Sweden's Ericsson sees 190 million 5G subscriptions by year end

STOCKHOLM - Sweden's Ericsson has almost doubled its global forecast for 5G mobile subscriptions to 190 million by the end of this year, due to faster than expected uptake in China.

The telecoms equipment maker, which had previously forecast 100 million subscriptions by the end of 2020, said it had made small downward adjustments for other parts of the world due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"For example, several spectrum auctions in Europe have been delayed, with a slower uptake of 5G subscriptions in the near term expected as a result," it said in its biannual Mobility Report.

Ericsson nudged down its 5G subscriptions forecast for 2020 and 2021 in North America, but maintained 2025 forecasts for both Europe and North America.

It also confirmed it had raised its forecast for global 5G subscriptions to 2.8 billion by 2025, or around 30 percent of all mobile subscriptions, from 2.6 billion previously.

"Despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, service providers continued to switch on 5G, and more than 75 of them have now announced commercial 5G service launches," Ericsson said.

The mobile network industry has faced waning demand for 4G and older network equipment, but 5G spending in North America has helped to fuel a return to growth.

Ericsson, which competes with China's Huawei and Finland's Nokia, said 4G would remain the dominant mobile access technology by subscriptions during 2020 to 2025, with 5.1 billion in 2022 and 4.4 billion expected by the end of 2025.

But in 2025, 5G networks will carry nearly half of the world’s mobile data traffic, it forecast.

The new generation of mobile phone technology will bring faster data speeds and support a greater variety of connected devices. 

-reuters-

Nokia, Japanese firms tie up on industrial-use 5G network services

TOKYO - Nokia Corp. said Wednesday that it has tied up with five Japanese companies in offering next-generation 5G network services to corporate customers.

The Finnish telecommunications giant will build the ultrafast communications networks with Japanese partners, including computer systems company NS Solutions Corp. and telecommunication equipment maker Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., mainly for manufacturers.

The tie-up, which also involves trading house Marubeni Corp., communications firm Internet Initiative Japan Inc. and data center operator Equinix Inc., comes as the Japanese government will start taking applications from companies for private 5G licenses later this month.

Demand for 5G networks, which can deliver data transmission speeds around 100 times faster than the current 4G networks, is expected to grow as manufacturers aim to connect devices at factories through 5G networks to boost productivity amid a labor shortage.

Nokia said it has already offered private wireless networks to over 120 corporate customers around the world.

"With spectrum availability now opening up in Japan, Nokia is bringing forth a unique combination of technology, services and partnerships," John Harrington, head of Nokia Japan, said in a press release.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

South Korea to launch world's first national 5G networks

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea launches the world’s first fully-fledged 5G mobile networks Friday, a transformational leap that already has superpowers sparring for control of an innovation that could potentially change the day-to-day lives of billions of people.

The superfast communications heralded by fifth-generation wireless technology will ultimately underpin everything from toasters to telephones; from electric cars to power grids.

But while the South has won the race to be first to provide the user experience, that is only one part of a wider battle that has pit the United States against China and ensnared giants including Huawei.

Hyper-wired South Korea has long had a reputation for technical prowess, and Seoul has made the 5G rollout a priority as it seeks to stimulate stuttering economic growth.

The system will bring smartphones near-instantaneous connectivity -- 20 times faster than the existing 4G -- allowing users to download entire movies in less than a second.

In the same way that 3G enabled widespread mobile web access and 4G made new applications work ranging from social media to Uber, 5G will herald a new level of connectivity, empowered by speed.

It is crucial for the future development of devices ranging from self-driving vehicles that send data traffic to one another in real time, industrial robots, drones and other elements of the Internet of Things.

That makes it a vital part of the infrastructure of tomorrow, and the 5G standard is expected to bring about $565 billion in global economic benefits by 2034, according to the London-based Global System for Mobile Communications, an industry alliance.

ONE MILLION DEVICES

But the implications have pitted Washington against Beijing in an increasingly bitter standoff.

The US has pressed its allies and major economies to avoid 5G solutions from Chinese-owned telecom giant Huawei, citing security risks that technological backdoors could give Beijing access to 5G-connected utilities and other components.

But Chinese firms dominate 5G technology.

Huawei, the global leader, has registered 1,529 5G patents, according to data analysis firm IPlytics.

Combined with manufacturers ZTE and Oppo, plus the China Academy of Telecommunications Technology, Chinese entities own a total of 3,400 patents, it says -- more than a third of the total. 

South Korea comes next, with its companies holding 2,051 patents.

In contrast, US firms have 1,368 altogether, IPlytics said -- 29 fewer than Finland's Nokia alone.

All three of South Korea's mobile networks -- KT, SK Telecom and LG UPlus go live with their 5G services.

"5G's hyper speed can connect one million devices within a one square kilometer zone simultaneously," KT said in a report. 

On the same day, Samsung Electronics will release the Galaxy S10 5G, the world's first available smartphone using the tech, with rival LG following with the V50s two weeks later.

COST BARRIER

More than 3 million South Koreans will switch to 5G by the end of this year, predicted KT vice-president Lee Pil-jae.

Until now, no mobile networks have offered nationwide 5G access. In the US, hotspots in a few selected cities have offered 5G speeds but over WiFi only, while Qatari firm Ooredoo says it offers 5G services in and around Doha, but does not have devices available to use them.

US network carrier Verizon will launch fifth-generation services for mobile users in Chicago and Minneapolis next week, with more than 30 cities due to follow this year. 

