In this issue

• HTC 4G WiMAX phone to debut—in Russia
• Gartner tells networks to give Google a little love
• So you think you’re smart(phone)?
• Let’s not pretend
• Masthead

HTC 4G WiMAX phone to debut—in Russia

In an exclusive deal with Russian carrier Scartel's Yota network, HTC has premiered its first GSM/WiMAX handset, indicating how rapidly the evolution of the world's communications infrastructure may be leaving the US behind. Logically called the MAX 4G, HTC's Windows Mobile 6.1 device offers a 3.8" (800 x 400) WVGA tactile display with the company's TouchFLO 3D user interface, the UI of HTC's Touch Diamond, Pro, and HD devices.

Yota is the first Russian Mobile WiMAX network, deployed in Moscow and St. Petersburg, areas with a total population over 20 million. The total coverage area is about 1,207 KM and consists of 150 base stations in Moscow and 80 in St. Petersburg. The network operates on IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard in the 2.5-2.7 GHz frequency range, and promises speeds of up to 200 Mbps. Scartel expects the Yota network to include over 1000 base stations by the end of this year. In addition to high-speed wireless internet, Yota's Mobile WiMAX network supports VoIP and IPTV. Yota TV already has 14 mobile TV channels, and promises a total of 23 by year's end. Additionally, the HTC MAX 4G supports TV-OUT functionality. http://tinyurl.com/gomo08d

Gartner tells networks to give Google a little love

One industry analyst said the nation's telecom carriers would benefit from showing some love toward Google Inc. instead of fighting over issues such as Net neutrality, white-space spectrum usage and selling software as a service over carrier networks. If the carriers don't accommodate and partner in some areas with Google, they stand to lose, said Alex Winogradoff, a Gartner Inc. analyst who wrote a report on ways that Google could influence the future of telecom. Today, one industry analyst said the nation's telecom carriers would benefit from showing some love toward Google Inc. instead of fighting over issues such as Net neutrality, white-space spectrum usage and selling software as a service over carrier networks. If the carriers don't accommodate and partner in some areas with Google, they stand to lose, said Alex Winogradoff, a Gartner Inc. analyst who wrote a report on ways that Google could influence the future of telecom. http://tinyurl.com/gomo08E

So, you think you're smart(phone)?

A survey released Sunday by the nonprofit Pew Research Center found that 48 percent of adults who use the Internet or have a cell phone or computer say they usually need someone else to set them up or show them how to use them. "What this shows us is that, even as the Internet and the technology revolution sort of starts to enter a phase of maturity, there's still a lot to be done in terms of making technology more usable to many," said John Horrigan, associate director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Cell phones and other handheld electronics work a bit better, according to the survey. Just 29 percent of cell phone users and 26 percent of users with BlackBerry, Palm or other handheld computers said they had problems with their devices in the previous year. The survey found that about 38 percent of people who had tech problems contacted a user-support service for help; 28 percent fixed the problems themselves; 15 percent called in help from family or friends. About 15 percent of those surveyed said they weren't able to fix their devices at all and apparently gave up on them. http://tinyurl.com/gomo08f

The figure was even higher for certain products. Almost a quarter of cell phone users said they never managed to get their device fixed. And among those who did resolve an issue, a higher percentage either corrected the problem themselves or sought help from friends or relatives rather than call customer service. "That 15 percent of technology users are sort of throwing up their hands was surprising for us," said John Horrigan, the author of the study. "You're talking about close to one in four cell phone users and one in five computer users saying, `Hey I can't cope with this any longer, I'm done.'"

Zachary McGeary, an analyst with Jupiter Research, noted that gadgetry now involves an "increasingly integrated ecosystem of devices." In other words, it isn't enough anymore for cell phones and computers to simply work on their own. They also have to get along with each other, and swap video and pictures.

