Motorola
A Phone Only Michael Phelps Could Appreciate
Aug 18th
All right, picture this: You are going for your morning swim and your phone rings, what do you do? The person with the most common sense answers “Let it go to voicemail.” For the rest of us who can’t fathom the thought of missing a call, I introduce to you the first fully submersible, rugged phone from Motorola, codenamed “Jordan.”
Slated to launch on T-Mobile in November, the IP67 rated device can withstand being submerged in water up to 10 meters, though I doubt it can be under for long periods of time. It can more realistically survive a drop in the pool or being in a pocket when a friend “accidentally” pushes you in.
Imagine what calling home underwater would sound like? Or even cooler try combining this phone with some underwater music, and the morning front stroke doesn’t seem so boring anymore.
[via MobileCrunch, Source BGR]
Follow me on twitterNokia maintains handset market share lead, HTC cracks top ten
Aug 14th
| Company | 2Q10
Units |
2Q10 Market Share (%) | 2Q09
Units |
2Q09 Market Share (%) |
| Nokia | 111,473.8 | 34.2 | 105,413.4 | 36.8 |
| Samsung | 65,328.2 | 20.1 | 55,430.1 | 19.3 |
| LG | 29,366.7 | 9.0 | 30,497.0 | 10.7 |
| Research In Motion | 11,228.8 | 3.4 | 7,678.9 | 2.7 |
| Sony Ericsson | 11,008.5 | 3.4 | 13,574.3 | 4.7 |
| Motorola | 9,109.4 | 2.8 | 15,947.8 | 5.6 |
| Apple | 8,743.0 | 2.7 | 5,434.7 | 1.9 |
| HTC | 5,908.8 | 1.8 | 2,471.0 | 0.9 |
| ZTE | 5,545.8 | 1.7 | 3,697.9 | 1.3 |
| G’Five | 5,208.6 | 1.6 | NA | NA |
| Others | 62,635.2 | 19.30 | 45,977.2 | 16.1 |
| Total | 325,556.8 | 100.0 | 286,122.3 | 100.0 |
Nokia sold 111 million phones in the second quarter of 2010 to maintain its lead on top of the mobile phone market, at 34% market share. Based on rumours we hear in North America about Nokia’s inevitable demise, this comes as quite a shock to me, and, I’m sure, to a few of you.
RIM kept its 4th place hold on the market with 11 million handsets, and only 3.4%, but enough to keep it ahead of Apple, who sold 8.7 million iPhones last quarter for a 2.7% market share.
HTC is the big surprise here, with a 139% year-over-year increase in handsets. This is mainly due to Android’s huge proliferation in the United States, and HTC’s increased brand recognition worldwide as a favourable and reliable company.
Android, as we mentioned previously, is the number one platform in America, overtaking RIM in the last quarter. Worldwide, it still trails Symbian by a lot, and BlackBerry by a small amount, but has overtaken iOS to take third place at 10% worldwide marketshare.
Two years ago, few would have predicted that Android would become as successful and ubiquitous as it has in such a short amount of time. But here we are, two years later, and it’s a thriving brand, product, and platform.
Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Operating System in 2Q10 (Thousands of Units)
| Company | 2Q10
Units |
2Q10 Market Share (%) | 2Q09
Units |
2Q09 Market Share (%) |
| Symbian | 25,386.8 | 41.2 | 20,880.8 | 51.0 |
| Research In Motion | 11,228.8 | 18.2 | 7,782.2 | 19.0 |
| Android | 10,606.1 | 17.2 | 755.9 | 1.8 |
| iOS | 8,743.0 | 14.2 | 5,325.0 | 13.0 |
| Microsoft Windows Mobile | 3,096.4 | 5.0 | 3,829.7 | 9.3 |
| Linux | 1,503.1 | 2.4 | 1,901.1 | 4.6 |
| Other OSs | 1,084.8 | 1.8 | 497.1 | 1.2 |
| Total | 61,649.1 | 100.0 | 40,971.8 | 100.0 |
(via Gartner Research)
Antenna-gate part deux?
Aug 14th
So it turns out Apple isn’t the only company with some ‘splainin to do.
Rumor has it the new Droid 2 is also suffering from a bit of the “Antenna-gate” syndrome, it may be a bit premature (the phone did only launch on Thursday) but here is what we know:
- Many review units are suffering from a fluctuating signal
- Death grip or not, the signal drops from full to 1 one bar when idle
- Of 6 review units seeded out for review, ALL are experiencing the same issues
No official statement from Motorola has been made, nor from American consumers with the devices in hand, but rest assured if the rumors pertain to be true, Steve Jobs will be chuckling in his wranglers.
