News, Tablets

Samsung Gets Big with the Tab S3

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Samsung, defender of all that isn’t Apple in the tech world, has set their sights on the iPad Pro. As by far the most popular “professional” tablet, the Pro sets the standard: large screen, dedicated stylus, powerful performance. But Samsung is hoping their Tab S3 will put a dent in Apple’s dominance.

 

The Tab S3 boasts a huge 9.7-inch, Super AMOLED display capable of HDR video. Under the hood there’s a heady Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, and 4GB of RAM. There’s only a paltry 32GB of storage but a MicroSD card slot supports memory expansion up to 256GB. The tablet now has four speakers and is just 6mm thick. All this for $599 and is bundled with a new, larger S Pen, Samsung’s proprietary (and highly rated) stylus. It’s everything you like in a Samsung tablet, but bigger, faster, better.

 

$600 will seem pricey for an Android tablet, but it’s priced to meet the year-old iPad Pro of the same size and similar specs. It’s actually a better deal, since the Apple Pencil stylus will cost you another $99. Even the keyboard cases are similarly priced; Samsung’s for $129 versus Apple’s $149. With very little news as to a new iPad Pro model being released this year, Samsung is taking the opportunity to wedge themselves into this new sector of the market.

 

Hopefully, Samsung will support developers in making Android apps optimized for larger screens, something that’s plagued Android tablets since their inception. iOS applications and games have always transitioned very well to the iPad, even the gargantuan 12.6” model. The lack of similar quality has hurt the attempts by Samsung and other Android tablet manufacturers to pose anything resembling a serious threat to the iPad. Microsoft made an attempt, pretending that the Surface Pro 4 wasn’t just a high-powered touchscreen laptop without a keyboard, but consumers quickly saw through the ruse (the high price point didn’t help).

 

With a big screen comes the big possibility for damage, however. If you purchase a Tab S3 and end up with a crack or any other sort of damage, bring it to iFixYouri. It doesn’t matter how new a product is; if it has a screen, our team of technicians can replace it. Come to any iFixYouri walk-in location or send it in to our dedicated repair center with our international mail-in service.

News

Android? iOS? Two Sides of the Same Phone

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If you’ve ever dreamed of running Android on an iPhone, you’re not alone. It’s possible, but usually involves some intensive phone-hacking and some serious warranty-voiding. Apple designed iOS to be totally locked down, making it one of the more difficult things for a hacker to do and never results in something that’s commercially viable. One company, Esti Inc, decided to put Android on iPhone by physical methods with the Eye case. The Eye is an iPhone case that takes the most simple, Occam’s-Razor route to pairing the two mobile operating systems: put one on top of the other.

The result is crazy but we can’t find fault in it. When in place, the Eye creates a Frankenstein’s Monster of a device. The back of your device becomes another screen, ostensibly another phone running stock Android. It acts as sort of a technological parasite by accessing the speakers, cameras, and microphones of Apple’s device, but other than that, the Eye works like a standalone Android phone. Two SIM card slots (very important for selling outside the US, as we’ve mentioned before), a microSD slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack (great for iPhone 7!) and contains its own battery and NFC chip. The screen is a basic 5-inch AMOLED display, but you can flip it over if you want to watch Netflix.

So, this isn’t exactly the same as running Android on your iPhone. Sure, it adds some features that your iPhone doesn’t have, but nothing that a regular Android phone can’t do. If you’re someone who needs to carry around two devices (like marketing types running social media) the Eye actually sounds like a good idea: keep your company Twitter, Facebook, etc logged in on the Android side. Esti Inc. hasn’t gone into detail on the internal specs of the Eye, but given the low price (the Kickstarter early-bird is $95 without 4G, or $129 with) it’s hard to imagine a powerful full Android experience from this piggybacking thing.
If you’re planning on backing the Kickstarter, be careful. Esti Inc. is a brand-new company with no prior products and no history, so invest accordingly. A few of us at iFixYouri think it’s a really neat idea, despite what the naysayers around here are mumbling. Soon, we won’t be able to hear them over the nightmarish sound of two cellphones ringing simultaneously.

