By Aldo Panessidi

While cell phones are evolving to become one of our most valuable devices in our mobile lifestyle ... more and more cell phones are being damaged by water than any other way.  To this end, user's have clamoring for a completely waterproof protective cell phone case.

Otterbox  has responded to market needs with news of the June 24th release of their new Armor series cell phone case for iPhone 4S.  This new Armor cell phone case is designed to be dust proof, drop proof, waterproof and crush proof, thus offering topmost protection.

Otterbox has built a solid reputation for providing the safest cell phone cases on the market, their Defender and Commuter series of cases have won wide acclaim for delivering superior protection against the elements of the daily hustle and bustle.  The Otterbox Armor series is the pinnacle of protection, as demonstrated in the following video:

A strong competitor, Lifeproof also offers cell phone cases designed on their trademark 'Four Proofs' - that is waterproof, dirtproof, snowproof and shockproof.  You can rest assured that the Lifeproof cases are designed to be a total solution for protecting your iPhone 4S from the elements as can be seen in the following video:

The race is now on... which of these two top brands will be first to market a waterproof/shockproof cell phone cases for the BlackBerry and Android smart phones such as:

Samsung Galaxy S 3,  Galaxy S 2, Galaxy S2 X, Galaxy S 2 LTE

HTC One S,  HTC One X, HTC One V and HTC EVO 3D

Nokia Lumia 900 and Nokia Lumia 800

Motorola Droid RAZR, Motorola Defy and Motoluxe

Sony Xperia U, Sony Xperia ION, Sony Xperia Play

LG Optimus L7, LG Optimus 4G LTE 

Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables, HTC Media Link and XMI Speakers all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

By Aldo Panessidi

For all the sales records being set by some smartphone manufacturers, total worldwide sales dropped by 2% since the same time period last year.  Only 419.1 million units sold in the Q1 2012 versus 427.8 million in Q1 2011. This is the first time since the second quarter of 2009 that the market has shown a decline.

On the mobile accessories side... more and more consumers are protecting their valuable devices with the latest innovative protection solutions... stylish top brand bags, sleeves as well as  cases and skins specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

According to Gartner Inc., lack of new product launches and users delaying their upgrades in Asia/Pacific countries are the top reasons for the drop. The first quarter is usually the strongest quarter for Asia due to its Chinese New Year. There should be some recovery coming as users in Asia look for better smartphone deals to arrive later in the year.

Take your devices to new level, enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and XMI Speakers all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

Android accounted for more than half of all smartphone sales, with a 56.1% market share in the first quarter of 2012. Apple’s iOS has second place with an increase from 16.9% in 2011 to 22.9%.

Samsung became the world’s top mobile handset vendor during the quarter. It took the top spot from Nokia which had been No. 1 since 1998. Samsung’s mobile phone sales reached 86.6 million units, a 25.9% increase from last year. Samsung took back the world’s No. 1 smartphone position from Apple, selling 38 million smartphones worldwide. Samsung’s Android-based smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2012 represented more than 40 percent of Android-based smartphone sales worldwide; no other vendors achieved more than a 10 percent share of the market.

By Aldo Paneesidi

Managing Customer churn as well acquiring new customers is an ongoing problem for all carriers... as such, they make it difficult for customers to switch providers.  To this end, practically all carriers worldwide engage in 'false highly-persuasive' advertising.  They will typically lure consumers with the offer of FREE smartphone and then hook, reel and lock them in with long term service plans that are designed to not only subsidize the cost of the cell phone but provide wireless voice & data services at premium prices.  To further enforce customer loyalty, carriers lock their giveaway phones to only work within their network frequencies - thus making it difficult for consumers to leave them for another carrier.

In some cases, the programming may be easy to reverse, with the user simply reformatting the cell phone or removing the phone's memory card.   In other instances, the phone may be designed in such a way that it is impossible to use it with another network, with most cell phone brands, like Apple, Blackberry, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, HTC, LG Mobile and Sony to name a few,  manufacturing specific phones for particular networks.

