Mobile number portability: Will you change your operator?

After a long wait, Indian mobile phone users will soon have the option to switch their service provider and retain their number.

After much debate, mobile number portability will be introduced in the country in December. How will it impact service providers? Customers unhappy with the service but attached to their number are likely to switch first.

Overseas, the churn has lasted two to six months after portability was introduced.

Thus, within the first half of 2010, service providers could end up with lesser market shares if they don't guard against the marketing moves of rivals.

IMRB, the market research outfit, has come out with a syndicated study called Switch to forecast the behaviour of mobile phone users after portability.

The survey was conducted across 40,000 subscribers who have owned a connection for at least three months (since subscribers can't use portability within 90 days of getting a connection, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), across all operators and the seven cities in which portability is slated to roll out first -- Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad.

IMRB quizzed users on the importance of their numbers, their satisfaction with service providers and if the criteria set by TRAI such as paying Rs 250 and going without a network for two hours would deter a switch.

They were then asked if they wished to change and why. Thus, the study was able to track the likely churn or the number of subscribers who will shift from one service provider to the next, GSM to CDMA, pre-paid to post-paid and so on.



Who'll switch?

As many as 70 to 90 per cent subscribers feel it is extremely important to retain their current mobile number. After portability is allowed, the survey expects an average 20 per cent of the people to move out of their existing operators.

Delhi could see the highest churn of 24 per cent and Ahmedabad the lowest of 8 per cent. It says that 25 to 35 per cent subscribers will switch operators due to network congestion and another 17 to 25 per cent due to tariff options -- grievances that often top the dissatisfaction list of Indian subscribers.

Service providers say that with prepaid customers comprising more than 85 per cent of the Indian mobile telephony market, they are no strangers to churn. Says Idea Cellular chief corporate affairs officer Rajat Mukarji: "We already have a vibrant prepaid market where customers switch service providers periodically."

Surprise of surprises, only 10 to 20 per cent prepaid users on average told IMRB they want to switch. Portability, IMRB found out, will hit the relatively loyal and stable market of postpaid consumers harder.

This is crucial because such customers turn in higher revenue. Market estimates suggest the average revenue from a postpaid user is up to twice that of a prepaid user.

Fifty per cent of the postpaid users in the survey were willing to switch once portability is activated.

Ernst & Young Leader (telecommunication) Prashant Singhal points out that portability will appeal more to users in socio-economic categories A and B -- people who opt for a postpaid connection that requires a certain credit criteria and stronger address proof.

Subscribers in socio-economic categories C and D, Singhal feels, will not be affected much because they are primarily tariff-sensitive and don't dwell much on customer service or convenience of use.

Among post-paid users, reveals IMRB Group Business Director Sanjay Pal, there is a feeling of getting less from service providers than what they deserve.

There are satisfied subscribers also who might get tempted to switch to a new service provider if they can carry their number along, according to the survey.

Pal observes that despite a satisfaction rate of around 60 to 65 per cent among GSM users, the percentage of satisfied customers willing to move after portability could range from 6 to 20 per cent.

Only 6 per cent of Delhi's satisfied customers are willing to move, while Ahmedabad clocks the highest at 20 per cent. Pal attributes it to an "anti- incumbency factor" -- the tendency of users who still want to choose another operator even when it has nothing special to offer.

Switch estimates that for most players, the maximum movement of inflow and outflow (nearly 65 per cent) would occur in the first two months because those who have waited for portability will do so immediately.

It also underlines the importance to brace for churn in a brief span of time. It would trigger the need to pull customers as it would the need to retain existing customers.

Mukarji of Idea says: "In the first phase, users who have been less than six months with an operator will be most likely to port their numbers to other operators because they haven't yet developed a sense of comfort with their operator the way users with over a year's subscription would have."

Hence, Singhal says this will bring the quality of service to the fore in marketing campaigns of operators. "More and more players will talk about their network and what their customer service means, rather than harp on tariff schemes which most players have been doing till now."

Abdul Khan, head of marketing, Tata DoCoMo, says, "Both incumbents and challengers will have to shore up their overall customer experience measures."

It won't be inexpensive, mind you. Portability will require operators to share data and agree on porting charges and timelines as well as upgrade their technology. Singhal puts the investment at a few hundred million dollars. "The cost will work out to around $70 per subscriber that is acquired," he estimates.

Operators' bandwidth, service and accounting would be put to test with the extra inflow and outflow of subscribers. The survey also identifies outflow and inflow patterns that will help operators fine-tune their post-portability strategy.





CDMA vs GSM

Playing spoilsport for the operators will be disproportionate outflow and inflow ratios. In Mumbai, the survey found, a leading GSM player might get more subscribers than it loses, but the outflow is expected to take place at a faster pace.

Another GSM player in the city stands to gain 128 per cent (if 100 subscribers move out, 228 will move into its network from other operators).

In the same market, a CDMA player will experience a net impact of 80 per cent (will lose 180 subscribers for 100 it gains). The upshot is that CDMA users are more than willing to port to GSM networks. "High-revenue CDMA users are most likely to migrate to GSM," says Pal.

"A general shift from CDMA to GSM is too simplistic. CDMA operators issue handsets with connections that are locked to the operator's network. So when migrating to GSM, it would cost CDMA users more than just the cost of a SIM card.

They will have to invest in a handset as well," says Tata Teleservices Chief Marketing Officer Lloyd Mathias. "We are in the process of profiling users on their usage and handsets. For instance, we will contact those who have been with us for two years and have a monthly bill of Rs 1,000 and more with special offers such as discounts. This could be a group of a few hundreds or even 10,000."

While CDMA operators are expected to be hit the hardest, market leaders stand to gain the most because of their strong brand equity.

Players in the middle rungs, who don't lead yet, could be in the eye of the churn too, according to Pal. Singhal differs: "Players who are neither leaders nor newcomers will gain subscribers because of less congested networks (unlike leaders) and stronger customer service and infrastructure than new players, so they can handle the traffic better."

