Nokia

Nokia releases the Tube, now the 5800 XpressMusic

Phil Goldstein — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:38:18 -0400

Nokia released a new phone at a press unveiling in London, the previously-rumored touch-screen Tube, which it now calls the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone.

Just as the HTC Dream became the G1, the Tube now has a new name, and a whole host of features that will be run off of Nokia's latest Symbian operating system, the S60 5th edition. The phone is the latest entrant into the arena to see which handset can become an IPK--an iPhone Killer. As with many such devices, the 5800 has some features similar to Apple's iPhone 3G, and a few that make it unique.

The phone will come in three different versions: a quad-band GSM with 850/1900 WCDMA, a quad-band GSM with 900/2100 WCDMA and Quad-band GSM with no 3G capabilities. It has both a 3.2-inch touch-screen display and a 3.2 megapixel camera, WiFi, GPS and HSDPA capabilities, stereo speakers, a touch-screen, drop down media bar menu and finger and stylus user interface controls. It has 8GB of memory, available through a microSD slot. A 16GB slot will be available next year.

The phone will retail for about $390 unlocked before taxes and subsidies, and no word has been given on a specific U.S. release date, though Nokia did indicate it would be in the fourth quarter of 2008.

For more:
- see this article
- see these pictures of the device

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Nokia CEO sees new Symbian platform on handsets in 2010

Phil Goldstein — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:06:26 -0400

Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said the company will be expanding the functions on its handsets to create better user experiences, and said the acquisition of the Symbian operating system, and the creation of the Symbian Foundation would lead to a new royalty-free, open-source platform on its handsets in 2010.

In an interview with Information Week, Kallasvuo said Nokia understands the handset industry is in the middle of a transformation, and is moving toward a more experience-oriented model. He said Nokia would be using its Ovi platform to expand more services and applications, noting that this has already started with Nokia's Comes With Music program. The program, which gives some Nokia users free music downloads for a year, has received a chilly response so far in Europe.

He also talked about how Nokia's acquisition of the Symbian OS, combined with Nokia's S60, DoCoMo's Mobile Oriented application Platform and UIQ would create a new kind of open mobile platform. Kallasvuo said the first new Symbian OS-based handsets will roll out from Nokia in 2010, and though he did not acknowledge Google's Android OS by name, said Symbian would perform better because it has a proven track record of success.

For more:
- see this article

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Nokia CTO steps down; company looks to sell unit

Phil Goldstein — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:25:01 -0400

Nokia's Chief Technology Officer Bob Iannucci announced he would be stepping down from the company for undisclosed personal reasons. The company also said it was looking to sell off its computer-security hardware business and focus more on consumers.

Iannucci had been at Nokia since 2004, and will remain as a consultant for the company until a new CTO is found. The move comes as the world's largest cell phone maker announced it was in advanced talks to sell its security hardware business and will stop making software for enterprise solutions, so that it could focus more on consumers and devices.

Though still the dominant player in terms of market share, Nokia has seen companies like Research In Motion, HTC and Apple cut it into its consumer market base.

For more:
- see this article on Iannucci
- and this article on Nokia's potential business change (sub. req.)

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Report: Motorola to develop Android phones

Phil Goldstein — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:03:34 -0400

Motorola is reportedly betting that Google's Android operating system is going to be a money-maker. The firm has assembled a large team to work on developing handsets that will run on the OS, according to a report on the blog Tech Crunch.

The blog quotes an unnamed Android developer who says they were approached by a headhunter to join the development team, which now numbers 50, but could expand to as many as 350 people, indicating Motorola is serious about the project.

Motorola is a member of the Open Handset Alliance, and the move would mesh well with the theme of "openness" that has permeated the industry. Nokia and Verizon Wireless were also reportedly invited to attend an Android Developer Conference last week hosted by Google. Verizon has said that it would use Android, however the company has not joined the Open Handset Alliance.

