Q3 2012: Android Marks Fourth Anniversary Since Launch with 75.0% Market Share in Third Quarter, According to IDC .

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Please click on the charts to enlarge the view.

Android Marks Fourth Anniversary Since Launch with 75.0% Market Share in Third Quarter, According to IDC

01 Nov 2012

 The Android smartphone operating system was found on three out of every four smartphones shipped during the third quarter of 2012 (3Q12). According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, total Android smartphone shipments worldwide reached 136.0 million units, accounting for 75.0% of the 181.1 million smartphones shipped in 3Q12. The 91.5% year-over-year growth was nearly double the overall market growth rate of 46.4%.

"Android has been one of the primary growth engines of the smartphone market since it was launched in 2008," said Ramon Llamas, research manager, Mobile Phones at IDC. "In every year since then, Android has effectively outpaced the market and taken market share from the competition. In addition, the combination of smartphone vendors, mobile operators, and end-users who have embraced Android has driven shipment volumes higher. Even today, more vendors are introducing their first Android-powered smartphones to market."

"The share decline of smartphone operating systems not named iOS since Android's introduction isn't a coincidence," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "The smartphone operating system isn't an isolated product, it's a crucial part of a larger technology ecosystem. Google has a thriving, multi-faceted product portfolio. Many of its competitors, with weaker tie-ins to the mobile OS, do not. This factor and others have led to loss of share for competitors with few exceptions."

Mobile Operating System Highlights.

Android, having topped the 100 million unit mark last quarter, reached a new record level in a single quarter. By comparison, Android's total volumes for the quarter were greater than the total number of smartphones shipped in 2007, the year that Android was officially announced. Samsung once again led all vendors in this space, but saw its market share decline as numerous smaller vendors increased their production.

iOS was a distant second place to Android, but was the only other mobile operating system to amass double-digit market share for the quarter. The late quarter launch of the iPhone 5 and lower prices on older models prevented total shipment volumes from slipping to 3Q11 levels. But without a splashy new OS-driven feature like Siri in 2011 and FaceTime in 2010, the iPhone 5 relied on its larger, but not wider, screen and LTE connectivity to drive growth.

BlackBerry's market share continued to sink, falling to just over 4% by the end of the quarter. With the launch of BlackBerry 10 yet to come in 2013, BlackBerry will continue to rely on its aging BlackBerry 7 platform, and equally aging device line-up. Still, demand for BlackBerry and its wildly popular BBM service is strong within multiple key markets worldwide, and the number of subscribers continues to increase.

Symbian posted the largest year-on-year decline of the leading operating systems. Nokia remains the largest vendor still supporting Symbian, along with Japanese vendors Fujitsu, Sharp, and Sony. Each of these vendors is in the midst of transitioning to other operating systems and IDC believes that they will cease shipping Symbian-powered smartphones in 2013. At the same time, the installed base of Symbian users will continue well after the last Symbian smartphone ships.

Windows Phone marked its second anniversary with a total of just 3.6 million units shipped worldwide, fewer than the total number of Symbian units shipped. Even with the backing of multiple smartphone market leaders, Windows Phone has yet to make a significant dent into Android's and iOS's collective market share. That could change in 4Q12, when multiple Windows Phone 8 smartphones will reach the market.

Linux volume declined for the third straight quarter as did its year-over-year growth. Samsung accounted for the majority of shipments once again, but like most other vendors competing with Linux-powered smartphones, most of its attention went towards Android instead. Still, that has not deterred other vendors from experimenting, or at least considering the open-source operating system, as multiple reports of Firefox, Sailfish, and Tizen plan to release new Linux-based experiences in the future.

Windows Phone ? Sony says no.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Windows Phone ? Sony says no.

Sony Mobile has no plans to build smartphones running Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS and, unlike major rivals, is sticking with an Android-only approach, reports German newspaper Die Welt.

Sony Mobile president and CEO Kunimasa Suzuki said in an interview that the company has “no current plans” to use Windows Phone in its devices.

