Meizu M8 iPhone Clone Hitting China, India In December

Meizu's iPhone copycatting M8 mobile phone is to be vaporware no longer thanks to GeekITstores, who will be launching it in China then India from December onwards.



The 8GB model is apparently due to cost somewhere between $US380 and $US470, and will be launched with "complete fanfare"...presumably because it's the "iPhone killer," or so says the press release. In fact, GeekITStores really seem to love the device, saying it was looking for a "better, cheaper alternative" to the iPhone for Indian customers.

Number of mobile phones in the market 'set to top 4bn'

The number of mobile phones in the global market could be up to four billion by the end of 2008, according to a new study.

Research from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) said last week that mobile phone subscriptions across the world are expected to reach this figure due in part to the rising demand in developing economies, the Associated Press reports.

The ITU also noted the growth in the number of mobile phones sold globally was "impressive", but added its figures did take into account the fact many people have multiple contracts – and as such was not based on fur billion individuals.

Previously, the ITU has said mobile phone subscriptions were over 3.3 billion for the end of 2007, but adds that this latest growth owes a large part to markets including Brazil, Russia, India and China.

"These economies alone are expected to account for over 1.3 billion mobile subscribers by the end of 2008," the ITU said in a statement.

Iphone Madness in Turkey, Despite Beeing 40% More Expensive Due to Taxes

New iPhone, which has been launched yesterday midnight, has pulled the expected attraction not from Vodafone but from Turcell users. Although new iPhones were priced 40% more expensive in Turkey compared to the rest of the world due to 20% Special Communication Taxes and 18% Value Added Taxes (VAT), sales has lasted until the early morning hours at Turkcell stores.

Finally, the expected day arrived and new iPhone 3G devices have been launched yesterday. And just like its different device concept, sales concept was quite different as the sales started at midnight. All the iPhone fans and curious buyers gathered at Bagdat Avenue for the night that bounded 25 September to 26 September.

While iPhones were launched by both Vodafone and Turkcell in different price lists, new devices just hit the targeted expectations especially for Turkcell subscribers. We have interviewed with subscribers from both camps and they raised various reasons explaining the failure of Vodafone hitting the targeted expectations.

Of course the more appropriate price lists offered by Turkcell have affected the interest shown to devices and therefore they gained an advantage in this sales campaign. And Turkcell user profile being composed of upper-income leveled users has also helped them in sales. We have also found that Turkcell’s announcement, which indicated that 50 iPhones will be put into a lottery, has helped to grow such an interest in the sales.

Turkcell General Manager Sureyya Ciliv made the first sale for the company at 00.00 am and the lucky subscriber who had the first iPhone 3G was 12 years old Emre Telli. Several hundred meters long queues were formed in front of the Turkcell Store in Bagdat Avenue.

Nokia’s Touch Phone on Oct 2. Too Little Too Late?

Nokia is going to release a touch-screen phone on Oct. 2nd, Reuters is reporting today. Based on comments the company made earlier this summer, the device, code-named “Tube,” will be cheaper than rival models and be aimed at hot growth markets, such as India. In a post earlier this month, I had asked about the whereabouts of this phone. Here is what I wrote then: “It has been over a year since the iPhone was launched, and Nokia still doesn’t have anything new to show except for some videos. Sign of a company that is, well…yes, I’m just going to say it…too bureaucratic. Either that or they’ve decided to adopt the ostrich approach to competition.”

Well, at least a response is coming, if this news is actually true. Since it’s coming from Reuters, I am inclined to believe it. Nevertheless, my first reaction was: Is this too little, too late? After all, many of their smaller rivals — LG, Samsung, even HTC — have responded with interesting if not entirely effective competitors to Apple’s iPhone. The lack of a touch-screen device makes Nokia look like a slow-moving giant that is trying to respond to whiplash-inducing changes in the mobile business.

Nokia has to grapple with the new reality of creating a seamless web and software experience on its phones. As a regular user of all things Nokia, I have to say they are not even close. Ovi, music download services and other features they have introduced don’t quite seem to have the seamlessness of an iPhone or even a Samsung Instinct.

Regardless, I will wait to see what comes out of Helsinki in a few days. What are your thoughts on Nokia and its lack of a touch device? Is the “Tube” is going to change anything?

Apple iPhone prone to phishing, say Net forums

The much-hyped iPhone 3G by Apple is becoming notorious on the Net for its security flaws. According to recent reports by online forums and top gizmo sites on the web, the Apple iPhone has become vulnerable to serious security threats like phishing and spyware.

For instance, a security flaw in Apple Inc’s iPhone allows unauthorised users to gain easy access to your private contacts and emails even when the device is ‘locked’, say top mobile review site like intomobile.com and the iphoneblog.com, a site developed around iPhone users. The iPhone comes locked when you buy it from the market. It’s only the operator who can unlock the phone legally.

Meanwhile, network and mobile security experts also point out the flaws in the iPhone’s Safari web browser. “The iPhone’s Safari browser is one of the most vulnerable browsers and is prone to not only phishing but also to spread of spyware. Using APPLE SDK (software development kit), a hacker can create phone spying software which can anonymously send or receive SMS without notifying the owner,” said network security firm Appin’s CEO, Rajat Khare.

According to online forums, flaws in the mail and Safari applications bundled with the iPhone leave users of the device at greater risk of phishing attacks. Apple failed to reply to ET’s repeated email queries on the issue. Another vulnerability in the iPhone is URL-spoofing.

It means that a dodgy domain pointed to by a specially crafted URL can appear to be that of a trusted brand when viewed through the iPhone’s mail or Safari browser applications. The iPhone does not display the URL of a link embedded into an email, making it easier to trick the user into pointing the Safari browser to a phishing website. Even the dialing process of iPhone can be hijacked via JavaScript, the blog sites report.

