Penny Mobiles – Mobile phone news, reviews & information

There is no doubt that the demand for smart phones that use Google’s Android operating system are in demand. In fact, a recent study by retail research firm GfK, has shown that just here in the UK, the market share of Android devices has gone up to a massive 13% from the previous record of just 3%.

This momentous growth is spurned on by many different aspects, and here is a quick list of the things that have affected the Android’s growth.

The first thing on the list, is ironically, Apple and Steve Jobs. The Cupertino based company and their CEO has such an odd habit of antagonizing almost anything that comes their way that Google is starting to look quite like the quiet protagonist of the mobile industry. Google has stood beside HTC with regards to the Apple lawsuit and they have also taken in Adobe as well.

Another major reason why the Android OS is so in demand right now is because of all the big fuss about it. This is officially the first mobile platform that Adobe is supporting directly (though they have announced that Flash is indeed coming to other mobile platforms as well). The Google Goggles augmented reality application is also at the cutting edge of the technology. At the rate that the Android is moving forward, it has become one of the leading pioneers among mobile platforms.

Of course, the biggest reason why the Android OS is so successful is none other than the handsets. From simple mid range devices to the most powerful high end smart phones, the Android OS is used in a wide range of devices –with that range, almost any kind of smart phone user would find a great match.

With the upcoming launch of version 3.0 Gingerbread later this year, we can only expect the market share for the Android to keep on growing.

Google has officially taken down the online store that sells the Nexus One Android smart phone.

Over a week ago, Google quelled initial rumors about a possible Nexus Two handset. According to the software developer, the Nexus One has already been a successful handset in such a way that it achieved the goal that Google has set for it. Many may argue that the device was not a financial success –after all, the device did not sell much at all.

However, Google stated that the Nexus One was meant to be a smart phone that would push the current boundaries and standards for the Android operating system. This meant that users would be able to experience the open source mobile platform in the way that Google meant it to be. In that regard, Google states that the device was a success.

The shutting down of the online store does not mean that the Nexus One is no longer available. The smart phone can still be obtained through contracts and deals on Vodafone UK. Developers can also get a handset directly through Google –only the standard online store has been taken down. The special site exclusive for developers is still available. This means that Google intends to use the Nexus One as a continuous developer resource.

When the Nexus One was first launched last January, the only way to obtain the handset was through Google’s online store. Many who were present at the launch at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California thought that it was a bad idea, and that the device would not be accessible to a majority of the Android’s target market.

They were right, in the very first week of sales; the online store only sold 20,000 units of the Nexus One. In that same month, Vodafone UK managed to sell 100,000 iPhone 3G smart phones.

According to recent news Fujitsu is the newest phone manufacturer to be joining the ranks of HTC, Motorola, LG, Samsung and more in the Android phone community.

So far, the only thing that has been announced is the fact that Fujitsu is indeed working on an Android device, but aside from that, it is not known what kind of handset the Japanese electronics manufacturer will be coming up with. It is however, estimated that the new device will be out by the end of the year. The only speculation that matters right now is whether Fujitsu will device to bring the device over to the UK.

While we are all still guessing on what Fujitsu is planning, the other Android phone makers are already busy working on their own devices.

Korean manufacturer Samsung has recently added several new devices to the Galaxy series of Android phones, but it seems that the Galaxy tab seems missing from the list of devices that will be getting a release date soon.

Not to be outdone, the other Korean phone maker, LG has also confirmed that they are going to be adding a couple of new devices to the Optimus series of handsets (LG’s line of Android phones). In the meanwhile, the existing Optimus handsets are going to be updated.

HTC is already an established name in the smart phone industry –most particularly with the Android OS. With the HTC roadmap already leaked, it comes as to no surprise that the Taiwanese manufacturer is the one with the Android handset that we would be most looking forward to: the HTC Vision. Aside from the already impressive spec sheet, the device also comes with a physical slide out QWERTY keyboard. The other HTC device, the HTC Ace is still an unknown handset (no specs or details) at this point.

A lot of critics and consumers alike consider the HTC Desire to be one heck of a Smartphone. As much as we’d like to bash on this Taiwan-based piece of technology, the truth is, we totally agree with the Desire advocates. The Desire is as impressive as they come.

Multimedia Mad

Aside from all the voice and data connectivity options on mobiles, one defining aspect of an excellent Smartphone is its multimedia features. In this regard, the HTC Desire definitely doesn’t disappoint. It starts things off with its highly impressive 3.7” AMOLED touch screen display which delivers 480 x 800 pixels of resolution. The Desire also packs in a functional 5-Megapixel camera which sports features such as geo-tagging and smile detection. The pre-installed multimedia player is also noteworthy as is its external memory which goes up to 32GB.

