Here at Cell Canada, we’ve had a great deal of interest in the new Canadian Cellular Carriers.  Questions about their service launch dates, technology, pricing, and monthly service plans.  Starting with Globalive, we are starting a series where we will summarize and infer what we can to help answer these questions and more.

Globalive

Owner: Orascom out of Egypt has majority ownership but Globalive has controlling interest to meet Canadian foreign ownership regulations.  What does this mean?  It’s Orascom’s money and they are in charge.  Good for competition in Canada.  Orascom has about 80 million cellular customers worldwide with properties in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.  That’s more than all of the existing Canadian cellular carriers (Bell, Telus, and Rogers) combined.  They will not be muscled out or outspent by the incumbent Canadian carriers.

Management: Globalive is still building it’s management team.  At the date of this article, active recruiting is underway for several ‘C’ level roles.  The key CEO role is in place however.  Ken Campbell is a Canadian with a great deal of experience with start up wireless carriers in Eastern Europe.

Marketing and Brand:  Expect a no-frills consumer brand.  The betting line to date is on ‘Yak Mobile’.  Noticeably, Yak has shut down its www.yakmobile.com web site.  In advance of a launch later in the year?

Technology: Globalive will be launching the current revision of the GSM technology train.  Expect UMTS and HSPA technology similar to what Rogers has currently deployed.

Plans: Expect innovative, for Canada, low end plans: $10/month, $15/month, etc. and potentially text only plans.  The recent moves by Koodo, Solo, and Fido to offer $15 plans with no system access fees are a clear indication of the incumbent Canadian cellular carriers re-positioning their brands to protect their soft flanks – where they expect the new carriers to enter.

Phones:  Of course we don’t know specifics of phones that will arrive a year from now but what we can infer is that given their strong buying power (Orascom’s 80 million customers) and targeting of the low end of the market, Globalive – or Yak Mobile – will probably offer basic feature phones and low end smartphones.  Expect some unique phones, perhaps more Nokia and other low end feature phones that we haven’t seen in the market to any great degree under the Bell, Rogers, and Telus umbrellas.  Also expect that with their buying power, they will get some interesting phones in advance of the incumbent Canadian carriers.

When:  Globalive is already building network in the major Canadian cities where it has licenses.  There is a lot of work to get a mobile carrier business started and offering services.  Network is one aspect but OSS systems, distribution channel, etc. all take time to put into place.  Expect a launch in late 4th quater 2009 to 1st quarter 2010.

Hope this answers some of your questions.  Feel free to add anything that you may have learned about Globalive’s plans in the Comments section.

Here at Cell Canada, we are big fans of ’cheap’ and ‘free’ in all their forms – whether it be cheap cell long distance with Alligato Mobile, or cheap gadget toys at DealExtreme, or the focus of this article, free Apple iPhone Apps.  We have a well earned reputation for being tight with our pennies.

Thus we thought it might be interesting to share our spendthrift-favorite iPhone Applications both to spread our cheapness but also to see if any of you may have a line on great free iPhone Apps that we may have missed.

Here’s our list::

Bloomberg:Classic thorough Bloomberg market and stock information in a smooth and easy to use App for all you market junkies out there.  (Hint, it’s probably down).

Blue Skies Lite: A great helicopter game.  Control the helicopter by using the accelerometer.  Shoot planes, tanks, avoid mines, etc.  Great graphics, great sound, and lots of fun.

Facebook: What can you say.  It’s Facebook on the iPhone.  It’s been widely presumed that one of the motivations for the new Facebook design was to align the online site with the mobile site.

Fring: A multi-IM client that supports Gtalk, AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, ICQ, etc.   But even more importantly, a VoIP over WiFi client that supports Skype and a multitude of SIP service providers such as Gizmo, NewWorldDial, etc.  First generation and a bit rough still but it works well enough now and has lots of promise going forward.

Funky Punch Lite: A simple arcade type fighter game.  A simple and fun way to try out your combo moves.

Fuzzle: An addictive puzzle game.  Has all the hallmarks – easy to play, some mental complexity, good graphics and sounds. 

i.TV: A TV directory done right.  Episode guides, ratings, preview videos for movies, etc.

Last.FM: We love this application.  A must have for any music fan.  Stream music based on genres, tags, ’similar to’, and friends favorites.  Add in artist bios and concert schedules for some reading while you are enjoying the music.

Locly:  Locly finds restaurants, pubs, gas stations, cafe’s, events, dogs, and almost anything else in your local vicinity.  The interface is a bit rough and ugly at this point but the data is great.  Ever been in a new location and wondered where the nearest ATM was? or gas station?  Locly knows. 

