December 2008 Mobile Phone News
December 2008 Mobile Phone News
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Mobile phone ownership continues to rise
British consumers are making the most of increasingly competitive prices in the mobile phone market to snap up new handsets, research suggests. A study by Mintel revealed that the majority of adults in the UK now own a mobile phone, with only the "very young and very old" missing out, according to the Telegraph. Furthermore, mobile owners now have an average of 1.8 handsets each as Britain edges closer to becoming "a two-mobile n...
Wednesday, 31st December 2008 - by Bruce Carter
Middle East embraces SMS technology
The Middle East has been identified as a place where mobile phones are being used for far more than personal communication. According to ITProPortal.com, businesses and many other organisations in the region are increasingly using text messages as a means of promoting their goods and services. This trend was said to be particularly apparent in the United Arab Emirates, especially Dubai, where SM... Read the full story »
Wednesday, 24th December 2008 - by Written by James Glynn
G2 rumoured for January 2009 release
The follow-up handset to the T-Mobile G1 might be slated for release in January 2009, it has been claimed. According to the Cell Phone Signal website, the latest gadget to implement Android technology could be on the shelves as soon as January 26th next year. Apparently one of the most significant new features on the gadget will be a VGA camera, which is intended to be used for video-calling. ... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 23rd December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
Motorola to abandon Symbian?
It has been rumoured that mobile phone manufacturer Motorola is preparing to abandon its in-house development of Symbian. According to Spanish language news site elmundo.es, Motorola's Spanish director of mobile devices Oscar Rodriguez told the press that the firm will cease almost all production in 2009. This move is to give the company time to prepare a new range of Android-based handsets re... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 23rd December 2008 - by Charles Kane
Enhanced Android and T-Mobile G2 to appear in the new year
Google's Android software platform has certainly attracted the loudest talk in the handset sector since its launch, but there is still only one actual phone available, the T-Mobile G1. The system will not really be put through its paces by developer and consumers until there is a wider choice of devices, and until the big names weigh in. Before that happens, Google knows there have to be major imp... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 23rd December 2008 - by Peter White
Firefox could be available for Symbian phones
A new version of Mobile Firefox could be available for mobile phones with a Symbian operating system (OS). The latest incarnation of Mozilla's internet browsing application is also known as Fennec and could be downloadable during 2009. Reports claim that the target date for the project completion is April, at which point the software will be usable and finalised. Christian Sejersen of Mozilla ... Read the full story »
Monday, 22nd December 2008 - by David Roberts
Samsung prepare to launch new Google phone
Samsung is preparing to launch a new smartphone based on Google's Android operating system. The product could be on the market during the first quarter of 2009, making it only the second phone released to feature Android technology. Sources have revealed that the phone will be available with both GSM/3G and CDMA options and will be sold through T-Mobile. T-Mobile is beginning to corner the Go... Read the full story »
Monday, 22nd December 2008 - by Charles Kane
Motorola unveils the i9
Mobile phone manufacturer Motorola has unveiled its new iDEN handset to the public. The i9 is housed in a clamshell chassis and is stylistically similar to the iconic Razr, which is already on the market. It features a built-in camera which offers 3.1-megapixel imaging and autofocus capabilities, as well as a flash. Some reports suggest that the latest Motorola offering will have dedicated mu... Read the full story »
Friday, 19th December 2008 - by David Roberts
RIM predicts strong BlackBerry sales
BlackBerry manufacturer RIM is predicting strong sales over the festive season. According to Reuters, the firm's revenue is expected to hit the $3.3 billion (£2.16 billion) mark by the end of 2008. The company said that its performance during the third quarter of this year was in line with expectations. RIM stated that it has experienced strong sales growth in the last few months. Cana... Read the full story »
Friday, 19th December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
Searches for PAYG mobiles up 40 per cent
The number of online searches for Pay as you Go (PAYG) mobile phones are up 40 per cent in the last two months, it has been claimed. According to a price comparison site, between October and November there was a significant rise in the number of searches for PAYG handsets, reports FairInvestment.co.uk. This prompted Fair Investment to claim that PAYG phones are top of the Christmas wish-list fo... Read the full story »
