3G Networks Carry 72% of Android Mobile Video Traffic
By Jason Ankeny
Mobile operators' 3G networks carry 72 percent of video content viewed by Android smartphone users in the U.S. according to new data issued by mobile video ad network Rhythm NewMedia. By comparison, iPhone users rely on 3G for 56 percent of their mobile video consumption, turning to WiFi support for the remaining 44 percent. The split is even closer across the U.S. mobile market as a whole, with 3G responsible for 53 percent of mobile video traffic and WiFi accounting for 47 percent. Rhythm NewMedia reports that mobile video viewing habits remain spread throughout the day, unlike mobile TV, which spikes during primetime hours--in the evenings, subscribers turn to WiFi in greater numbers.
Rhythm NewMedia's average monthly content views grew 30 percent in the second quarter over Q1 totals; average monthly video minutes per unique visitor increased 20 percent quarter-over-quarter, edging past the 30-minute mark. Among viewers who access full-length video episodes, 26.5 percent of consumers view the program in its entirety (about 45 minutes), and 41 percent stick around for at least half. Rhythm NewMedia adds that completion rates for interactive pre-roll video ads reached 88 percent, surpassing both online video and television. [FierceMobileContent]
Apple Sells 2M iPads in 60 Days
By Sue Marek
Sales of Apple's iPad tablet topped 2 million less than 60 days after the device went on sale in U.S. retail stores. The iPad, which made its debut April 3, is now available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Apple said it will add nine countries in July and more throughout the year.
The iPad is proving to be more popular than many analysts estimated. In his blog, BTIG Research's Walter Piecyk said that he believes Apple will top the firm's estimates of 2.75 million in iPad sales in the second quarter. The analyst firm expects Apple to sell 2.8 million iPads in the third quarter as supply becomes less constrained, new markets are launched and content developers continue to deliver more apps to make the product more enticing.
Apple also announced that there are more than 5,000 new applications created specifically for the device. According to research firm Distimo last month, 80 percent of all iPad applications are paid applications. This compares to 73 percent of all iPhone and iPod touch applications. [FierceWireless]
App Store Officially Surpasses 100,000 iPhone Applications
By Jason Ankeny
A week after App Store tracking service App Shopper reported Apple's virtual storefront had topped the 100,000 iPhone and iPod touch application benchmark, Apple officially confirmed the latest milestone. According to Apple, consumers in 77 countries have now downloaded well over two billion applications in 20 categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. With more than 100,000 available apps, Apple also touted its growing arsenal of search and discovery tools, including Genius for Apps, App Store Essentials selections, subcategory listings and more relevant customer reviews.
Of the more than 2 billion-plus applications downloaded since the App Store opened in mid-2008, about 30 percent--approximately 610 million--fall into the premium app category, translating to total developer revenues of $900 million, according to new data issued by iPhone analytics firm Pinch Media. While paid apps constitute about 30 percent of all downloads, Pinch Media notes they make up about 77 percent of the App Store's total available applications--the firm's research indicates that premium apps average 9,300 downloads, while free apps average 71,000 downloads.
Although Pinch Media's findings indicate that premium App Store downloads average $12,100 in revenue ($8,500 net to the developer), the firm is quick to point out that the arithmetic can be misleading because the most popular applications generate a very disproportionate percentage of sales. Pinch notes that a small segment of developers earn substantially more than $8.500 per app, and most do far worse. Pinch data also indicates that the average 99-cent iPhone app is not downloaded significantly more often than the average $4.99 app--in fact, its research suggest that the relatively strong sales performance of apps priced at $4.99 is an indicator of their quality. [FierceMobileContent]
World’s First iPhone Worm Spreading in the Wild
21 year old author unrepentant as virus changes wallpaper to Rick Astley picture
IT security and data protection company, Sophos, has warned iPhone users of the world's first iPhone virus that is spreading in the wild in Australia.
