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Simranpal SIngh
Nielsen reports 43 percent of all mobile phone users own a smartphone, with Apple ranking as the top vendor despite conflicting reports from other analytics firms.
[via Nielsen]
Showing posts with label Android. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Android. Show all posts
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Android’s US Market Share Nearing 50 percent in Latest Nielsen Report
Nielsen reports 43 percent of all mobile phone users own a smartphone, with Apple ranking as the top vendor despite conflicting reports from other analytics firms.
[via Nielsen]
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Android beating iPhone by more than two to one in the UK
Caveats: this data doesn’t include the iPhone 4S, which will certainly spike the numbers in iOS’s favor for a few weeks. It also doesn’t represent an accurate picture of the mobile OS market as a whole ,as it doesn’t include iPods or iPads, or the small number of Android tablets out there. Apple is still kicking backside when it comes to mobile browsing – Safari has captured an impressive 62.2% of all mobile browsing, incorporating all iPhone, iPod and iPad models in the UK and elsewhere. Also, Android manufacturers typically report in terms of units shipped, not sold – Apple has an advantage there since a lot of their sales are direct to consumers.
Still, any way you slice it, Android is continuing to dominate in the smartphone arena. Here’s hoping that Ice Cream Sandwich will continue the trend when the Galaxy Nexus lands at the White Cliffs of Dover on November 17th.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Android’s native browser beats Opera Mini, still lags behind iOS
Ready for a whole new set of browser wars? Not content to keep the web browser battle to the desktop space, Google’s native Android browser, uh, “Browser”, is now beating the long-standing Opera Mini for worldwide mobile browser market share. However, both are still far, far behind Safari, which commands over half of the market as of October 2011.
And iOS Safari is still rising: it gained another six and a half percent to take 62.2 percent of all mobile device browsing in October. That includes all browsing from iPhones, iPods and iPads. Android’s browser now stands at 18.7 percent, while Opera Mini dropped almost a third of its total user share down to just 13.1 percent. And in case you’re wondering, no, that doesn’t include the more powerful Opera Mobile, though Opera Mini runs on Android, iOS, Blackberry, Symbian and Java-powered phones.
The numbers aren’t all that surprising, considering that Opera isn’t installed by default on any smartphones. But of the leading mobile web browsers, it’s been around the longest: the initial Java version came out in 2005, a full two years before the iPhone and its mobile browser hit the market, and three years before Android. It’s also got a lot more features than either of the big players, though like its desktop cousin, rendering issues still put some sites off-limits.
It’ll be interesting to see how the mobile browser market shifts once Google Chrome comes to Android, in fact if not in name – many of the additions to the stock browser in Ice Cream Sandwich are already shared with Chrome, and the desktop version now commands an impressive 17.6 percent of the market.
[via Cnet]
And iOS Safari is still rising: it gained another six and a half percent to take 62.2 percent of all mobile device browsing in October. That includes all browsing from iPhones, iPods and iPads. Android’s browser now stands at 18.7 percent, while Opera Mini dropped almost a third of its total user share down to just 13.1 percent. And in case you’re wondering, no, that doesn’t include the more powerful Opera Mobile, though Opera Mini runs on Android, iOS, Blackberry, Symbian and Java-powered phones.
The numbers aren’t all that surprising, considering that Opera isn’t installed by default on any smartphones. But of the leading mobile web browsers, it’s been around the longest: the initial Java version came out in 2005, a full two years before the iPhone and its mobile browser hit the market, and three years before Android. It’s also got a lot more features than either of the big players, though like its desktop cousin, rendering issues still put some sites off-limits.
It’ll be interesting to see how the mobile browser market shifts once Google Chrome comes to Android, in fact if not in name – many of the additions to the stock browser in Ice Cream Sandwich are already shared with Chrome, and the desktop version now commands an impressive 17.6 percent of the market.
[via Cnet]
Republic Wireless tries to change the game with VOIP and Android
Raise your hand if you love your wireless carrier. Anyone? Consumers fed up with spotty service and limited terms have been complaining for years about lack of transparency and competition, and on November 8th, they might just have a next-generation alternative to the likes of Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. Republic Wireless is a new Mobile Virtual Network Operator that uses a combination of conventional cellular lines and Voice Over IP via Wifi.
