 The iPhone 4S is the top favorite smartphone stocking stuffer this holidays in the UK In a recent study, it was found that the iPhone 4S accounted for nearly 1/4th of all smartphones sold in the UK so far during the holiday season. The iPhone has stayed in the top position over all throughout, forcing other smartphone vendors to fight it out for the rest of the UK market.
These statistics were found from the study that was conducted by GFK research firms and was reported initially by the Financial Times on Monday. According to study, the iPhone 4S’ market dominance continued up to the end of the study period on 9th of December.
The first week of December was especially good for the iPhone as its five versions, including the two and a half years old iPhone 3GS, absolutely dominated the market while accounting for about 37% of all smartphone sales. It topped the ranks of the top 15 smartphones sold during that time.
The smartphone market in the UK has grown phenomenally in recent times. It grew to double its size between the time of February 2010 to August 2011. To highlight this fact, British government authorized telecommunications regulatory authority Ofcom released statistics that show 47% percent of the entire mobile market now being occupied by smartphones. That means almost one in every two cell-phone owner owns a smartphone.
With the market growing this rapidly, the benefits were felt by other smartphone makers as well. Samsung’s Glaxy S II proved to be quite the popular model and occupied the number two position in the top 10. Research In Motion’s three versions of the Blackberry Curve also found themselves in the top 10 at various positions during the study period. It seems that whatever trouble Blackberry has been facing in the Europe, Middle East, Asia and African regions — it has not affected their sales in the UK all that much.
However, fortune has not smiled on all smartphone makers. Nokia was very conspicuously absent from the fray. Despite spending a reported 20 million Pound on advertising, they are yet to see any significant Christmas sales. Nokia’s sales have yet to pick up after their momentous decision to switch to Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. Towards the end of the year they released the first two Windows Phone devices — the Lumia 800 and the Lumia 710. The two phones received good reviews and have been appreciated for their design and software.
Despite all of this, Nokia has not been able to make a dent in the market. Windows Phone 7 series over all has not in fact been performing all that well. The market continues to ride on the iOS and Android models with RIM getting away simply because of their prowess in the enterprise sector and their omnipresent BBM service.
In its defense, Nokia has said that it does not have an established user base like the iPhone and Android models. Hence it would have to persevere through slow sales for now.
Apple’s runaway success confirms another report published earlier that claims the iPhone has taken the top spot away from Android for the first time since late 2010. It said that the Apple phone device holds 43% market share as of November 2011.
While it is possible that there will be Black Friday Deals for iPhone, I wouldn’t hold my breath for it. It sells very well as it is. You can however check out lots of other Black Friday Deals that are available on Amazon. All without leaving the comfort of your home.
There’s lot be desired about iPhone 4s, that is for sure:
Siri. The intelligent assistant that helps you get
things done. All you have to do is ask.
Now you can use your voice to use your iPhone. Just talk to Siri as you would to a person: “Do I need an umbrella?” or “Any great burgers around here?” or “Where’s the closest ATM?” Siri not only understands what you say, it knows what you mean.1 It figures out the right apps to use to find the right answer. Then, just like a personal assistant, it answers you. Siri makes phone calls, sends messages, schedules meetings, sets reminders, and more. How much more? Just ask, and Siri tells you that, too.
Set reminders.
Tell Siri what you need to do. Even say when and where you need reminding.
Send a text.
Say who it’s for and what the message should say, and Siri writes and sends your text.
Check the weather.
Siri gives you the forecast for where you are or anywhere you’re curious about.
Find information.
Ask Siri almost anything and it finds the answer using sources like Yelp and WolframAlpha.
Schedule meetings.
Just say who, what, where, and when. Siri puts it on your calendar and sends an invitation.
Send an email.
Ask Siri to write and send email. It can even send an email to more than one person.
Find a contact.
Say a name, and Siri finds the address, phone number, and other details from your contacts.
Set an alarm.
Tell Siri to set an alarm for a particular time. You can ask it to set as many as you need.
Get directions.
Ask something like “Where’s Apple?” and Siri tells you the address and how to get there.
Track your stocks.
Just say the company name, and Siri keeps you up to date with stock details.
Set the timer.
Tell Siri how much time you need, and it alerts you when time’s up.
Ask Siri about Siri.
Ask ”What can you do?” and Siri tells you everything you need to know.
Dual-core A5 chip.
The most powerful iPhone ever.
Two cores in the A5 chip deliver up to two times more power and up to seven times faster graphics.2 And you’ll feel the effects. Fast. iPhone 4S is quick and responsive, which makes all the difference when you’re launching apps, browsing the web, gaming, and doing just about everything. And no matter what you’re doing, you can keep on doing it. Because the A5 chip is so power-efficient, iPhone 4S has outstanding battery life.
iPhone 4S is great for gamers. The A5 chip pushes graphics up to seven times faster. So games run smoother and they’re even more realistic. And graphics-intensive apps perform even better..
