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UK will ban mobile carriers from selling locked handsets in 2021
Mobile operators in the UK will be banned from selling smartphones locked to their networks, according to the regulator Ofcom.
Microsoft sells Nokia's feature phone business to Foxconn
Microsoft has signed a deal with FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn to sell what used to be Nokia's old feature phone business. The outfit, that still produces low-end handsets like the 222 and 230, has been sold to FIH Mobile for $350 million. It'll now come under the control of the manufacturing giant that produces (pretty much) every device you can think of. Microsoft is also handing over a manufacturing plant in Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of the deal. In addition, 4,500 employees responsible for producing the devices will be given the opportunity to join the Foxconn family.
ASUS Padfone 2 launch event slated for October 16th in both Milan and Tapei
ASUS has sent out invitations for the official launch of the Padfone 2, the follow-up to its hybrid smartphone / laptop / tablet Padfone device. According to an invite nabbed by Notebook Italia, the unveiling will take place simultaneously in Milan and Taipei on October 16th. The picture shows a corner of what is likely the upcoming handset, but we'll have to wait till next month to get a closer look at the full package.
Sharp Aquos SH-10D makes pit stop at FCC, earns stamp of approval
NTT DoCoMo announced a roster of phones this past May, and among them was Sharp's Aquos SH-10D. After spending some quality time with the FCC, the handset now has paperwork that could allow it to travel stateside. Along with a quartet of oddly angled corners, the phone packs a GSM and HSPA+ / WCDMA radio, 4.5-inch screen, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 12.1 MP rear-facing camera and a 0.32 MP frontward-facing cam for those awkward, Facebook-bound self-portraits. Hit the link below if you'd like to rifle through the FCC results yourself.
30 million NFC-equipped phones shipped in 2011, could reach 700 million by 2016
Those working on life-changing uses for NFC in phones will now find it even harder to explain why life still hasn't changed. According to Berg Insight, annual global sales of NFC-equipped handsets increased ten-fold to reach 30 million units in 2011 and are forecast to grow to 700 million units by 2016. The analysts attribute this rise to general smartphone adoption rather than to demand for NFC as such, which makes sense from where we're sitting. Aside from a few proximity-based apps, Google Wallet and some other handbag-spurning payment schemes, there's still no overwhelming reason to gear up. GPS and WLAN, on the other hand, remain must-haves, and the PR below looks at their prevalence too.
Samsung brings us more to love, offers Galaxy Note engraving in South Korea
Sure, you can draw whatever the heck you want on the front of your Galaxy Note, but what about that blank blue or white canvas 'round back? With north of a million 5.3-inch pocketable slates in circulation around the world, you'll need to get a bit more creative to truly make it yours -- and Samsung is willing to help. If a trip to South Korea is on the books between now and March 31st, you can now deck out your Note with custom messaging on the back, with the company letting customers "engrave wished letters on the backside of their own device with laser beams." And we can all agree that laser beams boost the appeal of any device -- even the Note. So what would you tattoo on your Note's backside? We'll share a few staff picks just below, but let us know your plans in the comments. "Large is just a matter of perspective" "Yes, I can make phone calls" "It's not a STYLUS" "Size DOES matter" "More to Love" "Wide Load"
Windows Phone 7.5 SMS bug breaks messaging hub, hard reset is the only remedy
An SMS message on your Windows 7.5 handset could knock messaging out cold, a one shot kill you can't prepare for. Apparently, WP devices that receive a text containing a certain string of characters will reboot and return with a non-functional messaging client which can only be restored via a hard reset. The flaw is not device-specific and has been found to affect other parts of the OS, locking up your handset if you've pinned a friend as a live tile and that buddy posts the magic bug words on Facebook or Windows Live Messenger. Fixing the problem requires quick tapping fingers, as you've got to remove the pinned tile after rebooting before it flips and freezes the phone again. Before you go abandoning WP7's ship, just know that SMS issues are a known phenomenon and have affected all the major mobile players, iOS and Android included. Until Microsoft releases a fix, cross your fingers and hang tight, but in the meantime, all you mobile masochists can see the bug in action after the break.
Microsoft's Andy Lees shows off Titan, Focus S, and Focus Flash
Straight out of AsiaD, we've got our first look at Mango's next three handsets: the HTC Titan, the Samsung Focus S (pictured above), and the Samsung Focus Flash. Well, not strictly first -- the Focus S has slipped out into the wild before, and we've already clashed with the Titan and the Radar Lees is showing off, but we're still happy to get a proper look at Sammy's new stars. The Focus siblings both outpace their older brother with matching 1.4GHz processors, but split the difference in screen size, with the Focus S brandishing a larger 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, and the Flash stepping down to a 3.7-inch plus-free Super AMOLED. Cameras? They've got 'em, an 8 megapixel peeper clings to the back of the Focus S, while the Flash retains its predecessor's 5 megapixel cam -- both slabs lay a happy claim to front-facing cameras. Further details are scarce -- we know that the Focus S measures in 8.55 millimeters at its thinnest point and promises "4G" speeds when it lands later this year, but when that might actually be is still a mystery. We'll let you know when we hear something. Check out the galleries below for a better look.%Gallery-137063%%Gallery-137062%
Samsung's GT-i9220 shows up in leaked photos, preps for battle with iPhone 5? (update: nope!)
