Symbian extends collaboration offer to Google, possibly Android

Symbian’s buy-out by Nokia, by far the largest handset manufacturer to rely on the Symbian smartphone mobile operating system, paves the way for an open-source Symbian environment that will hopefully spark a new wave of Symbian-based mobile platforms.

With Symbian’s code destined to be opened up by the Symbian Foundation for all to use, the software maker has announced today that it is open to collaborating with Google on “operating system level.” It seems that Symbian wants to make friends with Google and their Linux-based Android mobile operating system – which can be considered an open-source competitor to Symbian.
Google formed the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) to help push the open-source Android platform among mobile phone vendors, and Nokia answered by forming the Symbian Foundation to tout Symbian’s open-source code. The two camps can be seen to be competing against each other for smartphone market share. But, with today’s announcement, Symbian looks to be extending a hand in friendship to Google.

“We already work together and so whatever collaboration, if there is an opportunity, we will be happy to collaborate with them,” Symbian chief executive Nigel Clifford told reporters in Tokyo. “And that could be on the application level or that could be on the more fundamental operating system level.”

We can see the two open-source mobile platform initiatives working together to cross-license applications and services across both Android and Symbian operating systems. Of course, that’s all speculation. But, with Symbian already using Google Maps and Search, it’s not hard to imagine Symbian wanting to push some of their own services through Android – in return for more extensive support for Google services on Symbian.

The rapidly consolidating mobile platform market signals the next-step in the smartphone revolution. Segmentation of the mobile operating system environment has hindered standardized services and application, but with large groups of developers and handset manufacturers choosing to side with one of a just a few remaining mobile OS camps, we’ll be seeing some significant headway in the mobile space.

Collaboration, it’s a good thing.

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Samsung Memoir (SGH-T929)

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The Samsung Memoir (also called the SGH-T929) is a handset aimed exclusively at the T-Mobile network in the US. Right at the moment, there are frustratingly few hard specifications for this device. Clearly, this is a touchscreen phone with a wide display, plus an 8 megapixel camera with a Xenon flash. The rumours are that this is a 1700 MHz UMTS (3G) device with GPS, but we don’t know this for sure.

Samsung Memoir (SGH-T929)

We can tell you that it measures 106 x 54 x 14mm and the Memoir weighs in at 125 grams. Maximum talktime is about 8 hours (presumably on GSM), and standby time is up to 9 days.

Broadly speaking, the Memoir appears to be a US take on the Samsung M8800 Pixon, although it is clearly cosmetically different. It’s clearly not a Windows Mobile device like the Omnia.

We don’t have any definite word on pricing or availability, but the Memoir looks like it should be an effective competitor to AT&T’s iPhone.
Samsung Memoir (SGH-T929) provisional specifications

Available:

Q1 / Q2 2009

Network:

GSM + UMTS

Data:

GPRS + EDGE + UMTS

Screen:

240 x 400 pixels (not verified)

Camera:

8 megapixels

Size:

PDA style device
106 x 54 x 14mm / 125 grams

Bluetooth:

Yes

Memory card:

Yes

Infra-red:

No

Polyphonic:

Yes

Java:

Yes

GPS:

Yes (not verified)

Battery life:

8 hours talk / 9 days standby (GSM)

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50% of HTC phones to run on Android next year?

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The bad news (or at least rumors) just keep on piling for Windows Mobile.

This morning we’ve heard the talk that in addition to Symbian, Motorola might be dropping Windows Mobile OS on it’s new phones as well.

Now we are hearing that HTC is hard at work on a touchscreen device that might be even better then recently announced Palm Pre. At it won’t be carrying Windows Mobile, opting for Android OS as well.

According to Australian Telsra execs -  the new HTC device was better and more functional then Pre and will be a real competitor to both Palm Pre and iPhone.

They are probably talking about the successor of HTC G1 here and that it should be a significant improvement over the first test model. And I would not read anything more into it. For now…

HTC will have a new good high end touchscreen WM device this spring, and probably quite a few more through 2009. And WM devices will still make a bulk of the phones produced by HTC this year.

But going into 2010 things might become very different. A guy with some amazing inside sources in the industry says that HTC decided to strongly prioritize the development of Android phones and that already next year (2010) HTC inventory will be split 50/50 between WM and Android handsets.

So, if both reports – loosing Motorola and preference of HTC – are true, some pretty challenging years are ahead of Windows Mobile division at MS.

Via WMPowerUser and Eldar Murtazin

Nokia Booklet 3G now available in the UK | Eee PC – Blog

A little later than expected but, the Nokia Booklet 3G is now available within the UK. Unfortunately the pre-order price of £649 is correct and the booklet.

Here is the original: 
Nokia Booklet 3G now available in the UK | Eee PC – Blog

iBurst may give WiMAX run for money

One of the themes that emerged from the LTE World Summit was that no one was looking at WiMAX as a competitor for LTE. LTE is being thought as ‘Mobile Broadband’ whereas WiMAX is being thought more of as ‘Low-mobility/Fixed Broadband’. They would serve different needs and their market will hardly overlap. I have blogged about iBurst in the past and I think it may give some competition to WiMAX.

David Brunnen from Personal Broadband UK (cant find their website) gave an interesting perspective on iBurst and even though many people have not heard of it, it can still compete in the market. They have a big presence in Australia and last year won the spectrum for the whole of Ireland + Northern Ireland between 1785 – 1805MHz. Even though they have won the 20MHz band, they think that they can do with 5MHz or maximum of 10 MHz. They have also partnered with iBand and would probably allow roaming between them.

The main thing about iBurst is that it has very good spectral effeciency and an average throughput of around 600kbps. Data Rate of 1.061Mbps downlink/ 346Kbps uplink with System capacity 24.4Mbps downlink/ 7.9 Mbps uplink is supported. At the same time it offers high mobility with handovers at speed of over 100kmph. The cell radius is 1.5-3km in urban and 5-7km in rural area. Because of adaptive antennas, the same frequency can be reused and the interference can be reduced thereby increasing the cell capacity.

The biggest problem with iBurst is that there are very few players. Kyocera is the only base station supplier. On the devices side, Kyocera is the lead player but there are other new players like Dovado which has won some big contract with first US iBurst operator and Moovera (bought by Icomera) which also has some similar devices.

Last year Kyocera announed that iBurst has more than 140,000 subscribers. This year iBurst South Africa has been shortlisted for an award of “Best Operator in Developing Country”. In last 6 months they have increased the subscriber numbers by 30%.

With the big players heavily invested in HSPA+/LTE and many others having a foot in WiMAX, it would be interesting to see how a possible iBurst success might be viewed. I would like to hear from people who have experienced this technology on what their feeling is about iBurst.

For more information on the iBurst technology, see Kyocera’s iBurst Technology homepage.

Latest news on iBurst available from iBurst.org website.

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