The iPhone 5 will not only offer a major refresh but expand its appeal around the world, according to one analyst.
The sixth-generation iPhone is expected to sport three big improvements, says analyst Shaw Wu. Picking up intel from suppliers, Wu sees a new form factor, a slightly larger screen, and 4G LTE support built into Apple's next flagship phone. These features should help the upcoming iPhone outscore the iPhone 4 and 4S at picking up new customers and enticing existing ones to upgrade.
Other reports and various rumors have pointed to a redesigned body, a 4-inch screen, and support for LTE in the next model iPhone.
But given China's status as the world's biggest smartphone market, Apple will also make sure the iPhone 5 will appeal to Chinese consumers, according to Wu.
The phone will work with China Mobile's proprietary TD-SCDMA 3G network, says the analyst. Both China Mobile and China Unicom have been testing 4G LTE. But full adoption of LTE is a few years away, so support for 3G is crucial if Apple is to gain further traction in the Chinese market.
iOS 6 has already paved the way for greater support in China by giving Siri the ability to comprehend and speak Mandarin and Cantonese. The new OS will also offer an easier way to input Chinese characters and integrate with several Chinese online services, such as Baidu, Sina Weibo, Youku, and Tudou. Combine iOS 6 with the iPhone 5, and Wu sees Apple a few steps closer to a deal to offer the iPhone through China Mobile.
Vodafone slashes 3G prices further, adds pay-a-day plan - VC Circle
In a bid to capture the lead in the ongoing 3G price war among telecom operators in India, Vodafone has further reduced its 3G tariffs. But instead of simply slashing the prices of its 3G plans, the telco has taken a mixed approach, which involves reducing the tariffs of existing plans, retaining the current tariffs but increasing the data limit of existing plans and also adding new plans to the mix.
Prepaid
For prepaid customers, an all-new pay-a-day plan has been introduced where the company is offering 25 MB of 3G data for a price of Rs 26, but the validity is only for a day. There is also a plan of Rs 44 that has been added and it provides 150 MB of 3G data for a week. These are good options because they allow subscribers to get a feel of 3G before opting for it full time. Most of the other operators already offer such plans.
As for the monthly plans, a new one has been added that gives you 300 MB of 3G data for Rs 102 and finally, a plan worth Rs 1,501 has also been introduced that offers 10 GB of 3G data. But this plan only has one-month validity, compared to the two-month validity period of Rs 850 and Rs 1,250 plans. So it is obvious that this one targets people who are frequent surfers and download a lot of stuff (video, music, movie, etc.) on a regular basis.
Post-paid
For post-paid subscribers, the company has kept the pricing of the 3G plans same as before but increased the data benefit. A post-paid subscriber paying Rs 100 (the cheapest available plan) will now get 300 MB of 3G data but earlier, it was only 200 MB. And for the most expensive plan (Rs 1,250), subscribers will get 8 GB of 3G data, instead of 5 GB (60 per cent increase) that they were getting earlier.
The price slash and addition of new plans do improve Vodafone’s position, compared to other players in the market. You will also find detailed information on the plans offered by the other telcos here, here and here.
As we have mentioned before, there may be a host of reasons behind the price war (Bharti Airtel probably did it because of the launch of its 4G services in the country while others did it in a bid to stay in the competition) but finally, the users will benefit the most from such a move. But as of now, we need to wait and watch how other players respond to Vodafone’s move to make 3G data all the more affordable.
(Edited by Sanghamitra Mandal)
Microsoft rejects Motorola patent offer - The Guardian
Microsoft has brushed off an offer by Motorola Mobility (MMI), the phone maker bought by Google, to settle patent disputes that are threatening to halt imports of Motorola's Android devices and Microsoft's Xbox 360 game consoles into the US.
The patents at issue relate to a Microsoft technology called ActiveSync, which updates calendars automatically on some Android phones.
According to Microsoft, MMI has offered to pay the software giant 33c (21p) for each Android phone using ActiveSync, and asked for a royalty of 2.25% on each Xbox's sale price, and 50c per copy of Windows for using its patents.
