What we’ve learned from Mobile World Congress 2016

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The take away from MWC was that phones are great as standalone devices and pocket computers, they can be awesome when you extend their functionality with great accessories and ecosystems.

This year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona brought the focus back on smartphones with various new flagship models sporting the latest processors, the latest display technology, improved cameras and software as well as better battery life, water resistance features and premium materials.

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The Apple Beat: Apple surges behind iPhone 6 sales, what's next?

Apple CEO Tim Cook may not be a master showman on stage, but he's masterfully engineered Apple's most profitable quarter in history By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Any doubt or cynicism on CEO Tim Cook’s leadership in the post-Steve Jobs era evaporated after the news of Apple’s US $18 billion profit, the most profit ever reported by a publicly-traded company.

Under Tim Cook’s leadership, Apple once more managed to shatter earnings expectations and post record highs in revenues and profits behind the surging popularity and sales of the iPhone 6 line which is now the company’s biggest earning product and which secures its place in the mobile industry in the markets where it is sold.

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Motorola's Moto E smartphone slated as budget bet

The Moto E, expected to be launched next week, is reportedly the most affordable smartphone to come out of Motorola as per a report from the Times of India. Referencing findings from,the database of Zauba, a website that tracking goods imported in India, "has revealed that at least 1,300 units of Moto E have been brought to the domestic market."

Specs are expected to be modest but durable with a 4.3-inch screen, 720p HD display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor,  1GB of RAM, a 5MP camera and a 1,900mAh battery. Storage is expected at 4GB onboard expandable with a microSD card slot. Android 4.4 KitKat is expected to be on tap as the OS. The Moto E is also expected to be thinner than its more expensive brothers, the Moto X and Moto G and reports of a water-resistant and dustproof enclosure are in tune with Motorola's own event announcement. All things considered, this looks like a great model to field in the emerging markets sector and the entry-level of the market. Although the water and dust resistant features as well as the addition of a microSD slot are traditionally premium features. Dual-SIM functionality was not mentioned but is most certainly a consideration for emerging markets.

Price point, a big factor for a new smartphone in this segment, is expected to be very aggressive although we won't know the price until the event next Tuesday. Stay tuned here are we report live from Motorola's launch event on Tuesday, their very first as a subsidiary of Lenovo.

Source: Times of India

The Apple Beat: Wearables and the Nike Connection

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The wearable market is shaping up, albeit in a scattered and non-standard fashion and many believe that it is just a matter of time before Apple dives into this emerging sector of consumer technology. Nike, which has long been allied with Apple, (and which Apple CEO  Tim Cook has served as board member for close to a decade now), is said to be abandoning its Fuelband line to focus on software.

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