Business News Holding

Category: smartphone

  • Smartphone sales grow but pace slackens

    Smartphone shipments to EMEA market rise over 28 per cent on year in 2Q08

    Smartphone sales in the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) market reached 12.57 million units in the second quarter of 2008, representing a 28.2 per cent on-year growth, according to market research firm Canalys.

    While the results signal the second biggest quarter ever in volume terms for “converged” devices, the growth was the lowest level recorded in the past 18 months.

    Canalys reports that an estimated 58 per cent of devices had integrated Wi-Fi, 13 per cent had stylus or finger-driven touch screens and 38 per cent had integrated GPS.

    However, Pete Cunningham, senior analyst at Canalys, said the drive by smartphone manufacturers to cram more technology onto platforms is leading to shorter battery life and more disgruntled customers.

    Canalys polled 4,000 European phone users and the number-one concern they expressed was battery life.

    “People are wary of draining their battery and not being able to make calls,” he said. “Battery life is not helped by having GPS and Wi-Fi turned on, nor by having a large bright screen for navigation or web browsing.

    “But there is clear demand for those features and applications, and advances in battery technology would enable quite substantial changes in usage patterns with all the service revenue benefits that would bring.”

    The Canalys EMEA report shows that Nokia remains the smartphone market leader – with a 71.2 per cent share of the segment – but this is down from 79.2 per cent of a year earlier.

    The Finnish giant saw its shipments of smartphones to the EMEA market rise 14.6 per cent on year to 8.95 million units in the second quarter.

    Other vendors in the top five posted much higher than average year-on-year growth, with second-placed RIM closing the market share gap by several points, and HTC, Motorola and Samsung more than doubling their shipments.

    Both HTC and RIM have moving steadily toward the one million shipments per quarter mark in EMEA and enjoy similar market shares.

    However, Apple could spoil this progress in Q3 following its launch of the 3G iPhone in many countries in the region.

    High Tech Computer made notable gains in the EMEA smartphone market, with an impressive rise of 118.7 per cent on year to 880,000 units in the second quarter, giving it a 7 per cent market share.

  • Google expanding Android team as HTC handset approved

    More designers needed as first Android-powered handset passed by FCC

    The team responsible for Google’s Android open-source operating system is to be enlarged with openings for designers, engineers, and developers.

    Ads from the search giant ask for people who can work in areas as diverse as “innovative” hardware user interface design, battery life, RF issues, and handset-security software.

    The expansion of the phone project in Mountain View, California, comes as an Android-powered handset from High Tech Computer Corp (HTC) passed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements.

    The HTC Dream is expected to be available in the US through T-Mobile sometime between October and the end of the year – making it the first to launch with the open-source operating system.

    Although details remain scant on the Dream, the FCC listing confirmed that the HTC model will be the Dream as the handset was labeled the “DREA100”. It has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and runs on the 850/1700/1900MHz bands.

    For candidates hopeful of joining Google’s Android team, the key job ad word is “collaboration”, with the stress on the need for people to work with the company’s multiple partners in the Open Handset Alliance.

    “The Google Android team offers a collaborative environment in which we help partners across the globe to create world-class hand held products,” says the ad copy.

    Competition shouldn’t be long in coming as the open-source Linux handset front is pushing for its first launch – perhaps by early next year. Verizon Wireless is reported to be preparing its first handsets from the LiMo Foundation.

  • T-Mobile to launch first Android smartphone

    Google’s Android operating system to be offered on HTC phone

    T-Mobile is to be the first carrier to offer a mobile phone powered by Google’s Android software.

    The phone will be made by HTC, one of the largest makers of mobile phones in the world, and is expected to go on sale in the United States before Christmas, according to reports.

    Google is making the Android operating system software available free to an alliance of companies, including mobile phone carriers and manufacturers who have agreed to provide devices which, like personal computers, allow users to decide which applications run on them.

    Google thinks that many consumers will want to personalise their mobile phones with unique applications and services.

    The mobile Web is seen as vital to the long-term growth of Google’s digital advertising business.

