Best Buy Mobile commissioned a survey revealing that a large portion of adults in America plan to buy a smartphone in the next 12 months. However, many barriers stand in their way, including confusion about the technology, the shopping experience and price. The poll of 1,000 Americans, half men and half women all over the age of 18, was conducted by telephone May 29-31 by GfK Roper, a division of GfK Custom Research North America, to obtain a snapshot of current habits, preferences and purchase intentions among today’s mobile phone users.
The category of smartphones – mobile devices with computer functionality - has become a cornerstone for Best Buy Mobile, now in 1,067 U.S. locations both within traditional Best Buy stores as well as in standalone units. The GfK survey demonstrates many of the drivers and barriers to Americans’ smartphone purchases.
Verizon Wireless and HTC today introduce the Verizon Wireless HTC Ozone. This easy-to-use smartphone combines a simple design with a host of connectivity options that include the nation’s largest wireless 3G network, global roaming and Wi-Fi, making it a smart option and, at $49.99, a great value for first-time smartphone users or savvy business professionals. The Ozone is only available in black.
Key features:
Ergonomically-designed QWERTY keyboard for fast and easy typing
Flexible connectivity options with Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, global roaming capabilities and support for Wi-Fi
1500 mAh battery delivers extended operating time
Includes international charging adapters to stay powered up while abroad
AT&T today announced the Motorola Karma QA1, a curvy and compact messaging device that lets you express yourself the way you want, whether you text, blog, tweet or talk. Karma will be available in AT&T stores and online beginning June 28.
Motorola Karma is designed for effortless all-day, every-day mobile socializing with features such as text messaging, instant messaging and homescreen access to Facebook and MySpace. A slide-out QWERTY keyboard, high-resolution display and access to the nation’s fastest 3G network make it easy to follow multiple mobile conversations and stay connected to the people who matter most.
Motorola Karma keeps the conversation going with multiple ways to stay connected on your terms. IM-style texting with an all-in-one view of messages and easy scroll navigation helps you keep track of conversations and stay organized. Take your social status to the next level by sending instant messages to multiple friends at once using popular services like Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger.
T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced the upcoming availability of its newest 3G-enabled smartphone, the T-Mobile Dash 3G, offering a balance of personal and professional connections in a sleek design with faster data delivery and Web browsing via T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g).
The T-Mobile Dash 3G, designed by HTC and powered by Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.1, is available in a glossy-black finish with red accents, features a full-QWERTY keyboard, easy-to-use trackball and vibrant display. This latest version of the T-Mobile Dash delivers easy ways to stay connected and organized with voice calling, messaging, support for personal and business e-mail, GPS for location-based services, and synchronization with Microsoft Outlook. Whether staying organized while traveling or simply staying connected with friends and family, the T-Mobile Dash 3G provides access to the life tools customers need in a small, sleek package.
According to new research by Yankee Group, 41 percent of consumers are likely to choose a smartphone as their next mobile device. As consumer demand for feature-rich phones increases, T-Mobile is responding with an expanding lineup of 3G-capable smartphones including the new T-Mobile Dash 3G.
T-Mobile is on track to announce their second Google's Android powered smartphone. The new smartphone phone will be names myTouch 3G. Like the G1, the new handset will be manufacture red by HTC and is expected to go on sale this summer. Google executives are forecasting about 18 Android powered smartphones to hit the market this year. For more information visit Wall Street Journal.
Research In Motion and Sprint today introduced the BlackBerry Tour; a powerful new 3G BlackBerry smartphone for CDMA customers in North America. The new BlackBerry Tour smartphone offers state-of-the-art communications and multimedia capabilities with outstanding mobile performance and consummate styling. It is a feature-packed and highly refined world phone that keeps you connected and lets you tour the world in style.
The BlackBerry Tour smartphone allows customers to stay seamlessly connected - across town and around the world. It supports high-speed 3G EV-DO Rev. A networks in North America, as well as 3G UMTS/HSPA (2100Mhz) and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks abroad.
The BlackBerry Tour smartphone also provides the industry’s leading mobile solution for email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and social networking together with built-in GPS and advanced multimedia capabilities, enabling customers to make the most of both their personal and professional time.
