Smart phone sales grow, but overall mobile devices to decline

In 2008 Smartphones were 14% of all mobile devices shipment globally in 2008 and should increase to more than 17% of the total in 2009, according to new projections from ABI Research Inc. in New York.However, the expected increase in smart phone shipments in 2009 will occur even as the overall total number of mobile devices shipped declined from 1.21 billion in 2008 to 1.17 in 2009, a drop of 2.5%,

ABI analyst Kevin Burden said today. The gloomy global economy will be one factor in the decline for all mobile device shipments in 2009, but another is how uncomfortable consumers have become with sophisticated new devices that they don’t understand how to fully use, Burden said in an interview. “We’re seeing that people already have in their possession capable phones with color screens and more, and it may be that they already have the phone they are happy with,” Burden said. “So the bad economy becomes an excuse not to get a more sophisticated phone.

It’s a question of simplicity and of getting a mobile phone with features beyond their capability to use.” One theme of several recent CTIA and International CES trade shows has been how new handhelds are often shipped with so many features and functions that users hardly ever use 10% of all the features, or even learn how to use them, Burden and other analysts have said.

So, if overall new mobile phones are so sophisticated that users might not want to buy a new one, why would smart phones like the iPhone be growing in popularity, with shipments expected to increase in 2009? According to Burden, smart phones started selling only recently, and their growth is “magnified” by the early adopter effect of one group of users wanting to try something new. ABI said that about 116 million smart phones shipped globally in 2007, which mushroomed to 171 million in 2008 and should reach 203 million in 2009. That percentage increase from 2008 to 2009 is an increase of 18%, which Burden called “slow growth” in comparison to what should have happened were the economy better.

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Nokia Brings Nokia 6700 classic, Nokia 6303 classic and the Nokia 2700 classic

Nokia bring another set of cool phones with its new and exciting offer  of Nokia 6700 classic, the Nokia 6303 classic and the Nokia 2700 classic. All three mobile phones are build on the formula that made Nokia the world leader in mobile phones.

Nokia 6700 classic

Nokia 6700 classic, is designed with premium materials  combing smooth surfaces, rich materials and precisely crafted parts. Nokia 6700 comes with a 5 megapixel camera, assisted GPS navigation with Nokia Maps, and high speed data access meaning sharing images or video is faster and easier than ever. At an estimated retail price of EUR 235, before taxes and subsidies, the Nokia 6700 addresses the original Nokia 6300 customer need and aspiration level perfectly.

Nokia 6700 classic estimated retail price is of EUR 235, before taxes and subsidies.

Nokia 2700 classic

Nokia 2700 Classic  is a power strage unit  which provides a 2GB of storage via the memory card slot, the 2700 phone also has an integrated digital music player and a 2.0 megapixel camera, making it equally competent for imaging and music. “These features mean people can save, access and share files in hundreds of formats via Nokia’s online service, Share on Ovi, or a number of other websites. The rich features and simple interface mean that in many cases, the Nokia 2700 classic will provide its owner’s first Internet experience,” concluded Petersen. All three devices are expected to ship in the second quarter of 2009.

Nokia 2700 classic estimated price is EUR 65 before taxes and subsidies.

Nokia 6303 classic

Nokia 6303 classic is ideal for people that see the current value proposition of the Nokia 6300. The 3.2 megapixel camera comes to life on the large 2.2 inch screen, and with pre-loaded Nokia Maps, the Nokia 6303 combines a long list of features with excellent battery performance. Added to everything else, people can plug any music accessory into the standard 3.5 mm audio jack and have a fully fledged mobile music player able to carry thousands of their favorite tracks.

Nokia 6303 classic is an estimated retail price of EUR 135, before taxes and subsidies

DSTL1 Android Smartphone

Introducing the General Mobile DSTL1, a Dual SIM Phone that according to GSMArena, will be Android enabled and will be presented at the Mobile World Congress in February:

This is the Android-based, 3-inch Sharp touchscreen, General Mobile DSTL1. And it is everything the T-Mobile isn’t: A stunning design and features combination that may convince regular consumers to choose the Android platform over iPhone.

