Android

IDC is out with its latest report that covers the top six smartphone operating systems by shipments and market share during Q3 2012. In the study, IDC found Android on nearly 75 percent of all smartphones shipped during the quarter, giving Android 136 million units of the 181.1 million total smartphones shipped during Q3 2012. That accounts for 91.5-percent year-over-year growth, beating out 57.3- percent year-over-year growth for Apple, and an average market growth of 46.4-percent. Apple shipped 26.9 million iPhones, in comparison, giving the company 14.9-percent of the market in the third quarter. Samsung is once again the top Android vendor:

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

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

Google updated its Platform Versions website last night to reveal Android 4.x is now on 28.5-percent of devices.

Ice Cream Sandwich officially released to the masses over a year ago, but it is only powering 25.8-percent of Android smartphones and tablets. Jelly Bean, the following Android OS that launched in June 2012, has a meager 2.7-percent of the pie. Meanwhile, in third place, the two-year-old Gingerbread sits comfortably with a 54.2-percent share.

Fragmentation is clearly still an issue with Android, but it seems the slow adoption of the latest OS is just as alarming. A new iteration of Jelly Bean, Android 4.2, will launch in roughly two weeks, but the first version has hardly made a dent. Of course, Google’s new lineup of Nexus products may give Jelly Bean’s share a boost. We will just have to wait and see, though.

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On the Lat-Long Blog today, Google announced it is making new features available in the latest version of Google Earth including the tour guide and 3D imagery it rolled out to the mobile apps in July. Google Earth 7 for the desktop now includes “comprehensive and accurate tours of more than 11,000 popular sites around the world, including our growing list of cities where new 3D imagery is available.” Google is also rolling out more accurate 3D imagery for new areas:

In addition, Google Earth 7 now includes the comprehensive, accurate 3D imagery we’ve already made available on Android and iOS for Boulder, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Lawrence, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Seattle, Tampa, Tucson, Rome and the San Francisco Bay Area (including the Peninsula and East Bay). And today, we’re adding more 3D imagery for a handful of metropolitan regions including Avignon, France; Austin, Texas; Munich, Germany; Phoenix, Arizona; and Mannheim, Germany.

You can download Google Earth 7 here.
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We knew that Google Play carrier billing would be available “in the coming weeks” for Verizon customers when Google confirmed on Twitter earlier this month. Today direct billing is officially rolling out to Verizon users with the new payment option now available form the Google Play store billing page pictured above (via AndroidPolice). Direct carrier billing is already available to most other Android users in the U.S. on AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. No word yet on whether or not Verizon will employ the rumored $25 limit for direct billing.
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Today Samsung’s Ukrainian website posted official info for the Samsung Galaxy Premier (I9260), a 4.65-inch smartphone that packs in a 1.5GHz dual core processor, 1GB of RAM, Android 4.1, and a 720 x 1,280 Super AMOLED display (via Engadget). It also includes NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, a 2100 mAh battery, microSD, and a 8 megapixel rear and 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera. The Galaxy S III-looking device is set for a November release in Ukraine, but there is no word on a possible release elsewhere. Pricing for Ukraine works out to about $680. It also appears that it will be available in 8GB and 16GB variants. We’ll keep you posted if more markets are announced. 
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We have some new numbers this morning that paint a picture of the Android tablet space. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Asustek CFO David Chang revealed sales numbers for the 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet that is sold directly from Google Play. “At the beginning, it was, for instance, 500K units a month, then maybe 600, 700K. This latest month, it was close to 1 million,” he told WSJ.  In comparison, Apple sold 14 million iPads last quarter.

However 1 million sales per month certainly isn’t terrible. Apple also enteres the smaller tablet game this week with the introduction of its 7.9-inch iPad mini priced at $329. The recently revealed LG Nexus 4 and Samsung Nexus 10 should also help juice sales into the Nexus lineup. 
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First noted by Bloomberg, Google says there are now 700,000 applications available for users to download from the Google Play store. That means Google and Apple are neck-and-neck for how many applications are available on each store. Apple announced at its press event last week that it has “more than 700,000″ — nonetheless the race is still pretty close.

Many have observed that Apple’s App Store has lead to more revenue and sales than Google’s Play. Apple reported $6.5 billion paid to developers since the App Store was first introduced in 2008. Google is yet to release any similar numbers.

Google may be able to increase the number of tablet-specific apps that are available on its store with the introduction of the 10-inch Nexus 10. We’ll be on the look out to see if/when Google passes Apple.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0poff-mHQ4Q]

As we covered earlier today, Google is getting ready to introduce a brand new lineup of Nexus branded devices for the holidays and to accompany the launch is Android 4.2. We already got a good look at some of the features in this latest version of Jelly Bean in a promo video and walkthrough with Google engineers, but Google has a full run down of what’s new in 4.2 on its Android website here. It also posted the video above showing off the new Photo Sphere camera experience.

One of the biggest new features that Google is talking about is the new Photo Sphere camera mode. It allows users to snap pictures in every direction “that come together into incredible, immersive photo spheres that put you right inside the scene.” You can check out photo spheres from a few photographers here.

Some of the other features included in 4.2: enhancements to the lockscreen with widgets and camera access, Miracast wireless display support, multi-user support on tablets, and improvements to Google Now and accessibility. Google explained the multi-user support available to tablet users:

It’s your fully customized tablet. And theirs, too. With support for multiple users, you can give each person their own space. Everyone can have their own homescreen, background, widgets, apps and games – even individual high scores and levels! And since Android is built with multitasking at its core, it’s a snap to switch between users – no need to log in and out. Available only on tablets.

