Category: Technology News

The new Starbucks emoji-themed keyboard app lets you send more than a smile.

When it comes to adopting mobile technology trends, Starbucks has shown time and again that it’s a leader in this field, having released apps and being one of the first to jump on board the mobile payments bandwagon, among other advancements. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that one of America’s favorite coffeehouse chains has released its very own Starbucks emoji keyboard, which lets users digitally express themselves with Frappauccinos, cake pops, iced coffee and their other favorite Starbucks products.

The app is free for iOS and Android.

The keyboard app is available free for both iOS and Android mobile devices and features a custom keyboard option decked out in the company’s colors and font as well as two pages of Starbucks-inspired emojis. The emoji library includes everything from drinks and treats to the logo and emoji people holding Starbucks products.

To enjoy this fun new application on iPhone, users need to install it and add it to the active keyboard list under settings. They need to allow the app full access so it can be used throughout the phone. The app is activated using the globe key on the bottom line on the standard keyboard. The emoji keyboard functions like most third-party keyboard apps and works with most major messaging apps including Facebook, WhatsApp, and iMessage.

On the flip side, Android users will find the activation process similar to iOS. After installing the app, it can be activated under Language & Input in Settings and should be selected as the standard keyboard. Via Android, the program sends emojis as images through apps instead of placing them within messages.

Could the Starbucks emoji keyboard evolve into something more in the future?

Many consumers weren’t pleased when the company changed its rewards program and app, and some hope that the new keyboard app – although currently nothing unique or ground-breaking for Starbucks – could be the start of something special. Imagine: instead of just sending an emoji to a friend, what if users could actually order coffee via emoji?

While that’s definitely only a sweet dream and a not reality at the moment or in the near future, lovers of this app will be pleased to know that the company intends to add more content to its Starbucks emoji keyboard app throughout the year.

Apple could sell fewer iPhones this year compared to 2014.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has forecasted that global iPhone shipments may be lower in 2016 than they were in 2014. If he is right about his predictions, Apple could be among the top five smartphone brands to perform the worst this year.

Three million fewer iPhones could be sold this year than two years ago.

Ming-Chi Kuo, a respected analyst from the Asia-Pacific based financial services group KGI Securities, gathers intelligence from his contacts in Apple’s Asia supply chain. According to a new research note he recently issued, in a worst case scenario, iPhone shipments in 2016 are anticipated to reach a mere 190 million units. This would be an 18 percent decrease in shipment growth and three million fewer iPhones compared to what the company sold in 2014.

Kuo said in his note that even in the best case scenario Apple is anticipated to sell only 205 million units, which would still be an 11.6 percent decrease in growth and five million short of the lower end of analysts’ estimate range, reported MacRumors.

Whether or not the best or the worst case scenario is the end result, it is Kuo’s prediction that Apple will underperform the industry and become the only global top-five smartphone brand to see a decline in shipment this year.

Limited iPhone 7 selling points are one of the key factors behind global iPhone shipments decline.

In his note Kuo stated that “Given the fact that shipments fell YoY for the first time in 1Q16, we don’t think large-screen replacement demand will contribute much to growth.” He added, “We don’t see many attractive selling points for iPhone 7 in 2H16 and are conservative on 2H16F shipments.”

He predicts that out of the leading five smartphone brands (Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo), only Apple will see shipments fall YoY (year-on-year). This suggests to KGI Securities that the drop in iPhone sales cannot be blamed only on industry structure.

Kuo believes that key factors responsible for the expected decline are the slowing market demand for handset replacements with large screens and limited iPhone 7 selling points.

According to Kuo, for Apple to sustain its global iPhone shipments growth it needs to develop more innovative features that will revitalize the user experience, such as in the form of hardware, software and form factor design specs.

Apple’s earnings announcement for the first calendar quarter of 2016 will occur on April 26.