Mobile Phones

First Firefox OS Phones Hit the Market

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:32:16 +0100

Curious developers and customers can now test out the Mozilla's Firefox OS, courtesy of a pair of developer preview units from small Spanish phone maker Geeksphone. Once an Android handset maker, Geeksphone now makes part of the Firefox OS evangelists, alongside the likes of ZTE and operators such as Telefonica. What makes the platform different is the way it handles HTML5 apps-- web apps written in the language are native, meaning Firefox OS apps built should run on other smartphone platform...

Sapphire, Material of the Mobile Future?

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:10:36 +0100

An unlikely-sounding material might replace glass in the mobile device displays of the future, MIT Technology Review reports-- manufactured sapphire, the strong and scratch-proof transparent material of military choice. Sapphire is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide harder than any other natural material bar diamond. According to some tests it is up to three times stronger and scratch resistant than Gorilla Glass, the material making the displays (and in some cases the body) of most current ...

HTC Reveals One X Successor

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:58:07 +0100

Just days before Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 HTC unveils its Android smartphone flagship-- the HTC One, a 4.7-inch successor for the One X mobile family. Unibody construction is in aluminium with an optically bonded 4.7-inch LCD display featuring 1920 x 1080 resolution and 468ppi pixel density. Inside are a 1.7Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 600 chip, 2GB RAm, 32 or 64GB of internal storage and a 2300mAh battery. Jelly Bean is the Android version of choice, as reskinned with the latest version of...

Asus to Intro "Fonepad" at MWC?

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:02:45 +0100

According to DigiTimes Asus may have an interesting announcement at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013-- the Fonepad, a 7-inch Android 4.1 smartphone/tablet hybrid (aka "phablet"). The device will reportedly carry an Intel processor (specifically the Atom Z242), together with a 1280x800 IPS touchscreen, 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 3MP rear-facing camera and 3G, wifi, Bluetooth and GPS support. The Fonepad name is a reversal of "PadFone", the other Asus hybrid device (a smartphone with a tab...

RIM Launches BlackBerries, Changes Name

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:44:07 +0100

"BlackBerry" is now more than just a smartphone name-- on the BlackBerry 10 launch Research in Motion renames itself to BlackBerry in a move to consolidate the company brand. "As we launch BlackBerry 10 around the world, now is the right time to adopt the iconic BlackBerry name" CEO Thorsten Heins says. Now the hopes of a renamed RIM (sorry, BlackBerry) lie in not one, but two smartphones running on the latest BlackBerry OS version-- the Z10 and the Q10. The Z10 is the BlackBerry take on th...

Huawei Intros Ascend G 615

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:28 +0100

Huawei goes to Germany and announces the Ascend G 615, a quad-core mid-range smartphone with a 4.5-inch 720p IPS display. It carries a 1.4GHz processor, 2150mAh battery, 1GB RAM and 8GB built-in storage (expandable via microSD slot), as well as 1.3MP front- and 8MP rear-facing cameras. The OS of choice is Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), but Huawei says a Jelly Bean update will be available from March 2013. The Huawei Ascend G 615 is available now in a number of European markets. Go Huaw...

The Smartphone With Integrated eReader

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 09:48:39 +0100

The YotaPhone might look like any other CES 2013 smartphone, but it might turn into something special-- turn it around and you will find 4.3-inch electronic paper display (EPD) on the back. Designed to be always-on, the low power EPD shows anything from social media information and reminders to eBook files and images. An interesting application seen at CES is having EPD display a static map while the device is actually off. Russian maker Yota promises it will soon release an SDK allowing develo...

Samsung Outs Youm Flexible Displays

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:39:29 +0100

The Samsung CES 2013 keynote gives a glimpse of a more flexible future as it reveals the "Youm" flexible OLED series through a variety of prototypes. One prototype visitors can test out at the show has a 5-inch display curving over right-hand edge of the device, providing a little bit of extra real estate to display text messages, stock tickers and other notifications. Lacking a radio or even an OS, the prototype is little more than a cool demo of the technology, and we doubt it will be availabl...

Amazon Smartphone for 2013?

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:13:20 +0100

Amazon already makes tablets, so why not smartphones? Taiwan Economic News claims the online retailer is set to launch such a device sometime "between Q2 and Q3 2013." According to the source Amazon already has a manufacturer, Foxconn, and plans to ship around 5 million units of the unconfirmed device by 2013's end. Ambitious! Apparently Foxconn needed big pay day after major customers (chiefly Nokia) were bested by the competition. Other Taiwanese parts suppliers, including J Touch and Young F...

