Mobile-Review.com - news

iOS Web Share Surpasses Mac OS

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:40:00 GMT

Apple's iOS platform has finally surpassed its desktop Mac OS platform in terms of web traffic share. Ad network Chitika analysed the results from iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches and of course Macs from August last year until the start of this month. Over that six month period they saw iOS surpassing Mac OS this month. The share of web traffic for both platforms has actually been on a convergent path since the study began Chitika explained. Mac OS' share has been declining slightly whilst iOS' share has been gradually growing. Chtikia predicts that there will continue to be a disparity between the two platforms now that iOS has surpassed Mac OS as the growth in Apple's mobile division continues to outpace that of its desktop and notebook divisions.

Nokia N9 Running Ice Cream Sandwich

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:20:00 GMT

What do we have here? Why it's the first sighting of a N9 running Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich. Obviously not an official port, the work was done by Alexey Roslyakov and the NITDroid team. Those are the same chaps who got Android running on the N900 by the way. Apparently they are working on a dual-boot solution, which would allow for Android and MeeGo to exist side by side on the same handset.

Tribler: The Unstoppable File Sharing Network

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:35:00 GMT

With the recent closure of Megaupload the victorious forces of the copyright owners no doubt thought they had scored a major victory against file-sharing. Unfortunaely they still haven't used the vast amounts of money they rake in to actually buy themselves a clue so it should be no surprise to learn that as one source of file-sharing passes another is stepping up to take its place. The difference this time though is that it may prove nigh on impossible to stop this new kid on the block.

Tribler is a peer-to-peer file-sharing network that is entirely decentralized. What that means, according to its creator, is that "The only way to take it down is to take the Internet down". Tribler doesn't rely upojn torrent sites to find content, it is truly peer-to-peer, communicating directly between users' PCs. How difficult such a system will be to take down remains to be seen, but Joe Morganelli, founder of the Morganelli Group, a copyright consulting firm, explains:

With no central location it will make going after individuals so much more important. The crussade against a normal individual has had very little effect since there are millions of people. With the central location, it makes it easy for a lawsuit.

I started this piece off by saying that the copyright holders and their organisations don't have a clue and here we can see why. The whole problem here is that these people are trying to use the law to prop up an outdated business model. They keep trying to close down file-sharing sites and sue the people behind them. Has suing the PirateBay stopped filesharing? Has closing Megaupload? Technology is constantly improving and people are constantly innovating. The copyright holders are fighting a losing battle here. Far better for them to come up with a new business model. That might just be a battle they can win.

iPad 3 Coming In March

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:46:00 GMT

AllThingsD are reporting that the next generation of the iPad is to be expected this March. The announcement of what is being tentatively dubbed the iPad 3 (chances are that will probably be the official name too). We can also apparently expect a faster processor, Apple's Retina Display technology, consistent dimensions with previous models, but perhaps 4G LTE support. The latter would mean the iPad 3 would be the first Apple product to support 4th generation networks and would almost certainly mean that the next generation of the iPhone would also feature LTE support. As for a release date the chatter is currently placing that in the second or third week of March.

Video: Amazon Joins In The Apple Bashing With New Ad

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:00:00 GMT

It seems that releasing anti-Apple ads is all the rage for tech companies these days. Samsung have been taking swipes at Apple with their ads and now Amazon has joine din on the fun of Cupertino bashing. Their latest ad has a pop at the iPad, the premise of the advert being that a Kindle is not only beter for reading, but even when combined with a Kindle Fire is still cheaper than an iPad. In fact a Kindle and two Kindle Fire tablets still cost less than a single iPad. If Samsung was trying to steal a march on Apple's cool factor with its adverts then Amazon is going back to basics and making simple price comparisons. Either way Apple might take some comfort in the fact that both companies feel the need to go after them, they must be doing something right.

Nokia's Plan B ... Er ... There Isn't One

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:36:00 GMT

It has often been said that Nokia has essentially bet the company on Windows Phone. That being the case what happens if it all goes tits up and Windows Phone doesn't work out? What's Plan B?

There isn't one.

