Android 2.2 coming to Motorola Droid, HTC myTouch 3G
By Jason Ankeny
Version 2.2 of Google's Android mobile operating system is poised to arrive on both Motorola's Droid and HTC's myTouch 3G in the weeks ahead. Slashgear reports a Motorola representative confirmed Android 2.2's imminent touchdown on the Droid (available in the U.S. from Verizon Wireless), noting "While I can't comment on specifics, we do expect Droid by Motorola users will receive Android 2.2 as a software upgrade in the near future." As for the myTouch 3G, a recent memo issued by T-Mobile USA confirms its plans, stating "Coming soon, we plan to update existing myTouch 3G phones--not just our new Slide--to the latest software version, Android 2.2."
Google introduced Android 2.2 last month during its annual I/O developer conference. Codenamed "Froyo," the update boasts an increase in processing speed, an improved browser, support for Adobe's Flash technology and a raft of other upgrades.[FierceMobileConten]
Google Image Search for Mobile Adds Popular Images
By Jason Ankeny
Google announced the addition of a Popular Images feature to its Google Image Search for mobile service, promising iPhone and Android smartphone users tools to more easily and effectively browse visual media. Offering categorized lists of image searches and corresponding photos and graphics, Popular Images initially encompasses subjects like Movies, Sports, Cars & Bikes, Music and Cartoons--users may click on individual categories to see related images corresponding to what's popular on Google Image Search, with queries automatically categorized according to an algorithm Google says will continue to improve over time. In addition, the special Trends category will generate image queries from Google Trends with especially high recent activity. [FierceMobileContent]
Google introduces Fast Flip for Android and iPhone
By Jason Ankeny
Google announced the launch of Fast Flip, promising users a more natural and efficient approach to browsing print and online news articles on their iPhone, iPod touch or Android-powered device.
According to Google, Fast Flip's tactile page flipping solution enables users to flip through stories with the swipe of a finger--for more information or to view the entire article, simply tap on the screen. Consumers can browse headlines and popular articles, view trending topics, search for a specific topic and share articles by tapping the "Email" link in the upper right corner of the device screen.
"Fast Flip also personalizes the experience for you, by taking cues from selections you make to show you more content from sources, topics and journalists that you seem to like," writes Google News distinguished researcher Krishna Bharat on the Official Google Blog. "In short, you get fast browsing, natural magazine-style navigation, recommendations from friends and other members of the community and a selection of content that is serendipitous and personalized."
Google partnered with three dozen publishers including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Salon and Newsweek to develop Fast Flip. The publishers will also share in revenue generated via contextually-relevant ads. [FierceMobileContent]
Dell Hints at Smartphone Plans, but Mystery Remains
By Phil Goldstein
Dell hinted further at its smartphones plans, but did not officially confirm that it would enter the market--thereby again sparking questions about the company's true intentions.
Ronald Garriques, president of Dell's consumer division and former chief of Motorola's cell phone efforts, said the computer maker would work with the top three to four carriers and see what their needs are. Garriques, speaking at the company's annual financial presentation in Texas, did not specify whether that meant the top three or four operators in the United States or in the world. However, according to a report in the Financial Times, he suggested Dell would work to produce smartphones for sale in Asia, Europe and the United States.
According to a PC Magazine report, Dell executives did not specifically claim that the company would enter the smartphone market. However, when analysts made references to Dell entering the market during a question-and-answer session following the presentation, they were not corrected. In any event, Dell likely would outsource the design of a handset to a third party, the report indicated.
Ashok Kumar, a Collins Stewart analyst, told the FT that he thought Dell would soon release a smartphone in China running on Google's Android platform. That jives with an April Reuters report that said Dell would release a smartphone in China before the end of the year. The report said that Dell partnered on the handset design with Chi Mei Communications, a unit of the Taiwanese electronics company Hon Hai, and that Chinese software company Red Office was developing the phone's software.
In March, Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu said in a research note that Dell's initial smartphone prototypes were rejected by the carriers that had seen them. The carriers apparently thought the prototypes, which reportedly were running on Android and Windows Mobile, were too dull and undifferentiated. [FierceWireless]
AdMob Launches Ad Unit for Android
AdMob has announced that it has launched its first advertising unit for Android applications. This new ad unit will enable developers who write applications for Google’s mobile operating system to monetise their applications.
