Didn’t have time to keep up with every ripple in the technology pond this week? We’ve got you covered. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last week.
Apple battles with iPhone 4S battery life issues
We learned last Saturday that Apple had begun an investigation into the battery life of the new iPhone 4S based on complaints from users that the smartphone’s battery was draining much more rapidly than it should. The complaints seemed to come from a relatively small number of customers, but just Wednesday Apple confirmed that a bug in iOS 5 may be responsible for the battery-life issues. Apple plans to release a software update in the next few weeks that should fix the problem.
Google briefly releases iPhone app, fully-releases new Web layout
Earlier this week we reported on the possibility of a Gmail app for iPhone and sure enough, Google released the app yesterday only to quickly remove it due to a bug. Apparently it caused users to see error messages and broken notifications. Once the bug is fixed, the app will give iOS users the ability to easily access folders, view their Gmail priority inbox, as well as filter through labels by swiping. These features are new to Apple users, who haven’t had a native Gmail app before. The email giant also released the new design of Gmail on the Web, with a cleaner look and more customization options. Users can stick with the old design or upgrade to the new look.
Motorola unveils two new Xoom tablets
Thanks to a leaked Christmas ad, we found out a few days ago that Motorola would be revealing a new, downsized Xoom 2 tablet that would measure in at only 8.2 inches — much smaller than the iPad or most Android tablet competitors. Today Motorola officially unveiled not one, but two new tablets — the Motorola Xoom 2, a direct successor to the original Xoom, and the Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition, a smaller sized tablet with a slightly different sound system. Both new Xooms run on Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) and feature a 1280×800 display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front camera, and Gorilla Glass screens with a splashguard.
HTC gets back in the ring with the Rezound
We got our first peek at HTC’s new offering on Monday when a Verizon ad was leaked with the new HTC Rezound front and center. We suspected that the phone would be officially unveiled at HTC’s planned press conference today, and we were right. The new Rezound phone will feature a 4.3-inch screen, 720p high-def display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4G LTE connectivity, and an 8-megapixel/f2.2 camera. The HTC Rezound will be available to Verizon customers for $299 with a two-year contract starting Nov. 14. Check out our hands-on preview.
