Nokia unveils new mobile phones for faster internet experience (Pakistan)
Nokia has unveiled two new mobile phone models as it continues to accelerate its strategy to connect the next billion consumers to information and the internet. The Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 have been designed to appeal to young, urban consumers who want to experience a fast, affordable online experience.
Both devices are perfect for communicating across Facebook, Twitter and social media networks. The internet experience is also smooth thanks to the Nokia Browser. This innovative technology allows users to consume less data by up to 90 percent, by compressing websites in the cloud. Both devices offer direct access to Facebook and Twitter from their home screens. The Nokia 112 also features preloaded eBuddy instant messaging service right out of the box, so users can use popular chat services to keep conversations going 24/7.
In common with other Nokia mobile phones, consumers can choose from thousands of apps to download on the Nokia Store. With the upgraded camera, they can now customize their contacts with pictures, and share them with friends via social networks and Bluetooth.
Mary T. McDowell, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia, said that today’s mobile phone users want a quick internet experience that allows them to discover great content and share it with their friends – but without being held back by high data costs. The new Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 devices combine browsing, social media, apps, world-class entertainment and long battery life to create a great package for young, urban consumers who want to do it all.
The devices all feature a generous 1.8″ display optimized for a great gaming experience. In the coming months, the Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 will bring free 40 key EA Games, valued at EUR 75 if bought separately, including well known titles like Tetris, Bejeweled, Need for Speed(TM) The Run, Monopoly Here & Now, and SimCity(TM) Deluxe. Consumers will be able to easily access the content by clicking on the Games Gift EA icon on their home screen which will take them to the Nokia Store to download the games. Once they have accessed the offering, they will have 60 days to download the games of their choice, keeping the games forever.
Both new phones offer an improved VGA camera for sharp and clear pictures with support for up to 32GB of external memory, enough for more than 6000+ songs or 90,000 pictures. Consumers can tune into their favorite radio stations and share their favorite songs with friends over Bluetooth. The phones have been optimized to provide a long-lasting battery life, with over 10 hours of talk time and nearly a month’s standby, meaning that consumers can stay in-touch and entertained all day long.
The Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 are both Dual SIM phones, featuring the benefits of Nokia’s unique and industry leading Easy Swap technology. This enables users to switch between SIMs quickly without having to remove their battery or turn off their phone. The Easy Swap technology can personalize and remember up to five different SIM cards, giving consumers full control over their costs.
The Nokia 110 will also be available as single SIM versions - Nokia 111 and Nokia 113, with this last one available in Europe and Eurasia only. The estimated retail price for Nokia 110 and its single SIM versions is about $45 and they are expected to start shipping in the second quarter of 2012. The estimated retail price for Nokia 112 is about $49, excluding taxes and subsidies, and is expected to start shipping in the third quarter of 2012.
The real reason behind Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility (USA)
Google’s mobile operating software – Android – has resulted in it controlling a dominant position in the mobile phone market, beating rivals Apple and Nokia to the number one spot. The acquisition of Motorola Mobility further earned Google access to over 17,000 patents, enabling the internet giant to protect its Android software from patent infringements.
A report by CNET offers an insight into the possible opportunities offered by such a merger to users. As per the report, this deal may enable Google to be the first to offer smartphone devices that completely replace a user’s personal computer (PC).
In terms of smartphones, Apple and Samsung offer extremely competitive services. However, if Google was to make the jump towards a functioning PC on a mobile phone, Apple could find itself in a lot of trouble.
The report highlights the massive appeal such a gadget would offer business customers. Most companies are moving business apps to either the cloud or private browser-based apps. Webtop-enabled Android devices — if they are well-orchestrated — could take a big bite out of the corporate sales of Windows.
While the PC supported smartphone sounds very impressive, Google still has a long distance to cover before it achieves this feat.
Nokia to launch Nokia 808 phone first in India and Russia (India, Russia)
Finland based mobile maker Nokia will launch the first Nokia 808 phone with a 41 megapixel sensor camera lens in India and Russia this month, according to a report by ET. A Nokia spokesperson claims that this is the highest resolution level that any phone camera has.
Nokia has induced PureView technology in Nokia 808, which focuses on enhancing image capturing and related processing feature in the phone. As per the company, the Nokia 808 PureView features a large, high-resolution 41 megapixel sensor with high-performance Carl Zeiss optics and new pixel oversampling technology.
The price at which the phone will sell in India could not be ascertained. However, the report claims that with a 41 MP, the phone is able to shoot images that Nokia claims can be printed in poster size.
A Carl Zeiss lens shoots in continuous focus HD video, at 1080p. Mary McDowell, the firm’s executive vice president for mobile phones, said the company’s engineers had been working on the product for years.
