The mobile platform wars are in full swing. Android and Apple dominate the landscape. Network Effects: How Google & Apple Dominate Mobile article tells that a report from VisionMobile says that there will be no clear winner in the battle for supremacy over the mobile market. Android controls the numbers, Apple controls the profits and everybody else is fighting for scraps and third place in the ecosystem. The article has good figures that describe the mobile markets.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
All of Apple’s patent claims against Samsung in one chart
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57492510-37/all-of-apples-patent-claims-against-samsung-in-one-chart/
With three feature patents, four design patents, and 20 different devices Apple says Samsung is infringing, this case is a little bit complicated. Here’s a chart that explains everything.
Tomi says:
Samsung: Apple stole the iPad’s design from a tablet it saw a decade earlier
http://www.bgr.com/2012/08/15/apple-samsung-patent-lawsuit-ipad-design/
Now that it’s Samsung’s (005930) turn to present its case in the San Jose, California patent trial that regularly has the tech media abuzz, the company is taking an interesting approach. Rather than start out by arguing that its various Android smartphones and tablets do not copy Apple’s (AAPL) designs or infringe on its patents, Samsung is arguing that Apple’s IP is invalid to begin with.
Samsung’s claims that Apple employees were exposed to Fidler’s tablet more than a decade before the company launched the iPad in 2010 is a serious allegation. The company is trying to show that Apple’s protected tablet designs, which the company claims are being copied by Samsung in devices like the Galaxy Tab 10.1, are in fact invalid because Apple itself stole them from prior designs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Federal Judge Lucy Koh said on Wednesday that Apple and Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers, take risks, if they are unable to reach a settlement before the story the story move the nine-person jury to decide.
Judge Lucy Koh sent word from Samsung and Apple CEOs urging them to discuss at least once by telephone before the hearing by a jury reached the decision-making.
The judge is right. It is completely ridiculous that adult people are arguing about who is “patented” the e-mail that can be attached to the photo or who holds the right rectangle with rounded corners …
Source: http://www.itviikko.fi/uutiset/2012/08/16/tuomari-applelle-ja-samsungille-on-aika-tehda-rauha/201235753/7?rss=8
Tomi Engdahl says:
How many smartphones did Samsung ship in Q2?
http://www.asymco.com/2012/08/13/how-many-smartphones-did-samsung-ship-in-q2/
50.2 million.
That’s the estimate from IDC. So why bother asking?
Because that is an estimate. Of the 104 million Android phones shipped in the quarter (itself an estimate from another, possibly different methodology), I could only account for 7 million actually reported.
But most glaring of all is the absence of any mention by Samsung of its performance. The company stopped reporting any data on either overall phone shipments or of smartphones within that total since Q3 2011.
We may have been able to estimate Samsung if we had more competitor actuals, allowing us to back into a figure. But we don’t.[
Which leaves us with IDC’s estimate. But the problem is that since the industry is growing so quickly it is very sensitive to assumptions.
The only option I have remaining is to caution that the total smartphones shipment estimate for Samsung remains precarious. The new evidence from the US trial places more doubt on it but it is not enough to disqualify it entirely.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobile phone market is in fact the last two years occurred in a peculiar turn. Practically all of the Android phone manufacturers have stopped telling its sales figures.
Most absurd example is the ZTE , which in its own press release will tell you how many phones it has sold – according to IDC. The company’s own sales figures can not be bothered to tell.
How reliable are the IDC, Gartner and other research companies in the figures? This is difficult to give an answer.
It is possible that the public information available on Android phones sales can be somewhat off the reality. Research companies telling from the figures seem to be accurate, but as long as the companies themselves do not tell their figures, no one knows for sure.
Android sales figures are in fact only spray. All agree that Android is a smartphone leader. You should be interpreted with some caution on calculations of how big it really is.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/ovatko+androidpuhelimien+myyntimaarat+tuulesta+temmattuja/a829467?s=u&wtm=tivi-16082012
Tomi says:
Using the Google Nexus 7 Tablet as a Phone, For Free (+ a Privacy Hint)
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000979.html
Obtain and install the GrooVe IP Lite (GIPL) app via Google Play. This version is free and has everything you need for this situation. You still might wish to purchase the full version for $5 to support the fine work of the developer.
GIPL will ask for your Google Voice (GV) login/password credentials.
After you sign in to GV via GIPL, if the connection is successful a green dot will appear in the status bar. GIPL will provide a dialing pad (even generating imitation DTMF tones if you wish), integrate in your contacts, and offer other typical functions.
Dial an outgoing domestic U.S. call via the GIPL interface, and with luck you should be in business. Voice quality is fine with a good Wi-Fi connection.
Your outgoing calls from the Nexus 7 via GIPL and GV should now function.
