Omio News Blog

Samsung To Topple Nokia As World’s No.1 Mobile Manufacturer?

Independent polls conducted by Reuters and Bloomberg have analysts pegging Korean manufacturer Samsung to have outsold Nokia in the mobile phone stakes for the first time, ever.

With Reuters reporting predictions of 88 million mobile sales for Samsung (92 million according to Bloomberg) versus 83 million for the ailing Finnish phone maker in the first quarter of 2012, it shows that the volume of feature phone sales in the developing world – a sector that has buoyed Nokia for 14 years – has been seriously eroded.

A recent ‘disappointing’ first quarter performance for the company according to CEO Elop – including a 50% drop in smartphone sales compared to Q1 2011 – saw 15% wiped off Nokia’s share price before the end of trading.

“After 14 years as the largest global mobile phone maker, getting knocked off the top spot will come as a bitter blow to Nokia,” said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight.

With the Samsung Galaxy S2 soon to have stayed the UK’s most popular mobile phone for a whopping 12 months according to uSwitch’s Mobile Tracker, the Korean handset maker has managed to leverage the Android mobile platform to create a range of highly successful devices at a variety of price points.

Quarterly earnings for Samsung to be revealed on April 27th look certain to confirm this.

However, with a continued focus on Windows Phone and early Lumia 900 sales looking strong Stateside, Nokia seem to be on the right track towards alleviating the situation.

However, the competition is simply performing far better. Nokia’s priority moving forward is likely to be keeping up with the mobile Joneses, rather than regaining the smartphone crown…

Orange Brings ‘Quick Tap’ Payment Service To Android Devices

With Near Field Communication technology on the cusp of being The Next Big Thing in mobile, Orange’s ‘Quick Tap’ service has led the charge in letting us pay for stuff with just a wave of our mobile.

The fruity network has announced they are to take the contactless payment service beyond their lean selection of devices at present, with an aim to bring it to Android smartphones harbouring NFC in the coming weeks.

Currently live on phones like the BlackBerry Bold 9790 and spearheaded by a souped-up Samsung Tocco, getting more handsets on board could be key to broadening the appeal of the Barclaycard-powered system.

With over 70,000 high street locations – including Pret a Manger and Wilkinson – already supporting Quick Tap transactions of up to £15 (with a raise to £20 come June), showcasing popular handsets like the Sony XPERIA S as sporting NFC technology could serve as a real hardware differentiator in a contentious market.

Jason Rees, director of mobile payments and ticketing for Orange UK, said: “When combined with the ability to use it with credit or debit cards from all the major UK banks, then even more people will be able to experience the simplicity and convenience of shopping with their phone.”

Source: Mobile Entertainment

Sony XPERIA ‘Night Of Imagination’ Launch Boasts Labrinth, Body Rocking Light Show

Not content with making the cutest advert ever – a Wes Anderson-directed, child-fuelled fever dream of what happens inside an XPERIA S – Sony took to creating a visual feast to commemorate the launch of their new range of devices.

Coinciding with the album launch of Electric Earth – the debut album of R&B/dance artist Labrinth – Sony’s ‘Night of Imagination’ event saw the XPERIA series of phones kick off in inimitable style.

Held in a Grade I listed building in Central London, the launch saw a concert from the Simon Cowell managed hitmaker, followed by a one-off XPERIA-themed dance routine performed by iLuminate – finalists of last year’s America’s Got Talent.

Unfamiliar with their work? Check out the fantastic finals performance by the dance troupe here…then have a look at the highlight of the night below.

With the Sony XPERIA S placing in the Top 5 most popular phones according to uSwitch’s Mobile Tracker for March, it looks like the Ericsson-free handset might be worthy of the hype…

HTC One V Gets Bargain Pre-Order Pricing, Lippy Phone Free From £13.50 Per Month

The final member of the HTC One Series trio is finally up for pre-order, with the eminently affordable One V arriving on selected online retailers from today. 

BuyMobilePhones is offering the ambitious entry-level Android device for free from a rock-bottom £13.50 per month, chucking in 50 minutes, 250 texts and 100MB of data into the bargain.

