At the Mobile World Congress we spoke to Avi Marinstrauss, VP Global Sales at 3GVision, the company that is the global pioneer and leader in mobile barcode reading. Their star product i-nigma offers comprehensive 1D/2D mobile barcode solution incorporating a code-creation, campaign management and advanced metrics reporting platform.

AT&T announced the selection of Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson as equipment suppliers for the planned deployment of its LTE mobile broadband network. The company is planning a first field trials of LTE later this year. Commercial deployment is scheduled to begin in 2011.

LTE, the next-generation mobile broadband standard, is the clear choice for the next leap in wireless technology, reports In-Stat. The analysts claim that while WiMax appeared to be a competitor for 4G early on, that battle is now largely resolved.

“It is a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs unveiling Apple’s “latest creation” yesterday in San Francisco. Although we may doubt if the iPad really brings “magic” and “revolution” to us, we have to admit the prices are unexpectedly low. Yesterday, Apple’s stocks started to climb fast only when Jobs revealed how much we’ll have to spend on the device.

Cox announced the successful completion of voice calling and high definition video streaming over wireless networks using LTE technology. Cox's 4G technology and service trials utilize the AWS and 700 MHz spectrum.

Danish and Swedish consumers can look forward to four times faster mobile broadband as operator 3's network speeds leap from 21Mbps to 84Mbps.

Beginning today, Verizon launches new monthly service plans. The customers may sign up for a new Nationwide Unlimited Talk plan that allows them to call anyone in the United States for $69.99 monthly access or a Nationwide Unlimited Talk & Text plan to call and send text, picture and video messages to anyone in the country for $89.99 monthly access.

The company also announced the expansion of the 25 megabyte for $9.99 per month data package requirement to include all Verizon Wireless 3G Multimedia phones.

The release of 3G licenses in China is spurring a wireless data boom, with national revenue from such services rising by 18.9 percent in 2009 and nearly doubling from 2008 to 2013, says iSuppli.

According to the research group, as the one-year anniversary of the issuance of 3G licenses in China approaches, wireless data revenue, including both messaging and non-messaging service, is set to rise to $19.3 billion in 2009, up from $16.3 billion in 2008.

UK’s largest mobile TV service is now available for iPhone and iPod touch.

Sky announced the availability of the Sky Mobile TV App on the App Store. The company has created a dedicated app for the service specifically for iPhone and iPod touch. The app allows users to stream live TV via WiFi and the channels available include all Sky Sports channels, Sky Sports News, Sky News, ESPN and At The Races.

Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google, and Lowell McAdam, CEO of Verizon Wireless, held a joint conference call in New York to announce their companies’ new partnership.

They said Verizon will deliver “devices of the future” with leading-edge mobile applications and services using Google’s Android open platform in coming weeks.

During the conference McAdam confirmed Verizon plans to support Google Voice.

Samsung announced that it has developed, as it claims, the first Long Term Evolution modem that complies with the latest standards of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, which were released in March 2009.

The modem, branded the Kalmia, supports download speed up to 100Mbps and upload speed of 50Mbps within the 20MHz frequency bandwidth.

“Smart phones continue to shine as one of the brightest spots of the technology industry, with shipments growing despite the global recession,” says the recent Canalys’ report on the Q2 key smartphone market trends.

The report shows that Nokia maintains global lead, Apple’s success continues, as the iPhone takes 23% of the North American market and RIM continues to gain share, succeeding with its push into the consumer market. Touchscreens become the preferred interface, representing 40% of all shipments.

Mark your calendars, because September 10th will see a huge announcement regarding Motorola's unveiling of their own Android phone line.

Sholes will be a high end phone focusing on the professional power user focusing on high processing speeds and a 5 megapixel camera. Morrison will be a more economically based Android phone which will end up on the T-Mobile network and support 3G.

Filed under: HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA, LTE

Take yourself back -- way back -- all the way to 1987, when cellphones were still in their infancy and the nations of Europe threw together the forward-thinking GSM Directive. GSM, of course, would go on to become the world's dominant digital cellular technology, but here's the thing: it's not 1987 anymore. Sadly, part of the original Directive are still in full effect, and the 900MHz band is stuck in a world of days gone by while the bulk of mainland Europe happily whizzes along on the 3G-blessed 2100MHz spectrum up above it. Not all is lost, though -- the Council of Ministers has finally approved a plan to allow 3G and 4G services on 900MHz, which it believes will end up saving operators around €1.6 billion ($2.28 billion), ostensibly because lower frequencies allow towers to be spaced further apart from one another. Normally we'd be opposed to adding yet another band into the worldwide hodgepodge of GSM bands, but in this case, we feel like we're welcoming an old friend back into the club, you know?

