smartphones — GigaOM

smartphones

Motorola is not content to rest with the best-selling Android phone. The Droid 2 is now available on the Verizon network. Motorola chose not to change the Droid 2 too much, while making enough improvements over the original to make it a compelling choice for consumers. Read More »

The Motorola Droid is the top-selling phone on the hottest platform (Android), a winning combination for Motorola and Verizon. In this video you see how the Droid 2 improves on the original in the areas that make sense, while leaving the popular form the same. Read More »

 
 

The hype surrounding Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 7 is due largely to the platform’s tight integration with Xbox Live and its focus on gaming. But Microsoft could further alienate its dwindling base of enterprise users in pursuit of this niche market of unknown gamers. Read More »

Google’s Nexus One for Developers Sold Out

Google has sold out of its “substantial initial inventory” of the Nexus One set aside to sell to developers. HTC, the maker of the Nexus One, will have more units for Google as soon as possible. The AMOLED shortage will affect when additional inventory is available. Read More »

RIM has opened the figurative doors on the newest version of the BlackBerry App World. This app store has been in beta for a while, and it brings the RIM online market more inline with the competition. Easier navigation and cheaper apps are now available. Read More »

I have been investigating Android widgets for quite some time, with the goal to make my HTC EVO more personal and to better fit my needs. I have settled on five widgets that turn my EVO into a smartphone that better reflects the way I work. Read More »

T-Mobile continues to tease us with the first handset that can take full advantage of the carrier’s 21 Mbps mobile broadband network, today introducing the G2 handset. Although no official details of the G2 are available, these three features are likely part of the HSPA+ handset. Read More »

Microsoft is getting Windows Phone 7 ready for release for the holiday season, and is making good on promises to bring Xbox Live integration to the smartphone platform. Xbox Live players will find quite a few games on Windows Phone 7 at launch, including popular titles. Read More »

The smartphone of today has become a powerhouse that fits in a pocket. That is why some even refer to them as “superphones”, which is very appropriate. To demonstrate how useful the smartphone has become, I present this mini-chronicle of a typical day with my smartphone. Read More »

The top Android phone is still the original Droid on the Verizon network. The hot platform is definitely Android, and that is due to the number of hot phones are on the market. A real-time tracker paints a good picture of how Android phones compare. Read More »

There are TweetDeck clients for the desktop, iPhone and the iPad; Android owners listen up as a beta version will be out tomorrow. I’ve been running it on my EVO 4G for a while, and here’s my quick take on TweetDeck for Android. Read More »

Motorola and Verizon are opening up the hangar doors tomorrow for online sales of the Droid 2. The successor to the Droid has improved hardware and Android 2.2 running the show, with mobile hotspot as an optional service. It will be in stores on Aug. 12. Read More »

More Must Reads

RIM is releasing a new model in its popular Curve line of phones, the Curve 3G. The new Curve will work on 3G networks for faster data connections. The big news from RIM about the Curve 3G is that the phone is “BlackBerry 6 ready”. Read More »

Owners of phones running the Android platform have a lot of options for keyboard apps, as developers have stepped up to the plate and produced good alternatives to the keyboard apps shipping on the phones. Here are the top five keyboard apps for the Android platform. Read More »

Over the course of these 100 columns, Mobile Tech Manor (my home office) is much the same, but there’s no doubt I have changed over that time. Looking through the past columns gives a peek at how far mobile tech has come in a short time. Read More »

Mobile Internet usage in China has surpassed that of the U.S., according to numbers released today by Nielsen. The Chinese have embraced mobile phones in huge numbers (755 million), and this fuels heavy mobile web usage. There are significant lessons to be learned in China. Read More »

Eric Schmidt is in a happy place, with his Android smartphone platform hitting 200,000 activations a day. This puts Android on a pace for 18 million activations in the quarter. While already a top smartphone competitor, Android is poised to hit tablets and be even bigger. Read More »

There are few things I like better than talking about smartphones so when Dwight Silverman of The Houston Chronicle invited me to do so I jumped at the chance. Dwight and I will be chatting today about anything to do with smartphones. Come join us! Read More »

The number of quality apps on the Android platform has grown tremendously, and one of the best apps is the Dolphin Browser HD. This free browser builds on the strengths of the stock Android browser by adding key interface methods that are shown in this video. Read More »

Leap Wireless has implemented new data plans today that more closely tie the price of mobile broadband to how much data a user consumes. However, instead of overage fees for users who exceed their plan, Leap will slow down their service much like T-Mobile does. Read More »

Sprint has begun rolling out the Android 2.2 (Froyo) update as promised to owners of the EVO 4G. To maintain good update server speeds, the update will be released in phases, and will appear when available. Manual updating can be done in the phone’s settings. Read More »

RIM held a major press event in NYC this morning to unveil the new BlackBerry Torch and officially launch BlackBerry 6. This is a big roll-out for the future of the BlackBerry, so let’s take a look to see what the web is saying. Read More »