In an interview with Dagens Industri, a Swedish financial paper, Nokia's European Manager, Victor Saejis, said that "Plan B is that Plan A is to succeed". There simply isn't any contingency plan up Nokia's sleeve in the event that its dalliance with Windows Phone is a complete disaster. Symbian is being wound down, MeeGo is pretty much dead already and with no fall back position the chances of Nokia sudenly producing an Android device are pretty slim. If their attempt to crack the U.S. with Windows Phone fails then Nokia have pretty much nothing with which to say afloat. Indeed Sajis echoes this with his comment that "... it's like starting all over again. But we must succeed in the U.S. if we are to succeed in the world".

Apple Issues Warning To Devs Not To Manipulate Store

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:41:00 GMT

Earlier this week a developer created a thread at Touchstone Arcade complaining that various apps in Apple's App Store were being promoted in the Top 25 app list through means that break the App Store guidelines. The thread accussed some of the bigger developers such as Crowdstar of employing services to get their apps into the top 25 illegally. That sort of accussation was met with denial by Crowdstar's co-founder Suren Markosian who completely denied the allegation and assured customers that Crowdstar only promoted apps "... using legitimate advertising channels such as flurry, chartboost, iAs, etc".

Ok so what does any of this matter? After all some dev moaning that some other dev is being sneaky with rankings isn't exactly new is it? What does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? Well apparently it matters enough for Apple themselves to wade into the fray. Cupertino, either through that thread gaining some traction, or because they themselves were seeing something suspicious, decided to issue a warning to developers:

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership.

Nokia Ends European & North American Phone Production

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:35:00 GMT

Nokia restructuring plans mean that 4,000 jobs are set to go from operations in Europe and North America. This follows on from existing cuts that saw 10,000 employees leaving the company and Nokia's exit from Romania where it then became embroiled in a tax dispute with the Romanian government. The job losses mean that Nokia will no longer be producing any of its phones in Europe or North America. The facilities will be maintained though for what Nokia is calling 'high value activities', which most likely means research and development. Nokia's factory in Brazil, located in Manaus is to remain functioning as it has been whilst the factories in Salo, Reynosa and Komarom will be used for the software part of production e.g. installing network specific features. The actual hardware assembly of products will now take place in Nokia's Beijing and South Korean factories.

Nokia Leading As Mobile Web Usage Doubling

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

StatCounter's latest figures on mobile browsing patterns show that mobile web usage has been doubling every year since 2009. The growth in web usage from mobile devices shouldn't be at all surprising of course given the ever increasing proliferation of smartphones and ever more capable feature phones. Nokia, for their part as the world's largest manufacturer, is also the leader when it comes to data usage. Around 40% of all mobile browsing in the world is accouned for by Nokia handsets. That puts them a good way beyond second placed Apple with 29%, which is still impressive given the nature of Apple's product portfolio. Samsung struggle to keep up in third place with just 14%.

Best Buy Leaking Apple iTV Details, Including Price Tag

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:38:00 GMT

Best Buy may have been slipping out some details concerning Apple's rumoured forthcoming TV set. Apparently Best Buy have been sending out surveys with some curiously detailed specifications on the supposed device. Those specifications are as follows:

42-inch 1080 LED display

iOS operating system

App store support

iCloud support

iPhone & iPad can be used as remotes

FaceTime support

Netflix, YouTube and Flickr support

$1,499 price tag

Is this the real deal specs? Who knows to be honest, but they do tie up nicely with the rumours of the device. The price is interesting though as it's the first time we've really seen anything being pinned down in that area. Of course Apple rumours are notoriously prone to being completely wrong when the final product is released, but maybe this is at least close to what we can expect.

iPhone Selling Well But Android King Amongst First Time Buyers

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:36:00 GMT

NPD have released new data showing that Apple has been injected with new energy in smartphone sales.As the iPhone 4S was released Apple's three iPhone models, the 4S, the 4 and the 3GS managed to claw in a very respectable 43% of the U.S. smartphone market. That had an impact on Android, which had been holding onto a 53% share of the market earlier in the year. This is all very well and good and no doubt Apple will be pleased with these results, however, arguably more important is what Android was doing at this time.