Arguably a fantastic deal for the smartphone latecomer, the HTC One V marks the return of the (in)famous ‘lip’ or ‘chin’ that made HTC’s Hero and Legend such iconic devices, giving both an ergonomic and eye-catching differentiator to the 1Ghz single-core handset.

Other standout features for the One V include a 5-megapixel autofocus snapper, Beats Audio on the ones-and-twos for music and a 3.7-inch touchscreen display.

Memory may be a relatively lean 4GB of internal storage but given the sub-£230 SIM-free price tag, the One V boasts some healthy specs.

Taking aim at all sectors of the market with the mid-level One S and the flagship One X, HTC’s One Series seems geared to get the Taiwanese manufacturer back on track.

The HTC One V is currently scheduled for launch at the tail end of April.

LG Unveils Optimus Smartphone Trio, ‘L-Style’ Design Philosophy

Not content with spicing up smartphone aesthetics with their PRADA branded handset, Korean manufacturer LG has unveiled their new range of sleek and seductive Optimus devices – the L3, L5 and L7 (pictured above, left to right).

With all three under the the banner of ‘L-Style’ – a new design identity that promises to offer gorgeous mobiles with equally strong specs – the phone maker wishes to rekindle the affections once present in Black Label fashion phones like the Chocolate and the Shine.

“With smartphones, we sometimes took a more functional approach to design but with L-Style we’re going back to our roots as a company focused on how our products fit into the lifestyle of our customers,” said LG’s CEO Dr. Jong-seok Park, realising recent handsets might have lost their way a little…

It seems safe to assume from the image above that all will be running on a lightly customised Android operating system…the Optimus name cant be trusted as it has had dalliances with Windows Phone in the past.

Digging a little deeper into what L-Style means, the design philosophy is apparently comprised of five aesthetic elements: Modern Square Style (nice to hold), Floating Mass Technology (skinnier), Seamless Layout (putting buttons in the right places), Harmonized Design Contrast (metallic accents), and a Sensuous Slim Shape (looking nice).

Not too dissimilar from the five elements of hip-hop, really.

First up to bat will be the Optimus L3 which is currently scheduled for a March European launch, whilst features and functions of all three will be unveiled in full at Mobile World Congress later in the month.

Mobile Phone Review Round Up: Samsung Galaxy Note, Nokia Lumia 710, BlackBerry Bold 9790

Want to know the general tech consensus of some of the latest mobile phones? Check out  a pick of the top reviews, right here!

Samsung Galaxy Note Reviews

CNET -

The huge size of the Galaxy Note is the main reason to buy it: no other smartphone has such a big, beautiful screen.

However, the size also creates a number of issues, short battery life and sheer unwieldiness being chief among them. If you can live with these drawbacks, you’ll find that this is one of the most powerful Android smart phones around, tackling apps and media with aplomb.

Techradar -

There are very few things we can complain about with the Samsung Galaxy Note. Samsung has taken what is already a brilliant handset and built on it to make an even better one.

The problem is – is it a handset or is it a tablet? In our mind, forget the ‘S-Pen’ and just concentrate on this being a large phone and PMP and you can’t go wrong. And then, the only choice you have to make is “is it too big for me?”

T3 -

Large in size, humongous in potential, the Samsung Galaxy Note might not be a first smartphone for the masses, what it is however, is a device that will enhance the experience of many a business user.

The Note’s only downfall in popularity is in how much it has limited its prospective target audience.

- Check out all Samsung Galaxy Note deals at OMIO today!

BlackBerry Bold 9790 Reviews

CNET-

With its weighty price tag and corporate looks, the Bold 9790 is unlikely to be the BlackBerry you buy yourself…even BlackBerry’s faithful teenage army will either be priced out or put off by its steely feel.

For all other smart phone users, BlackBerry 7 OS on the Bold 9790 doesn’t offer anything show-stopping enough to make this handset worth considering over the vastly surperior Android and Apple operating systems — thanks to its paucity of apps and the dated, text-heavy interface lurking beneath its shiny surface.

