Posts Tagged iPhone
Vodafone, T-Mobile plan mobile VoIP tariffs (Germany)
Financial Times Deutschland reports that mobile operators Vodafone Germany and T-Mobile Deutschland may back down from their position that they would not sell Nokia handsets with the Voice-over-IP (VoIP) programme Skype included. The service currently allows users to make telephone calls for free, or more cheaply than traditional telephone providers. Both operators have said that they are looking into offering special tariffs for mobile VoIP use instead of blocking the services, which have been available for their mobile internet customers for six weeks.
T-Mobile announced in early April 2009 it would not allow its customers to use the new Skype application designed specifically for Apple’s iPhone. T-Mobile spokesperson, Alexander von Schmettow, said: ‘It is clearly stated in our customer contracts that such services may not be used. There are two reasons for this – because the high level of traffic would hinder our network performance, and because if the Skype programme didn’t work properly, customers would make us responsible for it.’
1 comment May 13, 2009
Softbank tops mobile additions table for 24th month running (Japan)
Softbank Mobile added more new users than its rivals for the 24th month running in April, aided in part from a price reduction on the Apple iPhone 3G. Data published by the Telecommunications Carriers Association (TCA) of Japan showed that Softbank added a net 105,400 contracts last month, keeping its nose just ahead of fourth-placed eMobile with a net gain of 102,800. The TCA said eMobile’s performance was buoyed by the bundling of a low-priced mobile personal computer and a datacard, which attracted both business and residential customers. Market leader DoCoMo took third spot with a net gain of 89,300 and au-branded KDDI Corp gained 57,500. PHS operator Willcom meanwhile, reported a net decrease of 10,600.
Add comment May 13, 2009
Android Smartphone Shipments to Grow Faster Than Apple’s iPhone
According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global Android smartphone shipments will grow 900 percent in 2009. Healthy support from operators, vendors and developers is driving adoption. Apple iPhone OS will be the next fastest-growing smartphone operating system in 2009, with a 79 percent growth rate. Tom Kang, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “We forecast global Android smartphone shipments to grow an impressive 900 percent annually during 2009. The Android mobile operating system from Google gained early traction in the United States in the second half of 2008 and it is gradually spreading its presence into Europe and Asia during 2009. Android is expanding from a low base and it is consequently outgrowing the iPhone OS from Apple, which we estimate will grow at a relatively lower 79 percent annually in 2009.”Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Android has fast been winning healthy support among operators, vendors and developers. A relatively low-cost licensing model, its semi-open-source structure and Google’s support for cloud services have encouraged companies such as HTC, Motorola, Samsung, T Mobile, Vodafone and others to support the Android operating system. Android is now in a good position to become a top-tier player in smartphones over the next two to three years.”
Add comment May 11, 2009
One in three iPhone users use LBS in Q4
Users of Apple’s iPhone are more than twice as likely as non-iPhone users to browse the mobile web and more than three times as likely to use LBS or a location-based social network, according to a mobile advertising report by Limbo. The report suggests that advertisers can reach iPhone users with mobile campaigns more easily than with other platforms, with more than 80 percent of iPhone users taking advantage of non-voice mobile data services, compared to just over 60 percent of non-iPhone users. One in ten mobile phone users in the US used a location-based service such as a map, friend or restaurant finder in the fourth quarter. The 25-34 age group saw the highest levels of interest in this type of offering, with 22 percent penetration. In contrast, iPhone users are four times as likely to recall LBS ads as non-iPhone users. While 33 percent of mobile consumers recall seeing mobile advertisements, 41 percent of iPhone users recall seeing mobile ads, according to the survey. The vast majority of these ads were seen in SMS text messages, twice as much as mobile web ads, which are the second most common mobile ad viewed. Significantly fewer consumers see other forms of mobile advertising unless they have an iPhone.
