Mobile data increased very much last year. I expect the growth to continue. If operators do not invest enough to their network and/or find suitable charging schemes the network can become more congested than before.
4G mobile device speeds becomes the new standard. As competition move to that end, there will be fast growth there. Shipments of ’4G’ LTE devices, that is handsets, dongles and tablets, reached almost 103 million units in 2012, according to figures published by ABI Research. It interesting that almost 95% of the devices shipped went to North America and the Asia-Pacific.
3G will become the low-cost option for those who think 4G option is too expensive. What is interesting to note is that not everyone who upgraded to an LTE-capable device last year took out an LTE subscription; in fact, only around half of LTE device owners also have an LTE subscription.
The shift to 4G can take many more than year to fully happen even in USA. ABI expects the rate at which 3G subscribers with LTE handsets upgrade to LTE connections will gather pace over the next two years. And even longer in Europe. Carriers should not be panicking. And 3G will live and expand besides 4G for quite a long time. For many of those living outside cities, 3G internet connections are still hard to come by.
Apple and Samsung will continue to make money this year as well as people rate Apple and Samsung more highly than ever. Accountant Deloitte predicts that Smartphone sales to hit 1bn a year for first time in 2013.
Samsung is currently the world’s leading seller of phones and televisions. Those leaders should be careful because competition is getting harder all the time. Samsung boss has given warning on this to employees. Remember what what happened to Nokia.
Android will dominate smart phone market even stronger than before. Digitimes Research: Android phones to account for 70% of global smartphone market in 2013.
Windows Phone 8 situation is a question mark. Digitimes predicts that Shipments of Windows Phones, including 7.x and 8.x models, will grow 150% on year to 52.5 million units in 2013 for a 6.1% share. There is one big force against Windows Phone: Google does not bother doing services for Windows Phone 8, Google’s sync changes are going to screw Gmail users on Windows Phone and there are issues with YouTube. Does Windows Phone even have a chance without Google? For active Google service users the changes are pretty that they get this phone.
Competition on smart phones gets harder. It seems that smart phone business have evolved to point where even relatively small companies can start to make their own phones. Forbes sees that Amazon, Microsoft, Google, will all introduce branded mobile phones.
Patent battles are far from over. We will see many new patent fights on smart phones and tablets.
Mobile phones still cause other devices to become redundant. Tietoviikko tells that last year mobile phone made redundant the following devices: small screen smart phones (4 inch or more now), music buying as individual tracks or discs, navigators (smart phone can do that) and a separate pocket size camera. Let’s see what becomes redundant this year.
Many things happens on Linux on mobile devices. Ubuntu now fits in your phone. Firefox OS phones from ZTE will come to some markets. ZTE plans to make Open webOS phone. Meego is not dead, it resurrects with new names: Samsung will release Tizen based phones. Jolla will release Sailfish phones.
Cars become more and more mobile communications devices. Car of the future is M2M-ready. Think a future car as a big smart phone moving on wheels.
Nokia seemed to be getting better on the end of 2012, but 2013 does not look too good for Nokia. Especially on smart phones if you believe Tomi T Ahonen analysis Picture Tells it Better – first in series of Nokia Strategy Analysis diagrams, how Nokia smartphone sales collapsed. Even if shipment of Windows Phone 8 devices increase as Digitimes predicts the year will be hard for Nokia. Tristan Louis expects in Forbes magazine that Nokia abandons the mobile business in 2013. I think that will happen this year, at least for whole mobile business. I have understood that basic phone and feature phone phone business part of Nokia is quite good condition. The problems are on smart phones. I expect that Windows Phone 8 will not sell as well as Nokia hopes.
Because Nokia is reducing number of workers in Finland, there are other companies that try to use the situation: Two new Finnish mobile startups and Samsung opens a research center in Espoo Finland.
Finnish mobile gaming industry has been doing well on 2012. Rovio has been growing for years on the success of Angry Birds that does not show slowing down. Supercell had also huge success. I expect those businesses to grow this year. Maybe some new Finnish mobiel game company finds their own recipe for success.
Late addition: Wireless charging of mobile devices is get getting some popularity. Wireless charging for Qi technology is becoming the industry standard as Nokia, HTC and some other companies use that. There is a competing AW4P wireless charging standard pushed by Samsung ja Qualcomm. Toyota’s car will get wireless mobile phone charger, and other car manufacturers might follow that if buyers start to want them. Wireless charge option has already been surprisingly common variety of devices: Nokia Lumia 920, Nexus 4, HT, etc. We have to wait for some time for situation to stabilize before we see public charging points in cafeterias.