Horrigan argues these statistics should sway technology providers to focus harder on making their products more user-friendly. Ask Avery Griffin, who switched to an Apple Inc. computer a few years ago for its audio recording software. The 24-year-old musician said his new machine wouldn't stop freezing up and crashing. But he said all he heard from Apple was, "At least it's not a PC." The PC he uses now works just fine, he said. http://tinyurl.com/gomo090

The survey of 2,054 adults was conducted by phone late last year and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Presumably, it was also limited to those who knew how to answer their phones.

Let’s not pretend

I’m on vacation this week, so the Going Mobile Newsletter and blog is a short one. But it also gives me the opportunity to “think deep thoughts.” Among those that occurred to me this week was my weariness over mobile devices pretending to be computers instead of phones. The simple fact remains that people buy mobile phones for two reasons: To make phone calls and… Okay, I’ve said before that I might extend that in this more mature age to two or three things, but there are very few “power users” who want to use every feature that a standard smartphone offers today compared to those who just want a good phone.

Where have we gone astray? IMHO we’ve forgotten the fundamental fact that phones—and mobile phones especially—are instruments of social interaction. We tack computer functionality onto that fundamental use. SMS is still one of the top if not the top mobile application today. People buy the phones for communication. That should be good news for companies who are developing social communications applications for the plethora of devices out there today, whether it is telling my friends what my location is or playing a multi-user game. It’s not the greatest news if delivering entertainment, browsing, or “delivery of services” is your thing. Why? Because those are inherently one-directional and non-social.

I reported on a story a few weeks ago that held that television shows about nothing in particular, like “Seinfeld,” are no longer possible. Why sit in a restaurant wondering and arguing about whether there is really a villa available in a certain area of Italy or if your contact just doesn’t want you to be near them? Jerry simply pulls out his smartphone and searches Italian villas, locates the one of his dreams, and books his vacation. …while George does what? There is no humorous conversation about nothing in particular. There is no social interaction. The article held that this was the way of the future as smartphones bring more and more PC features to their users. But fundamentally this is a future of despair.

What we need are more applications and features that make social interaction available to smartphone users—and I’m not talking about installing an app that gives you Facebook on a smartphone. What makes SMS so popular? It is an immediate interaction. The same is true of Instant Messaging. Photo and music sharing could be in that category. But when brilliant minds start thinking about social interaction (assuming brilliant minds can think socially) there will be a whole new range of mobile social activities that come available. And frankly, that is what will distinguish your mobile operator from your OS or search provider. The mobile operator is the channel for social interaction just as the device is the instrument.

So put that into your product planning hopper and bring back some ideas that will revolutionize mobile social interaction and separate smartphones from desktop, laptop, and netbook PCs.

Masthead

This is issue #39 of Going Mobile. The stories that I refer to are all among the 300+ publicly published articles I scan each week, but the commentary is entirely my own and does not represent the views, opinions, or official position of Microsoft or the Windows Mobile management team or any of the sites or companies referenced herein. You can refer stories to me or make other comments below. I'd like to make this better each week.

In this issue

• Is Windows Mobile about to die?
• A busy day at the FCC
• AT&T to expand
• Defying the economy
• I don’t wanna show off no more…
• Masthead

Is Windows Mobile about to die?

Robert X. Cringely at PBS has looked into the future and sees no Windows Mobile. "This is not a time to bet against the iPhone, which is changing the entire landscape of not just smartphones but mobile phones in general. For all its teething problems, there is a new sheriff in town and his name is iPhone. We'll see nothing but progress and market-share gains there," said the pundit. Mr. Cringely's analysis is in sharp contrast to the comments made earlier in the week by Microsoft's Robbie Bach who sees Windows Mobile having its own day in the sun after the fuss over the Apple iPhone "normalizes."

