Top Five Cell phones that Rocked the Market in 2008

It was a pretty exciting year for the mobile phone industry in 2008. Beginning in early part of 2008 when Apple’s 2nd Gen iPhone, the iPhone 3G was released, almost every major manufacturers called up their technicians and asked them to come up with the iPhone killer. Their battle cry was – come up with the equal if not better alternative to the iPhone which is sweeping the mobile phone market. And so aside from the iPhone we’ve witnessed how the industry went gaga in anticipation of mobile phones such as the Blackberry Bold, Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, Samsung Omnia, and of course the much awaited Google-powered HTC-manufactured mobile phone – the G1. As our special feature to usher in the new year for the mobile phone market, here’s a recap of these top five cell phones that rocked the mobile phone market in 2008.

iPhone

Apple’s second generation iPhone took the mobile market not only in the U.S. about worldwide by storm. Many got envious when it was released in the U.S. of everyone else in the world. Although nothing much in terms of features have changed since the first generation iPhone, still the 3G connectivity and the slimmer design made the iPhone a much sought after device. Having a 3G feature has encouraged more third party application developers to develop more useful applications, most specifically those which are location-based. Users no longer have to rely on getting wireless connectivity to get fast internet access through their iPhone. They can get connected anywhere, anytime through AT&T’s 3G services. What really made the iPhone 3G as successful as it is during 2008 was the plethora of applications that have been made available in the Apps Store, whether free or otherwise paid. If anyone would award something to the iPhone 3G, it’s got to be the mobile phone of the year.

G1 Phone

Just when everybody who bought the iPhone 3G was enjoying their newly bought toy, here comes Google making available their Android Mobile Platform, followed by an announcement of the first ever Google Android-powered mobile phone – the G1. The G1 was every Google fans dream mobile device. Carrying with it Google’s various online products, the G1 is what many were touting as an iPhone killer. Feature-wise, the G1 got what it takes to beat the iPhone. Backed by the Internet’s major player, as well as a reliable mobile phone manufacturer, HTC – the G1 rocked the mobile phone market when it was released in September. It may not be as strong as the iPhone’s media hype and buzz, but still the G1 managed to gain some mileage in the mobile market. Like the iPhone, the G1 has a stable of third-party applications which extends its usage to a mere smartphone. But even without the third-party applications, Google’s various mobile web products were more than enough to make the G1 and robust, productively useful mobile device.

Blackberry Bold

Blackberry is Blackberry. No matter what type of mobile device it comes up with, it is already assured of a captured market – the corporate/business smartphone niche. But of course, RIM will not just take the popularity of the iPhone and the G1 sitting down. And so, it joined the excitement in the industry and came out with its touchscreen Blackberry handset – the Blackberry Bold. Complemented by a sleek and classic black design, the Blackberry Bold gets some mileage when it was released in the U.S. And up to now, many other countries are still waiting for the arrival of the Blackberry Bold in their respective locality.

Samsung Omnia

Samsung’s entry into the touchscreen mobile phone niche was its Omnia touchscreen phone powered by Windows Mobile Platform. Aside from being a smartphone, the Samsung Omnia features a whooping 5MP camera and a plethora of productivity features. Mobile phone enthusiasts also anticipated the release of the Omnia since it was hot on the heels of the iPhone and the G1. But the Omnia was just another touchscreen mobile device for some and didn’t quite make it bigger than the other touchscreen phones. But it did get some good mobile market mileage for a time. I personally was able to get a brief hands-on of the Omnia when it was released. But having the iPhone inside my pocket, I couldn’t help but compare it the fluidity of the iPhone OS and when I left the shop where I tested the Omnia, I felt glad that I have my iPhone 3G with me.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

Sony Ericsson’s first Windows Mobile-powered device was also much anticipated for the simple reason that for a time Sony Ericsson has been the leader when it comes to smartphones. Interestingly, the Xperia X1 was not really an SE phone but rather a co-branded device with HTC. The Xperia X1 has got what it takes to be a successful mobile device, but unfortunately U.S. carriers are still pre-occupied with the G1 that they forgot take the Xperia X1 before it’s released. Hence, SE was forced to release the Xperia X1, unlock and with no carrier tie-up. But most importantly, SE released the Xperia X1 at such a high SRP - $899. In Europe though, the Xperia X1 managed to gain some mileage since T-Mobile and other manufacturers took it and offered the phone in their various network plans. The Xperia X1 is yet to be picked up by any U.S. mobile carrier. Hopefully, U.S. carriers will start offering it on their various network plans. This would definitely encourage more users to buy the mobile device.

