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ComScore: Android up, RIM down, water wet
Stop us (oh, oh, oh stop us) if you've heard this one before, but in the world of cellphone market share: nothing's changed -- or at least almost nothing. The quarterly data from ComScore say you all still love Android and iOS only slightly more than you used to. Of the 91.4 million smartphones in the US, Google gained the 3.1 percent of the market that RIM lost, and is now inching toward controlling half the nation's phones with 46.9 percent, whilst Apple swallowed the modest gains that Microsoft and Symbian lost. Samsung remains top manufacturer in a report where the only surprise is that 72.6 percent of users send text messages, so what do the other 27.4 percent do when they've been delayed or way-laid? [Thanks, Wilson]
Nokia responds to questions over Symbian name swap
Nokia seems to have finally realized that it can't just kill off a long-standing name like Symbian with a mere three-word mention (in parentheses) on its official blog. It's now posted up a marginally more detailed statement in response to "heaps of questions" from Nokia fans about the name change, and it reads as follows: "We are still using Symbian Belle with some audiences like developers but now we also have the flexibility of using Nokia Belle when referring to our greatest and latest Symbian software update." There, that should clear it up. Or maybe not. The idea of switching between different names for the same product might be considered bad branding, and the notion of developers being an "audience" is confusing too. But what more can you expect from a single sentence? In other news, the update also clarified that Nokia/Symbian Belle will be coming to the Nokia 500, along with the devices mentioned yesterday, and that it's delay until February 2012 was due to this being a "major software update" that will "make such a big difference in the user experience."
Gresso's Grand Premiere: an Avantgarde phone with a behind-the-times OS and a $50,000 price tag
Whenever Gresso's not crafting expensive new threads for iDevices, the company makes its own featurephones from the finest materials mother nature has to offer. The new Grand Premiere is the latest from the company's Avantgarde collection and carries on this incongruous tradition. Its frame and keys are made from more than five ounces of 18-carat gold, with numbers and letters laser-etched on its sapphire crystal skin. We don't know the internals of the 12mm-thin candybar, but we do know it's running Symbian S40 and is probably packing anemic hardware like other Gressos we've seen -- you're paying for exclusivity and the shiny stuff, not benchmarking abilities, after all. Only 30 Grand Premiere's will be made at $50,000 pop, so all you conspicuous consumers with money to burn better move fast. Wouldn't want to be the only luddite at the yacht club without luxury handset, would you?
Say goodbye to Symbian, say hello to Nokia Belle
Symbian is already on its last legs as a mobile OS, now Nokia is giving it a bit of a kick while its down by ditching the name it grew up with and rebranding the latest version simply Nokia Belle. That's right, the Symbian title we've all come to know and love is being retired by Nokia, and with very little fanfare. In fact, the switch is relegated to a parenthetical aside in an update on the status of Belle at the official blog of the Finnish manufacturer. Here's the announcement in its entirety: "The all new Nokia Belle (previously Symbian Belle)..." That's it! Of course, functionally, swapping Symbian for Nokia makes little difference, but its still sad to see one of the last vestiges of this long lived platform disappear. We'd say to check out the source for more details, but that's all she wrote.
Microsoft Lync arrives on Windows Phone and Android, other mobile OSs still waiting in the queue
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]
Belle to make a pass at Symbian handsets early in 2012, Anna pretends to look the other way
We already know Donna and Carla are waiting in the wings, but you're likely wondering what's the deal with Belle. And no, that Symbian update isn't being held captive by a Beast in a lonely French castle, thank you very much. According to a report on All About Symbian, Espoo's OS refresh -- currently shipping on the trio of handsets pictured above -- is slated to roll out worldwide for a "range of smartphones such as [the] N8, E7, X7, C6-01, C7, Oro, E6, and Nokia 500" sometime early next year. Nokia's confirmed to us that this Q1 2012 timetable is, indeed, very much true. So while many of you are just now getting comfy with Anna, it'll soon be time to find comfort in the mobile arms of another.
