The Mobile Spoon 2010 Summary

No, it's not going to be that kind of "10 best stories of 2010" collection. I thought about how to summarize 2010 and decided to simply tell the story as we all experienced it. So let's get going:

The year of the iPad!

Above all other things we've seen this year, I think the biggest trend was expanding mobility beyond just cellphones or smartphones. Apple reinvented mobility by adding a new domain, a new kind of gadget most people didn't know they they needed. I'm using one, and I still don't get the magic of it, but it's obviously there.
What am I doing with it? Here are at least 10 things any geek will agree with…

War! Bugs! Bugs! War!

So yeah, now it's obvious, we may have few players in our mobile league, but two teams are competing for the championship. Last year it was iOS who won the league, in 2010 it was the Android team. Unfortunately this stubborn fight had a price which the consumers had to pay: quality of products.

It seems like In 2010, more than in the past, we've seen companies compromising on quality in favor of fast releases and cutting edge technologies. HTC had camera issues with the HD2, HD7 and other devices, Nexus One had buttons focus issues, Motorola Droids had issues with the OS upgrades, and of course, the biggest flaw of all times in mobility: Apple's antenna design that took everything into considerations besides…well, reception… I'm a huge fan of the iOS but I, for one, will never get an iPhone 4 due to this design flaw and the way Apple handled it…

Applications:

Application rush continued during 2010, and became even crazier than in the past as companies had to create everything twice (at least) – supporting both iOS and Android, and now with WP7 – that's going to be 3: Objective C, Java, and Silverlight.

Ouch that hurts! No wonder we've seen the inevitable rise of Html5 – the only true cross platform technology out there today…

Screen Quality vs. Battery life:

With Samsung's Super Amoled and Apple's Retina Display, we end up having a pretty amazing screen display, but what about battery life?

Almost every new device I'm testing these days has awful battery life. Some say it's because of the screen, others claim it's because of the multi-tasking, bottom line is that you must have cradles with you everywhere you go.

Who knows, maybe in years from now there will be other solutions such as wireless chargers placed in restaurants, coffee shops etc. so people will not have to worry about it…

Google Android:

Oh no! Those droids are simply everywhere! Over 100 models exist today, many of them are pure gold, Over 50 tablets and E-Readers – and that's when Google officially admits Android is not ready for tablets!

Android is on fire and is now the most popular smartphones OS in the US.

Nexus One, Android's greatest promise, started as a big promise but got torn apart by many techies and media, eventually becoming one of PCWord's 20 biggest failures of 2010… (we reviewed the Nexus and didn't like it that much from the start I must admit… ).

Samsung's Galaxy products took over last year's Motorola's Droid hegemony, and the second Nexus is now actually a Galaxy product. Does it mean that HTC and Motorola had a bad year? Not sure, but Samsung had a great one, that's for sure.

iPhone 4:

Oh well, what can I say: Apple can produce bugs too! And when they do – they make sure those are famous and well marketed bugs… Funny thing is that no one seems to really care! Sales are still high, everyone seem to want an iPhone, and if it wasn't for the AT&T exclusive contracts I'm sure Android would have never pass iPhones sales, don't you think?

Microsoft:

Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft… no one knows what will be the end with Microsoft's mobility. At the beginning of 2010 Windows Mobile 6.5.3 was quietly released, which was strange, because it happened just few months before it was actually buried for good by Microsoft… (OK, no one admits it, I know, but have you seen any activities with WinMo lately?

Not to mention the Kin flop, the Slate, and other weird adventurers Microsoft took part in… but then came Windows Phone 7…

 

Sigh… the beauty of the user interface never ceases to amaze me. Sakes are not that bad as they first seemed, and at least in terms of applications it looks promising! We started to play with it too – check out our ongoing updates for building our first Windows Phone 7 application!

So sales are slowly progressing and if Microsoft will continue to do the right things in terms of the software, who knows, maybe WP7 will end up being the "Mac" of the smartphones (thanks Israel B. for that statement…).

BlackBerry:

Seems like 2010 was a sad year for RIM. Sales are going down, popularity is decreasing, new products do not win an excitement from the market (although I must say BlackBerry Torch is not a bad product!). What will be the end? probably a re-write of the OS, which is something that may have started already when building the first BlackBerry tablet: the PlayBook.

Either ways, it seems like the good years of BlackBerry are over, it's a struggle now, and they will have to do something real brilliant to keep up with the other guys…

Palm… err, sorry… HP:

Palm is one of my favorite companies. They were there first, they had some great products in the past (Palm Treo 750 is one of my legends!), and it's hard to see one of the good guys fall down…

We've heard some promises about turning webOS into something really big – so far those are just promises but we are here, we have time, do your magic Palm/HP, we are waiting…

The Mobile Spoon:

It was a busy year for me in person, a new kid (my second!), lot's of interesting activities, and my role at ClickSoftware was never so busy – but you won't hear me complain of course…

I would like to wish you all a happy new year! See you all next year with a lot of new mobile technologies!

Gil Bouhnick, The Mobile Spoon.

4 comments | Read more...

No, it's not going to be that kind of "10 best stories of 2010" collection. I thought about how to summarize 2010 and decided to simply tell the story as we all experienced it. So let's get going:

The year of the iPad!

Above all other things we've seen this year, I think the biggest trend was expanding mobility beyond just cellphones or smartphones. Apple reinvented mobility by adding a new domain, a new kind of gadget most people didn't know they they needed. I'm using one, and I still don't get the magic of it, but it's obviously there.
What am I doing with it? Here are at least 10 things any geek will agree with…

War! Bugs! Bugs! War!

So yeah, now it's obvious, we may have few players in our mobile league, but two teams are competing for the championship. Last year it was iOS who won the league, in 2010 it was the Android team. Unfortunately this stubborn fight had a price which the consumers had to pay: quality of products.

It seems like In 2010, more than in the past, we've seen companies compromising on quality in favor of fast releases and cutting edge technologies. HTC had camera issues with the HD2, HD7 and other devices, Nexus One had buttons focus issues, Motorola Droids had issues with the OS upgrades, and of course, the biggest flaw of all times in mobility: Apple's antenna design that took everything into considerations besides…well, reception… I'm a huge fan of the iOS but I, for one, will never get an iPhone 4 due to this design flaw and the way Apple handled it…

Applications:

Application rush continued during 2010, and became even crazier than in the past as companies had to create everything twice (at least) – supporting both iOS and Android, and now with WP7 – that's going to be 3: Objective C, Java, and Silverlight.

Ouch that hurts! No wonder we've seen the inevitable rise of Html5 – the only true cross platform technology out there today…

Screen Quality vs. Battery life:

With Samsung's Super Amoled and Apple's Retina Display, we end up having a pretty amazing screen display, but what about battery life?

Almost every new device I'm testing these days has awful battery life. Some say it's because of the screen, others claim it's because of the multi-tasking, bottom line is that you must have cradles with you everywhere you go.

