Marshmallow is now on 10 percent of Android devices
The latest version of Android just hit a big, big milestone. Google’s early June developer stats have revealed that Marshmallow is now on just over 10 percent of Android devices, representing a huge jump from just 2.3 percent in March. Notably, only some of that surge can be credited to people upgrading from Lollipop. While the not-quite-current version’s adoption did go down (to 35.4 percent), the biggest declines in usage were for Jelly Bean and KitKat. In essence: many of those moving to Marshmallow may well have been replacing devices that were 3 or more years old.
The timing isn’t coincidental, as you might have gathered. In the three months since we last looked back, numerous smartphone makers have delivered Marshmallow phones in force. The Galaxy S7 is the big kahuna, but you can also point to phones like the HTC 10, LG G5 and Sony’s newer Xperias as factors. If you bought a brand new device this spring, especially if it was reasonably high-end, it might have been hard to avoid Marshmallow.
To us, the big unknown is how well Marshmallow will fare by the time its successor rolls around in a few months, around Marshmallow’s first anniversary. Lollipop took a year and a half to become the dominant Android flavor. Although Marshmallow isn’t necessarily going to repeat history, its year-one figures should give you a good idea as to whether or not it’s doing as well as its predecessor.
Source: Android Developers
Analysts predict the end of the smartphone boom
Gartner’s latest research into the state of the mobile industry is a dire warning to all phone manufacturers. The financial analysis firm believes that the growth in smartphone sales will fall to a single digit, half the rate it was in 2015. It’s hard to think that people buying 1.5 billion devices in a calendar year is a bad thing, but for companies who make profit on scale, it’s a nightmare. Last year, LG made just 1.2 cents in profit for every phone it sold, and you need to sell a lot of phones at that cost before you can consider yourself a big deal.
The issue here is the same that it’s always been, which is that almost everyone in the world who can afford a smartphone already owns one. For years, China was held up as a beacon of hope for companies struggling to wring more profits out of the US and Europe. With its enormous population and emerging middle class, a desire for smartphones would be impossible to satisfy, or at least that was the theory. By 2015, that country had become saturated with devices, helped by local players Huawei and Xiaomi selling devices almost at cost.
Another problem is that most people are still feeling the pinch of the various financial crises that have rocked the world since 2001. People in the west are pulling out of the 24-month upgrade cycle, preferring to hold on to their perfectly working devices for up to 30 months at a time. After all, it’s not as if the Galaxy S5 magically turns into a piece of garbage 730 days after you buy it.
But Gartner throws some shade at smartphone manufacturers themselves, saying they’re not doing enough to woo customers into buying new devices. As the technology updates have “become incremental, rather than exponential,” there’s little reason to rush out on launch day to grab the latest handset. Smartphones are something that you replace when they wear out, not something desirable in themselves.
The firm says that India is the next great hope for smartphone companies to make a profit, but even now it may be too late. The country still buys feature phones more than smartphones, and the average selling price for a device is $120. That means that only devices that come in under that price is going to make a profit, although Google’s Android One initiative may eventually prove its worth here. But local players like Micromax are mounting a stern defense, teaming up with Cyanogen to appeal to more affluent customers.
Buried at the end of the report is a note of optimism, saying that companies will still try to enter the “complex and competitive” phone business. But nestled alongside is the warning that some of the established players will “exit the market.” It mentions no names, but we can already think of one company that’s struggling to stay afloat after being undermined by ultra-budget Chinese competition.
Gartner ends by saying that at least one “nontraditional phone maker” could become a top five player in China by 2018. With the cost of low-end smartphones plummeting and the market becoming saturated, it’s not unreasonable to see that. For instance, a giant like LeEco or Tencent could offer almost free handsets much like Amazon does with its Fire tablets: as a trojan horse to hook you in to its other businesses.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Gartner
Swarm brings back Foursquare’s real-world perks
Foursquare is continuing its quest to bring back all the things you liked from its old check-in app. Swarm now offers real-life perks depending on where and how often you check in. You’ll get a discount if you swing by certain stores, for instance, or enter to win a prize if you complete a challenge across multiple shops. Only some locations will have these benefits, but Foursquare is promising “hundreds” of prizes ranging from cruises to drones to VIP concert tickets.
The first challenge is already underway, and it’s a big one: you can win a $10,000 vacation to anywhere you want if you check into three “summertime locations” (think beaches or movie theaters) no later than June 19th.
It’s a relatively small move, but it could do a lot to help Foursquare draw in users who might have drifted away. While it’s fun to get bragging rights for a mayorship, part of the allure of the original Foursquare app was getting that discount at the coffee shop you visit every day. If Swarm offers enough perks in the right places, you’ll have a good incentive to keep using the app regardless of how competitive your friends might be.
Source: App Store, Google Play
Twitter’s Android app gets the Material Design treatment
What was once a test is now official. Twitter is rolling out a new version of its Android app which adheres to Material Design, the paper-like visual language developed by Google. The app is now split into four tabs — Home, Moments, Notifications and Messages — which you can move between by tapping the icons at the top of the screen, or using a horizontal swipe. Dragging across from the left-hand edge will reveal a side menu with shortcuts to your profile, lists and Twitter highlights. The drop-down arrow at the top of the menu will let you switch accounts, meanwhile.
The visual revamp isn’t a huge surprise given how keen Google is for developers to embrace Material Design and its various principles. What is notable (but no less surprising) is the placement of Moments inside the new app. The feature is truly front and center now — an attempt by Twitter, no doubt, to make the news-centric hub more popular with users. What was once known as “Project Lightning” has had little effect on Twitter’s stagnant user numbers, but CEO Jack Dorsey will be hoping that can change now that it holds such a prominent place in the Android app.
