Google’s Android One program hasn’t had a major impact on emerging markets
Google initially launched their ambitious Android One program to get low cost devices in the hands of as many people as possible in emerging markets, all while securing the smartphone and tablet market with Google services. Unfortunately, it looks like Android One hasn’t quite gotten the results Google was expecting.
Android One definitely hasn’t been a failure, but devices shipped by local manufacturers haven’t really caught fire as far as sales go. Among those manufacturers, and some of the bigger OEMs that jumped on board with low-cost program, interest has dipped quite a bit from when it was announced.
Android One launched right on the cusp of device prices falling out. Google wanted to introduce tons of devices that were easily purchased for less than $100 without any kinds of contracts, but it’s not tough to find quality sub-$100 devices from other devices anymore. While Android One devices are much more likely to stay updated, that’s not a big enough selling point for many customers.
Even if Android One numbers aren’t doing exceptionally well, the program does fit into Google’s bigger plan to get as many as people as possible connected to the internet and, hopefully, using Google services and seeing Google-served ads. It’ll be interesting to see how much attention Google gives Android One going forward, though.
source: Fierce Wireless
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Cyanogen OS 12 is here, and the OnePlus One gets it first
Cyanogen and OnePlus aren’t as close as they once were, but the wide open Android variant finally has a release-ready version of Lollipop and it’s rolling out to the OnePlus One today. Cyanogen OS 12 has all the improvements Google could pack in to the fifth iteration of Android — you’ll need to wait for 12.1 for the 5.1 tweaks — plus a couple of special additions with app theming, a built-in Gmail replacement and more. If you’re not seeing the rolling update on your device yet, the factory image should be available to download here soon. Of course, OnePlus has its own OxygenOS version of Android to offer owners of the devices, so in the space of nine days, anyone carrying a One has gone from no official avenues for installing Android Lollipop to two. Choose wisely.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/_NIsv0aHbOw?rel=0
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Cyanogen
The rumored Google’s carrier service leaks, service comes complete with pay-per-GB and refunds for unused data
In the beginning of 2015, rumors began to swirl that Google was flirting with the idea of becoming a mobile carrier, later confirmed by Googler Sundar Pichai. That said service would run on Sprint’s network and possibly on T-Mobile’s as well. Possibly under the guise of Google LTE-A, little was known about the service. Well today that changes because a leaked app from a recent Nexus 6 image, gives us an inside look at what we could expect from the search giant’s network.
Before anything else is said, it should be noted that this, like all rumors should be taken with a grain of salt. Recently, a firmware image for the Nexus Phbalet was uploaded to motofirmware.center. Since that time, both the image and the site appear to be down but XDA has a mirror to said file. According to writers at Android Police the firmware image was a reconstruction of an internal build distributed to testers. That build, LVY47H, appears to have been built on or after Feb. 16.
While there may be other tidbits of things in that build, one application stands out: Tycho.apk. According to the guys at Android Police, the app is signed with a release key, however, that release key can’t be matched to any current or past keys Google has used. In the breakdown of the app, they found some interesting things.
Tycho is the codename given for the app and it will act as the interface for Google’s new carrier service. It is currently signed with a certificate that contains the name “nova” in the CN field. The application title, “Project Fi,” is rampant throughout the app.
As far as the app is concerned, users will be able to partially activate the service, request a new number or initiate a transfer within the app. Users may also be able to see status updates when things change, updates on problems and so on as well. As if that weren’t enough, it looks to be possible for users to also close an account, suspend an account or resume service from the app as well.
As far as Project Fi is concerned, it shows that users will only be charged for what they use. Like other carriers there will still be service plans but allotted data that goes unused will be credited at the end of the month. If users exceed their data, they’ll be charged the same flat rate for each gigabyte and from all appearances there is no artificially hiked overage fees. From what can be seen, there’s also a flat rate for talk and text.
For data, you’re charged per gigabyte. From some of the strings it also appears that there will be separate MMS pricing. Like the current hangouts model, if you’re calling in the US it’s free and international calls will be charged at a lower rate.
Some of the unknowns include whether or not multiple lines will be able to share data, but it appears that the app is prepared for a data-use-only scenario. It also appears that the app will allow users to switch their primary device at the press of a button, a boon for developers and people who need to switch phones constantly.
Strings in the app also confirm that Sprint and T-Mobile will be onboard during launch.
Another thing that was noted was Google’s usage tracking. Now before you get all up in a tizzy, it will act much like it does with your usage of other Google apps just with your call history. Basically, if you call a pizza place, an ad for it may show up during your usage. However, Google is publicly pushing the ability for people to opt out of such a service if they don’t want to be a part of it, something other carriers rarely do.
