Nielsen's June data pegs Android on 39% of US smartphones, iOS holds 28%

Nielsen came up today with one of its nifty block diagrams that show the market share of each mobile operating system and manufacturer in easy to understand visuals.

Since the data is from June, this is as fresh as it gets before this month is over. Android now holds close to 40% of the smartphone market in the US, while iOS keeps 28%, BlackBerry 20%, and Microsoft's mobile operating systems have about 8%. Trailing behind are HP with its webOS offerings, and Nokia's Symbian with 2% each.

What's interesting is that HTC holds the lead in both Android, and Windows Phones, which comes to show how important is the US market for its well-being, and that the negative effect of an unfavorable ITC ruling in the patent wars with Apple will prove significant.

Nielsen also found out in a separate study that the majority of new phone purchases in the US are smartphones, so this diagram below will be becoming more and more representative for the whole US cell phone market in the future.

Microsoft Send Mango to Manufacturers, watch Video inside

It's finally official: Windows Phone Mango has been released to manufacturers and is way on track to arriving to existing Windows Phone devices this fall, according to Microsoft itself. 

“This marks the point in the development process where we hand code to our handset and mobile operator partners to optimize Mango for their specific phone and network configurations. Here on the Windows Phone team, we now turn to preparing for the update process,” corporate VP of WP Engineering, Terry Myerson, explains on the Windows Phone Blog explains.

From here on we can hope that phone makers and carriers can squeeze their testing to fit the fall timeline. Most importantly, though, by reaching RTM status, we can be sure that the code is now finalized. Mango is the latest update to Microsoft's mobile platform bringing 500 new features including major novelties like multitasking and an improved IE9 with hardware acceleration and support for HTML5.

Unlocked Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc to sell for a whopping $519 OR $599

We caught our first glimpse of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc at CES 2011, and I remember thinking, “Finally! A decent Android device from Sony Ericsson, and hopefully it won’t take ages to hit the market.” A short seven months later and it’s going to hit U.S. customers. This August, you can grab the Xperia Arc directly from Sony Ericsson for $599 – sure, it’s pricy, but it isn’t subsidized by any U.S. carriers yet, so we’ll just have to deal.

You also can get unlocked Xperia Arc on http://www.m2cmobile.com/ for ONLY $519.98 USD, it is pretty much cheaper.

The Xperia Arc can also be nabbed at Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and Newegg.com for the same price. The 1GHz Snapdragon processor ought to make Android 2.3 Gingerbread run smoothly, but you’ll have to deal with TimeScape UI if you want this phone but aren’t a fan of the interface. We thought the display was nice, despite being 850 x 480, and it shouldn’t really be all that bad unless you’re totally accustomed to the iPhone 4‘s retina display, or Samsung’s Super AMOLED screens.

If you’ve been waiting for this super slim smartphone since CES 2011, you won’t have to wait much longer!

First Windows Phone Mango handset announced - the waterproof Toshiba-Fujitsu IS12T

Microsoft Japan and a Toshiba-Fujitsu venture have partnered over the IS12T with a 13.2MP camera, 32GB of internal memory, and thin waterproof design for the first Windows Phone Mango handset to be announced, Japan-only unfortunately. The professional selling unlocked Japanese phones website  http://www.m2cmobile.com/ will bring you unlocked IS 12T in two weeks, please put eyes on it.

We first saw it at Microsoft's WPC 2011 event not long ago, where the presenter hinted that the phone has a "great camera" and, indeed the Toshiba-Fujitsu IS12T sports a 13.2MP shooter with flash and various photographic options complementing the sensor.

Add this to the fact that the handset is waterproof as many Japanese smartphones are, plus the 32GB of internal memory, and we can only drool at what the folks in the land of the Rising Sun are getting. The other specs are more run-of-the-mill - Qualcomm MSM8655 processor, and a 3.7" display with 480x800 pixels, but the Toshiba-Fujitsu IS12T is quite thin at 0.42" (10.6mm) and light at just 4 ounces (113g).

The handset comes in yellow, pink and black, so its fans will span from the Hello Kitty types to the serious businessman who would appreciate the Microsoft Office and cloud services integration in this first WIndows Phone Mango handset.

Moreover, the presenters said that the phone will be available after September, and we posted that Mango just went RTM, so September seems right on schedule for the first major update of Microsoft's mobile OS. Have a look at a video of the whole launch event below.

Apple iPhone 5 penciled in as next smartphone by 35% of consumers in a survey

Experian's PriceGrabber division recently conducted a survey which is rather timely considering that the next generation Apple iPhone could be just weeks away from being launched in the States. According to the survey, 35% of consumers plan on buying the Apple iPhone 5 to replace their current handset.

Of those planning on making the iPhone 5 their next phone, 7% expect to rush out and purchase the next-gen Apple touchscreen phone within the first week after its launch. Twice as many will go out and buy the device during the first month it is available, while 30% will pick it up before the end of the year. A majority, 51%, will become Apple iPhone 5 owners within the first year of availability.

