Nokia unveils five new phones, shooting for 40 percent market share despite increase in competition

HELSINKI, Finland (AP) - Nokia unveiled five new phone models Monday, saying it was confident it could regain ground in the mobile phone market and reach 40 percent of the global market share.

Chief Executive Jorma Ollila said the Finnish company's market share had fallen to 32 percent, losing ground to competitors, including Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

A report by market researcher Gartner Inc., however, calculated Nokia's market share even lower - at 28.9 percent in the first quarter of 2004, down from 34.6 percent during the same period last year.

Launching five new mid- to high-market phones, Ollila said Nokia was confident it could reach its 40 percent target, but did not say how long it would take. He declined to give details of the company's 2004 forecast.

He said the company expects to sell 600 million phones this year, one-third of them camera-phone models, which are expected to become more popular as the prices come down.

Following Monday's announcement, Nokia shares fell 2 percent to ?11.69 (US$4.42) in trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

Nokia's news conference in Helsinki was connected to another in Singapore, where Nokia unveiled the five new phone models, including what Nokia says is the world's smallest 3G, or third-generation, phone - the 6630.

The 6630 - just 127 grams (4.5 ounces) - features a 1.2-megapixel camera, an MP3 player and will support broadband Internet transmission 40 times the speed of second-generation cell phone technology, Nokia said. It will be available the last quarter of 2004 and cost an estimated ?500 (US$600), the company said.

The new models also featured clamshell phones, a new look for Nokia's portfolio but also one competitors and consumers have already embraced.

Nokia plans to roll out 35 new products this year in an effort to fill gaps in the market.

The company also recently slashed prices for several models, following the lead of competitors whose phones have consistently been cheaper than Nokia's. Ollila said the new pricing would not significantly affect the company's margins.

Nokia remains the market leader for handsets, but earlier this month analysts said it was losing ground. U.S.-based Motorola has 16 percent of the market, and South Korea's Samsung has 13 percent.

Nokia, based in Espoo just outside the Finnish capital, has a market capitalization of ?54.4 billion (US$65.3 billion) with sales in 130 countries with 53,000 employees.

Nokia Already Working on First Microsoft Based Smartphone

Nokia's CEO, Stephen Elop says that the company has already started work on the company's first Windows Phone 7 based smartphone, just a few weeks after the company announced its shift from Symbian to the WP7 operating system. Although the company aims to deliver a handset by the end of this year, the first sales are still not expected until next year.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, he also squashed rumours that Microsoft could launch a takeover bid for the company.

"I'm not aware of a strategic interest that Microsoft would have in the rest of the business," Elop said. "To the extent that a partnership has been formed around what they're really interested in, then what would an acquisition bring other than a good year of anti-trust investigation, huge turmoil, delays?"

He also dismissed rumours of a further shake-up of the senior management team following the recent reshuffling of the directors.

As recently noted, the final terms of the Microsoft-Nokia alliance are still being sorted out, but Elop said that he expects the final deal to be signed within the next couple of months.

Nokia Shows Off Two New Symbian Based Smartphones

Nokia has shown off two new smartphones - running its now legacy Symbian software - the Nokia E6 and the Nokia X7. The two devices are the first Nokia smartphones to contain the updated Symbian software, with new icons and usability enhancements such as improved text input, a faster browser and refreshed Ovi Maps.

"We are further strengthening Nokia's smartphone portfolio with these two new devices, both of which offer a more beautiful and intuitive user experience that will soon also be available for the Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01," said Jo Harlow, head of Nokia's Smart Devices business.

Following on from Nokia's E71 and E72 devices, the Nokia E6 is a business smartphone with a full Qwerty keypad and touch screen display.

The Nokia X7 is an entertainment-focused smartphone with a large 4" display and an 8 megapixel camera.

The Nokia E6 and Nokia X7 are also the first smartphones to contain the complete update of the Symbian software user experience. This update offers a host of usability enhancements, including fresh, new icons, improved text input, a faster internet browsing experience and a refreshed Ovi Maps application with improved search and new Public Transport routes. The renewed software also offers a strong set of new features aimed at business users in particular, including true enterprise grade security with hardware accelerated encryption, and new e-mail features such as full meeting request support.

