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  • Half the World's Smartphones are Delivered by Samsung and Apple

    A few days after the rival Apple announced its less spectacular results, it is time for Samsung to disclose the official figures of the financial performance in the second quarter, and they are pretty impressive.

    Mobile market grew by only 1% in the second quarter of 2012, compared with 2011, and the giants Samsung and Apple have delivered almost half of the smartphones in the world, according to a recent IDC study.

    The two companies have doubled their market share over the past two years distanced themselves more and more from the competition, but at the same time has also increased the advantage of those from Samsung from the Cupertino-based company.

    Thus, in chapter smartphones, Samsung's market share in the second quarter was 32.6% , while of those from Apple was 16.9%. Samsung has also managed to achieve deliveries of 50.2 million units during this period.

    However, we must take into account the fact that Samsung has already launched the model that counts the most in this year, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Apple's iPhone 5 will likely see the light of the day later this year, with a market share of 6.6% and shipments of 10.1 million units, followed by HTC, with 5.7% and 8.8 million units sold.

    In total, global deliveries in the second quarter of 2012 have reached the impressive figure of 153.9 million smartphones, according to the same study conducted by the IDC.

    Samsung, Apple and Nokia are the top three producers with the most smartphones sold, but the surprise is ZTE, which climbed up to the fifth place in this ranking, with an increase of 300%.

  • Facebook and HTC to Launch New Smartphone

    Facebook is working with HTC to build a smartphone, which will be released mid next year. According to sources quoted by Bloomberg, initially, the two companies wanted to have the smartphone released until the end of 2012, but HTC asked for more time because it had to work on other products too.

    Also, Facebook wants to create an improved operating system for its first smartphone, and Mark Zuckerberg has gathered many former Apple programmers to improve the Facebook application for iPhone.

    More than a half of the 900 million users of the social network are using the service from a mobile device, but Facebook did not obtain any money from the 3.15 billion dollars from the advertising on the phone.

    "Internet users are now going mobile and Facebook failed to cover this new market, but a smartphone with many applications and a lot of advetisement could be a great solution," said Victor Anthony, analyst at the Topeka Capitals Markets.

    Facebook shares fell by 23% since the listing in May 17th, partly due to the investors' fears that the company does not obtain sufficient revenues from mobile advertising. Facebook securities ended on Wednesday up by 3.1%, at $ 29.34 per unit.

    Facebook has also worked with HTC in two phones that have a button dedicated to the social network, HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa, but the new model seems to be more focused on the Facebook services.
    Initial speculations were aiming at a launch in Q3 2012, but the Facebook smartphone will be launched only in the summer of 2013.

    Some rumors also aims at the interest shown by Microsoft towards the Facebook phone, so the option that the new smartphone to run WP 8 is not ruled out.

  • iPhone 5 To Arrive in September?

    Every year, the launch of the new iPhone is one of the most discussed topics between tech fans and this year could be no exception. The release of the new iPhone is highly anticipated by Apple's fans and thus, every rumor is spread in just a few hours throughout the world.

    According to the latest rumors, the new iPhone, or iPhone 5 if you like, is expected in the next couple of months. Although the exact date is still unknown, there are two rumors that are currently spreading.

    The first one mentions a release in mid-August, which means that we should expect an announcement in the first days of August. As you can imagine, it's not very possible, since it is too early for such a big announcement. Apple knows that iPhone 5 is a great income generator and thus, they would not risk launching it very soon. After all, they need to count on the Christmas market and launching it during the summer, would be too far from December. On the other hand, it could be a good idea if they wanted to catch up with the releases of their competitors.

    The second rumor comes from the Japanese blog Macotakara, which had also predicted the release of iPhone last year, that predicts a release in September. Macotakara also mentions that the new iPhone will also have a new look, comparing to iPhone 4S. If we stick to their good sources, a release during September seems more probable than one in August. It is the period when big announcements are made and thus, they need to make a good impression from the beginning.

    And if we want to reproduce all the rumors that are circulating, Mashable reports that Taobao, a Chinese e-commerce site,  is already accepting pre-orders for iPhone 5, surprising us even more about its potential short release.

    So, after all these rumors, when should we expect iPhone 5? Apple is the only one that can tell for sure.

  • With DirecTV and Viacom at Odds, Apple HDTV Suffers

    The continuing litigation between Viacom and DirecTV reached new levels this week, as Viacom pulled all of its stations from DirecTV’s more than twenty million subscribers. For those unfortunate satellite viewers, access to some of the most popular networks in the country, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET and MTV has been denied, with no end to the blackout in sight. Viacom has also removed many of their most watched shows from DirecTV’s free online streaming service, drawing a line against internet-powered content providers.

    With the two media giants battling over internet rights and increased pricing, owners of Apple’s forthcoming HDTV service may find themselves losing out..

    Apple’s goal was to supplement their popular Apple TV service with an expanded offering, one that allows viewers to pick and choose the channels they want included in their plans. This strategy is an affront to the cable providers who really make their money through bundled plans, and refuse to come down from their previous strategies. This is the case with Viacom and DirecTV, and may keep Apple’s a la carte dreams from ever becoming a reality.