Cringely, a noted computer industry observer, noted that mobile phones are showing a classic distribution toward three competing standards. Symbian is growing old, the development language is non-standard, and the UI is not very friendly and getting uglier. In time, mobile phone makers will migrate to the more modern Android. "If I had to bet right this moment on the mobile 85-10-5 of 2011, I'd say iPhone, Android, then RIM, Symbian, or something completely new from behind Door Number Three," he added. The result will be that, in the long run Windows Mobile will fade away. "The way things are headed now, given that Microsoft can't really afford to be anything but first or second on the platform that supplants Windows, I'd say Windows Mobile will be dead," Mr. Cringely concluded. http://tinyurl.com/gomo07c

Remarkably, Microsoft declined to roll over and crawl into the grave. News last week that Motorola Inc. had settled on Windows Mobile and Android as handset platforms in an effort to simplify, focus on innovation, and manage costs underscored the unknowns involved in such choices, because leading OSs come with “patrons and politics,” with unknown implications, one analyst said. The future is anything but clear. “Operators recognize the value of ARPU improvements from harnessing Symbian, Windows Mobile and others, but these OSs come with their patrons and politics,” said analyst John Jackson at Yankee Group. The “Shakespearean tragic flaw” confronting handset vendors and operators alike, Jackson said, is that these OSs are largely being championed by parties intent on rivaling the operators for much of the resulting data revenue smartphones will drive. http://tinyurl.com/gomo07d

Adjunct to Motorola’s consolidation announcement, Sanjay Jha, Co-CEO of the struggling handset maker, let slip that the company will be releasing a phone based on Windows Mobile 6.5 in the second half of 2009. Motorola will also open a new office in Seattle to "work closely with Microsoft to deliver differentiation" as it continues to used the WM platform for its high-end business phone. Moto will follow the release of the WM 6.5 handset with a Google Android-based phone in the latter part of 2009. "I think that that will reduce the number of phones that will launch at least in the second or third quarters of next year, but I think thereafter, we expect that using Android and Windows Mobile, to be able to address larger portion of the mid- and high-tier market," Jha said according to PC Magazine. http://tinyurl.com/gomo07e

The unexpected mention of a version 6.5 was considered a slip of the tongue on Jha’s part, but Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed the new mobile platform in a Q&A at Australia’s Telstra Investor Briefing. Ballmer said "With releases we'll make this year - releases we'll make with 6.5 next year, Windows Mobile 7, I think we have a pretty interesting roadmap." http://tinyurl.com/gomo07f Interestingly, Telstra also demonstrated the world’s fastest mobile network, called “Next G” with enhanced HSPA (eHSPA) speeds of up to 21gbps. http://tinyurl.com/gomo080

Motorola and Telstra were not the only companies announcing long-range agreements with Microsoft last week. LG Electronics and Microsoft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form collaboration in mobile convergence. The agreement ensures continued collaboration in R&D, marketing, applications, and services in the field of converged mobile devices. “This agreement between LG and Microsoft will create critical momentum in the industry,” said Yong Nam at the announcement ceremony. “With this partnership, mobile computing will truly become an everyday reality, and LG and Microsoft will be at the forefront of it.”

“This MoU further strengthens Microsoft relationship with LG and demonstrates our joint commitment to delivering the most innovative mobile experiences to our customers,” said Steve Ballmer. “We are excited that leading mobility solutions providers, such as LG, are aligning with our vision for mobility.” http://tinyurl.com/gomo081

Microsoft Corp, capitalizing on Google Inc's regulatory snarl, is working to steal a deal with Verizon Wireless away from its rival, the Wall Street Journal said. Microsoft has got the mobile carrier's attention by offering a sweeter deal to put its search service and related advertising on Verizon phones, the paper said. Microsoft is also offering more generous revenue sharing and a guarantee of substantially higher payments to Verizon, the paper said, citing people familiar with the matter. Microsoft has found an opening recently partly because Google has been busy dealing with the U.S. Department of Justice's review of its Yahoo Inc partnership, the paper said citing, people familiar with the matter. http://tinyurl.com/gomo082

Apparently the folks at Microsoft simply didn’t get Cringely’s memo.

