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Telecom stores and boutique electronics retailers across South Korea flooded with Apple fanatics all day Friday in hot pursuit of the  iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, with lines of 200 at some of the biggest stores before opening hours. At a telecom megastore in Seoul’s downtown Gwanghwamun,  25-year-old Yoo Byung-moon  camped out for  four days  to be the first in the country to collect the most popular Apple phone in Korea yet, priced between 869,000 won and 1.28 million won (about $764-$1,125). Some reports  estimated total sales  at 300,000 units on opening day, whereas 10,000 units is considered a success in Korea. Other loyal fans who were quick enough to preorder early picked up their phones in a calm, orderly manner. James Oh, who has a Galaxy S series for work and iPhone for personal use, was one of the thousands to book an iPhone when preorders opened last Friday. The three major telecoms reported record preorders, double the demand for the iPhone 6 and selling out a

Chinese phone companies have developed a reputation, especially to western tech media, for its tendency to “borrow” hardware design cues from iPhones. While that stigma is not unearned, it’s a bit dated because some Chinese phonemakers, chief among them Huawei, have developed its own design language and style. (Conversely, when Apple or Google borrow ideas from Chinese companies, western media seem oblivious – just check out all the pieces gushing about the new iPhone’s dual-camera “bokeh” trick, or Google Pixel’s “swipe on the fingerprint sensor to pull down notifications” shortcut … Huawei’s P9 offered those things half a year ago). Plus, copying Apple is old news. Some Chinese companies have moved to Samsung for inspiration. Case in point: Xiaomi is set to announce a new phone on October 25, and as usual, all the key information about the device has leaked on Chinese social media, including its looks.  Follow Playfuldroid!   @playfuldroid Xiaomi Mi Not

The   Federal Aviation Administration   is “strongly” advising passengers onboard planes not to use Galaxy Note 7 cellphones by Samsung, which is recalling 2.5 million of the models after discovering a flaw in the battery cell that could result in fires. In a   statement   on its website on Thursday night, the F.A.A. said its advice came “in light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung” about the phones. It also recommended against charging the devices onboard or stowing them in any checked baggage. A company representative could not immediately be reached on Thursday night to comment about the agency’s statement, which was an advisory. The advisory was in keeping with the F.A.A.’s past statements. It has documented   hundreds of cases   involving batteries from e-cigarettes, laptops, digital cameras, cellphones, electric bicycles, flashlights, GPS trackers, drones and even a cordless drill catching fire or overheating on passenger planes. In March, th

Samsung Electronics announced on Friday that it   would recall   2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones after finding a flaw in the battery cell that resulted in fires. It is the latest problem for the lithium-ion battery, the power source at the heart of most modern devices. Q. What is a lithium-ion battery? A.   It is a   powerful, lightweight battery   that includes lithium-ion particles. Lithium-ion particles in the batteries move back and forth between a negative and positive electrode as they are charged and discharged. The advantage for companies in Silicon Valley and Detroit is that the batteries don’t take up much room and can quickly recharge repeatedly without wearing out. Q.  What are they used in? A.   Chances are you encounter these on a daily basis. They are in smartphones, laptops,   electric cars , airplanes and even e-cigarettes. Of course, the ones in airplanes and cars are much larger than those used in phones. Q.  What is the problem with lith