Business News Holding

Category: smartphone

  • Blackberry Wants to Help the British Police

    BlackBerry maker RIM offered to help the police in Great Britain to identify the protesters in the main cities of the Kingdom, after several days of violence that produced, on Tuesday, the first victim.

    "We think at those who have suffered from violence this weekend in London. I contacted the authorities and we want to help in any way we can," told for The Inquirer Patrick Spence, manager at RIM.

    His statements come after, during the day, it has been speculated that the wave of violent protests in London has been organized through BlackBerry Messenger network, known as BBM, present on BlackBerry smartphones. RIM declined to specify exactly how will cooperate with British authorities.

    London violence broke out during the night of Saturday, in response to the deadly shooting of a man by police. Several other protests have erupted since then in several UK cities, which resulted in approximately 450 arrests. The number could reach several thousands if RIM agrees to provide incriminating information to police.

    You may also want to read:
    RIM Unveils New Blackberrys: Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900
    RIM Fires 2000 Employees and Announces Two New Smartphones
    Fujitsu-Toshiba Announced IS12T, the World’s First Windows Mango Phone

  • Fujitsu-Toshiba Announced IS12T, the World’s First Windows Mango Phone

    The first smartphone that uses the new Mango OS is produced by Fujitsu-Toshiba and has been launched on Wednesday, during an event held in Tokyo.

    IS12T has a 3.7-inch screen and a 13.2 megapixels camera. The smartphone is equipped with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and has included a CDMA modem. The new smartphone with Windows Mango weighs 113 grams and Fujitsu-Toshiba officials said the battery has a use of 11 days on standby and six hours on phone calls.

    IS12T has 32GB a built-in memory and is waterproof.

    The phone will be available only in Japan starting from September. Company officials have not disclosed the price.

    IS12T is the first in a series of devices to be launched in coming months, by which Microsoft hopes to signal that it is still a serious player in the smartphone market.

    In the same period last year, Microsoft was launching Windows 7 for smartphones, a system that failed to cope with the competition coming from Apple and Google Android.

    Despite the fact that it received thousands of applications and positive reviews, the new platform, which replaced Windows Mobile failed to obtain a significant market share on smartphones market. Microsoft had a market share of 2.7% of smartphones in the first quarter of 2011, according to IDC. But the year before, in the first quarter of 2010, Microsoft's market share was at 7.1%. As the number of smartphones sold with Windows 7 or Windows Mobile Phone, it fell from 3.9 to 2.8 million in the two periods.

    Mango, official Windows Phone 7.5, brings improvements to the Windows Phone 7, according to company representatives. Some of them include a new way to view e-mails, more efficient, Facebook Chat and Internet Explorer 9, for a faster web browsing.

    Besides Fujitsu-Toshiba, other manufacturers are also collaborating with Microsoft, such as the Taiwanese company Acer or the Chinese from ZTE, but the most awaited phones are expected to be launched by Nokia.

    IS12T is the first in a series of devices to be launched in coming months, by which Microsoft hopes to signal that it is still a serious player in the smartphone market.

    You may also want to read:
    RIM Unveils New Blackberrys: Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900
    Apple Took Two Thirds of Available Mobile Phone Profits in Q2
    Samsung Galaxy R Revealed
    HTC Sensation vs. Samsung Galaxy S 2

  • RIM Unveils New Blackberrys: Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900

    Canadian manufacturer Research in Motion has introduced on Wednesday three new Blackberry models: Torch 9810, Torch 9860 and Bold 9900.

    The new phones, along with an upgrade of Bold unveiled just few days ago, are part of what the Canadian company calls "the biggest global launch of the company”. This way, RIM is trying to regain its market share in the U.S., the region where the company lost ground to Apple's iPhone and to the numerous models with Google Android.

    The three terminals with touchscreen that are running on BlackBerry OS 7, have improved screens and 1.2 GHz Qualcomm processor – which is actually the most powerful  in a Canadian phone. This will be launched globally by the end of August.