Brand pull and customer service will decide the drift for the operators. In Delhi, IMRB found that a GSM operator has a very strong pull over its rivals. Its market share is set to increase after portability, according to the survey.

"High-end customers will be more sensitive to branding and customer experience. Branding power in telecom becomes clear when users are ready to forgive their operator for its errors because the brand resonates with them," says Mukarji.

AT&T slates iPhone MMS launch for Friday

3G and 3GS owners must first download an update via iTunes

AT&T will officially launch the long-awaited MMS service for the iPhone on Friday, but some users have reported it's already working, according to messages on the company's Facebook site.

"We know you've been eager for this service so we wanted to offer a quick update on the launch plans for MMS on Friday, Sept. 25," AT&T said in a short message on its sanctioned Facebook page. "Late morning, Pacific Time, on Friday, the new carrier settings update enabling MMS should be live and ready ... to download through iTunes. We'll provide the steps and all of the details you need right here at that time."

Several users, however, noted that AT&T had already flipped their MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) switch. "MMS is working on my iPhone in New York," said Eliezer Quinones Wednesday evening in a message on AT&T's Facebook page.

Two weeks ago, other users claimed that AT&T had enabled MMS for their accounts, a move some credited to limited testing by the mobile service provider.

iPhone owners have blasted AT&T for not offering MMS -- which lets users send photos, video and other content attached to text messages -- when the iPhone debuted in 2007. Critics stepped up their complaints in June, when Apple said the new iPhone 3.0 software would support MMS, but implied that AT&T would not immediately offer the service.

Originally, AT&T had pegged MMS availability by the end of summer, which officially ended on Monday.

Several times since June, AT&T explained the delay as necessary to beef up its network to accommodate the expected "record traffic" of MMS.

iPhone 3G and 3GS users will be able to use MMS starting tomorrow; owners of the first-generation iPhone won't, however, due to hardware limitations of the original model.

AT&T 's tethering plans remain unclear. Earlier this month, an AT&T spokeswoman said only that tethering -- which lets mobile phone users access the Internet from a laptop by linking it via Bluetooth to an iPhone's wireless data connection -- would be offered at some point "in the future." However, she did confirm that tethering would not be included in tomorrow's iTunes update.

As AT&T noted, iPhone owners must update their phones using iTunes before using MMS.

30 Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphones to launch before year is out

Apparently before the end of the year more than 30 smartphones running Windows Mobile 6.5 from 15 mobile phone vendors will be launched states the senior director of GCR Mobile Team Unit at Microsoft China, reports digitimes.

Mobile phone vendors who have shown support for Windows Mobile 6.5 include the likes of Toshiba, Samsung, Acer, HTC, LG, HP and Sony Ericsson.

Also voicing their support for Windows Mobile 6.5 are telecom carriers Verizon Wireless, Sprint, AT&T, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, Telus and others. So more than 30 Windows Mobile 6.5 packing smartphones before the end of the year, beats the 15/20 Android phones doesn’t it.

HTC Tattoo to launch in OctoberLatest Android mobile to be available on Vodafone

The HTC Tattoo will launch next month, however keen customers are already able to pre-order the Android-based mobile phone from Vodafone.

The HTC Tattoo is the latest mobile phone to be announced that will run on Google's Android operating system, which allows owners of Android-based mobile phones to access thousands of applications downloadable from the Android market.

HTC Sense interface

The phone also runs on the HTC Sense interface, which offers users a number of customisable homescreens. More about the Sense interface can be found in the HTC Hero first look video.

While Vodafone hasn't yet confirmed the price or contract details of the Tattoo, the handset is expected to be more affordably priced than the previous three HTC Android phones: the G1, the HTC Magic, and the HTC Hero.

HTC Tattoo specification

The Tattoo's specifications include a 3.2Mp camera, a 2.8-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS connectivity. The Tattoo also has an MP3 player and radio - and a welcome 3.5mm headphone socket so you can use the headphones of your choice.

Jon Barrow, Which? mobile phone expert, said: 'We hope that the rumours about the Tattoo being a more affordable handset are accurate, as it would be great to bring the Android market to a wider market. We look forward to testing this device in our labs sometime soon'.
Android mobile phone handsets

HTC currently dominates the market with Android-powered mobile phones, but this is set to change with models from Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson on the not too distant horizon. A first look of the Android Samsung Galaxy can be read in our mobile phone report, and a first look video of the Galaxy can be viewed in our IFA 2009 report from the consumer electronics show in Berlin.

O2 to launch Palm Pre in the UK on 16 October

O2 today confirms that the Palm Pre phone will be available in the UK on 16 October exclusively on the O2 network. Customers can purchase the new device directly from O2, the Carphone Warehouse, Phones4U and Business partners who are part of O2’s specific partner programme. It will also be available for purchase online from the O2 shop at www.o2.co.uk/shop.

Ronan Dunne, CEO of Telefonica O2 UK said “Today’s announcement reinforces O2’s position as the home of the smartphone. With the addition of the excellent Palm Pre to our already extensive portfolio, we will continue to offer our customers the widest range of the very best devices on the market today.”

“There’s a lot of excitement about Palm Pre in Europe as we continue to expand Palm webOS products across new carriers and countries,” said Jon Rubinstein chairman and chief executive officer, Palm, Inc. “We look forward to launching Palm Pre with O2 so people in the UK can see firsthand how Palm webOS offers a new and better smartphone experience.”

Palm Pre for consumers

Palm Pre is free to O2 customers taking out a 24-month contract and to customers taking an 18-month contract at £44.05 or £73.41 per month. See attached table or the O2 website for full tariff options. All customers will receive unlimited UK data browsing over O2’s HSDPA network and unlimited access to 7,500 Wi-Fi hotspots through both The Cloud and now BT Openzone.

