Apple may have its event set for September 12 , likely for the new iPhone, and HTC isn’t sitting around twiddling its thumbs. The company has sent out invites for a September event of its own, slated for exactly one week after Apple’s.
On September 19, HTC will be launching something in New York City, according to an invite simply titled “Join HTC to see what’s next.” MobileSyrup posted the following screenshot of the email it received:
Just like the Apple event, HTC isn’t revealing any more details than it has to. There’s no indication of what might be announced, when it will launch, or the price it will go for. Since HTC is all about hardware, we can expect this to be a new phone or a new tablet, though I think it’s the former.
Given the Microsoft and Nokia event slated for September 5 (tomorrow), it’s likely HTC has something to share about its Windows Phone 8 offerings (its Android phones were updated quite recently).
HTC has had a very rough few months, and it is apparently hoping Microsoft will help bail it out. The Taiwanese manufacturer is expecting a huge drop in revenues for the current quarter , though the holiday season will be the real test.
Late last month, the company lost $40 million following OnLive’s restructuring . The same day, the company then invested $35.4 million into Silicon Valley enterprise software startup Magnet Systems , to buy a 17.1 percent stake.
There’s also all those Facebook phone rumors that keep surfacing and resurfacing. HTC has been named as the manufacturer for the purported device more than once.
It’s hard to say which product is more of a gamble: a Facebook phone or a Windows phone? The problem is HTC hasn’t been dealt a good hand, so the company needs to hit the jackpot quick if it’s going to make a comeback.
Image credit: stock.xchng
Done deal: Motorola Solutions closes $200 million acquisition of Psion
Motorola Solutions , the Moto company not owned by Google, announced today that it has completed its acquisition of British computer maker Psion .
Motorola Solutions coughed up $200 million in cash for the company to expand its ‘Enterprise Mobile Computing’ business unit. It has submitted an application to the London Stock Exchange to delist Psion common stock.
The company says it aims to bank on Psion to strengthen its offerings in industrial segments like manufacturing, transportation and logistics.
Remaining shareholders of Psion who haven’t accepted Motorola Solutions’ offer are ‘encouraged to do so’ – the offer will remain open for the time being.
Psion, formed in 1980, is credited with the release of its then ‘revolutionary’ Psion Organiser, ushering in an age of mobile personal digital assistants (PDAs). The company also owns the registered trademark ‘Netbook’ across Europe and the US, having launched its own Netbook Pro computer back in 2003.
Psion has approximately 830 employees and delivered 2011 revenues of £176 million ($273 million). It is headquartered in London and boasts a major operational presence near Toronto, Canada, as a direct result of its merger with Canadian company Teklogix back in 2000.
Image credit: Nina Ruecker / Getty Images
Analysis finds less toxic chemicals in newer smartphones like Apple’s iPhone 5
Chemical analysis conducted by iFixit and HealthyStufrg has tracked a decline in hazardous and toxic chemicals in smartphones over the past few years, with new devices like the iPhone 5 representing some of the safest and most environmental handsets yet.
The study took apart 36 mobile phone models and studied them using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to check their chemical composition.
Six phones got a low enough score to be considered of “low concern”: the Motorola Citrus (2.56), iPhone 4S (2.69), LG Remarq (2.69), Samsung Captivate (2.71), iPhone 5 (2.75) and Samsung Evergreen (2.81).
24 of the phones were rated as “medium concern”, and six handsets were marked as “high concern.” The six highest scores all came from devices made before 2010 and included the original iPhone, which received the maximum score of 5.00, the Palm m125 (4.58), the Motorola Renew (4.56), the Nokia N95 (4.50), the BlackBerry Storm 9530 (4.41) and the Palm Treo 750 (4.26).
Although the iPhone 4S scored slightly better than the iPhone 5, the study did show steady improvement from Apple over the years.
To delve deeper into the analysis, check out the reports from iFixit and HealthyStuff .
On its product page for the iPhone 5, Apple describes the device as embodying its “continuing environmental progress.” Accordign to the company, the device has the following environmentally-friendly features:
Earlier this year, Apple came under fire after voluntarily removing itself from the EPEAT green electronics certification program. Apple SVP Bob Mansfield subsequently reinstated all eligible products and issued a letter acknowledging that the decision was a mistake.
Image credits: iFixit