TheNewsGuru

Tag: LG

  • Samsung is the number one most admired brand in Africa, report says

    Samsung has emerged as the number one most admired brand in Africa, according to Brand Africa’s 2016/17 list of Most Admired Brands in Africa.

    The company grew its brand value by 13 percent; a progress that can be credited to Samsung’s expedient recall and customer service solutions, according to CNN.

    “Slow growth and challenging economic conditions negatively affected the perception of African brands in 2016,” CNN stated.

    Only 16 African brands made the latest list of the Brand Africa’s 2016/17 list of Most Admired Brands in Africa, compared to 23 in 2015; and only two are in the top 20.

    Brand Africa, which has annually ranked brands that consumers admire since 2011, has compiled the list from more than 11,000 brand mentions on a mobile survey conducted in 19 countries. This collectively represents 74 percent of the continent’s population.

    Ranked at number nine, South Africa based telecom MTN is the only African brand in the top 10. Just last year it was ranked number one, but Brand Africa attributes legal challenges for its fall.

    “The halo around MTN in the last two, three years, are the challenges that it had in Nigeria both in terms of not disconnecting consumers, some who were not active anymore,” says the founder of Brand Africa, Thebe Ikalafeng.

    “Also challenges about moving their profits around the continent, around importing them.

    “So all those challenges really had a massive impact on the perception on the brand.

    “And of course it also had some leadership challenges and leadership changes,” the Brand Africa founder surmised.

    In contrast, despite the crisis behind Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7, the South Korean giant has emerged as the number one most admired brand in Africa.

    The company grew its brand value by 13 percent. This progress can be credited to Samsung’s expedient recall and customer service solutions.

    “The most important thing that they did is how responsive they were when the crisis hit them,” says Ikalafeng.

    “They were available, they were responsive, and they gave no excuses,” Ikalafeng added.

    Following Samsung, Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola, Apple, LG, Nokia and Toyota ranked the highest among the most-admired brands in Africa.

    French apparel company Lacoste was the most resurgent brand, reaching the 42nd position from 94th in 2015, followed by Mirinda that jumped to 41st from the 88th spot.

    According to Brand Africa, despite vibrant political and social movements, as well as entrepreneurial energy on the continent, Africans are behind at creating brands fast enough to face global brands.

    In fact, Europe has 42 brands in the Top 100, 25 from US and 17 in Asia, with Africa in last place with only 16 brands that made it to the list.

    According to Ikalafeng, governments on the continent are not creating enabling policies adequately to help businesses thrive.

    Brand Africa reports that Africa has an estimated 0.6 percent share of trademarks filed globally and invests less than one percent of GDP in research.

    “If you’re not researching, how are you going to find out the needs? How are you going to create new solutions and new products?” Ikalafeng queried.

    “If you look at the big countries, the Chinas, the Americas, and all those, they really invest a lot in trade, in building their trademarks. Now if you don’t own your trademark, somebody else will own it”.

    Brand Africa reports that without investment in research and owning trademarks, international companies will top the brand leadership and dictate the trends. And therefore, right now is more crucial than ever for Africans to rise and build Made in Africa brands.

     

     

    CNN

     

  • Lagos council polls: PDP won’t win a single ward – Tinubu

    …says

    APC will clear all 57 LGs

    Lagosians happy with ‘Ambode’s impressive performance’

    The National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not record any win in the forthcoming council polls in Lagos State.

    Tinubu, a former governor of the state, said this while addressing hundreds of party faithful at the Lagos State APC Stakeholders’ meeting at the party secretariat at Acme Road, Ikeja.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the stakeholders’ forum was held in preparation for the July 22 council polls.

    Tinubu regretted the loss of some national and state legislative seats to the PDP in the 2015 general elections.

    “2015 election was the greatest battle of our time. In the last election, we lost more than three LGAs to our opponents, which is very unusual.

    “We have asked our leaders in those local governments to examine what went wrong and work together to chart a new course to ensure the APC wins back those councils.

    “PDP cannot have any share in these council elections,” Tinubu said.

    The national leader commended party faithful for their support to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, saying that the governor had not disappointed the party and the people.

