HTC bets big on its Windows phones
NEW YORK: HTC has high hopes that Microsoft software will boost its smartphone sales due to a strong new design and support from wireless service providers, according to Jason Mackenzie, HTC's president of sales and marketing.
Taiwan's HTC, which derives most of its revenue from phones based on Google's Android software, is currently facing a sharp sales decline as it struggles to compete with iPhone maker Apple and Android rivals such as Samsung Electronics.
HTC will face a stiff battle with smartphone makers Samsung and Nokia Oyj, Microsoft's main handset partner, in the market for phones using Microsoft Windows Phone 8 software.
But Mackenzie said on Thursday that HTC Windows devices will stand up well against its bigger rivals. Nokia did not name any wireless service provider partners when it unveiled its flagship Windows device at a New York event on Wednesday nor did it even give any general indication of operator support.
In comparison Mackenzie said his company has firm commitments from operators to sell its Windows Phone 8 devices.
"I feel very strongly we've got very concrete carrier support in every region around the world including the United States and I'm not talking about just one carrier," the executive told Reuters. "Our plan is to go big on Windows 8."
Mackenzie declined to give specifics on where and when the phone would be sold.
But he did promise that Taipei-based HTC would come out with "a unique (industrial design) language for Windows phones, a language that can be held up by Microsoft as a flagship."
In comparison, he said, other Windows phones makers who also produce Android devices "haven't typically given their A plus designs to Windows phones."
"They've been designating those to Android," he said. While Android phones generate the bulk of HTC's revenue today, Mackenzie said it would like to see "a more balanced portfolio" i n terms of Android and Windows revenue.
"That wouldn't mean we'd want to dial back on Android," he said. "We want to grow Android and grow Windows at the same time."
However, this could be a tough job. While HTC's One-branded Android phones unveiled earlier this year have been enjoying good reviews by analysts and tech blogs, this has not been reflected in its sales.
After its profit fell by more than half in the second quarter, HTC on Aug 3 forecast a third-quarter revenue decline of as much as 23 percent, which was much worse than analysts had feared.
Earlier on Thursday HTC said its August sales were weaker than its July sales.
But Mackenzie said that he sees HTC's current problems as "temporary" and that he hopes to turn the company's fortunes around with better marketing of its brand and its devices.
Android smartphones sales driven by big screen phones, growing everywhere except for... the U.S.
Google’s Android platform continues to grow at a fast pace and interestingly that growth is hugely driven by phones with screens bigger than 4.5 inches. Android smartphones grew their market share virtually everywhere except for... the United States, according to latest data by analysts from Kantar WorldPanel ComTech.
Nearly every third Android device sold recently had a screen larger than 4.5 inches, a fact that would silence critics fiercely defending the usage superiority of smaller displays. With that big picture in mind, a bigger screened new iPhone can’t come any sooner.
Looking back at the stats, Android gained big in Europe where now two thirds of smartphones sold run on Google’s platform. And actually the same happened just about everywhere. In all major markets Android grew with one notable exception being the States where its share slipped by 4.5% while iOS grew by 9%.
Kantar also looked at the way devices with bigger screens affected what users do on them and it comes as no surprise that more advanced devices with larger displays are used for a wider array of services. For example, only a fifth of smartphone users with devices with screens smaller than 3 inches watch video, while for phablets with screens over 5 inches that percentage is 65.
“It is interesting to look at the impact a larger screen size has on how consumers use their smartphones, particularly as the line between tablets and smartphones becomes more blurred,” analyst Dominic Sunnebo said.
Take a look at just how interestingly smartphones sales moved in the last 12 weeks and how Android gains almost everywhere.
NEW YORK: HTC has high hopes that Microsoft software will boost its smartphone sales due to a strong new design and support from wireless service providers, according to Jason Mackenzie, HTC's president of sales and marketing.
HTC will face a stiff battle with smartphone makers Samsung and Nokia Oyj, Microsoft's main handset partner, in the market for phones using Microsoft Windows Phone 8 software.
But Mackenzie said on Thursday that HTC Windows devices will stand up well against its bigger rivals. Nokia did not name any wireless service provider partners when it unveiled its flagship Windows device at a New York event on Wednesday nor did it even give any general indication of operator support.
