By Natasha Lomas, 13 December 2007 16:32
NEWS
The big mobile story for 2007 has to be Apple's entry into the market with the long awaited and much hyped iPhone - which launched in the US in June and arrived in the UK in November, in partnership with O2.
But it's not all been about Steve Jobs this year. For starters, rumours of a Google mobile resurfaced and hung around, refusing to die. The search giant did finally serve up a mobile offering for 2007 - not a phone but an open source software developer platform called Android. There won't be any Android handsets until next year however.
Meanwhile, Nokia made moves on mapping - plotting a massive $8.1bn acquisition of digital-map supplier Navteq and talking up location-based services; Vodafone made moves on India, snaffling network operator Hutchison Essar; and CEO Ed Zander finally said he is moving out of Motorola.
The year has also seen various Euro policy moves in the mobile sphere - with the EU Roaming Regulation finally coming into force, in-flight mobiles inching ever closer to reality and mobile telly given a much needed leg-up by EU backing for the DVB-H standard. The EC also took time out to look at the cost of data roaming, giving operators something to worry about next year.
There were developments on the cutting edge too, with a trial of NFC mobile payments kicking off in London in November, next-gen broadband up for debate and the potential of nascent tech femtocells exciting analysts.
Here are the year's top 10 mobile & wireless stories:
1. iPhone for business? Hang on...
It's been the year of the iPhone as the long awaited and much hyped device finally popped out of Steve Jobs' jeans pocket and into the limelight. While excited consumers went ga-ga for the device there is still a question whether there is anything for business users under that slick touchscreen.
2. Is Google creating a Gphone?
The rumour of a Google mobile proved persistent this year so silicon.com tapped up the collective wisdom of an antechamber of analysts. Verdict: Probably not - but you never know
3. BlackBerry blackout hits RIM's customers
Any event that forces CrackBerry addicts to go cold turkey is guaranteed to get techie chins wagging - and the network outage that hit RIM back in April certainly made its fair share of headlines. Read how we covered the breaking news here.
4. Will Google's Android rock the mobile world?
Google's big mobile move of the year was named after a robot that's been made to look human. Ours not to reason why. But the question of Android's impact - if any - on the mobile market is definitely worth looking into.
5. Cheat Sheet: Femtocells
Expect to hear a lot more about femtocells next year which are emerging as a tech with the potential to change the philosophy behind building mobile networks. Get the punters to buy their own base station? Now there's an idea.
6. Photos: The rise of the luxury mobile
Was this the year mobiles went upmarket? Quite possibly. Designer brands are falling over themselves to get their name emblazoned on a phone. Check out photos of some of 2007's most eye-catching here.
7. Rail passengers to get free on-board wi-fi
First class perks trucked into standard class when National Express won the bid to run the London to Scotland east coast mainline rail service. Not champagne and table service but free wi-fi all round. Hurrah!
8. O2 Tube trial takes mobile payments underground
A swipe-for-everything society got a step closer last month when O2 announced the launch of a trial of an NFC phone in London. The pilot will run for six months with the guinea pigs using their phones as Oyster cards and mobile wallets.
9. Leader: Is BT-FON deal a real mesh?
Wi-fi sharing always causes controversy. So BT's hook up with FON - while expected, is an interesting development. This leader chews over some of the detail of a deal that marries commerce and community.
10. Cheat Sheet: Mobile TV
2007 may well go down in history as the year that kick-started mobile telly in Europe - or at least tackled the standards question. So brush up your knowledge of tiny telly with our Cheat Sheet before it gets a bit bigger.
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