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Another BlackBerry out of RIM? We might as well consider them done and finished. Or should we? With a brand new take on BlackBerry hardware and an improved and enhanced operating system in BlackBerry 7, RIM hasn’t been sitting still. I have been using a BlackBerry 9900 for over a week, and as a reformed BlackBerry addict, I have some thoughts on this latest flagship smartphone out of Waterloo. Is this the device that’s going to save RIM? Is this the phone that’s going to make iPhone and Android users switch to a BlackBerry? Can RIM finally compete in the smartphone arena? Will it take RIM 9 months to make a BlackBerry 9900 in white? Is Will.i.am going to haunt me for eternity? Hit the break to find out. (And I sure as heck hope not on those last two.)





Hardware / Display

RIM is no stranger to the hardware game, having been major smartphone vendor to really control the entire end-to-end hardware and software experience. Every BlackBerry release seems to show a constant trait — that RIM continues to improve its manufacturing capabilities — and the BlackBerry Bold 9900 is no exception. In fact, this is the finest hardware ever to come out of Waterloo (or Mexico, or Holland, or wherever your phone is made). From the beautiful black fascia to the stainless steel bezel surrounding the top notch components, to the soft-touch finished, carbon-fiber-laced back cover, this is a BlackBerry that exudes quality, and one that any executive would be proud to have grace his or her desk. The high quality materials RIM is using on the BlackBerry 9900 are apparent, I only wish the company would have made the switch sooner. It’s the first time metal has made an appearance instead of plastic, and it’s the first time I can remember a BlackBerry not feeling hollow, but feeling like a solid high-end product.

This is a BlackBerry that exudes quality.

Starting on the front of the device, you’ll see a pure white color accent scheme for the first time ever — even the send and end phone buttons are colorless, and it really works. While RIM isn’t a company that is known for focusing on design identity, or even obsessing over little details, the company makes the personality of the Bold 9900 come alive, and it meshes beautifully. Even the symbols on the keyboard aren’t a different color (they used to be red), but this new straight-forward color palette really works for me.

On the top of the phone you’ll find a screen lock/unlock button. On the right side there’s a volume up button up top, a mute key in the middle and a volume down button — all made out of metal, I might add. Below that you’ll find the camera shutter key. On the bottom of the phone you’ll see two charging contacts for compatibility with RIM’s charging docks, which not only makes a great alarm clock stand, but also reduce wear and tear on the microUSB port. It would have been great to see RIM take this one step further and use a similar technology for USB syncing as well, though it’s not that big of a deal. On the left of the Bold 9900 you’ll find a microUSB port, and 3.5mm headset jack.

Something I’d like to point out is that the thinness of the Bold 9900 is very competitive. At around 10mm thin, it’s impressive. For a device with a capacitive touch display, full size QWERTY keyboard — the best in the business — and technical specifications that bring the once stone-aged company into a near-competitive area, the Bold 9900 is an engineering feat, and one RIM should absolutely be proud of. Something RIM shouldn’t be proud of? The fact that the company didn’t include an autofocus camera in the Bold 9900. It would be comically funny if it weren’t a real sign of how RIM actually thinks — who needs an autofocus camera when we can make the phone thinner!

The display on the BlackBerry 9900 is excellent. It’s the first higher resolution device out of RIM, featuring a 640 x 480-pixel panel. While that’s not up there with Retina and qHD displays, the 2.8-inch touch screen on the Bold 9900 looks absolutely beautiful. It’s bright, it’s vivid, it’s crisp — this is an amazing display. Touch sensitivity and performance on the 9900 is also excellent, with touches being recognized immediately, swipes performing correctly, and flick and pinch gestures working properly in the web browser. It’s so good that it almost makes you forget that RIM is responsible for releasing the BlackBerry Storm. Almost.

RIM even went step further with outfitting all of its high-end devices with NFC capabilities, and even though the NFC functionality isn’t being used in the Bold 9900 at release, the engineering that went into the effort hasn’t gone unnoticed. The NFC chip is built into the battery cover with contacts that connect only when the cover it attached to the phone, and it’s just an ingenious integration; it makes you wonder why other manufacturers haven’t taken this approach.

Let’s just get this out of the way… the keyboard on the BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the best physical keyboard on any smartphone, ever. I went there. It’s not just spacious, it’s tactile and it features the perfected RIM layout. It’s clickity, but not mushy, and it’s firm but not too firm. It’s also properly sized without being too big to type quickly — in short, it’s the best physical keyboard I have ever typed on as far as a mobile device goes. From currency symbols to exclamation points, the keyboard and keyboard layout on the BlackBerry 9900 is the best in the business. Even the backlighting on the keyboard is nothing short of glowing. Literally.

BlackBerry users will feel right at home, and it’s a refreshing change from the many terrible soft-keyboards out there. With that said, soft keyboards have an advantage in a couple of places, but if you’re a texter, a hardcore emailer or one of those old school individuals who just can’t make the switch to a touch-only smartphone, this is the best you’re going to get; and it’s really not even open to debate.

