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Analyst : Apple Shipped 52 Million iPhones In Q4 2012

Rumours of Apple’s death have been greatly exaggerated.

Last week we heard plenty of rumors about Apple having cut display orders for the new iPhone 5 due to lower than expected demand. While it has gone as far as to affect Apple’s stock prices, it may not have been entirely true. According to one analyst Apple were able to ship some 52 million iPhone units in Q4.

In other words, any cuts in display orders correspond to a predictable slide in iPhone sales for the new year. Despite a rapidly-shrinking stock price, Apple is bound by law not to comment on such things; it has to wait until January 23rd to report its Q4 earnings which will, predictably, be stellar.

According to AppleInsider, a leaked document sent to investors this week cites iPhone sales of 52 million for the quarter ending December 31st. This includes all current models being sold around the world, including the discounted iPhone 4 and 4S. iPhone 5 sales are expected to be 35 million, some nine million more than all the iPhones sold in Q3.

In other words, an almost-100% increase quarter-over-quarter, and a year-over-year gain of over 40% is not out of the cards, which will inevitably lead to the company’s highest-grossing quarter ever.

Overall, Apple is expected to have moved over 140 million smartphones in 2012, led by strong iPhone 4S shipments of some 74 million units during the first half of the year.

More than anything, these mammoth numbers from all camps speak to the rise of the smartphone in general, and the prospect of another healthy year in 2013 for all involved companies. Manufacturers like LG, Sony, HTC, Huawei, Nokia and RIM are aiming to take some market share away from Apple and Samsung in the coming months, but it’s a two horse race for the foreseeable future.

Apple is set to reveal details regarding fourth quarter shipments during the company’s quarterly conference call scheduled for Jan. 23.

Source: AppleInsider, Forbes

January 17, 2013
LG Plans To Sell 75 Million Devices in 2013

LG made one of the best first-generation Windows Phone devices in the Optimus 7, and proved that despite its reputation it wasn’t just a low-cost phone OEM. Now that we have the Optimus G and an assured influx of new devices for the next few quarters, LG plans to take back some of the market share lost to Samsung, Sony, HTC and Motorola over the last few years.

According to a report from the Korean Times, the manufacturer of the Optimus line of Android devices aims to move 75 million handsets this year. Of those, 45 million are projected to be smartphones.

The figure seems like a drop in the bucket for competitors like Apple and Samsung. The latter justsurpassed sales of 40 million for their Galaxy S3 flagship alone, which has been on the market for less than a year. Samsung has set a much loftier goal of 500 million phones sold.

LG made a lot of bad choices in the aftermath of iPhone. Abandoning an opportunity to make the very first Android smartphone and betting heavily on the dead-end Windows Mobile platform, it completely missed the great smartphone explosion of 2009-2011. As a result, LG’s mobile business cratered, and it went into a period of protracted and heavy losses for several years.

They managed to stop the bleeding last year, and now seem to be turning things around on the backs of the cheap Optimus L line, a rather underpriced Optimus G flagship and also amazingly low cost Google’s Nexus 4. By the second half of 2012 LG’s smartphone volumes started growing nicely again, and it even managed to turn a modest profit despite going the cheap device route for most of the year.

If LG now manages to upscale its product line with new high end devices on Android and Windows Phone 8, 2013 might be a pretty good year for them.

January 17, 2013
Google Chrome Beta Receives First Update To Fix Bugs
Google Chrome beta for Android was released just five days ago, but it has already received its first update in what looks to be a coming trend. The desktop beta and developer channels receive weekly updates and Google is unlikely to slow down its improvement schedule for mobile, especially since both versions share a significant proportion of code.

These bug fixes are mainly about interaction with specific websites, but there are some overarching performance improvements on some devices. These are also a number of outstanding bugs to contend with, including poor performance on the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S. And while the beta version did decrease the propensity for crashing on the Nexus 10, it didn’t eliminate it altogether. Hopefully this will be addressed in the coming weeks.

If you’ve already downloaded the Chrome beta via the non-searchable Play Store link, you’ll see an update available for you today. If not, head to this link and get downloading. Chrome beta, like its sibling, is available for Android 4.0+ devices only.

