Can Lenovo do an IBM with Motorola?

Years down the line, whenever there is a discussion about Lenovo, 30 January 2014 is likely to get a special mention. It will be seen as the day it took a big step towards becoming a dominant player in the smartphone sector. Once completed, Lenovo's deal to acquire Motorola Mobility for $2.91bn (£1.8bn) will see it become the world's third-biggest smartphone maker. That is a big achievement, not least because until just two years ago Lenovo's global market share was negligible. "This is a great position for Lenovo to be in, as it looks to power the next chapter of its growth," says Manoj Menon, managing director of consulting firm Frost and Sullivan. 'Launch pad' However, most of its growth in the sector so far has been fuelled by China, which, with nearly 1.2 billion mobile phone subscribers, is one of the fastest growing markets for smartphones. It is also benefiting from the growing demand for low-cost smartphones from other emerging markets. But it has so far failed to make a mark in developed economies such as the US. Analysts say Lenovo's Motorola deal could help it crack these markets. "This could be the launch pad that Lenovo so desperately needed to become a significant global player," says Melissa Chau, a senior research manager with research firm IDC.

Smartphone Global Market Share - 2013
Ranking	Vendor	Sales
1. Samsung 31.3%
2. Apple 15.3%
3. Huawei 4.9%
4. LG 4.8%
5. Lenovo 4.5%
SOURCE: IDC WORLDWIDE MOBILE PHONE TRACKER

header
header
header
header

Smartphone Global Market Share - 2013
Ranking	Vendor	Sales
SOURCE: IDC WORLDWIDE MOBILE PHONE TRACKER
1.	Samsung	31.3%
2.	Apple	15.3%
3.	Huawei	4.9%
4.	LG	4.8%
5.	Lenovo	4.5%

Many mobile phone carriers subsidise handsets for consumers in developed economies, meaning manufacturers need to work closely with carriers to boost their sales. This is where, analysts say, Motorola's brand image could help. Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's PC business in 2005 - featuring the ThinkPad range - is seen as key to it overtaking Hewlett-Packard as the world's top PC maker in 2012. "Using Motorola, just as Lenovo used the IBM ThinkPad brand, to gain quick credibility and access to desirable markets and build critical mass makes a lot of sense," says Frank Gillett, an analyst with Forrester Research. Motorola is currently the third-biggest Android-based smartphone manufacturer in the US. It also works with more than 50 mobile phone carriers across the globe.

Google sells Motorola Mobility unit to Lenovo for $3bn

Google has sold struggling US mobile phone company Motorola Mobility to Chinese computer maker Lenovo for $2.91bn (£1.8bn), in a surprise move. Google had paid $12.5bn for the company less than two years ago. Lenovo plans to build up its smartphone unit through the Motorola purchase, which may help offset its slowing personal computer business. However, Google will keep the majority of Motorola's lucrative patents, which include one for Android software. In a statement, Google said the smartphone market was "super competitive" and that Motorola would "be better served by Lenovo". The purchase is set to make Lenovo the world's third-largest smartphone maker behind Samsung and Apple. Chinese deal-maker This is the second major acquisition for Lenovo in the same number of weeks. Last Thursday, the Thinkpad-maker announced it had acquired IBM's low-end server business for $2.3bn, in what was then China's biggest technology deal. Shares of Lenovo being traded in Hong Kong fell by more than 8% following the announcement, which came after the US market had closed. "Whether Lenovo can turn around the long-struggling Motorola business, and what happens to the Motorola brand long-term, remain key questions that will need to be answered in the coming months," Strategy Analytics said. On a conference call following the deal's announcement, Lenovo chief financial officer Wong Waiming said they were not concerned that they may have overpaid for Motorola.

Lenovo is the world's third-biggest personal computer maker "Market prices go up and down and I would not take a one-day or half-day performance as a reflection of the market viewing it negatively," he said. Mr Wong also said there was "no urgent need" for the company to tap the capital markets for money to fund the Motorola purchase given it had more than $3bn in cash available. Acquisition spree The purchase of Motorola was Google's largest acquisition and it signalled a growing effort by the search giant to enter the hardware business. Motorola Mobility created the Moto X and Moto G phones. Despite the sale, Google chief executive Larry Page insisted in a blog post: "This does not signal a larger shift for our other hardware efforts." The deal with Lenovo comes on the heels of an acquisition spree for Google. In January, it snapped up DeepMind, a UK firm focused on artificial intelligence, and bought military robot-maker Boston Dynamics in December. Global ambitions In announcing Wednesday's purchase, Lenovo cited the strength of Motorola's brand, which has been revived in recent years with Google's help. "The acquisition of such an iconic brand, innovative product portfolio and incredibly talented global team will immediately make Lenovo a strong global competitor in smartphones," said Yang Yuanqing, chief executive of Lenovo, in a statement. "We will immediately have the opportunity to become a strong global player in the fast-growing mobile space," he added. He also noted the acquisition gives Lenovo an entry into the North American and Latin American markets, as well as a toehold in Western Europe. The transaction must still be approved by US and Chinese regulators.

