Today Sling Media announced that starting on December 30, it will offer a beta version of its SlingPlayer Mobile on BlackBerries. It only supports models with 3G or Wi-Fi.
Today Alltel announced the availability of Trimble Outdoors on its GPS-capable phones. The application lets customers plan hiking or other outdoor trips online and send routes, maps and waypoints directly to their phone. It also has a built-in digital ...
The impact of the global economic crisis will spread to the mobile phone market resulting in a downturn in shipments in 2009. According to IDC, total mobile phone volumes will be 2.2% lower in 2009 than 2008 levels, the first downturn in annual shipment volumes since 2001 when shipments declined 2.3%. Over the past several years, the mobile phone market has enjoyed double-digit annual growth due to an increased emphasis on emerging markets. However, emerging market growth has been steadily slowing as these markets mature. IDC now expects worldwide growth to be just 7.3% in 2008 before slipping into negative growth in 2009.
In recent months, a number of major industry players - including component suppliers, handset makers, and operators - have announced their concerns about handset volumes in 2009. Most have indicated that they expect a year-over-year decrease due to the flagging global economy.
“Nokia’s announcement was the first sign of troubles to come,” said Ryan Reith, senior analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Tracker. “However, the real concerns set in with announcements from the chipset vendors who supply the industry. Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and MediaTek are among some of the suppliers announcing reductions in manufacturing for the upcoming year. There is a lot of uncertainty about how the markets will fare and inventory levels will be more of a focus point then ever before.”
The economic crunch has also affected consumer behavior, particularly consumers’ plans to purchase new devices. With less disposable income available and other expenses competing for attention, consumers may choose to hold on to their current devices rather than replace or upgrade them at the next possible opportunity, usually when a service contract expires. As long as the device functions properly, consumers may put off the replacement decision until more funds are available. This shift in demand will reduce the need for devices from handset vendors, much in the same way that the shift in supply will reduce the availability of devices from handset vendors.
IDC does not expect the downturn in mobile phone shipments to stretch past 2009. By 2010, the worldwide mobile phone market will show signs of improvement as economic recovery plans will have taken effect. With more disposable income in hand, consumers should feel more comfortable buying a new handset, especially if the opportunity to purchase was delayed. Beyond that, further growth is expected, but at a slower pace compared to the strong double-digit growth experienced in the years prior to the decline.
Additionally, not all segments of the mobile phone market are expected to decline. IDC expects converged mobile devices - commonly referred to as smartphones - to grow 8.9% worldwide in 2009. This contrasts sharply against the negative growth expected for the entire mobile phone market. Beyond 2009, growth will return to double-digit territory, faster than the overall mobile phone market.
Lower prices are also making converged mobile devices an attractive choice for consumers. It was not long ago that these devices cost well above the $200 price point with a two year contract. As prices have come down in recent quarters, these devices have become competitive alternatives to traditional mobile phones. Faced with the option of purchasing a converged mobile device at roughly the same price as a traditional mobile phone, consumers will be strongly tempted by the fully featured smartphone. Continued high demand and lower prices will keep this category growing, even as the overall market struggles.
AT&T and Research In Motion announced the immediate availability of the BlackBerry Curve 8320 smartphone with built-in Wi-Fi. Available in sapphire blue, the BlackBerry Curve 8320 smartphone makes it easy to connect to home or campus Wi-Fi networks and to automatically connect to any of the more than 17,000 AT&T Hot Spots nationwide.
The BlackBerry Curve 8320 smartphone packs numerous new features including an enhanced HTML browser that supports a Web browsing experience with desktop-style depiction. The smartphone’s trackball acts like a computer mouse, allowing users to quickly scroll through a page, zoom in and out or click on hotlinks. The BlackBerry Curve 8320 also has an improved user interface and support for HTML e-mail, and it allows users to download attachments as well as edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset using the preloaded DataViz Documents To Go software suite. In addition, it features Bluetooth® 2.0 support, a 2 megapixel camera with zoom, flash and video recording2, advanced media player with desktop media management software and expandable memory of up to 16GB via its microSD/SDHC memory card slot. The BlackBerry Curve 8320 smartphone also includes AT&T Music subscription services, integrated Push To Talk (PTT) and, when used with a separate Bluetooth-enabled GPS receiver, provides access to the popular AT&T Navigator and YELLOWPAGES.COM mobile services.
The BlackBerry Curve 8320 smartphone with built-in Wi-Fi is now available online at http://att.com/blackberrycurve8320 and through AT&T’s direct business-to-business sales organizations. In early 2009, it will be available at select AT&T retail stores and national retailers.
Specifications:
Sling Media today announce that its SlingPlayer Mobile will be available for BlackBerry smartphones beginning Dec. 30, 2008. The initial release will be a beta version and free to its Slingbox customers in the U.S., Canada and the UK.
The following is a list of BlackBerry smartphones that will be supported at launch
SlingPlayer Mobile requires BlackBerry device software 4.5 or greater. To see if your phone meets the minimum requirements, you can visit the following URL using your BlackBerry smartphone’s browser: http://mobile.slingmedia.com/go/bbcheck.