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Tag: iphone

  • T-Mobile Germany Back-Tracks on N97 VoIP Strategy


    T-Mobile Germany is reconsidering its VoIP strategy as a rival carrier works on special VoIP plans.

    The change of heart is in sharp contrast to T-Mobile’s threat to cut off VoIP users – both physically and contractually – after Skype announced the release of its iPhone app in March.

    The carrier is considering ways of dealing with VoIP – which could include VoIP-specific monthly plans.

    It comes as Vodafone Germany is reported to be considering offering special VoIP plans.

    T-Mobile Germany is to launch Nokia’s flagship smartphone the N97 this summer but Skype will not be pre-loaded on the device.

    This is despite Nokia having a deal to preload the VoIP client on to the new devices.

    The carrier has now said that it will be up to subscribers to decide if they want the app.

    Those that do will be able to download it to their VoiP compatible N97s.

    It certainly seems as though T-Mobile Germany has paid attention to consumer displeasure following its initial outburst.

  • Next-Gen iPhone Will Be Modest Upgrade?


    Apple’s next-gen iPhone could be unchanged in physical design but include changes relating to speed, memory and the camera.

    At least that’s according an unnamed employee at Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn, who claims to have used prototypes of the handset.

    The main changes are increases in clock speed and memory: the roughly 400MHz Samsung ARM processor used in the current iPhone 3G will be upgraded to a 600MHz part, according to a post on a Chinese site

    Writing anonomously, the commentator also said that system RAM will be doubled to 256MB and the handset will ship in 16GB and 32GB configurations.

    It is also said to have a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus.

    While the information is unsubstantiated, if true there could be some disappointment.

    Among the improvements being sought are an improved battery, a better GPU, a more elegant housing and – ideally – an OLED display.

  • Palm Preparing Second Pre-like Smartphone For 2009


    With a launch date for Palm’s much anticipated Pre still to be announced along comes news that Palm is preparing a second Pre-like handset for release this year.

    The smaller and slimmer device will be pitched at a different part of the smartphone market, according to Techcrunch.

    Palm is said to be "very far along" on its second Pre-like handset, which will run the new WebOS operating system.

    Spec details – such as whether it will have a touchscreen keyboard – are unknown.

    Equally unclear is what effect a second device, launched so soon after the Pre, will have on the flagship smartphone’s sales.

    Elsewhere, more information has been emerging on the Pre this week, with iSuppli estimating that the Palm smartphone costs around USD $170 to make.

    The calculation is based on the device’s hardware and manufacturing costs using second-quarter component and assembly pricing.

    The breakdown of the USD $170.02 consists of a hardware cost of USD $137.83, manufacturing and basic test costs of USD $9.58, and software and licensing costs of USD $22.61.

    The analysis does not include shipping, logistics, marketing and other channel costs.

    iSuppli expects Palm will try to sell the Pre to wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp for about USD $300.

    But the analysts said the actual cost to consumers will be around USD $200 due to an expected carrier subsidy.

    Just when the Pre will be released is still largely a mystery, although the latest projection is 7th June.

    An interesting choice, if correct, as this is the day before Apple holds its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC).

    And that is where the next generation iPhone is widely believed to be set for release.

  • Zoho Expands Mobile Device Coverage For Business Apps


    Zoho has extended mobile support for its free web applications to all the major smartphone platforms.

    Initially only available for the iPhone and Windows Mobile, Zoho Mobile now supports Android, BlackBerry and Symbian mobile platforms as well.

    It offers six apps geared towards collaborative business productivity:

    • Zoho Mail
    • Zoho Calendar
    • Zoho Writer
    • Zoho Sheet
    • Zoho Show
    • Zoho Creator

    Zoho’s Raju Vegesna said mobility was an important aspect for its on-line applications.

    The company has so far launched 19 different applications — from CRM to Mail, Reports, and Wikis.

    He said all its current and future mobile initiatives will be available under Zoho Mobile as mobile support is expanded to all upcoming applications.

    Zoho is entering an increasingly competitive market, with Google upgrading its apps’ mobile experience.

    Microsoft has also been making noises about providing mobile support for its Office products.

    Zoho is certainly taking the right approach by ensuring that its apps function across all the major mobile platforms.