For more:
- see this post

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Nokia to launch touch screen phone, the Tube

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:17:30 -0400

Come one, come all to the touch screen phone market.

A day after the launch of T-Mobile's G1, photos of Nokia's touch screen phone, the Tube, were leaked and several reports say its launch is imminent--possibly as soon as Oct. 2.

The Tube will be launched into an increasingly crowded smartphone market. The most visible new entrants in that space include the iPhone 3G and the Google G1. Plus, Research In Motion's BlackBerry Storm is expected to launch in the coming months.

The Tube mimics some of the iPhone's features, including an accelerometer to determine if the device should display photos in landscape or portrait mode. It also is expected to have GPS, built-in WiFi, be HSDPA-capable and have a TV out signal.

For more:
- see this new leaked image of the Tube
- see this article

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U.S. smartphone market is tough to crack

Sue Marek — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:05:31 -0400

Top-ranked handset vendors such as Motorola, Nokia and Samsung control 80 percent of the cell phone device market but have struggled to sell smartphones in the U.S. This has caused an open door for vendors such as Research in Motion and Apple. Can the big handset makers regain their edge? Article (sub. req.)

19.6M Symbian OS handsets shipped in Q2

Sue Marek — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:27:43 -0400

Symbian reported that 19.6 million handsets with its operating system were shipped in second quarter 2008, bringing the total cumulative number of Symbian handsets in the market to 225.9 million.

However the company said that the average royalty per unit declined from $4.40 in the first half of 2007 to $3.70 in the first half of 2008. Symbian said the reason for the decline was because licensees were migrating to the v9 of Symbian OS, which has a different licensing pricing structure. There are currently 159 Symbian phone models available globally from eight handset vendors. Another 92 handsets are in development.

Nokia announced in June that it would acquire the remaining interest in Symbian. The deal is supposed to be completed in the second half of the year.

For more:
- see this press release

Related article:
Nokia to acquire Symbian and open software platform

Base station makers revenues up 14.5 percent

Sue Marek — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:58:34 -0400

Second quarter 2008 was a good time for base station manufacturers. Research firm EJL Wireless reports second quarter revenues for base station manufacturers was $13.8 billion, up 14.5 percent from the same quarter in 2007. EJL's report includes infrastructure revenues for Alca-Lu, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia Siemens, Nortel and ZTE. However it doesn't include Huawei. Report

Nokia launches three N-Series smartphones

Sue Marek — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:11:33 -0400

Nokia launched three new N-Series smartphones--the video-centric N96, the N85, and the N79, a candy bar-styled phone with changeable covers. Although the manufacturer doesn't have a U.S. carrier deal for the phones, they will be available through Nokia stores and online.

All three HSDPA phones have WiFi connectivity and use the Symbian Series 60 Version 3 operating system. They come with a microSD memory card slot, GPS and a 5-megapixel camera. The N85, which has an OLED screen, will be available for $600 to $650. The N96, which supports DVB-H (a mobile TV standard not available in the U.S.) will cost $750 to $800. The N79, which has removable covers, will be available for $500 to $550. All phones will be available before yearend.

For more:
- See this PC Magazine article

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Study: U.S. mobile phone sales down 13 percent

Sue Marek — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:20:32 -0400

A study by NPD Group says that U.S. consumers purchased 28 million mobile phones in second quarter, a 13 percent decline over the same period a year ago. The firm estimates that total sales were $2.4 billion, down 2 percent year over year. NPD says that Motorola managed to maintain its lead but its unit sales share dropped 6 percent from first quarter. Motorola led the U.S. sales with 21 percent of the market, Samsung and LG both had 20 percent share and tied for second and third place, fourth place went to Nokia with 9 percent and RIM with 7 percent. Release

Sony Ericsson may not turnaround until 2010

Sue Marek — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:09:58 -0400

Analysts are painting a grim short-term outlook for Sony Ericsson. Neil Mawston, handset analyst with Strategy Analytics, says that the handset maker may see a bump in sales over Christmas, however, with mobile device sales in Europe being flat, he predicts that it will be another year or two before Sony Ericsson bounces back. The company is suffering from a poor product portfolio and minimal presence in emerging markets such as India, where millions of new phone users are added every month.

