Unreturned Samsung Galaxy Note7 units may be remotely deactivated

Unreturned Samsung Galaxy Note7 units may be remotely deactivated

iPhone 7 Plus camera samples show what the dual camera can do

iPhone 7 Plus camera samples show what the dual camera can do

Samsung dragged to court over exploding Galaxy phone, and no it’s not Note7

Samsung dragged to court over exploding Galaxy phone, and no it’s not Note7

New update to Skype for Linux Alpha brings unread messages-related fix

New update to Skype for Linux Alpha brings unread messages-related fix

Unreturned Samsung Galaxy Note7 units may be remotely deactivated

Tom
Samsung seems to be leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the safety of its customers. The tech giant has already announced a global recall for the Galaxy Note7, and now a Redditor from France has claimed that they were told by a Samsung representative that the company will remotely deactivate unreturned Galaxy Note7 units after September 30. The Redditor – who goes by the name of LimboJr on the website – also revealed that replacement units will arrive in the country starting September 19, with the package also including a Gear VR and “a prepaid parcel to send the defective device back without charges.” September 19 seems to be the date for other European countries as well – Portugal is... Read More

iPhone 7 Plus camera samples show what the dual camera can do

Tom
It’s one thing to see an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus camera sample at Apple’s event, it’s completely another to see real-life camera samples. Thanks to Sports Illustrated magazine, we get to see some iPhone 7 Plus camera samples from the Titans-Vikings NFL game. Sadly, the magazine didn’t provide full resolution photos and what you see below are downscaled samples. Thus it’s hard to comment on the actual quality although the level of detail looks very impressive. From the little hairs of grass on the ground to the fibers of the people’s clothing – it all looks great for a smartphone camera. Here are the samples themselves for you to check out. Apple iPhone 7 Plus camera samples In... Read More

Samsung dragged to court over exploding Galaxy phone, and no it’s not Note7

Tom
As if the exploding Galaxy Note7 fiasco was not enough, Samsung is facing another embarrassing situation: a Galaxy S7 edge unit caught fire in the owner’s pocket, “causing him second and third degree burns.” The incident happened when owner Daniel Ramirez was working at a construction site in Ohio. Reports say the phone was in his right front pocket when suddenly it started “whistling, screeching, and vibrating,” and emitting smoke. When Ramirez tried to remove the handset from his pocket, he suffered burns to his right hand. And then the unit exploded without any warning, catching fire in the pocket itself and causing severe burns to Ramirez – his boxer shots and pants melted to his leg. “He suffered severe... Read More

New update to Skype for Linux Alpha brings unread messages-related fix

Tom
Microsoft has pushed out a new update to the Skype for Linux Alpha app that was released back in July this year. The update bumps the app to version 1.7, and brings along a couple of fixes, including one related to unread messages. Specifically, the update fixes standard behavior of unread messages. “When opening chat with unread messages, the view will focus on the first unread message. As you scroll, messages will be marked as read,” the change-log says. Also included is a fix for “application reconnect after it was suspended for longer time.” And finally, the update also brings along a new grid layout for group calls. Read More

Best Apps and Games of the Week

Tom
It’s mostly just games this week. Enjoy. Hash Hash is a news app that collates tweets from the popular topics and presents them in a beautiful interface. You will see all the current hot topics on the main page and clicking a topic will present relevant tweets from major news outlets and important accounts on the subject. Good way to keep in touch with all the news on Twitter without even having a Twitter account. iOS • Android Rubek Rubek is a puzzle game. Your objective is to pick up colors as you move along a narrow path to the goal and then match the colored side of the cube with the pattern on the path. You have to figure... Read More

Weekly poll: Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus – are they what you were hoping for?

Tom
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus caused a lot of excitement and sparked numerous discussions this week. Traditionally, Apple’s smartphone is a controversial topic, as some people are more than happy with the iPhone’s new features, while others are not that impressed. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are different, though. Apple made a lot of changes, more internally than externally, but still, fans mostly got what they wanted. Waterproofing, new color option, extended updated cameras and a new A10 chip are among the headlines. But the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, the barely changed hardware design, new and the new, non-clicky Home button are valid reasons the be discontent with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7... Read More

Week 36 in review: LG V20 and iPhone 7 duo get announced, Note7 recall saga continues

Tom
The iPhone launch captured the bulk of the media attention this week – like it could have been otherwise. The pair of smartphones surprised no one due to the abundance of leaks, and yet everyone was curious to read the official bits. So, no headphone jack, but Lightning EarPods and a dongle in the box, plus $159 wireless AirPods. No more clicking the Home button, it’s now pressure-sensitive instead. Great looking Jet Black color option that scratches easily, and IP67 certification, but no water damage covered under warranty. Of course, there are the usual upgrades in the internals (new chipset), with the 7 Plus also getting a bump in RAM up to 3GB. That’s a very brief summary though, if... Read More

New Nexus app launcher leaks with detailed screenshots, wallpapers too!

