Smartphone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"Outlook is where a large percentage of our users spend the majority of their work time. It's critical that the application provide the experience that they expect and need to get their work done. Outlook 2007 SP2 is 26 percent faster than its predecessor on a set of common e-mail tasks and is even faster, 35 percent, with larger mailboxes. Users will experience considerable responsiveness and speed improvements on common, day-to-day operations like launching, synchronizing and searching. We were excited to be able to act on as much of the customer feedback as we did."

Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Office 2007 has gone gold. Microsoft Update will deliver it to customers no sooner than three months from now, but if waiting isn't part of your game plan, the standalone installer, which weighs in at 290.2 MB, is now yours to grab and install. SP2 packs a plethora of improvements, with a considerable number of them focused on every Windows Mobile device's best buddy, Outlook.

"As I mentioned in my previous post containing the 10 most visited and most discussed blog posts, HTC devices and the Apple iPhone were very popular topics in 2007. I wanted to follow that post up by taking a closer look at the mobile device hardware I had a chance to use in 2007 and some of the key announcements and other news related to mobile devices."

Matthew Miller is taking a look back at the mobile landscape in 2007. Check out his post to find out which device got the title of "Device that surprised me," and which device won this title "Best Windows Mobile device of the year." The iPhone definitely was the most talked gadget of the year, but I think it was the Nokia N95 that showed all the smart phones what a smart phone should be like. HTC Touch and Shadow did manage to bring some attention to the Windows Mobile camp, but other than these two devices it seemed like a dull year for Windows Mobile. So what do you think was the most interesting (or annoying) thing about 2007. I am thankful for the free upgrade to the Windows Mobile 6 for my Dash, which is allowing me to wait for a QWERTY+3G+GPS+WiFi capable device.

"Microsoft Corp. today announced revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2007, a 13% increase over the same period of the prior year. Diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $0.31. Excluding $0.08 of previously announced charges primarily related to Xbox 360� warranty policies, earnings per share would have been $0.39, an increase of 26% over the same period of the prior year when also adjusted for certain items. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007, Microsoft announced revenue of $51.12 billion, a 15% increase over the prior year. Diluted earnings per share for the year were $1.42. Excluding certain items, earnings per share would have been $1.49, an increase of 17% over the prior year when also adjusted for certain items. $31 billion in cash, or approximately 175% of operating cash flow, was returned to shareholders during the year through share buybacks and dividends. ... EDD revenue increased primarily due to increased Xbox 360 console sales, Zune sales, and increased Xbox accessories and video game sales. We shipped 6.6 million Xbox 360 consoles during fiscal year 2007 as compared to 5.0 million consoles during fiscal year 2006. Xbox and PC game revenue increased $650 million or 19% as a result of the increased number of Xbox 360 platform sales, partially offset by decreased sales of the first generation Xbox console and related accessories and video games. Zune, consumer hardware and software, and TV platforms revenue increased $539 million or 65%. Mobile and Embedded Devices revenue increased $138 million or 28% driven by sales growth in Windows Mobile software and Windows Embedded operating systems. EDD operating loss increased primarily due to the $1.06 billion Xbox 360 charge and Zune launch-related expenses."



Microsoft may not be the darling of the folks at the Wall Street, but it does perform well and has the strength to absorb losses like the recent Xbox 360 hardware failure/warranty coverage fiasco. Ever since the Mobile and Embedded Division merger with the Entertainment Divisions, we have not been getting the kind of depth in the earnings report regarding Windows Mobile sales and activities that we used to get before. Hopefully that will change in the coming quarterly reports; after all we would like to know how Windows Mobile is doing compared to its competitors especially the iPhone. ;-) That said, we did recently receive an email from the Microsoft PR firm with some additional information:

The ball has started to roll on the 2007 Best Software Awards. Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine have compiled an extensive list of applications and they need your help to make sure it's as accurate as possible. So head on over and provide your thoughts on the nominations list. The judges will begin their work next month and the winners will be announced later this year. Remember, your favourite application can't win if the judge's don't know about it. So help make the nominations list shine. Oh, and I would like to hear what everyone has as their top application. What's at the top of your install list when you get a new Smartphone?

