Gresso is a luxury brand that loves to decorate high-end smartphones and accessories with a tasteful amount of jewelry. Its latest offering is the iPhone 7 Black Diamond collection, which comprises three black iPhone 7 handsets worth $500,000 each. Their back panels are covered in 1450 black diamonds (totaling 102kts), while the body has been re-crafted from premium grade-5 titanium.

The Gresso logo and camera frame are made of 10 grams of 18kt gold, and the product is complete with the addition of black AirPods – covered in no less than 30 black diamonds (2kts). Each unit is hand-made and takes over 18 hours to assemble. It's certainly good that $500k nets you a 256GB model, too.

If $500,000 is a bit out of your smartphone budget, fret not, you can still order an iPhone case from Gresso that's made of grade-5 titanium and features an 18kt gold inlay, along with diamond embellishments. These are made in 999 pieces and the price starts from a more reasonable $2500.

In one corner, we have the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The very popular Android powered phablet was on the way to giving Samsung a spectacular 2016, adding to the well received Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. But a defective battery resulted in several explosions, and the Galaxy Note 7 was eventually recalled. The whole affair is expected to cost Sammy as much as $1.5 billion to pay for the recall, device exchange and more. In the other corner you'll find the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. With a dual-camera setup on back, a 3D Touch home button and the removal of the 3.5mm earphone jack, the latest iteration of Apple's phablet was sold out during the pre-order period. Now, these two high-end phablets face off in a drop test. Both models will be dropped from 1 meter up (3.28 feet) on the back, bottom, side and front. Any phone still able to place a call after the last test will participate in the bonus round, which means it continues to be dropped face down until it is no longer functional. The iPhone 7 Plus got off to an early lead with the Back Drop. The device was scuffed slightly, but remained in very good shape. The Galaxy Note 7 was cracked on both bottom corners on the back of the phablet. The Bottom Drop resulted in some scuffs on the bottom of each device. The darker color of the Galaxy Note 7 made its damage more noticeable, but the drop also extended the cracks created on the rear from the Back Drop. How did the two phones fare with the Side Drop? Both models received additional scuffing on the side, but nothing serious. The level of anticipation rose as the Galaxy Note 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus were getting prepped for the Face Drop. Both devices received some serious screen damage after this round, but both could still make a phone call. That means the pair qualifies for the Bonus Round. Since the Galaxy Note 7 was able to withstand 50 Face Drops in a prior test, the iPhone 7 Plus would have to match that in order to forge a tie. But after ten drops, the iPhone 7 Plus was no longer functional, making the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 the winner. If there is one thing we've learned from this contest, it's that a decent case might be a worthwhile investment for those who own either model.

The Apple iPhone 7 recently scored a record setting 178,000+ on the AnTuTu benchmark test. In theory, that means that the Apple iPhone 7 is more powerful than the Apple iPhone 6s. While the AnTuTu test helps us make comparisons like that, we can even measure the build quality of the iPhone 7 against the iPhone 6s by conducting a drop test. To make it a fair test, both phones were dropped from exactly 3.2 feet up using a professional machine employed by manufacturers and companies that do that sort of testing.

Both handsets would be dropped three times. The first test was the back drop. After the impact, the finish on the back of both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6s showed signs of minor scuffing. Both phones also held up well during the bottom drop, with only some minor marks visible in direct light. The story was the same with the side drop as neither phone was seriously damaged after that test.

The face drop did some serious damage to the screens of both phones, although both could still make a phone call. That meant that the iPhone 7 would be dropped on its face until it could no longer work. If it held on for longer than the five bonus drops that the iPhone 6s survived when it took on the Samsung Galaxy S7 in a previous drop test, it would be declared the winner.