Who knows, maybe in years from now there will be other solutions such as wireless chargers placed in restaurants, coffee shops etc. so people will not have to worry about it…

Google Android:

Oh no! Those droids are simply everywhere! Over 100 models exist today, many of them are pure gold, Over 50 tablets and E-Readers – and that's when Google officially admits Android is not ready for tablets!

Android is on fire and is now the most popular smartphones OS in the US.

Nexus One, Android's greatest promise, started as a big promise but got torn apart by many techies and media, eventually becoming one of PCWord's 20 biggest failures of 2010… (we reviewed the Nexus and didn't like it that much from the start I must admit… ).

Samsung's Galaxy products took over last year's Motorola's Droid hegemony, and the second Nexus is now actually a Galaxy product. Does it mean that HTC and Motorola had a bad year? Not sure, but Samsung had a great one, that's for sure.

iPhone 4:

Oh well, what can I say: Apple can produce bugs too! And when they do – they make sure those are famous and well marketed bugs… Funny thing is that no one seems to really care! Sales are still high, everyone seem to want an iPhone, and if it wasn't for the AT&T exclusive contracts I'm sure Android would have never pass iPhones sales, don't you think?

Microsoft:

Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft… no one knows what will be the end with Microsoft's mobility. At the beginning of 2010 Windows Mobile 6.5.3 was quietly released, which was strange, because it happened just few months before it was actually buried for good by Microsoft… (OK, no one admits it, I know, but have you seen any activities with WinMo lately?

Not to mention the Kin flop, the Slate, and other weird adventurers Microsoft took part in… but then came Windows Phone 7…

 

Sigh… the beauty of the user interface never ceases to amaze me. Sakes are not that bad as they first seemed, and at least in terms of applications it looks promising! We started to play with it too – check out our ongoing updates for building our first Windows Phone 7 application!

So sales are slowly progressing and if Microsoft will continue to do the right things in terms of the software, who knows, maybe WP7 will end up being the "Mac" of the smartphones (thanks Israel B. for that statement…).

BlackBerry:

Seems like 2010 was a sad year for RIM. Sales are going down, popularity is decreasing, new products do not win an excitement from the market (although I must say BlackBerry Torch is not a bad product!). What will be the end? probably a re-write of the OS, which is something that may have started already when building the first BlackBerry tablet: the PlayBook.

Either ways, it seems like the good years of BlackBerry are over, it's a struggle now, and they will have to do something real brilliant to keep up with the other guys…

Palm… err, sorry… HP:

Palm is one of my favorite companies. They were there first, they had some great products in the past (Palm Treo 750 is one of my legends!), and it's hard to see one of the good guys fall down…

We've heard some promises about turning webOS into something really big – so far those are just promises but we are here, we have time, do your magic Palm/HP, we are waiting…

The Mobile Spoon:

It was a busy year for me in person, a new kid (my second!), lot's of interesting activities, and my role at ClickSoftware was never so busy – but you won't hear me complain of course…

I would like to wish you all a happy new year! See you all next year with a lot of new mobile technologies!

Gil Bouhnick, The Mobile Spoon.

Funny video: my BlackBerry is not working!

Well, I ain't going to say anything about it. Just watch the video…

(Thanks Israel for sending that one!)

2 comments | Read more...

Well, I ain't going to say anything about it. Just watch the video…

(Thanks Israel for sending that one!)

If Smartphones Were Cars…

If smartphones were super heroes I bet BlackBerry was IronMan, iPhone was the Silver Surfer, and HTC HD2 was Hulk…

  

If you are following the mobile spoon on a daily basis you are probably familiar with the images… TechRepublic has recently published a nice collection of pictures comparing smartphones to cars. Here are the ones I like:

Some of the couples are pretty nice – so check out the full collection in here

1 comments | Read more...

If smartphones were super heroes I bet BlackBerry was IronMan, iPhone was the Silver Surfer, and HTC HD2 was Hulk…

  

If you are following the mobile spoon on a daily basis you are probably familiar with the images… TechRepublic has recently published a nice collection of pictures comparing smartphones to cars. Here are the ones I like:

Some of the couples are pretty nice – so check out the full collection in here

Nexus S vs. Nexus One – a comparison with a twist!

I know a lot of Nexus One owners that are simply IN LOVE with their phone.

I was first excited about it, but after using it for a while (1-2 months) I came to the conclusion it is not the kind of phone I'm looking for. The buttons annoyed me, the battery life was horrible, and I even didn't like the "reddish" screen.

Well, times have changed, Android made few more jumps since my last visit (new OS updates, much more apps in the market, millions of new users) and Nexus S was released.

It's bigger, faster, has a better screen, and a newer OS (Gingerbread 2.3) with some internal improvements and minor UI changes that to a UI freak like me, make Android look much better.

Time to see what has changed – and what's better than another great detailed video review by Brandon Miniman from PocketNow.com:

Twist:

While most of you probably think the Nexus S is a clear winner when compared to the Nexus One, I decided to take another path:
I'm getting the Samsung Omnia 7.

Yep.
The order is set, I'm now waiting for the shipment.

Why you ask??? Well, that's obvious isn't it? Android isn't going anywhere, updates will come all the time, all my friends have them so I will be able to track them easily… iPhone isn't going anywhere either, and iPhone 4 is not an excuse to replace my current iPhone – but the Samsung screens are sooooo amazing I must get myself a new Samsung toy – and what's better than the exciting Windows Phone 7?
Sales numbers are not that bad anymore, there are quite a number of apps already and many developers working on some great stuff – I want to be there when it happens!

What were you looking for?
Google Nexus One, Google Nexus S, Samsung Nexus S, Android, Windows Phone 7, Comparing Nexus One with Nexus S

1 comments | Read more...

I know a lot of Nexus One owners that are simply IN LOVE with their phone.

I was first excited about it, but after using it for a while (1-2 months) I came to the conclusion it is not the kind of phone I'm looking for. The buttons annoyed me, the battery life was horrible, and I even didn't like the "reddish" screen.

Well, times have changed, Android made few more jumps since my last visit (new OS updates, much more apps in the market, millions of new users) and Nexus S was released.

It's bigger, faster, has a better screen, and a newer OS (Gingerbread 2.3) with some internal improvements and minor UI changes that to a UI freak like me, make Android look much better.

Time to see what has changed – and what's better than another great detailed video review by Brandon Miniman from PocketNow.com:

Twist:

While most of you probably think the Nexus S is a clear winner when compared to the Nexus One, I decided to take another path:
I'm getting the Samsung Omnia 7.

Yep.
The order is set, I'm now waiting for the shipment.

