Week in and week out, the mobile technology space is one of the busiest and most fascinating corners of the tech world. This week, there was exciting news about a host of big companies, from Apple to Sprint, from Samsung to Nokia. Let’s see what the big stories were over the past few days.
For anyone eagerly anticipating the release of the iPhone 5, there is precious little information available from Apple. But, for people who are willing to dig a little deeper, there is always the chance to find out a few scraps of information. Recently, Apple filed a patent for a service that could only work with an NFC chip. This leads many analysts to believe that the iPhone 5 will be NFC equipped, allowing iTunes users to share playlists and purchased media content from device to device without plugging in anything.
Speaking of Apple, there was some rare bad news for the company this week, as recent figures have showed that Samsung has overtaken the iPhone company in total smartphone sales. Juniper Research estimates that Apple shipped 35.1 million iPhones while Samsung shipped a whopping 46.9 million smartphones. That combined total represents 60 percent of the smartphone market. This total represents a leap from the 46 percent market share the two companies boasted in the final quarter or 2011.
In news from another phone manufacturer, Nokia has decided to sell of the Vertu brand. Vertu well known as a luxury brand, but Nokia has been looking to unload it since December, as it hopes to trim non-core assets to help its flagging credit rating. One company that has shown interest in Vertu is the Permira private equity group, which is considering acquiring the brand best known for jewel or crystal laden products.
And finally, one other company that is looking to get its head above water, financially speaking, is Sprint, and the beleaguered third-place provider may be able to do so very soon. In the first quarter of 2012, the company’s customer base grew five percent, adding almost 1.1 million new customers, which outpaces even AT&T for the year.
All in all, a pretty exciting week for the mobile technology space, with big news from big names. Check back with TMC each week for the latest!
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