[Via the::unwired]

Europe pulls 900MHz out of its 2G funk originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Others, EDGE, UMTS, Accessories

Continue reading Novatel Wireless launches MiFi 2372 with North American-loving, 3G WiFi goodness

Novatel Wireless launches MiFi 2372 with North American-loving, 3G WiFi goodness originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, China Unicom, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, Apple, iPhone OS

Is it really happening? Is the world's most thickly settled nation finally getting the iPhone in earnest? If a bold (albeit woolly) report from China's own national news agency is to be believed, China Unicom has just locked down a deal that'll grant it exclusive rights to sell Apple's heralded smartphone in mainland China for three whole years. Unfortunately, most of the nitty-gritty details are absent, but we are led to believe that this will be the first-ever iPhone sold with any branding at all outside of logos splashed on at Cupertino. The "Wo" icon you see just below the speaker signifies that this here device is ready to rock on the carrier's 3G network, though we still can't say with any amount of certainty if said image is fully legitimate. We're also waiting to hear whether it'll be the iPhone 3G or 3GS (or both) that's sold, and we're particular curious as to whether or not these handsets will include WiFi modules.

In related news, it does sound as if China Unicom bent over backwards a bit to make this all come together, with the article stating that it signed on to move between one and two million units per year regardless of how many consumers actually show up to buy one. If you'll recall, an eerily similar agreement has Russian operators in a world of financial hurt, but we get the feeling the reception in China will be quite a bit warmer. At any rate, it's noted that Unicom will be snapping up the devices from Apple at a cost of around 3,000 Chinese yuan apiece ($439), with end users being asked to pay an undisclosed lesser amount on contract. If all goes well, the units could hit Chinese shops as early as September, though only time will tell how everything shakes out. Oh, and considering that Apple can hardly keep up with iPhone 3GS demand as it is, we suspect it'll want to wait a few months anyway before stressing its supply channels further.

Update: A China Unicom spokeswoman has now been quoted as saying that "we have made progress but there are still some problems to be resolved." Really? Another round of this?

China Unicom finally bringing iPhone to world's most populous country? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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O2 has beaten rival operator Orange to secure the exclusive rights to the Palm Pre when it is released in the UK.
Palm and O2 are expected to make the announcement next week almost a month after the launch of the handset in the US.

Filed under: China Mobile

China Mobile officially kicked off commercial 3G services on China's homegrown TD-SCDMA standard way back in January of this year and it's sparing no expense to build it out, but so far, only 3 percent of new subscribers -- that is, those that could easily get a 3G line and hardware if they wanted to -- are opting for the service. It'd be totally cool if 3 percent of China Mobile's total subscriber base were on 3G, but in reality, only about three-quarters of a million folks were signed up by the end of May -- and when you consider that there are nearly half a billion subscribers on the carrier, that's a drop in the bucket. Part of the problem could simply be that TD-SCDMA is unique to China, which limits hardware selection; its competitors are deploying HSPA and EV-DO networks, which may have a better chance of broad acceptance. Either that, or Chinese just hate fast wireless, and we're doubting that.

China Mobile says 3G isn't winning hearts and minds yet originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, HTC, T-Mobile, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

While we twiddle our thumbs and wait for the Dash 3G and the Touch Pro2 to make their fanfare-laden debuts on good ol' Number Four (that's our pet name for T-Mobile USA, of course), literature is starting to show up that should make the wait marginally more bearable by giving us a few pretty pictures to look at and words to read. There's nothing Earth-shattering in here, but we see that the Dash 3G has 256MB of ROM and an impressive rated 8.3 days of standby time -- we'll believe that when we get that kind of performance ourselves -- while the Touch Pro2 moves up to 512MB, keeps the 8.3 days of standby, and touts its unusual full-duplex speakerphone that dominates the rear of the device. If you do a lot of conference calling, you must be beside yourself right about now, eh?

T-Mobile's HTC Touch Pro2 and Dash 3G get spec'd originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Apple

Now, we're hoping this isn't some elaborate hoax perpetrated on the kind citizens of the internet, because if it's real, it's amazing. Here's the deal: a man capturing video poolside with his iPhone 3GS somehow loses control of the device and ends up dunking the entire phone... while filming. Miraculously, he manages to fish out the handset and it's still rolling. We don't know what the lifespan was / is beyond this clip, but obviously long enough to upload the video or transfer it to a computer. Impressive stuff, though we strongly suggest you don't test this one out on your own. Check out the full video after the break.

[Via George Ruiz]

Continue reading iPhone 3GS takes plunge in pool while shooting video... and lives to tell the tale

iPhone 3GS takes plunge in pool while shooting video... and lives to tell the tale originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hot on the heels of launching its third Android smartphone, HTC is forecasting its US handset sales to grow by at least 50 per cent this year.
With the arrival of the Hero, the Taiwanese phone maker is establishing itself as the leading manufacturer of the Linux-based devices.

