Micromax Q7 Pocket Friendly Mobile Phone

With the growing competition in the mobile industry there are aspects that form the basis of competition. Be it looks, technology, comfort of usage or any other aspect, mobile today are put at neck to neck competition with each other in the Indian market.

As far as price is concerned there is no doubt to the fact that Micromax mobile stand at par or rather above many other handsets being offered in the market. This brand has managed to succeed in making its valuable position across the Indian mobile market. Just like the other mobile in the series Micromax Q7 has left a strong impact on users. Micromax mobile offers is provided with full touch, QWERTY keypad, dual sim, internet connectivity, good camera and other entertaining features.

This recent Micromax Q series mobile phone is launched just after looking at the success of the success of Micromax Q5.

Boasting much better and advanced features, this mobile has met the demand of youngsters. Adding an edge over advantage to the users, this Micromax Q7 is featured with Wi-Fi connectivity and can be used for its all attractive and impressive features. Known for its cost effective and pocket friendly mobile phone, this mobile phone is reasonably priced.

Micromax Q7 has got to flaunt just similar looks as the Blackberry and Nokia E series handsets. The best feature instilled is that it is dual sim mobiles that has eliminated the chaos of carrying two handsets at the same time for personal or professionals calling purposes. Further, it offers smooth and hassle free typing on its QWERTY keypad. Weighing just 100gms it can be easily carried along without making the pockets look heavy and uncomfortable. Clients can avail two most appreciating colors such as White Pearl Silver and Crystal Black Pearl.

The device carries out 2 mega pixel camera along with video recording and quality of camera is also great. Further it has 2.2 inches QVGA screen along with 262K color along with internal memory of 78 Mb that can be further expanded upto 4 GB. It has the capability to store 1000 phonebook entries and has got to feature certain entertaining attributes like audio/video player, Stereo FM radio, Gaming and MP3 /AAC /AAC Ringtones. This Micromax Q7 price is coupled with an affordable price tag as it offers the high tech features at comparatively lower price.

Nokia announced new additions to its Symbian^3 family

Nokia announced new additions to its Symbian^3 family of devices at the ongoing Nokia World in London. The announcement of the three new models takes the Symbian^3 device count to four.

Joining the Nokia N8, announced in April this year, are the Nokia E7 and two new entrants to the C series - C6-01 and C7.

The Nokia E7 is a business device boasts of a 4-inch touchscreen display and a slide out four-row keyboard. The E7 comes with an 8 megapixel camera and 16GB of on-board storage. The device is able to shoot and edit 720p video.

The business features of the E7 include support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Mail for Exchange, Microsoft Communicator Mobile and Microsoft Share Point Server.

With 18 days of standby time and up to 9 hours of talktime, the E7 is expected be available by the end of 2010 at a price of € 495 (Rs 29,500).

The new entrant to Nokia's C-family, the C7 has a 3.5-inch AMOLED and comes with an 8 megapixel camera along with 8GB of onboard storage. The C7 is expected to be priced at about € 335 (Rs 20,000).

The compact Nokia C6-01 also has an 8 megapixel camera. The device with a 3.2-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen and has the Nokia ClearBlack technology, also used in the E7, for improved outdoor visibility. The C6-01 is expected to be available for € 260 (Rs 15,500).

Nokia is in the middle of a major management revamp, with the departures of its chief executive and chairman announced last week and its top internal candidate for the CEO post resigning on Monday.

Nokia still controls around 40 percent of the global smartphone market volume, but has lost out to Apple and Research in Motion's Blackberry in the fatter-margin market for the most expensive cellphone models.

Dell to Launch Mobile Phones in India

Dell will very soon be launching their mobile products in India. Dell has just launched a major advertising campaign in a lot of local newspapers for their mobile phones.

There are reports that Dell is working on a Windows Phone 7 based device called the Dell Lightning but we don’t know if this is real, so expect this in the Indian launch.

Everyone knows that the mobile market in India is very large and they are very sensitive about the price. Thus, it will be hard for Dell to compete with Nokia and Blackberry, unless they have a a nice range of mobile products.

Mi-Fone launches new Mi-Q range of QWERTY handsets

Mi-Fone (BVI) Ltd has announced the launch of Mi-Q range of low cost QWERTY mobile phones - Mi-Q+, Mi-Q1 and Mi-Q5.

