Taiwan's leading telephone operator said Tuesday its latest smartphones, powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 software, have boosted the client base for its third-generation communication services since early this month.
"Since the introduction of our latest Microsoft (Windows) Mobile handset earlier this month, we have been getting an average of around 7,000 new clients for our 3G service daily," Chang Feng-hsiung, executive vice president of Chunghwa Telecom Co, told reporters.
"We, at present, have 1.4 million subscribers for our 3G service. The Microsoft (Windows) Mobile handsets should help us achieve or surpass our target of 2.2 million 3G subscribers at the end of this year," he added.
The Chunghwa Telecom mobile device was developed by Dopod International Corp, a Taiwan-based distributor of Windows Mobile smartphones, operating in South East Asia and Australia.
Jason Lin, Microsoft's regional director at Mobile Communications Business, Asia Pacific and Japan, told a news conference here that the forecast is for shipment worldwide of 20 million units of Microsoft Windows Mobile-driven smartphones for the 2008 fiscal year beginning July 2007.
In the first half of fiscal 2007, delivery of the smartphones reached 5.0 million units, compared with 6.0 million worldwide during the whole fiscal year of 2006.
A full-year forecast for 2007 was not disclosed.
Some local information communication technology firms such as High Tech Computer Corp and Asustek Computer Inc have introduced smartphones powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Mobile phone operators lose VAT battle
Mobile phone operators have lost a legal battle to reclaim more than £3bn of the £22.5bn they paid to the British government in 2000 for third-generation licences.
The final decision by the European Court of Justice confirmed a preliminary opinion issued last September. It rejected arguments by companies such as Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange and Hutchison that value added tax was charged in the price paid for licences.
The court made its ruling in two test cases - one involving the UK tax authorities and the other the Austrian authorities. But lawyers say the implications spill over to other European Union countries where 3G auctions were also held, so many billions of pounds/euros in tax revenues are potentially involved.
In the test cases, the mobile phone companies had tried to argue they should have been allowed to deduct VAT on the licences from that charged to their customers, thus making them eligible for a substantial refund from the government.
But the court held that the licence sales were outside the scope of VAT because the auctions by a national regulatory authority did not constitute "economic activity", within the meaning of European tax laws.
Roger Burrows, VAT partner at Grant Thornton, estimated the UK claim alone had been worth £3.3bn-plus but said it had been "a long shot".
The Treasury welcomed the decision. Dawn Primarolo, paymaster-general, said: "The ECJ has endorsed our position . . . VAT should not be chargeable on the core regulatory and statutory function of government."
Separately, mobile phone companies were involved in another legal battle on Tuesday, in front of the Information Tribunal where the watchdog Ofcom is challenging a ruling that operators must disclose precisely where their mobile phone base stations are.
The dispute stems from a request from a "bona fide researcher" for National Grid references.
The request was refused by Ofcom, which consulted the mobile operators and found they objected on the grounds that the information could be commercially sensitive and disclosure would breach intellectual property rights and compromise public safety.
But the Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, ruled an exemption from the environmental information regulations was not justified, partly because much of the information was already in the public domain.
Ofcom, backed by T-Mobile, is now appealing.
The final decision by the European Court of Justice confirmed a preliminary opinion issued last September. It rejected arguments by companies such as Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange and Hutchison that value added tax was charged in the price paid for licences.
The court made its ruling in two test cases - one involving the UK tax authorities and the other the Austrian authorities. But lawyers say the implications spill over to other European Union countries where 3G auctions were also held, so many billions of pounds/euros in tax revenues are potentially involved.
In the test cases, the mobile phone companies had tried to argue they should have been allowed to deduct VAT on the licences from that charged to their customers, thus making them eligible for a substantial refund from the government.
But the court held that the licence sales were outside the scope of VAT because the auctions by a national regulatory authority did not constitute "economic activity", within the meaning of European tax laws.
Roger Burrows, VAT partner at Grant Thornton, estimated the UK claim alone had been worth £3.3bn-plus but said it had been "a long shot".
The Treasury welcomed the decision. Dawn Primarolo, paymaster-general, said: "The ECJ has endorsed our position . . . VAT should not be chargeable on the core regulatory and statutory function of government."
Separately, mobile phone companies were involved in another legal battle on Tuesday, in front of the Information Tribunal where the watchdog Ofcom is challenging a ruling that operators must disclose precisely where their mobile phone base stations are.
The dispute stems from a request from a "bona fide researcher" for National Grid references.
The request was refused by Ofcom, which consulted the mobile operators and found they objected on the grounds that the information could be commercially sensitive and disclosure would breach intellectual property rights and compromise public safety.
But the Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, ruled an exemption from the environmental information regulations was not justified, partly because much of the information was already in the public domain.
Ofcom, backed by T-Mobile, is now appealing.
IPhone's High Cost Expected To Scare Away Consumers
The Apple iPhone is the darling of technophiles, but the price tag for the highly anticipated gadget is expected to keep most people's wallets closed.
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Only 3% of U.S. consumers have a strong interest in purchasing the iPhone at its starting price of $500, plus a two-year contract with wireless carrier AT&T, according to research released Tuesday by Parks Associates. Consumers on average are willing to pay only $99 for a regular mobile phone, and $199 for a phone with advanced data services, such as video and Web access.
To breach that huge gap between the price of the iPhone and what people are willing to pay, Apple is banking on the device's unique touch-screen display and intuitive software for accessing voicemail, the Internet, and video and music libraries that can be stored on the iPhone. Parks Associates, however, found that those features, which tend to make Apple fans bug-eyed with excitement, are unlikely to sway the average consumer.
"The high-price point may prevent the iPhone from achieving greater adoption over the short term," Parks analyst Kurt Scherf said in a statement. "It may be an early-adopter product that appeals to technophiles, but initially leaves other interested users on the outside looking in."
The majority of consumers consider network and voice quality as the most important factors for their choice of mobile carriers, and only a small percentage consider handset design as important, Parks found. Fully, 49% of consumers surveyed believed multifunction devices would be expensive, and about a third believed they would suffer from performance issues, including limited battery life. In addition, only 17% of U.S. Internet households revealed an interest in playing digital music files on a new mobile device.
Parks, however, did find some acceptance among consumers for convergence devices that bundle music, multimedia, and communication capabilities. A firm 22% of respondents were clearly in favor of devices like the iPhone. But among portable music player owners, 41% preferred standalone devices, and only 26% wanted a multifunction device.
If AT&T -- the exclusive carrier in the United States for the iPhone -- expects a significant boost in subscribers because of the device, than it should reconsider. Parks found only 10% of mobile subscribers regard exclusive handsets as a highly important factor in their selection of a mobile carrier. Network coverage and voice quality were far more important by 72% and 68% of consumers, respectively.
To give consumers a clearer picture of how much iPhone will cost, Apple and AT&T released rate plans on Tuesday. The iPhone is scheduled to go on sale June 29 at the partners' retail stores, and the Apple Web site. The plans will start at $60 a month for 450 voice minutes, $80 for 900 minutes, and $100 for 1,350 minutes. All the plans included 200 text messages, unlimited data services, and the rollover of unused minutes month to month.
"The prices are competitive," Samir Bhavnani, analyst for Current Analysis West, told InformationWeek. "They're not a bargain, but they're not too expensive either."
The plans are unique, in that they bundle voice and data together, which is not surprising since the iPhone's data services are as much a selling point for Apple as the device's communication capabilities, Bhavnani said.
Based on the release in the past of other highly touted consumer electronics, such as the Sony PlayStation videogame console, Bhavnani expects the iPhone to sell out rapidly, leaving many fans waiting for the supply to catch up with demand. "You're going to see a big market for these things on Craigslist and eBay," Bhavnani said.
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Only 3% of U.S. consumers have a strong interest in purchasing the iPhone at its starting price of $500, plus a two-year contract with wireless carrier AT&T, according to research released Tuesday by Parks Associates. Consumers on average are willing to pay only $99 for a regular mobile phone, and $199 for a phone with advanced data services, such as video and Web access.