Tom
Android Police got their hands on some really convincing GIFs that show an allegedly redesigned launcher to debut on this year�s new Nexus Marlin and Sailfish handsets. We still don�t know much about the handsets themselves except for a couple of mock-ups here and there. The launcher in question could be reflective of the final release, but is subject to change as we near the Nexus device refresh and impending release of Android Nougat 7.0. As soon as you see the screenshots, you�ll notice there is no longer a Google Search bar. It has been replaced by a tab that can be pulled out or tapped on in order to access either Google Now by sliding from the left as... Read More

Top 10 trending phones of week 36

Tom
Just what we needed – the unveiling of the new iPhone 7 stirred things up quite a bit in our Top 10 trending phones chart. That’s another way of saying it shot to number 1 from its pre-release 7th spot last week. But it’s not alone either – big bro iPhone 7 Plus joins it in 3rd. But splitting those two is one of the usual suspects – long-time champ Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016). Apparently, the Plus could only do so much. The Redmi Note 3 is in 4th this week – the iPhones pushed it off its comfy 3rd spot it held for a while. The Galaxy Note7 drops one too, but the J5 (2016) and the J7 Prime... Read More

Weekly poll results: Huawei star of IFA, Sony fans on the fence about the Xperia XZ

Tom
Last week we asked you to vote about the best devices at the IFA expo. Sure, the show wasn’t filled with new flagships but it had plenty of interesting announcements nonetheless. Huawei enjoyed most of the fan vote and it is the winner with 45%. Sony’s Xperia ZX and X Compact were the favorite of almost 30% of the voters, while the Gear S3 was the star of the show for 12% of our readers. Following the growing interest towards the new Xperia XZ, we decided to make a second poll and see if the fans really got what they wanted. The results came in inconclusive. While 52% think the Xperia XZ is the flagship we needed, there is this... Read More

Sony announces two new action cams

Tom
Sony has announced two new action cams, the FDR-X3000R and the HDR-AS300R. The key difference between the two is that the former records in 4K UHD whereas the latter in Full HD. The key feature of the two new cameras is the optical image stabilization that Sony calls Balanced Optical SteadyShot or B.O.SS. This features a camera and lens assembly that are joined together and move simultaneously so you get smoother footage. The cameras include an Exmor R CMOS sensor with a BIONZ X image processor. The video is captured in 4K at 100Mbps or 1080p at 50Mbps. The 4K model can shoot 120fps video in 1080p whereas the Full HD model can record it in 720p. There’s also a... Read More

New Nexus app launcher leaks with detailed screenshots, wallpapers too!

Tom
Android Police got their hands on some really convincing GIFs that show an allegedly redesigned launcher to debut on this year�s new Nexus Marlin and Sailfish handsets. We still don�t know much about the handsets themselves except for a couple of mock-ups here and there. The launcher in question could be reflective of the final release, but is subject to change as we near the Nexus device refresh and impending release of Android Nougat 7.0. As soon as you see the screenshots, you�ll notice there is no longer a Google Search bar. It has been replaced by a tab that can be pulled out or tapped on in order to access either Google Now by sliding from the left as... Read More

Android 7.0 Nougat update hits Android One phones

Tom
Google rolls out Android 7.0 Nougat over-the-air update for Android One devices. A reader of ours points out that the Cherry Mobile G1 is one of the many Android One phones that has the update on queue. Android 7.0 Nougat is ready to be installed on Android One phones Similarly to what happened with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Android One devices receive the latest software update the day after Google releases the Nexus factory images. If you have an Android One smartphone, we’d like to hear from you if your device has received the software update notification. We’ve got a splendid Android 7.0 Nougat review for you to check out and see all the latest features Google’s OS has to offer.... Read More