A busy day at the FCC

The Federal Communications Commission conditionally approved the Verizon Wireless-Alltel Communications L.L.C. and the Sprint Nextel-Clearwire Corp. mergers, while also voting to allow unlicensed devices to operate in vacant broadcast spectrum known as white spaces. The three major wireless decisions, which were preceded by massive lobbying, controversy and substantial congressional input, closely followed proposals championed by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. While Martin and his colleagues negotiated compromises on some issues, the decisions fell short of what some commissioners and wireless carriers wanted.

The FCC’s approval is the last major regulatory action necessary for consummation of the Verizon-Alltel merger, following the Justice Department’s recent approval. The combination of Verizon Wireless and Alltel will push AT&T Mobility from the nation’s No. 1 wireless provider position. The FCC also imposed county-based E-911 location accuracy and universal service funding reform conditions on the Verizon Wireless-Alltel and Sprint Nextel-Clearwire transactions. According to Reuters, Sprint Nextel scored DoJ approval in August over AT&T’s protests.

The agency’s decision on TV white spaces reserves the valuable spectrum for unlicensed devices subject to safeguards to prevent interference to broadcasters, wireless microphone users and others. The wireless industry had lobbied for a licensing approach to TV white spaces. Telecom and high-tech companies (Microsoft and Google) as well as public-interest groups applauded the FCC ruling, while broadcasters blasted the agency.

“Today’s vote ushers in a new era of wireless broadband innovation,” said Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft Corp. “Like other unlicensed facilities, which enabled popular technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, white spaces will make possible new and creative solutions to a range of broadband connectivity challenges. For example, white-spaces radios can help rural communities to augment their broadband Internet access inexpensively. Today’s vote also makes possible new ways to connect people and devices to each other and to Internet-based services, helping boost American productivity. And it will create opportunities for American companies to remain at the forefront of technological innovation worldwide, helping to create jobs and economic growth.” http://tinyurl.com/gomo083

Let’s not forget Mom, Apple Pie, Change for America.

AT&T to expand

Not to be left out of the acquisition mode and let Verizon get too far ahead in number of subscribers, AT&T has announced that it is buying regional mobile phone operator, Centennial Communications for $944 million in cash. The company said that the transaction will enhance AT&T’s wireless coverage for customers in largely rural areas of the Midwest and Southeast United States and in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Mobility is a vital investment area for AT&T and our company’s biggest growth driver,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “This transaction enhances network coverage for our consumer and business customers and is expected to create long-term value for AT&T’s stockholders.” The addition of Centennial’s 850 MHz spectrum should also improve service quality for AT&T customers in parts of Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. http://tinyurl.com/gomo084

Centennial was not the only acquisition AT&T snatched up this week. ­AT&T has brought the Wi-Fi network operator, Wayport for approximately US$275 million in cash. The deal adds Wayport's focused capabilities and enterprise customer portfolio with AT&T's Internet and 3G networks. The acquisition expands the AT&T Wi-Fi footprint to nearly 20,000 domestic hotspots, takes the company's global Wi-Fi presence to more than 80,000 locations. Wayport hotspots are in key locations, including select Wyndham, Marriott Vacation Club and Four Seasons hotels; HealthSouth and Sun Healthcare locations; plus McDonald's restaurants. http://tinyurl.com/gomo085

Defying the economy

­According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, mobile phone shipments in the United States defied the economic gloom and grew 6 percent annually, to reach 47 million units during the third quarter of 2008. Samsung outperformed, making it the market leader in the US for the first time. Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Despite the financial crisis, mobile phone shipments in the United States reached 47.4 million units during Q3 2008, up 6.2 percent from 44.6 million in Q3 2007. Attractive bundling schemes from operators, healthy subsidies and aggressive pre-stocking by distributors ahead of the holiday season helped to lift volumes.” http://tinyurl.com/gomo087