Why you ask??? Well, that's obvious isn't it? Android isn't going anywhere, updates will come all the time, all my friends have them so I will be able to track them easily… iPhone isn't going anywhere either, and iPhone 4 is not an excuse to replace my current iPhone – but the Samsung screens are sooooo amazing I must get myself a new Samsung toy – and what's better than the exciting Windows Phone 7?
Sales numbers are not that bad anymore, there are quite a number of apps already and many developers working on some great stuff – I want to be there when it happens!

What were you looking for?
Google Nexus One, Google Nexus S, Samsung Nexus S, Android, Windows Phone 7, Comparing Nexus One with Nexus S

So How Many Windows Phone 7 Units Were Sold So Far?

While Samsung Galaxy S reaches 10 million units sold worldwide Microsoft has finally agreed to reveal the number of Windows Phone 7 units sold worldwide.

(drums? OK maybe not…)

So apparently the phone manufacturers have sold over 1.5 million Windows 7 Phone devices to carriers and retailers in its first six weeks on the market.

So indeed, a nice number, but pay attention that it doesn't mean 1.5 million WP7 users are actually using it on a daily basis just yet.

In addition 18,000 developers are already signed up as WP7 developers, 4,000 apps are already available in the windows marketplace which is an impressive number (and some of them are great looking too), and Microsoft is planning on releasing a few updates early 2011.

(Source)

2 comments | Read more...

While Samsung Galaxy S reaches 10 million units sold worldwide Microsoft has finally agreed to reveal the number of Windows Phone 7 units sold worldwide.

(drums? OK maybe not…)

So apparently the phone manufacturers have sold over 1.5 million Windows 7 Phone devices to carriers and retailers in its first six weeks on the market.

So indeed, a nice number, but pay attention that it doesn't mean 1.5 million WP7 users are actually using it on a daily basis just yet.

In addition 18,000 developers are already signed up as WP7 developers, 4,000 apps are already available in the windows marketplace which is an impressive number (and some of them are great looking too), and Microsoft is planning on releasing a few updates early 2011.

(Source)

How to build a mobile web app that looks and feels like a native one?

10 platforms that will help you design a mobile web application that acts and looks like a native iPhone/Android application:

One of the topics that excite me these days is how html5 is becoming a leading technology when it comes to developing advanced mobile web applications, that can work seamlessly online and offline, provide rich user experience and of course work perfectly on iOS, Android, BlackBerry etc.

Read more about it in here:

Must See Html5 Samples – Check It Out
Html5 – The Only True Cross Platform Technology for Mobile Devices

   

I recently received a link to a collection of different development platforms for creating advanced web apps using html5 (thanks for sending it over Yaron!). It includes the known ones like iWebKit, and iUI, that help you develop and iOS style user interface, but it also includes some new stuff like the jQuery Mobile, and Sencha Touch which is the first html5/java script framework.

Head over to this page and get more information about those development platforms that will help you build a mobile web app that looks and feels like a native one

Technorati Tags: Html5,Development,Web Application,iPhone,Android

 

If you like this post, subscribe to our RSS Feed.

0 comments | Read more...

10 platforms that will help you design a mobile web application that acts and looks like a native iPhone/Android application:

One of the topics that excite me these days is how html5 is becoming a leading technology when it comes to developing advanced mobile web applications, that can work seamlessly online and offline, provide rich user experience and of course work perfectly on iOS, Android, BlackBerry etc.

Read more about it in here:

Must See Html5 Samples – Check It Out
Html5 – The Only True Cross Platform Technology for Mobile Devices

   

I recently received a link to a collection of different development platforms for creating advanced web apps using html5 (thanks for sending it over Yaron!). It includes the known ones like iWebKit, and iUI, that help you develop and iOS style user interface, but it also includes some new stuff like the jQuery Mobile, and Sencha Touch which is the first html5/java script framework.

Head over to this page and get more information about those development platforms that will help you build a mobile web app that looks and feels like a native one

Technorati Tags: Html5,Development,Web Application,iPhone,Android

 

If you like this post, subscribe to our RSS Feed.

Did Facebook Kill Digg? (Off-topic)

I was browsing through some fun stuff over at MakeUseOf and I saw an interesting picture:

Now let's see what we have here: Digg, with 0 bookmarks, twitter with 6 tweets, facebook with 37 shares, and SU with 1 bookmark.

Few years ago (not too many actually), such kind of article used to get hundreds of diggs, and probably no facebook/twitter links.

Did facebook literally killed Digg and the rest of the social news sites?

1 comments | Read more...

I was browsing through some fun stuff over at MakeUseOf and I saw an interesting picture:

Now let's see what we have here: Digg, with 0 bookmarks, twitter with 6 tweets, facebook with 37 shares, and SU with 1 bookmark.

Few years ago (not too many actually), such kind of article used to get hundreds of diggs, and probably no facebook/twitter links.

Did facebook literally killed Digg and the rest of the social news sites?

Video: Word Lens For iPhone

In case you haven't seen this one yet – it's a pretty amazing software that translates text without having to type it – just scan the sign/image with the text inside and it will instantly translate it.

Take a look:

1 comments | Read more...

In case you haven't seen this one yet – it's a pretty amazing software that translates text without having to type it – just scan the sign/image with the text inside and it will instantly translate it.

Take a look:

New Google Maps, New Android Market and more

Google is going insane over the last few weeks.
Not only they announced the release of Gingerbread, a new Nexus S phone, Chrome OS beta and Google eBooks - they now roll out some special treats to android users out there.

First, a whole new Android Market (version 2.2). this new version is mainly a new UI experience. you get some more screenshots for each app, a better landscape support and includes the already-released "Related" tab to find other similar apps.

Second - Google Maps 5. This is a major update the includes:
1. Caching of maps to allow offline usage and navigation
2. Faster rendering (thanks to the use of vectors rather then tiles)
3. 3D display and buildings

The deployment of these new updates is done gradually so if you're not updated yet, you will be soon.
In addition, few developers (mainly from the xda forum) start to port out GIngerbread components such as the keyboard and few wallpapers . so if your devices has root permissions, you can go ahead and install those gems.

0 comments | Read more... Google is going insane over the last few weeks.
Not only they announced the release of Gingerbread, a new Nexus S phone, Chrome OS beta and Google eBooks - they now roll out some special treats to android users out there.

First, a whole new Android Market (version 2.2). this new version is mainly a new UI experience. you get some more screenshots for each app, a better landscape support and includes the already-released "Related" tab to find other similar apps.

Second - Google Maps 5. This is a major update the includes:
1. Caching of maps to allow offline usage and navigation
2. Faster rendering (thanks to the use of vectors rather then tiles)
3. 3D display and buildings

The deployment of these new updates is done gradually so if you're not updated yet, you will be soon.
In addition, few developers (mainly from the xda forum) start to port out GIngerbread components such as the keyboard and few wallpapers . so if your devices has root permissions, you can go ahead and install those gems.

Must See Html5 Samples – Check It Out

Few weeks back, I wrote about how Html5 is slowly (but surely) becoming the only true cross platform technology, therefore becoming a significant player in mobility, supported by iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and other leading mobile platforms, providing advanced user interface, offline capabilities and rich media/videos.

