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Google brings Lens text translations to KaiOS phones in India
Google is bringing Assistant's Lens camera translation functionality to feature phones in India.
How KaiOS claimed the third-place mobile crown
In December 2015, Mozilla announced it would be abandoning Firefox OS as a smartphone platform. Many assumed the company's withdrawal would kill any hope of a mobile operating system built around the open web, rather than a combination of native apps and tightly-controlled storefronts. In the last few years, plenty of "alternative" smartphone platforms, including Ubuntu Touch and Windows 10 Mobile, have faded into obscurity, too. Jolla has struggled on with Sailfish OS, but it's never felt like a true challenger to the Android and iOS duopoly. Three years later, a surprising competitor has emerged: KaiOS. The relative newcomer, which makes feature phones smarter, is already running on more than 80 million devices worldwide. How did it grow so big, so quickly? With a little help from Firefox OS.
Google is making the Assistant smarter on feature phones
Google is doubling down on KaiOS, the "light" operating system that makes low-cost feature phones feel a little smarter. Today, the company announced that the Google Assistant will be upgraded with Voice Typing "over the coming months," allowing KaiOS users to dictate text messages, web searches and basically anything else that uses a text box. KaiOS and the Assistant can also be set to different languages, according to Google. That means you could read the phone's menus, icons and settings in English and then talk, text and search through the Assistant in Spanish.
Opera Mini 7 comes to feature phones and BlackBerry, upgrade notifications in tow
Opera Mini 7 has been available via the Google Play market since the end of March, but if you're still milking a feature phone for all it's worth, you haven't been able to enjoy the latest version of the mobile browser. Opera Mini 7 is now available for basic phones and BlackBerry, allowing these devices to store an unlimited number of speed dials and access the new Smart Page feature for shortcuts to favorite sites. In addition to those new features, Opera Mini 7 includes several improvements and tweaks, including upgrade notifications and the ability to close tabs with one click on touchscreen phones. Of course, the browser still promises to cut down on your device's bandwidth usage, so your flip phone can keep on chugging.
Virgin Mobile adds $40 payLo unlimited plan for talk and text types
Virgin Mobile's feature phone arm just added a third tier, delivering unlimited talk and texting, along with 50 megs of web access for $40 per month. This offering joins Sprint's other payLo budget offerings, including an entry-level option that includes 400 minutes of talk time for $20 per month, and a $30 monthly plan that delivers 1,500 minutes, 1,500 texts and 30MB of data. Overage charges are quite hefty, at $0.10 per minute, $0.25 per message and $1.50 per MB (ouch!), with the option to reset the counter instead by starting a new month once you hit the threshold. Considering that the plans are designed for feature phones (which are seldom used for anything but basic web access), the tier limits do sound manageable -- perhaps even a deal, if you talk a lot and never browse the web. The payLo plan can be paired with any of Virgin's feature phones, which range in price from $15 (for a sold-out LG101) to $50 (for a QWERTY-equipped Kyocera S2300). Get the full scoop from Sprint in the PR after the break.
Nokia swings Mail for Exchange to Series 40 dumbphones: now in beta labs for testing (video)
Nokia isn't just shaking up your browser on your humble Series 40 phone. This time, those cheap little bundles of communication goodness are preparing to get mail for Exchange, with the feature now undergoing testing in its Beta Labs. While Nokia might not be king of the phone hill anymore, there's still plenty of its solid dumbphones itching to get a taste of corporate email. This holds especially true for developing countries where the phone series still sells well and where Nokia's still pushing to increase its foothold. While you'll only be able to feel up the beta at the source below, the full-fat version is shaping up for a June launch and will be initially compatible with both the Asha 302 and 303. You'll need your phone's latest software to test out the beta, but if you're covered there, grab your goggles and visit Nokia's labs at the source below. If not, you'll have to make do with the intro video after the break.
Nokia developing 'Meltemi' OS for feature phones?
Although Nokia still hopes Windows Phone will round out a "three-horse race" with iOS and Android, it's said to be cooking up an entirely new operating system aimed at lower-end handsets. According to the Wall Street Journal, the OS (codenamed "Meltemi") is meant to cement Nokia's top dog status in emerging markets, where feature phones remain king. Makes sense: low-end phones accounted for 47 percent of the company's device-and-services earnings in the second quarter. We're not sure if the adage "when one door closes, another one opens" exactly applies here, but either way, it looks like we've hardly seen the end of software updates out of Suomi.
