Apple and Samsung lead smartphone shipments in 2011

On 02.08.12, In Mobile, By Editor

AppleSamsungNokiaRIMHTCThe demand for smartphones around the world continues to witness a rise as users across segments have been increasingly replacing traditional handsets with smartphones by Samsung and Apple. According to a report by IDC, the worldwide smartphone market went up by 55 per cent in Q4 2011, largely driven by the demand for the Apple iPhone 4S.

As per the report, around 492 million smartphones were shipped in 2011, a 61 per cent rise from 305 million units in 2010. Apart from the introduction of high and medium-end devices by telecom giants Samsung and Apple, affordable handsets by these firms have gone a long way in increasing their presence in the market.

South Korea’s Samsung emerged as the leading smartphone maker for 2011, with the launch of its successful range of the Galaxy series, primarily the Galaxy SII and Galaxy Nexus. The Apple iPhone 4S helped the US manufacturer maintain its market position as well as set a new shipment volume record for a quarter.

Smartphone vendor Nokia attempted to gain back some its market share with the launch of its Windows Phones, the Lumia 710 and Lumia 800, while BlackBerry maker, Research in Motion (RIM), is still working towards recovering from the losses caused due its network outage and hopes to release its updated handset by the end of the year. Taiwanese handset maker, HTC also saw a decline in the volumes shipped in the fourth quarter as compared to the previous quarter.

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T-Mobile offers free messaging for Android users via Bobsled (USA)

On 01.13.12, In Mobile, By Editor

T-MobileMobile operator T-Mobile has expanded messaging and enhanced calling functionality for Bobsled, providing consumers with effortless communication for free across devices, countries, social networks and mobile carriers. Expanding upon the Bobsled Calling service introduced earlier this year, Bobsled Messaging is an all-in-one, cloud-based messaging application that allows consumers to send and receive individual and group messages with friends and family from any Android-powered smartphone or tablet, and almost any Web-connected, browser-enabled device.

Further, T-Mobile has also enhanced its Bobsled Calling service, enabling users to make free phone calls over their data connection from their mobile and Wi-Fi-enabled devices including Android-powered smartphones and tablets as well as iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices.

Brad Duea, Senior Vice President, T-Mobile USA has said that with Bobsled, they continue to leverage and embrace the power of IP communications to bring seamless, cost-effective connections to consumers across networks, devices, countries and carriers. He added that people can now make free voice calls from an iPad or tablet, send free one-to-one and group messages anywhere in the world, and access their phone’s contacts and text messages from their tablet or computer.

A major advantage of this service is that it allows people to send free, rich media messages including photos, videos and locations to Bobsled users anywhere in the world where they have an open data connection from any Android-powered smartphone, tablet or Web-connected device, using their existing mobile number. Bobsled Messaging also allows people to send group messages from any Android-powered smartphone to other Android-powered smartphones as well as iOS, Windows and Blackberry smartphones and even feature phones.

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Apple wins patent battle against HTC (USA, Taiwan)

On 12.23.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Apple Inc has emerged victorious in its patent lawsuit against handset manufacturer HTC, as the International Trade Commission has reportedly ruled that HTC has infringed on one patent held by the iPhone maker. As per reports, any of HTC’s phones using the technology which has been infringed will be banned from sales in the USA from 19 April, 2012.

According to reports, industry analysts believe that the ruling is not expected to have a major impact on the company’s sales as the ruling gives them enough time to come up with another feature to compensate for the infringed feature.

As per sources, HTC has said that the feature in question is a common user-interface function which enables smartphone users to access information such as contact numbers and e-mail addresses from apps and other sources, and use them by simply tapping on the text.

The victory will be well received by Apple, after losing out to Korean giant Samsung, on a similar patent infringement case in Australia last month.

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M-Tel launches new tariff plans for Loop along with smartphone (Europe)

On 11.23.11, In Mobile, By Editor

M-Tel owned Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Loop has reportedly launched two new tariff plans named Cool and Extreme, along with its first branded smartphone. According to reports, the Loop Cool tariff plan offers customers 100 minutes of national calls, 100 MB of mobile internet and 2,000 on-net minutes every month for US$ 3.4. Further, customers on the Loop Cool tariff plan are given a 50 percent discount per month for the first three month of the contract.

For users subscribing to the Loop Extreme tariff plan, the operator offers 200 minutes of national calls, 100 SMS and 2,000 on-net minutes for under US$ 7. Further, M-Tel also offers its users a Loop smartphone – Loop HTC Wildfire along with these tariffs for US$ 9 per month in combination with a two year subscription or at an off-contract price of US$ 19.

