Nokia and Microsoft in alliance to make Zune phone?

Speculations about Microsoft’s iPhone beater are about as old as the iPhone itself. Rumors that both Microsoft and Nokia are worried about Apple’s advances aren’t dying down and if we believe the latest wave of speculations then both companies could be working together to prevent Apple from repeating even a fraction of the success the company had with the iPod. Microsoft's effort to integrate Zune Marketplace content with Windows Mobile and Nokia handsets is seen as part of this effort.

Microsoft remained conspicuously mum on the possibility of a Zune phone, neither confirming nor denying Zune phone speculations. Whenever media presses Microsoft executives on the matter, the same answer is given: Microsoft is more than happy with its position in the mobile phone space. In addition a Zune phone may make no sense at all, given Microsoft’s less than impressive Zune music player and the general consensus that Microsoft might remove the device from the market soon. There could be room for a new Zune device, but the brand name needs to be cleaned up.

A Zune phone remains only a rumor at this point but there are signs that Microsoft will at least leverage the Zune brand and Zune Marketplace content to slow down the iPhone.

According to a report published by UK tech site Electric Pig, the software giant is now teaming up with Nokia to launch an "all out assault" on Apple, while there is still time. The report cites an unverified "well placed source within Microsoft" that revealed details behind Microsoft-Nokia partnership to the Zunescene web site. The Zune team is reportedly working with Nokia to integrate the Zune Marketplace with Nokia smartphones. This should not come as s surprise as most industry watchers have been repeatedly calling Microsoft to expand the Zune Marketplace content (music, movies, TV series, etc.) to Windows Mobile platform, PCs, Xbox, etc. It is unknown at this time if the Nokia Music Store and the Zune Marketplace will merge or will coexist.

The non-exclusive deal appears to be limited to content delivery only at this point. However, a Zune phone would be a conclusive move. Yes, we are speculating but you must admit that such a device may make sense. Microsoft already knows how not to create a MP3 player, how not to create a Zune cellphone (see Motorola Rokr) and how a successful Zune cellphone could look like (iPhone). The software giant first partnered with Nokia two years ago to bring its online services to Nokia handsets (such as Windows Live search, Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail.) It was a limited collaboration and it never reached the operating system realm.

Microsoft and Nokia have the same rival to battle. Other handset vendors have failed to crank out iPhone killers or have delayed potential competitors. However, the combined resources of Microsoft and Nokia present an interesting opportunity to challenge Apple in a highly profitable market segment.

At the moment, Microsoft seems to be content with expanding the Zune brand and the Zune Marketplace content into the Windows Mobile space and Nokia mobile phones. Most analysts do not believe that Microsoft will make a Zune mobile phone at this time. "The business model of Windows Mobile is totally different than Zune," Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg wrote in his blog. "Zune worked to some extent since the technology Microsoft was licensing wasn't getting them anywhere. As it was, hardware partners were taken aback by Microsoft's actions but were still comfortable licensing."

According to the analyst, Microsoft now has 20 million Windows Mobile licenses out there and is "gaining traction." It also has "a great stream of partners" that make more and more Windows Mobile-powered phones for business and personal use, so Microsoft's entrance into the handset hardware business would potentially affect this scenario in a negative way. "Windows Mobile is a core platform and OS. No one has ever been successful licensing technology platforms to others and then competing with a device of their own. Apple failed (twice), Palm and Nokia all tried it and it just can't be done," Gartenberg wrote.

source : http://www.tgdaily.com/

Orange to carry iPhone 3G this Christmas?

The internet is once again abuzz with rumours that the iPhone 3G may be made available on the Orange network here in the UK before Christmas, as early as October, if the stories are true.

It has long been suggested that O2’s exclusive network deal with Apple was only a temporary one, as we’ve seen Jobs and Co. dabble in network polygamy elsewhere in the world, such as Australia, where the handset is available on three different networks.

The net reached boiling point when a story published on The Register last week cited the blog of one Ernest Doku who claimed that a “very, very credible source on the inside” revealed that the iPhone 3G would arrive on Orange by October.

The post, (found here) says that “in light of recent events” (i.e. the O2 network repeatedly crashing under the groan of demand) the prospect of the iPhone 3G arriving on Orange is “more likely than not.” The post also points to the fact that sales of the initial iPhone were sluggish, although fault cannot be entirely attributed to O2 on that front.