The virus, dubbed the ikee worm, breaks into iPhones, changing their lock screen wallpaper to an image of 1980s pop star Rick Astley with the message:
"ikee is never going to give you up"
However, the virus can only infect users who have "jailbroken" their iPhones in order to allow them to run applications that have not been approved by Apple.
The worm, which appears so far to be confined to Australia, is capable of breaking into jailbroken iPhones if their owners have not changed the default password ("alpine") after installing SSH. Once in place, the worm attempts to find other iPhones on the mobile phone network that are similarly vulnerable, and installs itself again.
"The first indication that anything is wrong with your iPhone is if you see a picture of Rick Astley," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Fortunately the worm doesn't do anything more malicious than that - it doesn't steal information, access your emails or snoop on your calls. But the source code has been made available on the internet - meaning other hackers could create more dangerous versions of the worm."
Sophos researchers identified that the worm appears to have been created by a 21 year old Ashley Towns, a student from Wollongong, New South Wales, discovering his Twitter page where he admitted writing the worm.
Towns, who claims that he created the worm out of "boredom", wrote in the worm's code that he found it "stupid" that he found 26 out of 27 accessible iPhones he tested were vulnerable, as they had not changed their password from the default.
"The worm's author may be unrepentant about what he has done - but it should be remembered that breaking into someone else's iPhone and changing their data is against the law," explained Cluley. "This is a wake-up call to iPhone users around the world to take greater care about their security - especially if they jailbreak their phones. Businesses also need to ensure that they don't have staff who are endangering corporate data by running insecure smartphones. Other inquisitive hackers may also be tempted to experiment, and could take the code of ikee and adapt it to have a more sinister payload."
A Sophos survey has revealed that 97% of people believe the iPhone will suffer from further virus attacks in the future. /PR
Which Smartphones Fill Consumer Content Needs?
iPhone, Android top the list
The iPhone continues to top all other smartphones in measures of consumer satisfaction. In May–June 2009, Crowd Science found it well ahead of the BlackBerry and other smartphones in measures of satisfaction and brand loyalty—and content usage too.
August 2009 data from CFI Group agrees: Users are happier with the functions of their iPhones than with any other smartphone. Android and Palm Pre took second and third place, respectively.
A key finding of the “Smartphone Satisfaction Study 2009” is that the most satisfying smartphones are the ones that offer the best consumer functionality. Users now expect more than just the e-mail and calendar functionality that were critical for early business users.
“The iPhone is the best thing to happen to the smartphone industry because it captured the imagination of a whole new set of consumers that might not have made the smartphone jump,” said Doug Helmreich, program director with CFI Group, in a statement. “The new breed of smartphone consumers expect more from their phones, and the iPhone may represent only the tip of a data-intensive iceberg.”
The Android was closest to the iPhone in several measures of satisfaction, but trailed when it came to hardware issues. CFI Group suggested that as newer devices run the operating system it will pull even with the iPhone. In fact, it surpassed the Apple device when it came to popularity of Web surfing and using maps. And 77% of Android users downloaded apps at least weekly, compared with 71% of iPhone owners.
But what of “other” smartphones?
“Smartphones running the Symbian or Windows Mobile operating systems aren’t even a part of the conversation, even though they run on the majority of smartphones,” according to the report. “These platforms do not adequately support the consumer-oriented functionality that new adopters of smartphones desire.”
In spite of that, iSuppli Corp. expects the installed base of Windows Mobile smartphones to reach 67.9 million worldwide by 2013, putting the Microsoft OS in second position—with Symbian in the lead. Together, the two systems will account for 62.9% of the worldwide smartphone market that year. [eMarketer]
Google introduces Fast Flip for Android and iPhone
By Jason Ankeny
Google announced the launch of Fast Flip, promising users a more natural and efficient approach to browsing print and online news articles on their iPhone, iPod touch or Android-powered device.
