Nokia N9 – One swipe and you’re home
The Nokia N9 introduces an innovative new design where the home key is replaced by a simple gesture: a swipe. Whenever you’re in an application, swiping from the edge of the display takes you home.

The three home views of the user interface are designed to give fast access to the most important things people do with a phone: using apps, staying up to date with notifications and social networks, and switching between activities.

The industrial design of the Nokia N9 is an example of extreme product making and craft. The body is precision-machined from a single piece of polycarbonate and flows seamlessly into beautiful curved glass. The laminated deep black display means that the user interface just floats on the surface of the product.

The Nokia N9 also packs the latest in camera, navigation and audio technology for a great all-round experience.

“With the Nokia N9, we wanted to design a better way to use a phone. To do this we innovated in the design of the hardware and software together. We reinvented the home key with a simple gesture: a swipe from the edge of the screen. The experience sets a new bar for how natural technology can feel,” said Marko Ahtisaari, Nokia’s head of Design. “And this is just the beginning. The details that make the Nokia N9 unique – the industrial design, the all-screen user experience, and the expressive Qt framework for developers – will evolve in future Nokia products.”

Nokia N9 – Innovative all-screen design
With no need for a home key, the all-screen Nokia N9 makes more room for apps to shine. The 3.9-inch AMOLED screen is made from scratch-resistant curved glass. The polycarbonate body enables superior antenna performance. This means better reception, better voice quality and fewer dropped calls.

Camera, maps and multimedia
The 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss autofocus sensor, wide-angle lens, HD-quality video capture and large lens aperture enable great camera performance even in lowlighting conditions. This makes the Nokia N9 one of the best camera-phones ever produced.
The Nokia N9 features free turn-by-turn drive and walk navigation with voice guidance in Maps. With the new dedicated Drive app, you can get in your car and start navigating to your destination right away.

You can watch videos in true 16:9 widescreen format. And because the Nokia N9 is also the world’s first smartphone with Dolby® Digital Plus decoding and Dolby Headphone post-processing technology, you get a surround sound experience with any set of headphones.

Touch just got better
Fitted with the latest in wireless technology, Near Field Communication (NFC), the Nokia N9 allows you to easily share images and videos between devices by touching them together.  Pair it with Bluetooth accessories like the new NFC-enabled Nokia Play 360° wireless music speaker only once, and you get a great surround sound music experience with just a tap.

Colors and Memory
The Nokia N9 will be available in three colors – black, cyan, and magenta with storage options to accommodate plenty of content: 16GB and 64GB. The Nokia N9 is scheduled to be in stores later this year, with availability and local pricing to be announced closer to the sales start.

More information visit the Nokia N9 website.

In a nutshell, Google’s Android operating system (OS) has enjoyed roaring success due to its accessibility and quality, which only seems to be getting better and better. Available on a wide range of tariffs and handsets, more people are now able to afford to buy a smartphone than ever before.

Apple’s exclusivity and restrictions on development and price seem to be where they’re falling down, especially seeing as though other companies are now attempting to reach its high standards of design and user-friendliness – and almost succeeding.

On 5^th November 2007, at the same time as the release of Google’s Android platform, came the introduction of the new Open Handset Alliance. With this announcement, Google began paving the way for market dominance and embarked on a path of making up serious ground on Apple.

A consortium of 34 firms, the Open Handset Alliance member companies range from mobile handset manufacturers to application developers, service providers and chip makers, and include the likes of HTC, Google, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, Nvidia, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

The consortium’s goal is to develop and maintain open standards for mobile devices – something which goes against everything Apple has worked towards with its incredibly exclusive brand. With the quality of HTC’s products and the development of the technology created by other brands, it’s really easy to see why Android has just kept on going from strength to strength.

htc-desire-hd

Tech review site CNet UK reported that 2010 saw HTC lead industry growth, with smartphone shipments having increased by a staggering 63.1 per cent between April and June, compared with the first quarter.

Analyst Tina Teng at market research firm iSuppli told CNet: “Every brand that has put effort into designing smart phones using Google’s operating system is riding the Android wave… Android is the secret sauce for smart phone growth for many companies in 2010.”

