Tag Archives: aapl

Samsung, Sony update smartwatches, but all eyes on Apple

The tech industry is buzzing about smartwatches and fitness bands this week at the Mobile World Congress, just like it did at the Consumer Electronics Show last month. But once again, speculation turns to Apple (AAPL), which is rumored to be working on a product for the emerging category. Samsung Electronics on Sunday unveiled its second-generation smartwatches, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The South Korean company used consumer feedback about its first smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, released in September, when designing the follow-on gadgets. It also introduced a fitness band watch called the Gear Fit, which would compete with products like Fitbit, Jawbone Up and Nike’s (NKE) FuelBand. Also in Barcelona, Sony (SNE) unveiled its SmartBand activity tracker. The device will measure steps taken and calories burned during the day and sleep cycles at night. It’s expected to be available

Amazon set-top box could mark start of Netflix offensive

Amazon.com’s long-rumored television set-top box could launch in March, Re/code reported Friday, a move that could signal an offensive against streaming video rival Netflix. Amazon’s device would compete with products on the market from Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG) and Roku, which stream Netflix (NFLX) and other over-the-top Internet video services. But the Amazon box would put its own content, namely Amazon (AMZN) Prime Instant Video, front and center. To date, Amazon has treated its video service as a nice extra for its Amazon Prime subscription service, which offers free two-day shipping on millions of items from the e-commerce website for $79 a year. Amazon Prime customers get unlimited streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows. Amazon currently does not offer the streaming video service on a standalone basis. But with a set-top box on the way and talk of a price increase for Amazon Prime, that could change…

Samsung Galaxy S5 looks to dethrone Apple iPhone 5S

Five months after the release of Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 5S, rival Samsung Electronics is looking to shift attention to its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, with a launch event on Monday. Seoul-based Samsung is holding a product unveiling at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It will be Samsung’s chance to wow high-end consumers with its new top-of-the-line handset. The Galaxy S5 reportedly sports a brand new design that makes it dustproof and waterproof. Plus, it is rumored to be the first with a bezel-free display. Like the iPhone 5S, the Galaxy S5 is said to include a fingerprint scanner for security. Synaptics (SYNA) reportedly is supplying the fingerprint-sensor technology for the Samsung phone. The Galaxy S5 also could feature eye-scanning security technology, according to media reports. It’s likely to include a speedier processor, possibly a 64-bit chip to match the processor in Apple ‘s (AAPL) iPhone 5S. Improvements to the main camera and battery life also have been speculated.