SmartPhones

The public can soon expect to see an even newer iPhone from Apple than the 3GS, that being the 4G. Although Apple has not released much information concerning the new iPhone, there are some clues as to when the big day will be, with estimates at around July 2010, and the 4G user can be assured of a few improvements and upgrades.

According to "unofficial" sneak previews, the case back will be available in glass, shiny plastic or ceramic, and is completely flat. 3 grams have been added to the weight of the device, and the display has been upgraded to a squarer, fingerprint resistant screen  offering a higher resolution, at some reports 960 x 640.

iPhone 4G users can enjoy the addition of split volume buttons, a secondary mic for noise-canceling purposes, and a Micro-SIM card instead of a standard SIM.

This smartphone offers both a 16Gb, and a whopping 32Gb, depending on the price. The camera has changed, adding a flash, a larger lens, and a front facing chat cam. The battery should finally be replaceable, and will hold a longer charge to boot, has more memory, and  faster CPU - all of which will no doubt help to bolster the new multitasking capabilities expected from this device.

written by admin

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Ordinarily in this feature we compare an up-and-coming smartphone with the king (or queen) of all smartphones - the iPhone 3G. And often, one of the most tenacious battlers for Apple's throne is RIM with its ever-improving, always innovative Blackberry series (heck, now the President even uses one). What's also become glaringly apparent in the past year is that the Apps market--3rd party applications--is where smartphone makers are seeing their biggest business converging around. With that in mind, then, we take a slight (but relevant) diversion from comparing smartphones to the inimitable iPhone and instead compare Apple's iPhone App Store to RIM's Blackberry App World.

The iPhone App Store (also sometimes called the iTunes App Store) came first, and has enjoyed plenty of time tweaking its system to best suit the marketplace. So with that kind of head start, it should be a hell of a lot better than RIM's copycat incarnation.

Apps for the Blackberry have existed for a long time, but this is the first time that Blackberry users have a one-stop shop from which to load up (or down, as the case may be) on useful, convenient, and fun new functionalities and capabilities. Like the iPhone App Store, Blackberry App World sorts apps by type for easy browsing and includes a handy search feature too. And like with the iPhone, many of the apps are totally free.

While the iPhone comes with iTunes App Store access built in, Blackberry users must download the free store software to their Blackberries before being able to go online and browse the apps available. The biggest drawback to Blackberry App World is that, unlike the iTunes App Store that runs its own checkout platform, RIM reroutes buyers through PayPal.

One online reviewer summed the difference up nicely when he said that it's all about culture. He even went on to say that Apple is more about the company and RIM about the customer. Whether that's necessarily true or not, there is truth in that Apple and its products, from the iPhone to the App Store, have to be hip and cool, focusing more on style than substance in order to serve its niche market; while RIM, to serve its market, had to focus on creating a more toned-down, business-oriented service for the more toned-down business-oriented culture it serves.

written by admin \\ tags: blackberry app world, blackberry apps, iphone app store, iphone apps

Fresh off of being dumped by Apple after such a short relationship, Intel has wasted no time in dusting itself off and getting back to work producing its next best thing.

Known for years as the world’s best chip makers (a title that’s now in question), Intel has trained its efforts on a whole new arena. That’s right – smartphones!

Observing the massive success of the iPhone (and maybe even to get back at Steve Jobs and Co., maybe?) Intel revealed its own new platform (read: operating system or OS) for mobile internet devices (MIDs) and smartphones.

Of course, Intel’s interest in the arena probably has little to do with Apple’s success or its jilting of Intel’s flaghsip product. What it really has to do with is an awareness that handheld internet use is not only the wave of the future, but it still has so much room for growth.

Recognizing that no company has yet perfected the art of delivering versatile internet functionality in an optimal format, Intel has now demonstrated “Moorestown” to the technorati and announced plans to release the OS around the of ’09 or beginning of ’10.

written by SmartPhoneWizard \\ tags: apple, Intel, iphone, MID, mobile internet device, Moorestown, OS, Steve Jobs

The Apple iPhone may be America's most famous smartphone, but believe it or not it's not quite yet the most popular. Despite capturing 17% of the entire smartphone market, at last count, the iPhone 3G still only achieves second place in the US smartphone popularity wars, falling short to the one device still holding fast to its supreme reign as the country's most popular handset - the Motorola RAZ v3.

Why is this comparatively archaic smartphone that made its debut back in 2004 still a better seller in the US than even the ever-present iPhone? Possibly because it's gone down in price from an intimidating $400 to free (with contract). Or possibly because the Motorola RAZR is supported by all the major US wireless carriers, while the iPhone still only runs on the AT&T network.

The full top 5, according to recently released results from research firm, the NPD group:

1. Motorola RAZR
2. Apple iPhone 3G
3. BlackBerry Curve
4. LG Chocolate
5. BlackBerry Pearl

written by SmartPhoneWizard \\ tags: Blackberry Curve, BlackBerry Pearl, iphone 3g, lg chocolate, Motorola RAZR, top 5 cell phones, top 5 smartphones

As if there weren’t enough self-avowed iPhone Killers on the market, Steve Jobs reportedly has a new opponent entering the ring to duke it out with his reigning champ of mobile PCs for dominance over the smartphone market in one Michael Dell.

Dell Computers’ leader announced at the Citi Technology Conference, an investor’s conference in New York a week ago Wednesday that his company may come out with an iPhone competitor, though he asserts that the device, if it is ever made, will not see the light of day anytime soon. (That sounds like confirmation by denial if ever we’ve heard it).

What this says to us is that a “Dell Phone” is probably already in the works, but that the company’s namesake feels it too premature to make any definitive revelations, only willing to admit, “I think you will see us with small screen devices” and “You’ll see us with smaller and smaller devices that have capabilities of the device you are referring to” (ahem).

