Apple, Android Battling for Smartphone Leadership in Mobile OS Race
Sunday 31 July 2011 05:47
The mobile phone market is changing. Depending on how you slice that market, the biggest winner in the last year was either Apple or Google. Apple is the largest maker of smartphone handsets, but Google’s Android smartphone OS is the top seller while Apple’s iOS is No. 2.
But for the top handset market share, it’s still Nokia, due mostly to its vast number of non-smartphone sales. However, Nokia’s smartphone sales are off while the company sells units with its aged Symbian operating system and waits for Microsoft Phone 7 equipped devices to appear in large numbers.
Apple enjoyed explosive growth in smartphone sales over last year, with an increase of 141.8 percent, according to an IDC report. Nokia, while still tops in overall phone market share suffered a drop in sales of more than 20 percent.
But there’s more to the smartphone market than who makes the handset. According to a Nielsen survey, Android-based phones now own 39 percent of the U.S. market compared to Apple’s 28 percent. The reason for the difference, of course, is there are multiple handset makers supporting the Android OS, while there’s only one Apple–supporting iOS.
Meanwhile, there are any number of rumors that could change the dynamic significantly, depending on what turns out to be true. For example, there’s a rumor that Apple could offer the iPhone to all U.S. carriers instead of just AT&T and Verizon Wireless. If that were to happen, perhaps there’s a chance that Apple could surge ahead of the Android devices by opening up availability. There’s certainly demand–one source at T-Mobile told me that there are about a million iPhone users on T-Mobile now–enough that T-Mobile stores are selling some iPhone accessories.
The level of hype surrounding the iPhone, especially the long anticipated iPhone 5 will also help build market share for both the device and for iOS. According to a PriceGrabber survey, 35 percent of consumers say they will buy an iPhone 5 when it comes out. If these numbers pan out (and that’s not a sure thing) then that could bump the iPhone into top place in the United States and perhaps globally in the smartphone market.
But for the top handset market share, it’s still Nokia, due mostly to its vast number of non-smartphone sales. However, Nokia’s smartphone sales are off while the company sells units with its aged Symbian operating system and waits for Microsoft Phone 7 equipped devices to appear in large numbers.
Apple enjoyed explosive growth in smartphone sales over last year, with an increase of 141.8 percent, according to an IDC report. Nokia, while still tops in overall phone market share suffered a drop in sales of more than 20 percent.
But there’s more to the smartphone market than who makes the handset. According to a Nielsen survey, Android-based phones now own 39 percent of the U.S. market compared to Apple’s 28 percent. The reason for the difference, of course, is there are multiple handset makers supporting the Android OS, while there’s only one Apple–supporting iOS.
Meanwhile, there are any number of rumors that could change the dynamic significantly, depending on what turns out to be true. For example, there’s a rumor that Apple could offer the iPhone to all U.S. carriers instead of just AT&T and Verizon Wireless. If that were to happen, perhaps there’s a chance that Apple could surge ahead of the Android devices by opening up availability. There’s certainly demand–one source at T-Mobile told me that there are about a million iPhone users on T-Mobile now–enough that T-Mobile stores are selling some iPhone accessories.
The level of hype surrounding the iPhone, especially the long anticipated iPhone 5 will also help build market share for both the device and for iOS. According to a PriceGrabber survey, 35 percent of consumers say they will buy an iPhone 5 when it comes out. If these numbers pan out (and that’s not a sure thing) then that could bump the iPhone into top place in the United States and perhaps globally in the smartphone market.
Windows Phone “Mango” – Released to Manufacturing
Tuesday 26 July 2011 05:25
by Terry Myerson
I wanted to drop into the Windows Phone Blog briefly to update you on an important milestone. Earlier this morning, the Windows Phone development team officially signed off on the release to manufacturing (RTM) build of “Mango” – the latest version of the Windows Phone operating system. This marks the point in the development process where we hand code to our handset and mobile operator partners to optimize Mango for their specific phone and network configurations. Here on the Windows Phone team, we now turn to preparing for the update process. The Mango update for current Windows Phone handsets will be ready this fall, and of course will come pre-installed on new Windows Phones.
In May, we officially took the wraps off of Mango, a release including hundreds of new features that create a smarter and easier approach to communications and apps, while delivering the best web experience. My favorites?
· Our unique new email Conversation View which helps me to efficiently participate in long email discussions with my friends and co-workers.
· Threads that bring together my text, IM, and Facebook chat all into one conversation.
· App Multitasking, enabling me to efficiently work on my email, listen to music, and then pop in and out of Words By Post games when it is my turn. Mango also connects apps to search results and deepens integration within the Hubs like Music and Video and Pictures.
· Internet Explorer 9 for fast web browsing and support for new HTML 5 web sites.
We can’t wait to get Mango in your hands so you can experience all the new features for yourself and give us feedback on where to go next. As we reach additional milestones we will be back to share more but until then, thank you for your support of Windows Phone.