This isn’t the be-all, end-all future of wireless, for a few reasons. One, only The Now Network will be supported at launch, and as its current customers know, that’s a lot of roaming territory. Republic Wireless will try to get agreements with other carriers as well. The current carriers don’t really have a reason to help Republic succeed, so you almost certainly won’t see the MVNO get agreements for LTE and unlimited data. But for a very specific subset of people – those who are nearly always in a range of Wifi and don’t require consistent mobile data – it will significantly lower the barrier to entry in the form of monthly payments about half as expensive as current carriers.
Details are still sparse. The company is getting its Beta launch on November the 8th – we’ll be watching with interest.
[via TechCrunch]
Monday, October 31, 2011
Microsoft’s lawyer says “Android stands on our shoulders”
Horacio Gutiérrez, deputy general counsel for Microsoft’s intellectual property group, told the San Francisco Chronicle the following in an interview:
These devices have moved from having a rudimentary phone system to being a full-fledged computer, with a sophisticated, modern operating system. In doing that, they have really stood on the shoulder of companies like Microsoft who made all these billions of dollars in investments.
He went on to talk about Microsoft innovations that are “really critical features that make smart phones what they are today.” Without going into detail, Gutiérrez mentioned synchronizing data with servers and back-end hardware and software innovations that he believes belong to Microsoft. According to Gutiérrez, these patents aren’t contingent upon the final outcome of a software process – say, making a web browser close when the desired action is completed – but on the way in which the outcome is achieved. Different methods of doing the same thing are covered by different patents.
A surprising number of Android manufacturers would seem to agree, or at least, they don’t want to fight out the finer details in court. Samsung, HTC, ODM company Compal and many others pay royalties to Microsoft for every Android device sold. In fact, the number of Android devices that contribute directly to Microsoft’s pockets far exceeds the number of Windows Phone 7 devices sold, even if the latter is more directly beneficial to the company. Google asserts that Microsoft is manipulating the IP and court system to extort its hardware partners.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Google TV apps already showing up in the Android Market
That didn’t take long. Just a few hours after Google’s official announcement of Google TV 2.0, apps specifically designed for integrated TVs and set-top boxes have started appearing in the web version of the Android Market. You can use this URL to check them out for yourself. There’s just 28 results when you specifically search “for Google TV”, and not all of them are true Google TV apps. The generic “Google TV” search shows thousands, most of which are just ordinary Android apps matching the search terms.
Among the confirmed Google TV apps are Twitter, CNBC, Pandora, Fox News, CNN Money, and Motor Trend. We’re expecting a version of Angry Birds designed specifically for Google TV in approximately 20-30 seconds. Naturally these apps won’t show up on the Market if you search from a phone or tablet, and likewise, Market searches made from Google TV are probably not going to show standard smartphone apps, though it’s possible that some apps could work for both platforms eventually. Google TV apps must be coded using the resources in the expanded Android SDK.
Google TV’s Honeycomb update has been officially announced, and Sony set-top boxes and TVs will be the first to get in on the action next week. The Logitech Revue will get the update “shortly” after that, though retail units are already popping up with the new software prominently featured in the packaging. We’ll have more in-depth news as the long-awaited update begins rolling out.
Among the confirmed Google TV apps are Twitter, CNBC, Pandora, Fox News, CNN Money, and Motor Trend. We’re expecting a version of Angry Birds designed specifically for Google TV in approximately 20-30 seconds. Naturally these apps won’t show up on the Market if you search from a phone or tablet, and likewise, Market searches made from Google TV are probably not going to show standard smartphone apps, though it’s possible that some apps could work for both platforms eventually. Google TV apps must be coded using the resources in the expanded Android SDK.
Google TV’s Honeycomb update has been officially announced, and Sony set-top boxes and TVs will be the first to get in on the action next week. The Logitech Revue will get the update “shortly” after that, though retail units are already popping up with the new software prominently featured in the packaging. We’ll have more in-depth news as the long-awaited update begins rolling out.
