle camera is perfect for capturing amazing landscape and panoramic shots of summer.

The Vivo V15 is powered by the Helio P70 with 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM. It is available for only P17,999 (SRP) and also comes in standard Topaz Blue and Glamour Red colors.

source: philstar.com

Samsung finally brings Galaxy M20 to the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Whenever there’s an announcement of a new smartphone, some of us tend to hold off and wait for a year or so just for the price of that precious piece of tech to drop significantly. There’s really nothing wrong if you’re the type of person who is always on the look out for a gadget that can give you more bang for your buck, right?

But the good news is, the waiting game is finally over. So if you got yourself a five-year-old relic smartphone then you should definitely go and get the latest offer of Samsung in the midrange category – the Galaxy M20.

The first thing that you have to know about the Galaxy M20 is its noticeable teardrop notch façade that’s been on numerous smartphone designs since Apple introduced it with the iPhone X. Yes, years after the famous notch design, Samsung kind of finally joined the club.


The Samsung Galaxy M20 comes with a spacious 6.3-inch Infinity V Display that features a bezel-less edge to edge 2340 x 1080 FHD+ crystal clear resolution that provides a whole new level of viewing experience.

As battery usage remains one of the issues that smartphones face today, Samsung compliments the Galaxy M20’s feats with a massive 5000mAh battery.

You may be wondering, how that translates to every day use, right? Well, with a fully charged Galaxy M20, you can have up to 17 hours of video playback. So, if you like binge-watching your favorite Netflix series, then this smartphone is definitely for you. But if the Galaxy M20 happen to run out of juice, fret no more – because it has a Type-C fast charger that gives you three times faster charging capability.

Playing games, watching videos or even using your favorite social media apps simultaneously are ridiculously easy with the Galaxy M20, because it runs with an Exynos 7904 1.8GHz octa-core processor paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage that can also be expanded with up to 512GB via microSD.

What’s really nice about the new Galaxy M20 is its ultra-wide dual rear cameras composed of a 13-megapixel F1.9 that is suitable for low light photography and a five-megapixel F2.2 lens.

While on the front, the Galaxy M20 sports an 8-megapixel F2.0 selfie camera. It has an AI-solution that can optimize scenes in real-time. Apart from that, it also automatically adjusts the saturation, white balance and brightness.

Of course, the Galaxy M20 also has a biometric authentication that easily lets users unlock the device using either their fingerprint or face recognition. Aside from that, it comes with two stylish color variants: Charcoal Black or Ocean Blue.

The Samsung Galaxy M20 is priced at P10,990 that can be purchased exclusively via Lazada, Shopee, Argomall, Abenson, and MemoXpress.

Users may visit the online merchants’ websites to know more about their promos with the Galaxy M20. Each purchase of the smartphone also comes with access to the Samsung Members app, an online community that offers news, tips, diagnostic checks, and exclusive benefits like event invitations, special offers, and discounts on Samsung services.

For information, visit samsung.com/ph.

source: philstar.com

Once red-hot smartphone market sees cooler trend

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — The smartphone market is down but not out, with high prices and other factors combining to chill what had previously been a red-hot sector.

Fresh surveys show global sales had their worst contraction ever in 2018, and the outlook for 2019 isn't much better.

Still, analysts don't see the sun setting any time soon on the smartphone era, seen as a must-have device for many people around the world.

"They don't have a viable replacement yet," independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle said of the smartphone.

"There is always the possibility to go to wearables or head-mounted displays, but none of those have emerged as a real threat."

Worldwide handset volumes declined 4.1 percent in 2018 to a total of 1.4 billion units shipped for the full year, according to research firm IDC, which sees a potential for further declines this year

Another market tracker, Gartner, said its research suggested some stabilization in the smartphone market at the end of last year, said analyst Werner Goertz.

"Mobile phones are here to stay," Goertz said, while suggesting that consumers may be waiting for some devices with new features.

"Foldable phones would represent a really nice disruptive feature," he said.

Analysts pointed out that other tech products such as personal computers have seen similar ebbs and flows.

"Markets will always have slow moments when companies have to spend more on marketing money to get people to go out and buy stuff," Enderle said.

He added that some consumers are holding off on replacing their devices amid price hikes for premium devices like Apple's iPhone.

Food or phone? 

During a recent earnings call, Apple chief executive Tim Cook agreed that people were holding onto their iPhones longer.

Cook contended that another reason for slower iPhone sales was that telecom carriers were cutting subsidies of handsets tied to service contracts, meaning customers were faced with paying full price of $1,000 or more for high-end models.

"People don't want to spend another thousand bucks to replace something that isn't broken," analyst Enderle maintained.

"In emerging markets you can't get people to pay a quarter of their monthly income for a phone; they are not giving up food for texting."

In an unusual move, Apple lowered prices in some emerging markets to offset the effects of a strong US dollar on local pocketbooks.