Lux Touch:  Can you say the game of Risk without copyright issues.  Well this is it.  Graphics are lame but the gameplay is addictive.  Who doesn’t want to rule the world.

Midomi: A music discovery tool, like Shazam but with more cool features.  Put Midomi up to a song you hear on the radio and after 10 seconds of listening and about 30 seconds of hitting its online database, it will come back with the song.  Amazingly accurate.  The accuracy is even scarier when you try the ‘hum a song’ option.  Yes, it will predict a song based on your humming.

Say Who Dialer- A voice dialer for the iPhone.  Works and works well right out of the download.  No training required.  Just hold down the big button on the centre of the screen and say the name of the person you want to dial and it will pull their data out of your address book, or speak their phone number, and it will dial.

Tap Tap Revenge- One of the original great free games on the iPhone App Store.  Tap out the bubbles to the beat.  Nothing better than gaming to a beat.

Zenbe Lists – A simple and powerful to-do list application for all of you list junkies out there.  Ends off our list.

So did we miss any of your favourite free iPhone applications?  Drop us a line in the comments – we’d like to hear about them.

In late September, the initial Google gPhone was introduced: HTC Dream. Google’s strike on the phone market is significantly different than Apple’s, and could, if we measure success by domination of the Internet, be a viable threat to the tumultuous existence of the current mobile industry and cause Apple shareholders some concern.  Is this the wireless battle of this decade?   Since the market has been shifting from PCs to smart phones, this new encounter may well redefine the overall market influence of the various players, with Microsoft mobile being the most at risk, and Google with the most to gain (because it is just entering), and Apple defying all expert opinions by capturing the heart and soul of its customer’s.

Let’s assess a technology early adopter, In Japan, teens and university students are using mobile phones vastly more than they are their PCs for text communications, and any other activities that traditionally would normally require a PC.   In contrast to the younger generation, many executives who are travelling for a short 1-2 day business trip opt to use their smart phone for all communications and reviewing of key documents eliminating the need to take their laptop. These trends question the need for these influencer target markets to have a PC at all. In effect, the smart phone is probably about where the laptop was about 10-15 years ago, the big difference is that technology is growing at a much faster pace and it’s by products are on an accelerated adoption curve.

Let’s disect the BIG three market players:

Google’s HTC Dream Phone, Apple’s iPhone, and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Platform

Google’s desire for mobile phone world domination using its Chrome browser and Android platform won’t be because of the initial HTC Dream phone, in fact it will have to do with the stirring of iPhone and Microsoft concepts into a differentiated strategy that appears to form a “best of breed concept”.

HTC is one of the leading suppliers of Windows Mobile based smart phones, selling one out of every six smart phones in the US. Windows Mobile is actually, at an estimated 26 million sold, more successful than the iPhone in terms of volume. But why have none of its phones created the buzz the iPhone has created, or developed the design that Apple has innovated. Microsoft has power in numbers, but Apple, in today’s mobile market, has more influence on the market.  October 8^th, 2008 Fierce Wireless named Steve Jobs the most powerful influencer in wireless.

“Jobs’ ascent to the top of the wireless heap mirrors a massive paradigm shift in the structure of the industry itself. The 2007 introduction of Apple’s iPhone rewrote the rules that long governed the wireless marketplace, wresting absolute power away from operators while illustrating to consumers the full technological promise of the mobile platform.”

The Microsoft advantage in this space is that the Windows Mobile is hardware independent, thus they are executing a plan similar to Windows for PCs and they have been in the game many years prior to Apple or Google.

iPhone Advantages and Limitations

Apple’s iPhone is like the Model-T of smart phones, in essence the choice of designs and colors are limited to black or white, one size fits all.  The iPhone today is not customized in look and feel to suit your individual personality.   Also you are limited to either AT&T in the US and Rogers in Canada.  The iphone applications are an advantage; however, they may be limited as they must not create a competitive advantage against Apple.  In effect, with respect to applications and competition, it is like someone took a lot of the qualms consumers have made about Microsoft, and gift-wrapped them into an Apple strategy. Of the three companies, Apple is the most limited. Ironically however, its device is also the most desired, which is a credit to Apple’s design and marketing execution.  This may also suggest some of us are giving up our freedoms too easily.

The iPhone is incredibly easy to use, and connected to two market-leading services: iTunes and the Apple Application Store, both of which currently dominate the competition in terms of interest and capability.  These advantages alone promise the ability for Apple to continue its leap forward and make Apple a stock of choice for investors. 