 

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Android smartphones account for 52.5 percent of the global mobile market in Q3

On 11.17.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Google’s Android mobile software powered more than half of all smartphones sold across the world in the third quarter of 2011, doubling its market share as compared to last year, according to a research report by Gartner. The research giant said that smartphone sales by volume grew 42 percent even as some consumers delayed purchases in anticipation of Apple’s latest iPhone.

Roberta Cozza, analyst in Gartner’s European unit has said that Android benefited from more mass-market offerings, a weaker competitive environment, and the lack of exciting new products on alternative operating systems. According to the report, the global mobile handset sales during the third quarter totaled 440.5 million units, with smartphone sales reaching 115 million, representing a quarter-over-quarter increase of 7 percent and year-over-year increase of 42 percent.

Android smartphones led the way with sales of 60 million, up from the 20 million units sold last year, while Apple reported unit sales of 17 million, up from 13 million in the past year. Symbian based phones saw the biggest decline with sales falling to 19 million from 29 million in the past year resulting in its market share declining from 36.3 percent to 16.9 percent.

The report reveals that smartphone sales reached 115 million units in the third quarter of 2011, up 42 percent from the same period in 2010. Further, smartphone sales accounted for 26 percent of all mobile phone sales, gaining only a marginal one percent in the previous quarter.

Cozza also states that the strong smartphone growth in China and Russia helped increase overall volumes in the quarter, but demand for smartphones stalled in advanced markets such as Western Europe and the U.S. as many users waited for new flagship devices featuring new versions of the key operating systems. She added that slowdowns also occurred in Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.

Further, Ms. Cozza also said that some consumers held off upgrading in the third quarter because they were waiting for promotions on other new high-end models that were launched in the run-up to the fourth quarter holiday season, while other consumers were waiting for a rumored new iPhone and associated price cuts on older iPhone models which affected U.S. sales particularly.

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Nokia to target the U.S. smartphone market in 2012 (USA)

On 11.03.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Nokia has reportedly announced that it plans to re-enter the United States smartphone market by early next year with its new range of devices running on Microsoft’s Windows operating system. According to reports, Nokia has suffered a loss of over $85 billion since 2007 when Apple launched its first iPhone. Further, as per industry sources, Nokia’s market share dropped from 50.8 percent to 20.9 percent in the second quarter of 2007. Sources claim that Stephen Elop, CEO, Nokia has said that they plan to be very competitive and to go head-on with the appropriate devices at the appropriate price points. He added that the company plans to extend its new product line by introducing more economical as well as more expensive phone than the previously launched Lumia 800 and Lumia 710.

As per reports, Elop has said that while they haven’t yet announced any plans to launch a tablet-computer, they do see the opportunity offered in the tablet market segment. Further, he said that the new Windows 8 is expected to have a tiled user interface which is like a ‘supercharged’ version for the tablets. Industry sources reveal that Samsung and Apple have rapidly overtaken Nokia in the smartphone segment, and that the Windows phones maybe the company’s final chance to regain some of its lost market share. Regarding the number of apps for its smartphones, Elop has reportedly said that that they will take the necessary measures to ensure that the most popular apps are offered on their platform. According to reports, the Lumia 800 phone has been priced much lower than the Apple iPhone 4S at $ 590 and has a higher resolution camera than the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

 

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Motorola launches ‘Droid RAZR’, world’s thinnest smartphone (USA)

On 10.20.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Motorola, an American based telecom company known for its innovative technology, has launched the world’s thinnest smartphone named ‘Motorola Droid RAZR’. The phone is stunningly thin at 7.1mm (0.28 inch) and weighs only 127 grams. With a 4.3 inch super AMOLED advanced display screen that offers high resolution graphics, company officials have reportedly stated that it will have higher contrast and richer colour than even the iPhone 4S. The phone although thin is by no means fragile. It is made with Kevlar fiber while the ‘Corning Gorilla Glass’ makes the screen scratch resistant. Further, the phone also includes water-repellant nano-particles that protect the phone and the internal electric boards from water splashes.

The phone runs on the Android 2.3.5 and is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and a 1GB RAM, offering users a faster and smoother navigational experience. As per the company, the Droid RAZR will run on the 4G LTE network offered by Verizon Wireless in the US. The phone comes with an 8 megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video capture and image-stabilization features, along with a front-facing HD camera for video conferencing. Further, the new Motorola Droid RAZR offers users Government-grade encryption that protects their email, contacts and calendar. According to reports, Motorola Mobility’s Indian-American President, Sanjay Jha has highlighted the ‘MotoCast’ app as the phone’s most important feature, which can stream and sync content from the user’s computer directly to their handset.

