By  Aldo Panessidi

A new report from industry luminary ABI Research indicates that more than 50% of all unlocked cell phones will be capable of running on 4G or 3G data networks.  Jake Saunders, VP of Forecasting for ABI Research suggests that . “As the festive cheer of the holiday season dies away, the mood among handset vendors remains quietly confident regarding 2012.   The outlook will yield growth in the order of 8%, netting 1.67 billion handsets shipped worldwide by the end of 2012. Particularly notable is for the first time, 3G and 4G handset shipments will capture more than 50% of total handsets shipped.”  The consumer’s appetite for  high end mobile devices will also drive the after sales cell phone and tablet accessories market.

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.

In an earlier report ABI Research identified the worldwide after-market wireless devices accessories sales increasing to more than $50 Billion by 2015.  Key accessory market indicators were identified as:

Protective Solutions – Bags, Sleeves, Cases and Screen Protectors – $1.2 billion

Hands Free Solution – BlueTooth Headsets and BlueTotth Car Kits – $920 million

Power Solutions – Desktop Chargers, Car Chargers, Wall Chargers, Batteries – $766 million

Memory Solutions – Micro SD Cards and Data Cables – $529 million

Personalization Solutions – Cases & Skins – $520 million

Audio Solutions – Speakers, Earpieces & Headsets – $308 million

In the second half of 2011, top tier mobile device vendors unleashed marketing promotions targeting the upward mobile market audience in emerging smartphone and table markets.   Samsung, used clever ads downgrading Apple users while extolling the benefits of the Galaxy S II X phones and Galaxy Tablet lines of business to make substantial inroads  into these market spaces. Apple is expanding sales channels in emerging markets, with greater success in China than it’s having in India, but is also targeting South American markets such as Brazil. HTC is gaining traction in China, but developed markets such as North America and Europe continue to be the mainstay of its “ship into” markets. RIM, despite its weakness in apps-capable smartphone markets, continues to do well in messaging-centric emerging markets such as Indonesia. Nokia hopes to benefit from Windows Phone 7 Lumia series launches in India (Dec-2011) and China (in 1Q-2012).

Kyocera has finally decided to enter the Android market by announcing their first Android phone the Zio M6000. The Zio will ship with Android version 1.6. The Zio is a tri-band CDMA EVDO Rev. Which is a handset that supports the 800/1700/1900MHz bands. By utilizing these three bands this makes the Zio compatabile with networks operated by Sprint, Verizon and smaller networks such as Cricket. Other features of the new Android phone by Kyocera include WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. The Zio comes with a 3.5 inch WVGA screen with 800 x 480 pixels. The Zio also features a 3.2 megapixel camera with dedicated camera key and video capture at 30 frames per second. Additional features include a digital compass, accelerometer and support for microSD cards up to 32GB.

While it is still unknown when any US carriers will offer the Zio it is safe to say that Kyocera is looking to make quite the splash in the Android market. For their first Android phone the Zio is set to be one of the better Android phones on the market. With all of the features that come standard with this particular model the Zio is expected to be a hit in both the US and foreign markets. I am especially excited to check out the digital compass and video capture camera. There are two pretty cool features that most mobile devices do not currently have.

For their first Android phone it appears as if Kyocera has hit a homerun with the Zio. I will be expecting big things out of them in the future when they learn what more of their consumers are looking for and can incorporate those wishes into newer and more powerful Android phones and for unlocked cell phones.

AT&T gets the LG Arena to add to its family of LG cousins. The LG has been offered as a LG unlocked cell phone outside of the United States until this recent announcement. This great phone contains power packed three-inch touch screen technology with many applications.

Included is a camera that has 5.0 mega pixels, auto focus, and the video capture capabilities to upload and pass pictures and videos around various social networking sites. With a touch of a finger you can locate photos and videos or create rapid-fire photo sequences to capture more that a moment of the great game you are at. LG’s S-Class with 3D user interface touts WiFi and built in GPS technology to get you where you are going. The touch multimedia wheel can keep downloads quickly accessible to listen in the Dolby Mobile surround sound technology.

Although this is not a smart phone it has all the bells and whistles for a social networking phone, The Intuitive browser offers email and texting opportunity with lightning speed touch screen capabilities. Included are the phonebook, calendar, and easy to use alarm. For those of us that are technologically impaired the touch screen alarm clock is a great feature, with in sync time settings, the wake up call will keep us on time. An FM transmitter is included to tune into any games or watch them on the TV out connect option. Bluetooth technology and the speakerphone give no excuse for hands free operations.

AT&T is offering a 7-day try the phone out offer to let you see and experience the ease of operation. If you have been waiting for this phone to get to the states the announcement has just been made and the phone is waiting for you at any ATT retail stores or online. As AT&T gets the LG Arena unlocked, the positioning of other phones joining the team will be an interesting play to watch.

