Mobile Report August 2013

INSERT IMAGE IN BACKGROUND
MAKE SURE IT FILLS THE SCREEN 100%
A MONTHLY SNAPSHOT OF
MOBILE NEWS, VIEWS, EVENTS
& DEVELOPMENTS LOCALLY
AND ABROAD

HOWTOUSETHISREPORT
Thisreport isintended to be aneasy-to-reference tool
It isaresource that you can flipthrough in your owntime –
and not to necessarily read from front-to-back

CONTENTS
» Executive Summary
» Section 1: Mobile Landscape
» Section 2: Mobile Innovation and Campaigns
» Section 3: Mobile Devicesand Operating Systems
» Section 4: Mobile Networks
» Section 5: SocialNetworks
» Section 6: Facebook Statistics forAfrica
» Sources and Contacts

EXECUTIVESUMMARY
1. SouthAfricahasAfrica’scheapestpostpaiddatapricesandthenumberofinternetusersreaches14millionmark
2. WhileKenya’smobilemarketshrinks,Botswana’s internetsubscriptionsgrow
3. KenyaAirwaysunveil mobilemoneyintegration
4. LaunchofM-PESAinIndia
5. UbuntuEdgemissesitstarget,butstillthebiggestcrowdfundingcampaignever
6. MySmartEyeappforsmartphonesallowsblindpeople‘see’what’saroundthem
7. FirstTri-SIMsmartphonebyGoophoneandLG
8. Apple’siPhone5SlaunchisexpectedinSeptemberandSamsungisworkingon5S

EXECUTIVESUMMARY
9. Blackberrymaybeupforsale
10. Newappthatturnsanysurfaceintoatouchscreen
11. VivoX3,thenextworld’sthinnestsmartphone
12. TheLTEtechnologytobelaunchedinZimbabweand3GserviceinGuinea
13. FacebookeyesmobilemoneyandInstagramacquiresvideoeditingapp
14. ThelatestFacebookstatisticsforAfrica

14MILLIONINTERNETUSERSINSOUTH
AFRICA
» The DMMA, working with Echo’s Peter Langschmidt, says the internet
populationstandsat14millionpeople,representing39%ofadultsinSouth
Africa.
» The figure was derived from the All Media Products Survey (AMPS) and
independently validated by Effective Measure (EM), the DMMA’s official
measurementproviderfordigitalaudiencedata.
» EffectiveMeasure’suniquebrowsersaccessingtheinternet is11.6million
monthlyinternetusers.
» Web browsing via mobile phones as well as computers is 11.3 million
monthlyinternetusers.
Source: DMMA, 29 July 2013

KENYA’SMOBILEMARKET‘SHRINKS’
BY900,000SUBSCRIBERS
» MobilesubscribernumbersinKenyahavefallenfrom30.7millionto29.8
millionbetweenJanuaryandMarchthisyear.
» This is according to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK)
quarterly‘SectorStatisticsReportforJanuarytoMarch2013’.
» The regulator says the decline has mainly been attributed to the
deactivationof2.4millionunregisteredSIMcardsduringthequarter.
» TheCCKaddsthatthedecreaseinmobilesubscriptionshasresultedina
fallinmobilepenetrationfiguresfrom78%inthepreviousquarterto75.8%
intheperiodunderreview.
» Also, total mobile traffic declined by 1.2% to stand at 7.2 billion minutes,
downfrom7.3billionrecordedinthepreviousquarter,saystheCCK.
» Meanwhile, the CCK says the uptake of mobile money expanded with
subscriptionsincreasingby10.1%toreach23.2million.
» Thenumberofmobilemoneytransferagentsalsoroseto74,216upfrom
62,300reportedinthepreviousquarter.
» Regarding the country’s internet and data market, this segment grew to
reach 9.6 million subscriptions by end of March 2013, according to the
regulator.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 31 July 2013

TELKOMLAUNCHESBUSINESS
UNCAPPEDINTERNETUSAGEPLAN
» Thegoodnewsforsmallandmediumbusinesses,Telkomhasconfirmed
thelaunchofitsBusinessUncappedinternetusageplan.
» The company explained that Business Uncapped consists of a range of
affordableuncappedinternetofferssuitableforsmallofficeswithuptofive
users.
» Carel Booysen, Executive: Business Broadband and internet, elaborated
that the aim of the offering is to provide small businesses priority on the
networkduringofficehours.
» Morespecifically,itisintendedtoallowthemtobenefitfromanuncapped
internet experience suitable for business essential internet functions like
browsing,emailandfiletransfer.
» Booysenassertedthatitisthesekindsofofferingwhichprovidetheaccess,
capacity, speed and the tools that enable customers to fully exploit the
digitalworld.
Source: techsmart, 2 August 2013

TAXPAYMENTSATCAMEROON
PORTGOELECTRONIC
» Tax and customs fee payments at Cameroon’s Port of Douala in
Cameroonaregoingelectronic,thankstoafirmcalledEmergingMarkets
Payments(EMP).
» EMP is an electronics payments card processing company that plans to
pilot a cashless service at the port from September. EMP, meanwhile,
plansafulllaunchlaterofitsservicelaterthisyear.
» Thecashlesssystemisexpectedenableuserstomakefastertransactions
by helping them pay customs fees and taxes using electronic payment
cards.
» All fees are also to be payable via point-of-sale terminals (POS) or a
dedicatedwebsitemanagedbyEMP.
» EMP is majority owned by leading emerging market private equity
company,Actis.
» It has over 130 banks and 30,000 merchants as customers across 45
countries.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 5 August 2013

