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Archive for the ‘Android’ Category

In the past six months, Android’s appeal has grown while desire for iOS and Blackberry devices shrinks. Source: The Nielsen Company 

What type of smartphone are you planning on purchasing next?

If you answered Android, you are now in the majority.

According to surveys conducted by Nielsen for January to March 2011, 31% of consumers plan to make their next smartphone purchase an Android handset. 30% said they’d be getting an iOS device. Those numbers are up for Android since July to September 2010, when only 26% were planning on an Android for their next purchase and 33% wanted an iPhone.

A number of solid Android handsets have been released so far this year, with attractive features like 4G connectivity, large 4-inch+ displays, and speedy processors. And with the addition of in-app billing and the Amazon App Store, Android’s historically underwhelming app ecosystem is looking more appealing for both app developers and their app purchasing audience. Sales for Android devices like the HTC Thunderbolt have reportedly been strong, often outpacing that of the iPhone 4.

But iOS wasn’t the only smartphone to decline in popularity. Research in Motion’s BlackBerry also felt the pinch, with consumer favor for the OS dropping from 13% in 2010 to 11% in the first quarter of 2011.

HTC’s latest Android phone, the Droid Incredible 2, becomes available on April 28. Photo courtesy of Verizon Wireless

Almost a year to the day after HTC launched its Droid Incredible smartphone, a successor to the throne arises.

On Tuesday morning, HTC and Verizon announced the debut of the Droid Incredible 2 on Verizon’s network. The phone will hit the shelves on April 28.

The Incredible 2 isn’t straying too far from its predecessor in features: It will have a similar 1-GHz Snapdragon processor (though with a second-generation core), the same 8-megapixel camera shooting 720p HD video, and will run on the same Android version 2.2 (Froyo) as the first Incredible. 3G mobile hotspot connectivity supports a data connection for up to five devices at once.

To be fair, there are a few new hardware perks the Incredible 2 offers that the first generation doesn’t have. DLNA compatibility on the camera means you can stream videos wirelessly to compatible devices, which is always nice. The front-facing 1.3-megapixel video camera allows for video chat, and the new display is bigger, at 4 inches instead of the former phone’s 3.7 inches. And instead of the 512 MB of ram in the first generation phone, the Incredible 2 comes with 768 MB.

There’s one strong selling point for potential buyers who travel internationally: The Incredible 2 is global ready. Verizon claims the phone will run in over 200 countries.

HTC’s original Droid Incredible garnered considerable praise (including ours) upon its release in April of 2010. Critics lauded the phone’s 1-GHz processor, which was at the top of its class in power at the time. But coming out with the sequel a year later with much of the same hardware, it’s difficult to see why new smartphone buyers wouldn’t choose a recent, more powerful dual-core processor release. And with HTC’s Thunderbolt able to access Verizon’s super-speedy 4G network, the Incredible 2’s 3G radio is looking somewhat pale in comparison.

The phone will be available beginning July 28 for $200 with a two-year Verizon contract