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Category: Electronics

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Electronics news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Surprise New Model Introduction by OnePlus

    Surprise New Model Introduction by OnePlus

    Sparking rumors that the unwrapping of the OnePlus 7 is imminent, OnePlus today cut the price of its current model by 400 Yuan ($60 USD) in China only. This means that the OnePlus 6T now starts at 2,299 Yuan in the country. That is the equivalent of $342 USD based on current foreign exchange rates. This across the board price cut is a permanent one and is a move typically done by phone manufacturers to clear out inventory of a model that is about to be replaced by a newer device.
    That newer device would be the OnePlus 7. Exactly one month ago today, e-tailer GizTop listed the unannounced device revealing a treasure trove of possible, if unconfirmed, specs. If the leak was legit, we expect to see the latest OnePlus model feature a 6.5-inch AMOLED display. The device will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chipset, the Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform. Apparently, there will be three configurations, one with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage, one with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage and the top-of-the-line unit sporting 12GB of memory along with 256GB of storage. A triple-camera setup is said to adorn the rear of the device (48MP + 20MP + 5MP depth sensor) and we should see a 16MP pop-up front-facing selfie snapper. Keeping the lights on will be a 4000mAh battery with 44W rapid Dash charging, and OnePlus’ Oxygen OS 9 (based on Android 9 Pie) will be pre-installed. The price posted was $569, but the listing could have been a placeholder.
    After the price cuts are calculated, the OnePlus 6T with 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage is tagged at 2,299 Yuan. The model with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage now costs 3,199 Yuan, and the variant with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage will now run you 3,599 Yuan. In the U.S., the OnePlus 6T model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of native storage is available from T-Mobile for $550 (or 24 monthly payments of $22.92). At the moment, that price is unaffected by the move made today by OnePlus. There have been rumors calling for a May release of the OnePlus 7, which makes the timing of today’s move rather intriguing.
    T-Mobile is the first U.S. carrier to team up with OnePlus and the partnership has proven to be beneficial to both firms. Even though the OnePlus 6T wasn’t available to T-Mobile subscribers until last November, the carrier sold enough units for OnePlus to finish fifth among phone manufacturers selling premium models in the states. As a result, we would certainly expect to see the OnePlus 7 offered by T-Mobile.
    What U.S. consumers won’t get this year is the first 5G enabled OnePlus phone. Back in February, OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau said that the company has long term goals regarding 5G in the U.S., but it won’t be shipping such a model into the U.S. this year.
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  • Apple’s main chip supplier on track to make next-generation 5nm silicon

    Apple’s main chip supplier on track to make next-generation 5nm silicon

    Semiconductor manufacturers might not be following Moore’s law to a T, but that doesn’t mean they’re not making good progress. Last year, we saw the first mobile chips using the 7nm architecture: Apple’s A12 and HiSilicon’s Kirin 980, followed by the Snapdragon 855. It was expected that processors will remain on that level for a while, considering that producing smaller transistors gets exponentially harder with the reduction of their size.

    Turns out, we might not have to wait as long as we thought. News coming from Taiwan, raises hopes that the next jump might be just a year away. TSMC, one of the world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturers and the main chip supplier for Apple’s own A12 and upcoming A13 SoC, has announced that its design infrastructure for 5nm chips is now available for potential customers to download and start working with.

    This means that TSMC clients, such as Apple, now have the tools to design their next-generation chips. This will likely allow TSMC to secure orders from Apple for at least a couple of years. But what would the new architecture mean for performance?

    Exact gains are hard to predict, but what TSMC says is that it will be able to fit 1.8 times more transistors within the same surface and expects about 15% speed gain in ARM’s Cortex-A72 Cores. Power efficiency will also be higher than that of 7nm chips, which should lead to better battery life.

    TSMC is also proud of the progress it’s making in terms of yield, which was one of the main problems with the mass production of 5nm chips. Using EUV lithography, which replaced FinFET as the size decreased, the company is able to achieve yields comparable to those of its larger nodes when they were at the same stage of development. This means, of course, there’s still work to be done before the chips can enter mass production, but the important takeaway is that the technology is advancing on schedule.