If you're a sucker for juicy handset rumors, then this one's for you. A few months ago, a supposed Samsung roadmap leaked, revealing a slew of new Android, Bada and WP7 handsets on the horizon. Today, a picture purporting to be one of those phones, the GT-19220 (W43) surfaced, complete with some specs to further grease the rumor mill. Word on the web says that the Sammy will have a 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED Plus display that measures in at 5.29 inches diagonally -- even bigger than the 5-inch Dell Streak tablet. If our observational geometry is right, we'd say that screen size is probably pretty accurate. Rather than taking tablet status like the Dell, however, it seems bound to be the Galaxy S II's big brother, as sources claim it's running Gingerbread with a 1.4GHz dual-core processor and packs an 8 megapixel camera. Of course, these specs can't be officially confirmed until the phone is launched, but it's safe to say it's likely a part of the Android army taking on the iPhone 5 this fall. Update: Alas, as many of you have pointed out in comments, there's not a lot of truth to this story. First, both devices you're seeing above appear to actually be PMPs, not phones -- the Galaxy S players we've seen before. Secondly, we're hearing the actual name of this supposed smartphone is GT-i9220, not 19220.
AT&T confirms $49.99 price tag, August 21st launch date for '4G' BlackBerry Torch 9810
Anxious RIM fans tired of waiting for that app to download will be happy to know that AT&T has confirmed August 21st as the official launch date for its "4G" BlackBerry, the Torch 9810. Although the new QWERTY smartphone is powered by AT&T's 4G network of the HSPA+ variety, the release still marks an upgrade from the previous gen Torch 9800's 3G speeds. Running BlackBerry 7 OS, the 9810 will have a 1.2GHz processor, 3.2-inch touchscreen display, 8GB of onboard memory (with microSD expansion up to 32GB), and a 5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video capabilities. It'll ship for $49.99 after rebates and a two-year contract.
Nokia's Chris Weber promises US-centric push for Windows Phone 7 devices
Nokia's US prexy Chris Weber's been making the media rounds lately, talking up the company's Windows Phone near-future and offering a peek at the marketing blitz to come. In an interview with VentureBeat, Weber confirmed the death of Symbian and the N9's North American release, but was much less straightforward when asked about the WP7 launch, saying only that a US focus is paramount to the OEM's global success. The MS-blessed smartphones are set to debut "in volume" next year, at which point Nokia hopes to have ironed out its complex negotiations with carriers, bringing aggressively subsidized handsets to market. Nokia's chief also engaged in a bit of mobile OS grandstanding, touting Microsoft's live tile integrated approach as superior to the "outdated" app focus popularized by iOS and Android. And if you're wondering just how the OEM plans to differentiate its hardware in this cluttered wireless market, expect to see phones with an emphasis on "state-of-the-art imaging technology and battery performance." Here's to hoping Weber's words don't come back to haunt him when his bet goes live next year.
Samsung's Q2 profit drops 26 percent due to sluggish TV sales, demand for phones explodes
You may or may not have noticed, but we're once again in the thick of earnings season, and today Samsung's in the hot seat. The company has reported that its second-quarter profit fell 26 percent year-over-year to 3.7 trillion won ($3.5 billion), largely thanks to underwhelming sales of flat screen TVs and, to a lesser extent, semiconductors. That's a shade worse than the whiz kids over on Wall Street were expecting, according to Bloomberg. In fact, the demand for televisions was so disappointing that it overshadowed what was actually an impressive quarter for the outfit's mobile division -- sales of feature and smartphones quadrupled year-over-year to 19.2 million units, putting the company on track to further narrow the gap with Nokia, the world's bestselling handset maker. All told, this balanced out to a modest growth in revenue -- an uptick of 2.9 percent to 39 trillion won ($36.7 billion).
Netflix for Android gets first HD streaming certification, Texas Instruments accepts your applause
Texas Instruments just called First!... on Netflix, that is. The Watch Instantly app for Android has an HD streaming future coming soon to OMAP 4-equipped devices thanks to the SoC's inbuilt security measures. The announcement marks the first time any Netflix partner has received 'Netflix Silicon Reference Implementation certification,' a clumsily-titled, yet essential requirement for end-to-end protection of mobile streamed 1080p content. The chip's M-Shield security tech "runs on the OMAP processor [without the need for] a dedicated chip or extra CPU cycles," so you're free to multi-task that dual-core (we assume) to its breaking point. And because you can never be too safe, TI's also thrown in its onboard WiLink 7.0 solution -- an industry first -- that makes use of WEP, WPA and WPA2 to keep the unsecured funny business at bay. The only downside to all this joyous high-definition news: it only runs on Gingerbread, so current LG Optimus 3D owners are out of luck until things get up to speed. Hit the break for some densely-worded silicon accolades.
