Marshmallow running on 0.3 percent of Android devices
Since a new version of Android is initially available only on a handful of devices, most of which feature a Nexus logo on the back, you can expect its market share to be extremely low in the first few months following its release. Lollipop, for instance, needed over two months to break past the 0.1 percent barrier -- and we are only talking about Android land here.
The latest version of Android, however, is already proving to be way more successful. In just a month, Marshmallow has reached 0.3 percent of Android devices. This adoption figure comes from Google's Android distribution share chart, which was just updated with data collected in the seven days ending November 2.
Shatterproof Moto X Force caters to clumsy UK customers
A few days ago, Motorola announced the Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2 phones, with the Turbo 2 boasting a shatterproof display. This phone was destined for the North American market, but Android fans in the UK are not going to miss out. Motorola is launching the same phone in the UK under the name Moto X Force.
Specs remain the same in the journey across the Atlantic, so you'll find that the Moto X Force features an octo-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 5.4" Quad HD AMOLED display, 3GB RAM, and a 21MP camera. Motorola is also keen to shout about the handset's battery life -- a claimed 48 hours, no less, and 13 hours of battery life from 15 minutes of charging. But this is a phone that's also about choice.
OnePlus X launches with premium design, mid-range specs and $249 price tag
OnePlus is taking a break from challenging flagships, as today the company announces its first mid-range smartphone. Called OnePlus X, it sports a premium design, competitive hardware specifications and a price tag of just $249. In keeping up with tradition, it too will require an invite come purchase time, but this is said to only last for the first month after going on sale.
The lower price tag -- compared to the OnePlus 2 flagship -- might lead you to believe that OnePlus X is lacking in the hardware department, but the new smartphone is actually quite impressive in terms of specs. You get quite a lot more than the price tag might suggest.
Just because Apple CEO Tim Cook claims something doesn't make it true
The haughty headline from yesterday's Apple fiscal fourth quarter 2015 earnings report isn't big revenue or profit performance ($51.5 billion and $11.1 billion, respectively), but a figure given by CEO Tim Cook during the analyst call: "We recorded the highest rate on record for Android switches last quarter at 30 percent".
Blogs, and some news sites, set the statement off like an atomic blast of free marketing for Apple. The fallout spreads across the InterWebs this fine Wednesday, largely undisputed or corroborated. Just because Cook claims something doesn't make it true. To get some perspective, and to either correct or confirm the public record, today I asked a half-dozen analysts: "Does your analysis of the smartphone market support that assertion?"
Chase Pay mobile payments service arriving in 2016
JP Morgan Chase announced its own smartphone payment platform on Tuesday, called Chase Pay. The platform, due to make its debut mid-2016, will be a direct competitor to the likes of Apple, Google and Samsung.
Chase Pay is built upon the Current C, a retailer-led mobile payment system that has largely been written off by Silicon Valley techies for its reliance on barcodes rather than the more sophisticated NFC (near-field communications) technology adopted by its competitors.
Motorola announces all-new 'shatterproof' Droid Turbo 2 and Maxx 2 Android phones
The Android smartphone market has been extremely stagnant lately. With the exception of the brilliant Samsung Galaxy Note5 and 6 Edge Plus, none of the designs have been particularly impressive. This is the unfortunate result of a now-mature segment.
Today, however, Motorola injects some much-needed excitement into the world of Android with the Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2. While both phones should be fast and have long battery life, the real wow-factor is the shatterproof design of the Turbo 2. Are you a klutz when it comes to dropping or breaking your phone? Then you should definitely take notice.
By raising the price, HTC is making sure One A9 will flop
When HTC announced One A9, the Taiwanese maker said that its new smartphone would only cost $399 when it goes on sale in US. But, as it turns out, that is in fact, a "very limited-time promotional offer", as the price will be bumped up by $100 shortly after it starts shipping.
How limited is that offer? Well, the $399 asking price only applies to orders placed before 12:01 am on November 7. Afterwards, buyers will have to shell out $499 to get their hands on the smartphone. It is a very strange decision, as the lower cost is one of the few things that One A9 has got going for it.
Apple is the coolest brand and battery life doesn't matter in the world of wearables
Consumer opinion about wearable devices is somewhat divided, accordingly to a new survey by Juniper Research. The company found that the wearables market is dominated by Apple and Samsung, but it is Apple that manages to take the 'coolest brand' crown.