1,261 Comments
Tomi says:
Nokia’s new threat comes from the east. Competition is getting tougher
- ZTE, Huawei and Lenovo are on the rise.
Samsung rolls peace at the smartphone market.
Samsung smartphones is close to the same station where Nokia was in 2008 (nearly 40 percent market share).
Some manufacturers may drip from the peak of the market share battle, or, alternatively, may have been subject to mergers and acquisitions this year. Rautanen list in this category RIM, LG, HTC, and Google bought Motorola.
Source: http://www.iltalehti.fi/digi/2013011516557855_du.shtml
tomi says:
Five ways the cool stuff at CES will ruin your life
http://www.itworld.com/print/336030
There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical of a future in which smart devices of every shape and size do our thinking for us. Here are five good reasons the Internet of Things might just make our lives worse.
tomi says:
Android is failing by succeeding in China
http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/143585-android-is-failing-by-succeeding-in-china
By all accounts Google is riding high on the success of Android. More than three-quarters of all new phones shipped are running Google’s mobile operating system, and that gives Mountain View access to a ton of user data, and avenues to promote its services. However, Google’s business decisions over the last few years could be coming back to bite Android as China becomes the world’s largest mobile market. Even though Android is big in China, its benefit to Google is minimal.
Companies like Xiaomi have gone so far as to completely fork Android, building variants for use in China. As much as we get annoyed with OEM skins that change the experience and cause us grief, it’s nothing compared to what happens to Android in China.
Indeed, the overwhelming majority of Chinese Android handsets have not a hint of Google on them. Even search services are swapped out for Baidu, which powers search on 80% of Android handsets in the country.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Payments by text message service to launch in UK in spring 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21032503
UK mobile users will be able to send and receive money by sharing only their phone number by spring 2014, the Payments Council has said.
Account owners will be asked by their banks if they want to opt-in to a database that will allow the sending of money by text message.
The scheme is being backed by eight major financial institutions.
Its launch will bring the UK up to speed with technology long in use in the developing world.
Many African nations use systems such as M-Pesa, typically seen as a secure way to transfer funds quickly between individuals and businesses.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Demand For Samsung Smartphones Jumps To 23% For Early 2013, iPhone Interest Down 21 Points From Last Quarter
http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/15/demand-for-samsung-smartphones-jumps-to-23-for-early-2013-iphone-interest-down-21-points-from-last-quarter/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft goes public with its plan to manage Windows, iOS and Android devices
http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-goes-public-with-its-plan-to-manage-windows-ios-and-android-devices-7000009837/
Summary: Microsoft takes the official wraps off its newest version of its Windows Intune management service and its System Center 2012 platform for managing Microsoft and non-Microsoft mobile devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
7 Hot Mobile Startups to Watch in 2013
http://www.cio.com/article/725277/7_Hot_Mobile_Startups_to_Watch_in_2013?source=cioartmor
Mobile startups are all the rage right now, and many venture capitalists are placing their bets and hoping to cash in. Here are seven new mobile ventures to keep an eye on, some of which may change how we think about mobile.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Large-Display Smartphones Featured at CES; Shipments Set to More than Double in 2013
http://www.isuppli.com/Display-Materials-and-Systems/News/Pages/Large-Display-Smartphones-Featured-at-CES-Shipments-Set-to-More-than-Double-in-2013.aspx
The “phablet”—a portmanteau of the words “phone” and “tablet”—is a smartphone with a large display sized 5-inches or bigger. Shipments of phablets in 2013 are forecast to reach 60.4 million units, up a notable 136 percent from 25.6 million last year, according to the IHS iSuppli Mobile Handset Displays market tracker report from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).
“The move to offer larger-display smartphones reflects the efforts of both device and panel makers to differentiate their products,” said Vinita Jakhanwal, director of small and medium displays at IHS iSuppli. “With consumers demanding more lifelike viewing experiences, the trend to offer such devices makes perfect sense, especially considering the increase in rich content that is being made available on smartphones.”
In 2016, global phablet shipments are set to reach 146.0 million units.
Chinese OEMs Lead the Way
Chinese phone makers took the lead in new product launches for the 5-inch-and-larger smartphone category at CES this year.
Huawei Technologies showcased what so far appears to be the world’s largest smartphone, the Ascend Mate, with a 6.1-inch display, 720p high-definition (HD) pixel format at 361 pixels per inch (ppi). The company also unveiled the Ascend D2 with a 5-inch display and 1920 x 1080 pixel format at 443 ppi.
