During Google’s ongoing legal dispute with Oracle, the judge presiding over the case revealed the Internet giant’s Android mobile operating system was not profitable in 2010, Reuters reported. Google does not publicly report financial information regarding its Android operating system, however the judge did not disclose specific figures, but instead said it lost money in each quarter of 2010. “That adds up to a big loss for the whole year,” he said. Oracle argued that Google should not be able to deduct certain Android expenses for the purposes of copyright damages related to the case.

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Market research firm Ovum estimates that smartphone shipments will continue to grow and reach 1.7 billion units in 2017. The company cites increased demand from emerging markets, alongside the growth of Android, which will fuel ballooning handset shipments. “Android will dominate the smartphone market over the next five years,” said Adam Leach, principal analyst at Ovum. “While Apple has defined the smartphone market since it introduced the iPhone in 2007, we’re now seeing a sharp rise in the shipment volumes of Android, signaling its appeal to leading handset manufacturers.” Android-powered handsets accounted for 44% of the smartphone market in 2011, a significant increase from 17% in 2010. The firm estimates Android’s share will reach 48% in 2017 and Apple’s iOS will account for 27% of the smartphone market, an increase from 23% in 2011. “Although it will remain behind Android in terms of shipment volumes, Apple will continue to be a key player and innovator in the smartphone market over the forecast period,” said Leach. “We expect Microsoft, despite its slow start, to have established Windows Phone as a relevant smartphone platform by 2017.” Ovum’s press release follows below.

Ovum expects smartphone shipments to reach 1.7 billion in 2017 and Android to dominate as OS

London, 3 May 2012. Smartphones will outperform the overall market for mobile phones, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.9% for the period 2011–17 to reach 1.7 billion units, according to Ovum. Predictions show Android as the dominant operating system over the next five years as handset vendors rush to make it their primary smartphone platform.

In its latest forecast*, the leading telecoms analyst house reveals global annual mobile phone shipments will grow at a CAGR of 6.3% between 2011 and 2017, driven primarily by demand from emerging markets where connection growth will continue to fuel handset shipments. New shipments in developed markets, such as North America and Western Europe, will be almost entirely made up of smartphones, while feature phones will continue to play a small role in emerging markets in 2017.

“Android will dominate the smartphone market over the next five years,� said Adam Leach, principal analyst at Ovum. “While Apple has defined the smartphone market since it introduced the iPhone in 2007, we’re now seeing a sharp rise in the shipment volumes of Android, signaling its appeal to leading handset manufacturers.�

Smartphones based on Android accounted for 44% of the smartphone market in 2011, significantly up from 17% in 2010. However, its share will reach 48% in 2017, as Android-based smartphones are expected to grow at a CAGR of 26.8% over the forecast period. Apple’s iOS will be the second most widely deployed software platform in 2017, accounting for 27% of the smartphone market, a slight increase on the 23% share of the market it reported in 2011. Sitting some way behind the Android/iOS duopoly will be the remaining smartphone players.

“Although it will remain behind Android in terms of shipment volumes, Apple will continue to be a key player and innovator in the smartphone market over the forecast period,� says Leach. “We expect Microsoft, despite its slow start, to have established Windows Phone as a relevant smartphone platform by 2017.�

The Windows Phone platform, with the assistance of Nokia, will account for 13% of the smartphone market in 2017. Despite losing significant market share since its high point in 2009, RIM’s BlackBerry platform will still represent 10% of the market in 2017.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak recently purchased a Nokia Lumia 900 and thus far has had nothing but a pleasant experience with the device. The folks over at aNewDomain.net caught up with “the Woz” and spoke to him about his opinion on the Windows Phone platform. “Just for looks and beauty I definitely favor the Windows Phone over Android,” he said. Wozniak called the operating system “intuitive and beautiful,” and said it makes him feel as if he is “with a friend not a tool.” He also noted that apps on the Lumia look “more beautiful than on Android or iPhone.” Despite his praise, Woz maintains that the iPhone is still his favorite smartphone. The co-founder isn’t shy about his opinions and has previously stated that in many ways Android had lept ahead of Apple and the iPhone. 

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Verizon Wireless chief financial officer Fran Shammo said the company is looking to market a third mobile platform to help develop a strong competitor to Apple and Google. That operating system will be Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 8. “We’re really looking at the Windows Phone 8.0 platform because that’s a differentiator. We’re working with Microsoft on it,” Shammo said in an interview with Reuters following the company’s earnings call on Thursday. The carrier expects to have Windows Phone 8-powered handsets in time for the 2012 holiday shopping season. The executive suggested that Verizon could play a similar role in helping Microsoft’s platform to grow as it did with Google’s Android OS.

