Thanks to a news item by Wap Review, we can let you know that the official English version of UCWEB 7.0 is now available. UCWEB is a popular mobile browser that is available for Symbian, Windows Mobile and Java-enabled devices.

Dennis Bournique of Wap Review has provided some info on what to expect from the S60 and Java versions of UCWEB 7. We took UCWEB for a spin on Windows Mobile Standard, and came out frustrated.

We tried out Download via PC first, and using the phone selection wizard, we found the version for Samsung B7320 and downloaded, then transferred it to phone. When we initiated installation, we got an unsuccessful installation error.

So, we tried the phone download route. Again, download worked fine. Installation went well too. However, each time we launched the browser, we got an error message that there was a problem with UCWEB.exe.

We never got it to run even once. It looks like UCWEB 7.0 still needs some tweaking. We recall that we had some initial problems with using version 6.3 earlier on, but it works fine now – and we dare say we are loving it here at Mobility Nigeria.

Download:
Download UCWEB 7.0 via PC.

In a move to address security issuesabout mobile telephony in the country,the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that the sale of SIM cards on the streets will no longer be permitted from March 1, 2010.

The NCC also says that the operators have been directed to ensure that all currently active SIMs on their respective networks be registered. New SIMs will require registration before activation. Documents like I.D. cards and passport photographs will be required for subscriber registration.

Before the advent of GSM technology in Nigeria, all existing telecoms companies required subscriber registration. Since then, things have changed quite a bit, such that even lines on CDMA networks can now be purchased off the street by anyone without any identification whatsoever.

A serious result of this is that criminal elements find it easy to use mobile communications without a trace. Subscriber registration will certainly go a long way in curbing this.

Of course, subscriber registration and the barring of sale of SIMs on the streets also means that the networks will experience a slower rate of subscriber increase, but we are guessing here that this slower expansion will translate to better quality of service for existing subscribers.

The last few years have witnessed the mobile landscape being littered with promo after promo and huge traffic spikes during such promos. Hopefully, the mobile lottery jamboree will abate (if only a little) as well with this new policy from the NCC.

In all, Mobility Nigeria welcomes the new move to register mobile subscribers.

The term “firmware update” is usually mentioned with regards to smartphones. Perhaps this is because the only people that care about updating firmware are the technology-savvy type – people who would naturally pick a smartphone over a feature phone anyday.

In basic terms, the phone’s firmware is the operating system (software) that the phone runs on.

Anyway, today at the office, one of us happened to need to connect a Nokia 3600 Slide to his PC, and when he did a pop-up balloon notified him that there was an update available for his device. Wonders! Techie as he is, he had not given any significant thought to updating his 3600 Slide.

Out of curiousity, he proceeded to update the phone.

When the update was initiated, Nokia Software Updater rebvealed that the firmware version on his phone was 4.11, and the current available update was 7.23. Such a gap?!

Anyway, 13 minutes and 36mb download later, the update was completed.

So, what difference did the update make? Ehm… we are not quite sure yet. We haven’t noticed anything yet. But there must be something lurking somewhere. We’ll play around and see if we find anything.

Have you ever updated a non-smartphone? Tell us about it.

Recently, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) announced new (and lower) interconnect rates to take effect from December 31, 2009.

Interconnection rate represents the rate which a telecommunications operator pays to another operator on whose network a call is terminated.

The Guardian newspaper reports on this development:

With this development, call terminations on new entrants’ networks are graduated from N10.12 from December 31, 2009 to N8.20 in 2012 while call terminations on older operator’s networks is fixed at N8.20 over the same period.

Another major feature of the new rates is the determination of Interconnect Rates for Short Messaging Services (SMS), for the first time in the country.

It is clear that the NCC is weilding the new rates as a means to regulate tariff in the industry. Lower interconnect rates mean that network operators can further drop their tariffs, as tariffs are often directly related to interconnect rates.

In the backdrop of this, consumers across the country are hopeful for lower telecoms tariffs soon. How soon this will be is a different matter. However, with Glo promising to crash mobile data rates soon, courtesy of its new submarine cable and the new interconnect rates, 2010 is looking on the bright side for telecoms subscribers in Nigeria.

Mobile internet subscribers here in Nigeria have continued to call out for unlimited data bundles, as against the current bundle plans with caps on data usage.

At the moment, the various GSM networks offer data caps of 100mb, 500mb, 1GB, 3GB and 6GB on their plans. Until recently, the CDMA networks generally offered unlimited plans, but it is looking like those too will be placing caps on data usage over time.

