Tag Archives: Android

Google buys Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion

August 16, 2011News, Technologyacquire, acquisition, Android, cell phones, Google, Google Android, Motorola, Motorola MobilityScott Meisner

In an interesting move, superpower Google bought the consumer-oriented arm of Motorola known as Motorola Mobility for a cool $12.5 billion (at a price of $40 per share) on Monday. In a press release the pending acquisition is explained:

The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing. Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.

Google CEO Larry Page says, “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

This is a huge move made by Google. Like Microsoft and Nokia, Google and Motorola are going to take advantage of their partnership by harnessing the power of Android software and the might of Moto’s hardware to create amazing products for consumers. Keep in mind that the Mobility division goes beyond smartphones and also includes other consumer devices like set top boxes; no doubt Google will work with Motorola to ensure the growth of products like Google TV. And on the business end of things, the acquisition “will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies,” says Page.

As the acquisition takes hold, a few questions remain. What will happen to Moto’s custom Android skin called MotoBlur? Will all future handsets built by Moto come loaded with the latest version of plain vanilla Android? Will the next Nexus phone come from Goog’s new partner? Time will tell.

One thing’s for certain: even though Google and Moto are tied to one another, the Android platform remains open for all hardware manufacturers to utilize; healthy competition is here to stay. Full PR after the break.

[Via GoogleBlog] Continue reading Google buys Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion →

Google I/O 2011: Music Beta, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Android@Home, Chrome OS, Chrome Web Store

May 11, 2011Images, News, Technology, VideoAcer, Acer Chromebook, Android, Android Honeycomb, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Android Market, Android Open Accessory, Android@Home, Angry Birds, app, apps, browser, Chrome, Chrome OS, Chrome Web Store, Chromebook, cloud storage, conference, developer conference, developers, Google, Google Chrome OS, Google I/O, Google I/O 2011, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, laptop, Music Beta, Music Beta by Google, notebook, operating system, OS, Rovio Mobile, Samsung, Samsung Series 5 Chromebook, smartphones, software update, stats, streaming, streaming service, tablets, the cloud, updateScott Meisner

Yesterday and today Google hosted its renowned developer’s conference dubbed Google I/O 2011. Literally thousands of developers flocked to San Fransisco’s Moscone Center to find out what Google’s been cooking up on their end. This year’s event proved to be leaps and bounds more exciting than last year’s conference. Google introduced their new cloud-based music service called Music Beta; they unveiled Ice Cream Sandwich, the next version of Android that promises to bridge the gap between Gingerbread and Honeycomb; Android is going into the home automation business with Google’s impressive initiative Android@Home; Chrome OS is finally ready for the big leagues–Samsung and Acer are prepping Chromebooks for mass consumption; and Angry Birds has landed in the browser!

So much to discuss–it’s all a hop, skip and a jump after the break. Continue reading Google I/O 2011: Music Beta, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Android@Home, Chrome OS, Chrome Web Store →

Android still dominates smartphone sales, Apple gains much ground

May 5, 2011News, Technologyanalysis, Android, Apple, cell phones, NDP, NDP analyst, NDP Group, quarterly results, RIM, sales, smartphone market, smartphone sales, smartphonesScott Meisner

It’s time to take a closer look into the exciting and ever-expanding smartphone market. The NPD Group, a market research company, has done some number crunching for us to determine US smartphones sales for the first quarter of 2011. They break it down by smartphone manufacturer: Android-powered smartphones accounted for 50 percent of smartphone unit sales in Q1 2011 (falling 3 percent from last quarter); Apple’s iOS gained some ground jumping 9 percentage points to comprise 28 percent of smartphone sales; and RIM remains in a distant third place, dropping 3 percentage points to 14 percent for the quarter. Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD, explains Apple’s growth and Android dip (spoiler alert: it’s the Verizon iPhone’s fault): “Apple and Verizon had a very successful launch of the iPhone 4, which allowed the iPhone to expand its market share that was previously held back by its prolonged carrier exclusivity with AT&T. While some of that growth came at the expense of Android operating system (OS), Android models still accounted for half of all smartphones sold in the quarter.” Thanks to the iPhone being available on the world’s two largest carriers, Apple (14 percent) is now the third-largest handset brand in the US behind LG (18 percent) and Samsung (23 percent).

Here are a couple fun facts for you to chew on. This quarter marks the first time a majority (54 percent) of all new mobile-phone handsets purchased by U.S. consumers were smartphones. Woohoo, yay technology! And here are the five top-selling mobile phone in the country: iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, Motorola Droid X, HTC EVO 4G, and HTC Droid Incredible. Go Apple and HTC!

