Android

Apple’s marketing honcho Schiller stops using Instagram because it went to Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 19, 2012

If you couldn't believe those hipsters who stopped using Instagram just because it sold out to Facebook for a staggering $1 billion, wait 'till you hear this.

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president, apparently stopped using Instagram because the photo sharing service recently expanded to Android.

It's hardly a surprise, if you think of it. Schiller, a prominent figure in Apple's public presentations, has been a member of the company's executive leadership team since Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997.

Being in charge of worldwide marketing at Apple and an active Twitter user, Schiller would be foolish to continue supporting a hugely popular service that up until recently used to be an iOS exclusive...

Jobs’ biographer says the CEO’s disdain for Android was real

Cody Lee ∙ April 5, 2012

Yesterday, Google's Larry Page sparked some controversy with some comments he made regarding Steve Jobs. In an interview with Businessweek, the CEO suggested that Jobs' disdain for Android was more for show than anything else.

But Walter Isaacson, author of the Apple founder's popular biography, tells a different story. Isaacson gave a lecture at the Royal Institution in the UK last night, and had no problem clearing the air about Jobs' feelings on Google's mobile OS...

Google CEO says Steve Jobs’ hatred for Android was “actually for show”

Cody Lee ∙ April 4, 2012

Steve Jobs' distain for Google's mobile OS was well documented. There's a famous quote from the late CEO's biography that goes something like, "I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this."

But according to Google's CEO Larry Page, a large part of Jobs' hatred for Android was merely for show. He believes that it was more of a way to rally his troops at Apple, rather than evidence of bad blood between the two companies...

Popular Dolphin browser gets voice control, URL keyboard, night mode

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2017

Dolphin, a popular third-party Android browser, finally got ported to the iPhone last August. It's seen more than ten million total downloads on both platforms since. Featuring custom gestures, a clever user interface design, advanced features and many customizable options, it's the favorite non-Apple browser on my iPhone.

Developer MoboTap Inc. updated the iPhone version of Dolphin today with half a dozen nice-to-haves, including the all-new voice control capability dubbed Sonar. Just shake your device or tap the mic icon and tell Dolphin what to search for. Voice input works with any site that has search or text fields.

This lets you not only search for eBay items, but update your Facebook status, post a tweet and more - all just by using your voice. Sonar also lets you speak commands to bookmark your favorite website and control other features of the app.

RIM posts BlackBerry Mobile Fusion server with enterprise support for iOS devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 3, 2012

The ailing BlackBerry maker Research In Motion today released the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion enterprise server software, first announced last November.

Among the features is built-in support for tablets and smartphones running Apple's iOS and Google's Android software.

This is the first time RIM comprehensively supported iOS mobile devices in a major corporate enterprise server software.

One in three smartphones sold in the US is an iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 29, 2012

A new survey out of Nielsen today says nearly one in three of all smartphone users in the United States have an iPhone, or 32.1 percent. For comparison, 48 percent opted for an Android device, or nearly one in two. As for recent acquirers who got their smartphone within the last three months, 43 percent bought an iPhone versus 48 percent for Android.

Together, the two platforms pretty much own the entire US smartphone market. More important than this, in my opinion, is the overall U.S. smartphone penetration rate which approached the psychologically important 50 percent milestone during the month of February. How is smartphone penetration important?

iOS earns Google four times the revenue of Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 24, 2016

Though Google does not profit directly by giving away Android software to phone vendors, they do take 30 percent cut on app sales, just like Apple. This is peanuts compared to Google's indirect, mobile advertising-based revenues. Understandably, of course, as Google's ad-based business model benefits from people using their many services on the go, such as maps and search.

The more people use Google on their handsets, the higher advertising revenues the company pulls. At Android's scale, it's easy to think that Google gets more revenue from Android phones and tablets than Apple's iPhones, iPads and iPod touches.

According to a newspaper article today, based on court documents, Android’s total revenue from the launch of handsets at the end of 2008 through to the end of 2011 was $543 million. Still, Google made four times as much revenue during the same period on iOS devices.

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...