Handsets

Huawei predicts 29% growth in 2009

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:58:16 -0500

Huawei, as it looks to expand both into the smartphone market and in North America in 2009, is predicted to grow around 29 percent in the next year, buoyed by potential growth in China.

The Chinese equipment maker said that its contract sales in 2008 totaled $23.3 billion, and that it expects sales in 2009 to rise to $30 billion, an increase of 28.8 percent. The numbers were first reported in the Chinese media, including in the China Daily, which cited an internal email sent to Huawei's employees by the company's chairwoman, Sun Yafang.

The prediction, certainly a robust one, may be based on the fact that China recently decided to award 3G CDMA technology licenses to the country's largest mobile operators, among other factors. Huawei has indicated that it would also like to break into the smartphone market in 2009 by producing Symbian and Android-based phones.

For more:
- see this article

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T-Mobile to launch BlackBerry Curve 8900

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:17:12 -0500

T-Mobile USA will launch Research In Motion's BlackBerry Curve 8900 in February, further strengthening its smartphone lineup in 2009.

The quad-band global phone has a full QWERTY keyboard and built-in GPS and WiFi capabilities. It also has 3.2-megapixel camera, a music player, a 3.5mm stereo headset jack and a microSD slot capable of holding up to 16GB. The device, along with the Shadow II and rumored Samsung Memoir, which will carry an 8-megapixel camera, beefs up the carrier's smartphone portfolio as it looks to expand its 3G UMTS network into 2009.

T-Mobile has not released a specific launch date or pricing information.

For more:
- see this release

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Motorola launches new handsets ahead of CES

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:36:16 -0500

Motorola has launched a few new phones ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, one of which will be headed to AT&T Mobility and another to T-Mobile USA.

AT&T will be launching the rugged Motorola Tundra. The HSPA clamshell device features a 2-megapixel camera, push-to-talk and support for AT&T Navigator. The phone will be available Jan. 13 for $199, after a $50 mail-in-rebate and on a two-year contract.

In addition, Motorola will debut a phone called Renew, which has all of its plastic parts made entirely from recycled plastic water bottles. The phone will be headed to T-Mobile USA in the first quarter. No pricing details are available.

And finally, Motorola is debuting the touchscreen Surf A3100, a quad-band GSM phone, running on Windows Mobile 6.1. The device has 3G support, WiFi capability, a 3-megapixel camera, Google Maps and messaging and email support. Users can use a stylus, trackball or simply their finger to interact with the device. Motorola has not announced to plans to bring the phone to a U.S. carrier yet, but it will arrive in China in the first quarter.

For more:
- see this pic of the Moto Tundra
- see this pic of the Moto Renew
- see this pic of the Moto Surf
- see this article
- see this release on the Tundra

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HTC launches the S743 for the U.S. market

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:56:18 -0500

HTC launched a new smartphone for the U.S. market, the S743. However, the handset maker did not announce a carrier deal for the device.

The HSDPA phone, which bears a striking resemblance in style to the HTC's Touch Pro and Touch Diamond smartphones, features both a traditional 12-key keypad and a slideout QWERTY keyboard. The phone also has a 2.4-inch QVGA display and runs on Windows Mobile 6.1.

HTC emphasized the phone's interface with Microsoft Exchange and other personal email applications as well as messaging options, which, coupled with the phone's keyboard, makes the S743 a highly stylized version of many of the quick-messaging devices that found their way into the U.S. market this fall.

No price point has been given, but HTC said the phone will be available to national retailers and independent wireless outlets in the first quarter of 2009.

For more:
- see this pic
- see this release
- see this post

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Google asking users for mobile device ideas

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:28:06 -0500

Google has begun soliciting end users for ideas about how it can improve and develop new mobile devices, further embracing the "open" nature of its Android operating system.

Google launched a new website last week called Product Ideas, which will allow consumers to provide ideas for improving Google's mobile presence. Users then vote on the idea and those that receive the strongest support may eventually be considered by Google for development.

The Internet search giant made a splash in the mobile space in 2008 with the launch of Android and the T-Mobile G1, the first phone in North America running on the OS. Many handset makers, including LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson have said they will make Android-based phones in 2009.

Some of the more popular suggestions so far include a mobile application within Google Maps that would speak driving directions, the ability to sync the Google calendar, and, probably to Google's chagrin, a Google Reader application for Apple's iPhone 3G.

