Motorola aims to CHARM the US market

Android2.1, QWERTY and Flash aim to replicate success of DROID  by Nick Flaherty www.flaherty.co.uk

Motorola has announced a touch screen smartphone with social networking through Android 2.1, MOTOBLUR enhancements, a compact design and a BACKTRACK feature that makes screen navigation even more intuitive.The Motorola CHARM is expected to be available this summer exclusively in the U.S. for customers of T-Mobile USA.
“Motorola strives to provide an increased customizable user experience, which is enabled by our latest enhancements to MOTOBLUR and featured on the new Motorola CHARM,” said Jean Pierre Le Cannellier, vice president, Americas Marketing, Motorola Mobile Devices. “Combine that with a compact design, easy handling and all the features you would expect from a smartphone, and we believe that CHARM with MOTOBLUR adds the social ability and workability consumers are looking for.”
Motorola CHARM provides consumers with intuitive navigation on a 2.8 inch touch screen with a full QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. The BACKTRACK navigation pad, located on the back of the smartphone directly behind the home screen, is similar to a laptop touch panel and enables an unobstructed view of the Web, texts, e-mails and news feeds. Plus, with Android 2.1 and enhanced MOTOBLUR features, CHARM offers new customization and filtering options.
“Being social with friends and family comes naturally for T-Mobile customers, and we think mobilizing their social experiences should be effortless,” said Saj Sahay, director of product management at T-Mobile USA. “With the new Motorola CHARM and enhancements to the Android and MOTOBLUR experience, we’re bringing more social skills to our broad portfolio of Android-powered smartphones.” 
Motorola CHARM will be the first device in the U.S. to feature an enhanced version of MOTOBLUR built on Android 2.1, which syncs contacts, posts, messages, photos and much more in easy to manage streams — from sources such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Gmail, work and personal e-mail.
MOTOBLUR filters can be selected from a single social networking account, contacts, group or messaging account so that users can select only the information they want to stream live to the Happenings and Messages widgets. Users can move and resize pre-loaded home screen widgets to personalize up to seven home screen panels for an even more custom experience.  Lastly, consumers can manage their phone’s battery consumption by selecting different power modes to conserve battery.

Contacts in MOTOBLUR are automatically synced to the phone from personal and work e-mail and social network accounts. MOTOBLUR will continue to provide convenience and peace of mind, as lost devices can be located from a secure personal information portal and even remotely erased if necessary. In addition, one user name and password brings back contacts, messages and connectivity to previously configured networks and e-mail providers.
Last, but not least, Moto Phone Portal enables you to access and manage your phone’s data from any browser through a USB or Wi-Fi connection.Additional features include:

• Adobe Flash-enabled Web browsing experience to view most of today’s content-rich sites
• Full suite of Google services including: Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail and access to thousands of apps on Android Market
• Pinch to zoom functionality and two-finger swipe to surf the Web and sort through photos

• Capture sharp photos with a 3MP camera and KODAK PERFECT TOUCH technology for better, brighter pictures
• One-touch social media uploads to Facebook, MySpace, Picasa and PhotoBucket
• CrystalTalk PLUS for enhanced audio and call quality with a second microphone for increased voice quality while filtering out background noise
• Corporate email pushed immediately to the device for instant inbox updates

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• Motorola Officially Announces CHARM For T-Mobile USA Running Android 2.1, Goes After BlackBerry Users (androidpolice.com)
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• T-Mobile Motorola CHARM outed: QWERTY MOTOBLUR candybar (slashgear.com)