To breach that huge gap between the price of the iPhone and what people are willing to pay, Apple is banking on the device's unique touch-screen display and intuitive software for accessing voicemail, the Internet, and video and music libraries that can be stored on the iPhone. Parks Associates, however, found that those features, which tend to make Apple fans bug-eyed with excitement, are unlikely to sway the average consumer.
"The high-price point may prevent the iPhone from achieving greater adoption over the short term," Parks analyst Kurt Scherf said in a statement. "It may be an early-adopter product that appeals to technophiles, but initially leaves other interested users on the outside looking in."
The majority of consumers consider network and voice quality as the most important factors for their choice of mobile carriers, and only a small percentage consider handset design as important, Parks found. Fully, 49% of consumers surveyed believed multifunction devices would be expensive, and about a third believed they would suffer from performance issues, including limited battery life. In addition, only 17% of U.S. Internet households revealed an interest in playing digital music files on a new mobile device.
Parks, however, did find some acceptance among consumers for convergence devices that bundle music, multimedia, and communication capabilities. A firm 22% of respondents were clearly in favor of devices like the iPhone. But among portable music player owners, 41% preferred standalone devices, and only 26% wanted a multifunction device.
If AT&T -- the exclusive carrier in the United States for the iPhone -- expects a significant boost in subscribers because of the device, than it should reconsider. Parks found only 10% of mobile subscribers regard exclusive handsets as a highly important factor in their selection of a mobile carrier. Network coverage and voice quality were far more important by 72% and 68% of consumers, respectively.
To give consumers a clearer picture of how much iPhone will cost, Apple and AT&T released rate plans on Tuesday. The iPhone is scheduled to go on sale June 29 at the partners' retail stores, and the Apple Web site. The plans will start at $60 a month for 450 voice minutes, $80 for 900 minutes, and $100 for 1,350 minutes. All the plans included 200 text messages, unlimited data services, and the rollover of unused minutes month to month.
"The prices are competitive," Samir Bhavnani, analyst for Current Analysis West, told InformationWeek. "They're not a bargain, but they're not too expensive either."
The plans are unique, in that they bundle voice and data together, which is not surprising since the iPhone's data services are as much a selling point for Apple as the device's communication capabilities, Bhavnani said.
Based on the release in the past of other highly touted consumer electronics, such as the Sony PlayStation videogame console, Bhavnani expects the iPhone to sell out rapidly, leaving many fans waiting for the supply to catch up with demand. "You're going to see a big market for these things on Craigslist and eBay," Bhavnani said.
T-Mobile phones ride your Wi-Fi router
Wouldn't it be great to have your own cellular tower at home? You'd always have a strong signal on your mobile phone, and you wouldn't be paying to use the carrier's network.
It sounds like a pie-in-the-sky idea, but it's actually the gist of what T-Mobile USA is rolling out Wednesday: the option to use your Wi-Fi router instead of the cellular network on two new T-Mobile phones.
I tried out the system for a few weeks, and found it worked well. For those who have poor reception in their homes and would like to drop their landline, T-Mobile HotSpot AtHome appears be a good choice. For others, I'm not sure the extra cost is worth it, particularly since T-Mobile's long-term pricing isn't clear.
This isn't like having a cell phone that also happens to work as a cordless phone. You have the same number, whether you're on Wi-Fi or cellular. And in an engineering feat, the new phones will hand over calls that are already in progress from Wi-Fi to the cellular network if you leave the hotspot, so you can start a call at home and then keep talking as you walk out.
Even Apple Inc.'s much vaunted iPhone, launching on Friday, doesn't do that, even though it has built-in Wi-Fi, providing a great opportunity to take the presumably proud new owners down a notch. ("So how much did your iPhone cost again? And it can't do seamless handover between Wi-Fi and cellular?")
T-Mobile's phones also automatically connect to the company's 8,500 commercial hotspots in the U.S., including many Starbucks locations.
The technology behind the service is known as UMA, or Unlicensed Mobile Access, and has broad support among cell-phone manufacturers, so we can expect to see more of it. European carriers are already using it. T-Mobile is the first major U.S. carrier to get on board, after trying it out in the Seattle area since October. Cincinnati Bell launched a similar service last month.
I tested the cellular-to-Wi-Fi handover a dozen times, and now and then noticed a momentary audio drop-off. One call was apparently dropped at handover, but it seems acceptable to have that happen occasionally.
There was no noticeable difference in sound quality between the two wireless technologies, an impressive result considering the often spotty audio yielded by other services that use broadband connections for phone calls. UMA is clearly quite different from standard Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.
The new phones, the Nokia 6086 and Samsung t409, cost $50 with a two-year contract and a calling plan that costs at least $40 month (but remember that taxes and other fees bring the actual cost closer to $50). They're unremarkable camera phones. I tested the Nokia, which was solid, but has rather poor audio quality overall.
Unlimited free calling on Wi-Fi then costs an extra $10 a month for a single line, or $20 for a family plan with up to five lines. Those are, however, promotional offers. The regular price for each plan is $10 higher. The company hasn't said how long the promotional offers will extend, but if you sign up at the lower price, you get to keep it.
The phones will connect to any Wi-Fi router, but for your home, T-Mobile recommends either of two routers it's providing for free, after a $50 rebate. The one I tested was a modification of the Linksys WRT54G. That's a popular model, but setup was a hassle, as it usually is for routers, with a misleading manual and installation software that didn't work.
The company says the payoff for using its router is threefold:
• It gives calls higher priority, so if you have a computer download going at the same time, your call won't be affected. I'm not sure how great this benefit is. I used the Nokia phone on my own router while using the computer and didn't notice a problem. The phone's bandwidth demand is quite small.
• It has a button that will allow the phone to connect to an encrypted router without typing in the Wi-Fi password. This is a great feature. Strangely, I couldn't find any documentation, and had to call the company to learn how to use it, but T-Mobile will no doubt straighten this out and update its manual.
• It quadruples the phone's battery life. I wasn't able to stringently test this claim, but it's clear that even without the T-Mobile router, the Nokia phone did quite well. Wi-Fi is much more power-intensive than cellular, and I've tested phones before that used only Wi-Fi and generally went dead after 24 hours on standby. The Nokia phone ran for about two days in mixed cellular and Wi-Fi use with my own router, and three days with the T-Mobile router.
T-Mobile says the phone has up to a week of standby time on cellular, and up to three days on Wi-Fi.
At the promotional price of $10 a month for a single line, I think this is a reasonable value if your home coverage is spotty. T-Mobile, a rather distant fourth in wireless subscriber numbers in the U.S., doesn't have the most extensive network.
The free unlimited calls on Wi-Fi are a nice bonus, but most of T-Mobile's plans already provide free calls on nights and weekends or free calls to your five favorite numbers, so the actual savings are likely to be small. However, you can increase your savings by using a tip I gleaned from the company: If you start your call on Wi-Fi and then head out onto the cellular network, the whole call is free.
The regular price of $20 a month seems high, especially since you'd be paying T-Mobile to use your own broadband connection for calling, taking the load off T-Mobile's cellular network.
If you already have enough minutes on your cellular plan, what you can do is this: Buy one of the UMA phones, but don't sign up for the monthly Wi-Fi add-on. You'll be able to place calls over Wi-Fi, but they will be counted toward your monthly plan just like cellular calls. Use your own router — you won't get the rebate that makes the T-Mobile router free if you don't get the Wi-Fi add-on.
UMA could be a real money saver if T-Mobile would combine free Wi-Fi calling with prepaid cellular — the company has cheap rates for low-volume callers.
T-Mobile has gotten a tricky technology to work here. The fact that it doesn't work optimally with regular routers is perhaps its greatest weakness, but by no means a large one.
It sounds like a pie-in-the-sky idea, but it's actually the gist of what T-Mobile USA is rolling out Wednesday: the option to use your Wi-Fi router instead of the cellular network on two new T-Mobile phones.
I tried out the system for a few weeks, and found it worked well. For those who have poor reception in their homes and would like to drop their landline, T-Mobile HotSpot AtHome appears be a good choice. For others, I'm not sure the extra cost is worth it, particularly since T-Mobile's long-term pricing isn't clear.
