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A Peel for your Apple

US wireless carrier Sprint is slated to offer a kind of handset sleeve that could provide 3G wireless access to an iPod Touch, the Apple iPhone that’s not a phone.…

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(Source The Register)

Tags: 3, apple, apple iphone, iphone, phone, source the register, Touch

Sales of Android phones have risen by more than 300% this year, new figures show

Sales of Android phones have risen by more than 300% from the beginning of 2010, with one in 10 contract handsets sold in the UK now running Google’s mobile operating system.

Android’s share of the UK mobile contract market grew by 10.2 percentage points from the first quarter of 2010 to the second quarter, from 3% to 13.2%, new figures from retail watcher GfK show.

From the beginning of 2010, most of the UK’s major mobile operators have started selling a number of hotly-anticipated mobile devices running Google’s Linux-based software. The HTC Desire and HTC Legend are among other devices lauded by critics.

Just last week, Samsung launched a direct marketing challenge to the Apple iPhone with its Android-powered Galaxy S device.

Many mobile operators were unable to keep up with demand for the HTC Desire when it launched in the UK in April this year. HTC, the Taiwanese manufacturer of many devices running Android, posted a 41% global sales increase for the first six months of 2010, with figures from April, May and June reflecting record sales, according to the company.

In the same period, mobile devices running “advanced” operating systems – defined as those able to run independent compatible applications – grew in the contract market from 55% to 66.7%. Figures available from June show mobiles with advanced operating systems now representing 73.5% of the contract market.

“The figures suggest an increasing number of consumers are now asking for Android handsets by name,” said GfK analyst Megan Baldock. “Operating systems are no longer simply a by-product but a key selling point in their own right.”

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(Source The Guardian)

Tags: 10, 3, all, android, apple, apple iphone, consumer, contract, global, google, HTC, iphone, marketing, mobile, mobile phone, mobile phones, mobiles, months, new, phone, phones, sam, samsung, sim, sol, uk

Samsung has stepped up its marketing game against the Apple iPhone, sprinkling free Galaxy S devices across the twittersphere

Samsung is out with the stretchers, running full tilt towards the customer carnage left by antennagate. Yes, if you’re a disgruntled iPhoner, Samsung is coming for you.

Via Twitter and Facebook, Samsung is giving away (yes, literally giving away) its Galaxy S device, mostly to a “cross section” of customers reporting iPhone reception problems. And so comes the belated response to Apple chief executive Steve Jobs and his public dressing down of other devices – including the Samsung Omnia 2 – last week.

In a press statement, Samsung says: “Recently there has been a real increase in online activity from consumers dissatisfied with some of our competitors’ products.

“We decided to contact a cross section of individuals to offer them a free Samsung Galaxy S as a replacement, as we’re confident that once people have the phone in their hands, they’ll see how impressive it is for themselves.”

Samsung apparently started handing out the Android-powered devices ia Twitter on Wednesday.

Tiffany Nieuwland, Conde Nast digital marketing staffer, was among the first to be offered one after bemoaning the number of dropped calls she gets. Jose Espinosa, director of digital services at Connect Group, was next up for a Galaxy S in the post. And then DigitalNetwork, a London-based search and digital recruitment company.

You get the picture, right? Less a “cross section of customers reporting iPhone reception problems,” more of a cherry-picked bunch of digital influencers.

Will Critchlow, co-director of web marketing and development company Distilled, appears to have been the first recipient of the kindly offer. He received his no-strings Samsung phone this morning – with a handwritten courtesy note attached, no less.

“I asked my followers what phone I should get, a few people got back with various links, one of which I retweeted. It appears that’s the one Samsung picked up on,” Critchlow told us.

“We’re an office full of geeks here. It’s an effective strategy in terms of making me evangelise the phone. But will it make my followers buy one? Who knows. It ultimately comes down to how good the product is.”

Critchlow, an iPhone 3G owner, said he was relatively impressed with the Galaxy S (and you’d be forgiven for thinking they were the same phone, from the appearance), which is his first hands-on experience of Google’s Android software. (It runs the Android 2.1 software.)

Samsung kicked off its iPhone-bashing Galaxy S campaign with the below poster. But how long will it last? Bring on the side-by-side customer reviews, we say.