Click the Google Chat check box if you also want incoming calls to your Google Voice number to ring through to your Nexus 7 via GIPL (when you have GIPL running, of course).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hard-up fondlers rejoice: Tablet PC prices plummet
Analyst: ‘If you aren’t an iPad, you’d better be cheap’
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2012/08/20/tablet_prices_down/
prices have dived 13.6 per cent in the past year – if you don’t count the iPad
And that’s because being cheap is the best way to get noticed for non-Apple tablets, says IMS market analyst Gerry Xu:
More Reading
Apple fans fondle more slabsBarnes & Noble cut Nook pricing in face of competitionApple ‘offered Samsung $30-per-mobe’ patent licence truceOK, hands up: Who hasn’t sold an iPad to a big biz?Amazon Kindle Touch Wi-Fi eBook reader review
There are few innovations from vendors to differentiate their tablets; low price seems to be the major factor to attract consumers to buy tablets other than iPads.
iPad still has 70 per cent of the market, Q2 sales figures showed, and that share increased last quarter.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google loads Moto Mobility cannon, fires patent shells at Apple
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/20/motorola_files_new_patent_case_at_apple/
Google’s Motorola Mobility has filed a fresh patent infringement case against Apple over features on its phones, including the iPhone’s voice assistant, Siri.
Moto filed with the US International Trade Commission to try to get Apple’s iDevices and Macs banned in the country over seven different patents that deal with location reminders, email notification and video players, among other things.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why China’s Xiaomi is inspiring loyalty that rivals Apple ‘fanboys’ and Google ‘fandroids’
http://thenextweb.com/asia/2012/08/19/why-chinas-xiaomi-inspiring-loyalty-rivals-apple-fanboys-google-fandroids/
Calling someone an Apple fanboy (or worse, fanboi) or a fandroid is usually meant to be an insult, but supporters of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi have no trouble calling themselves fans. They may be the new kids on the block, but they’re definitely some of the most loyal.
Xiaomi got its start two years ago with its MIUI skin for Android. Last year, it released its own smartphone, called the Mi-One, and went on to sell over 3.5 million units of the device. The company has also developed a Miliao IM chat service that just passed the milestone of 1 million simultaneous online users.
Co-founder Lei Jun has a charismatic personality that inspires loyalty in his customers in much the same way that the late Steve Jobs did for Apple.
Xiaomi’s similarities to Apple were especially apparent when the company announced a “1S” upgrade to its first-generation phone. So far, the company appears to be following the single model, multiple generation strategy of the iPhone.
For a company to inspire true loyalty in its customers, it needs a message. Both Apple and Google have had missions that have resonated with their followings, and Xiaomi is no exception.
For now, Xiaomi’s fan base remains largely Chinese, as it has yet to market its phones outside of the country. The company does have international aspirations, though. Engadget recently reported that, according to a source, Xiaomi phones will launch in Europe next year. When that happens, it’ll be interesting to see if Mi fan culture transfers overseas.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Rise Of Third Party Services And Fall Of Google In iOS
http://www.macstories.net/stories/the-rise-of-third-party-services-and-fall-of-google-in-ios/
When Apple introduced iOS 6 to the world at this year’s WWDC, one of the most talked about moves was Apple’s decision to step away from their partnership with Google Maps and create their own maps app.
Curious to visualise this information, I made a list of every notable service that has been integrated with iOS (and when) and then created the above graphic
Tomi Engdahl says:
Misleading and incomplete coverage of Apple’s ‘record’ value (CORRECTED)
http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/misleading_and_incomplete_cove.php
The Wall Street Journal’s lede: “Apple is now the most valuable company of all time.”
Reuters: “Apple becomes most valuable company of all time”
You get the picture. There’s a big problem with all of these headlines and ledes: They’re all false.
Apple is not the biggest or most valuable company in history—not by a longshot. That’s because the press is overlooking reality for the apparently irresistible pull of a headline that includes “Apple” and “record”—pageview gold.
Apple’s $622 billion market cap is a nominal record, which means “in name only,” or alternatively, not really. That’s because it’s a record only if you don’t adjust Microsoft’s 1999 market cap for inflation
Of these pieces, AllThingsD, the WSJ, Reuters, and Bloomberg don’t mention anywhere in their posts that Apple’s is a nominal record and that Microsoft’s inflation-adjusted record still stands.
This is one of those unfortunate instances when the press desire for truth bumps into its need for news—and “records” make for better news than non-records.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Verizon Vacation Blackout Reveals The New iPhone Will Launch On Friday, September 21
http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/21/iphone-5-launch-date/
A trusted Verizon employee has just confirmed to TechCrunch that the carrier is having an all-staff vacation blackout from the dates of Friday, September 21 to September 30. You know what that means, right?
The next iPhone, whether it’s called the iPhone 5 or simply the new iPhone, will almost certainly be available in stores (with lines wrapping around the back of them) starting Friday, September 21.
Tomi Engdahl says:
South Korean court condemned the sale of Apple and Samsung products. South Korean court ruled that Apple had infringed two Samsung’s patents and Samsung had infringed Apple’s one patent.
The Court held that Apple has violated Samsung’s mobile communication-related patents.
According to the Court, however, Samsung has copied the iPhone.
The Seoul Central Court decided that the iPhone and Galaxy S phone has a lot of aesthetic similarities such as rounded corners and large displays, but those features were documented in our previous products.
