Smartphone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"HTC, a Taiwan based company, is by far one of the largest PDA and Smartphone manufacturers in the world. So when last year one of my friends, Eric Lin, became HTC Global PR and Online Community Manager for HTC, I had everything at hand to give you an exclusive 40 minute plus video interview with Eric about HTC's latest products, the Touch Diamond 2, Touch Pro 2, and the Snap and the Android based Smartphone the HTC Magic."

Akihabara News had a sit-down with Eric Lin and talks about HTC's branding, markets and latest products. Nothing earth-shattering, but these make good viewing and has some decent info on the devices talked about:

• Part I (embedded above) - 6:54 mins long - covers who Eric is and the HTC brand;
• Part II (17:48 mins) talks about the Touch Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2 and the improvements made to both (and in passing possible plans for sucessors to the HTC Advantage and HTC Shift); while
• Part III (22:34 mins) shows off an early engineering sample of the HTC Magic (HTC's upcoming Android phone) and also covers the HTC Snap, along with a general discussion on upgrading possibilities to WM6.5 (bad news for Snap fans - no confirmation yet).

"Today’s Wall Street Journal has an intriguing story about Dell’s apparent plans to enter the smart phone business. It’s not clear what platform Dell will use. Apparently Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile are on the table. Maybe they’ll use both. But here’s the detail that caught my attention: The phones are being designed in an office in the Chicago area. That to me says this Dell phone will essentially be designed by former Motorola people."

It would not surprise me to see Dell hire ex-Motorola employees to design and develop their new smartphones. However there are a few industrial design firms in the Chicago area that have worked with Motorola in the past and could be working with Dell in the future. I think the real interesting part of this story is how the Dell smartphone rumors, just like the Zune Phone rumors, will not die. There has been speculation for years that Dell would jump back into the smartphone realm but to be honest I really doubt we will see this happen. With Dell's announcement last week that their sales have dropped over 16% in the past year and they will be cutting down on costs, jumping into a new already crowded market doesn't seem like the best way to recoup their lost sales.

"Dell Inc., aiming to rev up sales as its mainstay personal-computer business struggles in the recession, is preparing a move into cellphones as early as next month, said people familiar with the matter. The Round Rock, Texas, company has had a group of engineers working on the phones for more than a year from an office in the Chicago area, these people said. They produced prototypes built on Google Inc.'s Android operating system and Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile software, these people said."

The rumours have been swirling for a couple of weeks now, but not with any authority behind them. Now that the Wall Street Journal has weighed in, everyone's picking up the story - I'll leave it to you to decide just how authoritative WSJ is (subscription required to read the full article). In addition, AlleyInsider (via unwiredview.com) has a source that states a launch date of September 9 (09/09/09 - geddit?), and the device(s) will be called the mePhone. Around the web, we've got reactions from Gizmodo and CNet, which basically pick up on the WSJ story while wired.com in an earlier article has additional analysis. Can we hope for an announcement at MWC (Feb 16-19)? Not long now!

"Microsoft has made some stumbles in the mobile world, but a strategy shift made more than a year ago will soon pay dividends, the company's top Windows Mobile executive said in an interview with CNET News. Andy Lees, the executive brought over from the server unit a year ago, said that Microsoft's efforts to make sure that its mobile software could run on a wide range of phones resulted in an operating system that failed to take advantage of advances in hardware. "We aimed to go for a lower common denominator," Lees said. Microsoft was also limited by the origins of Windows Mobile, which was developed to power handheld computers that neither connected to a network nor handled voice. "We started out when we were in PDAs (personal digital assistants) and then a phone got strapped to the back of the PDA," Lees said. The company also failed to recognize that phones--even those that were used for business--were still as much personal as they were professional."

The first four paragraphs of the CNET/ZDNet article accurately highlight some of Windows Mobile's flaws, and why the once-venerable smartphone operating system, at times, appears feeble next to relative newcomers, iPhone OS, Android, and webOS. But it's not all doom and gloom for Microsoft. According to Andy Lees, we'll see some breakthroughs over the next 18 months, with the first set expected as soon as mid-February as Microsoft takes the stage at MWC. Lees hinted at an increased reliance on the cloud, the need to improve the core of Windows Mobile in order to keep up with the competition, and a closer relationship with OEMs (which we can only hope translates to more frequent and more consistent updates for all consumers).

Is this the right approach? Sound off in this thread.

"Recently it was revealed that the newest version of Microsoft's mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 7.0, would be delayed until as late as 2010. The updated version, which the company's partners had reportedly been hoping to have by early 2009, was aimed at giving Microsoft a bigger presence on the mobile stage. But delay or no delay, I don't think it would have been enough. With competition from a resurgent BlackBerry platform from Research in Motion, Apple's iPhone and most importantly, the Google Phone platform (I will analyze Nokia's Symbian platform in a separate post at a later date), Microsoft's mobile platform is facing its toughest environment yet."

