Perfecting Mobile Apps

iPad is available for testing on The MobileCloud

2011-01-16T14:53:00.001+02:00

The iPad is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on The MobileCloud - Testing.

The iPad is the first tablet by Apple, runs the same OS as the iPod touch and iPhone, controlled by Multitouch display and features a Wi-Fi and 3G wireless data connection. The iPad's display is a 9.7 in (25 cm) liquid crystal display (1024 × 768 pixels) with fingerprint-resistant and scratch-resistant glass.

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Perfecto Mobile Enables Testing on the Nexus S

2010-12-21T11:53:00.000+02:00

The Samsung Nexus S is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud.

Nexus S is the next generation of Nexus devices, co-developed by Google and Samsung, based on the latest Android platform (Gingerbread, version 2.3). Nexus S Has 1 GHz Hummingbird processor and 16GB of memory, and other features such as: true multi-tasking, Wi-Fi hotspot, Internet Calling, NFC support, and full web browsing.

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Testing Challenges for the Mobile QA Team

2010-11-21T10:48:00.000+02:00

Over the past few years, the mobile world seems to have gone app wild. The credit, of course goes to Apple with its groundbreaking iPhone and its successful App Store, dominating the market with over 10 million downloads every day. However, over the past year or so, the mobile market is becoming increasingly competitive and complex. Operating systems like Android are gaining popularity enabling 3rd party handset manufacturers such as HTC and Motorola to create Android based devices and compete for market share. And that is before even mentioning tablets...

These extreme dynamics characterizing the mobile market create significant challenges for any company going mobile. The huge diversity of devices, operating systems, OS versions, carriers etc. makes it virtually impossible to sustain reasonable quality standards for their mobile applications and websites across platforms. As Mobile web usage statistics continue to sky rocket and more people start favoring their smartphones for surfing the web, inter-platform compatibility is becoming imperative and carries serious business Implications.

What is mobile application testing really about? How do we verify that an application is ready for launch? The complexity starts with the multitude of handsets having different screen sizes, hardware configurations and image rending capabilities. In addition, the proliferation of operating platforms (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows etc.) and the hundreds of carriers worldwide working on diverse local network standards (GSM, CDMA etc.) is putting further strain on development teams. For instance, the performance of a GPS application may be influenced by bandwidth limitations and loss of data. Similarly, an SMS feature that works in Canada will not necessarily work in France or Asia.

So… testing is becoming more complicated, sustaining quality is becoming impossible and your mobile QA is becoming increasingly expensive…

Common Mobile Testing Practices

The traditional form of testing is manual using a physical device. It is widely accepted that this strategy has serious time to market implications since it is both time-consuming and error prone, often leading to late bug discovery and significant delays in the release of applications.

For small budget testing this is especially problematic since it is very difficult for a test manager to provide an accurate estimation of time, cost and resources for the project. Moreover, creating a testing lab with physical devices can be very expensive, especially when new devices are regularly launched and there is a need to test applications in a multitude of live networks worldwide which means testers have to physical be present in the geography they are testing . Moreover, developers also need to consider data charges (SMS, phone call charges), depending on the nature of the app.

The use of emulators and simulators can provide yet another kind of testing platform. This form of testing is useful but there are some major drawbacks and serious time-to-market implications. Emulators and simulators are merely approximations of devices that can give a false sense that applications support all test requirements like performance, security and fault-tolerance in different geographies and networks. The software version they emulate is not always up-to-date and does not follow regularly the real life firmware versions. In addition they do not offer advanced testing capabilities like automation that can significantly speed up the testing process and save valuable resources.

Remote Device Access (i.e. The Handset Cloud) - Enabling Enterprises to Respond to Mobile Market Dynamics

Today, we are in the midst of a new mobile testing era. Leading enterprises and web companies are shifting away from tedious and time consuming manual testing and emulator based testing methodologies to the use of a handset cloud, an environment to remotely test, troubleshoot and monitor applications on real devices over the Internet, in real time across the major mobile networks in the world. The main benefits are seen in significantly lower testing and development costs as well as a very flexible and agile application development environment that enables companies to securely and quickly respond to business needs and the extremely dynamic mobile market.

With cloud-based platforms, like the Perfecto Mobile Handset Cloud, QA teams no longer have to maintain a large bank of mobile devices for testing their widgets, applications and mobile content. Real devices are connected to the web and can be used to make phone calls, send text messages, down load applications and more. The test team simply chooses what device they want from a list of hundreds of devices physically located around the world and remotely run functional test exercises like regression testing, functional testing, data driven testing, security testing monitoring and more.

Solutions of this kind are designed to meet the needs of globally distributed organizations enabling easy collaboration between distributed teams. For instance, the people writing the test script can reside in England, those running the application tests can be located in the US and the person in charge of debugging the application in Asia. There is no need to transfer devices from one region to another and no threat of devices getting lost in the process.

Delivering Efficiency via Automation

Automation testing tools are without a doubt “the holy grail” of contemporary software testing; allowing testers to automate tedious repetitive test scenarios and generate reports. Add that to the ability to access and operate real mobile devices via the web and you get yourself a powerful mobile testing machine. Scripting specific usage and test scenarios for data driven regression and functional testing, scheduling them, running them in loops, running them across multiple devices, all of these allow a given QA team to accomplish much more with much less resources. Tasks that previously took manual testers days to complete can be replaced by unattended execution of comprehensive automated test scripts on multiple devices.

Using a cloud-based remote device access platform with strong automation capabilities, such as the Perfecto Mobile Handset Cloud, enables organizations to address the ongoing problems of testing costs and complexities in the impossibly dynamic mobile market.

http://perfectomobile.com/portal/cms/Services/Pricing.html

Perfecto Mobile Enables Testing on the HTC Wildfire

2010-10-30T12:56:00.000+02:00

The HTC Wildfire is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Most smartphones on the market are high end ones, and only in the past year have we seen an influx of cheaper and simpler devices, almost all of them powered by Android. One of these budget smartphones is the HTC Wildfire, which is packing an long list of specs.

This list includes a 5-megapixel auto focus camera with an LED flash, GPS, a digital compass, proximity sensors, and more. The OS is Android 2.1, and on top of it you get the forever useful HTC Sense UI.

“HTC Sense continues to be the company’s differentiator from other Android devices”, writes Slash Gear ‘s Chris Davies”, “and the Wildfire shares the usual straightforward start-up process and general ease of use”.

One of the most appealing aspects of the HTC Sense is the Friend Stream, which we’ve already seen work its magic in the HTC Desire and EVO 4G.

The Friend Stream can automatically pull in all recent Facebook and Twitter updates from your contacts, a system “that works far better than rival social networking apps on other Android devices we’ve tried”, according to Mr. Davies. He also stated this is one of the things that make the Wildfire “a bargain basement smartphone”.

Endgadget’s Richard Lai, on the other hand, was less than thrilled with the phone’s performances. “This handset is seriously lacking in multimedia features, and then we have the screen problem plus the occasional lag”.

The biggest drawback is the slow pace that pictures and videos are loaded, even 640 x 480 MP4 clips, which made Mr. Lai wonder “who on Earth would buy this when there are featurephones that can do much better”. Ouch.

Although the Tech Radar reviewer was also “annoyed” by the video performances, he had a much rosier overall outlook, calling the Wildfire “a likable handset with a lot going for it”. He liked the “mature style”, the app sharing and the easy setup process.

His final verdict was: the Wildfire “is one of the best mid-range Android phones around”.

Specs
- Screen size: 3.2" Capacitive touchscreen
- Operating System: Android v2.1, HTC Sense UI
- CPU Processing Speed: 528 MHz
- Camera: 5 megapixels auto focus camera, LED flash

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources:
- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.
- Special Droid Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $180 per month.

Perfecto Mobile Enables Testing on the Samsung Epic

2010-10-28T10:02:00.001+02:00

The Samsung Epic is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

The new Epic is part of the Galaxy S series, which means it sports some of the best this series has to offer. It also has some unique advantages of its own which are appealing to certain users, mainly power users.

First off, the Epic is equipped with the same 4” super AMOLED screen that had everyone raving about when the Galaxy S series came out (Nicole Lee of CNET even went so far as to call it “mesmerizing”).

The screen has same beautiful and smooth look, and the same marvelous touch technology we've grown to appreciate from the Galaxy S.

And the extremely powerful Galaxy S Hummingbird 1GHZ processor works its magic with the Epic as well.

Ms. Lee listed the 5 megapixels front and back cameras and the LED flash as some of the phone’s strong suites (and the $250 price tag - gulp - as its major weakness), but these were there in the other Galaxy S phones (Captivate for AT&T and Vibrant for T-Mobile).

So where are the most significant changes?

On the top of the list is the fact that the Epic supports the Sprint 4G WiMax network, which is really really good news. Data transmission speeds are blazing-fast, just like the first Sprint 4G phone, the HTC EVO. You can also use it as a mobile 4G hotspot for up to five other devices.

Another important aspect that separates the Epic from other Galaxy S phones is its sideways sliding QWERTY keyboard.

Andrew Munchbach of Boy Genios Report confessed that after a while the keyboard “grew on him”, especially thanks to the dedicated number keys and the arrow keys, "which make editing text far easier and allows you to keep your hands on the keypad and navigate the phone’s UI”.

Chris Ziegler of Endgadget, on the other hand, downgraded the keyboard to “usable”, but did conclude that the device is “a killer”. Both reviewers added that the device is on par with the HTC EVO, which is saying a lot.

No changes on the OS front - the Android 2.1 with the TouchWiz 3.0 is still there, but Samsung has already announced it is planning to update all its Galaxy S to the 2.2 Froyo. This means better performance, greater browsing speed, Flash 10.1 support and smarter app management. So besides being a great phone right here and now, there is also more to look forward to.

Specs
- Screen size: 4" super AMOLED touchscreen
- Operating System: Android v2.1, TouchWiz 3.0 UI
- Camera: 5 megapixels back and rear cameras, LED flash

Perfecto Mobile Enables Testing on the iPhone 4

2010-10-26T13:31:00.000+02:00

Apple’s iPhone 4 is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Ever heard of Apple? In case you weren’t on earth the past few months, you’ll be happy to learn Apple has released a new iPhone – the iPhone 4. Yes, we know, why didn’t Steve Jobs bother to advertise that fact?

Well, now you can test your mobile application on the iPhone 4 through Perfecto Mobile, so it's a good a time as any to quickly go over some of the basic iPhone 4 characteristics.

It’s no surprise that everybody loves the phone. We're not taking healthy human-smartphone affection and appreciation, it's more like wanting-to-elope-with-it-and-go-live-in-some-island-for-the-rest-of-time kind of love.

It all starts with the design, which was drastically changed from the previous iPhone. Gone are the curves and the plasticy feel – its now a hard glassy square device, slimmer and more luxurious.

“We can't overstate how high-end the design of the iPhone 4 is”, exclaimed Joshua Topolsky from Endgadget.” The 3GS now feels cheap and chubby by comparison, and even a phone like the HTC Droid Incredible… seems last-generation.” All in all it's just “tighter and denser. It feels great in your hand”.

Speaking of what happens when your hand meets the phone. Well, those two are not always the best fit when it comes to talking with the iPhone 4. As you’ve no doubt already heard, if you hold the phone in a certain way it can kill your reception or drop calls. Apple’s response to the customers’ outcry was to tell them to hold the phone in a different way. Elegant as always.

But other than that, everything seems to be perfect. The new Retina Display “is eye-wateringly impressive, setting a new bar in smartphone screens performance”, according to Vincent Nguyen of Slashgear. The display has more pixels, and it looks great even in direct sunlight, and from all angles. A true sight to behold.

Another pleasant change is multitasking. Apple has been anti multitasking for some time, citing battery concerns, but it came up with a way to overcome that in the iOS 4. There are a slew of apps that can now be left frozen in the exact state you left them, and you can go back to them by double clicking the home button. It’s not true multitasking as you can get with some of the Android phones, but it’s something.

For those who were considering slicing their wrists due to the iPhone 3GS’s tendency to requiring a recharge every five minutes or so, you’ll be happy to hear that battery life has now been extended.

And before we go, we can’t overlook the Face Time feature that allows video calling with other iPhone 4 users, and the ability to not only film HD movies (720p) but also edit them from your phone, in a very Applesque intuitive new interface.

So, in case you're keeping score at home, according to Tech Radar this puts the iPhone 4 “a country mile” ahead of the iPhone 3GS, which is saying a whole hell of a lot.

Specs
- Screen size: 3.5"
- Operating System: iOS 4
- Camera: 5 megapixels back and rear cameras, 720p HD movies.

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources:
- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.
- Special Apple Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $180 per month.

Perfecto Mobile Enables Testing on The Samsung Galaxy S

2010-10-24T12:37:00.000+02:00

The new Android based Samsung Galaxy S is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Samsung didn’t hold any punches when it came to marketing and hyping its Galaxy S, which is supposed to try and unseat the HTC Desire as the favorite high end Android smartphone.

Well, looking at the Galaxy S’s specs you can right away tell there are some very cool things in there. But the one thing that stands out is the 4” super AMOLED screen. GSM Arena gushed about it and said in its review that it is “magnificent” and "beautiful" both indoors and outdoors, and that the content on the screen looks “as if printed on paper”.

The touchscreen is also super sensitive. In a good way. This is thanks to some new Samsung technology. Bottom line, according to GSM Arena, the AMOLED screen (dubbed super AMOLED) is “as close to perfection as we have seen on a mobile phone… you just can’t help but admire it”.

John Chan of CNET Asia was blown away by the “blazingly fast” Samsung Hummingbird 1GHz processor. He was also impressed by the “intuitive main menu interface”, thanks to the TouchWiz 3.0 UI on top of the Android 2.1 OS. Too bad it doesn't come with the 2.2 Froyo, but according to Samsung there’s an update coming sometime in the future.

GSM Arena also had a positive review for TouchWiz-Android combo, but Phone Arena was unpleasantly surprised that the seven home screens were not set up as a carousel. This little quirk means you have to go through every one of the homescreens if you’re on the main one and you want to go to the seventh one.

The Phone Arena reviewer also found the email and texting tools “a mixed bag”, with good email apps but missing some much needed viewing options.

Other than that, most reviewers were not taken aback by the Galaxy S design, except for the its unusually slim waistline of 9.9mm, thanks to new sensor technology. So it does fit comfortably in your pocket and weighs only 118g.

All in all, the overall reception was very positive, with GSM Arena claiming the Galaxy S will take you on “the ride of a lifetime”, mostly thanks to the aforementioned screen, which is “the key feature that will probably sell this phone to loads of users”.

Specs
- Screen size: 4" WVGA touchscreen
- Operating System: Android v2.1
- Camera: 5 megapixels back and rear cameras, no flash

Perfecto Mobile Enables Testing on Lenovo’s LePhone

2010-10-20T11:16:00.001+02:00

The new Android based Lenovo Lephone is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

The China-based Multinational Corporation Lenovo has decided to get into the smartphone game with the intriguing LePhone.

For now it’s only available in the Chinese market, where the Lenovo CEO projects no less than 90 million smartphones will be held be the Chinese by 2014. So Lenovo figured if that’s the case, why not tap into that market.