In comparison Mackenzie said his company has firm commitments from operators to sell its Windows Phone 8 devices.
"I feel very strongly we've got very concrete carrier support in every region around the world including the United States and I'm not talking about just one carrier," the executive told Reuters. "Our plan is to go big on Windows 8."
Mackenzie declined to give specifics on where and when the phone would be sold.
But he did promise that Taipei-based HTC would come out with "a unique (industrial design) language for Windows phones, a language that can be held up by Microsoft as a flagship."
In comparison, he said, other Windows phones makers who also produce Android devices "haven't typically given their A plus designs to Windows phones."
"They've been designating those to Android," he said. While Android phones generate the bulk of HTC's revenue today, Mackenzie said it would like to see "a more balanced portfolio" i n terms of Android and Windows revenue.
"That wouldn't mean we'd want to dial back on Android," he said. "We want to grow Android and grow Windows at the same time."
However, this could be a tough job. While HTC's One-branded Android phones unveiled earlier this year have been enjoying good reviews by analysts and tech blogs, this has not been reflected in its sales.
After its profit fell by more than half in the second quarter, HTC on Aug 3 forecast a third-quarter revenue decline of as much as 23 percent, which was much worse than analysts had feared.
Earlier on Thursday HTC said its August sales were weaker than its July sales.
But Mackenzie said that he sees HTC's current problems as "temporary" and that he hopes to turn the company's fortunes around with better marketing of its brand and its devices.
Nearly every third Android device sold recently had a screen larger than 4.5 inches, a fact that would silence critics fiercely defending the usage superiority of smaller displays. With that big picture in mind, a bigger screened new iPhone can’t come any sooner.
Looking back at the stats, Android gained big in Europe where now two thirds of smartphones sold run on Google’s platform. And actually the same happened just about everywhere. In all major markets Android grew with one notable exception being the States where its share slipped by 4.5% while iOS grew by 9%.  |
“It is interesting to look at the impact a larger screen size has on how consumers use their smartphones, particularly as the line between tablets and smartphones becomes more blurred,” analyst Dominic Sunnebo said.
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Lenovo to launch smartphones in India
The world's second-largest computer makerLenovo is all set to launch smartphones in India. According to a report in BloombergBusinessWeek, the company "will bring smartphones to India, the Philippines and Indonesia to gain more heft and experience before entering developed markets such as the US."
Lenovo entered the smartphone segment in China around two years ago. According to recent IDC data, domestic vendor Lenovo has knocked off Apple from its second place in China, the world's largest mobile market.
Lenovo entered the smartphone segment in China around two years ago. According to recent IDC data, domestic vendor Lenovo has knocked off Apple from its second place in China, the world's largest mobile market.
Lenovo, which makes the LePhone, took 11 percent market share in China in the second quarter, up from a single-digit percentage in the first quarter when it was ranked 7th, the data showed.Samsung Electronics retained its lead in the Chinese smartphone market with a share of around 16 percent, little changed from the first quarter. Apple ranked 4th.
Global handset vendors, such as Samsung and Nokia, have been chasing increased market share in China, where there are more than 1 billion mobile subscribers. China is set to overtake the United States as the world's largest smartphone market this year.
A recent report by research house Gartner said that Lenovo is the biggest vendor of personal computers in India.
Apple wins $1 billion in Samsung patent case
Apple Inc scored a sweeping legal victory over Samsung on Friday as a U.S. jury found the Korean company had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded the U.S. company $1.05 billion in damages.
The verdict — which came after less than three days of jury deliberations — could lead to an outright ban on sales of key Samsung products and will likely solidify Apple’s dominance of the exploding mobile computing market.
The US lawsuit was one of several cases around the world between California-based Apple and South Korean Samsung over technology rights and innovation in the fast-growing mobile computing sector.
Apple sued Samsung in April 2011, and Samsung countersued. The companies have also sued each other in Britain, Australia and South Korea. The California case was the first to go to a US jury.
Apple sought $2.75 billion for its claims that Samsung infringed four design patents and three software patents. Samsung demanded as much as $421.8 million in royalties for claims that Apple infringed five patents.