Despite the title of this article I ran across on CNN today, Why Windows Mobile is in Trouble, it is not the usual doom and gloom scenario that appears to be popping up in the Internet consciousness as of late regarding Windows Mobile. Om Malik goes on to write a fantastic piece on how Microsoft is now more than ever fighting an uphill battle in the mobile handset world in a means to stay relevant in the consumers' eyes, especially with the release of Google's new Android platform which Malik describes as "Windows Mobile done right". This article also quoted VentureBeat in stating that we might not even see new Windows Mobile handsets until 2010! Read more...

"When Google, T-Mobile, and HTC unveiled the first smartphone running Android last month, Google's many fans were excited by the idea of a mobile phone tied to the online services they enjoy. Other were less enthusiastic, pointing out that Android is an untried operating system and the T-Mobile G1 is only going to be available from a single, relatively small wireless provider in the United States. Nevertheless, there are enough optimists that 1.5 million G1's have already been pre-ordered, sight unseen. And this number would be higher, except that T-Mobile has sold all the devices it has available to ship by October 22, the launch day."

This number doesn't surprise me at all. As a T-Mobile customer, pre-ordering this handset is a pretty big deal. It is the only handset in who knows how long where you have been able to get the subsidized price while still in contract! Usually you have to wait 11 months out of a 12 month contract or 21 months out of a 24 month contract before you can get the discounted price off a device. T-Mobile has definitely did their customers a solid here, and at the same point managed to convince up to 1.5 million people to sign up for their data plan, which I'm sure they make a killing on. Heck, even I have been considering pre-ordering a T-Mobile G1 until I can scrub up close to $700 to buy a HTC Touch from Best Buy or eXpansys!

"T-Mobile G1 manufacturer HTC plans to develop more handsets based on Android. It maintain this will not affect its Windows Mobile business - the Google platform and Microsoft's are 'complementary', it claimed. According to a report by DigiTimes, John Wang, Chief Marketing Officer at HTC, said that both systems have their merits, and so handsets based on either platform will appeal to different users."

I'm sure we can all agree that the only way this newest HTC Android enabled device is 'complementary' to Windows Mobile is due to how ugly it is and the wonders it will do for pushing users to the new Touch family of devices! All kidding aside, I have to agree with HTC on this one. Google Android and Windows Mobile are not even in the same league. Both platforms target completely different groups of consumers and where the Windows Mobile camp has been screaming at the top of their lungs for years hoping Microsoft will release a more consumer friendly version of their flagship mobile operating system, nothing has come of it at all. Even being as ugly as the T-Mobile G1 is, it will still sell a lot of handsets. This device is target to the general consumer and doesn't focus on the business aspect and because of that I can't take three steps outside of my front door without hearing someone talking about the T-Mobile G1 or having them ask me about it.

HTC will now be able to create new super sleek consumer friendly devices and at the same time, continue to cater to the enterprise and enthusiast crowd. This is the best of both worlds for HTC. Hopefully this will be a good swift kick in the posterior to make Microsoft hustle to bring us something really cool in Windows Mobile 7.

It's official. The Android-powered G1 will be hitting T-Mobile stores across the US on October 22, the UK in November, and elsewhere in Europe in early 2009. Being a Windows Mobile site, we'll spare you the fine details. Head over to the T-Mobile G1 site, and check out the videos after the break, if you're eager to learn more.

On to other matters: Android is one capable platform, and undoubtedly, one that users of Google services will love. Combined with Apple's continuing efforts to enhance the capabilities of the iPhone and Mac OS X, and the growth of heavyweights such as BlackBerry and Symbian, where does this leave Windows Mobile? Over the past year, we've perused multiple comments from readers suggesting that the platform is becoming increasingly stagnant and that efforts by HTC, Samsung, and other manufacturers to improve the usability of the platform are merely a band-aid solution.

As a result, you may have already jumped ship or are considering it. If you're in that group, just what would Microsoft have to do to Windows Mobile to win you back? If you're not in that group, what is it about Windows Mobile that's keeping you glued to the platform? The mobile war is on. And it's you, the consumer, who dictates the winners and the losers. Tell us what makes, or would make, Windows Mobile a winner for you.

Read more...

"Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that the Amazon MP3 music store will be pre-loaded on the T-Mobile G1, the world's first Android(TM)-powered mobile phone in partnership with Google. T-Mobile G1 users can search, download, buy and play music from Amazon MP3, which offers over 6 million DRM-free MP3 songs from all four major music labels and thousands of independent labels that can be played on virtually any hardware device and managed with any music software. "Amazon wants to make it easy for customers to discover, buy, and play their music wherever they happen to be--whether sitting at their computer or on the go," said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President for Digital Music and Video. "We look forward to the release of the T-Mobile G1, which will put Amazon MP3's vast selection of low-priced DRM-free music at the fingertips of even more customers in more places." The T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with an Amazon MP3 application, giving customers a phone-optimized version of the Amazon MP3 store and the immediate gratification of buying and playing their favorite music. Amazon MP3 has worked to make its DRM-free music available through numerous products and services, such as Pandora MySpace Music, and now Android and T-Mobile G1."

The mobile music downloads market just got a lot more interesting with Amazon.com announcing the availability of the Amazon MP3 music store on the Android-powered T-Mobile G1. Its biggest rival is, of course, the iTunes Store on the iPhone and iPod touch, followed by the Zune Marketplace on the Zune. However, Amazon MP3 trumps one or both in a few areas: (a) all tracks are DRM-free; (b) most content is better-priced; and (c) tracks can be browsed, previewed, and purchased on the T-Mobile network, and later downloaded via Wi-Fi.

What can Microsoft and Apple conjure to match or beat this?

After months of teasing via product demos and leaks, Android is finally coming to a T-Mobile USA store near you in the form of the G1. At 10:30 AM (EDT), the G1 press conference will kick off in New York; be sure to tune in at that time, if you're interested in seeing what's unveiled. Can't make it? Don't worry - we'll be covering Android and the G1 from top to bottom right after the press conference.

So, just how will Android impact Windows Mobile? We'll soon find out.

T-Mobile G1 Press Conference (September 23, 2008):

• GMT -7 (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver): 7:30 AM
• GMT -5 (Chicago, Houston): 9:30 AM
• GMT -4 (New York, Washington, D.C.): 10:30 AM
• GMT +1 (London): 3:30 PM
• GMT +2 (Paris, Berlin): 4:30 PM
• GMT +4 (Moscow): 6:30 PM
• GMT +8 (Perth, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong): 10:30 PM
• GMT +9 (Tokyo): 11:30 PM
• GMT +10 (Sydney, Melbourne): 12:30 AM (September 24)
• GMT +12 (Auckland): 2:30 AM (September 24)

"An invitation sent out on Tuesday by T-Mobile asks the media to gather next week to see the first phone built on the Android mobile platform, but will also pit Apple and Google against each other -- if reluctantly."

You mean they're actually going to release this eternally leaked device sometime? Whoa! So press conference next week, and rumors of late October release. Perhaps Android will finally make it out of rumor and into consumer's hands.

As I am sure all of you have heard the release of Google's open source operating system is right around the corner. As Jon posted yesterday, T-Mobile is having some weird special event pre-sale to kick off the release of the first Android device, the HTC Dream, and T-Mobile subscribers can expect to pick up this new handset for a mere $150USD. This is an amazing price for a touch screen smartphone.

As some of you have probably heard me say before, as of the last Android SDK release, the operating system felt more like a collection of stuff rather than a useable mobile platform. With the recent release of the Android SDK we can see a lot of that "hobbyist" feel that usually accompanies most things open source start to peel away from the device as Google shapes Android up to a viable iPhone killer. Read more...

"We've been hearing a lot about Android recently, from delayed release dates to a video claiming to depict the fabled HTC Dream in action. What we haven't heard, however, is anything specific about the public availability of the first Android devices to hit the streets. HTC and T-Mobile have been promising an Android-based device by the end of this year, but haven't gone any further into the specifics. TmoNews is now claiming that the HTC Dream will, in fact, be the first Android device to reach our hands. The site is reporting that T-Mobile will begin offering the Dream via a special promotional pre-sale event beginning September 17th, which is just over a month from now. The device will reportedly cost $150 for current T-Mobile subscribers, though it could sell for as much as $399 when it goes on sale to the general public some time later."

Android-based phones have been rumored almost since the day the internet started (or at least it seems that way), now it looks like one may be had by members of the carrier that manages to continually "ride the short bus" - T-Mobile. But at least it should support 3G data, and have a 3 MP camera as well as that groovy android OS. Anyone thinking of checking one out?

"The word from Half Moon bay is that Google’s 'GPhone' cell-phones, being built by various handset makers, could be delayed from an end-of-year introduction to sometime later in the first quarter of next year, according to Trip Chowdhry of Global Equities Research. Among the issues causing the apparent delay are the following: Handset maker High Tech Computer (HTCKF) is 'having structural problems to incorporate Google’s demanded feature set'; HTC is 'demanding a guaranteed minimum revenue surety from Google', from which Chowdhry concludes that 'Probably HTC does not think there will be enough demand for GPhone.'"

