The mobile world is unfolding very fast. 2017 was a very successful year with Apple capping it with the magnificent iPhone X and iPhone 8. Samsung also did very well with the Galaxy S8. Now, 2018 is promising to be an even more competitive with next-generation phones that promise to unseat Apple and Samsung from the top position. Here are the top four next-generation smartphones that will captivate 2018. Sony Xperia XZ Pro Sony has been looking at all avenues that can help it to catch up with the market leaders in the last couple of years. The company prefers progressive update to its products to enhance the user experience. However, one product in its line that has not been updated is the XZ Premium, one of the oldest in the company’s line-up. Reports of this update hit the news well before the MWC 2018 mobile launch fest. The phone is expected to have a replacement 4K display device. It is also expected to pick the latest Xperia’s design especially the one on the XZ2 that feature Ambient Flow model language. The phone is also expected to have 4K HDR video capture and dual camera system. Apple iPhone XI and iPhone X2 The most celebrated phone of 2017 was the iPhone X. It was designed as a landmark for the Apple’s ten years presence and commemoration of Steve Jobs work. While iPhone X opened a new chapter especially in artificial intelligence, Apple is now promising to take user experience to a whole new level with iPhone X1. Apple targets moving away from the stainless back to aluminium design in...
It is very rare to have any important news or launches in the smartphone world at the beginning of the year. For mobile phone operating systems, though, everything is fair game. Android has especially been active in 2018, with some particularly impressive introductions and improvements. Here is an assortment of Android powered device that are likely to take the market by storm in the next few months. Smart wear watches Android wear has not particularly been successful in the past, but this is not stopping companies from making android powered watches. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, two watches were particularly eye catching. The first was Kate Spade’s the Scallop, this year’s installment in the company’s long line of fashionable smart watches. It is a 1.2 inch device with a feminine touch and some impressive design features. It is, however, strangely light in terms of features; it does not have heart rate sensors or GPS, only featuring the 24hour battery life and the Google assistant. Skagen, the Danish watchmaker also announced a new model, also without features like the heart rate sensor, GPS or NFC, but with a simple aesthetic appeal. Android TVs This is another category of android devices that have not particularly performed well in the past, but that are, much like android watches, being embraced by some of the industry’s biggest companies. Several companies have already launched new Android TV screens this year, including Hisense, Nvidia, Haier, Phillips and Westinghouse. Nvidia’s offering is perhaps the most impressive, with a name most people have described as the coolest, BFGD. BFGD stands for Big Format gaming Displays. Another...
The first few years after the advent of the smartphone, evolution of mobile phones generally went in a straight line. Companies offered their customers bigger screens, more powerful processors, higher resolution cameras and faster data connection capabilities. In recent years, though, improvements have been less than obvious. The introduction of details like eye control and bendable screens signal a new era of mobile phone features. If this trend is to be believed, then 2018 will certainly be full of surprises in as far as mobile phone features are concerned. Here is a sample of futuristic features to expect as the year progresses. Sensors The development of Bluetooth 4.0 has resulted in the introduction of a large number of wearable sensors, especially those that can be able to transmit biomedical information like blood pressure, heart rate and so on. These sensors can also transmit information on the environment like humidity and temperature as well as exercise stats like steps walked and calories burned. All these are transmitted to a smartphone, but each of them requires a separate application. One of the trends that will likely dominate 2018 is the integration of all these capabilities into a single smartphone function. Already, companies like Samsung have started building sensors into their phones. While it might not necessarily materialize in its entirety, it is likely that in the next 5 years, wearable devices will be able to communicate directly with the smartphones through one point of communication or app. 32 core processors Although it is revolutionary, this is one innovation that has followed the straight line trend of giving the customer more than...
The iPhone has always been a beautiful phone, what with the company’s traditional focus on design. While the past few years and versions have seen the company improve its offerings in terms of battery life and performance speed, it still scores relatively low when it comes to everyday functionality. Those looking to use the iPhone on the go as a work phone have complained about such issues as the various steps the phone puts them through when having to switch between apps, the problems faced when sharing media and issues with the keyboard. While it is still one of the leading brands, its territory has been encroached on in the past few years by clever launches by companies like Google. The Pixel XL gets an honorable mention here. If you are looking to buy the Pixel XL, here are some benefits, big and small, that might be worth noting. Speed and reliability The iPhone is fast, no doubt about that, but there is always the feeling that things are not running as smoothly as one would expect. The Pixel, on the other hand, is fast and all without any lag whatsoever. For instance, the touch-to-wake fingerprint scanner on the Pixel not only switches the phone on but also unlocks it. Even though the iPhone 7, for instance, has this feature, most of the time the user will require more than one attempt, more when fingers are wet or cold. The rates of error for the Pixel are much lower. The scanner location is also ideal, since that is how most people typically hold their phones. Google Apps Most people...
When Apple released the much awaited iPhone X, one of the most remarkable things that caught users’ attention is the wireless charging system. A charging cable is no longer necessary. Now it is not just the iPhones that feature the wireless charging system; every other new model now has or targets using wireless charging system. What exactly is a wireless charging system and how does it operate? How does wireless charging system work? The key to wireless charging system is the electromagnetic fields that help to transfer energy from one point (a charging mat) to another point (your smartphone) via electromagnetic induction. For this system to work, there are two physical coils. One coin helps to convert power (from the wall socket) into an electromagnetic field capable of traveling wirelessly to the target. The second coin is a transformer in the smartphone that helps to convert traveling electromagnetic filed into power for the phone. While phones designed to use wireless charging system have the coins fitted inside during construction, do not get sad because even others can still use the technology. All you need is getting a wireless charging package that will work for the specific phone. However, ensure take note of the phone voltage limits when picking such wireless charging pads and kits. Standards used in wireless charging systems Note that while the wireless charging model might look new, it has been with us for years. In fact, the wireless charging system is also used in other gadgets that require charging. The wireless charging system for the phones is referred as Qi (pronounce it as chee). The charging...
When the deadly strain of ransomware was released in May of 2017, the attack shocked even big multinationals. A few months after a deadly strain of smartphone ransomware started targeting individual phone users threatening to encrypt their info and selling it on the black market. As mobile phones become part and parcel of daily work, the emerging threats could pose a huge threat at the enterprise level. Almost every employee remotely accesses company info from the mobile phone. This means that a lot of sensitive information can easily fall into the wrong hands through indirect attacks. Here are the top mobile security threats you need to know about and prevent at all cost. Data leakage Mobile data leakage is the most serious threats to your business. But what makes the issue worrying is that it is not reprehensible. Rather, it arises from the smartphone users making wrong decisions about the apps allowed to see the info. Whether it is the company management system or strategic planning secrets, your information is no doubt at great risk of leaking into the wrong hands. The challenge with this threat is how to apply an app vetting procedure without overwhelming the admin and frustrating the phone users. Consider using advanced solutions such as Zimperium’s zIPS Protection and Symantec’s Endpoint Protection Mobile that help to scan installed apps for leaky behaviour. You should also consider using Data Loss Prevention tools that help prevent accidental exposure of sensitive data accidentally. Social engineering It is estimated that over 90% of data breaches occur as a result of phishing (Data Breach Investigations Report). While some tactics applied...
