According to technology research firm Gartner, Samsung outsold Apple and Nokia to claim the highest mobile phone sales numbers for the third quarter of 2012.
The report says that in addition to selling 98 million phones in Q3 (gaining a 22.9 percent market share), Samsung also has the top-selling smartphone of the quarter, the Galaxy S3.
In the sub-market of smartphones, Samsung sold 55 million units, while Apple sold 23.6 million.
Nokie outsold Apple in moblie phone numbers for the quarter with 82 million sales, though it only sold 7.2 million smartphones.
The big little picture
With Samsung's flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S3, making up the majority of its quarter sales, it's clear that the Korean tech manufacturer has carved a new, more premium path for its sales bias.
Apple maintained its strong stance with the record-setting introduction of the iPhone 5, but the product's various bugs and flailing maps app may have kept it out of more consumers' hands.
Nokia continued in its long-standing bargain phone success, and has just now begun to see sales from its Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920. Sales of the Lumia 920 may suffer due to recent reports of unexpected reboots and battery issues.
Now that all the big manufacturers have their phones on store shelves, the fourth quarter and its holiday bump will see some stiff competition for consumer attention between these mobile phones giants.
ZTE recently held a press event in Russia and thanks to fellow journalists there, we've got the scoop of the latest devices in the manufacturer's lineup.
The company's top brass did not miss the occasion to remind us they are now the 4th largest phone manufacturer in the world. Even more, they claim that if sales continue like this, they would conquer the 3rd spot by 2015.
As usual, most of the new handsets are mainly cheap devices, but still proper Android smartphones. Those include the ZTE V889, ZTE V887 and ZTE V790.
The Grand lineup is where it gets more interesting. ZTE intends to fill it up with phones positioned in the mid-range and even high-end segments.
ZTE Grand Era
Proving its point, the company introduced the ZTE Grand Era (V985). It's a sibling of the Grand Era (U895), an already released dual mode GSM/CDMA phone.
This one works only on GSM networks. It's got a 4.5-inch 720p screen and a thickness of mere 8.6mm. The camera on the back is an 8MP unit.
The ZTE Grand Era (V985)
Most importantly of all, it's a quad-core smartphone, running at 1.5Ghz. Unfortunately, there is on word what sort or Android version it runs.
ZTE Grand X LTE T82
The company also showcased the Grand X LTE T82, which was announced several months ago. Reportedly, it's even available in some countries already, but under a different name.
ZTE Grand X LTE T82
Besides the dual-band LTE connectivity, the smartphone has a 4.3-inch screen and an 8MP camera, capable of recording FullHD video.
ZTE V889M
The ZTE V889M is a Dual SIM Android handset. It's more compact than the bigger guns as it has only a 4-inch screen. It runs Android 4.0 with the help of a 1GHz dual-core MTK 6577 chipset and has a 5MP camera with 720p video recording.
The ZTE V889M
The manufacturer claims it's really power efficient allowing 450 hours of standby with 1 SIM and 180 hours with 2 SIMs. The battery should also provide 8 hours of continuous use for either web browsing or video playback.
ZTE V887
The ZTE V887 is not that special in terms of specs if you don't count the 5-inch screen. Unfortunately, it's only WVGA in resolution.
The ZTE V887
Besides that, the handset has a 5MP camera, a 1Ghz dual-core chipset and a 2000mAh battery.
ZTE V790
Finally, the ZTE V790 is the most basic Android smartphone in the lineup. However, it's a DualSIM phone as well.
ZTE V790
It's got a 3.5-inch screen and runs on Qualcomm 7225A chipset. A 2 or 3 megapixel camera is in charge of the imaging.
Are you looking for a method to get your iTunes music onto your Android phone? Join us as we run through the process and offer you a choice of solutions that will have you enjoying all that iTunes content on your Android tablet or smartphone today.