    “We are grateful to you the people for your great support during the 2015 election. We have continued to hold Lagos in spite of strong opposition.

    “Governor Ambode has not let us down; he is doing a fantastic job in an environment where we have the economic challenges. He is doing it and he is doing very very well.

    “He has a very good team. He is doing a great job and we are very proud of that,” he said.

    Tinubu urged party leaders at the grassroots to shun bribery and favouritism, adding that quality leadership and merit should be upheld.

    “Our leaders should be fair to the people at the grassroots; we cannot please all, but we can satisfy the majority. This politics is give and take, compromise.’’

    According to him, the party will not use any of the current sole administrators in the forthcoming council poll.

    “To appease some people, we asked the government to allow the Executive Secretaries to take over after the tenure of last council chairmen expired, instead of civil servants.

    “That was why executive secretaries were chosen to pave way for politicians.

    “When the term expired, we used sole administrators, but before we used them, we warned them that `when the elective position comes, you are not entitled to contest’.

    “We agreed that time, we cannot change it overnight; executive secretaries, however can contest.”

    Tinubu, however, said 19 former council chairmen, except for one of them who is late, who only served single terms, would be given another chance in the coming elections.

    He urged the party leaders to give consideration to youths and women in the sharing of positions.

    The party leader also urged Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State to increase security presence in Surulere area of the state to check violence.

    According to him, his attention was drawn to some violence in the area, which gave cause for concern.

    ”I urge the people of Surulere to be patient and peaceful. We will all benefit from the party,” he said.

    Also speaking, Ambode urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure APC victory in all the 57 councils.

    Ambode said: “We are meeting on a very happy note. I am able to look back and say that that confidence you reposed in me to defeat the PDP candidate was not in vain.

    “This coming local government election is all in your hands. My call to all members of our great party is to ensure that all the 57 councils are won by APC. We have begun a journey to make Lagos and Nigeria progressive’’.

    Earlier in his opening remark, Mr Henry Ajomale, the Chairman, Lagos APC, said that the forum was organised to allow party faithful to interact with the leaders of the party.

    Ajomale said that meeting was aimed at moving the party forward ahead of the forthcoming council polls.

     

     

    NAN

  • Drama as Ajimobi lists brother, ex-gov’s son among 57 LG caretaker chairmen

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has listed his younger brother, Mr. Teslim Ajimobi, son of ex-governor of the state, Chief Adebayo Alao Akala, Mr. Olamijuwonlo Akala among the 57 nominees sent to the state Assembly for confirmation as caretaker committee chairmen in state.

    The list of the 57 nominees was read at the plenary on Tuesday by its Speaker, Hon. Michael Adeyemo

    It consists 28 names of appointees as Caretaker Chairmen for 28 local government areas and another 29 names for 29 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) recently created by the state.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the state has existing 33 local governments and 35 newly created LCDAs. But five LGs and six LCDAs were exempted from the list due to an ongoing litigation in relation to council delimination and proposed conduct of council polls.

    The exempted LGs include the four councils in Oyo, namely Oyo West, Oyo East, Atiba and Afijio, as well as Oriire LG in Ogbomoso zone.

    Also exempted are the six newly created LCDAs in Oyo zone and Oriire Local ‎government of the state.

    Adeyemo forwarded the list to the house committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters for proper consideration.

    He said that the government has requested for an accelerated screening of the nominees, so that the nominees would begin to contribute to the development of the state.

    Adeyemo said the job of the assembly was to determine if the nominees were fit to take the position.

    He noted that the house was not under pressure to screen the nominees as being speculated.

    The appointees are Teslim Ajimobi (Ibadan South-East), Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala (Ogbomoso North), Ogunrinde Williams (Olorunsogo), Abolade Akanni (Iseyin), Oluyinka Inaolaji (Ogo Oluwa), Adewale Adedeji (Ogbomoso South) and Ibrahim Gbodeniyi (Surulere).

    Other include Akinniyi Fadoyin (Akinyele), Jonathan Ogundiwin (Ibadan North-East), Sadiq Akintunde (Egbeda), Biliaminu Ogundele (Ona Ara), Rauf
    Adeleke (Ibarapa East) and Habeeb Ibrahim (Ibarapa Central).