Add comment February 11, 2009
Google brings e-books to mobiles
Google is making its vast online library of books available for mobile phones. We are excited to announce the launch of a mobile version of Google Book Search, opening up over 1.5 million mobile public domain books in the US (and over half a million outside the US) for you to browse, the company said.The Internet search giant, in a post on Thursday on the Google Book Search blog, said mobile versions of the books could be read on devices such as the Apple iPhone or T-Mobile G1, which is powered by Google’s Android software.
These new mobile editions are optimized to be read on a small screen, Google said. With this launch, we believe that we’ve taken an important step toward more universal access to books.
Add comment February 10, 2009
Appeal court upholds ban on Apple’s iPhone deal with Orange (France)
The French courts have ruled that Orange France must relinquish its exclusive rights to sell the Apple iPhone in France, upholding an earlier ruling by the country’s anti-competition authorities. On 17 December 2008 the competition watchdog effectively tore up the exclusivity contract when it ordered Orange France and Apple to suspend the deal they brokered which allowed the mobile operator to control the sale of the much-hyped Apple device in the country. The Competition Council’s ruling followed a complaint filed by Bouygues Telecom which argued the exclusivity deal breached local competition laws. A spokesman for Orange has told AFP it would seek to overturn the ruling before France’s high court of appeal, the Cour de Cassation.
Add comment February 5, 2009
Etisalat to sell Apple’s iPhone 3G in UAE, Saudi Arabia
UAE-based operator Etisalat has signed an agreement to sell Apple’s iPhone 3G mobile phone in the United Arab Emirates from later this month. The operator will simultaneously launch the device in Saudi Arabia through its operator there, Mobily. The iPhone 3G, available in 8GB and 16GB models, is already available in some countries in the Middle East, through agreements with Vodafone and Orange affiliates.
Add comment February 3, 2009
Joost reports more than 1 mln Joost iPhone app downloads
Joost(TM), the global web video service, today announced that more than one million iPhone and iPod Touch users have downloaded the free Joost application from Apple’s App Store. Introduced last November, the Joost app enables iPhone and iPod Touch users to enjoy thousands of hours of anime, comedy, drama, movies, music, documentaries, sci-fi and sports over their Wi-Fi connections.
Earlier this month, a new version of the Joost application became available. This new version features improved usability and stability for a cleaner, smoother interface and better overall performance.
“The Joost iPhone App has taken off because people want to be entertained, and there are many situations — like standing in line, waiting at an airport or doctor’s office, or commuting on a train — when TVs and computers can’t be found,” said Mike Volpi, CEO of Joost. “We’re continuing to innovate with this application and other devices in order to provide a complete premium entertainment experiment for users, content partners and advertisers.”
Similar to the web-based version of Joost, the Joost iPhone App is ad-supported and free to all users. Current advertisers on Joost’s iPhone App include the Canadian Tourism Commission through OMD Vancouver and Pangea Software.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to inform iPhone customers of our video games, and to get them to download the games,” said Brian Greenstone of Pangea Software. “Joost provides us with a unique proposition: we can show active iPhone users what our games are like, and after watching our video ad, they can download and start playing our games right away or return to viewing the video they have selected.”
Add comment January 30, 2009
Deutsche Telekom Substantially Increased its Customer Numbers in 2008
Deutsche Telekom has issued a trading statement and says that it saw encouraging developments in its mobile communications markets during last year. The number of customers with the companies in Europe and the United States totaled 128.3 million. This means that the number of customers increased organically by 7.6 million. The contract customer segment accounts for 5 million of this growth with a current customer base of 65.9 million.
T-Mobile Deutschland also defended its leading position in Germany. With over 950,000 new contract customers, the high level of the previous year was reached once again. The successful introduction of the Apple iPhone 3G and the attractive range of calling plans were the main reasons for this development.
Add comment January 30, 2009
Apple posts record $10 bn revenue
Bucking the global trend, IT giant Apple has crossed the 10 billion-dollar-mark of revenue in the quarter ended December — the first time in history — with its leading products, iPod and iPhone posting robust sales.
