With the advancement of technology in the mobile phone industry forever on the move, new things are brought to the mobile handset, the latest craze in the mobile arena being the touch-screen. Every month we see a new touch-screen being announced to released, the touch-screen is taking over.
There were tries at touch-screens quite a few years ago, but it wasn’t until Apple and the revolutionary Apple iPhone first hit, that the awesomeness of the touch-screen was truly recognised. Now everyone is following suit, Samsung, BlackBerry, Nokia, LG, HTC, you name it they are doing touch-screens. No doubt a few years along we will see the complete demise of the standard non-touch handset. But what is next, what new road can the mobile industry take to ensure they grab the public’s attention?
Research In Motion has gone the touchy feely route with the “clickable” BlackBerry Storm, which probably given a few months will see more handsets coming out with the same tech. But what after the touch-screen and the haptic, clickable device, what would you think will be the next big thing with mobile phones to catch the excitement of the public?
Source
Friday, November 28, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Understanding Tech Issues with Reliable Vision of Innovation
Continued...
The first thing I wanted to check out when I got hold of the phone was its performance. I've tried a couple of Windows Mobile 6.1-powered phones and most of them, if not all, are a bit slow. Certain delays are very noticeable, like going from one application to another. Shifting from portrait to landscape mode also suffers lag, something I didn't see with the Android-powered HTC Dream.
The speed of the Android is faster than any other Windows Mobile 6.1 I have tried, but it still has yet to be faster the Apple's iPhone. How the phone reacts to my commands using its touchscreen interface was impressive. I didn't notice any delays when I started drawing a pattern to unlock the phone.
The phone comes with Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Search, YouTube and Android Market, making it a phone made for the Web, so to speak. Android Market is Google's answer to Apple's App Store and Microsoft's SkyMarket. I tried Market and I was given around 50 or more applications, ready for downloading free of charge.
Will give you more updates as I try out the phone some more. God bless us all!End.
The first thing I wanted to check out when I got hold of the phone was its performance. I've tried a couple of Windows Mobile 6.1-powered phones and most of them, if not all, are a bit slow. Certain delays are very noticeable, like going from one application to another. Shifting from portrait to landscape mode also suffers lag, something I didn't see with the Android-powered HTC Dream.
The speed of the Android is faster than any other Windows Mobile 6.1 I have tried, but it still has yet to be faster the Apple's iPhone. How the phone reacts to my commands using its touchscreen interface was impressive. I didn't notice any delays when I started drawing a pattern to unlock the phone.
The phone comes with Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Search, YouTube and Android Market, making it a phone made for the Web, so to speak. Android Market is Google's answer to Apple's App Store and Microsoft's SkyMarket. I tried Market and I was given around 50 or more applications, ready for downloading free of charge.
Will give you more updates as I try out the phone some more. God bless us all!End.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Understanding Tech Issues with Reliable Vision of Innovation
by Jerry Liao
Ever since Google's operating system "Android" was announced, my anticipation to try out the much-talked-about OS has never waned. Just the other day, my editor called me up and said: "Jerry, the boss just came back from Hong Kong and I have in my hands right now the Philippine's first Google phone". I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Finally, I get to lay my hands on the Android. I wasn't so much excited about the hardware components of the said phone, but more about its software. I remember when it was first announced, everybody thought the Android would be Google's mobile phone offering.
It turned out Google had other things in mind. Why offer a mobile phone when you can have more by installing the software in every phone. That's what Google seemed to be saying to the mobile world. And true enough, the 34 members of the Open Handset Alliance, which include HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung Electronics, have pledged to develop Android-powered mobile handsets, HTC Dream being the first, if I am not mistaken.Continued...
Ever since Google's operating system "Android" was announced, my anticipation to try out the much-talked-about OS has never waned. Just the other day, my editor called me up and said: "Jerry, the boss just came back from Hong Kong and I have in my hands right now the Philippine's first Google phone". I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Finally, I get to lay my hands on the Android. I wasn't so much excited about the hardware components of the said phone, but more about its software. I remember when it was first announced, everybody thought the Android would be Google's mobile phone offering.
It turned out Google had other things in mind. Why offer a mobile phone when you can have more by installing the software in every phone. That's what Google seemed to be saying to the mobile world. And true enough, the 34 members of the Open Handset Alliance, which include HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung Electronics, have pledged to develop Android-powered mobile handsets, HTC Dream being the first, if I am not mistaken.Continued...
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Samsung outsmarts Moto
By Wailin Wong
Motorola Inc. has ceded the top spot in U.S. mobile-phone sales to Samsung Electronics Co., according to a report released Friday by Boston-based research firm Strategy Analytics.
In the third quarter, Samsung posted market share of 22.4 percent to become the No. 1 handset manufacturer in the U.S. for the first time. Schaumburg-based Motorola fell to second place with a 21.1 percent share.
About 30 percent of mobile phone shipments in the U.S. are smart phones, devices that can e-mail and surf the Web.
Co-Chief Executive Sanjay Jha has acknowledged that Motorola needs to put out more smart phones and will face challenges through the first half of 2009 while it develops products.
Jha scrapped a number of launches scheduled for early next year to overhaul the mobile-phone division.
"One of the key challenges for Motorola is they don't have a product in [the smart-phone] segment," said Bonny Joy, an analyst at Strategy Analytics.