Palm's new CEO Jon Rubinstein believes there is sufficient growth in the smartphone market to profitably sustain "three to five players".
He was speaking after announcing "strong and growing" sales of the company's new Pre handset - with download applications now numbering more than 1 million three weeks after it launched.

Apple has launched its new iPhone 3GS with demand expected to be strong for the handset in the US and seven other initial launch countries.
However, with a smartphone market also offering new handsets from Palm, RIM and Nokia, to name but a few, the landscape has changed considerably since the original iPhone hit the market two years ago.

RIM is boosting its Blackberry range with a new 3G dual-mode handset aimed at both its core executive users and the wider consumer market.
Candy-bar shaped and with a full keyboard, the Blackberry Tour will launch with Verizon and Sprint in the US and Telus and BCE's Bell unit in Canada.

Palm must be hoping it can quickly build on estimated opening weekend sales of 60,000 Pre smartphones - not least because Apple has cranked up the pressure with the launch of a new iPhone 3Gs.
While Palm's Saturday launch has largely been judged a success, it was hampered by supply constraints which saw most Sprint Nextel stores get less than 50 phones to sell.

Apple has unveiled a new version of the iPhone - the iPhone 3Gs - at WWDC 2009.
Among the key improvements are a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus and VGA video capture at 30fps, improved battery life, voice control, a faster processor and 7.2Mbps HSDPA-compatible radio.

Filed under: Handsets, Others, ATT, T-Mobile, Windows Mobile

We're not sure what kind of wilded-out party people need a single phone that can use both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G in the States, but your dreams have finally come true: the Pharos Traveller 137 is finally available. Hope you like Windows Mobile 6.1, cause that's what you're getting for your $350 on two-year T-Mo contract or $600 unlocked. Expensive, yes, but you're basically getting every feature you can think of and Pharos says the 137 is WinMo 6.5-ready, so there's an upgrade path here -- too bad no firmware will ever make that resistive touchscreen feel good.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Pharos Traveller 137 now available, can use both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA, BlackBerry OS

After months of leaks, Verizon Wireless is finally coming clean with its intent to carry the 3G-enabled BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230. Said phone will arrive in silver on June 19th, bringing with it a 2 megapixel camera (with flash and video recording), a SureType QWERTY keyboard, microSD / SDHC slot and support for VZ Navigator. The pain? $129.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate and a new two-year agreement.

Verizon gets official with 3G BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230: $129.99 on June 19th originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

Mexico's prepping for a big auction of purpose-built 3G spectrum in the 1700 and 1900MHz bands toward the end of the year, and at least one big-time investment group, Banamex, believes that could net as much as $1.5 billion for the government when everything's said and done. The estimate actually runs from $1 billion to $1.5 billion depending on the number of bidders that ultimately decide to participate and which side of the bed they woke up on that morning, but any way you slice it, it's a nice chunk of change (for comparison's sake, Canada's AWS auction brought in CAD $4.2 billion -- about $3.86 billion). Telcel, Telefonica, and NII are all said to be virtual locks to place bids, while Mexico's number-three operator -- Iusacell -- may sit this one out considering its less-than-stellar financial situation and a stash of spare spectrum that it already has at its disposal. Before you start any wild rumors that a foreign company might swoop in and shake things up, be warned -- Banamex says that's highly unlikely considering failed attempts to bust into the Mexican market by Verizon, Voda, and France Telecom in the past.

Mexican 3G auction could bring in $1.5B, depending on bidders' moods originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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INTERVIEW: Known for its hardware products, wireless solutions specialists Option is transforming itself in the face of fierce competition and plunging margins.
The company's marketing director, Jan Poté, tells smartphone.biz-news how the company is expanding to offer complete end-to-end solutions - ranging from its Ucan virtual 'PC on a stick' to designing the system board for Sharp's new 3G Sidekick LX messaging phone.

Huawei Technologies doubled its market share in the mobile network infrastructure market in the first quarter of 2009.
The Chinese company's success comes as domestic mobile operators prepare to spend over USD $20 billion this year on rolling out the initial phases of China's 3G deployments.

The BBC has launched a service that allows UK viewers to watch live TV programs from suitable Wi-Fi connected mobile phones.
BBC Live TV is available in a beta test form, offering a limited number of the broadcaster's channels, plus its radio stations.

Telefónica today conducted its first tests on a real 4th Generation network with LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology, installed at its Demonstrations Centre in Madrid.
The initial tests consisted of a VoIP call and a videocall using an LTE mini-network installed by Ericsson, Video conference, and data and images downloads at speeds in excess of 140 Mbps.

