During yesterday’s Glowtime event in Cupertino, Apple introduced its iPhone 16 lineup with Apple Intelligence features, A18 chip, and new camera control button to access “visual intelligence” functionality. The company also unveiled a redesigned Apple Watch with polished titanium option and new S10 chip; a new Satin Black color for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, alongside a collection of updated bands with darker hues; and two new versions of AirPods wireless earbuds, one touting active noise canceling. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models feature aluminum bodies while the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max bodies are made of titanium. The first Apple Intelligence features for the new iPhones will launch in beta next month. Continue reading Glowtime: Apple Unveils iPhone 16, Apple Watch 10, AirPods 4

Yesterday’s Made by Google new product event was held earlier this year. Google was no doubt eager to announce, ahead of the holiday season, that it has joined Samsung as a leading smartphone manufacturer with system-level artificial intelligence across its flagship phone line. The mobile-optimized Gemini Nano AI tech, added in limited fashion to the Pixel 8 Pro, will now drive features across the Pixel 9 line, which has gone all-pro with three new models — the Pro 9, Pro 9 XL and Pro 9 Fold — all powered by Google’s latest Tensor 4 processor, designed to enhance AI functionality. Samsung has had AI-first phones since the Q1 debut of its Galaxy S24 line. Continue reading Made by Google Event Highlights Gemini AI, Pixel 9 and More

Samsung announced eight new devices in Paris this morning during its latest Galaxy Unpacked event. The products — all featuring Galaxy AI — include new Samsung folding smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6; the Galaxy Watch7 smartwatch series in two sizes and a new Galaxy Watch Ultra; the Galaxy Buds3 and Galaxy Buds3 Pro wireless earbuds; and a $400 health-tracking smart ring called Galaxy Ring, marking a new product category for the company. The IP68 and 10 ATM water-resistant Galaxy Ring is a lightweight titanium ring that will be available later this year in nine size options in black, silver and gold finishes. Continue reading Samsung Reveals New Products at Galaxy Unpacked Event

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, joined by 16 other state and district attorneys, has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for “monopolization or attempted monopolization” of the smartphone market. The move comes after years of regulatory scrutiny triggered by complaints from companies who compete against Apple or rely on it to do business and pay hefty fees for doing so. The charges center on the iPhone, which has an estimated 60 percent share of the U.S. smartphone market and is seen as an essential platform for anyone that wants to reach mobile consumers. Continue reading U.S. Targets Apple Smartphone Monopoly in Antitrust Lawsuit

Musician will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas — who is also a noted technologist, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist — discussed his work with Mercedes-AMG, why he attends the CES conference each year in Las Vegas, and his vision of the future. In 2022 he was asked by Mercedes to reimagine a vehicle. He loves pattern-matching, he said, and seeing how things align. After developing ideas with his team and auctioning off the working prototype WILL.I.AMG to raise funds for his inner-city education philanthropy, he went back to Mercedes with a simple but powerful pitch with a focus on audio. Continue reading CES: Will.i.am Discusses the Intersection of Music and Tech

Apple is pausing sales of its two newest Apple Watch models following a U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) import ban due to unauthorized use of technology patented by Irvine, California-based medical device maker Masimo. Apple plans to have the Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches removed from its online and retail stores by December 26. The move, which comes at the height of the holiday shopping season, will no doubt prompt a frenzy of in-store purchases between now and Sunday. Apple has the decision under review. Barring reversal, it could take steps to reintroduce the watches. Continue reading Apple Yanks Newer Watches from Retail Following Patent Suit

During yesterday’s Wonderlust new product showcase, Apple unveiled its new family of iPhone 15 models — the 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max (no SE or Ultra yet) — which all feature USB-C in place of the Lightning port. The company also revealed the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in addition to AirPods that include a USB-C port in the charging case. Apple announced that iOS 17, watchOS 10, iPadOS 17 and tvOS 17 will arrive on September 18, while the new macOS Sonoma will be available the following week on September 26. Higher storage options of 6 TB and 12 TB for iCloud plans were also introduced. Continue reading Apple Rolls Out New iPhones, Watches, iCloud Plans and More