Despite the gloomy economic picture and the problems being experienced by some of the leading mobile handset vendors, global shipments of smart phones hit a new peak of just under 40 million units in Q3 2008, according to the latest estimates from leading analyst firm Canalys. This means smart phones now represent around 13% of the total mobile phone market, up from 11% last quarter. The introduction of the iPhone 3G in July and Apple’s expansion into many more countries helped propel the vendor to second place globally, taking it above RIM in the quarter and resulting in higher shipments than for all the Microsoft-based smart phones combined.­ http://tinyurl.com/gomo086

In spite of the good standings, ­Apple may have to cut production of its 3G iPhone by up to 40 percent during the final quarter of this year - writes Craig Berger, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets, an investment bank. "That the firm's iPhone production plans are being revised lower suggests that the global macroeconomic weakness is impacting even high-end consumers, those that are more likely to buy Apple's expensive gadgets, and that no market segment will be spared in this global downturn," he wrote in an investment note. Apple had warned that the current economic climate could affect future sales of all its products, but certainly did not predict a slow-down of the scale that Berger is looking at.

Earlier in the day, IDC warned that mobile phone average selling prices (ASPs) have already begun to drop this year. Competition for buyers will remain high, as consumers will be spending more carefully during the peak holiday period. However, slower growth in the third quarter and tight economic conditions will make 2009 slower and more competitive. http://tinyurl.com/gomo088

I don’t wanna show off no more…

Apologies to the musical “The Drowsy Chaperone,” but everyone seems to be “showing off” new devices this week. Vodafone UK is showing off their exclusive Blackberry Storm 9500s this week, debuting the first ever touchscreen Blackberry. Available on a range of high value price-plans, the device offers consumers and business customers easy access to voice and email, a range of social media applications, multimedia content, satellite navigation and many other services on the move. Customers who want to be the first in the UK to have a BlackBerry Storm can pre-order in Vodafone stores, online, through telesales, and account managers for business customers from November 14. http://tinyurl.com/gomo089

­Nokia shows off Ferrari branded phones. Nokia's luxury phone division, Vertu has announced the release of three new editions to its stable of Ferrari branded mobile phones. The Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Nero will comprise of 2009 limited edition handsets in sleek black leather, while the Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Rosso and Giallo will be produced in vibrant red and yellow respectively. A close working partnership between Vertu and Ferrari has enabled the material and design cues from the cars to be integrated seamlessly into the Vertu Ascent Ti. Frank Nuovo, chief of design for Vertu said: “The original design for the Ascent Ti was heavily influenced by the dynamic power of luxury sports cars and working closely with Ferrari has enabled us to progress this vision. The new Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari editions are the definitive automotive-inspired handsets – bold, balanced and with the unmistakable character of the Prancing Horse.” http://tinyurl.com/gomo08a

Nokia has also shown off a range of affordable mobile phones and services which the company says are specifically desisgned for people in emerging markets. ­In addition to Nokia's lowest cost handset to date, as well as its first handset for emerging markets with an integrated digital music player, Nokia unveiled a range of mobile internet services aimed at rural customers. Estimated retail prices of the new devices range from €25 to €90, with several models expected to begin shipping in 2008. Nokia's suite of Internet services for emerging markets will be available beginning in 2009. The first services Nokia will offer in emerging markets will focus on email, agriculture and education, which based on consumer feedback, present the strongest demand in emerging markets. Mail on Ovi, which is enabled on Nokia Series 40 devices, offers the possibility to create an email account directly on the mobile phone without having to use a personal computer, giving millions of users the possibility to create their first internet identity and communicate in new ways. A trial of Mail on Ovi will launch in a few select markets by the end of November 2008. http://tinyurl.com/gomo08b

­Sony Ericsson has shown off another Walkman branded mobile phone, and a Wireless Home Audio System. The W705 features the same sound quality as the W980 Walkman phone which was rated "best audio experie­nce" in a trial conducted in Germany by TESTfactory. The W705 includes standard Walkman features such as the music recognition application TrackID, SensMe, for matching your mood to the music and Shake control to change tracks with the flick of your hand. "We're really proud of what we have achieved in 2008 with our market leading mobile music range, said Ben Padley, Head of Global Music Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “Combining premium design and best-in-class sound quality with super-fast access to a host of digital content whether it be from PlayNow arena or via the web, we really are offering the most feature-rich mobile music experience available today.” http://tinyurl.com/gomo08c

Maybe it was the same writer for all the device stories this week!