This isn't like having a cell phone that also happens to work as a cordless phone. You have the same number, whether you're on Wi-Fi or cellular. And in an engineering feat, the new phones will hand over calls that are already in progress from Wi-Fi to the cellular network if you leave the hotspot, so you can start a call at home and then keep talking as you walk out.
Even Apple Inc.'s much vaunted iPhone, launching on Friday, doesn't do that, even though it has built-in Wi-Fi, providing a great opportunity to take the presumably proud new owners down a notch. ("So how much did your iPhone cost again? And it can't do seamless handover between Wi-Fi and cellular?")
T-Mobile's phones also automatically connect to the company's 8,500 commercial hotspots in the U.S., including many Starbucks locations.
The technology behind the service is known as UMA, or Unlicensed Mobile Access, and has broad support among cell-phone manufacturers, so we can expect to see more of it. European carriers are already using it. T-Mobile is the first major U.S. carrier to get on board, after trying it out in the Seattle area since October. Cincinnati Bell launched a similar service last month.
I tested the cellular-to-Wi-Fi handover a dozen times, and now and then noticed a momentary audio drop-off. One call was apparently dropped at handover, but it seems acceptable to have that happen occasionally.
There was no noticeable difference in sound quality between the two wireless technologies, an impressive result considering the often spotty audio yielded by other services that use broadband connections for phone calls. UMA is clearly quite different from standard Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.
The new phones, the Nokia 6086 and Samsung t409, cost $50 with a two-year contract and a calling plan that costs at least $40 month (but remember that taxes and other fees bring the actual cost closer to $50). They're unremarkable camera phones. I tested the Nokia, which was solid, but has rather poor audio quality overall.
Unlimited free calling on Wi-Fi then costs an extra $10 a month for a single line, or $20 for a family plan with up to five lines. Those are, however, promotional offers. The regular price for each plan is $10 higher. The company hasn't said how long the promotional offers will extend, but if you sign up at the lower price, you get to keep it.
The phones will connect to any Wi-Fi router, but for your home, T-Mobile recommends either of two routers it's providing for free, after a $50 rebate. The one I tested was a modification of the Linksys WRT54G. That's a popular model, but setup was a hassle, as it usually is for routers, with a misleading manual and installation software that didn't work.
The company says the payoff for using its router is threefold:
• It gives calls higher priority, so if you have a computer download going at the same time, your call won't be affected. I'm not sure how great this benefit is. I used the Nokia phone on my own router while using the computer and didn't notice a problem. The phone's bandwidth demand is quite small.
• It has a button that will allow the phone to connect to an encrypted router without typing in the Wi-Fi password. This is a great feature. Strangely, I couldn't find any documentation, and had to call the company to learn how to use it, but T-Mobile will no doubt straighten this out and update its manual.
• It quadruples the phone's battery life. I wasn't able to stringently test this claim, but it's clear that even without the T-Mobile router, the Nokia phone did quite well. Wi-Fi is much more power-intensive than cellular, and I've tested phones before that used only Wi-Fi and generally went dead after 24 hours on standby. The Nokia phone ran for about two days in mixed cellular and Wi-Fi use with my own router, and three days with the T-Mobile router.
T-Mobile says the phone has up to a week of standby time on cellular, and up to three days on Wi-Fi.
At the promotional price of $10 a month for a single line, I think this is a reasonable value if your home coverage is spotty. T-Mobile, a rather distant fourth in wireless subscriber numbers in the U.S., doesn't have the most extensive network.
The free unlimited calls on Wi-Fi are a nice bonus, but most of T-Mobile's plans already provide free calls on nights and weekends or free calls to your five favorite numbers, so the actual savings are likely to be small. However, you can increase your savings by using a tip I gleaned from the company: If you start your call on Wi-Fi and then head out onto the cellular network, the whole call is free.
The regular price of $20 a month seems high, especially since you'd be paying T-Mobile to use your own broadband connection for calling, taking the load off T-Mobile's cellular network.
If you already have enough minutes on your cellular plan, what you can do is this: Buy one of the UMA phones, but don't sign up for the monthly Wi-Fi add-on. You'll be able to place calls over Wi-Fi, but they will be counted toward your monthly plan just like cellular calls. Use your own router — you won't get the rebate that makes the T-Mobile router free if you don't get the Wi-Fi add-on.
UMA could be a real money saver if T-Mobile would combine free Wi-Fi calling with prepaid cellular — the company has cheap rates for low-volume callers.
T-Mobile has gotten a tricky technology to work here. The fact that it doesn't work optimally with regular routers is perhaps its greatest weakness, but by no means a large one.
Global mobile phone use to hit record 3.25 billion
Global mobile phone use will top 3.25 billion -- equivalent to around half the world's population -- in 2007 as cell phone demand booms in China, India and Africa, a survey said on Wednesday.
From African farmers to Chinese factory workers, mobile phone subscriptions will pass the 3 billion mark in July and exceed 3.25 billion by the end of the year, according to a report by UK-based telecoms analysis company The Mobile World.
The world's population is forecast to hit around 6.6 billion in July, according to U.S. figures.
Along with the Internet, the mobile phone has revolutionized communication. The mobile phone has spread from city whiz kids to Brazilian slum dwellers.
More than 1,000 new customers are effectively signing up for mobile phones every minute around the world, the survey showed.
"It took over 20 years to connect the first billion subscribers, but only 40 months to connect the second billion," said The Mobile World Co-Founder John Tysoe. "The three billion milestone will be passed in July 2007, just two years on."
Analysts have forecast that 65 percent of all handsets made this year will be sold in emerging markets as manufacturers, such as Nokia of Finland and Motorola of the United States, push out low-cost phones and mobile phone operators cut call charges.
The figures cited in the survey take account of multiple mobile subscriptions by customers. Penetration in Europe has topped 100 percent of the population, with 666 million mobile connections.
"With handsets and services becoming ever more affordable, the prospect of a fully connected mobile world is becoming ever more real."
A record 240 million handsets were sold and 135 million new customers signed up to mobile phone networks in the quarter to the end of March, the report said.
In terms of connections, the last quarter was the third strongest in the industry's history after the fourth quarters of 2004 and 2006, when 142 million and 163 million signed up respectively.
From African farmers to Chinese factory workers, mobile phone subscriptions will pass the 3 billion mark in July and exceed 3.25 billion by the end of the year, according to a report by UK-based telecoms analysis company The Mobile World.
The world's population is forecast to hit around 6.6 billion in July, according to U.S. figures.
Along with the Internet, the mobile phone has revolutionized communication. The mobile phone has spread from city whiz kids to Brazilian slum dwellers.
More than 1,000 new customers are effectively signing up for mobile phones every minute around the world, the survey showed.
"It took over 20 years to connect the first billion subscribers, but only 40 months to connect the second billion," said The Mobile World Co-Founder John Tysoe. "The three billion milestone will be passed in July 2007, just two years on."
Analysts have forecast that 65 percent of all handsets made this year will be sold in emerging markets as manufacturers, such as Nokia of Finland and Motorola of the United States, push out low-cost phones and mobile phone operators cut call charges.
The figures cited in the survey take account of multiple mobile subscriptions by customers. Penetration in Europe has topped 100 percent of the population, with 666 million mobile connections.
"With handsets and services becoming ever more affordable, the prospect of a fully connected mobile world is becoming ever more real."
A record 240 million handsets were sold and 135 million new customers signed up to mobile phone networks in the quarter to the end of March, the report said.
In terms of connections, the last quarter was the third strongest in the industry's history after the fourth quarters of 2004 and 2006, when 142 million and 163 million signed up respectively.
T-Mobile Marries Wi-Fi to Cell Phones
For those customers who would like to have only one phone at home and away, T-Mobile USA is launching a new service called HotSpot@Home. Those who sign up can use their mobile phone at home over Wi-Fi, and, when outside, can automatically transfer between Wi-Fi at T-Mobile hotspot locations and T-Mobile's cellular network.
The Bellevue, Washington-based company has some 8,500 active U.S. locations for its hotspots, in stores, hotels, and airports.
