Samsung Instinct iPhone-Competitor Unveiled for Sprint

Sprint today unveiled the Samsung Instinct, a touch screen device with access Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A Mobile Broadband Network.

The Samsung Instinct offers a high-tech look with large, vibrant touch screen featuring localized tactile feedback, called haptics, which allow the virtual QWERTY keypad and other operations to become a sensory experience. The Instinct also offers a Voice to Action button providing many functions using voice activation including call, text, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news and search.

Using Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A broadband network, the Instinct can quickly browse the Web, access business or personal email, share pictures, listen to commercial-free radio and more. Peak download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload data rates to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds improve to 600 kbps to 1.4 Mbps and average uplink speeds increase to 350 - 500 kpbs. Access to other services and multimedia content include:

- Sprint Navigation, powered by Telenav, with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, one-click traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings
- Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, provides easy access to directory information on-the-go, GPS-enabled directions, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access
- Sprint TV with an extensive selection of live and on-demand programming
- Sprint Exclusive Entertainment (SEE), the industry's only made-for-mobile sports and entertainment video programming network
- Sprint Music Store allowing users to browse and wirelessly download full-length songs directly to their phone for just 99 cents each
- Pocket Express with up-to-date information on sports, weather, news, movie showtimes and other options customized to users' zip code

The Instinct offers three dedicated keys on the lower portion to make operation straightforward - phone, back and home. The phone key always takes users back to essential voice calling and features including speed dial, visual voicemail, contacts and the dial pad. The back key is a consistent way to take a step back in the operation. The home key provides access to the four menus of functionality:

- Favorites provides access to the things done most
- Main includes applications such as Messaging, Voicemail, GPS Navigation and more
- Fun takes you to Music, TV, photos, games and more
- Web provides a fast, real Internet experience and all things Web-related including weather and news

The Instinct boasts features including Visual Voicemail to let isten to messages in their order of preference and manage them with a tap of the screen. It also provides support for corporate and consumer (POP3) email, multitasking capabilities play music in background mode while surfing the Internet, texting or playing games, a 2.0-megapixel camera with camcorder and expandable microSD memory of up to 8 GB. Additional features include advanced stereo Bluetooth 2.0, integrated world clock, SMS voice and text messaging with threaded text, Phone as Modem, picture caller ID and Sprint Mobile Sync.

Contents include a 2 GB microSD card that holds approximately 2,000 songs from the Sprint Music Store, two standard 1,000 mAmp batteries offering up to 5.75 hours of continuous talk time each, battery charging sleeve, travel charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with built-in microphone, and leather case with stylus.

[Thanks: http://www.mobiledia.com]

China Mobile Starts TD-SCDMA 3G Trial with 20k Phones, 5k Data Cards

The Associated Press is reporting that China Mobile, the largest mobile carrier in China, said today that it was launching its first 3G trial using China's own state sponsored TD-SCDMA technology. TD-SCDMA has been somewhat controversial over the years since it was developed by China, in part, in an effort to avoid paying royalties to companies such as U.S. firm Qualcomm. While the Chinese government backed off of its initial plan of allowing Chinese carriers to only use its "home grown" technology, it has since said that carriers are free to choose from TD-SCDMA, CDMA2000 (ie. EV-DO), and UMTS, though many feel that the carriers are being pressured to use TD-SCDMA none the less.

The new trial will run in a total of 8 Chinese cities, and will involve 20,000 3G handsets as well as 5,000 3G data cards. The company did not say how long the trial would run, but the Chinese government has stated in the past that it will have a working 3G network in time for the Summer Olympics in Beijing this August.

Samsung Launches SGH-a827 Access TV Phone for AT&T

Samsung has announced its first MediaFLO TV compatible GSM phone for AT&T, the Samsung SGH-a827 Access. The Access will be one of two devices that will be part of AT&T's Mobile TV launch in May of this year.

Unlike most candybar feature phones on the market, the Access sports a landscape oriented, 2.3" screen to better suit the television programming that it is intended to display. On top of that, Samsung claims that the Access will offer 'exceptional' Mobile TV reception without the need for an external whip antenna. Even Samsung's own SCH-u620 MediaFLO handset for Verizon Wireless requires an external antenna.

On top of the Mobile TV functionality, the SGH-a827 Access will also offer users typical functionality like Bluetooth stereo wireless support, stereo speakers, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. A microSD card slot is on-board for additional storage, and the Access will support features such as Video Share as well as IM and mobile email.

The Samsung Access is a world capable cell phone thanks to its quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) GSM support and 850/1900MHz 3G capability. The Samsung Access goes on sale in May, though no pricing information has been released yet.

Microsoft Eyes Development for Apple's iPhone

Microsoft says its looking at Apple, Inc.'s software development kit for the iPhone, partly to make sure users of its Microsoft Office for Mac users won't have problems. Microsoft is one of the largest software makers for the Mac. Other Microsoft units, including its new TellMe purchase, are also looking at Apple's SDK for the iPhone.