Skype is now available for the iPhone - and will be coming to BlackBerry in May.
The VoIP app on the iPhone will only work over Wi-Fi and not 3G.
It will allow iPhone subscribers to use phone numbers in their existing iPhone address book - without the need for duplicate lists.
UPDATE: Since being released on Tuesday it has emerged that Skype on iPhone does works over 3G, despite being intended only for use with WiFi.

INTERVIEW: Isik Uman, general manager of leading Turkish service provider Retromedya, talks to smartphone-biz.news about the rapidly changing mobile market in Turkey.
With 3G going live this summer, the nation's 66 million mobile subscribers are expected to take full advantage of new services - making it an appealing prospect for operators and service providers.

Filed under: Handsets, ATT, Apple

Is there a better way to ring in the first day of spring than with another lawsuit aimed at Apple and AT&T? Probably, but apparently not for Damone Dickerson, who has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey that again takes aim at the pair over allegedly misleading claims about 3G speeds. According to Dickerson, he has only be able to connect to the 3G network a "fraction of the time," and when he was able to connect it did not provide "full and continual service." As a result, he's leveled a whole host of charges against the two companies, which he hopes will result in them changing their advertising and, of course, allow him to "recover compensatory, statutory and punitive damages." No word from Apple or AT&T, naturally, but Apple has recently asked that a similar case in New York be dismissed.

Apple, AT&T get sued for misleading 3G claims, again originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW has come up with a novel - and legal - way to drive its new Z4 Roadster while using the iPhone.
No, it's not some ingenious hands-free device designed by engineering geniuses at the German car-maker.

Filed under: UMTS

Residents of Ambala, India have just been blessed with an exciting new reason to pay close attention to their overage charges -- and it's about time. Following MTNL's recent launch, fellow carrier BSNL has recently flipped the switch on its own 3G service, which is currently limited to the Ambala area. Data rates run between 2 and 3 rupees per megabyte -- about 4 to 5 cents -- which actually seems like an insanely awesome deal, all things considered. Considering the red tape developing up in the hallowed halls of government, it could be a long while yet before anything goes national, but hey, at least a few cities are getting blessed with the good stuff in the meantime.

[Thanks, Jeelz]

BSNL next to bring 3G to India originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Advanced Receiver Technologies (ART) has launched interference cancellation technology which has the potential to dramatically improve 3G call connectivity and mobile broadband download rates.
Crucially, the Texas-based company says the solution doesn't require additional network investment but will allow twice as many users to connect in the same 3G coverage area.
It can do all this while maintaining broadband connectivity throughout the entire cell - including tripling data transfer speeds at cell edge.

Filed under: Handsets, Others

Option's GlobeSurfer X·1 turns USB modems into WiFi hotspots originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The addition of 1.9 million 3G iPhone accounts helped AT&T to post USD $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the fourth quarter.
Apple's handset made up the bulk of the 2.1 million net new customers that the telecom company gained in the period.

Filed under: Handsets, Windows Mobile, GSM

Russia's RoverPC unleashes the G7 originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple's iPhone has overtaken Motorola's Razr to become the best-selling consumer cellphone in the US in the third quarter of 2008.
The iPhone's success is all the more impressive considering it costs upwards of USD $199, while the RAZR has been virtually free with a signed contract for the past few years.

It may lack some vital business tools - no cut-and-paste, for starters - but it seems that Apple's 3G handset is gaining followers who see it as more than just a fun device.
The iPhone has received the highest customer satisfaction marks in the most recent JD Power & Associates customer satisfaction survey of business smartphone users.

The iPhone may be made in China but Apple still hasn't launched its game-changing handset there yet.
That hasn't stopped the 3G smartphone having a huge impact on China's estimated 700 million cell phone market, according to the latest report from Research and Markets.

Filed under: T-Mobile, Misc

As if it wasn't official enough (and it never really is, is it?), T-Mobile is clarifying and reiterating its intentions to bring 3G to more locales before the dawn of 2009. After launching coverage this week in Sacramento, California, the outfit is now turning its eyes to the nation's capital. In late November, Washington, DC will get blanketed with T-Mobile 3G, and Memphis / Tampa should be getting lit here soon as well. Keep 'em coming, T-Mob -- you've a ways to go still.

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Mobile Web and application usage is growing rapidly, according to mobile advertising agency AdMob.
The increase is attributed to a combination of organic growth from AdMob’s legacy publishers and the addition of thousands of new mobile sites and applications to the company’s publisher network.

