Google is reportedly working on a mid-range Pixel smartphone, with plans to release the more affordable Android handset early in 2019. The company is expected to reveal its new flagship Android smartphones - generally believed to be the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL - later this year, with the mid-range version likely to expand the line-up rather than replace anything currently offered.
Google won't continue working with the Department of Defense on its Project Maven once its existing contract runs out, at least according to a new report. The work, which involves providing artificial intelligence to analyze drone footage for the government, has been highly controversial and included many employees quitting in protest.
Apple's new iPhone X Plus, the rumored super-sized version of the 2018 iPhone, is increasingly expected to feature a three camera array, as hardware rumors continue to circulate ahead of its launch later this year. The new iOS device is tipped to be one of at least three new iPhone models, each borrowing liberally from the current iPhone X flagship.
Samsung has opted to slightly delay the Galaxy Note 9 from its original launch schedule, it's reported, with the phone-maker said to be trying to make the Android phablet even thinner than initially intended. The latest in Samsung's stylus-enabled smartphone range, the Note 9 is expected to make its official debut later this year.
Don't hold out hope for a new MacBook, reworked MacBook Pro keyboard, or indeed any new hardware at WWDC 2018 this year, with the likelihood low of Apple straying from discussing software. The company's annual developer event kicks off in San Jose, CA next Monday, June 4, and as always there has been widespread speculation about just what the opening keynote will hold.
Google's Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will again be differentiated by more than just screen size, with notch-haters forced to stomach the screen cut-out if they want the larger of the two flagship Android phones. Expected to debut in October 2018, the two new smartphones are the third generation of Pixel, Google's showcase for the best of Android and an unofficial roadmap for what it expects of its phone-maker partners.
Apple is preparing to loosen its tight grip on the iPhone's NFC, with reports that the firm plans to give developers access to the secure wireless chip. First added to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus back in 2014, NFC - or Near Field Communications - was used for Apple Pay, the company's mobile payments system.
Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro may well be in line for an update at WWDC 2018, with stock levels hinting that the Cupertino firm could be running down supplies in advance of a new model. The annual developer event starts on June 4, and there have been ongoing rumors that Tim Cook & Co. will use its keynote to debut fresh hardware.
Smartphone maker Essential, Andy Rubin's project to reinvent the Android phone, has axed development of its second device and is considering selling itself off, according to a new report. The company is part of Playground Global, the startup incubator that Rubin began in 2015 to focus on new hardware projects after leaving his role as Android chief at Google.
Apple was aware that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were much more likely to bend than the iPhone 5s they replaced, new court documents reveal, though the company kept quiet on its post-launch design fixes even as owners complained of "Bendgate" problems. The iPhone 6 launch, in 2014, saw one of the most significant changes in design language for Apple in the smartphone's history.
Amazon has quietly been pushing its Rekognition AI system to police departments, using the deep learning technology to power real-time facial recognition. The company has already deployed Rekognition-powered services in a number of US states, it's reported, automating the identification of "people of interest" from multiple cameras spread across cities.
In the Amazon age, Best Buy has made a lot of changes and launched a lot of initiatives to keep pace. One of its most successful initiatives is unquestionably Gamers Club Unlocked, a subscription service that offers big discounts on new games for any platform. As it turns out, Gamers Club Unlocked may have been too good to last.