    Flagged as a worthy rival to Apple’s 3G iPhone, the HTC smartphone will have a touch screen.
    But the screen can slide out to expose a full five-row keyboard.

    While other carriers and manufacturers have plans to offer phones based on Google’s software, the T-Mobile-HTC phone is expected to be the only Android phone available in the US this year.

    Some makers of mobile software programs have complained that creating applications for Android has been difficult.
    They claim Google has continued to make changes to the operating system and at times has been too busy to provide support to developers.

  • Tethering to get cheaper with Sprint

    Tethering may still be an unofficial no-no on the iPhone but US telecom company Sprint seem determined to encourage it on their own handsets.

    Sprint are understood to be considering dropping the price of Phone As Modem (PAM) add-ons on new plans to US$15, down from the previous US$40 per month paid by current plan holders.

    Tethering enables customers to use their cellphones as wireless modems “tethered” to their laptops.

    Earlier this month, Nullriver’s Netshare application that turns an iPhone into a portable WiFi hotspot was pulled from Apple’s App Store shortly after being made available.

    Tethering is one of the most requested apps for the iPhone and is only available for jailbroken iPhone handsets – and in a more complicated form.

    Sprint’s price drop appears to be part of an effort to lure customers over from older plans.

    It will only take effect on current offerings – Sprint’s Simply Everything, Sprint Everything, and Everything Plus plans.

    While Sprint’s plans of today typically cost more the discounted PAM can make up for the difference.

  • iPhone's growing corporate appeal threatens Blackberry

    Questions remain about battery life, security and email options but it would seem Apple’s 3G iPhone is attracting increasing interest from the business world.

    HSBC is considering equipping its employees with some 200,000 iPhones, according to HSBC’s Australia and New Zealand chief information officer Brenton Hush.
    Research in Motion’s BlackBerry is currently the firm’s standard issue handset.

    In the US, the handset commands 46 per cent of the US smartphone, according to a recent report by Synergy Research Group.

    Hush told ZDNet.com.au that the world’s largest banking group was reviewing iPhones from an HSBC Group perspective.

    If such reports are accurate, then RIM’s BlackBerry could see its dominant position as the enterprise smartphone leader weakened.

    A report by IT researchers Gartner further weakens the perception that the iPhone is completely unsuited to the demands of the corporate world.

    While it stresses there’s still room for improvement on everything from application support to security to calendar access, the study says Apple’s latest handset is now viewed as a legitimate enterprise mobile device.

    Ken Dulaney, an analyst at Gartner, said: “It’s acceptable for enterprise use if the security it provides is the same as other handsets in play.

    The iPhone features a complex password system for Microsoft Exchange users and a “wipe” feature that clears the phone’s contents when a password is violated. Neither security aspect was provided on the initial firmware, according to Gartner.

    Apple’s second handset, which debuted in July, also supports a small set of enterprise applications such as voice mail, personal information manager, Web browsing and e-mail.

    Still, some big enterprise-level functionality gaps remain when compared with BlackBerry, including shorter battery life, the ability to edit mail attachments and issues over calendar functionality.

    Gartner also said the iPhone’s bandwidth is lacking when it comes to using e-mail over a network, and there is still no cut and paste functionality.

    However, with Best Buy now poised to start selling the iPhone in the US there is no doubt that Apple’s priority remains the consumer market.

    The agreement is expected to help make already strong estimates for Apple’s device sales seem all too modest.

    It will also help ensure that Apple’s market value remains greater than Google, which it has just surpassed.
    The current market capitalisation of Apple is US$159.37 billion, just a little higher than Google’s market cap of US$157.56 billion.

  • Nokia leads China smartphone sales boom

    Sales of smartphones in China grew 32 per cent on year to 15 million units in the first half of 2008, according to data released from China-based CCID Consulting.

    The analysts said Symbian-based models accounted for over 70 per cent of smartphones sold in the China during the January-June period, followed by Linux-based smartphones with a 15 per cent share and Windows Mobile-based models with a 10 per cent share.

