Articles about Smartphone

Google's Project Ara -- a modular smartphone that let users customize their handsets with a range of plugin modules -- has been killed before it even got off the ground. Having started life as a Motorola venture, the first Project Ara smartphone was expected to launch later this year.

As recently as May, Google was talking about shipping a developer version of the phone this autumn, but now it seems that this is not going to happen.

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The mobile technology market was rocked by the news of Samsung's recall of the explosion-prone Note7. While some people applauded the company for its focus on consumer safety, more cynical people viewed it as nothing more than a way to avoid lawsuits. Quite frankly, the company was likely motivated by both. Regardless of motivation, the recall was the right move.

Consumer Reports, however, is not satisfied with Samsung's recall efforts. The respected consumer-focused publication is calling it deficient, criticizing the failure to make it an "official" recall. In other words, Samsung should have worked with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This is important, apparently, as it would block the Note 7 from being sold entirely. Shockingly, as of today, the dangerous Note7 can still be sold legally in the USA. This is not theoretical -- Consumer Reports found retailers still selling it yesterday!

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Mobile operator Three had hoped to roll out a network-wide ad blocking system that would prevent the appearance of up to 95 percent of adverts has been shot down by a European regulator.

Citing net neutrality, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (Berec) says that Three's plans were incompatible with providing an internet access service. The decision comes despite the fact that Three's ad blocker would have been optional for customers.

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Facebook, like Twitter, is going all in on video. The social network's latest move is to bring video to its second greatest love -- Facebook Messenger. You'd be forgiven for thinking that this is not exactly new, and you'd be right.

Facebook Messenger has included a video calling option, but Facebook is concerned that this is being reserved for 'special occasions'. Instant Video is an extra new feature that is designed to make it easier to show things that can't be properly described in words, or even static pictures.

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Multiport USB chargers are great for topping up the battery on a couple of mobile devices at the same time when you are on the go. They do not take much space in a bag, only require a single wall socket, and support a wide range of smartphones and tablets. Some are better than others though.

Syncwire's four-port USB charger is designed with travelers in mind. The main benefits, over many other multiport USB chargers that you can find, are the included travel adapters that allow it to be used with US, UK, and EU sockets and its cord-free design that allows it to be plugged right in and take up even less space.

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Switching from an iPhone to an Android smartphone can be quite daunting, which is why two years ago Google created an online guide to help users migrate important data, like contacts, photos, and music. And it has left it at that, leaving it to iPhone switchers to find it on their own.

But, as you may know, newer versions of Android have made it easier for users to move their data from another Android device and now, with the introduction of Nougat, those wanting to migrate content from an iPhone or iPad are getting a dedicated import option too, while setting up their new device.

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If you want to get your hands on cheaper Apple products, you can opt for the secondhand market on eBay, or you could go for an official refurbished device from the company itself. Not wanting to miss out on a trick, Samsung looks set to launch its own refurbished smartphone program.

Citing "a person with direct knowledge of the matter", Reuters says the program could launch as early as next year. With Samsung hardware selling for something of a premium -- particularly flagships like the Galaxy Note7 -- consumers are as keen to seek out a saving as Samsung is to ensure ongoing profit in an ever-competitive market.

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Windows continues to lose ground to Android and iOS in the smartphone market, according to a new report from Gartner. Driven by the poor performance of the Lumia line, its share dropped to just 0.6 percent in Q2 2016, down from 2.5 percent a year ago.

Microsoft is the largest platform vendor, selling over 90 percent of the smartphones that run Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile, so its performance has a direct impact on Windows' share in this market. And, since in Q2 2016 it only sold 1.2 million Lumia devices, it dealt the platform yet another blow.

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Once believed to be one of the strongest players in the smartphone market, Chinese maker Xiaomi now finds itself in a vulnerable position in its home market after its shipments dropped by nearly 40 percent in Q2 2016, according to a new report by IDC.

In the second quarter of the year, Xiaomi shipped just 10.5 million smartphones, 38.4 percent fewer units than in Q2 2015 when it moved 17.1 million devices. A year ago, it held the top spot in China, but now the company has to settle for fourth place, behind Huawei, Oppo and Vivo.

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Huawei may be the third largest smartphone vendor worldwide, thanks to its strong presence in Asia and Europe, but the Chinese firm has yet to find success in the Apple and Samsung-dominated US market. Can the new Honor 8 finally put it on the map?

The Honor 8 is basically a more affordable version of Huawei's P9 flagship, which has been well received by the media, that Huawei will release in US next month. It features premium hardware and a high-end build, but will be priced at a reasonable $399.

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As attacks become more frequent and sophisticated, conventional security techniques and human analysis struggle to keep pace.

As a result many companies are turning to artificial intelligence methods to help them defend their systems effectively. We spoke to Peter Gyongyosi product manager of security intelligence specialist Balabit to find out more about how AI is increasingly the future of cyber security.

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It could be argued that with Android and Chrome OS, Google already has more than its fair share of operating systems; but there's another one in the pipeline.

Very little is known about it at the moment, but Google has a new operating system project underway called Fuchsia. There's a GitHub page up and running, where you can find out about the Fuchsia kernel -- a kernel that is designed with scalability and multi-device, cross-platform compatibility in mind.

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Samsung announced the Galaxy Note7 earlier than usual, choosing to unveil the new flagship in early-August instead of waiting for the IFA show in September as it has done with previous models. And, by doing so, it had no other option than to release it with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, even though a new version of the mobile operating system -- dubbed Nougat -- is on the horizon.

There are some potential buyers who are understandably disappointed by this, knowing that Android 7.0 should launch in the coming weeks. The good news is that Samsung plans to release the Nougat update for the Galaxy Note7 soon.

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The Android operating system is having its fair share of trouble lately. Not just one, but four nasty vulnerabilities (dubbed 'QuadRooter') have been discovered, affecting close to one billion devices. If that doesn't scare you, however, there are plenty of quality handsets to choose from.

Today, Kyocera announces an interesting smartphone that stands out among the others. The 'DuraForce PRO' is super-rugged, and has both an octacore processor and large 3,240mAh battery. The stand-out feature, however, is the integrated wide-angle HD action camera.

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Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge's reign as the most popular smartphones in US in the three months ending May was short lived, as the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus climbed to the top of the sales chart in the second quarter of 2016. Perhaps it's not all doom and gloom for Apple's flagships.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus accounted for 15.1 percent of the smartphones sold in Q2, while Samsung's flagships only made up 14.1 percent of sales, according to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. Previous figures were 14.6 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

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