  • Apple Sold 3.8m iPhones in Q1 2009


    iPhone sales have boosted Apple’s quarterly profit by 15 per cent – despite economic woes and a new handset expected later this year.

    The company also said co-founder Steve Jobs intends to return from his medical leave as scheduled at the end of June.

    For the three months ended 28 March, Apple’s second-quarter net profits rose to USD $1.21 billion. In the same period last year Apple earned USD $1.05 billion.

    Apple said it sold 3.8 million iPhones worldwide in the quarter, more than twice as many as a year ago.

    iPhone revenues reached USD $2.2 billion for the quarter – a success that Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook, attributed to strong consumer interest in downloading applications. Apple expects to announce its one billionth app down load tomorrow.

    An estimated combined total of 37 million iPhone and iPod touch’s have created an enormous platform for developers, which he said "unleashes a whole new level of innovation that keeps Apple years ahead of everyone else".

    The popularity of the touchscreen smartphone has also helped the earnings of its exclusive US carrier, AT&T.

    Elsewhere, Apple sold 11 million iPods, up 3 per cent. However, its Macintosh computer line performed less well, with a 3 per cent fall in Mac sales and a 16 per cent drop in revenue.

    Overall, Apple’s average revenue per retail store sank 17 per cent in the quarter.

    Attention will now be focused on how the continuing economic situation – and the launch of Palm’s Pre and various other smartphones – impacts on the iPhone.

  • MobiTV Readies European Expansion As Momentum Grows

    INTERVIEW: Anders Norström, managing director of MobiTV Europe, talks about the company’s expansion plans and the growing consumer appetite for mobile TV

    While the uptake of mobile TV has been a slow process, it finally appears to be gathering pace.

    MobiTV, founded in 1999, was the first to bring live TV to mobile devices and remains at the forefront of a field that is becoming increasingly competitive.

    It is firmly established in North America where it was first rolled out via carriers such as AT&T, Cingular and Sprint.

    Now the California-based pioneer of mobile TV is looking to broaden its reach and is in the process of developing its services for the European market.

    Anders Norström, managing director of MobiTV Europe, told smartphone.biz-news that he strongly believed there is now a mass market for mobile TV – something backed up by his company’s rapidly growing subscriber numbers.

    It now offers content and primetime channels to over 6 million subscribers on more than 350 handset models on its managed mobile media service.

    In February it added the iPhone to the list of supported handsets (although Apple approval is still pending).

    Anders Norström, managing director of MobiTV Europe

    "The last million only took a couple of months. It’s really taken off," said Norström.

    MobiTV’s Media Distribution Platform has shown it’s able to deliver live streaming and on demand video content.

    In March, it was used in CBS Sport’s NCAA March Madness app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, which provided live streaming video and audio over a wi-fi connection from the 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

    The massive popularity of MobiTv’s live airing of Barack Obama’s inauguration to its subscribers is another indicator of the way things are moving, according to Norstrom.

    "It was a huge usage of this kind of service. It’s really coming on," he said. "The network is becoming better, devices are becoming so much better and the back-end technology is so much better.

    "So we have an increased end user experience."

    Expansion Into Europe

    Norström said the US is currently MobiTV’s main market, followed by South America.

    But he said Europe is the next target. The company is currently in discussion with different customers and carriers.

    "Hopefully by the end of the summer we will be deploying our first services," he said.

    "The European market is huge. There are very good networks and really good content."

    The approach and strategy taken in Europe will be slightly different to that across the Atlantic, according to Norström.

    In the US, carriers are more interested in total managed services whereas in Europe he said media carriers often want to run them in-house.

    So MobiTV is giving them the opportunity to have either, or to begin with a managed service and transfer to their own network once they are up and running.

    Since there are very few pan-European channels – Bloomberg and MTV, being examples – Norström said most content was specific to countries and made in the local language (German, Italian, French etc).

    He said Tier 1 carriers largely did their own content deals, adding: "But we have contacts in the content and industry and can help them – we are an enabler."

    Hybrid Services In Future

    Looking ahead, Norström said the type of content likely to be made available on mobile TV services would be mixed between TV, video on demand and live broadcasts.

    It would also comprise hybrid services, which combine broadcast and unicast video on demand – a mix of content and technology.