Meanwhile, Gizmodo, a too Gizmo review site and a MacRumors.com claim that it takes only three taps to gain access to the locked iPhones. “Earlier hacking reports were predominantly on the Windows platform, now with iPhone gaining popularity, hackers have trained their eyes on it. Although Apple has released the latest version of security software, it is unlikely that it will solve the issues completely,” said Trend Micro country manager – India and SAARC

Magento's iPhone Theme: Mobile Commerce for the Masses?

Magento Commerce, an open source ecommerce platform, has introduced an Apple iPhone specific theme that is potentially the first step toward leveling the playing field for small online retailers who want to compete in the lucrative and booming mobile e-commerce market.


Mobile eCommerce Has Massive Potential

Mobile ecommerce (often call m-commerce) is coming; 9 million Americans have already made a purchase from a mobile device, and perhaps half of the United States' 250 million odd mobile handset users are willing to make a purchase in the near future, according to a recent study from The Nielsen Company, New York, N.Y. All of those U.S. users plus the billions of consumers in Asia, Africa, and India, where a mobile handset may serve as phone, mobile TV, and primary point of Internet access, make m-commerce very attractive to e-retailers large and small.

But mobile browsing experiences can be frustrating for customers, and developing ecommerce websites that are functional, legible, and compelling for mobile device users has been the realm of moneyed and massive e-retailers like Amazon.com.

The Apple iPhone actually does an excellent job of rendering websites already, but there are still problems. Most online stores are designed to look good on a modern, flat-panel monitor which may be 19 inches in diagonal. While these sites are rendered properly on the iPhone, they take on diminutive dimensions, requiring an iPhone owner to zoom in, zoom out, and scroll in all directions. Bandwidth can also be a problem. iPhones use WiFi connections (802.11n standard), Bluetooth (radio), fast 3G cellular networks, or older and slower cellular networks depending on what sort of connection is available at a given time. Browsing on WiFi or a speedy 3G network might be no problem, but uploading an online store over older cellular networks can be painfully slow.

To address this, Magento developed a special theme or combination of layout, template, and presentation files that are optimized for an iPhone's browser. This theme still offers great looking graphics, full functionality, and the same payment gateways, but in proportions and layouts that make a store attractive and easy to use on an iPhone's palm-sized LCD screen.

Equalizing m-Commerce

Magento's new iPhone theme is an important (if small) step, giving independent e-retailers an easy way to tap m-commerce's amazing potential. Varien, a Los Angeles, Calif.-based ecommerce developer and consultancy, created Magento Commerce and then unleashed the platform, turning it over to a vibrant community of perhaps 400,000 users (store owners and developers), while staying intimately involved in the platform's development and expansion. The new theme makes it easier for iPhone users to browse and shop Magento-powered sites with ease. Basically, Magento utilizes "the iPhone's inherent navigation methods and offer[s] quick catalog browsing, global site search, customer accounts, and a shopping cart with a complete checkout process," Varien said, "The iPhone extension delivers a user experience that supports the iPhone's touch-screen functionality, taking users on a clearly defined path from browsing to purchasing."

The iPhone is Just a Drop in the Bucket

Unfortunately, as awesome, cool, and fantastic as the iPhone may or may not be, it represents a very tiny percentage of the total mobile handset universe. By some estimates, leading mobile phone makers Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Sony-Ericsson, BlackBerry, and the like, build between 700 million and 1 billion new mobile handsets each year. While something like 8 million to 10 million iPhones have sold worldwide based on Steve Jobs 2008 MacWorld keynote speech and estimates for the iPhone 3G. So the new Magento iPhone theme only scratches the m-commerce surface. On the other hand, what e-retailer wouldn't want to reach as many as 10 million or so potential customers all of whom represent the iPhone's decidedly upscale user base.

Using the iPhone Theme to Gain a Competitive Advantage.

m-Commerce is here to stay, and retailers who implement a mobile solution like Magento's iPhone extension will gain a competitive advantage over other ecommerce sites that are slower to adopt a mobile-specific platform. And there is still hope that Varien or other ecommerce developers will address the mobile mass market soon.

“We are looking to expand the capabilities of Magento to target additional mobile browsers in the future, but the iPhone, with its smart usability, market share and passionate audience was a natural place to start,” said Chris Marshall, a Varien spokesman.

Samsung Omnia in India to take on Apple iPhone 3G

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung has now launched their Omnia mobile phone in the Indian market.

Samsung Omnia is seen as the company’s challenger to the Apple iPhone 3G.



The phone comes powered with the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional platform.

It is now on sale in India for prices between Rs 37,999 (24GB) and Rs 39,999 (32GB) which is slightly higher than the Apple iPhone 3G 16GB model.

Samsung Omnia comes preloaded with MS Office mobile edition. Samsung Telecom country head Sunil Dutt spoke about this new model: “With all the features included in the mobile phone, one can easily make out the difference. It is our flagship model, aimed at users who desire a lot of functionality, style, usability and entertainment in one device. It will help users to be at the forefront of work and play at the same time and stay connected anytime, anywhere.”

The phone features a five megapixel auto focus camera and GPS.

Google phone to hit Indian stores in December

Taiwanese handset major High Tech Computer (HTC) is planning to launch the Android platform-powered phone (popularly referred to as the Google phone) in India this December.

The price, however, will be higher than the US debut tag of around Rs 8,200 ($179).

Ajay Sharma, country manager, HTC (India), told Business Standard: “We would prefer a mobile operator tie-up to introduce the Google phone in India in December.”

HTC’s G1 (the Google phone model) will cost more since “the Indian market does not work on the handset subsidy model".

Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices that was announced in November last year and developed by the Open Handset Alliance — a group comprising players like Google, HTC, Intel, Motorola and Samsung.

Research firm Strategy Analytics has predicted that the G1 could sell 400,000 units by the end of 2008, accounting for 4 per cent of the smart-phone market.

