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Mobile Evolution Shaping The Future - This Page Provides an Overview of The Market, Services and Technology Drivers Shaping the Mobile Industry's Evolution to Third Generation Networks.

LG BL40 New Chocolate preview

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Introduction

The words "Black Label" evoke images of things exclusive, reserved for the lucky few. The new entrant in the arena, the LG BL40 New Chocolate, the intriguing successor of highly popular style-conscious phones such as the Chocolate, Shine and Secret, fully deserves the honor. It looks like the kind of gadget that is always on the other side of the store window or in the hands of someone demonstrating a prototype that never sees the light of day. But the LG BL40 New Chocolate is quite real and it's here to stay and fight for market success - in fact LG announced today the New Chocolate will hit the European market in mid-September this year.
 
The unorthodox long shape definitely sets it apart and the glossy black plastic with careful touches of silver trim easily remind of the times we first saw the LG Chocolate in flesh. The LG BL40 New Chocolate is immensely sleek and the 4-inch screen with 21:9 aspect ratio easily makes it one of the most unusual mobile phones that have set foot in our office this year.

LG BL40 New Chocolate at a glance

  • General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 1900/2100 MHz, EDGE class 10, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
  • Form factor: Touchscreen bar
  • Dimensions: 128 x 51 x 10.9 mm
  • Display: Unique 4" TFT capacitive touchscreen with 21:9 aspect ratio and 800 x 345 pixels resolution, multitouch support, scratch resistant glass
  • Platform: Latest S-Class UI
  • Memory: 1GB internal memory, microSD card slot
  • Camera: 5-megapixels auto-focus camera with Schneider-Kreuznach lens, LED flash, geo-tagging, image stabilization, face detection, Smile Shot, Blink detection, Intelligent shot, Beauty and Art shot, VGA video recording at 30 fps
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack
  • Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Proximity sensor for screen auto-turn-off, FM radio with RDS, FM transmitter, DivX/XviD support, Dolby mobile, TV out, multi-touch input, office document viewer
  • Battery: 1000 mAh battery
Unlike some other fashionable handsets out there, the LG BL40 New Chocolate beauty is not skin deep - the hardware has all the bells and whistles a modern high-end gadget should have. And though technically not a smartphone, the BL40 New Chocolate S-class user interface offers convenient multitasking and is polished to match the sleek exterior.
 
With a brilliant screen with aspect ratio shared only with cinema screens and a few home cinema oriented TVs you can be sure the LG BL40 New Chocolate is a star. It certainly is no introvert - with TV out and DivX/XviD support, along with Dolby mobile plus an FM transmitter, we guess you can say that the LG BL40 New Chocolate broadcasts on all frequencies.
The camera and connectivity prowess of the phone do great job of covering all the advanced features found on phones today. So, it's got the looks and it's got the brains. Will its extravagance make it a hit or an oddity?
After the jump, you can see the LG BL40 New Chocolate do a 360-degree spin for you while we take a closer look at its hardware. Just keep in mind it's an early version we're working with and some design elements might go through changes before the handset hits the market.

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Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 preview

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The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 has been in the center of attention ever since its first unofficial shots leaked online. Much like most other gadgeteers, we've had our hands itching to get one and luckily our wishes just came true.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is one impressive device full of industry leading features - it's the first Windows Mobile smartphone with an 8 megapixel camera and WVGA video recording and it's actually the first ever full QWERTY phone to have that sort of imaging prowess as well.
 
The XPERIA X2 most other features, though not as innovative, are a nice match as well. We guess they are worth going through one more time.

Sony Ericsson EXPERIA X2 at a glance:

  • General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, EDGE class 10, HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
  • Form factor: Slide-and-tilt QWERTY touch phone
  • Dimensions: 110 x 54 x 16 mm, weight 155 grams
  • Display: 3.2" TFT resistive touchscreen, 800 x 480 pixels
  • Platform: Qualcomm MSM 7200 528 MHz processor
  • OS: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional
  • Memory: 110MB storage, 256 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, microSD card slot
  • Camera: 8-megapixels auto-focus camera, LED flash, touch focus, geotagging, face detection, image stabilizer, Smart Contrast, WVGA@30fps video recording
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, TV-out
  • Misc: Optical trackpad, accelerometer for motion-based gaming, office document viewer and editor, XviD video support
  • Battery: 1500 mAh Li-Po battery
We just got the XPERIA X2 and we wanted to share with you our first impressions of the device. So consider this article as a quick and dirty preview, with a more detailed one coming up in the following week. We hope to get as much as possible from our encounter with the X2 and you can bet we surely won't keep anything to ourselves.
 
The XPERIA X2 should be available in two colors - Elegant Black and Modern Silver. There's hardly anything missing from the broad range of connectivity options. Perhaps the only two things it seems to lack are the FM radio and the automatic screen rotation. Yes, there's an accelerometer on board alright, but the screen doesn't auto rotate to match the orientation of the handset.
While the XPERIA X2 uses the vanilla Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, the thing that sets it apart from competing products is the X-panels interface. X panels have gone a long way since the XPERIA X1 and have turned into a full featured system for using various animated and interactive homescreens. But we'll get to that further down.
Anyways, enough talking, let's get to some walking.

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Third Party Mobile Banking Regulations: PTA, SBP likely to finalise draft in a month

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ISLAMABAD : Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) are likely to finalise draft of the "Third Party Mobile Banking Regulations" within a month. This was stated by PTA Chairman Dr Muhammad Yaseen, while addressing a joint press conference with Head of Sub-region Gulf and Pakistan Nokia Siemens Network Waqar-ul-Islam, while introducing the 2009 Connectivity Scorecard here on Wednesday.

