Sony and Microsoft focus on mid-range smartphones at MWC

Sony and Microsoft focus on mid-range smartphones at MWC

Sony and Microsoft have opted to unveil mid-range smartphones at the Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona.

The Lumia 640XL packs more features than an earlier "phablet", the Lumia 1320, but will be cheaper

Microsoft indicated it would wait until the release of Windows 10 to announce a new flagship, despite its high-end Lumia 930 dating back to April 2014.

Sony's Xperia Z3 is less old, having launched in September. But the firm had previously refreshed its top model roughly once every six months.

Sony said its focus was on "broadening its customer base" at this time.

The companies' decisions to leave more high-profile launches until later has one immediate benefit: the flagships do not risk being overshadowed by Samsung's Galaxy S6, which was unveiled on Sunday evening.

The M4 Aqua is waterproof despite a capless microUSB port

Even so, one expert said the importance of the fast-growing mid-range market should not be underestimated.

"It's much harder to win over people at the high-end than the mid-tier, and it costs more money to do so, especially if you're not one of the top few handset brands," said Carolina Milanese, chief of research at KWP ComTech.

"In the mid-tier there's also less loyalty - consumers switch around more - so there's a bigger proportion of the market to go after.

"And it's easier to demonstrate value, by offering a different balance of price and features.

"But the challenge is that you are competing with more firms and some of them are pretty ruthless when it comes to price."

LG, Motorola and ZTE also unveiled new mid-range smartphones in the days leading up to MWC.

Bundled Office

Microsoft is adding two models to its line-up, both of which run Windows Phone 8.1 and will be upgradeable to Windows 10 when it is released later this year.

The Lumia 640 offers owners both 4G data connectivity and ability to fit two Sim cards at once - a popular feature in India, where users often switch network provider when crossing states to get a better rate.

The phone's 5in (12.7cm) screen is bigger and higher resolution than the Lumia 635 it supersedes. It also gains a higher quality eight megapixel camera and an NFC (near field communication) chip for wireless payments and cordless connections to other kit.

The other new model, the Lumia 640 XL, has a bigger 5.7in (14.5cm) screen and a 13-megapixel camera. Both are being bundled with a one-year subscription to Microsoft's Office 365 productivity software suite, including access for an additional PC and tablet.

They will range in cost between €139 ($155; £100) and €219 ($245; £160), depending on the specification.

The Lumia 640 is a dual-Sim model, which may help it appeal to shoppers in India

Shrinking appeal?

The Windows Phone platform saw its market share shrink from 3.3% to 2.7% last year, according to recently published figures.

The forthcoming launch of Windows 10 will allow a single app to run across Windows PCs, tablets and phones, rather than having different ecosystems.

Microsoft marketing director Neil Broadley said it would present a "tremendous opportunity" to attract new users.

But one expert said that delaying the release of a new flagship until that point might be misguided.

"The risk is that if Microsoft doesn't release a new flagship soon, its top-end hardware is going to look very old," said Ian Fogg, head of the mobile at the IHS Technology consultancy.

"Having a good flagship can have a halo effect, attracting people to the rest of the range.

"The new phones are upgradeable to Windows 10 anyway, so the fact the operating system is not out yet shouldn't deter Microsoft from releasing a new flagship now."

Hundreds of new products will be launched at MWC this year

Budget cuts

Sony announced a policy change last month, saying that it was going to limit investment in its smartphone line-up as part of efforts to return to profit.

The Japanese firm's chief executive, Kazuo Hirai, added that he might later consider "an exit strategy" from mobile phones altogether, though he said no such plan was currently in the works.

Releasing the Xperia M4 Aqua may therefore fit Sony's mobile unit better than releasing another tent-pole device packed with expensive new technologies so soon after the last.