Samsung Reveals Another Phone

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:06:28 +0100

Galaxy Note too big? Galaxy S III Mini too small? Samsung hopes it has all customer preferences covered with yet another smartphone size-- the 5-inch Galaxy Grand. The Grand's TFT LCD touchscreen might be (err) grand in size, but it does not impress-- not 800 x 480 resolution. In comparison both Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II display resolutions clock at 1280x720. Mind, this mid-range smartphone does have a few interesting features. Running on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), the Galaxy Grand comes w...

Sold: Nokia HQ

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:55:02 +0100

In what surely is a bid to raise much needed funds, Nokia sells off its Espoo, Finland HQ-- the so called "Nokia House" now belongs to Finnish company Exilion. The 48000 square metre building cost all of €170 million, and the sale should be complete by end 2012. "Owning real estate is not part of Nokia's core business," Nokia CFO Timo Ihamuotila says. "When good opportunities arise we are willing to exit these types of non-core assets." The mobile maker will remain based in the building, if ...

Jolla Sails on With Mobile OS

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:29:17 +0100

Finland-based mobile developer Jolla finally shows off the fruit of its labours-- CEO Marc Dillon appears on MTV 3 Finland with a live demo of Sailfish, its MeeGo-based smartphone OS. Running on what looks like a Nokia N950 developer device, the OS looks rather interesting. It has a tile-based UI, with running apps showing up on the homescreen as large, interactive widgets. A "pulley" menu allows users to control music playback or answer/end calls, without need to open separate apps. Customisat...

"Honey, We Shrunk the Galaxy S III!"

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:36:01 +0100

Is the Galaxy S III is too massive for small European hands? Samsung Mobile Communications head JK Shin confirms the release of a 4-inch version of the smartphone, citing increase in demand for 4-inch devices from the European market. "There's a lot of demand for a 4-inch device in Europe. Some call it an entry-level device, but we call it "mini,'" JK Shin says. The regular Galaxy S III display is 4.8-inch-- not too unusual (or large) in an Android landscape where the average size for a high-...

Surface Phone to Follow Tablet?

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:34:20 +0100

As the world waits for the launch of the Surface tablet, rumours emerge on Microsoft's future hardware ambitions-- the launch of a Surface-branded Windows Phone 8 smartphone. The first round of speculation comes from the China Times, with a report claiming a Surface smartphone will be available from H1 2013. More rumours come via BGR, with a "trusted source" saying Microsoft plans to take on the high-end offerings Apple, Samsung... and its own vendor partners. Does Microsoft want to anger the s...

Meet the iPhone 5

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:51:46 +0100

Apple reveals the iPhone 5-- taller (4" Retina display), thinner (18%), lighter (20%), faster (2X with a new A6 chip that's 22% smaller), and longer-lasting in battery power (finally!). Tim Cook presented Apple's typically bullish outlook, showing off an impressive new Apple Store in Barcelona (complete with blue shirt-clad Geniuses and huge lines) and bragging about global domination in the tablet market. The bigger display confirms earlier rumours... Apple is clearly aware of the success ...

Brace Yourselves: iPhone 5 is Coming

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:27:33 +0100

It is official-- the next big Apple launch event will happen on September 12 2012, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco. The location is significant, seeing it is where Apple tends to launch new products. What product this time? The invitation image says "it's almost here," on top of a giant "12" with a shadow reading... 5. What else? Maybe some were expecting a glimpse of the legendary (as in like a unicorn) Apple TV set, or a smaller iPad mini, or... something entirely new? ...

Galaxy Note "Phablet" Gets Bigger

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 09:25:11 +0100

Sometimes big is just not big enough-- Samsung announces the Galaxy Note II at IFA 2012, an even bigger successor to the massive 1st-generation Note phone-tablet hybrid device. While the Galaxy Note has a 5.3-inch display, the Galaxy Note II carries an impressive 5.5-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen. Looks-wise it resembles the Galaxy S III, complete with rounded edges, thin display bezel and similar physical button configuration. The internals include a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and 2GB RAM, mak...

The Shrinking iPhone 5 Connector?

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 08:59:34 +0100

Will Apple accessory sellers get an additional revenue boost through the iPhone 5? According to Reuters the iPhone 5 will carry a new, smaller version of the now-ubiquitous Apple dock connector. Two anonymous sources of the "familiar with the matter" variety say the iPhone 5 will ship with a 19-pin connector instead of the proprietary 30-pin port, in order to "make room for the earphone moving the bottom." The 30-pin Apple port might be something of an icon, but it also takes space-- being 21mm...

