Android Authority

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• Android controls every single major market around the world, Nexus 4 boosts LG’s UK market share
• Rumor: Galaxy Fonblet coming in June, to be called Galaxy Mega?
• Google’s privacy director moving on, will Android be affected?
• Sony Xperia SP and Xperia L expected in UK later this month
• Tipster: AT&T HTC One pre-orders start April 5, $249 for 32GB version
• Sony Xperia Z gets dipped in sulfuric acid, with surprising results (video)
• First trailer for Fast & Furious 6 posted, release in May
• April Fools’ day in the tech industry: roundup
• Android Authority On Air – Episode 57 – We broke the HTC One and Facebook Launcher
• Here’s an iPad mini knockoff with a phone function

Android controls every single major market around the world, Nexus 4 boosts LG’s UK market share Posted: 02 Apr 2013 03:04 AM PDT With the year's first fiscal quarter wrapped up less than 48 hours ago, you'd think it's not yet time to look at market shares or analyze sales numbers. But while manufacturers will only reveal their financial reports in a couple of weeks or so, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech already has some interesting surveys for us. The first one, which we broke down yesterday, confirmed Android's growing trend in the US and showed exactly how big of a gap there was between T-Mobile and the leading three American carriers on the eve of the "Uncarrier era". As for the second Kantar report, this focuses on smartphone sales by operating system in UK, as well as other important global markets. Much to our delight, the data compiled by the market research firm shows Android has the upper hand against iOS all across the world, from London to Berlin and from Sydney to Beijing. Even more delightful, the gap between first and second place is all around wider than in the US. And the icing on the cake is that Android has seen a boost in sales everywhere, unlike Apple, who's had progress in some markets, while in others… not so much. But let's get down to the actual numbers, shall we? Starting with GB, where Android's sales market share in the three months leading to February 2013 has been 58.3%, up 10 full points compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, iOS has only grown 0.1%, from 28.9% to 29%. Windows has snatched the British bronze medal from RIM BlackBerry, despite what analysts have described as encouraging initial sales of BB's Z10. The status quo is similar in the other two major European countries surveyed by Kantar – Germany and Italy. Only Germans seem to love Android even more, as the market share has grown from 58.8% to a whopping 71%. Apple is the distant second around those parts, with 18.7% (down almost three points), while in Italy the gap is much narrower, but still comfortable – 57.1% vs. 23.1%. Windows seems to be most popular in "the boot", where it holds a steady 13.1% market share. Moving across oceans and deserts, we arrive in Australia, where Android remains the unchallenged champion, with a 61.4% share, up 3.6% year-on-year. iOS is second, with 32.5% (up 0.6%), while Windows is third, with a measly 3.4% share. Android has seen its biggest growth in Mexico, where the market share has more than doubled in the past year, from 25.9% to an incredible 55.8%. iOS doesn't even have a place on the podium here, being beaten to the punch by both BlackBerry and Symbian (?!?). Finally, Android's share in urban China is impressive as well (68.7%), while iOS places second with 25.8%. Getting back to the UK for a second, we have to award LG with an honorable mention for leaping from a 0.3% market share in the three months to February 2012 to 4.3% a year later. That's "almost solely" due to strong Nexus 4 sales, which is incredibly impressive given how hard it has been to score one of those in the recent past. This kind of bump has to make you wonder if the February N4 sales estimates were accurate. According to those, the phone sold in 1 million units globally. Our guess? Not even close. Despite the impressive growth, LG can’t reach the podium in UK sales. Samsung remains top dog, with 36.2% of the pie, Apple is second, with 29%, while HTC is third, with an on the rise 9.1% share owed to the One X+ and the Windows-based 8S. So how about all these numbers, folks? Should they give Apple the heebie-jeebies? Should Google and Samsung pop up the champagne? How about LG, is that 4% boost in the UK a cause for celebration? The post Android controls every single major market around the world, Nexus 4 boosts LG’s UK market share appeared first on Android Authority.

