Amazon Prepping Smartphone to Rival iPhone, Android?

Citigroup analysts Mark Mahaney and Kevin Chang believe that Amazon will release a smartphone some time next year.

“With the clear success of the Kindle e-Reader over the past 3 years, and Kindle Fire possibly succeeding in the low-priced Tablet market, we view this as the next logical step for Amazon," wrote Mahaney and Chang. "We continue to believe Amazon has now set its eyes on the Mobile (and Tablet) Media and Product.”

This would raise the stakes yet again in the Amazon-Apple-Google rivalry.

Also Read: Why Google Thinks It Can Challenge Apple's iTunes

Apple's iPhone and Google's Android are already fighting for mobile users, and the platform is seen as the key battleground for the two companies moving forward.

Qi: Charging Your Cellphone Without Wires

Smartphones and other portable devices now occupy a central role in many of our lives. According to NPD's Mobile Phone Track, smartphones accounted for 59 percent of all handset sales to U.S. consumers in the third quarter of 2011. These devices can communicate wirelessly using cellular networks, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.

But ultimately, their hungry batteries must seek out the regenerative respite of a cord connected to a power source. Indeed, many consumers buy extra chargers to keep their devices juiced up in the office or the car, making chargers the second most popular mobile phone accessory, according to NPD's Retail Tracking Service.

For years, brands such as Powermat, Energizer, and Duracell have offered ways to cut -- or at least bridge -- the power cord by using a charging pad on which you simply place a portable device such as a cellphone. The device starts charging as soon as you place it on the pad.

Nokia Says Windows Phones Get ‘Remarkably Positive’ Response

 Nokia Oyj Chief Executive Officer Stephen Elop said there has been a promising early response for the company’s Windows Phones and predicts demand will be boosted by Microsoft Corp. spreading the tiled interface to personal computers and tablets.

“The reaction is remarkably positive,” Elop said in Barcelona at a conference organized by Morgan Stanley yesterday. “We need to introduce the experience to consumers to get them to try it because we know once they try it they will like it.” Nokia starts selling the Lumia 800, which Elop calls “the first real Windows Phone device,” in six European markets this month.

Android Versus IPhone

Google competes in the smartphone market by letting manufacturers customize the Android system for their hardware. T-Mobile introduced the first phone powered by Android software, made by HTC Corp., in October 2008, more than a year after Apple’s iPhone debuted.

Android led the global smartphone industry in the third quarter, with 53 percent of the market, according to Gartner. Apple’s iPhone software had 15 percent.

Still, Google may have a harder time narrowing Apple’s music lead, given the longer head start and how established iTunes has become. ITunes customers have downloaded 16 billion songs.