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Nokia enjoys 43% of UK market share

Research firm CSS has revealed that Nokia is currently enjoying a 43% market share in the UK, which is double what one of their closest competitors, Samsung is achieving at the moment.

This is clearly a step in the right direction for Nokia as they hope to dominate the UK market for many months to come. Elsewhere in the charts, LG are in fourth place after some positive sales, while Samsung’s growth rate slowed causing them to remain in second. Sony Ericsson however have showed the biggest decline in net profit.

Here is a statement from CSS Insight Analyst Ben Wood commenting on Nokia’s current dominance,

“Nokia is still head and shoulders above the rest. It is not just leading the market but controlling it. Sony Ericsson has really been put under pressure by Nokia’s new mid-range handsets and has struggled as a result. Samsung is the clear number two in the market, while LG has established itself in the big time. It has hit a sweet spot with a lot of its handsets recently.”

Read the full article over at Mobile Today

Breaking Apple iPhone 3G Privacy News

Many web users hate being spied on and this has been shown over and over again when their privacy is possibly made public (YouTube having to show its log files to a court is one example, we’re sure you can think of many more).

So when you think about your nice new Apple iPhone 3G and the possibility that it may be phoning home every now and then, how does that make you feel?

The site iPhone Atlas has broke some news about the iPhone’s 2.xx firmware being able to check for unauthorized applications, and disable them after phoning home to Apple.

Its being reported that a configuration file tucked deep inside CoreLocation shows this to be true. You can read more details on iPhone Atlas and in iPhone Forensics manual by Jonathan Zdziarski.

Now is Apple doing this for our security or other reasons?

Read more iPhone 3G news here or leave a comment.

PwnageTool 2.0.2: Jailbreak iPhone 3G and iPod Touch

This is some great news for you jailbreakers out there; we are hearing that PwnageTool 2.0.2 will be available in the next couple of hours. Although this is still not the Apple iPhone 3G unlock yet.

The PwnageTool 2.0.2 version will jailbreak the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch latest software. If you did not update to iPhone 2.0.1 firmware then you’re about to get cool keyboarding and improved stability while if you did update to the latest software then you will be able to access your jailbroken applications.

The DevTeam are claiming that PwnageTool 2.0.2 should be uploaded within a few hours, its undergoing final checks. While there is no definite time, you can expect it to be released today.

You can get the update via PwnageTool’s software updater and direct links online. Will you be updating today?

Source: Read | View other Apple iPhone 3G news here.

Are T-Mobile planning HTC Google Android handset release at end of year?

There have been a lot of interest on the pending release of the first Google Android handsets but the news is that HTC hope to release them at the end of the year. Still no official date yet though, but at least it’s a bit of news to get fans hopeful.

HTC have claimed these blank, unbranded phones will be heading out to the original design manufacturer by the fourth quarter of the year and only then will fans be able to get their hands on one.

Although there has been a lot of speculation on the Google Android phones, there still is the debate on which mobile phone provider will distribute it. Sources have indicated that T Mobile could be the company that is going to take on the responsibility, as previous news stated that Google had assisted T-Mobile US with the HTC Dream handset.

As its just turned August though, I wouldn’t expect any more hints on these phones until later on when it edges nearer to the end of the year. Hopefully soon though, there will be reports of seeing these mobiles in action, stay tuned to hear more news.

Source: Read

LiMo Open-Source vs Google Android and Nokia’s Symbian Foundation

When you have three very big names all in the same basket you know things will heat up, and this is where the competition really spices up for open-source mobile devices and indeed platforms. According to Phones Review the LiMo Foundation on Monday revealed a host of new partners and devices that will go up against the likes of Google Android and Nokia Symbian Foundation.

Can LiMo really heat things up? can they really compete with the likes of Google Android and Nokia Symbian Foundation?

On Monday the open-source mobile consortium saw it increase its ranks to more than 50 partner companies in its drive to deliver open handset platform for the entire mobile industry. The eleven new members include the likes of Esmertec, Freescale Semiconductor, VirtualLogix, Telecom Italia, Longcheer Holdings, PacketVideo, MIZI Research, SK Innoace, Cellon, ZTE and Movial.