The latest Mi-Fone handsets are affordable, stylish and designed to give young consumers a 'Blackberry experience' at a fraction of the cost. Targeting primarily the young Indian market, Mi-Fone sees the Mi-Q range of mobile phones as the perfect alternative to low cost Blackberry devices.

"The young Indian is techno-savvy, stylish and plugged into the global network through their mobile phones. They have often been hampered by the lack of cost-effective yet quality and technologically advanced handsets that enable them to stay easily connected considering the many challenges in ensuring decent connectivity", said Mr Alpesh Patel, CEO Mi-Fone.

With this range comprising of 3 Models viz: Mi-Q+, Mi-Q1 & Mi-Q5; Mi-Fone is providing the young Indian with everything he or she needs in a QWERTY handset including Email, Instant Messaging and uploading and downloading of documents.

At the bottom end is the basic Mi-Q+ with GPRS Class 10, WAP 2.0, capacity to receive and send MMS, FM radio, a torchlight and the QWERTY keypad for faster sms.

The dual-SIM Mi-Q1 mobile phone has GPRS/WAP/MMS and MP3/Video capabilities with a memory capacity of up to 1G. Mi-Q1 is as an effective multimedia QWERTY mobile phone targeting young genertation in India.

The Mi-Q5 comes with all of the above, as well as Bluetooth, and is capable of running Java applications such as the new MI-APPS initiative which combines instant messaging and push email under and an integrated format together with social apps such as Face book, MSN, etc. It can also take a memory card giving it greater capacity and is the option of being able to run Analogue television.

To support the launch of these devices, Mi-Fone has also initiated an advertising campaign that is reflective of its consumers and the spirit of its mobile phones: capable, trendy, confident, cheeky, and uncompromising. It is feisty and brash, taking the battle for the young Indian consumer directly to other mobile phone manufacturers. It is edgy and risky, unashamedly announcing Mi-Fone's foray into the QWERTY space.

It is about recognising your ability and capacity to move mountains. It is impetuous yet not foolhardy. Indian’s today tire of being the whipping boys of the globe and are standing up and working for what they deserve, carving a place for themselves. So too is Mi-Fone with this campaign, the first of which launches the Mi-QWERTY range driven by the tag line "Darker The Berry... The Sweeter The Juice".

The Mi-Fone series handsets are now available from Home Shop 18 Networks and Aditya Birla Stores.

You can get Mi Q1 mobile phone for Rs. 3,399, Mi Q+ for Rs. 2,500 and Mi Q5 handset at a price of Rs. 3,999 in the Indian market.

Dell Bets on Smartphone Sales in India

Better late than never. That seems to be Dell’s mantra as it seeks to launch its first smartphone in India – the world’s fastest growing and second-largest mobile phone market – to take on the combined Hewlett-Packard-Palm threat it now faces.

“We will launch a smartphone in India later this year,” Steve Felice, president of Dell’s consumer, small and medium business division, said in a post-earnings conference call with Asian journalists Friday.

Dell will also bring more smartphone models to China in addition to the one launched earlier this year, he added.

The move can’t come too soon.

Rival Hewlett-Packard, which leads Dell in overall PC market share globally as well as in India, agreed to buy Palm Inc. in April this year for about $1.2 billion. H-P is expected to use the acquisition to add smartphone market share to its market leadership of worldwide and Indian PC sales.

In India, sales of mobile phones far outnumber personal computers. For every personal computer sold in India, 80 new mobile phones were sold in the calendar year of 2009, according to statistics by research firm IDC India.

Commercial third-generation bandwidth services are expected to roll out in September, which is likely to boost consumption of data services on smartphones.

Finnish handset maker Nokia had the largest share of 54.1% in terms of units sold in India during calendar year 2009 followed by Korean firms Samsung with a 9.7% share and LG with a 6.4% share, a note by IDC India said.

Though no separate numbers on smartphone sales in India were immediately available, the entry of cheap Indian-branded and Chinese-made copies of Nokia, Blackberry and iPhone smartphones may spoil the party for Dell, H-P and other smartphone makers including Apple.

The mobile phone market has got more crowded and fragmented, said IDC India.

