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:
ITC rules Apple doesn’t infringe Samsung patents
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2205963/itc-rules-apple-doesnt-infringe-samsung-patents
THE UNITED STATES International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled on Friday that the Apple Iphone and Ipad do not infringe Samsung’s patents, marking another victory for Apple in the rivals’ global patent war.
ITC Judge James Gildea said in a preliminary ruling on Friday that Apple did not infringe the four patents involved in Samsung’s complaint.
The decision is another win for Apple in its ongoing global patent war. Apple previously won a $1bn jury verdict against Samsung in a US lawsuit.
Samsung and Apple’s patent war has since escalated and gone global, with the two companies embroiled in approximately 50 patent lawsuits across 10 countries.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple ‘hasn’t really run out of iPhone 5s AT ALL’
‘They’re in there playing Jenga with them’, whispers mole
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/17/apple_iphone_5_shortage/
Register source has informed us that secretive shiny-stuff behemoth Apple could easily supply more than enough iPhone 5s to meet initial demand: but that it deliberately chose not to.
Dry Throat told us that Apple chiefs decided to emphasise a tactic which has always been used in the company’s launches.
“That way if you do get hold of one, you feel really pleased regardless of the fact it’s not much good. And if you can’t get one, you really want one. It’s so simple – but so effective.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
You can only fool Americans like this:
Popular comedian Jimmy Kimmel joking at the expense of consumers. He gave unsuspecting street people what he said is a brand new iPhone 5 (but was in fact the old iPhone 4S).
As a result, people praised the phone is thinner and “much lighter”. They also saw the display increased.
Even iPhone 4S owners said this new fake Iphone5 was better that what they had!
First Look: iPhone 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rdIWKytq_q4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung will announce the Galaxy S4 with a 5in screen and Android 4.1 in February
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2205959/samsung-will-announce-the-galaxy-s4-with-a-5in-screen-and-android-41-in-february
KOREAN HARDWARE MAKER Samsung will announce the Galaxy S4 smartphone in February 2013 with a release to follow in March, according to a Samsung executive.
He said, “Samsung is ready to unveil the next Galaxy smartphone, the Galaxy S4, at early next year’s mobile world congress (MWC) in the Spanish city of Barcelona,” adding that the phone will start arriving on shelves no later than March.
He even shed some light on the Galaxy S4 specifications, which will be “more than enough” to take down the Iphone 5.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Without radical change in patent law, Android’s ecosystem will die
http://www.zdnet.com/without-radical-change-in-patent-law-androids-ecosystem-will-die_p4-7000004311/
Summary: Only the invalidation of Apple’s utility and design patents will save Android from possible extinction as a widely-used mobile device platform.
For the time being, Apple has chosen a strategy of attacking Google’s Android OEMs via proxy war as opposed to a direct legal assault.
This is the most prudent war strategy for Apple because if it can force Google’s partners out of the market, Android is effectively neutralized.
But this is not to say that direct litigation might not come to fruition. It still could.
If Apple attacks Google directly with a lawsuit, then it would for the most part take on the form of what they did against Samsung.
Apple does have an awful lot of utility and design patents.
In a choice between walled gardens of Apple-controlled, Amazon-controlled, Microsoft-controlled and Google-controlled products, the players with the more powerful ecosystems and the most patents will prevail.
For Android to thrive, the US Patent system as a whole requires reformation, or Apple’s utility and design patents that give them a virtual stranglehold on the industry need to be invalidated.
I don’t see either of the two things happening anytime soon.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Motorola outs Razr phone with Intel Inside
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/09/18/motorola_outs_razr_i/
Motorola Mobility has introduced its first Intel-based smartphone: the Razr i.
In addition to the 2GHz Intel Atom Z2460 – based on the chip giant’s single-core Medfield design; 2GHz is a peak, if-the-phone’s-cold-enough burst speed
Inside sits a 2000mAh battery, good, the Google subsidiary claimed, for 20 hours’ runtime.
The i will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What did Apple really invent and not steal
http://www.owned.com/What-did-Apple-really-invent-and-not-steal/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple forecast to sell 8m iPhone 5s next weekend
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/09/18/apple_set_to_sell_8m_iphone_5s_in_launch_weekend/
Two long-time Apple watchers have said they are “confident” the Cupertino company can shift 8 million iPhone 5 handsets during the three days after the smartphone goes on sale.