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(Source The Guardian)

Tags: 10, 3, all, android, apple, apple iphone, consumer, free, google, iphone, line, marketing, mobile, mobile phone, mobile phones, mobiles, new, phone, phones, review, reviews, sam, samsung, service, twitter, uk

Nokia has started its search for a new chief executive after failing to make
up ground against upstarts such as Android and the Apple iPhone, according to
reports in The Wall Street Journal .

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(Source Yahoo UK News)

Tags: all, android, apple, apple iphone, iphone, new, nokia, phone, uk

LONDON (Reuters) – Speech-recognition software maker Nuance is launching software apps for the Apple iPhone in Britain as the company grows more confident that its voice-to-text technology is ready for global markets.

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(Source Yahoo UK News)

Tags: apple, apple iphone, global, iphone, maker, new, phone, uk

Google has called time on US sales of its flagship Nexus One device, two months after pulling the plug on direct sales through its website.


Photo by mackarus on Flickr. Some rights reserved

Sales of the Android-powered device had been disappointing since its US launch at the beginning of the year, the unconventional initial point of sale – online-only – putting many customers off. The web store “remained a niche channel for early adopters,” admitted Google vice president of engineering in a blog post, adding: “It’s clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone”.

Although the Nexus One will be a disappointing setback for Google, the device widely-heralded as a market challenge to the Apple iPhone, work on the Nexus Two will only be hastened.

Google’s end-of-the-line news was announced in a blogpost on Friday, when all eyes were locked firmly on Cupertino with Apple’s iPhone 4 showdown.

The Nexus One will continue to be sold through Vodafone in Europe, despite stumbling belatedly into a competitive market. Developers will still be able to get their hands on the phone, though the web store will discontinue shipping to Europe.

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(Source The Guardian)

Tags: 10, all, android, apple, apple iphone, blog, google, iphone, line, mobile, mobile phone, mobile phones, months, new, phone, phones, sol, uk, vodafone

Firm offers free covers to owners and new buyers after signal problems sparked demands for recall

Apple’s iPhone 4 conference – as it happened

Apple is offering a free rubber “bumper” to owners of the iPhone 4 to head off criticism over problems with its signal reception but dismissed suggestions that the device should be recalled.

Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, said the problems had affected only “a small batch” of phones, and that it was due to an “inherent problem” with smartphones. “We’re not perfect,” he said at a press conference at Apple’s HQ in Cupertino, California. “We haven’t figured out a way around the laws of physics yet.”

Nevertheless Apple will offer the “bumpers”, which cover the sides of the phone, around the exposed metal antenna which receives the mobile signal. When users have held the phones by the bottom and left sides it has led to a loss of signal. People who have already bought a case are entitled to a free cash refund.

Jobs headed off the suggestion that Apple would have to recall the phone, following a media storm which had seen some compare the problems to those faced by Toyota, whose cars suffered problems with the accelerators and brakes. However the iPhone has not met any of the usual criteria for a product recall, such as spontaneously combusting or causing harm through heat or emission.

Jobs revealed that Apple has sold 3m of the iPhone 4 since its launch on 24 June. That indicates that the rate of sales has slowed dramatically, after 1.7m were sold in the first three days. But he insisted customer satisfaction was higher than with previous versions: the return rate was just 1.7%, he said, compared to 6% for the previous model, the iPhone 3GS released last summer.

The company said it cannot make enough bumpers to satisfy demand, but will keep the offer of the free case open until September.

Jobs admitted that there had been complaints about the phone losing signal when held by the left and bottom sides – but said that they were natural for any phone. He acknowledged they were not perfect but insisted that every phone manufacturer had problems with antenna design and interaction with the body’s tendency to absorb the phone signal. Apple’s stock rebounded as Jobs began speaking at 6pm UK time last night.

Apple’s share price fell by 4% overnight on Tuesday, knocking $9.9bn (£6.5bn) off the company’s $230bn value, as speculation grew that the phone might have to be recalled.

Since the iPhone 4′s launch, there have been many complaints about the way that the signal appears to drop off dramatically when it is held with a hand wrapped around its left and bottom sides (a problem dubbed the “iPhone Death Grip”).