The LePhone comes with the Android 2.1 OS, a nice and big 3.7 inch AMOLED touchscreen with WVGA resolution, 8G storage, 500 12M RAM, a 3 megapixel front and rear camera and video with a night shooting mode, Wi-Fi access, GPS and an MP3 player. Basically, the works.

The LePhone has quite a few Android apps preloaded, such as Facebook, barcode scanner, Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Google Maps and more. For more apps you can just visit the Android Market.

The apps are arranged like those in an iPhone, which is to say they look pretty good. Reviewers found the touchscreen responsive and the phone fast.

Mobile Whack calls it “a beauty” and even sees it as a potential iPhone competitor or the smartphone the Nexus One once aspired to become.

One interesting innovation that comes with the Lenovo is the external keypad. You just put the phone on the keypad like an iPod docking station and type on. Another cool addition is the extra battery that comes with its own dock, which gives you a lot of hours of use.

TechNoTalks.com thought the phone “looks really good”, and liked the big circular controller in the center of the screen. The other keys were arranged in a circular kind of shape around it.

Specs
- Screen size: 3.7" WVGA touchscreen
- Operating System: Android v2.1
- Camera: 3 megapixels back and rear cameras

BlackBerry 6 OS Released to the World

2010-10-14T12:56:00.002+02:00

RIM has been making it clear the past few months that it is taking the smartphone battle head on. This past month alone we’ve seen the new RIM tablet, BlackBerry Playbook, some new improvements for developers (including a new ad service) and now the icing on the Canadian cake – the now released BlackBerry 6 OS, available with BlackBerry Torch.

This is the first time RIM has actually branded its OS, which, coupled with the hype machines, has created the illusion that this is an all new BlackBerry OS. Well, it’s not. Which is good news and bad news.

If you love BlackBerry and its enterprise-oriented capabilities and efficiency, you’re going to love this OS. If you are bored by the regular BlackBerry design and thin third party app catalog, you’re still going to not like it.

Bottom line, RIM made major renovations and everything is either a little bit better or a lot better, but they didn’t tear down the walls and built a new house.

If the beauty of BlackBerry is in the eyes of the beholder, there is one big change that is in the fingertips of the beholder - the touch-screen capabilities. It’s smooth, it runs well with everything, and everybody loves it.

Another improvement impossible not to love is the search functions.

You can just start typing while on the homescreen and you get to a universal search that searches the web, available apps and the content of the device (like your PIN number, calendar entries, messages and everything else). Kevin Michaluk from CrackBerry liked it so much he called it “perhaps the most valuable homescreen improvement made to BlackBerry 6 “.

What else? There’s also a Web Video Search, that is essentially a browser for multiple online video sites (YouTube, ifilm, Dailymotion , MSN, MobiTV, etc) and extremely useful and easy to use IM and social network apps (Social Feeds) that you’re bound to love.

The focus on making BlackBerry more user friendly also created a feature that allows you to see all your recent and upcoming appointments and notifications with one tap on the clock that’s on the homescreen, which we thought is pretty cool.

Another leap forward is the desktop-style browser, with JavaScript performance and coming soon Flash support. This browser has tabs and pinch, and some more nifty little options that make the overall experience is “a major step forward”, according to Sascha Segan of PC Mag. Oh, and all incoming data is compressed, so you can get more data on your phone and pay less to your carrier.

Mr. Michaluk sealed his review saying that the “evolutionary” changes in the OS make it so “that the sum of the experience is more than its parts”. And the bottom line? “BlackBerry 6 is far and away the best BlackBerry OS to date. Period”.

- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.

- Special BlackBerry Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $180 per month.

Adobe AIR Now in Android Market

2010-10-12T11:44:00.000+02:00

Adobe lived up to its word and released last week its AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) platform for smartphones in the form of an Android application.

Back in February the California-based company said it will release a platform intended to allow users to run rich Internet applications locally. It basically works in the same way a typical software application works on your desktop.

Here is what Adobe had to say:

The Adobe® AIR® 2 runtime enables developers to use HTML, JavaScript, Adobe Flash® software, and ActionScript® to build web applications that run as standalone client applications without the constraints of a browser. [It provides] consistent and flexible development environment for the delivery of applications across devices and platforms. Support for additional platforms, including Android, is under development.

Most developers and consumers were a little confused at first as to what exactly can be done with the AIR, so AppBrain rounded up the most popular applications currently requiring AIR to run. It's worth taking a look.

AIR is said to offer a better development environment and can help developers create consistent and immersive applications. If you’re an Adobe lover you’ll definitely love AIR and its impact on applications from a visual and speed standpoint.

If you ask Adobe, eventually all Android devices will come pre-installed with AIR. But until that day comes a it supports only the Android 2.2, and can be run in devices that have 256MB of RAM and an ARMv7-A processor.

Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.

- Special Droid Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $180 per month.

Nokia’s Ovi Store Becoming Big In Africa

2010-10-11T11:36:00.000+02:00

The global information age is getting more global by the day. Last week Nokia reported its smartphone-related business in Africa is booming, and it seems this trend is not about to reverse course anytime soon.

The Ovi Store usage by African consumers and developers has risen sharply the past few months. Ovi Store consumers downloads grew by 50 percent recently, which created a small chain reaction.

Lo and behold! African Developer registrations with Forum Nokia grew by more than 60 percent, when local app developers hurried to make more Nokia apps in an attempt to make a buck. This resulted in more quality apps in the Ovi Store, and more consumers logged in to buy them, and so on.

This sudden growth is attributed to the introduction back in June of operator billing for the Ovi Store in Africa, a continent where credit and debit cards are not that common, to say the least.

How significant was that change of payment policy? Well, the country that has seen the biggest spike in usage is South Africa, where Ovi Store purchases jumped up by 438 percent since June! Overall, active African users of the Ovi Store have grown by more than 20 percent.

South Africa is not alone, as growth has been widespread throughout the region. Nokia’s 2010 Global Calling All Innovators contest saw two African contestants (from South Africa and Egypt) climb to the top two spots in the Life Improvement category. An app created by a Kenyan company was chosen as the app most likely to help the developing markets.

The local trends differ from one part of the continent to another. In South Africa developers develop apps in multiple languages. This is in an effort to increase potential audience in a continent where two neighboring towns can speak in three totally different local dialects.

On the other hand, the fact that Arabic is spoken in the three corners of the world spurn Northern African developers to focus on creating Arabic-centered apps.

Finally, East Africa has apparently become a center of entrepreneurial growth, with consumers pioneering the use of mobile payment systems which together have an estimated 12 million subscribers connected.

On the whole the most popular mobile activities in Africa are instant messaging, mobile payment and health-related apps.

"There are more apps in the Ovi Store every day and more people downloading them. Simply put, that means more money for developers”, said Purnima Kochikar, head of Nokia's developer activities around the world.”And it is not just about the quantity of apps, but the quality we are seeing from African developers that is incredibly encouraging."

- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.

- Special Nokia Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $180 per month.

Nexus One Is the Official Android Developer Phone

2010-10-08T19:05:00.001+02:00

HTC has seen its star rising in the past year or so, mainly thanks to its strong relationship with Google which led to the launching of a few great Android phones.

This relationship has seen another high not when Google announced that the Taiwan-based phone manufacturer’s Nexus One smartphone will be the official Android Developer Phone, replacing another HTC device – the G1.

The Nexus One has been Google’s flagship smartphone since its release in January this year, when it was being hyped as the best Android phone available. It came with the Android 2.1 OS and was the first phone to be updated to the 2.2 Froyo.

The marriage between Google and the Nexus One has been an interesting one, to say the least.

It all started with a lot of hype as Google sold it unlocked in its Webstore. The reviews were positive, but many wondered if Google was ready to put its relationships with phone carriers on the line by bypassing them and selling phones directly to consumers. Well, back in May the store was closed and Google announced that it will no longer sell the device (though it still offers support for existing customers).

On August 5th Google posted that the last remaining batch of Nexus One phones it has will be sold to Android Developers:

“We've always offered unlocked phones for direct sale to registered Android Developers. As of today, the Developer Phone is the Nexus One, at a price of $529. To see the details or order a phone, you need to sign in to your Android developer account and click on the ‘Development Phones’ link”.

The Nexus One has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB RAM, a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen, and a 5-megapixel camera and 720x480 video capture. It’s also equipped with 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.0.

“From the beginning, in fact, the Nexus One was a developer-focused phone”, writes Eric Brown from Linux For Devices, “and it never really caught on with the typical consumer”.

Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.

- Special Droid Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $180 per

Nokia Is Calling All Developers To $10 Million Contest

2010-10-05T13:20:00.008+02:00

Nokia is putting the pedal to the metal in its attempts to keep up with Apple and Android in the smartphone world. A week after its Nokia World Convention in London and less than a month after the Ovi Store reform, the Finnish phone manufacturer is showing app developers some more love.

There’s no tiptoeing around it - this kind of love equals money. Loads of it.

Nokia and AT&T announced last week the North America Calling All Innovators contest, an unprecedented app developers contest. Participants that send their new apps to the Ovi Store are vying for the prizes that total – take a seat before you read this - $10 million.

Developers have until January 28 to send in their apps, which can be in one of 17 categories. The public (via app downloads) and an AT&T and Nokia judges panel will choose the winners in each category. The category winners will bag $150K, and of these, two will be grand prize winners – one for a game app and another for a general app. Those two will take home an additional $100K for their troubles.

And to sugarcoat it all there’s also $6 million more for the winning developers, intended for marketing and promotions throughout North America.

So, how can you win it all? One of the keys to winning this contest is for developers to be able to maximize all the new Symbian OS and the Nokia N8 hardware have to offer, as well as the APIs available.

Another important point is that even though developers from around the world can participate, all apps have to be designed specifically for North American users. There are more details in the contest's new mini site.

This bold marketing move is another indication that Nokia is not going to yield its position as the worldwide mobile leader without a fight.

The Finnish giant is counting on this contest to produce some killer apps, which have been missing from its Ovi Store. A shrewd part of the deal is that all apps developed for the contest will only be available there and not on any of the other OSs.

And maybe this initiative will help Nokia to get its foot in the US market’s door, as it currently holds only 3 percent of the US mobile market share.

Maybe some new, exciting and exclusive apps will be the first step towards a real change. And if along the way it's going to make some developers a few hundred thousand dollars richer - then what the heck.

- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.

- Special Nokia Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $180 per month.

Positive Changes For BlackBerry Developers Introduced In Conference RIM

2010-10-04T16:25:00.004+02:00

At the BlackBerry Developer Conference that was held last week in San Francisco, Canadian-based Research In Motion (RIM) wanted to show the mobile world that it still has a lot to offer. Well, mission accomplished.



Developers, media-types, analysts and all kinds of industry watchers flocked to the event. The most important announcement was the unveiling of the BlackBerry tablet, called BlackBerry Playbook.

The Playbook was said to be supposed to compete against the iPad and Android tablets, but it is being marketed as the first enterprise tablet, with its business features and business related abilities getting most of the spotlight.

The Playbook sports a 7-inch screen, it's compatible with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, has dual cameras and advanced security features. What else? 1 GHz Dual Core Symmetrical Multiprocessing, complete with 1GB RAM. Let's wait and see how big is the market for enterprise tablets and how the tablet market will react.


On to other news. RIM heard a lot of whispers that its SDK isn’t as user friendly as Apple’s and Google’s, so it launched the new Blackberry WebWorks Application Platform.

It’s a new Enterprise Application Development Platform that will allow developers to create rich BlackBerry mobile applications using only HTML-5, JavaScript and CSS. All the relevant code and documentation will be available online for developers.

The reception for the WebWorks was extremely positive. According to Cio.com, “developing applications for BlackBerry smartphones is about to get easier”. BlackBerry Cool called it “great news”.

Speaking of cool, another addition aiming to please enterprise app developers is the BlackBerry Enterprise Application Middleware (BEAM). BEAM includes tools that will simplify app development and distribution, and can also integrate with enterprise-app development platform such as SAP/Sybase's mobility platform, IBM's WebSphere, Oracle Fusion and others.



BlackBerry apps developers also got good news from the new App World v2.1. The App World front page will now be country-specific, and RIM expects this change to promote more relevant and appropriate apps to BlackBerry users worldwide.

According to App World Senior Product Manager Alex Kinsella, who spoke with Net Work World, developers will also have in a short while the option of targeting specific devices models via the new 2.1 App World.

There was buzz regarding some more burning issues that developers care about. In our last post we discussed the new RIM mobile ad service, and there’s also a new payment service that offers new content within the apps. BlackBerry is positive it will keep the customer’s attention and benefit everyone involved.

- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.

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RIM Offers Mobile Ad Service for Developers

2010-10-03T13:32:00.000+02:00

The ongoing battle to win apps developers’ hearts has given birth another new service. Last week BlackBerry manufacturer RIM announced at the BlackBerry Developer’s Conference the launch of a new and improved mobile ad service.



This service will work on an RIM platform that will allow RIM developers to integrate ads into their apps. RIM will work as a mediator with the different at networks.

The benefits are clear – the developers get to keep 60 percent of the ad money, and the integration of ads into the very core of the apps is easy and effective. The ads need only three lines of code and can be complex ads or as simple as you want them to be.

The ads can also be connected to the core BlackBerry applications, allowing to initiate a call from an ad, to add a calendar entry or to add a contact entry straight from an ad, or even create a direct link from an ad to an application in BlackBerry App World.

All in all, this new platform offers not only advertising, but also payment, location and content push services. The developers will have real time access to advanced reporting about the number of clicks, earnings, etc. It works in many ways like iAds, just without the iron tight grip and control that Apple exerts in all its endeavors.



The ad networks currently working with the new RIM platform are:

•    Jumptap
•    Lat49
•    Millennial Media
•    Navteq
•    1020 Placecast
•    Quattro Wireless
•    Sympatico.ca

This new platform and service got a lot of praise. In Mobile Marketing Magazine they branded it as a new opportunity for developers “to monetize applications by selling digital content such as premium content, monthly or annual subscriptions”.

News Factor sees it as a move that is supposed to get back the attention from Apple and Android, and hopefully stop the erosion that RIM has seen in its market share.

"Today, most developers are in this because they want to find ways of making money," said Michael Gartenberg, a partner at the research-based advisory firm Altimeter Group, to News Factor. “And these ad networks provide them that, particularly in a market where the aggregate cost of a mobile application is trending rapidly toward 99 cents”.

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Chinese Firm Turns iPod Touch Into an iPhone

2010-10-02T10:00:00.000+02:00

Since the iPhone is basically just an iPod touch with a phone app, some iPod Touch customers don’t feel like shedding the extra money just to add the ability to call or text people. Well, a Chinese-based firm called Yosion is feeling these customers’ pain and might just have a solution for them.

This firm has now released a device that attaches itself to the iPod and turns it into an iPhone. Like magic. And it costs around $60. That add-on product is called "Apple Peel 520".

It has a SIM card slot and it extends the device’s battery functions. A lot of Chinese consumers find this new device very attractive, as the iPhone’s price in the country is extremely expensive even for most middle-class folks.

In order to be able to use it, the first thing you need to do is set your iPod free and jailbreak it. Then you can download and install the phone (Yosion) and text (YsSMS) apps.

