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BlackBerry Curve outsells iPhone in 4th Quarter, Droid 3rd

BigDiesel07 — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:58:12 +0000

According to research firm IDC, RIM has sold more BlackBerry Curves than the Apple iPhone 3GS in the 4th Quarter of 2009. Remembering that the Curve is offered on 7 different carriers as opposed to the iPhone's exclusive deal with AT&T, this is still a momentous occasion as iPhone sales increased by 100%, to 8.7 million units sold. If Apple were to sell the iPhone on multiple carriers, these ranking would be different. The Motorola Droid, a Verizon Wireless exclusive, came in third place with the Apple iPhone 3G and Blackberry Pearl rounding out the top 5.

After the jump is the full list of Top 10. There was no device ranked in the top 10 for Windows Mobile, although Palm's webOS came in 8th with the Palm Pre.

Source- FierceWirless

10. T-Mobile myTouch 3G

9. Research In Motion BlackBerry Tour

8. Palm Pre

7. Research In Motion BlackBerry Storm (including the Storm 9530 and the Storm 2 9550)

6. Research In Motion BlackBerry Bold (including the Bold 9000 and the Bold 9700)

5. Research In Motion BlackBerry Pearl (including the 8110, 8120, and the 8130, excluding the BlackBerry Pearl Flip)

4. Apple iPhone 3G

3. Motorola Droid

2. Apple iPhone 3GS (including 16 GB and 32 GB versions)

1. Research In Motion BlackBerry Curve (including the 8310, 8320, 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, and the 8900)

Google Voice in your Mobile Browser

BigDiesel07 — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:39:20 +0000

Definition of workaround-

A workaround is a bypass of a recognized problem in a system. A workaround is typically a temporary fix that implies that a genuine solution to the problem is needed. Frequently workarounds are as creative as true solutions, involving outside the box thinking in their creation.

Google has definitely engaged in a workaround of Apple's App Store as they have updated their mobile Google Voice web site to make Google Voice features accessible to iPhone, WebOS and Windows Mobile users (see below). Through a HTML5-based web app, anybody with a HTML5-capable web browser can access now Google Voice.

HTML5-capable mobile browsers include all Webkit-based mobile browsers, which includes Safari in iPhone 3.0+,the Palm WebOS browser, and the S60 web browser for Symbian as well as Chrome on Android. For Windows Mobile devices, Skyfire 1.5 (verified by myself) and presumably the Iris browser works. However, Opera Mobile 9.5 on Windows Mobile does NOT work nor does Internet Explorer Mobile (also verified by myself).

After the break is a video by Google showcasing this new-found workaround.

Source- DailyMobile.se

At&t iPhone Exclusivity Rumored To End Wednesday

mindfrost82 — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:00:06 +0000

Update 4pm CST: According to BGR, Verizon Wireless store managers have been told that Wednesday will be a big day and it will be a "kick off" for the new quarter, with a live Webcast at 1pm EST. Since this is the same day as the Apple media event, we'll let your imagination run wild with this one.

The blog world is a flutter with the rumors from an "internal source" saying that At&t will lose its iPhone exclusivity this Wednesday, January 27th. HotHardware is the site that had the original leak, but there's been no confirmation on this.

Apple has scheduled a media event for Wednesday, and some believe its to announce this, while others think its to announce one of the biggest rumors ever of an iTablet. We'll have to wait until Wednesday to see what happens.

Source: HotHardware via Slashgear

At&t Online Stops Selling iPhones In New York

mindfrost82 — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:36:40 +0000

Update: After this story has circulated the internet, it looks like At&t has got the message and is now offering the iPhone online to people in New York again.

It appears as though At&t's next step in preventing network overload may be to temporarily (or permanently) stop selling the iPhone online in those areas that have been experiencing problems. If you go to At&t's website and enter any New York zip code, you will get a message that says "Sorry this Package is not available in your area", but all other smartphones are still available.

An At&t online support rep claimed that it was taken off the website due to "fraudulent activity", but couldn't provide anymore details. An AT&T spokesperson, Fletcher Cook told Consumerist that "We periodically modify our promotions and distribution channels."

If you really want the iPhone, you can still purchase the iPhone through the Apple Store or corporate At&t stores with an AT&T contract.