There you have it, the five mobile phones which rocked the industry in 2008. Who knows what’s in store for 2009? This early, Sony Ericsson is already prepping up the Xperia X2 and so is the Google phone. As for the iPhone, rumors have been starting to leak out of the iPhone Pro. The coming year will definitely be another exciting year for the mobile market. And we will cover as much of that here in CPN.

iKids Play, an iApplication for iKids

The world is definitely not the same as it was a couple of decades before. As an obvious consequence, kids are not the same, as they grow up in a different environment, a more unnatural one. Technology is almost everywhere, and children are those who are most exposed, even if parents try their best in order to protect them from becoming the slaves of a virtual universe.

Nevertheless, when a kid see his mom and dad having fun while using all sorts of iPhone applications, it’s impossible for them to ignore these influences. This is why manufacturers from all around the world focus much of their attention on the young part of their target public.

Therefore, it’s important for them to have a wide variety of iPhone applications, for example, to choose from. iKids Play announced a brand new application that is the digital personification of the “mommy survival bag”, which is stuffed with storybooks, coloring books, crayons and pencils.

The iKids Play is based on “print versions of children’s picture books” and it’s compatible with the iPhone and the iPod Touch, being the result of a strong collaboration between parents, their children and teachers, being an alternative to gaming, but one considered to be positive. There are five different creative play activities included in one application, such as discovering hidden images by rubbing the screen, a digital coloring book, a storytime video, the possibility to read and record aloud and a digital finger paint pad.

The iKids Play will soothe your little one when you need him to be quiet. “iKids Play activities draw on the unique features of the iPhone to use tactile and fine motor skills, spatial coordination, color recognition, listening skills and practice reading books aloud”, said the Mark Smith, the person who founded and created the iKids Play. “But, most important, it lets kids express their creativity while giving parents, grandparents, babysitters or anyone waiting in line or traveling with kids convenience and portability. Your iPhone. Their fun!”.

The print versions of these picture books can be purchased online or from bookstores, while the iKids Play will be available every month at the Apple Apps Store (once a month) for only $2.99.

Free navigation license for Nokia Maps

Nokia Maps is a Nokia-branded product and service developed by the Finnish company for its mobile phones and smartphone multimedia devices. I’m sure this is far from being a news for you, as Nokia took very well care of the image of Nokia Maps on market, making everyone aware of its presence.

There are a couple of Nokia phones that come with a license for free navigation on Nokia Maps, which is available for a couple of months (three, in most cases), but there are also those cell phones that are not provided with the license in the first place.

If you find yourself in the situation of an expired license or you didn’t have it at all, it doesn’t really matter, as you now have the chance to enjoy a quite impressive present for the New Year coming from Nokia. The gift consists of an entire week of free navigation with Nokia Maps.

The best thing about this is the fact that you’re not supposed to take any kind of trouble in order to have access to the free navigation license. The only thing you should do is to give Nokia your mobile number where they will send you everything you need to get the party started: a message that includes the code that is aimed at activating the one week license and a reminder that is meant to let you know when the seven days are up. It couldn’t be simpler than that, right? There is nothing for you to lose from this experience and I could bet all my money on this one!

Anyway, if you’re interested in having your own free license navigation, then make sure you have the latest version of Nokia Maps and that the mobile phone that you own has GPS capabilities. If, on the other hand, you feel like you need more information, visit the official website of Nokia Europe. So, go and judge for yourself!