Xperia X Compact goes on sale in the UK

Sony's latest Xperia X line-up is gradually making its way out to customers in the usual select parts of the world, and the Xperia X Compact is now available to purchase in the UK. An assortment of local retailers and carriers are now offering the smartphone, both unlocked and on contract offers.

The Carphone Warehouse and EE are currently selling the handset, with contracts also available on the O2 and Vodafone networks. The up front cost for the unlocked model will set up back £359.99. Although the Carphone Warehouse is also offering this phone for £28 per month when you take out a 24 month contract, which can all be had with no additional upfront costs. Monthly data plans are typically between an extra £28 and £35 per month, depending on the package.

If you're buying from EE directly, contract plans start at £28.49 with nothing down for 500MB of data, while the phone and a 20GB plan can be yours for £50.99 per month with £0 up front. Neither Amazon nor other carriers seem to be selling the handset directly in the country just yet, but you can pick up a SIM card for use in the unlocked model, or a contract through the Carphone Warehouse.

Read on: Sony Xperia X Compact hands on review46

For hardware, the new Xperia X Compact offers up a 4.6-inch 720p display, a Snapdragon 650 processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot. The phone also comes equipped with a 23MP rear camera, 5MP selfie shooter, a USB Type-C port, fingerprint scanner, Android Marshmallow, and a 2,700mAh battery on board. Is anyone biting?

Buy from Carphone Warehouse

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Play Services v 9.6 update incorporates Nearby into Quick Settings

In case Google's ambitious Nearby feature slipped you by, it's a slick proximity-based communication system meant to ping us relevant (and hopefully useful) information from our surroundings. Google has long worked with developers to get these services in place, which involve tie-ins between a company's localized "beacons" – in places like stores, museums, and airports – with their app or website. It's achieved via several communication methods in your mobile device, such as Bluetooth, WiFi, and the microphone/speaker (inaudible sound exchange).

The technology also allows Nearby-enabled devices to connect to each other, to exchange data/messages or have real-time interactions, like multiplayer gaming. It's another level of connection with the world around us.

Unfortunately, the feature hasn't been the easiest to access, involving some digging to get to. But that looks to be addressed in an upcoming Google Play Services v 9.6 update, as Nearby has been spotted lurking around Android's Quick Settings. It's not enabled by default; you'll have to get into the Quick Settings edit mode and add the Nearby tile. However, this also means that you'll have to be running Android 7.0 Nougat, because the Quick Settings customizer is a new feature in it.

See also: Using the Awareness API in your Android app2

Google Play Service v9.6 hasn't fully rolled out yet, but it probably won't be long before you can enjoy this new functionality. Are those who have been using Nearby enjoying it? Have you seen much action through it?

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Galaxy Note 7 sales could resume in early October

Samsung may incur losses in excess of a billion dollars due to the Note 7 recall. We'll never know the exact figure, but it's obvious that Samsung is eager to move past this fiasco and resume normal Galaxy Note 7 sales. But when will that happen?

According to a statement put up by Samsung Australia, the situation will return to normal from next month. The company expects to begin shipments of new, safe units from September 21.

Sales of the Note 7 should resume in Australia in "early October."

Keep in mind that these dates are estimates based on the assumption that Samsung won't run into any other issues in the process of manufacturing replacements units for the recalled Note 7's, as well as additional stock for new customers.

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At least two Note 7's caught fire in Australia so far, where three airlines banned the use of the device on board of their flights.

What we don't know is whether Samsung will begin replacement shipments and new sales from the same dates in the rest of the world.

On September 2, Samsung CEO DJ Koh said the company needed two weeks to manufacture a stockpile of new units to replace the devices it shipped in the ten markets where the Note 7 went on sale on August 19 (including US, Canada, some EU markets, and Australia).

In the US, carriers like Verizon and AT&T said they would waive Note 7 replacement fees through September 30, which is a sign that Samsung is confident it can complete the bulk of the recall process by the end of the month.

There's a solid chance the Note 7 will become available in stores worldwide from the beginning of next month, but we'll need official confirmation from Samsung on that. If you're interested in buying a new Samsung phone, you may want to wait until then – it's not clear what Samsung plans to do with all the returned devices, but we might see some sweet deals on refurbished devices very soon.

See also: Refurbished phones: what you need to know21

As for making sure that your new Note is safe to use, you can see how to tell if a device is from a safe batch here.

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Samsung launches its Galaxy Folder 2 flip-phone

There isn't much that we don't already know about Samsung's new Galaxy Folder 2, after the large number of leaks that appeared over the last month. Still, the handset is finally here, offering up something new for what remains of the flip-phone crowd.

The hardware specifications are nothing to write home about, but modern flip phones have never been about the latest and greatest pieces of tech. The phone does however offer Android Marshmallow out of the box, and comes with a reasonable looking camera configuration.

The Galaxy Folder 2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor and 2GB of RAM. There's also 16GB of internal storage combined with a microSD card that supports 128GB of additional space. The phone features a 3.8-inch TFT LCD display with a WVGA (800×480) resolution. There's also a 1950mAh battery, a 5 megapixel front facing camera, and an 8 megapixel rear camera.

It's highly unlikely that we will see the Galaxy Folder 2 ship outside of China, but the company hasn't announced any regional or pricing details just yet. Still, would you buy one if you had the chance?

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Flatline: Analysts halve 2016 global smartphone growth predictions

We all know that smartphone growth is slowing down worldwide. Smartphone ownership is nearing saturation point, new markets are thinning out, emerging markets are becoming more established and everyone is holding onto phones a lot longer because they're just so darn good these days.