    Apple has long contended that their internet service would save consumers money over traditional cable television. But it is clear that Viacom and those other programming behemoths will price individual channels so high that private customers would end up spending far more for Apple’s HDTV service than they would for cable. The only hope is if Apple can strike direct deals with the content creators, thereby giving customers a direct line into picking and choosing their favorite shows. But as Netflix, Hulu and other internet content providers have found, traditional entertainment companies are unwilling to play ball.

  • Nielsen: Android Leads the Market Share in USA

    Android operating system seems to win the battle over iOS, at least in the American market share. At least, that's what a latest research says.

    According to Nielsen's research, 51.8 % of US users that own a smartphone are choosing Android as their operating system. Apple comes second with the 34.3% of the market share, while RIM by Blackberry is third with 8.1% of the market share. Although the figures might be surprising for some of you, in fact they shouldn't be.

    We all know that iPhones dominate in the industry, but we also know that Android is a big competitor. Although their constant battle does not always have a clear winner, in this case the numbers can be justified by the fact that Android is used by many smartphone brands. Also, the fact that Android smartphones are cheaper, at least statistically, than the iPhones, makes users prefer the cost-effective choice. Android's percentage of market share consists of Samsung, HTC, Motorola and other smartphones.

    On the contrary, when we are referring to iOS, we know that it's only iPhone that includes the specific operating system. Despite its higher price, iPhone is still in high esteem and that's why the stand-alone percentage of 34% should not be underestimated.

    After all, times are changing and we are not sure whether the numbers will be the same by the end of the year. We might not be able to predict the winner, and whether it will be a clear victory, but we can tell that the release of Apple's new iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S III will affect the current graph.

  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus Ban Taken Off Temporarily

    The Samsung Galaxy Nexus ban in the US following a favorable ruling for Apple by the U.S District Court Judge Lucy Koh has been seen as many as a major win for the makers of the iPhone and the iPad.

    Apple, off late, has been engaged in scores of copyright law suits against other manufacturers including Samsung, HTC and Motorola. In an attempt to desperately stall the rise of Android powered devices in the market and ensure that they stay firmly at the top, they have even posted a $2.6 million bond for stopping the Samsung Galaxy Tab and a further $95.6 million bond for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

    However in a turn of fortune the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has now lifted that ban against the shipment of the Galaxy Nexus paving the way for its return to stores and to the Google play store.

    For the uninitiated, the reason for Apple’s move to court was apparently four features that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus boasted and which the Apple iPhone 4S also had. These are slide to unlock, word suggestion, auto correct (which is in fact a cool tool) and the ability to do a local phone search. The last one was particularly very important for Smartphone users. This means the much vaunted Google Ice Cream Sandwich powered smartphone is going to look quite not so smartphone like when the 4.1 updates and other patches removing these features are implemented.

    The Galaxy Nexus has lesser emotional attachments to Samsung and more for Google and they are taking this Galaxy Nexus ban revoke as a second coming for the Smartphone to the US market. Apparently with Apple’s recent history of going against any thing that is remotely threatening, the next obvious target is the Samsung Galaxy S3 and with the iPhone 5 rumored to be launching next October, Apple would be looking to embroil the S3 in as much litigation as possible to remove the competition for the last iPhone designed by legendary Steve Jobs.

  • iPhone Revenue Hits $150 Billion in 5 Years

    Apple iPhones have had a resounding success since launch, having generating huge revenues for the Cupertino-based company over the time.

    With an estimated volume of 250 million iPhones sold over 5 years, Apple rose among the most profitable and valuable companies in the world, managing to collect, with this range of products only, revenues that currently exceed $ 150 billion. However, from the equation are excluded accessories, software and other services, which together generated between 3% and 5% of quarterly revenues associated with Apple’s iPhones.

    However, the spectacular success enjoyed by Apple in the last five years is not a guarantee for the future. According to Neil Shah, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, there are already appearing signs announcing a more difficult progress for the iPhone range.

    "Some mobile operators are becoming concerned about the high level of subsidies they spend on the iPhone, while Samsung is expanding its popular Galaxy portfolio and providing Apple with more credible competition,” Shah told CNET.

    According to him, mobile operators’ concerns are based on economic reasons. Shah gave an example where an iPhone priced at $ 600, then offered through a two-year subscription contract at $ 299 or even $ 199, the difference of $ 300 – $ 400 from the original price is supported at the expense of mobile operators. Aware of the sales power they hold, those from Apple are willing to negotiate for a lower price.

    The story is radically different when it comes to popular Android terminals such as HTC One X or the Galaxy S3 from Samsung. Taking as example the Galaxy S3, with starting price set initially at $ 500 – $ 550, mobile operators have managed to negotiate discounts at $ 400 or even less, considerably shortening the time required to recover the investment in the payment of contracted subscriptions. "The Galaxy S3 subsidy is considerably lower," Shah told CNET, also adding that this might convince phone operators to think twice before working with Apple.

    However, there are some doubts about the ability of operators to make things right. Katy Huberty, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, said that most mobile operators are contractually obliged to provide certain subsidies, and these contracts will remain in force for at least several years. Even worse is that all these contracts will expire simultaneously, virtually excluding any possibility that the large operators to ally against Apple, seeking more favorable conditions for subsidizing products.

    Helped by favorable contracts and the popularity enjoyed by its products, Apple is likely to achieve record revenues in the years to come, even if the competition comes with products that are reaching a level that can be considered convincing alternatives.

  • 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.

  • 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.