Apple mines big profits from Watch band

SAN FRANCISCO  - Nearly 20% of Apple Watch buyers are not only shelling out hundreds of dollars for the timepiece but are springing for a spare band too, giving the tech giant a profitable second dip into customers' wallets, according to data provided exclusively to Reuters.

The data from Slice Intelligence, a research firm that mines e-mail receipts, offers a rare window into the money-making potential of Apple's first brand-new product under CEO Tim Cook.

The ever-secretive company has yet to release how many units of the watch it has sold, let alone how profitable it is. Slice estimates the company has sold 2.79 million as of mid-June.

But if the band purchases are any indication, sales of the watch itself are just the beginning of Apple's profits.

Although the entry-level sports band retails for US$49, it costs only about $2.05 to make, according to an analysis of the 38-millimeter size by IHS, a technology research firm.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Active hands-on vs Galaxy S6

Today we compare the Galaxy S6 Active to it's slightly less active counterpart, the original Samsung Galaxy S6. These devices are very similar where it matters most - in their cameras, their software, and their displays. The places where they're different is in their ability to handle the elements. Hence the name - Active. There's also carriers to think about. While the Galaxy S6 is available through most any carrier you like, the Active iteration is only available in the United States through AT&T. If you cannot roll with that, you cannot roll with this.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 has a 5.1-inch 1440 x 2560 pixel display - so does the Active. Both have Super AMOLED technology under the hood. It's like they're the same display. Without ripping both models apart to make certain, as far as we can tell, they are.

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OP-ED: Vietnam’s national pride issue and its Bphone

Hau Pham is a Vietnamese who works in Singapore as a senior associate finance manager for P&G Asia. He wrote the following piece as a status update on his Facebook page in response to current criticisms many Vietnamese people are leveling at the Bphone.

The smartphone was unveiled on Tuesday by local cyber-security firm Bkav, whose CEO Nguyen Tu Quang said during the debut ceremony in Hanoi that the device is now “the best smartphone in the world.” Quang is known for his blunt and pompous statements so many Vietnamese people have made fun of his device since the unveiling event, with tech geeks accusing the firm of copying the design from other makers and plagiarizing the ringtone Bkav said it had made exclusively for the Bphone. Not a few have frowned upon the smartphone, which the company claimed is the first Vietnamese-made device, saying Bkav might have bought parts from China and assembled them into the gadget instead of manufacturing it as it has advertised.

Tuoi Tre News carries this article, with language edits added, after securing prior permission from Hau Pham.

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iPhone 7 UK release date, specs & new features rumours: iPhone 7 coming out in August?

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus arrived in September, but now that we're well into 2015 it's no surprise that chatter about what's next for Apple's smartphone is getting louder and clearer. Here's everything we know about the iPhone 7 release date, specs, new features and design rumours and bring you the latest iPhone 7 speculation to help you stay up-to-date with the latest iPhone 7 news, rumours and leaks. When is the iPhone 7 coming out? Updated 22/5/15.

iPhone 7 rumours: Isn't it going to be the iPhone 6S?

Some of you might be thinking, isn't it going to be called the iPhone 6S next? After all, Apple has released an iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S and now iPhone 6 (alongside the iPhone 6 Plus). So if history repeats itself, it's likely that the next iPhone will be called the iPhone 6S rather than the iPhone 7. See also: iPhone 5S vs iPhone 6 comparison

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Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge receive small software update, still Android 5.0.2

Samsung has unleashed an update to the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge meant to soften some of the rougher edges from the launch build.

A 215-217MB update is available for both the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge on most carriers, bringing so-called “device stability improvements,” a performance boost, as well as unnamed new features.

The build, VLU1AOE1, is identical on both devices and across carriers, and was created on May 3rd. The previous build, VLU1AOCG, was built on March 28th.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Active spotted in official website listing

The Galaxy S6 Active has been the object of various rumors for quite some time now. The alleged devices has now been spotted on numerous occasions - in press images and live photos. It's specs have also leaked through the cracks, so, at this point, we can be fairly certain that it is going to arrive, sooner or later.

All we really need now is some kind of confirmation from Samsung and today, one such item did, in fact, pop-up. The rugged version of Samsung's flagship appeared in a list of devices, as part of the Samsung Plus program. The platform in question is a meant to be a community for loyal Samsung fans, set up by the company itself, as well as a means of distributing special offers and offering benefits to the most devoted users.

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(Update: FCC cleared) Alleged photo of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active leaks out

Update, May 13:

A device with the SM-G890A code number has been spotted in the FCC database. Given that the AT&T Galaxy S5 Active was SM-G870A, it’s likely that we’re looking at the Galaxy S6 Active. While clearing the FCC regulatory process is no indication of when a device is coming to market, in most cases, it’s a matter of weeks at most. In other words, not that much to wait. (Via G4Games.)

Original post, May 12:

Samsung has offered a ruggedized variant of its flagship Galaxy S line of smartphones for a few years now, and it looks like the company isn’t giving up on them anytime soon. A new photo has just leaked out courtesy of GSMArena, giving us a first look at Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 Active.

Looking at the image above, the Galaxy S6 Active looks to feature a natural design progression from previous Active models. As you can see, the device features familiar rugged back and side panels, with the heart rate monitor sitting up top next to the camera module. The front of the device looks to feature a very similar design to the Galaxy S5 Active, complete with tactile recent apps, home and back keys. Much like the GS5 Active, this one doesn’t look like it will feature a fingerprint sensor, either.

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