    Nokia saw its shipments of Symbian-based smartphones in China surge over 40 per cent on year to more than 10 million units in the first six months, according the CCID, and the company alone took up a 68.5 per cent share in the smartphone segment.

    Motorola, which focuses on Linux smartphones, was ranked the second largest smartphone vendor in China in the first half with a 15-16 per cent market share, CCID added.

    Dopod International and Amoi Electronics, the two major vendors of Windows Mobile-based smartphones, each took a less than 5 per cent share.

  • Blackberry dominates Apple – for now

    RIM’s Blackberry commands 46 per cent of a US smartphone market that shows strong growth, according to a report by Synergy Research Group.

    The US smartphone market grew 67.3 per cent in the first half of 2008 with RIM’s Blackberry the firm leader with nearly half of all sales.

    However, even with Q2 shipments dropping in anticipation of the new 3G iPhone, Apple retained the second place spot for the first half of the year with Motorola a close third.

    Aaron Vance, senior analyst, Synergy Research Group, said Apple’s performance since entering the smartphone market suggested RIM’s margin of lead may soon be under pressure.

    Apple’s iPhone continues to break records, shipping over a million units in 3 consecutive quarters.

    “Despite the rock star status of the Apple iPhone, the Blackberry dominates the US market with a market share of 46 per cent (for the first half of 2008) versus Apple’s 15 per cent,” he said.

    “But with iPhone’s continued strong success, which only took Apple a year to achieve a number two ranking, it may be sooner than later that Apple is challenging the Blackberry, a notion that would have seemed impossible to many a year or two ago.”

    Q2 2008 US Smartphone Vendor Shipment Growth
    Manufacturer Q-Q Y-Y
    Apple -64.2% 125.6%
    RIM 8.1% 92.1%
    Sony Ericsson 9.4% 32.9%
    Samsung -1.1% 31.3%
    LG 10.5% 29.4%
    Motorola -28.6% -18.2%
    Nokia 43.6% -24.5%

    The Synergy Q2 2008 Mobile Handset Market Share report said the strong first half performance was good news for operators having a greater opportunity to increase revenues per subscriber in a market that is a leader in consumer voice usage.

    Motorola, currently the number one US Mobile Handset vendor with 25 per cent share, is showing signs of difficulty in the fast growing US smartphone business.

    In Q2 2008, Motorola was the only vendor in the Synergy study posting double-digit drops for both sequential and annual growth.

    In the first half of 2008, the US smartphone market represented 12.2 per cent of total mobile handsets shipped.
    This compares to fewer than 10 per cent in the first half of 2007.

  • Garmin delays smartphone launch

    The GPS maker Garmin has delayed plans to launch its Nuvifone smartphone in the fourth quarter of 2008 until the first half of 2009.
    Obstacles in dealing with the various individual needs of each cell phone carrier were cited as the reason for the delay.

    Shortly before announcing its decision on the Nuvifon, Garmin posted weak second-quarter results and slashed its outlook for 2008.
    The company has been hurt by slower growth in the personal navigation device (PND) market.
    It results and the delayed launch of its smartphone sent its shares down more than 22 per cent.
    The biggest US maker of navigation devices said the PND market, which it dominates with Dutch rival TomTom, has not been growing as fast as expected.
    It said consumers were being more cost-conscious.

    The outlook cut follows a difficult year for Garmin, as macroeconomic difficulties, competition and several new entrants have affected its prices and margins.
    The stock has lost 70 per cent of its value since last October.
    Garmin has not yet disclosed pricing and carrier details for the Nuvifone, which will compete against Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Pearl 8110, Nokia’s N95 and N82 multimedia phones and Apple’s iPhone.

  • iPhone breathes life into mobile gaming market

    Touchscreen handset could have a potentially revolutionary impact on mobile gaming, according to a report by Screen Digest.
    In particular, Apple’s iPhone 3G is expected to drive the growth of the North American market raising it to the leading global market by revenue next year.

