So far, there has been some question about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8's model number. For the most part, we have seen SM-N950 used to designate the unlocked version of the phablet. And while it really isn't a major deal in the scheme of things, an inadvertent leak by Samsung Australia indicates that the model number of Sammy's next high-end handset is actually SM-N940. That is the model number listed on the Samsung Australia website, which published information about a free screen repair for Note 8 users who break the display.Read More

Last month, Microsoft started selling a brand new Surface Pro, which succeeds the Surface Pro 4 from 2015, and brings a series of enhancements (though nothing groundbreaking).

Some of the customers who purchased a new Surface Pro have been noticing that the convertible tablet has a bug that's making it randomly enter hibernation mode, or shut down (even when plugged in, or with plenty of battery life remaining).Read More

Several months after releasing the G6 (to generally positive reviews), LG is now getting ready to launch its second high-end smartphone of 2017: the LG V30.

Judging by a "Save The Date" teaser revealed today by Evan Blass (known on Twitter and among tech enthusiasts as @evleaks), the LG V30 will be officially announced on August 31 in Berlin – almost certainly during a pre-IFA 2017 event.Read More

If you've ever caught yourself daydreaming about eating some tender, juicy chicken wings while idly staring at your phone, Huawei and KFC have teamed up to give you... something. A way to ease the cravings? Or maybe to amplify them, maybe — we couldn't tell you if we tried, but the end result is a bright-red, KFC-branded smartphone, complete with a portrait of Colonel Sanders himself etched into its back.

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A new update has started rolling out OTA (over the air) for Sony's two 2016 flagships - the Xperia X Performance and Xperia XZ. The firmware upgrade contains the recently-released Android security update for the month of July and should bump the build number of both handsets to 41.2.A.7.35. Sony Xperia XZ and X Performance receive a new update, see what's includedRead More

Apple today released the developer version of iOS 11 beta 3, weighing in at 392MB. For the moment, registered developers only get to install the new iOS build. The public version of the beta should be available in a few days to those who have signed up to receive them. Among the new features is a different way to close apps on the iPad by swiping up on the multitasking screen. The "X" button seen on beta 1 and beta 2 of the build have been replaced by the new swipe to close gesture.

Other features included in the update include an improvement to the cover sheet of the Notification Center. This will now show all notifications. No longer is it necessary to use a swipe gesture to view older notifications.

The changelist for the iOS 11 beta 3 developer version includes:

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Sony this week is rolling out an Android 7.1.1 Nougat update for several of its slightly older devices: Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Premium, Xperia Z5 Compact, Xperia Z4 Tablet, and Xperia Z3+. The update includes Google's June security patch (as you can see in the screenshot on the left), and comes almost five months after these smartphones (and the tablet) received Nougat 7.0 updates - previously, they ran Android 6 Marshmallow. Sony has yet to formally announce this Android 7.1.1 Nougat update, but we're guessing that all owners of the Xperia models mentioned will get the new software version in the near future. Right now, it's not clear if the Sony devices listed here will receive any other major software updates. However, we certainly hope that at least the Xperia Z5 series of smartphones will get Android O at some point. As for the Xperia Z4 Tablet and Xperia Z3+, these are already over 2 years old, so there's a high chance they'll remain on Android 7.1.1. Nougat... forever and ever.

With the LG G6, LG made a statement. It no longer wants to be Gyro Gearloose of the smartphone industry, pushing bold innovation that no one outside its focus groups asked for. LG cleaned house, stripped away all the complexity, and introduced one of 2017's most understated – and all-around pleasant – premium phones. It was a solid strategy, even though displays of clever engineering, such as the LG G5's removable battery, will be missed by those able to appreciate them.

According to a "trusted source" as cited by the ever diligent XDA Developers, the same revision awaits the LG V30 – a premium smartphone, primed as an alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and, reportedly, scheduled for a late August announcement. 

On January 9th, 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the Apple iPhone. And as exciting as that was for many, it also meant waiting nearly half a year for the phone to be released. The launch date of June 29th was circled on many a calendar, and in the days leading up to the actual launch, it seemed as though the iPhone was being mentioned everywhere. One example of this, which you will find in the video slideshow below, is an amusing clip put together by David Pogue, who now writes about tech for Yahoo.

Exactly 10-years ago tomorrow, the New York Times released a video showing how hard it was for its tech scribe (Pogue) to keep faithful to the non-disclosure agreement Apple had him sign in exchange for a review unit of the Apple iPhone. Apple had already run some ads for the phone (we included one in the video slideshow for your viewing pleasure) and the hype machine was on full throttle ("I've seen the commercials and it looks really cool," says a young woman waiting in a long line on launch day).

A decade ago, the whole world was just four days away from being changed forever by a smartphone. Television networks covered the impending launch and analysts spoke breathlessly about the device and how many units it might sell. Even so, most people probably could not see what the future would hold, not just for the iPhone or for Apple, but for smartphones in general. We now have apps and app stores, phones that can be submerged and live on to tell the tale and handsets that last a full day without requiring a charge. 

People now shop, make payments, deposit checks, lower their thermostat, get turn-by-turn directions to anywhere, and watch live television on their phone. And most handsets feature a virtual personal assistant to help make reservations, set alarms and more. You can't go anywhere without seeing a large number of people with their heads down, looking at the screen on their handset as they navigate their surroundings. All of this was still in the future a decade ago. 

Keep in mind that the OG iPhone did have some flaws. It ran on AT&T's slow as molasses EDGE network, it did not support MMS or stereo Bluetooth. But not too many knew, or cared about these things which were all eventually taken care of in future versions of the phone.

June 25th, 2007 was a Monday, the start of a new work week that would end with the forces in motion that would soon change the world. Relive those days by clicking on the video slideshow below.

During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump called on Apple to move production of its most popular product, the Apple iPhone, to the U.S. Trump's goal was to create more jobs for Americans and to stop exporting openings overseas. But Trump didn't take some things into consideration. Moving production from low wage countries to higher wage countries means that the cost of producing the iPhone will rise. And in order to maintain the same profit margin, iPhone prices will also rise making the device less affordable for Americans.

Back in November, a little over a week after the election, Apple said that it would consider moving some iPhone production to the U.S. Talks were held with the major contract manufacturers and there was some discussion about building a U.S. based supply chain. Today, Foxconn, the leading iPhone assembler, said that it is considering building a facility in Wisconsin. Besides the Dairy State, Michigan is also said to be in the running to host the factory.

Yesterday, President Trump visited Milwaukee and mentioned that an unnamed company was negotiating with the state to build a factory. Trump said that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker might get "a very happy surprise very soon." Foxconn assembles smartphones and tablets for Apple, BlackBerry, Sony and other brands. In China, it employs over 1 million people. Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, says that a skilled workforce was probably one of the things that attracted Foxconn to the state.

When Apple spoke with Foxconn and Pegatron back in November about the possibility of building iPhone models in the U.S., both firms said that their main concern was creating a supply chain infrastructure similar to what was available for the manufacturers in China. Apparently the numerous studies that were created show that Wisconsin has what it takes to build such a supply chain for Foxconn.