Alltel Announces the Wafer Slim Phone by Samsung

Alltel Wireless today announced The Wafer, one of the thinnest, sleekest phone available on the U.S. market today, is now available exclusively at shopalltel.com and Alltel Wireless retail locations. Here is more info:"The Wafer (SCH-r510) by Samsung, offers customers all of the cool features they have come to expect out of their wireless phones in an 8.4mm form that can slip easily into a pocket, purse or the palm of your hand. The Wafer, weighing only 2.7 oz., features XM Radio Mobile, Axcess TV and Axcess Mobile Guide. The phone also comes equipped with Axcess Search preloaded allowing customers to search for ringtones, wallpaper or other information on their phone by simply holding down the pound key. Other features include a 1.3 megapixel camera with video capabilities, an MP3 player and a removable memory slot.. The Wafer is also the first Alltel phone to have Stereo Bluetooth headset capability. The Wafer is now available at Alltel Wireless retail stores and at shopalltel.com for $109.99 after a $40 mail-in rebate. This discounted price is for customers on two-year service agreements as well as existing eligible customers on qualifying rate plans. Customers who purchase The Wafer and are on a qualifying calling plan are able to join “My Circle,” Alltel’s exclusive feature that allows customers to choose who they call for free – any 10 numbers, any network. Alltel Wireless also offers Celltop, an exclusive, patent-pending technology that offers customers an easier way to access, manage and organize a wide range of information already available on their phones; and Anytime Plan Changes, allowing customers with the flexibility to change their calling plans at any time, without the need to extend their current contract."

Nokia Announces 7 New Handsets for Consumers in Emerging Markets

Nokia has announced seven new handsets that provide functions and features specifically designed for consumers in emerging markets.

"India is very important to Nokia and to the global mobile communications industry as a whole," said Soren Petersen, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "One of the fastest growing markets in the world, India is also home to several Nokia facilities, including R&D and manufacturing. We're very proud to be part of their growth."

The new products announced today include:-

Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208:

Using new phone-sharing and call-tracking technology, these two new products are aimed at the first-time mobile phone consumer worldwide.

- Nokia 1650 and Nokia 2660: Contemporary phones that combine functionality with attractive design.

- Nokia 2505: The latest phone for entry CDMA markets in Asia/Pacific, Middle East, Africa, China and Latin America.

- Nokia 2630 and 2760: Fashionably-designed phones that convey style and status, combined with Nokia's easy-to-use feature set.

"Innovative phone-sharing technology, contemporary design and easy-to-use features combine in these new products to empower consumers in entry markets," said Petersen. "As the clear market leader, with more than one-third of global market share, Nokia works to understand the needs and aspirations of consumers. We put this understanding into practice by developing products and applications that are relevant, easy-to-use and simple to understand, which is especially important for first-time users in emerging markets around the world."

Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208:
Nokia said that in emerging markets around the world, mobile phones are often shared among families and even entire villages. To meet this need the company has introduced the Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208 phones. Both of these phones introduce the first call-time tracking application and multi-phonebooks to make phone sharing simpler and more efficient.

In order to help manage airtime costs, the call-time tracking feature allows consumers and village phone entrepreneurs to pre-set a time or cost limit on individual calls, automatically ending the call after the limit has been reached. The easy-to-use multi-phonebook lets customers set up personal phonebooks unique to that user and save specific contacts to that user's phonebook. The Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208 each come with 5 available phonebooks, so it is possible for an entire family to share a phone and for each of the family members to manage their own phonebook.

The Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208 also come equipped with additional features tailored to entry markets such as one-touch flashlights, localized languages, a teaching mode that allows non-experienced users to quickly learn how to master the phone, while a seamless keypad also protects the phone from dust, another reality of rural mobile phone use. The Nokia 1200 phone is offered with a monochrome screen, while the Nokia 1208 features a color VGA screen.

The Nokia 1200 will be available in the second quarter of 2007 with an estimated retail price of 35 EUR before subsidies or taxes. The Nokia 1208 will be available in the third quarter of 2007 with estimated retail price of 40 EUR before subsidies or taxes.

