Here's a minor surprise: Android slipping at all in US market share. Although it saw just a tiny drop of two tenths of a point from where it was in March, and still saw a gain over January, Google's platform was down to 50.8 percent in April. Nothing dramatic enough to make Mountain View worry, as such, but definitely a sharp break from the rapid growth of last year. Apple could meanwhile claim a small victory for the month as a result by continuing to grow -- even if we wouldn't call its 31.4 percent iPhone share a revolution. Of the other platforms, only Microsoft had anything to crow about, as the Lumia 900 launch brought Windows Phone back just over the four percent mark.

The positions among individual cellphone makers as a whole didn't budge in April, and whatever losses came to Android's partners in that area were spread evenly across top-dog Samsung as well as LG and Motorola. Perhaps the biggest twist was HTC holding its ground at a steady six percent, which hints that the HTC One S' arrival at T-Mobile might have been just the ticket to keeping Taiwan in the fight.

ComScore: Android's US share dips ever so slightly, iPhone slowly marching up originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 20:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, it was revealed that the HTC EVO 4G LTE likely supports simultaneous voice and data connections on Sprint's network, Samsung's Galaxy Ace 2 landed at Three in the UK and Vertu revealed a refresh to its Constellation series of luxury phones. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 21st, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 May 2012 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've been jonesing for a more international look at smartphone market share for the start of 2012, and IDC is now more than willing to oblige. In case you'd thought Android's relentless march upwards was just an American fling, Google's OS has jumped from 36.1 percent of the world's share a year ago to exactly 59 percent in the first quarter of this year. That's nearly two thirds of all smartphones, folks. As we've seen in the past, Android is siphoning off legacy users looking for something fresher: Symbian and the BlackBerry have both lost more than half of their share in one year's time, while Linux (led mostly by Bada) and Windows Mobile / Phone together lost small pieces of the pie despite raw shipment numbers going up. As for Apple? Even with all the heat in the kitchen, the iPhone's share grew to 23 percent, leading to a staggering 82 percent of smartphone buyers siding with either the Cupertino or Mountain View camps.

Continue reading IDC: Android has a heady 59 percent of world smartphone share, iPhone still on the way up

IDC: Android has a heady 59 percent of world smartphone share, iPhone still on the way up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia invited us to take a tour of the Carl Zeiss HQ in Germany, all in the name of getting some time to shoot with the pair's latest project, the 808 PureView. Sure, you've heard the specs: a 41-megapixel sensor, f/2.4 Carl Zeiss lens and a focal length of 8.02mm. That hulking sensor dominates the body, but how do those photographic results turn out? We spent a few hours shooting with Symbian's (possibly) last hurrah and found that -- unsurprisingly -- this looks to be the new benchmark for mobile imaging. The top-heavy body fits in with the focus on mobile photography epitomized in this phone and there's a tangible quality to the photos even on the 808 PureView's 640 x 360 display, alongside a noticeable decrease in noise. Check out our gallery and grab more impressions and comparison images with the iPhone 4S and One S after the break.

Gallery: Nokia 808 PureView sample images

Continue reading Nokia 808 PureView impressions, camera showdown with the iPhone 4S and HTC One S

Nokia 808 PureView impressions, camera showdown with the iPhone 4S and HTC One S originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia's 808 PureView may not even be blasting retinas in stores just yet, but that doesn't mean those Finnish cameraphone obsessives aren't already cooking up a buffet of high-megapixel ideas for the future. Vesa Jutila, Head of Product Marketing for the incoming 808 PureView, said that there was plenty more high-spec digital imaging products in the pipeline. While he wasn't about to be drawn on specifics for any future Lumia-Pureview unions just yet, there were "multiple ways" that Nokia could run with its new imaging jewel. Slimmer models are a possibility, still containing high-end Zeiss optics and Nokia's oversampling techniques avoiding the need for optical zoom. He added that the next generation of Nokia camera sensors are already being worked on -- the 808 PureView was borne from an idea back in 2007. Jutila included one more soupçon of information: future PureView products "would not necessarily have the same 41-megapixel sensor" that we've been playing with recently.

