Hello! And welcome to our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. There's a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCR Wireless News to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the...
Apple Inc. debuted its first television commercial for its forthcoming iPhone during the Academy Awards last night. The 30-second spot, which ran multiple times, reached an estimated 40 million viewers watching at home.Despite a continuing decline in viewership, ratings for the Academy Awards are...
A survey of American online shoppers suggests that Apple Inc.'s yet-to-be-launched iPhone has penetrated consumer awareness, unlike other handsets before their launch. At a price between $200 and $300, the device could lead consumers to switch carriers, according to the survey. Moreover, once these...
THE MOBILE-PHONE INDUSTRY INCREASINGLY finds itself confronted with disruptive digital technologies, a phenomenon that is challenging carriers' tight control of wireless networks and forcing policy-makers to grapple with how to promote consumer choice without unduly interfering with companies' ability to manage their businesses. The...
In these early days of mobile entertainment, full-track download services are a bit like the weather: everyone complains about them, but no one seems to be doing much about them.While carriers such as Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Wireless have claimed success hawking tunes...
Both Apple Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. will use the "iPhone" name worldwide, Cisco's lawsuit against Apple has been called off and the two companies will "explore opportunities for interoperability" between their products, according to a joint statement issued by the two companies.An extended...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Strategy Analytics' Chris Ambrosio, M:Metrics' Seamus...
Apple Inc. has requested more time to respond to Cisco System's lawsuit over the iPhone name, according to Cisco.The new deadline for an agreement is Feb. 21. The previous deadline was last night.The announcement follows what had been cozy rhetoric from both sides that...
BARCELONA, Spain-A trio of executives from operators counting more than 400 million subscribers made for an entertaining opening keynote at this year's 3GSM World Congress.As has been the case for several years, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin led off the keynote proceedings at 3GSM, this...
HedgehoggingHedge*hog*ing v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube.--So last week we pointed out that Steve Jobs must think his lawyers are smarter than Cisco's lawyers since Apple is using the iPhone name even though...
The fight against digital rights management gained an unlikely backer as Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs called for record companies to offer music without anti-piracy software.Jobs, in an open letter posted on Apple's Web site, claimed that a variety of DRM offerings have resulted...
The fight against digital rights management gained an unlikely backer as Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs called for record companies to offer music without anti-piracy software.Jobs, in an open letter posted on Apple's Web site, claimed that a variety of DRM offerings have resulted...
Aided by elements such as its reputation, anticipation-fueled rumors and tight secrecy, Apple Inc.'s iPhone announcement in early January acted much like a Rorschach test, illuminating points of view and exposing insecurities.Above all, the as-yet unfinished device drew such a wide range and number...
Compete Inc.: "While Apple says it will soon reinvent the (music phone) category with the iPhone, shoppers say price, if not the need to switch carriers, may limit their purchase of the device. . The sweet spot for the iPhone appears to be closer...
In a short statement issued by both companies, Apple Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. said they have agreed to restart negotiations over Apple's use of the trademark "iPhone," which Cisco claims it owns. The issue stems from Apple's unveiling of its forthcoming iPhone cellphone,...
During the company's quarterly conference call, Google Inc. executives spoke at length about the future of the mobile search space and highlighted areas where the search giant has made heavy investment in wireless.While Google doesn't expect any significant revenues from its mobile business until...
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P., the world's fastest-growing mobile handset maker, announced it will work with Flextronics International Ltd. and Foxconn to make 10 million handsets in India within two years.The news of Sony Ericsson's ardent pursuit of market share-in contrast to its focus...
Sprint Nextel Corp. increased its estimates for the speed of its CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Revision A network, and expanded coverage in several markets including Miami, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; and Puerto Rico.The carrier said that it has been monitoring the network and optimizing its performance,...
The late chess grandmaster Edward Schuyler Jackson used to regale anyone who would listen with stories, stories with a point. One featured a Wall Street tycoon berating a young business school graduate trying to make an impression. Impatient with the neophyte's earnest display of...
Nokia Corp.'s earnings report last week may well have drawn sighs of relief from many in the industry. The Finnish handset vendor established that winning strategies are possible even as the handset industry is driven by emerging markets, where average selling prices and margins...
A panel of federal judges is set to hear arguments Thursday in Miami on whether to consolidate more than a dozen lawsuits against Motorola Inc. and other Bluetooth technology vendors. The suits allege wireless headsets can cause hearing loss and blame companies for failing...
It's obvious, it's not new and it's at the forefront of the latest major, consumer-oriented innovation. Phone keys dedicated to a single functionality, such as mobile TV, may see increased use in the near-term to ensure that consumers have a simple, unambiguous path to...
ISuppli Corp has concluded-without performing a physical teardown-that Apple Inc.'s iPhone can generate 50 percent gross margins, based on a preliminary estimate of the device's bill of materials (BoM).The market upshot? Such a large margin ensures healthy profits per device for Apple and Cingular...
LAS VEGAS-The only thing holding up the explosion of the mobile phone content and advertising business continues to be the lack of interested viewers, panelists bemoaned at the second annual NATPE Mobile conference here.Under 10%Currently, 20 percent of all mobile users have video-enabled cellphones,...
