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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

LG’s camera module maker, LG Innotek, has been struggling in 2016 due to a slowdown in smartphones worldwide. The company suffered an operating loss of 34 billion won ($30 million) in the second quarter, turning to deficit from a year ago. But it’s expected to rebound—thanks to Apple. One of the major improvements in Apple’s new iPhones is the camera setup. It’s completely redesigned, and upgrades include a wider aperture to take clearer photos in the dark, a 12-megapixel sensor that’s 60% faster, and, most significantly, the iPhone 7 Plus has dual cameras at the back—and LG Innotek is its exclusive module supplier. A close-up view of the iPhone 7 Plus’ dual cameras. (Photo credit: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) Cameras are becoming more important for smartphones, and it is also a profitable component to supply. Companies could invest into making better batteries or speakers, but those are only a fraction of the price of an iPhone, meaning less revenue for those parts s

Apple iOS 10 is here and the case to upgrade is a strong one thanks to a multitude of major new features. And this case gets even stronger given all the secret features iOS 10 also hides beneath the surface… ‘Great Features’ and ‘Nasty Surprises’ are my regular columns investigating operating system updates for the best features / biggest problems hidden behind the headlines. Apple iOS 10. Image credit: Apple Here are 25 of the best: Apple Maps Find My Car:  Siri automatically detects when you’re driving and drops a pin at the location you stop, so you can easily find it later. Avoid Tolls:  when setting a route, you can now choose to specifically avoid toll roads. A nice Google Maps catch up feature. Apple Maps gets a major upgrade in iOS 10, but you could remove it completely if you want. Image credit: Apple Location Suggestions:  In iOS 10 when you enter a Calendar event you will find locations are suggested automatically using Apple Maps. This is a catch

As the hand-picked members of the world’s tech press walked out of Apple’s iPhone 7 launch event, they and countless more who watched online were busy working on the coverage of the event firstly in their heads, then at a keyboard, before hitting the digital presses. Balancing arguments and personal judgement, everyone will have had a different experience of the event. Personal decisions influence the coverage, an Apple event especially. It’s not just a matter of relaying facts, it’s about offering opinions and context. Given that, shall we ‘think different’ about Tim Cook’s event and have some fun? Rather than be guided by a single viewpoint, I shall leave it to you dear reader to decide what sort of coverage you’d like to read. At the end of every section, you can guide the tone of the next part of the coverage. Let’s start with a simple question. How confident are you about Apple’s future? Click here if Apple is going to continue to soar and remain untouchable… Click her