MAJORITYOFSMARTPHONETRANSACTIONS
HAPPENATHOME
» Smartphones and tablets have empowered shoppers and
confused marketers by creating a more complex multi-
platformenvironment.
» Yet, if marketers were holding out hope that consumer
behavior would eventually “stabilize”around clearlydistinct
use cases — PCs for e-commerce, tablets for browsing,
smartphones for “on the go” — it’s not exactly happening
thatway.
» Nielsenofferssomeperspectiveonallthisviaacollectionof
Q1mobileshoppingdata.
» Nielsen compared the top shopping behaviors and most
common device locations (in the real world) for each
category.
Source: Marketing Land, 7 August 2013
ACTIVITY SMARTPHONE TABLET
Store locator
lookups
In-car while
commuting
At home
Product price
checking
1. In store
2. At home
At home
Product research
before buying
1. At home
2. In store
At home
Reading reviews 1. At home
2. In store
At home
Creating and using
lists while shopping
1. In store
2. At home
1. At home
2. In store
Mobile commerce At home At home
Social media
commenting on
purchases
At home At home
Post-purchase
product review
At home At home

'SAHASAFRICA’SCHEAPEST
POSTPAIDDATAPRICES'
» South Africa has among the cheapest postpaid broadband packages in
Africa,accordingtoastudyconductedbyResearchICTAfrica(RIA).
» InanRIA’spolicybrieftitled‘Howdomobileandfixedbroadbandstackupin
SA?’, the organisation says that compared to 12 African nations, South
Africa has the cheapest 1GB postpaid mobile broadband basket at an
averagepriceof$9.81permonth.
» Meanwhile,EastAfrica’sTanzaniaandKenyaareplacedsecondandthird,
with 1GB postpaid broadband data packages respectively costing $10.17
and$10.81eachinthetwonations.
» And inGhana a 1GBpostpaidbroadband optioncosts $10.92,placingthe
West African nation in fourth position on the list of countries with the
cheapestbaskets.
» Andit’snotjustinthe1GBpostpaidbroadbandrangethatSouthAfricahas
competitivepricesonthecontinent.
» Inthe5GB postpaidbroadbandbasket,thesouthernAfricancountryalso
has the second cheapest offering after Nigeria. In South Africa a 5GB
mobilepostpaidbasketcosts$21.80permonth,accordingtotheRIA.

BOTSWANA’SINTERNET
SUBSCRIPTIONSGROWTHTOPS132.2%
» ResearchfromStatistics Botswana (SB),thecountry’sdataauthority,has
indicated a significant growth in both mobile cellular and internet
subscriptions.
» The ‘Botswana ICT 2012Statistics’report,released by statisticiangeneral
Anna Majelantle, says that mobile cellular subscriptions rose from
2,900,263in2011to3,081,726in2012,registeringagrowthof6.3%.
» “This increase resulted from the rise in pre-paid subscriptions which
constituted 97.9% of total mobile cellular subscriptions in 2012,” said
Majelantle.
» Meanwhile,informationfromtheauthoritysaysthatinternetsubscriptions
roseby132.2%between2011and2012,from254,649subscriptionsin2011
to591,252in2012.
» Majelantle added that for the year 2012, postpaid and prepaid mobile
cellularsubscriptionswere63,842and3,017,884respectively.
» She further said that ‘mobi-density’, the number of mobile cellular
subscriptionsper100inhabitants,increasedby124.6%in2012,recordinga
riseof62.1percentagepointsfromtheincreaserecordedin2011.

ATMWITHDRAWALSENABLEDFOR
GHANA’SMOBILEMONEYUSERS
» Mobile money users in Ghana can now withdraw cash from Automated
TellerMachines(ATMs)withoutacard,thankstoajust-launchedoffering
bytelecomsfirmMTN.
» Theservice,dubbedATMCashOut,isthefirstofitskindinGhana.
» ATM Cash Out is available at all Fidelity Bank Ghana ATMs across the
country.
» AndMTNfurtherplanstoroll-outtheservicetomorepartnerbanks’ATMs
nationwide.
» “IbelievetheintroductionofthisinnovativeservicetotheGhanaianmarket
will enrich the user experience of customers,” said MTN Mobile Money
seniormanager,EliHini.
» The ATM CashOutservicehasbeenformally launchedaspartofMTN’s
annual‘MobileMoneyMonth’inthecountry.
» MTNwasthefirstoperatortolaunchmobilemoneyservicesinGhana.
» TheMTNGroupoperatesmobilemoneyofferingsin14countries,reaching
over10millioncustomers.

59%OFNIGERIANS‘UNAWARE’OF
MOBILEMONEY
» About60%ofNigeriansare‘unaware’ofmobilemoney, twoyearsafterthe
introductionoftheserviceinthecountry,saysasnappoll.
» Nigerian opinionpoll and researchorganisationNOIPolls has conducted
themobilemoneyservicessnappoll.
» The opinion poll was conducted and it involved telephonic interviews of a
random nationwide sample consisting of 1,004 Nigerians aged 18 years
andabove,representingsixgeopoliticalzonesinthecountry.
» And according to results, NOI says 59% of Nigeria's population of more
than160millionpeopleare‘unaware’ofmobilemoney.
» Furthermore, according to the results of poll, only 13% of those that are
awareofMobileMoneycurrentlyuseit.
» However, in the report, 71% of non-users say they could consider using
mobilemoneyservicesinthefuture.
» InAugust2011,theCentralBankofNigeria(CBN)licensed16banksand
other financial institutions to establishmobilemoney services throughout
thecountry.

75%OFSMARTPHONEOWNERS‘‘HIGHLYLIKELY’’
TODELETEEMAILSTHEYCANNOTREADON
THEIRPHONES
» Email service providerConstant Contact’s mobile email study discovered
that 80% of smartphone owners say it is “extremely important” to read
emails on their mobile devices, with 75% of the nearly 1,500 survey
respondents claiming they were “highly likely” to delete an email if it
couldn’tbereadfromtheirsmartphone.
» The study found that among participants age 18 to 30 years, 88% open
email on a mobile device, with more than half – 52% – confirming their
smartphoneistheirprimarydeviceforopeningemails.
» 30to39agegroup:85%openemailsontheirmobiledevicewithnearlyhalf
–48%–claimingtheirsmartphoneistheirprimarydeviceforemail.
» 40to49:74%confirmedtheyreademailsontheirdevices,butonly35%of
thisagedemographicsaidthattheirsmartphonewastheirprimarydevice
forreadingemails.
» 50 to 59: 71% of survey respondents reading emails on their phone and
26%claimingtheirsmartphoneistheirprimaryemaildevice.
» 60+:66%reademailsontheirsmartphone,butonly14%claimittobetheir
primarydeviceforreadingemails.

