The Android operating system’s share of total North American mobile web consumption increased 8.3 percent month-over-month in February to grow to 15.2 percent, according to new data released by web analytics firm Quantcast–Android’s growth came at the expense of Apple’s iPhone OS, which slipped 3.2 percent to 6.7 percent. Research In Motion’s BlackBerry platform also picked up steam last month, rising 13.8 percent over January totals to command 9.2 percent of North American mobile web consumption. Rival operating systems comprise the remaining 11.8 percent, Quantcast adds.

Over the past 12 months, Android’s mobile web consumption share jumped 95.3 percent, Quantcast reports. The BlackBerry OS grew 7.5 percent over the same period, and the iPhone OS fell 10.2 percent. Competing platforms dropped 6.9 percent. Quantcast nevertheless adds that iPhone continues to make the biggest strides in respect to absolute mobile web consumption, commenting “the competition have a long way to go before there’s a real fight on their hands.”

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA: London and San Francisco, 15 February 2010

source http://www.symbian.org

The Symbian Foundation today unveiled the Symbian^3 (S^3) platform, the first entirely open source release following the platform’s transition to an open source license on 4 February, 2010, which was the largest of its kind in history.
S^3 is expected to be “feature complete” by the end of Q1 and the release will include: significant usability and interface advances, faster networking, acceleration for 2D and 3D graphics in games and applications, HDMI support (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), music store integration, an improved user interface with easier navigation and multi-touch gesture support, a feature-rich homescreen, and the ability to run even more applications simultaneously.

Members of the Symbian community, including device creators, network operators, hardware technology providers, professional services companies and application developers are already engaged with S^3 and the first devices using the platform are expected to ship as early as Q3 this year.

A Korean news report claims that a new 4G iPhone will be coming out as soon as this spring.

KT, a company partnered with Apple to sell iPhones in South Korea, revealed its plans to begin selling the 4G iPhone as early as April. We can obviously expect the phone to include new radio hardware for connecting to 4G networks, and KT’s reports indicate the phone will feature a new dual-core CPU for a speed boost. The screen is to be switched from a standard LCD to an OLED model, which could mean a brighter picture and reduced power consumption. There could also be a front-mounted camera for video chat and a battery that’s finally removable by the end-user.

According to Goldman Sachs’ Robert Chen, it won’t lack new features. “Apple’s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone,” he said.

There is also rumors that the back of the iPhone will be touch sensitive much like the touch panel used for the Magic Mouse or like the Motorola Backflip, an Android smartphone that can be controlled via a touchpad on the back of the screen.

Apple, of course, doesn’t comment on “rumors and speculation.” But according to Chen, the new iPhone will go into production in April and should be available to consumers in June or July — just enough time for the rumor train to go into full speed.

At a press gathering on Tuesday, Google unveiled the Nexus One, a Google-branded smartphone that will run on the search giant’s Android operating system. Some analysts say Google’s new device, which is being built by HTC of Taiwan based on Google’s specifications, will deal a stiff blow to Apple’s hegemony in the smartphone arena.

At first glance, it’s so sleek, stylish and sexy, we were almost wondering: Where’s the Apple logo?

Call it the Google challenge: After a few hours with the new Nexus One, a long time Apple fan will be willing to trade this iPhone. It’s very, very tempting.

Specifications of Google NEXUS ONE

Where could Google succeed, where other competitors have failed?

The Nexus One boasts speed improvements and enhanced camera capabilities, and the device will be sold unlocked.
The unlocked version of the Nexus One, which will be sold directly to consumers via a new web store hosted by Google, will cost $529. A locked version of the phone, which will be sold initially by T-Mobile, will cost $179 with a two-year contract that will cost roughly $80 a month.Apple’s iPhone 3GS now costs $199 with a two-year contract with AT&T.

Still, some new details emerged, so here’s a quick scan:
* In addition to T-Mobile the Nexus One will be supported by Verizon and Vodafone come spring.
* Some of those Android 2.1 goodies — expanded voice controls, including speech-to-text capability for tweets, texts and e-mail; a revamped photo gallery; more homescreen panels; interactive wallpapers; and a Google Earth app.
* In using the Nexus One to launch an online storefront intended eventually to allow consumers to choose from a raft of unlocked handsets and then pick a carrier and a calling plan, Google is revolutionizing the mobile phone marketplace. Or maybe not.