    The browser of the new phones is up to 40% faster than that running on the oldest Torch model.

    The much coveted BlackBerry Torch 9810, also known as the Torch 2, has also appeared today on AT&T site, the largest mobile network in the United States. The device runs the new BlackBerry OS 7 and supports ultra-fast 4G connectivity.

    Information on the official AT&T website in connection with the device with removable keyboard shows a significant improvement of the hardware part compared to the first Torch. Blackberry Torch 9810 has a 1.2 GHz processor, 8GB of internal memory (the ability to expand its storage up to 32GB) and 4G support, which offers the fastest Internet connection speeds for smartphones.

    Regarding the software, the model will run, as expected, the BlackBerry operating system 7.

    BlackBerry Torch 9810 will be available "soon" in AT&T.

    RIM shipped 13.2 million phones in three months that ended in May, the first drop in sales since mid-2007.

    You may also want to read:
    RIM Fires 2000 Employees and Announces Two New Smartphones
    HTC Sensation vs. Samsung Galaxy S 2
    RIM Recalls 1,000 Playbooks for Repairs

  • Apple Took Two Thirds of Available Mobile Phone Profits in Q2

    iPhone is a huge success for Apple. Besides the fact that is making almost half of the company’s revenues, iPhone collects two-thirds of total profits of the smartphone manufacturers.

    This figure was provided by the consulting company Asymco, founded and led by Horace Dediu. He gathered data from financial statements of the main protagonists that are competing on market for our money for phones.

    Asymco says that Apple has 66.3% of the pie, followed by Samsung with 15%, Research in Motion (RIM) is gathering with its BlackBerrys 11% and HTC has other 7.4%. Moreover, four major global manufacturers – Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG – have losses in the last quarter.

    According to Strategy Analytics, Apple now holds the crown of smartphone shipments, with 18.5% of market, followed by Samsung with 17.5% and Nokia with 15.2%.

    Samsung, the main threat, is using three platforms

    Unlike its analysts, who give Samsung with 19.2 million smartphones sold, Dediu estimates the giant at 19.9 million units shipped. Apple has already announced officially that they have 20.3 million terminals. The problem is that Samsung is producing phones that are running on three platforms, Android, Windows Phone 7 and its Bada OS. Rumors say the company refrain from publishing the breakdown and the number of phones, not only because of patent problems they had with Apple and Microsoft, but just because Android deliveries were under Nokia sales, 16.7 million Symbian phones.

    HTC will surpass Blackberry and Nokia

    Asymco analysts also write that the era of slightly increase of the smartphone producers already ended and that is very clear that Symbian and BlackBerry OS have become a burden to their developers and users are not buying any, since the decreases are not cyclic. Nokia already jumped in the Microsoft boat, but RIM is trying a transition to QNX, the operating system on the PlayBook tablet. Also, the hot competition could strongly hit smaller companies such as Motorola and Sony Ericsson. In addition, with iPhone nano entering the fight for the low-cost and medium segment of smartphones would be almost equivalent to a disaster for the small producers of Android or LG, who cannot make profit even so. And that's exactly what Apple is going to do.

    Also, at this rate, HTC will surpass RIM over the next three months in terms of units sold, after giving 12.1 million units in the last quarter (+142%), while RIM has sold 13,2 million BlackBerry phones (+18%).

    You may also want to read:
    Samsung Galaxy R Revealed
    RIM Fires 2000 Employees and Announces Two New Smartphones
    HTC Sensation vs. Samsung Galaxy S 2

  • Samsung Galaxy R Revealed

    Samsung announced the launch of the latest Android smartphone – Galaxy R. The phone has a slim design with a thickness of only 9.55 mm and is weighing 131 grams.

    Galaxy R comes equipped with a 4.19-inch Super Clear LCD screen and a dual-core processor, which offers the ability to record 720p HD video and to play 1080p Full HD (Divx, WMV, MP4, H.264 B/P) at 30fps.

    New Samsung device is equipped with a 5MP camera on the back and a 1.3MP on the front. It has an internal memory of 8GB, which can be extended to 32GB by using a microSD memory card.