The first developers to leverage AdMob’s new Android ad unit in their applications include AccuWeather, Jirbo, and TapJoy.
The capability to generate revenue through advertising is likely to become very important in the Android world. Whereas the Apple iPhone ecosystem easily supports charging for applications, the more open Android system does not yet support charging for apps. Also, because it is fairly easy to set up an Android download, there will be much less control over sharing of Android apps.
Android phones only arrived on the market a few months ago, but in some markets such as the US they are already becoming fairly popular - a recent report but Android share of ad requests on AdMob at 2%, putting it slightly ahead of Symbian devices.
Ali Diab, Vice President of Product Management for AdMob said, “We are already seeing strong interest in developing applications for Android-based devices, similar to what we saw with the iPhone last summer, and are very excited to take the lead in helping developers monetise their applications on this fast-growing device platform.” [MobiAdNews]
Google Emerges as a Mobile Superpower
By Jason Ankeny
It always seemed a foregone conclusion that Google would assume the mantle of mobile search kingpin, but as the sheer scope of its wireless aspirations took shape throughout 2008, it's become increasingly clear just how significantly the web services giant will shape the future of the entire platform.
Google's mobile fortunes hinge on Android, of course--first announced in late 2007, the Linux-based open software platform boasts the stated goal of "fostering innovation on mobile devices and giving consumers a far better user experience than much of what is available on today's mobile platforms," and the autumn release of T-Mobile USA's G1, the first Android-powered device, was unquestionably the most eagerly anticipated handset debut of the year.
In addition, Google unveiled its Android Market application storefront, expanded its partnership with Sprint, introduced a slew of new mobile applications and even threw its considerable weight behind the campaign to secure public access to unlicensed white-space spectrum for broadband wireless services.
But for each and every move that Google made in mobile, it kept its eye on one prize: The potential advertising windfall tied to mobile search results. During an August appearance on CNBC's Mad Money, Google CEO Eric Schmidt even said he believes mobile advertising revenues will eventually outstrip traditional web advertising. "Over time we will make more money from mobile advertising," Schmidt told Mad Money host Jim Cramer. "Not now, but over time."
Speaking on an earnings call after Google reported third quarter revenues of $5.54 billion--a 31 percent year-over-year jump--Schmidt added that the company plans to continue investing in future growth areas such as enterprise, mobile, and display despite the freefalling economy. "We are seeing an explosion in mobile search volumes," he added. "This is being enabled by devices with more powerful browsers. The compound growth rate is one of the fastest growing things at the company."
And while Google failed to lock down a rumored mobile search partnership with Verizon Wireless, it did ink deals with handset titan Nokia and web browsing firm Opera Software, and later promised platform-wide Android search integration. It's no surprise that at mid-year, Google held a 61 percent share of the mobile search market, followed by Yahoo with 18 percent and MSN with 5 percent. [FierceMobileContent]
Samsung Launching Android Phones in Q2 2009
By Phil Goldstein
Samsung will release its first phone based on Google's Android operating system in North America in the second quarter of 2009 for both Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA.Samsung is said to have 80 people working on the development team for its Android phone. The news was first reported on the South Korean news site ET News.
"We are accelerating the development process for the Google phone in order to meet the specific need of local carriers," ET News quoted an anonymous Samsung official as saying. "We will be able to release the Google phone in the second quarter of the next year in the U.S. market.
"The phone is said to look much like many of Samsung's other touchscreen phones, and will incorporate design factors from both the Omnia and Instinct. The news that it will run on both Sprint and T-Mobile's network indicates that Samsung will either include both a CDMA radio for Sprint customers and an HSDPA/UMTS radio for T-Mobile users, or make different versions for the different networks.