According to Google, Fast Flip's tactile page flipping solution enables users to flip through stories with the swipe of a finger--for more information or to view the entire article, simply tap on the screen. Consumers can browse headlines and popular articles, view trending topics, search for a specific topic and share articles by tapping the "Email" link in the upper right corner of the device screen.
"Fast Flip also personalizes the experience for you, by taking cues from selections you make to show you more content from sources, topics and journalists that you seem to like," writes Google News distinguished researcher Krishna Bharat on the Official Google Blog. "In short, you get fast browsing, natural magazine-style navigation, recommendations from friends and other members of the community and a selection of content that is serendipitous and personalized."
Google partnered with three dozen publishers including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Salon and Newsweek to develop Fast Flip. The publishers will also share in revenue generated via contextually-relevant ads. [FierceMobileContent]
iPhone Now 69 percent of U.S. Smartphone Traffic
By Jason Ankeny
Apple's iPhone represented 69 percent of U.S. smartphone traffic across mobile advertising marketplace AdMob's network in May 2009, up from 59 percent the previous month. According to AdMob, smartphones now account for 37.3 percent of total U.S. traffic--Research In Motion's BlackBerry devices generated 13 percent of AdMob smartphone traffic last month, followed by devices from HTC (10 percent) and Palm (3 percent).
In all, AdMob reached 15.1 million unique users on iPhone and iPod touch devices on 2,309 applications in its network in May, with the average iPhone user in AdMob's network accessing four applications during that time. AdMob adds that five days after the launch of the iPhone OS 3.0, devices running the update represented 44 percent of iPhone ad requests, while only 1 percent of requests came from iPod touch devices running the revamped OS.
In all, AdMob's worldwide requests increased 6 percent month over month to 8.0 billion in May. 3.8 billion requests originated from the U.S., accounting for 47.6 of total global mobile ad requests--a 0.6 increase over April 2009. After the iPhone and iPod touch, the top U.S. handset in terms of percentage of requests was the Samsung R450, followed by the Motorola Razr V3 and the HTC Dream/Android G1. [FierceMobileContent]
Apple Sells Over One Million iPhone 3GS Models
Apple today announced that it has sold over one million iPhone 3GS models through Sunday, June 21, the third day after its launch. In addition, six million customers have downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software in the first five days since its release.
"Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With over 50,000 applications available from Apple's revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever."
The new iPhone 3GS is the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including improved speed and performance-up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G-with longer battery life, a high-quality 3 megapixel autofocus camera, easy to use video recording and hands free voice control. iPhone 3GS includes the new iPhone OS 3.0, the world's most advanced mobile operating system with over 100 new features such as Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS, Spotlight Search, landscape keyboard and more.
iPhone 3GS customers get access to more than 50,000 applications from Apple's revolutionary App Store, the largest application store in the world where customers have already downloaded over one billion apps. iPhone 3GS offers twice the capacity for the same price with a 16GB model for just $199 and a new 32GB model for just $299.** And iPhone 3G is available at the breakthrough price of just $99 for the 8GB model-a huge milestone for the high end smartphone market. Insa/PR
Compatibility Issues Brewing for iPhone 3G S Apps
By Jason Ankeny
Among the many differences separating Apple's forthcoming iPhone 3G S from its predecessor, the iPhone 3G, is its graphics capability--while the current version of the device supports OpenGL ES 1.1, the new edition will add the PowerVR SGX graphics processor core to support OpenGL ES 2.0.
Although Open GL ES 2.0 boasts more complex textures and shading than 1.1, translating to an improved look and feel for games and related iPhone applications, the upgrade also poses a substantial challenge for developers--as Engadget reports, OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2.0 are completely incompatible with each other, meaning that apps must be written to support both formats if they are to be maximally compatible. An application written for 2.0 won't run at all on devices supporting only 1.1.
According to Engadget, language in Apple's iPhone SDK documentation suggests that the computing giant intends to begin allowing the App Store to offer a host of new applications that are unavailable to some iPhone users--e.g., apps written for OpenGL ES 2.0 and not 1.1, thus available for download exclusively on the iPhone 3G S.