Sony Mobile has previously committed to the Android platform as it moves to focus exclusively on smartphones, a strategy Suzuki reiterated when he was appointed in April.

Suzuki also told Die Welt that Sony Mobile has no plans to develop its own OS. This is despite Sony Corporation boss Hirai Kazuro saying recently that the software used by the PlayStation console could be developed into a mobile platform. Sony uses Microsoft software in its VAIO laptops and tablets.

Sony Mobile is also in a good position to counter patent lawsuits that many of its rival phone makers are facing, according to Suzuki, due to the large portfolio of intellectual property it holds.

The Sony division is currently undergoing a significant restructure after buying Ericsson out of the Sony Ericsson JV for US$1.05 billion.

The company plans to scrap around 1,000 jobs - 15 percent of the workforce - by March 2014 and move its corporate headquarters from Sweden to Tokyo. The jobs are due to go at the company’s site in Lund, Sweden but that base will remain an important strategic site for software and app development.

Sony Mobile’s market share has been shrinking in recent years in the face of increased competition, with the company making losses. However, Sony said in April it is targeting sales of US$22.2 billion for the mobile business in 2014, with “significant profitability improvement”.

China has become the largest Windows Phone device market. Nokia worlds biggest vendor.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

China has become the largest Windows Phone device market. Nokia worlds biggest vendor.

China has become the largest Windows Phone device market, said Stephen Elop, chief executive officer of Nokia Corp, at a New York news briefing where Nokia launched its latest Lumia smartphones running on Windows 8 software.

Officials at Nokia China also confirmed to China Daily on Sept 6 that China is the biggest single-country market for Windows Phone devices manufactured by Nokia.

After Samsung presented the world’s first Windows 8 smartphone in Germany at the end of August, Nokia unveiled two Windows 8 models Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 on Wednesday, however without disclosing the prices and launch date of the handsets.

Elop, who took helm at Nokia in September 2010, has driven the company to be 100 percent dedicated to Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system and gradually abandon its Symbian platform. According to research firm Localytics, Nokia is the world’s biggest Windows Phone vendor, with a worldwide market share of 59 percent in July.

However, according to industry research firm Gartner, less than 3 percent of smartphones sold in the second quarter ran on the Windows Phone operating system. The majority of smartphones sold worldwide were still running on Google Inc’s Android operating system and Apple Inc’s iOS.

China has already edged out the United States to become the world’s biggest smartphone market. Overall, 160 million smartphones are expected to be sold in the Chinese market by the end of this year, up 141 percent from 67 million in 2011, an IHS report said.

Microsoft executive to Samsung: "Windows Phone is looking gooooood right now"

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

On a tweet made by Bill Cox MSFT senior director of marketing communications on allthingsd:

Windows Phone is looking gooooood right now.

– Bill Cox, senior director of marketing communications for Microsoft’s Windows Phone Division comments on Apple’s big legal win over Samsung

Source: allthingsd

Microsoft: We Won't Build Own Windows smartphones.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Microsoft: We Won't Build Own Windows  smartphones.

Today we posted before, about a rumour Microsoft to develope a MS branded Windows Phone 8 smartphone , now  MS has denied it.

A Microsoft executive said the company has no plans to manufacture its own company-branded smartphones, denying reports to the contrary that emerged after Redmond last week roiled the PC hardware industry by unveiling its own tablet computer.

Asked in an interview if Microsoft planned to apply that strategy to the smartphone market, Greg Sullivan, senior marketing manager for Windows Phone, said, "No, we do not."

Microsoft has revealed that hardware makers building Windows Phone 8 devices include HTC, Nokia, Samsung, and Huawei. "We have a strong ecosystem of partners that we are very satisfied with," Sullivan said Friday.

Sullivan's outright denial of plans to build a phone is significant in that Microsoft officials almost always issue a standard "no comment" when asked about industry rumors.