According to iPadrow, analysts at telecoms analysis firm Ovum have forecasted that Android OS will achieve a staggering 38 per cent control of the smartphone market by 2016 – that’s more than twice the market share of biggest rivals Apple, Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry.

Android’s dominance is expected to continue to have a major impact on the mobile phone market, with smartphone sales predicted to double in five years’ time to reach 653 million.

On one hand, it seems hard to believe that one operating system could have such an enormous effect on a market from which it was once impossible to see how Apple could fall but, with the support of one of the most important mobile phone manufacturers in the world in HTC, it’s easy to see how they managed to make up that ground so quickly.

HTC have consistently released well-received, popular, user-friendly and attractive devices – and ones with specs that have come to heavily rival Apple. With phones such as the flagship HTC Desire HD and HTC Hero having been released onto the market, it’s easy to see how this, combined with Android’s accessibility and diversity is helping both ventures grow from strength to strength.

Interestingly the survey revealed that only 18% of respondents now aspire to replace their current handset with the Apple based iPhone, the market leader in the field for the last few years.

While this is hardly likely to be the death knell of the iPhone, the vast range of manufacturers offering the Android based product means that customers have an enormous choice when it comes to replacing their current device, both in price and application.

Apple have also cornered the market for mobile apps during their current reign, but that is all about to change too according to Getjar, who predict that Android apps will outnumber Apple by 2 to 1 in the near future.

Patrick Mork CMO of Getjar says;

“The survey results make it clear that all eyes are on Android, as well as the importance of brand equity in the increasingly competitive mobile app space. In addition, the data also reveals that brand marketers and advertisers also have a reason to be hopeful about consumer’s appetite for in-app advertisement.”

App usage is clearly on the rise with the survey results showing almost 34 percent of consumers spending one hour or more using apps per day, compared to 49 percent who spend the same amount of time watching television.  Fifty-eight percent of respondents use mobile apps more than once a day.

The importance of brand equity was pushed to the forefront, as almost 80 percent said that the quality of the brand’s app makes the brand more trustworthy.  Furthermore, 72 percent of those surveyed said they were more likely to engage with a brand if they had a good app.

Advertisers have reason to be hopeful.  Seventy-three percent of respondents said they have downloaded an app with advertising in it, and almost 60 percent said they’d do it again. Almost one in four made a purchase after having clicked on a mobile ad.

Discovery continues to plague app publishers.  Only 25% discovered the apps they were looking for using actual app stores.  Nearly 50% had actually discovered apps while browsing online and nearly 17% had discovered apps through friends or social media.

Other survey results include:

• Gaming apps are the most popular, followed closely by social networking apps
• The amount of free apps and the ease of search topped the list of things users look for in an app store
• The cost of an app was the biggest deciding factor in whether to download an app or not

Christmas sales at Tesco Mobile were firmly in favour of the market leading Apple device, outselling the Google based Android handsets by two to one, but in January sales of both devices were like for like.

Sales of Android phones eclipsed that of iPhones for the first time in February on the Tesco Mobile Network and there is good reason to believe that this trend will continue throughout 2011.

It is fair to say that the deals offered on new Android phones by Tesco are more competitive than they are able to offer on the Apple device, but as the battle for supremacy in smartphone operating systems continues to make the news, Google’s Android platform appears to be gaining a strong foothold in the market.

In this fast paced and constantly changing market, recent announcements have seen PlayStation herald the imminent launch of its Xperia Play smartphone and Nokia announce that it will be teaming up with Microsoft.

How that will effect the marketplace remains to be seen but as we wait for developments to unfold Android is the clear early winner.

Graham Harris, Chief Executive Officer of Tesco Telecoms and Tesco Mobile comments:
“As one of the UK’s leading operators, these sales are a useful barometer for smartphone trends. There is a lot of choice in the market and as a result consumers are driving healthy competition between rival operating systems.
Tesco Mobile prides itself on customer service and offering customers what they want, through a wide range of competitive deals on all platforms. In addition to competitive Android smartphone deals, we also offer iPhone on a variety of fantastic 12 month contracts.
However, we commend this healthy competition between operating systems as we see this as helping to drive consumer choice and flexibility.”