The Palm Pre will also be sold with some innovative accessories. The Palm Touchstone Charging Dock allows connectionless charging of your Palm webOS™ phone. Palm Touchstone is based on inductive technology based inside the Touchstone Charging Dock which allows you to charge the handset without connecting a wire directly to it. The Touchstone and Back Cover will retail at £44.11 a saving of £10.

Palm Pre for Business

Palm Pre running Palm webOS is a powerful business device, offering Palm Synergy features, multitasking capabilities, a full sliding keyboard, touch screen, robust messaging, GPS, and compatibility with 3G and secure Wi-Fi networks. It delivers business capabilities, including support for Exchange ActiveSync policies.

Palm Pre will be available on current O2 business tariffs as a monthly bolt on, with the device available for free to account holders on all business tariffs from £30.91on a 24 or 36-month contract. Palm Pre business customers can also receive the same benefits as existing O2 business customers including unlimited calls between O2 customers, unlimited calls to ten landlines, shareable minutes and texts between users plus multi-user billing and activation and free, 24x7 access to business customer care specialists.

Palm Pre is the first phone based on the all-new Palm webOS™ software, which brings mobile applications together in a unique and intuitive multi-tasking platform that enables consumers and businesses to connect to their information in more useful and useable ways.(1) Palm webOS introduces Palm Synergy™, which brings your information from the many places it resides into a single, more comprehensive view of your life.

The Palm Pre features a smooth, elegantly rounded ergonomic design and a physical keyboard that slides out only when needed, Palm Pre is engineered to feel natural in your hand and comfortably small in your pocket. When closed, Palm Pre is ideal for phone calls, web browsing, music, photos and videos; when open, Palm Pre is optimized for email and text messaging. With its curved slider and gesture-controlled touch interface, Palm Pre fuses exquisite design with the revolutionary Palm webOS software for fast access to content on the device or web.

Vodafone launches social networking service 360

Sync all your contacts from mobile and PC.

So, looks like this social networking thing is popular and stuff. Vodafone launched Vodafone 360 today, a social network aggregator that syncs contacts from your phone, email and social networks, and also includes an app store.

There's Vodafone People, which is essentially a giant, cloud-based address book that will be open to customers on any network, on over 100 mobiles, and will sync contacts from phone, Facebook, Windows Messenger and Google Talk. Twitter, Hyves and studiVZ to follow.

Speaking of, Samsung will be launching two handsets specially for the Vodafone 360, which means the mystery of the rumoured Samsung high-end handset is solved - it'll be sold as the Vodafone 360 H1, which boasts a 3.5-inch multi-touch, high-def OLED screen, a five-meg snapper and a whopping 16GB of onboard storage. There's also the M1, which will have a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 1GB storage, push email, a 3-megapixel camera. Both phones are high-techy marvels packing the usual HSDPA/Wi-Fi/GPS specs.

The service will also come preloaded on four Nokia Symbian smartphones too, and at launch, at least part of Vodafone 360 will be downloadable to other phones. Vodafone are working on making 360 available to as many mobiles and networks as possible.

An app store will open at launch with over 1000 apps. Vodafone 360 launches in eight European countries including the UK by Christmas.

Unitech Wireless Ltd. is on track to launch its mobile telephony services

Unitech Wireless Ltd. is on track to launch its mobile telephony services by the end of December and plans to cover 60% of India in the first year of operations, Chief Executive Stein-Erik Vellan said.

Unitech Wireless -- an unlisted joint venture between Indian real estate company Unitech Ltd. and Norway's Telenor Group -- has licenses to offer mobile telephony services in all of India's 22 telecom service areas.

Telenor is currently awaiting a decision by a federal Cabinet panel to raise its stake in Unitech Wireless to 67.2% from 49%, Mr. Vellan told Dow Jones Newswires over the phone late Wednesday.

The joint venture, which has branded its services as Uninor, will outsource more of its network installation and operations, Mr. Vellan said, without elaborating.

Indian telecom companies usually outsource their network equipment installation and maintenance to reduce costs and to focus more on adding customers in the world's fastest growing telecom market.

Earlier this year, Unitech Wireless outsourced its information technology operations to Wipro Ltd. It has also given contracts worth $400 million for its telecom network equipment to Alcatel-Lucent India Ltd. and the Indian unit of Huawei Technologies Co. On the upcoming auctions for the third generation, or 3G, radio bandwidth, Mr. Vellan said the company hasn't taken a decision on whether to bid for pan-India spectrum or for specific service areas.

"We are currently reviewing our strategy and will take it to the board soon, and then will know what sort of plans we will make in regards to the upcoming 3G auction," Mr. Vellan added.

Earlier this week, the Economic Times quoted Hilde Tonne, Telenor's executive vice president, as saying that Unitech Wireless isn't planning to bid for a pan-India 3G license, but may bid only for some specific circles. The company will focus mainly on expanding its second generation mobile services, the report said.

The Indian government plans to auction four pan-India slots of radio bandwidth for 3G services in December and has set a starting price of 35 billion rupees ( $732 million) for one such slot.

Intex introduces new Dual Sim Mobile Phones in India

Intex, one of the leading computer hardware and software manufacturer has entered into mobile phone production and recently launched dual sim mobile phones in India.

Intex dual SIM mobile phones come as GSM-GSM (two GSM SIM) and CDMA-GSM (one CDMA with one GSM SIM). Now you can have both CDMA and GSM sim in one handset and start talking without using two different handsets. Intex has launched various models that supports two SIMs (dual SIM or dual mode handsets) in one handset.

Spice D-80 and D-88 Dual Mode Handsets Price in India

Spice, one of the leading low cost mobile handset manufacturers in India has produced two cheaper mobile handsets in Indian market as Spice D-80 and Spice D-88. D-80 and D-88 are dual-mode handsets that supports both GSM and CDMA networks. It’s best for those people who want to use both GSM and CDMA without using two different handsets for them. One simple and effective set like these Spice dual mode handset is enough to get you going with both networks.