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According to Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page, the Android mobile operating system is an important asset for Google, but it is not critical. Page made the claim during courtroom testimony as he took the stand for a second day in the company’s legal dispute with Oracle. The CEO’s testimony is rather puzzling — Page has previously claimed the company’s Android platform was “on fireâ€� and a “tremendous example of the power of partnership” that “gets better with each version.” During an earnings call in October, Page said the company was “seeing a huge positive revenue impact from mobile, which has grown 2.5 times in the last 12 months to a run rate of over $2.5 billion.â€� Furthermore, Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility was meant to protect Android and further its mobile dominance according to statements the CEO made when the deal was announced.

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Following reports of a Windows Phone developer evangelist claiming that every Windows Phone 7.5 device currently on the market will receive an upgrade to Microsoft’s next-generation Windows Phone 8 operating system, doubt has been cast over the accuracy of his claims. In an interview with Portuguese technology news site Zwame, Microsoft developer evangelist Nuno Silva stated that all current devices would eventually be updated to the ”next major version” of Microsoft’s mobile platform. A subsequent report from The Verge contradicts Silva’s claims, however, and cites an anonymous source in stating that devices running Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” will not be upgraded to Windows Phone 8 “Apollo.” Microsoft would not clarify its upgrade plans. ”We have stated publicly that all apps in our Marketplace today will run on the next version of Windows Phone,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “Beyond that, we have nothing to share about future releases.”

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Google’s $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility currently awaits regulatory approval in China and then it will be complete. When the Internet giant proposed the buyout last summer, it confirmed that it planned to protect its Android mobile operating system with Motorola’s extensive patent portfolio. The company also ensured partners that a “firewall” would be put in place between the development of Android and Motorola’s handset division. According to a recent report, however, Google may have originally wanted to buy Motorola for its patents, but it has come to realize that it would rather follow in Apple’s footsteps. Read on for more.

The Mountain View-based company wants to design and sell its own smartphone hardware and software, similar to what Apple does with iOS and the iPhone and iPad, Business Insider reported on Tuesday. Google may not pursue this plan due to strong objections from a number of its partners according to the report. An executive who purportedly met with one of Google’s partners told Business Insider that every conversation during their meeting ended with anger and dismay towards Google, and there is a chance that Google’s Android partners will try to band together and demand that it sell Motorola’s handset business.

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As promised, Nokia and Microsoft have made the mobile versions of Word, PowerPoint and Excel available to select Symbian Belle handsets. Earlier this year, the duo heralded the release of OneNote, Document Connection, Lync and PowerPoint Broadcast. With this latest software add, the Office suite for Symbian is (seemingly) complete. Those of you rocking an E7, C7, C6-01, X7, Oro, 700, 701 or 603 can acquire the fresh bits by launching the Nokia Software Update utility. Not bad for a dead mobile operating system.

Microsoft brings Word, PowerPoint, Excel to Symbian Belle handsets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just this time last month, we reported that OnLive was in hot water with Microsoft over the company's ostensible lack of proper licenses for its remote virtualization software -- you know, the app that gave Android and iOS users free access to Windows 7 and Office 2010. Just recently, OnLive Desktop transitioned to Windows Server 2008 R2, and while neither company has confirmed suspicions, the move may be sufficient to satisfy the licensing requirements for both the operating system and Microsoft Office. Due to their similar foundation, most consumers are unlikely to notice the difference with the Aero theme active, and while the Windows 7 virtual keyboard is no longer available, OnLive has already replaced it with a mobile-inspired alternative. Let this be a lesson, kids: it helps to play by the rules -- especially when there are plenty of loopholes.

OnLive Desktop migrates to Windows Server 2008, sidesteps licensing concerns? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skyhook Wireless CEO Ted Morgan claims that a “major” non-Google Android smartphone will be released at the end of this year. The handset will reportedly be based on the Android operating system, however it will not be controlled by Google — similar to Amazon’s Kindle Fire. “I’m spending a lot of time with companies forking Android,” Morgan said to Technology Review. “Nobody wants to just be a manufacturer for Google. You see that with what Amazon has done, where they made it their own, and you also see a whole host of manufacturers taking Android down their own path.” Read on for more.

Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet runs a highly modified version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Because Android is open source, companies can take the Android code and use it however they please. Non-Google Android devices do not have access to the Mountain View-based company’s closed-source apps and Google Play marketplace, however, but thanks to Amazon’s Appstore for Android, non-Google devices finally have a decent alternative.