Galaxy Note7 replacements arrive in Portugal on Sept 19, the US may have to wait longer

Tom
The Samsung Galaxy Note7 was off to a great, but a quickly discovered battery defect caused Samsung to issue an unprecedented worldwide recall. We now hear the replacement stock for Portugal is already on the way and should be ready for exchange for September 19. The phablet has successfully launched in China and few other markets recently, where Samsung made sure the Note7 units don’t pack faulty batteries. There is some bad news for the USA though. The country is one of the biggest Samsung markets and the manufacturer is working hard to convince the Note7 buyers to return them via the official Exchange Program. Unfortunately, the users are concerned they will either have to wait too much for their... Read More

Weekly poll results: the majority is faithful to the Galaxy Note7, despite recall

Tom
Some call it embarrassing, others praise Samsung for coming clean, still others say that the recall could nave been handled better – either way, the Galaxy Note7‘s future doesn’t look all that grim after all. Certainly not among our readership judging from the latest poll results. Last week we asked you where you stand on the Note7 recall predicament – patiently wait to have it replaced, or give up on Samsung and pick up a different handset instead. The results are in, and 3 out of 5 people are going the former route – 63%, to be precise. The other 2 folks aren’t as understanding, and are quick to look elsewhere. But Samsung isn’t taking its time either – recall... Read More

Samsung SM-G5510 now shows up on Zauba

Tom
The Samsung SM-G5510, which has already received Wi-Fi certification from the WiFi Alliance (WFA) and has also been spotted on GFXBench, has now surfaced on India’s import/export tracking website Zauba. The Zauba listing reveals a 5-inch display (which is broadly inline with what the GFXBench benchmark revealed), as well as an INR 6,843 (around $100) price tag – keep in mind that the pricing information on Zauba may not always be correct. As for other specs, from what the GFXBench listing revealed, the Samsung SM-G5510 is powered by Snapdragon SoC with quad-core 1.4GHz CPU, has 2GB/16GB memory config, and features 12MP/5MP camera combo. The device, in case you don’t already know, is said to be part of the South Korean... Read More

Sony launches the X Compact in the Netherlands for �449

Tom
The Sony Xperia X Compact is now available in the Netherlands, as well as in Belgium and Luxembourg. The phone retails for �449 and is available in black, white and light blue. The phone also launched in the UK a couple of days ago for �359.99. As for Pay Monthly plans, the cheapest one to net you the X Compact for free is generally under �30 no matter where you look. The Xperia X Compact has a 4.6 inch screen, Snapdragon 650 + 3GB of RAM, and a 2700mAh battery. If you want to know more about it, don’t miss our hands-on report from IFA. Read More

AT&T Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge are getting Marshmallow

Tom
AT&T has finally started pushing out the Marshmallow update to Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge units on its network. Weighing in at 1.3GB in both cases, the update brings along Android 6.0.1 and also includes security patches for the month of August. As is usually the case with OTA roll-outs, it may take some time for the update to hit your device. Meanwhile, if you feel impatient, you can manually check for the update by heading to your device’s Settings menu. Read More

Canada, India, and Japan are also advising against using Galaxy Note7 in-flight

Tom
After the US FAA, regulators in several other countries – including India, Canada, and Japan – have issued advisories against using the Samsung Galaxy Note7 on board a plane. Following is an official communication from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation. India also bans Galaxy Note 7 mobile onboard any flights. #aviation pic.twitter.com/USTWjAo8xH � Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) September 9, 2016 Similarly, Transport Canada has also issued a statement on the matter. Following is what the agency said: “Transport Canada is advising air operators, passengers and crew of this safety risk and recommends that Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices be carried in the cabin, where an incident can be immediately mitigated, and not in checked baggage. Transport Canada also strongly recommends... Read More

Apple suspends iPhone Reserve and Pickup service in the US, UK, and Italy

Tom
Apple’s Reserve and Pickup iPhone service is quite useful if you don’t want to wait in line. You buy the phone online and then you have a timeframe to get it. Unfortunately, the service is now suspended for customers in the US, UK, and Italy. It’s not gone for good, as Apple will resume it on the morning of September 17. It seems the initial stock of the new iPhone 7 series is quite limited and Apple wants people to get it the old fashioned way – piling up in front of the stores and wondering if they will actually get one or not. The first wave of iPhone 7 pre-orders is already happening in 28 countries, while the phone... Read More