Japan is also expected to roll out a limited deployment in 2019 before full services start in time for next year's Tokyo Olympics. 

But cost is likely to be a barrier for user uptake initially, analysts say: the cheapest version of the new Galaxy handset will be 1.39 million won ($1,200).

"While there are many cheap 4G smartphones under $300, Samsung's 5G phones are well over $1,000, which could be a major minus point for cost-savvy consumers," a KT representative told AFP. 

None of South Korea's three network operators would say how much they have invested in 5G -- but Seoul's economy minister Hong Nam-ki put it at at least $2.6 billion this year alone.

"If 5G is fully implemented," he said, "it will greatly improve people's lives". 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Weak sales plague Nokia, loss deepens and stock plunges

HELSINKI - Finnish telecoms equipment maker Nokia said Thursday its net loss deepened in the third quarter due to falling sales, as it presented a gloomy outlook that sent the share price plunging.

The net loss for the July-September period widened by 61 percent, to 192 million euros ($226 million), Nokia said in a statement.

Nokia's share plummeted on the Helsinki stock exchange, shedding 15.2 percent in late afternoon trading in an overall market down just 0.83 percent.

Investors were mainly reacting to "the outlook for the networks business", which Nokia said would probably see a four to five percent drop in sales for the rest of the year, Inderes analyst Mikael Rautanen told AFP.

The Finnish company posted a seven percent decline in sales to 5.5 billion euros.

"We experienced some challenges in our Mobile Networks business and see a continued decline in our primary addressable market in 2018," chief executive Rajeev Suri said in Nokia's statement.

The company said it expects its market share to fall by two to five percent in 2018.

Next year "is going to be another tough year in terms of market conditions," Rautanen said, noting that Nokia had expected the market to stabilize next year "but it seems that it is not going to happen."

Nokia Technologies, the company's patents unit, was Nokia's only business to report growth in the quarter, up 37 percent to 483 million euros, after it won an arbitration case over a patent dispute with South Korean rival LG. The amount it was awarded has not been disclosed.

"I am also particularly pleased that in 2017 the growth in patent licensing has helped to offset the sales decline on the Networks side," Suri said.

The group meanwhile reiterated its earlier savings target of 1.2 billion euros in 2018.

Nokia said it planned to raise its 2017 dividend by two cents to 19 euro cents.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nokia 3310 revamp on sale starting Friday

MANILA- The reworked Nokia 3310 will be available in retail outlets starting Friday, its manufacturer said, marking the iconic mobile phone brand's big return to the Philippines with a play on nostalgia.

The handset is aimed at consumers looking for a durable phone that will also allow them to disconnect from social media, according to HMD Global, the Finnish firm that owns the license to make Nokia phones.


The phone retails for P2,490 and is available in red, yellow, dark blue, and gray, HMD Global said in a statement. 

Three other Android-powered handsets, the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 will go on sale on July 14, it said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nokia 3310 returns with Snake, month-long battery

MANILA - Finland's HMD Global has resurrected the Nokia 3310, one of the world's most popular call-and-text handsets before touchscreen smartphones popularized by Apple's iPhone took over the mobile landscape.

The original 3310 debuted in 2000, came with replaceable color back covers, and helped its 120 million of users kill time with games like Snake until it was discontinued in 2005.

Here's what we know so far about the new Nokia 3310. There is no word yet on local availability.

- It has a full color screen, a huge upgrade from the graphic LCD panel on its predecessor.

- It comes in four colors: a glossy red and yellow, and matte dark blue and gray.

- Snake is back, and it slithers on a more colorful maze.

- It has a camera and allows web browsing.

- It boasts of up to 22 hours talk time and "month-long" standby

- It will retail globally for 49 euros or roughly 2,600 pesos. The highest capacity iPhone 7 Plus, at around P55,000, is equivalent to at least 21 3310s.

Analysts said resurrecting the popular model was a clever way for HMD Global to relaunch Nokia's brand.

"HMD launched three new smartphones and an iconic mobile. It is a way to create a halo effect around the other models by reviving talk about the Nokia brand," said Thomas Husson, a mobile analyst at Forrester.

In addition to the new 3310, HMD presented three new smartphones, the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 which will sell for different prices.

The Nokia 6 was already available in China and will now go on sale globally.

"We think (Nokia) could take 5 percent of the global smartphone market by the end of 2019. But it needs to get big quick or it won't work," said CCS Insight's device specialist and chief of research, Ben Wood.



Nokia was the world's top mobile maker between 1998 and 2011 but was overtaken by South Korean rival Samsung after failing to respond to the rapid rise of smartphones.

Its telephone brand remains widely recognized, especially in developing markets.

Now a leading telecom equipment maker, Nokia sold its entire handset business to Microsoft Corp in 2014.

Last year HMD bought Microsoft Mobile's handset business and the right to use the Nokia brand.

Under the agreement, Nokia will receive royalty payments from HMD for sales of every Nokia branded mobile phone or tablet. -- with reports from Agence France-Presse

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nokia vs Apple: US to probe patent complaint

WASHINGTON - The US International Trade Commission said on Tuesday it would investigate a complaint by Nokia Technologies alleging that Apple Inc. has imported smart phones, tablet computers and other electronics that infringe upon its patents.

The USITC said in a statement it had not yet made any decision on the merits of the case by the Finland-based Nokia Corp. unit, which is seeking a cease and desist order and a limited exclusion order in the case.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

HMD Global launches first Nokia smartphone

HMD Global, the Finnish company that owns the rights to use Nokia's brand on mobile phones, announced on Sunday its first smartphone, targeted for Chinese users with a price of 1,699 yuan ($246).