STANDARDBANK’SMOBILE
GROWTHREVEALED
» Standard Bank says its mobile banking customers as at July 2013 have
swelledto3million,representinga58%increasefromthesameperiodlast
year.
» Thegroupreporteda10%riseinheadlineearningspershareinthehalf-year
to June period to 506 cents, and a dividend per share of 233 cents was
declared.
» “Sharplyincreasedactivityoccurredthroughthemobilebankingchannelsin
South Africa offset by slightly lower activity through the group’s ATM
network,”itsaidinitsresultspresentation.
» Vuyo Mpako, head of channel design and development at Standard Bank,
said that at June 2013 the group had just under 170,000 unique registered
users of its app, with the total value of transactions on the app at
approximatelyR11billionintheyeartodate.
Source: MobileMoneyAfrica, 22 August2013

FEATUREMOBILEPHONESSTILL
STRONGINTHESAMARKET
» Featurephones,describedasphonesthathavelimitedornowebaccessand
alimitedabilitytorunthird-partyapplications,stillmakeup32millionofthe
estimated40millioncellphonesinSouthAfrica.
» Speaking at the launch of its new feature phone-friendly mobi site, Kevin
Hurwitz, CEO of Wonga.com South Africa said that despite the fact that
smartphone penetration is on the rise, feature phones still offer the most
accesstolocalconsumers.
» He says that as mobile devices and particularly feature phones become
cheaperinSouthAfrica,onecanexpectamarkedincreaseinfeaturephone
sales.
» Astestamenttothisgrowth,hepointstolatestresearchbytheDigitalMedia
andMarketingAssociation(DMMA)thatrevealedthatSouthAfricaninternet
usershavegrownbymorethantwomillioninthelast12months.
» "Tailoredfortheirindividualneeds,featurephonesstillofferfunctionalityand
affordabilitytomanylocalconsumers,Withmobiletechnologyevolvingdaily,
there is massive potential to reach consumers via devices such as
smartphones and tablets, but disregard the feature phone market at your
peril,"heconcludes.
Source: allAfrica, 22 August2013

KENYAAIRWAYSUNVEILSMOBILE
MONEYPAYMENTOPTION
» Customers in Uganda wanting to fly with airline Kenya Airways can now
purchase their flight tickets using mobile operator MTN’s mobile money
offering.
» Kenya Airways operates five daily flights between Uganda’s Entebbe
InternationalAirportanditshubinNairobi.
» Theairlinealsofliestoover45Africandestinations.
» MTN Uganda chief marketing officer Ernst Fonternel welcomed the
partnershipwithKenyaAirways.
» Fonternel added that MTN’s mobile money service reaches over 8 million
customers.
» “AspertheGSMA2012GlobalMobileMoneyadoptionsurvey,MTNUganda
ranks 2nd in the world in the number of active mobile money customer
accounts,"hesaid.
Source: ITWeb Africa, 28 August2013

Mobile innovation and
campaigns
SECTION2

FUTUREGOOGLEGLASSTOBE
MADEBYMOTOROLA
» Motorola unveiled their new Android smartphone, the Motorola Moto X
whichisoneofthefirstdevicestobereleasedbythecompanysincethey
were takenovermyGoogle,and nowitwould appearthatMotorolamay
makefutureGoogleGlassdevicesforGoogle.
» Now Google are considering using Motorola for production of future
versionsoftheirGoogleGlass,thenewscomesfromMotorolaCEODennis
Woodside.
» WoodsidehassaidthatMotorolaisalreadyworkingwithGoogleonother
hardwareprojects,andthatGoogleGlasscouldsomedaybeproducedby
Motorola.
» ItwouldmakesenseforGoogletouseMotorolaforfuturedevelopmentof
GoogleGlass,wesuspectwewillseeMotorolaproducingfuturemodelsof
thedeviceforGoogle.
Source: Geeky Gadgets, 5 August 2013

SPECIALLYDESIGNEDSIMCARDS
HELPPROTECTFREE-SPEECH
» Abayima,anon-profitorganisationhasdecidedtocomeupwithasolution
that will assist activists, journalists and human rights organisations in
oppressive regimes to communicate simply by using specially designed
SIMcards.
» Abayima was founded back in 2011 with the objective of making
communicationpossibleforcitizensduringcrisisscenarios,suchaswhen
internet and mobile networks go down whether by circumstance or by
maliciousintent.
» Abayima developed the Open SIM Kit (OSK), an open source software
solutionthatallowsanyonetohackthecontentsofaSIMcard,whichisthe
primarynetworkcommunicationtoolfoundin90%ofphonesintheglobal
market.
» With the redesigned SIM cards, citizens and other people in repressive
regimescommunicatesimplybystoringinformationontheSIMcardsand
swapping with one another, providing an alternative way to circumvent
networksurveillance.

