Palm

Android gains while iPhone sale diminishes in the USA

On 03.16.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Earning over four percentage points of market share, Google’s Android OS has emerged as the only mobile platform experiencing significant growth in the US during the three months ending in January.

Even after an increase in the market share to 7.1% from 2.8%, Android continued to occupy the fourth place. Microsoft’s share of the smartphone market shrank four percentage points to 15.7%. The loss has been attributed to the gain in the Google’s share.

Sale of the iPhones has been stalled with just 0.3 percentage point’s increase in the Apple’s share to 24.8%. However, even after the loss, Apple maintained the second spot behind RIM, whose market share grew from 41.3% to 43%.

Fall in the share of Palm continued with a loss of 2.1 percentage points but it also continued to hold its fifth place with a 5.7% share.

Four ZTE Android smartphones to be launched

On 03.08.10, In Mobile Phones, By Editor

ZTE is all set to change its low-cost handset maker image and enter into the business of higher smartphone market. Android-powered smartphones will supposedly be the next big target of this Chinese company. However, the latest venture to find its way to the market is 4ZTE phones. These phones are expected to circulate even outside China.

ZTE Smooth, the Palm Pre like device has features like Android 1.6, 2.8-inch QVGA display, QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, FM radio, and 3g (UMTS) connectivity. ZTE Blade is another high-end device and has features like Bluetooth, Android 1.6, WiFi, FM radio, GSM/UMTS connectivity and 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen.

ZTE Racer another Android 1.6 phone will have 3G, WiFi, GPS, and 2.-inch QVGA while ZTE Mercury, which is a look-alike of HTC Hero comes with 3.2-inch HVGA display, GPS and EDGE data.

The only problem these Android phones are expected to come across is the distribution otherwise ZTE is super committed to Android. The ZTE Smartphones will soon be popping on every comer of Europe and US.

Tagged with: 3G • Android Phone • Android Smartphones • Bluetooth • China • Chinese • EDGE • Europe • FM Radio • GSM • GSM/UMTS • HTC • HTC Hero • HVGA Display • MTS • Palm • Palm Pre • QVGA display • QWERTY • QWERTY keyboard • smartphone • Smartphone Market • smartphones • Touchscreen • WiFi

Is Palm Elan a GSM-based monster or another name for Pixi?

On 03.08.10, In Mobile Phones, By Editor

In a new twist, PreCentral has come up with an interesting rumor which involves the ever struggling Palm and AT&T. It is being said that the once-famous Treo maker is working on a new webOS device known as Elan. Elan is expected to be a high-end all-touchscreen phone which if released will first hit AT&T and European GSM carriers.

A few other sites are also of an opinion that Elan is actually the other name of Pixi. However, according to the sources, AT&T is eager to join the somewhat dying webOS party and the GSM-based Pre has cleared the FCC hurdle recently. It is anticipated that Pre can be seen on AT&T’s store-shelves within a month or so.

Tagged with: Europe • GSM • Palm • Pixi • Pre

Palm shares drop following its warning of fewer sales

On 02.26.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news 13% drop in the shares has been witnessed by Palm after it was warned by the US smartphone maker that its fiscal third-quarter and full-year revenues would be below forecasts due to sluggish handset sales.

A serious blow for Palm’s management has been reflected by the sales shortfall which has based the struggling company’s turnround strategy on the success of Palm’s new WebOS operating system and the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi smartphones that run on it.

Palm Pre was being launched by the company a year ago in a bid to catch up with rivals including Research in Motion’s BlackBerry family of smartphones, Google Android-based devices and the Apple iPhone.

The company has had difficulty persuading network operators and customers to embrace its new smartphones despite of the praises it received for its new operating system.

Tagged with: BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 smartphone • Mobile • Palm • USA

MWC2010: 2010 to witness smarter mobiles

On 02.20.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Software aiming to try and solve some of the bigger issues like handsets not playing Flash videos came to fore at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Despite the majority of video, animation, and many games on the net being Flash based, the system is not yet fully supported on handsets.

Android and Palm Pre handsets will offer mobile download of Flash 10.1 and with other manufacturers to follow. Out of the 20 manufacturers, 19 have signed up to support the video and animation platform. However, iPhones would not carry the update as Apple has decided not to support the software.

Apart from this, other software that generated talks were- Firefox has finally brought its popular browser to the mobile, Microsoft launched new mobile platform Windows Phone 7 and Israeli-designed Else phone to reach any contact, document, or application with a single touch.

Tagged with: Android • Apple • Barcelona • Europe • Firefox • iPhone • Israel • Launch • Microsoft • Mobile Platform • Mobile World Congress • MWC2010 • Palm • Windows phone 7

Android share in US market more than doubled

On 02.11.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The share of the Google Inc.’s Android mobile phone operating system in the US market more than doubled from September to December. From 2.5% in September, Androids share hit 5.2% in December. On the other hand, share of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Palm Inc were lost in the U.S. smart-phone platform market.

