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  • Samsung Expects to Sell Over 10 Million Galaxy S3 Smartphones by July

    Samsung, the world's largest mobile phone maker, expects the Galaxy S3, the most advanced smartphone in its portfolio, to sell faster than previous models and to exceed 10 million units by July, informs Bloomberg.

    The company estimates that these sales will make the revenues of the mobile division in the second quarter of this year to exceed those recorded in the previous quarter. Samsung shares on the stock market in Seoul are dropping, due to the speculations according to which the results will be under estimated by some analysts.

    Galaxy S3, the most advanced smartphone produced by Samsung and the most important rival to Apple’s iPhone began to be sold in Europe in late May and in the U.S. on June 21.

    As regards global phones sales (not only smartphones), estimates made on April 27 by the research company Strategy Analytics show that Samsung would have sold 93.5 million phones in the first quarter of this year, up by 36% from a year earlier. In the same period, Nokia would have sold 82.7 million phones, down by 24% and Apple would have sold 35.1 million terminals, up by 89% over the same period in 2011.

    Samsung would have sold 44.5 million smartphones in the first three months of this year, according to the same research company.

    South Korean manufacturer is currently investigating a complaint made on an online forum in Ireland regarding a Galaxy S3 model that would have unexpectedly caught fire, possibly due to the battery overheating. Samsung officials insist that preliminary data show that the destruction of the phone would not have been caused by the explosion of the battery.

  • No Windows Phone 8 Upgrade for Current Nokia Lumnia Phones

    One of the significant hits given yesterday by Microsoft refers to the lack of possibility to upgrade to the new OS – Windows Phone 8 – for the owners of Lumia smartphones, even for the owners of high-end models such as Nokia Lumia 900.

    Although Windows Phone 7.8 will be a significant sample of the functionality of WP8, the guys at The Verge consulted Kevin Shields from Nokia to hear an official opinion regarding the company’s trust or distrust in the Lumia.

    "I definitely think it's more than enough. I think that ultimately your typical customer probably isn't all that aware of this upgrade thing," said Shields. When asked about the upgrade prospects for Lumia 900, the same Kevin Shields said that he definitely thinks that with “products like the Lumia 900, where a consumer walks in and buys that product they're getting great value and they're getting a great offering that's going to have a long lifetime of innovation”.

    Although there will exist new applications that would take advantage of the functions implemented exclusively in WP8, Nokia representative was keen to ensure that users will constantly get new features through updates and applications made in house by the company. Applications like Camera Extras, which will reach on all the Lumia terminals until the end of July, represent a clear proof of these statements. Camera Extras will allow users to capture intelligent panoramic and group pictures.

    As a subjective note, we think that Nokia undermines users’ intelligence with such statements and, although Lumia 900 is a sensational terminal, in the world we live increasingly more people think about the future and put in balance the free upgrade options and the extended support. Since these elements are missing from all Lumia terminals on the market, we believe that Nokia has received a new hit in this period.

  • HTC Releases First Details on Its Windows Phone 8 Smartphones

    Besides Nokia, HTC is one of the leading supporters of the mobile platform from Microsoft and this does not seem to change with the new version of the platform – Windows Phone 8.

    After yesterday’s event in which we learned the first elements, more or less spectacular, related to Windows Phone 8, HTC rushed to make give the first official details for its next generation of smartphones running on the new operating system from Microsoft.

    HTC Rio is the low-end model powered by WP8. The smartphone will feature a 4-inch WVGA screen, will support HSPA data connection of 14.4 Mbps and will have an integrated 5-megapixel camera with video capture capability in 720p resolution. The processor used will be a Qualcomm MSM8227 from the new series Snapdragon S4 Plus, and the amount of RAM will be only 512 MB.