"The PTA is closely working with the SBP on the draft of the "Third Party Mobile Banking Regulations," which will connect all banks in the country with the cellular mobile operators for mobile transaction," said the PTA Chairman.

He said that the primary objective of these collaborations was to develop a unified regulatory framework to facilitate the telecom customers and banking sector, since the mobile banking involved both financial institutes and mobile phone operators.

Dr Yaseen said that currently Pakistan had overall 63 percent teledensity, while it had great potential for broadband proliferation. "At present, there are around 0.5 million broadband subscribers across the country," he said. Responding to a question about 3G Services, he said that the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom (MoIT & T) was working on the policy for issuing 3G licences. The PTA had completed groundwork and would initiate the licencing process soon after it received policy from the ministry, he said.

Commenting on the study "Connectivity Scorecard 2009" commissioned by Nokia Siemens Networks and written by Professor Waverman, fellow of the London Business School and the consulting group LECG, Dr Yaseen said that it was always important to have a reference to measure the growth, performance and to enhance the working strategies of any sector.

Syed Waqarul Islam claimed that the gross domestic product (GDP) would grow by six percent if the Information Communications Technologies (ICT) grew by 10 percent. He said the Connectivity Scorecard 2009, measured the extent to which the governments, businesses and consumers in 50 countries made use of connectivity technologies to enhance economic and social prosperity.

He said the results showed that even the best-connected countries in the world had no reason for complacency when it came to use of the Information Communication Technologies (ICT). "At present, when the governments around the world are looking to boost their economies with a variety of stimulus packages, the Connectivity Scorecard shows that everyone of them, even the most developed, has plenty of room to develop the ICT infrastructure and improve its actual use to develop economy and society," he added.

"Communication networks are of 21st century and these networks are very large construction programmes. There is great potential for them in using the ICT to encourage growth," he said. The Connectivity Scorecard was unique in broadening the definition of connectivity to include not just infrastructure, but also how effectively that infrastructure was being used, he said, adding that this "useful connectivity" measure illuminated the extent to which the countries were harnessing the potential of the ICT.

"The concept of useful connectivity was a reminder that the technology alone will not solve economic or social problems, rather it is a tool that could be used to achieve those aims. Judiciously applied that tool could be extremely powerful and the Connectivity Scorecard acts as an important guide to where and how the countries might apply it to achieve the desired results," said Waqar.

He said the rankings were determined by the measurement of each country by using two criteria - infrastructure and usage skills - in the realms of business and government. Low scores reflected gaps in a country's infrastructure, usage of skills or both, he said.

For each of the six components of the Scorecard, the countries were benchmarked against the best in class in their tier; thus if a country was best in all dimensions, it would score a maximum of 10. The Scorecard, therefore, measured the countries against the best ICT usage that currently existed rather than an ideal model, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Saad Waraich, Afghanistan and Pakistan Country Director, said that the Nokia Siemens Networks had commissioned the study, which was the first of its kind to rank the countries not only on their deployment of the ICT infrastructure, but also on the extent to which people, governments and businesses put this infrastructure to economically productive use.

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PTCL Christmas and New Year Special Offer

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Pakistan Telecommuication Company (PTCL) has lauched
a Special offer on Christmas and New Year. Special International Call rate
Package for its valued customers the tariff includes

Charges Countries
Rs 0.40 per 20 ISA (fixed + mobile)
Rs 0.40 per 20 Canada (fixed + Mobile)
Rs 0.40 per 20 China (fixed + Mobile)
Rs 0.40 per 20 UK, Australia and Germany (fixed only).

For further information call 1236

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JAZZ SIM Lagao Offer

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JAZZ SIM Lagao Offer

JAZZ welcomes all its family members with wide open arms. Living up to this promise, JAZZ brings forward its latest SIM Lagao Offer! All such subscribers who have not used their Jazz SIMs since 8th November, 2009, can get 50 upfront free minutes as well as Extra Bonus Minutes on recharge up to Rs. 100, every month for three months upon reactivation by sending an SMS to 550.

Terms & Conditions
•All subscribers who have not done any outgoing or incoming activity since 8th November, 2009 are eligible for this promotion.
•Subscribers can win 50 free On-net minutes by sending an SMS to 550
•The free minutes will be posted within 48 hours after a subscriber sends an SMS to 550, these minutes will be valid for 5 days. Free minutes will be posted on first SMS (to 550) only. If a subscriber sends multiple SMS on 550, he will be posted free minutes only once.
•All those subscribers who send SMS on 550 and recharge their accounts will get additional free minutes bonus for three months, which will be equal to the first recharge amount of the month via Jazz load or scratch card. The maximum bonus on recharge given to a subscriber will be 100 minutes in one month. Example: A subscriber who loads Rs. 300 will get maximum of 100 minutes in one month
◦Each installment will be equal to value of 1st recharge transaction in the previous month

1.Feb - 1st installment equal to 1st recharge between 15th Dec-31st January
2.Mar - 2nd installment equal to 1st recharge between 1st Feb-29th Feb
3.April- 3rd installment equal to 1st recharge between 1st Mar-31st Mar

•The monthly bonus minutes given on the first recharge of the month will be posted after 10th of the following month
•For February bonus, only the first recharge after hitting short code 550 will be considered, for bonus in subsequent months first recharge of the month will be considered
•Any recharge transferred through Jazz Share will be excluded from bonus award
•Customers will be intimated about the posting of free minutes and bonus on recharge by SMS
•Customers who have lost their SIMs can get new SIMs free of cost
•This is a limited time offer

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Intel Pakistan held the Intel education awards ceremony

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(December 16 2009): Intel Pakistan held the Intel education awards ceremony in recognition of schools and teachers using technology to enhance learning skills here on Tuesday.


