New iPhone

The new iPhone went on sale in the US Friday morning, greeted by much smaller lines and less hoopla than previous models.

A few hundred people were in line just before the seven AM (1100 GMT) opening of Apple Inc.'s flagship store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, a fraction of the people who lined up around the block for last year's launch.

That launch turned into a debacle, as Apple's servers failed to cope with the load of new customers trying to activate their phones. People who already had iPhones were trying to install a software update on the same day, adding to the pressure.

This year, Apple and AT&T Inc., the phone's US carrier, defused the drama by taking pre-orders for the new phone online. That means fewer prospective buyers had a reason to stand in line, and it sped up the activation process.

Apple also released its software update for previous customers two days early. There were only scattered reports of problems with that upgrade.

For new customers signing a two-year contract with AT&T, the 3G S model that went on sale Friday costs $199 or $299 depending on the memory capacity. Compared to the 3G, it has a faster processor and an upgraded camera. AT&T said it had taken pre-orders for ‘hundreds of thousands’ of 3G S phones.

Owners of the previous model, the iPhone 3G, will have to pay more than that. Most of them are not eligible for the new-customer pricing because the AT&T subsidizes the cost of the phone and requires customers to ‘pay off’ the subsidy through their monthly service fees before it will subsidize a new phone.

In line at the Fifth Avenue store, Brandon Dennie, 27, was not put off by the prospect of having to pay the unsubsidized price of $599 for the new phone. He's had a 3G for only six months, so he didn't qualify for the lowest price. He's creating his own subsidy by selling his old phone for $200 to a colleague, and he has an Apple gift card. ‘I want the video option and the speed,’ Dennie said.

In its two-year life, the iPhone range has revolutionized phone design and given AT&T a leg up on its rivals in recruiting customers willing to pay high monthly fees.

At an AT&T store in the New York borough of Queens, there were three people in line at 5:45 AM (0945 GMT). Sarah Gates and Ed Phyfe, the couple who were first in line, didn't know about the pre-order option until it was too late, and wanted to be sure to get phones from the small stock set aside for walk-ins.

‘We got Sprint smart phones since just before the first iPhone came out, and we immediately regretted it,’ said Gates, 33. She has nothing against Sprint Nextel Corp., but felt that their Motorola Q phones were awful.

‘I feel kind of bad to leave Sprint ... but I don't like any of the phones they have half as much the iPhone,’ she added.

Scource: dawn.com

Calling All Innovators Contest By Nokia

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Nokia is asking for submissions to the mobile applications innovation contest. The winner will get US$30,000, second place $15,000 and third place $10,000. This is appropriate, given the last post on opportunities in the ICT sector.

Forum Nokia, Nokia’s global developer program, challenges mobile and web application developers worldwide to submit best-in-class applications for use on Nokia devices.

Nokia challenge mobile and web application developers worldwide to submit entries in three categories:

• Internet innovation – Calling on web developers to transform consumer-focused ideas into real applications on Nokia devices using technologies that include Nokia Web Runtime, XHTML, CSS, Java Script, AJAX, widgets and other standards-based web technologies.
• Flash – Challenging creative developers and designers to build compelling applications that expand the capabilities and user benefits of Flash Lite on Nokia devices.
• Emerging Markets and Mobile Necessities – Urging developers to create innovative applications across mobile technology platforms – ranging from SMS through Series 40 and S60 device platforms. All applications will be considered, including those developed using Java, Python, or open source.

Each contest category has been refined to provide you with additional guidance about the types of applications that the judges will be expecting to see.

All entries must be submitted by midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on 30 June 2009, so get started right away!

Here’s what you do to get started:

1. Decide which category best fits your skills and interests, and then get the needed tools, documentation, and other support from Forum Nokia. It’s free to join, and when you become a member of Forum Nokia, you can make the most of Nokia's extensive development, testing, signing, go to market, and community resources.
2. Create your application or widget -- or optimise your website -- for Nokia mobile devices.
3. Submit your best work to the Calling All Innovators contest before the deadline at midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on 30 June 2009.

Full details about the competition can be found in the official rules. Submit your entry now.

Source: http://www.callingallinnovators.com/about_the_contest.aspx

Cellphones sale drops due to high customs duty …

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RECORDER REPORT MULTAN (April 30 2009): The mobile industry has attributed the sale of legally imported cellular phones and the drop to Rs500 customs duty per set imposed in the last budget and a regulatory duty of Rs250 introduced in August 2008.

Wholesalers, importers and manufacturers were of the view that invariably high taxes are impeding the growth of this market.

The teledensity in Pakistan has reached 60 percent, but high taxes are proving to be a hurdle in its further growth. However, they were not interested in setting up their manufacturing units in Pakistan, as majority of them have been facing tough financial setback following the slump in demand all over the world. The mobile handset imports have significantly decreased by 76 percent in the three-quarters of the current fiscal year 2008-09, the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) reported.

During July-March 2008-09, the value of mobile handset imports has contracted to $139.480 million, against $581.807 million in the corresponding period of last fiscal year.

Rs750 of duty imposed on mobile phones under the category of luxurious items has in fact encouraged the illegal import that has affected legal trade, which has fallen drastically. He said that as part of their budget proposals, Nokia had requested the Ministry of Finance a method of taxation to 'do away with one duty for all mobile phones' and provide relief to cell phones valued under $100.

A spokesman of Nokia said that they had proposed the government to reduce taxes on mobile phones, as they were a necessity than a luxurious item. Global recession had affected Nokia's expansion plans, forcing it to trade cautiously, as the world's economy was down, he added. Further, he said that though his organisation had postponed some of their future plans for the time being owing to global crises, they were focusing on optimising current capacity and adjusting cost structures of their products to remain competitive in the market and on remaining cost effective for their consumers.

Manufacturers of mobile handset have proposed policymakers to reduce duties on cell phones in order to minimise the burden on customers and to increase business in the country. He said the government should realise the importance of mobile handset in the modern age, as it is an essential item rather than luxury.

'The mobile handset having value of under $100 could not be luxurious item,' he said and added that the government should exempt and reduce the duties on small sized mobile sets so that it could be used by the low income group of the country.

The spokesman also stated that the government should not impose duties more than Rs300 on medium sized sets as well so that it can also generate revenue from its imports and sales. He also declined to disclose any investment plans of his company regarding setting up of manufacturing plants in Pakistan.

Besides, Motoralla, Sony Erricson and LG are considered other preferable brands. The manufacturers of mobile sets have also been facing tough competition with affordable Chinese-made handsets, but they were of the view that their brand conscious customers are in good numbers.