Rumor: Galaxy Fonblet coming in June, to be called Galaxy Mega? Posted: 02 Apr 2013 02:19 AM PDT Samsung is preparing two new extra-large devices for an expected June release, claims a rumor. Previously known as Galaxy Fonblet, the line will supposedly be dubbed Galaxy Mega. Let's start with a disclaimer – at this point, the information we have on the Galaxy Fonblet is mostly speculation and circumstantial evidence. That doesn't mean that the Fonblet doesn't exist in some form, but until some official info is revealed, take everything with a dose of skepticism. Today, the rumor purveyors at Sam Mobile claim to have information on the Galaxy Fonblet line of "phablets", hybrids devices that blur the distinction between phones and tablets. According to the report, the Fonblet name will be dropped in favor of the slightly less corny Mega moniker. The report says that Samsung will release two Galaxy Mega models, one equipped with a 5.8-inch display, and one with a 6.3-inch display. Moreover, the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is said to be released in the last week of May (week 22), while the Galaxy Mega 6.3 is expected in mid-June (week 25). Sam Mobile fails to mention any source for its claims, but the site has been known to deliver insider info before, although its reports haven't always panned out. In this case, a little digging provides some additional, albeit circumstantial, evidence. First off, Samsung has indeed registered the Galaxy Mega trademark, back in October 2012. That’s even before the Fonblet mark was registered, in December. The same day Mega was registered, Samsung also snapped up Mega View and Galaxy Wide. It wouldn't be too far-fetched too think that the Galaxy Mega View could be the name of the larger, 6.3-inch model. But that’s just speculation at this point. Another clue could be the dimensions of the Galaxy Mega/Fonblet 6.3. The Gamepad accessory that Samsung announced for the Galaxy S4 is said to be compatible with devices that have displays of up to 6.3-inch. It could be just a coincidence, but the specs of the Gamepad at least give us an indication that Samsung is working on future oversized devices. It's not clear yet if the Mega/Fonblet will be a phone or a media player. One thing is for sure though – jumbo-sized devices aren't going anywhere. The post Rumor: Galaxy Fonblet coming in June, to be called Galaxy Mega? appeared first on Android Authority.

Google’s privacy director moving on, will Android be affected? Posted: 02 Apr 2013 01:57 AM PDT Computer related privacy is one of those areas where if a tech company gets it wrong, the failure is normally quite spectacular. This, plus the fact that Google is huge, makes the job of Privacy Director at the Mountain View company hard. After just a few years in the job Google’s current privacy boss Alma Whitten is leaving Google to retire. She will however stay on for a few more months for the transition to Lawrence You, her replacement. As far as privacy is concerned Google never seems to be far from the spot light. Trying to judge the success of Alma’s time in charge of Google’s privacy department is hard as we can never see what might have happened if her group didn’t police Google’s actions and attitudes. However one thing is sure, Google is likely to be pleased to have Lawrence You working out of Mountain View rather than someone directing things from London, which is where Whitten was based. During Whitten’s time Google has been trying to get its privacy work right and to be fair to Google it does try. Since it is the custodian of so much of our data how Google uses, processes and protects that data is important for all of us. Android itself is Google’s official mobile entrance way into all those Google services and the best way to access your Google data. As such Google’s privacy related policies and actions affect every Android user. But Google has not always got it right. Back in 2012 Google entered into a small skirmish with the EU over its privacy policies. The EU felt that Google could be violating data protection laws. There was also the incident when Google deliberately ignored Safari’s privacy settings so that it could continue to track users across the net. On top of that it was revealed only a few weeks ago that purchases made on Google Play disclose users' personal info to app developers. Following new research, which was published this week in Nature, it is becoming clear that so-called “anonymous” data that is often collected by apps can in fact be used to identify individual users. The challenge for Lawrence You will not only to ensure that Google behaves responsibly with our data, but also to protect our data from being analysed (even anonymously) for patterns. These patterns in themselves can reveal too much about our personal lives. Also with new projects like Google Glass (which has already come under attack due to privacy concerns), Lawrence will certainly be busy. As for Alma, we want to wish her every success for the future. The post Google’s privacy director moving on, will Android be affected? appeared first on Android Authority.

Sony Xperia SP and Xperia L expected in UK later this month Posted: 02 Apr 2013 01:01 AM PDT The Sony Xperia SP and Xperia L have been announced in mid-March, but so far, we haven’t heard any official information on the release date of the two devices, other than a vague statement from Sony saying that they would be released in Q2 of 2013. It appears that those in the UK who are interested in these devices could be able to grab a unit later this month. The information comes as Carphone Warehouse has added the Xperia SP and Xperia L to its website, noting that they are expected in April 2013. While the Carphone Warehouse website doesn't specifically state the prices of the phones, we got word last month that the Xperia L will be available for €279, while the Xperia SP will cost €399. UK prices may vary. For those of you who are considering these devices, the Xperia L will sport a 4.3-inch FWVGA display with a 1GHz dual-core processor, an 8MP camera, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal memory. If you are willing to splurge a little more and get the Xperia SP, then you will enjoy the same basic specs, except that this device has a 4.6-inch HD display with LTE connectivity and a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Note that this is by no means an official information, so don’t make any plans until you hear anything concrete. The post Sony Xperia SP and Xperia L expected in UK later this month appeared first on Android Authority.

