A report from market research firm IDC shows how well smartphones that are running Android are doing in the market. Its latest report, that covers Q3, shows that they have a 75% market share with a total of 136 million handsets being shipped during the quarter.
These numbers leave all other operating systems in the dust. Apple’s iOS platform shipped 26 million iPhones, good for a 14.9% share of the market, BlackBerry had 7.7 million shipped, good for a 4.3% market share while Microsoft’s Windows and Windows 7 platforms shipped 3.6 million units good for a 2% market share.
Microsoft has a smartphone in the works
There has been a lot of noise over a rumored smartphone from Microsoft this week. It seems to make sense — the company introduces a new operating system for tablets and follows with its own tablet and it now also has a new operating system for phones.
While most just report on the rumor, Forbes has discussed why the phone is a good idea (at least in the eyes of the author) and takes a good look at what the impact of such a phone might have on the market and current and potential future Microsoft OEMs.
Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer is taking aim at Apple it appears and he said that Apple is a low volume player in all of its markets aside from tablets. It will be interesting to see how well Windows tablets do against the iPad.
When is an apology not an apology? When Apple makes it
Stung by a court order Apple has re-apologized to Samsung after a court in the United Kingdom deemed its earlier effort had inaccurate depictions of an earlier court ruling and that the apology must make an obvious reference to the court ruling.
Apple’s original effort was a cut and paste job that gave the appearance of exactly the opposite of what the court wanted it to say.
Microsoft vs Google trial has secrecy issues
The next major trial looming on the horizon in the U.S. is the pending case of Microsoft vs. Google, has a common request that is starting to worry legal experts. A part of the case has to do with royalty payments that these companies make to licensees, and they want that to remain secret, even when discussed at a public trial. The gist of a request that both companies have made separately is that a good deal of the trial be conducted in secret, so as not to reveal information that they deem confidential.
New crowdsourcing for app developers
Mobile app crowdsourcing player AppStori has teamed with Millennial Media to provide funds for not only mobile app development but also for advertising and support. The program provides eligible projects that post on AppStori $500 in cash funding and a $500 advertising credit to put toward driving app discovery. Millennium Media provides mentors to help the developer on everything from creation to marketing.
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