All posts tagged "market"
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Posted by Kris Kumar in "SOFTWARE" @ 06:00 AM
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/news/article_1282195.php/Indian_firm_takes_aim_at_instant_messaging_market
"Online chatting in cyberspace is a hugely popular form of communication, especially among the young, and an Indian firm has major ambitions in this sector by cashing in on mobile instant messaging (IM). Geodesic Information Systems Limited has just released the latest version 4.0 of its Mundu IM software, a development that drew attention from California, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and elsewhere. It provides comprehensive mobile IM with the ability to 'cross-conference' across a wide range of otherwise-segregated online chat tools like AIM, MSN, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk and Yahoo. A user can be logged into any or all of these services at the same time. The product links all these together on a single user-friendly interface. But more than that, it takes chat to mobile phones, instead of keeping it restricted to computers alone."
Mundu IM V4 is loaded with features. It offers impressive interoperability across all the popular IM platforms - AIM, Yahoo, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber, from a single easy-to-use interface. If you IM a lot, and have multiple IM accounts then it is time to consolidate them. For more information or to purchase mundu IM V4 click here. Trial version is also available. We would like to hear from our readers about this IM software.
Update: Jason has managed to shoot a nice video of the mundu IM V4 in action at the CTIA 2007. Head over to his CTIA Blog to check it out. :)
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Posted by Mike Temporale in "THE COMPETITION" @ 11:15 AM
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/03/nokia_continues.html;jsessionid=0I14GTOELNPYMQSNDLQCKH0CJUNN2JVN
"Even though Nokia maintained its overall lead with 56.4% of the worldwide market for smartphones, ABI Research is predicting that the Symbian-based share of smartphones will decline in coming years. Nokia sold 40 million Series 60- and Series 80-based smartphones in 2006, up from 28.5 million in 2005. That's a 44.5% increase in sales. New devices like the value-priced E61/62 helped lift Nokia far and away from its closest competitor, Motorola, which claimed only 8.5% of the smartphone market on sales of 6.03 million units (mostly Q's and the Chinese market MING)."
The article goes on to mention that they expect Nokia's market share to drop to 46% by 2012 due to increased presure from other operating systems. I wish they had included numbers showing how this relates to last year. Did Nokia/Symbian's share of the market decline? It would be cool to see how the market shares have changed over the last 3-4 years.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 12:00 PM
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20061213PR201.html
"Mobile phones have emerged as the single largest market for image sensors, surpassing the entire consumer electronics segment to become the main application for both charge-coupled device (CCD) and CMOS image sensors, according to iSuppli...In 2005, 199 million image sensors were sold for all other applications outside of mobile phones, including digital still cameras. By 2010, this disparity will grow more, with nearly 1.2 billion sensors shipped for mobile handsets and slightly less than 350 million shipped for other applications."
Even though they keep putting the cameras in the phones, the usage isn't all that high. The article points out lower usage because of image quality and ease of use. I find ease of use to be the big one in my book. Usually the camera in my phone gets activated by accident because the button is usually located in a ridiculous place. Once you have the picture taken, if you really wanted to take one, you then have to figure out how to get it someplace. I have found myself fumbling though menus and finally just looking for the "exit" on the menu. You are all laughing now because there is no "exit" in any phone camera menu is there?
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Posted by Kris Kumar in "NEWS" @ 09:30 AM
http://news.com.com/Ballmer+discusses+life+after+Vista+-+page+3/2008-1012_3-6141081-3.html?tag=st.num
"Ballmer: Let's say the PC market is roughly 200 million units these days, and let's say the PC market goes great guns over the next several years and grows 14 percent or 15 percent a year. Those are big numbers. You go great guns, China booms. You get maybe over 400 million in a few years. The cell phone market is already a billion units a year, and the truth of the matter is that what I'll call "smart devices," as a percentage, the total is rising dramatically. When it comes to smart devices, there really aren't that many players. Basically, you have Nokia/Symbian, you've got us. Actually, I'll be so bold as to say that the two of us stand out in that area. Then you have some guys who are more niche players--Palm is more of a niche player, (Research In Motion's) BlackBerry is more of a niche player, those Linux devices from Motorola, particularly in China, (mean it) is more of a niche player."