The you-can’t-believe-it’s-on-a-phone camera.
This just might be the best camera ever on a phone. And with all-new optics, it just might be the only camera you need. Because behind every shot, you’ve got 8-megapixel resolution and a custom lens with a larger f/2.4 aperture. Not to mention an improved backside illumination sensor, excellent auto white balance, advanced color accuracy, face detection, and reduced motion blur. It all means that no matter how many people, how much light, and how much action you capture, everything looks exactly as it should. And just wait until you see the photos.
Today two black Friday deals from for iPod MP3 players (iPod Touch and iPod Nano) came and went (35% and 15% off respectively). Which is not bad at all for products from company that is keep on premium products at premium prices. For the second year in a row, the most coveted product to get deals for is Apple iPad (now iPad2). It’s the tablet that created the tablet market and currently dominates it.
Technology so advanced, you’ll forget it’s even there.
When you pick up iPad, it becomes an extension of you. That’s the idea behind its innovative design. It’s just 0.34 inch thin and weighs as little as 1.33 pounds, so it feels completely comfortable in your hands.2 And it makes surfing the web, checking email, watching movies, and reading books so natural, you’ll wonder why you ever did it any other way.
Dual-core A5 chip. It’s fast, times two.
Two powerful cores in one A5 chip mean iPad can do twice the work at once. Multitasking is smooth, apps load quickly, and anything you touch responds instantly. And with up to nine times the graphics performance of the first-generation iPad, everything on iPad 2 is even more fluid and realistic, from gameplay to scrolling through your photo library.
Instant On. Touch and go.
Pick up your iPad, press the Home button, and it wakes from sleep instantly. That’s because iPad features fast, efficient, and reliable flash storage that lets you access data quickly. So everything effortlessly springs to life.
Battery life keeps on going. So you can, too.
Even with such a thin, light design, iPad has an incredible 10-hour battery life.1 That’s enough juice for one flight across the ocean, or one movie-watching all-nighter, or a week’s commute across town. Because iPad hardware and software are made for each other, the power-efficient A5 chip works with the iOS software to keep battery life from fading away.
This Thanksgiving night two of the Apple iPod media players will be on sale on Amazon.com website. It’s yet unclear how large discounts will be, but usually they are substantial. We’ll keep checking Amazon Black Friday deals page on a regular basis and will advise you to do the same. There are plenty of great deals there.
Both players going on sale a 8GB models.
Click here for Black Friday Kindle Fire and Other Deals!
 iPod Touch 8GB The world’s most popular portable gaming device is even more fun. Now available in black and white, iPod touch includes iOS 5 with over 200 new features, like iMessage, Notification Center, and Twitter integration. Send free, unlimited text messages over Wi-Fi with iMessage. Record HD video and make FaceTime calls. Visit the App Store to choose from over 500,000 apps. iPod touch also features iCloud, which stores your music, photos, apps, and moreÑand wirelessly pushes them to all your devices.
On the front of iPod touch is a built-in camera perfect for making FaceTime video calls.
FaceTime. Oh, I see what you’re saying.
Video calling on iPod touch means your friends can see what you’re up to, when you’re up to it. With a tap, you can call someone on an iPhone, iPad 2, iPod touch, or Mac over Wi-Fi. And come face-to-face with even more fun.
Tap for a more instant, instant message.
Take “LOL” to the next level and actually see friends laughing. Or bring “XOXO” to life when you blow someone a kiss from miles away. FaceTime on iPod touch makes it possible. FaceTime works right out of the box–just enter your Apple ID and email address. Or create a new email account just for FaceTime. Using FaceTime is as easy as it gets. Say you want to start a video call with your best friend over Wi-Fi. Just tap the FaceTime app and find her entry to start the call. An invitation pops up on her screen asking if she wants to join you. When she accepts, FaceTime begins. It’s all perfectly seamless. And it works in both portrait and landscape. See how much fun you can have.
Two cameras make either side its fun side.
iPod touch has two built-in cameras, one on the front above the display and one on the back. The front camera has been tuned for FaceTime. It has just the right field of view and focal length to focus on your face at arm’s length. So it always presents you in the best possible light. Which is especially handy when you’re talking to someone who’s more than just a friend.
 Redesigned for music and Multi-Touch, iPod nano is smaller and lighter than ever. You can clip it to your sleeve, jacket, or running shorts and keep your favorite songs at your fingertips–along with the Genius feature, a built-in FM radio, pedometer, and more. And the anodized aluminum finish in six bright colors makes this new design even more brilliant.