FNBMOBILEPAYMENTDEVICEA
STEPCLOSER
» UK company Powa Technologies Group, which has partnered with SA
banking group FNB to develop a mobile payments device, has completed
itsfirstroundofoutsidefundingtotaling$76million.
» Powacreatestechnologywhichallowsconsumersandbusinessestomake
transactionsthroughmobiledevices.
» InOctober2012,PowasignedadealwithSouthAfricanbankFNBtoofferits
paymentdeviceinthecountry.
» Thedevice,mPowa,worksbyusingafreemobilephoneappandareader,
which connects to a smartphone or mobile device by plugging into its
headphonesocketorconnectingviaBluetooth.
» It enables companies and individuals to accept card payments from their
customersonthegoinaquickandconvenientway.
» ThemobileappisfreetodownloadoniPhone,iPad,Android,Windowsand
Blackberry devices and functions as the control centre that accepts the
payment.
» The bank remains coy over a launch date, however. “We are in the final
stagesofcertificationanddesignandwillsoonbeactivewiththeproductin
thecomingmonths,”itsaid.
Source: BusinessTech, 22 August 2013

VODAFONELAUNCHESM-PESAIN
DELHI
» Vodafone India along with ICICI bank, launched its mobile money transfer
andpaymentservice‘M-Pesa’inDelhi,expandingthefootprintintheCapital.
» “We expect a small number of people to adapt this initially...if classical
marketingtheoryisanythingtogobyusuallyabout0.5 to1%ofpeopleadopt
anewproduct,”VodafoneIndiaBusinessHead(Delhi)SubratPadhisaid.
» He, however, added, the company expects the product to go “viral” in the
daysaheadgoingbythekindofresponseitgotincountrieslikeKenya.
» “We clearly feel the initial experience will come by our push...point of
inflection,thereisapointwhenitbecomesviralandpeoplestartdoingitwith
word of the mouth,” Vodafone India Business Head M-Pesa Suresh Sethi
said.
» Theservicewillbeavailablethrough1,400authorisedagentsandacross130
VodafoneexclusiveretailstoresinDelhiandNCRregion.
» ApartfromDelhi,theservice,whichwaslaunchedinDecemberlastyear,is
currentlyavailableinKolkata,WestBengal,Bihar,JharkhandandRajasthan
andwillberolledoutacrossthecountryin12-18months.
» Besides Vodafone, other mobile operators such as Bharti Airtel are also
offeringsimilarservices.
Source: MobileMoneyAfrica, 22 August 2013

UBUNTUEDGEMISSESTARGETBY
$19MMARGIN
» TheUbuntuEdgehasfailedtohititsambitiouscrowdfundingtargetby
awhopping$19million.
» The open-source mobile had aimed for the stars with a goal of $32
million,butfellfarshort,endingupwith$12.8million.
» The phone won'tnowbeproducedandall funds will bereturned to
contributors,withinfiveworkingdays.
» ItisstillthemostmoneyeverpledgedonIndiegogo,thecrowdfunding
site used for the campaign, and it tops Kickstarter's record of $10.3
millionforthePebblesmartwatch.
Source: CNET, 22 August 2013

PAINTAPICTUREFORTHEBLIND
WITHMYSMARTEYE
» MySmartEye, a new initiative by Singapore’s local telecommunications
company StarHub and developed by TribalDDB, is a mobile application
thatenablesthevisuallyimpairedtobeawareoftheirsurroundings.
» Through the app, the visually impaired will beable to takea pictureand
haveitdescribedviathebuilt-invoice-overfeatureoftheirsmartphones.
» Whenavisuallyimpairedusersnapsaphoto,itisautomaticallysenttothe
micro-volunteers’smartphone,wherethevolunteeristhenpromptedto
describetheimage.
» Thespeedofthemessagetransmissionbacktothevisuallyimpaireduser
dependsonthevolunteer'sresponsetime.
» Theappalsoallowsthevisuallyimpairedusertocheckfeedbackonhisor
herimageusingmotionandgestureprompts.
» To use MySmartEye, all micro-volunteers have to log in through their
Facebook account, helping to ensure credibility and responsibility of the
commentsgiven.
» One visually impairedusersaid the appallows him tofeel moresocially
connectedwiththeworld.
Source: Mashable, 27 August 2013

Mobile devices and
operating systems
SECTION3

GOOPHONEANDLGTOOFFERFIRST
TRI-SIMSMARTPHONES
» Dual-SIM phones are handy in regions where international travel and
prepaidservicearecommon,buteventhosedevicesaren'talwaysenough
forjetsetters.
» Thankfully, GooPhoneand LG have come to those customers' rescue by
launchingthefirstsmartphonesbasedonanewMediaTekTriple-SIMchip.
» GooPhone X1+ and a just-shipped variant of the Optimus L4 II can juggle
threephonelineswithoutabighittobatterylife.
» Neither tri-SIM phone is high-end: the X1+ reportedly carries a 5-inch
FWVGAdisplayandadual-coreMT6572processor,whiletheL4IIsportsa
3.8-inchHVGAscreenandanunnamed1GHzchip.
» Despite those limitations,we suspectthehandsets will bevital toanyone
who'drathernotswitchSIMswhencrossingtheborder.
» LG'sphoneisalreadyonsaleinBrazil,whiletheGooPhoneX1+shouldship
tomultiplecountriesthismonth.
Source: engadget, 5 August 2013

SONYXPERIATABLETZANDROID
4.2UPDATERELEASED
» GoodnewsforownersoftheXperiaTabletZasSonyhasstartedrolling
outtheSonyXperiaTabletZAndroid4.2update,theupdatecomesin
theformofAndroid4.2.2JellyBean.
» TheAndroid4.2.2JellyBeanupdatebringsarangeofnewfeaturesto
the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, the update has been released for the LTE
version of the device, with the update expected shortly for the WiFi
version.
» TheXperiaTabletZAndroid4.2.2JellyBeanupdatecomesasfirmware
versions10.3.1.A.0.244andyoucanchecktoseeifitisavailableforyour
devicefromthesettingsmenu.
Source: Geeky Gadgets, 5 August 2013

