Record 68.8m phones sold by Samsung in Q4
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 75% jump in the annual profit of Samsung Electronics has been recorded leading to a five-year high of 9.7 trillion won ($8.3 billion) on record sales of 89.8 trillion won.
Even the mobile phone shipment rose 31% to reach 68.8 million with a sevenfold rise in telecom income to about 990 billion won.
The potent performance of Samsung follows the results of competitors such as Apple, Nokia and LG Electronics as their shipments in the handset industry rose an estimated 10 percent, the first increase since the third quarter of 2008.
Fujitsu launches legal war against Apple (Japan)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Apple’s latest technology, iPad is making news for all the wrong reasons. In the latest one, Japanese multinational computer hardware and IT services company Fujitsu Ltd has filed a petition claiming that it has the rights to the iPad name, not Apple. In reply, Apple has petitioned the U.S. Patent Office with requests for more time to build its case against Fujitsu.
A touch-screen mobile device called the iPad was released by Fujitsu in 2002 and the trademark on the moniker was filed in 2003. The trademark was not granted to the Japanese Corporation because an IT security company called Mag-Tech had already filed a trademark application for the name. But Fujitsu renewed its application in June.
According to Jeremy Klass, an associate at Washington, DC-based IP firm Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C, regardless of Apple’s rights in the iPad trademark for its newly announced tablet computer, its rights in the famous iPod brand certainly will factor into any decision that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board may issue.
iPad crushed by rumors and expectations
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Even after coming off its most profitable quarter ever, the $50 billion-plus company, Apple is a victim of its own success and history of innovation. Media and consumers who were anticipating another revolution from the company got an evolution instead in the form of iPad.
Apple’s iPad is generating remarkably negative buzz, facing criticism for what it isn’t, not for what it is. The most commonly cited complaint lodged against the tablet is that it doesn’t support Adobe Flash, significantly limiting the scope of its web capabilities. Besides, absence of camera features and lack of multi-tasking are some of the other problems cited in the tablet.
In essence, the iPad needed to be all things to all people–and there was no margin for error. However, by making the iPad compatible with the existing iPhone and iPod applications, Apple is giving its developers a new channel to market their mobile software without investing energy and resources into making changes to their work.
This might be considered a pragmatic approach but unfortunately, there is no ‘wow’ factor in this practicality.
AT&T to invest billions in network overhaul
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Billions will be invested by AT&T this year for the overhauling of its 3G network. The iPhone-related mobile data traffic explosion has resulted in dropped calls and painfully slow throughput in some congested markets and this move is aimed at keeping up with this congestion.
$18 billion to $19 billion is the expected capital expenditures investment by AT&T in 2010 which is about $2 billion more than last year on wireless network and backhaul. iPhone zones like New York and San Francisco are the main targets of this overhaul and the operator will increase its capacity, with 2,000 additional cell sites and 400,000 more square miles of 3G coverage.
The move has become even more imperative for AT&T because of the introduction of Apple iPad which has increased the data traffic even further.
Apple unblocks VoIP calls over iPhone’s 3G networks
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: iPhone users has been allowed to use Internet calling services over 3G cellular networks by Apple. However, the service is available only over Wi-Fi connections, which don’t have the range of 3G cellular networks.
The service applies to applications for the iPhone and the new iPad tablet device unveiled this week, some of which will come with 3G capabilities.
Earlier, Google Voice was blocked by Apple as the program duplicated some of the iPhone’s features, and that it was still studying the application.
Apple launches iPad
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A device to browse the web, to read and send e-mail, to use media like photos, videos, music, games and e-books and including other features like a multi-touch display and twelve specially designed applications. And if you think you want more, then use the software development kit to create your own apps. All these features in just a 1.27 centimeters thick and 680 grams device.
Welcome to the world of a super advanced technology of Apple’s iPad. If you are longing to be the proud owner of this device, you just have to wait till late March and have it at USD 499 for the 16 GB model and USD 699 for the 32 GB model.
The two versions of the iPad, one with Wi-Fi and one with both Wi-Fi and support for 7.2 Mbps HSDPA will run almost all of the apps in the App Store. The Wi-Fi + 3G version will be available in April in the US and selected countries for USD 629 for the 16 GB model, USD 729 for the 32 GB model and USD 829 for the 64 GB model.
Prepaid data plan for the iPad has already been launched by AT&T. A new iBooks app, allowing user to buy and read books on a mobile device has been announced by Apple. Books from major publishers will be featured in the iBookstore.
Strong iPhone sales raise Apple’s profit by 50%
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The massive sale of iPhones is working wonders for Apple which recorded an increase of 32% in its first quarter revenues, up from USD 11.88 billion in the year-ago quarter to USD 15.68 billion. Apple sold 8.7 million iPhones during the quarter, up 100 percent year-on-year.
58 percent of the quarter’s revenue came from International sales. 50% rise in the profit to USD 3.38 billion, or USD 3.67 per diluted share, versus USD 2.26 billion, or USD 2.50 per diluted share is also recorded.
3.36 million Macintosh computers, up 33 percent year-on-year, and 21 million iPods, down by 8 percent from the year-ago quarter has also been sold by the company.
Sony Ericsson to supply Android smartphone to DoCoMo
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Sony Ericsson signed a deal with Japan’s largest mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo to supply its first smartphone using Google Inc.’s Android operating system, Xperia X10, to be launched in April.
However, Sony’s Ericsson’s entry in the iPhone market is late to compete with Apple Inc.’s iPhone or Research In Motion Ltd.’s Blackberry devices.
According to Bert Nordberg, president of the loss-making joint venture between Sony Corp. and Sweden’s Ericsson, DoCoMo will be company’s first customer globally to get its new mobile phone.
Some of the features of the phone include four-inch touch-screen and a powerful mobile processor besides some software features that allows users to track all of their communication with friends or colleagues, spanning phone calls, e-mail and even social networks like Twitter and Facebook.
Google might be replaced by Bing in Apple’s iPhone
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Apple iPhone customers could carry out their search operations on Bing instead of Google, if the negotiation for the deal between Apple and Microsoft works after which Bing will become default search engine on the iPhone.
Currently, the users can use Yahoo instead of Google but have to perform the switch manually. It has also been reported that the talks are underway for weeks and there are chances that the deal might fall apart.
A Bing application for the iPhone has already been created by Microsoft.
0.1% growth in M1′s FY2009 net income
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A full year net profit of SGD150.3 million (USD107.9 million) in 2009 has been announced by Singaporean fixed and wireless operator MobileOne Asia (M1). The growth is just 0.1% from the previous year and the revenue is SGD782 million, down 2.4% year-on-year in a difficult economic climate and trading environment.
However, the company recorded a growth of 1.3% on the EBITDA margin on service revenue as a result of ongoing cost management initiatives. 40,000 new customers have been added by the cellco in 2009 for an end-year total of 1.758 million. The company attributed the growth to the decision to sell the almost ubiquitous Apple iPhone.
Even the broadband consumer base grew last year and the revenue from non-voice services also increased slightly, contributing 26% of service revenue, up from 23.4% in the corresponding year-earlier period