For the ’381 patent, which covers the “bounce-back” feature in document scrolling, all applicable Samsung products were found to be infringing for Samsung Electronics Ltd, Samsung Electronics America, and Samsung Telecommunications America, with the exception of the Galaxy Tab under Samsung Telecommunications America. This is a total of 21 smartphones and tablets including the Samsung Nexus S 4G, Galaxy s II (AT&T and i9100), Galaxy Tab, and Galaxy Tab 10.1.
One bit of good news for Samsung: The jurors found that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet did not infringe on any physical iPad design patents, as Apple had claimed.
Sony Launches Xperia ion in India,Bundled with Airtel Data pack, Rs 36,999 (PR)
Sony has finally officially launched the Xperia ion in India, priced at Rs. 36999. It is bundled with Airtel for data packages. Airtel mobile customers who buy the new ion will enjoy 500MB of free 3G data per month for 3 months; and 200 minutes of Mobile TV for a period of 2 months.
Quick Specs of the Xperia ion:
- MRP: Rs. 36,999
- 4.6 inch HD Reality Display resolution of 1280 x 720px
- Sony’s MOBILE BRAVIA Engine
- 16GB internal storage
- 1GB RAM, MicroSD card support up to 32GB
- HSPA, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth v3.0, microUSB v2.0
- 12 MP AF rear camera with 1080p video recording at 30fps
- VGA front facing camera
Details on the Airtel Offer :
Offer applicable on the first active airtel SIM inserted in the Sony Xperia Ion handset, for prepaid and non 3G pack postpaid retail customers. Post 500MB usage or offer period, charges at 3p/10KB (10p/10KB in 2G circles) will apply. Offer on 2G data in 2G circles. Offer valid till 30- Nov-12. Text 3G to 121 to start 3G. 200 min of mobile TV or 2 month subscription (accessed through appXtra application), whichever is earlier.
Galaxy Note 10.1
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| Samsung galaxy Note 10.1 by Being Human |
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is a larger version of the Galaxy Note smartphone launched in Nov 2011. The Note 10.1 smart tablet was announced at the Mobile World Congress 2012 and has some exciting features that should intrigue a lot of potential customers.
The device runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system. It is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and 2GB RAM, and It also comes packed with a 7,000mAh Li-ion battery. But that is not what makes the Note 10.1 special. The tablet features a 6.5mm S Pen, similar to the one on the original Galaxy Note, which is optimised for the creation of personalised and expressive content. The S Pen is embedded directly in the device and, when removed, automatically launches specially-optimised applications, including S Note and S Planner.
New level of multitasking can be achieved on the Note 10.1 thanks to a new multiscreen feature, users can effortlessly utilise two different applications side-by-side. Galaxy Note 10.1 also incorporates Learning Hub for accessing educational curricula and Adobe’s premium creative application Photoshop Touch.
Optics are there : The device also includes a 5-megapixel main camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. both capable of HD video. The Galaxy Note 10.1 comes in three connectivity options: WiFi-only and WiFi-and-3G HSPA-Plus connectivity, which are both available at launch, and WiFi-and-LTE which will be available later this year.
The Tablet is supposedly going to be announced in India a day or two. Expect a full iGyaan Treatment soon after.
For more details, follow the link - Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
Apple Announces Q3 results : $35 billion revenue, $8.8 billion in net profits
Apple has announced their Q3 results and as always the company has posted a massive profit. The company pulled in $35 billion in revenue, pocketing $8.8 billion of pure profit, a record for both in Q3. Profits were up $1.5 billion from Q3 of 2011. During the last three months the company shipped 17 million iPads, an 84 percent increase when compared to the same quarter in 2011.
More than $16 billion of the total revenue is directly attributable to the smaller member of the iOS family, the iPhone. The iPad is also not behind getting over $9 billion in this quarter alone. As an up, Apple is able to award its investors a $2.65 per-share dividend.For the next quarter Apple actually expects a small drop in both revenue and earnings per-share.
Tim Cook also discussed how China has instrumental in Apple’s continued growth. While revenues were down $2.2 billion from the previous quarter in the country they were up roughly 48 percent year-over-year to $5.7 billion.
For more details, follow the link - Apple's Third Quarter Earning Report
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