[source: WindowsPhone Blog ]
I wanted to drop into the Windows Phone Blog briefly to update you on an important milestone. Earlier this morning, the Windows Phone development team officially signed off on the release to manufacturing (RTM) build of “Mango” – the latest version of the Windows Phone operating system. This marks the point in the development process where we hand code to our handset and mobile operator partners to optimize Mango for their specific phone and network configurations. Here on the Windows Phone team, we now turn to preparing for the update process. The Mango update for current Windows Phone handsets will be ready this fall, and of course will come pre-installed on new Windows Phones.
In May, we officially took the wraps off of Mango, a release including hundreds of new features that create a smarter and easier approach to communications and apps, while delivering the best web experience. My favorites?
· Our unique new email Conversation View which helps me to efficiently participate in long email discussions with my friends and co-workers.
· Threads that bring together my text, IM, and Facebook chat all into one conversation.
· App Multitasking, enabling me to efficiently work on my email, listen to music, and then pop in and out of Words By Post games when it is my turn. Mango also connects apps to search results and deepens integration within the Hubs like Music and Video and Pictures.
· Internet Explorer 9 for fast web browsing and support for new HTML 5 web sites.
We can’t wait to get Mango in your hands so you can experience all the new features for yourself and give us feedback on where to go next. As we reach additional milestones we will be back to share more but until then, thank you for your support of Windows Phone.
[source: WindowsPhone Blog ]
Android is the top Mobile OS
Friday 22 July 2011 05:12
Google's Android mobile operating system was the most popular choice among smartphone buyers in June, but Apple's iOS helped Cupertino become the top smartphone manufacturer in the U.S. last month, according to Thursday data from Nielsen.
Android now has the largest share of the U.S. smartphone market with 39 percent, followed by Apple and iOS with 28 percent. Research in Motion's BlackBerry, meanwhile, is down to 20 percent.
"Because Apple is the only company manufacturing smartphones with the iOS operating system, it is clearly the top smartphone manufacturer in the United States," Nielsen wrote in a blog post.
HTC, Motorola, and Samsung also had a pretty successful month. HTC's Android phones represented 14 percent of the smartphone market, while its Windows Mobile/Phone 7 devices nabbed 6 percent. Android-based Motorola smartphones, meanwhile, made up 11 percent of U.S. smartphones last month, while 8 percent of smartphone owners had a Samsung Android device. Samsung also sold about 2 percent of Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices.
Earlier this month, comScore said that Samsung was the top U.S. handset manufacturer between March and May with 24.8 percent of the market, while Android nabbed 38.1 percent of smartphone OS market share.
Controversial June numbers from IDC, meanwhile, said that Android and Windows Phone would be the top two mobile operating systems by 2015. That might not be too far-fetched for Android at this point, but Windows Phone has thus far had a slow start. That could change, however, when Nokia starts releasing Windows Phone-based devices later this year.
Android now has the largest share of the U.S. smartphone market with 39 percent, followed by Apple and iOS with 28 percent. Research in Motion's BlackBerry, meanwhile, is down to 20 percent.
"Because Apple is the only company manufacturing smartphones with the iOS operating system, it is clearly the top smartphone manufacturer in the United States," Nielsen wrote in a blog post.
HTC, Motorola, and Samsung also had a pretty successful month. HTC's Android phones represented 14 percent of the smartphone market, while its Windows Mobile/Phone 7 devices nabbed 6 percent. Android-based Motorola smartphones, meanwhile, made up 11 percent of U.S. smartphones last month, while 8 percent of smartphone owners had a Samsung Android device. Samsung also sold about 2 percent of Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices.
Earlier this month, comScore said that Samsung was the top U.S. handset manufacturer between March and May with 24.8 percent of the market, while Android nabbed 38.1 percent of smartphone OS market share.
Controversial June numbers from IDC, meanwhile, said that Android and Windows Phone would be the top two mobile operating systems by 2015. That might not be too far-fetched for Android at this point, but Windows Phone has thus far had a slow start. That could change, however, when Nokia starts releasing Windows Phone-based devices later this year.
Nokia 6303i
Friday 8 July 2011 05:16
In a word or two
The Nokia 6303i Classic is a compact mobile phone with an even more compact price.
The Design
The Nokia 6303i Classic is a tweaked version of the popular Nokia 6303 Classic. The phone has some internal upgrades and comes in two extra case colours – white on silver and khaki on gold – but the “i” version is the same size and weight (a mere 96g) as the original. This means the 6303i is pocket-friendly, with a traditional Nokia look.
Candybar in shape, the Nokia 6303i Classic has is an attractive layout which appeals to both the eye and the fingers thanks to the spacing of each key. The 2.2 inch screen displays a good resolution and supports 16 million colours – which is particularly good given the greater social networking integration of this Nokia.
Nokia 6303i Classic Specifications
Communication is straightforward on the Nokia 6303i Classic. The phone packs a number of options into its slim case including Bluetooth and Ovi Services. You can download applications onto your phone via the Ovi Store as well as quickly share your snaps using the Ovi Share function. And with a 3.2-megapixel camera onboard, you will probably want to share your images with friends. The camera has autofocus, 4x digital zoom and a dual LED flash. With a video option, you can happily capture still and live footage on your travels, and although the quality is not the finest it is sufficient to certainly enjoy this feature.