Today I would like to introduce to you some great sample sites using Html5 technologies (canvas drawing, videos, animations and more) which I found at makeuseof, they really show the strengths of html5 in terms of visual effects, user interface, media and more.

As someone who's developing using the database/offline capabilities of Html5 for mobile devices, I can tell you that it's pretty much amazing that all of this can run on practically any "modern" device even while offline.

Check it out:

Radiohead/HTML5 Mashup

What's better than a great mashup including Radiohead’s greatest song ever Idioteque with some drawing of Thom Yorke which is drawn as the song progresses. This is a "must see" page, open it with sound, in Chrome, but make sure other open pages do not include youtube videos etc. otherwise it will show an error.

AMAZING STUFF: http://www2.nihilogic.dk/labs/canvas_music_visualization/

---

20 Things I Learned About Browsers And The Web

This one demos a “book” styled approach to a description about how web browsers work and how many of the underlying technologies work.

I didn't really read it but the visual effects are nice.

---

Video Effects

HTML5 allows you to to much with video on the web. In addition to letting you play it without your web browser, with no plugin, it allows you to manipulate that video. This demo shows how you can “Blow up” the pixels of a video while playing: http://craftymind.com/factory/html5video/CanvasVideo.html.

---

Check out many additional samples in here.

5 comments | Read more...

Few weeks back, I wrote about how Html5 is slowly (but surely) becoming the only true cross platform technology, therefore becoming a significant player in mobility, supported by iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and other leading mobile platforms, providing advanced user interface, offline capabilities and rich media/videos.

Today I would like to introduce to you some great sample sites using Html5 technologies (canvas drawing, videos, animations and more) which I found at makeuseof, they really show the strengths of html5 in terms of visual effects, user interface, media and more.

As someone who's developing using the database/offline capabilities of Html5 for mobile devices, I can tell you that it's pretty much amazing that all of this can run on practically any "modern" device even while offline.

Check it out:

Radiohead/HTML5 Mashup

What's better than a great mashup including Radiohead’s greatest song ever Idioteque with some drawing of Thom Yorke which is drawn as the song progresses. This is a "must see" page, open it with sound, in Chrome, but make sure other open pages do not include youtube videos etc. otherwise it will show an error.

AMAZING STUFF: http://www2.nihilogic.dk/labs/canvas_music_visualization/

---

20 Things I Learned About Browsers And The Web

This one demos a “book” styled approach to a description about how web browsers work and how many of the underlying technologies work.

I didn't really read it but the visual effects are nice.

---

Video Effects

HTML5 allows you to to much with video on the web. In addition to letting you play it without your web browser, with no plugin, it allows you to manipulate that video. This demo shows how you can “Blow up” the pixels of a video while playing: http://craftymind.com/factory/html5video/CanvasVideo.html.

---

Check out many additional samples in here.

Android takes over BlackBerry, leaves no prisoner!

Investment research firm ITG has been investigating the sales figures from Verizon Wireless and it has come up with a pretty interesting find:

If you create a graph with brown, orange and dark yellow colors – no one will be able to read it.

But, if you take a closer look, you will find that it's hard to miss RIM's huge drop while LG, and Samsung enjoy a nice climb… or is it HTC… oh wait, no, it's Motorola…

According to the research, in October of 2009, BlackBerrys accounted for 93% of Verizon Wireless’ smartphone sales. Just over one year later, in November of 2010, Android accounted for 80% of Verizon Wireless’ smartphone sales and BlackBerry’s share comes in at under 20%.

Amazing.

Read more in here.

Or check out our own summary of mobile market trends in here.

10 comments | Read more...

Investment research firm ITG has been investigating the sales figures from Verizon Wireless and it has come up with a pretty interesting find:

If you create a graph with brown, orange and dark yellow colors – no one will be able to read it.

But, if you take a closer look, you will find that it's hard to miss RIM's huge drop while LG, and Samsung enjoy a nice climb… or is it HTC… oh wait, no, it's Motorola…

According to the research, in October of 2009, BlackBerrys accounted for 93% of Verizon Wireless’ smartphone sales. Just over one year later, in November of 2010, Android accounted for 80% of Verizon Wireless’ smartphone sales and BlackBerry’s share comes in at under 20%.

Amazing.

Read more in here.

Or check out our own summary of mobile market trends in here.

Windows Phone 7 Copy & Paste Implementation Looks Awful!

Oh no, this is what happens when you rush into releasing quick updates.

Take a look at the Windows Phone 7 copy/paste implementation – isn't that horrible, boring and not that finger friendly either!?

Google copied the UI implementation Apple invented (which is not that perfect by the way) and implemented the same kind of copy/paste, which is finger friendly and looks "OK", I don't really understand why Microsoft had to make it so small and… boring…

See for yourself:

1 comments | Read more...

Oh no, this is what happens when you rush into releasing quick updates.

Take a look at the Windows Phone 7 copy/paste implementation – isn't that horrible, boring and not that finger friendly either!?

Google copied the UI implementation Apple invented (which is not that perfect by the way) and implemented the same kind of copy/paste, which is finger friendly and looks "OK", I don't really understand why Microsoft had to make it so small and… boring…

See for yourself:

A Prediction of the Trends Impacting the Mobile Application Market for 2011

Guest post by Jonah Sterling, Group Creative Director, IdentityMine

With the year drawing to a close, a team of us here at IdentityMine reviewed the past year, identified the top trends that impacted our community of mobile application developers in 2010, and compiled our predictions for the year to come. We were able to glean key insight from our clients who span a broad range of industries. In 2010, we increasingly noticed that our clients were interested in intuitive design and the ability to repurpose applications for other platforms. They also wanted to deepen their understanding of what applications can do for their brands. We see that 2011 will bring the continued evolution of several major mobile trends--the increasing market fragmentation and the demand for mobile applications. IdentityMine also predicts that we’ll begin to see a few new trends like the .dot com boom/bust in the application market.

Here are IdentityMine’s predictions for 2011:

Excellent Visual Design gains importance for applications. With the release of iPhone 4, Droid and Windows Phone 7, mobile users became addicted to good design in 2010. In 2011 we can expect that UX designers at agencies will be tasked to elevate quality and intuitive design within software applications.  Consumers won’t tolerate applications that are either only functional or only beautiful – their standards are high for both visual beauty and engineering quality.  Further integration of applications (to work with each other, both in mobile and non-mobile form factors) will be in high demand.

We can expect continued Market Fragmentation when developing mobile applications. Developers are being pushed to choose between specializing in a UX (Mobile, Touch, Desktop, etc.) and specializing in a platform (IOS, .NET, Silverlight, MonoDroid, etc.) Developers will need to develop apps for multiple devices/platforms and fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of each to best serve their clients.  Agencies will be expected to respond to mobile strategies (whereas previously they were expected to simply make iPhone apps).  Because of the market fragmentation, companies need agencies more than ever because only agencies and development firms can invest in the deep understanding of a variety of technologies, whereas enterprises generally have to choose a platform in which to specialize.

