Motorola brand holder Lenovo launched the Motorola P30 smartphone on August 15, only to be the target of criticism for allegedly copying the design of the notch-less Apple flagship device.

In defence of Lenovo, Canalys senior analyst Ben Stanton said vendors outside the top three face pressure from operators to emulate Apple’s design to be marketable, to then maintain a variety of brands at different price points and, essentially, decrease the bargaining power of the three largest manufacturers – Apple, Huawei and Samsung.

“It is very important for operators to have a strong fourth and fifth vendor, so that they have more power in negotiations with the big three. Mobile operators are putting an incredible amount of pressure on brands like Motorola, and many others, to develop clones of the best iPhone and Samsung devices”, said Stanton.

“The Motorola P30 is certainly a rip-off of the iPhone X, but it is not fair to direct all the blame at Lenovo when there are rival vendors doing the same thing, and there is significant external pressure for them to do so. This is an industry issue, not something that can be solved by slamming one vendor.”

A UK Lenovo spokesperson told Mobile News there was “no news to share” on the P30 when requesting more information on the device.

Ovum consumer technology senior analyst Daniel Gleeson said it was “disappointing” to see Motorola “stoop” to copying Apple.

However, he said the P30 could do well in emerging markets in South America.

“Lenovo choices here show that it has basically zero faith in its own design team or any of the key design elements that make a phone a Moto phone. This is not hugely surprising given Lenovo’s continuing failure to turn the business around.”

Affordability

CCS Insight analyst Laura Simeonova added: “The lack of innovative design is not likely to be an issue in the Chinese market, where affordability is an important consideration. We however question its success in western markets, if it is to be released here.”

The mid-range smartphone will be released in China for around £275 (CNY 2,499) – the iPhone X is more than treble that at £999 (CYN 8,811). Lenovo has not confirmed whether the P30 will be released in other territories.

The P30 features a rear fingerprint sensor but does not have face unlock, a feature the iPhone X popularised when launched.

The LCD display is 6.2-inches with full HD resolution (1,080 x 2,246). Under the hood is the octa-core 1.8GHz Snapdragon 636 processor coupled with 6GB RAM. Internal memory stands at 64GB and 128GB with the option to expand via microSD up to 256GB.

The main camera features a dual-camera system at 16MP and 5MP, with aperture sizes of f/1.8 and f/2.2 respectively. Present is phase detection autofocus, HDR and dual-LED flash.  On the front camera is 12MP with LED flash and capable of recording at 1080p.

Other features include 3,000mAh battery, splash resistance and a USB Type-C connector.

Lenovo launched the Motorola P30 smartphone only to be met with criticism for copying the design of the notch-less iPhone X.

The mid-range smartphone was launched on Wednesday (Aug 15), and will release in China for around £275, the iPhone X is more than double that at £999. Motorola brand owner Lenovo has not confirmed whether the P30 will be released in other territories.

A UK Lenovo spokesperson told Mobile News there was “no news to share” on the P30 when requesting for more information on the device.

Speaking to Mobile News, Ovum consumer technology senior analyst Daniel Gleeson said it was “disappointing” to see Motorola “stoop” to copying Apple. However, he said the P30 could do well in emerging markets in South America.

“Lenovo choices here show that it has basically zero faith in their own design team or any of the key design elements that make a phone a Moto phone. This is not hugely surprising given Lenovo’s continuing failure to turn the business around”, said Gleeson.

YouTube technology star Marques Brownlee, who has 6.5 million subscribers, tweeted the P30 was the “most shameless rip” off yet of the iPhone X. Android Authority called the device the  “worst iPhone X clones” to be made, while TechnoBuffalo called it the most “egregious” clone.

What sets the P30 apart from the iPhone X atheistically is the rear-fingerprint sensor and Motorola branding. The handset measures at 155.5 x 76 x 7.7 mm weighing 170 grams.

The LCD display is 6.2-inches with full HD resolution (1,080 x 2,246). Under the hood is the octa-core 1.8GHz Snapdragon 636 processor coupled with 6GB of RAM. Internal memory stands at 64GB and 128GB with the option to expand via microSD up to 256GB.