The award ceremony was organised by the Intel Education Initiative in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, which was attended by Muhammad Juman J Jamro, Additional Secretary Education.

Addressing on the occasion Muhammad Juman said that student's success depends on access to technology to meet the requirements of modern world. Integration of technology into education will enhance the teaching and learning skills, he added. Juman said that Intel Education has provided opportunities to the poor students to reach the level of learning, which the nation needed but they could not afford.

"Teachers play a significant role in our society and the Intel Education awards are held with this in mind," said Ashar H Zaidi, Country Manager, Intel Pakistan. "The program inspires teachers to revisit their views on how ICT can be used in education, and encourages them to use technology to enhance the learning skills of their students.

He further said that the Intel Education awards are held annually in Pakistan in conjunction with the implementation of the Intel Teach programme, which provides professional development and guidance to teachers on how to use technology to enhance student learning in the digital world. To date, the programme has trained 220,000 teachers in Pakistan, reaching out to over 60 cities and districts.

In addition to the teacher training, the Intel Teach Programme also hosts forums and workshops to enhance the use of ICT in learning environment, and so far has reached more than 28,000 teachers and principals, he added. On this occasion Rehana Shabir Principal F G College for Women, G-10/4 was awarded with the Principal of the year the award. Nardis Gul Yousafzai of F G Margalla College for Women, F-7/4 was awarded with the Teacher of the year award

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Nokia 2710 navigation edition lands

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KARACHI : At a launching ceremony held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Nokia has unveiled the latest device in the company's range focused on mapping and navigation, the Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition. The new arrival is GPS enabled and pre-loaded with Nokia Maps, making it the most affordable GPS device in Nokia's broad portfolio. It will be available in the second quarter of 2010.

Mobile phone navigation has just changed forever with the announcement of the Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition. With Nokia Maps pre-loaded, along with local maps for the region it’s on sale in, this is the most affordable navigation device ever to come out of Nokia. With an estimated retail price starting at €110 navigation has never been so affordable.

This device is aimed at the developing world, but that isn’t to say it won’t be making an appearance in the developed world either. Thanks to the on board GPS and digital compass, this device is as at home in the city as it is in the country. On board maps are accompanied by turn-by-turn driving navigation with full voice guidance. In selected countries, the device will ship with local maps, stored on an included 2GB memory card, so users won’t even have to go online to access maps.

The Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition will also come with a car charger and a car cradle (pictured above) along with a lifetime navigation license.

The GPRS handset boast a 2.2-inch screen, 2-megapixel camera and enough storage for 1,000 phonebook entries. It also sports Ovi Mail and Instant Messaging and it’ll keep the tunes turning with an MP3 player and FM radio. It also has a 3.5mm AV connector. The device will go for up to 18 days between charges in standby mode and will give up to four hours and 20 minutes talk time.

Expected to ship in the second quarter of 2010, the device will retail for an estimated €110.

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Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition focused on mapping and navigation

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At a launch event held in the Egyptian capital Cairo, Nokia has unveiled the latest device in the company’s range focused on mapping and navigation, the Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition. The new arrival is GPS enabled and pre-loaded with Nokia Maps, making it the most affordable GPS device in Nokia’s broad portfolio.

It will be available in the second quarter of 2010 estimated to cost, before taxes and subsidies, €110.

Due to the accessible and affordable pricing, the new device is expected to be popular in the developed and developing world alike. The handset has been optimized for use across urban environments, small towns, as well as rural areas – incorporating straight line pedestrian navigation with the assistance of an integrated digital compass. Straight line technology allows people a comprehensive range of mobile navigation capabilities for use across pathless terrains. Other features include turn-by-turn driving navigation with full voice guidance, which recalibrates routes depending on the driver’s current GPS location, all accessed with a convenient dedicated navigation key.

“There is a clear trend to provide navigation, mapping and other location based services to mobile phones, and having mapping and location based services integrated in one single mobile device rather than buying two devices is a great benefit” says Alex Lambeek, Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. “Of course, when bringing this experience to new people, new prices and new countries, you need to make sure the experience is optimized and locally relevant. With Nokia Maps, Nokia provides the broadest navigation coverage of any competitor and we continue to add new countries all the time.”

As the cost and availability of data connections is sometimes limited, relevant maps are included on the device to save cost and make sure that just because you don’t have an Internet connection, your device isn’t rendered useless.


At the same event, Nokia also showcased its recently announced range of new affordable and easy-to-use mobile phones in the Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616, Nokia 1800, Nokia 2220 slide and Nokia 2690. Starting at an estimated price of €20 before taxes and subsidies, the new range is ideal for consumers the world over.

"We believe in offering a broad portfolio that caters to a wide variety of needs. This full device range will serve a broad spectrum of people, empower entrepreneurs and provide consumers with knowledge, entertainment and the ability to connect with friends and family,” continues Lambeek. “Services like Nokia Life Tools and Ovi Mail offer consumers a whole new range of opportunities, including getting their first digital identity, without the need for a PC. With our longstanding commitment to emerging markets, people in rural areas will be able to access information which helps them make informed decisions and has a positive and lasting impact on their lives."

Source:Nokia

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Microsoft Tinker for Windows 7 Released

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We did inform  you about Microsoft plans to release some of the apps/games from Vista Ultimate Extras for Windows 7, and well they are finally here  via Games for Windows Live. Microsoft today has released Tinker – a puzzle game in which the goal is to help a robot reach his home by solving all the misleading puzzles. Tinker offers 60 different puzzles for you to solve and master. You can find more about Microsoft Tinker, including a video demo from our review posted here .

