Mihăiță Bamburic

Samsung is the biggest smartphone vendor in the world, thanks in no small part to the huge success that the Galaxy S series enjoys. Those flagships generate the most sales, and that is expected to continue this year as the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ leave their mark in the consumer space.

But which Galaxy S device is the most popular with smartphone buyers? That is a question that may be tough to answer, as it's rare that the likes of IDC and Gartner reveal anything other than total shipments, but thanks to a ScientiaMobile report we now know that it is the Galaxy S7 that has attracted the most users.

Continue reading →

Of all the email apps I have used in recent years, Newton (formerly known as CloudMagic) is my favorite. It is really easy to use, works with all the major email providers, has some pretty cool features, and, most importantly, is available on Android, iOS and macOS. So it nearly covers all the major platforms, except Windows.

CloudMagic, the company behind the app, has been working to change this since December, however, and now we get the first beta version of Newton for Windows. It is rough around the edges at this stage, as you might expect, but it will get the "core emailing" job done.

Continue reading →

Apple and Qualcomm are not on the best of terms. The iPhone maker has sued Qualcomm for overcharging on royalties, demanding $1bn in compensation. The chip maker, in return, has sued Apple for making its modems worse in the iPhone 7 to match the performance of similar Intel cellular radios.

And now Qualcomm wants to take things to the next level, as it considers asking the International Trade Commission to ban iPhone imports in the US. If the ITC agrees, that would potentially lead to billions and billions of lost sales for Apple and affect its plans for the launch of the new iPhone.

Continue reading →

The Surface Laptop sounds like a confusing proposition. It runs Windows 10 S, which is a lesser version of Windows 10 that competes with Chrome OS, yet it kicks off at $999, which is way above what you'd expect to pay for a Chromebook. It has premium aspirations, featuring an attractive build and high-end hardware, yet it does not come with a single USB Type-C port, like other devices in this segment do.

That last part has some people scratching their heads, because Microsoft has managed to fit a full-sized USB port in that slim profile. USB Type-C would have made more sense, but it chose not to include a single port. However, the software giant has, at least, considered that option at some point in the development process.

Continue reading →

Many people don't seem to understand who Windows 10 S is for. That's why you'll read many comments and stories, including here at BetaNews, saying that Microsoft has introduced a crippled version of Windows 10 that will not appeal to anyone or that the operating system is only here to get people to pay an upgrade fee to the "proper" Windows 10. They're missing the point... by a mile.

If you look at the context in which Microsoft unveiled Windows 10 S, which is its #MicrosoftEDU event, you'll understand that this operating system has a specific scope. It's here so that educators and students who have complained of the complexity of using Windows and migrated to Chromebooks can fall in love with Windows again. That's it. There is no conspiracy, and there's nothing more to it.

Continue reading →

Microsoft is trying to shake things up in the education market with the new Windows 10 S and Surface Laptop. And it's approaching things from two different directions. While the former is a lighter, less complex and easier to manage version of Windows 10 that's meant to compete with Chrome OS, the first Surface laptop, which it's using to showcase this operating system, is not actually a Chromebook competitor.

The Surface Laptop is a device aimed at college students and other prospective buyers looking for a Surface-branded laptop. So it features a high-end build, speedy internals, and, like you would expect, it has the price to match its premium aspirations too, kicking off at $999. In a sense, it's closer to the Apple MacBook Air than your typical Chromebook -- yet it runs a "lesser" version of Windows 10. Interesting, isn't it?

Continue reading →

Nearly a year has passed since the OnePlus 3 was introduced, and even though it received an unexpected mid-cycle refresh in the form of the OnePlus 3T, consumers are expecting a new flagship killer to be announced soon. OnePlus is well aware of this, so it has kicked off the teasing game to build up hype ahead of the big unveiling.

OnePlus is among those smartphone makers that lets official information trickle down in the months before a new smartphone is released, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to see the company and its CEO hinting at a new flagship killer on its Weibo social media page.

