Now that there are rumors that the Facebook phone is coming in 2013 it makes you wonder how this will affect sales of the iPhone 5, because we know that the two will have a huge battle on their hands to win the hearts of teenagers, which as we know is a huge market for both the social networking service and Apple.
We know that there will be many teenagers with an iPhone wanting to upgrade their phones later this year, but they might want to hold out and upgrade to a Facebook phone rather than the iPhone 5, which as we know is due for release later this year. Apple already has a huge following, but when you consider that Facebook has over 900 million active users how many of them will jump ship from an Android, iOS or Windows Phone?
Earlier today we reported that Facebook will once again be working with HTC with their upcoming smartphone, which is codenamed Buffy, but we have no clue as to what OS it will be running. The smart money would be Android with a custom Facebook UI, but they could even consider coming up with their very own mobile OS becasue we know they have the tools at their disposal to do so.
While it would be nice to see yet another mobile OS enter the mix, some would suggest that Facebook would be a lamb to the slaughter when going up against Android and iOS and instead would stand a better chance working with Nokia and Microsoft with their Windows Phone OS instead but would you agree?
It’s no secret that Facebook has made a few games a massive success thanks to their user base, and you can be sure that a fully-fledged Facebook phone along with its custom UI would take advantage of key features that no other rival phone would share with Google.
Facebook will have a huge hill to climb to take on other phone makers, but when you consider that Facebook is one of the most installed apps on smartphones along with the fact that more of their users are now going mobile, it’s not hard to realize that a percentage of those will be curious about a Facebook branded phone.
In closing while we can see a number of benefits for deeper integration with Facebook games with a self-branded phone, there is the worry that the only market this smartphone would appeal too are teenagers. However, let’s not underestimate them because we all did that with Apple back in 2007 when they first launched the iPhone, the rest as they say is history.
I’ve been an iPhone user for four years and no matter what rivals offer I will stick with what I like, and I’m sure that millions of others will feel the same, so no matter if Facebook has over 900 million users trying to persuade them to go with a different smartphone apart from the usual suspects is going to be a tough sell – just like their shares.
Vodafone: Some white and pebble blue Samsung Galaxy S III's to be delayed - Pocket-lint.com
Vodafone has begun contacting customers who have pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy S III 32GB white variant and 16GB and 32GB pebble versions to inform them that they are unlikely to be receiving the phone when it officially goes on sale on 30 May.
A Vodafone spokesman told Pocket-lint: "All customers who have pre-ordered the white 16GB version of the Samsung Galaxy S III should expect to receive their new phone on theUKlaunch date, 30 May.
"However, we’ve been advised of shipping delays for the 32GB marble white and the 16 and 32GB pebble blue versions.
"We’re working closely with Samsung to ensure devices reach our customers as soon as possible and will be contacting them directly to advise them on their order’s progress."
It’s unclear as to when customers who have pre-ordered those variants might be getting their hands on the device, but we’re told it could be between 2 and 4 weeks.
"The Galaxy SIII has already become the most pre-ordered device to join our line-up and we’re as keen as our customers are to get it into their hands as soon as possible,” added the Vodafone spokesperson.
The reason for the delay is unclear though there has been speculation about a problem occurring with the back cover of the pebble blue version of the Samsung Galaxy S III.
None of the other operators has commented on the possible shortage of Samsung Galaxy S III's when we phoned for answers, though a source who wished to remained anonymous said: The UK should prepare themselves for a severe delays to the pebble blue Samsung Galaxy S III due to a shortage in numbers."
Online retailer Clove has also started to inform customers that it won't be able to deliver stock as planned.
We will keep you posted.
Have you pre-ordered the white or pebble blue Samsung Galaxy S III? Let us know your thoughts.
Samsung Galaxy S3 Gets Head Start on iPhone - CNBC
Samsung Electronics launches its latest Galaxy S smartphone in Europe on Tuesday, with the third generation model expected to be even more successful than its predecessor, which helped the South Korean company topple Apple as the world's top smartphone maker.
The S3, which tracks the user's eye movements to keep the screen from dimming or turning off while in use, hits stores in 28 European and Middle East countries, including Germany and Britain, as Samsung aims to widen the gap with Apple [AAPL Loading... () 
The Galaxy S3, running on Google's [GOOG Loading... ()
In the kind of anticipation that has become the norm for new Apple gadget releases, hopeful customers began queuing outside an electronics retail store in Berlin on Monday night eager to be the first to lay their hands on the S3.
Major global carriers — from Vodafone [VOD.L Loading... ()] to Singapore's SingTel [STEL.SI Loading... ()] — have been aggressively promoting the S3, fuelling speculation the smartphone could top the Galaxy S2's 20 million unit sales worldwide.
"In the two years that we've been offering pre-orders, it's the most pre-ordered Android device we've had in our line-up," said a spokesman for Vodafone UK, declining to disclose exact numbers. "It's on track to meet, if not exceed, the level of pre-orders we expected by the time it actually launches."
Samsung introduced its first Galaxy in 2010, three years after the iPhone's debut, to counter Apple's roaring success in smartphones at a time when other rivals such as Nokia [NOK Loading... ()
Samsung sold 44.5 million smartphones in January-March — equal to nearly 21,000 every hour — giving it 30.6 percent market share. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones, taking 24.1 percent market share.