Apple’s revenue rose to 10.17 billion dollar in the quarter under review from 9.61 billion dollar in the corresponding year-ago period, the company said in a statement.
The company’s net income also increased by 1.89 per cent to record 1.61 billion dollar in the first quarter of fiscal 2009, from 1.58 billion dollar in the year-ago period.
“Even in these economically challenging times, we are incredibly pleased to report our best quarterly revenue and earnings in Apple history surpassing USD 10 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time ever,” Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs said.
The company sold a record number of iPods at 22.72 million during the quarter, representing a three per cent growth over the year-ago period, while, it posted 88 per cent jump in iPhone sales to 4.36 million units from the same period last fiscal.
Giving the guidance for the second quarter, the company said it expects revenue in the range of about USD 7.6 billion to USD 8 billion, while the diluted earnings per share are likely to be in the range of about USD 0.90 to USD one.
Apple’s revenues in the quarter were also boosted by strong sales of Macintosh Computer’s, growing nine per cent in the first quarter.
The company’s international sales accounted for 46 per cent of the quarter’s revenue, the statement added.
Add comment January 23, 2009
Apple sells 4.36 million iPhone 3Gs in quarter
Apple announced financial results for its fiscal 2009 first quarter ended 27 December 2008, posting record revenue of USD 10.17 billion and record net quarterly profit of USD 1.61 billion. This compares to USD 1.78 per diluted share. In accordance with the subscription accounting treatment required by GAAP, the Company recognizes revenue and cost of goods sold for iPhone and Apple TV over their economic lives. Adjusting GAAP sales and product costs to eliminate the impact of subscription accounting, the corresponding non-GAAP measures for the quarter are USD 11.8 billion of Adjusted Sales and USD 2.3 billion of Adjusted Net Income. Apple sold 2,524,000 Macintosh computers during the quarter, representing 9 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter and at the same time, Apple sold a record 22,727,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 3 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone units sold were 4,363,000, representing 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. In total, Apple sold 11.26 million iPhone 3Gs and 6.1 million first generation iPhones.
Add comment January 22, 2009
SlingMedia signs Apple and BlackBerry to its Slingbox mobile TV service
Slingmedia has signed up Apple and BlackBerry to its mobile TV service. The company is behind one of the big hopes for wireless innovation in 2009, Slingbox, which allows customers to watch and control TV channels on their home TV while on the move and even when in other countries.The service effectively pulls television content onto a laptop or mobile phone anywhere in the world, as long as it can access an internet connection. SlingMedia recently joined forces with Apple to bring Slingbox to the 3G iPhone, as well as several BlackBerry and Palm handsets.
Around half a million people around the world have already downloaded the ‘SlingPlayer’ mobile application onto their handset, according to SlingMedia. SlingPlayer Mobile launched in 2006 as part of an exclusive deal with 3 on X-Series handsets.
Add comment January 22, 2009
T-Mobile Austria Drops 8GB iPhone 3G Price Down To €1 With Contract
T-Mobile Austria has dropped the price of the 8GB iPhone 3G from €99 to a surprising €1 when paired with a €45/month service contract, with no service payment for the first month, and offering a €45 discount for online orders. This is the lowest we’ve ever seen a new iPhone 3G going for anywhere in the world to date.
Add comment January 20, 2009
Nokia N97 will come with a hefty price tag
Nokia’s latest touch-screen sensation, the N97, dubbed by many as the ‘iPhone killer’ is set to have a hefty price tag when it hits the market.The phone, which has an estimated price tag of £500, is expected to hit the shelves in April after launching in December at Nokia World 2008 in Barcelona. Concern is growing over which networks will take on and subsidise the phone.
The current Nseries flagship phone, the N96, sparked controversy when O2 did not immediately take up the phone and other networks refused to fully subsidise the phone due to its expensive price. O2 eventually conceded and decided to stock the phone, but did not subsidise it. Some operators charged around £250 for the device on the mid-price tariffs.
