china

ZTE Tania coming to China soon, processor upgraded to 1.4 Ghz

May 21, 2012 | By Surur

Unwiredview reports that the ZTE Tania may be less than 10 days away from shipping in China.

ZTE sales director Wei Xiaodong told CNMO that the Tania will be in Chinese stores before the end of this month.

The handset from the Chinese company has so far only been distributed in UK and Europe.

The smartphone will see an interesting specs update prior to its release there – instead of a 1 Ghz processor it will now sports a 1.4 Ghz processor – an interesting choice when the handset’s main weakness is its 4GB storage rather than the more generous 8 GB or 16 GB.

The handset will otherwise retain its 4.3 inch screen, 5 megapixel camera and 512 MB RAM, and likely run the latest version of Windows Phone Tango.

Nokia Lumia 900 coming to China in June

May 18, 2012 | By Surur

The Nokia Lumia 900 has now passed through the Chinese equivalent of the FCC, the State Radio Regulation Committee (SRRC), and according to Chinese news portal Sina Tech, is expected to launch in China in June.

It is not clear which network the handset will be showing up on, giving that is not a CDMA handset (supported by China Telecom) or a TD-SCDMA handset supported by China Mobile.

The handset would however join a growing range of Lumia handsets in China, starting from the Nokia Lumia 610, 710, 800 and 900, all nearly price differentiated, which should have a good multiplier effect on total sales.

According to reports Windows Phone sales have overtaken iPhone sales in China over the last few months, and it is likely Nokia’s range was mostly responsible for the feat. Hopefully these developments would help continue this trend.

Via TNW.com

Thanks Gopalan for the tip.

2

Windows Phone takes China by storm–already 7% market share, ahead of iPhone

May 17, 2012 | By Surur

When Microsoft announced at the launch of Windows Phone Tango handsets in China that passing the iPhone in China was just an interim goal on the way to overtaking Android, it did seem rather grandiose.

It seems Microsoft was right however, with Michel van der Bel, COO Greater China Region at Microsoft saying that a mere 2 months after the launch Windows Phone 7 handsets already had a 7% market share in China, ahead of the 6% of the iPhone there.

"We have only just begun," he noted, saying he expects the synergies between Windows 8 tablets and Windows Phone will power even more growth.

“Our smartphone and tablet-pc are hybrid, making them suitable for the consumer, but also easy to insert within an existing company infrastructure. This will allow us to better anticipate the consumerization of IT than many competitors. "

IDC had predicted Windows Phone would ovetake iPhone in China, but only next year.

They expected Windows Phone would take 7.5 percent of the China market this year, trailing the 12 percent share of Apple’s IOS and Android’s 70 percent, but by next year, Windows share was expected to rise to 15 percent, surpassing Apple’s 13 percent.

Android still dominates the Chinese mobile market with a market share of around 69 percent.

In terms of the app battle, Bell admitted that Windows Phone was behind. "We indeed still have a battle. There are currently working at our R & D Department 2,500 people in China. We will invest heavily in there, "said the COO.

Windows Phone recently ovetook the iPhone in Russia also, making for a trend we can certainly appreciate.

Via emerce.nl

Thanks Christophe for the tip.

31

China Telecom to launch the Samsung Minuet, Nokia Lumia 719c and Lumia 610c

May 17, 2012 | By Surur

WPDang reports that China Telecom’s new line-up has been released, and that it includes 3 new Windows Phones.

According to the list China’s second largest carrier and the only carrier of the iPhone in China, is definitely also making a move to Windows Phone 7.

The CDMA carrier will be offering the Samsung Minuet (likely similar to the Samsung Omnia M), Nokia Lumia 719c and Nokia Lumia 610c.

WPDang notes that the ZTE Mimosa, the CDMA version of the Orbit is still expected to launch on China Telecom at some point, leaving the carrier with a pretty extensive list of Windows Phones in the biggest phone market in world.