It looks as though we may see national legislation dealing with the use of cell phones while driving this coming year. It’ll probably be tucked into one of the highway bills that will be passed later in the year. This is the speculation coming from the National Safety Council. They have been pushing for cell phone bans while driving much more adamantly.

They are actually looking for a total ban on cell phone use. This includes those using a handheld or even the hands free cell phones. They are basing their recommendations on some of the research that they have been reviewing. They are citing a study by the Harvard Center for risk analysis that says about 6% of accidents can be associated with cell phone use.

With over 270 million mobile phone users, including unlocked cell phones, in the US, it is safe to say that probably over 80% of them use their phones while driving. I do not think that some of these statistics are out of line, but I think that may be the extent of the recommendations of banning cell phone use even if you use a hands-free device such as the Bluetooth headset, is harsh. If we begin to think about how many things we do in the car besides talking on the phone, we may even see legislation banning listening to the radio or talking to somebody in the passenger seat. All of these things can also be very distracting. I certainly agree that texting while you drive is a set up for an accident. I also think that holding the phone while you’re driving is also distracting. But I do know that a hands-free device that allows you to control your calls through voice activation is as safe as changing your radio station.

I am sure that the ban will not include hands-free use, but we should all try to stay on top of the news and to make sure we let our opinions heard. We certainly do not want accidents to be attributed cell phone use, and most certainly are new drivers should not engage in anything that would distract them from properly and safely, learning how to drive. Many of our states have already implemented some form of cell phone ban and the rest of the country will probably soon follow suit. Make sure that you have your Bluetooth or other hands-free devices now before many of the bans are in place.

A TV ad campaign for the HTC Fender has hit the airwaves with Rock Star legend Eric Clapton and T-Mobile promoting the new Limited Fender 3G phone. What is all the buzz about? A collaboration of Eric Clapton and Fender Guitar produced a beautifully designed MyTouch phone with a sleek signature Fender Guitar starburst cover. The expanded tech-musical experience includes a huge pre-loaded song package with Eric Clapton and many other iconic artists that can be accessed with the touch of a finger.

Android powered, the 3G phone has more than 10,000 applications at your finger tips and is able to switch between views, songs and other uses by touch. It has many of the same features as the HTC Google Nexus One Unlocked cell phone.  Album art is displayed on your phone for easy access, touch and listen, beyond cool. Downloading your favorite song for a personalized ring tone will be easier than ever. The HTC designed music players has an enhanced 16GB micro SD card that thousands of your song or videos can be downloaded into. The 3.5mm head set jack offers pure sound and enjoyment for all users. A free download from doubleTwist is a multimedia sync package that will enable you to download easily any audio or video applications from your computer to your phone.

T-Mobile HTC Fender phone is selling for about $200, with a two year contract. The packaging includes the Fender styled earphones, a green star-burst slip-in pouch. Other accessories that you can purchase are the signature Rock Dock and a Bluetooth stereo head set to enhance the already star studded musical experience. The incredibly light weight 4.1 ounce phone can slip handily into your pocket. The phone’s many applications will be like opening a present every time you find a new application to try. The HTC Fender is a Grammy in the phone industry offerings, and T-Mobile has tuned the guitar.

Bluetooth car kits help in taking calls through the car’s audio system. There is an extensive variety available in blue tooth car kits, and you have a lot of options while purchasing a blue tooth car kit. You can select a bluetooth car kit that is compatible with your car’s hardware and also suits your budget. Some popular brands that manufacture Bluetooth car kits include Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, and Blue Sky. Here is a detail of some top seller Bluetooth car kits. 

Nokia Bluetooth Car Kits: The two Bluetooth car kits that gained immense popularity are Nokia HF-33W Bluetooth Plug-in Car Handsfree and Nokia HF-200 Bluetooth Car Kit.  

Nokia HF-33W Bluetooth Plug-in Car Handsfree: It contains 1.2 Bluetooth versions and possesses incorporated loudspeaker and microphone, illuminated buttons for managing calls and digital signal processing for echo cancellation and reduction of noise.

Nokia HF-200 Bluetooth Car Kit:  It consists of 2.0 Bluetooth version and its dimensions are 80 x 45 x 21 mm. The provided talk time is up to 10 hours and stand-by is up to 150 hours. This Nokia Bluetooth car kit is a great way of handling handsfree calls while driving car. It includes echo canceling and noise reduction features for clear conversation without disturbance. 

Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Car Kits: Sony Ericsson supplies various kinds of Bluetooth car kits to make your driving experience safe and undistracted while you talk on cell. Some of these kits are discussed below:

Sony Ericsson HCB-120 Bluetooth Speakerphone:  It acts as a good alternative for using headset to attend your calls. You can easily see the details of who is calling and manage wireless discussions effectively. You can completely focus on driving while taking the calls you want and screening the ones you don’t.