This update contains a number of fixes, including:
- 164632 – Edit Bookmark is broken
- 167351 – Youtube video controls are lost after returning from fullscreen
- 167016 – Some Samsung Galaxy S2 freezes
- 168062 – Double tapping on non-zoomable sites scrolls the page to the top briefly before returning to original position
- 167379 – Sometimes tabswitcher is frozen
- 166998 – Tab content stretched out while returning to it through side swipe gesture
- 168632 – Crash – Stack Signature: TabAndroidImpl::FromWebContents
- 168388 – Sync signed in info text’s font size is too small
- 168430 – Bookmark star icon doesn’t turn grey/white immediately after bookmarking URL /deleting URL from bookmarks
Known Issues:
- Performance is sluggish, noticeably on Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S
- Frequent freeze on devices with specific versions of Qualcomm GPU driver
- Text autosizing may break formatting on some sites
- Video continues playing after exiting fullscreen on android phones
- [HTC Droid DNA] Getting crash on tabswitcher mode
- 163439 – yahoo.com page links are not working
- 166233 – Cannot submit comments on facebook posts or pictures
- 165244 – Text handler jumps or disappears when moving
- 162486 – iframe scrolling broken
- 158633: Tap disambiguation overaggressive
- 169910 – Flickering while opening new tab
[Mobile Syrup, Android Task Force]
January 16, 2013
Toyota Fortuner With 5-speed AT Launched At Rs 22.33 lakh

The Toyota Fortuner has had a sensational run in India selling more than 41,000 examples. In fact, Toyota understood the market very well and refreshed the Fortuner long before it was overdue and the numbers are getting better with each passing year.

The face-lifted version launched at the Auto Expo 2012 along with the automatic transmission option only brought more customers into the showrooms. Now, just a year after its launch owing to customer feedback, Toyota has introduced a five-speed auto transmission in the Fortuner, replacing the earlier 4-speed unit. While figures haven’t been quoted by Toyota, we expect the fuel efficiency of the 5-speed slush box to be more than that of the outgoing 4-speed one.

Other than that, the limited edition Sportivo edition launched last year is now a regular grade as also is the Pearl White Mica colour. Prices for the entire line up ex-Delhi are as follows: Rs 22.3 lakh for the 4×2 AT (5 speed), Rs 22.93 lakh for the 4×2 AT TRD Sportivo (5 speed) and Rs 21.96 lakh for the MT TRD Sportivo. Bookings will open from January 18.

[quote]

Commenting on the new introduction Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Office –

The 4×2 automatic transmission is extremely popular, it has been highly appreciated by the customers. The 5 speed AT will further add to the drive quality and comfort. Looking at the overwhelming response for the Fortuner TRD Sportivo and its popularity, we have now regularized this grade for all those looking for a unique sporty image. The bookings will open starting 18th Jan 2013.

[/quote]

January 16, 2013
New Hands-On Video Of RIM’s BlackBerry Z10 Shows Up On YouTube, Shows Rear Camera Footage

RIM is set to officially unveil its BlackBerry 10 operating system and the devices that will first carry it on 30 January in several countries around the globe.

We’ve had more leaks than a woolen canoe when it comes to the new BlackBerry devices, but there has always been an air of mystique around certain aspects. Until now.

Austrian website Telekom-presse.at has completely blown the lid on the phone formerly known as the BlackBerry London or L-Series. It is now simply the BlackBerry Z10 (as rumoured a while back), and the site professes to have had one in its grasp long enough to give it a full review.

The specs for the phone are solid but not cutting-edge: a dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 SoC and 2GB of RAM drive a 4.2-inch 1280×768 display, and the phone has 16GB of storage that is expandable via a microSD card slot. The phone also has a USB and good-sized 2100mAh battery, weighs 4.4 ounces (125 grams), and measures roughly 5.07 by 2.56 by 0.31 inches (129 x 65 x 8mm), slightly larger in every dimension than an iPhone 5. The back of the device is covered by a lightly textured removable plastic cover.

A video from Telekom-Presse has been uploaded to YouTube today, this time showing off the camera quality. According to their report, the Z10 “camera takes very excellent images even in low light” and will sport “a resolution of 8MP and 3264 x 1836 pixels in 16:9 mode or 3264 x 2448 pixels in 4:3 mode. The front camera has 1.9 MPx and triggers with 1600 x 1200 or 1600 x 900 pixels on.”

The video is quick, only 34 seconds, but the quality is solid and so is the sound.

January 16, 2013
New MySpace goes live, Along With Exclusive New Justin Timberlake Single

New Myspace — with its drastically different redesign — has left invite-only mode, opening up the revamped social network to the public.

The landing page for New.Myspace.com shows a dapper Justin Timberlake and promotes his new “Suit and Tie” single that he released late Sunday night.

