Penny Mobiles – Mobile phone news, reviews & information

With WWDC 2011 in full swing, many who were hoping for an iPhone 5 were disappointed. That said, many pundits had long said that Apple would skip a summer launch and instead leave the launch for its September music event which was traditionally used to launch new iPod’s and Apple TV but thanks to the cannibalizing of iPod sales thanks to the iPhone Apple is expected to use the event to launch not only new iPod’s but a new iPhone as well.

That said, there have been many rumors concerning the phones design. At one time it was said that Steve Jobs was playing with three different prototypes, one that included a 4-inch screen and another with a QWERTY keyboard. So needless to say, everyone is wondering how much different will it look from the current iPhone 4. With Samsung, currently Apple’s main competitor experiencing record sales of its Galaxy S device, ibetimes.com is claiming that the Cupertino based company could be taking design cues from Sammy’s hottest new device.

If this tumor is true, it would be ironic seeing that Apple has just finished dragging Samsung into a legal battle claiming the South Korean company not only copied design cues from them but infringed on their patents. Samsung responded with a humorous request asking the court to require Apple to allow it to see the final design of the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 so it would be able to stay clear of possibly copying the devices design. It should be noted that many of Apple’s iPad and iPhone parts are manufactured by Samsung.

What is clear is that if Apple is to successfully compete against Samsung, they will need to come forward with a redesigned product. Granted Apple has the media on its side and there is no doubt that whatever Apple dubs as the iPhone 5 or 4.5 will sell millions of units. But for it to live up to the hype that is being created Apple will need to include some well needed features such as support for NFC, a slimmer design, bigger screen, better camera as well as a dual-core processor.

Many industry pundits and analysts have rumored that the iPhone will indeed include a larger screen, albeit one not as big as the Samsung Galaxy S II and a slimmer design along with the same processor currently running the iPad 2.

But one thing is clear, with Apple filing lawsuits against Samsung, it is clear that Samsung has hit a nerve with the company, and whatever device the company releases next as the next iPhone, it will be aimed squarely at Samsung’s galaxy S II.

Source: Online Social Media

There is no doubt that the demand for smart phones that use Google’s Android operating system are in demand. In fact, a recent study by retail research firm GfK, has shown that just here in the UK, the market share of Android devices has gone up to a massive 13% from the previous record of just 3%.

This momentous growth is spurned on by many different aspects, and here is a quick list of the things that have affected the Android’s growth.

The first thing on the list, is ironically, Apple and Steve Jobs. The Cupertino based company and their CEO has such an odd habit of antagonizing almost anything that comes their way that Google is starting to look quite like the quiet protagonist of the mobile industry. Google has stood beside HTC with regards to the Apple lawsuit and they have also taken in Adobe as well.

Another major reason why the Android OS is so in demand right now is because of all the big fuss about it. This is officially the first mobile platform that Adobe is supporting directly (though they have announced that Flash is indeed coming to other mobile platforms as well). The Google Goggles augmented reality application is also at the cutting edge of the technology. At the rate that the Android is moving forward, it has become one of the leading pioneers among mobile platforms.

Of course, the biggest reason why the Android OS is so successful is none other than the handsets. From simple mid range devices to the most powerful high end smart phones, the Android OS is used in a wide range of devices –with that range, almost any kind of smart phone user would find a great match.

With the upcoming launch of version 3.0 Gingerbread later this year, we can only expect the market share for the Android to keep on growing.

Despite all the fuss and hoopla surrounding Apple’s iPhone 4 antenna, it seems that the market demand for the newly released smart phone has not gone down. It has been almost a month since the official launch of the handset and until today, people are still inquiring with retailers and networks as to when the device will once again be available.

Virtual mobile network operator 3 UK has announced that they will be offering the iPhone 4 this coming Friday, July 30. Many are expected to line up for the device and the operator is already taking scheduled appointments with interested clients. Those who intend to take up the offer or switch to the iPhone 4 would want to contact 3 UK as soon as possible.

The Apple iPhone 4 has been at the center of a big media buzz as complaints about the device’s antenna issues has soared to a point that Apple’s constant denials could not distract users any longer. The folks at Cupertino originally released a short open letter to all iPhone 4 owners before the public pressure forced Steve Jobs to finally concede and provide an active solution.

However, Jobs’ emergency conference did not have the effect that Apple intended. While owners appreciated the gesture of receiving free bumper cases for the handset, the fact that it took Apple over three weeks to find the problem and offer such a basic solution did not sit well with many fans of the brand.

What made matters worse was the mention of other smart phones in Apple’s presentation, which promptly led to other companies making official statements countering what Steve Jobs said.