Here are some basic specs: the Peel is powered by an Infineon baseband chip, the Peel has a vibrating motor, and a dock connector.
Most of the stuff works the same, like making calls, sending texts, adding contacts, and so on, but some things are different.

Some of the differences might be that the caller ID or phone number might not appear, there’s a slight delay sometimes, you cannot delete messages one by one or that the ringtone you can use is the default ringtone.

Actually, there are a few more setback: there’s no hands-free calls, you cannot hang up incoming call (only the caller can), the screen shows “calling” even when you picked up the phone and started talking and some more glitches of similar kind.

Still, it’s way better than the methods used in yesteryear when jailbroken iPods were turned into iPhones by being hacked and made to use a VoIP freeware app.

And if one doesn’t want to spend the extra money and can accept the fact that it’s not as smooth as an iPhone – then it might be perfect. Let’s just wait for it to get to the US market and see what is the consumer feedback.

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Android Market Paid Apps Expanding To More Countries

2010-09-29T10:30:00.000+02:00

One of the reasons the Android Market is lagging behind the App Store in number developers, number of apps and money spent by consumers is that Google offers paid app support in few countries - 14 in all. Well, things are about to change. Radically. For the better.



Google sent an email to its Android developers stating Android users in more countries will now be able to buy their paid apps. Ecstatic developers leaked the news to the mobile blogosphere, and bloggers rushed to find out which countries made the list.

TechCrunch got the information, and it goes: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Singapore and South Africa. Argentine and Sweden could also be part of the deal.

If you’re not tired of good news, we can tell you that The Android Market will now be available in India and Hungary, two countries that didn’t have access to it until today. “It's about time”, wrote Google Watch.”The dearth of paid app coverage in Google's Android Market had become a serious detriment to the viability of the company's application store, paving the way for more app piracy”.

So, in case you’re keeping count there at home, that is an addition of 12 to 14 more countries with paid apps to the list of original countries. And an addition of two more countries to the Android Market.



Let’s do some more math – India is expected to overtake China as the world leader in mobile phone subscribers by 2013, with more than a billion users. Brazil, which will now have paid apps, is the sixth most populous country in the world and 185 million of its 193 million population have mobile phones.

So we're talking about fast growing mobile markets that are going to generate a lot of smartphone money sometime soon. All of this adds up to a move that adds a hell of a lot more people to the Market paid and free apps.

“These are the types of move that seem small but could have huge ramifications with developers”, forecasted IntoMobile. “Many Android users across the globe find it incredibly frustrating that they can buy apps in their country but can’t even sell their own products. Hopefully, this will help ease those concerns”.



Apple’s big lead in the paid apps department was part of the reason more that 43,000 developers were registered with its App Store and only 10,000 were registered with the Android Market, as we’ve covered in a post earlier this month.

Another plausible impact is the balancing out of the free-to-paid-apps ratio in the Market. Only 29% of iPhone apps are free, 26% of the iPad apps, 26% of the BlackBerry apps and 28% of the Nokia apps. According to ReadItWeb, at the start of September a whopping 60% of all Android apps were free. Expect that to change as well.

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The Enterprise, Where No App Has Gone Before

2010-09-25T12:24:00.001+02:00

Although the iPhone and iPad are still mostly devices that cater to the private individual consumer, Apple is making great strides to turn these two to corporate-friendly devices that will be widely used for business.



The BlackBerry has dominated the business world for quite some time now, but not all is lost for Apple. Matt Hamblen from Macworld reported back in April that developers are quickly adapting enterprise applications for the iPad,”even as some analysts and IT managers say they don’t find the iPad to be enterprise-ready”.

One such example is Blackbaud, which makes CRM software used by thousands of nonprofit organizations. Blackbaud now offers a free app that gives groups “mobile access to precise data on donations and donors”, writes Mr. Hamblen from Macworld.

Steve Hilton at Analysys Mason is also skeptical, and went so far as to label the iPad "not enterprise material” in an interview to Tom's Guide. On the other hand, Ted Schadler, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc., told Computer World he disagreed, and said he though the iPad is “an attractive business tool”.

We decided to be glass-half-full guys and look at the Apple enterprise apps as a trend that will continue to grow and improve.

So, organizations and companies that want to develop apps for in-house use by Apple devices, or third parties that want to develop enterprise apps, can subscribe to Apple's Phone Development Enterprise Program, which costs $299 per year.



All enterprise apps must be digitally signed with an Apple certificate through the Phone Development Enterprise Program.

In order to allow devices to use you enterprise app the developers have to develop a provisioning profile that unless valid won’t allow the app to open. Unlike regular apps these are not automatically updated, and you have to notify your users of the available update and walk them through it.

The first step on your way to develop an enterprise app for Apple is to register at the Enterprise Program, then access to the iOS Dev Center and Provisioning Portal. There you’ll find detailed instructions on how to have your enterprise app ready for distribution.

Enterprise apps must be signed with your distribution certificate, and must have a provisioning profile that authorizes devices to use the app. The designated Team Agent for your program membership creates the distribution certificate and provisioning profiles at the online Provisioning Portal.



Then, in your Keychain Access application that’s on your Mac OS X development system, you’ll find the Certificate Assistant. The Certificate Assistant will generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR), which you upload to the Provisioning Profile Portal and in response receive a distribution certificate.

Next, create an enterprise distribution provisioning profile so that users can use your app on their device.

These are the three methods for installing apps:

•    Have your IT administrator install it on devices using the iPhone Configuration Utility

•    Use iTunes to distribute the app to your users

•    Use a secure web server to post your app, and then users can access it and perform the installation wirelessly.

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OTA Froyo update for HTC Desire T-Mobile UK customers. So what's in Froyo?

2010-09-23T17:32:00.003+02:00

Earlier this week T-Mobile UK announced in its support forum it will send all its HTC Desire customers the new Android 2.2 Froyo over-the-air (OTA). HTC Desire users have to backup all their information, and wait for T-Mobile to send the update. This is typically a slow process and the updates are rolled out for a few weeks.

The message in the forum read:

"Hi all,

We have some exciting news for all our Desire users.
The 2.2 firmware update (FroYo) will be available from today and will be sent over the air (OTA) direct to your phone over the coming weeks.

Be sure to save all your personal data before you start downloading".

Once HTC users receive the download file they can go forward with the update. This method ensures that all of the device’s T-Mobile users will get their OS upgraded to the best Android OS currently available.

A lot of users and developers were very excited by this news, and maybe you're asking yourself what’s so special about the Froyo (short for frozen yogurt).

A lot of minor but significant changes have made. Our favorites are:

•    The OS memory, speed and overall performance have been enhanced, up to 5X faster than the Android 2.1, and according to Google, it has the fastest mobile browser around.

•    Amidst Apple’s ongoing scuffles with Adobe, here comes the Froyo with its browser fully supportive of Flash content (Flash 10.1). The two giants are drawing lines in the sand.

•    Speaking of Apple Vs Android, unlike the iPhone, the Froyo allows you to update apps OTA without tethering your phone. You can also install OTA music you bought, without the need to sync your phone. Not bad, right?


•    A shortcut to the Android Market is now available, with some featured apps. The Market itself now lets you update all your apps with one tap, install apps on your SD card and a few other helpful little improvements that make the overall customer experience smoother.

•    The Google search widget can now be dedicated to either searching the web, searching for apps or for contacts – or all of them.

•    You can tether your phone to your computer and use it as a portable hotspot. What is it good for? Maybe you have a cheap package with your cellular provider, maybe you want to surf the web more securely, or you want to save your laptop’s battery power.

•    Video capture has been updated to 720p.

•    There’s a home widget, a phone and browser buttons that you can tap no matter which home screen your on.

• There’s voice recognition for Google Translate and for search.

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Nokia is Again the Talk of the Town After Nokia World 2010

2010-09-22T18:48:00.000+02:00

The Nokia World 2010, held in London between September 14th-15th, could not have come at a better time for the Finnish telecom giant. In the past weeks we’ve heard (and read, on this blog) how the Android is gaining ground, fast, and that Nokia's place as the worldwide leader could be in jeopardy by 2014. Amidst all these the company announced a reform in the Ovi Store.

So for two days the entire mobile phone industry has focused all its attention to Nokia. How did that pan out?

Most people felt the event was a success, with all 3000 seats sold-out. The most exciting news were the announcements of three new smartphones: the Nokia E7, C7 and C6-01, all loaded with the Symbian^3 and featuring an AMOLED touch screen. Of these three devices, the E7 has garnered the most praise, with Symbian World crowing it “the next ultimate business smartphone”

Nokia’s aim is to have these devices dominate the company’s mid range offerings and finally offer some real competition to the Android mid range phones. Nokia must have gotten the memo about the mid range devices being the chosen market for Android and decided to fight back.

Apps were also in the news in the Nokia World 2010, as the company provided international developers new tools with which they could develop apps.

Speaking of apps, Ovi maps for mobile has been beta released, which got some buzz by the tech junkies. Boy Genius Report was impressed with the live info about traffic, maps of public transportation and much more – in 78 different countries around the world.

ReadWriteWeb focused on the fact that the app enables “real-time social sharing privately between friends or, with just a tap, to your social networking services of choice”, and that, at the same time, its taking the security very seriously.

One person who was not shy about being a party pooper was Mickey from Nokia DNA, who dubbed the event “a damn let down”, not only due to the fact that nobody mentioned the MeeGo and N9.

He found the marketing and speeches “cardboard” and was appalled by the missed opportunities to get back in the public eye. Mainly by failing to generate enthusiasm by the new Clear Black Display (CBD) in the Nokia E7 4” screen, and hiding great new apps, such as the “amazing” Indian Language Predictive text app.

The main thing was that Nokia got people talking about it again. Let’s see where it takes them when the new devices hit the ground in Q4.

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Cheap Smartphones, Android Will Overtake Market, Studies Say

2010-09-16T19:41:00.001+02:00

The cellular world in general and that of smartphones in particular, is an ever moving and changing world, a reality that has been highlighted in recent studies of worldwide trends.

Last year the research firm Gartner predicted that by 2013 the Android OS will overtake Apple's iOS as the most popular smartphone OS, but in its annual global smartphone forecast it revisited that assessment. 2013? Check that. Try 2011.

Gartner now says that by the end of the year Google’s mobile OS will have a 17.7 percent marketshare around the world, compared to Apple's OS's 15.4 percent and RIM's 17.5 percent.

According to Gartner, Nokia’s Symbian’s status as mobile operating system alpha dog will be challenged by the end of 2014, while the research firm IDC predicts that Nokia will still hold a slim lead by then.

The good news for Google didn’t come out of the blue. A month ago Nielsen published data that saw Android edging the iOS in Q2 sales (27% vs 23%). A few days later Google announced it is selling 200,000 Android phones every single day, double what it did at the beginning of the year.

The fact that the open-source OS is working with Samsung, Motorola HTC, Sony Ericson and LG gives Google a powerful growth engine that, analysts say, could only be derailed by Oracle's federal lawsuit (over Java use) or in case amicable business relations with the different phone manufacturers will be tested.

A study by the market research firm comScore earlier this year stated that sales of cheap smartphones are rapidly rising and will soon hold the lion share of smartphone market share.

Gartner’s Roberta Cozza echoed these sentiments. "It's a matter of Android really going more into the hands of the mainstream user," Mr. Cozza told Mercury News. "The iPhone will remain focused toward the higher end of the market, while through the end of this year and into 2011, all that growth you see in Android will come from the fact that most of the vendors who are backing it will release cheaper smartphones."

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Apple Eases Restrictions on App Development, But Only a Little

2010-09-15T14:55:00.001+02:00

Last week Apple announced some changes in its strict app development policy. In case you weren’t paying attention, here is the jist of the Apple announcement:

• Apple would end the ban on intermediary development tools for the iOS
• Apple still bans the download of any code by App Store software

This means that developers are now allowed to code in languages, like Adobe Flash, and port those apps through a new Apple application into the iOS platform. Adobe subsequently announced it is resuming its once-abandoned development of the Flash for iPhone.

Apple said in its press release that it "listened to our developers", "taken much of their feedback to heart" when making these decisions.
But AppleInsider correctly pointed out that it might not be coincidence that these changes arrive only a few weeks after it was revealed that the US Federal State Commission has opened a formal investigation on Apple’s prior decision to bad Adobe Flash altogether from its apps.

Others thought the decision was pure business, not legal, in a time when Google Android was closing in fast on the iOS. "Clearly this is a response to competitive pressure," said Ray Valdes, an analyst with Gartner, in an interview for Computer World. "It's not in Apple's corporate DNA to be open or flexible. Usually, their behavior leans toward price control and opaqueness."

Although the most recurring theme was surprise over the rather sudden Apple change of heart, most developers were indeed happy with the announcement. One iPhone development expert saw a less rosy picture in the long run.

“As time goes by and they find their applications don’t quite run well, it may lose some of its luster," Lee S. Barney, a professor of information technology at Brigham Young University-Idaho and creator of the QuickConnect JavaScript framework, told SDTimes. "Code generators and cross-compilers have always been troublesome in the industry. It can take quite some time to work out the size, speed and reliability issues. Sometimes it isn’t even possible."

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Prefecto Mobile Enables Testing on the new Samsung Captivate

2010-09-13T13:45:00.000+02:00

The new Android based Samsung is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

The Samsung Captivate is harvesting almost universal praise. It’s running Android 2.1 (hopefully soon updated to 2.2), so similar to its Android brethren, it has three panels on each side of the home screen – seven in total.

Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 user interface is running on top of the Android OS and adds a lot to it. The reviewer for Mobile Heart thought that even though “it's a little less polished than HTC's Sense, there are a host of features that even Sense doesn't offer, such as the ability to customize the main application menu”.

Indeed, some of the Captivate’s panels are blank, so you can add whatever you want to them to really customize the device to your own liking.

Kristofer Brozio of Test Freaks starts off by announcing: “I love it, I truly do”. Among other things, Mr. Brozio loved the design, as “it’s thin and lightweight… it feels nice in your hand, and it just slides into your pocket.”

The 4” screen also garnered unabashed praise from Mr. Brozio, who called it “gorgeous” and “wonderful”. Phone Arena’s reviewer didn’t hold himself back, either. “We found [the screen] to be truly awe-inspiring as everything just pops with the utmost best contrast ratios that create pure black level”, he or she wrote. “Every color under the rainbow is saturated and full-bodied as the display is quite manageable in displaying various gradients and tones to make them distinctive”.

The reviewer’s only quarrel with the Samsung Captivate was that the pixels resolution (480x800) was too low, and made smaller text look “somewhat jagged at times”.

The aforementioned reviewer for MobileHeart wasn’t happy with the call quality, but provided us with the bottom line - that the device “is the best Android smartphone on AT&T today… offers much more power [than HTC Aria], a larger display, better battery life, and 16GB of on board storage”.

Specs
- Screen size: 4" WVGA touchscreen
- Operating System: Android v2.1
- Camera: 5 megapixels auto-focus
- Device family: Samsung smartphone

Spec Links
Manufacturer specs www.samsungmobile.com.
GSMArena: www.gsmarena.com.
Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
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Nokia Ovi Store Reform is Another Sign of Storm Coming?

