Android

Google is Giving its Goggles to the iPhone

Guest Author ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

No this isn't a geeky tongue twister even though the title seems to have the makings of such. CNET reports an announcement made by a Google staff engineer at the Hot Chips Conference held at Stanford, about Google's Goggles app making its way to the iPhone. Turns out it is geared to hit the App Store later this year.

Engineer David Petrou delivered the good news in part of his keynote address in which he stated that pending approval from Apple, Goggles should be available in as little as 3 months time...

The iPhone Hosts 55% of All Smartphone Ads

Guest Author ∙ August 23, 2010

Millennial Media reports that Apple's iOS is the platform of choice when it comes to advertisers. What is even more profitable is the fact that the iPhone leads all smartphones with 55% of the market on its screens.

Who says ads aren't exciting? Including all devices, Apple products sport 35% of the pie while Samsung comes in 2nd with 17%, RIM with 10% and Motorola in 4th with 9%. Let's get back to smartphones which are defined by the study as products running a recognizable operating system.

How to Install Android on Your iPhone 2G or 3G with iPhoDroid

Sébastien Page ∙ August 19, 2010

Android on the iPhone is more of a "project" than anything else. It's buggy, unstable, and doesn't even bring all the features needed to fully use the iPhone. So why in the hell would you install Android on your iPhone? Just for the heck of it, of course! Thanks to Sergio McFly, this is now easily possible.

iPhoDroid 1shot is probably the easiest way to install Android on your iPhone 2G or iPhone 3G. It doesn't require any file editing or anything that might scared the least technically advanced of us. Without further ado, here are the instructions to set up Android on your iPhone. As usual, proceed at your own risks...

Step 1: Make sure your iPhone is jailbroken and Cydia is up to date. If it's not jailbroken, do so by using JailbreakMe.

Step 2: Download the latest version of iPhoDroid 1 shot from here. The download link is at the very bottom left of the page.

Step 3: Make sure your iPhone is connected to your computer via the USB cable. Launch iPhoDroid and click "shoot".

Step 4: iPhoDroid will extract the touch driver and transfer the cache/system/data folders to your iPhone.

Step 5: iPhoDroid will now place your iPhone in recovery mode.

Step 6: After that, you will get the OpeniBoot splash page with different options (Apple, Android, Install, Uninstall). Use the volume buttons to highlight the "Install" option, then tap the Home button to select it.

Step 7: Some code will then be running on your screen. Once done, your iPhone will reboot in the Android OS.

Done! You can now enjoy your crippled iPhone running Android.

If you're one of the few courageous men out there to try this hack, please let us know how it's working for you by leaving a comment below.

[iClarified]

Motorola CEO Sees Opportunity Of Verizon iPhone

Guest Author ∙ August 11, 2010

This story fits into the category of a CEO saying what sounds good, but with little believability in what they've said. MacWorld reports that Sanjay Jha, Co-CEO of Motorola's Mobility group said, "I'm comfortable with the dynamic that (Verizon iPhone) would create". I don't know what kind of comfort he's referring to, but the way I see it, Apple will be benefiting far more than Motorola from such an acquisition.

As we reported this week, more iPhone-to-Verizon rumors have been floating around the web-waves. The same Verizon who has pumped a lot of energy and money into the promotion of the operator owned OS. Android was first featured on Motorola, thus Jhasays doesn't see Big Red deviating from their big investment, even with an iPhone on their roster.

I agree that the Droid is here to stay. I also agree with the CEO when he says he's confident in continuance of loyalty regarding the promotion of Droid-driven Moto devices. What I don't buy into is the chipper level of comfort that he proclaims, when it comes to the inevitable competition that a Verizon iPhone would bring. To be blunt, they would undoubtedly lose out on potential customers. How could they not?

I know Jha is saying what any decent CEO would say when he faces tough competition. But for those of us who don't have to keep the shareholders and carriers happy, I say different. It would be like a starting quarterback saying he's happy that his team just acquired a better rated QB to compete for the job. It sounds noble, but the level of truth behind it is questionable. Clearly a Verizon iPhone would mean more money for Apple, and less for Motorola. Again I ask, how could it not?

Android on iPhone 3G Now Available

Sébastien Page ∙ May 24, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, iPhone hacker PlanetBeing showed us a demo of Android running on an iPhone 3G. This week, he posted full instructions on how to install Android on an iPhone 3G.

In all honesty, I can't see why one would want to install this on the iPhone besides the thrill of the technical challenge. At this time, this port of Android is highly unstable.

Although this port does everything that you expect your smartphone to be able to do, it isn't usable for day-to-day activities just yet--I haven't implemented any power-management functions, so a fully charged iPhone running Android will last only an hour or so.