There is no exact release date or pricing details available. Currently, the T-Mobile G1, manufactured by HTC, is the only Android-based phone available in North America.Huawei, which had announced that it was developing an Android phone for launch in 2009, indicated that it expected the launch to happen in the third quarter of 2009. [FierceWireless]
TechFaith and QIGI Launch i6-Goal, First Android-Powered Phone in China
China TechFaith Wireless Communication Technology Limited, an original developed product provider focused on the research and development of cell phone solutions, and QIGI, a Smartphone brand in China, today announced the launch of i6-Goal, the first Android-powered phone in China. The fast, 624-MHz CPU slim bar-type phone has a touch-screen, business card scanning and GPS functionality. The i6-Goal also provides mobile Web access that includes Gmail, YouTube and Gtalk.
Defu Dong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TechFaith, said, "We are proud to launch the first Android-powered mobile phone in China. The QIGI i6-Goal has amazing potential in China because it is not only for making phone calls; it also provides mobile Web access to China's growing customer base. In addition, the launch of i6-Goal is a great example of the success of our strategic alliance with QIGI and its ability to quickly launch products onto the market."
Enhai Xu, President of QIGI, said, "We are pleased to be the first company to launch an Android-powered phone in China. We believe this state-of-the-art product will be very attractive to China's market due to its great features including Web access, email and GPS functions. We signed sales agreements with a few well-known mobile phone distributors in China and are looking forward to shipping the i6-Goal very soon." /PR
Over-the-air iTunes Downloads Coming to iPhone?
By Jason Ankeny
The forthcoming version 2.2 iPhone software update will include an over-the-air iTunes retail application, according to a Silicon Alley Insider report. Citing leaked screenshots that depict an iPhone user downloading a podcast from iTunes via 3G connection, the report contends that Apple will activate an iTunes download application as well, arguing it makes no sense to debut a free podcast service but not a premium music service.
The timing makes sense: In September, Internet retail giant Amazon.com announced its Amazon MP3 digital music store would arrive pre-loaded on T-Mobile USA's G1, the first device powered by Google's Android mobile operating system. According to Amazon, the store offers more than 6 million DRM-free MP3 songs from all four major labels and thousands of independent labels. And, of course, the holidays are right around the corner, with both iPhones and iTunes gift cards expected to be popular gifts. [FierceMobileContent]
Google Confirms Android Kill Switch
By Jason Ankeny
With T-Mobile USA scheduled to release the HTC-produced G1--the first commercial handset based on Google's Android mobile OS--on Wednesday, Google has confirmed the existence of a so-called "kill switch" that would enable the web services giant to remotely disable applications from an Android-based device.
Computerworld first reported on the kill switch, noting the terms of service for Google's Android Market read "Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement ... in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion."
Google explains that the kill switch exists to protect users from malicious code, and that if any commercial software is removed from an Android device, the company will refund the consumer as well as seek financial restitution from the developer who created the app.So far, developers are sanguine about the kill switch, telling ChannelWeb they weren't previously aware of the mechanism but expressing little surprise over its discovery.
"We're not making malicious apps. It should be fine and I totally understand why they'd want to do it," said Jeff Kao, co-founder of Ecorio, one of the winners in the recent Android Developer Challenge. "We've done some things ourselves that a user might not like that we've had to tweak. For example, some services might run in the background and drain battery life without the user knowing it."
Apple stirred up its own controversy this summer following an independent engineer's discovery that each iPhone contains code that could theoretically remove software from the device at Apple's discretion. In a subsequent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Steve Jobs argued such a kill switch is necessary in case a malicious program is mistakenly added to the App Store: "Hopefully we never have to pull that lever, but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull."
Digital privacy and security advocates nevertheless questioned Apple's motivations, asking what kinds of safeguards are in place to guarantee the security of the kill switch itself.
Google Promises Free Consumer Trials for Android Apps
By Jason Ankeny
Google will offer consumers free trials of mobile applications available on its Android Market virtual storefront according to Andy Rubin, who spearheads Android efforts for the web services giant. In an interview with BusinessWeek, Rubin said the free trials are just one of the significant differences separating Android Market from Apple's rival App Store--some developers have cited the absence of free iPhone consumer trials as a major obstacle to App Store software sales.