Nokia and Zynga games announced partnership. Games to be available for all Windows Phone customers later.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Nokia and Zynga games announced partnership. Games to be available for all Windows Phone customers later.

Nokia announced a partnership with social games company Zynga, to offer titles for Nokia’s Windows Phone device range during autumn 2012. 

The deal is exclusive for the first two months after the launch of a title, after which games will be made available to all Windows Phone customers.

https://zynga.com/

Audible free app for windows phone is now available.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Audible free app for windows phone is now available.

Audible.com, the internet’s premier provider of digital audiobooks and more, is now available for Windows Phone! 




This free app features the most comprehensive audiobook experience ever, including the ability to download from your Audible library, detailed listening stats, access to the Audible mobile store, and much more.




 Not an Audible member yet? We’ve included 8 excerpts from some of our favorite authors to get you started. Audible for Windows Phone features the best audio book listening experience and more: 

* Bookmarking, Sleep Mode, Button Free Mode, and Play as you Download 

* Earn badges and track your personal listening habits 

* Browse and discover 100,000+ digital audiobooks and more in the Audible mobile store; from best sellers to timeless classics, and everything between 

* Connect to Facebook and Twitter to let your friends know what you’re listening to 

* Get insider information about author events and more with the Audible Newsfeed 



* The best listening experience for audio books Supports Audible.com, Audible.co.uk, Audible.de

Required*:

Windows Phone 7.5 o superior

The appliaction will use:


music and video library
phone identity
data services



Published by: 

Audible, Inc

Published:

19/06/2012

Version:


1.0.0.0
Private



Download size::

1 MB

Video: Meet AskZiggy windows phone SIRI and S-Voice cousin.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Video: Meet AskZiggy windows phone SIRI and S-Voice cousin.

Upgrades in release 2.4 

* Language translations by voice (many languages supported). 
Speak in your native language.

* Fixed “email your answer” bug. Ask a question “What is the fastest fish?”.
After you get the answer say “email the answer”. You can also text the answer.

* Increased the number of tweets returned to up to 10 results. Say “tweets for NFL”

***************************************************************

* Live Calendar integration 

* Fixed annoying pop-ups ("query cancelled", etc...)

* New toggle to add/remove secondary Reminders tile 

* Yelp integration local and remote) with multiple tappable areas on rsults 

* Improved splash screen animation 

* Fixed greeting issue + mic states 

* Improved overall performance 

* Search Tweets by topic "Tweets for NFL Combine"
* Tell Ask Ziggy your name.
* Personalized daily brief.
* What does my day, agenda, schedule look like.
* Create reminders.
* Call, email, text contacts fixed.
* Ask any question you want.
* Split your bill and include tip, math calculator (calculate +-/*,percentages,square root).
* convert units of measurement.
* Get local and remote date, time, and weather.
* Find your location, and search for directions ( I need food, gas, I’m hungry, Starbucks, etc...)
* Updated Metro Look and Feel
* Location Services
* Email and text your question + response
Go To http://www.ask-ziggy.com for for tutorial and video demo.

If you are craving Siri like functionality for Windows Phone and more, look no further. Ask Ziggy is your Personal Assistant that goes beyond Siri functionality. 

Check out www.ask-ziggy.com for help.

The Live Calendar integration looks to be a huge bonus for many of you who need to make appointments and the search Tweets feature is certainly a new twist.  Using Yelp for search results should also help you find that local bar or coffee shop too.




You can get it for free on the windows phone market place: AskZiggy

Ask Ziggy

Required*:

Windows Phone 7.5 or higher

App will use:

• location services
• data services
• movement and directional sensor
• microphone
• music and video library
• owner identity
• phone identity
• contacts
• appointments
• compass

Published by:

Averotek

Released:

12/22/2011

Version:

• 2.4.0.0

Download Size:

2 MB

Language:

English

Source: wpcentral

China Mobile set for TD-SCDMA Windows Phone launch.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

China Mobile set for TD-SCDMA Windows Phone launch.