    Others are, Alhaji Gbenga Opaleye (Ibadan South-West), James Adeleke (Oluyole), Olawoyin Adebayo (Kajola), Alhaji Kareem Adegoke (Saki West), Bashir Adegoke (Ibadan North), Wasiu Owolabi (Atisbo) and Alhaji Bosun Ajuwon (Ibadan North-West).

    The list also include, Alhaji Moroof Ajani (Saki West), Samuel Okunlade (Oorelope), Gbadamosi Adeoye (Iwajowa), Abdulfatai Adeagbo (Itesiwaju), Mudasir Agbaje(Irepo), Mohammed Adesina (Lagelu), Wahab Oladejo (Ido) and Iliasu Shittu (Ibarapa North).

    On the LCDAs list are Alhaji Adeshina Shittu (Iseyin South), Eyitayo Olakunle (Ado Awaye), Thomas Babarinde (Ogo-Oluwa West), Abiodun Adeyemi (Ogbomoso South-West), Israel Ogundiran (Surulere North) and
    Folaranmi Oyebamiji (Surulere South).

    The list also include Dawud Sulayman (Ogbomoso Central), Sakiru Fagunwa (Ibadan South-East), Joseph Akinpade (Akinyele East), Olumide Alli (Akinyele South), Prince Gbade Lana (Ibadan North-East) and Adeyinka
    Adeyemi (Aj’orosun).

    Also in the list are Saheed Adesina (Inukan), Fatai Ajadi (Ibarapa North-East), Ramoni Adesokan (Akorede), Sulaimon Ajayi (Iwa), Olaniyi Olawuwo (Wewe), Taiwo Adeleke (Asabari), Adekunle Oladeji (Ààrẹ Latosa) and Oyekunle Adeniyi (Omi
    Apata).

    Others are Abayomi Abolaji (Irepodun), Ayoola Ogundeji (Atisbo South), Samuel Ajadi (Oke’badan), Yomi Adefusi (Ibadan West), Adegoke Adeleke (Ifeloju), Samuel Egunjobi (Iganna), Akeem Aransi (Lagelu West) and Taofeek
    Arowomole(Lagelu North).

     

  • PDP clears 13 seats declared in Taraba LG elections

     

    The Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission has declared candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP winners of the 13 local government chairmanship seats so far collated and announced.

    Dr Philip Duwe, the Chairman of the commission, announced the results of the Feb. 25 council polls in Jalingo on Sunday.

    Duwe declared Alhaji Mohammed Umar as Chairman-elect of Gashaka, Mr Nicholas Waniyafiwani, Lau, Alhaji Abdul Boboji, Jalingo, and Mr Danladi Suntai as Chairman-elect of Bali Local Government.

    Others are Slhaji Salisu Dogo, Ardo-Kola, Mr Joseph Mika, Yorro, Mr Adi Daniel, Wukari, Mr Christopher Koshombo, Zing, Alhaji Yahuza Yahaya, Gassol and Mr Nashuka Musa for Donga.

    Duwe also declared Mr Shiban Tikari as chairman-elect for Takum, Mr Stephen Agya, Kurmi, while Rimansikwe Karma was declared Chairman-elect for Ussa Local Government.

    Results from Sardauna and Karim Lamido Local Governments are still being waited, while the exercise was suspended in Ibi Local Government after violence broke out during the exercise.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the All Progressives Congress won three councillorship seats in Jalingo, with the SDP winning one councillorship in Zing, while the rest were cleared by the PDP.

     

    NAN

  • Ebonyi SIEC fixes April 22 for LG election

    The Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) says it will conduct Local Government elections on April.22.

    Chief Jossy Eze, Chairman of the commission, disclosed this on Friday when he released the timetable and other guidelines for the elections to stakeholders in the elections.

    According to him, the election notice is pursuant to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

    “The notice is also pursuant to the Ebonyi state Electoral and Related Matters Law No.001 of 2017 and all powers enabling her in respect thereof.

    “The elections will take place on April 22, 2017 throughout the state and the nomination papers are to be delivered at EBSIEC headquarters in Abakaliki.