Apple’s iTunes offers over 28 million songs, more than 1 million podcasts, and a bunch of TV shows, movies, music videos, and audiobooks. It’s all a part of Apple’s seamless ecosystem, but what happens if you want to leave the walled garden? Do you have to leave all your entertainment behind? We all know that Apple and Google don’t play nice in the marketplace, but what does that mean for people with a big iTunes collection and an Android device?
Don’t worry. There are ways to get your iTunes content onto your Android smartphone or tablet. We’re going to outline some methods you might try and suggest a couple of apps that can help.
What do you want?
To begin, you’ll need to work out what’s important to you. Do you just want to move the content out of iTunes and make it available for your Android device, or do you want to continue to use iTunes and be able to sync content to your Android phone? Are you just going after music files or do you want a solution for movies too? Do you have older DRM protected files? How dirty are you prepared to get those hands?
Up until 2009, Apple sold DRM protected music files through iTunes, which means they will only work on an iOS device. If your song is labeled “Protected” in iTunes then it falls under this banner. You’ll also find that movies and TV episodes are still DRM protected.
Removing DRM protection
In typical Apple style you can “upgrade” old DRM protected songs to remove the restrictions, but they’ll charge you 30 cents per song to do it. If you’re willing to pay that amount, then look for the Upgrade to iTunes Plus option under Quick Links in the iTunes store. There’s no option to do this for movies or TV shows. If you have a lot of tracks in this category then the iTunes Match service might be more cost effective at $25. It will also upgrade your songs to DRM free status.
You can always find software to convert your iTunes files. There are a lot of options out there. You might try something like Tunebite or Aimersoft DRM Media Converter. There is also a popular free option called Requiem, which is designed specifically to remove DRM protection from iTunes files. Just make sure you get the right version to match your iTunes version.
We’ll take a look at how to play iTunes music on your Android device now, but remember that none of the following methods will allow you to copy or sync those DRM protected files.
The manual move
Simple, but tedious, the manual move is a straightforward method if you just want a few choice tracks. Connect your Android phone and select USB Mass Storage Mode from the Notifications drop down on your phone or the pop-up menu on your computer. This method varies from device to device and it could be labeled differently on yours. Once you’ve found it, you should be able to go to Computer on your PC and see your device listed. Browse to the Music folder on your Android and then you can select files directly from iTunes and press “Ctrl+C” to copy them and then “Ctrl+V” to paste them into the folder on your phone or tablet. If you’re on a Mac, download the official Android File Transfer tool to move files.
iTunes to Google Music
Another option is Google Music. You can move your iTunes music into your Google Music account in the cloud and then you’ll be able to access it anywhere with any Android device or on the Web. You’ll need to sign into Google Music, download the Music Manager, and install it. When it is installed and starts up, it will ask where you store your music and you’ll see an iTunes option. Select iTunes, hit Next, and then choose “Upload all songs and playlists,” or you can select individual playlists. You can also tick the box to include podcasts if you value those. There’s even an option to automatically upload songs that you add to iTunes in future.
To access your songs on your Android device you just need the Google Play Music app. With it, you can stream all your songs from Google Music in the cloud over Wi-Fi or your mobile network. You also have the option to make songs available offline by downloading them to the device.
DoubleTwist
DoubleTwist is designed to give you a central repository for all of your music, photos, and videos. It’s very simple to use. Start by downloading the desktop and Android versions of the software from the DoubleTwist website. Fire up the software on your computer and allow it to import your iTunes content. You can import your playlists, ratings, music and videos from iTunes. You can then sync your content to your smartphone or tablet via USB.
You can splash out $5 to get AirSync which will enable you to sync your content over Wi-Fi. You can sync music, including ratings, play counts, playlists, videos, and photos between your Mac/PC and your Android device. You can also pay $5 for the Music Lover upgrade if you want a premium equalizer and album artwork.
iSyncr
If DoubleTwist doesn’t serve your needs, for $4, you can get iSyncr. It works directly with iTunes and syncs your music to your Android device via USB or Wi-Fi. You can also sync playlists, artwork, ratings, play counts, skip counts, last played date, and last skipped date. The service goes both ways so you can also sync any new MP3s on your Android to your iTunes library.