GOOGLERELEASESANDROID
USAGEDATA
» Tech giant Google has released the latest Android mobile operating
system (OS) usagedata,revealing which version of the platform is doing
dutyonusers’smartphonesandtablets.
» Android Jelly Bean (Android4.1 - 4.3) continues to ascend to new usage
heights, after having dethroned the long serving king of the Android hill,
Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3 - 2.3.7), as the number one used version last
month.
» Jelly Bean now powers four out of every ten (40.5%) Android-running
mobile devices, up from 37.9% in July, whilst Gingerbread’s share slips
from34.1%to33.1%.
» The demand for Android Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.3 - 4.0.4)
remains low, with this version of the mobile platform laying claim to a
22.5%usageshare(downfrom23.3%).
» Thesticky,tabletlovingHoneycomb(Android3.2)refusestobecompletely
putouttopasture,runningon0.1%ofAndroid-powereddevices.
» Honeycomb’sfellowAndroidveterans,Froyo(Android2.2),Donut(Android
1.6)andEclair(Android2.1)possessesa2.5%,0.1%and1.2%respective
Androidusagestake.
Source: techsmart, 5 August 2013

GOOGLEADDSTOUCHCONTROLSTO
EXPERIMENTALVERSIONOFCHROME
Source: engadget, 5 August 2013
» The latest build of Canary, the bleeding-edge test-bed for Google
Chrome, reveals that the company is working on touch-centric
featuresforitsdesktopbrowser.
» Byswipingleftandright,forinstance,userswillbeabletoavoidthe
choreofhittingthebackandforwardpagebuttons--whilepinch-to-
zoomandon-screenkeyboardsarealsoavailabletotryout.
» Now,ofcourse,youjustneedsomehardwaretotakeadvantageof
thenewfeatures.

APPLE+ANDROIDCOMBINE92%
OFSMARTPHONEMARKET
» ComScoreissueditslatestsmartphonemarketsharereport.
» As has been trueforthe past severalmonths, notmuch has
changed.
» Androidremainedthetopmobileoperatingsystem,with52%
oftheUSsmartphonemarketwhiletheiPhonegainednearly
apoint.
» ComScorealsoreporteda0.1%gainforWindowsPhone.
» AccordingtocomScore59%ofUSmobilesubscribersowned
smartphones in June. Nielsen says current smartphone
penetrationintheUSis62%.

IPHONE5SLAUNCHEXPECTEDIN
SEPTEMBER
Source: ITWeb, 12 August 2013
» Apple is expected to unveil its next smartphone at an event on
10September,accordingtotechnologyblog AllThingsD.
» Theblogcitesunnamedsourcesastheleakbehindthelaunchdate,
but an Apple representative refused to comment on the timing of
anyupcomingevents.
» AreportintheKoreaTimeslastmonthsuggestedthephonecould
be long-term evolution-advanced (LTE-A)-enabled, as Apple has
allegedly approached SK Telecom to incorporate its LTE-A
technologyintothe5S.
» LTE-AtechnologywillenabletheiPhone5Stodownloaddatatwice
asfastasitspredecessor,ataspeedof150Mbps.
» Leakedimagesoftheupcomingsmartphonealsomadetheirway
ontotheWeb,suggestingApplehasn'tventuredfromitsdesign
recipefortheiPhone5.

BLACKBERRYMAYPUTITSELFUP
FORSALE
» Struggling smartphone maker BlackBerry is weighing options that could
include anoutright sale,itsaid,and its largestshareholderis steppingdown
fromitsboardtoavoidanypossibleconflictofinterest.
» BlackBerry, which pioneered mobile email with its first smartphones and
emailpagers,saidithadsetupacommitteetoreviewitsoptions,sparkinga
debate over whether Canada's one-time crown jewel is more valuable as a
wholeorsnappeduppiecebypiecebycompetitorsorprivateinvestors.
» The company said Prem Watsa, whose Fairfax Financial Holdings is
BlackBerry's biggest shareholder, was leaving the board as BlackBerry
determinesitsnextsteps.
» The potential buyers of BlackBerry assets, if not the company itself, could
includedeep-pocketedCanadianpensionfunds,aswellassomeofitsrivals.
» BlackBerry,onceastockmarketdarling,hasbledmarketsharetoAppleand
phones using Google Android operating system, and its new BlackBerry 10
smartphoneshavefailedtogaintractionwithconsumers.
» CompaniestippedaspossiblepartnersforBlackBerryhaveincludedMicrosoft
andAmazon.com,aswellasLenovoGroup.
» SourcessayWallStreetbankershavealsopitcheddealsinvolvingBlackBerry
tocompaniessuchasHTCandSamsungElectronics,sofarwithoutsuccess.

KINECTAPPTHATTURNSANYSURFACE
INTOATOUCHSCREENISNOWFORSALE
Source: Engadget, 15 August 2013
» Withseveral companies developingtechnologies thatcanturnany
surfaceintoatouchscreen,itshouldbewidelyavailablesoon.
» Those who want to try it out before it's cool, however, should look
towards Ubi Interactive's software that combines the talents of
Microsoft'sKinectforWindowssensorandaprojector.
» So long as the software's installed on a Windows 8 computer, the
sensortracksanddetectsmovementsusersmakeontheprojected
image.
» Interactions are the same as any tablet or smartphone, including
launchingiconsbytappingonthemandexpandingareaswithpinch-
to-zoom.
» Merely a concept in 2012, the software is now available on Ubi's
websitewithpricesrangingfrom$149to$1,499,dependingonthe
displaysizeandthetypeofcustomersupport.