[Via Mobile Crunch]
Follow me on twitterTelus updates Milestone, but isn’t 2.2 yet
Aug 11th
This is a bit of a surprise! IntoMobile is reporting that Telus’ Milestone has been updated, but the software version is 2.1 still. Don’t expect Froyo anytime soon, then.
The updates include:
- Alarm Improvements
- Music Player Functionality
- Audio Quality Enhancement
- PIN Lock Improvements
- Proximity Mode Enhancement
- “My Location” Improvements
Check out the update at Motorola’s website, and wait patiently for 2.2.
Verizon finally announces a release date for the Motorola Droid 2
Aug 10th
Well it’s about time.
Verizon wireless users itching to dump their original Motorola Droid for the sexy successor finally have a date to look forward to and it couldn’t be any closer.
Starting online tomorrow and in stores this Thursday, the device will be available for $199.99 after $100 mail-in rebate on a 2 year voice and data term.
Hit the break for the official press release
[via MobileCrunch]
BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless 3G network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a pioneer in the mobile industry, today announced that DROID™ 2 by Motorola will be available for pre-sale on August 11. Hitting all the right keys, DROID 2 is a feature-packed device that helps manage work and social life with an enhanced QWERTY keyboard, ultra high-speed Web browsing, 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities, full push corporate e-mail, intuitive social messaging and Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 for access to the full web – all built on Android 2.2.
“When we announced DROID X last month, we reaffirmed our commitment to continue to bring unique Android experiences to the Verizon Wireless network,” said Jeffrey Dietel, vice president – wireless device, marketing and development for Verizon Wireless. “The DROID by Motorola was our first Android device, so it is important for us to include the successor to that phone in our portfolio. DROID 2 is not only a continuation of our commitment to Android but offers customers the features and form-factor they crave on the Verizon Wireless network.”
“With the new DROID 2, we’ve taken a big leap forward from the original DROID,” said Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer of Motorola Mobile Devices and Home Business. “We listened to consumers and are providing an even more robust experience built on Android 2.2 that includes a new keyboard, increased processing power, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities to send, access and share information even quicker than before.”
DROID 2’s super-slim design helps customers e-mail, text and tweet with ease. DROID 2 offers a redesigned symmetrical keyboard with raised keys for more responsive typing to push out notes and status updates. Speech-to-text input and the virtual multi-touch keyboard allow for quick messaging; or customers can also use Swype for even easier text input. In addition, full push corporate e-mail delivers enhanced features such as remote wipe and password enforcement so that information remains secure.
DROID 2 packs power and speed. Customers can enjoy the freedom of wireless with the 3G Mobile HotSpot and the ability to connect up to five compatible Wi-Fi® devices, and watch content on the full multi-touch 3.7-inch brilliant display, or share content captured on the 5-megapixel camera with enhanced functionality and DVD-quality video capture with DLNA connectivity to share on compatible devices.
Customers can also download favorite apps from Android Market™, which has more than 70,000 applications, and store them on 8 GB of preloaded on-board memory and the 8 GB microSD™ card, which can be upgraded to a 32 GB SD card for a total cargo capacity of 40 GB. Popular apps available on DROID 2 include NFL Mobile (downloadable), Skype mobile(™) and BLOCKBUSTER On Demand® presented by V CAST Video. Customers can even manage their wireless accounts or their contacts from their phones with My Verizon and with Backup Assistant(SM).
“It’s great to see amazing new smartphones like the DROID 2 come pre-installed with Flash Player 10.1,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager, Creative and Interactive Solution Business Unit at Adobe. “With the completely redesigned and hardware accelerated Flash Player 10.1, DROID 2 users will be able to experience the full Web on the go.”
Adobe Flash Player 10.1 lets mobile users experience millions of websites the way they were meant to be seen – with rich Internet applications (RIAs), content inside the browser, including games, animations, data presentations and visualizations, e-commerce, music, video, audio and more.
R2-D2 DROID 2
In honor of the iconic Astromech Droid from the Star Wars™ Saga, Verizon Wireless will offer a limited-edition R2-D2 version of the DROID 2, available only online in September. The special version of the phone will feature exclusive Star Wars content and external hardware designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga. Visitors to the upcoming Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Fla., can see a preview of the limited edition phone and sign up to receive alerts when the phone is ready for sale.
Pricing and Availability
DROID 2 by Motorola will be available at www.verizonwireless.com on August 11, and it will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores beginning August 12 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. In addition to subscribing to a Nationwide Talk plan or a Nationwide Talk & Text plan, customers will also need to subscribe to an Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access. Email and Web for Smartphone plans start at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access.