Motorola splits into two

Creates Mobile entity and Enterprise business next year

Motorola is to split itself into two companies, one serving the mobile maket and the other enterprise, but both using the Motorola brand. Hmm, that sounds odd.
Unable to sell the mobile division, despite the dramatic turnaround by Sanjay Jha, this will become the Mobile Devices and Home businesses, headed by Jha. The other will include the Enterprise Mobility Solutions and Networks businesses, and headed by Greg Brown. Both Jha and Brown are co-chief execitives of Motorola today, so there's no real management change. 
The mobile business will offer a comprehensive portfolio of mobile converged devices, digital entertainment devices in the home (ie set top box), and end-to-end video, voice and data solutions. Working with network operator partners, the company will also enable more advanced personalized services that use the capability of expanding wireless and wireline broadband availability, ie software.
"The combination of Mobile Devices and our Home business brings together two highly complementary and innovative organizations," said Jha. "Together we will be best positioned to lead in the convergence of mobility, media, and the Internet. Our expanding portfolio of smartphones and end-to-end video content delivery capabilities will enable us to provide advanced mobile media solutions and multi-screen experiences for our customers."
The Enterprise Mobility Solutions and Networks business will offer a comprehensive end-to-end portfolio of products and solutions, including rugged two-way radios, mobile computers, secure public safety systems, scanning, RFID, and wireless network infrastructure. This will also be an investment-grade business and carry Motorola's current debt, leaving the mobile business debt free - nice but necessary for its continued survival.
"We are the leading mission- and business-critical technology solutions provider with a commitment to innovation," said Brown. "As an independent company, we will continue to build on our long-standing tradition of strong customer relationships, leading-edge product development, quality, thought leadership, and solid financial performance."
"The board of directors supports the planned separation of Motorola into two industry-leading public companies," said David Dorman, chairman of Motorola's Board of Directors. "We believe this structure provides significant operational and strategic flexibility for both companies, positions them for future success, and enhances long-term shareholder value."
The interesting thing is the branding, which will be owned by the mobile business and licensed to the enterprise business, which implies thatthe likely one to change its branding is the enterprise business.

Related articles

• Motorola To Spin Off Set-Top Box Business (MOT) (benzinga.com)
• A Look at Motorola's Three Businesses (blogs.wsj.com)
• Motorola Weighs Plan to Break Up (online.wsj.com)
• Motorola ekes out profit, but sales are off (news.cnet.com)
• Motorola eyes US$4.5B unit sale: WSJ (financialpost.com)

Motorola Droid catches up with HTC in Android

Motorola's Droid handset is catching up with HTC's handsets in acessing Android applications, according to the October Mobile Metrics report from Admob. Instead of comparing smartphone platforms against each other, it looks inside each operating system at the distribution of requests coming from different handsets.
It is bullish on the Android platform, and the impact of the new devices launched in November is immediately apparent in the network data. On November 18th, the Droid already represented 24% of the traffic in our Android network and the Motorola CLIQ generated 6% of Android requests. Browsing statistics from Clicky, a web analytics firm, also show Droid traffic at similar levels as a percentage of Android browsing traffic.

Motorola has launched Android development resources through MOTODEV, including a new App Accelerator Program and MOTODEV Studio for Android Beta. MOTODEV will offer developers early access to a new suite of Google Android developer tools and programs to accelerate the development of applications to be used on Motorola's mobile devices using the Android operating system scheduled to ship later this year.

"Motorola is focused on helping our global network of best-in-class developers create, deploy and successfully market their Android applications to ultimately unleash greater innovation into the mobile application development space," said Christy Wyatt, Vice President, Software Platforms and Ecosystem, Motorola. "We believe Android and open software has the freedom and flexibility to foster innovation, accelerate time to market, and deliver the most personal and customized mobile experiences for consumers."

MOTODEV provides:
-- Early access to tools, technical specs, documentation and other
development support resources.
-- Exclusive pre-release access to upcoming Motorola devices for testing
and debugging.
-- Direct access to Motorola's developer support engineers via private
discussion boards.
-- Maximum market exposure for applications as soon as new mobile devices
ship to users.
MOTODEV Studio is an Eclipse- based integrated development environment that works with Google's software development kit. Among the resources available to developers are design and development tools; handset emulators and virtual testing labs; intuitive interfaces for deploying applications; application creation wizards and frequently used code templates; and access to marketing and distribution channels.