"They're not part of the growth segment in North America, and they're paying the price."
Jha said Motorola will have a smart phone running Windows Mobile 6.5 by the second half of next year, along with a device powered by Google's Android open-source software.
"The smart phones are very saleable even in developing countries. People want to be updated of a lot of things."
Motorola Inc. has ceded the top spot in U.S. mobile-phone sales to Samsung Electronics Co., according to a report released Friday by Boston-based research firm Strategy Analytics.
In the third quarter, Samsung posted market share of 22.4 percent to become the No. 1 handset manufacturer in the U.S. for the first time. Schaumburg-based Motorola fell to second place with a 21.1 percent share.
About 30 percent of mobile phone shipments in the U.S. are smart phones, devices that can e-mail and surf the Web.
Co-Chief Executive Sanjay Jha has acknowledged that Motorola needs to put out more smart phones and will face challenges through the first half of 2009 while it develops products.
Jha scrapped a number of launches scheduled for early next year to overhaul the mobile-phone division.
"One of the key challenges for Motorola is they don't have a product in [the smart-phone] segment," said Bonny Joy, an analyst at Strategy Analytics.
"They're not part of the growth segment in North America, and they're paying the price."
Jha said Motorola will have a smart phone running Windows Mobile 6.5 by the second half of next year, along with a device powered by Google's Android open-source software.
"The smart phones are very saleable even in developing countries. People want to be updated of a lot of things."
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Motorola Earnings Beat Estimates After Job Reductions (Update2)
Continued...
Slowing Handset Demand
The third-quarter net loss was $397 million, or 18 cents a share, compared with a profit of $60 million, or 3 cents, a year earlier. Sales fell 15 percent to $7.48 billion, missing the $7.82 billion average analyst estimate.
Jha, 45, is tasked with reviving a business that hasn't had a hit since the all-metal Razr flip phone, introduced in 2004. Once the industry leader, Motorola now competes against South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. to hold on to its No. 3 ranking.
Revenue from mobile phones fell 31 percent to $3.12 billion last quarter, and the unit was the company's only money-losing business with a loss of $840 million. That widened from $248 million a year earlier.
Touch Screens
Motorola's share of the global market declined to 10 percent in the second quarter from 14.5 percent a year earlier, according to researcher Gartner Inc. Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, led with 39.5 percent, followed by Samsung at 15.2 percent. LG, which had 8.8 percent of the market in the second quarter, said last week it sold 23 million devices in the most recent period.
Jha, who spent 14 years at San Diego-based Qualcomm, plans to sell more expensive devices with full keyboards and touch screens to boost profit. Motorola, whose older W755 phone sells for $19.99, this month unveiled the $149.99 Krave, which has a clear flip cover and a full touch screen inside. The Krave is Motorola's first touch-screen model in the U.S., challenging Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
Two weeks ago, Gartner cut its global mobile-phone sales forecast because consumers are reducing purchases and signing up for longer contracts. Unit sales will rise 8 percent this year, down from a July projection of 10 percent to 11 percent, according to Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner. Last year, sales rose 16 percent to 1.15 billion phones. End.
Source
Slowing Handset Demand
The third-quarter net loss was $397 million, or 18 cents a share, compared with a profit of $60 million, or 3 cents, a year earlier. Sales fell 15 percent to $7.48 billion, missing the $7.82 billion average analyst estimate.
Jha, 45, is tasked with reviving a business that hasn't had a hit since the all-metal Razr flip phone, introduced in 2004. Once the industry leader, Motorola now competes against South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. to hold on to its No. 3 ranking.
Revenue from mobile phones fell 31 percent to $3.12 billion last quarter, and the unit was the company's only money-losing business with a loss of $840 million. That widened from $248 million a year earlier.
Touch Screens
Motorola's share of the global market declined to 10 percent in the second quarter from 14.5 percent a year earlier, according to researcher Gartner Inc. Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, led with 39.5 percent, followed by Samsung at 15.2 percent. LG, which had 8.8 percent of the market in the second quarter, said last week it sold 23 million devices in the most recent period.
Jha, who spent 14 years at San Diego-based Qualcomm, plans to sell more expensive devices with full keyboards and touch screens to boost profit. Motorola, whose older W755 phone sells for $19.99, this month unveiled the $149.99 Krave, which has a clear flip cover and a full touch screen inside. The Krave is Motorola's first touch-screen model in the U.S., challenging Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
Two weeks ago, Gartner cut its global mobile-phone sales forecast because consumers are reducing purchases and signing up for longer contracts. Unit sales will rise 8 percent this year, down from a July projection of 10 percent to 11 percent, according to Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner. Last year, sales rose 16 percent to 1.15 billion phones. End.
Source
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Motorola Earnings Beat Estimates After Job Reductions (Update2)
By Amy Thomson and Vivek Shankar
Motorola Inc., the world's third- largest maker of mobile phones, posted third-quarter earnings that beat analysts' estimates after cutting more than 9,000 jobs in two years to make up for slumping sales.
The company delayed a plan to split of its handset division by the third quarter of 2009, citing the financial crisis and slowing economy. The company said in March it plans to separate the unit to focus on profitable TV set-top boxes, two-way radios and wireless-networking gear.
