The chart Strategy Analytics shows it best:

RIM and Microsoft has made a slight increase as well, accounting for another 8%.  This all adds up to a real eye-opener for Apple seeing as Android is taking a large jump in sales and continue to come out with ‘bigger and better’ devices every day!

An interesting little interview mentioned over at droid life talkes about the NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s opinion that Android will overtake iPad eventually. He notes the use of NVDIA’s Quad-core chips and the interest in the new  Kal-el quad-core processor that he firmly believes will take Android tablets to the next level. Here is a quote from that interview:

“The Android phone took only two and a half years to achieve the momentum that we’re talking about. I would expect the same thing on Honeycomb tablets,” Huang told the Reuters Technology Summit in New York on Monday

We can see the changes / improvements / break-throughs Android makes almost daily with all the new devices coming out, open-source development and news releases seemingly hourly some days, so we know Google is making great strides. The wild card (as always it seems) is Apple…they have always been secretive and usually only releasing minor or needed tweaks/repairs until a major release blows the market away.

What do you think? It won’t be easy, nay take years and I am sure we will see a lot of broken transistors and cracked screens along the way, but does android have what it takes to overcome the iPad? I wouldn’t want to see either OS go down in flames, they both have their strong points, but it makes for a fun race that works out in our favor with competitors usually releasing better devices at lower prices…..Win-Win for us!!!

Sources: Droid-Life Sys-con TechRepublic

The PPCGP, All the Mobile News You’ll Ever Need!

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Host: Laos101 AKA Joshua Sherman

Guests: Our Newsies! Mr. Hoodracer, Mr. Brad Ganely! from Android Police

Topics:

Fragmentation Part Deux – Tablets and their situation?

iOS and Tablets, are they PCs?

Tablets – Honeycomb, and 3-D Gimmicks and more! All about the upcoming tablets, what will it do?

WiMaX – What the heck Sprint? AT&T’s got bigger goals with LTE than Sprint already.

Gingebread-dom,

Google has been sued successfully and lost for use of Linux on it’s server platform.  Although this may not be a huge loss to Google financially, this issue could extend to the Android platform. Bedrock Computer Technology has also sued AOL, Yahoo and Amazon to name a few.

Will companies like Bedrock Computer Technologies impede the growth of Linux?

What do you Geek-A-Holics think?
Get your Geek Freak on and let us know.

Source: Intomobile & BBC

Most of us have heard different rumors and positive/negative descriptions of the Blackberry Playbook lately. Amongst these reports, RBC Capital Markets General Manager Mike Abramsky said that the first day of PlayBook sales were indeed successful. He mentioned the sales likely exceeded analysts’ expectations stating that RIM may have moved about 50,000 PlayBook tablets on launch day alone, including pre-order sales.

The analyst and his team did heavy research to come up with the estimated number of around 50,000 sold at launch day. Believe it or not, most of the stores called actually sold out of the Playbook and some are still unable to stock their shelves. Best buy alone holds stock at 180 additional locations in 10 major U.S. cities. They have the 16GB PlayBook listed as unavailable at 13% of stores, while the 32GB model is listed as unavailable at 87% of stores and the 64GB model is listed as unavailable at 91% of the locations viewed.

Abramsky also noted that the PlayBook may have outperformed first-day sales of Motorola’s XOOM and even Samsung’s popular Galaxy Tab. He also believes that RIM is on track to sell 500,000 PlayBook tablets in its first quarter of availability. Does this surprise you or is it what you expected? Let us know what you think.

Several users who purchased one have said great things about it. They love how different the UI is, how fast and smooth it runs as well as how easy it is to hold. Others, maybe those who haven’t even played with one, have negative things to say about it. Did you get one for yourself? We want to know your opinions. Leave your comments in the box below.

Source: BGR

Many of us have been holding out for a tablet that can pretty much replace our desktop/laptop at home. Asus seems to have come up with a great product that can do just that for some of us. This powerhouse includes features such as 10.1-inch gorilla covered multitouch display, 16gb/32gb storage, 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1gb of ram, dual cameras, up to 16 hrs of battery life and an HDMI-out port.

