Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Android, App Store, Apple, Google, iPhone, Wall Street Journal, Windows, Windows Mobile
About 150 people lined up outside a T-Mobile store in San Francisco on Tuesday night where the first phone with Google‘s “Android” operating system — the G1 — went on sale for $180, with rebate, under a two-year contract. Remaining T-Mobile outlets begin marketing the G1 today under the carrier’s “Curiosity Is Everywhere” campaign that marketing chief Denny Marie Post said would play out over the next few weeks, mainly on television. Relatedly, Google on Tuesday released the complete source code for the open-source mobile platform. Computerworld/IDG News Service (10/22) , The Wall Street Journal (10/22) , InformationWeek (10/21) , Advertising Age (10/21)
With the first 21 days of October behind us, the G1’s “Official
class=”snap_preview_icon”>” launch day is finally upon us. With the first Android-powered handset now in the hands of giddy customers around the country, Google has provided long-awaited details about the Android App Market. (http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2008/10/22/google-announces-android-app-market-revenue-share-model 10/22)
AT&T is reporting a boom in customer acquisition and, it seems, a bust in profits. According to a recent earnings report class=”snap_preview_icon”>, the company activated 2.4 million iPhones but lost $900 million in third-quarter earnings as a result of all the data and voice blowing through Apple’s darling. (http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/10/22/iphone-iphone-iphone-iphone-iphone 10/22)
The new Samsung Epix smartphone introduces optical mouse technology to the U.S. market for the first time, according to the handset maker, which on Tuesday released the new touch-screen Windows Mobile-powered device with carrier AT&T. The partners say the Epix was designed for the on-the-go professional with such features as integrated Wi-Fi, assisted GPS, video sharing, 3G connectivity and the ability to sync critical applications. InformationWeek (10/21)
Motorola has introduced what it bills as a luxury phone with a full-color circular LCD, the world’s first, according to the handset maker. The 1.6-inch Aura phone is small, but Motorola said it offered a high resolution, a swivel design that — unlike other such devices — could remain in position while users turn the outer cover to access the number pad. Electronista (10/21)
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Filed under: BROADCAST/CABLE | Tags: Apple, AT&T, Helio, iPhone, Mobile phone, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA, Windows Mobile
Asus’ new smartphone runs on Windows software, but with a twist: The computer maker on Monday introduced its P552w touch screen for mobile professionals that uses a custom-made interface dubbed Glide that the company hopes consumers will find easier to use than the standard Windows Mobile on a touch-screen phone. InformationWeek (9/8)
Best Buy became the first large U.S. CE chain to sell the Apple iPhone on Sunday when it began offering the handsets in 970 full-size stores and 16 smaller outlets for cell phones. The company will sell the iPhone for the same $199 and $299 (with two-year contracts) thatAT&T&T and Apple charge in their retail outlets. Forbes/Associated Press (9/8)
Transpera, a company that serves up mobile video and targeted advertising to cell phones, announced new marketing agreements with cable programmers such as Discovery Communications, MTV Networks and the Travel Channel. VH1 already uses the service in conjunction with its Gametrailers.com offering, and Comedy Central will follow suit shortly. TVWeek.com (9/8)
Virgin Mobile USA announced plans to launch the Shuttle, the first handset released in the U.S. that will integrate recently acquired Helio content services. A new Helio a la carte plan, modeled after Virgin’s unlimited prepaid voice plan, will give Helio users unlimited minutes for a flat fee of $80. (Cynopsis 9/10)
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Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: 2007 World Series, AppleInsider, Invesco Field, INVESCO Field at Mile High, Microsoft, Pepsi Center, Windows, Windows Mobile
Microsoft is also working on its own app store for phones that run on the Windows Mobile operating system, according to company job posting sourced by AppleInsider. “Skymarket” is slated for release in late 2009, given the dozens of handsets and devices it would have to integrate with. (Cynopsis 9/2)
Text messaging was the preferred medium of communications for AT&T Wireless customers during the DNC last week, according to the company with more than 244 million messages being sent – a 48% increase in activity compared to the prior week. Other findings include:
- There was a 57% weekly increase in wireless calls over the AT&T network
- AT&T experienced a 21% text messaging traffic spike inside the Pepsi Center, Invesco Field and immediate surrounding areas on Thursday compared to an average day
- AT&T saw a 101% increase in call volume during the convention compared with the 2007 World Series traffic in Denver
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Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Europe, HTC, iPhone, Nokia, Wall Street Journal, Wi-Fi, Windows, Windows Mobile
Analysts reacted favorably Tuesday to Nokia‘s release of two new multimedia phones, the N79 and N85, after months of few new high-end lines emanating from the global hardware leader. The devices, which Nokia will ship in October, include 5-megapixel cameras and pre-loaded games, although at $662, the N85 will cost about $150 more than the N79. The Wall Street Journal (8/27) , Reuters (8/26)
Nokia N85
