Apple has what CEO Tim Cook describes as "a very key day" at the Flint Centre-- one where the company launches the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus together with Pay, the company's take on mobile payments.

As rumours suggested the iPhone 6 comes in two sizes, namely 4.7- and 5.5-inch. Both feature next-generation displays the company calls Retina Display HD, with the regular iPhone 6 display handles 1334x750 resolution and the 6 Plus featuring 1920x1080 resolution.

To take advantage of the larger display size the iPhone 6 Plus features a new landscape view, one providing extra functionality from a bigger keyboard. A desktop-class scaler allows apps to take advantage of the different sizes, while Apple's Phil Schiller promises legacy apps will "just work."

Broadcom claims to double the wifi performance in upcoming smartphones and tablets with the BCM4358, a 5G 802.11ac wifi 2x2 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) combo chip.

MIMO technology uses multiple antennas for both transmitter and receiver. It is already found in the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display.

"The combination of 5G WiFi and 2x2 MIMO unlocks the full potential of today's smartphones and tablets. These technologies are becoming de facto requirements for connectivity in high-end mobile devices," the company says. "With the BCM4358 we are addressing critical multi-radio interference challenges while setting a new bar for performance that reflects Broadcom's continued commitment to be first to deliver the most powerful solutions in the market."

Sony goes all out at IFA 2014 as it reveals a slew of mobile devices with the Xperia Z3 smartphone and tablet series, an accessory allowing one to combine mobiles with PlayStation controllers and wearable devices.

The Xperia Z3 series features 3 devices-- the flagship Z3 smartphone, its smaller Z3 Compact and the self-descriptive Z3 Tablet Compact. All build on the industrial design seen in the previous Z2 generation, with a slimmer version of the same minimalist stylings.

The Z3 is the series' flagship device. It features a 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080 Triluminos display, weighs 152g, is 7.3mm thin and is powered by a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core CPU, 3GB RAM and a 3100mAh battery. Like the Z2 construction is in aluminum with nylon corners.

Sony sells the device on the camera-- a 20.7MP number with a 1/2.3 Exmor RS sensor, Bionz image processing engine and 25mm wide-angle lens. The company says the device also features ISO 12800 sensitivity, as well as improved SteadyShot technology.

The Z3 Compact is near-identical to the Z3, only with a smaller 4.3-inch 1240 x 720 display, less (2GB) RAM, 2600mAh battery and what Sony says is a "liquid" translucent plastic frame.

Samsung reveals a couple of additions to the Galaxy Note phablet family at IFA 2014, the Note 4 and Note Edge, as well as a smartphone-powered collaboration with VR headset maker Oculus, the Gear VR.

Described by Samsung CEO JK Shin as "the most Note experience to date," the Galaxy Note 4 features a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display handling 2560 x 1440 resolution inside faux-leather soft-touch plastic casing. The company sells the massive display as being ideal for multitasking, as its Multi Window feature allows users view apps in full, split or pop-up screen modes.

Making touchscreen a bit more easier to navigate is an updated version of the S Pen stylus, now with double the pressure sensitivity allowing for two pen styles-- calligraphy pen or fountain pen. It also features enhanced Air Command functionality and a Snap Note feature for users wanting to attach photos or voice memos to the S Note app.

More interesting Note 4 features include Fast Charging (Samsung claims the 3220mAh battery charges to 50% in all of 30 minutes), 3 microphones, 16MP rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization and a front-facing 3.7MP camera with f1.9 aperture one can activate with the heart rate monitor on the back of the device.

Patriot ships its faster-charging FUEL iON family, its reinvention of mobile wireless charging.

Everyone likes wireless charging (eliminates cords and makes charging as easy as setting your phone down) but the lack of charging speed has been a real down-side.

Now FUEL iON tackles that problem. Patriot says FUEL iON delivers speeds as fast as corded charging, and definitely more speed than induction charging. Because it isn’t using induction charging…

FUEL iON uses the power of magnets to charge Continue reading...

Samsung reveals what it describes as a "new design approach" with the Galaxy Alpha, a premium version of the Galaxy S5 featuring "elegantly curved" corners and an iPhone 5s-stye metal frame.

It is 6.7mm thick and weighs 115g, making it both thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S5. However specs take a hit when compared to the older, fatter sibling, with a 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED display, a octa-core CPU (quad-core 1.8GHz + quad-core 1.3GHz), 2GB RAM, 32GB storage and a 1860mAh battery.

At the BlackBerry fiscal Q1 2015 earnings call CEO John Chen reveals a take on the phablet format, one that's possibly the struggling mobile vendor's oddest handset yet-- the BlackBerry Passport, a square QWERTY device.

As seen at the presentation the device is an angular, blocky number with a hardware keyboard crammed beneath a 4.5-inch 1440 x 1440 resolution display. Originally code-named "Windemere", little is known on its hardware specifications, but rumours suggest it carries a Snapdragon processor, Adreno 330 graphics, 3GB RAM and a 3450mAh battery.

Reports also suggest one can trace gestures on the rather cramped-looking keyboard.

After much rumour and hearsay Amazon unveils its first attempt at smartphones-- the Fire Phone, a 4.7-inch number featuring a glasses-free 3D display of sorts… and a means of encouraging customer showrooming.

The holographic display uses 4 face-tracking cameras (one in each corner of the device) and a "Dynamic Perspective" sensor to provide images with depth. The system also powers some interesting UI tricks, as one can simply tilt the device to scroll through websites or navigate between menus.

However the Fire Phone's most touted feature is not actually hardware-based. With the press of a dedicated button customers can use the smartphone's 13MP camera to identify text, barcodes and QR codes, as well as movies, TV shows, songs, and a bevy of products of the household, books and games variety.