Nor will Android Market impose limits on how much bandwidth a given app will consume, Rubin said--T-Mobile USA, which will launch the HTC-produced G1 (the first Android-based handset) later this month, recently announced it will require developers to pay a $2.00 monthly fee if their free apps occupy more than 15 megabytes of bandwidth per user per month, although Rubin's promises would seem to suggest T-Mobile will find it difficult if not impossible to enforce such a policy. [FierceDeveloper]
Google Looking to Free Handsets From Carriers
By Phil Goldstein
Google is interested in producing a technology that will enable users to have an open mobile device that searches for cellular networks in range, much like WiFi devices currently sniff out hotspots, according to a patent the company filed in 2007 that was released this week.
The concept, called "Instant Bid," allows users to effectively end the system in which handsets are tethered to a single wireless network, and may be geared more toward prepaid cell phone users who do not have long-term contracts with carriers.
Google has said that the idea may amount to nothing, but with the Android software and the G1 device promising open application development, as well as Google co-founder Larry Page's push to get white-space freed up for unlicensed wireless applications, the idea of "open" at Google seems to be gaining steam. [FierceWireless]
Google, T-Mobile USA Launch The G1 Android Phone
By Phil Goldstein
The G1 has landed.
At a slick press unveiling in New York this morning, Google and T-Mobile USA launched the G1, the HTC-made device that is the first mobile phone to be powered by Google's Android mobile operating system.
Rumors had been swirling for months about when the launch would be, what the pricing would be, and, above all, what the phone's features would actually look like. Those questions have been answered.
The phone will retail for $179, exclusively with a T-Mobile voice contract, and data plans will be priced at $25 per month for unlimited web and email access but with limited messaging and $35 per month for unlimited web and messaging. The price puts it below the $199 pricetag of the 8GB iPhone 3G offered from Apple and AT&T.
The stage has clearly been set for a showdown between the two smartphones as the holiday season approaches, with the U.S. launch of the G1 set for Oct. 22. The phone will work internationally, and is a dual-band phone for UMTS networks and quad-band phone for GSM networks. It will also have WiFi access built in. It works on GSM, GPRS and EDGE, and is UMTS and HSDPA-capable. It is also able to work in 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1700 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900MHz and 2100 MHz spectrum ranges.
One of the key elements of the launch that was stressed by many of the speakers was the idea of openness, in terms of applications and a mobile Internet experience. Third party developers will have the ability to add any application they can design to the Android application marketplace.
Analysts had mixed views of the launch. Ross Rubin, the director of industry analysis in consumer technology for the NPD Group, said the G1 has a lot of capabilities that will appeal to T-Mobile's market base. "Android has the benefit of taking advantage of touch screens, large screens, GPS mapping capabilities, better 3D graphics," he said. "Certainly gives it a bit of a leg up in the competitive landscape. Clearly, a very consumer-focused device, which should be very appealing to T-Mobile's consumer-leaning customer base."
He said there was a window of opportunity for the device to be an IPK--an i-Phone Killer--but that he could not speculate on how well the device would do in the long-term. "They have an opportunity to grab some share, because they are licensing broadly," he said. "T-Mobile is going to have, I presume, an exclusive for some amount time with this device, but of course it's the goal of the Open Handset Alliance to ensure that phones are available from a wide range of manufacturers and from a wide range of carriers."
Avi Greengart, the research director for mobile devices for Current Analysis, was slightly less impressed. "What they showed today was a web-browsing, POP3 email, touch-screen device at a good price with well-priced data for T-Mobile. All of those things are great," he said. "But it's not revolutionary. To try to bring the revolutionary aspect to it, the spokespeople said the words 'open' and 'platform' at least 3 dozen times. I stopped counting after a while." [FierceWireless]
First Android Phone to Showcase Google Brand
By Jason Ankeny
With T-Mobile USA poised to officially unveil the HTC Dream--the first handset based on Google's Android operating system--on Sept. 23, The Wall Street Journal reports the phone will heavily emphasize the Google name in its branding and marketing. While most devices note only the manufacturer and mobile operator in question, the Dream (and, presumably, subsequent Android phones) is expected to feature the Google logo, indicating the depth of the handset's integration with the company's web and search services.
