Earlier today, Samsung Electronics announced that it will invest more than $1 billion by the end of next year to increase application processor production in its facilities in Austin, Texas.

Samsung says that it plans to use this investment to boost production output from the existing facilities in the city. Since opening shop in Austin back in 1996, Samsung invested more than $15 billion in the Austin, Texas site, which is the largest international investment in the history of the state. Samsung made no provisions regarding the output increase that it expects to obtain through this investment.

Although $1 billion is a hefty amount for any company, it represents just a fraction of Samsung's total investments for 2016. The tech giant recently announced that it expects its conglomerate's capital expenditure to set a new record this year, $24 billion. About half of that amount go to the semiconductor business.

Sony's Xperia X lineup didn't seem to have attracted too much appeal from customers, but what matters is for the Japanese company to redeem itself in the eyes of its most loyal fans.

The next devices coming from Sony are likely to be presented next year at Mobile World Congress, which set to take place between February 27 and March 2. This means that we are still four months away until the supposedly reveal of the next Xperia phones.

However, the first details on unannounced Sony smartphones have just emerged at the Eurasian Economic Commission. Two presumably Xperia handsets that go by the model number G3112 and G3121 have been spotted, but no additional details on specs are available yet.

The only thing that makes us believe these phones will be revealed next year at MWC is the model number, which follows the same pattern as the previous phones introduced by Sony at the same trade fair: Exxxx in 2015, Fxxxx in 2016. 

Google has inferred something troubling about the new Nexus 5X and 6P – they don’t seem to support Qualcomm QuickCharge technology. Despite the fact that QuickCharge 2.0 and 3.0 are compatible with the new USB-C port, the new Nexus Snapdragon 808 & 810 devices will only charge at standard USB speeds.

In this article, we dive deep on Qualcomm, and Intel/USB-IF’s rival accelerated charging standards… and why Google likely cut a corner here.

What is Qualcomm QuickCharge Technology?

In a nutshell, QuickCharge is a tool that Qualcomm uses to push more power over USB lines, than the USB specification allows.

The tactic is not new. Apple pioneered it, and got away without reprisal from the USB Implementation Forum. Apple has used the USB-IF to punish others (ahem, Palm), but this time – they got through without reprimand. Thankfully, it’s a good thing. It has helped prevent USB from needing auxiliary charging ports.

When you plug an iPad into its USB wall charger, or an iPhone into a Macintosh computer – something special happens. The charger and mobile device perform a hardware handshake, by phasing their voltage regulation in a rhythmic manner. This variance is statistically impossible to occur otherwise, and validates that the two devices can supply and receive amperage higher than what the USB specification allows.

HP followed suit with its webOS TouchPad, then Samsung did the same… and now Qualcomm has standardized the practice across multiple device makers, with one single standard. Since most high-end mobile devices today use Qualcomm SoC’s, it was logical for Qualcomm to provide the standard.

By default, QuickCharge 2.0 provides up to 18W of power, through two alternate amperage/voltage combinations. The preferable rate is 9V, 2A – but it can also charge similarly using 12V and 1.5A.

Google did, at least at one point, embrace QuickCharge 2.0. The Motorola Nexus 6 was one of the first devices to support QuickCharge 2.0.

But now there’s USB-C. And that makes things more… interesting.

USB-C And The Growing Charging Web

Intel created USB, and it wasn’t going to sit idle as PCs, phones, and tablets converged. It has its own return-fire against QuickCharge.

The world’s largest chipmaker comes from the PC universe, where laptops and 2-in-1’s routinely require dozens of watts of power. So, USB-C had to provide something more than just 15W to do everything Intel wanted from it.

USB-C by default, adopts USB 3.1’s enhanced power delivery specification. A standard USB-C cable can handle up to 5 volts, 3 amps of power, for 15W of total power delivery. This is the same as what USB 2.0 and 3.0 devices could deliver – provided the manufacturer overcharged the cable. An ASUS Transformer Book T100 for example, comes with a 5V, 3A charger… but the charger notes clearly not to use it with other devices, because it is not USB certified (it supplies too much power, as 2.1A is the USB 2.0 cap).

Alongside USB-C, there’s the all-new (optional) USB Power Delivery standard. Think of it as QuickCharge on steroids. It’s a new feature of the USB-C specification, that supports up to 100W of charging power, in a USB-C cable. The USB PD function, as it’s called, requires using the active switching cable options of the USB-C port that extends functionality to new technologies; Thunderbolt and DisplayPort Alternate Mode.