Both Spice D-80 and Spice D-88 support GSM and CDAM connections at the same time. This means that you can get a GSM SIM and a CDMA SIM and use them both in one single handset at the same time. These dual sim headsets in India is building a decent market share since many people prefer using both networks, keeping cost effectiveness and network coverage in eye. Additionally D-80 can support two active GSM connections at the same time.

These phones will be very helpful to those who have got two SIM cards or phone numbers and use two phones at a time to stay connected. The D-80 handset costs Rs. 9,849/- (limited stocks since Spice has already stopped producing D-80 handsets), while D-88 handsets are available in two models. D-88 n costs around rs. 5000 and D-88 Gold is priced around rs. 6000 in India.

Fly Launches a Bucket of Dual SIM Mobile Phones in India

Fly, an UK based mobile phone manufacturer has expanded it’s territory to India and recently launched a couple of dual SIM handsets in Indian market. Keeping the demand of dual SIM mobile phones in eye, Fly launched various mobile handsets with different features and prices to market, to suit everyone’s need and pocket. These dual handset phones are Fly DS100, Fly DS150, FLY DS200, Fly DS210, FLY DS240, FLY E106 and they bear all other normal features along with the compatibility for two SIM cards at a time. These handsets support either two GSM-GSM or GSM-CDMA SIMS at a time.

Fly DS100 Features

1. Supports dual SIM GSM-GSM
2. 128 x 128 pixels screen display
3. Standby up to 120-240 hours with talktime up to 4-6 hours
4. Expandable memory slot with FM radio and FM radio live recording
5. GPRS, Speaker and MP3 ringtones support
6. Supports Hindi language SMS/MMS/phone menu

Fly DS150 Features

1. Dual SIM compatibility – GSM & GSM
2. Massive standby period up to 400 hours with 4 hours talktime
3. 1.77” TFT QQVGA display with 128 x 128 pixels resolution
4. Expandable memory slot, FM radio with recording
5. GPRS, Speaker phone with MP3 ringtones support
6. Built-in torch with Hindi language support

Fly DS200 Specifications

1. Dual SIM mobile handset with GSM-GSM compatibility
2. 5 hours of talktime and up to 250 hours of standby
3. 2″ 262K colors TFT with 176 x 220 pixels resolution
4. Expandable card slot with VGA camera phone
5. Bluetooth, FM Radio with recording option
6. GPRS, MP3 ringtones and speaker phone
7. mobile Tracker, Torch Light & Safe Radiation call

Fly DS210 Key Specifications

1. Slider mobile handset supports two GSM-GSM connections
2. 262K colour TFT with 240 x 320 pixels resolution
3. 3-4 hours of talktime with 200-210 hours battery standby
4. 25.9 MB internal memory with expandable memory slot
5. 3 megapixel camera with video recording
6. FM Radio with live radio recording
7. GPRS, Bluetooth, USB, EDGE, A2DP with Speaker phone
8. 3.2Mpx BT remote facility HID and MP3 ringtones support

Fly DS440 Key Specifications

1. Attractive slim designed dual SIM handset ( GSM-CDMA)
2. 240 x 320 pixels resolution with 262k colours
3. 3-4 hours of talktime and up to 120 hours of standby
4. Expandable memory slot with FM radio and recording
5. 2 megapixel camera with video recording option
6. Bluetooth, USB, GPRS, A2DP, EDGE, Speaker Phone
7. TV output slot with MP3 ringtones support

Fly E106 Key Features

1. Touch screen phone with dual GSM-GSM SIM compatibility
2. 4 hours of talktime with 240 hours of battery standby
3. 240 x 320 pixels resolution with 262K colours
4. 744KB internal memory with additional memory slot
5. 2 megapixel camera with video recording support
6. FM radio with ability to record live FM radio
7. Bluetooth, GPRS, USB with A2DP
8. Speaker phone, motion sensor and Mp3 ringtones

Opera launches Opera Mini 5 beta

On the heals of their latest browser for the PC, Opera 10, the folks of Opera Software have released the latest beta of their browser for mobile phones called Opera Mini 5. Opera Mini boasts improved speed over other mobile browsers and less bandwidth over cellular networks since data sent to mobile phones can be compressed up to 90 percent. As Opera puts it users, “can get more Web out of each megabyte”.



Opera Mini 5 is an appropriate name since the company boasts five feautres with the latest version of the mobile browser. The first feature is a new, sleek interface while mobile phone users will also like the fact that the browser adapts to your phone for browsing whether you have a touchscreen or a keypad. Other features include Speed Dial, which allows you to choose from a table of contents of favorite sites, and a built-in password manager. The fifth and coolest feature has got to be the addition of tabbed browsing. Yes, tabbed browing has finally made its way to mobile.

Opera Mini 5 beta is available from the Opera Mini website and can be downloaded for free from your phone’s existing web browser. Though phone support may vary while the browser is in beta, a special version of the browser is available for the BlackBerry which allows for seemless opening of links and copy-and-paste funtions.

Samsung Adds New Smartphone and Windows Mobile 6.5 to Omnia Lineup

Samsung adds the Omnia Pro B7330 to its Omnia lineup and announces that the new smartphone, as well as its existing models, will run the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, which is due to launch Oct. 6.

Samsung has grown its Omnia smartphone series with the addition of the Omnia Pro B7330, which the company announced will run the upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system. Samsung additionally announced that all currently available Omnia models will be upgraded to run the OS as well.

The Omnia Pro B7330 is a slate-style phone with a QWERTY keyboard and a 2.62-inch QVGA screen—no touch-screen here. It’s compatible with GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, an FM radio and A-GPS. There’s also a 3-megapixel camera, 270MB of internal memory and a microSD slot for boosting that number.