Seriously, while the T-Mobile G1 leaves me completely in a blah state of mind, DSTL1 actually makes me horny in a “I wish this thing vibrates really hard” kind of way.

Look at it. It’s like the Battlestar Galactica designers took the iPhone design and passed it through their Colony-Design-a-thon, adding angled corners to it but keeping the same black glass, chrome accents, black plastic, circular home button, ear speaker grill, and volume controls. The result is a design which looks extremely familiar to the public, yet adds enough changes to appeal to people who want something cool looking, but different. And with better specs too:

Technology
Double SIM, Linux 2.6 Kernel
Platform
Marvell PXA 310 (624MHz)+NXP 5209
Bands
900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
Screen
TFT/ WQVGA/ 260K Colors/ 3.0″ Sharp Brand Touchscreen Display/ 240 x 400 pixels
Wi-fi
802.11 b/g
GPRS
Yes
EDGE
Yes
WAP
Yes, HTTP/WAP2.0 support
MMS
Yes
E-mail
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes / BT 2.0 + EDR, SPP, A2DP, AVRCP, OPP, HFP
FM Radio
Yes
TV
Java
Yes ( MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 )
MP3/MPEG4
Yes/Yes
Face to Face videoconferencing
Yes

Weight
135gr
Dimensions
112 x 54 x 16 mm
Memory
4GB internal memory, 256MB flash + 128MB SDRAM ,”Up to 8GB T-flash Card Support”
Camera
5MP Auto Focus with Flash Sharp Brand Camera
Voice Recorder
Yes

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Sony forecasts 2.9-billion-dollar operating loss

Sony Corp. has anounced the biggest and the first loss in last 14 years . It has an  annual operating loss of 2.9 billion dollars, the first in 14 years, as the economic crisis batters demand for its televisions, cameras and other goods.

Sony, said it expects an operating loss of 260 billion yen for the current financial year to March, a dramatic reversal from an earlier goal for a 200-billion-yen profit.

The electronics giant, which is slashing thousands of jobs and axing plants, now sees a net loss of 150 billion yen for the current year, compared with an earlier projection for a 150-billion-yen profit.

The electronics giant, which is slashing thousands of jobs and axing plants, now sees a net loss of 150 billion yen for the current year, compared with an earlier projection for a 150-billion-yen profit.

Sony blamed the worsening business environment, the stronger yen, weak financial markets and restructuring costs for the bleak outlook.

Under its first foreign boss, Howard Stringer, a Welsh-born US citizen, Sony has shed non-core assets and axed thousands of jobs in recent years. Last month it announced 16,000 more job cuts along with factory closures.

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Microsoft to ship Windows Mobile 6.5 devices in Q3 2009?

By now most of us were waiting for the news to come out for Microsoft Winows mobile 6,5 os . Microsoft is expected to start delivering its Windows Mobile 6.5 OS (operating system) to handset makers in mid-2009 following the expected debut of the new mobile OS in the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, according to sources at Taiwan handset makers. Does this mean that it would start delivering devices by by mid 2009. Microsoft may release its first firmware updates for the existing Windows Mobile 6.1 devices. so the wait is not over if you are waiting for Diamonds, Touch Pros, Xperias and other cool smartphones shinning again with a brand new mobile OS.

Windows Mobile 6.5-based mobile devices are expected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2009, most makers are likely to launch their Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets in the fourth quarter for the year-end shopping season, the sources projected. Microsoft is also expected to continue its current business model to cooperate with multiple device makers for the development of diversified Windows Mobile 6.5 products instead of focusing on a single model as Apple’s iPhone or Google’s Android-based G1 phone, the sources indicated.

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No more Blah Blah on Sony PlayStation Phone

Its been long when we started hearing that Sony Ericsson has been working on a PlayStation Phone but now RUMOURS have gone different altogether.News has come to light that Sony does not wish to share the license with their handset partner Ericsson, unless build quality on their handsets were up to first-party standards.

Sony PlayStation phone is all but dead because of a fall-out between Sony and its mobile phone joint venture, Sony Ericsson . Rumor has it that Sony Ericsson was all set to develop a PSP phone, as a follow-up to its popular Cyber-shot and Walkman handsets, but now Sony is refusing to let them use the brand, according to Mobile Today.

