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Tag: os

  • Gartner: Android to Become No. 2 Worldwide Mobile OS in 2010

    The worldwide mobile operating system market will be dominated by Symbian and Android, as the two OSs will account for 59.8 percent of mobile OS sales by 2014, according to Gartner.

    The research firm predicts that Symbian will remain at the top of Gartner’s worldwide OS ranking due to Nokia‘s volume and the push into more mass market price points. However, by the end of the forecast period, the No. 1 spot will be contested with Android, which will be at a very similar share level.

    According to Gartner, communication service providers’ marketing and vendor support for Android-based smartphones will drive the platform to become the second-largest platform, following Symbian, by year-end 2010. This is almost two years earlier than Gartner predicted a year ago.

    "The worldwide mobile OS market is dominated by four players: Symbian, Android, Research In Motion and iOS," said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner.

    "Launches of updated operating systems — such as Apple iOS 4, BlackBerry OS 6, Symbian 3 and Symbian 4, and Windows Phone 7 — will help maintain strong growth in smartphones in 2H10 and 2011 and spur innovation. However, we believe that market share in the OS space will consolidate around a few key OS providers that have the most support from CSPs and developers and strong brand awareness with consumer and enterprise customers," she said.

    Gartner expects manufacturers such as Samsung to launch many new budget Android devices in 2H10 that will drive Android into mass market segments. Other players, such as Sony Ericsson, LG and Motorola, will follow a similar strategy. This trend should help Android become the top OS in North America by the end of 2010.

    "CSPs and mobile device manufacturers alike will need to revisit their platform strategies and balance the need to pursue platforms with the highest current demand against the need to maintain differentiation with unique devices," Cozza said. "CSPs will likely reduce the number of platforms they offer, to reduce their support costs and clarify their propositions to market."

    Gartner predicts that by 2014, open-source platforms will continue to dominate more than 60 percent of the market for smartphones. Single-source platforms, such as Apple’s iOS and Research In Motion’s OS, will increase in unit terms, but their growth rate will be below market average and not enough to sustain share increase. Windows Phone will be relegated to sixth place behind MeeGo in Gartner’s worldwide OS ranking by 2014.

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  • Nokia Quashes Android Smartphone Rumor, What About Netbook?


    Nokia has denied that it is developing a handset based on Google’s Android operating system.

    The response came after reports in the UK that the Finnish phone maker would announce an Android-based smartphone in September at the Nokia World Conference.

    Such a move would mean a massive change in direction for Nokia, which took full control of Symbian last year – in what was seen as a counter-move to the challenge posed by Android to its huge market share.

    Although Nokia remains the world’s biggest mobile handset manufacturer, its global share has slipped from 47 per cent in 2007 to 31 per cent at the end of 2008.

    A Nokia spokesman was adamant there is no plan to develop a handset supporting Symbian-rival Android software.

    "Absolutely no truth to this whatsoever," said the spokesman. "Everyone knows that Symbian is our preferred platform for advanced mobile devices."

    The Symbian operating system, in which Nokia has invested hundreds of millions of dollars, powers its Nokia N- and E-Series phones, among others.

    Nokia’s new partnership with Intel and some Android-based handsets would have been an interesting combination, no?

    But if it really is to be ruled out, perhaps there is still mileage in another theory – that Nokia is using Android as a basis for a 3G- or 4G-enabled netbook-type device powered by Intel’s chips.

  • Palm Pre Passes First Hurdle – "iPhone Competitor"


    Palm’s Pre smartphone has received a pre-launch boost with a succession of (mostly) favorable reviews.

    And, in what must be the ultimate accolade in the highly competitive smartphone market, the device has even been described as a tough competitor to Apple’s iPhone.

    The handset, which goes on sale in the US on Saturday, was praised for features such as its removable battery, physical keyboard and the Web OS software.

    One of the key features coming in for criticism was the Pre’s apparently poor battery life.

    Also mentioned is state of Palm’s app store, which doesn’t have much in the way of applications to offer yet.

    That comes as little surprise since the company has yet to make an SDK widely available.

    Among the reviewers were Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal and David Pogue of the New York Times.

    Sprint,the operator with exclusive US rights to the Pre, even came in for some praise for the speed of its network.

    Dan Hesse, the CEO of Sprint, has said it will take around three months for the carrier to know how well the Palm Pre is doing in the market.

    He predicted it would sell "like crazy" initially but the real test would come after the initial euphoria.

    Palm and Sprint are under intense pressure to succeed – and with Apple expected to announce a new version of the iPhone on Monday, that will be no easy thing.

  • Acer First to Make Android Netbooks


    Acer is to sell netbooks running Google’s Android operating system – with the first likely to be available before the end of the summer.

    The move is a setback for Microsoft, which was already selling its Windows OS at a reduced price to counter the threat posed by Linux.

    Making the announcement at the Computex PC trade show in Taipei, Jim Wong, Acer’s global president for IT products, said the current netbook offerings were "not close to perfection at all".

    He said if mobile Internet devices were not continually changed, consumers might not choose then any more.

    Acer recently announced that it is to launch smartphones with the Android platform later this year.

    Wong stressed that Acer will continue to use the Windows OS in its other netbooks.

    However, the cost of the Android-based devices should be less than Windows equivalents since the Linux-based Android system is free.

    Microsoft charges USD $15 for each copy of Windows XP.

    The Android netbooks will still use Intel Atom processors.

    Acer, ASUS and other netbook makers had choosen to use Linux before but had experienced high return rates for those Linux models.

    Users complained about difficulties using the OS.

    Android has promised to simplify the experience without limiting support for 3G or other extras.

  • Wizi Releases "SMS with Location" for BlackBerry


    Location-sharing start-up Wizi has announced the release of SMS with Location for BlackBerry.

