Samsung to launch the Galaxy S3 on May 3 (South Korea)
South Korean manufacturer has confirmed that it will be releasing the Samsung Galaxy S3 on May 3. The smartphone was announced by the company at the Mobile World Congress 2012 held in Barcelona and is expected to be promoted as the official smartphone of the 2012 Olympic Games, as per reports.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 will be launched simultaneously in New York, Seoul and Dubai. As per rumours doing the rounds regarding the successor of the Galaxy S2, the S3 is expected to be powered by Google Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) and a quad-core 1.5 GHz Exynos processor.
Further the phone is said to have a 4.65” AMOLED SuperPlus HD display, with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. The S3 would boast of a 1 GB RAM with 32 GB storage capacity. There are two cameras in the phone, a 2 megapixels camera in front and a 8 megapixel rear camera offering HD recording. Reports reveal that the phone will be compatible with the LTE network as well.
The launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S3 will be held at Earl’s Court in London, on May 3.
VAS to generate $2.06 billion in revenue in 2012 (Taiwan)
Value added services (VAS) offered on mobile devices are estimated to bring Taiwan’s top three telecom carriers a total of US$2.06 billion in revenue this year, around 50 percent more than that they scored altogether last year, according to a report by Taiwan Economic News.
Brisk sales of smartphones at Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., Taiwan Mobile Corp. and Far EasTone Telecom Co. Ltd. have accelerated their revenues from value added services on the mobile computing devices. Last year, the services fetched the three providers a total of US$1.39 billion in revenue.
The report revealed that Chunghwa raked in revenue US$524 million from value-added mobile services in 2011, while the other two scored US$434-441 million from the services each.
Further, as per the report, Far EasTone’s revenue from value-added services for the first quarter grew 48 percent from the same quarter last year.
Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone separately projected smartphones to constitute 70 percent of their total procurements this year, up from 50 percent on their procurement list. Chunghwa recently revised upward smartphone’s percentage on its 2012 procurement list to 70 percent from 55 percent.
Telefonica announces major mobile content play with EA (Spain)
Telefónica Digital unveiled its latest play in its global gaming strategy by entering a strategic relationship with EA Mobile, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., which will allow customers to access its world leading games on their mobiles. The service will be available first through O2 in the UK followed by other Telefónica markets.
The deal will give Telefónica’s operating businesses the ability to create innovative gaming promotions using titles from the EA catalogue of consumer favourite brands such as The Sims, FIFA or MONOPOLY. The objective is to make it easy for customers to find the games that they are familiar with and to drive the uptake of mobile gaming, particularly amongst feature phone users.
In the UK, O2 will offer its customers three months of free access to all EA Mobile games following their first download. It is then examining a number of potential promotions or special ‘gaming subscription’ services to offer customers.
Matthew Key, Chairman & CEO of Telefónica Digital, said that their relationship with EA Mobile puts them as the epicentre of mobile gaming – which accounts for the highest percentage of downloaded Apps and is the largest paid mobile content market today. By making a differentiated play in this most emotive and immersive entertainment medium we are fostering a much deeper connection with their customers – another significant step in becoming a true aggregator of experiences.
Bernard Kim, Senior Vice President, Global Social and Mobile Publishing of EA Mobile said that their mission is to deliver games that consumers love – anywhere, anytime, and on any platform they want to play. They know that at least a quarter of mobile users in Europe are playing games on their phones. Their relationship with Telefónica helps more people discover their games, and removes barriers for subscribers to enjoy an entire library of our most beloved titles.
Industry analyst IHS Screen Digest predicts continued impressive growth in the mobile games business. Fuelled by rapid expansion in 3G adoption, smartphone and tablet gaming, the global mobile games market will be worth almost $ 11.8 billion by 2015.
Jack Kent, Mobile Media Analyst at IHS Screen Digest, said that mobile games have been driving the wider mobile applications business, with games the largest content category on all leading application stores. As the mass appeal of mobile games increases, consumers are embracing new forms of content and business models, with free games monetised by micro-transactions – such as in-app purchases – driving growth.
Telefónica Digital has not only underlined its commitment to O2 customers by offering the best gaming experience – through a combination of exclusive promotions and unbeatable value subscription services – but also opened significant new revenue growth opportunities through in-game advertising and media partnerships.
T-Mobile Brings HTC One S to the U.S. (USA)
At the Mobile World Congress 2012, HTC announced the upcoming availability of the HTC One S, with T-Mobile as the premier launch partner in the U.S. the HTC One S is T-Mobile’s thinnest smartphone (7.95mm), featuring an ultra-sleek, aluminum unibody design. The next smartphone to take advantage of 4G technology (HSPA+42) running on America’s Largest 4G Network, the HTC One S is T-Mobile’s first product to ship with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and HTC Sense 4.
With access to T-Mobile’s fastest network speeds, the HTC One S allows for a high-quality entertainment experience, which is also enhanced by Beats By Dr. Dre technology. The Beats Audio integration in the HTC One S is enabled for richer, more authentic sound when consumers listen to music. The HTC One S also makes it simple to get and listen to music, with Google Music pre-loaded on the device for easy cloud-based access to the user’s personal music collection.
Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president, marketing, T-Mobile USA, said that they’re thrilled to partner with HTC on the launch of its new HTC One series of smartphones and to bring the HTC One S to the U.S. With the HTC One S, they’re not only delivering on our promise to bring leading-edge technology to market but are continuing to provide customers with the best 4G entertainment experiences from listening to high-quality music to streaming high-resolution movies.
