Smartphone manufacturing costs vs retail prices

Statistics company, Statista, published this chart showing the manufacturing costs of leading smartphone brands: Focusing on phones launched in 2016, only, we can see that Huawei uses the cheapest components, and Google Pixel the most expensive. And that Samsung phones use more expensive hardware components than their Apple counterpart: Phone model Manufacturing cost $ … Continue reading Smartphone manufacturing costs vs retail prices

September 2015 round up

A few days ago, my line manager asked me if the start of the semester had felt like a great shock, following the sabbatical. That got me thinking about how different things are now and six months ago, and how I feel about it. Six months ago I was doing things (reading, writing, meeting, discussing…) … Continue reading September 2015 round up

Enforced detox from my smartphone

I had to send my smartphone off to have the screen replaced, and will be without it for a few days. So, it is a kind of detox. An enforced one, though, rather than the I-want-to-spend-some-time-away-from-civilisation kind. The first thing that I missed? The alarm clock. I rely on it twice a day: first to … Continue reading Enforced detox from my smartphone

Poor Apple. Again.

This time last year, Apple launched a new operating system that had numerous technical problems, as well as a mapping app that was so inaccurate that it became the target of many jokes. Fast forward to this year and, once again, Apple’s recent product launches (including 2 models of iPhone 6, the Apple Watch and … Continue reading Poor Apple. Again.