[Via NDP]

HTC’s Droid Incredible 2 hits Verizon April 28 for $200

April 27, 2011News, TechnologyAndroid, Android phone, cell phones, Droid, Droid Incredible, Droid Incredible 2, Droid Incredible 2 by HTC, Droid Incredible by HTC, HTC, price, release date, release date & price, specifications, specs, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, VZWScott Meisner

A new day, a new Droid. A little over a year after its original incarnation, the Incredible gets an upgrade. So what does the sequel bring to the table? It packs Qualcomm’s latest 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 4-inch super LCD display (the original featured a 3.7-inch screen), eight megapixel with dual LED flash capable of 720p HD video capture, 1.3-megapixel front facing camera (a new addition!), and it runs Android 2.2 with the latest version of HTC Sense. The world phone can act as a 3G Mobile Hotspot that can connect up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Unfortunately the Incredible 2 does not support Verizon’s new 4G LTE network. 3G’ll have to do. 200 bucks is the fee (with a new 2-year contract, of course), and it goes on sale the 28th of this month–that’s tomorrow! Full PR after the break.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading HTC’s Droid Incredible 2 hits Verizon April 28 for $200 →

BlackBerry PlayBook comes out April 19, starting at $499

March 23, 2011News, TechnologyAndroid, Android apps, BlackBerry PlayBook, BlackBerry tablet, price, release date, release date & price, RIM, tabletScott Meisner

RIM’s ready to enter the heated tablet market with their BlackBerry PlayBook. The device, exhaustively detailed here, releases April 19 and will come in three storage capacities: 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599), and 64GB ($799). These prices line up nicely to Apple’s iPad offerings. AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint are the wireless carriers planning to carry the PlayBook. Note the models listed here are WiFi-only. These are up for preorder today through Best Buy, and RIM says that once the release date rolls around it’ll be available to pick up at many retailers including RadioShack, Office Depot, and Staples. Official PR’s sitting after the break.

Update: Though it’s not powered by Google’s Android OS, the BlackBerry PlayBook (and any QNX-based BlackBerry smartphone, for the matter) will support both BlackBerry Java and Android apps. BlackBerry users will not have access to the Android Market, however; the apps will be sold in BlackBerry App World. Before the transition to the other app store can happen, Android developers must port their apps to have them run properly on these new foreign devices.

[Via Engadget; BlackBerry; BGR] Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook comes out April 19, starting at $499 →

HTC Thunderbolt, Verizon’s first 4G LTE smartphone, on sale March 17 for $249.99

March 15, 2011Images, News, Technology, Video4G, 4G LTE, Android, Android 2.2, Android phone, cell phones, HTC, HTC Sense, HTC Thunderbolt, price, release date, release date & price, Sense, Verizon, Verizon 4G LTE, Verizon Wireless, VZWScott Meisner

HTC manufactures dozens of aesthetically-charged handsets powered by Android and their acceptable skin HTC Sense. The Thunderbolt, however, is a standout. In just two days it will officially release and become Verizon Wireless’ first 4G LTE device on the market. VZW says that customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in the 4G Mobile Broadband coverage area (check to see if you’re covered here). So if you’re not near a WiFi signal data speeds will be blistering fast (when compared to current 3G speeds, that is). Other specs include: 4.3″ WVGA display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8 megapixel rear facing camera with HD (720p) video recording, 1.3 megapixel front facing camera with video chat capability, 8GB of onboard memory and a pre-installed 32 GB microSD card, and around the back there’s a built-in kickstand. Additionally, the device can act as a Mobile Hotspot and can share its 4G connection with up to eight WiFi-enabled devices (a 2GB monthly cap is in effect). Note that after Verizon’s grace period ends on May 15 you’re required to pay an additional $20/month on top of your current phone bill to enable hotspot functionality. The handset is preloaded with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and HTC’s latest version of Sense (v2.0).

The HTC Thunderbolt lands on Verizon Wireless on March 17 and will cost $249.99 after signing a new two-year contract. Order from Verizon or Best Buy. According to the official press release (which is sitting after the break), the phone will launch with an unlimited 4G LTE data plan costing the standard $29.99/month. Like the other wireless carriers, Verizon will eventually transition its 4G data plan into tiered (read: data capped) options but for now it looks like Thunderbolt owners will have the freedom to go wild with their crazy fast speeds.

