Is it Worth Waiting for the New Galaxy S4?

So many new phones being launched, so much competition between rival companies, but the burning question is "Should you wait for the new Galaxy S4?". Check out the article below, which covers the question in morte depth.

We’ve seen a wave of Android smartphones sporting 5-inch 1080p displays, quad-core processors, and 13-megapixel cameras unveiled at CES 2013, but you should probably wait for the Galaxy S4.

It hasn’t been an earth-shattering show for mobile this year. CES 2013 has thrown up some interesting devices, but the big players in mobile seem to be saving their announcements for MWC (Mobile World Congress) next month. If you’re in the market for an upgrade, you’d do well to bide your time and wait just a little longer to see what else is on the horizon. There will be new releases from HTC and LG, RIM’s BlackBerry 10 will arrive, and there’s never a shortage of new iPhone rumors, but the device you can’t afford to ignore is the Samsung Galaxy S4.

 

Bigger and better

Check out our Best of CES 2013 in Mobile to find full details on the devices that grabbed our attention. The “phablet” space is getting competitive with releases like the 6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate, and the market is predictably being flooded with new tablets, but there’s a lack of innovation in the smartphone segment. Sony’s new flagship, the Xperia Z, is a good example. It has a 5-inch 1080p display, a quad-core processor, and a 13-megapixel camera, just like the newly announced ZTE Grand S and the Huawei Ascend D2.

The Xperia Z definitely compares favorably with the Android leaders right now, but it doesn’t offer much beyond the HTC Droid DNA, which came out last November. A bigger camera and an impressive level of water resistance don’t qualify as big innovations.

We don’t have details on carriers or pricing yet, but the Xperia Z is a premium product and will no doubt have a price tag to match. The ZTE Grand S and Huawei Ascend D2 are launching in China and we don’t yet know when, or if, they’ll reach the states.

The truth is that none of the smartphones announced at CES 2013 should you have you running to the stores or phoning your carrier for an upgrade. When you factor in pricing, you could build a pretty strong case for the Pantech Discover being the most noteworthy release – it’s $50 on a two-year contract at AT&T and it has a 4.8-inch 720p display, a decent 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and a 12.6-megapixel camera. A variant called the Pantech Perception will also be available on Verizon.

 

You’ll be sorry if you don’t wait

If you’re looking for something slightly better than the Galaxy S3 then there are definitely some options out there, but what will Samsung bring to the table with the Galaxy S4? Until we see what Samsung’s new iteration has to offer, it would be jumping the gun to upgrade your smartphone.

The brand that Samsung has built with the Galaxy S series is impressive. The Galaxy S2 really upped the ante for Android and the Galaxy S3 took it to a whole new level. The Galaxy S3 has surpassed 30 million unit sales worldwide, making it Samsung’s most successful smartphone ever. It was the number one, best-selling smartphone in the third quarter of 2012, beating the iPhone into second place. It won a number of “phone of the year” awards and it is still going strong.

The S3 set the standard for Android smartphones and other manufacturers struggled to match it in the weeks and months following its May 2012 release.

 

The weight of expectation

Levels of expectation for the Galaxy S brand are sky high. We are starting to see the same kind of excited anticipation and the same explosion of rumors that traditionally precedes a new iPhone launch. That’s because Samsung has consistently kicked it up a gear. The specs for the S2 and S3 were streets ahead of the competition at the time of release. Only HTC came close to keeping up but poor marketing put paid to any chance of competing.

Samsung knows what is expected of it. The S4 has to blow the competition away. If it can’t do so in terms of raw power then there has to be a new innovation. The company is gargantuan with fingers in more pies than you can count and its vast resources allow incredibly fast turnaround times on new developments.

We’ve seen teasers of flexible displays and eight core processors from Samsung at CES. It seems doubtful that either is ready to roll out in the Galaxy S4, but you never know.

 

When will we see it?

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S2 at MWC back in February 2011, but it didn’t hit the market until May of the same year. The Galaxy S3 wasn’t unveiled until May 3rd 2012, but it was rolling out into the marketplace by the end of the same month. There are plenty of rumors about a March or April release, but why would Samsung break with the established cycle? We think a standalone Samsung event in May will be followed by the S4 release later the same month, just like the S3.