2010-09-09T17:08:00.000+03:00

Good news for developers trying to get their apps into the Ovi Store. These pas few weeks Nokia decided to make several moves in order to get more developers into the business of developing apps for its store.

First, Nokia officially launched a new Software Development Kit for Qt applications after it has been in beta for a few months. This Qt can be used to create applications that run across Nokia’s platforms - MeeGo and Symbian.

The second move was to drop the cost of Ovi listing to only €50, and waiving all the signing applications fees, which makes Nokia the second cheapest application store behind the Android Market.

According to Nokia, it includes a third move - the approval time will be two weeks from now on, instead of the usual four.

Most developers seem to feel that lowering the bar will lead to nothing but good things to Nokia, as it did with Apple, but there is an increased risk that the store will see an influx in apps who produce farting noises.

Some believe that the fact that a relatively modest price cut presents such a significant and welcome change for developers is indicative of the kind of developer now bringing products to the market. Developing apps is still part hobby for most and not a lucrative business for any of the parties involved.

Marek Pawlowski, who organises the MEX conference, thinks all of this is pointing to the inevitable conclusion - the app store bubble is waiting to burst.

“The ever increasing complexity and number of these developer programmes is driving billions of dollars of spending each year, across events, staffing costs, administering the app stores and partnership marketing”, says Mr. Pawlowski. “How long can so many individual companies support so many individual app stores and so many individual platforms? The economics simply do not add up”.

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App Store Trends

2010-09-08T18:07:00.004+03:00

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge and a lot of apps have been developed since Apple first introduced its App Store back in 2008. One thing has not changed - it's still the biggest and best app store around.

The App Store has recently passed the 250,000 apps mark, and with a growing pace of about 50,000 apps every 3 months or so it seems that there’s no denying Apple from getting into the half a million territory by the end of 2011.

So this is as good a time as any to dig a little deeper into the ever-changing world of apps and app stores.

The second biggest app store is the Android Market, which contains around 60,000 apps. Google has been stepping up its efforts on a number of fronts to try and catch up to Apple’s store. One move was the purchase of Simplify Media in an attempt to boost its not-so-strong music credentials. A second move was the do-it-yourself Web-based tool for non-developers called App Inventor.

While Apple has more than 43,000 registered official iOS developers, Android has to make due with a paltry 10,000. So Google is now hoping that allowing laymen to use the App Inventor tool to develop new apps will go a long way in shortening the apps-gap, while also reinforcing the Android credo of being the people’s OS.

On the flip side, the App Inventor will probably not help the growing buzz about the lack of security in the gatekeeper-less Android Market. The Market is completely open and Google, as it does with its other tools, relies on crowd-sourced policing to weed out broken or malicious apps. The results are mixed at best: a recent study by security vendor SMobile Systems claims that 20 percent of apps sold in the Android Market let third parties access private or sensitive information. Ouch.

What about other stores? The other top app stores are BlackBerry App World, Nokia Ovi Store, Palm App Catalog and Windows Marketplace for Mobile. When we compared the similarities and differences between all the stores, a lot of interesting info and trends poped up.

First things first – a recent research by the Dutch app store analytics firm Distimo reveals that Android market is the market leader in free apps with a whopping 57 percent of its overall apps. This is most likely due to its open-source OS. It’s doubly interesting when you put into account that only about 30 percent off all existing apps are free.

With regards to cost, BlackBerry’s App World is ahead of the curve in average app price with $8.25 per app. Windows is not far behind with $6.99. The other stores are priced around the same - about $3. The interesting fact is that the price differences are not entirely due to the fact that the stores sell different apps, as there are some apps that are just way more expensive in App World and Windows Marketplace for no apparent reason.

When Nielsen looked into what different apps are most popular in the different stores, its study found that the most popular app in all the OSs is, not surprisingly, Facebook, with Google Maps, Pandora and the Weather Channel not that far behind. Follow the above link to get more info on that.

Another interesting fact, according to Mobclix, the industry's largest mobile ad exchange network, is that games is the most popular app category with 46,000 plus apps to date. In second, third and fourth place you’ll find entertainment (32,000), education (20,000) and lifestyle (17,000).

The fact that Apple's App Store is still the store to beat with regards to interface, variety and price just means that the other stores are always in need to work just a little bit harder so that consumers and developers alike will give them a second look.

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An All-App War

2010-09-07T17:51:00.003+03:00

As every developer knows, Apple's App Store is and has always been the benchmark for the rest of the app store industry. Nobody else can match the ease of purchase, the user friendly integration with the PC, and the distribution mechanism of iTunes.

But the Apple App Store is one of a kind, and it lords over the apps for iPhone, iPad and iPad with an iron rule. No app can get there without going through the official store. The Android app store, the Android Market, by not be as smooth and use friendly, but Google does not prevent competing app stores from selling apps to Android users. In the past year we've seen a growing number of competing independent app stores. The biggest of them is GetJar.

The Lithuanian-based app store (with offices in the UK and Silicon Valley as well) was founded in 2004, and recently announced it has reached 3 million downloads per day, and a total of over 1 billion downloads to date.

The store provides 60,000 apps to users of Android, BlackBerry, Java ME, Symian and Windows Mobile devices in 200 plus countries. Accel Partners, the leading global venture and growth equity firm, is its biggest investor, and has agreed to a second round of investment two months ago for a total for $11 million (along with the smaller investors). This sum is supposed to “bolster its consumer-facing sites as well as its professional solutions geared towards app developers and publishers”, according to Robin Wauters of EuTechCrunch.

GetJar has been so successful and is continuing to grow at such a rapid pace that developers have been starting to see it as a part of the app store "establishment". That is partly what spawned a new breed of “alternative” independent app stores. Some meta-stores only point you to useful apps but then directs you to the Android Market, whereas now there is an effort to build proper alternative and app stores in and of themselves for specific niches or needs.

One of these upstarts is AndSpot, and it is aiming straight at Android Market’s known weaknesses – the difficulty for your app to get noticed on the Market and the fact that it’s not as user friendly as it could be. AndSpot’s interface is “snazzy”, if you ask of Priya Ganapati of Wired, and the store’s CEO promises to get your app out there and increase your chances to get paid. And while Android Market will leave you with 70 percent of the app’s price, right now AndSpot is offering developers 80 percent of the loot.

SlideMe, another independent app store, makes its living by licensing its entire store to gadget manufacturers, and charges app developers only the consumer's credit card fee. In 2009 it landed its first major deal to pre-load its app store on a smartphone - subscribers of Vodafone Egypt will find it on their HTC Magic. The SlideMe app store will also be pre-loaded on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 devices sold in the Middle East.

There are many ways for an app to get to the consumers' phones, and more and more developers are learning that it doesn't have to go through the Big Boys. The users are going where the apps are, and we expect this trend to grow for the foreseeable future.

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Perfecto Mobile enables testing on the new Samsung Acclaim

2010-09-02T13:40:00.000+03:00

The new Android based Samsung is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

As U.S Cellular’s very first Droid Device, the Samsung Acclaim has major appeal for users looking for a mid-range device.

As a mid-range device it's not the handsomest phone around. Though it looks fine on its own, “the Acclaim might seem rather dowdy… when compared to the recent Samsung Galaxy S models”, according to Nicole Lee of CNET.

The Acclaim comes with the Android 2.1, which means you get the option for five home screens instead of three, live wallpaper, Google Maps Navigation, voice-to-text capabilities, Google Talk, Gmail, YouTube and Quick Office.

But “the star of the show when it comes to the Acclaim's design”, if you ask Ms. Lee, “is its 3.2-inch HVGA display. It's not as vibrant as the AMOLED displays we've seen, but for a $100 phone, it looks fantastic.”

The complaints are aimed at the phone’s sliding hard keyboard (it also includes a touchscreen keyboard) and call quality. Ms. Lee felt “felt the keys were a bit too flat” and the calls included too much “static and hiss”. And speakerphones calls were “horrid”.

Aaron Baker of Phonedog was “somewhat frustrated” by the hard keyboard and it’s layout, but claims to have gotten used to it after a few hours.

The Acclaim offers Android 2.1 devoid of Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz interface, and Mr. Baker liked to be able to use the “vanilla Android” once again. Although it did suffer from “unpredictable lag a few times”, all in all, he thought the "Acclaim is an excellent first Android device”.

Specs

- Screen size: 3.2" HVGA touchscreen (with sliding QWERTY keyboard)

- Operating System: Android v2.1

- Camera: 3 megapixels

- Device family: Samsung smartphone

Spec Links

Manufacturer specs www.samsungmobile.com.

GSMArena: www.gsmarena.com.

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources

- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.

- Special Droid Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $180 per month.

Perfecto Mobile enables testing on the new HTC Incredible

2010-09-01T22:25:00.008+03:00

The new Android based HTC Incredible is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Lo and behold! There seems to be a growing consensus that the new HTC Incredible, now available with Verizon, is the number one Android device available in the US. And when you add to that the fact that the device just got a whole lot faster and with more features with the recently available for download Android 2.2 upgrade – you get an awesome and complete package. Read on.

According to Bonnie Cha of CNET, the HTC Incredible “lives up to its name and then some” with the newest preloaded Google features and its “attractive and seamless design”. CNET has even gone so far as to give the device the editor’s choice award.

Ms. Cha found that the HTC Sense makes the Incredible “amazingly fast” without any hiccups “no matter how many apps you have open”. It also gives the phone a unified mail and contact list and a leap screen with seven home screens you can browse through easily.

Although there are no groundbreaking changes from the “spiritual forefathers, the Desire and Legend, Noah Kravitz of Phonedog still couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. He was most impressed with Friendstream, HTC’s social aggregator app “that provides easy access to an overview of your Flickr, Facebook and Twitter feeds displayed via your choice of two widgets”.

Overall, he found the phone “really uber-responsive in all computer-type tasks - apps, Web browsing, messaging/Email, social network updates, and so forth”, be it via thumb flicks or the optical joystick. His only quibble about the screen was that it was at time “over eager”, causing him to scroll way past where he meant to with a thumb or finger flick.

The Incredible’s camera is 8 megapixels, which makes it “obviously one of the highest resolution smartphone shooters on the market”, if you ask Joshua Topolsky of Endgadget. The Android 2.2 upgrade also arms it will 720p video recording.

In spite of suffering from “awful screen visibility in bright daylight”, Mr. Topolsky grades the device as a “complete, polished and moder” smartphone, “with none of the perks or features missing.”

Specs
- Screen size: 3.7 inches
- Operating System: Android v2.2
- Camera: 8 megapixels
- Device family: HTC smartphone

Spec Links
Manufacturer specs www.htc.com.
GSMArena: www.gsmarena.com.

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.
- Special Droid Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $180 per month.

Perfecto Mobile Public Cloud Upgraded

2010-08-31T20:44:00.000+03:00

Perfecto Mobile is extremely excited to announce that a brand new and heavily upgraded version of the Perfecto Mobile Public Cloud was launched on Tuesday August 31^st 2010.

This new version includes several new and improved features:

Improved Reporting - now you can download, export and share your reports
Reboot Ability – hard reboot ability supported for new devices
Automation Comments – you can run partial scripts via commenting out what you don’t need
Improved Screenshots and Videos
Usage Tips for Each Device

During this upgrade the Perfecto Mobile service will be unavailable between:

04:00 - 08:00 GMT 31^st Aug 2010

23:00 - 03:00 EST 31^st Aug 2010

The upgrade work will then be continuing throughout the day so you may find that some phones are not immediately available.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but you will no doubt be happy with the results!

We invite you to share your thoughts and provide us with feedback, so we can continue to improve the service in the continuous efforts to meet your needs.

Perfecto Mobile Support Team

Perfecto Mobile enables testing on the new Dell Streak

2010-08-25T17:37:00.000+03:00

The new Android based Dell Streak is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Although Dell has officially proclaimed it’s new Streak a tablet, since it has a 5-inch multi-touch screen, which is definitely too big for a cellphone, most observers seem to believe it probably should be defined as a big smartphone.

Techradar, for instance, has concluded that with the Streak, the lines have been blurred between the two devices. Especially seeing one can use it to perform voice calling, send text messages or shoot 5MP-sized pictures.

The site’s reviewer is still willing “to go along” with the tablet definition, but was sufficiently impressed with the device’s smartphone-esque capabilities to write that “if there's any device out there that can tick all of the boxes, negating the need to own both tablet and smartphone, it could well be the Dell Streak”.

Flora Graham from CNET UK has a verdict – the Dell Streak is the best Android tablet yet. But she did have numerous complaints regarding the (mis-)use of the size of the device, especially evident when you’re reviewing your contact lists or looking for apps to download.

Hammering on that note, another CNET UK reviewer was apparently upset that instead of making it easier to avoid the frequent smartphone-induced-typos by posting a large keyboard with large buttons, Dell opted to go in another way. They put in “zillions of keys” that will come in handy only if you are in the habit of “texting the occasional math equation to you mates”.

What about it as a phone? Well, Flora from CNET found everything to work well , “if you don’t mind looking like your head is tiny” while you’re holding it to your ear. But it’s not too big to fit in your pocket, front or back, because it’s only 10mm thick.

The most common complaint, though, is the fact that the Streak is packing the old 1.6 Android OS and not the current Android 2.2 Froyo. Chris Davies from SlashGear was frustrated by the fact that the Streak is “two steps slower” using the practically obsolete OS. Dell did promise a free upgrade by the end of the year, so expect that facet of the Streak to get better pretty soon.

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
Date introduced: May 25, 2010

Specs
- Screen size: 5 inches
- Operating System: Android v1.6
- Device family: Dell Tablet

Spec Links
Manufacturer specs www.dell.com.
GSMArena: www.gsmarena.com.

Recently added devices to the Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud

2010-08-12T22:57:00.000+03:00

Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud is constantly updating in order to enable developers to test their mobile applications on the newest and the most popular phones.

This is the list of recently added devices.

BlackBerry 8230
Specs Links
Manufacturer specs
GSM Arena

Samsung i5700
Specs Links
Manufacturer specs
GSM Arena

HTC Evo
Specs Links
Manufacturer specs
GSM Arena

HTC Aria
Specs Links
Manufacturer specs
GSM Arena

Blackberry 9650
Specs Links
Manufacturer specs
GSM Arena

Vodafone Ventures invests in Perfecto Mobile

2010-06-22T18:42:00.000+03:00

Vodafone Ventures, the global venture capital arm of Vodafone Group, has made a strategic minority investment in Perfecto Mobile.

Vodafone Ventures joins existing investors Carmel Ventures and Vertex Venture Capital. The funds will be used to further develop Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud mobile application testing software.

Vodafone pioneered the implementation of a private Vodafone Handset Cloud, powered by the Perfecto Mobile technology. It was offered as a service to developers of Vodafone 360 widgets and others, to validate their widgets and applications on pre-launched and post-launched handsets.

“These are very exciting times for us as we are experiencing high demand for our services from mobile software developers, mobile operators and handset vendors,” says Eran Yaniv, CEO of Perfecto Mobile. “This investment will enable us to scale our Mobile Handset Cloud to more handsets, geographies, and networks."

