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Kamis, 18 April 2019

Samsung’s $2,000 foldable phone is already breaking, reviewers say - Fox News

Samsung’s new $2,000 smartphone doesn’t go on sale until next week — yet it’s already falling apart.

Numerous tech reviewers who received the $1,980 Galaxy Fold — known for its unique foldable screen as well as its hefty price tag — are now reporting that their devices are breaking.

Reporters from outlets like Bloomberg, The Verge and CNBC all took to Twitter to share photos of how their supposedly-flexible screens were blacking out or breaking at their hinges.

“The screen on my Galaxy Fold review unit is completely broken and unusable just two days in,” Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman tweeted Wednesday.

Attached to the tweet was a photo of the phone with two-thirds of the 7.3-inch screen blacked out.

“When I tap the screen as well with the top of my finger and the fingernail hits it (very common), it also leaves a seemingly permanent indent,” Gurman tweeted shortly thereafter. “There is a very small tear at the top part of the hinge and after I poked at it, the screen got worse.”

Other tech reviewers complained of phones with flickering screens.

Multiple reviewers tied the problem to a thin plastic layer over the screen that they thought was a screen protector— leading them to remove it when they were not supposed to.

The disturbing reviews come as the Fold, which was unveiled in February, gets ready to hit stores next week. It recently sold out of preorder units, Samsung said.

The phone features a tablet-sized 7.3-inch display that bends, allowing it to fold to the size of a regular smartphone with a 4.6-inch screen.

Samsung claims that the Fold’s hinge can withstand 200,000 holds. But so far it’s looking like it can hardly withstand two days.

Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It’s not the South Korean phone maker's first embarrassing phone launch. Back in 2016, the company was forced to halt sales of its Galaxy Note 7 because the phone’s battery had been overheating, catching fire and blowing up in customers’ pockets.

This story originally appeared in the New York Post.

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https://www.foxnews.com/tech/samsungs-2000-foldable-phone-is-already-breaking-reviewers-say

2019-04-18 12:17:55Z
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Google Adds Search and Browser Ballot Screens to Android in the EU - Thurrott.com

Google will implement new Search and Browser ballot screens in Android in the European Union in the coming weeks, the search giant said. The changes are designed to comply with a 2018 European Commission ruling that found Google guilty of abusing its monopoly powers.

“We’ll start presenting new screens to Android users in Europe with an option to download search apps and browsers,” Google’s Paul Gennai explains. “These new screens will be displayed the first time a user opens Google Play after receiving an upcoming update.”

There will be two different screens, one for search and one for the web browser, and each will contain a total of five choices, just like the Browser Ballot (Browser Choice) screen that Microsoft added to Windows back in the early 2000s because of a similar EU antitrust charge. Apps will be listed based on their popularity and shown in a random order, though apps that are already installed—including, yes, Google’s own apps—will be shown at the top.

“Users can tap to install as many apps as they want,” Gennai continues. “If an additional search app or browser is installed, the user will be shown an additional screen with instructions on how to set up the new app (e.g., placing app icons and widgets or setting defaults). Where a user downloads a search app from the screen, we’ll also ask them whether they want to change Chrome’s default search engine the next time they open Chrome.”

Google says these changes will roll out to new and existing Android handsets in Europe over the next few weeks. It will also evolve the implementation based on feedback, and if I know the EU like I think I do, they’ll be asking for Google to not give its preinstalled apps preferential treatment on those screens.

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https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/android/205253/google-adds-search-and-browser-ballot-screens-to-android-in-the-eu

2019-04-18 12:08:44Z
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Apple expands global recycling programs - Apple Newsroom

Cupertino, California — Apple today announced a major expansion of its recycling programs, quadrupling the number of locations US customers can send their iPhone to be disassembled by Daisy, its recycling robot. Daisy will disassemble and recycle select used iPhones returned to Best Buy stores throughout the US and KPN retailers in the Netherlands. Customers can also turn in their eligible devices to be recycled at any Apple Store or through apple.com as part of the Apple Trade In program.

Apple has received nearly 1 million devices through Apple programs and each Daisy can disassemble 1.2 million devices per year. In 2018, the company refurbished more than 7.8 million Apple devices and helped divert more than 48,000 metric tons of electronic waste from landfills.