The iPhone 5 chalked up more than 2 million advance orders after Apple began taking them, and that’s convinced Piper Jaffray analysts Gene Muster and Douglas Clinton a further 6 million will be sold over the release weekend.
The new Apple phone ships on 21 September, this coming Friday.
Tomi Engdahl says:
If Apple is what Nokia used to be, who is the new Apple?
http://davdin.tumblr.com/post/31739612642/if-apple-is-what-nokia-used-to-be-who-is-the-new
Petri Koskinen published an article last Friday on the print version of Kauppalehti, a Finnish business newspaper, titled something like “Apple is what Nokia used to be”.
Here is one passage from the article:
“When the attention shifts from product to logistics, it means that the iPhone is losing its sex-appeal and its position as the global trendsetter in smart phones”.
I guess the author sees in Apple what Nokia was before 2007. Nokia had a strong brand associated with the best products available in the market. Nokia was the “market gorilla”, making their best supply/demand management operations in the smartphone market a formidable competitive advantage.
I am not sure whether that comparison is totally fair
the article left me with a big question: if Apple is what Nokia used to be, who is the new Apple?
Yes, there have been several interesting announcements this year, but they all felt like natural developments of a concept that became public that January of 2007 when Steve Jobs announced the iPhone.
When announced for the first time, the iPhone was a revolution. Just compare it with what else was in the market at the same time
That kind of revolution does not happen that often in a certain market. It typically takes a new player to come in and, by thinking differently, deliver a solution that none of the incumbents could have possibly created. In many cases, it takes years of iterations to get it ready.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The A6: Apple’s SoC Design Team Finally Gets Serious
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/other/4396670/The-A6–Apple-s-SoC-Design-Team-Finally-Gets-Serious?cid=EDNToday
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Apple’s iPhone 5, unveiled last Wednesday, isn’t the information that the company disclosed at the launch event itself but what’s subsequently come to light in the last few days.
But left tantalizingly unexplained, in typical Apple fashion, were the specifics of the new ARM-based A6 SoC found in the iPhone 5. All that we were told last Wednesday was that the A6 delivered up to twice the CPU and GPU performance of the A5, while consuming less power (peak? standby? average? How much?) and with a 22% smaller die size than the A5.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple iPhone 5 Reviews Are In: “The Smartphone Nearly Perfected”
http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+iPhone+5+Reviews+Are+In+The+Smartphone+Nearly+Perfected/article27724.htm
Apple’s iPhone 5 was announced a week ago, and at the time many pundits proclaimed that this was yet another boring refresh of Apple’s iconic smartphone.
Despite the lukewarm commentary, Apple went on to sell over 2 million iPhone 5s during the first 24 hours of pre-order availability
Conclusions
Seigler says that the iPhone 5 is “The smartphone nearly perfected”, Stevens calls it “Without a doubt the best iPhone yet”, and Dalrymple chimes in with “Apple has another winner on its hands”.
Overall, the reviewers seem to be — unsurprisingly — in love with the iPhone 5.
Apple is just now catching up to Android smartphone in terms of functionality (LTE, larger screen, larger RAM size), but the build quality of the iPhone 5 remains the one to beat
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fans rap Apple’s ‘crap’ Map app
iOS 6 slammed for shonkey geography
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/09/20/apple_fans_slam_ios_6_map_app/
Apple dropped Google’s mapping system in favour of one of its own. The result is an attractive-looking app but one that lacks many of the places of interest – local landmarks, shops and other businesses, entertainment venues, amenities and such – listed by Google.
“The maps app is shocking! It looks rushed, half-baked [it] delivers a really poor user experience.”
“My four-year-old car TomTom looks better,” said another.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown: Inside the Kindle Fire HD
http://www.edn.com/design/consumer/4396775/Teardown–Inside-the-Kindle-Fire-HD?cid=EDNToday
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s iOS platform is a 6-spreading rapidly. Only a day after the announcement of the new version, iOS 6 can be found in 15 percent of Apple’s mobile devices, reported research companies Chitika and Chartboost.
Chitika and Chartboostin estimates are based on the network traffic.
By comparison: Google’s Jelly Bean update is only 1.5 percent of Android devices, two months after the announcement.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/applen+uusi+alusta+leviaa+android+jumittaa/a840912?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-21092012&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google’s Android celebrates fourth birthday
Version 1.0 ‘pushed out’ in September 2008
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/09/20/google_android_is_four_years_old/
Android will be four years old on Sunday, September 23.
