Android

Tim Cook views Android litigation as “a necessary evil”, not a thermonuclear option

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 11, 2017

Remember how Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson that he is willing to wage a "thermonuclear war" on Android because it's "a stolen product"? Having already spent an estimated 100+ million dollars on war on Android, Apple certainly means business. Sadly, the larger contest between Apple and Google is nowhere near resolution.

According to a fascinating cover story by Bloomberg, Apple is in it for the long run. The company is well-aware that many people have yet to choose a smartphone, a decision which usually entails loyalty to that phone's operating system. Yup, it's all about the same ol' lock-in.

iPad apps outperforming their Android counterparts

Oliver Haslam ∙ March 27, 2012

The iPad Vs Android tablet argument is one that has been waging for longer than we care to think, and it is one that shows no sign of going away anytime soon.

As if the fire really needed any more stoking, PC World's Sasha Segan has sought to fan the flames of fanboyism by comparing Android tablets and the iPad in the app stakes, with the number of apps and their perceived quality being put to the test across a range of categories.

The result? Well, the iPad comes up trumps as we would probably expect, but did we really expect a different outcome? Nope...

China passes up the US for iOS and Android activations

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 12, 2018

With over a billion wireless subscribers, China is certainly one of the most sought-after mobile markets. Heck, China Mobile (the world's largest carrier) alone has over 650 million customers.

Now it looks like that market just got even more valuable. According to Flurry, a mobile analytics company, China is now the world's fastest growing smart device market as well...

Apple asking for up to $15 from Samsung and Motorola for each Android device sold

Cody Lee ∙ March 6, 2012

It looks like Apple is starting to grow weary of patent litigation. Hot on the heels of word that the company won a major victory in a Chicago court today, reports are coming in now that the iPhone makers are looking to settle some of its lawsuits involving Android partners.

According to Dow Jones Newswires, Apple has issued proposals to both Samsung and Motorola Mobility to settle several pending patent disputes in exchange for royalty payments to license its intellectual property...

Chicago judge grants Apple access to Android development history

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2017

The patent battle between Apple and Samsung has seemingly taken a back seat to the iPhone-maker's worldwide war with Motorola Mobility. Apple knows that with Google acquiring MMI, it can finally take its beef with Android straight to Mountain View.

Google has so far managed to stay out of the many different patent wars involving its mobile OS and manufacturing partners — but that won't last for long. Reports are coming in today that Apple has just been granted access to Android's development history...

Senator asks FTC to investigate Apple over privacy concerns

Cody Lee ∙ March 5, 2012

Apple has recently come under heavy fire over its privacy policies. Earlier this year it was discovered that third-party iOS apps could access a user's address book without their consent. And recent reports that photo albums are subject to similar unauthorized access have added fuel to the flames.

Now it looks likes folks are so worried about the problem, that they've asked the Federal Trade Commission to get involved. ArsTechnica is reporting that New York Senator Charles Schumer is urging the FTC to look into Apple's widely-documented user privacy concerns...

Motorola goes after Siri with its Android Voice Action feature

Cody Lee ∙ February 27, 2012

We've seen Motorola take on Apple in the courtroom, now it's taking on its popular digital assistant feature. The company just posted three videos to its YouTube account of three of its handsets taking on the iPhone 4S in voice-control.

The videos star the Motorola Atrix 2, the Photon 4G and the Electrify using Android's Voice Action component. The sentiment here seems to be that Motorola believes that its feature is superior to Siri, but we'll let you be the judge of that...

The top 3 smartphones sold in 2011 were iPhones

Jake Smith ∙ Updated February 6, 2016

The iPhone has seen an enormous amount of success worldwide. Apple announced during its fiscal Q1 2012 earnings report that the iPhone sold a total of 37 million units in one quarter. Ranked the third phone manufacturer in the world, Apple is continuing to sell an abundance of iPhones.

When it comes to iPhone sales in the US, Apple sold the top three smartphones in 2011, according to a new report released by ComScore. The iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4S found their way into the most hands of consumers...

Apple acquires Chomp to make app discovery better

Jake Smith ∙ Updated March 12, 2018

Apple has acquired Chomp, a startup focused on app discovery, reports MG Siegler of TechCrunch. Chomp launched in 2009 and has earned around $2.5 million in venture funding to date. Apple is bringing on the Chomp team and its technologies in hopes of improving app discovery...

Android apps found to be more expensive than iOS apps

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

For those of you who might be under the impression that apps available on the iTunes App Store are more expensive than Android apps, research firm Canalys is out with a new study that proves otherwise.

Canalys found that on average, Android apps cost 2.5 times more than iPhone apps...

Apple files complaint against Motorola over FRAND abuse

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 1, 2017

Well we all saw this coming. Electronista is reporting that Apple has just filed a complaint with the European Commission regarding Motorola's recent legal actions. The handset-maker won an injunction in Germany last month, resulting in the temporary ban of some of Apple's products.

But Apple has maintained that the patents that Motorola is asserting against it are industry standard, and therefore fall under FRAND jurisdiction. And since Motorola doesn't seem to want to offer Apple a FRAND license, Apple went to the EC...

Apple wins injunction against Motorola in Germany over ‘slide to unlock’ patent

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

When the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) awarded Apple a patent late last year regarding its 'slide to unlock' feature, we didn't think it would be very long before we saw it pop up in Apple's Android war. And it wasn't.

Hot on the heels of Motorola winning an injunction against Apple in Germany, which resulted in a temporary ban of some of its products, the Cupertino company has fired back by winning its own injunction against Motorola in the country...