Apple's September 9 Announcement - Preview (iPhone, iPad, other)

Press, analysts, service providers and most importantly consumers are anxiously awaiting Apple's September 9 announcement in San Francisco. It is widely anticipated that Apple will announce the iPhone 7 and likely the next version of the iPad as well. Apple has just released a new version of IoS to give developers some leadtime to modify their apps ... where necessary.

In speaking with a local Verizon representative, the company expects the new Apple products - whatever they turn out to be - to be available on or about September 21 in keeping with Apple's past release patterns. So how successful with these new products be given that Samsung announced and is now shipping the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5? Verizon is reporting strong consumer interest in these new Samsung products. Send your comments to the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Verizon Raises Concerns Over the New Samsung Note 5

In discussion with local Verizon sales staff the issue was raised about preliminary customer demand for the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5 which were announced last week. One primary issues concerned the limited Note 5 memory. Sales staff indicated the difficulty and cost to upgrade the memory card for the Note 5 may limit customer interest in this otherwise state-of-the-art product.

With the advanced S PEN, an immersive 5.7" Quad HD Super AMOLED display and the Multi Window capability. But will the memory issue come back to haunt both Samsung and Note 5 customers? Share your thoughts with the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Sony to Introduce the Vaio Z Canvas Tablet to the US Market

Sony is ready to tackle the US and Brazil with the Sony Vaio Z Canvas. This is a 12.3" tablet whose design is reminiscent of the Vaio Tap 11, but the specs are much higher end. The fairly compact tablet somehow manages to pack an Intel 4th generation quad core i7 CPU (47 watt, not Ultrabook 15 watt) and Intel Iris Pro graphics. It has SSD storage and an N-Trig pen.

 
The Vaio folks say it will be available at www.Microsoftstore.com. It will go on sale on October 5, 2015, with pre-orders starting soon. The price is $2,199. Can the Vaio compete against rival products from Apple, Dell, Samsung and Lenovo? Send your thoughts to the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Samsung Launches New Android Handsets - Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+

Samsung's new Galaxy S6 Edge+ has an immersive 5.7" Quad HD Super AMOLED display, the innovative dual-edge, the breakthrough audio technology and the ability to share live videos in real time. The Galaxy Note 5 has an advanced S PEN, an immersive 5.7" Quad HD Super AMOLED display and the awesome efficiency of Multi Window, this is a new era in getting it all done.

Will the release of these two new products meet customer expectations and allow Samsung to regain makret share lost to the iPhone 6? Or should consumers wait for Apple's highly-touted announcement planned for September? Send your comments to the Smartphone and Tablet Zone. Pre-order the Samsung products at: http://www.samsung.com/us/explore/galaxy-s6-edge-plus-features-and-specs/#preorder

Will Blackberry Run on Android?

According to TechNewsWorld it is likely that RIM's Blackberry (phone or smartphone?) will run on Google Android sometime in the not too distant future. BlackBerry's upcoming slider handset, aka "Venice," will run on Android and will be available in the coming months for AT&T as well as T-Mobile, according to rumors that picked up steam over the weekend.

This is not the first time rumors of a BlackBerry device running on Android have made the rounds. The company earlier this year hinted at the possibility at the Mobile World Congress.  Can this potential move help save Blackberry from fading into smartphone oblivion? Send your thoughts to the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Can HTC Remain a Viable Smartphone Vendor Amid Major Financial Challenges?

Smartphone competition is strong worldwide, let alone in Asia. Given its major financial challenges of low earnings and a falling stock price can HTC remain a viable smartphone vendor in China and around the world against Apple and Samsung?

HTC is hoping that job cuts and a product scale-back will help get things back on track, but analysts are projecting at least 18 months of turmoil for HTC. In the time, HTC will need to revamp its go-to-market strategy which will dictate the future of the company. A few years back, HTC said that it would cut the number of devices that it released, but that shift never materialized. HTC has created two distinct smartphone brands, but neither of them appears to have a clear flagship offering. That will need to change. What will be the impact on HTC One M7 and Desire 610 Pro customers? Let us know your thoughts here at the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Apple set to Make iPhone and iPad Update Announcement in September

MacWorld reports that the Phone 7 - or 'iPhone 6s Plus', as it's increasingly being referred to - is a hot topic, 11 months on from the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and one month before we're likely to hear official news from Apple about its new iPhone launches for 2015. The web is full of speculation about new iPhone(s) that Apple will launch in 2015: rumours about the iPhone 7's release date, its design, specs and features, and even its name.  In 2015 we will surely see a next-generation iPhone. What will the new iPhone 7 (or perhaps iPhone 6s, iPhone 6c, iPhone 6s Plus or simply 'New iPhone') look like? What new features can we expect? And when will the iPhone 7 come out? Stayed tuned to the Smartphone and Tablet Zone for breaking news.