Timberlake, who took an ownership stake in the company in 2011, had given the world a sneak peek of New Myspace in September, but now anyone can use the refurbished network.

The tie-in with Justin Timberlake’s new single is bound to drive considerable traffic back to MySpace. Whether or not these new users will hang around after they’ve heard the track is anyone’s guess, but MySpace’s new interface and fresh design might prove to be a refreshing change from the dull blue hues of Facebook and it’s spam ridden newsfeed.

Facebook is a social network first and foremost, with music discovery bolted on the side and pushed into the newsfeed, thanks mainly to Spotify. The new MySpace, on the other hand, puts the theme of music discovery front and centre. With social networking features used more as tools for artists to contribute to the network, rather than for general users to post status updates and pictures of cats.

It’s quite clear to see that MySpace is sticking with music as the focus of their service. The new design offers greater potential for artists to promote themselves and interact with their online audience, compared to plain Facebook pages and text-centric Twitter feeds.

The site ranked as the 46th most-visited Web property in a report released by analysis firm comScore in December, down from 43rd in a list released in August.

According to the report, the site logged 27 million unique visits in November 2012, behind Facebook’s 148 million, Twitter’s 39.5 million and Tumblr’s 29.7 million. It did, however, beat out Pinterest, which was ranked 50th with around 26 million unique visitors.

January 15, 2013
LG Denies New Nexus Phone After Rumours Surface

Getting hold of an LG Nexus 4 through Google’s official device store hasn’t been an easy task. It’s been two months since release day, and throughout most of that time the device has been either sold out or on back-order. It’s safe to say that the Google Play buying experience has been less than ideal for many.

Last week, some sites reported on a new rumour out of the LG camp. It was a thin rumour with little evidence to back it up, but it went like this: LG is not having trouble producing Nexus 4?s, but is rather ramping down production in order to replace it with a new Nexus phone, likely a Nexus 5, in time for Mobile World Congress.

There are some shaky rumours out there — heck, even we report on some from time to time — but this one was just ridiculous. The truth is out there, folks, and that story contained none of it. Instead, it looks like LG is producing Nexus 4?s as fast as it can make them, and there are other reasons why they’re not getting into users’ hands. And it’s pretty simple. LG has said that the rumors about the company working on a new Nexus device are “unfounded”.

[quote]LG is cranking out Nexus 4?s as quickly as it can make them; according to a company representative, there is nothing fishy going on. “There is no problem [with] supply,” he said, indicating the company’s Pyeongtaek factory is producing the device “without a hitch.” We should see more stock in the Play Store soon — that sales channel isn’t going anywhere, and will still be the preferred method for most people — but it will also expand into new areas.[/quote]

Yes, it’s frustrating that you can’t buy one today in India, and likely won’t be able to in the coming future.

[Android Central]

January 15, 2013
Official Speedtest App For Windows Phone 8 Released

Owners of Windows Phone 8 devices can now download and install a new application on their devices, namely Speedtest.net, which has been available for other mobile platforms out there for quite some time now.

The Speedtest.net web interface has been used by millions of people all over the world to test whether or not they are getting what they pay for from their ISPs. The site was originally launched to provide performance indicators of the tested network, but has grown to include a portfolio of official mobile apps as well as a reporting mechanism to see how ISPs around the world are performing, with the idea in mind that being able to name and shame companies should keep service providers honest. Windows Phone 8 users can now count themselves as part of the official experience.

The application already has millions of users, and arrives on Windows Phone 8 devices with the same features and capabilities as on other platforms.

One word of note though: judging by the comments left on the application it appears that some owners of the Lumia 920 on USA’s AT&T are having issues running the program, but the majority of people who have downloaded the application, on the other hand, say that it works as intended. They also seem to dig the new user interface.

Speedtest.net is a free app for Windows Phone 8 devices and you can find it here in the Windows Phone Store.

January 15, 2013
Leaked Samsung Roadmap Hints At 4.99-inch Full HD Galaxy S4 Coming Before March

Samsung’s next big flagship device – presumably called the Galaxy S IV – has been in the rumour mill since September. Here’s a quick summary of what circling around the web: run a version of Android (possibly Key Lime Pie, but most likely Jelly Bean), larger display at 5-inches with a 441 pixels per inch (ppi), a quad-core processor and a 13-megapixel camera.