- Because touch screens based mobile products are only limited possibilities for the planning and … Samsung product made with three different front keys and the camera chose a different design and the side of the phone, the products are different in appearance, the judge said.
Between the two companies is going to patent litigation Korea, the U.S., Germany, Japan, the UK and Australia.
Source: http://www.digitoday.fi/mobiili/2012/08/24/korealaisoikeus-tuomitsi-applen-ja-samsungin-myyntikieltoihin/201236332/66?rss=6
Tomi Engdahl says:
South Korea Court Says Samsung, Apple Infringed Each Other’s Patent
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10000872396390444812704577608242792921450-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwMzAyODM3Wj.html
A three-judge panel in Seoul Central District Court said Apple infringed two Samsung technology patents, while Samsung violated one of Apple’s patents. The court awarded small damages to both companies and said they must halt sales of the infringing products in South Korea.
Tomi Engdahl says:
South Korea bans Apple’s AND Samsung’s ageing phones, tabs
Patent court dishes out pocket-change fines too
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/24/apple_samsung_seoul_ruling/
The South Korean court said that Apple had infringed two of Samsung’s wireless patents, while Sammy had infringed on a fruity firm patent related to a “bounce-back” touchscreen feature, Bloomberg, the Financial Times and others reported.
The court decided that Samsung didn’t copy the design of the iPhone, but a number of Sammy’s older products have been banned along with older iDevices as well.
The iPhone 4S and the latest iPad are safe, as is Samsung’s Galaxy SIII, but the judge ordered the firms to immediately stop selling 10 Sammy devices – including the SII – and four Apple devices, including the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2.
neither firm is too inconvenienced for the moment.
The South Korean court’s ruling comes just ahead of the US jury’s decision in the Californian court, which is likely to have a much higher impact on the companies. Apple is looking for $2.5bn in damages out of the US case, while Samsung would like $500m if it wins. Bans in the US would also be a bigger hit on their bottom lines than the bans in South Korea are likely to be.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quick everyone, announce stuff before Apple does!
http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/08/24/quick-everyone-announce-stuff-apple-does/
It’s that season again. The season when everyone rushes to announce products and ‘innovations’ before Apple drops their latest iPhone and iOS software on the market, obliterating alternative coverage for weeks. This year is tightly packed, with 7 events in roughly three weeks so far, and still time for more to pop onto the schedule.
Apple’s event is unofficially expected on September 12th, though no formal announcement has been made.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digitimes Research:
Android’s growth is expected to slow down to 89.8 per cent last from year’s 236.5 percent dizzy. Platform market share Digitimes estimated to exceed the end of the year 70 per cent.
Apple’s iOS’s growth is expected to regress to 34.9 percent last year, 95.9 per cent. Deliveries are expected to reach 125 million this year (93 million iPhone last year)
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/digitimes+windows+phone+kasvaa+ylivoimaisesti+nopeinta+tahtia/a831683?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-27082012&
Tomi Engdahl says:
After Apple win, Droids should feel afraid
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4394717/After-Apple-win–Droids-should-be-scared?Ecosystem=communications-design
The Android community should be very afraid in the wake of Apple’s clear win Friday in its case against Samsung in San Jose’s federal court. Apple is now armed with a handful of proven weapons it can wield against Android competitors in and out of court on the industrial design of its iPhone and the user interface of both the iPhone and iPad.
Android handsets now significantly surpass the iPhone in market share, thanks to the success of HTC, Motorola, Samsung and others. Some market watchers believe Android tablets from Amazon, Google, Samsung and others also will surpass the iPad eventually.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google responds to Apple v. Samsung verdict: most claims ‘don’t relate’ to ‘core Android’
http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/26/3270837/google-responds-apple-samsung-verdict
In the wake of Friday’s $1.049 billion jury verdict, Apple and Samsung quickly released statements to the press
Google stops well short of adopting Samsung’s own strident language, however. In fact, it appears to keep the matter at arm’s length, saying that the claims involved “don’t relate to the core Android operating system” — though to be fair, the company does specify that all mobile industry players “are building upon ideas that have been around for decades.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Even Samsung’s Lawyers Can’t Tell the Difference Between Its Tablet and an iPad
http://gizmodo.com/5849803/even-samsung-cant-tell-the-difference-between-its-tablet-and-ipad
Apple says Samsung’s blatantly ripped off its device designs. Not true, Samsung replies! Too bad its lawyer blew that argument harder than a hydrogen bomb blowjob: they couldn’t tell the difference between a Galaxy Tab and iPad. In court.
Reuters reports the horrific embarrassment: when a Samsung attorney was asked by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh whether they could tell which tablet was which, what was the response? “Not at this distance, your honor.”
Gulp. I really can’t imagine any possibly worse answer, other than saying, “There is no difference, your honor. Please ban us from selling our products. Please.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cook’s ‘values’ memo shows Apple has lost its soul
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/25/apple_samsung_memo/
We told Samsung we wanted a tablet tax of $30 per unit, based on the fact that we have enough patent filings in the tablet and smartphone arena to make life difficult. We control at least 75 per cent of the tablet market and have the world’s sexiest smartphone. Bring it on.