Of course, its all hearsay without Orange, Apple or O2 officially confirming anything, but the prospect of an iPhone 3G available on another network this autumn has galvanised interest on the blogs, with people already speculating about the inevitable price war and how it would pave the way for iPhone availability on other networks.

source : http://www.mobile-phones.co.uk/

Truphone's VoIP app dials up iPhone

Getting poor Skype sound and want to cut down on international call costs? Truphone's new iPhone app might be worth checking out.The London-based mobile VoIP operator has offered the service since 2006 for the E or N series Nokia phones. An iPhone version of Truphone's service hit Apple's App store Friday.

The VoIP service lets people send text messages or make calls to anywhere in the world for a low fee.

Calling a landline costs 6 cents per minute, and dialing a mobile phone costs 30 cents per minute. SMS text messaging costs 20 cents. Calling another Truphone user is free in certain countries, including the United States, U.K., China, Australia and large parts of Europe. But you need to be in a Wi-Fi spot.

Calls can be made entirely over Wi-Fi and the Internet, bypassing the traditional GSM network operators. Not everyone has loved that.

In April 2007, Vodafone and Orange blocked Truphone's VoIP capability on its branded Nokia N95 handsets. In June 2007, T-Mobile in the U.K. followed suit, blocking calls from its customers to Truphone's mobile numbers. But only a month later, a U.K. court forced T-mobile to stop their blockade.

On the Nokia phones, Truphone usage isn't limited to Wi-Fi spots, but can also work over 3G. So far, this isn't possible with the iPhone.

source : http://www.download.com/

New iPhone should boost multimedia handsets: Nokia

Nokia, the world's largest cellphone maker, sees a new 3G version of Apple's iPhone boosting sales of multimedia handsets.

Apple's follow-on to the original iPhone, which launched in a blaze of publicity about a year ago, is widely expected to be the main attraction when its head, Steve Jobs, takes the stage at Apple's developers' conference later on Monday.

Senior Vice President of Nokia Markets, Anssi Vanjoki, said technological convergence, where consumer electronics, information technology and various internet services are integrating into one platform was happening fast, even as some economies slowed.

A new iPhone would further emphasize that, Vanjoki told Reuters on Monday, bringing more traffic, coverage and users to telecom operators' 3G services.

"Convergence will strengthen through such a significant company such as Apple coming to that field," Vanjoki said.

"From the perspective of operator business this is an extremely good issue."

Apple has declined to comment on what Jobs is set to announce. But analysts expect him to show a long-rumored device running on 3G networks, particularly important for the European markets, where building new networks has been more advanced than in the United States and where iPhone sales have lagged.

Vanjoki said Nokia has estimated the market this year for multimedia handsets, or what it calls converged devices, to be 180 million units.

Nokia is set to launch a touchscreen handset, a prominent feature in the iPhone, in the latter half of the year, Vanjoki said.

He added Nokia would unveil touchscreen products for all of the handset price segments, rather than just for the higher-end, where its rivals' handsets with touchscreens are.

"Currently, the market for touchscreen products is a niche market. We always aim for a situation where we can cover all the segments with all the options," Vanjoki said.

"We will introduce products from the very low segment to the highest one featuring this type of functionality."

Nokia's Korean rival, Samsung launched earlier on Monday a new touchscreen smartphone, branded Omnia, just hours before Apple's event.

source : http://www.reuters.com/

iPhone-like Windows Mobile device has 16GB of storage

Samsung has announced an iPhone-like Windows Mobile 6.1 phone with a proprietary "TouchWiz" user interface. The SGH-i900 Omnia boasts a 3.2-inch widescreen QVGA display, 8GB or 16GB of storage, a 5-megapixel camera with electronic flash, GPS, WiFi, and an FM receiver.

Clearly intended to remind one of the iPhone, the Omnia is visually similar. Measuring 0.5 inches thick, it has a brushed-metal back, a screen that covers most of its front, and a finger-touch user interface. Fortunately, one resemblance goes further than skin-deep: like Apple's device, the Omnia is available with either 8GB or 16GB of flash storage, making it the most capacious Windows Mobile phone we know of. Unlike the iPhone, it also has a microSD slot, allowing the addition of even more storage.

