Another day, another iPhone rumor. This time around, The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple‘s next version of the iPhone will sport a thinner screen made possible by new “in-cell” technology that combines touch sensors with the LCD portion of the display. The new touchscreen could shave off about a half millimeter and improve the appearance of the display.
Samsung is buying CSR’s mobile business for $310 million in a move to maintain its upper hand in the smartphone space. The transaction includes 21 patents, CSR’s development operations in device connectivity and location, as well as the transfer of 310 employees to the handset manufacturer. Samsung has also bought a 5 percent stake in CSR for $34 million. The deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter.
T-Mobile USA has come out with new plans for business customers traveling in Europe. The plans, slated to become available next month, cost $50 a line per month and include 500 MB of full-speed data in 28 European countries with no roaming costs. Separately, T-Mobile said it would start offering the Android-based Samsung Galaxy Note in the coming weeks. The jumbo-sized smartphone sports a 5.3-inch screen, the largest of any T-Mobile handset.
Sprint says it is now the country’s first top-tier operator to offer its handset buyback program online. The new online service pops up when customers buy a device on Sprint’s website. It shows how much old devices are worth, and allows customers the option to trade in multiple devices. A pre-paid shipping label is then emailed directly to the customer and an account credit is applied once Sprint receives the old devices.
Avaya has rolled out a new version of its unified communications solution for small and mid-sized businesses. Its IP Office 8.1 product includes new features to help businesses address the bring-your-own-device trend, such as its Flare Communicator for the iPad and Windows laptops, a new version of Avaya’s session border controller, centralized management and support services.