Well now according to the LiMo Foundation the latest line-up of partners are evidence that its contributor-led governance model can uniquely rationalize the increasing mobile ecosystem giving it more complexity and flexibility and of course sophistication.

LiMo Foundation revealed seven new Linux-based mobile phones which will indeed put pressure on Google and the Open Handset Alliance to create sophisticated handsets based on the Linux-based Android mobile operating system. The phones include Motorola’s Motozinet ZN5; FOMA N906i, FOMA N906i, FOMA N906iL and FOMA N706i from NEC; and the FOMA P906i and FOMA P706i from Panasonic Mobile Communications.

LiMo are hoping that its open-source based phones will be just as good if not better than the success of the iPhone, if they get close to this or even better it then we can see amazing competition on our hands.

Who will win?

Apple iPhone 3G Problems: Official Blog helps out

We reported over the weekend that Apple came clean with more information about the problems with MobileMe. This included admitting that 1% of customers were affected and 10% of these might lose their e-mail for good.

When the 3G iPhone was launched two weeks, Apple also launched the MobileMe service. This service is Apple’s version of cloud computing, iPhones can connect to the remote server and keep updated with other devices that connect to the cloud.

The problems with MobileMe started right away. Some users could not synch their devices and others could not send or receive e-mails.

While companies normally like to keep a lid on problems until they fixed them, Apple were forced to open up after criticism mounted about MobielMe.

The new blog setup up to help MobileMe users has been updated regularly. On Sunday, a post said full e-mail access is restored to 40% of those affected and the remainder should be restored in the next few days.

Looking at the reports about MobileMe today, it looks like problems are still around. One user had all their contacts wiped out and an empty calendar on their iPhone.

Are your MobileMe problems fixed?

Read more on the BBC about the Apple Blog updates or read the latest iPhone 3G news here.

Making calls not as important on cell phones

Making calls not as important on cell phones

In a recent survey conducted by Mobile Data Association (MDA) it looks as though other features such as, text messages, picture messaging and going on the Internet is more important than making calls on a cell phone.

Almost 1.5 billion text messages were sent per week in the months between January and May 2008. MDA also said that year-on-year growth on text messaging from May 2007 to 2008 was up by 30 percent.

MDA has said that “SMS has established itself as a true social connecting tool and continues to have mass consumer appeal.”

MDA have said that they expect this current trend to increase by 30 percent in 2008; this is a result of great deals that cell phone carriers are now offering.

MDA Chairman Steve Reynolds also said “Picture and video messaging volumes are gathering real pace.” He also added “The proliferation of camera enabled devices has been key, but improved and automated settings around MMS set up have made the process simpler for the end user.”

Source

Fix slowness of iPhone 3G after 2.0 update

If you own an Apple iPhone or the newer iPhone 3G and have the software 2.0 update, then you are well aware of the lag bug. One PR user has claimed they fixed this problem.

They said they fixed the slowness of iPhone 3G after the 2.0 update using a factory reset on the phone. They then used iTunes to erase the backup file.

People! I just fixed the slowness of my iPhone after the 2.0 update.
After several resets on iTunes, nothing seams to work, so I did a factory reset on the phone itself instead of iTunes and on iTunes I erased the backup file. It takes a while but its working great now. Before this, it was just a useless phone with Internet that I could not even see my contact list without waiting 8 seconds to load. Try it out. It worked for me.

If this does truly work for everyone, would you be willing to make that kind of sacrifice with your data?

Why should we go back to factor settings? This problem was not on the last iPhone firmware and should not be on this one. The next firmware update should fix this issue and it may be better to wait to then.

Read more iPhone 3G news here.

MobileMe push email on iPhone 3G and support for IMAP-IDLE

The MobileMe issues are slowly getting fixed but just how does push email work on the Apple iPhone 3G? If you think it includes the IMAP idle method then you may be wrong.

On the Apple Discussions section of their site, someone raised just this question. While it’s believed by some that the iPhone’s email client supports IMAP-IDLE, it looks like this is incorrect.

