Maximum PC Smartphone RSS Feed

Flash Headed to Smartphones; Apple Still Holding Out

Andy Salisbury — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:33:32 -0600

At a series of press events over the past few days Adobe has unveiled a brand new version of flash aimed directly at smartphones. The new version of Flash is optimized to work with ARM processors (like the one used in the iPhone).

So long as your smartphone has a processor clock speed of at least 200MHz and 16MB of RAM, it should be able to run the new Flash. It’s also mentioned that a “completely capable browser” is required, but given the phones that it’s meant for, there shouldn’t be any issues.

Google’s G1 is expected to get the update soon, among others. Whether it’ll be simply downloaded by the phone itself or updated in-store is yet to be revealed.

While many other smartphone vendors are prominent when it comes to excitement about the possibility of Flash on their phones, Apple isn’t. Steve Jobs has mentioned that Flash “performs too slow to be useful” on the extremely popular iPhone. To many this seems like a match made in heaven, but Apple has politely snubbed that notion.

Rumor: Asus to Adopt Android Handset in 2009

Paul Lilly — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:11:43 -0500

Sprint may not be impressed with Google's Android in its current form and be content to sit on the sidelines, but that isn't stopping Asus from getting in the game with an Android-powered handset of its own. Citing un-named "company sources," news outlet DigiTimes reports Asus will launch an Android-based Google phone sometime in the first half of 2009. It remains unclear what Asus' marketing strategy will be, but speculation suggests the company may initially release the new phone under its own brand name in Taiwan followed up with customized models in other markets later on.

Asus isn't new to the handset game and has already shipped 30,000 units in Taiwan so far this year. The company expects that number to reach 40,000 by the end of the year. Asus will ride those shipments into 2009 with a 3G model using Qualcomm's dual-core solutions planned for Q1.

Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers: Get Your Discounted G1 Android Phone

Paul Lilly — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:31:24 -0500

The next time you're out shopping for toilet paper, kitty treats, motor oil, and a gigantic jar of pickles, you can add a G1 Android-powered smartphone to your list and save money on that too, all without ever having to leave the store. That is, provided you're shopping at Wal-Mart.

Starting Wednesday, the mega-chain will begin selling the G1 phone to both new and existing T-Mobile customers in 550 of its stores, but there's more reason to buy the phone at Wal-Mart than just convenience. According to Wal-mart spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien, the G1 will run $149 for new customers, or $31 less than what you'd pay T-Mobile, who's selling the same phone for $180.

For those of you just coming out of a coma, the G1 is the first Google Android-powered smartphone on the market. Demand for the phone with an open-source OS has been high, with an estimated 1.5 million units already sold through pre-order sales.

Plan on picking one up? Hit the jump and sound off.

Samsung Releases the First Smartphone with Built-In Optical Mouse, Runs Windows Mobile

Paul Lilly — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:29:54 -0500

AT&T this week launched the Samsung Epix, the first smartphone with a built-in optical mouse, which sits above a QWERTY keyboard. The integrated rodent gets paired with a 320x320 touchscreen measuring 2.5 inches on the i907 Epix, giving users an epic amount of control over navigation. Other specifications include:

GPS navigation
3.6Mbps HSDPA connectivity
2 megapixel camera
WiFi
Bluetooth
Video Share support

No surprises on the software front, as at the heart of it all sits Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Storage duties are handled by a microSD slot with support for up to 32GB. Samsung claims up to 7 hours of talk time on the 4.4-ounce device, and up to 14 days in standby time.

HTC Executive Reinforces Commitment to Windows Mobile

Pulkit Chandna — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 07:10:12 -0500

Taiwan-based HTC might be committed to the progress of Android but it hasn’t forgotten Windows Mobile - its favorite mobile platform. Not that it has the luxury of forsaking Windows Mobile. It happens to be the leading manufacturer of Windows Mobile-based devices in the world.

The company’s CMO John Wang said that Android and Windows Mobile can coexist. However, Wang let it be known as to where HTC’s allegiance actually lies. He stated that Windows Mobile will continue to be most important for the company. This statement appears to be targeted at Microsoft rather than the average smartphone consumer.

Will Linux Beat Out Windows in Mobile Internet Device Market?

Chris Moody — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:34:17 -0500

Eweek says that Linux will outpace Windows in mobile internet device (MID) market by 2013? Is it any wonder? Netbooks are catching on as a great way to check email and surf the web in out of the way places without having to lug a notebook with you. The netbook credo is cheap, light and small. Mobile internet device market is expected to grow from the expected 305,000 units in 2008, to 39.6 million units in 2012.

MIDs are targeted at cloud computing, which involves checking email, IM, browsing, etc. They do not require Windows to get that done and you don’t need the one thing that Windows brings to the table, which is a large library of software.

Eweek also suggests that another form of MID; smartphones are a market that Linux is going to make inroads into as well. Mobile Linux providers LiMo, Maemo and Moblin are laying out the groundwork now so they can be out front when the market takes off. There are several new phones for LiMo that look really interesting and are sure to shake things up.

In the mobile market things are almost even amongst mobile operating systems. Linux would seem to have an advantage since it is highly flexible, configurable, and has a huge following for developing open source software to expand the usability of these devices.

Will you be picking up an MID for your next gadget, and will it be sporting Linux or maybe you already have one? Fill us in!

Rumor: Dell May Be Making a Smartphone

Chris Moody — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:25:05 -0500

CNet says that Dell has dropped some hints that it is working on a Smartphone for those of us that are addicted to gadgets. They found an article in which Michael Dell drops some hints in his interview with Om Malik of GigaOm.

Dell said, "We are certainly looking at the whole smartphone category, but I wouldn't expect anything anytime soon." When Malik pressed him about their interest in either the Symbian or Android OS for such a device, he spilled a few more beans and said, "We're not ready to publicly disclose our plans there...we're kind of working on that".

I’ll take Michael Dell at his word. They have nothing coming soon. While Cnet may be holding their breath, with so many really great smartphones out right now I won’t be holding mine. How about you?

Is Windows Mobile Outselling the iPhone?

Chris Moody — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:33:12 -0500

I just read a report from Eweek.com claiming that Windows Mobile was beating out the iPhone. The article quotes a top Windows Mobile executive that they shipped some 4.5 million Windows Mobile devices during the first quarter of 2008, up 1.8 million units.

They cite IDG figures showing that Apple sold only 1.8 million iPhones during the same quarter.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Windows Mobile was outselling the iPhone, after all it has been more useful as a business tool. I wonder how those numbers will look next quarter now that Apple has released the newer version of the iPhone with more business tools becoming available. Its popularity is akin to the iPod and its becoming almost a fashion statement for the well dressed geek. Even Norman stood in line to get one!

State your preference! Are you an iPhone lover or Windows Mobile driver?