While I do agree with the comment that Microsoft and Nokia are currently the only two real players in the smart phone market, but I think it is a bit too early to start gloating about the success. One of the so called niche player, BlackBerry, is trying to broaden its market with Pearl. And I don't think it is a good idea to rule out Linux. Most of the current success for Windows Mobile is due to HTC; it is only recently that Motorola and Samsung have released popular products based on Windows Mobile. The competition has only begun.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Posted by Kris Kumar in "HARDWARE" @ 05:30 AM
http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/ASUS-to-become-a-big-player-in-the-smartphone-market-article-a_1637.html
"A few days ago, we reported about the Vodafone VDA IV smartphone, manufactured by ASUSTeK, Taiwan. What is more interesting is that the FCC just approved an improved version of the smartphone, adding a duo of digital cameras (it is 3G-capable phone) and Wi-Fi wireless protocol. Targeted to O2, the new O2 Graphite will be part of the carrier�s line of smartphones, which was mainly composed by HTC devices, a Taiwanese brand, leader in Windows Mobile based phones. Keeping identical design to the Vodafone phone, the Graphite will be more advanced than the VDA IV; it runs on Intel PXA270, 416 MHz processor with Intel Hermon modem. XDA Graphite has the same 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM and is tri-band GSM plus single-band UMTS, but the Bluetooth is now v2.0 instead of 1.2."
Nanko Roussev over at phoneArena.com has a very good point. Is ASUSTek the new HTC? Over the weekend we had mentioned that the FCC has cleared an ASUS device for Vodafone called the
VDA IV. Unlike HTC that launches one device at a time and then changes the styling to re-brand the device for each carrier/vendor, ASUS has launched two very identical looking handsets but they have big differences on the inside. The 02 Graphite has Wi-Fi, camera and a more powerful processor. Also, this unit uses the standard pocket Internet Explorer instead of Opera. The FCC documents can be viewed over here.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Posted by Rocco Augusto in "NEWS" @ 06:32 PM
http://www.canalys.com/pr/2006/r2006102.htm
"
Growth in the EMEA smart mobile device market in Q3 rose slightly from the previous quarter, but remains well below the 100%-plus rates seen for most of last year. Nokia's lead, achieved largely through shipments of its consumer-focused Symbian S60 devices, remains comfortable... HTC, in second place, was by far the fastest growing of the leading vendors and remained narrowly ahead of third-placed RIM for the second quarter running."
I'm pleased to see the speedy growth of Windows Mobile Devices. With the current release of the T-Mobile Dash , I would expect to see HTC continue to grow at very surprising rates. This is a very exciting time to be a Smartphone user!
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "NEWS" @ 12:00 PM
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20061010PB204.html
"Handheld-device maker High Tech Computer (HTC) was unable to meet market analysts' estimate of NT$9.5-10 billion (US$286-301 million) in revenue for September, according to the Chinese-language Commercial Times. Due to tight supply of some raw materials, HTC's unaudited revenues for the third quarter as a whole also fell short of analysts' expectations by 6.7%, the paper indicated."
I wonder what raw materials they are talking about. I'm not surprised though. The rate at which HTC cranks out devices is phenomenal.
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "ARTICLE" @ 04:30 PM
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,50471
"In the latest PC Magazine, Michael Miller writes about the cool new things happening on mobile phones and opines that �consumers should be able to pick applications regardless of phone or carrier.� This is a wonderful idea, but is idealistic to such a degree as to be laughable. This fact doesn�t escape Miller�s attention. He adds: �There are multiple impediments: a bunch of different platforms that developers write for, a bunch of different phone makers, and four big national wireless carriers that want to control the applications on your phone.�
Ed Hansberry over at our sister site has posted an interesting article on the problems associated with our side of the world. Mainly the variations in hardware and screen resolutions are causing major headaches for developers. I can see this having three very different devices of my own. Every application that ran on my old 5600 (WM2003) had to be updated to run on the 2125 and updated again to run on the Q (both WM5).
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "NEWS" @ 01:00 PM
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/50814.html
"For software vendors, smartphones are becoming a market that is as promising as desktop and laptop computers. This is probably because smartphones truly are computers in their own right -- though pocket-sized -- perhaps even more than being mobile telephones...PC users are rarely satisfied with just the OS and the standard office applications like word processing, spreadsheets and e-mail. They usually end up buying and installing a large number of additional applications...Smartphone users find themselves in the same situation now. They can hardly be content with what is given to them by the vendor at the time of purchase, which usually consists of the main OS only."
Of course we here have a narrower definition of "smartphone" but so be it. The main idea is true though. What comes out of the box for most of us is just not enough. We are still waiting for some kind of backup software for WM5 for example. There is more and more software out there everyday. The question is are you satisfied with the choices? Tell us what applications you think are still missing.