Google launched the first public version of the mobile OS, in the form of the Android 1.0, on 23 September 2008, though its origins go back years before that.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quick Thoughts on iPhone 5 – Even as some geeks mildly disappointed, this is killer hit smartphone of 2012 Christmas
http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2012/09/quick-thoughts-on-iphone-5-even-as-some-geeks-mildly-disappointed-this-is-killer-hit-smartphone-of-2.html
Yeah, we’ve seen the iPhone 5 now and there is a mild sense of disappointment. We had hoped for more (and there was no split in the iPhone product line to give us an iPhone Nano.. shame). But what did we get?
WHAT KIND OF SALES TO EXPECT
This iPhone 5 will sell like hot cakes. It will set the iPhone fanbase on fire, they will stand in line to get the iPhone with the biggest screen ever, and will love every tiny change in the maps or Siri or other parts in the whole package. If you are an iPhone owner – they have by far the best customer loyalty – of course if its time to upgrade to a new iPhone, you’ll be wanting this iPhone 5. It will help turn the Q3 (calendar Quarter, not Apple fiscal quarter ie July-September quarter) sales into solid growth with long lines of iPhonistas stayhing overnight to be among the first to own the iFive. And then the masses will consider what to buy for Christmas and this iPhone 5 will show up in lots of stockings and propel Apple to its best quarter ever, in fact the best quarter of any company in any industry, ever, for the Q4 Christmas quarter (October-December quarter) in 2012. And then, don’t expect any after-Christmas blues
Tomi says:
According to a recent survey, only iPhone repair has cost in the United States alone nearly six billion dollars.
Thirty percent of iPhone users are in fact damaged the phone in the past year. The most commonly smartphone accident caused by dropping it (usually that breaks phone glass).
Repairing a damaged iPhone costs a lot.
If the device takes the authorized dealer, you will get your phone changed to a working unit for few hundred dollars.
Independent entrepreneur can change the glass for a lot less but that will void the warranty.
Source: http://www.iltalehti.fi/digi/2012092116107504_du.shtml
Tomi says:
Poor Android tablet sales led Intel to deny Linux support to Clover Trail
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/opinion/2207369/poor-android-tablet-sales-led-intel-to-deny-linux-support-to-clover-trail
LAST WEEK Intel dropped what seemed to be a bombshell by saying that its upcoming Clover Trail Atom chip will not support Linux. Since then a little more information has surfaced that goes some way to justify the firm’s decision to ignore what is arguably the most important operating system on mobile devices.
Since Intel’s Clover Trail admission something odd happened. Intel sent over a statement saying, “There is no fundamental barrier to supporting Linux on Clover Trail since it utilizes Intel architecture cores and those same cores (Penwell) on Medfield support Android today (for tablets and phones),” something that we had already reported in the original article.
Intel’s statement hinted at the real reason why it isn’t supporting Linux on Clover Trail. The firm said, “We are focusing our current efforts for this Clover Trail product on Windows 8 because that’s where we think the biggest market opportunity is for us in tablets right now. If something changes and we see customer interest or further market opportunity on a Linux-based OS for tablets we have the ability to bring products to market in future.”
Intel’s decision not to support Linux on Clover Trail is not a master plan concocted with Microsoft to undermine Linux. After all, AMD has made exactly the same decision with Hondo. Rather, it’s a recognition of Android’s inability to get a serious foothold in the tablet market despite having innovative designs. At the end of the day, chip vendors’ decisions to support Linux – whether in the server, desktop or mobile market – are based on the hope of making money.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Poor Android tablet sales led Intel to deny Linux support to Clover Trail
Column It’s all about market share
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/opinion/2207369/poor-android-tablet-sales-led-intel-to-deny-linux-support-to-clover-trail
“We are focusing our current efforts for this Clover Trail product on Windows 8 because that’s where we think the biggest market opportunity is for us in tablets right now. If something changes and we see customer interest or further market opportunity on a Linux-based OS for tablets we have the ability to bring products to market in future.”
To understand Intel’s decision not to support Linux on Clover Trail, one has to look at the market Clover Trail is being aimed at.