"According to sources at Microsoft Taiwan, additional 20 new Windows Mobile 6-based handsets (most likely most of them smartphones) are expected to be launched before the end of this year. With the recently launched Windows Mobile 6 platform, Microsoft's share in the global mobile devices market is expected to double to 20 % in 2008 from the current level of 10 %, said Eddie Wu, managing director of Microsoft ODM embedded devices, Asia. While most of the above mentioned devices might come from HTC, some other devices can be expected from other manufactures like Asustek, Gigabyte, E-Ten, Quanta, Arima, HP and Samsung sources told DigiTimes."



So, with 20 new devices coming out, what would you like to see? Something like the iPhone perhaps? Something all together different? The one I'm still drooling over is the Asus m530w. I'd love a 3G device with WiFi, a 400mhz processor, and a 2MP camera. But most of all I'd like a front facing video camera so we can video conference here in the US. So what are you hoping for? What would your perfect device be?

"Shipments of Windows Mobile PDAs grew 64 percent in the first quarter of 2007, and this strong growth helped propel worldwide PDA shipments to 5.1 million units, a 39.7 percent increase from the first quarter of 2006, according to recently released report by Gartner, Inc.
Research In Motion continued to lead the PDA market, but its product mix has shifted toward smartphones, with the BlackBerry Pearl representing about 55 percent of RIM's total shipments in the first quarter of 2007. As such, RIM's PDA shipments were essentially flat."



I've had a Blackberry and a Nokia smartphone and I've sold them both. I'm a Windows Mobile fan all the way so it's no surprise to me that there has been such a significant sales jump in the first quarter of 2007. According to the article at the Unwired, Windows Mobile devices have sold 1.2 million more units than this same time last year. I'm sure the Q, Dash, Blackjack, and the Vox have helped considerably. :D

"Apple has the iPhone, Microsoft has the ... oFone? No, not really, but the company clearly put a lot of effort into a spoof video depicting such a phone -- a fold-out device with circular text display and variable number placement, depending on user preference. It also doubles as a boomerang. Microsoft showed the video during a keynote address by Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, at the company's Mobile and Embedded Developer Conference this morning. Some current and former Windows Mobile team members make appearances in the spoof."



The O-Phone puts the HTC Vox design to shame. This was not mentioned in the article but according to our sources the O-Phone not only entertains the mobile user as a boomerang, but the boomerang action charges the handset's battery as well. :lol: Robbie Bach introduced this fictional multi-talented smart phone during the MEDC 2007 keynote speech, during which he talked about "connected experiences" and gave various real/practical demonstrations. You can catch the MEDC 2007 highlights and action over here. If you are currently at the MEDC then we would like to hear from you; drop us a note with your views and comments.

"Now some of you may be thinking, �is this the same old FlexMail that caused me all those problems a year ago?� Well, it is the same app, but it�s a new version, has added Windows Mobile Smartphone support, and has undergone a ton of testing over the last several months. In fact, all of the testing for FlexMail is the reason this article has trailed so far behind the first part."



Once again a new version of FlexMail appears. Once again I download it in the hopes that this will be the version that really works. Once again I am disappointed. Once installed I was suddenly unable to send any text messages. FlexMail removed, problem solved. I honestly didn't bother to go any further than that. If you give it a try please let us know your experience.

Update: SMS issue solved in latest build. :)

"The Mobile and Embedded Developer Conference (MEDC) is the premiere developer, IT Pro, and business decision maker conference for Windows Mobile and Embedded Technologies kicking off on April 30 in Las Vegas. If you want to attend we've come up with a great offer.... $500 off the regular registration fee! Just tell them Derek Sent You!"



MEDC is an annual event tailored for the developers, IT professionals and business professionals. To learn more about it check out the MEDC 2006 highlights over here. To register and to learn more about the conference, click over here. And don't forget to enter the RSVP code "DEREKSENTYOU" to receive the $500 discount. This offer is only available until April 13th, so hurry. Regardless of whether you are attending the event or not, I would recommend everyone to tune into the MEDC 2007 Blog.

"And one more from Samsung! During a press event yesterday, Samsung Electronics Germany unveiled, that it plans to release 6 new (and so far unanounced) Windows Mobile 6 smartphones in 2007! According to Samsung Manager Norbert Strixner, "the classical German mobile phone market has finally reached a kind of market saturation. However, Samsung sees an increasing demand for smartphones in the prosumer and even consumer segment"."