The Xperia M4 Aqua's marketing materials make a virtue of its ability to be used in water

The 5in (12.7cm) phone's distinguishing features, all shared with one or more other pieces of Sony kit, include:

• A 13MP main camera and a 5MP front one
• Up to two days of normal use between charges, thanks in part to a relatively large 2,400mAh battery
• Waterproofing to depths of 1.5m (4.9ft) for up to 30 minutes, with a capless microUSB port

It will cost about €300 when it goes on sale.

Sony's Xperia Z4 tablet can work under water and stream PlayStation 4 video games

Sony has also announced a new tablet, the Xperia Z4

At 6.1mm (0.24in) thick, it said it was the thinnest 10in (25.4cm) such device on the market.

Dell has a slightly thinner, but smaller model.

Read More

Tinder to charge older users more for premium facilities

Tinder to charge older users more for premium facilities

The Rewind function will allow members to retrieve rejected profiles

Tinder has announced it is adding much anticipated premium features to its dating app, including the ability to reconsider rejected profiles.

In a surprise move, it announced the pay-to-use add-ons would cost more for older people to use.

In the UK, people over the age of 28 years old face paying nearly four times the price of their younger counterparts. In the US, the over-30s have to pay double the basic rate.

One expert said the move was "sleazy".

But Tinder has defended its business plan, saying its rates were based on "extensive" tests.

"We've priced Tinder Plus based on a combination of factors, including what we've learned through our testing, and we've found that these price points were adopted very well by certain age demographics," said a spokeswoman.

Users have to like each other on Tinder to send messages

"Lots of products offer differentiated price tiers by age, like Spotify does for students, for example.

"Tinder is no different; during our testing we've learned, not surprisingly, that younger users are just as excited about Tinder Plus, but are more budget constrained and need a lower price to pull the trigger."

UK users face a £3.99 monthly fee for the service if they are aged between 18 and 27, and £14.99 a month if they are aged 28 and above.

In the US, the corresponding figures are $9.99 (£6.50) and $19.99 (£13).

Tinder added that members in emerging economies would be charged an average of $2.99 a month for the premium features.

Swipe to reject

Tinder has become one of the most popular dating services since its launch in 2012.

The smartphone app uses its members' Facebook profiles to source photos and show basic information about them.

Members then swipe to the right to pick someone they would like to date or swipe to the left to reject a profile.

Users can only send messages to each other if they have each picked the other party.

Until now, there were no charges to use the app.

But a common complaint was that an accidental swipe in the wrong direction could thwart a potential match and there was no way to undo this. The Rewind feature now provides a solution.

In addition, the premium service has also added a facility called Passport.

The Passport function allows users to overcome a restriction that limited searches to their close vicinity

This allows users to search for singles in a different city from where they are based, letting them set up dates for holidays, business trips or other travel in advance.

'Creating a barrier'

The matchmaking industry generated $2.2bn in sales in the US alone in 2014, representing 4.8% growth since 2009, according to a study by the Ibisworld research group.

Tinder is majority-owned by the US media company InterActiveCorp, which also owns the paid subscription dating services OKCupid, Meetic and Match.com.

Company watchers had always assumed that Tinder would start charging fees at some point, not least because its computer server bills are mounting.

But one tech venture capitalist was surprised by the model the firm had chosen to adopt.

"It's true that Microsoft, for example, sells its Office software to university students for considerably less than it sells it to corporations - and it justifies that on an ability to pay," said entrepreneur Paul Kedrosky, who writes the Infectious Greed blog.

"But that seems highly unlikely to be the same case here.

"It seems more likely it's a way to get the [younger] demographic that Tinder wants on the service, and using price as a way to create a barrier to others.

"I just think it's - for want of a better word - sleazy."

Read More

Samsung S6 Edge with curved screen unveiled at MWC

Samsung S6 Edge with curved screen unveiled at MWC

Samsung will sell two versions of its next flagship phone, one of which has a screen that curves round its sides.

The Galaxy S6 Edge uses the feature to provide a quick way to stay in touch with select contacts, and to alert owners to important information.