You can read the discussion here. One user called Robin has a little expertise on this topic. He is apparently the VP Marketing of a company that wrote a whitepaper on IMAP-IDLE.

I think I should point out (as a 3G iPhone owner and as the VP Marketing of the company that wrote the whitepaper you pointed to) that the iPhone’s email client does not support IMAP-IDLE. Very disappointing given Steve Job’s initial assertion during his speech introducing the original iPhone that for email “IMAP is, of course, the best”.

We will update you on the improvements Apple makes with MobileMe. But for now, what’s your view on IMAP-IDLE and the lack of support on the iPhone?

View more news about MobileMe here.

Not Just Bug Fixes: iPhone and iPod Touch 2.1 firmware update

We all know about the bugs in the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch 2.0 software update, which have affected us all in different ways. The main problem we had was the lag we received on the iPhone after updating to firmware 2.0.

Today we hear from GearLive that Apple has seeded iPhone 2.1 beta firmware to developers that were accepted prior to July 11th, 2008. This update will include turn-by-turn GPS thanks to new software tracking your speed and direction your traveling.

Some developers have found the new iPhone SDK disappointing and this is for its lack of App Store support. You cannot submit Apps to the current Apple App Store.

The new beta firmware also shows support for cutting, copying and pasting. This is something we knew was coming at some point and it looks to be in the 2.1 software.

Blogging is a massive platform already, but this new firmware will help this industry grow faster with copy and paste on the iPhone.

What feature do you want to see in firmware update 2.1 the most?

Via Phones Review | Read more news about iPhone 3G here.

Alert Sound Issue: 3G iPhone with 2.0 firmware update

It seems that another issue has been found with iPhone 3G’s and first generation Apple iPhones that have updated to firmware 2.0, the Apple discussions area is alive with people confirming they have the same problem as the person that raised the question.

Its to-do with the text-message alert sound going away at certain times after getting the iPhone software 2.0 update. The information below is what one person said their issue was.

I got the iPhone 3G over the weekend, and I’ve noticed that my text-message alert sounds kind of go away. The phone will vibrate, but the alerts don’t sound off.

Before you say anything, yes the phone is on Loud (it’s not on Vibrate), Yes my text message alerts are enabled in settings, and Yes I’ve double checked.

So far the only way I’ve been able to fix this is to restart the phone. Which can get really annoying when you do it over and over.

I THINK that it’s caused by the headphones. I’ve noticed that the text alerts work, but when I plug in the headphones and then unplug them the sounds stop working.

The first problem we found with the iPhone 2.0 software was lag, although this may be tied with applications keeping memory and not releasing it, we still need this fixed.

View the discussion on Apple, view other iPhone 3G news or leave a comment below if you have the above problem.

iPhone 3G Stock: Carphone Warehouse more than O2

We all know that the iPhone 3G stock will be very limited thanks to 22 countries crying out for more phones from Apple, although you would expect some stores to have more stock than others.

O2 holds the UK’s exclusive rights to the iPhone 3G, yet Phones Review is reporting that Some O2 stores had no new iPhone deliveries this weekend.

The funny part is some Carphone Warehouse stores did have stock delivered this weekend, and how can they get stock while the exclusive rights holders could not.

Phones Review goes on to make a claim that there could be a recall, while this is pure speculation it does seem a possibility when looking at the discussions on Apple’s forum about very bad battery life with 3G.

It could be that Apple cannot make the iPhone 3G’s to meet demand or it could be like Phones Review says:

We say there is definitely stock there, but they are holding off, WHY?

Do you believe there is more to the lack of stock and should O2 have more stock than Carphone Warehouse?

My Apple iPhone is slow after software 2.0 update

Many Apple iPhone users on July 11 experienced massive problems with iTunes and updating their iPhones to the new software 2.0 update, although we had no problems updating, we are now finding one really annoying problem.

While I am not sure why, the iPhone has a massive delay when doing different tasks ever since I upgraded to the new firmware 2.0. At first I thought it may just be my iPhone, then we find out this issue has affected a lot more users and it is big news.

