iPhone X vs iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus: Which Apple flagship should you buy?
With the new iPhone X, Apple just made it more difficult to decide which new iPhone to buy. It is no longer a matter of figuring out which display size you prefer or how nice you would like the camera to be. The new kid on the block is different, coming with all sorts of cool features that can make you more confused than ever.
It's so different from the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus that it is basically in a category of its own, at the top of Apple's smartphone lineup. But how does it actually compare to the other two flagships, and is it the right iPhone for you?
Apple jacks up the price of AppleCare+
If you were enticed by yesterday's iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X announcements, you may be preparing to delve into your pocket to hand over some cash for one of Apple's latest handsets. If you're thinking of taking out AppleCare+ insurance to protect your new device, you're going to have to dig a little deeper.
Apple is increasing the price of AppleCare+ for its Plus model -- including the previous generation iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 7 Plus -- and is introducing a new, even higher price point for iPhone X insurance.
Yes, you will pay $1,000+ for the new iPhone
Some tech pundits are living on a different planet, because why else would they question whether consumers will spend $1,000+ on the new iPhone X? Even Barclays got in on this, making the absurd claim that Apple needs to sweeten the deal to get people interested. Are you kidding me?
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of years, a $1,000 iPhone is not out of this world. Apple sells the top-tier iPhone 7 Plus for $969, and I find it really, really hard to believe that the company will hesitate to cross the $1,000 mark with this completely new flagship.
Facebook removes Instant Articles from Messenger
Facebook's self-hosted Instant Articles have been dropped from Facebook Messenger. The faster-loading, mobile-optimized versions of articles will still be available in the main Facebook app, just not in the company's messaging tool.
While Facebook launched Instant Articles promising much, publishers have failed to see the income they would have hoped for from articles presented in this way. This has been blamed on it being much harder to track Instant Article Content.
OnePlus 5 Special Edition may be launched at Paris event on September 19
At an event in Paris next week, OnePlus is teaming up with French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. The company is giving nothing away at the moment, but it's widely expected that we'll see an announcement about OnePlus 5 Special Edition -- possibly called Callection.
A leaked photograph shows a box that bears the words "Shot on OnePlus JCC+" on the side -- surely a reference to a Jean-Charles de Castelbajac special edition of the phone.
Android Oreo's Wi-Fi Passpoint support makes hotspot switching simple
We've already heard a lot about what's new in Android 8.0 Oreo, but something that has not received much attention is its support for Wi-Fi Passpoint. Also known as Hotspot 2.0, the technology was introduced by the Wi-Fi Alliance way back in 2012 as a way to simplify the process of moving from one wireless hotspot to another.
Anyone who has connected to a hotspot while walking through a city will have experienced the frustration of having to log into one hotspot after another in order stay connected to the internet. Wi-Fi Passpoint makes jumping from one hotspot to the next as simple as using a data connection, eliminating the need for login credentials. Support in Oreo is a great step forward... but Google has chosen to make it optional for OEMs.
Samsung plans to release a foldable Galaxy Note in 2018
The age of the flip phone may be well and truly over, but people still seem to be hankering for a foldable handset. Samsung is hoping to help people fulfil their dreams, aiming to release a foldable phone in 2018.
Koh Dong-jin, president of mobile business at Samsung Electronics, has said that the company is hoping to release a Galaxy Note with a bendable screen in 2018. He also said that Samsung is working with Harman on an AI-powered speaker.
Xiaomi announces Mi Note 3 mid-ranger with dual camera
A while back, there used to be a clear differentiation between flagship and mid-range smartphones. You could tell which one is which in an instant. These days, however, the lines are blurred. The design is more similar but, most importantly, features that were once seen only on high-end devices are trickling down the line, reaching mid-rangers and entry-level options.
The new Mi Note 3 that Xiaomi just announced is a perfect example. Looking at it, it is hard to tell that this is a mid-range smartphone. It features a lovely design, large screen, there's a fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button, it has a dual camera on the back, and it also has some pretty impressive specs too.
Xiaomi announces Mi Mix 2 flagship smartphone
Featuring a massive edge-to-edge display and high-end internals, the Mi Mix was perhaps the most impressive smartphone that Xiaomi released last year. Things are no different with the newly-announced Mi Mix 2, which uses the same recipe in terms of design and performance, but packs everything in a more manageable package.
The Mi Mix 2 makes the transition to a 5.99-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, which is substantially smaller than the 6.4-inch screen used on the original model. The "chin" is also smaller, by 12 percent, says Xiaomi. Overall, the smaller footprint should make it a more attractive proposition in today's market compared to its predecessor.
Why should Google buy HTC?
Rumor has it that Google is about to buy HTC's smartphone business. The search giant has the money and the hunger to make it in this market, and the Taiwanese maker has the know-how it needs to come up with the great products that it needs to make a splash -- just look at the Pixel for example. It looks like a match made in heaven.
But, looking at Google's history with Motorola it is hard to understand why the search giant needs to buy another smartphone business. After all, it does not need to own one to make its Pixel smartphones, so why go through all this trouble?
Samsung pays up to $200,000 in bug bounty program
To improve the security of their products, many high profile tech companies have introduced bug bounty programs. The rewards can be pretty substantial, depending on the severity of the bug and the quality of the report, as Samsung's first such initiative focused on its mobile devices proves.
Called the Mobile Security Rewards Program, Samsung's bug bounty program will pay researchers up to $200,000 for finding security vulnerabilities in its mobile devices and related software.
Hide 'running in the background' Notification app for Oreo does exactly what you'd hope
While there is a great deal to like about Android 8.0 Oreo, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system is not without issues. Some users are wondering whether or not their phones will get the upgrade, and some who have upgraded are experiencing problems with data usage.
One niggle that has caused a lot of complaints is Oreo's notification that there are apps running in the background. It's Google's attempt to warn people about apps that might be draining their battery, but many people are more than a little irked by the pestering. Thankfully, there's a free app to kill the irritation.
How to make Android and iOS apps smaller
In an ideal world, if you were the sole provider of any service through app and the users had unlimited resources on their devices, there would be no question of optimization and terms like agility and even user experience would be redundant. But as you might know, the current state of app industry is anything but ideal. There are dozens of apps competing for even the simplest of services and no matter how premium device a user has, there is always a limit to the number of apps it can operate smoothly.
The worst part, however, is scenario where after spending considerable amount of time, money and resources into developing and marketing an app, the users perceive it to be bulky and either never install it or uninstall after they find the memory it consumes is disproportionate to the value it brings.
Android Oreo could eat through your data allowance even if you have Wi-Fi enabled
An apparent bug with Android Oreo has been discovered which means Google's mobile operating system could be munching its way through your data allowance, even if you're connected to a wireless network.
A thread on Reddit highlighted the issue, with many people pointing out that it could prove expensive for anyone not using an unlimited data plan. Google is apparently aware of the problem and is working on a patch, but in the meantime Oreo users are being warned to consider disabling mobile data when they are at home or using a wireless connection elsewhere.
Huawei sells more smartphones than Apple
With a couple of notable exceptions, Apple consistently ranks as the second largest smartphone manufacturer based on sales. It's something that we've become accustomed to. No other vendor, except Samsung, has managed to beat it.
Well, until now, that is. According to a new report from Counterpoint, Apple was overtaken by Huawei, which posted a very strong performance towards the second half of the year.
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