Huawei rival ZTE launched the Grand S, which at a profile of 6.9 millimeters stakes claim to being the world’s thinnest quad-core smartphone. The Grand S, along with TCL’s Alcatel-branded One Touch Scribe HD and Lenovo’s IdeaPhone K5, will have a pixel format of 1920 x 1080 on a 5-inch screen.
Lenovo at the show also launched the K900 with a 5.5-inch 1080p, 400-ppi Full HD display. Meanwhile, Sony Mobile from Japan introduced the Xperia Z, another 5-inch smartphone with a 1920 x 1080 pixel format.
At a display resolution of 443 ppi, the 5-inch phones with 1920 x 1080 pixel formats exceed the Retina Display resolution of 326 ppi on Apple’s iPhone 5 and the 267 ppi on the Galaxy Note II from Samsung Electronics. The new handsets included water-spill-proofing and shatter-resistant screens.
7-inch and Hybrid Tablets Show Up in Force
Much attention at CES was similarly lavished on smaller-sized tablets featuring competitive pricing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cars are becoming the fourth platform (after the TV, PC, and smartphone) for CE companies.
Source: http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&cid=NL_Newsletters+-+DN+Daily&doc_id=257345&image_number=5
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mozilla CTO Eich takes broader engineering role
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57564361-93/mozilla-cto-eich-takes-broader-engineering-role/
The creator of JavaScript now leads Mozilla’s day-to-day engineering work as the organization expands beyond Firefox into ecosystem-busting services.
The move comes as Mozilla moves beyond the browser into higher-level domains where it sees proprietary lock-in encroaching into people’s lives, notably ecosystems of interlinked products and services.
“Our strategy has to move up the stack to the services currently tied to walled gardens, like identity,” Eich said in an interview today.
Now he’ll be more directly involved overseeing engineering for projects including Firefox for PCs and Android phones, the upcoming Firefox OS, and efforts such as the Firefox Marketplace.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bendable Battery Breakthrough Could Yield Flexible Phones
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/01/bendable-battery/
Korean scientists say they have invented materials to create flexible lithium-ion batteries. Eventually, these could be used to build bendable mobile phones or other electronics.
Other recent developments in flexible computing include a foldable LED display prototype developed by the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology last year
it if you really want a bendable computer component today roll-up keyboards have been available for the past few years.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The entire mobile economy is based on a tenuous assumption—that we’ll be able to access the mobile web, whenever and wherever we want it, at ever-increasing speeds. The reality is not so rosy
Limited access is more than just an annoyance, it’s a mortal threat to innovation. By 2020, wireless technology is expected to have a global impact of $4.5 trillion. But growth depends on our ability to scale up. We need access that matches the number of devices demanding it.
Readily available Wi-Fi could help fix that problem. Internet and phone companies are already starting to deploy small cells—essentially tiny mobile phone towers that serve Wi-Fi along with 4G—in densely populated areas. But those companies have little incentive to build out the massive infrastructure required to connect the rest of the world.
Source: http://www.wired.com/business/2013/01/ff-seven-big-ideas/all/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Asustek in Talks to Offer Windows 8 Phones
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323468604578246833153699650.html?KEYWORDS=Asus
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nexus 7 tablet more popular in Japan than iPad
Japanese financial publication Nikkei reported recent survey, which looked at the 2400 consumer electronics retail stores. It turned out that the Nexus 7 had 44.4 per cent market share in the country, or more than four per cent more than the iPad with 40.1 per cent market share.
Last year 3.6 million tablet PCs were sold in Japan.
This year sales is expected to be 4.9 million.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/muutoksen+tuulet+puhaltavat+nexus+7+meni+japanissa+ipadin+ohi/a871446?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-18012013&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Web firms drool as ballgazer spies $11bn mobile ad spend in 2013
Gartner forecasts cash bonanza
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/17/mobile_ad_spend_will_double_in_three_years/
Web giants, telcos, media companies and a host of mobile start-ups will be salivating over today’s Gartner forecast that predicts a heady doubling of global mobile advertising spend in the next three years.
Mobile advertising revenue worldwide will rise 16 per cent in 2013, from $9.6bn in 2012 to $11.2bn in 2013, predicts the report. This figure will hike to $24.5bn in 2016, say the biz-watchers.
The flood of money will create new opportunities, said Gartner research director Stephanie Baghdassarian – in particular for app developers, ad networks and the mobile platform providers such as Google.
Businesses that will be less pleased at these results include local newspapers – Gartner predicts that much of the money going to mobile ad spend will have been drained out of the local paper market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New smart phones with huge screens changing fashion
More and larger-sized mobile devices are forcing designers to think about fashion clothing into new creations.