Nokia Sales Drop By 29% In Last Three Months

As Microsoft prepares to take on the struggling handset unit of Nokia, the Finnish firm reports a further smartphone sales drop. Struggling handset maker Nokia has seen its smartphone sales plunge 29% in the last quarter. The Finnish company said its overall business made a net loss of €25m (£20m) in the final three months of 2013. The company said its Lumia smartphones failed to draw business away from larger competitors such as Apple and Samsung. The decline hit the sector that Microsoft is due to take over. The devices and services unit being bought by Microsoft saw total sales fall to €2.6bn (£2.13bn) from €3.7bn (£3bn) a year earlier. The unit recorded an operating loss of €191m (£156m) compared with an operating profit of €97m (£80m) in the fourth quarter of 2012. Nokia revealed sales of 30 million Lumia handsets throughout 2013. The figure was double that of 2012 but it failed to pose a challenge the dominant brands of Apple and Samsung. Once the global mobile phone leader, Nokia teamed up with Microsoft in 2011 in hopes of a turnaround. But it has suffered further damage from lower cost phones developed in China and elsewhere in South East Asia. In 2013 Nokia agreed to a handset unit sale to Microsoft valued at the time at £3.7bn. Shareholders approved the deal and it is expected to be completed before April. The company will focus on intellectual property in future. "During the fourth quarter, Nokia's continuing businesses produced a healthy underlying operating margin of 12%," CEO Risto Siilasmaa said. "While the first quarter of the year is seasonally weak for our continuing operations, we continue to expect the closing of the Microsoft transaction to significantly improve Nokia's earnings profile." Nokia's retained operations, which include solutions, networks, mapping services and advanced technologies, also saw sales slump to €3.4bn (£2.8bn) in Q4 - down 21% from a year earlier.

Pentagon Spree Boosts BlackBerry's Fortunes

BlackBerry's near-death experience may now be over, after the US military goes on a shopping spree for new "mobility" devices.

Struggling smartphone maker BlackBerry has seen its share price soar after the Pentagon said it would buy a swathe of new handsets. Last week, the US military announced that it would have a surge in "mobility" devices, including iPads, iPhones, and Samsung tables and smartphones. On Tuesday the world's biggest defence spender announced it would buy 80,000 BlackBerrys, boosting the firm's share price rise by 9.36%. The Canadian company has now seen its shares rocket by more than 60% from its lows last month, when it reported a quarterly loss of more than £2.6bn.

In response to the hefty hit BlackBerry said it would outsource production to Taiwan-based Foxconn. Foxconn makes products for Apple in China and has come under repeated criticism for work conditions for its mainland employees. Industry experts believe the outsourcing will now help BlackBerry concentrate on software and services - avoiding many of the risks of the volatile smartphone segment. Last year, the company said it was considering a sale or other strategic move, but later scrapped those plans and told customers it was staying in the smartphone business. On Tuesday it also announced plans to sell most of its Canadian property holdings as part of a new management strategic plan. BlackBerry helped create a culture of mobile users glued to smartphones - and were once nicknamed "CrackBerrys" in reference to the addictive habit of checking emails. The encryption system used by the firm was once seen as a benefit for many firms, including the White House administration. But the firm lost its pre-eminent position as people swapped to iPhones and Google's Android software. The company still has around 70 million subscribers worldwide, but most of these are using older handsets, with newer devices on the BlackBerry 10 platform unveiled a year ago failing to sell. :: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

Choosing the best smartphone on the market can be challenging, and fishing through millions of online mobile device comparison and reviews never seems to help either. Why? Because this device comparison and review articles being posted online to tech and PC blogs are not written by people who truly use and love the products they are reviewing. This writer’s are paid to make the best overall impression possible, in order to make room for the best possible sales results once launched. Many of these so called “Tech Experts” are merely just writer’s and editors who have years of experience and a wealth of knowledge, who are used purely just for purposes of SEO and Original Content to drive traffic to there websites and sales down there mainline.

