The GSMA reported that Mobile World Congress was attended by more than 47,000 visitors from 189 countries with executives from the largest mobile operators, software companies and equipment providers as well as government delegations. Attendees holding C-level positions constituted 50% of visitors and there were more than 2,800 CEOs at the conference. Leaders from companies including AT&T, China Mobile, China Unicom, Ericsson, Microsoft Corp., MySpace, Nokia, Telefonica, Telenor, Verizon Communications and Vodafone gathered to outline the plan to cope with the global economic slowdown and lessen its impact on mobile industry. The Congress featured 1,300 exhibiting companies on more than 57,000 square metres of space, 11% larger than in the previous year. Announcements made at Mobile World Congress were reported by nearly 2,400 international, Web, and broadcast media. Prospects and strategic issues facing the mobile industry will be explored at the Mobile Asia Congress that will be held in Hong Kong in autumn 2009.  

  Mobixell Networks has announced a multimedia messaging support package that enables iPhone users to send and receive MMS messages to and from any device. The fact that iPhone doesn’t support MMS has been a source of frustration for may people. However, everything is in the past already – the new solution allows iPhone users to send MMS messages with image attachments to any e-mail address. Audio and video attachments can be presented as clickable icons with no application installation required.  

  Tired of contemplating your fingerprints on the glossy iPhone 3G? Well, maybe we are going to meet another iPhone model that will be matte. MacRumors.com has got leaked photos of the next generation iPhone 3G. The pictures were presumably made in China, but this information and authenticity of photos has not been confirmed. The photos show the dark and black backside of a 16GB model with the model number A1303. It is also reported that the new smartphone case will be textured for better gripping.  

  The company remains without its CEO now, when it is well-positioned and ready to new achievements. Yesterday Steve Jobs, who is 53, said that he was taking a medical leave through June and added that his health-related issues were more complex than he originally had thought. Within minutes of the interview, Apple shares dropped 10%. Apple will not be the same company without Steve Jobs. He was kicked out of Apple in 1985 and came back in 1996 when the company was nearly bankrupt, and helped it to improve. Steve Jobs is leaving his duties to Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer.    

  Generator Research carried out an analysis showing that Nokia could give the palm to Apple in smartphone manufacturing and delivery of mobile services. Apple is engaged in mobile business for a short time but it is already possible to look into the future of the company. Generator Research explains excellent prospects by the fact that Apple is holding all the aces presented by a fully integrated platform with rich application programming interface (API) open to third party developers on favourable commercial terms. The fact of the matter is that these platforms have become crucial in development of mobile industry. Generator Research has come to a conclusion that iPhone and App Store are very promising and will be developed like Apple’s digital music platform that includes iPod and iTunes Music Store. Andrew Sheehy, head of research, states that with cash reserves exceeding $25 billion, 33% gross margins and iPhone about to enter the phase of the fastest growth, the company has everything to invest in the mobile sector. Moreover, Apple is granted this opportunity when the economic climate is forcing many mobile manufacturers to reduce the pace of development. Apple competitors may suffer a very strong blow. For instance, Nokia’s share

  It's a sight we never thought we'd see: five apparently sane human beings, sitting on a rug and performing a Led Zeppelin classic by blowing into their mobile phones. This bizarre musical happening was made possible by SMule's Ocarina, an inventive new application for Apple's iPhone. In fact, this is actually a genuinely playable instrument – notes are 'fingered' by covering the virtual holes on the touchscreen (think back to when you learned to play the recorder at school) and you then have to blow into the microphone to produce sounds. The ocarina is an ancient flute-type instrument that's believed to date back 12,000 years. More recently, it played a central role in one of Nintendo's Legend Of Zelda games, which explains why the software offers a dedicated 'Zeldarian' mode. Available now in the App Store for the bargain price of $0.99/£0.59, Ocarina is certainly one of the most interesting iPhone music-making tools we've seen so far.