BlackBerry’s latest operating system, BlackBerry 7, isn’t a drastic change from the previous operating systems out of RIM. In fact, at the very basic level, it’s the same. Sure there are some different APIs and enhancements but at the end of the day this is, at the core, the same BlackBerry that you’ve been used to using.

That’s not to say RIM hasn’t made improvements in different areas of the operating system. In fact, sources close to me have touted the fact that RIM has been able to strip bloated code from the OS in various places, undoing years of bandaging and complexity — and it does show. Coupled with a reasonably fast 1.2GHz single-core processor, the software on the BlackBerry runs extremely fast. There aren’t many slow-downs, and the dreaded BlackBerry spinning clock hasn’t made very many appearances on my 9900s.

With that said, the app game on BlackBerry devices is nothing short of a joke. App World is a joke. Third-party applications are a joke. User interfaces are a joke. This is a phone still primarily based on what corporate users of the past once wanted: the best email device in the world coupled with pretty solid personal information management like contacts, calendar, tasks and more. Unfortunately, that’s not enough in this day and age to move the needle, and the dated software and operating system show.

While something like web browsing, now based on WebKit, has improved, it’s still a ways off from competitive offerings from Apple and Google. Photo and video manipulation still feels like a struggle on the BlackBerry Bold 9900, even with a 1.2GHz processor. Scrolling is faster than on any other BlackBerry smartphone, though there are still random slow-downs and hiccups, something hopefully fixed when the company finally transitions to its QNX-based OS in upcoming devices next year.

Voice calling on the Bold 9900 was a pretty solid experience. BlackBerry smartphones have been known for their superior RF performance and their ability to serve up solid connections, and the BlackBerry 9900 is no different. The device easily rivaled Apple’s latest smartphone and Google’s latest Nexus device in that department. As far as the ear speaker goes, however, calls sounded a bit shallow and lacked a low-end that is typically found on most top-tier smartphones.

The speakerphone on the BlackBerry 9900 is above average, though it also lacked the low-end response users look for in a high-end smartphone. Audio was even a bit choppy at times when using the speakerphone function, which was a pretty big disappointment. The sound just isn’t full, and the distortion compounds matters.

Playing back audio through the built-in speaker exhibited the same issues that the speakerphone did — the low-end was lacking, though mid and high-end performance was on point with other competitive devices. Max volume is also a bit lower than I was hoping, though the phone performed reasonably well with all things considered. After all, it’s not like it has Beats audio built in.

Battery life has been one of RIM’s strengths over the years, and that doesn’t change too much on the BlackBerry Bold 9900. While the battery is noticeably smaller than previous RIM devices (1,200 mAh compared to 1,500 mAh), and even though the processor speed has nearly been doubled, I haven’t noticed that much of a difference as far as battery performance is concerned. That’s pretty impressive considering some phones can’t last an entire day, and the BlackBerry Bold 9900 has been able to power through almost two full days of on and off usage in my testing; again, this is quite impressive when you take the faster processor and smaller build into account.

With constant emailing, moderate Facebook and Twitter usage, light web browsing and light voice calling, the BlackBerry 9900 chugged along for nearly three days — a ridiculous feat.

RIM’s BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the company’s best BlackBerry ever. It combines everything a BlackBerry user and fan used to beg for into one incredible package. A touchscreen with amazing full QWERTY keyboard, an incredibly thin and solid hardware shell with high-end finishes like a stainless steel bezel, meshed with a soft touch rubberized finished backside, complete with carbon fiber insert, make for an almost irresistible offering.

With an improved and enhanced operating system that is speedier than any previous version, this could be the total package you’re looking for in a smartphone. Unfortunately, it’s still a BlackBerry, and outside of the core areas where a BlackBerry still offers a competitive advantage like email, for instance, I don’t see a reason to pick this smartphone over an iPhone 4 or one of the latest Android handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S II or Google’s Nexus S. There will always be a market for the current incarnation of BlackBerry smartphones, but that market is shrinking daily and RIM’s QNX-based mobile devices can’t come soon enough.

A new software update for the HTC Sensation 4G of T-Mobile USA is now available. New upgrade delivers software bug fixes, WiFi connection stability and user interface resolution improvements.

HTC Sensation 4G, or the US version for the global HTC Sensation finally receives its much-anticipated Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 software update.

According to T-Mobile’s note about the upgrade, the HTC Sensation 4G 2.3.4 operating system is bundled in the 1.45.531.1 software version that includes the following new features and improvements:

New Features:

* Software stability
* Improved battery life

Improvements in/to:

* Trace dictionary
* Screen responsiveness
* Video playback
* Improvements regarding device reboot / power off
* Icon pixilation improvements.
* Wi-Fi connection improvements.
* Screen/photo resolution improvements.

To manually check the HTC Sensation 4G update, access the Settings -> About phone ->Software Updates ->Check Now, and follow the instructions given by the US carrier.

Last week, HTC updated the software of the HTC Sensation global, or the variant which was released in United Kingdom and other markets. HTC Sensation/4G is the first dual-core Android smartphone of the Taiwan-based Android smartphone manufacturer, first arrived in United Kingdom in May.