Apple this week said that it had made a “simple and surprising” error in the software that displayed the strength of the signal, and on Thursday night issued a software update which changes how many bars are displayed when the signal becomes weaker.

The iPhone problems now feature in dozens of jokes. Earlier this week Kevin Turner, the chief operating officer of Microsoft, spoke at a conference about its Windows Phone 7 software.

“One of the things that I want to make sure that you know today,” he said, “is that you’re going to be able to use the Windows Phone 7 and not have to worry about how you’re holding it to make a call.”

Read Original Story…
(Source The Guardian)

Tags: 10, 3, 3gs, all, apple, apple iphone, Apples, compare, compared, free, iphone, iphone 3gs, mobile, mobile phone, mobile phones, new, phone, phones, released, sim, sol, storm, three, uk, update

Apple iPhone users who have downloaded the
iOS
4.1 update released yesterday are experiencing a number of issues, including
error messages during installation and in some cases even worse reception than
before.

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(Source Yahoo UK News)

Tags: all, apple, apple iphone, iphone, new, phone, released, uk, update

Spinning begins

The likelihood that tonight’s hastily convened Apple iPhone 4 press conference will centre on a product recall appears to be diminishing.…

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(Source The Register)

Tags: all, apple, apple iphone, iphone, phone, source the register

It’s crunch day for Apple and iPhone 4 – what can we expect? Stay with us for coverage throughout the day

11.45am: BBC News: users are reporting new issues with 3GS devices.

As the iOS 4.0.1 update has fixed the methods of displaying signal strength in some iPhone 4 devices, it appears that a past update is causing older models to drop calls mysteriously:

“At the same time some owners of the iPhone 3GS are reporting that an earlier update to the handset’s operating system made their phone far more likely to drop calls. The dropped calls occur when the phone suddenly reboots during a conversation”.

The report doesn’t make clear which software update caused this problem or whether it affects 3G or 4 devices. Plugging one hole as another appears? Have you updated? Let us know below…

11.30am: The clamour for a bigger software update/’iDuct’ tape/anything just cranked up a notch: US Democratic senator Charles E. Schumer has written an open letter to Apple chief Steve Jobs, saying:

“I write to express concern regarding the reception problem with the Apple iPhone 4. While I commend Apple’s innovative approach to mobile technology and appreciate its service to millions of iPhone users nationwide, I believe it is incumbent upon Apple to address this flaw in a transparent manner.

“[...] The solutions offered to date by Apple for dealing with the so-called ‘death grip’ malfunction—such as holding the device differently, or buying a cover for it—seem to be insufficient. These proposed solutions would unfairly place the burden on consumers for resolving a problem they were not aware of when they purchased their phones.

“I also encourage Apple to keep its promise to provide free software updates so that bars displayed accurately reflect signal strength; I further urge Apple to issue a written explanation of the formula it uses to calculate bar strength, so that consumers can once again trust the product that they have invested in.”

Who’s your UK political tip for jumping in? Tom Watson MP? Peter Mandelson?

11.20am: So we had a smart pre-emptive move from Apple late last night with the quiet release of the iOS4.0.1 software upgrade. But did it do the trick for you?

For some, it appears to have solved the fundamental signalling problem:

But for others, the problem remains:

10.48am: It must have been quite the week at Apple’s Cupertino, California base. iPhone 4 woes have continued, the technology company set to explain all at today’s crunch press conference.

The much-maligned device has suffered fundamental problems with its mobile reception – growing uncertainty surrounding a potential recall leading to a dip in Apple’s share price and prompting more speculation over the future of the device.

While experts look for a recall of devices, customers clamour for a simple fix. We expect to see one or the other at today’s impromptu press conference. Seeking to gain the initiative, Apple last night released iOS 4.0.1 – a simple fix we’ve all being waiting for? All this and more remains to be seen.

Stay with us for comprehensive coverage throughout the day ahead of the embattled technology company’s 6pm summit. Got news? Tip us off.

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(Source The Guardian)

Tags: 10, 3, 3gs, all, apple, apple iphone, Apples, bbc, consumer, deal, free, iphone, iphone 3gs, mobile, mobile phone, mobile phones, new, phone, phones, released, sam, service, sim, sol, uk, update

Ratings publication Consumer Reports has declined to recommend Apple’s iPhone
4, saying that the handset’s
reception
problems had been confirmed by its own researchers through a series of lab
tests.