Microsoft is among the developers interested in Apple's software development kit (SDK) for the iPhone. The software giant has told news media that it is considering extending its portfolio to include the popular touch-screen device, with which it competes in many ways.

The SDK, now in beta and expected to be released at the end of June, is the impetus, according to a Fortune magazine blog. It said a team of Microsoft engineers has been examining the SDK for opportunities.

"It's really important for us to understand what we can bring to the iPhone," Microsoft Vice President Tom Gibbons told the publication. He added that the focus is on what functionality Microsoft Office for Mac customers will need on the iPhone.

Third of Billion Dollars for Mac Software

Since the beginning of the Macintosh operating system, Microsoft has been a leading supplier of Mac-based office applications. Some observers speculate that the Mac business may account for a third of a billion dollars in annual revenue to Microsoft.

With this revenue stream, Chris Hazelton, an analyst with industry research firm IDC, said a Microsoft move into iPhone territory would be, at least in part, defensive to protect its position in Mac office applications.

He noted a recent announcement by Apple that the iPhone will support Microsoft Exchange for e-mail. If users send Microsoft Office documents as attachments, he pointed out, it's in Microsoft's interest to make sure everything works as it should.

"If someone had problems using an Office attachment on iPhone," he noted, "they could turn to, say, an open-source office application."

Other parts of the Microsoft empire are also looking at the iPhone. TellMe, a voice-recognition unit that Microsoft purchased, has reportedly been considering the device.

Microsoft's 'Coopetition'

Microsoft's development for the iPhone is consistent with its "coopetition" strategy, where it often cooperates with the companies it is competing against. As an example, Microsoft recently announced it would license Adobe's Flash Lite for its Internet Explorer Mobile browser in future versions of Windows Mobile phones.

Earlier this month, Apple CEO Steve Jobs countered blog reports that the popular Flash was coming to the iPhone. He said Flash technology was not ready for the iPhone. At an Apple shareholders meeting, he said Flash Lite is not powerful enough, and regular Flash, designed for full-featured computers, runs too slowly on the iPhone.

Thus Microsoft's licensing of Flash Lite offers that technology on mobile devices running Windows Mobile at the same time Apple refuses it on the iPhone. But Microsoft's coopetition applies to itself as well, since Flash competes with its own Silverlight technology.

[Thanks: http://www.mobile-tech-today.com]

AT&T Will Offer Mobile TV Similar to Verizon's Service

AT&T Mobile TV with FLO will offer live network television plus two exclusive channels. The service from Qualcomm's MediaFLO USA will initially be available only on two AT&T mobile devices. The AT&T offering is similar to basic service from Verizon Wireless. Mobile TV has 10 percent penetration in Korea, but growth has been slow in the U.S.

Television programs on cell phones and other mobile devices took another step toward becoming widespread Thursday with AT&T's announcement that it will launch its Mobile TV with FLO in May.

The mobile-TV service from the largest U.S. mobile carrier will provide high-quality, live television content and sporting events from leading networks, as well as programming from two exclusive channels. The networks include CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, Fox Mobile, MTV, NBC 2GO, NBC News2Go, and Nickelodeon. AT&T already offers music services and Web access as it tries to boost its revenue from content while phone-service prices continue to drop.

Offered on Two Devices

The content of the two channels that will be available only to AT&T customers was not announced. Mobile TV with FLO is provided by MediaFLO USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm.

The TV service will be available initially only on two devices from AT&T, the LG Vu, which has a large interactive touch screen, and the Samsung Access, which features a large landscape display.

Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, noted that, with the possible exception of the two exclusive but undefined channels, AT&T's service is essentially the same basic service offered by Verizon Wireless.

He described MediaFLO as "the best mobile-TV service I've seen," adding that the "video is smooth, changing channels is instantaneous, and it feels like TV." He also pointed out that it isn't carried over the AT&T or Verizon networks, but over MediaFLO's own network. As a result, the coverage for the MediaFLO services is not the same as the phone coverage on either AT&T or Verizon's networks, Greengart said.

Slow Mobile-TV Growth

He said it's probably best that AT&T waited to launch MediaFLO because it gave the service time to work out "the kinks," including contracts with more content providers. But he also pointed out that it's being launched on only two devices at AT&T and, at the moment, it's not clear if there is any differentiation in the service from Verizon. The announcement also did not mention pricing.

Will TV service become commonplace on mobile devices? Greengart noted an oft-quoted figure -- in South Korea, 10 percent of all mobile devices have TV service. But, he pointed out, the U.S. market so far has not come near that penetration. "MediaFLO TV service on Verizon hasn't exactly taken the world by storm," he said.

Among other major carriers, he noted that Sprint, with its own EVDO service, has said it's not interested in MediaFLO, and T-Mobile has not expressed any interest.

But mobile devices with a sufficient display and bandwidth will have access to TV if they have access to the Web, although not necessarily live programming. For example, a variety of major networks have cooperated in providing programming for Hulu.com, where episodes of popular TV series can be seen on demand.

[Thanks: http://www.mobile-tech-today.com]