RIM made the smartphone necessary, and plenty of companies have chanced their arm on tablets, but Apple made both popular with a combination of hardware design and a user-friendly UI that really struck a chord.
As a result, Apple is now the most valuable company on the planet (in part thanks to the declining value of the American dollar), dominates the tablet market, and has the high-end of the smartphone sector locked down. It has also got the most lucrative apps market and reaps 30 per cent on everything sold. Is this not enough?
When IBM made the x86 PC platform popular and Compaq made it affordable, sensible minds decided neither could charge a tax on the development of the platform. Apple tried to gain the rights on the GUI system and lost that battle, but now it seems it will be doing this for tablet and smartphones. Not even Bill Gates stooped that low.
The jury, who were carefully screened to make sure no-one with technical knowledge got on the case, spent less than three days considering its verdict and faced a barrage of witnesses so intense the judge asked the Apple legal eagles if they were on crack.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung scrambles to recover after uppercut
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2012/08/133_118242.html
Samsung Electronics’ uphill court battle against Apple in the United States over intellectual property patent infringement now looks insurmountable after a jury in San Jose awarded the American technology giant an overwhelming victory.
Jurors awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages, deciding that Samsung did indeed copy the look and feel of iPhones and iPads in its own lineup of smartphones and touch-screen tablets. They rejected all of Samsung’s claims against Apple, which included critical third-generation (3G) wireless technologies.
Samsung executives were still reeling in shock Sunday, but provided no clear hint on the company’s next move in the showdown with its industry archrival. It’s widely expected that Samsung will appeal, but the outlook for success in the appeal now looks rather murky.
“It’s absolutely the worst scenario for us,’’ a senior Samsung executive said as he rushed into the company’s compound in southern Seoul.
Ahead of the court decision, Choi met twice with Apple CEO Tim Cook to talk about a settlement, but negotiations failed.
In the U.S., Samsung has made it clear it will appeal and plans to file a motion for JMOL (judgment as matter of law) today.
“Judge Lucy Koh will make the final ruling in the next few weeks”
Apple is expected to file for a “post verdict motion.’’ If the request is accepted, then Samsung should pay more than $3 billion, according to legal experts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung shares down 7 percent after Apple patent verdict
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57500616-37/samsung-shares-down-7-percent-after-apple-patent-verdict/
The Korean electronics giant’s stock experiences its greatest one-day decline in nearly five years after a jury awards Apple more than $1 billion.
Samsung called the verdict “loss for the American consumer” and promised to appeal, saying “this is not the final word in this case.”
However, the nine-person jury’s damages award may be only the tip of the iceberg for Samsung. The case now enters the post-trial motions phase, in which Samsung is expected to file an appeal of the jury’s decision and Apple is expected to file for injunctions against Samsung products that violate its patents.
U.S. injunctions could be especially painful for Samsung.
The electronics giant reported a record second-quarter net profit of $4.5 billion last month, crediting its mobile unit with delivering 63 percent of its operating profit for the quarter. Analysts estimate Samsung sold 52 million smartphones in the second quarter, including 6.5 million Galaxy S3s.
Tomi Engdahl says:
I can’t make this stuff up
https://plus.google.com/u/0/114476892281222708332/posts/246srfbqg6G
I’m writing this post after the FOURTH group of Starbucks patrons have made the connection that Samsung is now the same as Apple. They don’t know the details, they don’t really care, what they know is Apple is saying that Samsung is the same as Apple … and with one simple Google Search, you get prices that are basically half for what seems to be the same products — for nearly everything.
Two of these groups (including the husband/wife) asked me about my Samsung laptop, the second group noticed my Galaxy phone (also by Samsung)… Best billion dollar ad-campaign Samsung ever had.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Seeks Order Blocking Sale of Samsung Products
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/apple-seeks-order-blocking-sale-of-samsung-products/
Apple wants to ban following products:
Galaxy S 4G
Galaxy S2 (AT&T)
Galaxy S2 (Skyrocket)
Galaxy S2 (T-Mobile)
Galaxy S2 Epic 4G
Galaxy S Showcase
Droid Charge
Galaxy Prevail
Source: http://www.itviikko.fi/uutiset/2012/08/27/voitokas-apple-haluaa-8-samsung-luuria-pannaan/201236517/7?rss=8
Tomi Engdahl says:
These Are the Samsung Products Apple Wants Banned
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/08/these-are-samsung-products-apple-wants-banned/56253/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Some analysts are claiming that Apple-Samsung patent ruling could jeopardize the entire Android ecosystem
“The real question is whether the decision is hard enough to turn the Android ecosystem triumph of the market,” Stanford University law professor Mark Lemley comment for Bloomberg.
Baird analyst William Power said directly that the entire Android ecosystem, the future could be in jeopardy.