To spur the growth of third-party applications, Google recently announced the Android Market, similar to Apple's App Store, where consumers can buy and download content for its mobile platform.

Labelled as competition to Apple’s iPhone, which is priced at Rs 31,000 for the 8GB model, the HTC G1 could be priced cheaper to maintain an edge in India. Currently, HTC has smart-phones in the Indian market priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 35,000. Google India officials were unavailable for comment.

HTC’s device is a 3G phone with a touch-screen, slider keyboard, GPS and Wi-Fi.

HTC India, which has an exclusive partnership with Airtel, is also open to selling the G1 phone through independent retail channels. “We will decide the business model soon,” said Sharma.

He believes that Google’s software platform and operating system for mobile devices has the benefit of leveraging on more than 100 million online web users as well as its open source development platform and advertising-oriented business model.

Although India does not have 3G yet, Sharma said applications like maps and search could find takers. “We expect to build volumes in India and the Android-based phone should make HTC a bigger player in the wireless handset market,” he said.

HTC India hopes to sell 600,000 mobile devices in 2009, having doubled sales this year from 100,000 in 2007.
platform-powered phone (popularly referred to as the

Apple recalls iPhone 3G tiny power adapters

Apple yesterday advised iPhone 3G users in the United States and other countries to replace the device's power adapter on reports that the metal prongs broke off and stuck in power outlets, creating the risk of electric shock.

Apple said it will exchange the ultra-compact USB adapters for a redesigned model, without charge, in retail stores and online starting Oct. 10.

In the meantime, iPhone 3G users who received the tiny USB adapter with their phone or who bought one should immediately stop using it. Apple said iPhone 3G owners should use the standard USB power adapter, which has fold-up prongs, or charge the iPhone by plugging it into a computer.

Adapters with a green dot on the bottom are safe and don't need to be replaced.

3rd-Party Applications OK on iPhone

Chief Executive Steve Jobs wrote on the Apple Inc. website that they will allow third-party applications on the iPhone. Jobs went on to write that the company plans to release a software development kit for outsiders in February.

Steve Jobs said that they will wait until February in order to protect users from viruses and other attacks. This move is a change in policy for Apple, which had previously wanted to control all applications that consumers stored on their iPhones.

Apple Inc. has sold more than 1 million iPhones since its release in June.

iPhone Hobbled by High Prices in Japan, Lack of 3G in India

Apple's iPhone may be giving competitors a run for their money in North America but when it comes to three of the biggest telecom markets in Asia — Japan, India and China — the company seems to be coming up lame.

The latest sales figures suggest the Jesus phone is struggling to find new converts in Japan. Not far away in India (the second largest telecom market after China) sales of the device are also lackluster thanks to prices that are pushing seven Benjamins for the entry level 8-GB version. And Apple has yet to finalize a deal with Chinese telecom carrier, China Mobile, to bring the iPhone to the People’s Republic.

A combination of high pricing and a marketing strategy that fails to take into account the needs of local markets has left Apple selling just a few hundred thousand units in countries where millions of other phones are sold every month.

Take India, one of Asia's fastest-growing telecom markets. Between 2006 and 2007, sales of smartphones within the nation grew an estimated 31.4 percent. The data-centric convergence device segment exploded at 89 percent, while voice-centric devices shot up by 26.3 percent. As of July 2008, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India reported total wireless subscribers of about 296 million. About 9.2 million subscribers were added in July alone.

Nokia is the market leader in India but other players like Research In Motion (makers of Ur-smartphone BlackBerry), HTC and Sony Ericsson are gaining traction. But not Apple.

It isn't for lack of interest in the iPhone, says Naveen Mishra, an analyst at IDC India.

Apple's brand and the iPhone's design have captivated Indian consumers but the high cost of the device and the lack of a nationwide 3G network has kept away users from buying the phone.

"The iPhone has a large fan following," says Mishra, "but when it comes to buying the device not a lot of people want to spend that kind of money."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the 3G iPhone with the promise of $199 price tag at which it retails in the United States along with a two-year contract with the service provider.

But in India the device has been priced much higher at 31,000 Rupees ($673) for the 8-GB version and 36,100 Rupees ($785) for the 16-GB model.

The reason for the higher cost? Wireless customers in India flat out refuse to sign legally binding mobile phone contracts. Because they’re not obligated to stick with a service provider, handsets on the subcontinent are always full priced, never subsidized.

The iPhone's limited availability through a contract with just two mobile service operators has cramped sales, says Mishra.

Unlike the United States, India's telecom market is skewed in favor of prepaid users, who comprise at least 70 percent of total cellphone users in the country.

Most cellphone users in India buy their handsets from a retail store and activate it with the carrier of their choice; cellphones are generally sold unlocked.

The iPhone is the exception. It is currently available only on Airtel and Vodafone leaving potential iPhone buyers with limited options. India does not offer number portability and switching carriers means existing users could lose their phone number as they move to a new carrier.

India also does not have the 3G … yet. Analysts expect the first 3G networks in the country to be available mid-2009.

For the iPhone in India, sales are unlikely to pick up unless the service providers slash the price of the device, make it available through retail stores and launch their 3G network, says Mishra.

"There's going to be very limited uptake for the device unless the carriers do one or all of these things," says Mishra.

Despite weak sales, it is unlikely Apple will push for significant price cuts in the country, say analysts. "Apple throughout its family is willing to forgo large market share for profitable market share," says Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research.

Meanwhile in Japan, Apple has partnered with Softbank, Japan's third-largest mobile service provider to sell the iPhone 3G. After the initial buzz, demand for the iPhone has fallen to a third of what it was as users cringe at the high cost of ownership for the phone and the unavailability of some features, says a report in The Wall Street Journal.

As for China, despite speculation, Apple seems no closer to signing a deal with China Mobile to offer the iPhone 3G in the market.