The Omnia hides its Windows Mobile 6.1 origins under a "TouchWiz" user interface, which allows personalizing the home screen with "widgets," Samsung says. The phone's touch-sensitive, 3.2-inch screen uses "intuitive tap, sweep, drag and drop operations," and is supplemented by a tiny trackpad. As with the iPhone and other Apple gadgets, a built-in accelerometer automatically switches the screen from portrait to landscape mode when the phone is rotated.

The device has room to store movies, and its WQVGA (400 x 240) display is suitable for 16:9 widescreen content. Supported formats include DivX, XviD, H.263, H.264, WMV, and MP4 files.

Another media-friendly feature on the Omnia is a built-in FM receiver that, as with most mobile devices, uses the wires in an attached headset as an antenna. Other wireless interfaces include: quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) GSM telephony, supporting HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) and EDGE (enhanced data rates for GSM evolution) data transfers; Bluetooth 2.0; and 802.11b/g WiFi.

The device includes GPS, with geotagging capabilities that allow recording the coordinates of photos taken using the phone's integral camera. More ambitious than on the vast majority of phones, the latter offers five megapixel resolution, autofocus, image stabilization, a face detection feature, and automatic stitching of multiple photos into a panorama, Samsung says.

The Omnia apparently also sports a digital-camera style electronic flash unit, based on Xenon-tube technology rather than the LEDs used by some previous cameras. Finally, Samsung touts video editing capabilities, said to include the ability to trim files, dub audio onto them, or add subtitles.

Features and specifications released by Samsung for the Omnia include:

* Processor -- undisclosed
* Memory -- 128MB of RAM, and 8GB or 16GB of flash storage
* Display -- 3.2-inch 240 x 400 display
* Keys -- two main buttons, plus miniature trackpad
* Camera -- 5 megapixel, with autofocus, face detection, image stabilization, image stitching, electronic flash
* Wireless interfaces:
* WAN -- Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) and 2100MHz UMTS
* WLAN -- 802.11b.g
* WPAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
* GPS
* FM receiver
* Other I/O:
* USB 2.0
* Headset with proprietary connector
* Expansion -- microSD slot
* Battery -- 1440mAH lithium-ion, expected life not stated
* Dimensions -- 4.4 x 2.24 x 0.5 inches (112 x 56.9 x 12.5mm)

The Omnia will be available later this month in the Southeast Asian market, and in Europe in July.

source : http://www.windowsfordevices.com/

Son of iPhone: the next revolution

It seems as if it was only yesterday that Apple unveiled its revolutionary iPhone, yet the company is already gearing up for the launch of its successor.

As with the original, the new phone will boast many of the features that have helped make Apple one of the most desirable brands in the world. It will also have some new features, including 3G technology to speed up internet access, and applications that could herald a brave new world of mobile communications.

Gadget fans the world over are eagerly counting down the hours to Monday, June 9, when the new phone is expected to be unveiled by Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive.

The original iPhone, launched in the UK last November, was genuinely innovative for being able to respond to gestures and strokes via a touchscreen, while its gorgeous web browser was the digital equivalent of a glossy magazine.

Less popular were its clumsy text entry and outdated 2.5G data connection, which made for painfully slow texting, web browsing and e-mail collection. The upgrade to 3G will at least provide a much faster, smoother internet experience. The move should also mean that users are less likely to be cut off during voice calls, and may now sample the dubious delights of face-to-face video calling, thanks to a front-mounted camera. The high-speed technology will also make it easier and quicker to download music and videos from the web, or upload photos.

If you think that the speeds offered by some 3G networks are fast, an Australian mobile network is claiming that the new iPhone will be able to use the latest 3G technology (known as HSDPA) to offer internet access at twice the speed of the fastest UK home broadband services today.

With nobody beyond Apple’s walls having yet seen a 3G iPhone – the company is famously tight-lipped when it comes to new products – little else is known about the new handset.

There is industry speculation that the 3G iPhone will be priced at £200 at least – plus the cost of an annual contract. There’s also talk that Apple will use that large touchscreen for more than just stroking and poking – the company recently filed a patent for integrating solar panels into its handheld gadgets. Instead of using a separate, fold-out panel, Apple’s plan is to put solar cells behind the LCD screen, so the more you flash your iPhone around, the more power it could generate.

Another Apple patent involves using location-based information to create personalised and localised shopping pages on your iPhone. If you’re walking past a cinema, for example, you might see a trailer of the latest movie, and even be able to order popcorn for delivery right to your seat.

