Smartphones

In praise of the $50 smartphone

It’s time to stop what may be the most offensive, yet generally accepted, bias from smartphone analysts: “don’t get caught in a race to the…

by

Google begins Motorola turnaround by slashing 4,000 jobs

The restructuring process under Google has begun at Motorola, which will reduce its head count by 20 percent or 4,000 jobs this year. The company is slimming down its operations in an attempt to compete with smartphone leaders Apple and Samsung.

by

Tips for making money on mobile apps in China

We know device makers are making money off of this trend. But how do mobile app makers cash in on this ballooning market of upwardly mobile consumers? The short answer is: make iOS apps. The longer answer: Make really well-designed free, ad-based Android apps.

by

BlackBerry 10: Pretty looks, but is that enough?

Leaked images of Research In Motion’s new BlackBerry 10 software show much similarity to the user interface of Apple iOS and Google Android. The screenshots indicate that BlackBerry is finally moving towards a more touch-friendly platform that supports home-screen widgets. Now about the supporting ecosystem…

by

RIM brings in new CEO but will it be enough?

RIM has announced it has replaced co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie with Thorsten Heins, the current COO. The change was necessary but Heins will have to make a clear break from RIM’s past performance, which at least initially he doesn’t appear anxious to do.

by

It’s no fluke – iPhone closes the gap on Android in U.S.

IOS’ year end surge has helped close the gap on Android in the U.S., with December sales hitting 44.5 percent of all smartphones, just behind Android at 46.9 percent, according to new data from Nielsen. Android and iOS continue to separate from fast-fading BlackBerry.

by

IPhone breathing down neck of Android in U.S.

The iPhone 4S, along with cheaper older models, has helped Apple close the distance on Google’s Android, drawing within a few percentage points in recent U.S. smartphone sales market share, according to the NPD Group. Android and iOS are very much in a two-horse race.

by

iPhone 4 led U.S. smartphone gains in 2011

Apple’s iPhone 4 was the leading mobile phone in the U.S., despite being a phone launched mid-way through 2010, according to a new Nielsen report. The iPhone helped propel smartphone usage in the U.S. to new heights during the past year.

by

Nobody agrees on how many smartphones Samsung shipped

How many smartphones did Samsung ship during the third quarter? Depends on who you ask. Strategy Analytics says it was 28 million. IHS iSuppli says 27.3 million. On Tuesday, Juniper Research weighed in 24.9 million. And what does Samsung say? That’s the thing: It doesn’t.

by

RIM’s free app apology shows more tone deafness

RIM responded to its worst outage ever by giving away $100 worth of apps. And it’s throwing in a month of free tech support. It’s an unsatisfactory gesture and another case of RIM not communicating well enough with consumers who need more reasons to stick around.

by

Extra! Extra! Smartphones Taking Over World

Need proof that smartphones are conquering the globe? Look no farther than the U.K., where the Office for National Statistics has begun factoring smartphones and the apps that run on them into its consumer spending data, as well as another high-tech addition.

by

How Smartphones Change the Way We Create & Consume News

We’ve had smartphones for a while and disasters for far longer. But the growth of smartphones has helped turn natural disasters like the Japan earthquake into far more personal, powerful and real-time events for both the victims on the ground and people consuming the news.

by

Android Pulls Ahead, While HTC Enjoys the Ride

Android in the U.S. pushed ahead of rivals iOS and RIM in January, according to Nielsen Wire, and is finding more popularity among younger consumers. HTC is also winning both the Android and Windows Phone 7 manufacturing race ahead of rivals Motorola and Samsung.

by

Enterproid Brings Work/Life Balance to Smartphones

The race is on to see who can help enterprise customers secure and manage the emerging fleet of employee-bought smart devices. The latest entrant to the space is Enterproid, a start-up that has built an app environment for smartphones that partitions corporate data from personal information.

by

Could Chinese iClones be Android’s Secret Weapon?