Nokia to begin rolling out Nokia 808 PureView in May (Finland)
Nokia confirmed that the Nokia 808 PureView will start rolling out in select markets in May. The Nokia 808 PureView is the first smartphone to feature Nokia’s award-winning PureView technology. PureView represents Nokia’s highest level smartphone imaging experiences, bringing together high-performance sensors, exclusive Carl Zeiss optics, and Nokia developed imaging algorithms. The first markets to begin selling the Nokia 808 PureView include Russia and India.
Since its launch in February, the Nokia 808 PureView has received multiple awards, including Best Mobile Device at Mobile World Congress 2012, as well as an award for Best Imaging Innovation for 2012 from the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA).
Jo Harlow, Head of Smart Devices at Nokia, said that PureView has completely raised the bar on imaging performance for the whole smartphone industry – and Nokia is not stopping here. They are going to carry on developing PureView for their future smartphones in ways that will again revolutionize the imaging experience.
The Nokia 808 PureView features a large, high-resolution 41 megapixel sensor with high-performance Carl Zeiss optics and new pixel oversampling technology. At standard resolutions (2/3, 5 and 8 megapixels) this means the ability to zoom without loss of clarity and capture seven pixels of information, condensing into one pixel for the sharpest images imaginable. At high-resolution (38 megapixels maximum) it means the ability to capture an image, then zoom, reframe, crop and resize afterwards to expose previously unseen levels of details. With superior low-light performance and the ability to save in compact file sizes for sharing in email, MMS, and on social networks, the Nokia 808 PureView makes it possible for anyone to capture professional looking images in any conditions.
In addition to superior still imaging technology, the Nokia 808 PureView also includes full HD 1080p video recording and playback with 4X lossless zoom and the world’s first use of Nokia Rich Recording. Rich Recording enables audio recording at CD-like levels of quality, previously only possible with external microphones. The Nokia 808 PureView also features exclusive Dolby Headphone technology, transforming stereo content into a personal surround sound experience over any headphones and Dolby Digital Plus for 5.1 channel surround sound playback.
Apple’s journey towards wireless services (USA)
Recent rumours doing the rounds show strong indication of US giant Apple moving towards offering wireless services to its iPad and iPhone users. According to a report by Gigaom, Apple will provide wireless service directly to its iPad and iPhone customers. First, Apple will sell data packages bundled with iPads. Then it will sell data and international roaming plans to iPhone customers through the iTunes Store. And in time Apple will strike wholesale deals with several mobile operators so that Apple can provide wireless service directly to its customers, as Apple Mobile.
With Apple’s increasing dominance in the smartphone arena, mobile operators are less likely to disagree with the company. As per the report, operators are less likely to refuse a deal offered by the iPhone maker out of fear that the same may be sold to a rival.
As revealed in the report, Apple filed a patent for “Dynamic Carrier Selection” on October 10, 2006, just a few months before Apple announced the first iPhone. The diagram in the patent application portrayed Apple as the wireless service provider connecting to multiple carriers. This would allow Apple to make wholesale cellular agreements with and connect to multiple carriers so it could offer its customers choices in carriers, plans and services. Apple has clearly put a lot of thought into its dynamic carrier selection architecture.
Further, Apple recently has been fighting with other handset vendors, including Nokia, over a new, smaller-sized SIM card for GSM and LTE handsets. According to some, such a SIM would allow Apple to bypass carriers entirely, and activate a new customer through the iTunes Store. Whether it uses the NanoSIM, virtual SIM or other variant, Apple could have the ability to activate and sell voice, data, messaging and roaming subscription plans before the ink dries on a carrier wholesale agreement.
Apple has all of the pieces necessary to offer wireless service directly to customers. They have the world’s leading brand, a loyal following who will pay a premium for Apple’s products and services, and 363 retail stores around the world, growing to 400 by the end of the year. And with iTunes, it has the digital content and billing platform to offer service with one-click simplicity. The infrastructure is in place today, with the patented architecture ready for Apple’s next big move.
iPhone customers typically spend as much as twice or more the U.S. national average monthly wireless bill, which was about $44 in the last year. So these are high value customers. And they buy apps and content – music, videos, TV shows and movies – through Apple today. By offering mobile service with iPhones and iPads, the company could provide the full Apple experience to its users.
Nokia looking to sell luxury division Vertu (UK, Finland)
Finland based handset maker Nokia is in advanced talks to sell its UK subsidiary Vertu to private equity group Permira, according to a report by FT. As per the report, it is expected that the deal will raise $265.19 million for Nokia.