    The potential arrival of the 5nm chips in 2020 is actually good news for Apple. This year we expect to see the major design changes coming with the iPhone 11, leaving the performance improvements to be the major selling point of the 2020 iPhone 11S. In other words, business as usual.

    Of course, other manufacturers will also be able to benefit from TSMC’s developments, but only if they manage to secure any of its production capacity, for which Apple is paying top dollar, we’re sure.

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  • Honor Starts Looking for Market Dominance

    Honor Starts Looking for Market Dominance

    Huawei’s CEO has revealed details of how the telecommunications giant will foster its spin-off Honor brand in Asia.

    The strategy includes store rollouts, an increasing focus on online sales and revised price positioning differentiating the two brands.

    Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer BG, posted details on his Sina Weibo account, predicting Huawei will become the world’s largest smartphone maker this year through its two-brand strategy. Honor on its own is tipped to become China’s second largest-selling smartphone brand and fourth in the world.

    “The company will support Honor in the development of cutting-edge products and continue its investments in technology innovation, channel distribution and retail strategies while maintaining a firm dual-brand strategy between Honor and Huawei,” said Yu.

    Both brands will maintain “a forward-thinking mindset and help create an intelligent, fully-connected world”.

    While IDC figures show global shipments of smartphones fell by 3.1 per cent in the first three quarters of last year, Honor’s volumes soared 27.1 per cent.

    Last year, Huawei’s consumer business grew by 48.4 per cent, outperforming the company’s carrier-network business and becoming the company’s largest revenue earner.

    George Zhao, Honor’s president, told the recent Mobile World Congress that Honor is “on the brink of yet another breakthrough and there is no slowing down for us”.

    “As the going gets tough, the tough get going. We’ll treat each day as an opportunity to deliver greater value to our fans. For Honor, the best is yet to come,” he said.

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  • Samsung to launch four Galaxy Note 10 models

    Samsung to launch four Galaxy Note 10 models

    Samsung has already outlined its strategy for its next lineup of flagships – Galaxy Note 10, and it involves a lot more than just two phablets. Our most recent report concerning the Galaxy Note 10 series claimed Samsung plans to launch two models in Q3 2019, temporarily dubbed Note 10e and Note 10+.

    The reason behind Samsung’s decision to launch a smaller Galaxy Note 10 this year is probably related to the success of the Galaxy S10e. Samsung has yet to disclose any Galaxy S10 sales numbers, but we do know the volume of the units shipped in the first day of availability was 120% of the Galaxy S9.

    Now, a new report coming from the South Korean media claims Samsung will launch not two, but four Galaxy Note 10 models. That’s because the smartphone giant doesn’t want to miss the 5G bandwagon and at least two Note 10 variants will include the new technology.

    Along with this piece of information, the report contains some details about the Galaxy Note 10 configurations and the reason Samsung has decided to come out with at least four models rather than just one or two.

    At least two different LTE models and with 5G support

    The first thing mentioned in the report is that the two LTE-only Galaxy Note 10 models will boast 6.28-inch and 6.75-inch displays. They are not mentioned by names, but they might as well refer to them as Note 10e and Note 10+. These “cheaper” Galaxy Note 10 smartphones will have triple and quad camera setups, but there are no details about the battery.

    A third Galaxy Note 10 model will feature 5G support and the specifications of the display and the rear camera “are almost the same as those of the LTE model,” sources familiar with Samsung’s plan claim.

    The fourth Galaxy Note 10 variant that isn’t mentioned in the report could be the smaller Note 10e that popped up early this month, which is rumored to sport a 6.4-inch display. Apparently, all Note 10 models will include larger than 6-inch displays and the Note 10e should be the smaller of them all.

    To summarize the latest rumors about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 10, the South Korean company plans to launch two or three LTE models and one 5G variant, which will only be available in those markets that already benefit from 5G network coverage.

