Nexus 9 International Giveaway!
Welcome to the Sunday Giveaway, the place where we giveaway a new Android phone or tablet each and every Sunday.
A big congratulations to last week’s winner of the LG G4 giveaway: Oliver C. from the Dominican Republic.
This week we are giving away a Nexus 9!
HTC made a comeback to the tablet game in the form of the Google Nexus 9, the 8.9-inch Google Experience Device that it was commissioned to make in partnership with Google. The tablet’s competitive price is not its sole attraction — it also comes packed with a lot of goodies. For starters, there’s the fluid and feature-filled Android 5.0 Lollipop; this is a Nexus device after all, which means it gets first priority when Android software updates start rolling out. Second, it’s made by HTC, known for the premium and solid look and feel of its smartphones. Third, it is ably powered by a 64-bit 2.4-GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra K1 chipset, assisted by 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of inbuilt storage, and a 6,700-mAh Li-poly battery. Fourth, its 8.9-inch IPS LCD display is a delight to the sight with its QXGA resolution (1536 x 2048 pixels, 288 ppi) at 4:3 aspect ratio. All these and more make the Google Nexus 9 a tablet that can be used for both work and entertainment.
Recent giveaway winner: Marck E.
Giveaway winner Marck shows off his new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge!
Axon Phone giveaway: http://t.co/OdheEhIcJh pic.twitter.com/O08QfOcS8u— Android Authority (@AndroidAuth) July 17, 2015
Reminder: we have 3 days left in our Axon Phone giveaway – Enter Here!
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Nexus 9 International Giveaway!
Terms & Conditions
- The giveaway is an international giveaway (Except when we can not ship to your Country.)
- If we can not ship to your country, you will be compensated with an online gift card of equal MSRP value to the prize.
- We are not responsible for lost shipments.
- You must be age of majority in your Country of residence.
- We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
- Only 1 entry per person, do not enter multiple email addresses. We will verify all winners and if we detect multiple email addresses by the same person you will not be eligible to win.
- We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
- This giveaway is operated by Android Authority.
- The prize will ship when it is available to purchase.
Full terms & conditions and FAQ | Past giveaway winners [Gallery]
Ford’s high-tech lighting system makes driving at night safer
Ford is in the midst of developing a couple of advanced front-lighting technologies designed to prevent collision and keep drivers safe at night. The first one called “camera-based advanced front lighting system” takes two of the automaker’s older technologies — adaptive lighting system and traffic sign recognition — and transforms them into something better. It can interpret traffic signs and use GPS info to widen the headlights’ reach at roundabouts. In the absence of GPS data, it uses cameras to detect lane markings and move the car’s high beams according to the road’s curvature, or to spot dips in the road to illuminate them better.
The second technology called “Spot Lighting” is especially useful when driving in residential locations with no street lights. It uses an infrared camera attached to the vehicle’s grille to detect people and large animals on the road through their body heat. The high beams can shine a spotlight on up to eight pedestrians, cyclists and canines walking their human companions, but the system can also highlight them with yellow boxes on the in-car entertainment screen. Ford’s still not done making the Spot Lighting technology, but its camera-based front lighting system is ready to be deployed in the near future.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Ford
The Nodus is a new Android game from an Adelaide-based developer with nostalgic mechanics
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Does anybody else remember playing the original Pokemon games and sweating it out in Victory Road, trying not to screw up the boulder moving sequences? Imagine that, with updated pixel graphics, coloured boulders, and add about 30 more variations and you’ve got The Nodus, a new game from Adelaide-based Stuart’s Pixel Games – fun fact, Adelaide is in Australia. For those who don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, The Nodus is a game that takes place underground and makes you push around coloured boulders to match them with their corresponding “node”, with increasing difficulty as the puzzles progress. Check out this short trailer which will hopefully give you a better idea of the gameplay:
For me, The Nodus is a bit of a nostalgic trip, but even if it doesn’t do the same for you, the game looks well made enough to be worth your weekend gaming slot. If The Nodus looks like a game you want to try, you can pick up the game for $0.99 USD on the Google Play Store – hit the link below:
What do you think about The Nodus? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post The Nodus is a new Android game from an Adelaide-based developer with nostalgic mechanics appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Apple Predicted to Launch Apple Watch Sport in Yellow & Rose Gold, New iMacs & iPad Mini Later This Year
In a new research note outlining his predictions for Apple’s recently completed financial quarter and beyond, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shares his thinking about some of Apple’s upcoming product plans that will provide sales momentum in the latter portion of the year.
