Android 2.3 Gingerbread (and Beyond)

The most recent release of Google’s Android mobile operating system code named Gingerbread may be looking to replace your credit card. Android 2.3 is the first iteration of the OS to support near field communication (NFC) chips, meaning that you could use a smartphone running Gingerbread as a “swipable” payment device. Among Gingerbread’s other intriguing new features are native support for Voice over IP calling, manual control over front facing and back facing cameras, simpler cut and paste controls, and improved power management.

The Samsung Nexus S (available both unlocked and in combination with a T Mobile contract) is the first cell phone to offer Gingerbread out of the box, but it most assuredly won’t be the last. Prepare for a wave of Android 2.3 loaded smartphones to reach stores by the middle of 2011 and perhaps earlier. Also on the way is a tablet specific version of the Android operating system Android 3.0 (“Honeycomb”) which Google recently demonstrated on an unannounced, iPad like Motorola tablet at the D: Dive Into Mobile Conference in San Francisco. Will devices powered by Honeycomb make up ground on Apple’s runaway iPad market share? That outcome certainly seems possible, as long as the devices themselves are up to snuff.

Source of Information : PC World Magazine February 2011

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Android Experiences Record Growth

A new report from NPD sees Blackberry dethroned as the most popular commercial mobile operating system for the first time since 2007. The NPD Group, which researches the commercial wireless market, announced the results of its Q2 wireless research, and the clear leader was the Android operating system.

According to the research, one in every three commercial smartphones activated in the US last quarter was Android powered. The top five Android phones purchased were the Motorola Droid, the HTC Droid Incredible, the HTC EVO 4G, the HTC Hero, and the HTC Droid Eris.

Research In Motion’s operating system fell to second for the first time since Q4 2007. RIM accounted for 28 percent of commercial smartphones activated in Q2 2010. iOS accounted for 22 percent. Verizon Wireless maintained its lead in the carrier market with 33 percent, followed by AT&T with 25 percent. Sprint and T-Mobile held 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively. NPD’s numbers are based on consumers age 18 and older. The research did not factor in enterprise/corporate purchases.

Meanwhile, international smartphone trend reporting firm Canalys released its Q2 2010 report highlighting the growth of Android compared to the previous year and the continued success of Nokia, though the competition is closing the gap.

From Q2 2009, Android deployments rose worldwide by a staggering 886 percent. Canalys VP and Principal Analyst Chris Jones said that this spike was largely due to carrier promotions and increased adoption by hardware vendors, such as HTC and Motorola.

Source of Information : Website Magazine November 2010

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