“Patent risk manufacturers may think twice about what operating system they are using in the future, “he says the Wall Street Journal in an interview.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/quotpatenttituomio+saattaa+vaarantaa+koko+androidekosysteeminquot/a832308?s=u&wtm=tivi-28082012
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple rises and Samsung sinks after US patent verdict
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2201075/apple-rises-and-samsung-sinks-after-us-patent-verdict
Samsung shares dipped 7.5 per cent in Monday trading while Apple stock soared to $680.87 per share. The company’s respective fortunes serve as a valid reminder of just how important the case was for the two courtroom foes.
The case verdict sets a positive precedent for Apple. The company’s patents were upheld and now Samsung is faced with changing up how it thinks about smartphones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Legal victory could help Apple settle an old score
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/opinion/2201073/legal-victory-could-help-apple-settle-an-old-score
LATE LAST FRIDAY Apple won a victory in a lawsuit some think will have a lasting effect on the impact of intellectual property in the IT and consumer electronics markets.
A US District Court jury found that Samsung had infringed a number of Apple hardware and software design patents. The figure for total damages the jury awarded to the Iphone maker topped $1bn.
The money itself will hardly be significant to Apple.
The message it sends, both to Apple and the rest of the industry, however, is significant.
In 1994, Apple filed what it thought would be a landmark lawsuit against Microsoft. The company alleged that the Windows platform was an unabashed copy of Apple’s Macintosh operating
Apple eventually lost the suit, thanks in part to a counter-claim from Xerox
The case was never forgotten, neither by Apple nor Steve Jobs.
Whether such an attitude is warranted or justifiable is beside the point. What is important is that it carried on with Apple over the years, and it was brought to a head when the Android platform made its debut.
It is no secret that the introduction of Android drove a wedge between Apple and Google on a very personal level. The platform was developed while Google chief Eric Schmidt was a member of Apple’s board of directors, and shortly after the project was made public, Schmidt was tossed from Apple’s board and an assumed “no poaching” agreement between the two firms was dissolved.
Android will likely not pose a serious threat to the viability of IOS any time soon, even if it did take over the majority of the market. To Apple, however, this was Windows all over again.
Steve Jobs famously vowed to wage “thermonuclear war” on Android
Should the jury’s decision be upheld, the Samsung case will have a profound effect on the mobile phone and tablet market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple demands a quickie, aims its torpedo at 8 Samsung mobes
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/28/apple_seeks_samsung_bans_now/
Apple is seeking quick bans on eight of Samsung’s phones after beating the South Korean firm to a bloody pulp in its US patent super-trial. Yet legal experts are unsure the verdict can hold up.
A whole slew of Samsung products, 28 tablets and phones in total, were listed in the suit, though not all were found to be infringing on fruity IP
Out of that lot, Apple has singled out eight mobes to start with – including Galaxy S and Galaxy S2 phones and two others. The total list includes the Galaxy S 4G and Showcase, the Galaxy S2 AT&T, Skyrocket, T-Mobile and Epic 4G, the Droid Charge and the Galaxy Prevail.
“Did you guys just flip a coin?” litigator Elie Mystal asked on the blog.
Meanwhile Groklaw pointed out that the jury’s written verdict had to be amended because it was inconsistent.
“For just one example, the jury had said one device didn’t infringe, but then they awarded Apple $2m for inducement. In another they awarded a couple of hundred thousand for a device they’d ruled didn’t infringe at all.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
iOS and Android Adoption Explodes Internationally
http://blog.flurry.com/bid/88867/iOS-and-Android-Adoption-Explodes-Internationally
The rate of iOS and Android device adoption has surpassed that of any consumer technology in history. Compared to recent technologies, smart device adoption is being adopted 10X faster than that of the 80s PC revolution, 2X faster than that of 90s Internet Boom and 3X faster than that of recent social network adoption.
Five years into the smart device growth curve, expansion of this new technology is rapidly expanding beyond early adopter markets such as such as North America and Western Europe, creating a true worldwide addressable market. Overall, Flurry estimates that there were over 640 million iOS and Android devices in use during the month of July 2012.
This report reveals which countries have the largest active smart device installed bases, are experiencing the fastest growth and are most penetrated.
Compared to July 2011, the United States and China continue controlling the top two spots, with China dramatically closing the gap on the United States.
Enabled by digital distribution across the unprecedented growing base of iOS and Android smart devices, global software distribution has never been so frictionless. After building an application, a development team can distribute its app on Android instantaneously and, after review by Apple, can be in the App Store within roughly one week. With international growth accelerating, there has never been a better time, in the history of technology, to be a software developer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 reasons juries have no place in the patent system
http://gigaom.com/2012/08/27/3-reasons-juries-have-no-place-in-the-patent-system/
A jury awarded $1.05 billion to Apple after the “tech trial of the century.” The award raises questions about the patent system and innovation — but also about why a jury was allowed to decide it in the first place.
The verdict and month long trial has captivated tech types but also provides more ammunition for critics who say juries shouldn’t be deciding these questions in first place.
As Abovethelaw editor, Elie Mystal, mused “It would take me more than three days to understand all the terms in the verdict! Much less come to a legally binding decision on all of these separate issues. Did you guys just flip a coin?”
