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Tensions seem to rise between Apple and Google every time they launch a phone or acquire a new media company, but the real battle is happening in a wonkier arena: telecom.

That’s what Elia Freedman, CEO of Infinitiy Softworks, argues in his intriguing piece “Fighting the Wrong Fight,” featured in today’s Tweet of the Day.Freedman tweeted: “This is critical. We’ve been distracted by Apple v. Google. But that’s not the real fight, one for the soul of mobile: http://bit.ly/9ZI5LI.”

In his post, Freedman enumerates examples illustrating that the experience you get on your phone ultimately boils down to what carriers such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile want you to have. He’s right.

Ever wonder why the iPhone doesn’t have free tethering? Or why some Android devices are shipping with bloatware? These were decisions imposed by carriers, who are fighting to regain control of their industry in the aftermath of the iPhone revolution.

As Wired’s Fred Vogelstein originally reported in his bombshell 2008 piece “How the iPhone blew up the wireless industry,” Steve Jobs transformed the wireless game by convincing AT&T to carry Apple’s phone without even seeing it. That sly move resulted in a phone that Apple was able to design for customers to enjoy rather than for carriers to make boatloads of money. After the iPhone became a blockbuster hit, the rest of the wireless industry was forced to offer competitive products tailored to a rich customer experience.

However, carriers didn’t simply wuss out. As Vogelstein revealed in a followup piece, the relationship between Apple and AT&T has since turned dysfunctional. In one incident, Apple was pushing for AT&T to include tethering as a free service as part of its unlimited data plan, but AT&T wouldn’t allow it without incurring a fee. The two companies were arguing over this matter in late 2008, and only recently did tethering finally become available for iPhone customers for an additional monthly cost, just like AT&T wanted.

And as large and influential as Google may be, the search giant appears to have ceded control to carriers in light of its recent joint proposal with Verizon regarding net neutrality (as Wired.com’s Ryan Singel summarizes poignantly in his piece “Why Google became a carrier-humping, net neutrality surrender monkey“).

Now is indeed a time for concern. While companies like Apple, Google, HTC, Research In Motion and Nokia appear to be the gods delivering our products, it’s the carrier overlords who possess the keys to the broadband fueling our mobile experiences.

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

After offering previews of its Windows Phone 7 platform last month, Microsoft seems ready to take the next step to get it to market.

The company seems to have set shipping dates for the platform and Europe will be the first to get it.

At a conference, Microsoft’s chief operating officer Kevin Turner told attendees that the company is looking to transition to Windows Phone 7 around October in Europe and November in the U.S.

“We are back in this game,” says Turner in this video posted on Engadget. “And this game is not over.”

In the next three to five years, 450 million smartphones will be sold, he says. That’s double the smartphones sold today.

“When you look at this (Windows 7) phone and some of the UI (user interface), it’s not like any phone you have ever seen from Microsoft,” says Turner. “And I think that’s a good thing.”

Microsoft is working with companies such as Samsung and LG for the hardware.

Over the last three years, Microsoft’s Windows mobile operating system has been eclipsed by rivals such as Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone OS. For the three months ending May, RIM’s BlackBerry OS ranked first with about 41.7 percent market share in the U.S., followed by Apple at 24.4 percent and Microsoft at 13.2 percent, according to Comscore. Android OS came in fourth at 13 percent but Android has been moving up the ranks steadily gaining points while its rivals are losing share.

Microsoft is betting Windows 7 phone will help turn the tide. The new Windows 7 OS has a snazzy new user interface, integration with Zune market for games and music, and search by Bing. (Check out Gizmodo’s in-depth look at Windows Phone 7.)

In the U.S., AT&T has said it plans to be the “premier” carrier for the platform. AT&T has been slow to embrace Google’s Android platform and it will be interesting to see the size of the bet it will place on Microsoft.

Photo: (brendanlim/Flickr)

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews

Motorola’s Droid is the most popular phone among Android users, followed by HTC Hero, while Google’s Nexus One ranks tenth on the list, according to a monthly metrics report from mobile advertising firm AdMob. AdMob has ranked the top ten Android smartphones by market share.

The data is based on 12.7 million Android phones in the AdMob network in May. It’s also why the HTC Evo, released in the first week of June, is missing from the mix.

About 21 percent Android users have the Droid, while 16 percent users own the HTC Hero. Just 2 percent of Android phone users have Google’s Nexus One phone, says AdMob.

Motorola launched the Droid in November 2009 and made it available exclusively on Verizon Wireless. And despite the gaggle of Android phones launched every month, the Droid has been holding strong.

The only Android phone that could challenge the Droid’s position is the HTC Evo, which is available exclusively on Sprint. It will be interesting to see if the Evo can beat the Droid, though Sprint has a smaller marketing budget and fewer subscribers than Verizon.

Here’s a chart that shows the popularity of different Android smarpthones.

About 67 percent of Android users are in North America while China is the second largest market for Android with 13 percent of Android users coming from the country, says AdMob.

Combined HTC and Motorola have 83 percent share among Android devices. Since the Android OS debuted in 2008, the two companies have been on a roll, churning out phones faster than consumers can keep up with.

Last week, Motorola introduced its eleventh Android phone, the Droid X. It was also a big month for HTC, whose Evo phone is the first and only 4G device available currently.

Data: AdMob

Source:wired.com

Posted under Gadget Reviews