Omio

Samsung Topples Motorola To Become No.1 In U.S. Market, Apple Beats BlackBerry In Smartphone Sector

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

With all the Q3 2008 numbers finally in, it shows some exciting changes in the mobile phone industry!

Whilst overall phone shipments topped out at almost 40 million units over the third quarter, Samsung managed to overtake the inexplicably successful Motorola in the US, becoming the market leader for the first time. A combination of appealing new devices, cut-throat subsidies and shrewd marketing (off the back of a weak Korean currency allowing cheaper shipments) has managed to wrestle the Motorola RAZR’s death-grip on the US, and not a moment too soon!

Equally groundbreaking is that Apple has snatched second in the extremely competitive smartphone sector, overtaking BlackBerry with 17% of the market covered! It wasn’t all bad news for BlackBerry’s creators RIM though, who themselves have increased their share to 15%, from 10.2 in Q3 of 2007.

The losers? Well, all these market share increases make for sombre reading as far as Nokia is concerned, as other manufacturers chomp Pac-Man style into their huge piece of the smartphone pie. Their market share has declined by a small margin, but it comes as little surprise with their far reaching span of handsets for all regions.

With each of the big four manufacturers pretty much in control of their own operating systems (Nokia have Symbian, Apple and RIM devices run on proprietary software and Motorola uses Linux), it will be interesting to see if Android can muscle its way into what will be an increasingly tough area to penetrate.

Perhaps they have already targeted the unsteady one in the pack, with Motorola recently announcing plans to create an Android-powered device. Either way, 2009 will be a very interesting year in the mobile business, and Omio will keep you abreast of any developments!

Source: Information Week

Nokia CEO Tips Hat To Heavyweight Challenger, Set To Take On All Comers

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Speaking at a gathering of the big names in Silicon Valley, Nokia’s CEO acknowledged the threat posed by new competitors to their phone industry dominance, but vowed to put up a good fight in the coming months.

Nokia’s head honcho Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo realised that the introduction of businesses once rooted in the computing world have changed the focus of the mobile phone market to high-powered smartphones and online connectivity.

“Suddenly you have the mightiest companies in the world there as your competitors. That is a little mind-boggling,” Kallasuvo said, speaking of Google and Apple entering what was previously Nokia territory…and making waves.

Also Nokia have been impressed by BlackBerry makers Research in Motion making their handsets more appealing to the casual market, but have aligned with Microsoft to get Symbian compatible syncing software, thus remaining competitive in the business sector.

Apple did get a special shout-out, as the post-iPhone market has changed the requirements and desires of phone consumers forever:

“We have a new, credible competitor in this business. You know I need to take my hat off. Of course we need to be able to respond to any competitor and we will.”

Kallasuvo’s opinion of the new phone by online behemoth Google was somewhat muted, but not without a hint of recognition that the G1, and more importantly new operating system Android, as a threat: “They are a newcomer here. I think the jury is still out: What is the new thing they bring here?” Talking of the inception of Symbian architecture alongside Motorola and Ericsson, he said: “I realized that we could have made the same announcement 10 years ago.”

With the oft-rumoured 5800 Tube to be announced in mere hours alongside the iTunes-battling “Comes With Music” service, it is clear to see that Nokia can have become a bit of an industry also-ran as far as innovation is concerned, but they are far from comfortable there.

Moving into 2009, the Finnish company certainly seems to have the drive and determination to reclaim lost ground from their competitors, but you cannot shake the feeling that they would swap the hundreds of millions of handset sales for just some of the ‘cool’ that Apple has brought to the table.

Well, maybe not all those sales…

Source: Reuters

BlackBerry Reveals Social Networking Apps

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Research In Motion’s transformation of the BlackBerry brand continues unabated, as they reveal a new range of mobile applications for the always connected social dynamo.

Following the announcement of their flip smartphone, RIM have confirmed links with MySpace, Microsoft and Ticketmaster to provide apps and pages for quick access to a wealth of content and information.

The Ticketmaster add-on provides a gateway to favourite artists by providing gossip and booking concert tickets, whilst Microsoft’s Live Search makes browsing and navigation a breeze. Apparently.

The MySpace app will allow mobile viewing and updating of pages, so you can reassure yourself of being popular wherever you are.

With projections of over 800 million people accessing social networks through their mobile phones by 2012, this market will be big business, and RIM is very shrewd to get in at the ground floor.