The launch marks the first new smartphone carrying the iconic handset name since 2014 when Nokia Oyj (NOKIA.HE) chose to sell its entire handset unit to Microsoft (MSFT.O).

The new device, Nokia 6, runs on Google's (GOOGL.O) Android platform and is manufactured by Foxconn (2354.TW). It will be sold exclusively in China through online retailer JD.com (JD.O), HMD said.

"The decision by HMD to launch its first Android smartphone into China is a reflection of the desire to meet the real world needs of consumers in different markets around the world... it is a strategically important market," HMD said in a statement.

Nokia was once the world's dominant cellphone maker but missed the shift to smartphones, and then chose Microsoft's Windows operating system for its "Lumia" range.

After the 2014 deal, Microsoft continued selling cheaper basic phones under Nokia's name and Lumia smartphones under its own name, but last year, it largely abandoned both businesses.

HMD in December took over the Nokia feature phones business and struck a licensing deal that gave it sole use of the Nokia brand on all phones and tablets for the next decade.

It will pay Nokia royalties for the brand and patents, but Nokia has no direct investment in HMD. Nokia Oyj is currently focused on telecom network equipment business and technology patents.

HMD CEO Arto Nummela, who was once responsible for Nokia's sales and product development, told Reuters last month that HMD aims to be one of the key competitive players in the smartphone business where it faces tough competition from Apple (AAPL.O), Samsung (005930.KS) and dozens of other players.

HMD launched some new Nokia basic phones last month. It said on Sunday it was looking to launch more new products in the first half of the year.

(Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl and Eric Auchard)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nokia's birthplace is home to world's most smartphone-obsessed

HELSINKI - On the crowded morning metro in Helsinki, silence prevails. Everyone is hunched over their smartphone screens, reading the news, checking emails or watching videos.

A loud "yeah!" breaks the quiet, along with delighted screech from a toddler whose mother has just handed him her smartphone to calm him down with a video.

Finland, once a world leader in mobile telephony with Nokia, is in a class of its own when it comes to internet usage on smartphones and tablets, thanks to cheap subscription plans.

In the first half of 2016, Finns used nearly twice as much mobile data on portable devices as South Koreans, who came second in a recent comparison of 32 European and Asian countries by Swedish telecommunication specialist Tefficient.

Finns spend so much time on their phones that authorities are concerned: the city of Helsinki's department of health and social services recently launched a campaign telling parents to get their priorities straight.

In a controversial video that angered many parents, a black raven swoops down and carries away a little girl on a beach while her mother focuses on her smartphone, followed by the message: "Negligence is modern day violence."

Offended Helsinkians flooded the city with negative feedback, accusing it of criticising all phone usage, and especially women by depicting only the child's mother in the video.

But the city said it was intended to highlight the fact that some mothers spend too much time on their smartphones instead of playing with their children, and that some fathers are largely absent from their children's lives.

PARENTS COPYING TEENS

Anna Andersson, a 33-year-old mother on her way home from a pilates class with her six-month-old baby, says she wasn't offended by the campaign.

"People got quite provoked by it but in my opinion there was a point," she tells AFP.

She says she uses internet more on her phone than on her laptop but less so now that she has a child.

"The baby has efficiently reduced the time I spend online."

The country's largest operator Elisa says Finnish parents are following in the footsteps of their teenage children, who have led the way in recent years in consuming more and more internet content on the go.

"Fastest growth in usage comes from watching live images, or videos," Elisa's head of broadband subscriptions, Matias Castren, tells AFP.

He says mobile data consumption peaks especially in the evenings, when many Finns -- from teenagers to pensioners -- are glued to their phones and tablets to watch films, shows, video clips or just browse around social media, instead of watching television like they used to.

CONNECTING PEOPLE

Several factors may explain the love of smartphones.

Since the golden days of Nokia, Finland's former business crown jewel and once the world's top handset maker, Finns have been keen to adopt new technology.

Harsh cold winters require good infrastructure, and Finland early on built nationwide mobile networks offering good coverage.

And Finns are often considered taciturn with an introverted nature, and some admit preferring to keep in touch with friends and family over the Internet instead of a phone call.

For a nation of 5.5 million, there are 10.9 million mobile connection plans in Finland -- nearly two per inhabitant.

Hannele Houston, 34, is a perfect example. She owns a smartphone and a tablet, both with internet connections.

"On my phone I read news and use maps and journey planners for finding optimal routes. On my tablet I listen to music, pay my invoices and look for recipes," she explains.

A key factor that allows Finns to devour data on the go is that fast connections are affordable.

Tefficient's comparison found that in the Netherlands, where operators charged the most for a gigabyte of mobile data, it cost 14 times more than in Finland, where it was the cheapest of all 32 countries compared.

"The Finnish market differs significantly from other countries in the sense that we have lots of unlimited data plans," explains Kalle Muhonen, manager at Finnish operator Sonera.

The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority's statistics confirm that.

More than half of all phone and tablet connections in Finland come with an unlimited data plan for a fixed monthly price, meaning consumers can browse on their phones as much as they like without having to fear a monster invoice at the end of the month.

One happy customer of an unlimited data plan is 13-year-old Inam Alam, who shows off a new game he has just downloaded on his smartphone.

He sometimes receives hundreds of messages on social media in a single day from his classmates, but he doesn't think that's unusual. He says it's normal.