Upgradeable to nano 1.2 Software
This sixth-generation iPod nano is now upgradeable to Apple’s new nano 1.2 software. Simply connect to iTunes and upgrade, and you’ll be able to access the newer features. These include the ability to navigate with large icons displayed one at a time, a choice of 18 different clock face designs, and the ability to track your steps, distance, pace, and time while exercising, without the need for a separate shoe sensor or receiver.
Redesigned for music and Multi-Touch, iPod nano is smaller and lighter than ever. Click to enlarge.
Music. Feel the beat.
Your greatest hits. And taps. And swipes.
The best things in life have a soundtrack, and that’s where iPod nano shines. The Multi-Touch display lets you experience your music in a new way. Tap to play anything you want to hear. Swipe the Home screen to browse your music by songs, albums, artists, playlists, genres, or composers. You can even rearrange the icons on your Home screen so your music is organized just how you like.
Clip on some tunes.
With the new built-in clip, you can walk, run, ride, or dance with your favorite songs on your sleeve (or pocket, jacket, or bag). The album art of the song you’re listening to fits perfectly on the display.
Play all day. And all night.
The built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery gives you up to 24 hours of nonstop music. So when you clip on an 8GB or 16GB iPod nano, you’ll have plenty of tunes to make it through your commute, your workout, and beyond.
Shake it up.
Now for something completely random. Give iPod nano a shake and it shuffles to a different song in your music library. Shake to Shuffle is perfect for when you’re not in any particular music mood. You never know what you’re going to hear, and you’ll always be pleasantly surprised.
Genius. The music mixmaster.
 Apple finally released their highly anticipated tablet device on the 27th of January and it is called the iPad. There are two main models — WiFi only and WiFi+3G — and three sub-models based on storage — 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Storage is flash and the processor is made by Apple. It is called the Apple A4 chip and clocks at 1GHz. It is not shipping right now and the first models will ship in 60 days from the release day and a higher model will ship in 90 days. The battery life was advertised as being 10 hours and on ‘one month’ on stand by.
It has Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, Accelerometer, Compass and AGPS (only on the higher models). The UI basic iPhone OS and has all the features that you get on the iPhone on a large screen. The screen is a 9.7″ IPS LCD display with full capacitive multitouch support. The IPS display ensures that you have great viewing angles when handling this device. The price for the base model is $499 and the highest model is $829. Apple has struck a deal with AT&T whereby people can sign up for 250MB usage for $14.99 monthly or unlimited data usage for $30 monthly. No one is quite sure whether this ‘unlimited’ is actually a fixed amount like 5GB or 10GB.
But if it is truly unlimited, then there’s not doubt that AT&T will be put under a lot of pressure to deliver. Apple is positioning this device between an iPhone and a MacBook. It has a dedicated eBook reader app called iBook and there is a dedicated eBook store coming up soon called the iBookStore. Apple also introduced a new version of its iWorks suite that has been redesigned to work on a touchscreen surface.
Due to its positioning and size, the iPad is thought to be direct competition for both netbooks and e-readers. Especially with the keyboard dock that Apple showed off during the event. Only time will tell how the market reacts but a lot of consumers are already saying that they are not entirely sure that this will replace their netbooks.
Although in time we’ll post a proper hands-on review of the new apple tablet device here, right now there is an Apple iPad vs. Amazon Kindle comparison over at blogkindle.com that you can read.
Apple has long been hailed as a frontrunner in the computing business. They have brought many things to the market that are now considered de facto. Things like different font styles to sophisticated handheld devices (Newton). Even the modern GUI-based OS is something that Apple was the first to introduce. GUI-based operating systems were replicated and they proceeded to take over the world. Look around you and you will not need any further proof.
Even in the hardware business, Apple has continuously been on the cutting edge. They have ensured that the aesthetics and the performance are both industry leading. Their iMacs and PowerBooks have enjoyed cult following. Then why is such an important company ignoring a market as potent as the netbook market?
The answer may lie in their product development strategy and Steve’s love for the element of surprise.
There are actually many subtle signs that Apple may indeed be developing the next generation ultra-portables that will redefine the netbook segment just like the iPhone redefined smartphones. There is the iPhone OS, which is arguably the most sophisticated mobile OS in existence. Of course, Palm’s WebOS and Google’s Android are catching up fast.
Snow Leopard has a scaling capability that allows it to have the same size on any resolution, making things that much more detailed. This also means that it will scale well to smaller screens.
The Apple tablet device rumors are flying thick and fast now. If Apple has been consistent in one thing, it is in not bringing out half-baked products. Thus, it can be logically concluded that Apple actually is working to take advantage of the market. They just need more time before they ready to change the way we use ultra-portables.
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