Under the hood, the HTC Sensation includes 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 768 MB of RAM, supports expandable storage via MicroSD. It can also shoot HD videos with an 8 megapixel rear camera and can initiate or receive calls with the front-facing VGA 0.3 megapixel camera. The T-Mobile variant named HTC Sensation 4G supports the carrier’s HSPA+ data connection.

T-Mobile USA will be launching two smartphones, Samsung Hercules and HTC Ruby on Oct. 26, according to a leaked document obtained by Tmo News. Hercules appears to be a variant of the Samsung Galaxy S 2, which has gained credibility and good reviews in other parts of the world.

Galaxy S 2 is expected to arrive in four versions -- on Verizon network as "Function"; Sprint network as "Within"; AT&T network as "Attain"; and T-Mobile network as "Hercules".

Samsung Hercules has emerged out of the blue and is expected to be T-Mobile’s flagship phone. On the other hand, HTC Ruby is considered to be a high-end superphone that appears to be of the same shape as HTC Wildfire with rounded corners.

Already T-Mobile has twelve HTC smartphones and five Samsung smartphones on its lineup, but both the new superphones -- Samsung Hercules and HTC Ruby -- will tap into the carrier's 4G HSPA+ network and will be the most feature-rich Google Inc.'s Android smartphones available.

Below are the expected features of HTC Ruby in comparison with the Samsung Hercules:

Display: HTC Ruby is expected to have a 4.3-inch display with a qHD 960×540 resolution providing a 16:9 aspect ratio that's optimum for widescreen video viewing. Hercules is expected to have a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED screen with 800x480 screen resolution.

The qHD is a display resolution of 960×540 pixels which is exactly one quarter of a full HD 1080p and three quarters of a 720p frame, in a 16:9 aspect ratio. This resolution began to become popular for high-end smartphone displays in early 2011. Though there are speculations that in the near future, the market might begin to see 720p HD screens in the 4-4.5-inch form factor giving an effective resolution of 1280x720.

Processor: Samsung Hercules will have blazing fast dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060 processor with 1GB RAM. The HTC Ruby, on the other hand, is expected to have dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU with Adreno graphics and 1GB RAM. Even a tablet like HP TouchPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Apple Inc.'s iPad 2 have processors clocking in the range of 1 to 1.2 GHz.

Operating systems: Samsung Hercules runs the latest version of Google’s smartphone operating system, Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. It is still not known which Android is going to power HTC Ruby but rumors suggest Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with new Sense UI 3.5.

Camera: HTC Ruby is expected to sport a rear-facing 8MP camera with 1080p video capture capability, and has an additional 2MP front-facing camera for video chat. It will also have a dedicated camera shutter button for quick access to taking photos and videos. The Hercules, when compared, sports a rear-facing 8MP LED camera with 1080p video capture capability, and has an additional front-facing camera for video chat.

Storage: Hercules boasts of 16 GB internal storage and via a microSD card slot it can expand up to 32 GB. It is expected that Ruby will boast a 16 GB internal storage apart from the 32 GB external microSD card slot.

NFC: Samsung Hercules and HTC Ruby are expected to support near field communication (NFC). NFC technology can transform the device into a convenient way for payment and device communication. NFC has potential to do more than just money transaction. The technology could offer features that allow multiple mobile devices to sync for speedier information exchange and gaming.

3G: Hercules will have category 24 HSDPA capability to exceed the max speeds of 42 Mbps downstream, which will make it the fastest HSDPA plus for a smartphone in the market. Today, HSDPA speeds found in most of the smartphones are 21 Mbps or 14 Mbps. Also, the phone is expected to have hidden radios for AT&T HSDPA plus as well, which is a unique feature. Hercules will also have MHL port which combines microUSB and HDMI port as one single port. On the other hand, Ruby is expected to have HSDPA 14 Mbps to 21 Mbps.

Input features: The input features that is expected to be found in Samsung Hercules are multi-touch input method, proximity, ambient light sensors, 3-axis gyroscope, magnetometer, and accelerometer. HTC Ruby, on the other hand, is predicted to have multi-touch input method, accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, proximity sensor for auto turn-off, gyro sensor, and HTC Sense version 3.5 UI.

WLAN/Bluetooth/USB: The HTC Ruby will have Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot and microUSB version 2.0 along with Bluetooth version 3.0 with A2DP. Hercules, when compared, is expected to have Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA with Wi-Fi Direct and microUSB version 2.0 along with Bluetooth version 3.0 with A2DP.

Pricing: The Hercules is expected to be priced between $350 and $400, and an unlocked version is anticipated to be priced at $799.99. Ruby is also anticipated to be priced in the same range of $350 to $400.

Battery: Hercules is expected to come with a 1800 mAh battery, whereas it is not known about the battery capacity of HTC's smartphone. But Ruby is expected to come in Li-ion standard battery.

Samsung Galaxy S2 is currently the second thinnest dual-core smartphone in the world, surpassed only by the NEC Medias N-04C that will only be released in Japan. So it is expected that Samsung may target the coveted thinnest smartphone title.