Techradar -

If you were to take the BlackBerry Bold 9900 out of the equation and judge the BlackBerry Bold 9790 on its own merits, you could quite confidently say it’s a cracking little phone.

We’re not massively excited by it but, geek-speak aside, just the specs alone make it worthy of a £350/$450 SIM-free price tag.

- Check out all BlackBerry Bold 9790 deals at OMIO today!

Nokia Lumia 710 Reviews

CNET -

From £15 per month on a two-year contract, the Nokia Lumia 710 is a very respectable mid-range smart phone, with a beefy 1.4GHz chip and a slick OS. We welcome high-end features such as Nokia’s free streaming music and sat-nav apps, and Microsoft’s suite of Office and cloud storage services.

If you’re a huge fan of Facebook and are particularly partial to Windows Phone, the 710 is a decent mid-range choice. For everyone else, your money will go further if you buy into iOS’ or Android’s much more mature app markets.

Techradar -

Although we would buy the Nokia Lumia 710 over the HTC Radar, it’s overshadowed by the Nokia Lumia 800, which impressed us a lot more and makes the Nokia Lumia 710 feel more like its cheaper relative than we would have liked. We know that the phone costs less, but the cost savings feel too apparent.

T3 -

Don’t view the Nokia Lumia 710 as the poor man’s Lumia 800. This is a cracking budget smartphone in its own right: it feels more reliable and much faster than the average budget Android phone, and the tile-based Windows Phone 7 user interface is a joy to poke around.

- Check out all Nokia Lumia 710 deals at OMIO today!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Unveiled, Tweaks Tablet Formula With Ice Cream Sandwich

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has been announced in Prague, at the Korean manufacturer’s annual showcase of all things glossy and gadgety.

A 7-inch LCD display with a 1Ghz dual-core processor and refreshed multimedia capabilities, it is interesting to note the release states the Galaxy Tab 2 is ‘the first addition to [Samsung's] 2012 tablet line-up’.

Slimmer, slicker and stylistically more in keeping with its Galaxy stablemates, the Tab 2 feels like a more considered device than the original, which always felt as an effort to head-off the iPad as the first tablet on the block.

A 3-megapixel on the rear and front-facing image capture suggest that it’s still very much a device for the go, a thought borne out by the confirmation of both 3G and Wi-Fi enabled models as well as improved communication capabilities.

The TouchWiz user interface sees a revamp, and access to movie downloads, music stores and app suggestions shows that Samsung are acutely aware of what people want from their tablets – pretty much everything.

‘AllShare Play’ enables the Galaxy Tab 2 free reign to chat to PCs and other Samsung devices with aplomb, meaning wireless streaming of music and media all over the place.

A Sammy spokesperson said: “We have actively worked to enhance and extend our tablet offering since the launch of the original Galaxy Tab 18 months ago, to put us in the position we are in today of being able to offer our customers a portfolio of devices of varying sizes relative to their different needs.

We are delighted to be offering our customers even more choice with our latest tablet which is our first to feature Android 4.0.”

Samsung’s decision to reveal their tablet update at their annual European Forum as opposed to the impending Mobile World Congress in Barcelona speaks volumes…and it is certainly benefiting from uncontested column inches ahead of the event.

A revamp as opposed to an all-out assault on the iPad’s dominance, the Galaxy Tab 2 feels every bit the box-ticker, an able device ready to run Android’s latest Ice Cream Sandwich update with some welcome aesthetic tweaks.

Those expecting a tablet challenger to the throne may be disappointed, but a highly competent alternative can certainly be as effective – if not more so – than a head-on opposition to the front runner.

The runaway success story of the Samsung Galaxy S II is certainly testament to finding the right place in the market…and with a myriad of reasons posited as to why the S III isn’t making an MWC appearance, all eyes will be on the manufacturer to see what they’ve held back for Barca.

The Galaxy Tab 2 is currently earmarked for a March 2012 release.

Motorola MOTOLUXE, DEFY MINI Revealed, Google Acquisition Approved

Whilst Motorola’s Android-fuelled return to relevance fell just short of the ascension many had predicted, the US manufacturer is still bringing out a number of smartphones running on Google juice in 2012.

