The F(x)tec is available for pre-order now ahead of October release London-based startup F(x)tec revealed its first smartphone during IFA with the unveiling of the F(x)tec Pro1. At the event in Berlin, F(x)tec confirmed the Pro1 will retail at £649 when it is released next month through its website. The smartphone features a sliding and angled landscape QWERTY keyboard with 66 keys. According to the startup the focus is on bringing back past mobile technology such as keyboards to “re-engage” consumers. F(x)tec founder and director Adrian Li Mow Ching said: “At F(x)tec, our v ..read more

Two new Alcatel devices also announced TCL Communication announced a new TCL smartphone at IFA 2019, alongside two new Alcatel smartphones. The TCL Plex is intended to leverage the manufacturer’s screen technology that it uses for its TV screens for a smartphone audience. “With the launch of the TCL PLEX, we not only want to bring our display know-how to more consumers and deliver on the key smartphone experiences – display, camera, user interface and design. We also want to open doors to a whole new future by introducing an ecosystem of smart devices that help our consumers lead more connecte ..read more

Devices run the gamut from feature to smart HMD Global announced five new Nokia phones at IFA 2019, ranging from low-end feature phones to smartphones. The phones announced announced are the Nokia 110, the Nokia 2720 Flip, which are feature phones, the Nokia 800 Tough, which is a rugged feature phone, and the Nokia 6.2, and the Nokia 7.2, which are smartphones. HMD is aiming at the mid-range smartphone segment with the 7.2 and 6.2. Chief product officer Juho Sarvikas said: “Both smartphones come with a signature two-day battery life, and feature a unique design achieved with high-tech material ..read more

The Xperia 5 will be available in blue, black and grey Sony Mobile has unveiled the Sony Xperia 5 smartphone as the latest device in its flagship Xperia series. The Xperia 5 was revealed during a launch event at IFA in Berlin, with the smartphone effectively a more compact version of the Xperia 1 according to Sony Mobile Communications president Mitsuya Kishida. Sony has confirmed that customers can pre-order the Xperia 5 from September 18, with the phone due to ship in the UK from October 4. Featuring a 6.1-inch full HD OLED display, the Xperia 5 comes with a 21:9 CinemaWide ..read more

Phone released in Korea on September 6 Samsung has announced that EE will exclusively launch the Galaxy Fold 5G in the UK on September 18, making it the first vendor to sell a foldable device in the country. The manufacturer previously confirmed it would launch the device in September with EE, having delayed the launch back in April after journalists and reviewers reported issues with its performance. It will launch the device in Korea tomorrow. The Galaxy Fold 5G will be available from EE’s shops and website, as well as from Samsung Experience Stores, alongside Samsung KX, Harrods and Selfrid ..read more

Top range performance at a great price – 4/5 Huawei’s cheaper sub-brand has a new flagship, and for its £549.99 price tag it’s an absolutely fantastic device. The Honor 20 Pro came out at the beginning of August, a few months after its cheaper cousin the Honor 20, due to the company’s struggles with Donald Trump. Naysayers might think its slightly larger dimensions, battery and storage don’t warrant a £150 increase, but that’s still a remarkable price for a phone of its calibre. Design is arguably the 20 Pro’s weakest aspect. It’s big (though not as big as some recent releases), and a ..read more

3G and 4G devices come with a three-year warranty Avenir Telecom has released two new 4G-enabled feature phones, and has confirmed it will be displaying them at IFA later this week. The E241 and E241S are powered by the KaiOS OS, which enables 3G on the former and 4G on the latter, GPS, internet access and an app store on the button devices. The phones come with pre-installed apps including WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, Google Maps and Assistant. They have a 1,900mAh battery which is optimised for low consumption, offering up to 28 hours of talk time and six days of standby time. They also come ..read more

The new broadband speeds are nearly 13 times quicker than previous average Wallasey has become the latest area to be provided with Virgin Media’s ultrafast broadband following the rollout of the full fibre technology. The town in the Wirral has received the full fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology, with 600 local residents and businesses benefiting from the rollout as part of Virgin Media’s ‘Project Lightning’ network expansion programme. Residents will see an increase in their broadband speeds with average top speeds of 516Mbps. Previously average download speeds in the area ..read more

Available to pre-order from September 20 Samsung has announced the new Galaxy A90 5G device, ahead of its being available to demo at IFA. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon Snapdragon 855 chipset with Android 9.0, and comes in versions with 6GB and 8GB of RAM. Both versions feature 128GB of internal storage and a 3,500mAh battery life. Additionally, it has a triple-camera setup, with a 48MP camera, and 8MP ultra-wide, a 5MP depth info sensor and a 32MP selfie camera. It has a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-U display. It comes in black and white colours with a geometric pattern on its back. The ..read more

One in seven attacks came from Chinese IP addresses The volume of cyber attacks on UK businesses increased by 179 per cent year-on-year in Q2 of 2019, according to a new report from independent business ISP Beaming. Beaming’s analysis found that businesses in the UK received on average 146,491 attempted cyber attacks each, compared to 52,596 in the same quarter in 2018, equating to one attack every 50 seconds. This is the highest level of attacks recorded since Beaming began monitoring them at the beginning of 2016. IoT devices and file sharing services were the most targeted business applica ..read more