Boost Mobile, one of the many mobile virtual network operators who piggy back on Sprint’s dilapidated 3G network, is going to offer a smartphone dubbed the “Hydro” on August 3rd for $130. Said smartphone is made by Kyocera and it’s called the Hydro because it’s splash proof and water proof up to one meter for…
More iOS 6 features coming to the iPhone 3GS than previously thought
When Apple announced that the three year old iPhone 3GS was going to get iOS 6, that was a huge slap in the face to everyone who bitches and moans about not getting the latest version of Android on their non-Nexus device. Two weeks later Microsoft announced that Windows Phone 8 is going to require…
HTC wants a third of their revenue to come from China by the end of 2012
HTC is hurting. Their devices aren’t meeting expectations in Europe, the One X faced some legal issues in the United States that delayed sales, and Samsung has proven that they have better relationships with the operators than even Apple has with AT&T and Verizon. According to a report from DigiTimes, roughly 80% of HTC’s revenues…
Chinese handset vendors to release $50 Android smartphones this year
If you want a brand spanking new iPhone 4S, prepare to cough up over $650. Want a Galaxy S III? That’ll be $600 please. The Galaxy Nexus is an absolute bargin at $350, but what about $100? That’s today’s bar for low end smartphones. Sure, such devices typically have QVGA screens and processors that have…
Apple patents the hiding vertical scrolling indicator; cue the lawsuits
Chances are that the computer you’re using right now has a vertical sidebar that tells you where you are on the page. Drag it down and the page moves down. Magic, right? Apple introduced a “feature” in iOS whereby that vertical sidebar disappears when you’re not scrolling anymore. Why? It’s pretty, but it’s actually quite…
New NXP chip aims to make annoying ringtones up to 5x louder
NXP Semiconductors has just announced a new chip called the TFA9887. It combines a DSP, class-D amplifier, and DC-to-DC boost converter to enable the dinky little speakers in your smartphone or tablet to output sound that’s up to 5x louder than what they’re normally capable of delivering. What strange form of voodoo makes all this…
First Nanoradio, now CSR, what exactly is Samsung up to?
Samsung has just announced that they’ve purchased CSR’s mobile phone connectivity and location technology for $310 million. They’re also getting 21 patents in the deal. Never heard of CSR? They were founded in 1998 as “Cambridge Silicon Radio” and they’ve done things such as design Bluetooth, WiFI, and GPS chips. The thing is, no one…
AT&T is likely going to charge iPhone users to FaceTime over cellular
According to a screenshot that was discovered by 9to5Mac, it looks like the ability to have a FaceTime call over a cellular connection, a feature that’s standard in iOS 6, is going to be switched off by AT&T. They’re either going to disable the feature completely or find some way to nickel and dime you…
IDC: “Samsung is expected to be the smartphone hero in the second quarter.”
The end of July is quickly approaching, and that means one thing: Companies are soon going to begin reporting their Q2 2012 financial results. Nokia is due to publish their numbers on Thursday, the 19th; Apple’s turn is next Tuesday, the 24th; and as for Samsung, they’re booked for next Friday, the 27th. According to…
ZTE profits for 1H2012 expected to be 60% to 80% lower; 12,000 jobs at risk
ZTE, who many people know because of their cheap Android handsets, is also in the business of providing infrastructure equipment to operators. According to Mobile Business Briefing, the company has issued a warning that profits for the first half of 2012 are going to be between 60% and 80% lower than profits during the same…