Amongst new smartphone customers Android was the clear choice of mobile platform. More than half of those purchasing a smartphone for the first time, some 57%, opted for an Android handset. Apple, by comparison, saw its iPhone being selected by 34% of new smartphone owners. Now that's not a bad figure of course, but Android is the clear favourite amongst new customers it seems. The remaining platforms i.e. Windows Phone, BlackBerry et al made up just 9% total.

Why Android was so popular amongst first time buyers isn't explained in the data, but we can hazard a guess. Price probably had a big impact with Android's plethora of products and price points making it more viable a choice for more customers. Network performance and selection is probably less of a factor here given that the iPhone is available from more sources these days rather than its traditional fortress at AT&T. Whatever the reason Apple, whilst still able to shift iPhones, isn't doing as good a job at getting in the new blood.

Samsung Shows Off Anti-Apple Ad During Super Bowl

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:28:00 GMT

Yesterday the New York Giants stomped to victory in Super Bowl XLVI. Amidst the action on the field there was a new Samsung advert nestled in the fourth quarter. The advert is designed to do one thing, and one thing only, attack Apple. It's part of Samsung's effort to brand itself as an alternative to Apple and seem just as cool, hip, sexy, etc as Cupertino's finest. On that score I don't think the advert achieved much. It shows a bunch of Apple fans waiting in a queue when Samsung Galaxy Notes begin appearing out of thin air whilst a pink rocker bashes away on a guitar and The Darkness' 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' belts out. My impression: bizzarre. Do I want to buy a Samsung after watching this? No, but I do have a hankering for a pink rockstar outfit.

Nokia, Samsung and Apple Now 1,2,3 Top Smartphone Vendors

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:17:00 GMT

The top three smartphone manufacturers globally are now Nokia, Samsung and Apple, in that very order. The difference between Nokia & Samsung and third placed Apple is actually quite stark when you look at the figures. Nokia is sitting pretty with 26.6% of the market and Samsung is holding onto 22.8%. Apple is in third place yes, but a distance third, with just 8.7% of the market. LG and ZTE are duking it out for fourth place, but with 4.1% and 4% respectively they're a good way behind the top three.

iPhone Update Schedule Apparently Back On Summer Time

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Apple are set to unveil their latest incarnation of the iPhone at their WWDC event this June according to a report from Taiwan based DigiTimes. The report cites an analyst from Daiwa Securities and the report also noted that the device would utilise the same glass to glass touch panel technology as used previously. The new iPhone is strongly suspected to feature a new design and there has been some chatter as to when the new model would be announced. The iPhone 4S was announced late last year, breaking with the tradition of announcing the devices in the summer, but if this report is true then it woul seem the iPhone 4S was very much the exception to the rule and the standard summer iPhone update is back on track.

iPad 3: Leaked Pictures Giving The Game Away

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:41:00 GMT

BGR has maanged to get its hands on some screenshots that are reportedly from the anticipated iPad 3 (or whatever it will be called). The source of the images informed BGR that he was in posession of an iPad 3 prototype and had taken the following screenshots using a development/de-bug tool called iBoot.

The screenshots themselves give us some insight into the device. For starters there are two models references, with model numbers of J1 and J2. These aren't actually separate iPads so much as they are variants of the same device. One will be WiFi only whilst the other looks to feature additional support for GSM/CDMA/LTE. The screenshots also ched some light on the processor running the show, namely the A6. This new chip looks to be a quad-core effort, which ties in with some of the rumours that have appeared concerning the device in recent months.

Microsoft Running Anti-Google Newspaper Ads

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:13:00 GMT

Google is currently taking a bit of flack of its recent privacy policy changes. Now a good competitor never lets such an opportunity pass them by and Microsoft is nothing if not sharp eyed when it comes to exploiting an opportunity to get one over on its rivals. To that end Microsoft is running anti-Google newspaper ads in major American newspapers.

Google claims that its new privacy policy doesn't actually collect any more data on users than its previous policy. This doesn't seem to be finding much support at Microsoft, whose ads read:

To be clear, there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to improve the quality of an advertising product. But, that effort needs to be balanced with continuing to meet the needs and interests of users. Every business find sits own balance and attracts users who share those priorities. Google's new changes have upset that balance, with users' priorities being de-prioritised. That's why people are concerned and looking for alternatives ... If these changes rub you the wrong way, please consider using our portfolio of award-winning products and services.

