Android Community |
- Android Remains Open, Android Remains Powerful
- Xperia Play launches in 11 markets, but not the US – HUH?
- Galaxy on Fire 2 now available in Android Market
- Kyocera Katsura Android “Gaming Tablet” Photos Leaked [EXCLUSIVE]
- HTC ThunderBolt Outsells iPhone 4 at Verizon
| Android Remains Open, Android Remains Powerful Posted: 01 Apr 2011 02:41 PM PDT This week there was an article published by a pair of writers over at Bloomberg Businessweek : Ashlee Vance and Peter Burrows. This article tells an account of “about a dozen executives working at key companies in the Android ecosystem” including LG, Toshiba, Samsung, and Facebook. This epic tale even notes complaints with the US Justice Department over the situation. Noone directly commenting on the situation is named, and specific facts are sparse – is this a case of fabrication, or is it such a giant story that mafia-style gunmen will come down upon anyone tied to its publication?
Let’s go through this story point by point, commenting as we go. First off, there’s an interesting couple of sentences to set up the whole story:
In a single reading, this may seem like a harsh reality, one that goes directly against Google’s claim of an “open source” environment for its mobile OS Android. Looking over it again, this blurb reads differently: early access. What does that mean in this situation? It means that Google would literally work with a manufacturer to deliver Android early, early as in before the rest of the manufacturers, early as in before the source code is released to developers aiming to make compatible apps to work inside it, early as in before Google is prepared to release it to groups that might use it to compete against them. Google promotes Android as an open-source environment, one where anyone is allowed to work in and with the mobile OS without Google slapping their hand and taking it away from them. Does that mean that a manufacturer should get preferential treatment just because they ask for it? Absolutely not. Grocery stores don’t get early access to milk from farms because farms need to make sure that milk is processed and ready to drink before it’s released. Next, a bit more on what Bloomberg has decided Google once was and how harsh they’ve become:
There’s a good example of a model inside this ecosystem that can be compared to what Google is doing here, and comparatively, Google is being much less capitalistic about it: Free-to-Premium Apps. In our current Android Market model, free apps reign supreme. While the advertising route works for some, there’s also the releasing of two versions of your app method, one where your first app is a free and limited version of an application, the second version being a premium or more full version of the app that has a cost. What Google has done here is to release a full free operating system in a similar way, only they’re not trying to sell their premium version, they’re still giving it away. What Google has instead of a premium version is the pre-release, this version going out to manufacturers who they’ve vetted and have decided to be worthy of being the first ones out the door. Just like any business deal, you’ve got to be willing to make concessions in order to get special favors. Bloomberg goes on to note the simplicity of the truth, the key to dismantling every complainers case in the whole rest of the article:
Musicians do this same thing each and every day of the year, they release a single, or in some cases completely free music meant to be distributed at will, to the people they trust to represent the music in the manner that best allows it to flourish. Next, a quote comes in from the director of global Android partnerships at Google, John Lagerling, who speaks on the reasoning behind working with a single manufacturer for each Hero device that sends out a version of Android unto the world:
These hero phones you’ve all heard about: HTC Dream aka T-Mobile G1 : First phone released to the market to use Android OS, October 22, 2008, this device used Android 1.0, a version without a special name (starting with 1.5 they worked with tasty treats, Cupcake first.) Nexus One : another HTC device, tested throughout Google’s innards, announced December 12, 2009, released January 5, 2010, with a stock version of Android 2.1 Eclair. Nexus S : a Samsung device released December 16, 2010 with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. This was one of two phone we know about to have been in the running to be Google’s hero phone for Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the other being the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, which will also soon be releasing with a version of Gingerbread, Android 2.3.2 (or .3, we’re not sure yet for the USA.) XOOM : a Motorola tablet released February 24, 2011 with Google’s first Android version for tablet-sized devices, Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Then comes the harsh part:
