iPhone Launched in Thailand with Poor 3G Network

The iPhone 3G has arrived in Thailand with the mobile operator True Move. According to the website iPhones Talk, Apple reportedly negotiated for some time to get the phone into the country. Despite its potential appeal in the Thai market, there is speculation surrounding how many Thai users will be able to take full advantage of the iPhone 3G's rich features due to spotty 3G coverage and lack of education about the phone's advantages, in addition to the lack of heavy data related usage there.

Given its price tag, another question arises: Does the iPhone make sense for consumers and operators in countries where voice calls dominate mobile use, and data/Wi-Fi usage isn't very high?

Due to a decision made by leading Thai mobile operators last year the country has scaled down their investment on 3G network upgrades, which could result in a large group of iPhone users without a fast, native network on which to use their gadget. According to Reuters India, however, True Move expects to launch 3G mobile services in Bangkok this coming April.

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).

BlackBerry gets Bold

RESEARCH In Motion Ltd is launching a new high- end version of the BlackBerry aimed at its core base of business users, but it hopes the sleek device will also catch on in the broad retail market. The BlackBerry Bold, as the new smart phone is called, is the first BlackBerry to support high- speed HSDPA cellular networks and comes with integrated GPS, Wi- Fi and a host of multimedia features. “ Its really a step up in function in many core aspects of the system,” RIM Co- CEO Jim Balsillie said.

The smart phone rolls out globally this summer and will cost between $ 300 and $ 400. AT& T will be its lead carrier in the United States. While Waterloo, Ontario- based RIM hopes the Bold will entice corporate users to upgrade the handsets they currently use, Balsillie said he “ wouldn’t be surprised if it gets picked up by the consumer”. The device will be a test of whether the shaky US economy is making corporations less willing to spend on new wireless hardware. Some analysts have expressed concerns that companies will delay upgrades or cut back on spending on items such as the BlackBerry.

RIM helped dispel such worries last month when it delivered a higher fourth quarter profit and a robust outlook. The Bold features the most vivid display ever on a BlackBerry, a 2-mega pixel camera with video recording capability, and a media player for watching movies and managing music collections. This isn’t the first time a BlackBerry is being loaded with multimedia features to catch the eye of the retail customer.

RIM has actively worked at diversifying its client base away from the executives, lawyers and other professionals who use the BlackBerry for sending secure wireless e- mail. More than a third of RIMs 14 million subscribers are now classified as non- government and non- corporate. This pursuit of consumers has put RIM in increasingly direct competition with devices such as Apples iPhone that target the broad consumer market. Still, Balsillie said the Bold is aimed first and foremost at the business, or enterprise, audience. “ Its pretty fair to say that the Bold does quite a job for cementing our leadership in the ( enterprise) side,” he said. “ We understand our roots and we understand the priority there.” RIM also announced that, along with Royal Bank of Canada and Thomson Reuters it will launch a $ 150 million venture capital fund that will invest in applications and services for the BlackBerry and other mobile platforms.

The smart phone market is shaping up like a three- horse race in 2008. BlackBerry remains the leader, Windows Mobile continues to make slow and steady progress, and Apple has come out of nowhere with the hottest and most widely hyped product of the year to become a good contender with its iPhone.

A survey carried out by IT analyst firm Canalys revealed that the iPhone surpassed Windows Mobile in market share in Q3 of 2007. Four firms, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, Vodafone- controlled Vodafone Essar and BPL Mobile provide BlackBerry services in India.

RIM does not give country specific user numbers. A spokesman for India said the company had 14 million subscribers globally as of the quarter ended March. India had asked telecom firms not to provide certain BlackBerry services until proper monitoring systems are in place. It had also written to RIM asking it to install servers in India.

Currently, RIMs servers are placed in Canada. The move came after security agencies raised concerns the service posed a risk as emails sent on BlackBerry could not be traced or intercepted by Indian security services since the servers were placed in Canada. Security agencies said terrorists and other anti- national elements could use this loophole to wreck havoc in the country.