Courtesy of Brian J. Friedman

Yes there is a new entrant in the app space and even in the OS space. Joining Android, iPhone, Windows, Palm’s WebOS, Blackberry, Maemo and not to forget Symbian… Samsung wades into the battle of the OSs. To get a good share in the mobile market Samsung has launched it’s own Linux based mobile OS named “Bada” which means Ocean in Korean.

Professing to be a totally open platform or OS Samsung says that it enables a richer user experience in applications on Samsung ONLY mobile devices and helps developers to create UI rich applications very easily. Samsung says that the design principles of bada aim to deliver simple, intuitive, and innovative user experiences through innovative visual design. Samsung bada includes a next generation UI framework with feature sets and design elements that facilitate leading-edge user interfaces for every bada application.

The source code for the kernel that powers the Symbian OS now officially open sourced under the Eclipse Public License. This was something Nokia pledged to do when it acquired the remaining 52% stake in Symbian early June of 2008.

Early this year, Nokia announced it would be using a GNU/Linux based Maemo for their high end smart phones with Symbian pushed down to serve their mid-range offerings.

The Motorola Droid - Coming this October

Measuring 60.00 x 115.80 x 13.70 mm, it’s just slightly thicker than the iPhone 3GS but at least you could change the batteries on the Driod. Supported media formats include: MPEG-4, H263, H264, WMV; AMR-NB/WB, MP3, PCM / WAV, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA (something iPhone refuses to support).

The crypic Da-Vinci like countdown timer on the Driod homepage got the Internet working on the release date – Pharanoid.com broke the code to reveal October 28th as the release date.

I read an article this morning that brings home to me the fact that what is happening in the mobie space isn’t anymore just of interest to mobile related business people. I guess it signals a real coming of age.

BBC technology had an article “Battle of the smartphones begins” where they debate the pros and cons of BlackBerry, iPhone and the Pre. Was the Storm 2 or the Pre a possible iPhone killer. Of course for us mobile professionals, geeks or entrepreneurs in this space we read debates all the time like this. For us it is sort of our daily fare… but not so for the common mortal.

I felt that this was a sign that people are getting more and more attuned to the fact that mobile devices and their ecosystem of apps, mobile content and sites is of interest. This seems to me quantitative leap to what happened when Microsoft were battling it out back in the 80s and 90s where most people didn’t really participate in this battle, or even discuss it that much.

Now though people are interested in what is happening… I mean it still has some ways to go but it is becoming a topic of general news.

Nokia’s next tablet device is designed in the same vein as their N810, albeit significantly more polished. Though it doesn’t appear to have an official name as of yet, it’s referred to internally as “N900″, “Rover”, or “Maemo Flagship”. We’ll be referring to this device as the N900 for the rest of this post, though it’s quite possible that this name will change.

The N900 is very similar to the Nokia N97 aesthetically, having a 3.5″ touchscreen above a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and many of the same design features. However, the screen of the N900 is significantly higher resolution (800×480 as opposed to 360×640) and, unlike that of the N97, does not tilt up. Additionally, the N900 does not appear to feature the navi-keys found on the slide-out layer of the N97. And, of course, it runs Maemo rather than S60.

Palm Pre2

The Palm Pre continues to attract attention from analysts who speculate how many devices Palm has sold, as well as what the launch of webOS means for Palm’s future as an independent company.

Charter Equity Research analyst Edward Synder made a splash when he wrote in a recent research note that his contacts in the manufacturing and retail channel indicate that Palm has sold 300,000 Pre units since Sprint Nextel launched the smartphone June 6. The number is higher than many other estimates. Sprint may provide more detailed sales figures when it discusses its second quarter earnings this month.

Further, Synder said Palm will ship 1 million units to Sprint in its first quarter of production. He also said that he expects Verizon Wireless to launch a webOS device in early 2010, with AT&T Mobility following shortly thereafter.

Speculation about Palm as a possible takeover target also continues. Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu said in a recent note that there is “great value in Palm as a strategic acquisition.” He listed Cisco, Dell, HP, LG, Motorola, Nokia and Samsung as possible suitors for the smartphone maker.

And in one more tidbit of Pre news, the website T3 is reporting that early next week Palm will make an announcement about the Pre’s UK launch. Vodafone and O2 have been eyed as possible carriers for the Pre’s Euro debut.