Experts say the one thing that is certain is that the existing iPhone handset will quickly disappear. “I don’t see much room for Apple to continue to offer the original 2.5G iPhone here, although they might move stock to other countries, such as some in eastern Europe without a 3G network,” says Ian Fogg, research director at JupiterResearch, the high-tech analysts.

In the longer term, Apple is expected to introduce a family of phones, in the same way that it shifted from selling a single, original iPod to offering a range of music and video players. Apple will also have to decide whether to keep the touch interface, which requires a large screen, or move to a more traditional design in order to reduce phone size. IPhone nano, anyone?

Although Apple impressed a lot of geeks with the iPhone, sales have hovered around a modest 20,000 units a day worldwide, and that’s a drop in the ocean compared with the 3m phones that sell every 24 hours. That doesn’t mean the world’s biggest phone makers can afford to ignore it, says Fogg. “Apple had never built a mobile phone before the iPhone, yet its designers created the best mobile media player, and the best mobile browser on the market. Apple has already caused its competitors to respond and change their strategies,” he says.

Nowhere is that more apparent than in the rash of rival 3G touchscreen handsets – dubbed “iPhonies” by industry insiders – that have appeared over the past six months. While none of these phones has approached the iPhone’s effortless ease of use, some at least threaten to steal Apple’s technical thunder, and often at a considerably lower price.

HTC’s Touch Diamond handset, for instance, not only weighs less than the iPhone but also uses blisteringly fast HSDPA technology and includes a GPS receiver for navigation. Or take Samsung’s F480 phone, which trumps the iPhone’s weedy 2Mp camera with a 5Mp snapper, complete with flash.

Apple clearly has some catching up to do. Many other manufacturers are already selling their second or third HSDPA phone, and have technology such as GPS and digital cameras working well together.

If Apple lacks the research muscle to fully develop the iPhone itself, it is gambling on a new strategy to keep its gadgets up to date by allowing other companies to develop features and applications for users to download directly to the new iPhone.

Jeremy Green, an analyst at Ovum, the telecoms research company, says: “It makes sense for Apple to do this, using the creativity of lots and lots of people to improve their products.”

But will that be enough? Green questions Apple’s decision to partner the iPhone exclusively with a single UK network operator – O2. “In the UK mobile market, the four biggest operators have roughly equal market share. If you go exclusive with one, you’re denying yourself three-quarters of the market.”

O2’s current iPhone contracts include all-you-can-surf mobile internet, and free use of around 6,000 wi-fi hotspots in the UK. It’s not clear yet whether O2 will offer the same deal on the 3G iPhone – although a wi-fi connection is almost guaranteed, as 3G signals can fade quickly inside buildings.

Abroad, Apple is already edging away from exclusive deals. It plans to ship iPhones to at least two operators in Italy, and future deals are unlikely to favour a single mobile phone network. However, Apple’s deal with O2 here still has some time to run, making it extremely unlikely that other operators will be able to sell the 3G iPhone when it launches.

Whatever Jobs reveals on June 9, though, it had better be good. The Apple brand isn’t only about style, and that global gathering of geeks is expecting a phone that’s as least as innovative as its predecessor. If it isn’t, there’s no guarantee the iPhone won’t be a single-ringtone wonder such as Apple’s ill-fated Newton handheld computer, rather than an all-conquering success like the iPod.

source : http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/

No U.K. iPhone price cut from O2

Germany’s T-Mobile generated a wave of media attention with its decision to subsidize the purchase price of the iPhone in a new €99 (US$155) deal, announced last week, but Apple’s U.K. partner, O2, has no immediate plan to emulate the discount.

T-Mobile’s plan has been seen as predicated by one of two reasons: to stimulate flagging sales of the device in Germany, or to clear stock from the network’s channel, pending the coming release of a 3G-supporting model of the device.

Apple’s German iPhone network partner has been selling the 8GB model of iPhone for €399, but reduced the cost of that model to €99 late last week.

O2 mobile has not chosen to emulate T-Mobile’s move, at least, not yet. An O2 spokesperson told Macworld UK: “We regularly examine all of our offerings to ensure they remain competitive and meet customer demands. We currently have no updates regarding iPhone pricing.”

