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THE SMARTPHONE MARKET in the US was dominated by Google’s Android operating system (OS) last year, which took nearly half of the mobile OS market share in the last quarter.

According to Comscore data 97.9 million people in the US owned smartphones during the three months ended in December, representing 40 per cent of all mobile subscribers. Google Android ranked as the top smartphone OS with 47.3 per cent market share, up 2.5 percentage points from September.

Meanwhile, Apple maintained its number two position, growing 2.2 percentage points to 29.6 per cent of the smartphone market. RIM ranked third with a 16 per cent share, followed by Microsoft with 4.7 per cent and Symbian with 1.4 per cent.

The study found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.3 per cent market share.

It was followed by LG with 20 per cent market share and Motorola with a 13.3 per cent share. Apple took a 12.4 per cent share of total mobile subscribers, up 2.2 percentage points, while RIM just made it into the top five with a 6.7 per cent share. µ

FINNISH PHONE FIRM Nokia has announced it has sold 1.5 billion of its Series 40 mobile phones.

The company said it is one of the most important milestones in its history. The landmark phone in question is an Asha 303, purchased by Mayara Rodrigues in Brazil.

Mary McDowell, EVP for mobile phones at Nokia said, “We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone. Having 1.5 billion Series 40 devices sold is a hard-to-reach mark, let alone one attainable in a single line of products.”

The first phone to run the Basic Series 40 operating system was the Nokia 7110 way back in 1999. The firm has stuck with it ever since, despite going down the route of Symbian, Meego and Windows Phone.

Nokia claims its development over the years means that it now blurs the line between feature phones and smartphones. Phones like the Asha 303 can do smartphone type things like play Angry Birds, browse the web, and use social networks.

Nokia has sold an estimated 1.3 million units of its most recent handset, the Windows Phone 7.5 Lumia 800, since last November.

“At a time when we are maintaining our commitment to connecting the next billion customers around the world – it is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible and help continue to change people’s lives for the better,” added McDowell. µ

MOBILE OPERATOR O2 is being accused of sending mobile phone numbers to every web site visited on its network.

It has come to light that O2 is including full phone numbers in plain text in the HTTP headers that get sent when a user visits a web site. There is nothing stopping the owners of the web site from collecting your phone numbers from these headers.

Lewis Peckover posted about the issue and said, “If you’re on O2′s UK mobile network (not ADSL), you’ll (probably) see a line beginning with x-up-calling-line-id – followed by your mobile phone number in plain text.”

We contacted O2, which told us it’s investigating the problem. It is frantically replying to people on Twitter with a message like this:

@paulwalk We’re investigating this with our internal teams, and will come back with more as soon as possible

— O2 in the UK (@O2) January 25, 2012

Of course not all web site owners will use this information but in the wrong hands it could easily be used to cause O2 customers some problems. It’s unclear whether it’s just O2 doing this or other networks as well.

Peckover added, “To answer some questions and responses I’ve seen – no, it’s not anything client-side. O2 seem to be transparently proxying HTTP traffic and inserting this header.” µ

CHINESE PHONE MAKER ZTE is launching its first Windows Phone 7 (WP7) handset in the UK but without the backing of major mobile operators.

ZTE is hoping to take the UK by storm this year, starting with the Tania. However, it has only confirmed that Brightpoint, Virgin Media, Go Mobile and “a leading specialist retailer” will sell the phone.

So far O2, Vodafone, Three, Orange, T-Mobile and The Carphone Warehouse have all told us they will not stock the Tania. Phones 4U said that nothing is confirmed yet.

The firm is claiming that the Tania is the “most affordable 4.3in screen Windows Phone on the market”. This isn’t quite the case because, for example, you can buy the HTC HD7 Windows Phone handset for around £230 online.

Although ZTE hasn’t given a release date for the Tania, it is already available for pre-order with Clove. The online retailer has it priced at £249 with a date of 13 February. ZTE said that it will cost between £10 and £20 on a contract.

The Tania will offer a Qualcomm 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, a 5MP camera and a 4.3in touchscreen with 480×800 resolution.