Robert Dotson, T-Mobile USA CEO and president, said in a statement that people are looking to drop their home landline phone and just use their cell phone, but "they don't want to use all their wireless minutes talking from home." This "first-of-its-kind service," he said, allows them to use only their mobile phone, without incurring extra minute charges.
The company said HotSpot@Home addresses the complaints of many cell phone users about poor in-home coverage. About 27 percent of all wireless minutes are currently used inside a home, T-Mobile said.
Only Two Handsets
The service currently only works with two handsets, the Samsung t409 and the Nokia 6086. Each is $49.99 with a two-year contract. The service itself costs $9.99 monthly for a single line, added to a T-Mobile voice plan, or $19.99 for as many as five lines, and includes unlimited Wi-Fi calling.
Customers can use their own Wi-Fi router, or optimized routers from T-Mobile's partners, D-Link and Linksys. The T-Mobile-supplied routers are free with a rebate, and are designed for simple setup, enhanced battery life for the handset, and high quality of voice calls, according to the phone company. They work on the customer's existing broadband connection.
"This program makes sense for T-Mobile," said Bill Ho, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, because T-Mobile doesn't have a wireline infrastructure to preserve and it helps T-Mobile in coverage. "What," he asked, "do they have to lose?"
He said it was unlikely that AT&T Wireless or Verizon Wireless would want to do this, because it would "cannibalize" their wired infrastructure.
Start on Wi-Fi, Billed as Wi-Fi
For the user, Ho noted, the $10 monthly add-on for the service is "not a bad price point," although the limitation of only two compatible phones is restrictive. He said that there are technologies being developed that could greatly increase the number of compatible handset models.
An additional benefit, he said, is that "if you originate a call on Wi-Fi and you walk around and it's seamlessly handed off to cell, you're still billed at the $10-all-you-can-eat Wi-Fi rate." But, if you start on the cellular network and then walk into Wi-Fi, your minutes are being counted as cell. So, users who notice they're being carried by a cellular network can sign off and call back when they reach a Wi-Fi connection.
There have been similar programs in Europe, Ho said, that use Bluetooth access points for the connections. T-Mobile started a pilot for HotSpot@Home in Seattle last year.
The Bellevue, Washington-based company has some 8,500 active U.S. locations for its hotspots, in stores, hotels, and airports.
Robert Dotson, T-Mobile USA CEO and president, said in a statement that people are looking to drop their home landline phone and just use their cell phone, but "they don't want to use all their wireless minutes talking from home." This "first-of-its-kind service," he said, allows them to use only their mobile phone, without incurring extra minute charges.
The company said HotSpot@Home addresses the complaints of many cell phone users about poor in-home coverage. About 27 percent of all wireless minutes are currently used inside a home, T-Mobile said.
Only Two Handsets
The service currently only works with two handsets, the Samsung t409 and the Nokia 6086. Each is $49.99 with a two-year contract. The service itself costs $9.99 monthly for a single line, added to a T-Mobile voice plan, or $19.99 for as many as five lines, and includes unlimited Wi-Fi calling.
Customers can use their own Wi-Fi router, or optimized routers from T-Mobile's partners, D-Link and Linksys. The T-Mobile-supplied routers are free with a rebate, and are designed for simple setup, enhanced battery life for the handset, and high quality of voice calls, according to the phone company. They work on the customer's existing broadband connection.
"This program makes sense for T-Mobile," said Bill Ho, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, because T-Mobile doesn't have a wireline infrastructure to preserve and it helps T-Mobile in coverage. "What," he asked, "do they have to lose?"
He said it was unlikely that AT&T Wireless or Verizon Wireless would want to do this, because it would "cannibalize" their wired infrastructure.
Start on Wi-Fi, Billed as Wi-Fi
For the user, Ho noted, the $10 monthly add-on for the service is "not a bad price point," although the limitation of only two compatible phones is restrictive. He said that there are technologies being developed that could greatly increase the number of compatible handset models.
An additional benefit, he said, is that "if you originate a call on Wi-Fi and you walk around and it's seamlessly handed off to cell, you're still billed at the $10-all-you-can-eat Wi-Fi rate." But, if you start on the cellular network and then walk into Wi-Fi, your minutes are being counted as cell. So, users who notice they're being carried by a cellular network can sign off and call back when they reach a Wi-Fi connection.
There have been similar programs in Europe, Ho said, that use Bluetooth access points for the connections. T-Mobile started a pilot for HotSpot@Home in Seattle last year.
Samsung crams digital TV into a single chip
Samsung Electronics has developed a pair of chips that can receive and decode four mobile digital TV systems. The chips should make possible smaller portable media players and cellphones that can pick up local broadcasts around the world.
The chips are compatible with the DVB-T/H system being used or deployed in many European countries, the DAB-IP system being used in London, Japan's ISDB-T "1-seg" system and South Korea's terrestrial DMB.
Samsung said they are the first quad-system chips to be made using 65-nanometer production technology. The nanometer measurement refers to the size of the smallest feature on the chip's surface. Chip makers like Samsung are continually refining their production technology to produce chips with smaller, finer features because that helps shrink the overall size and power consumption of the units -- something that is especially important for chips used in portable electronics products.
One of the two chips is a multiband RF tuner, which receives the analog broadcast signal, and the other is a channel decoder, which takes that analog signal and transforms it into a digital signal for processing. The tuner covers the VHF, UHF, and L frequency bands used for mobile digital TV in most regions. Samsung also offers a single chip containing the two pieces of silicon.
Mobile digital TV is becoming increasingly popular among consumers in many countries. Almost all high-end cellphones in markets like Japan and South Korea now offer digital TV reception and the feature is being added to laptop computers and portable media devices. However, a number of different standards exist around the world making such multi-standard chips a potentially attractive option to hardware makers.
Samples of the chips are already being produced and offered to system makers and mass production is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter, Samsung said.
The chips are compatible with the DVB-T/H system being used or deployed in many European countries, the DAB-IP system being used in London, Japan's ISDB-T "1-seg" system and South Korea's terrestrial DMB.
Samsung said they are the first quad-system chips to be made using 65-nanometer production technology. The nanometer measurement refers to the size of the smallest feature on the chip's surface. Chip makers like Samsung are continually refining their production technology to produce chips with smaller, finer features because that helps shrink the overall size and power consumption of the units -- something that is especially important for chips used in portable electronics products.
One of the two chips is a multiband RF tuner, which receives the analog broadcast signal, and the other is a channel decoder, which takes that analog signal and transforms it into a digital signal for processing. The tuner covers the VHF, UHF, and L frequency bands used for mobile digital TV in most regions. Samsung also offers a single chip containing the two pieces of silicon.
Mobile digital TV is becoming increasingly popular among consumers in many countries. Almost all high-end cellphones in markets like Japan and South Korea now offer digital TV reception and the feature is being added to laptop computers and portable media devices. However, a number of different standards exist around the world making such multi-standard chips a potentially attractive option to hardware makers.
Samples of the chips are already being produced and offered to system makers and mass production is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter, Samsung said.
HTC Touch Review - Pocket-lint
Pocket-lint reviews the HTC Touch and writes, "This is a smartphone that will let you reply to messages, but to be honest is more of a check to see what messages have come through rather than suggesting you write lengthy replies - that's what HTC's Ameo is for. ... So should you invest? Well if you really like the idea of the iPhone but either can't wait or would prefer a Windows Mobile 6 interface instead, this is going to be the phone for you."
Sanyo Katana II (SCP-6650)
The Sanyo Katana II sports a VGA camera and while it still lacks EVDO, it does have a larger, 2-inch display. It will be offered in black, pnk and silver/black.
Sprint Mogul by HTC Review - PCMag
PCMag reviews the Sprint Mogul by HTC and writes, "The Mogul makes a decent but not great phone. It paired with our Plantronics mono and stereo Bluetooth headsets easily and without clicking sounds. Sound through the earpiece is loud and clear, and the speakerphone goes to an adequate, if not thundering, volume, though we were disappointed with the transmission quality from both the microphone and speakerphone: Calls sounded very scratchy on the other end. ... The Mogul has a 2-megapixel camera, but we weren't impressed: It wasn't very sharp, it blew out bright areas, and it had serious blur problems in low light. It has a lot of scene modes, though. The 176-by-144 video mode takes unusually jerky 15 frames-per-second videos."