Nielsen confirms Android on top, buyers split on next smartphone
In a recent report from Nielsen, Google snagged 40 percent of the smartphone market, while Apple captured approximately 28 percent -- up just barely .01 percentage point from last year. This report coincides with findings filed earlier this week by ComScore, citing Google with 41.8 percent market share and Apple with 27 percent, up one whole percentage point from last year. Diving a bit deeper, Nielsen found that around 33 percent of people planning to buy a smartphone in the next year want an iPhone, while another 33 percent would prefer an Android. The tie between those who want an Android v. an iOS phone fluctuated when Nielsen asked the "early adopters" within the group what kind of phone they are hoping to cop. 40 percent of "innovators" said they would like a phone on Google's OS, while 32 percent want a bite of the Apple -- leaving a mere 28 percent of self-proclaimed tech junkies desiring something else, like a BlackBerry or Windows Phone. Perhaps these figures are an indication that Google will remain on top for 2012, or will there be an upset? Only time will tell.
Peek calls own internet-only devices 'collector's items,' heads to India with the cloud
Nokia? Samsung? LG? Those jokers are all 'old world' has-beens. The future -- according to Peek's latest email campaign -- is Indian featurephones. Well, at least MicroMax's latest, the Q80 EZPAD. Peek says its 'Genius Cloud' gifts the Q80 with smartphone-like features via cloud-based software. The firm's site claims that the service will run on any hardware, from not-phone to smartphone, providing push mail, instant messaging, video chat, social networking, software GPS, web browsing, and other smartphone features. Writing on Business Insider, Peekster-in-Cheif Amol Sarva asserts that low-end devices have pushed Nokia out of the asian market, and suggests that with the help of the Genius Cloud, featurephones can do the same to RIM. If that doesn't work out, at least the firm still has a corner on the dedicated tweeting handheld market.
Sony Ericsson introduces Mix Walkman and txt pro feature phones, available in Q3
Congratulations -- you spent the last two weeks earning points on the latest 'ville, when you could've used your time on Facebook to win phones instead. That's what Sony Ericsson was offering, anyways, giving fans the chance to review and win one of two mystery devices. Now that these reviews are live, the manufacturer is ready to lift the curtain and show off the WiFi-enabled Mix Walkman and txt pro feature phones. The former, as you could probably derive from the name, is a music-centric handset that doubles as a karaoke player; the latter, in contrast, is focused on messaging, implementing a full slide-out QWERTY and 3-inch touchscreen display with 400 x 240 resolution. Let's be honest here -- you can't really hate a phone that plays karaoke, right? Unfortunately, these are feature phones only; no trace of Android can be found on either phone, but rather use an interface "inspired" from the Xperia Mini series. Aside from being available in select markets in Q3, we have no word on pricing or individual carrier availability. In the meantime, you have at least a few months to get prepared for it by belting out Dancing Queen in the car several times a day -- as if that's any departure from your usual routine. Full press release after the break.
Motorola EX119 receives FCC approval, determined to captivate AT&T with its dual-SIM charm
Last year, after Motorola brought the EX128 before the FCC, it was unable to tempt AT&T with its dual-SIM feature-phone -- which ultimately found a home in India. A similar fate befell the EX115, another dual-SIM offering that picked up its toys and went to Brazil. Now, Moto is once again pushing the EX lineup in Ma Bell's direction, where the EX118 and EX119 recently received FCC approval. Interestingly, the only difference between the two handsets is the SIM -- the 118 has one, and the 119 has two -- which sadly gives AT&T an opportunity to grab the device while passing on its most desirable feature. Considering Motorola's prior luck in convincing the carrier, those really intent on handling AT&T and T-Mobile in one phone are better off scouring eBay... or waiting for the merger to complete.
