Apple’s next big move

I read with great interest the recent hiring of Angela Ahrendts by Apple. Ahrendts is the former CEO of British luxury brand Burberry. She, along with lead designer Christopher Bailey, was instrumental in turning the old, stodgy company with declining sales into a fashion icon. The duo tripled the company’s earnings and turned the brand into a global success story.

Knowing Ahrendts’s strengths, I believe you can tell a lot about a company’s direction by the people they hire. The official announcement indicated Ahrendts joined Apple to revitalize its retail stores, which represent $20 billion in sales. Store sales have lost some of its luster and the actual concept created by Steve Jobs is now close to ten years old. The question is: what direction will Ahrendts take the chain? More importantly, what influence will she have on the style and direction of its products?

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Rogers showing HTC One update to KitKat coming January 31st, HTC President thinks otherwise

Jason Mackenzie, President of HTC Americas, took to the company blog yesterday and stated that they wouldn’t make the 90-day target they initially proposed for the One upgrade to OS 4.4 KitKat. Mackenzie sincerely stated that “We are currently in the certification phase across all of our carrier partners in North America, and they share our enthusiasm for getting this software in your hands. That said, the software development process does not always follow a linear path and we know today that we will miss our self-imposed target. The good news is that we won’t miss by much as, it shouldn’t be more than one to two weeks to complete each of the carrier versions of the HTC One.”

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HTC One KitKat update now available to download (Rogers, TELUS, Bell, Virgin, SaskTel, WIND)

It’s true. Defying the words spoken by the President of HTC America, we’ve been receiving tips that the update to Android OS 4.4.2 KitKat is now available to download for Rogers, Bell, Virgin, TELUS, SaskTel and WIND HTC One users.

Let us know in the comments if you’ve received the update. Check your One – Touch Applications >> Settings >> About Phone >> Software update

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More Nokia X (Normandy) spy shots emerge

The Nokia X, aka Normandy, is out in the open again – spy shots reveal a device with looks that won't be out of place in the Asha line. That's exactly where the Nokia X is headed allegedly, now that Nokia has sold its smartphone business and the Asha line just can't compete with dirt-cheap Androids.

The alleged specs for the device are a 4" WVGA screen, dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 512MB RAM, 5MP camera, 4GB of expandable storage and optional dual-SIM. It's essentially an Android rendition of the Lumia 520.

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Should Google Selling Motorola Concern Microsoft?

If you follow Google , you've likely heard about the $2.9 billion sale of its Motorola unit to China-based Lenovo. What was interesting, though not surprising, was that Microsoft was almost instantly linked to the Google-Lenovo deal. With its pending foray into devices and services via the Nokiaacquisition nearing completion, some pundits cite the Motorola deal as a warning for Microsoft.

According to some, the problem the Google-Motorola deal demonstrates is that Microsoft must choose between hardware and software. As Google learned the hard way, tech companies can't be both a hardware and a software provider, so say the pundits. While not completely without merit, the argument loses a bit of its luster when you consider the particulars of both the Google-Motorola and pending Microsoft-Nokia deals.

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Google’s Moto Sale Casts Doubts on Microsoft’s Nokia Plan

Google Inc. (GOOG)’s sale of Motorola Mobility holds a clear lesson for Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)’s acquisition of another smartphone maker, Nokia Oyj (NOK1V): Be a hardware or software company, not both.

Lenovo Group Ltd. (992)’s purchase of Motorola’s consumer-hardware business, which Google bought two years ago for $12.4 billion including patents, lets the search company refocus on software and exit competition with other manufacturers of smartphones based on its Android software.

Microsoft is on track to close its $7.4 billion acquisition of Nokia’s handset business this quarter, seeking to regain lost ground in a market where its 3.7 percent share is eclipsed by Android and Apple Inc.’s iPhone. Unless Microsoft can combine software and hardware as expertly as Apple has done with its products, the software maker will be better off without Nokia, according to Michael Cusumano, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.

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Specs leak for the Nokia X, suggesting its Android game plan is still on (Updated)

It’s hard to believe, but Nokia appears to be moving forward with its much-discussed Android smartphone project, despite being in the final stages of a sale to Microsoft. First leaked under the codename Normandy, the phone is rumored to be a replacement for the aging Asha range of phones, which run Nokia’s Series 40 software.

This week has seen a flurry of new information regarding the Normandy, which is now also known under the Nokia X name. Whether this makes it through to production remains to be seen, much like the actual phone. Anyway, the source of the initial images, the @evleaks Twitter account, has also come up with a list of potential specs.