For Apple, it may be time to take a closer look at its business in Asia. Unless the company can move swiftly to change its strategy, it may find itself locked out of the largest telecom markets of the world.

Weakening rupee may result in price rise of mobile phones in India

Mobile phones in the country may come at an increased price in near future as manufacturers consider reviewing the situation arising out of the Indian rupee falling consistently over the last few days against the US dollar.

Handset manufacturers say that they will have to increase the prices for sure in case the Rupee-Dollar difference nears the Rs 50 mark.

Analysts say the expected price rise may be in the region of 5-10 percent. This is in contrast to usual trend of mobile phone prices declining by 4-5 percent.

Syncing into ‘Apple-ications’

Apple pioneered the concept of allowing third party applications to be run on its devices. Steve Jobs was a genius, opening up this space for private players creating a successful business out of Apps, says Janani Krishnaswamy as she downloads and tests a few Apple Apps to find out what make them unique.

Application stores appear to be the new rage now. After Apple, Google announced its Android market last week and rumour mills claim that Microsoft is also developing a new app store.

Steve Jobs started it and has even taken it forward with the iPhone, giving start-ups and developers enough to be enthused about to create richer mobile applications. What attracted them most was the open platform that Apple offers. However, the company still controls which ones get virtual shelf space and which ones get featured. There are a 1000 or so apps in the store, but not all of them are featured in the website. We tested a few of them, paid and free applications on the iPod Touch – most of which can be used in the iPhone 3G as well.

Gamers’ paradise

The store is almost filled with gaming applications – free and paid. Wonder why. That’s cos’ Jobs knew playing games on the iPhone/iPod Touch would be fun, and that why it was built with a screen pivoting option. So, you can just tilt, drag, juggle and rotate what’s onscreen. From Audi A4 Driving to Air Hockey, from the Solitaire to Blackjack, the store has something for everyone. Sure, it gives you more thrill than most gaming gadgets, but its one with a difference. For instance, driving through a Logitech Driving Force EX on a PS3 will give you an almost real driving experience and make your heart race, but test driving the Audi on the iPod Touch didn’t give us as much of a near and up-close feedback.

Believe me; if you didn’t tilt the device the right way, you’ll end up losing game after game. That’s the depressing part of it. For example, when you play ‘Super Monkey Ball,’ produced by Sega, you have the option of choosing from four different monkeys and four different monkey islands, then you get to choose your level and all you need to do is tilt and rotate the handset in a way such that you help the monkey eat up the bananas. Remember, it is an island, so you tilt a little extra, your monkey jumps into the sea and will be dead. There, you lose a game very easily.

So, that’s a positive and a negative together. However playing other games like ‘Pocket Hoops,’ which is a basketball-based game, could be real fun when played using the screen pivoting option.

Why not for India?

Apple’s Apps development has been very centric to the American market and its App store reflects this. Be it business, finance, real estate, entertainment or healthcare, a lot of the applications are location specific ones. But why should lifestyle applications that can be used by others not made available in India? We tried downloading one of the well-acclaimed free lifestyle apps – the ‘mobile eBay,’ but unfortunately all we got was a pop-up that said ‘sorry, not available in Indian store yet.’ Too bad! When will Apple encourage India-specific Apps?

There are Apps that can read tarots and foretell the future too. Just as we dabbled with a few apps, we realized that the iPhone can do that too with an exciting download. The ‘iTarot’ application, powered by astrology.com, the popular astrology website, lets you shuffle and pick a tarot for the day. We had two options there – daily tarot and love tarot. Each time we tried opening the application, a new card opened up and it showed up a different interpretation.

Apps for the frequent traveller

While tech experts around the globe are quite disappointed with the GPS in the iPhone, that tries hard to show your location on a map by analyzing nearby towers and Wi-Fi hot spots, its smart apps offer you navigation services and weather updates too, most of them require a Wi-Fi connection. However, many of them come for free. Finding it tough locating a Wi-Fi hotspot… use a wireless router. For the globetrotter, there are language tools too. If for instance you are lost in a foreign country, these apps will help you translate the local languages - Spanish, French, German and Italian are available so far under the category. There are a few applications to calculate your speed and help you keep a watch on your speed limits.

Smart applications

Apple has cleverly managed to deflect some of the criticisms about the iPhone through some really smart apps. You don’t have to be upset over the 2.0 mega pixel camera of the iPhone – not anymore. Download all ‘photography-based’ apps; a few offered free, and with this, you can make it an intelligent camera capable phone. There are not only apps for zooming in and out, panning to and from, but also other interesting ones like ‘ezimba’ - a fun and simple image conversion tool, that allows you to edit and transform your photographs with over 250 conversion categories. Apart from that, there’s ‘fuzzyshot’, ‘photobucket’ and many more that help photo bloggers. But Apple, this is no reason why you shouldn’t upgrade the camera in the iPhone!

For the fitness freak

A handful of apps focus on health and well-being too. Keeping in mind the psychology of the health conscious, developers have also managed to offer varied services from keeping up with a healthy diet, keeping tabs on one’s own medical records to learning about human anatomy. These apps can literally put all your health records within your palm. Or they can keep track of your calories and exercise.

One of the most wholesome fitness apps among the ones we tested was the ‘Medical calculator’ – it calculates Body Mass Index (BMI), Bicarb deficit, Hepatitis Discriminant, Free water deficit and tells you a lot of interesting facts about your body and about how to have a check on it. We can hear you screaming out loud that you don’t want such details. You can probably download just the BMI application – it’s for free. It calculates your BMI, ideal body weight, tells you if you need to put on more weight or if you need to cut some extra flab and also tells you how many calories you need in a day. There’s an app that calculates your Blood alcohol concentration levels too.