In more developed economies, as subscribers have embraced mobility through the use of high-powered smartphones, mobile networks have seen a surge in data usage that is beyond available capacity.

For exmple, AT&T is worried about the fact that 40% of their data traffic came from just 3 percent of smartphone customers. an AT&T executive has been reported as saying:

“We’re going to try to focus on making sure we give incentives to those small percentages to either reduce or modify their usage, so they don’t crowd out the customers on those same cell sites,”

This is just an example of what mobile networks globally are fcing as subscribers get iPhones, Windows Phones, and communictors. It looks like the unlimited internet concept is hitting a brick wall on mobile networks.

Here in Nigeria, MTN and Zain seem to be the worst hit on the GSM front in terms of internet congestion. On an average day, it is next to impossible to get 100kbps speed on an MTN 3.5G connection during peak periods. As a matter of fact, many times, it is difficult to clock 40 kbps (basic GPRS speeds) during those periods. This is inspite of the present caps on usage. Of course, the illegal free browsing crowds are not helping matters.

As for the CDMA networks, it is difficult to rank them in any order, as internet connections (even on EVDO networks) are often reported as so slow as to be unusable.

Of course, part of the problem is from the networks themselves who engage in over-selling, taking on more subscribers than they actually have capacity for. This practice needs to be checked by the regulatory body.

Solutions
Limited bundle plans are just one option. There are some networks in Europe that take a different approach: they offer unlimited data, but once a data threshold (e.g. 3GB or 5GB) is crossed by a subscriber in a month, bandwidth is cut down for that line from HSDPA speeds to GPRS/EDGE speeds for the rest of that month. Sounds interesting. And practical. That way, the minority heavy users do not make life miserable for the majority average users.

Again, the networks, especially here In Nigeria, need to build capacity. Hopefully, with the deployment of fibre optics cables by Globacom and others, the problems of limited bandwidth will be significantly slashed.

One thing is certain: bandwidth is not unlimited on mobile networks, and something must be done to ensure that the user experience on mobile internet plans is good. At the end of the day, it is all about the user experience after all.

2009 is racing to an end. We thought it would be a good idea to conduct a user-centred phone award. That means you, the users, get to vote for the phones that you have used this year and consider top-notch. You will also tell us what exactly it is that you like about the phones you pick.

Categories
There are two categories:

1. Smartphones
2. Non-smartphones

You are welcome to nominate three devices only for each category, listing them in the order of your preference. Please submit your nominations using the comments box below.

We will then collate the nominations and announce the top devices in each category.

If you have questions, please ask.

Don’t forget:

1. list the maximum of three phones under each category
2. list them in the order of preference
3. tell us the outstanding qualities of each phone you list

Nominations are now officially open and will close on Wednesday 30th of December 2009. Results will be presented within a week of that date.

Introduction
We have spent a couple of weeks with the Samsung B7320 OmniaPRO. It is not everyday that one runs into a Windows Mobile device that costs below N50, 000. What is even more striking is the fact that the device in question packs a punch with some of the most up-to-date features in the market.

The closest we have come to this was the Samsung i780, another candybar QWERTY running on Windows Mobile. The i780 is about two years old now but still quite in the game.

Key Features

• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard [upgradeable to 6.5]
• Size and Weight: 111.8 x 59.6 x 12.6 mm. 110 gm
• Display: 65, 000 colors. 320 x 240 pixels, 2.4 inches
• Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528 MHz processor
• Data: GPRS, EDGE, 3G, HSDPA (3.6 Mbps)
• Camera: 3.2 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, autofocus
• Memory: 100mb + microSD slot (no card in retail box)
• Connectivity: USB. Bluetooth
• Text Input: QWERTY keyboard
• Mesaging: SMS, MMS, EMail, Instant Messaging
• Web Browser: Pocket Internet Explorer
• Large capacity Li-Ion 1480 mAh battery
• Wi-Fi
• Video call with secondary VGA videocall camera
• Office documents viewing and editing
• PDF viewer
• Built-in modem (internet sharing)

Strengths

• Very good battery life
• Very good loudspeaker
• One-handed use and interface
• Highly functional QWERTY keyboard with preset & customisable shortcuts
• Good display

Weaknesses

• Older version of pocket internet explorer
• No flash with the 3.2 mega-pixel camera
• microSD card slot under the battery cover

Operating System and User Interface
The barebones Windows Mobile user interface may be dated when it comes to touchscreen devices i.e. devices running Windows Mobile Professional. But the B7320 runs Windows Mobile Standard, which is the WinMo version for non-touch devices.

