New iPhone may be less than a month away, and BlackBerry appears to be launching an Android phone
5 things to know today:
1. The new iPhones may be less than a month away. Leaked documents from Vodafone suggest that the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will be available Sept. 18, although they may not ship until Sept. 25. Apple is expected to unveil the new iPhones on Sept. 9.
2. BlackBerry appears set to launch an Android smartphone. First announced last February, the new phone is expected to feature a touchscreen and a keyboard, and the latest leaked pictures are showing the Android operating system instead of BlackBerry’s OS. BlackBerry was once the world’s leading smartphone maker, but now the Canadian company has less than 1% of the smartphone market.
3. Other news out of Canada today – Kik Interactive has scored a $50 million investment from China’s Tencent that values Kik at $1 billion. Kik is the developer of a popular over-the-top messaging app, and Tencent owns WeChat, the messaging app that is ubiquitous in China.
4. In India, the world’s largest maker of wireless networking equipment is staffing up. Ericsson said it will increase its engineering workforce in Bengaluru by 15%. Ericsson has been trimming its headcount in some other parts of the world.
5. And finally, if you’re a frequent user of your phone’s mobile hot spot feature, the federal government is on your side. For the second time in less than a year, the Federal Communications Commission has fined a Wi-Fi network operator for blocking personal hot spots. Some network operators block personal hot spots in an effort to reduce interference with their networks and to encourage people to pay to use those networks.