Well there you have it. How effective will such ads be? It's hard to say really, but it's doubtful that they will have any real impact upon Google, especially when it comes to search. The ads will be appearing in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and USA Today.

Samsung: We Want Customers To Love Us As Much As Apple

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:54:00 GMT

Apple's loyal fanbase is well known, notorious some might say, and even though others may scoff and mock the brand loyalty pple engenders is the envy of the industry. Hell, it's the envy of many industries. That sort of fascination felt by consumers is something that Samsung's head of marketing, Younghee Lee, wants to emulate. She told AllThingsD:

Especially in the U.S., people are obsessed with Apple. It's time to change people's attention ... [and] ... how I can engage with consumers from the bottom of their heart, and not just be a big and functional and rational and reasonable brand.

That is a very tall order to be frank. Creating that sort of brand interest and loyalty isn't something that can be done overnight. Apple have built up their fanbase through years of effort and through arguably unique approaches. Samsung on the other hand has basically been another tech firm selling gadgets. Not that Samsung has been unsuccessful, far from it; they shipped 36.5 million smartphones during the festive quarter. However, sales figures do not a brand make.

Samsung's approach to re-inventing itself is perhaps a little odd if they are trying to emulate Apple. For example, they released an advert mocking the obsession consumers have with Apple. A tad odd for a company looking to replicate that effect. Perhaps more importantly though they are trying to be like Apple, whereas Apple doesn't try to be like anyone except ... well Apple. That might be a better lesson for Samsung to follow.

RIM: We Were The Xmas No.1 In The UK

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:14:00 GMT

RIM is claiming to have been the top selling manufacturer for smartphones in the UK in the month of December. That claim may seem a bit hard to swallow given the state RIM is currently in, but they are using sales data from analyst firm GfK to support their claim. The data apparently shows RIM holding a 26.3% share of the UK smartphone market in December. That stems from ana verage market share throughout 2011 as a whole of 27.7% according to RIM. Unfortunately RIM didn't say what the share for rivals such as Apple and Android were so we can't compare.

iPhone 5 Going Into Production Soon

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:45:00 GMT

9to5Mac has been having words with an employee at Foxconn, Apple's Chinese parts supplier. The employee alledges that production of the much anticipated iPhone 5 is about to start and that several prototype handsets are in existence. These prototypes are said to all be different to one another, not an uncommon occurrence for Apple prototypes, but each has certain features in common. For example, they all apparently have a screen that is at least 4 inches, and possible larger. There is also a different form factor than the current iPhone 4/4S model, leading to speculation of longer and wider iPhones. If production is about to start it would hold to the pattern established by the iPhone 4S, which was manufactured beginning in late spring of 2011. Of course that meant the device was launched in the autumn rather than the more traditional summer date so it could be that the iPhone 5 will be introduced around the same time this year.

RIM 2012 Roadmap

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:08:00 GMT

A few days ago BGR reported on RIM's product strategy for the year ahead. It wasn't too impressive to be blunt, with the products either feeling lacklustre or an age away. Well today BGR have posted up a table showing the various products and their potential release dates. Of particular interest is London, scheduled to be RIM's first BlackBerry 10 device. That device is tentatively looking at a September release, but there is the possibility of it being pushed into October. To be frank neither date is soon enough, especially when you look at the products RIM has up its sleeve leading up to London's release. None of those seem to have much oomph to them to keep RIM's already teetering momentum going.

Jailbreak Hack Gets Siri Translating

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:52:00 GMT

Hackers and modders often bring out the best in apps and hardware and it's no different for Siri. Apple's locked down version is all very well and good and generally works pretty well at what Apple has set it to do. However, a jailbreak hack for Siri turns it into a translation service. It's pretty much what you would imagine; ask Siri to translate a word or phrase, name the target language and watch as Siri gives you the translation. The hack uses Microsoft's Bing Translate API, which has support for 30 languages. Unfortunately Siri doesn't actually speak the translation, but even so this is a pretty cool mod, and one that might actually be geneuinely useful.