We’re seeing the dot.com boom all over again with the application market. In 2010, consumers saw a plethora of applications hit the market. We saw many enterprises make applications without a real strategy behind it. For larger brands, value perception is a key factor in their application’s success. 75% of apps are deleted within 72 hours of being downloaded. The problem is compounded by a sometimes chaotic and difficult-to-navigate application market.  The bubble is growing, and will probably burst in the next 12-18 months.   In 2011 the focus will be on useful apps as much as fun ones.  We will also see companies come to terms with the app market at their own pace.

Demand for Application Monetization will mean more ads. Many applications are incredibly cheap, considering the effort that goes into making a sophisticated one. In fact, Apple and other vendors are encouraging volume for application monetization.   Because the price points make it difficult to monetize apps, there will be an increase in ad-sponsored apps.

Apps replacing websites. Many websites are actually applications (Netflix, Match.com, Amazon).  Clients will ask agencies to develop increasingly complex web experiences with equal parts interactivity, data integration, and visual beauty.  The application trend is the beginning of the end for “brochure sites”.  And Enterprise and ISV will mobilize their large complex and monolithic applications into a suite of mobile apps.

Privacy will continue to be an issue. Given the privacy breaches associated with Facebook and Google in 2010, consumers will continue to be concerned about the protection of privacy. With GPS available in cell phones, however, agencies will have to continually watch the privacy requirements of their clients when developing applications or marketing campaigns. Interestingly, the volume of the privacy debate doesn’t correlate with consumer behavior – consumers are relinquishing privacy in exchange for features/convenience much more readily than in previous eras.

Monetizing the Cloud. We can expect that successful application will need to function with a single login.  UX designers will be tasked to figure out how to minimize login experiences without compromising security. In 2010, the focus was on how companies can use the Cloud from a functional perspective. In 2011, consumer brands will be figuring out to monetize the Cloud.  While ads seem the most obvious way, we anticipate Cloud subscriptions as well.

Budgets will take more of a spotlight.  Companies are seeking enterprise-grade applications with consumer-grade price tags on them.  In 2011, we anticipate that companies will quickly learn that the complexity of an app that represents their brand, works on multiple platforms, is reliable, complex, and elegant is far greater than a simple consumer app that does one thing .

These trends mean that clients will most likely need to take a strategic and phased approach to application monetization.  The importance of UX, beautiful design, and application usefulness will also be especially important as it will make or break their app efforts. In the rush to “get in on the action,” we encourage clients to choose strong software development partners and visual designers so that their applications can be developed with a quality end user experience in mind.

---

About IdentityMine, Inc.
Headquartered in Tacoma, WA, IdentityMine is an expert interactive design and user experience (UX) company. They develop leading-edge digital applications and software solutions for multi-screen, multi-touch, multi-platform, and multi-hardware devices for a variety of markets including mobile, retail and sports. They are able to create unique digital interactive user experiences by leveraging deep expertise in a variety of platforms to deliver highly engaging mobile, Internet and other media experiences for major brands in mainstream markets.  Clients include: Microsoft, Path 36, The New Orleans Saints, Elektra NOC, Nordstrom and others.  More information about IdentityMine can be found at http://www.identitymine.com/.  You can find IdentityMine on Twitter at www.twitter.com/identitymine.

---

Interested in guest writing for the mobile spoon? Contact us.

0 comments | Read more...

Guest post by Jonah Sterling, Group Creative Director, IdentityMine

With the year drawing to a close, a team of us here at IdentityMine reviewed the past year, identified the top trends that impacted our community of mobile application developers in 2010, and compiled our predictions for the year to come. We were able to glean key insight from our clients who span a broad range of industries. In 2010, we increasingly noticed that our clients were interested in intuitive design and the ability to repurpose applications for other platforms. They also wanted to deepen their understanding of what applications can do for their brands. We see that 2011 will bring the continued evolution of several major mobile trends--the increasing market fragmentation and the demand for mobile applications. IdentityMine also predicts that we’ll begin to see a few new trends like the .dot com boom/bust in the application market.

Here are IdentityMine’s predictions for 2011:

Excellent Visual Design gains importance for applications. With the release of iPhone 4, Droid and Windows Phone 7, mobile users became addicted to good design in 2010. In 2011 we can expect that UX designers at agencies will be tasked to elevate quality and intuitive design within software applications.  Consumers won’t tolerate applications that are either only functional or only beautiful – their standards are high for both visual beauty and engineering quality.  Further integration of applications (to work with each other, both in mobile and non-mobile form factors) will be in high demand.

We can expect continued Market Fragmentation when developing mobile applications. Developers are being pushed to choose between specializing in a UX (Mobile, Touch, Desktop, etc.) and specializing in a platform (IOS, .NET, Silverlight, MonoDroid, etc.) Developers will need to develop apps for multiple devices/platforms and fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of each to best serve their clients.  Agencies will be expected to respond to mobile strategies (whereas previously they were expected to simply make iPhone apps).  Because of the market fragmentation, companies need agencies more than ever because only agencies and development firms can invest in the deep understanding of a variety of technologies, whereas enterprises generally have to choose a platform in which to specialize.

We’re seeing the dot.com boom all over again with the application market. In 2010, consumers saw a plethora of applications hit the market. We saw many enterprises make applications without a real strategy behind it. For larger brands, value perception is a key factor in their application’s success. 75% of apps are deleted within 72 hours of being downloaded. The problem is compounded by a sometimes chaotic and difficult-to-navigate application market.  The bubble is growing, and will probably burst in the next 12-18 months.   In 2011 the focus will be on useful apps as much as fun ones.  We will also see companies come to terms with the app market at their own pace.

Demand for Application Monetization will mean more ads. Many applications are incredibly cheap, considering the effort that goes into making a sophisticated one. In fact, Apple and other vendors are encouraging volume for application monetization.   Because the price points make it difficult to monetize apps, there will be an increase in ad-sponsored apps.

Apps replacing websites. Many websites are actually applications (Netflix, Match.com, Amazon).  Clients will ask agencies to develop increasingly complex web experiences with equal parts interactivity, data integration, and visual beauty.  The application trend is the beginning of the end for “brochure sites”.  And Enterprise and ISV will mobilize their large complex and monolithic applications into a suite of mobile apps.

Privacy will continue to be an issue. Given the privacy breaches associated with Facebook and Google in 2010, consumers will continue to be concerned about the protection of privacy. With GPS available in cell phones, however, agencies will have to continually watch the privacy requirements of their clients when developing applications or marketing campaigns. Interestingly, the volume of the privacy debate doesn’t correlate with consumer behavior – consumers are relinquishing privacy in exchange for features/convenience much more readily than in previous eras.

