Smartphone Field Continues To Level

With the underestimated growth of Android, good advances on Windows Phone 7, WebOS 2.0 , and an ongoing slew of new models coming off the assembly lines from: Motorola, HTC, Samsung, Blackberry, et al., how much longer can Apple hold smartphone throne with one model released a year with a proprietary OS? Ultimately, the consumer wins this one.

Motorola Smacks Back At Steve Jobs

Let’s give Motorola credit for their current ‘No Jacket Required’ ad and its smack at Steve Jobs’ statement at the ‘Antennagate’ press conference, that all smartphones suffer reception problems. In a recent interview, Motorola CEO, Sanjay Jha stated that “the most popular voice message on the new iPhone was “Sorry, I can’t answer your call, but I’m holding my phone!”

Two Year Smartphone Contracts Are Too Long

As AT&T announces that early termination fees for smartphone users will increase, I wonder why those of us who want to keep up with mobile developments, have to be penalized for it.  I’ve had my Droid Eris for six months now, and would be happy to pay, say $100.00 or thereabouts for a new ‘Incredible.’  Instead, I have to wait for the end of my ubiquitous two-year contract before purchasing the state of the art.  Geesh!

Apple and Google Fight It Out Over Mobile

A recent New York Times article relates the growing tensions between Apple and Google over future of mobile phones and operating systems. For Apple up to this point, it has been a profitable market with little competition. The iPhone has set the standard for smartphones and their app store is a wild success. Much as they have done with the music industry and their iTunes store, Apple would like a gated marketplace where apps for all OS’s can be sold. This would obviously increase profits of what has quickly become a very successful area of Apple’s business.

Androids Proliferate

Add AT&T to the list of Android carriers (Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile) and Dell to the list of Android smartphone makers (HTC & Motorola).  As for Google, keep on refining that OS and adding quality apps.  2010 is looking good.

Verizon Plays Hardass With Apple

I was hoping Verizon was going to pick up the iPhone next year, and though it looks like my hopes have been squashed, I’m pleased to say that it’s not bothering me like I thought it would.

Verizon is showing allegiance with Googles’ entry into the mobile market with its Android OS phone, called the ‘Droid’. We will soon be learning about its’ multitude of features, but as a Google phone, one is not surprised to see a ‘Quick Search’ box located at the top of the browser, allowing users to search the web directly from the home screen.

Android’s free ‘Open Source Project’ platform, will be developer-friendly and insure an extensive quantity of applications. Google has even offerred $250,000 in price money for best new applications.

And if you think Verizon is being delicate about superiority to the iPhone, check out the ad

This competition will be interesting to follow, with the consumer the ultimate beneficiary.

Take That, iPhone!

A deal has recently been announced whereby Google’s ‘Android’ platform will utilize the highly rated Verizon Wireless network. New phones are in development, expected to become available early next year.
What’s particularly pleasing about the news is that the Google Voice application will be included. Google Voice translates voice mails into texts and allows the same phone number to be used with multiple phone locations. Take that iPhone!