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  • Blackberry services down for 3 hours

    Blackberry has experienced a major service problem in Europe, Middle East and Africa some days ago, which could not be ignored.

    Research in Motion does not seem to relax lately, since problems never seem to end. After the worries that Blackberries might be staying behind the needs of the modern smartphone user, an outage in their services in various areas was just another blow. It was September 21 when a 3-hour outage at the Blackberry services was widely discussed in social media, with RIM making two announcements related to the issue.

    The first one was when the problem was spotted, with RIM stating:

    "We are currently experiencing a BlackBerry service issue impacting some users in Europe, Middle East & Africa. All relevant support teams are working to resolve the issue. We apologize to any customers who may be affected."

    Afterwards, just when the problem was resolved, RIM CEO, Thorsten Heins made the following announcement:

    “I want to apologize to those BlackBerry customers in Europe and Africa who experienced an impact in their quality of service earlier this morning,”

    “The BlackBerry service is now fully restored and I can report that no data or messages were lost.”

    It is not the first network outage recorded for Blackberries, with the most serious one being almost a year ago, when email, browsing and instant messaging did not work around the world for 3 days!

    Although the stock of RIM has been affected by the outage, they still remain confident over the release of the new line of Blackberries. They are optimistic about their future and they reassure all the Blackberry fans that they are still alive in the competition of smartphones.

  • iOS 6 already adopted 25-35% after 48 hours

    After the iPhone 5 mania the previous week, we now have the iOS 6 mania. Every iPhone user was expecting for this update, hoping that it will boost the performance of their phones.

    The update from iOS 5 to iOS 6 was rather smooth for most iPhone holders, since its adoption was fast, comparing to the previous updates.

    It is estimated that iOS 6 has been adopted by the 25%-35% of the iPhone holders in just 48 hours. David Smith, a developer of popular apps, measures the adoption of iOS and his data show an adoption of 35.4% for iOS 6, with iOS 5 being still at the top with 71.5%. Apart from Smith, Chitika, which is an iOS ad network, measured the adoption of iOS 6 at 25%, while iOS 5 reached the 21% adoption rate in 21 days.

    iOS 6 was a highly anticipated update. It was the time when Apple decided to get rid of Google Maps, Siri has also improved, but what's even more important, iOS 6 is the first update for iPhone that does not require the use of a computer. All you have to do is plug your iPhone in the charge, click on update and leave it do its magic for the next 30 minutes. Your pc is no longer needed when updating your iPhone, which means it is getting easier.

    According to the first reviews, the iOS 6 was a positive step for iPhone updates. It might need some improvements, but we didn't expect from a single update to fix everything. As always, there are lovers and haters and iOS 6 was not an exception. We just have to wait and see then how the iPhones perform now, in order to judge after using them extensively.

  • Samsung proudly compares Galaxy S III with iPhone 5

    The battle has just started between iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III, or else, between Apple and Samsung. Apple might have won the patent case over Samsung, but Samsung proudly advertises Galaxy S III as the phone that has what iPhone 5 presents as novelties.

    It was when Samsung launched the Galaxy series of smartphones that Apple realised that there was a serious opponent there. When Samsung Galaxy S III was released, many tech fans were so excited about it that they even considered replacing the much hyped iPhone. Now that the iPhone 5 has finally been presented by Apple, it is even more obvious that Galaxy S III has nothing to be jealous of the first one. What's more, it might even have more features. That's what Samsung took advantage at their latest ad, in which they compare the features of iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III, using the caption: "The next big thing is already here."

    More specifically, the features listed for Galaxy S III in the ad are more than these of the iPhone 5. Galaxy S III seems to win iPhone 5 in terms of RAM, talk time, HD resolution, while it also has NFC technology, which replaces your wallet with your smartphone. They even make fun of Apple's decision to create a new plug for the iPhone 5, by mentioning for Galaxy S III that it has a standard micro USB plug, which gets more convenient when having an older handset. In addition, Samsung mentions Smart Stay, S-Beam, Shareshot, Group Cast, Direct Call, Palm Touch Mute Pause and so many other features.

    Even though Apple is still far more popular than Samsung in the mobile market, the future might be more uncertain, now that the monopoly is broken. At least Samsung found a way to question iPhone's superiority. Is Apple finally threatened then? Time will tell.

  • iPhone 5 to sell 58 million iPhones this year?

    iPhone craze hasn't stopped yet, with every tech fan discussing the announcement of the iPhone 5 and its features. Apple knows very well that this release will significantly boost their annual sales and this is what they are expecting anyway.

