Despite fierce competition for the relatively small Windows Phone market, Nokia is generally pleased by the mounting number of Windows-based smartphones from other manufacturers as it increases the health of the platform overall, according to Vesa Jutila, the company’s head of smartphone marketing. Engadget spoke with Mr. Jutila following Nokia’s Lumia 925 launch event in London this morning. He revealed that “biggest complaint [received by the company over its Windows Phone smartphones] is that customers are missing the apps they…
Android Dominates Q1 2013 with 74% of Smartphone Shipments
Samsung hardware and the Android mobile operating system dominated the first quarter of 2013, according to new data released Tuesday by research firm Gartner. The Korean electronics giant shipped 64.7 million smartphones during the quarter for 30.8 percent of worldwide market share while Google’s Android was found on 156 million devices shipped during the quarter, for a commanding 74.4 percent market share. Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner, explained the results: There are two clear leaders in the OS…
Social Gaming Features Coming to Android with Google Play Games
Apple’s Game Center, the social iOS gaming service introduced as part of iOS 4.1 in September 2010, is about to get a doppelgänger in the form of “Google Play Games,” a new feature coming soon to Android. According to Android Police, which obtained an early build of the service, Google Play Games will likely feature syncing saved games between devices, shared game lobbies for chatting and matchmaking, invites and challenges, icon badges and notifications, score leaderboards, and achievements. The service…
Nokia Announces WP8 Lumia 928 on Verizon, Launches May 16 at $99
After months of teasers and comparison videos, Nokia released the launch details for its upcoming Lumia 928 smartphone Friday. The Windows Phone 8-based device will launch May 16 in the United States exclusively on Verizon. The Lumia 928 is an LTE-capable device and features an 8.7MP camera with a Carl Zeiss lens (the same optics as the AT&T-only Lumia 920), a Xenon flash, three microphones with an “advanced” loudspeaker capable of up to 140db, a 4.5-inch OLED 1280×768 display with…
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Amazon Preparing Broad Hardware Push Including 3D Smartphones
Following rumors that Amazon is preparing a Kindle branded TV set-top box, the company may also be on the verge of announcing its first line of smartphones, according to sources speaking with The Wall Street Journal. Two smartphones, including a high-end model with a 3D screen and an “audio-only streaming device” are said to be in the works. Rumors of Amazon’s interest in smartphones first began in mid–2012. The company reportedly hoped to use the product to secure a slice…
Apple’s iPhone Widens Lead as Most-Owned U.S. Smartphone
Apple’s iPhone reached record high usage share in U.S. during the first quarter, according to the latest MobiLens survey from research firm comScore. The iPhone achieved 39 percent usage share among U.S. smartphone subscribers as of the end of March, up 2.7 percent from December 2012. U.S. Smartphone OEM Usage Share Source: comScore December 2012 March 2013 Point Change Apple 36.3% 39.0% 2.7 Samsung 21.0% 21.7% 0.7 HTC 10.2% 9.0% -1.2 Motorola 9.1% 8.5% -0.6 LG 7.1% 6.8% -0.3 Usage…
Firefox OS Simulator 3.0 Gives Devs Taste of Mozilla’s Mobile OS
Mobile operating system fans who are anxious to try out Mozilla’s open source Firefox OS can now get a taste of what the platform will offer without having to purchase developer preview phones. Mozilla on Thursday released the final version of Firefox OS Simulator 3.0, which includes the complete feature set for the platform. Additions from previous versions of the Simulator include the ability to push test apps directly to supported hardware, rotation simulation, geolocation simulation, manifest validation, the latest…
Samsung Takes Another Page from Apple to Tell GS4 ‘Design Story’
On the heels of launching its latest flagship smartphone, Samsung has released a video telling the “Design Story” of the Galaxy S4. Taking perhaps one too many cues from Apple, the video features the phone’s design team as they describe their motivations for what will likely soon become the best selling Android smartphone. Those in love with Samsung products may enjoy the tale of how the GS4 will become their next “life companion,” but most will view the clip with…
Smartphones Outsell Feature Phones for the First Time in Q1 2013
A major milestone for mobile computing occurred in the first quarter of 2013, as more smartphones were shipped worldwide than standard “feature phones” for the first time, according to new data from research firm IDC. A total of 216.2 million smartphones were shipped globally during the quarter, compared to 202.4 million feature phones. The market overall grew 4 percent over the same quarter last year. “Phone users want computers in their pockets. The days where phones are used primarily to…
Steelcase Gesture Chair Promises to Save Mobile Users’ Backs
Have you ever spent a significant amount of time hunched over a tablet at your desk, or leaning to one side to check a smartphone? If so, you’ve probably noticed some back pain due to improper posture and support, and high-end office furniture firm Steelcase wants to help. The company has just announced the Gesture chair, a new product that aims to accommodate the non-traditional postures encouraged by the use of mobile devices like tablets, smartphones, and laptops. These postures are not…