It is a pleasant surprise that Windows Mobile on non-touch works just fine and logical. There is little to fault here, and coming from us, that is saying something.

So, while WinMo certainly needs to update the user interface for touch devices (WinMo Professional), any updates carried over to WinMo Standard are just a bonus.

Form factor and Display
The B7320 is a candybar device. It is slim enough for one-handed use, which suites WinMo Standard just fine. The device is very light, but feels good in the hand.

The display is 2.4 inches, perhaps not as large as some would like (its a tweeny bit larger than the display of the new Nokia E72, for example), but it is sharp and clear. There are up to 5 levels of brightness that can be set and the phone has a sensor too for automatically adjusting brightness.

Samsung has implemented several homescreen options.
In all there are over 8 homescreen layouts. Our favourite is the WizPro (which looks like an adaptation of the famous TouchWiz home interface). This gives you quick access to notifications, 8 favourite contacts, music and video, photo album, and a list of 8 application shortcuts.

Navigation and Text Input
As stated earlier, the B7320 runs WinMo Standard which is optimised for non-touch smartphones, so navigation is entirely via physical keys. Navigation is mostly logical and stressless.

Navigation is via a central D-pad and soft keys on the display.

It is our first time here toying with a WM Standard device and using it has been pleasurable.

Text input is via a very well laid-out QWERTY keyboard that holds its own besides the likes of the Nokia E71, E63 and a range of Blackberry devices.

In addition, the keyboard has dedicated buttons for calling up Pocket Internet Explorer, Messages, Symbols, Contacts, and Camera. In addition, you can specify other shortcuts using a combination of “Alt” button and another. For example, we have “Alt + B” setup to toggle on/off bluetooth. The keyboard is simply a joy to use.

There is a dedicated home button that returns the display to the homescreen. A long press on this same button calls up the task manager. This displays a list nof all running programmes, and you can switch to any of them. You can also terminate one or all of them.

Internet
The Samsung B7320 comes with a web browser pre-installed. Unfortunately, it is pocket Internet Explorer. That means, this phone has one of the lowest grade browsers on the planet.

That is not necesarilly bad news.It works well, loading both mobile and desktop format websites. But accessing advanced web services results in frustration. By advanced, we mean trying to login to Cpanel to manage your webhosting account or wanting to load flash pages.

Some other advanced services do work. We were able to login to our internet banking account without any issues.

Internet banking over 256-bit security works without issues

Other limitations of PIE include not being able to open multiple windows (tabs), less than good page rendition and almost always having to scroll sideways on certain webpages.

Of course, you can always install and use Opera Mini, Skyfire, UCweb or Iris (if you still have a copy). All these are available 3rd party browsers for the WinMo standard platform.

Email
The email client is standard WinMo fare and works fine. The mail client supports both POP3 and IMAP. Setting up Gmail or regular corporate mail works fine and without issues, so no surprises here.

Organizer and Office features
The B7320 comes with an Office document viewer and editor, so you can carry and manage your documents with you on the go.

Multimedia
The phone packs a 3.2 mega-pixel camera, which does a good job but is hindered by lack of flash.

The standard media player is built-in for audio and video playback. Both work fine. While not the best media player in the smartphone world, the very loud audio reproduction of the B7320 makes listening to tracks and watching videos a joy.

Everybody knows... John Legend on the media player. Album art works fine.

In addition, music tracks on your PC can be set to sync automatically with your phone once connected.

Watching an edition of the Phones Show in full screen mode

Battery Life
A very important consideration in choosing a smartphone is battery life. Here, the B7320 surprises us pleasantly. The battery lasts about 48 hours with consistent email retrieval over a 3G connection, web browsing, camera usage, SMS, and voice calls, among others.

To summarise, the battery simply lasts. This is one smartphone that you won’t have to worry about battery life with.

Customisation
Of course, being Windows Mobile, it is possible to further customise the B7320 to your requirements by installing 3rd party applications. It is important to note though that some apps developed for WM Professional will not work on it. Still, there are loads of WM Standard apps out there.

For starters, you can now download and install Windows MarketPlace. You can then use that to hunt out other applications and/or games you may want.

We also downloaded and installed the Windows MyPhone app and it works fine for backing up and synchronising files on the device.