In coming months the software update, which is nick-named Symbian Anna, will also be available as standard on newly shipping Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01 devices, as well as available to download on previously purchased models of those same smartphones.

Motorola Droid X2 squares up to the competition

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Motorola had thrown all of its Android eggs into the Atrix basket, as we haven't heard a whisper about any Droid action for a few months.

But now a spec sheet has turned up for the Motorola Droid X2 (pronounced X squared) proving that there's life in the old Droid yet.

First pictured on blurrycam back in February the spec sheet suggests that the X2 could be a decent mid-level Android contender.

The X2 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, with 512MB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage (expandable with microSD).
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Its display is 4.3 inches, 540x960qHD with a 240dpi pixel density and there's a 8-megapixel camera on the back capable of 720p (26-30fps) recording.

It can playback 1080p content at the same frame rate and has an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope and a barometer.

Connectivity options are plentiful (the usual suspects; Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G) and there's USB and HDMI options too.

The only downside we can see - it's lacking Gingerbread. It's listed as a Android 2.2 device, although we'd be surprised if it came to market 0.1 down on the competition

HP Veer 4G First-Look Review

AT&T's HP Veer 4G is a webOS smartphone in a tiny little package. It has a 2.6-inch 320 x 400 touchscreen, a 5 megapixel camera with video capture, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi b/g/n plus mobile hotspot capability.

It will be available from AT&T on May 15 for $99 with a new two-year service contract, but we were able to get an early review unit so we could give a sneak peek and learn more about this interesting new phone.

BUILD & DESIGN

The Veer is best described as a pebble-shaped slider phone. When closed, the device is smaller than a credit card, which is a definite contrast to many of today's larger phones. All of the edges are rounded and it feels really good to hold in your hand. You'll hardly notice that it's in your pocket, since it weighs under 4 ounces.

Slide up the screen to expose the physical QWERTY keyboard; it's incredibly tiny, but I was surprised at how well I was able to use it right out of the box. There's a good amount of space between each key and strange as it sounds, I strongly prefer this keyboard to that of the HP Pre 2, even though this one is smaller.

The screen looks nice, though it's not terribly bright and is somewhat hard to see when you're standing in direct sunlight. Since I just got this phone today, it's hard to say whether it's a major issue with the screen or a case of my just not having found the brightness control yet.

PERFORMANCE

The HP Veer is snappy, responding to my every touch by launching the relevant app, switching between apps, etc. That's a nice surprise since it's powered by just an 800 MHz processor. I am slightly concerned about network reception, however, because I haven't been able to connect to 4G at my office. I will test this further in other locations to get a better idea of whether it's a concern about the Veer or just another example of my office as a dead zone.

The external speaker is plenty loud enough and the sound quality is good when listening to music. I'm quite concerned about the headphone jack though, which isn't actually part of the phone. In order to plug in headphones, you have to use a separate accessory that magnetically attaches to the side of the phone. It's an elegant solution to the problem of where to put the headphone jack when you're trying to design an ultra-small phone, and I'm glad it's included instead of requiring consumers to make a separate purchase, but I'm not sure how well it will work in real life.

The 5-megapixel camera takes nice photos with good detail, though it does seem a bit slow to focus and actually take the shot, especially when compared to a photographic powerhouse like the HTC Droid Incredible 2 I'm also reviewing. I didn't see any obvious problems with exposure or graininess though of course I will have to test the camera more thoroughly before I can make any definite conclusions.

PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION

I'm surprised by how much I already like the HP Veer 4G, even though I've only had it for a few hours. After reviewing so many gigantic smartphones it's nice to use something more petite that takes up hardly any room in my pocket.

I'm not sure whether my initial infatuation will last, however, because the Veer is the smallest phone I've ever used. The keyboard is surprisingly usable, but I do have to do a lot of scrolling to see entire email messages, for example, so there are some obvious downsides to the small form factor.