Today you can choose between several different Blackberry models, Nokia, HTC and Samsung to name a few.  Not forgetting the latest Apple iPhone 4.  But what does a Smartphone allow you to do over a plain old mobile phone, and what should you be looking out for when making your choice?

A Smartphone allows you to do much more than simply send and receive phone calls and text messages.  It is rather like having a mini computer in your pocket.  Whether you need a phone for business or personal use smartphones offer advanced functionality including internet services and can run software programs known as Apps.

For the busy business person who is always on call and available 24/7, the Smartphone has become an essential ever handy tool that gives you email on the move, to view files such as spreadsheets, presentations and PDF files; while for the personal user it allows you to stream films, store and play music files; and with the growth of free or cheap Apps business and personal users can find a use for Apps covering the London Underground Tube Map, train timetables and keeping up to date with the latest news from around the world.

There’s no doubt that the introduction of the Apple iPhone was as responsible for the growth in smartphones for personal use as the Blackberry was for business users.  But now, more so than before it seems there is less of a distinction between which market smartphones are aimed at, as companies  look to grow in a busy marketplace.  But one of the most important things to consider when choosing a Smartphone is which platform or operating system it uses.

There are six operating systems to choose from for UK mobile phones.  You need to consider not only how good is the platform and how efficient it runs, but how popular it is among software developers who will migrate to new operating systems if there is a market to do so.

Android OS
Android OS is Google’s Operating System, and not surprisingly comes with an excellent web browser as well as integrating online tools effectively.

The Android software is regularly updated and as it becomes more popular is becoming a serious alternative to the iPhone OS as far as software developers are concerned.  The Android OS is ‘open source’ which gives developers free range over application building, unlike the restrictive practises of Apple Apps.  The Android platform can handle a vast array of different programs, including some comprehensive media bundles.

Windows Phone OS
No prizes for guessing the Windows Phone Operating System is owned by Microsoft.  In the past it has been called Windows Mobile & WinMo.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS is designed to mirror the desktop version of Windows in both design and functionality. As you’d expect, it is simple to sync your mobile Smartphone to your PC computer and share contacts and emails with the Exchange server.  Microsoft Office programs and the Windows Media player also come as part of the Windows Phone OS.

The Microsoft application store is aptly named Windows Marketplace where users can update and download an assortment of application software.  Microsoft has strict control over which Apps are available in the Windows Marketplace.

iPhone OS
The iPhone Operating System was developed by Apple for their own Smartphone.  The iPhone has taken the world by storm and as a late entry into the Smartphone arena, has been able to capitalise on incorporating the best of previous mobile phone technology. The iPhone range has regular software updates; and though Apple has a strict control over licensing Apps it is by far the most popular operating system for developers.  The result is the Apple App Store is currently blessed with the largest selection of Apps of all operating systems.

Blackberry OS
The BlackBerry Operating System has been developed by mobile phone manufacturer Research in Motion for its own BlackBerry Smartphones. The original bias of the Blackberry was towards business users with its stylish looks and excellent office applications, internet and email functionality.

The email management software allows you to simply sync your phone with your PC with the BlackBerry Desktop Manager software. Blackberry’s work well with business Apps such as Microsoft Office and the BlackBerry App World has a wide range of applications. Some models now come with a touch screen which has coincided with a growth in personal user popularity.

Symbian OS
The Symbian Operating System is Nokia’s own software, though it is used by other mobile phone manufacturers, too. The Symbian user interface is regularly updated and improved, making it a very easy system to navigate.

A number of different email servers are supported from Microsoft Exchange to BlackBerry Enterprise which makes using the Symbian operation system easy to use when syncing your mobile phone to your desktop email client.  Like Android, Symbian OS is open source making it easier for developers to create and share applications.  Nokia’s own App Store is called the Ovi Store but there are also other websites that offer Apps for the Symbian OS.

Bada OS
The Bada Operating System is owned by Samsung who are promoting their Smartphone range to all users.  Samsung are a relatively late-comer to the Smartphone party but appear to be gaining ground with their latest range of Smartphone models.  Applications and Apps for the Bada OS can be downloaded from the Samsung Apps store.

