According to a report in the Chinese language Commercial Times, institutional investors in Taiwan have been quoted as saying that China's Foxconn has landed the contract to build the 3G iPhone, and that it will start production in May of 3 million units for the 3G iPhone's June launch. Translated excerpts from the story are available at the DigitTimes website.
The report goes on to state that Foxconn is expecting to build anywhere from 24 to 25 million 3G iPhones during the cellphone's production run. While these are still little more than rumors, Foxconn does happen to be the sole manufacturer of the current iPhone, and many analysts do believe that the 3G iPhone will be launched at Apple's developer's conference (WWDC 2008) in June.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Nokia Offers Up Three New Mid-Range Handsets
Nokia introduced a trio of new phones today. All are quad-band GSM/EDGE and run the Series 40 platform. They each have an FM radio, Bluetooth and slots for microSD cards. All three will be available in the third quarter.
6600 Fold: Similar to the 6555, the 6600 Fold creates a single contour when opened. The front panel features a hidden display that wakes up if you tap the surface of the phone twice. It will then reveal message alerts and other info. Tapping it twice will also put it back to sleep and silence alerts or reject calls. It adds 850/2100 dual-band WCDMA and is compatible with video calling services. It has a 2 megapixel camera and can shoot VGA video. It will cost $430.
6600 Slide: The Slide also includes the double-tapping feature and dual-band WCDMA, but boosts the camera up to 3.2 megapixels and includes a 2 LED flash. It comes preloaded with Nokia Maps, and has a 2.2 inch QVGA display. It will cost $390.
3600 Slide: The 3600 keeps the 3.2 megapixel camera with flash, and adds autofocus for better image capturing. It also adds background noise cancellation--a first for Nokia--but drops the 3G radios altogether. It comes with the Opera Mini browser and also has a TV out jack. It will cost $275.
6600 Fold: Similar to the 6555, the 6600 Fold creates a single contour when opened. The front panel features a hidden display that wakes up if you tap the surface of the phone twice. It will then reveal message alerts and other info. Tapping it twice will also put it back to sleep and silence alerts or reject calls. It adds 850/2100 dual-band WCDMA and is compatible with video calling services. It has a 2 megapixel camera and can shoot VGA video. It will cost $430.
6600 Slide: The Slide also includes the double-tapping feature and dual-band WCDMA, but boosts the camera up to 3.2 megapixels and includes a 2 LED flash. It comes preloaded with Nokia Maps, and has a 2.2 inch QVGA display. It will cost $390.
3600 Slide: The 3600 keeps the 3.2 megapixel camera with flash, and adds autofocus for better image capturing. It also adds background noise cancellation--a first for Nokia--but drops the 3G radios altogether. It comes with the Opera Mini browser and also has a TV out jack. It will cost $275.
FCC Reveals Casio's Boulder
The latest G'zOne phone from Casio is called the Boulder. According to the FCC documents, this ruggedized clamshell will offer EVDO wireless data and Bluetooth. Not much else can be determined at this time, but the G'zOne line of phones is sold by Verizon Wireless.
AT&T Inks Femtocell Deal, Sets Trial for Later This Year
AT&T Mobility has signed a deal with U.K.-based ip.access Ltd., which will provide it with up to 7 million femtocells that AT&T hopes to sell to its customers. The deal is worth a reported $500 million, and could allow AT&T to sell the femotcells for as little as $100 each. Femtocells provide indoor areas, such as homes or businesses, with better cellular signal coverage. They act similar to Wi-Fi hotspots, and transmit calls or data sessions through a user's broadband internet connection, rather than via the operator's network. An AT&T spokesperson said the company will trial the technology later this year.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Apple Buys Microprocessor Company
Apple has purchased PA Semi for a sum of $278 million in cash. PA Semi designs low-power microprocessors that could end up in products such as the iPhone. Apple would not comment on the reason for its purchase, but Intel has been attempting to convince Apple to use its Atom microprocessors in its mobile devices. This purchase will allow Apple to keep chip design for future generations of the iPhone in-house.
Sony Ericsson Announces Tri-Band HSDPA Flip
Today Sony Ericsson announced two new phones. The Z780 and the G502 both have HSDPA for high-speed data and support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync email. They share a bevy of entertainment features, including 2 megapixel cameras with video record, FM radios, stereo Bluetooth, 3D games and other web 2.0 tools. The also have the Access NetFront web browser, pre-loaded Google Maps, and a built-in RSS reader. Both support Memory Stick Micro expanded storage cards and will be available in select markets starting in the second quarter.
Z780: This clamshell is similar to the Z770, but has tri-band 850/1900/2100 HSDPA and quad-band GSM/EDGE radios. It has built-in aGPS to use with the Google Maps application, and can make video calls (if supported by network operator). It is meant for markets outside of Europe, and is compatible with AT&T's 3G network in the U.S.
G502: This is a single-band 2100 MHz HSDPA and tri-band 900/1800/1900 GSM/EDGE bar-style phone. It shares most features with the Z780, but loses the aGPS and video calling.
Z780: This clamshell is similar to the Z770, but has tri-band 850/1900/2100 HSDPA and quad-band GSM/EDGE radios. It has built-in aGPS to use with the Google Maps application, and can make video calls (if supported by network operator). It is meant for markets outside of Europe, and is compatible with AT&T's 3G network in the U.S.
G502: This is a single-band 2100 MHz HSDPA and tri-band 900/1800/1900 GSM/EDGE bar-style phone. It shares most features with the Z780, but loses the aGPS and video calling.
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