The future for Nokia PureView: Possible slimmer models and 'not necessarily a 41MP sensor' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 02:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rounding off a busy day of shooting with Nokia's new imaging mistress, the company's Vesa Jutila, Head of Symbian Product Marketing, hooked us up with some more developments for the 808 PureView, specifically to do with NFC. He told us that picture sharing would be possible across devices -- not limiting itself to fellow PureView smartphones, and differentiating it from another hotly anticipated future smartphone. We'd err against using it on those full 38- or 34-megapixel images though, as they will often measure over 10MB and it could take some time. Further, Nokia's already applied for Mastercard and Visa accreditation to get those mobile wallets up and working. We're curating our own exclusive image gallery as we speak and they're likely to whet your appetite for more oversampling goodness. Expect a fully-fledged review with a final model in the not-too-distant future.

Nokia 808 PureView enables NFC image share, mobile payment apps to come originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 15:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We know almost too well how smartphones perform in US market share; what we don't usually see is how happy customers are once the shrink wrap's off. Going by a newly-expanded American Customer Satisfaction Index, it's the iPhone that most scratches the itch at a score of 83. Despite having just been added, Apple was noticeably ahead of a three-way tie between HTC, LG and Nokia at 75. You might not want to look if you're a freshly-minted RIM executive: the BlackBerry made its freshman debut on the charts at the bottom, or 69. Big carriers have their own reasons to wince, too, knowing that smaller carriers like US Cellular and TracFone scored higher on the happiness meter than incumbents hiking service fees. While there's definitely some wiggle room for your own experience to have been better or worse, if you were an iPhone owner on a regional carrier in the past few months, you were statistically the most likely to be on Cloud Nine.

Continue reading iPhone waltzes into top spot of US phone satisfaction index, small carriers trump the giants

iPhone waltzes into top spot of US phone satisfaction index, small carriers trump the giants originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 04:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia may be serving up polycarbonate slabs of smartphone with one hand, but the other is still dishing out candy bars for the masses. The new 110 and 112 models, announced today, are perfect examples of this. Once again, these phones are dual-SIM, which should appeal to the Asian / Indian markets, and offer money-saving features like crunching websites in the cloud first -- which Nokia claims reduces data consumption by up to 90 percent. As for the rest of the phone, it's all about being social, with direct access to Facebook and Twitter from the home screen, and the eBuddy IM service preloaded. Those 1.8-inch displays might not be ideal for watching movies, but are likely adequate for viewing the shots taken with the VGA camera. These stripped down specifications thankfully equate to a stripped down price, with the 110 landing at around 35€ and the 112 just three euros more when they show up sometime this quarter. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Nokia's new 110 and 112 dual-SIM phones are cheap and chatty (video)

Nokia's new 110 and 112 dual-SIM phones are cheap and chatty (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 05:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia's major focal points within the US market may currently be its Lumia 900 and Windows Phone, but that doesn't mean it's planning to leave its other notable offerings outside of Uncle Sam's borders. Speaking with PC Mag, Nokia executive Chris Weber explained that the company aims to offer its current Belle-rocking, imaging-champ, the 41-megapixel 808 PureView, north of Mexico in the "next couple of months." That's rather unsurprising, considering it recently passed through the underground testing-chambers of the FCC. Unlike the Lumia, however, this mega-phone will only be sold unlocked, naturally sporting AT&T bands (possibly others, too. See the update below) for connectivity. While we're still eager to find out more detailed availability information, you can now rest assured that you'll soon be able to capture highly detailed photos of your freedom fries to post on Tumblr.

Update: PC Mag's Sascha Segan wrote in the comments below to clarify this device's likely connectivity options:

Weber said he was sure the phone would support AT&T. He didn't refer specifically to any frequency bands or say the phone wouldn't support any other carrier. I presume it's going to be the international model, so it'll be any carrier the international model supports.