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 06:30 AM
http://www.networkingpipeline.com/news/188501312
"Microsoft is continuing its slow assault on the VoIP market by signing a new deal with LG-Nortel to work together on VoIP products based on the next generation of WinCE. LG-Nortel is a joint venture between Nortel and cell phone manufacturer LG Electronics. The deal between Microsoft and LG-Nortel is a memorandum of understanding (MOU) covering joint research and development, marketing, and licensing for WinCE 6."
Well this is some interesting news. So, Windows CE 6 will have VoIP support. Since Windows Mobile is built on-top of Windows CE, does that mean we might just see some VoIP action in the next major release of Windows Mobile? I'm sure it's no surprise that it would be possible, but I didn't really expect Microsoft to make it part of the foundation. Good news for the future of our platform. :D
Friday, April 28, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "NEWS" @ 03:30 PM
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/28/smart_mobile_sales_skyrocket/
"Over 16.7m 'smart mobile devices' were shipped worldwide in the first quarter of 2006, up 55 per cent on the same period a year ago. According to research from Canalys, the Asia-Pacific region has now overtaken Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in sales of smart mobile devices. Asia-Pacific represented 46 per cent of all shipments during Q1 2006, compared to 39 per cent for EMEA and 15 per cent for the Americas. Canalys defines smart mobile devices as "handhelds, wireless handhelds and smartphones." EMEA shipments of smart mobile devices rose 25 per cent year-on-year over the quarter. However, sales in Western Europe declined 10 per cent versus the same three-month period in 2005."
This next part is my favorite though.
"Qtek posted the highest growth among the top five smart mobile device manufacturers. Its 211 per cent rise took it above HP and Palm for the first time to make it the leading Windows Mobile vendor in EMEA by the end of the quarter."
The Smartphones are coming, the Smartphones are coming! :D
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "ARTICLE" @ 04:00 PM
http://spaces.msn.com/richtech/blog/cns/
"So, I've been wondering - Is Cingular missing a market? I've been using the Cingular 2125 Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone for about 3 months now and until something better comes along, you're not going to pry it from my fingers. I rely on it heavily as my calendar and phone book, alarm clock and MP3 player and much more. No question, I'm a power user. And a business user, which is the market that all carriers have set their sites on for these types of products. But I have to wonder. If the right combination of software and services were offered, would a Smartphone be good for my wife (a project manager - corporate America)? My mom (a housewife)? My sister (a teacher)?"
No question they are missing a market. Just walk into any retail carrier outlet and ask some questions about Smartphones. For an even more exciting ride call up customer service with a problem, if they even know the phone you have exists. They don't seem to even understand this market sometimes. If it weren't for sites like these there would be practically no help at all. The market of the non power business user needs more than "what phone do you have again?" when they call for help. This topic always make me want to rant. :D
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 07:00 AM
http://www.jupitermedia.com/corporate/releases/06.03.28-newjupresearch.html
"JupiterResearch has found that 41% of mobile phone users are interested in some form of video service on their mobile phone. According to the JupiterResearch report entitled: "U.S. Wireless Forecast, 2005 to 2010," the growing demand for video will generate $501 million in revenues by 2010, up from $62 million in 2005."
It wasn't that long ago when it was hard to find anyone that was interested in watching TV or video on their mobile devices. It doesn't take long for things to change. I'm not sure I want to watch what the carrier has to offer. I'm much more interested in watching my TV and videos using something like a SlingBox.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "SITES & RESOURCES" @ 11:00 AM
http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=2083
"A name that will bring up fond childhood memories for some will soon be launching into the mobile content market. The recently resurrected Commodore will be teaming up with The Content Factory to offer content through touch-screen terminals in phone and game retailers."
I hope they use Commodore 64 terminals for this. :lol:
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 05:00 PM
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060124005719&newsLang=en
"Year-to-year growth in the Smartphone market in 2005 will exceed 70%, and will continue to grow robustly for the next several years, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). There is a risk, however, that these devices will be seen by consumers as just very expensive feature phones, the high-tech market research firm says. A major problem is that many users do not download applications that make the devices more useful after they leave the store. "The market's growth will involve major shifts in share among the OS platforms," said Bill Hughes, In-Stat analyst. "The winners will be Microsoft and Linux. Their growth will be at the expense of Research In Motion (RIM) and PalmSource, although these organizations will continue to see their numbers grow."
