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.

With the Kin’s unexpected cancellation in Europe, it is hard to see how Microsoft is ever going to regain its foothold in the European mobile phone markets. However, the American electronics manufacturer seems determined to set things right. Learning from how the social networking centered duo fared in the US, they have instead decided to cut their losses and focus their efforts on the launch of the Windows Phone 7 platform.

Retailers are preparing early for the line of products sporting the new operating system, creating attractive shop displays. Some of the Windows Phone 7 ads are due to be posted even as early as within the month.

According to official Microsoft documents that were leaked to the public, the company confirms a third quarter launch date for the new operating system. People who estimate the arrival date of the Windows Phone 7 platform say that it is actually due to be released on September.

It seems the accelerated release date can be attributed to the Microsoft branded Kin’s lackluster appeal in the mobile market. It was, after all, pitted against heavy competition against Google, Apple as well as Nokia.

With all the promotional shop floor displays and awareness drives, Microsoft really does not want to leave too much to chance. All the publicity and marketing should leave an impression on the consumers, after all, Microsoft has quite a few unique wow factors up its sleeve.

There are plenty of things to look forward to in the Windows Phone 7 platform. The modern user interface, plenty of apps ported from the Xbox Live Arcade as well as a great, Flash capable web browser. Hopefully all of this is enough to boost the Microsoft platform’s 7 percent market share which is only a fraction when compared to the 44 percent that Nokia’s Symbian dominates.

Google has already announced that their first self branded smart phone, the Nexus One will be the first Android handset to support the new Flash 10.1 format. Of course, Adobe AIR will also be supported making the Nexus One the phone with highest web standards compatibility.

Cupertino based Apple has already drawn in their lot in the tech industry after they released the details of the now controversial iPhone 4.0 SDK developer’s agreement. In said agreement, a clause fully detailed that developer can no longer use third party software –a direct slap in the face of Adobe that was just about to release Flash Professional CS5 which came with a major Flash to iPhone compiler. This started what would be the great Apple and Adobe “over the web with letters” debate –which begun with a lengthy letter from Steve Jobs himself.

Anyway, it appears that despite the initial loss of having Apple’s outright rejection (and the fact that Adobe stock value fell a bit when the agreement was made public), the Flash developer is once again back on its’ feet and this time, it is heavily backed by Google, developers of the Android operating system and of course, Apple’s largest rival in the mobile phone industry.

Showcasing Flash on the Nexus One is a great start for the new partnership. The high end Android phone is fully equipped to show the world that it can handle the resource heavy Flash content and that the web format actually works great on touch user interfaces. The Google show does not end there however. At the recently held Web 2.0 Expo, Google showed off their Android tablet device which became a major highlight as it was the first tablets to support Flash content.

Flash 10.1 support for the Android will be available when version 2.2 Froyo comes out.