–Apple Watch: Kuo remains conservative about the Apple Watch, pegging Apple’s second quarter shipments at roughly 3.9 million and growing to 5.5 million in the current quarter as supply shortages ease and availability expands to more countries. As a result, he believes it will be difficult for Apple to reach Wall Street consensus estimates for 15 million units total through the end of the year, though analyst estimates have seen wide variations and Apple is indicated it will not be reporting Apple Watch unit sales in its financial results.
Notably, Kuo believes Apple could launch the Apple Watch Sport in new color options to match iPhone 6s colors later this year, anodizing the watch’s aluminum casing with yellow and rose gold. Kuo and other sources have previously pointed to a new iPhone color (reportedly rose gold) and Kuo indicated months ago that Apple could use new casing options for the Apple Watch later this year.
– iPhone: Kuo believes Apple shipped roughly 54.2 million iPhones during the second calendar quarter, and he predicts that number will fall to 40.1 million in the current quarter as sales slow ahead of the “iPhone 6s” launch and shipments of the new device may get off to a somewhat slow start due to “low yield of Force Touch.”
– iPad: Apple’s iPad sales continue to slide, with Kuo predicting the company shipped just 8.8 million in the current quarter. He believes a thinner and lighter iPad mini that is essentially a smaller version of the iPad Air 2 could begin shipping at the tail end of the quarter, helping boost overall shipments to 11 million units during the third calendar quarter. Apple’s iPad launches typically come in October, however, so shipments may not begin until the fourth quarter. In line with a recent report claiming Apple may not introduce a new iPad Air this year, Kuo does not mention any pending updates to that device. He also does not address the even larger “iPad Pro” that has been rumored to launch later this year.
– Mac: Kuo predicts strong Mac shipments of 5.3 million units for the second quarter, rising to over 5.8 million in the current quarter, which is traditionally Apple’s best quarter on the strength of back to school sales. He sees Apple releasing new iMacs late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter, helping to sustain Mac demand.
Kuo has a solid track record based on information from Apple’s supply chain, but he does occasionally make incorrect predictions. As a result, some caution should be taken with these predictions.
OPPO officially announces three-year partnership with Spanish soccer team FC Barcelona
Chinese smartphone manufacturer OPPO has just secured its role as the official mobile phone partner to the Spanish soccer team FC Barcelona. The three-year partnership, which was first announced on May 31st, will see OPPO serve as the official partner from the beginning of the current season until 2018.
The new partnership covers a vast amount of activities including soccer events, fan activities, TV advertisements and even accessories. OPPO’s logo will also be displayed prominently in FC Barcelona’s home soccer stadium, Camp Nou.
Check out these OPPO devices
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While it’s made significant progress over the years, OPPO is still known as an up-and-coming OEM in the smartphone world. This partnership will likely increase the manufacturer’s brand awareness worldwide, which is something that will probably be quite valuable to a company that is attempting to make itself a household name.
If you’d like more information on the OPPO partnership, feel free to check out the press release below.
The rise of global smartphone brand OPPO has remained under the international radar for much of the company’s 10-year history. However, all is set to change for the emerging mobile phone powerhouse thanks to a new three-year partnership with FC Barcelona, which is sure to increase public awareness and interest and cement OPPO’s status as a true global player.
The partnership, announced on May 31st, will see OPPO serve as Barcelona’s official partner for the mobile phone device category starting from the current season until 2018. The agreement covers a wide range of activities including soccer events, fan activities, TV advertisements and accessories. OPPO’s logo will also be prominently displayed at the Spanish football club’s home stadium, Camp Nou.
With Barcelona’s position as one of the world’s most recognized sports teams, this groundbreaking partnership is set to bring OPPO closer to the legions of fans that follow every move of the football club and its star players such as Lionel Messi and Neymar. Barcelona is the first sports team to amass more than 85 million fans on Facebook, with many of them in countries as diverse as Indonesia, Egypt, Brazil, and Mexico.