[Verizon Wireless begins offering the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet--the BlackBerry Bold 9930.]

Basking Ridge, NJ -- Verizon Wireless today announced the new BlackBerry® Bold™ 9930 smartphone is available online at www.verizonwireless.com and will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on August 25.

The BlackBerry Bold 9930 smartphone is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet, measuring only 10.5 mm, and is the first BlackBerry Bold to integrate a touch display with a BlackBerry keyboard. This smartphone is performance driven and powered by the new BlackBerry® 7 operating system to deliver the ultimate in communication, multimedia and productivity for Verizon Wireless customers.

BlackBerry 7:

* Next generation BlackBerry browser has optimized zooming and panning for smoother Web navigation and optimized HTML5 performance.

* Premium version of Documents To Go is now included at no additional cost, offering customers enhanced document editing features, as well as a native PDF document viewer.

* The newest release of BBM™ (BlackBerry Messenger) now offers the real-time BBM experience together with a range of apps including gaming and social networking.

* Liquid Graphics™ technology combines a dedicated high-performance graphics processor with a blazingly fast CPU and stunning high-resolution display to deliver a responsive touch interface with incredibly fast and smooth graphics.

* Updated Social Feeds app has been extended to capture updates from media, podcasts and more all in one consolidated view.

* Universal search capability now supports voice-activated search, allowing customers to simply say what they want to find on their device or the Web.

* BlackBerry® Balance is integrated in BlackBerry 7, allowing customers to enjoy the full BlackBerry smartphone experience for both work and personal use. BlackBerry Balance allows secure access to business information while preventing the information from being copied into, sent from, or used by personal applications. An administrator can also remotely wipe business information from the device while leaving personal information intact.

Jakarta, Indonesia - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the launch of the new BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 smartphone in Indonesia. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone is expected to be available in Indonesia in late September priced at 5,999,000IDR from authorized partners: PT. Teletama Artha Mandiri, PT. Comtech Cellular, and PT. Selular Media Infotama.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet at only 10.5mm, and the first to offer the perfect union of a high performance keyboard and touch display integrated within the iconic BlackBerry Bold design. The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 is also the first BlackBerry smartphone to include built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), a new technology that is enabling many new and exciting capabilities, including the ability to pair with NFC-enabled accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.

Distinguished by its beautiful design, amazingly effective keyboard and brilliant touch display, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 is crafted with premium materials including a brushed stainless steel frame that puts the finishing touch on a truly outstanding smartphone.

Hastings Singh, Vice President, South Asia at RIM, said: “We are very excited to be bringing the highly-anticipated BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone to Indonesia. This powerful new smartphone offers a best-in-class mobile communications experience together with faster browsing, richer multimedia and improved overall performance.”

The new BlackBerry 7 operating system introduces a next generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience that is among the best in the industry. Combining the dramatically improved performance of the advanced WebKit browser engine together with powerful hardware enhancements, BlackBerry 7 based smartphones deliver browsing results that are up to 40% faster than BlackBerry® 6 based smartphones and up to 100% faster than BlackBerry® 5 based smartphones*. Additional enhancements to this next generation BlackBerry browser include optimized zooming and panning for smoother web navigation and optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences.

Libertyville, IL -- Live life to the fullest with the latest life proof smartphone from Motorola Mobility, Inc., Motorola DEFY™+. Building on the Motorola DEFY’s life proof heritage, Motorola DEFY+ offers exceptional protection from whatever life throws your way with its water resistant, scratch resistant and dust proof design (IP67). In addition, Motorola DEFY+ has a 1GHz processor that runs 25 percent faster and is more fun with the latest version of Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) delivering a smarter operating system and better battery life to fully enjoy your experiences. Motorola DEFY+ will be available in Asia, Europe and Latin America starting in early fall.

Water resistant, dust proof, and featuring scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass, Motorola DEFY+ can survive a sudden rain shower, a day on the beach, an all-night party – or even a tough workout with the pre-loaded CardioTrainer application, which transforms the device into the perfect running mate. Its brilliant 3.7-inch high-resolution touch-screen display enables you to easily view and track your workout progress. Wherever your days – or nights – take you, Motorola DEFY+ is the life proof device that can keep up with your toughest demands and wildest adventures.

Motorola DEFY+ is faster than ever, keeping up with your on-the-go lifestyles so you can effortlessly browse the Web, stay updated with social networking sites on your homes screens and stream and download rich media content more quickly than before. Motorola DEFY+ offers an Adobe® Flash® 10-enabled browser for a rich web experience that allows users to watch their favorite movies or view videos on the Web.

Powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), Motorola DEFY+ is smarter than ever. This new version of Android boasts a better battery life, a more intuitive user interface and improvements on the features you use most – including enhanced calendar and email features and home screen options. Users can make Motorola DEFY+ their own by organizing and personalizing their Application trays for easy and quick access to their most used tools, games and content.

