Apple

Consumer Reports ranks Galaxy S4 its new top-rated smartphone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Samsung's latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, has been declared our “new top-rated smartphone” in a barrage of tests conducted by Consumer Reports, an influential U.S. magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936.

Yup, that's the same publication that gave Apple's iPhone 5 a thumbs-up shortly following its September 2012 introduction only to rank it one of its worst high-end devices available on the larger U.S. carriers in its February 2013 issue. So, what Galaxy S4 features did Consumer Reports editors single out as particularly appealing?

Apple offers iPhone discount to India’s students

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 20, 2013

In yet another attempt to capture the nascent smartphone market in India, Apple is now promoting discounts for students. Students can receive $144 on an iPhone when they trade in their old smartphones. Apple and Samsung have engaged in a marketing struggle, both rolling out installment plans to encourage Indian buyers of rival smartphones.

The iPhone maker also announced a cash-back deal when Indian consumers use American Express to purchase an iPhone 4, 4S or 5 before June 10, according to a Monday report...

Samsung’s $800,000 competition lures devs to write exclusive Galaxy apps

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated August 24, 2016

Samsung wants more developers writing apps that require features exclusively found on its own devices, such as the Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone - and is willing to pay. In an $800,000 competition, the South Korean conglomerate is seeking entries which highlight its own sharing service and proprietary software development kit.

The first-prize winner takes home $200,000, three second-place finalists receive $100,000 each, while six third-place finishers get $50,000 each, according to the Wall Street Journal. The competition's goal is to improve Samsung's standing against Apple's iPhone...

Pentagon clears iPhones and iPads

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

As expected, the Pentagon has finally approved Apple's iPhone and iPad devices for use on the United States military networks, Bloomberg learned Friday. The clearance sets the stage for Apple to compete with Samsung and BlackBerry for military sales. According to the report, the Defense Department today approved the use of Apple’s portable products running the iOS 6 software...

Airlines split on whether iPhones pose in-flight danger

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 15, 2013

If you thought the question over in-flight electronics was settled, think again. Although the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce in July whether to relax current rules governing in-flight use of iPhones, iPads and other devices, questions remain about their safety.

Wednesday, Bloomberg recounted testimony from pilots and others calling into question whether some devices - particularly those using cellular connections - may interfere with newer GPS-based navigation. In one instance, pilots believe an iPhone caused their airliner to fly miles off course...

Apple’s China sales neared 7M as iPhone 4 fuels demand

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 15, 2013

When seeking increased sales of mobile phones, observers need to look east. That's the word from one large analyst firm, noting more than half of all mobile phones sold during the first quarter of 2013 were in the Asia/Pacific market. For Apple, its sales in mainland China alone neared seven million units during the period, largely credited to the lower-priced iPhone 4. Worldwide, the California-based smartphone maker saw its share of mobile phone sales rise...

Apple to add Galaxy S4 to second California suit

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 14, 2013

We certainly saw this coming. According to the FOSS Patents blog, run by patent expert Florian Müeller, Apple has decided to add the Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone to its patent infringement case against Samsung Electronics, while also dropping another product. The parties are expected to narrow their lists of the patent-infringing products. Currently, there are 22 gizmos each on their respective lists...

Apple and Google asked to help NYC solve mobile device thefts

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 13, 2013

Is Apple doing enough to prevent an upsurge in thefts targeting the iPhone? That's the question New York State's Attorney General is asking the smartphone maker, citing several violent incidents involving thefts of mobile phones. In a letter to Apple, Android-maker Google, Galaxy manufacturer Samsung and others, Eric Schneiderman wants details on what the companies are doing to prevent thefts of handsets.

The state's top law enforcement official noted thefts of Apple products in New York City between January 1 and September 23 rose forty percent while major crimes in the Big Apple increased by just four percent...

Samsung unveils 5G mmWave tech for ‘tens of gigabits per second’ wireless downloads

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 13, 2013

When you just can't wait a minute to download that huge video, Samsung comes to the rescue. Sort of. Eventually. Reports Monday indicate Apple's rival has found the key to delivering gigabit download speeds through a new fifth-generation cellular radio technology, dubbed 5G mmWave. It's unclear whether the new tech can gain acceptance to eventually overtake 4G networks still rolling out.

For the iPhone maker, however, Samsung breaking today's wireless speed barrier may mean more court wrangling as the two companies seek any advantage in the lucrative smartphone market...

Google suffers setback preventing Apple from obtaining Android documentation

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 10, 2013

Earlier this week, we told you about Apple's complaint over Google's resistance to hand over parts of the Android source code documentation. Apple’s request is part of its ongoing California patent fight against Samsung. Bloomberg now reports that U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal ordered the Internet giant to disclose within two days what terms it’s using to find documents Apple has requested.

Despite Google's insistence that the collection of such information would be "too burdensome," the court also ordered that the search monster tell Apple "which Google employees those documents came from"...

Canalys: one in five smart devices are Apple

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 9, 2013

Research firm Canalys Thursday offered data on first-quarter smart mobile device shipments, with an estimated 300+ million new units for a 37.4 percent year-over-year growth. Google's Android powered 59 percent and Apple's iOS powered a little over nineteen percent of these devices, according to researchers. Key takeaways: Android leads the smartphone race, Apple is holding onto the tablet market and laptop demand continues falling.

Pay attention to Canalys's parlance because 'smart mobile devices' include smartphones, tablets and laptops. Another important caveat: Canalys stats don’t divulge shipped vs sold units. This is an important distinction as a device shipped into a channel does not automatically result in a device sold to a consumer...

Samsung’s cash pile triples, but still no match for Apple’s $145B hoard

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Much is being made of Samsung's hoard of cash, estimated at $28.5 billion once the South Korean conglomerate's debt is taken into consideration. At any rate, the Galaxy maker has watched its net cash almost triple in the past year, thanks to double-digit profits fueled by the rising sales of its mobile division which makes smartphones and tablets.

In just three years, mobile phones have grown to be 74 percent of Samsung's profits, overshadowing sales of LCD TVs and memory chips. On other words, three out of every four dollars Samsung earns come from mobile devices.

However, Apple remains the industry's most-profitable player, retaining a $145 billion cash pile while offering anxious investors a $100 billion stock buyback. Is Samsung destined to follow Apple's footsteps, or repeat the errors of other Asian giants, such as Panasonic, drowning in debt?