Comscore recently published results for smartphone market share in Europe (EU5 countries Italy, Germany, France, Spain and UK) and Google has a lot to celebrate the world over. They’ve taken the number two spot from Apple in the three month period ending July 2011. Google climbed from the lowly depths of 6% of the share in the same period last year to 22% of the share this year, just enough to pass Apple.
Even with that, Apple grew (but only by very little). They held 19% of the share last year and now have about 20%. The constant in Europe has been Symbian, but it’s seen a major, major drop in share over the past year. It’s gone from owning 54% to 38% in just a year. They’ve been on a downward spiral in many parts of the world, now being almost nonexistent in North America (particularly the United States).
As expected, RIM and Microsoft round out the bottom of the pool, though the latter actually saw a slight climb from 8% to 9.4%. Microsoft’s story isn’t as promising, however, as they went from 11.5% to 6.7%. They’re hopeful Mango with another wave of devices will help them rise out of this hole but it will be tough to knock down those ahead of them.
In OEM news, HTC and Samsung seem to be the most popular Android smartphones out there with Sony Ericsson making good on their goal to become the top vendor. Motorola’s still stuck at the bottom with LG. Motorola has gained a rather sour reputation in that part of the world, mainly due slow or nonexistent firmware upgrades and buggy devices. LG’s problems simply stem from lack of inspiring innovation in a sea full of heavy hitters coming from Samsung and HTC almost on a monthly basis.
While there are only two varieties of HTC phones getting official bootloader unlocks right now – including the HTC EVO 3D and the HTC Sensation – more regions have been added to the list of supported phones. Both European and Canadian HTC EVO 3Ds (the Rogers variant for Canada, specifically) have gotten official support. The process is as easy as pie and while HTC may have your device information on file in regards to your warranty being void, it’s a worry-free alternative if the community-developed method scares you. Head over to HTC’s site now to get started. [via]
Looks like the Angry Birds craze isn’t about to let up anytime soon if this new merchandise is any indication. Adding to the Angry Birds phenomena are these adorable speakers shown off at IFA this year. I’ll admit, I’m not an Angry Birds junkie but even then, it’s hard to deny the appeal of these cute stereo critters from Gear4.
The stereo speakers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing you to pick your favorite fowl and plug-in using the inluded 3.5mm headphone jack. They even come with an included remote for adjusting volume from a distance and offer docking options for your iPod device. These guys are set to soar through Europe and the US in the coming weeks and should retail for around €69.
We know a German court’s decision to ban the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in parts of Europe effects the sale of Samsung devices, but would you believe it could also cause the company to pull the new Galaxy Tab 7.7 from its display at IFA, where it was formally unveiled. That is exactly what happened, though Samsung says it made the move voluntarily out of respect for the ruling handed down by a the District Court in Dusseldorf on September 2nd. While we assume Samsung still has plans for the new tablet, which looked mighty fine with its large Super AMOLED Plus display, current legal battles are making it difficult to know for sure when we might see its release.
It’s finally that time of the month again, when we get to unbox and review fresh new devices. This time we have a controversial device on our hands, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, that for a while was theoretically banned in Europe, after Apple’s legal attack against Samsung for presumably copying the iPad with this device.
This is certainly a slate to keep an eye out for, since it’s thinner and lighter than the iPad 2, plus it delivers Honeycomb in an excellent package. The box of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 includes the device, a bunch of manuals, a charger, cable and most importantly headphoens. It’s not often that we get to see tablet makers actually caring about the audio side and giving us headphones.
The first contact with the slate makes it feel dangerously thin, maybe even too thin for my big hands. It feels like I could drop it any time, but the finishes are elegant and overall the tablet looks great. One thing I noticed immediately is that this doesn’t look like a 10 inch tablet at all, so the display is very well integrated into the small chassis. We’ll be back with a full review in a couple of days.
When HP decided to discontinue the HP TouchPad and WebOS after they failed to do anything meaningful with it, they decided to sell out the rest of their stock in a fire sale clearance. This saw the device offered as low as $100 at most retailers and consumers snatched them up like hotcakes on a Sunday morning.
Unfortunately, so many people purchased them that stock quickly depleted, but HP decided to do one last production run of the TouchPad to meet lingering demand for the tablet (pending price, of course). If what Mobot.net reports is true, however, no regions outside of North America will be included.
"We are pleased by the response to webOS and look forward to customer feedback so we can further enhance the platform. A limited quantity of TouchPads will be available in the coming weeks in North America only. In EMEA we are discontinuing the webOS hardware operations and will not offer any additional products beyond what might be currently available in selective outlets."
That’s sad news for our friends in Europe and other regions, if true. With hope that Android will eventually be ported to the tablet thanks to the very dedicated development community, this was one of the hotter items to get at its price point. Perhaps eBay will treat one of you well in the near future, though we’d expect a bit of markup as it’s now become a bit rare.
Jeez, another phone from Motorola (not to make it sound like we aren’t glad). This time, they’re announcing the Motorola PRO+, a followup to the original known as the Motorola Pro or Motorola DROID PRO (Verizon). Set to hit the Asias and Europe this October, it’s a 1GHz device with a fully-exposed QWERTY keyboard that aims to draw in the Blackberry crowd who are looking to jump ship to a more… “modern” OS.
Aside from the more-than-capable processor, we’ve got 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, a 5 megapixel camera with video recording and flash, Android 2.3, a 1600mAh battery and more. Look out for it at retailers and carriers starting in October. Read on for full press details.
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. - Aug. 30, 2011 -Life is full of demands, and we all could use a little extra help. With the sleek and sophisticated Motorola PRO+, brought to you by Motorola Mobility Inc., you can have your own personal assistant that fits right in your pocket. Motorola PRO+ gives you the power to edit important documents on the go, multitask when every second counts, and encrypt sensitive work information so your IT manager can sleep at night. This supreme blend of touch screen, full QWERTY keyboard and Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) makes this smartphone ready for anything. The Motorola PRO+ will be available in Asia and Europe starting in October.