  Meizu's shadow to the iPhone, the M8, should be available in at least a limited form before the end of the month, according to a post by company head J. Wong. While already tentatively slated for November, the touchscreen phone should be launched in Meizu's native China no later than November 30th. The company is waiting for a government license for the phone but will release a test version to users even if the license isn't granted by the end of the month, Wong explains. The news is accompanied by plans for the launch that will stagger the release: both the Chinese and Indian versions will be available first, with the Chinese version's Wi-Fi disabled to meet local laws. Exports to Europe, Hong Kong and the US may also be ready by Christmas Eve with Wi-Fi intact. Meizu's device is based on a heavily modified Windows Mobile interface with numerous references to Apple's cellphone, including a Safari-like web browser front end, an iPod-like media player, and a similar overall look. However, the Chinese device also carries extras like a three-megapixel camera and FM radio at the expense of 3G data, using EDGE instead when away from Wi-Fi. The M8 is tentatively priced at the equivalent of about $348 for an 8GB version without subsidies and $421 for a

  AlleyInsider reports on a new analyst report from Friedman Billings Ramsey which claims that Apple's iPhone production could fall "more than 40%" in the 4th Quarter of 2008. AlleyInsider points out this may simply represent a surplus of iPhone production from Q3 2008 and the decrease in Q4 is to adjust inventory to match demand. Another contributing factor is believed to be the recent economic downturn: That the firm's iPhone production plans are being revised lower suggests that the global macroecomomic weakness is impacting even high-end consumers, those that are more likely to buy Apple's expensive gadgets, and that no market segment will be spared in this global downturn. This is a negative signal for global demand, in our view. The analyst bases his findings on "recent checks" on the chip industry which supplies parts for Apple's iPhone. The news comes shortly after Apple reported record iPhone earnings capturing 2.3% of the mobile phone market. Source

The European Union already initiated a Battery Directive in 2006 that aimed to make it easier to dispose of and recycle old batteries, but it looks like it's now taking things one big step further with its "New Battery Directive," which proposes that batteries in all electronic devices should be able to be "readily removed" for replacement or disposal. New Electronics' Gary Nevison further adds that "the requirement is clearly intended to ensure that users can remove batteries by opening a cover by hand or after removal of one or two screws," which would obviously pose a bit of a problem for the iPhone, not to mention every iPod and even a few non-Apple devices. Then again, this wouldn't be the first time that Apple has tangled with the EU, and we have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be the last. Source

  Hop-on today announces that its GSM cell phone, the HOP1811, will be available in the United States for $13.99 with a Graffiti Wireless Airtime Plan. “I use a 3G iPhone, it is a complicated, expensive device. Our phone is an 850/1900 MHz with AMR. You are not going to drop calls in similar areas as our competitor’s device. I challenge anyone to make a call faster than on the HOP1811,” says Hop-on CEO Peter Michaels. “With the cost of living and a borderline recession, this phone is going to be a huge sell for Hop-on in the US and international commerce. We also have a European 900/1800 MHz phone for our international partners.” The HOP1811 is a dual-band 850/1900MHz, or 900/1800MHz phone for Europe and Asia, weighing a scant 79 grams, offers 4 hours of talk time, 150 hours of standby time and polyphonic ring tones. Though low in cost, the HOP1811 uses reliable Infineon chip sets for excellent audio quality, reception and call stability. An MP3 option can also be added to this low-end phone. The company offers a $5 rebate for returning the phone to encourage recycling to “Keep it Green.”

Reliance Communications and Research In Motion (RIM) launched the first prepaid service for the BlackBerry® wireless solution in India. This first of its kind ‘pay as you use’ pricing model in India is in line with Reliance Communications’ strategy to extend BlackBerry services to customers who are looking for cost-effective options, giving customers flexibility and control over their expenses for wireless services. Reliance Communications has been on the forefront of offering a wide range of prepaid options to consumers across its data cards, mobile phones and fixed wireless phones offering. This prepaid service option is available on a range of BlackBerry smartphones including: The BlackBerry® 8830 World Edition smartphone, which operates on both CDMA & GSM networks The BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330 smartphone on CDMA networks The BlackBerry® Curve™ 8300 smartphone on GSM networks The BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 smartphone on GSM networks The BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8130 smartphone on CDMA networks, and  The BlackBerry® 8703e smartphone on CDMA networks For further query, customers can visit any Reliance World or Reliance Communications