Samsung beats Apple with 28 million smartphones shipped in Q3
Deck the halls, break out the traditional holiday doughnuts and throw another TPS report on the fire, it’s quarterly earnings call season. Samsung certainly has reason to celebrate: in the last three months they’ve shipped 28 million smartphones worldwide, taking the #1 spot away from Apple. Samsung doesn’t use Android exclusively for their smartphone hardware, but needless to say, it plays a big part in their worldwide strategy.
Samsung’s sales in the mobile department, including all smartphones and feature phones, rose by almost 40% to 13.05 billion dollars. It’s not all good news: the company’s gross profit was down 13% year over year. Total income, including all of Samsung’s various consumer electronics, semiconductor and business-to-business sales rose by 3% to $37.5 billion, with the mobile division driving the company and posting the only gains.
Samsung’s got a busy quarter ahead of them in the mobile space, with both the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note coming to various markets within the next month. The Galaxy S line of smartphones, which has sold over30 million devices across the original and Galaxy S II models, will see high-definition and LTE updates soon as well. The Galaxy S III is expected sometime next year. Samsung’s bottom line might be affected by Apple’s lawsuits worldwide, which have already resulted in sales bans on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany and Australia.
Samsung’s sales in the mobile department, including all smartphones and feature phones, rose by almost 40% to 13.05 billion dollars. It’s not all good news: the company’s gross profit was down 13% year over year. Total income, including all of Samsung’s various consumer electronics, semiconductor and business-to-business sales rose by 3% to $37.5 billion, with the mobile division driving the company and posting the only gains.
Samsung’s got a busy quarter ahead of them in the mobile space, with both the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note coming to various markets within the next month. The Galaxy S line of smartphones, which has sold over30 million devices across the original and Galaxy S II models, will see high-definition and LTE updates soon as well. The Galaxy S III is expected sometime next year. Samsung’s bottom line might be affected by Apple’s lawsuits worldwide, which have already resulted in sales bans on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany and Australia.
Google executive: Siri is Star Wars, Android Voice Actions is Star Trek
Sometimes it’s nice to know that the executives at Google are just as nerdy as we are. At the Hong Kong event where Google and Samsung introduced the Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Matias Duarte, product management director for Android, answered some direct questions from the crowd. When asked to compare Siri with Android’s built-in Voice Control features, he responded with an analogy that any self-respecting geek can identify with. Duarte compared Siri with the bumbling protocol droids like C3PO from Star Wars, while Voice Actions are more like the U.S.S. Enterprise’s computer, where voice controls every function.
Here’s Duarte’s complete quote:
Well, we don’t like to set ourselves in a head-to-head kind of way, you know, Apple makes terrific products, I think Siri is great; I think it’s really hard in the long run to follow strategy of making kind of an artificial personality. You know, it can be really funny at first, but that uncanny value of just, uh, having a personality that you start to interact with, um, as you would a person, with all the contextual ambiguity you would with a real person – that’s a really challenging approach, and they’re going for it, that’s great. Our approach is different. The metaphor I like to take is – if it’s Star Wars, you have these robot personalities like C-3PO who runs around and he tries to do stuff for you, messes up and makes jokes, he’s kind of a comic relief guy. Our approach is more like Star Trek, right, starship Enterprise; every piece of computing surface, everything is voice-aware. It’s not that there’s a personality, it doesn’t have a name, it’s just “Computer.”
I’ve often thought that Apple’s insistence on calling Siri “her” made it out to be more than it is, a series of keywords hooked into various web and app actions. Android’s Voice Actions is actually pretty similar, even if it’s designed to act like a command rather than a conversation – when activating the Navigation app, I’ve often felt the urge to say, “Computer, navigate to movie theater.” The idea of Siri as everyone’s least-favorite golden robot, the essence of form over function (not to mention self-important obsolescence) doesn’t hurt either.
Make no mistake, Siri is impressive, it’s just not the revolution that Apple wants you to think it is – Android has been doing the same thing and more for years, if admittedly in a less intuitive way. Whether you prefer saying “Siri, wake me up at five” or “Set alarm for five AM” is really a personal preference… perhaps at least as personal as your answer to Luke versus Kirk. We’ll have a full transcript of Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich Q&A available in the next few days, so keep an eye our for more highly relevant metaphors.