Samsung U600 Review - MobileBurn
MobileBurn reviews the Samsung U600 and writes, "Just like its predecessor, Samsung still managed to squeeze a decent 3.2 megapixel CMOS camera with autofocus lens and LED flash into this super slim phone. A self-portrait mirror is also in place in case you need it. According to our source, the camera module on U600 is different than that on the D900 (and the U700). In actual testing, we thought the difference in image quality was minimal, though we didn't have the 2 phones side by side to run tests. Night shots on the U600 are quite clean by phone standards, colors are accurate in bright daylight, and macro shots are still amongst the best in the mobile phone market."
Apple iPhone Review
The NYTimes reviews the Apple iPhone and writes, "The two-megapixel camera takes great photos, provided the subject is motionless and well lighted (samples are at nytimes.com/tech). But it can’t capture video. And you can’t send picture messages (called MMS) to other cellphones. Apple says that the battery starts to lose capacity after 300 or 400 charges. Eventually, you’ll have to send the phone to Apple for battery replacement, much as you do now with an iPod, for a fee."
Monday, June 25, 2007
Samsung SGH-i600 Review - SlashGear
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SlashGear reviews the Samsung SGH-i600 and writes, "If I sound critical of the i600, it’s only because the finish line has moved on since the launch of the Blackjack last year. WiFi is a great addition, and the shape is attractive and pleasingly compact, but faced with competition from the seemingly-bottomless pits of innovation of HTC and coming smartphone attractions from Apple and Motorola, to mention but two, and Samsung’s omissions look more ominous. Windows Mobile 6 is a much-needed upgrade, and given the ease of use promised by the iPhone the i600 - or its successor - needs to bolster the Microsoft OS with tangible improvements in usability. Buy this phone and, assuming you can live with a nightly recharge, you won’t be much disappointed."
LG KE970 Review at MobileBurn
MobileBurn reviews the LG KE970 and writes, "On paper, the camera on the KE970 is supposed to be one of the best in LG history, and I am happy to report the 2 megapixel CMOS unit with Schneider-Kreuznach lens perform well. With a press of the shutter button, the camera starts up in around one second. The auto-focus lens is fast; focus can be achieved successfully in just over a second, though low light focusing is trickier as there is no AF assist lamp. ... In terms of picture quality, the camera performs well outdoors and above average indoors. The color is accurate most of the time thanks to the great auto white balance. Pictures are not the cleanest in terms of digital noise, but the more worrying part is the jagged appearance when viewed full size, possibly due to excessive image sharpening. Apart from that and the shutter lag, we were quite pleased with the camera's performance."
Nokia N95 Review at AllAboutSymbian
AllAboutSymbian reviews the Nokia N95 and writes, "More than once a number of slim digital cameras were waved around, with the phrase “that phone has more than my camera!” Of course, just having more megapixels does not mean the composition of your pictures will be any better. You’ll still need to master the arcane subject of ‘making sure things are lit’ ... The other part of having a camera on a modern smartphone is taking video. There’s a bundle of settings, and five different settings for the quality, size and frame rate of the recording, which to me appears a bit hit and miss and is going to need a lot of testing and watching to find the best setting. So I left this on the middle setting (320x240) and it seemed to do a cracking job in recording smooth video that was viewable on the phone and also on my PC."
Sanyo SCP-3200 (Sprint PCS Vision Phone)
Sanyo SCP-3200 Press Release
Keep your family connected with the Sprint PCS Vision Phone SCP-3200 by SANYO. Exclusive to Sprint (NYSE:S), this stylish clamshell-style camera phone is offered in three vibrant colors for optimal personalization. The SCP-3200 by Sanyo features Sprint Vision services for quick and easy web access, e-mail and text messaging. The attractive handset has a built-in antenna and provides the benefits of Bluetooth capabilities. It also features a high-quality SANYO speakerphone. Parents can easily access the Parental Controls tool to limit phone call access or web usage. The GPS enabled SCP-3200 by Sanyo is compatible with the optional Sprint Family Locator as well as Sprint Navigation for audible turn-by-turn driving directions.
ENTERTAINMENT
* Sprint PCS Picture MailSM enables easy sharing of images instantly
* VGA Camera
* Text and voice messaging capable
PRODUCTIVITY
* Sprint Vision services include web access, e-mail and text messaging
* Bluetooth wireless technology: headset, hands-free car kit, file transfer
* Wireless Backup capable
* GPS enabled
* Voice-activated dialing
* High-quality speakerphone in a new, modern design
* Parental Controls limit phone and web access
* Internal phone book with up to 300 entries
* Phone as modem capable
* Voice memo/recorder
* Personal organizer including scheduler, to-do list, world clock, calculator, stop watch and alarm clock
PERSONALIZATION
* Three stylish colors: Midnight Black, Playful Pink, or Atlantic Blue
* Downloadable screen savers and ring tones
* Picture Caller ID
SPECIFICATIONS
* Dimensions: 3.5" x 1.8" x 0.8" Weight: 3.4 ounces
* Main Display: 1.1" x 1.4" TFT (128 x 160 pixels)
* External Display: 0.91" x 0.45" STN (96 x 32 pixels)
* * Standard rechargeable Lithium (LiIon) battery provides up to 3.8 hours continuous talk time
* Pricing: $199.99 SRP; $49.99 with a two-year subscriber agreement
Palm Treo 755p Review - PDAStreet
PDAStreet reviews the Palm Treo 755p and writes, " Shutterbugs hoping for a more up-to-date camera will likely be disappointed with the one built into the 755p, which is decent but the same 1.3 megapixel version found in prior models (except for the 680 which includes a lesser VGA-resolution camera). During our time with the PalmOS 755p (spent in the Tampa and Ft. Myers, FL metro areas), the phone exhibited good connection and call quality. We especially appreciate Palm's loud-and-clear speakerphone (helped by a large speaker) and the fact that you can easily switch it on and off during a call via an on-screen button."
BlackBerry Curve Review - Brighthand
Brighthand reviews the BlackBerry Curve and writes, "the higher resolution means you're more likely to actually want to print the photos from the Curve. That said, the camera still suffers from the same limitations as most smartphone cameras -- weak flash, grainy images in low light, motion blur, and an almost useless digital zoom. ... Perhaps one day smartphone manufacturers will find a way to pack a powerful battery into a smartphone so it can provide power to a stronger camera flash, image stabilization, and an optical zoom lens. Until then the Curve's camera is about as good as a smartphone camera gets. I just wish the camera also offered a video function for taking short movies."
Motorola W510
Trusted Reviews has a review of the Motorola W510 and writes, "Don’t expect a huge amount from the camera which tops out at 1.3 megapixels. My sample photo of the coloured dish shot under normal household lighting lacks brightness and definition. Its colours aren’t especially vibrant ... On the other hand the battery life was pretty good. As usual I got the music player to play tunes continuously through the phone’s loudspeaker from a full charge and with the main screen forced to stay on. There was a low battery warning after eight and a half hours of music, and the phone finally gave up after a couple of minutes short of nine hours."
Motorola W510 Press Release
MOTOMOBILE handsets include features that have been adapted to the needs of emerging markets, along with high-end functionality that is becoming increasingly important to a new breed of consumers. The new MOTOMOBILE portfolio includes features such as a mega-pixel camera, MP3/AAC playback, video capabilities and Motorola’s new CrystalTalk™ technology, making it easy to hold conversations in noisy environments.
Taking centre stage is the Motorola W510, offering the best in design and value with uncompromised functionality. This stylish clamshell features sleek MOTOKRZR™ inspired design and boasts a vibrant 262k colour TFT screen. The handset’s 1.3MP camera with 8x digital zoom provides crisp still photography and video capture on the go.