Asus has not released pricing or release dates, but there have been pre-order screens at Best Buy for $399 that have been removed. Can this be the beginning of Android taking market share from the Windows desktop/laptop market?

Is this what you GEEKsters have been waiting for?
What do you think? The inquiring minds at PPCGEEKS want to know.

Check out some of these amazing Specs:

Eee Pad Transformer TF101

• NVIDIA® Tegra 2 1.0GHz dual-core CPU for excellent multitasking & 1080p video playback
• Android 3.0 Honeycomb O.S. with Adobe® Flash® 10.2 support*2
• Full QWERTY keyboard, touchpad input with Polaris® Office® for mobile productivity
• 16*1 hours long battery life for all day computing with docking station
• Brilliant IPS panel with ultra-wide 178⁰ viewing angle made from scratch resistant and super tough glass
• One year of Unlimited ASUS WebStorage, two USB ports, SD and Micro SD card readers for easy sharing & storage expendability
• 3D stereo with max bass response with SRS premium sound

More Specs and capabilities here: ASUS

Update:

It seems there was a good reason for Best Buy to take the pre-order site down. The right price is nearly $569 U.S for the 16 gig version without the keyboard. The keyboard is priced around $75 U.S.

Here is the right pre-order price in England: Amazon

Finally users of Verizon Wireless service have had the pleasure of owning the first ever LTE smartphone that hit their market. The HTC Thunderbolt has been a great success so far and it’s actually the most talked about handset still to this day. Our Thunderbolt forums are filled with rooting information and much more already so hop on in and take a look.

Geeks we know you all aren’t interested in the Thunderbolt alone and maybe you want more choices. Those choices are right around the corner. Take a look below at what we expect in the next few months coming from Verizon Wireless.

Verizon’s 4G devices coming soon:

1 ) LG Revolution – Scheduled to be the first phone released in the US to support Voice over LTE and is rumored to appear in Q2 of this year. Can you guess when that will be?

Specifications expected:

• 4.3-inch screen
• 1GHz Snapdragon MSM8655 processor
• Two cameras (Front and back) with LED flash
• 16GB built-in memory
• Mobile Hotspot
• Snapdragon MSM8655 processor
• 3D graphics hardware accelerator
• Android 2.2

2 ) Motorola Droid Bionic – Expected to be the first dual-core LTE handset in the States, this handset is expected to appear in Q2 of 2011 also. Some users say it’s already on the way, as in you will have it in the next few weeks.

Specifications expected:

• 4.3-inch qHD display
• two cameras (front and rear)
• 512MB of the desktop-grade DDR2 RAM
• 1930mAh battery
• Android (2.2)

3 ) Samsung 4G LTE (unnamed) – Also known as the Inspiration, Stealth, Stealth V and Droid Charge does not have a rumored release date as of yet.

Specifications expected:

• 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display
• 1GHz processor
• Two cameras (front and rear)

4 ) Motorola Targa – This is the codename of a Motorola phone that’s said to resemble the Motorola DROID X in several features. Nobody is quite sure just yet. Rumors suggest it will be available in the second half of 2011.

Specifications expected:

• Two cameras
• rumored to have a quad-core processor
• 13MP camera
• Android 2.2 is suspected
• microSD & microSDHC (max card size =32GB)

5 ) Samsung Galaxy Tablet 4G with LTE – A slightly modified version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, we aren’t sure when you can expect this one. There are very few changes however so take a look for yourself.

Specifications expected:

• LTE tablet
• 1.2 GHz processor
• Android but not sure what version

Looks like Verizon Wireless is aiming to keep LTE devices rolling out consistently. Geeks let us know what you think about these? Are you waiting patiently for them? Do you hope to see better specs? We want to know!

Source: PhoneArena

Knowing how saturated the market is with netbook’s and tablet’s these days, we want to hear your suggestion’s and opinion’s. Are there too many options available that make your decision harder when deciding what to purchase? Or do you feel like you should have several choices available? Either way, the decision’s not always easy for everyone so this article will help those who are currently shopping for one and aren’t sure what to do.