    “We are also distributing to relevant stakeholders, the election guidelines, manuals, time-tables and materials needed to ensure a hitch-free election,” he said.

    The EBSIEC chairman remarked that the meeting was convened to inform the stakeholders on the provisions and regulations of the elections, to ensure a hitch free exercise.

    “We assure all political parties of a level-playing ground during the election as all contributions and inputs will be welcome.

    “We also solicit the cooperation of securities agencies to ensure adequate security before, during and after the elections and give it the much desired credibility.

    “We are desirous to ensure that incidences of voting malpractices, thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes, among others are eradicated to ensure that the best candidates are elected,” he said.

    Mr Useni Abdulah, the Director of Department of State Services (DSS) in Ebonyi, noted that the directorate would ensure adequate security during the election.

    The director represented by Mr Chika Eze, called on the political parties to abide by the rules to make the job of providing security at the polls easy.

    Chief Ben Nwaobashi, Factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, noted that the party would participate effectively at the elections and record tremendous success.

    “We appeal to EBSIEC to create a condusive environment for all parties to thrive and ensure that the deserving candidates are declared winners irrespective of their parties,” he said.

     

    NAN

  • FG, States, LGs share N400bn revenue in January

     

    The Federal, State and Local Governments on Friday shared N400 billion revenue among themselves for the month of January.

    The shared amount is N13.1 billion more than what they shared as revenue in December.

    The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, at the monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC meeting said the N400 billion was distributed under four sub-heads.

    These are: statutory allocation, where the sum of N224.88 billion was allocated, Value Added Tax N79.27 billion, exchange gain N52.84 billion, and excess Petroleum Profit Tax N42.99 billion.

    “After deducting cost of collections to the revenue generating agencies, the Federal Government got N105.76 billion, states N53.64 billion, and local government councils, N41.35 billion.”

    In addition, she said the sum of N15.5 billion was given to the oil producing states, based on the 13 per cent derivation principle.

    For VAT allocation, Adeosun said the Federal Government received N11.4 billion, states N38 billion, while Local Government Councils got N26.63 billion.

    Adeosun said that the Federation generated N145.6 billion as Mineral Revenue and N103.1 billion as non-Mineral revenue, while the excess crude account is 2.45 billion dollars.

    Adeosun said that the force majure Forcados, Qua Iboe and Brass terminals was still impacting negatively on revenue generation.

    Speaking, the Chairman, Forum of Finance Commissioners in Nigeria, Mr Mahmoud Yunusa, said that states were determined to keep improving their internally generated revenue.

    “Low federation revenue has become a blessing in disguise to us. Initially almost all the states relied heavily on FAAC.

    “But now, because the money is no longer there, it has forced us to look inwards at the opportunities and potentials in our respective states and beginning to explore them.

    “We had to look at cutting cost in running governance and blocking all revenue leakages,’’ he said.

  • Court nullifies appointment of Al-Makura’s LG caretaker committees, orders fresh election

    Court nullifies appointment of Al-Makura’s LG caretaker committees, orders fresh election

    The High Court sitting in Keffi, Nasarawa State has nullified the appointment of Interim Management Committees (IMCs) in 11 local government councils of the State.

    The court also ordered the state government to conduct elections of chairmen and councilors within 140 days from the when the judgement was pronounced.

    In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice S. A. Ayiwulu, nullified the 2016 amendment of the Nasarawa State Local Government Law 2009, as amended in 2011 by the state House of Assembly, which paved way for the state government to alter the substantive suit by reappointing the IMCs to run the affairs of LGAs in the state.

    The judge was quoted as saying: “The law was made during the pendency of the substantive suit and is contrary to the interim order of this court.”

    Recall that former gubernatorial candidate of the Independent Democrats (ID), Barr. Haruna Iliyasu, had in April 2015, filed a suit against the state government, the state House of Assembly and the 11 IMC chairmen, challenging the “hurried amendment” of the LGA law and the legality of their composition.

    Continuing, Justice Ayiwulu said, “It is hereby ordered that the Nasarawa State Local Government Amended Law 2016 made by the state assembly is accordingly struck down for being contrary to the provision of Section (7) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, and for being made contrary to the interim order of this court.