See also: Android posts highest ever market share in latest mobile data80

As if to underscore the steady plateauing of the mobile market, analysts have once again reduced forecasts for smartphone growth in 2016. The shocking part is that they've cut their predictions in half. As if that's not bad enough, the growth rate itself is essentially flatlining.

Analysts have reduced global smartphone market growth estimates from an initial 3.4% to just 1.6%.

Analysts at IDC have reduced global smartphone market growth estimates in 2016 from an initial 3.4% to just 1.6%. The reduction is the second in three months. IDC's Jitesh Ubrani explians the situation is because "growth in the smartphone market is quickly becoming reliant on replacing existing handsets rather than seeking new users."

IDC

Ubrani also said that consumers in the U.S. and EU are becoming "increasingly comfortable with 'good enough' smartphones," killing the constant urge for the latest and greatest.

The maturing of developed markets comes at the same time that device manufacturers out of China including Huawei, OPPO and Vivo make their mark internationally with affordable and increasingly high-powered devices. This uprising is slowly eating away at the dominant positions held by Apple and Samsung.

Huawei's Richard Yu has publicly stated that Huawei plans to be number one in four to five years.

Samsung still holds the top spot though, with 22.4% market share, followed by Apple with 11.8% (as of Q2, 2016). But Huawei is coming on strong with 9.4%, with Richard Yu publicly stating Huawei plans to be number one "in four to five years". Considering Apple's steady decline and Huawei's continual growth, we may even see Huawei take the number two spot in the next six months.

In order to stimulate growth, vendors are rolling out new enticements to encourage upgrades. As Ubrani notes, with "the launch of trade-in or buy-back programs from top vendors and telcos, the industry is aiming to spur early replacements and shorten lifecycles."

Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) should also help stimulate upgrades in the next 12 to 18 months.

But it doesn't just stop at smartphones: "upcoming innovations in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) should also help stimulate upgrades in the next 12 to 18 months," he said.

See also: Google Daydream VR: 'Daydream-ready' phones and compatible devices23

IDC

Phablets (for want of a better term) are expected to grow in popularity from one quarter of the smartphone market to one third by 2020. Fortunately, prices for large-screen devices is expected to plummet in coming years, in opposition to regular-sized devices. As IDC's Anthony Scarsella predicts:

Average selling prices (ASPs) for phablets are expected to reach $304 by 2020, down 27% from $419 in 2015, while regular smartphones (5.4 inches and smaller) are expected to drop only 12% ($264 from $232) during the same time frame.

On the OS front, nothing much has – or will – change, with Android representing over 85% of the smartphone market. Apple's stance on the 3.5mm headphone jack and continued rumors of a major hardware refresh next year in celebration of the 10^th anniversary of the iPhone are expected to contribute to a full year decline in iPhone shipments.

Who do you think will be number one in 5 years? Where will Apple and Samsung be?

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Samsung might drop the flat display for the Galaxy S8

Samsung has apparently been weighing up whether or not to completely ditch flat screen panels for its future generations of Galaxy S flagships. According to the latest tip from industry sources, the company may opt solely for the edge display as early as the Galaxy S8.

This isn't the first time that we've heard this rumor. Last month, Samsung's Koh Dong-jin stated that the company has been considering whether or not to use the edge display as a key identifier of the Galaxy S lineup. However, he did not commit to making a decision about the flat-display model in time for the Galaxy S8. The fact that Samsung can differentiate the user experience through its new edge display software functions is one of the leading arguments for removing the flat screen option.

However, it may be sales data that is finally tipping the balance in favor of the edge variant. This generation, the Galaxy S7 edge sold in greater numbers than the flat-screen model. The same may have also been the case with the S6 edge, had Samsung not run into display supply issues soon after launch. Samsung has also been testing the water with a curved-only model with the Galaxy Note 7. Although the mass recall now may make it harder to judge any sales impact that only offering one display type may have had.

See also: Samsung Galaxy S8 codenamed 'Project Dream': 4K display rumored again119

According to the industry sources, the company is already procuring two different display sizes for the Galaxy S8 from Samsung Display. Interestingly, and perhaps confusingly, Samsung may still offer two Galaxy S8 models at 5.1 and 5.5-inch sizes, but both offering dual-edge displays. Such a decision may turn some consumers off, but perhaps the unique marketing opportunities of its edge display technology will help Samsung reach new consumers.

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Here’s how you will be able to tell whether a Note 7 is safe or not

Samsung is in the midst of a massive Galaxy Note 7 recall, but, with millions of devices on the market, some units are bound to fall through the net. Many owners – like that Florida man whose car was totaled in a fire – don't even know they're supposed to get their device replaced.

So, how can you tell whether a Note 7 is safe to use or is one from the original batch with a potentially faulty battery?

Samsung Australia has published new information on the recall process that sheds some light on the issue.

New Note 7 units will feature a couple of distinctive marks on their retail box. Look for a "small black square on the white barcode" and a round sticker with the letter "S". We marked them with red in this picture:

What if you don't have the retail box for some reason? You will still be able to check if a Note 7 is safe by running its IMEI number through a Samsung website. This online database will go live once replacement units become available. In Australia, that will be from September 21.

You can take the phone's unique IMEI number from its packaging (if available), or from the phone's back, or from the device settings, by going to Settings > General > Status.

Even if the device box has the black square and "S" sticker, it's probably best to run the IMEI number taken from the phone through Samsung's database anyway, just to be extra sure.

We expect the markings to be similar in other markets. Samsung said it would begin the worldwide Note 7 recall process from around the middle of September.

See also: (Update: FAA advises against use) Three Australian airlines ban Galaxy Note 7 in-flight use33

If you happen to run into a Note 7 unit from the original batch, don't take any chances and go through the recall process – the small nuisance is definitely worth the peace of mind of knowing your device won't just set itself aflame without warning.

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