Source: http://www.kauppalehti.fi/etusivu/jattiruutuiset+puhelimet+muuttavat+vaatemuotia/201301341985
Tomi Engdahl says:
Competition is intensifying in big screen smartphones
Bigger screen, more power, more affordable prices. These are the requirements
A powerful dual-or quad-core processor, five or even more than a six-inch screen and Google’s growing range of services are the trump cards with the Android manufacturers are trying to continue the management of the smart phone market.
So far, they have succeeded, because even Apple’s iPhone is no longer remained the market leader Samsung’s swing.
“Samsung this year will be more difficult, because the competitors will improve. Especially Nokia and Sony will bring a tougher resistance, “the research firm Gartner research director Carolina Milanesi said.
“User interfaces and applications are still Samsung’s weakness.”
An increasing proportion of smartphones sold in India and emerging markets such as China.
Chinese manufacturers Huawei, Lenovo and ZTE in Europe are seeking growth through aggressive pricing, which cut the profit margins of competitors. Huawei tries to expand higher margin on the Android and Windows Phone 8-models.
Expected spring novelty list: flexible displays, wireless charging and contactless NFC payment
Source: http://www.3t.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/teknologia/alypuhelinten_nayttokisa_kovenee_parjaako_lumia
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia releases 3D case printing files for Lumia 820
http://www.slashgear.com/nokia-releases-3d-case-printing-files-for-lumia-820-18265821/
Nokia has released the 3D printing files for its Lumia 820 interchangeable casings, allowing owners to create their own custom shells for the Windows Phone. The free 3D-printing Development Kit (or 3DK, as Nokia is calling it) comes with not only the raw files for 3D printers, but guidance on what materials could be used, tips on what to look out for in creating a unique case, and more.
The project – the first of its kind from a mainstream phone manufacturer – is reminiscent of Nokia’s Xpress-on interchangeable casings from many years ago
Obviously, you’ll need a 3D printer – or at least access to one – in order to use the 3DK files in the first place. Still, there are numerous online 3D printing services available which, for a fee, will do a one-off custom print run from your designs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nielsen: Smartphone Battle Ready To Rage In Brazil, Russia, India
http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/17/nielsen-smartphone-battle-ready-to-rage-in-brazil-russia-india/
In a research note released today, Nielsen examines the potential for smartphone growth in the BRIC region (Brazil, Russia, India, China), where, in many cases, feature phones still dominate. According to the firm’s findings, only in China are smartphones predominant, where they’re now owned by two-thirds of mobile subscribers, as of the first half of 2012. However, in India, Russia and Brazil, users are only beginning to transition away from feature phones to newer, app-capable devices.
In India, feature phones account for 80 percent of the mobile market, Nielsen says, followed by Russa at 51 percent, and Brazil at 44 percent. I
China is an especially interesting one to watch at present, because even though smartphones are now topping feature phones among mobile users, which smartphone platform will become the dominate player there is a battle that’s still underway.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Exclusive – Japan’s Sharp curbs iPad screen output as Apple manages demand shift-sources
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-sharp-ipad-idUSBRE90H0BZ20130118
Sharp’s iPad screen production line at its Kameyama plant in central Japan has fallen to the minimal level to keep the line running this month after a gradual slowdown began at the end of 2012 as Apple manages its inventory, the industry sources with knowledge of Sharp’s production plans told Reuters.
Sharp spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama said: “We don’t disclose production levels”.
Any indication that iPad sales are struggling could add to concern that the appeal of Apple products is waning after earlier media reports said it is slashing orders for iPhone 5 screens and other components from its Asian suppliers.
Apple, the reports said, has asked state-managed Japan Display, Sharp and LG Display to halve supplies of iPhone panels from an initial plan for about 65 million screens in January-March. Apple is losing ground to Samsung, as well as emerging rivals including China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp.
In addition to Sharp, Apple also buys iPad screens from LG Display Co Ltd, its biggest supplier, and Samsung Display, a flat-panel unit of Samsung Electronics.
Apple also faces stiffening competition in tablets from a growing crowd of rival products from makers including Samsung with its Galaxy and Microsoft Corp’s Surface. A consumer shift to smaller 7-inch screen devices, which Apple responded to late last year by launching its iPad mini for $329, are adding pressure.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Designing Emails for Touch – 6 Beginner Tips
http://blog.getresponse.com/designing-emails-for-touch-6-beginners-tips.html?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=blog201211
Fingers are less accurate than a cursor, so you’ll need to rework your email creative paying special attention to CTA buttons, pre-headers and navigation.