Source: Neowin

Android Taking Market by Storm

hibby50 — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:24:25 +0000

As the rivalry between carriers and phone companies heats up, Android seems to be winning. Android just keeps getting more and more buzz. Apps are continuously rolling out for it. The talk about the iPhone has been swamped by conversation of the Droid and Hero, especially the Droid. I don't know how Verizon does it, but their advertising is incredible. From the marketing war with AT&T to marketing the Droid, they are reaping in customers, and in turn, Android users. If that weren't enough the constant updates rolling out from Google, and the talk of the "real" Google phone has got the Android scene buzzing even more. All of this combined means a larger user base, and since it is an open source platform, more hacks and modifications. Devices can be "rooted" and then the core files can be edited. With Android becoming steadily more popular, what will the future of other smartphone operating systems be? Will Apple make their iPhone more customizable to compete? Will Microsoft get into the widgets game? Only time will tell, but hopefully that time is short otherwise Android may have completely taken over.

Nintendo64 Emulator Released for iPhone/iPod

mindfrost82 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:26:48 +0000

If you're lucky enough to have a jailbroken iPhone 3GS or an iPod Touch 3G, you can now play your favorite N64 games on your device! We've seen a video of this app a while back, but it wasn't available to the public. You can find it for $2.49 in the ZodTTD repository. It uses Open GLES 2.0 libraries, which is supported by both of of the devices just mentioned.

For controls, you can use onscreen buttons and the accelerometer, or you can connect a Nintendo WiiMote via bluetooth. When it comes to the ROMs, the new emulator supports .n64 and .z64 files, and can also read .zip and .7z archives.

After the break, watch a YouTube video of Mario Kart 64, Super Mario 64 and Zelda: The Ocarina of Time.

Source: IntoMobile

Will Operation Chokehold Succeed?

mindfrost82 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:44:59 +0000

Update: The operation seems to have failed according to Yahoo! Tech. Some users reported that they could only get EDGE access and no 3G, while others said they still had 3G and some even said their speeds were faster than usual. For my area, I still had 3G with the same speeds I usually get.

If you haven't heard lately, the Fake Steve Jobs has encouraged iPhone users to issue a stand against At&t by using the most data-intensive apps they can for an hour, starting at noon PST today (Friday, 12/18/09). Their goal is to bring down At&t's network to send a message that they're tired of "substandard" network performance and abusive comments towards iPhone users. At&t has hinted at charging data-heavy users extra because 3% of smartphone users are consuming nearly 40% of the wireless bandwidth in the country.

The engineers have asked me to serve as a kind of communications director for their efforts — soliciting ideas on what apps to use (Pandora may not be the best) and how to refine the attack on the network.

If anyone has ideas, use the comment strings. Tell your friends. Get people involved. We have five days to create a movement and plan a major assault. As the Portuguese said during the Obama campaign: Si, se puede.

So what is your opinion? Will Operation Chokehold succeed or fail? Since I'm an At&t user, I will be able to test the network in the west Chicago suburbs during this hour and report back on internet speeds, abilities to make calls, etc.

Someone even made a Facebook FanPage and an Event Page!

Source: FakeSteve.net

At&t May Charge iPhone Users For Excessive Data Usage

mindfrost82 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:44:31 +0000

Since At&t has come under fire recently for its network's abilities, At&t has now said that it may have to charge the heavy iPhone data users extra. AT&T claims that the high bandwidth usage, brought on by iPhone users, is causing network issues such as dropped calls, slow 3G network and problems connecting to the network. Consumers with the unlimited data plan may have to pay a penalty if they use more than 5GB a month soon.

A spokesperson for AT&T, De la Vega, said that 3% of the smartphone users are consuming 40% of the wireless bandwidth in the country. Most of the bandwidth is being used up by streaming audio and video applications on smartphones, which offer constant Internet radio steaming or YouTube video steaming.

Source: Neowin (Thanks for the tip Sporkman)

Only 5 out of 1.3 Billion Chinese buy iPhone online

BigDiesel07 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:23:27 +0000

According to a report in PC World, only 5 Apple iPhone's were sold on the official website in China in the first 2 weeks of availability. The store, Taobao.com, the biggest Chinese e-commerce Web site and is similar to eBay in how it handles transactions, has sold just two 8GB iPhones and three 16GB iPhones, according to figures from the site. Although China Unicom also sells the device directly from their site (ala AT&T here in the states), Taobao is China's top online retail site and many users turn to it to buy items like mobile phones and laptops.

Issues that could cause such a low take rate?

The 32GB iPhone 3GS with no service contract costs 6,999 yuan (US$1,024) in China, compared to about US$800 in nearby Hong Kong.
iPhones bought outside China have Wi-Fi, which was removed from the China Unicom iPhones to comply with local regulations.
Difficulty using the App Store

Sounds like they need a new marketing strategy to me. What do you guys think?

