Hey folks! It's coming home, so take a look at these headlines and more!
- Apple to launch iPhones in 4 new colours
- Note 9 to include Bluetooth capabilities
- $400 Surface specs leaked
Galaxy Note 9 pen will include Bluetooth
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According to an FCC filing, Samsung's S Pen stylus for the Note 9 will include Bluetooth connectivity for the first time. It's expected that this will allow the stylus to be used for controlling music, setting timers or operating the shutter on any of the phone's three cameras. The Note 9 will be announced on August 9th, so we don't have long to wait.
HTC to fire a quarter of its workforce
Image credit: GizmoChina
HTC has had a long and storied history as a maker of Android phones, but that story may be coming to an end. HTC has announced that it will fire 1500 employees in Taiwan, accounting for nearly 25% of its workforce. The company also recently reported a 50% drop in year-on-year revenue, making it seem likely that HTC is continuing its terminal decline.
Samsung's profits diminished after tepid S9 sales
Image credit: The Verge
Meagre adoption of the Galaxy S9 has cut into Samsung's second quarter profits, with the company expecting to sell just 31 million units this year. That's the lowest amount recorded for a Galaxy S device since the Galaxy S3, and some way below the 50 million Galaxy S7 units sold in 2016.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 leaked
Image credit: Android Headlines
Android tablets aren't nearly as dominant as their smartphone counterparts, but big companies like Samsung still produce them in reasonable numbers. It's been a year and a half since Samsung's Tab S3 debuted, and now a follow-up is expected, the Tab S4. The new tablet will have slim bezels, a 16:9 aspect ratio, iris scanner and Android 8.1 Oreo. In terms of specs, it's around the range of last year's flagships: a Snapdragon 835, backed with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
Apple to launch iPhones in blue, orange and gold
Image credit: 9to5Mac
Get ready for new iPhone colour options! Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is suggesting that the new iPhone X+ will come in black, white and gold, while the cheaper 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will come in grey, white, blue, red and orange colourways. We've seen an increasing number of colourful phones over the past few years, so it would make sense for Apple to join the growing trend.
$400 Microsoft Surface to come with lower specs
Image credit: The Verge
FCC filings also revealed a new Surface model this week, which is rumoured to cost just $400. However, the more affordable model will also take some specification cutbacks, including Intel Pentium chips instead of the more powerful Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Other features of the new 2-in-1 device should include a 10-inch screen, a more rounded design, USB-C charging and at least one model with LTE connectivity.
Wrapping up
That's all for now, folks! Thanks for checking out the news this week, and we'll see you on the next one!
| Will is a gadget fanatic, working from cafes and gadget-infused mega-hovels to turn caffeine into technology articles. Follow him on Twitter @wsjudd and check out his newly redesigned tech review site xsreviews.co.uk! |