News
Report claims Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has more users than LG V20 and OnePlus 3T combined
The Galaxy Note 7 has crashed and burned like no other, and Samsung has been calling for its return for months, even coming out with incentive schemes to get people to turn in their phone immediately.
Samsung, most recently, has gone as far as to push out mandatory software updates that will disable the handset for good or render it useless by gimping its hardware. Well and good, right? Well, it turns out, quite a number of people don’t care for any of those measures, as the Galaxy Note 7 remains one of the most used flagship handsets even today, with more active users than the LG V20, the OnePlus 3T, and the U.S.-exclusive HTC Bolt combined.
[irp posts=”8734″ name=”Samsung will cripple remaining Note 7 phones in PH on December 15″]
That’s according to California-based mobile research firm Apteligent, which offers analytics-based market insights to service providers and app developers. Its clientèle includes Netflix, Pokemon Go, Snapchat, and many others.
But back to the topic at hand. In its latest findings, Apteligent claims the Note 7 has higher global usage statistics than that of LG’s latest and most capable handset yet, though Google’s Pixel phones, the Sony Xperia XZ, and the Moto Z all enjoy higher usage numbers among premium phones released in the same timeframe.
To be fair to the OnePlus 3T and HTC Bolt, these phones have only been on shelves since November. But still, for a recalled and ultimately scrapped device, that is admittedly impressive — or frustrating, depending on who you’re talking to.
We can imagine that both Samsung and LG are frustrated by these statistics, for different reasons. For Samsung, it means more effort is needed to claim and reclaim the remaining Note 7s. As for LG, well, the writing is on the wall. The Korean OEM has a steep hill to climb next year.
No graph is provided for illustrating the usage stats of flagships launched earlier in the year, and the iPhone 7 is a no-show as well. That said, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7 would rank higher than any of the devices mentioned here.
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Source: Apteligent via Droid Life
As you might have heard, there are new iPads in town. However, when one enters, another must exit. While the spotlight is currently on the first iPad with the M4 chip, the 9th-generation iPad is taking its final bow. Apple has quietly discontinued the entry-level tablet from its lineup.
Released in 2021, the 9th-generation iPad is one of the last tablets to have a Home button. It is also the last iPad to rock a headphone jack. Since Apple is no longer producing the dated model, the entire tablet lineup is now headphone-jack-free. Pour one out to a once-beloved feature. (Of course, if you still want to grab one of the last units of this generation, third-party retailers should still carry them.)
In addition to retiring the 9th-generation iPad, Apple has also slashed US$ 100 from the price of the 10th-generation model. Now, the price cut is a welcome sight for entry-level consumers. When the 10th-generation model launched, it carried a price tag that was much more expensive from other entry-level models of previous generations. With today’s price cut, the model moves to a price that fits its current position in the lineup.
While the older end of the lineup is getting a shakeup, the newer end is in a world of its own. The new iPad Pro come with the M4 chip, the thinnest display, and the new Apple Pencil Pro.
SEE ALSO: iPad Pro with M4 chip now official
Smart has launched its new Smart Phone Protect service in partnership with Igloo to give mobile users some sort of insurance for their devices. The annual rates start at just PhP 125 for Phone Protect and PhP 180 for Phone Protect+.
Phone Protect provides basic protection coverage such as screen repair, accidental damage, and liquid damage. The annual fee ranges from PhP 125 to PhP 2,500, depending on the device value. For a more advanced level of protection, Phone Protect+ also covers theft or loss from fire for fee ranging from PhP 180 to PhP 3,600.
Device coverage for the respective services ranges from PhP 5,000 to PhP 100,000, depending on the Smart plan availed. Once subscribed to Phone Protect, users may get their devices repaired in as fast as 24 hours.
Smart’s new phone protection service covers both old and new devices, as long as they are in good functioning condition. Phone Protect (and Protect+) also applies to devices not only purchased from Smart but also the open market, so it is open to everyone, regardless of whether they are subscribed to prepaid or postpaid services.
To sign up for a Smart Phone Protect Plan, visit the service’s link here: smrt.ph/phoneprotect
In the portal, subscribers only need to fill in their name, mobile number, email address, and phone details. They will then be redirected to choose their preferred Smart Phone Protect Plan and payment terms. The service accepts different payment options, including mobile wallet, Debit, and Credit card. Users will receive their policy via email once the registration is complete.
Gaming
Nintendo confirms a Switch successor is coming within the year
Original Switch turned 7 this year
Leave it to Nintendo to confirm the Switch successor in the most Nintendo way possible. After months of nonstop speculation surrounding the upcoming console, the company has officially confirmed that the Switch 2 (or whatever it’s called) will make its debut sometime within this fiscal year.
Since the rise of handheld consoles from the PC world, everyone started speculating when Nintendo was going to respond in kind. After all, the current Switch lineup is already seven years old (and nine years since its announcement). Other consoles have passed the Switch by, in terms of pure hardware.
Today, Nintendo’s Shuntaro Furukawa has confirmed that an announcement about the Switch successor will come this fiscal year. For reference, Nintendo’s fiscal year ends in March 2025.
This is Furukawa, President of Nintendo. We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015. We will be holding a Nintendo Direct…
— 任天堂株式会社(企業広報・IR) (@NintendoCoLtd) May 7, 2024
Nintendo leaves it at that. As always, it’s the most casual way to announce a potentially groundbreaking console. No specs, teases, or details.
If anything, it’s heavily rumored (and expected) that the next Switch will come with a much-needed slate of upgrades for the dated hardware. However, despite the upgrade, the company promises that current-gen Joy-Cons and games will still play well on the successor.
As a last word, Furukawa says that Nintendo will hold a Nintendo Direct in June for the upcoming slate of Switch software and games. Then, he coyly says that “there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation.”
SEE ALSO: Nintendo might have quashed rumors of the Switch 2 in 2024
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