Marbridge Daily reports that China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, is set to offer a Windows Phone-powered device supporting its TD-SCDMA 3G network “soon,” providing a significant boost for the Microsoft platform in the country.

Citing Pan Zhiyong, general manager of the operator’s Guangzhou branch, the report did not state which vendor would be manufacturing the device. However, HTC and Nokia were suggested as potential candidates.

At the GSMA Mobile World Congress last month, Nokia said it planned to “make a range of Lumia smartphones available in China, covering both CDMA and WCDMA technologies in the coming months.” This has been enabled by changes to the Microsoft platform both to support Chinese language requirements and to enable lower-cost smartphones using the OS.

Nokia also has a track-record of offering smartphones with TD-SCDMA support, powered by its legacy Symbian OS platform. It launched its first TD-SCDMA device in 2009.

HTC has also previously offered TD-SCDMA devices, powered by Android.

While China has long been a strong market for Nokia and Symbian OS, the company has come under increased pressure from rivals such as Samsung in recent months, with Android becoming the platform of choice in this market.

Apple has also recently begun sales of its iPhone through a second operator, China Telecom, alongside existing partner, China Unicom, although the lack of a TD-SCDMA variant has closed of China Mobile as a partner.

MWC 2012: GroupMe brings free private and group messaging to Windows Phone.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

GroupMe today announced a completely revamped version of the app for Windows Phone. GroupMe is a group messaging service that can be used on any phone allowing users to stay in touch with the important people in their lives.

Now GroupMe offers Windows Phone users additional features with the latest version of the app, including the ability to pin groups to the start screen. Developed in close collaboration with Microsoft, users will find it easier than ever to use GroupMe from their Windows Phone.

Check below for some tips to fully enjoy the new version of the GroupMe app for Windows Phone and learn more about GroupMe:

• Pin groups to start: Pin any of your groups to start for quick and easy access. From the main panorama, press and hold on any chat, and then click "pin to start" from the context menu. A secondary tile will be created for that group with its own avatar and live tile notifications.

• Create your first group for your family, friends, or coworkers, and enjoy free group messaging that will work on all their phones. Need ideas? Start with one of the suggested groups.

• Add contacts to your group right from your address book by clicking the address book icon on the new group screen. No need to remember anyone's phone number.

• Share pictures to your group from your camera or photo gallery.

• Tap any of your contacts' avatars to have private one-on-one conversations, but only if they also have the GroupMe app installed.

• Create a group with any of the featured brand partners to receive their updates and possibly win prizes.

• Set your own avatar by clicking settings from the main panorama app bar and swiping over to the profile pivot.

• Have a bad data connection? Switch to SMS-mode from the settings screen and receive messages via normal text messaging.

It's available for free in the Windows Marketplace.

 Download it here on your Windows Phone to start creating groups, send direct messages, share photos, and check out featured groups.

Let us know what you think! And if you have questions about the service, please reach out to support@groupme.com. 

CES2012: Top 27 EA Games coming to Windows Phone with Nokia.Video.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Top EA Games coming to Windows Phone with Nokia. Mirrors Edge,2 Real racingTiger Woods PGA tour,SIMS Medieval,Monopoly,Yatzee,Life,Parking Manta,Vampire Rush,Spy Mouse .The video says it all. 

2012: Nokia expected to release multi-core windows phones.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

With the launch of its Windows Phone 7.5-based Lumia smartphones, Nokia has stepped up its purchases of parts and components from Taiwan-based upstream suppliers, according to sources in the supply chain.

As Nokia is expected to release more high-end Windows Phones utilizing multi-core CPUs and supporting more functionalities such as NFC (near field communication) technology, its overall orders to upstream suppliers in Taiwan are expected to register a 20% on-year growth in 2012, the sources estimated.

Nokia is also expected to unveil Windows 8-based tablet PCs in June 2012 at the earliest.

Related post: 

Nokia plans Windows 8 tablet for June 2012. Dual SIM phones boosting sales.