    On the connectivity, the handset comes with Bluetooth 3.0 HS and USB 2.0 support. The Dual Channel Wi-Fi connection is also included as standard.

    Besides using the intuitive Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) platform, Galaxy R also includes Samsung Hubs, which provides access to content anytime, anywhere and provides continuing connectivity with users’ social circles.

    Hubs included are:

    • Social Hub – combines contacts, calendar and user’s e-mail with instant messaging and social networking connections, all within an easy to use interface that gives you control of social life everywhere.
    • Music Hub – provides access to over 14 million tracks, new and old, which transforms Galaxy R in your own jukebox.
    • Readers Hub – allows users to access whenever and wherever a large library, consisting of over 2.3 million books, 2,000 newspapers and 3,000 magazines in a variety of languages.
    • Game Hub – offers a great experience for both fans of gaming and mobile gaming enthusiasts.

    Samsung has improved the functionality of their new smartphone by including a number of other functions like Samsung Voice Command, an intuitive voice recognition service that allows hands-free control.

    Voice recognition feature gives users the ability to listen to their offline written messages and to respond with voice, while the calls, the e-books and other functions, can be started by a voice command.

    The Koreans have also included the L! ve Panel function, providing the ability to customize the main screen and improve the visual experience with 3D effects.

    The “Find My Mobile” function allows users to locate, call, remotely block the device and to activate the call history when the smartphone is lost or stolen. This function removes the worries about losing the device or some confidential data.

    The phone comes with a battery of 1650 mAh, which provides autonomy of 580 minutes of conversation and 550 hours in standby.

    Galaxy R will be available from July in Europe and will be included successively in global markets, including Asia.

    You may also want to read:
    HTC Sensation vs. Samsung Galaxy S 2
    Samsung Out from Apple’s Suppliers List of Components for iPad
    RIM Fires 2000 Employees and Announces Two New Smartphones

  • RIM Fires 2000 Employees and Announces Two New Smartphones

    Research in Motion, the company producing Blackberry devices, has announced yesterday that is to fire 2000 employees. The measure taken by RIM represents another proof of the delicate situation of the Canadian company. RIM has also announced yesterday on Twitter that today will post new about the two Blackberry smartphones running on the OS 7.

    Personnel cuts, which amount less than 10% of the total number of employees, has decreased the number of employees from Research in Motion to about 17,000 workers. The main reason for the dismissals remains the disappointing sales and the loss of a significant segment of customers who switched to Apple or Android devices.

    RIM said that these redundancies are, however, part of a program of internal reorganization, in order to focus the company’s direction on future projects. The program of "costs optimization" will focus on meeting the strategic plan to become again a serious trademark on the smartphone market.

    The current objective of the Canadian company is to launch 7 Blackberry smartphones, running on the OS 7, by the end of the year and it seems that two of them are about to be launched sooner as expected.

    Research in Motion has announced on their official Twitter page that will post, on Tuesday, details about the new Blackberry devices running on OS 7. The tweet in cause said “You got it! New Blackberry devices are coming with our new OS Blackberry 7!” The other message posted on Blackberry’s official Facebook page was saying the same thing, but in a more enigmatic way.

    These two messages have put on fire the company's fans community in Canada and started a stream of rumors on the sites of specialty. However, one thing is certain: the new Bold and Torch smartphones are on the horizon, most likely the models BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9810.

    Stay connected on www.smartphone.biz-news.com for the latest details of the BlackBerry 7 smartphones.

  • HTC Sensation vs. Samsung Galaxy S 2

    With so many top smartphones it’s getting tougher and tougher to pick the right phone, so we propose to you a comparison between two smartphones that are successfully representing the class of smartphones: HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S 2, two smartphones launched in the same period, the first quarter of 2011.

    HTC Sensation weighs 148 grams, having the dimensions 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm and a 4.3-inch S-LCD capacitive touch screen. Galaxy S II weighs 116 grams, has 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm and features a 4.3-inch super AMOLED touch screen, which means the last one is slightly thinner and lighter than HTC Sensation.

