Nokia unveils new smartphones to rival iPhone

HELSINKI (AFP) - – Nokia, the world's leading mobile phone maker, unveiled Wednesday three new smartphones as the Finnish firm tries to claw back market share from Apple's popular iPhone and RiM's Blackberry.

The three new Nokia phones, two of which feature touch screens, are scheduled to be in stores during the fourth quarter of 2009 as Nokia increasingly focuses on applications and services.

"Nokia aims at reaching the many, not the few, with our rich portfolio of services. We are doing this through an increasing number of open partnerships with world leaders in many fields," chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said in a statement.

Nokia is the world's largest maker of smartphones, with 45 percent of the market in the second quarter, but its product line has been seen as ageing as Canada's RiM and Apple have snatched market share with more advanced models.

The new Nokia N97 mini will have a touch display and will feature the Lifecasting with Ovi application, enabling users to update their account on the Facebook social networking site with their cell phone.

Meanwhile the Nokia X6 and X3 will update the Finnish company's music phone selection.

In recent weeks Nokia has also launched a mini laptop "Booklet 3G" and the N900 smartphone, and announced that Microsoft Office software will be available on Nokia smartphones as of next year.

But while analysts said Nokia was moving in the right direction, they do not expect the new devices to have a big impact on profitability this year.

"It is not likely that there will be much impact from this in terms of sales or profitability during the remainder of this year, but it will be visible next year," FIM Bank analyst Michael Schroeder told AFP.

"Time will tell how Nokia can turn these (new products) into sales and how consumers will accept them," he said.

Analysts said that while big scale was to Nokia's benefit, it had its disadvantages too.

"Nokia has to think about large volumes and it cannot make changes that quickly. And its Symbian S60 (smartphone) user interface is not very modern," Pohjola Bank analyst Hannu Rauhala said.

Schroeder also criticised the Symbian user interface as outdated and complex and said he considered the N900 smartphone, running the new Linux Maemo platform, the most interesting of Nokia's new products.

Nokia's sales have been sliding since the third quarter of 2008 and it has boosted its profitability by slashing costs and reducing its workforce by some 4,000.

In July Nokia reported a second-quarter net profit down by 66 percent on a 12-month basis to 380 million euros (541 million dollars).

Apple to unveil tablet computer: reports

WASHINGTON (AFP) - – What's next from Apple? According to various reports, the California-based company plans to come out later this year with a portable tablet-sized computer that can surf the Web and may also serve as an electronic book reader.

London's Financial Times was the latest publication on Monday to report on the long-rumored device from the company behind the iconic Macintosh computer, the iPod and the iPhone.

The FT story follows reports in Silicon Valley technology blogs that Apple was developing a new touch-screen computer described by some as a large-screen iPod Touch.

Apple was hoping to offer the tablet computer in time for the Christmas shopping season, according to the newspaper, which said the device would have a screen that may measure up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) diagonally.

It would be able to connect to the Internet like the iPod Touch, allowing access to Apple's online stores, but probably would not have phone capability.

"It's going to be fabulous for watching movies," an unidentified entertainment executive told the FT.

The newspaper said book publishers have also been in talks with Apple about offering books on the new device, which could emerge as a potential rival to Amazon's popular Kindle electronic reader.

Apple, the FT said, is simultaneously working with the four largest record labels -- EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group -- on a project codenamed "Cocktail" aimed at stimulating digital sales of albums.

Album sales have fallen sharply as consumers opt for purchases of individual songs from online stores like Apple's iTunes.

"Cocktail" would offer interactive features, such as lyric sheets, photos and videos with music album downloads.

"It's all about re-creating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music," an unidentified executive told the newspaper.

The FT did not reveal any details about the price of the planned tablet computer.

Apple is traditionally highly secretive about projects under development, revealing them only at launch and guarding zealously against leaks.

Sirius XM to roll out iPhone app in second quarter

NEW YORK - Sirius XM Radio Inc looks to expand the reach of its satellite radio service with the second-quarter launch of an iPhone application as it explores a potential marketing partnership with satellite TV provider DirecTV Group.

The company, which had to sell a 40 percent equity stake to John Malone's Liberty Media to resolve looming debt problems, is looking for new revenue streams as its primary distribution outlet, new car ales, is looking "terrible" this year, management said on Thursday.

Sirius said the iPhone application would be available to its 19 million subscribers and to Apple Inc's 7 million U.S. iPhone users. It can also be used by iPod Touch Wi-Fi users,

"This is a large and interesting opportunity that will maintain our subscription-based economics while providing customers easier access to our content through means other than our traditional satellite-based platform," Sirius President of Operations and Sales Jim Meyer said on a call with analysts.

Sirius also sells satellite radios through traditional retail outlets, but it had a very weak fourth quarter, when electronics chain Circuit City, a major customer, filed for bankruptcy.

"There's a lot of opportunity for with iPhone," said Miller Tabak analyst David Joyce. "Unlike buying a new car, it's not an expensive proposition, but it's a tough time for consumers to be trying new products."

Based on January and February data, car sales for 2009 are projected to fall to between 9 million and 9.5 million, a far cry from historical volumes of 16 million to 17 million a year, according to Sirius management.

But the company said it was benefiting from "truly extraordinary" operating efficiencies following its protracted acquisition of XM Satellite Radio, which closed last year.

Sirius said it would post positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in 2009, the first year it would do so. It expects 2009 EBITDA to exceed $300 million, compared with the analysts' average estimate of $303.4 million compiled by Reuters Estimates.

However, Sirius said the U.S. recession made it impossible for it to forecast revenue or give a more detailed earnings outlook.

Sirius Chief Executive Mel Karmazin said he had held talks with DirecTV Chief Executive Chase Carey and Liberty Chief Executive Greg Maffei in recent days about possible joint marketing opportunities.

Liberty has a 48 percent controlling stake in DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite TV provider, and there has been much speculation of an operational partnership with Sirius.

"We think that there are opportunities to work with lots of partners, including DirecTV, on ways of adding subscribers for both companies," said Karmazin.

"It wouldn't be hard to think about the fact that DirecTV might be able to have a special package for many of their subscribers to be able to get Sirius at an attractive price."

A DirecTV was not immediately available.

Sirius shares were up 21.9 percent at 19.5 cents in afternoon Nasdaq trade.