1 comment January 20, 2009
Apple iPhone Gets Microsoft Mobile Application
Microsoft Corp has released its Seadragon Mobile application for Apple Inc’s iPhone. The Microsoft Live Labs applications is not yet available for the Windows Mobile platform. The smartphone application is Microsoft’s first for the Apple iPhone. Seadragon Mobile brings the same smooth image browsing you get on the PC to the mobile platform, Microsoft said on its Live Labs blog. The application fixes a problem that most mobile phones have. The ability to quickly zoom in on photos without losing clarity. In fact, zooming in on large high-resolution photos on the iPhone is slow.
Seadragon Mobile fixes all that. It lets users zoom in quickly, including an aerial map of the world, and even documents from the Library of Congress. Get super-close in on a map or photo, with just a few pinches or taps of your finger. Browse an entire collection of photos from a single screen, Microsoft said.
Add comment January 20, 2009
Palm Pre vs Apple iPhone – Initial thoughts
Today, we take a quick look at a key difference between the Palm Pre and the Apple iPhone, and it is likely to be in the form of the follow-up services that the user may opt for. While both are touchscreen devices, the iPhone sports a 3.5 inch screen while the Pre has a 3.1 inch screen. However, the key difference may very well lie in the way the devices are meant to be used. Palm’s new webOS works on the Synergy framework. Simply stated, you can arrange to have Synergy automatically update the Palm Pre with information from websites, and it is likely that the user can pick and choose which updates to go for.
On the other hand, the iPhone directs consumers towards its own AppStore, iTunes and MobileMe services. In other words, the Apple iPhone directs customers towards its own applications whereas the Palm Pre may very well permit a lot of third party vendors to create widget-like programs for the Pre.
Add comment January 16, 2009
Top Ten Selling Mobile Phones in 2008
The Swedish manufacturer of carrying cases for portable electronics, Krusell, has released their “Top 10″-list for 2008.
The list is based upon the number of pieces of model specific mobile- and smart phone cases that have been ordered from Krusell during 2008. Krusell’s list is unique due to the fact that it reflects the sales of phones on six continents and in more than 50 countries around the globe.
1. Apple iPhone 2. Nokia 3109 3. Nokia 6300
4. Nokia E51 5. HTC Diamond 6.Nokia N95 8GB
7.Sony Ericsson K800i 8. Sony Ericsson C702 9. Sony Ericsson K850i
10. Sony Ericsson K530i
Wireless Industry News
Add comment January 14, 2009
Free calls from Skype could come soon to iPhones
Free calls over Skype, the Internet communications service, could be coming soon to the iPhone. Skype, a subsidiary of eBay Inc., said Thursday at the International Consumer Electronics Show that a version of its Internet calling and instant-messaging software is available for Google Inc.’s Android cell phone platform as a free download. And it indicated an iPhone Skype program isn’t far behind. Scott Durschlag, Skype’s chief operating officer, said Skype’s iPhone application is still under development. Engineers are still working on cutting the amount of power the application consumes, he said.
Skype would not be the first iPhone program that makes use of Internet calling technology to save people from having to spend their cellular minutes. But when Apple started letting outside companies make programs for the iPhone, it barred voice-over-Internet applications from connecting to the cellular network, leaving them functional only when the user is in a Wi-Fi hot spot.Apple representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Skype’s Durschlag opened his presentation on a bright note despite undercurrents of economic gloom in the tech industry.
Add comment January 12, 2009
Palm unveils new smart phone, operating system
Palm Inc. unveiled a new touch-screen smart phone and operating system Thursday, marking its latest attempt to catch up with competition from Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry and Apple Inc.’s iPhone. At the International Consumer Electronics Show, Palm executives touted their Pre, which looks similar to the iPhone, with a face dominated mostly by a 3.1-inch touch screen and single button. The body of the Pre is black and slightly curved, with a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the bottom.In an effort to capture both business and consumer users, the Pre will come loaded with features, including Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth and GPS, as well as 8 gigabytes of storage space, a 3-megapixel camera and music and video playback. The Pre also has a variety of sensors, such as an accelerometer so images on the screen will rotate when a user turns the device on its side.