"Nowadays we use our phones even for our assignments at school, like at language classes when we learn new words and then practice them with online games," he says.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nokia sues Apple for patent infringement

HELSINKI - Nokia announced Wednesday it was suing Apple in German and US courts for patent infringement, claiming the US tech giant was using Nokia technology in "many" products without paying for it.

Finnish Nokia, once the world's top mobile phone maker, said the two companies had signed a licensing agreement in 2011, and since then "Apple has declined subsequent offers made by Nokia to license other of its patented inventions which are used by many of Apple's products."

"After several years of negotiations trying to reach agreement to cover Apple's use of these patents, we are now taking action to defend our rights," Ilkka Rahnasto, head of Nokia's patent business, said in a statement.

The complaints, filed in three German cities and a district court in Texas, concern 32 patents for innovations related to displays, user interface, software, antennae, chipsets and video coding. Nokia said it was preparing further legal action elsewhere.

Nokia was the world's leading mobile phone maker from 1998 until 2011 when it bet on Microsoft's Windows mobile platform, which proved to be a flop. Analysts say the company failed to grasp the growing importance of smartphone apps compared to hardware.

It sold its unprofitable handset unit in 2014 for some $7.2 billion to Microsoft, which dropped the Nokia name from its Lumia smartphone handsets.

Meanwhile Nokia has concentrated on developing its mobile network equipment business by acquiring its French-American rival Alcatel-Lucent.

Including its 2013 full acquisition of joint venture Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia said the three companies united represent more than 115 billion euros of R&D investment, with a massive portfolio of tens of thousands of patents.

The 2011 licensing deal followed years of clashes with Apple, which has also sparred with main rival Samsung over patent claims.

At the time, Apple cut the deal to settle 46 separate complaints Nokia had lodged against it for violation of intellectual property.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Microsoft's 'affordable flagship' smartphone arrives in PH

MANILA - (UPDATED WITH NEW PRICE) Microsoft's Lumia 830, which is being referred to as the company’s affordable flagship smartphone, is now available in the Philippines.

The handset, which carries a suggested retail price of P18,990, comes with the brand's PureView technology that complements an on-board 10-megapixel camera and a 5-inch 720p display.

It will also run on the latest version of Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim, and packs a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor paired with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of expandable storage support.

"With PureView imaging, wireless charging and wealth of other great features, the Lumia 830 delivers the best innovations and experiences from our flagship smartphones at a more affordable price," said Karel Holub, general manager at Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales Philippines, said in a statement released Wednesday.

Other notable hardware features include a 2200mAh battery, wireless charging and NFC support. Those interested will also have access to 15GB of free OneDrive storage upon purchase.

"The Lumia 830 combines high end style and performance in a sleek design. Add to that industry leading Microsoft experiences and superior PureView imaging and it makes the Lumia 830 an attractive proposition for those customers who demand the best experiences at more affordable prices," added Holub.

The Lumia 830 will go on sale from October 24 in a range of colours including bright orange, bright green, white and black.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Philippine price for Nokia X2 announced

MANILA - Nokia X2 is the latest member of the company's line of affordable smartphones to be made available in the Philippines.

A step up from its predecessors --the Nokia X, X+ and XL-- the X2 delivers upgraded specifications and promises a smoother, easier user experience for P6,990.

"The Nokia X2 was designed to help the next billion people connect to the mobile Internet and cloud services, affordably," said Karel Holub, general manager of Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales Philippines.

"Following on the fantastic reception to the Nokia X family in the Philippines, we’re pleased to offer the next, evolutionary step in the line-up with the stunningly designed and affordable Nokia X2," she added.

The dual-sim smartphone boasts a 4.3 inch touch screen display, a 5MP rear-facing autofocus camera and LED flash, as well as front-facing VGA camera for selfie-aficionados.

It now carries a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor matched with a duel core 1.2Ghz CPU and 1GB of RAM, but ditches the Android OS of its predecessors for the Nokia X Software Platform 2.0.

The X2 also features the tile-based home screen, which is taken from Nokia's own Lumia Line, and the unique Fastlane feature.

It will be made available in 3 colors: glossy orange, black and green, and comes bundled with basic Microsoft services such as Outlook.com, Skype and 15GB of free OneDrive cloud storage (which can be upgraded up to 23GB).

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How the smartphone war is shaping up

BARCELONA - The mobile phone industry is now looking to the fast-growing demand for smartphones priced at $100 or below as the market for fancier high-end devices has become saturated, but not all handset makers are able or willing to trade down.

Much of the talk this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the industry's biggest annual trade fair, has turned from the latest big screen, premium-priced devices to the new, entry-level smartphones that analysts say now overwhelmingly represent the industry's best hope for growth.

"All the phones now look the same," said industry analyst Ben Wood of CCS Insight after surveying the eight vast halls of phones and other mobile gadgets on show.

"The ability of top brands like Samsung, Apple and Nokia to differentiate themselves is getting harder," he said.

Growth in global smartphone shipments will fall sharply this year and keep slowing through 2018, with average prices dropping significantly as the demand shifts to China and other developing countries, market research firm IDC said earlier on Wednesday.

So now phone makers are touting new, low-cost devices which are intended to retail at near $100 or below. This class of device has some but not all the features of the current top end smartphones, which sell for several hundreds of dollars and until this year drew nearly all the media attention and marketing spend at Barcelona.