Source- PCWorld.com via cultofmac.com

RadioShack To Sell iPhone Nationwide Next Year

mindfrost82 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:57:11 +0000

If you haven't been in a RadioShack lately, you may not have noticed that they've been trying to ramp up their mobile device department over the past year. They offer a wide variety of phones from different carriers and is hoping to compete with Best Buy and Wal-Mart. Currently, only 10 RadioShack stores sell the iPhone, but they've confirmed that the program will go nationwide next year.

Target recently began outsourcing its mobile retail business to RadioShack, and in September it has added Verizon Wireless products to its 450 Sam's Club kiosks.

Source: FierceWireless

And the winner is…

MordyT — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:53:16 +0000

The iPhone 3GS, which is apparently the highest rated smartphone according to Consumer Reports. However, the Palm Pre, the Blackberry Storm, and other BlackBerry models bested the iPhone in messaging, and the Pre is a superior multi-tasker. And what phone do you think came in second? It is not an Android phone, but rather a Windows Mobile device. Of all the phones that run Windows Mobile, the prize goes to the Verizon Touch Pro2. Interestingly, the Verizon Touch Pro2 was rated number 1 in the business phone class, outscoring the iPhone, all Blackberry's, and any Android devices. Seems to me that Windows Mobile might pull ahead and become a leader in the Smartphone wars again.

How do you take this news? Is this proof that the Windows Mobile platform still has some life in it or is this the last gasp of a dying OS?

Source- Consumer Reports via Pocketnow.com

Thanks to the rest of the news staff for their help!

[OP/ED]- Microsoft to ditch Mobile OS?

BigDiesel07 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:12:42 +0000

An interesting article has been posted by the UK's newspaper The Guardian hypothesizes that Microsoft could abandon their Mobile OS platform, Windows Mobile, all together and call it quits. They cite that the 3.1 percent drop of their share of the Mobile OS Pie (down from 11 to 7.9%), the increasing support for Android from previous WM-heavy players (HTC, Motorola), and the increasing competition that Android poises (0 to 3.9% market share in 1 year).

I call shenanigans on this happening. Here's why-

1) Windows Mobile 7

The OS that Microsoft should have released instead of WM 6.5 looks very promising and will come with enhanced touchscreen support. The days of needing a stylus to click on some miniature icon will be gone, instead replaced by a Zune-influenced interface that looks to be equal to or even surpass the iPhone and Android. Why spend hundreds of millions of dollars on creating a new mobile OS and then ditch it a year later?

2) HTC and hardware partners

Yes, 7.9% is but a small sliver of the overall market. However, when that sliver includes millions of devices being sold, then it is a lot. There are 14 OEM licensees of Windows Mobile compared to the second place Symbian operating system at 10. Why would HTC spend millions developing the Sense UI if they were not committed to the Windows Mobile platform for the conceivable future?

3) 3 Screens and a Cloud

3 Screens (PC, the television, and the mobile phone ) and a Cloud. This is the basic strategy behind what Microsoft envisions as the future of computing. The Mobile phone is one of the key tenets in their plan. Ditching their own Mobile OS does not mesh well with this strategy.

The company plans to deliver a set of services that are common across devices, PCs and TVs. One example is the Zune Video service that will work across Zune HD players, Xbox consoles, Windows PCs and Windows Phones. If they are to follow their own self-envisioned plan for the future, why would Microsoft ditch their own Mobile OS?¹

¹Idea comes from this article by Mary Jo Foley.

Apple’s 3G Money Gambit

BigDiesel07 — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:47:51 +0000

If you want to create a 3G-operating device, do you know who you will have to pay a license fee to? If you guessed Qualcomm, you would be right as they currently hold a multitude of patents related to 3G technology. However, something you most likely do not know is that Apple has seemingly gotten away with paying a much lower fee to Qualcomm. Every licensee (HTC, LG, Motorola, etc.) must pay 5% of the wholesale price of their 3G product to Qualcomm. If the device cost $500 to manufacture wholesale, then the company must pay $25 to Qualcomm. If they make 1 million devices, that is $25 million out of pocket to Qualcomm.

It seems that Apple has found a way to circumvent this. Although the Apple iPhone sell's for on average $590, it looks like they only pay the 5% on the unit price Apple pays Foxconn (the company that actually manufactures the iPhone), which is a mere $244. This loophole has been estimated to save Apple $290 million in fiscal 2009 alone. Qualcomm is only seeing $9.70 for each iPhone sold, instead of making $23.60 per iPhone. That is a savings of $13.90 per device sold, quite a pretty penny when you are selling millions of units per quarter.

How you may ask is Apple able to do this without Qualcomm taking them to court? The entire manufacturing process of the iPhone is done externally, through Foxconn. Qualcomm seems fine with the arrangement as they still make $9.70 per device. Looking at the available data, Qualcomm has raked in close to $27,000,000 in licensing fees.