Nokia 1650 and Nokia 2660:Featuring contemporary metallic accents and strong feature sets, the Nokia 1650 and Nokia 2660 entry-level devices are designed to give consumers more features and a higher level of design than would be expected from such affordable devices.

Designed to deliver a wide range of mobile features, the Nokia 1650 phone offers an aspirational design and practical features to help consumers balance their personal and professional lives. Supporting up to 75 local languages, the phone comes equipped with a flashlight, music-on-the-go via FM radio and MP3-grade ringtones. With an integrated application that allows for a pre-set time limit to be set for each call, the Nokia 1650 answers the need for cost control that is especially important in entry markets. Nokia estimates that the retail price for the Nokia 1650 will be around 55 EUR, excluding taxes and subsidies.

The Nokia 2660 phone features a fold-style design with dual screens, packed with features designed to allow entry market consumers to stay connected to work, family or friends. The phone features GPRS technology for email and Internet access, Bluetooth support, music on-the-go via FM radio, MP3 ring tones as well as enough memory for a 500-entry phonebook. An integrated handsfree speaker function and long battery life add an extra measure of convenience for Nokia 2660 owners. Nokia estimates the retail price for the Nokia 2660 to be around 85 EUR, excluding taxes and subsidies.

The Nokia 1650 and Nokia 2660 will be available in the second quarter of 2007.

Nokia 2630 and 2760:

"The progressively stylish design of the Nokia 2630 and Nokia 2760 phones offer a striking visual and tactile impact, but also incorporate a feature set designed to enhance the total user experience," said Petersen. "And by including a camera and Bluetooth technology, we are enabling entry consumers to share their experiences on the go."

The thinnest handset in Nokia's portfolio at 9.9 mm, the Nokia 2630 balances a modern design with a full range of features to meet the needs of emerging market consumers. An easy-to-use camera combined with Bluetooth technology allows images to be easily sent, shared, stored and printed. Convenient productivity tools such as email, MMS, calendar and a calculator satisfy the work side of life, while features such as an FM radio, with direct access shortcut key and MP3 ringtones satisfy the entertainment side.

The stylish Nokia 2760 features a digital camera, giving many consumers their first experience with digital photography, and Bluetooth technology to make it easy to share the photos that they capture. The Nokia 2760 also features video recording, video playback and FM radio. The combination of Bluetooth and GPRS creates a convenient way to access data on the go for email and Internet. It also features extra large storage to save up to 1000 contacts in the phonebook. Consumers who want to save special text messages to share with friends and family will be delighted by its large capacity for storing SMS messages.

The Nokia 2630 and Nokia 2760 will be available in the third quarter of 2007. The estimated price for the Nokia 2630 will be around 85 EUR and for the Nokia 2760 around 90 EUR, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia 2505:

One of Nokia's sleekest fold-style phones for the CDMA market, the Nokia 2505 offers a smooth-back design that makes the phone as ergonomic to hold as it is to carry in pocket or purse. The Nokia 2505 is expected to be available in selected markets in Asia/Pacific, Middle East, Africa, China and Latin America during the 2nd quarter of 2007.

In addition to the eye-pleasing exterior, the bright 65,536 color display helps to accentuate the end-user experience. Consumers can personalize their Nokia 2505 by using the pre-loaded ringtones and wallpapers or by downloading new ones. The phone meets practical needs as well with easy-to-use functions including text messaging, speaker phone, calendar, a personalized voice reminder and an alarm clock.

Other features included with the Nokia 2505 to provide additional convenience to consumers include pre-loaded games, a 300-contact phonebook, up to 3 hours of talk time and 156 hours of stand-by time.

Nokia 1200/1208

Nokia 1650/2660

Nokia 2505

NOKIA LAUNCHES SECURITY APPLIANCES

Nokia has rolled out two new IP security appliances, Nokia IP290 and Nokia IP690 security platforms.

