Reasonably-Priced BlackBerry 10 Smartphones To Be Released By RIM

BlackBerry 10

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A recent report from CNET revealed that the BlackBerry 10 devices will be offered to all price points once they are released into the market this year.

According to Frank Boulden, chief marketing officer of Research In Motion, all income levels will be able to benefit from its latest operating system. Six BlackBerry 10 devices are expected to be released within the year with the initial salvo featuring touch-screen displays. Another upcoming BlackBerry 10 device will come with a full QWERTY keyboard.

The new BlackBerry 10 smartphones are expected to be launched by RIM on January 30.

The future of RIM will likely be determined by the BlackBerry 10 OS, which is the latest mobile OS of the company. The company has lost a good number of its clients to the iPhone of Apple and the Android devices. RIM revealed that it aims to maintain its strength when it comes to user-friendly messaging and typing features. In addition, the new software may also enhance the multimedia features of the devices that use the new OS.

Most of the market of RIM has been government and corporate users although it was able to find its own niche in the other market segments. The BlackBerry Messenger technology has increased the popularity of the device in developing markets. This feature allows users to use the network of RIM and bypass the SMS text messaging service of mobile service providers. This has given penny-pinchers a means of communicating without having to pay for every text message they send.

RIM aims to target these users when it will release some of its BlackBerry 10 devices. It also aims to attract high-end clients once the BlackBerry 10 devices are released into the market.

Despite losing clients to its rivals, RIM will still have loyal users in the corporate world, according to the SAP chief information officer Oliver Bussman. He believes that there are still a number of BlackBerry users around the world.

Although SAP facilitates the management of iPhones, iPads, and Android devices, a good number of BlackBerry products are used by their corporate clients. SAP is also among the companies that beta-tested the BlackBerry 10 OS.

Bussman also indicated that the success of RIM will likely hinge on the BlackBerry 10 OS.

To ensure the success of the BlackBerry 10 OS, RIM has to offer a good number of apps for upcoming BlackBerry 10 devices. RIM reportedly revealed that around 70,000 applications will be ready once the BlackBerry 10 devices are launched.

The marketing chief of RIM indicated that a number of developers are supporting the platform. RIM also aims to offer at least 600 applications in major markets to provide clients with apps they need. For the moment, around 90 percent of these apps are already available for the BlackBerry 10 OS.

Cheap iPhone Reports Emerge Once Again

iPhone 5

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Cheap iPhone? Anyone? A recent report from the Wall Street Journal hinted at the possibility that a cheap iPhone will be launched by Apple within the year. However, this appears to be old news since Wall Street Journal apparently made a similar report some time ago.

The report also comes after Digitimes, a Taiwan-based website, reported the possibility that the cheap iPhone will be promoted mainly in developing countries.

An anonymous source reportedly indicated that Apple has been looking into developing a cheap iPhone for some time already. However, it was only recently when some progress has been made in the creation of the device. The device will reportedly have a polycarbonate plastic shell, which is the only new detail in the report. The source also revealed that the cheap iPhone will be unveiled by Apple before the end of the year.

A Wall Street Journal report in February 2011 indicated that a prototype of the iPhone was supposedly spotted and is set to be sold as part of the device lineup of Apple. The cheap iPhone will reportedly be smaller compared to iPhone 4, which was the main model of the device at that time.

The cheap iPhone will supposedly be similar to the design of a typical iPhone although it will have a cheaper body. Using polycarbonate plastic may allow Apple to bring down the cost of producing the device. The other components will come from the older models of the iPhone.

The Wall Street Journal report on the supposed cheap iPhone was also similar to the Digitimes report, which was not quite credible. The report revealed that the device will feature Snapdragon chipsets and a bigger screen display.

Well, it appears that this latest report on a supposed cheap iPhone simply shows that the season for Apple rumors has already started once again.

E3 Countdown Result To Next Xbox Rumors

Xbox

Although nothing has become official, there are indications that the next Xbox may be unveiled in the E3 trade event this coming June.

A timer was posted on the blog of the director of programming for Xbox Live, Larry Hyrb. The post simply displays “Countdown to E3 2013” along with a link to the event’s official website. The E3 event, where the next Xbox may be launched, is set to be held in Los Angeles from June 11 to 13

However, it may be possible for the E3 countdown to mean something other than the next Xbox. It may hint at a new version of the Halo video game or the reported Xbox Surface tablet. Microsoft is expected to make a big announcement for the event, which the company usually makes a day before the event.

Since the Xbox 360 is over seven years old, a number of reports have hinted at the possible launch of the next Xbox in the near future. The 2013 E3 trade show may be the best event for Microsoft to launch the product since it is among the biggest trade events in the United States.

The next Xbox is expected to come with a number of enhancements in its memory, processing power, and graphics. It may also feature a Blu-ray player along with an enhanced Kinect motion controller. Some other features that consumers are expecting the next Xbox to offer are 3D sound and an “always on” feature.

Augmented reality glasses may also be offered in the future for the next Xbox. Reports have also hinted at the possibility that an Xbox Mini will be released by Microsoft to go up against the Apple TV and Roku.  This particular product is expected to focus on casual gaming and video streaming.

Industry watchers have speculated on a number of issues about the console once it is released into the market. Among the issues that has dogged industry watchers is the whether the next Xbox is backward-compatible. Reports have emerged on the possibility that the next Xbox will not be backward-compatible, which means games designed for the older models of the console cannot be played on the new Xbox.

This is just one of the questions that will be answered later on once the next Xbox is finally released into the market by Microsoft.