Here’s Duarte’s complete quote:
Well, we don’t like to set ourselves in a head-to-head kind of way, you know, Apple makes terrific products, I think Siri is great; I think it’s really hard in the long run to follow strategy of making kind of an artificial personality. You know, it can be really funny at first, but that uncanny value of just, uh, having a personality that you start to interact with, um, as you would a person, with all the contextual ambiguity you would with a real person – that’s a really challenging approach, and they’re going for it, that’s great. Our approach is different. The metaphor I like to take is – if it’s Star Wars, you have these robot personalities like C-3PO who runs around and he tries to do stuff for you, messes up and makes jokes, he’s kind of a comic relief guy. Our approach is more like Star Trek, right, starship Enterprise; every piece of computing surface, everything is voice-aware. It’s not that there’s a personality, it doesn’t have a name, it’s just “Computer.”
I’ve often thought that Apple’s insistence on calling Siri “her” made it out to be more than it is, a series of keywords hooked into various web and app actions. Android’s Voice Actions is actually pretty similar, even if it’s designed to act like a command rather than a conversation – when activating the Navigation app, I’ve often felt the urge to say, “Computer, navigate to movie theater.” The idea of Siri as everyone’s least-favorite golden robot, the essence of form over function (not to mention self-important obsolescence) doesn’t hurt either.
Make no mistake, Siri is impressive, it’s just not the revolution that Apple wants you to think it is – Android has been doing the same thing and more for years, if admittedly in a less intuitive way. Whether you prefer saying “Siri, wake me up at five” or “Set alarm for five AM” is really a personal preference… perhaps at least as personal as your answer to Luke versus Kirk. We’ll have a full transcript of Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich Q&A available in the next few days, so keep an eye our for more highly relevant metaphors.
Samsung Confirms: Galaxy Nexus hitting Europe November 17
Samsung is busy throwing a Galaxy Note world tour today and you can watch the live stream here. While the Samsung Galaxy Note is extremely awesome and unique they've also shared a few details that you all might be interested. Samsung has confirmed the new Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich will be available across Europe starting November 17th. Who is ready for some ICS? I know I am.
This has just hit the wires so we are still sifting through the details. We’ve seen the Galaxy Nexus up for pre-order at Amazon.uk for a few days now and the shipping date went from the 17th to the 7th and back. Now that this is official the price has also dropped to a more reasonable £549.99.
This was confirmed watching the live stream linked to above, as well as tweeted by the offical@SAMFirmware account. This is about as official as it gets for now, and users across Europe will be able to get their hands on some tasty Ice Cream Bars soon enough. For all of our coverage of this awesome device feel free to look over our Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich portals, then enjoy the hands-on videos below.
This has just hit the wires so we are still sifting through the details. We’ve seen the Galaxy Nexus up for pre-order at Amazon.uk for a few days now and the shipping date went from the 17th to the 7th and back. Now that this is official the price has also dropped to a more reasonable £549.99.
This was confirmed watching the live stream linked to above, as well as tweeted by the offical@SAMFirmware account. This is about as official as it gets for now, and users across Europe will be able to get their hands on some tasty Ice Cream Bars soon enough. For all of our coverage of this awesome device feel free to look over our Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich portals, then enjoy the hands-on videos below.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Samsung’s dual-screen SCH-W999 bound for China Telecom
While flip phones have largely fallen out of fashion here in the States, especially when it comes to smartphones, the form factor remains popular in many Asian markets. Samsung appears to be capitalizing on that with the new SCH-W999, an Android phone in the classic flip style with a screen on both sides of the top section. Keep it closed and it’s a rather thick slate, open it up and you’ve got access to a full touchscreen and number pad.
The screens have to be shrunk somewhat to fit the frame of course, but at 3.5 inches it still makes for a sizable device. 800 x 480 resolution on an AMOLED panel should make for a pretty solid viewing experience, and hardware nav buttons on the dial pad will make it easy for users to get around Android when the screen is flipped up. A 1.5GHz processor and 5 megapixel camera round out the package.