Nokia IP690 is the first new IP security appliance with a multi-core and multi-threading architecture optimised for performance and scalability, readying businesses for processor-intensive security applications. The new hardware design offers investment protection by extending product life from two years to an average of five years. Nokia hardware platforms purchased today are upgradeable when newer versions of the Nokia IPSO operating system are released, and Nokia IP690 is expandable through various interface cards and accelerated data path (ADP card) technologies. This expandable approach allows customers to retain their initial investment for longer periods of time by offering the flexibility to expand performance at their own pace."

Businesses today are looking to get as much mileage as possible from every IT dollar spent, but they simply cannot compromise on performance when it comes to protecting the security of the corporate network," said Tom Furlong, vice president, Security & Mobile Connectivity, Nokia. "By enabling our customers to boost the performance of their security appliance - when the time is right for them - we are giving them a way to protect their network while also protecting their IT investments."

Nokia IP290 combines network performance with a compact ½ RU form factor, offering branch offices and extended enterprise sites a full-featured security appliance backed by Nokia global support. Expandable with an included empty PMC slot, Nokia IP290 ships with Nokia IPSO 4.2 and an updated architecture, making it a reliable platform for Unified Threat Management (UTM) implementations.

Nokia IP690 Firewall/VPN delivers up to 7 Gbps (Gigabit per second) of throughput performance and up to 16 Gigabit Ethernet ports to run Check Point VPN-1, Check Point Power and VPN-1 UTM suite of applications.

Nokia IP690 Intrusion Prevention with Sourcefire delivers a 1 Gbps sensor and offers the unique combination of highest port density and performance in a single rack configuration. The solution is built on hardware optimised for security and offers the ease of use, reliability and rich feature set of the Nokia IPSO operating system, the company asserted.

Nokia-Siemens venture to cut 3,000 jobs

Companies plan to trim about 10-15 percent of its current 60,000 staff: newspaper.

Nokia Siemens Networks will cut more than 3,000 jobs in Finland and Germany during the next three years, a Finnish daily reported on Thursday.

The Nokia (down $0.14 to $25.57, Charts) and Siemens (up $0.24 to $123.94, Charts) 50-50 venture has said it plans €1.5 billion ($2.05 billion) in annual savings by 2010, and to cut about 10-15 percent of its current 60,000 staff.

Most of the staff cuts will be made in Finland and Germany, because the joint venture has overlapping functions in these countries, newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said.

It said that those two countries will also face the biggest cuts proportionally, which means that in Finland more than 1,500 jobs out of around 10,000 jobs would go, and at least 1,800 staff would be cut in Germany.

Helsingin Sanomat said the joint venture is expected to give more details about the job cuts later in May.

A spokesman for Nokia Siemens Networks said the company stuck to its plans to cut 10-15 percent of its 60,000 staff worldwide but declined to give details.

Mobile VOIP fully supported on the feature rich Nokia N95 for all mobile networks

Mobile VOIP provider WiFiMobile have announced the release of their latest software Version 751 which provides complete support for the Nokia flagship handset, the Nokia N95.

With the much awaited Nokia N95 device now widely available on the market, users will be able to make VOIP calls either over Wi-Fi or through a 3G network. WiFiMobile’s OneFone software is fully supported on any Nokia N95, whether it be unlocked or network branded due to the inclusion of a full SIP stack in the application. In addition the software provides presence information in the form of a buddy list.

The Nokia N95 and indeed other select Nokia S60 devices can also be used as an extension to a corporate IP PBX system. This allows IT/Telecom Managers to carefully control their company’s continuously escalating mobile phone costs. IT Managers can re-program VOIP parameters for all of their employee’s mobiles at the touch of a button.

CEO and Telecoms expert Gerry O’Prey says “This is good news for customers of all mobile network operators. Mobile VOIP is rapidly becoming a must have feature in top end cellular phones.”

About WiFiMobileWiFiMobile was formed in 2002 in Santa Monica, California and has recently opened a European office in the UK. Founder and CEO Gerry O’Prey was instrumental in the nineties by helping to liberalise the European land line telecoms market. Since then his main focus has been developing software for Nokia S60 smartphones to facilitate calls over a WLAN network and over 3G networks. The company is poised to achieve phenomenal growth in the next year as a pioneer in the rapidly evolving mobile VOIP market.