Consumers increasingly expect smartphone camera technology that offers the ability to capture life’s moments with high-quality photos and videos – and the HTC One S delivers. Joining T-Mobile’s best-in-class lineup of advanced camera smartphones from HTC, the arrival of the HTC One S marks the introduction of HTC’s new amazing camera experience that rivals traditional digital cameras. With the introduction of HTC ImageSense, improvements are brought to every part of the 8-megapixel camera, including lens, the sensor and the software. Camera enhancements include:
Superfast Capture – The HTC One S dramatically reduces the time it takes to capture those key moments, with an estimated 0.7-second shot time and a 0.2-second autofocus that allows for nearly unlimited continuous shots.
High Quality Photos in Adverse Conditions – The HTC One S delivers dramatic enhancements in image capture quality even in adverse lighting conditions. The f/2.0 lens on the HTC One S offers amazing low-light performance, capturing 40 percent more light than the f/2.4 lenses available on other high-end phones.
Concurrent Video/Still Capture – HTC One S lets the user capture a shot and shoot video at the same time – perfect for capturing life’s moments as they happen. While shooting 1080p HD video, consumers just need to tap the shutter button and the device snaps a high-resolution still photo while the video continues to shoot. Consumers can also capture a still from a previously recorded video.
Jason Mackenzie, president, global sales and marketing, HTC Corporation, said that people take photos on their phone more than any activity other than making phone calls, which is why they improved every part of the camera experience on HTC One S. They’re thrilled to bring their combination of their premium design, amazing camera and authentic sound to T-Mobile customers in the U.S.
The HTC One S will be one of the fastest smartphones running on America’s Largest 4G Network, with access to T-Mobile’s fastest 4G (HSPA+ 42) speeds, currently available in 175 markets, reaching more than 180 million Americans. Equipped with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor by Qualcomm, the HTC One S delivers powerful performance while Web browsing, streaming movies and watching TV shows on the device’s 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED touch screen.
Sony Mobile to launch new smartphone range in India (India)
Sony Mobile Communications is reportedly planning to introduce a new range of smartphones in India for the masses. The phone will be at the entry-level range and is expected to appeal to the large mass market in the country.
According to reports, P Balaji, managing director, Sony Mobile Communications India, said that there is a huge market for mid and large level smartphones. However, the company sees good potential in the entry-level segment of smartphones. The company will be investing in entry-level segment of smartphones in near future.
He added that the the company hasn’t set any targets for the sale of its smartphones. The company sold 9-10 million smartphones in India last year. However, the company aims to provide better user experience through its smartphones.
Kristian Tear, executive vice president, sales and marketing of Sony, said that they offer best display in the world, which works well under the sunlight, furthermore, HD capability and NFC technology, and integration with multiple connected devices, the Xperia range is poised to gain momentum.
NZ telecom operators to offer mobile money services (New Zealand)
In an attempt to provide mobile money services to mobile phone customers in New Zealand, mobile operators Paymark, Vodafone New Zealand, 2degrees and Telecom have come together to launch a common platform. According to reports, the new initiative will enable mobile phone users in the country to purchase goods and pay for utilities, using their mobile phone.
The new service makes use of the near-field communication (NFC) technology. A NFC chip is inserted into the smartphone using which users can transfer information from one device to another, by keeping them close together.
According to reports, the companies have said that they will form a joint venture and launch a trusted service manager (TSM) for mobile wallet services. In a statement they said that this initiative will create the infrastructure necessary to enable many of the cards held in a wallet today to be replaced by applications securely stored in a virtual wallet on a mobile phone.
FMP Samsung wins two awards at the Mobile World Congress 2012 (Spain, South Korea)
Handset maker Samsung’s main distributor for mobile devices, Future for Modern Products (FMP), was quite successful at the Mobile World Congress 2012 recently held in Spain. According to reports, the South Korean manufacturer was awarded two awards for the year by hosts GSMA of Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona as, ‘Device Manufacturer of the Year’ and ‘Best Smartphone’.
Samsung was awarded best smartphone for the Galaxy SII which is considered to be its most successful smartphone yet. Both FMP and Samsung have reportedly been involved in discussions during the event, charting out future growth possibilities and opportunities.
As per reports, Shehab Rashad, Commercial Director of Future for Modern Products said that they have always been proud of their association with Samsung over these years and recognitions like these for the brand and its products reinforce their belief and commitment to Samsung. Through their partnership, they have expanded the market share for Samsung products in the region, thereby creating a formidable combination of best products with impeccable sales and after sales network.
du announces ‘The Executive Plan’: the new business class mobile plan (UAE)
du has introduced ‘The Executive Plan’ for its users which is a premium experience that ensures total comfort and ease during their business travels. It offers the ultimate communications solution to keep one connected no matter where they are in the world, with bundled national and international minutes; generous roaming benefits; a choice of national data or international BlackBerry service; a special number inclusive of a smartphone.
In addition, the plan entitles the customer to a free annual membership to Priority Pass with access to over 600 airport lounges in 300 cities over 100 countries. Additionally, dedicated Customer Care services are available 24/7 to take care of any communications needs. Users can avail all these benefits and conveniences for US$ 273 per month.
Farid Faraidooni, Chief Commercial Officer, du, said that they wanted to create the perfect plan for busy business executives and small business owners across the UAE – a plan that’s reliable, that makes business travel convenient and even easier, and delivers a premium experience time and again. The executive plan is an essential communications and experience tool for business executives on the move. The benefits not only give peace of mind, but also help to make business life easier whether in the UAE or abroad.
Business customers can subscribe to ‘The Executive Plan’ at du Shops in more than 40 locations across the UAE or contact their account manager or du’s channel partners.
