Android

HTC Loses Money Thanks to Struggling Economy and Competition From Apple and Samsung

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Out of all of the Android manufacturers, perhaps no other company has benefited from Google's mobile operating system more than HTC. The Taiwanese handset-maker created some of the world's first smartphones, and the company has really taken off since Android hit.

In fact, HTC has been nearly unstoppable since it launched the first Android handset back in 2008, experiencing a sales growth streak that spanned nearly two years. But in the face of stiff competition and an ailing economy, its streak has finally come to an end...

iPhone Owners Are More Loyal Than Android Owners

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 25, 2011

We love our iPhones here at iDB, and even if we do play with an Android or Windows Phone 7 device here and there, we always come back to our iDevices without fail.

According to a new study by research firm GfK, we're not the only ones captivated by our fruity phones. The report claims that of the survey's 4,500 participants across Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, China, the United States, and Japan, 84% of current iPhone owners said they would buy another iPhone in the next twelve months.

That number drops to a comparatively low 60% for Android users...

Buffy, the Facebook Phone

Sébastien Page ∙ November 21, 2011

This is not the first time we've heard rumors of Facebook working on a Facebook phone, but it seems that things are now starting to take shape.

After years of considering how to best get into the phone business, Facebook has tapped Taiwanese cellphone maker HTC to build a smartphone that has the social network integrated at the core of its being.

Code-named “Buffy,” after the television vampire slayer, the phone is planned to run on a modified version of Android that Facebook has tweaked heavily to deeply integrate its services, as well as to support HTML5 as a platform for applications, according to sources familiar with the project.

Read the full article at AllThingsD.

90% of the Money Spent on Mobile Apps Comes From the App Store

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 21, 2011

With the iPad coming under scrutiny as the competition begins its latest assault on Apple's tablet dominance, new figures suggest that the iPad may still be the best bet for those looking to make a living out of making tablet-based apps.

Piper Jaffray Senior Research Analyst Gene Munster has written in a research note released Monday that Apple's iPad still accounts for between 85% and 90% of the money spent on mobile applications.

The news comes as Android moves into a new era thanks to the release of Ice Cream Sandwich, the release which Google hopes will combine the tablet and smartphone software in a way similar to the iPad and iPhone. Munster's claims show that Android may still be suffering from an old issue: Android users just don't seem to buy apps as much as iOS users...

Apple Claims it Could Lose $2.7 Billion in Motorola Lawsuit

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Earlier this month, a German court awarded Motorola Mobility a temporary injunction against Apple for infringing on its intellectual property. An injunction, in this sense, can prevent a company from selling its products in the area in which it's granted.

But the decision was made against Apple Inc., which doesn't actually sell products in Germany. Motorola also filed a lawsuit against Apple Germany. And the outcome of this case could cost the company some serious financial losses...

Ask Jeff: Episode X

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 21, 2011

In the 10th episode of Ask Jeff, I tackle questions pertaining to iPhone theming, iPhone 4S battery solutions, Android tablets, how to attach items to emails, and much, much more.

It's hard to believe it's already been 10 episodes, but time flys when you have tons of interesting questions to mull over. Check inside to tune in to episode 10, and be sure to think of some good questions for the next episode...

How the iPhone 4S Stacks Up Against Competition

Cody Lee ∙ November 19, 2011

For those of you who are in the market for a new smartphone, or recently bought one and want to know how yours stacks up against the competition, you'll be happy to hear that the folks over at AnandTech have done some research that you might find useful.

They've performed a series of benchmarks with all of the latest smartphones, including the new Google Galaxy Nexus, to see which handset is the fastest of them all. The tests include JavaScript loading, GPU loading, and browser speed. And the results may surprise you...

Google Announces 200 Million Android Activations, Still Trails iOS

Cody Lee ∙ November 17, 2011

In the great debate on Android vs. iOS, Android's market share is always brought up in favor of the Google-backed OS. Recent studies show that Android has a staggering lead over iOS, accounting for more than 50% of all smartphone sales.

A lot of that has to do with the spark in growth Android has experienced over the last 6 months due, at least in part, to Apple's delayed iPhone announcement. But even with its recent successes, Google's mobile platform still trails iOS in total number of devices...

Android Malware Up a Shy 472% Since Last Summer

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 25, 2016

For years, security firms have agreed that iOS is one of the most secure mobile platforms in existence. Apple's stringent app approval process and the limited API access it gives to third party developers has proven effective in keeping iOS safe from malware.

Google takes the exact opposite approach with its Android operating system. And while that's proven effective in drawing in iOS defectors who don't appreciate Apple's 'walled garden' of an operating system, it also leaves its users susceptible to malicious software...

iOS Loses Market Share to Android in Recent Quarter

Guest Author ∙ November 15, 2011

Despite the 17.3 million units pushed in the third quarter this year, Apple's iOS platform has actually lost market share to Google's Android, according to Gartner. The iOS platform made up 15% of the market, which is a 1.6% loss from last year's third quarter. This loss comes contrasts with the huge growth that Android has seen this last quarter, with the little green robot doubling its shares since last year and making up over 50% of all smartphones sold in the three-month period.

Although Apple held its ground with a significant year over year increase in sales, it's very evident that the Android platform is expanding quickly. Nokia's Symbian platform has taken a hard loss this quarter, bringing in less than half of what it did last year. RIM, also saw a 4% decrease, going from 15.4% market share to only 11% this year.

So, what does that mean for our beloved iPhone?

Do Device Specs Really Matter Anymore?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated August 24, 2016

There has been one constant among the onslaught of Kindle Fire reviews we've seen over the last few days (it launches today): iPad comparisons. Amazon's new slate has been, and continues to be, constantly compared to Apple's iPad.

As typical with head-to-head match-ups, reviewers have broken out the spec sheets to see how each device measures up. But do specs even really matter anymore? Several tech writers have been asking this lately, and they've been making some valid points...

iOS Devices are Still the Most Desirable Among Developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 24, 2017

With Amazon's Kindle Fire just a day away from public release, there's no shortage of news regarding the new tablet. Not only does it undercut the cost of most slate offerings by $300, it's also the first Android tablet to feature a truly cohesive user experience.

Because of that, the Kindle Fire now ranks as the top Android-based tablet among developers. But according to The Loop, Amazon's slate still has a ways to go before it reaches the programming popularity of Apple's iOS devices...