Windows Mobile’s Advantages and Limitations

If Apple is about simplicity, Microsoft’s platform is about choice and connectivity. Windows Mobile is integrated to phones from a wide variety of vendors, ranging from Palm to Motorola and HTC. These phones come in different sizes, shapes, and colors, and even offer different interfaces. The Windows mobile platform connects back into Microsoft’s back end of communications offerings, led by Exchange, and the phone also has third-party developer support. However, there is nothing yet like the Apple’s Itune experience or Application store, in terms of available music content, programs and their ease of use. 

Microsoft also lacks any one phone that has the excitement created by the iPhone.  I am sure even CTOs in companies that make Microsoft Mobile phones probably also carry iPhones. HTC “Touch” has been the most aggressive in creating an iPhone-like front end for Microsoft’s Mobile platform, and its Touch line is the closest to the ideal created by the iPhone. The Sprint version of the HTC Touch “Diamond” (due largely to Sprint’s services) comes closest compared to all phones currently in the market.

Microsoft as usual has failed on closing the user experience and the marketing gap between Apple’s offerings and its own. With its new $300M marketing campaign Microsoft has chosen its traditional “build an inferior product; and market it better” approach.  The user experience issue is on hold perhaps until their next version of its platform, or until more manufacturers take lead and invest in touch interfaces with its Windows Mobile phones.

 Google’s Chance

Google is determined to create an ecosystem of services and partners that can rival Apple.  They have also approached a number of phone manufacturers to assure it gets Microsoft-like wide coverage. The first phone, the HTC Dream, is more of a mix of Blackberry RIM and Microsoft Danger concepts then it is a direct attack on the Apple iPhone.  Keep in mind this is the first of many product launches by Google. 

First impressions are very powerful, if consumers approve this is a huge win, and if not Google may lose prior to getting out of the gate. So far, the public’s impression seems mixed. Other than the fact this is a Google phone, few seem that excited about it. But the launch campaign is just commencing, so this may change. I’m already getting the sense that the launch is more similar to a traditional Microsoft one than an Apple event, which typically isn’t a good thing. Still, the Android platform is designed to work off back-end services, and Google has done a better job of both assuring the initial set of applications (some of Apple’s applications are not very good; however some are GREAT!) are good, and on being more liberal with them (they don’t have Apple’s Big Brother competition complex).  Google also has Amazon providing the multimedia services, as a strong alternative to iTunes.  Overall, even though we initially only have one phone, it’s not a bad strategy.   

Who Wins?

The market-share lead Microsoft has may become irrelevant, Apple has definitely emerged as the leader for the time being, simply because the consumers are excited about the iPhone and most of the major players are following it. The company’s limitation is scale, in both company size, and line breadth (we aren’t a Model T, one-product-fits-all world). If Microsoft and/or Google can close the design, marketing, and user experience gap with Apple, they could take the lead, because neither has the same scale issues. But this isn’t a multiple-choice challenge: They have to do all three. And so far, that has been very difficult. For instance, only Apple has subordinated the carriers to own the user experience. No one else has successfully done this and this has given Apple one more unique advantage.  If the overall market moves to a single future version of these platforms at large the only question that arises is can Apple’s current single-vendor strategy scale to the numbers this kind of opportunity represents?  (In 2007 there were 3.3B cell phones in the world.  Also where do the other established players such as RIM, Symbian and LiMo fit in this space?  This will prove to define the future of the mobile industry.

Blackberry Storm details are coming out fast and furious.  From early reviews, it seems to meet and beat most expectations.  It may certainly be the best corporate device ever built though I’m sure some will argue otherwise.  The keyboard, our big question in previous posts, is getting good reviews and RIM seems to have done a good job of using the capacitive aspects for actions and a hard button interface for selection.  Of course it has the strengths of RIM’s industry leading mail/contact/calendar applications with BES synch.  It appears to be somewhat weaker than the iPhone on the consumer applications side – video presentation, browser, and music.  Especially when it comes to the slickness, design, and hardware graphics acceleration of the consumer application interfaces.  The application store / deck / market has had little discussion so far though it appears from the rumours that carrier’s will control the application they allow in the market.  Payment/account registration etc. details are still unknown.

For us, we are very impressed and can’t wait to get out hands on it.  We don’t know if it will displace our affection for the iPhone – it seems to be missing the lifestyle aspects but it’s our ideal corporate phone. 

Competition is good.  Finally, we can kill the abuse of the term: ‘iPhone killer’.  We now have two very good and different phones to choose from – it’s no longer a one horse market.

