Author: Eric M. Zeman

Samsung today said problems created during the manufacture of the Galaxy Note7’s battery caused the phone to sometimes overheat and burst into flame. The company says two separate battery defects are at fault, but maintains nothing was wrong with the phone itself. In the first battery, a design flaw led the external casing to be too small to accommodate the internal components. The tight fit caused some electrodes to bend and others to break. This led the battery to short-circuit, overheat, and in some cases ignite. In the second battery, which was made by a third-party supplier, a welding defect introduced during manufacturing led to similar short-circuiting, overheating, and ignition problems. Samsung said this third-party battery was rushed to market, which may have played a role in creating the defect. Samsung tasked some 700 engineers to test some 200,000 Note7 smartphones for problems. The company checked various components, such as the USB port, wireless charging components, iris scanner, processor and radio, and other parts to ensure they didn’t play a role in the phone’s thermal problems. Samsung says three independent, external investigating firms reached the same conclusions. In sum, Samsung says the battery is to blame for the Galaxy Note7’s fire problems and the resulting recall of the handset. The company has introduced new quality checks in its manufacturing processes — and demanded the same checks from its parts suppliers — to ensure problems like this do not arise again.

T-Mobile this evening joined AT&T in putting a stop to exchanges, replacements, and sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note7. “While Samsung investigates multiple reports of issues, T-Mobile is temporarily suspending all sales of the new Note7 and exchanges for replacement Note7 devices,” said the company. Customers can bring their new and/or replacement Note7 (along with any purchased accessories) to a T-Mobile store for a full refund and choose from any device in T-Mobile’s inventory. The company said it will waive restocking fees, as well as allow those who preordered the Note7 to keep the free Netflix subscription, Gear FT, or SD card they might have received as a gift with the phone. Last, T-Mobile will give all Note7 customers a one-time $25 bill credit for the hassle. The carrier encourages all customers to stop using the Note7, power it down, and return it to T-Mobile as soon as practical. Sprint and Verizon are still selling the device.

Microsoft recently updated its Next Lock Screen app for Android devices with support for fingerprint readers. Now, people who own Android handsets that are equipped with fingerprint sensors can use the fingerprint scanner to unlock the phone and bypass the Next Lock Screen. The app also gains smart contacts, which learns and displays the names of people called or texted. The smart lock feature lets users set rules for whether or not a passcode is needed when at home or work. The update also restores location-based wallpapers and fixes bugs. Microsoft’s Next Lock Screen for Android is free to download from the Google Play Store.

Alcatel OneTouch today inadvertently revealed details of the unannounced flagship Idol 4S and Idol 4 smartphones on its own web site. Similar to last year’s Idol 3, the Idol 4S and 4 will be available in two different sizes. The Idol 4S has a 5.5-inch quad HD screen while the Idol 4 has a 5.2-inch full HD display. Shared features include support for LTE networks, dual-band WiFi, GPS, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.2. The phones include stereo speakers and Alcatel’s reversible user interface, so they can be used upside down. Basic specs show the Idol 4S will ship with an octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor with 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, and support for memory cards up to 512 GB. The Idol 4S also includes a 16-megapixel main camera with slow-motion video capture, an 8-megapixel selfie cam, and a 3,000mAh battery. The Idol 4’s specs are stepped down just a bit. It will ship with an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, 2 or 3 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, and support for microSD cards. It packs a 13-megapixel main camera and a wide-angle 8-megapixel user-facing camera. It includes a 2,610mAh battery. Both phones will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. Alcatel OneTouch has not officially announced these phones, so pricing and availability are not yet known.

Verizon Wireless said the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will be able to make WiFi-based voice and video calls beginning Dec. 8. Verizon is adding WiFi calling to its Advanced Calling application, which is typically used for HD Voice calls via VoLTE. Verizon said customers can opt to make calls over WiFi when at home or other areas where WiFi coverage is strong. WiFi calls made to U.S. numbers are free, while calls made to international numbers will be billed at standard rates. Verizon plans to deliver the feature to the GS6 and GS6 Edge through a software update in phases. Verizon said more Android and iOS devices will be given WiFi calling functions early in 2016. T-Mobile and Sprint have offered WiFi calling for some time, and AT&T rolled the feature out in October.

Samsung today introduced the Exynos 8 Octa processor, a system-on-a-chip that is the first from Samsung to also feature a Category 12/13 LTE modem. The Exynos 8 Octa supports four custom cores Samsung designed based on ARM’s v8 architecture, which are paired with four Cortex A53 cores. The Exynos 8 is 30% faster and 10% more power efficient than the older Exynos 7 CPU, and supports wireless download speeds up to 600Mbps. Samsung paired the Exynos 8 with ARM’s Mali-T880 GPU for 3D gaming and virtual reality. Samsung says it delivers rich multimedia experiences. The Exynos 8 Octa is intended for mid- to high-end smartphones. Samsung expects to ship it in volume by the end of the year. Samsung used its Exynos processors — rather than Qualcomm’s Snapdrsgon chips — in the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5.

Walgreens today made it possible for iPhone owners to add their Walgreens Balance Rewards loyalty card to Apple Pay. Walgreens has 85 million Balance Rewards members. Now, when Balance Rewards users make payments at Walgreens stores via Apple Pay, the transaction will automatically record any relevant rewards information associated with the account. Walgreens says members need to add the Balance Rewards card to Apple Pay on a device running iOS 9. Customers can use the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, or Apple Watch to pay for Walgreens transactions, all while receiving any benefits that might be attached to their credit/debit card. Walgreens claims it is the first retailer to add its loyalty program to Apple Pay. Apple added support for loyalty programs to Apple Pay with the release of iOS 9 in September.

Microsoft today released a full version of its Office Lens application for Android devices. Prior to today the app was offered only as a preview. Office Lens uses a smartphone’s camera to capture receipts, business cards, menus, whiteboards, sticky notes, and other documents and save them to OneNote. The tool is able to adjust automatically for crooked or angled images, and can recognize text thanks to optical character recognition. Users can convert images of paper documents into Word, PowerPoint, or PDF files; automatically populate their contact lists with scans of business cards; as well as search, save, export, or share the images. Office Lens is free to download from the Play Store.

This Android phone for Boost Mobile covers the basics in a plain, but usable package. Budget shoppers who prefer pre-paid services might enjoy its stick-to-the-basics approach.

The Wireless Power Consortium today announced a new partnership with Ikea, which will see wireless charging capabilities added to Ikea’s furniture. Ikea will add Qi-based wireless chargers to bedside tables, desks, floor and table lamps, and desks into charging platforms. Ikea said some of the furniture pieces will be designed by David Wahl. By adding wireless charging to furniture, the WPC and Ikea hope to make it easier for consumers to charge their mobile phones and tablets without the typical mess of wires that accompany many such devices. Ikea expects to sell Qi-compatlbe furniture throughout Europe and North America beginning in April. The companies will show off the new designs closer to launch. Qi is one of two major competing standards for wireless charging. The other is run by the Power Matters Alliance and Alliance 4 Wireless Power, which are in the process of merging. Ikea didn’t say if it will eventually support the PMA/A4WP spec.