“Advanced recycling must become an important part of the electronics supply chain, and Apple is pioneering a new path to help push our industry forward,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “We work hard to design products that our customers can rely on for a long time. When it comes time to recycle them, we hope that the convenience and benefit of our programs will encourage everyone to bring in their old devices.”

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https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/04/apple-expands-global-recycling-programs/

2019-04-18 12:03:32Z
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Don’t buy the Galaxy Fold - BGR

After years of perfecting the various technologies required to manufacture foldable phones, and after years of hype, Samsung finally launched its first ever foldable. And that’s when the story took an unexpected twist: the Galaxy Fold’s screen started breaking or malfunctioning in the hands of expert reviewers. In a matter of hours, a bunch of Galaxy Fold units broke because of various issues concerning that sophisticated Infinity Flex display. Mind you, these weren’t regular users who purchased a device in stores. These were reviewers used to handling all sorts of devices. And they encountered a bunch of issues which prove Samsung’s foldable prototype is, for the time being, a failure. With that in mind, you’d better off not buying the Galaxy Fold for the time being.

After the first reports popped up online showing Galaxy Fold units with several display issues, Samsung issued an explanation about what had just happened, and confirmed the April 26th launch date wouldn’t be delayed:

A limited number of early Galaxy Fold samples were provided to media for review. We have received a few reports regarding the main display on the samples provided. We will thoroughly inspect these units in person to determine the cause of the matter.

Separately, a few reviewers reported having removed the top layer of the display causing damage to the screen. The main display on the Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer, which is part of the display structure designed to protect the screen from unintended scratches. Removing the protective layer or adding adhesives to the main display may cause damage. We will ensure this information is clearly delivered to our customers.

The problem here is that we just witnessed an unexpectedly high number of failures coming from a limited number of early Galaxy Fold samples. It’s not like a few Galaxy Fold units out of hundreds of thousands of devices showed screen issues. It’s a few devices from a very limited number of units out in the wild.

Yes, these are early Galaxy Fold units, but I’d be surprised if they were too different from the finished product that should ship to regular buyers next week.

This early reviews should have addressed, among other things, to the main questions we have about foldable devices. Are they durable enough? Will the screen break rendering a $2,000 piece of tech totally useless? Will the screen show any wear and tear markings?

No matter how exciting these devices are, at least in theory, the first thing they must do before amazing users with completely novel features is to not break — I’m not talking just about the Galaxy Fold, but all foldable gadgets.

If Samsung’s early Galaxy Fold units break that quickly, it means Samsung still has to iron out several issues concerning the durability of foldable displays. The same thing probably goes for its competitors.

Also, the fact that the phone’s display features a film on top of the display that looks a lot like a removable screen protector isn’t good for the company. Nor is the fact that said screen layer is so easy to remove by users that Samsung needs to tell people not to do it. By the way, if seasons reviewers weren’t that quick to get the message, what’s to be expected from regular buyers willing to pay $2,000 for this thing.

I said a while ago that Samsung’s Galaxy Fold is actually an exciting evolution of the smartphone, which will help usher in the next generation of mobile devices. And I still think that. I also believe that Samsung deserves credit for bringing this product to market, in spite of these significant durability issues.

But if you have $2,000 burning a hole in your pocket, you’d be served better by a different phone, and there are plenty of expensive ones out there to choose from. Just don’t buy the Galaxy Fold, at least until Samsung can prove that screen durability won’t be a problem and that steps are in place to ensure that buyers who may be affected by screen issues get fast replacement devices and free/cheap repairs.

Image Source: Samsung

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https://bgr.com/2019/04/18/galaxy-fold-screen-issues-explained-dont-buy-samsungs-foldable-phone/

2019-04-18 10:50:00Z
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Google pulls popular Chinese Android apps over large-scale ad fraud - Engadget

Google pulled a number of popular Android apps from the Play Store after BuzzFeed News has discovered a large-scale ad fraud scheme their developers were pulling off. Six of those apps were by DU Group, a developer that spun off from Chinese tech giant Baidu a year ago. (Baidu, however, still owns 34 percent of the company.) DU's properties include the immensely popular Selfie Camera app that's been downloaded over 50 million times from the Play Store. Ad fraud researcher Check Point found that it contains code that causes the app to automatically click on advertisements without the user's knowledge.