Intel is pitching Clover Trail to the low-end ultrabook market and in particular the tablet market. An Intel source told me “the tablet market is actually the Ipad market” and said that Android tablets “are not gaining any traction”. These comments are not new and are crystallised in analyst reports. The truth is that Apple’s Ipad is the device that consumers are buying, regardless of innovative designs such as Asus’ Transformer range or cut-price units such as the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire.
According to the source, Intel could support Linux on its tablet chip, where Linux effectively means Android. However I was told, “Intel is fed up ploughing money into optimising Android and not getting anything back.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple got the iPhone 5′s physical design right
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57518399-37/apple-got-the-iphone-5s-physical-design-right/
As it usually does, Apple made the right physical design decisions with the iPhone 5. With the iPhone 5, Apple did what it does best: come up with a good industrial design.
The third-generation iPad was an exception to this rule.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple granted patent for technology that disables phones based on location
http://www2.electronicproducts.com/Apple_granted_patent_for_technology_that_disables_phones_based_on_location-article-fajb_apple_restrictions_sep2012-html.aspx
In a move applauded by some and questioned by others, Apple was granted a patent for technology that can disable smartphones and other electronic devices when the owner enters an area deemed too sensitive for sound, light, photo, or video.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown: Inside the Apple iPhone 5
http://www.edn.com/design/consumer/4396870/Teardown–Inside-the-Apple-iPhone-5?cid=EDNToday
Apple’s A6 SOC: Its likely custom ARM core seems quite speedy
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4396944/Apple-s-A6-SOC–Its-likely-custom-ARM-core-seems-quite-speedy?cid=EDNToday
Apple’s A6 SOC: an intriguing development history
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4396946/Apple-s-A6-SOC–an-intriguing-development-history?cid=EDNToday
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple A6 Die Revealed: 3-core GPU, < 100mm^2
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6323/apple-a6-die-revealed-3core-gpu-100mm2
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel Confirms Medfield x86 Chips Don’t Support LTE Yet — But Says It Won’t Be Long Coming
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/23/intel-confirms-medfield-x86-chips-dont-support-lte-yet-but-says-it-wont-be-long-coming/
Intel’s second bite at the smartphone market has been more akin to a gentle nibbling around the edges. At the end of last year the chipmaker teased a smartphone reference design running its Medfield x86 Atom SoC. Nine months later Intel chips have found their way inside six real world smartphones, yet none apparently destined for the U.S.
The likely explanation is there’s no support for LTE in Intel’s current Medfield chips. And with 4G such a dominant force in the U.S. you need to command a brand as massive as Apple to get away with flogging LTE-less phones (the iPhone 5 being Cupertino’s only 4G phone).
The lack of LTE support in Medfield chips was confirmed to TechCrunch by Sumeet Syal, Intel’s Director of Product Marketing
He also confirmed 4G support is in the pipeline, noting that Intel will be “shipping some LTE products later this year and ramping into 2013″ – so that particular barrier to U.S. entry may soon be removed.
Syal said Intel is also readying a dual-core Atom Medfield chip. Its current Medfield chip architecture is single core, although the SoC includes a technique to boost multitasking called hyper threading which — Intel claims — allows it to out-perform some rival multicore chips.
App compatibility is another area where Intel is having to play catch up. Despite working closely with Google to optimize its chip architecture for Android, not all Android apps are compatible with Intel’s SoCs — including, in a recently flagged example, Google’s own Chrome for Android browser.
Syal said the “majority” of Android apps are compatible with Medfield chips but refused to specify an exact percentage — although Intel has previously claimed 95 per cent of apps are compatible (which was a correction of a previous Intel statement pegging Android app compatibility at just 70 per cent of apps).
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone 5 A6 SoC reverse engineered, reveals rare hand-made custom CPU, and tri-core GPU
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/136749-iphone-5-a6-soc-reverse-engineered-reveals-rare-hand-made-custom-cpu-and-a-tri-core-gpu
Apple still hasn’t said a word about the new A6 SoC within the iPhone 5, but no matter: Chipworks — a company that specializes in reverse engineering computer chips — has now completed its initial analysis of the A6, and the results are very interesting indeed. The A6 features a custom, in-house, laid-out-by-hand dual-core design (pictured above) that is neither a Cortex-A9 or A15, and a tri-core GPU.
In the case of the A6, which benchmarks very well indeed, it would seem that its chip design department knows what it’s doing.