“The rise of ‘copycat’ models that have looks and aesthetics resembling those of high-end smartphones which are often available for as little as one-tenth of the average sales value of a smartphone have led to this,” the research firm added.

Also, price-conscious consumers have forced intensely competitive operators to charge a pittance for voice calls, so it is still difficult to sell unlimited data plans, none of which cost less than $20 dollars a month.

Despite this, the need of the average Indian to access information and use services like learning English or booking train tickets on mobile phones should help Dell in its smartphone venture eventually.

Blackberry 9520 Storm 2 Launched in India

Blackberry 9520 Storm 2 has arrived in India and that too with OS 5. However, with a heavy price tag of Rs.31,990.

Features and Highlights of Blackberry Storm 2:

The next generation SurePress technology on the BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone – combined with SureType® technology – provides better typing accuracy and a more tactile feel. Link to wireless networks or hotspots with Wi-Fi connectivity.

With a powerful battery and removable back plate for easy battery swapping, the BlackBerry Storm smartphone helps you do what you love, longer.

Built for speed and endurance, the BlackBerry Storm offers fast, reliable browsing and communication coverage.

A high resolution 480x360 screen displays over 65,000 colors across a large wide screen - creating an awe-inspiring display that enhances all your multimedia.

Snap pictures like a pro with the built-in 3.2 MP camera featuring auto-focus and auto-flash. Or catch the sound and action, then share it with friends with the video camera function.

The familiar BlackBerry phone buttons are at the bottom of the BlackBerry Storm, ensuring an easy transition from browsing to call taking, without compromising current on-screen data.

Upcoming Mobile Phones 2010 – New Gizmos Are About To Launch

The hunger of several modern handset enthusiasts will never lowered down to be the owner of an excellent quality handset. Even they are still pondering for the world class phones of big brands here and there. So, in order to accomplish user’s such demands many mobile phone merchants keep launching their latest mobile phones at regular intervals. Basically, the mobile phone market is flooded with large number of outlandish handsets of big brands like Sony Ericson, Nokia, LG, BlackBerry, Samsung etc. The devices manufactured by such merchants have got tremendous power to manipulate the user’s several communication and multimedia needs at lightening fast speed. Even the prices estimated by such brands for their latest devices are also under the approach of low budget handset user. As we know that its 2010 now, so users are deliberately awaiting for the upcoming mobile phones of 2010 of many big brands as well. The rumors are coming from several quarters that few big brands like Nokia, LG, Samsung, BlackBerry etc., are going to launch their wonderful handsets very soon. Few upcoming models of popular merchants are LG GX200, BlackBerry Curve 8530, Sony Ericsson Vivaz, Motorola MOTOROI, Samsung Omnia Lite, which are getting huge popularity these days. It has been supposed that these wonderful devices are going to public very soon for the users and their prices are also very reasonable. User can also find enough information about such upcoming handsets regarding their features on several online websites through the Internet. So, let’s have a look on the features of few upcoming handsets like Sony Ericsson Vivaz, BlackBerry Curve8530 and Motoroala MOTOROI.

Let’s talk firstly about Sony Ericsson Vivaz which is an elegant looking handset and will influence the users through its inbuilt 8.1 MP awesome camera. Through this camera user can easily capture excellent quality pictures with original colours. This gizmo is also furnished with a 3.5 inches colour touchscreen that is able to give a very clear display of video songs, wallpapers, screensavers and other outputs with colourful resolution. This fantastic device is also able to support latest technologies like GPS, Wi-Fi, and HSDPA etc. Even more, this handset is also able to run on Symbian S60 operating system.

Similarly, the BlackBerry Curve 8530 is another upcoming mobile phone of 2010, which is also blessed with many interactive features as well. User will be pleased to see a QWERTY keyboard in this handset which is furnished with multiple numbered keys, which are very soft to press. This gizmo will also offers for 256 MB internal memory as well, which is quite enough space to store huge amount of data with ease. Beside it, user will also find the facility of a 2 MP camera in this handset that is capable to capture decent quality pictures with real colours. In addition, user will also get the profit of a Stereo Bluetooth as well in this gadget.