MeeGo Sails on in Jolla

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 09:35:17 +0100

A collective of ex-Nokia employees and MeeGo affacionados form Jolla-- a Finand-based mobile company aiming to continue what Nokia started with the MeeGo smartphone OS. COO Marc Dillon leads the company, who has an 11-year history with Nokia including a stint as principal MeeGo engineer. A number of Jolla members are "directors and core professionals" from the Nokia MeeGo N9 division who left the company earlier this month. "Nokia created something wonderful - the world's best smartphone produc...

Windows Phone Gets Version 8

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:48:44 +0100

Microsoft follows the Surface tablet reveal with another mobile-related announcement-- Windows Phone 8 (aka Apollo), the next full-blown version of the smartphone OS, currently at version 7.5. The biggest change Windows Phone 8 has is the NT kernel, meaning the mobile OS shares a kernel, file system, media foundation, device drivers and partial security model with Windows 8. The NT kernel also provides multi-core processor support, removable storage (via microSD cards), NFC capability and even ...

Turning Smartphones into Laptops

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:52:06 +0100

iPad case maker Clamcase promises to add laptop functionality to smartphones with Clambook-- an ultra-thin processor-free laptop connecting with Android and iOS devices. The Clambook has a MacBook Air-style look, with a thin aluminium body, widescreen display, 3D Cinema Sound, wireless QWERTY keyboard and multitouch trackpad. It connects to smartphones via MHL cable, meaning it charges the connected device when in use. While looking and acting like a laptop, the Clamcase has no processor or RAM...

Tizen Devices Coming Out in 2012?

Wed, 30 May 2012 08:40:07 +0100

DigiTimes reports Intel and Samsung's Tizen OS is coming out sometime in H2 2012 inside a variety of devices-- including smartphones, netbooks and even in-vehicle infotainment systems. Vendors to supposedly sell Tizen-based devices include HTC, Acer and Asus. Apparently Acer and Asus will be testing the waters by launching a Tizen netbook in emerging markets by Q3 2012. Announced on September 2011, Tizen is an Intel and Samsung co-development borrowing code from Intel's MeeGo and Samsung's LiMo...

RIM Bets on New BlackBerry

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:06:33 +0100

Will a BlackBerry upgrade help a struggling RIM turn fortunes around? New RIM CEO Thorsten Heins surely hopes so as he unveils the next-gen BlackBerry 10 platform at the BlackBerry World conference. BlackBerry 10 is a shift from earlier versions, being an entirely new platform with a focus on virtual keyboards. The prototype device seen at Blackberry World has no physical keyboard-- it is a 4.2" iPhone-style device lacking in physical buttons. RIM says the virtual keyboard "learns" how users ty...

Samsung Beats Nokia, is Mobile Market Leader

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:48:24 +0100

Samsung reports record profits for Q1 2012 as it gains mobile market share through Galaxy and Note sales while beating Japanese rivals in the TV stakes. Operating profits for Q1 2012 total $5.15 billion (or 5.85 trillion won), with 98% Y-o-Y growth. Accounting for 73% of total profits is a strong mobile division, with profits reaching $3.8bn. The Galaxy Note proved to be something of a dark horse for Samsung, emerging as the surprise consumer hit of recent months. The company should also launch...

RIM Going for Middle East Market

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:49:06 +0100

As European and US Blackberry sales plunge, RIM is going for other territories-- specifically MEA, as it prepares to open a flagship BlackBerry store amongst the glitzy malls of Dubai. The Dubai store will measure up to 140 square metres and will be the first of series of stores across the Middle East, Bloomberg reports. RIM is still doing good business in the M. East, and plans to open stores in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. Customising the M. Eastern BlackBerry stores is mobile phone distri...

Will Samsung Find the Right Size?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:45:37 +0100

Fact: Samsung devices come in a bewildering variety of sizes. 10.1-, 8.9-, 7- 5.2-inch... now the company adds a new size with the 2.8-inch Galaxy Pocket, a very simple handset aimed at customers with tighter pockets. It has a basic feature set-- Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) as OS, an 832Mhz processor, 3GB internal storage (expandable via microSD card), 2MP camera, and wifi, 3G and FM radios. So yes, it's a very average phone with the equally average (low) price of $140, making it one of the cheap...