"The Vodafone developer community is being continuously exposed to our services and as a result, other communities are following," he said. "We are pleased that Vodafone shares our view of the need for professional tools to achieve high quality in the mobile software world and we welcome Vodafone as an investor in Perfecto Mobile.”

Perfecto Mobile enables testing on the new Android based HTC Desire (Bravo)

2010-06-11T13:18:00.004+03:00

The new Android based HTC Desire is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

The HTC Desire has been described as the older brother of the HTC Legend. According to TechRadar the device's seven homescreens that can be customized with widgets icons and apps, create a unique experience for each user. The so called “Leap View” enables users to view all seven screens at once by just pinching the screen.

The reviewer also appreciates the high level of intuition of the touchscreen options for messaging and the fact that the large and expansive screen makes typing very convenient. He added, however, that you can’t save SMS to the microSD card.

Charles Kloet from CNET UK was excited about the “excellent address book that pulls in contacts and photos from Outlook, Facebook, Gmail and Flickr” but was annoyed by the fact that the Outlook email and other email accounts cannot be merged into one single inbox.

Further he believes that “the AMOLED screen's brightness is blindingly impressive” only indoors” but “that the display is almost impossible to see in sunlight.”

Engadget concluded saying that “The Desire is yet another fine piece of work from HTC – build quality is top notch as usual, and there's little to complain about the software except for the Flash performance.”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
Date introduced: May 24, 2010

Specs
- Screen size: 3.7 inches
- Operating System: Android v2.1
- Device family: HTC Smartphones Touch

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: www.htc.com
- GSMArena: www.gsmarena.com

Perfecto Mobile enables developers to test the new LG GW620

2010-05-12T16:25:00.007+03:00

LG GW620, the first Android-based mobile phone of the leading Korean handset manufacture, is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

The TechRadar team was surprised to find out that the phone isn't running on the latest version of the Android system. Moreover, they expressed disappointment over the low level of accuracy of the “Auto Detect” face recognition feature that was supposed to recognize people once users uploaded a snapshot of them to the social networking site.

LG GW620

At the same time they were impressed by the variety of messaging options and the “Moxier suite” which enables users to receive an “instant push e-mail, with minimal fuss.”

Andrew Williams from Know Your Mobile agrees that the 1.5 cupcake OS is “behind-the-times” but added that the option to freely switch to the S-Class-style interface “is a handy dock of icons at the bottom of the home screen” preventing “lumbering adornments.”

He went on to criticize the small 3.0 inch screen, but thought that it is still adequate “as long as you’re not planning on watching movies regularly on your mobile.”

The Pocket-lint team pointed out the convenience of the dedicated music button, that grants the user with quick access to the tunes - MP3, AMR, AAC, AAC+, WAV and WMA – whereas the music widget provides a “shortcut to dive into the track that is playing.”

They criticized the rather slow screen response and the fact that there is a time lag “in opening applications.”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
April 26, 2010

Spec
- Screen size: 3.0 inches
- Operating System: Android OS, v1.5 (Cupcake)
- Device family: LG, Smartphone

Perfecto Mobile related information
Limitations: Press key “less than” is currently not supported.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: www.lgmobile.com
- GSMArena: www.gsmarena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview.
- Special Droid Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $99 per month.

Perfecto Mobile enables mobile developers to test the new Motorola Backflip

2010-05-05T16:17:00.006+03:00

Motorola Bacflip, AT&T’s first Android-based mobile phone, is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Moto Backflip

Vincent Nguyen from SlashGear commented that what distinguishes the BACKFLIP is its design, referring to “the QWERTY keyboard that actually folds all the way around from the back like a desk-stand”

At the same time, he noted, that while the device’s MOTOBLUR solution for social networking is “ambitious”, it is still “far from perfect”. This stems from the fact that the overload of combined content and updates streams of social networks buries important updates.

The Android media player was replaced by AT&T Music and Google Maps by the AT&T Navigator and AT&T Maps. Further the device supports MobiTV and Music ID, together with All Sport GPS and others.

Bonnie Cha from CNET applauded the convenience of the “shortcuts along the bottom row and left side of the keyboard for quick access to the Web, search, messages, as well as to the home and menu screens.”

She was disappointed though by the lack of “vibrancy and sharpness” of the rather small 3.1-inch HVGA (320x480) capacitive touch screen as opposed to other Android devices, which causes “a bit of strain on the eyes when viewing e-mails and Web pages.”

Steve McBrian from Top Tech Reviews mentioned that the five megapixels - LED flash camera is “nothing to write home about but is acceptable.”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
April 15, 2010

Specs
- Screen size: 3.1 inches
- Operating System: Android OS, v1.5 (Cupcake), upgradable
- Device family: Motorola, Smartphone

Perfecto Mobile related information
Limitations: Currently typing “<” and “>” are not supported.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://mediacenter.motorola.com
- GSMArena: www.gsmarena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview
- Special Droid Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $99 per month.

Perfecto Mobile enables testing the Huawei U8230 first Android smartphone

2010-05-03T16:52:00.003+03:00

The U8230 is the first Huawei’s private brand-based Android smartphone helping the company successfully enter the French market. It is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Huawei U8230

According to Shenzhen Post, the U8230 will “bring a more perfect experience of mobile internet to the French consumers” since “a series of Google services including Google Search, Google Map, Google Talk and YouTube are integrated in the device”. The phone also supports the Android Market application store, through which users can obtain a more personalized cell phone terminal experience.

“Huawei’s professional level in the terminal market” is demonstrated by the coverage of four classes of terminal products - products mobile broadband, cell phone, convergence and video communication terminal.

Stephanie Roy from Essential Homme expressed her excitement regarding the high battery capacity. With 1,500 mAH it is the longest battery capacity of any Android-powered handsets currently available. Further, she appreciates the low price tag of the device and the fact that users can “switch between full and half QWERTY keyboards and to navigate programs easily via a 3.5-inch LCD touch screen.”

PointGPhone concludes that “The Huawei U8230 is clearly not the Android smartphone of the year. But if the defects of the low internal storage, APN 3.2 mega pixels and the2.5 mm jack do not seem insurmountable and the device will still ample satisfy the user."

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
April 13, 2010

Specs
- Screen size: 3.5 inches
- Operating System: Android 1.5
- Device family: Huawei, Smartphones, Touch

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
- Limitations: The back tip character is currently not supported
- Tips: The Camera key can be activated with long key press.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: www.huawei.com
- GSMArena: www.gsmarena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview

- Special Droid Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $99 per month.

Perfecto Mobile enables testing on the new Android based Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

2010-04-13T08:56:00.007+03:00

The new Xperia X10 is the first Android-based Sony Ericsson device and is now available for developers to test on the Perfecto Mobile Handset Cloud.

Chris Ziegler from Engadget noted that the Xperia X10 is based just on the Android 1.6. He adds, however, that Sony Ericsson wisely committed to update the phone on an ongoing basis.

He also expressed disappointment with the keyboard input performance, since the “back button” “deletes everything in your current text field” instead of just single letters one by one. Further he experienced missed inputs when pressing letters while they still popped up at the screen which “makes entering almost any text a maddening procedure”.

On a positive note he mentioned that the 8.1 megapixel camera represents “the highest resolution camera you can find on an Android phone today” and that the picture quality is excellent.

Gareth Beavis from TechRadar pointed out that the two main selling points of the Xperia X10 are the Timescape and the Mediascape overlay .Timescape overlay enables users to “combine all notifications, missed calls and social network updates into one 'spine'” while Mediascape overlay let you either “see all media files grouped together in one scrollable list or flick left and right to see the information separately.”

This was confronted by a reviewer in CNET who noted that "Timescape isn't much worth your time”. Further there is no “direct option for importing your contacts from social media services and e-mail accounts outside of Gmail” and direct Outlook calendar, notes and contacts syncing are not supported.

Overall, commentators agree that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 offers a slick, user-friendly design with a solid feature set and good call quality, but that data performance might be uneven and that the Timescape overlay application and keyboard miss some details.

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
April 4, 2010

Specs
- Screen size: 4.0 inches
- Operating System: Android OS 1.6
- Device family: Sony Ericsson, Smartphone Touch

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
In order to activate the Camera key use long key press

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://www.sonyericsson.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
- Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview

- Special Droid Cloud Offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $99 per month.

Perfecto Mobile enables testing on the new Acer Liquid A1 Android smartphone

2010-03-28T11:04:00.004+03:00

The Acer’s Liquid A1, the first Acer Android Smartphone, is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Acer Liquid A1

Niall Magennis from TrustedReviews is disappointed that Acer doesn't plan to upgrade the Android 1.6 operating system to the 2.0 version. He added that “the only real tweaks are a couple of carousel-style widgets for flicking through photos, music tracks, videos and bookmarks directly from the home screen.”

On the other hand, he was very enthusiastic about the combination of the device’s Snapdragon processor and the high responsiveness of the captative screen, which together provide users with a very high level of operating speed.

He is also impressed with the device’s connectivity speed (up to 7.2Mbps) and the fact that Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR as well as Wi-Fi are supported. Further he mentioned that the GPS responded very quickly to the Google Maps application.

Shaun from PDA-247 added that the Spinlets program allows online listening to music and watching videos which makes the A1 a rival to the iPhone in terms of music and video playback quality.

Steve McBrian from Top Tech Reviews believes that it is odd that the device comes with a mini USB instead of the micro USB slot, but appreciates the fact that it comes with a multimedia player and also a 3.5mm jack, enabling you to use your own set of headphones.

He concludes that “it is an excellent choice where you don’t have to burn a hole in your pocket for one, since the retail price is quite low, making it an affordable handset t obtain and own.”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
March 8, 2010

Specs
- Screen size: 3.5 inches
- Operating System: Android 1.6 (Donut)
- Device family : Acer Smartphones Touch

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
- Limitations & Tips: In order to activate the Camera use “long key press”.
- To unlock the phone press the Power/Lock button at the top.
- Type text is currently not supported in the dial screen.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://mobile.acer.com
- GSMArena: www.gsmarena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
- Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview
- Special offer – Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest Android devices.

Perfecto Mobile to Partner with Mob4Hire

2010-03-25T18:18:00.006+02:00

Perfecto Mobile have just partnered with Mob4Hire in order to be able to solve the growing problem of platform fragmentation in the Mobile Industry. By utilizing Mob4Hire’s testers’ crowd, this partnership enables us to facilitate the development and testing procedure of applications for developers.

Mob4Hire is the leader in crowd-sourced mobile application testing and Market Research. As a result of this partnership our users can now access Mob4Hire testers’ crowd. This will enable developers to save time to market by passing the testing process of mobile applications like location based services and voice quality to one of Mob4Hire’s testers.

Mob4Hires’s Marketing Campaign “Don’t Crash – Don’t Suck- Get Sticky” complements our services of “self testing your apps” enabling us to now offer a full spectrum of solutions for mobile testing problems.

Leveraging these complementary services developers are now able to lower market barriers, shorten time to market and achieve higher overall quality of service.

Read more about our partnership with Mob4Hire

Meet Mob4Hire's testing crowd

Perfecto Mobile enables testing on the new HTC Droid Eris

2010-03-14T12:57:00.005+02:00

The HTC Droid Eris is the second Verizon Wireless Google Android phone that was launched for the North American market. The new device is sold for a bargain price of $99, the cheapest Android phone available currently. The device is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

HTC Droid Eris

A reviewer at CNET was particularly impressed with the excellent display quality. According to him the 320x480-pixel resolution and the 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive touch screen enables users to easily read text and enjoy rich and vibrant image colors. In addition, he has expressed satisfaction with the responsiveness of the touch screen and loved the multitouch support in the Web browser and photo gallery.

"What sets this new device apart from other Google Android phones is the HTC Sense user experience enabling you to change the theme of the phone depending on whether you're at work, at play, or traveling and to customize panels in order to make the phone personal to your lifestyle," he concluded. At the same time, the downside of the device is the fact that “you still can't save apps to a microSD card” but “must store them on the phone's shared internal memory.”

Stewart Wolpin from Digital Trends noted that the main disadvantage of this phone is that the “it is equipped only with Android 1.5” and as a result buyers will “miss the free Google Maps Navigation with voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions. Luckily the Eris “is upgradable to 2.0.” On a positive note he points out that Eris takes full advantage of Verizon’s EV-DO Rev. A network that enjoys a well-deserved reputation to speed and access.

According to infoSyncworld due to advanced calling features, deep social networking integration and wide customization options the “HTC Droid Eris is one of the best smartphones they ever used”. Ironically though, the device “does everything bad what Apple’s iPhone 3GS does good” referring to Apple’s iPhone 3GS ease of use, multimedia features, and provision of high end games and apps.

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
March 10, 2010

Specs
Screen size: 3.20 inches
Operating System: Android 2.0
Device family: HTC Smartphone, Touch

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: “Backtick” button is currently not supported

Specs Link
PhoneArena: http://www.phonearena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources

Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview

Special Droid Cloud offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $99 per month.

Perfecto Mobile enables remote testing of Android applications on Google's New Nexus One

2010-02-04T12:07:00.006+02:00

The hype around the launch of Google's Nexus One brought about expectations for a revolutionary Android-based handset with the potential to become an iPhone killer. This new handset is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Droid Cloud Service.

Nexus One

Miachael Oryl from mobileburn observes that the phone offers superb audio clarity on calls but has a pretty poor performing speakerphone, questionable signal reception and short battery life. He added that the Nexus One has “great support for IMAP, POP, and Exchange email systems in addition to Google's home grown Gmail," Moreover, the Android 2.1 OS allows for 3rd party developers to integrate directly into the main contacts system. Orly concludes that “thanks largely to the phone's blazing processor, it provides the fastest mobile web browsing experience I have ever seen on a phone, by far.”

Joshua Topolsky from Engadget points out that the main problem with the 3.7-inch display is the color balance, particularly in tones of red and orange, and that he experienced severe visibility troubles regarding the screen when using the phone in daylight.

On a more positive note he adds that the touch sensitivity of the display is better compared to any other Android phone and that the 5 megapixel lens of the camera is ” super speedy” and images came out as he hoped they would.

His general conclusion is that the Nexus one is a particularly good Android smartphone but yet just another Android phone. "The Android 2.1. is not dramatically different than the iteration of the Android 2.0.1. since notable changes are mainly cosmetic, like the increased number of accessible homescreens for instance".

The team of TechRadars discovered that “the tilt function didn't function correctly and that finger press failed to register.” They believe that the Nexus One is a great phone, one of the best Android models. They liked that thousands of apps are available and that touchscreen is smooth and fluid but bottom line Apple has no need to worry!

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
January 12, 2010

Specs
Screen size: 3.7 inches
Operating System: Android OS, v2.1
Device family: HTC Google Smartphone, Touch

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: File transfer feature and trackball are currently not supported.

Specs Link
GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com
Manufacturer spec: http://www.htc.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources

Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview

Special Droid Cloud offer – Test your mobile applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $99 per month.

Perfecto Mobile to showcase the newest mobile testing services at MWC 2010

2010-01-27T17:39:00.008+02:00

Perfecto Mobile to showcase the newest mobile testing features and services at the Mobile World Congress 2010 (MWC 2010), a premier industry event held in Barcelona, Spain, on 15 - 18 February 2010.