Nokia Q4 Figures: Profits Down, More Than 1 Million Lumias Sold

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:46:00 GMT

Some interesting numbers from Nokia today as they released their Q4 earnings report. Top of the table is the sale of over a million Lumia handsets, or as Nokia put it 'well over' a million. That's the good news, but unfortunately it's mostly downhill from there. For starters sales in Q4 totaled 10 billion euros, which represents an 11% increase from Q3, but is still 21% lower than back in 2010. Profit too took a nose dive year on year; 90% up from Q3, but a massive 56% down year on year. Indeed this meant that Nokia suffered an operating loss of almost a billion euros. Liquid assets dropped by 1.4 billion euros, a 20% decline.

It's not all doom and gloom though. Even though the figures are down year on year, and hugely in some cases, they do, in general, show an upswing from the previous quarter. Some of that will no doubt be because of the Christmas period, which is always a big driver of sales, but Nokia can at least take some comfort in that bounce.

Kindle Fire Made No Impact On iPad Sales

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:44:00 GMT

Apple CEO Tim Cook has gone on the record as saying that Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet had no impact on the iPad whatsoever. The Kindle Fire certainly had a good festive period with some analysts reporting that it had sold as many as 4 million units. The Kindle Fire's low price tag of $199 led many to believe that it could seriously impact Apple's iPad sales over the Christmas period, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Indeed one analysts predicted that the Kindle Fire might even end up costing Apple as much as $1 billion in lost sales. With Apple having just posted the most successful quarter results for a technology company ever that obviously hasn't panned out.

Tim Cook even went as far as to say he had been personally monitoring the iPad's sales figures every week after the launch of the Kindle Fire. The result: he saw no change in iPad sales. That actually isn't all that surprising when you think about the two devices. The Kindle Fire, with its relatively low price tag is, in all probability, appealing to a different section of the market than the iPad, which has a much higher price tag. In most markets there is plenty of room for both the high priced and low priced to grow and prosper, the smartphone market should be proof enough of that.

Nokia Sells 1.5 Billionth S40 Device

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:21:00 GMT

Nokia's venerable S40 line is still going strong with the company having just sold it's 1.5 billionth device. The S40 range of handsets kicked off with the Nokia 7110 way back in 1999 and 13 years later a 21 year old Brazilian woman purchased the 1.5 billionth unit in that series. Mary McDowell, Executive Vice-President for Mobile Phones at Nokia gushed "Having 1.5 billion Series 40 devices sold is a hard-to-reach mark, let alone one attainable in a single line of products. At a time when we are maintaining our commitment to connecting the next billion customers around the world - it is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible and help continue to change people's lives for the better".

It is a very impressive milestone to be fair an shows the incredible longevity of the S40 line. In a world full of iPhones, Android devices and Nokia's own Lumia Windows Phone handsets it is worth remembering that many people still opt for the simpler devices. Nokia hopefully won't forget that as it gets cozy in bed with Microsoft.

iPhone Outsold All Android Devices Combined In Q4

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:42:00 GMT

Apple have just posted a stunning set of results for Q4 of last year. The company recorded revenues of $46 billion, which translated into a profit of $13.06 billion. Now those numbers are indeed amazing, and will no doubt be like catnip for market analysts, however, what is of special interest to the geeky crowd like us is how Apple achieved those numbers. It seems they might have just stepped past Android as the market leader in smartphones.

Shipments of iPhones surpassed 37 million in Q4. That's a pretty big number, and it's especially impressive when you remember that Apple currently only offers three models of the iPhone, two of which are older models, and all of which aren't exactly super cheap. Analysts at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech are saying that the launch of the iPhone 4S drove sales to the point where the combined total of iPhone sales across all three models surpassed that of the combined sales of Android handsets in Q4. Apple's market share is being placed at 44.9% by Kantar, whilst they have downgraded Android's marketshare from 50% to 44.8%. It's definitely a slim lead for Apple, just 0.1%, but a lead nevertheless. It also represents a doubling of Apple's marketshare from Q4 2010.