Cook said that in January, in some locations and for some products, Apple "absorbed part of the foreign currency move" to "get close or perhaps right on" prices in those respective markets a year ago.

"So yes, I do think that price is a factor," Cook said.

Market mess 

Nonetheless, the latest data suggests the days of red-hot smartphone growth are over and that sluggish growth or contraction is likely in many saturated markets.

Apple recently reported a rare drop in revenue in the fourth quarter South Korea's Samsung, the largest smartphone maker, reported a slump in fourth-quarter net profits, blaming a drop in demand for its key products.

"Globally the smartphone market is a mess right now," said IDC analyst Ryan Reith.

"Outside of a handful of high-growth markets like India, Indonesia, (South) Korea and Vietnam, we did not see a lot of positive activity in 2018."

Reith noted that along with consumers waiting longer to replace their phones and frustration around the high cost of premium devices, there was political and economic uncertainty.

The Chinese market, which accounts for roughly 30 percent of smartphone sales, was especially hard hit with a 10 percent drop, according to IDC's survey.

However, Chinese smartphone makers such as Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi defied the trend and ended the year with gains, according to Counterpoint Research.

This year, smartphone makers will likely entice customers to upgrade devices with innovations such as superfast 5G network connectivity and foldable screens , according to Counterpoint associate director Tarun Pathak.

Leading smartphone maker Samsung is expected to show off a smartphone with a foldable screen at an event here in February.

source: philstar.com

Here’s how you can get first dibs on the Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design

MANILA, Philippines — Images of Huawei’s upcoming flagship smartphone has surfaced on the Internet recently and everyone — even the most discerning mobile consumers — is becoming more impatient for its worldwide release.

There’s a good reason why. Carrying the iconic Porsche Design brand, the newest smartphone in the Huawei Mate 10 series is luxurious, powerful and exclusive.

But what’s really special about this smartphone? A lot.

Just from its name, expect the Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design to sport a luxurious feel. With the aesthetic of Porsche Design, it is constructed with glass uni-body and handcrafted exterior. It is available exclusively in Diamond Black so it looks even more sophisticated.

Inside this sleek phone is an equally impressive memory cortex. Combining 6GB RAM with 256GB ROM, it is officially the highest spec smartphone in the Huawei Mate 10 series.

Another thing to watch out for in the Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design is its use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, engineered for an outstanding smartphone experience.

With the Kirin 970 AI chipset under its hood, the smartphone can learn and adjust its functions to its user’s lifestyle and at blazing speeds. If you like taking pictures, the camera can intelligently detect numerous objects and scenes and automatically adjust the settings to capture amazing images. If you’re a power user on the other hand, the device can optimize its efficiency for the best multi-tasking experience.

The AI technology allows the Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design to learn your behavior and to evolve around how you use your phone.

Convinced? Well, here’s the good news. Soon, select Filipinos can get their hands on this game-changing smartphone — a source told Philstar.com. He added that Globe will release 20 units, available only to Platinum subscribers.

For now we await the release of Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design through Globe Platinum. Visit www.consumer.huawei.com/en/phones/porsche-design-mate10/ for more information.

source: philstar.com

WEAK SALES | ‘Anemic’ iPhone 8 demand drags Apple shares lower

Apple Inc’s shares fell nearly 3 percent on Thursday on signs of weak demand for the iPhone 8 that caused analysts and investors to question the company’s staggered release strategy for its latest phones.

Wireless carriers in the United States and Canada have reported slow third-quarter customer upgrades. While some expect a pickup after the iPhone X goes on sale in November, others cautioned that phone’s high price tag could weigh on demand.

The chief executive of Rogers Communication, Canada’s largest mobile network, on Thursday said appetite for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which went on sale in September, had been “anemic,” the latest sign of weak sales for those phones ahead of the Nov. 3 launch of the pricier iPhone X.

But some analysts said overall phone production looked in line with their earlier expectations, and that it is unclear whether weak iPhone 8 sales would hurt iPhone revenue and margins because users may still be buying more profitable older models with more memory.

Verizon Communication Inc’s Chief Financial Officer Matt Ellis said the number of third-quarter phone upgrades fell versus previous years, but that he expected an upgrade surge when the iPhone X is released.

“I think what you’re seeing there is a difference in timing of some of the new devices coming out versus what we’ve historically seen,” Ellis told an earnings call.

“As we get into the holiday season, some of those new devices come out, we think we will see strong demand.”

The uncertainty about demand coupled with a Taiwan media report of a cut in iPhone 8 production pushed Apple shares down 2.8 percent by midday.

“The Street is hyper-sensitive to any speed bumps around this next iPhone cycle and (that) speaks to the knee-jerk reaction we are seeing in shares,” said Daniel Ives, chief strategy officer at GBH Insights in New York.

“iPhone 8 demand has been naturally soft out of the gates with the main event being the iPhone X launch in early November. (But) this is the early innings of what we believe is the biggest iPhone product cycle with X leading the way.”