Motorola PRO+ has a super quick 1GHz processor and physical QWERTY keyboard for more efficient typing and texting when you need to update a client on the fly, for browsing for really important information, or multitasking as necessity demands. The device is also packed with productivity features to make your life easier and to help you impress your boss or your friends, including the pre-loaded Quickoffice Connect for accessing, creating and editing documents on-the-go. We know that in a fast paced world, going in and out of apps wastes precious time, so now key apps such as your calendar and email are scrollable direct from your home screen.
Motorola PRO+ merges all of your personal and business information for you in a convenient system designed to make your life easier. Take the pressure off knowing Motorola PRO+ syncs services from multiple sources, so all your contacts are viewable the way you want them, calendar options are available to arrange, edit, and respond to meeting invites, there are direct dial conference options, and intuitive email solutions that can anticipate who you may be sending an email to before you do. Its 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities enables you to connect multiple devices, such as a laptop or tablet, for quick access to the Web, corporate email and calendar syncing. Plus, it features scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass so tossing your phone in your bag or pocket doesn’t have to be a disaster.
"The Motorola PRO+ is built for people who want to take the pressure off and consolidate their work and personal lives with an efficient smartphone that acts like your personal assistant," said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president, portfolio and device product management, Motorola Mobility. "Today, with our demanding 24/7 lifestyles your smartphone should make your complex life easier and give you an edge at work and at play."
Motorola PRO+ knows how to have fun too - it is ready for full customization to bring you the games and applications most important to you. With Music, Motorola’s unique music player you have a dashboard for music discovery. You have easy access to all your favorite artists and song lyrics. Plus, you receive live, personalized recommendations for songs and videos as well as news and event updates from the world of music. With Gallery, you can aggregate all your photos from social networking and photo sharing sites like Facebook and Picasa for easy viewing. Plus, with Adobe® Flash® Player 10.3, you’ll be able to access the online content you love. Motorola PRO+ is also preloaded with the latest *Google mobile services including Google Maps™ 5.0, Google Talk™ and more than 250,000 apps from Android Market™.
Motorola PRO+ is a smartphone that you and your IT department can agree upon. Nothing says business ready better than the leading security features; whether it’s remote wipe of your device and SD card, password expiration and history, or full encryption, your IT manager will breathe a sigh of relief. Motorola PRO+ comes loaded with 25 Exchange ActiveSync security policies - including PIN lock, auto-discovery of Exchange Servers, Extended Device Management API’s and 3LM integration. Your sensitive information - your career - is guarded in this virtual vault with Motorola PRO+. It’s fully loaded with support for Exchange and Gmail for business, including corporate directory options. With these leading features your IT manager just might give you a smile.
Smart Accessories
A suite of smart accessories ensures users get the most from the Motorola Pro+. Available accessories include a Bluetooth® headset, Bluetooth car kit, portable power, and car charger.
About Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.
In Huawei’s efforts to help turn the public eye about their products (they’re known as the “cheap” OEM that everyone steers clear of for Samsung, HTC etc.) they look to be bringing another decent Android phone to Asia and possibly Europe. It’s called the Huawei Honor and at first glance could be mistaken for a Samsung Galaxy S
It’s true they’ve made their design similar to Samsung’s flagship phone (who was once accused of making theirs similar to Apple’s iPhone), but it’s a design that works and most people like it. What matters is what’s underneath, though – it’ll apparently be shipping with a 1.4GHz processor (no word on if this single core or dual-core), a 5 megapixel camera with HD video recording, Android 2.3, a 4 inch display, a 1930mAh battery and more.
No video yet, but if Huawei’s other 1GHz+ phones are anything to go on then this should handle Android as smoothly as the best of them. It’s possible Huawei will be on-hand at IFA with this model so we hope more information will come from the event. In the meantime, all we get is a fingerprint-clad photo of the phone that you see above. [LoD]
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Chairman Eric Schmidt reaffirmed Google’s commitment to their struggling TV platform. In fact, Schmidt says Google TV is looking to expand with more partners moving forward, pointing to a limited selection of hardware and software integrated into televisions sets, devices that consumers buy sparingly. With a new build of Google TV in the pipeline, the planned release of the platform in Europe, and a new set of hardware waiting in the wings, the tech giant hopes to make another big push in the coming months. Schmidt also did not deny talk that Google could leverage its recent Motorola acquisition to place Google TV directly into the set-top boxes dished out by cable companies.
While we here at Phandroid are avid supporters of the platform, we admit that the platform still has some work to be done. Google seems bent on making the internet television revolution a reality, if only to find a way to reap the advertising profits of the main source of media consumption in the household. For now, Google has enough excess funds to keep pumping money into the business in the hopes that someday it will take off.
HP continues to follow a confuse path, so after offering refunds for the purchased HP TouchPad units at full price and selling the device all new for $99, now they offered the full priced units again. Not knowing what to make of this, we followed the story and learned from The Inquirer that actually new and bigger prices were put up by error.
Of course, this angered a lot of consumers, who were hoping to pay 89 quid for the slate, instead of the recent 399 quid price tag that popped up by mistake. While the shops in the UK list he TouchPad as sold out, there’s always the option of getting one from eBay, although you’ll pay a hefty amount for it. Look on the bright side: you might purchase a unit that already has Android ported on it, since the community is working on that as we speak.
And what’s the deal with HP announcing that they will most likely not sell any more TouchPads and Pre 3 units in Europe, or at least not with their cut prices? Is this for real? Why this discrimination against Europeans?