The decision could take the row to the brink. In May, the International Trade Commission, which oversees imports to the US, recommended an import ban on infringing Android devices and Xbox consoles unless the patent issues were settled.
That could seriously affect MMI, which has seen its share of the Android smartphone market which it once led eroded seriously in the past two years.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has built up a commanding position in Xbox 360 sales in the US over the past few years.
Microsoft is demanding royalties from all companies using Google's Android system in their devices, and has settled with most major manufacturers – except, crucially, MMI.
Instead, MMI, a full subsidiary of Google since May, is demanding royalties on some of its own video and wireless technologies – specifically H.264 video decoding and some Wi-Fi code – used in the Xbox 360 game console and the Windows operating system, on pain of an import ban.
"While we welcome any good faith settlement effort, it's hard to apply that label to a demand that Microsoft pay royalties to Google far in excess of market rates, that refuses to license all the Microsoft patents infringed by Motorola, and that is promptly leaked to the press," said Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft's deputy general counsel.
Representatives of Motorola and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Google’s Motorola Mobility Offers to End Microsoft Cases - Businessweek
Google Inc. (GOOG) (GOOG)’s Motorola Mobility unit said it made a new offer to settle its patent-infringement disputes with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) (MSFT) over the Xbox gaming system and smartphones. Microsoft questioned whether the offer was serious.
Motorola Mobility offered to pay 33 cents for every phone that uses Microsoft’s ActiveSync software to avoid an import ban by the U.S. International Trade Commission on phones that use the software, Kirk Dailey, vice president of intellectual property for Motorola Mobility, said in an interview yesterday.
The Google unit also lowered its demand for royalties on products that use Microsoft’s Windows operating system, to 50 cents for each unit that uses the industry standard for video compression. The company maintained its request for 2.25 percent of the cost of the Xbox gaming system, Dailey said. Microsoft could be banned from importing the Xbox if it loses an ITC case brought by Motorola Mobility.
“We’re hopeful they’re going to respond positively,” Dailey said. “We should have a response in two weeks.”
A settlement would end tit-for-tat cases the companies brought against each other. Microsoft, which contends all devices that run on Google’s Android operating system use its technology, sought royalties from Motorola Mobility. Libertyville, Illinois-based Motorola Mobility responded by demanding royalties on the Xbox for use of the company’s Wi-Fi and video-compression technology.
License Refusal
“While we welcome any good faith settlement effort, it’s hard to apply that label to a demand that Microsoft pay royalties to Google far in excess of market rates, that refuses to license all the Microsoft patents infringed by Motorola,” Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft’s deputy general counsel for intellectual property, said in a statement.
The Motorola Mobility offer would increase the amount to be paid on the Xbox because it would extend to controllers as well, Gutierrez said. Microsoft has asserted other patents in district court against Motorola Mobility that aren’t related to ActiveSync.
Motorola Mobility, which Google bought last month, is facing an order that it must remove the ActiveSync feature from its Android phones or the phones will be stopped at the border. The import ban is scheduled to go into effect July 17 unless it is overturned by President Barack Obama on public policy grounds.
The 33-cent offer on Android phones equals the amount of a bond that Motorola Mobility is obligated to post during the presidential review period, and is higher than what the company paid under a prior license for ActiveSync, Dailey said.
Standard Rate
Motorola Mobility had offered to license its own patents to Microsoft at a rate of 2.25 percent on the retail price of the products, which the company has said is its standard rate. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said in court filings that the figure would amount to $4 billion a year and filed a lawsuit accusing Motorola Mobility of violating its obligation to license patents related to industry standards on fair terms.
The $4 billion figure was based, in part, on a calculation that the 2.25 percent would apply to the cost of a computer that runs on Windows. Motorola Mobility challenged Microsoft’s calculation.
Dailey said the offer has been changed to 50 cents per unit for the video standard so if Microsoft were to sell 300 million copies of Windows, that would equal $150 million.