    The media analyst’s study says that the world’s top four games publishers are taking an ever bigger share of the market for mobile games.
    EA Mobile, Gameloft, Glu and THQ Wireless have seen their global market shares increase from 11 per cent to 22 per cent in 2007 and the figure is rising, particularly in Western Europe.

    From the perspective of both games developers and mobile users, touchscreen phoness have the potential to be the number one device for mobile gaming.
    The Screen Digest report says this is supported by recently released retail sales figures that show 10 million applications were downloaded from the Apple online store in the three days after the iPhone 3G went on sale on July 11.
    However, it cautions that the handset presents technical challenges for developers, limiting the sophistication of the games on offer which in turn restricts audience retention.

    Ronan de Renesse, senior mobile analyst, said:

    “Whilst the current demand for games that can be played on the iPhone is giving the mobile gaming industry a much needed boost, there are a number of issues that will need to be addressed by games developers"
    “They need to overcome technical challenges to deliver more enticing games to a wider audience of gamers – and they need to do this fast"
    “So whilst in the short term the iPhone is boosting sales of mobile games, the favour won’t be returned until the iPhone can support a major blockbuster title – or two.”

    Screen Digest anticipates that the mobile games market will generate an extra US€1bn in the next five years to reach a total value of US€2.6bn by 2012.

    Historically, Asia has been the biggest market in terms of industry revenues with over 37 per cent market share in 2007, but Screen Digest predicts that from 2009 onwards, North America will become the largest market.

    North America has been experiencing continued growth, generating an average of US€125m every year for the past four years.
    The report forecasts this this revenue growth to continue and double the market value to just over US€1.1bn by 2012.

  • iPhone tethering app vanishes from App Store


    An application by Nullriver that turns an iPhone into a portable WiFi hotspot has disappeared from Apple’s App Store 20 minutes after being made available – only to re-appear hours later.

    Once operating the app is designed to give Wi-Fi-enabled devices internet access wherever a mobile signal is available.
    Until Nullriver’s Netshare’s brief appearance late on Thursday this feature was only available for jailbroken iPhone handsets – and in a more complicated form.

    It is one of the most requested apps for the iPhone since it allows the handset to be tethered to feed 3G or EDGE network data to your computer.

    However, Nullriver’s NetShare application, priced at US$9.99, appeared to have slipped unnoticed into the App Store without being picked up by Apple.

    Nullriver seemed as mystified as everyone else by events. A spokesperson, who emailed smartphone.biz-news.com, said: “We’re trying to get a hold of Apple right now. Until we hear from Apple, its hard to say what the real reason is, because, if it was AT&T, well, AT&T is not the iPhone service provider outside the US.”

    A statement on its website was headed: NetShare, where did it go?
    It continued: “We’re not quite sure why Apple took down the NetShare application yet, we’ve received no communication from Apple thus far.
    “NetShare did not violate any of the Developer or AppStore agreements. We’re hoping we’ll get some feedback from Apple today. Sorry to all the folks that couldn’t get it in time.
    “We’ll do our best to try to get the application back onto the AppStore if at all possible. At the very least, we hope Apple will allow it to be used in countries where the provider does permit tethering.”

    Later on Friday, the Netshare app made a reappearance for download by direct link only in the App Store.
    It wasn’t showing up in searches but was available if the link was known.

    Among the theories offered about the teporary vanishing act were suggestions of legal intervention from telecomms companies.
    Wireless carriers have almost always been opposed to tethering smartphones with unlimited data plans.

    Some even state in contracts that if you tether a phone, users may be responsible for additional fees associated with the data that used.

    It is possible, for an additional cost, to tether some phones, such as Blackberrys, but this hasn’t been an option with the iPhone.

    One poster, Vega_man Dan, raised the question of how the Apps Store qualifies applications before posting them.
    “This should never have been even accepted for consideration, let alone allowing it to go to sale,” he said.
    “I do wonder if Apple is actually testing or examining the apps before posting them to iTunes.”

    Until it was pulled, posters on various sites were reported that the application had worked.
    Engadget did get it to connect, after a few minutes tweaking.