Smartphones will continue to be the device most used for watching mobile video, according to research firm In-Stat.
The high-end handsets will not have it all their own way though.
Over the next five years, they will be joined by over 160 million other devices that provide mobile video over networks now in exclusive use by cellphones.

Filed under: Handsets, ASUS, O2, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA

Sure enough, the ASUS-built O2 Xda Zest is more than just a figment of someone's imagination, though speaking of imaginations, we simply can't hear this phone's name without thinking about the soap. Sorry, just can't do it. All that aside, the handset has finally made its way onto the carrier's "Coming Soon" page, where we're told that it will include Windows Mobile for opening up Office documents, a 3-megapixel camera, 3G, WiFi, 356MB of internal memory and a microSD expansion slot. Looking for more? Strap yourself down and wait until November, vaquero.

[Via CoolSmartphone]

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HTC’s Touch HD has joined the Blackberry Bold and Nokia 5800 on the list of 3G smartphones that have no US release date.
HTC has announced through its Twitter feed that says that although it "looked into it," it has decided that by the time the HD could be converted and imported into the US, the device would be "old news".

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA

Samsung was content with teasing us all weekend long, but it has finally seen fit to officially reveal its next 8-megapixel handset, the Pixon. Boasting a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 13.8-millimeter thin design and an inbuilt camera with Auto Focus, face detection and geotagging, the handset clearly emphasizes the importance of taking a few photos each and everyday. Sammy has confessed that the currently unpriced mobile will start shipping in around a fortnight for those in France, while most other European / Asian countries will see it shortly. As for North America? Take a wild guess.

[Via PhoneScoop]

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Touted as Google's answer to the iPhone, the first cell phone powered by the feverishly anticipated Android software is to be unveiled on 23 September.
The Android launch will heighten competition in a market increasingly dominated by Apple's 3G handset and RIM's BlackBerries.

More than 100 million applications have been downloaded from the App Store since the launch of Apple’s 3G iPhone two months ago.
This landmark was announced today to a chorus of iPhone programmers voicing their displeasure towards Apple’s unclear and seemingly arbitrary “approval” policy.

Filed under: Handsets, Vertu, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

Tycoons of the world, get out your pocketbooks. Actually, wait, scratch that -- kick back, relax, and let your butler do it for you, because Vertu has a new multi-thousand dollar toy for your enjoyment. The FCC has revealed that Nokia's ultra-luxe division has finally updated its flagship Signature model to include 3G, and they've taken the opportunity to completely redesign it to make it slimmer, hotter, and presumably, pricier than ever before. The all-new Signature features quadband EDGE, HSDPA on the 850 and 2100MHz bands, and WiFi -- a Vertu first -- which means we should probably expect a fabulous browser to go with that generously-proportioned OLED display. Well, we can't, since we'll never get closer than a thick sheet of security glass to this thing -- but someone can.

Update: The phone's officially been unveiled on Vertu's site as the Signature S Design, hitting a boutique you can't get into unless you're dressed to impress near you come next month.

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UK customers are to be offered a pay-as-you-go 3G iPhone from later this month starting at GBP 349.99 (around US$630) for the 8GB model.
O2 , which has the exclusive handset franchise for the UK, will also be selling the 16GB model for GBP 399.99 (around US$720).

Filed under: Handsets, Software, GSM, EDGE, Apple, OS X

Hey, hackers! Now that we've got the attention of millions upon millions of incredibly talented individuals, here's your next challenge. India's Airtel -- which is offering Apple's iPhone 3G at a near-stratospheric price -- has claimed that "even the most deadly hackers on the planet won't be able to crack the codes that support the iPhone's Airtel applications with rival company SIMs." Just so you know, it appears that Airtel worked with Apple to develop "operator-specific iPhone applications," which is an interesting tidbit in and of itself. But let's focus on the task at hand here, and that's proving that making ridiculous claims about impenetrability always comes back to bite ya.

[Image courtesy of Zedomax, thanks Akshay]

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The success of Apple’s App Store is making smartphone software developers increasingly attractive to venture capitalists and phonemakers with millions to invest.
The head of one US$100m fund that invests in smartphone application start-ups has told the New York Times he expects to tap into the iPhone’s success.

Tech-Ex reports in his blog that Alabama resident Jessica Alena Smith has filed a complaint against Apple.
The attorney representing Smith said the 3G iPhone hadn’t lived up to Apple’s promise that it was twice as fast as the pre-existing phones and would function properly on the 3G network.

Telecom providers in Turkey and Kenya are the latest to announce they will be bringing the 3G iPhone to their markets as the international rollout of the handset continues.
On August 22nd, the current list of 22 nations where the iPhone has already been launched will be extended to give another 20 countries access to Apple’s latest product.