Monetizing the Cloud. We can expect that successful application will need to function with a single login.  UX designers will be tasked to figure out how to minimize login experiences without compromising security. In 2010, the focus was on how companies can use the Cloud from a functional perspective. In 2011, consumer brands will be figuring out to monetize the Cloud.  While ads seem the most obvious way, we anticipate Cloud subscriptions as well.

Budgets will take more of a spotlight.  Companies are seeking enterprise-grade applications with consumer-grade price tags on them.  In 2011, we anticipate that companies will quickly learn that the complexity of an app that represents their brand, works on multiple platforms, is reliable, complex, and elegant is far greater than a simple consumer app that does one thing .

These trends mean that clients will most likely need to take a strategic and phased approach to application monetization.  The importance of UX, beautiful design, and application usefulness will also be especially important as it will make or break their app efforts. In the rush to “get in on the action,” we encourage clients to choose strong software development partners and visual designers so that their applications can be developed with a quality end user experience in mind.

---

About IdentityMine, Inc.
Headquartered in Tacoma, WA, IdentityMine is an expert interactive design and user experience (UX) company. They develop leading-edge digital applications and software solutions for multi-screen, multi-touch, multi-platform, and multi-hardware devices for a variety of markets including mobile, retail and sports. They are able to create unique digital interactive user experiences by leveraging deep expertise in a variety of platforms to deliver highly engaging mobile, Internet and other media experiences for major brands in mainstream markets.  Clients include: Microsoft, Path 36, The New Orleans Saints, Elektra NOC, Nordstrom and others.  More information about IdentityMine can be found at http://www.identitymine.com/.  You can find IdentityMine on Twitter at www.twitter.com/identitymine.

---

Interested in guest writing for the mobile spoon? Contact us.

Great music performed with iPAds

I was watching those 2 amazing videos and was thinking to myself: What the F***!? And this is version 1 of the product (iPad)!

If that's not amazing piece of technology I don't know what is.

Enjoy the shows:

 

If you like this post, subscribe to our RSS Feed.

1 comments | Read more...

I was watching those 2 amazing videos and was thinking to myself: What the F***!? And this is version 1 of the product (iPad)!

If that's not amazing piece of technology I don't know what is.

Enjoy the shows:

 

If you like this post, subscribe to our RSS Feed.

ClickSoftware's Mobility Suite Wins Big Time In The 2010 Mobile Star Awards

  

I try to separate between my professional work as the director of mobile solutions at ClickSoftware and my Mobile Spoon activities, keeping them as a pure hobby. But rarely, I feel the need to write about my "real" activities at ClickSoftware, involving a lot of mobile technologies, working with customers, creating mobile solutions  - products or implementations.

Recently the products I'm responsible on won a few awards in both the Mobilizer Awards and the Mobile Star Awards, and were considered the "new leader to watch" so forgive my immodesty for placing a link to that topic over at the mobilefever…

ClickSoftware's Mobility Suite Wins The Shining Star In The 2010 Mobile Star Awards

1 comments | Read more...

  

I try to separate between my professional work as the director of mobile solutions at ClickSoftware and my Mobile Spoon activities, keeping them as a pure hobby. But rarely, I feel the need to write about my "real" activities at ClickSoftware, involving a lot of mobile technologies, working with customers, creating mobile solutions  - products or implementations.

Recently the products I'm responsible on won a few awards in both the Mobilizer Awards and the Mobile Star Awards, and were considered the "new leader to watch" so forgive my immodesty for placing a link to that topic over at the mobilefever…

ClickSoftware's Mobility Suite Wins The Shining Star In The 2010 Mobile Star Awards

iPhone, Android, Palm, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, Which One Is The Prettiest?

Since most of the mobile platform today give pretty much the same kind of features, the debate between the different OS fans always goes to openness of the platform (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know… Android wins, yada yada yada), application range (5000000 > 2700000) and of course: UI and usability.

I'm holing an Android phone in my right hand and an iPhone in my left hand. Forgive me all of you Android fans out there – the iPhone wins in all the UI categories besides the widgets. Look & feel, innovation (do not forget what was the source of all of today's great mobile designs), typing speed, finger gestures, fonts, images quality, everything, (OK, besides widgets. Already said that…)

But, what about Windows Phone 7? Unfortunately I haven't been able to get one just yet, (but I'm going to - very soon! yearrrrrr), but from what I see and hear – Microsoft managed to finally come up with something "different".

Finally, not just shortcuts icons, finally a UI that cuts down text, images, in a weird fascinating way.

Here's a nice UI comparison between the IMDB application for iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone 7. As you can see, the iPhone/Android ones are pretty similar, but the Windows Phone 7 one is surprisingly different.

Let's start with the iPhone: nice overall design, pretty standard, but as usual – convenient and nice looking.

Let's proceed with the Android version:

Very similar to the iPhone one, as usual, the gray combo-boxes are a bit annoying, but other than that – good standard design.

 

And now, check out the Windows Phone 7 one, exactly like a WP7 app should look like: with a panorama view, a lot of text (cut down to the size of the screen), many colors – beautiful!

   

And a bonus for the oldies (excuse me windows mobile users…), check out how lovely the Windows Mobile app looks like – indeed a nice surprise.

Just for the sake of comparison, how about BlackBerry and Palm's webOS? Both of them are web based apps (web sites optimized for mobile):

The winner, based on my (very) professional and (completely subjective) perfect (and humble) taste is the Windows Phone 7 application – the design is simply stunning.

Would you agree?

Technorati Tags: iPhone,iOS,Android,webOS2.0,BlackBerry,Windows Phone 7,IMDB

5 comments | Read more...

Since most of the mobile platform today give pretty much the same kind of features, the debate between the different OS fans always goes to openness of the platform (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know… Android wins, yada yada yada), application range (5000000 > 2700000) and of course: UI and usability.

I'm holing an Android phone in my right hand and an iPhone in my left hand. Forgive me all of you Android fans out there – the iPhone wins in all the UI categories besides the widgets. Look & feel, innovation (do not forget what was the source of all of today's great mobile designs), typing speed, finger gestures, fonts, images quality, everything, (OK, besides widgets. Already said that…)

But, what about Windows Phone 7? Unfortunately I haven't been able to get one just yet, (but I'm going to - very soon! yearrrrrr), but from what I see and hear – Microsoft managed to finally come up with something "different".

Finally, not just shortcuts icons, finally a UI that cuts down text, images, in a weird fascinating way.

Here's a nice UI comparison between the IMDB application for iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone 7. As you can see, the iPhone/Android ones are pretty similar, but the Windows Phone 7 one is surprisingly different.

Let's start with the iPhone: nice overall design, pretty standard, but as usual – convenient and nice looking.

Let's proceed with the Android version:

Very similar to the iPhone one, as usual, the gray combo-boxes are a bit annoying, but other than that – good standard design.

