Nokia Windows Phone manufacturer Compal to start shipping the first devices next month

Taiwanese media has overheard that Compal will start shipping the first batch of Nokia Windows Phones in September, and it has been booked to manufacture about two million of those in total until the end of the year.

Nokia went with Compal for the first batch of its Windows Phone devices,since it has more experience than the Finns, as it has been assembling WP7 handsets for latecomer licensees like Acer, ZTE and Fujitsu F-07C.

By outsourcing production, Nokia apparently wants to speed the time to market for the Nokia Sea Ray and other WP handsets, since its smartphone sales are getting hammered ever since it announced the grande switch to Microsoft's mobile OS. If this rumor is true, then we can indeed see the phones announced at Nokia World in the end of October, and available for sale immediately thereafter.

what is 'Near field communication' function on Samsung Galaxy S 2 i9101

Near field communication, or NFC, allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and connections with a touch.^[1] It is anticipated to become a widely used system for making payments by smartphone in the United States. Many smartphones currently on the market already contain embedded NFC chips that can send encrypted data a short distance ("near field") to a reader located, for instance, next to a retail cash register. Shoppers who have their credit card information stored in their NFC smartphones can pay for purchases by waving their smartphones near or tapping them on the reader, rather than bothering with the actual credit card. Co-invented by NXP Semiconductors and Sony in 2002, NFC technology is being added to a growing number of mobile handsets to enable mobile payments, as well as many other applications.<sup>[2].


On Samsung Galaxy S II i9101, we will enjoy NFC on it. You will find this model on http://www.m2cmobile.com</sup>

Apple Patent Fights Target Google

Apple's courtroom battles against Samsung, HTC and Motorola may be a proxy war on Google's Android OS, a complicated undertaking with potentially large rewards.

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Apple's recent high-profile patent lawsuits indicate the Cupertino, Calif.-based company aims to tackle Android's rising share in the mobile and specifically tablet market. Analysts are expecting smartphones to surpass PCs in a matter of years, and Apple fears Google's Android may dominate the market.

Google also boasts 550,000 Android smartphone activations per day as of June, compared to Apple's 366,000 daily activations in January. And although Apple is set to release the iPhone 5 and iCloud this fall, besides diving full-force into Asian markets soon, Google still leads in terms of sheer numbers.

Apple recognizes the importance of fighting Google's burgeoning mobile OS, given the fierceness of its recent battles against Android handset and tablet manufacturers. It has several court cases and pending injunction requests with the International Trade Commission set for decision later this year.

And the iPhone maker recently won several victories too, including an Australian ban on Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, besides securing a judgment against HTC for violating two of its patents. It also filed an injunction against Motorola in Europe.

If Apple continues its lucky streak, the company could see royalty payments slow down its Google-backed rivals and beef up its own coffers at the same time.

But Apple is not immune to courtroom backlash, as it found out in June when a judge awarded Nokia a patent settlement. Apple had to dish out a lump sum plus regular royalty payments to the Finnish handset maker, in a case that may set a precedent for similar patent litigation on Google's part.

Google might have a hard time pinning Apple down, though, as it doesn't hold nearly as many intellectual copyrights. Being a younger company, Google is at a disadvantage in this realm and recently slipped even further behind when Apple with a consortium of other tech giants snapped up Nortel's patents for $4.5 billion.

At this point, Google's chairman Eric Schmidt can only express displeasure at Apple's patent purchasing and legal attacks, for example against HTC.

When asked whether his company might help the Taiwan-based manufacturer if the ITC votes to ban their Android devices in the U.S., Schmidt replied, "We will make sure they don't lose, then."

Whichever tech titan wins the mobile brawl, it's clear the battle will be tough slogging. And though the battle may be painful for Apple and Google, consumers may see benefits, like lower prices and speedier innovation.

For the top stories in mobile, follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Take Your Smartphone for a Swim

It was only a matter of time before waterproof cases were made to protect those expensive smartphones.

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Grace Digital Audio developed the "Eco Pod" to protect any Apple or Android smartphone, as well as any MP3 player, from sand, salt and even water. It even comes with a set of waterproof earbuds.

Smartphone owners can't use their touch screens while the phone is in the case, but they can still plug in their earbuds and enjoy some music while they're swimming.

The Eco Pod is made from a water-and-shockproof polycarbonate shell, and the company says the materials ensure mobile devices will stay safe. It also has an internal storage compartment to keep credit cards, cash and keys dry, and a carabineer clip so swimmers and divers can attach their phones on a bag or belt loop.

The case costs $50, and is available at Grace Digital Audio'swebsite.

For iPhone users who want a similar case but exclusive to the Apple smartphone, th LifeProof is also waterproof to a depth of 6.6 feet and meets military specifications for drop protection from up to 6.6 feet onto concrete.

There are also several other waterproof cases on the market that work to keep water out of iPhones and other mobile devices. However, items such as the Eco Pod and LifeProof also offer the added protection against accidental drops.

