Have we hit peak smartphone? – TechCrunch
There’s reason to believe the market may never return to sustained growth Brian Heater @bheater / 5 days Last Halloween, we broke down some “good news” from a Canalys report:...
I wanted to fold Huawei’s foldable phone but they wouldn’t let me
After reading and writing pieces about foldable phones for months, I finally got to try Huawei‘s extravagant Mate X foldable phone. I used the phone for a couple of minutes...
App stores saw record 204 billion app downloads in 2019, consumer spend of $120 billion – TechCrunch
Consumers downloaded a record 204 billion apps in 2019, up 6% from 2018 and up 45% since 2016, and spent $120 billion on apps, subscriptions and other in-app spending in...
President Trump expected to sign executive order effectively barring Huawei from the United States
President Trump is expected to sign an executive order this week that would ban US companies from using equipment from firms that pose a national security risk. If signed, the...
Mobile payment app Lydia raises $45 million round led by Tencent – TechCrunch
French startup Lydia is raising a $45 million Series B round (€40 million). Tencent is leading the round with existing investors CNP Assurances, XAnge and New Alpha also participating. If...
Trying to quit your phone addiction? There’s an app for that
We’re squandering increasing amounts of time distracted by our phones. And that’s taking a serious toll on our mental and physical well-being. Perhaps ironically, software developers themselves have been on...
Apple buys edge-based AI startup Xnor.ai for a reported $200M – TechCrunch
Xnor.ai, spun off in 2017 from the nonprofit Allen Institute for AI (AI2), has been acquired by Apple for about $200 million. A source close to the company corroborated a...
55% of mobile phone users plan to keep their devices for 3-5 years
A new study shows confirms the worst fears of mobile phone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung. According to responses from 3,640 mobile phone users shows that more than half of...
44% of TikTok’s all-time downloads were in 2019, but app hasn’t figured out monetization – TechCrunch
Despite the U.S. government’s concerns over TikTok, which most recently led to the U.S. Navy banning service members’ use of the app, TikTok had a stellar 2019 in terms of...
This gold-and-diamond-encrusted Jesus phone is the absolute most
I’ve been in this game long enough that I didn’t think anything could surprise me anymore. But I suppose I was a little wrong, because Caviar’s latest blinged-out iPhone definitely...