“[Google] really [does] restrict anything a device maker can do to stand out, for their own purposes,” Morgan argued. “It’s very unappealing to a device maker. They don’t want to be just a commodity hardware maker because they’ll all lose out to cheaper players in China. Everyone’s emboldened by the success of Amazon. Everyone’s saying ‘we need to go our own way.’”

While Morgan may have a personal vendetta against Google, reports have surfaced time after time claiming both Facebook and Amazon are looking to release their own smartphones.

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On April 2 1987, IBM launched its plan to revolutionize the PC industry: a next-generation operating system called OS/2. Co-developed by IBM and Microsoft, it was designed to replace DOS and change the way we used computers. Sadly, it didn't. But it still crops up in some of the weirdest places. More »

On April 2 1987, IBM launched its plan to revolutionize the PC industry: a next-generation operating system called OS/2. Co-developed by IBM and Microsoft, it was designed to replace DOS and change the way we used computers. Sadly, it didn't. But it still crops up in some of the weirdest places. More »

The Nokia Lumia 900 is now available for pre-order. The handset features a 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display, a 1.4GHz single-core processor, 4G LTE, an 8-megapixel rear camera with Carl Zeiss optics and the Windows Phone 7.5 operating system. When the Lumia 900 launches on April 8th for $99.99, it will be one of the most affordable flagship devices AT&T has ever offered. To make this sleek smartphone even harder to resist for current AT&T customers, Walmart is already offering the device for half off — $49.99 with a new two-year agreement. For new customers, order through AT&T’s website and you’ll get your new Lumia 900 for free.

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Android users who are looking to sell their old devices should be wary of the possible consequences. McAfee identity theft researcher Robert Siciliano warned that personal data from Android devices is not completely removed after a user activates the built-in wipe option, The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday. “What’s really scary is even if you follow protocol, the data is still there,” Siciliano said. If you have a BlackBerry or Apple device, Siciliano said your data can be fully deleted by following the manufacturer’s directions. As for smartphones running the Android operating system and computers running Windows XP, Siciliano recommends that people don’t bother with selling them at all. “Put it in the back of a closet, or put it in a vise and drill holes in the hard drive, or if you live in Texas take it out into a field and shoot it,” he said. “You don’t want to sell your identity for 50 bucks.” To test the security of various platforms, Siciliano purchased 30 smartphones and computers from Craigslist. The researcher was able to access personal data from 15 of the 30 devices through his own hacking efforts and the help of a forensic expert. The data obtained included bank account information, Social Security numbers, child support documents and credit card account log-ins.

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Google is planning to market and sell tablets directly to consumers through its own online store, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The paper’s anonymous sources say the search giant hopes the move will turn around the slow adoption rate of its Android-powered tablets. The Mountain View-based company will reportedly look toward its partners such as Samsung and ASUS to manufacture devices for the shop, with the latter creating a Google-branded tablet to be sold in the store later this year. The Journal’s sources also confirmed previous reports that stated the next version of Google’s Android operating system, called Jelly Bean, will be released in the middle of this year.

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Being able to touch, click and press your way around an operating system with a variety of hardware configurations, while not alienating potential upgraders, is no mean feat. That said, Microsoft thinks it might have the solution. By introducing a new mode, a 20 pixel buffer will be designated to working with those edge swipes we've heard about. It'll also go towards preventing accidental hits around the, typically less sensitive, edges of older screens. It does mean that you'll be losing a little real estate, but perhaps a small trade-off for being able to keep your Windows 7 touchscreen device. Going forward, Microsoft will be working with hardware providers to ensure new gear really shows off the new features of Win 8, but for now, legacy users can look forward to a better experience. Hit the source below for the full rundown.

Continue reading Microsoft reveals how your old slate will get all of Windows 8's charms (video)

Microsoft reveals how your old slate will get all of Windows 8's charms (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google on Tuesday offered to pay Oracle a percentage of its Android revenue if Oracle wins a patent infringement suit set to be tried soon. Google offered to pay the company roughly $2.8 million in damages on the two patents remaining in the case, giving Oracle 0.5% of Android revenue on one patent until it expires this December, and 0.015% on a second patent until it expires in April 2018. Reuters reports that Oracle rejected the offer, however, claiming it was too low. Earlier this month, a U.S. judge in San Francisco scheduled the trial between the two companies for April 16th. Oracle sued the the Mountain View-based firm in 2010, alleging that Google’s Android operating system infringes Oracle’s intellectual property covering the Java programming language. In addition, the company is also suing Google for copyright infringement, which could reportedly earn Oracle hundreds of millions of dollars. The company previously claimed that the search giant earns $10 million in annual revenue each day from Android activations.

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