    However, who would have thought that iPhone 5 could become the fastest selling handset of all time? That's what analysts claim on Bloomberg, estimating that iPhone 5 is expected to sell 58 million units by the end of the year. This could bring a profit of 36.2$ billion for Apple, which is way higher than the initial sales of iPhone 4S, which had sold in the first quarter 37 million units.

    What's more, FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger had already estimated that iPhone 5 will sell 250 million handsets in total, increasing Apple's profit by 144$ billion. Although this estimate seems rather optimistic, since it's three times the total revenue of iPhones in the last 5 years, it cannot be ignored. Apple is about to explore the Chinese market even more and due to the size of the market, the estimated 144$ billion profit might not be exaggerating.

    On the other hand, there are reviews that were not that positive about iPhone 5, since it has disappointed part of the loyal Apple fans. Apart from this, there is also Samsung that advertises Galaxy S III as a much better smartphone than iPhone 5, which might affect the estimated sales. Apple still dominates the smartphone market and it's time to prove they keep on selling handsets the way they did in the past. If the clients are still consistent in buying every iPhone product, there is no need to worry. All they need is to design the next generation of iPhone.

  • Apple unveils iPhone 5

    Apple finally presented the iPhone 5 and its new features and as it was expected, all the fans can't wait to buy it!

    In case you didn't hear the news yet, you might be wondering what is all the fuss about the iPhone 5. Here are the new features then:

    – Bigger Screen

    iPhone 5 now has a larger screen, which is not wider than the previous iPhones, with a resolution of 1136×640 and an aspect ratio that extends to 16:9.

    – LTE technology

    LTE technology is getting popular latel y and iPhone 5 will be the first iPhone that will have it integrated. It will work on Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and in other countries throughout the world. Moreover, there wil be different models of iPhones, according to the LTE bands.

    – iPhone gets thinner

    iPhone 5 will be thinner than the previous iPhones, being just 7.6 mm thin, which makes it 18% thinner than iPhone 4S.

    – A6 Chip

    A6 chip is proud to be faster than A5 chip, with 50% better performance in graphics, 22% smaller and what's more important, less battery consuming.

    – Smaller Connector

    The connector we all knew about iPhones has just changed. iPhone 5 has a smaller lighning connector, which makes previous handsets useless, although there will be compatible devices, too.

    – EarPods

    Earphones are changing, too, with the new EarPods having a much better design, deeper bass, fitting to every ear and every music taste.

    – Better Camera

    Camera is also improved, with the rear iSight remaining at 8 MP, although there is ow a built-in panorama mode that can merge photos into one of 28 MP.

    – Siri is improved

    Siri is more mature on iPhone 5, being able to launch apps, post tweets, Facebook updates and also understand sports scores.

    When can I buy it?

    iPhone 5 is expected on September 21 in USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. It will be available by the end of the year to more than 100 countries.

    How much will it cost?

    It is priced at $199 for 16GB (2-year contract), 299$ for 32GB and 399$ for 64GB.

  • RIM presents BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10

    RIM has announced their plans about BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, hoping that businessmen will stick to Blackberries and buy their new BB10 devices.

    Research in Motion does not seem to lose hope, despite the fall in Blackberry's sales the last years. Although iOS and Android have conquered the market, RIM knows that they still have part of the businessmen on their side. That's why they announced BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, which simplifies any service that entrepreneurs might need.

    According to RIM:

    "BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 represents a consolidation of our enterprise mobility management (EMM) product portfolio, which includes our mobile device management (MDM), security, infrastructure, and app management products. It will prepare your organization for the future of mobile diversity, as well as integrate with your existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) deployment. From a single unified web-based console, BES 10 will manage the following devices:

    – BlackBerry 7 OS and prior smartphones
    – BlackBerry 10 devices
    – BlackBerry PlayBook tablets
    – iOS and Android™ smartphones and tablets

    BES 10 will be the ultimate management solution for all BlackBerry platform devices, as well as iOS and Android devices. BES 10 will launch with the first BlackBerry 10 devices in Q1 of calendar year 2013. "

    As it seems, RIM understands that their focus should be on enterprise customers and they decided to entice them with a great idea.

    "RIM remains committed to our enterprise customers by providing advanced, innovative, and flexible options for a straight-forward migration to BlackBerry 10 smartphones, as well as cross-platform management of your mobile device deployment."

    We just have to see whether this could boost their sales.

  • Goophone I5: a Chinese iPhone 5 lookalike

    If you are among the Apple fans that simply cannot wait about the iPhone 5, imagine your reaction on hearing that you can get a first impression on it before anybody else.