For more:
- see this article
- see this post

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Palm to debut new handset with Nova at CES

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:13:44 -0500

Palm will debut a touchscreen handset with a QWERTY keyboard running on its new Nova operating system, which it is set to unveil at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week, according to several reports.

Details are scarce, but the device appears to have a portrait touchscreen and a full slide-out keyboard. Palm, which posted a $506 million loss in its fiscal second quarter in December, has pinned its future on the success of Nova as it struggles to regain ground in the smart phone market against rivals Apple and Research In Motion.

The smartphone maker recently got a boost of confidence and financial support in the form of a $100 million investment from Elevation Partners, but all eyes are on the debut of Nova and how it will ultimately perform in the market.

For more:
- see this Wired post
- see this article

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2008 Year in Review: The iPhone 3G and iPhone clones

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:38:40 -0500

The news: AT&T Mobility launched the Apple's iPhone 3G July 11, ushering in a new era of high-speed data capable smartphones. Apple's second-generation iPhone, which featured the same sleek look and innovative touchscreen user interface of the first-gen iPhone, now offered consumers the ability to surf the Web using AT&T's HSPA network and that sparked a flurry of iPhone clones.

T-Mobile USA jumped into the ring post-iPhone 3G, with the launch of the G1, the first phone based on Google's Android platform, which boasted a touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. Then came the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, formerly known as the Tube. Verizon Wireless followed up shortly thereafter with the Motorola Krave ZN4--billed as both a touchscreen phone and a flip phone.

Then, the deluge came: the Samsung Epix (AT&T); the HTC Touch Pro, a soup-ed up version of the HTC Touch Diamond (Sprint Nextel); the $800 Sony Ericsson Xperia X1; the Samsung Saga (Verizon) and Samsung Eternity (AT&T); Research In Motion's BlackBerry Storm--the first touchscreen BlackBerry (Verizon); the Samsung Omnia (Verizon); and the Nokia N97.

Why it was significant: It is easy to pronounce this or that as a paradigm shift, but the launch of the iPhone 3G truly was one. The genius lay behind its marketing, with each 30-second ad almost like an infomercial for how to use the multiple features and applications of the iPhone 3G, and then, at the end, reminding customers that it was a phone, too. Apple marketed the iPhone 3G as a mobile computer and digital media player first, and a phone second. And other handset makers felt they had to follow suit, launching a bevy of sleek phones with touchscreen UI's. While each pretender to the throne was looking to be an iPhone-Killer, so far the iPhone 3G remains at the top, simply by virtue that no other handset has achieved the same kind of brand recognition that the iPhone 3G has.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic gets FCC approval

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:22:01 -0500

Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic, formerly the Tube, has received FCC approval and will be landing in the United States soon, though probably unlocked and unsubsidized.

So far the phone is not attached to any one carrier. When the phone was first launched in October, it came in three versions: a quad-band GSM with 850/1900 WCDMA, a quad-band GSM with 900/2100 WCDMA and quad-band GSM with no 3G capabilities. It has both a 3.2-inch touchscreen display and a 3.2-megapixel camera, WiFi, GPS and HSDPA capabilities, stereo speakers, a touchscreen, drop down media bar menu and finger and stylus user interface controls.

There is no word on an official U.S. release date or pricing, but as a basis for comparison, when it was first released, the phone sold for about $390 unlocked.

For more:
- see this article

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T-Mobile USA cancels handset upgrade fees

Phil Goldstein — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:32:24 -0500

T-Mobile USA announced that it was canceling handset upgrade fees for its customers.

The move came into effect Dec. 17, according to a spokeswoman for T-Mobile. "The elimination of the $18 upgrade fee applies across-the-board to all handsets (including the T-Mobile G1) and in all channels (e.g., retail, online, etc.)," she said in an email message.

The cancellation of the fee is not a holiday promotion and there is no specified end date. Handset upgrade fees are a fairly standard practice throughout the wireless industry, with operators charging anywhere between $18 and $40 when customers upgrade their phones.

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Verizon unlocks GPS on some of its WinMo phones

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:01:30 -0500

Verizon Wireless has decided to allow a certain number of its Windows Mobile handsets to have standalone GPS, breaking them free from Verizon's proprietary navigation software.

Verizon previously had locked these phones so they could only use VZ Navigator. However, according to an official statement released from the carrier, the Samsung Omnia, Samsung Saga and HTC Touch Pro will all get firmware updates in the first half of 2009 allowing them to use standalone GPS software such as Google Maps.

