SK Telecom to launch Seven 4G Smartphones

South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom has announced it would this year offer seven smartphone models and one tablet device running on ultra high-speed network technology.

SK launched its super-fast 4G wireless services, based on Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, in Seoul in June and plans to secure national coverage by 2013.

LTE promises fast data traffic and quicker access to applications such as television programmes, movies and video conferencing.

The company said it would this month launch two phones, from Samsung Electronics and Taiwan's HTC Corp, for its LTE service.

Samsung will offer two additional LTE smartphones through SK Telecom in October and November. Its tablet PC, the Galaxy Tab 8.9, will hit the local market before December with LTE technology.

LG Electronics will release its first LTE smartphone next month, while Pantech will provide two LTE smartphones in October and December.

The carrier said it aims to lure 500,000 LTE subscribers by December, five million next year and 15 million by 2014.

With global technology giant Apple expected to unveil its upgraded version of the iPhone next week, others are in a rush to attract users by pushing out new smartphones armed with faster network technology.

Official data showed gadget-mad South Korea had 15 million smartphones at the end of July. The figure is expected to hit 20 million by the end of this year, about 40 percent of the country's overall wireless market.

According to a study released this month by Pando Networks, South Korea already has the world's top Internet download speeds.

Apple to unveil iPhone 5 next week

Apple Inc looks set next week to unveil its much-awaited new iPhone, which analysts say will have a bigger screen and work better with remote computing services.

Apple on Tuesday invited media to a "special event" called "Let's talk iPhone" on October 4 at its Cupertino, California headquarters, an unusual location for a company that typically introduces major products at larger venues in San Francisco.

"This is the iPhone 5," ThinkEquity analyst Mark McKechnie said of the event. The new iPhone would be the first major product launch under Tim Cook, who took over full-time as chief executive after co-founder Steve Jobs resigned last month.

Though a good product, the current iPhone 4 could use some improvements, McKechnie said. "We talked about it having a bigger screen, a dual core processor, and probably integrates pretty well with the iCloud."

The iPhone - introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen template now adopted by its rivals - remains the gold standard in the booming smartphone market.

The new model, which some have dubbed the iPhone 5, will have a bigger touch screen, better antenna and an 8-megapixel camera, one source with knowledge of the matter said in August.

Hon Hai Precision Industries Co Ltd and Pegatron Corp of Taiwan will make the new phone, and have been told to gear up capacity for up to 45 million units in total, the source said.

Toshiba unveils Thrive 7- the new Android tablet

Toshiba has unveiled its second tablet: the Thrive 7. Joining the original 10.1-inch Thrive, the new 7-inch tablet looks identical to its older brother, and internally is pretty much is the same. It has the highest resolution we’ve seen in a 7-inch tablet yet, cramming an 1280×800 pixel screen into its compact shell. In addition, it runs on the same dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, Android Honeycomb operating system, and 1GB of RAM that power the original Thrive.

At just about a half-inch thick, it’s the most sturdy looking 7-inch tablet since the BlackBerry PlayBook. Though it is styled almost identically to the Thrive, the rugged rubberized backing feels quite firm and the silver camera area looks more natural in this diminished size. The cameras are identical too, with a 2MP front and 5MP rear. Unfortunately, there are no full-size ports on the Thrive 7, but Toshiba has included a microSD card slot, Micro HDMI port, headphone audio jack, and a Mini USB port. And like rival PC-maker Acer, Toshiba has chosen to compete on its hardware instead of modifying Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) itself.

The big difference is in audio. Toshiba has moved the speakers and proprietary charging port to the bottom of the unit when held vertically. This makes sense as most people will be holding it more like a book than a computer, due to its size. This new default orientation has the added benefit of making the shiny silver camera look like a better design choice, as it has remained in the same location. The speakers aren’t going to fill a room, but thanks to SRS technology and a boost from some custom Toshiba software, sound was pretty loud compared to other tablets we’ve used.

The only big downside to the Thrive 7 is the same one that afflicted its predecessor. Like the 10.1-inch model, the Thrive 7′s screen is a fingerprint magnet. The tablet will hit shelves in December and will be priced “competitively”.