Nokia confirms intent to bring unlocked 808 PureView handset to North America (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

'Twas only a matter of time, we suppose, before Uncle Sam got his mitts on Nokia's mobile imaging monster, the 808 Pureview, and that time is now. The folks at the FCC got a real good look at the Symbian handset sporting a 41-megapixel shooter, and have torn it asunder to ensure it's safe for human use. Before you go thinking that this visit to the FCC means that the 808's coming to American carriers, recall that Nokia's already nixed that idea. That said, if you're like us, that won't deter you from wanting to check out the drool-inducing pics of its innards in our gallery below. And, naturally, there's all the electromagnetic measurements you can handle at the source link.

Gallery: Nokia 808 PureView FCC pictures

Nokia 808 PureView pops up at the FCC, has innards splayed across the internet originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 May 2012 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The March smartphone market share tally for the US is in from ComScore, and it paints a familiar picture that's rosy for Apple, Google and Samsung, but not so flush-cheeked for everyone else. Android is still tops and jumped almost four points to 51 percent of new American buyers. Apple's still riding high after shipping 35.1 million iPhones, however, and moved up to 30.7 percent. As is often becoming the case, it was Microsoft and RIM that took the biggest hit, with the BlackBerry dropping as much as Android gained and tumbling down to 12.3 percent.

A total of 106 million Americans had a smartphone, nine percent higher than in December, and that was mirrored in the hurt dealt out among total cellphone market share. Outside of Samsung's gangbuster run in smartphones keeping it on top at 26 percent, the only other company to move up as an individual cellphone brand was Apple, which staked out 14 percent of the US cellphone space for itself. HTC, Motorola and LG are all shedding market share, with HTC no doubt hoping that the One X and One S will turn its fortunes around pretty soon.

ComScore: Android tips the 51% mark in US share, iPhone nips its heels with 31% originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Aside from a brief video ad to show off its own motion-capture chops, it's gone a little quiet on Nokia's 808 PureView. The imposing 41-megapixel cameraphone, or phone-camera, is Nokia's latest Symbian device so why not run it (almost) side-by-side with the Nokia N8? The screen looks substantially more impressive on the 808 PureView, which is 0.5 inches larger than its older relative, but that brighter showing probably has more to do with the new phone's placement center-stage in exx10sive's hands-on video. Arguably Nokia's last Symbian big-hitter, the 808 PureView seems far more responsive to touch; apps appear to launch almost immediately, while the Belle UI also seems better suited to the newer device, with larger menu text and icons in view. The camera app has also been given a more modern flavor, in line with other smartphone camera UIs. A full-fat eight-minute comparison lies in wait after the break. Hopefully, those hints at a May launch will hold true -- we're waiting for the camera, not the Symbian.

Continue reading Nokia 808 Pureview goes up against Nokia N8, should probably pick on someone its own age (video)

Nokia 808 Pureview goes up against Nokia N8, should probably pick on someone its own age (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Former Nokia executive Lee Williams admits that he's a bit of an "arm chair quarterback," but won't let such labels stop him from offering up some seriously pointed criticism of Stephen Elop, telling CNET that the CEO is "struggling," due in part to a lack of "overarching vision." Williams cites the company's shift in focus to Windows Phone as a cause of the companies woes, adding,

It might have made sense to introduce a product or two into the portfolio based on Windows Phone. What I do not think they should have done is pretend it is a one horse race, and that one software system is all you need. They have executed in this fashion, and are paying for it.

Not that Williams is advocating backing just Symbian either. "One size does not fit all," he explains, "and I think technology religion is dangerous in a good products company. You cannot marry yourself to any one technology or way of doing something." More furniture football in the source link below.

Former Nokia Exec: Elop is struggling, shouldn't focus so heavily on Windows Phone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 9th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 9th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As promised, Nokia and Microsoft have made the mobile versions of Word, PowerPoint and Excel available to select Symbian Belle handsets. Earlier this year, the duo heralded the release of OneNote, Document Connection, Lync and PowerPoint Broadcast. With this latest software add, the Office suite for Symbian is (seemingly) complete. Those of you rocking an E7, C7, C6-01, X7, Oro, 700, 701 or 603 can acquire the fresh bits by launching the Nokia Software Update utility. Not bad for a dead mobile operating system.