    Based on these reports, it appears that Samsung will apply the same marketing strategy as it did with the Galaxy S10 lineup, but that’s quite unusual for the Note family. While Samsung’s Note series remain premium, we can’t help but wonder what many fans of the phablets will think when they will be give the option to choose from multiple Note 10 variants with less than stellar specs.

    Samsung Galaxy Note 10 availability and price

    The report outed by the South Korean media earlier today mentions that industry source claim Samsung plans to unveil the new Galaxy Note 10 devices on August 8. Although we expect the smartphones to be available for pre-order shortly after the official announcement, they might not hit the shelves until late August.

    As far as prices go, there’s little to no information about how much the Galaxy Note 10 will cost, but we don’t expect these to go lower than $1,000. Considering that the cheapest Galaxy Note 9 was available for $1,000 and the most expensive $1,250, there’s a high chance that the “lesser” Note 10 models will cost around the same amount.

    The Galaxy Note 10 5G variant is an entirely different matter and while we’re certain that it will be the most expensive of the four, the final price remains a mystery for now.

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  • Android users should now have a better performing Snapchat

    Android users should now have a better performing Snapchat

    Snapchat disseminated a tweet today announcing that it has released its new Android app. The app was rebuilt from the ground up so that it could be faster for Android users. In rebuilding its Android app, Snapchat had to take into consideration the many different cameras and chipsets used on various Android handsets. The decision made to revamp Snapchat’s Android app came in 2017 when it became clear that the messaging app’s iOS version was superior.

    In early 2018, Snapchat staff realized that the Android app was always trying to run code in the background, leading it to act laggy. Thus, the decision was made to rebuild the Android app from scratch. The challenge facing Snap’s director of engineering, Gustavo Moura, was how to make the messaging app run the same on flagship Android devices and lower-end models alike. Eventually, the Snapchat development team was able to get it done and the app’s Android subscribers should see Snapchat run faster once the new version is installed. In addition, better performance should be seen on lower-end phones. To make sure that updates are running bug-free now and in the future, Snapchat is testing them on a larger number of Android-powered devices.

    “Android devices don’t all behave the exact same way, right? It’s very easy for us to build an Android app that will work well on flagship devices like the Pixel 3. It’s more challenging when you have to capture the whole ecosystem, especially when the camera works very differently from manufacturer to manufacturer.”- Gustavo Moura, Director of Engineering, Snapchat.

    Those installing the updated Snapchat app on their Android device won’t notice any changes to the UI. Instead, Snapchat concentrated on improving things under the hood so that the Android app could run as fast as its iOS app. And while the new version of Snapchat for Android has begun rolling out to some now, it won’t be fully available until the end of this year.

    Originally known for its self-destructing messages that would automatically delete after ten seconds, Snapchat developed the Stories feature in 2013. Users can post a series of images that remain on Snapchat for 24 hours to help them convey a story. In addition, the popular Snapchat Lenses feature uses AR to help add cartoonish features to a member’s selfie.

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  • HTC is doing something with its Play Store apps

    HTC is doing something with its Play Store apps

    While we have yet to see HTC release a new smartphone for 2019, data from AppBrain reveals that 14 apps from the manufacturer have been unpublished from the Google Play Store. This month alone, HTC has removed the Sense Home Launcher and HTC People. The former was a launcher that showed apps that users might want to open depending on their current location. There were three different options available: home, work, or out. The latter was an app that helped users manage their contacts, dialer and call logs.

    In February, apps like HTC Calendar, HTC Mail and HTC Dot View were unpublished. Calendar and Mail are pretty self-explanatory, and the Dot View app worked with the case of the same name. Tap on the front of the case, and a pixelated view (or a dot view) of the time and temperature would appear as well as information about incoming calls.

    Some of the unpublished apps had gone a long time without being updated and probably were no longer supported by HTC. But others, like HTC Calendar, HTC People and HTC Mail were pre-installed on HTC handsets. This doesn’t necessarily mean that HTC has given up on the smartphone industry. In fact, that is a rumor that the company denied late last year. HTC is expected to deliver its first 5G phone in the second half of this year.