The W510 supports MP3/AAC ring-tones and music and has an integrated audio player. It incorporates GPRS/EDGE functionality for speedy over the air downloads, progressive download and video streaming as well as CrystalTalk.¹
The W510 also includes support for operator branded services that make it easy for consumers to access specialised content and services, such as voice messaging and games, from operators around the world.1
“Motorola is focused on delivering must-have design and must-do experiences across all technologies and price tiers.” said Ron Garriques, president of Motorola Mobile Devices. “Our latest family of MOTOMOBILE handsets increases choice to suit every individual and provides an even greater first experience for the next billion handset users.”
HTC Mogul Review - Infosync
Infosync reviews the HTC Mogul and writes, "The phone features a 2-megapixel camera, which is as lousy as any cameraphone's lens, and hardly worth using, except in a pinch. We were nearly giddy to find a panorama stitching feature on the camera, but our shots dumbfounded us. The panorama is limited to a 480 pixel width, so our five-panel shot came out 480 by 105 pixels, which is miniscule. It simply does not make sense that, as you add panels to the panorama, the image gets smaller and thinner. The feature was completely wasted."
Camera Phone Reviews : Nokia E61i
PCMag reviews the Nokia E61i and writes, "The E61i's 2MP camera is responsive and easy to operate. But it lacks an LED flash and takes middling-quality pictures, with horrible graininess in low-light situations. On the plus side, there's actually a decent video recorder. At 352- by 288-pixel resolution and 15 frames per second, my test videos were surprisingly watchable, with clear sound. There's also a built-in voice recorder you can access with a single key on the left-hand side of the phone. As expected, battery life is a strong suit for the GSM-based E61i; it lasted 12 hours 42 minutes on my talk-time rundown test with the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios turned off."
The Nokia E61i features a 2 megapixel phone as well as the following features:
* Symbian OS
* 2.8 inch, 320x240, 65k-color TFT display
* Bluetooth
* GSM, UMTS, 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100
* GPRS, EDGE, UMTS
* 195.3 MHz
Samsung Z400v - Stuff.co.nz
CNET reviews the Samsung SGH-A727 and writes, "the phone comes with 30MB of shared space, which isn't extensive considering the phone's multimedia capabilities. Fortunately, you can use a Micro SD card for more space. Photo quality isn't the best; colors were fine but the images were blurry for a megapixel camera. ... Call quality was variable at best; voices sounded natural and there's adequate volume, but we encountered a fair amount of static, and the audio tended to fade in and out. Interestingly, we've seen the call quality vary on all incarnations of this phone. While the SGH-X820 didn't disappoint us, the SGH-T519 Trace lacked adequate volume, and the SCH-R510 had an echoed effect. On the whole, we'd say the SGH-A727 is comparable to the Alltel handset in terms of call quality."
Read more about the Samsung SGH-A727.
See more from our Camera Phone Reviews category »
Posted by BJ at June 24, 2007 01:34 PM | TrackBack
Samsung SGH-A727 Review - CNET
Stuff.co.nz reviews the Samsung Z400v and writes, "Photo buffs will like the 2 megapixel camera, which is surprisingly good. There's no flash, however, so snapping pics in low light isn't really an option. There's a Micro-SD slot to add more memory. ... Vodafone NZ isn't supporting push email (a la Blackberry and others), and without it you'll have to log on to see if you have emails. This is alright for some people, but a busy executive probably needs to keep in closer contact in case they're needed."
HTC Touch Review - Pocket-lint
Pocket-lint reviews the HTC Touch and writes, "This is a smartphone that will let you reply to messages, but to be honest is more of a check to see what messages have come through rather than suggesting you write lengthy replies - that's what HTC's Ameo is for. ... So should you invest? Well if you really like the idea of the iPhone but either can't wait or would prefer a Windows Mobile 6 interface instead, this is going to be the phone for you."
Friday, June 22, 2007
Sony Ericsson setting up R&D center in India
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications A.B. is setting up a research and development (R&D) unit for mobile phones in Chennai in south India.
The handset maker announced earlier this year that it was outsourcing its manufacturing to the Chennai operations of Flextronics Corp. and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., which uses the brand name Foxconn.
By having R&D teams in India, the company will be better able to tap into consumer behavior in local markets, Sony Ericsson said Wednesday.
A number of mobile phone vendors are setting up manufacturing, R&D centers, and network operating centers in India, both to take advantage of India’s low-cost labor, and also to target India’s booming mobile phone market.
India added 6.57 million mobile telephony subscribers in May this year, taking the total number of subscribers to 178 million, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in Delhi.
This mobile telephony boom has translated into heavy demand for mobile phones. Over 62 million handsets have been sold in India in the last 12 months, according to internal estimates by Sony Ericsson. The company is targeting production of 10 million phones from India by 2009.
The new facility will become part of Sony Ericsson’s global network of R&D units, currently comprised of sites in China, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, the U.S. and the U.K. The company did not, however, provide details of staffing or the nature of the work to be done at the new R&D facility.
The handset maker announced earlier this year that it was outsourcing its manufacturing to the Chennai operations of Flextronics Corp. and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., which uses the brand name Foxconn.
By having R&D teams in India, the company will be better able to tap into consumer behavior in local markets, Sony Ericsson said Wednesday.
A number of mobile phone vendors are setting up manufacturing, R&D centers, and network operating centers in India, both to take advantage of India’s low-cost labor, and also to target India’s booming mobile phone market.
India added 6.57 million mobile telephony subscribers in May this year, taking the total number of subscribers to 178 million, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in Delhi.
This mobile telephony boom has translated into heavy demand for mobile phones. Over 62 million handsets have been sold in India in the last 12 months, according to internal estimates by Sony Ericsson. The company is targeting production of 10 million phones from India by 2009.
The new facility will become part of Sony Ericsson’s global network of R&D units, currently comprised of sites in China, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, the U.S. and the U.K. The company did not, however, provide details of staffing or the nature of the work to be done at the new R&D facility.
Apple iPhone expected to drive mobile phone industry toward fancier touch screens
Get your fingers ready.
ADVERTISEMENT
Apple Inc.'s iPhone is leading a new wave of gadgets using touch-sensitive screens that react to taps, swishes or flicks of a finger. The improvements promise to be slicker and more intuitive than the rough stomp of finger presses and stylus-pointing required by many of today's devices.
Apple has already been showing off its finger ballet in video ads ahead of the smart phone's hotly anticipated launch in the U.S. on June 29.
Glide a finger across the screen to activate the device and main menu. Slide your digit up or down to scroll through contacts. Flick to flip through photos. Tap to zoom in on a Web site.
With Apple's marketing machinery, the iPhone is poised to become the poster child for the new breed of touch-screen technology, which relies on changes in electrical currents instead of pressure points.
But the iPhone will have its fair share of rivals.
Shipments of this advanced strain of touch screens are projected to jump from fewer than 200,000 units in 2006 to more than 21 million units by 2012, with the bulk of the components going to mobile phones, according to a forecast by iSuppli Corp., a market research company.
"This new user interface will be like a tsunami, hitting an entire spectrum of devices," predicted Francis Lee, the chief executive of Synaptics Inc., a maker of touch sensors.
Synaptics' latest technology is in a growing number of cell phones, including LG Electronics Co.'s LG Prada touch-screen phone that launched this year in Europe and South Korea and handles gesture-recognition similarly to the iPhone.
Apple does not comment about its component suppliers, and Lee declined to comment whether Synaptics is working with Apple on the iPhone.
Last fall, Nokia Corp.'s research and development unit unveiled online images of a prototype all-touch-screen cell phone called the Aeon, but the company hasn't disclosed any details of its features or market availability.
"Touch screens are going to be more common, period, because rivals will slap them on to compete with Apple," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at JupiterResearch.
Even before the iPhone hype kicked into high gear over the past few months, touch screens in general were becoming more popular in cell phones. About 38 million handsets, or about 4 per cent of all mobile phones shipped in 2006, had touch-screen features - a figure that will grow to 90 million units by 2012, iSuppli projected.
But most touch-screen phones that shipped last year, including Palm Inc.'s Treo and Motorola Inc.'s ROKR E6, used "resistive touch" technology - the most common technology, said Jennifer Colegrove, a senior analyst of display technologies at iSuppli. It has two layers of glass or plastic and calculates the location of touch when pressure is applied with either a stylus or a finger.