On the end, the Motorola MOTOROI, is also a gorgeous looking handset for the users and comes loaded with several dynamic features. This gizmo is blessed with 8 MP high definition camera, that is capable to capture elegant pictures with extremely bright colours. Beside it, this gizmo is also able to support 3G and Wi-Fi technologies, which let the user to experience high speed Internet connectivity in this device. Furthermore, this gadget will also fascinate the people through its 3.7 inches colour touchscreen. This elegant looking screen is good to display clearly all outputs at high resolution. With more profits, user will also get the benefit of 8GB memory in this handset that is good store large amount of data.

However, above described upcoming mobile phonesof 2010 would be furnished with several fantastic features and will be able to support latest technologies as well.

American Family Insurance Launches Cell Phone Applications to Expand Customer Self-Service

American Family Insurance is making it much easier for its customers to conduct insurance business using their cell phones.

The company has unveiled new cell phone applications customers can use to file a claim, pay insurance bills, check their accounts and locate the nearest American Family agent.

The new applications are designed for Apple iPhone and Blackberry Storm users. A new, streamlined version of the company’s Web site is also available to all mobile phone users.

“Our customers are doing more from Web-enabled phones and other portable communication devices,” says Bill Simon, American Family Insurance’s digital marketing director. “People rely on mobile technology so they can do business with us from virtually anywhere at any time.”

The new applications and mobile Web site deliver a better user experience on mobile devices with smaller screens and potentially slower Internet connections. By eliminating much of the graphic and multimedia extras, the clean interface quickly links users to business functions.

The iPhone and BlackBerry applications are downloadable programs that allow the user to quickly access commonly used functions of the company’s Internet site. For example, the new applications will allow customers to immediately report a claim from the scene of an accident and even locate nearby vendors that can help repair their vehicle.

The iPhone application is now available for download from the iPhone App Store and amfam.com. The BlackBerry application (for the Storm model only) will soon be available from amfam.com and from the Built for BlackBerry store.

Many mobile phone users access the Internet on a mobile device other than an iPhone or BlackBerry. Like the iPhone and BlackBerry applications, the American Family mobile site will have fewer graphics and multimedia, making it easier for users to navigate it on a small screen. It will be optimized to display the site correctly on any mobile device making the request.

Based in Madison, Wis., American Family Insurance offers auto, homeowners, life, health, commercial and farm/ranch insurance in 19 states. American Family ranks 388th on the Fortune 500 list and is the nation’s third-largest mutual property/casualty insurance company.

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.

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.

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.

Top 10 Cell Phones

Need a break from your laptop? These productivity phones offer a lot more than the ability to make calls. Here are the 10 best smart phones available today, according to PC World Test Center reviews.

1. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (T-Mobile)
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Sleek Pearl lets consumers use Wi-Fi to boost call quality where cell signals falter.
Price When Reviewed: $200

2. Motorola Motozine ZN5
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Inexpensive phone has a high-quality camera, but speed and design are compromised.
Price When Reviewed: $200

3. Samsung Omnia
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:Verizon, OS Supported: OS:Windows Mobile, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: A versatile and stylish phone that is hindered by a sluggish interface.
Price When Reviewed: $200

4. RIM BlackBerry 8320
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Voice-over-Wi-Fi feature makes an excellent phone even better.
Price When Reviewed: $200

5. T-Mobile G1
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:51,

Bottom Line: The G1 has great call quality and does a good job of melding hardware with the Android operating system.
Price When Reviewed: $180

6. Palm Pre
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:Sprint, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:17,

Bottom Line: The Pre's webOS software is touch-friendly and fun, but the cramped QWERTY keyboard detracts from the phone's usability.
Price When Reviewed: $200

7. Apple iPhone 3G
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, OS Supported: OS:Mac OS, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:38,

Bottom Line: With a lower price, 3G radio, and GPS, this smart phone is in a class by itself.
Price When Reviewed: $200

8. RIM Blackberry Bold
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 7:56,

Bottom Line: The BlackBerry Bold almost lives up to its name with a stunning design, but its mediocre call quality and camera hold it back.
Price When Reviewed: $400

9. T-Mobile Dash (Windows Mobile 6)
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Windows Mobile, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:40,

Bottom Line: The upgrade to Windows Mobile 6 adds support for Microsoft's productivity applications.
Price When Reviewed: $150

10. T-Mobile Sidekick 2008
Design: Swivel, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:DangerOS, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:57,

Bottom Line: A slimmer, sexier take on the Sidekick, but it's so narrowly-focused that it's only meant for kids.
Price When Reviewed: $150

iPhone Pushes Mobile Gaming To $5.4 Billion

Apple's smartphone is leading the pack, as developers and mobile gamers are attracted to the App Store and its business model, according to one research firm.