FC Barcelona Chief Executive Officer Ignacio Mestre expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, saying, “We are thrilled to team up with OPPO and hope that the partnership will excite fans around the world. As a global leading smartphone brand that values artistry of design and innovation in technology, OPPO is more than at home in Barcelona.”
Driving expansion forward with cross-brand partnerships and campaigns
This deal with Barcelona comes as the smartphone maker charges forward with a new global expansion strategy that was put in place in 2014, as an integral part of OPPO’s mid to long-term growth strategy. As of April 2015, the brand has been registered in 116 countries worldwide.
“OPPO has been focusing heavily on overseas expansion in recent years,” says OPPO CEO Tony Chen. “From the very beginning, we have positioned ourselves as a global company and our dynamic expansion strategy fully demonstrates this commitment.”
Founded in 2004, OPPO started its business journey as a global electronics and technology service provider by manufacturing high-quality MP3 and MP4 devices before adding Blu-ray DVD players to its line-up of products, the latter of which continues to do well in the US market. It started its foray into the mobile phone market in 2008 and made its first step overseas the following year, outpacing many of its rivals in terms of global outlook.
In 2009, OPPO entered its first overseas market, Thailand, with lively campaigns and creative marketing strategies. Today, it is a top smartphone brand in the country. OPPO smartphones are currently available in over 20 global markets as well as being sold online in an additional 50 countries via 3rd party online store OPPOstyle.com.
OPPO’s global expansion
OPPO made a big splash in 2011 when it enlisted Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio to star in the commercials for its Find smartphone series. In 2014, the company took part in a co-branding campaign with the action movie Transformers 4 for its promotional tour in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. This was followed up in the following year by a similar agreement in 10 countries with the blockbuster film The Fast and the Furious 7. This year, has seen OPPO make huge advances into the fashion industry; participating in 2015’s New York Fashion Week, with another major global fashion event this summer.
Thanks to its highly successful global marketing strategy that has put cross-brand partnerships and entertainment, fashion, and sports campaigns at the forefront, OPPO has seen its profile rise significantly, especially in Southeast Asia and South Asia. In 2014, the smartphone brand achieved registered market shares of 10% in Indonesia, 11% in Vietnam, and 12% in Malaysia, and has even established its first overseas assembly plant in Indonesia to service booming demand in the region. A second assembly plant is set to follow in India this year, as OPPO remains on target to ramp up its sales in the country to match that of the China market within the next five years.
In another recent global development, this July, saw OPPO enter into a partnership with leading Australian technology retailer Dick Smith to bring the full range of OPPO handsets to its 400+ outlets across the country.
With a series of diverse and worldwide partnerships in full swing, OPPO is well on track in its quest to establishing itself as a true global brand.
About FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona was founded on November 29, 1899 by initiative of a Swiss gentleman called Hans Maximilian Gamper, popularly known as Joan Gamper. Since it was founded, the club has had 44 different presidents. From Walter Wild to Josep Maria Bartomeu, Barça has grown into a massive social phenomenon that reaches far beyond the bounds of mere sport. The club has grown along with the city around it, and has come to represent Barcelona and Catalonia all around the world.
FC Barcelona is one of the football clubs with more members in the world and its achievements have also made it one of the most successful. The many famous victories and all-time greats that have played for the club (Kubala, Cruyff, Maradona, Romário, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Messi, and so many more) form an important part of the Barça legacy. But these would be no more than historical anecdotes if it wasn’t for the extraordinary social reality behind the events.
About OPPO
OPPO is a leading global technology brand dedicated to providing consumers across the Americas, Africa, Europe, Oceania, and Asia with pioneering products that never fail to inspire and excite. At OPPO we design, manufacture, and promote our own products, combining innovative technology with unique design, to ensure our customers always receive the best.
Founded in 2004, OPPO quickly proved itself in the market with its intense obsession to details. Each OPPO product encompasses a carefully selected array of attributes to specifically cater for users, combining impressive features with elegant designs. After entering the mobile phone market in 2008, OPPO quickly expanded into overseas markets a year later. OPPO mobile phones are currently available in over 20 markets and offered for online purchase in over 50 additional countries, with the brand already registered in 116 countries as of April 2015.