A more damning criticism came from the popular Groklaw site which pointed out a series of basic errors by the jury: a decision to award $2 million for a patent that Samsung hadn’t infringed in the first place; a decision to assign damages based on punishment, not compensation.
This type of slapdash decision-making lends support to Judge Richard Posner and others who argue that it’s time to end jury trials in patent cases.
Reason 1: Jurors can be influenced by brand loyalty
Reason 2: Juries are too easily swayed by “he’s a copycat”
Reason 3: Jury trials over patents are a waste of money
Apple and Samsung will spend from $20 million to $500 million in legal fees, according to sources surveyed by the Wall Street Journal. While the companies would have blown a bundle no matter what, the jury presence added millions to the tab.
There’s a faster, cheaper and more efficient way to handle this.
Juries are not responsible for all that ails the patent system. But getting rid of them would be a useful step.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why the Apple-Samsung verdict is GOOD for YOU, your KIDS and TECH
Think we’ll be richer without patents? Think again
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/28/patent_system_bruised_or_borked/
Analysis Relax, everyone. While the patent system is far from perfect, a remarkably common-sense jury decision last week in the Apple-Samsung trial has clarified that patents are the “lifeblood of business”, as inventor James Dyson calls it.
Putting powerful short-term legal protections under inventions is overwhelmingly more convincing than any mooted alternative.
He asserted that the jury was keenly aware of the potential for the system to stifle innovation – “Apple can’t be a monopoly,” Hogan pointed out – and for dubious patents to get past officials.
The jury also showed its rejection of dogmatism by throwing out the claim that Apple’s most-cherished design patent had been infringed, and was most impressive on Apple’s iPad claims. It effectively rejected any claims for compensation.
“If this were my patent,” asked Hogan, “could I defend it?”
It’s really as simple as that.
So while the “patent system is broken!” and “intellectual property is evil!” crowds have been out this weekend, they’ve been conducting a rather a muted campaign. As ever with activists, the focus is on process or the fairness of the damages.
Apple’s iOS UI today is simplistic and it is creaking under the weight of the workflow required of it, and this leaves lots of scope for improvement.
Whether or not it was actually “copying”, as the jury found, Samsung could have created a branded, distinctive UI
The arguments against the patent system come from three corners:
there are organisations who directly benefit from weaker intellectual property.
Then there’s the armchair activists, conducting the “politics by other means”. This camp is more voluble with its complaints than it is about solutions.
There’s a third camp, which highlights many legitimate flaws in the system, and talks about how it can be improved. Many of this group’s members are inventors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple: I love to hate, and hate to love thee
Rebel, patent wrangler, aggressive litigator
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/29/love_hate_relationship_with_apple/
Open … and Shut I want to hate Apple. The company takes the most egregious of Microsoft’s monopolistic practices and raises them to an art form.
It’s aggressive litigiousness threatens to impede innovation in the mobile industry for years to come: innovation that isn’t Apple’s, that is. And Apple’s lust for control makes it a very poor centre for the rising mobile ecosystem: Apple takes virtually all the profits, very unlike Microsoft in the desktop era, which spread lots of wealth around.
And yet… I love Apple.
For the seamless computing experience. For the beautiful industrial design. For the exceptional customer service.
Using Apple products doesn’t make me cool. If anything, it makes me poor.
Apple is now the most valuable company on the planet… dominates the tablet market, and has the high-end of the smartphone sector locked down. It has also got the most lucrative apps market and reaps 30 per cent on everything sold. Is this not enough?
I have long raged against the Microsoft machine for its greedy saber rattling against Linux and open source, designed to protect its business model more than its intellectual property. If anything, Apple is worse. It wants an entire nascent industry to be comprised of one company: Apple.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HTC has no intentions to settle with Apple, says company chairperson
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120828PD221.html
HTC and Apple have been battling over patents. According to Cher Wang, chairperson of HTC, despite Samsung’s recent lawsuit loss, HTC does not have any intentions to settle.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Misunderstanding of Prior Art May Have Led to Apple-Samsung Verdict
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/08/29/1819201/misunderstanding-of-prior-art-may-have-led-to-apple-samsung-verdict
One of the interesting tidbits that came out of last week’s billion-dollar verdict in Apple v. Samsung was that the jury’s foreman, a patent holder himself, was instrumental in leading the other members through the various complicated infringement claims. Now, Groklaw analyzes an interview the man gave with Bloomberg News (video), in which his statements reveal a basic misunderstanding of what qualifies as prior art.
Groklaw: “I’m sure they meant to, and I’m also sure they did their best according to what they understood. But this was an error, and it’s one I don’t think the judge can ignore, if anyone brings it to her attention.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
7 reasons to file design patents, trade dresses
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4394921/7-reasons-to-file-design-patents–trade-dresses?Ecosystem=communications-design
The Apple vs. Samsung case sent out two calls to action big as billboards along San Jose’s Highway 101: File more design patents. Register more trade dresses.
These are the relatively new and still under-used parts of the U.S. Patent System. I’ll tell you why they are well worth more attention.
