UPDATED 16:19 EDT / JULY 16 2013

Galaxy Note 3 vs. HTC One Max : Phablet Rumors + Smartphone Scares

These days, phone manufacturer releases seem to be all about three things: a big phone but not big enough to be considered as a phablet, a smaller version of that phone for those who aren’t fond of lugging around a huge phone, then a phablet for those who see bigger things as better things.

Samsung and HTC are both guilty of this.  First they released their flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, then Samsung released various variants of the S4 including the S4 mini, we’re still waiting on HTC to reveal the HTC One mini, but it seem like it has moved on to bigger dreams.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

According to reports, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 will be launched on September 4, two days before IFA 2013 in Berlin, Germany.  After which, the device is expected to go on sale late September.

The Galaxy Note 3 is rumored to feature a 6.99″ Super AMOLED display, 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor from Qualcomm or Exynos 5 Octa processor, LTE, 802.11ac WiFi, S Pen, 13MP rear camera,  and run Android 4.2.2 or 4.3.

It will look similar to the Galaxy S4 with its rounded corners, removable back cover which means removable battery, and a faux metal band around the length of the device and will probably come with a hefty price tag of $299.99 on a two-year carrier contract.  Rumors also suggest that Samsung might release two versions of this device, one with all the premium components, then another using cheaper ones.

HTC One Max

This phone will look exactly like the HTC One, only bigger, and is said to feature a 5.9” or 6” display with 1080p resolution, Ultrapixel rear camera, 2.1MP wide-angle front-facing camera,  Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, run Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie or modified version of HTC Sense 5,  2GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage and will be priced at $199.99 with a two-year contract.

It is rumored that the HTC One Max will be released on September 5, but it looks like it wants to go before Samsung, as reports are now suggesting a late July or early August launch.

These are just rumors so don’t be surprised is specs of the actual device are not the ones mentioned here.

iPhone 5 shocks user, literally

 

While Samsung and HTC are gearing to wow the mobile world with their next phablets, Apple is also shocking the world – literally.

On Monday, Reuters reported that Ma Ailun, a flight attendant with China Southern Airlines, died after being electrocuted when she picked up her phone to answer a call.  Her iPhone 5 was said to be charging when the incident happened.  Reports stated that the iPhone 5 was bought last december and the woman was using an original charger.

Apple is now investigating the matter and sends their sympathies to the family of the victim.

Other iPhone 5 owners are now concerned that they will encounter a similar incident, but Donald Johnson, a professional engineer who deals with stray voltage and electrocution investigations stated that “I wouldn’t be concerned about it at all. The investigation will be important, but usually low-voltage items, like a phone chargers, aren’t a concern.”  He did, however, state that “electricity can do strange things.”

Don’t be quick to point fingers and chastise Apple, as other devices have also caused harm to users recently.

One  HTC EVO Shift 4G user got burned by her device while doing her yard work.  According to the person, she tucked her phone in the waistband of her sweatpants as she had no pockets, while listening to music on the built-in FM tuner.  She tried moving the device a couple of time as the device grew warm, but soon found out that the device had burned her skin and was now sticking to the device.  BestBuy, the retailer where the device was bought, stated that the device needed appropriate ventilation and she should have used a device sleeve to prevent getting burned.

Then another woman was injured when her Galaxy S3 exploded in her pants’ pocket, burning her pants and suffering severe burns on her leg.  This isn’t the first time a self-combusting phone has made the news.  In 2011, an iPhone self-combusted in an airplane, and last year, a Galaxy SIII burnt on its own while placed in a car mount.

Some suggest that the more powerful processors equipped in these devices are causing the phones to overheat and explode.


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