We saw the phone way back in September and were pleasantly surprised by it. ZTE will probably struggle to sell as many units as it would like without the help of the big retailers and mobile operators.

Wu Sa, director of mobile device operations at ZTE said, “We’re delighted to be working with Microsoft and as a key partner will support the industry forecasted growth on this exciting new platform with both the ZTE Tania and in the future a growing range of devices.” µ

WE LIVE IN A WORLD that’s increasingly full of technology. However, along with technology comes malware and mobile devices are no exception, as the popularity of smartphones and tablets surges.

On the whole, mobile malware seems to be proliferating, and it’s happening quickly too. It’s been around for the last year or two and already has financial gain at the root of it, something which crept into desktop malware only after more than 10 years.

Mobile malware is pretty much at the stage that desktop malware was in 1986 or 1987 in terms of the number of threats, Tom Parsons, a senior manager at Symantec Security Response told me recently. The number of threats is into the thousands now.

Around half of threats involve premium text messages that the malware automatically sends without the user’s knowledge. Typically four are sent costing between £4 and £8 each. In my opinion, there is a big potential for this to get worse with upcoming technologies like near field communication (NFC), which will be used for day-to-day payments instead of a debit card.

Of the main mobile operating systems, it’s no surprise that Android is targeted the most. Parsons doesn’t think this will change this year and as a user of Android, I agree.

Google has made Android open, which has its benefits, but not when it comes to security. It’s not very tricky to get an app on the Android Market, especially when compared to Apple’s strict approval regime.

It’s partly this process, along with Apple’s walled garden ethos that makes IOS a less attractive target for attackers. At the moment Windows Phone has a very small share of the mobile market so unless this picks up there’s no point in choosing to target it over Android.

As I highlighted in a recent news story, a problem with Android is that malware is finding its way into legitimate apps. When a user downloads and installs an app they give it various permissions, but this can also let hidden malware contained in an advert module wreak havoc.

In this instance something needs to be done by Google. For starters it could change its permissions so the user can agree to different levels of access for the main app module and other parts including adverts.

Other attacks are far more obvious, such as apps that claim to remove Carrier IQ type monitoring and one that tempts users to unlock supposedly hidden features on the device that the manufacturer has held back.

It’s cases like this that highlight how naive some users can be and how easily they are fooled. They should really think twice before clicking on something that sounds and looks too good to be true. Common sense often goes out the window when it comes to clicking, however.

Luckily this seems to be changing. On the subject of mobile malware, Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure told me the firm is getting more and more queries from users concerned about the level of access applications have to their information on their mobile.

Consumers need to be aware of the risks when using devices such as smartphones, rather than assuming that nothing bad will happen to them. Vendors need to put some investment into educating users on the subject, but more than anything they have to take responsibility for their products and fight the criminals that are attacking them.

Hypponen says that users should carefully review the rights they grant to apps and complain to the vendor if they feel the app is looking for rights it can’t justify. He told me, “I know this is not an easy advice, but if app developers get no criticism for overreaching rights in their app or in their apps’ ad module, they aren’t going to change.”

I agree, as companies tend to respond to issues if their user base makes enough noise. People upgrading to smartphones or tablets for the first time need to deliberately learn the ins and outs to avoid becoming at risk. It’s often these types of users that get sucked into scams because they don’t know any better. There are also mobile versions of anti-virus software available and countless blogs that detail the latest threats. It’s time to educate users before, not after, malware attacks. µ

WE LIVE IN A WORLD that’s increasingly full of technology. However, along with technology comes malware and mobile devices are no exception, as the popularity of smartphones and tablets surges.

On the whole, mobile malware seems to be proliferating, and it’s happening quickly too. It’s been around for the last year or two and already has financial gain at the root of it, something which crept into desktop malware only after more than 10 years.

Mobile malware is pretty much at the stage that desktop malware was in 1986 or 1987 in terms of the number of threats, Tom Parsons, a senior manager at Symantec Security Response told me recently. The number of threats is into the thousands now.