If they’re accurate, the little phone may have a 4-inch touchscreen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution, and be powered by a dual-core, 1GHz Snapdragon processor with 512MB of RAM. Nothing special when compared to Nokia’s high-end Lumia hardware, but pretty good when stacked up against many Asha phones.

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iPhone 6 release date 2014: When will Apple's new iPhone 6 be launched?

We bring to you all the news and rumours surrounding the iPhone 6's release date and new features. Here's our iPhone 6 release date, and new features rumour round-up.

This is the place where we present to you some of the more plausible iPhone 6 release date and new feature rumours from around the web. Continue reading to find out more about the iPhone 6 release date and its new features. See also: iPhone 5C vs iPhone 5 comparison review.

iPhone 6 release date: June or September 2014?

We've been covering iPhone launhces and release dates for longer than we care to remember, it has stood us in good stead for what to expect from Apple with reagrds to its new smartphones. The most obvious thing that jumps out to us is that Apple hasn't launched a new iPhone outside of the five months between June and October - with a particular foundness for the months June and September.

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Apple's iPhone 'shortfall'? Blame Verizon, AT&T

A decline in smartphone sales at Verizon Wireless and AT&T is the primary culprit for iPhone sales that some on Wall Street have deemed disappointing.

That's according to Raymond James analyst Tavis McCourt, who calculated that 80 percent of the shortfall could be attributed to the two larger carriers, which sell the iPhone.

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iPad Pro Release Date, Specs and Functionality: Tablet To Take On Competitors

The iPad Pro is coming. The jumbo sized iPad is poised to take on the Microsoft Surface and Samsung Galaxy Note line of larger tablets. With worldwide sales of desktops and laptops down larger tablets with traditional PC features are the next step in mobile computing. 

The iPad Pro is purported to feature a lengthy 12.9-inch display, which would supplant the 11.6-inch display on the MacBook Air and nearly match the 13.3-inch retina MacBook Pro. The display may come with a choice of two resolutions. A 2K panel with a slightly wider aspect ratio then traditional Full HD panels and a super high-res 4K variant.

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Five ways the iPad is lagging behind the Kindle Fire HDX

Introduction

Regular readers will know that I'm a big fan of Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX. A huge fan. I like it because I feel that Amazon now makes a better tablet than Apple. While I think that the fifth-generation iPad Air is a great tablet, I feel that Apple is iteratively evolving the iPad as opposed to giving it a full revamp it deserves.

Before I go any further, I want to point out something. I'm not saying that the iPad is rubbish. Far from is. It's an awesome tablet, and Apple's App Store offers the best ecosystem out there. But over the past few years it has become clear to me that Apple is resting on its laurels, relying more and more on the iPad to sell because it's the iPad, as opposed to it being the best tablet it could be.

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HTC One 2 vs HTC One - What to Expect

HTC One 2 - What's new?

One of the phones we’re likely to see announced at the MWC 2014 tech show in February - or around that time - is the HTC One 2, also known as the “M8”. It’ll be HTC’s lead Android phone for the year, and is likely its one chance at competing with the Samsung Galaxy S5. 

HTC has not yet revealed a single thing about the next HTC One, but leaks and reports from people who claim to be in the know mean we already know a bunch of features the HTC One 2 is likely to have. 

Change 1: Similar body, larger screen

Leaked parts that appear to be components of the HTC One 2 suggest it will look and feel a lot like the HTC One. That means a mostly aluminium body with white plastic accents – in the initial silver version at least. 

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LG swings to Q4 loss, but G2 and Nexus 5 drive phone sales

LG Electronics swung to a loss in the fourth quarter, but saw signs of life flicker a little brighter in its smartphone business.

The Korean conglomerate posted a loss of 64 billion Korean won, or $59.1 million, reversing a year-ago profit of 223 Korean won, or $205.8 million. LG blamed an unfavorable shift in the foreign currency exchange rate for the year-over-year downturn.

Revenue, however, inched up 0.8 percent to 14.92 trillion Korean won, or $13.8 billion.