Smartphone sales in the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) market reached 12.57 million units in the second quarter of 2008, representing a 28.2 per cent on-year growth, according to market research firm Canalys.
While the results signal the second biggest quarter ever in volume terms for “converged” devices, the growth was the lowest level recorded in the past 18 months.

Questions remain about battery life, security and email options but it would seem Apple’s 3G iPhone is attracting increasing interest from the business world.
HSBC is considering equipping its employees with some 200,000 iPhones, according to HSBC’s Australia and New Zealand chief information officer Brenton Hush.

The US smartphone market grew 67.3 per cent in the first half of 2008 with RIM’s Blackberry the firm leader with nearly half of all sales.
However, even with Q2 shipments dropping in anticipation of the new 3G iPhone, Apple retained the second place spot for the first half of the year with Motorola a close third.

An application by Nullriver that turns an iPhone into a portable WiFi hotspot disappeared from Apple’s App Store 20 minutes after being made available - only to re-appear hours later.
Once operating the app is designed to give Wi-Fi-enabled devices internet access wherever a mobile signal is available.

Filed under: Handsets, Apple, OS X

We're not sure how this one got past Apple's App Store censors, but the clever kids at Nullriver have released what appears to be the first tethering solution for the iPhone. The $10 NetShare app is just a SOCKS proxy that links an ad-hoc WiFi network to the iPhone's 3G or EDGE connection -- and if we could get it to work, we'd probably think it was a fine, if hacky, solution to a major limitation of Steve's baby. As it stands, though, the instructions are pretty sparse, and while we can get the app to recognize a connection, we're not able to actually load anything. We're not sure how long this one's going to last -- anyone else willing to give it a shot before it gets yanked?

[Thanks, Zoli; Warning, link opens iTunes]

Update: Aaaaand it's offline. Shocking.

Update 2: We've added our own video hands-on after the break.

Continue reading Tether your iPhone, wirelessly. Maybe. (updated with video)

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Global demand for mobile devices is expected to reach 1.3 billion units in 2008 despite financial uncertainties, according to ABI Research
As the recent launch of the 3G iPhone demonstrated, the public appetite for the latest, most sophisticated smartphones is strong.

Filed under: Messaging, ATT, Apple

Just like the original, AT&T now has a so-called TAP (Text Accessibility Plan) all set up for the iPhone 3G that'll offer unlimited messaging and data to folks with disabilities. Interested parties do need to fill out a qualification form, meaning that your average able-bodied customer isn't going to be able to get in on the service -- and unfortunately, it's undergone the same $10 facelift that the regular plans have suffered, meaning subscribers will now be paying $50 a month ($65 for enterprise use) instead of the $40 that was being charged previously. By the way, we're shaking our fists at the heavens right now, cursing inflation, market forces, and corporate greed.

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Verizon Wireless has exceeded analysts’s predictions and posted impressive second quarter earnings of US$1.88 billion.
A key factor in the results was increased smartphone sales, which now account for 30 per cent of the US carrier’s device sales.
Denny Strigl, Verizon’s president and COO, even went as far as to give the build up of interest for the 3G iPhone’s launch earlier this month some of the credit for his company’s results.

Filed under: Handsets, Apple

iPhone unlocking is a little more cash-intensive now that Apple and AT&T are all contract-happy with the 3G, but it looks like would-be unlockers will have a little more time to save up those pennies -- the erstwhile hackers on the iPhone Dev Team say that while a forthcoming version of the sadly-named Pwnage tool will activate and jailbreak the iPhone 3G, unlocking is taking a little longer than expected, and they don't want to release the code until it's exactly right. The tool still unlocks first-gen iPhones running 2.0 and allows jailbreak apps to co-exist with the App Store, so if you're desperate to unlock right away, we'd say a first-gen unit is your best bet.

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Filed under: Handsets, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, Apple

Craziest thing, Apple apparently launched some sort of device being loosely coined as a "cellular telephone" last Friday. The darned thing makes calls, keeps track of contacts, and even receives messages -- all right from your pocket! Wild, sci-fi caliber stuff, that. We're catching up on the latest iPhone 3G buzz, and here's what we've got going on at the moment:

• Jonny Gladwell, better known as the first iPhone 3G owner in the world thanks to his perfect storm of location (New Zealand) and line position (first), has been outed as a plant for New Zealand's Yellow Pages. Turns out the guy was hired by the directory service to see if he could "survive" the brutal multi-day sitting experience using nothing but -- you guessed it -- the Yellow Pages to get by. Ironic that you don't need a friggin' Yellow Pages when you have an iPhone, isn't it? Hmm, Jonny?
• Portelligent has sacrificed an iPhone 3G to conduct perhaps the most thorough teardown thus far, finding some incremental improvements, largely to accomodate 3G and bring the design in line with the iPod touch, while carrying over a good deal of componentry that had no reason to be upgraded. Infineon and Toshiba had big wins here in the radio and flash memory departments, respectively.
• AIM acts as a conduit for sending text messages by allowing users to add phone numbers as "buddies." The iPhone has an AIM client. See where we're going with this? Yep, it's a cheesy way to avoid shelling out for a text messaging plan, if you want to go to the trouble of using AIM in place of the native SMS app.
• The plot thickens in the yellow screen issue. As we'd mentioned yesterday, Apple claims the warmer color temperature seen in the iPhone 3G was a purposeful attempt to make things prettier and sharper -- but now, Ars Technica reports that forcing an update in iTunes from the 3G's shipping firmware of 5A345 to the ever-so-slightly newer 5A347 pushes things a little bit back toward the blue end of the spectrum. So what's it gonna be, Apple?

[Thanks to everyone who sent these in!]

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Filed under: Handsets, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, Apple

So many of you are probably still in your jammies, reveling in the afterglow of yesterday's purchase, repeatedly opening Maps on your glossy new iPhone 3G and watching in exaggerated wonderment as your location is determined with frightening speed and accuracy. Others might be standing in a line snaking hundreds of bodies long into your friendly local Apple Store, reading this post from the comfort of your Motorola RAZR V3 and realizing that these are some of the last moments you'll be using a physical keypad. Still others are bemused by the fuss -- but whatever your stance on the phone, it's pretty hard to ignore the buzz that's floating around in the aftermath of day zero. Here are some of the goings-on we're tracking:

• The masses of humanity continue to collect. Massive stock shortages don't seem to be an issue (yet), but patience is not a virtue we hold dear to our hearts, so we really can't blame these people.
• Some buyers are reporting a yellow tint to their screens -- probably not enough to notice without another unit side-by-side for comparison, but real nonetheless. Of course, the first iPhone suffered from the occasional crappy backlight, bum touchscreen, or negative black, so we wouldn't be surprised if a few lame displays made it out of the factory floor for this model as well; we're following up with Apple on this and we should have more for you later today.
• We took the iPhone 3G on a decent drive around New York, and found its tracking to be impeccable. In a situation where we might have veered off the path following Google Maps directions, the blue blip kept us right on track. Despite what you've read (we're looking at you, Mr. Pogue), we see no technical reason that the aGPS can't provide turn-by-turn directions, provided there's software to take advantage of it.
• There are some complaints floating around about 3G reception, but it's been just fine on our review units around the world so far. How's it treating you out in [your location here]?
• iphone-dev has a video up of BootNeuter going about its business on a first-gen iPhone that's been upgraded to firmware 2.0, and the process is looking as slick and painless as ever. Unlockers who haven't shelled out for the 3G, commence your salivating.
• MobileMe seems like it's up for the moment, but don't breathe too hard lest you bring the whole thing down again.

Update: We just spoke with Bob Borchers, senior director of product marketing for the iPhone, and he had some very interesting info regarding the "yellow screen" phenomenon we've been hearing about. According to Bob (and Apple), the screen's color temperature has been purposely altered on the new iPhone to produce warmer, more natural tones, sharper images, and deeper blacks. The company says that 1st gen iPhone screens appeared colder and less defined, and they made some adjustments for the new models. In our opinion, what he says is right on -- the screens do look better on the iPhone 3G versus the older variety. What do you guys think?

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The Apple 3G iPhone will change the mobile behaviour of users and alter consumer expectations for phone capabilities.
That’s according to a report by analysts Nielsen Mobile which looks at the worldwide state of the mobile web.
The study says that its growth is due to a combination of increasing numbers of user friendly handsets, higher speed networks and unlimited data packages.
It then goes on to describe the mobile web as having reached a “critical mass” of users this year.
But it singles out the iPhone – despite being the second most popular device among mobile users in the US after Motorola’s RAZR – for special mention.

The GSM Association is claiming that Europe’s mobile industry is cutting back spending on new networks and services as a growing regulatory burden from the European Union puts profitability under pressure.
The European Commission, however, asserted that mobile operators are making excessive profits and has imposed retail price caps on the industry.

This is refuted by the GSMA – using data from management consultancy AT Kearney – which argues that the European mobile industry’s return on capital employed (ROCE) was just 9 per cent in 2006 compared with more than 20 per cent in software, pharmaceuticals and several other sectors.
In its response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the voice roaming regulation, the GSMA is warning that European mobile operators, on average, are only just covering their weighted cost of capital and some of them are making an economic loss.