U.S. wireless carrier AT&T said last week its third-quarter postpaid handset upgrades were down by nearly 900,000 from a year ago.

Supply chain

Apple no longer gives regular updates on sales numbers, but indications from supply channels, wireless carriers and analysts help shed light on demand.

When Apple announced the plan to release both phones before the end of 2017, fans were disappointed they would have to wait until November for the iPhone X.

But there are also concerns that the more expensive phone marking the iPhone’s 10th anniversary may see a muted reception compared to the frenzy that normally greets Apple phone launches.

A carrier store survey suggested the cheaper iPhone 7 was outselling its successor just a month after iPhone 8’s launch, KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst John Vinh said this week.

But it can be hard to gauge iPhone revenue and profits from model sales numbers alone because Apple can earn attractive margins when customers switch into higher-memory devices, said Wayne Lam, analyst with IHS Markit.

“They’ve always been able to use that as a lever to improve their profitability on the iPhone,” Lam said.

There are also worries that the relatively high price of the iPhone X may discourage carriers from stocking the inventory and customers from ultimately buying the phone.

Rogers’ CEO Joe Natale said anticipation for the iPhone X was high but noted inventory would be limited and that, at Apple’s starting price of $999, it was an expensive device.

source: interaksyon.com

Galaxy S8: More screen and elegance, but a hefty price tag

NEW YORK — Samsung's new Galaxy S8 phone is stunning. But its $100 price hike is hard to swallow.

That's how much extra you'll shell out for the S8, which starts shipping Friday for about $750 — $100 more than the iPhone 7 and last year's Galaxy S7 when it launched. A larger sibling, the S8 Plus, goes for about $850.

True, the S8 phones come with several refinements that, totaled up, are indeed worth more than $100. But it's hard to recommend an all-frills phone when many cheaper phones do just fine. The S8 is for those who want elegance — and are willing to pay for it.

SCREENS TO THE EDGES

After spontaneous fires that forced the recall of the Galaxy Note 7 , Samsung is playing it safe on the battery and subjecting the S8 to tighter inspections.

Instead, it's pushing the boundaries — so to speak — on the phone's display. Samsung minimized the phone frame and got rid of a physical home button to free up space for an "infinity display," a screen that seems to flow right into the phone's curved left and right sides.


The 5.8-inch S8 and the 6.2-inch S8 Plus both have nearly 15 percent more display space than last year's comparable models. But the phones themselves aren't wider. In fact, the phones feel more comfortable thanks to sides that curve around to the back; last year's curved S7 Edge model feels boxy by comparison.

The bigger screen fits more lines of text, but doesn't necessarily make video more immersive. While video on YouTube and Facebook gets automatically adjusted to fill the space, Netflix and Hulu movies just leave wasted black space on all four sides. You can tinker with that manually — but for $100, you shouldn't have to.

ALL ABOUT THE BATTERY

The S8 and S8 Plus have more physical space inside, but Samsung used it to give the battery more breathing room while keeping its capacity roughly the same as last year.

Though a larger display drains the battery faster, my tests of streaming video found that the new phones consumed power more slowly than last year's models. And even with constant use — taking photos, watching video and playing music and podcasts — the new phones still made it to bedtime with power to spare. Samsung credits software and chip improvements.

UNLOCKING THE PHONES

Like the doomed Note 7, the S8 has an iris scanner to let you a href='https://apnews.com/3344f360808d48f8b3fd683633855fea/Samsung's-new-jumbo-phone-unlocks-with-iris-scanner'unlock the phone by looking at it/a — at least in theory. But you have to swipe the screen first and position it from your face at just the right distance.

I'm sure Samsung, a South Korean company, meant no offense, yet I was ticked off when the phone instructed me, an Asian-American, to "open eyes fully." Oh, and the scanner doesn't work if you're wearing glasses.

The fingerprint scanner was faster and more convenient for unlocking the phone. But you have to be careful not to smudge the adjacent camera lens by mistake now that the scanner has been moved to the back.

FIRE THE ASSISTANT

Samsung is introducing a digital assistant called Bixby, but voice features intended to rival Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri aren't ready yet. A reminder feature works, but seems paralyzed without voice dictations. Bixby will highlight appointments, trending stories and app suggestions, much as existing features on iPhones and other Android phones already offer.

One promising feature aims to provide translations and product information using the phone's camera. It's like the Firefly feature on Amazon's derided Fire phone , and it makes the same types of dumb mistakes — it identified a can of Diet Coke as four other sodas instead. And the translation tools were incomplete at grabbing passages and failed to automatically detect the language you're translating from.

CALCULATING THE VALUE

Samsung throws in a pair of AKG premium headphones, valued at about $100. My ears weren't good enough to discern a difference, but it's nice to get headphones when many phone makers have stopped including them. The phone also comes with 64 gigabytes of storage, which frequently jacks up the price of other phones by $100. Those curved edges? Those also previously cost an extra $100.