    Galaxy S II has an internal memory of 16 GB / 32 GB with microSD card slot up to 32GB, one of 8GB being included. Sensation has a 1GB internal memory, microSD card slot up to 32GB and one of 8GB included.

    Both phones are equipped with two cameras, one of 8 megapixels, going to 3265×2448 pixels, with autofocus and LED flash, the Sensation having a dual LED flash.

    The cameras offer the possibility of geo tagging, focus touch, image stabilizer and face detection. In addition, Sensation allows instant image capture.

    Both phones can feature video recording at 1080p with 30 fps and on HTC we must point, in addition, stereo recording. On the other hand, the second camera of Samsung Galaxy S 2, for video calls, is slightly better, going up to 2 megapixels. Yet this detail does not matter too much, but there will come a day when will really matter: what’s good in making video calls if you cannot make them in terms of high quality?

    The operating system for both smartphones is Android 2.3 Gingerbread that are running on a 1.2-GHz dual core.

    We don’t even have to mention the radio, EDGE, 3G (there’s a HTC version of 4G), of course, present on both phones. Both come in one color, black.

    Galaxy S II's battery last up to 18 hours and 20 minutes in 2G (8 hours and 40 minutes in 3G), while Sensation’s only last up to 8 hours and 20 minutes in 2G and 6 hours and 40 minutes in 3G.

    You may also want to read:
    Samsung Out from Apple’s Suppliers List of Components for iPad
    LG Optimus Launches Pro C660 and Optimus Net P690
    Ericsson: LTE Advanced – Mobile Internet 10 Times Faster

  • Viber 3G VoIP Mobile App Coming to Android

    Viber, a mobile application that offers users free phone calls and text messaging to other Viber users over 3G and Wi-Fi, announced the official launch of the Android version of the app, bringing Viber to millions of additional users.

    Viber also announced that it has acquired over 12 million active users (last 30 days) and has an impressive call traffic volume of over one billion minutes of calls per quarter.

    Viber was released for iPhone just seven months ago and it now has over 20 million registered users and 12 million active users who currently talk on Viber for 11 million minutes every day, with an average of 6 minutes per call.

    The Android version of Viber features the same easy setup process and high-quality calls that drove its success on the iPhone. The Android version of Viber includes several exclusive features:

    • Full call screen whenever a Viber call is received;
    • Popup text message notification, which lets users respond to text messages without having to open Viber;
    • Tighter integration with the phone, which allows users to see their regular call logs and messages within Viber;
    • A default dialer setting that enables users to use the Viber dialer for all their phone calls, not just for Viber calls.

    "We have been looking forward to launching our Android app, especially after having received a staggering number of requests from Android users asking us to bring Viber to the Android market. Our latest user numbers are the best indicator of how much our users love to talk and send messages for free with Viber," said Talmon Marco, Viber CEO.

    You may also want to read:
    Samsung Out from Apple’s Suppliers List of Components for iPad
    LG Optimus Launches Pro C660 and Optimus Net P690
    Apple Ready to Launch the Production of the New iPhone

    [Originally appeared on VoIP.Biz-news.com]

  • Samsung Out from Apple’s Suppliers List of Components for iPad

    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a Taiwanese company producing chips, began manufacturing a new generation of components for Apple’s mobile devices, which could mean that the manufacturer of iPad tablet will break the contract with its supplier of Samsung Electronics chips, according to several sources close to the situation.

    Samsung is the only supplier of A5 chips used for the iPad 2, but Apple has suggested that wishes to depart from the Korean company.

    The two companies have each other filled a complaint in court accusing of infringement of patents, while Samsung has proven to be the fiercest competitor of Apple in the battle on the smartphones and tablets market. Apple is faced with several obstacles if would want to make a transition to TSMC.

    "Apple is trying to diversify its source of components, but will continue to be some way in a relationship with Samsung," said William Wang, an analyst at Fubon Securities.