You’ll want to use iSyncr with a decent Android media player app. We suggest Rocket Music Player. The free version is good, but the premium version is only $4 and it adds some great extras, like an expanded EQ and support for more formats from ALAC to FLAC, and even WMA and WAV.
So there you have it, a few ideas on how to play iTunes content on your Android. We hope one of them worked for you. If you run into any problems or you have another solution you want to recommend then please share.
The Windows Phone 8 operating system is causing new handsets to randomly reboot, according to reports from early adopters.
Users of the brand new HTC 8X and the Nokia Lumia 920 handset have taken to the various support forums to complain of unprompted reboots and, in Nokia's case, poor battery life, and device freezes.
Threads on the WPCentral site and the Microsoft and Nokia support forums all feature a litany of complaints from owners of the handsets, which went on sale at the beginning of the month.
WPCentral poster mberdych, who began one of the threads, wrote: "So far, within 3 days of use, I have had 2 random reboots. Device just suddenly reboots itself, ending in PIN screen. Quite annoying."
Bricked Lumia
Lumia 920 users are also complaining of poor battery life and some attempts to remedy that with a factory reset have simply 'bricked' the device, leaving it stuck on a Nokia splash screen.
WPCentral user, Brian McBride posts: "I thought I'd hard reset my phone and start from scratch to see if I could get better battery life. Now it is stuck on the Nokia splash screen. Resetting it with the buttons only causes a vibrate, the AT&T logo, then back to the Nokia splash screen."
Nokia, HTC and Microsoft are yet to comment on the reported issue.
There's probably quite a few Android users who wouldn't mind skipping December completely. It's cold, it's expensive and requires folks to deal with less desirable elements of their families.
Perhaps that thought was dwelling in Google's subconscious when it accidentally left the final month of the year out of the People app within the new Android Jelly Bean 4.2 operating system?
Jelly Bean 4.2 users who attempt to use the People app's 'date picker' to add a friend's birthday will scroll down the list to see November and then... January.
This means pals of Jesus, Britney Spears, Ozzie Osbourne, Brad Pitt and Jude Law are bang out of luck.
Calendar unaffected
The bug is, apparently, self-contained within the People app, which means the Google Calendar is unaffected.
Google is "reviewing" the issue, but has yet to comment. Expect a quick fix to be posted soon.
The company began rolling out Android 4.2 Jelly Bean to devices like the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 tablet this week, while it will arrive out of the box for those who've ordered a Nexus 4 or Nexus 10 device.
For the last year, Nokia has been the poster child for Windows Phone but recently HTC and Samsung have seemed more in favour.
Samsung announced their Windows Phone 8 handsets first and the HTC 8x was handed out to enthusiasts at the Windows Phone 8 launch.
We asked corporate vice president of the Windows Phone Division Terry Myerson to explain how Microsoft juggles partnerships with rival phone makers and how much influence manufacturers have on the design of Windows Phone.
"We work in different ways with each of them on the engineering and on the marketing," Myerson told TechRadar.
Nokia gets priority when it comes to development because of the commitment it's made to Windows Phone; "Nokia is exclusive to Windows Phone and we definitely, on the engineering side, prioritise platform work to support their differentiation coming through."
Despite the restrictions it puts on handset specs, Microsoft doesn't want to see the same handset from every phone maker. "Our goal is that Windows Phone is a platform that our partner differentiation can shine through on.
We do spend time planning with HTC and Samsung, sitting down with them and collaborating on what a product is where their differentiation elegantly coexists with Windows Phone and what we bring. There are different cultures to each of these companies and they all have their own plans for how they want to bring their technologies to market."