The SCH-w999 is joined by the more pedestrian SCH-i929, yet another Samsung Galaxy S II variant with a 4.5-inch screen and an 8 megapixel camera. The photos are courtesy of a Chinese standards office, which says that both phones are headed for China Telecom in the near future. Specific Android versions aren’t mentioned, but Gingerbread seems to be a safe bet. There’s no word on pricing or availability yet, not that it’ll matter for most of our western readers – unfortunately, high-powered flip phones don’t seem to make it out of Asia in most cases.
[via Engadget]
The screens have to be shrunk somewhat to fit the frame of course, but at 3.5 inches it still makes for a sizable device. 800 x 480 resolution on an AMOLED panel should make for a pretty solid viewing experience, and hardware nav buttons on the dial pad will make it easy for users to get around Android when the screen is flipped up. A 1.5GHz processor and 5 megapixel camera round out the package.
The SCH-w999 is joined by the more pedestrian SCH-i929, yet another Samsung Galaxy S II variant with a 4.5-inch screen and an 8 megapixel camera. The photos are courtesy of a Chinese standards office, which says that both phones are headed for China Telecom in the near future. Specific Android versions aren’t mentioned, but Gingerbread seems to be a safe bet. There’s no word on pricing or availability yet, not that it’ll matter for most of our western readers – unfortunately, high-powered flip phones don’t seem to make it out of Asia in most cases.
[via Engadget]
HTC ThunderBolt gets an Ice Cream Sandwich SDK port
Stock ThunderBolt users are just now getting their first taste of Gingerbread, but all the cool kids are already running versions of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich based off of the Software Development Kit. Verizon’s first LTE phone is the latest to get the treatment, courtesy of the fine folks at RootzWiki. Experienced custom ROM users can flash the software in the usual way via a custom recovery – don’t forget to do a backup!
SDK ports are usually a stop-gap before the source code for the latest version of Android becomes available, and that seems to be the case here. Major functions like the touchscreen, audio and data aren’t working – basically the only thing that the port is good for at the moment is booting up and looking pretty. That isn’t a put-down, mind you; this stuff isn’t easy, and I commend the developer “jdkoreclipse” for his or her efforts. Asimilar port on the Nexus S is a lot more complete, probably because of the ease of creating ROMs for a developer device.
HTC has committed to bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to as many devices as possible, and to my mind, that certainly includes the high-powered ThunderBolt. But given HTC and Verizon’s pretty dismal upgrade path to Gingerbread, who knows how long it will take. Custom ROM junkies can take solace in the fact that true Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs will probably start popping up only a week or two after the open source code dropslater this year.
TypeSmart Keyboard Beta translates text as you enter it
There’s a lot of options out there for Android keyboard apps, and a lot of them are good choices, too – Swype, Swiftkey, 8pen, and my personal favorite, Thumb Keyboard, among many, many others. I came across one today that offers a relatively novel feature: it automatically hooks in to Google Translate to allow you to input text in any supported language. TypeSmart Keyboard is still in beta, and free for the moment. If you have to translate between multiple languages often, it’s definitely worth a look.
It works like this: simply type a word or phrase into a text field in the normal way, or use Android’s voice input via the Microphone key. Then hold the Microphone key, tap “Translator,” and select your to and from languages. TypeSmart then sends your text to Google Translate and retrieves the translation, foreign characters, punctuation and all. Even for those of us who are native speakers or bilingual, this could represent a significant time savings versus using the official Google Translator app, or even hunting down the special characters that populate your language of choice.
TypeSmart supports most of the advanced features that soft keyboard junkies are used to: multiple layouts, haptic feedback, text prediction, spelling correction, et cetera. It even features Locale settings and themes for the hopeless tweaker. The developer Comet Apps hasn’t said when the beta program will end, or how much the app will cost when it goes gold, but for those of us who frequently use multiple languages every day, it could be a godsend. You can check it out now in the Android Market.
Android Collectible: Don Pablo Calaveroid – Day of the Dead Android
Who wants more Android collectibles from the highly popular Dead Zebra group? Now that Halloween is fast approaching the guys from DYZPlastic have teamed up with the Beast Brothers to bring a little Mexican flair to our favorite Android collectibles. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is what we got in return with a Don Pablo special edition Android.
The first round of collectibles were back in February of 2010 then a series 2 the following year. The last round of collectibles was back in August but we are expecting more soon especially with this latest tease shown above.