2,852 consumers were polled and when asked which possible features of an Apple iPhone 5 they would consider the most important when considering a purchase, 59% said that they would want to see improved battery life. 46% said that 4G connectivity is important to them. 45% want a larger display while an improved camera is important to 42% of the respondents. 55% said they would like to see a price reduction with the new model. 

Which OS did those responding to Experian's survey want? An overwhelming 48% said Apple iOS while 19% said Android. Windows Phone 7 and BlackBerry followed up garnering 7% and 6% of those polled respectively. 88% of those asked said they use their smartphone to make calls while 77% said they send and receive email on their handset. 73% use their phone for texting. 69% browse the internet using their smartphone while 51% use it for searching. 50% use the GPS on their unit.

When those surveyed were asked which smartphone they would want to receive as a gift, a whopping 69% selected the Apple iPhone. Interestingly, 7% picked the upcoming Motorola DROID Bionic, 4% chose the Samsung Galaxy S II and 3% want the BlackBerry Curve.

Leak: Photos: Samsung Galaxy S II for AT&T gets real, and it packs a QWERTY keyboard

Samsung’s wildly popular Galaxy S II, which some argue to be the most powerful smartphone on the planet, has been noticeably absent on American shores. That’s due to change next month according to Shin Jong-kyun, President of Samsung’s Mobile Business and Digital Imaging. Knowing how the big four operators roll though, we expect the Galaxy S II to look a little different depending on who offers it. Just yesterday we reported about the possability that AT&T’s version of the Galaxy S II would feature a QWERTY keyboard, and now thanks to the Boy Genius Report we have images to backup that claim. Taking a look at the somewhat grainy photos we can see a four row keyboard flanked by dedicated Android keys on either side, the same 8 megapixel camera that Europeans and Asians have been enjoying, and a new textured rear cover that looks like something off the butt of a rifle. Said smartphone is called the “SGH-I927″ and runs version 2.3.4 of Android.

How much will it cost? When exactly is it going to launch? These things we’ll find out in due time, but you can import European and Asian unlocked model to see how fantastic it is. How often are you really going to use that QWERTY keyboard? With a 4.3 inch screen, the keys should be big enough for you to type out a text without making too many mistakes. There’s also the question of software updates, which AT&T is terrible at, but with an unlocked handset you jump to the front of the line when it comes to getting the latest and greatest versions of Android. Speaking about versions of Android, in less than 6 months we’ll be seeing the first devices running Ice Cream Sandwich, so do you want to be labeled “out of date” after just 2 quarters?

IPhone 4 Continues to Attract Customers on Software, Apps

The iPhone 4 is on track to sell more units this year than last, as Apple's "software first" mentality continues to bring the company success.

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Apple iPhone 4

AT&T and Verizon combined to activate nearly 12 million iPhone 4 handsets in the first six months of the year. Total iPhone sales are expected to exceed 50 million units worldwide in 2011, easily outpacing last year's 40 million, in a year that hasn't even seen a new iPhone released yet.

The iPhone 4's numbers are impressive, but a number of factors outside of quality influenced its sales. Apple typically releases a new iPhone in June, but many analysts say an upgrade won't come until this fall, making the iPhone 4 the only option if customers want an Apple smartphone.

Apple also broke its iPhone exclusivity deal with AT&T in January, allowing Verizon to carry the iPhone 4 and adding over 90 million potential customers. In addition to making the iPhone available with Verizon, Apple also released the much anticipated white version of the iPhone 4 in April. Both of these developments were a shot in the arm for iPhone sales.

Still, all the recent developments surrounding the iPhone 4 don't change the fact that the handset is a year old. The current iPhone is only 3G capable, has a single core processor, a 3.5-inch screen and yet is still marketed as top-of-the-line handset at $200. Some Android devices sport 4G speeds, dual-core processors and larger displays, yet the iPhone still out performs them in sales.

Its continued success is based on Apple's emphasis on software, creating the iOS platform as user-friendly and integrating well with Apple's other devices, such as the MacBook and iPad.

Also propelling Apple's iPhone 4 sales is the App Store. Users have downloaded over 15 billion apps from Apple's mobile marketplace since it was released. Although Google has made great strides with its Android Market, Apple still leads in the mobile app store category, offering more than 425,000 different applications and attractive droves of developers.

Apple will likely continue to bolster its iOS platform even further this fall when the company launches iCloud. The free service promises to automatically store all customers' music, app store downloads and pictures on the digital cloud. Users can use the service to push that data to other devices automatically, or recall the data through a free over-the-air download at any time.

The iPhone 4's success will likely level off once the iPhone 5 is released, which is rumored to have very few changes to its hardware. Analysts suggest that the body type will remain the same, and the phone will see upgrades to its camera and processor. If Apple does truly make just minor changes to its newest device, it may be seen as another instance of Apple banking on its software until the company rolls out true next-gen hardware.

Even as other devices with more power hit the market, the appeal of Apple's software extends the iPhone 4's shelf life. As Apple's model continues to work, it may be the best indicator of what the iPhone 5 will bring.