VIVOX3CRUSHESWORLD’STHINNEST
SMARTPHONETITLE
Source: Digital Trends, 23 August 2013
» It wasn’t so long ago that Huawei grabbed the title of World’s Thinnest
SmartphonewiththeAscendP6,whichmeasuresjust6.16mmthick.
» Now,Huaweihaslostitagain,thistimetotheVivoX3.
» VivoX3isjust5.75mmthick.
» It’snotcheatingeither,astheX3’schassismeasuresthesamealltheway
along,withnounsightlybumpsforthebatteryorcameralens.
» The screen is 5-inches and has a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, while the
processorisaquad-corechipwitha1.5GHzclockspeed.
» Android4.2isinstalledastheOS,andthere’san8-megapixelcameraon
thebackofthephone.
» Surprisinglyforsuchathinphone,theX3isquiteheavyat150grams,and
thebatteryisasfeebleasyou’dexpectat2000mAh.
» Also, if you want the super thin Vivo X3, you’re stuck with a blue color
scheme,asthewhitemodelis5.95mmthick.
» The Vivo X3 will go on sale in China next month, when it will cost the
equivalentof$410.

SAMSUNGSTARTSWORKONS5
Source: ITWeb, 27 August 2013
» AlthoughtheSamsungGalaxyS4isonlyafewmonthsold,thecompany
hasreportedlyalreadystartedworkingonitssuccessor.
» The Electronic Times has revealed what could be the first specs of the
SamsungGalaxyS5.
» The latest report claims the Galaxy S5 will feature a 16MP camera,
upgrading from the S4's 13MP sensor and matching the Galaxy S4
Zoom's16MP.
» TheGalaxyS5isalsoexpectedtocomewithanopticalimagestabiliser,a
function that was reportedly originally meant to be used for the Galaxy
Note3,butcouldnotbeimplementedatthetimeduetoproblemswith
partssupply.
» Thereportaddsoncedevelopmentofthe16MPmoduleiscomplete,itis
likely to become the basic standard for the company's smartphones in
thefuture.
» ThepatentimagesofwhatisbelievedtobetheGalaxyS5wereleakedin
thepreviousmonth.Theimagesshowedoffarectangularshape,butwith
edgesthatareslanted,divertingfromSamsung'scurrentlookfoundon
theGalaxyS3andS4.

ERICSSONCELEBRATES115
YEARSINEGYPT
» Swedish multinational technology firm Ericsson has marked 115 years in
Egyptatadinnereventforstakeholdersfromthecountry’sInformationand
CommunicationTechnology(ICT)sector.
» Ericssonhasalong-standingpresenceinEgypt,beginningin1897whenthe
companywastaskedwithestablishingthefirsttelephoneexchangesystem
inthecountryconnectingCairotoAlexandriaforthefirsttime.
» "Egypt has seen rapid advancement in its telecommunications industry in
recentyears,and we atEricssonareproud ofourroleinhelpingto pushit
forward together with our partners,” said Isil Yalcin, president of Ericsson
NorthEastAfrica.
» Yalcin further went on to announce the company's social corporate
responsibilityinitiativeinthecountryaround‘smartschools’.
» ThesmartschoolsinitiativeisplannedtosupportinnovationamongEgyptian
youthandnurturelocaltalent.

AIRTELZAMBIAAIMSFOR500,000
MOBILEMONEYTRANSACTIONS
» Airtel Zambia plans to reach half-a-million transactions from its 1.2 million
subscribersregisteredonitsmobilemoneyservicebytheendofthisyear.
» Thecompany’smanagingdirectorCharityLumpasaidoutofthe1.2million
registered mobile money subscribers,approximately 14,000 to 15, 000 are
currentlyregularusersofitsmobilemoneyservices.
» The company also says that over 80 active Airtel money merchants have
beenregistered.
» LumpaaddedthatAirtelmoneyishelpingregisteredcustomerstopayutility
billsandsendmoneytofriendsandrelativesinthecomfortoftheirhomes.
» The company is recording at least $95,000 worth of transactions every day
throughtheAirtelmobilemoneyservice.
» AirtelisZambia’slargesttelecomoperatorwithoverfourmillionsubscribers.

AIRTELGHANA,ISENDENABLE
CROSS-BORDERPREPAIDPURCHASES
» Ghanaians livingincountries suchas theUSaresoonsetto beabletobuy
prepaidairtimefortheirfamilyandfriendsinGhanawhousemobileoperator
Airtel’snetwork.
» Electronic payment service company, iSend, has announced that it has
partneredwithmobileoperatorAirtelGhanatocreatethisservice.
» Accordingtoapressstatement,customersintheUnitedStates,Canada,the
UnitedKingdomandEuropearesettobeabletopurchaseprepaidmobile
airtimefrommorethan150,000retaillocations.
» Customerscanalsoarrangetop-upsonlineatiSend'swebsite.
» Users of the service are not charged beyond the normal price of minutes,
accordingtoSteveLaBella,presidentand chiefexecutiveofficer ofiSend,in
thestatement.
» "ThispartnershipishighlybeneficialforthefamiliesandfriendswhomiSend
andAirtelGhanacannowservetogether,"heconcluded.

ZAMBIAPOSTPONESPLANSFOR
FOURTHMOBILELICENCE
» PlanstoawardafourthmobilelicenceinZambiathisyearhavebeenputon
holdbythecountry’sgovernment.
» Zambia’sministerofcommunicationsandtransport,YamfwaMukanga,has
said government has made progress in clearing the way for the fourth
operator, but the licence is only to be offered after the country’s digital
migrationproject.
» Among the telecom firms interested is South African headquartered
Vodacom,Zambiangovernmentofficialshavesaidearlierthisyear.
» Zambia’s telecoms market is dominated by Airtel Zambia and MTN, which
have over 8.5 million combined total number of subscribers. State-owned
Zamtelalsooperatesasamobilenetworkproviderinthecountry.
» “Wewillonlyallowthefourthmobileserviceprovideronthemarketafterthe
digitalmigrationexerciseisimplemented.Wearenotinahurrytohavethe
fourth operator because the country is content with the current service
levels,”Mukangasaid.
» Hesaidthethreeoperatorsthatthecountryhaspresentlyareenoughto
servicethemarket.
» HeaddedthattheZambiangovernmentisalsointalkswiththeoperatorsto
reducethecostofcommunicationforthebenefitofcustomers.