    “All members of the interim management committee appointed by the state government and the house of assembly during the pendency of the substantive suit No NSD/K23/2016 are hereby perpetually restrained from parading themselves as such or in whatever name or guise.

    “An order is hereby made mandating the state government to conduct election into the local governments in Nasarawa State within 140 days from the date of this judgment,” he said.

     

  • LOOKING AHEAD: Smartphones to launch 2017

    LOOKING AHEAD: Smartphones to launch 2017

    2017 is upon us, bringing with it a flurry of new top-end smartphones to get excited about. The tenth anniversary of the original iPhone means Apple may have something special in store for us this year, while Samsung will probably come out all guns blazing in order to soundly recover from the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. There’s a chance that Google will bring the second-generation of Pixel smartphones, while the likes of OnePlus and Xiaomi will continue to introduce high-quality, affordable flagship smartphones.

    If you are on the lookout for a new smartphone, you might to hold on to your money a little while longer, as the market will soon be filled with a number of great models. Check out our pick of smartphones to look forward to in 2017 for more details.

    1. Apple iPhone 8

    2017 will be the year of the tenth anniversary of the original iPhone, the smartphone that upended and revolutionised the whole mobile phone industry. So it is no surprise that all eyes are on Apple and what it does to commemorate the occasion. And, of course, hopes are high that iPhone 8 will bring a number of changes to the table, enough to make up for the iterative updates we have had over the past two years.

    Leaks point to three different versions of iPhone 8: one featuring all the new features, and the other two being the successors of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, with only a few upgrades. Apple is reportedly developing more than 10 iPhone 8 prototypes, and working on a “radical redesign” of the smartphone. Rumour has it that at least the top-end version of the iPhone 8 will not have the Home button; instead, the Touch ID fingerprint sensor and the front camera will be integrated into the touchscreen. Apple is also said to be testing flexible OLED panels for the iPhone 8.

    Wireless charging is widely expected to be integrated in iPhone 8, along with iris or facial scanning. iPhone 8 is said to be powered by the A11 chip manufactured on the 10nm process, the glass body will reportedly make a comeback. The top-end iPhone 8 model will reportedly also have optical image stabilisation in both cameras on the back, which may be vertically aligned rather than horizontally.

    The screen size of this new top-end smartphone is not yet known, though the tech grapevine pegs it anywhere between 4.7-inches and 5.8-inches. The wait for iPhone 8 will be long, of course, as the next Apple flagship smartphone is likely to be unveiled only in September next year.

    2. Samsung Galaxy X

    Galaxy X is said to be the foldable smartphone that Samsung is planning to launch in 2017. Not much is known about the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy X so far, except that it may have a 4K screen and be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (likely to be Snapdragon 835). It is expected to feature a single flexible OLED display and a body that will fold at the middle. A patent filed by Samsung shows that users will be able to fold the smartphone at various angles and that it will feature physical buttons at the bottom.

    A report back in June this year said that Samsung is likely to unveil the foldable Galaxy X smartphone at the Mobile World Congress, but the shift in focus to finding the cause of Galaxy Note 7 explosions may have put in spanner in that, likely delaying the launch by a few months.

    3. Samsung Galaxy S8

    Galaxy S8 will have the burden of expectations as it is Samsung’s first flagship smartphone to be launched after the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S8 will have an Artificial Intelligence-powered virtual assistant, and a great camera. Rumours say Galaxy S8 will not have an earphone jack, or Home button – instead, it is said to come with wireless earphones, and feature optical fingerprint sensor that will be embedded in the touchscreen.

    Reportedly, the Galaxy S8 smartphone will have a 4K display with ultra-thin bezels, dual 13-megapixel and 9-megapixel cameras on the back, fingerprint sensor on the back, USB Type-C port, selfie camera with autofocus and VR support. A recent report suggests that the smartphone may feature a massive 8GB of RAM, along with faster UFS 2.1 storage. Rumours also say that the Samsung Galaxy S8 may not feature any physical keys in the front, and pack two variants of the Exynos 8895 chipset.

