For a long time iOS app monetization was far and away better than on Android. But as monetization strategies change in the app world, the statistics are changing. Android is no longer as far behind. Read more »
Rich Miner isn’t a huge fan of Apple Maps. The co-founder of Android, who is now a partner at Google Ventures, had that to say, as well as that carriers just keep on conceding and RIM’s market share loss is an opportunity for startups. Read more »
Whether it’s the iPhone 5, the importance of LTE, or BYOD trends disrupting the enterprise, there are always technologies, trends, and companies changing the way we define mobile. Here are some noteworthy segments to watch in the coming months, from location-based shopping to apps to wireless networks. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Now that touch input has revolutionized the mobile device market, what’s next? Voice interaction and natural language processing (NLP) surely have to be high on the list. But it’s not always easy for app developers to enable voice features. Enter OneTok, a cloud-based NLP solution. Read more »
What happens when an industrial designer gets fed up with the many mobile device charging cords and cables in his house? He designs a solution, of course! Thanks to the xWallDock Kickstarter project, you can get in on this simple, but elegant, docking face plate. Read more »
A solid app gets even better today with the ability to read aloud saved articles on an Android device. This will make Pocket, already one of my most used apps, an even bigger part of my day, allowing me to hear offline articles at spare moments. Read more »
As expected, Motorola announced a new smartphone that uses an Intel Atom chip. A surprise, however, is the phone’s battery life: At 20 hours of mixed use, it’s the same as a similar Razr using Qualcomm’s chip. Will Intel be inside your next phone? Read more »
Small slates are expected to account for 32 percent of all tablet sales this year says iHS iSuppli. After nearly two years of saying there’s a market for the 7-inch tablet, it’s good to see the analysts reaffirm my own experiences. Now: Where’s that 7.85-inch iPad? Read more »
The deal will see the Spanish telecoms giant bundle augmented reality tech with its advertising offerings and promote the Aurasma app to its 300 million customers. But will marketing use-cases finally make the technology fly? Read more »
Who needs a light switch when you have smart bulbs paired with smartphones? LIFX is just that: a Wi-Fi connected LED bulb that you remotely control or even change the color. But will consumers want one-off connected gadgets or centrally-managed smart homes in the future? Read more »
On this week’s audio podcast with Matt and Kevin, find out which host upgraded to iPhone 5 while the other sold iPhone 4S and ordered a new iPod touch. Also: What happened to NFC in the iPhone and why so many LTE handset models? Read more »
Open Handset Alliance partners have to follow the rules, else face the wrath of Google: The company effectively shut down a press event for a new Acer phone for China. Meanwhile, it looks like Intel is about to redouble its Android smartphone efforts. Read more »
In the five years since the iPhone hit the market, Apple and Google have delivered more than 40 billion cumulative downloads of apps. Other sources predict the app marketplace will swell to surpass 66 billion downloads in 2016, a growth fueled by tablet, entertainment, and enterprise apps. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Barclaycard US is the latest card issuer to back Google Wallet. The company also backs Isis, the mobile payment joint venture between Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile, illustrating that not even the traditional banking companies know yet which mobile payment standard will be successful. Read more »
After watching the mobile market pass it by, Intel is aggressively moving forward. Its newest chips for smartphones and tablets run longer on a single charge and the company now has the latest version of Google Android, known as Jelly Bean, running on those chips. Read more »
It used to be iPhones at every turn, but now there are plenty of Android sightings. That makes sense since there are now 500 million Android devices activated since 2008. That’s more than total iOS devices, however, Google hasn’t yet monetized its broad Android base. Read more »
The smartphone boom that began with iPhone and captured fire with the release of Android-based devices is going to hit a fever pitch soon and by 2016, DisplaySearch expects a billion smartphones to ship, making me wonder if there will be a need for feature phones. Read more »
Samsung isn’t known for speedy Android software updates, but it’s apparently making an exception for its fastest selling phone, the Galaxy S III, which recently surpassed 20 million in sales. The company said it would start the Android 4.1, or Jelly Bean, software update in October. Read more »
Boingo and Google have been gradually expanding a free Wi-Fi experiment across the country, using a sponsorship model to open up public hotspots to consumers. But today they scaled big, announcing 4000 new hotspots in the program. There’s a catch though: it’s not available to iPhones. Read more »