Thursday, 18th December 2008 - by David Roberts
'It is hard to pick a new phone'
The rapidly improving technologies in the mobile phone industry are making it difficult for consumers to choose a handset, it has been claimed. According to Victor Keegan of the Guardian, it is tough to select a phone because "the more you know, the less easy it is to make a choice". He noted that there are so many hi-tech units available on the market that buyers have to decide what ... Read the full story »
Thursday, 18th December 2008 - by Charles Kane
UK consumers getting the worst deal in Europe on mobile music
British consumers are getting a bad deal when it comes to mobile music, paying more to download a track than in any other European country. A study carried out for mBlox found huge inconsistencies in charging for mobile music services, and some users could end up paying as much as £9.50 or €10 for a single track, despite heavy marketing of 'low prices' in this competitive market. Also,... Read the full story »
Thursday, 18th December 2008 - by Peter White
Vodafone customers will get social networking music features
Vodafone subscribers will be able to access Last FMs social networking music features on their handsets. The radio station is introducing a new mobile application, which has "scrobbling functionality", reports 3G. Users' choice of music will be tracked in real-time and an online music profile will be created, based on their listening habits. This will enable the website to create pl... Read the full story »
Wednesday, 17th December 2008 - by David Roberts
Pictures of Motorola's 2009 line released
Photographs of four new Motorola mobile phones scheduled for release next year have been unveiled. Boy Genius Report uncovered the pictures, which show the Rush 2, Calgary, Inferno and Flash handsets. At the moment, these are only working titles and it is thought that by the time they are released, the units will have different monikers. Motorola has not been forthcoming with many details ab... Read the full story »
Wednesday, 17th December 2008 - by Charles Kane
European import tax to put 14% on the price of a mobile phone
The old school protectionist tendencies of the European Union have re-merged, theoretically to protect local jobs, as a proposal is being considered to place a 14 per cent tax on the price of a mobile phone if it can pick up TV or read a GPS signal. This a knee jerk "dumping duty" flies in the face of the World Trade Organization, and will immediately invoke criticism from Korea, the US and Japan... Read the full story »
Wednesday, 17th December 2008 - by Peter White
Accelerometer boom sparked by iPhone
The release of the iPhone is likely to spark a boom in the number of devices shipped next year with Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) accelerometers. According to iSuppli, ten per cent of all handsets on sale in 2009 will have MEMS accelerometers. This figure is up eight per cent on the number of phones with the system installed that were available last year. Accelerometers detect vibratio... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 16th December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
The Carphone Warehouse offers free PAYG phone
The Carphone Warehouse is offering customers a free Pay as you Go (PAYG) mobile phone. Subscribers to the service will get the Nokia 1650 Blue handset free of charge when they top up £30 of air-time up front. There is also the option to purchase the handset for £10 and top up £10 of talktime. For this one-off fee, users will get unlimited texts for the first 30 days they have t... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 16th December 2008 - by David Roberts
Multi-purpose phones 'could be taxed by EU'
The European Union (EU) could levy a tax on mobile phones with built-in GPS functions or television functions. According to sources, proposals might see an increase in the cost of mobile phones with a variety of features. The EU has already taxed devices such as televisions with external tuners but mobile phones are currently duty free under the Information Technology Agreement 1996. However... Read the full story »
Monday, 15th December 2008 - by David Roberts
Mobile revenues set to top $1 trillion by 2013
The annual revenues received from the global mobile market will top $1.03 trillion by 2013, it has been claimed. According to the latest edition of Informa Telecoms & Media's Global Mobile Forecasts, the number of subscriptions across the world will reach 5.3 billion by the end of 2013. This represents a growth in size by over half (56 per cent) in this period and it is expected that by 20... Read the full story »
Monday, 15th December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
Small Baltic outpost will pick its Prime Minister by phone
Some people have an awful lot of confidence in technology, but the Estonians have perhaps eclipsed the most optimistic among us by agreeing that their next election will be carried out by mobile phone.