But OPPO doesn’t stop there. Using our passion for design and commitment to new technologies, OPPO has made a big impact in the audio-visual market by offering world-renowned, premium Blu-ray players in the United States and across Europe. For more information, please visit http://www.oppo.com/en/.
T-Mobile now selling the LG G4 for just $480
LG’s flagship for 2015, the G4, has many things going for it, including support for those features which Samsung opted to leave out of the Galaxy S6: a user-replacable battery and microSD support for expandable storage. Still, the device has also received its fair share of criticism having continued the use of plastic and for selecting the Snapdragon 808 while it’s sibling the LG Flex 2 has an 810. Reports have indicated the device hasn’t be selling as well as expected. While it is difficult to say just what the motivating factors are behind T-Mobile’s decision to slash the price tag, the customer is ultimately the winner.
Starting now the G4 can be had for just $480, a savings of $120. While this may only result in a $5 decrease per-month for those opting to purchase on installment, customers paying in-full will definitely see the savings in a big way.
LG G4
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As if this was not good enough, the deal is still valid in combination with LG’s bonus accessory campaign wherein purchasers will receive a free battery, charger, and leather back cover provided they buy before the end of July.
Unfortunately it is unclear just how long the G4 price cut will last: it may be a permanent price cut, or it could be a limited-time offer while supplies last.
For all those interested and making use of Magenta, now is the time to act. Those who are still on the fence may feel it prudent to watch our in-depth review of the G4 and related comparison videos to determine if it’s right for you.
Play Music updated with fix for disappearing cached tracks issue
Since the latest update, Google Play Music no longer deletes cached music from devices, an issue that has been affecting some users for the past couple of weeks.
Users reported that tracks downloaded for offline use and stored on the microSD card disappeared without notice whenever the device rebooted or the card was removed. Given that offline music storage is one of the most common usages for microSD cards, the issue has left quite a few users miffed, to say the least.
Fortunately, Google has given the issue the priority treatment it required, and the version now available in the Play Store is free of this bug. According to the changelog, version 6.0.1950S also fixes an issue that prevented some songs and albums from showing up in the My Library section. Judging from the comments on this Reddit thread, the update also fixed a problem with the way album art was displayed in the notification dropdown.
It appears that the update is causing the app to re-download any music you have marked for offline playback, presumably to account for the possibility that some songs were removed by the bug in the previous version.
Have you noticed this issue? What other bugs in Play Music would you love to see fixed?
Cortana for Android Beta hands on (and vs Google Now)
Just a few hours ago, Microsoft’s Cortana app for Android leaked out ahead of its official launch, allowing eager users to get an early look at the virtual assistant application. The version of the app that leaked is a very early build, so there are still many improvements that will be made over the next few weeks. But since we have an unofficial build at our fingertips, why not go hands-on to see just how well Cortana functions?
Today we’re getting a brief look at the app in its current form, and we’re also pitting it up against Google Now, just for fun. In the video, we run your through the Cortana experience and then look at how it compares to Google Now while below the video, we’re talking through the experience as we’ve found it.
Overview
If you’ve ever used Google Now or Siri (which I’m assuming most of you have), you’ll be right at home here. Upon starting up the application for the first time, you’ll be shown a brief overview of what functions Cortana can perform. Just like other popular assistants, this app can access your location, contacts, voice input, search history, calendar details and much more. You can always change what Cortana has access to in the Notebook tab at any time.
You’ll then get to choose what the app calls you, then you’re almost on your way. To use Cortana, you’ll need to sign in using your Microsoft account. I know, I know – not everybody has a Microsoft account, and not everybody wants one. But how else is Microsoft supposed to collect your data? After you successfully sign in, you’re taken to Cortana’s main home screen.
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Similar to the main card view in Google Now, Cortana gives you a giant list of what it thinks you’re interested in – from today’s news and weather to movies playing near you. You can of course click on whatever piece of recommended information you’d like and check out more details when the full page opens up in your browser. And just like with Google Now, you can hide stories from your feed if you don’t like what Cortana is showing you.
