Nokia slips from 1 to 3 in smartphone sales

By Tarmo Virki, European Technology Correspondent | Reuters Fri, Jul 29, 2011

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Enlarge Photo An employee of KT holds an Apple iPhone 4 (R) and a Samsung Electronics' smartphone

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Apple and Samsung Electronics ended struggling Nokia's 15-year reign at the top of the smartphone sales rankings in the second quarter, researchers said on Friday. Nokia has dominated the smartphone market ever since its 1996 launch of the Communicator model, but competition from its two nearest rivals and a slump in its own sales sent it straight from first to third place in the three months to June as growth in the sector starts to slow. Apple sold a record 20.3 million iPhones in the quarter despite the fact that its iPhone 4 model is now more than a year old. Usually success of smartphone models does not last so long. Apple unveiled its sales last week, but on Friday analysts also estimated Samsung sold 19 million smartphones in the quarter, well ahead of Nokia's 16.7 million as it was able to benefit from booming demand with smartphones using Google's Android software. "Samsung's Galaxy portfolio has proven popular, especially the high-tier S2 Android model," said Neil Mawston, analyst at Strategy Analytics." Strategy Analytics estimated smartphone market volume grew 76 percent from a year ago in the second quarter. ABI Research was somewhat more cautious estimating market grew 62 percent. SLOWDOWN WORRIES Growth on the overall cellphone market slowed too in the April-June period, as sales of basic phone models dropped for the first time in seven quarters due to consumers reining in spending, research firm IDC said on Friday.

IDC said strong smartphone demand boosted the market to still grow 11.3 percent from a year ago to 365.4 million phones, but this was a clear slowdown from the 16.8 percent growth seen in the previous quarter. Strategy Analytics estimated the total market at 361 million cellphones in the quarter. In a Reuters poll, 29 analysts' average forecast for the total market stood at 374 million phones. IDC said sales of simpler so-called feature phones fell 4 percent from a year ago due to conservative spending and continued shift to smartphones, most visible in developed markets, such as the United States, Japan and Western Europe. The shrinking feature phone market is having the greatest impact on some of the world's largest suppliers of mobile phones," analyst Kevin Restivo said in a statement. Stalwarts such as Nokia are losing share in the feature phone category to low-cost suppliers such as Micromax, TCL-Alcatel and Huawei." Struggling Nokia, still the world's largest phone maker by volume, saw its phone sales shrinking 20 percent from a year ago. This helped Samsung to close the gap to the Finnish firm in the overall cellphone market to the lowest level ever. Some analysts already forecast for Samsung to become the world's largest cellphone vendor next year. (Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Andrew Callus)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 vs Apple iPad 2

Paul Briden

We compare Samsung's Galaxy Tab 8.9 to the Apple iPad 2

Published on May 5, 2011 We compare the smaller of Samsungs Galaxy Tabs, the Galaxy Tab 8.9, to Apples brand new iPad 2.

Form: Galaxy Tab 8.9 230.9 x 157.8 x 8.6mm, 470g Apple iPad 2 - 241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8 mm, 607g The Galaxy Tab is just a bit on the smaller side of what we prefer from a tablet with the iPad 2 presenting us with a much more satisfactory size. Theyre both wafer thin devices which is always a plus but were not exactly in love with the visuals of the Galaxy Tab 8.9, especially given how nice its big brother, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, looks. With the 8.9 it feels like theres a bit too much body around the screen, the corners are a bit too curved compared to the iPad 2 and the back panel is boring compared to the Galaxy Tab 10.1. The iPad 2 is a more attractive piece of kit despite the fact that these days we feel a bit oversaturated with the overall iDesign aesthetic. Despite this, Apple has managed to shave away enough of the bulk to keep things fresh and make a very sleek and mostly pleasing form. The look of the materials used to make the iPad 2 seems much nicer than on the Galaxy Tab 8.9, which looks a little bit cheap by comparison, while the Apples build quality is to the usual high standard. Winner Apple iPad 2 Display: The iPad 2 features a 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen, the resolution clocks in at 768 x 1024 pixels and 132 dots-per-inch (dpi). The display features line-up is on the lighter side, keeping it nice and simple with an oleophobic surface to repel grubby fingerprints, not only that its scratch resistant too. Apart from this its the usual run of gyro and accelerometer sensors and multi-touch input. Samsungs Galaxy Tab has a TFT capacitive touchscreen which is a wee bit smaller at 8.9-inches but compensates for this with a higher resolution of 800x1280 pixels and at 170dpi. The tablet comes preloaded with the TouchWiz UX user interface (UI) and features multi-touch along with both accelerometer and gyro sensors. The iPad 2 is a nicer size in our opinion but for screen sharpness and clarity the Galaxy Tab has it beat with a higher resolution and dpi. Winner Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Storage: Storage on both these devices is quite similar and in both cases theyre very well provided for, each has the option of 16, 32 or 64GB of onboard capacity. In other memory related areas the contrast is a bit more obvious.