Masthead

This is issue #38 of Going Mobile. The stories that I refer to are all among the 300+ publicly published articles I scan each week, but the commentary is entirely my own and does not represent the views, opinions, or official position of Microsoft or the Windows Mobile management team or any of the sites or companies referenced herein. You can refer stories to me or make other comments below. I'd like to make this better each week.

In this issue

• From Microsoft PDC
• Can Sanjay Jha turn Motorola around?
• Smartphones make Cher Wang her own fortune
• Verizon gets OK to purchase Alltel
• Is too much content bad?
• One in 10 mobile broadband subscribers feel they have been mis-sold
• Sony Ericsson gets the 007 treatment
• Masthead

From Microsoft PDC

The Microsoft Professional Developers Conference (PDC) was held in San Francisco last week and resulted in more than SalesForce.com crashing the party on bicycles to hand out T-Shirts. News start rolling out about mid-week and here are a few of the highlights.

Microsoft announced "significant new features" for its software-plus-services offering, aimed at synchronizing content between multiple desktop PCs and mobile devices. "Live Mesh" now offers dedicated Windows Mobile and Macintosh OS X (left) client software, is available worldwide, and includes a bevy of enhancements, says Microsoft. A core part of Live Mesh is "Live Desktop." This virtual, Windows-desktop-like web page provides registered users with access to 5GB of storage on a Microsoft server, from any web browser. In addition, via available client software, folders can be automatically synchronized with desktop computers and mobile devices, according to Microsoft. http://tinyurl.com/gomo072

Microsoft has scheduled the first quarter of 2009 for the first code drop of Silverlight for mobile devices. And while Silverlight for mobile will be missing some elements in the desktop that have people excited, Microsoft's working to pack in other features increasingly considered standard in the demanding world of mobile phones. Amit Chopra, Microsoft mobile development group senior program manager, told The Reg that Microsoft is working hard to include APIs for location and camera that aren't included in the current desktop edition of Silverlight. His goal is they appear in the CTP but made it clear if they won't be included if the effort of adding them delays the CTP or means final product ships too far after the release of Silverlight 2.0 - released this month. http://tinyurl.com/gomo073

There was an unexpected endorsement of Windows Mobile from Matthew Miller at ZD Net. A couple weeks ago Om Malik wrote an article in the NY Times titled, Why Windows Mobile is in Trouble, and most of the focus was on how the T-Mobile G1 and Google Android poses the biggest threat to Windows Mobile. The article gives an honest assessment of where Windows Mobile is at this time and concludes by stating that Windows Mobile is not a lost cause, but does need to take some actions to stay current and relevant in the mobile space. I agree with this bottom line, but also don’t think Microsoft has too much to worry about with the first Google Android device (the G1). I have been using the G1 for two weeks now and while it is great to see a mainstream Linux mobile OS, I am also heavily using my Treo Pro to get things done and stay in touch on the go. I don’t see a lot of people standing up and saying they prefer and like using Windows Mobile, but I know there are lots of people out there that do enjoy using this platform and I am one of them. I have read many comments online recently where people are trying to figure out if they want an iPhone or a new BlackBerry, but rarely hear that they are even considering a new Windows Mobile device. If you just look at the specs, Windows Mobile may be considered the most powerful and functional platform out there (S60 also may take this title). However, as Microsoft is learning it is not just about the specs, but today people want the overall user experience to awe them. Honestly, HTC and Samsung are working to bring this type of experience to people, but the message just doesn’t seem to reach people like it does with the iPhone. http://tinyurl.com/gomo074

Can Sanjay Jha turn Motorola around?