Synchronizing contacts, calendar items and files via Microsoft MyPhone

Conclusion
The B7320 is a pleasant surprise. Samsung has done an excellent job on this, just like they did with the i780. The B7320 does better though with the excellent battery life and new homescreens, great audio reproduction, as well as price.

In addition, Samsung is set to release a WM 6.5 upgrade for the B7320. This will deliver a much better and up-to-date version of Pocket Internet Explorer, as well as MyPhone and MarketPlace built-in. We are eagerly waiting for that upgrade.

Our verdict: This phone rocks on a 4 on a scale of 5!

The B7320 issomething of a pleasant surprise. It is good value for money and delivers the goods.

Glo announced its free video messaging some months back, but it didn’t quite fly. It looks like they are giving it another try. Here are the contents of an SMS sent out today:

Glo is at it again! Now you can send and receive a video message for FREE.

Experience one of the advantages of 3G on Glo Video Mailbox. It is an experience you have been waiting for. Simply dial 151 as a video call to activate and 154 as a video call to send a video message.

Call 121 or 200 for any assistance.

It is essentially the same announcement made backin October, but will it fly this time?

LTE is short for Long Term Evolution. It is regarded by some as a replacement for current 3G-based networks e.g. WCDMA/UMTS, HSDPA, and HSUPA. However, LTE is more of an upgrade or enhancement of 3G technology the same way that EDGE is an enhancement of 2G technology.

As such, it is not exactly a replacement, and while many refer to it as 4G technology, it is more accurately 3.xxG technology.

With LTE, we are looking at theoretical speeds in the range of 100mbps. Current HSDPA networks offer 7.2mbps maximum speed in theory. LTE is simply a huge leap in broadband speeds.

While there are currently no LTE-enabled phones on the market, a number of networks are firmly committed to deploying LTE. Already, network operators in Sweden and Norway are deploying the first LTE networks. The UK and Finland also have LTE networks under construction, so it looks like the stage is set for a shift.

Question: when do we expect the first LTE network in Nigeria? While this may sound like a far-fetched question, please bear in mind that there are several developed countries that do not have 3G networks that are as robust as some of those that we have on ground in the country right now.

So, who is going to bell the cat here in Nigeria? And when?

In 2007, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) issued 3G licences to four operators – MTN, Glo, Zain, and little-known Alheri. Since the issuance of the licenses, the other three operators have deployed and now offer 3G-based services to millions of subscribers across the country.

But not Alheri. Till date, the Dangote-owned company has nothing to show by way of deploying 3G services. However, Technology Times reports that Etisalat, the fourth GSM operator, is in talks with Alheri to buy the dormant 3G license.

If this pulls through, Etisalat will join the league of GSM networks offering 3G services, and the playing field become a little more level. Etisalat Nigeria currently deploys EDGE as a platform for delivering near-3G speeds. However, a 3G license will allow the youngest GSM operator to deploy HSDPA (3.5G) and HSUPA, delivering true broadband speeds to its fast-growing subscriber base.

Source

The mobile browser wars are on in full steam, with updates from a number of developers.

Opera Mobile 10 beta 2. Opera Mobile needs no introductions, so we’ll just cut to the chase. Beta 2 of this amazing browser has been relesed. It is mostly bug-fixes and a number of usability enhancements. You don’t want to stay on bet 1; do you.
m.opera.com/mobile. Go now!

Bolt, the java-based mobile web browser, is now on version 1.6. This version offers faster page rendering, and a password manager, among others. Head over to boltbrowser.com to download your copy.

Skyfire has been touted as the best mobile browsing experience on Windows Mobile in terms of speed and content delivery. It lets you watch any video, and so far we haven’t found one video embedded in a web page that we couldn’t watch on Skyfire). It also supports all major Web 2.0 standards – Ajax, Javascript, and Flash 10.

Well, Skyfire just got hotter with version 1.5 delivering full-screen action, smoother scrolling and the latest versions of Flash 10 and Silverlight, among others.

Skyfire is available only for Windows Mobile and Nokia phones. Get your free copy on your phone from get.skyfire.com.

There it is, our roundup of mobile browser releases this season.

I called Glo to enquire more about a new product, Digimails.

While waiting to speak to a Customer Care attendant, the hold voice prompter passed this info, amongst others:

“Dear customer, due to overwhelming migration of millions of subscribers to the Glo Big Dash package, many of whom engaged the network more than we anticipated, we are discontinuing this package for now. Not to worry, we will wow you with a new package very soon. Thank you for your patonage”

The Customer Care attendant I spoke to also confirmed this. That’s it, folks. It is over!