    The application adds a new option to BlackBerry contacts allowing users to send an SMS with their actual position or the location where they are heading.

    Wizi also recommends the best routes when driving in the city using traffic data collected in real time by its community.

    Based in Lisbon, Portugal, Wizi’s SMS with Location lets users:

    • Find actual location on map (F)
    • Automatically insert the full address is SMS
    • Automatically insert GPS coordinates in SMS
    • Copy location to clipboard allowing to paste in any IM application
    • Search location by address (S)
    • Switch between BB Maps or Google Maps (M)

    Wizi’s Andre Goncalves said SMS with Location is currently only available for BlackBerry Device Software 4.5 but would be released soon for Windows Mobile.

  • iPhone Likely to Get Background Application Support?


    Apple has flagged up March 17 for a special event to preview its new iPhone 3.0 software.

    One issue that could be addressed with the new OS is allowing for background tasks from third party applications.

    While the iPhone currently doesn’t allow this, rival handsets running Google Android and, crucially, the as-yet unlaunched Palm Pre, are able to support background applications.

    Since user pressure hasn’t done the trick then maybe the Pre’s imminent arrival has provided Apple with the stimulus it needed to remedy this shortcoming on the iPhone.

    With the new software expected to be available by June/July, this would be perfect timing for Palm’s planned launch of its new smartphone by the end of the first half of 2009.

    Among the other expectations ahead of next week’s Apple event is the suggestion the iPhone OS could find its way into a device somewhere between an iPhone and laptop.

    OK, so Apple recently ruled out a "netbook", but what if it’s a big screen iPod Touch?

  • ARCHOS Offers Android-powered HD Media-playing Smartphone


    ARCHOS, the company that "invented the PMP", is to bring out a touchscreen smartphone based on the Android operating system.

    The new ultra-thin Internet Media Tablet (IMT) will allow playback of HD video while offline.

    It is similar to the ARCHOS 5 media tablet – with the big differences being that it will have voice support and deliver "PC-like" performance.

    ARCHOS is to use Texas Instrument’s OMAP 3 platform, which will allow the processor to use less power without affecting performance.

    The IMT will be ready in Q3 of this year.

    ARCHOS is expected to give more details about the device at next week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

    But a statement from the company did say that it was "looking to expand beyond portable media players to provide solutions for the converged space, where a foundation in high-quality video content delivery is a benefit".

    "ARCHOS is marrying its rich digital media history with voice functionality to tackle new markets," said the company.

    Some core features of this smartphone include:

    • 5-inch touchscreen
    • Adobe Flash and Flash Video support
    • unrestricted access to TV, movies, music
    • games
    • photos
    • TV recording and HD playback
    • 500GB storage
    • 7 hour video playback battery life
    • runs on a 3.5G 7.2Mb/s HSUPA.

    ARCHOS released the first pocket-sized HD-based MP3 player with the Jukebox 6000 in 2000.

    The company claims to have invented the portable media player in 2003 and was the first to bring television recording, wireless and touch screens to PMPs.

  • T-Mobile to take G1 into continental Europe


    Various countries on the European continent are in line to get the HTC G1 following its October launch in the UK and US.

    T-Mobile is continuing the roll-out of the handset – the first to run Google’s Android operating system – with a launch in Germany on 2 February.

    That follows the arrival of the touchscreen device in the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Austria before the end of 30 January.

    It will also hit Poland sometime in February.

    T-Mobile chief executive Hamid Akhavan said the G1 had sold "several hundred thousand" units in the US, where it retails for USD $179 with a two-year contract.

    In Germany the phone will sell from USD €1 on a two-year contract.

    The Android operating system is expected to appear on a number of smartphones in the next 12 months, having won support from major manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG, Huawei and Motorola.

  • MyGlobalTalk Adds Symbian And Android – Apple Next?


    i2Telecom has announced that its MyGlobalTalk service is now available for the Symbian S60 operating system.

    The service has just been approved for inclusion on Android’s Marketplace and has been submitted for approval on the iPhone App Store.

    The US company’s MyGlobalTalk is an advanced mobile VoIP application that targets the wireless handset market.

    Symbian is used in mobile phone devices built by Nokia, Samsung and other mobile phone manufacturers.

    Paul Arena, i2Telecom’s chairman and CEO, said MyGlobalTalk will provide Symbian customers with a first-rate calling experience at a fraction of the cost of traditional long-distance calls.

    "We are pleased with initial sign-up rates for the application, and we are offering 20 minutes of free calling for new MyGlobalTalk customers that download the application from the MOSH website," he said.

    MyGlobalTalk is internally developed patent-pending mobile VoIP technology.

    Approval to Apple’s iPhone App Store would be a major step for i2Telecom if the sales success of other third-party apps is anything to go by.

  • Palm Unveils New Pre smartphone


    Palm finally revealed its new smartphone, the Pre, along with an exclusive partnership with Sprint to distribute it.

    The new touch-screen device and operating system, WebOS, received a positive welcome at CES in Las Vegas.

    Much has been made of the importance of the new device’s success if Palm is to resurrect its fortunes in the highly competitive smartphone market.

    Initial positives for the Pre include its emphasis on fast Web browsing and efficient multitasking.

    The handset will be available in the first half of the year. No pricing information is available as yet.

    The Pre has a sophisticated interface and can be charged on a special platform without the need to attach a cable.

    It comes comes with eight gigabytes of storage, GPS navigational capabilities, Wi-Fi networking and a slide-out keyboard.

    A possible hurdle in Palm’s path to renewed success could be apps for its new device.

    Software developers are now concentrating on RIM’s BlackBerry devices and the iPhone because they represent a large and growing market.

    Apps are seen as crucial to the success of smartphones because of the functions such as games and navigation services that they provide.