Tipster: AT&T HTC One pre-orders start April 5, $249 for 32GB version Posted: 02 Apr 2013 12:33 AM PDT HTC is preparing to launch the One in the United States, after the device went on sale in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Taiwan last week. According to a tipster, pre-orders for the new flagship phone on AT&T will start on April 5. An anonymous source sent in a screenshot to Engadget that lists the 32GB version available in silver or back. Either version will run you $249.99 with a new two-year contract. It’s now only a matter of time until Sprint and T-Mobile officially announce pre-order dates for their versions. If you’re interested in the HTC One on Sprint, Radioshack has at least hinted at the price. You’ll be able to pick up the One on a new two-year contract for $199, but you’ll receive $50 in Google Play credit and $10 Radioshack coupon with the purchase. T-Mobile announced the HTC One will cost just $99 with its new Simple Choice plans. However, keep in mind that, since T-Mobile no longer subsidizes phones, you will also have to pay $20/month for the next two years, in addition to the cost of the subscription. AT&T may have the upper hand though when it comes to larger storage options, with a promo video claiming that the 64GB HTC One will be offered exclusively (at least initially) by AT&T for a princely $299. Remember that the source of this information is anonymous, so it’s not fully reliable. With that said, which HTC One model do you plan to buy, once pre-orders open? The post Tipster: AT&T HTC One pre-orders start April 5, $249 for 32GB version appeared first on Android Authority.

Sony Xperia Z gets dipped in sulfuric acid, with surprising results (video) Posted: 02 Apr 2013 12:00 AM PDT The folks over at Stuff decided to test the resistance to elements of the Sony Xperia Z, but they decided a simple water test just won’t do. How about some corrosive sulfuric acid then? Just to remind us how potent sulfuric acid is, the experimenters first dipped a tea spoon into an acid solution. The spoon was attacked and quickly dissolved. Then, it was the Sony Xperia Z’s turn to take a dip into the dangerous substance. But let’s not spoil the surprise – here’s the video, made by Stuff. In case you didn’t realize, that was an April Fools joke (like the ones Google or SwiftKey had for us yesterday), and it wasn’t the Xperia Z that was fake, but the spoon, which was made from a material that melts at a pretty low temperature. Now, if you want to see what the Sony Xperia Z can really do, check out our video review of the smartphone (you can read the text version here). Sony’s flagship is a pretty sturdy device, and, while it likely won’t resist an acid test, it will make it through most day to day mishaps. And now that April Fools Day is gone, what was your favorite tech-related prank? The post Sony Xperia Z gets dipped in sulfuric acid, with surprising results (video) appeared first on Android Authority.

First trailer for Fast & Furious 6 posted, release in May Posted: 01 Apr 2013 11:42 PM PDT The Fast & Furious 6 will be coming this May on Android, and a first trailer of the game has been posted on the game’s official YouTube account. In the latest movie in the action franchise, Vin Diesel’s character, Dominic Toretto, and his partners are helping the law in order to keep their freedom. It’s not hard to imagine that the game, developed by Kabam and Gameloft (that has recently put out Order & Chaos Duels, a collectible trading cards game), will be based on the same story as the movie. Not that the story really matters that much when it comes to a racing game (like Real Racing 3, a game that’s getting an update later this spring). The trailer of the Fast & Furious 6 game shows some good-looking graphics and the game promises new modes taking place in London. The new heist mode will certainly appeal to some players and it looks like drifts will be pretty important in the game. As you’d expect, the various tune-ups (both visual and performance-related) will also play an important role. Fast & Furious 6, the movie, will be in theaters this May, and, if everything goes to plan, the accompanying Android title should hit the Play Store around the same time. The post First trailer for Fast & Furious 6 posted, release in May appeared first on Android Authority.