    He said in the US this will take the form of joint ventures, providing free-to-air DVB-H/ATSC-M/H services as well as the unicast/VOD solutions.

    This is necessary for 3G carriers, which are short-cut by DVB-H, and want to be involved in the "action", according to Norström.

    MobiTV is also now offering localised services on top of its standard platform.

    Personalised Services "Essential"

    These include Mobi4Biz, a version of MobiTV aimed at the financial market which was launched recently for BlackBerry Bold handset owners on the AT&T network.

    Norström has no doubt that this more vertical, personalised approach to mobile TV is essential.

    "That is the way to go. We are starting to have some overflow of information, as happened on the Internet, with mobile channels," he said.

    "How many do we really watch? If you have 30 0r 40 channels on a mobile, does it really make sense?"

    Norström said MobiTV will aggregate the information by category – sport, childrens’, business, fashion and so on – and provide a back-end solution.

    Interactivity will also become an important ingredient of mobile TV, especially when it comes to ads.

    Last year, MobiTV did adverts for BMW that were tailored to choices viewers made while viewing.

    Personalised ads is something that Norström said will become part of a bundled package in the future.

    Interactive ads allow a profile of users’ interests to be created and allow advertising to be targeted based on individuals’ preferences.

    "It should be happening fairly soon in the US," he said. "But we are region agnostic and it will also happen in other markets."

    Too Soon For Ad-supported Model

    However, while advertising – and especially the targeted variety – has great revenue potential, Norström said MobiTV would not be moving to an ad-supported model any time soon.

    "For quite some time more it will be a pay model," he said. "It is realistic that some content will be ad-supported but it will not be the main model."

    Network overload is a common concern whenever mobile internet is mentioned, but Norström said he didn’t believe it was a problem at the moment.

    He said that even if it did become one, there were technological solutions available to ease the impact of congestion.

    These will undoubtedly be required if the way in which the iPhone has vastly increased data traffic levels is anything to go by.

    Especially as the Apple handset has spurred other mobile makers, such as Nokia, to replicate the iPhone’s end user experience.

    "We will see an increase in data traffic, but we are fully prepared for that," said Norström.

    Growth Affected By Downturn

    What is also certain is that the global economic downturn will have an impact on the growth of wireless video.

    But Norström said that, so far, there had been no increase in churn.

    "In the US, it seems people are getting rid of their fixed lines and keeping their mobile devices as the means of consuming content as well," he said.

    "But the economic situation will slow down the increase in subscription numbers."

    That may be so but improvements in handsets and technology are making the outlook for mobile TV look increasingly bright.

    Proof of this comes from growing subscribers – but also from the entry of the likes of Qualcomm in the US and Orange in France into the market.

    A healthy development – and one MobiTV appears well placed to deal with.

  • Strong Q1 Expected from Nokia's 5800 Smartphone


    Nokia’s Q1 sales are expected to be down when accounced tomorrow – despite the success of its 5800 XpressMusic smartphone launched last year.

    Analysts estimate 2.5 million 5800s may have been sold in the first three months of the year – helped by repeated sell-outs in the UK and roll-outs into new markets.

    Key to the Nokia smartphone’s success is its cost – often undercutting the iPhone while offering comprehensive features.

    Despite the device’s strong sales, however, the Finnish mobile giant is expected to report a drop in overall shipments of 20 per cent, with revenues around USD $12.6 billion.

    The company had sales of USD $16.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008.

    While Nokia remains the leading global mobile maker, its position has been under fire recently – not least in the smartphone category where the iPhone and BlackBerry have nibbled at its market share.

    However, there may be positive news for Nokia. Some analysts expect the company to announce that it has reduced inventory levels from the fourth quarter of 2008, raising the prospect of an upswing in the second quarter.

    Recent measures have seen Nokia streamline its operations, cutting 1,700 jobs worldwide and temporarily suspending outsourcing for handset manufacturing.

    Nokia is also expected to provide more details tomorrow on reports that its joint venture with Siemens is bidding for parts of Nortel Networks’ CDMA carrier networks business.

  • Internet Calling Companies Struggling With European and US Carriers

    As soon as Skype released its iPhone application  problems emerged with using it with some carriers. both in Europe and the US.

