Samsung went big with its new Galaxy Note 8, offering a massive display and dual camera setup meant to eclipse memories of the company’s hailed and failed Note 7. But aside from a handful of new features, the device leans heavily on tried and true technologies that originally made their debut in the Galaxy S8…
Apple’s Rumored Launch Date is Just in Time for the Note 8’s Retail Debut
Rumors are circulating that Apple could reveal its new iPhones and Apple Watch on September 12. The date was reported by Mac4Ever, and fits squarely in the traditional mid-September timeframe for Apple’s fall product launches. If that date holds, Apple’s latest iPhone debut will fall around three weeks after Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 launch, which…
Sprint Targets Enterprise with New MultiLine Feature
Sprint is hoping to cash in on the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend in the workplace with a new feature that allows companies to add a business line on employee’s personal devices. Dubbed “Sprint MultiLine,” the feature allows businesses to retain ownership of the additional voice and text number that is installed on a worker’s BYOD device.…
Demand for 4G Smartphones in Emerging Markets Drives 2Q Sales Growth
The number of smartphones sold around the globe grew 6.7 percent in the second quarter 2017, spurred by strong demand in China and other Asia-Pacific markets, a new report from Gartner shows. According to Gartner, worldwide smartphone sales hit 366.2 million in the quarter, up from 343.4 million the year prior. That growth spurt was…
FirstNews Briefs: FreedomPop, UltraMobile, Nokia, Verizon
Free wireless service provider FreedomPop has unveiled a new annual mobile plan, offering less data-hungry users a service option that comes in under $50 per year. The carrier said its $49 plan offers 1,000 minutes of talk, 1,000 texts, and 1 GB of data for an average of $4 per month. The option is meant…
Samsung Unleashes Bixby in 200 Countries as Microsoft’s AI Hits a New High
After some initial launch delays due to language problems, Samsung artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistant Bixby has finally been released in more than 200 countries. According to Samsung, Bixby capabilities have been extended to customers in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and South Africa, among others. Rollouts in more countries and availability in new languages…
Verizon Divvies Up Unlimited, Drops 1080p Video for Smartphones
Verizon’s customers will no longer have the option to watch 1080p video on their smartphones thanks to a move from the carrier this week to permanently throttle streaming quality on handsets. As reported by The Verge, Ars Technica, and CNET, the shift comes as Verizon splits the single consumer postpaid unlimited option it began offering in…
Talking Taxes: How Carriers Deal with Sponsored Data
The mobile space is one that is always evolving, and in such a competitive landscape it’s almost inevitable that new and innovative offerings will push the boundaries not just on the consumer side but also for internal accounting. Last week, Avalara Senior Tax Consultant and Attorney Toby Bargar noted “in the eyes of legislators and…
Google Sweetens Eclipse with Android Oreo Debut
Google sought to sweeten this week’s solar eclipse with debut of its new Android O upgrades, unveiling them right at the moment of totality on the East Coast Monday afternoon. Keeping with its candy theme, the latest version is officially called Android Oreo, and will bring with it promised interface updates like notification dots and…
Verizon First to Cross 1 Gbps Barrier on 4G Network in Trial with Qualcomm, Ericsson
U.S. wireless carriers have been furiously racing to cross the gigabit LTE milestone, conducting a host of trials in recent months. Those tests have gotten close, but none have crossed the elusive 1 Gbps threshold – until now. Verizon on Monday reported it achieved peak speeds of 1.07 Gbps in a new collaboration with Qualcomm…