wapzon.com - Latest Mobile News/Highlights

Can RIM get mojo back with BlackBerry Tour? [ZDNet]

The summer of the smartphone is heating up as Research In Motion is set to introduce this weekend its latest BlackBerry device, called the Tour. But will it be enough to keep RIM king of the smartphone market?

Spurred by iPhone and Palm Pre, accelerometers gaining traction in handsets, says iSuppli [Digitimes]

Owing to the essential role they play in the user interfaces of hot smart phones like Apple;s iPhone and Palm;s Pre, accelerometers are expected to appear in one-third of mobile phones shipped next year, according to iSuppli.

Motorola offers protection against wireless threats [Thestar]

KUALA LUMPUR: Motorola Inc showcased a security solution, AirDefense Enterprise, which can protect wireless networks against various intrusions. The solution comprises both hardware and software products.

VimpelCom Says It May Be Interested in Millicom�s Asia Assets [Bloomberg]

July 9 (Bloomberg) -- OAO VimpelCom, Russia�s second- largest mobile-phone company, may be interested in Millicom International Cellular SA�s assets in Southeast Asia, said Ksenia Korneyeva, a company spokeswoman.

Public Mobile, Wal-Mart in Talks on Canada Phone Plan (Update3) [Bloomberg]

July 9 (Bloomberg) -- Public Mobile Holdings Inc., a new Canadian wireless carrier, is talking to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and other retailers about selling phones with unlimited call plans to lure users who have shunned Rogers Communications Inc.

Ericsson to manage Sprint network in $4.5-$5billion deal [Reuters]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) said it would pay Ericsson (ERICb.ST) $4.5 billion to $5 billion to manage its network under a 7-year deal in which 6,000 Sprint workers will move to Ericsson. Sprint shares rose 4 percent.

Media money moving into mobile [Reuters]

SUN VALLEY, Idaho (Reuters) - The traditional media industry may be under fire as the weak economy crushes advertising spending, but companies and investors are scrambling to stake out territory in the new world of mobile content.

CMMB market bigger this year than last, says Siano CEO [Digitimes]

Alon Ironi, CEO and president of mobile TV chip maker, Siano, has spoken out against recent industry murmurs that the China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting (CMMB) market is slowing down, saying that from his view the market is bigger this year than last and is set for another spurt of accelerated growth in the second half of 2009.

US$3.3 billion to be spent on LTE base stations in 2011, says ABI Research [Digitimes]

Wireless operators will spend about US$3.3 billion building LTE (Long Term Evolution) base stations in 2011, according to ABI Research. That expenditure will have purchased some 142,000 base stations worldwide. LTE base station equipment spending is expected to rise sharply between 2011 and the end of 2012.

China Mobile reportedly to launch handset applications store in September [Digitimes]

China-based mobile 3G operator China Mobile plans to launch an online applications store, the Mobile Market, for its handset clients in September, according to media reports published in China recently.

Taiwan DMS provider USI aims to ship over 600,000 WiMAX devices in 2009 [Digitimes]

Taiwan DMS provider Universal Scientific Industrial (USI) is making efforts to tap emerging markets in the Middle East, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia and Russia for its WiMAX devices and expects to ship more than 600,000 units, including data cards, customer premise equipment (CPE) and micro-modules, in 2009, according to the company.

Tatung InfoComm to invest additional NT$10 billion in WiMAX over 5 years [Digitimes]

Taiwan-based WiMAX operator Tatung InfoComm plans to invest an additional NT$10 billion (US$303 million) for the build-up of its WiMAX networks in the next five years, according to company chairperson Lin Kuo Wen-yen, who presided over an opening ceremony on July 8 for the inauguration of WiMAX services in the southern port city of Kaohsiung.

Developers will decide Pre;s fate [ZDNet]

For the Pre handheld to beat out smartphone competitors, Palm will have to court developers whose support can "make or break" the device;s market success, noted analyst firm Ovum.

Maxis to bring in iPhone 3GS [Theedge]

KUALA LUMPUR: Maxis Communications Bhd today announced it will bring iPhone 3GS to Malaysia later this month.

DoCoMo eyes more Asia carriers [Thestar]

TOKYO: Japan�s NTT DoCoMo Inc said it is in talks with some Asian mobile carriers for possible capital investment as it aims to seek growth overseas to counter maturing cell-phone market at home.

China market: CMMB mobile TV market shrinking [Digitimes]

Policy flip-flops and patent issues pertaining to the implementation of the China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting (CMMB) mobile digital TV standard have slowed the development of the CMMB industry in China, according to market sources in Taiwan.

Corning supplies Samsung with Gorilla glass for touchscreen handsets [Digitimes]

Corning has announced that its Gorilla glass was selected as the protective cover glass for Samsung Ultra Touch handsets.

Mobile entertainment seeking players and payment [Reuters]

LONDON (Reuters) - For the millions of people who spend hours glued to their computer screens chatting on social networks came the good news this year that they could finally get out more often.

AT;T takes issue with antitrust criticism [Reuters]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Telecommunications giant AT;T struck back on Wednesday at Sen. Herb Kohl, chair of a congressional antitrust panel, saying the lawmaker;s concerns about a lack of competition in the wireless industry were unfounded.

Netbooks get boost with telco deals [ZDNet]

The recent spate of netbook and mobile broadband bundles have had a positive impact on netbook sales, but until more netbooks come with mobile broadband capabilities integrated, these promotions may not do much to increase 3G subscriptions, an IDC analyst said.