Down towards the bottom of the app you’ll find the search box, where you can either type or speak your query. This is where you’ll go to perform tasks such as setting alarms, checking out the weather forecast, and more.
What it does well
Overall, this build of Cortana works pretty well. It can perform most of the same tasks Google Now and Siri can do, but not much more than that. Cortana is great for setting alarms, finding quick pieces of information from the web, checking out the weather forecast and much more. The majority of the app could use some polish, but we knew that going into this demonstration.
That being said, Cortana still does recognise accents – although simple words like Slack seem to cause it some trouble but that may be due to my British accent – and performance is actually quite smooth (apart from the odd glitch here and there). Given it’s a beta, performance issues were to be expected but as a whole, the experience is better than we might have expected given this early stage.
Shortcomings
For now, the list of shortcomings unfortunately exceeds the list of strengths in its current form. Cortana is pretty good at recognizing accents, though it still struggles with names more than we’d like it to. For instance, telling Cortana to “text Jimmy Westenberg” confuses the app, while telling it to “text Jimmy” pulls up the correct contact name and number. Also, unlike what you’d get with Google Now or Siri, there’s no way of speaking your message to the recipient. We’re sure this functionality will come in a future update to the app.
If you’ve ever used Cortana on Windows Phone, you’re probably used to the voice assistant responding to you after it’s been asked a question. With this build of the app, Cortana responds vocally to simple questions such as “what’s the weather like today”, though conversational search doesn’t work as well as it does on the Windows platform.
Cortana for Android in pictures
Wrapping up
Overall, Cortana for Android is really good at what it does, and actually seems like it could one day be a viable option for anyone who wants to branch out from Google Now. But with that said, even though most of the shortcomings we mentioned will probably be ironed out in the future, launching a voice assistant on another platform is a difficult thing to do. With Google Now just a tap away, most folks won’t even bother with another voice assistant. That’s not to say what Microsoft has produced is incapable by any means, but for those who don’t own a Windows 10 computer or Windows Phone, we’re not exactly sure this application will catch on to the majority of users.
Based on what you’ve seen of the app so far, what are your thoughts? Anxious to give Cortana a try, or will you pass? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
EE is giving away 100GB 4G data for 2 months
The UK’s biggest network, EE, is back with another limited promotion, offering a total of 200GB 4G data free for Pay As You Go (PAYG) users. Like its previous promotions, you’ll need to order a limited edition EE SIM – although some users are reporting it works with existing prepaid SIM cards – and then top up in order to get the extra data for free.
Top smartphones of 2015:
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To get the promotion, first head over to EE’s Summer SIM landing page and once it arrives, top up £10, which will get you 50 minutes and 50 texts along with 1GB data for 30 days. Then, text SUMMER100 to 150 and this will give you 100GB data per month free for two months. It’s worth noting that – at least with previous versions of the promotion – you could use the SIM card for tethering, which makes it perfect if you haven’t got home internet.
What does 100GB data give you? According to EE, that’s enough to stream up to 900 hours of video but from my personal experience, 100GB data is enough to cover just about any usage you have. I personally have 20GB data per month on my postpaid plan with EE and – apart from this month thanks to a dodgy Wi-Fi connection – I’ve only ever used under 8GB in a whole month.
As we covered in our EE review, the network is the UK‘s largest carrier by subscribers and has one of the strongest (and fastest) networks in the UK. It offers speeds of up to 300Mbps (aka LTE Cat 6) on paper with real-world speeds of up to 150Mbps and its network offers LTE to nearly 80 percent of the UK population.
Related: UK Network Reviews (2015)
The promotion is limited to just one per person but based on some quick testing, it seems that this is based on your email address. The promotion runs until August 31st and for more information or to order your SIM, hit the button below.
Are you going to get the SIM? Let us know what you think of EE’s promotion in the comments below!
Google Play performance Q2 2015 – Google and Apple gain big from new, emerging markets
It’s about that time of year for the quarterly report by App Annie that tell us how Google Play and the Apple App Store did over the last few months. 2015 was projected to be a big year for both iOS and Android as Android moves into emerging markets and iOS continues to dominate in China. If you want to see some prior stats, you can find those here.