    In a USA Today article last week, a senior AT&T official, Jim Cicconi, suggested that the carrier, in cooperation with Apple, expects device vendors to block consumers’ access to Skype’s VoIP application that competes with AT&T’s own voice service. "Skype is a competitor, just like Verizon or Sprint or T-Mobile,” said Cicconi.

    According to Free Press, AT&T is not the only carrier limiting consumers’ wireless Internet access – T-Mobile is reportedly restricting the availability of tethering within Google’s Android Marketplace. And most major wireless companies have terms of service that prohibit the use of certain applications and services.

    That was the reason that, in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, Free Press called on the agency to confirm that wireless networks must adhere to the Internet Policy Statement, which protects consumers’ right to access any online content and services on any device of their choosing.

    "The Internet in your pocket should be just as free and open as the Internet in your home,” said Chris Riley, policy counsel of Free Press.

    Free Press is asking acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps to inform AT&T and other US wireless operators that they cannot adopt discriminating terms of service prohibiting the use of certain applications.

    At the same time agencies informed that German carrier T-Mobile, an exclusive carrier of the iPhone in Germany, will not allow customers to use the application, and is blocking it both physically and contractually.

    “It is clearly stated in our customer contracts that such services may not be used,” T-Mobile spokesperson Alexander von Schmettow told The Local, a German online site. “There are two reasons for this – because the high level of traffic would hinder our network performance, and because if the Skype programme didn’t work properly, customers would make us responsible for it.”

    Skype quickly responded on that: “They pretend that their action has to do with technical concerns: this is baseless. Skype works perfectly well on iPhone, as hundreds of thousands of people globally can already readily attest. There is no technical justification for this arbitrary blocking of Skype, and it represents a barrier to online business put in place by a private company just because they can, because they control access to the Internet,” said Robert Miller, Skype’s General Counsel

    “Yet, no one can do anything about it: German or EU regulation does not forbid such blatantly unfair practices. But we are trying to change things, together with other Internet companies."

  • CTIA 2009: First Full Office Suite for the iPhone

    Quickoffice for iPhone enables robust editing of Microsoft Word and Excel documents, cut and paste and file transfer.

    Quickoffice, Inc., provider of mobile office productivity software, announced at CTIA WIRELESS 2009 in Las Vegas, it will unveil the first complete Office suite to provide native Microsoft Word and Excel editing for the iPhone.

     

    Quickoffice is the first iPhone application to include robust document and spreadsheet editors, along with file access and content management functionalities. Quickword enables quick editing on-the-go, font formatting, content selection, bullets and cut, copy and paste within Word documents and modifying documents in landscape mode to leverage a wider keyboard. With Quicksheet Excel users can revise inputs and recalculate, insert and resize rows and columns within the application as well as use extensive mathematical and statistical functions, including advanced Excel formulas for spreadsheet processing.

    Quickoffice also includes file-sharing capabilities to transfer files to and from a desktop using Wi-Fi and remotely access their MobileMe iDisk account. In addition to Word and Excel editing, users can view iWorks, PDF and other common media files. The app also supports ‘Auto-Save’ and ‘Auto-Restore’.
    “We are dedicated to bringing the most robust, full-featured application to this platform and will continue to add capabilities and services” said Gregg Fiddes, vice president of sales and strategic partnerships at Quickoffice.

    Quickoffice for iPhone will be available in early April for $19.99 for a full package. Separate applications – Quickword Word and Quicksheet Excel – will cost $12.99 each. Quickoffice Files, that allows file transfer, will be available for $3.99.

    QuickOffice Website

  • Android Market Reaches 40 Million Downloads


    T-Mobile G1 customers have downloaded on average more than 40 applications from Android Market.

    With one million G1s sold that adds up to 40 million downloads in total since the first Android handset was launched six months ago.

    The stats, which come from an interview T-Mobile gave to mocoNews, also show that among T-Mobile customers who’ve purchased a G1 around half traded up from a basic handset.

    Other details include:

    • Approximately 80 per cent of T-Mobile G1 users browse the web on a daily basis
    • The majority of T-Mobile G1 owners use Facebook and Youtube at least once a day and access Wi-Fi on a daily basis
    • Four out of five G1 customers download applications at least once a week

    While the figures pall when compared to the iPhones 500 million plus downloads, but it’s early days for the G1.