Last week’s big tech news includes rumors of a possible curved iPhone 6 in 2014. Apple is reportedly constrained in its supply of iPad Mini Retinas. On the Android front, the market share continues to rise and Motorola outed the new, more affordable $179 Moto G.
Apple News and Rumors:
iPad Mini With Retina Display Hits Apple Stores
The iPad Mini now comes with a retina display and also features the same processing power found in the current iPhone 5S and iPad Air. This means consumers will get the ultra fast A7 processor with the M7 coprocessor and up to 128GB of storage. The new iPad mini is said to be in short supply, so if you want one for yourself or are buying one as a holiday gift, you should buy now. Supply analysts predict the device should reach full stock in early 2014, a little late for the holiday shopping season.
2014 iphone 6 Will Featre A Curved Display
The next iPhone may feature a curved display with enhanced touch sensors. According to Bloomberg, an unnamed person “familiar with the plans” suggests a launch in the third quarter of 2014. The phone will come in two versions, not unlike the recent launch of the 5S and 5C. According to the source, the new iPhone will feature a 4.7-inch and/or a 5.5-inch display which curves downwards at the edges. The new iPhone may also include enhanced touch sensors that could be pressure sensitive – something I would expect to be welcomed by creative iPhone users.
Android Tech News:
Android Pushes Past 80% Market Share
The latest report from the IDC group (market research firm) shows Android reached a new milestone during the third quarter of 2013. With a total base of 211.6 million smartphone units shipped during the quarter, Android accounted for 81.0% of all smartphone shipments, marking the first time that Android topped 80% in its short history. Samsung accounted for 39.9% of all Android shipments for the quarter, while the rest of the vendors either saw single-digit market share or, in the case of the majority of vendors, market share of less than 1%.
Meet the $179 Moto G From Motorola
Low cost smartphones seem to be getting all the press these days as the sub $200 smartphone market heats up. The follow up to the not-so-successful Moto X from Motorola has landed with a new fantastic price tag. The all new the new Moto G will cost only $179, with no 2-year contract, and is expected to be available here in the US as early as January 2014. The new Moto “G” will feature a 4.5-inch display with a 720p resolution, a Snapdragon 400 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of storage, and a 5-megapixel camera. The device will come with Android 4.4 KitKat when it arrives early next year. All this tech for only $170 makes the Moto G one of the best budget smartphones around.
Industry News:
New FCC Chairman Pushes For Unlocked Devices
The recently elected new chairman of the FCC, Tom Wheeler, has begun to put pressure on carriers when it comes to unlocking. This week, he wrote a letter to the CTIA (The Wireless Association) urging the group to amend its Consumer Code to change consumers’ right to unlock their mobile devices. The FCC had been working on finalizing unlocking rights for the past eight months, well before Wheeler was named chairman earlier this month. Wheeler proposed that he does want a policy in place “before the December holiday season.” If the FCC and CTIA come to a complete agreement, customers may have an easier time switching carriers while keeping the same phone (technology/bands permitted of course).
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