SMS is still king for mobile data revenue

Portio Research says text messaging will still be the leading revenue-generator from mobile data for several years. Volume and revenue are both expected to continue growing through the current economic downturn, with the whole mobile messaging industry - currently worth $130 billion - predicted to be worth $224 billion by 2013. The company also says that the number of mobile email users worldwide will quadruple from approximately a quarter of a billion users in 2008 to over a billion users by the end of 2013 - and mobile instant messaging users will increase from 111 million users worldwide in 2008 to 867 million users by the end of 2013. [Press release]

3 launches Facebook phone

As expected, 3 has announced the INQ1 - the 'Facebook phone' - today. It's the first phone from Hutchison-backed INQ and includes a number of social networking and communication services: Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Last.fm and RSS feeds. There's a 3.2 megapixel camera, too. The INQ1 will be available free on a 'pay monthly' contract from £15 per month, which will include unlimited Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and web access, plus 75 minutes of calls to other networks, unlimited texts, unlimited email and unlimited free 3-to-3 calls (subject to 'fair use' terms). [Press release]

Messaging booming but SMS revenue to drop in Europe

Mobile messaging - text messages, MMS and instant messaging - is increasingly popular in Western Europe, although SMS revenue is dropping. New research from Frost & Sullivan says that texts generated €16.42 billion revenue in Western Europe in 2007, which is expected to drop by 2.9% per year until it reaches €14.59 billion in 2011. However, MMS and IM revenue is expected to grow in the same period. [Press release]

Nokia buys email and IM company

Nokia has said it's buying Canadian email and instant messaging company OZ Communications. [Press release]

Android drops some Bluetooth support

Google's latest version of the Android Software Deveopment Kit, which helps people create programs for the forthcoming Android-powered mobile phones, removed some support for Bluetooth and Google's GChat service. Although Android will work with hands-free Bluetooth accessories, the current version now won't let developers incorporate Bluetooth features in their own programs. [Source: InformationWeek.com]

Almost half of young US drivers are using mobiles

Nearly half of young drivers have sent a text message, instant message or e-mail while driving, according to a new survey by legal information website FindLaw.com. 48% of drivers aged 18 to 24 and 27% of drivers aged 25 to 34, admit to messaging while behind the wheel. Overall, 17% of all adults surveyed said they'd texted while driving. [Source: MarketWatch.com]

Palringo says swap SMS for IM in EU

Mobile instant messaging company Palringo says instant messaging is a cheaper way of using your mobile when you're abroad. Its own service offers instant voice messages as well as conventional text messages. The service works via a free downloadable program (Windows Mobile, Symbian or Java) that uses the data network, offering connectivity to most major instant messaging services and its own instant voice message service. [Press release]

Mobile users ditching MMS

Mobile application site GetJar.com says 15% of its users have dropped MMS in favour of messaging software, including migg33, eBuddy and Nimbuzz. It says high cost, poor reliability and alternative social applications are all to blame. [Source: 160characters.org]

Mobile instant messaging to triple in six years

Instant messaging on mobiles is expected to grow from 8 % of mobile phone users in Europe (26.7 million subscribers) in 2007 to 24% (80 million subscribers) by 2013, according to a new report from Forrester Research. The company talked to 22,000 consumers across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Sweden and the UK are expected to lead the increase, with 31% of UK subscribers and 35% of Swedesh subscribers using mobile IM by 2013. [Press release]