    HTC’s decision to unpublish some of its apps would make sense if it decided to make its upcoming handsets run Android One. This is a near stock version of Android that keeps out bloatware from manufacturers.

    The last phone HTC released was its Exodus 1 Blockchain phone designed for cryptocurrency investors. Launched in December, the device comes with a secure wallet and a 6-inch QHD+ display. Powered by the Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform, the Exodus 1 features 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage. There is a dual-camera setup on back (12MP + 16MP), dual 8MP selfie snappers, and a 3500mAh battery. The price of the Exodus 1 is $699.

  • Twitter makes a change in Limiting your Followers

    Twitter makes a change in Limiting your Followers

    In an effort to stop spammers from taking over Twitter, the social media app is limiting the number of followers that can be added to an account on a single day. Previously that number was 1,000 and a tweet from the Twitter Safety account reveals that the new cap is 400. This is supposed to prevent spammers from adding a large number of followers and then deleting them in a “bulk, aggressive or indiscriminate manner” that violates Twitter’s rules.

    By adding all these followers, spammers hope that the majority will follow them back. Those that do will soon find a number of spams in their timeline. Those that don’t will soon be unfollowed by the spammers. This is a cycle that continues over and over again. In a series of tweets, Twitter’s Yoel Roth explains that lowering the number of followers a day from 1,000 to 400 won’t stop the spammers, but it will slow them down. The 400 limit will “make each spam account less effective, slower, and more expensive to operate.”

    Roth adds that Twitter decided to make the new cap 400 because it allows people to follow the accounts they’re interested in while it stops the most spam. Almost half of the accounts that were following 400 Twitter users per day were engaged in churning, which is defined as “repeatedly following and unfollowing the same accounts” in an attempt to grow the number of followers that a Twitter subscriber has. He adds that 99.87% of Twitter use will be unaffected by this new rule.

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  • Poptel V9, the largest videophone with Android

    Poptel V9, the largest videophone with Android

    It’s not often that a videophone comes along, let alone one with a huge, Android-driven display, but the ever-enterprising Poptel just introduced the intriguing V9 to cover that homey dream. Equipped with a SIM card slot, the Poptel V9 nevertheless lets you take calls the old-fashioned way, like on home phones of yesteryear by simply picking up the receiver. Needless to say, it is rechargeable, so you can roam with it freely around the house and even outside in the yard or down the street.

    The biggest asset of the Poptel V9, however, is its screen – literally. Equipped with a tablet-sized display, it is the biggest among all videophones with Android and allows you to gobble media content, glean caller info, use it as a digital clock and picture frame, or control your smart home appliances from the touchscreen.

    That last feature is an extra added value when it comes to the eventual home security cameras you outfitted your house with, as it can display what they are showing at any given time. Is dinner ready, where exactly did the FedEx guy leave your package on the porch, and why is the neighbor’s dog pissing on the lawn again are all pressing questions one can answer with the Poptel V9 videophone and a streaming camera.

    The specifications of the device are in line with its extremely affordable $130 price tag – 2GB RAM/16GB of storage space for apps, and 5MP front-facing camera for video chat, but that sweet 8″ display is what makes it the largest Android-laden videophone in an admittedly narrow category. The only ho-hum part is the 1800mAh battery pack and the 300 mAh one in the receiver that is good for about 3 hours of talking but you shouldn’t be yapping more than that daily anyway, you social butterfly, you.

    The SIM slot is neighboring a microSD card on for storage expansion should you need the V9 to cycle more photos than the ones you uploaded for picture-framing duties. Poptel puts an extraordinary focus on the smart home supervisory abilities of its new videophone, and with a good reason. You can prop the V9 on the kitchen table, discuss that YouTube recipe video that worked so well for the neighbor the other night, and at the same time run the robotic vacuum cleaner upstairs, check out who’s ringing at the video doorbell, turn on the floodlight outside to see them clear, and if it’s the neighbor, command the app-controlled coffee maker to start pouring a brew.