Windows Offer
Gutierrez said the Windows offer is for only one standard, and doesn’t include Wi-Fi technology. The company pays 2 cents per unit to a patent pool for access to 2,300 patents for the video decoding standard, while Motorola Mobility wants to be paid 50 cents per unit for the use of its 50 patents on the standard plus free use of Microsoft’s patents on the technology, he said.
Motorola Mobility also has made a licensing offer to Apple Inc. (AAPL) (AAPL) and the companies continue to be in discussions, he said.
“Both Microsoft and Apple need to show that they’re willing to be reasonable as well by respecting the contributions Motorola has made in literally creating the mobile phone industry,” Dailey said. “Injunctions are an extreme remedy, but not when you’ve been negotiating with someone for years with no movement, and who is actively seeking to destroy a competitor ecosystem.”
Judges’ Findings
Judges at the International Trade Commission have said that Microsoft and Apple infringe Motorola Mobility patents related to industry standards. The commission is scheduled to announce June 25 whether it will review those findings, and has set target dates in August to complete those investigations.
European regulators are investigating complaints brought by Microsoft and Apple that Motorola Mobility was misusing its patents as the companies battle for smartphone market share.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and leaders of the House Judiciary Committee submitted comments to the ITC saying that companies should be limited in their ability to win import bans using standard-essential patents.
“At a time when the FTC, prominent members of Congress and leading companies from across the industry are expressing concern about Google’s refusal to honor its obligations to standards bodies, this appears to be little more than an effort to change the subject,” Gutierrez said.
The Motorola Mobility case against Microsoft is In the Matter of Gaming and Entertainment Consoles, 337-752 and the Microsoft case against Motorola Mobility is In the Matter of Mobile Devices, Associated Software and Components Thereof, 337- 744, both U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington).
To contact the reporters on this story: Susan Decker in Washington at sdecker1@bloomberg.net;
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bernard Kohn at bkohn2@bloomberg.net
Motorola Offers to Settle Microsoft Patent Fight - PC Magazine
Motorola has reportedly proposed a settlement that would end its patent dispute with Microsoft, but it does not appear that Redmond is ready to sign on the dotted line.
As reported by Bloomberg, Motorola Mobility has offered to pay 33 cents for every Motorola phone that uses Microsoft ActiveSync. In exchange, Microsoft would pay 50 cents for Windows-based devices that use Motorola-owned technology.
According to Microsoft, Motorola has offered to pay Microsoft 33 cents for each Android phone using ActiveSync, and asked for a royalty of 2.25 percent on each Xbox and 50 cents per copy of Windows for using its patents.
"While we welcome any good faith settlement effort, it's hard to apply that label to a demand that Microsoft pay royalties to Google far in excess of market rates, that refuses to license all the Microsoft patents infringed by Motorola, and that is promptly leaked to the press," Microsoft said. "At a time when the FTC, prominent members of Congress and leading companies from across the industry are expressing concern about Google's refusal to honor its obligations to standards bodies, this appears to be little more than an effort to change the subject."
Motorola did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Google completed its acquisition of Motorola Mobility in May.
The proposal comes about a month after an International Trade Commission administrative law judge recommended a ban on the Xbox in the U.S. over patents, though his findings require approval by the full commission.
According to Bloomberg, Motorola previously requested that Microsoft pay a royalty rate of 2.25 percent of the cost of any infringing products, which includes the Xbox. Microsoft, however, said that would amount to $4 billion per year and violated Motorola's pledge to license its "essential" patents at fair and reasonable rates.
But Kirk Dailey, vice president of intellectual property for Motorola Mobility, disputed those numbers and told Bloomberg that the 50-cent price means that if Microsoft sold 300 million copies of Windows, royalty payments would amount of $150 million.
"Injunctions are an extreme remedy, but not when you've been negotiating with someone for years with no movement, and who is actively seeking to destroy a competitor ecosystem," Dailey said.
In April, the European Commission formally opened a patent abuse investigation into Motorola.
The full ITC will rule on the Xbox issue in August.
The case dates back to late 2010, when the two companies sued each other multiple times over patent issues.