It will be sold for a higher price than the standard S6, which otherwise has the same specifications.

Samsung lost market share to Apple and others after the S5 sold fewer copies than its predecessor in many countries.

Its replacements were unveiled in Barcelona, ahead of the start of Mobile World Congress. They go on sale on 10 April in 20 countries, including the UK.

Samsung says the two phones feature a 64-bit processor it designed to be both more powerful and energy efficient than before

Metal frame

The South Korean firm said it had set out to address past "missteps", and had codenamed the devices "project zero" to reflect the need for a rethink.

Changes include making the TouchWiz user interface simpler to use by cutting the number of pop-up messages and introducing a metal frame and glass back instead of the plastic styling of earlier models.

The redesign has, however, meant some features have had to be jettisoned: the phones are not water-resistant, they do not have a microSD slot for extra storage and their backs cannot be removed to change their batteries.

The Galaxy S6 Edge's curved screen lets it shine a colour on the table when face down, providing a signal as to who is calling

Even so, one expert praised the company's choices.

"Samsung has clearly listened to feedback - not just for the Galaxy S5, which just missed the mark last year costing the company greatly - but also the S4, which was a product that tried to cram in every piece of technology it could find," said Ben Wood, head of research at the CCS Insight tech consultancy.

"The software has been made into a much more crisp and clear experience, the design of the product has clean lines and looks very nice, and the marketing campaign is expected to only pinpoint three things - and that's certainly something that had been missing from Samsung's products for quite some time."

Others were more critical. Rob Kerr, from the price comparison site uswitch.com, declared: "The dual-curved display just seems too gimmicky, too niche, to really be a crowd pleaser."

Samsung said the metal used in the Galaxy S6 Edge "would not bend" - a dig at Apple

Coloured contacts

The three topics Samsung is focusing on are:

• Revamped designs, including the premium model's curved screen
• Camera upgrades
• In-built support for wireless charging, with support for two rival standards

The S6 Edge uses its curves to provide a couple of services.

The first is called People Edge, which provides a quick way to bring up calls, texts and other messages from five acquaintances of the owner's choosing. Each person is assigned a different colour, which the phone's edge flashes when it rings, providing a hint of the caller's identity even if the device is face down.

The second is Information Stream, which displays the time, weather and selected notifications on the curved part.

It appears Samsung has deliberately kept the functionality more basic than on its Galaxy Note Edge - a larger handset whose screen curves only around one of its sides. The older phone uses the extra space to both run apps of its its own and to add controls to other apps.

Samsung's two Galaxy S6 models feature wireless charging support

The S6 phone's front camera has been upgraded to five megapixels, while the rear one stays at 16MP.

Both gain from a wider aperture, which should improve their ability to take photos and videos in low light conditions.

Samsung has also taken steps to make the camera quicker to use, saying it now takes less than a second to double tap the home key and snap a shot.

The firm is claiming a "world first" by embedding support for both the PMA and WPC's Qi wireless charging standards.

The Android-powered handsets are also faster to recharge, and should return to 50% battery strength within half an hour of being plugged in.

Samsung said that this was half the time it would take to charge an iPhone 6.

Samsung said it had worked with Mastercard and Visa to add smart wallet features

Other improvements over the S5 include:

• Increased screen resolution - now 577 pixels per inch - and the ability to go 20% brighter
• A new 14 nanometre processor designed by Samsung, rather than bought from Qualcomm, that should be more energy efficient
• The addition of Samsung Pay, a smart wallet service that allows the handsets to act as a credit or debit card when tapped against a shop's NFC chip reader or used to transmit magnetic stripe data. It will initially be limited to the US and South Korea

The firm also revealed it had developed a new version of its Gear VR virtual reality kit that uses the S6 models as a screen.

Samsung has developed a new version of its virtual reality headset that uses the Galaxy S6 as a screen

Market share down

Read More