Being a small robot isn’t always easy. Being a small robot marooned in a surreal world of clockwork, inventive mechanisms and challenging puzzles, even less so. In Tinker, a free puzzle game that pushes the boundaries of robot deduction, you’ll guide your robot through switches, contraptions to reach the exit. He’ll only do what you command. He’ll only go where you tell him to. It’s up to you to get him home!
You will have to download and install Games for Windows Live in order to run Microsoft Tinker. Graphics and game play is exactly the same as it was when it was released for Windows Vista Ultimate as Ultimate Extras.

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Bing iPhone App by Microsoft

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Microsoft has finally released the official Bing app for the iPhone platform. This is infact the third app which has come out of Microsoft for the iPhone platform, the two other being Seadragon Mobile  and Microsoft Tag  for iPhone. Bing app is also available for Windows Mobile and RIM BlackBerry devices.
Bing for iPhone and iPod touch is a neat little app which includes features such as standard search, voice search, maps with directions, ‘locate me’ feature and local searches for Movies and restaurants. The app will also change the background image daily, just like the Bing.com homepage  does.
For sure Microsoft has realized the importance of the increasing market share which the iPhone platform currently posses and they simply cant ignore the platform and give it all away to Google. Even though the software giant hasn’t announced any such plans for Android yet, we still might see an iPhone app for the Android platform some time later this year.
Bing App for iPhone and iPod touch is available for free on the iTunes App Store. You can download it today through the link given below.
Check out our iPhone Apps Gallery  to explore more apps for your iPhone or iPod touch.
You may also like to check out:

  • Bing Wallpaper Downloader for iPhone
  • Microsoft’s first iPhone App: Seadragon Mobile
  • Microsoft Tag for iPhone released. Android ver. soon 
You can follow me on twitter  or join our facebook fanpage  to keep yourself updated on all the latest iPhone releases.

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Motorola Backflip photos show off its weird form factor

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The Motorola Backflip (it's also known as Enzo) is a first for AT&T - it's an Android phone. It's not official yet, but it's a very interesting phone in that it was designed by someone completely lacking spatial awareness.
First things first. The Motorola Backflip is a rather appropriate name as you're about to find out. Spec-wise it's almost identical to the Motorola CLIQ (or Motorola DEXT MB220 as it is known outside the States).
This means typical Android device and typical specs - 3.1" HVGA display, 528MHz CPU, 256MB RAM/512MB ROM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. The software is said to be Android 1.5 with Motoblur and lack all Google apps except Google Maps. The Android Market is included though.
AT&T have taken their time to include their own customizations - Yahoo! Search (say what?), AT&T Nav, AT&T Music and AT&T Mobile App store. Anyhow, word is that the Motorola Backflip is thinner, slightly smaller and lighter than the T-Mobile G1  (or HTC Dream ).
The Motorola Backflip sports a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash but, uh, there's a problem - the placement. We mentioned the weird form factor, right? Well, sit down because your head will start spinning.
If you've looked at the photos you're probably feeling something is off - how come you can see the keyboard in that one photo but not the screen? Well, it's called "Motorola Backflip" for a reason. The keyboard is on the back on the device, while the display is on the front.
When you fold the Motorola Backflip open, things start to look normal, good even - that's one roomy 4-row QWERTY - but putting the keyboard on the back where it's always exposed is not exactly a good idea. And where's the camera - on the keyboard, of course. Where else?
Oh, and that's not all that's strange about the Motorola Backflip - there's a touchpad on the back of the screen, accessible when the phone is open. Apparently, it can be used for scrolling. It's not like the phone has a 3.1" touchscreen or anything. Weird.
One last bit of weirdness before we go - the (admittedly rumored) specs list the device as quad-band GSM/EDGE and quint-band 3G. That is 5 bands in a row - 850/900/1700/1900/2100MHz. Of course, it could just be a mistake. There's no guarantee that the Motorola Backflip will have global 3G support (but if it does, we'd need a better name for it).

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Samsung Omnia II gets white

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The Samsung I8000 Omnia II has just been updated with HTC Sense UI by a hacked firmware. We also spotted the first shots of a ceramic white version of this uber-phone, so HTC HD2 might just have lost an edge here.
Truth be told, we knew this will happen sooner or later, but now was probably the best time (or worst, depending on which side of the barrier you are), with the Christmas shopping spree peak coming up.
From the Twitter client to the Footprints app - you can get it all on your Omnia II, thanks to a helpful hacker from ModaCo forums. And the Italian HDblog has just uploaded a live video of the home-backed ROM in action.
We've got some more good news for the potential Samsung I8000 Omnia II owners. If the black styling wasn't much to your liking you know have a second option available. The Ceramic White version of the Omnia II will be more appealing to a lot of people, helping the Omnia II reach a wider audience.
So far there's nothing official, but those Samsung I8000 Omnia II live shots we found over at PDAMobiz seem pretty legit. You gotta give it to them, that Ceramic White version is quite a looker.
South Koreans have been enjoying pink and white versions of Omnia 2 ever since August, but it's only now that we see a GSM version of Omnia II get snow white.