First up is the Motorola MOTOLUXE, an ‘ultra-vogue, rail-thin’ device housing an an 800Mhz processor and sporting shades of the modestly successful RAZR reboot.

Powered by Android Gingerbread, the MOTOLUXE is once again all about style,  with a 4-inch touchscreen and 8-megapixel autofocus camera supporting another Motorola-developed custom UI, this time dubbed ‘MotoSwitch’.

Rather than the cluttered MotoBLUR interface, MotoSwitch places your most relevant apps and contacts at the forefront, constantly tailoring itself to your behaviour and favourites.

The MOTOLUXE seems like a stock Android handset from there on in, aside from a bit of a light show in the form of a glowing lanyard slot that illuminates when you miss a call, text or e-mail.

Gimmicky? Maybe, but it is a much-needed differentiator in a crowded mobile market.

“By combining sleek style with Android brains, MOTOLUXE is ideal for people who want the latest technology in a sophisticated package,” according to Marcus Frost, Motorola Europe’s senior marketing director.

“Not only does this smartphone have a big screen and the latest, greatest entertainment tools, it’s affordable and won’t take a bite out of your budget.”

Second up is the Motorola DEFY MINI, their latest entry in a ‘hardy’ smartphone range – dust-proof, splash-proof and rocking the display-du-jour in the form of 3.2-inches of Gorilla Glass.

Rocking a slightly more sedate 600Mhz processor, the DEFY MINI has a 3MP camera, front facing video camera and also enjoys the new MotoSwitch UI.

Here’s a picture of it having a good time at the beach.

Both with be quite affordable, and due for release this month.

With US and European regulators giving the green light to Google’s £7.9bn acquisition of Motorola Mobility, definitely expect the manufacturer to step up their handset game in the near future.

However with 17,000 new mobile patents, perhaps we will also see the search giant stepping up their litigation game?

Samsung Galaxy Y Pink Now Available From Carphone Warehouse, Free From £9.99 Per Month

Those looking for an affordable Valentine’s Day gift are in luck, as the Samsung Galaxy Y is now available in a fetching pink hue from the Carphone Warehouse.

Free from just £9.99 with 50 minutes, 100 texts and 250MB of data as well just as a shade under £80 on prepay, the Galaxy Y Pink brings Gingerbread to bear on a cute casual handset.

Very much a ‘starter for ten’ in terms of smartphone specs, the Galaxy Y Pink has a 3-inch touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera as well as 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Perks include swift texting and typing via Swype, as well as Samsung’s brand of customisation with the TouchWiz interface.

Cheaper than two dozen red roses, the Galaxy Y Pink is a Valentine’s gift that keeps on giving…well, in terms of free Android apps at least.

Anti-Stalking PanicGuard App Launched For Android, iOS

Released late last week, PanicGuard is the world’s first police-approved app for Android and iOS, specifically aimed at the personal security market.

Leveraging the handset’s GPS and video recording facilities to automatically contact emergency numbers when activated, PanicGuard hopes to lend peace of mind to some of the estimated 120,000 people who are victims of stalking each year.

Activated by shaking or holding the handset, an alarm is triggered and a text, e-mail or social networking message is automatically sent to your emergency contacts. Once the handset goes silent, rather than the app turning off it actually begins transmitting video and audio to a secure server. Finally the GPS functionality (at least until the handset is turned off) enables the authorities to follow a signal to the device’s location.

“Everyone has a right to feel safe on the streets and in their own homes, but sadly that is not always the case,” says Michael Dissing, entrepreneur and developer of the PanicGuard app.

“Our goal is to empower our users to feel more confident, knowing that without doing anything more than shaking their phone, they can instantly alert friends and family who can call the police to come to their aid and they will have the evidence to help them catch the criminal.”

Whilst free to download, the service costs £3.99 on a three month rolling subscription after a 30 day trial. It’s also important to bear in mind that this app needs to either run in the background or be previously activated to work. Whilst a great idea, running out of battery due to an eager GPS might leave you without enough to juice to make a call in a hairy situation…