Sure enough, the iPhone 7 survived eight drops, giving it the win over last year's iPhone 6s. You can catch the entire test by clicking on the video at the beginning of the story. Besides holding up to drops better than the iPhone 6s, the Apple iPhone 7 (and the iPhone 7 Plus) both have an IP67 certification rating against dust and water. Again in theory, the 2016 iPhone models can be submerged in up to 3.2 feet of water for as long as 30-minutes, and emerge unscathed.  Despite being marketed as being IP67 certified, neither the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus are covered in the warranty for water damage.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, you've been hearing about Samsung's issue with their Note 7 smartphones deciding to explode because of a manufacturing issue with the phone's internal battery. The exploding phones have not only caused Samsung's stock to plummet to the ground, but it's also created for some rather scary stories. On September 8, there was a report out of Florida that a Galaxy Note 7 exploded inside a man's Jeep and caused the entire inside car to burn to a crisp. The man and his family were left untouched, but the owner of the Jeep's daughter had been using the Note 7 just minutes before the explosion took place. However, there was another report this past Sunday that a 6-year old boy in Brooklyn, New York suffered burns when a Note 7 exploded in his hand. However, that last story has since be brought back up with some conflicting information. The Samsung phone that exploded in the hands of a 6-year old wasn't a Note 7 - it was a Galaxy Core According to new information that was released by NBC New York, the 6-year old kid who was burned wasn't using a Note 7 at all. Instead, he was using another Samsung product - the Galaxy Core. The Galaxy Core was released more than 2 years ago, and this is the first time that we've heard any reports of battery issues like this that the phone has experienced. However, this doesn't mean that all Galaxy Cores now have faulty batteries as well. You see, the Galaxy Core is one of Samsung's older handsets that featured a user-replaceable battery. Seeing as how the phone was released back in 2014, we wouldn't be surprised if the owner of the phone had swapped out the battery for one of a third-party. However, if it does turn out that the battery was an official Samsung one, does that mean that Samsung has had issues with the quality of their batteries prior to the Note 7? If so, why haven't we heard anything major like this until the Note 7 recall? There's a chance that more issues like this have taken place prior to the Note 7 recall, but simply went unreported. If so, just how many unreported issues are we looking at? When the issue first took place this weekend, a Samsung rep told that We are engaged with the Lewis family to ensure we are doing everything we can for them and their son. Consumer safety remains our highest priority as we are investigating the matter. The issue revolving around the Note 7 is a serious one, and just because the 6-year old turns out to have been using a Galaxy Core, doesn't make the matter of the Note 7 battery any less of a serious one. If you're still the owner of a Note 7, we strongly encourage you to take it in to whatever outlet you purchased it form and take advantage of the many exchange programs that are currently going on. It might seem like an inconvenience to you, but it's not a matter of convenience. It's a matter of you and your family's safety.

On Wednesday, during an event held in San Francisco, Apple announced the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch 2. All three new devices are available to pre-order starting today, and will ship on September 16. If you didn't get the chance to watch the event while it was live streamed by Apple, or if you simply want to relive the announcements, you can now watch it all on YouTube. Apple uploaded a lengthy video that shows the entire event, just as it happened on Wednesday.

Unlike the live stream, which was only available on Apple devices and Windows 10 PCs (with Microsoft Edge), the video that's now online can be accessed on any computer or smartphone - like any other YouTube video. 

Mind you, the event is 2 hours long, so if you want to see just the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus announcement, play the video embedded below and skip to 54:00. For the Apple Watch 2, skip to 30:30. Or maybe all you want to do is see Sia performing live? You can find her starting at 1:48:40.

We argued that this Apple event was a lot about the courage to stay the same. How do you see it?

According to a Taiwanese supply chain report, Apple has increased chip and component orders for the Apple Watch Series 2, with monthly shipment volumes for August and September surpassing two million units. This indicates that Apple is feeling confident in the device and its prospects on the market.

In July, the IDC reported that the original Apple Watch commanded a 47% market share, shipping around 1.6 million units delivered in the second quarter of 2016. The third and fourth quarters look promising as a result, hence Apple is boosting orders and showing strong belief in the second-generation product.

The Apple Watch Series 2 features a number of improvements, including a brighter screen and faster processor, water resistance for swimming, and a built-in GPS that lets users partake in sports activities without carrying the iPhone. Apple will be bringing the faster processor to the first-generation watch as well, while discounting its price down to $269.

