Such is the mobile phone industry lately, with the number of phone makers in the field and the millions of phone users in the market; it is natural for the industry to get pretty vicious.
But just how vicious is the mobile phone industry? Various companies are suing and counter suing each other for patent infringements and other lawsuits. Just recently, Motorola has taken a quick hit from Microsoft which has slapped a lawsuit against them regarding the some Android based features used in their phones.
This is certainly not the first lawsuit of the year, but it is certainly the first one that does not significantly involve Apple –whose primary course of action in any situation is to send in their entire legal wing to intervene.
But aside from companies baring fangs at each other, there are also those that develop close partnerships –like HTC and Google, who are now considered to be industry partners. Microsoft has recently been reported as being in talks with Adobe. This means that the upcoming Windows Phone 7 OS will definitely be ready by its October launch and as expected the support for Adobe’s Flash format will be available in the first OS update for WP7.
Adobe’s close relationship to both Microsoft and Google will mean that the Flash format will be available on both Android and Microsoft devices –leaving behind the Apple iOS which can only support HTML5 (a feature that will also be available in other OS).
In other news, Research in Motion has confirmed that the BlackBerry Storm 3 will no longer be released. The device was originally meant to launch in the US first, directly under Verizon and before RIM brings it to the UK under Vodafone. But with the device now scrapped and sent back to the drawing table, we will have to get our next BlackBerry fix elsewhere.
Posts Tagged ‘Motorola’
Themes of the Week: Lawsuits, Team Ups, Axing
Monday, October 11th, 2010Smart Phones and Newspapers, and Motorola’s New Phones
Thursday, October 7th, 2010
It seems that news publishing companies are taking in the effects of better wireless technology with both good and bad implications.
The wider scope of smart phones has greatly increased the number of people who read the online versions of newspapers –thereby allowing many news companies to expand their website further and offer even more content.
However, this also means that the printed versions of the newspaper are also getting less attention and less circulation. While this is a good trend for the environment, many feel that the loss of such a medium would be a serious waste. This is among the many findings of a study held by Orange UK in order to study the various usage patterns of smart phone users locally.
Moving on, phone manufacturer Motorola is certainly seeing gold when it comes to Android smart phones. Following the major success of the Milestone and the large positive feedback they have gained from the Milestone XT720 and the Milestone 2, they are now looking towards making even more handsets that use the Android OS.
Three new devices have been added to Motorola’s upcoming list: the Spice, Bravo and the Flipside.
The Bravo (which is the original name for the HTC Desire) is a basic touch screen handset with a wide 3.7 inch touch screen display. More interesting are the Spice and Flipside handsets –which seem to follow Motorola’s trend of making devices with unique form factors.
The Flipside’s actual quirk is not yet known, all that has been revealed in images is that the phone has what appears to be a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Many believe that the device does not have a slider, but a hinge.
As for the Motorola Spice, the device follows the traditional portrait oriented QWERTY look seen in most BlackBerry devices, but the keyboard is actually a slider that can be hidden behind the screen.
Quick Bits: Bada Wave II and the Microsoft VS Motorola Case
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
It seems that a new fire is brewing in the mobile phone industry and surprisingly, it is a lawsuit that does not involve Apple at all! Joking aside, it appears that Microsoft has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against mobile phone manufacturer Motorola.
What is unique about this lawsuit is not how the issue is based on Motorola’s actual software or technology, but on the use of the Android operating system. Should Microsoft gain substantial progress on this lawsuit, it could very well spell a series of successful lawsuits against other phone makers that support the Android operating system.
On a side note, it is interesting how Motorola was among the companies that were announced as supporters of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile platform when it was demonstrated last February and yet until now, no Motorola made WP7 device has been shown. With Motorola’s long history with Microsoft, this lawsuit could very well be the start of a major falling out between the two companies.
In other news, Samsung has just announced the Bada OS running Wave II smart phone. Now this handset is not to be mistaken for the older Wave 2 smart phone that was announced just a few weeks back.
The II and 2 are actually two separate devices. While the Wave 2 focuses more on Samsung’s vision of developing phones for all market ranges, the Wave II aims to continue the high end part of the OS –bringing to us a truly upgraded version of the original Wave.
With manufacturing for the super AMOLED touch screen becoming a less viable option, Samsung has also adopted the solution of using super LCD technology instead. According to reports, the S-LCD is still as visually impressive as super AMOLED technology.
Samsung also hinted that the new high end Bada handset will be available by this coming November.
News Updates and the Facebook Smart Phone Rumor
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010Android Motorola fans are going to be happy with the news that the XT720 Milestone is getting a quick update to bring the phone’s processor up to speed –literally. The phone is mean to be running at 720 MHz, however, it has been reported that the out of the box setting of the handset places it at a much slower 550 MHz clock speed. The new update now brings the ARM Cortex A8 CPU all the way up to 720 MHz as it should be.
