The internationally renowned Russian telecommunications analyst and blogger Eldar Murtazin has often published information about Nokia products and services ahead of their official launch. Nokia has made its displeasure clear.
”The company’s representatives have officially notified me that I am now enemy number one,” Murtazin told YLE.
Murtaz claims that leaks of confidential information have only increased.
”Nokia’s new leadership is trying to change the company’s former corporate culture, and make it more American. This has provoked opposition. The employees’ former loyalty to the company has disappeared since Stephen Elop became CEO. The leaks stem from that. People no longer believe in what they are doing, and they do not want to do what they are told.”
'Betting on a dead horse'
Murtazin is familiar with Nokia’s Windows Phone handset prototypes, which he says don’t look to be different to Windows Phone 7 models on offer from competitors.
”It’s the same inside, it’s the same speed, the display is the same. There aren’t any differences. In practice we are getting exactly the same device.”
He is surprised that Nokia is now relying solely on Microsoft.
”It is limiting. Nokia discontinued the Symbian and Meego operating systems and is clinging to an outside system with a smaller market share. It is betting on a dead horse.”
Nokia: ‘rumours and speculation’
According to Murtazin, Nokia did not get any special treatment from Microsoft despite rumours of the partnership spreading since last February.
”We already know that in practice Nokia didn’t get anything at all. There is no chance of changing the display, they cannot add their own unique services. In practice Nokia’s Windows 7 phone is just Nokia’s own design. And that’s it.”
Murtazin believes Stephen Elop is leading Nokia towards a clear goal.
”He will create the conditions under which Nokia will no longer have any other option but to sell a part of the company to Microsoft.”
Nokia did not want to comment on Murtazin’s statements on Monday, claiming the comments are simply speculation and rumours. According to Nokia, Murtazin has a vivid imagination. Nokia also says that Murtazin is said to work as a consultant for competing mobile manufacturers, so cannot be said to be an independent, impartial analyst.
Nokia 808 PureView vs Apple iPhone 4S camera comparison - Crave
Want to know how a 41-megapixel camera phone shapes up against its smart phone rivals? You're in luck, because our friends at CNET Asia have got their hands on the Nokia 808 PureView and pitted it against the iPhone 4S.
Click here for a camera shootout between the Nokia 808 and iPhone 4S, including the original shots with no compression and no editing, for your perusing pleasure.
The 808 PureView is set to 8-megapixel resolution to match the iPhone, so this is a test of Nokia's claims that the PureView technology is more than sheer brute megapixelage. Nokia reckons that each pixel in an 8-megapixel photo is made up of information from seven pixels on the sensor, filtering out image noise.
The snaps certainly show more detail in the PureView's photos, which also has a wider field of view -- as seen in the photo above. But the iPhone has more sophisticated high dynamic range built-in, and more vibrant colours -- as seen in the photo below. Check out our photo gallery to see which you prefer.
I got to use the 808 PureView when it was unveiled at the start of the year, and I was impressed with the powerful features and intuitive interface, even though I wasn't able to see the results of any actual photos. For a closer look at the phone itself, and its many cool camera features, check out my in-depth photo gallery.
The Nokia 808 PureView is set to go on sale at the end of the month for around £540 -- could it be the most expensive Symbian phone ever?
What do you think of the 808's snaps? Are you planning to invest in an 808, or are you waiting until the technology filters down into other phones? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
For more camera comparisons, check out our Samsung Galaxy S3 vs iPhone 4S vs HTC One X vs Sony Xperia S smart phone shootout.
T-Mobile makes its "Father's Day Sale" official, offering all 4G smartphones for free - PhoneDog
Father's Day is now less than a week out, and just in case you haven't yet figured out what you're going to do for Dad, T-Mobile has officially announced its Father's Day sale. The promotion will be taking place this at T-Mobile stores Friday and Saturday (June 15 and June 16) and will see all of T-Mobile's 4G smartphones, as well as select mobile broadband devices, have their prices knocked down to $0 after mail-in rebate. Both new and existing customers are eligible for the Father's Day sale, though T-Mobile notes that current Classic subscribers are subject to the standard upgrade eligibility rules if they decide to stay with a Classic plan. Existing Classic plan customers that opt to switch to a Value plan and have less than 18 months contract tenure will be subject to the standard migration fees.