That's the question that everyone is asking after Motorola broke the bad news on its quarterly conference call Thursday that the handset business, which has been in serious trouble for more than two years, will likely not make a turnaround until early 2010. The problems are so grave at the company, which reported huge losses for the third quarter, that Motorola is delaying its planned spin-off of the handset division and restructuring the entire business in the hope that it can finally create products that will excite consumers.

"We're either witnessing a slow death here, or the darkest night before the dawn," said Sam Wilson, senior analyst at JMP Securities. "But one thing is clear this is a company royally screwed up in a brutally competitive market. And it won't be easy to turn things around."

In an effort to breathe new life into its handset line up, Motorola is betting the farm on two mobile operating systems: Windows Mobile and Google's Android. Co-CEO Jha, who was hired in August to take over the handset business and help spin it into its own company, said on the company's earnings call that Motorola will dump at least four operating systems, including Symbian, to focus on developing products using Android and Windows Mobile. Mid-tier phones will run Android, while the company will use Windows Mobile for its high-end smartphones. The problem for Motorola is that it will take time to make this transition. Jha said he doesn't expect an Android phone on the market until the 2009 holiday season. http://tinyurl.com/gomo075

Smartphones make Cher Wang her own fortune

Cher Wang is one of the most powerful female executives in technology whom you have never heard of. The company she founded, the HTC Corporation, makes one out of every six smartphones sold in the United States, most of which are marketed under brands like Palm and Verizon. Last week the iPhone's most likely rival, the T-Mobile G1, designed by HTC and powered by Google's Android operating system, went on sale. The attention is something HTC has never sought. And the same can be said of Wang.

Cher Wang is chairwoman of not one, but two companies: HTC and VIA Technologies, a developer of silicon chip technology, where her husband, Wen Chi Chen, has been chief executive since 1992. Forbes estimates the couple's wealth at $3.5 billion. HTC's revenue in 2007 reached 118.6 billion Taiwanese dollars, or about $3.7 billion. But Wang said she was not defined by wealth — either her own or her parents'.

When HTC was founded in 1997, the company made notebook computers. Her husband recalled that a few years after the company started, Wang and her partners were forced to make a choice: focus on notebooks or shift gears to hand-held devices, a market that showed signs of promise. Wang urged they shift to cellphones.

"HTC had strong engineers developing notebooks," said Chen. "But it was a volatile business with lots of competitors. She saw that clearly and pushed for the other instead."

It was a smart decision. HTC's revenue tallied about $1 billion in the most recent quarter, a 29 percent increase from a year earlier. "She is very demanding in one sense," said Chen. "If she wants something changed, she'll speak up about it." http://tinyurl.com/gomo076

Verizon gets OK to purchase Alltel

The Department of Justice approved Verizon Wireless’ $28 billion purchase of Alltel Communications L.L.C., subject to required divestitures of wireless assets in 100 markets encompassing 22 states. “The divestitures required are necessary to protect wireless customers and are among the most extensive required by the department in a wireless case,” said Thomas Barnett, assistant attorney general in charge of the antitrust division. DoJ said the divestitures, included in a settlement requiring court approval, cover the entire states of North Dakota and South Dakota, major portions of Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming, and sections of Alabama, Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. http://tinyurl.com/gomo077

Is too much choice in content bad?

Google Inc. is the latest player in the app-store game, launching its Android Market last week for early adopters with the new G1 from T-Mobile USA Inc. The storefront launched with several dozen free applications — it won’t support paid offerings until early next year — such as MySpace Mobile, Namco’s Pac-Man and a song-identification program from Shazam. The effort is loosely modeled on Apple Inc.’s App Store, of course, which launched a few months ago and last week delivered its 200 millionth download. Research In Motion Ltd. looks to be next into the space, unveiling plans last week to launch its own storefront in March, and Microsoft Corp. is said to be launching its Skymarket outlet next year.