Smartphones Turn into Desktops via Linux

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:33:29 +0100

Canonical plans to provide Android smartphones with a desktop-style OS with Ubuntu for Android-- a hardware dock and software combination aiming at first-PC customers and enterprise use. The idea is similar to the Motorola Atrix, which used the Motorla Webtop OS and the hardware Lapdock. However Canonical pushes the concept even further by having the phone switch to a different OS (ARM Linux) when docked via HDMI and USB ports. Canonical says it will take advantage of current smartphones (with ...

Do You Believe Security Sells? How About Mobile Security?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:24:47 +0100

I once shipped some valuable antique oakwood panels across the Atlantic. When they were damaged in delivery to my door, I went to the insurance company and claimed for the damage based on the protection the policy I purchased. "Ah," they said. "But you bought overseas shipping insurance..." "Yes, I did. Here's copy of your policy." "But, sir," they replied, handing back the policy. "You only paid for insurance while your goods were on the water. These were damaged on land after arrival. They'r...

The Next Future Trend: Wearable Devices?

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:51:55 +0100

Will the smartphone stop ruling the small screens to instead become the behind the scenes "hub" powering the next generation of wearable computers? According to the New York Times, both Google and Apple are secretly working on wearable devices-- with the aim to boost the smartphone business, of course. Google is reportedly hiring specialists from Nokia, Apple and engineering universities as researchers at the secret Google X labs work on wearable peripherals sending and receiving data to and fr...

Nokia Shows Off Windows Phone Goods

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:22:32 +0100

Nokia presents a hopeful face at Nokia World 2011, unveiling not one but two Windows Phone 7 devices-- flagship model Lumia 800 and the "colourful and affordable" Lumia 710. The company describes the Lumia 800 as "the first real Windows Phone"-- a sleek handset sharing industrial design with the stillborn Meego-powered N9, using the same 12.1mm thick polycarbonate plastic casing and 3.7" AMOLED curved display. Inside is a 1.4GHz processor, 16GB of internal storage, a camera using Carl Zeiss opt...

The iPhone 4 Gets an "S" (For Effort?)

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:30:56 +0100

Like the rumour-based oracles predicted, Apple unveils the 2011 iPhone model at Let's Talk iPhone-- only not the "iPhone 5," but the iPhone 4S, a hardware upgrade on the previous model. The revelation proved disappointing for the Apple disciples expecting something entirely new (as if Apple would reinvent the wheel), 4G (lacking) or an improved display (the iPhone4 Retina Display remains). Inside is the dual-core A5 processor from the iPad 2, which Apple says improves on both graphics and iOS p...

MeeGo is Dead, Long Live Tizen?

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:12:22 +0100

As MeeGo (the Nokia-Intel Linux-based mobile device OS project) fades away following Nokia's move to Windows Phone, the Linux Foundation announces a new open source project-- Tizen, a standards-based cross-architecture software platform for multiple devices. With an initial release aiming for Q1 2012, Tizen should support smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, netbooks and in-vehicle infotainment systems. The Linux Foundation hopes the first Tizen-powered devices should be available by H2 2012. The p...

iPhone 5 Gets Announcement Date

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:03:37 +0100

Here's the date Apple disciples are waiting for-- October 4th, the very probable date for the next iPhone's announcement as revealed in a somewhat cryptic image. The image shows the announcement date (Tuesday 4th October), time (10:00am California time), the number "1" (will Apple only reveal 1 device?) and the address to the Apple Cupertino HQ. What can one expect from the Apple event? One thing for sure-- a lack of Steve Jobs, alongside his famous "reality distortion field" superpower. Most l...

Samsung Takes Down Notes on Tablets

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:24:46 +0100

Is Samsung showing a large smartphone or a small tablet? That's the question on everyone's lips following the Galaxy Note reveal at IFA 2011. The Galaxy Note is a smartphone (not a tablet) in a new form factor-- a 5.3" 1280x800 resolution Super AMOLED display. The touchscreen is pressure sensitive and handles stylus input (a rarity nowadays), as Samsung appears to be pushing the device for handwritten note-taking and sketching use. Inside are a 1.4GHz dual-core processor and Android 2.3 (Ginge...

The Belle of the Symbian Ball

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:21:41 +0100

Following a teaser campaign on Monday Nokia announces its latest Symbian update-- Belle, the successor to Anna, coming on 3 new devices launching on Q3 2011. Belle brings single-tap NFC sharing and pairing to Nokia phones-- enabling data sharing and pairing with NFC-enabled devices (such as speakers or headsets) by touching devices together. The update also increases the number of home screens, alongside tweaks on web browsing, widgets and notification access. The announcement includes 3 new N...