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You hear a lot about camera modules on mobile phones, but not so much about the chip that does all the work of compressing the images and video. The new Broadcom BCM2763 VideoCore IV can handle photos up to 20 megapixels and record Full HD video among other things.
Of course, it would need a 20-megapixel sensor to do its 20-megapixel photo trick but the first devices using the Broadcom VideoCore IV are expected to come out in 2011. In two years, it's not unlikely some company will be pushing out its new 18MP or so camera phone. Because, you know, they already did 12MP and to the average consumer more is better.
The chip can also handle image stabilization, face and smile detection and take several images a second - we wouldn't expect anything less out of future high-end camera phones.
Even if 20MP image sensors that fit into mobile phones don't materialize, the Broadcom VideoCore IV can record 1080p video using H.264 High Profile (the codec used in Blu-ray discs).
Image capture is just part of the BCM2763 VideoCore IV repertoire - it can also play back Full HD video as well and do it over HDMI. What's left is for the phone to use the Micro HDMI connectors, which are the size of microUSB, and you get a pocketable HTPC.
The last trick that the Broadcom VideoCore IV has up its sleeve is that it works as a GPU with 128MB LPDDR2 of dedicated RAM, for rendering 3D graphics.
Since it's targeted at mobile devices, the Broadcom BCM2763 VideoCore IV is built using a 40nm process. Broadcom estimates that its reduced power consumption will lead to 4-6 hours of video recording and 8-10 hours of video playback on most mobile devices, and up 16 hours if the video is played over HDMI. If the internal memory of the device can fit those 16 hours that is.

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Video of Google Nexus One Phone

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We have been hearing all about the upcoming Google Nexus One phone, including pictures, specs and price , but its hard to believe that not even a single video of the phone existed, until now. Folks over at The Nexus One , who seems to have the phone have managed to capture the device in action, showing the now-famous “X” boot up sequence of Android 2.1 on Nexus One.
The handset is placed on top of a box, which seems to be the pre-release packaging for the Nexus One phone.
Nexus One is the name of the Google phone which has been designed by the folks at Google, and the hardware is manufactured in partnership with HTC. It looks a hell alot like HTC Passion/Dream  which is also slated or 2010 launch. Nexus One, like Xperia X10  and HTC HD2 , will be powered by  the Snapdragon 1Ghz processor and it will ship with the latest Android 2.1 OS as preinstalled.
You may also like to check out:
  • Google Nexus One vs Motorola Droid 
  • Google Nexus One vs iPhone 3GS 
  • Google Nexus One Picture Leaked
  • Google Nexus One with Android 2.1 Photos Gallery
  • Google Nexus One Camera Samples 
  • All You Need to Know About the Google Nexus One phone 
You can follow me on twitter  or join our facebook fanpage  to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Android phones.

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James Cameron Avatar Released on iPhone

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The most awaited movie of Christmas 2009 has finally arrived as a game for the iPhone and iPod touch. Based on the film story and developed by Gameloft, James Cameron’s Avatar on the iPhone has great graphics, sound effects and story line that will keep you busy for hours of play. Graphics are stunningly smooth on iPhone 3GS, and there is no reason why the experience shouldn’t be same on the iPhone 3G/2G and iPod touch.
For those of you who don’t know, Avatar is a science fictional epic film which is written and directed by Oscar winning director James Cameron, who was the man behind the 90’s epics like Terminator and Titanic. It is available in the App Store for $9.99. The video trailer embedded below shows the in game graphics of Avatar on the iPhone.
Check out our iPhone Apps Gallery  to explore more apps for your iPhone or iPod touch.
You can follow me on twitter or join our facebook fanpage  to keep yourself updated on all the latest iPhone releases.

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Nexus One Google Phone to Cost $199?

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The latest round of rumors regarding the Google branded Nexus One  suggests that Google is going to sell a subsidized version of Nexus One for a mere US $199 on contract free T-Mobile. If the rumor turns out to be true, then this is going to be the first time that a handset manufacturer has subsidized its device, rather than a carrier. Rumor also has it that the handset in question would be available for purchase online through Google as early as January 5th.
For those of you don’t know, Nexus One is the name of the Google phone which has been designed by the folks at Google, and the hardware is manufactured in partnership with HTC. It looks a hell alot like HTC Passion/Dream HTC Passion/Dream  which is also slated or 2010 launch. Nexus One, Xperia X10  and HTC HD2 , will be powered by  the Snapdragon 1Ghz processor and it will ship with the latest Android 2.1 OS as preinstalled. [via  Android and Me]
You may also like to check out:

  • Google Nexus One vs Motorola Droid
  • Google Nexus One vs iPhone 3GS 
  • Google Nexus One Picture Leaked
  • Google Nexus One with Android 2.1 Photos Gallery 
  • Google Nexus One Camera Samples
  • All You Need to Know About the Google Nexus One phone 
You can follow me on twitter  or join our facebook fanpage  to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Android phones.

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Android 2.1 for Motorola Droid Leaked

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Folks over at Sholes.info  have managed to port Android 2.1 on Motorola Droid. You can go ahead and try it now but the hacker has a warning placed on his site which states that the current Rom release is unstable and might brick your phone. Earlier this month, Android 2.1 Rom was leaked for HTC Hero with the latest version of Sense UI, fully optimized to run on this latest version of Android.
Both Motorola and Verizon has plans to bring Android 2.1 update to Droid as soon as Google makes it an official release. It is also to be noted that Android 2.1 is the OS which is currently being tested on the Google branded Nexus One phone. All info about the Nexus One Google phone can be found here.
Full installation instructions will be posted as soon as a proper, and a more stable release of the Rom is created. You can see Android 2.1 booting up on Motorola Droid phone  in the video embedded.

