Siri whispers for Apple, Lenovo talks up Motorola … 5 things to know today
1. Siri appears to be a big part of Apple’s upcoming product announcement. The company has invited media to a September 9 launch event and the invitation reads “Siri, give us a hint.” The voice-activated assistant debuted four years ago with the iPhone 4S. This year, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 6S.
2. Sprint is offering free wireless service to all DirecTV subscribers. The move targets AT&T, which recently bought DirecTV, and has made its own offer of discounted wireless service to DirecTV customers.
3. China’s Lenovo is turning its smartphone business over to Motorola Mobility, according to Chinese news reports. Lenovo bought Motorola Mobility from Google last year and has since announced layoffs at the unit. Roughly 500 people who work for Motorola Mobility are expected to be laid off. Nonetheless, the Motorola unit will take the lead on Lenovo’s smartphone designs and manufacturing, with Motorola’s Rick Osterloh leading the combined business, according to NDTV. Motorola is the maker of the Moto X and the Moto G, both of which support Wi-Fi calling.
4. Another major carrier has announced support for Wi-Fi calling. Swisscom launched its voice-over-Wi-Fi service this week, saying it is the first European carrier to combine Wi-Fi calling with voice over LTE.
5. Nokia is taking what may be the last big step on the road to its merger with Alcatel-Lucent. Regulators in the U.S. and Europe have already approved the deal and now Nokia has made a deal with the Chinese government that may help win that country’s approval. Nokia will form a joint venture with a Chinese-backed investment company, mirroring a similar company that Alcatel-Lucent had formed in China. The new company will be called Nokia Shanghai Bell.