    In addition, you can control the lighting, thermostat, AC unit, smart locks, or any other home automation gizmo you have equipped your house with from the comfort of your own videophone. It’s the 90s family soap opera dream come true in a quirky, refreshingly old-fashioned looks with a modern twist. At $130, just the retro experience of walking around the house with a receiver sounds like a steal when we add the Android media machine it is attached to.

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  • Apple could end up buying 5G modem chips from unlikely sources

    Apple could end up buying 5G modem chips from unlikely sources

    You might know that Huawei manufacturers handsets and networking equipment. At the end of last year, it was the third largest smartphone company in the world and the top provider of networking gear. What you might not know is that Huawei designs its own chips. Its Hi-Silicon unit created the Kirin 980 SoC which is currently found powering up the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the Huawei P30 series. It also will be used to drive the foldable Huawei Mate X. While Huawei designs the chips, they are actually manufactured by TSMC.

    Now as we discussed yesterday, Apple is relying on Intel to have its XMM 8160 5G modem chip ready in time for its 2020 iPhone models. There are conflicting reports about whether Intel will deliver the component in time, and as a result, we have seen rumors that a 5G iPhone might not surface until 2021. Intel says that it will be shipping the chip later this year, but just in case there is a problem, Apple has found an unlikely friend in Huawei.

    Huawei would consider selling its 5G Balong 5000 modem chips to Apple. The report cites a source who has “knowledge of the situation.” This is an unusual thing for Huawei to do considering that an executive said earlier this year that “Balong is mainly for supporting Huawei’s smart products, such as phones and IoT products, and is currently for Huawei’s internal use only.” It also seems strange considering that Huawei is looking to leapfrog over both Apple and Samsung to become the global leader in smartphones by 2020.

    Apple could turn to Qualcomm, but that is unlikely to happen since both firms have been squaring off in court over patent infringements, antitrust claims, and royalty payments, In fact, a week from today a courtroom in San Diego will host a multi-billion dollar trial between Apple, its contract manufacturers like Foxconn and Wistron, and Qualcomm. At stake are unpaid royalties amounting to billions of dollars. Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said back in November that his company was “on the doorstep” of resolving its differences with Apple; we now know that this was not the case.

    While it seems that Huawei would be “open” to selling Apple its 5G modem chips, the other side of the equation is whether the gang in Cupertino would be willing to buy them. During the FTC v. Qualcomm case, Apple supply chain executive Tony Blevins testified that Apple was considering the use of 5G modem chips from Samsung or MediaTekfor the iPhone. Even though Apple currently uses only Intel modem chips for its handsets, Blevins talked on the stand about “Project Antique.” This was Apple’s attempt to find a second supplier to provide it with modem chips. As Blevins noted, “No offense to (Intel) but we don’t want to be single supplier with them. We wanted both Qualcomm and (Intel) in the mix.”

    Huawei’s Balong 5000 modem chip supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G networks. It also is compatible with 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G networks. The important thing about using Huawei’s modem chip is that Apple could get its hands on it earlier than Intel’s chip and have more time to test a 5G iPhone. The Balong 5000 5G modem chip will debut on Huawei’s first phone to support the next generation of wireless connectivity. That device happens to be the foldable Mate X.

    Apple wouldn’t be the only one in such a partnership to benefit. Huawei would get to widen the use of its chips beyond its own devices, and you can just imagine how much revenue would flow into the company’s coffers. It also might play well in China after U.S. government attacks on Huawei have led some Chinese consumers to unofficially boycott Apple products.

    There is a huge unknown here, and that is how the Trump administration might react. Huawei is considered a threat to U.S. national security and allies have been warned not to use Huawei’s networking gear to build out 5G networks. That’s because the law in China requires a company like Huawei to gather intelligence if requested to do so. Considering that we are talking about the modem chip, a major component in communicating voice and data, there are bound to be concerns about the use of Huawei’s component inside the iPhone.