The smartphone will ship in October, though a specific date has not yet been released. Microsoft, however, has said it will ship its “Windows phones” on Oct. 6, and that it will have 600 applications in its store when they launch. More than Apple, with its 65,000-plus offerings in the App Store, Microsoft’s real competition is said to be the more enterprise-focused BlackBerry maker, Research In Motion. With the launch of its new phone and app store, Microsoft is certain to boost its branding efforts to make a more relevant name for itself in the current mobile phone market.

On Sept. 1, Microsoft’s general manager for product management, Stephanie Ferguson, wrote on the Windows Mobile blog that during surveys the company had done in preparation for the software’s launch, researchers discovered a disturbing trend.

“Interestingly enough, we discovered that most people who carry a Windows phone don’t realize it’s running Windows Mobile,” Ferguson wrote. Going forward, she continued, “you’ll see us try to simplify our branding so it’s easier for people to know when they’re carrying a Windows phone, and easier to find them in stores.”

The update to Windows Mobile 6.5 will include the Omnia II, coming to Verizon Wireless, the OmniaPro B7610 and the non-U.S. OmniaPro B7320.

T-Mobile Launches Samgung T569

T-Mobile has launched a new entry-level 3G mobile phone, Samsung T659. It has a retro slider design in standard silver and comes with 2.2-inch display which supports 262,000 colors.

Main features include 3G (HSDPA) network, Bluetooth, MP3 player, personal organizer, email client, 2MP camera capable of video recording, microSD memory slot, messaging, Assisted GPS with TeleNav and a speakerphone. it battery can hold charge for up to 12.5 days of stand-by time.

Samsung T659 will cost buyers $69.99 with a two-year contact.

Palm launches Pixi in bid to wow mobile mass market

American PDA firm updates the Pre with cheaper, slimmed-down version of the device that will be out in US in time for Christmas.



Palm has updated the Palm Pre, the mobile phone the American manufacturer hopes will revive its fortunes, with a slightly cheaper version of the device aimed at the mass market.

The Palm Pixi, which will be out in the US in time for Christmas, has a slightly smaller screen than its predecessor in order to make way for a full qwerty keyboard, which is likely to appeal to people who are used to using a BlackBerry.

The Pre has a slide-out keyboard, and as a result of its "candybar" design, the Pixi is thinner. Both devices recharge wirelessly and run Palm's operating system (OS).

"With Palm webOS, we're creating a new, more intuitive smartphone experience defined by unmatched simplicity and usefulness," said Jon Rubinstein, Palm's chairman and chief executive officer. "Palm Pixi brings this unique experience to a broader range of people who want enhanced messaging and social networking."

In order to make the device cheaper than the Pre, the Pixi has removed some functions such as wi-fi access. Initial tests by American gadget websites have also suggested that has less processing power than the Pre.

The Pre, which has been out in the US since the summer and will be released in the UK well before Christmas, is aimed squarely at taking on the iPhone. The Pixi, meanwhile, looks designed to compete with the next tier of touchscreen mobile phones made by the likes of HTC, Samsung and Nokia.

The Pixi will be released in the US in time for Christmas on Sprint, which also has the exclusive American deal for the Pre. A spokesman for Palm said he did not know when it would be available in Europe or Canada, but said: "Palm does plan to bring Palm Pixi to both regions as soon as it can and will announce more when appropriate".

O2 has already grabbed exclusive rights to stock the Pre and prices are expected to be revealed in the next few weeks. It is also likely to stock the Pixi.

Palm, which popularised personal digital assistants in the 1990s with products like the Pilot, has spent three years on the Pre and it represents the firm's attempt to get back into the top end, or smartphone, market, having been upstaged by Apple and RIM's BlackBerry.

Africa: Libyan Airline to Launch in-Flight Mobile Phone Calls

Libyan Airline will be the first African airline to offer in-flight mobile phone calls and internet access, when it new A320 aircraft are delivered in 2010.The airline has ordered for a new fleet of Airbus A320s, which will be installed with Mobile OnAir technology to allow passengers to make and receive phone-calls, send and receive text messages and emails, and access the internet, using mobile phones and PDAs. The seven new A320 aircraft, due to start flying next year will serves routes to Europe and the Middle East, with the exact destinations yet to be announced.

Libyan Airline operates flights into the UK which is currently served by Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft.

Mohamed M. Ibsem, Chief Executive Officer of Libyan Airlines said: "Aboard these brand new Libyan Airlines aircraft, our passengers will be able to stay in touch with colleagues, family and friends while they travel."

Libyan Airlines flies from Tripoli (TIP) Libya, to Manchester (MAN) and London Heathrow (LHR) in the UK, and mainly codeshares with Afriqiyah Airways on flights into London Gatwick (one flight per week is operated by Libyan Airlines).

Mobile OnAir is currently available on more than 8,000 flights worldwide each month, with a growing number of airlines installing the technology.