In a way it is logical, because in Estonia everyone has a mobile phone. Estonia is a tiny Eastern European country, bordering the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland, and sat with the massive an... Read the full story »
Monday, 15th December 2008 - by Peter White
Myspace and Vodafone promise simpler travel around the web
Users have been demanding for years an effective way to travel round the internet without continually logging in and out of different web sites, and this becomes an absolute necessity when using the mobile internet, with its clunkier sign-in experience. The social networking giants have seen a chance to increase their power over PC and mobile web users by offering their own single sign-in systems,... Read the full story »
Friday, 12th December 2008 - by Peter White
RIP: Neonode goes under, and others will follow
RIP the Neonode N2, a touchscreen smartphone that long preceded the iPhone, and among its enthusiastic but sadly small cult following, set the bar for many handsets to follow. The Swedish subsidiary of Neonode, which developed the phone, filed for bankruptcy this week, and its US parent will stay alive merely by licensing the touchscreen technology. But like a string of other failed phones from s... Read the full story »
Friday, 12th December 2008 - by Peter White
HTC Touch HD released today
The release of the new HTC Touch HD is scheduled in Taiwan today (December 12th) It features a 3.8-inch WVGA screen and has been described by some experts as a strong challenger to the iPhone, according to Asia One Digital. The handset is operated by a stylus pen, which slides into the lower right corner of the phone. An Asia One Digital reviewer described the phone as feeling "sturdy and... Read the full story »
Friday, 12th December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
T-Mobile undercuts O2
T-Mobile has released the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 today and is offering it at a price that could be lower than that of O2. Users will be able to select which network they prefer, but T-Mobile is offering the handset for free when the users take out a £35 monthly contract. The company has released the phone earlier than its rival O2, which could see it take sell more handsets than O2. O2 ... Read the full story »
Friday, 12th December 2008 - by Charles Kane
Samsung unveils new luxury phone
Samsung has unveiled the latest addition to its line of handsets in the form of the Ego GT. The luxury handset is reportedly made of "liquid metal", which means that it has been constructed from a composite alloy. It will support both GSM and EDGE but users will not be able to access the internet using 3G or Wi-Fi technology. Users require two SIM cards and can take photographs wit... Read the full story »
Thursday, 11th December 2008 - by Charles Kane
Apple's app store 'has shaken up the industry'
The explosion of Apple's iPhone onto the market has revolutionised the way applications are used on mobile phones, it has been claimed. According to Karl Sharpe mobile phone expert at Mobile-Phones.co.uk, one of the main features iPhone users "rave" about is the abundance of quality applications that are available. His views are echoed by Stephen Wildstrom of BusinessWeek.com, who sa... Read the full story »
Thursday, 11th December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
Have phone, will gamble
Do we really want to idle away our free time gambling on our mobile phones? Well if you believe speakers at the recent London mobile gaming conference, what we all really want is to play Bingo on our phones according to reports from Bloomberg. You'd think that with the emergence of gaming platforms on Apple iPhone and Nokia with its N-Gage operation and the prospect in the future of a Sony PlaySt... Read the full story »
Wednesday, 10th December 2008 - by Peter White
Sony Ericsson jumps on Android bandwagon
Sony Ericsson has announced that it has joined the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), which supports the Google Android platform. Following the addition of Sony Ericsson to the OHA, a total of 14 companies recently signed up to use Android technology. By joining the group, Sony Ericsson has agreed to use Android to power handsets or contribute "significant code to the operating system", ac... Read the full story »
Wednesday, 10th December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
Over 1,000 HSPA mobile broadband devices on the market
The number of HSPA mobile broadband devices released has passed 1,000, according to a recent survey. A repport by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) revealed that 1,095 handsets are on the market. This equates to one device every day since the launch of the first HSPA mobile broadband system on October 18th 2005. Since October 2007, there have been 692 mobile broadband-enabled mobi... Read the full story »
Wednesday, 10th December 2008 - by Charles Kane
