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Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category

Our least favourite video reviewer has published this video comparing the HTC HD2 vs the Google Nexus One. While getting the screen size wrong and complaining about the Windows Mobile settings when Sense settings completely replaces it does not do much for his credibility, the video may be useful to some who are comparing the device on style and screen size, both areas where the HTC HD2 indisputably rules.

We all have great ideas for the next killer smartphone application that will serve out needs perfectly.  Unfortunately the vast majority of us lack the skills to make our vision a reality.

That’s where appubator comes in. The company is offering to listen to your ideas, and if it seems like a viable proposition, make the app for free and give you 30% of the revenue from the sale of the application.

Read their press release below.

appubator, Inc. today announced the launch of the company and its website at www.appubator.com. Appubator, which stands for (mobile) application incubator seeks to bring to market new mobile applications ‘apps’ through partnering with the general public. Its business model combines the ideas of mobile phone users with the appubator’s capital and development resources to bring new mobile applications to market on the major Smartphone platforms (iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile). Once launched, the submitter receives a 30% share of revenues received from the sale of the application.

“I run into people every day who have great ideas for new mobile ‘apps’. Just as quickly as the ideas start flowing, people are hit with the realization that they don’t know where to begin to bring their ‘app’ ideas to light”, said Laney Dale, CEO of appubator. “Through our company, we will help people make their apps a reality and provide a compelling income opportunity through the booming mobile application market”.

A key part of the appubator process is the company’s secure website and mobile submission applications. The mobile apps, soon to be available through iTunes (supporting iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad) and the Android Market (Android OS mobile Smartphones) allow users to send the company their submissions whenever an idea strikes.

The mobile application market presents a tremendous revenue opportunity for appubator. The British research and consulting firm WirelessExpertise recently published a report which suggests that the number of global Smartphone users is expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2013. The researchers also predict that the mobile applications market, currently estimated at $4B for 2009, could grow as large as $166 billion by 2013.

Development on its first round of applications is already underway with the first products available for sale in the first quarter of 2010 and supporting the major Smartphone platforms  (iPhone, Android and Windows Phone). appubator encourages mobile phone users with great ideas for new ‘apps’ to visit their website at www.appubator.com and click on the “Submit Ideas” link.

So if you have a great idea for an app you now have the opportunity not just to turn it into reality, but actually make money of it.

Read more at at appubator here.

Mobile-Review have published this hands-on video of the Sony Ericsson Aspen in action, and it does show, despite the small, low resolution screen, Sony Ericsson has managed to implement an interesting user interface.

Does this make you more interested in the device? Let us know below.

Via Engadget.com

 Strand Consulting has taken an objective look at iPhone owners and have come to the same conclusion many of us have.  They are not very well, psychologically speaking of course.

Noting that iPhone owners would go to extra-ordinary lengths to defend the failings of their device, Strand Consulting diagnosed this aberrant behaviour as a form of Stockholm Syndrome – where hostages identify with their captors and would actually defend them and resist being released.

They make special mention of many ways the iPhone has historically been inferior, and the arguments their fans use to justify where the features are in fact not just unnecessary, but would hinder their use of the phone. Amusingly when Apple finally does provide the feature iPhone owners often feel only Apple could have implemented it right, making Apple’s version the one now anointed as “the right way to do it.

Strand’s lengthy list of examples include:

1.    The first iPhone was not a 3G phone: What do you need 3G for? You can easily use the iPhone without using a 3G network and anyway, 3G is not particularly widespread, so this is not a problem.

2.    The phone cannot send MMS: There is no need to send MMSs, hardly anybody sends MMSs.

3.    You cannot forward a SMS: This is a function that hardly anybody uses and was therefore not included in the first iPhones.

4.    The phone has a poor camera: The built-in camera is perfectly adequate and the iPhone takes fantastic photos with its camera.

5.    It is not a real Smartphone, it cannot multitask: The phone has all the necessary functions and the OS is technically superior compared to other Smartphone OSs currently on the mobile market.

6.    The iPhone cannot multitask, resulting in a great number of applications being unusable: The absence of multitasking is a deliberate design decision resulting in a faster UI.

7.    You can not change battery on the iPhone: How many customers run around with spare batteries? None or very few.

8.    Apple decides which applications you can install on the phone: This is good, because Apple thereby ensures that you do not get inferior programs on your phone.