The S8 seems like a bargain for only $100 over the S7 at launch.

But do you really need these goodies? The main camera on the S8 is about the same as last year's, so you can still get amazing photos with the S7 . (You can pick one up these days for as little as $576.)

There's speculation that Apple will come out with a pricier, feature-rich iPhone for its 10th anniversary this year — but it's expected to update the existing iPhone 7 line as well. Those who can't live with yesterday's technology won't be disappointed with the S8. But for everyone else, Samsung could have also offered a lower-priced alternative with fewer goodies.

source: philstar.com

Samsung launches Galaxy S8 and dreams of recovery from Note 7

SEOUL/NEW YORK — Samsung Electronics Co Ltd unveiled its Galaxy S8 flagship smartphone as it battles to regain the market leadership it lost to Apple Inc after the embarrassing withdrawal of the fire-prone Note 7s.

Boasting some of the largest wrap-around screens ever made, the long-awaited S8 is the South Korean technology company’s first new premium phone since its September recall of all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones equipped with fire-prone batteries. Samsung halted their sales in 10 markets, and the phones were banned from aircraft in the United States, denting a revival of the firm’s mobile business.

Two versions of the Galaxy S8, code-named Dream internally, were launched at a media event in New York on Wednesday, with 6.2-inch (15.75 cm) and 5.8-inch curved screens – the largest to date for Samsung’s premium smartphones. They will go on sale on April 21.

“We must be bold enough to step into the unknown and humble enough to learn from our mistakes,” D.J. Koh, the company’s mobile chief, said at the event after acknowledging that it had been a challenging year for Samsung.

U.S. carriers T-Mobile US Inc and Verizon Communications Inc announced retail pricing for the smaller S8 around $700. The larger phone will sell for $840 at Verizon and $850 at T-Mobile.

The S8 features Samsung’s new artificial intelligence service, Bixby, with functions including a voice-commanded assistant system similar to Apple’s Siri. There is also a new facial recognition application that lets users unlock their phones by looking at them.

Samsung is hoping the design update and the new features, focussed on making life easier for consumers, will be enough to revive sales in a year Apple is expected to introduce major changes to its iPhones, including the very curved screens that have become staples of the Galaxy brand.

Samsung Electronics shares edge up after unveiling Galaxy S8

The S8 is also crucial for Samsung’s image as a maker of reliable mobile devices. The self-combusting Galaxy Note 7s had to be scrapped in October just two months after their launch, and the recall was particularly damaging, investors and analysts say.

“The Galaxy S8 is the most important phone for Samsung in a decade and every aspect will be under the microscope following the Note 7 recall,” said Ben Wood, a veteran smartphone industry analyst with UK-based CCS Insight.

source: interaksyon.com

After Note 7 report, Samsung may delay launch of new Galaxy S8

SEOUL — Samsung Electronics Co Ltd indicated on Monday that its latest flagship Galaxy S smartphone could be delayed as it pledged to enhance product safety following an investigation into the cause of fires in its premium Note 7 devices.

Wrapping up its months-long probe, the world’s top smartphone maker said faulty batteries from two suppliers were to blame for a product failure that wiped $5.3 billion (4.3 billion pounds) off its operating profit.

Samsung mobile chief Koh Dong-jin said procedures had been put in place to avoid a repeat of the fires as the South Korean firm prepares to launch the Galaxy S8, its first premium handset since the Note 7′s demise.

“The lessons of this incident are deeply reflected in our culture and process,” Koh told reporters at a press briefing. “Samsung Electronics will be working hard to regain consumer trust.”

Koh said the Galaxy S8 would not be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona beginning Feb. 27, the traditional forum for Galaxy S series launches. He did not comment on when the company planned to launch the handset, though analysts expect it to start selling by April.

Investors have said Samsung needs to reassure consumers that it is on top of the Note 7 problem and can be trusted to fix it.

Samsung’s reputation took a hammering after it announced a recall of fire-prone Note 7s, only for reports to emerge that replacement devices also caught fire. Images of melted Samsung devices spread on social media and airlines banned travellers from carrying them on flights.

The handset, Samsung’s answer to Apple Inc’s iPhones, was withdrawn from sale in October less than two months after its launch, in one of the biggest failures in tech history.

Samsung said later on Monday it has not decided whether to reuse parts in the recovered Note 7s or resell any recalled phones. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters reselling some Note 7s as refurbished phones was an option.

The firm said it has recovered 96 percent of the 3.06 million Note 7s sold to consumers.

Short circuits

Investigations by internal and independent experts ruled out problems with the Note 7′s hardware and software. Instead, they said the batteries, which came from two suppliers, featured different manufacturing defects or design flaws that caused them to short-circuit.