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LG G Flex coming to T-Mobile February 5th, buyers get six free months of Netflix

LG's curved G Flex smartphone will be available on T-Mobile starting February 5th. The carrier is taking pre-orders today. At full retail, the G Flex costs $672, but T-Mobile expects that most customers will buy the device through its financing plan. Going that route, you can get the G Flex for $0 down and 24 monthly payments of $28. LG is also attempting to sweeten the deal by giving away six free months of Netflix streaming to G Flex buyers. The company has announced that the 6-inch Android handset will eventually make its way to three of the four major US carriers. It's set to arrive on Sprint January 31st; AT&T hasn't yet specified a release date, but its customers can place a pre-order. February 5th will also see the release of the Optimus F3Q on T-Mobile. This low-end Android smartphone is targeted at "those that cannot live without a QWERTY keyboard," though that keyboard may be its only redeeming factor from the looks of it.

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LG Electronics forecasts lower earnings from smartphone business

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA—LG Electronics Inc. is forecasting lower earnings from its mobile business this quarter and risks from swings in Latin American currencies after posting an unexpected loss in the final three months of 2013.

The latest results from LG Electronics, the world’s second-largest TV maker and a major device supplier, underline how it is being squeezed between Japanese competitors and its bigger South Korean rival, Samsung Electronics Co.

LG is battling Japanese manufacturers such as Sony and Panasonic that are expanding market share in televisions, helped by the weak yen. The company is struggling to make money from the smartphone market where Samsung and Apple Inc. have grabbed the lion’s share of the profits.

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Nokia Lumia 525 review: The best budget phone gets better

NEW DELHI: Phones getting incremental hardware updates is not a new phenomenon. In the past, Nokia has upgraded some of its popular phones, including feature phones, with minor or cosmetic improvements. It was even criticized for coming up with new iterations with the 'i' suffix, shortly after launching phones, in the past.

But at times, minor changes can make a major impact on the user experience delivered by a phone and allow the device maker to fill the gap in the segment.

The Nokia Lumia 520 is without doubt Nokia's best selling smartphones in the recent past. It's also in a way the gateway to the Windows Phone platform, being one of the most affordable and 'usable' smartphones available in the market.

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HTC Desire 700 dual-SIM hands-on

If you’re a fan of HTC’s One flagship but can’t afford the hefty price tag, then we’ve got something special for you. The HTC Desire 700 dual-SIM takes after its flagship counterpart’s, and as the name suggests, even has dual-SIM capabilities thrown in.

The Desire 700 dual-SIM sports a design that was clearly inspired by the HTC One, only instead of a premium aluminum body the Desire 700 opts for plastic. The latter is unfortunately quite smudge-prone due to its glossiness, and the specs also fall short of HTC’s flagship, but the device is more than just a follower in the footsteps of greatness.

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HTC One upgrade to KitKat now being certified by six Canadian carriers

Canadian carriers, according to the various software update pages, stated an upgrade to KitKat for the HTC One should arrive by “Late January 2014.” Of course, the fine print noted that the date was subject to change at anytime. With a week left in the month there’s a glimmer of hope that Android OS 4.4 could happen.

On HTC’s dedicated Software Updates page the manufacturer is noting that KitKat for the HTC One on Bell, Rogers, TELUS, SaskTel, Virgin and WIND have all entered carrier labs and is going the standard testing before being pushed out to customers. This could mean that the update is just around the corner.

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Nokia 'Your wish is my app' campaign to go international

NEW DELHI: Finnish handset maker Nokia's India arm on Friday launched the second season of 'Your wish is my app' contest, where the company will source ideas from people in India and overseas on the kind of apps they would like made, for the WindowsPhone platform. 

Nokia India chief executive officer P Balaji said that entries for the contest will be sought via Twitter, Facebook, text messages and several on-ground activities to drive awareness about the contest. 

Last year, the company limited advertising to Twitter and radio, yet managed to get 38,000app ideas of which 1,200 have been developed into apps for the Windows Phone app store. Around 300 more such apps will be added in February. Consumers who gave ideas for the top 10 apps were given monetary incentives. 

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Nokia expected to showcase six handsets at MWC 2014 event on February 24

Nokia has confirmed its presence at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2014 event, which is scheduled from 24 to 27 February in Barcelona. The Finnish firm has dropped an invitation for a press conference to be held on February 24, at 0730 (GMT).

Just what does Nokia have in store for its MWC 2014 event? A range of handsets have been rumoured since November last year, out of which, we expect most of them to show up at the event.

In total, six Nokia handsets are rumoured to get revealed at the event, including a few large-screen smartphones, or phablets. Back in November 2013, @evleaks mentioned two handsets with codename "Goldfinger" and "Moneypenny", which would run on the not-yet-officially-announced Windows Phone 8.1 OS or Windows Phone Blue.