The Apple has 512MB of RAM but no card support, which overall doesnt stack up too well against the Samsungs 1GB of RAM and Micro SD support up to 32GB. We have to side with Samsung on this one. Winner Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Processor: The Galaxy Tab runs a 1GHz dual core on Nvidias Tegra 2 chipset while the iPad 2 is on a slightly better footing with a 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 dual core processor on the Apple A5 chipset and paired with a PowerVR SGX543MP2 graphics processing unit (GPU). The Cortex-A9 power should outperform the Tegra 2 on the Galaxy Tab especially combined with the powerful GPU. Winner Apple iPad 2

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 vs Apple iPad 2

We compare Samsung's Galaxy Tab 8.9 to the Apple iPad 2
Published on May 5, 2011 Operating System: Apples tablet naturally runs on the latest version of iOS 4.3 while the Galaxy Tab is an Android device running the tablet-specific Honeycomb 3.0. We cant speak highly enough of 3.0 Honeycomb, we dont want to go throwing around words like perfection, but it certainly is by far the best version of Android weve seen to date and tackles some of the more severe gripes we had with Android as a whole. Many issues were fixed in 2.3 Gingerbread but, for whatever reason, the clunky browsing was ignored, thats been fixed here and it is now much more smooth and responsive with many more features integrated from Chrome, including tabbed browsing, enhanced scrolling and pinch-zoom and Javascript is now supported. The interface has been improved further from 2.3 while multi-tasking, Androids consistently greatest strength, has been steadily enhanced each version and Honeycomb too has seen it tweaked for the better. On top of this the improved keyboard from 2.3 is also present here which is a massive step up from early iterations being much more responsive and user-friendly. Integrated OpenGL graphics acceleration is also a welcome plus while a new Renderscript 3D graphics engine boosts overall performance.

iOS 4.3 didnt change a whole lot from the previous version but thats testament to how well rounded the system already is, where Android specialises in customisation, iOS opts for being as easy-to-use, straightforward and intuitive as possible, and its a goal in which it is largely successful. Theres a certain plug-and-play nature to iOS to its credit. Its exclusivity and the proprietary nature of its programs and apps arent to everyones liking but they do run well on the iPad 2 and are certainly accessible enough. If youre after something you can just run with, or already own other Apple devices, this is certainly a plus point in its favour. iOS is extremely well optimised and runs very well on the current crop of powerful iDevices including the iPad 2. As usual with comparisons between the big operating systems, it comes down to personal preference on how you want to use your tablet, theyre all good in their own way, hence why theyre all so successful. If you want something that is easy to just pick up and use that will perform well with apps, videos and other multimedia and that will integrate along with other Apple devices you own youd be best opting for iOS. If, however, you want customisation and use the various Google services (Gmail, Calendar, Reader etc.), Android is probably a better bet. Theyre both intuitive and they can both handle all your typical tasks from running games, films and apps to sorting out your office work on the go. Winner - Draw Camera: The iPad 2s camera is rated at less than 1-megapixel, 0.7 to be exact, which is just awful really on a modern, high-end device. There is the argument asking why you should be using a tablet as a camera anyway, but given that it has become standard to include at least one on any device while the megapixel count goes steadily upwards, to include a camera that is, to quote Charlie Sorrel from Wired, about the same resolution as an early 1990s-era digital camera, is a bit naff to say the least. Camera features include autofocus, geo-tagging, video calling and 4x digital zoom, video capture is 720p. Theres also a secondary camera rated at 0.3-megapixel VGA. The Galaxy Tab is a better prospect without being anything too marvellous, it sports a 3.15megapixel primary at a respectable 2048x1536 pixels, with autofocus and LED flash. Video capture is 720p while the secondary camera is 2-megpixels. You could probably see this coming but we prefer the Galaxy Tab on cameras.