T-Mobile HTC Desire users will be happy to know that an update for the Android 2.2 Froyo is now available for their handset –surpassing Orange Mobile UK’s release date (which has been delayed for technical reasons). So far, only Vodafone UK and the T-Mobile have released 2.2 updates for the Desire.
HTC’s HD7 price details have been leaked in a document from Germany. According to reports, the information came from O2 and shows that the device is going to cost a very expensive 559 Pounds of a buyer decides to get it SIM free. On a monthly tariff, the costs are much easier to handle. The phone is only 70 Pounds at a 20 Pound monthly tariff for two years. Similar plans for the HD7 are expected to be available in the UK when the device comes out later this October (presumably, alongside the Windows Phone 7 OS launch).
Lastly, it seems that rumors about Facebook creating their own mobile phone have been circulating a lot these days. The social networking website has finally decided to remove the wrong impressions by directly stating that they are not working on a new smart phone. In reality, the social networking site’s developers are tweaking out new apps and functions for existing mobile phones that would enable users to access Facebook better and faster. Many are hoping that improved media upload features will be part of the new apps.
Motorola Offers Two New Androids
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
Android smart phones are coming out in droves this year. With the launch of the Google Nexus One in January until the very end of the year, the 2010 calendar is marked full of product launch dates that would make plenty of other folks cringe with all the sudden updates.
Of course, keeping track of so much news is quite confusing. So to make the whole thing so much easier, here is a quick heads up on two new devices from mobile phone maker Motorola.
Motorola made its’ mark on the Android community with the end-year launch of the Motorola Milestone (DROID) last 2009. The device featured a massive touch screen display, a slide out QWERTY keyboard and the Android 2.1 Éclair operating system.
Now, it has been confirmed that the Motorola Milestone 2 is coming and that it brings all of the great things from the first handset and will offer the new Android 2.2 Froyo operating system. According to initial reports, the new handset will once again be centralized on the Motoblur user interface and social networking tool. It has also been reported that the smart phone will come packed with a 5 mega pixel camera with HD video recording and dual LED support.
Another upcoming Motorola Android smart phone is the Motorola Defy, which is a pretty interesting handset because it has been specifically designed to “defy life” (hence the name). The device features a slight degree of water proofing and dust resistance. But do not submerge the handset in an aquarium and still expect it to work afterwards.
According to Motorola, the Defy will be able to withstand the daily rigors of life and that the device is designed to last through events such as accidental liquid spills and other similar situations.
Upcoming Phones: Motorola XT300 Slider, LG E900 and E720
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
It’s a great day for new phones and we have three impressive handsets right here that are waiting to be unleashed to the world. With two new Androids and a Windows Phone 7 device ready, Motorola and LG are certainly bringing in some heavy hitting handsets for their end game this 2010.
It has been previously reported that LG’s performance for the first half of the year has been pretty bad. While we all knew that they were developing Windows Phone 7 devices, it was pretty surprising to realize that the Korean phone maker has stayed on the down low for a whole six months.
Just recently however, things began to change and LG has been coming out with plenty of new handsets and announcements for upcoming phones. The Optimus Android series devices were updated and a couple of phones were added to the list and that has continued to grow with the LG E720 Optimus Chic. This sweet new mobile phone is being seen in leaked images though details are still unknown.
LG’s other phone, the LG E900 WP7 handset, is rumored to be sporting a powerful 1.3 GHz processor. So far, nothing has confirmed those rumors but with the QSD8650A hardware already confirmed to exist, it would not be surprising to see the processor on many upcoming phones.
Motorola is also bringing up an interesting surprise in the form of the XT300. Much like the BackFlip and other Motorola phones, the XT300 has an interesting form factor. While not unique, this phone looks like a square touch screen when the keyboard is not slid out (it does resemble the Flip Out in some ways.
So far, initial specs are still unknown, but images have shown the Android platform with the Motoblur user interface. The device also sports the “back track touch panel” which would be interesting to see in application.
Motorola to Roll Out Update for Milestone
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Good news for Motorola Milestone users, it appears that the Android 2.2 Froyo update is already on its way to the smart phone.
A Q4 launch date has been confirmed in a recently released listing of all recent Android devices from Motorola as well as the projected launch dates of Android updates as well as confirmation on which devices will be getting which versions of the operating system.
Sadly, the list also shows which devices will be stuck with their current operating systems. The Android DEXT and the unique look Backflip will be retaining their old operating systems as the list shows that they “will not have software upgrade to Android 2.1”. Version 2.1 Éclair is currently the stepping off point for devices that will get the Android Froyo.
As sad as this may seem, it appears that owners of the less popular Motorola handsets should consider switching devices if they want to have the latest version of the open source operating system form Google.
The Motorola Milestone was first released as the Motorola DROID –an exclusive Verizon handset in the US. While this disappointed many Android fans, hope came in the way of a quick rumor that stated that the device would be launching in the UK after a name change.