April Fools’ day in the tech industry: roundup Posted: 01 Apr 2013 09:41 PM PDT Credit: cutenessareej/flickr April Fool’s day is perhaps one of the most loved (and confusing) days of the year. Throughout the day, you have all sorts of people and companies joining in on the fun. It has actually progressed to the point where the average blogger can’t really believe anything they read or hear during the entire day. If you are interested in what companies pulled off which jokes but weren’t able to keep up over April 1, rest easy as we have compiled the most notable ones here. Google The king of April Fool’s jokes when it come to tech companies, Google certainly didn’t disappoint this year. They released several different pranks that span a wide variety of services. To find an in-depth description of what Google had up its sleeve this year, check our roundup from earlier today. Microsoft Microsoft actually pulled a couple pranks to help generate some excitement. Perhaps the most amusing one was that when a user searches “google” on the Bing search engine, the site transforms into a comical replication of Google’s own homepage. Microsoft has changed Google’s popular “I’m feeling lucky button” to a “I’m feeling confused button.” Clicking the button actually just brings you to Bing’s blog. Like Google, Microsoft also faked a product launch by supposedly releasing the Do Not Track Suit. This obviously pokes fun at all of the tension regarding browsers that support “Do Not Track.” The Do Not Track Suit is a “wearable computing appliance" that is useful if the user wants to block him or herself from the digital world. The Pirate Bay Popular bitTorrent tracker The Pirate Bay celebrated by changing their name to The Freedom Bay and by moving all of their servers to the United States. The US has been notorious for their anti-piracy actions and have been particularly hostile towards TBP in particular. The tracker even goes on to say that all US-based downloads will receive extra power to ensure that all Americans can get their content faster. Virgin Virgin’s Richard Branson posted that Virgin will be creating the world’s first plane with a glass floor. This will of course allow you to see the world as you pass over it, making air travel absolutely terrifying. Branson says “This really is a team effort from all corners of Virgin.” While this one isn’t too far-fetched, using this type of aircraft commercially would obviously induce quite a bit of anxiety from the passengers. Hulu Hulu got in the spirit by announcing the release of fictional TV shows that are featured in other popular TV shows. Hulu announced "Inspector Spacetime" from Community, both “MILF Island" and "The Rural Juror" from 30 Rock and “The Itchy and Scratch Show" from The Simpsons. This is another example where some users might not even realize it is a joke, especially if they are not familiar with the original shows. Twitter Twitter announced that in an attempt to encourage more “efficient and dense” communication, it is dropping vowels from all of its text. “Twttr” will be the basic free service that is available to everyone. If you prefer to keep your vowels, you can fork over $5 a month to upgrade to the traditional version. The company says that “Twttr will roll out slowly to a small percentage of users, growing to 100% over the next few days.” Sony Sony took the opportunity to announce its new line of electronics specifically geared towards pets. With its new Animalia line of tech products, Sony released products targeted specifically at owners of dogs, cats, and hamsters. The services are dubbed K9 4K TV, M3-OW KittyCans, and In-Cage Speakers. That translates to a TV for your dog, headphones for your cat, and speakers that can go inside of your hamster’s cage. Netflix Netflix’s prank was actually so subtle, some users just assumed it was a normal function of the site. As you may or may not be aware, Netflix categorizes shows for you on their front page. Sometimes the categories are general, but other times they can actually get so specific that its really comical. Today, some categories just seemed a little too specific to be real and as it turns out, they were. Imgur The popular image hosting website Imgur joined in on the fun by releasing its latest service Snail Mail. Snail Mail is a new and innovative way of uploading your photos where you actually mail the physical photos to Imgur. No longer do those who prefer film cameras have to deal with inconvenient photo scanners to digitize their photos. Simply send your photos off to Imgur’s PO box and you’re good to go! deviantART deviantART is a popular place on the web for artists to get together and share art. In honor of April Fool’s, the company is launching deviantHEART. deviantHEART is a dating site specifically dedicated to artists. The site will use “advanced matching technology” to perfectly match artists to the love of their lives. This obviously pokes fun at the fact that many dating services are geared towards a specific type of person. Toshiba Toshiba decided to have some fun by releasing the Shibasphere, dubbed the “most insane game console ever.” The concept is based on the Kinect-type of controller-less gameplay. Because Toshiba knows that gamers can get angry, the device uses Logical Aggression Monitoring to make sure that you don’t get too angry at your games. Nokia Nokia tried to fool consumers today by releasing its own microwave oven. The Nokia 5AM-TH1N6 Constellation is a touch screen microwave that sports a “superfast, water-cooled 8-core high-voltage transformer, which brings a combined performance of 5,000 watts to end-users.” Perhaps the best feature is that the touch screen can be operated with oven mitts, making it a must have for any serious chef. China Perhaps the biggest and cruelest April Fool’s joke of them all came directly from former Google China chief Kai-fu Lee. As you may or may not be aware, both Facebook and Twitter are banned by China’s “Great Firewall.” This means that you cannot access the services unless you are using some sort of VPN. Well, Lee actually posted that starting today, Chinese users will now have access to both of these sites. This one may have hit a little too close to h0me for some people in the county and will likely remain as one of the most infamous tricks played this year. As you can see, April Fool’s day was extremely popular among tech companies this year, a fad started by Google initially. As the years progress, it will probably turn into a giant competition to see who can pull of the most ridiculous one. So what company do you think had the best prank(s)? The post April Fools’ day in the tech industry: roundup appeared first on Android Authority.