  • 5G Apple iPhone likely to appear next year

    5G Apple iPhone likely to appear next year

    With several Android manufacturers releasing 5G enabled phones this year (and technically the Moto Z3 with the 5G Moto Mod is the first), Apple iPhone users might wonder when they will have the opportunity to buy a 5G iPhone. We don’t expect it to happen this year, and one analyst said earlier this month that it won’t happen next year either. Timothy Arcuri, who hangs his hat at the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), believes that Intel won’t have its 5G modem chip available in time for Apple to introduce a 5G phone in 2020.

    Sure, Apple could turn to Qualcomm to provide it 5G modem chips, but the two firms have been battling each other in court over numerous issues ranging from patent infringement to anti-trust violations. A new trial will start soon in San Diego with Apple and its contract manufacturers seeking billions of dollars from the chip maker. Besides, Qualcomm reportedly refused to sell its 4G LTE modem chips to Apple for the iPhone XS and iPhone XR.

    Those familiar with the situation say that Intel has been missing deadlines as it develops the XMM 8160 5G modem chip. In order for Apple to unveil a 5G iPhone next September, Intel would have to deliver sample parts to Cupertino early this summer and a final version of the chip’s design by early next year. But Intel says that it is fully capable of delivering its 5G modem chip to Apple in time for a 5G iPhone to be launched in 2020.

    Last November, Intel said that it expected to start shipping the XMM 8160 5G modem chip during the second half of this year, and it would appear as though no changes have been made to those plans. In a statement emailed to Fast Company, Intel wrote, “As we said in November 2018, Intel plans to support customer device launches in 2020 with its XMM 8160 5G multimode modem.”

    From 2011-2015, Apple used only Qualcomm modem chips for the iPhone. In 2016 and 2017, both Qualcomm and Intel supplied Apple with modem chips for the iPhone. Last year, with Apple and Qualcomm suing each other, Apple stuck with Intel for the part and expects to do the same this year. Apple is known to be a rather demanding customer (Intel has had three project managers handle its modem business with Apple thus far), and the profits from selling Apple these chips is not overwhelming. But Intel needs the revenue to justify the expense of building 10nm and 7nm fabrication platforms in order to keep up with TSMC. The Intel 7560 modem chips used on the 2018 iPhone models were manufactured using the 14nm process. This means that newer modem chips will contain more transistors than older versions, allowing them to have improved performance and consume less power. But this can also backfire as far as Intel is concerned. As part of its deal with Intel, Apple gets to be first in line to have its chips roll off the assembly line. That means other chip orders that might be more profitable to Intel must wait until Apple’s order is completed.

    Other chip makers like Samsung and MediaTek are apparently not being considered. UBS’ Arcuri says that if Intel’s chip isn’t ready for next year as he believes, neither company would be able to fulfill the order in time to deliver the goods for 2020. Meanwhile, rumors that Apple is designing its own 5G modem chips are apparently true. The company reportedly has 1,000 to 1,200 engineers developing such a component. Additionally, Apple has allegedly hired RF engineers from both Qualcomm and Intel who are said to be toiling away in San Diego. Any modem chip designed by Apple would have to be manufactured by a company with production capabilities like TSMC or Samsung. A self-designed 5G modem chip for the iPhone would probably not be found on the device until 2021 at the earliest.

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  • Asus tipped to launch second-generation ROG gaming smartphone

    Asus tipped to launch second-generation ROG gaming smartphone

    The ROG Phone, Asus’ first gaming smartphone was quite expensive at launch, even when compared to other flagships released on the market around the same time. The cheapest Asus ROG Phone could be yours for $900 in the United States, while the most expensive model, which packs 512GB storage, was priced at $1,100 outright.

    Apparently, Asus plans to launch a sequel later this year, but the company will mainly focus on the Chinese market this time. Digitimes reports the second-generation ROG Phone will be launched in Q3 2019, and that Asus will team up with Tencent to advertise the flagship in China.