Early leaders in this new market are Chinese players, some with global brand names and others who remain virtually unknown outside China, who have made huge strides in acquiring the technical and design expertise that enables them to now drive down the costs without necessarily sacrificing quality.

The biggest winners so far look to be Huawei , Lenovo, TCL Communications and still unfamiliar upstarts like Gionee, Oppo and CorePad that are poised to become big international names in the coming years, said Wood.

All benefit from having a home field advantage in China, the world's largest phone market.

NOKIA X

This shifting landscape has already forced Nokia, the former mobile world-beater now struggling to stay relevant, to adopt Google's Android software to gain entry to the low-end smartphone market, despite Android being an arch rival of Nokia's new-owner-to-be Microsoft,

Launching the 89-euro ($120) Nokia X, Stephen Elop, chief executive of the Finnish group, called the sub-$100 range, "a massive opportunity" with that segment of the smartphone market now growing four times faster than the rest of the market.

Wood said Nokia's move spoke volumes about the pressures the whole industry was feeling.

"The cheaper end of the smartphone market has become such a big opportunity that, eventually, Nokia had to go to a rival software system -- Google's Android," he said, describing the move as "hugely controversial, but necessary".

The cheap stripped-down smartphones, which often sacrifice big screens, memory, and camera quality and have fewer novelty features such as fingerprint recognition, are designed to reach potentially billions of new consumers in emerging markets.

Smartphone sales last year overtook for the first time sales of so-called basic 'feature' phones, which focus on just calls and texts with a pared down Internet access, according to market tracking firm Strategy Analytics.

And IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo said smartphone sales in the sub-$100 category alone more than tripled to hit 159 million last year from 45.4 million in 2012. Sub-$50 smartphones grew even faster, up from just 900,000 in 2012 to 19.5 million last year.

COMPONENT SUPPLIES

However, this growth in demand is pushing up the cost of components, a surprising twist in an industry more familiar with falling material prices as technology evolves.

China's ZTE Corp, whose mobile business is aiming for 50 percent growth in shipments to 60 million phones this year, has seen the component supply crunch.

"All vendors face the challenge of the cost of key hardware components such as screen displays, memory and keyboards," said Qian Hao Lv, head of ZTE's device strategy. "These are crucial to differentiate one model from the next."

Nonetheless, Kan Yulun, another ZTE executive, said that the company was working on new technologies to drive the cost of smartphones down to $50 or below without compromising on quality.

"We will find tech solutions to reach the $50 price target by the end of this year," Yulun said.

He said he often hears from telecom operators in Africa, who still sell lots of feature phones, that they were now hungry for smartphones but need prices to come down to below $50.

The head of the pack in the sub-$100 race is the Alcatel Onetouch brand owned by TCL. Its brightly-coloured Idol family of phones have already proven a hit in Latin America and Europe and the firm launched two new phones for under $100 at the Mobile World Congress this week that can run on 4G mobile networks being rolled out in China, Brazil, and elsewhere.

But while many players are now chasing the lower end of the market not all are, fearing that stripped-down hardware features can only lead to a commoditised market where no one can differentiate and maintain a worthwhile profit margin.

Huawei, the world's third-biggest phone maker, prefers to aim higher by increasing the proportion of its phones that sell for 300 euros ($400) or more as opposed to the low-end it defines as under 150 euros.

"We are not interested in the sale volume of those low-end, low-priced phones," said Chief Executive Eric Xu.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

A Valentine's Day date? There are apps for that

MANILA - Need help planning this Valentines' Day?

A list of free-to-download apps, curated by phonemaker Nokia, can help you pick a perfect outfit, figure out how to cook a perfect meal, and help you make Valentine's Day more memorable.

Zomato + Waze

Start off your Valentines' Day plan with figuring out where to eat and how to get there. A couple wouldn't want to waste the night stuck in traffic, lost, and bickering over which restaurant to choose.

With the Zomato Restaurant Finder, this first step couldn't be any easier. The app provides hundreds of restaurant recommendations around Metro Manila and allows a look at menus, pictures, as well as a map on how to get there.

Match it with the Waze app, which details the fastest route on how to get to your destination using crowd sourced traffic information, and one has very little to fret about.

Wear It + How to Apply Make Up

Next up is finding the right outfit for this special night. Download the Wear It app and browse through stores and paired outfits posted by professional stylists to inspire one's own style.

Tie your whole look together with How to Apply Make Up, which provides detailed steps, helpful tips and warning, and video demonstrations to help one prepare for the big night.

TuneIn + YumvY

Decided to have dinner at home, instead? Try downloading the cooking companion app, YumvY. It walks you through several recipes, parses it step by step, from start to finish to help you impress your date with a home-cooked romantic dinner for two.

Top it all off with your favorite love songs from TuneIn, which offers over 100,000 stations globally and over 2 million on-demand streams to choose from. Find those songs that speak the words you can't seem to find and play them in the background, while you and your date dine by candlelight.

Instagram + A Beautiful Mess

And last, prolong the night you've prepared weeks for with custom photos that you can post online and share with your friends. Pair up the free to download application A Beautfiful Mess with Instagram to add more custom filters, fonts, and hand-drawn doodles to your photos.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nokia sets sights on reviving wireless network sales

HELSINKI - Nokia has reported a steep fall in sales at its network equipment division, raising concerns about growth prospects for what will be its primary operation after selling its former flagship phone business to Microsoft.

The Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) division's fourth-quarter sales fell 22 percent from a year earlier to 3.1 billion euros ($4.2 billion) as it failed to make up for the completion of large-scale Asian projects and withdrawal from some low-margin businesses earlier in the year.

