For the second month in a row Android has the lead in mobile ads, which means money for developers which in turn will mean more and better apps for Android. In January, Google’s mobile OS captured 54 percent of all ad impressions seen on smartphone platforms on the network, up from 46 percent in December. At the same time, the share of impressions held by Apple’s iOS fell to 28 percent from 32 percent the prior month.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt gave a preview and rough (very rough) timeline of some of the happenings Android users can expect during 2011.
The next planned Android OS release will consolidate the features of Android OS’s 2.3 Gingerbread and 3.0 Honeycomb.
Schmidt illustrated the point that new versions of the OS are released on a six month basis, so expect the unification of smartphone and tablet Android OS’s to come half a year after Honeycomb rolls out (which should be pretty soon, with the Xoom only days away).
Schmidt also demoed the Android Movie Studio, a video-editing app that will be included on Honeycomb.
In the end, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop really didn’t have a choice. When he surveyed the competitive landscape, he found that he was boxed into a corner. While Android might have looked attractive as an alternative for their fledgling smartphone business, to back it would make him just another Android licensee. And while he could have tapped into their software ecosystem, it would have been hard for him to differentiate at the hardware level and thus be thrust against the dozens of Android handset vendors chasing the growing smartphone market.
With Nokia backing away from MeeGo its future is uncertain.
The fusion of cutting edge hardware and radical user interface improvements proves iOS has catching up to do.
Depending on who you asked at yesterday’s Android Honeycomb launch event in Mountain View, California, the latest upgrade to Google’s (GOOG) mobile OS was either a revelation or another iterative upgrade.
Some of the attendees I spoke to shrugged when I asked what they thought.
“Looks like just the next natural step for the OS,” said one.
While some hands-on demonstrations of the Motorola XOOM and an extensive walkthrough at Verizon’s CES keynote gave us a good taste of what Android 3.0 Honeycomb will bring in terms of change to the operating system, Google is planning an event to give an even deeper look at the new version of its mobile platform. While Android aficionados are busy picking apart the Honeycomb SDK preview that just came online this week, Andy Rubin and crew are gearing up to give the masses a bit more.
The event, which will take place next Wednesday in Mountain View, CA, will see Rubin first present his take on the new OS followed by plenty of hands-on time with Honeycomb. We are assuming Google has reached a more stable build than the untouchable version featured on the XOOM at CES.
While you could say there isn’t much more we could discover about Honeycomb, we are sure Rubin and crew have some surprises up their sleeves. Could this event coincide with a launch of a new web-based Android Market? Google Music? Or will the proceedings be squarely focused on showing off just how awesome Honeycomb really is?
[via AllThingsDigital]
Android 2.2 has finally become the majority version of the OS just as 2.3 has hit the streets, Google’s latest official data showed. Basing its information on results as of early this month, about 51.8 percent were using the previous version about eight months after it was first made public at Google I/O in May. Owing in part to the limited launch of the Nexus S, only 0.4 percent were using the true latest release.
Yesterday Apple introduced iPhone OS 4.0. Once the subject of endless speculation and a mountain of rumors, we now know this summer’s newest OS release will feature multitasking, new revenue opportunities for developers and better enterprise support, to name just a few of the new offerings. What struck me about the Apple presentation, however, was not the ingenuity or the originality of the new features. No, what struck me is that I had seen almost all of them before in Android 2.1.
Feature |
iPhone OS 4.0 |
Android 2.1 |
| Tap to focus |  |
|
| In-app SMS API | |
|
| Home screen wallpaper | |
|
| 5x digital zoom | |
Varies by phone |
| Playlists | |
|
| Bluetooth keyboard API | |
|
| Data-only settings | |
|
| Multitasking | |
|
| Picture/video API | |
|
| Recent searches | |
|
| Alert/SMS font sizes | |
 |
| Background location API | |
|
| Background task completion | |
|
| Push notification API | |
Google services only |
| Location notification API | |
|
| Suspended background apps | |
|
| Desktop folders | |
|
| Home screen wallpaper | |
|
| Lock screen wallpaper | |
|
| Unified inbox | |
|
| Multiple Exchange accounts | |
|
| On-handset attachment opening | |
|
| Threaded emails | |
|
| iBooks | |
|
| Encrypted email | |
Possible with API |
| Encrypted email attachments | |
Possible with API |
| Centralized device management | |
Possible with API |
| Exchange 2010 support | |
|
| SSL VPN | |
|
| Administrative app distribution | |
|
| Ad infrastructure | |
Only if the FTC approves the Google/AdMob deal |
| Social gaming network | |
|
[via Icrontic]
Currently, Android OS-based smartphones can only run software stored in their internal memory, which severely restricts the number of apps that can be installed. Google intends to remove this limitation, though.
Android devices have slots for removable memory cards, but these can’t be used to hold software that’s been installed on the device. Instead, apps go into a small internal partition that’s not directly accessible by users. This was done to prevent users from easily pirating software, but it also restricts the number of apps that can be installed.
After yesterday’s unveiling of Android OS 2.1, Google’s revealed a plan to allow users to install software onto a removable memory card in an encrypted form. This will both prevent easy piracy while also allowing users to store many gigabytes of app files.
At this point, it’s not clear when this feature will be add to the Android OS. The fact that a Google executive is willing to talk about it in public is a sign that it could be relatively soon, though.
[via Brighthand.com]
LAS VEGAS — AT&T said on Wednesday that it planned to sell smartphones running the Android mobile operating system by the second half of the year, including Dell’s first smartphone,
The company said it expected to sell five new devices created by handset manufacturers that also included Motorola and HTC.
AT&T is the last major wireless carrier in the United States to add an Android-powered smartphone to its lineup.
Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of devices at AT&T, said that the carrier had been slow to adopt the Android system.
“We hung back and watched the market very carefully,” he said during an interview after the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show here. “When we saw the demand was there and the product was ready, we decided to bring it out.”
AT&T is expanding its stable of smartphones even though it has the exclusive rights to sell the popular Apple iPhone in the United States.
“AT&T needs another leg to stand on beyond the iPhone, which has been this pillar of strength for the company,” said Roger Entner, at telecommunications analyst at Nielsen. “If and when the iPhone exclusivity goes away, they want to have a well-rounded portfolio.”
Mr. Entner said the announcement also was an indicator of how powerful Google, the developer of the Android mobile operating system, had become in the smartphone market. “If consumers want an Android-powered device, it doesn’t matter which carrier it’s on. AT&T doesn’t want to be left out,” said Mr. Entner.
In addition, AT&T said it would also introduce two devices running on the Palm mobile operating system, though it did not reveal specifics. Palm currently offers two phones running on that software, the Palm Pre and the Palm Pixi, which have been available only on Sprint’s wireless network.
Recently, AT&T has faced considerable criticism by iPhone owners for delayed text and voice messages, sluggish download speeds and other network problems. Android phone users are also prodigious users of network resources.
Mr. Bradley said the company was repairing its taxed network by upgrading software to increase data delivery speeds and by erecting new cell towers.
“We have been extremely focused on the challenges that the network has faced,” he said. “We are going to make sure the network is ready and capable to handle all the new devices announced.”
[via The New York Times]