"When designing your OpenGL ES application, the first question you must answer is whether your application will support OpenGL ES 1.1, OpenGL ES 2.0, or both," the SDK documentation reads. "Your application should target OpenGL ES 1.1 if you want to support all iPhones and iPod touches." Engadget adds that a few existing App Store entries are not available for the iPod touch, effectively setting a precedent for the new policy.
In related iPhone 3G S news, U.S. consumers shouldn't anticipate enjoying all promised features of the new smartphone, at least not right away: Operator partner AT&T won't introduce MMS capabilities until late summer, and data tethering is an even bigger question mark. According to Boy Genius Report, AT&T must manually remove all the "Opt Out MMS" codes on each iPhone account before the messaging service can launch--the report adds that AT&T will block data tethering when the device hits retail, but it is at work on a $70 monthly unlimited data and tethering plan that would not include SMS and MMS functionality. AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega said in November 2008 that an official iPhone tethering option would be announced "soon." [FierceWireless]
Latest Version of iPhone Marks Apple's Continued Focus on Smartphone Market
By Adam Leach, Devices principal analyst Ovum
The latest version of the iPhone marks Apple's continued focus on the smartphone market. Ovum expects 171.9 million smartphones globally to be shipped this year, a growth of 23% on 2008 and will represent 15% of the total worldwide mobile phone market in 2009.
The latest offering from Apple is further evidence of the move towards managed device platforms (MDP), distinguishing those devices that are actively managed by OEMs, MNOs, web companies and retailers from those that aren’t.
Consumers will increasingly make buying decisions based not on a device’s potential to support advanced capabilities but – crucially – on the vendor managing their data and services on the device.
The ability to deliver a tightly integrated end-to-end service proposition including content and applications directly to consumers was pioneered by Apple, however, the adoption of the MDP model by Nokia, Google, Microsoft, Sony and other major vendors will drive the adoption of smartphones. /Ovum
Apple Premieres New iPhone 3G S at WWDC 2009
By Jason Ankeny
As widely expected, Apple formally announced the new iPhone 3G S in conjunction with the kickoff of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Promising improved speed and performance, longer battery life, a 3 megapixel camera, video recording and hands-free voice control, the iPhone 3G S (the "S" is for "speed") boasts Apple's new iPhone OS 3.0 and more than 100 new features including Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS, Spotlight Search and landscape keyboard. Of course, users will also have access to Apple's App Store, which the computing giant announced now tops more than 50,000 iPhone and iPod touch applications.
According to Apple, iPhone 3G S offers speeds averaging up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G, enabling faster web page rendering and quicker application launches--the device also supports 7.2 Mbps HSDPA for faster networking speeds. In addition, it takes advantage of the OpenGL ES 2.0 standard for 3D graphics, improving mobile gaming and other graphics-heavy applications.
Apple will release a 16GB edition of the iPhone 3G S at $199 and a 32GB version priced at $299--in addition, it will slash the price on the current 8GB iPhone 3G to $99. iPhone 3G S will arrive June 19 at Apple and AT&T retail stores in the U.S, as well as Best Buy and Wal-Mart locations--Apple notes that the smartphone will ultimately roll out in more than 80 countries in the weeks ahead. The iPhone OS 3.0 software update will be available June 17 as a free software update via iTunes 8.2 or later for all iPhone customers--iPod touch customers will be required to pay $9.95.
Apple first announced the iPhone OS 3.0 beta in mid-March, promising developers more than 1,000 new APIs, including support for apps to communicate with hardware accessories attached to iPhone or iPod touch devices. The update will also include the long-promised Apple Push Notification service, which offers programmers a channel to alert users of new information, even when your application isn't running--developers may now send text notifications, trigger audible alerts or add a numbered badge to their application icon.