A good online cell phone store

Recently I came across an online store about electronic gadgets and new technology. It offers a line of electronic products like cell phones, iPads, and smartphones from manufacturers like Motorola, Samsung, HTC and other big players from the industry. One of the latest addition to the store is Motorola Droid Bionic, which is a 4G phone.

Well I am talking about wheretopurchase.com, which has come forward as a good online store to Buy Cell Phones. Some of the latest innovations from the mobile industry which can be purchased from the store are Samsung Infuse 4G, which is the newest smartphone to join the AT & T line up.

Here you can pick phones according to the careers as well. For example, one can purchase phone from Sprint, which is operates on exceptional 3G and 4G networks. One can buy from Verizon also. One of the good choice from verizon is to Buy Motorola Droid Bionic 4G. Running on Verizon 4G LTE network, it coms with Android 2.3 Gingerbread network.

There are also LG made smartphones on offer. Cell phone lookers can Buy LG Thrill 4G here. The store also brings Sprint phones.

Over and all, the store comes with a wide range on cell phones from different manufacturers combined with different careers.

Amazon to launch a 7-inch tablet

After much anticipation, Amazon is expected to unveil its own tablet on Wednesday. Many believe an Amazon tablet stands the best chance of stealing some of the popularity thunder from Apple’s iPad.

On Friday, Amazon invited select media outlets to a mysterious event, which will be held this Wednesday, September 28. The company did not say why they are holding the event, or what will be launched. But it doesn’t take a genius to deduce that a tablet is in the pipeline – we’ve been hearing quite a few details about the device for some time.

According to earlier reports, Amazon will release a 7-inch tablet, which is expected to be an extension of its Kindle e-reader line, but one that runs on Google’s Android operating system. A 10.1 inch version will reportedly be released sometime next year. MG Seigler of TechCrunch, describes the “Amazon Kindle” tablet as “very similar” in look and “form-factor” to the BlackBerry PlayBook.

The timing of Amazon’s event is telling. If the rumors are true, Apple will unveil the iPhone 5 on October 4 – a little less than a week after the Amazon event. By holding an event this week, Amazon positions itself to steal the tech press spotlight in the lead-up to the alleged Apple event. After that, it’ll be all Apple all the time.

ZTE to roll out 4G handphones in 2012

ZTE Corp, the world's No.5 cell phone maker, plans to launch 4G handsets in the second quarter of 2012, aiming to grab more market share by expanding its product range.

ZTE, which competes with Nokia Oyj , Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd , sees its mobile phone shipments rising 30-40 percent annually over the next three years.

The Shenzhen-based company shipped 35 million handsets in the first half, on track to achieve its target of 80 million units for the year, which would be a third higher than last year.

"We will be rolling out 4G phones in advanced countries first. We are talking to more than one overseas network carrier now," Ding Ning, president of ZTE's handset division, said in an interview.

4G, which refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards, succeeds 2G and 3G technologies currently used in most mobile phones globally.

ZTE, which is due to launch its Skate smartphone on Hong Kong running Google Inc's Android 2.3 and sporting a Qualcomm Inc chipset, has been grabbing market share from more well-known global names with popular products such as Blade.

ZTE ranks behind Nokia, Samsung, LG Electronics Inc and Apple Inc with a 3 percent share in the global mobile phone market in the second quarter, research firm Gartner said.

Ding said the company had seen good sales in emerging markets, such as Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia, and was unfazed by economic doldrums in the United States and Europe.

ZTE plans to introduce handsets that run on Microsoft Corp's mobile operating system later this year, Ding said.

With top Chinese Internet companies such as Baidu Inc and Alibaba Group recently launching mobile operating systems, Ding said ZTE had no immediate plans to come up with its own platform.

HTC unveils new SmartPhone, Rhyme

Taiwan's HTC has unveiled another smartphone called the Rhyme which features a blinking "charm" that attaches to a bag to let a user know if they have received a call or a message.

The Android-powered Rhyme will go on sale in the United States on September 29. It will cost $199 and will be available through Verizon Wireless.