As the mobile device market continues to grow, it may be only a matter of time before one of these companies figures out a way to protect tablets at the beach as well, which may also be a large emerging market. After all, if people can't immediately update their statuses immediately on Facebook while having a great day at the beach, did they really go to the beach, anyway?

For the top stories in mobile, follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Nokia N9 not coming to United States. But you can buy it from....

If you were hoping to get your hands on the Nokia N9, you’re going to have to do some hardcore searching because the company’s first MeeGo phone won’t be coming to the United States or the United Kingdom as the company focuses on its Windows Phone initiative.

In a statement to the press, Nokia said:

“At this time we will not be making it available in the US. Nokia takes a market by market approach to product rollout, and each country makes its own decisions about which products to introduce from those available. Decisions are based on an assessment of existing and upcoming products that make up Nokia’s extensive product portfolio and the best way in which to address local market opportunities.”

The Nokia N9 looked like a solid piece of hardware and it sports an amazing camera. It is not much of a surprise because the Nokia N9 runs MeeGo and the company isn’t dedicated to this platform. Many believe the release of the N9 is either an experiment or a contractual obligation.

The company will also not be bringing more Symbian devices to the United States, as it will be placing its efforts on promoting its upcoming Windows Phone handsets in the U.S. market. Rumors also suggest that it is making a big push to get these Windows Phone handsets heavily subsidized when it does land.

But you can find it on http://www.m2cmobile.com

HTC Inspire 4G users grabbing some Gingerbread goodness via OTA update

The owners of the HTC Inspire 4G are not only receiving an OTA update to Android 2.3, they are also getting some enhancements to their phone as well as some bug fixes. According to HTC, the update started last Thursday but is apparently picking up momentum now. The version of Gingerbread being installed on the phone is Android 2.3.3 which means no gTalk support for now.

Enhancements include updated features to the application tray, an update to FriendStream, added Quick Settings in the Notification 
Window, improved power management functions and better media experience. Throw in the proverbial can of Raid to kill the bugs dead, and you have an outline of the changes coming with the update. 

For a more detailed list of changes and to manually start the update if you're too impatient to wait for the OTA one, visit the sourcelink. If you have already downloaded Android 2.3 on your HTC Inspire 4G, let us know what you think about Gingerbread and what changes you've noticed on your phone by dropping us a note in the Comments Box below.

HTC Buys Dashwire, Moves Into Cloud Services

HTC acquired Dashwire for $18.5 million, in a push to cloud-based services that lets users synchronize their photos, contacts and videos online, while securing 20,000 patents its ongoing legal battles.

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"People want access to all of their important content wherever they are on any device," said Fred Liu, HTC's president of engineering and operations. "Dashwire's cutting-edge sync services and deep mobile cloud experience strengthens our ability to deliver these services in a more powerful way."

HTC's move to get into the cloud services game will pit the company against steep competition. Google and Amazon already offer cloud services on Android devices, and Apple is set to roll out its iCloud service this fall with the release of iOS 5.

But the most significant aspect of the Dashwire purchase may not even relate to building a cloud platform, but rather to keeping HTC from courtroom troubles, which have plagued the company in the recent past.

HTC has been embroiled in a legal battle with Apple, and the International Trade Commission earlier this month ruled HTC violated two of Apple's patents in manufacturing its Android devices. The company appealed the ITC's ruling, but if the ITC does not reverse the decision, HTC will likely have to pay Apple royalties on every phone it makes, cutting into the company's profits.

HTC already pays $5 to Microsoft for every Android phone it produces as a result of a past patent suit.

HTC has had success in the smartphone market, posting a record second quarter in both profits and revenue, and plans to release several more devices this fall to build upon its momentum. Its current string of success may be what has the company ready to enter into the cloud game.

HTC has been able to compete strongly in the crowded smartphone market and looks to expand to the cloud, but has run into patent trouble that has cost the company millions of dollars. The Dashwire purchase may not only give the HTC the technology needed to develop its own cloud service, but equip the company with the patents necessary to stay out of revenue-killing lawsuits.

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About Nokia N9

A countdown timer on Nokia's Swedish web site tells us to expect a launch of the MeeGo powered Nokia N9 on September 23rd. The first pure touchscreen phone with no hardware buttons on the front was expected to have a launch in the middle of next month as we reported. But with the countdown timer at 49 days and 10 hours, the official release will come a few days later. Pricing is still unknown.

The Nokia N9 and its gesture-centric navigation received a good response when introduced. But Nokia's CEO Stephen Elop has said that Windows Phone 7 is the future of the rapidly declining handset manufacturer. While the N9 does support AT&T and T-Mobile's 3G spectrum, it will not officially have a Stateside launch. Canadian 3G pipelines are also supported although there are no plans for the N9 to be released in that country either.

The Nokia N9 features a 3.9 inch curved AMOLED Gorilla Glass screen with resolution of 480 x 854, an 8MP Carl Zeiss Wide Angle camera with dual LED flash which captures video at 720p, and a 1GHz TI OMAP3630 processor under the hood. Without a home button, the user swipes from edge to edge to go back to the home page. The N9 will be available in black, cyan and magenta and will be offered in 16GB and 64GB models.