Energy USB : February 2016

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Galaxy S7 Edge spotted with microUSB port

As MWC 2016 draws closer, we're seeing more leaked images not just of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge but also of other smartphones. This time, another set of Galaxy S7 Edge images were posted on a Chinese website. The image above seems legit with all those smudges on the screen and its obvious similarity to last year's S6 Edge.

We've seen this the other day in an official promo video. The physical home button on this S7 Edge is the same as the home button on the Galaxy S7 spotted in Dubai recently. What's interesting though is this bottom side image of the S7 Edge that tells us there won't be any USB Type-C port.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge a

What we see here is only a microUSB port. So no USB Type-C yet for Samsung's latest premium flagship phones. That's not a real surprise because it's not really an industry standard yet. Maybe Samsung just wants the new technology to improve first before they use it on their phones.

Or maybe Samsung is only waiting for more USB Type-C cables and connectors to be certified first. We all know that there aren't a lot of compatible accessories yet as per Google engineer Benson Leung who's been busy reviewing USB Type C cables and accessories.

Once again, here is the Galaxy S7 Edge and the Galaxy S7 leaked yesterday:

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 2

VIA: MyDrivers

Monday, February 15, 2016

AT&T says 5G will be 100 times faster than LTE and may even launch this year

Remember back when 4G LTE came out and we were all amazed by the super-fast Internet speeds we could get on our phones? Well just wait until you get a look at what you're going to get with 5G connectivity. AT&T on Friday unveiled its 5G network roadmap for 2016 and if all goes according to plan, the carrier could launch services on a limited basis starting this year.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

North Korea urged to stop planned satellite launch

Monday, February 1, 2016

Blackberry will reportedly do away with BB10 and stick to Android

When Blackberry released their first ever Android smartphone, a lot of people were skeptical and some said they were too late to the party. But a bunch of positive reviews have helped the market sort of embrace the PRIV, giving credibility to a brand that somehow got left behind when the smartphones started evolving quickly. While one good release cannot say that they are now an Android success, reports are trickling in that they will eventually do away with the BB10 operating system that is powering their other current devices.

But don’t expect that this will happen within the year or anytime soon. Currently, their phones like the Classic and Passport still run on BB10, and the OEM says that this is still the more secure platform. While acknowledging that Android is really the future and it was natural for them to progress to it eventually, for now they will stick with having two platforms for their devices. And that may probably be due to the fact that several governments and departments still use the BB10 for security purposes, and so they cannot give those up just yet.

Damian Tay, the senior director, APAC product management for BlackBerry said that they do plan to convert these agencies to using their Android devices eventually, but currently, the BB10 devices are still more secure. They are however already working on all the certifications and clearances from these governments. He shared these thoughts during the official launch of the PRIV in India, which was in itself a surprise since the device is a high-end product released in a region more known for mid-range or low-range devices.

They are planning to add more Android-powered devices soon, including two that will be priced lower than the PRIV. But they will be closely monitoring how the PRIV will do in the India market as this will set their roadmap for the next two products.

VIA: Economic Times