New China Mobiles available in Indian Market

China Mobile C2000 - Touch Screen + Gaming

PRICE : Rs. 6,700.00
Product Features : Sliding, Games & Free TV Mobile Phone 3.0" Touch Screen

• 120 x 58 x 20mm, 110g
  
• Dualband, GSM 900/1800
  
• Unlocked and ready to use in any GSM network in UK, Europe, Australia & Asia Pacific
  
• Does not work in USA, Canada & Mexico's networks
  
• Sliding screen for TV & Games
  
• TV tuner for free TV program, FM Radio
  
• Dual SIM cards Switching
  
• 3.0" LCD touch screen
  
• Hand writing recognition
  
• Bluetooth
  
• MP3 audio player
  
• 3GP & MP4 video players
  
• MP3 Ringtone, 3D Sound
  
• Digital video recording
  
• 2 & 1.3 mega pixel dual cameras (front & back)
  
• T-Flash memory card support
  
• Calendar, calculator & organizer
  
• Built-in games
• Plug & play with Windows XP & Vista, no software needed
  
• English, Italian, Malay, Portuguese, Spanish & Persian multi-languages support
• In the box

Samsung Launches Samsung Galaxy Ace, Samsung Galaxy Fit, Samsung Galaxy Pro And Samsung Galaxy Mini

Samsung has launched all new Galaxy smartphones namely Samsung Galaxy Ace, Samsung Galaxy Fit, Samsung Galaxy Pro and Samsung Galaxy Mini officially although they were available for sometime now.

All these smartphones comes loaded with Android 2.2 operating system and some attractive features. These phones have Wi-Fi connectivity and Social Hub facility in common.

Users can easily view their emails, contacts and SMSs in a single page layout for these handsets. Also, the users will be able to access more than 100,000 Samsung and Android apps.

Samsung Galaxy Ace- it is decked with a 3.5” HVGA display, Google Voice search, ThinkFree document viewer and runs a 800 MHz processor.

Samsung Galaxy Fit- it has a 3.31” QVGA display and a 5MP camera. It has office viewer and runs a 600 MHz processor.

Samsung Galaxy Pro- it has a 2.8” touchscreen, a 3.2MP camera and runs an 800MHz processor.

Samsung Galaxy Mini- It has a 3.14” QVGA display, Quick Office document viewer and runs a 600 MHz processor.

RIM Unveils BlackBerry Bold 9900 And 9930 Smartphones

At the annual BlackBerry World conference, Research In Motion (RIM) launched two BlackBerry Bold smartphones named BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930.

The company also launched the BlackBerry 7 operating system which will run on its upcoming devices. According to sources, these two new models are the most efficient and thinnest smartphones by BlackBerry till today.

Both the models are adorned with a touch screen along with BlackBerry keyboard and works on BlackBerry 7 OS. It runs on 1.2 GHz processor. Its stylish design accommodates both BlackBerry keyboard and also a seven-centimetre touch screen.

Mike Lazaridis, RIM president and co-CEO said, "The new BlackBerry Bold smartphones and BlackBerry 7 operating system are inspired by millions of customers around the world who want the ultimate combination of performance, functionality and style. These fully-loaded and beautifully-crafted smartphones offer a highly refined user experience with blazingly fast performance, a brilliant touch screen and an outstanding typing experience."

BlackBerry Kickstart Flip Phone Only $49

The BlackBerry Kickstart is by far not RIM's best looking phone. But it is a real live BlackBerry and it will run a mere 50 bucks when it launches on T-Mobile in September. The Centro has proven that a cheap smartphone can sell like hotcakes. Granted the Centro is cute, the Kickstart is not. But $50 (with a two-year contract, natch) puts it in the same mass market as the crappier LGs and Sammys. It's a crazy way to hook the kids, but it might just work. (It'd work better if the phone wasn't so ugly.)


Source: http://gizmodo.com/5022221/blackberry-kickstart-flip-phone-only-49

Motozine ZN5 Camera Phone Now Official

We've been talking about this cellphone for a while, but today Motorola and Kodak officially spilled the beans. As we thought, the ZN5's a phone that's as much camera as phone, with a 5-megapixel Kodak unit on its back. This is quick-launched by sliding the lens cover, and has a Xenon flash, auto-focus and even auto-stitches panorama shots. The phone itself has CrystalTalk for high sound quality, Bluetooth, full browser and wi-fi (for photo transfers, and the web.) Due out in China in July at first, then globally through '08. Press release below.