In contrast, an unlocked phone are simply handsets that aren't handcuffed to a specific carrier's service package can be used on any network.

Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Discover the latest innovative protection solutions... stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

Unlocking a phone - How it works

A cellphone handset is like a body without a brain. It can't make calls unless it has a thumbnail-sized chip called a SIM card installed. The SIM card identifies an individual phone on a cellular network so that calls can be routed to it as the handset is carried from place to place, so the owner's account can be billed for air time and long-distance fees, and so on.

When a phone is bought on a service plan, the SIM card in that phone is linked to the subscriber's ID information for billing. Most carriers lock the phone by programming its software so that it will only work with the SIM card they provide — try to swap it with a card from another carrier because it has a cheaper service plan, for example, and the phone won't recognize it.

An unlocked cellphone is one that will recognize any SIM card. So if you're travelling in Europe and don't want to incur roaming charges or have every local call billed as long distance by your regular North American cellphone carrier, you can buy a local European carrier's card during your stay and pop it into your regular phone.

The caveat is that there are two main cellphone networks, and they aren't compatible with one another. One is based on the CDMA standard, which is popular in North America and parts of Asia, and used by Bell and Telus in Canada. The other is GSM, which is used by Rogers in Canada and is the most common cellphone standard outside North America, used by more than 2 billion subscribers in most countries around the world.

An unlocked phone will work on a compatible network — CDMA phones on CDMA networks and GSM handsets on GSM networks. But many CDMA phones have the SIM card built in, and have to be reprogrammed directly to make the phone work on another carrier's network. Most GSM handsets, on the other hand, have a slot that allows a SIM card to be swapped easily by the user.  As a result, unlocked cellphones available in Canada are predominantly GSM models.

Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

By Adhurim Murtezai

After the shock and awe of the Consumer Electronics Show last month, Samsung is bringing us a more mid-range mobile device that will satisfy those consumers  who want more functionality without shelling out the money for a brand-new, top of the line smartphone. So, without further ado we introduce to you the Galaxy S Advance a welcome addition to the Samsung Galaxy cell phone line.

The following is an insightful video review of the Samsung Galaxy S Advance by Mobile Gazette

Customers will experience a zippy interface that is quick to open apps and multi-task on. The specs are solid, if not stellar. 4 inch Super AMOLED display gives a great visual experience and the middle-of-the road RAM and internal storage are pretty standard.   There are no current plans to move the mobile OS from Android Gingerbread to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Consumers can further enhance the Samsung Galaxy S mobility by optimizing aaplications with select accessories including stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

As Samsung’s President of IT & Mobile Communications Division, JK Shin noted, “The GALAXY S Advance adds to the successful track record of the GALAXY  smartphone range with a phone that combines power and style with all the versatility of Samsung’s Hub services.” This particular group of services is what will give users over 11 million music tracks, 2.3 million e-books, 3,500 magazine and 200 newspaper titles which are both excellent reasons to invest in good headphones and speakers.

For gamers, the ever-popular Game Hub puts thousands of catalogued games at users’ fingertips. As these may take up more juice, check the specs and requirements to see if a purchase of additional resources is needed.

And, in a move that will bring a more competitive offering to the new Nokia Windows Phone line, ChatON acts as a kind of people hub to interactively share content, group chat via video and voice and in general make messaging intuitive and easy. The last (and perhaps favorite) feature is Find My Mobile which is a unique lost-phone management system. Securing and encrypting data, ability to wipe the device data via Web or trace the device via Web is uber awesome.

All in all, Samsung looks to bring a best-of-both-worlds kind of phone to market and we look forward to seeing the smartphone in action!

By John Castell

Anyone who followed the Consumer Electronics Show knows that Nokia is making some serious moves to win business and mindshare in the United States this year. The company has moved lightning fast since signing agreements with Microsoft last year with Nokia Lumia cell phones winning some great nods of approval.