For further information visit www.wifimobile.com or email pr@wifimobile.com.

WiFiMobile is a member of Forum Nokia PRO, a premium development program from Nokia that provides advanced technical, business development and marketing support to select mobile software companies. For more information visit www.forum.nokia.com/pro.WiFiMobile are committed to the future of mobile VOIP applications.

WiFiMobileHead Office:3250 Wilshire Boulevard9th FloorLos AngelesCalifornia CA 90010

Nokia chooses India for latest mobile phone launch

Nokia chose Delhi, India, for Thursday's launch of seven mobile phones for emerging markets, including two intended for shared use by families or entire villages.

The launch of these GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) phones in India comes in the wake of attempts by the Indian government and mobile services operators in the country to introduce low-cost mobile telephony to India's rural masses.
Like the traditional public call office, the shared mobile phone offered through a local village entrepreneur is seen by many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as the best way to increase mobile penetration in rural markets, where users may not be able to afford a personal phone. In many villages, local entrepreneurs have already emerged to offer this service.
Nokia's 1200 and 1208 models offer call-time tracking and multiple phonebooks, the company said. To help manage airtime costs, the call-time tracking feature allows consumers and village phone entrepreneurs to preset a time or cost limit on individual calls, automatically ending the call after the limit has been reached, it said.
India had 166 million mobile subscribers at the end of March, up 68 percent over a year earlier, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Most of these subscribers are in urban areas. Large mobile service providers have identified the rural market as the next big opportunity. The government is also subsidizing roll-outs of mobile services in rural markets, and has proposed that operators share infrastructure to reduce costs.
A number of multinational mobile phone vendors, including Nokia, have started manufacturing phones in India. Nokia also has other operations in the country including a research and development center and a network operations center.
The Nokia 1200, with a monochrome screen, will be available this quarter with an estimated retail price of about $48 before subsidies or taxes. The Nokia 1208, with a color VGA-resolution screen, will be available in the third quarter of this year with an estimated retail price of $65, Nokia said.
Nokia also launched four other low-cost GSM phones, including the entry-level Nokia 1650 and Nokia 2660, and the Nokia 2630 and 2760 with features such as a built-in camera, an e-mail client, an FM radio and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Nokia 1650 and 2660 will be available this quarter, with the 1650 priced at about $75, and the 2660 at about $115. The Nokia 2630 and Nokia 2760 will be available in the third quarter of this year. The estimated price for the Nokia 2630 will be around $115 and for the Nokia 2760 around $122.
The company also launched Nokia 2505, an entry-level phone based on the CDMA (code division multiple access) standard for markets in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, China, and Latin America. The phone will be available in select markets in this quarter. Nokia did not disclose the pricing of this product.

iPhone will capture just 6 percent of mobile phone market in 2008

A survey carried out by Markitecture reveals that Apple will be able capture just 6 percent of US mobile phone market in 2008, contradicting speculation that Apple's iPhone will dazzle the mobile phone market.

Markitecture conducted the survey on a sample size of 1,300 people who owned their own cell phones. Markitecture found that over 77 percent of the sample were somewhat familiar with iPhone and its functions. Of those, 41 percent said that iPhone was a good product. This percentage increased with the awareness of the product, with over 83 percent of the sample, who were very familiar with iPhone, saying that iPhone was an excellent product.

However when it came to the question of buying the product, just 6 percent of the total sample said that they were going to purchase it next year. One of the major reasons for the public not opting for iPhone seems to be its high price. iPhone costs around $500-$600 a piece. Others say that the service is being offered on a different network than the one they are using.

Meanwhile Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has come out saying that iPhone will never be successful. "There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I'd prefer to have our software in 60 per cent or 70 per cent or 80 per cent of them, than I would to have 2 per cent or 3 per cent, which is what Apple might get", he added.

iPhone will see a US launch in June this year while it will be launched in Europe by the end of this year.

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