Additional features confirmed Monday include expanded parental controls for TV shows, movies and apps from the App Store; a new Find My iPhone feature that works in concert with MobileMe so users can locate a lost iPhone on a map, send a message that will appear on the screen or generate an audible signal even if set to silent mode. (If the iPhone doesn't turn up, the new Remote Wipe feature allows users to erase all data and content.) And as previously reported, iPhone 3.0 software will expand over-the-air iTunes premium content downloads to movies and television programs--students may also wirelessly download learning materials via iTunesU [FierceDeveloper]
Google Upgrades Gmail for iPhone and Android
By Jason Ankeny
Google announced a series of improvements for Gmail messaging services running on iPhone and Android devices. Writing on the Official Google Mobile Blog, engineer Joanne McKinley writes that the upgrade accelerates actions like opening an email, navigating and searching; in addition, new browser technologies like HTML5 and Gears enable users to read and compose messages over poor or non-existent network connections (an update informally announced by Google vice president of engineering Vic Gundotra during a keynote appearance at Mobile World Congress 2009 in February). "The full impact of this new architecture isn't visible yet, but it will enable us to significantly improve performance and quickly roll out new features in the near future," McKinley writes.
Google says the new Gmail for mobile will also introduce a "floaty bar" that appears at the top of the screen when the user selects a message. The bar offers options to archive, delete and more, and continues floating as the user scrolls through the inbox. In addition, Google tweaked the look and feel of messages, promising an easier-to-read interface more closely aligned with the desktop Gmail experience, and relocated the search menu into the top header. Google notes that the new Gmail for mobile supports iPhone and iPod touch devices running on OS 2.2.1 or above; all Android-powered phones are supported.
Analyst: Apple Will Launch Two New iPhone Models This Summer
By Phil Goldstein
Apple will launch two new iPhone models this summer and its "build plan" calls for between 5 million and 6 million units, according to an industry analyst.Kaufman Bros.' analyst Shaw Wu, citing his supply chain and industry sources, recently published a new report detailing Apple's iPhone plans.
According to Wu, Apple will launch two new models of the iPhone, one of which will have longer battery life, a faster processor and be capable of running more complex applications. Wu is unsure if the new phones will be available in June or July, but if it is July, he is expecting Apple's fiscal third quarter to be weak, presumably as sales taper off in anticipation of the launch of the new models.
Additionally, Wu thinks that AT&T Mobility, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the United States, may cave in terms of data pricing for the hot gadget, offering tiered data plans to replace its single, $30 per month unlimited data plan.
All of this is speculation from Wu, but there are numerous indicators that Apple is readying a new iPhone. Apple and AT&T have been selling the iPhone 3G without a contract in what is widely viewed as an attempt to reduce inventory. Additionally, Apple's March unveiling of the iPhone OS 3.0 may indicate a new product in the offing. [FierceWireless]
Apple's 'Biggest iPhone Yet Coming in June'
By Dawn Kawamoto
Apple is expected to begin production on a high-end iPhone with 32GB of flash memory and a low-end 3G version this spring, according to a research report released Tuesday by Lazard Capital Markets analyst.
Production is anticipated to begin in April and ramp up in May, and the new phones could be announced in June, Daniel Amir, a Lazard Capital Markets analyst, said in his report.
He noted, however, that the low-end version may only be available in the fast-growing, emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, while the high-end version is expected to make its way to North America and Europe.
The low-end version is expected to run on a 3G network, rather than on wi-fi, while the high-end version is anticipated to double its storage capacity from 16GB to 32GB of NAND flash memory and feature improvements to its camera, Amir noted in his report, citing checks with Apple's iPhone channel partners.
Meanwhile, Amir predicts, iPhone unit shipments for the first and second quarters could be higher than Wall Street's current forecast. He expects iPhone shipments to come in around 3.8 million to four million in the first quarter, while Wall Street is anticipating three million to 3.5 million units.