Perfecto Mobile is located at Stand 7A58 in the App Planet in Hall 7 and at Stand 7IZ3 at the Innovation Zone in Hall 7, and also in Hall 4, Level 1, at the IMA Pavilion.

Mobile application developers, content provider and network operators are invited to visit us to see a live demo of our:

- Handset Cloud Service - enabling developers and testers located anywhere in the world to access, over the web, a comprehensive range of the latest and most popular mobile handsets. Users can use the Perfecto Mobile handsets to develop, test, deploy and monitor their mobile applications and services.

- App Store solution - enabling automated testing of the app store and the applications submitted to the app store as well as self-testing by the developers.

- Handset Validation solution - enabling operators and OEMs to run distributed tests of pre-launched devices, both manually and automatically.

Stop by at our Stand and get 7 Perfecto Mobile hours free!

Perfecto Mobile also proud sponsors of the MWC WIP Jam on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at the App Planet Auditorium, Hall 7, FIRA, Barcelona, Spain, 9:00am – 4:00pm.

As a part of this Jam session Eran Yaniv, Perfecto Mobile CEO, will share his experience as an expert of the industry in a discussion about “Cross Platform Development”, in which participants will have the chance to debate the issue of how to get applications global and cross-platform through building the right partnerships and using the right development tools.

WIP Jam participants will receive 10 Perfecto Mobile hours free!

We are looking forward to seeing you in Barcelona!

Nokia 7230 now available for test on Perfecto Mobile

2010-01-20T15:46:00.003+02:00

Nokia has launched the new 7230 device aimed at lower mid range and design conscious users. The new mobile phone is now available for developers who want to test their mobile applications on it at Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Nokia 7230

Available in graphite and hot pink, the Nokia 3G slider phone is made for design conscious users who are looking for a device that optimizes imaging, sharing and socializing.

According to Right Mobile Phone what sets the Nokia 7230 apart from other low to midrange phones is the possibility to integrate a selection of services, such as Flickr, and the Nokia branded Ovi. “You can also use the built in web browser to access services such as Facebook and Twitter, plus the handset also supports Nokia messaging, which will allow you to set up a variety of popular email programs on the phone.”

The reviewer notes that entertainment is obviously a main part of the Nokia 7230, since the device comes loaded with 4 games, namely Snake III, Bounce II, Sudoku II and Rally Start, and users can download java based games. The handset supports Nokia Maps and GPS functionality can be added by connecting the handset to a Bluetooth GPS Dongle.

They reviewer also notes that the 3.2 Megapixel camera enables recording video at QCIF resolution, up to 15 fps might not be “the best performance from a Nokia device, but should work well enough if you send the video clips via MMS.”

Your Mobile Phone Reviews points out that the Nokia 7230 “allows the user to enjoy 3G connectivity when desired for high speed access to the Internet and the phones EDGE technology allows the user to experience high speed data transfers when their handset is connected to other devices to transfer data files.”

Users enjoy also the ability to either use a “cabled connection to other devices using the phones micro USB connection port or enjoy a wire free connection by using Bluetooth technology to connect their 7230 to other compatible Bluetooth devices.”

Right Mobile Phone summarizes concludes that “Overall the Nokia 7230 is a good looking device, and a strong, well rounded set of features. It may not break any ground on new features, but it suits well the market it is aimed at”, namely the lower mid range and design conscious users who appreciate the S40 operating system.

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
January 12, 2010

Specs
- Screen size: 2.4 inches
- Operating System: unknown
- Device family: Series 40

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://europe.nokia.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_7230_-3034.php

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
Mobile World Congress - Join Perfecto Mobile at the MWC 2010 to learn how to efficiently test your application or web site on a multitude of mobile handset devices.
Special offer – Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest mobile devices.

Nokia's music phone, X6, ready for testing at Perfecto Mobile

2010-01-14T17:47:00.004+02:00

The X6 is the first handset in Nokia's newly launched X Series of music phones and is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Nokia X6

The smartphone is an upgrade of the Nokia 5800 and is part of a range created to simplify Nokia's XpressMusic offerings.

According to NokNok.tv, the new capacitive screen of the X6 is incredibly responsive. “It hardly ever – if at all – is missing a beat, meaning that tapping out a text message or working your way through a full email is easier than you’ll find on other handsets.”

The commentator goes further to applaud the loud and meaty sound quality, the 32GB storage for music, and the fact that the music player embeds itself on the Home screen as soon as you start it up. Moreover, he notes, that once you’ve set up your CWM account you can either copy music directly from your laptop or use the Nokia Store app on the phone to get hold of tracks.

The excitement is also shared by TechRadar who praises the stylus – free full touch screen and that all on-screen buttons are sensibly-sized for fingertips. At the same time, he notes that users should not to be tricked by the seemingly long 3.5 inch diagonal of the screen since in physical terms the device might be as long as the Apple iPhone, but only two-thirds of its width.

Another commentator at Pocket-lint agrees adds that you’ll get most of the apps that you want or need, including Amazon, MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, AccuWeather and plenty more, via the Ovi store, but "it doesn’t have the wow factor that many rivals do.”

He notes in addition that the 5-megapixel autofocus camera with a Carl Zeiss Tessar F/2.8 – 5.2 lens is “certainly not as good as other camera-focused handsets in the Nokia range and that It’s also slow to respond with many of our shots catching people turning their heads.”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
December 23, 2009

Specs
- Screen size: 3.2 inches
- Operating System: Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
- Device family: Series 60

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
- Limitations: When dialing a number “+” is currently not supported.
- Tips: Use remote operation to type + and then type text for the rest of the number.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://europe.nokia.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
Mobile World Congress - Join Perfecto Mobile at the MWC 2010 to learn how to efficiently test your application or web site on a multitude of mobile handset devices.
Special offer – Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest mobile devices.

Perfecto Mobile supports OMPT’S BONDI widget competition for the GSMA Mobile World Congress

2010-01-14T16:31:00.002+02:00

If you are interested in widgets and have any expertise in using HTML and JavaScript, you may be interested in a competition run by OMPT to design the best BONDI widget to be presented at the GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC), Barcelona, 15th-18th February 2010.

The first prize of $5000 should provide some motivation to create some innovative widgets, but you may be even more interested in the promotion of the developer of the winning widget at the event itself.

OMTP will demonstrate the winning widget on a multitude of BONDI supporting devices to key participants of the event, which should naturally upgrade the profile of the winning developer to those who really matter in the industry. The winning widget will also be promoted on the OMTP and BONDI websites after the event finishes. Other prizes of various mobile phones are also available.

Creating a BONDI widget couldn’t be simpler. Using just a notepad, an image editor and the example widgets provided by BONDI, you can very easily create your own widget.

Further, using the Perfecto Mobile service, you can remotely access and control a selection of Windows Mobile based devices that have been set up with the BONDI Reference Implementation. You can easily upload and install your widget on these devices, and test that it works properly and displays correctly on a variety of devices with different screen sizes.

The competition is open until the week before the MWC event and finishes on the 8th February 2010. Find out about more details of the competition. Good luck!

Nokia 5530 Xpress Music new touch-screen device available for testing on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service

2010-01-07T10:27:00.003+02:00

The 5530 XpressMusic is Nokia’s third touch-screen-oriented device. This mobile phone is now available for developers who want to test their mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic

The new smartphone is an entry level device based on the Nokia 5800 aimed at users who want smartphone capabilities at a lower price tag.

NokNok points out, that since the Nokia 5530 is a downgraded version of the 5800 users might be disappointed with features and design elements. These include, frustrating glare difficulties of the 2.9 inch screen when viewing email, messages, and videos while being outside. On the other hand, they note that “5530 is still a decent piece of kit.”

Moreover, users will have no problem running a multitude of applications and widgets, which can also be organized on the home screen to suit their needs as most apps run smoothly and are fast and reliable.

Gaj-it emphasizes the device's extensive media and social networking functions. These features “keep even the most avid status-updater happy.” The 5530 has direct links to Twitter, Facebook and MySpace so accessing these sites is as easy as a tap on the screen. He added that “the Media Bar pops up on the home screen to give you the option of using direct messaging services such as Windows Live Messenger, and will also provide access to sharing sites including Ovi Share, Flickr and VOX." On the other hand, that the Nokia 5530 lacks GPS, UTMS/HSDPA support, and does not support 3G access.

A reviewer at Nokia Conversations emphasizes that it’s all about quick access. “The new Contact Bar lets you have up to 20 contacts, making it easy to quickly call or send a message, review conversation history, or follow the contact’s feed. You can also add a pic to those contacts and your peeps are front-and-center.”

Compared to the Nokia 5800 the 5530 is not as feature rich, but also does not come with a high price tag making it a cost effective touch screen device for price sensitive users.

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
December 21, 2009

Specs
Screen size: 2.9 inches
Operating System: Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
Device family: Series 60

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: Camera, lock keys and file transfer are currently not supported.

Specs Link
Manufacturer specs: http://europe.nokia.com
GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_5530_xpressmusic-2832.php

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview
Special offer – Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest mobile devices.

Perfecto Mobile enables testing on the new Nokia E72 smartphone

2010-01-04T21:37:00.003+02:00

Nokia has launched the new messaging device Nokia E72, which is an upgraded version of the Nokia E71 smartphone. It is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

A commentator at mobile88 notes that Nokia's latest full QWERTY smartphone brings a rich mobile email and instant messaging experience as users are able to simply access popular accounts such as Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail, Ovi Mail and thousands of other email service providers. Moreover, users are granted a lifetime license for Nokia's mobile email and IM service.

Abhimanyu Radhakrishnan, from India's financial daily The Economic Times notes that the new Nokia Messaging push email service is slick, relatively bug-free, fast and easy to set up, He adds that battery life has improved substantially and that it includes other goodies such as compass, FM radio, accelerometer and more.

The device's new optical track pad won compliments from SlashGear commentator who said that "we’ve had middling success with such navigation systems on other handsets but the E72’s system is reasonably useful, being neither too sensitive nor too blunt in its responsiveness."

He added that the Nokia E 72 offers “plenty of account type support such as POP, IMAP4, Nokia Messaging, ActiveSync, Lotus Notes Traveller and Mail for Exchange.”

The reviewer concluded that “if you prioritize messaging above all else and want a compact but highly usable device with a strong QWERTY keyboard, the E72 makes an excellent case for itself.”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
December 21, 2009

Specs
- Screen size: 2.36 inches
- Operating System: Symbian OS 9.3, Series 60 v3.2 UI
- Device family: Series 60

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: File transfer is currently not supported.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://europe.nokia.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_e72

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
Live Webinars - Handset Cloud Service Overview
Special offer – Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest mobile devices.

Perfecto Mobile enables testing of the new Sony Ericsson Yari

2009-12-30T19:29:00.008+02:00

The Sony Ericsson Yari exhibits simplicity and gaming and is the first phone outside Japan to sport gesture gaming. This mobile device is now available for developers to test their applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Sony Ericsson Yari

According to a review provided by TechGadgets “The Yari hasn’t successfully created waves in the mobile gaming world. However, it did ‘pull us off the chair’ with a few functions (literally)” since “it does not offer the usual gaming but bring in gesture and motion controlled gaming. However, they criticized the size of the screen claiming that a 2.4 inch screen can’t provide you with a similar game experience as compared to the Wii.

TechGadgets are extremely delighted about other features such as the latest Walkman Music Player, a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, an integrated GPS receiver - enabling users to effortlessly get their hands on location based services – as well as Google maps and Wayfinder Apps.

Len Amadora from mb.com shares the excitement with techgadgets when saying that the motion sensitive gaming feature gives mobile phone gaming a whole new meaning. She particularly enjoyed the gesture control games including Boxing, Tennis, Bowling and Fitness.

Mobiletor concludes right that “the Yari phone exuberates with entertainment and definitely won’t let gamers down with its selection of 9 games and other fun applications” and that its “Simple-to-use features and great clarity complete the reasons why you should pick one up right away”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
December 7, 2009

Specs
- Screen size: 2.4 inches
- Operating System: unknown
- Device family – Sony Ericsson

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: “+” is currently not supported in the number scope.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://www.sonyericsson.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview.
Special offer - Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest mobile devices.

Perfecto Mobile enables testing of the new Nokia 2730 classic

2009-12-21T16:18:00.005+02:00

The Nokia 2730 classic is a new economical handset from the world's #1 mobile phone manufacturer, providing all the basic features suitable for mainstream mobile users. It is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

According to Get Pc Memory “the Nokia 2730 classic is made to target the mid range buyers” supporting “Nokia Life Tools and Ovi Mail, two services from Nokia which hope to gain a wider market share in emerging nations."

Get Pc Memory offers describes the main benefits of the phone's features: A 2 inch display with QVGA resolution enables a clear visual for reading messages and the 2 megapixel digital cameras can capture even tiny 176×144 resolution video. “For entertainment in this device there is a MP3 music player and FM radio. Other applications like Email, web browser are preinstalled. Additional Java programs can be downloaded as well. For transferring files to PC and other devices there is Wireless Bluetooth and USB cable. And lastly with this handset comes a 1 GB memory card and 32 MB built-in memory.”

Free Cell Phone concludes that “NOKIA hopes the Nokia 2730 classic can help offer the ability to connect to the internet using mobile phones. Nokia Life Tools allows you to find information and time on education, entertainment, or agricultural, suitable for users in a small town, while Nokia Ovi Mail has a feature to create email account without the need to access the computer."

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
December 7, 2009

Specifications
- Screen size: 2.0 inches
- Operating System: Series40
- Device family: Nokia S40

Specs

- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com
- Manufacturer spec: http://europe.nokia.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview.
Special Offer – Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest mobile devices.

Mobile Roadmaps 2010 conference: IMA and Perfecto Mobile partner to enable web access to Israeli mobile handsets

2009-12-17T17:33:00.003+02:00

On December 14th 2009, Perfecto Mobile participated in the Mobile Roadmaps 2010 Conference, organized by the Israeli Mobile and Communication Association (IMA) in Tel Aviv, Israel.

This conference covered the entire mobile landscape with more than 21 short and dynamic presentations and demos. Industry leading people like Yoram Frimmerman, VP Engineering, Eurocom-Nokia and Daniel Meron, Research Analyst, RBC Capital Markets, gave their personal view about the future dynamics of the mobile industry and platforms.

In his opening speech, IMA's CEO and Founder, Eyal Reshef, announced the partnership between IMA and Perfecto Mobile. He emphasized that the common goal of this partnership is to support the developer community in Israel by providing IMA members with an innovation lab hosting a multitude of real-live network that can be accessed via the web.

This lab is a joint venture between IMA and Partner Communication which will enable developers and companies to test their applications and services more efficiently and ensure high quality of their products.

Perfecto mobile enables testing of the new Sony Ericsson Aino

2009-12-10T20:31:00.005+02:00

The Sony Ericsson Aino really can lay claim to being called a true multimedia computer since it can connect to your PC or your PS3 and stream content from either device anywhere in the world. The new mobile phone device is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Most would agree with Brendon Ambrose from TechHuman when he points out that he does not understand “why they didn’t go full touch. It’s a very good touch screen. One of the best we have used. So why not utilize its full potential?”