I'm beginning to think there are almost too many Smartphones coming out. Yes choice is good. I must say though, my like of HTC devices is waning. Using the BlackJack for quite some time now has reminded me of how solid Samsung devices are. I still remember how well made the old i600 was. I am looking forward to seeing what Samsung will be offering up. There is some ambiguity though as to whether these will be Standard or Professional devices. :roll:

"Notepad Mobile, by Orneta is a simple and easy to use text editor and viewer for Windows Mobile based devices. You can create, view and edit simple or complex documents with ease. Notepad Mobile supports any type of text file, from simple notes and memos, to complex HTML and XML documents. Winner of the Pocket PC Magazine Best Software Awards 2003."



I've been using Orneta applications for a long time and they are always solid. Notepad has been one of my favorites and here is the latest incarnation of it. There is a trial and it can be had for $14.99 at our affiliate store.

I'll keep this short and sweet since there's a lot to do today, so I'll just quote myself and encourage everyone to stop by the CTIA 2007 blog:

"Hi there, welcome to the CTIA 2007 Event Blog. I'm your host, Jason Dunn, better known for covering the world of Windows Mobile on Pocket PC Thoughts and Smartphone Thoughts. Microsoft has hired me to cover CTIA 2007 from a blogger's point of view: focusing in on everything that's new and interesting at CTIA as it relates to Windows Mobile. While Windows Mobile 6 was officially announced at 3GSM in February, CTIA 2007 is the first North American conference where Windows Mobile 6 is being talked about, so I expect to see a few new things that we didn't learn about at 3GSM. North American carriers, software developers, and hardware manufacturers will be making announcements at CTIA, and I'll try to cover them all right here on this blog.

I'm hoping to combine the usual text write-ups with some video coverage of interesting interviews, and perhaps even a few live product demonstrations. And while I'm going to focus primarily on Windows Mobile news, if I run across something in the mobility space that's so huge it will have an impact on the Windows Mobile world, I'll definitely be writing about it. This is your one stop-spot for CTIA 2007 event coverage, so be sure to stop by often."

"High Tech Computer Corp. (TAIEX: 2498) today announced its total revenues for February 2007 were NT$ 6,599 million, a decrease of 15.58% YoY, while total revenues from January to February 2007 were NT$ 15,005 million, a decrease of 3.36% YoY. The reasons for February 2007 lower revenues were lower sales momentum in the US region, low market visibility and decreased work hours in February (Chinese New Year). However, the 1Q07 revenue will close to the sales revenues of Q106 and the 1Q07 net profit margin before tax will maintain the same level of the same period of last year."



Is HTC having a difficulty maintaining its stellar sales momentum? Is its decision to brand and market the phones all by itself hurting it? i-mate is no longer buying units from HTC. Carrier sales is tough because of lower profit margins, even Motorola was recently affected by it. On top of all this, folks are delaying their purchase and waiting for the Windows Mobile 6 models. Lots of factors that can be attributed to this huge drop in total revenue. Given the products in the HTC pipeline, I am sure that they will be able to recover from this. At the same time, I would like to add this, HTC is now competing with the likes of Motorola, Samsung and LG for the carrier handset market. They cannot just keep churning out new models. They will have to build and maintain relationships with the carriers, which is not easy.

"Are you going be there? I am! We are planning some amazing Windows Mobile 6 sessions as well as the : "Windows Mobile Extravaganza" Internally in Microsoft we run a cccraaaazzzyyy session called the Mobility Smackdown and we are bringing that to Tech-Ed 2007! They have never unleashed the Smackdown team on the Public (probably because we'd get fired ;) ) This session combines the coolest Windows Mobile devices with the most amazing apps built for Windows Mobile with more free swag than you ever seen at any event! Of course I'll also be delivering a bunch of sessions around the serious stuff (I have a session entitled - the Top 10 Security Objections to Windows Mobile (and how to overcome them)). Make sure you register for Tech-Ed NOW! Last years event sold out weeks before and I had a lot of customers dissapointed who wanted to attend but left it too late :( Register early to avoid dissapointment!"



When it comes to mobility Microsoft finally has all the ducks in a row. The Windows Mobile platform has a great feature set, comes in different form-factors from multiple vendors/carriers and they are affordable. The Exchange Server complements the Windows Mobile platform, and it addresses a lot of administration and security concerns. Covering all this is one of the best developer platform in the industry. So it is no wonder that Microsoft is planning on a session called the Mobility Smackdown. 8) Check out this Web site for more information about Tech-Ed 2007.