Via WindowsPhoneDaily.com

5

China’s Baidu wants to make Windows Phones also

May 16, 2012 | By Surur

Baidu's Android phone costs only $159

Baidu, who has just announced a low-cost Android phone, has told TechCrunch they also hope to create Windows Phones as part of extending their cloud platform.

“We want Baidu’s Cloud Smart Terminal to function as a platform that sits on top of all operating systems, such as Windows Phone and iOS,” Kaiser Kuo, a spokesperson for Baidu, told TechCrunch today. “We are not yet working on a Windows Phone device but the hope is to make one,” he noted,

For Baidu it is all about the Baidu Cloud Smart Terminal, a collection of services such as cloud-based storage service, location-based services and Baidu Map, voice recognition and handwriting-based search input, Baidu Music and services to recharge your call and data credits on the device.

Baidu’s big strategy to create a device that will appeal to the less affluent demographic in the country. Part of the reason the device will be priced so inexpensively, Kuo said, is because most of the services that Baidu is loading into the device will be cloud-based. That means the device does not need to have as much processing power built into it.

“You don’t need a lot of power, just the ability to connect to the Internet because we are shifting the computing from the terminal back to the cloud,” he noted.

“The Baidu Cloud Smart terminal platform is a crucial step in Baidu’s overall Cloud strategy in the mobile Internet sphere…it will significantly lower manufacturing costs for many mobile manufacturers and cooperating partners. Baidu is joining hands with hardware vendors, terminal manufacturers, developers and others in the industry so that everyone along the whole value chain is a winner.”

Baidu’s ODM is Foxconn, the same ODM as the iPhone, and they have created a smartphone with Dell before.

Until they extend their cloud platform outside China however they do not plan to extend their services out of the country.

“When we have robust cloud offerings outside of China, only then would it make sense to offer terminals there,” Kuo said.

Chinese Nokia Lumia 800c "sales have been brisk in all possible channels"

May 14, 2012 | By Surur

The Nokia Lumia 800c launched in early April on China Telecom to long queues and reports of good sales.

A bit late, we have a comment from Nokia regarding the performance of the handset.

According to China Daily, Wang Jingqiu, the company’s Beijing-based spokesperson, said "sales have been brisk in all possible channels".

There is some other evidence that the Lumia range is selling well, with Statcounter showing the market share of the handset rapidly rising from a low of 0.16% at the beginning of the year to 0.4% now, ahead of Blackberry, which never really took of in China.

Nokia recently reinforced their range with the Chinese launch of the low-end Nokia Lumia 610, which should help the company reach for that low end high volume price point which has always been their forte.

Thanks Manuel for the tip.

14

Samsung creating a new CDMA Windows Phone 7.5 handset for China?

May 14, 2012 | By Surur

In what I suspect many would call a bizarre turn of events, on the eve of Windows Phone 8 a whole collection of low end Windows Phone 7.5 handsets are popping up.

Samsung recently joined the party with the lower-end Samsung Omnia M and Samsung Focus 2, and now the company appears to be working on another Windows Phone 7.5 handset with CDMA.

The "SCH-S759" manufactured by Samsung Electronics is a CDMA2000/GSM phone which passed through the Wi-Fi certification group on the 4th May, 2012.

The WIFI b/g/n handset also passed through the Bluetooth SIG with 2.1 + EDR Bluetooth, now unfortunately a hallmark of Windows Phone, given that near everyone else have upgraded to Bluetooth 3.0 and 4.0.

Lastly, as the cherry on the cake, Blog of Mobile found a user agent string (Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows Phone OS 7.5; Trident/5.0; IEMobile/9.0; SAMSUNG; SCH-S759) which definitively identifies the handset as a Windows Phone 7.5 device.

It is unlikely Verizon will be releasing a new Windows Phone 7.5 handset anytime soon, and Blog of Mobile suggests the device may be heading to the CDMA networks in China.

The handset may be the Samsung Minuet rumoured for a June release in China with Tango on board.

Either way, it seems Samsung is not content to let Nokia play in the Windows Phone pen all by itself.