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Apple Braces Itself for Another Record Breaking Quarter

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The iPhone juggernaut continues to roll. After Apple reported the last quarter as its most profitable ever, it looks like the company could be bracing itself up for one more record breaking quarter.
In a recent report, JP Morgan has reported better than expected growth momentum for Apple's devices which could lead to another very profitable quarter.
In his note, JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz claims that the continuing exclusive deal with AT&T not withstanding , iPhone's sales momentum is already on course to see another record quarter. Mark predicts 8.18 million unit sales in the last quarter of 2009, an 8% increase from the previous forecasts.
Mark is not the only one to be optimistic about the iPhone's fortunes this quarter. In fact, this sentiment is shared by the iPhone OEMs as well. These companies that supply components to the Apple iPhone  are already seeing surging volumes in demand and are trying hard to keep up with this growth.
In an article on the subject, Digitimes, a Taiwanese industry publication, has reported that shipments of integrated circuits spiked up by nearly 31% in the third quarter of 2009. A major boost for this growth comes from components shipped to the iPhone. Digitimes is much more optimistic about iPhone's volumes than Mark Moskowitz and predicts 10 million iPhones to be sold in the present quarter.
It is impressive that the sales outlook for the iPhone has remained vibrant despite the company's terrible flopshow in China, the world's biggest telecom market,earlier this quarter. As Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & CO. says, the iPhone has now set itself as the "gold standard" of the smartphone market against which the competitors have now been benchmarking themselves. Thanks to this, it will be quite sometime before competition can truly affect the iPhone's popularity and growth.

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TeliaSonera launches the first LTE

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Let us welcome you into the future. While some already pretty well-developed countries are yet struggling to build reliable 3G networks, TeliaSonera is already making a push for LTE (the 4th gen networks) commercially available.
There are any publicly available phones that can make use of it but those will certainly come sooner rather than later. For now the owners of the LTE-supporting laptop modems will be the only potential customers.
The Sweden and Norwegian capital cities, Stockholm and Oslo are the first to enjoy the blessing 100Mbps-capable touch of the LTE. Ericsson supplied the equipment for the Swedes, while Huawei were chosen in Norway.
Those 100 Mpbs certainly sound pretty impressive, considering that the fastest HSPA-enabled 3G networks today offer a tenth of that. If and when will the mobile phones hardware be able to process data with such speeds is a whole other question of course, but that doesn't make the LTE technology any less of a significant achievement.
Finland will also have their 4G network up and running in Q1 of 2010, and O2 is already testing theirs in the UK so you might want to prepare for a few LTE announcements at the MWC in Barcelona in February next year. Or is it just us getting a little too excited a little too early?

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Sony Ericsson XPERIA Pureness is available

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Just in time for the holidays, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Pureness is available in stores. And apparently it's got a concierge service, you know, like that thing Vertu phones have. So, you get a transparent screen (a novelty) and a concierge service all for less money than a Vertu.

Going through the list of specs you'll spot groundbreaking features of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Pureness  like "Video streaming & viewing". Yes, video streaming on a 1.8" monochrome display.
We're not bashing the Pureness - it's a bold move by Sony Ericsson, kudos for that. But that's not a feature they should promote. More interesting is that the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Pureness comes with a concierge service - not bad, considering the concierge bit is usually reserved for phones with diamonds on them.
Still, the specs on the XPERIA Pureness may seem a little limited, but that was Sony Ericsson's intention all along. They say, they've stripped away the unnecessary things from both form and function and left only the essential phone functions (hence "Pureness").
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Pureness comes with a 12-month membership in the Pureness concierge service. The service is available 24/7 via phone or email and it can get you perks like room upgrades in hotels, a VIP welcome, free champagne, macaroons, discounts, tickets with better seating and so on.
Sony Ericsson have set up a dedicated microsite  to promote the Pureness concierge service. The service is country dependent, so make sure to read the benefits list to see what they have to offer for your locale.
As for the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Pureness the phone, it costs 990 US dollars (676 euro) and it can be shipped to a long list of countries.

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Nokia Messaging for social networks beta now with Twitter

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After Facebook, Twitter is the second social networking service brought to your smartphone by Nokia Messaging for social networks. The applications helps you to keep in touch with the rest of your gang no matter where you are or what time it is.

A few months back we told you about Nokia Beta Labs' IM client but today's news seem even more tempting. Social networks make instant messaging looks so outdated. With services like Facebook or Twitter you can not only chat your friends, but also view images and videos and do so much more.
Before you follow that link  to download the application just take a look at that short video demoing Nokia Messaging for social networks beta.
The Nokia Messaging for social networks beta 2 now offers support for two of the most popular social networking services - Facebook and Twitter. With its help you can easily access either of the services using the contextual homescreen widget. And what is more important: the app supports push notifications so you get the news the moment it happens.
With the new version you can update your Twitter status, view and reply to Tweets. Thanks to that social network client you can also upload images and videos, view upcoming events and contact your friends via multiple ways such as SMS, call, email, or, naturally, a comment.
Nokia Beta Labs promise to increase the number of supported services very soon. The same goes for the supported devices since at the moment you can take advantage of the Nokia Messaging for social networks beta only if you own a Nokia N97, Nokia N97 mini or a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic touchscreen equipped smartphone.

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New Versions of iPhone OS Traced In Website Visits

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Late last month, we had reported trails of a new iPhone model discovered in the wild. Back then, a new iPhone device ID  was found in the analytics logs of an iPhone app  named iBART which was used in the San Francisco area.
Now, there are similar reports from the folks at BoyGeniusReport who have noted that their site has apparently been accessed by iPhones running newer versions of iPhone OS.
A screenshot of the log files posted on the website shows two new versions of iPhone OS, iPhone OS 3.1.3  and iPhone OS 4.0 as the source of the visits.
Like we had speculated in the earlier article on iBart as well, going by the traditional nomenclature followed by Apple, a shift in OS version to 4.x from 3.x could mean that the upcoming model of the iPhone is a much improved version from the current one. Nevertheless, these speculations are not conclusive since the OS detected in the user logs are primarily the 'user agents' tracked from the browsers. A lot many browsers today, including Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome lets you customize this string to the user's choice and so this whole episode could as well be a prank.
However, with Apple known to field test their newer iPhone models  around eight months before launch, it is very likely that these user agents tracked are genuine. Still, it begets the question - What's new in iPhone OS 4.0?
We would like to hear your thoughts on this. Please tell in the comments.