Meanwhile sales in the Devices and Services division which it is selling to Microsoft for 5.4 billion euros ($7.4 billion) fell 29 percent to around 2.6 billion euros as it struggled with "competitive industry dynamics".

Nokia's shares were down 10 percent at 5.15 euros by 1600 GMT, a gain of more than 70 percent since the Microsft deal was announced in September, and analysts said much of the sell-off was due to worries about NSN, which will account for around 90 percent of Nokia's sales after the Microsoft deal is completed later this quarter.

Analysts had on average forecast sales of 3.2 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll.

"The fourth quarter was slightly disappointing," said Inderes analyst Mikael Rautanen. "Minus 22 percent was a heavier decline than was expected."

The unit turned profitable in 2012 after slashing costs and shedding unprofitable business but analysts say management now needs to concentrate on winning more work as high research and development costs mean bigger players have an advantage.

"They have cut costs and made profits for several quarters, but it's important that sales stabilise and grow in the second half of this year." said Greger Johansson at research firm Redeye.

Nokia duly said it would make an aggressive push this year to gain market share against industry leader Ericsson ERICb.ST as well as Chinese rival Huawei, and is aiming for year-on-year sales growth in the second half.

NSN's chief executive Rajeev Suri said it would be helped by recent deals with carriers such as Sprint in the United States and China Mobile.

"We are not satisfied with our top line results," he told analysts on a conference call, saying the company would be more "assertive" in winning deals.

However, analysts expect such sales growth will come at the expense of margins. NSN's operating margin last year rose to 9.7 percent from 5.7 percent in 2012.

The margin in the first quarter was likely to fall to around 5 percent, the company said, but it expects the year result to be at the higher end of its long-term range of 5-10 percent.

JP Morgan said it found the year forecast reassuring and kept an "overweight" rating on Nokia's shares but Nordea reiterated a "sell" recommendation, saying the company's forecast of 600 million euros in patent income for 2014 was much lower than he expected.

DROPPING PHONES

However, the overall results showed the group in stronger financial health without the phone business, which reported an adjusted operating loss of 191 million euros in the fourth quarter.

"The Microsoft deal looks only better and better for Nokia. If they still had that business in their books, their share price would be below two euros," said Mika Heikkila, portfolio manager at Taaleritehdas Asset Management.

Shipments of Lumia smartphones, which run on Windows Phone software, fell to 8.2 million devices in the last three months, from 8.8 million in the previous quarter, showing they failed to win over consumers in the crucial holiday season, and Nokia said the average sales price for its phones fell.

That shows the difficulties Microsoft will face in breaking into a market which apart from Apple is now dominated by phones running on Google's Android operating system.

Nokia's former chief executive Stephen Elop made the controversial decision to adopt Windows Phone in an attempt to recover from a late start in smartphones. But a limited marketing budget and an initial lack of popular apps made it hard for Nokia's smartphones to catch up.

It launched a wide range of handsets last year, winning positive reviews from critics, but by then investors were growing increasingly concerned about the company's finances.

Completion of the Microsoft sale is expected to return Nokia to an investment-grade credit rating while still allowing it to return some of the cash proceeds to shareholders.

Nokia last year suspended its annual dividend for the first time in its 148-year history in an attempt to preserve cash.

But it said on Thursday that the board was still deliberating on the company's corporate and capital structure and on how much of the Microsoft cash would be paid out to shareholders.

"Investors are left cold here. Not a word about the new strategy, the dividend decision is due to come later and the NSN result was short of expectations," said Alandsbanken fund manager Jari Honko.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nokia Solutions chairman to step down after Microsoft deal

HELSINKI - Nokia said the chairman of its networking equipment unit, Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN), will step down following the sale of the Finnish company's mobile phone business to Microsoft.

Jesper Ovesen, who joined NSN in 2011 when it was still a joint venture between Nokia and Siemens, will continue for a while as an advisor after the mobile phone business is transferred to Microsoft, Nokia said on Monday.

Markets expect more details on the new management structure at Nokia and its equipment business to be announced after the deal is closed, which is expected to happen in the first quarter of 2014.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nokia launches tablet to join Microsoft gadget push

ABU DHABI - Nokia has unveiled its first tablet and large-screen smartphones, which will form part of Microsoft's global push to become a leading player in consumer devices when it takes over the Finnish company's handset business.

The Lumia 2520 tablet, along with the Lumia 1320 and 1520 phones are among the last products Nokia developed before deciding to sell the devices unit to Microsoft in a deal that is due to close in the first quarter of next year.

Nokia, once the global leader in mobile phones, arrived late to the smartphone race and has struggled to catch up with Apple and Samsung, who dominate the increasingly crowded market for large-screen smartphones, known as phablets.

The Lumia tablet, which has a 10-inch screen, will also face tough competition from the likes of Apple, which is expected to unveil slimmer, faster iPads on Tuesday. The phablets, which both have 6-inch screens, will take on a multitude of similar devices from Samsung.

Analysts said the new products, which will retain the Nokia brand after the Microsoft handover, are priced low enough to attract interest.

The Lumia 2520, which comes in glossy red and white as well as matt cyan and black versions, is expected to start shipping in the fourth quarter for about $499.

"The tablet is a nice design, it's a good-value proposition," Gartner analyst Annette Zimmermann said, though she doubts that Nokia's first foray into the tablet market will bring billions in sales.