On a positive note he mentions that “the pre-installed apps, like Facebook, AccuWeather and Wisepilot Navigation all work smoothly, even when running multiple apps at once. Further the built in email application is not at iPhone or Blackberry level, but it is way better than anything Nokia or Samsung offer on their entertainment phones.”

Brendon would agree with Nicole Lee from CNET who claimed that the price tag of the Sony Ericsson Aino is a little steep, especially considering that the touch screen interface is limited to the media browser and that the 3.5mm headset jack is missing.

Georges Baggaley from Know Your Mobile also points out that, “it is inside the phone that one discovers the Aino’s performance as a mobile doesn’t match its ability as a multimedia device. The touch service is limited to multimedia activities only, forcing you to use the slide out keypad beneath the screen for all regular services.”

He therefore summarizes correctly when he says that, “the Aino is close to multimedia perfection. However as an actual phone the Aino slips into mediocrity especially in comparison to similarly priced rivals.”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
December 7, 2009

Specs
- Screen size: 3.0 inches
- Operating System: Proprietary
- Device family : Sony Ericsson, Smartphone

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
- Limitations: +, P, W not working are not working.
- Tips: In order to type + while dialing, Press CTRL+Click and hold the 0 key, then use the typetext feature to type the rest of the number.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://www.sonyericsson.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
- Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview.
- Special offer – Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest mobile handset devices.

Perfecto Mobile enables testing of the T-Mobile Pulse Android-based smartphone

2009-12-07T18:46:00.012+02:00

The T-Mobile Pulse, manufactured by Huawei, was rebranded for the European market and is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile applications on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Service.

Flora Graham from CNET UK says that “T-Mobile has done a solid job of presenting an Android Smartphone on a budget whose insignificant flaws like the sluggish keyboard and the bad call quality are compensated by the big screen and the quality of Android.”

T-Mobile Pulse

Sandra Vogel from Know Your Mobile disagrees regarding the keyboard pointing out that the, “Qwerty keyboard is nice and large for finger based typing”, which is particularly “true when the screen turns into wide format as you swivel the Pulse in your hands.” She also pointed out the advantage of the ability to download a wide range of software and games available in the Android Market which is, of course, installed on the device.

TrustedReviews summarized it right: “Yes, it lacks the glamour of the iPhone, has a poor camera and slightly peculiar headphone setup, and falls behind many premium phones for build quality, but with Wi-Fi, 3G, a microSD slot, and a large high-quality screen, it has all the essentials for a modern smartphone. Add in the superb user experience brought about by Google's Android operating system and a very competitive price of £180 Pay-As-You-Go and we can see many people snapping one of these up.”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
November 26, 2009

Specs
- Screen size: 3.50 inches
- Operating System: Android 1.5
- Device family – T-Mobile Smartphone, Pulse

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: directional keypad does not work.

Specs Link
PhoneArena: http://www.phonearena.com

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
- Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview
- Special offer – Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest Android devices.

Perfecto Mobile to present its Android applications testing services at Droidcon London 2009

2009-11-26T14:27:00.005+02:00

Perfecto Mobile will participate in the Droidcamp and the Droidcon 2009, taking place in London on the 1st and 2nd of December – This gathering is UK's first community event for Android developers.

Dan Shoshani, VP Marketing, will demonstrate Perfecto Mobile’s Droid Cloud Service. This web-based service enables mobile application developers and content providers from all over the world to remotely control, over the web, a multitude of real Android based devices and to run automated test procedures on such.

The Perfecto Mobile's Droid Cloud Service enables access to over a dozen of the latest and most popular Google Android based mobile devices, such as the Motorola Droid, HTC Tattoo, Motorola Dext and the Motorola CLIQ.

Perfecto Mobile significantly reduces time-to-market and the cost and logistical effort needed to develop, test, deploy, and monitor new mobile services.

This two days event follows the concept of the world's first Droidcamp/Droidcon event, which took place in Berlin on 3rd and 4th November. Similar to the event in Germany, the first day will be a so called Barcamp – The Droidcamp – on which developers and other members of the Android community can exchange their knowledge and experience. This interactive event is a great opportunity for networking. The second day will be the actual conference, called Droidcon, for which we expect some interesting lectures.

The goal of this two days event is to provide the Android developers with an opportunity to get together in an informal environment where they can share ideas, demonstrate new apps, share their experience and get the chance to talk to experts of the industry.

New end-to-end mobile testing services jointly provided by InfoStretch and Perfecto Mobile

2009-11-25T18:02:00.003+02:00

Perfecto Mobile, and InfoStretch, a global provider of outsourced mobile development, testing and certification services, formed a new partnership to jointly offer end-to-end testing services for mobile carriers, content providers and mobile application developers.

The innovative solution enables mobile carriers to efficiently and comprehensively test and certify their pre-launched mobile devices. The two companies offer together a unique end-to-end solution for a wide-range of testing needs through one single source.

The joint service includes the following testing features:

Device Certification for pre-launched mobile devices.
Usability & Compatibility testing for devices and applications.
Automated Testing across multiple handheld devices.
Mobile Carriers and Network Testing.

As part of the partnership, InfoStretch will offer Perfecto Mobile's standalone solution to mobile carriers, service providers and mobile application developers in markets around the world, which will enable remote testing of pre-market handsets in a private cloud.

InfoStretch is a leader in outsourced Software as a Service (SaaS) Solutions Mobile Application Development and Testing, Quality Assurance and Process Optimization Services and ERP Testing. InfoStretch delivers high-quality, reliable, and cost effective services to clients throughout the US and Asia. The company specializes in delivering outsourced business solutions that command deep technology knowledge, process proficiency, and domain expertise.

How to test android applications? Perfecto Mobile offers developers a special Android testing package

2009-11-23T20:15:00.005+02:00

Perfecto Mobile came out with a special offer for Android application developers allowing them to test the newest Android-based devices on the company's Mobile Droid Cloud. Developers can get 20 monthly usage hours for only $99 or purchase any number of hours for only $9 with no other fees or commitments.

The Mobile Droid Cloud provides web access to a variety of real Android-based devices, located in the US, UK, Canada and Israel.

By using the service developers enjoy the following benefits:

Test their Android apps on all devices at a fraction of the price they would spend on buying the newest devices.

Get access to the latest Android devices immediately after they are launched to the market.

The offer includes the following models:

The Google-backed Android mobile operating system currently runs on less than 2% of all smartphones, But Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney predicts it will surge to 14% of the global smartphone market in 2012 -- ahead of the Apple’s iPhone.

Perfecto Mobile enables developers to test apps on new BlackBerry Bold 9700

2009-11-23T11:36:00.003+02:00

When the BlackBerry Bold smartphone came out last year it was made clear that business phones don’t need to be boring. The current release of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 makes it even clearer. The new RIM smartphone is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile application on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud service.

BlackBerry 9700

Reviewers noted that the new device has many advantages over its predecessor. One commentator at Brightband explained that "In just a little more than a year RIM has proved that it can improve on a design that was already great". According to him, the browsing experience isn't on par with some competitors but Bold2 has a great track pad, excellent form factor with a very solid feel, an improved operating system

Another review in CNET UK noted that she liked the easy-to-use Qwerty keyboard, push email, vivid screen, good apps available, zippy optical trackpad, great connectivity, including Wi-Fi. She didn't like, however, the fact that the user interface is useful but dull, the Web browser is comparatively poor, and the keyboard isn't as clicky as on other BlackBerry devices and the apps can be expensive.

A reviewer at Britain's Telegraph concluded that while "earlier BlackBerry machines were just too wide to hold to your ear for a phone call. The slimmer Bold 9700 is the best balance yet between comfortably narrow phone and conveniently wide keyboard".

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
November 18, 2009

Specs
- Screen size: 480 x 360 pixels, 2.44 inches
- Operating System: BlackBerry OS; 5.0
- Device family: BlackBerry Bold

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://na.blackberry.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_bold_9700

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
- Demo - Mobile testing video demo
- Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview
- Special offer – Get a free trial to test your applications on the latest BlackBerry devices.

Perfecto Mobile enables testing of new Motorola Droid smartphone

2009-11-18T19:47:00.003+02:00

Motorola has released the Droid, the first phone to run Google's Android operating system version 2.0. The new smartphone is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile application on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud service.

The well known Robert Scoble of Scobliezer, rushed to conclude that the Droid fails as a product when compared to the Palm Pre and iPhone. Scoble added, however, that the Droid is likely to attract developers. He noted the device's complex out-of-box experience and the hardware.

On the other hand, Walter S. Mossberg, of the Wall Street Journal noted that while the Motorola Droid has some significant drawbacks, he regards it as a success overall saying that it has the best Motorola phone he has tested and the best hardware so far to run Android.

At Gizmodo the reviewer summarized it well: "Android is evolving more rapidly than any other smartphone platform, both in terms of the hardware and software. When HTC's Hero came out, it crushed every other Android phone out there. Just a couple short months later, Droid is on top. In four months, we'll probably see a new champion. That Droid sets such a high bar for everything after might be the best thing about it".

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
November 18, 2009

Specifications
- Screen size: 4.56 x 2.36 x 0.54 inches
- Operating System: Android; 2.0 (Eclair)
- Device family: Motorola , Android Smartphones

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: Direct “Type Text” throws uncalled for space characters. There is no digital Screen Capture; and the direct “Type Text” will produce "`" character.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://www.motorola.com
- PhoneArena: http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Motorola-DROID

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources

- Demo - Mobile testing video demo
- Live Webinar - Handset Cloud Service Overview
- Droid Cloud Device - Web access to a variety of real Android-based devices for only $99 per month.

Samsung B7300 Omnia LITE, the new Windows Mobile 6.5 touchscreen device now available for testing on Perfecto Mobile’s service

2009-11-16T20:30:00.003+02:00

Samsung has launched a new Windows Mobile (WM) smartphone Omnia Lite, which is also known as B7300. The new touchscreen device is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile application on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud service.

A reviewer at PhonesLimited noted that the device is "a comprehensive handset which ticks all the right boxes. Its feature packed which ensures the owner will be fully occupied. The simple and effective use of the functionality is down to a simplistic navigation and access system which is integral to the phones desirability".

Another commentator at PDA-247 noted that "the Omnia Lite is a breath of fresh air in an industry dominated by Windows Mobile clones which vary only by design and some software add-ons. This phone takes the process much further and succeeds almost everywhere- a great battery, pleasing design, top specifications and a low price make it one of the very best Windows Mobile phones I have used to date. Would I use this over the HTC Touch2? Definitely".

At the same time, reviewer John Chan pointed out on CNET Asia that the downside of the phone is that it comes with a 3-inch 400 x 240-pixel display. "This is the same resolution found on the original Omnia SGH-i900, but the diagonal length is shorter by 0.2 inches. This WQVGA resolution is an odd one that may not work with some third-party applications".

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
November 10, 2009

Specifications
- Screen size: 240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5
- Device family: Samsung, Smartphones

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: The template XML is not assigned to the schema. The schema is outdated.

Specs Link
GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_b7300_omnialite

Samsung new multimedia phone Omnia i8910 HD available for testing on Perfecto Mobile’s service

2009-11-12T22:35:00.001+02:00

Samsung has launched the much anticipated new Omnia i8910 HD multimedia phone. The new device is now available for developers who want to test their new mobile application on Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud service.

The new smartphone received, overall, a warm welcome from reviewers. So, for instance a commentator at PhoneArena said that "this is one of the most exciting cell phones as of now. The Samsung´s monster, the OMNIA HD i8910. We have to admit that despite its size, it is one hell of an all-in-one, smart device. Aside from being the first cell phone capable of capturing and playback of nice quality HD video content, its 8-megapixel camera takes pictures with very good quality. The OMNIA HD sports an awesome 3.7-inch touch sensitive AMOLED screen and battery that lasts long".

At the same time the reviewer noted that the i8910 HD also has a few drawbacks pointing to the mediocre sound quality during talks.

Another commentator at Gizmodo concluded that "the Omnia HD does everything fine and a few things extremely well. Video playback is top notch and widely compatible, the camera is among the best I've ever seen on a cellphone, and the video recording can actually hang with a lot of pocket cams, like the Flip or Kodak Zi series. On all other counts the phone never falls flat, but it never really shines, either".

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
September 21th, 2009

Specifications
Screen size: 360 x 640 pixels, 3.7 inches
Operating System: Symbian OS v9.4
Device family – Samsung Touch, Smartphone, Series 60 rel. 5

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: Camera key is not supported

Specs links
Manufacturer specs: http://samsungi8910omnia.com
GSMArena: http: //www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i8910_omnia_hd

Nokia N97 Mini available for testing in Perfecto Mobile’s service

2009-11-10T18:49:00.001+02:00

Nokia has launched the new N97 Mini, which is a smaller version of the N97 smartphone that was introduced only three months ago. The new device is now available for developers who want to test their application with Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud service.

Reviewers weren't too excited about the new smartphone explaining that it resembles the good old N97 too much. So for instance, a reviewer at Mobile-Review noted that: "I don’t feel particularly enthusiastic about Nokia N97 Mini – it’s not the most petite phone around, by any stretch of imagination. And at the same time it packs in a downgraded keyboard. If the price gap between the N97 and N97 mini was around €200, it would have become really sought-after. But at only €100 it’s not all that interesting".

The phones features were also criticized for their lack of inspiration. A commentator at Techradar noted that "the screen doesn't feel a lot smaller, and although Nokia went to great lengths to point out how the keyboard has been improved, we couldn't really feel much difference. The keys have been raised and slightly re-aligned, but we never really had a problem with the original N97."

On a more positive note a reviewer at Cell Phone Answers commented that "beautiful are the stainless steel accents and the mechanism to tilt the screen. Very useful is the ability to create your own desktop with applications you use frequently. Also new is the life-casting function. Turns your mobile phone from location (via GPS) and status information on Facebook. Biggest difference with the original N97 was smaller 8GB of internal memory instead of 32 GB."

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
October 20th, 2009

Specifications
- Screen size: 360 x 640 pixels, 3.2 inches
- Operating System: Symbian OS v9.4
- Device family: Series 60 rel. 5

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: Before typing a number using typetext you have to tap the keyboard icon on the main screen.

Specs Links

- Manufacturer specs: http://europe.nokia.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_n97_mini

Vodafone 360 H1 new LiMo-based smartphone now available for testing on Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud service

2009-11-09T20:00:00.009+02:00

Vodafone 360 H1 (by Samsung), the first phone to take full advantage of the new 360 suite of internet services, hit the shops earlier this month. The new smartphone was tailor made for Vodafone by Samsung and is the first to run the new Linux-based LiMO operating system. Mobile application developers who would like to target Vodafone's 360 H1 future users can now test their new apps on Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud service.

The Vodafone 360 is a brand new set of internet services which gathers all of a customer’s friends, social networks and online communities, entertainment and personal favorites (such as music, games, photos and video) in one place.

One commentator at Know Your Mobile noted that: "catering for a wide range of handsets dredges up the old phone development issue that looked like it beginning to subside, partly thanks to the popularity of the iPhone. Porting to handsets of different abilities takes a lot of time and money, and invariably drags quality levels down to an often-uninspiring middle ground. When Vodafone 360 is going head-to-head with the latest smartphone developments like HTC Sense, and MotoBLUR we do wonder whether Vodafone will be able to keep its top-end offerings’ head above water in the long run".