3 Mobile has not made any mention of the aforementioned antenna issue affecting the handset, but it is believed that new iPhone 4 owners will still need to use the special iTunes app to acquire the free bumper case.

There is just no way to escape advertisements these days. We all know that Apple is implementing the new iOS 4’s iAds feature (expect to see more of this once the whole antenna debacle has toned down a notch), but aside from the more obvious advertising features, there is one other factor that tends to influence consumer’s decisions: social networking.

We all know how effective word of mouth advertising can be. While the average person does not need to listen to the recommendations of his or her friends, a few words from a choice individual among peers who a person truly admires or respects is more than enough of an endorsement to give a purchase a reason.

Now imagine that scenario on with the element of social networking on your mobile phone. Receiving a quick message or Tweet from close friends saying how nice it is to visit a certain establishment or to purchase a certain product will be a very strong influential factor for many people.

This is not just a one sided influence either. As effective as social networking can be, it is the accessibility that smart phone technology (as well as WiFi and 3G network access) gives that makes this a very potent element for marketing. And of course, the social network gives the messages more potency than standard mass forwarded content on mobile phones. After all, receiving spam messages on a mobile phone is never good, but reading about updates directly from friends is considered enjoyable.

Research firm Gartner has been gathering data on how people’s social networking habits tend to influence and affect their purchasing decisions. This influence is a crucial factor that has to be considered by marketers if they want to successfully advertise a product in this day and age. The study covered about 4000 consumers across various territories in the world during the last quarter of 2009.

The black version of the iPhone 4 has kept Apple and their affiliated manufacturers on their feet producing enough to keep up with consumer demand. That being said, there are still those who patiently wait for the white version of the device. At first, people thought it would be released at the same time as the black iPhone 4, seeing a tech journalist sport the device on a review. Unfortunately, it was simply a press unit and was not yet mass produced for consumers.

The delay was attributed to the difficulty in producing white iPhone 4 devices versus the black one. Apple gave a tentative date for those eager to get their hands on the fairer handset which was at the end of July. Unfortunately, the Cupertino based company was not able to meet the deadline and the white devices will still not be appearing in shelves any time soon.

This is truly sad news for those that have put off their Apple iPhone purchase hoping for the alternative color. Those who are in a hurry to get the popular smart phone will still be able to purchase the black variant without any problems. According to Apple’s official statement, the production problems are restricted to the white model.

“White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected”

The “challenge” in manufacturing has apparently spared the black iPhone 4. On the other hand, nobody knows just when the white variant will be released. Perhaps after all the bad press, Apple is busy rearranging the device’s internal parts to make way for a better positioned antenna. Hopefully, when the much anticipated unit gets released, the improvements will not be purely cosmetic.

While the public is busy discussing the validity (or rather, invalidity) of Steve Jobs’ claims during the Apple emergency conference, there is something that many people are simply unable to ignore -the statement that the refunds and free case offers would only last until the end of September.

To be more exact, it was specified by Steve Jobs that current users can either refund their case or obtain a new free case until September 30, which alludes to the possibility that at that point, something new will happen.

The logic here is that the “free case” and “refunds” are special offers that Apple is giving out due to the antenna issue. For as long as the antenna issues persists, then Apple is obligated to provide users with a solution (as ineffective as it may be. And yes, Apple is obligated as they have sold a faulty product to users). To state that the offer will only be good until a specific date means that Apple has something up their sleeve.

The initial assessment is that a second batch of iPhone 4 handsets would be ready. These second versions would not be suffering from the same antenna issues. At that point, Apple might even be able to offer a special exchange program for current owners (though that is quite unlikely).

One other rumor that is quite persistent is that October might see the launch of the iPhone 5. This is one rumor that we definitely have to back away from as it is not just unlikely, but is not Apple’s style at all. It is more believable that this could be more than just an iPhone 4 (iPhone 4s perhaps?), but never a full jump to a completely new version that would be labeled as the fifth in the series.

After all, completely replacing the device with an all new model would be the same as Apple admitting their mistake –which is something that the folks at Cupertino can never do outright.

According to Steve Jobs, the antenna issue is “a challenge for the whole industry”.

Mobile phone users and many mobile phone makers beg to disagree; after all, this is the first time that a device would actually drop calls if its antenna was held. Even in the early days of 2G/GSM devices, Nokia manufactured plenty of mobile phones with visible antennas that literally jutted out of the phone body. Phones like the old Nokia 5110 would still work properly even if the antenna was being touched by the hand.

And in the many years since then, various phone makers have made countless numbers of mobile devices that have not only made the antenna smaller and non-obtrusive, but also equally, if not more efficient.