A number of hardware makers adopted Android, developed by Google, and the introduction of a number of handsets using the software, including the popular Motorola Inc. Droid has helped it to gain traction.

Android is always considered a competition to Apple’s iPhone. Apple’s share of the U.S. smart-phone market rose to 25.3% in December from 24.1% three months earlier.

Tagged with: Android • Apple • Blackberry • Droid • iPhone • Microsoft • Motorola • North America • Palm • Research in Motion • U.S

Palm Pre and Pixi pricing announced by Verizon

On 01.21.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The price of Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus devices, which go on sale January 25, has been decided by Verizon Wireless which has priced Pre at $150 after $100 mail-in rebate and Pixi at $100 after $100 mail-in rebate.

A voice plan (minimum $40/month) and a $30 unlimited data plan will be required by both the devices. Even a buy-one-get-one promotion will be offered by Verizon until February 14. Palm Pre Plus or Palm Pixi Plus customers can buy Palm Pixi Plus for free after rebate.

Mobile HotSpot application allowing the Pre and Pixi to act as a wireless data modem will require an additional $40 premium over the required voice and data plans (totaling at least $110/month).

Tagged with: Palm • Palm Pre • TOT • Verizon • Verizon Wireless

Palm WebOS to be supported by AT&T in 2010

On 01.08.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Two Palm devices will be supported by AT&T in the first half of the year. Palm is expected to officially announce devices for Verizon Wireless as well.

The company has enjoyed the mild success of its Pre and Pixi at Sprint Nextel Corp. last year and is expecting a considerable boost as country’s two largest wireless carriers are backing it.

According to Ralph de la Vega, head of AT&T Mobility, operation of the Palm devices on their network will give the customers a better 3G experience. Palm devices in addition to five Android devices expected in the first half of the year was also announced by the company. Initially, Android phone made by Dell Inc would be sold by AT&T.

Tagged with: 3G • Android • AT&T • Palm • Sprint Nextel • Verizon Wireless

iPhone’s rival smartphones to cost more in the UK

On 10.02.09, In Mobile, By admin

The cost of contract smartphones may rise in the UK if a price war erupts between operators over the iPhone. Orange announced on September 28 and Vodafone on September 29 that they have successfully forged an alliance with Apple to launch the iPhone on their respective networks in the UK. T-mobile and 3 may be announcing something shortly too.

In an attempt to lure customers to the data-happy iPhone, mobiel operators will have to increase subsidies on the iPhone. Meanwhile, the cost of other handsets will have to rise as a result. Operators could shift subsidies from other vendors, such as RIM, HTC and Samsung, thus increasing their handset prices.

Orange will be selling the iPhone before Christmas, while Vodafone will only be able to launch it early 2010.

O2 has been bit hard by Apple’s decision to remove its exclusive rights on the iPhone after two years. It is thought the network may now look at alternative devices, such as the Palm Pre or Motorola’s android based range of phones to boost revenues.

The cost of contract smartphones may rise in the UK if a price war erupts between operators over the iPhone.

Orange announced on September 28 and Vodafone on September 29 that they have successfully forged an alliance with Apple to launch the iPhone on their respective networks in the UK. T-mobile and 3 may be announcing something shortly too.

In an attempt to lure customers to the data-happy iPhone, mobile operators will have to increase subsidies on the iPhone. Meanwhile, the cost of other handsets will have to rise as a result. Operators could shift subsidies from other vendors, such as RIM, HTC and Samsung, thus increasing their handset prices.

Orange will be selling the iPhone before Christmas, while Vodafone will only be able to launch it early 2010.

O2 has been bit hard by Apple’s decision to remove its exclusivity after two years. It is thought the network may now look at alternative devices, such as the Palm Pre or Motorola’s android based range of phones to boost revenues.

Tagged with: Android • Android Based • Apple • Christmas • Contract • Exclusive Rights • exclusivity • Handsets • HTC • iPhone • mobiel • Mobile Operators • Motorola • Network • O2 • Orange • Palm • Price War • Revenue • RIM • Samsung • smartphones • Subsidies • T-Mobile • UK • Vodafone

One in Four use Facebook Mobile.

On 09.07.09, In Mobile, By admin

Facebook mobile was launched in 2006. Eight months ago it had 20 million users and now it has crossed the 65 Million user mark. This represents close to a quarter of its total user base.

Facebook works on any mobile browser on m.facebook.com and on x.facebook.com on touch phones like Android, Palm, iPhone and Nokia.

Tagged with: Android • Facebook • iPhone • Nokia • Palm