Texrat

A Real iPhone Challenger - Barron's

Is there a vaccine for rabid Apple fanboyism?

Raw Data Report: Cell Phones

Good to see the Nokia 5310 gaining traction.

Here's What Will Happen To Apple's Rivals

"PlanetStarbucks, Texrat, Firestar, Lazerow...these comments show some understanding of the cellphone market"

Thanks for the acknowledgment, monrio.

It helps that I'm heavily involved in the industry. ; )

Here's What Will Happen To Apple's Rivals

"Like, they have a choice? Theyv'e been sitting on their tushes for, like, 15 years. The future of phones = not just a LITTLE smart, but VERY smart. Apple has done it, the others have tried and failed repeatedly."

Of course they have a choice, especially Nokia with its 40% global market share. Apple isn't infallible (google 'apple failures') so this hyperbolic talk implying Jobs walks on water and the iPhone will be completely destroying all comers is sheer nonsense (if the latter were true, Apple would have made enough iPhones for every current cell phone user). Yes, the product is successful and will be going forward (assuming Apple doesn't turn it into a RAZR) but claiming it's enough to obliterate established giants is beyond naive.

Nokia certainly has the breadth and depth to survive the iPhone, and then some. Take your rose-colored shades off and watch.

Here's What Will Happen To Apple's Rivals

Oh please, Arrington. As if competitors plan to roll over and just let Apple destroy them.

Sometimes I am amazed at the slathering naivete that appears in stock analysis articles. But commenter J Lazerow above got it right. Read and learn.

Is User Apathy About Smartphones Becoming Apparent?

There are some fundamental flaws in both the article and the fanboy responses, but I'll be kind and just point out a few:

-The assessment of smartphone desire ignores the reality of paradigm shifts and demographic differences. Claiming that US users don't want to download applications is overly broad and ignorant. People tend to not want what they don't know. Education works wonders, and THAT is Nokia's real challenge here. Remember, at one point the average consumer didn't *need* a cell phoen at all. Wasn't that long ago, either. Things change. Companies drive that. That makes dithers' comment above on target (although I question the difficulty of installing apps on the N95).

-The OS does not alone make or break a smartphone. Linux is just as capable as supporting smartphone functionality as any other OS-- even more so in some cases.

-Given its functionality, many consider the iPhone to be a smartphone, and many market measurements are placing it in that category for comparisons. Treating it as alien to smartphones is disingenuous. Some people are confusing novelty with overall functionality.

-The iPhone is not the Holy Grail.

-I own a Nokia smartphone. It is very easy too use.

-Symbian sales are down, in large part, to guess what: a downward economy. I realize that comes as a shock to the ivory tower theorists who still insist the months-long recession isn't here yet, but those of us paying attention for the last 2 years have a clue.

The Music Industry’s New Extortion Scheme

I think such a fee is only fair and reasonable. A fee like this might have mitigated or even prevented the DRM/pirating nightmare that's been plaguing society for years. It doesn't have to be exorbitant, either, to be useful. It doesn't even have to be the nightmare (ie, "extortion") it's alleged it will become.

Bottom line, there's no perfect system, and artists deserve to be paid. Period. But I agree that the labels are a huge part of the problem. Implement the fee, have the funds managed by BMI/ASCAP/et al, and leave the labels out of it if possible.

Is a Music 'Tax' Paid to ISPs the Answer?

I think such a fee is only fair and reasonable. You point out yourself the precedent. A fee like this might have mitigated or even prevented the DRM/pirating nightmare that's been plaguing society for years. It doesn't have to be exorbitant, either, to be useful... so your hyperbole can be stricken. ; )

2008 Will Bring More Platforms to Video Gaming

Don't count Nokia completely out. If the company chooses to get decent gaming going on the N800 and N810 palmtop computers, they'll have something. It remains to be seen if that will manifest, though.

Is Nokia Looking for Revenue in the Wrong Places?

Squawk, that's way too broad and hyperbolic. You're firing from the hip with a shotgun and hitting many of the wrong targets. Very ironic.

I acknowledged the hubris of Nokia execs, but it pretty much stops there. The Nokia rank and file are far more realistic in my experience. So no, in general the employees will not "say anything, as well as resort to anything, to hold onto its market share". That's a very unfair characterization. It's not even entirely accurate of the execs, either-- there are limits, as objectified by Tyco and Enron, that Nokia execs will not breach.

As for tactics vis-a-vis QCOM, let's be objective. QCOM can get just as dirty. There is no clear white hat or black hat in that tired debacle. Why do you think QCOM's former litigation lead quit? Think about it.

Is Nokia Looking for Revenue in the Wrong Places?

Yes, Nokia SVPs can be incredibly oblivious. They tend to forget that once upon a time Nokia was a rubber boot maker with no clue about cell phones. So why couldn't Apple acquire the same expertise? Obviously they did, at least to an extent. The iPhone phenomenon is still far more hype than reality, and until it gains significant market share I'll remain skeptical.

That said, Nokia apparently focused so highly on Motorola that Apple (and Samsung) were essentially ignored. The RAZR's ironic downfall for Moto boosted some Nokia egos, but I know that they're in the process of self-deflating now. Nokia will recover from the iPhone "surprise". Relying on 2-year-old interviews to paint the current landscape is disingenuous. As Moto learned to their dismay, this industry turns much quicker than that these days.