Sensing a Difference?

One more thing that makes the HTC Desire stand out is its user interface. Not only does it sport the highly-acclaimed Google Android operating system (version 2.1 or Eclair), but it takes things a step further by combining it with HTC’s proprietary Sense UI. The two work together amazingly well as they bring out the best features out of one another – much like how we expect all our romantic relationships to be. Joking aside, the Android hasn’t looked this good and surely, Google has to thank the Sense UI for this vast improvement.

Bang for Your Buck

Lastly, the HTC Desire is very reasonably priced. It was launched just this March and today, it retails at approximately £400. At this considerably affordable price, you can already get your hands on a wonderful Smartphone that gives you all the features you’d need and want. It’s even over a hundred pounds cheaper than the iPhone 3GS which retails at over five hundred pounds.

A rumor has been started from a Russian tech podcast that speaks of the upcoming Android 3.0 operating system. While the new features that were detailed are definitely impressive, there is a large part of the news that would have many Android smart phone owners worried regarding the arrival of the new OS. According to the rumors, the new OS will only be compatible with high-end smart phones.

Considering that Microsoft has already taken this route with the Windows Phone 7, one would think that Google might also try the same approach –determine a minimum hardware requirement for a new OS. In this way, the overall user experience is standardized throughout all devices. At the moment, the Android OS is suffering from cross-handset compatibility issues for some features and apps due to the fact that the hardware used for Android handsets vary depending on the manufacturer.

The podcast goes on to point out that the new OS will only be compatible with mobile phones that have 1GHz CPUs or higher.

While this move makes sense, it is unlikely that Google would actually go in that direction. Unlike the Windows Phone 7 which is an entirely new OS from Windows Mobile, the upcoming Gingerbread is still an update of the current 2.1 Éclair and 2.2 Froyo. Jumping to an entirely new OS would leave a vast majority of Android’s users alienated and that is something that Google cannot risk. After all, it would very likely upset a large number of people if Google brought out an update that made, say, the Samsung Galaxy S obsolete, but supported the HTC Desire.

One of the key topics that Google discussed in the I/O conference and is constantly tackling is the compatibility issue with the Android OS. Their goal is to make the upcoming Gingerbread a standard OS for all the Android smart phones –to set a compatibility standard so that apps and features have no problems running.

Naturally, Google’s newer operating systems would indeed adapt to newer technology, but right now, cutting off any smart phone with a CPU slower than 1GHz is not a viable solution for Google.

While it may seem to some that Google’s win over the Viacom lawsuit was a given, the fact is that the struggle has taken three years and for quite some time, the results could have gone either way.

Many are championing the internet as the base of free speech, freedom of information and in the dissemination of information, but the fact of the matter is that there are thousands of gigabytes worth of copyrighted material that are being illegally transferred every day. While this may not warrant the need for YouTube to scrutinize every single video upload that is made on the servers, it still makes for quite a strong argument.

But yes, Google has won and YouTube fans (as well as users of many other video sharing websites) can now rest easy knowing that there is no law that would prevent people from uploading video content on the media sharing site.

Smart phone users rely heavily on the YouTube web service as a host for the many videos that are shared online. A vast majority of Facebook’s videos link to YouTube hosted content. Had the Viacom lawsuit pushed through, Google might have had to take down all videos and screen every single file individually for copyrighted content.

The reason for the win is quite simple; Google already cooperates with the appropriate copyright holders when content is being contested. Upon the request of certified property owners, video content is investigated and taken down if necessary. Certain regions are also locked out from viewing content that has not been declared as allowed in the territory.

The fact the Google also provides the necessary power to copyright owners means that the lawsuit from Viacom is not only redundant, but quite unnecessary. Still, the fact that the lawsuit was made in the first place is a reminder to everyone that being able to upload content is a privilege that should be taken seriously.

When it comes to the Android, anyone who is familiar with technology would have plenty of reasons to praise and be happy with this mobile platform. From its open source nature to the fact that it supports so many standards, it is hard for any tech junkie to not like any product that is sporting the little green robot from Google.

But for the general public, the Android is just another name, and being open source is hardly a reason to choose an OS. In order to figure out what makes and Android smart phone so good, here is a quick layman’s look at Google’s operating system.

First off, the Android is an operating system. This is basically the digital foundation upon which all apps, functions, features are accessed and run from. The iPhone and many other smart phones all have their own operating system, and aside from the hardware features of a mobile handset, the operating system is an important factor to consider when buying a phone.

The Android is unique from the iPhone OS as it is an open source platform. For the consumer, this technical term may not mean much, but the bottom line here is that open source operating systems tend to have more apps that can do more things. Literally speaking, the phone will be more “open” to developers. This means that the people that make apps will have access to more of the phone’s features, like the camera, music player, and other valuable resources. In turn, this will allow for the creation of a wider range of apps.