An interesting picture has surfaced from the halls of CES 2013. AnandTech captured some images from Samsung’s demonstrations that shows they’ll potentially release a device in Q1 2013 with a full HD 1080P AMOLED display, sporting a 4.99-inches with 440 pixels per inch (PPI). This is somewhat congruent with all the previous GS IV rumours. In addition, you can see the Galaxy S III (4.8-inches) and Note II (5.5-inches) launches from last year all line up nicely with the Q2 and Q3 2012 specs.

Samsung is also claiming a 25 percent power saving using a new material on new AMOLED revisions, and also has a low power mode that I don’t know much about with 47 percent power savings.

Additional rumours point to the GS IV launching in May… so if this slide is correct we could see them announce something at Mobile World Congress next month.

[AnandTech via The Verge]

January 15, 2013
TRAI says that the current tariff is fine

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), in a move to calm worried telecom firms reeling under huge losses, has said on Monday that the current tariffs are not objectionably high and are good for competitive environment.

The major issue on the mind of the TRAi being the deactivation of inactive mobile connections, TRAI said that the recommendations for the same should be finalized by March.

[quote]The mobile tariffs are competitive. We could not find that tariffs have been in any objectionable territory, In normal course, it (the recommendations) should take one-and-a-half-month more from now,”Rajeev Agarwal, secretary,TRAI [/quote]

Recently again many firms have hiked data tariffs by 25-30% to improve margins. TRAI sought views of stakeholders on the need to review the existing regime of tariff forbearance. Views were also sought on a suitable tariff framework for data services.

While deactivation of a SIM without prior intimation and on arbitrary grounds has become an issue of debate as it deprives a subscriber of his mobile number which might have been an identity for him for a long time.

According to a consultation paper floated by TRAI, consumers can also suffer from a potential loss of activity in both personal and professional set-ups causing an adverse impact on livelihood.

Last year the telecom tribunal had also rejected the telecom operators’ petition against TRAI’s guidelines on VAS which asked operators to take prior confirmation before activating and charging subscribers for such services and asked them to comply with the directive by February 2.

In 2011, TRAI’s directives said that an operator was required to obtain confirmation from their subscribers through SMS, e-mail, fax or in writing within 24 hours of activation of VAS.

January 15, 2013
Apple Stock slips after report of waning iPhone Sales

After an unconfirmed report of the iPhones sales dropping in December, Apple investors seem to be dropping out of the bite. Investors briefly drove Apple stock below $500 on Monday, continuing a slide from a peak of more than $700 in September.

This continued downfall has increased the pressure on the pending January 23rd Earnings call that would lead to immediate reforms for the company. If Apple wildly exceeds expectations, as it did last year, investors hope the Apple stock will repeat the remarkable run that peaked in September.

But if the earnings disappoint, or if Apple execs reduce their sales projections for the coming quarter, there’s no telling how far Apple stock that’s already down 28.5% in the last three months could plummet. Apple’s stock closed Monday at $501.75, down $18.55, or 3.57%.

Like many Apple rumors and stories, however, this latest development was open to different interpretations. Many analysts and independent observers suggested indications that Apple had cut its outlook for the iPhone 5 by as much as half seemed extreme, given recent reports of strong smartphone sales by Verizon Wireless and AT&T.

Another view could have been the early launch of a revised iPhone, that possibly has a different size or type of display. A newer iPhone, a newer iPad and a retina iPad mini are all the correct tools that Apple needs to drive stock back up to the wonderful $700 mark.

January 15, 2013
Flipboard For Android 4.2 Gets Daydream Support

Flipboard for Android has been updated at a decent clip recently, and its most recent overhaul brings a nice new feature that only Android 4.2 users can take advantage of.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean introduced something called “Daydream,” where the phone or tablet goes into a sort of screensaver mode when docked or charged. This keeps the screen on and allows for a number of apps, either first- or third-party, to interact with the OS. For example, Google allows a simple clock widget to bounce around the screen, while apps like Beautiful Widgets and StumbleUpon have taken advantage of the mode to show rotating bits of photo and text.

Flipboard Daydream mode shows off news covers, gorgeous HD images with text overlaid. It’s a small but important feature that differentiates the Android version from its iOS counterpart, and grants those few Android 4.2 users a chance to take advantage of their shiny new devices.

Hopefully, more developers start making use of this feature in their apps. And more devices get the Android 4.2 update so people can use this feature.

[Engadget]

January 14, 2013
BenQ Launches W1080ST and W1070 Full-HD Short-Throw Video Projectors

BenQ has introduced their latest creation, the world’s first Full-HD short-throw video projectors, the W1080ST and W1070 launched at the CES 2013 and India simultaneously.