Around half of threats involve premium text messages that the malware automatically sends without the user’s knowledge. Typically four are sent costing between £4 and £8 each. In my opinion, there is a big potential for this to get worse with upcoming technologies like near field communication (NFC), which will be used for day-to-day payments instead of a debit card.

Of the main mobile operating systems, it’s no surprise that Android is targeted the most. Parsons doesn’t think this will change this year and as a user of Android, I agree.

Google has made Android open, which has its benefits, but not when it comes to security. It’s not very tricky to get an app on the Android Market, especially when compared to Apple’s strict approval regime.

It’s partly this process, along with Apple’s walled garden ethos that makes IOS a less attractive target for attackers. At the moment Windows Phone has a very small share of the mobile market so unless this picks up there’s no point in choosing to target it over Android.

As I highlighted in a recent news story, a problem with Android is that malware is finding its way into legitimate apps. When a user downloads and installs an app they give it various permissions, but this can also let hidden malware contained in an advert module wreak havoc.

In this instance something needs to be done by Google. For starters it could change its permissions so the user can agree to different levels of access for the main app module and other parts including adverts.

Other attacks are far more obvious, such as apps that claim to remove Carrier IQ type monitoring and one that tempts users to unlock supposedly hidden features on the device that the manufacturer has held back.

It’s cases like this that highlight how naive some users can be and how easily they are fooled. They should really think twice before clicking on something that sounds and looks too good to be true. Common sense often goes out the window when it comes to clicking, however.

Luckily this seems to be changing. On the subject of mobile malware, Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure told me the firm is getting more and more queries from users concerned about the level of access applications have to their information on their mobile.

Consumers need to be aware of the risks when using devices such as smartphones, rather than assuming that nothing bad will happen to them. Vendors need to put some investment into educating users on the subject, but more than anything they have to take responsibility for their products and fight the criminals that are attacking them.

Hypponen says that users should carefully review the rights they grant to apps and complain to the vendor if they feel the app is looking for rights it can’t justify. He told me, “I know this is not an easy advice, but if app developers get no criticism for overreaching rights in their app or in their apps’ ad module, they aren’t going to change.”

I agree, as companies tend to respond to issues if their user base makes enough noise. People upgrading to smartphones or tablets for the first time need to deliberately learn the ins and outs to avoid becoming at risk. It’s often these types of users that get sucked into scams because they don’t know any better. There are also mobile versions of anti-virus software available and countless blogs that detail the latest threats. It’s time to educate users before, not after, malware attacks. µ

Using mobile broadband in Windows 8 will no longer require specific drivers and third-party software, says Microsoft's Billy Anders in a Building Windows 8 blog post today. This is thanks to the new Mobile Broadband Interface Model (MBIM) standard, which hardware makers are reportedly already beginning to adopt, and a generic driver in Windows 8 that can interface with any chip supporting that standard.

We've known for awhile now that mobile broadband chips would be treated as first-class devices in Windows 8 – the same as wi-fi, ethernet, Bluetooth, and USB 3.0, among others – but as usual Microsoft's blog post discusses the subject in exhaustive detail: because of their new first-class status, broadband antennas can be turned on and off in the same way that wi-fi and Bluetooth now are, and Airplane Mode can turn all of it off in one swoop, just like on a smartphone (see above). As on phones, Windows will automatically prioritize wi-fi networks when both wi-fi and cellular are available.

If your laptop or tablet has a SIM card installed, Windows will automatically detect which carrier it's associated with and download any available mobile broadband app from the Windows store, and carrier-unlocked laptops and tablets can choose between multiple cellular carriers if the hardware supports it (see above). As Brian noted in our first Windows 8 overview, the operating system also offers estimated data usage figures when connected to cellular networks, and the OS will adjust its default behaviors to save on data (for example, deferring automatic downloading and installing of Windows updates until wi-fi is available).

For people using wired or wi-fi connections that are also metered, Microsoft also gives you the option to see data usage figures for these networks. By selecting a "reduce data usage" option, Windows will use new built-in APIs to force network-aware Metro apps to use less data when possible (another example: using a low-bandwidth movie stream rather than a high bandwidth one). Network-aware Metro apps are required to use these APIs, and users can check how much bandwidth apps are using (both on metered and non-metered networks) in the Task Manager (above).