Neither of the new Nexus devices benefit from USB PD (they don’t need it), but they do embrace USB-C’s native 15W charging. The first USB PD-enabled USB-C device, is Apple’s 12-inch Retina MacBook. The laptop benefits from being able to charge, and supply power to other devices, at up to 100W from a single USB-C cable.

USB PD also supports daisy chaining. For example, you can have a MacBook plugged into the wall via a USB PD wall charger. And, that MacBook can then be plugged into a USB-C hub, that also gets power from the MacBook… and passes that power onto a Nexus 5X. The Nexus 5X, MacBook, and the USB-C hub, all pull down maximum power – up to 100W – from the a single USB-C AC adapter.

Frustration Remains

Now that you are briefed on USB-C and QuickCharge… hence the question – why don’t the Nexus 5X and 6P support QuickCharge? The Snapdragon 808 and 810 both are flagships for QuickCharge 2.0.

Qualcomm has been adamant that Google didn’t need to take this step. QuickCharge 2.0 and 3.0 both support functioning over USB-C, just as it performs over older versions. You can use a USB-A to USB-C cable, plugged into a QC adapter. This is particularly nice during the USB-C transition, because, you were supposed to be able to keep your QC 2.0 charging gear – even while picking up (or rather, upgrading to) USB-C phones and tablets.

To give another example that might further clarify, take the OnePlus 2. The OnePlus 2 uses a USB-C port and a Snapdragon 810. It supports QuickCharge 2.0 while using older chargers, when connecting a USB-A to USB-C cable. Also, it charges at 15W using standard-fare USB-C chargers too. This is how Qualcomm envisioned the transition – letting people charge at full speed using either their older QuickCharge 2.0 chargers (with a new cable) or with new USB-C pure chargers.

So, we frustratingly, can’t get a clear answer from Google as to why LG or Huawei couldn’t, or weren’t allowed to use QuickCharge standard formally in the Nexus 5X or 6P.

The most likely scenario is that Google instructed LG and Huawei to remove the authentication chip needed for QuickCharge 2.0. Unlike QuickCharge 3.0 and USB PD, QC 2.0 requires a physical chip in the device’s charging circuit – to enable the necessary hardware handshake.

It is nice to remind people that neither Intel nor Qualcomm created this situation, and they are happy to support both their optimized charging standards (QC for Qualcomm and PD for Intel), and both at least USB-C’s baseline 15W charging.

This could boil down to marketing dollars. Google may have declined to engage in the QuickCharge requirements to post advertising stickers, and also possibly pay extra certification costs to Qualcomm, to license the QuickCharge standard. Intel and the USB-IF, do not charge any fee to use USB-C Power Delivery, though cable and manufacturing costs may increase if you need 16-100W of power.

But even that isn’t enough of an explanation. Qualcomm says the standard is open and royalty-free, provided certification is met. The QuickCharge support cost should be negligible… a few cents for a charging circuit.

Unfortunately, unless Google is willing to speak more on the subject – or even better, try to work around this in baseband firmware – we may never know why Google chose to opt-out of QuickCharge 2.0. It doesn’t make sense to us.

While it is possible that Google is still supporting QuickCharge 2.0, albeit, unofficially – we won’t be able to confirm until the devices ship. It just isn’t very likely.

Who This Hurts

Ironically, those that bought Nexus 6’s last time around, are likely to be the ones worst impacted by Google’s move to not include the QuickCharge 2.0 support.

Arguably, Google may have felt that extra effort to support QuickCharge 2.0 on a marketing basis, was not needed, since USB-C provides 15W of power natively. Though this does dramatically impact consumers (like myself) who already own a series of QuickCharge 2.0 gear that predates USB-C. I already own a QuickCharge 2.0 portable charger (10,000 mAh), as well as two AC adapters, and two car adapters. Now, with Google’s move, all of those will likely throttle down to USB 2.0 (5V, 2A) speeds.

Qualcomm’s original vision was that I would simply have to buy a couple of USB-A to USB-C cables, and all my QuickCharge 2.0 gear would keep charging at 15W… even that expensive 10,000 mAh portable charger. It was a standard built to be future proof. But, that required Google to opt-in on its new devices… which it didn’t.

By blocking, or at least, not implementing QuickCharge 2.0 on the new Nexus devices, Google is forcing consumers like me to purchase all new, USB-C aware chargers. The thing is, there’s no benefit had QuickCharge 2.0 been implemented, both standards charge at 15W. This means people like me just blew upwards of $100 on QC 2.0 chargers, and now have to blow $200 on cutting-edge USB-C aware 15W portable chargers and AC/DC adapters. It’s a waste. A gigantic waste of money, time, effort, and e-waste.

