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New flagship and low cost iPhones expected to be released 

According to Japanese sources, the new handsets are expected to go on sale in the US and in Europe as early as September 20 and could be on the shelves in China as early as November.

The latest premium Apple phone, expected to be called the iPhone 5S, is widely rumored to feature a more powerful processor, reworked camera applications and settings and a better flash and will incorporate a fingerprint scanner for authentication. Meanwhile, the lower-cost handset, which leaked images suggest will be called the iPhone 5C, will be available in a host of bright colors -- like Apple's existing iPod Touch range -- and will forsake expensive alloys and metals in favor of colored polycarbonates in an attempt to keep the phone competitively priced while not scrimping on the quality of internal components.

And while Apple has continued to deny all rumors regarding any of its upcoming product releases, all is expected to be revealed during an offical launch event on September 10.

So far, Apple has resisted the lure of the low-cost smartphone market in favor of focusing on premium devices, but the latest figures suggest that market for flagship phones is already at saturation point, while, at the same time, demand for affordable smartphones has never been greater. A report published on August 7 by ABI claims that low-cost smartphones are set to dominate the global mobile phone market over the coming years.

Over 238 million such handsets are expected to ship this year and by 2018 that number will have jumped to 758 million, due to growing demand from consumers in Brazil, China, India and Russia as well as other emerging markets.

"Despite the low-cost moniker, research has shown that the feature gap between low- and high-end smartphones is decreasing, making low cost smartphones a ‘good enough' solution for price sensitive consumers in all markets," says senior analyst Michael Morgan.

The recent launch of the Motorola Moto X phone is a case in point. It combines cutting edge functions and services yet underneath its carefully crafted exterior beats a heart built of mid-range components.

As well as demand from newer markets, consumers who don't want to be locked into long term subscription contracts can find themselves priced out of the smartphone market as network carriers typically offer huge subsidies and discounts on handsets in return for a two-to-three-year commitment to their services.

ABI senior practice director Jeff Orr explains: "We are increasingly seeing low cost smartphones appear as a solution for prepaid operators in developed markets. By 2018, ABI Research believes low cost smartphones will account for 44% of all smartphone shipments as the market looks to capture the next billion smartphone users."

from - technostorm

What to do if your phone is not waterproof

So your non-waterproof mobile phone just somersaulted into the floodwater. Or perhaps you accidentally dropped it in the sink or—gasp—the toilet! All hope is not lost. We show you the proper first-aid solution to a wet handset.

But first, a few reminders: 

1. As tempting as it may be to find out if the phone still shows signs of life, never turn it on immediately. Doing so may short-circuit the device.

2. Don't use a hair dryer to dry the mobile phone; you may end up frying its delicate internal components.

3. In case you need to disinfect the hardware, apply only alcohol on its surface.  

The dos of saving your wet mobile phone:

1. Lay the phone on a towel and quickly take it apart. Remove its rear cover, battery, SIM card/s, and microSD card.  

2. Use the dry area of the towel to gently wipe away as much water as you can from the gadget's casing while trying not to move it too much. 

3. Use a vacuum cleaner to draw excess water out of the handset. However, avoid holding the vacuum cleaner too close to the unit. 

4. Place the mobile into a bowl of uncooked rice. Let it sit there overnight. Doing so will absorb moisture from your phone. Putting it inside a resealable plastic bag, alongside packets of desiccant material such as silica gel, is another effective alternative. 

5. Use a cloth or towel to wipe off dirt and all remaining liquid from the handset. 

6. Insert the battery and turn on the mobile phone. Assuming that doesn't work, connect it to a charger and try again, only this time without the battery. If that does the trick, then you probably need to replace the water-damaged battery. In case your device remains unresponsive or is behaving weirdly, then it's time to bring it to an authorized service center and have it repaired there. 

Best of luck! 