Android’s share of the mobile market might be growing rapidly, but if it really wants to generate Apple-style levels of consumer excitement, it could learn some lessons from the legion of iPhone copycats that are all the rage across China.

by

Just Got a New Smartphone? Here’s What to Do First!

Did Santa bring you a shiny new smartphone? Congratulations! Here’s a first-day checklist for new smartphone owners ranging from smart email setup to what apps you should install and even a way to reduce the amount of 3G data you’ll use from your phone carrier.

by

My 7 Favorite Gadgets of the Year

This year saw improved gadgets that either run faster, longer on a charge or can morph into multi-purpose devices thanks to slick new apps. These seven gadgets actually got me to pull out my wallet in 2010: the best gadgets this year that met my needs.

by

Millennials Rely on Wi-Fi to Maintain Relationships

Even with the growth of 3G and the rollout of 4G under way, Wi-Fi has strengthened its grip on consumers. That’s the upshot of a study of millennial users who say Wi-Fi use has become integral to the way people communicate and maintain relationships.

by

Feature Phones Rule the Mobile Web: Millennial Media

When we think of the mobile web, we naturally think of smartphones, but new statistics from Millennial Media show advertisers better not overlook other devices. Just over half of all mobile ads served were dished out to non-smartphone devices, including the iPod Touch and iPad.

by

Stats: The Age of the Internet of Things Has Dawned

The nation’s two largest carriers added more connected devices last quarter than postpaid subscriptions, according to data released this morning by Chetan Sharma. In his quarterly update he noted that wireless penetration in the U.S. surpassed 100 percent if one takes out children under five.

by

ComScore U.S. Data Shows Android Leaping Over WebOS

ComScore today released research on the U.S. smartphone market and the trends from the past two years appear to be continuing. In fact, the numbers jive quite nicely with the worldwide data provided by Gartner just last month. Here’s a comparison and thoughts on future numbers.

by

Google Gesture Search Is Great — If You Can Get It

Google has introduced a nifty app that allows users to search contacts and other data by drawing letters on the screen of their phones. But it’s available only on handsets running Android version 2.0 or later, which means a lot of users are being left behind.

by

Should Google De-Frag Android, Get All Phones on 2.1?

Google’s Android experience varies by handset and not just because of different hardware. Four Android versions are available, but one report says Google is planning to get all devices on version 2.1 soon. There’s pros and cons to the solution — is it too late?

by

Motorola Devour Appears on Camera

The Motorola Devour is like the Droid’s little brother, and it has some nice design features. It will be coming soon to Verizon, but videos of the phone in action are already appearing on the web. It looks like a solid effort by Motorola.

by

Infographic: The iPhone, Nokia & the Smartphone Market

[digg=http://digg.com/gadgets/The_Battle_for_Smartphone_Marketshare_Infographic] Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d): Feature Phones: The Next Market for Mobile Apps Infographic by Column Five Media

by

AT&T Flips The Android Switch on March 7

AT&T joins the Android party on March 7, with the introduction of the Motorola Backflip. The device offers a unique navigational trackpad on the back and just might be a good introduction to Android for first-time smartphone buyers.

by

Sprint Premier Awards: New Phone Every Year

Sprint has been dropping subscribers at an alarming clip, so have instituted a new loyalty program to stem the tide. It takes as little as three months loyalty to qualify, which is sad. Members in the Sprint Premier program can get a new phone each year.

by

Will Android Pay for Google's Moves in China?

Google’s decision to take on the Chinese political establishment has drawn mixed reactions. No one knows how big a financial gamble this decision is and how it will impact Google’s revenues. And if things do go wrong, then Android may be left in the cold.

by

RIM Shares Slide as Droid Debut Nears

Research In Motion (s rimm) has fared well as the smartphone space expands beyond business users into the mainstream, but the Canadian…

by

Keeping Up With Smartphones

Thanks to Apple’s iPhone and the iPhone App Store, the mobile Internet has become a breeding ground of innovation. From fantastic smartphones…

by

Android to Be No. 2 Mobile OS by 2012?

Google’s (s goog) Android operating system is set for iPhone-trajectory sales over the next few years, Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney said in…

by