Motorola and Kodak Redefine the Mobile Imaging Experience with MOTOZINE™ ZN5

BEIJING, CHINA — 23 June 2008 – Motorola (NYSE: MOT), a leader in wireless communications, and Kodak (NYSE: EK), the world’s foremost imaging innovator, today announced MOTOZINE™ ZN5, the first product combining world-class innovation from both companies. The MOTOZINE ZN5 combines a high-quality phone and camera experience to help content-craving consumers seize inspiration and share the content they create and love with the world.

Unveiled today in Beijing at a gallery-inspired event, ZINE ZN5 delivers an easy and immersive mobile imaging experience. ZN5 is the first mobile phone to combine Motorola’s ModeShift Technology and KODAK Imaging Technology. Together, they redefine the quality, convenience and connectivity of mobile imaging devices. With KODAK EASYSHARE Software and easy access to KODAK Gallery1 or other web sharing sites,2 pictures are easily moved off the device, allowing consumers to print, share and enjoy their favorite photos whenever they want.

“Today’s creative consumers not only want to be the photographer, but also the retoucher, the exhibitor and the critic,” said Jeremy Dale, corporate vice president, mobile devices marketing, Motorola, Inc. “The MOTOZINE ZN5 lets them be all the things they want to be.”

Built to Shoot
ZN5 puts image capture first, with a high-resolution landscape screen and one of the fastest click-to-click times available. To launch the camera, simply slide open the Kodak lens cover to transform the phone into an ultra-fast 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, a Xenon flash, 4GB of optional external memory3 and optimized settings for low-light environments.

Built-in KODAK Imaging Technology ensures that every picture taken with ZN5 looks its best. When KODAK Imaging Technology is combined with KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology, images become brighter and more vivid on the spot. Multiple capture modes, like multi-shot and panorama, which automatically stitches together continuous shots taken on the horizon line into a single, extended image1, makes taking photos fun.

“KODAK Imaging Technology combines Kodak’s unparalleled experience in imaging science with easy connectivity to the company’s vast portfolio of products and services,” said John Blake, general manager digital capture and imaging devices group, vice president Eastman Kodak Company. “We have redefined the quality, convenience and connectivity of mobile imaging devices. We have worked closely with Motorola to create a device that not only delivers Kodak-quality pictures, but allows consumers to explore a wide range of options for sharing their photos with friends and family around the world.”

Built to Share
With one touch, photos can be viewed right from the home screen; no menus, no searching. This multimedia device provides a fun, quick and easy way to share favorite photos. Pictures can be uploaded via Gallery Link in one simple click and instantly shared to the KODAK Gallery (www.kodakgallery.com)1 to be viewed, stored and shared with friends and family. ShoZu can be used to upload photos to a variety of social networking sites1. ZN5 comes with KODAK EASYSHARE Software, the world’s most used photo software, making it easy to organize, edit, share, store and find mobile pictures1. Consumers can transfer pictures to a computer via USB, Wi-Fi1 or Bluetooth® wireless technology4 and print wirelessly on Bluetooth-compatible KODAK All-in-One Printers and at KODAK Picture Kiosks.

Built to Talk
In phone mode, ZN5 features Motorola’s patented CrystalTalkTM technology to help callers hear and be heard, even in noisy environments. With dual compatibility for GSM and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), users can connect in more areas around the world2 and enjoy high-speed wireless connections to surf the Web via a full HTML browser2. To complete the communications experience, ZN5 also supports SMS, MMS, IM and personal e-mail2.

The MOTOZINE Multimedia Experience
MOTOZINE ZN5 is the first device to carry the MOTOZINE franchise name, Motorola’s new label for its multimedia-optimized devices. For the consumer who thrives on content consumption and creation, products in the ZINE portfolio give them the freedom to shape pop culture, on their terms.

MOTOZINE ZN5 will be first available in China in July 2008 and is expected to roll out around the globe throughout the remainder of the year. For more information regarding pricing and product availability in your region, please contact your local Motorola representative.

About Kodak
As the world's foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives.

To learn more, visit http://www.kodak.com/, and our blogs: 1000words.kodak.com, PluggedIn.kodak.com, and GrowYourBiz.kodak.com.