The only negatives for the phone are that owing to its thin size, the battery is not removable. Further, as it is only compatible with CDMA networks, it is not a world phone. The Droid RAZR, priced at $299.99 will be available in early November after a two-year service agreement with Verizon Wireless.

 

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Samsung unveils the new Galaxy Nexus smartphone (Hong Kong)

On 10.20.11, In Mobile, By Editor

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the first smartphone to run on Google’s latest Android 4.0 operating system also known as the Ice Cream Sandwich, was unveiled earlier this week. The Galaxy Nexus is quite thin at just 8.49 millimeters and comes with a 4.65 inch screen display. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and a 1GB RAM.

However, the Nexus comes with a 5 mega-pixel rear camera, as compared to the 8 megapixel camera offered by most of its competitors. The Galaxy Nexus seeks to defy the Android norm of including the four standard buttons for menu, home, search and back; and will not feature any physical buttons on the device. Further, the Ice Cream Sandwich introduces a new font called ‘Roboto’, specifically designed for improved clarity on the smartphone’s display screen.

The smartphone is also expected to include a screenshot feature, improved keyboard, and facial recognition technology termed ‘face lock’ for users to secure their phone. Further, Google’s ‘Android Beam’ based on Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, will enable users to share data between devices in a more secured manner. The smartphone is expected to be available in Asia, Europe and the U.S. by November this year.

 

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AT&T Welcomes Spring with New Smartphone Prices

On 03.29.11, In Mobile, By Editor

AT&T* is putting an extra spring into the steps of customers this season with limited time pricing on five premier smartphones from its industry-leading portfolio. AT&T customers can now get the Samsung Captivateâ„¢ for $99.99, BlackBerry® Torch, Samsung Focus, LG Quantum for $49.99 and the BlackBerry® Curveâ„¢ 3G for$29.99 after a two-year commitment (no rebate required.) These offers are available in AT&T company-owned retail stores nationwide and online.

Samsung Captivateâ„¢ – $99.99

The Androidâ„¢ 2.2 powered Samsung Captivate with 4″ Super AMOLED display brings users a fully integrated entertainment, messaging and social networking experience packaged in a sleek, streamlined design.

BlackBerry® Torchâ„¢ 9800 smartphone – $49.99

This smartphone includes the BlackBerry® 6 OS with fast, rich browsing, integrated social feeds, universal search and BlackBerry App Worldâ„¢ with carrier billing support. Its all-in-one design combines the benefits of a hi-resolution touch screen, slide out QWERTY keyboard and an optical trackpad.

Samsung Focus – $49.99

The Focusâ„¢ debuted as AT&T’s thinnest Windows Phone and offers a visually stunning experience with a Super AMOLEDâ„¢ screen on a sleek 9.9 mm-thin touch screen phone. With the Focus’â„¢ amazingly crisp, brilliant display, photos, games and videos come alive.

LG Quantum – $49.99

A Windows Phone with a slide-out keyboard for quick use of Office Mobile®, users can stay active and up to date with work. The LG Quantum also features DLNA technology through a preloaded application called Play To, which allows users to wirelessly stream videos, music, and pictures from the phone to a DLNA-enabled TV, stereo, Windows 7 PC and other consumer electronics devices.

BlackBerry® Curveâ„¢ 3G smartphone – $29.99

This classic BlackBerry® smartphone features a full QWERTY keyboard, the signature BlackBerry messaging experience, powerful personal information management capabilities, BlackBerry App Worldâ„¢ with carrier billing support and much more. BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphone is BlackBerry® 6 OS ready.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit http://www.att.com/.

New 2-year wireless service agreement with minimum $15/mo data plan required. Other charges, restrictions and conditions apply.  See store for details.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

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Asia-Pacific smartphone market to reach 200 mn mark by 2016

On 03.28.11, In Mobile, By Editor

A new analytical report has unearthed that the Asia-Pacific smartphone market is expected to double to 200 million by 2016, with Google’s Android operating system the leading platform.

According to the report, the growing popularity of the hand held devices, which allows users to surf the Internet and access emails, will mean they will account for almost a third of all mobiles in the region in that time. Despite the continuing success of Apple’s iPhone, the Android platform will be by far the most used system because it is used in so many devices.

The report further adds that smartphones, which numbered 100 million in the region last year, are expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 12.5% between 2010 and 2016 and make up about 32% of all mobiles in Asia-Pacific.

It said that simultaneously, global sales are expected to hit 653 million, with Asia-Pacific accounting for 30.7% of the total. More than 288 million smartphone were sold worldwide in 2010.

It is also expected that the smartphone market will see significant growth over the next five years, once again outperforming the wider mobile phone market.

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