 

And now, check out the Windows Phone 7 one, exactly like a WP7 app should look like: with a panorama view, a lot of text (cut down to the size of the screen), many colors – beautiful!

   

And a bonus for the oldies (excuse me windows mobile users…), check out how lovely the Windows Mobile app looks like – indeed a nice surprise.

Just for the sake of comparison, how about BlackBerry and Palm's webOS? Both of them are web based apps (web sites optimized for mobile):

The winner, based on my (very) professional and (completely subjective) perfect (and humble) taste is the Windows Phone 7 application – the design is simply stunning.

Would you agree?

Technorati Tags: iPhone,iOS,Android,webOS2.0,BlackBerry,Windows Phone 7,IMDB

How To Track Down New Windows Phone 7 Apps Without Accessing The MarketPlace

I was just browsing through the net when I found a great site tracking all the marketplace activities, providing information about the new applications which are added to Windows Phone 7.

The site is called WP7Applist and it can be found in here: http://wp7applist.com

Here's what it had to say while I was enjoying browsing through the latest WP7 apps:

"Currently tracking 3501 apps.
28% of them are available for FREE; average price is $1.46.
You can purchase 98.6% apps on the Marketplace for less than $5, 95.1% for less than $3. The most common price-tag is $0.99.
89 apps are updated on average each day. In the last 24 hours, 73 apps were updated and 45 were added."

Not bad, isn't it? If you are thinking of getting a Windows Phone 7 smartphone – keep that link (and while doing so – follow us on twitter to show us some love!

1 comments | Read more...

I was just browsing through the net when I found a great site tracking all the marketplace activities, providing information about the new applications which are added to Windows Phone 7.

The site is called WP7Applist and it can be found in here: http://wp7applist.com

Here's what it had to say while I was enjoying browsing through the latest WP7 apps:

"Currently tracking 3501 apps.
28% of them are available for FREE; average price is $1.46.
You can purchase 98.6% apps on the Marketplace for less than $5, 95.1% for less than $3. The most common price-tag is $0.99.
89 apps are updated on average each day. In the last 24 hours, 73 apps were updated and 45 were added."

Not bad, isn't it? If you are thinking of getting a Windows Phone 7 smartphone – keep that link (and while doing so – follow us on twitter to show us some love!

Mobility Realm – All The Statistics In One Page

In the never ending battle between smartphones, there are many types of reports, relying on different sources (ads, web browsing, sales figures which are never formal, etc.).

The Mobile Spoon will try to make some order in this statistical mess by giving you one final answer: iPhone.

(OK, just kidding… )

But seriously, here's a collection figures that may help you understand what's going on in mobility. As none of them is absolute of course, I'm counting on you to make the math by yourselves.

---

Android continues to gather strength
Android OS now represents 23.5% of the U.S. smartphone market as of October 2010, drawing close to rival Apple's iOS at 24.6%.
RIM's BlackBerry plunged from 39.3% in July to 35.8% in October. Ouch.

 
BTW, don't you think it's weird we get news about Android becoming the most popular mobile OS in the US for almost a year now, and still it's just ranked as number 3? Or how about Microsoft and Palm, constantly loosing percentages without ever getting close to 0…
Is it EVER going to change? Or is it like in those dreams where you are just running endlessly without making any progress…

Anyway, just a thought…

Read more: ComScore: Android surges to 23.5% of U.S. smartphone market - FierceMobileContent

---

Samsung continues to shine:

Seems like 2010 is the year of the Samsung smartphones.
Short while after HTC was dominating the smartphones market with 10's of new models each year, covering the most successful Windows Mobile and Android handsets, seems like Samsung is now taking over.
The company's successful Galaxy S model started a line of products with the Galaxy Tab (more on that below) and Continuum , but above all, the selection of Samsung to be the manufacturer of the Nexus Two (Nexus S) definitely shows how strong Samsung is right now when it comes to Android handsets. (rest assured HTC is working on a revenge… )

I recently asked a question regarding Motorola's Droid (Can The Droid Remain The Number One Selling Android Phone?) and from the numbers below it seems like Droid's momentum is over…

Would be interesting to see how LG's latest Android successful device, the LG Optimus One will help improving LG's numbers, if at all.

---

Speaking of Samsung, how about those million Galaxy Tab units?
Yep, you are reading correctly, Google may think their Android platform is not ready for tablets, Steve Jobs, may think that a 7 inch tablet screen is not enough for consuming data, but the consumers may prove that all of them are wrong.
According to eWeek, 1 million Samsung Galaxy Tab units were sold already – not a bad start.

What else can we learn from it? I think we can learn a few things:

1. Steve Jobs isn't always right.
2. Google may know a lot, but they don't know everything.
2. There is a need for different kinds of tablets, with different sizes
3. Who knows, maybe even my own iOS based earrings, watch, and ring, could be successful sometime in the future.
4. There can be two 2's when counting from 1 to 4….

Read more about Samsung's Galaxy Tab sales it in here.

---

Women want iPhones, Men want Droids:
(Source: Nielsen)
According to October 2010 data from The Nielsen Company, 29.7 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers now own smartphones that run full operating systems.
Well, it's about time if you ask me.

When mobile users who planned to upgrade to a smartphone in the next year were asked about their next phone, Apple’s iOS and Android were tied for “most desired” operating system.

• Among users planning to get a new smartphone, current smartphone owners showed a preference for the Apple iPhone (35 percent), while 28 percent of both smartphone and featurephone planned smartphone upgraders indicated they wanted a device with an Android operating system as their next mobile phone.
• Women planning to get a smartphone are more likely to want an iPhone as their next device, with slightly more males preferring Android.

Oh I love it! I have another one: Cool people want iPhone because it's… well, looks cool, and geeks enjoy changing their Android ROMs because it's… kind of fun…

(Source)

---

Mobile statistics based on web usage:
Measuring web usage can teach about mobile habits but sometimes also about numbers of Smartphones out there (although it's a bit problematic).
A report by Royal Pingdom, shows a fascinating geographic breakdown of mobile Web traffic by operating system (not handset units sold). Here's what the analysis finds:

• The two dominant mobile Web platforms are are Apple and Symbian. Apple dominates in North America, Europe and Australia
• Nokia controls Asia, Africa and South America. Symbian is weakest in North America
• Android's strongest markets are South Korea, Austria, Denmark, Taiwan, Slovenia and the US. But the OS doesn't dominate in any single country except South Korea. 
• RIM is the dominant mobile Web platform in the Dominican Republic. BlackBerry also drives a considerable share of mobile Web traffic in Guatemala, the UK, Colombia and El Salvador.