POSSIBLE CLASH

Others also questioned whether the new launch is enough to lure consumers back to Nokia and Microsoft, while Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said the Lumia 2520's position for Microsoft is unclear, particularly after the software giant launched its own tablets.

At midnight on Monday, Microsoft started selling its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets. Still feeling its way in the computer hardware business, the company is banking on the lighter and faster models boosting the lackluster sales of its touch-screen devices.

"Despite a more affordable price, the respective positioning of Nokia's tablet versus the Surface 2 is not obvious and will have to be dealt with after the Nokia acquisition," Husson said.

The new devices will help Microsoft to increase the number of Windows users, but Husson said he expects it to remain a long way from "a significant installed base of consumers".

Nokia's former chief executive Stephen Elop, hired in 2010 to turn round the company, decided in early 2011 to drop Nokia's own operating system in favor of the Microsoft's untested Windows Phone software.

The Lumia devices have been well received by technology blogs and critics, but sales have been slow to pick up, partly because of a lack of Windows Phone apps and a limited marketing budget.

(Writing by Ritsuko Ando; Editing by David Goodman)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nokia launches new 41-megapixel phone in PH

MANILA – A 41-megapixel camera is one of the defining features of the newest smartphone of Nokia, which the company officially launched in the Philippines on Tuesday.

The Lumia 1020 is Nokia’s reaction to the growing number of consumers who rely on their smartphones to capture photos and upload them on social networking sites such as Facebook.

Gary Chan, Nokia’s head of marketing for Pan Asia, noted that 1.5 billion photos are being taken using a phone every day, with 600 million of them shared online.

“People recognize that while you may not have your camera with you all the time, you have your phone with you all the time,” he said during the Philippine launch of the Lumia 1020 at the Ayala Museum in Makati. “Our demands for what we want to get out of our phones keep increasing in terms of its power, its clarity, its revolution and experiences.”

“People are actually starting to wonder: should I actually bring a separate camera with me when I go out?” he added, citing the phone’s DSLR-like features such as manual adjustments of focus, ISO, shutter speed, white balance and exposure.

Chan stressed that the 41-megapixel camera in Lumia 1020 is different from that of Nokia’s older products, the 808 Pureview, saying that the former is a “second-generation sensor” which is more sensitive.

And unlike the Lumia 920, the new phone has a brand new AMOLED screen that makes colors even more vivid, he said. It is also 30 grams lighter.

The Lumia 1020, which comes in yellow, black and white, will be available in Nokia Stores and authorized retailers at P35,650 starting October 11.

Nokia Philippines manager Karel Holub said the price includes a free camera grip worth P4,000 so the phone can easily be attached to a standard camera tripod.

Holub said the price, while quite high for most Filipinos, is a great deal since buying a DLSR, a smartphone and an HD camera would cost more than P30,000 each.

‘Back is the new front’

While it follows the design of other Lumia smartphones, the Lumia 1020 stands out because of its “bump” on the back which, Chan said, “is where all the camera optics is contained.”

Aside from the 41-megapixel sensor, the Lumia 1020 features Zeiss optics, six lenses, optical image stabilization, a Xenon flash and an LED flash.

“With Lumia 1020, the back is the new front. This is going to be absolutely polarizing,” Chan said. “A lot of magic happens inside this bump.”

The Lumia 1020 also boasts of a “reinvented zoom,” with the camera simultaneously taking a 38-megapixel image that can be cropped in many different ways to tell a story, and a five-megapixel photo that can be easily shared on social media sites.

The Windows 8 smartphone also has a Nokia Pro Camera feature, which teaches users how to maximize the features of the Lumia 1020 camera.

Citing the company’s innovations through the years, Chan said imaging has always been in Nokia’s DNA.

“Ten years ago, we put out the Nokia 7650. It was the first time that we combined a phone with a camera," he said. “But we did not stop there, we continued to innovate.”

Here’s a look at the Lumia 1020’s key features, as provided by Nokia:

Operating system: Windows Phone 8

Processor: 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4

Memory: 2 GB RAM, 32 GB internal user memory; 7 GB SkyDrive cloud storage

Camera: PureView 41 MP sensor with optical image stabilization, backside-illuminated image sensor, six-lens Zeiss optics, high resolution zoom 3x, autofocus, Xenon flash, LED for video, 1080p video at 30 fps. Includes Nokia Pro Camera app and Nokia Smart Camera app. Secondary camera: HD 1.2 MP wide angle

Display: 4.5” AMOLED WXGA (1280 x 768), 2.5D sculptured Corning Gorilla Glass 3, PureMotion HD+, Clear Black, high brightness mode, sunlight readability, Super Sensitive Touch for nail and glove usage, Nokia Glance Screen

Size: 130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4 mm. Weight: 158 g

Connectivity: USB 2.0, BT 3.0, NFC with SIM-based security, WLAN a/b/g/n, A-GPS and Glonass, 3.5 mm audio connector

Battery: 2000 mAh battery, wireless charging supported via accessory cover

Audio: IHF speakers, two microphones, Nokia Rich Recording, HD voice compliant, 3.5. mm AV connector

Maximum talk time (3G): 13.3 hours

Standby time: 16 days

Video playback time: 6.8 hours

Music playback time: 63 hours

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Say hello to the Nokia Lumia 900

So many cell phones, so many choices. That is a good thing, right? Of course it is.

Although it seems that Nokia has entered the smartphone game a little late — at this point, it is better late than later.