One Last Time

Thankfully, while this is yet another costly technology/hardware migration, it likely will be the last one. The USB-IF has caught up with the demands of modern technology, and USB-C, USB Power Delivery, and QuickCharge 3.0, all appear to act together in harmony. With consumers focused on devices that last for very long periods, rather than consuming high-wattages of power, it’s unlikely we’ll need to buy new chargers again… for a much longer time to come.

Chinese upstart manufacturer OnePlus has opened sales of its One smartphone to all who are interested without the need for a purchase invite to celebrate one year in business.

The manufacturer began under auspicious circumstances as a viral advertising campaign that emphasized a new way of doing things, while experienced observers quickly figured out that the company was started by former employees of Oppo Electronics, a company best known for region free Blu-Ray players and headphone amps, with its own line of Android smartphones that have proven to be popular in Southeast Asia as well as its native China.

So deep are the ties between OnePlus and Oppo owing to the former being a wholly-owned subsidiary, that the first waves of OnePlus smartphones were assembled and delivered from Oppo assembly lines in order to maintain their sales and thin profit margins to offer the lowest prices possible. Both the 16GB and 64GB are available for immediate purchase worldwide for $299 and $349, respectively with extensive discounts on accessories also available online.

The phone features a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB of RAM and either 16 or 64GB of internal storage without a memory card slot along with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 5.0-megapixel front-facing camera, 13-megapixel main rear camera with Sony-sourced imaging assembly and LED flash, 3100mAh fixed battery, and either Cyanogen 12S (based on Android Lollipop) or OnePlus’ own Oxygen OS. The OnePlus also supports US LTE on T-Mobile and AT&T as well as US HSPA.

The company has stated that its next flagship may reinstate the invite system and removed the invite system for the One as a result of the lessons learned from the first year of sale.

Aaron Rakers, the Apple analyst at brokerage firm Stifel Nicolaus, has hiked his estimate of iPhone shipments for the quarter that ended last month, and the holiday quarter that ends in December. For the just ended quarter that ended in September, Rakers now expects Apple to say that it delivered 47 million iPhone units versus his previous estimate of 42.2 million iPhone handsets that were in transit during the period.

For the all important holiday quarter, the analyst now sees Apple shipping 76.6 million iPhone units versus his previous call for 69.9 million to be shipped. Rakers has gone from a figure that was less than Wall Street's expectations (75.4 million) to one that is above what the rest of the Street is calling for. Helping the results for the holiday quarter is an extra week ending on New Year's Eve.  

Rakers estimates that with an installed base nearing 700 million iPhone units world wide, 8% to 10% will upgrade to one of the latest models. That means that upgrades will account for 80% of the the 76.6 million iPhone models shipped in the holiday quarter. In December 2014 and 2015, the upgrade rate was 50%.

Also raising her iPhone shipping estimates today is Sherri Scribner of Deutsche Bank. She now expects to see Apple report shipments of 46 million  and 75 million iPhone units for the September and December quarters respectively.

Samsung has released its first new Windows tablet in a long while, the Galaxy TabPro S Gold Edition. A device suitable both for business users and regular consumers, the tablet boasts a detachable keyboard and weights only 1.53 pounds, making it light and portable. Specs-wise, the TabPro S features a 12-inch Super AMOLED display with a 2560 x 1440 resolution. It's powered by an Intel Core M3 6Y30 chipset with its processor clocked to a maximum of 2.20GHz and an Intel HD Graphics 615 unit handling visuals. There are 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage on board, and the device runs on a 5200mAh battery. Two 5MP cameras adorn the front and back panel, and there's a single USB 3.1 Type-C port for connectivity and charging. The port can be enhanced with a multiport accessory that adds an additional HDMI port and a USB Type-A port for attaching external devices. The base model costs $1000, making it a reasonable choice next to a $900 base model Surface Pro 4 with 4GB of RAM and an Intel Core i3 chipset. However, there's no stylus in the bundle. The TabPro Pen is sold separately for $50. The detachable keyboard is included in the price, though, and features an integrated touchpad, along with a Pogo pin connector that lets the keyboard connet to the tablet without a pairing process or the need for charging. The accessory also comes with a flexible hinge, letting users position the screen as they see fit.