In the second quarter, iPhone shipments could reach seven million to eight million units, a threefold to fourfold increase over last year's second quarter performance, he asserts. Apple's new iPhones are expected to account for about three million of these figures, Amir said. Wall Street, meanwhile, is expecting Apple to ship 6.5 million to seven million iPhones in the second quarter.
Apple was not immediately available for comment.
Reports of an Apple flash-memory buying binge surfaced in February, with one analyst from Think Equity Partners noting that Apple had virtually cleaned out one large supplier and was hitting up two others for more flash memory.
Amir told silicon.com sister site CNET New that the February rise stemmed from increased production for the iPhones that shipped in March. In order to meet its needs for a 32GB iPhone, Apple will hit up its suppliers up toward the end of next month, he said.
Amir noted in his research report:
- About 20 percent of all NAND capacity goes to Apple, and its impact on the NAND market should not be underestimated...
- NAND prices should move up further off the Apple orders. We believe that with the new iPhone design which could include 32GB NAND, Apple is setting the stage for another potentially big flash order starting in April. With the potential for 3 million units to be shipped in 2Q, we believe the magnitude of such an order could enable prices of NAND components to move up an additional 20 percent in the (first half) of 2Q. [Silicon.com]
NIMBUZZ Luncurkan Aplikasi VoIP Untuk iPhone 3G
Menyusul sukses peluncuran iPhone 3G yang dilakukan Telkomsel akhir pekan lalu, Nimbuzz (www.nimbuzz.com) hari ini meluncurkan aplikasi VoIP paling lengkap untuk iPhone. Dengan menggunakan sambungan free WiFi, pengguna iPhone yang sedianya telah dapat menghubungi semua teman di Instant Messenger dengan gratis, kini mendapat fitur tambahan tombol pemutar nomor telepon dan kemampuan melakukan panggilan VoIP ke telepon fixed line serta ponsel via rekanan provider SIP utama Nimbuzz yaitu Gizmo5, Vyke, dan SIPgate – sangat efektif untuk mengubah iPod Touch menjadi iPhone. Para pengguna iPhone tanpa koneksi WiFi dapat melakukan panggilan VoIP dengan Nimbuzz Dial-Up VoIP di lebih dari 50 negara.
Aplikasi Nimbuzz untuk iPhone menjembatani kesenjangan VoIP dengan memungkinkan para pengguna melakukan panggilan VoIP 3G via pilihan Dial-Up VoIP di lebih dari 50 negara. Hal ini memungkinkan para pengguna iPhone untuk menelpon ponsel atau fixed line (internasional) dengan biaya yang sangat murah. Cukup dengan menekan nomor akses lokal yang menghubungkan ke seluruh penjuru dunia melalui VoIP server Nimbuzz.
Pilihan panggilan VoIP baru ini tersedia melalui rekanan global Nimbuzz: Gizmo5, Vyke, SIPgate, dan 15 pemain global lainnya. Jaringan telpon tambahan ini menjadi satu kesatuan antarmuka sehingga pengguna dapat menggunakan Nimbuzz untuk panggilan (international) dengan biaya murah.
Fitur lain dari aplikasi ini adalah update Twitter. Dengan aplikasi ini para pengguna dapat memperbaharui pesan Twitter mereka melalui pilihan Pesan Personal pada Nimbuzz. Komunitas populer seperti Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ, GoogleTalk, AIM, dan jejaring sosial seperti Facebook dan MySpace telah dapat menikmati fasilitas panggilan (telpon) atau chat antar pengguna dengan menggunakan Nimbuzz.
“Fakta bahwa Nimbuzz berhasil menambah seorang pengguna setiap 4 detik merupakan hasil dari kesuksesan aplikasi iPhone yang kami luncurkan pada bulan November tahun 2008 lalu,” jelas Evert Jaap Lugt, CEO Nimbuzz. “Kami adalah penyedia aplikasi gaya hidup masyarakat dunia dan sangat ingin memastikan bahwa kami selalu mengikuti dan memenuhi pertumbuhan kebutuhan komunikasi yang sangat tinggi dari para pengguna kami.”