Editor’s Note: Kodak corporate news releases are now offered via RSS feeds. To subscribe, visit www.kodak.com/go/RSS and look for the RSS symbol. In addition, Kodak podcasts are viewable at www.kodak.com/go/podcasts. Our podcasts may be downloaded for viewing on iTunes, Quicktime, or other PC-based media players. Users may also subscribe to Kodak podcasts via the iTunes application if already installed on your computer. From the iTunes store, type “Kodak podcast” in the search field to view all of our podcast offerings.

Kodak, EasyShare and Perfect Touch are trademarks of Kodak.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5018717/motozine-zn5-camera-phone-now-official

iPhone 3G Could Cost Just $100 to Make, Say Analysts

Soon after the iPhone Mark 1 launch last year, we brought you an estimate of its manufacturing cost, and now the same analysts have looked at the iPhone 3G. Portelligent thinks that this time Apple may pay as little as $100 for the components, down from $220 for the original. The saving's made in engineering advances and Apple's buying power: the extra 8GB in the 16GB version may cost as little as $20, but you'll pay $100 for it. "But we're only paying $199 for the phone, so Apple make less!" you may point out. True, but Apple may be charging AT&T as much as $400 for each unit. And with 70 countries eager to buy iPhones, the analysis suggests it might be Apple's most profitable device yet.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/5017486/iphone-3g-could-cost-just-100-to-make-say-analysts

Sprint Drops Samsung Instinct Price Again: Now $129 After Rebate

Sprint is trying to set some kind of sales record with its exclusive Samsung Instinct: The fun little don't-call-it-an-iPhone feature phone goes on sale June 20 priced at $129 after a $100 mail-in rebate. A week ago, we reported that the price had fallen from $299 to $199. Honestly, I can safely say there's no good reason NOT to buy one of these things if you plan on sticking with Sprint for two or more years. But with phone subsidies this high, one wonders how many years Sprint itself can stick around. (Press release with details on plans, accessories and features below.)

AWARD-WINNING SAMSUNG INSTINCT™ AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM SPRINT ON JUNE 20 FOR JUST $129.99

Revolutionary device offers industry-leading combination
of full touch-screen functionality and fast network speeds
with live TV, stereo Bluetooth, GPS with turn-by-turn navigation
and one-touch access to favorites

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – June 18, 2008 – Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced pricing for Instinct, a new wireless device that offers consumers an industry-leading user experience by combining full touch-screen functionality with the fast speeds available on the largest national mobile broadband network. When the device launches on June 20, it will cost just $129.99 with a two-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Customers will be able to purchase Instinct through Sprint retail stores, Web (www.sprint.com) and telesales (1-800-SPRINT1.) Best Buy is Sprint’s exclusive retail partner for Instinct from June 20 – August 28.

In order for customers to experience the full capabilities of the device, Instinct must be activated on a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Customers can choose from Everything plans for individuals starting at just $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes or Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families starting at $129.99 per month for 1500 voice minutes to share between two lines. Instinct complements Sprint’s signature Simply Everything Plan offering both unlimited nationwide voice and data services for just $99.99 per month. The Simply Everything Plan offers premium services, including GPS navigation, email, web surfing, Sprint Music Premier and Sprint TV Premier, while letting customers easily budget for phone expenses.

Instinct was recently named “Best in Show” in the third annual Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Award competition in April at CTIA Wireless 2008. Instinct was also honored as “Most Innovative Product at CTIA Wireless 2008” by the editors of LAPTOP, a leading mobile technology magazine. CNET also recognized Instinct as the “Best Cell Phone” in its annual Cream of the Crop CTIA 2008 awards.

The innovative device speeds up the user experience like no other touch-screen phone and brings the customer’s most-used applications and contacts within a single finger tap. Instinct has a high-tech look with large, vibrant touch-screen featuring localized tactile feedback, called haptics, which transform the virtual QWERTY keypad and other screen interactions into a sensory experience. The device also offers a Speech to Action button providing many functions using speech activation for calling, texting, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news, weather and search.