Before the update, clicking on a contact, switching between different areas of the iPhone and other tasks were almost instant but now there is a delay that can be up to 3 or 4 seconds.

Is your iPhone 3G or first generation iPhone affected by this, does it have a delay in some areas after upgrading to software 2.0?

You will know if your affected as it’s a major difference, we have found 6 people so far this has affected, lets find out how big a problem this really is.

Pwnage jailbreak’s iPhone 3G 2.0 software: does not unlock yet

The new version of Pwnage has just been released and it jailbreak’s iPhone 3G 2.0 software but does not unlock yet, although it will unlock older iPhones.

This new version of iPhone-dev team’s jailbreaking and unlocking software will jailbreak the iPhone 3G, but it has limitations, this is what was said in their blog post

Yes, it jailbreaks and unlocks older iPhones, and jailbreaks iPhone 3Gs and iPod Touches. We only support the 2.0 firmware’s

If unlocking the iPhone 3G is what you want then you may have to wait a little longer but this software is a step in the right direction for some, you should also read the statement below about an Error you may get

If you get Error 1600 from iTunes (or if you see in your log a failure to prepare x12220000_4_Recovery.ipsw), try: mkdir “~/Library/iTunes/Device Support”; if that directory already exists, remove any files in it. Then re-run Pwnage Tool

We have heard from users that have tried Pwnage 2.0 on their iPhone 3Gs and original iPhones that run iPhone OS 2.0, it seems that most people are not having any problems, other than the above.

AT&T jump the gun on free iPhone 3G wireless offer

It was great news hearing that AT&T had a free wireless offer that would allow iPhone 3G users to access the Internet on the go for free. Today we hear that the news was too good to be true.

Apparently AT&T officials have now retracted the offer and said that it was mistakenly put up on the AT&T website, and that’s not the first time AT&T have made this kind of mistake.

If the offer did go ahead, iPhone users would have been able to get free access to the Internet via 17,000 Wi-Fi hotspots; this would of included bookstores, airports and Starbucks coffee shops.

After the reports we had yesterday about 3G usage affecting the iPhones battery life badly, the option of free Wi-Fi hotspots would of enabled users to turn off 3G and use Wi-Fi to save battery life.

It now seems Obvious that something free will be coming soon, and this offer maybe something that’s due but just not now. AT&T has always said they will be giving free wireless at some point.

Lets hope it happens soon as this would also relieve AT&T cellular networks and divert some heavy traffic to hotspots that connect to the web by landlines and not 3G.

Apple iPhone 3G Battery Life Problems

We are hearing of a few users that are having problems with the iPhone 3G-battery life, its being reported that the battery life on Apple’s new phone will not last the whole day.

We know the 3G iPhone uses a lot more power than 2G, but uses have said they have to keep a charger at work and plug in the iPhone so it lasts the whole day.

On Apple’s support area one user posted “iPhone 3G Battery Life Really Short- Please Help” and it’s had over 1,176 views with other users reporting similar problems.

You can view the discussion here on Apple; this is what some of the iPhone users have said.

I got my phone yesterday and charged it for 12 hours overnight after it drained completely. I unplugged it at 11:30 this morning I used it frequently throughout the next day, and had WiFI and 3G on the whole time. I am using MobileMe so I have push email enabled, so there is no checking interval. The battery was completely drained by 8 p.m. this same day, 8 and a half hours after unplugging it. Granted I was using it a lot throughout the day, but that still seems much shorter than my original iPhone’s battery life. Do I have a bad battery in need of replacement, or is this normal?

That sounds about right to me. That battery life has been my experience as well. I now keep a charger at work and plug in my phone so it lasts the whole day. Of course if you are a student going from class to class this can be a bit more difficult.

Have you found the iPhone 3G to have bad battery life?

Complaints of iPhone 3G reception, signal issues

One of the improvements in the iPhone 3G was meant to be the reception thanks to the new plastic back, but it seems that there are still some issues with the iPhone 3G signal.

The Apple forum has being taken over by “iPhone 3G Reception Problems” and the post has already had around 200 replies and nearly 5000 views. You can join in the discussion here on Apple.