The Carphone Warehouse to sell BlackBerry Curve 8900
The Carphone Warehouse has confirmed that it is expecting launch BlackBerry Curve 8900 from RIM December 20th. It said the device will cost £391.44 on a Pay as you Go basis or for free on a £35 to £40 per monthcontract, reports MacWorld.co.uk. RIM has not been forthcoming about the UK release of the Wi-Fi enabled handset in the UK, but The Carphone Warehouse has been offering it... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 9th December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
Skyfire unveils mobile web browser
Skyfire has unveiled its new mobile phone web browser, which allows smartphone owners to view full pages on the interntet. It will enable people to look at sites in their entirety, including those with active content, such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and YouTube. The free download will work on handsets running Windows Mobile 5 or 6, as well as Symbian phones using the Nokia S60 interface includ... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 9th December 2008 - by David Roberts
Mobile internet connections 'are still underused'
Only one-quarter of mobile phone users access the internet via their handsets, according to recent research. Moneysupermarket.com conducted a study which found that of the 72 per cent of people who can connect to the web through their handsets, only 24 per cent make use of this capability. Male mobile phone owners were found to have embraced mobile broadband more than women, with the average m... Read the full story »
Monday, 8th December 2008 - by Charles Kane
Apple apps downloaded a rapid rate
The latest report from Apple revealed that iPhone users have downloaded 100 million applications from its store in the past 45 days. Apple ran adverts in both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal promoting the 10,000 applications that are now available. The company claims that the firm has reached the 300 million downloads mark, which means iPhone and iPod Touch users have downloaded... Read the full story »
Monday, 8th December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
Nokia considers Linux
Finnish mobile manufacturer Nokia has announced that it is considering using Linux in some of its new high-end smartphones. The company is usually synonymous with the Symbian operating system for mobile phones but has used Linux in the past. Its N800 internet tablet used the operating system (OS) but later stated that it was not "mature" enough for use in handsets. However, the arri... Read the full story »
Friday, 5th December 2008 - by David Roberts
Standalone devices 'offer higher standards than all-in-ones'
The convergence of portable technologies into a single handheld unit is still "some way off", according to a mobile phone expert. Karl Sharpe of mobile-phones.co.uk said that convergence has been a "dream in electronics" for years but added that the quality of multi-purposes devices is not yet high enough to meet consumer demand. He noted that single purpose or specialised u... Read the full story »
Friday, 5th December 2008 - by Charles Kane
T-Mobile cuts G1 costs
T-Mobile has cut the cost of the G1 Google phone from HTC, making it available for free on cheaper monthly mobile contracts. Previously, prospective buyers of the handset had to pay a £40 monthly fee on an 18-month contract. However, T-Mobile has reduced the cost of the mobile phone by £10, allowing consumers to acquire the phone for £30 each month. The company has stated that ... Read the full story »
Friday, 5th December 2008 - by Charles Kane
HTC buys top design company
HTC, the manufacturers of T-Mobile's G1, has purchased San Francisco-based design firm One & Co. The firm helped HTC to develop the Diamond Touch and in the past has worked with prestigious companies, such as Nike, K2, Microsoft and Sony, reports PC Advisor. It has been announced that One & Co will continue to work with its existing clients and is going to retain its name, despite HTC'... Read the full story »
Thursday, 4th December 2008 - by Stephen Glass
How do you get free internet on the bus on the way to the airport
Ever been on the way to the airport, bored and wanted to check something on the internet, perhaps download a video before a long haul flight. It's not practical over a capped cellular broadband link, but over Wi-Fi it's no problem. Trouble is you usually have no Wi-Fi connection until you get to the airport. To your rescue comes FirstGroup plc, the UK's largest bus and coach operator, which has m... Read the full story »
Thursday, 4th December 2008 - by Peter White
Google phone 'is easy to get to grips with'
The T-Mobile G1 handset, otherwise known as the Google phone, has been described as easy to operate by a reviewer. Many touchscreen devices are not as user friendly as the G1, according to 3G.co.uk. It claimed that the handset has an easy-to-navigate three-tier homepage, and described the messaging capabilities as "top-notch". The text and conversation received particular recogniti... Read the full story »