Motorola said it will exceed its goal of cutting $1 billion in expenses this year. Co-Chief Executive Officers Greg Brown and Sanjay Jha, who was hired in August to revive the phone unit, are overhauling the company to win back sales lost to Nokia Oyj and Samsung Electronics Co. Handset sales fell 32 percent to 25.4 million units, the seventh straight drop.
"The bottom line was better'' as the cost cuts are having an effect, said Matthew Thornton, a Boston-based analyst at Avian Securities LLC. He rates the stock ``neutral.''
Profit, excluding costs from job cuts, was 5 cents a share, Motorola said today in a statement. That exceeded the 2 cents analysts in a Bloomberg survey projected. The company said it plans to reduce costs by $800 million next year.
Profit this quarter will be 2 cents to 4 cents a share, excluding costs for job cuts, Motorola said. That missed the 7- cent average analyst estimate.
Motorola, based in Schaumburg, Illinois, rose 39 cents, or 7.1 percent, to $5.85 in early trading. The stock closed at $5.46 on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. It had lost 66 percent this year before today.Continued...
Motorola Inc., the world's third- largest maker of mobile phones, posted third-quarter earnings that beat analysts' estimates after cutting more than 9,000 jobs in two years to make up for slumping sales.
The company delayed a plan to split of its handset division by the third quarter of 2009, citing the financial crisis and slowing economy. The company said in March it plans to separate the unit to focus on profitable TV set-top boxes, two-way radios and wireless-networking gear.
Motorola said it will exceed its goal of cutting $1 billion in expenses this year. Co-Chief Executive Officers Greg Brown and Sanjay Jha, who was hired in August to revive the phone unit, are overhauling the company to win back sales lost to Nokia Oyj and Samsung Electronics Co. Handset sales fell 32 percent to 25.4 million units, the seventh straight drop.
"The bottom line was better'' as the cost cuts are having an effect, said Matthew Thornton, a Boston-based analyst at Avian Securities LLC. He rates the stock ``neutral.''
Profit, excluding costs from job cuts, was 5 cents a share, Motorola said today in a statement. That exceeded the 2 cents analysts in a Bloomberg survey projected. The company said it plans to reduce costs by $800 million next year.
Profit this quarter will be 2 cents to 4 cents a share, excluding costs for job cuts, Motorola said. That missed the 7- cent average analyst estimate.
Motorola, based in Schaumburg, Illinois, rose 39 cents, or 7.1 percent, to $5.85 in early trading. The stock closed at $5.46 on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. It had lost 66 percent this year before today.Continued...
Friday, November 14, 2008
Imagination lives in 'live' Samsung Fun Club website
Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp. took Web addicts to a realm that shamed their wildest imagination as they walked inside its live website at the Samsung Fun Club Day at the Eastwood Central Plaza recently.
The Samsung Fun Club Day celebrated the coming to life of the Samsung Fun Club (SFC), which has long hibernated within the bounds of the computer.
Still and stiff as it may seem when one stares at it on the monitor, the SFC gives everyone now a more dynamic, fun and alive online experience of Samsung mobile phones.
The SFC was a response to the call for a service that allows phone users to maximize the capabilities of their Samsung phones.
Unknown to majority of users, the SFC is actually a global brand. There are over 40 local SFCs around the world and it has only been present in the Philippines since 2005.
Young as it is, the SFC proves to be an effective avenue for consumers to learn more about their Samsung mobile phones in a very interactive and dynamic way. And today, as the webpages come to life, the visitors are give assurance of a day of laughter and surprises.
Visitors were guided to every “live page” by avatars from Magic 89.9 and courtside announcer Andie 9 with the Boys Nite Out.
They can now stop drooling over the images of the different Samsung mobile phones on the website because there they got the chance to feel and experience Samsung’s latest releases such as the Samsung Omnia (i900), Samsung Soul (U900), Samsung F480, and Samsung Innov8 (i8510).
The one who wants it the most gets the most, they say. So the visitors just held on to their passports and they got a stamp every time they visited a page from the live website. And when they completed all six stamps, they got rewards — from cool mugs, jackets to even a digital picture frame.
Visitors also got to download the latest ringtones, wallpapers and other phone applications — all these to make their mobile phone experience go beyond texting and calling. Up for grabs as well was a Samsung F400 that was raffled off later in the evening.
And to wrap it all up with a bang, one of the most prolific hitmakers in the local music scene, Parokya ni Edgar, rocked the night away.
And if all these are not enough, log on to samsungmobile.com where definitely, Imagination Lives!
Source
The Samsung Fun Club Day celebrated the coming to life of the Samsung Fun Club (SFC), which has long hibernated within the bounds of the computer.
Still and stiff as it may seem when one stares at it on the monitor, the SFC gives everyone now a more dynamic, fun and alive online experience of Samsung mobile phones.
The SFC was a response to the call for a service that allows phone users to maximize the capabilities of their Samsung phones.
Unknown to majority of users, the SFC is actually a global brand. There are over 40 local SFCs around the world and it has only been present in the Philippines since 2005.
Young as it is, the SFC proves to be an effective avenue for consumers to learn more about their Samsung mobile phones in a very interactive and dynamic way. And today, as the webpages come to life, the visitors are give assurance of a day of laughter and surprises.
Visitors were guided to every “live page” by avatars from Magic 89.9 and courtside announcer Andie 9 with the Boys Nite Out.