ComScore: Android continues to boom, RIM and Microsoft decline
Numbers, numbers, numbers. ComScore is back with a few more of them, this time covering the mobile market during a three-month average period ending in October. The results aren't going to shock you: Android not only continues to dominate the market, it's on the up-and-up. Out of 90 million smartphone users in the US, Android held strong at 46.3 percent (up from 41.9 between May and July). Apple bumped up a full percentage point, while RIM's BlackBerry OS took the largest fall from 21.7 to 17.2 percent. What about Windows Phone? Microsoft's mobile OS fell slightly from 5.7 to 5.4. Moving from mobile platforms to OEMs, Samsung was still the top vendor at 25.5 percent, though it didn't grow or diminish that number. Rounding out the top five was LG (20.6 percent), Motorola (13.6), Apple (10.8) and RIM (6.6). If more numbers are what you crave, check out the full press release -- as well as another chart -- after the break.
Microsoft Lync coming to Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows Phone next month
Heads up, corporateers. Just like the company previously hinted, Microsoft Lync will soon make its smartphone debut. Currently, the enterprise instant messaging client (formerly known as Microsoft Office Communicator) has only been available to Mac and PC users, but all that is set to change next month when the software becomes available for Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows Phone. Curiously, Microsoft's New Zealand outfit had formerly stated that Symbian would be among the mix, although its mention is entirely absent from this announcement. Granted, the news seems rather informal at this point, and there's only so much you can cram into 140 characters.
Nokia's latest EDoF camera demonstrates improvement with macro shots
Nokia's second generation Extended Depth of Field (EDoF) camera was recently put through the wringer by the folks at All About Symbian, and for a technology that traditionally fails at macro shots, we're happy to see that the engineers in Espoo have made dramatic advances with this second go-around. Using the same lens and sensor as before, we're told the improvements come from a refined image processor alone. In a side-by-side comparison, this business was card snapped from 12-inches (30cm) away, first with a C7 and then a 701. While the new setup isn't perfect, the difference is certainly appreciable. Of course, Nokia has all but ditched EDoF in its high end smartphones -- as evidenced by our reviews of the N9 and Lumia 800 -- but the technology remains very much alive within its lower-end affairs, and really, who doesn't like to see improvement? For a complete breakdown of the new technology, be sure to hit up the source link below.
Donna and Carla plan to kick Belle out of the Nokia ball, promise not to be Symbian's last dance
Nokia may have signed a pledge of mobile allegiance to Windows Phone, but that doesn't mean its Symbian faithful have to play the part of the spurned lover. Espoo still sees a future for users of its other OS and plans to dish out the upgrades in two future steps, bearing such '70s disco queen-from-BK names like Carla and Donna. Details of these purported updates leaked out at the company's Developer's Day in Mexico where a blurrycam slide outed the planned progression for Belle-operating handsets. So, what's on deck? Well, Carla'll be the first to hit, bringing an updated Browser (8.0 here), Dolby Surround Sound, NFC functionality and improved widgets, while Donna's party plans were less than forthcoming, indicating that it'd be an exclusively dual-core phone affair. So, clear out some space on that Symbian dance card, these solid gold gals are looking for one last spin on the mobile dance floor.
Appcelerator developers warm to Windows Phone, give BlackBerry the cold shoulder
As the year winds to a close, it seems that developer sentiments have shifted since we last checked in with Appcelerator and its opinionated community of coders. In a survey performed in conjunction with IDC, the results suggest a steady interest to develop for smartphones and tablets of the iOS and Android variety, but also reveal a punctuated surge in enthusiasm for Windows Phone. The platform experienced an eight percent uptick since last quarter, with developers citing Nokia's involvement as a primary motivating factor. While Microsoft's OS still lags significantly behind the front-runners, it has significantly separated itself from other competitors. For instance, interest in BlackBerry smartphones fell by seven percent, to roughly half that of Windows Phone. It should be noted that this survey doesn't reflect the development community as a whole, but merely of Appcelerator Titanium users -- if you're curious, the product is a cross-platform development environment for mobile apps. While the 2,160 respondents may not perfectly represent reality, we wouldn't be surprised if they were darn close.