    HTC Accord will be the second model on the price scale. This one will have a 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 screen and a native resolution of 720p. It will integrate an 8-megapixel sensor, and will jump to 1080p when capturing video content. In terms of data, the new smartphone will support 42Mbps HSPA+ as well as NFC connection. HTC Accord will be powered by a dual-core processor – probably Qualcomm MSM8260A, while the amount of RAM will jump to 1GB.

    HTC Zenith will be the new flagship of the WP8 range of smartphones. It will feature a 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 display with a native resolution of 720p and will integrate the same 8-megapixel sensor. Also concerning the similarities with HTC Accord, HTC Zenith will also feature the same processor and quantity of RAM.

    The first two terminals and HTC Rio and HTC Accord are scheduled for launch in October, while HTC Zenith will be available shortly before the end of the year.

  • BlackBerry Close to an End, RIM Prepares New Layoffs

    BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has announced it aims to reduce operating costs by one billion dollars per year, a plan that includes significant layoffs.

    RIM’s U.S. sales declined dramatically due to the fierce competition represented by the Apple's iPhone and Google’s Android OS, which is why RIM will terminate the contract with Celestica – phone parts manufacturer.

    Celestica is a Canadian company that provides parts and assembles terminals for several companies, including RIM. The company recently announced that it will stop producing parts for the BlackBerry manufacturer and for this reason it expects a loss of $35 billion.

    BlackBerry, along with Nokia, are the companies that have lost the battle against Apple. RIM recorded losses of $125 million in the first quarter of the year, while in Q1 2011 had a profit of $1 billion. Revenues decreased from $ 5.2 billion to about $4.2 billion and shares value decreased by 80% in one year. In comparison, Apple has announced for 2011 a net profit of $ 13.06 billion, mainly supported by the sales of iPhones and iPads, revenues reaching a record of $46.33 billion.

    RIM also fired 35% of its employees last year, thinking that this would be the right solution, but unfortunately the collapse continued.

    Besides Celestica, RIM will also terminate the contracts with other two companies, Flextonics International Ltd and Jabil Circuit Inc.

    “RIM has committed to achieve significant efficiencies and reducing operating costs during this fiscal year. Reducing the number of employees is part of this initiative,” said the company spokesman, Tenille Kennedy.

    RIM's reorganization process could affect between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs, as estimated by analysts at Northern Securities Toronto, under the premise that 30% of the announced cost reductions will be achieved by measures of employment and human resources. Also, Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to the company, claims that RIM fires for weeks groups of at least 10 employees.

    Canadian company plans to launch this year a new range of smartphones based on the BlackBerry 10 OS, through which hopes to regain market share.

  • First Parts of the New iPhone 5 Revealed

    Apple is preparing to launch this fall the new iPhone and international expert blogs already began showing more and more items coming to support the idea that the iPhone 5 or "new iPhone" will have a larger screen and will be more efficient.

    According to 9to5Mac, which publishes several files exclusively with the first parts of the new phone, iPhone 5 will have a 3.9 inch screen with a resolution of 1136 x 640.
    At least this what sources claim and they are also saying that the new phone will have a completely redesigned interface.

    The news includes a camera / video mode, which is much larger, and a new dock connector. In addition, the images show that Apple will move the headset jack of 3.5 mm above, like iPod touch.

    According to sources, Steve Jobs worked side by side with its engineers to develop the new smartphone. Its release was delayed due to production problems. Apple launched, instead, iPhone 4S (For Steve).

    The new iPhone will be thinner and 20% higher than the last generation of iPhone 4S. According to iLounge, the phone will measure 125mm (58.5mm-7.4mm), 10mm taller and 2mm thinner. The smartphone will feature a new metallic cover, a new screen, more powerful than Retina, and Gorilla Glass 2, which will protects the screen.

    According to Digitimes, citing sources close to Apple, the new screen will use the "in-cell-touch panels", a technology that allows color display above the filter, which will increase the screen brightness and clarity.

    Until now, experts say, color display was done under filters. The innovation will enable manufacturers to make thinner displays, and the result will be seen in phone size.