1. Google still leads in downloads, but iOS still leads in revenue
The stats: According to App Annie, Google Play continues to outpace the App Store in app downloads. In fact, they’re doing it so well that they’ve actually increased that gap. Google Play had about 85% more downloads than the App Store. On the other hand, the App Store continues to outpace Google Play in revenue by about 70% and this is about what it was back in Q1.
The takeaway: Both companies have been making some big moves this year. With Android One and cheaper Android smartphones, Google has owned the emerging markets and this has led to far more app downloads. However, any impact this (and growth in general) has made on revenue was totally cancelled out by Apple’s continued growth in China.
2. Taiwan finds out Google Play has games and leaves Germany in the dust
The stats: Google Play’s strength in Germany has been stellar and it’s one of the few places where Google Play outpaces the App Store in revenue. However, over the last quarter, Taiwan apparently figured out that Google Play had games and they have flown passed Germany in revenue generated.
The takeaway: This is a very strong example of what can happen when an emerging market starts taking care of business. It wasn’t long ago we were talking about Taiwan from the perspective that they were new in the Google Play stats world. Now, thanks to some core games such as Fun Plus Game and Shoryuken, the country is now among those that generate the most revenue. It’s also worth mentioning (based on the graphic above), that this growth happened within the last four months which is extremely fast.
3. Cord cutting is making a serious impact in the US and China
The stats: Video streaming apps have made a large impact on revenue in the mobile space, but predominately on iOS thanks again to China. The Entertainment category is also in the top five categories for revenue for the first time on Google Play.
The takeaway: It’s been the long time assumption that when cord cutting became a big thing that we’d see it on mobile. Thanks to its ever present nature, mobile devices and tablets seem like the natural fit for things like Netflix, Hulu, and the Chinese streaming services. Expect this to continue to trend upward as services like HBO NOW, Sling TV, Showtime, CBS All Access, and major sports streaming services (NHL Gamecenter, etc) become more popular.
4. The top categories by total time usage and by session duration
The stats: These are graphs that show two things. The first is “total time used” which shows what categories people spend the overall most time on. The other chart is by session which shows what categories people spend the most time doing at once. Here’s the difference. You may check Facebook 15 times a day for five minutes each totally 45 minutes (total time spent). However, you might watch an episode of a TV show on Netflix which is 30 minutes in a single session.
The takeaway: Once you take a good, hard look at the data, nothing here should surprise anyone. Entertainment includes things like Netflix which people will sit and watch for hours at a time so it makes sense that it tops the charts with the longest sessions. Similarly, Social and Communication make sense because people send texts and check their social media profiles copiously. The interesting part is that Books & Reference make an appearance on Google Play session duration which means people read for longer on Android than iOS. The iOS folks seem to be sticking to Music and Entertainment as per the norm.
5. Top countries for revenue and downloads barely change at all
The stats: Part of these stats show which countries were responsible for the most downloads and the most revenue. For the App Store, it’s been China, the United States, and Japan while on Google, it’s been Japan, the United States, and South Korea. The only notable change was that Taiwan surpassed Germany for Google Play revenue to be fourth overall.
The takeaway: There really isn’t any takeaway here. Steady as she goes because the same names that made a splash in Q1 of 2015 were the ones who continue to dominate Q2 of 2015.
6. …and the same goes for app categories
The stats: These stats show which categories saw the most downloads and obtained the most revenue in Q2 of 2015. There haven’t been many changes with the only notable change being that Entertainment is on the rise in revenue for both iOS and Android.
The takeaway: We discussed the rise of Entertainment earlier as cord cutters become more common and services like Sling TV making the idea more appealing. Other than that, much like the revenue and downloads by country, everything here is pretty much the same as it was in Q1 of 2015. Steady as she goes.
Wrap up
Overall, there weren’t a lot of big changes for the App Store and Google Play in Q2 of 2015. Google got some extra downloads while iOS got a little extra revenue. The Entertainment category saw some excitement as did Taiwan. Really, though, everything is pretty much the same and we expect it to remain that way for a while. Change is in the air but it’s slow getting here. If you have any thoughts, let us know in the comments!
AIVAnet 