Winner Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Final Thoughts: The Galaxy Tab 8.9 is a fine piece of kit and wins out in a lot of areas, but it is by no means perfect. Likewise the Apple iPad 2 is an extremely well put together device, but it is simply lacking in one or two areas which stains an otherwise standout tablet. Performance wise the iPad 2 takes the lead, plus its prettier, but in most other areas, particularly the display, memory and camera the Tab excels over the iPad. Its difficult to recommend the Galaxy Tab 8.9 when wed rather have a 10.1, and we have to say the iPad 2 isnt really better or worse than the Galaxy Tab, its just different.

Apple iPhone 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy S II vs. HTC Sensation, the heavyweights face-off Get daily stories in your mailbox Posted by Vishal Mathur Posted on: Jun 18, 2011 23:23:46 IST

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The Indian smartphone market has seen a huge shake-up recently, with the arrival of the Apple iPhone 4, the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation. However, while we are told that competition is good, this has just turned into a major headache for someone who is standing there with the cash in his pocket, scratching his head! In an attempt to help clear the confusion, we take a look at how the two completely different smartphone eco-systems stand up against one another in some critical areas. Processor power: Straightaway, the iPhone 4 has a disadvantage, on paper. However, it is often argued (and we believe quite fairly too) that iOS4 works as well on a single core processor as an Android 2.3.3 phone with a dual core processor. While the dual core processor based Android smartphones have matched the performance offered by the iPhone 4, they still havent really taken the lead. Operating system: Android 2.3 has made a huge leap, in terms of removing the rough edges in the performance, when compared to previous Android versions. The iPhones iOS4 had a clear advantage till now- slick performance, no rough edges, no over-customization issues and a likeable interface. However, with Android 2.3, the slick performance and no rough edges have

arrived on Android smartphones too. Again, Android phones have reached on the same level of slickness as offered by the iPhone. Related Stories
Samsung Galaxy S II versus HTC Sensation: battle of the dual-core droids Samsung Galaxy S II vs. HTC Sensation - battle of the 1.2GHz dual-core smartphones Bharti Airtel to bring Apple iPhone 4 to India "in the coming months" [Update] iPhone 4 roundup: gets Adobe Flash 10.1 port, coming to Verizon as CDMA in Jan 2011

The future, though, with the inevitable iOS5 roll out this year tilts the scales slightly in Androids favour. Widgets, slide down notification bar, Twitter integration and Over-The-Air (OTA) updates are features which will now arrive on the iPhone, but have been around on Android phones for ages. Some people have accused Apple of copying the successful features of Android, while others have defended it saying that is how the OS naturally evolves. We have an easy to read table comparing the three phones in terms of specs. Do check that out to get an idea of how the three phones are different to each other. Phone Dimensions Weight Display Size Display Type Resolution OS version CPU GPU Memory Storage HTC Sensation 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm mm 116 g 148 g 4.3-inch 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus, Super-LCD, 16M 16M colors colors 480x800 540x960 Android 2.3.3 Android 2.3.3 Dual-core 1.2GHz Dual-core 1.2GHz Orion (ARM Cortex- Qualcomm Snapdragon A9) processor processor Mali-400MP 1GB 16GB/32GB (not available in India), expandable via microSD (32GB) 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, 1080p@30fps, 2MP front facing camera microUSB v2.0 (MHL / AV link), USB Onthe-go, 3.5 mm jack Ambient light sensor, Adreno 220 768MB 1GB internal, expandable via microSD (32GB) Samsung Galaxy S II Apple iPhone 4 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm 137 g 3.5 inches LED-backlit IPS TFT 640 x 960 iOS 4 1 GHz ARM CortexA8 processor (Single core) PowerVR SGX535GPU 512MB 16GB/32GB (no microSD card slot for expansion)