Here is what a few iPhone 3G owners have said:

I have a 16gb, white iPhone and am having a similar issue. Seems the reception is really unsteady (even in Manhattan) and today the signal disappeared entirely, stating “no network” for over an hour (I was walking around during this time in an area where I know I always get reception). When I finally got home I restarted the phone and when it booted back up I had reception. Also, it seems my data connection, although it says 3G, seems to be running at edge speeds

I’m having a similar problem in Manhattan. I’m always getting 5 bars, but the best speed I’ve seen from 3G is 66kbps and the best from Edge is 13kbps. I’m dropping calls or can’t make calls at all. I’m hoping that AT&T is just overloaded at the moment and will fix things shortly

AT&T’s 3G network was lagging, and still can be in some areas. I would expect that, after adding all those iPhone 3G’s

Complaints of the iPhone 3G signals are continuing to come in, have you experienced this yourself. We have also heard that some users have exchanged their iPhones for replacement units and they had no improvement.

Virgin Mobile: Strip in the name of charity

While Virgin Mobile’s new Strip campaign may be seen as controversial, it is needed sometimes to get the word out and get people to take notice, help others in need and donate to charity.

It’s been claimed that the new national Web campaign called Strip2Clothe, has encouraged young people to post striptease videos.

Its amazing how some news channels try and bend what is really trying to be done here, Virgin Mobile’s aim is to help give clothes to people that need them more than you.

The campaign was launched last week and most of the videos we saw on their website are harmless, they are very short and just show a couple of items of clothes taken off.

We guessing Virgin Mobile knew this would be controversial, if that were the case then it would also show that the media has taken this story and given lots of press, in turn this will help give thousands of people clothes.

The more people that create these Strip to Clothe videos, the more clothing companies will donate new clothing to people that need it, this will be based on the number of times the videos get viewed.

The National Network for Youth was backing this campaign but since the controversy, it has cut all ties with Virgin’s Strip2Clothe.

What do you make of this campaign, check it out here and let us know your opinions?

iPhone 3G not sold 1 million to customers

This week we heard an amazing announcement from Apple about the iPhone 3G selling one million phones in a few days, we now hear this might not be to end customers.

When you think of 1 million sales, its simple and you think that Apple has sold a million phones. Well Beta news claim this might not be true, yes the phones have left Apple but could be with AT&T and not the end customer for at least another 2 weeks.

Is it right claiming one million iPhone 3G’s have been sold if it turns out they have not been bought by the end user?

Financial analyst, Gene Munster has said that the amount of 3G iPhones sold by last Monday would have been around 500,000, if this is true, where does the 1 million come from?

Gene Munster said that the numbers were projected by ringing stores and finding out how many phones were being activated each hour, once this calculation was worked out, it will then take another 17 days to hit 1 million iPhone 3G sales.

Looking at past iTunes press releases and this one, Apple seems overly optimistic with these announcements?

How did iPhone 3G Friday and software 2.0 turn out?

The plans for July 11th were put in place over a long time and a lot of planning, when the day came not only was the demand for the Apple iPhone 3G more than what the stores could deliver, but also the iPhone 2.0 software update ended up causing major problems for users.

We had over 500 comments on Friday and over 80% of these were directly about iPhone problems, if it was not buyers outside stores being told they could not upgrade, it was iTunes and connection problems,

We heard directly about iPhones turning into bricks thanks to iTunes breaking connection half way through installing and these users could not get reconnected for many hours after.

It seems most users managed to get connected in the end and also get updated to the new firmware, personally we were able to update with no problems but this may be because we were one of the first to get connected. When everyone heard the update was ready, the demand was too much for iTunes to handle and many errors started to happen.

Late on Friday we heard that Apple’s stock dropped 2.2 percent thanks to the chaos on Friday and some blogs are going as far to say “Should Apple be sued for compensation over iPhone 2.0 and iTunes problems?”

The most popular line we heard on Friday was “I am going to be late for work now”, it makes you think about many hours companies lost thanks to users trying to update their iPhones.

Were the iPhone 2.0 software update problems really that bad?