When you begin your search for a cellphone or computer you have several options, we all have been used to that. What we haven’t been used to are so many options when it comes to a netbook or tablet. If you aren’t sure of the difference, let me break it down for you.

A netbook Computer works on the basis of cloud computing and is usually very small in size and light in weight. These devices run Windows or Linux operating systems. A tablet PC is much more similar to your home PC or laptop and run the iPhone or Android operating system’s. I hope this clears up any confusion.

At the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) alone there were over 100 tablets unveiled, some for the U.S and others were for International consumers. However, there are still so many devices available where would you begin to look when you’re completely new to the product line? That’s what I hope to get answers to and maybe in return help those who are in the market for a new tablet know where to look.

Currently we have access to more than one iPad tablet, more than one Android tablet, a Blackberry tablet and also HTC tablets working their way onto the shelves. Forgive me if I missed any. Do these options make you smile and happy to have them or do they confuse you and make you unsure on which one you want. I guess it’s just like buying a phone, you get the one that suits your needs and wants right?

If you were in the market to buy a new tablet and had no clue what you wanted, what would you do? Do you go for looks and style or do you research and learn the specifications first? If you have already purchased one was it a hard decision for you? Did you purchase it because of the manufacturer or did you really compare devices?

If you are looking for tablets and need help, check out this website for starters. It tells you several specifications on more than one. Maybe this will get you started as well as this article and any comments we may get below. Let us know your thoughts!

One hot topic on the internet right now is the unveiling of the iPad2 which took place on March 2, 2011 by Apple’s Steve Jobs in California. Following the announcement, Samsung immediately admitted they feel they have a tough challenge to face and have to make some changes.

The iPad2 (8.8mm) is not only thinner than Samsung’s latest Galaxy tablet (10.9mm) but also cheaper in price. When Lee Don-Joo, Executive Vice President of the Korean Samsung Firm found out the specifications he stated that “We will have to improve the parts that are inadequate.”

Samsung’s original 7″ screen Galaxy Tab was priced at nearly $900 without a two-year contract, where the cheapest iPad 2 costs $499. That’s a huge price difference! Samsung hasn’t announced pricing for its new 10.1-inch tablet. They did consider pricing it higher than the 7″ but think they need to rethink all the prices with a competition like this on the market.

Sources suggest that Samsung has sold two million Galaxy Tabs since October 2010, while Apple sold 15 million iPads in April-December. It doesn’t look like price makes a difference to the buyers as much as you think it would. What do you think?

This just tells us that maybe Samsung will have a huge price drop soon. That would help consumers in the decision making process. At least price wouldn’t be so much of a concern if they do drop a little.

Did you purchase a Samsung Galaxy tablet? Do you think you paid too much for what you got? Let us know your thoughts on this article in the comment boxes below.

Source: Samsunghub and Physorg

Tired of your iPad yet? If so, the second one will be announced very soon so maybe you will see new features and updates. If you aren’t tired of yours that’s great, keep it. Apple is holding a special media event on March 2nd, 2011 in San Francisco, according to the Wall Street Journal.

We aren’t sure who will be the speaker of the show as we all know Steve Jobs is on medical leave. Maybe Tim Cook will be the speaker. We will know the day it happens. It doesn’t really matter who’s giving the speech though does it? As long as we get correct information I think things will be fine, don’t you?

So far, analysts expect the iPad 2 to be thinner than the first iPad and feature an improved display, as well as front-facing camera and Facetime video chat support. There is a rumor going around that it may be powered by one of Qualcomm’s multimode chips and will run on both GSM and CDMA-based networks around the world.

Are these features you’d like to see? What other things would you love to have in an iPad 2 that the current one doesn’t support? Leave your comments in the box below.

Source: BGR

Dolphin Browser, one of the most popular browsers currently available on the Android Market, has recently announced at its MWC booth of their expansion of the browser into even more devices of the Android OS.

