FriendCaller Blog

Intel join hands with Google! Exciting isn’t it? On Tuesday, Intel Corp announced a joint development venture with Google to create and optimize future versions of Android smartphones for Intel’s ‘Atom’ processors. The two technology giants will team up to work on different Android platforms and are all set to release the first Intel-powered Android smartphones in the first half of 2012.

These days, a large number of smartphones and tablets use ARM architectural-based processors built by companies like Texas instruments and Samsung instead of Intel, mainly because of the power efficiency factor. Intel teaming itself with Google at this stage when the sales of PCs are slowing down is a smart move. With Android dominating the smartphones’ market, taking the lead from Apple iOS, Microsoft and RIM, Intel would definitely get the long-term benefit out of this mobile partnership.

Now, who will be the manufacturer of these devices? None of the companies mentioned it but Google’s recent acquisition of Motorola Mobility hardware definitely leaves a big hint here. Whatever the case maybe, this partnership offers a great opportunity for Intel in order to make a much-needed breakthrough entry into the booming smartphones’ market.

Earlier versions of Android such as Android 2.2 (Froyo) are already been ported to Intel. Now, with this recent collaboration of the two companies to improvise all the future Android versions, Intel and Google are certainly taking their relationship to the next level, providing developers a wide range of opportunities to expand their expertise.

Developers are delighted everywhere, why? In my featured blog post of Thursday where I mentioned the recent dumping of WebOS by HP, I gave a suggestion that would console developers after this shocker. Glad to see that Microsoft took a note out of it after the news went haywire. Here’s what Brandon Watson, the Director of Developer Experience for Windows Phone, wrote on Twitter a day after the news came out.

 So, microsoft is offering free phones, developer tools and training to all those stranded developers who have been affected by WebOS burial by HP? Pretty generous isn’t it?

Microsoft leapt at the opportunity right after HP’s announcement to abandon WebOS for good. Consoling the WebOS developers by providing them complete assistance, Microsoft surely has taken the lead here once again.

Whether developers will embrace this good will gesture by Microsoft or not? Time will tell that but experts are giving mixed reviews here. Not many developers are interested in WebOS applications anymore. When HP TouchPad was launched, out of 62,000 total webOS apps, only 300 were optimized for the tablet. Why would any apps lover go for it then? In comparison, almost 425,000 iOS apps are available on App Store.

That’s just one side of the story though. A lucrative proposal like this will not go astray just like that. Lots of developers have already taken up the offer. Watson has instructed the interested developers to simply send out an email to him. Rest will be taken care of by a Windows team member at Microsoft.

Wondering what’s in it for Microsoft? Well, the company has been trying to develop a Windows 7 platform as a possible alternative to Apple iOS and Google’s Android and is all set to release a major OS update this year. So, this offer will bring many brilliant minds together to create exciting new apps and ideas for the company. However, the question remains; Will it save the sinking ship of WebOS future?

There goes the Web OS. Another defeat for the ‘other’ category as HP abandons WebOS.

Is it shocking for me? Certainly not! Having spent most of my summers in our Sunnyvale Office at PlugAndPlay Tech Center, I have seen full page WebOS Touchpad ads popping up literally in newspapers, on billboards and on 101 covering the whole nine yards. Surprised? Well, that’s true.

So, what’s the history? Let’s take a recap. It all started when HP bought Palm for 1.2 billion and then gave WebOS the status of a ‘building block’ as a part of their strategy. Moreover, HP spent a whopping 50 million dollars or more or less near to that on introducing the new range of WebOS devices.

But when the HP Touchpad finally came out; you could get practically close to none apps for it. Disappointing isn’t it? And who bothered buying a Touchpad anyways? Yes, Nobody. Guess who was left all surprised? Hmm, well maybe HP top management. Wondering what these guys were thinking seriously? What made them believe that somebody will go for a mobile device, even as nice as HP Touchpad but without loaded with any cool apps?