    Besides the more efficient and larger screen, iPhone 5 will bring a new processor, more powerful, of 1.4 GHz, 1GB memory and will incorporate 4G LTE technology, present on the new iPad.

    In addition, it will come with a 12.8 MP camera capable of recording in 1080p HD, possibly with 3D capabilities, and the new iOS 5.2.

    In addition, the new iPhone is expected to load wireless. The phone will be available in two versions, white and black, 16 or 32 GB.

    According to the information presented by a famous portal in Japan, Apple will change, thus, the launch schedule for its smartphones. If the first iPhones were released in June or July, iPhone 4 S made its debut in October 2011.

    The new iPhone 5 will thus be released a year away from launching the previous model.

  • Sony Xperia acro S – Water and Scratch Resistant Smartphone

    Sony Xperia acro S joins the Xperia line of smartphones, coming with a high quality screen and a camera of high performance, housed in a casing that provides protection in using conditions adverse for the conventional electronic equipments.

    Xperia acro S is equipped with a 4.3-inch full HD Reality screen that supports a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. Protected by a shield made of mineral glass resistant to scratch and chipping, the screen equipped with wet finger tracking technology allows the use of the touch interface even with wet fingers – like its “little brother” Sony Ericsson Xperia Active.

    The casing is built according to the IP57 and IP55 specifications, meeting strict requirements regarding the protection provided against dust and moisture. Thus, Sony Xperia acro S can be sunk in water up to 1 meter, where it will resist up to 30 minutes without risking permanent damages.

    In hardware, Xperia acro S is based on a 1.5 GHz dual-core chipset powered by Snapdragon, backed up by 1GB RAM. Its internal memory totals 16GB, of which about 11GB are available for the user. The specs list also includes a GLONASS-compatible GPS, NFC for electronic payments and an HDMI output.

    In terms of multimedia, Sony Xperia acro S has to offer a 12-megapixel camera with Exmor R sensor and lens with F2.4 aperture. Apart from taking photos, the camera supports shootings at 1080p. For video calls and for the Face Unlock feature, we also have a 1.3-megapixel frontal camera, which supports video capture at 720p.

    Sony Xperia acro S will run Google’s Android Gingerbread OS and it seems to be the equivalent of Xperia HD – already launched in Japan. The smartphone is being offered in pink, black and white. Unfortunately, the purchase price has not been revealed yet.

  • Nokia Launches Three New Phones: Asha 305, Asha 306 and Asha 311

    Nokia expands its Asha range with three new models: Nokia Asha 305, Nokia Asha 306 and Nokia Asha 311, phones with touchscreen that try to get closer as much as possible of the smartphone experience, while keeping a price as low as possible.

    The Asha range, launched in October 2011, gets to 10 phone models, available in over 130 countries.

    Nokia Asha 311

    Colorful and compact, weighing 95 grams, Asha 311 offers a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, a 1 GHz processor, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections.

    In terms of software, users will enjoy the Nokia Browser 2.0, which promises fast loading websites, Nokia Maps, WhatsApp Messenger, client for Facebook and Twitter, and a lot of games preinstalled, including Angry Birds plus 40 free games from Electronic Arts. The operating system is S40 Asha.

    Asha Nokia 311 will cost about € 92.

    Nokia Asha 305 and 306

    Asha 305 is a dual-SIM phone with Easy Swap function, 3-inch WQVGA resistive display, touch sensitive, 2-megapixel camera and Bluetooth and Dual Band connections. Colorful and compact, Nokia Asha 305, as the 311 model, features Nokia Maps, Nokia Browser and free games from EA.

    Asha 305’s big brother, Nokia Asha 306, additionally offers a WLAN connection, as well as the possibility to make video streaming through GPRS or WLAN.

    Nokia Asha 305 will cost about € 63, while Nokia Asha 306 will be priced around € 68. Both arrive in the third quarter of this year.

  • Mobile Payments: Increasingly Popular!