    Samsung was earlier rumoured to be planning to launch the Galaxy S8 at the Mobile World Congress in late February, but a new report says that the company has delayed the unveiling till April. Apparently, the South Korean titan will focus on regaining consumer confidence in the time till April. Samsung Galaxy S8 may cost 15-20 percent more than its predecessor. The AI-based virtual assistant will apparently be integrated with apps that come preloaded on the smartphone.

    A ‘Plus’ variant of Samsung Galaxy S8 featuring a 6-inch display, and support for the S-Pen stylus may also be in the works.

    4. Nokia’s Android Phones

    Nokia is rumoured to launch as many as five Android smartphones in the first half of 2017, starting with Mobile World Congress in late February. One of the devices expected at the event is the Nokia D1C, a budget Android 7.0 Nougat smartphone that is said to sport the Snapdragon 430 processor, and come in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants priced at $150 and $200, respectively. The smartphone will also have two options in screen size – 5-inch and 5.5-inch – and come with 16GB internal storage, 13-megapixel or 16-megapixel rear camera, and 8-megapixel front camera.

    A high-end Android 7.0 Nougat smartphone by Nokia is also expected in early 2017, featuring a 5.2-inch or 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 835 processor, 23-megapixel camera with Zeiss optics, 6GB RAM, metal unibody design, and water-resistant body.

    Along with these, an entry-level Nokia Android phone called Pixel may also be under development. This smartphone is said to run Android 7.0.1 Nougat operating system and may be powered by the 1.19GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor with 1GB RAM. Nokia Pixel Android phone’s battery is said to support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 fast-charging technology.

    5. OnePlus 4

    OnePlus 4 is another smartphone everyone will be excited about in 2017. The smartphone will reportedly have a ceramic body, come in 6GB RAM and 8GB RAM variants, sport the Snapdragon 835 chipset, dual-camera on the back, and may retain the 3.5mm earphone jack. However, OnePlus 4 may have a 5.3-inch display, smaller than that of the OnePlus One, 2, 3, and 3T, though resolution may increase to 4K.

    6. Moto X 2017

    Leaked photos of a smartphone expected to be the Moto X 2017 have sparked interest in the line, which did not make an appearance this year. The Moto X 2017 will have an all-metal body, images show, with the fingerprint sensor on the back. The smartphone in the leaked images does not have Moto Mod pins on the back, so Lenovo may add some other unique feature in Moto X 2017 to distinguish it from the competition.

    7. Google Pixel 2, Pixel XL 2

    Google Pixel is a flagship smartphone that boasts excellent software but is plagued by niggling hardware issues. We expect Google to iron out the kinks in the second-generation Pixel and Pixel XL models, and give us the smartphone everyone expects from a company of its size and reputation.

    There are no leaks about Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 yet, but if these phones come out in 2017, then we expect big changes in the software department, bringing more features to the Google Assistant. On the hardware front, all the top features and specifications can be expected, such as 6GB RAM, big battery, and fast processor.

    8. HTC 11/ Ocean

    HTC 11, the flagship smartphone being developed under the codename Ocean, is said to have a metal body with chamfered edges. It will reportedly feature dual 12-megapixel and 8-megapixel cameras on the back with LED flash, 5.5-inch display with QHD resolution, Snapdragon 835 chipset, 3700mAh battery, and Android 7.0 Nougat.

    9. LG G6

    LG will reportedly not use the modular design with the G6, though the company itself has said that it will not do away with the swappable accessories for now. The rumour mill suggests that the LG G6 will have an aluminium body with water-resistant coating, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type C port, wireless charging, and removable battery. LG was reportedly planning to use curved display on the G6, but that plan has been shelved because of supply-chain constraints.

    10. Microsoft Surface Phone

    Everyone is a little unsure about this one as we have been hearing of the Microsoft Surface Phone for a couple of years now, but Satya Nadella in an interview recently said that the company is working on the “ultimate mobile device,” so there is some hope. Microsoft also owns the surfacephone.com Web domain, suggesting that a smartphone may be on the way. We will have to wait for 2017 for the rest of the details.

    That’s our round-up of the smartphones to look forward to in 2017. Tell us which smartphones you are the most excited about?