The WSJ indicates T-Mobile USA will also introduce new, "aggressively priced" data plans in conjunction with the Dream, citing sources familiar with the matter.According to The Wall Street Journal, the HTC Dream is expected to sell for $199--while T-Mobile USA is targeting the mass consumer market by keeping the phone under the $200 smartphone benchmark established by Apple's iPhone, Google also wants to keep the handset price low to encourage widespread adoption and in turn persuade other operators and handset makers to adopt the Android platform. [FierceMobileContent]
Google Takes on App Store with Android Market
By Jason Ankeny
Google announced the pending launch of the Android Market, an App Store-like open content distribution system for consumers to find, purchase, download and install various types of content to the devices powered by the web services giant's fledgling Android mobile operating system.
According to Google, Android Market will feature feedback and ratings systems similar to its YouTube user-generated video service: "We chose the term ‘market' rather than ‘store' because we feel that developers should have an open and unobstructed environment to make their content available," writes Google's Eric Chu on the Android Developers Blog in a subtle-as-a-sledgehammer jab at rival Apple. "Similar to YouTube, content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it. We also intend to provide developers with a useful dashboard and analytics to help drive their business and ultimately improve their offerings."
Chu adds that developers can expect the first Android handsets (presumably led by the HTC Dream, expected from T-Mobile USA this fall) to arrive enabled with a beta version of Android Market. Google is still finalizing some of the details, but according to Chu developers can at the very least count on support for free applications--a subsequent update will support premium content and features like versioning, multiple device profile support and analytics. [FierceMobileContent]
Google: No 'comprehensive' Bluetooth API in Android 1.0
By Jason Ankeny
Some developers are scratching their heads in the wake of Google's Android 0.9 SDK beta release--in addition to supplementing the OS with a new home screen, user interface upgrades and other bells and whistles, the web services giant also made the unexpected decision to remove Bluetooth functionality.
"Due to significant API changes in the upstream open-source project and due to the timeline of getting certain Bluetooth profile implementations certified, a comprehensive Bluetooth API will not be possible or present in Android 1.0," reads Google's release notes, and as Computerworld points out, some developers are hung up on the word "comprehensive," which could mean any number of things.
A Google spokesperson promises the firm will elaborate on its Android plans later this week, but in the meantime developers are already expressing their concern and confusion on the Google Android forum. With T-Mobile USA poised to launch the HTC Dream--the first U.S. mobile handset based on the Android OS--one developer writes "HTC would not release a smartphone in this day and age that lacked Bluetooth support."
Other developers suggest the next SDK update--expected sometime in September--could still feature basic Bluetooth support. [FierceDeveloper]
Report: First Android Phone May Be Delayed
By Sue Marek
More rumors are circulating about when the actual debut of the first Google Android-based handset will occur. The latest report comes from Tech Trader Daily, which says that Trip Chowdhry of Global Equities Research is reporting handset maker High Tech Computer, which is supposed to have the first Android-based handset on the market, is having problems incorporating Google's feature set. Plus, he says HTC is demanding a guaranteed minimum revenue from Google for using the operating system, which he implies means HTC doesn't think there will be significant demand for the Android-based handset.
In June, the WSJ said Google's Android software suite would likely not show up on handsets until late 2008, as opposed to its original plans to debut Android in the second half of the year. Insiders said carriers are having trouble customizing Android so it promotes their own Internet offerings. Meanwhile, handset makers are having problems testing and building custom user interfaces to meet carrier specifications. [FierceWireless]
Qualcomm Working on Android Platform
By Sue Marek
Qualcomm confirmed that it is working on a mobile phone platform that will be based on the Android operating system. During an analyst conference in San Diego last week, Qualcomm executives said that the company anticipates a large number of Android phones will run on Qualcomm platforms.
Qualcomm is a member of the Open Handset Alliance, which promotes the Android platform. In addition, Qualcomm and several other manufacturers exhibited Android-based prototypes or proof-of-concept devices at the annual Mobile World Congress industry conference in Barcelona last February. [FierceWireless]
Google Demonstrates Android Applications
Google publicly demonstrated its forthcoming Android mobile operating system Wednesday during its annual developer conference in San Francisco, touting the platform's mobile web services, mobile gaming prowess and map features by means of an iPhone-like touchscreen device. Speaking at Google's I/O conference, the firm's vice president of engineering Vic Gundotra said Android heralds its attempt to extend the browser to handheld devices: "We believe over time, the browser on mobile devices will be the entry point for many, many applications," he said.