They can now stop drooling over the images of the different Samsung mobile phones on the website because there they got the chance to feel and experience Samsung’s latest releases such as the Samsung Omnia (i900), Samsung Soul (U900), Samsung F480, and Samsung Innov8 (i8510).
The one who wants it the most gets the most, they say. So the visitors just held on to their passports and they got a stamp every time they visited a page from the live website. And when they completed all six stamps, they got rewards — from cool mugs, jackets to even a digital picture frame.
Visitors also got to download the latest ringtones, wallpapers and other phone applications — all these to make their mobile phone experience go beyond texting and calling. Up for grabs as well was a Samsung F400 that was raffled off later in the evening.
And to wrap it all up with a bang, one of the most prolific hitmakers in the local music scene, Parokya ni Edgar, rocked the night away.
And if all these are not enough, log on to samsungmobile.com where definitely, Imagination Lives!
Source
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Samsung M150, the newest attractive bar type phone
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, a leading mobile phone provider, has introduced M150, another highly attractive bar type phone with captivating design, features and price.
With the M150, Samsung again firmly proves its prominent influence in the bar type mobile phone market.
The M150 first captivates its viewers with its luxuriously metal-resembling design. It features a softly brushed hairline pattern, which is exclusively found on many of Samsung’s famous full-metal phones.
With the delicate finish and various futuristic colors available — Light Gray, Charcoal Gray, Pure White, Lavender Pink and Ice Blue — the dual-band M150 turns into more than just a mobile phone. It is a great high-end fashion accessory that matches every age, gender and style.
At only 12.7mm thick, the M150 features all the essential technologies everyone seeks in a mobile phone.
The M150 features a high-quality MP3 function, which is rarely embedded in phones at a similar price range.
Also with an embedded VGA camera and MPEG4 video recording technology, capturing life’s important moments becomes easier than ever.
The phone’s 20MB internal memory provides just enough space to store all favorite moments, so users can carry them around anywhere they go.
Various entertaining features such as FM radio with recording function, as well as its unique personalized ringtone and alarm tone features are also embedded.
Using the FM radio’s recording feature, users can record their favorite songs playing on the radio right onto their own phones. Moreover, these recorded tunes can be used as ringtones and alarm tones to customize each user’s phone.
"This new product is great. I want to record my favorite music when I heard it over the radio. I will not have a hard time or spent money to buy a cd which contains various songs and I am after for only a few of the songs."
With the M150, Samsung again firmly proves its prominent influence in the bar type mobile phone market.
The M150 first captivates its viewers with its luxuriously metal-resembling design. It features a softly brushed hairline pattern, which is exclusively found on many of Samsung’s famous full-metal phones.
With the delicate finish and various futuristic colors available — Light Gray, Charcoal Gray, Pure White, Lavender Pink and Ice Blue — the dual-band M150 turns into more than just a mobile phone. It is a great high-end fashion accessory that matches every age, gender and style.
At only 12.7mm thick, the M150 features all the essential technologies everyone seeks in a mobile phone.
The M150 features a high-quality MP3 function, which is rarely embedded in phones at a similar price range.
Also with an embedded VGA camera and MPEG4 video recording technology, capturing life’s important moments becomes easier than ever.
The phone’s 20MB internal memory provides just enough space to store all favorite moments, so users can carry them around anywhere they go.
Various entertaining features such as FM radio with recording function, as well as its unique personalized ringtone and alarm tone features are also embedded.
Using the FM radio’s recording feature, users can record their favorite songs playing on the radio right onto their own phones. Moreover, these recorded tunes can be used as ringtones and alarm tones to customize each user’s phone.
"This new product is great. I want to record my favorite music when I heard it over the radio. I will not have a hard time or spent money to buy a cd which contains various songs and I am after for only a few of the songs."
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Google G1 Android phone: What next?
Continued...Mobile network operators, too, must ensure they do not strangle Android at birth by making unreasonable demands about the kind of software that can run on the device, for fear that they may cannibalise their own revenue streams. Free voice-over-IP calling services such as an Android version of Skype, as well as over-the-air music download services and song streaming, must be allowed to thrive on the platform. Offering compelling services will increase user investment in Android, stimulate developer creativity, and inspire network loyalty in customers who enjoy using the device. Network operators need to be in it for the long haul, rather than short-term profits.
If Google can find a way to provide the perfect mobile experience through its Android platform, then it not only opens up a new front in its quest for online domination, but it also has a potential global audience of millions. Android is designed to be light and flexible, and although the focus is on what swizzy new handsets running the OS will look like, the ambition is for Android to find a home, in one form or another, on just as many crumbling old phones, especially in developing nations.
Android is designed for the everyman: teenagers might use the social networking applications and built-in GPS to stay connected to friends; housewives may use its barcode-scanning and price-comparison features to save money on their weekly shop.
Ultimately, that's the point: Android is what you choose to make of it. It's made an impressive debut. Now, it needs to hope that developers and phone users get behind it in order to propel it forward. End.
"Making the Android phone obsolete will enable the lower market to afford it."
If Google can find a way to provide the perfect mobile experience through its Android platform, then it not only opens up a new front in its quest for online domination, but it also has a potential global audience of millions. Android is designed to be light and flexible, and although the focus is on what swizzy new handsets running the OS will look like, the ambition is for Android to find a home, in one form or another, on just as many crumbling old phones, especially in developing nations.