Boredom proof your life; the richest experiences in entertainment and social media are always within reach with Motorola DEFY+. The Music Player lets you access and share your favorite music. You can also stream your favorite music straight from your desktops at home or work, with Motorola Media Link. Motorola DEFY+ also features Google Talk™ to keep you connected with friends and colleagues, while built in apps like the *Zinio™ e-magazine service allow you to keep up with favourite publications on-the-go. Entertainment doesn’t stop there: Motorola DEFY+ also features a 5MP camera with flash, digital zoom and auto focus, letting users capture the best of their social life and create their very own entertainment whatever the conditions.

“Motorola DEFY+, our latest life proof smartphone, delivers the endurance and design strength to keep up with even the most demanding lifestyles, along with the social and entertainment capabilities that put friends and fun in easy reach,” said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president, portfolio and device product management, Motorola Mobility. “We designed Motorola DEFY+ with all the smartphone features you need for a demanding lifestyle.”

Smart Accessories

A suite of smart accessories ensures users get the most from the Motorola DEFY+. Available accessories include Vehicle Dock, Bluetooth Headset, Bluetooth Car Kit, Portable Power, and Car Charger.

Key Features and Specifications:

* Powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and features more than 250,000 apps from Android Market™

* 1GHz processor that runs 25 percent faster for efficient Web browsing and multitasking

* Water resistant, scratch resistant and dust proof to withstand all that life throws your way

* Features scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass

* 3.7-inch high-resolution touch screen display

* Music Player connects you to all your favorite artists

* MOTOBLUR lets users stay in touch with friends, providing quick access to social media accounts and live widgets directly from the home screen

* Motorola Media Link allows users to sync their media content from their desktops at home or work

* Loaded with the ability to create group emails and communication to stay in touch with friends

* Adobe Flash Player 10 for uncompromised viewing of applications, content and videos

* 5MP camera with auto focus, flash and digital zoom

* 2GB internal; *2GB microSD card in box, expandable up to 32GB

* Access to Google™ Apps (Google Maps™ 5.0 with Navigation, Google Talk™, Browsing)

* 1700mAH battery for 7.1 hours of talk time and 16 days in standby

Availability

Motorola DEFY+ will be available in Asia, Europe and Latin America starting in early fall.

[Google CEO Larry Page blogs that the company has agreed to acquire Motorola. The acquisition will strengthen Google's patent portfolio in efforts to protect Android from "anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies."]

Since its launch in November 2007, Android has not only dramatically increased consumer choice but also improved the entire mobile experience for users. Today, more than 150 million Android devices have been activated worldwide—with over 550,000 devices now lit up every day—through a network of about 39 manufacturers and 231 carriers in 123 countries. Given Android’s phenomenal success, we are always looking for new ways to supercharge the Android ecosystem. That is why I am so excited today to announce that we have agreed to acquire Motorola.

Motorola has a history of over 80 years of innovation in communications technology and products, and in the development of intellectual property, which have helped drive the remarkable revolution in mobile computing we are all enjoying today. Its many industry milestones include the introduction of the world’s first portable cell phone nearly 30 years ago, and the StarTAC—the smallest and lightest phone on earth at time of launch. In 2007, Motorola was a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance that worked to make Android the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. I have loved my Motorola phones from the StarTAC era up to the current DROIDs.

In 2008, Motorola bet big on Android as the sole operating system across all of its smartphone devices. It was a smart bet and we’re thrilled at the success they’ve achieved so far. We believe that their mobile business is on an upward trajectory and poised for explosive growth.

Motorola is also a market leader in the home devices and video solutions business. With the transition to Internet Protocol, we are excited to work together with Motorola and the industry to support our partners and cooperate with them to accelerate innovation in this space.

Motorola’s total commitment to Android in mobile devices is one of many reasons that there is a natural fit between our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers everywhere.

This acquisition will not change our commitment to run Android as an open platform. Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. We will run Motorola as a separate business. Many hardware partners have contributed to Android’s success and we look forward to continuing to work with all of them to deliver outstanding user experiences.

We recently explained how companies including Microsoft and Apple are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android. The U.S. Department of Justice had to intervene in the results of one recent patent auction to “protect competition and innovation in the open source software community” and it is currently looking into the results of the Nortel auction. Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.

The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences. I am confident that these great experiences will create huge value for shareholders.

I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.

Posted by Larry Page, CEO

By Miyoung Kim and Clare Jim

SEOUL/TAIPEI (Reuters) - Asian handset makers using Google's Android operating system might turn to rival platforms such as Microsoft's Windows after Google upended the mobile landscape by buying Motorola Mobility Holdings for $12.5 billion.

Taiwan's HTC and Korea's Samsung Electronics have sold millions of mobile devices running on the free Android device, catapulting Google to the top slot in the booming global mobile software market.

But the acquisition of Motorola could turn Google from a partner to a competitor for more than 30 other Android-handset companies.

"The deal will make most Android players realize how dependent they are on Google and how quickly Google's plans can change their businesses," said Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst at research firm IDC.

Wall Street quickly anointed Microsoft a winner in the deal, with Windows potentially benefiting if the acquisition alienates the other phone makers that rely on Android.

