Mobile/Insights/2011 Week33: Difference between revisions

*Fusion Garage launches an Android kernel-based mobile, named Grid, which will be featured on a 10-inch tablet and a 4-inch handset  

Google made public its intent to buy Motorola Mobility for $ 12.5 billion, pending regulatory approval. The deal is expected to be finalized at the end of 2011 or beginning of 2012. The main reason for the acquisition is said to be the gain of over 17K patents that would help Google defend the Android ecosystem from more patent-related lawsuits, but also Motorola's TV set-top box and pay-TV equipment business, which could be used to make Google a significant player in the TV market. With the new acquisition Google will also be able to produce its own Android devices, which might push the other OEMs to look at more diversification of the platforms they support.  

Google announced that there are now 150 million Android devices in the market. This puts Android's installed base at 20% of the total ~750 million smartphones in use at the moment. Read [http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/15/android-now-on-150-million-devices-worldwide/ more]

Opera, in collaboration with Telling Telecom, launched Oupeng, a mobile browser based on Opera technology aimed at Chinese consumers. The new browser runs on Symbian, Java and Android and its interface resembles that of Opera Mini. Telling Telecom is a mobile phone distributor in China, controlling over 40,000 retailing outlets across the country. Read [http://www.oupeng.com/ more] and [http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2011/08/09/ more]

Opera has announced a partnership with MTN, a carrier operating in South Africa and 20 other African and Middle Eastern countries and serving 150 million mobile subscribers. As part of the deal, Opera will provide the network operator with a customized version of Opera Mini, optimized for MTN's portals, in each of its 21 markets. Read [http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2011/08/15/ more]

After a partnership with Globo, a leading latin American portal, Opera announced a deal with Terra, a Brazil-based Internet company which operates a Web portal and an ISP in the US, Spain and 16 Latin American countries. Terra is owned by Telefonica, the world's third largest telecommunications provider in the world. Opera also has  a relationship with Vodafone, the world's largest mobile telecommunication company. Read [http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2011/08/16/ more]

Dolphin HD 6.1 was released, featuring Webzines to allow for online content subscriptions on the browser's home page, as well as social media integration. Mobotap also released a new version of Dolphin Mini, v2.2, featuring bug fixes. Read [http://blog.dolphin-browser.com/2011/08/04/dolphin-hd-v6-1-is-out-of-beta%EF%BC%8Cbrings-new-webzine-features/ more] and [http://blog.dolphin-browser.com/2011/08/06/dolphin-mini-v2-2-updated-in-android-market/ more]

Samsung is rumoured to be looking to significantly enhance its software capabilities, in order to better compete with Apple, its main competitor in the smartphone business. This comes after sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, its flagship tablet based on the extremely successful Samsung Galaxy series, was temporarily banned from selling in the EU due to a patent legal battle with the maker of iOS. Read [http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/17/us-samsung-acquisition-idUSTRE77G1HX20110817 more] and [http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/16/galaxy-tab-apple-samsung/ more]

Grid is the name of a new mobile OS based in the Android kernel and developed by Fusion Garage. The company will launch a 10 inch tablet, called the Grid 10, and a 4 inch smartphone, called the Grid 4, beginning with September, in the US. The new tablet and phone specs are in line with today's high-end mobile devices. So far, reviewers are moderately pozitive about the new venture and are expecting to see the market pick-up of the devices. Read [http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/16/hands-on-with-fusion-garages-grid-10-tablet-and-grid-4-smartpho/ more]