Qualcomm may file its own lawsuit against Apple, but won’t stop shipping iPhone chips

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 24, 2017

iPhone modem supplier Qualcomm is considering a lawsuit in response to a case which the Cupertino firm brought against it last week, Recode reported Tuesday. As it doesn't want to lose a key customer, Qualcomm won't stop shipping LTE modem chips for iPhones despite Apple suing it for $1 billion.

Sources note that Qualcomm hasn’t cut off chip supplies in the past, even when there were disputes over patent licensing. The company requires companies that want its modem chips to also have a license to its underlying cellular patents.

Read More

Despite Note 7 fiasco & bribery scandal, Samsung just had the most profitable quarter in 3 years

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 24, 2017

Despite seeing its brand tarnished and anywhere between $2 billion and $5 billion wiped off its operating profit in the aftermath of Note 7 fiasco, Samsung of South Korea has managed to boost its fourth quarter earnings on the back of its semiconductor division and strong sales of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge flagship devices.

Operating profits rose to $7.2 billion over the last three months of 2016 on sales of about $45.8 billion. Samsung's mobile division captured $2.1 billion in operating income, a four percent year-over-year profit increase.

Samsung Mobile expects sales of its low-cost phones in the Galaxy A and J series to grow in the coming months. All in all, this was Samsung's most profitable quarter in three years as the company has clearly bounced back from the global Note 7 recall.

Read More

DigiTimes: iPhone 8 to feature enhanced Siri capabilities

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 24, 2017

Apple's next-generation iPhone is expected to feature enhanced Siri capabilities, according to unnamed industry sources who spoke with Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes. The report states that other vendors aside from Apple are likely to launch new smartphones featuring artificial intelligence features as a means to ramp up market shares in 2017, including Samsung (their version of Siri is called Bixby), Huawei, LG Electronics and Xiaomi Technology.

Read More

Twelve South’s RelaxedLeather case is a luxurious iPhone case for minimalists

Anthony Bouchard ∙ January 24, 2017

Twelve South is already at it again, having just this month launched a new lineup of snap-on leather cases dubbed RelaxedLeather. They come in two flavors: slotted and non-slotted, depending on whether or not you like to use your iPhone case to carry credit and ID cards. More importantly, they also come in a variety of different colors, giving you a lot to choose from.

In this review, we’ll go hands-on with the iPhone 7 Plus version of the case and show you what the RelaxedLeather case lineup is all about, as well as show you all of the different colors there are to choose from.

Read More

Let’s Talk iOS 171: Pen Pineapple Apple Pen

Sébastien Page ∙ January 24, 2017

Samsung shares the results of the Note 7 investigation (spoiler, it's the batteries!). The guys discuss recent rumors of Apple Pencil 2, 3D Touch improvements and facial recognition in iPhone 8, and Sprint's acquisition of one third of Tidal. Cody shares a really cool new app, while Sebastien goes on a diet. It's PPAP!

Subscribe on iTunes

Read More

Apple releases iOS 10.2.1, watchOS 3.1.3, tvOS 10.1.1, and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 with bug fixes and improvements

Cody Lee ∙ January 23, 2017

Apple on Monday released several updates for its various platforms. iOS 10.2.1 is out for iPhones and iPads, tvOS 10.1.1 for fourth-gen Apple TVs, watchOS 3.1.3 for Apple Watches, and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 for Macs. All of the updates can be installed via their respective OTA mechanisms, or you can grab the standalone packages from our Downloads page.

Read More

Samsung delays Galaxy S8 following Note 7 fires

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 23, 2017

During its press conference Monday morning, Samsung shared the findings of Note 7 investigations conducted by itself and three independent industry firms. In the aftermath of Note 7 fires, Samsung's won't be unveiling its next-generation iPhone rival at the Mobile World Congress in February as previously thought, Samsung told Reuters.

Read More

Samsung shares results of Note 7 investigation, finds two separate flaws with the batteries

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 23, 2017

Samsung on Monday held a press conference to share results of its investigation into Note 7 fires that forced the South Korean firm to temporarily recall and eventually permanently discontinue its supposed iPhone killer.

For starters, the original battery made by Samsung SDI was irregularly sized and had a flaw in the upper right corner that could cause a short circuit.

A third-party battery made by Amperex Technology was used in replacement Note 7 units, but it suffered from a manufacturing issue that could cause the battery to catch fire because of a welding defect. The company announced new and enhanced quality assurance measures to improve product safety.

Read More

Apple Watch popup store in Paris shuts down

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 23, 2017

From the onset, Apple was pushing Apple Watch as a fashion device and set up popup stores in high-profile department stores like Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Selfridges in London and Isetan in Tokyo. With the second-generation Apple Watch, fashion was de-emphasized in favor of the fitness and health aspects of the device.

As a result, Apple began shuttering these stores-within-stores which mostly promoted Apple Watch Edition models anyway. After closing the popup shop in London, the Parisian one has now closed due to poor sales. The Galeries Lafayette outlet is no longer listed on Apple's Retail website in France.

Read More