Android is designed for the everyman: teenagers might use the social networking applications and built-in GPS to stay connected to friends; housewives may use its barcode-scanning and price-comparison features to save money on their weekly shop.
Ultimately, that's the point: Android is what you choose to make of it. It's made an impressive debut. Now, it needs to hope that developers and phone users get behind it in order to propel it forward. End.
"Making the Android phone obsolete will enable the lower market to afford it."
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Google G1 Android phone: What next?
Continued...Samsung is already reportedly hard at work on its own Android phone, and given the Korean company's flair for design, it's sure to provide stiffer competition to the iPhone in the looks department than the G1 has yet succeeded in doing. Asustek too, is said to be considering a mobile phone based on the Android platform. The Taiwanese company, best known for its ultra-cheap, ultra-portable "netbook" computer, the Eee PC, has both the vision, and the manufacturing expertise, to churn out a truly compelling device.
While better looking, flashier phones may come and go, what will remain a constant is the operating system itself. But Android in its current form is not the Android you'll find on the Motorola, LG or Samsung phones of the future.
Google's operating system is a work in progress. While the search giant has happily laid the foundations, it's up to the software developers to build the scaffolding for the platform. The quality of applications can make or break a device. Users of Apple's iPhone have downloaded more than 200 million applications onto their devices since the App Store launched in July. While many of these are games and mobile versions of desktop services, such as Facebook and Twitter, many others are truly innovative and push the iPhone to its limits.
Android will need to engender the same sense of adventure in its developers and, by extension, its users. Applications do not need pre-approval from Google to make it into the Android Market, and it will be up to the Android community to sort the wheat from the chaff.Continue...
While better looking, flashier phones may come and go, what will remain a constant is the operating system itself. But Android in its current form is not the Android you'll find on the Motorola, LG or Samsung phones of the future.
Google's operating system is a work in progress. While the search giant has happily laid the foundations, it's up to the software developers to build the scaffolding for the platform. The quality of applications can make or break a device. Users of Apple's iPhone have downloaded more than 200 million applications onto their devices since the App Store launched in July. While many of these are games and mobile versions of desktop services, such as Facebook and Twitter, many others are truly innovative and push the iPhone to its limits.
Android will need to engender the same sense of adventure in its developers and, by extension, its users. Applications do not need pre-approval from Google to make it into the Android Market, and it will be up to the Android community to sort the wheat from the chaff.Continue...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Google G1 Android phone: What next?
By Claudine Beaumont
Yesterday may have marked the launch of Google's first ever mobile phone, the T-Mobile G1, but thoughts are already turning to is next device.
# Google G1 phone comment
# Google G1 Android Phone review
# Google G1 Android Phone to 10 applications
# Google G1 phone security flaws
# Google G1 phone: applications announced
The G1 runs Android, Google's open source operating system, which is designed to bring the desktop computing experience to mobile devices. In the coming months, scores of mobile phones will be launched that run Android - the G1 was simply the first in a long line of "Google phones".
Motorola is recruiting a 350-strong team of Android developers to help ring the changes at the ailing phone giant. Sanjay Jha, the company's new co-chief executive, is reported to be focusing his attentions on the platform in an effort to help showcase Motorola's range of handsets. The company is having a tough time of it - it's at a 16-year low on the stock market, hasn't turned a profit since 2006, and is struggling to come up with a new mobile phone design that will become as successful and iconic as the Razr, which sold more than 110 million units globally.
The company is expected to launch its first Android-based phone by next Christmas, and it is thought that it will be similar in design to the G1, with a large touchscreen and slide-out Qwerty keyboard. Rumours suggest the device will place a strong emphasis on social networking, perhaps with applications from services such as Facebook and MySpace tailored for the Motorola device and more easily accessible with a single click. Continued...
"The T-Mobile G1 has really spurred competition in the mobile phone industry."
Yesterday may have marked the launch of Google's first ever mobile phone, the T-Mobile G1, but thoughts are already turning to is next device.
# Google G1 phone comment
# Google G1 Android Phone review
# Google G1 Android Phone to 10 applications
# Google G1 phone security flaws
# Google G1 phone: applications announced
The G1 runs Android, Google's open source operating system, which is designed to bring the desktop computing experience to mobile devices. In the coming months, scores of mobile phones will be launched that run Android - the G1 was simply the first in a long line of "Google phones".
Motorola is recruiting a 350-strong team of Android developers to help ring the changes at the ailing phone giant. Sanjay Jha, the company's new co-chief executive, is reported to be focusing his attentions on the platform in an effort to help showcase Motorola's range of handsets. The company is having a tough time of it - it's at a 16-year low on the stock market, hasn't turned a profit since 2006, and is struggling to come up with a new mobile phone design that will become as successful and iconic as the Razr, which sold more than 110 million units globally.
The company is expected to launch its first Android-based phone by next Christmas, and it is thought that it will be similar in design to the G1, with a large touchscreen and slide-out Qwerty keyboard. Rumours suggest the device will place a strong emphasis on social networking, perhaps with applications from services such as Facebook and MySpace tailored for the Motorola device and more easily accessible with a single click. Continued...
"The T-Mobile G1 has really spurred competition in the mobile phone industry."
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Samsung's mobile, LCD margins drop, sees tough Q4
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the world's second-biggest mobile phone maker, said on Friday it sold 51.8 million mobile phones in the third quarter, compared with 45.7 million units in the second.