None of these tweaks requires special mobile coding, just a mindset change. It’s time to get serious about designing emails for touch. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you can gradually rework sections over time, but you should make a start. Have you?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobile Video App Montaj Makes Editing As Easy As Shaking Your Phone
http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/17/montaj/
The latest entrant into the mobile video segment is Montaj, a new app launching next week that seeks to be a kind of “Instagram for Video.”
The idea behind Montaj is to make videos actually watchable and shareable. Not a new idea, and one that’s seen startups like Socialcam and Viddy already try to tackle. The problem is that video can’t be made good just by throwing a filter on it, like Instagram. Instead, there’s gotta be a bit of editing involved. More importantly, shots have to be bite-sized.
Montaj forces you to break videos down into five-second clips, which can then be stitched together. Once you’ve either shot a bunch of short clips, or you’ve assembled short clips from videos already in your camera roll, the app lets you storyboard, select a song, and add a new filter. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can just say, “Screw it,” and shake your phone.
With each shake of a phone, Montaj brings up a new song, a new edit, and a new filter, according to Gjokaj.
Tomi says:
CES: ‘Phablets’ could lead the post-PC era
Column Tablet fever could be over
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/opinion/2237343/ces-phablets-could-lead-the-postpc-era
AHEAD OF THIS YEAR’S CES in Las Vegas, the internet was rife with talk that tablets were going to steal the show as we edge closer towards a post-PC era.
However, I had a very different experience at this year’s show, as I noticed that tablet fever was distinctly missing. However, although most major mobile phone makers save their big smartphone announcements for Mobile World Congress, I soon saw that “phablet” fever was in full force.
Despite Gartner’s claims earlier this week that tablets will eventually replace PCs, I can’t help but think that the phablet could become the main device driving the post-PC era.
I can’t help but think that this could be a sign that phablets could not only overshadow the PC, but could also put tablets in the shade.
Sure, a phablet isn’t for everybody
smartphones are going to continue to get bigger and bigger. This trend will surely lead consumers away from buying tablets
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart phones sold this year, more than one billion.
Deloitte: Hundreds of millions do not use the smartphone features (voice and text messages are sufficient for those users)
Mobile communications, the 2013 is a 4G or LTE networks in the final year of breakthrough. They have been in use at the end of the year, more than 200 operators around the world. Operators, a major challenge is to price 4g networks so that they appeal to consumers, but on the other hand are cannibalized for 3G networks.
Tablet sales increased last year by 120 million units, and Deloitte expects sales to increase 250 million by 2016.
Deloitte, the world has this year used approximately 1.6 billion PCs, quarter of a million tablets and two billion people with smart phones.
According to Deloitte, there should be no talk about mobile advertising in general, as it is clearly divided into tablets and smartphones.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/deloitte+sadat+miljoonat+eivat+kayta+alypuhelimensa+ominaisuuksia/a871673?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-19012013&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nexus 4 demand 10 times higher than Google expected
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/nexus-4-demand-10-times-higher-than-google-expected-50010190/
Ten times as many British phone fans want the Nexus 4 than Google expected. LG has once again blamed Google for stock issues with the perenially sold-out smash-hit Android phone, saying the Big G had no idea of the potential demand.
It turns out that Google severely misunderestimated how many people would actually buy the phone. Fair enough: who woulda thunk that a quad-core smart phone with the latest Jelly Bean software and a high-definition screen costing £240 would be super-popular? Who could have seen that coming? You’d have to be some kind of visionary or something.
ten times as many phone fans bought the Nexus 4 as anticipated in both Britain and Germany.
The Nexus 4 went on sale at the end of last year — for about an hour. Since then it’s been sold out at Google Play almost continually, barring the odd day here and there.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Line, The Messaging App That Took Japan By Storm, Crosses 100M Users And Enters The U.S.
http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/18/line-100m-users/
Line, a messaging app made by South Korea’s Naver Corp. that took off in Japan, just crossed 100 million users globally 19 months after it originally launched.
The app is one of the leading contenders in smartphone messaging in Asia and faces off against Tencent’s WeChat and KakaoTalk.
Line gives you free voice calls (like Skype or Facebook’s new overhauled app). Then there’s basic messaging, but Line is a bit goofier with sillier emojis and stickers. There are teddy bears juggling eggplants, bunnies with flames of anger in their eyes, and a shy balding man surrounded by little sparkles and flowers. (Yes.)