The iPhone 7 / 7 Plus rumor mill has been running at full throttle today, as one might expect a mere two days prior to the big reveal. An Apple-facing Vietnamese blog claims to have handled a couple of 4.7-inch iPhone 7 units ahead of the announcement, and wades into the debate with a few statements on the handset's apparent features. While we must take this report with some skepticism — particularly given the lack of any video or photographic evidence of said devices — it's nonetheless worth assessing at such a late stage. Outer design tweaks The reporter notes of having some hands-on experience with the 128 GB iPhone 7 (not Plus) in both silver and black. The latter seems to be the matte / 'Dark Black' model set to replace the current Space Gray. As we've learned already, it will probably be accompanied by a further, glossy 'Piano Black' option as well. According to this tidbit, the silver model's rear Apple logo will be somewhat shiny, while the logo of the matte version will be more in-keeping with the rest of the device's outer profile. iPhone 7 latest: 4K video capture at 60 FPS, rubber-sealed SIM tray for waterproofing & more The volume buttons may also have been subtly altered. With the iPhone 6s, there's a slight indentation as seen above, where the volume keys are located. This is concave will not exist with the iPhone 7, says the report; the buttons will simply pop out from through their respective holes without affecting the shape of the chassis. Waterproofing We've heard that the forthcoming iPhones will finally see some kind of protection against moisture, and this leak thankfully does not refute the claim. Quite the opposite — the SIM tray will apparently be sealed with rubber in order to shore up defense against the elements. With a number of major smartphones inclusive of such protection as standard, it was only a matter of time before Apple followed suit. That time appears to be now. 4K video capture @ 60 fps Saving potentially the most exciting feature until last, the report notes that Apple's iPhone 7 could be the first to sport 4K video capture at 60 fps. If so, it would be the first smartphone to offer such capability, and would constitute a welcome bump on the 30 fps limit of the iPhone 6s' 4K abilities. The new iPhones are widely expected to offer 32, 128 and 256 GB capacities, which is a lot when it comes to apps, games and music. But if 4K video at 60 fps is indeed a Thing, those looking to make the most of these abilities will need all the real estate they can get. The report also notes of the new touch-based home button. It will not move in and out as has traditionally been the case, but will provide haptic feedback to give the illusion of a moving part. Apple's recent fleet of MacBook trackpads have this Force Touch feature baked in, and now the home buttons of the new iPhones look poised to do likewise.

AdDuplex has been the leading cross-promotion network for Windows Phone for some time. With this position, the company is often passing along information about the platform that would otherwise be kept quiet. For example, thanks to AdDuplex we now know that Windows 10 Mobile powers 14% of active Windows Phone handsets. Last month that share was 11.9%. While there has been some positive movement, it is not enough to make Microsoft stand up and cheer. The data shows that Windows Phone 8.1 still owns a commanding 77.3% of active Windows Phone units. Windows Phone 8 accounts for 6.7%, and Windows Phone 7.x is still running 1.7% of active Windows Phone units. Breaking up Windows 10 Mobile even more, 52.4% of phones running the OS are using the new Anniversary Update (version 1607). That's pretty impressive considering that unlocked phones could pick up the update only a week ago, and AT&T just started sending out the update this week. 41.3% are using version 1511, and 6.3% are rockin' an insider version of Windows 10 Mobile. Want to guess which Windows Phone is the most popular world-wide? If you said the Microsoft Lumia 535, you are absolutely correct. The low-end device has a 12.3% share of active Windows Phone handsets; that gives it a 1.9 percentage point advantage over the phone that was the platform's most popular handset for years, the Nokia Lumia 520. At the beginning of this year, the roles were reversed with the Lumia 520 garnering 12.9% of active Windows Phones, and the Lumia 535 snagging an 11.7% share. The Microsoft Lumia 640 is on the rise, with its slice of the Windows Phone pie rising from 6.3% on January 22nd to 9.8% on August 22nd. Check out all the data in a tasty pie chart format, by clicking on the slideshow below.

Every so often, a new idea or piece of tech arrives and catches on in a big way. Samsung began the curved-edge display trend with the Galaxy S6 edge, which naturally garnered some skepticism at first. Backed by a strong consensus among tech commentators and consumers alike, the curvaceous finish has made its way to the newNote 7, and several other companies seem to have been watching. With Xiaomi's forthcoming Mi Note 2 set to be furnished with a similar panel, Sammy's fiercest rival may soon join the party. 

Target chairman and CEO Brian Cornell was talking to Wall Street analysts today about the rough second quarter suffered by the retailer. He mentioned the double-digit percentage decline in revenue the retailer had in electronics, and noted that Apple devices had a 20% drop in sales in Target from April through June. The retailing executive didn't want to target the iPhone (no pun intended) for the drop in revenue. Instead, when asked by a Goldman Sachs analyst if the drop in Apple revenue was due to weak iPhone sales, Cornell said the issue was a "broader story across the product suite." The Chairman and CEO said that Target is working with Apple to help promote and sell Apple's new products in the second half of the year. Besides the new Apple iPhone 7 and Apple iPhone 7 Plus, he could be referring to the rumored Apple Watch 2 and a possible sequel to the 9.7-inch Apple iPad Pro. "Our guests come to us looking for those products. They are looking for the newness and the innovation and we are putting together plans with Apple and our merchandising teams to make sure we are ready to take advantage of that in the back half of the year."-Brian Cornell, Chairman & CEO, Target The latest rumor has the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus getting unveiled on September 7th. According to a leaked AT&T memo, the two phones will be available for pre-orders starting on September 9, with the actual launch of the phones taking place two weeks afterward.