Samsung May Be Apple's First Real Mobile Competitor: Analysts - Mobile and Wireless - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

Samsung May Be Apple's First Real Mobile Competitor: Analysts - Mobile and Wireless - News & Reviews - eWeek.com


This week, smartphone giants Nokia, Motorola Mobility and Samsung posted fourth-quarter earnings that, each in its own way, reflected the looming presence—and successes—of Apple....

Loss of iPhone exclusivity will cause 'rocky' time for AT&T, CEO says - Computerworld

Loss of iPhone exclusivity will cause 'rocky' time for AT&T, CEO says - Computerworld

AT&T's loss of its exclusive hold on Apple's iPhone will make early 2011 "rocky, volatile and hard to predict" for the carrier, CEO Randall Stephenson said in a conference call with analysts on Thursday...

Nokia sees profits fall, new competition in emerging markets

Nokia sees profits fall, new competition in emerging markets

Nokia's fourth quarter of 2010 was dark, with operating profit down 26 percent and China ZTE starting to muscle in on its business in emerging markets.

Finland’s Nokia might still be the biggest mobile phone maker on the planet, but the company has been dealt repeated body blows in the smartphone market first by the Apple iPhone and more recently by the Android ecosystem...

Android Tablet, Smartphone Boost Samsung in Q4 - PCWorld Business Center

Android Tablet, Smartphone Boost Samsung in Q4 - PCWorld Business Center

Samsung Electronics reported a fresh all-time sales high in the fourth quarter, boosted by two products with Google's Android mobile OS on board...

New Sidekick Images Surface

T-Mobile 4G Sidekick images surface

T-Mobile has said they are re-introducing the Sidekick. Now there are some images surfacing of the new mobile device. The Sidekick was popular when it was first introduced a while back. But with all the new smartphones coming out, will it regain it's popularity?

2011: The Year Of The Tablet And Smartphone

It's being said the 2011 will be the year of the smartphone. It also should be a year that brings a real boom to the tablet market. The technological advancements this year should be head spinning. And most tech nerds will be creaming their jeans all year.

So what will be the top smartphones and tablets coming out this year? What improvements will be made? What cool new ideas will be sprung?

Well here's a list of the top 5 tablets and smartphones that will hit the market at some point this year. And from the looks of it, there may be a surprise or two in store.

The Mobile Phone Market Is Exploding

Around 15 years ago, seeing someone with a cell phone was all that common. People had them, but there were quite a few that didn't. Nowadays, it's rare to see someone without cell phone.

Last quarter, the mobile phone market worldwide surged 17.9%, according to a report issued Friday from the analysis firm IDC. That's the biggest quarterly increase reported by the firm, ever!

IDC has linked the growth to an increase in affordable smartphones across the globe.

"The mobile phone market has the wind behind its sails," said Kevin Restivo, who is IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker senior research analyst. "Mobile phone users are eager to swap out older devices for ones that handle data as well as voice, which is driving growth and replacement cycles."

IDC also reports that cell phone shipments should increase 43.7% over last year. This si always good news for the consumer because it signals an increase in competition, which means a decrease in price as companies will try to compete for customers.