When Google's operating system was first announced I was incredibly excited. The more competition there is, the better the products get for us consumers over time. Though after taking some time to play with Google's Developer kit every few months since it was released, I became less and less impressed with it over time. Sure it does some cool things but just like Google's Internet presence, Google's operating system feels like bits and chunks services thrown together into a big pile of Beta. This might work for the web but I cannot see this working for the average consumer. It seems as though the Powers That Be at HTC are starting to have their doubts about Google's operating system as well, but their doubts come from a different problem that I never even thought about; will there really be that much of a demand for a Google phone? What do you guys think?

"As our exclusive demo videos show, the Android team have been putting in some long hours bringing the user interface up to the standard people expect. The iPhone sets the bar high, and leftfield rivals like Samsung’s TouchWiz GUI really pile on the pressure. What they’ve given us is, at first glance, a blend of the successful parts of each of those, together with a dose of Google’s own minimalist aesthetic. Hopefully you’ll agree with us, once you’ve looked through the photos and watched the video, that the design is a winner."



Android has certainly come a long way! Just check out the video above, and the rest of the eye-candy over at Android Community. There's a level of innovation here that we've not seen in the mobile industry for quite some time, and it should offer some healthy competition for Microsoft, Apple, and all the other major players.

Is there anything in the demos that's tickled your fancy? Perhaps the pattern-based unlock system or Street View with a built-in compass? Drop your thoughts in this thread.

"Win or lose, all the bidders wrapped up in the so-called Auction 73 for precious spectrum in the 700MHz band are still under tight FCC-imposed gag orders in an effort to stem any funny business, but it looks like they're at least ready to come out and dip their toes into the PR waters. Verizon, the biggest winner having claimed the big, wide Block C prize, says that it's "pleased with [its] auction results"... and that they're now better positioned to lead the way with new services and devices. Meanwhile, AT&T seems happy with its purchase, too -- but then again, it's not like any of these companies would be issuing immediate statements expressing buyer's remorse, we guess."



Verizon and AT&T both made out like bandits in the recent FCC spectrum auction. As noted above, Verizon came out on top with the coveted C Block and following behind with nothing but smiles was AT&T, which completed successful bids for the B Block. Along with AT&T's recent purchase of Aloha Partners, the largest owner of the 700MHz spectrum, AT&T can now boast that it covers over 95% of the U.S. population! The real winner of this auction though is Google. Even though Google did not come out of this auction with a pocket full of spectrum, it is safe to assume they accomplished exactly what they set out to do - force the bids high enough to ensure that the 700Mhz spectrum will be open to all devices, as well as keep over $4.6 billion dollars in the bank, and in their shareholders’ pockets.

"Despite all of the very interesting speculation over the last few months, we're not announcing a Gphone. However, we think what we are announcing -- the Open Handset Alliance and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone. In fact, through the joint efforts of the members of the Open Handset Alliance, we hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today. Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications -- all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation. We have developed Android in cooperation with the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile. Through deep partnerships with carriers, device manufacturers, developers, and others, we hope to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform. We think the result will ultimately be a better and faster pace for innovation that will give mobile customers unforeseen applications and capabilities."

[Yup, we're a bit late covering this, it's been a hectic week...]

My first impression is "So...that's it?". I had thought the announcement was going to be about a baked project, something coming to market soon...but this seems to be more about Google announcing their intentions to enter the market. It's hard to build a mobile OS. It's hard to get consensus amongst multiple partners. I think one reason the iPhone turned out pretty well is that it was one company working with one carrier on one vision. Windows Mobile has gotten to where it is through revision after revision, working with multiple carriers around the world.

Will Google be able to do the same, only with a much bigger group of partners? I'm also not convinced that Google can create an OS, or the applications needed to sit on top of the OS, and have it be as good as it needs to be. Google excels at Web-based services, but their applications (with the exception of perhaps the toolbar) tend to be much less impressive. I guess we'll see - one things for sure, Microsoft does best when they feel threatened, so I welcome Google's entry into this market for the way it will motivate Microsoft on one side, with Apple on the other.

More information can be found in the official press release. And perhaps the HTC Omni is the type of phone we'll see Android running on?

"In what could be a key move in its nascent wireless strategy, Google has quietly acquired startup Android Inc., BusinessWeek Online has learned. The 22-month-old startup, based in Palo Alto, Calif., brings to Google a wealth of talent, including co-founder Andy Rubin, who previously started mobile-device maker Danger Inc. Android (www.android.com) has operated under a cloak of secrecy, so little is known about its work. Rubin & Co. have sparingly described the outfit as making software for mobile phones, providing little more detail than that. One source familiar with the company says Android had at one point been working on a software operating system for cell phones."

I wonder what Google is up to? Could we really be looking at a new mobile device operating system, Thoughts?