According to a statement made by Steve Schwed, Verizon's HQ Executive Relations Supervisor, Verizon has worked out a solution with Windows Mobile to get a software upgrade for the three devices sometime in the first half of next year. Schwed said the reason that certain features--i.e. standalone GPS--may not be enabled on Verizon handsets is that they do not meet "performance goals."

"We will often choose to introduce the phone without that feature but ask that the manufacturer come back to us with revised software that has to be tested to make sure the service works the same across our entire wireless footprint--from Maine to Hawaii," he said in the statement. "In the case of open standalone GPS, we are partnering with the Windows Mobile device manufacturers to provide a software upgrade that will add this capability to the existing assisted GPS capability."

For more:
- see this article

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FCC approves 8-megapixel phone for T-Mobile

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:21:52 -0500

The FCC approved an 8-megapixel camera phone that was rumored to be the Samsung Memoir. The phone seems destined to land at T-Mobile USA because it comes with a 1700 MHz radio.

The HSDPA phone will run on Samsung's TouchWhiz interface--the same as on the Samsung Behold--and is equipped with GPS and Bluetooth. There is no word on pricing or a release date. The phone will boost T-Mobile's lineup of smartphones, which has lagged behind those of other Tier 1 carriers as T-Mobile has built out its 3G UMTS/HSPA network in the United States.

For more:
- see this article
- see this picture

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Videos: Holiday Themed Wireless Commercials

Phil Goldstein — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:36:03 -0500

It seems that as the number of days in the holiday shopping season dwindles, the number of holiday-themed wireless commercials or web ads increases. This is true of most consumer and retail goods, but with the wireless industry it's slightly different because all of the companies are essentially selling you the same thing. Ah, but that's not what the Tier 1 operators and handset makers would like you to believe: each of their products are faster, better, shinier, or are ...funn-er than all of the others. Or, maybe, simply, their commercials are just better.

FierceWireless took a sampling of the commercials that are airing right now from some of the operators and handset makers. They run the gamut from merely informative (such as a 3-minute spiel about how best to buy an iPhone 3G for someone) to entertaining (the AT&T Mobility gingerbread men strike back!) to the simply zany (a swarm of Santas in a Motorola commercial).

Some of the ads hawk products that are doing extremely well in the market, but are flops as commercials because they fail to tell the consumer much about the product or why they should buy it. Others are for products that are not doing as well but offer up some zip and pizazz that make them entertaining.

To be clear, we are not critiquing, reviewing or otherwise passing judgment on the products or services being offered, but merely on the commercial. FierceWireless has offered a critique of both their aesthetics and effectiveness, and they are divided up by carrier or company, so feel free to click through and see your favorite ones.

As always, comments and criticisms are encouraged. Enjoy! --Phil

On the Hot Seat with Best Buy Mobile's Scott Moore

Sue Marek — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:39:07 -0500

When it comes to wireless, the Millennials are power users. This age group is more likely than average to make 6-10 calls on their mobile phone daily and send numerous text messages. Big box retailer Best Buy Mobile recently embarked on a study to find out more about the Millennials and how they use wireless. Scott Moore, vice president of marketing for Best Buy Mobile talked with FierceWireless editor in chief Sue Marek about the study's findings and the company's overall commitment to wireless.

FierceWireless: Why did you decide to conduct this survey?

Moore: As you know, Best Buy Mobile is a partnership of Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse, and Carphone Warehouse has been doing this type of survey for five years. It's fun to look at the differences between the U.S. and Europe and see how people are using their mobile phones differently. We thought it made sense to bring this same idea to the U.S. This is the first year of the survey and we look forward to doing it in years to come.

FierceWireless: Were there big differences between the results in the U.S. and Europe?

Moore: There are always differences. I think if anything there is a sense that American's are far behind the Europeans but I believe we aren't as far behind as people think we are. That gap has narrowed dramatically.

FierceWireless: Wireless carriers are putting a lot of investment into smartphones and phones with touchscreens. How popular do you think those phones are with Millennials? Can they afford to buy these types of phones?

Moore: Yes, they are very popular. There is a cool factor to the phones and it's true for Millennials. We think kids who want these products are finding ways to get them--whether it's through gift cards or wrangling their parents or grandparents.

FierceWireless: One of the survey findings is that one in five Millennials are sending more than 16 texts per day. But you don't really need a smart phone to text. Is texting their primary use of the phone or are they surfing the web and using the other functions?