There are some important — if subtle — differences between the three distribution channels, however. Apple takes a 30% cut of App Store revenue, leaving developers with 70%, while RIM allows its partners to keep 80% of revenues. Google, meanwhile, is staying out of rev-share arrangements, allowing carriers and developers to cut their own deals. And Apple has aggressively managed its store, occasionally pulling controversial content, while Google — for now, at least — promises an unfettered marketplace where developers can easily upload any offering. (Google can leverage a “kill switch,” however, removing offerings remotely if it chooses to; RIM has yet to say whether it will manage its store.)

While third-party storefronts are nothing new to mobile — Handango, Handmark and others have long served smartphone users — the high-profile outlets are a threat to carriers in several ways, of course. Not only do they present another face to the consumer, they spur loyalty to a handset or operating system — not to the operator. In addition, the Apple and BlackBerry stores leave carriers out of the content-revenue loop entirely, handling everything from retailing to distribution to billing.

And the app stores face other hurdles, as well. The rise of smartphone platforms has created a fragmented market where developers must choose which platform into which to pour resources and build applications. That fact was evidenced last week when Android debuted with several dozen offerings — about 550 fewer than the App Store launched with. Perhaps most important, though, is the fact that none of the newcomers have any real experience as a retailer of mobile software. Apple’s user experience is highly regarded, of course, but the company is only beginning to learn the mobile-application world, and both Google and RIM have many lessons to learn in the nascent space. Which may give carriers wide-open opportunities to establish their own storefronts and continue to own their customers. http://tinyurl.com/gomo078

One in 10 mobile broadband subscribers feel they have been mis-sold

New research commissioned by UK mobile operator, O2 shows that over one in ten mobile broadband users feel that they were mis-sold on what it offered. ­The main source of irritation is that consumers feel that they were deceived on the cost of the service with nearly a third complaining that the ongoing cost was higher than expected. One-fifth were also upset that they were unable to use mobile broadband where they wanted it despite being told by providers that there would be coverage. Another 13 percent were frustrated that there was no returns guarantee if the service wasn’t right for them and around half wanted inclusive Wi-Fi as standard.

On the back of this, O2 has announced a total refresh of its mobile broadband offering. The refresh includes making it easier for customers to be certain of their ongoing spend including a price reduction on core mobile broadband tariffs, the launch of a new coverage checker and a 50-day Happiness Guarantee which allows customers, who purchased directly from O2, to return the device to O2 within 50 days of purchase with no termination fees being charged and any costs for purchasing the device being refunded. http://tinyurl.com/gomo079

Sony Ericsson gets the 007 treatment

Reckon yourself a bit of a James Bond? Well Sony Ericsson think that they have come up with a phone that is fit for a would-be spy. The limited edition Titanium silver version of the C902 Cyber-shot is now available only on O2 and is none other than the phone that Daniel Craig will be plotting on in the long awaited Quantum of Solace movie, which is launching later this month. The phone was originally announced in August, but is now available via O2 in time for the movie. "The new mobile phone will make sure you are ready for any challenge, immersing you into the world of a secret agent with interactive 007 content and a spy-style game", claims Sony Ericsson. http://tinyurl.com/gomo07a

At the same time, Sony Ericsson has announced the upgrade to the C902, the C905 Cyber-shot with an 8 megapixel camera instead of 5. In the just-released commercial for the C905, professional photographer Matt Stuart takes photos and posts gigantic prints around the city. http://tinyurl.com/gomo07b.

Apparently the Xperia X1 on which Sony Ericsson spent a fortune by producing its own movie trailers, wasn’t shiny enough for Bond!

Masthead

This is issue #37 of Going Mobile. The stories that I refer to are all among the 300+ publicly published articles I scan each week, but the commentary is entirely my own and does not represent the views, opinions, or official position of Microsoft or the Windows Mobile management team or any of the sites or companies referenced herein. You can refer stories to me or make other comments below. I'd like to make this better each week.