In order to give us an idea of the devices available during the Father's Day promo and the Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) pricing that Value customers can expect, T-Mobile has given a few examples of what interested subscribers will see once this sale kicks off on Friday. Folks selecting an HTC One S with a qualifying Classic plan will pay $299.99 out of pocket in store, and they'll then be able to send T-Mobile a mail-in rebate worth $300 to bring the net cost of the handset to $0. On the Value plan side of things, customers will pay an out of pocket down payment of $199.99 at their T-Mobile store and then will receive a $200 mail-in rebate card to bring the net down payment to $0. The EIP monthly payment for the One S is set at $20.
T-Mobile is known for holding sales on or around Father's Day, and it's nice to finally have the details of this year's promo laid out. I'm sure that there'll be a number of folks that will be disappointed that the Samsung Galaxy S III isn't a part of the promotion (since, you know, it's not launching until June 21), but there are some nice devices that are included in the sale, like the aforementioned HTC One S and the Samsung Galaxy S II, the latter of which will be receiving an update to Android 4.0 later today. If you'd like some more details on the Father's Day 2012 sale before deciding whether or not you'll be making the trek to a T-Mobile store this weekend, we've got more pricing examples and a full press release below.
T-Mobile Says, “Thanks, Dad” with Free 4G Smartphones for Father’s Day
For two days only, June 15–16, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free
BELLEVUE, Wash. — June 11, 2012 — To say thanks to dads for all they do, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will once again hold a special “Father’s Day Sale.” For two days only, Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select broadband devices will be offered for free with qualifying plans.
T-Mobile has a history of creating great offers to celebrate Father’s Day, and this year it’s making it even easier and more affordable for dads and their families to stay connected. The Father’s Day promotion includes T-Mobile’s fastest 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices running on America’s Largest 4G Network®, such as the HTC® One™ S 4G, Samsung Galaxy™ S® II 4G, Nokia Lumia 710, BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 and the T-Mobile® SpringBoard™ tablet with Google™.
“We want to say thanks to fathers for all they do and keep them easily and affordably connected to family throughout the entire year,” said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of marketing for T-Mobile USA. “Whether through voice calls, photos, texts, video conferencing or social media updates, T-Mobile’s ‘All Phones Free’ promotion provides families a great opportunity to get the latest cutting-edge smartphones running on lightning-fast speeds via America’s Largest 4G Network.”
New and existing eligible customers can take advantage of this deal, receiving their device for free after a mail-in rebate card1 when they sign up for a new two-year contract on any qualifying unlimited Classic plan2 or for a $0.00 down payment after a mail-in rebate card when signing up on a new qualifying Unlimited Value® plan with an Equipment Installment Plan (EIP).3
The Father’s Day promotion will be available from June 15 through June 16 at participating T-Mobile retail stores nationwide. For more information about T-Mobile’s “Father’s Day Sale” and details about qualifying plans, visit http://t-mo.co/LGxKbc.
1 Mail-in rebate not required in R.I., Conn. or Miami-Dade County, Fla.
2 Standard upgrade eligibility rules apply for existing Classic customers that stay on a Classic plan; standard migration fees will apply for existing Classic customers that switch to a Value plan and have less than 18 months contract tenure.
3 Equipment installment plans: On approved credit and 0 percent APR. Down payment and unfinanced portion required at purchase. Remaining balance paid in 20 monthly installments. Total price of each device equals down payment amount plus monthly payment amount times 20.
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCQX: DTEGY). By the end of the first quarter of 2012, approximately 129 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group — 33.4 million by T-Mobile USA — all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS and additionally HSPA+ 21/HSPA+ 42. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit ww.telekom.de/investor-relations.
Nokia and Microsoft Alliance Raise Significant Competition Concerns - Huffington Post
When competitors form a truce, consumers need to worry because often they find ways to make consumers pay more by cutting off competition. Nowhere is that a more big-ticket concern than an alliance between Nokia and Microsoft, waging a potential patent war on their smart phone rivals and potentially costing consumers millions of dollars in higher smart phone prices. Both companies recognize they have been losing the battle for smart phone dominance, as products like Apple's iPhone and open source operating systems like Google's Android continue to prevail.
With the knowledge they cannot succeed based on fair competition, Microsoft and Nokia have turned to patent enforcement as a means of driving up costs for other market participants. This two-phase attack includes unifying the companies' patent portfolios to amplify the reach of its patent aggression, and hiding these patents in shell corporations (a.k.a patent trolls), who do not use the patents for the production of any products but solely as a weapon to attack competitors. When it comes to Nokia's and Microsoft's latest double-team attack on open source technology, there isn't just one loser -- there are millions of Android users, future customers, app developers and manufacturers who stand to lose.