Whoa! Wait a second, Google, isn’t THAT the antithesis of an open source project? It seems like there’s nothing, then, between Google and controlling whatever gets released on for-sale hardware with their operating system on it. To be able to sell a device with Android OS on it, a business MUST get a license from Google. Next, more legal matters:
Whether Bloomberg actually asked Shari Yoder about this matter or not is irrelevant, really, as there appears to be no record of the “gripes” actually happening. We guess the gripes would be against Google for not allowing their Apache Software License the way these manufacturers saw fit. You can read more about Google’s ASL [in this classic article on Ars Technica], but what it essentially says is that with this license, Google can release code that’s free and open that manufacturers can then tweak and NOT re-distribute for free usage. This, says Ars in 2007, promotes market growth, but not as quick a growth potential as utter freeness would. Finally, a quote on the similarities between this situation and the release of Windows OS throughout the years:
And they should, the absolutely should. Google has created a system that they’ve licensed as open source in a way that has, and definitely will continue to make the mobile market grow exponentially into the foreseeable future. Google gives their product away for free, you can use it however you want unless you want to sell it, in which case you’ve got to get their approval, then they’re going to want to add their Android Market to your device before you sell it. But you’re allowed to sell your device with unlockable bootloaders and essentially open systems again, thus making your product one that your users can modify however they see fit. So what’s the missing link? Rogue manufacturers getting pissed off because they can’t have a product someone else worked on for free with no limits that they can then clutter up and repackage for a gigantic profit, blaming their frustration on the fact that Google said they’re giving out an open-source system – which, if you ask me and us, they still are. The quotes above come from an article posted on Bloomberg. )
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| Xperia Play launches in 11 markets, but not the US – HUH? Posted: 01 Apr 2011 02:03 PM PDT I gotta say, I’m a bit mystified about this one. Sony-Ericsson launched the Xperia Play in 11 markets around the world with six additional markets coming two weeks later. Only problem is … the United States isn’t one of them. According to the official announcement, the US launch of the Xperia Play, with Verizon, will come “sometime later this Spring.” Meanwhile, markets such as the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan will get to enjoy them some PSP style mobile gaming.
The Xperia Play is Sony-Ericsson’s flagship “Playstation Certified” phone. It’s being launched with more than 60 games from not only Sony, but twenty other game developers including Gameloft and Electronic Arts. The games include Assassins Creed: Altair’s Chronicles HD, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Galaxy on Fire 2, Guns n Glory, Backstab, and Sony’s own Asphalt 6, the latest installment in their top selling raciging game. It will be available free on the Experia Play. There are also a collection of classic Playstation One games that are preloaded and include Destruction Derby, Jumping Jack Flash, MidEvil, to name a few. Designed around a Qualcomm Snapdragon II 8655 1GHz CPU, the Xperia Play also has an Adreno 205 processor and a 4″ capacitive multi-touch, 854 x 480 pixel FWVGA display. It has a slide up game control pad with joystick and Playstation buttons. There's a front-facing VGA cam for video chat and rear-facing 5-megapixel camera which offers a disappointing WVGA resolution 30fps video rather than the standard HD offerings of other phones. But fact it, people are going to buy this for it’s game playing capability and not to shoot National Geographic cover pages. But not quite yet for those of us in the US, that is. Check out Slash Gear’s review of the Xperia Play by Chris Davies here.
[via BGR] )
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| Galaxy on Fire 2 now available in Android Market Posted: 01 Apr 2011 01:31 PM PDT Fishlabs Entertainment has taken Galaxy on Fire 2 out of Beta and has released it on the Android Marketplace. The game, part of NVidia’s Tegra Zone, has epic space battles, weird aliens and romance? Sadly, even though we took the beta version through it’s paces on a Motorola Xoom tablet, according to the Android market entry, the game is listed as only supported on Sony Ericsson Xperia Play smartphones. That’s too bad, especially since we reported that the Xperia Play isn’t even available in the US yet. But it may also explain the $11.26 price tag. Still, it’s a frakking sweet game.