In-Stat also found a couple of other interesting finds in their study. The first one, is that Smartphone users, on average, don't tend to download and install applications. The medium number of applications installed by Smartphone owners is 1. I think this is just a case of not knowing any different. People aren't used to the idea of installing programs on their phone. The second interesting find is that Smartphone owners are twice as likely to own a PDA. My guess is that Smartphone owners have converted over from the PDA world and have yet to let go of their past. What do you think?
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Posted by Jerry Raia in "NEWS" @ 02:00 PM
http://www.canalys.com/pr/2005/r2005102.htm
"The continuing shift from standalone handhelds to converged smart mobile devices was confirmed again today by the latest estimates released by analyst firm Canalys. The positions of the top four device vendors worldwide remained unchanged from Q2, with HP displacing Japanese smart phone vendor Fujitsu to take fifth place. Nokia maintained its huge lead, with year-on-year growth of 142% being almost twice the market average. Particularly successful were its 3G Symbian Series 60 based smart phones, including the Nokia 6680, 6630, N90 and N70, but older devices, such as the 6600, continued to contribute to shipments, particularly in developing regions."
Leading the pack for the Smartphones we like here? MOTOROLA! No wonder we haven't taken over the world. When you look at the chart in this article while the percentage increase for Moto is big, the number of units sold is pathetic.
Tuesday, October 4, 2005
Posted by Jerry Raia in "ARTICLE" @ 11:30 AM
http://www.canalys.com/pr/2005/r2005094.htm
"Canalys research indicates that the trends observed within the EMEA mobile device market in 2004 have accelerated during the first half of 2005. Shipments of converged smart mobile devices, namely smart phones and wireless handhelds, grew from 3.6 million in H1 2004 to 9.6 million in H1 2005, representing a 170% year-on-year rise. To put this in perspective, the EMEA mobile phone market excluding these converged smart mobile devices rose by only 11% over the same period."
If the new crop of Smartphones that are coming down the pipe is any indication I think the trend is clear now. The era of separate Pocket PC devices and phones is coming to a close. People want one device to do it all. What do you want?
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Posted by Jerry Raia in "NEWS" @ 12:00 PM
http://www.mobiletracker.net/archives/2005/08/26/mobile-phone-market-share
"Both Nokia and Motorola saw market share gains according to research compiled by Gartner for the second quarter. Motorola's growth again outpaced its closest competitor, Samsung."
As mentioned in this news the RAZR seems to be driving Motorola's gains here. One wonders if one day Smartphones will be driving the gains of these companies. I think so. :D
Saturday, August 6, 2005
Posted by Kris Kumar in "HARDWARE" @ 01:20 PM
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2005/07/samsung_m600_sm.html
"Samsung will introduce its Windows Mobile 2003 SE-powered M600 model in Korea this August. Designed to challenge Korea�s first Microsoft based smartphone in Korea, Pantech�s PH-S8000T, it is claimed to be more advanced than the PH-S8000T; with its stereo Bluetooth function being the tip of the iceberg. The M600 is a slide-type handset, enabled with CDMA2000 1x EV-DO service. Equipped with a Bulverde PXA272 and 2 mega-pixel built-in camera, the Korean cell phone scene should light up this fall as competition becomes keen."
The Samsung M600 has some very impressive specifications like 520 MHz processor, 2 Megapixel camera, QVGA screen and dual speakers with support for SRS WOW. 8O The only flip side is that it will not be sporting the latest Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. Slashphone.com has a good picture gallery for this model. I wonder if Verizon or Sprint PCS will pick this model for the US market?
Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Posted by Jerry Raia in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 10:00 AM
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=4788
"Consumer demand for mobile downloads is set to triple in the next 12 months, creating a EUR7.6 billion global market for mobile content by this time next year, according to international research announced today by LogicaCMG at its Content Management event in London. One fifth of mobile phone owners worldwide have already experienced downloading content to their handsets, a percentage expected to rise to 60 per cent in the next 12 months. The survey - covering Europe, Asia Pacific, North and South America - also revealed that average monthly download spend per subscriber is currently EUR6.32, with more than 40 per cent of respondents expressing an expectation for it to rise next year."
This always amazes me. Cingular, for example, wants $1.99 for a ring tone. Why are people clamoring to pay prices like that for ring tones?? My phone is on vibrate 99% of the time and judging from most of the ring tones I am forced to hear during the day others should follow my lead.
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