Profit margins at its telecom division nearly halved to 7 percent in July-September from 13 percent in the previous quarter.
"Despite seasonal strength expected in the fourth quarter, growth of global mobile phone markets will slow down...but we expect to achieve our sales target of 200 million units," Samsung said in a results statement.
Samsung, also the world's largest maker of liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, said profit margins at its LCD business fell to 8 percent from 21 percent in the second quarter.
Source
Profit margins at its telecom division nearly halved to 7 percent in July-September from 13 percent in the previous quarter.
"Despite seasonal strength expected in the fourth quarter, growth of global mobile phone markets will slow down...but we expect to achieve our sales target of 200 million units," Samsung said in a results statement.
Samsung, also the world's largest maker of liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, said profit margins at its LCD business fell to 8 percent from 21 percent in the second quarter.
Source
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Motorola eliminates 4,800 jobs in '08, phone share 'light years behind Nokia'
BY SANDRA GUY
Motorola, whose falling market share of cell phones has pushed it to No. 4 in the worldwide market, has more bad news to share, according to analysts and regulatory filings.
The Schaumburg-based cell phone maker, which reported 66,000 employees at the start of the year, reported that another 4,800 jobs had been cut in the first nine months of 2008.
The company's estimated market share for cell phones has fallen to 8.4 percent, according to Gimme Credit research analysts. That puts it "just behind Sony Ericsson, significantly behind Samsung and light years behind Nokia," in the words of Gimme Credit analyst Dave Novosel in his report Friday.
Motorola's cell phone division needs all the company's cash to survive as an independent company, and the money would last only two years. Novosel wrote in his note to investors that Motorola's free cash flow "continues to plummet" and estimates it will be a negative $500 million this year, the company's second straight year in the red.
New cell phones using Windows Mobile 6.5 won't be ready until the second half of 2009, and cell phones using the Android system won't be ready until holiday 2009. As a result, Motorola is expected to fall further behind in market share in the first half of next year, analysts say.
Source
Motorola, whose falling market share of cell phones has pushed it to No. 4 in the worldwide market, has more bad news to share, according to analysts and regulatory filings.
The Schaumburg-based cell phone maker, which reported 66,000 employees at the start of the year, reported that another 4,800 jobs had been cut in the first nine months of 2008.
The company's estimated market share for cell phones has fallen to 8.4 percent, according to Gimme Credit research analysts. That puts it "just behind Sony Ericsson, significantly behind Samsung and light years behind Nokia," in the words of Gimme Credit analyst Dave Novosel in his report Friday.
Motorola's cell phone division needs all the company's cash to survive as an independent company, and the money would last only two years. Novosel wrote in his note to investors that Motorola's free cash flow "continues to plummet" and estimates it will be a negative $500 million this year, the company's second straight year in the red.
New cell phones using Windows Mobile 6.5 won't be ready until the second half of 2009, and cell phones using the Android system won't be ready until holiday 2009. As a result, Motorola is expected to fall further behind in market share in the first half of next year, analysts say.
Source
Friday, November 7, 2008
Samsung's Unique and Customizable TouchWiz (TM) User Interface Making Its Way to the U.S. Market in Several New and Powerful Touchscreen Phones
Continued...
Each phone that supports TouchWiz may also include carrier-specific widgets for easy access to carrier's custom services.
"Samsung's TouchWiz interface has been a huge hit overseas and we're excited that it is coming to several new Samsung phones in the U.S.," said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Mobile. "TouchWiz is all about customizing your phone to make it look and work just the way you want it to. The fun and exciting possibilities with TouchWiz include one-touch access to your photos, instant message conversations, music library and much more."
Samsung Mobile expects to launch several full touchscreen devices with TouchWiz technology in late 2008 and early 2009.
*Samsung Mobile is proud to provide ENERGY STAR-qualified power adapters with its mobile phones and accessories. ENERGY STAR qualified products use less energy, save money, and help protect the environment. Products that have earned the ENERGY STAR meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy.
About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungwireless.com.
About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$103.4 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com. End.
"Samsung phones can really be trusted."
Each phone that supports TouchWiz may also include carrier-specific widgets for easy access to carrier's custom services.
"Samsung's TouchWiz interface has been a huge hit overseas and we're excited that it is coming to several new Samsung phones in the U.S.," said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Mobile. "TouchWiz is all about customizing your phone to make it look and work just the way you want it to. The fun and exciting possibilities with TouchWiz include one-touch access to your photos, instant message conversations, music library and much more."
Samsung Mobile expects to launch several full touchscreen devices with TouchWiz technology in late 2008 and early 2009.
*Samsung Mobile is proud to provide ENERGY STAR-qualified power adapters with its mobile phones and accessories. ENERGY STAR qualified products use less energy, save money, and help protect the environment. Products that have earned the ENERGY STAR meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy.
About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungwireless.com.
About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$103.4 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com. End.
"Samsung phones can really be trusted."
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Samsung's Unique and Customizable TouchWiz (TM) User Interface Making Its Way to the U.S. Market in Several New and Powerful Touchscreen Phones
TouchWiz(TM) Offers Users One-Touch Access to Their Favorite Features
Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced the upcoming availability of their innovative TouchWiz(TM) user interface in the U.S. market. This unique and customizable interface has been made popular by Samsung's international products, including the SGH-F480/TouchWiz and Samsung Omnia(TM).