Android held a 43.4 percent share of the smartphone market at the end of the second quarter, ahead of Nokia's 22 percent, according to data from research firm Gartner. Apple ranked third with 18 percent, the data showed.

BETS ON MOTOROLA TURNAROUND

Shares in Motorola's Asia's suppliers jumped on the deal.

Foxconn International Holdings Ltd, the world's top contract cellphone maker, which counts Motorola as a client, surged as much as 17 percent on prospects of more business from the new combination.

Shares of Compal Communications Inc and Arima Communications were among a slew of Motorola suppliers that hit the 7-percent daily limit in Taiwan.

"Everybody is betting on a Motorola turnaround. Motorola will get more help from Google to push its Android handsets with the deal," said Yuanta Securities analyst Bonnie Chang in Taipei. "Outsourcing companies such as Foxconn International and Compal Communications will benefit directly the most."

Shares in Samsung, which has businesses from chips to TVs and energy as well as phones, ended 6.1 percent higher in a broader market up 4.8 percent in post-holiday trade on Tuesday. Fellow Korean phone maker LG Electronics edged up 0.3 percent.

HTC closed up 3.1 percent in a Taiwan market down 0.3 percent.

ANDROID UMBRELLA

Some brokers said the Motorola deal could be Google's way to provide support to Android players.

Phone makers and software firms are involved in copy-cat lawsuits in the fierce battle over who owns patents used in mobile devices, with Apple going after Android device makers.

"We suspect that Google will now try to provide an umbrella for the Android community that provides IP protection from key rivals such as Apple and Microsoft. This is broadly how Microsoft protects Windows Phone," Nomura said in a note.

"We do not believe that Google will aim to continue to make handsets long term, but will rather look to spin the business out to an Android partner -- such as Huawei, LG, ZTE, for example."

Globally, HTC has been a standout winner after being the first to roll out a Android-backed smartphone, leaving it most exposed to any shift in the landscape, analysts said.

Nearly all of its smartphones run on Android but it also has a long-standing partnership with Microsoft.

"HTC and Samsung are companies Google can trust but not control to drive market share," Chang said. "If in the long run Google decides HTC and Samsung have very different business roadmaps, it may want to leverage on Motorola to gain market share."

HTC said in May it plans to bring out phones based on Microsoft's new Mango Windows phone software. However on Tuesday, HTC said the Google-Motorola deal would not affect its partnership with Google.

"This is a positive development to the Android ecosystem, which we believe is beneficial to HTC's promotion of Android phones," HTC said in a statement. "The partnership between HTC and Google remains strong and will not be affected by this acquisition."

Some of the fast-growing Chinese companies such as Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp are also betting on Android.

Huawei, known for its low-cost cellphones, is looking to replicate its telecom gear success in the smartphone market as it takes on the likes of Nokia, Apple and Samsung.

Samsung became the world's No.2 smartphone maker in the second quarter with a 19.2 percent market share. HTC is ranked fifth with 12.1 percent, according to Strategy Analytics. Apple is the top smartphone vendor.

(Additional reporting by Faith Hung in TAIPEI and Lee Chyen Yee in HONG KONG; Writing by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

The iPhone 5 launch sees Apple having surpassed Exxon-Mobil in stock market capitalization to become the largest company in the United States. This comes at a time when the tech giant's cash position is more than three quarters of the way to a hundred billion dollars, giving it both the kind of stock position to forcibly take over nearly any U.S. company it wants in a leveraged move, along with the kind of gold on-hand which would allow it to simply buy most other companies outright. And yet a cursory look at Apple's operations says that it's not in dire need of any particular acquisition. Its iPad dominates the tablet market without a hitch. Its iTunes Store runs the music industry without having had to acquire any of the record labels along the way. And while the iPhone is facing heavy competition from the Android platform, Android OS developer Google is one of the few companies which Apple couldn't realistically acquire. Yet there is one thing that's been holding the iPhone back from day one, and will continue to plague the iPhone 5 even as it eventually expands to every major carrier in every nation: it's the fact that most carriers just plain suck. Or at least they do in the U.S. And whether Apple wants to admit it or not, when it talks of "keeping the powder dry" by way of explaining why it doesn't use its ever-growing cash position for anything, what it's secretly eying is a way to offer its own in-house cellular network.