So where does this leave the consumer?

The customer needing and wanted accurate information in order to make to a choice for the best smartphone on the market. Now-A-Day; you are lucky to ever truly read a review that has been written by someone who has used the product more than 30 minutes! Now it does not take a rocket scientist to know that it takes much longer than that in order to truly get a feel for a devices hardware and software. To truly know the ends and outs of the device, in our to give a fare assessment to your readers, and to give valid insight that will go toward making such an important purchase.

So what’s your point?
My point here is that one must be very careful were they go to read any comparison and review given on the internet. Big sites like CNET, Techcrunch, and Technobuffalo all have there own agenda! For example, CNET in particular ways heavy on iOS Devices and Hardware because most of there advertising review comes from iOS shoppers reading reviews and buying accessories from their 3rd party advertising partners. There have also been many reports that CNET has been paid directly from Apple in order

to insure the success of their product launches (this can not be confirmed nor denied). Can even take a look at Technobuffalo, who’s entire m/o consist of pushing Android off on the world. Because Technobuffalo’s staff mainly includes Android users and developers, their entire blog is over 75% Android related. Now for those of you who are purely one team over the other (Apple vs. Android) this would make a great source for you, but if you just so happen to be like me and most of America who likes their options, you would prefer your source not be piggy backing of one teams success over the others.

Okay unbiased Comparison and Review Post, so were can I find them?

You can find all the mobile device comparison and review post your heart desires at http://mobiletechnologytalk.com, were you can search for your favorite mobile devices including: Cell Phones, Tablets, and Laptops! Get real-time feed back from mobile device loving geeks such as yourself! So what are you waiting for? Your dreams device is waiting!

Motorola Droid Maxx – When Good Battery Life Meets Android

Motorola Droid Maxx

Overall the Motorola Droid Maxx delivers very good and long battery life, a 5.4 inch colorful screen, and a durable, attractive, and tuff design. The camera takes great pictures and preforms on command with no lag or stutter like other devices in its class. Couple all those wonderful features with active screen-based notifications and quick-launching camera options, and you find yourself wondering why all androids could not have been like this one! The only bad thing that must be said about this device is the pricing, which is way too high sitting right at about $709.99 (ONLY THROUGH VERIZON). But hey; if you can get past the high price tag for such a premium device, then you may have found what you are looking for in the Motorola Droid Maxx. From a design standpoint, the differences between the Motorola Droid Maxx and other android such as its little brother the Droid Ultra are night and day. It may take a while at first though, until you really start to dig into the device. At a whopping 5.4 inches tall by 2.8 inches wide, the Motorola Droid Maxx stands to be one of the Top 5 big display mobile phones available (only behind the soon to be HTC Maxx, Samsung Galaxy Mega, and Note Series). While overall being the same size as the Droid Ultra, the Droid Maxx happens to be thicker at 0.34 inches versus 0.22 inches. Still not being able to “see” the difference, it’s only when you pick the Droid Maxx up from your coffee table to do you notice this device is packing some seriously heavy hardware! Weighing in at almost 6 ounces (5.9 ounces exactly), the Motorola Droid Maxx “feels” almost twice as heavy than any other android phone currently on the market. Even compared to the Samsung Galaxy Mega, the Motorola Droid Maxx is still much heavier in terms of the user’s impression. Secondly you will notice the Motorola Droid Maxx packs a Kevlar fiber coated back surface – similar to previous generations of Motorola Droid mobile devices. It’s not only smooth to the touch, but you will never have to worry about fingerprint markings again, unlike most other plastic made android devices (Samsung Galaxy S4) that leaves you with fingerprint marks on every corner of the phone. The Motorola Droid Maxx has a powerful yet natural looking 10-megapixel back facing camera with LED flash, with a 2-megapixel front facing camera for Skype or OVO video calling. On that same Kevlar fiber backing is a very large speaker packing big sound and great volume levels. Similar to the HTC One, the Motorola Droid Maxx has built in Boom Sound powered by Beats by Dre, which happens to sound 3 times better than the HTC One’s speaker system if one could believe it! The Droid Maxx has a display worthy of bragging about, with a bright 5 inch HD OLED 720p (1,280×720 pixels) which does not compare at all to the display of current high end android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, or LG G2. Despite this thorn; the Droid Maxx produces excellent photos, a great browsing experience, and documents with massive amounts of contextual details. Its overall viewing experience could and can be compared to many other android devices that have 1080p displays and not lose the battle without getting in a few words. While watching a HULU episode of “Misfits” I was still drown away by the episode, not paying any attention to my girlfriend asking me for money, which shows me the screen is not as bad as it may sound. The core hardware components that come packed into the Motorola Droid Maxx include Motorola’s all new X8 Mobile Computing System, which you can find in the other flagship devices by Motorola such as the Moto X and Droid Ultra. This computing core includes a 1.7GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, which does not have the same raw horsepower as other true “Quad-Core” processors have shown us in other android devices on the market. It turn out though, that unless your just a mobile tech geek like myself and others here at Mobile Technology Talk, you will not even notice the difference in performance from this CPU while completing the same daily task you always do on any other mobile device in the Droid Maxx’s class. Helping all of this is the Droid Maxx’s 2GB of allocated RAM, which comes backed up with your choice of 16GB and 32GB worth of built in memory. Oh, and before I forget, there is also no SD Card Slot for all you out there you demand this feature from your cell phone. Holding all this together is Motorola’s UI called Moto Zap, which takes the overall efforts of our great big brother Google and Google Now UI, and gives its users the option of quick reference for anything from messaging to snapping a quick photo of a friend passing by. Overall this has been a great upgrade compared to what Motorola normally brings use bundled into their mobile devices. It’s a much slicker and smoother UI to navigate, but it still lacks the glamor of a say “Bling Feed”, or the user friendliness of a say “Touch Wiz”. Motorola’s Moto Zap just sets somewhere in the middle, kind of how HTC Sense use to just be an okay but not great UI for the HTC 2008-2010 line-up. Overall it’s not bad, packing Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, you are still able to “ZAP” between applications in a flash without much lag or giveback from the devices hardware or software. Another great feature is the Droid Maxx has Touchless Control, were your device will lightly light up displaying all your updates like messages once they come in. This is a great feature that overtime with Moto Zap can become a great software eco-system for Motorola Flagship Devices. All-In-All, the Motorola Maxx is a great Device! Did I mention it gets THREE FULL DAYS OF BATTERY LIFE! If you are not big on having the latest and greatest hardware specs, and just would like a device with great multimedia features and the latest software money can buy, then grab a Motorola Droid Maxx. For this, we give the Motorola Maxx an 4 out of 5.