Another reason why Google’s Android is so good is because Google made it. This means that all (well, most) of Google’s online services are accessible from an Android device. Be it Gmail, Google Buzz, Google Chat, Google Earth, Maps, Street View, YouTube, Picasa and everything else is compatible with the system.

Finally, no mobile OS would be worth much without a decent set of handsets that employ it, and the Android certainly doesn’t fall short here. At the high end, phones like HTC’s Desire provide an impresive array of features, while phones like the upcoming SE XPERIA X8 allow access to to this powerful OS on a budget.

Symbian has announced just a couple of months ago that they are going ‘open source’. Google proudly states that the Chrome and Android operating systems are also open source. Adobe and Apple had a public row about what open standards truly are.

In this day and age, there is plenty of fuss and debate about what is open and what is not. While it seems to be an issue that heavily affects developers and manufacturers, should end users be concerned?

In technology, there is plenty of ways to determine what is open, and some might even argue that it is all a matter of perspective. Take Apple for instance; their stance regarding Flash and HTML5 includes the argument that HTML5 is an open platform that everyone can use, while Flash is solely developed by Adobe and hence not ‘open’. At the same time, Adobe argues that though Apple uses an open platform, they (Apple) are not open when it comes to giving both the developers and users control.

As much as this may seem like a moral issue in some instances, there is more to the “open” concept than just what is right or wrong. After all, despite the many complaints and criticisms that Apple has faced for being a closed company, this has also given rise to one of their biggest advantages: by not being open, they are able to dictate specifically what goes on in the iPhone or in any of their other products, and through this, they are able to create a standard or a uniformity in a user’s experience.

Open also has its advantages as well, on open source platforms, developers get to play around more as they have access to more resources, functions and even hardware features. In the end, it is unlikely that end users would even be able to make a purchasing decision based on whether a product uses open standards or not. What will matter is how good the products are.

Turn based games are always a welcome addition to a smart phone’s gaming line up. While it lacks the action oriented pacing of real time games, the fact that you can play a game while on the go without having to sacrifice focus on walking or working because of a boss battle is certainly a great convenience.

Anyway, mobile app developer Handy-Games has released Panzer Panic, a highly artistic, turn based, tank combat game. The point of Panzer Panic is simple, move your tanks around, shoot enemy tanks and avoid getting blown up. The scenarios are pretty simple; with the basic top view perspective allowing players to plan their moves ahead. Still, the game provides a good degree of challenge with excellent enemy AI and the addition of stage obstacles.

Graphically, the game is outright unique. Instead of the usual gaudy sprites or semi 3D tanks moving on low-resolution backgrounds, developer Handy-Games has decided to go for a more artistic and very efficient notepad look: the entire game looks like it has been scribbled on a piece of paper. Now that may sound like the formula for bad graphics, but instead, it actually looks really good. The tanks stand out from the backgrounds, color coded explosion trails litter the stage as the battles commence and there are even small scribbled tank thread trails when the tanks move around.

The challenge comes in several fronts. Aside from the fact that you have to plan your moves per turn, actions are also limited by ‘ink fuel’. While the earlier stages will give you allowance to experiment, the later challenges will have you conserving ink a lot.

Handy-Games has also added in a multiplayer mode which will let you play this fun Android game with your friends –which means that you get to blast your best buds with the satisfying explosions of ink shells.

If you already own an Android smart phone, then you would have realized by now that the device is designed to be fast, easy to use and most importantly, easy to customize. Of course, you can only do so much with the phone’s available settings options, and this is why some developers have created app tools that will help you out.

The first tool we recommend is the Startup Auditor. It is basically a checklist of all the little programs that opens up whenever you turn on your Android smart phone. Of course, new users might not know what to enable and disable, fortunately, the app comes with pre-recommended settings depending on the version of the Android OS that is running.

This next one is made to appeal to those who spend plenty of hours away from home and office, the Power Manager allows users to fully understand which components and activities consume battery power the most. This will allow users to determine what they can do when the battery hits certain stages of depletion and there are no immediate charging opportunities in sight.

If the virtual keyboard is getting a little annoying to use, there’s a modified app version which allows users to type using both tapping and sliding motions (it is far easier to slide a finger across than to lift it up. There is a built in dictionary on the keyboard which allows it to predict words that are being typed.

Our last recommended tool focuses more on customizing phone use than the Android itself, the Android Firewall is made to help user decide which calls should be allowed and what should never push through. It works great for both incoming and outgoing calls –which is an excellent way of dealing with people who keep calling without permission, stalkers and phone marketing agents.