Our report is released!

You can check out our report on Android as follow, or download it in this MoCoBe Lab website link.

Google Android Thesis

Five big Asia's operators deal to boost Android development

Conexusmobile alliance today announced this press release to boost Android development in Asia.

"Participating Alliance operators will kick-start their local campaigns in their respective markets soon, ranging from application contests, introductory programmes, seminars, and web-based developer forums in local languages."

Panasonic will go global with Android

When I was reading this link I had a better prediction for the Android success in Japan. Panasonic is going to release a Japanese handset with Android, which I think the handset will be in the format of a typical Japanese style (with a typical Japanese keyboard).  Moreover, the news also said that it will be the debut for Panasonic to sell its handset to the global market. This is a great sign that Japanese handset manufacturers, like Panasonic, have understood the benefit of having Android for its handset. 

Android is unifying mobile linux world

Instead of further fragmenting the mobile linux world, the following facts show a trend that Android is unifying them instead. First, MontaVista Linux, which has a significat share in the mobile OS market, was demonstrating (this also, video) the Android applications stacks on top of the MontaVista Linux OS. Previously, the CEO of MontaVista also has shown his confidence on Android and state that MontaVista will join the OHA. The CEO believes that the Google's role in delivering a success for Android particularly, and for linux based mobile OS generally, is very positive. Second, this wiki for OpenMoko OS stated clearly that Android is likely to be the distribution most suited for the FreeRunner phone.

It is finally here!

The HTC Android phone is finally released in Japan today, based on today's press release by NTT DoCoMo. The phone model is HT-03A as in the following description.

HT-03A

June to July 2009

Android™ OS phone optimized for Google's mobile services with touchscreen, trackball,Wi-Fi and more.

So lets see how the Japanese will react... 

It is nearly coming here...

Akihabaranews reported that the HTC magic will finally be released in Japan by NTT Docomo, probably within next week! It is also stated that it has japanese input...

So lets see then...

Will the Google's CEO still be an Apple's Director?

When reading this article, I was just aware that Eric Schmidt, the Google's CEO, has also been a board director of Apple since 2006! 

Anyway, as reported in the article, there is concern from FTC USA on the competition fairness between Google and Apple pertaining to Eric's position in those two companies. Related to Android v.s. iPhone, although I believe that there is no direct competition in this case, there is a huge indirect competition. As we know that Google is basically an advertising company, about 98% revenue from ads and Android does not give any cent to Google directly, except from the potential ads revenue via Android-based phones. Moreover, Android is not "own" by Google, but it is an open-source promoted by the OHA. The only matters is that if Android-based phone can eat the iPhone pie to be the main player in the game. To achieve this success, Google is not the player, but it is the OHA (ecosystem) itself. So I think I agree to what Schmidt said that Apple is not the 'primary competitor' for Google. They can even work together like they have shown for the success of Google apps on iPhone, which in turn increase the iPhone popularity in their users.

Anyway, who knows what is happening actually. Lets just see...

Google shows some UI changes for Android 1.5

I feel that the new one quite similar to 'Apple'

Goog finance enters android and subs based apps criteria

Other than Bloomberg or other financial information and tracking device. Google finance which are still on beta version on the desktop application, already being converted into android GUI as per below information (and I believe it is completely free, as it's also being offered on the desktop version)

Generally, the information provided is very concise and my personal opinion, more user-friendly than Bloomberg

Going back to the concern of subscription based apps, how can we establish the criteria of which type of applications are going to sell in the market? Because taking into consideration what Apple would most likely do with the planned subs based apps which actually is information based apps (i.e. newspaper, which certainly less beneficial for Goog to go forward in consideration to their main capability as a "search engine")

Subs based apps definition > "A subscription-based model means users could be asked to pay for new levels of a game or to purchase additional content without leaving the application"

Hope we can put this into consideration before we move forward with subs based apps recommendation for Goog

Cheers

Updates on ASUS Android Netbooks

Here is the update of Prof Sugai's post about ASUS' plan to release Android notebook, it will be released by the end of this year. And Google's powerful brand will be one main point to attract the buyers.

Apple Subscription Model!!!

Hello Everyone. As we discussed last week, THIS is the vital missing piece for mobile content development and the mobile internet itself. Specifically, Apple has just announced that "In-App Purchases will allow developers to offer subscription content".

This is outstanding news! The future is a lot brighter for Mobile Internet content from today!

Symbian Foundation Open Source Roadmap

Hello everyone. Here's the most recent ANNOUNCEMENT from the Symbian Foundation for the future trajectory of Symbian. Let's include this in our analysis of business models in the mobile space.

Blackberry's App Store

BusinessWeek has just published an article on Blackberry's Upcoming App Store . What do you think? Future success or horrible failure?