Goodbye Nokia 600, we hardly knew ye
Symbian just scored another blow. The Belle-installed Nokia 600 was announced in late August, destined to be a great music-centric phone for anyone trying to stay on a budget. Sadly, it appears its fate has been sealed before its release, as the company's taken down any pages on its websites that are related to the product. Then, if that weren't enough confirmation, it also broke the news of the handset's demise to a disappointed Facebook fan. We haven't been given a reason for the sudden decision to cease and desist, but we're not discounting the coincidence of this happening so shortly after the Lumia series was revealed.
Android Browser leapfrogs Opera Mini, but Safari increases its lead
Web browser warriors have some more statistical firepower to play with, now that Net Applications has released the latest usage figures for mobile browsers. Google's vaguely titled Browser has inched up from a 16.3 percent share last month to 18.7 percent, counterbalanced by Opera Mini, which declined from just under 19 percent to 13.1 percent. Similarly, both Symbian and BlackBerry's mobile browsers dropped a few percentage points, down to 2.6 and 2.4 percent respectively. While rumors of a mobile-friendly version of Chrome continue to bounce around, there remains a substantial gap between second-place Android and the current mobile browser boss, Apple's Safari, which has now extended its dominance from 55.6 percent to 62.2 percent. The battle of the browsers wages on.
Net Market Share lists Safari as top mobile browser
The latest mobile browser metrics from NetMarketShare show that Safari continues to gain market share. Since December 2010, Safari's share of the mobile browser market has increased from 49.17% to its current level of 62.17%. Android has also increased, but its growth rate is much slower than mobile Safari. Android ended last year at 11.50% and is now grabbing 18.65% of the mobile browser market. Android and iOS are on the increase, but all the other mobile browsers are slipping. The biggest loser is Opera Mini which dropped 13.37 percentage points, falling from 26.49% in December 2010 to 13.12% in October 2011. Symbian and BlackBerry also fell and now grab 2.55% and 2.04% market share, respectively. These numbers are not surprising to those who have used mobile browsers from a variety of platforms. Both iOS and Android have robust, user-friendly browsers that can access a variety websites and, in the case of Android, serve up Flash content. Opera Mini may be falling as users who would install this third-party browser are turning to these native browsers instead. Drops in Symbian and BlackBerry correlate with declining usage of those mobile platforms.
Nokia N8 clicks its heels three times, finds a Symbian Anna service pack update
What's a megabyte and is heading to the Nokia N8? Surprisingly, it's a service pack update for Symbian Anna. It's not too often wonderful things come in small packages, but we appreciate the fast download so we can move on with our daily grind pretty fast. Among the entries in the update's change log are performance and usability enhancements, faster email and messaging, better GPS locks and plenty more. It only appears to be finding its way to the N8 for now, though we imagine it won't be too long before it makes cameo appearances on the other Anna devices. If you want to get cracking on the service pack, it's available over the air and through the Nokia Suite. Now, if only Belle would come knocking on the door...
Nokia Drive with MirrorLink on Toyota Touch Life hands-on (video)
Just a few meters from the entrance to Nokia World at London's sprawling ExCel Exhibition Centre, we found a Toyota iQ compact with Nokia branding on the door. And in the dash was Toyota's new Touch Life smartphone integration system, complete with Nokia Drive compatibility and display mirroring via MirrorLink. In addition to mirroring your Symbian Belle (or MeeGo) display on the 7-inch touchscreen, Touch Life also provides a driver-friendly interface, including enormous icons to control music playback, or to place calls to contacts by tapping their name and photo, or by using the jumbo telephone keypad. It also integrates with the Nokia Drive app, with a very simple (and also oversized) navigation interface. The concept is simple: access basic smartphone functions as you drive while limiting distractions. While you're parked, you'll have unrestricted access to your phone's interface, but non-critical features are disabled as you drive. The demo unit we saw is still a few months away from hitting production, so there were a few hiccups. After connecting the Nokia 701 to the system, the smartphone's display appeared on the in-dash screen within a few seconds. We had full access to all of the phone's features until shifting into drive, when a much simpler screen popped up, with Call, Drive and Music modules. Everything worked rather seamlessly until we neared the end of the demo, when an "Enjoy the sound while driving" message appeared on screen, where the navigation window had been just a moment before. There isn't a firm release date in place, and the demo unit only appears to work with Symbian Belle at the moment -- though MeeGo support (and likely Windows Phone as well) will be available after launch. Jump past the break to see how it works from behind the wheel.%Gallery-137700%
Nokia to announce QWERTY Series 40 Touch and Type tomorrow?