1. They are relatively easy to file.
2. They are broad.
3. It’s easy to understand by a jury of your peers.
4. They make money. A significant fraction of Apple’s $1.05 billion damages award was for design patents and trade dresses. These things pay.
5. They protect IP you didn’t know you even had. Apple showed its iPhone boxes and packaging as part of its trade dress.
6. Everybody else will do it. This is a big lesson from the Apple vs. Samsung case. Other people will get it, if not today someday soon.
7. There’s a protracted sluggish recovery going on.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung wins Apple patent war in Japan
According to Japanese court, Samsung’s Galaxy devices are not violated Apple’s patents.
Judgment is on Apple’s case, which relates to synchronize music and video.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/samsungille+voitto+applesta+patenttisodassa+japanissa/a833687?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-31082012&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple and Google in talks to end patent war?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/30/apple_samsung_peace_talks/
The heads of Apple and Google are said to be in talks to try and find a solution to the current patent war over the Android operating system.
Reuters reports that Cook and Google CEO Larry Page already had one extensive phone call last week to try and settle their differences, with another that was scheduled for this week but cancelled for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, lower corporate minions are working on a series of discussion points for the two.
It’s not clear if these talks are just about the Android operating system and its similarities to iOS, or if the two are looking at a broader non-aggression pact.
Steve Jobs famously declared “thermonuclear war” on Google and its ilk over what he saw as the theft of Apple’s UI, kicking off a range of legal battles that have made lawyers very rich
Tomi Engdahl says:
Exclusive: Google, Apple CEOs in secret patent talks
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/30/us-google-apple-idUSBRE87T15H20120830
(Reuters) – Google Inc Chief Executive Larry Page and Apple CEO Tim Cook have been conducting behind-the-scenes talks about a range of intellectual property matters, including the mobile patent disputes between the companies, people familiar with the matter said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The myth of pinch-to-zoom: how a confused media gave Apple something it doesn’t own
http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/30/3279628/apple-pinch-to-zoom-patent-myth
n 2007, Steve Jobs stood on stage, listing the benefits of Apple’s then-new iPhone touchscreen. “You can do multi-finger gestures on it,”
“And boy, have we patented it.”
You can draw a straight line from that classic Jobs moment to last week, when a jury decisively agreed with Apple that Samsung had copied the iPhone too closely. But you can also draw a line from that moment to another, much more insidious phenomenon: the persistent belief that Apple has a definitive patent on the pinch-to-zoom gesture.
This myth is everywhere at the moment
To be clear, Apple does have a patent on a specific, limited pinch-to-zoom implementation
So why this persistent myth about Apple’ and pinch-to-zoom? A large part of it is because patents are hard for non-lawyers to read and understand, and it’s far easier to use a shorthand that obscures important details.
And Apple almost certainly likes the confusion: there’s no more distinctive multitouch gesture than pinch-to-zoom, and it’s great for Apple if everyone thinks it’s patented.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Russia Unveils Secure “Almost Android” Tablet To Keep Data Away From Google
http://www.securityweek.com/russia-unveils-secure-android-tablet-keeps-data-away-google
It seems that Russia’s defense ministry has little faith in Google’s operating systems: it has just unveiled its own encrypted version that has the remarkably familiar feel of an Android.
Russia’s very first smart prototype was presented on the sidelines of a Berlin electronics show this week to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin
“The operating system has all the functional capabilities of an Android operating system but none of its hidden features that send users’ private data to Google headquarters,” the researcher stressed.
“They are not afraid of Google or the US government stealing things per se. They are afraid of leaks in general,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple v. Samsung case highlights money to be made from patent litigation
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/opinion/2202244/spare-a-career-change-guv
We’ve seen this month that it truly is a growing industry and one where a lot of money changes hands. So, pretty far removed from information technology journalism.
Look at Samsung and Apple. The former might have to pay the latter $1bn because presumably Apple had the more convincing arguments, or maybe just the better patent lawyers.
Otherwise, in a world where I hope that a shred of common sense remains, no one would have paid anyone anything and companies would have to accept that usability features and rounded corners on mobile phones and tablets are just good ideas and ones that can’t be protected.
The Apple v. Samsung case really ought to shame the industry. It let a jury, also known as “people off the street”, decide on liability and damages amounts and kept a lot of lawyers in alligator skin shoes.
And while it is probably the lawyers that benefited the most from the whole ordeal, no one else is. Especially not the consumer.
Earlier this week the Electronic Frontier Foundation called the Apple win a loss for innovation and I must say that I agree with it. The software patent situation in the US is a terrible mess and it is getting in the way of consumer choice and innovation.
“Apple and Samsung would be better off – and their consumers would be better served – if the tech giants took their epic patent battle out of the courtroom and into the marketplace,” wrote EFF staff attorney Julie Samuels in a blog post.
The EFF, like me, believes that the best thing about the case is that it has exposed just how awful the patent situation has become in the US.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Smartphone Sales, Led By Big Screens, Are Growing Everywhere Except In The U.S.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/03/android-smartphone-sales-led-by-big-screens-are-growing-everywhere-except-in-the-u-s-kantar/
Of all the Android devices that have been sold in the last three months, nearly one-third (29%) of them had a screen size of over 4.5 inches, with large-screened devices from Samsung, HTC, LG (pictured), Huawei and more. Apple’s current iPhone has a screen of 3.5 inches.
