Sony developing handsets to compete with Apple
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A new lineup of handheld products is being developed by Sony Corp to compete with Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The products are scheduled to launch this year. The range of products includes a smart phone capable of downloading and playing PlayStation games.
Sony and Sony Ericsson are working together to develop these handsets. Apple has a wide range of products that connect to its iTunes media platform and Sony’s product aims at having a dig at them. The portable-gaming market which is dominated by Sony has now being invaded by Apple. The nascent e-reader market where one million units have already being sold by Sony is expected to be disrupted by iPad tablet.
Project to develop a portable device is also underway to compete against multifunction products such as Apple’s coming iPad tablet. The product is designed in a way that blurs distinctions among a netbook, an e-reader and a PlayStation Portable, or PSP.
Sony’s online media platform will work with both the new smart phone and the multifunction device. The media platform is due to launch later this month in the U.S. as the company’s answer to Apple’s iTunes.
Verizon replaces Yahoo with Google (USA)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A year long exclusive search deal with Yahoo has been called off by T-Mobile USA, replacing it with search giant Google. The deal has been completed recently and as per the deal, Yahoo will be replaced by Google as the default search engine on T-Mobile handsets approximately by March 3.
The Web2Go platform and home page of the mobile phones of the operator has already activated Google Search.
Earlier this week, Google was replaced by Yahoo as a search engine on AT&T’s Motorola Backflip Android phone.
Apple IPad to hit the stores in April
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The technology oriented people waiting anxiously for the much anticipated Apple iPad to adore their gadgets collection will have to wait a little more as the launch of the device has been delayed and will now hit the stores on April 3.
Earlier, Apple scheduled the launch of the device worldwide by end March. No reasons have been cited by the company behind the delay. According to analysts, Apple might have to delay or limit the size of the launch because of an unspecified production problem but denied any affect of the delay on the sales of the iPad during Apple’s fiscal third quarter, which ends in June.
Depending on the data storage capacity, the range of the first iPad will vary between $499, $599 or $699 and will be connected to Wi-Fi networks only. The cost of those versions which can also be connected to 3G cellular networks will range between $629, $729 or $829.
Orders can be placed by the US customers from March 12 and all models will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. by late April.
12 new applications will be included in the iPad, especially designed for the touch-screen device. According to Apple, it will also run “almost all” of the more than 140,000 apps already available for the iPhone and iPod Touch and users will be able to access the applications they bought for those devices through the iPad.
LTE and WiMAX deployments to go together in 2010
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: December 2009 witnessed the launch of first commercial LTE network by TeliaSonera at Stockholm and Oslo and 2010 will see the continuation of the trend with commercial launch of several LTE networks, including large operators such as Verizon Wireless in the United States and NTT DoCoMo in Japan.
As LTE deployments begin to pick up pace, WiMAX continues its steady progress. Several operators, including Sprint in the United States, have chosen to go with WiMAX as their 4G network of choice.
According to ABI Research analyst Bhavya Khanna, while LTE does promise data speeds greater than 50Mbps, they have yet to be achieved by live or trial networks, whereas mobile WiMAX is now a tried and tested standard. ABI research 242 WiMAX, compared to only 38 for LTE.
FCC to auction wireless spectrum in the USA
www.WirelessFederation.com/news A plan has been announced by the Federal Communication Commission as per which US mobile network operators will be able to bid for a prized segment of wireless spectrum for commercial use.
The auction is scheduled to take place early next year.
It has also been proposed by FCC that $12bn to $16bn will be set aside by the Congress over 10 years.
This will help support building a nationwide broadband wireless network for use by public safety workers.