Many are free, but some are paid — which is the secret to the app’s financial success. Naver last said Line was pulling in $3.75 million a month in sticker sales in July. But that figure is “a lot higher now,”
Like many other consumer mobile companies that have done well in Japan like GREE and DeNA, Naver wants to take Line global. It’s bringing the app to the U.S. and is signing up celebrities like Snoop Dogg to attract teens and twenty-somethings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung’s predicament
http://cdixon.org/2013/01/20/samsungs-predicament/
In the past year, Samsung went from being a moderately successful electronics manufacturer to the leading non-iOS mobile device maker. Together, Apple and Samsung earn 98% of the profits in the smartphone market.
The mobile device industry is still in its infancy. Samsung’s fate depends largely on how the industry evolves. If the computer-in-your-pocket (smartphone/tablet) business ends up being like the computer-on-your-desk (personal computer) business, Samsung is on track to be the modern Dell. Dell had a good run as the low-cost provider in a highly commoditized business, but the vast majority of the industry profits went to Microsoft.
Tomi Engdahl says:
NFC: Not just for mobile payments anymore
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57564598-94/nfc-not-just-for-mobile-payments-anymore/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title
More companies embraced the close-range connectivity technology at the Consumer Electronics Show. How they’re using NFC may surprise you.
Move over, mobile payments. NFC is finding other ways to make itself useful.
In fact, paying for items with one’s phone seems to be the least common use for the close-range connectivity technology right now, at least based on gadgets unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show. Rather, essentially all products using NFC shown at the recent confab employed the technology in one of two ways: To set up a sort of digital handshake between a mobile device and another gadget or as a way to share information between products with just a tap.
“NFC really simplifies things,” Scott McGregor, CEO of connectivity chipmaker Broadcom, told CNET at CES. “The most advanced technology is stifled if it’s not easy to use. … NFC plays a very valuable role in simplifying user interfaces for consumer products.”
NFC has long been hailed as the technology to bring mobile payments, or the idea of waving your phone in front of a cash register to purchase a good, closer to reality. However, the mobile payments trend has been slow to take off, and it continues to face many hurdles for adoption. While the technological issues have largely been resolved, there just aren’t that many stores and point-of-sales terminals equipped with NFC for widespread use.
But at CES, NFC popped up in nearly everything imaginable (just not at cash registers). Along with the usual devices, like smartphones, there were speakers, cameras, televisions, refrigerators, business cards, and numerous other items. Some companies, such as Panasonic, have even added NFC to rice cookers and other usual items.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google boss predicts unbreakable cell phone: “Changes will be much”
The next decade will not have to worry about dropping your cell phone to the ground.
This is the forecast search engine giant Google CEO Larry Page Wired magazine, in its extensive interview
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/googlepomo+ennustaa+rikkoutumatonta+kannykkaa+quotmuutoksia+tulee+paljonquot/a871863?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-21012013&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google’s Larry Page on Why Moon Shots Matter
http://www.wired.com/business/2013/01/ff-qa-larry-page/all/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Asustek in Talks to Offer Windows 8 Phones
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424127887323468604578246833153699650-lMyQjAxMTAzMDEwNzExNDcyWj.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Last year ZTE made giant losses – profit warning
ZTE estimated last year net loss 2.5 to 2,900,000,000 yuan (approximately 300-350 million Euros).
In 2011, ZTE made a 2.1 billion yuan net profit.
ZTE says it will focus specifically developed markets such as the U.S., Europe and Japan.
ZTE is on sales based on the world’s fourth largest phone manufacturer
Source: http://www.itviikko.fi/talous/2013/01/21/viime-vuodelta-ztelle-jattitappiot–tulosvaroitus/20131095/7?rss=8
Tomi Engdahl says:
Study: Many Skin Cancer-Detecting Apps Are Not Accurate
http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/20/study-many-skin-cancer-detecting-apps-are-not-accurate/
Dermatologists can rest assured that they will not be replaced by computers anytime soon. A new study finds that smartphone applications designed to automatically detect cancer lesions misdiagnose more than half of all malignant growths. “There’s no substitute, at this point, for a complete skin exam performed by an expert dermatologist for picking up melanoma as well as other skin cancers,”
Since cancer-detecting apps aren’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration, most apps, such as Mole Detective, have butt-covering legal language
Making cancer detection habitual could be a good thing, but it also might lull users into falsely believing that an actual tumor is benign.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What does Google need from Android?
http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2013/1/20/what-does-google-need-from-android
As I see it, Google really has three strategies for Android, as it has developed over time.
