TechBytes is a weekly dose of tech news gathered into one post! I will be putting articles that I’ve written from the past few days, related articles from various sites in the web, and tech videos!
I feel so sorry for Samsung right now. The timing couldn’t be more coincidental. They were supposed to bring a one-two punch for Apple before the new iPhones launched. Instead, the Galaxy Note 7 was recalled by Samsung due to fears of having more devices out in the wild having exploding batteries. It also turns out that the recall happens around the same time the iPhone 7 launched. The global recall didn’t really work since a lot of people still use their Note 7’s. The FAA of the US already banned the device from being turned on inside the plane.
I think that Samsung really, REALLY screwed up here. This issue is already starting to affect the reputation of the Galaxy S7 smartphones as well. A “Samsung 7 phone” was blamed to cause a car fire in Port St. Lucille, Florida. I just hope that Samsung got to the bottom of the issue and solved it with the replacement devices.
Oh, by the way, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were launched.
Last Week’s Stories
iPhone 7 Launch
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were launched last Friday in 28 countries with less than usual fanfare than what we come to expect. Nevertheless, people still came in droves waiting for Apple’s latest flagship. Should you head out and buy one as well? Then check out my iPhone 7 Buyer’s Guide:
5 Reasons You Should Get the iPhone 7!
5 Reasons You Should NOT Get the iPhone 7!
I hope that both of these guides will help you in your buying decision!
iOS 10 and watchOS 3 Release
Before unleashing the new iPhone 7 and the Apple Watch Series 2, Apple released both iOS 10 and watchOS 3 to all users. iOS 10 is a delight to use. Based on the first few days with the final version, the OS felt faster than iOS 9 ever was. Alas, I wasn’t able to try the new watchOS since I don’t have an Apple Watch. I found some useful features in iOS 10 that you may want to check out on the blog! I’m hoping to put out a full iOS 10 review soon!
What Powers You, Kyla?
Also on the blog, I featured a young blogger named Kyla! She has that one unique mind that causes her to have a hurricane of emotions coming to her. Find out what she blogs about and what tech powers her blogging.
Stories Around the Web
I Used The New iPhone 7 And, TBH, Having No Headphone Jack Was Not That Bad
(Nicole Nguyen, BuzzFeed)
Yeah. There are people who still can’t get over this. I hope this article makes you feel better. A bit.
9to5Mac’s iPhone 7 Review Roundup
(Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac)
Need to know what the biggest names in tech think about Apple’s new flagship smartphones? Then check out this review roundup I found from 9to5Mac.
Microsoft trashes Google’s latest Chrome battery life claims
(Tom Warren, The Verge)
Google released Chrome 53 that includes big improvements in CPU and GPU performance. Microsoft isn’t having any of that crap as they think Google’s claim is false.
Android OEM death watch: Sony, HTC, and LG edition
(Vlad Savov, The Verge)
So much stuff from The Verge, you say? Well yeah. Been reading their content since 2012. Great site. Anyway, read this article about how Sony, HTC, and LG are struggling to survive in this smartphone game.
Samsung software patch for Note 7 caps charge at 60 percent
(Ashley Carman, The Verge)
Another article from The Verge! Haha. Here’s one about how Samsung is dealing with the Note 7’s battery issue in South Korea. It seems weird to me that capping the charge is a solution. Hmmmm.
Rush to Take Advantage of a Dull iPhone Started Samsung’s Battery Crisis
(Yoolim Lee, Min Jeong Lee, Bloomberg)
Here’s some backstory from Bloomberg on how Samsung’s strategy of putting out the Note 7 before a dull iPhone release turned out to be one of the worst decisions ever made.
Tech Videos!
Still torn between Black and Jet Black? Check out the video from Jonathan Morrison up there!
Looking for new headphones now that the iPhone 7 doesn’t have a headphone jack? Well, here are some suggestions from MKBHD!
Here’s an unboxing video from UrAvgConsumer!
That’s all for this week’s edition of TechBytes! If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments section below. Until the next one!
I think you failed to mention that Samsung eventually did great in recalling all the affected devices. AFAIK, they compiled immediately and worked with the agencies to fix this issue properly. In fact, you may have read some reports that in Singapore, customers received bonuses and a full replacement of the device. Should Samsung did something wrong, it would have been the end of the company. Well, kudos to their efforts in saving their company!
PS
While I think the iPhone 7 launch was cool, they still need to improve their products as a whole. I thought they have the best camera? Hmmmm…
Singapore is one thing, but dealing with it in the US is another. They handled the US recall poorly. It took around three weeks and almost 100 incidents before officially recalling it.
I think I will buy a Samsung Note 7 for 12,000 pesos. Great price for such nice phone.
I’m an old school Android girl. I haven’t even upgraded my OS yet. LOL. Indeed, what happened to Samsung was/is a crisis on its own. Glad they’re proactive in replacing the defective units. And as for iPhones, I’ll continue to observe what they can still do in the coming years.