My advice for the next technology giant whoever wants to push its ‘other’ mobile platform (Microsoft, are you still there?) is to take a note from this dumping of WebOS by HP. From a developer’s point of view, it’s pretty difficult to make a decent living just from creating different apps. Even though FriendCaller was the Top grossing Social App and iTunes last year, we still struggle for every dollar. So, I guess it’s better if we don’t talk about the TOP 20 guy’s takings as it is all pro bono.

Here’s the solution. Simply offer every TOP 25 iTunes developer 10,000 USD to get the app ported to WebOS. iTunes consists of 20 app categories, so it would make about 5 million USD. Then, provide every developer with free advertising of USD 10,000 value. Make sure there is an inbuilt app payment mechanism installed.

Still thinking why the developers won’t come? They will. Rest in Peace WebOS. You will not be missed by us. We never developed an app for you and had a solid reason for that!

Indeed a very good day for Android. Google finally stepped up in the smartphones patent war, and announced today that it has acquired Motorola for $40 per share of Motorola or a lump sum of $12.5 Billion.

The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing. Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.

Larry Page, CEO of Google, said, “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

Google was to pay $4 billion for Nortel’s 6000 wireless patents. So, acquiring Motorola, doesn’t seem to be a bad trade, but in fact with Motorola’s Mobility’s patents, Google can now easily fight back the lawsuits. Page called out that patents were the biggest reason of Motorola Mobility acquisition.

Truly we have seen how Apple was happy of having Galaxy Tab being blocked in Australia and Europe. Also, in United States Apple won a patent infringement case against Android’s largest handset maker, HTC. Furthermore, Microsoft played its part by squeezing out the patent licencing fees from 5 Android manufacturers. But, now with the Google having Motorola Mobility, end of patent war seems to be possible, providing developers more freedom on Android platform.

Gartner has just released its smartphone market share report for Q1’11,  and there have certainly been some interesting developments over the past year.

One such example is Nokia and the announcement it made concerning the retirement of its Symbian device, as well as the formation of an alliance with Microsoft. I am positive that Nokia, when making this announcement, never envisioned that the market would take it as a forgone conclusion, while at the same time ignoring its alliance with Microsoft. Furthermore, I cannot recall a previous instance where a mobile OS has disappeared so quickly from the market landscape. In fact, Symbian’s market share was down from nearly 50 percent in Q1’10 to around a quarter of the market share in in Q1’11! You may recall the presentation where Nokia’s CEO spoke about Symbian as a burning platform? It now appears that they have burned down their own house, and it will be interesting to see if they will be able to repair the damage that has been done.

Not surprisingly, Android comes out as the winner in Gartner’s Q1’11 report with a nearly 30% increase in market share. Apple continues to trail behind, but that is most likely driven by the reality that they are simply too busy slowing down the iPhone ecosystem with complicated approval processes and vague developer guidelines. During 2010, Apple’s market share remained almost flat.

Today’s consumers desire open platforms and innovation. Android addresses this need by providing phones that offer far more mobile freedom such as VoIP calls over 3G, personal hotspots, and the ability to integrate VoIP apps, including FriendCaller, within the phone’s dialer. Android has always taken the lead in developing innovative wireless phone platforms, with Apple following behind, or in some cases simply ignoring its innovations.

RIM isn’t doing much better, and according to Gartner, the company also lost one third of its market share in the past year. RIM is another platform that limits and regulates developer access. As such, developers have come to feel largely ignored. Ask yourself this: If you were a VoIP developer, would you want to develop on a platform that does not provide low-level access to the audio hardware? The answer is likely no.

The primary reason that Android sales are exploding, up from 5 million in Q1’10 to more than 36 million this year, is that with this platform, the consumer gets both a cool phone, and cool apps to use. In order to get cool apps, developers need the tools and freedom to develop and distribute them. Android provides both.

Gartner’s report puts manufacturers who still believe in closed business models on notice. The future is open!