HTC swings to slim profit, but sales still down in 'challenging quarter'

What a difference a year makes: HTC was able to turn a profit in the third quarter thanks to the HTC One M8 and Desire smartphones.

The Taiwanese company posted a third-quarter net profit after tax of NT$600 million ($19 million). That's roughly a quarter of the profit made in the previous three months, but a big improvement over this time last year when HTC reported its first loss in a decade.

HTC isn't out of the woods yet. Its quarterly revenue of NT$41.9 billion ($1.38 billion) declined 11 percent from a year ago, and more than 35 percent from the second quarter, when the One M8 launched.

As one of the few pure mobile device manufacturers left in the industry, HTC has struggled to keep pace with larger rivals such as Apple and Samsung. Its results underscore the company's dilemma: It lacks the scale and resources to effectively compete against the players in the premium category, while upstarts such as Xiaomi and Chinese tech conglomerates such as Huawei are pressuring it from the bottom.

Read more...

Samsung Galaxy A7, Galaxy A5, Galaxy A3 Launching Early-November: Report

Samsung's long-rumoured Galaxy A-series of handsets, the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5, andGalaxy A7, might be launched as soon as early next month by the Korean smartphone maker, as per a new report.

The Korea Times reports that Samsung, besides being tipped to launch the three handsets in November in China, is also hoping to claim back the market lost in that country to rising local smartphone maker Xiaomi. A second quarter report by Canalys found that Xiaomi had overthrown Samsung as the top smartphone maker in China, a fact that has propelled other companies to take Xiaomi head on, including Lenovo with a brand targeted specifically at competing with the 3-year old company.

Read more...

iOS 8.1 Review: iPhone 6 Plus

The iOS 8.1 update fixes a lot of problems that annoyediPhone 6 Plus users for the last month. This is the third update since the iPhone 6 Plus release and comes as many shoppers are still waiting for an iPhone 6 Plus to arrive.

Instead of waiting months to releases iOS 8.1, Apple delivered the free update to the iPhone 6 Plus and other devices. The iOS 8.1 release focused on a large number of bug fixes and it also adds in support for new features like Apple Pay and the last parts of handoff, text messaging and continuity between the iPhone 6 Plus and a Mac running OS X Yosemite.

Read more...

Apple's iPhone 6 Plus selling unexpectedly well as supply equalizes, says T-Mobile CEO

Outspoken T-Mobile CEO John Legere on Monday said Apple's iPhone 6 Plus "phablet" is generating unprecedented demand for America's fourth-largest wireless carrier, and at one point accounted for about 55 percent of the company's smartphone sales. 

In an interview at the Code/Mobile conference, Legere told Re/code's Ina Fried that, while both iPhone 6 models are selling well, the iPhone 6 Plus outperformed T-Mobile's estimates. The carrier was expecting the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6 to account for about 75 to 80 percent of all new iPhone sales.

"Overall demand for us was huge," Legere said. "We got hammered by it."

Read more...

Sprint Wants To Give You A New iPhone Every Year, But Whose Deal Is Best?

When Apple launched the iPhone 6 last month, Sprint saw an opportunity to bring the Apple faithful over to the nation’s third-place carrier. Dubbed “iPhone for Line,” the new offering allowed customers to get Apple’s latest smartphone by making monthly payments while paying nothing up front. With Verizon and AT&T offering similar installment offerings, Sprint’s plan was in some ways less exciting than the marketing might have suggested. But now the carrier is back with an upgrade that allows you to get a new iPhone every year. While most people are well served by keeper their phones longer, if you’re one who always needs the latest and greatest model Sprint’s new deal is an intriguing option.

Read more...

Smart iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus registration page is up

A day after Globe Telecom’s preorder page for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus went up, Smart Communications’ registration page for the new Apple handset models has gone live, too.

It’s highly likely that both telcos will launch the iPhone at the same time then, probably on November 15 again. 

Last year, the Apple iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c debuted in the Philippines on the same date. In 2012, the iPhone 5 was launched on December 15.

The official rollout of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in the country could bring down the cost of the devices in the black market further. In September, the handsets fetched a ridiculous price of as much as P117,585.

Read more...

Nexus 6 compared to iPhone 6 Plus, found to be bigger than bigger than bigger

The Nexus 6 is a big phone. You can tell that from the display size or from reading the dimensions. But nothing drives the point home than watching it being compared with phones that we are already familiar with.

TechCrunch did a hands-on with the Nexus 6 and there are two images from the article that are worth focusing on. The first is the image above, where the Nexus 6 sits next to the iPhone 6 Plus. Now the iPhone 6 Plus is a big phone, but the Nexus 6 isn’t that much bigger despite packing half an inch of extra screen. But the more hilarious image is the one below.