Samsung Mobile's one-of-a-kind TouchWiz user interface has specially designed widgets to customize and personalize the way you use your phone. The bright and colorful icons provide a one-touch access point to a user's favorite and most commonly used applications and features.
Widgets are organized within the widget tray located on the left side of the home screen of the phone. By expanding the widget tray, users can simply 'drag and drop' widgets onto the phone's home screen for instant access to their favorite functions.
Users can pick from several widgets preinstalled on the widget tray. Some of the standard widgets include:
-- Web
-- Music player
-- Messaging
-- Instant Messaging
-- Bluetooth
-- Games
-- Calendar
-- Clock
-- Alarm Clock
-- Navigation Services
-- Account info
-- Search
Continued...
Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced the upcoming availability of their innovative TouchWiz(TM) user interface in the U.S. market. This unique and customizable interface has been made popular by Samsung's international products, including the SGH-F480/TouchWiz and Samsung Omnia(TM).
Samsung Mobile's one-of-a-kind TouchWiz user interface has specially designed widgets to customize and personalize the way you use your phone. The bright and colorful icons provide a one-touch access point to a user's favorite and most commonly used applications and features.
Widgets are organized within the widget tray located on the left side of the home screen of the phone. By expanding the widget tray, users can simply 'drag and drop' widgets onto the phone's home screen for instant access to their favorite functions.
Users can pick from several widgets preinstalled on the widget tray. Some of the standard widgets include:
-- Web
-- Music player
-- Messaging
-- Instant Messaging
-- Bluetooth
-- Games
-- Calendar
-- Clock
-- Alarm Clock
-- Navigation Services
-- Account info
-- Search
Continued...
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Samsung Highnote review (Sprint)
The Samsung Highnote would be a much better music phone if the musical features were truly something special. The music player needs a serious upgrade, and considering this is the only slide-out speakerphone on the U.S. market, the speaker should have been something truly impressive, a replacement for our mini speakers and travel alarm clocks. Instead, the phone gets the same music apps as every other Sprint Power Vision phone, and the speaker is comparable to, and not better than, many other music phones on the market. Kudos to Samsung for finally adopting a standard microUSB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and packing in a gigabyte of memory, but competitors, including arch-nemesis Nokia, has been doing this for years.
We also think Samsung should have followed Nokia's lead with some real playback controls, since this is a music phone, after all. Still, besides these shortcomings, Sprint's One Touch menus make this phone competitive, with great shortcuts and a modern look to the interface. But if you're looking for a phone with some music power, strangely that's one area where it just doesn't stand out. Release: October 2008. Price: $100.
Pros: Unique dual-slide speaker design. Great One Touch menu interface from Sprint. Scroll wheel worked well in every app. Suprisingly robust messaging features.
Cons: Music features are nothing special; even the speaker didn't impress us like it should have. Other multimedia features are a wash. Slow, mediocre Web browser.
For the full review visit:
http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/cell-phones/samsung-highnote/9874.html
We also think Samsung should have followed Nokia's lead with some real playback controls, since this is a music phone, after all. Still, besides these shortcomings, Sprint's One Touch menus make this phone competitive, with great shortcuts and a modern look to the interface. But if you're looking for a phone with some music power, strangely that's one area where it just doesn't stand out. Release: October 2008. Price: $100.
Pros: Unique dual-slide speaker design. Great One Touch menu interface from Sprint. Scroll wheel worked well in every app. Suprisingly robust messaging features.
Cons: Music features are nothing special; even the speaker didn't impress us like it should have. Other multimedia features are a wash. Slow, mediocre Web browser.
For the full review visit:
http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/cell-phones/samsung-highnote/9874.html
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Samsung Brings TouchWiz Tech To U.S
The finger-friendly interface allows for specially designed widgets to give cell phones one-touch access to the Web, weather, and stocks.
By Marin Perez
As more and more touch-screen phones hit the market, the user interface becomes increasingly important. With this in mind, Samsung announced Thursday it would bring its TouchWiz UI to U.S. cell phones.
TouchWiz is a finger-friendly interface that uses specially designed widgets to give users one-touch access to the Web, weather, stocks, and more. The widgets are organized in a tray on the left side of the phone's home screen, and users can add different widgets to the tray to suit their preferences.
"Samsung's TouchWiz interface has been a huge hit overseas and we're excited that it is coming to several new Samsung phones in the United States," said Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer for Samsung Mobile, in a statement. "TouchWiz is all about customizing your phone to make it look and work just the way you want it to. The fun and exciting possibilities with TouchWiz include one-touch access to your photos, instant message conversations, music library, and much more."
Samsung said the UI can include carrier-specific widgets for easy access to a mobile operator's services. For example, it would be possible for Verizon Wireless to create TouchWiz widgets for access to Verizon's V Cast music and video services.
TouchWiz can be put onto feature phones, and it can also be layered on top of other operating systems like it is with the Samsung Omnia. The company said it expects to launch several touch-screen handsets with TouchWiz in late 2008 and early 2009, but the company did not specify which models would come to the United States.
By Marin Perez
As more and more touch-screen phones hit the market, the user interface becomes increasingly important. With this in mind, Samsung announced Thursday it would bring its TouchWiz UI to U.S. cell phones.