Verizon feature phone users could boost iPhone activations by 19 million
Analyst William Power of R.W. Baird & Co. is making a bold prediction on Verizon iPhone sales. While other analysts and Verizon itself is predicting a conservative 11 million units sold in the upcoming year, Power is projecting a whopping 19 million in sales for the Apple-branded smartphone from feature phone users alone. This prediction is based on a survey of 1,000 people that was conducted to gauge the interest in the Verizon iPhone. Of feature phone users at Verizon, 11 percent said they would definitely buy the Verizon iPhone, while 18 percent said they would probably buy the Apple smartphone. Combined, this 30 percent could potentially contribute 19 million new iPhone activations for the wireless carrier. The survey also revealed that 25 percent of smartphone owners on Verizon will definitely or probably purchase the iPhone when it becomes available in February. This would add another five million activations and would bring the final tally to a whopping 24 million in sales. Powers does not take into account contract end dates, and not all of these 19 million feature phone subscribers will be eligible for upgrade in 2011. Even if you consider the worst case scenario of 2-year contracts and extend this 24 million over 2 years, these numbers are still impressive, especially for Apple. Apple will sell an additional 24 million iPhones, and Verizon will lock 24 million of its subscribers into new contracts. This 24 million estimate does not include customers from other carriers like AT&T and Sprint who may jump ship to snag an iPhone on the nation's most reliable network.
Verizon tweaking low-end data plans, using '3G' distinction to upcharge for LTE
Well, that didn't last very long at all: looks like Verizon is killing off its $15 150MB data plan for smartphones altogether, instead corralling folks into the $30 unlimited option. Of course, with the proliferation of data-hungry smartphone apps on Android (and soon, the iPhone), 250MB per month of usage is becoming less and less reasonable by the day, so we can't say we're terribly surprised. Meanwhile, the $9.99 25MB feature phone data option is getting a bump up to 75MB with $10 per 75MB overage, a slight drop from the 20 cent / MB overage that those customers deal with currently. Finally, you'll notice that the $30 unlimited plan is now qualified as applying to "feature phones and 3G smartphones," not merely "smartphones" as they were before -- a nod to the fact that Verizon's upcoming LTE handsets won't be eligible for the same pricing. What, did you think you were going to be blazing on your ThunderBolt at 20 or 30Mbps without a care in the world? [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Cellphones
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. True smartphones like the Palm Pre, Motorola Droid, and iPhone are all chewing up a majority of wireless mindshare these days, which makes it particularly easy to forget that there's this huge, vibrant catalog of cool non-smartphone handsets sitting right below them in your favorite carrier's lineup. They can play music, games, sometimes last for days on a charge (try that with a G1 -- we dare you), and often take up just a fraction of the space in your pocket that a more powerful handset would. They're not for everyone, but odds are you know a couple folks who fit the featurephone mold, and... well, it is the season of giving, isn't it? Follow the break for a few of our recommendations. Note: Looking to give a few smartphones away to friends and family? This particular guide's all about regular cellphones -- but don't worry, we'll be posting our smartphone guide in the not-too-distant future!%Gallery-79784%
NPD finds featurephones account for 72% of new handset sales in the US
Smartphone sales may be growing at a steady rate these days but, if NPD's latest numbers are any indication, it looks like they still have quite a ways to go before they become the norm among cellphone users. As the market research group found during its latest survey, less expensive featurephones accounted for an impressive 72% of all new handset sales in the US during the second quarter of the year, which is only a 5% drop even in the face of a 47% jump in smartphone sales (to 28% market share) over the same quarter last year -- a 14% jump in overall handset sales accounts for some of that discrepancy. According to NPD's numbers, the LG enV2 (pictured above) and Samsung Rant were among the best selling featurephones during the quarter, while the iPhone 3G and Blackberry Curve were the best selling smartphones. Other interesting tidbits include the fact that the average selling price for a phone rose 4% over the year to $87, and that WiFi capability is now found on 20% of new handsets, while 26% of new phones have touchscreens (compared to 35% with QWERTY keyboards).
Qik video streaming service now ready for J2ME phones
There's a decent chance you completely forgot about Qik, a nifty little startup that enables live audio / video streaming from feature phones to PCs, after hearing absolutely nothing from it since July. If so, it's all good -- the folks at Qik still want you to indulge in its first public alpha release for a slew of J2ME phones. For users with a Nokia 5300, 6300, 6500 classic, 6500 slide, 6555 or 8800 Arte, you can join your brethren with a Sony Ericsson K850, K858, W890, W910, W908, K660, G502 or Z750 in streaming live content right from your phone to your lovely posse. Give it a go and let us know how it turns out, will you?