The device has a 3.7-inch screen, a single-core 1 GHz CPU, a 5-megapixel camera, 768 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage space.

It runs Android 2.3 with Sense 3.5 and comes with the usual extras, including WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and a microSD slot for memory expansion. What makes it a bit different from all the Androids on the market is its tiny case and purple color.

Also, the device is coming with a host of accessories, including the HTC Rhyme Charm, a gizmo that attaches to the phone and glows when you receive a call or text message.

The Rhyme, which runs the latest version of Google's Android software known as Gingerbread, will go on sale in Europe and Asia in October.

Taiwan's leading smartphone maker stressed the "style" and accessories for the plum-colored device at a launch event in Manhattan.

"Like your glasses, your wallet, your belt or that special bag, the smartphone or the phone expresses who you are as an individual," said HTC's vice president of design, Scott Croyle.

"You want a phone that's handcrafted with style, you want it to be intuitive, you want it to be less than a device and more of a companion," Croyle said.

The Rhyme comes with a tethered accessory called a "charm" that blinks when a user receives a message or a call. "It's more respectful than a ring and more noticeable than vibrate," HTC said.

Apple to announce iPhone 5 on October 4

Apple's new CEO, Tim Cook, will hold a big media event Oct. 4 to announce the iPhone 5, reports All Things Digital, citing sources familiar with the matter.

If true, the launch date of the next generation iPhone is consistent with the recent wave of rumors claiming it will be released in early October.

Sources say that Cook will preside over the announcement - with the help of other key executives such as Phil Schiller, who participated in such events in the past - which would give this event even more significance. Cook must convince the shareholders, the audience and Apple fans all over the world that he can sure-handedly take over the role of Apple CEO and company showman. And the expectations for that particular job are enormous, for sure.

It is not known whether Steve Jobs, who resigned from the role of Apple CEO in August, will be present at the event.

The newest iPhone will reportedly be available in the few weeks following the announcements.

Nikon unveils first Mirrorless Cameras

Nikon has unveiled its first mirrorless cameras, beating its arch rival Canon to the nascent market for small, interchangeable-lens cameras, where other manufacturers have met with mixed success.

Priced at around 70,000 yen ($915) and 105,000 yen, the long-rumored Nikon 1 J1 and Nikon 1 V1 will go on sale on October 20, the company said.

"A new market is developing among people who feel a compact camera is not quite good enough," said Yasuyuki Okamoto, head of the company's imaging division, adding that he saw the camera's small size as one of its main appeals.

Nikon and Canon dominate the market for the hefty single-lens reflex cameras used by professional photographers and enthusiasts, and mirrorless cameras pack many of the benefits of those high-end models into smaller bodies.

They have large sensors, giving good picture quality, but no optical viewfinders, enabling manufacturers to keep the camera body smaller and lighter by leaving the mirror out of the structure.

The new format is popular in Japan, where consumers tend to value easily portable products, but has so far sold less well in North America and Europe.

Mirrorless cameras accounted for 31 percent of all interchangeable lens models sold in Japan in 2010, but only 10 percent in the United States, according to research firm IDC.

Global mirrorless shipments reached 2.1 million units in 2010, but IDC is revising its forecasts for 2011, which it says will depend on new entrants and economic conditions.

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Samsung to sue Apple as soon as iPhone 5 arrives

Although the next generation of Apple's iPhone hasn't yet been released, and no details about the device have been given, Samsung already plans to try to ban its sales in Korea, the Korea Times reports.

The legal battle between the two companies has been raging for months, with Apple managing to ban the sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab as well as some variants of the Galaxy S smartphone in several countries, including the Netherlands and Australia.

The companies also sued each other in Korea: Apple on the grounds of Samsung copying the iPhone and iPad product range, while Samsung's countersuit has been more technology-based.

"For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents. We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fights," said a senior Samsung executive.

For now, Apple is winning the patent lawsuit war, but the next generation iPhone is one of the most anticipated gadgets of the year. If Samsung manages to delay its launch - even only in Korea - it would be a nasty setback for Apple.