Perhaps the biggest cheer at the event held last month by Apple to introduce the new iPhone models, came when it was announced that Mario would be making his first appearance in an iOS game. Apple CEO Tim Cook got to play a preview of Super Mario Run when he took some time to meet with Nintendo executives yesterday.

Cook is in Japan this week having arrived from Shenzhen, China. There, he announced Apple's plans to open an R&D center in the country sometime in 2017. China remains a very important market for the tech titan, and building the R&D center allows Apple to show the Chinese government how serious it is about growing its business there.

In Japan on Wednesday, Cook disseminated a tweet which included a picture showing the executive playing Super Mario Run. Cook was sampling the game while Mario's famous creator Shigeru Miyamoto looked on. The endless runner game allows you to earn coins as Mario runs over obstacles. The longer you touch the screen, the higher the iconic Nintendo character jumps. The game is expected to launch this holiday season as a paid app.

Now that Samsung announced it has stopped the sales and production of the Galaxy Note 7, we're waiting to see how the South Korean company will handle the recall of the all the units it sold until recently.

Since the handset maker confirmed it has talked to carriers and retail partners to prevent them from providing customers with Galaxy Note 7 replacement units, it will be very interesting to see what incentives Samsung plans to offer to its most loyal fans.

Sprint seems to be one of the first major carriers in the United States to update its Samsung Galaxy Note 7 exchange process. This means that if you've bought the Galaxy Note 7 through Sprint's official channels, you will now be able to replace it with a different smartphone, regardless of when you've purchased your device.

Furthermore, Sprint informs customers that it will honor the replacement of all Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones to any other devices, “regardless of condition and return policy.” Here is what you must do in order to quickly exchange your Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

First of all, you'll have to make an appointment at Sprint's online website to avoid lines, but walk-in appointments are also available. You can then turn in your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.

After that, you will have to work with a Sprint rep to select a new device. Keep in mind though that “you may be entitled to a refund if you choose a less expensive device or additional funds may be required” if you decide to go for a more expensive phone.

Last but not least, Sprint confirmed that customers who choose to move to a Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 edge will also receive a $25 service credit on their bill (within up to 3 billing cycles). Naturally, all upgrade, activation and restock fees will be waived for all customers.

In South Korea, Samsung has filed for a couple of trademarks that might confirm the use of a dual camera setup on the Samsung Galaxy S8. As we told you earlier today, a new teaser suggests that Samsung's next flagship handset will be unveiled on February 26th. The trademarks being applied for include one called LightUp Camera. The second application is for a trademark with the name of Light+ Camera.

The registrations for both names say that the trademark covers a "Camera Sensor for use in enhancing the brightness and clearness of digital images and photographs taken in low-light environments." That description sounds exactly like one a phone manufacturer might give as an explanation why a second camera has been placed on the rear of a handset.

Another clue is the stylized 8 seen in a teaser for the Galaxy S8 that we recently showed you. It doesn't take much imagination to turn the number into a vertically placed dual camera setup. Not that this would be much of a surprise. After all, dual cameras are this year's fingerprint scanner. The latter was once a rarity, then found on a few handsets, and now they are ubiquitous. Next year, dual camera setups could be everywhere.

LG is one of the last companies to take a jab at Samsung over the Galaxy Note 7 issues that doesn't seem to end, even though the South Korean handset maker has already kicked off the global recall of the faulty units.

Unfortunately, it looks like even the Galaxy Note 7 replacement units that Samsung has started to deliver last month continue to have issues. It's unclear whether it's the new battery inside these phones or these case of smoking phones are simply bad luck.

Nevertheless, LG simply couldn't stay away and joined the Galaxy Note 7 saga with its own remarks. LG smartphone users living in India started to receive messages on their phones that mock Samsung.

Diwali is an ancient Indian festival celebrated in autumn or spring. This year, Diwali will take place on October 30, but LG has decided to start sending best wishes to its consumers three weeks earlier, and take a jab at Samsung in the process.

Here is the message that many Indian customers received in the last couple of days: “Heard the news of exploding products? At LG, our products go through multiple tests to ensure safety of our most valuable asset - YOU. Have a safe Diwali with LG.”

Motorola did a similar thing about two months ago, but the Lenovo-owned company posted a message on Twitter instead of being so intrusive as LG.

On a side note, one of the reasons that LG is running this aggressive campaign against Samsung might be the fact that the company plans to launch the V20 in India very soon. Still, it's a bit low for LG to send these messages to consumers wishing them a safe Diwali while shaming Samsung.