Forget about buying an existing carrier as a dedicated iPhone 5 offering, even if it could pull it together in time for the launch. Such a move would force Apple to become a provider for all of that carrier's other existing phone customers, or run them off, which would be messy. And forget about an Apple-branded virtual carrier; it would be subject to the same weaknesses as whichever carrier network it's a part of. What Apple must be looking at is building its own towers, stringing together its own network, and becoming an iPhone-exclusive carrier of its own. Apple learned the hard way that many or even most cellphone users are highly reluctant to leave their current carrier under any circumstances. Apple thought it could float the iPhone out there on just AT&T (and one designated carrier in each nation) and then use that exclusivity to whip said carrier into shape and force it to offer a more Apple-like experience. Not only did that not work, but customers of carriers like major AT&T rival Verizon, along with smaller carriers like T-Mobile and Sprint, rebelled by vowing to never buy an iPhone until it came to their carrier. Four years later, many or most of them have kept their word. As such, Apple has finally placed the iPhone on Verizon such that the iPhone 5 will co-launch on both major carriers, and while deals with Sprint and T-Mobile aren't spoken of, they can't be that far off. But even as Apple is placating those among the public who are married to their current carrier, Steve Jobs must be chomping at the bit to offer something better. Every bit of the iPhone 5 experience, from the sale in the Apple Store, to the hardware and software, to the iTunes integration, is an Apple-like experience. But then the carrier gets involved, and suddenly phone calls have dead spots, data networks have caps, customer service is a joke, and billing is a scam-like gotcha game. Suddenly, too many aspects of the iPhone experience are no better than what Android or BlackBerry is offering, and Apple loses part of the distinction upon which its reputation was built.

Apple's only way out of this is to build its own towers. Granted, the move would royally tick off all of the major carriers. But when you're larger than Exxon Mobil and all the other oil companies, its gives you a certain amount of leverage to work with. Apple would continue to sell the iPhone 5 through the existing carriers, but would offer an in-house carrier experience of its own which would be so superior that plenty of iPhone buyers would move to the Apple carrier the minute their existing contracts are up. But because so many among the public are conditioned to stick with their current carrier no matter what, there would still be plenty of iPhone 5 business left over for the carriers.

Such a move on Apple's part would serve to massively boost iPhone 5 market share as millions who've been on the fence about the iPhone would suddenly see the opportunity to be on an Apple-quality cell carrier as the breaking point. This includes those who have never owned a smartphone and are still using a basic cellphone, which in the U.S. at least, still quietly represents the majority of the population. And those among the "I'll never buy an iPhone because I don't want to have to move to _____ carrier" crowd would see the game reversed, as buying an iPhone would instead allow them to move to a superior carrier experience through Apple. It would lead to an immediate (or at least at end-of-contract) major shift in which existing Android and BlackBerry users would move to the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 6 by the time Apple finished building its network), allowing Apple to scoop up massive iPhone sales and profits which would offset the major cost of building such a network. And even if the network were a loss-leader for years before it paid for itself, it wouldn't matter. As Apple's cash position demonstrates, it can afford to make long any term investments it wants, so long as they even out eventually.

Sony Ericsson will be launching its flagship XPERIA Arc Android smartphone in the U.S. market starting this August for $600 unlocked. Unfortunately, as the manufacturer wasn’t able to secure any carrier agreements, the device won’t be offered at this time with a contract for a discounted and subsidized price tag. As such, the $600 price point for this high-end handset may keep the device away from most people as the U.S. market is accustomed to subsidized pricing for cellular contracts.

Though Sony Ericsson didn’t mention what radios will be supported on the handset, it could be safe to assume that the GSM handset will work on either AT&T or T-Mobile USA. It’s unclear if Sony Ericsson will deliver two variants of the handset, each compatible with one carrier’s 3G bands.

The Android 2.3-powered smartphone was unveiled earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show with a slim, curved profile, a 4.2-inch Reality Display with the Mobile Bravia Engine, an 8-megapixel camera with Sony Exmor R for mobile sensor for low-light image capture, and Android Market compatibility.

Press release:

State-of-the-art Sony Technology in the slimmest smartphone on the market

– Loaded with Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® engine and Sony’s Exmor R™ camera imaging sensor

– Powered by the latest version of Android™ 2.3

– Available in the United States beginning August 2011

ATLANTA, July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Ericsson today announced that the super-slim, stunningly designed Xperia™ arc will be available starting August at Sony Retail stores and store.sony.com for $599.99. It will also be available onAmazon.com, Newegg.com, and Buy.com. Please check with individual retailers for pricing and availability. The Xperia™ arc runs on the latest Android 2.3 platform and will feature the best of Sony technology, making this device one of the most powerful multimedia smartphones on the market.

“At Sony Ericsson, we strive to bring consumers the best in mobile entertainment in superior smartphone design,” said Peter Farmer, Head of Marketing for North America, Sony Ericsson. “The Xperia™ arc certainly delivers an entertaining smartphone experience and breathtaking design that has generated rave reviews in other markets and we’re thrilled to make it available to U.S. customers.”

The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ arc combines the best of Android and Sony into one beautiful and easy-to-use device. Offering top of its class Sony technology with the Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine, the Xperia™ arc delivers exceptional visual brilliance and a crystal clear image, which enhances the overall entertainment experience. This smartphone also features Sony’s award-winning Exmor R™ for mobile sensor with its 8.1 megapixel camera, enabling high quality bright pictures and HD videos even in low light. All pictures and videos can easily be shared in HD on your living room TV via the built in HDMI-connector.