In March 2011, Nokia and Microsoft formed what they called a "strategic partnership" after the Windows 7 developer paid $1 billion to the world's largest handset maker. Aspects of the deal quickly revealed Nokia, once a strong open source advocate, was turning its back on its friends and unleashing its patents against open source technologies such as Android. The aging tech giants established a new business model for the handset maker -- one of asserting Nokia's vast patent portfolio to demand higher licensing fees and garner a higher percentage of sales royalties.
Microsoft and Nokia understand the threat of a countersuit generally tempers the incentive for large technology companies to engage in aggressive and oppressive patent enforcement. Any stand-off is often resolved through pro-competitive cross-licensing arrangements between the technology companies. This is the optimal outcome for consumers, as it ensures more developers have access to the patents and technologies they need to continue developing new products. However, Microsoft and Nokia are not striving for the optimal outcome; they want to cripple their competitors, even at the cost of harming consumers. So, how to leverage a patent trove without the threat of countersuit? Get patent trolls to do your dirty work.
Just six months after the alliance formed, Microsoft and Nokia jointly armed a known patent troll called MOSAID with 2,000 of Nokia patents, 1,200 of which are standard essential patents or SEPs. It was soon discovered that under the terms of the agreement the aging tech giants would share the royalties from these patents with MOSAID. The "strategic partnership" didn't stop there. Nokia then turned around and armed another troll, Sisvel, with 450 patents. Recently, Nokia and its trolls started launching attacks against Android partners HTC and ViewSonic. Lawsuits by these trolls against Android original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are expected soon.
This is nothing short of a frontal assault on the use of open source software which is the foundation for the explosive growth of smartphones. Open source means there is a technology highway with no toll booths. The Android code was released as open source, meaning the code is free for anyone to use or improve. Google provides Android for free to reduce costs so more people can afford a smart phone and to encourage innovation. With more than 550 Android devices on the market, there's no question Android has accomplished these goals.
It is not entirely surprising that Microsoft and Nokia are desperate to disarm their competitors, and attempt to kill off open source. Nokia and Microsoft have struggled to adapt to a smart phone ecosystem underscored by rapid growth and collaborative innovation. What is surprising, though, is their decision to turn to patent trolls as the weapon of choice. Notwithstanding the cutthroat competition in the industry, none of the other prominent companies have ever resorted to such underhanded tactics as trolling. All of these companies have dealt with patent trolls before and know they are nothing but a tax on the industry, extracting money while producing nothing, and driving up costs for everyone else.
The Nokia/Microsoft patent transfer scheme harms competition and could impose a significant tax on all smartphones. As noted, trolls have no interest in cross-licenses and cannot be deterred by the possibility of countersuits, as they do not produce any products of their own. Thus, trolls impose higher costs (whether in more expensive licenses, higher royalties, litigation expenses, or settlements) on the operating companies they target, and in turn consumers. Second, an operating company that transfers patents to trolls will usually retain a license for its own use and its customers' use. As such, the transfer to trolls further unbalance the competition balance beam, as only the original patentees' rivals will face the cost increase.
Google has decided to fight back. Last week it filed a complaint with European and U.S. antitrust enforcers requesting an investigation into Nokia and Microsoft's anticompetitive behavior. For Google the stakes are high -- it has devoted over a decade and millions of dollars into its open source technology, and it is committed to the open source model as a means of encouraging collaboration and innovation. The stakes are even higher for consumers. If regulators do not stop Microsoft and Nokia from following this strategy, the immediate impact will likely be higher prices and reduced innovation in mobile platforms. The long-term consequences are also dire - if regulators sanction this type of predatory conduct, monopolists in all high-tech industries will have a blueprint for excluding competitors. The European Commission will hopefully open an investigation and the U.S. regulators will follow suit.
T-Mobile offers all of its 4G Smartphones for free for Father’s Day - The Oakland Press
For two days only, June 15–16, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free
To say thanks to dads for all they do, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will once again hold a special “Father’s Day Sale.” For two days only, Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select broadband devices will be offered for free with qualifying plans.