I wouldn’t be surprised if PA Semi has been working on the hand-made A6 since its acquisition.
Chipworks says that the GPU cores Imagination Technologies PowerVR cores — but beyond that, we don’t know exactly what they are.
Chipworks’ reverse engineering also confirms that the A6 is produced using Samsung’s 32nm HKMG process, and that the total die size is 9.7mm by 9.97mm (96mm2).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Slideshow: Kindle Fire HD Teardown
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&doc_id=251062&cid=NL_Newsletters
Tomi Engdahl says:
Careful, Android users, your phone can have a nasty hole
Several manufacturers of Android phones have found a serious vulnerability that allows malicious attacker can at worst destroy the data on resetting the phone. Fortunately, the problem is corrected.
The problem is the software that makes calls call, which can be connected to the control code commands directly to a text message or a web link to the form.
The problem affects all Android’s latest versions.
Fortunately, users can circumvent the vulnerability by changing the phone call software.
Source: http://www.tietokone.fi/uutiset/varovasti_android_kayttaja_puhelimessasi_voi_olla_ilkea_aukko
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone users express a drop in satisfaction with iOS 6
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57521087-37/iphone-users-express-a-drop-in-satisfaction-with-ios-6/
A new poll shows that Apple’s smartphone owners are slightly less satisfied with the operating system than they were with previous iOS upgrades.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s A6 processor appears faster than previously thought
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57521088-37/apples-a6-processor-appears-faster-than-previously-thought/
Chip in new iPhone 5 has been clocked at 1.3GHz by a new version of iOS benchmarking software Geekbench, faster than the 1.02 GHz previously reported.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Contract Manufacturers Make About Nine Out of 10 Media Tablets in 2012
http://www2.electronicproducts.com/Contract_Manufacturers_Make_About_Nine_Out_of_10_Media_Tablets_in_2012-article-news02_21_sep2012-html.aspx
Although your new media tablet may sport the logo of a familiar brand name like Apple or Amazon, there’s a 90 percent chance the device was actually made by a company with a much less famous moniker, such as Hon Hai or Quanta.
That’s because the vast majority of tablets—including the iPad and Kindle Fire—actually are made by contract or outsourced manufacturers based in Asia, according to an IHS iSuppli Global Manufacturing & Design Report from information and analytics provider.
Outsourced manufacturers in 2011 were responsible for 87.5 percent of tablet production, compared to 12.5 percent that were made in-house. The percentage of outsourced tablets this year is expected to increase to 89.2 percent,
“The high percentage of outsourced manufacturing of tablets reflects the choice among tablet brands and original equipment manufacturers—even ones as big as Apple—to refrain from in-house production,”
“Tablet brands use outsourcing for many reasons, including faster time to market; the leveraging of capabilities, especially for firmware development and hardware integration; and asset flexibility that translates into reduced corporate expenditures and lower headcount.”
The biggest contract manufacturer of tablets is Apple partner Hon Hai, of Taiwan, also known as Foxconn. Hon Hai accounted for 62 percent of tablet shipments last year.
close relationship with Apple.
Hon Hai is an EMS provider, a type of outsourced manufacturer that generally does not participate in designing product but simply offers manufacturing and supply chain management services.
With the emergence of Android—and soon, Windows-based tablets—ODMs will have a better chance of breaking Hon Hai’s near-impregnable hold on the market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Evolution Of The iPhone
http://amazingmaterial.com/evolution-of-the-iphone/
Tomi Engdahl says:
ZaTab: ZaReason’s Open Tablet
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/zatab-zareasons-open-table
Quite a few options exist as far as Android tablets go. Some of them are great choices for personal entertainment and media consumption.
The ZaReason team designed a tablet that can be what the user wants it to be—one that supports users’ own content, that is not necessarily tied to a particular content store and that can be used as far more than a simple consumption device. Have they succeeded in creating the world’s first open tablet? Let’s find out.
First, the ZaTab comes loaded with Cyanogenmod 9, based on Android 4.04 Ice Cream Sandwich, and is rooted out of the box. I feel like I need to say that again—it is rooted out of the box!
Second, there is 16GB of internal Flash storage for apps and media, and a microSD slot that can accommodate an additional 32GB of storage. So, there’s ample storage for your content, stored locally, on your device—no need to rely on “the cloud” or streaming media services.