Phone market rankings show return to growth

Global shipments of cell phones in the second quarter climbed 4.7% compared to the first, marking the first sequential increase for the market since the third quarter of 2008, according to market researchers iSuppli.
Worldwide shipments amounted to 265 million units in the second quarter, up from 253 million in the first, but the yearly total is still expected to be down on last year. Nokia continues to lead the market, pulling further ahead of Samsung, while Motorola has managed to halt its decline.
The world’s Top-5 handset suppliers dramatically outperformed the smaller players in the second quarter. Combined shipments for the Top-5 brands rose by 12.1 percent in the second quarter compared to the first, while all other companies together experienced an 18.1 percent plunge.
“The moderate increase indicates the worldwide mobile handset market is bottoming out and now is returning to growth,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications for iSuppli. “Much of the growth was generated by two emerging regions: the Middle East and Latin America. Furthermore, several aggressive promotional campaigns boosted sales in North America, with regional shipments rising by 8 percent during the period.”
The rise in shipments is welcome news to a handset industry that has seen nine months of contraction. Shipments declined by 0.3 percent in the third quarter of 2008, by 2.6 percent in the fourth quarter of last year and by a stunning 16.4 percent in the first quarter of 2009. By the first quarter of 2009, shipments had fallen by 58.8 million units compared to before the downturn began in the second quarter of 2008.
Shipments are expected to rise by 6 percent 280.9 million in the third quarter and by 8.3 percent to 304.2 million in the fourth. Despite the quarter-to-quarter increases, annual shipments are still expected to contract by 9.9 percent in 2009, with the total for the year amounting to 1.1 billion units, down from 1.23 billion in 2008.
“The global economic downturn has had a particularly harsh impact on the worldwide mobile handset as declining disposable incomes dissuaded consumers from making non-essential purchases like upgraded wireless handsets,” Teng said. “The recession brought to an end eight consecutive years of annual shipment growth for cell phones, and will result in the first market contraction since 2001.”

Big handset makers get bigger

However, among the Top-5 individual company performances vary dramatically, although the rankings for these companies did not change compared to the first quarter.

The best performance in the second quarter was posted by South Korea’s LG Electronics where handset shipments rose to 29.8 million units in the second quarter, up 31.9 percent from 22.6 million units in the first quarter. Its market share rose by 2.3 points to 11.2 percent. “LG's strong performance in the second quarter was due to its success in emerging regions, including the Middle East and Africa,” Teng said. “The company also managed to orient its product mix to more profitable handsets including new touch-screen devices.”

Motorola stops the bleeding

Embattled handset brand Motorola managed to increase its shipments by 0.7 percent to 14.8 million units, up from 14.7 million in the first quarter. While Motorola still underperformed the market and lost share, the rise brought to an end three consecutive quarters of declines in shipments for the company.
“Motorola finally has put a stop to its shipment slide due to its improved performance in North America and Latin America,” Teng said. “With this increase in shipments, Motorola has managed to secure its No.-4 ranking in the market.”

Nokia expands its lead

“The No.-1 player, Nokia, has been defending its dominant position since the third quarter of last year due to rising competitive pressure from Samsung, which has been expanding its sales in Europe and in emerging markets,” Teng said. “The company also has faced rising competition from smart phone players including Research in Motion and Apple.”
Nokia was able to gain 2.1 percentage points of market share in the second quarter, with its shipments rising to 103.2 million units.
Samsung Electronics remains on track to achieve its target of more than 200 million mobile handset unit shipments this year. The company’s refreshed product lineup allowed it to increase its shipments by 14.2 percent and its share by 1.6 points compared to the first quarter.
Sony Ericsson, however, had another disappointing quarter.
“The company is known for leveraging the brand strength from Sony and its mid- to high-end multimedia devices,” Teng said. “Sony Ericsson’s product portfolio has not been adequately aligned with the two fastest-growing segments: smart phones and ultra-low-cost handsets.” Company shipments declined by 4.8 percent and market share dipped by 0.5 percent from the first quarter.