SMARTPHONE MARKET LEADERSHIP IN ASIA

Why High-End Smartphones Do Not Lead the Southeast Asia Market

The smartphone is now slowly becoming a necessity for consumers, and research firm GfK thinks that Southeast Asia is the driver of its global growth. In terms of the smartphone market, we have seen Apple and Samsung smartphones take the lead and battle against each other in Southeast Asia for quite some time. But it looks like this growth does not belong to Apple or Samsung, anymore.Why is that so? Michael Morgan, analyst at ABI Research says in an interview with Bloomberg, that “the days of great growth in the high end of the market are gone.” 

Smartphone numbers  

This analysis speaks very well of what’s happening in the Southeast Asian market. In March, GfK reported that the sale of smartphones in Southeast Asia grew by 61 percent. And of this number, it is notable that the Philippines is the fastest growing market during that period. And we have also reported that Thailand sold almost 3 million smartphones earlier this year.But this huge boost in sales, according to Gerard Tan, account director for Digital World at GfK Asia, is “primarily driven by affordable smartphones which averaged in the price range of $100 to $200.” He adds: 

The rise of local brands in countries such as Philippines and Indonesia has resulted in the growing market share of those in the $50 to $100 price segment—the budget price range which bridges the transition from basic mobile phones to smartphones.”

It is no wonder that the current lagging of revenue growth by high-end smartphones is somehow driven by the SEA market, which represent a huge chunk of the global market.

New leading smartphones 

Late last year, we reported that Android still leads in SEA in terms of operating system’s adoption. It looks like this is being pushed by the presence of a growing number of manufacturers who carry the Android-powered devices at a lower cost in the region. Looking at some of the countries in SEA, the Philippines has a number of local manufacturers carrying dual-core to quad-core Android smartphones in the $50 to $100 price range, like, Cherry mobile, MyPhone and CloudFone. In Indonesia, telco Smartfren is also aggressive in pushing low-cost Android devices in the local market. And even China-manufactured devices such as Huawei and Lenovo are tapping these markets already.In February, Apple Insider predicted that Apple will launch a low-cost phone later this year in countries such as India. If this holds to be true, we could only wait if this new strategy of Apple will work in the Southeast Asian region.

(Source: Bloomberg)(Editing by: Anh-Minh Do and Steven Millward)

The post Why High-End Smartphones Do Not Lead the Southeast Asia Market appeared first on Tech in Asia.  

ADDICTION TO SMARTPHONES

Addicted to Your Smartphone? Here's What to Do

Why smartphones hook us in, plus tips on reclaiming your time and concentration.

I certainly agree with Susan Davis in her article “Addicted to Your Smartphone? Here’s What to do”.

Please read her report below.

By Susan Davis 
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

I'll admit it: I check my smartphone compulsively. And the more I use it, the more often the urge to look at it hits me. 

In the orthodontist's office. Walking my kids to school. In meetings. Even while making breakfast. Sometimes it is in my hand before I even know what I'm searching for. Sometimes I tap the screen absent mindedly -- looking at my email, a local blogger, my calendar, and Twitter.

I'm not the only one struggling with this very modern compulsion. According to a 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center, 46% of all American adults now own a smartphone -- up a whopping 25% from 2011. 

And smartphone use can get very heavy. In a study of 1,600 managers and professionals, Leslie Perlow, PhD, the Konosuke Matsushita professor of leadership at the Harvard Business School, found that:

·         70% said they check their smartphone within an hour of getting up.

·         56% check their phone within an hour of going to sleep.

·         48% check over the weekend, including on Friday and Saturday nights.

·         51% check continuously during vacation.

·         44% said they would experience "a great deal of anxiety" if they lost their phone and couldn't replace it for a week.

"The amount of time that people are spending with the new technology, the apparent preoccupation, raises the question 'why?'" says Peter DeLisi, academic dean of the information technology leadership program at Santa Clara University in California. "When you start seeing that people have to text when they're driving, even though they clearly know that they're endangering their lives and the lives of others, we really have to ask what is so compelling about this new medium?"