5-5: Samsung considers itself a software company more than a hardware manufacturer; Google indicates VR is something the company taking seriously; Micromax Yu wants to redefine flagship with their new phone; etc.
Samsung considers itself a software company more than a hardware manufacturer; Google indicates VR is something the company taking seriously — wireless, affordable and comfortable; Micromax Yu wants to redefine flagship with their new phone; google to have a hardware devision led by Motorola ex-CEO; ANTs – actuating nano transducers; etc.
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Chipset |
| University of Cambridge has built the world’s smallest working engine, dubbed “ANTs” (actuating nano transducers), which is a few billionths of a meter across and powered by light, and can produce huge amounts of energy relative to their size. (Wingate Wire, Cambridge, Boing Boing, CN Beta)
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Memory |
| AMD made additions to its Radeon-branded SSD lineup, with the new R3 Series. Targeted at the entry-level segment, come in capacities of 120GB, 240GB, 480GB, and960 GB; and combine TLC NAND flash memory with Silicon Motion SM2256KX controllers. (CN Beta, Overclock 3D, Tech Powerup)
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Smartphones |
| UBS Evidence Lab surveyed 6336 consumers from US, UK, Germany, China and Japan; it finds out that consumers still show interest to purchase the Apple next generation iPhone. (CN Beta, Barron’s, press)
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| Indian magazine “Outlook” article titled “From China, With Love” indicates that Chinese brands have managed to bring a unique combination of quality design with competitive software at an affordable price range (INR6,000 -INR15,000). (Outlook, article, CN Beta)
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| Micromax Yu is aiming to ‘redefine flagships’ with its upcoming phone. (Android Central, Yu Forum, Indian Express) |
| “Coding is the key of the future,” says Samsung president of mobile communications Dongjin Koh, indicating that Samsung now considers itself more of software company than a hardware manufacturer. (Android Headlines, Business Insider, Japan Today) |
| Huawei G9 Lite is now official in China – 5.2” FHD IPS LCD display, HiSilicon Kirin 650 processor, 13MP + 8MP cameras, 2/3GB RAM, 16GB storage, Android 6.0, LTE, dual-SIM, 3000mAh battery, priced from CNY1599. (CN Beta, Sina, The Bit Bag, GSM Arena)
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Tablets |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 7.0 is announced in China – 7” 1200×1920 IPS LCD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 processor, 13MP + 5MP cameras, 3GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, Android 5.1.1, LTE, 4360mAh battery. (GSM Arena, CN Beta, Phone Radar)
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Wearables |
| According to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, more than one in ten consumers in the US own either a fitness band or smartwatch (12.2%), nearly double the penetration in the EU4 (6.6%). Europe’s big four markets include Great Britain, Germany, France, and Italy. (CN Beta, Apple Insider, Kantar Worldpanel, press)
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| Live Nation and NextVR will work together to shoot and stream hundreds of live concerts starting this summer, making their available to owners of Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR headsets. (Digital Trends, USA Today, Bloomberg, IT Home) |
| Microsoft HoloLens specification is revealed. (eTekNix, Windows Central)
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| Google’s Clay Bavor is leading Google virtual reality efforts, and indicates that VR is something the company is taking seriously – wireless, affordable and comfortable. (Android Headlines, Business Insider, Sina, Popular Science, press)
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| Garmin Vivomove analog watch is official – can last for up to a year on a single charge, can track activity, sleep and notification, water proof up to 50m, compatible with iOS and Android, priced from USD150. (Phone Arena, Garmin, CN Beta, Ubergizmo, PC Mag)
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Internet of Things |
| Xiaomi Mi Canon Bluetooth Speakers is official with a price tag of CNY99, which are compatible with almost all devices like smartphones, laptops, iPods, TVs and tablets etc. (Gizmo China, TechWeb)
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| Alphabet is reportedly creating a new division within Google to design new hardware devices, and has hired former Motorola Mobility president Rick Osterloh to lead it. (Android Headlines, Ausdroid, Tech Newsfeed, News Factor, 163, Tencent) |
| FLYPRO releases the drone XEagle that is a smartwatch controlled drone. It features automatic obstacle avoidance capability and a rotatable built-in camera. (Android Headlines, PR Newswire, Geeky Gadgets, HSW, Tencent)
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