Device Arena
Archive for October, 2007
Apple Inc. no longer accepts cash for iPhone purchases and now limits sales of the cell phone to two per person in a move to stop people from reselling them.
The new policy started Thursday, said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. Before then, there was no cash restriction and the purchase limit was five per person.
“Customer response to the iPhone has been off the charts, and limiting iPhone sales to two per customer helps us ensure that there are enough iPhones for people who are shopping for themselves or buying a gift,” Kerris said. “We’re requiring a credit or debit card for payment to discourage unauthorized resellers.”
More than 1.4 million units of the hybrid cell phone-iPod have been sold since it debuted on June 29, according to Apple. It is expected to be a hot gift for the holidays.
Apple thinks some people already have purchased multiple iPhones to resell, including those looking to modify, or “unlock,” the phones so they work on networks other than Apple’s carrier partner in the United States, AT&T Inc.
Apple estimates that buyers of 250,000 of the iPhones sold so far intended to unlock them, Apple’s chief operating officer Tim Cook said in a conference call with analysts this week.
Apple’s attempts to prevent that “unlocking” activity, which included a software update that blocked the workarounds hackers had developed, have frustrated users — and sparked two lawsuits.
No Comments »When FCC site site first revealed the E-Ten Glofiish X800 Pocket PC Phone I checked the specs and really liked them. As I said then, “about the only thing missing about X800 is QWERTY keyboard.
Well, the powers that be must have been listening and produced another cool GPS Pocket PC Phone - E-ten Glofiish M800, with all the goodies that X800 had and QWERTY keyboard as well:
E-Ten Glofiish M800 appeared on FCC site today, so it must be headed for the U.S. too.
Specwise, Glofiish M800 is almost the same as X800, except that the keyboard ads some additional weight (~40 gr) and thickness (~3mm).
Full E-Ten Glofiish M800 specs include:
Well, it looks like we have one interesting phone on our hands, and it should be a serious competition to HTC TyTN II PDA phone.
Nokia and Samsung Continue Gains As Mobile Phone Volume Rises 13.8%
Posted by Newsman @ 12:35 amThe worldwide mobile phone market grew at a healthy pace during the third quarter of 2007 with vendors shipping a total of 289.1 million units, according to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. Worldwide shipments were up 9.0% from the previous quarter and 13.8% from the same quarter a year ago. Growth was driven by a combination of high-volume shipments of affordable handsets into emerging markets and high-end, feature-packed devices into mature markets. The leading vendors improved both revenues and profits, in some cases building on double-digit operating profit margins as they balance their product portfolios.
“On a worldwide scale, the mobile phone market continued to post positive results in the third quarter, even as vendors struggle to balance revenue and profitability,” said Ramon Llamas, research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team. “On the one hand, emerging markets have required vendors to provide low-cost handsets, which boost volume but reduce revenue and sometimes profit per device. On the other hand, mature markets have an appetite for higher-end handsets that can generate more revenues and profit. The leading vendors have been successful at balancing features and price for the distinct markets in a highly competitive space.”
“While growth in the overall mobile device industry has slowed over the past few quarters, the converged mobile device segment continues to grow several times faster than traditional phones, and accelerated to more than 50% year-on-year growth in the third quarter,” added Ryan Reith, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Tracker. “A wide selection of devices, combined with declining initial price points have made this segment of the market an immense growth opportunity for manufacturers. At the same time, this space is attractive for the operators because these devices are often bundled with a data plan, which in turn means increased revenue per user.”
Nokia posted its second consecutive quarter of 100+ million units, and shipped more units than the next three vendors combined. This accomplishment emphasizes Nokia’s size, but was also notable since the company was handicapped by component shortages. Despite a depressed average shipment price resulting from a high volume of entry level 1110 and 1116 models, Nokia was able to realize operating margin improvement across all of its device categories due to scalability, lowered cost structures, distribution, and brand recognition. Entry level devices made up the bulk of Nokia’s shipments, but its converged mobile devices and feature phones helped drive revenues and profits.
Samsung marked its second consecutive appearance in the number two spot worldwide, this time extending its lead over Motorola to 5.4 million units for the quarter. On a year-to-date basis, Samsung still trailed behind Motorola, but cut that gap to only 3.3 million units. The company realized double-digit operating profit margin by shipping more high-end devices including its popular Ultra Edition handsets.
3 SKYPEPHONE DELIVERS FREE SKYPE TO SKYPE MOBILE CALLS AND INSTANT MESSAGES AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON
Posted by VlAD @ 12:10 amSkype, the global Internet communications company and 3, the mobile operator, have launched a new affordable handset that lets you make free Skype to Skype calls and send free Skype instant messages from your mobile phone to other Skype users no matter where they are.
The 3 Skypephone is a fully-featured 3G Internet phone with Skype built-in. In addition to Skype calls the phone makes conventional calls and can be used to access 3’s broad range of other internet services.
3 customers using the 3 Skypephone will be able to make Skype calls and send instant messages on the move with the push of a button. This is the first time an operator has offered a mass market device which is tailor-made for free calling over the internet from a mobile. Now, all of Skype’s 246 million registered can be reached for free with the 3 Skypephone.