Someone (sadly, I forget who) described Android to me as an unguided missile: very powerful but spiralling semi-randomly with no clarity on where it would land. There is the fragmentation issue, and the the weakness of most of the OEMs. There is the threat of Amazon or Samsung forking the platform. But there is also the threat that an increasing number of Android devices might have no more connection to Google than does an iPhone.
To put that another way, Google’s penetration of Android is as important as Android’s penetration of the handset market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony’s Xperia Tablet Z announced: 1.5GHz quad-core, 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 screen and 6.9mm thickness
http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/20/sony-xperia-tablet-z/
Tomi Engdahl says:
BlackBerry 10 OS walkthrough, BlackBerry Z10 pricing
http://bgr.com/2013/01/21/blackberry-10-hands-on-photos-price-299643/
With BlackBerry 10′s official launch just around the corner, we happened upon a few photos of the final gold master version of the operating system running on a BlackBerry Z10 handset.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel pins hopes to low-end smartphones
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-blogs/other/4405132/Intel-pins-hopes-to-low-end-smartphones
With its new Atom processor platform, launched last week at CES, Intel Corp. is aiming directly at the rapidly growing market for low-end smartphones in developing countries.
Targeting the low end of anything seems a decidedly un-Intel thing to do. But Intel has been trying to expand its minimal presence in the smartphone world for several years. Gotta start somewhere.
According to IHS (El Segundo, Calif.), the new Atom platform, formerly codenamed Lexington, has an opportunity to tap into a major trend. In developing nations, where there is often a scarcity of wireline phone infrastructure, consumers are hungry for low-cost smartphones that offer high performance and a full feature set.
In most of the world, a smartphone remains a relatively pricey item.
According to IHS, shipments of low-end smartphones—the fastest growing segment of the smartphone market—doubled between 2012 and 2016. The firm expects low-end smartphone shipments to rise to 559 million by 2016, up from just 206 million in 2012.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG Optimus G Pro official for Japan: 5-inch 1080p LCD, 1.7GHz S4 Pro and Jelly Bean
http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/21/lg-optimus-g-pro-official-ntt-docomo/
Local carrier NTT DoCoMo has confirmed the new flagship’s existence as part of a spring device lineup, and it’s everything that was rumored just days ago.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android platform to continue dominating 5-inch and larger smartphone market in 2013
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130118PD212.html
The rollout of an array of 5-inch Android-based models by HTC, Sharp, Sony Mobile Communications, Huawei Device, ZTE, Lenovo and Oppo Mobile in 2012 has highlighted the mainstream position of 5-inch displays among flagship models, commented the sources.
Sales of smartphones with displays in 5-inch or larger sizes are expected to expand 136% on year to 60.4 million units in 2013 and climb to 146 million units in 2016, noted the sources, citing data from market research firms.
Despite growing sales of larger display models, vendors of Windows Phone 8 (WP8) smartphones are hesitant about venturing into the 5-inch segment as WP8 does not have enough support for full HD displays, revealed the sources.
Research in Motion (RIM) will begin to roll out its BlackBerry 10 family in the first quarter of 2013
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows sees strong European growth
http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/news-articles/Windows-sees-strong-European-growth
The latest smartphone sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows Android holding the number one spot in key world markets including Britain, China, Spain, Australia and Germany, however iOS is on top in the US and Japan.*
Elsewhere, Windows is experiencing strong European growth, particularly in Britain and Italy, with shares hitting 5.9% and 13.9% respectively – up from just 2.2% and 2.8% a year ago.
“It has been far slower than Microsoft would have liked, but Windows Phone is now starting to gain respectable shares in a number of key European countries. However, its performance in the Chinese and US markets remains underwhelming. As the two largest smartphone markets in the world, these remain key challenges for Microsoft to overcome during 2013.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
GeeksPhone reveals Firefox OS phones for developers
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57565086-94/geeksphone-reveals-firefox-os-phones-for-developers/
Mainstream customers need not apply, but programmers who like the openness of Mozilla’s browser-based Firefox OS will soon get a chance to help make it a reality.
A small Spanish startup called GeeksPhone has started selling phones that let developers get a taste of Mozilla’s new Firefox OS.
GeeksPhone announced two 3G phones for the browser-based operating system, the lower-end Keon and higher-end Peak.
Peters exhorted programmers to see the openness light and create apps for Firefox OS. Her reasons:
• Keep the Web open. Support the open Web and help make sure the power of the Web is available to everyone – even on mobile devices.
• Simplicity. Develop on a single technology stack (HTML5/CSS/JavaScript/new WebAPIs) and deliver across the web and devices.