Other than that, there’s not much else we can get from the app. It’s anyone’s guess on when we’ll see this service. It could be that it’s announced at I/O this year and rolled out later. It could be that it’s rolled out without any announcement at all. Let’s face it, it’s not out of Google’s realm of possibility to do either.
source: Android Police
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ComScore Reports Smartphone Market Share
ComScore just released a report detailing the changes in market share amongst the most popular device and OS manufacturers over that last three months, and the results were less than shocking.
As most of us know, Android is firmly in the lead in number of devices being sold as a percentage of total mobile devices sold, although Apple is the most popular device manufacturer. The past three months didn’t change that, with Android gaining 0.2% market share to bring it to 52.8%. Despite the widespread popularity of the new iPhones 6 & 6+, Apple fell as both a device manufacturer and OS producer, with both falling 0.1% to bring it to 41.7%.
Other winners were LG, with a strong 0.7% gain to bring it up to 8.3% of all devices sold, and HTC, which had a miniscule 0.1% boost to bring it to 3.7%. Samsung lost a sizable chunk, with 1.1% going to other manufacturers and dropping the largest Android manufacturer down to 28.6%.
One big surprise has been Microsoft’s mobile market share performance: the underdog managed to grow once more by 0.1% to 3.5%. One change that surprised no one was BlackBerry’s 0.2% drop to 1.8%.
| Smartphone OEM | Share (%) Nov-14 | Share (%) Feb-15 | Point Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Smartphone Subscribers | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0 |
| Apple | 41.8% | 41.7% | -0.1 |
| Samsung | 29.7% | 28.6% | -1.1 |
| LG | 7.6% | 8.3% | 0.7 |
| Motorola | 5.2% | 5.1% | -0.1 |
| HTC | 3.7% | 3.8% | 0.1 |
| Smartphone Platform | Share (%) Nov-14 | Share (%) Feb-15 | Point Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Smartphone Subscribers | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0 |
| Android | 52.6% | 52.8% | 0.2 |
| Apple | 41.8% | 41.7% | -0.1 |
| Microsoft | 3.4% | 3.5% | 0.1 |
| BlackBerry | 2.0% | 1.8% | -0.2 |
| Symbian | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0 |
For more in-depth analysis, check out comScore’s website.
If you have any market predictions for the next three months, feel free to leave a comment below and start a lively internet debate that will definitely matter.
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Android ads. Fun, creative, and powerful. Check out the YouTube videos.
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We are literally bombarded with advertisements everywhere we look, and that means most of us are pretty good at tuning them out. I wanted to put together a few of the examples of fun ads for you to watch, all in one place. Android has a wide variety of commercials, where they use the Adroidified characters you can create using the Androidify app or webpage, and they have ads where they show where people should Be together. Not the same. Androidguys is in no way a political website, but now more than ever with the events going on around the world and especially in our own country, we truly do need to be together and appreciate our differences.
I find these shorts ads very entertaining and some have quite a powerful message. If you haven’t seen them or want to watch them again, I have posted some of my favorites below. Here is the link to Android’s official YouTube page too if you wanted to see more of them.
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WSJ: Google has a small research team working on future battery technology
According to a report published by The Wall Street Journal earlier today, Google has a group of researchers working on future battery technology for use in its upcoming devices. The team of four reportedly got together in late 2012, with former Apple battery expert Dr. Ramesh Bhardwaj at the helm.
The publication states that the team “first started testing batteries developed by other companies for use in Google devices, but about a year later expanded to plan battery technologies that Google might develop.”
Now it seems that the team are “trying to advance current lithium-ion technology and the cutting-edge solid-state batteries for consumer devices, such as Glass and Google’s glucose-measuring contact lens.”
It comes as no surprise that Google is working hard to try and make a breakthrough with future battery technology. After all, its the Nexus range of smartphones and tablets that’s often slated in the media for having very poor battery life.
If you’d like to read the full report — hit the source link below.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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WSJ: Google’s X lab is working on batteries that last longer
Google’s X lab is developing better batteries that last longer, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company hasn’t confirmed anything yet, but seeing as most of its products require batteries to work (phones, wearables, self-driving cars, etc), the report isn’t hard to believe. This particular initiative apparently began back in 2012, when Dr. Ramesh Bhardwaj started testing Google devices’ power sources. Now, his four-man team is hard at work within the company’s semi-secret facility, trying to advance lithium-ion technology. They’re also attempting to conjure up solid-state battery tech that’s financially feasible to mass produce for consumer products.
You’re likely familiar with lithium-ion, as it’s frequently used in electronics, so let’s talk about solid-state batteries. These are smaller than typical batteries, because they transmit currents across solids rather than liquids. The absence of flammable liquid electrolytes also means they’re safer, which is why Dr. Bhardwaj’s team plans to develop the tech for Glass and even for X lab’s smart contact lenses. It will enable Glass to play more videos on a single charge and allow future smart lens owners to wear them for extended periods of time.