Snapdragon Gets Next-Gen Family

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:54:28 +0100

Qualcomm announces its next Snapdragon mobile processor architecture at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona. Codenamed Krait, the next-gen multi-core (single, dual and quad) 28nm chipsets will offer speeds of up to 2.5GHz per core, alongside what Qualcomm claims is 150% higher overall performance and 65% lower power consumption than current-gen ARM-based CPU cores. Krait chips will also feature wifi, GPS, bluetooth, NFC support and stereoscopic 3D video/photo capture and playback. A new iteration...

Echoes Through Dual-Screens

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:47:49 +0100

Kyocera unveils a first-- the Echo, a dual-touchscreen Android smartphone. The set carries x2 3.5" touchscreens (each with 480 x 800 resolution), which one can open into a 4.7" 960 x 800 surface. The screen can either close for use as a regular touchscreen handset, unfold into a flat tablet-style surface or prop up into a laptop-like configuration. Connecting the screens is what Kyocera describes as a sliding liquid-metal hinge. Powering the device are a 1GHz Snapdragon processor running Andro...

Entry-Level Smartphones on Low-Cost Growth

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:40:42 +0100

Global shipments for entry-level smartphones are to reach over 185m units by 2015, thanks to operators' low cost own brand devices. Juniper Research's report also says these devices' prices are also set to go cheaper, due to increasing competition and lower cost chipsets. Vodafone and Orange both have own brand handsets, carrying the Android OS-- thanks to OEM agreements with Huawei and its likes. Mobile internet is also reaching low-cost handsets due to compression and remote browsing, togethe...

Playstation Phone? No, Playstation Phones.

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:59:36 +0100

Sony confirms its smartphone-gaming plans-- not with the speculated "Playstation Phone" handset, but a cross-platform mobile software framework dubbed Playstation Suite. What this means is an official Playstation store carrying PSOne titles for Android devices-- specifically those with Android 2.3. The company describes the store as hardware neutral, making software compatible with all sorts of devices. Sony is also starting a "Playstation Certified" hardware licensing program together with a n...

Media Guide and Remote on iPhone

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:49:43 +0100

Dijit is the next iPhone app turning Apple's smartphone into a universal remote-- with support for over 200000 devices. Combined with Griffin's Beacon bluetooth-to-infrared bridge device, the app supports any IR device without need for a dongle. As well as acting as a fully customisable remote control interface Dijit also works as a user's media guide-- with Netflix support and channel/TV show/genre search. Users can also share what they watch on facebook and twitter through the app's Check-In ...

Touch Interfaces Touch on Europeans

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:58:55 +0100

European consumers prefer phones with an advanced OS and touchscreens, GFK reports. The market share for handsets with an advanced OS is now 26.9%, up from 13 months ago's 13.8%. The UK leads the trend in Europe, with 43.% of handsets carrying an advanced OS. Google's Android comes in 20% of handsets sold in September 2010. Meanwhile over 33% of handsets sold in September 2010 are touchscreen-based, up 21% from the same month a year ago. GFK says this only means the mobile web and OS markets ...

IPhone to Replace Remotes?

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:21:28 +0100

Mashed Pixel proposes customers should replace all their remote controllers with its Surc iPhone app and case combination. After installing the free app, users slip their iPhone (either 3G, 3GS or 4) into the case. The case carries an IR transmitter and turns the iDevice into a universal remote. The app should have settings for a large number of devices and connects to most IR-connected devices and appliances. Through a Surc account users can also backup all their remotes and settings. The Sur...

When One Core is Not Enough

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:20:43 +0100

LG launches the first dual-core processor smartphone, the 4" LG Optimus 2X. The Optimus carries NVidia's Tegra 2 chip and runs at 1GHz clock speed. The extra juice proves handy for HD video playback, recording and HDMI mirroring via DLNA. It comes with with 2 cameras (8 megapixel on the back paired with 1.3 megapixel up front), 8GB on-board storage (expands via microSD card slot) and micro-USB port. Android 2.2 powers the device. LG says it shouldrelease upgrades to Gingerbread (Android 2.3) i...

Android App Invention Now for Everyone

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:17:17 +0100

Android fans and amateur coders rejoice-- App Inventor for Android is now open to the public. In very typical Google fashion, it's still tagged as "Beta" (of course) and is available on Google Labs' site. Before one had to ask for an invite to make use of the system. The App inventor does not require any programming knowledge to play around with-- users build apps by connecting "blocks" of code and behaviours with each other. A bit like building a puzzle, if you will. What one does require is ...