Technologizer created a good early comparison table that we’ve copied for you below:

The phones	BlackBerry Storm 9530	Apple iPhone 3G
Platform	BlackBerry (Java based)	Apple’s proprietary OS X
Availability	Soon	Now, although supply is occasionally spotty
U.S. carrier	Verizon	AT&T
Price	TBD	$199 for 8GB model or $299 for 16GB model with two-year contract
Data plan	TBD	$30 a month for unlimited data; $5 a month extra for 200 text messages
Locked?	Presumably, to Verizon	Yup, to AT&T
Colors	Just black, as far as I know	Black (8GB and 16GB); white (16GB only)
Size and weight	4.4” by 24” by 0.55”; 5.46 oz.	4.3″ by 2.4″by 0.33″; 4.05 oz.
Screen size and resolution	3.25″; 480 by 360	3.5″; 480 by 320
Input	Multi-touch haptic-feedback touchscreen with QWERTY and SureType keyboards	Multi-touch touchscreen with on-screen keyboard
Buttons	Volume; lock; left and right Convenience; mute/play; send, menu, end, and escape	Home; volume; vibrate
Accelerometer	Yes	Yes
Headphone jack	Standard 3.5mm	Standard 3.5mm
Bluetooth	Stereo	Monaural
Voice dialing	Not sure	No
Voice recording	Not that I know of	No
MMS	Yes	No
Camera	3.2 megapixels; flash; digital zoom; video capable	2 megapixels; no flash; no digital zoom; no video
Voice	Quad-band GSM and CDMA	Quad-band GSM
Data	Both HSPA and EVDO	HSDPA
Use as tethered modem?	It has the ability technically, at least; not sure if Verizon will permit	Violates AT&T’s terms of service; tethering plan is rumored
Data plan	TBD	$30 a month for unlimited data; $5 a month extra for 200 text messages
Wi-Fi and GPS	Nope on Wi-Fi; yep on GPS	Got ‘em both
Battery	5.5 hours talk time; 360 hours standby; removable	5 hours talk time; 300 hours standby; not removable
Web browser	BlackBerry Browser	WebKit-based Safari
Web searching	Presumably in some form, but I don’t know the details	Yes, via Google or Yahoo
E-Mail	IMAP, POP, BlackBerry Enterprise Server	MobileMe, GMail, Yahoo Mail, AOL; other services supported through IMAP
Calendar	Yes, with to-do list	Yes, but no to-do list
Microsoft Exchange support	Yes–hey, it even supports Notes and GroupWise	Yes
Instant messaging	AIM, Windows Live, Yahoo, ICQ	Only through third-party apps
Office Apps	Documents to Go Office-compatible suite, with editing	Microsoft Office-compatible viewers, but no editing
Maps	Yes (BlackBerry Maps)	Yes
Turn-by-turn navigation	Not standard that I know of; apparently available through third-party apps	No, but may be coming from third party developer(s)
Music	Supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WMA ProPlus formats	iPod player and iTunes Store; supports MP3, AAC (with or without Fairplay), WAV, Apple Lossless, AIFF, VBR formats
Video	Yes; supports H.264, MPEG4, and WMV formats	iPod player, YouTube; movies through iTunes Store; supports H.264 and MPEG4 formats
Photos	Yes	Yes
Wireless synching	Yes, through BlackBerry Internet Server and BlackBerry Enterprise Server	Yes, through MobileMe
Desktop synching	Yes, through BlackBerry Media Sync	Yes, through iTunes
Application store	RIM is supposedly readying an application store; apps available from third-party stores	Yes, the iTunes App Store

Blackberry Storm

Telus has their Blackberry Storm teaser page up.  It’s identified as an ‘exclusive’ and thus implies that we will not be seeing the Storm on Rogers or Bell at launch.  Quite the sweep by Telus given the expected corporate and consumer interest in the device.  However we expect that the use of the term ‘exclusive’ may apply to the EVDO/HSPA model versus the pure HSPA model (‘exclusive’ on Rogers).

Here’s the page: http://promo.telusmobility.com/storm/

Here’s the Vodafone page with more graphics and a specification sheet: http://blackberry.vodafone.co.uk/storm/

An official Vodafone Blackberry Storm / Thunder video.  Slick presentation of the functionality.  Looks good though we’d like to see the UI in a bit more detail.  Soon enough…

We just returned from a couple of trips across Canada and were reminded again of how much we like the Alligato cellular long distance service.  During travel to Toronto, Montreal, Regina, Calgary, and Edmonton, we had to use our cell phone extensively to call long distance back to Vancouver as well as to the other travel cities.  With Alligato, we were able to make these calls easily and confidently, knowing that we were not getting ripped off by the cellular carriers’ LD rates or having to bother with picking up calling cards (not to mention having to watch out for calling card scams).