As Sprint’s first EV-DO Rev A consumer-centric device, Instinct provides the ability to quickly browse the Web, access business or personal e-mail, share pictures, listen to commercial-free radio and more at broadband speeds. Instinct also provides smooth access to GPS applications including Sprint Navigation, with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions and one-click traffic rerouting as well as Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, providing easy access to directory information on-the-go, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access.

Instinct boasts many advanced features including Visual Voicemail, allowing users to listen to messages in their order of preference and manage them with a simple tap of the screen. This device also provides support for corporate and consumer (POP3 and IMAP) email, multitasking capabilities that allow the user to play music in background mode while surfing the Internet, texting or playing games, a 2.0 megapixel camera with camcorder and expandable microSD memory of up to 8GB. Additional features include advanced stereo Bluetooth® 2.0, SMS voice and text messaging with threaded text, picture caller ID and Sprint Mobile Sync.

Instinct comes with everything the user needs to enjoy the device’s full capabilities right out of the box. Contents include a 2GB microSD™ card that can hold approximately 2,000 songs from Sprint Music Store, two standard 1,000 mAh batteries offering up to 5.75 hours of continuous talk time each, battery-charging sleeve, travel charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with built-in microphone, and carry case with stylus. Customers can access the latest information on Instinct at www.instinctthephone.com.

About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 53 million customers at the end of the first quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5017524/sprint-drops-samsung-instinct-price-again-now-129-after-rebate

Samsung i900 Cellphone Hands-on Photos Leaked

We first brought you leaked mock-ups of Samsung's upcoming i900 cellphone in January, along with a single pic and some specs. Until now, that's all we have to go on, but now Chinese site pconline.com.cn has got their hands on a real model and some more details on what the touchscreen phone will have inside.

That 5-megapixel camera is confirmed by these photos, and it looks like there's the word "autofocus" on the bezel too. And that 3.5-inch touchscreen is supposedly a WQVGA resolution display, at 240x400 pixels. The phone is quad-band, 3G and HSDPA at 7.2 Mbps, with wi-fi, FM radio functionality and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR. There's 16GB on-board memory, it'll run Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and there's a microSD slot for expansion. The phone will apparently also have integrated GPS, a TV-out port and will measure 4.4 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches. There's no official word from Samsung about this cellphone yet, so the release date and price remain a mystery.




Source: http://gizmodo.com/photogallery/samsungi900/1001778971

iPhone Officially Coming to Spain

Spanish site Apple Weblog has discovered a hidden iPhone page from Movistar—Telefónica's mobile arm. The page officially confirms what we already said two weeks ago: Telefónica will sell the new JesusPhone. The launch day was not mentioned in the site itself—which was supposed to be secret, and has been taken down already—but the date that we announced remains the same according to my friends in the company.3

The 3G iPhone will be available for sale in Spain at the June 18 grand opening of Telefonica's megastore—an Apple Store-like shop located in the company's landmark building in Madrid's Gran Vía—with nationwide availability the next day or after a few hours. The shop is now getting its final touches.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5012197/iphone-officially-coming-to-spain

3G iPhone confirmed in Italy without revenue sharing?

We've been avoiding the 3G iPhone rumor mongering as much as possible recently. After all, we know it's coming as both AT&T and Apple have confirmed. Now this: one of Italy's most respected newspapers, La Repubblica (like the WSJ with red sauce), is claiming in no uncertain terms that the 3G iPhone is coming shortly to Telecom Italia without a revenue sharing deal and without long-term exclusivity. If true, this change in strategy opens the doors for a true, global, 3G iPhone launch on UMTS networks around the world come summer time.

We contacted Telecom Italia who refuse to comment on the matter.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/21/3g-iphone-confirmed-in-italy/

LG's Ice Cream Phone!

You can't eat it but it should look tasty in summer... What is it? The LG Ice Cream Phone (aka LG-LH5000). Available in three colors (white - vanilla, sweet pink - strawberry and sweet blue - pistachio), it's a 3G phone rocking a 2.2" screen, 2MPx digicam, multimedia player, e-dictionary... So far only for our Korean friends.