TIMELINE: Motorola banks on Google phones for comeback

Motorola Inc, seeking to regain market share, unveiled a cellphone on Thursday based on Google Inc's Android mobile software, in what is viewed as the handset maker's most important product launch in years. Here is a look at Motorola's highs and lows over the years. * 1928: Galvin family establishes Galvin Manufacturing. Its first product was a power converter. * 1930: Changes name to Motorola. Three generations of Galvins lead Motorola until Christopher Galvin's 2004 ouster. * 1943: First public offering of Motorola stock for $8.50. * 1973: Motorola's Martin Cooper makes the first mobile phone call on a prototype of DynaTAC. * 1984: DynaTAC becomes commercially available. It is later known as the "brick" when surpassed by lighter, smaller phones. * 1989: Launches its first flip-phone, MicroTAC, which has a plastic cover that flips open to reveal its keypad. * 1994: Motorola dominates cell market with a 32.5 percent share, versus Nokia's 21 percent, according to Gartner. * Mid-1990s: The first digital wireless networks are built in Europe, but Motorola is slow to discard analog for digital. * 1996: Launch of StarTAC, first of Motorola's clamshells with a lid that hinges open to reveal screen and keypad. It is popular, but Motorola's market share still slips that year. * 2000: Motorola's market share is now 13 percent versus Nokia's 31 percent, according to Gartner. Motorola's market share hovers in mid-teen range for next few years. * 2004: Late in the year Motorola launches Razr, an ultra-thin phone that quickly becomes a design icon. It is promoted by Cingular, now part of AT&T Inc. * 2006: In July, Motorola says it has sold 50 million Razr phones and CEO Ed Zander promises sales of 500 million. But by late 2006, carriers are heavily discounting Razr. Some give it away to attract new subscribers. Motorola results start to disappoint and its market share peaks around 23 percent. * 2007: Motorola shocks with a big first-quarter loss and its market share drops to 17 percent. Activist investor Carl Icahn begins pushing for the company to split up, buy back shares and fire its CEO. By July, the clamor for Zander's ouster increases after Motorola posts its second quarterly loss in a row and Apple Inc ups the ante with the launch of the iPhone. Motorola ends 2007 with 9 percent market share. * January 2008: Greg Brown replaces Zander as CEO. Motorola posts a loss for three out of four quarters of that year. * February 2008: Motorola says to spin off phone unit. Plan has since been postponed to "beyond 2009" amid continuing losses in its cellphone unit. * April 2008: Motorola ends Icahn proxy battle. * August 2008: Sanjay Jha becomes Brown's Co-CEO and head of mobile devices. Analysts, investors applaud the choice. * October 2008: Jha reveals plan for Android phones, thousands of job cuts and refocusing Motorola on fewer operating systems. Motorola ends the year with less than 7 percent market share. * December 2008: Jha, Brown promise to cut their own salaries by 25 percent. * 2009: Motorola investors flee after a first-quarter loss, but the stock rallies again on a second-quarter profit. Jha's progress reports help push Motorola shares up more than 150 percent to a close of $7.85 on Wednesday, September 9, from a March low of $3.10. * August 2009: Motorola flags September 10 Android announcement. Shares jump 11 percent in a single day ahead of the news. * September 10: Motorola unveils Android phone.

TIMELINE: Motorola banks on Google phones for comeback

Motorola Inc, seeking to regain market share, unveiled a cellphone on Thursday based on Google Inc's Android mobile software, in what is viewed as the handset maker's most important product launch in years.

Here is a look at Motorola's highs and lows over the years.

* 1928: Galvin family establishes Galvin Manufacturing. Its first product was a power converter.

* 1930: Changes name to Motorola. Three generations of Galvins lead Motorola until Christopher Galvin's 2004 ouster.

* 1943: First public offering of Motorola stock for $8.50.

* 1973: Motorola's Martin Cooper makes the first mobile phone call on a prototype of DynaTAC.

* 1984: DynaTAC becomes commercially available. It is later known as the "brick" when surpassed by lighter, smaller phones.

* 1989: Launches its first flip-phone, MicroTAC, which has a plastic cover that flips open to reveal its keypad.

* 1994: Motorola dominates cell market with a 32.5 percent share, versus Nokia's 21 percent, according to Gartner.

* Mid-1990s: The first digital wireless networks are built in Europe, but Motorola is slow to discard analog for digital.

* 1996: Launch of StarTAC, first of Motorola's clamshells with a lid that hinges open to reveal screen and keypad. It is popular, but Motorola's market share still slips that year.

* 2000: Motorola's market share is now 13 percent versus Nokia's 31 percent, according to Gartner. Motorola's market share hovers in mid-teen range for next few years.

* 2004: Late in the year Motorola launches Razr, an ultra-thin phone that quickly becomes a design icon. It is promoted by Cingular, now part of AT&T Inc.

* 2006: In July, Motorola says it has sold 50 million Razr phones and CEO Ed Zander promises sales of 500 million. But by late 2006, carriers are heavily discounting Razr. Some give it away to attract new subscribers. Motorola results start to disappoint and its market share peaks around 23 percent.

* 2007: Motorola shocks with a big first-quarter loss and its market share drops to 17 percent. Activist investor Carl Icahn begins pushing for the company to split up, buy back shares and fire its CEO. By July, the clamor for Zander's ouster increases after Motorola posts its second quarterly loss in a row and Apple Inc ups the ante with the launch of the iPhone. Motorola ends 2007 with 9 percent market share.

* January 2008: Greg Brown replaces Zander as CEO. Motorola posts a loss for three out of four quarters of that year.

* February 2008: Motorola says to spin off phone unit. Plan has since been postponed to "beyond 2009" amid continuing losses in its cellphone unit.

* April 2008: Motorola ends Icahn proxy battle.

* August 2008: Sanjay Jha becomes Brown's Co-CEO and head of mobile devices. Analysts, investors applaud the choice.

* October 2008: Jha reveals plan for Android phones, thousands of job cuts and refocusing Motorola on fewer operating systems. Motorola ends the year with less than 7 percent market share.

* December 2008: Jha, Brown promise to cut their own salaries by 25 percent.

* 2009: Motorola investors flee after a first-quarter loss, but the stock rallies again on a second-quarter profit. Jha's progress reports help push Motorola shares up more than 150 percent to a close of $7.85 on Wednesday, September 9, from a March low of $3.10.

* August 2009: Motorola flags September 10 Android announcement. Shares jump 11 percent in a single day ahead of the news.

* September 10: Motorola unveils Android phone.

Nokia fights back for share of smartphone market

Nokia's new music phones lead the assault on rivals

Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, has admitted it was slow to react to the rise of new devices, such as the iPhone, and has launched a major offensive to win back market share from its rivals Apple and Research in Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry email device.