Reports Hint At Possible iOS-Powered Watch Is In The Works

iPod Nano with Watch Strap

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Reports coming from the sleeping dragon hints at the possibility that Apple are working with Intel to develop its own iOS-powered watch.

Following the release of the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad, Apple may be working on an iOS-powered watch. Sources within the supply chain have reportedly informed Tech163.com, a China-based blog site, that a supposed iOS-powered watch will have a 1.5-inch OLED screen display and Bluetooth connectivity.

The “iWatch” is expected to be unveiled by Apple in the first half of the year.

According to Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray, Apple may eventually develop its own wearable computer or an iOS-powered watch. The smart watch demand is likely big enough following the Kickstarter campaign was able to raise over $10 million for Pebble. These smart watches will likely be running an Android OS or the iOS.

However, reports such as these remain unconfirmed, and it should be taken with a grain of salt. Some industry watchers are not expecting an iOS-powered watch to be released into the market any time soon. But the smart watch niche may be an area that Apple can see a possible demand in the future.

Some consumers have also given feedback through Crave on the possibility that an iOS-powered watch may be offered by Apple in the future. Among the features that consumers want to see on the smart watch is support for FaceTime and Siri along with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC wireless connectivity.

The square-like design of the iPod Nano has made it an ideal watch substitute for some users. A number of manufacturers have offered watchbands that will allow the iPod Nano to be worn as a watch. The iPod Nano allows users to listen to music, view images, and monitor their fitness activities.

However, Apple has increased the size of the 2012 model of the iPod Nano, which would not make it ideal to be used as a watch. Therefore, it may be possible for the company to offer an iOS-powered watch in the future.

ZTE Nubia Z5 Launched By ZTE

ZTE Nubia Z5

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The ZTE Nubia Z5 was unveiled recently although it is not yet slated to be released into the US market any time soon.

The high-end ZTE Nubia Z5 features a five-inch touch screen display with a resolution of 1920 by 1080. The device will have a height of 2.71 inches and width of 5.43 inches while its width will only be 0.3 inches. Despite its five-inch screen size, the ZTE Nubia Z5 will only weigh 4.44 ounces.

The ZTE Nubia Z5 will also feature a quad-core 1,5GHz processor along with a 2300mAh battery. It will also use the Android 4.1 OS. The 13MP camera of the device will feature a LED flash as well as panoramic and continuous shooting modes. In addition to the camera at the back, the ZTE Nubia Z5 will also have a 2MP front-facing camera.

In addition to these features, the device will also offer a storage space of 32GB, 2GB memory, backup through a private cloud service, and Dolby sound technology.

The ZTE Nubia Z5 will be the latest flagship smartphone of the company and is priced at 3.456 yuan or around $554.26.

For the moment the smartphone will not be released into the US market although it may attract attention if it is similar to ZTE Grand S, which is a quad-core smartphone with a five-inch display screen and is set to be launched in the upcoming CES 2013.

ZTE already indicated that it is set on offering more devices into the US market. If the company will be offering a device similar to the ZTE Nubia Z5, then it may be able increase its presence in this major smartphone market in the world.

Report Hints At Possible Release Of Google “X Phone”

Google and Motorola

A Wall Street journal report hinted at the possibility that Motorola will be releasing a smartphone that is internally called the Google “X phone.”

The plan in offering the supposed Google “X phone” shows that Google is putting to good use its acquisition of the smartphone manufacturer. It can be recalled that Google acquired Motorola at a price tag of around $12.5 billion.

The upcoming device will reportedly be powerful enough to go up against the smartphone offerings of Samsung and Apple. The report revealed that the supposed Google “X phone” may be released in the coming year, which means Motorola engineers are working hard to bring the device into the market.

Even as reports on the possible release of the Google “X phone” start to emerge, Motorola will still provide Verizon with devices for its lineup. The WSJ report also revealed that a tablet may also be released into the market due to the partnership between Google and Motorola.

The report also indicated that some obstacles were encountered by Motorola in producing a next-generation smartphone and one of the problems that the company encountered was the battery life features. However, if the report on the upcoming release of the Google “X phone” is accurate the company may be able to turn their fortunes around.

Summer Release Of Low-Priced Amazon Smartphone Hinted

Amazon

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Last July, reports emerged on the possibility that an Amazon smartphone was being developed by the online retail giant. Recently Taiwan Economic News revealed that Amazon will release around five million units of the device as early as April next year,

It seems the company may be attempting to duplicate its success with the Amazon Kindle Fire with the Amazon smartphone. The report added that Foxconn was contracted to manufacture the device. Foxconn is widely-known as the manufacturer of the iPhone of Apple.

The selling point of the supposed Amazon smartphone will be its cheap price tag as it goes up against the giants in the smartphone industry, Apple and Samsung.

The price of the Amazon smartphone will reportedly be in the $100 to $200 range, which means it is an exceptionally low-priced smartphone. And cheap does not automatically mean that its hardware will be limited as proven by the Google Nexus 4, which is a rather low-priced high-end smartphone.

Amazon has been rather successful in offering low-priced hardware since it does not depend on the sale of the hardware for its profit. Instead the company shows a profit through the sale of e-books, videos and other downloaded content after the device is purchased by the consumers. This may be the same strategy that the company will use if it will release an Amazon smartphone.

The AmazonKindle Fire tablets use a modified version of the Android OS, which is user-friendly. Some industry watchers are waiting if the company will use a similar interface with the reported Amazon smartphone.

For the moment, Amazon has not issued any statements in connection to the reports of the supposed device. Because of this, it may be advisable to take the report with a grain of salt until after the Amazon smartphone will be officially announced by the online retail giant.