A more advanced type of touch screen, featured on the iPhone and LG Prada, uses "projected capacitive" technology. A mesh of metal wires between two layers of glass registers a touch when the electrical field is broken.
That's why light finger brushes will do the trick. But capacitive sensors don't even need actual physical contact: such touch screens already detect the proximity of a finger from 2 millimeters away, Colegrove said.
Cell phone maker Pantech Co. Ltd., for instance, has a flip-phone in which Synaptics' capacitive sensors are below the keypad so users can do finger gestures atop the buttons to navigate the phone. The touch-sensitive navigation controls on the LG Chocolate cell phone also use capacitive technology.
The feather-like gestures that are possible with capacitive touch screens could feel more intuitive than the pokes needed on resistive touch screens that typically require a stylus or a fingernail to navigate. Capacitive touch screens are also generally brighter because their surface isn't covered with a thin film that's needed on resistive displays, Colegrove said.
However, users of capacitive touch screens will have to learn to adapt to new methods of input, which could vary depending on how the gadget's software is designed.
With High Tech Computer Corp.'s new HTC Touch smart phone, users swipe a finger to scroll. A second swipe speeds up the scrolling.
"We've been doing touch screens for a long time, but this generation of touch screens is definitely breathing new life into the experience," said Todd Achilles, vice president of HTC America. "They're more accurate, more responsive, and you can get what you want to do on the first click."
Immersion Corp., a maker of tactile-feedback technology found in game controllers and other devices, added a vibration feature to go with the LG Prada touch screen and expects 10 more cell phones with advanced touch-screen technology to be introduced by other handset makers later this year.
The feature gives a slight vibration sensation when the touch screen's virtual keyboard is tapped. It's similar to the response users are accustomed to getting from mechanical keyboards.
But the iPhone is the only cell phone that can handle more than one finger at once, analysts say. That technology, which Apple has patented, allows users to resize a window, for instance, by pinching or expanding two fingers on the display.
"Multi-touch" technology is not new but has only recently begun to emerge beyond research labs and product prototypes.
New York University research scientist Jeff Han has developed a large, dazzling multi-touch touch-screen computer display where one could manipulate pictures or data with multiple fingers, and founded Perceptive Pixel last year to market the technology.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Corp. has introduced a coffee-table shaped computer and display that responds to multiple touches at once. The commercial machines are set to begin appearing in some hotels later this year.
But, Colegrove said, the iPhone will be the first product that puts the multi-touch feature in a mainstream consumer's hands - at a retail price of $500 to $600.
With Synaptics' Onyx concept phone unveiled last fall, the component maker claims its capacitive technology can do everything that Apple has shown the iPhone's touch screen can do. But no cell phone makers, other than Apple, appear to have developed the software applications to take advantage of multi-touch features yet, Lee said.
Industry observers say it's only a matter of time before that changes.
"The iPhone," Colegrove said, "is going to be a catalyst for this technology."
ADVERTISEMENT
Apple Inc.'s iPhone is leading a new wave of gadgets using touch-sensitive screens that react to taps, swishes or flicks of a finger. The improvements promise to be slicker and more intuitive than the rough stomp of finger presses and stylus-pointing required by many of today's devices.
Apple has already been showing off its finger ballet in video ads ahead of the smart phone's hotly anticipated launch in the U.S. on June 29.
Glide a finger across the screen to activate the device and main menu. Slide your digit up or down to scroll through contacts. Flick to flip through photos. Tap to zoom in on a Web site.
With Apple's marketing machinery, the iPhone is poised to become the poster child for the new breed of touch-screen technology, which relies on changes in electrical currents instead of pressure points.
But the iPhone will have its fair share of rivals.
Shipments of this advanced strain of touch screens are projected to jump from fewer than 200,000 units in 2006 to more than 21 million units by 2012, with the bulk of the components going to mobile phones, according to a forecast by iSuppli Corp., a market research company.
"This new user interface will be like a tsunami, hitting an entire spectrum of devices," predicted Francis Lee, the chief executive of Synaptics Inc., a maker of touch sensors.
Synaptics' latest technology is in a growing number of cell phones, including LG Electronics Co.'s LG Prada touch-screen phone that launched this year in Europe and South Korea and handles gesture-recognition similarly to the iPhone.
Apple does not comment about its component suppliers, and Lee declined to comment whether Synaptics is working with Apple on the iPhone.
Last fall, Nokia Corp.'s research and development unit unveiled online images of a prototype all-touch-screen cell phone called the Aeon, but the company hasn't disclosed any details of its features or market availability.
"Touch screens are going to be more common, period, because rivals will slap them on to compete with Apple," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at JupiterResearch.
Even before the iPhone hype kicked into high gear over the past few months, touch screens in general were becoming more popular in cell phones. About 38 million handsets, or about 4 per cent of all mobile phones shipped in 2006, had touch-screen features - a figure that will grow to 90 million units by 2012, iSuppli projected.
But most touch-screen phones that shipped last year, including Palm Inc.'s Treo and Motorola Inc.'s ROKR E6, used "resistive touch" technology - the most common technology, said Jennifer Colegrove, a senior analyst of display technologies at iSuppli. It has two layers of glass or plastic and calculates the location of touch when pressure is applied with either a stylus or a finger.
A more advanced type of touch screen, featured on the iPhone and LG Prada, uses "projected capacitive" technology. A mesh of metal wires between two layers of glass registers a touch when the electrical field is broken.
That's why light finger brushes will do the trick. But capacitive sensors don't even need actual physical contact: such touch screens already detect the proximity of a finger from 2 millimeters away, Colegrove said.
Cell phone maker Pantech Co. Ltd., for instance, has a flip-phone in which Synaptics' capacitive sensors are below the keypad so users can do finger gestures atop the buttons to navigate the phone. The touch-sensitive navigation controls on the LG Chocolate cell phone also use capacitive technology.
The feather-like gestures that are possible with capacitive touch screens could feel more intuitive than the pokes needed on resistive touch screens that typically require a stylus or a fingernail to navigate. Capacitive touch screens are also generally brighter because their surface isn't covered with a thin film that's needed on resistive displays, Colegrove said.
However, users of capacitive touch screens will have to learn to adapt to new methods of input, which could vary depending on how the gadget's software is designed.
With High Tech Computer Corp.'s new HTC Touch smart phone, users swipe a finger to scroll. A second swipe speeds up the scrolling.
"We've been doing touch screens for a long time, but this generation of touch screens is definitely breathing new life into the experience," said Todd Achilles, vice president of HTC America. "They're more accurate, more responsive, and you can get what you want to do on the first click."
Immersion Corp., a maker of tactile-feedback technology found in game controllers and other devices, added a vibration feature to go with the LG Prada touch screen and expects 10 more cell phones with advanced touch-screen technology to be introduced by other handset makers later this year.
The feature gives a slight vibration sensation when the touch screen's virtual keyboard is tapped. It's similar to the response users are accustomed to getting from mechanical keyboards.
But the iPhone is the only cell phone that can handle more than one finger at once, analysts say. That technology, which Apple has patented, allows users to resize a window, for instance, by pinching or expanding two fingers on the display.
"Multi-touch" technology is not new but has only recently begun to emerge beyond research labs and product prototypes.
New York University research scientist Jeff Han has developed a large, dazzling multi-touch touch-screen computer display where one could manipulate pictures or data with multiple fingers, and founded Perceptive Pixel last year to market the technology.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Corp. has introduced a coffee-table shaped computer and display that responds to multiple touches at once. The commercial machines are set to begin appearing in some hotels later this year.
But, Colegrove said, the iPhone will be the first product that puts the multi-touch feature in a mainstream consumer's hands - at a retail price of $500 to $600.
With Synaptics' Onyx concept phone unveiled last fall, the component maker claims its capacitive technology can do everything that Apple has shown the iPhone's touch screen can do. But no cell phone makers, other than Apple, appear to have developed the software applications to take advantage of multi-touch features yet, Lee said.
Industry observers say it's only a matter of time before that changes.
"The iPhone," Colegrove said, "is going to be a catalyst for this technology."