According to Michael van Swaaij, acting CEO at Skype, “Skype is now truly mobile. This new handset is incredibly easy to use and lets you make free mobile Skype calls when you are on the move to other Skype users all over the world no matter where they are. It couldn’t be simpler – put Skype in your pocket and make free Skype mobile calls and send free Skype instant messages at the touch of a single Skype button.”
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Regular run-of-the-mill LG Shine not good enough for ya’? We don’t blame you. Thankfully, LG has responded with a brand new Shine model. The LG Shine Wood LB2500H is more or less exactly what you would expect: an LG Shine with wood grain etching on the handset’s surface. In addition to the remarkable new finish, the handset sports the usual array of features including a 2 megapixel camera, DMB TV receiver, MP3 player, Bluetooth, and much more. The bad news, however, is that this doesn’t appear destined for life outside of the Asian continent. Anyone looking to get their import on, however, can expect to pay around $520 for the handset, in addition to any dealer premiums.
The Boy Genius Report
Motorola Rolls Out First ROKR™ for the Car with Portable In-Car Speakerphone and Music System
Posted by VlAD @ 11:24 pmMotorola is dialing up the experience of hands-free driving with the introduction of the MOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth® In-Car Speakerphone and Digital FM Transmitter, its first road-ready, music-oriented ROKR accessory and the latest addition to its portfolio of in-car solutions. The MOTOROKR T505 enables consumers to connect a compatible Bluetooth enabled phone¹ to the car sound system and enjoy hands-free calling and their own personal music collection in outstanding stereo sound. Motorola will unveil its newest Bluetooth automotive accessory here at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, the premiere automotive specialty products trade event.
The T505 is extremely portable and requires no wires or installation. Drivers simply clip the device to a car’s visor and pair the T505 using Motorola’s EasyPair™ technology to a compatible Bluetooth device. When the T505 is connected to a stereo Bluetooth phone, such as a MOTORAZR² or MOTOROKR Z6, or an MP3 player, calls and music are streamed wirelessly with the perfectly-tuned clarity and wide-ranging volume of a car stereo. Drivers with standard Bluetooth phones can use the T505 to make and take their calls over the car stereo. And when the ride’s over, the T505 can be easily unhooked and taken to another car for the next trip.
“Today’s drivers demand convenience and connectivity without missing a beat to what’s important to them – their calls and their music,” said Jason Few, corporate vice president, Motorola, Inc. “We’re excited to introduce a portable, music-optimized ROKR to the car to enhance the mobile experience while consumers are on the road.”
The T505 also features StationFinder™, a breakthrough technology that announces where the best FM connection can be found on the user’s car radio. When calls come in, the T505 automatically mutes the music and audibly announces the Caller-ID², so drivers can keep their eyes on the road. Cutting-edge echo and noise reduction technology and a built-in microphone and 2-watt speaker also ensure that drivers have outstanding sound and zero static throughout their ride.
Motorola, a global leader in the Bluetooth accessories market, offers a selection of portable and fixed automotive-focused Bluetooth solutions for drivers including speakerphones, headsets and other accessories.
T-Mobile launches the T-Mobile Shadow Windows Mobile Smartphone
Posted by VlAD @ 05:41 pmT-Mobile USA today announces the upcoming availability of the T-Mobile Shadow - the first phone in a planned franchise of phones under the Shadow brand, a name that will become synonymous with playful, easier and richer communications experiences offered only by T-Mobile. Available from October 31, the T-Mobile Shadow, a Windows Mobile 6 Standard smartphone manufactured by HTC, is designed to significantly reduce the complexity often associated with many feature-rich devices, while maintaining all the powerful calling, messaging and picture sharing capabilities people crave to keep them connected:
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If this leaked shot of a Roger’s ad turns out to be legit, we shall see the iPhone hit Canada on December, 7th. It should sell for $499CAD on a 3-year contract, and we’re guessing it will be the 8GB model.
We were told that since there is this little trademark dispute over the iPhone name in Canada, this might not be a final image, but it does look pretty polished. It also appears pre-orders will start November the 20th, but again, huge unconfirmed bit here, so take it as you will…
Mobile Phone Helpdesk already wrote about the rumoured Apple iPhone Nano. Today, the first living photos of the iPhone Nano showed up at Gadgetzone. Is this device fake and or does Apple really think about bringing an iPhone Nano to the market? A clear confirmation of the device has not been given yet, but we can conclude that the photos of the iPhone Nano look a lot like the regular Apple iPhone.
The Apple iPhone Nano seems to have the same display as the Apple iPhone has, only smaller. Besides this the device is surrounded by the same silver colour as we recognize with the Apple iPhone. What we can see besides this is that even the menu key is the same as with the original device.
Where the Apple iPhone is about 11.5 centimeres long, the iPhone Nano would be about eight centimeters. With this it could become a really compact device and a nice gadget for the Apple fans.
Distinctive with the photos of the Apple iPhone Nano is that the port for the charger and the headset are placed at the bottom of the device and not at the top as with the regular Apple iPhone.
At this moment, the Apple iPhone Nano is more a rumour than reality. Is the device on the photo for real or is it fake? Will this device offer 3G functionality or onlu 2G just as with the Apple iPhone? These questions will probably not be answered any time soon.