In addition to Dr. Bhardwaj’s group, Google reportedly has other teams working to create more efficient batteries with AllCell Technologies LLC for Project Loon and three more hardware programs. At the moment, the internet balloons are using lithium-ion power packs covered in wax and graphite for protection against cold temperatures. But WSJ says the company’s testing specially formulated materials that can withstand the cold better.
If the report is true, then Google joins a growing list of big-name tech corporations looking to improve battery tech — and hence, battery life, which has become a huge issue since new devices are becoming increasingly complex and power hungry — or to manufacture their own. Tesla is planning to open a Gigafactory to produce batteries for its EVs in the US, and Apple is reportedly forming a “large scale battery division,” as well.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Google working on improving battery technology
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Battery is the fine point of any smartphone at the moment, with even the best devices sometimes getting downplayed because of the battery life; the Galaxy S6 for example being a an excellent device that is let down by sub-par battery performance.
However, Google has noticed this and is reportedly working heavily on a project to substantially improve battery life in their X labs department.
The Wall Street Journal reports that 4 engineers, including a former Apple expert, comprises the team working on increasing the battery life technology to improve user experience.
Definitely a topic that if nailed could see some substantial gains.
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Some users reporting Nexus 7 brick issue on Android 5.0+ Lollipop
Can you think of anything worse than bricking your phone when flashing a new ROM? Well, how about your Android device turning into a fancy paperweight when the official OTA update is installing? That’s right, a good bunch of Nexus 7 owners, both 2012 and 2013, are reporting that Android 5.0+ Lollipop is bricking their tablets.
Making matters even worse, users so far are feeling that Google and ASUS both are trying to wash their hands of the problem, leaving users in the lurch. Even users with warranty are feeling the pinch. Hopefully this is just a growing pain or misunderstanding, but these users are pretty vocal, just check out the hashtag #Nexus7bricked for some surprisingly calm and polite outrage.
For starters, if you have not yet updated your Nexus 7 tablet, 2012 or 2013, to Android 5.0+ Lollipop – especially 5.0.2, you may not want to hit that update button now. Wait for Android 5.1 Lollipop. If you’ve got a custom ROM on your device, just stay clear of stock images for now as well.
If you do already have Android 5.0.2 Lollipop on your Nexus 7, the recommendation is to try not to turn your device off at all until 5.1 rolls out.
What is going wrong?
At this point, we have some amazingly talented users that have identified a few things for us to look at, but an official cause is not yet known.
It appears that the problematic devices boot to the Google logo at startup, but do not proceed past this point, thus, do not load the operating system, leaving the device, essentially, useless. A few users have talked about getting into fastboot and recovery to find what appears to be the complete failure to mount the local storage flash memory.
Image credit
Is this a hardware failure of the flash memory or a software failure that corrupted the partitions or filesystem? We do wish we could answer this at this time, but, as mentioned, nether Google nor ASUS is stepping up just yet to inform users of the cause, or a solution.
Luckily, there is a large group of awesome Nexus 7 users out there that have figured out a ‘fix’. Pull out your tool kit, the repair for now appears to be a complete replacement of your system motherboard/logic board. I hope you’ve got warranty, and that they cover you.
Again, to be safe, let’s just say that this covers all Nexus 7 models, and all Android 5.0+ Lollipop updates. Please backup all your stuff and do not do anything crazy until Android 5.1 rolls out to your device, which some of you should already have.
If you already have a fancy paperweight, be sure to check out this Reddit thread, with links to a couple Google product forums on the topic. Make sure your voice is heard if you have been left out of warranty repair.
Have any of you seen this Nexus 7 bricking issue, or is it just an unfortunate few that are having the problem?
A big thank you to Christopher Watson for taking a proactive approach to seeing this issue get fixed.
Taking aim: Google allegedly working hard to make sure Android Wear works with iOS
World news is awash with articles about the Apple Watch today, and frankly if you manage to see this article, it will be somewhat of a miracle. However, behind the scenes Google is apparently readying its counterattack, but what is this counterattack? Well, as The Verge is reporting, the Android Wear operating system team at Google is apparently “finishing the final technical details” of making sure Android Wear works with iOS, a step that likely wouldn’t explicitly affect the popularity of the Apple Watch, but would crucially give iOS users something that their own ecosystem doesn’t allow them by nature – variety and choice.
Yes, if Android Wear worked on iOS, iOS users could choose to have a smartwatch that didn’t necessarily need to look like an Apple Watch and still have pretty much all the same functionality. Of course, there are a few glaring obstacles that need to be overcome, the largest of which would be getting an Android Wear app approved in the Apple App Store, which when said that way seems nigh on impossible. Nevertheless, it would be a brave and great move if Google were able to offer Android Wear devices on the iOS platform, but we’ll have to see if it pans out that way.
What do you think about Android Wear devices being used with iOS? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: The Verge via Droid-life
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AIVAnet 