“The odds that two different suppliers had issue with the same phone is an extremely low likelihood and may signal we have reached an inflection point in smartphone battery technology,” said Patrick Moorhead, president of technology analyst and advisory firm Moor Insights & Strategy.

Samsung did not name the suppliers on Monday but previously identified them as affiliate Samsung SDI Co Ltd and China’s Amperex Technology Ltd. SDI said separately it would invest 150 billion won (103.8 million pounds) to improve product safety and expected to continue supplying batteries for Samsung phones. ATL declined to comment.

Samsung said it accepted responsibility and would not take legal action against suppliers. The company touted longer battery life and fast charging as major improvements when it launched the Note 7.

“The current situation is not largely different from that of the first recall, when Samsung pointed the finger at battery defects,” said Park Chul-wan, a former director of the Center for Advanced Batteries at the Korea Electronics Technology Institute.

Battery checks

Among other measures to boost safety, Samsung said it had implemented an eight-point battery check system to avoid any such problems going unnoticed again.

While Samsung’s mobile division is widely expected to have bounced back from the Note 7 failure during the fourth quarter, experts remained cautious about the outlook for sales of future flagship devices.

“Consumers will accept the results (of the probe) only if there are no problems with the S8,” said Park.

Moorhead, however, said he thought Samsung had done enough to convince consumers that it can prevent future issues.

Samsung Electronics shares ended up 2.3 percent in a flat wider market. Analysts said the rise was mainly due to a healthy outlook for makers of tech components such as memory chips but also boosted by hopes the firm will be able to put the Note 7 fiasco behind it.

The firm expects fourth-quarter operating profit to hit a more than three-year high when it reports earnings on Tuesday, driven by booming chip sales.

source: interaksyon.com

Google takes on Apple, Amazon with new hardware push

SAN FRANCISCO — Alphabet Inc’s Google on Tuesday announced a new “Pixel” smartphone and a suite of new consumer electronics products for the home, planting itself firmly in the hardware business and challenging Apple Inc’s iPhone at the high end of the $400 billion global smartphone market.

The string of announcements – including the $649 Pixel, a smart speaker for the living room dubbed “Home,” a virtual reality headset, and a new Wi-Fi router – is the clearest sign yet that Google intends to compete head-to-head with Apple, Amazon.com Inc and even manufacturers of phones using its own Android mobile operating system.

Company executives, echoing Apple’s longstanding philosophy, said they were striving for tighter integration of hardware and software.

“The thinking is that if we can work on hardware and software together, we can innovate much better,” Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh said in an interview with Reuters, citing a recent reorganization that united once-disparate hardware teams.

Under the new structure, the company has begun to take a much more integrated approach to things like supply chain management and design, added Mario Queiroz, a vice president of product management.

“The learnings from one product are benefiting another product,” he said.

Unlike earlier Google phone efforts under the Nexus brand, the Pixel devices are designed and developed by Google from the start, although Taiwan’s HTC Corp will serve as the contract manufacturer.

Swipe at Apple

Taking another page from the Apple playbook, Google said it would work exclusively with a single carrier in the United States, Verizon Communications Inc, on the Pixel, emulating Apple’s agreement to launch the original iPhone with AT&T Inc. That deal gave Apple unprecedented control over the look of the phone and how it worked.

Shares of Alphabet closed up 0.3 percent, while Verizon fell 1.2 percent.

The phone comes in two sizes, and its high-end camera is one of few distinguishing features, analysts said. The phones come in black, blue and silver and will be able to get up to a seven-hour charge in 15 minutes. Pre-orders begin on Tuesday.

“Aside from the camera, the new Google Pixels are pretty undifferentiated compared to Samsung and iPhone seventh generation phones,” industry analyst Patrick Moorhead said.

While the new phones are clearly aimed at competing with the iPhone – Google executives took several swipes at Apple in their on-stage remarks – analysts said Android rivals like Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) could be the biggest victim if the Pixel takes off.

Google’s strategy of licensing Android for free and profiting from embedded services such as search and maps made Android the dominant mobile operating system with some 89 percent of the global market, according to IDC.

But Apple still rules the high end of the market, and Google has long been frustrated by the emergence of many variations of Android and the inconsistent experience that has produced. Pushing its own hardware will likely complicate its relationship with Android licensees, analysts said.

 All-purpose assistant

Google Kicked off the event Tuesday by touting the Google Assistant, the company’s voice-activated artificial intelligence system and its answer to Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. The presenter showed how a customers could make a restaurant reservation with a few phrases spoken into the phone.

The assistant will be embedded into the Pixel and Home products and is being positioned as the central feature in a family of integrated hardware and software products.

It is one of a handful of similar assistants that are vying for supremacy as more people search the web and make purchases online using voice commands, which may eventually supplant keyboards and touchscreens as the primary means of controlling digital devices.

While Google is often cited as the leader in artificial intelligence, Amazon stole a march on the company with its Alexa-powered Echo home speaker system, a surprise hit. The Home device and the Echo have many of the same features.