Update: HTC has put together a promo video featuring the Thunderbolt and its bold design. Check it after the break.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading HTC Thunderbolt, Verizon’s first 4G LTE smartphone, on sale March 17 for $249.99 →

Sony Ericsson ad reaches a new level of creepy

March 14, 2011Technology, VideoAndroid, commercial, prequel, Sony Ericsson, Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, Xperia PlayScott Meisner

Sony Ericsson’s “PlayStation phone” named the Xperia Play was teased during the Super Bowl and today the smartphone company let out a prequel commercial that goes on to explain how exactly those human thumbs ended up sewed onto the green nubs of the Android mascot. If you thought the teaser was creepy, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

[Via Engadget]

Flash 10.2 coming to Android Market March 18th

March 11, 2011News, TechnologyAdobe, Adobe Flash Player, Android, Android 2.2, Android 2.3, Android 3.0, cell phones, Flash, Flash Player, Froyo, Gingerbread, Google, Honeycomb, mobile OS, tablets, updateScott Meisner

Today Adobe announced that they’re delivering on their promise to bring updated Flash support to Android devices next week. Flash Player 10.2 will be available for download via Android Market on March 18th. The new player will work on the three most recent versions of Android–that is, 2.2 (Froyo) and 2.3 (Gingerbread), and 3.0 (Honeycomb). It remains in beta form for the tablet version of the OS. The update is detailed after the break, PR-style.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading Flash 10.2 coming to Android Market March 18th →

Watch Android activate across the globe

February 28, 2011Technology, Videoactivation, Android, cell phones, Google, map, visualizationScott Meisner

Google has put together this fascinating look at the growth of Android between October 2008 and January 2011. Spots around the world light up when an Android-powered smartphones get activated. It’s fun to watch significant spikes light up the map when specific phones released into the market. See how the launch of Motorola’s Droid and others affected the growth of Google’s open-source platform in the visualization embedded above.

[Via AndroidCentral]

Motorola Xoom goes on sale February 24 for $600 on contract

February 23, 2011News, TechnologyAndroid, Android 3.0, Google, Honeycomb, Honeycomb tablet, Motorola, Motorola Xoom, price, release date, release date & price, tablet, teaser, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, VZWScott Meisner

The wait for a worthy iPad contender has been tiring. Samsung’s Android 2.2-powered Galaxy Tab couldn’t compete with Apple’s iOS offerings (its successor, on the other hand, is anticipated). Android is finally ready to make the move to tablets, and Honeycomb looks scrumptious. The first Android 3.0-powered tablet out of the gate will be Motorola’s 10.1-inch Xoom, detailed here. Tomorrow, February 24 the Xoom will be made available on Verizon’s 3G network with promise of upgraded 4G LTE capabilities (at no additional charge) later this year (Q2 2011, somewhat more specifically). Here’s the pricing options you’ve got at launch. You can purchase the Xoom for $599.99 if you sign a new two-year contract with VZW; 3G data pricing starts at $20 for 1GB of monthly access. Or if you don’t feel like tying yourself to a carrier you can simply drop two additional Benjamins and rely on Internet access via WiFi hotspots. The pricer Xoom is currently listed on Best Buy, but it’s slapped with an in-store only pickup option. Verizon is also teasing it on its website, and their press release ambiguously says it’ll be available through them as well (online/in-store purchasing is not specified, unfortunately).

Update: We’re past midnight and tomorrow is now today. Verizon’s teaser site has transformed into an order page so there you go. Just to make things clear, Motorola is selling two SKUs: the $600 3G (upgradeable to 4G) model and the $800 non-3G (but still upgradeable to 4G) model. Apparently a cheaper WiFi-only version is in the works, but neither Moto nor Verizon have specified its arrival date.

Oh and there’s this. The Xoom will not ship with Flash support at launch. Crazy, right? At least the wait isn’t that long, and we know it is coming. According to Adobe, the makers of the ubiquitous video standard, “Flash Player 10.2 [will be] pre-installed on some tablets and [arrive] as an OTA download on others within a few weeks of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) devices becoming available, the first of which is expected to be the Motorola Xoom.” A few weeks time, you can handle it.

Jump after the break to find the aforementioned PR and a super cool Xoom teaser produced by the carrier.

[Via Engadget 1, 2, 3] Continue reading Motorola Xoom goes on sale February 24 for $600 on contract →

Androidify yourself today!

February 23, 2011Technology, VideoAndroid, Android app, Android Market, app, customize, Google, mascotScott Meisner

Everybody loves the Google’s little green mascot named Android. Heck, he’s the face of their smartphone-turned-tablet user experience. He deserves some of your affection, and now you can properly show it. With the Androidify app from Google you can customize Android to make him look like you–you can alter his size and facial attributes, play dress up, and even throw on some accessories like shoes and glasses for good measure. So wait are you waiting for? Android users, have at it!

Google sheds light on Honeycomb, intros Android Market Web Store and teases in-app purchases

February 5, 2011News, Technology, VideoAndroid, Android 3.0, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Android Market, Android Market Web Store, developers, devs, Google, Google event, Honeycomb, in-app purchases, mobile OS, Motorola Xoom, operating system, OS, tablet, tablet OS, Web StoreScott Meisner

This week Google held a brief Android-themed event where they highlighted elements of the tablet-specific Honeycomb UI, introduced the Android Market Web Store, and previewed Android Market in-app purchasing. Hop after the break for all the details. Continue reading Google sheds light on Honeycomb, intros Android Market Web Store and teases in-app purchases →