We had signed up to Alligato on their pay as you go plan back in the summer.  We liked the fact that it was easy to use and there were no setup or any monthly fees.  Their rates are similar to home phone long distance rates – much much lower than cellular carrier long distance rates.  After a month, we switched over to their Unlimited North America calling plan.  It covers unlimited long distance to Canada and the USA for $9.95/month.  It’s an amazing price – we used to pay that much for just one call using Bell’s cellular LD.  We’ve been using it quite a bit since then.  The quality is great and the price is right.  Our bill has been $11.15 per month after GST and PST and we call as much long distance as we want.

This trip just reinforced the value for us.  We probably did over a hundred minutes of long distance per day from our cell phone.  All without worrying about how much it was costing us.  We’d highly recommend that you look at the service if you do any long distance calling from your cell phone.

The first video of the upcoming Blackberry Thunder (Storm on Verizon)!

Captured by Brew Ninja – infamous for early access to upcoming phones.

Verizon Blackberry Storm Box from Engadget

The Blogsphere is brimming with speculation on the upcoming Blackberry Thunder. 

A quick recent rumour mill summary:

• It will be called the Blackberry Storm 9530 on Verizon
• It will be called the Blackberry Thunder on Rogers and Vodafone
• It will be exclusive to Rogers in Canada
• Telus will also carry it in Canada. (Yes, conflicting rumours)
• It is ready for prime time and expected out on Verizon in October
• The user interface and OS is still buggy and it will be delayed into November
• It will include Wi-Fi
• It will not include Wi-Fi
• The touch keyboard: haptic feedback, full Qwerty in landscape, and Suretype in portrait
• 8 GB microSD included.  Raising hopes of strong multimedia capabilities

Of the rumours to date on the Storm/Thunder, a few things stand out for us. 

1. World phone.  CDMA/EVDO and UMTS/HSPA in one piece of hardware spells bulk.  Good for CDMA players and their business customers but a handicap when compared to pure UMTS/HSPA devices.

2. No Wi-Fi.  If this is true, then it will be a significant liability relative to other new smartphones such as the iPhone.  The majority of the average user’s time is spent in home and work environments that can support much faster speeds via Wi-Fi.  Wi-Fi for speed and EVDO/HSPA for coverage appears to be a reasonable approach taken by other smartphone vendors.

3. Battery life.  Heavy users, especially business users, need their device to work all the time.  Time is money etc.  It will take more battery than a traditional Blackberry to power the big screen.  More battery implies more bulk.

4. Keyboard, keyboard, keyboard.  Blackberry’s are highly regarded, rightfully so, for having fantastic keyboards.  They keyboard will make or break this Blackberry.  No doubt, great Exchange integration, rock solid reliability, and enterprise grade security have all contributed to the RIM’s success and should be expected on the Storm / Thunder but without a novel writing worthy keyboard, this Blackberry only will fall into line with the other ‘average’ business smartphones.

We are longtime Blackberry fans and are hopeful and excited about the launch of this device.  If the keyboard is close to as good as a traditional Blackberry hard keyboard, then we will forgive the bulk.  Though maybe not the lack of Wi-Fi.

UPDATE:  The Blackberry Thunder on Video

For those eager for an iPhone or Bold, Rogers has rolled out an update on it’s data plans that deserves some attention.  The plans are reasonably globally competitive and compared to the original Rogers data plans pre-consumer backlash, they are wins for Canadian consumers. 

Even more importantly, Rogers has taken smart steps to derisk the data purchase.  Rogers will now not charge for the first three months on a data plan to help consumers see reporting on their usage levels and then select the optimum plan.  As well, they have placed a $100 cap on excess usage.  Providing a limit on risk or unknown exposure to charges that has left consumers burned and wary in the past.  Both very smart moves addressing two major data plan barriers to entry for consumer.

We are still fans of the $30 6GB plan.  Sign up now.  It will disappear at the end of September and we will not see anything similar until late 2009/early 2010 when the new entrants begin to enter the market.

Price	Original 2008	Pre-Iphone	Market Response	Restructured
$15	2MB	2MB	N/A	2MB
$25	4MB	4MB	N/A	500MB
$30	N/A	300MB	6GB	1GB
$50	N/A	500MB	N/A	2GB
$60	30 MB	1GB	N/A	3GB
$80	500MB	3GB	N/A	8GB
$100	1GB	6GB	N/A	N/A

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