HTC released their unaudited Q1 2012 earnings earlier this morning, and the results aren’t pretty [PDF]. The Taiwanese company managed to pull down NT$67.8 billion ($2.3 billion) this past quarter, a nearly 35% dip year-over-year.
Google CEO Larry Page talks Android activations and Motorola acquisition
Google CEO Larry Page stated in a blog post on Thursday that the company’s Android platform is “on fire.” The CEO boasted that there are now more than 850,000 Android devices activated each day through a network of 55 manufacturers and more than 300 carriers. Page called Android a “tremendous example of the power of partnership, and it just gets better with each version.” He went on to explain his excitement for the Motorola acquisition and “the opportunities to build great devices capitalizing on the tremendous success and growth of Android.” The CEO then reiterated the benefits surrounding Android’s open ecosystem, maintaining that “we have no plans to change that.” The Mountain View-based company in February stated that Android activations were up 250% year-over-year. Google also previously announced that the Android Market is home to more than 450,000 apps.
Source: BGR
LG plans to launch a ‘thinking smartphone’
LG has yet to find the same success in the smartphone market that Samsung, HTC and Motorola have seen, but the company’s managing director Kwon Bong-suk told a Korean news website that LG will soon introduce a game-changing “thinking smartphone.” The executive confidently stated that the next mobile innovation doesn’t necessarily have to come from Apple, saying that LG can identify with the “universal value” that all consumers seek. Unlike its competitors, LG will refrain from adding more features and entertainment options to its devices, instead looking to build a product that will be responsive to a user’s particular needs. Bong-suk also noted the importance of the low-end market and said the company is interested in releasing a smartphone for $100. Despite the low price, Bong-suk says LG won’t compromise on the quality of the user experience. The director concluded by saying that “preparations for the development of the thinking smartphone are underway.”
Source: Verge
24% of Americans surveyed plan to buy the new iPad within the next three months
Baird Equity Research last week surveyed 488 “younger, tech-savvier” individuals on their interest in Apple’s new iPad, Fortune reported on Monday. Among current iPad owners, 48% were interested in purchasing the new iPad, with 35% of those already owning an iPad 2. The survey also found that 29% of international respondents were looking to buy Apple’s latest tablet, compared to 24% of surveyed U.S. citizens. Among new buyers, 42% of those planning to purchase the tablet have never owned one before. 15% of U.S. respondents said that they were likely to purchase the discounted iPad 2, while 28% suggested that they would purchase an iPad instead of a laptop. The top reasons to buy Apple’s latest tablet were its Retina Display, the A5X processor and LTE, although users cited high prices as the main reason to hold off on purchasing the device.
Source: BGR
Digital music sales grew 8% in 2011, now total 31% of industry revenue
The past year was a good year for the music industry as sales rose to their best highest point in eight years. According to the IFPI’s annual Recording Industry In Numbers report, revenue from physical media fell by 8.7%, compared with 13.8% in 2010, but were vinyl sales up nearly 29%. Digital revenue continued to grow, increasing 8%, compared to 5.6% in 2010, with digital track sales growing 19% to 3.7 billion songs. Australia leads the way in the digital space with 60% growth, compared with 8% growth in the U.S. and 10% in the U.K. $1.27 billion in digital singles were sold in the U.S., while the U.K. accounted for $176.2 million. Digital sales made up 31% of the total revenue of the music market and reached $5.3 billion in sales. Overall global music revenue fell by just 3% in the last year, however. “2011 marked the least negative result in global recorded music sales since 2004, when revenues were flat,” the report read. The IFPI credits services like Spotify, iTunes, and unlimited-access operators like Rdio, MOG and Rhapsody for bringing new revenue models to customers that have helped the U.S. music market.
Source: BGR
Mozilla releases ‘BrowserQuest’ MMO to show off HTML5’s capabilities
In an attempt to demonstrate just how awesome HTML5 is, Mozilla has teamed up with French developer Little Workshop to release a new massively multiplayer game using the technology. Called BrowserQuest, the browser-based title is reminiscent of classic games like The Legend of Zelda: you’ll explore, collect weapons and gear, and fight lots of bad guys, all in a lovely pixelated world. The difference is that you can do so simultaneously with thousands of other players, who you can chat with in-game.