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(Source Yahoo UK News)

Tags: apple, apple iphone, consumer, iphone, line, new, phone, test, uk

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Consumer Reports will not recommend Apple’s iPhone 4 to buyers after testing and confirming the device’s well-publicised wireless signal and reception glitches, adding that AT&T was not necessarily the main culprit.

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(Source Yahoo UK News)

Tags: apple, apple iphone, consumer, iphone, new, phone, test, uk

New Mobile & Latest Deal News!

We have an exclusive deal for you on the iPhone 4 with nothing to pay upfront. It’s on Orange Solo, costing £47 per month on a 24m contract. It comes with 1200 minutes, 200 texts, 750MB of mobile data and 750MB of Wi-Fi data.

Not familiar with iPhone 4? Want to know what all the fuss is about? The new Retina 3.5 inch display on the iPhone 4 hits you with a clarity of visuals not yet experienced on a smartphone. The individual pixels are so fine the human eye cannot see them and so brings an unparalleled high-definition experience. The 5 megapixel camera takes full advantage of this optical range and offers tap-to-focus, geo-tagging, LED flash/light, iMovie editor and video capture at 720p/30fps.

Multitasking no longer drains the battery and allows the built-in iPod to play music and videos whilst downloading the latest iBook or navigating your journey with the help of A-GPS, maps and a digital compass. The fun side of the iPhone offers 3D motion-sensing game play and the Safari Web browser gives access to more than 200,000 downloadable applications as well as putting the Internet at the touch of your fingers.

In-call features include 2 video cameras that can capture the user as well as their surroundings and dual microphones for a superior quality of sound. Messages are kept in one unified inbox and the menu assists in keeping things organised with applications that can be placed into folders.

The 16GB Apple iPhone 4 has a stylish design with a black stainless steel band and flat glossy surfaces with a fingerprint resistant coating. Truly the must have gadget for 2010, the iPhone 4 is set to make most other smartphones look rather mediocre.

Compare all iPhone 4 16GB deals

Tags: 10, 12, 3, all, apple, apple iphone, compare, contract, deal, Deals, free, gadget, iphone, latest, latest deal, mobile, new, new mobile, orange, phone, phones, sol, solo, test, Touch

Reception issues plaguing the iPhone 4 show no signs of ending after Apple’s
technical support line confirmed today that an upcoming software update will not
solve the problem.

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(Source Yahoo UK News)

Tags: apple, apple iphone, iphone, line, new, phone, sol, uk, update

Eight days on from the
much
anticipated launch of the iPhone 4, availability continues to be a problem
for consumers, with two major networks, Three and T-Mobile still not selling the
device.

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(Source Yahoo UK News)

Tags: apple, apple iphone, consumer, iphone, mobile, networks, new, phone, t-mobile, three, uk

Machined to perfection?

Review  Let’s be honest here, what really makes the the iPhone 4 stand out is its new ‘Retina Display’.…

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(Source The Register)

Tags: all, apple, apple iphone, iphone, new, phone, review, source the register

Subscribers to discount website Groupola can pick up handset for £400 less than Apple charges – if they are quick enough

A discount website specialising in ‘city deals’ is offering users the chance to purchase the new Apple iPhone 4 on 1 July for just £99, compared to the £499 Apple charges . Groupola.com only has a limited number of handsets available and is offering them exclusively to its email subscribers.

It says it is able to offer such low prices because it relies on group-buying to regularly offer discounts of up to 90% on events and products across the UK’s major cities and tourist attractions.

O2 is selling the 16GB iPhone 4 for £209 if you sign up to an 18-month contract and spend £30 a month, while Vodafone wants £219 for the 16GB version if you also spend £30 a month for 18 months. You can compare packages here.

Mark Pearson, managing director of Groupola, says: “Given that the iPhone 4 sold out through pre-orders alone in just 48 hours through the Apple store, we thought it was only right to offer loyal Groupola.com discount hunters another bite of the cherry. We’ve proved that the concept of group buying can work within the UK.”

To purchase the iPhone for £99 you need to be an email subscriber, so you’ll need to visit the site and sign up to receive daily alerts. You will be sent a link on 1 July which will allow you to purchase the phone on 2 July on a first come, first served basis.