Another good tweak of the Nokia 6303i Classic is its ability to support instant messaging. As well as chatting via social networking sites, you can engage in real-time conversations online – and there are the usual communication options on top like email, and text and multimedia messages.
The battery life has also been enhanced compared to the original 6303. The Nokia 6303i Classic has an incredible 515 hours standby time, which makes a refreshing change to the likes of the iPhone and Google Nexus One smartphones which seem to devour batteries in a matter of hours. With the Nokia 6303i Classic, you can go away for the weekend and not panic if you forget your phone charger. This battery is also great when it comes to enjoying your music as it supports up to 30 hours of music playback from a single charge. You can choose to listen to your own playlists or tune into your preferred FM radio station, and listen via the 3.5mm audio connector or through the phone’s internal speakers.
Considerations
The Nokia 6303i Classic is a 2G mobile with no support for 3G or Wi-Fi.
Nokia 5220
Friday 1 July 2011 05:14
The relatively new Nokia 5220 is one of the Xpress Music phones from Nokia which offers a good set of features including a very good music player and a 3.5mm head phone jack. The phone has a great look to it as well and is very easy to use. It’s essentially a cheap phone which offers a good set of features and the added bonus of being a dedicated music phone. There is a dedicated audio chip inside the phone which helps music quality through headphones. So far, we’ve not seen much wrong with this phone at all and would highly recommend it to personal users who enjoy music.
Specifications
The Nokia 5220 is a music phone so as you’ve probably guessed it is equipped with a great media player so you can listen to music whenever you feel like it. The phone has about 30 MB of internal memory which isn’t very much for music (about 5 songs) but it can be expanded up to 2GB which is enough for about 500 songs so it’s definitely worth getting a memory card for this phone. The phone also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack which is very helpful because it means you can plug in your own headset and listen to music whenever you please.
The Nokia 5220 also has a 2 mega pixel camera which comes in handy for snapping a few shots here and there. The camera has a 4 x digital zoom and is relatively good considering the price range this phone is in. The camera can also record video clips which is handy although the quality isn’t excellent so if you need something better than average you should look elsewhere. The phone has a lot of features for a device in this price range and is also equipped with FM radio with RDS which means you can tune into your favorite radio station when you’re out and about.
The phone also has a good organizer with a calendar and memos. You can also use the voice memo and built in hands free as and when you need it. There is also a good battery on board this phone which lasts up to 24 hours for music playback. The phone’s standby time and talk time is 406 hours and 5 hours respectively which is pretty good for a phone of this style. All in all, the features of this phone are good and we’d definitely recommend it to basic personal users who enjoy music features.
Looks
The Nokia 5220 has a rather funky design on the exterior which is asymmetrically designed to make it easy and comfortable to hold. However, it is a bit odd so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea so beware of this. However, practically it is a very good handset and appears to have a good range of usability. The handset itself is available in three colours; blue, red and green and we always like a handset that is available in more than one colour because it gives users a chance to be unique. The phone measures in at about 108mm by 43.5mm by 10.5mm so isn’t huge by any means and is actually quite slim line in design.
The phone weighs about 78 grams which is very light for a music phone and we think this is great because it’s lightweight, slim line and stylish. In our opinion, the phone has a nice and stylish design to it and is probably going to be very popular with personal users because it’s funky and stylish and is definitely a personal phone in terms of its design, look and feel. However, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea because it is an odd shape – some people will find it to be cool, others will find it to be odd.
Design
In terms of design, the Nokia 5220 has good software and the user interface and operating system appear to run smoothly together. There have been some comments about the phone randomly switching itself off during calls but this doesn’t appear to be a widespread problem. Overall, the design of the software is good and seems to match the internal applications and features well. It appears to be easy to use and most of the applications run quickly and you should be able to use this phone easily and perform tasks quickly and with little or no trouble at all.
Overall
All in all, the Nokia 5220 is a good looking phone and although it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea it’ll probably be very popular because it’s different. The features inside the phone are very good and the design of the exterior is also good in terms of usability. The phone’s camera and video recording facilities may not be the best but they offer an easy and fast way to snap a few shots and are both perfect for basic personal users. We’d definitely recommend this phone to personal users who enjoy music features because the phone has a dedicated set of features just for enjoyment of music.
Also, the Nokia 5220 has a nice look to it and is very stylish inside and out and as it is only £130 on PAYG and free on contract you can probably get a pretty good deal on this phone which will make it all the more popular. For a mid range phone it certainly has a good amount of features which will make personal users very excited and we think it’s a great phone that is definitely worth the purchase. It has all you could need as well as being in a stylish handset which is different and unique.
Overall, the Nokia 5220 is definitely a phone we’d recommend to personal users and it seems to have a nice set of high quality features which make it a very popular handset to own. The only downside is the problem with the phone shutting off randomly but as this doesn’t appear to be a widespread problem we think it’s safe to say that it’s a good phone with good features and will probably make a lot of people very happy to own. All in all, the Nokia 5220 is yet another good phone from Nokia.
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