"Explorer Mobile, by Orneta is a simple and easy to use file viewer and manager for Windows Mobile based devices. Browse, Open, Copy, Move, Rename and Delete files with ease -- and more! -- without the need for a personal computer."



Is this the beginning of a trend? Application developers racing to get out WM6 software? I hope so. Last time with WM5 it started out looking good and then we ended up waiting almost a year for some things. Nice to see this available now for the 10 people who actually have WM6 devices already. It even works on the lowly Professional devices.

"Motorola made a dizzying number of announcements here at 3GSM this year, although the only new phone clearly headed for US shores is the awkwardly-named "MOTOQ q9". Since it is so awkwardly named, we're just going to call it the "Q9", Motorola brand police(TM) be damned. Since we are talking about the successor to the original Q, (the Q1, if you will,) Q2 would have probably been the most sensible name. Perhaps Motorola thought it would be too freaky to say 'the Q2 is coming in Q2.'"



Phone Scoop has some fantastic photos that were taken during their coverage of 3GSM this year. During Part 1 of their coverage we get a glimpse of two upcoming Windows Mobile Standard handsets, the HTC Vox and Motorola Q q9. Phone Scoop was also nice enough to give us a 5:18 video preview of Windows Mobile 6 in action! It is times like these that I almost wish I owned a T-Mobile Dash. ;)

"High Tech Computer Corp. (TAIEX: 2498; "HTC"), the world's leading provider of Microsoft Windows Mobile powered devices, today launched three smart devices from its Q1 2007 product portfolio at the 3GSM World Congress Conference and Exhibition. These ground-breaking devices showcase the latest in mobile convergence for both consumer and enterprise audiences and epitomize HTC's commitment to developing innovative, appealing and category-defining form factors and applications."



It feels as though there were more Windows Mobile Standard phones on HTC's roadmap in 2006 than there are this year. Hopefully that changes in the near future or HTC will be spending the rest of the year playing catch-up to other companies such as Toshiba and Lenovo. :)

"High Tech Computer (HTC) plans to introduce 12 new handsets in 2007 to help expand its business, according to company sources. But the company also expects its revenues for the first quarter of this year to decline slightly from the fourth quarter of last year due to seasonal factors, said the sources. Additionally, the company will continue to stick to its current policy by cooperating simultaneously with telecom services providers, ODMs and the channel in order to sustain its growth, stated company CEO Peter Chou late last week. HTC will also continue to expand the list of its global clients by strengthening its presence in emerging markets, including Latin America, the Middle East and India, Chou added."



The news article does not provide much details but 12 devices is a lot. Wish they had at least mentioned how many are going to be Windows Mobile Smartphones. :wink: This year we will see devices with Crossbow, the update to Windows Mobile 5.0; which means that out of the 12 devices slated for this year a big chunk will get released probably in the third or fourth quarter. Based on the info we have at this time, I am interested in the HTC and I know that the HTC Cavalier is the other favourite. What do you have your eyes on at this time?

"Mobile and Embedded DevCon (MEDC) is a global connected community of events focused on collaborative learning, shared knowledge and practical hands-on development featuring more than 200 technical sessions and labs. This annual event is tailored for the developers, IT professionals and business professionals who are looking to innovate and scale their mobile and or embedded development investments, applications and solutions."



MEDC 2007 will take place at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas between May 1st and 3rd 2007 with pre-conference tutorials on April 30th. You can register now to take advantage of the early-bird pricing and save $400 off the registration price. The details of the talk tracks for this conference are not available but you can be sure that there will be plenty of application development sessions and plenty of fun, last year the Sumobots were a big hit. Also, there is a possibility that the next version of Windows Mobile, the Crossbow, might be announced at this conference.

We already knew about the Cavalier and the vox. However, this new flip-phone styled device is something that should generate a significant amount of interest. There's not much known about this device - not even a code name to call it by. :( We do know that it will sport a full wireless arsenal along with GPS. With any luck, it might even come in pink too. ;)



Check out the roadmap over at hpc.ru. There's lots of information about Pocket PC devices too. Are you looking forward to HTC in 2007?