While this response leaves the door open to future price cuts on the part of Apple’s UK network partner, it does mean there’s no immediate price discount plan to be announced.

source : http://www.macworld.com/

Nokia Shows 'Tube' iPhone Competitor in Powerpoint Slide

According to an InfoWorld piece, Nokia's VP of Forum Nokia, Tom Libretto, said that the company has been working on a touch-centric device to compete with the iPhone, and that the device has the code name of "Tube." Nokia has not formally announced the device, which was featured today in a slide shown at the Evans Data Developer Relations Conference in California. Nokia also declined to give a time frame as to when the product might be launched.

About the only details available on the as-yet unannounced device are that it will sport a new finger touch based user interface and that it will support Java applications. It does seems likely that the Tube will be the first S60 Touch based device, though S60 Touch does not appear to have been specifically mentioned.

Mobile Phone Industry looking to beat iPhone

Now a days, Mobile phone makers seem only interested in making phones that look very much like iPhone. But there were few blockbuster products or major announcements.

Nevertheless, the Nokia booth was packed on Tuesday as Beyoncé and Madonna songs blared from overhead speakers.

Show visitors huddled around a long white table where Nokia, introduce N series mobile phones, including the N78, a multimedia phone, N78 has a 3.2-megapixel camera, but it runs on a high-speed network, includes a navigation function and eight gigabytes of memory, and has Internet radio and easy access to multimedia Web sites like YouTube and Flickr. N78 has introduced recently in Europe (for about $500) and is expected to go on sale in the United States in June.

“The handset makers are responding differently than they have before,” said Greg Ballard, chief executive of the mobile game maker Glu Mobile.

Meanwhile, at the booth for Samsung, the Instinct was being introduced. The prototype displayed was not quite ready for the show floor, although the phone, Samsung’s answer to the iPhone, is expected to be shipped in a few months.

The Instinct is a real competition for iphone, which has many features similar to the iPhone’s, like a voicemail management system, and the devices look remarkably similar. The Instinct, operating on a proprietary network developed by Samsung and Sprint, can be used to watch live TV and as a modem to connect a PC to the Internet. Industry analysts think it will sell for about $300.

LG, introduced the Vu, which has a touch screen and multimedia features very similar to the iPhone’s. The Vu will cost $300 through AT&T stores, which have an exclusive relationship with Apple to sell the iPhone. The Vu includes an optional new live television service, for $15 a month, LG said.

Geesung Choi, chief executive of Samsung’s telecommunications network business, predicted that the trend toward multifunction mobile phones is now changing. Now a costumer wants a basic mobile phone features with browsing the Web or watching television and movies.

“There is a perception that the iPhone is a phone, but it is not,” he said. “It is a multimedia player. Maybe they should rename it.”

Others saw a similar evolution of the market. “It’s not a technology market anymore,” said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division. “It’s a consumer market. Everyone’s needs are evolving. Consumers, in the end, will get what they want.”

Just a few years ago, he said, transferring a mobile phone number to AT&T from Verizon Wireless was revolutionary. In contrast, carriers today discuss how far they should open their closed networks to rivals’ products. And the mobile phones they support not only look like minicomputers, they act like them too.

Ralph de la Vega, chief executive of AT&T Mobility, said more phones in the coming months were likely to combine touch screens with a keypad or slide-out keyboard to appease customers who want the convenience of both. “The technology is available,” he said. “But it’s a trade-off.”

It is unclear, though, just how far the big carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless will go.

When asked about Google’s new mobile phone platform, Android, both Mr. de la Vega and Lowell C. McAdam, chief executive of Verizon Wireless, expressed interest, even optimism that it might run on their mobile phones one day. That is in stark contrast to the wireless carriers’ reaction when Android was first announced.

“We didn’t know enough about it,” Mr. McAdam said. He said he has visited Google and met with its chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, and others involved with Android.

A Mobile Future

Imagine having internet access anywhere, every minute of every day. Or being able to pull up any document or presentation, and get directions to the local coffee shop--all without a computer.

With today's smartphones, all these things are possible. A recent study from In-Stat found that 8 percent of regular business travelers have ditched their land lines and rely solely on their mobile phones. And while some people do consider mobile phones little computers, the current phones are only glimpses of their true potential.

Reaching People

For starters, mobile phones offer huge advertising potential. "As larger screens become more common, we're going to see new opportunities in mobile marketing," says Michael Gartenberg, analyst at Jupitermedia Corp.

According to the Mobile Advertising Report from Nielsen Mobile, 58 million U.S. mobile users said they were exposed to advertising over a 30-day period. Between the second and fourth quarter of 2007, mobile users exposed to ads jumped 38 percent.