Many of these features are already available on rival phones, including the iPhone, the latest BlackBerry models and HTC Corp.’s G1 that was released in the fall by T-Mobile and Google Inc. Palm has been overshadowed in the last several years by the success of these products — especially by the growth of BlackBerry smart phones among business customers and, since its June 2007 release, of iPhones among consumer users.
Add comment January 12, 2009
Rogers activates 130,000 iPhones in Q4
Rogers Communication has activated 130,000 iPhones in Q4′08 of which 40% of them are new to Rogers. The operator posted fourth-quarter wireless post-paid churn of 1.12% compared to 1.17% a year ago and wireless prepaid churn of 3.03% compared to 3.12% a year earlier. The operator has added 158,000 in its post-paid kitty and 41,000 in Prepaid in Q4. A total wireless net addition in the quarter grows to 199,000 from 183,000 a year earlier.
Add comment January 7, 2009
Worldwide iPhone WiFi Ad Requests Grow 52%
Worldwide iPhone WiFi ad requests grew 52% month-over-month to 359 million in November, giving the iPhone 6.3% share of global total requests and 9.9% share of requests in the US, where it is now the #1 device, according to research from AdMob. According to AdMob’s November 2008 Mobile Metrics Report, Apple’s iPhone has the most significant WiFi usage, with 42% of worldwide ad requests and 19% of US requests coming in over WiFi instead of a mobile operator network.
iPhone statistics are notably higher than most other WiFi capable phones, which average between 10% and 20%, AdMob said. iPhone WiFi use is also higher on iPhone-specific sites and applications than on normal mobile web sites.
Add comment January 5, 2009
FNAC sells contract-free iPhone 3G in France
After the recent ruling by the French telecoms regulator, the people in France will now be able to buy an iPhone 3G without the contract which is Apple-sanctioned for Orange.
The French retailer FNAC is now selling a contract-free version of the black 8GB iPhone for $1,123, while black or white 16GB models are fetching $1,263. The cost will be five times more than the $210.01 in-contract cost for the 8GB model sold by Orange.
Add comment December 30, 2008
AT&T offers iPhone 3G for $99
AT&T, USA largest mobile service provider, unviels it plans to sell the pile of pre-owned iPhone 3Gs with a brand new price tag of $99. These iPhones will be available under the contract plans like Nation 450 w/Rollover Minutes – which offers 450 anytime minutes, 5000 night and weekend minutes, unlimited mobile to mobile minutes, no extra charge for long distance or roaming calls, $0.45 per minute for additional minutes. The activation fee is $36.00, and the user will have to pay $39.99/month (for two years) for all the benefits listed above.
There are other cheaper plans like, the $15.00/month plan, the iPhone Text Messaging 1500 contract which offers the user 1500 SMS (or text) messages to send or receive in the U.S.
Add comment December 29, 2008
T-Mobile Netherlands sells 100,000 iPhones
T-Mobile Netherlands has sold its 100,000st iPhone 3G. The device is available in the Netherlands since July. Both, T-Mobile and Apple are pleased with the popularity. T-Mobile says that the device has caused an uptake in mobile internet. In December, the average data usage grew to 2 TeraByte per day. The iPhone 3G was awarded as the ‘product of the year’ in the television programme Kassa.
Add comment December 26, 2008
Cell Phone Carriers Lose Their Grip
A few years ago, if someone asked what sort of cell phone you had, your response would probably be to name a network, like Sprint or Cingular. Wireless carriers so completely controlled the business, especially in the U.S., that many manufacturers weren’t even allowed to put their brand names on handsets. Now this relationship is changing in ways that will reduce the power of carriers and, with luck, increase consumers’ choices.