Companies like RIM, whose BlackBerry Bold 9700 was named directly by Apple as a device affected by antenna issues. What Jobs might have failed to realize that even if the Bold or any other handset loses a bar of signal from touch, none of these phones would drop a call like the iPhone 4 would.

Jobs also failed to realize that RIM would also speak out.

To sum it up nicely, here is a quick excerpt from RIM’s official statement, “Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation.”

Nokia has also stated they their company emphasizes a lot on testing their products –including the antenna performance, to ensure the usability of their mobile handsets.

The two companies are not the only phone makers to have made their voices heard. Samsung and Motorola have also spoken out as well. Of the three companies that Apple has directly mentioned in the presentation, only HTC (manufacturers of the HTC Wildfire and Desire, among others) has yet to make a comment (and many believe that it will not be long before that).

It was not due to lack of testing that the faulty antenna design for the iPhone 4 actually made it to the production. In fact, it was an issue that was already brought up earlier on by one of Apple’s senior engineers and an expert on antenna technology, Ruben Caballero. The information was leaked by a source from within Apple who refused to be named.

With that little trivia known, the only thing we can really ask now is “why Apple, why?”

The iPhone 4 is a major handset. No matter how one looks at it, it has been designed to be the next in line to the throne that was once occupied by the iPhone 3GS. So it makes no sense that Apple would ignore such serious warnings. However, the fact of the matter is that the iPhone 4’s antenna is indeed faulty; the folks at Cupertino could not afford to let such a major flaw be part of the final product.

This is also a major issue internally; after all, experts like Ruben are good at what they do. For their assessment to be ignored and the final product to still have the major flaw they pointed out is an insult to their skills and expertise.

To have this news break out at such as time is also a major blow to the company –as it further undermines their capacity to handle problems with handsets –if they failed to prevent it in the first place, how could people trust them to fix it at all?

In the meanwhile, it is only a few hours before the Apple conference starts and we will finally be able to know what Microsoft has been planning recently. It may have been strange, but at least the emergency conference seems to be focused on dealing with the antenna issue.

Tracking down criminals can be a tough job, and if there is one thing that the Apple iPhone can do, it is by providing the law with a digital trail of crumbs that will lead the police right to the suspects.

The iPhone is prone to security issues and that is what Police operatives are taking advantage of in order to help track down criminals. A recent report has shown that thanks to all the small issues that Apple failed to figure out with the iPhone, there are plenty of ways that the iPhone has become the perfect tracker for wanted felons.

First off, text messages; apparently the Apple’s QWERTY keyboard typing feature has a major flaw. The problem lies with the automated dictionary that is intended to help people type message faster. While the feature does its job well, it also has an unannounced effect of being able to key-log messages that are being typed in. Keyloggers are the perfect way to get a quick bead on what new activities users are up to.

Of course, all that information is worthless unless the police are able to get their hands on the smart phone in the first place. And this is where geo tagged images become really important. The data on uploaded photos often contain geotagging information that users forget to remove –this one little tidbit of information alone is all that detective need to find their man.

Once they find the criminal, there is more that the Apple iPhone can give aside from just a recent history of text messages -the phone also stores a vast amount of image data of map screenshots. These images are generated each time the map app is turned off. In doing so, the phone automatically makes a quick snap shot of the device’s last known location. This creates a very useful log that can be used for evidence.

With the Kin’s unexpected cancellation in Europe, it is hard to see how Microsoft is ever going to regain its foothold in the European mobile phone markets. However, the American electronics manufacturer seems determined to set things right. Learning from how the social networking centered duo fared in the US, they have instead decided to cut their losses and focus their efforts on the launch of the Windows Phone 7 platform.

Retailers are preparing early for the line of products sporting the new operating system, creating attractive shop displays. Some of the Windows Phone 7 ads are due to be posted even as early as within the month.

According to official Microsoft documents that were leaked to the public, the company confirms a third quarter launch date for the new operating system. People who estimate the arrival date of the Windows Phone 7 platform say that it is actually due to be released on September.

It seems the accelerated release date can be attributed to the Microsoft branded Kin’s lackluster appeal in the mobile market. It was, after all, pitted against heavy competition against Google, Apple as well as Nokia.

With all the promotional shop floor displays and awareness drives, Microsoft really does not want to leave too much to chance. All the publicity and marketing should leave an impression on the consumers, after all, Microsoft has quite a few unique wow factors up its sleeve.

There are plenty of things to look forward to in the Windows Phone 7 platform. The modern user interface, plenty of apps ported from the Xbox Live Arcade as well as a great, Flash capable web browser. Hopefully all of this is enough to boost the Microsoft platform’s 7 percent market share which is only a fraction when compared to the 44 percent that Nokia’s Symbian dominates.