Kantar also found that Android’s market share in Europe has gone up by 20.2% in the past year; its devices now account for two-thirds of the smartphone market in Europe.
Overall, there is not a single market among those surveyed by Kantar where Android does not have over 50% of all smartphone handset sales and is still growing stronger than the rest. And in some markets like Spain that percentage is even approaching 90%.
the chief takeaway here being that the larger the screen the more likely a consumer will use that device for different services
“It is interesting to look at the impact a larger screen size has on how consumers use their smartphones, particularly as the line between tablets and smartphones becomes more blurred,” analyst Dominic Sunnebo writes.
Perhaps more importantly for carriers and handset makers, bigger screens as a result are also important for customer retention: that’s because the more engaged a consumer is with a device, the more likely they will stay loyal to a brand when they upgrade, Sunnebo says.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sharp Struggles With iPhone Part
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444914904577622420471289302.html
Japan’s Sharp Corp. hasn’t started mass producing screens for Apple Inc.’s next iPhone, people with knowledge of the situation said Friday, raising questions about whether the U.S. company will have enough components to meet demand for the new smartphone.
Sharp, a major supplier of liquid crystal displays to Apple
mass production has been delayed in part by manufacturing difficulties.
Sharp is one of three suppliers of LCD panels for the next iPhone. The other two suppliers—Japan Display Inc. and South Korea’s LG Display Co.
In July, people familiar with the situation said the next iPhone will use in-cell LCD panels, a new technology that makes the smartphone’s screen thinner by integrating touch sensors into the LCD, eliminating the need for a separate touch-screen layer. But the people said in-cell panels are more difficult to mass produce compared with conventional LCD panels.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple hoards LTE patents to deflect Samsung attack
Possible defensive move to stop Samsung marching iPhone 5 to court
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/05/apple_samsung_iphone5_lte/
Apple has been hoarding LTE patents in a bid to head off a possible legal attack from fierce rival Samsung on its forthcoming iPhone 5, according to reports from Korea.
Apple has gone from holding zero LTE patents last year to having 318 filed away today.
Cupertino apparently developed just 44 of those patents itself while the rest were bought from once-proud Nortel as it was broken up.
“This shows that Apple has been taking strategic steps to acquire intellectual property to prepare for potential legal disputes before it launches its own LTE smartphones,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android Smartphone Sales, Led By Big Screens, Are Growing Everywhere Except In The U.S.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/03/android-smartphone-sales-led-by-big-screens-are-growing-everywhere-except-in-the-u-s-kantar/
Kantar also found that Android’s market share in Europe has gone up by 20.2% in the past year; its devices now account for two-thirds of the smartphone market in Europe.
Across the eight most important markets, Kantar notes that Android has a share of 61%; while iOS is at 24%; and the rest all have 5% or less, led by Windows.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Galaxy S III passes Apple’s iPhone 4S, becomes top selling US smartphone
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/04/galaxy_s_iii_passes_apples_iphone_4s_becomes_top_selling_us_smartphone.html
For the first time since it launched last October, Apple’s iPhone 4S was not the top selling smartphone in the U.S., as the newly released Samsung Galaxy S III took the top spot in the month of August.
Samsung’s lead is expected by analyst Michael Walkley with Canaccord Genuity to be short-lived, however, as Apple is widely expected to unveil its next-generation iPhone next week.
The data from carriers indicated that many U.S. customers are holding off on buying a smartphone until Apple’s next iPhone debuts. The Galaxy S III was the top selling handset at three of the four major carriers in America: Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Third of iPad owners want smaller slabs
But only one in five of all tablet owners do
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/09/05/third_of_ipad_owners_want_smaller_tablets/
Market watcher Strategy Analytics has been asking iPad owners about their desires for the platform and found that a third of them want a tablet with a different size screen.
That said, the current size remains the favourite for the majority of users, and that remains the case when owners of other tablets were questioned too: most prefer the 10in form-factor.
So has Apple “correctly targeted the most preferred screen size with its initial 10 inch iPad offerings.
research does show there’s a clear, if small, demand for an ‘iPad Mini’.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: Apple’s Share Of U.S. Smartphone Market Now Over 33%, RIM Drops To Under 10%
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/04/comscore-apples-share-of-u-s-smartphone-market-now-over-33-rim-drops-to-under-10/
The latest data from online analytics company comScore shows that Apple’s share of the U.S. smartphone market has grown to just over 33%
Google’s Android continues to lead among smartphone platforms with over 52% market share
RIM is now ranked third with 9.5% share.
Microsoft’s smartphone platform was actually down 0.4% and now commands just 3.6% of the market.
As for manufacturers, Samsung continues to lead among smartphone and non-smartphone OEMs, with 25.6% of the market (down 0.3% since April), followed by LG (18.4%) and Apple (16.3% and up 1.9% since April).