Samsung today unveiled the Samsung Jet smartphone which features multi-task manager and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, with a user-friendly menu navigations in a sleek and compact design.
The Jet’s 16M WVGA AMOLED display (3.1”) offers vivid and colorful full touch mobile experience available; the WVGA AMOLED screen provides a resolution that is four times higher than a WQVGA screen. The 800MHz application processor delivers breathtaking speed and stunning performance, making Jet the fastest full touch handset on the market today.
Samsung’s latest TouchWiz 2.0 user interface new features such as intuitive 3D media gate UI and motion-response UI, smart unlock, customizable widget screen. The Dolfin Web browser lets users surf the net and access popular websites, especially social networking sites, with ease and speed. The 5 mega-pixel camera, built-in GPS, DNSe & SRS Sound Effect technology for superior sound quality, and DivX and XviD video support for hassel-free video downloading and viewing.
Nokia unveiled the Nokia E72 at the Nokia Connection event in Singapore today. Nokia's latest full QWERTY smartphone brings a rich mobile email and instant messaging experience right out of the box, making it the ideal device for people that want to be productive in both their personal and professional lives.
On top of these developments, for the first time, owners will be able to set up instant messaging (IM) accounts provided by Nokia Messaging direct from the homescreen. In just a few steps, device owners will be able to connect to their favorite IM accounts such as Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk and Ovi, amongst many others.
These new IM features are complimented by Nokia's range of email solutions with a lifetime license for Nokia's mobile email and IM service, Nokia Messaging, as well as onboard clients for Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler.
There is huge anticipation of Palm Pre scheduled for release on June 6. The Palm Pre is expected to be a major competition of the Apple iPod; however, one major difference is that the Palm Pre doesn't have access to an App Store as stated in video to the right by Walt Mossberg.
Palm Pre will be available nationwide on June 6 in Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and online at Sprint.com for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. However, according to Sprint's CEO there may be a shortage of the Palm Pre when it's finally launched.
Running on the new Palm webOS mobile platform, Pre brings together your important information from where it resides – on your phone, at your work or on the web – into one logical view. For more information visit www.sprint.com/palmpre.
Pharos Science & Applications, Inc., a provider of location-based information and services, today announced the availability of the Traveler 137, a Windows smartphone that is the first to give users access to 3G data speeds on both the T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless networks.
The Traveler 137 features hybrid navigation software, giving it the unique ability to provide voice-prompted navigation even without a connection to a carrier's network. The Traveler 137 is sold unlocked, enabling users to use local GSM SIM cards worldwide and avoid international roaming charges. The Traveler 137 is available today from Amazon.com, for the suggested retail price of $599.95. Users can obtain a $250 discount on the phone if signing up for a new T-Mobile two-year contract through Pharos.
The Traveler 137's ultra-sensitive aGPS gives users the ability to navigate quickly; its high speed 3G capability brings a world of information to users' fingertips; its touch-and-sweep interface on a crisp WVGA screen makes using the powerful Windows phone fun and easy.
Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion (RIM) announced today the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone will be available on the nation’s largest 3G broadband network beginning June 19.
The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 features the industry’s leading mobile e-mail and messaging solution combined with rich multimedia capabilities and the high-speed connectivity of Verizon Wireless’ broadband network in a popular flip design.
The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone will be $129.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
According to recent research from In-Stat the number of smart phone-devices for which developers can create native applications will be increasing rapidly in the coming five years. By 2013, In-Stat projects nearly 30% of Smart Phones representing over 100 million unit shipments will be based on an Operating System that supports app stores.
Apple's highly promoted App Store set the stage for a flurry of similar handset-based application discovery and sales portals. Google's Android (included under "Linux - Other") was also conceived around a similar app store, as was the Palm WebOS, the replacement for Palm's aging Garnet operating system. Several other operating systems can also be expected to add application stores of their own.
Google today announced that their Google Mobile application is now available for the Nokia S60 smartphones. The app provided Google an opportunity to address three aspects of an issue Google regularly hears; which includes immediacy of access, location and query formulation.
