While this week featured some really interesting news (the launch announcement of a new phone manufacturer in Essential Products, Inc and their new device the PH-1, the last Code Conference featuring Walt Mossberg) next week is shaping up to have just as much great stuff, if not more.  Here are a few quick thoughts on the things going on this week and next week that will be making tech news.

The Father of Android has started something – a brand new mobile device company

• Andy Rubin, the man who literally created Android, teased an announcement 2 weeks ago and made good on his promise on May 30th.  He made several announcements, not the least of which was his new company was going to be making a mobile phone, and several smart device accessories.  The new Essential PH-1 phone will have a big display, have very limited bezels, launch with near stock Android, and work on every major carrier network.  We have seen other mobile device OEMs try their luck at putting out a phone in the US without direct carrier support with mixed results.  A company like OnePlus has found some measure of success, while larger OEMs like Huawei haven’t had the same luck domestically as they have had in China and other Asian markets.  Andy has made a pretty big bet on his device being better and more attractive than popular offerings from Samsung, Apple, and Google.  With a price point of $699, and almost as much high end specs and any tech geek could hope for, this bet seems to be that the premium smartphone market doesn’t already have a clear winner in the Android space.  More choice is alway better though, right?

Find more info on the Essential phone here

Apple seems poised to have several major announcements next week…

• The rumors surrounding what will be announced by Apple at next week’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) are all over the map.  And it ranges from semi-controversial things like updated MacBook Pros (yes, the previous ones are about 7 months old at this point) to things that could shape Apple’s future in strong ways like an Amazon Echo/Google Home style product with Siri built in.  9to5Mac has a report from Bloomberg that this “Siri Speaker” has already gone into production, and is being made by the same company who is currently making the wireless AirPods for Apple.  This AI enhanced speaker would certainly be a late entrant into a market that is dominated by Amazon’s Echo (in all of its various forms) but as with most things Apple, they are looking to do it up even bigger.  Rumors of premium sound and active acoustic volume adjustments are things that this Siri Speaker is rumored to have on board, and backed by Apple’s robust ecosystem (and massive user base) this could be a potential game changer.  Ambient computing is a term out in the world for computers that interact with us in natural ways, very much removing the barrier that is our mobile phone, PC, or tablet.  This allows for even easier answers to questions, and is the tipping point for potentially changing how we communicate with other people at home or at the office.  I for one am very excited to see what WWDC has in store for us starting on June 5, 2017.

9to5 Macs reporting is here

The new device from OnePlus could be here sooner than we thought…

• A recent report from TechnoBuffalo cites internal documents that point to the small independent OEM releasing their next “flagship killer” device the week after WWDC this year; June 15th in fact.  There have been a bunch of rumors about this new device, presumed to be called the OnePlus 5, and most them point to this phone being really, really good.  One of the major things in flux is the price point, and OnePlus has been very aggressively pricing their devices in the past.  The latest rumors are that it will be a higher cost than ever before, but still likely under or around $500.  Which, for what we are expecting to get, still makes it a very compelling device (if you are on AT&T or T-Mobile style networks) – with presumed top end specs and dual cameras tuned with internet famous camera gurus DxOMark, the OnePlus 5 is a phone we (and you maybe too) should keep an eye out for.  The rumors of a mid summer launch appear to be true, if these leaked documents are to be believed.  We will be sure to have our coverage updated here as soon as the phone is available.

TechnoBuffalo’s report is here

More news and views to come in the near future…let’s talk tech soon!  Cheers!