Wednesday, 3rd December 2008 - by David Roberts
Samsung Omnia tops mobile phone cases sales chart
A Swedish manufacturer of carry cases for mobile phones has placed the Samsung Omnia at the top of its November 2008 sales list. The gadget has reached the top of Krussell's list in its first month on sale, knocking the Apple iPhone 3G down to fourth place, reports Cellular News. Krussell's list is based on the sales of phones across six continents and more than 50 countries around the globe. ... Read the full story »
Wednesday, 3rd December 2008 - by Charles Kane
Nokia unveils widescreen smartphone
Nokia has unveiled its latest smartphone offering, the N97, which features a widescreen and QWERTY keyboard. The screen is 3.5 inches in size and 16:9 ratio with touchscreen capabilities to make browsing the internet easier. Its keyboard slides out and MobileMentalism.com describes it as "super-ergonomic" pointing to the E90, on which it is based, as evidence of this. The handset h... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 2nd December 2008 - by Charles Kane
That beep? Oh it just means my central heating went on at home
Nokia have gone all eco-friendly, and cut a deal with a German energy company to allow heating and energy use in the home, from the mobile phone. Instead of leaving your heating on a timer, why not switch it on when you're almost home? Increasingly as pricing on wireless broadband connections come down, more and more devices will be able to speak directly to a mobile data network as operators aro... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 2nd December 2008 - by Peter White
Nokia N97 to lead full frontal attack on iPhone, but not until June
Tilting touchscreen plus full QWERTY keyboard, check; homescreen widgets, check; 'social location services', check. Plus a massive 32GB of on-board memory, expandable with a 16GB MicroSD card. All the pieces seem to be in place for Nokia to mount a real challenge to the iPhone and other handsets that have recently put its flagship N Series into the shade. The N97 touchscreen was unveiled at the... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 2nd December 2008 - by Peter White
Nokia upgrade software on handsets
Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia has announced that it has produced a major upgrade for the software on all its handsets with Nokia Messaging. This enables consumers to use instant messaging through their mobile phones and access their email accounts from most internet service providers throughout the world. Among those it supports are Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Hotmail, G... Read the full story »
Tuesday, 2nd December 2008 - by David Roberts
Handsets based on the iPhone 'hoped to drive mobile web usage'
Mobile-phone operators are hoping that smartphones such as the iPhone and BlackBerry Storm will push use of the mobile web use, it has been claimed. Mark Newman, chief research officer at Informa Telecoms and Media, said that networks and brands are becoming increasingly aligned, reports ZDNet.co.uk. He noted that mobile operators are likely to take a "more dominant position" due to ... Read the full story »
Monday, 1st December 2008 - by David Roberts
Nokia N96 'can take a more powerful battery'
Consumers considering purchasing the Nokia N96 may be encouraged to learn that its battery can be upgraded to a more powerful model. A test conducted by Mobile News found that the smartphone, which runs on a 950mAH battery, supports a larger power source. Users can fit a 1200mAH battery unit to their phone so that it can run higher power applications for longer. When Nokia was asked why tith... Read the full story »
Monday, 1st December 2008 - by Charles Kane
Vodafone and iPhone VAT price drop: Bomb-sell, not Bombshell
Vodafone have reacted to the Chancellors' recent 17.5 to 15 per cent cut in VAT, by passing on the savings directly to the customers. The 2.5 per cent cut will be applied to the costs of handsets bought on the Vodafone network, on Pay Monthly contracts, Vodafone Pay As You Talk (PAYG), and on Vodafone's mobile broadband products. Whilst the costs of tariffs will not be advertised as such, Vodafon... Read the full story »
Monday, 1st December 2008 - by Thomas Newton
Mobiles more distracting to drivers than passengers
Talking on your mobile phone while driving can distract you far more than the most talkative passenger, according to a study from the University of Utah. Researchers observed the performances of 41 motorists as they took part in a simulated eight mile drive while chatting on a hands-free mobile phone, with a passenger and not at all. A mobile phone conversation was found to have the most detrimen... Read the full story »
Monday, 1st December 2008 - by Ellie Mears
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