Taking aim at RIM’s BlackBerry, HTC debuted a Windows Mobile-based smartphone Tuesday with a variety of features designed to appeal to a mobile professional. The HTC S740 — set for September release in Europe and elsewhere at a later date — is armed with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, assisted GPS, a 2.4-inch screen, MicroSD slot and downloading options that include 3G and EDGE technologies. InformationWeek (8/26)
AT&T just announced two new data plans for iPhone users who travel abroad and one of them costs as much as the phone itself. Option one gives subscribers 100 megabytes of data usage for $100. Option two comes with 200 MB for $200. You can sign up for then drop the service, but the minimum service option is for one month. (Cynopsis 8/27)
Emerging markets helped fuel handset sales in the second quarter, according to Gartner, which expects revenue to show gains in the second half of the year, but at a slightly lower rate. “We expect mobile handset sales to exhibit 11% growth in 2008 and the growth in revenue will be slightly lower at 9% as increased competition and a tougher economic environment negatively impact average selling prices,” analyst Carolina Milanesi said. CNNMoney.com/Dow Jones Newswires (8/27) , Reuters (8/27)
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Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Flixster, Germany, iPhone, iTunes, Mobile phone, Smartphone, T-Mobile, Windows Mobile
Images from around the web are showing the HTC Dream AKA the T-Mobile G1 in all its bendy, screen-sliding glory. This Sidekick-like phone has a pop up screen, full QWERTY keyboard, and none of the buckets of suck that characterize Windows Mobile phones. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/26/its-official-the-g1-from-t-mobile-is-the-first-android-phone 8/26)
Despite a weak battery and questions about how fast it connects to 3G networks
, some time in the next week more than 6 million iPhone 3Gs will be in people’s hands around the world. What that means is that the second generation device has outsold the original iPhone just seven weeks after going on sale. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/26/iphone-3gs-now-outnumber-first-generation-iphones 8/26)
Movie focused social network Flixster acquired a popular iPhone application called Movies.app (iTunes link) last week, and has re-released the application this evening. As far as we know, this is the first acquisition of an iPhone app. The price isn’t being disclosed. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/26/college-sophomore-sells-his-iphone-app-to-flixster 8/26)
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Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Android, Application programming interface, Google, Google Gear, Mobile phone, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile USA, Windows Mobile
Sony Ericsson has unveiled an upgrade to its PlayNow online music service called PlayNow Arena, which features about 1 million music tracks from major music labels. Separately, the company debuted the TM506 mobile phone, a slim clamshell handset designed for T-Mobile USA that will be able to tap into the carrier’s new 3G network. mocoNews.net (8/22) , InformationWeek (8/21)
After hinting that it would do so last June, Google’s mobile team has released a Geolocation API for Google Gears. This works both on mobile phones and laptops running Gears, but developers will find it most useful for mobile applications. Unfortunately, they will be limited in that regard because Google Gears Mobile still only works on Windows Mobile phones, even though an Android phone is about to launch. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/22/google-offers-a-geolocation-api-for-gears-but-it-only-works-on-windows-mobile 8/22)
Google is nearing an agreement with Verizon to become the default search provider on the wireless provider’s devices and give it a share of advertising revenue. Both carriers and Internet companies view mobile search advertising as an area of rapid growth for the future. (Iwantmedia 8/22, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121937308672462691.html 8/22)
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Filed under: WIRELESS | Tags: Apple, Garmin, Global Positioning System, GPS, Microsoft, Mobile phone, Smartphone, Windows Mobile
It was revealed at WWDC that Apple would soon push out a service that allows for applications to run in the background, but in a different manner than what we’re used to with other smart phones. The Push Notification Service doesn’t run in the same manner as Windows Mobile task manager, though. The PNS connects to a server that watches the threads through a persistent IP connection that would push out notifications, so you can close out AIM, for instance, and go about your business until someone IMs you. (http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/31/apple-hands-out-push-notification-service-api-to-developers-background-apps-ftw 7/31)
Garmin, a maker of GPS devices, has pushed back the introduction of its Nuvifone cell phone from the fourth quarter of 2008 to the first half of 2009, the company said while also lowering its outlook for this year because of slowing sales for GPS devices. Garmin cited obstacles in dealing with the various individual needs of each cell phone carrier for the delay. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (subscription required) (7/31)
A Microsoft executive blamed delays in bringing some wireless products to market for falling 2 million units shy of reaching its goal of selling 20 million licenses for its Windows Mobile operating system last year. But despite the shortfall and heightened competition, the executive said, Windows Mobile still increased its share of the global mobile market. Seattle Post-Intelligencer (7/30)