Another reviewer at Unthinkable added that "It's a nice enough phone if you don't want a slide-out physical keyboard. Big touch-screen input, and three special buttons at the bottom for "phone", "people" and "apps" and an appstore at Vodafone from which you can download free software, or buy paid-for apps."

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
November 4, 2009

Specifications
- Screen size: 800 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches
- Operating System: LiMo
- Device family: Samsung, Smartphone

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://info.vodafone360.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_vodafone_360_h1

Perfecto Mobile presented its innovative mobile testing service to Indian technology leaders

2009-11-09T16:09:00.002+02:00

Dan Shoshani, VP Marketing and Managed Services at Perfecto Mobile, presented today the company's innovative testing service to a special delegation to Israel of senior technological experts from 50 leading Indian companies.

Perfecto Mobile's groundbreaking testing service enables developers to quickly test how their application works in real market conditions. It eliminates the need to invest in purchasing many mobile devices and helps developers cut expenses and shorten time-to-market.

Shoshoni's presentation will show how Indian mobile application developers can simplify the mobile testing process before launching new cellular apps for different devices on various mobile networks in Europe and US markets in order to ensure end user’s experience.

Perfecto Mobile views the Indian market as a very important one. "India is the center of a large number of companies specializing in testing various appliances in general and mobile devices in particular," Shoshani said. "These companies have extensive know-how, experience and advanced methodologies as well as a very competitive workforce."

"When it comes to mobile devices, however, testing requires conducting trials on a real device and on the network of the end-user, usually in Europe and North America. By using our service these companies eliminate the need to purchase hundreds of different devices and can conduct the tests remotely in real phones through the Internet. Moreover, by adopting automated test procedures, these companies can improve internal processes and gain a competitive advantage,"add Shoshani.

Perfecto Mobile to present at BlackBerry Developer Conference 2009

2009-11-08T17:26:00.004+02:00

Perfecto Mobile will present its innovative Handset Cloud service at the BlackBerry Developer Conference 2009 at San Francisco, California held on November 9-12. During the conference, BlackBerry application developers will get a chance to test the newest devices on different networks.

The presentation, which will be held by Perfecto Mobile's CEO and Founder Eran Yaniv and VP of sales, Alon Geva, will take place at booth number 100. BlackBerry professionals will get an opportunity to try the Handset Cloud service, which enables mobile application developers and content providers to remotely control, over the web, a multitude of real mobile handsets located around the world.

The Perfecto Mobile service enables the BlackBerry developer community to manually and automatically test new services and applications on dozens of BlackBerry smartphones, including the latest BlackBerry smartphones available. At the show, the company will showcase the recently released BlackBerry Storm 2, along with the BlackBerry Tour 9630 and dozens of other BlackBerry's working in various networks.

Participants at the conference will receive from Perfecto Mobile 15 free hours to try the service.

HTC Tattoo, new Android based smartphone, available for testing for mobile app developers

2009-11-08T10:44:00.005+02:00

With the aim of bringing personalization to the masses, HTC launched the HTC Tattoo, a new smartphone which runs on the Android operating system and allow users to customize every aspect of the device according to their own tastes. Mobile application developers that target HTC Tattoo's future users can now test their new apps on Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud service.

The new tiny touchscreen smartphone got a worm welcome from reviewers. Marc Chacksfield from TechRadar said it's the first cheap Android handset to challenge the serious competitors. “The HTC tattoo may not quite hold its own against the likes of the HTC Hero (its screen is to blame for that) and it will never take on the big boys when it comes to media playback, but for sheer functionality and ease of use, the HTC Tattoo is a winner.”

At the same time, Flora Graham at CNET UK pointed out that the Tattoo offers the same powerful Android operating system and social-networking goodies as the HTC Hero, but in a cheaper, smaller phone. The Tattoo comes with a good suite of applications pre-installed, including Google Maps, a Twitter app and a YouTube app, and also allows users to easily download and install many Android apps from Spotify to Skype.

While the reviewers at PhoneArena praised Tatto's performance they were not so impressed with the voice quality. “In terms of operational speed, the HTC Tattoo is a good performer. Obviously, the Sense interface has been properly optimized, because it runs smoothly and its voracious appetite for system resources has been quenched, at least alongside of the version running on the HTC Hero. All applications start up fast and there is no apparent interface lagging either… As a tool for phone calls, the Tattoo is not exactly brilliant, because the sound it delivers is neither loud, nor clear enough with the overall in-call quality being virtually identical on both ends of the line - voices tend to be sharp and monotonous, although you can understand your caller.”

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
November 1, 2009

Specifications
- Screen size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches
- Operating System: Android OS, v1.5 (Cupcake)
- Device family: Android

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: Typing " or ` will result in a type text failing.

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://www.htc.com/www/product/tattoo/specification.html
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_tattoo

BlackBerry Tour 9630 now available for testing for application developer community

2009-11-02T18:34:00.006+02:00

RIM has finally introduced the much anticipated BlackBerry Tour 9630. The new device is now available for those in the BB developer community, who wish to test new applications on Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud service.

BlackBerry Tour 9630

RIM's new device got a cold welcome from reviewers who noted that although it is probably the best device offered by the Canadian manufacturer is fails to compete successfully with other devices offered by competitors.

The strengths of the new smartphone according to Bonnie Cha at CNET are that it offers world-roaming capabilities as well as Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. Together with a great design that combines a sharp display and an easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard in a fairly compact size. On the negative side, it lacks Wi-Fi and the Web browser falls short of the competition.

This is supported by any other review on woodtv, which concluded that "The Tour ends up being a great smartphone, but that’s where the line is drawn. You’re good to get your email, text and picture/video messages, and make phone calls. But It’s not going to challenge the iPhone or the Pre in terms of entertainment".

Another critic at PC World concluded that "the Tour delivers exactly what users expect from a BlackBerry: an excellent keyboard; a slick design; and a hearty, messaging-friendly operating system. But the lack of Wi-Fi is at this point seems unforgiveable in a business-class smartphone."

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service

October 29th, 2009

Specifications

- Screen size: 480 x 360 pixels

- Operating System: Proprietary

- Device family: BlackBerry Tour

Specs Link

- Manufacturer specs: http://na.blackberry.com

- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_tour_9630

Perfecto Mobile to participate at Droidcon Berlin 2009 conference

2009-10-28T18:29:00.012+02:00

Perfecto Mobile will participate at that two day Droidcon 2009 event in Berlin, which will open at November 3. The conference, which is the first Google Android conference to take place in Germany, will bring together different players from the Android developer community.

During the two days meeting, Dan Shoshani, VP Marketing, and Sonja Kaiser, Marketing Manager, will present and demonstrate its Handset Cloud service. The Perfecto Mobile Handset Cloud service enables mobile application developers and content providers to remotely control, over the web, a multitude of real mobile handsets located around the world and to run automated test procedures on them. Perfecto Mobile continuously provides immediate access to the latest and most popular devices through the service.

Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud service allows developers and testers test mobile phone applications over the web on a multitude of real handsets of various platforms, including all the latest Google Android based devices, such as Motorola CLIQ, HTC Hero, HTC Magic, and Samsung i7500 Galaxy.

Perfecto Mobile significantly reduces time-to-market and the cost and logistical effort needed to develop, test, deploy, and monitor new mobile services.

The first day of Droidcon is a networking event, which is called Barcamp – droidcamp, while the second day (November 4th) represents the actual “Droidcon” conference.

The Droidcon09 covers new business areas and trends around the mobile platform of Open Handset Alliance and is expected to attract professionals involved in the mobile field including mobile operators and handset manufacturers.

Perfecto Mobile to present its innovative mobile testing service at the Symbian Exposition & Exchange 2009

2009-10-26T12:08:00.003+02:00

Perfecto Mobile will present its innovative mobile testing service at the Symbian Exchange and Exposition 2009, which will take place 27th – 28th October at Earls Court, London.

Perfecto Mobile will present its groundbreaking Handset Cloud Service at Stand 41 at the fair.

The Symbian Exposition & Exchange is the gathering place for the Symbian community, where developers come together to share, create, network and learn.

Perfecto Mobile, will use the opportunity to present to the Symbian community, its Handset Cloud service, which enables developers and testers test their mobile applications over the web on a multitude of real handsets of various platforms and manufacturers. The service includes a wide range of the latest and most popular Symbian based devices, operating in various mobile networks.

The Symbian Exchange and Exposition (SEE 2009) is the biggest smart device event of the year and an opportunity to experience and debate the future of mobile direct from the industry’s most forward-thinking people.

Nokia 6600i slide can be tested now on Perfecto Mobile's service

2009-10-18T20:09:00.002+02:00

Nokia has lunched the new slide 6600i, which is the Finnish manufacturer's smallest slider phone ever released. The new device is now available for developers, who wish to test their application on Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud service.

The device's elegant look and interesting features got positive reviews. "The Nokia 6600i slide is a timeless beauty for imaging and sharing. Having it in your pocket you will never miss a moment to bring stories alive with the great snapshots," said Mark Peters at LetGoMobile. "In addition to its superb imaging capabilities, the Nokia 6600i slide cell phone indulges the quality-conscious consumer with its compact and elegant design which it has inherited from the commended Nokia 6600 slide. The brushed steel covers and chrome center key constitute both understated elegance as well as visual simplicity, and discreet tap commands bring the display alive, snooze alerts and silence or reject incoming phone calls".

Another reviewer at Phonedone concluded that connectivity is the most common feature in other cell phones but after observing the other mobile reviews we got to know that through Nokia 6600i there are more ways to connect with quad band GSM, UMTS and Bluetooth, EDGE and 3G services for video calls".

At the same time, a critic at Mobile Phone Reviews UK noted that "one major downside is the lack of 3.5G support. Nokia 6600i Slide Mobile Phone was not a much wanted model due to the lack of efficient battery, easily scratch susceptible casing, etc. Now convincing market that Nokia 6600i Slide Mobile Phone is the completely upgraded flawless model is the biggest challenge to Nokia'.

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
September 16th, 2009

Specifications
- Screen size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
- Operating System: Proprietary
- Device family: Nokia Series 40

Usage tips in the Perfecto Mobile service
Limitations: schema is outdated

Specs Link
- Manufacturer specs: http://europe.nokia.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_6600i_slide

Perfecto Mobile enables testing Motorola's new Android smartphone, DEXT (Cliq)

2009-10-15T18:10:00.008+02:00

Motorola has launched the much awaited Android handset, DEXT. The smartphone, which is also known as Cliq, is now available for testing on Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud service.

Motorola DEXT

Critics were very impressed with the new device's operation system. So for instance a blogger at AndroidGuys wrote that "in terms of the software, this is where the device really starts to shine. The Moto Blur software is a great step up from the stock Android platform. It also includes some fantastic enhancements such as unified messaging and loads of applications like Facebook and Twitter included in as standard. Also, make sure you test out the photo gallery- they have really excelled and Phones4U thinks it might just be the best produced to date".

Another reviewer at Andoidbloke noted that "the main advantage of this phone is that it is the second UK handset released in the UK to sport a slide out qwerty keyboard. Coupled with the 5MP camera, this phone is a great debut for Motorola and seriously has me looking putting my G1 into my freecycle pile".

At the same time Flora Graham wrote on CNET UK that she didn't like the fact that the device doesn't look very sexy and she questioned its build quality adding that "social-networking widgets are flaky at times, tinny-sounding calls, some gaps in the user interface and no multi-touch capability."

Motorola Cliq Video

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
October 15th, 2009

Specifications
- Screen size: 320 x 480 pixels, 3.1 inches
- Operating System: Android OS, v1.5 (Cupcake)
- Device family: Motorola

Specs Links
- Manufacturer spec: http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Home
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_dext_mb220

Perfecto Mobile Relevant Resources
Special Droid Cloud offer – Test your applications on the latest Android devices. Subscribe to 20 monthly hours for only $99 per month.

Nokia 5630 XpressMusic device now available for mobile applications testing

2009-10-13T16:34:00.028+02:00

Nokia launched the new 5630 XpressMusic device aimed at music fans. The smartphone is part of series operated by the Symbian operating system and is already available for testing on Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud service.

Apparently, XpressMusic includes the quickest processor Nokia has ever introduced. As one reviewer at symbianworld explained the new device has several advantages such as being compact and slick, 3.5mm audio jack and dedicated music keys and it comes with music service. On the other hand the main disadvantages are that the phone's camera doesn't include auto focus, the Nokia Messaging is not preinstalled and the battery has only 860mAh.

The reviewer concluded, however, that "the slick 5630 XpressMusic offers a standard camera and good music features. Especially combined with Comes with Music, this device will be a must have for every music fan. Other than that the battery life isn’t as good as it could be".

At the same time, a commentator at GSMArena noted that "the 5630 XpressMusic is a great upgrade over the Nokia 5320 - faster 3G, Wi-Fi on board, improved camera, a speedy CPU and all in a 12mm slim package".

Another reviewer at 2tech.Org noted that "This Nokia 5630 Xpress Music series was already starting to use micro USB charger port (the port for both data transfer). This port is in the body, the right end. When connected to a PC, there is the option PC Suite, Mass storage, image transfer, or Media Transfer."

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service
September 17th, 2009

Specs
- Screen size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
- Operating System: Symbian, 3.2
- Device family: Nokia, Series 60

Specs Links
- Manufacturer specs: http://europe.nokia.com
- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com

Nokia's new business phone, E55, now available for mobile testing

2009-10-12T15:05:00.005+02:00

Nokia introduced the E55, a new candybar smartphone, aimed at the business market. The new device is already available for testing on Perfecto Mobile's Handset Cloud service.

The E55 represents the first attempt of the Finish manufacturer’s to introduce a “compact QWERTY keyboard” that consists of 20 buttons.

This unusual move of Nokia requires users to get used to a new reality. As a reviewer at Slashgear noted "the unusual keyboard on the E55 may find favor for those whose fingers aren’t already trained in T9 predictive text, but we struggled with the compact layout and frustrating symbol selection.

Meanwhile the standard keys on the E55 made it perfect for the sort of one-handed use a slim, traditionally-designed handset is best for".

At Phoneareana the reviewer concluded that the Nokia E55 "was worth the money, despite the mediocre in-call quality". The reviewer noted that it sports an almost perfect screen that remains usable in direct sunlight, good keyboard, wonderful browser, extremely capable email client and the necessary organizer functions to meet the needs of highly demanding customers. "To top it off, the handset looks great, is thin, light-weighted and powered by a really robust battery".

At the same time, a reviewer at Mobileburn, who ranked the device as "highly recommended" also highlighted that the device has a few small annoyances, such as not being able to update the firmware over-the-air, or edit outgoing email settings after the initial setup.

Date of introduction to the Perfecto Mobile service

September 17th, 2009

Specifications

- Screen size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches

- Operating System: Symbian, 3.2

- Device family – Nokia, Series 60

Specs Link

- Manufacturer specs: http://europe.nokia.com/find-products/devices/nokia-e55/specifications

- GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_e55