Why Sony SNAP is Frozen

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:31:32 +0100

First, Sony announced a new project (Sony’s Networked Application Platform or SNAP) that will allow developers to create apps for the company's TVs, set-top boxes and other devices. Now SNAP has been snapped off. The project is on hold and no one knows exactly why-- except Sony. For a conglomerate like Sony to announce and freeze a publicly announced project suggests either litigation issues (or a conversation to avoid litigation) or an acquisition (let's imagine the fabled Apple buys Sony dis...

Has the Window Closed for Microsoft's Phone 7?

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:28:51 +0100

Steve Ballmer is one of those guys who just can't hide a mood. Probably a terrible poker player. Which is why-- when Microsoft is crowing about Kinect sales-- that the refusal to provide Windows Phone 7 sales figures is damning. UK store deal aggregator MobilesPlease says Phone 7 has accounted for just 3% of their smartphone sales, with Android outselling WP7 handsets 15:1. With 800,000 visitors to their sites, you have to take this report seriously. The site says Symbian devices outsold Wind...

Can Win Phone 7 Save Garmin-Asus?

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:04:56 +0100

Garmin-Asus hopes a Windows Phone 7 device, expected to launch early 2011, will save its smartphone business. It also plans to expand its Android line-up with new devices, according to DigiTimes. Last month Garmin's CFO said publicly the company is ready to exit the smartphone business if it does not achieve success in 6 months. Analysts define success as Garmin-Asus selling at least a million devices or more each year to stay in the smartphone market. The Garmin-Asus joint venture, created i...

10 Handsets for Win Phone 7 Launch

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:58:54 +0100

Microsoft unveils first phones running Win Phone 7, 8 months after the OS unveiling in Barcelona. 5 models will be initially available in Europe from Oct 21 from HTC, Samsung and LG. All come with 480x800 WVGA touchscreens and adhere to Microsoft standards for screen resolution, processor and button configuration. The new OS overhauls Windows Mobile and integrates Microsoft's Zune, XBox Live and Office, together with Bing Search and Windows Live. Go Microsoft Unveils Windows Phone 7 Portfoli...

VISA Starts MicroSD Payments in Europe

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:14:13 +0100

Visa Europe launches a contact-less payment system in Turkey. Customers of Akbank with a Blackberry enabled by a microSD card can now pay for goods. Using NFC technology in a microSD called the In2Pay, the In2Pay card can still act as a storage expansion as well, so users do not give up memory to make use of the service. Visa will expand this micro-SD programme to include HTC, Samsung, LG, Nokia and Motorola phones in the near future while it waits for NFC handsets to gain in the market. Go VIS...

What iPhone4 is Really About

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The "iPhone 4" goes on sale on June 24th in UK, France, Germany in 16GB and 32GB versions. iPhone 4 features more than 100 new features including a better still camera (5 megapixel), improved battery life (40% more time) and a screen with significantly higher resolution (326 pixels per inch, 4X more pixels than before). But what everyone will be watching is the front-facing video camera for WiFi-only video conferencing. Will iPhone owners develop video chat habits with Mac owners or iPh...

Mobile Devices Will Outstrip Networks

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:00:00 +0100

Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son shook up Mobile Asia Congress, declaring mobile networks alone can't support future data-intensive devices. The CEO of Japan's largest Internet group uses this example to explain why future mobile networks may not be able to support the evolution of devices: if the same rate of device development continues, in 2024 an iPhone would be 1000X more powerful and will store 32 terabytes of data… "The PC internet day is gone, the majority of Internet access will come from...

Lenovo Buys Back Phone Unit

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:52:48 +0100

Lenovo buys back the mobile phone unit, the same unit it spun off only last year... now probably "THINKing" its decision to focus on its core business in PCs might have been hasty. It will cost USD$200 million plus stock to buy back Lenovo Mobile from a group of investors who bought it for $100 million last year. The company justifies this, citing growing similarities between PCs and mobile phones that "are creating a new device category that Lenovo sees as a key growth opportunity in China an...

MicroUSB to Ring in Earlier with UCS

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:00:07 +0100

Nokia, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Apple, RIM, NEC, Qualcomm and TI, all agree mobile phones in Europe will have the new Universal Charging Solution (UCS) in 2010 instead of 2012. The new chargers will only be compatible with smartphones, leaving out basic phones, reports Reuters. The MicroUSB standard is now backed by the ITU. The new UPC standard was based on input from GSMA, which predicts a 50% reduction in standby energy consumption, elimination of 51,000 tonnes of redundant charge...