During the brief demonstration, Google showed the audience Android versions of its Google Maps Street View service (bolstered by the device's internal compass and accelerometer) as well as a snippet of a Pac-Man game--other bells and whistles include mobile website bookmarking and a mobile web content magnifying tool.
Andy Rubin, the Google exec charged with spearheading the Android initiative, said Android-based devices remain on track to hit retail sometime during the second half of 2008. Rubin also hinted strongly that Google is planning to launch an Android application storefront: "It would be a great benefit to the Android community to provide a place where people can go to safely and securely download content and where a billing system would allow developers to get paid for their effort," he said. "We wouldn't have done our job if we didn't provide something that helps developers get distribution." [FierceDeveloper]
50 Winners of Google's Android Developer Challenge
By Brian Dolan
Google announced the 50 winning applications for its Android Developer Challenge. The first round ended with 50 applications, earning their developers $25,000 each. Of the 50, only 46 chose to have their names published, while the remaining four plan to toil away in secrecy. Next up: Round 2, which ends in late July. Twenty of these 50 will get more cash prizes: 10 get $150,000 and 10 get $275,000. Without further ado:
- AndroidScan - Jeffrey Sharkey
- Beetaun - Sergey Gritsyuk and Dmitri Shipilov
- BioWallet - Jose Luis Huertas Fernandez
- BreadCrumbz - Amos Yoffe
- CallACab - Konrad Huebner and Henning Boeger
- City Slikkers - PoroCity Media and Virtual Logic Systems
- Commandro - Alex Pisarev, Andrey Tapekha
- Cooking Capsules - Mary Ann Cotter and Muthuselvam Ramadoss
- Diggin - Daniel Johansson, Aramis Waernbaum, Andreas Hedin
- Dyno - Virachat Boondharigaputra
- e-ventr - Michael Zitzelsberger
- Eco2go - Taneem Talukdar, Gary Pong, Jeff Kao and Robert Lam
- Em-Radar - Jack Kwok
- fingerprint - Robert Mickle
- FreeFamilyWatch - Navee Technologies LLC
- goCart - Rylan Barnes
- GolfPlay - Inizziativa Networks
- gWalk - Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus ten Hagen, Christian Klinger, Marko Modsching, Rene Scholze
- HandWx - Weathertop Consulting LLC
- IMEasy - Yan Shi
- Jigsaw - Mikhail Ksenzov
- JOYity - Zelfi AG
- LifeAware - Gregory Moore, Aaron L. Obrien, Jawad Akhtar
- Locale - Clare Bayley, Christina Wright, Jasper Lin, Carter Jernigan
- LReady Emergency Manager - Chris Hulls, Dilpreet Singh, Luis Carvalho, Phuong Nguyen
- Marvin - Pontier Laurent
- Mobeedo - Sengaro GmbH
- Multiple Facets Instant Messenger - Virgil Dobjanschi
- MyCloset - Mamoru Tokashiki
- PedNav - RouteMe2 Technologies Inc.
- Phonebook 2.0 - Voxmobili
- PicSay - Eric Wijngaard
- PiggyBack - Christophe Petit and Sebastien Petit
- Pocket Journey - Anthony Stevens and Rosie Pongracz
- Rayfarla - Stephen Oldmeadow
- Safety Net - Michael DeJadon
- SocialMonster - Ben Siu-Lung Hui and Tommy Ng
- SplashPlay
- Sustain- Keeping Your Social Network Alive - Niraj Swami
- SynchroSpot - Shaun Terry
- Talkplay - Sung Suh Park
- Teradesk - José Augusto Athayde Ferrarini
- The Weather Channel for Android - The Weather Channel Interactive Inc.
- TuneWiki - TuneWiki Inc.
- Wikitude-the Mobile Travel Guide - Philipp Breuss
- Writing Pad - ShapeWriter Inc [FierceWireless]
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