Fungsi awal dari panggilan SIP iPhone akan dipromosikan selama 2 minggu pada iklan online di situs Gizmo5, Vyke, dan SIPgate.
Menurut Michael Robertson, CEO dari Gizmo5: ”Kami sangat senang dapat mempromosikan Nimbuzz yang telah membantu kami untuk masuk ke iPhone, dan keuntungan yang dibawa Nimbuzz memberikan pertumbuhan yang mengagumkan dan nilai tambah bagi layanan kami.”
“Kini dengan hadirnya iPhone 3G dari Telkomsel di Indonesia akhir pekan lalu, para pengguna iPhone di Indonesia dapat segera bergabung dengan jutaan pengguna iPhone di dunia dalam menikmati fasilitas VOIP 3G, telepon SIP dan update Twitter dari Nimbuzz. Mereka tinggal download Nimbuzz secara gratis di iTunes App Store dan instal aplikasi Nimbuzz tersebut ke iPhone 3G mereka,” tutup Evert. /PR
Apple Sells 4.4M iPhones in Q1
Apple bucked the trend facing technology companies and posted solid results for its fiscal first quarter, which ended Dec. 27, and said it sold 4.4 million iPhones in the quarter. Apple's net income for the quarter was $1.61 billion, up from $1.58 billion in the year-ago period. The firm sold 4.4. million iPhones in the quarter, down sequentially from the 6.9 million it sold in its fiscal fourth quarter--the first quarter impacted by the release of the iPhone 3G--but up 88 percent from the year-ago period.
The company is facing a probe from the Securities and Exchange Commission into Apple's disclosure about the health of the company's founder, Steve Jobs, who stepped down temporarily as CEO last week. Jobs had said earlier in January that his health problems were related to a hormone imbalance and that he would remain as CEO. Then, last week, he said his health problems were more complicated than he thought and he would take a leave of absence until June. Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, is handling his day-to-day duties while he is away.
Cook, while saying that competition was a good thing to have in the mobile space, issued a pointed warning, aimed perhaps at Palm, whose recently announced Pre smartphone device shares many of the iPhone 3G's features. "I'm just making a general statement that we think competition is good; it makes us all better. And we're ready to suit up and go against anyone," he said in the earnings conference call.
"However, we will not stand for having our [intellectual property] ripped off and we'll use whatever weapons we have at our disposal. I don't know that I can be more clear than that." [FierceWireless]
Apple Approves Third-party iPhone Web Browsers
By Jason Ankeny
Apple has quietly begun approving third-party mobile web browsing applications for the iPhone, introducing a series of new browser apps via the App Store virtual storefront. Browser applications previously fell under the "duplication of functionality" restrictions cited as Apple's rationale for blocking certain iPhone downloads--while the move does signal some new leniency in App Store approval policies, it should be noted that the new applications are all based on the iPhone's existing Safari browser technology, meaning it's still unlikely that rival browsing engines like Opera Mobile or Firefox will earn Apple's thumbs-up anytime soon.
According to MacRumors, the submission dates on the new browser apps originate as far back as October 2008, with the flood of approvals suggesting that there were a significant number of browsers receiving consent in one fell swoop, similar to how Apple endorsed other new categories of iPhone applications.
Some of the new browsers include Edge Browser, which promises no loss of screen real estate to the address or navigation bars; Incognito, which enables history-free web browsing; WebMate:Tabbed Browser, which queues up all the links a user clicks on, then lists them for viewing one-by-one; and Shaking Web, which includes an algorithm to compensate for hand-shaking. [FierceMobileContent]
2008 Year in Review: The iPhone 3G and iPhone clones
The news: AT&T Mobility launched the Apple's iPhone 3G July 11, ushering in a new era of high-speed data capable smartphones. Apple's second-generation iPhone, which featured the same sleek look and innovative touchscreen user interface of the first-gen iPhone, now offered consumers the ability to surf the Web using AT&T's HSPA network and that sparked a flurry of iPhone clones.