Customers can add the optional 3G Mobile HotSpot service to their DROID 2 smartphones for $20 per month. The 3G Mobile HotSpot allows customers to turn their phones into a wireless modem for up to five compatible Wi-Fi® devices. In addition, current Verizon Wireless customers who have contracts ending by December 31, 2010, can upgrade to any smartphone, including DROID 2, without penalty.
For more information on DROID 2 by Motorola, go to www.droiddoes.com. For information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.
Motorola’s Sanjay Jha Says MOTOBLUR Will Not Stick Around
Aug 9th
Good news comes from Motorola Co-CEO Sanjay Jha today, who claims that Motorola’s social-focused Android skin MOTOBLUR, will begin to be phased out of the company’s future handsets. While Motorola had the right idea with MOTOBLUR, the implementation is off and the skin mostly results in a slower and more jumbled Android experience.
Dr. Sanjay Jha was quoted saying the following:
With MOTOBLUR, we have found that being able to convey the value proposition around MOTOBLUR is not an easy thing to do in a 30-second ad spot. We have decided that we will focus on the value proposition of products and not MOTOBLUR as a brand name in its own right. MOTOBLUR continues to be important and I think you will see increased functionality in MOTOBLUR. This notion of push-Internet is going to be very important to us, but as a brand name, which we make matter in front of consumers as a brand name, I don’t think that’s going to be our focus going forward, but we see the experiences that we deliver is being relevant and differentiating us.
With Motorola’s recent move away from MOTOBLUR by implementing the skin found on the Droid X and the upcoming Droid 2, it seemed evident that MOTOBLUR’s life was running short. Now, if only we can get Motorola to drop the whole skinning thing and just give us some stock Froyo to work with. Baby steps people, baby steps.
[Android and Me via Engadget]
WIND Mobile Getting High End Motorola Milestone XT720 Android Device?
Aug 7th
This will be a nice surprise if it pans out! An inventory screenshot of the Motorola Milestone XT720 Android 2.1-powered device has been leaked from WIND Mobile, and, if true, will be the only high-end Android device to hit the new carrier, and its second Android device overall after the Huawei U8100.
The XT720 is a much better device, matching the Droid’s odd resolution of 854×480 on a 3.7″ display, 8MP camera with flash, and media controls built into the device. Were this to come to WIND, it would be a huge get for the provider whose AWS devices are looking a bit long in the tooth after the premieres of the iPhone 4, Samsung Vibrant, HTC Desire and the BlackBerry Torch. This could get a lot of people to switch over, as, knowing they will never receive the iPhone (unless T-Mobile in the US gets it) their next best smartphone option is an Android-powered device. This should be upgraded to 2.2 eventually, as the Droid, Droid X and Droid 2 are all going to get the upgrade in the coming weeks.
We’ll keep our eyes peeled for you.
(via Mobile Syrup)
Droid X Froyo Update Coming in “Early September”
Aug 5th
With the HTC EVO 4G and even the Motorola Droid getting Android 2.2 recently, we all know the Droid X is feeling a little left out. Today on Motorola’s support forum we got out first official word of an early September drop date for the update. An extra special fix is supposed to be mixed into this frosty dish of Froyo, as issues with Exchange 2003 email are expected to be fixed. While we are sad to see the previous promised release date–which put the update in the August time frame–come and go, we won’t complain that Motorola wants to add a little extra stability to the build.
[Via Motorola Support Forum]
Motorola Flipout Now Available From Rogers for $29.99
Aug 4th
The strange-looking but incredibly neat Motorola Flipout has arrived at Rogers for $29.99 on a 3-year term. Nothing to say other than that obvious: if you need a keyboard and a compact Android device, this should be a killer phone. While it doesn’t boast the high specs of the latest Android phones to hit the market, it is no slouch: 3.2MP camera, 2.8″ QVGA screen (320×240), 512MB RAM, WiFi, GPS and it runs an updated, and hopefully less crowded, version of MOTOBLUR.
And remember that the Flipout is going to be eligible for the BOGO offer that Rogers will kick off soon. So stay tuned for that!
Check out the exclusive device at Rogers.
This Week In iPhone 7.18-7.24
Jul 25th
All in all, a fairly quiet week for Apple news. Apple’s case program goes live, those wanting an iPhone 4 in white will likely never get it (cause they’ll buckle and get the black one first!) and Apple throws a new phone or two into their antenna page deal. This of course made other manufactures pretty heated, but Apple doesn’t seem to care very much.
As usual, the links are available after the break.
iPhone 4 free case program goes live, requires iPhone app
White iPhone Delayed until the end of 2010
Apple adds the Motorola Droid X to their list of antenna attenuations
I told’ya it wasn’t a very big week!
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