News

Tired of Paying Your Cellphone Bill Every Month? Stop…with FreedomPop

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Annoyed with monthly cellphone bills? FreedomPop is offering to erase them completely if you buy their flagship smartphone. The company is a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO. What that means is they use other carriers’ networks; you buy a SIM card from them that work with most phones. FreedomPop’s claim to fame is their offer of free mobile plans. The company turns a profit by charging for extra calls, texts, and data. While FreedomPop doesn’t sell brand-new devices, they’ve been offering refurbished devices for quite some time, and recently launched an online store, FreedomShop, to sell pre-owned Android and iOS devices. They’re looking to change that by offering their own budget-minded smartphone: the FreedomPop V7.

 

The FreedomPop V7 is a pretty basic Android device, with a 5-inch screen, 13MP camera, 16GB of internal memory, 1GB of RAM, and a modest 1.1Ghz quad-core processing chip. Nothing impressive, but the company isn’t looking to wow. FreedomPop does most of its business in Europe, where these type of lower-mid-range smartphones reign supreme. The V7 will launch in the U.K. and Spain and cost £59/€59 (or about $72), with a US release coming soon, according to the company.

 

“We want the entire FreedomPop experience to be simple, convenient and affordable for consumers, and that includes the device you use with your free plan,” said Nicholas Constantinopoulos, FreedomPop’s international president. “In order to ensure everyone can get access to wireless service, it was important we offer a high-quality, full-featured Android phone at a price anyone can afford. Starting today with the FreedomPop V7, there is no reason anyone should be without wireless service.”

 

FreedomPop’s business model isn’t too difficult to comprehend. They lure consumers in by giving away a limited amount of free mobile data, text, and talk time, then upsell to those who need more. The company has raised around $110 million in equity funding, including a $50 million round last January, with some notable backers on board, including one of the co-founders of Skype. It seems like that gave them enough confidence to dip their toes into the hardware market.

 

For 59 euros, you’ll get a brand-new FreedomPop V7 along with an activated mobile SIM card with voice, text, and data bundled. 200 megabytes of data, 200 texts, and 200 minutes of phone calls a month are included with that basic, free plan. WhatsApp will be completely data-free to use as part of a partnership with the popular communication app. FreedomPop won’t be locking the V7 to its own SIM cards. Feel free to buy the device and use it on whatever network you wish, either at home or internationally. The device is even dual-SIM, so you don’t even have to swap the cards out.

 

And don’t worry. iFixYouri will repair any device you might have, from a $700 iPhone 7 Plus to a $72 FreedomPop. Just send it in for a diagnostic and we’ll see what we can do for you.

Employees, iFixYouri in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Locations

Employee Spotlight – Brandon

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Hitting the spotlight this week is Brandon! We apologize (to both you and him) for the candid photos; he’s a little camera-shy. Known as our office handyman, Brandon is seen repairing and installing fixtures at our headquarters and area stores just as often as he’s repairing iPhones and iPads. He wants to be an iFixYouri franchisee one day, and his dedication to the company and customers will certainly get him there. Like many natives of Loxahatchee, FL, Brandon enjoys mudding, fishing for snapper and sharks, and target & tactical shooting. He’s also a family man with two young sons (future iFixYouri techs!). When fixing devices, Brandon likes to educate himself on the world around him, listening to the news and documentaries of all different topics, and he often forgoes headphones in an attempt to educate the other technicians around him (much to their chagrin). We’re thankful for Brandon and all the work he does for iFixYouri. Thanks, Brandon!

News

Is This What a Twitter-Killer Looks Like?

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It’s been a good while since there’s been a fresh face in the social media world. We’ve been so complacent with the current Instagram-Twitter-Snapchat-Facebook ecosystem, any newcomer is laughed at. Look at Periscope and Vine; these video apps were acquired by Twitter before they could pose any sizeable threat, and anyway, competitors (Instagram, for example) copied their main caveat rather successfully. Facebook purchased Instagram in 2012 for $1 million, and several social aspects (direct chat, sharing) were added to the latter. It seems like there’s no real competition for these social monoliths. But that could change.

 

Amazon has, for some time now, been teasing the launch of a direct Twitter competitor. And today, the teasing is over. Twitch, the live video game streaming site Amazon bought in 2014, announced the release of Pulse. Pulse will be a community where “streamers” can post and engage with all of their followers from the Twitch front page, akin to a dashboard.