"We have an aggressive plan now," Kai Oistamo, the Finnish company's executive vice-president for mobile phones, said at the Nokia World conference today. "But if you go back a few years, the market changed suddenly and we were not fast enough changing with it."

"To a large extent, that is behind us now and we have got our act together," he added.

The company is hoping to capitalise on its unlimited music service with the launch of three new products today – two revamped devices that use the music service, and a "lite" version of the touchscreen N97. They follow last week's launch of the N900, the first smartphone ever made by Nokia, which uses the open-source Linux operating system, and its first ever laptop, the Nokia 3G netbook.

Analysts immediately greeted the N900 as Nokia's first really compelling device that can compete in the high-end smartphone category now dominated by BlackBerry and the iPhone.

Oistamo said Nokia had already clawed back a share in the smartphone market in the past six months, possibly on the back of the N97. Previously, he said, it had been hit hard by rival products.

Nokia has also beaten rivals to become the first phone manufacturer to announce the launch of a netbook, and hopes to get a head start in that market. While the netbook's retail price is likely to be €575 (£506), the company has a deal with O2 in Germany under which customers can buy the laptop for just €250 if they sign a long-term contract. Similar deals are expected in other European markets. The netbook is to be launched in the fourth quarter, using the new Windows 7 operating system.

At the conference Nokia's chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said the string of product launches in the past week marked a "transformational" moment for Nokia. He said the company would attempt to grab more ground in the smartphone market while continuing to cater to different product categories.

He also stressed the importance of Nokia's expanding services business, which is built around its Ovi suite of mobile music, maps, games and other services and is intended to be the company's answer to iTunes, reiterating the firm's target of reaching 300m active Ovi users before 2012. It currently has 55m.

However, Nokia's Comes With Music service has failed to connect with consumers. Many people are reportedly confused by its marketing, which appears to target serious music fans even though the product is a perfect choice for parents who are worried that their children might be downloading tracks illegally at home.

To inject some sparkle back into the music service, Nokia today launched two new music phones: the X3, which has a slide-out number pad, and the X6 touchscreen phone. Both have more storage capacity than their predecessors, and the X6 is able to play about 35 hours of music before the battery runs out.

The launch of the N97 Mini, which is smaller and less powerful than its predecessor, is aimed at a a wider market: at €450, it is more affordable for the mobile operators, who subsidise the cost of phones in many markets.

Huawei's Android phone launches as T-Mobile Pulse

T-Mobile today announced the launch of their third Android handset, dubbed the "T-Mobile Pulse".

The new device comes courtesy of Huawei, who displayed a device back at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year, and previous rumours had already confirmed the link-up.

The T-Mobile Pulse is an HSDPA device, packing in Wi-Fi and GPS on the connectivity front.

Around the back is a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera, but no flash, with T-Mobile claiming that to achieve the slim 160 x 62.5 x 13.5mm dimensions, some features had to be omitted.

The device comes with a 2GB microSD card under a flap on the side. There is also a Micro-USB and 2.5mm headphone jack residing under a flap on the top.

To counter the criticisms of not supplying the standard 3.5mm jack, there is an adapter, should you wish to ditch the 2.5mm headset bundled in the box, with T-Mobile commenting that the 2.5mm jack was needed to achieve the slim dimensions.

The handset is exclusive to T-Mobile, who vigorously confirmed that you wouldn't see the same hardware re-badged elsewhere, but we suspect you'll see OEM Huawei devices on other networks with similar specs.

The Pulse is fronted by a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen display and is powered by Qualcomm’s MSM7200A chipset.

In terms of customisation, T-Mobile and Huawei have added the "Canvas" homescreen, which is a collection of customisable homepages. Coming with six by default, each can have widgets and shortcuts added to it, but once a page is full you can continue to add more pages – with one exec commenting that he had reached 40 pages.

Available from October, the T-Mobile Pulse will cost £179.99 on pay as you go, with contract rates still to be decided. It will be available across T-Mobile territories.

Nokia Launches Development Tools For Ovi Platform

Finland's Nokia Corp., the world's largest mobile phone maker, Thursday said it is launching a set of tools to make it easier for external developers to create applications for its Internet service platform, Ovi, as it aims catch up on the success of iPhone maker Apple Inc.'s App Store.

"Our goal is clear, and that is to make it effortless for our partners to create highly appealing, context-relevant applications," said Niklas Savander, Executive Vice President Services at Nokia.

The Espoo, Finland-based company said it will progressively roll out new Application Program Interfaces, or APIs, for its services, starting Thursday with the Ovi Maps Player and Ovi Navigation Player.

Nokia Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo on Wednesday put location-based applications at the heart of the company's focus on mobile services.

The company, currently staging its Nokia World showcase in Stuttgart, Germany, is also launching a slew of new devices, including a mini-laptop, to expand its business as revenue from mobile handsets falls.

Nokia also said Thursday it will launch the Ovi Software Development Kit Beta, providing developers with a set of tools to create applications for the Internet and for its Symbian and Maemo mobile operating systems.

Applications created with Ovi SDK and Ovi APIs will be available for consumers through the Ovi Store in 2010, the company said.

Ovi Store, which was launched by Nokia in May this year, allows users to download applications to their phones, much like Apple's App Store, which opened in July 2008.

Nokia doesn't disclose the number of applications available on Ovi Store or the number of downloads made.

However, press spokesperson Eija-Riitta Huovinen said there are around 5,500 content items available, which can include applications and more basic content such as ringtones and wallpapers.

Apple's App Store in July had around 65,000 applications from which users had made over 1.5 billion downloads.

Ovi has had a difficult start and is still far smaller in scope than the App Store, but giving developers the right tools may be a step in the right direction, said Ben Wood, research director at CCS Insight.

Nokia Wednesday highlighted its Lifecasting with Ovi service, which will allows users to integrate with their accounts on social-networking Web site Facebook, which it said it will launch on a mini version of its N97 smartphone in October.