Built to take centre stage in today’s media-rich home entertainment lifestyles, the W1080ST and W1070 support multiple forms of 3D by directly connecting through 2 HDMI 1.4 ports to various devices like Blu-Ray, 3D broadcasting, video games, PC, etc. with NVIDIA 3DTV PC connectivity. Built-in 10W speakers and SmartEco power saving feature also make W1080ST and W1070 a perfect home entertainment projector.

The BenQ W1080ST, which BenQ claims to be the first short-throw Full-HD video projector, is able to project up to 100-inch big screen in just 1.5 metres, and was introduced at CES 2013.

[quote]”It has been our constant endeavor to provide the best technology to our consumers to enjoy the ultimate big screen entertainment in their living rooms, we continue to bring the same excitement in 2013 with the launch of world’s first full HD short-throw video projectors W1080ST & W1070,” said, Rajeev Singh, Country Head & General Manager, BenQ India “Both projectors deliver full HD 1080p quality and are equipped with 3D capabilities through which you can enjoy all the fun of motion sensing and 3D games enhanced in size through the use of a home entertainment projector taking home entertainment & gaming to a whole new level.”.[/quote]

BenQ had also launched the GP10 720P LED projector in October last year. It comes with LED projection technology, 720p HD-ready short-throw projection, 30000 hrs. LED Light Source, 3D-ready, 550 ANSI lumen brightness, optional detachable DVD player, HDMI multimedia connectivity, USB multiple format support for movies, pictures & music, Wireless Display, SD card slot, and two built-in 3W stereo speakers with SRS. GP10 also comes with optional detachable DVD player.

January 14, 2013
Made In India Ford Ecosport Will Be Shipped To South Africa

Ford believes its upcoming sub-4 metre long SUV, Ford Ecosport, will give it a “nimble” edge in the market. Ford India’s President and Managing Director, Michael Boneham is pleased with all the action in the compact SUV segment. Competitor Renault has already launched the Duster SUV; Mahindra is rolling out its mini SUV, Quanto. Maruti and Hyundai are also said to be gearing up for this segment.

Ford plans to launch the Ecosport, which it showcased at the Auto Expo in January, in the first quarter of 2013, in both petrol and diesel versions.

The Ford Ecosport will also be launched in South Africa next year. This seems like a logical step as the South African car market is very similar to the Indian market and the fact that the right-hand drive versions of the Eco-Sport will be manufactured at the American automakers plant outside Chennai.

While the Indian market is likely to get a 1.5-litre diesel engine variant of the car along with the 1.0-litre 128bhp Ecoboost petrol engine, the South African car market will get only the latter. It will join the Ford Kuga compact SUV, new Ford Fiesta as well as the Transit van as Ford’s offering in South Africa for 2013.

The Ford Ecosport has already been launched in China, Brazil and Argentina where it has achieved a considerable level of success. It is likely that Ford is banking on the EcoSport to achieve the same level of success that the Figo hatchback and the Ikon sedan achieved when they were launched.

Boneham said being a sub 4-metre car, Ecosport will enjoy the excise duty benefits of a small car, providing the company “flexibility” in pricing. But the compact SUV category will not cannibalise the market for sedans, said Boneham, adding that it will provide a new choice and address a “white space” in the market. It will create excitement among car buyers, said Boneham. Ecosport will be rolled out of Ford’s plant in Maraimalainagar, Chennai. Ford is investing Rs 750 crore in the plant for the Ecosport launch.

January 14, 2013
Developers Submit 15K BlackBerry 10 Apps In Less Than Two Days

Research In Motion reported that developers submitted 15,000 applications for its new BlackBerry 10 operating system during a virtual Community Port-A-Thon event running over the weekend. This is an impressive number and only confirms the interest in building apps for RIM’s upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS.

“37.5 hours in, we hit 15,000 apps for this portathon,” BlackBerry Development Head Alec Saunders tweeted. “Feel like I’ve run a marathon.”

The Port-A-Thon, which kicked off at noon ET on Jan. 11, awarded developers $100 for each eligible mobile app or game approved for BB 10. Developers who submitted between five and 10 approved apps were also given a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device; in addition, the first 10 developers with 10 approved apps were given a paid trip to BlackBerry Jam Europe 2013, taking place in Amsterdam early next month.

Frank Boulben, RIM’s CMO, recently noted that “at launch we will have more than 70,000 apps available. RIM is 16 days away from officially unveiling BlackBerry 10 and the two new BB 10 smartphones.

[Fierce Mobile Content]

January 14, 2013