Microsoft will be disappointed to find itself ranked in 13th place, but the survey shows that it is the familiar technology companies that remain the most popular. Fashion and designer brands like Nike, Rolex, and Ralph Lauren account for a tiny percentage of sales. The research also found that there is a limit to what people are willing to pay for a wearable.
Best Buy shares hottest tech gifts for the 2015 holiday season -- Apple takes top spot
The fourth quarter of each year is my favorite. Why? Well, besides wearing hoodies and drinking pumpkin spice lattes, I love the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are three of the best. Christmas is great for the religious aspect, but regardless of your beliefs, it can be great for spending time with family and exchanging gifts.
As a tech guy, I love getting new gadget gifts (this year I want an Apple Watch), but I have more fun giving them. Presenting a family member with their first computer or tablet just warms my heart. If you are not sure what tech to buy for your friends and family this year, don't panic. Best Buy, the popular electronics retailer, has conducted a survey and determined the hottest tech for the 2015 holidays. If you stick to this list, you cannot go wrong. Do you agree?
What Back to the Future II got right and wrong about 2015
Consumer reports dismisses iPhone 6s 'chipgate' with battery life tests
You may have read that some iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus units have better battery life than others, and that, in order to get the "best" version, your new smartphone must come with the TSMC-made A9 processor. The A9 processor manufactured by Samsung has been said to be less energy efficient, leading to shorter battery life. But how much of that is true though?
Consumer Reports has tested two iPhone 6s units, one with a TSMC-supplied A9 processor and the other toting a Samsung-made A9 chip, and found that that the difference in battery life between the two units is entirely negligible. So, naysayers can now put an end to all the "chipgate" talk.
MAINGEAR NOMAD 15 laptop has Skylake Core i7, NVIDIA GTX 980M, G-SYNC, and 4K
Typically, when consumers want a gaming PC, they will buy or build a desktop. This works well for those people with dedicated gaming areas in their home, but what if you need to move around a lot? What if you want to travel to a friend's house or lan party to game? A gaming laptop is the most convenient option (lugging a desktop around stinks).
If you are a nomadic gamer, always on the go, MAINGEAR has a laptop that could meet your needs. The appropriately named NOMAD 15 now has options for Intel Skylake Core i7, NVIDIA GTX 980M, G-SYNC, and 4K.
Lenovo unveils YOGA 900 convertible laptop and YOGA Home 900 portable All-in-One
Windows 10 hasn't just ushered in a new era at Microsoft, but it has inspired PC manufacturers too. The Windows OEMs are finally catching onto the fact that consumers are not interested in chintzy low-quality computers. Apple has proven that people want to buy and experience well-designed and well-engineered computers. They are willing to pay the premium. Companies like Dell and HP have released absolutely beautiful hardware as of late.
Today, it is Lenovo's turn to wow the tech world. Quite frankly, I think the company has achieved its goal in building impressive Windows 10 machines with its latest PCs. Its svelte YOGA 900 convertible laptop and YOGA Home 900 portable All-in-One computers are absolutely gorgeous, and feature both Intel Broadwell and Skylake processors. Hell, the YOGA 900 convertible laptop is the thinnest convertible Intel Core "i" laptop ever. Of course, these beautiful computers also carry hefty price tags, so you had better be prepared to pay.
iPhone 6s camera isn't the best there is, but that's fine
No matter which flagship smartphone you get, you are very likely to be happy with its camera quality. According to DxOMark, this year's crop of premium handsets from Apple, Google, LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sony is extremely close in terms of photo and video quality.
But, while other makers have shown major improvements in this area over their previous efforts, Apple seems to have stagnated with its new iPhone 6s, which is no more better than last year's iPhone 6 despite having a new rear-facing camera. (DxOMark has not yet tested the iPhone 6s Plus phablet, but it is unlikely to be significantly better than its predecessor either.)
iPhone 6s: Touching the future [Review]
I could have reviewed Apple’s new iPhone as soon as it came out, but I preferred to wait until I’d spent a decent amount of time with the device. My initial thoughts weren’t all that favorable, thanks to a bug that affected the mobile data feature, but Apple thankfully corrected this problem fairly swiftly and that’s the only major fault I’ve encountered to date.
Apple says with the iPhone 6s, "the only thing that's changed is everything", but that’s a bit of an exaggeration seeing as the phone looks pretty much identical to its predecessor, and sports the same 4.7-inch 750x1,334 screen (326 ppi).
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