As pricing details continue to emerge about the new iPhone, one analyst estimates that Apple stands to make more from each device than previously thought.
Gene Munster, of investment bank Piper Jaffray, said that AT&T’s complete official pricing for iPhone 3G units suggests Apple is making more from the reportedly abundant iPhone stock than estimated in the past.
Although the US$199 starting price is much lower for the customers themselves, the US$599 pay-as-you-go price suggests that the carrier subsidy cuts much deeper.
If so, then this hides potentially greater profits for Apple, which could be asking US$500 for each iPhone versus an earlier estimate of US$425.
“This discrepancy leads us to believe our [average selling price] is conservative,” said Munster.
The analyst said that a change of this level would boost Apple’s revenue for 2009 by eight per cent.

Mobile operator T-Mobile UK has deployed HSUPA technology on a nationwide basis to improve upload speeds for users.
The operator has promised the change will result in an improvement of to fivefold in the time it takes to upload photos and videos to web sites at speeds of up to 1.4Mbps.
T-Mobile claims it is the first UK carrier to have committed to the data access protocol.
The company said it is also upgrading the download capability of its HSDPA 3G network to 7.2Mbps, initially within the M25 zone encircling London but rolling out to other major cities during the second half of the year.

The mobile software market will be worth an estimated US$ 67.3 billion in 2013 – up from US$ 17.9 in 2007 – as the number of mobile devices grows and minutes of use increases steadily.
This revenue growth will be fuelled by mobile carriers’ willingness to carry data apart from voice and the introduction of third-generation (3G) smartphones.
That’s the conclusion of analysts at Frost & Sullivan in their report “World Next-Generation Mobile Software Market”.
They say that with the expansion of memory, an increase in processor speed and the availability of better networks that allow for faster data transfer, mobile software is in for exponential growth.

Apple will build at least 15 million 3G iPhones in 2008 bringing its total smartphone production to at least 17 million phones.
At least that’s what Craig Berger, semiconductor analysts with Friedman Billings Ramsey, expects production levels to run to by the year-end.
He has upgraded his figures after previously saying that Apple would build 13 million iPhones in 2008 (which, interestingly, included 2 million 2.5G Edge-only iPhones).
His rationale for the change is because he thinks iPhone production in the third quarter will be higher than expected.

A three-way initiative between Vodafone Australia, Cisco and Research In Motion (RIM) is to launch an integrated business communications services in Australia known as Vodafone Business One.
Starting later this year, it will combine all telecommunication services - fixed and mobile, voice and data, services and equipment - into one managed service with single-point accountability on installation, technical support and fleet management and one monthly invoice.
The service will be focusing primarily on small-medium sized businesses of between 10 to 100 employees.
By using Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry smartphones along with Cisco Wi-Fi and IP-PBX in the office, Vodafone Business One customers will be able to make calls within the office zone at fixed-line rates, while making calls outside the office via the Vodafone mobile network.

The new iPhone is expected to carry an initial hardware Bill Of Materials (BOM) and manufacturing cost of US$ 173, according to a preliminary “virtual teardown” analysis conducted by iSuppli Corp.
If correct, the second-generation iPhone could be even more profitable for Apple than either the original iPone or the iPod.
Dr Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst for iSuppli, said that at a hardware BOM and manufacturing cost of US$ 173, the new iPhone is significantly less expensive to produce than the first-generation product.
He said this was despite major improvements in the product’s functionality and unique usability, due to the addition of 3G communications.
“The original 8Gbyte iPhone carried a cost of US $226 after component price reductions, giving the new product a 23 per cent hardware cost reduction due to component price declines,” he said.
Last week, a survey revealed that nearly a quarter of US consumers questioned in a survey highlighted price as the main reason why they were not considering buying an Apple iPhone 3G.

The success of Research In Motion’s Blackberry Curve will ensure the company announces good first quarter 2008 results, according to analysts.
Simona Jankowski, an analyst with Goldman Sachs, said results, driven by US sales of its Curve at Verizon Wireless, were likely to be at the high end of current guidance when revealed on June 25.
“Our view is based on very strong retail checks suggesting that the Curve remains the most popular device among consumers and small and medium businesses alike, partially offset by a softer enterprise environment,” she said.

Nearly a quarter of US consumers questioned in a survey highlighted price as the main reason why they were not considering buying an Apple iPhone 3G.
Another impediment to purchase was people’s preference for a network carrier other than AT&T, Apple’s exclusive provider of the handsets in the US.
Only 4 per cent of those surveyed by PriceGrabber.com, a part of Experian, currently own an iPhone, but 42 per cent said they are considering buying one.
The study investigated purchasing trends and smartphone pricing history based on a survey of 3,066 online consumers conducted from May 20 to June 5, 2008.
Of the remaining 54 per cent who do not intend to purchase the iPhone, 41 per cent – or 22 per cent of the total - said that the mobile device costs too much.