Android Authority On Air – Episode 57 – We broke the HTC One and Facebook Launcher Posted: 01 Apr 2013 06:07 PM PDT   This week on Android Authority On Air, we discussed a new Nexus 4, Facebook Phone rumors, a handful of app updates, carrier news, and what we did to the HTC One. The Nexus 4 received an updated design last week. The Nexus 4 now has tiny little nubs or bumps on the back to raise the device just enough to help with muffled audio and to stop the smartphone from sliding off of various things. Will Facebook launch a phone, the HTC Myst on April 4th? Or is that just a bunch of crap? We’re more inclined to think Facebook will debut an Android launcher, allowing them to put Facebook first. T-Mobile LTE’s all the things (well, only a few things) for the very first time this past week, and some users get the Nexus 4 to work on it. On to app updates, a handful of Google apps got updated and Tasker got some #HOLO. The HTC One is a gorgeous device. During our HTC One review, we came to the conclusion that this Android phone is a beauty from Sense 5 to the aluminum body. Since the HTC One reminded us of the iPhone 5′s aluminum body, we did the only thing natural, we did a drop test and destroyed them both. Which device won? Check out the HTC One vs iPhone 5 Drop Test and find out. All this and more on this weeks show! Stitcher |iTunes | Miro | RSS The post Android Authority On Air – Episode 57 – We broke the HTC One and Facebook Launcher appeared first on Android Authority.

Here’s an iPad mini knockoff with a phone function Posted: 01 Apr 2013 05:13 PM PDT Apple seems to have hit the screen size limit with the iPhone 5′s 4.5-inch diagonal screen squeezed into a taller package. That’s not stopping the iPad mini from being one of Apple’s more popular devices, eating into the full-sized iPad sales, though. But it’s still a tablet and not a phone. What would you get if you had an iPad mini that could make phone calls? A Chinese knockoff tablet does just this. The tablet, named “No. 1 mini Pad” looks like an iPad mini from afar, and even the packaging mimics that of the iPad mini. However, you can distinguish it from the real thing with its wider bezel (the screen measures 7 inches rather than 7.9) and the branding at the back. It also runs an un-identified build of Android, although there’s no word whether it will be skinned to appear like iOS like some knockoffs. Specs-wise, it’s not exactly an iPad mini or a Nexus 7 competitor, but it’s not likely that it would matter for this device’s target market. Quad-core Mediatek MT6589 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz 2GB RAM Lightning connector clone port for charging and data transfers 1280×720 (rumored) 7-inch display SIM tray for data and voice communications The device comes with both rear- and front-facing cameras. According to GizChina, the device is just a prototype and build quality left much to be desired. There’s no word on the pricing yet, although GizChina says the tablet is set for production and release soon. We know how agile these Chinese manufacturing outfits are, and they can churn out gadgets at will. Cheap knockoffs are quite abundant, especially in a country that does not have the same regard for intellectual property as with the rest of the world. As with most cheap knockoffs, though, there is no assurance that it will provide the same user experience as with a branded device, like the iPad Mini itself or the Nexus 7, especially in terms of responsiveness, build quality and battery life. But if you’re out for an iPad mini lookalike that does a bit more than the iPad itself (such as make calls), then this might be an interesting tablet to watch out for. The post Here’s an iPad mini knockoff with a phone function appeared first on Android Authority.

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