Mobiles

Friday morning the new 3G iPhone will be available. I know a number of people who are planning on getting one and I'm thinking about it myself, since my Nokia N75 recently died (more on that situation in a later post).

In any event, a few influential folks have provided reviews of the new device that you should read if you are considering a purchase.

1. Edward Baig of USA Today: "Apple's new iPhone 3G: Still not perfect, but really close"

2. David Pogue of The New York Times: "For iPhone, the ‘New’ Is Relative"

3. Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal: "Newer, Faster, Cheaper iPhone 3G"

Almost two-thirds of the adults in the 18-to-30 age group use their cell phones at least once a week for taking pictures, according to a survey conducted of more than 2,000 adults in May and June by online cellular retailer Wirefly.com.

"Camera phones are taking over, and it’s being driven by young adults" said Scott Ableman, Wirefly's senior VP of marketing. “High-quality cell phone cameras haven’t been around that long, yet nearly one in five cellphone buyers tell us that their cellphone is their primary camera."

“Sharing and social media are the drivers” of cameraphone use by young adults, he continued. “Fifty-eight percent of adults age 18-30 tell us they use their camera phones to document nightlife, and one in five say they’ve published cameraphone pictures to a social Website or blog. It’s a more spontaneous kind of photography that’s perfectly suited for the cellphone, and as more low-priced and free phones come with quality cameras and high-speed internet connections, all barriers have been removed.”

Washington Mutual, Inc. (NYSE:WM), following in the footsteps of other banks, announced today that it has launched mobile banking capabilities, delivering account information -- anytime, anywhere wireless service is available, providing customers the ability to view real-time account balances, view and search real-time transaction history and locate a nearby branch/ATM.

"We have been working very hard to deliver to our customers a simpler and more enjoyable banking experience, and we believe these added mobile banking features deliver on that brand promise," said Steve Rotella, WaMu's President and Chief Operating Officer.

According to a study conducted earlier this year by Opinion Research, 21% of consumers ages 18-34 use their cellphones for banking transactions, compared with about 10% of the general population. These numbers, particularly for younger consumers, are expected to grow significantly.

Here is yet another leak on the Sprint roadmap in Q3 2008 from a forum member in SprintUsers forum. Similar to what we have heard, the new Palm Treo 800w will be announced/released on July 13th. Motorola RAZR VE20 and the new Sanyo Katana Eclipse (SCP-6750) are planned for August 17th release. The Sanyo Katana Eclipse  would probably the next slim clam shell phone from Sanyo Katana family.

Windows Mobile smartphone users can look forward to a new HTC device, called HTC MP6950 in September. While there isn’t any information on the HTC MP6950, it is most likely to be the HTC Touch Diamond in CDMA flavour.

Source [SprintUsers] via [engadgetmobile]

Announced in Korea as MOTORIZR Z8m, the phone gets new color in white recently. The Z8m is already available since year 2007, comes with a unique ergonomic slider design that achieves a “fit-to-face” profile by gliding open in a curve to match the contour of your face.

With high-speed connectivity via HSDPA, and a multimedia feature set that includes a brilliant 16 million colour 35×50mm QVGA full screen display, MOTORIZR Z8 boasts video playback speeds of up to 30 frames per second. In addition to its 90MB of internal memory, the device also supports expandable memory up to 4GB using MicroSD, enough space for full length movies, hours of music or tons of pictures.

Source [akihabaranews] via [3gweek]

Best Buy today announced that early sales results are showing the Samsung Instinct, exclusively from Sprint, to be the retailer’s best selling handset in the past two years. Best Buy Mobile launched the Instinct nationwide June 19, as Sprint’s exclusive national retail partner. The sleek Sprint multimedia phone produced record sales in its first two weeks at Best Buy, which has seen its sales of higher-end, multimedia phone increase 10x in the past year since Best Buy Mobile began its national roll out.

Instinct has a high-tech look with a large, vibrant touch screen featuring localized tactile feedback, called haptics, which allow the virtual QWERTY keypad and other operations to become a sensory experience. The device also offers a Speech to Action button providing many functions using voice activation including call, text, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news and search. Instinct allows the user to quickly browse the Web, access business or personal e-mail, share pictures, listen to commercial-free radio and more, all at broadband speeds.

via [intomobile]

NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has established DOCOMO China Co., Ltd. as a wholly owned subsidiary in Shanghai, China. DOCOMO China will focus mainly on providing mobile solutions for corporate customers, especially locally based Japanese companies.

