PhoneArena is on hand at Mobile World Congress, where it got the chance to compare the freshly unveiled Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and the Apple iPhone 6. The speed test was caught on video, where the Galaxy S6 Edge's Exynos 7420 is put to the test against the Apple A8 process found within the iPhone 6.
Jake Smith
Screenshots show WhatsApp for iOS’ calling feature currently in beta
Italian blog iPhoneItalia has posted a series of screenshots showing the new calling feature currently in beta testing for WhatsApp, the hugely popular communications app owned by Facebook.
WhatsApp has been rolling out the functionality to select users as part of a beta testing program over the past few months, with plans to release it to the public in the near future. Since more texts in the world are being sent through WhatsApp than traditional SMS, the new VOIP calling from WhatsApp could be a very big deal.
Apple’s Eddy Cue details Apple Pay on Apple Watch at NBA game
Apple's software boss Eddy Cue, an avid Golden State Warriors fan, was on-hand at Oracle arena in Oakland on Saturday to help with the official rollout of Apple Pay at the team store, the second such to support the mobile payment technology.
While we expect many details for the Apple Watch to be revealed on Monday, Mashable reports Cue, who was wearing a stainless steel Apple Watch, offered details on how Apple Pay will work with the wearable.
Barclays: Apple could sell 54 million iPhones this quarter
Barclays is out with a research note on Thursday indicating Apple's most profitable business is nowhere close to slowing down. Analyst Ben Reitzes, citing supply chain sources, says the Cupertino-based company is on pace to sell 54 million units in the March quarter, a year-over-year increase of 24 percent.
Apple reportedly planning thinner Apple TV with App Store
9to5mac reports Apple is working on a new version of its Apple TV set-top box, which will feature a slimmer profile and finally bring the most sought-after Apple TV feature - the App Store.
The publication, who is often correct in its reporting on Apple, reports that Apple had originally hoped to ship the redesigned Apple TV this month, however it could be delayed until later this year. Apple is said to be working on new content partnerships, like the reported HBO Now, and it could be the company wants to secure a few more before bringing the redesign to market.
Google releases Gmail 4.0 for iOS with new interactive actions, share sheet
Google has released version 4.0 of its Gmail for iOS app on Thursday, most notably bringing new actions for Notification Center and finally share sheet. Google is one of the few larger companies that has shown a devotion to keeping its iOS apps updated regularly, staying atop of new iOS features. Gmail for iOS can be a good alternative to Apple's Mail.
Microsoft debuts Office for Mac 2016 public beta
Microsoft has released the public beta of Office for Mac 2016 on its Microsoft Office webpage, most notably bringing a redesign and Retina support to the suite of apps. The beta can be downloaded for free and provides an alternative to Apple's iWork suite.
Bloomberg: 12.9-inch iPad Pro delayed until fall
Bloomberg reports Apple is pushing back the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro to this fall, following issues prohibiting the start of manufacturing.
Apple had initially planned to begin making the larger version of its tablet this quarter, as it hopes to boost its stagnant iPad sales.
HBO to launch ‘HBO Now’ standalone service in April, may have Apple TV as launch partner
HBO is looking to hop onto the Internet TV craze with the launch of a standalone service called "HBO Now" in April, according to the International Business Times.
The publication reports HBO is looking to charge $15 per month for the service, which would offer HBO content like "Game of Thrones" and "Boardwalk Empire". It would be the first time customers will be able to access HBO without having to go through a cable or satellite provider.
Research: 25% of smartphones in urban China are iPhones, Samsung overtakes Apple in US
Research-firm Kantar Worldpanel released a note on Tuesday showing the iPhone is seeing continued growth in China. During the three months ending in January 2015, Apple reached its highest ever marketshare in the urban parts of the country as one in every four smartphones sold were an iPhone.
Here are Samsung’s answers to the iPhone 6 and Apple Pay
Samsung just took the stage at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Sunday to unveil its answer to the iPhone 6, its new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge flagships. Succeeding the Galaxy S5, which Samsung had trouble selling, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will ship April 10 on all four major US carriers.
Samsung is remaining mum on pricing for either handset, but has revealed specifications for the devices. Both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge feature a 5.1-inch quad HD display, 2.1GHz quad-core processor, Android 5.0 Lollipop, 16-megapixel OIS rear-camera, and 5-megapixel front-camera.
The introduction of both handsets wasn't in the company's typical fashion. Samsung's event at Mobile World Congress wasn't a theatrical affair, instead the South Korea-based company got to the point when it came to ushering in its reinvigorated product line. It was quite refreshing.
Apple Watch reportedly has Power Reserve mode, displaying only time
The New York Times reports the Apple Watch will feature "Power Reserve" functionality, in order to stretch the wearable's battery longer and make for less frequent charging.
Apple has said the watch battery is estimated to last a full day, requiring a user to charge it at night, similar to a smartphone. The low-power mode will display the time only, the report says, and will be able to do so on even very little battery.