A few bugs and performance issues remain, too, so while the phone will be usable, it won't be fast. If you do something unexpected (such as forcing the iPhone off), there is a small chance that you may end up restoring your device. However, it is impossible for any bugs to brick or disable your iPhone permanently.

Finally, media syncing is not working, so loading your media onto your phone is kind of a pain. I'm working as hard as I can, though, and I expect to fix these issues soon.

PlanetBeing posted full instructions explaining how to install a port of Android on your iPhone.

If you don't have the required setup or feel a little scared by the instructions, you may want to give a try to iPhoDroid, by Sergio McFly.

iPhoDroid is an app that will make your life much easier. It will automatically transfer all the necessary files to run Android on your iPhone. The other advantage of iPhoDroid is that it is developed for Mac, which means you won't need a Linux machine like you would if you followed PlanetBeing's "manual" instructions.

If any of you dare taking a shot at installing Android on your lovely device, I would love to hear about your experience.

Android Running On iPhone 3G

Sébastien Page ∙ May 7, 2010

A couple weeks ago, iPhone hacker and Dev Team member PlanetBeing made the headlines when he successfully ran Android on an iPhone 2G.

With the help of other developers, PlanetBeing is back at it, this time showing us Android running on an iPhone 3G. In an article published on PC World, he explains the hack has come a long way since its initial release.

Now you can use the Android OS to browse the web and run any application that does not require audio support, as well as send and receive SMS text messages over the cell phone radio. [...]

We've also made several other improvements to the original port in this version. Along with many under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes, the Wi-Fi driver has been fleshed out with all the Android-specific extensions, making it more stable and reliable. We've also added an Android icon to the boot menu to make it more easily accessible.

If you feel up to the task, instructions on how to do this yourself will be published soon.

While this is still very buggy, PlanetBeing hopes to be able to release a stable and "usable" version of Android for your iPhone 2G or 3G soon. Will keep you posted!

[via Linux on iPhone]

How to Install Android On iPhone

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

Last week I posted about iPhone hacker PlanetBeing who successfully installed Android on an iPhone 2G. For those of you who would like to replicate this hack, Android A Lot has written a very detailed tutorial on how to install Android on an iPhone 2G.

Installing Android on a jailbroken iPhone is not for the faint of heart. It involves quite a few steps and if you don't have basic technical knowledge, I suggest you stay away from it. If you think you're up to the task, then head over to Android A Lot to read the detailed tutorial.

Additionally, you might find this video guide to installing Android on iPhone pretty useful. Note that this hack is for iPhone 2G only. As usual when messing around hacks live this one, understand you're doing this at your own risks.

If you decide to install Android on your iPhone, please share the results with us in the comments.

Android On The iPhone

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

Dev Team member PlanetBeing successfully ported a debug version of Android to an iPhone 2G.

The iPhone is set up with a dual-boot configuration. At the beginning of the video, you can see it running iPhone OS, but then PlanetBeing successfully boots Linux of his iPhone. This video shows the full boot process and PlanetBeing using Android for Internet browsing, text messaging, etc...

On his blog, PlanetBeing says:

It should be pretty simple to port forward to the iPhone 3G. The 3GS will take more work. Hopefully with all this groundwork laid out, we can make Android a real alternative or supplement for iPhone users. Maybe we can finally get Flash. ;)

Feel like having Android run on your iPhone too? You can download the pre-built images and sources here. I suggest you do not try this unless you really know what you're doing.

Anyone will give this a shot?

How does the first Google Android phone compare to the iPhone?

Sébastien Page ∙ October 8, 2008

There was a pretty good article yesterday on the NY Times about how Android will compare to the iPhone. The writer, Tim Haddock, actually compares the first Google Android phone, the G1, to the iPhone. Here are some interesting points about the G1 worth looking at:

touchscreen - just like the iPhone, except it doesn't support multi-touch trackball flip-out Qwerty keyboard - business users will like that removable batteries - I'm jealous 3-megapixel camera - I'm even more jealous 25% thicker and nearly 20% heavier than the iPhone 3G - that's big! no headset jack! - how am I supposed to listen to music with that? You'll need a special headphone adapter to connect to its proprietary design. maximum memory slot of 8GB - haha. no sync capability with iTunes or even desktop computer at all! apps available via Android Market - much better than the highly restricted App Store.

The G1 launches on October 22 and will cover only 22 markets in the US, due to T-Mobile 3G poor 3G coverage. This is supposed to improve with time. For information, AT&T's 3G network covers more than 275 markets.

Although I am very excited about Google Android, I will not be rushing to buy the new G1. I will wait a few months (years?) until Android is available on other phones and offers more to me than these poor features.

You may read the full article here.