If you needed any more proof that smartphones are here to stay - a new study shows the market exceeded 100 million units in the last quarter of 2010. So roughly 25 million smartphones sold every month!
Research firm Canalys published a report on the global country-level smartphone market data, revealing that Google’s Android has become the leading platform. No surprise there.
Nearly 33 million Android-based smartphones were shipped last quarter. Nokia's Symbian OS trailed slightly behind at 31 million worldwide, keeping the Finnish giant at the helm as the top global smartphone vendor with 28 percent market share. However, the long-standing regime will topple in the next quarter or two.
In the last four months of 2010, Android was helped by strong performances from LG, Samsung, Acer and HTC. Taiwain's HTC and Korea's Samsung together accounted for almost half of Google OS-based handset shipments (45 percent).
Canalys Smart Phone Analysis, Quarterly Shipment Data
Via Canalys.
The Carphone Warehouse is introducing the Appys, a UK competition for the best in mobile applications complete with a glitzy awards ceremony in Spring 2011.
The British public will get to cast their vote for the most innovative apps of the year, but from a shortlist of the top 50 apps decided by a panel of expert judges. Pick me!
More details coming next month!
As the year's best and brightest consumer show has ended, we can finally reflect on the latest must-have devices - some which will undoubtedly never resurface again but many that will go on to become best-sellers. We take a look at two tablets and three smartphones. Watch the video!
Google has a delicious way of naming its Android operating system. The updates are in alphabetical order starting with 'C' and are named after something sweet.
Check out the photo gallery below but be warned - it may cause hunger!
The first of Android's operating systems named after desserts was Cupcake
Then there was Donut (mmm... donut) running on v1.6
Followed by the French dessert, Eclair 2.0/2.1
Then there was the healthier option, Frozen Yogurt (Froyo) 2.2
Gingerbread 2.3 came in time for Christmas
Honeycomb 3.0 was the first tablet-optimised OS
Ice Cream Sandwich v2.4 is due to be released just in time for summer. Yippee!
Google recently said that it was going to limit the amount of updates to only two per year. So what can we expect next?
Here are my suggestions:
Jellybean?
Google may find that it gets harder to name its updates when it gets towards the end of the alphabet - X, Y, Z....
Google recently showed off its latest Honeycomb 3.0 OS for tablets at CES and its Gingerbread 2.3 OS for smartphones right before the holidays, and now we hear that 2.4 will be called Ice Cream Sandwich.
The search giant alphabetically names each version of its operating system after something sweet but now it seems it's choosing names in conjunction with the seasons. Gingerbread launched right before Christmas and now Ice Cream Sandwich is rumoured to launch in June - just in time for summer. YUM!
You can read the full story on TelecomTV.com.
One of the biggest hits to come out of the Consumer Electronic Show was Motorola's Xoom tablet running on Android 3.0, Google's tablet optimised operating system, Honeycomb.
And according to China's DigiTimes, we are likely to see more of the 10.1-inch device as the American manufacturer placed orders for between 700,000 and 800,000 units in four colour options for the first quarter of this year. What might not seem like a lot in comparison to Apple's best-selling iPad - it is a pretty good start for an Android tablet, especially when you consider how saturated the market is already.You can read the full story on TelecomTV.com.Meet the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, the latest addition to the Xperia family. Shaped like an arc - hence the name, the Android 2.3 smartphone measures a slim 8.7mm at its thinnest point. The latest flagship device features a 4.2-inch multi-touch display, an 8.1 megapixel camera, video recording in HD 720p and a built in HDMI-connector.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc will be available in select markets, including Japan, from Q1 in either Midnight Blue or Misty Silver.
The Huawei IDEOS X5 is the latest addition to the IDEOS family of
smart devices. The Android 2.2-powered smartphone boasts a 3.8-inch
capacitive touchscreen and offers high speed connectivity through HSPA
and WiFi 802.11n. The X5 has 4G memory and a SD card slot, a five
megapixel camera and 720p high-definition video recording and playback
features.
A month after Google launched its Chrome Web Store, Apple is finally launching its Mac application store today for free and paid for apps. Similar to the App Store for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch), the Mac App Store will make it just as intuitive for users to download apps and media content straight to their computer.
Unsurprisingly, the Mac App Store will use iTunes login details for users to purchase and install apps. According to Apple, users can install Mac apps on every Mac they use and even download them again, including when they buy a new Mac.
Read the full story on TelecomTV.com.
This is the personal blog of video journalist Leila Makki who mainly posts about technology and candy!