For those looking to celebrate Halloween or Dia de los Muertos now you can do it with a bit of Android flair and from the amount of details on the android I think they’ve even hit that 15 pieces of flair minimum, although Office Space has nothing to do with Halloween. To get your very own special edition Calaveriod be sure to check by the Dead Zebra Shop on the Day of the Dead. That is November 1st, and they’ll be available starting at 11 AM EST and again at 11 PM EST. They go fast and are limited to 1 per person so you better hurry as they are usually a big hit.
[via Dyzplastic Blog]
The first round of collectibles were back in February of 2010 then a series 2 the following year. The last round of collectibles was back in August but we are expecting more soon especially with this latest tease shown above.
For those looking to celebrate Halloween or Dia de los Muertos now you can do it with a bit of Android flair and from the amount of details on the android I think they’ve even hit that 15 pieces of flair minimum, although Office Space has nothing to do with Halloween. To get your very own special edition Calaveriod be sure to check by the Dead Zebra Shop on the Day of the Dead. That is November 1st, and they’ll be available starting at 11 AM EST and again at 11 PM EST. They go fast and are limited to 1 per person so you better hurry as they are usually a big hit.
[via Dyzplastic Blog]
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
More trouble for Android, Apple granted Slide to Unlock patent
Today we have more news regarding some of those Apple patents. This morning after being filed way back in December of 2005, The US Patent & Trademark Office issued a patent grant to Apple regarding their familiar Slide to Unlock gesture. This has actually been officially granted to Apple, no longer is this pending, the deed is done.
We have seen plenty of news regarding Apple and patents already and this could be another major patent that we will be seeing lawsuits stem from in the near future. Apple’s lawyers have been busy, especially with Samsung phones and tablets, but things could get a bit more interesting now they’ve finally been granted a patent on this revolutionary “feature”.
Remember, this was a new feature and while unveiling the new iPhone to the world this is what we heard:
To unlock the phone, I just take my finger and slide it across. Wanna see that again? We wanted something you couldn’t do by accident in your pocket. Just slide it across – BOOM.”, Steve JobsFor now we don’t really know what to expect from this grant, or what Apple will do with it but I have a feeling it wont be pretty. Android has a very very similar slide-to-unlock manor now, it’s still similar yet slightly changed in Ice Cream Sandwich but I’m not sure that will be enough to save it from a possible lawsuit. The course this will take on Android is unknown, but we will probably be hearing plenty here soon. For more information regarding the patents head to USPTO.gov search engine and look up patent number 7657849.
[via SlashGear]
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Chillingo Bringing A Handful of Mega-Hit iOS Games To Android
“Android’s install base is steadily rising and we are working with our talented indie developers to bring fun, entertaining titles to this expanding platform,”With new Android devices popping up every other day, you’re darn right we’re expanding. Chillingo currently has a few Android titles in the Market like Spider Jack, Office Gamebox and plans to bring another 5 in the coming weeks. You can look forward to future Chillingo titles like My Vampire Boyfriend with more games that include:
Roll in the Hole
Contre Jour
Little Lost Chick
Parking Mania
Chillingo was recently acquired by Electronic Arts EA back in 2010 and now works inside EA Mobile. This new Android push may have a little something to do with EA’s attempts at tapping the booming mobile gaming market.
[Via IGN]
Android passes iOS for most mobile app downloads
Apple’s leads in the individual mobile sectors are dropping one by one – it’s no wonder the lawyers are working double overtime. The latest hurdle that Android has passed is the number of app downloads. In the second quarter of this year, Android accounted for 44% of all mobile app downloads, whereas Apple had only 31%.
The numbers aren’t exactly shocking. Android has been leading Apple in total device sales for months, and is now beating the Cupertino giant in every world market. Though Android users still download fewer apps per capita than iPhone, iPod or iPad users, the sheer number of them has led to a greater piece of the overall pie. The total number of global downloads across all devices expected by the end of the year is a staggering 29 billion.
The iOS App Store still has a lead on the Android Market by about 200,000 apps, largely because apps tend to disappear from the Android Market at a faster rate. Though the current total is less than 350,000, the number of overall published apps is cumulatively more than half a million. The Android Market is expected to surpass the App Store by the middle of 2012. Even Apple’s deathgrip on the tablet market is slipping, with Android tablets making up a full quarter of sales in the last three months.