Based on the announcement that Nokia will be launching its first Window mobile OS smartphone with T-Mobile in the United States, which will allow Nokia to extend market breadth and reach wider consumer base. Noted as an important part of their strategy, the next few months of product releases and announcements are bound to keep the good press rolling.

Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky! Discover the latest innovative protection solutions… stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes. Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

While it does not have quite the jaw-dropping specs and capabilities as their flagship Lumia 900, which will be launching with AT&T in March…  the Nokia 710 smartphone will be available for $50.  Walmart will have it available for free with a service contract.  This will further expand Nokia’s to capture the consumers that want transition from their current feature phone to a smartphone. With these incredible deals, customers have more funds to accessorize their new handset with accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

But what will customers get with this phone? To start, it is 4G capable with a great scratch-resistant ClearBlack screen that makes for easier outdoor viewing.  Browsing is made snappy with a Snapdragon processor and makes uploading photos taken from the 5 megapixel camera a breeze (and Nokia has some impressive camera technology at work). Even gamers will be satisfied with the interactive gaming experience through Xbox Live.  Experience the mind blowing clarity of XMI Speakers.  Uncompromised sound quality and a revolutionary design accentuating today’s interactive lifestyle.   Our earpieces and headsets combine sophisticated style and precision engineering that deliver brilliant sound for your total listening pleasure.

While we can’t write to the accessory options available at Walmart or T-Mobile to accompany this purchase, there are an incredible number of peripheral devices and accessories to peruse online. And if you want a Nokia phone without being tied to a carrier, we will keep you posted on any unlocked options coming down the pipeline!

By Aldo Panessidi

The furor and fervor of CES is slowly dimming after its close and industry and consumers alike now have a moment to digest all that was seen, shown and announced in Las Vegas last week. With 2011being an incredible year of innovation and development, the question of “how will 2012 compare?” spiked the excitement of this year’s convention. The result? 2012 tech is impressive.   Get complete overview of the CES manufacturer brand announcements on the 'All You Need to Know On CES 2012' blog.

From very innovative protective accessories, charging solutions, power solutions, earpieces and headsets for new tablets and unlocked cell phones, and any number of apps were brought around for our perusal in this modern-day bazaar. But which innovations took home the coveted CNET award for 2012? The readers and editors of CNET granted the Research In Motion owned QNX platform for their latest Blackberry smartphones and PlayBook 2.0 as well as for the best best car tech for its QNX CAR 2 application which will has impressive implications. Tying the mobile OS into the car keeps the consumer demand for technological entertainment at their fingertips while incorporating conversational voice recognition.

The concept Porsche Carrera demonstrates how the “one-touch Bluetooth pairing using Near Field Communications (NFC) eliminates the hassle of pairing the driver’s phone to the car. And experience how conversational voice recognition and in-vehicle controls enable drivers to use the car’s infotainment system easily and conveniently.” This could be the breakthrough innovation that breathes life back into RIM and launch a myriad of car tech and mobile  accessories.

On the smartphone front, Nokia took home the Best Smartphone award for the latest Nokia cell phone release the Lumia 900 (probably for its great interaction with Microsoft technology and adaptability with other tech accessories). Another pseudo-win for Microsoft is BlueStacks recognition for its technology that gives Windows 8 products the ability to run Android apps.

Android itself was recognized for its role in the impressive quad-core Ice Cream Sandwich ASUS Memo 370T tablet. A great alternative in the tablet market, industry spectators are bound to be anxious to see what additional accessories will be forthcoming to further enhance the capabilities of this technology.

By Aldo Panessidi

No doubt, Nokia cell phone Lumia 900 made quite an impression at CES, but another (non-Samsung and non-Apple) smartphone contender made waves as well.  That is Sony Ericsson’s Xperia S. Taking the approach of tailoring and optimizing software to the hardware, Sony has taken the familiar and effective Gingerbread OS and made a device that runs incredibly smoothly and also has the look and feel of a great smartphone.