Functional apps

You thought the iPhone is only for gizmo freaks and gaming geeks? We found some ‘down-to-earth’ apps that can be used very often and most of them are offered free! ‘Flashlight’ fills up the iPhone screen with bright colour variants thus illuminating the space around you. Clubbing? Want to flash lights in different hues? There’s a ‘myLight flashlight’ to light up the iPhone. Forgot to take your scale to your classroom? The iPhone can help – with it’s ‘RulerPlus’ app.

There’s something for everyone

Something for the business man, something for the nomad, something for the music freak, and something for the student – there’s something for almost every user. Apart from the free ones, the priced apps are quite reasonable too. The delivery system for these apps are supposedly simple - you buy them through Apple’s iTunes store, which then stores the programs on your computer and loads them on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

the iPhone is changing device standards globally !

The apple of many eyes, the iPhone, is said to be changing device standards globally. People now desire many more features, applications, and interesting user interfaces all packed in a seductive form factor.

It may be sometime before we can determine what the phone’s impact in India will be. By most accounts, the country does not have too many users of feature-rich phones' chip maker Texas Instruments, a primary supplier to the handset industry, says the mix of low cost phones to premium phones is about 70 to 30. Market research firm IDC estimates smart phone volumes at five per cent of overall handset volumes in 2007: last year, the category totaled Rs 5,000 crore while volumes touched 4 million units.

However, phone makers claim considerable progress in converting users of less advanced devices into the ‘smart’ category. Yes, iPhone's entry does mean harder competition for firms already present but some also view this as an opportunity " the marketing dollars Apple will push in will help build awareness about smart phones and touch screens, helping the market expand. IDC expects a 32 per cent smart phone market growth to Rs. 6,600 crore in 2008; shipment volumes may total 5 million units.

As of now, handset makers say smart phones have found traction beyond business users. World’s biggest cell phone maker Nokia, for instance, says usage has gone beyond Social Economic Class A, the high class. "Buyers are largely youngsters and professionals. That's the bull's eye target group," head of the firm's India Go to Market Vineet Taneja tells.

What is interesting is the second hand market. "Smart phones can now be found with drivers and people you don't expect to use. That’s because there is a second hand market. It’s a positive sign. However, this is something we are not activating in any way," he says.

Smart phone maker HTC feels the market for these advanced devices will be driven by better form factors, which are more beautiful today, besides cheaper models. "It’s beginning to be a lifestyle product. Price points used to be very high two years back. Today, HTC has a product priced below Rs 10,000," country head with HTC India Ajay Sharma says.

The fact that user interfaces have improved ‘ HTC has focused on touch screens ‘ are only helping matters. In 2007, the firm sold 100,000 devices. This year, it expects to close at 2.5 lakhs.

"Of the 100,000 devices sold last year, 65-75 per cent went to non-business users. That percentage will grow to 75 per cent this year," Sharma predicts.

Texas Instruments believes the market for such phones is being driven by an "insatiable appetite" for advanced multimedia features such as access to media content as well as social networking services. "There is a craving for the hottest applications ‘ advanced audio, high-definition imaging, increased video capabilities, besides rich connectivity. A lot more features can be had in a cell phone today for an incremental price premium and this has been made possible by both technology and adoption of mobile hand phones as a way of life. Typically, the strategy of hand phone OEMs and service providers is to gradually shift the first time buyer of a low cost phone to a mid-range phone and then to a premium phone," director of power management products with TI India Ramprasad Ananthaswamy says.

There is a strong business case for seducing consumers into buying premium phones; it implies better margins for both the handset maker as well as the chip supplier. Advanced application processors, for instance, can generate between $10 and $12 of revenue per phone, double the amount raked in by solutions to low-end handsets.

It is not clearly known to what extent high marketing expenses, which are necessary to introduce high-end phones and its features, offset the margin leverage handset makers manage on such models. The good news, nevertheless, may be shorter replacement cycles for handsets. HTC holds it could be as less as six to nine months in tier one cities and about two years in tier three ones.

Nokia says that until last year, India was a market driven by first time users. "Last year, the number of mobile users was 200 million. By 2009, about 350 million users are expected. Out of that, 200 million would be mobile for more than 18 months. Since the replacement cycle is about two years or less in India, these people would want to change their devices. The replacement market as part of the total market of handsets would therefore become a significant part," Vineet Taneja argues.

Second time buyers are likely to transition to feature-rich phones. The replacement market is being hastened because of economic growth and rising prosperity. "We have only seen the phenomena in a very initial stage," Taneja tells.

What people want

A lot currently depends on what handset providers offer since consumers, at times, are not able to articulate what they want or know what technologies can make it possible. Market research firm IDC says iPhone is pushing handset makers into thinking about better graphic user interfaces as well as music players. ‘Samsung Omnia and Nokia N-96 are the next level of innovative devices and are positioned as iPhone killers,’ communications research manager with the firm Naveen Mishra says.

While many consumers now treat imaging, music, and video as ‘hygiene’, they have been demanding more memory space to store data. Secondly, they crave for larger screen sizes ‘ larger screens facilitates more impact-ful video streaming or conferencing.

From a habit perspective, Nokia has observed smart phone users engaging in a lot of browsing, music, e-mail, and casual gaming. Much of the aspiration around memory and other features are answered in its new N-96 model. The model, which Nokia calls an ‘iconic’ product, has a 24 GB memory that can store up to 18,000 songs, up to 2000 images at 5 mega pixel and up to 60 hours of video or 20 full length movies. HTC is keen on bundling the latest music album as well as games along with its devices. The firm says it already has a big screen-size ‘ the minimum size it offers is 2.8 inches.

Google takes aim at Apple's iPhone

If you've ever wished you could put Google in your pocket, you'll have the opportunity soon - quite literally. The search-engine company is on the verge of releasing a software suite to run all aspects of mobile phones.

Google is not manufacturing phones but instead making the software for them - called Android - and relying on a consortium of hardware partners to make handsets in an array of shapes and sizes.