Google’s “Daydream View” virtual reality headset, meanwhile, puts the company in competition with Facebook Inc, owner of Oculus. The device, which works with an Android phone, is far cheaper and simpler. It will be available in November for $79, in time for the end-of-year shopping season.

Home will also be available in November for $129, including a six-month trial of ad-free YouTube.

Google also unveiled a new version of its Chromecast digital media player and a router dubbed Google Wifi, both boasting the same sleek, minimalist design as the Home product.

“These look like products from a single company,” said Queiroz, the Google executive.

source: interaksyon.com

Xiaomi Mi 5: Smartphone beast for cheap

Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi unveiled their latest flagship handset last Feb. 2 and started shipping the devices last week. We managed to grab one to review and check how this P15,000 smartphone will fare.

There are three variants of the Mi 5 with slight differences in their hardware configuration. The base configuration has 3GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage, followed by a 3GB RAM and 64GB storage with slightly faster Snapdragon 820 processor. The third variant, labeled as the Mi 5 Pro, comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB storage. What we got is the base configuration with 3GB/32GB combo that costs about P15,000 as sold in China.

Xiaomi has been known to make really great phones at an affordable price. The first time they officially entered the Philippines, the Xiaomi Mi3 sold really well that people were buying them and selling them for a higher price due to heavy demand.

The Mi 5 brings that same great design and solid hardware at an affordable price tag. The design was inspired from the bigger Mi Note that was released last year, only smaller, with just a 5.15-inch display. The glass front and back panel sandwiched in a metal frame is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7 especially with the tapered back and material design.

At only 7.24mm thin, Xiaomi managed to pack the Mi 5 with a lot of great features like the home button that serves as a fingerprint scanner, a 16-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization that does not show any ugly protrusion at the back like the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6S, dual nano-SIM tray and a new USB Type C charging port.

The 5.15-inch display has a full HD resolution and 428ppi pixel density that looks gorgeous and very bright. The edge-to-edge glass display makes it seem that the Mi 5 is almost bezel-less along the sides. While other flagship handsets like the Galaxy S7 and LG G5 have much higher screen resolution (2560x1440 pixels), the 1080p screen resolution of the Mi 5 is still at par and even gave the handset an advantage by pulling higher scores in device benchmarks.


While there is dual-SIM capability, there is no option to expand storage via microSD card so you’re stuck with about 25GB usable space when you pick up the base 32GB model.

Very few flagship handsets these days come with USB Type C – the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, OnePlus 2 and the LG G5. The Mi 5 adds to that very short list. Nevertheless, the device supports superfast charging, which translates to around 80 to 90 percent charge in just an hour for the 3,000mAh internal battery.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 runs on MiUI 7.2.5, which is basically a customized version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It is a simple UI but very nice and clean with tons of themes available in the App Store.

Xiaomi has once again made good on their promise of a really great-looking phone, topnotch hardware configuration at a very cheap price. If only they would release this device in the Philippines very soon. We’re not keeping our hopes up, though.

Xiaomi Mi 5 specifications:
5.15-inch full HD display @ 1920 x 1080 pixels, 428ppi

Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor

Adreno 530 GPU

3GB / 4GB LPDDR4 RAM

32GB, 64GB / 128GB UFS 2.0 internal storage

4G+ LTE Cat12, up to 600Mbps

VoLTE support

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Bluetooth 4.2

NFC

IR Blaster

GPS w/ A-GPS, GLONASS

Fingerprint sensor

USB Type-C

16-megapixel Sony IMX298  PDAF rear camera w/ dual-LED flash, 4-axis OIS

4-megapixel front camera

3000mAh battery w/ Quick Charge 3.0

Android 6.0 Marshmallow w/ MIUI 7

144.54 x 69.20 x 7.24 mm

129 g

Black, White, Gold

source: philstar.com

Preorders for Galaxy S7 phones stronger than expected — Samsung

SEOUL — Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has seen stronger-than-expected preorders for its new flagship Galaxy S7 smartphones launching this week, a senior company executive said on Thursday.

Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung’s handsets business, did not give a figure or disclose sales targets during a press briefing for the phones, which go on sale in South Korea and other markets on Friday.

But he said Samsung expects the S7s to help revive sales in China, the world’s top smartphone market where researchers say the Korean firm is lagging its competitors.

The Galaxy S7s offer incremental upgrades, leading some analysts to predict sales in the first year will be weaker than last year’s Galaxy S6s.

source: interaksyon.com

CES 2016 | Huawei targets premium segment with new phone, watch

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Chinese electronics giant Huawei took aim Tuesday at the premium segment dominated by Apple, unveiling a new large-screen smartphone along with a tablet and luxury smartwatch.

As it unveiled its latest flagship smartphone called the Mate 8 at the Consumer Electronics Show, Huawei said it sees a path to becoming the number two global vendor in the sector — a spot now held by US-based Apple.