The relationship started to shift when people began using phones for more than voice calls and text messages. As browsers and e-mail systems became important, it mattered more whether you had a Palm Treo or a BlackBerry than whether your phone ran on the Verizon Wireless or AT&T network. Then along came Apple’s iPhone to rewrite the rules completely.
Add comment December 22, 2008
Thailand’s True Move to sell iPhone 3G?
Apple is talking to every operators in Thailand about iPhone 3G, but seems True Move will be the first to seal the deal. True Move, the country’s third largest, said in its statement, “True Move has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone 3G to Thailand in the coming months.”
Yet, no official date is revealed. Currently, Thailand has not ready yet for 3G network, as it is being tested. Thai users may use available EDGE or GPRS for data connection. True Move has 13 million subscribers, while country’s largest, AIS, has 26.8 million subscibers.
If this condition is true, Thailand will be third country in the region, after Singapore and Philippines, that officially sell the Apple phone. Previously, Singapore and Philippines were joining other countries to sell iPhone 3G starting August 22.
FYI, there are tons of pirated iPhones available in Bangkok’s MBK centre. The US-original phone is offered around 29,500 bath (US$ 842), while Hongkong-original phone–offers easier way to insert the SIM card–is sold for 35,000 baht.
So, when will Malaysia and Indonesia join the legion to sell iPhone 3G?
Add comment December 22, 2008
France Telecom Exclusive Deal To Sell iPhone In France Banned
In a move that France Telecom itself has called a “serious blow,” France’s Competition Council has temporarily suspended the agreement the firm has with Apple that lets its French operator Orange sell the iPhone 3G exclusively. The competition watchdog said the ban, which takes effect on Thursday, is aimed at letting consumers buy the gadget on contract from competing operators SFR and Bouygues Telecom, right in time for the holiday sales season. France Telecom said it would appeal the decision.
So, how angry are France Telecom execs with this decision? In a statement issued today, the global telecoms group had nothing but sharp criticism for the Competition Council whom it accused of making a decision without “in-depth examination,” that would not only “undermine Orange’s efforts to develop high-speed mobile services in France,” but would have a “major impact” on the market, with possible “serious consequences on manufacturers, as well as their subcontractors and software suppliers.” The best, however, was reserved for the number three operator Bouygues Telecom, which initiated the complaint in mid-September.
France Telecom basically accused its smaller rival, which it noted was “most behind” in rolling out its 3G network,” of crying to the Competition Council, rather than “offering genuine competition based on innovative offers.” It also noted that Orange has had the iPhone exclusive deal for a year now, but that it took Bouygues Telecom until now, just before the lucrative holiday sales season to request these “urgent conservative measures.”
The Council said in a statement that France Telecom’s five-year deal with Apple, which locks subscribers into a 12-24 month contract with Orange, adds another obstacle for consumers in a market already suffering from a lack of competition. Any future exclusivity deals would also be limited to three months at a time. As for an appeal, it’s going to take a long time for France Telecom to get the decision reversed, if at all. An “in-depth examination of the agreement” would likely take 12-15 months to complete, a Council spokesperson told Reuters.
Bouygues Telecom said in a statement it hoped to start selling the iPhone as soon as possible, while France’s second largest operator the Vivendi-Vodafone owned SFR, said it has “always been interested” in selling the iPhone, “but not at any price.”
L’iPhone, as its known in France, has been good to France Telecom, which said it has sold 450,000 of the 3G gadgets to date. As for other operators around the world, the iPhone has helped lure subscribers and boost data usage. The council estimated that Orange raked in 220 million euros ($308.2 million) from iPhone 3G sales from its July 18 launch to November 5. As for Apple, the ruling probably won’t be as much of a blow, especially as it has already dropped its exclusivity strategy in favor of selling through multiple operators in other European countries.
Add comment December 18, 2008