Here’s a few details of Galaxy on Fire 2. There are over 20 inhabited solar systems and 100 orbiting space stations in this war-torn galaxy. Players have ships capable of hyperspace and wormhole travel in full 3D. In fact, the 3D is really fantastic as scene zoom in and out with no delay whatsoever in a very cinematic fashion. And what’s really awesome is how you can go from one solar system to the next and the solar system screens are spherical, in that you can drag around the screen in 3D space. For a simple screen. It’s that attention to detail that separates this game for the rest and we’re not even talking about the action. Intro animation goes immediately into game play, so users don’t have to wait for any loading time. There’s also virtual joysticks on the touch screen and users can also use the touch screen to lock onto an opponent with a simple touch. In addition to battling opponents, the asteroids are mining opportunities. It’s just a sweet game all the way around. And that’s what’s so mystifying about makes this an exclusive game to the Xperia Play. I mean, I get that it’s optimized for it, as the Play is essentially the PSP phone, but as we proved in our Motorola Xoom review, this game can work on any current Android handset or tablet running Gingerbread or above.    
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| Kyocera Katsura Android “Gaming Tablet” Photos Leaked [EXCLUSIVE] Posted: 01 Apr 2011 01:11 PM PDT Well this is odd, to say the least. We’ve been passed some relatively blurry photos of what our super secret source is telling us is called the Kyocera “Katsura.” Our source preferred to remain anonymous but didn’t mind being called “our man in Eastern Europe.” He wouldn’t say where he was living, or where the photos were taken, but we’ve got to assume it’s within a few fathoms of Kyoto Japan, since that’s where Kyocera is based, yet still in an area where Euros are used, as a 10p Euro coin is pictured in one of the photos.
The only information that was passed to us from this, again, very anonymous and not-yet-credible source is that this is a “gaming tablet” made to come out soon to fill in a supposed market gap created by the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, also soon to be out around the world. We do not know which version of Android it will be running, and we do not know the exact size, though from the photos it appears to be slightly shorter and a lot longer than the Motorola XOOM tablet.
The back appears to have similar / the same materials in play as the XOOM, an almost rubbery matte-black plastic with what almost seems to be a gloss (or shiny plastic, more than likely,) overlay of leaves or fishes along with the Kyocera logo. How in the world this will work as a gaming tablet, we do not know.
What an oddity! This would mark another big attempt to take a slice out of the Android pie right alongside the equally odd Kyocera Echo that’ll be coming out on Sprint quite soon – have a peek at a video of Kyocera’s booth at CTIA 2011 here, the full post of which is [here], then also don’t forget our video of the Echo’s [startup sequence] and our lovely [hands-on] with the device as well! NOTE: bonus – “Katsura” is apparently one of three trees that are “city symbols” for the city of Kyoto. Kyocera is not only based in Kyoto, their name is derived from its name: Kyoto Ceramics = Kyocera. )
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| HTC ThunderBolt Outsells iPhone 4 at Verizon Posted: 01 Apr 2011 12:12 PM PDT So you were wondering if it was wise to keep your launch-day ThunderBolt and you decided to hang on to it, yes? You though it was probably the best phone you’d ever owned in your entire life, and you wanted to be awesome, just like the thousands of other Verizon customers across the USA, right? Turns out you’re VERY MUCH not alone in that, and you’re beating the crap out of Apple while you’re at it. That’s right, HTC ThunderBolt is outselling the iPhone.
Research firm BTIG recently conducted a poll of 150 Verizon Wireless retail stores from over 22 major cities across the United States. In the results they’ve given, it appears that the results are clear: Android is a monster in a rainstorm. More than half of the stores polled are saying that the two devices are at least on par with one another for sales while a significant portion of stores are reporting that ThunderBolt is indeed in the lead! BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk notes the following:
One must consider some important facts while waiving a gigantic Android flag over a mountain of burning Apple trees: HTC’s ThunderBolt has JUST been released, it’s Verizon’s first LTE telephone, and iPhone 4 has been out for a WHILE now. On the other hand again, back in February Verizon CEO Dan Mead was quoted as saying that "In just our first two hours, we had already sold more phones than any first day launch in our history." So basically Verizon is pretty happy right now, is what we’re saying here. You can purchase both the HTC ThunderBolt and the Apple iPhone 4 at Verizon right this moment at any local Verizon Wireless location.        [via BGR] )
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