racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

It might come as a surprise, but the latest Gartner report shows that global phone sales were down by 2% in the last quarter. That’s not a reflection on smartphones, with smartphone sales up by around 45%, and yet even that hasn’t been enough to hold the entire market up. This is the first sign of trouble that the mobile phone market has seen in three years, with steady growth occurring all over the world. Analysts are pointing fingers at Asia, as well as a lack of new handset launches this year; hopefully, this means that sales should pick up this quarter.

It’s also possible that the increasing ubiquity of smartphones is leading to a less disposable attitude towards handsets. Smartphones are considerably more expensive than regular mobiles, and while many of us buy a new phone every year, very few go through them at the same pace as cheaper handsets. It wasn’t so long ago that the latest, flashiest handsets would have set you back around £200, whereas now you’ll usually have to fork out around thrice that amount to get your hands on cutting-edge mobile technology. As smartphones dominate the market, it’s no surprise if people are spending more money and buying less phones.

Otherwise, Gartner’s figures also provide some food for thought. The report records sales in terms of units rather than revenue, and it makes for interesting reading. Samsung have finally knocked Nokia off the top spot, with just over 20% of the market share compared to Nokia’s 19%. It’s a narrow gap, but it looks set to widen over the next year. Nokia had their grip on the lion’s share of the market for 14 years, so it seems only fair that Samsung gets a turn; while Nokia’s Lumia sales look promising, the majority of Nokia’s handset sales will be non-smartphone handsets, meaning that their actual revenue is likely to be lower.

Imagine this.  There used to be a day where investors had to turn on a television in order to get stock and commodity future quotes.  Or if a person was really serious, they could call up their broker and get the latest inside scoop on price movement in the S&P Index, the DJIA, gold, silver, or their favorite stock.  In fact, scores of investors used to spread out the financial section of the newspaper on the kitchen table every morning and read through yesterday’s end of day prices for various financial instruments.  The crazy thing is that this incredibly primitive era was just about 10 years ago!!  But oh how things have changed.

In today’s hi-tech world, investors basically have more information in the palm of their hand than the heads of international trading desks had just 10-15 years ago.  With an iPhone, Droid, or similar smart phone, you can set up a cutting-edge, virtual trading desk in the palm of your hand.  Here are a few top apps to get you going.

Nokia has just launched the Lumia 800C in China, and is banking on smartphone sales in this region for a comeback in the smartphone industry. Nokia’s launch of its Windows Phone 7.5 Refresh (formerly “Tango”) smartphone likewise signals the arrival of the WP7 platform for entry-level devices. Will WP7 pose a serious threat to Android and iOS like analysts have been saying?

Perhaps you’d like to review a Nokia Windows Phone handset for yourself. Nokia is offering an opportunity for gadget lovers to take the Lumia 900 (or any other current Nokia device) for a spin. Check out the video below.

Nokia asks what extemes you would go to with your smartphone. I’m not sure if I’ll be jumping off cliffs with my smartphone just yet, although it sounds like a good idea to see how a smartphone peforms under extreme situations.

It’s the post-PC era, as the late Steve Jobs has called it. tablets and smartphones have far overtaken desktops and notebooks in terms of growth. And given the varied price points at which consumers can acquire mobile phones and tablet PCs (what with the cheap China-made Android tablets), computers are becoming cheaper and cheaper. But Microsoft is focusing on a post-post-PC era. Microsoft has already hinted that its upcoming Windows 8 operating system will run on both mobile and desktop platforms.

Will Microsoft merge its mobile and desktop operating systems with Windows 8? Microsoft has reassigned its chief of the Windows Mobile 7 division to a secret project under CEO Steve Ballmer. But whether this means they’re surrendering in the smartphone market, or they’re planning a resurgence through a unified OS, we will know by 2012, when Windows 8 launches.

The mobile industry is in exciting times lately, with news from major players. First is Microsoft’s silent roll-out of its latest Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” update. The update, which will include WiFi tethering, multitasking and improved social networking features, will start rolling out to Window Phone 7 devices starting this week. Availability will depend on carrier and region, though.

Samsung and Intel Launch Tizen OS

The LiMo and Linux foundations have announced a new mobile operating system. “Tizen” will be co-developed by Intel and Samsung, merging their MeeGo and LiMo platforms. Tizen promises an open-source, open-standards approach to mobile operating systems, and will have the support of various networks and handset makers.

iPod Classic and Shuffle on Their Way Out?

Apple is focusing on touchscreen iOS devices, and might discontinue the iPod Classic (with clickwheel) and Shuffle (without screen) soon. The iPod Nano will be their entry-level device. Should I say goodbye to my 5.5th gen iPod?

Barnes & Noble, Amazon to Launch New Tablets

Amazon has just announced their new Kindle Fire tablets. Priced at $199, and with free access to Amazon content, they might just have a winner here. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble is reportedly updating their Nook Color line in time for the holidays, with both a premium and an inexpensive Android tablet.

Microsoft Extorting from Android Manufacturers?

Samsung and Microsoft have recently entered a cross-licensing deal, in which Samsung pays royalties to MS for each Android phone sold. Google says Microsoft is extorting money from Android makers. Microsoft basically says “Shut up and pay up.”

Companies Now Subsidizing Employees for Gadget Purchases

IT departments are losing control over devices, as companies move toward “bring your own device” policies. 41% of surveyed firms actually provide subsidies or co-payment schemes for smartphones, tablets and notebook computers.

In other news: Delicious has been relaunched. Facebook will update profiles with Timeline. Chrome 14 is out, with NaCl support and security updates. Do you have a website? Turn then into iPad HTML5 apps with Pressly. Will Facebook ever release an iPad app?