Meet Moblin Before It’s Famous

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:57:25 +0100

(Video) Watch Dirk Hohndel, Intel’s Chief Open Source Strategist, share the vision behind open source and Taiwan’s new challenge to Windows. The Taiwan government is supporting this attempt to break out of Window's grasp.Go MOBLIN Or Go Intel's open source developer community at www.moblin.org ...

UMDs Exceed 200 Million Units by 2013

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:48:21 +0100

Unit sales for ultra-mobile devices (UMDs) will match notebook PCs sales by 2013, says ABI Research. The category that includes ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs), “netbooks,” and mobile internet devices (MIDs)—UMD Shipments will grow from 10 million units this year to more than 200 million in 2013. Netbooks currently account for about 90% of the total device volumes, but MID units will grow more rapidly to contribute 68% to the over...

“MotoAURA” First with Circular Display

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:42:44 +0100

Everyone is getting punished on the high end of the mobile phone market but fearless Motorola thinks AURA, world's first handset with a full color circular LCD, can crack it. At just under 1.6”, the 16 million colors display features 480-pixel diameter res that produces 300 dots per inch density. The phone features a swivel design where the display can stay fixed while the outer cover rotates for number pad access. AURA is made of a 62-carat sapphire lens to protects a 2- megapixel cam...

Nokia to End Era of High Cost Music

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:01:54 +0100

Nokia will bundle an all-you-can-eat music buffet with phones in a service called “Comes with Music”. This flat-fee music service with phone purchase lets buyers download as many tracks as they like for a year, choosing from 2.1 million songs from Sony, Universal, EMI and Warner. If users want more tracks after year-end, they have to pay. DRM battles may fall off quickly now as the music industry cuts the deals with the mobile phone industry, the same deals the...

Quote Worth Thinking About

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:34:11 +0100

"We can make more in mobile than desktop, eventually. The reason is because the mobile device is more targeted. Think about it: You carry your phone with you everywhere. It knows all about you. We can use that to do a very, very targeted ad. Over time, Google will make more money from mobile advertising." -- Google CEO Eric Schmidt...

Will Android and Symbian Unite?

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0100

Its only speculation but noted American analyst Jack Gold says Symbian and Android OS may combine into a single open source operating system within next 6 months. "A combination of the Android and Symbian efforts would be good for the industry, good for Google and good for Symbian," Gold adds. "It would also help spur growth in the availability of applications and services. The downside is minimal. Everyone wins." This would pose a challenge to Apple. "Not licensing the O...

Mobile Industry Rolls Out the LiMo

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:53:13 +0100

LiMo Foundation, a global consortium (let’s just say you won’t find Microsoft or Nokia on this list), launched the first globally competitive Linux-based software platform for mobile handsets in March—together with public availability of the application programming interface (API) specs.LiMo’s initial Founder members—Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics and Vodafone—have been joined by others so now there’s...

What’s Up at Euroset?

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:20:41 +0100

Euroset, Russia's largest mobile phone retailer with 5150 outlets and 23% market share, has no president (nor financial director) after Aleksey Chujkin did not have his contract renewed. Discussions are currently underway with AFK Sistema and VimpelCom (Beeline brand) who may buy a stake in the retailer.Euroset, a $5 billion company, sold 12.6 million handsets in 2007 at an average price of $201, or 6.1% more than in 2006.Euroset has also been looking for a financial director since last month...

Can Nokia’s “Tube” Answer the iPhone?

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:52:53 +0100

Every mobile maker wants to bury the iPhone. A new Nokia phone with touch-screen is codenamed 'Tube' and will have Java built-in and probably support for the DVB-H mobile TV and mobile video. The device can upload photos to the web, indicating either built-in Wi-Fi or HSDPA connectivity. GPS should be included, as Nokia wants to build location technology into all smartphones. Nokia hopes to significantly undercut Apple with their manufacturing economies of scale. One analyst thinks t...

Apple Could Sell 45 million iPhones in 2009

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:40:06 +0100

Gene Munster, Apple analyst at Piper Jaffray's, outlines the steps by which he thinks Apple could sell 45 million iPhones in 2009 -- introducing a 3G model and perhaps a lower-end version; capitalizing on international sales; and adding new features like games and remote purchases.And in another report Munster says (in the consumer market) Mac's market share is up 10% worldwide and 21% in USA.Go 45 Million iPhones?...