Networking via smartphone is also bringing people together. Established networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and Friendster are joining the mobile social network. Other startups like Dodgeball, which is now owned by Google, Loopt and Socialight use location-based software, which takes advantage of mobile phones' ubiquity.

"Much of mobile today is replicating the functionality in some stripped-down format of what people have on the desktop," Gartenberg says. He predicts that mobile phone applications will soon rely less on desktop replications and be optimized for their unique form.

Software Magic

Since they're small enough to fit in your hand, mobile phones also offer unique software opportunities. GestureTek Mobile was recently awarded the GSM Association's Mobile Innovation Global Award for its EyeMobile Engine, which uses the phone's camera to create a gesture-based interface. Users shake, rock or move the device to do things like answer calls or flip through pictures, similar to playing the Nintendo Wii.

KnfbReading Technologies allows users to capture text items with the phone's camera and have the text read aloud. This technology was developed to help the visually impaired. Imagine being on a business trip ready to make yourself a cup of coffee in your hotel room, except that you can't read whether the package says decaffeinated or caffeinated. Problem solved.

PC Mobilizr from Rove Mobile allows users to connect to their home or work PC remotely and use their mobile screen to navigate, access and modify any file they want from their phone.

If you've ever punched in an address on a tiny mobile keyboard you know it can be cumbersome. Ask.com Mobile launched a new service at the beginning of this year that allows users to receive directions on their mobile device simply by speaking their start and end points.

Despite these amazing innovations, the iPhone or Google's upcoming mobile platform Android lead us further into the future of mobile phones.

The Future According to Giants

Big-name companies have picked up the trend of mobile smartphones. In less than a year, the iPhone garnered a 28 percent smartphone market share, according to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. That puts the iPhone behind Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry (41 percent), and ahead of Palm (9 percent).

"If we were having a conversation a little over a year ago, we wouldn't be talking about Google or Apple because neither one of them were in the mobile market," says Gartenberg. "Today, these are the companies that dominate the conversation. There's no doubt in my mind that 2008 is going to become a very pivotal year. The rate of growth and acceleration, if anything, is getting faster and not slowing down."

In the first week of March, Apple announced it was adding enterprise features to the iPhone, like compatibility with Microsoft Exchange and remote wiping of the device. It also announced it was opening the iPhone platform for outside software developers to create original phone applications.

In response, VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers announced a $100 million fund, appropriately called the iFund, to encourage entrepreneurs to build new software for the iPhone.

While information on Google's Android is still pending, and the phone is set to release later this year, Gartenberg says the mere fact that it is a Google product gives it immediate legitimacy in the market.

One thing we do know is that touchscreen, motion- and location-based technologies, synchronization with the web, widgets and more are the immediate future of mobile devices. However, these phones still have a way to go.

"You look at the core experience of the phone, which is to make voice phone calls and there hasn't been a whole lot of improvement in that experience," Gartenberg says.

A Different Spectrum

That said, the FCC has begun the process of auctioning off a spectrum of airwaves that has companies such as Google, AT&T and Verizon all vying for the waves that can send signals farther, with less power, over wider territories and with the capability of penetrating dense walls. Gartenberg believes a lot of focus will be on improving the phone experience and says this spectrum will be a major catalyst for tomorrow's smartphone innovations.

While you wait, it's nice to know that the innovations are coming fast and furious.

source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Apple joins top 10 mobile phone vendors

Apple, Research In Motion and ZTE took places among the world's top 10 mobile phone makers in 2007, new research from Gartner Inc. claims.

Despite being available in only four markets — the U.S., U.K., Germany and France — the iPhone transformed Apple into the world's 10th largest handset maker in the fourth quarter of 2007, the analysts said.

RIM took sixth place, while low-cost handset manufacturer ZTE, which specializes in delivering devices to emerging markets, took seventh place.

Apple holds 0.6% of the world market, while RIM has 1.2%. Motorola saw its share fall to 11.9% from 21.5%. Nokia, at 40.4%, and Samsung, at 13.4%, continue to dominate global handset sales.

Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi observed, "The global mobile devices market will remain relatively immune to a recession in the U.S. and Western European economies, as the majority of growth in 2008 will come from emerging markets. The mature Western Europe and North America markets are driven by operator contract terms and replacement cycles and will account for just 30% of the global mobile devices market in 2008."

Source : http://computerworld.com/a