If you have used any Android device in the past, the initial setup on first boot will be familiar. Input your Google credentials, connect to a network, and you’re rolling. You have the option to download and install previous Android apps you have used on any other synced devices you may have, and your bookmarks as well if you are a Google Chrome user. The device ships with a minimal set of Android app
The 9.7″ 1024×768 in-plane-switching capacitive touchscreen is bright with brilliant color and has an insane viewing angle.
The ZaTab comfortably runs Android ICS.
The ZaTab is the most open tablet out there, and it should be on your shopping list if you’re looking for a tablet designed with end-user freedom in mind. This is the ideal device for Android developers or Linux developers looking to shoehorn a traditional Linux distribution onto a tablet. There is a good chance you will see a full Linux distro running on the ZaTab in the future. ZaTabs are in the hands of KDE and Edubuntu developers
Tomi Engdahl says:
World’s most secure tablet hits the market
http://www2.electronicproducts.com/World_s_most_secure_tablet_hits_the_market-article-fajb_tazpad_V2_sep2012-html.aspx
Biometric authentication and wireless connectivity create ideal platform for secure mobile device
There are already — approximately speaking — 100 million tablets on the market, so what makes the TazPad V2 device worth covering?
The answer’s simple: because it’s the world’s first slate to combine secure near-field communication (NFC) with biometric authentication and wireless connectivity, making it one of the most secure mobile devices to ever hit the market.
The device was introduced by INSIDE Secure and TazTag. A fully featured 7-inch slate, it runs Android 4.0 (Ice cream Sandwich) and features top-notch security features to make it ideal for mobile banking, stock management, payment, ticketing, access control, identity, and other sensitive and secure applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
One in three U.S. smartphone subscribers use Apple’s iPhone
http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/27/one-in-three-us-smartphone-subscribers-use-apples-iphone
The smartphone market share of Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems grew yet again during the three months ending in July, with the iPhone now accounting for one out of every three handsets while its rival captured 52.2 percent of the market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung also continues to power on across Europe, with smartphone share across the big five European markets at 48% in the latest 12 weeks.
After joining the European smartphone market late Sony is making up for lost time with its Xperia series, outselling both BlackBerry and Nokia as a result of strong performances in Spain, Germany and France.
Source: http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Windows-makes-progress-in-Europe
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Hits Back at Apple With Suit Over IPhone 5
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-01/apple-s-iphone-5-infringes-patents-samsung-says-in-suit
Samsung Electronics Co. said Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone 5 infringes its patents, escalating a global fight over mobile devices after winning a court order lifting a ban on U.S. sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer.
“As soon as the iPhone 5 was available for purchase, Samsung began its investigation of the product,” the company said in its court filing yesterday. The iPhone 5 infringes two standards patents and six features patents, Samsung said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple now producing iPad mini, claims WSJ
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57524976-37/apple-now-producing-ipad-mini-claims-wsj/
Apple has begun production of a smaller alternative to the iPad, dubbed the ‘iPad mini’, according to reports.
According to the sources, Apple’s rumored product, dubbed the ‘iPad Mini’, will have a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display — noticeably smaller than the iPad 3′s 9.7-inch screen. It will also be lower resolution than the iPad 3′s Retina display.
The ‘iPad Mini’ is thought to be Apple’s response to the smaller, less expensive tablets offered by its rivals, including Google, Samsung and Amazon.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Suppliers Begin Mass Production on Smaller Tablet
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10000872396390443635404578033684191275730-lMyQjAxMTAyMDAwMzAwODM3Wj.html
Apple Inc.’s Asian component suppliers have started mass production of a new tablet computer smaller than the current iPad, people with knowledge of the situation said, as the Silicon Valley company tries to stay competitive against rivals such as Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. that are offering smaller, less-expensive alternatives to the iPad.
South Korea’s LG Display Co. and Taiwan’s AU Optronics Corp. last month began mass production of the LCD screens for the new device, they said.
“Many people use the iPad to play games and watch videos, but they cannot hold it with one hand,” said Ms. Wang.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google, Microsoft sing different tune for Nexus and Surface smartphones, say sources
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20121004PD201.html
Google aims to launch smartphones based on its Nexus 7 platform in cooperation with a number of smartphone branded vendors with Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Sony Mobile Communications and HTC likely to be potential partners, said the sources.