See those boxes up there? They appear to contain a yet-to-be-announced QWERTY phone. We were able to get a quick glance at the phones from above as Nokia reps were discretely unpacking boxes for that little three-wheeled vehicular contraption parked behind the boxes. Another picture (after the break) reveals a red portrait QWERTY along with the tagline "You. Me. Everyone. Let's QWERTY," along with a model number covered up by a white piece of paper. It appears that this one may be the Nokia 303 leaked a couple weeks ago, which seems to be a low-end Series 40 6th Edition Touch-and-Type device. We know it includes WiFi and 3G connectivity, social functions and comes in colors (at least red and gray). We're just hours away from keynote confirmation at this point, and something tells us that these guys will be making their way into some attendee swag bags come tomorrow. Jump past the break for a few more pics. Brad Molen contributed to this post.
Symbian Anna update rolls out to compatible Nokia smartphones in the US
Nokia may be moving on to other things, but it's not leaving its existing smartphone lineup completely behind just yet. The company confirmed today that Nokia C6-01, E7 and N8 owners in the US are now finally able to download the Symbian Anna OS update, more than two months after it first rolled out elsewhere around the world. That brings with it a whole raft of changes, including a spiffed up UI, a new on-screen QWERTY keypad, a new browser, new Maps, new versions of the Ovi Store and QuickOffice, and a number of other "performance and usability improvements." Look for it in the software update client on your phone if you haven't downloaded it already.
Vertu Constellation packs gaudy brilliance, and we don't mean the AMOLED
Vertu's first foray into the heady modern world of touchscreen phones has arrived, and it still looks KIRF-ably premium. But what's surprising is that the Constellation's feature ensemble is actually half-decent -- at least relative to its predecessors. Wearing an exclusive 3.5-inch AMOLED screen coated entirely in sapphire crystal, the Constellation completes the look with a "ceramic pillow" (we'd call it an 'earpiece') and a black alligator skin back cover. Last seen skulking around Bluetooth product listings, it's now back in the public spotlight with a confirmed eight megapixel camera, flanked by a twin LED flash and HSPA+ connections. There's no word on what OS this starlet is working with, though it's likely to be Symbian -- appropriate for all those oil barons, F1 drivers and other anachronistic rich types who can (send staff to) pick up their new Vertu from stores now.
Nokia Q3 2011 earnings: operating profit sinks 60 percent, but sales beat estimates
Man, can Nokia World get here any faster? Nokia needs Windows Phone in perhaps the worst possible way, and if you had any doubt whatsoever on that, just take a look at the outfit's woeful Q3 2011 earnings. Right off the top, net sales dropped 13 percent year-over-year (and three percent from Q2), while operating profit plummeted a staggering 60 percent year-over-year (and 36 percent since the prior quarter). All told, the company recorded net sales of €9 billion ($12.35 billion), and while things are gloomy in comparison to the glory days, it still has a whopping €5.1 billion ($7 billion) in its coffers. And the good news doesn't end there. The company's shares actually surged on word that the losses weren't as bad as anticipated, and that overall sales beat estimates. Only in a stock market can the loss of €68 million ($93 million) be "positive," but hey -- we're sure Nokia will take all the silver linings it can find. Of course, things should be on the up-and-up after a spate of WP7-based Nokia devices are revealed later this month in London, but it still remains to be seen how soon the company can ship, and if it can penetrate a smartphone market that's gaining iOS and Android loyalists by the truckload each day. Hit the links below for more percentages than the average simpleton can shake a stick at.