However, is RIM wise to turn their back on the ‘hardcore’ Blackberry user to aim at the fickle mass market? Time will tell.

HSBC Moves From Blackberry To iPhone, 200,000 Ordered

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

All that business user talk for the iPhone seems to be gaining weight as HSBC has decided to adopt the device in favour of the Blackberry for 200,000 of their staff members.

The decision to move to the iPhone as their main device is in final review as it is obviously a huge decision, but if taken onboard this could prove to be terrible news for Blackberry makers RIM.

“We are actually reviewing iPhones from a HSBC Group perspective…and when I say that, I mean globally,” said  Brenton Hush, HSBC’s Australia and New Zealand Chief Officer. Now the corporate tools for integration and Microsoft Exchange support are in place for the iPhone, the phone could become the de facto standard for tech-savvy businesses.

Trading applications, accountancy tools and the like are beginning to show the practical aspect of the iPhone. If they can add the city boys into the mix whilst maintaining the casual user, the iPhone could rule the roost!

Blackberry Bold On Orange From Saturday!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Despite all the noise surrounding T-Mobile and their September launch of the Blackberry Bold, The Inquirer has announced that Orange will in fact be bringing the new multimedia handset from RIM as early as the 16th of August, which is this weekend!

With the phone coming for free, and the tariffs starting at a competitive £45 per month on consumer as well as business deals, Orange are aiming straight for the people who might have otherwise been distracted by the iPhone 3G…

The Carphone Warehouse may not have been as quick to bring the phone to market, but they certainly know how to put up a good offer with a free Bold on a £40 month tariff, plus unlimited data from the 21st of August.

The first 3G handset from Blackberry is sure to sell like hotcakes, and they have been very clever to try and stem the tide of businessfolk turning to other phones, as well as bring new fans in with the increased media functionality.

What have the other networks got in store for the Bold? Well, despite all three having shown off the phone in various forms, they all seem strangely quiet with regards to a release date…

Review coming soon…

RIM Will Keep Indian Network (Quite) Secure

By Kate CrowleycloseAuthor: Kate Crowley Name: Kate Crowley
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: Kate's interest in mobile phones began when she realised she was supernaturally adept at Snake 2. She was less good at Battleships and, frankly, we shouldn't even mention Pipes.See Authors Posts (212)

Last week, several Indian news outlets reported that RIM had given the go ahead for the Indian government to monitor the domestic BlackBerry network. Unsurprisingly there was an outcry by consumers and everyone else who isn’t a tinfoil-hat-wearing nutjob. RIM has backtracked and is now saying that it is committed to “serving security-conscious businesses in the Indian market”. This is a far cry from the previous plan, which was to allow Indian security agencies access to the network in exchange for taking the blame for any leak of user data.

The Indian government is not completely happy with this and is demanding that RIM gives it “satisfactory answers” to its security questions. Hopefully the fear of a consumer backlash will prevent RIM from completely selling out its customers. It’s still not clear how secure text messages are in India so, if you can restrain yourself, keep your anti-government sentiments to yourself.

Source: Engadget Mobile

BlackBerry Bold vs. the iPhone – Clash of the Who-Gives-a-Craps

By Kate CrowleycloseAuthor: Kate Crowley Name: Kate Crowley
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: Kate's interest in mobile phones began when she realised she was supernaturally adept at Snake 2. She was less good at Battleships and, frankly, we shouldn't even mention Pipes.See Authors Posts (212)

The above video is doing the rounds on the gadget blogs. It’s a side-by-side comparison of the BlackBerry Bold and the iPhone courtesy of the iPhone blog. This should be good, right? A comparison between perhaps the most innovative handset ever and the new brainchild of the Smartphone kings was certainly on my wishlist last Christmas. If you said, “Yes, Kate, I believe this should indeed be good”, prepare yourself for a disappointment. The video blows.

The first problem is that they’re comparing the soon-to-be-obsolete first generation iPhone with a BlackBerry Bold that isn’t even final spec. Another problem - the guy doing the review is nauseating. To say that the Bold resembles the iPhone is silly. The iPhone is one big screen. If a handset uses a completely different OS then how can it resemble the iPhone? It’s not as if Apple invented the concept of a black rectangle.