Continue reading →

For many of us, there is no device more important than our smartphone. There is so much valuable data on it -- contacts, business emails, private messages, personal photos and videos, sensitive files and so on -- that you really do not want it to fall into the wrong hands. Some believe it would be impossible to replace, which is why they'd rather have their wallet stolen instead of lose their data.

However, when using a smartphone, security is often an afterthought, which is why so many users fall victim to malware. And that's a shame, because covering your bases is not all that difficult. You can set up a PIN, password or configure the fingerprint sensor and use a dedicated security app to keep your smartphone and the data on it safe. AVG's AntiVirus is a very popular option on Android, thanks to its robust feature set and ease of use.

Continue reading →

It's always a good idea to use a dash cam when you get behind the wheel. In case you have a close call or get into an accident, you'll have a video that you can show to the authorities or your insurance company. But there's also an entertaining side to it as well, which is just as important to some folks, as you can also record a spirited drive on a fun road or some interesting things that you stumble upon on your daily commute.

Pretty much all dash cams let you do those things, but some do it better than others. Thinkware's X550 is among the best premium options on the market, featuring a solid camera with an effective "super night vision" mode, GPS info, driver assistance, speed and red light camera database, LCD display on the back, and dedicated software for PC and Mac as its standout features.

Continue reading →

I walked away impressed after reviewing the Chuwi LapBook 14.1. There's something charming about a laptop that gets the basics right at an affordable price point. The new LapBook 12.3 is shaping up to be even more impressive, featuring more attractive hardware at a still-competitive price.

The LapBook 12.3 is designed for consumers in the market for a more portable laptop, featuring a 12.3-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2,736 by 1,824. That's pretty impressive for a budget offering, considering that there are premium laptops that ship with lesser screens.

Continue reading →

Without trying to sound like a broken record, there's really no future in Windows 10 Mobile. If it wasn't clear years ago, it is crystal clear now. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw a new manufacturer embracing the platform last year, and a niche one at that. That was NuAns with its Neo handset, which is probably the last memorable smartphone released with Windows on board.

A year later the company is unsurprisingly admitting defeat. NuAns is replacing the Neo with the Neo Reloaded, which, you guessed it, runs Android this time around. The smartphone just hit Indiegogo, and you can get one for as little as $355.

Continue reading →

Samsung appears to have hit a home run with its latest flagships. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are expected to sell over 50 million units in a year and, according to the South Korean maker, they're on the right track, with pre-orders far exceeding those of the Galaxy S7 series.

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were offered for pre-order on the same day that Samsung unveiled the devices, March 29, and officially went on sale across the globe last week, on April 21.

Continue reading →

When we write about a new Xiaomi smartphone there's never any talk about US or EU availability. That's because the Chinese maker doesn't sell its handsets in these markets, as it chooses to focus on developing markets instead, leaving its fans to source their favorite devices from unofficial sellers. That's a shame, but it's not going to change anytime soon.

Speaking of a potential entry in the US and Europe, Xiaomi's new SVP Wang Xiang (who replaces Hugo Barra) admits that the company isn't "serving [customers in those markets] well" but, at the same time, it is "in no hurry to serve the developed markets."

Continue reading →

After unveiling an affordable alternative to the Surface Book in the form of the Hi13, Chuwi is now setting its sights on Microsoft's other hybrid device, the Surface Pro 4, as it just unveiled the SurBook.

The SurBook offers similar specs to the Surface Pro 4, but it will likely be offered at a fraction of the cost. It comes with some pretty interesting hardware, but the 12.3-inch 3:2 display with a resolution of 2,736 by 1,834 is probably the most impressive thing about it.

Continue reading →

The Samsung Galaxy S8 looks to be a hit with consumers, but which of the two flagships will be the most popular? According to a report from Yuanta Securities, it will be the Galaxy S8+ that will woo buyers the most.

Yuanta Securities expects Samsung to ship 50.4 million Galaxy S8 units in a year, with the Galaxy S8+ accounting for 27.1 million of those. That's 53.8 percent of overall sales, a trend which matches what the company observed with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S6 series.

Continue reading →