smartphone

A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the new Palm Treo Pro, and I was fairly critical of the new smartphone. Why? Basically because I felt that it was good, but good isn't good enough in today's dynamic smartphone market. To delve a bit more deeply into this I thought it might be interesting to use the Kano model to examine this further.

The model, named after its inventor, Professor Noriaki Kano, provides a simple way to think about how products meet or exceed customer needs, and differentiate themselves against the competition.

The model consists of … Read more

A lot of good news coming from T-Mobile this week. First, after numerous complaints, T-Mobile goes back and lifts the data usage cap on the T-Mobile G1, and it finally rolls out its 3G network in San Francisco. Plus, Kent German reports back on his iPhone 2.1 software update survey and we give our take on the touch-screen phenomenon and wonder if the BlackBerry Bold will ever be released. All this and more cell phone reviews and listener questions on this week's Dialed In podcast.

News:

T-Mobile caves on 1GB data limit for G1 … Read more

Nokia, the No. 1 cell phone maker in the world, is close to selling its computer security hardware unit, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The company has been in talks to sell the business to a financial investor, but Nokia did not provide its name.

The company also intends to quit making software for business customers. In a statement Monday, the cell phone maker said that it would no longer develop or market its own "behind-the-firewall business mobility solutions." Instead, the company plans to use outside providers such as Microsoft, IBM and Cisco. The company will &… Read more

Perhaps you're like me and starting to wonder if the RIM BlackBerry Bold is just a mythical creature like Bigfoot--spotted in the wild a number of times but yet to be captured, or in the Bold's case, released. The smartphone was announced way back in May for AT&T, but we have yet to hear about an actual availability date. Oh, and trust us, we've asked RIM numerous times for just a teeny tiny hint and have been met by the same answers: "this fall" or "very soon."

We do think the … Read more

Over the recent months, I've received a fair share of e-mails asking the same question: Will a U.S. carrier ever pick up the Nokia E71? Well, it looks like some of your wishes may come true.

According to Engadget Mobile, AT&T might be in line to add the Symbian smartphone to its lineup. While just a rumor at this point, the idea isn't too hard to believe since the carrier did offer the Nokia E61i for a while. By all accounts, the Nokia E72 will offer all the goodies of the E71, including HSDPA support … Read more

If you've yet to watch Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's recent Churchill Club comments on everything from server virtualization to search to the mobile market, you're in for a treat. Ballmer is at his best, ripping on everything and everyone...except Microsoft.

Indeed, it's when Ballmer hits rewind on history to argue that Apple will lose in all the markets in which it is currently thriving--including smartphones and laptops--because it's not enough like Microsoft that he hits peak form:

Asked about smartphones, Ballmer said Nokia, Research In Motion, and Apple will all lose out as the market expands over the next five years, because they design their own proprietary hardware and tie it closely to their software.

Nokia leads the smartphone market today with about a 30 percent share, he said. "If you want to reach more than that, you have to separate the hardware and software in the platform," he said.

In other words, he thinks the same strategy that helped Microsoft become the leader on the desktop--licensing its OS for use by other hardware makers--will let it win out on smartphones. Long term, he said, the battle will be between the Symbian OS (which is now open source), mobile versions of Linux, and Windows Mobile.

I have some sympathy for this view, having argued that Google's Android is weakened by its lack of control over hardware (and boy, is its current hardware ugly). But this is a problem for the next few years.

Will Microsoft's strategy to separate hardware and software win long-term? Maybe. indeed, probably. But "in the long run," as John Maynard Keynes famously said, "we're all dead." Microsoft's mobile business may not be around long enough to be able to gloat over the iPhone's diminished fortunes because, well, those fortunes are rocking right now.… Read more

Q: I've been looking into getting the Nokia E71, but can't justify the price. Have you heard anything on it becoming available with a U.S. carrier. Also, a whole other box of worms, if you purchase an unlocked E71, are you mandated to a contract? --James via e-mail

A: James, you are not alone. I get quite a few number e-mails about the Nokia E71 and it's really no surprise why. It's a great smartphone that's loaded with features for the mobile professional, and it's packaged in a sleek little frame. Unfortunately, I … Read more

Jeff almost doesn't make it into the show today due to this 24 flu bug, but I think his daily dose of Vitamin Backayutang was enough to pull him out of the trenches. After a false start, Wilson gives us a a lengthy review of yesterday's Google Android debut, and I'll let you in on a secret: he's disappointed. I don't think any of us will be trading in our iPhones for this little guy, especially not for something that looks like the T-Mobile Sidekick 1.0.

This is the show where we're finally on time. In case you didn't grasp that subtle sarcasm, we actually start the show a half an hour late only to be interrupted halfway through the show by Jeff messing up the recording...so we start again! This time around, it's better than ever; we've got Wilson' initial review of the T-Mobile G1 with the Google Android OS, Prank VoIP calls, Dark Knight DVD details, and a tasty new Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor. Also, we uncover another huge helping of East Cost/West Coast beef! YUM!

Sheesh. A girl goes on vacation and that's when the cell phone world decides to drop a bomb. Obviously, the big headline Tuesday was the official unveiling of the T-Mobile G1, but turns out there was some non-Google Android related news that might also pique your interest.

Last week, we reported on the rumored touch-screen RIM BlackBerry Storm that's headed to Verizon Wireless, and while details were sparse at the time, it looks like Engadget Mobile got its hands on some internal documents with further details about the smartphone.

First, the BlackBerry Storm will feature a 3.… Read more