Android 4.2 also includes a smarter keyboard with Gesture Typing:
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Google just killed the 8GB Nexus 7 and added a 32GB and 32GB with HSPA+. Prices are above and reflect well against the Amazon Kindle prices and even the slightly larger but lower-resolution iPad mini.  
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHuoDqcIyqk&feature=plcp]

All of Google’s planned announcements for its cancelled Nexus event are starting to leak out, and now the company itself has posted the above promo featuring the new LG Nexus 4 and Nexus 10. Stay tuned to 9to5Google.com for more coverage as Google’s new product announcements continue to leak.

In December, we heard reports that the Pentagon had officially certified an Android device and Android 2.2 for use on Defense Department networks. According to a report from The Washington Post, citing a recent document posted by the Defense Department, the Pentagon is hiring contractors to securely manage a combination of at least 162,500 iOS and Android devices. The document also noted the project could expand up to 8 million mobile devices:

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[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-4zeAyxCmNY”]

There have been several leaks of Google and Samsung’s joint venture into the 10-inch tablet space —during the anticipation for the unveiling of Google’s slew of new Android products (whenever that may be)—dubbed the “Nexus 10“. Adding to thd leaks yesterday, BriefMobile posted a brief video showing off the Nexus 10’s over-all structure. Past the overview, nothing is really shocking here. It looks like we’re seeing the same dual-core Samsung Exynos 5250 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 10.1-inch Super AMOLED display at 2,560-by-1,600-pixel resolution, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED, front-facing camera, NFC, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 capability, as well as Android 4.2 Jelly Bean preloaded, which we’ve seen over the last week. We hope you like a little bezel with your tablet.

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Carphone Warehouse has had its fair share of troubles keeping the LG Nexus 4—the device Google was supposed to announce Monday— under wraps. Thanks to Android Authority, we got a look this evening at the Nexus 4’s alleged pricing of £389.95 ($504) unlocked at the third-party reseller. The promo banner seen above also rings out specs we heard before, including: 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. So, that looks to be the LG Nexus 4. Now, we just need a release date. [Android Authority via Engadget] 
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For those looking forward to Google’s media event set to take place Monday, we have bad news: Google cancelled the media event in New York due to Hurricane Sandy, which is barreling its way to the East Coast as we speak. The company was set to make big announcements, including: the LG Nexus 4, 10-inch Nexus tablet, and Android 4.2. There is no word on when the event might be rescheduled, but we’ll let you know when we hear more. Coincidentally, Microsoft also has a media event planned for Monday, but it’s in San Francisco where the weather reports are calling for sunshine. [The Verge]

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We’ve seen several signs that the 32GB Nexus 7 is on its way to the masses, and Google plans to officially unveil the upgraded storage at its event this week. A sign that the 32GB Nexus 7 has now landed in a few stores worldwide: one of our reader’s, Mike Attrell, was able to pick up the 32GB variant at his local Best Buy in Calgary, Canada. As you can see, on the product label above, there are several references to 32GB, including: “1B32″(as opposed to “1B16” or “1B8”). Furthermore, you can see on the receipt below, Best Buy is selling the 32GB variant for $269—a price that is sure to be at other retailers and even Google Play. We’ll know more about the 32GB model later this week.

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BestBuy is advertising a pretty attractive Deal of the Day that lasts for another 11 or so hours: $100 off its regular price on contract, you can pick up the Samsung Galaxy S III right now for $99 from BestBuy.com. That’s 50 percent off including free shipping, and it is being offered in select Best Buy retail stores. There are limited quantities, and one per order, but you can grab one right now from BestBuy’s Deal of the Day page here.

Rockstar Games announced on its blog today that Grand Theft Auto Vice City would officially land on Android in celebration of the title’s 10th anniversary. Rockstar said the game will be the full Vice City experience, but it will also feature “native high-resolution graphics and several enhancements unique to the iOS and Android platforms.” Unfortunately, it does warn that it will only be available on select Android devices. Rockstar is promising a release this fall and more details in the weeks to come. To celebrate the 10th anniversary, it will also release “a series of commemorative assets”:

To celebrate the 10th anniversary, there will be a series of commemorative assets released, including never-before-seen artwork and a brand new anniversary trailer highlighting some of the most iconic scenes and music from the game.  In addition, a limited run of collectable promotional items will be made available for purchase through the Rockstar Warehouse, with select items also available via online giveaways.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvB3msfJYdk&feature=player_embedded

Google Senior Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundotra posted some vacation photos to his Google+ (via AndroidCentral) page that appear to have been snapped by a yet-to-be unveiled Samsung Nexus 10. Some information that we learn about the tablet’s camera specs: the image is shot at 2,048-by-1,536 resolution (3.1 megapixels), which is rather low, but that’s likely because Google+ resized the images. It seems unlikely Vic would post images from another device with the camera listed as “Nexus 10,” but we’ll know for sure on Monday when Google is expected to announce the Nexus 10 alongside the new LG Nexus 4 in New York.

Another one of the images is below:

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A French website just dug up a Federal Communications Commission filing for a 3G variant of the Nexus 7.

The filing, as first discovered by Galaxus (translated), detailed a codenamed “ME370tg” ASUS device. This, of course, would point to Google’s ASUS-made Nexus 7.

Another noteworthy aspect to the filing is that the ME370TG will receive certification Oct. 29. This date should probably sound familiar, as it is also the day of Google’s upcoming New York City event.

Unfortunately, the 3G-enabled Nexus 7 does not appear to sport LTE connectivity.

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