However, if there’s been any sort of disagreement, it seems Sony Ericsson officials are confident that it’s short-lived.  Sven Totte, who is a director and head of category for global marketing, told Moconews that   more branded experiences, just like Cyber-shot and Walkman, will be coming soon—specifically on the Google Android platform. He said the trick with using Android was that it needed to be clear it was a Sony Ericsson device, and that people have come to expect “a higher level of coolness,” like with their other Walkman and Cyber-shot phones. He said, only “some consumers will understand it’s an Android.” Last week, I emailed Totte to see if he would clarify whether that would include using the Sony PlayStation brand, but he did not get back to me with comment. Sony Ericsson committed to Android’s Open Handset Alliance in December, and said a phone would be ready as soon as this year.

Sony Ericsson expands its sustainability, launches GreenHeart™ phone

Sony Ericsson is bringing its GreenHeart cell phone for more greener planet. The GreenHeart is made up of bio-plastic housings recycled plastic keypads, a zero charger with 3.5mW standby power. sony ericsson will recycle this product in an environmentally sound way. The GreenHeart phone looks just like most low-end Sony Ericsson handsets.

For Sony Ericsson, our approach to sustainability is based on the following principles:

• Safeguarding future profitability in an environmentally conscious world
• Improving our influence on the living and working conditions of all those involved in the making of our products
• Making a positive  impact on those who use our products
• Improving how our products and activities impact on the environment

Other areas that the company are committed to improve include:

• Supply chain social responsibility
• CO2 emissions from transport and other activities
• Reporting of impact on the environment
• Projects to improve global social conditions in the developing world by improving communications
• Community engagement where we operate
• Employee empowerment and engagement

Sony Ericsson will recycle this product in an environmentally sound way. Sony Ericsson intends to complete this rollout by 2009 in all the countries in which it operates. This is also recognised by external organisations worldwide, with Greenpeace, for example, naming Sony Ericsson as the ‘greenest electronics company’ for 2008 .

Apple lets 4 browsers get around SDK clause, unlikely to let Firefox, Opera, or Chrome do the same

After iphone nano now its web browser SDK duplication a new topic to debate. Apple has given permission to

four mobile web browsers around its “duplicate functionality” SDK clause enabling them entrance into the app store, reports MacRumors’ Arnold Kim.  Apple has seemingly been loosening the rules regarding duplicate functionality starting a while back with the popular flatulence applications for the iPhone, Pull My Finger and iFart Mobile.  In fact, the new web browsers applied for inclusion into the app store last October, likely meaning Apple has a huge backlog of apps that offer some sort of duplicate functionality but will eventually be released.  If you think you’ll see Firefox, Chrome, Opera or any competitive browser on the iPhone in the near future though, think again.

The new browsers include Edge, Incognito, WebMate and Shaking Web.  However, as CRN points out, each browser is built on Apple’s Safari Webkit.  Browsers such as Firefox and Chrome are built on independent platforms.  The new browsers don’t pose any competitive threat to Apple either.

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Hackers day at twitter

Just yesterday we warened our users for the Twitters phishing scam growing rapidly, and now there are reports that Over 33 Twitter accounts have been hacked but this is separate incident than the phishing scam. Thess twitter hacked accounts includes the most prominent celebrities including Rick Sanchez of CNN, Britney Spears, President elect Barack Obama, and FOX News.  This is a separate incident from the phishing scheme that happened over the weekend.

The hacker has an nteresting sense of humor howeevr he is week when it comes to spelling mistakes .  From the FOX News Twitter account, a message stated “Breaking: Bill O Riley is gay.”  I’m sure he meant Bill O’Reilly, host of FOX’s The O’Reilly Factor. Britney Spears’ Twitter account had a more explicit message: “HI Yall!  Brit Brit here, just wanted to update you all on the size of my *bleep.*  Its about 4 feet wide with razor sharp teeth.” Rick Sanchez’s Twitter stated “i am high on crack right now might not be coming into work today.”  Rick often times refers to his Twitter account on CNN program. On Huffpost’s Twitter account there are a bunch of links to digitalgangster.com.

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