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iVideoCamera iPhone App Brings Video Recording

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The iPhone App Store  is getting prettier by the day.
After live video streaming  and live video broadcasting  became a reality on the iPhone over the past couple of weeks, now video recording on the older models of iPhone becomes possible as well.
In a sign of changing times, Apple has now approved an iPhone app  called iVideoCamera that lets you record short videos from any iPhone model, including iPhone 2G and iPhone 3G . The iPhone app which is available on the App Store captures video at 3 FPS. Other features of the iPhone app includes the ability to save camera roll or "photos" and share it on social media outlets like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
The approval is significant as such iPhone apps like Cycoder  had to go through the unofficial route and available only for iPhone users who had jailbroken their iPhone .
We have been seeing massive improvements in the App approval policies in the recent past. Earlier this month, we had written about the review staff warning app developers over violations instead of rejecting their apps rightaway, which was the norm so far. One of our readers, Alessandro  also informed us that app developers no longer have to wait for weeks to bring updates to iPhone apps and these updates are now happening quicker. All these are very positive changes and we are glad Apple has done this.
Coming back to iVideoCamera, the video quality of the app doesn't seem to be all that good - a 3 FPS video at a 160x213 resolution. Also, the maximum video length is only one minute. However, an update to the app has already been submitted, which should bring a higher frame rate and video length to the app users very soon. If you are one of those who do not own an iPhone 3GS, this app is a must-have. You can download this app for $0.99 by clicking here  (iTunes link). Please note that you will need iPhone OS 3.1  or above.

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Androidish HTC Legend goes live

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The first good picture of the HTC Legend already circles the web. It looks like a Hero successor, with better specs and design. Its official catwalk is expected to take place through the MWC 2010 in February.
The previously leaked Legend from the HTC Roadmap 2010 has now a clear face. The first official picture is already circling the web, though it's not a live one.
The Legend looks very much like a Hero's successor with its similar and stylish design. The specs sheet goes even further with 3.2"AMOLED capacitive multi-touch display with 480x320 pixels resolution, optical trackpad, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G with HSDPA, FM radio, along with a 5 megapixel snapper, this time accompanied with a LED flash and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The CPU has also been upgraded and the Legend will be powered by a 600 MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 unit, while the RAM will be 256 MB.
There is no word on the Android version inside the Legend, but we suppose it will be 2.0 or better.
HTC Legend announcement is supposed to take place during the next Mobile World Congress sometime in February next year, while the release is rumored for March.

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Nexus One is the rumored Google Phone

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The Internet is swimming in a sea of Google Phone leaks (started off by Google employees themselves) and it's getting hard to sort out which are true and which are false. And we gotta be honest with you - some are quite controversial. Google as a company is pretty much silent on the matter except for the fact that they've admitted giving some employees an Android handset meant to be used only as a software testing lab. And that's that.
As current conspiracy theory goes however, Google is indeed working on its own Google phone and they will be selling it themselves. As photos and first-hand reports of the mythic phone fly in it became clear that the phone seems an HTC Dragon  (or HTC Passion) and it's codenamed Google Nexus One.

The reported specs of the Nexus One also seem to match up with the HTC Dragon - Snapdragon CPU, 3.7" AMOLED display, 5MP camera, touchscreen bar form factor. By the way, the HTC Bravo has a similar hardware too.
The Nexus One is built by HTC (no surprise here) with a lot of input from Google and it runs Android 2.1. The reported changes are a touch of 3D in the app tray, a bit of WebOS gadgetry with a preview of all homescreen pages (there are more of them, too) done card-style. Preloaded are Google Navigation (in the US) and the new Google Goggles , which identifies objects (e.g. the Golden Gate Bridge) by using the camera and brings up relevant information.
The rumors go on - the device is not locked ad works on both AT&T and T-Mobile networks in the US. Engadget have unearthed a report from the FCC about the Nexus One passing their tests . The interesting bit here is that it has quad-band GSM support and 850/1700/1900MHz 3G support, which covers both AT&T and T-Mobile indeed.
And now for the controversial bit - the most popular rumor is that the Nexus One will be sold by Google either directly or through other retail channels (T-Mobile apparently). It will be unsubsidized and unlocked so it will work with every GSM network with proper frequencies.
Is Google moving into the phone selling business? As the guys at Engadget correctly point out  both the Android Dev Phone (an unlocked T-Mobile G1  or HTC Dream  if you will) and the Google Ion  (HTC Magic) were handed out to Google employees and developers in the same fashion. They even sold the Dev Phone, but that's hardly what the rumors imply - full-on mobile phone retail.
The infamous Eldar Murtazin from mobile-review.com claims that some rival company (Apple he says) is trying to stir the pot by using the whole confusion around this potential new business model.
Google has expanded their services since their initial search engine, but for now, they seem to prefer sticking with software and advertising as their primary business model. So, for now we're leaning towards Google simply trying to get some quick feedback on the new Android OS. But we're yet to see about that.

