Following Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 combust-a-phone mess and product recall, Verizon went from “We won’t do anything,” to “OK, let’s brick them,” and now is at the “Seriously people, give us the phone before you hurt yourself” stage. Verizon’s latest move is to reroute calls from Note 7 phones to customer service to convince users to exchange their phone for something less flammable.
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Brick Update Starts Rolling Out
The last few Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners won’t be able to use their fire-phones much longer because carriers are starting to push out an update that bricks the devices. T-Mobile is already remotely updating Note 7 phones, AT&T and Sprint are planning to start in the next few days, and even Verizon has reversed course and is going to push out the update, too.
5.8-inch iPhones, Apple's Original Crew - TMO Daily Observations 2016-12-29
We’re seeing more reports about a new iPhone screen size for 2017, so Bryan Chaffin and Mac Geek Gab’s John F. Braun join Jeff Gamet weigh in on what may be coming next year. They also look back on Apple’s first ten employees, and note the update of death for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone-of-fire.
Supreme Court Throws Out Apple's $400M Win in Samsung Patent Fight
Samsung’s legal persistence is paying off because the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Tuesday the electronics maker doesn’t have to pay Apple US$400 million for infringing on iPhone-related patents. More specifically, the court ruled Samsung owes Apple damages based on infringing components instead of the entire device.
Samsung's New Smartphone Innovation: Jet Black
Samsung has an idea for goosing Galaxy S7 smartphone sales: make a jet black model. The glossy black version is reportedly a move to compete with Apple’s latest iPhone color option, and an effort to boost sales following the Galaxy Note 7 explode-a-phone debacle.
Samsung Buying Harman to Take on Apple's CarPlay
Everyone wants a piece of your car’s dashboard, and Samsung is buying Harman to get its slice of driving experience. The US$8 billion deal will give Samsung a platform for linking our smartphones to our cars, along with a way for the company to compete with Apple’s CarPlay platform.
Samsung, LG OLED Race Hints at New Displays for 2017 iPhone
The fight is on to be the supplier for next year’s iPhone OLED displays. Samsung and LG are hoping to get a slice of that pie, and their fight all but confirms Apple is dropping LCD in favor of OLED for iPhone screens in 2017 or 2018.
Bryan Chaffin Will Discuss 'Apple vs. Samsung' in Live Webinar Thursday
Bryan Chaffin will be doing a live webinar/discussion called “Samsung vs. Apple” on Thursday, October 20th, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT. Moderated by patent attorney Gene Quinn, the discussion has a subheading of, “Is A Single Patent Infringement Worth all the Profit?” Robert S. Katz, an attorney with Banner & Witcoff, will also be participating.
Samsung's Note 7 Banned from all US Flights as Hazardous Material
Don’t worry about powering down your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 before getting on your flight because the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration just banned the smartphone from all flights. As of Friday afternoon, the fire-prone Note 7 is classified as “forbidden hazardous material,” and come Saturday can’t be transported in your carry-on or checked luggage.
Supreme Court Wrestles with Apple, Samsung Patent Arguments
The U.S. Supreme Court heard testimony on from Apple, Samsung, and the Department of Justice on Tuesday on how damages should be calculated in design-related patent infringement cases. The hearing is the latest round in the mobile device patent infringement fight the two companies started in 2011, and underscores how confusing it can be to set damages values.
Samsung Has to Pay $120M for Apple's Unlock Patent After All
Samsung’s on-again-off-again fine for infringing on Apple’s slide-to-unlock patent is back on again. A U.S. Federal Appeals Court overturned its own ruling on Friday that Samsung didn’t have to pay the fine, so now the smartphone maker owes Apple US$119.6 million for infringing on the unlock and autocorrect-related patents.
Apple Snubs Samsung for iPhone 7 and 8 Processors
Apple reportedly gave an exclusive manufacturing deal to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for the A10 processor used in the upcoming iPhone 7. The deal means Samsung won’t get to cash in on the next iPhone model, and sources say TSMC already scored an exclusive deal for the A11 processor in 2017’s iPhone lineup.
Supreme Court to Hear Samsung's iPhone Patent Appeal Oct 11
Samsung’s appeal in its ongoing patent infringement fight with Apple over smartphone designs goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on October 11th. This doesn’t, however, signal the end of a battle that started in 2011 and is only the latest round in a dispute that’s drug on for years.