Now Microsoft Will Offer Full Cell Phone Browsing

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:38:44 +0100

CTIA, the American answer to Europe’s Mobile World Conference, gave Microsoft a chance to announce Internet Explorer Mobile will be available to phone makers in the Q3 (with the first phones to go on sale by year end).Before iPhone was launched (with a combined phone, browser and music player), cell phones mostly showed stripped-down web versions.Microsoft also announces Windows Mobile 6.1 and expects mobile OS sales to outpace smartphone growth (to quadruple in 3 to 4 years to about 400 mi...

Motorola Splits Off Its Mobile Business

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:47:07 +0100

Motorola splits off its mobile handset business into a separate public company. How well does Motorola know the mobile handset business? Apparently not very well, according to billionaire investor Carl Icahn (major shareholder in Motorola). He wants a court order to force the turnover of documents related to Motorola’s spin-off of the cell-phone unit and to the selection of Motorola's senior officers. Icahn says, "… the statements and predictions of Motorola's manag...

EU Backs Nokia in Mobile TV Standard

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:52:17 +0100

The European Commission decides Nokia’s DVB-H will be the preferred European mobile TV standard. Some EU states (UK, Germany, Netherlands) opposed setting DVB-H as the single standard: now EU countries will now be required to encourage the use of DVB-H. EC hopes this year's soccer European Championship and the Olympic Games will boost consumer take-up of mobile TV. Go Mobile TV EU-Style...

Altec Lansing Shows iPhone Dock

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:44:15 +0100

Many industry observers were surprised when Gartner reported worldwide mobile phone sales reached 1.15 billion units in 2007 and three new companies made the Top 10. Apple, outsider to the telecom industry, made the list. German distributor MacLand, specialist in third party solutions for Apple, held its annual MacLand@CeBIT day in the Convention Center. There Altec Lansing’s Dirk Gerber showed the T612 sound dock, one of the first iPhone docks. Altec’s range of iPod decks i...

Apple in Top 10, Mobile Phones Reach 1bn

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:34:44 +0100

The iPhone puts Apple in Gartner's Top 10 worldwide mobile phone sales. Worldwide mobile phone sales reached 1.15 billion units in 2007 with three new companies in the Top 10.“Emerging markets, especially China and India, provided much of the growth as many people bought their first phone,” says Carolina Milanesi, Research Director for mobile devices at Gartner. “In mature markets, such as Japan and W. Europe, consumers’ appetite for feature-laden phones was met with n...

TI Developers Map Future of Cell Phone

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:12:27 +0100

Texas Instruments, perhaps the most underestimated company in our industry, held its Developer Conference to launch new OMAP chips and showcase innovations."I'm more excited today, looking forward at the innovations coming in the next five or 10 years, than I have been in my 25 years with this company," says Mike Hames, TI's Senior VP for Applications Specific Products. TI thinks these new OMAP chips will let customers invent entirely new products that combine audio, video...

Google's Android Prototypes Show Up in Europe

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:53:36 +0100

Texas Instruments, Qualcomm and ARM stands all had demos of Google’s Android at GSMA World Congress. Naturally these stands were packed out with “Google-eyed” visitors but really there is nothing to see. Yes, you could see ARM’s prototype but it’s a welcome screen featuring a plain black background with a series of generic icons along the bottom. And yes, the icons open features like the Web browser, calendar, messaging, Gmail access and Google Maps. But Android is a...

One Phone Shall Rule All

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 02:05:09 +0100

Apple's iPhone is the most in-demand and most-satisfying phone, says researcher ChangeWave who says record numbers of US consumers are abandoning basic phones for more advanced models. iPhone and Blackberry lead the trend in a survey of 4182 consumers. 72% of iPhone owners are "very satisfied," while only 55% for Blackberry, 34% Motorola, 34% Sony Ericsson, 34% Samsung 34% and 305 for Palm.Free download. ...

Technoslia doubles stores in Russia

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:00:00 +0100

With an 8% share of the Russian market for electronics and home appliances, Technosila is the country's No.3 retailer (behind leader Eldorado and No.2 M.Video).The company will double the number of stores by 2010 focusing on Russia's fast-growing regions, including the Russian Far East and cities with populations of more than 100,000.The retailer currently operates 132 outlets, 25 in Moscow and suburbs, in addition to 43 franchise shops. Its Internet subsidiary was launched in 2005.Techno...