Sony launches ICF-C8WM alarm clock

Sony has launched a clock radio which also doubles up as a charger for your Sony gadgets. Eschewing the current trend towards wireless power induction charging, it's a defiantly plugged-in affair, but could prove useful for people with Walkman phones and mp3 players.

When you go to bed, just slot your handset or MP3 player (or both at once, if you like) into the device's charging slot and nod off. In the morning, you can wake up to music from either device, or an FM or AM radio station.

Sony says it'll help keep your bedroom tidy - no need for chargers dangling wires all over the place. It comes with a wireless remote control, and there are three brightness levels for the display. There's a sleep timer, a snooze timer and a dual alarm.

It even has an internal battery that'll wake you up even if you lose mains power. Sony's calling that "NO Power NO Problem", which sounds like a dodgy reggae album, but is still a nifty feature.

No pricing or availability has yet been announced, but we'll let you know as soon as we hear anything.

LG Elec to unveil new Windows mobile phones

LG Electronics Inc., the world's third-largest mobile phone maker, said on Thursday it would launch three new smartphones in the next few weeks that run on Windows software.

They will be the first LG phones to feature the new Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system from Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), which LG said should make it easier for users to navigate the Web.

LG signed a deal with Microsoft in February under which Windows Mobile will become the South Korean company's primary smartphone platform. Including the latest additions, LG plans to launch a total of 13 new Windows phones globally by end-2010.

Microsoft is hoping its Windows Mobile operating system can continue to challenge Symbian, a platform backed by the world's top mobile phone maker Nokia (NOK1V.HE) and used in two-thirds of smartphones -- mobile handsets with computer-like capabilities.

LG is also a member of the Symbian Foundation and is developing models based on Google's (GOOG.O) Android software.

Vodafone and LG launch the LG GM750 Windows 6.5 Phone

Vodafone and LG Electronics today announce the launch of the LG GM750, a new Windows® phone based on Windows Mobile 6.5 from 6 October. Fully loaded with fun, easy-to-use features and services that help people take control of their lives thanks to fast internet browsing, access to personal and work email accounts and calendar synchronisation, the GM750 packs a lot into its sleek, slim form.

With LG’s S-Class user-interface and fast internet browsing via Vodafone’s high-speed mobile broadband network or WiFi, information is always at the user’s fingertips. Its large 3.0? full touchscreen makes it easy to navigate while browsing the internet, writing text messages and memos, or getting directions with its in-built GPS navigation function.

The intuitive user-interface on Windows Mobile 6.5 is easily customisable so Vodafone customers can personalise their phone to their own particular style. Using 3rd party applications, customers can change the look and feel with a personal background or designer themes and personalise the home screen so the information they need, such as weather reports, the latest traffic information or stock prices, is always easy to find. Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync email ensures you never need miss an email again, be it from your personal or work account. As one of a new generation of Windows phones, the GM750 Smartphone is poised to take advantage of future Vodafone services.

In addition to internet and email connectivity, consumers will be able to download applications directly to their phone via Windows Marketplace for Mobile, automatically back up and synch photos, music and texts to their PC using the free My Phone service, plus use Windows Live to check Hotmail or IM with friends on the PC or Xbox video game system. With a 5 megapixel camera as well, with the GM750 customers will have all the tools, features and widgets they’ll need to get the most fun from life, and never miss or forget a special moment.

The LG GM750 will be available in store initially in seven countries – Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the UK, and also in France through SFR, with further countries following soon after.

* Companies combine to offer best-in-class Windows phone experience for customers
* The LG GM750 next generation Smartphone is easy and engaging to use, and helps you get more out of your life
* With Vodafone high-speed mobile services and LG S-Class user-interface, features and phone design, the GM750 Windows phone packs smart, easy-to-use features into a small, sleek form
* Available exclusively until the end of December in an initial seven countries from 6 October

AirTel To Launch 3G Service by October 2010

After both BSNL and MTNL launched their 3G services in India, its time for the number one mobile service provider, AirTel to jump into the game of 3G in India, which is getting delayed hell lot of times.

Bharti Airtel has said that if everything goes well as planned they would be launching 3G services in India by October 2010. The auctions for the 3G spectrum @ 3,500 Crore INR will get done by November.

AirTel will have the spectrum by next year Jan or Feb and then they would be launching their 3G services in India. 3G, which has become an old story in many countries, has reached India very late.

Though BSNL aggressively promoted it 3G services and also entered into partnerships with leading mobile handset players, its 3G services failed to generate any uptake.

This is not surprising because most of the people who use BSNL use their phones just for making calls and sending SMS, 3G where as gives you fast Internet and lots of mobile Value added services in your hand but majority of Indian consumers are yet to get used to this use of mobile phones.

In big metro cities, AirTel's 3G will pick up given its user base and people's knowledge about 3G and its advantages.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 gets official, holds no surprises

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 received its official announcement today. Boasting Windows Mobile 6.5 and relying heavily on the X Panels UI, the XPERIA X2 flaunts an 8 megapixel camera and a 3.2-inch touchscreen.



Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 was eagerly expected and finally has its moment. The new XPERIA will come directly with Windows Mobile 6.5 on board with the XPERIA panels integrated into the user interface. The long rumored 3.5-inch OLED screen turns to be false, as the X2 has a 3.2-inch WVGA TFT one.



The rest of the specs include full sliding QWERTY keyboard, 8.1 megapixel camera with VGA@30fps recording and LED flash, all sorts of connectivity options (HSDPA, Wi-Fi with DLNA, GPS, Bluetooth) including a 3.5mm audio jack and TV-out (cable bundled in the box), stereo speakers and a microSD card slot (4GB card in the package).

The CPU still remains unknown, while the memory is crystal clear - 256 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM and 110 megabytes of user storage. The XPERIA X2 also comes with XviD video support.