Via unwiredview.com

2

ZTE Tania heading to China at a very affordable price

May 10, 2012 | By Surur

WPDang reports that the ZTE Tania, currently on release in Europe and also apparently heading to USA, will also soon make its way back to China.

The handset, rebranded “ZTE V960W”, is expected to cost around 1,250 CNY (198 USD), competing directly with the Nokia Lumia 610, which costs 1,600 CNY.

ZTE also has another Windows Phone in China, the ZTE Orbit, which features NFC. WPDang speculates that this handset may get a RAM cut to the low-end Tango spec of 256 MB to cut costs and make it more price competitive.

China has recently overtaken USA as the largest smartphone market, but remains extremely price sensitive, meaning if Windows Phone is to win any significant market share there it remains very important to compete on the low end.

Via WPSauce.com

0

WIFI tethering in Tango update for the Nokia Lumia 800 confirmed (screen shot)

May 7, 2012 | By Surur

The Nokia Lumia 800c Chinese Tango ROM has been confirmed to have WIFI tethering, raising hopes that this feature will come to all Lumia 800 handsets when Tango finally arrives.

XDA user surya467 has tried the new ROM, and found:

Wi-Fi Tethering

Export contacts to SIM

Advanced network settings for calls and messages

Additional option in video mode – the quality of

Xbox animated tiles

New sign on the top bar

Another XDA user has ‘Sirstoner ‘ tested the firmware and confirmed it lacked Facebook and Twitter integration, of course consistent with its Chinese source.

Hopefully a usable update for all Nokia Lumia 800 handsets will appear soon.

Via Symbian-Tweet, screen shots via windows-phone.pl

5

Nokia Lumia 610 now on sale in China, unboxed

May 7, 2012 | By Surur

The Nokia Lumia 610 is now on sale in China, and is available for 1,699 Chinese Yuan ($269 USD).

WPDang was one of the first customers and posted some unboxing pictures.

They report the 800 Mhz handset is as smooth and fast as all other Windows Phones, and the phone, which is available in black and white, is polished and “very beautiful”.

One interesting point to note is that the packaging is branded Nokia 610 rather than Nokia Lumia 610, similar to the Nokia 800 and 800c in China.

See more more pictures at WPDang here.

Via WPDaily.com

7

Nokia Lumia 800c in second spot on China Telecom’s sales chart

April 19, 2012 | By Surur

Nokia’s finances are not doing too well, with a massive drop in sales and market share in some of their strongest traditional markets like China.

The company is looking at ramping up their Windows Phone 7 range to compensate for rapidly flagging Symbian sales

The CDMA Nokia Lumia 800c launched on China Telecom about 2 weeks ago to large crowds and queues, but of course that does not really tell us how well the smartphone is selling there.

Queues for the Nokia Lumia 800c launch in China

Reader HH has however tipped us of to a sales chart on China Telecom’s website showing the handset is pretty well positioned, just behind the wildly popular Apple iPhone 4S.

Hopefully by adding the Nokia Lumia 610 at a much lower price to their Chinese range they will have more than an isolated handset doing well, but closer to a full range which can make up the volume missing from Symbian’s demise.

Thanks HH for the tip.

9

Real Football a Chinese Marketplace exclusive

April 14, 2012 | By Surur

Here is a rather interesting development. Way back in August 2010 Gameloft promised to bring a number of games to Windows Phone 7. Included in the list was Real Soccer 2.

In the end though it seems the game never quite made it to Marketplace, but now Real Football, also by Gameloft, has made an appearance, but only in the Chinese Marketplace.

The game is officially licenced, allowing you to play the 8 big leagues, and 245 teams with real players names (FIFPro license).

The game also features

Unique game modes, including Enter the the Legend (play your favourite players) and Club Master (Manage your team struggle throughout the season).
Like television voice commentary.
Feel the atmosphere of 14 football pitches, including Milan, Manchester and Madrid.
Precise operation: accurate virtual arrow keys to control players,easily select players using the touch screen.

Readers with access to the Chinese Marketplace can find the game here.

Thanks Max for the tip.

3