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Sony Ericsson reveals two phones with Greenhearts

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Today Sony Ericsson presented their latest Greenheart tree-hugging phones - the aptly named Elm and Hazel. Those two are no slackers in functionality as they come with Wi-Fi, GPS and pioneer social networking integration via homescreen widgets. They also pack some innovative sound enhancing technologies such as Noise Shield, Clear Voice and Intelligent Volume Adaptation.
Both the Elm and the Hazel have splash-resistant bodies and curved designs meant to fit better in the palm of your hand (obviously based on the same design cues as the XPERIA X10).

The Sony Ericsson Elm  and Hazel pack 5 megapixel auto focus cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS receivers complete with the preinstalled Google Maps and Wisepilot mapping applications.
The Sony Ericsson Hazel  has a thickness of 16 mm and a weight of 120 g. It packs a 2.6-inch 16M color QVGA display.
The Sony Ericsson Elm has a thickness of 14 mm and a weight of 90 grams. The Elm screen however is only 2.2 inches with 262K color support and QVGA resolution.
Again, both the Elm and Hazel have quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support and dual-band HSPA (2100/900). Interestingly the devices are also HD Voice ready  thanks to the AMR-WB audio codec.
Sony Ericsson *feature* phones are also obviously getting in on the game of social networking. The company is introducing a new homescreen widget system. It would allow direct integration with services such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.
Another first from Sony Ericsson is the online backup of personal information at sonyericsson.com. There are no further details about the service mentioned, but we guess you'd be able to recover all your info if your phone gets stolen.
Both the Elm and the Haze have rich multimedia features including support for SensMe, TrackID, and MegaBass. Screen auto rotation is also available thanks to the built-in accelerometer.
Interestingly, Sony Ericsson mention a microUSB charger in the retail packages of both phones, which would make them the second and third phones by the manufacturer to feature that port after the XPERIA X10. Unfortunately, it's clearly visible from the shots that the Hazel and Elm both have proprietary FastPorts on their sides.
The Sony Ericsson Elm will be available in Metal Black and Pearly Rose from Q1 2010. The Sony Ericsson Hazel will be available in Superior Black and Passionate Rouge from Q2 2010.

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ITG xpPhone first live photos appear, look pretty nice

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The ITG xpPhone just edged a step closer to its release with the appearance of its first live photos. The device that keeps challenging our idea of a smartphone looks pretty good in those shots and makes us look forward to its official release even more impatiently.
 We have already told you  about the ITG xpPhone and its large set of customizable features . Running on Windows XP or Windows 7 OS it will pack up to 2GB of RAM and up to 120GB of storage space. All of a sudden your HTC HD2 isn’t looking all that powerful, right?

The only thing that bothers us here is the large amount of wasted space around the display, but we guess you cannot have it all. The xpPhone is still way too little when compared to a netbook and it is obviously set to do what the HTC Advantage duo  failed to – create a whole new class of devices.
Of course we will only be able to say that for sure when we learn its pricing and test the real-life performance of the xpPhone but on paper it looks really promising. We’ll keep you updated about the other steps it will take before eventually hitting the shelves.

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Google Phone: A Faster, Prettier And Unlocked iPhone

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Is the Google Phone already out in the wild? In a blog post yesterday, Google had written that the company was doling out a new mobile device running on Android 2.1 to their employees for what they call is 'dogfooding' - a means for employees to test new devices and help improve it before launch.

TechCrunch is now reporting that this is indeed the new Google Phone that we had written about  last month. This is what we know about the device up till now
  • Manufactured by HTC
  • Runs on Android 2.1
  • Powered by SnapDragon chip
  • High resolution OLED touchscreen
  • Virtual keyboard
  • Voice-to-text feature to dictate email
  • Two mics - The mic on the back of the phone helps eliminate noise. 

The Google Phone is supposedly thinner than the iPhone and has an unusually large camera. Tweets from Google employees who were given the phone yesterday seem to suggest a pretty looking, blazingly fast device. Like one tweeter puts it, the new Google phone is "like an iPhone on beautifying steroids". In our previous article, we had reported speculations that the new Google phone might be a data-only device. However, TechCrunch now reports that the phone shall be a GSM device and also that it will come unlocked.
In all likelihood, the new phone shall go on sale from January 2010. While we still do not have confirmed pictures of how the device will actually look like, it is apparently a HTC Passion handset customized to Google's requirements. From pictures leaked by TheUnlockr.com back in October, this is how Google Phone might look like.

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TomTom Launches US-Only iPhone App For $49.99

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If you are planning on long drives this holiday season, TomTom has a surprise for you.
The popular navigation systems developer has launched a stripped down version of their iPhone app, which now costs just half the original price.
Available at $49.99, the newly launched TomTom iPhone app  has dropped coverage for Canada and only includes area inside US, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The iPhone app however continues to offer all other features like lane guidance, 2D and 3D driving views, voice navigation, etc.
The move comes at an interesting time when GPS navigation devices are feeling increasingly threatened after Google launched their free turn-by-turn navigation app with Motorola Droid and have promised  to offer one for the iPhone as well. At present, the only light in the tunnel for the navigation app developers  has been the prevailing deadlock between Apple and Google with respect to the approval of the latter's apps.
However, this need not be the only reason. With a credible name in the industry, TomTom's initial high price could simply be a price skimming strategy - A $99 iPhone app that does not even include any hardware costs is huge profit indeed. With the initial buzz having died down, this new verion of the iPhone app could reinvigorate the sale volumes.
TomTom has not indicated if there would be a corresponding Canada-only version of the app for Canadian users, though it would make a lot of sense if they would. The US-only version can now be downloaded from the App Store  by clicking here (iTunes Link).
We would be interested to know from our readers if they see the new pricing competitive enough. Please tell us in the comments.

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