Source: http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-15753-LG%27s+Ice+Cream+Phone%21.html

Treat Your Mobile Phone Camera with an 8x Zoom

It may not shock anyone but... YES, embedded camera modules on mobile phones… suck… To make things worse Green-House just released a telephoto kit to turn any mobile phone into an 8x zoom camera… yeah… right!

Please note that the combo includes a tripod and a universal mobile phone holder.


Source: http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-15759-Treat+Your+Mobile+Phone+Camera+with+an+8x+Zoom.html

Motorola's Z9 with GPS goes for a ride on AT&T

Just like we heard, AT&T is now offering Motorola's MOTO Z9. $150 (after $50 on-line discount and 2-yr contract) nabs the new slider with GPS for AT&T's rebranded TeleNav service -- now called AT&T Navigator. It's also stuffed with microSD expansion, stereo Bluetooth, and quad-band GSM with WCDMA 850/1900 supporting 3.6Mbps HSDPA data. Surprisingly, the 2 megapixel camera we saw in the early prototype last year has been whittled back to 1.3 megapixels. Come on Moto, what's 0.7 megapixels between friends?


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/01/motorolas-z9-with-gps-goes-for-a-ride-with-atandt/

T-Mobile snags the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 on April 14th

April 14th -- just like we expected, that's the date T-Mobile subscribers will gain access to the WiFi totin' BlackBerry Pearl 8120. Unlike AT&T's offering, that's WiFi for voice and data thanks to T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home service. EDGE data, 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5-mm headphone jack, SureType keyboard, and microSD / SDHC expansion for your multimedia round out the specs quite nicely. Now all we need is the price, right T-Mob?


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/01/t-mobile-snags-the-blackberry-pearl-8120-on-april-14th/

Sony films headed to mobile phones

Sony Pictures Television is looking to launch the first movie network on mobile phones in the United States.

The studio has signed a deal with AT&T and MediaFLO USA to launch the linear channel as one of two exclusive channels coming to the newly announced AT&T Mobile TV with FLO service in May.

The channel, to be known as PIX, will be stocked with such titles as "Ghostbusters," "Philadelphia" and "Stand by Me."

Mobile has been viewed mostly as a marketing platform for theatricals in the U.S. With the domestic mobile video category for even shortform clips lagging behind markets in Europe and Asia, Sony is looking to entice viewers with more diverse content offerings.

"What you see a lot on the carrier decks is promotional content that people can snack a little on," said Eric Berger, vp mobile entertainment at Sony Pictures Television. "There's nothing currently there as deeply entertaining as these movies."

Films have been made available on handsets on an on-demand basis. Sony was one of several studios that contributed titles to content aggregator MSpot, which teamed with Sprint to launch MSpot Movies in 2006.

Sony always has been bullish on films via mobile. The studio also was the first in the U.S. to embed full-length titles on memory cards for handsets.

Although the prospect of viewers sitting in front of a two-inch screen for two hours seems dim, Berger noted that the objective isn't to keep people watching for the duration of a film.

"We recognize that people are on the go with their mobile phone and coming and going," he said. "This isn't for people looking to view a movie for the first time. It's OK to miss the beginning."

With AT&T on board, PIX will be available on the biggest mobile provider in the U.S., though the company has yet to disclose the price of the FLO tier. With PIX a part of FLO, Sony allows AT&T to differentiate its service from Verizon Wireless, which has been carrying FLO for the past year.

PIX will be available alongside nonexclusive mobile channels including NBC, CBS, ESPN and Nickelodeon, which offer altered forms of their traditional linear programming lineups via multicast transmission.

Sony is negotiating with other U.S. carriers to carry PIX but did not divulge which specific companies are in discussions. As for pricing, each distribution partner likely will use a different business model. For instance, PIX could end up ad-supported on one carrier while free of commercials on another that will charge an extra fee.

Sony eventually might convert PIX to an on-demand model and might take the brand online as well. The full-length linear strategy is just one of many different content plays with which the studio is experimenting. "We're not doubling down and saying it's only about longform," Berger said. "We'll continue to do innovative things in the shortform universe as well."

Films will run on PIX for a month, with additions coming weekly. Other titles coming to PIX include "Memento," "The Karate Kid," "Layer Cake," "Resident Evil" and "Roxanne."


Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080331/tc_nm/sony_dc