ECONETWIRELESSLAUNCHESLTE
INZIMBABWE
» ZimbabwehasbecomeAfrica’sseventhcountrytoofferaLTEnetworkafter
mobileoperatorEconetWirelessunveiledthenextgenerationhigh-speed
internetserviceearlier inAugust.
» TheLTEserviceisplannedtobeavailableatallofZimbabwe’sairportsand
thecentralbusinessdistrictsofHarareandBulawayo.
» TheresorttownofVictoriaFalls,wheretheUnitedNationsWorldTourism
Organisation(UNWTO) generalassemblykicksoffattheendofAugust,is
alsoplannedtohavetheservice.
» Econet - Zimbabwe’s largest mobile operator with an estimated eight
million subscribers - has helped Zimbabwe become the seventh country
afterAngola,SouthAfrica,Namibia,Mauritius,TanzaniaandUgandatohave
aLTEservice.
» “We are officially launching LTE through dongles or modems. We are
makingitourbusinesstomoveto4Gmobilephones,”saidSternHenning,
thechiefcommercialandcustomerrelationsofficeratEconetWireless.
» LTEoffersspeedsofup-to65Mbpsandcanbe10timesfasterthan3G,said
Stern Henning, the chief commercial and customer relations officer at
EconetWireless.

VODACOMREVEALSMY5VALUEADDED
SERVICEFORPREPAIDCUSTOMERS
» Local mobile operator Vodacom has announced its new value added
service(VAS)forprepaidcustomersdubbedMy5.
» My5offersonehouroftalktime,unlimitedtextingtoanynetwork,aswell
asdataallocationtoprepaidclientsforaslittleasR6.
» The service is part of Vodacom Free4Sho customer promotion that
providesguaranteedfreebenefitstoprepaidcustomers.Itisofferedasa
bolt-onservicetoVodacom4LessandDailyFreeCallsprepaidplans.
» In order to enjoy the benefits of the My5 daily bundles, customers must
firstlinkatleastoneVodacomnumberbydialling*111*5#andfollowing
theprompts.
» Prepaid customers can also purchase My5 bundles, change links and
checkbalancesbydialling*111*5#.
Source: TechSmart, 21 August2013

VODACOMTOINVESTR1.28
BILLIONINTANZANIA
» TheTanzanianunitofSouthAfrica’sVodacomplanstoinvest 200billion
shillings–orR1.28billion–toexpanditsnetworkthisyearbutsaidrising
taxescouldstiflethesector.
» ReneMeza,themanagingdirectorofthelargestmobilephoneoperatorin
Tanzania, said on Wednesday he expects more growth in subscriber
numbersthisyeardespitestiffcompetition.
» Telecommunications is the fastest-growing sector in east Africa’s
second-biggest economy and the government is keen to get a higher
shareofrevenuefromit.
» Butmobilephoneoperatorssaythegovernment’sintroductionofanew
taxof1,000shillingspermonthoneverySIMcardandanexcisedutyof
0.15percentonmoneytransferscouldhurtinvestment.
» They argue the SIM card tax will delay expansion of mobile phone use
amongthepoormajorityinruralareas–around23millionTanzaniansdo
notusemobileservices.
» Thenationof45millionpeoplehasamobilepenetrationrateof48percent,
or about 22 million subscribers, according to the Mobile Operators
AssociationofTanzania(MOAT).
Source: BusinessTech, 22 August2013

MTNGUINEATOROLL-OUT3G
SERVICES
» MobileoperatorMTNGuineahaswonalicencetoprovide3Gservicesin
thesmallWestAfricancountry.
» MTN Guinea (also referred to as ‘Areeba’) says the country’s telecoms
regulator L’Autorite de Regulation des Postes et Telecommunications
(ARPT)hasawardeditthelicenceon16August.
» InDecember2011,OrangeGuinealaunchedthecountry’sfirst3G
networkinthecapitalConakry.
» InFebruary2012,CellcomGuineafollowedwithits3Gnetwork,which
wasalsoatfirstavailableinConakry.
» Guinea,whichhasapopulationof10.22millionaccordingtotheWorld
Bank,isalsosettohaveaforecastedmobilepenetrationrateof67%by
year-end,saysresearchfirmBuddeComm.
» Butdespitehavingacompetitivetelecomsmarketwithfiveoperatorsand
strongeconomicgrowth,BuddeCommsaysGuineahasalackof
broadbandservicesresultinginaninternetpenetrationrateofjust1.5%.
Source:ITWeb Africa, 29 August2013

TWITTERHOTELREDEFINES
THESOCIALMEDIAVACATION
» For vacationers seeking the solace of island life, disconnecting from a
smartphone and all things tech is a welcome reprieve. But if your idea of
paradise is mingling with other Tweetaholics, then the "first Twitter
experiencehotel"isforyou.
» LocatedontheSpanishislandofMajorca,theSolWaveHouseharnessesthe
powerofsocialmediaasawaytoenhanceitsoverallhotelexperience.
» Openingjustayearago,thehotelfeaturesTwitter-themedrooms,drinksand
avirtualcommunitycalled#SocialWavethatguestscanusetointeractand
flirtwithoneanother.
» Guests at Sol Wave tweet with each other by logging onto Twitter via to a
specialwebappavailableonlythroughthehotel'sWi-Fi.
» Onceinside,guestssharepictures,sendprivatemessages,seewho'sonline,
find out where other visitors are staying inside the hotel and send virtual
kisses.
» MarcoFantón,SolWaveHouse'ssocialmediadirector,toldTIME,"Hesees
thecommunityasafunandinteractiveextensionofwhatguestsarealready
doing on their vacations — showing off their trip using social networks like
Facebook,Twitter,Instagram.”
Source: mashable, 5 August2013