9.    The app store is a closed universe: Apple knows what is best for end users, which is good for the many iPhone users.

10. The phone does not support Java, so games need to be developed especially for the iPhone: Java is slow and not properly integrated with mobile phones, games for the iPhone are much better because they are directly developed for the iPhone.

11. The app store contains numerous small trivial commercial programs: The app store’s large selection gives users the freedom of choice and the many small programs help make the end users daily lives more fun.

12. It is difficult to use the touchscreen for fast SMS messaging: The touchscreen makes the phone easier to use and you quickly get used to it.

13. The iPhone is a low technology phone packaged in a sleek design: Apple has taken the combination of the design and UI to the next level, therefore the technological specifications don’t really matter.

14. The quality of the phone is poor, calls are often interrupted and network coverage is poor: It is a good phone, these problems are due to the operators’ networks and not the phone.

15. You can only purchase the iPhone from operators chosen by Apple: Apple has spent a great deal of time and energy selecting the best operators for customers.

16. The iPhone is targeted at a niche segment and will not be able to develop further: Apple has succeeded in designing a phone for people that appreciate design and user friendliness.

17. The iPhone does not support memory cards: Iphones already offer the necessary memory people require and end users can choose between two models, one with a little memory and one with a great deal of memory.

18. You can not install your own browser: The browser Apple has designed is so superior that you do not need any other browser on your phone.

19. You cannot use the iPhone as a modem for your portable PC: People that have an iPhone do not need their portable when on the move.

20. There is no radio in the phone: You do not need a radio in your iPhone because the iPhone supports iTunes that offers almost unlimited music.

Of course Strand Consulting notes that any company would be ecstatic to have such a fanatical fan base, but at WMPU we can only recommend that iFans seek some help.

Read more at Strand Consulting here.

Via Allaboutphones.nl.

Much like a bad penny, iMate just keeps turning up.  The latest showing of this zombie-like smartphone pioneer is at the Mobile World Congress in 2 weeks, where the company will be presenting at the ShowStoppers event, likely with very big promises but also likely with very small deliverables.

iMate has long taken credit for the development of the first Windows Mobile phone, but has floundered since HTC divested itself of its re-banders.

We look forward to see what iMate has to offer, if only for the entertainment value.

If you have an urge to see iMate too the venue is:

Sunday, 14 Feb. 2010
5 to 8 p.m.
Hilton Barcelona
Av. Diagonal 589-591
Barcelona

Via TamsPPC.

iPhone sales may be nearly doubled Christmas 2008 to 2009, but the smartphone is facing increasing competition, and has suffered a significant loss of market share in Q4 2009.

Apple sold 8.7 million iPhones in Q4 2009, which was below analyst expectations.  According to ABI Research this represents a drop in market share form 18% in Q3 to 16.6 % in Q4.

The stumble can be attributed to increasing competition from high end handsets like the Motorola Droid and devices such as the HTC HD2 and a rather stale device line-up.

Michael Morgan, an analyst at ABI Research, says Apple could be running into a case of “Razr burn”, referring to the meteoric rise and as precipitous fall of the iconic handset which remained essentially unchanged for two years.

Analyst Rob Endele noted "Even in the pain, Apple is realizing a much higher level of profit than any of the other handset vendors. Clearly, Apple is favouring profit over market share,"  "That is consistent with Apple’s strategy. The company may very well continue to drop market share, but you will see them hold viciously on the profits."

With Apple insisting on a high profit margin and carriers increasingly having alternatives to spur consumer data usage demand, it is likely the iPhone will dwindle into a niche market just like Apple computers

Read more at Newsfactor here.

Microsoft has been doing it all it can to stage manage their Mobile World Congress event, including trying to to suppress all (of their own) Windows Mobile 7 leaks.

This effort included to not giving any indication to who will be speaking at Microsoft’s MWC event on the 15 February.

Unfortunately it seems there was again some communication error inside the computing giant, and a banner has been popping up on the site advertising Steve Ballmer’s presence at the event.

This, amongst many other things, is another indication of the importance of the event, and with the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 announcement out of the way, again raises the odds of Windows Mobile 7 being shown off.

Read more at MSMobiles.com here.