Originally a Android 1.6 Browser, they quickly released Dolphin Browser HD for the 2.x series of Android Devices with larger screens and have collected millions of downloads since they first released their browser. The browser is a popular choice due to its intuitive design, availability of plugins and apps, and also its constant support and updates from the developer.

With the announcement of Dolphin Browser Mini, and now their Tablet edition, Dolphin Browser will officially cover every capable Android Device on the market, making it universally compatible.

Check back on PPCGeeks for the latest news and more as The MWC rolls on!

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/14/dolphin-browser-for-android-tablets-enters-private-beta/

Tablets are becoming a hot topic for smartphone users, especially in 2011. Who currently holds the top spot in the tablet market? Apple’s iPad does, but keep in mind that all could change really quick with Android tablets booming into the market. Android is catching up and it looks like they could pass Apple and take their spot.

Take a look at the numbers provided by market research and see what you think. Basically, in 2010, the iPad had 84.1% of the worldwide tablet market and Android had 13.1%. Yes, it’s safe to say iPad is still ahead of the tablet market, as of now. However, in the third quarter of 2010, the iPad held 95.5% of the market, and Android had a mere 2.3%. Here’s where it gets good: In the fourth quarter, Apple’s tablet captured 75.3 % of worldwide market share, while Android tablets had an huge increase of 21.6 percent share, according to market-research firm Strategy Analytics.

Now we can only watch and wait to see what happens next when not only the iPad 2 comes out but several Android tablets are on the way as well. Who will hold this top spot? Keep in mind, they aren’t the only ones battling for tablet popularity and that number one spot. The Motorola Xoom and LG-Slate will throw some more competition their way, don’t you think? Which one will you have? Let us know your comments in the comment box below.

Source: CNET & Androinica

The title and image says it all. Google will be giving you an in-depth look at Honeycomb, demo devices and Android’s ecosystem February 2, 2011 at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Last week we gave you a review on Honeycomb for tablets found here. Since then, reports of the operating system have gone haywire. There’s so much confusion going on it’s hard to believe what’s right. Maybe this event is going to clear all that confusion up, I sure hope so anyway.

For now we can speculate what we think will be announced? Go on and let us hear your thoughts. We can’t wait for February 2nd, can you?

Source: Engadget

At CES 2011 Engadget had a chance to sit down with Matias Duarte, the man behind webOS, the Sidekick and the Helio. He’s also now heading up Google’s user experience for Android. Matias is currently in charge of the interface and design for Android 3.0 (AKA Honeycomb). This is the first video interview Matias has done since leaving Palm so were excited that Engadget has gotten this chance as well as shared it with everyone!

In the video below Matias talks about his history with webOS, why he left and what his goal is for the smartphone industry. He’s always wanted PC’s to be better and that’s what he aims for. He discusses why Android is unique to him; because of the fundamental vision behind Droid. It’s so much different and better than his previous experiences. See the video to get details!

Source: Engadget

You all may already know that The International CES is the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. This year it took place starting January 6th and runs until January 9th. Several websites are there and reporting what they have found to be interesting. We aren’t there this year but have already made plans for next year so don’t you worry!

Take a look at what some other sites are sharing as they tour the International CES tradeshow!

1) The iPhone may definitely be going to Verizon

AT&T announced three new android powered phones from the smartphone world: Motorola Atrix, HTC Inspire and the Samsung Infuse. They also announced that there will be a total of 12 Android phones coming this year, plus HSPA+ and LTE tablets coming later in the year.  Some consider this to be another ‘hint’ that the iPhone is coming, we will see!

2) Google demonstrated Android Honeycomb on the Motorola Xoom Tablet

As rumored, there are no physical controls around the Xoom’s bezel; instead, everything is handled by on-screen buttons in Honeycomb. They have a really cool widgets gallery with more detailed previews before you actually place them onto your screen and much more. Take a look at the video below for a demonstration!