"The Galaxy S3 is a real challenger to the upcoming iPhone," said Francisco Jeronimo, an IDC analyst based in London. "This is likely be one of the most sold smartphones this year, though the real test will come when the next iPhone is launched."
The race for global smartphone supremacy comes as Apple has accused Samsung of copying some of its products. The South Korean company counter-claims that Apple has infringed its patents. Both have denied the allegations, and a long-running court saga continues.
Apple plans to use a larger screen on the next iPhone, according to people familiar with the situation. The iPhone 4S was introduced last October.
More Rounded
In a departure from its predecessor, whose look and feel became the main subject of the legal dispute with Apple, the latest Galaxy has a more rounded outline. It also has voice recognition, dubbed S Voice, which will inevitably be compared to Apple's Siri, and image recognition software that can tag and share photographs.
Prices vary depending on the contract. A model with 16 gigabytes of memory costs up to 189 pounds ($300) under a 12-month contract with Vodafone. A similar package for the iPhone 4s costs 159 pounds, but comes with a more expensive monthly data plan.
Samsung said it will release the S3 via 296 carriers in 145 countries by July.
Profit from Samsung's mobile division nearly tripled in January-March to $3.6 billion, accounting for 73 percent of operating profit.
Samsung — whose shares have gained 82 percent since late-August, beating Apple's 58 percent rise — is now banking on an aggressive marketing campaign ahead of the summer London Olympics to further drive sales. It has said its mobile market share in China doubled after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"The S3 is supported by an unprecedented promotional campaign," said Geoff Blaber, an analyst at CCS Insight in London. "Samsung's timing with the Galaxy S3 is perfect."
Vodafone plans no further legal action against the Indian government; to rely on international arbitration - Economic Times
But the development comes even as inter-ministerial government panel on Monday decided to inform Vodafone that its arbitration notice under the India-Netherlands investments protection treaty was premature.
"We will tell them that their notice under India-Netherlands BIPA (Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement) is premature," a senior finance ministry official told ET after Monday's meeting and added that that the inter-ministerial group has finalized its response.
Vodafone however is of the view that the Indian government had breached clauses in the bilateral tax treaty that calls for 'fair and equitable treatment of investments', thereby violating the international legal protections granted to the company, the executive quoted above added.
Last month, The Dutch subsidiary of UK-based telecom major Vodafone, had served a dispute notice to the India government, the first step towards initiating international arbitration proceedings under the India-Netherlands bilateral treaty after the 2012 budget gave the government power to retrospectively tax the company's $11-billion acquisition of Hutchison Essar in 2007.
The government had set up an inter-ministerial group headed by finance secretary RS Gujaral to frame its response to Vodafone notice. Other members of the group include the officials from the ministries of external affairs, telecom, law and revenue.
The government says the retrospective amendment will impact only those transactions in which assessment order has not yet been passed. The finance ministry has also maintained that tax issues are not covered under India-Netherlands BIPA.
Reacting to passing of the Finance Bill, where the government suggested that it would raise a tax demand of Rs 20,000 crore (including penalties and interest) on Vodafone, the UK-headquartered mobile phone company had threatened legal action without specifying details.
The Finance Bill 2012 has not yet received presidential assent.
It had been assumed that Vodafone's legal strategy would involve approaching the Supreme Court first to challenge the constitutional validity of a retrospective change in law in the Finance Bill that was approved by the Lok Sabha earlier this month.
The Finance Bill is widely seen as targeting Vodafone and an attempt by the Centre to overturn the SC ruling that struck down the government's tax claim against the mobile phone company. In January this year, Vodafone won a four-year legal battle against the government when the Supreme Court ruled that it did not need to pay the Rs 12,000 crore in taxes because the transaction took place between two overseas firms and there was no provision in Indian law to tax such deals.
Vodafone's CWW bid shows backbone - CIO UK
Cable and Wireless has had troubled times of late. Two years ago, in an attempt to address and solve its difficulties, it split consumer and business telecoms functions into Cable & Wireless Communications and Cable and Wireless Worldwide (CWW) respectively.
When CIO met CWW’s director of IT operations Richard Wilson in August last year, he had already been through an extensive round of streamlining; he had introduced more efficient IT processes and his ‘team-desking’ has cut office costs.
Even so the company had found it hard to make its mark against huge rivals like BT and as a result CWW looked like a prime target for acquisition.
Sure enough, early this year a race began between Indian telco Tata Communications and mobile phone behemoth Vodafone.
By the end of April Vodafone had become the sole remaining bidder, putting in a bid of 38p for each share. This offer has already been endorsed by the CWW board and some key shareholders and is being put to remaining shareholders for approval.
One key shareholder, Orbis, holds 19 per cent of CWW’s shares and remains a fly in the ointment. Orbis is holding out against Vodafone’s terms, thinking the valuation of just over £1bn too low.
As Vodafone needs a 75 per cent shareholder agreement to go ahead, Orbis’ continued reluctance would put the deal in the hands of a small number of shareholders.
If the deal does go ahead, exactly what will Vodafone have bought and how will it complement its own lines?
Last year CWW revenue was split equally between voice and legacy and IP and data traffic, and in spite of CWW’s recent push in hosting and apps, such products still represent just 12 per cent of revenue.
So Vodafone is not buying CWW’s products, but its infrastructure.
In acquiring CWW, Vodafone gains access to over 200km of UK fibre infrastructure. This essential fibre capacity will help it reduce costs, increasing control and allowing network rationalisation.
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