Camera

Ports Sensors

8 MP, 3264x2448 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, dualpixels, autofocus, LED LED flash, flash, 720p@30fps, 1080p@30fps, VGA front camera front facing camera microUSB v2.0 (MHL USB 2.0 (Proprietory / AV link), 3.5 mm cable)), TV out, 3.5 jack mm jack Ambient light sensor, Ambient light sensor,

accelerometer, accelerometer, accelerometer, proximity sensor, proximity sensor, proximity sensor, three gyroscope, gyroscope, axis gyro sensor HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; 3G HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA 5.76 Mbps HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot Wi-Fi hotspot Wi-Fi hotspot Yes, v3.0+HS Yes, v3.0 with A2DP Yes, v2.1 with A2DP Bluetooth No No No Infrared Option available No No NFC Stereo FM radio with Stereo FM radio with No Radio RDS RDS Yes Yes No Flash 10.2 compatible Yes No, only viewer No Document editor Standard battery, Li- Standard battery, Li- Standard battery, Li-Po Battery Ion 1650 mAh Ion 1520 mAh 1420mAh Up to 710 h (2G) / Up Up to 350 h (2G) / Up Up to 300 h (2G) / Up Standby to 610 h (3G) to 400 h (3G) to 300 h (3G) Up to 18 h 20 min (2G) Up to 8 h 20 min (2G) / Up to 8 h 20 min (2G) / Talktime / Up to 8 h 40 min (3G) Up to 6 h 40 min (3G) Up to 6 h 40 min (3G)

Samsung vs. Apple: the battle of 20112012

Richard Hopping

Apple is the big dog at present, but Samsung looks like it's intent on making a mark in 2011. Will it be able to face up to the might of Apple?
Published on May 6, 2011
As we all know, Apple is the biggest name around when it comes to technology especially when it comes to mobile phones and tablets.

The iPhone and the iPad have both revolutionised handheld devices and for a long time it hasn t looked like anybody would be able to hang on to the coattails of Steve Jobs and co. But wait just one moment. Samsung has just set the bar for 2011 very high with the Galaxy S2, and has made Apple s job at least a little more difficult. The iPhone 5 looks likely to arrive in September at the earliest, but it has to make a big step up from the iPhone 4 to compete with the Galaxy S2. In terms of tablets, the situation is reversed. The iPad 2 was released to a big fuss in March and has been widely considered to be the best tablet around. Samsung has the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 due out this year, so it will be interesting to see what Samsung can do to try and rival the iPad 2. The original Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab battled against the iPhone and iPad the first time around without too much success. Samsung will be hoping its second attempt will bring a little more joy. But is this likely? Phones Apple, of course, has the ubiquitous iPhone, with the iPhone 4 being the current model. The iPhone, and its iOS platform, has been popular since it was initially released. The Retina Display is still considered the finest around even after a year too, which is no mean feat when you consider the introduction of qHD displays and Super AMOLED PLUS. However, the Samsung Galaxy S2 has arrived this last week, and from our review you can see that we seriously love it. The LG Optimus 2X may have been the first dual-core smartphone, but if we re being honest it didn t excite us a great deal. Certainly not in the way that Samsung s first dual-core device has done anyway. Speed has increased as you would expect especially given Samsung s decision to change the power of the dual-core processor from 1GHz to 1.2GHz at the last minute. Not only that, but Samsung has also improved on its own screen technology with Super Amoled Plus display. The 8-megapixel camera also puts the iPhone into the shade, and even the contentious subject of Android skins doesn t pose a problem with an updated version of Samsung s TouchWiz 4.0. In short, the Galaxy S2 is not just here to make up the numbers, it means business.

So with the Apple iPhone 5 due out sometime later in the year, is it likely to take over the Galaxy S2 in the race for phone of the year 2011? Well, we know there won t be things like Flash and microSD support, which gives Samsung an advantage, but we do know that the iPhone will contain a dual-core processor in it as well. We are also expecting the option of a bigger screen and a new and no doubt improved version of iOS. We d also very much appreciate microSD support as well although there is probably more chance of our features editor being elected Prime Minster than this happening. Nevertheless, both would undoubtably by great things. It would be unwise to bet against Apple coming up trumps with the iPhone 5. Tablets As mentioned previously, the tablet situation is the reverse. The iPad and iPad 2 have become such a phenomenon that it's unlikely that you will go the whole way home from work tonight without seeing some smug git with one. We don t blame them of course, either for having one or looking smug. They are top quality pieces of kit. The iPad 2 is slimmer, lighter and faster, and the addition of cameras provides users with extra excuses to play around with it. From the latest Android 3.0 tablets that we have seen, unfortunately none are really able to compete with the iPad side by side in terms of user experience. There have been rumours of an iPad 3 later in the year, or perhaps more accurately an iPad 2.5, but these look increasingly unlikely. So it seems as though the iPad 2 is Apple s single foray into the tablet market for 2011. Samsung has two tablets coming to a store near you for 2011. One is 10.1-inches and one is 8.9-inches, hence the imaginative names. This means that depending on your personal preference, there should be a Samsung-made product for you. The 8.9-inch tablet did well when we compared it to the iPad 2, but given Apple s overall supremacy in the tablet related arena, it is extremely difficult to provide reasons why Samsung will usurp Apple in this respect.