With the Galaxy S3 still selling so well and a distinct lack of pressure from rival manufacturers, Samsung can afford to wait a little longer and make sure it produces another standout device. Nothing at CES 2013 will have worried Samsung. MWC next month might be a different story. If something big from HTC or LG grabs the public’s attention then perhaps the S4 will break cover earlier, but we doubt you’ll be able to lay hands on one before the summer.

You might feel that another few months is too long to wait. That will largely depend on what you are rocking right now. If Samsung knocks it out of the ballpark for the third time in a row you’re going to lament that lack of patience – don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Source: http://www.digitaltrends.com

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MTN boss to speak at Mobile World Congress 2013

MTN Group President and CEO, Sifiso Dabengwa

Organisers of next month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Spain have confirmed MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer, Sifiso Dabengwa as one of the speakers at the event.

John Hoffman, Chief Executive Officer of GSM Association (GSMA), the organizers of the event in a statement said the MTN CEO will join an array of expert speakers who will share their insight on mobile marketing, network evolution and strategic leadership during the four-day conference programme.

The event is scheduled for Barcelona, Spain, from February 25-28 under the theme, Explore the New Mobile Horizon.

Dabengwa is one of the continent’s most prominent ICT executives, and is credited for driving MTN’s growth into one of the leading mobile network firms in the emerging markets.

Other keynote speakers and officials attending include Padmasree Warrior, of Cisco; Mats Granyd, President and CEO of Tele2 Group; Peggy Johnson, EVP and President, Global Market Development, Qualcomm; and Keith Weed, CMO of Unilever.

The GSMA Mobile World Congress is the combination of the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry and a conference featuring prominent chief executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the globe. It represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide.

Spanning more than 220 countries, it unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile firms as well as more than 230 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organizations. 

Source: http://business.myjoyonline.com

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Near Field Communication Experience at GSM Barcelona

This year, Mobile World Congress offers a truly interactive experience for exhibitors, vendors, and attendees to participate in an environment where information and transactions are exchanged through mobile using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled mobile phones have a huge potential to make our lives easier by letting us, with a simple touch, enable secure access to new transaction and payment services across a range of sectors and industries. NFC technology has been in existence for a few years now and it is thought that adoption will increase noticeably in the next couple of years. Our NFC Experience will create an opportunity for you try out some of these services first-hand.

As part of the NFC Experience, the GSMA will showcase an integrated range of mobile NFC services throughout the venue and city of Barcelona. NFC touch points will be abundant throughout the exhibition, rewarding those who ‘tap’ with instant access to information and various incentives. The NFC Experience begins with the following features:

• NFC Centre
• NFC Experience Zones
• Barcelona City NFC locations
• Virtual NFC badge – enabling instant onsite access via your handset
• NFC-enabled payment terminals

 

How it Works

Mobile World Congress attendees with NFC-enabled handsets will be able to take advantage of NFC technology at locations throughout the venue and city. This will include information points, discount vouchers, payment capabilities and much more.

The variety of locations and incentives offered to attendees participating in the NFC Experience will provide a complete appreciation of Mobile NFC that truly enhances the value attendees already gain from the Mobile World Congress.

 

NFC Centre

This dedicated zone in the heart of Congress Square will showcase NFC-enabled handsets and their capabilities as well as information on the NFC ecosystem, information loaded NFC smart posters, NFC partner pods, and a dedicated NFC support function.

The NFC Centre will serve as a centralised location for all vendors and exhibitors participating in the NFC Experience. This will be one of the key locations to visit and see the NFC ecosystem demonstrate the benefits that NFC technology can provide. Adjacent to the NFC Centre in Congress Square you can visit the GSMA Stand, where the GSMA’s Mobile NFC Services Programme will showcase themed SIM-based NFC demonstrations.

 

NFC Experience Zones

More than a dozen NFC Experience Zones will be located along the walkways, entrances, green areas, and exhibition halls of Fira Gran Via. Comprising a series of linked smart posters, participating attendees to use their NFC-enabled handsets to access exhibitor directories, venue information, nearby conveniences, and many other useful services offered during Mobile World Congress.

 

NFC-Enabled capabilities in Barcelona

The City of Barcelona, in collaboration with Mobile World Capital, is enabling key areas for attendees to experience NFC technology in action. Strategic NFC touch points will be available at the airport, key hotels, selected restaurants, and central tourist locations. By tapping NFC tags, attendees will receive discount offers, information downloads, access to mobile apps, and much more.