Mobile Internet Browsing Market Share

Here is a report on the mobile internet browsing market share, I'm not sure if it is globally, by Net Applications. It reported that Android is steadily gaining the market share with its current position of 6.26%. Without any surprise, iPhone is the leader with 66.44% of the market share. Comparing to others than iPhone, Android gained the market share much faster since it was just launched around 6 months ago. It's just one little step behind Windows, one of the incumbent in the arena. 

Discussion on Google Android group

I found some interesting discussions in the Andoid developer google group, and particularly on one question that I am still looking for the answer from google, "will be there any subscription based apps in the Market?"

Publish Paid App in both Handango and Google Android Market

Google: We need to know how paid app transactions will work!

Is the developer or Android Market selling the Apps?

Charging for upgrading from free to paid version with new features

Also, I found another unofficial android apps online store, which is similar to handango as in my previous post that offers subscription based payment. 

There are many developers, based on my research so far, who are waiting the official answer from Google on this subscription based payment method. I guess Google should not keep the developers, and watcher like me ;p, waiting for the answer. 

*Yosh.. preparing for tomorrow Tokyo trip to the Company, meet with the Man who is behind the Product I am watching :p .... wishing a great lunch and fruitful discussion :)

Android on Asus Netbooks

Here is a great story from Information Week on the rise of Android on Netbooks.

Ovi store: the Nokia apps store cum a social networking site

As I have reviewed here, finally Nokia announced its own apps store, namely the Ovi store, in the Barcelona MWC'09 today. Different with other apps store, the Ovi store is not just an apps store where users can download apps, but also a social networking site where users can interact with their friends. The store will give suggestion for some relevant apps to download to users based on download history and friends activities. 

Developers can start upload and sell the apps to the Ovi store by next month, and then the users can start to buy the apps by May 2009. Similar to other, developer will get 70% of the revenue, while the rest is not yet clear where will go. Lets see what Nokia will decide on it as to whether will follow the iPhone Apps Store, or will follow the Android Market. 

The 2nd Android phone finally released: The HTC Magic by Vodafone UK

I just read about the release of the second Android-based phone from Vodafone UK, namely the HTC Magic, which is just announced in the Barcelona's Mobile World Congress today. The main difference with the first version, the HTC Dream by T1 Mobile USA, is there is no physical keyboard, which is replaced by a virtual keyboard. The camera pixel is also enhanced to 3.2 mega pixel. However, currently it is released majorly in Europe, but other places will follow as reported. 

Subscription-based pricing apps in Handango Android market !?

I was surprised when finding this about the first unofficial Android market by Handango, who is already there online since October 2008 offering free and paid apps, even offering monthly/quarterly/yearly subsription-based pricing apps! It is very late to find about this though. 

I was then looking for some others references talking about this, some news reported #1 #2 

From those sources, however, Handango tends to rips off the user as well as the developers. Handango takes about 50% of the revenue, 25% to developers, another 25% either to developer or third business parter of Handango (if the apps are downloaded from such third party website. 

One thing that I am still curious is how Google reacted to such unofficial Android market. However I have not found any source talks about it in the internet. Google could lose some potential  revenues due to the competition from Handango. On another hand, I am also thinking maybe for a short term Google wants to see and use it as a marketing tool for the Android, until sometime when the official Android Market with paid and perhaps subscription-based pricing shows up how it goes.

The Mobile Apps Store Wars!

I tried to summarize on the online mobile app store as follow.

Initiated by the Apple's iTunes App Store as a centralized online store of the iPhone/iPod application that bridge the developers and users, such model are followed by others that heating up the online mobile apps business arena. Up to now, here are the list of mobile apps store available:

1. The Apple's App Store: The apps are available either as paid or free apps, none as what is known as free trial apps. Apple will check all apps submitted by developers before those apps can be listed on the App Store. Developer will get 70% of each sold app, while Apple will take the remaining. According to business week news, by last Jan 16, there are about 15,000 apps avalable at the App Store and that have been downloaded a total of 500 million. The news told an interesting fact (?) that 17 millions iPhone users have downloaded as much apps as the 1.6 billion non-iPhone users have done. Apple used this claimed fact to tell all apps developers that it is much more worth to develop just a single app for iPhone rather than to develop apps for others. I would say that this is true for the golden-age of iPhone, i.e. before the coming of Android, or others with their correspoding apps store. 

2. The Android Market: Although currently there are about 1000 apps available in the store,  many believes that the number will jump staggeringly after the paid apps comes within Q1 2009, which probably within next week. Different with the Apple's App Store, Google allows developers to upload their apps to the Market without initial checking-up as Apple does. This will encourage developers to upload their apps with lesser restriction. Similar to App Store that developers will gain 70% of the revenue, but in this case Google will not take any cent.  The remaining 30% is instead used for the billing (operator) and transaction fee. 

