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iPhone wannabe round up: Sony, Microsoft

It's been a busy week for those playing catch up to the iPhone:

• Sony is apparently working on gadgets to rival both the iPad and iPhone. A Playstation phone is rumoured, along with a device combining the combined elements of a netbook, portable games console, and ebook reader.

• Microsoft could be launching its 'Pink' phone as early as 20 April. Seems to be limited on features so it probably can't really be put in the same bracket as the iPhone. I'm sure Microsoft will try to spin it that way though.

Rubber iPhone shock?

Confusion reigns today - perhaps the strangest rumour for a while states that in addition to various hardware tweaks (see yesterday's news) the next version of the iPhone will come in rubber.....

Perhaps it has something to do with the support article posted by Apple today on how to avoid static electric shocks from your iPod/iPhone ear buds. Or maybe not. Or maybe it's just a slow news day.

On a more interesting note, analyst firm Gartner reports that Apple has doubled its smartphone market share in a year, now boasting over 10% of global sales.

iPhone killer arrives as Apple ponders multiple iPhone versions

Today saw  confirmation of the US launch date of the Palm Pre - 6 June. Whilst it is being built up as an iPhone killer, I'm not so sure. Whilst it is undoubtedly a good product it is, like others that came before, playing catch up. Me too products are not going to hurt the iPhone, it is the ones that go way beyond its capabilities that will give it a run for its money.

Meanwhile speculation surrounds the possibility of multiple iPhone models, based predominantly on software differentiation. This would tend to confirm the most recent news in the rumoursphere which points to largely unchanged iPhone hardware (aside from speed bumps and other tweaks) in the upcoming revamped model this Summer.

Dell phone bores everyone

It's not coming to a store near you any time soon. Dell's attempt at a so called 'iPhone killer' have fallen at the first hurdle, with carriers rejecting it for being "too dull".

According to a research note from Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu, the proposed phone, capable of running both Windows Mobile or Google's Android, did not offer sufficient product differentiation from products already available.

Apparently Dell are now going "back to the drawing board" according to Wu.

Big smartphone shoot-out

Check out this video from www.phonedog.com - a review of the new Palm Pre compared to the iPhone and the G1.

Who will win? And will the Palm's OS really suck? Find out in this fact-packed video.