TouchWiz is a finger-friendly interface that uses specially designed widgets to give users one-touch access to the Web, weather, stocks, and more. The widgets are organized in a tray on the left side of the phone's home screen, and users can add different widgets to the tray to suit their preferences.
"Samsung's TouchWiz interface has been a huge hit overseas and we're excited that it is coming to several new Samsung phones in the United States," said Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer for Samsung Mobile, in a statement. "TouchWiz is all about customizing your phone to make it look and work just the way you want it to. The fun and exciting possibilities with TouchWiz include one-touch access to your photos, instant message conversations, music library, and much more."
Samsung said the UI can include carrier-specific widgets for easy access to a mobile operator's services. For example, it would be possible for Verizon Wireless to create TouchWiz widgets for access to Verizon's V Cast music and video services.
TouchWiz can be put onto feature phones, and it can also be layered on top of other operating systems like it is with the Samsung Omnia. The company said it expects to launch several touch-screen handsets with TouchWiz in late 2008 and early 2009, but the company did not specify which models would come to the United States.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Google phone, BlackBerry and iPhone set for Christmas battle
A mobile phone handset battle is likely this Christmas as Google launches its first-ever mobile and BlackBerry brings out a touch screen model.
Apple's market-leading iPhone is set for a serious challenge as Google's G1 and the BlackBerry Storm boost a clutch of new features, including a high-definition screen and applications which teach owners how to play the guitar and mix perfect cocktails.
The G1, which runs Google's Android operating system - designed to turn the phone into a pocket computer, will hit the shops on Thursday. T-Mobile, which has the exclusive rights to sell the phone in the UK, will open its flagship Oxford Street store in the early hours of the morning so commuters can snap up the phone on the way into work.
Customers queued through the night outside T-mobile's New York store when it was launched in America on Tuesday.
BlackBerry-makers Research in Motion are also set to launch their phone, which boosts a movie-quality screen and memory capable of storing hundreds of films, in the run-up to Christmas.
It will be exclusively available with Vodafone.
Traditional heavyweights Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson have also entered the battle with slew of new handsets and services to tempt consumers.
Apple, which has sold more than 10million iPhones so far this year, is confident its device will still be the bestseller this Christmas.
The Daily Telegraph has released its own news widget for Google phones, allowing users to get one-touch access to the latest news, sport and travel headlines.
Source
Apple's market-leading iPhone is set for a serious challenge as Google's G1 and the BlackBerry Storm boost a clutch of new features, including a high-definition screen and applications which teach owners how to play the guitar and mix perfect cocktails.
The G1, which runs Google's Android operating system - designed to turn the phone into a pocket computer, will hit the shops on Thursday. T-Mobile, which has the exclusive rights to sell the phone in the UK, will open its flagship Oxford Street store in the early hours of the morning so commuters can snap up the phone on the way into work.
Customers queued through the night outside T-mobile's New York store when it was launched in America on Tuesday.
BlackBerry-makers Research in Motion are also set to launch their phone, which boosts a movie-quality screen and memory capable of storing hundreds of films, in the run-up to Christmas.
It will be exclusively available with Vodafone.
Traditional heavyweights Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson have also entered the battle with slew of new handsets and services to tempt consumers.
Apple, which has sold more than 10million iPhones so far this year, is confident its device will still be the bestseller this Christmas.
The Daily Telegraph has released its own news widget for Google phones, allowing users to get one-touch access to the latest news, sport and travel headlines.
Source
Saturday, November 1, 2008
New caller tunes: Nokia, Samsung
Continued...
Samsung
Marketshare: 8%
Next is what? That’s what Aamir Khan, the brand ambassador for Samsung Mobile can be seen saying in the TVC. The company plans to leverage Aamir Khan in its brand advertisements, as well as product advertising for mobile phones.
With Nokia ahead of others with a fair margin, the fight seems to be amongst the rest of the players.
Samsung, the second major player in the industry, holds approximately 8% marketshare and is looking for around 15% by 2009. Like Nokia, Samsung also launched Apple’s iPhone competitor, Samsung Omnia.
Despite the market slowdown, the brand has become quite aggressive in the Indian market. R Zutshi, deputy MD, Samsung India, says the company’s business strategy and approach to the market have not changed.
“We will continue to grow our presence in the market and keep introducing innovative new products across all product segments, both in the big and small cities, as well as marketing initiatives to create consumer interest,” he says. End.
"Samsung is really becoming saleable."
Samsung
Marketshare: 8%
Next is what? That’s what Aamir Khan, the brand ambassador for Samsung Mobile can be seen saying in the TVC. The company plans to leverage Aamir Khan in its brand advertisements, as well as product advertising for mobile phones.
With Nokia ahead of others with a fair margin, the fight seems to be amongst the rest of the players.
Samsung, the second major player in the industry, holds approximately 8% marketshare and is looking for around 15% by 2009. Like Nokia, Samsung also launched Apple’s iPhone competitor, Samsung Omnia.
Despite the market slowdown, the brand has become quite aggressive in the Indian market. R Zutshi, deputy MD, Samsung India, says the company’s business strategy and approach to the market have not changed.
“We will continue to grow our presence in the market and keep introducing innovative new products across all product segments, both in the big and small cities, as well as marketing initiatives to create consumer interest,” he says. End.
"Samsung is really becoming saleable."
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