Google speaks at Wireless Fest 2009

The UK is a global hot-spot for wireless technology and mobile phone innovation - it has produced world-class companies like Vodafone and CSR and continues to produce exciting new start-ups, all looking for their place on the world stage.
Following the success of the Wireless2.0 conference in Bristol over the last three years, Cambridge Wireless and Silicon South West have teamed up to launch the Wireless Start-Up Fest 2009 which will be held on Thurs. 8th Oct. at the offices of Taylor Wessing, 5 New Street Square, London EC4A 3TW

The Wireless Start-Up Fest 2009 features pitches from the UK's most exciting start-ups including: Airetrak, Alertme.com, BardOwl, Blu Wireless Technology, Cascoda, Octymo, Omnisense, Qasara, Reveal2Me, Rummble, Sidonis, & Zimiti

PLUS connfirmed speakers:

· Hugo Barra, Director of Product Management, Google

· Prof. Joe McGeehan, Managing Director, Toshiba TRL

· Dr. David Cleevely, Chairman, Cambridge Wireless

· Ted Mercer, Parterner, Taylor Wessing

· Moray Rumney, Agilent Technologies

· Carl Garrood, Strategic Director, Rohde & Schwarz



Click HERE for the Agenda and Registration (there are only 100 places available for this event, so hurry!)

Smartphone shipments set to grow this year

Smartphone shipments worldwide are projected to grow 13% in 2009 to 164 million units, providing bright market opportunities for both handset and chip vendors in the current economy, according to a new report from market researchers Forward Concepts. Nokia and Symbian (now part of Nokia) continue to dominate the market.
With the economy expected to be on the mend in 2010, Forward Concepts forecasts a compound annual growth rate of 21.7% to the 387 million unit level in 2013.
Nokia continues to be the leader in Smartphone shipments, with an estimated 2008 market share of 34%, followed by RIM at 13%, Apple at 9.6% and Sharp at 5.7%. Sony Ericsson follows with a 5.3% market share, then HTC at 5%, Motorola at 4.6% and Samsung at 4%. 16 other Smartphone vendors constitute the other 18% share.
Currently, Japan leads in Smartphone consumption, with a 21% 2008 market share, followed by Western Europe at 18%, and North America and China, each with 17%.
Symbian continues to be the leading Smartphone operating system, with an estimated 49% unit market share in 2008, while Microsoft Windows has grown to a 14% share, and RIM with 13%. Linux and its Android implementations have reached 11%, followed by ARM's O/S X with 10%, Palm with 2% and Danger at 1%. Although Symbian is expected to remain dominant, market penetration and shares of most of the other are projected to grow.
According to Will Strauss, Forward Concepts' president and editor of the report, "Despite the slowdown in the overall mobile handset market, the strong growth for Smartphones is partly due to the uptake in mobile data which leads to higher revenue for the operators. Because of the higher data revenue that it brings, we project that higher-end feature phones will lose market share to Smartphones as a result of the narrowing spread in (subsidized) up-front net cost to the end user."

"Strong 3G mobile Internet demand will drive a long-term growth trend in the global Smartphone market with 2013 penetration levels exceeding 50% in the major operator-subsidized regions of North America and Western Europe."

said Co-author of the report, Satish Menon.

The report also forecasts the components that go into these devices, including key integrated circuits like digital basebands, RF transceivers and PA's, communication processors, application processors, graphics, multi-touch screen controllers, memories and chips for all the new functions being added to Smartphones...like camera sensors, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM, GPS, Mobile TV, NFC, fingerprint sensors, accelerometers, etc.
The detailed 607-page study profiles over 80 companies and includes 64 figures and 152 tables plus appendix. It is available from Forward Concepts at: www.fwdconcepts.com/Smartphones