The recent hiring of a former Motorola exec helped fuel the speculation about the alleged new venture for Dell

written by admin \\ tags: Apple iPhone, dell smartphone, iphone, iphone review

No doubt in response to Apple’s broad-sweeping (and industry dominating) success with mobile music offered through iTunes Mobile and the iPhones, telephony stalwart Nokia has introduced a new product/service (which is which these days – can anybody tell anymore?) called “Comes With Music”

“Comes With Music” provides compatible Nokia smartphone purchasers (starting with the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic “Comes with Music Phone” a full year of unlimited access to the entire music catalog of Nokia’s Music Store (honestly, I didn’t even know they had one).

In cooperation with Sony BMG, Universal Music Group (UMG), and Warner Music, Nokia is granting its customers access to more than 2 million tracks. And most excitingly, customers will apparently be able to continue to possess and listen to all the music they download using the service even after their one year subscription period expires.

A novel concept and a worthy attempt to compete with the near monopolistic iTunes Music Store (and more specifically iTunes Mobile), the new effort debuts in the UK sometime after its official announcement and launching scheduled in London, England on October 2.

written by SmartPhoneWizard \\ tags: apple, Comes with Music, iphone, iTunes, iTunes Mobile, iTunes Music Store, Nokia, Nokia 5310 XpressMusic, Sony BMG, UMG, Universal Music Group, Warner Music

The Associated Press, the largest and oldest new agency in the United States, is now offering smartphone users around the world what it calls the "Mobile News Network", combining the AP's own coverage with that of local papers.

Content from the service will be localized for each user, displayed on their smartphones based on their zip code. The AP will provide all the international and national stories and local newspapers will be able to submit local news updates to the service with their respective logos printed alongside each report.

The localized news service will be available on the Apple iPhone, the premiere platform featuring the service, and other participating devices, with a special focus on providing users the ideal interface for delivering news reports, photos, and videos on mobile devices.

A free, ad-supported service, the Mobile News Network will be launched this summer.

written by SmartPhoneWizard \\ tags: AP, apple, Associated Pres, iphone, Mobile News Network

Recently this blog reported on results of a study that showed the RIM Blackberry OS to be the "best" smartphone OS among industry analysts. However, according to an informal survey conducted by internet technology review stalwart CNet, the preferred smartphone operating system among consumers (or at least, CNet readers) is Windows Mobile.

Smartphones running Windows Mobile include the Samsung Blackjack, the Motorola Q (the top two tier-1 smartphones), as well as many manufactured by HTC, including the widely-popular HTC Tilt.

Based on pure market share alone, the study of 130 users showed Windows Mobile at 42.3%, RIM Blackberry at 19.2%, Apple OS X at 17.7%, and Symbian and Palm OS at 10%. Those are the stats for operating systems. As for smartphone manufacturers, RIM and HTC both took the lead, tying with a 19.2% market share each, Apple following close behind with 17.7%, Motorola at third with 11.5%, Palm at 10%, and all the rest (Nokia, Samsung, etc.) taking the remaining 22.3%.

Interestingly enough, the praise for Windows Mobile was balanced out (read: marred or tainted), however, by half of the respondents reporting complaints of the very same OS. Finally, a whopping 66% of CNet readers responding the survey said they would be likely to consider purchasing an Apple iPhone as their next smartphone, three times more than those who said they'd opt for the second place contender, the Blackberry.

written by SmartPhoneWizard \\ tags: apple, Blackberry, CNET, HTC, HTC Tilt, iphone, Microsoft, Motorola, Motorola Q, Nokia, Palm, RIM, Samsung, Symbian, Windows Mobile

A recent survey by Handango shows that smartphone users use their smartphones for far more than making and receiving calls and emails. It seems more and more people are using their smartphones more and more for entertainment purposes than in the previous two years when the devices were primarily used for professional and business purposes. Entertainment has just recently eked above business use 17% to 16% and looks only to be climbing higher from here.

Analysts attribute this shift to a shift in the predominant market for smartphones, that being from techies and executives to everyday consumers. The reining leader in the world of smartphones - still RIM, despite the big splash made recently by the Apple iPhone - reports that the 10 best-selling applications for their revered Blackberry includes:

• Ringtones and ringtone libraries
• Games (like Sudoku and Texas Hold'em)
• Instant messengers
• Travel assistants

And the Blackberry isn't alone in this. One of the main activities used on Windows Mobile Standard devices is the viewing of streaming media.

written by SmartPhoneWizard \\ tags: apple, Blackberry, entertainment, games, Handango, IM, instant messenger, iphone, RIM, ringtones, Sudoku, Texas Hold'em, travel assistant, Windows Mobile Standard

Did you ever wonder who makes the best smartphones in the world? The answer to that question can't help but be subjective. However, if popularity among consumers is any indication of quality, then we can easily identify the top smartphone makers simply by looking at market share.

According to Canalys, a company that provides "expert analysis for the high-tech industry", the number one smartphone maker is Nokia, with a stunning 53% market share. To translate - that means more than half of the smartphones sold last year were Nokias.

That puts them leaps and bounds ahead of any other competition, even second place holder Research in Motion with just an 11.3% market share for its trendy and innovative Blackberry smartphones.

This all may come as little surprise to anyone paying attention to the smartphone industry. The shocker, however, comes when realizing that the far and away third place winner is Apple with only one smartphone to its name - the iPhone, of course - which, if you glance at your calendar, you'll notice only came out 7 months ago.

No wonder every smartphone maker in the world, including fourth place contender Motorola, are looking to the iPhone to give them a lesson in how to make the next best thing in smartphones.

written by SmartPhoneWizard \\ tags: apple, Blackberry, Canalys, iphone, Motorola, Nokia, Research in Motion, RIM