Put the Alcatel Idol 4s back in the package for a VR experience

The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 4s was recently accidentally listed on the company's website, revealing all specs ahead of the alleged MWC announcement. What it didn't tell was that the upcoming smartphone will come bundled with a VR headset. Or rather, inside one. The retail packaging of the Idol 4s will double as a Google Cardboard-style rig, only made of plastic. Having in mind that Samsung sells one of these (the Gear VR) for $99 or $199, depending on generation, the inclusion of a VR headset with the smartphone is a nice touch, especially considering its alleged sub-$400 price point. The Idol 4s will also have the hardware to facilitate its VR use - a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display, Snapdragon 652 and 3GB of RAM. There will also be a 16MP/8MP camera combo, each with a flash, and the reversible design of the Idol 3 will be taken to the next level. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/put_the_alcatel_idol_4s_back_in_the_package_for_a_vr_experience-news-16571.php

TSMC allegedly to be the sole manufacturer of iPhone 7 processor

According to a report by South Korea's The Electronic Times, TSMC is to become the sole supplier for the next generation AX processor in the upcoming iPhone 7. According to the report, TSMC won the contract with Apple over Samsung due to its more efficient 10nm manufacturing process, and is expected to go in full production in June. Both TSMC and Samsung are the suppliers for the A9 processor in the iPhone 6s. Unfortunately for Samsung, users noticed differences in heating and battery life between the chipsets from the two companies, with the TSMC one coming out the better of the two. This wouldn't be the first time Apple went with just TSMC. After a long time of relying on Samsung to supply its chips, Apple switched to TSMC for the A8 and A8X, and even the A9 would have been made entirely by TSMC had Samsung not stolen TSMC's trade secrets, which is said to have helped the company get the contract with Apple. With the A10, TSMC is likely to be the sole supplier for Apple, assuming it can keep up with the demand. Source •...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/tsmc_allegedly_to_be_the_sole_manufacturer_of_iphone_7_processor-news-16569.php

Samsung closing in on Apple in the US

Parks Associates's latest report on the sate of the US mobile market reveals a few interesting facts. Perhaps most intriguing is the reduced gap between the to titans in the realm - Apple ans Samsung. The former currently controls 40% of the local mobile market, but the Korean giant is quickly catching up with 31%. Samsung's US expansion is definitely impressive, but other foreign OEM's are exhibiting the same trend, although on a much smaller scale. Third place on the list goes to LG, with 10% market share and other major brand names, like Motorola and HTC have about 5% reach, combined. On a global scale, Samsung still led the race in 2015, with a total of 324.8 million units shipped, leaving Cupertino at second place with about 231.5 million sales. Another interesting trend, unearthed in the Parks Associates's research concerns smartphone upgrade cycles. The numbers show that about a third of iOS users still own a handset that is more than two years old, while only 30% of Samsung users are on a device as dated. This could be interpreted as a testament to the futureproofing of Apple handsets, but it might also have to do with carrier efforts to shorten hardware upgrade cycles as much as possible and encourage more frequent sales. Operators are pulling out all the tricks to encourage phone upgrades... The once-familiar two-year contract, which tied consumers to a two-year phone upgrade cycle, is gradually fading. U.S. carriers started to do away with two-year contracts in 2012, and by the third quarter of 2015, only 51% of mobile consumers had a contract, down from almost 70% at the end 2011. A few other curious statistic from the report state that: More than 70% of smartphone users now watch short streaming video clips, and more than 40% watch long streaming videos on their device. Almost 40% of smartphone users use the voice recognition function; among iPhone users, more than half have used Siri. 36% use Wi-Fi calling 35% stream music from the phone to speakers 26% use a payment app for purchases at a retail location 24% stream video from the phone to a second screen (e.g., TV, PC, etc.) Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_is_eating_away_at_apples_market_share_in_the_us-news-16568.php

Get a free Galaxy S6 with any current Samsung flagship on AT&T

A great time to get a nice deal on the outgoing Samsung Galaxy S6 flagship, now that the Galaxy S7 is right around the corner. An unlocked Galaxy S6 is now going for $450 in the US, but if you're on AT&T and looking for a contract, you can can get one for free. Of course, that's the marketing talk, and the reality is somewhat different. First off, you need to buy one of the current Samsung top-shelf models (the Galaxy S6 itself, S6 edge, S6 edge+, S6 active or Note5), and then also activate a second line. The primary line must be on an AT&T Next plan $70 or up, while the new one gets an AT&T Next 24 subscription (effectively a 30-month commitment). Three bill payments into the subscription AT&T will start waiving the monthly installments for the second smartphone up to $30/month for a total of $595, rendering it "free". Reading the tiny text also reveals that the offer applies not only to the Galaxy S6, but also to the S6 active, and other select Samsung models. It's then your best bet to contact AT&T directly if you want to get a different combo. The offer expires in March 31, and is void in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Miami-Dade. Source |...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/get_a_free_galaxy_s6_with_any_current_samsung_flagship_on_at_t-news-16567.php

Marshmallow update for Android Wear promises battery boost

With a little over 1% penetration, Android 6.0 Marshmallow is still very much a rarity within the mobile realm and an illusive update most users are still waiting on. But it appears you handset won't be the only device to benefit from the update, Android Wear units will eventually get a taste of Marshmallow goodness as well and with potential major benefits. One of the main expected consequences of the new OS is improved battery life for the wearables. As most of you surely remember, Doze is a key feature of Android 6.0 and it appears it will be carried over to the wearable version as well. We can't really say how much this will extend average battery life, which currently sits at around two days, depending on usage, as well as how it will play with always on mode enabled. Still, there is bound to be at least some improvement, so we'll take it. As for availability, we understand that last generation Moto 360 watches already ship with the new Wear 1.4 OS. As for other devices, it appears a rollout has been in progress for a few days now, but no official update schedule has been provided. It is also worth noting that the new update brings support for speakers and making calls (currently limited to the Huawei Watch and the 49mm Asus ZenWatch 2, which have a built-in speaker), as well as a number of new gestures and voice...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/marshmallow_update_for_android_wear_promises_battery_boost-news-16566.php

Microsoft cutting more jobs from its struggling mobile division

Back in July last year, Microsoft announced that up to 7,800 employees will be laid off globally, with majority of those working in the company's phone business. Now, there are reports that the software giant is cutting "dozens" of more jobs from its mobile division. While the exact number isn't yet known, it has been confirmed that this new round of layoffs is not part of the move announced in July. Also, those being laid off now are said to be part of the marketing team working with the company's mobile subsidiary in Finland. The news comes nearly a couple of weeks after the Redmond, Washington-based company released its Q2 fiscal 2016 earnings report, revealing that only 4.5 million Lumia phones were sold in the last quarter of 2015, down from the 10.5 million reported in Q4,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft_cutting_more_jobs_from_its_struggling_mobile_division-news-16565.php