New phase-change memory gets boost from carbon nanotubes, puts PRAM claims to shame
We've been hearing about the potential flash killer for years, and now a team of University of Illinois engineers is claiming that its new phase-change technology could make the PRAM of our dreams look quaint by comparison. Like so many groundbreaking discoveries of late, carbon nanotubes are at the heart of the this new mode of memory, which uses 100x less power than its phase-change predecessors. So, how does it work? Basically, the team replaced metal wires with carbon nanotubes to pump electricity through phase-change bits, reducing the size of the conductor and the amount of energy consumed. Still too much technobabble? How 'bout this -- they're using tiny tubes to give your cellphone juice for days. Get it? Good. [Thanks, Jeff]
Samsung Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Fit, Galaxy Gio and Galaxy mini fill out our Android universe
Samsung's decided that 10 million Galaxy S devices just aren't enough for us, so it's trickling down the brand name, Android OS and TouchWiz UI into some more affordable form factors. In order from left to right, the Galaxy Ace is a 3.5-incher that most closely resembles the S patriarch, though it makes do with an 800MHz processor and HVGA screen resolution. It's said to be available immediately in Russia, to be followed by Europe, India and China soon. The Fit takes us into lower spec territory, with a 3.3-inch QVGA screen and 600MHz speed, while the Gio packs an even smaller display but raises resolution back up to HVGA. The Galaxy mini has to go down as a blatant LG Optimus T KIRF, which might be its sole notable feature, given the 3.1-inch QVGA display and 600MHz capabilities. All three are targeting the same territories as the Ace, meaning the US will likely be spared from this affordable Android whimsy.
BlackBerry Dakota photo, specifications leak
So what's this all about? Oh, just the BlackBerry Dakota which we heard about back in July, and which definitely seems to be real. This one, pictured above in a photo procured by BGR, looks like it's going to boast that up top 2.8-inch (VGA resolution) capacitive touchscreen we'd heard about, with the BlackBerry Bold-style keyboard you've come to know and love below. Yes, this 'Berry is quite attractive in the looks department, and spec-wise, it's a quad band GSM/GPRS/EDGE device with tri-band UMTS. It also packs a 5 megapixel cam with HD video recording, 4GB of storage, plus 768MB of RAM. The phone will also have WiFi and be 3G hotspot-enabled, and it'll run BlackBerry OS 6.1. Like we said, from the looks of it, this thing is legit, but there's no word on pricing or availability as of yet.
Samsung Galaxy S sales surpass five million, world domination plans still on track
Believe it or not, Samsung is only now getting around to introducing its Galaxy S handset to the fine isle of Japan. Its announcement of a late October availability for the home of CEATEC was also accompanied by the little note that the rest of the world has already bought up five million units of its multivariate Galaxy S phone family. More than two million of those sales have been notched up in the US and over one million can be found in Samsung's home field of South Korea. Or could be found if they actually had working GPS units. Zing! [Thanks, Matt]
Palm Pixi: zero dollars with two-year contract on Sprint
This doesn't really come as a surprise, but it's welcome news regardless. Sprint is now offering the Palm Pixi free with a two-year contract on its website. The deal isn't to be had in retail stores quite yet, but we assume that's also in the cards as well. The Pixi -- which has a slower processor than the Pre and lacks WiFi -- is a handset we always thought was destined for the zero dollars on contract scheme, so like we said, we're not surprised. Regardless, if you've been wanting a Pixi but couldn't stand the idea of laying out any cash for it, well, now's your chance.
China Mobile angling for iPad, iPhone service in China
China Mobile announced at a news conference that it's going after service for Apple in that country -- it wants to host both the iPhone and the iPad in China for Apple. Currently, the iPhone service there is provided by China Unicom, but China Mobile has said that if the iPhone is ported over to its government-approved 3G service (similar, it seems, to the rumored deal with Verizon), then China Mobile would be interested in offering both. Officially, Apple hasn't said anything about this -- it has been confirmed to be in talks about the iPhone, but those are only talks, of course, and it hasn't been talking at all with China Mobile about the iPad. Still, being that China Mobile is the largest data provider in the world, with over 520 million subscribers, Apple might eventually be enticed, especially if they need to widen the potential audience to sell more handsets. Plus, if the rumored deal with Verizon actually happens, Apple won't really have reason to be exclusive in the rest of the world, either.
HTC Legend will be exclusive to Vodafone in UK, coming in April together with Desire
Vodafone has today announced that it will be the exclusive UK carrier of that aluminum-clad successor to the Hero: the HTC Legend. Advance registration pages for it and its family mate, the Desire, have gone live today and indicate an April launch date -- something we'd already expected thanks to Amazon's delivery estimates for unlocked handsets. The two HTC devices are flanked by Sony Ericsson's long awaited X10 and the Nexus One, with the latter lacking a release date. It's interesting that as things stand the Desire (HTC's own-branded Nexus One) will beat its precursor to the UK market. Same could be true of Spain, where Engadget Spanish notes that Vodafone has confirmed an April arrival for HTC's full family of new phones, including the HD Mini.