Microsoft brings Word, PowerPoint, Excel to Symbian Belle handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SIM-free Nokia 808 PureView up for pre-order in Italy, expected to launch in May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia Maps Suite 2.0 rolls out to Symbian devices, breaks free from beta chains originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia and Microsoft create AppCampus to teach devs how to make more Metro apps originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia submits yearly SEC report, details €1.4b loss and Windows Phone risks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 23:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Nokia 808 PureView hands-on

Continue reading Nokia announces 808 PureView: Symbian Belle, 4-inch display, 41-megapixel camera! (hands-on video)

Nokia announces 808 PureView: Symbian Belle, 4-inch display, 41-megapixel camera! (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Live from the Nokia press conference at MWC 2012! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nokia Belle earns corporate street-cred with Microsoft Office apps

Nokia Belle earns corporate street-cred with Microsoft Office apps originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia teases with imaging-themed video ahead of MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia Public Transport for Symbian shows you the way, can't guarantee a seat originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia Astound owners face a Belle-less future, no update coming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia: 'We don't have a Plan B' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia 801 adds one part Belle, one part polycarbonate body for 100 percent possibility originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The latest reformation of Symbian has started to appear for compatible handsets -- and it's arrived a few days earlier than planned. MyNokiaBlog has already began the upgrade process on its N8, through the Nokia Suite software. (Update: Nokia's now officially announced the release.) Belle will furnish your smartphone with NFC sharing, more homescreens, adjustable widgets and, yes, a pull-down notification bar. Handsets fortunate enough to be blessed by the update include the N8, E6, E7, X7, C7, C6-01 and Oro, arriving on the Nokia 500 in the next few weeks. A cheerful upgrade tour awaits after the break.

Continue reading Belle update arrives for compatible Nokia Symbian phones (video)

Belle update arrives for compatible Nokia Symbian phones (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading ComScore: Android and iOS gallop ahead, US smartphone usage approaches 100 million

ComScore: Android and iOS gallop ahead, US smartphone usage approaches 100 million originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading IDC: Nokia, Samsung, Apple are the new top 3 handset makers

IDC: Nokia, Samsung, Apple are the new top 3 handset makers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading McAfee updates Mobile Security to 2.0, keeps you protected on the go (video)

McAfee updates Mobile Security to 2.0, keeps you protected on the go (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"After the holiday, Nokia is good news in ne :) You ready to update Symbian Belle Anna my Nokia phone on 8 / 2 home."

Nokia teases February 8th for Symbian Belle update originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia releases Q4 2011 earnings report: operating profits drop, Lumia sales break one million originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vertu rings in the Year of the Dragon by welcoming a trio of Signature luxury phones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia Car Mode for Symbian Belle now ready for download originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading ComScore: Android up, RIM down, water wet

ComScore: Android up, RIM down, water wet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia responds to questions over Symbian name swap originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gresso's Grand Premiere: an Avantgarde phone with a behind-the-times OS and a $50,000 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Say goodbye to Symbian, say hello to Nokia Belle originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft can't release apps quick enough. Bolstering the cross-platform likes of SkyDrive, OneNote and Kinectimals, its Lync app is the latest addition to the app roster. The corporate communication app ties together instant messaging, audio conferencing and VoIP calls on both Windows Phone and Android devices, while the Symbian and iOS versions are still being vetted for approval. According to the official blog, the app will offer a similar experience across platforms, which makes sense for the enterprise-centric Lync -- and an increasingly fractured business phone market. Suits can grab both the Android and WinPho flavors below.

Update: The iPhone version is now also up for grabs.

[Thanks James]

Microsoft Lync arrives on Windows Phone and Android, other mobile OSs still waiting in the queue originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.