The office is expected to begin operating from the end of July, once the necessary governmental and commercial approvals have been obtained.

 

Digital camera functionality, Bluetooth connectivity, and music/radio playback on mobile phones are the top three features that consumers consider essential for the next mobile phone they will purchase, according to a recent ABI Research survey of 1,402 current wireless subscribers in seven countries. The desire for camera phones with 2+ megapixels leads the pack with 47% of consumers listing this feature as a “must have,” followed by Bluetooth at 34% and music/FM radio functionality at 32%.

However, says Clint Wheelock, vice president and chief research officer, “Our survey results identified some surprising differences between markets. Camera phones, for example, were more than twice as important for consumers in Taiwan versus those in the US. Similarly, Bluetooth is considered essential by mobile subscribers in Western Europe and Taiwan, but penetration of this feature is very low in Japan and South Korea, so it’s of little importance to consumers in those countries.”

Other key findings from ABI Research’s global wireless consumer survey are as follows:

• “It’s still a voice-centric world,” says Wheelock. Consumers across all mature markets still choose their mobile operator based on “the basics”: price, friends/family on the same network, and network coverage.
• The three most common features that subscribers have on their current mobile phones are: games (64%), Internet access (61%), and 2+ megapixel cameras (58%).
• Games and Internet access are also high on the list of features that subscribers have on their phones, but never use. Adds Wheelock, “Many mobile data and multimedia services are failing to reach the mainstream not because they’re unavailable, but because they fail to provide a satisfactory user experience and pricing model for most consumers.”
• The handset features that are least likely to be regarded as essential are: Wi-Fi, mobile TV, and games. 

A new ABI Research brief, “Wireless Subscriber Profiles and Preferences,” provides an analysis of survey results from adult mobile phone users in seven countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The web-based survey, which was conducted in 1Q08, captured details on respondents’ mobile phone usage patterns, purchasing behavior, satisfaction with operators and handsets, and attitudes about a variety of voice, data, and multimedia services.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced last week a program with 2ThumbZ Entertainment, Inc. to launch the wireless industry’s first comprehensive portfolio of mobile content tailored to the United States Military. The selection of content consists of ringtones, Answer Tones, 3D graphics and animations, and videos tailored to members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard.

AT&T customers, including Armed Services personnel and their family members can now show their patriotic spirit and support with elite military division insignia featuring exclusive designs from 2ThumbZ. The collection includes special photos that highlight the skill and precision of the military’s premier air demonstration squadron, the USAF Thunderbirds. A portion of each Thunderbird photo sale will be contributed by 2ThumbZ to military charities supporting active duty personnel and veterans of all service branches.

“We are proud to offer exclusive content through our partnership with 2ThumbZ that conveys the honor, strength and spirit of these elite military units,” said Mark Collins, vice president of consumer products for AT&T’s wireless unit.

“This is the very first wireless military portfolio that includes divisional insignia for many top units including the 82nd Airborne division, 1st Infantry division, Marine 2nd division, Army Rangers and the USAF Thunderbirds,” said Mark Baric, chairman, 2ThumbZ. “We are truly privileged to work closely with all branches of the U.S. Armed Services and AT&T to build this portfolio that salutes America’s bravest.”

“The publication of the US Military content by AT&T allows their customers to express support of U.S. troops”, stated, Gen. H. Hugh Shelton, USA (Ret.) 14th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Downloading this content sends a clear expression of gratitude and support for our soldiers across all military branches, which will resonate not only with them, but with their family and friends as well.”

For more information on the “America and USA Military” AT&T portfolio, text USA to 386 from any AT&T wireless device.

Virgin Mobile has recently added two new handsets to its selection of cellular phone options, the Arc and the TNT! Each of these new models targets functionality at rock bottom pricing.

The Arc is a clean clamshell design with an internal camera, Bluetooth capabilities, dual displays and can access Virgin's Sugar Mama services. The cost for the Arc is set at a very reasonable $49.99 The TNT! (shown) is also a clamshell phone with text messaging capabilities and mobile web access. The MSRP of the TNT! is $19.99

Both phones are available now at Virgin Mobile's site for the prices listed above (and free shipping).
See full article.

Related Entries:

Nokia's New E66 - 18 June 2008

T-Mobile Gets A Special Sidekick - 20 June 2008

T-Mobile Gets 2 More Handsets for It's WiFi Service - 26 June 2008

LG Chocolate 3 Coming Soon - 07 July 2008

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