SOUNDCLOUDANDGOOGLE+TEAM
UPFOREMBEDDEDPOSTS
» SoundCloud, a music sharing service that lets users upload and distribute
their original sounds, announced that the company has integrated with
Google+toembedsoundsdirectlyintoGoogle+posts.
» AccordingtotheSoundCloudblogpost,whenyoushareaSoundCloudURL
toyourGoogle+circles,thewidgetwillappearautomaticallyinthepost.
» SoundCloud is the first third-party developer that Google+ has teamed up
withforplug-inaudiofiles,accordingtoaGooglespokesperson.
» Artists often use SoundCloud to share new music with fans, and even
politicians like President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael
Bloombergusedthesitetouploadspeeches.
» Google+ reported 500 million total members in December, although that
numberismostlikelyhigher.
» The site currently boasts 190 million active users in the stream and 390
million monthly active users across Google, according to a Google
spokesperson.
Source: mashable, 12 August 2013

FACEBOOKEYESMOBILEMONEY
» Facebook, which is always looking to monetise its userbase, is now taking
aimattryingtogetacutoftheglobale-commercemarket.
» Thesocialmedialeviathanislookingtotestanewpaymentproductthatwill
allow shoppers to buy on mobile applications using their Facebook login
details,AllThingsDreports.
» Accordingtothereport,shopperswhohavepreviouslyregisteredtheircredit
card details with the site will be able to shop on partnering e-commerce
mobileappswithoutenteringtheirbillinginformation.
» However,thenewservicedoesnotseemtobeacompetitiveofferingtothe
global de facto payment gateway, PayPal, but rather a closer relationship
betweenthetwoentities.
» AllThingsD says Facebook confirmed the test and it should launch in the
"nextmonthorso"withpilotpartnerJackThreads,adiscountsiteaimedat
youngmen.
» Facebook's pilot, reports the site, is aimed at creating a better mobile
checkoutexperienceandnotgettinginvolvedinactualpaymentprocessing.
Source: ITWeb , 19 August2013

INSTAGRAMACQUIRESVIDEO
EDITINGAPPLUMA
» TheFacebook-ownedfirmpurchasedtheappforanundisclosedfeeina
movethatwilllikelyseeitsfeaturesintegratedintoInstagram'sown
applications.
» "Eighteenmonthsago,weembarkedonamissiontomakecapturingand
sharingbeautifulvideoseasywithoutexpensivesoftwareorheavy
equipment,"saidtheLumateaminastatement.
» ‘‘ByjoiningtheexceptionallytalentedteamatInstagram,we'retakinganother
bigsteptowardsrealisingthatmission.”
» VideoonInstagramlaunchedasacompetitortoTwitter'spopularVine
service,buteditingoptionsarelimitedatpresent.
» LumahasremoveditsappfromtheAppStore,butwillsupportexistingusers
untiltheendofDecember.
Source: digital spy , 26 August 2013

TWITTERLETSUSERSTWEETHIGHLIGHTED
SENTENCESFROMARTICLES
» TheNewYorkTimestestedanewfeature thatallowsuserstoclickona
highlightedsentencefromastory,andtweetitoutdirectly,insteadofjust
tweetingtheheadline.
» Readerswhoseethetweetandclickontheaccompanyinglinkarebroughtto
thehighlightedpartofthestory,ratherthantothebeginningofthearticle.
» Theideabehindthefeaturewasthatwhileaheadlinedoesn'talwaysgrab
you,anenthrallingsentencefromthemiddleofastorymaydothetrick.
» TimesreporterDaveItzkoffexplainedtoPoynterhismethodfordetermining
whichsentencestohighlight:"Justabitofeducatedguessworktryingto
imaginewhatreaderswouldbedrawntoandwhatwouldmakethebest
travelingbillboardsfortheoverallstory."
Source: Mashable, 28 August 2013

Facebook Statistics for
Africa
SECTION 6

SOUTHAFRICA
» Active users: 9,200,000
» Positioninthetoplist: 30
» Penetration: 18.85%
» 1,060,000Pretoria| PortElizabeth220,000|14,000Upington
» 50%Female|50%Male
» The largest age group 18-25 with total of 312,000 users,
followedbytheusersinthe age25-35
» 89.1%mobileusers| 10.9%non-mobileusers
» 26.6%Android| 13.3%iOS| 60.1%others
» 23.9%collegegraduatesarethelargestgroupofusers
» Themostpopularpage: NationalLibraryofSouthAfrica
Source: SocialTimes In, 19 August 2013

MOZAMBIQUE
» Active users: 640,000
» 8,000 Pemba | 13,200 Quelimane | 320,000 Maputo | 40,000
Matola

ANGOLA
» Active users: 1,300,000
» 800,000 Luanda|520Lobito|34,000Huambo

MALAWI
» Active users:300,000
» 18,200 Mzuzu|100,000Lilongwe|122,000Blantyre
» 43%Android| 10.6%iOS| 46.4%others

KENYA
» Active users:10,800,000
» Penetration: 6,35%
» 194,000Kano|540,000Idaban| 4,200,000Lagos
» The largest age group 18-25 with total of 4,120,000 users,

SOURCES
»allAfrica
»BusinessTech
»CNET
»DigitalTrends
»DigitalSpy
»DMMA
»Engadget
»GeekyGadgets
»ITWeb
»ITWebAfrica
»Mashable
»MarketingLand
»MobileMoneyAfrica
»MyBroadband
»SocialTimesIn
»techsmart

CONTACTUS
Angus Robinson | Director: Mobility
[tel] +27 (11) 555-3800
[cell] +27 (83) 635 4400
[fax] 0867210884
[email] angus@native.co.za
[twitter] @angusrobinson
Have a look at all previous Mobile Reports and other mobile work on our site -
http://www.native.co.za/home?keyword=mobile
Should you have any mobile insight, strategy, campaign or solution
requirements please contact us.

Mobile Report August 2013

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to Mobile Report August 2013

Similar to Mobile Report August 2013 (20)

More from VML South Africa

More from VML South Africa (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Mobile Report August 2013