Sales of MultiMedia Phones Fly Past TV Sales

By 2011, about 9 of 10 mobile phones will include basic multimedia capabilities; today about 60% have those features, says MultiMedia Intelligence.

Worldwide shipments of multimedia-enabled mobile phones will exceed 300 million units next year, surpassing shipments of television sets, according to a research report being released this week by MultiMedia Intelligence. Sales of such phones will generate over $76 billion in revenue.
By 2011, about 9 of 10 mobile phones will include basic multimedia capabilities, which consist of an image sensor, MP3 audio support, and video playback. Currently, these capabilities are available in 60% of mobile phones, according to the report.

In general, MultiMedia Intelligence defines basic multimedia phones as those that have at least a 1.0-megapixel camera, MP3 audio and video playback capabilities, Java, USB, Bluetooth, 16-bit screen color, QVGA resolution, as well as Wireless Application Protocol and Multimedia Message Service support.

Wireless carriers view multimedia phones as a great opportunity to attract new subscribers. Consequently, they're turning to leading manufacturers, such as Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Motorola (NYSE: MOT), Samsung, LG Electronics, and Sony Ericsson, for exclusive phones with innovative form factors and multimedia features.

A touch screen will be another prominent feature on mobile phones in the near future. The number of phones with touch screens will reach almost 200 million by 2011.

Read the Full Story at Information Week

Wide Spread Nokia Battery Recall - Danger of Explosion

Nokia on Tuesday issued a product advisory for its BL-5C battery. The pnokia1.jpgroblem: The battery, which may affect as many as 46 million devices, could explode.

In the advisory, Nokia said the battery was manufactured by Japan’s Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. between December 2005 and November 2006. The BL-5C battery is one of 14 used by Nokia. The advisory comes amid a spate of issues with batteries in laptops and other electronic devices.

Read the whole report from ZDNet!

Customer Support Numbers for Tech Companies

TechLore put together a pretty impressive list with web and phone numbers for Customer Service Support numbers of top electronics companies.

Phone manufacturers and Sling Media are on the list. A lot of computer builders too, just in case you can resolve an issue for a customer and score that AirCard sale.

TechLore List