Lastly, Microsoft has made changes to the networking stack in Windows to allow for faster wi-fi connections when devices wake from sleep – information such as your preferred network list and other "hints" provided to your wi-fi adapter mean that wi-fi connections will be available "about a second" after the device wakes up.

That about covers all of the good stuff, but as always you can check the source post for more information. The Windows 8 beta is expected in February, with a final release targeted for sometime before the end of 2012.

Source: Building Windows 8 blog

THE MOBILE MARKET is becoming even less predicable as top players from last year prepare to become the chip wrappers of 2012.

The top dog one year can easily become the bottom the next – it all depends on which one has made the best product.

This time last year, Samsung was struggling due to a lack of a decent smartphone, yet its Galaxy range has changed its position entirely. So much so that the Korean firm expects to report record profits later this month, having sold 35 million smartphones during the fourth quarter of last year.

Also last year, RIM was putting pressure on smartphone makers such as LG as it placed in the top five for the first time. This is a far cry from where RIM is now, after a service outage last year tarnished the firm’s reputation and its low cost Curve 8500 smartphone range failed to compete with more interesting offerings from rivals. Chavs allegedly using BBM to incite riots didn’t exactly do much for RIM’s reputation either.

And things couldn’t be much worse for Nokia. Yesterday, rumours resurfaced that Microsoft plans to buy the Finnish phone firm’s smartphone division and despite categorical denials from Nokia, it almost seems like a good idea to put the final nails in the struggling company’s coffin.

Despite anticipation for Windows Phone 7, the latest Microsoft mobile operating system has still failed to take off. Nokia’s first Windows Phone 7 handset, the Nokia Lumia 800, might have had a fancy launch with a 4D projection on a building, but that doesn’t mean the phone has inspired consumers to buy back into the Nokia brand.

Was it really necessary for Nokia to partner with Microsoft in the first place? Probably not. It was said at the time that two turkeys don’t make an eagle and as far as I can see, that’s run true. Nokia had Android as an option and it also had the Symbian powered N9, so maybe overlooking those to bet the company on new Microsoft software was its biggest error.

A lot of being successful is about creating a product that works across markets. Where Samsung succeeded at this with its Galaxy range, particularly the Galaxy S and S II, both Motorola and Nokia failed. Nokia didn’t target the US market, an area where it could potentially have been strong, and instead chose to offer devices to emerging markets – a big error on its part.

Meanwhile, Motorola made smartphones that resonated with US users who do like a QWERTY keyboard even on a touchscreen phone. If you watch US TV and film from the last decade, the star’s handset will usually be a Motorola. Now? It’s an Iphone – an Iphone 4 if you are the serial killer Dexter. However, the Google buyout of Motorola will be one to watch this year.

But who could forget LG? The Korean company almost looked like it would climb into the top five phone makers with its social networking centric handsets like the Town, but the firm is now back near the bottom of the pile. Granted, its Optimus Range has had some success, and the Optimus 3D is a good phone, but 3D is still just a gimmick and certainly not enough to attract the masses.

Everyone should be watching the emerging Chinese manufacturers this year. Both ZTE and Huawei obviously have a lot of money to throw into marketing, and their devices are certainly gaining traction. Whether the two can grow that into mass success isn’t sure, but they will certainly try.

Apple of course is an entirely different story. Who would have thought that by the end of last year, Android would have overtaken IOS to become the most popular mobile operating system? Apple needs to pull out an evolved design at its next Iphone launch, after the Iphone 4S proved to be not much more than an update of the Iphone 4 model.

And 2012 is as likely to be a year of change as 2011, with another mobile operating system possibly taking Android’s place. Windows Phone 7 maybe? Maybe not, but with new mobile software choices emerging from players such as Canonical, the fight for market share is certainly about to get tougher. µ

Testing computer hardware can be a difficult process. On the one hand there’s a desire for more information and benchmarks, and on the other hand there’s a desire for timely reviews. Our goal at AnandTech has always been to deliver the most comprehensive reviews possible, and while we strive to timeliness there are occasions where additional testing or questions may delay a review. Ultimately, there’s a balancing act that needs to be maintained, and over time we periodically refresh our review suite and testing methodologies.