T-Mobile USA jumped into the ring post-iPhone 3G, with the launch of the G1, the first phone based on Google's Android platform, which boasted a touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. Then came the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, formerly known as the Tube. Verizon Wireless followed up shortly thereafter with the Motorola Krave ZN4--billed as both a touchscreen phone and a flip phone.
Then, the deluge came: the Samsung Epix (AT&T); the HTC Touch Pro, a soup-ed up version of the HTC Touch Diamond (Sprint Nextel); the $800 Sony Ericsson Xperia X1; the Samsung Saga (Verizon) and Samsung Eternity (AT&T); Research In Motion's BlackBerry Storm--the first touchscreen BlackBerry (Verizon); the Samsung Omnia (Verizon); and the Nokia N97.
Why it was significant: It is easy to pronounce this or that as a paradigm shift, but the launch of the iPhone 3G truly was one. The genius lay behind its marketing, with each 30-second ad almost like an infomercial for how to use the multiple features and applications of the iPhone 3G, and then, at the end, reminding customers that it was a phone, too. Apple marketed the iPhone 3G as a mobile computer and digital media player first, and a phone second. And other handset makers felt they had to follow suit, launching a bevy of sleek phones with touchscreen UI's. While each pretender to the throne was looking to be an iPhone-Killer, so far the iPhone 3G remains at the top, simply by virtue that no other handset has achieved the same kind of brand recognition that the iPhone 3G has. [FierceWireless]
Microsoft Unveils First iPhone Applications
By Jason Ankeny
Microsoft announced the launch of Seadragon Mobile, an application optimized for archrival Apple's iPhone. Developed by the Microsoft Live Labs unit, Seadragon Mobile is a free demonstration app enabling users to zoom in and out of web photos regardless of bandwidth constraints or image size, storing pictures in multiple resolutions and only delivering the elements the user wishes to see at a particular moment in time. The Seadragon technology is a component of Microsoft's Photosynth browsing program--it previously surfaced in apps like TouchWall, and it's also present in the Silverlight platform. Microsoft acquired developer Seadragon Software in early 2006.
So why would Microsoft launch an iPhone app? Microsoft Live Labs group product manager Alex Daley tells TechFlash his team wants to make sure the Seadragon technology spans across multiple devices and platforms. "The iPhone is the most widely distributed phone with a [graphics processing unit]," he said. "Most phones out today don't have accelerated graphics in them. The iPhone does, and so it enabled us to do something that has been previously difficult to do. I couldn't just pick up a BlackBerry or a Nokia off the shelf and build Seadragon for it without GPU support." [FierceMobileContent]
Nokia Launches Latest iPhone Rival, the N97
By Phil Goldstein
Nokia jumped into the touchscreen phone game by releasing the N97, a touchscreen phone with a slideout Qwerty keyboard that is similar to the T-Mobile G1.
Nokia unveiled the phone at a company event in Barcelona. The HSDPA phone has WiFi capability, A-GPS and Bluetooth. The phone also has a 5 megapixel camera, "DVD quality" video capture of up to 350 frames-per-second and 32GB of onboard memory (with a microSD slot that makes the phone capable of holding 48GB). The N97 also syncs with Nokia's Ovi web portal and runs with an updated version of Nokia maps, which includes 3D landmarks, and allows users to install widgets on the phones homescreen linking to applications.
Nokia has slated the phone to ship in the first half of 2009, and will retail at $699 before any taxes, rebates or subsidies. The handset maker has not said what U.S. wireless carrier will carry the phone.Also today, Nokia officially acquired Symbian Limited and said it was given acceptance of more than 99.9 percent of the Symbian shares it did not already own. [FierceWireless]
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