 

Pulse is rolling out to all Twitch users over the next few weeks, and streamers will be able to post to their followers and friends with a Twitter-like mix of text, links, videos, and images. These will appear to followers’ Twitch homepage in a reverse-chronological stream. Streamers now have an easy way to share highlights with fans who missed their last live-stream, as well as promote their next stream, give a shout-out to sponsors, and really anything they desire. The feature will also be integrated into the Twitch mobile app, but not at launch.

Will it be a hit? Will Twitter feel the burn? Maybe. The most popular Twitch streamers have over a million followers each, and it’s easy to imagine them turning to an integrated app like Pulse to keep their growing audiences entertained even when they’re not broadcasting. Twitch put some thought into about how to moderate on comments on Pulse. If a streamer wishes, they can limit responses to only the poster’s friends, or only people who subscribe to their channel. Streamers are also able to delete comments and block abusers. On the downside, Pulse will be (for now) missing several core Twitter features, like hashtags and @ mentions. But it’s odd to assume that these features won’t appear later.

 

It’s easy to think that, barring any major glitches, Pulse will eventually become the default way that Twitch users interact with streamers and other users. It’s true that Pulse might not ever amount to anything more than free advertising for the top 5% of Twitch streamers, but if it’s successful, it means that the giants can be challenged. Focus on a large enough niche, give them an easier way to do what they’re already doing, and you’ve won. If a major social media company can be shaken up, this is what we’d imagine it would look like at the very beginning. Twitch has been slowly but surely expanding beyond video games, and Pulse will expand with it. With Amazon’s cash and long-term outlook behind them, this might be the disruption the social media world needs. As an anonymous Twitter user once wisely stated, “Twitter is a Friendster whose Facebook hasn’t appeared yet.”

News

Samsung Galaxy S8: Looking Good So Far

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Excited for the next Samsung Galaxy phone? It’ll be a long, hard fight to get back into the positive spotlight for the South Korean company after a tough 2016. The Note 7 fiasco…well, we don’t have to get into that. But Samsung is looking to focus on its flagship smartphone and remind everyone why they’re on top of the game worldwide.

Samsung was planning to launch the Galaxy S8 on March 29th, but that seems to have been pushed back a month. Thanks to some leaky sources (mostly manufacturers of accessories who received test devices) we’ve been seeing photos, videos, and even press images leak ahead of its debut. A fresh batch of images have leaked today by a case maker, and they give us a slightly better look than most. Looks like Samsung is making some big design changes to its flagship smartphone.

It’s nice to see a close-up the new on-screen home button we’ve been hearing so much about. And just look at how just how small the front bezels are! The new all-screen look has clearly been aided by removing the physical home button from the front of the display, akin to the LG V20.On the back of the device, you can see the fingerprint reader in a rather odd place: right next to the camera bump. This confusing design choice appeared in early leaked photos and many hoped that this wouldn’t be the final spot by the time it got released. Oh well. It’s also interesting to know that the S8 will reportedly be sold with curved edges only, and not as options like with the S6 Edge and S7 Edge.

Samsung plans on releasing the S8 in two sizes: the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 and 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+. Besides the sizes, both devices are identical from a hardware standpoint. You get an extremely bright and clear QHD+ SuperAMOLED display with 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The phones are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. And Samsung’s digital assistant, Bixby, makes its debut, presumably triggered by a dedicated hardware button (maybe the fingerprint sensor doubles as a home button/Bixby button?). The official unveiling is set for March 29, when Samsung will hold an event titled “UNPACKED” in New York City.

As usual, our technicians’ mouths are watering, waiting to get their hands on the S8. No word yet on whether it’ll be as difficult to repair as previous models, but they’ve yet to meet a phone they couldn’t fix. Pre-order your S8 as soon as possible, safe in the confidence that you’ll be able to bring it to iFixYouri if you accidentally smash that beautiful curved screen.

