Posts in Mobile Phones
Apple stomps bugs with iPhone 2.1 software release
Tom Krazit | Sep 15, 2008
Chief executive Steve Jobs had promised the iPhone update in a speech Tuesday during a launch event for next-generation iPod music players, saying: "This is a big update, and it fixes lots of bugs."
The company's software update page shows just how big:
- Decrease in call setup failures and dropped calls
- Significantly better battery life for most users
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Palm's Foleo gone, but idea isn't
Ina Fried | Sep 15, 2008
Unlike the Foleo, the Redfly doesn't have an operating system, storage, or processing power. (Credit: Celio)
But while both are "smart phone companions", there are a couple of key differences. First and foremost, the Redfly hasn't been shelved.
Also, although the Foleo was touted as a complement to a smart phone, it had its own Linux-based operating system and application development apparatus.
As noted in January, the Redfly looks like a laptop, but has essentially no processing power or storage of its own. Rather, it's designed to hook up with a Windows Mobile smart phone.
It takes all the applications and data from the phone (via a Bluetooth or USB connection) and adds an 8-inch screen, keyboard, and pointing device. PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets that barely show up on a 3-inch phone screen are much more usable. Also, as mobile browsers get better, Web surfing stands to be much better as well.
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RIM the biggest winner for Q2 smart phone market share
Damian Koh | Sep 15, 2008
If you've been following the mobile OS market share war, Gartner's recent Q2 report should get you interested. According to the research firm, Symbian dominated global smart phone sales with a 57.1 percent market share (dip from Q2 2007, though). What made us sit up and notice was RIM leapfrogging Windows Mobile and bagging the number two position with a 17.4 percent market share. That's a remarkable 126 percent year-on-year growth.
One reason could be that recent BlackBerry models like the Bold, Pearl and Curve are creating a much bigger impact than we thought after shedding their enterprise image and adopting more consumer-led features. In the Windows Mobile camp, HTC has been very aggressive with its Touch series and doesn't look like it will back down anytime soon. So the fight for second place is likely to intensify over at least the next two quarters.
Other things to watch out for are Apple's Mac OS X and Google's upcoming Android at the end of this year, though we think the latter wouldn't have any impact on the market dynamics in the near future. If anything, Apple will likely move up the chart with the iPhone 3G equipped with Exchange capabilities, ousting Linux and taking the number four position in the smart phone market.
Who do you think will take the number two spot? Give us your thoughts in Talkback.
Credit: Gartner
3G dual-SIM phone now available in Singapore
Damian Koh | Sep 15, 2008
We reported on the 3G-enabled dual-SIM Verzio Duplii last year, and now it's finally in Singapore. Unlike the Samsung SGH-D880 which we reviewed a couple of months ago, the biggest advantages the Verzio Duplii has over the Korean chaebol are 3G connectivity and dual processors (Qualcomm MSM6245 and Philips 6120). According to Verzio, the latter will minimize power consumption on the handset. Other features are pretty much standard fare. There's a 2.2-inch QVGA TFT display, microSD expansion card slot, FM radio and, with 3G, you can also expect video calls capability.
The Duplii runs on an operating system called REX which we have not heard of. We'll report back on the user interface after we get hold of a review unit. Otherwise, you can expect 64MB of RAM to power the software and 128MB of ROM. The phone retails at S$398 (US$288.47) and is currently available in Singapore and the Philippines.
Quickoffice demos iPhone apps at CTIA
Jessica Dolcourt | Sep 12, 2008
The first, called MobileFiles, will let you view email attachments, including Google and Box.net documents from your iPhone, something that iPhones don't currently allow. Quickoffice is expected to launch MobileFiles as a free, view-only app in November.
Following that, Quickoffice plans to release three more applications for reading and editing spreadsheets, Microsoft Word documents, and PowerPoint presentations, respectively. Called Quicksheet, Quickpoint, and Quickword, the three editors will likely go for US$10 apiece. On the performance end, Quicksheet and Quickword clearly displayed MobileMe attachments as multipage files and allowed users two ways to edit by tapping the screen. US$30 seems like a hefty surcharge for the privilege of editing and saving all three document types back to the MobileMe account from the iPhone, especially when the viewing documents alone will be free. Not all users will need all three editors, but those who do should receive a markdown for purchasing the entire suite.
Unless a competitor steps up to challenge the pricing and app layout, by the time Quickoffice's premium applications launch in Q1, Quickoffice will have the market advantage. We haven't heard much from DataViz, the likeliest contender, about an iPhone play, though with the company fresh off releasing new versions of its flagship viewer, Documents To Go, for Windows Mobile Pocket PCs and BlackBerry, iPhone is their next logical platform to conquer.
Via CNET Downloads
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