"The best devices"
He's predictably enthusiastic about the handsets that come out of the collaboration with all three partners. "I think the result is the most fantastic killer hardware we've ever had, not only for the windows ecosystem - I think these devices are better than any device - well, I they're the best devices. They're colourful, they're beautiful, they're thin, amazing cameras…"
Some of what you see in Windows Phone 8 handsets is Microsoft's idea, some comes from the OEMs. "In the case of wireless charging, that was definitely Nokia's initiative to say they wanted that; they had technologies inside their labs, they took the initiative to put forward a number of engineering designs. There were definitely platform modifications we made to support their innovation but Nokia led on that. All the credit goes to them."
"The Wallet feature is a place where the Windows Phone team thought about how to use NFC. Roaming content though SkyDrive, encryption; these are all features coming from Microsoft. But the wide angle camera that HTC did with Skype in mind, Nokia's wireless charging - those are innovations coming from our hardware partners."
Although app developers get far more access to the platform in Windows Phone 8, Microsoft is still keeping some control and treading a fine line between the free for all of Android that Google is increasingly trying to rein in and the central control of the Apple ecosystem.
HTC's new 8X
"We like to think of it as the structured ecosystem that allows the differentiation of partners to shine though on our platform, at the same time providing consumers the confidence that we will protect their privacy, keep malware off the platform, provide a consistently familiar user experience, and providing developers confidence they can write apps once and target our platforms. So there is more structure and structure at times can feel constraining but also there are benefits to it. It's helpful that everyone drives on the same side of the road, for example..."
Why was the SDK so hard to get?
Myerson is unapologetic about not making the Windows Phone 8 SDK widely available before the launch (when most developers didn't have phones to work with) and concentrating instead of key developers to get big-name apps; 46 of the top-selling 50 apps from other phones will be on Windows Phone 8 (and yes, he knows who the missing four are and is working on changing their minds).
The sheer number of apps in the Store is far from the most important thing. "It's a balance; definitely there is magic that occurs in that long tail of apps, [you get some] delightful things... but it is also true that working with these incredibly popular mobile apps is important as well."
Windows Phone 8 is the future and it's getting all the marketing love at the moment, but Windows Phone 7 is far from dead. Myerson assured us. "We're going to have more to say about 7.8 in the coming weeks," he promised.
"I would expect both platforms to exist for quite some time, from a global point of view. Windows Phone 7.8 devices will span much lower price points than windows phone 8 devices, initially, and given the application compatibility across the platforms, it makes the ecosystem stronger to have more device and more price points. We value every 7 and 7.8 customer we have; we'll continue to work for them as well but it is true that Windows Phone 8 is our future platform."
Of course that only matters if Microsoft can finally start selling Windows Phone devices in significant numbers. Just as Steve Ballmer promised you wouldn't be able to escape Windows 8 ads, Myerson promises what sounds like an advertising blitz, focussing on Windows Phone rather than on the handset makers.
"This holiday it's very important to us to get out there and tell the Windows Phone story: how we do have this amazingly unique point of view, the smartphone that can be so personal and reflect your interests and the people in your life. Telling that in the most pure sense without confusing them which brands we're talking about is important. We need consumers to understand and love Windows Phone."
More advertising money
Certainly Microsoft has promised to advertise Windows Phone better before, without much to show for it, and Myerson seems happy to admit it.
"We weren't out there with same experience as Windows, even we though shared the same brand; we didn't have all the right teamwork in place with our partners on the go to market, and we were not advertising the product. We were not out there telling the story to consumers - and that changes now. We will start telling our story. We are going to go out there and advertise the product and tell people."
What's different now? In a word, Windows 8 – but also more operator support. "It's a special time. We have a great product that expresses this unique differentiated point of view, that we are the most personal smartphone, we've got killer hardware from partners and we have a great partnership with the mobile operators.
"The fact that they've ranged so many phones at such great price points is fantastic. And of course having Windows out there at the same time is exciting; making the experience familiar to users and being the best phone for Windows; if you're a Windows user, this is the phone for you."