The main camera features a dual-camera system at 16MP and 5MP, with aperture sizes of f/1.8 and f/2.2 respectively. Present is phase detection autofocus, HDR and dual-LED flash.  On the front camera is 12MP with LED flash and capable of recording at 1080p.

Other features include: 3,000mAh battery, splash resistance and a USB Type-C connector.

Apple has regained top spot in the global best selling smartphone rankings through the iPhone 8 according to research from Counterpoint.

The research from Counterpoint’s Market Pulse cited strong promotions including “How to shoot on iPhone” in the run up to the World Cup as driving interest in Europe and other markets.

In terms of market share globally the iPhone 8 has 2.4 per cent, joint with the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus in May 2018 figures.

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has continued its strong success in China and has performed well in India as the Redmi 5A commands 2.2 per cent of the global share in fourth place.

Apple has three devices in the top five with the iPhone X third with 2.3 per cent and the iPhone 8 Plus in fifth with 2.1 per cent share.

MVNO customers are less likely to check social media accounts compared to those of the big four, according to a study by Global Wireless Solutions (GWS).

GWS, a mobile network benchmarking company, found that on average 34 per cent of TalkTalk Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile and Virgin Mobile customers never check social media on their phones as opposed to 18 per cent of customers with the big four providers.

The survey also found that 60 per cent of people check social media at least once a day on our smartphones, with two-thirds of O2, EE and Three customers checking more than once. However only 59 per cent of Vodafone customers check more than once a day.

O2 is the best network for iPhone X users looking to post a tweet and ranked as the fastest network for these type of uploads.

A third of users (35 per cent) stated websites or apps not loading while on their smartphones is the most common network issue they encounter as UK adults ranked browsing the internet as one of the top three most important phone functions along with calling and texting.

The study also found just over a quarter (26 per cent) of 18 to 24 year olds cite high-quality video streaming as important when using a smartphone.

Users are also more likely to share media content with friends and family in private messaging apps such as Whatsapp as 65 per cent people of choose to do this rather than 33 per cent who share publicly on social media.

GWS CEO Dr. Paul Carter said: “For most people in the UK, a smartphone is their main access point for their social media accounts. Whether it’s sharing photos with their friends and family or watching their favourite YouTube celeb, people expect to be able to get online using their phones wherever they are, whenever they want to.”

GWS worked with YouGov to carry out focus group sessions and a poll of 2,000 UK adults between November 2017 and May 2018.

Apple enjoyed a rise of $9.9 billion (£6.9bn) in overall revenue throughout the first quarter of its financial year.

Revenues for iPhone grew 13 per cent to $61.6 billion (£43.3bn) in the first quarter that the iPhone X was on sale despite selling 974,000 less handsets.

iPhone accounted for 69.7 per cent of total revenues, stagnating year on year despite being the highest total revenue from iPhone in the companies history as the Californian giant eyes Q2 revenues of $60Bn to $62Bn billion (£42.2Bn to £43.6Bn).

Commenting on the results Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “We’re thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple’s history, with broadbase growth that included the highest revenues ever from a new iPhone line up.

“iPhone X surpassed our expectations and has been our top-selling iPhone every week since it shipped in November.”

In conjunction with Apple’s iPhone X Launch last Friday the world’s largest comparison site for virtual private networks Top10vpn.com recently released a report stating that over 60 per cent of British consumers are unconvinced by facial recognition, with fears about Apple’s ability to keep facial data safe.

Even though within hours the iPhone X sold out of pre-orders, its key feature has consumer confidence issues.

The survey reached more than 2,000 adults with 27 per cent of respondents suggesting they don’t consider it a good idea. Unsurprisingly, 79 per cent of those surveyed prefer to unlock their devices with a fingerprint or passcode.

The research also suggests that one of the main FaceID fears is businesses profiteering from biometric data as many consumers fear issues with consent. Fortyseven per cent also outweighed concerns about the new feature making it easier for criminals to
access their devices.