    Back in December, Asus outlined its new strategy to focus on gaming and premium smartphones rather than entry-level and mid-range models, which is meant to reduce the losses of its smartphone business.

    The report also claims Asus has a big chance of revitalizing its smartphone division if the partnership with Tencent goes through, even though gaming smartphones remain niche products that don’t generate significant profits.

    Although Asus plans to focus on the Chinese market with the next ROG Phone, there’s no reason not to sell the device in other markets like Europe and the United States.

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  • Apple’s Melbourne flagship Delay Due to Cultural Reasons

    Apple’s Melbourne flagship Delay Due to Cultural Reasons

    The Andrews Labor Government has said it will launch a review of Melbourne’s Federation Square after Heritage Victoria blocked the construction of an Apple flagship on the site, citing adverse effects on the square’s cultural heritage.

    The plan, which would have seen the three-storey Yarra building demolished to make room for the tech flagship, was denied on Friday when the Heritage Victoria deemed the construction would cause “an unacceptable and irreversible detrimental impact on the cultural heritage significance of Federation Square.”

    Apple said it was disappointed by the decision, but would remain committed to customers in Melbourne and Australia.

    The tech retailer currently runs five stores across Melbourne, in Chadstone Shopping Centre, Highpoint Shopping Centre, Westfield Southland, Westfield Doncaster, and Westfield Fountain Gate.

    Victorian minister for tourism, sport and major events Martin Pakula said the of Federation Square will examine how it looks, how it is funded and how it operates in an effort to ensure it continues to stand out as an attraction to Melbourne.

    “Since its opening in 2002, Federation Square has hosted creative events and world leading attractions,” Pakula said.

    “The review will ensure this much-loved space can thrive as a civic, cultural and commercial hub for years to come.”

    After the 2017 plan for an Apple flagship was put through without public consultation, Victorians will be given the opportunity to have their say in the review, which is set to be completed by the end of 2019.

    Victorian shadow minister for planning and heritage Tim Smith said the decision was a “humiliation” for the state government on Twitter.

    “After years of secret negotiations, with one of the world’s iconic brands, Apple, Daniel Andrews has been forced into a cringe worthy climb-down because his ministers didn’t do their due diligence,” Smith said.

    Smith also called on Heritage Victoria for having fast-tracked such a nomination when it is “often missing in action when it comes to protecting heritage homes.”

  • Samsung launches its first 5G smartphone

    Samsung launches its first 5G smartphone

    To coincide with Friday’s launch of commercial 5G services by South Korea’s major mobile operators, Samsung has launched its first 5G smartphone.

    The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, which is currently exclusively available for purchase in South Korea, has been designed to support speeds of up to 2Gbps download and 150Mbps upload by taking advantage of 5G features including 4X4 MIMO and up to seven-carrier aggregation.

    The device also supports Wi-Fi speeds of up to 1.2Gbps symmetrical by incorporating the latest Wi-Fi standards.

    It sports a 6.7-inch dynamic AMOLED display with an edge-to-edge screen, a hexa camera equipped with a neural processing unit and a 4,500mAh battery with Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 capability.

    Samsung has meanwhile announced that its 5G multi-mode chipsets are now in mass production for premium mobile devices.

    The three chips in the Exynos range, including a single-chip tranceiver, modem and supply modualator solution, are capable of supporting 5G new radio sub-6 GHz spectrum and legacy radio access technologies.

    “Samsung has been an innovator in mobile communication technologies with a strong portfolio of market-proven solutions, and we are well-prepared to extend our leadership into 5G,” Samsung Electronics president of System LSI Business Inyup Kang said.

    “Our multi-mode solutions… will together enable powerful yet energy-efficient 5G performance along with the network versatility that allows users to stay connected wherever they are.”