Users don't even need to fire up the app: the clicks happen even if the application isn't running, which means it can drain battery and consume data. This fraudulent action happens with ads served with Google's AdMob and Twitter's MoPub, further showing how bad actors are exploiting Twitter's ad platform. Back in March, BuzzFeed News reported a massive ad fraud scheme that also exploited MoPub by hiding video ads behind legit banner advertisements.

In addition to fraudulently clicking on ads, the DU Group apps involved in the scheme -- Omni Cleaner, RAM Master, Smart Cooler, Total Cleaner and AIO Flashlight, aside from Selfie Camera -- also hid their affiliation with the company. They didn't disclose that they were collecting data and sending it back to China, as well.

BuzzFeed News discovered DU Group's involvement after examining 5,000 popular apps on the Play Store. It found a lot of more apps involved in ad fraud other than the six DU Group applications, though, proving that it's a major problem Google needs to address. Arete Research Senior Analyst Richard Kramer told the publication that Google needs to do more to solve the issue. "Ad fraud is simply the norm in China (and for many other apps), and... Google should be doing far more to prevent it, even if it would materially reduce sales. They cannot claim ignorance of, or deny the problem," he said.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/18/google-pulls-android-apps-ad-fraud/

2019-04-18 09:01:56Z
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Google pulls popular Chinese Android apps over large-scale ad fraud - Engadget

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/18/google-pulls-android-apps-ad-fraud/

2019-04-18 08:20:10Z
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Samsung shares tumble amid concerns its foldable phones are breaking - CNBC

Shares of Samsung Electronics dropped more than 3 percent on Thursday after multiple accounts emerged of its cutting-edge folding phone breaking ahead of the device's retail launch.

The phone, named the Galaxy Fold and priced at $1,980, has only been given to gadget reviewers so far, but several people have reported that their screens appear to be disconnecting and permanently flashing on or off.

Samsung started taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Fold last weekend, but quickly ran out of availability, suggesting supply is constrained at least until its retail launch.

The wider technology sector in South Korea also saw declines on the day, with shares of SK Hynix and LG Electronics declining 1.25 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively.

Samsung's stock decline was related to the early reports of the Galaxy Fold breaking, said Daniel Yoo, head of global strategy and research at Kiwoom Securities. On top of that, investors were also responding to concerns about Samsung's part in the roll out of the next generation 5G wireless standard, he added.

"With Qualcomm and Apple deal, expectation for 5G was very high," Yoo said.

Apple and Qualcomm settled a longstanding legal dispute over royalties earlier this week, with the settlement including a payment from Apple to Qualcomm as well as a chipset supply agreement, suggesting that the Cupertino-based tech giant will buy Qualcomm's chips for future iPhones.

Analysts had previously said that the dispute between Qualcomm and Apple could slow down Apple's plans to support next-generation 5G networks, with the former being one of the top suppliers of chips that can connect to 5G networks. The agreement opens up the possibility that Apple could release a 5G iPhone sooner than expected with Qualcomm's modem technology.

At present, however, Samsung's Galaxy S10 and Fold devices are "leading" the way among phones with 5G potential, according to Yoo.

"If there is any chance of demand slowdown due to quality control, this will have quite significant negative impact on the IT sector as a whole," Yoo said, noting that demand for chips in the first half of 2019 was already weak.

For its part, Samsung said in a statement that it was looking into the reports of broken Galaxy Folds:

A limited number of early Galaxy Fold samples were provided to media for review. We have received a few reports regarding the main display on the samples provided. We will thoroughly inspect these units in person to determine the cause of the matter.
Separately, a few reviewers reported having removed the top layer of the display causing damage to the screen. The main display on the Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer, which is part of the display structure designed to protect the screen from unintended scratches. Removing the protective layer or adding adhesives to the main display may cause damage. We will ensure this information is clearly delivered to our customers.

Commenting on the reports about the Galaxy Fold breaking, Yoo said they appeared "over-stretched."

The current concerns and correction will be "limited in the short term," with the issues faced by the device likely to be solved before its launch, he said.

— CNBC's Todd Haselton, David Faber and Kif Leswing contributed to this report.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/samsung-shares-tumble-amid-concerns-about-galaxy-fold-breaking.html

2019-04-18 07:49:10Z
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