In stark contrast to Apple's "one handset fits all" strategy with the iPhone, Google is hoping to mix Nokia's approach of "a handset to suit every style" with Microsoft's tactic of making the software, then winning market share by roping in many partner companies.

However, while Microsoft charges phone makers for its Windows Mobile software, Google's Android software will be free. Google says it just wants to create the ultimate internet-enabled mobile phone. The payoff for Google is obvious: more consumers of Google services, especially in large developing countries such as India and China, where many people have their first contact with the internet through their mobile phone.

"What's good for the web is good for Google," says Dan Morrill, a Google developer advocate in the US. "The more comfortable with using the web that users are, the more frequently they'll do a Google search.

"We needed it to exist ... we took a look at the mobile space and realised some of the things we wanted to do were not possible in the current landscape of the mobile industry."

What could Google not do? "It came down to permission," he says. "As a PC user, when you open your web browser, you don't have to ask your ISP's permission to change the homepage. When you want to install software, you don't have to go to your computer maker and ask permission."

Morrill is referring to the way telcos have controlled the settings on mobile phones to funnel users back into their WAP portals and the way companies such as Apple have full control over what software can be installed on an iPhone.

"We wanted to create a platform that was open from end to end," he says.

Given its history of free services, Google may also win market share quickly by providing premium services such as push email - where email is delivered to the phone instantly - and free, rather than levying a monthly or annual fee as do BlackBerry maker RIM and iPhone maker Apple. "I can't comment specifically," Morrill says, "but it is safe to say we are not going to radically change our business model of providing value to users, just because this is a mobile device."

Four handset makers are already publicly committed to Google's Open Handset Alliance consortium: HTC, LG, Samsung and Motorola. Several of the world's largest telcos have pledged support, including China Mobile, Japan's NTT DoCoMo and US telcos Sprint and T-Mobile (no Australian telcos have yet publicly declared membership of the consortium but are expected to sell the Google phones anyway).

The first Android mobile phone, called HTC Dream, is tipped to be unveiled within a month. Leaked photos show a touch-screen handset with a large iPhone-style screen, as well as a trackball for navigation and a slide-out qwerty keyboard.

As with the iPhone, Android phones will feature cutting-edge technologies, such as touch screens, accelerometers for sensing movement and GPS receivers for satellite navigation. They will have a web browser that displays pages just like a computer web browser (it uses the Webkit rendering engine - the same one in Apple Safari and the iPhone).

Google says its software is much more open than Apple's. Both companies are promoting their phones as mini computers that can run hundreds of handy, bite-sized applications from third-party developers but Google aims for them to be sold in a much less restrictive way.

Apple, a famously secretive and controlling company, requires anyone who wants to create programs to run on the iPhone to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prevents them from telling anyone about their experiences (good or bad) in programming for the iPhone. Then, once they have created their application, it has to be approved by Apple to be sold and installed through Apple's iTunes software.

Some iPhone application developers have been frustrated by Apple's arbitrary decisions to pull their applications from sale without explanation or notice. One company created an application for iPhone that allowed it to be used as a laptop modem and, after releasing the software for sale, Apple removed it without explanation. Another company created a 99c whoopee cushion application, which Apple refused to release, despite having no rules for developers about bodily noises in applications.

Google is promising Android will have the same ease of use as the iPhone, with a Google-provided online store providing a central place to install applications on an Android phone, without Apple's heavy-handed approach.

Developers will be free to create software for Android phones and publish it via the Google Android Market.

Google's mobile phone software has been released under an open-source licence, meaning anyone is able to download the programming code and modify it. It's the same programming model that has been eating away at Microsoft's market share for years (the popular Firefox browser, for example, is open source).

Such an approach differs starkly from the tightly controlled software platforms used by handset makers in the past. This, analysts say, resulted in slow improvements in mobile-phone software and lack of interest from software developers in making mobile-phone applications.

Internet enthusiasts are excited by the potential for mobile phones that can be easily upgraded with new features.

"Hopefully, with Google releasing the source code to Android, people will start making cool variants that you'll be able to flash your Android phone with," says Phil Sweeney, news editor of broadband enthusiast site whirlpool.net.au.

"Just think, people hack existing mobile phones, GPS navigators, cameras with modifications of firmware already. Just imagine what they will be able to do when they have the raw source code to a mobile phone operating system to play with."

However, this openness also poses a risk for Android, says Allen Nogee, an analyst for In-Stat/MDR in Arizona. "Android can run on many types of phones, which means that not all Android applications may run on your phone," he says.

"With the BlackBerry or iPhone, you'll pay more for the device but you'll know the applications offered for these phones will likely work on your phone. With Android there will be many phones and [probably] many applications but compatibility is not assured.

"Developers will need to accommodate many screen sizes, layouts and phone feature sets. The risk is that the user experience might be bad and the tech knowledge required to get it all working might be high, where any non-techy people may be put-off by the experience."

Airtel, VISA join hands to sell iPhones on installments

Bharti Airtel, one of the two licensed sellers of Apple iPhone, has tied-up with VISA to introduce finance schemes to help consumers buy the high-priced cellphone.

As per the partnership, Airtel would offer financing options for all VISA cardholders of ICICI, HDFC, SBI and Citibank.

The consumers in this scheme will have an easy monthly instalment option with a varying tenure of between three and 12 months.

In India, the iPhone is priced at Rs 31,000 for 8 gb and Rs 36,100 for 16 gb of memory space.

Shares of Bharti Airtel closed down Rs 22.55, or 2.73%, at Rs 804.00. The total volume of shares traded at the BSE was 437,795 (Friday).

Apple 3G iPhone brightens up grey market

The launch of Apple iPhone by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar seems to have revived the dwindling sales of the gizmo in grey markets.