• Freedom. You’re not locked in to a vendor-controlled ecosystem. You can distribute your app through the Firefox Marketplace, your own Web site, or any other store based on Mozilla’s open app store technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Cheap, Rugged Tablet Is Your Kid’s Next Fixation
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/01/kids-tablets-ipad/
Forget phablets. Touchscreen Android devices designed expressly for kids with bright colors, durable cases and rubberized surfaces are making a big splash in the tablet space.
Tomi says:
Do you need the file to your phone?
Fujitsu has introduced a new method to start file transfer from your computer to your phone: shoot few seconds video of the computer screen or projected presentation, and the phone application identifies the file which is opened on the screen and starts to download the file.
Downloading the file itself is made though a wireless connection.
The company markets its invention as a solution for difficulty to transfer files from computer to phone.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/tarvitsetko+tiedoston+puhelimelle+kuvaa+se+videolle/a872457?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-23012013&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung’s road to global domination
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/22/samsung-apple-smartphone/
To understand how Samsung — yes, Samsung — became America’s No. 1 mobile phonemaker and thorn in Apple’s side, it’s helpful to rewind to last fall.
No doubt about it, Samsung is having a moment. In recent years the South Korean company has taken the mobile world — the U.S. included — by storm. Last year it overtook longtime leader Nokia to become the No. 1 player in cellphones, with 29% market share worldwide.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Have a Wi-Fi-Enabled Phone? Stores Are Tracking You
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/13/01/22/2216224/have-a-wi-fi-enabled-phone-stores-are-tracking-you
“Call it Google Analytics for physical storefronts: if you’ve got a phone with wi-fi, stores can detect your MAC address and track your comings and goings, determining which aisles you go to and whether you’re a repeat customer. “
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft to launch WP8 reference design in mid-2013, say sources
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130125PD213.html
Microsoft reportedly is cooperating with chipset suppliers including Qualcomm on development of Windows Phone 8 reference design aiming to attract more smartphone makers in China to enter production of WP8 phones for the entry-level and midrange smartphone segments in China and other emerging markets, according to industry sources.
Microsoft is expected to release the WP8 reference design in mid-2013, with smartphone models built on the reference design to hit the market in the second half of the year, the sources indicated.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Don’t like your cell network? Legal unlocking ends TONIGHT in US
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/25/unlocking_change/
Unlocking a phone to use it with another carrier will be illegal in America from midnight tonight unless the cellphone is already in your hands.
Freeing a phone from a particular network used to be allowed, but under last October’s reinterpretation of the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act that right disappears from all handsets bought from Saturday. Jail-breaking devices – to allow the installation of third-party apps – will remain legal, only not on tablets.
At issue is the ownership of the device as the new rules restrict the rights of the apparent owner to use the technology as they feel fit. It also makes little sense as we could soon see US courts being asked to decide where exactly the line falls between a big phone and a small tablet – American law does not acknowledge the existence of the phablet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smartphone too big? Get a smaller phone for your smartphone
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/01/smartphone-too-big-get-a-smaller-phone-for-your-smartphone/
HTC has released a small, less capable handset to accompany one of its oversized, perhaps overly capable smartphones, according to a report from Slashgear. The HTC Mini, which resembles a candybar feature phone, connects to HTC’s oversized Butterfly smartphone via NFC so that owners need not be embarrassed or encumbered by their giant Android slab.
Let’s not mislay the point entirely, here: 5-inch-plus phones can be cumbersome to use, especially one-handed, given that a thumb’s reach only extends so far.
releasing a companion device to fill in the gaps where big phones fall short makes the big devices seem like all the more of a dirty trick.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the practice of carrying two cell phones of complimentary sizes is not unheard of: in Asia, women who carry big phones in their purse may carry secondary cellphones in their pockets.
tomi says:
Nokia Confirms The PureView Was Officially The Last Symbian Phone
http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/24/nokia-confirms-the-pure-view-was-officially-the-last-symbian-phone/
Symbian is now officially dead, Nokia confirmed today. In the company’s earnings announcement that came out a little while ago, Nokia confirmed that the 808 PureView, released last year, was the very last device that the company would make on the Symbian platform: “During our transition to Windows Phone through 2012, we continued to ship devices based on Symbian,” the company wrote. “The Nokia 808 PureView, a device which showcases our imaging capabilities and which came to market in mid-2012, was the last Symbian device from Nokia.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Finnish mobile operator DNA has enable HD quality mobile phone calls in it’s 3G network. Both callers need to be in DNA network and have new smart phones that support HD sound quality.
Source: http://www.tietokone.fi/uutiset/dna_otti_hd_puheen_kayttoon