Enterprise collaboration specialist Damaka will release a version of its universal collaboration suite for the EVO 4G smartphone this week. This will be the first solution proving multi-party video calling on the EVO. The Damaka collaboration suite covers audio, video, IM and session sharing functions. Read More »

Sprint will roll out the Android 2.2 (Froyo) update in waves beginning Aug. 3, and it should be available to all EVO owners by the middle of August. Froyo brings faster performance, the ability to install apps on external memory, and voice dialing over Bluetooth. Read More »

For the 99th time I get to share my week with you. I’ve seen gadgets going out the door of Mobile Tech Manor, other gadgets taking on bigger roles in my work and cool software running on them all. Plus there’s that button obsession thing… Read More »

One of the best design choices Google made for Android is to allow widgets on the home screen. The Android Market is full of widgets, and these are the top 5 free ones I’ve encountered. Note that widgets appear often so this only reflects current ones. Read More »

Microsoft is gearing up for the launch of its new mobile platform, Windows Phone 7. The appearance of WP7 to the failed Kin OS is similar, so there is a concern the recent failure will have a negative impact on the new platform launching soon. Read More »

The Android version of LogMeIn Ignition has only been available for a short time and I have been giving it a spin to see how it compares to the iPhone version. This review makes it clear that Android is a good platform for those needing LogMeIn. Read More »

Verizon has used a special “aisle” of the Android Market, dubbed VCast Apps, to provide apps to access the carrier’s VCast services for a while. Sprint has a new store that just appeared on the EVO 4G. The Sprint aisle currently contains no Sprint apps. Read More »

HTC, maker of many Android phones, has seen top phones like the Incredible failing to meet demand due to a shortage of AMOLED screens. The company announced today it will be switching to Sony’s Super LCD (SLCD) displays in future phones, including the Nexus One. Read More »

The iPad kicked off a new vehicle for media consumption, and it is getting more commonplace as tablets rise in popularity. Publications can best leverage this information vehicle through tight focus on specific topics. This could be best served by making an app for that. Read More »

Another week is in the bag and time to look back and see what I learned from the happenings in Mobile Tech Manor. It was a week largely focused on apps, and I gave a lot of thought to my shift from “programs” to “apps”. Read More »

The quest for the Twitter app that has no shortcomings, or the one that has a special feature is never-ending. There is no shortage of Twitter apps in the Android Market. I’ve tried many of them, and these are my top 5 Android Twitter apps. Read More »

Barnes & Noble is pushing the Nook brand with the release of a new reader app for the Android platform. There are already versions of its reader app for other platforms, and those will be rebranded to reflect the Nook brand. Read More »

Subscribers to the Slacker personal radio service can now keep up with world news as ABC News is now available. The deal between ABC and Slacker goes into affect today and will provide news content taken from the day’s newscast, along with GMA and Nightline. Read More »

The Droid X on Verizon may be the best Android phone on the market. The big-screened device, encased in a thin form with great hardware components, does not fall short in any area. The fast performance of the Droid X is shown in this short video. Read More »

Microsoft is scrambling to get Windows Phone 7 ready for its fall launch. The company is sending out preview phones to developers and the press to get feedback. Reaction to WP7 is mostly positive, and its worth rounding up the major points from these previews. Read More »

I have followed everything about the iPhone situation closely, and the message I got from Jobs yesterday matches what I have said for years. It doesn’t matter what the techerati says about a given technology or gadget. Ultimately the only opinion that matters is the consumer’s. Read More »

Google’s flagship Android phone, the Nexus One, is nearing its end of life point; the company now says it has received the last shipment from manufacturer HTC. Those wanting the only phone currently running Android 2.2 better grab one soon before supplies run out. Read More »

Were you one of those Palm Pilot users who could scribble lots of text using the Graffiti input method with that little stylus? The old Palm Pilots are long gone, but Access has released the Graffiti system for the Android platform for the nostalgic. Read More »

A new study by In-stat finds that over 2 billion mobile devices will have broadband capability by 2014. The inclusion of modems capable of data transmission could turn us all into personal hotspots and eliminate the need for other types of mobile devices to have integrated … Read More »

The app store has provided a good outlet to get developers products to market, one that is faster than other methods. The problem: the bigger the app store, and thus the biggest potential market, the more difficult for an app to get noticed by the buying … Read More »

RIM hopes to make its phones more competitive with the upcoming BlackBerry 6 version of the OS, which is a significant upgrade to the existing platform. RIM is excited about BlackBerry 6, and has put a video demonstration of its features to get BlackBerry fans talking. Read More »

Consumer Reports has tested the alleged reception problem on the new iPhone 4 and has confirmed it is indeed a function of the design of the phone’s antenna. The organization is refusing to recommend the iPhone 4 to consumers due to the severity of the problem. Read More »

What if you could easily build an app that does what you want, and in a way that fits your needs exactly? That’s what App Inventor by Google brings to the Android screen. Build apps that use Android services and hardware like a pro. Read More »

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