All the review reveals is what we already knew – the iPhone and the BlackBerry bold are targeted at completely different markets. If you want a touchscreen phone and are interested in multimedia, get an iPhone. If you want a physical keyboard and are interested in multimedia, get a BlackBerry Bold.

Spoiler alert: the BlackBerry Bold wins, but will this be the case in 2 weeks?

Bad Manners and the BlackBerry

By Kate CrowleycloseAuthor: Kate Crowley Name: Kate Crowley
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: Kate's interest in mobile phones began when she realised she was supernaturally adept at Snake 2. She was less good at Battleships and, frankly, we shouldn't even mention Pipes.See Authors Posts (212)

Once upon a time the BlackBerry was the arch-nemesis of every high-ranking employee. Their lives were controlled by the beep or the buzz of this most corporate of handsets. Not anymore according to an online survey of 1,465 (so it must be true!). Nearly 80% of respondents said that their work phones or handheld devices didn’t stress them.

Good news for the businessmen, but this new nonchalant attitude towards the BlackBerry has led to an outbreak of bad manners. 18% said that they have been reprimanded for having bad mobile manners. Tom Musbach, managing editor of Yahoo! HotJobs said, “People get into the habit of answering e-mails or calls instantaneously, but it may be a good idea to curb that and only answer when absolutely necessary. We’re seeing more and more major lapses in decorum. The worst habits are talking loudly on a bus or train, or connecting with someone while in the bathroom.”

So what can we take away from this survey? BlackBerry users need to mind their mobile manners and stop connecting with people in the bathroom.
Source: Postbulletin

RIMshot of BlackBerry’s First Flip Phone

By Kate CrowleycloseAuthor: Kate Crowley Name: Kate Crowley
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: Kate's interest in mobile phones began when she realised she was supernaturally adept at Snake 2. She was less good at Battleships and, frankly, we shouldn't even mention Pipes.See Authors Posts (212)

Oh dear… BlackBerry’s first foray into the world of flip phones doesn’t appear to be all that successful. Their creation, codenamed Kickstart, is reminiscent of the Razr in its design. The inside looks similar to the Pearl, with its trackball and SureType keyboard (i.e. not full Qwerty). Quite why this phone was made is unclear. Is there much demand for a clunky-looking clamshell BlackBerry? A more important question might be, were these photos taken in a public toilet?

Source: Boy Genius Report

Will the Touchscreen BlackBerry kill the iPhone?

By Kate CrowleycloseAuthor: Kate Crowley Name: Kate Crowley
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: Kate's interest in mobile phones began when she realised she was supernaturally adept at Snake 2. She was less good at Battleships and, frankly, we shouldn't even mention Pipes.See Authors Posts (212)

I know, I know, I’m a hypocrite. I complain that every new touchscreen handset is promoted as an “iPhone killer”, yet I can’t stop posting about them. This “iPhone killer” story is particularly interesting because it’s about that behemoth of the mobile phone world, BlackBerry.

RIM CEO Mike Lazardis isn’t a fan of touchscreens. In a
New York Times story about how RIM is reacting to Apple’s assault on the mobile phone market, Lazardis is quoted as saying “I couldn’t type on [the iPhone’s glass screen] and I still can’t type on it, and a lot of my friends can’t type on it”. Despite their lord and master’s misgivings, RIM is still hard at work producing the BlackBerry touchscreen. RIM engineers have dubbed the long-rumoured touchscreen BlackBerry the “the A.K. – for Apple Killer”. Brave words indeed, RIM engineers.

The NYT article also revealed that BlackBerry’s tactic is to stick close to carriers. This is the opposite to the approach adopted by Apple and Google, who are trying to “dislodge the carriers from the nexus of the North American wireless market”. BlackBerry partner with 350 carriers around the world, and they often sell heavily discounted BlackBerry handsets. Apple sells the iPhone from its own stores and calls the shots with its carriers, offering them comparatively stingy deals. Google has been (unsuccessfully) bidding for wireless spectrum this year, in an attempt to force carriers to be more open to allowing a variety of handsets and internet services on their networks.

BlackBerry’s problem seems to be that they don’t know which market sector to appeal to. The traditional BlackBerry customer wants a business phone which is highly functional but doesn’t necessarily have all the bells and whistles (e.g. games, applications etc.). Apple has shown that there is a big market of potential customers looking for a business phone with a bit more pizzazz. Perhaps the touchscreen BlackBerry will offer exactly that.