Source- MaximumPC.com

[PPCG Recommended Joke]- iPhone or Droid?

BigDiesel07 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:51:33 +0000

With all the hardships we face each day (scratched screens, dead batteries, no 3G coverage), I would like to share a comic with you from Randall Munroe over at xkcd.com. It covers a topic PPCG has covered in the past and is especially relevant due to the recent launch of the Droid smart phone. So please sit back and enjoy the laughter!

Go To Jail, Get A Virus

BigDiesel07 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:31:27 +0000

It seems that those of you who are rocking an Apple iPhone that has been jailbroken via a SSH client may catch a virus. A phone virus that is. It seems that a creative coder from Australia wrote some script that accesses the SSH client and causes the users wallpaper to be changed to a picture of Rick Astley, the man who has annoyed millions with his song Never Gonna Give You Up.

Source- Maximum PC

AT&T Hints At End Of iPhone Exclusivity

mindfrost82 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:38:03 +0000

At&t had a great last quarter, activating 3.2 million new iPhones, 40% of which were purchased by customers new to AT&T. AT&T’s exclusivity deal with Apple is expected to end next year, though neither company has disclosed the terms of the arrangement.

"Even if we lose the iPhone exclusivity, we're going to probably be the only ones that have a speed of 7.2 (Mbps) that these phones can work on," says AT&T's Ralph de la Vega.

At&t has been quickly trying to boost its network by expanding coverage, specifically 3G expansion. They are turning on new 3G sites everyday, and de la Vega said dropped calls have been down about 12%.

So if the exclusivity deal ends sometime next year, will At&t's network be enough to keep users on board, or will we see them move away as fast as possible. That all might depend on who else picks up the iPhone. As we all remember, both Sprint and Verizon were approched by Apple and turned the deal down. Will either of them change their mind now?

Source: DSLReports

Android, not iPhone, is Bigger Symbian Challenger

CozBoogie — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:22:36 +0000

In the on-going battle for global dominance in the cell phone world, it seems that Google's Android will be emerging as a big challenger over the next few years.

Currently running on less than 2% of all smartphones, Gartner Inc. predicts it will surge to 14% of the global smartphone market by 2012 -- ahead of the iPhone, as well as Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.

By 2012, Gartner forecasts that Android will rank second in the global market behind the Symbian OS. Symbian is used in Nokia devices that are very popular in Europe and other countries outside the United States.

What's driving this surge? The primary predicted increase in popularity comes from Google Inc.'s backing of Android and the increase of cloud applications and functions. Google will continue to increase their cloud infrastructure in the coming years.

T-Mobile's G-1 (the first Android release) was released to mild consumer and critical praise. However, Google is continuing to refine their operating system and more Android-based handsets are becoming available. Additionally, Android is much more open and easily tweaked as compared to Apple and their iPhone. Pair Android with Google's near-world wide services and you have a pretty convincing argument for it's predicted increase in popularity.

Smartphone interfaces seem to have headed off in two divergent ways: iPhone's heavy focus on applications versus Windows Mobile's and Symbian's focus on tasks and communications. But Android has blended a focus on applications and tasks pretty well.

Android's inface allows a user to perform frequently needed tasks without going back to the top of the logic tree.

Here's the predicted forecast for smartphone OS's by 2012:

Symbian, 203 million devices sold (39% of the market)
Android, 76 million devices sold (14.5% of the market)
iPhone, 71.5 million devices sold (13.7% of the market)
Windows Mobile, 68.8 million devices sold (12.8% of the market)
BlackBerry, 62.25 million devices sold (12.5% of the market)
Palm's WebOS, 11 million devices sold (2.1% of the market)

[Breaking] AT&T enabling MMS for iPhone 2 weeks early

BigDiesel07 — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:01:25 +0000

From sea to shining sea, users across the U.S. are chiming in that MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) works for them. It looks like AT&T is slowly but surely enabling MMS for the iPhone.

"I am in the Los Angeles area and MMS is working. I am using OS 3.0 with a 5.0 Carrier bundle."- HowardForums.com

"Rhode Island - just started around 9am this morning. Received about 9 messages at once, thats how I knew it started. I have 3.0.1 with 5.0 and I didnt touch any settings on both my phones (3GS & 3G). Have been sending pics all day long."- HowardForums.com

"And then, last night, something unexpected happened. MMS started working on my iPhone, weeks ahead of AT&T’s announced release date for the feature."- Mediaite.com

"Woohoo! Working MMS on my iphone without jailbreaking. Go AT&T early rollout!"- Twitter post from Jaumann

So this begs the question... Can you MMS from your iPhone?

(Photo:here)