A newly released report by research firm Nielsen has significantly shown that Apple is still the top dog when it comes to the smartphone market. The report revealed that Apple is still the top smartphone manufacturer with the largest share in the market. But this position is slowly being threatened by other manufacturers who are making Android smartphones.

The Nielsen report – which compiles data taken from August through October of 2011 — showed that Apple has a strong 29 percent share of the smartphone market. The second top smartphone manufacturer is actually HTC, which has a 21 percent share. Coming in at third (surprisingly, at least to me) is RIM – the manufacturer of BlackBerry phones – which enjoys a 17 percent share of the market. Fourth place is occupied by Samsung and Motorola, which both have an 11 percent share of the smartphone market. More →

Patent infringement lawsuits are flying all over the place. Aside from Samsung and Apple, who are locked in a constant legal entanglement regarding patent infringement, Microsoft and Motorola are also involved in such a lawsuit.

Just recently, Microsoft won in a patent infringement lawsuit against Motorola. An administrative law judge for the US International Trade Commission made a decision that Motorola’s Motorola Android phones infringed on one of Microsoft’s seven patents. More →

Verizon is planning to come out with two Motorola tablets this December, according to a report that was published on CNet. The two tablets are actually from the same Xoom 2 family, the brand that Motorola is using for the international market. The two tablets are going to be a 10 inch and an 8 inch version. But for the American market, the Xoom 2 name will be dropped in favor of Droid Xyboard. Verizon’s line of high end devices is Droid, hence the name change. More →

Motorola is intent on finishing the year strongly as it is gearing up another phone to add to its product offerings. New information has leaked about a new Motorola phone that will reportedly come out in a few weeks. The new phone, the Droid 5, might become available in time for the Christmas holidays, specifically by December 5.

The Droid 4 will be the fifth mobile phone that Motorola will be releasing just for this year. It has already released the Droid X2, Droid 3, Droid Bionic, and the new Droid RAZR, which was just released few weeks ago. More →

Android tablet lovers will be pleased to hear that Motorola’s Xoom will finally gain the ability to watch Flash videos this month, a feature that is eternally absent from their rival.

Unfortunately it seems that instead of a finished product, consumers may instead receive something that is still “slightly” buggy.

Adobe has just announced that Flash Player 10.2 will be available to download from the Android Market on Friday, March 18.

It’s actually only a beta release for Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablets, which will also require Google’s 3.0.1 system update. However, it’s at least a full-fledged upgrade for Android 2.2 (Froyo) and 2.3 (Gingerbread) systems. (ZDnet)

Although most geeks probably do not mind a few bugs for the ability to view the entire web, consumers may not be as forgiving with semi-frequent errors while “beta testing” flash upon the Xoom.

While the Xoom is one of the few tablets available that can challenge iPad 2 (at least on paper via specs), Google along with OEM’s need to release mature products to the masses lest they create a bitter taste for new customers.

Hopefully Google, Motorola and Adobe are able to work out all of the bugs out of the beta quickly before the market becomes saturated with tablets running iOS.

After weeks of anticipation it looks like Android fans will finally have a worthy iPad contender from Motorola that can challenge Apple for tablet supremacy.

Unfortunately Motorola’s Xoom just made one major mistake that may convince consumers to overlook the Android tablet and instead choose iOS instead.

The first device to run Google’s new Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system, the Motorola XOOM will be available for purchase from Verizon Wireless for $599.99 with a new two-year customer agreement or $799.99 without a contract. Wireless 3G data service for the Motorola XOOM will begin at $20 monthly access for 1GB. The Motorola XOOM will be upgradeable to 4G LTE service at no additional charge in the second quarter of 2011. (via Android Central)

Note: Emphasis mine.

While the Xoom does look impressive and is cheaper than the iPad 3G (the latter which starts at $629), the fact that you have to sign up with a 2 year contract will probably be a turn off to the masses (who may already have a contract via their smartphone).

Although users can pick up the Xoom for about $800 contract free, that price range will put it out of reach for the masses who may simply opt for a less expensive Wifi iPad instead.

With iPad 2.0 expected to debut this summer, Motorola better hope that Apple doesn’t launch a less expensive iPad as that could result in a lot of Xoom tablets rotting away in ware houses over the summer.

Honestly I’m still puzzled as to why Motorola wasted $6 million producing a super bowl ad by trying to redo Apple’s 1984 commercial (except this time portraying Apple users as mindless sheep).

The ad was so underwhelming that even commentors upon Android Central are complaining about it.

Although the Motorola Xoom looks impressive (thanks to Android’s latest OS, Honeycomb), the company should have emphasized why one should purchase a Xoom over an iPad, instead of trying to take subtle jabs at Apple (as you can see in the commercial below). More →

With Apple selling millions of iPads, it looks as if Motorola is finally jumping in the game with an unnamed Android tablet of its own.

Motorola is developing a digital tablet device that will allow users to watch television on it, as the US mobile phone group attempts to chip away at a market established by Apple’s popular iPad.

The device, which will have a 10-inch screen and operate on Google’s Android software, could launch as early as this autumn in the US.  (Financial Times)

According to the Financial Times, the Android tablet will rely heavily upon Verizon’s FiOS TV service which will allow the device to compete against Apple’s vast media library from iTunes.

While Motorola’s “DroidPad” could tap into Google’s extensive Android app market (similar to how Apple uses its iOS market to inflate the number of apps available for the iPad), they will probably need to ask developers to create tablet specific apps as super sizing mobile apps tends to give consumers “eyesoritous.”

(via Engadget)