Apps

App Review: Iron Snout+

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What’s shakin’, bacon? Fight to stay off the dinner menu in Iron Snout+ for iOS and Android phones and tablets. Your porcine hero is surrounded by hungry wolves, and you must use your thumbs and kung-fu to go down swinging. Controls are very simple: the pig stays rooted in the center of the screen, and tapping or swiping on one half of the screen makes him attack in that direction. You can jump and duck to avoid attacks and set up lethal combinations, and also grab the weapons the wolves drop and swing or throw them right back! You just keep punching and kicking until you run out of life (represented by bacon strips) and your tally on how many wolves defeated is up in the corner. The new “+” version adds variety to the wolf enemies. From axe-wielding lumberjacks and billy-club-equipped SWAT officers to Pokemon trainers and Miley Cyrus-impersonating wolves (swinging in on a wrecking ball with a sledgehammer, of course), you’ll have your piggy hands full beating back the endless hordes. Iron Snout+’s gameplay is a blast, but it can easily get repetitive if you play it too much; there are only two modes (regular and sudden-death) and two levels, each with a different cast of wolf baddies. I keep it on my phone as an “I need to kill 5 minutes” option, usually while waiting for an Uber or to get through a boring conference call, and with its fast boot-up time (about two seconds on a Galaxy S6) it works wonders in that regard. As a beat-em-up game, it’s going to be a little violent. Cartoony blood spatters appear for a second or two after hitting a wolf, and it’s possible to punch their heads off (which you can grab and fling at foes), so it might not be great for the little ones. Hopefully future updates allows for turning off the “gore,” as otherwise, the game is perfect for kids, with its bright, cutesy characters and easy controls. It’s a free download with no in-app purchases, just some occasional ads. You can even give it a try in-browser here.

News

What Decade Is It? Nokia and Samsung Go Retro at MWC

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The past is present, masquerading as the future. As we recently mentioned, HMD Global is reviving the Nokia line, rolling out new smartphones under the brand but also bringing back its famed 3310 “dumbphone.” As revealed at Mobile World Congress (MWC), the question was finally answered as to whether or not the 3310 would be updated or be a true copy of the original. The answer is…a little bit of both. While the new 3310 has a similar front fascia as the old one, it appears have a more modern (Scandinavian?) look. The body is slimmer, trimmer, and lighter, and available in a rainbow of pretty colors. Under the hood, you get a 2.4” QVGA display (colors!), dual-SIM (a necessity for the outside-the-US market), a 2-megapixel camera, and even a microSD slot. The legendary battery life is present, but given a huge boost. You’ll get an entire month of standby time and 22+ hours of talk time (the old 3310 had a week and four hours, respectively). Priced at just $52, expect this phone to be a huge seller for industries that need to give employees a cheap, reliable to stay in touch with the home office (think construction and warehouses), as well as emerging markets, like Nigeria, where the old 3310 became a global bestseller. It might have some popularity in the US as an emergency for children, the elderly, and campers, as well as fans of Snake. Yes, you can still play Snake, albeit an updated version with modern graphics.

The phoenix-like return of the 3310 wasn’t the only piece of regressive-futurism at MWC. While Samsung talked about the Galaxy S8 and also debuted a few new tablets, the big talk was about their newest collaboration with…a pencil company. Staedtler, a renowned manufacturer of writing instruments, is famous among architects and engineers for their high-quality Noris wooden drafting pencils. The German company is lending the iconic Noris style, creating a Staedtler-branded S-Pen stylus for Samsung devices. Samsung has needed a larger S-Pen for some time now, especially as the stylus starting to appear even in the company’s laptops. Holding a small, thin stick in your hand and using it to do anything on a screen is evocative of old-school PDAs: annoying. The Apple Pencil was successful in this regard, giving creative types (and really anyone with big hands) a more comfortable form factor with which to use their products in more innovative ways. Teaming up with Staedtler, a brand and image adored by a large portion of these creatives, is a huge one-up over Apple in this regard.

And speaking of old-school PDAs, the original designers of the Psion pocket computer have returned, and wish to act like nothing’s happened in the past 17 years since their last product. Their Indiegogo campaign was recently launched, raising funds to put “Gemini” into production. The microcomputer is essentially a phablet with a full keyboard, and sports 64GB of memory, a 5.7” touchscreen, and, yes, again, a full keyboard. Gemini, if it goes into production, will likely be just as much of a niche product as the original. However, those of us who still desire to feel like John Connor hacking the ATM in Terminator 2 probably number in the hundreds of thousands, so maybe pocket computers could finally carve out a section of the market.

Smartphone, Tablet and Computer Repairs and News