    Total value of mobile payment transaction will exceed $171.5 billion worldwide in 2012, meaning an increase of 61.9% compared to 2011, according to the latest figures provided by the consulting company Gartner.

    Total value of payments made with mobile devices will amount to $105.9 billion, while the number of users will reach to 212,200,000 in 2012 from 160,500,000 users in 2011.

    Company specialists expect the overall volume of mobile transactions and the average annual growth to be around 42 percent between 2011 and 2016, estimating a market worth $ 617 billion, with 448 million users by 2016. Sandy Shen, Research Director at Gartner, says that this growth will bring new opportunities for service and solutions providers that will have to respond to local requests to customize their offers.

    Mobile payment market will experience different fragmented services and solutions for the next two years. Technology providers will have to adjust their solutions for the local markets using different access technologies, business models and partnerships, under different regulatory conditions.

    The SMS remains the dominant technology access in developing markets because of constraints on different types of mobile and the easiness in using SMS.

    Web / WAP access is the preferred technology for North America and Western Europe as mobile Internet is commonly available and enabled on users’ devices. Gartner expects that by 2016 account access by Web / WAP to be active for about 88% of transactions in North America and 80 percent in Western Europe.

    Near Field Communication (NFC) transactions will remain relatively low until 2015, although the growth level will begin to increase starting from 2016.

  • Top 10 Activities of the New Smartphone Users

    A recent study by Ericsson ConsumerLab points out 10 of the most common activities of a new smartphone user.

    In the order of popularity, the new smartphone users inaugurate the device by installing check-in applications like Foursquare, in order to let friends know their location. The next activity is installing navigation applications that provide maps and traffic information, applications that enable them to watch TV on the Internet, watch movies, or play online.

    On the sixth place are ranked the applications that allow users to watch videos live on the Internet, followed by applications that enable them to access social networking games, to use Twitter and read or write on blogs.

    In addition, 69% of respondents recognized that use applications to access the Internet on a daily basis, and 20% of them use every day large data traffic services, such as video and TV applications, maps and navigation.

    The study was conducted on markets in India, Brazil and Russia, where the use of applications is different from the model seen on developed markets. For example, two out of five users are visiting rarely or never the official platforms that markets applications and download, instead, applications from third party websites or forums. Almost half of users have firstly downloaded applications on computer and then transferred them to the smartphone.

    "These figures reveal strong interest in apps that enable consumers to deal with daily challenges and interact with people, places and things in their urban surroundings. We believe that, "Smartphones and apps will be key in transforming everyday life for people in high growth markets going forward into the Networked Society", said Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Senior Specialist at Ericsson ConsumerLab.

  • Nokia Prepares New PureView Smartphones

    Nokia 808 PureView is just the beginning: the Finnish manufacturer making plans for an entire range of PureView smartphones with various forms of design and prices, all recommended by the camera’s excellent performances.

    As always, future models of Nokia PureView will have high-resolution image sensors, optical ensemble of high performance with Carl Zeiss and hardware and software adaptations for processing photos at the highest quality standards. The difference is that the new smartphones will incorporate these features into a more flexible housing, thus entering in line with the competition, which currently promotes slim phones – highly appreciated by customers, despite the poorer performance in terms of autonomy.

    Unfortunately, as regards the new Nokia PureView smartphones, for a more flexible housing we will have to accept not only reduced battery autonomy, but also the use of image sensors inferior to the 41-megapixel currently installed on the 808 PureView model. Even so, the new technologies developed by Nokia will help maintain pictures at a high enough level of quality that the PureView series to not lose its main advantage over the competition.

    Given the incorporation of technologies under development for several years, Nokia 808 PureView comes equipped with Symbian Belle OS. The WP version has been excluded so far, because the PureView technologies need to be adapted to the new software platform – time and resource consuming operation. However, it is possible that at least one part of the future Nokia PureView models to be delivered with the operating system developed by Microsoft – Windows Phone.