Using biometrics to unlock devices isn’t a new feature – it has been around since the Toshiba G500 and G900 which introduced fingerprint scanning in 2007.

Yet it’s widely recognised that it became a mainstream feature in 2013 with Apple’s Touch ID. Considering the age of biometric technology, 11 per cent of those surveyed prefer facial recognition offering a slight positive to the results for Apple.

Yet when questioned about unlocking the device with facial recognition 27 per cent feared a loss of privacy.

In this weeks show we discussed biometric facial recognition software with GFK Director of Technology Imran Choudhary and Deloitte head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications research Paul Lee.

We also spoke with New Way International Managing Director Nigel Prince about his involvement in the upcoming Mobile News awards this March and of course we had a word with features editor Manny Pham about the new Mobile News magazine issue out this week.

Crowds gathered outside the Apple Store in Covent Garden today (November 3) to be the first to get their hands on the latest iPhone X.

Apple fans were treated to a sunny pleasant, albeit cold Autumn day in London. Some people had set up tents outside of the store since 4pm on Halloween (October 31) claimed an Apple sales assistant.

Doors opened at 9:40 as supposed to the 10am regular start, members of the public started to roar “we want an iPhone” in the build up.

Numbers were noticeably larger than the iPhone 8 and last year’s iPhone 7 launches. Although, hundreds queued for the 6s and thousands did for the 6 in 2014.

When the doors finally opened at 9:40am staff members cheered on the crowd as the first customers were allowed to enter the store. A few Apple employees told Mobile News they sold so many handsets that they would need to wait for the next available shipment.

Mobile News spoke to some of those in the queue for their thoughts on the tenth anniversary iPhone.

Alexandra, 28, from Brazil (below) said that he came to England to learn English language, instead he found out about this launch and saw it as a great opportunity to get his hands on the new iPhone X.

He said: “I think facial recognition is a game changer for Apple and the industry as a whole, I am sure others will follow Apple as they always do. I am sure they will lead the industry with their new and exciting features, improved battery, bigger screen and so much more. Great!”

James, 28 from St Albans (bottom right) was similarly excited about the device.

He said that it was exactly what he was expecting the device to be like it has everything he ever wanted all packed in one device.

“I have this Samsung S8 in my hand and it doesn’t work. I was very disappointed with Samsung, but Apple made my day better, iPhone X is amazing. I love the screen and the fact that its a smaller form factor-size. Bigger screen smaller handset, brilliant.”

Sally, 34 from London (left) said: “I get an iPhone every year regardless of any problems that it may have, I stay clear of the reviews I trust Apple. I am very happy that its finally here and it is also a very secured device, which puts my mind at ease.”

‘Biggest quarter ever’ 

Applr posted strong quarter sales, enough for the vendor to forecast 2018 Q1 revenue to be between $84 billion and $87 billion.

Coinciding with the launch Apple released its fiscal Q4 results, with sales increasing by 12 per cent to $52.6bn (£40bn) for the three months ending September.

Shares in the manufacturer rose two per cent putting it on course to be the first trillion dollar company. Apple is currently value at nearly $900bn (£690bn).

It sold more than 46.6 million phones in Q4 up three per cent year-on-year. Smartphones produced $28.8bn, more than half of revenue in Q4 this year.

The services division which emcompasses the App Store, Apple Pay and Apple Music made $8.5bn, up 34 per cent year-on-year, due to a one-time adjustment.

Costs increased, Apple said profits were $10.7bn in the quarter, increasing 18 per cent.

Apple CEO Tim Cook (above) said: “We’re happy to report a very strong finish to a great fiscal 2017, with record fourth quarter revenue, year-over-year growth for all our product categories, and our best quarter ever for services”.

Dixons Carphone head of channel sales Paul Lavin added: “While many speculated that the iPhone X’s £999 retail price would alienate margin conscious business customers, we’re pleased to report a surge in demand for Apple’s latest model.