Apple App Store Sales Hit $10bn For 2013

The tech giant announces a record-breaking December and says app developers have now pulled in more than $15bn (£9bn). 

Apple says it sold $10bn (£6.1bn) of apps last year, including $1bn (£610m) in December alone. The festive sales translate to more than three billion app purchases in one month - a new record for the App Store - and includes downloads to iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Developers have now made a total of $15bn (£9.1bn) by producing apps, the California-based company said. Apple takes a 30% cut from every sale, so has made $4.5bn for its own coffers. Candy Crush Saga, the hit from UK developer King, was one of 2013's biggest hits, along with the likes of Puzzles & Dragons and Minecraft. This time last year, Apple did not give a 2012 sales total, but said more than 775,000 apps had been created. That figure has now topped a million. However, most apps are thought to receive very few downloads, with the bulk coming from a relatively small group of big sellers. Google's Play Store - which sells apps for Android phones and tablets - has not yet released figures for 2013. But a Forbes report last year suggested it had already surpassed Apple on quarterly downloads.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Phone May Have Eye Scanner

Samsung Galaxy S5 Phone May Have Eye Scanner The futuristic feature could be used to unlock the phone, as well as replacing passwords when buying music and apps.

The follow up to the above Galaxy S4, is eagerly anticipated

Samsung's update to its flagship smartphone could come with eye-scanning technology, according to one of the company's bosses. "Many people are fanatical about iris recognition technology," said Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of the firm's mobile business. Talking at the CES technology show in Las Vegas, she told Bloomberg that Samsung was "studying the possibility" of including the technology but could not say for sure that it would be on the upcoming Galaxy S5. The Samsung boss said the company is aiming to release the phone in March or April this year. Its current model, the S4, has been a massive success, selling millions and picking up plenty of praise from technology reviewers. The inclusion of an eye scanner would most likely be a security feature, similar to the fingerprint sensor on Apple's iPhone 5s, which can be used to unlock the device and make iTunes or App Store purchases.