With 2012 now here, we’re launching a new suite of benchmarks for our laptop reviews. Some of the tests have already been in use for a while and others are brand new. In order to provide a single location with a list of our benchmarks and testing procedures, we have put together this short overview. We plan on using the following test suite throughout 2012, and while it’s possible we will add some benchmarks, we don’t have any plans to stop using any of the following at least for the next year.

It's that time of the year again – this weekend, many of you without smartphones, iPod, or iPads are likely to get one, and those of you who have them already stand a decent chance of getting gift cards.

Plenty of great games have come out for mobile platforms this year, and they've gotten lots of attention – Jetpack Joyride, Infinity Blade 2, Tiny Wings, Squids, and others have all had their time in the sun, and you should grab all of them if you haven't already. For those of you looking for something else, I thought I'd highlight a few games that haven't spent a lot of time on the bestsellers list – just because they're low profile doesn't mean they aren't a whole lot of fun.

Dragon Fantasy 

by The Muteki Corporation

iOS (99 cents) – iOS 3 and up

Dragon Fantasy is an old-school Japanese-style RPG that takes its cues (and its name) from the Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games of the 80s and early 90s. Like other modern-day genre revivals (ZeBoyd Games’ Cthulhu Saves the World comes to mind), Dragon Fantasy will often mock JRPG conventions before turning around and using those same conventions in its gameplay, making it both a send-up and a pretty good example of its genre’s strengths and weaknesses.

Aside from its tongue-in-cheek script, Dragon Fantasy hues more closely to its source material than Cthulhu, which implemented its own tweaks and innovations to address some of the annoyances inherent to the genre. If you’re a fan of old-school RPGs, it’ll give you hours of play for the fraction of the price of a new Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy game on another system.

 

Stay Alive

by Drummer Games

iOS (99 cents), Android (Free, or .08 with donation) – iOS 3 and up, Android 2.2 and up

Stay Alive is a top-down shooter that will kill you within seconds of your first playthrough. That’s fine, though – you’ll respawn instantly, and as you get better at the game, you’ll also gather orbs that you can use to upgrade your ship’s shields, hull, and weapons. As in other “endless survival” games (like Jetpack Joyride and many, many others), the goal is ostensibly to go for as long as you can without crashing and then compare scores with your friends via the built-in OpenFeint leaderboards.

This game is a study in simplicity – there’s not even a separate screen for instructions, aside from the one that flashes by as each round starts. Most refreshingly, there’s no in-game store that converts real money into in-game currency – if you want a leg up in Stay Alive, you’re going to have to earn it.

 

Spelltower

by Zach Gage

iOS (.99) – iOS 4.1 and up

Spelltower, which I’ve heard described as “a word game for people who hate word games,” marries Boggle to Tetris. As in Boggle, you’re presented with a grid of letters, and you must make words using letters adjacent to one another. As in Tetris, new rows of letters are appearing constantly, and if your grid of letters reaches the top of the screen, you lose.

There are a few variants on this game mode – in Puzzle Mode, a new row of letters appears after every word you make. In Rush Mode, new rows appear at timed intervals. The odd one out, Tower Mode, gives you a single screen full of letters and challenges you to make as many points as you can with them. Like the best mobile games, it’s simple and addictive.

 

Time Ducks

by Tough Guy Studios

iOS (.99) – iOS 4.3 and up

This one’s a bit bizarre. It’s basically Frogger, in that you have to help various animals make it across a highway without getting hit. For every three animals you help, you can get a combo depending on what animals you save and in what sequence. Successful combos make higher-leveled animals appear, increasing your multiplier and leading to higher scores. Just watch out for cars, and for dogs.

If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry – you can also control time in short bursts, which can be helpful if you’ve accidentally sent a rabbit toward the grill of a truck. It’s a bit weird, but a unique design sensibility and some shambling but catchy music make this one worth a look.