3. The Windows App Store: Windows does not has its own online store so far, but they are planning to launch, probably within next week where the Barcelona GSMA Mobile Conference will be held. However, this website claimed as the "App Store" for Windows mobile apps. There are around 2500 apps available in the store available to around 950 mobile devices. The website is based on PocketGear.com, a leading windows app seller. Developers will obtain 60% of the sold app, while 40% goes to the store as stated here.

Anyway, I just curious whether they think another name other than "App Store". 

4. The Palm Software Store: Similar to Windows, this website is claimed as the Software Store for Palm apps. There are 5000+ apps available for 95 Palm-based devices. The pricing structure is also follow 60%/40% as in the Windows App Store above.

5. Samsung Application Store: This is a beta version of Samsung's own apps store, although it's also based on Pocket Gear but with a Samsung official website. As of now, there is no information about how is the pricing structure. However, since it is still under Pocket Gear.com, I think it follows the same 60%/40% scheme as above.

6. RIM Application Storefront: RIM is planning to come up with its own Blackberry app store, called the Storefront by March 2009. Interestingly, RIM will give away 80% of each sold app revenue to the developers, while it will retain the 20% rest. This is a compelling valu to the developers by RIM, compared to others. Although Blackberry is more known as an enterprise smartphone so far, I think it is also trying to reach the consumers market by having this Storefront.

7. Nokie is also going to combat with its online app store within next week as reported, probably during the Barcelone Mobile Conferenc timeframe. Lets just see.

Subscription-based Apps on the Android Market?

I found some discussion among developers in the Android Market Support Forum as follow. However, no formal reply from Google yet.

Subscription-oriented services seem to be a violation of the Market TOS

App with option subscription based services

Subscription based service - how to ? (an online game apps)

After reading the term and condition of pricing and payment of the Android Market, we could somehow analyze that only through the Market the money can flow. Still, we need clarification from Google directly. I will closely monitor those discussion update.

Anyway, I think we don't need to register as a member since the Android market Support Forum are available online. 

Mobile Internet Statistics

This site has a list of different sources that provide statistics on mobile internet, usage etc they even have Mobile analytics something like Google Analytics for websites.

The G1 HTC phone arrived at Australia, and soon Singapore...

When I opened this link, I wish I was still at Singapore to try it out! :( 

Anyway, waiting for its arrival in Japan soon too! :)

Motorola and Android

Motorola is making a big push with Android.

Another Android phone from Dell!

This is another news of upcoming Android-based smart phone, the first ever Dell's smart-phone! It is expected to be released by the coming GSMA Mobile World Congress mid of this year. 

Fujitsu offers full Android services in Japan

This is a great news for Android development in Japan!

Fujitsu just launched "Services built for Android", a complete package of consulting, training, development, and engineering of Android platform for mobile phone, PC, cars, etc. 

AdMob for Android

This is one enabler for Android applications to integrate advertising either as banner or text. This would triggers more application to be freely available with advertising based revenue model. 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10150735-94.html

DoCoMo supports Handset Vendors

This report today shows DoCoMo is spending 15 billion yen this year (2009)

Feb 16: Huawei's Android phone release

As it is stated in Huawei's web link below, 

"Smart mobile phone based on Android platform and first mobile phone based on "one" single UMTS chipset."

http://www.huawei.com/exhibition/barcelona2009.do

I'm not sure if the phone will be as Huawei's own phone, or Samsung, or Motorola or others? 

So lets see...

Samsung Android Phone

Here is the new Android phone from Samsung . Here come the Google Phones!

Android and Amazon

Please read this article carefully, and check out what's been said about Android and its impact on Amazon, etc..

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10140244-93.html

Wow!

Not only for phone, it's also for desktop, laptop, tablet!

Android eventually is not only appearing in phones, but also in desktop, laptop, tablet, which resulted in a very low yet powerful device. 

http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/01/googles_android_coming_to_a_netbook_near_you_soon_.html

http://i.gizmodo.com/5126620/nimble-300-android-desktop-phone-designed-by-iphone-engineer

http://i.gizmodo.com/5126042/hands-on-giinii-movit-mini-the-android-tablet

Android and SKYPE!

Thought you all might enjoy THIS . Pretty exciting again for Android.

Premium Apps are Coming!

Happy New Year Android Team,

This article just came out about Premium Apps for Android.

Would you be able to contact Eric Chu to find out the pricing model/structure for these apps? Are they thinking one-time fees only or will they also have the capability for subscriptions?