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Updated: Smaller iPhones to sell for $100 or less

Posted by Harshad

Updated: Smaller iPhones to sell for $100 or less


Updated: Smaller iPhones to sell for $100 or less

Posted: 14 Feb 2011 05:27 PM PST

Updated: Smaller iPhones to sell for $100 or lessThe WSJ is corroborating a Bloomberg report from the weekend which stated that Apple is currently developing a less-expensive version of the iPhone for sale to the mass market.

Furthermore, Apple will overhaul the software services for the devices.

The new report claims the upcoming iPhone will be 50 percent the size of the iPhone 4 and sell for $100, or even less. Current subsidized iPhone 4s sell for as low as $199 with contract.

Apple will look to overhaul the MobileMe online storage service, as well, with the company making the $99 service free, say the sources. By making MobileMe free, Apple will eliminate the need to add a lot of memory to the new, smaller iPhones, keeping costs down.

The company is also looking to add a social network to its cloud service.

Apple will release the smaller iPhones, as well as the revamped MobileMe during the summer although it is unclear where the company will release the phone first.

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Android devices getting Flash 10.2 soon

Posted: 14 Feb 2011 04:55 PM PST

Android devices getting Flash 10.2 soonAdobe has confirmed today that Flash 10.2 will be headed to Android devices very soon, just a few days after it was released for Windows and Mac.

Says Anup Murarka of Adobe (via TR):

We have released source code to all our tier one partners and you will see Flash 10.2 begin to show up for mobile devices in the next few weeks.


Murarka did note that there was no timetable for Flash on Windows Phone 7, although he was optimistic on the operating system after Microsoft's deal with Nokia.

In the desktop version of Flash 10.2, CPU utilization falls to under 15 percent when playing flash video, in HD, full screen.

Says Muraka:

Often when we do everything in software today, we are above 60% and up to even 100% CPU. And that also translates into battery savings and improvement in overall responsiveness. We don't think you'll see quite as dramatic improvement on mobile because we already use some of that [technology], but you will see improvements in battery life.


Finally, Stage Video and Content Viewer will be supported for Android, meaning digital titles like National Geographic should be available via Android tablets soon.

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Windows Phone 7 to add Twitter, copy/paste, IE9, multitasking, cloud Office

Posted: 14 Feb 2011 01:58 PM PST

Windows Phone 7 to add Twitter, copy/paste, IE9, multitasking, cloud OfficeMicrosoft has shown off the future of their Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system today at the Mobile World Congress, confirming plans to add Copy/Paste functionality, multitasking, Internet Explorer 9, Office support in the cloud and Twitter integration.

Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business says the new features will hit the operating system in 2011, starting with copy/paste.

That function will be added in March.

For all the rest of the features, Microsoft simply says "in 2011."

Microsoft recently signed a deal with Nokia where Nokia will use the OS on all its upcoming smartphones.

Says Lee (via press release):

This partnership will combine the strengths of our two companies, and fuel our growth as we build the global Windows Phone ecosystem. This is a great win for us, for Nokia, and for our existing and new customers around the world

"...A year ago, we introduced Windows Phone 7 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. We described how we are putting the entire muscle of our company behind our mobile strategy including Windows, Windows Live, Bing, Zune, Xbox LIVE, Office, SharePoint, Exchange, and our developer tools. Our alliance with Nokia creates opportunities for both companies far beyond what we could achieve separately, and offers a compelling alternative to the existing choices for consumers, mobile operators and developers.

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Netflix shares hit all-time high following Android streaming news

Posted: 14 Feb 2011 01:41 PM PST

Netflix shares hit all-time high following Android streaming newsNetflix shares have exploded to a new all-time high today at $247, following news that streaming was headed to future Android devices.

Qualcomm announced earlier in the morning that devices running the updated Snapdragon platform with Android will be able to use Netflix's 'Watch Instantly' streaming service.

While that means current Android smartphone/tablet users may still not be able to use Netflix streaming, future devices will be able to right out of the box.

Says Liat Ben-Zur, senior director of software strategy and ecosystems for Qualcomm:

We're excited about this collaborative effort to help bring the Netflix application to Android devices running on the Snapdragon platform. Qualcomm is in a unique position to help bring the most optimized and advanced Android apps to market through working closely with the strong ecosystem of Snapdragon developers like Netflix.


Netflix has been notably missing from Android devices, especially since Netflix has a working streaming app on iOS and Windows Phone 7.

The press release explains that "Snapdragon processors are designed to deliver dynamic performance and media protection features in a turnkey package, allowing the devices they power to more easily pass through the approval process required for Netflix certification. Additionally, Netflix video decoding is handled by highly efficient dedicated hardware, extending battery life and improving picture quality."

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Qualcomm shows off quad core 2.5Ghz mobile processor

Posted: 14 Feb 2011 12:05 AM PST

Qualcomm shows off quad core 2.5Ghz mobile processorToday at the Mobile World Congress event, Qualcomm will announce the next upgrade to their Snapdragon mobile processor chipset line.

Using the new "Krait" micro-architecture, the APQ8064 chipset will run quad core, at an astounding 2.5GHz.

Additionally, the processor will use even less battery than its predecessors.

Qualcomm promises the processor will be 1200 percent faster than single core Snapdragons, whilst using 75 percent less power.

Furthermore, the chipset will allow for 3D recording right out of the box, include NFC, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and FM radio built-in and even includes the new quad-core graphics processor, the Adreno 320.

Samples of the processor will begin hitting manufacturers in early 2012.

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