Mobile gaming was once simple games like "Snake" that were meant to kill time, but the market is rapidly becoming a lucrative business. Thanks to smartphones like Apple's iPhone 3G, mobile gaming rose 20% and hit $5.4 billion in 2008, according to a new report from JupiterResearch.

The report said overall game downloads were flat in the U.S. and Western European markets, but volumes rose in developing markets like India and China. While Java-based games saw a steep decline, those volumes were offset by a sharp increase of iPhone game downloads.

"The combination of iPhone and the Apple App Store has galvanized the mobile games industry," said report author Dr. Windsor Holden in a statement.

"Apple has provided an innovative device which enables developers to create smooth, compelling, visually attractive games for the mobile users, together with a business model offering a highly competitive revenue share for developers."

The touch input, robust hardware, and graphics capabilities have given the iPhone an advantage over its rivals on the mobile gaming front. Users of the iPhone also download apps at a higher rate than other phone users, and the platform has drawn high-profile developers like Electronic Arts and Sega.

One of the advantages the iPhone has over its competitors is the tight integration of the App Store. This makes browsing, buying, downloading, and installing games over the air easier than on most rival platforms. Additionally, users with an iTunes account already have a credit card on file, which makes buying games easier than on other platforms. For example, Google's Android Market uses Google Checkout, and Research In Motion will use PayPal for its BlackBerry App World.

The report also said that more than half of games downloaded by 2012 will be funded by advertising. This could drive additional business opportunities for the likes of Medialets, which has a rich media ad platform for iPhone apps.

No bets on iPhone for now

IT is just as well that Apple’s 3G iPhone will release in India only in September (or later) though it released in 22 other countries on July 11. By then, Indian consumers — smart and demanding as we are about mobile products and services — would have gotten reports whether the wait is worth it or not.
However, before we even evaluate that, a few gripes. First up, what’s the big deal about the iPhone’s 3G variant in India, since no Indian service provider has a3G network in any case (the government is just about waking up to 3G and talking of auctioning licences)?
At present, the fastest wireless network we have is Edge, on which most smartphones —including the BlackBerry —work. Second, GPS navigation. Online mapping in India is still at a primitive stage, compared to mapping networks in the US or Europe, or even Australia. I am willing to lay a wager on this, but at most times you will not get even the names on the map to synchronise with the names that someone told you about. The problem with mapping in India is not the technology, but the nomenclature of roads, something that keeps changing with changing governments and revolving ideologies.
But what my friends from the US told me next bamboozled me more than a Class 4 Science question from Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? might flummox a bank clerk from Kakinada — the Apple iPhone does not have a video recorder. Hell and damnation, how does any high-end phone in India not have a camera that records video?
Just as the physicist Stephen Hawking once said that the inclusion of even one mathematical formula will halve the sales of his groundbreaking book. A Brief History of Time, it is possible that the lack of a video recorder could affect the sales of the iPhone. Most mid-end to high-end phones available in India come with standard video recording software and storage systems, and this is a challenge that Apple will have to face once it’s legally sold here (unlocked iPhones are everywhere, though). And yes, there is no way you can receive live TV, which you can on certain high-end Nokia models.
What I am terribly excited about, though, is Apple’s Apps Store, a collection of 500 (and counting) software applications for the iPhone that can be either downloaded free, or for a charge of up to $10. For instance, the eBay auction machine is free, and so is TypePad, the blogging platform. A few games are also free to download. If both Airtel and Vodafone — the two networks that have promised to bring the iPhone to India — deliver on the Apps Store promise, then we could have a good thing going, primarily because the iPhone could then be a serious contender for the much-talked about convergent device.
My biggest concern is pricing. There are just too many price bands (right from Rs 10,000 to Rs 27,000) being thrown around buzz town, and that is not a good sign. Both Airtel and Vodafone must come clean on the phone’s pricing or face a clientele that is not sure what value to put on a premium product such as the iPhone. So while we wait, we wait with a certain amount of scepticism.

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.