The Nokia Lumia 900 is the flagship cell phone for the Finnish firm. Nokia seems to have outdone itself with this stylish phone, which is 127.8-mm tall, 68.5mm wide and at 11.5mm thick. I know many folks that swear by the Nokia Lumia 900.

The Lumia 900 features a classy, unibody frame made from polycarbonate. It’s tough and feels tough in your hand; Nokia’s industrial design work has clearly not been dulled by age.

The Lumia 900 is a little bit heavier than the other smartphones on the market. But for some people its length helps because it ensures a tighter hold on their Lumias.

The front of the Lumia 900 is a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels.


It is equipped with an 8-megapixel auto focus camera lens with Nokia’s customary Carl Zeiss optics next to a dual LED flash.

It comes with16GB of storage, although this is not expandable.

The Nokia Lumia 900 comes with the Windows Phone Mango operating system.

The Lumia 900’s lock screen displays signal levels for cellular, Wi-Fi and battery at top, with time and date more prominently at bottom. Upcoming calendar events handily appear below the date, along with icons for incoming e-mail or message counts as they come in.

While locked, notifications appear in a band of color at top, which varies depending on what theme is selected.

If you hold down the shutter button on the right of the Lumia 900, you can jump straight into the camera app from the lock screen, which is perfect if you like taking pictures at whim.

Swiping a finger from the bottom of the screen unlocks the Lumia 900 and reveals two columns of tiles representing apps, services and contacts.

Many of these are “live” tiles, which can display information such as missed calls, text messages, e-mail inbox counts and more. All you have to do is hold down on a tile, with the choice to either change its position in the grid, or remove it from view, which is known as “unpinning.”

Tap the arrow at the upper right of the display, or swipe from right to left to reveal the list of installed apps, sorted alphabetically.

To quickly jump to an app, tap any letter and choose from an A to Z grid — for example, “T” for Twitter. Frequently used apps can also be pinned to the Start menu; simply tap and hold on the desired app, then select “Pin to start.”

Once pinned, many apps include live, updating information like photos, weather or news in place of a dedicated notification area used by competitors.

To quickly jump between open apps, hold down the back button for a moment to bring up the basic multi-tasking menu, then swipe and tap to select.

Yes, there are lots of things one can do with a simple press on a tile on the Nokia Lumia, which makes its easy to use — and easy to learn to use if you are a first timer to the Nokia Lumia.

Taking shots, watching videos

As I took the Lumia 900 for a test run, I was fascinated by how quickly I could take Instagram shots. And, even more thrilled at how quickly I was able to upload them. I’m really not one of those who like posting every little thing I shoot, but with the Nokia Lumia 900 and a good Wi-Fi connection, it was fun.

Picture taking done, I went on to catch a few videos on YouTube. Clear, and with good sound quality, I was happy with what I had seen.

All these new ways of connecting, other than texting and calling, always fascinate me. But I guess I am just showing my age (early 50s) when I say this because I am not too sure why all the young folks I know really love to share all (or almost all of) their lives on Twitter and Instagram.

I still am a bit old-fashioned when it comes to connecting with people. I am not even happy if all I get is a text — although a text is better than no contact.

I am a call type of person, and making calls on the Nokia Lumia was more fun than all the Instagramming, Facebooking and Tweeting.

Of course, there are some things that will never change when it comes to personalizing my cell phone. So, yes, I did load my fave ringtones and yes, that all-time fave photo of my canine companions as wallpaper.

So, I guess, I like the Nokia Lumia because it has some of the old things — like the way one can personalize the cell phone and how the ringtones and profiles can be fixed, which are really some of the thing I liked about the first Nokia cell phone I owned.

Yet it has been loaded with all the new stuff that the young cell phone users of today look for — quick Wi-Fi connections, apps that keep them online, all the time and a look that says it has arrived — both functional and yet stylish.

source: philstar.com

Nokia launches cheaper Windows-based phones

BARCELONA -- Nokia, once the leader of the mobile phone world, unveiled Monday two new Windows Phone-based Lumia smartphones aimed at the cheaper end of the market.

The Finnish group revealed the Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 on the opening day of the world's biggest mobile fair, the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain.

"The momentum behind Nokia is gathering pace," said Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop.

"The launches today reflect our commitment to broadening our devices and services portfolio to meet the demands of people and businesses around the globe."

The Nokia Lumia 720 has a camera with Carl Zeiss optics and has a starting price of 249 euros ($330) before taxes, with a rollout due to start in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore in the first quarter.

The Nokia Lumia 520 would be priced at just 139 euros pre-tax, it said, the cheapest of its Windows Phone 8 devices, launching first in Hong Kong and Vietnam in the first quarter of this year before a broader release in the second quarter.

Nokia said it would bring the Lumia 720 and the Nokia Lumia 520 to China.

Last month, Nokia posted a net profit of 202 million euros in the fourth quarter, its first quarterly profit for 18 months.

But the beleaguered company, which is trying to cut costs, said that it would not pay a dividend to shareholders for the first time in more than 20 years.

In the three months ending December 31, Nokia made a net profit of 202 million euros compared to a loss of 1.07 billion euros in the same quarter a year ago.

The company sold a total of 86.3 million devices during the quarter, including 4.4 million Lumia smartphones, its new flagship product developed with Microsoft.

Nokia said at the time that the numbers were better than expected.

Still, net sales of smart devices fell 55 percent in the quarter to 1.2 billion euros on a yearly basis as volumes fell.

source: abs-cbnnews.com