Sony Ericsson has finally starting ramping up its presence in booming markets in Asia--the company created a new division in India--but many fear it may be too late.

For more:
- see this article

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Nokia unveils fancy carbon fiber phone

Sue Marek — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:52:48 -0400

Nokia unveiled a new high-end mobile phone, the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte that is made of carbon fiber, titanium, polished glass and stainless steel. The phone has a unique tap-for-time feature that lets consumers tap the steel surface below the display and a clock appears on the screen. The 3G phone has a 3.2 megapixel camera and 4GB of memory.

But all these special features come with a special price. The phone retails for about $1,620 and will be available in Europe in the third quarter. Check out a photo slideshow of the pricey phone here.

Nokia isn't the only OEM using carbon fiber for its handsets. LG introduced the "Secret" handset earlier this year which is made of carbon fiber and tempered glass.

For more:
- see this article

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Forum Nokia recognizes innovative developers

Sue Marek — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:22:11 -0400

Forum Nokia recognized eight developers as part of its 2008 Innovation Series. The series recognizes small- and mid-sized developers for offering interesting and previously unavailable services for Nokia phones. Check out the winners here.

Nokia cuts handset prices

Sue Marek — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:21:59 -0400

Handset maker Nokia has reportedly reduced the prices on many of its music and multimedia phones by up to 10 percent. The price cuts are surprising considering the company reported strong second quarter results last month. During the second quarter, Nokia increased its market share to 40 percent, up from 38 percent in the prior year.

However, Nokia's average handset selling price continues to drop. The company attributed the decrease to higher volumes of cheaper phones being sold in emerging markets and the impact of the weak dollar. During the second quarter Nokia's ASP dropped to $117, down from $125 in the first quarter and down from $143 in the same quarter a year ago.

For more:
- see this report

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Chart: Telecom infrastructure vendor revenues for 2Q 2008

Mike Dolan — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:03:41 -0400

Here is a roundup of telecom infrastructure vendor revenues:

Nokia gains patent victory over Qualcomm in Germany

Lynnette Luna — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:36:04 -0400

As a key trial between Qualcomm and Nokia begins today over WCDMA patents, Nokia gained some ammunition in Germany. The German Federal Patent Court ruled that a Qualcomm patent pertaining to GSM phones was invalid and threw out Qualcomm's case against Nokia. The lawsuit was filed back in 2006, but delayed at Qualcomm's request.

"Nokia believes that this case is illustrative of the ongoing patent debate around open standardization. As an increasing number of technologies are integrated into new products some patent owners try to claim high compensation for patents that lack merit," Nokia said in a statement.

A U.K. court and the International Trade Commission have also ruled in Nokia's favor, saying Qualcomm's GSM patents are invalid. The GSM patent lawsuits between the two companies primarily stem from the impasse the two have over a patent agreement that expired in April 2007 pertaining to royalties Qualcomm charges for WCDMA chips. Both companies have filed a flurry of patent lawsuits against each other for both GSM and WCDMA in various U.S. states and across Europe.

For more:
- read Cellular-News

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Nokia, Qualcomm head to court this week over CDMA patents

Lynnette Luna — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:57:07 -0400

The simmering battle between Qualcomm and Nokia is heating up again as the two technology giants head to court on Wednesday to determine whether Qualcomm's charges of royalties for CDMA are too high. While the trial won't likely settle the dispute the two have over a patent agreement that expired in April 2007 pertaining to royalties Qualcomm charges for WCDMA chips, it could offer the winner of this trial some leverage in that dispute.