“My advice is to open the link the second the clock ticks over at 9.30am – by 9.31am you may already have been too late,” adds Pearson.

The firm has admitted that the deal is a loss-leader and there is only a limited number of phones available. It has also said that people can easily unsubscribe from the daily alerts should they wish to.

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(Source The Guardian)

Tags: 10, 3, all, apple, apple iphone, charges, compare, compared, consumer, contract, deal, Deals, email, iphone, mobile, mobile phone, mobile phones, months, new, o2, phone, phones, prices, sol, uk, vodafone

TOKYO (Reuters) – Apple iPhone 4 makes glitzy debut

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(Source Yahoo UK News)

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Jonathan Ive has designed his masterpiece, says Stephen Fry. And there’s video-calling and the crispest display ever

Just as the frenzy of the iPad launch subsides, it is time for anti-Apple frothers to have a new device waved in their angry faces and for pro-Apple droolers to get verbally bitch-slapped in the blogosphere for falling once more for Steve Jobs’s huckstering blandishments.

A year ago, iPhone 3GS was released with a new operating system and now iPhone 4 arrives with iOS 4.0, offering an array of long-awaited functions. Since that 2009 3GS launch, the Taiwanese manufacturer HTC in particular has upped its game and risen to Apple’s challenge, producing handsets for the Android OS that offer slews of features, including free turn-by-turn navigation, multi-tasking, removable batteries and highly customisable interfaces. What can Apple do to wrench back the crown?

The iPhone 4 is an object of rare beauty. Noticeably slimmer but a trifle heavier than predecessors, its new heft only adds to the profound feeling of quality and precision that the device exudes. Sharper edged, it is girt by a stainless steel band which cleverly houses all the antennae required by a modern smartphone. Jobs himself made a comparison between iPhone 4 and a classic Leica. With this device in my hand, I feel that I am holding its designer Jonathan Ive’s personal prototype, hand-machined as a proof-of-concept model. Ive is surely one of the most influential and gifted designers Britain has ever produced and the iPhone 4 may well be his masterpiece.

The phone is available unlocked in the UK. Mine came with a Vodafone mini-SIM which I swapped for an Orange, the network change working perfectly straight away. On the front can be discerned the lineaments of a forward-facing camera and, in the glorious glass obverse (which leads one to speculate that future models might allow solar charging), an extra eye reveals that LED flash has finally arrived. The existence of the front-facing camera allows video calling: Apple’s new open standard for this, called FaceTime, neatly and transparently turns an initial mobile phone call into WiFi video chat, saving data charges.

Once I had located someone else with an iPhone 4 (not easy the week before launch), I found FaceTime worked with astounding ease and in very impressive resolution. The main camera has been upgraded to 5 megapixels (crucially, without diminution of pixel size) and produces stunning images that might be, for many, reason enough to upgrade, especially when you consider the iPhone 4′s remarkable new Retina display. Retina delivers the crispest images I have ever seen on a smartphone. I found myself staring at onscreen text in disbelief.

Apple has produced, and third parties will doubtless emulate and improve, rubberised wraparound belts for iPhone 4 called Bumpers. They come in all kinds of colours and give the device great resilience. (I saw an Apple executive gleefully hurling his bumpered iPhone 4 across a room). With 720p HD video, a full-featured iMovie editing app, sweet multi-tasking, better mail, spellcheck, a bigger battery, inbuilt 3-axis gyroscope (wait for the gaming implications of that alone), extra pep and polish and that droolworthy form factor, Apple has once more leapfrogged the competition. HTC Android handsets still impress and offer a viable alternative for many, but iPhone 4′s star quality is irresistible.

stephenfry.com/blog

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(Source The Guardian)

Tags: 10, 3, 3gs, all, android, apple, apple iphone, blog, charges, comparison, free, HD, HTC, iphone, iphone 3gs, line, mobile, mobile phone, mobile phones, new, orange, phone, phones, released, room, sim, sol, uk, vodafone

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Sales of Apple Inc’s latest iPhone blew away expectations in its first day on the market despite shortages and an embarrassing online ordering glitch that thwarted many shoppers.

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(Source Yahoo UK News)

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