Moore: I think if they are on an unlimited text plan that is the incentive for that behavior and data plans are more expensive. So I think that is the root. But the nature of the communication--they are short, sweet and fun--I get through them in a day. I don't always get through all my emails. The medium really resonates with this group. They have grown up with it. They aren't learning how to text.

I would come back to the fact that in everything we do, whether a smart phone or no contract phone, it all starts with acknowledgement of a truth about the marketplace. People would rather go to the dentist than buy a mobile phone. If you think about that--it's crazy. We can create a good experience for buying something that is so important to you.

Best Buy has focused on the experience and making it great. That is where the growth has come from. The truth about mobile phone buying is that you have to have all the right phones and plans in one place. You have to have people that know what they are talking about--for us that's well-trained non-commissioned sales people. And it's pricing. And it's a commitment to be there for the life of your phone. It's a combination of all these things.

FierceWireless: You've made a lot of strides in the mobile world. Being the first third party retailer to offer the iPhone 3G seems like a significant milestone. How are sales going?

Moore: The iPhone 3G helped remind America that you can buy a mobile phone at Best Buy. It was on the heels of the successful launch of the Samsung Instinct. Sprint spent a lot of money promoting it and we were the exclusive national retail channel at launch. Over the course of the year we have steadily been building momentum. We had a great promotion with BlackBerry in May with all BlackBerry phones across networks were on sale. That had never been done before. We had a strong launch of the Instinct and a strong launch of the iPhone. We are the place where you can come in the U.S. and stand and see the iPhone, the Instinct, the Bold from AT&T and the Storm from Verizon. Those are hot phones.

Another differentiator is that you might walk in thinking you want a BlackBerry but after you talk to our team you might find you should actually have the Instinct. The benefit is that we have a program that you can walk out with a working phone and all your data and contact information is transferred for free. Some retailers won't do it. Some will do it and charge for it.

FierceWireless: Not all retailers have focused so heavily on wireless. How has this wireless focus helped the company?

Moore: We looked around a saw a few years ago and saw that we could make a difference here. Once we did the work of figuring out this business, we scaled quickly because we saw the opportunity to help customers.

FierceWireless: How does the open wireless network vision, i.e., wireless carriers letting all devices on their networks, help third-party retailers?

Moore: That is a global trend. It was a big question for us in the beginning--should we include unlocked phones in our portfolio? And the answer was: if there is customer demand for it, we should sell it. We have had unlocked phones in our assortments for two years. Our biggest assortment of unlocked phones is in our new Mobile Life stores. We have three unique standalone stores--in Minneapolis, Chicago and D.C. We set up stores that start and work from the cell phone outward. The cell phone is the most personal device and we build around that. We have laptops that are ultra-mobile, GPS, tools to personalize your phone and a station that focuses on Sling Media.

FierceWireless: What have you learned so far about holiday cell phone sales?

Moore: One thing that was very exciting was Black Friday. This year, you had people lining up at 3 a.m.--that's actually pretty normal. What was surprising is that people were lining up to get a cell phone. That is crazy. In year's past we didn't sell our first phone until 8 a.m. This signals that mobile phones are must-have gifts for this holiday season.

Neonode AB files for bankruptcy

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:49:24 -0500

Neonode AB, the Swedish subsidiary of the U.S.-based company Neonode, Inc., has filed a petition for bankruptcy in Sweden.

The company, which makes the Neonode N2, first introduced in 2004, has faced a rocky period since the summer when it failed to meet guidance for earnings and dealt with a recall of the N2 due to "reception issues."

"For the past six months we have focused on turning the business around and solving the financial situation of Neonode AB," Neonode CEO and Chairman Per Bystedt said in a statement. "We continue to have great belief in our technology and believe we have a competitive product in the Neonode N2 but without sufficient funds we cannot continue operations."

At the time of the summer upheaval, the company admitted that it had pushed into too many markets too quickly. Yet the touchscreen N2, predating the dominance of the iPhone, seems to have dragged the company down. Neonode remained stagnant and other companies innovated in the touchscreen device market. Neonode said it intends to continue operating as a technology licensing company.

For more:
- see this Engadget post
- see this release
- see FierceWireless' N2 unboxing

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Rumor Mill: T-Mobile to get 8 megapixel Samsung Memoir

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:17:36 -0500

T-Mobile USA is reportedly going to be launching a Samsung phone with an 8-megapixel camera that is going to be called the "Memoir."