So, if you are looking for a Smartphone we recommend three steps:

1.    Make a prioritised list of the functionality you are looking for and whether it is for business, personal use or both
2.   Find out which operating system it uses
3.    Look online & in magazines at independent reviews

Do all three steps before you enter a shop or call a mobile phone company to find out about the best mobile phone deals.

In simple terms, SMS marketing can be described as a type of advertising that communicates directly with members of the target audience by transmitting SMS messages to mobile phone numbers. SMS marketing may describe various types of communication, including text, video and MMS (picture) messaging. As mentioned above, the prevalence of SMS marketing is largely a result of improvements to mobile phone technology; however, it is also the case that SMS marketing has been stimulated by increased network availability and lower wholesale operating costs through such portals as the Mediaburst SMS Gateway.

Illustrating the inherent worth of SMS marketing is more or less as simple as navigating to Google and entering a search term on the subject; indeed, there are literally hundreds – thousands even – of articles explaining how and why SMS marketing represents the future of advertising. Most such articles provide statistics on the growth of the mobile phone industry as evidence of its value to SMS marketers.

Some of the most salient facts that can be gleaned from the statistics include the following: approximately 4.3 billion SMS messages are sent in the US every day; almost 1 billion mobile web users are expected by 2012; smartphone users spend over £6 billion on apps each year; 85 per cent of internet users in the US own a mobile phone; and 30 per cent of mobile phone users communicate with brands via social networks.

Informa Telecoms & Media, a market research group based in London, anticipates that revenues from the mobile phone industry, particularly those stimulated by increased smartphone usage and faster data networks, will exceed $1 trillion by 2013. The company also predicts that mobile phone usage will penetrate 92 per cent of the world’s population by 2014. Clearly, the future of advertising is not in the hands of telegraph operators.

SMS marketing offers a cheap and effective way in which marketers can communicate with consumers en masse. Marketers can exploit the ever-expanding mobile phone industry to send special offers, coupons and free gifts to customers via SMS messages, whilst it is also possible to communicate with consumers more virally using picture and video technology. The relationship between mobile phone users and SMS marketers is likely to change in tandem with technological developments, as marketers are able to offer more innovative ways for consumers to communicate with brands.

The person entrusted to find the winner of the ‘best smartphone 2010 award’ is going to have to consider not only the candidates that have received enormous press coverage, celebrity endorsement and multi-million pound advertising support, but also some of the less hyped smartphones that may well have slipped under the radar.

One such company that can claim to have had its products somewhat unfairly overlooked in this period is LG, but that could be about to change.

LG has a long history of innovative design when it comes to making mobile phones. It was the Mobile Choice Consumer Awards Manufacturer of the Year in 2009, with designs such as the elegantly simplistic LG KG130 mobile phone winning many friends. Designed as an entry-level mobile, the KG130 not only fulfils the criteria of being easy to use for a beginner, but the phone comes packed with features including polyphonic ringtones, 4x digital zoom and a built in VGA camera.

The company made real strides, particularly in 2008 and 2009, when it began to develop some of the best touch screen mobile phones available today. Touch phones, as they came to be nicknamed, were the important link between the old-style mobile phones and their traditionally laid out numbers and the smartphones of today, thanks chiefly to their touch screen technology.

One of the most popular and iconic touch phones of the past few years has been the LG Cookie, available in two styles, the pink KP500 and the black KP501. Boasting a stylus pen for easy navigation, a 3-inch touch screen, handwriting recognition capabilities as well as Bluetooth and an auto-rotating display, the Cookie and its distinctive pink or black livery became a hit with mobile phone users seeking an elegant upgrade to their older handset.

Another phone that helped bridge the gap between traditional mobile handsets and the smartphone was the LG Viewty Snap. The Snap offered all the traditional accoutrement’s of a modern mobile device: touch screen technology, Bluetooth, a 5MP camera capable of taking both picture and video as well as in-built MP3 player; however, the Viewty also offered great Internet capabilities better than ever before, offering access to social networking sites at the click of a button.

It was a smart phone, without being a smartphone.

Come 2010, and the smartphone market really began to take off at a pace. While many people were busy buying phones that sounded more at home in the grocer’s shop, LG was busily developing its own smartphone technology.