By participating in the NFC Experience, attendees will be able to:

• Access the venue via their NFC-enabled handset
• Pay for refreshments at Mobile World Congress
• Download information on the Conference sessions, and keynotes
• Access NFC Experience information points
• Take a taxi and pay by NFC
• Pay for goods in select restaurants and shops

 

NFC Challenge

GSMA will be holding an NFC Challenge during MWC 2013. The competition is open to exhibitors in the NFC industry with commercialised NFC-related apps, products, services and/or solutions. Submissions will be evaluated by a team of secret judges at the submitting exhibitor’s stand during the first two days of the Congress. There is no entry fee and the entry deadline will be mid-February 2013. Click here to learn more.

Source: http://www.mobileworldcongress.com

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Mobile Giants Want a Slice of Google and Apples 90% Market Share

It now seems that there is a joint effort between some of the mobile giants, to launch a new open source OS, based smart phone, to take some of the 90% market share from Google Android, Apple IOS and Blackberry. Read on for more information.

In an effort to compete with U.S. tech giants Google and Apple, NTT Docomo Inc. is jointly developing a new operating system for smartphones that it hopes to put on the market next year, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

Docomo, Japan's largest mobile communication company, has joined with South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. and other firms to develop a system that will take a larger slice of the smartphone pie. 

Google and Apple hold a 90 percent share of the market.

The ultimate aim is to form a business group that will rival the two U.S. companies.

The OS that Docomo and its partners are developing is named Tizen. Samsung will probably begin selling the smartphones next year and they are likely to be released in Japan and other countries at around the same time, according to sources.

Application software products formatted for Google's Android and Apple's iPhone devices equipped with iOS have become easier to use.

However, it is difficult for mobile phone service companies to offer their own services, such as for Docomo's online shopping, or to improve the safety of personal information for the smartphones equipped with the OS products developed in the United States.

In contrast, the basic technology information used by Tizen will be made open to the public and the OS is being developed on the premise that mobile phone service companies will be able to offer their own services.

According to Gartner Inc., a U.S. research company, Android held a global market share of 72.4 percent in OS products for smartphones from July to September 2012, and iOS held 13.9 percent.

Most apps were developed for the two products.

Besides Docomo, European mobile phone service companies also are participating in the development of Tizen because they fear the hegemony of the two U.S. companies in businesses using smartphones, such as games and music distribution.

Docomo is the only firm among Japan's three major mobile phone service operators that does not sell iPhones.

As a result, the number of subscribers leaving Docomo for other companies has exceeded the number of new subscribers over the past four years, as users can retain the same telephone numbers after changing companies.

In November, the number of canceled Docomo contracts was larger than that of new contracts for the first time in about five years.

Docomo hopes the smartphone with the Tizen OS will reverse this trend.

Tizen's main developers are Samsung and Intel Corp., a major U.S. semiconductor products manufacturer. Besides Docomo, Britain's Vodafone Group PLC, France Telecom, other European mobile phone service companies, Panasonic Corp. and NEC Corp. are involved in the development.

The Tizen OS will be an open-source product so users can further develop or improve the software.

The development of apps for the new OS system is expected to be simpler.

Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp

If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.      

Nokia Windows RT Slate at Mobile World Congress

Finnish Company Nokia has been in news headlines recently for extending its Windows-based products and next in line is its forthcoming Windows RT slate.

Nokia is all set to bring a new Windows RT tablet with features somewhat similar to the Microsoft’s Surface Model. Nokia Windows RT tablet runs on an ARM chip and has a 10.1 inch screen. It will also have a cellular networking and AT&T, one of the major carriers in U.S will be the first provide the connectivity.

Nokia Windows RT tablet also boasts a special cover similar to that of Microsoft’s Windows RT tablet. The special cover of Nokia tablet covers it like an envelope and also has a built-in keyboard, kickstand and battery. There are two USB ports in the case of Nokia Windows RT tablet providing it an extra connectivity option.

The price of Nokia Windows RT tablet is indeed as important as it specifications. Nokia has not yet revealed the price range for this Windows tablet, but it may soon be revealed with the tablet itself in February 2013.

This Windows RT tablet from Nokia is planned to be released in the Mobile World Congress, which is considered as the biggest tech event in the world.

Source: http://news.thewindowsclub.com/

If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.     

4G in the UK: What it is, when it's coming and what it means for you

Summary: 4G mobile will offer super-fast download speeds when it arrives in the UK. Find out what 4G technologies are being deployed in the UK, by who and when, and why the UK has lagged behind the rest of the world on 4G adoption.