Google reportedly will allow branded vendors to set hardware specifications as well as looks of the forthcoming Nexus smartphones as long as the models are based on its latest native Android system, said the sources
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Galaxy S III sales haven’t been hurt one bit since loss to Apple in patent trial
http://www.bgr.com/2012/10/03/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-sales-increase-after-apple-trial/
Mock Samsung (005930) all you want for allegedly copying Apple (AAPL), but consumers around the world really love its Galaxy S III smartphone. In fact, analytics firm Localytics says that demand for the popular device hasn’t slowed down at all recently despite the twin blows of Samsung losing a $1 billion patent verdict and the release of the iPhone 5.
Ironcially, Localytics actually thinks Apple might have done Samsung a favor by suing them since “the deluge of post-litigation press coverage both drove general attention to Samsung and suggested that Samsung devices were similar enough to iPhones to be an option for many consumers.”
Tomi says:
Apple ruined Siri, says Wozniak
http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/news/2012/06/apple_ruined_siri_says_wozniak/
The iPhone 4’s Siri voice controlled personal assistant was a better app before Apple got its paws on it, according to the tech giant’s co-founder and all-round loose-cannon Steve Wozniak.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android can make money: Samsung’s earnings rise 90 percent
Samsung made a top result in July-September.
Samsung’s operating profit increased by as much as 7.3 billion dollars, or about EUR 5.6 billion. Operating profit nearly doubled the previous year. Mobile phones brought about two-thirds of this.
Samsung sold its analysts’ estimates that 58 million smartphones, which 18-20000000 new Galaxy SIII model.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/androidilla+voi+tehda+rahaa+samsungin+tulos+90+prosentin+kasvussa/a845046?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-05102012&
Tomi says:
Foxconn workers reportedly strike over iPhone quality demands
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57527043-37/foxconn-workers-reportedly-strike-over-iphone-quality-demands/
Workers at a key Foxconn facility producing iPhones went on strike earlier today, according to a report from a Chinese watchdog group.
Approximately 3,000 to 4,000 workers at one of Foxconn’s factories in Zhengzhou, in China’s Henan province, reportedly went on strike earlier today over what a watchdog group says were onerous demands on quality in producing Apple’s iPhone 5.
According to workers, multiple iPhone 5 production lines from various factory buildings were in a state of paralysis for the entire day. It was reported that factory management and Apple, despite design defects, raised strict quality demands on workers
The reported demands on quality could have been a reaction to widespread reports of cosmetic damage, found by early buyers of Apple’s latest iPhone, which went on sale late last month. New iPhone 5 owners found nicks on the aluminum antenna bezel
Tomi Engdahl says:
So it looks like Samsung might not have tried to copy the iPhone
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57527568-71/so-it-looks-like-samsung-might-not-have-tried-to-copy-the-iphone
Previously redacted documents presented in the Apple-Samsung case seem not to offer actual evidence that Samsung told its designers to copy the iPhone.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft loses patent infringement case against Motorola
Fourth time lucky for Motorola
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2215117/microsoft-loses-patent-infringement-case-against-motorola
AMERICAN PHONE MAKER Motorola Mobility has won a patent infringement case brought by Microsoft in Germany.
Microsoft has been attacking Google through its Motorola Mobility subsidiary for some time, but has come up short in Mannheim. Motorola was found not to have infringed Microsoft’s patent that covers the ability for applications to work on multiple handsets.
David Howard, associate general counsel at Microsoft said, “This decision does not impact multiple injunctions Microsoft has already been awarded and has enforced against Motorola products in Germany.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple and Oracle need to stop milking Iphone and software licensing cash cows
A year on from Steve Jobs’ death, firms face similar challenges
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/opinion/2215065/apple-and-oracle-need-to-stop-milking-iphone-and-software-licensing-cash-cows
A year on, and both firms are facing new and similar challenges to preserve their positions at the top of their respective games.
Apple and Oracle have many similarities. Both are famous for having risen through the ranks due to a determined, single-minded and hands-on leader, favouring the ‘my way or the highway’ style of management. Both are sitting on huge cash piles. Both have managed to succeed despite, or perhaps because of, their integrated systems approach, choosing to enforce, in Apple’s case, and promote, in Oracle’s, the notion of hardware and software engineered to work together.