While HTML5 games are nothing new, Mozilla appears to be supporting this particular title mainly as a way of demonstrating its new WebSockets technology, which it says enables “bi-directional communication between a browser and a server on the web.” And because it’s HTML5, the game can be played in just about any browser — including Safari on iOS and Firefox on Android. You can check out BrowserQuest at the source link below, and if you’re really interested in how it’s put together you can also find the source code on GitHub.
Source: Verge
Samsung reports 5 million Galaxy Notes shipped
Sure, the Galaxy Note is beloved by elephants, but how is it doing in the real world? Not too bad, it turns out: Samsung has announced it has moved 5 million units of the device since its launch last October. The number doesn’t match the 10 million Galaxy S II phones the company shipped in the first six months of that device’s lifetime, but given the Note’s unique hybrid position in the market, it’s impressive nonetheless. Of course, it’s important to remember that Samsung reports units shipped — not units sold — so the actual number of Notes being used in the world could be much smaller.
Either way, the number should receive a bump in April when the Note arrives in Japan. Carrier NTT Docomo has announced that it will be carrying an LTE-equipped variant of the phone — under the name “Docomo Next Series Galaxy Note SC-05D” — that will be launching on April 6th. The new Note will be available in white, and will feature a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 32GB of storage, and will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The phone will also join the Galaxy S II and the LG Optimus as one of the first LTE phones to be offered in Japan; all three run on NTT Docomo’s “Xi” LTE network. No pricing details have been announced, but if you’re in Japan and are anxious to get your hands on the Note’s 5.3-inch display, the carrier will be accepting pre-orders tomorrow.
Source: Verge
Nokia brings Windows Phone to China with Lumia 800C and 610C
Nokia unveiled its first Windows Phones in China today, set to go on sale in the coming months. The Lumia 800C is Nokia’s Chinese variant of its flagship Lumia 800 device, and includes the same styling and hardware specifications. China Telecom will launch the Lumia 800C with CDMA support in April through Tianyi FlyYoung shops and Nokia brand stores.
Nokia and China Telecom also announced the Lumia 610C handset today, part of a joint effort with Microsoft to target low-cost Windows Phones with 256MB of RAM in new markets. Although there’s no firm release date for the Lumia 610C, Nokia says China Telecom will make it available with CDMA support in Q2, 2012.
As part of the launch, Nokia also unveiled the region specific applications and customizations for its Lumia handsets in China. The 800C will include access to a Trends application that features fashion magazines like FHM, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire. Nokia is also offering 100,000 free downloads of Fruit Ninja and Plants vs. Zombies through the Nokia Collection in the Windows Phone Marketplace.
Source: Verge
Instagram for Android is almost here: sign up for early access
After revealing that its much-anticipated Android app is coming soon, the hot photo sharing startup Instagram today launched a sign-up page for Android users to be “first in line” to receive the app.
At this point, it’s unclear what being at the front of the line will get you. We’re assuming it’ll be a beta release of the Instagram Android app that will come ahead of the app’s official release on Google Play.
Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom teased the crowd at the South by Southwest festival with the Android app (he apparently waved it on stage, like a photo app rock star). He also revealed that Instagram had reached 27 million users, a stunning figure given that it only launched about a year and a half ago, and is only available on iOS at the moment.
The company last week announced its first API partnership with Hipstamatic, which will allow the rival photo sharing app to send photos to Instagram (along with other social networks). The deal solidifies Instagram’s presence as a growing social network, and it’ll likely be the first of many such partnerships for the company.
I’ve tried plenty of photo sharing apps myself, but I always end up coming back to Instagram. It’s mostly due to the company’s strong community (if you have friends with iPhones, you’ll definitely find them on it), but Instagram has also done a great job at honing its core photo sharing functionality. It’s simple — but most importantly, it’s freaking addictive.
Source: V.B