The report claimed that people familiar with the talks were cited as saying Goldman Sachs was advising to oversee the sale, but said the outcome was not yet certain.
As reported by Wireless Federation earlier, Nokia first hinted at a potential sale of its luxury division in December. The companies Vertu and Permira are yet to make an official statement regarding the same.
Nokia Windows phone receives support from carriers (USA)
With the increasing dominance of iPhones and Android powered smartphones in the handset arena, wireless carriers AT&T and Verizon Wireless have been looking at phones from Nokia and Microsoft as alternatives, according to a report by BN.
As per the report, both carriers praised Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, which powers the new Nokia Lumia phone, when they reported quarterly results this month. AT&T began offering the Lumia 900 for $99.99 on April 8, and Verizon is preparing to add a new Nokia model to its lineup soon.
The operators are hoping that these handsets act as an alternative for users as devices such as iPhone can be more costly to subsidize. The companies also face the risk that an Apple-Google duopoly will erode carriers’ ability to distinguish themselves and will further squeeze their profit margins.
AT&T Chief Financial Officer John Stephens told BN in an interview that they want the Lumia to succeed — they love to have competition in the handset market. It’s always better to have more choices for the customers.
Samsung overtakes Nokia for the first time in 14 years
South Korean manufacturer Samsung Electronics has taken over Nokia’s leadership position in the global phone market in the first quarter of the year, for the first time, according to a report by Reuters.
According to the report, analysts expect Samsung to have sold 88 million mobile phones in January through March, surpassing the 83 million which Nokia sold in the quarter. Samsung’s smartphone such as the Galaxy Nexus have proved to be a big success for Samsung, enabling the operator to maintain a command over the market.
The exact number for Samsung’s quarterly sales is still awaited, while Nokia released the same last week. As per the report, while Nokia has been losing out to rivals Apple and Samsung in the smartphone market, it has been able to maintain its dominant position by selling lower end mobile phones to the masses.
Analysts believe that while this would have little impact on their turnover, the number change would be a big blow for Nokia. On the other hand, the same would be a cause for celebration at Samsung.
Nokia emerges as top brand for multi-SIM handsets (India)
A recent study by Nielson reveals that Nokia is the most preferred multi-SIM handset brand while Airtel is the top service provider, in India.
As per the report, in India almost one-third of 71 million subscribers are using Nokia”s dual-SIM phones with multiple-SIM cards. Further, India’s leading operator Bharti Airtel has come across as the most preferred operator among multiple-SIM users.
In the multi-SIM handset category, Nokia accounts for 30 percent of the market and is followed by Samsung at 17 percent and Micromax at 12 percent. In terms of service providers, Bharti Airtel emerged victorious with 25 percent and was followed by Idea Cellular at 15 percent.
Vodafone launches first German carrier communications service (Germany)
Vodafone will offer the first network operator in Germany as the new communications service, RCS-e. RCS-e, which stands for “Rich Communication Suite enhanced” by the industry association GSMA is a standard developed for easy and secure communications that will be launched globally by many mobile network operators.
Soon Vodafone first smartphones with software installed for the use of RCS-e will offer in trade. With many smartphones already available RCS-e can be used in the next few months, this is possible through free updates. To introduce the use of RCS-e in the Superflat Internet tariffs will be included.
With RCS-e-phone users can now easier than ever to send and receive messages, share files such as documents, pictures and videos with each other and also take part in an ongoing voice call, a video-link and see as their interlocutor. All functions can easily be started directly via the contacts stored in the address, the service is integrated seamlessly in this smartphone. Customers benefit from entirely new possibilities for communication, for RCS-e is a by operators globally supported service. For example, the network speed between transmitter and receiver is detected automatically, so for example, video calls, or photos and videos in the highest quality possible in each case by the fastest means to be transmitted securely.
Erik Friemuth, head of retail banking at Vodafone Germany, said that they introduced the first LTE network operators introduced in this country and are now underscoring their role as an innovative pioneer as the first provider of RCS-e in Germany. He added that their customers can now easily over any other than chat ever with each other to stay on video telephony in touch, share photos and videos live and share files. In communication is their core competency and they emphasize the rapid introduction of RCS-e.
To ensure that customers of different network operators communicate with each other messages and files, and video phone calls to the GSMA has developed so-called extensive interoperability testing. Everyone wants to offer network operators, the RCS-e, it must go through to ensure high quality and safety requirements and the availability of RCS-e these tests and are certified for this purpose.
The mobile network operators that will support the service in Germany, are next to the German telecom Vodafone and O2. Smart phones with preinstalled software RCS-e will come for example from equipment manufacturers such as HTC, Huawei, LG, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. More details to RCS e timely given the launch of the service, Vodafone announced.