The result was the release of three Android-powered smartphones under the Optimus label and at first glance, it was certainly worth the wait as each of the three smartphones has something different to offer.

The entry level Optimus GT540 is a perfect entry-level Android smartphone. It looks very stylish with its metallic effect casing and has an intuitive layout for the buttons. Its 3-inch resistive screen is particularly bright and ensures that all images on the phone are detailed and easy to view, even in strong sunlight.

Those considering buying the GT540 should know that it comes outfitted with 256MB of RAM and a 600MHz Qualcomm processor. As a result, the GT540 packs enough punch for the novice smartphone user at a price that puts it on a par with many touch screen phones. Its impressive multimedia options, including an excellent music player, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS ensure that there are plenty of gadgets and apps available for the Android platform that will keep many a novice smartphone user entertained for many months to come.

The second LG smartphone well worthy of consideration for the honour of best smartphone 2010 is the LG Optimus One, or as it is sometimes called, the P500. This LG handset boasts the new version of Android 2.2 (Froyo) and the phone is optimised to run smoothly with Google Mobile Services.  It is a particularly impressive machine and one that is designed to have the more advanced functions and compatibility sought by the more experienced smartphone user, as well as the accessibility and ease of use that is needed by those who are new to the smartphone market.

Powering the LG Optimus One is a high speed 600MHz processor that ensures that the software and apps run by the handset perform smoothly and without unnecessary lag. The phone also comes with a host of new options, including a voice search mechanism for ultra-quick navigation, a GPS navigation based on Google Maps, Google Goggle as well as access to Android Market, which searches over 70,000 Android apps and recommends which ones would be best suited for you.

The final phone is the LG Optimus 7, which uses Windows Phone 7 to ensure that the brand new LG handset offers unrivalled multimedia access, including links to sites such as Xbox Live and Zune Marketplace, not to mention an accurate voice-to-text facility, which allows you to ‘speak your tweet’ via Twitter.

With 16GB of memory on board, the Optimus 7 is particularly suited to HD content and allows transfer of content from the phone to another DLNA DMR enabled device wirelessly via Wi-Fi. In addition, the phone also offers an Augmented Reality Camera, which allows you to use the camera to check the weather by pointing it at the sky, useful points of interest in the locality by pointing it in front or behind you or at the ground for a localised map of your location. This is a practical, simple and innovative use of this technology.

So, next time people are talking about the best smartphones, do not follow the crowd. Instead, investigate LG’s winning range of smartphones available and you will quickly realise that you are looking at a serious contender in the smartphone market.

Flowd - Music App for Artists & Fans

Fans can now directly interact with their favourite music acts with free location-based mobile phone app, Flowd, which launched today across iPhone and Android smartphones.

Flowd facilitates two-way conversation between music acts and their fans, bringing them closer together than ever before. Music acts can keep their supporters up-to-date with their latest news, views, tours and appearances, and offer them special rewards for their loyalty.

Fans can download the app and immediately connect with, among others, DJ Armin van Buuren, UK pop group The Wanted, trance DJ Markus Schulz and others.

Flowd provides users with location-based social networking tools which are set to transform the relationship between music acts and their fans. With loyalty programs in development, fans will have their voices heard and be rewarded for their activities on Flowd, earning loyalty points to receive exclusive access to merchandise and content from their favourite music acts.

DJ Armin van Buuren said he chose Flowd as it makes it easier to let his fans know about his latest news, music and gigs, and to talk directly with his supporters. “There are many social media, but I’m always looking for new ways to connect with my fans, to keep them up to date with the latest news of what I’m doing and where I’m playing. Flowd is the perfect app for that, connecting with my loyal fans while I’m on the road. Some exciting features will be added in the near future,” explained van Buuren.

Any music act, regardless of whether they are up-and-coming or already established, can register and start using Flowd to connect with their fans.

In addition to interacting with their favourite music acts, Flowd offers users a wide range of social networking features. With Flowd’s slick, simple interface users can check-in to places, send messages, share pictures and connect with their friends from Twitter and Facebook. Users can also customise the look and feel of Flowd by re-skinning the application with their favourite music act’s theme.