The Xperia™ arc’s eye-catching curvature design allows it to fit perfectly in the user’s hand. The smartphone is just 8.7 mm at its thinnest part and has an extra wide 4.2-inch multi-touch screen.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ arc – Key Features

• Slim, lightweight and strong, with perfect ergonomics
• Extra wide 4.2-inch multi-touch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine to ensure ultimate multimedia and viewing experiences
• Sony Exmor R™ for mobile: for best-in-class low-light photography and video capture
• 8.1 megapixel camera and HD video recording capability
• Android Market™ – thousands of applications to keep you entertained

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ arc Color Availability

• Sony Store – Midnight Blue
• Newegg.com, Buy.com and Amazon.com – Midnight Blue and Misty Silver

Research in Motion will launch five new BlackBerry smartphones starting later this month in an attempt to rebound in the wireless market.

Two of the phones are part of the company's BlackBerry Bold line, as well as three revamped versions of the BlackBerry Torch.

The Bold 9900 and 9930 will feature a touchscreen display, traditional BlackBerry keyboard and built-in support for Near Field Communications (NFC), which could open the door for options such as mobile payments.

The BlackBerry Torch 9810 will feature a larger touch display and slide-out keyboard, while the 9850 and 9860 models sport slightly bigger screens powered by Liquid Graphics technology.

All five devices will run RIM's new BlackBerry 7 operating system, which will offer an improved browser, voice-activated searches and a host of personal and productivity apps.

Wireless carrier AT&T will launch the Torch 9860 in August, while the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Torch 9810 will debut later this year. All three smartphones will run on AT&T's 4G network.

The next wave of BlackBerrys represents RIM's latest attempt to reverse its downward turn in the smartphone market. Once the dominant device, the BlackBerry has quickly been overshadowed by Apple and its iPhone as well as the rising army of Google Android smartphones.

Courtsey: usatoday.com

Mobile ad network InMobi, the second largest after Google’s AdMob, has acquired the US-based ad software developer Sprout. However, the deal size and other relevant details are not available.

Sprout was launched in 2008 and is backed by Polaris Venture Partners. Its clients include noted companies like Chevrolet, Disney, Paramount Pictures, HTC, Sega and Nokia. The company has expertise in creating, building and distributing advertisements, based on HTML 5. The acquisition of Sprout brings with it rich media technology for ad creation and distribution on mobiles. InMobi will leverage Sprout’s technology edge to enable its clients (agencies, brands and publishers) to build and distribute rich media ads for devices that support HTML 5. However, Sprout will remain an independent company post-acquisition. Carnet Williams, CEO and co-founder of Sprout, said, “InMobi’s commitment to an open and independent Sprout made them the clear choice for us. We will continue to work with all existing partners, including competitive ad networks, globally.”

Backed by top venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) and Sherpalo Ventures, the Bangalore-based InMobi continues to expand aggressively across the globe and has offices in Bangalore, Singapore, Tokyo, San Francisco, London and Nairobi. Its ad network reaches 314 million consumers in more than 165 countries, and delivers 36 billion mobile ad impressions every month.

“The mobile industry is struggling to fully capitalise on the engaging advertising experiences, now possible through smart devices. This acquisition will help scale the use of rich media advertising globally – a critical next step in helping the industry realise its full potential,” said Ajit Nazre, Partner at KPCB.

Naveen Tewari, Founder and CEO of InMobi said, “We believe this is a huge step forward for mobile advertising. Sprout has an extremely talented team who are a great fit for our organisation. We are truly excited to have them as part of the InMobi team.”

Recently Tewari, along with Blume Ventures, invested Rs 1.21 crore ($270,000) in Bangalore-based RupeeStreet Financial Services Pvt Ltd, which runs the website Moneysights.com. Tewari, who is also on the board of the international standards body Mobile Marketing Association, discussed with Techcircle.in the current mobile advertising scenario in India, the challenges companies face, ROI on mobile advertisements and the upcoming opportunities.

InMobi will also launch SmartPay, a performance-based global mobile payments solution for application developers. It will be available in the market in the third quarter of the year. The solution is aimed at handling regulatory complexity, fraud detection, tax issues, currency conversion, payment settlements and customer support to allow digital merchants to focus on building their core businesses, rather than drowning in red tape.

The company has recently completed one year in North America and announced new hires. While Peter Bassett, former senior vice-president of sales at Millennial Media, will be head of sales for North America, David Smith will head InMobi’s East Coast sales, Susan Kuo, former vice-president (sales) at Booyah, will be head of marketing for North America and Archie O’Conner, former executive vice-president from MixerCast will act as the head of business development for North America. InMobi reaches 83 million mobile users in the USA and has over 10,000 advertisers, developers and publishers as its partners.

App-based advertising is fast rising as advertisers and brands realise the ubiquity of mobile phones, especially in Asia. In July, another fast-rising Indian ad network Komli Media had acquired a mobile ad platform to add to its bouquet of solutions for display ads, video, social media, search marketing and audience measurement. The company acquired Los Angeles-based ZestAdz, which also has offices in Des Moines, Iowa and Chennai, and delivers five billion mobile impressions globally. Other ad networks in India include Jivox, Vdopia, Ozone Media, Smile Group’s Tyroo, Networkplay, Media Estate, IndiAds and AdsForIndians, as well as Guruji’s mobile ad platform Adiquity and OMG.

Courtsey: vccircle.com