Read more...

iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus may be tough to find through the holidays

Apple CEO Tim Cook warned that demand for the new iPhones is far outstripping supply.

The result: the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus may continue to be a tough device to find through the holidays.

While Apple's suppliers have ramped up production of the new iPhones, Cook said the available supply of iPhones isn't even close to meeting customer demand. "We're not even on the same planet," he said on a conference call to discuss the company's fiscal fourth-quarter results.

Read more...

How and where to use Apple Pay with your iPhone 6

Roughly one month after we first saw a demo of Tim Cook scanning an iPhone at a cash register to buy stuff, Apple Pay has arrived for the rest of us to check out. But before you go blowing your entire paycheck on everything from big handbags to Big Macs, there are a few things to keep in mind about the platform. Read on to learn more about how Apple Pay works, how to get your iPhone ready for it, and most importantly, where you can go test it out yourself.

Get your iPhone ready

Before you can start using Apple Pay, you need to have a compatible device and the right version of iOS. Apple Pay is compatible with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which are the only iPhones equipped with the requisite NFC radio antennae. Besides NFC compatibility, the other piece of the hardware puzzle is a Touch ID censor, but iPhone 5S owners are out of luck.

Read more...

With earnings, Apple Pay, and China iPhone sales, Apple faces many questions today

Today will be an unusually busy and complicated day for Apple fans and newshounds.

The company is just coming off its latest event marking the launch of new iPads and Macs, plus the release of the new Mac OS Yosemite.

On Friday, the company started selling its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus in China. And today, Apple Pay goes live. Then, after the market closes, Apple reports fourth quarter and annual earnings.

Phew. We’ll stop there to let you catch your breath.

Read more...

Sony offers Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact with £30 off and a free case in the UK

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact has not even hit the shelves, yet you can already snag one with a sweet discount. Sony UK is already offering the IP68 certified compact slate on pre-order with £30 off and a case for 1p in the United Kingdom.

The promo brings the price of the entry-level Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact with 16GB of built-in memory below £300. The slate and the original case with a kickstand cost £299.01.

Read more...

Samsung: Nice Stock if You Can Get It

A cash-rich Samsung Electronics 005930.SE -2.33% is one of the most attractive technology stocks in the world.

The South Korean maker of cellphones, tablets, memory chips, display screens and televisions is out of favor in the investment community because of concerns about plunging profits in its mobile-phone division. Investors, however, may be overreacting because the company remains highly profitable thanks to the strength in its semiconductor business. It’s the world’s leading maker of memory chips.

Read more...

HTC One (M8 Eye) launched for Rs 38,990, will feature a 13MP rear camera

We had reviewed the HTC One (M8) earlier this year and last night, HTC announced another variant called the HTC One (M8 Eye) at their Double Exposure event. The HTC One (M8 Eye) has started selling from today onwards for Rs 38,990.

The major difference between the HTC One (M8 Eye) and HTC One (M8) is the camera. While the M8 featured a 4-Ultra-pixel camera, the M8 Eye will feature a 13MP rear camera. Just like the M8, the M8 Eye retains the depth-sensing Duo camera on the rear side and a 5MP front facing camera. Apart from this, M8 Eye has the HTC Eye Experience.

Read more...

Nexus 6 vs iPhone 6: Which flagship phone should you buy?

Google and Apple do battle with their flagship smartphones

Google has announced its classiest and most premium smartphone yet in the Google Nexus 6, so how does it stack up to the iPhone 6?

You might think that the iPhone 6 Plus is more of a match for the Nexus 6, and that's true in terms of size. But when it comes down to it, the Nexus 6 and the iPhone 6 are Google and Apple's flagship smartphones for 2014 and most of 2015 - and the two visions are surprisingly different.

Here's how the two match up.

Nexus 6 vs iPhone 6: Design

iPhone 6: Curved aluminium, gold or light/dark silver, 6.8mm thick, 129g
Nexus 6: Aluminium frame, polycarbonate body, 10.06mm thick, 184g

These two flagship phones couldn't look or feel much more different. The Nexus 6 has taken on an aluminium rim that at a stretch could call to mind previous iPhones, but this one's rounded and the rear of the device is plastic.

Read more...

HTC's next Desire phone reportedly captures 13-megapixel selfies

If you've wanted to shoot 13-megapixel selfies with your phone, you've usually had to get either a knock-off or a one-of-a-kind device like Oppo's N1. You might not have to look very hard if a handful of leaks are correct, however. Both HTCFamily.ru and@upleaks have posted pictures of what's reportedly the HTC Desire Eye, a relatively conventional upper mid-range Android phone that would pack 13-megapixel cameras on both the front and back. They'd even have flashes to help with those dimly-lit dance club snapshots.

Read more...