3) Verizon announced the first LTE device: Droid Bionic

The release date set for the Droid Bionic is currently said to be in Q2 which seems to be the general launch frame for the first LTE devices. See below the specifications of this device:

• 1 Ghz dual-core processor (likely Tegra 2, but not stated)
• 512 MB RAM (possibly 1 GB RAM, depending on if the presser or site page is correct.)
• 4.3″ qHD Display (960×540)
• 1080p HDMI output
• 8 mega-pixel rear-facing camera
• VGA front-facing camera
• Android 2.2
• Mirror Mode – allows streaming of video to the TV or the device

4) T-Mobile announced the Cliq2 and a tester for the G-Slate tablet by LG

The device features some nice hardware improvements based on the features in the original Motorola CLIQ. These would include features such as a 1GHz processor, a 3.7-inch FWVGA (854×480) touchscreen, Wi-Fi calling and a hot spot for up to 5 devices. The CLIQ 2 also features profiles that allow you to easily switch between home and work setups. See the video below for a quick review from TMobile.

Here is a quick look at the G-Slate tablet by LG. This tablet is said to be the “First 4G tablet w/ Android 3.0 Honeycomb.” Would you agree or disagree? I guess we will see who gets which ones first! The G-Slate will run on T-Mobile’s high-speed, 4G-like HSPA+ network. Pricing and additional product details will announced at a later date, T-Mobile says.

5) Sprint announced the EVO Shift 4G

The EVO Shift is a little different from your EVO. They have let the front facing camera go, dropped in screen size and switched to a smaller 800Mhz processor. See the actual specifications below.

• 3.6″ screen
• 800Mhz processor
• 512MB RAM
• 4G connectivity (obviously)
• 5 mega-pixel camera (capable of 720p video)
• 1500 mAH battery
• Android 2.2

6)Velocity Micro announced 3 new Cruz Tablets running andriod

Those three tablets include the 7″ Cruz Tablet L37 (1024×600 capacitive touch screen), the 8″ Cruz Tablet P38 (1024×768 screen) and the 10.1″ Cruz Tablet L510 (1366×768 capacitive touch screen and runs on the NVIDIA Tegra 250 Chipset with a 1GHz dual-core CPU.)

Some specs for all the tablets include:

• front and rear facing cameras
• 3G data options
• Bluetooth 2.1
• GPS and eCompass functionality
• HDMI out and
• eReader
• Kindle app comes pre-installed
• Andriod OS

For now these seem to be the hottest topics at CES! We will update you tomorrow when we get our hands on more information. For now, let us know what you think!

Source: Androinica, AndroidCommunity & Android Police

We know that the upcoming Android Gingerbread won’t have minimum hardware requirements, but that may be a different story for Honeycomb, Google’s tablet-optimized version of Android.

WIth Rumors that NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core CPU will be the design reference for Honeycomb, it may end up actually being a requirement. There’s also rumors that the next version of the OS [aka Honeycomb] may even require a display with a resolution of 1280×720…but hey believe it with a grain of salt ok?!?

Bobby Cha, managaing director of Korean consumer electronics firm Enspert, confirmed the CPU requirements for Honeycomb, and also said that it won’t require a 10 inch display…and that Honeycomb can run on a smaller 7 inch screen. Cha also confirmed that Motorola would be the first tablet to ship with the upcoming Android OS, which here at PPCGeeks we have always believed that.

Now some people might be wondering with these requirementsts in place, then that Galazy Tab won’t be getting the update…Well you are so right, sucks huh? Well to put your mind at ease just think that with all the trouble Samsung is having with getting Froyo out to their fancy Galaxy S line that we could wait that long if not longer for Honeycomb to hit a tablet…But then again who knows maybe these requirements aren’t as hard as the seem, and we’ll only know until Honeycomb is officially released.

Now my prediction is though if Honeycomb does have such requirments that Android OS will become even further “fragmented” which can be frustrating to both the user and the handset makers. I am hoping that we will hear more about these “requirements” in due time, but for now we’ll just drool at the upcoming tablets at CES…

What are your thought PPCGeek Android fans? I mean will this hurt cell phones by not having a “Honeycomb” or is it just best to wait till a bigger better OS is out for you all to move too? Let us know in the comments below!

Via: intomobile