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/features/877700/samsung_vs_apple_the_battle_of_20112012.ht ml

Samsung vs. Apple: the battle of 20112012

Richard Hopping

Apple is the big dog around here, but Samsung looks like is intent on making a mark in 2011. Will it be able to face up to the might of Apple?
Published on May 6, 2011
Market Share Having said all that, the statistics show that Samsung is growing and beginning to head up steam. Figures we have seen from IDC show that Samsung increased both global smartphone shipments and market share from Q1 2010 to Q1 2011. Market share increased from 4.3% to 10.8%, so a fairly hefty increase. Of course, Apple also increased its market share by 3% so Samsung can t get too excited yet. It did, however, grow at a faster rate than other phone manufacturers, so the signs are positive.The addition of the Galaxy S2 can only help Samsung s cause. Similarly, a US-only phone named the Samsung Infuse 4G has just been revealed as well. The device has a massive 4.5-inch screen along with 8-megapixel camera and that same Super Amoled Plus screen. Plus the phone is said to be the fastest phone that will be available on AT&T. This might just help to swing Samsung s market share up some points of a percentage extra. Brand Perception As we all know though, the best devices on paper aren t necessarily going to be the most successful in real life . Apple is one of the biggest brand names on the planet and, unfortunately for its competitors, everyone wants to get involved with the Apple bandwagon. Its devices are seen as cutting edge and fashionable. We asked Rob Bamforth, analyst at Quocirca for his comments on the Samsung v Apple battle, and he thinks that Samsung are unlikely to be able to rise above Apple in 2011:

The issue is that it is not really about who has the best piece of hardware (whatever best means, as it will vary for different folk), but who offers the best 'total experience'. This is where Apple has done so well.' 'It's not that others can't replicate individual experiences or make desirable products or services that are easy to use it is more about how the whole thing is tied together. This is a similar point to what we have heard before. Apple has such a solid overall position with all operating systems running on the same iOS it means that all platforms go together well. Anyone can pick up an Apple device and know exactly how to use it. Compare this to Samsung who have different operating systems Android 2.2, Android 2.3 and Android 3.0 for different products and you get the point. Even the quality of the devices that Samsung produce might not be able to help them against the force of Apple s closed synchronised systems. Rob continues: Each may be great in its own right - the total number of products shipped may exceed Apple's numbers at some point, but can it 'move' the market by bringing out a new device? Probably not, and this means it will be regarded more as a follower than a leader. Nothing wrong with that from a money making perspective, it's good business sense if you can be a volume player, but I don't really expect them to risk coming out with something so innovative that everyone is scrabbling to copy them. One thing that Rob does suggest is that there is more chance of Samsung being able to enjoy more success with smartphones rather than tablets, as the smartphone market has pretty intense competition and a fair amount of swinging up and down between all the players , whereas tablets are still strongly aligning with Apple. Conclusion Samsung is set to have a fantastic 2011. The Galaxy S2 and the Infuse 4G are definite crackers, and the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 don t look at all bad either. But when it comes to facing Apple, you really have to do more than just bring out great devices. Until another company can provide the complete experience as Apple does, it will be difficult for anyone to displace it. Certainly, it won t happen in 2011. We don t think Samsung can win this battle outright, but at least it has done the only thing it can realistically do at this moment in time produce the best phone that there is out there at the moment. This in itself puts them ahead of the likes of RIM this year and might just make Samsung the biggest grower in 2011, as it was from 2010 to 2011.

That kind of growth would be a huge step forward towards taking Apple s crown at some point in the future, if not now.

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