Those numbers are likely to change as Android is now becoming the most popular platform in Asia as well…

The report also shows some top countries for each mobile OS:

Top countries for iOS

Canada, 83.7%

Cuba, 77.2%

Switzerland, 76.7%

Australia, 72.5%

Ireland, 69.7%

New Zealand, 69.0%

Top countries for Android

South Korea, 78.3%

Austria, 27.3%

Taiwan, 26.5%

Denmark, 25.3%

Slovenia, 24.0%

United States, 23.3%

Top countries for Blackberry

Dominican Republic, 57.1%

Guatemala, 45.4%

United Kingdom, 40.4%

Colombia, 38.9%

El Salvador, 37.54%

United States, 32.0%

Top country for Sony Ericsson by the way is Bolivia
Top country for Samsung is Namibia (just in case you will be asked…)

(Report Source)

---

What about Microsoft's Windows Phone 7? 
There Windows Phone 7 sales numbers are a mystery, which could hint on disappointing numbers. According to the rumors, Microsoft only moved 40,000 phones on the first day of availability. By contrast, Apple sold 270,000 first generation iPhones on its first day of sales, and Google's says consumers buy 160,000 Android phones every day.

Is that a failure? I certainly hope not.
The word needs another great mobile OS.

I was looking for more information without success, if you know something else, please feel invited to comment…

That's it for today's roundup, hopefully you found some of the information interesting. If not, we can always flash a ROM or something…

9 comments | Read more...

In the never ending battle between smartphones, there are many types of reports, relying on different sources (ads, web browsing, sales figures which are never formal, etc.).

The Mobile Spoon will try to make some order in this statistical mess by giving you one final answer: iPhone.

(OK, just kidding… )

But seriously, here's a collection figures that may help you understand what's going on in mobility. As none of them is absolute of course, I'm counting on you to make the math by yourselves.

---

Android continues to gather strength
Android OS now represents 23.5% of the U.S. smartphone market as of October 2010, drawing close to rival Apple's iOS at 24.6%.
RIM's BlackBerry plunged from 39.3% in July to 35.8% in October. Ouch.

 
BTW, don't you think it's weird we get news about Android becoming the most popular mobile OS in the US for almost a year now, and still it's just ranked as number 3? Or how about Microsoft and Palm, constantly loosing percentages without ever getting close to 0…
Is it EVER going to change? Or is it like in those dreams where you are just running endlessly without making any progress…

Anyway, just a thought…

Read more: ComScore: Android surges to 23.5% of U.S. smartphone market - FierceMobileContent

---

Samsung continues to shine:

Seems like 2010 is the year of the Samsung smartphones.
Short while after HTC was dominating the smartphones market with 10's of new models each year, covering the most successful Windows Mobile and Android handsets, seems like Samsung is now taking over.
The company's successful Galaxy S model started a line of products with the Galaxy Tab (more on that below) and Continuum , but above all, the selection of Samsung to be the manufacturer of the Nexus Two (Nexus S) definitely shows how strong Samsung is right now when it comes to Android handsets. (rest assured HTC is working on a revenge… )

I recently asked a question regarding Motorola's Droid (Can The Droid Remain The Number One Selling Android Phone?) and from the numbers below it seems like Droid's momentum is over…

Would be interesting to see how LG's latest Android successful device, the LG Optimus One will help improving LG's numbers, if at all.

---

Speaking of Samsung, how about those million Galaxy Tab units?
Yep, you are reading correctly, Google may think their Android platform is not ready for tablets, Steve Jobs, may think that a 7 inch tablet screen is not enough for consuming data, but the consumers may prove that all of them are wrong.
According to eWeek, 1 million Samsung Galaxy Tab units were sold already – not a bad start.

What else can we learn from it? I think we can learn a few things:

1. Steve Jobs isn't always right.
2. Google may know a lot, but they don't know everything.
2. There is a need for different kinds of tablets, with different sizes
3. Who knows, maybe even my own iOS based earrings, watch, and ring, could be successful sometime in the future.
4. There can be two 2's when counting from 1 to 4….

Read more about Samsung's Galaxy Tab sales it in here.

---

Women want iPhones, Men want Droids:
(Source: Nielsen)
According to October 2010 data from The Nielsen Company, 29.7 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers now own smartphones that run full operating systems.
Well, it's about time if you ask me.

When mobile users who planned to upgrade to a smartphone in the next year were asked about their next phone, Apple’s iOS and Android were tied for “most desired” operating system.

• Among users planning to get a new smartphone, current smartphone owners showed a preference for the Apple iPhone (35 percent), while 28 percent of both smartphone and featurephone planned smartphone upgraders indicated they wanted a device with an Android operating system as their next mobile phone.
• Women planning to get a smartphone are more likely to want an iPhone as their next device, with slightly more males preferring Android.

Oh I love it! I have another one: Cool people want iPhone because it's… well, looks cool, and geeks enjoy changing their Android ROMs because it's… kind of fun…

(Source)

---

Mobile statistics based on web usage:
Measuring web usage can teach about mobile habits but sometimes also about numbers of Smartphones out there (although it's a bit problematic).
A report by Royal Pingdom, shows a fascinating geographic breakdown of mobile Web traffic by operating system (not handset units sold). Here's what the analysis finds:

• The two dominant mobile Web platforms are are Apple and Symbian. Apple dominates in North America, Europe and Australia
• Nokia controls Asia, Africa and South America. Symbian is weakest in North America
• Android's strongest markets are South Korea, Austria, Denmark, Taiwan, Slovenia and the US. But the OS doesn't dominate in any single country except South Korea. 
• RIM is the dominant mobile Web platform in the Dominican Republic. BlackBerry also drives a considerable share of mobile Web traffic in Guatemala, the UK, Colombia and El Salvador.

Those numbers are likely to change as Android is now becoming the most popular platform in Asia as well…

The report also shows some top countries for each mobile OS:

Top countries for iOS

Canada, 83.7%

Cuba, 77.2%

Switzerland, 76.7%

Australia, 72.5%

Ireland, 69.7%

New Zealand, 69.0%

Top countries for Android

South Korea, 78.3%

Austria, 27.3%

Taiwan, 26.5%

Denmark, 25.3%

Slovenia, 24.0%

United States, 23.3%

Top countries for Blackberry

Dominican Republic, 57.1%

Guatemala, 45.4%

United Kingdom, 40.4%

Colombia, 38.9%

El Salvador, 37.54%

United States, 32.0%

Top country for Sony Ericsson by the way is Bolivia
Top country for Samsung is Namibia (just in case you will be asked…)

(Report Source)

---

What about Microsoft's Windows Phone 7? 
There Windows Phone 7 sales numbers are a mystery, which could hint on disappointing numbers. According to the rumors, Microsoft only moved 40,000 phones on the first day of availability. By contrast, Apple sold 270,000 first generation iPhones on its first day of sales, and Google's says consumers buy 160,000 Android phones every day.

Is that a failure? I certainly hope not.
The word needs another great mobile OS.

I was looking for more information without success, if you know something else, please feel invited to comment…

That's it for today's roundup, hopefully you found some of the information interesting. If not, we can always flash a ROM or something…