The reason: the price tag announced by the two GSM giants is too high and all those who had been waiting to buy it officially, are now rushing to the grey markets to get the 16GB iPhone for as low as Rs 20,000-Rs 22,000.

“Sales had dipped after it was announced in May that Airtel and Vodafone will bring iPhone to India. Many postponed buying the phone from us. However, since the prices announced are almost 50-60% more than at what we sell, we are getting back business,” said a dealer at Heera Panna, Mumbai’s best known grey market for all high-end phones.

Nokia Launches N96 as iPhone Alternative in India

Apple's iPhone has got more competition in one of the world's fastest growing mobile phone market after Nokia announced the launch of its multimedia phone, Nokia N96 in India.

iPhone is already facing competition from Samsung's Omnia i900 and will now have to deal with the N96 which is bound to excite the gizmo-mad population in the country. Nokia has packed the N96 with a number of multimedia features including built-in 3D stereo speakers, headphone connector, media keys and a stand on the other side for hands free viewing.

An in-built TV tuner card allows users to access digital TV even on the move. Users can store more than 18,000 songs, over 20,000 images or 60 hours of videos including full length movies. They are helped by a 16GB of internal memory with an option of extending it to 24GB by adding a microSD card.

Other features include a 2.8-inch display screen, high speed USB 2.0 including support for WLAN and HSDPA, a 5 megapixel camera with the ability to make video calls once 3G arrives in India and an advanced navigation mode with the availability of A-GPS and the Nokia Maps.

Nokia India marketing director Devinder Kishore revealed that the N96 will be available in the markets by September 15 and will be available for a price of Rs 35,000.

The iPhone 3G dilemma: To buy or not to buy?

Well, if you use your mobile phone just to make calls, send text messages or click photographs — the iPhone 3G is not for you.But in case you are a tech freak who loves tinkering with gadgets, this Apple smartphone might be your dream come true.

Downloadable GPS, games, AIM, Facebook on the go and of course 24-hour access to the iTunes store are just some of its pluses, but at 30,000 rupees (give or take a few hundred) for the 8GB model, the iPhone certainly doesn’t come cheap.

Slight problem though. Added applications are great on a phone that provides basic features like message and business card forwarding and video recording.

Unfortunately, these very basic features are not available on Steve Jobs’ latest offering as default.

Chayan Hazra, 30, is one iPhone owner who says he is willing to switch brands if something better comes up.

“If Nokia comes up with a phone that allows you to download applications and has a touch screen I will switch to it in a heartbeat because I know it will have all the basic features that I have become accustomed to in addition to these cool new apps,” he said.

Hazra fits right into mobile service provider Airtel’s category of “Achievers - young working, corporate professionals,” a target segment for the iPhone.

An Airtel spokesperson said they are also focussing on the “Funster segment” — tech-savvy individuals between the ages 18-35.

But for 20-something Soheil Engineer, his newly-acquired iPhone 3G doesn’t really live up to its name since 3G technology is yet to make an entry in India.

“I want to be able to live stream my favourite television shows on my phone while I am on the move,” he said.

That left me wondering. Just how many people are interested in the iPhone?

Both Vodafone Essar and Bharti Airtel, the two iPhone 3G retailers in India, are not revealing how many of the much-hyped smartphones have been sold in India since its launch last month.

A grey market dealer in Mumbai said he has sold 25-30 iPhones in two weeks and uses one himself.

I am sure that’s not good news for Apple… Unless they reduce the price by at least 10,000 rupees and India heralds in 3G technology, I certainly won’t buy one. Would you?

Announce Proprietary iPhone 3G Software Compatibility

Specialist software developer Unlock-The-iPhone.com (www.unlock-the-iphone.com) has today announced the launch of proprietary software integrated within their iPhone unlocking solution, designed to unlock the latest iPhone handsets as easily as possible, without damaging the iPhone handset.

(1 September 2008) – Specialist software solutions provider Unlock-The-iPhone.com has today announced a new version of its proprietary unlocking software; the only available software product capable of unlocking the iPhone 3G.

The iPhone unlocking specialists have designed a unique update to their software application which unlocks every available model of iPhone to date, including the iPhone 3G, allowing the user to select alternative networks without jeopardizing features or damaging the handset.

The Unlock-The-iPhone.com unlocking solution is compatible with both PCs and Macs, and comes with guaranteed customer support around the clock to facilitate any technical queries. The software also comes with lifetime updates to all future Unlock-The-iPhone.com solutions, allowing users to benefit from freedom of network choice with future generation iPhone models.

Daryl Smith of Unlock-The-iPhone.com (www.unlock-the-iphone.com) told consumers he was proud of the ease of use of their iPhone unlocking software, and the ‘one click solution’ to unlock all models in the iPhone range.

“We find a growing number of consumers are keen to transform their iPhones through unlocking. Choosing a network is something we most definitely take for granted until we’ve been denied that freedom, and our unlocking solution provides the answer to that problem, without running the risk of damaging the iPhone handset.”

“Our software is reliable, easy to use and effective. There’s no margin for error here – thanks to this product, even iPhone 3G models can be unlocked without any technical experience or know-how. And if you do get stuck, we’ve got comprehensive customer support to deal with any queries. That’s why we’re leading the field in the iPhone unlocking market.”

With over one million copies sold to customers worldwide, Unlock-The-iPhone.com is one of the most successful cross-model iPhone unlocking software providers.

‘Unlocking’ enables the user to contract with any network provider, regardless of the default installed factory network settings .

Iphone Has Big Fan Following in India

Apple Inc.’s hugely popular 3G iPhone made its debut in India on Aug 22, but with a price tag of $700 there was none of the mass hysteria that marked its launch in the United States, Europe and parts of Asia last month.