The Father’s Day promotion includes T-Mobile’s fastest 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices on its 4G network, such as the HTC One S 4G, Samsung Galaxy S® II 4G, Nokia Lumia 710, BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the T-Mobile SpringBoard tablet with Google™
“We want to say thanks to fathers for all they do and keep them easily and affordably connected to family throughout the entire year,” said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of marketing for T-Mobile USA. “Whether through voice calls, photos, texts, video conferencing or social media updates, T-Mobile’s ‘All Phones Free’ promotion provides families a great opportunity to get the latest cutting-edge smartphones running on lightning-fast speeds via America’s Largest 4G Network.”
New and existing eligible customers can take advantage of this deal, receiving their device for free after a mail-in rebate card1 when they sign up for a new two-year contract on any qualifying unlimited Classic plan or for a $0.00 down payment after a mail-in rebate card when signing up on a new qualifying Unlimited Value plan with an Equipment Installment Plan
The Father’s Day promotion will be available from June 15 through June 16 at participating T-Mobile retail stores nationwide.
For more information about T-Mobile’s “Father’s Day Sale” and details about qualifying plans, visit http://t-mo.co/LGxKbc.
Follow @MattMyftiu on Twitter. Email him at matt.myftiu@oakpress.com.
T-Mobile: Free Phones For Fathers - MediaPost
T-Mobile will be offering all of its 4G smartphones for free as part of a Father’s Day promotion this weekend.
The phones will be free (after a mail-in rebate) for customers after they sign-up for a new two-year contract on a qualifying unlimited plan. The promotion will include the HTC One S 4G, Samsung Galaxy S II, Nokia Lumia, Blackberry Bold 9000 and the T-Mobile SpringBoard tablet.
“We want to say thanks to fathers for all they do and keep them easily and affordably connected to family throughout the entire year,” said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of marketing for T-Mobile USA, in a statement.“T-Mobile’s ‘All Phones Free’ promotion provides families a great opportunity to get the latest cutting-edge smartphones running on lightning-fast speeds via America’s Largest 4G Network.”
Tested: iPhone 4S on T-Mobile 3G at WWDC - PC Magazine
SAN FRANCISCO—T-Mobile has been the only national network which couldn't run iPhones at 3G speeds - until now. The carrier is "refarming" 1900-MHz airwaves to 3G, making itself finally iPhone-compatible.
Whether it's a total coincidence (as T-Mobile insists) or a publicity stunt, the carrier turned on a single 1900-MHz 3G cell site in San Francisco's Moscone West this week – the exact location where Apple will announce its new iOS 6. I took an unlocked iPhone 4S down and tested it out against AT&T and Verizon iPhones. (Sadly, I don't have a Sprint iPhone at the moment.)
The default state for an iPhone on T-Mobile is EDGE, and EDGE is really slow. I ran several tests on an iPhone on T-Mobile's EDGE network today and generally got speeds between 30-50kbps. Ouch.
But as soon as I walked alongside Moscone West, a "3G" indicator appeared in my iPhone 4S's status bar.
It's definitely a test network, using only one in-building cell site. The signal was much stronger at the front of Moscone West than at the back, and it vanished altogether half a block north of the convention center.
I ran 10 tests using the Speedtest.net app on the T-Mobile iPhone and got very erratic results; some numbers were clearly impossible, so I had to exclude them. Of the valid results, I saw download speeds from 500kbps to 6.5Mbps, but mostly in the 1-2Mbps range.
That's much less than what T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 network can produce. On an HTC One S in the same location, I got 9.9Mbps down and 1Mbps up. And I got consistently faster speeds on AT&T, which has a slower HSPA network.
There are two factors at work here.
First, the iPhone 4S isn't capable of T-Mobile's full speeds. It's an HSPA 14.4 device like the HTC Sensation, which reached speeds of 4.3-6.5Mbps down during testing last year.
So why wasn't I getting the same 4-6Mbps on the iPhone? This was definitely a test network, and probably one designed not to emanate far outside the Moscone Center itself. Who knows what they're using for backhaul, or how much spectrum is devoted to the 1900 3G network. I wouldn't draw conclusions about future speeds from this test network.
I will draw conclusions about price, though. As I said last week, T-Mobile's no-contract plans are competitive with Virgin Mobile and much cheaper than AT&T and Verizon, with potentially faster data speeds than any of them on 3G devices. For more on that, see Virgin Mobile's $30 iPhone Plan Gamble.
So when will the wonders of refarming come to you? T-Mobile is remaining vague except to say that it'll arrive in a "large" number of markets this year.
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