45174751
submission
redkemper writes:
In the global smartphone market, Samsung is a force to be reckoned with. The company extended its lead during the fourth quarter as it shipped an astounding 63.7 million smartphones, representing 29% of the global market according to research firm IDC. Samsung’s next closest competitor was Apple which sold 47.8 million iPhones for 21.8% of the market during the same time span. The story is much different when it comes to tablets, however. IDC estimates that Samsung shipped 7.9 million tablets in Q4 2012 for 15.1% of the global market, which represented big year-over-year growth put still paled in comparison to Apple’s 43.6% share. In other words, Samsung still has a lot of work to do. Will the Galaxy Note 8.0 change Samsung's fortunes in the tablet market? I have spent the last few days with Samsung’s latest tablet, and this is the most important question I sought to answer...
44281619
submission
redkemper writes:
Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 might not offer much in the way of an exciting new exterior design, but inside, it’s a completely different story. The retooled internals on the U.S. version of the Galaxy S 4 were put to the test by benchmark specialists Primate Labs and the results are impressive, to say the least. The Galaxy S 4 scored a 3,163 on the standard Geekbench 2 speed test, just shy of twice the iPhone 5s score of 1,596. That score was also good enough to top the upcoming HTC One, the Nexus 4 and the previous-generation Galaxy S III. The chart below shows the Galaxy S 4s results compared to other leading smartphones tested by Primate Labs...
44053089
submission
redkemper writes:
A smartphone said to be Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy S IV has been revealed in a hands-on video published by the same source who previously leaked still images of the phone. The new Samsung handset pictured in the video lines up with earlier rumors and appears to match a teaser image published late Monday by Samsung. The Galaxy S IV is expected to feature a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with 1080p resolution, an eight-core Exynos chipset, up to 64GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and new touch-free control features that work by tracking the user’s eyes...
43841581
submission
redkemper writes:
New features Samsung reportedly plans to include in its next-generation Galaxy S IV smartphone have been revealed in a series of leaked screenshots. The images show various pages within the settings on Samsung's custom version of Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, and they detail some intriguing new functionality coming to the Galaxy S IV as well as an update due to hit Samsung's current flagship phone, the Galaxy S III...
43178433
submission
redkemper writes:
Around 1994, most mobile phone brands with global ambitions vanished or pulled back to their home markets. The same happened around 2003. We are now drawing close to another mobile Götterdämmerung, a period of destruction and mayhem — and few vendors will survive it...
42900267
submission
redkemper writes:
BlackBerry laid all its cards on the table last week as it unveiled its new BlackBerry 10 platform and the two next-generation smartphones that will carry it through the first half of the year. BlackBerry fans were blown away, but as we discussed in a feature last week, the real challenge for the struggling smartphone vendor will be wooing users away from leading smartphone platforms. Early reviews were not convinced that the BlackBerry Z10 would gain much ground in this regard, however a recent research note from CIBC suggests BlackBerry may already be off to a phenomenal start with 50% of preregistration coming from non-BlackBerry users...
41907511
submission
redkemper writes:
Reports from industry watchers continue to suggest that Apple is preparing to launch two new iPhone models this year, and new purported details surrounding one of them have emerged. Citing multiple unnamed sources within Apple’s supply chain, including some sources that claim to have seen a prototype of the device, a new report on Tuesday claims that Apple will launch a new low-cost version of the iPhone aimed at China and other emerging markets sometime in the second half of 2013 with a larger display and a brand new design...
41601057
submission
redkemper writes:
Samsung could face a $15 billion fine in Europe alone for using “standard-essential” patents in its attempts to ban devices like the iPhone in its ongoing patent battle with Apple. A new report claims that the European commission could impose a massive fine of up to 10% of Samsung’s global turnover following its investigation into Samsung’s use of standard-essential patents in complaints filed against Apple in Europe. Samsung’s revenue totaled $148.9 billion in 2011, so fines in Europe alone could reach $14.8 billion...
41571839
submission
redkemper writes:
Samsung (005930) is a force to be reckoned with. Two short years ago it looked like Apple (AAPL) was set to run away with the smartphone industry, but Samsung came out in a big way and the companies now share the smartphone crown — Samsung handily out-ships Apple but the Cupertino, California-based company still pulls in more profit. There is one area where Apple reigns supreme, however, but Samsung may look to launch new attacks next year where content delivery and services are concerned in an effort to extend its range in important secondary revenue channels...
41544303
submission
zacharye writes:
While it does have drawbacks just like anything else, Microsoft’s Surface is a great slate for those looking for a fresh new take on the modern tablet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like very many people were looking for a fresh new take on the modern tablet this holiday season. In a recent note to investors, R.W. Baird analyst William Power recounted recent conversations had at retailers including Best Buy and Staples. While speaking with sales reps at the stores, Apple’s iPad was the most highly recommended tablet while Amazon’s Kindle Fire line and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab line were both recommended as alternatives. Microsoft’s Surface tablet, on the other hand, was not pushed by reps at either chain...
41288397
submission
redkemper writes:
Fixing Apple’s awful mapping application is a hard row to hoe. Getting the fledgling service to a point where it can even approach the quality of Google’s mapping solution will take years and a tremendous amount of manpower — just ask Google, which has 71,000 people around the world always working to improve Google Maps. And Apple knows this, of course, which is likely one of several reasons company executives were “seething” when the Google Maps app for iOS was welcomed home like a death row inmate who was finally freed after having been wrongfully accused. So, where does Apple go from here?
41040532
submission
redkemper writes:
Well-known patent troll Wi-LAN has filed a new lawsuit against BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIMM) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Wi-LAN, which describes itself as “a leading intellectual property licensing company,” claims RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones infringe U.S. Patent No. 6,260,168, owned by Wi-LAN, which relates to Bluetooth implementation. The lawsuit covers multiple BlackBerry handsets including Bold, Torch, Pearl and Storm models. Wi-LAN is reportedly seeking unspecified damages and is looking to ban sales of RIM’s infringing BlackBerry phones in the United States...
41012887
submission
redkemper writes:
Apple’s next-generation iPhone 5S will reportedly launch this coming June with a number of enhancements including a new “super HD” display and camera, integrated NFC, a better battery and between six and eight different color options instead of just black and white. The report comes from Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek, who says Apple will break free from the annual release schedule it has used it launched the first iPhone in 2007. To qualify the analyst’s prediction, Misek also said that Apple’s HDTV was in full production and would launch by the end of 2012...
40653079
submission
redkemper writes:
Microsoft announced pricing for its upcoming Surface Pro tablet last week and tech bloggers’ heads immediately exploded. The Surface Pro — Microsoft’s first own-brand Windows 8 offering — will start at $899 for a unit with 64GB of internal storage. That price includes a stylus, an accessory that will be appreciated by some potential users but certainly not all, but it does not include a Touch Cover or a Type Cover keyboard. Microsoft’s unique keyboard cover accessories are one of a few key differentiating factors that help set Surface tablets apart, so many viewed this omission as yet another strike against the Surface Pro. But is the Surface Pro really overpriced? Let's take a look at it lined up against a real competitor...