At about three times the U.S. retail price, and twice the monthly salary of white-collar middle managers, the phone may still find buyers among affluent young professionals who are snapping up iconic brands and luxury items and helping fuel the Asian giant’s trillion dollar economy.
India is the world’s fastest-growing wireless market and with nearly 300 million subscribers is the second-largest market for such services after China.

Operators have been adding more than 8 million customers a month, but most of them are low-paying users, who use their phone just for calling and not for data and multimedia services.

The country’s new rich, however, flaunt new mobiles as symbols of status and success and smuggled iPhones have been available in the black market in India for months.

“Indians tend to buy the most fancy cell phones, and the iPhone has a massive fan following everywhere,” said Pinaki Mishra, head of retail & consumer practice at Ernst & Young.

“It is seen as a status symbol, an aspirational product, so you can expect to see not just the rich, but also tech-savvy youngsters and people in small towns buying it.”

Sanjay Kapoor, Airtel’s president for mobile services, said the company received more than 200,000 pre-bookings for the new iPhone before prices were announced.

The phone sells for as little as $199 in the U.S., with customers often buying mandatory data-service plans. India’s top mobile operator Bharti Airtel and third-ranked Vodafone Essar are selling the 8GB model for around 31,000 rupees ($716) even though 3G services are not yet available.

Nishant Arya, a 22-year-old entrepreneur, said he bought six iPhones, one for himself and the others as gifts for his friends.

“We can’t change phones on a daily basis. We have to keep the future in mind and 3G will come to India soon,” he said.

The first version of the iPhone was snapped up by 270,000 people within days of a June 2007 U.S. launch. Analysts expect it could draw as many as 10.5 million buyers worldwide this year.

The iPhone was also launched in Singapore on Aug 23 with Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, Southeast Asia’s largest telecoms firm, the first to sell it.

Easy financing plans for iPhone 3G announced in India, finally

As if $830 for a 16GB iPhone 3G wasn’t crazy enough, it still costs $730 for the 8GB version in India these days. Because sales were obviously slowed by the extreme pricing, carriers in India are finally offering "easy payment" plans for the iPhone 3G.

iPhone Hacks is reporting that Airtel and Vodafone, the two carriers of Apple’s new iPhone 3G in India, have tied up with local banks so that customers can buy the most-hyped gadget ever created on easy monthly installment (EMI) plans to help push sales. Monthly installments can range from $60 for a period of 12 months to $230 for a period of 3 months for the 8GB iPhone 3G model and $70 for a period of 12 months to $270 for a period of 3 months for the 16GB model. Pricing like that may up sales, but it all seems a bit pointless still- only because India still has no 3G coverage at all.

Om Malik, an Indian blogger, had even published a post saying "In India, Either Buy iPhones or Get a Family Car" as the cost of iPhone 3Gs in India for a family of three would cost around the same as Tata NANO- the $2300 people’s car from Tata Motors , an Indian auto manufacturer. With no 3G available, users in India would have to be seriously dazzled by the other iPhone features to pay so much. Maybe the new pricing schemes will make it more appealing.

I don’t understand how the mobile industries work in India, but I would’ve thought that Airtel and Vodafone would subsidize the iPhone like all the other carriers, but it appears it doesn’t work that way. I guess with no 3G available, carriers are a bit apprehensive about the popularity, thus making it available only to the people who really want it.

When a phone has to be financed, and someone has to pay interest on a simple gadget, it shows just how popular the iPhone has gotten. For people to go to that length just to say they own the latest "it" gadget, it means Apple has definitely gotten something right. I think the problem in India is the fact that the device itself it a little ahead of its time when it comes to carrier advancement. In the future, as carrier features (3G) improve, the iPhone will be as ubiquitous as it is everywhere else.

New iPod Touch not seen at all in Best Buy ad

Apple has officially confirmed an event for September 9, though some in the crowd may be disappointed. It appears that this will be an all iPod event. So what? The more iPods, the merrier, unless you happen to be a Zune user.

Some thought they may have spotted the new iPod in a recent Best Buy ad, they didn’t. The only change that is rumored is that it will be more like the iPhone 3G and may lose the mirrored back. There also just might be dedicated volume controls on the side but don’t hold your breath.

You can expect price drops to be present on the current iPod line across third party retailers everywhere. I’m still hoping that there will be an iPod Touch classic but it could very well lack WiFi and that wouldn’t be much fun.

Supposedly there will be new firmware for the iPod Touch, iPhone and a new version of iTunes as well.

I’m afraid we’ll all just have to wait a few days until we all know what the great Jobs had had rattling around in his mind. It’s entirely possible that distribution of the new iPods to Apple retail stores has begun… you know, in time for the announcements.

On a side note, once again there WILL NOT, let me repeat that, THERE WILL NOT be an iTunes subscription service. All five of you that care take note, the rest of us do not care about you and never will. I think that the Cnet editors are the only ones that care (seeing as how they test this stuff for free – and I mean those other services out there that have failed to make a dent in the iTunes Store).

Apple Inc.’s iPhone’s price may have 15 percent decrease

It has only been a week since Apple Inc. began selling its smartphone in India. However, experts already believe that the iconic device is now ready to have a reduced price. They said that it can be reduced by as much as 15 percent so that the sales will boost in India – the current fastest-growing market when it comes to mobile phones.

If you were to look at the sales of the second-generation iPhone all over the world, the device has already sold more than 1 million units. However, many believed that the sales of the device in India have only reached as much as 5,000 units. But the picture is not yet clear since Airtel and Vodafone didn’t said anything about the device after they launched Apple Inc.’s smartphone in the country.

According to Anshul Gupta, a principal analyst working with Garner, the price of the iPhone may drop by as much as Rs 5,000. With the current price of the iPhone, they expect that it would only be purchased by those who can’t wait for the operators or Apple Inc. to cut the device’s price. Anshul Gupta also said that the operators will have a volumes game. They must clear all the stocks of the iPhone before Apple Inc. would announce a new version of its iconic smartphone.