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Report says Samsung smartphone sales might have surpassed those of the Apple iPhone

A new report from Neil Mawston, a London based analyst for Boston based Strategy Analytics, says that strong sales of Samsung smartphones, especially the Samsung Galaxy S II, quite possibly has allowed the Korean based firm to top Apple for global smartphone supremacy in Q2. Mawston says that Samsung sold between 18 and 21 million units in the three month period while Apple sold 20.3 million units of the iPhone 4 and Nokia shipped 16.7 million phones. If Samsung's sales come in at the top end of the estimated range, the company will beat out the Cupertino based firm. Including featurephones, Nokia remains the leader with 26% of the global market, compared with 20% for Samsung.

While the Samsung Galaxy S II has been the hottest smartphone available this summer, it has yet to launch in the U.S. although images believed to be the Sprint version of the model have recently been leaked. With a dual-core 1.2GHz processor under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S II offers a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus screen with 480 x 800 resolution and 1GB of RAM on board. The back of the phone has an 8MP camera while there is a 2MP front-facing shooter as well. Five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg say that Samsung's second quarter earnings should double squarely from sales of the Galaxy S II. And if the device is finally released in the States for the third quarter, Samsung could report blow out figures for that period considering how much of a buzz the device has received in the U.S. from videos of the browser,hands on reports, and overseas reviews.

Mawston doesn't think that it is all green lights ahead for Samsung. The Korean based manufacturer might have to go up against a new Apple iPhone later this year and the latter is expected to have a more powerful chip for data and a more advanced camera, according to the Bloomberg story. The analyst says that Samsung will need to fight hard against a new Apple iPhone model to keep the strong momentum it has earned with the Samsung Galaxy S II.

New iPad 2 commercial airs – ‘We’ll Always’

Apple is airing a new iPad 2 commercial called “We’ll Always.” The general idea is that our daily routine, our daily lives and the things we’ve always done will remain the same, but the way in which we do these things won’t. In it, we see the ease at which home videos are edited, recipes found and that it’s easy even for children to use in learning on the iPad 2.

The big difference between Apple and its competitors when it comes to advertising its products is that Apple shows what its technology can do. With the iPad 2, you can easily have it kitchen-side when you’re cooking and use it as an easy reference. The “magical” tablet works as a photo album or an educational tool. Want to edit home videos? You can do that, too. On the other hand, when you see commercials from competitors, it goes like this: 1GHz dual-core processor, 4G connectivity, hundreds of apps, Android 2.3 Honeycomb on the nation’s most reliable network. OK then, so what?

Motorola ATRIX 4G gets fed Gingerbread

Just the other day, we reported that the Motorola ATRIX 4G was undergoing a soak test for the Gingerbread update. The "World's Most Powerful Smartphone" must have passed the test as the OTA upgrade to Android 2.3 has begun. However, if you rooted the phone or unlocked the bootloader to download the beta version of the update, you will have to flash back to receive the OTA download, which is v.4.5.91.

The Motorola ATRIX 4G is now getting upgraded to Gingerbread

Besides updating the Android OS build on the device, the upgrade brings a number of enhancements to the phone. One enhancement allows you to aggregate all your photos, your friends' photos and photo comments from social networking sites like Facebook and Picasa in one place, making it easier to view. A change in the UI of the phone makes the background white on menus to make them easier to view. An enhancement to the app tray will now allow you to divide your apps into groups to make them easier to find.

The update brings location based social networking to the ATRIX 4G, allowing you to find reviews from Yelp and Facebook in one place so you can see what people around you are recommending. FireFox 4.0 comes with an enhancement to the Webtop dock to make browsing using the accessory faster and easier. After the update, video can be viewed at 1080p. Groups can be made to divide your email into and a conferencecall can be set up with just one touch. Once you have downloaded the update, you will be allowed to sideload apps and there is an enhancement that allows you to dismiss one notification at a time.

There are a few more changes that you will notice from this OTA update. Click on the sourcelink for more information. In the meantime, there is a comment box below hungry for your words telling us your feelings about updating your Motorola ATRIX 4G to Gingerbread, and the enhancements that came with the update.

Symbian surpassed by iOS as the smartphone

Thanks to a serious increase in AppleiPhone ownership in the UK over the last year, iOS  has surpassed Symbian as the smartphone platform of choice with close to 6 million users.

Apple iPhone ownership grew by 46% by this past May. It has not been specified which iPhones are the primary culprit in such substantial growth, but the iPhone 4 is suspect #1. Nokia’s aging Symbian platform has worn the crown for a while but they have had difficulties keeping up with the times. Ownership fell off by 10%, cutting the number of users across the nation to 4.5 million.  

Google’s rapidly-growing Android platform also saw substantial growth, but still comes in as a close second when it comes to dominance in the UK. Adoption of the little green robot in the UK jumped up by a ridiculous 634%. That is a monstrous increase for what is now the world’s largest mobile platform.

Symbian now sits in third, while RIM (59% increase) and Microsoft (32% decrease) are in fourth and fifth respectively. The rise of iOS and Android is becoming the norm around the globe. Tell us what you think in the comments below.