The lack of a rear camera on the Nexus 7 disappointed some and even the front camera is limited. The sensor is 1.3 megapixels, but only captures VGA video. Adding a few lines of code to a rooted Nexus 7 changes that to 720p video. Read more »
Nasuni, the startup that built its business bringing secure unified cloud storage to mid-sized businesses and companies with remote branch offices, is attacking the BYOD problem with new support for iPhone and Android devices, says CEO Andres Rodriguez. Read more »
Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HD tablets are impressive and aggressively priced, but unlike prior Kindles, you can’t pay extra to turn off the special offer ads. Business models are clearly changing to reflect the new digital economy, but has Amazon gone too far this time? Read more »
What’s normally a quiet time turned into a busy week: Before the new Kindle Fire HD tablets launched, Motorola introduced three new Razr phones while Samsung touted its Galaxy S III sales figures: 20 million to date. Android tablets sales are on the rise too. Read more »
The common belief that “there’s no tablet market, just an iPad market” may be changing. Based on the number of daily device activations, the gap between Google tablet sales and those of Apple’s iPad is closing. Improved software and the Nexus 7 tablet are likely reasons. Read more »
With the photo app’s new ‘Discover’ feed pulling context from an impressive variety of sources, and with monetization plans including an entry into the stock photo business, we may be seeing evolution past the focus on art filters. Read more »
Tablet makers: Amazon just put you on notice with several new products, all of which are low in price and high in content. The new Kindle Fire HD line brings high-definition to Amazon’s tablets as well as an innovative, but limited, 4G LTE plan. Read more »
Samsung’s Galaxy S III continues to sell at a torrid pace…. for an Android device. Surely the new iPhone will outsell this one handset, but the success of the Galaxy S III shows that the gap between Android and iOS is lessening over time. Read more »
Which is better for a mobile app: short term revenues or long term relationships with a growing user base? RunKeeper thinks the latter is better over time and it can monetize later. The exercise tracking app for smartphones dropped fees for its training plans. Read more »
Though most eyes are on Amazon’s Thursday press conference, Kobo is angling for early attention with its announcement of two new e-readers and a new 7-inch Android tablet called the Arc. How do the devices stack up to the competition? Read more »
Amazon’s press event could bring more than a new tablet and e-reader: A smartphone may be shown as well. It makes sense because consumers don’t just buy products, they buy ecosystems. And Amazon has one that it can extend to the small screen of a smartphone. Read more »
Motorola, now owned by Google, unveiled a trio of Razr devices that are big and small. The Razr HD and Razr HD Maxx offer big 4.7 inch screens with large batteries while the Razr M goes for a smaller profile but a big screen and battery. Read more »
With new Lumia handsets, Nokia’s transition plan is effectively complete. While the company worked hard to get here — and it shows in the new hardware and software — the road ahead is still long as Nokia asks consumers to switch away from iOS and Android. Read more »
Having just launched the Galaxy Note six weeks ago, could T-Mobile be readying the Galaxy Note II? Aside from the original phone out of stock on T-Mobile’s website, a leaked screenshot and product name indicate that T-Mo could go big with the new Galaxy Note II. Read more »
RadioShack joins the ranks of the mobile virtual network operators, partnering with Leap’s Cricket Communications to resell its prepaid smartphone and feature phone plans. The deal both expands Leap’s retail presence and allows RadioShack to sell service plans, not just handsets. Read more »
Samsung hit a billion dollar setback in the courts against Apple in August, but that same month it sold the top smartphone on 3 of the 4 big U.S. carrier networks. The Galaxy S III beat out the iPhone 4S, making for a good sales battle. Read more »
Umpteen hardware and software brands are re-making Android in to their own mobile operating system, scrubbing any trace of Google. Russia’s government could be the next to jump aboard. Read more »
Having passed on the popular 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note, Verizon Wireless will sell the Intuition by LG later this week: A 5-inch Android 4.0 handset that blurs the lines between smartphone and tablet. Will consumers like the 4:3 aspect ratio or will it be a turn-off? Read more »
Personalized tablet magazine Zite is releasing a large upgrade to its Android app Tuesday afternoon. Among the changes: The end of support for large-screen Android tablets, enhanced sharing options and bug fixes. Read more at paidContent »
The rate at which Android and iOS-powered mobile devices are being adopted worldwide is far outpacing that of any other technology. That growth is being driven by purchases outside of early-adopting markets. The most dramatic growth is in Asia, South America and the Middle East. Read more »