But the gap widens between the two firms when innovation comes into the picture. While Apple is famous for knowing what its users want even before they’re aware of its existence, and under Jobs, created entire new modes of computing, Oracle gradually catches up with the crowd a few years after everyone else has accepted the latest trend, whether it’s cloud, social or multi-tenancy.
With the death of Jobs, doubts surfaced immediately over whether Apple could retain its crown.
antennagate
‘Mapsgate’
But instead of following the Jobs way, Cook took the opposite tack and within a few days had issued a full and grovelling apology, even going so far as to suggest that Iphone users make use of Google Maps via the web browser.
Under Jobs, Apple built a brand associated with high quality, gorgeous design and adoring fans.
But the love affair could soon turn sour, if Apple devotees start feeling the power balance in the relationship has shifted, with Cook willing to show weakness.
For Apple to continue at the top, it needs to have a brand new product in the pipeline, the next Ipad or Ipod, a smart TV or in-car system even, or failing that create a new smartphone or tablet that isn’t just an iteration of the previous generation. Apple fans might buy the next one or even two Iphone and Ipad models, but even they will want something totally different a few years down the line.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple reportedly orders 10M iPad Minis for fourth quarter
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57527607-37/apple-reportedly-orders-10m-ipad-minis-for-fourth-quarter/
Component makers in Asia say they have received orders for the unannounced tablet that eclipse Amazon’s orders for the Kindle Fire, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Apple is apparently thinking big for its iPad Mini, with an eye on not running out of the new tablet — at least initially.
Component makers in Asia say they have received orders to make more than 10 million of the much-rumored by as yet unannounced tablet in the fourth quarter, sources in the supply chain tell The Wall Street Journal. That target is roughly twice what Amazon reportedly ordered for the Kindle Fire for the same quarter.
While Apple has declined to comment, iPad Mini rumors have been swirling for months.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Galaxy Note II Source Code Released
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/12/10/08/1617218/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-source-code-released
“Samsung has released the source code for the Samsung GALAXY Note II. This clears the way for custom ROM’s for the smartphone.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google tries to make Android more attractive application platform by reducing the fragmentation.
A major reason for growth has been the fact that manufacturers are able to freely and free of charge to fit your Android devices. For the same reason, the market is now about 4000 different Android devices Mobile tablet computers. In addition to the various types of equipment is high, reflecting the existence Android different versions and variations.
Traditionally, Google has released a new Android version at the same time the Nexus phone. Nexus phones using unmodified Android, while Samsung, HTC, LG and other manufacturers often change to the user interface and the order confirmation.
While Google’s new Android version can be updated Nexus phone as it is, take a proprietary version of the making for months, even if the equipment manufacturer is doing it.
Until now, Google has commissioned the flagship station brought the Nexus phones, one manufacturer for one year.
Next year Google plans to have up to four device manufacturers with which it is developing in the Nexus labeled phone.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/google+korjaa+kurssiaan++eroon+androidin+sirpaleisuudesta/a845722?s=r&wtm=tietoviikko/-09102012&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bank mused: Apple is repeating the errors of Nokia?
Apple seems to be selling the new iPhone as the fishing line, but how long the cycle will last? Nomura Investment Bank suspects that Apple threatens Nokia’s mistakes, such as arrogance.
The danger is that Apple succumbs to the same errors as the phone manufacturer Nokia is about glory on the hills.
- Nokia’s track record over the last decade shows nicely how the self-importance (and perhaps arrogance), as well as industrial strike quickly change the margins, analysts Stuart Jeffrey and Woo Jin Ho writes in its report.
Nomura does not expect the smartphone market, major changes over the next year. Apple and the Korean company Samsung retain their position of power, and not wait for the bank to Windows Phone handsets or Blackberryjen to weaken Apple’s drives, because if they succeed, success would take place mainly at the expense of Android phones.
After this when the spread of smartphones in developed markets, however, slows down, this slows down the iPhone sales from 2015 onwards.
In emerging markets, the progress of the iPhone is limited by high cost, as well as local Android applications more widespread.
High margins are difficult to maintain
Although the profit margins can be high, it requires product innovation. Their absence was hit in the end of Nokia, the bank estimated.
Apple is more and more difficult to stand out with iPhone from other manufacturers, since the recent updates to the iPhone have been moderate. Also iOS operating system have changed quite little.
Source: http://www.taloussanomat.fi/porssi/2012/10/09/pankki-aprikoi-toistaako-apple-nokian-virheet/201239491/170