With a new name and multitouch features enabled, the Milestone was brought over to UK shores. The device was quite successful when it launched during the holidays last year as it was the first Android device to run version 2.0 Éclair and it was also the first Android to have a physical keyboard.
The Froyo update brings plenty of new features such as updates to the camera interface, search features and Exchange while it also brings performance boosts to the OS itself. Speed and smoothness of the user interface and for web browsing has been significantly upgraded with the 2.2 update.
Motorola XT 720 is Finally Here
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
For those who missed out on the initial announcement: the Motorola XT 720 Milestone is finally on stock in the UK.
The device is pretty much the same old Milestone that we have all been excited about last year, but with a major trade off: the slide out QWERTY keyboard is gone, and instead, the device comes packed with a better 8 mega pixel camera and 720p HD video recording.
The hardware change is bound to surprise plenty of folks who have been familiarized with the Milestone thanks to its slide out, physical keyboard. But at the same time, users who prefer more multi-media based handsets will certainly want to try out the XT 720 instead. Motorola is offering both devices so fans of both Milestone smart phones do not have to worry.
The XT 720 comes with the same ARM Cortex A8 CPU that is clocked at 720 MHz, it is fast enough to run most apps without slowing down, though we expect the performance to bog down a little when handling 720p HD –though according to reports, the XT 720 does not seem to be affected in terms of performance.
The older Milestone only had a 600 MHz CPU, but that was more than enough since the previous device did not need such processing power in the first place. The XT 720 is different, and since it targets users who are more inclined to multimedia functions, it will certainly need the faster CPU.
The handset will come loaded with the Android 2.1 Éclair, though many are hoping that a firmware update will be available soon.
Despite being a new smart phone, the XT 720’s shape and form factor is undeniably that of the previous Milestone –which fans are certainly going to appreciate. After all, among Motorola’s Google Android devices, the Milestone has to be the most impressive looking of them all.
Apple Conference: Reactions from Motorola and Samsung
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
The emergency press conference that Apple hastily put together seems to have left the Cupertino based developer-manufacturer in a worse position than originally intended.
The event was lead by none other than Steve Jobs himself, while undoubtedly a genius among his peers, he has also gained the reputation of being the crankiest old man in the tech industry. And this time, he has managed to bring in other mobile phone makers into this little presentation –an act that the same companies are not too happy about.
Right after the Apple conference, Research in Motion (developers of the BlackBerry and the BlackBerry OS) have stated that their mobile devices should not have been part of Jobs’ presentation, after all, BB phones do not need to have a casing just so they would work properly. Finnish phone maker Nokia also gave out a statement regarding their antenna designs and how they tested their products. Nokia was not particularly named by Apple, but the implication that “all phones are equal” meant that Jobs was generalizing the entire industry.
Samsung, whose Omnia 2 Windows Mobile smart phone was mentioned directly and shown off in the presentation, has yet to make an official statement (like RIM’s open letter) but their spokesperson has already given out what might be a glimpse at the Korean manufacturer’s official stand, part of which says that “The antenna is located at the bottom of the Omnia 2 phone, while iPhone’s antenna is on the lower left side of the device. Our design keeps the distance between a hand and an antenna.”
Motorola is another company that was not named in the conference, but has also decided that Apple has said too much. The phone maker stated that “it is disingenuous to suggest that all phones perform equally”.
They are quite right: the Apple iPhone 4 is the only device among its peers that is suffering from such a unique problem.
Motorola’s Flipout: Not Quite a Budget Device
Monday, June 21st, 2010
At 350 Euros, the Motorola Flipout still manages to keep a price tag with a decent enough distance from the exorbitant prices of today’s modern high end smart phones but with other devices such as the HTC Legend, Sony Ericsson X10 Mini, Acer Liquid Stream and the Samsung i5500 Galaxy Corby, the Flipout needs more than a fancy looking form factor to get users. The ‘Flipout’ mechanism for the physical keyboard is certainly a novelty, but at least it also has the Motoblur UI with live widgets that gives it an extra level of functionality.
As an Android smart phone, the Flipout is one of the most well balanced devices. The Texas Instruments OMAP3410 CPU gives the mobile phone about 600MHz of processing power, that’s sufficient for handling most apps, videos and other functions, though do not expect to be as smooth as the better 700 to 800MHz processors on other devices.
With 150 MB of internal storage, the device provides reasonably well –though this factor is rarely an issue because even if a phone has low internal memory, support for microSD cards helps solve the issue (and it makes transferring data a lot easier).
Google’s Android 2.1 Éclair brings the Flipout a wide range of functions and features. Google Maps provides the users with voice guided turn by turn navigation and coupled with Street View, it will help you from getting lost no matter where you are. The Google Goggles augmented reality app provides location and visual specific information on the spot –it was also recently updated with a scanning and translation function as well.
Aside from these, the handset also comes with a 3.2 mega pixel camera (with geo tagging, face detection and video recording), a 2.8 inch TFT capacitive touch screen display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, a 1170 mAh battery and social networking integration for Facebook, Twitter and more.