“Every year, every month, we are increasing our market share,” said Huawei consumer devices chief Richard Yu.

“Within a few years we believe we can be number two.”

At CES, Huawei announced the launch of its premium flagship phone claiming better performance and battery life than rivals made by Apple and Samsung.

With a six-inch display, it still has a smaller overall footprint than similar smartphones, said Kevin Ho, who heads Huawei’s handset operations.

The Mate 8 will launch in 30 countries — but not the United States — starting at 599 euros ($650), in line with flagship models from Apple and Samsung.

The first wave of markets where the Mate 8 will be launched are in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.

Ho said the new device has a battery life of more than two days. It has a fingerprint identification system for payments, improved camera audio and microphone technology.

Huawei designed its own chipset for the device, ensuring it stays cool despite high performance, Ho said.

“High performance does not always mean hot,” he said.

Huawei boosted its global smartphone market share to 7.7 percent in the third quarter behind Samsung and Apple, according to research firm Gartner.

It has taken a leading position in China ahead of Samsung, but its US offerings have been limited until its recent agreement to produce a Nexus phone for Google.

Yu said Huawei’s total consumer device revenues grew 70 precent in 2015 to more than $20 billion as it shipped 108 million handsets.

He added that Huawei has in the past few years boosted its global brand awareness and trust from consumers. Huawei’s image was tarnished several years ago amid concerns over its ties to the Chinese government.

“We regained trust from consumers,” Yu said.

Huawei also unveiled a 10-inch tablet which appears to be designed as a rival to the iPad.

The MediaPad M210 will be sold in the US and more than two dozen other markets starting at $349.

The company also unveiled two new versions of its smartwatch — called Jewel and Elegant — which appear aimed at the luxury segment occupied by Apple Watch.

Aimed at women, the two new models start at $499 and $599. The Jewel is made in collaboration with Swarovski and features the European company’s diamond-emulating glass stones known as Zirconia circling the face.

source: interaksyon.com

MAIA SERIES | Cherry Mobile unveils Intel-powered mobile devices

MANILA, Philippines — Local phone brand Cherry Mobile launched their Intel-powered MAIA Series of smartphones and tablets, along with their announcement of their newest brand endorser, Janella Salvador.

“Cherry Mobile’s latest MAIA series is dedicated to the youth with their untiring passion in mind,” said Maynard Ngu, Cherry Mobile chief executive.

MAIA, which is an abbreviation for Making Amazing Innovation Available, was introduced with the “hope that the youth and young professionals would have more avenues to express their passions and dreams, just like Janella,” according to Ngu.

“Today’s youth are more empowered and capable than ever,” said Calum Chilsholm, country manager at Intel Philippines. “This is what we aim to leverage through our partnership with Cherry mobile. The new MAIA Series of mobile devices can help us provide amazing experiences with the youth, empowering them through affordable but competitive devices.”

The three main devices launched by Cherry Mobile were the MAIA Fone i4, MAIA PAD, and the MAIA SMART TAB.

The MAIA Fone i4 comes with an Intel Atom x3 processor, Android Kitkat 4.4 OS, a 4-inch capacitive screen, 4GB internal memory expandable up to 64 GB with an microSD card, and dual-SIM Capabilities. The smartphone is priced at P1,999.

The MAIA Pad is also powered by an Intel Atom x3 processor, as it comes with an Android Kitkat 4.4.4 OS, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory expandable by up to 32GB through microSD, has dual-SIM options, and has a 7” screen. The tablet is priced at P2,999.

The MAIA Smart Tab with its 8-inch screen is powered by an Intel Atom Z3735F 1.8GHz quad-core processor, as it comes with Smart Boot, enabling the tablet to function with operating systems: Kitkat 4.4 and Windows 8.1; 2BG RAM, 32 GB internal memory expandable up to 64 GB through microSD, and 3,800mAh battery. The tablet is priced at P4,999.

The MAIA Series smartphones and tablets are available at Cherry Mobile Kiosks and Concept Stores nationwide starting October.

source: interaksyon.com

THE NEXT BIG THING? | Lenovo launches the Phab Plus

MANILA, Philippines – China-based tech giant Lenovo recently launched their new phablet, aptly called the Phab Plus. Targeted at today’s millennials, the new product, according to Lenovo executives, is said to “eliminate the dilemma of choosing between costly smartphones and underwhelming tablets”.

“Phablets are the next big thing,” said Michael Ngan, country general manager, Lenovo Philippines. He added that the Phab Plus is designed to combine the functionality of a tablet with the portability of a smartphone.

Charlotte Koa, Lenovo Philippines 4P manager for Tablets, urged that it is time that we should stop calling smartphones “phones” because users do so much more with them, like texting, searching the Internet, and using social media.

In Koa’s demonstration of the Phab plus, she displayed different specifications of the new device on three levels — as a phone, as a tablet, and as a phablet.