“With the phone available for business customers to purchase today, we expect a second wave of demand in the coming weeks and months, as early users report back on the phone’s business usability, processing speeds and value.

“We expect the iPhone X’s release to further fuel this competition, as business customers reap the rewards of the tech giants going head-to-head in bid for an increased share of the market,” he added.

The iPhone X is now available to pre-order ahead of its release date (Nov 3) from all major operators and some MVNOs.

It will cost prepaid customers £699 for the 64GB version, £849 for 256GB. Colour ways available include silver and space grey from all MNOs, Carphone Warehouse will stock the gold variant.

On O2 the iPhone X 64GB will start at £77 per month with (£29.99 upfront). The deal comes with unlimited text and calls and 20GB of data. Existing customers upgrading will receive an extra 10GB of data.

EE offers the iPhone X 64GB on its 4GEE Max plan for £72.99 per month (£99.99 upfront) with 15GB of data.

EE is introducing a special offer of 100GB of data, customers will only pay for 25GB and will also receive a free pair of ‘Beats X’ headphones (£129.95). This deal will cost £82.99 per month with a (£9.99 upfront).

Vodafone plan for customer who orders the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X by (Dec 20) on a 16GB plan or above will receive 10GB of extra data each month.

In addition, customers ordering their new iPhone will also get an extended 24-month warranty at no extra cost. The offer of 16GB of data with unlimited minutes and text will cost £68 per month with (£150 upfront).

Three recommends 12GB of data, unlimited minutes and text all for £68 per month (£79 upfront). The ‘Advanced Plan’ brings roaming in 60 destinations and free data use on Netflix and Deezer, among a few.

MVNO Sky is offering the iPhone X at £42 per month with unlimited text and calls and 500MB of data.

Sky Mobile customers choosing one of the iPhones will also benefit from Sky Mobile’s Mix, Roll, Sync and Save features, including Sky’s latest launched 10GB plan.

Apple has unveiled the long-awaited iPhone X which features a dual camera, bezel less display and facial recognition software.

Over the course of the two hour keynote Apple CEO Tim Cook also announced new iterations if the Apple Watch as well as the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

The iPhone X features a 5.8 inch 2436 x 1125 ‘Super Retina’ display that immerses the entire surface of the device with the exception of sensors at the top following the removal of the home button.

Instead of using their fingerprint to unlock the device, users can now hold the handset up to their face and unlock the device using Face ID. This is done via six sensors at the top of the device which map the users face and set it as the password for the device as well as the ApplePay authorisation.

On the back of the device a two 12MP cameras can be found which both have optical image stabilisation and can shoot in high and low light conditions. Camera users can take advantage of a two times mechanical zoom and a further 10 times digital zoom for photos and six times for videos.

Aside from the X

Aside from the X there were incremental changes to the standard iPhone iteration, notably the ability to charge wirelessly alongside other wireless capabilities such as Bluetooth 5.0 and Advanced LTE. A new Portrait Lighting mode also allows users of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus to add lighting effecting to selfies that to make the resulting image look better and more professional with both features included in the iPhone X.

Apple also took the wraps of the latest iteration of their wearable AppleWatch Series 3 which boasts the option to have cellular connectivity. This means that the device can run independently without having the iPhone in range of the watch meaning users can text, call and stream music to the device which takes advantage of eSIM technology.

Prices for the new iPhone range start at $699 (£525) for the iPhone 8 and $799 (£601) with the iPhone X coming in at $999 (£751). EE has been made the exclusive network retailer of the cellular AppleWatch and will also stock each iteration of the new iPhone alongside Vodafone and Three with pricing and availability to be announced with O2 only stocking the iPhone 8 and 8Plus.

Apple announced that the iPhone 8 and 8Plus will be available to pre-order from September 15 and will ship from September 22 and customers can do so at EE and O2 with Vodafone and Three yet to announce availability. The Californian giant also announced that iPhone X can be pre-ordered from October 27 and shipped from November 1 but all the networks that have announced they will be stocking the device are yet to announce availability.