Like the Nokia Lumia handsets, the Sony Xperia S smartphone is made of a single piece of high density polycarbonate which feels substantial and appears chic and modern. It also serves as a great frame to the 720p screen that uses the Sony Bravia Engine and fuses the LCD glass to bring down reflections.  Let the latest in trend setting fashionable accessories express your unique style!  Discover an extensive array of award-wining design protective cases and skins deliver modern style, stunning design and smart protection.  Make your mobile devices stand out.  Customize your look - how cool can you be?

Another impressive feature is this handset’s camera.  For what it lacks in flashy new Android OS updates, a 12 megapixel rear facing camera that can be used with just the press of a side button – even when the phone is turned off! Incredibly zippy, this camera goes from zero-to-shutter in less time than the Galaxy Nexus. And, the photo quality far surpasses the competition as well.

Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

Unfortunately, Sony Ericsson opted to use the Snapdragon S3 chip instead of the S4. Also disappointing is the lack of LTE on this device (which the manufacturer doled out to its AT&T exclusive Xperia Ion in the US). There are rumors that an LTE Sony phone will come Canada’s way in Q3, but in tech terms that is quite a ways out.

Some silver lining to the LTE regret is Sony will be bundling Video Unlimited support and the Xperia S is Playstation Certified which is great news for gamers who will have access to an ever growing number of PSOne games. This makes a case for purchasing better earpieces and headphones, speakers and additional MicroSD Memory cards to get the most of the device investment.

Canada should see this smartphone hit the market in March or so, but actual release dates and carrier availability are bound to follow, so keep tuned!

By Megan Fleet

Let’s be honest, the latest hero device from the Nokia cell phone line-up, the Lumia 900 wowed spectators  at the CES. From the keynote Microsoft address that showed an impressed audience the fruits of its partnership with Nokia and how the device works with Microsoft peripheral devices like the Xbox. The stellar performance of the Nokia Lumia 900 was duly recognized by CNET which named the smartphone as its category winner at the 2012 CES.

The move from Symbian to Windows mobile OS and the added bonus of BlueStack’s technology which will bring Android apps to those customers has sparked excitement and hope into both Nokia and Microsoft that 2012 will bring a 180 degree shift in sales and market share.

What is better news is that the vague announcement that the Nokia Lumia 900 will be available in “the next few months” may be whittled down to a more accurate date if the rumor mill is based in any kind of truth. Even more reliable is that the March 18^th date is being bandied about by Windows gurus Paul Thurrott and Mary Jo Foley. These two “all about Windows” people came together to work on TWiT and discuss March as the release month in the latest Nokia developer newsletter.

Mister Thurrott is apparently not one for vagueness by making it clear that the Nokia Lumia 900 will be released precisely on March 18^th. Hopefully his crystal ball or tea leaves are accurate as anxious customers are bound to seek out this sleek unlocked cell phone as soon as possible.

Surely the smartphone manufacturer will make more accurate announcements that will include date of availability, the cost, and start touting more of the peripheral accessories that will heighten the handset’s popularity and longevity in a fickle, competitive and ever changing mobile tech market.

By Megan Fleet

Ah, Nokia – you are fast becoming a breath of fresh air! Sure, dumping Symbian for Windows as a mobile OS was a little harsh, but who can’t see the vividly dramatic humor in that? So in this week of consumer tech euphoria, what did Nokia dish out? A little love to its prospective customers in the United States: the first Nokia cell phone, the Lumia 900 4G LTE which was designed specifically with the US in mind. 

Let’s be honest – this is a striking phone. Not only does it have a 4.3 inch Clearblack AMOLED display, the polycarbonate shell (available in cyan and black) is indeed both “bold and beautiful.” As this device was designed with the States in mind and is sporting Nokia’s new mobile OS alliance, Windows, it is no surprise that this model will be exclusive to AT&T when it is released. Unfortunately for customers tied to other network carriers, this smartphone is not to be released unlocked.  Let our  trend setting fashionable cases and skin accessories express your unique style.  Make your mobile devices stand out.  Customize your look - how cool can you be?

