Amazon’s Prime Instant Video service to launch in Japan next month

Amazon Prime Instant Video, a subscription-based service that allows users to stream movies and TV shows to their device, will be launched in Japan next month. The service will be available at no extra cost for members of Amazon Prime, which launched around a decade ago in Japan, and is available for $32.50 a year or $2.71 per month in the country.

As for the content, Prime Instant Video will include popular US and Japanese movies, TV shows, variety shows, anime, concerts, as well as Amazon Originals like Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent, and Tumble Leaf. Select titles will also be available in 4K Ultra HD.

The service will also be available on the Amazon Video app for iOS and Android phones and tablets, Fire tablets, game consoles, and smart TVs.

Incidentally, Netflix is also launching its streaming service in Japan next month – precisely, on September 2, i.e. next week.

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Obi Worldphone entering the affordable Android battle with SF1 and SJ1.5

The battle for mobile dominance in emerging markets has heated up lately, and even Google has gotten in on the action with its Android One program. Now a new competitor has entered the fray.

Obi Worldphone is a new company that’s co-founded by John Sculley, who once worked as CEO of Apple. The company today introduced its first two smartphones, the SF1 and SJ1.5, which it says are targeted at “young consumers in high-growth markets” like Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Pakistan, Turkey and India.

Pricing for the SF1 will start at $199, while the SJ1.5 will set buyers back $129. Here’s what the spec sheets for the two phones look like:

SF1

  • 5-inch 1920×1080 display with Gorilla Glass 4
  • 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615
  • 13-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX214 sensor and LED flash
  • 5-megapixel front camera with LED flash
  • microSD slot
  • 3000mAh battery
  • 4G LTE
  • Android 5.0.2 beneath custom Lifespeed user interface
  • 2GB of RAM/16GB of storage for $199
  • 3GB of RAM/32GB of storage for $249
  • Fiberglass unibody construction

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SJ1.5

  • 5-inch 1280×720 display
  • 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6580 processor
  • 8-megapixel rear camera with OmniVision sensor and flash
  • 5-megapixel front camera
  • microSD slot
  • 3000mAh battery
  • Android 5.1 beneath Lifespeed UI
  • 1GB of RAM/16GB of storage for $129
  • Polycarbonate body

The low-cost Android market is pretty competitive, with many major manufacturers and even more smaller ones all vying for consumers’ dollars. While Obi Worldphone is a newcomer, the company does have the whole “former Apple CEO is co-founder” thing going for it, and its first two phones aren’t too shabby looking. It’ll definitely be interesting to see how they fare in the handful of countries that they’re launching in.

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Alleged press images of Microsoft’s upcoming duo of flagship smartphones leak out

Alleged press shots showcasing Microsoft’s upcoming duo of flagship smartphones made the rounds on Twitter, courtesy of @evleaks. Sporting the codenames Cityman and Talkman, the devices are expected to debut in the near future with 5.7″ and 5.2″ display respectively.

Before the official images from @evleaks leaked out, the Microsoft Cityman showed up in a blurry photo. The handset will likely launch as Microsoft Lumia 950 XL (the blue device), while the Talkman will be unveiled as Lumia 950 (pictured in black).

Both Windows 10 smartphones will feature QHD display, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, 20MP PureView main camera, 5MP front-facing unit, and USB Type-C port. In line with past leaks, the Lumia 950 XL will pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC and 3,300mAh removable battery, while its smaller sibling will pack a Snapdragon 808 SoC and 3,000mAh swappable battery.

An infrared iris scanner will be featured on both smartphones. The Lumia 950 XL will have integrated Qi wireless charging, while the Lumia 950 will support the feature via an optional cover.

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