    That's what some iPhone fans thought when they saw an iPhone 5 lookalike leaking on the Web, which is known as  Goophone.  Well, don't be fooled, this is not the iPhone 5, but it really looks a lot like it. Although Goophone seems identical to iPhone 5, it is definitely not one. Goophone I5 is a Chinese phone from the company Goophone that might look like an iPhone 5, but ironically it runs on Android software!

    Goophone I5 has a 4-inch screen, a 1280×720 pixel display, a Tegra 3 quad-core processor of 1.4GHz and a RAM of 1GB. What's more, it has an 8MP back camera and one in front of 1.3MP.  Except for the Android, the other difference with the iPhone 5 is that it does not have a bigger screen, which is expected on iPhone 5. As you can see from the picture, the resemblance with the iPhone is quite obvious, although we are not sure whether this will have any implications on them, similar to the ones that Samsung had recently. Apple knows that iPhone 5 is a much anticipated product and they significantly count on it for their annual sales.

    In addition, the Chinese market is really big to be ignored and the fact that some people will already hold such an iPhone 5 lookalike might affect their sales. However, Apple is planning a big collaboration with China Mobile in the near future, which might turn things around. For the time being, Apple fans are counting down the days to the release of iPhone 5 and hop they won't be disappointed!

  • iPhone 5 to sell 250 million units?

    iPhone is about to be released very soon, but the rumors keep going about it. This time there is an estimate of the units it will sell, which seem pretty impressive, if they are achieved of course.

    According to Craig Berger, an analyst from FBR Capital Markets, iPhone 5 will sell 250 million units, which will bring for Apple a revenue of $144 billion! And the numbers can be even more impressive, if you consider that Apple has made $50 million from the sales of all the previous iPhones in the US market, over the last 5 years!

    If you are wondering how he justifies his claims abou such a big increase in the sales, there are two major factors. The first one has to do with the loyalty of Apple's customers. When you own an iPhone you feel the need to buy the new one, evn though you might not need it and even more, even though it might not add any impressive features. This loyalty is important in the smartphone market, since Apple knows that their customers will follow them.

    However, it's not just loyalty that could boost so much the sales. The second factor is Apple's intention to cooperate with Chine Mobile, the biggest carrier in the world. This deal is expected in the beginning of 2013 and it will definitely boost Apple's sales in China, which is a huge market.

    Bearing these two factors in mind, Apple might see a rise in the sales with iPhone 5, but can they really sell 250 million units? Nobody can tell yet, but nobody would be really surprised either. We just have to wait for now!

  • Samsung to Pay $1 Billion to Apple

    Apple is finally the winner in the big patent war with Samsung, since the juries found that Samsung infringed Apple's patents.

    This decision is forcing all the manufacturers to avoid creating any smartphones that might even resemble to Apple's products, in order to avoid the consequences.

    Samsung is now expected to pay $1 Billion, which is a big loss for them. The fact that they were rising on the smartphone market is forcing them to reconsider on their future phones. As for the patent war and Apple's victory, they mentioned in a statement:

    "It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.”

    Apple on the other hand should feel relieved from this decision, which might also boost their sales even more. According to Katie Cotton, Apple's spokeswoman, and her words in New York Times:

    "The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.”

    What is the future in the smartphone market after this decision?

  • Windows Phone to win Blackberry in US market

    Times are changing and so does the smartphone market. Gone are the days when Research in Motion was dominating the smartphone market. Now, Blackberry seems to decline in the US market, with Windows Phone being willing to take over its place.

    According to a chart from Statcounter, posted by WMPoweruser, Windows Phones are expected to overtake Blackberries in the US market until November. The fact that Windows Phone is on the rise and Blackberry seems to decline might justify the graph's validity. What's more, Windows Phone 8 smartphones are about to be released in September, which raises the competition even more. And the graph is further enhanced by the fact that Blackberry 10 is not expected before the beginning of 2013.

    With all these in mind, Microsoft should be happy about their recent progress in the smartphone market. Although many were questioning whether Windows Phone could make it in such a competitive market, the numbers are proving them wrong. Microsoft's collaboration with Nokia is already considered rather successful, since it was a combination of Nokia's experience in the smartphone market with Microsoft's fresh air. If you consider that the first Windows Phone has been released in US market only 2 years ago, and is currently about to overtake a well established name like Blackberry, then it is definitely a success.

    Blackberry on the other hand hopes that Blackberry 10 will help them recover, since they keep on losing their share in the market. Two years ago they held the 34.3% of the US market, a number which now seems really distant to them. Times are changing, Apple is dominating and Blackberries are only used by a small, but loyal, group of people that are satisfied with them and do not seek a change.
    However, are these people enough to hold such a big name?