As a phone, it has 4G LTE Connectivity, runs on Android Lollipop 5.0, and has a 13MP back and 8MP front camera that is able to take selfies and panoramic “groufies” or “pano-selfies”, as was coined by the Lenovo Manager.

As a tablet, the Phab Plus has a 6.8-inch screen with full HD, a sound bar with Dolby Surround Sound capacity, runs on an Octacore processor, and has a battery life that can last up to 20 days at rest, according to Koa.

It was also demonstrated that as a phablet, the Phab Plus has one-hand capability with various easy-to-use features such as the double tap wake, screen shrink, one hand keyboard shrink and resize tools that users can access through simple finger taps and swipes

“We are a country in love with lifestyle,” said Blue Avelino, COO of Allphones, an online retail store partner of Lenovo. “The Lenovo Phab Plus fits every lifestyle needs that the Filipino wants.”

The phablet will be available at P14,999 both online through Allphone and in selected retail stores nationwide.

Ngan stated that their research shows that “bigger is better” when it comes to phones. “All needles are pointing to phablets and Lenovo will be at the forefront,” he added.

source: interaksyon.com

OPPO outs R7-Series mobile phones

MANILA, Philippines – China-based technology company OPPO recently launched the latest R7-Series mobile devices, which comes in the forms of the R7 Lite and the R7 Plus.

Headed by OPPO Philippine’s operations manager Garrick Hung, the firm was proud to have done “wonderfully” in their business here in the country. He spoke of their humble beginnings as a firm that focused on audio headsets and their success at present, which they say is getting better in time.

Hung stated some major developments in the new OPPO devices, like their very own Color OS 2.1, as well as their partnerships with several big names franchises such Furious 7, FC Barcelona, and America’s Next Top Model.

Mark Andrew Del Mundo, national sales manager at OPPO, further elaborated on the innovations within the company and what makes them different than others. He mentioned that 3,000 shops with over 1,500 sales force, and 150 concept stores and kiosks are selling OPPO products across the country. “This ensures better quality for the users of the brand,” Del Mundo said.

For his part, Marton Barcza, global community manager at OPPO, demonstrated all the functions and specifications of the new R7-Series. He said that the R7 is 91 percent metal body that helps make the phone act as an antenna. Barcza also demonstrated the new curved screen design of the phone, including fingerprint identification, fast charge VOOC technology, plus the 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM, and many camera functions. The executive also indicated that OPPO has improved the phone’s boot-up and app loading time, app performance, and interface responsiveness.

The phone camera’s “flashy” features, which was given special mention by Barcza, include Contrast Detection AF, Phase Detection AF, Anti-Shake Optimization, Audio photos, Beautification 3.0, and Ultra HD functions, among others, which brand ambassador, Sarah Geronimo claims to enjoy.

The R7 Lite, which comes with a 2320 MaH battery, is worth Php 13,990. While The R7 Plus, which comes with a 4100 MaH battery, is worth Php 21,990.

source: interaksyon.com

BlackBerry unveils Android phone in new reboot effort

WASHINGTON — BlackBerry announced plans Friday to sell an Android-powered smartphone, in the latest reboot effort from the faded star of the sector.

The Canadian firm said its would begin selling “Priv,” describe as “a flagship handheld device that will run on the Android operating system with BlackBerry security,” expected to be available later this year.

“Priv combines the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the expansive mobile application ecosystem available on the Android platform,” said John Chen, executive chairman and chief executive.

BlackBerry said however it “remains committed to the BlackBerry 10 operating system, which enables industry-leading security and productivity benefits.”

The company said it “will continue to develop and enhance the BlackBerry 10 operating system and is confirming plans to release platform updates focused on security and privacy enhancements,” in March 2016.

The BB 10 operating system was unveiled in 2013 as part of an effort to regain market share lost as consumers around the world shifted to devices running on Google Android and Apple’s iOS.

But the operating system share has fallen further, and now represents less than one percent of smartphone users.

BlackBerry, one of the early pioneers of smartphones, has been struggling for years. It has made several efforts to find new customer niches, with low-cost devices, tablets and by shifting its emphasis to software and services.

In releasing its quarterly results, BlackBerry said it swung to a profit of $51 million for the three months to August 29, compared with a loss of $207 million in the same period a year ago.

But the profit came from a one-time credit from an adjustment in the value of some of its debts.

Revenues for the period slumped 46 percent from a year ago to $490 million.

“I am confident in our strategy and continued progress, highlighted by our fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year double digit growth in software licensing revenue and sixth consecutive quarter of positive free cash flow,” Chen said.

“At the same time, we are focused on making faster progress to achieve profitability in our handset business.”

BlackBerry said it sold 800,000 smartphones at an average price of $240. That represents a tiny fraction of a global smartphone market of some 300 million per quarter.

The company said 15 percent of its revenue came from software and services, 41 percent for hardware, and 43 percent for service access fees.

source: interaksyon.com