Nuance Buys T9 Text-Input Tool for Mobile Phones
Nuance Communications Inc. has agreed to buy the developer of the T9 predictive text input software for mobile phones from current owner AOL LLC.
Tegic Communications Inc., in Seattle, developed the T9 interface in 1995 to simplify the typing of text messages on mobile phones. Rather than press 9-9-6-6-6-8-8 to spell the word "you," T9 users can type 9-6-8 and let the software predict which word they are trying to spell. T9 software has been embedded in 2.5 billion phones, according to Nuance-- although many of those may now be in landfill.
Nuance plans to integrate Tegic's software with its Nuance Voice Control software, obtained through the acquisition of MobileVoiceControl Inc. in January, it said Thursday.
The voice control interface is intended to simplify text input and menu navigation, and is available for smartphones running operating systems from Microsoft Corp., Palm Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd.
Nuance, in Burlington, Massachusetts, also owns a number of famous names in voice input, including Dictaphone Corp. and the voice-recognition software Dragon Naturally Speaking.
AOL bought Tegic in December 1999, seeing in it a way to simplify and promote instant messaging from mobile phones, but is selling it now in order to focus on its core business, it said.
Nuance will pay around US$265 million in cash and expects the deal to close by the end of September, subject to regulatory approval.
Tegic Communications Inc., in Seattle, developed the T9 interface in 1995 to simplify the typing of text messages on mobile phones. Rather than press 9-9-6-6-6-8-8 to spell the word "you," T9 users can type 9-6-8 and let the software predict which word they are trying to spell. T9 software has been embedded in 2.5 billion phones, according to Nuance-- although many of those may now be in landfill.
Nuance plans to integrate Tegic's software with its Nuance Voice Control software, obtained through the acquisition of MobileVoiceControl Inc. in January, it said Thursday.
The voice control interface is intended to simplify text input and menu navigation, and is available for smartphones running operating systems from Microsoft Corp., Palm Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd.
Nuance, in Burlington, Massachusetts, also owns a number of famous names in voice input, including Dictaphone Corp. and the voice-recognition software Dragon Naturally Speaking.
AOL bought Tegic in December 1999, seeing in it a way to simplify and promote instant messaging from mobile phones, but is selling it now in order to focus on its core business, it said.
Nuance will pay around US$265 million in cash and expects the deal to close by the end of September, subject to regulatory approval.
Nokia leads race for next billion mobile users
Rivals to Nokia Oyj have their work cut out to catch the world's biggest maker of mobile phones in the race to win the world's next billion cellphone users.
Industry figures at the CommunicAsia telecoms trade fair in Singapore this week were eager to take advantage of the continent's huge untapped markets, where only one person in every three owns a handset.
But barriers to entry into markets such as India are significant and Nokia is already well established with a wealth of distribution channels and 40 percent of the Asia-Pacific market -- higher than its 36 percent overall global share.
Risks are also high -- as evidenced by Motorola (NYSE:MOT - news), Nokia's closest competitor in the lowest end of the market and overall, whose drive to win more of this type of business pushed it into the red last quarter.
Sony Ericsson (6758.T)(ERICb.ST) has already abandoned the very low end of the market to competitors.
"Nokia has access to a huge salesforce in emerging markets that no other vendors or operators can match today. Motorola, Samsung (005930.KS) and the rest remain some way behind," said analyst Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics.
The cellphone industry expects the number of people owning a mobile phone worldwide will grow to at least 4 billion over the next three years from 3 billion currently.
Between 300 and 400 million of these new users are expected to come from India alone, where users can take advantage of call rates as low as 1 U.S. cent a minute.
Tens of millions of people living in rural areas of India are buying their first phone -- in most cases, an ultra-cheap model.
A strong retail presence is crucial in Asia, where more than 70 percent of consumers decide which phone to buy at the point of sale -- in contrast to Europe and the United States, where phones are often bought from operators who subsidize them.
"If rivals want to catch Nokia in APAC (Asia Pacific) they will need to expand their distribution channels," Mawston said, adding that the firms would need also to expand their product portfolios.
Samsung had a 16 percent share in the region in the first quarter, while Motorola held 12 percent, according to Strategy Analytics.
Nokia's much larger scale has also allowed it to keep its gross profit margin for low-cost handsets above 25 percent, close to its global average.
But adding tens of thousands of retail outlets or opening stores in just India is expensive, even for large vendors.
"I'm not saying it cannot be done, but it needs quite a bit of investment," said Urpo Karjalainen, head of Nokia's business in the area.
Industry figures at the CommunicAsia telecoms trade fair in Singapore this week were eager to take advantage of the continent's huge untapped markets, where only one person in every three owns a handset.
But barriers to entry into markets such as India are significant and Nokia is already well established with a wealth of distribution channels and 40 percent of the Asia-Pacific market -- higher than its 36 percent overall global share.
Risks are also high -- as evidenced by Motorola (NYSE:MOT - news), Nokia's closest competitor in the lowest end of the market and overall, whose drive to win more of this type of business pushed it into the red last quarter.
Sony Ericsson (6758.T)(ERICb.ST) has already abandoned the very low end of the market to competitors.
"Nokia has access to a huge salesforce in emerging markets that no other vendors or operators can match today. Motorola, Samsung (005930.KS) and the rest remain some way behind," said analyst Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics.
The cellphone industry expects the number of people owning a mobile phone worldwide will grow to at least 4 billion over the next three years from 3 billion currently.
Between 300 and 400 million of these new users are expected to come from India alone, where users can take advantage of call rates as low as 1 U.S. cent a minute.
Tens of millions of people living in rural areas of India are buying their first phone -- in most cases, an ultra-cheap model.
A strong retail presence is crucial in Asia, where more than 70 percent of consumers decide which phone to buy at the point of sale -- in contrast to Europe and the United States, where phones are often bought from operators who subsidize them.
"If rivals want to catch Nokia in APAC (Asia Pacific) they will need to expand their distribution channels," Mawston said, adding that the firms would need also to expand their product portfolios.
Samsung had a 16 percent share in the region in the first quarter, while Motorola held 12 percent, according to Strategy Analytics.
Nokia's much larger scale has also allowed it to keep its gross profit margin for low-cost handsets above 25 percent, close to its global average.
But adding tens of thousands of retail outlets or opening stores in just India is expensive, even for large vendors.
"I'm not saying it cannot be done, but it needs quite a bit of investment," said Urpo Karjalainen, head of Nokia's business in the area.
China GrenTech wins China Mobile contract for Olympics
China GrenTech Corp. Ltd. said it won a bid to supply wireless network equipment to China Mobile (0941.HK), the world's largest mobile phone operator, for next year's Olympic Games, sending the Chinese wireless services company's shares up.
China GrenTech did not disclose the size of the contract.
However, Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Adele Mao estimated the potential contract value in the range of $1 million to $3.5 million.
In addition to supplying equipment, GrenTech will also help design and construct the Olympic wireless local-area network, the company said in a statement.
The network will be used to provide high-speed wireless Internet access for users and cover the Olympic gymnasiums, stadiums and surrounding areas in six Olympic cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai.
Though the contract will not significantly impact the company's bottomline, it signals the improvement of GrenTech's relationship with China Mobile, Mao said by phone.
China GrenTech shares rose about 6 percent to $14.23 in late morning trade on the Nasdaq.
The 2008 Olympics, which will be hosted by Beijing, open on August 8 next year.
(Reporting by John Tilak in Bangalore)
China GrenTech did not disclose the size of the contract.
However, Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Adele Mao estimated the potential contract value in the range of $1 million to $3.5 million.
In addition to supplying equipment, GrenTech will also help design and construct the Olympic wireless local-area network, the company said in a statement.
The network will be used to provide high-speed wireless Internet access for users and cover the Olympic gymnasiums, stadiums and surrounding areas in six Olympic cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai.
Though the contract will not significantly impact the company's bottomline, it signals the improvement of GrenTech's relationship with China Mobile, Mao said by phone.
China GrenTech shares rose about 6 percent to $14.23 in late morning trade on the Nasdaq.
The 2008 Olympics, which will be hosted by Beijing, open on August 8 next year.
(Reporting by John Tilak in Bangalore)
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