Reports additionally mentioned that Goldfinger will be the flagship handset and will feature 3D touch technology on which the company has been said to work from quite a while. The Moneypenny was also rumoured to be the first dual-SIM Windows Phone, though a single-SIM 'variant' was also expected

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Nokia Android phone rumoured to be called Nokia X at launch

The Nokia Android “Normandy” phone is rumoured to be called the Nokia X at launch. 

According to notorious tipster @evleaks, the first Nokia Android phone will come to market named the Nokia X. 

Currently, rumours suggest it is in development under the codename, Normandy, and could launch as soon as MWC 2014 in February. 

"Project Normandy = Nokia X", read the brief @evleaks tweet.

However, it could well be unveiled after Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia mobile division is complete some time in Q1 2014. 

We’ve heard a lot about the Nokia X in recent weeks, including seeing several leaked press shots of the colourful range of Android phones.

From what we’ve seen so far, the Nokia X will look a lot like the Nokia Lumia range and offer a heavily customised Android UI with strong Windows Phone influences. 

However, it will benefit from Android features like a notifications centre and access to the wealth of apps on the Google Play Store. 

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Does your iPhone with iOS 7 suddenly reboot? Help is coming

A new version of iOS typically brings with it a slew of new features and capabilities for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Unfortunately, as is always the case with any new computer operating system, it also brings with it a slew of bugs.

That’s particularly the case when an OS gets a major overhaul, as with iOS 7. Now, Apple says it’s going to fix a nasty flaw that apparently was delivered along with iOS 7′s more positive features.

Mashable reports that a fix is on the way for the so-called “black/white screen of death,” which is a spontaneous reboot of an iPhone – in other words, a system crash. The iPhone shuts down and restarts. Owners of a black iPhone see a black screen with a white Apple logo, while owners of white iPhones see a white screen with a black logo. (No word on what those who have the gold iPhone get to see.)

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iPhone 5s Owners Gobbling “Unprecedented” Levels Of Data, Study Finds

Users of flagship smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone 5s and Samsung’s Galaxy S4 are continuing to suck down more data than their tablet-wielding counterparts, according to a large-scale survey of mobile data consumption in 2013 conducted by JDSU (which last year bought mobile data analytics company Arieso, the company that previously ran the annual survey).

Last year’s mobile data consumption survey, which looked at 2012 data, also found flagship smartphone device users outpacing the data consumption rates of tablet users.

But the most data thirsty phone users of all have an iPhone 5s burning a hole in their pocket.

As with the 2012 study, the 2013 survey examined the data demands of more than one million subscribers using more than 150 different devices over a single, 24-hour weekday in a Tier-1 European market, which had a mixture of urban and suburban morphologies. But for the first time the survey also studied a developing market for comparative purposes — with a further one million+ subscribers studied in this market over the same 24-hour period. 

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Design of iPhone 6 'locked down,' claims analyst

A consensus of analyst speculation is building for an iPhone that's not quite 5 inches.

After a spate of recent speculation about Apple's next iPhone, Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri has chimed in, claiming an iPhone 6 with a 4.8 inch display is locked down, as reported by AppleInsider.

That will also include higher-speed 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity.

Updates to iOS may center on changes to iBeacon, Touch ID, and Passbook, as Apple pushes further into mobile payments, Arcuri said.

The screen size jibes, more or less, with that in an earlier research note from NPD DisplaySearch. That note cited a 4.7-inch display as a possibility for the iPhone 6, as did aChina-based analyst, who predicted a June release.

The jury is out on resolution, however. And there's talk of a larger-size phone.

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Apple might finally sell a cheap iPhone—at least in India

Apple is planning to sell the iPhone 4—an older, discontinued version of its flagship smartphone—for around RS 15,000 (about $250) in India, according to a report by the Times of India, citing four unnamed Indian firms that work with Apple. The price, among the cheapest in the world for an unsubsidized iPhone, suggests that after losing market share in developing markets like India and China, Apple may finally be embracing the need for a new strategy.

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The 8GB version of the iPhone 4 will reportedly go on sale at a 43% discount to the phone’s last retail price of about RS 26,500, when taking into account buyback and monthly installment payment schemes. Currently Apple sells the new iPhone 5S, 5c, and 4S in India. The company hasn’t responded to questions about the report, which suggested that Apple would probably start by selling unused inventory of the iPhone 4 rather than restarting manufacturing.