Samsung Electronics announced its new $60 SmartThings Station, which the company describes as “an easy-to-use, affordable smart home hub and fast charging pad.” The product is designed to provide consumers with “simple control and interoperability of multiple connected devices.” SmartThings Station is one of numerous solutions touted at CES that are compatible with a growing collection of smart home products, including those that are labeled as Matter devices. The Matter home automation standard, which helps connect devices built with the Thread low-power mesh networking protocol, had a significant presence at CES. Continue reading CES: Samsung Introduces an Easy-to-Use Smart Home Hub

The protests and riots in response to China’s restrictive COVID-19 policies have resulted in Apple accelerating plans to relocate a chunk of production in that country, according to news reports claiming that “turmoil” in a Zhengzhou area called iPhone City helped prompt the change. At peak output, the zone produced roughly 85 percent of the iPhone Pro lineup, according to The Wall Street Journal, which says the factory “was convulsed in late November by violent protests.” China has long been the primary manufacturing location for Apple products. Vietnam and India are reportedly high on Apple’s list of alternate sites. Continue reading Apple Fast-Tracks Plan to Move Some Production from China

Google debuted its new flagship smartphones, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, powered by updated Tensor G2 processors. The company also showcased a new Pixel Watch with built-in Fitbit. The devices were touted at Thursday’s Made by Google event in Brooklyn, following months of leaks after a developer conference preview in May. The phones run on the updated Android 13, which was rolled out to the Pixel 6 in August. The new gear ships October 13, and Google says the new phones pack five years of security updates. With 8GB of RAM, the entry level Pixel 7 phone costs $599, while Pixel 7 Pro pricing starts at $899 with 12GB of RAM (with configurations up to 512GB). Continue reading Google Unveils Its First Smartwatch and New Pixel 7 Phones

Meta Platforms is reportedly ceasing production of consumer version of its Portal video calling device, but will continue manufacturing the Meta Portal (formerly Facebook Portal) — which can connect up to 50 participants — for business use, according to recent reports. The company is also said to be cutting back on Reality Labs investments, reportedly shelving plans to release the augmented reality glasses developed under the codename Project Nazare, expected to come to market in 2024, and is skipping ahead to a more advanced, second generation version. Continue reading Meta Shifts Focus and Investments as It Looks to Cut Costs

Samsung used its Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 streaming event to share details of a new Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, Galaxy Buds2 and Galaxy Watch4. Samsung invited users to customize their mobile devices by making design choices on their Galaxy Z Flip3 using the online Bespoke Studio, which provides a 360-degree preview of different color and style combinations. Owners of the Galaxy Z Flip3 Bespoke Edition can sign-up to replace the colors on their device panel, freedom that “allows consumers to express their unique personalities through technology.” Continue reading Samsung Invites Users to Design Their Galaxy Z Flip3 Phone

IDC reported that 100+ million wearables — including smartwatches, fitness trackers and AR glasses — shipped in Q1, a record-breaking number, especially in what tends to be a slow period. Q2 this year has also seen a 34.4 percent increase in sales year-over-year. The research firm revealed that Apple leads the sector, with a market share of 28.8 percent, followed by Samsung at 11.3 percent, Xiaomi at 9.7 percent and Huawei at 8.2 percent. After that, the next player is India’s boAt, which has a market share of 2.9 percent. Continue reading Apple Still Leads Wearables Market, Small Rivals Fuel Growth

Apple CEO Tim Cook and other company execs unveiled three new iPhones and a redesigned Apple Watch Series 4 in Cupertino yesterday. Bigger and faster was the underlying theme for the new devices. The iPhone XS Max starts at $1,099 and features a 6.5-inch screen (Apple’s largest to date). As expected, the entry-level iPhone XR has a 6.1-inch LCD screen and the premium iPhone XS includes a 5.8-inch display. Both XS models feature a Super Retina OLED screen and stainless steel casing (the XR is made of aluminum). Meanwhile, Apple Watch is evolving into a health-related wearable. The new smartwatch touts an ECG heart sensor approved by the FDA. Continue reading Apple Unveils Three New iPhones and Series 4 Watch Lineup

Intel’s Vaunt smart glasses look like ordinary eyeglasses. Unlike past smart glasses, with cameras, LCD screens and other paraphernalia that draw attention, Vaunt is designed to be incognito when the wearer is in public. The “smart” factor means that the user sees a stream of information projected onto her retina. The glasses, which come in several styles, also work with prescriptions. That fulfills the goal of the Intel Vaunt team, which aimed to create a pair of smart glasses comfortable enough to wear all day. Continue reading Intel Reveals First Look at Stylish, Lightweight Smart Glasses