Mobile operators have been offering 3G services for nearly a decade and have continued to refine the technology, squeezing extra speed out of the existing infrastructure and standards.

Currently, 3G HSPA+ technology can deliver a theoretical download speeds of 42Mbps, but with demand for mobile data (and in particular video) constantly increasing, 3G is beginning to show its age.

That's why there is so much interest in the next wave of wireless — known collectively as 4G — which hold the promise of even faster downloads. But while other countries have raced ahead, in the UK adoption has been slower.

What is 4G?
4G is the next generation of mobile communication standards, picking up where 3G drops off and delivering higher download and upload speeds.

What is 4G, and when will it arrive in the UK?

There are several technologies competing to become the de facto 4G standard. The term 4G doesn't actually refer to a particular technology — rather it's a catch-all term that in the UK is generally used to refer to Long Term Evolution (LTE).

In other countries, such as the US, different technologies — such as WiMax — have been deployed to provide higher-capacity data services. In the UK, WiMax is very rare, with just a few small operators serving specific towns or cities.

LTE versus WiMax
WiMax uses underlying technology based on Wi-Fi, whereas LTE is based on the same underlying technology that currently underpins every big UK mobile operator's 3G network. This is why we will have 4G LTE as the standard technology rather than WiMax (making the situation considerably more clear cut for end users in the UK than in the US, where both technologies have already been widely deployed).

So in the UK, at least, the future of 4G is LTE. And LTE, like every other data communication standard, operates in a specific frequency or set of frequencies.

But to add to the complexity, the UK's LTE services operate in a different band to those in the US, meaning that certain 4G-equipped devices won't work everywhere in the world.

You can think of the issue with different 4G bands in a similar way to how you used to have to check whether a phone was dual, tri or quad-band to see if it would work abroad.

In the UK, LTE services will use the 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz and 2.6GHz bands whereas the new iPad, for example, will only work on 4G networks that use the 700MHz or 2.1GHz frequency bands.

So if you're on a trip to the US anytime soon and are considering snapping up a new 4G-equipped phone or tablet, be aware that it almost certainly won't be compatible with the UK's 4G networks.


Why should I care about 4G? Will it really be that fast?
Have you ever been out and about trying to watch a video on YouTube or stream some music and have it steadfastly refuse to playback without constant buffering? Yes? Well, that will be a thing of the past with 4G.

The new iPad is not compatible will all types of 4G service. Image credit: CNET News

Of course, that was the promise of 3G but it never quite seemed to be the case.

Where 3G HSPA+ speeds are currently maxing out at around a theoretical 42Mbps downstream limit, 4G promises to deliver up to 100Mbps for users on the move.

But it's not just for urban hipsters — 4G could also play a role in bridging the rural broadband divide in the UK.


If it's used a replacement for fixed-line broadband, even higher speeds are possible, depending on reception and how many people are using the service. In fact, several of the test deployments of 4G services in the UK have taken place in rural locations such as Cornwall.

It's hard to say exactly how much faster the 4G services will be in the UK, as current trials are exactly that and are therefore not subject to true fully laden network conditions. As a rough guide, I've had a play with two different 4G services so far, and the download speeds ranged from just below 40Mbps in a moving car and up to 48Mbps when stationary.

When will 4G arrive in the UK?
There is still no definitive launch date from UK operators; but it's not (just) their fault.

The earliest likely date for widespread 4G availability in the UK, from a range of operators, is the autumn of 2013. The UK was one of the first countries to hold 3G spectrum auctions in Europe, but it will be one of the last to hold its 4G auctions.

Spectrum in the UK

• 2G/3G/4G spectrum already owned:
  900MHz – Vodafone and O2
  1800MHz – Everything Everywhere, Vodafone, O2
• 3G spectrum already owned:
  2.1GHz – Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere and Three
• 4G spectrum up for grabs:
  800MHz and 2.6GHz

The UK's telecoms regulator Ofcom has been mulling the idea of an auction of the spectrum needed to run 4G services in the country since 2008. However, due to a range of factors, such as the analogue television switch-off and the unequal allocation of spectrum currently used for 2G and 3G services, the process has hit a number of delays.

Considering what's at stake (their future business and current multi-billion pound investments) it's understandable (but not necessarily forgivable) that the operators have also been bickering about the fairest way to run the auction.