At issue on Wednesday in a Delaware court is whether, as Nokia contends, Qualcomm forfeited its right to seek injunctions in lawsuits to enforce patents because it promised European standards-setting bodies to license its patents under fair and nondiscriminatory terms. Nokia also claims that it is paid up on Qualcomm's key patents while the rest should be valued much less when taking Nokia's own patents into consideration.

Of course, Qualcomm says Nokia is wrong about the worth of those other patents and its "fair and nondiscriminatory" agreement with standards bodies. It contends that Nokia extended their existing license agreement by default by using Qualcomm inventions after the agreement expired.

Vendors have long grumbled about the amount of royalties Qualcomm charges for CDMA-based patents. Nokia and Qualcomm have been filing a number of lawsuits in the U.S. and Europe against each other over patents since 2005.

For more:
- read the WSJ (sub. req.)

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Nokia's outlook for 2008 is good, market share is up

Sue Marek — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:01:40 -0400

Nokia surprised analysts this morning with better-than-expected second-quarter earnings. Although the company's profit was down ($1.75 billion compared to $4.49 billion a year earlier) most of that difference was because the 2007 results included a $2.98 billion gain from the formation of Nokia Siemens Networks. On the good news front, Nokia said that its global market share for handsets is at 40 percent, up from 38 percent a year ago. In addition, the company upgraded its forecast for the global handset market saying that mobile device volumes could grow more than its previous estimate of 10 percent in 2008.

On the negative side, Nokia's handset average selling price continues to drop because of higher volumes of cheaper phones being sold in emerging markets and the impact of the weak dollar. Nokia's ASP was $117, down from $125 in the first quarter and down from $143 in the same quarter a year ago. The company also said it had lost some share of the smartphone market in the second quarter, but said it was due to a lack of smartphones in its portfolio. Nokia executives said that will improve in the second half of the year because the company plans to introduce 10 new smartphones.

In the U.S. market, where Nokia has been weak, the firm saw some improvement thanks to two handsets, one that is offered by T-Mobile USA and another by AT&T. Nokia executives expect this to improve even more as the company has had its first CDMA handset approved by Verizon Wireless for use on its network.

Nokia Siemens Networks meanwhile continues to focus on lowering expenses and improving margins. Nokia executives said that the market is difficult because of competition but that management is focusing on being profitable rather than attaining market share. The joint venture finished a quarter with surprisingly strong revenue growth of 18 percent to $6.45 billion over the second quarter of 2007, which was the first reporting quarter for the company.

For more:
- see this press release

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Mary McDowell - Top Women in Wireless

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:56:54 -0400

Mary McDowell

Executive vice president and chief development officer at Nokia

After spending 17 years at HP-Compaq, Mary McDowell decided to make the foray into wireless in 2004 when she joined Nokia as executive vice president and general manager of the company's enterprise solutions group. During her time there, she oversaw the development of the Nokia Eseries of mobile devices.

In her current role, she heads the corporate development office and oversees many areas including mobile software sales and marketing and IT. With Nokia's growing emphasis on applications and software, McDowell is now on the forefront of many company initiatives, including Nokia's recent $410 million acquisition of the remaining interest in Symbian and its plans to make Symbian's software into an open source platform and make it available to members for free.

Nokia: Interest in Symbian Foundation growing

Lynnette Luna — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:39:43 -0400

The Symbian Foundation, created last month when Nokia purchased Symbian, is rapidly growing, says Nokia. Another nine companies have joined the organization, including mobile operators 3, America Movil and TIM along with semiconductor company Marvell and services and software providers Aplix, EB, EMCC Software, Sasken and TietoEnator. About 150 organizations have registered their interest in joining, according to Nokia. The Symbian Foundation is expected to begin operations during the first half of 2009, subject to completion of the Nokia/Symbian acquisition. The first devices based on the Symbian Foundation's open-source code are expected to arrive in 2010. Article