Motorola is also battling Apple over patents. Recently, a U.S. judge reversed course and said he will allow Apple to pursue an injunction against Motorola devices.
Editor's Note: This story was updated at 1:15 p.m. Eastern.
For more from Chloe, follow her on Twitter @ChloeAlbanesius.
Apple, Motorola should just play nice and pay royalties, suggests judge - Ars Technica
Apple's quest for an injunction against Motorola for alleged patent infringement could have "catastrophic" results, according to a federal judge. The comments came up during a Wednesday afternoon hearing in Chicago, where Judge Richard Posner listened to arguments from Apple as to why an injunction is necessary to prevent Motorola from infringing on Apple's mobile device patents (and vice versa). No decision was made at the hearing, but Judge Posner's comments show that he would rather force the companies to play nice and pay royalties instead of taking their patent war to the next level.
Earlier this month, Posner canceled the jury trial that was scheduled to take place in the pending infringement lawsuit between Apple and Motorola. The two companies had already pruned their lists down to what they considered to be the most essential patents that the other had violated—Apple's list ended up with four, while Motorola's had one. However, Posner rejected the claim that either company should receive damages. Posner ultimately left the door open as to whether there should be injunctive relief, which was the purpose of Wednesday's hearing.
According to Reuters, Posner described the US patent system as "chaos" (and the man's not wrong). He further said restricting the sale of Motorola phones would have "catastrophic effects" on both the mobile device market and consumers. But Apple's attorney, Matthew Powers, argued the company doesn't want to bar the sale of Motorola's devices. Instead, Motorola could simply remove the technology that Apple claims to have patented from its handsets. Posner didn't quite buy it—he suggested it could be better if Motorola simply pays Apple a compulsory royalty.
Meanwhile, Posner scolded Motorola for attempting to obtain its own injunction against Apple for allegedly infringing on a standards-essential patent—one that that Motorola had agreed to license under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. "I don't see how you can have injunction against the use of a standard essential patent," Posner said.
Motorola XOOM 2 Media Edition tablet now available from £200 - Itproportal
Online daily deal website iBood is offering the Motorola XOOM 2 Media edition for £199.95 (plus £7.95 delivery), a deal that ends at midnight tonight.
The XOOM 2 Media Edition is a smaller version of Motorola XOOM 2 tablet. It comes with 16GB onboard storage, an 8.2in display with a 1,280 x 800 pixels resolution, Android 3.2 Gingerbread (with an upgrade to ICS coming later this year), a dual core TI OMAP processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage onboard, HDMI port but no microSD card slot.
There's also a Wi-Fi, DLNA compatibility, a microUSB port, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a front facing one plus a rather peculiar design with the four corners of the tablets trimmed off.
The tablet will face some tough competition from the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 which retails for less than £200. Also looking to grab some market share in the sub £200 market are the myriad of Chinese-sourced ICS-based tablets that are about to flood the market soon.
Source : iBood
Tumblr iPhone app update offers speedier blogging - Gigaom.com
Tumblr’s iPhone app has gotten a major redesign that introduces more robust blogging features and a lot of new speed enhancements. Tumblr still doesn’t have a dedicated iPad app but the new 3.0 update should provide a lot of improved functionality for fans of the mobile app.
The dashboard has been redesigned to be simpler while the compose button offers some quick swipe short cuts to add photos or go right into the text editor. The app supports better tapping and is speedier overall, with faster uploading of posts.
Users can now include high-res images and there’s a new photo viewer to see pictures. Other nice additions include the Spotify support for sharing songs, the ability to search by tags and an offline option for composing, reblogging and responding to others when not connected.
The iPhone app follows in the footsteps of a similar Android update that hit Google Play a couple months ago. Both apps also feature Radar, the showcase for interesting blog posts on the Tumblr network. Tumblr CEO David Karp spoke at a conference last week and said that the new iPhone app Karp won’t feature ads immediately but will incorporate them soon after launch. That’s been one of the big business stories for Tumblr as it starts to roll out new organic advertising units as part of its effort to generate revenue.
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