    "I believe that TSMC will receive orders for the new chips, but the problem is how many. Apple will not provide 100% of the orders of a single supplier, such as TSMC. Maybe will allocate only 20-30% of the orders", he completed.

    The analysts and other sources have previously said that TSMC, the largest manufacturer of chips under contract, will become the supplier for the next generation of chips for Apple devices, probably starting from next year.

    TSMC is an obvious candidate to win the future business with Apple, because it has budgeted 7.8 billion dollars this year to update the technology and to add capacity of production.

    The company has experience with the architecture of the British ARM Holdings chips, widely used by Apple to make efficient mobile chips in terms of energy consumption.

    "Taiwanese company already has all the details and authorizations in place," said another source.

    Tablet market, which last year was aggressively dominated by Apple's iPad, is expected to grow to 108 million devices next year, from 70 million as estimated for 2011 and 17.6 million as it was in 2010, according to Gartner.

    You may also want to read:
    Apple Ready to Launch the Production of the New iPhone
    LG Optimus Launches Pro C660 and Optimus Net P690
    Ericsson: LTE Advanced – Mobile Internet 10 Times Faster

  • LG Optimus Launches Pro C660 and Optimus Net P690

    LG Electronics launches on the global market two smartphones – LG Optimus Pro C660 and LG Optimus Net P690 – two budget smartphones specially created for the masses.

    LG Optimus Pro C660 is a new smartphone, equipped with a 2.8-inch screen and 4-row QWERTY keyboard.

    Based on a format already promoted by the HTC ChaCha and Motorola Pro, Optimus Pro is trying to combine the advantages of a physical QWERTY keyboard with the versatility of a touch screen.

    Configuration is similar to the HTC Chacha model, based also on a processor clocked at 800 MHz and 512 MB RAM, running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Measuring 2.8 inch, the 4:3 screen is slightly larger than in the ChaCha and oriented in portrait mode. Resolution offered is 320 x 480 pixels, so the space would not be a problem.

    Equipment list also includes a GPS, 3-megapixel  camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi N and 3G HSDPA. The space available for installing applications is limited to 150 MB, and for storing the user can attach a microSDHC card.

    The 1500 mAh Li-Ion battery should be sufficient for the screen and the chosen configuration, so you should not worry too much about the autonomy.

    LG Optimus Pro C660 will come soon in Europe, the price being around 170 euro.

    LG Optimus Net P690 – a faster Optimus One with Android 2.3

    LG Optimus Net P690 is the no-keyboard version of the Optimus Pro and a replacer for the popular Optimus One.

    If Optimus One was providing us only a 600MHz processor and just over 400 MB RAM, the configuration of Optimus Net raises CPU frequency up to 800 MHz and supplements the RAM memory to 512 MB. Increased processing power is used effectively, running the new 2.3.3 version of Android Gingerbread, whose interface is displayed on the surface of a capacitive TFT 3.2-inch screen with a 320×480-pixel resolution.

    Optimus Net is shooting at VGA resolution and the pictures obtained with the 3-megapixel camera are organized using the geo-tagging function, provided by the integrated A-GPS receiver.

    Connecting to the Internet can be achieved by 3G HSDPA connectivity at 3.6 Mbps or using the network card Wi-Fi N. The phone also features a Bluetooth 3.0 module for data transfer and connection of various accessories, microUSB connector for attaching to a PC and a 3.5 mm jack connector for the headset supplied in the package.

    The space available for installing applications is limited to 150 MB and you can use a 2GB microSD card for storing – also included in the package.

    In the case of 113.5 x 59 x 12.1 mm and 122 grams perfectly fits a 1500 mAh Li-Ion battery, which should provide a reasonable autonomy.

    LG Optimus Net P690 is available from just this month at a price of 200 euro.

    You may also want to read:
    Ericsson: LTE Advanced – Mobile Internet 10 Times Faster
    Apple Ready to Launch the Production of the New iPhone
    Smartphone.Biz-news.com Test: LG Optimus Chic – Android for the Masses