Via: Twitter (Blog Post)
Source: Twitter (Android)
Google’s Deepmind AI will play Go against the world number one
After it beat Korean grandmaster Lee Sedol by four games to one earlier this year, Google’s AlphaGo has become the Go player to beat. Even while the series was still being played, 18-year-old Chinese Go champion Ke Jie remarked that he could beat Google’s Deepmind computer. Now he has his chance. At the 37th World Amateur Go Championship in Chinese city of Wuxi this weekend, a spokesman for the Chinese Go Association revealed that representatives have been in contact with the team behind AlphaGo and will set up a match before the end of the year.
It’s an interesting turn of events, particularly after Ke once said he didn’t want to play Google’s Deepmind computer because it would learn his playing style. “I don’t want to play against AlphaGo because I can tell from its performance that it is weaker than me,” he told Chinese media. “I don’t want it to copy my patterns and learn from me.”
Those emotions changed when 33-year-old 9th dan professional Lee Sedol was finally defeated by AlphaGo. The win is considered a huge milestone for artificial intelligence given the complexity of the Chinese board game.
Although Ke is also a 9th dan player and currently the world’s number one (beating Sedol on his way to a championship win earlier this year), the Korean is considered the Roger Federer of Go and was chosen for the Deepmind showdown based on his experience. Ke now has the chance to prove he’s not all talk and cement his reputation as the game’s best player.
Source: GB Times
Tribeca Shortlist now streams movies on Android devices
Last year, Tribeca Shortlist arrived on the video-streaming scene touting quality over quantity. At launch, the service was only available for iPad and the web, but it has since expanded to iPhone, Roku, Fire TV and, most recently, Apple TV. Now, Tribeca Shortlist is announcing support for Android devices, giving Google’s mobile users access to over 150 movies on demand. In addition to that content, you can also watch exclusive interviews with actors, directors and other members of the film industry.
Naturally, you’ll have to pay $5 per month if you’re interested. That said, Tribeca Shortlist is trying to tempt people by offering a free Chromecast to those who sign up for six months ($30). Can you handle another streaming service, though?
Samsung’s rugged Galaxy S7 Active packs a huge battery
It’s that time of year again: now that Samsung’s latest Galaxy S flagship has been on the market for a while, it’s time for the rougher, tougher Active version to show up. The company has unveiled the Galaxy S7 Active, an AT&T-exclusive rugged edition of the standard S7 that’s built to take a bruising. As with the S6 Active, this isn’t just a regular smartphone with a beefier drop- and water-resistant case. This year’s model has a shatter-resistant 5.1-inch screen, and the battery jumps from the S7’s usual 3,000mAh to a massive 4,000mAh — you won’t have trouble making it through a day of hiking.
The innards are otherwise familiar. You’re still getting a quad HD display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, a front fingerprint reader, a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front shooter. It’s hard to complain, mind you, when the base S7 is one of the more powerful smartphones we’ve seen this year. Just be ready to pay a premium if you like the idea of a Samsung smartphone that can survive your outdoor adventures. The S7 Active will go on sale June 10th for roughly the same amount as the S7 Edge: you’re looking at $26.50 per month on the standard Next plan, or $33.13 per month on Next Every Year.
Source: AT&T
ISIS worries that fake Android apps are spying on its ranks
ISIS’ attempts to disseminate its extreme message through mobile apps might be backfiring. Motherboard has learned that the group is warning members of fake, malware-laden versions of its Android apps that allegedly spy on users. While it’s not clear who’s creating the apps (besides “dubious sources”), it’s implied that at least one government is trying to snoop on ISIS through unsuspecting members. Those militants can’t just stick to ‘official’ sources to be safe, either — ISIS’ official channels frequently go down, so many of those backing the group’s hateful cause have no choice but to go through unofficial routes.
The revelations show just how difficult it’s becoming for ISIS to spread propaganda now that governments and social networks are doing more to fight online extremism. Simply put, the outfit can’t assume that any of its digital communication avenues are reliable, whether they’re apps or chat channels. It either has to withdraw its efforts or accept that spying and takedowns will be par for the course. Not that anyone targeted by the ultra-violent organization is about to complain, mind you.
Source: Motherboard
Google shows how Android apps will run on your Chromebook
Google was quick to tout Chrome OS’ upcoming support for Android apps during its I/O 2016 keynote, but how does it actually work in practice? You won’t have to travel to Mountain View to find out: the search firm has posted the video of a developer presentation that shows how the Play Store and Android apps will run on your Chromebook. As a rule, it appears to be seamless. Android’s intent system makes it relatively easy to share files between apps, while offline support will keep you entertained during those long flights. And yes, games appear to run smoothly.
The demo took place under ideal conditions, so you might want to avoid leaping to conclusions. The odds are that a lower-end Chromebook won’t be quite as adept with Android apps, especially if it doesn’t have a touchscreen to parallel the experience you get on your phone. Nonetheless, this clip is a good sign for anyone worried that an Android/Chrome OS union could get messy.
Via: Android Central
Source: Google Developers (YouTube)
Microsoft Band 2 gets Cortana support for Android users
Microsoft Band 2 pairs up just fine with Android phones. But if you want to be able to issue voice commands through the wearable, check out the latest update for Microsoft Health. The app’s newest version comes with Cortana integration for Android users — something that only used to be available for people whose Bands are connected to a Windows Phone device.
After updating your Health app, you’ll be able bark voice commands on the Band’s mic without having to touch your phone and get instant notifications. According to The Digital Lifestyle, though, you have to be in the US (due to the app’s limited availability) and have Cortana for Android installed on your phone to be able to use the feature. You can read the application’s change log on Google Play, which also lists the ability to create challenges for everyone in your friends’ circle who has the wearable.
Via: The Digital Lifestyle
Source: Microsoft Health (Google Play)
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