The Galaxy S4 Gear Smartwatch

The Galaxy S4 already lets users scroll the screen using eye movement, but the feature has been criticised as a gimmick by some technology writers. Samsung's Lee Young Hee also hinted that a more significant physical redesign could be on the cards for the Galaxy S5. She told Bloomberg: "When we moved to S4 from S3, it's partly true that consumers couldn't really feel much difference between the two products from the physical perspective, so the market reaction wasn't as big. "For the S5, we will go back to the basics. Mostly, it's about the display and the feel of the cover." The Samsung boss also revealed that a "more advanced" and less bulky Galaxy Gear smartwatch will come out at the same time as the new phone. The South Korean company is the world's top smartphone seller, with 32% of the global market, nearly three times as much as Apple, according to analysts Gartner.

Phones Unveiled At CES Can Unlock Doors

A lock springs open when it detects the phone's Bluetooth, while an app can also be used to remotely give access to others.

The lock's features can be controlled via Andriod or iPhon

Phone-controlled locks could one day make rummaging for your keys a thing of the past and some of the latest designs have been revealed at this week's CES show. The devices work by using a phone's Bluetooth connectivity to automatically open the lock when an approved person is nearby. The Goji Smart Lock, one of several designs on show at the Las Vegas technology expo, can also take a photo of whoever has triggered the lock and automatically send it to the homeowner's phone.

Temporary "digital keys" can also be created for certain periods or times of the day.

For example, a text or email can be sent to a neighbour, babysitter or plumber to give them the power to unlock the front door. The lock's functions are controlled by an iPhone or Android app. Goji's founder, Gabriel Bestard-Ribas, said users could potentially control access to their home while lounging on a beach thousands of miles away.

The lock features a built-in Camera as well as a personal welcome 

"Your lock is linked to the WiFi of your home, and your home automation system, so you could manage your home from anywhere in the world," he said. "This is a really life-changing event that is happening nowadays." A WiFi connected doorbell, called the SkyBell, was another of the security gadgets being shown off at CES. It sends an alert to a person's phone - plus live video - whenever someone rings the bell and lets the homeowner talk to the visitor. A motion sensor also triggers an alert when someone is lurking nearby, potentially catching out unwanted visitors.

The annual CES technology show - the biggest in the world - has seen the biggest players in technology, as well as many start-ups, show off their latest products.

PlayStation games go console free

Sony has announced plans to roll out its cloud gaming service. PlayStation Now will allow subscribers to play some of the platform's greatest hits without the need to own a console. It works by streaming data from the company's servers. The firm's latest smart TVs will be among the first devices to support it, but Sony also intends to offer the facility to other third-party products. One expert said the firm had a rich back catalogue to draw on. "It's a pretty big asset," said Brian Blau from the tech consultancy Gartner. "You can imagine the hundreds of years of manpower that went into building it up, and now they can get value from it for a long time into the future." Sony said it would launch a restricted test of the service in the US later this month before a wider launch in the summer. It has not provided details of plans for other markets yet or information of which smartphone and table platforms will be the first to get apps to run the facility.

Play station Now

PlayStation Now lets the firm bring its console games to smartphones and tablets

The announcement was made at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Trackling Lag
The new facility is based on technology developed by Gaikai, a cloud gaming start-up that the Japanese firm acquired for $380m (£232m) in 2012. Its rival Samsung had previously announced plans to partner with the firm to let its TVs offer games. Sony said the service would also allow its new PlayStation 4 console to run titles from the PS3's library.


Since the two machines use different types of processors, the PS4 cannot currently run the previous generation's titles. It also said that its handheld, the PS Vita, would use PlayStation Now to gain access to a wider catalogue. Sony added that another benefit of hosting titles in the cloud was that subscribers would always be playing the most up-to-date versions. Demo titles on show at CES include The Last of Us,

Beyond: Two Souls, and God of War: Ascension. Tech bloggers who tested the kit have noted that it does have some limitations. "There's a slightly perceptible lag between button presses and the corresponding action onscreen," wrote Chris Welch for The Verge. Others noted that the visuals were not as crisp as would be the case if they were running natively on a PS3. But they said the games were still playable. Sony is not alone in offering such a service. OnLive has offered a cloud-based gaming platform since 2010, and is already available in the UK.

However, it lacks many of the big-name titles that Sony will be able to offer. Mr Blau said that he expected that PlayStation Now would suit some titles better than others. "I imagine that for the games that don't require a very fast frame rate that lag won't make any difference at all," he said. "But for those that run at 50 to 60 frames per second it could be an issue if you're not close to a Sony server. "However, I imagine the firm has the capability to ensure that most of the connected PlayStations and TV will be close to at least one of its data centres. "And as the years go on that will become less of a problem as the internet's infrastructure matures."