Verizon to Drop it's 2-Year Contracts for Smartphones and End Subsidies

Verizon is scheduled to no longer offer its standard 2-year service contracts and smartphone hardware subsidies in September. The move will likely have two results. First, consumers will have the flexibility of month-to-month service contracts for their smartphones, and second, Verizon customers will now need to pay full retail price - minus any onetime incentives - for their smartphones as the company eliminates "subsidies" compared to the purchase of a regular smartphone with the service contract.

Verizon is following lead of contract-less and subsidy-less smartphone of Sprint and T-Mobile who announced similar tactics earlier this year. What impact with this trend have on smartphone purchases, especially the industry-leading Apple iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge? Let us know your thoughts here at the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

How Effective are Verizon's 4G Network Investments in Boosting Customer Speed and Reception?

Among the investments made in the first half of the year, Verizon quadrupled its 4G LTE wireless data capacity throughout the Valley. The company also built a network of small cells to add capacity and improve in-building coverage to stay ahead of high call volume and high data usage in downtown Phoenix and in north Scottsdale including the Kierland and Promenades shopping and business districts.

So what is the impact for consumers and business customers? Send us your thoughts here at the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Samsung S6 Edge Offers New Wireless Power Supply

Does the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge wireless power supply offer a bona fide advantage over Apple's iPhone 6 and other competing smartphones?

We will likely see wireless power supplies from other smartphone vendors in the very near future. Moreover, I believe this is part of a much large trend for computers, tablets and other electronic devices. Let us know your predictions here at the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Smartphone Competition in China Heats Up - Samsung Market Share Declines

Samsung's Q1 2015 smartphone market share in China dropped to 24.6% vs. 30.7% in Q1 2014. Xiaomi took 15.9 percent of the Chinese market in the April-to-June quarter, according to research firm Canalys, followed by Huawei, which had 15.7 percent and was the fastest growing vendor. It's an impressive feat for both Xiaomi and Huawei. China is the world's biggest smartphone market and competition is more fierce than ever, with Apple, Samsung, and dozens of smaller local vendors all fighting for a bigger piece of the pie.

All of this is happening as the rapid growth in China's smartphone market is starting to fizzle out.
Samsung, once the top smartphone vendor in China, has seen its market share tumble. The Korean electronics giant ranked fourth last quarter, even though it launched its newest flagship phone, the Galaxy S6.
Which vendor will emerge as the 2015 market share winner? Let us know your picks here at the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Verizon Cuts Prices on Aplle iPad Air and Samsung Galaxy Note Pro

In and effort to reduce inventory while awaiting for new product cycles from Apple and Samsung Verizon is reducing prices for most of its tablets.They are dropping the Apple iPad Air list price from $429 USD to $329 USD while cutting the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro pricing from $549 USD to $449 USD. 

Apple created the thin silhouette of iPad Air 2, we started by redesigning the Retina display, fusing what had been three layers into one. Not only did this make the display thinner, it made it better, with more vivid colors and greater contrast. Then they added an antireflective coating, giving iPad Air 2 the least reflective display.

Samsung produces lifelike detail and brilliant color on the new 12.2" crystal clear HD display with over 4 million pixels packed inside. It’s also lightweight at just 1.65 pounds, yet delivers an reading, editing and viewing experience, and  responsiveness powered by the Samsung Exynos® 5 Octa processor.

Just how attractive will these price cuts be to consumers and select enterprise customers? Send your thoughts here to the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.

Samsung May Reduce S6 SmartPhone Prices to Boost Market Share vs. Apple's iPhone 6

Unofficial reports indicate a combination of manufacturing delays and consumer apathy appears to have killed most of the phone’s forward momentum. Earnings in the smartphone business were down again year-on-year, though the company as a whole was buoyed by increased foundry sales. Samsung’s operating profit for the year-to-date fell from 15.68 trillion KRW (South Korean Wan) in 2014 to 12.88 trillion KRW in 2015. That works out to roughly $10.9 billion in operating profit, which is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s still a decline that the company is keen to reverse. 

What would a price decrease by Samsung do to consumer demand? Let us know your perspective here at the Smartphone and Tablet Zone.