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iPhone 6 Release Date is Q3 2014: 5 Confirmed Power Specs & Killer Features So Far

The iPhone 6 release date, according to the latest reports from Asia, will likely happen in the second half of 2014, essentially replicating the iPhone 5S debut time in 2013.

The latest development runs in counter with the chatter that erupted last week, suggesting of a May 2014 outing for the rumoured first iOS phablet from Apple. According to DigiTimes, production of essential components for the iPhone 6 will only start in the second quarter this year.

That forecast alone, which the Taiwanese publication said is based on information from a supply chain insider, negates the likelihood of a Q2 2014 rollout for the 5S replacement.

So it will be months from now before Apple fans can actually get hold of the next iOS flagship smartphone but many of its functions and capabilities are already giveaways thanks to the torrent of clues gleaned from leaks, analyst projections and published patents.

Listed below are the top 5 iPhone features that are pretty much confirmed:

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Apple CEO Says Greater China iPhone Sales Hit Record High in First Quarter

BEIJING— Apple Inc. AAPL +1.99% Chief Executive Tim Cook said Wednesday its deal with China Mobile Ltd. 0941.HK -0.52% to offer iPhones will help bolster sales of the device that hit a record high in Greater China in the fiscal first quarter.

China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua said millions of Apple's iPhones already have been ordered by the carrier's customers, signaling strong demand for the device. Sales of the iPhone through China Mobile, the world's largest carrier by subscribers, are set to begin Friday.

Speaking at a small media briefing to Chinese media and The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Cook said he is "incredibly optimistic" about the outcome of the cooperation with the Chinese carrier. The deal won't be limited to handsets and entails broad cooperation between the two companies, Mr. Xi said, but he declined to give further specifics.

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HTC (M8) Confirmed Killer Specs And Features Narrowed Down

The HTC (M8) confirmed killer specs and features were narrowed down as we roll into the 2014 and its release date nears.

The successor of the HTC One has been rumored for months. Leaks from reliable sources like @evleaks and a couple of tipsters provided a pretty good idea of what to expect. Today, the specs and features details that most leaks haven't touched were fined tuned by the Llabtoofer, HTC developer and tipster.

Rumors about the processor, screen size and resolution and even the name of the next generation HTC flagship smartphone have been back and forth. While some said it will be the HTC Two and others claimed it will be named the HTC One+, this latest leak suggested the HTC One (2014) or a couple of other similar ideas. Thus far, HTC is still unclear with the name of the device or the company is keeping it tightly secured for the time being.  

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Dark clouds gather over Samsung

These aren’t easy days for Samsung Electronics.

The company may be the world’s dominant smartphone maker and the most powerful member ofGoogle’s Android partner ecosystem, but massive market share is no insulation against accelerating shifts in a sector already known for consuming its own.

Samsung this week released advance performance estimates for its most recent quarter they fell short of analyst projections. In the final three months of 2013, Samsung Electronics Co., a subsidiary of theSamsung Group conglomerate, booked 8.3 trillion won (US$7.8 billion) in revenue, down 18.6 per cent from third quarter 2013 results and off 6.1 per cent from Q2 2012, when the company took in 8.84 trillion won, or $8.3 billion.

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Review: Samsung Galaxy Note 3

As Apple continues to control the tablet market with its iPad variations, Samsung is making strides in carving out its niche phablet market with the third generation Galaxy Note 3.

2013 was a big year for the smartphone industry with record sales and market saturation reaching 70 percent. Smartphones are in — and Samsung is leading the revolution as the current number one Smartphone maker in the world. Legal squabbles with Apple aside, Samsung has captured the market by adopting Google’s ubiquitous operating system Android while also offering an ever growing variety of devices. Although Samsung is involved in numerous consumer technology sectors, it appears the mobile phone department is where the growth is occurring.

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Twitter co-founder Biz Stone's Jelly app wobbles onto iPhone and Android

This week's hot new social app appears to be Jelly. It's the work of US startup Jelly Industries, a company set up in 2012 by one of Twitter's co-founders, Biz Stone.

Available for Android and iPhone, it's part search engine, part question-and-answer service and part photo-sharing app: Google meets Yahoo! Answers meets Instagram, if you will. But will you? At first sight, Jelly looks worryingly like a solution to an already-well-solved problem. Here's how Jelly Industries' launch blog post describes it, with some additional thoughts:

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