Those Cupertino lawyers had better start working faster.
Monday, October 24, 2011
More than half of Android phones under license from Microsoft
It was recently suggested that Microsoft makes more money from HTC than it does from its WP7 licenses. The Taiwanese manufacturer effectively pays Microsoft $5 for every Android handset sold, while Windows Phone licenses go for $15, however there’s something like 10 times as many HTC Android phones as there are Window Phone 7 handsets.
Now Brad Smith and Horacio Gutierrez – Microsoft’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel respectively (phew) – have been boasting that they’re siphoning bucks from over half of Android phones.
That’s largely thanks to HTC and Samsung, which account for 29% and 23% of the Android market respectively. Throw in a handful of smaller manufacturers such as Acer, and you’re looking at 53% of all Android handsets.
“For those who continue to protest that the smartphone patent thicket is too difficult to navigate, it's past time to wake up,” warn Smith and Gutierrez. “As Microsoft has entered new markets from the enterprise to the Xbox, we’ve put together comprehensive licensing programs that address not only our own needs but the needs of our customers and partners as well.
“As our recent agreements clearly show, Android handset manufacturers are now doing the same thing. Ultimately, that's a good path for everyone.”
via: TechNet
Nokia outs offline maps for Android and iOS
We have talked about the Nokia HTML5 maps that were coming before. At first, the Nokia Maps were only offered on Nokia smartphones, but that has now changed. The HTML5 version of the maps are intended to be used on both the Android and iOS platforms as well. With the roll out of the HTML 5 maps also come some new and cool features.
The best of the features is the new offline mode. This allows you to download the maps before you head out for a trip so you can turn off your data connection. That is a big deal if you are in an area where you are in data roaming. Other new features include POI information and new public transportation directions.
[via MyNokiaBlod]
Saturday, October 22, 2011
More than 50% of smartphones sold in Asia run Android
Now Google and Samsung’s decision to move the Galaxy Nexus event to Hong Kong makes more sense. A new report from ABI research states that a whopping 52% of the smartphones in Asia are running Android. That’s a considerable lead on the United States, where Android currently commands 43% of the smartphone market.
The growth of Android in Asia is especially dramatic in Asia, where the operating system has gained 36% market share in just one year. Of course, much of Asia is still considered an emerging market, which is why only 27% of mobile phones sold there qualify as smartphones, as opposed to 40% in the U.S. We know that Android is big in China, and a big part of that is its open-source nature, allowing small and large manufacturers alike to create Android phones without paying a licensing fee. It probably doesn’t hurt that the two largest manufacturers of Android phones, Samsung and HTC, are based in South Korea and Taiwan, respectively.
In the next few years Asia will become an even more important part of the smartphone market, and the tech world in general. Analysts currently predict smartphone market share to double in the next five years, and if Android maintains its current success, it’ll be a pretty one-sided one at that. With Samsung, HTC and regional players like Pantech creating phones at every price level, it’ll be a bitter fight to see who can create and sell Android phones the fastest in the territory.Android is also making great strides in tablets and other form factors, such as the traditionally popular personal translator clamshell.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Steve Jobs had pledged “thermonuclear war” on Android
No matter what you think of Apple or the business practices the company uses, you have to admit that the firm makes some fantastic products in the smartphone and tablet range. I think no matter your smartphone of choice, we were all a little saddened by the passing of Jobs. Today we have learned from the AP via an early release copy of the biography on Steve Jobs that he was very set on destroying Android and Google.
According to the biography, Jobs had called Android a “grand theft” of iPhone technology and had vowed that he would go to “Thermonuclear war” to kill Android. According to the biography, Jobs had a meeting with Eric Schmidt when Schmidt was CEO of the search firm. Allegedly, in that meeting Jobs refused to consider any settlement of the suit between Apple and Google.
Jobs is said to have quipped that Apple had “plenty of money” and the only settlement he wanted was for Android to stop using Apple ideas. According to the biography Jobs said, “I want you to stop using our ideas in Android, that’s all I want.”
“I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong … I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this” Steve Jobs[via SlashGear]
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