The report, which first appeared on T-Mobile's unofficial blog, TMoNews, was short on details but long on promise. The phone will reportedly run on the TouchWiz user interface--the same as on the Samsung Behold. While it will not be a top-of-the-line phone for T-Mobile like the G1, it could be one of the highest resolution subsidized camera phones offered in the United States. There are no details on a possible release date or pricing.

For more:
- see this article
- see this post

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Nokia issues a new market warning

Phil Goldstein — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:10:30 -0500

Nokia issued a market warning for the second time in less than a month, cutting its outlook for global handset sales, as the world's largest handset maker braces for a slowdown in the coming year.

The Finnish giant now expects global handset sales to drop below the 330 million units for the fourth quarter it estimated on Nov. 14, and also said its estimate of 1.24 billion units for 2008 would have to be revised down. Those numbers were cuts from previous estimates. The company also said it expects growth to slow in 2009, with the market contracting 5 percent from its 2008 levels.

"2009 will be challenging for our industry, however we have a strong, enviable base to build on and I believe we will continue to strengthen our position on many fronts," Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said in a statement.

The news comes amid a week of profit warnings from other handset makers, including Research In Motion and Palm, as the handset market faces declining demand in the midst of a global economic slowdown. The research firm Gartner also released statistics about the smartphone market, which saw its weakest year-on-year growth since the firm started tracking the industry, and Nokia saw its share of the smartphone market fall to 42.4 percent, down from the 48.7 percent share it had a year earlier.

For more:
- see this article (sub. req.)
- see this AP article

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Study: Handset sales to dip in 2009

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:50:38 -0500

A study by the research firm iSuppli shows that handset sales will decline in 2009, given the weak economic climate. Shipments in 2009 are expected to decline by 5.6 percent to 1.215 billion units down from 1.287 billion that iSuppli expects in 2008. Article

T-Mobile Shadow II creeps closer to launch

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:47:21 -0500

The long-awaited successor to T-Mobile USA's Shadow device appears to be getting closer to launch, as it showed up on the FCC's web site.

The HTC-manufactured slider phone appears to have been upgraded to Windows Mobile 6.1 and will have a faster processor. The GSMA/UMA phone will also have integrated WiFi, a 2 megapixel camera, quad-band world roaming and possible support for T-Mobile's Hotspot@Home service.

No word is available about pricing or a possible release date, but the phone is sure to beef up T-Mobile's lineup of smartphones, which has lagged behind the other Tier 1 carriers in the past few months.

For more:
- see this article
- see this picture

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HTC acquires One & Co. design team

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:01:22 -0500

HTC acquired San Francisco-based lifestyle and design firm One & Co. as it looks to enhance its image as a maker of sleek handsets. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

HTC handsets, such as the Mogul, used to be known as bulky pocket computers, but with the addition of the Touch Diamond, Touch Pro and the T-Mobile G1 this fall, the company has emerged as a maker of thinner and more stylish models.

One & Co. had collaborated with HTC as far back as 2006 on the initial design of the Touch Diamond, the stylish black-cased phone that emerged as one of HTC's top-of-the-line handsets this season. One & Co.'s client list includes Adidas, Sony, K2 Snowboards, Coca-Cola, Kodak and the North Face, and it will continue to work with them in addition to the work it does with HTC.

For more:
- see this article
- see this release

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RIM, LG cut outlook and sales growth

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:46:50 -0500

Proving that no company is totally immune to the weakened economy, Research In Motion scaled back its revenue forecast for its fiscal third quarter in the face of a dip in demand, stiff competition in the smartphone market and a precarious economic climate for handset makers in general.

The Canadian BlackBerry maker said revenues for the quarter were likely to come in between $2.75 billion to $2.78 billion, down from the $2.95 billion to $3.1 billion it had predicted in September, and below Wall Street expectations. Though demand for new BlackBerry accounts grew 57 percent over last year to 2.6 million, it was still under the 2.9 million RIM had forecasted.

The news comes as RIM has put more on the line in the form of high-end products such as the BlackBerry Bold, which AT&T Mobility is selling and the recently launched BlackBerry Storm from Verizon Wireless.

LG, the world's fifth largest handset maker, also said it expected demand to weaken in 2009 and for sales growth to slow.

For more:
- see this article (sub. req.)

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