The new app for the S60 allows quick access to programs directly from the home screen, making search, Google Maps, Gmail and other Google mobile services quickly available.
The new app includes location awareness. When you use the My Location feature, you'll get search results that relate to where you are.
Cellular South has announced the availability of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 smartphone from Research In Motion.
One quick flip of the handset opens up a world of possibilities with the industry's leading mobile messaging solution and a wide range of impressive Internet and multimedia capabilities, all in one powerful yet approachable smartphone.
Customers can send a message to friends or family, make calls, browse the web, snap pictures, play games, watch videos or listen to their favorite music.
The BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone presents a sophisticated look with a sleek design and a chrome-finished frame surrounding its smooth, luminescent face. Packed with an abundance of powerful features, it weighs only 3.6 ounces and measures approximately 3.9" x 1.9" x 0.7".
Sprint today announced pricing and nationwide availability for the Palm Pre phone, offered exclusively from Sprint. Palm Pre will be available nationwide on June 6 in Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and online at Sprint.com for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Running on the new Palm webOS mobile platform, Pre brings together your important information from where it resides – on your phone, at your work or on the web – into one logical view.
For those who juggle life circa 2009 – bouncing from conference call to car pool schedule, from doctors’ numbers to doctoral thesis data, from social calendars to social networking – Pre marks a new wireless crossover standard. Before Pre, you had to compromise when selecting a wireless phone. To get the business features you needed, you had to sacrifice the personal entertainment features you wanted. Pre consolidates your important information – professional, social and personal – into one revolutionary device using an operating system that redefines the experience of living and working wirelessly.
Palm Pre will run on America’s most dependable 3G network and come with Sprint’s industry-leading, value-oriented Everything Data plans that offer savings of up to $1,430 over two years vs. comparable AT&T and Verizon plans for smartphones and PDAs.
AT&T announced today that they are offering a limited time, buy one, get one free after mail-in rebate promotion for the LG Xenon (announced last March). The LG Xenon, available only through AT&T, includes a stylish touch screen, a side-sliding full keyboard, instant messaging, mobile e-mail and AT&T Navigator.
New LG Xenon users receive a free 30 day trial of AT&T Navigator. Using GPS directly from the customer's wireless phone, AT&T Navigator provides audible and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, including full-color moving maps. After the trial period has ended, customers can pay either a monthly subscription charge of $9.99 for unlimited routes or use the service with the $2.99 Day Pass option. Data usage charges apply.
The compact and powerful phone browses the mobile Internet on the nation's fastest 3G network, and takes 3.0 megapixel photos that can be uploaded to social networking sites or sent to friends via MMS. AT&T customers can get two of the new touch screen 3G quick messaging phone for $99.99 after mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement.
According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global Android smartphone shipments will grow 900 percent in 2009. Healthy support from operators, vendors and developers is driving adoption. Apple iPhone OS will be the next fastest-growing smartphone operating system in 2009, with a 79 percent growth rate.
Tom Kang, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “We forecast global Android smartphone shipments to grow an impressive 900 percent annually during 2009. The Android mobile operating system from Google gained early traction in the United States in the second half of 2008 and it is gradually spreading its presence into Europe and Asia during 2009. Android is expanding from a low base and it is consequently outgrowing the iPhone OS from Apple, which we estimate will grow at a relatively lower 79 percent annually in 2009.”
Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Android has fast been winning healthy support among operators, vendors and developers.
Rogers Wireless today announced the exclusive Canadian launch in June 2009 of the HTC Dream and HTC Magic smartphones, the first cellphones in Canada powered by the Google - Android platform, allowing for fast and easy access to a wide range of Google mobile services, including Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail and more.
"Who else but Rogers would be the first carrier to offer Canadians the first chance to join the mobile revolution with a choice of not one, but two, handsets powered by the Android platform?", said John Boynton, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Rogers Wireless. "The HTC Magic offers a responsive touch screen and the HTC Dream delivers both a touch screen and a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Both devices offer outstanding wireless internet search capabilities and a full suite of applications that run two times faster on Canada's fastest mobile network.".
Phone Finder