Sony Ericsson HCB-105 Bluetooth Car Kit: This Bluetooth car kit has superb sound features and is easily portable. It provides up to 25 hours of talk time and up to 700 hours stand-by. While shipping a CLA-60 model car charger and a visor clip are provided along with it.

Sony Ericsson HCB-108 Bluetooth Car Kit: It provides very clear sound quality and has long talktime and stand-by time. So, there is no need to worry about its battery life or recharging. It is very easy to install and is slim and sleek in designing.

So as you can see there is a wide variety of options even if you don’t like to have a piece stuck in your ear.  You can check out Puremobile to see a complete selection

Bluetooth car kit is a device that allows people to chat on their mobile phones while driving.  With this device, there is no need to hold mobile phone in your hand while you are taking a call. This device not only allows you to drive the car safely but also makes you follow cell phone driving laws as using a cell phone while driving is illegal in many countries. You just need to have a Bluetooth enabled handset to avail the benefits of this amazing device. The device will be automatically connected as soon as the Bluetooth in your cell phone is turned on.

The easy to install Bluetooth car kits offer many unique and entertaining features as well. You can stream music wirelessly from your mobile phone through Bluetooth and listen to the music of your choice. Just press a single button to answer calls, end calls, adjust volume and more. Some Bluetooth car kits also come with an integrated noise reduction and echo canceling ability. Here are some of the advantages of using Bluetooth car kits:

Ease of Calling: The voice dialing feature of Bluetooth car kits allow you to make calls without taking attention off the road. You can easily place the call from the headset through voice dial, without picking up the cell phone.

Added features: Some Bluetooth car kits not only offer the ease of receiving and making calls but offer entertainment features also. You can keep on enjoying listening to music on your car stereo system without having to mute the stereo when receiving calls. The volume of music is muted by the car kit when a call comes and turns on when the call ends.

Easy to install: Bluetooth car kits are very easy to install, simply plug it into your car’s cigarette lighter and pair it with your Bluetooth enabled phone, and you can start talking.

Compatibility: Several Bluetooth car kits are compatible with different models of cell phones as the basic Bluetooth technology is the same. You can also connect a number of Bluetooth enabled devices to these kits at the same time.  

Bluetooth car kits are a great alternative to the bluetooth headset.  Many people don’t like having to place the headset in their ear.  You can check out a whole range of them at puremobile.com

The brand name Sony Ericsson emerged as a result of the combined effort of the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to make mobile phones. Like Sony Ericsson mobile phones, Sony Ericsson Bluetooth car kits have also proved to be successful in providing the customers with the great level of functionality, style and entertainment. 

Sony Ericsson Bluetooth car kits are very easy to install and are compatible with many Sony Ericsson and non-Sony Ericsson mobile phones. These Bluetooth car kits come with all the features that make the task of dialing and receiving calls safe, simple and convenient. Apart from this, these kits also offer lots of entertaining features. With the integrated noise reduction and echo canceling ability, Bluetooth car kits allow you to listen the music and caller’s voice very clearly. Here are some popular Bluetooth car kit models manufactured by Sony Ericsson:

Sony Ericsson HCB-120 Bluetooth Car Kit: This elite Bluetooth car kit comes with features like voice dialing, incredible battery life, echo-free high-quality sound and more. The HCB-120 allows your mobile phone to connect with up to six mobile phones and assigns each phone a unique color ID so that you may know who is connected. These portable Bluetooth kits also show caller ID information and are compatible with many Sony Ericsson and non-Sony Ericsson cell phone models like Blackberry 8300, Blackberry 8330 Curve, Samsung SCH-U540 and more. 

Sony Ericsson HCB-105 Bluetooth Car Kit: This handy Bluetooth kit is great for the people looking for simple, sleek designed Bluetooth kit with the excellent sound quality. The HCB-105 requires no installation and is conveniently sized to fit on your car’s visor. This product comes with the talk time of up to 25 hours and standby time of up to 700 hours and has the ability to keep you entertained even during long journeys. This Bluetooth car kit model is compatible with large number of Sony Ericsson and non-Sony Ericsson Bluetooth enabled cell phones.

Sony Ericsson HCB-150 Bluetooth Car Kit: This amazing Bluetooth car kit not only displays the name of the caller but also speaks it with its text-to-speech function. The HCB-150 features OLED display, ability to connect with up to five mobile phones, excellent talk and standby time, extraordinary audio quality and more. This Bluetooth car kit can also be used in home or office as a tabletop speakerphone. This model is compatible with the latest Sony Ericsson mobile phones like G700, G900 Z770i, Xperia X1, W980i, P1i and K850i.

Handsfree car kits are a great alternative for people who don’t enjoy putting a Bluetooth in their ear.  Whatever your taste you can find it over at puremobile.com