Operators cannot begin to offer their services before the spectrum auction takes place — and the process is not due to begin until the end of 2012. By the end of this year, Ofcom will have taken applications from prospective bidders with a view to start the bidding early in 2013.

As a result, big UK operators like O2 and Vodafone are unlikely to be able to use the spectrum for 4G before autumn 2013.

Everything Everywhere's 4G service
However, while the spectrum auction (800MHz and 2.6GHz) is still scheduled to take place before the end of 2012, Everything Everywhere has been given permission by Ofcom to re-use its 1800MHz spectrum currently used for 2G services for 4G services, effectively given the company a head-start on its rivals.

On 11 September, the first day Everything Everywhere could start 'refarming' the spectrum, the company said it has rebranded itself 'EE' ahead of its 4G LTE services going live.

It also said it has begun trials of its 4G technology in London, Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham. These cities will be the first places to offer the service. EE aims to extend the reach to a further 12 cities (Belfast, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield and Southampton) before Christmas 2012.

While it gave no solid date for the first introduction, chief executive Olaf Swantee said EE aims to provide 4G coverage for 20 million Britons before the end of 2012, rising to 70 percent of the country by the end of 2013, and 98 percent by the end of 2014.

Another LTE service
If, for some reason you absolutely have to use 4G sooner, you can — there is one very limited 4G service being offered already in Southwark, South London and also in Swindon.

However, the company behind the service — called UK Broadband — is a bit of an anomaly as it delivering the service using Time-Division Long-Term Evolution (TD-LTE) in the 3.5GHz frequency.

Unlike 'standard' LTE, Time-Division Long-Term Evolution was previously thought to be unsuitable for 4G due to the type of spectrum it operates in (lower-band spectrum tends to perform better at things like passing through the walls of buildings) but this has since been reconsidered.

"The UK was one of the first countries to hold 3G spectrum auctions in Europe, but it will be one of the last to hold its 4G auctions"

One stumbling block for TD-LTE is that there are at present very few phones in the UK that support it. There are some Mi-Fi devices that support it, which will let you connect to the hotspot by Wi-Fi like normal, but it's not a very elegant solution.


Everything Everywhere — or EE, as it is now called — has announced a handful of handsets that will work on its forthcoming 4G network, including the Nokia Lumia 920, the Samsung Galaxy S III LTE, and the Apple iPhone 5.

How much will 4G cost in the UK?
Understandably operators aren't keen to start talking pricing when the service is so far away from going live. Mobile contracts are likely to include 4G data usage in the same way that 3G data is included today. Like any new technology, this will likely come at a premium initially, but I'd be surprised if it costs more than — say — £10 more than today's contract deals.

By the time the services are live the companies involved will have cumulatively spent billions of pounds deploying 4G in the UK. The last thing they would want is lacklustre uptake of the service and an even longer period before they can recoup their costs and start making money off the infrastructure upgrades. To promote widespread usage, dare I say ubiquity, of the service, they'll make them as cheap as they can to tempt customers in.

How much telcos could end up charging for 4G data services on the per-MB level is more difficult to predict, though it would presumably still have to fall within EU guidelines from the pricing of data at a wholesale level.

Source: http://www.zdnet.com written by Ben Woods

If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.  

Nokia to resume development of 10-inch Windows RT tablet

Nokia has talked about cooperation with Microsoft, Qualcomm and Compal Electronics to resume development of a 10-inch Windows RT tablet, and is likely to unveil the model at the 2013 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, during February 25-28, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

Nokia originally planned to develop a 10-inch Windows RT tablet equipped with Qualcomm's S4 processor in first-quarter 2012, with Compal to undertake ODM production and initial shipments of 200,000 units to test the market, the sources indicated. But because Microsoft later announced Surface, and the market for Windows 8/RT tablets needed to be proven, Nokia internally focused on smartphones, and delayed the development of the 10-inch Windows RT tablet, the sources pointed out.

As the sales performance for Windows RT tablets has so far been short of expectations, Nokia is evaluating ordered volumes and has not yet decided on its marketing plans, the sources indicated.

Source: www.digitimes.com

 If you are visiting Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, MWC or GSMA in 2013 or just want to make a Tour, Day trip, Attractions or Excursion or are interested in any other tour services, then check out the picture above at the top and if you can't find what you are looking for, call us on +34 663 801 325, because you can be sure we can do it.