Flowd was in open Beta from July to November 2010, and was officially launched today (December 7th 2010) and is available on iTunes App Store and Android Market.

Fair to say that we would be disappointed if it were otherwise, and learning new stuff every time you upgrade your mobile phone does seem to be part of the pleasure of new ownership.

I am constantly in wonderment at the latest offerings in the market, often confused or bemused at the endless list of new technology included on new devices and am often left wondering how I managed with last years product without all the glitz and glam of the newest must have toy.

Smartphones have changed our lives totally, they are more than just a mobile phone, indeed I actually have a device that has never had a SIM card inserted into it, and use it solely as a media centre.

It stores a substantial amount of mp3s and personal photos and can be easily attached to hi fi and televisions around the house although it has limited use outside of that environment other than as a personal mp3 player or radio and camera and video.

It does serve as a communication tool through the wi-fi connection however, where it makes and receives calls via the Skype app with amazing clarity and excellent reception.

It is unusual to use a mobile device in this way I suspect, but it suits my needs and I have a cheap Nokia handset that I put to good use as it was intended, as a mobile phone.

As smartphones go it was the Blackberry that first caught the attention of mainly business users, anxious to keep in touch with their e-mail accounts on the go as well having a mobile phone facility.

Their product led the way from 2002 until the emergence of the new kid on the block in the form of Apple’s iconic iPhone in 2007.

Having captured the mp3 player market with the iPod back in 2001, Apple found an army of fans keen to sign up for their latest mobile technology and the iPhone became the mobile device of choice around the world.

Nokia who had led the way in the original rush for truly mobile phones, suffered at the hands of the iPhone in the same way as Blackberry, but both manufacturers have hauled themselves back into the game with their most recent products.

The latest versions of the Blackberry Curve 8520 and Bold 9700 feature processors of 512MHz and full qwerty keyboard, features that have again endeared the product to new users, while the much hyped Nokia N8 is on target to become the best selling mobile device this Christmas.

The HTC Desire is currently topping many sales charts and wish lists and it is worth looking at the many cheap mobile phones online if you are in the market for a new phone for Christmas.

It is possible to kill two birds with one stone by choosing the phone that suits you with a free gift of an Xbox or similar for little Johnny.

binatone iHome Phone

As one of the world’s leading consumer electronics companies, Binatone are about to revolutionise the way that we use technology in the home, launching the first ever Android based home phone – the iHomePhone.

Available in store in November, customers can comfortably browse the net, listen to music, chat to family and friends and even download apps all through their home phone, which includes Wi-Fi functionality.

The iHomePhone is a sleek and stylish device designed to be all things to all men, by offering a DECT digital cordless phone, internet browser, full colour touch screen and Android OS, the Wi-Fi phone boasts a whole host of features that allow people to watch videos, listen to music, look at photos, chat with friends, shop online and even read eBooks.

With up to eight hours talk time, 80 hours standby, the iHomePhone includes a handsfree speakerphone, digital answering machine and a ‘contacts manager’ which holds 300 contact numbers. Personal emails can also be accessed using the ‘email client function’ and for those needing a little help with organisation, there’s a clock, alarm and calendar feature.

With prices starting at £99.99 for a single handset the Binatone iHomePhone is set to be the ‘must-have’ gadget for UK homes in 2011.

Products and features:
• DECT digital cordless phone
• Wi-Fi connection (802.11 b/g) (Wi-Fi broadband with router required)
• Android operating system with internet browser
• 2.8” / 7.1cm diagonal touchscreen (320 x 240 pixels)
• Handsfree speakerphone
• Digital Answering Machine
• Call waiting caller ID
• Built-in stereo speakers in docking station
• Auto-rotate landscape / portrait orientation
• Memory card: Micro SD
• Up to 8 hours talk time and up to 80 hours standby

Built-in applications:
• Internet browser (HTML, WAP)
• YouTube video player
• Contacts manager (300 entries for phonebook, e-mail)
• E-mail client
• Music player (MP3)
• Picture Viewer (JPEG)
• Alarm/ Clock/ Calendar
• Widgets and RSS feeds (Weather, News, Sport, Finance)
• Internet radio