The inner workings and benefits of the Windows OS (People Hub, Live tiles etc) will override some customer concerns about the exclusivity with AT&T. Sporting 4G speed, a long lasting 1830 mAh battery, a typical 16GB of storage (and for flexible storage options, supplementary memory cards are an option) and a 8MP camera, this device may well be the preference for AT&T customers considering the “aggressive pricing” we are being advise to anticipate when the Lumia 900 is made available later this year.  Discover an extensive selection of the latest lithium technology replacement cell phone and wireless devices batteries.  Ensure your device is powered by brand name batteries for longer operating life.

I will say that the mobile app to connect to AT&T’s U-Verse as a remote is pretty darn neat. As is the Nokia Drive app to give customers free GPS capabilities. For gamers, rock a great set of headphones or ear pieces and soak in some bragging rights. Nokia’s partnership with EA will bring over 20 of the most popular games to the Windows Phone marketplace. Of course, the Nokia Lumia devices will be the first to benefit from this liaison.  Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool!  Discover select accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

With a great start to 2012, Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of devices for AT&T surmised the year’s goals beautifully: “Together, we are working to supercharge the ecosystem around the Nokia Lumia 900 and the Windows Phone platform.”

By Aldo Panessidi

The CES extravaganza comes to an end today.   Many new and upcoming companies vied to showcase breakthrough products and technology this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV.  Like any successful mall, this convention has its premier companies at the show – like Microsoft.  Discover the convenience of online shopping at renowned retailers such as Pure Mobile - your one stop shop for cell phone and mobile device accessories.  PureMobile has an accessory solution for every lifestyle.... This is personal. This is you. This is Shopping Simplified.

In fact, it was in 1995 that Microsoft founder, Bill Gates first spoke at a CES workshop – at the Hilton. Addressing a small workshop of people, Gates told his freshman audience that the consumer electronics revolution would be social. In turn, the CES and Microsoft have had a symbiotic relationship and turned the event into a tech maelstrom quite unlike anything else.  Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Discover the latest innovative protection solutions... stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. Or at least to a pause. In Microsoft's keynote speech which was delivered by the charismatic CEO, Steve Ballmer, wherein he  announced that in the foreseeable future Microsoft would not be attending the CES event. This certainly captured the audience’s attention. Ballmer followed up with an interview with the one-and-only Ryan Seacrest where they began reviewing Microsoft’s 2012 line.  As a well-known radio personality, Ryan Seacrest enjoys accessories that deliver high quality audio.   Experience the mind blowing clarity of XMI Speakers.  Uncompromised sound quality and a revolutionary design accentuating today’s interactive lifestyle.   Our earpieces and headsets combine sophisticated style and precision engineering that deliver brilliant sound for your total listening pleasure.

The Windows Phone 7 and how it flips the focus to the consumer by making it people centric (i.e. the vision behind their smartphone’s mobile platform creation). Showing their strength in not only manufacturing their own device, but also integrating the OS with other phone manufacturers, the audience got a peek at Nokia cell phone line up which includes Lumia 710 and Lumia 800.

This has the whispers of “unlocked cell phone” to their smartphone strategy. The degree that Google Android has employed this has been a factor in its swift global growth. In pairing with other vendors and letting its mobile OS win over customers in conjunction with unlocked devices, they have a greater chance of catching up on some major market shares.

The presentation continued into ASUS tablets and then into the very exciting Xbox / Kinect technology. Interactive, they have touched on another love of consumers: streamlining devices and gaining meaningful, real world technology. The Kinect can be used as an accessory of sorts to the Lumia 900 (or perhaps the other way around?!). The demos were seriously cool and would challenge even the most dedicated Luddite to play and marvel.