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  • Focals smartglasses could give us a glimpse at Apple’s next big thing

    Focals smartglasses could give us a glimpse at Apple’s next big thing

    North’s Focals smartglasses look nothing like the original version of Google Glass, which is a good thing. In fact, if you didn’t know any better, you’d think that they were just an ordinary pair of spectacles. But Focals feature Alexa integration allowing you to hear the latest news, view the weather forecast, stream music, control the smart appliances in your home, and more. The glasses will also show you upcoming appointments from your calendar, let you arrange for an Uber, send a text and navigate with turn-by-turn directions. Focals can be controlled through the use of the ring-like “Loop” which is a four-directional joystick that you wear on your finger to interact with the glasses.

    Focals were launched last October and are priced at $599 and up. Prescription lenses cost an additional $200. Personal sizing is required, which means that if you want to buy a pair, you will have to visit one of the company’s showrooms in Brooklyn or Toronto. There are also pop-up locations where this can be done. For example, from today through April 9th, the company can fit you in San Francisco. April 10th and 11th, a pop-up location will be open in Santa Clara. You can book an appointment for any of the locations through the Focals web site.

    The Focals smartglasses have limited functionality; the company says that it did this so that users won’t be distracted from the things right in front of them. But that doesn’t mean that new functions aren’t being added. Thanks to a new update, when a Focals wearer is listening to streaming music from Spotify, he/she can now skip a song, adjust the volume of a connected device like a phone or speaker, and see the title of the song and the name of the artist. And the volume of the music can be controlled even when the display is off, by using the Loop. The update also gives Focals the ability to recommend the fastest transit route for a user’s morning and evening commutes, and the it will also show any delays. The device will calculate an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) and share it with the user’s contacts.

    With a feature called Rewind, the Focals smartglasses can be used to make a voice recording of a meeting. Afterwards, North will send out an email containing a transcript of the meeting along with a recording of the get together. Since Focals are made to the exact specifications of the wearer, it isn’t easy just to take them off and give the glasses to a friend to check them out. So North came up with something it calls Lenscast. The latter puts your Focals’ display on top of the live camera feed from your smartphone to show others how Focals work. The glasses use Bluetooth to pair with your iOS or Android phone, and charge using a special carrying case.

    Last month, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International said that he expects mass production of the company’s AR glasses to begin no later than the second quarter of 2020. At least with the first version of the device, Apple is reportedly going to play it safe by having its glasses access the processor, GPS, memory chip and other components belonging to a user’s iPhone.

    Many consider smartglasses to be the next big thing. Nearly two years ago, analyst Gene Munster said that the wearable will be bigger than the iPhone.

  • Get incredible Google Home Hub discounts

    Get incredible Google Home Hub discounts

    Even though it earned pretty good reviews after seeing daylight just six months ago and presumably contributed to Google’s thriving smart speaker sales numbers during the final quarter of 2018, the Home Hub has been massively discounted lately more times than we can count on the fingers of one hand.

    Right now, the Google Assistant-powered smart display is back up to its $149 list price at both its manufacturer’s official US e-store and third-party retailers like Best Buy, but one self-described “social shopping marketplace” has this extremely versatile and convenient product on sale at a big markdown yet again.

    The “catch” is you need to purchase two units to save a frankly unbelievable amount of money. Basically, you’re looking at a two-for-one or buy-one-get-one-free type of deal, as this heavily discounted Google Home Hub two-pack in black currently costs $153.95, or a hair over the aforementioned regular price of a single device. You’ll want to hurry, though, as the promotion, also known as a power deal in MassGenie user lingo, is set to expire within just four hours of the time of this writing.

    If you’d like to get something nice for yourself and a friend, a family member, or a special someone, today’s super-limited offer effectively brings the price of a Google Home Hub down to $77. Meanwhile, for only three extra bucks, you can purchase just the one smart display in your choice of Chalk or Charcoal paint jobs, although you have even less time to jump on that particular deal.

    For those unfamiliar with what this bad boy can do, suffice to say it’s essentially a smart speaker with a touchscreen… and smart home hub capabilities. You can watch YouTube videos, stream music, control various smart home accessories, and get answers to your most burning questions, all without ever lifting a finger.

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