10:43 [Steve Jobs:] “Well I’m sorry guys, I don’t know what’s going on.” Wi-Fi network is still hanging. “Scott, you got any suggestions?” Someone yelled “Get Verizon!”

In any event, the take aways for me are:

1. The 960 x 640 screen kicks ass even though it’s on the small side by today’s standards at 3.5″.
2. Videoconferencing will be featured prominently in advertisements, unlike the Evo advertisements.
3. Nothing truly magical happened today. It’s still the same Android (open) vs. iPhone (closed) debate as yesterday.

You might also enjoy:

--iPhone 4G Photos on Engadget… Yes, They’re Real. --Bah… I scooped Engadget by more than two months. --iPhone 4G, was it a hoax set up by Apple? --iPhone 3GS vs. Android 2.1 — Five Advantages to Each --Verizon getting iPhone, so says WSJ sources

While this phone will be tops in the Verizon line-up, I’m not sure it’s a real game changer if it comes out as a 3G phone. The Incredible’s processor is plenty fast and perhaps an OTA update of Froyo rolls out for the Incredible soon. I certainly hope this doesn’t become a painful wait like what happened with the Droid Eris.

The Droid Scorpion could be a real game changer if it rolls out as Verizon’s first 4G/LTE Android in 2012. This is within the realm of possibilities considering not a single picture has hit the interwebs and we’d expect that by now if the phone were to launch any time soon. Regarding 4G Androids, reports are funneling in that the Sprint 4G Evo (WiMax, not LTE) is selling like mad and new activations even brought down Sprint’s phone activation system. Apparently, Radio Shack is doing a second round of pre-orders, which could be more aptly called post-orders.

Friends and family keep asking me about whether the iPhone 4G or HD or whatever is heading to Verizon. I have two answers… no clue and don’t care. Many of the most notable tech writers who got ahold of Evos have quickly became iPhone-to-Android converts. I’ve read the first-hand accounts on Buzz from techies like Louis Gray. Unless Apple has some real tricks up its sleeve, the new features that were previewed for the iPhone OS 4.0 are hardly revolutionary. Apple is playing catch up with Android at this point.

[via Mobile Crunch]

You might also enjoy:

--Samsung Galaxy Q: Android takes on RIM’s Blackberry [Rumor] --Where Google is heading… Google Translation for Android --HTC Incredible Full Review [Verizon/Android] --Droid X Full Review [Hands On] vs. HTC Incredible — Verizon Android Showdown --Verizon confirms HTC Incredible, Android Superphone

“The duration of the exclusive Apple-[AT&T] agreement was not ‘secret’ either. The [plaintiff] quotes a May 21, 2007 USA Today article – published over a month before the iPhone’s release – stating, “AT&T has exclusive U.S. distribution rights for five years-an eternity in the go-go cellphone world.”
…
“[T]here was widespread disclosure of [AT&T's] five-year exclusivity and no suggestion by Apple or anyone else that iPhones would become unlocked after two years… Moreover, it is sheer speculation – and illogical – that failing to disclose the five-year exclusivity term would produce monopoly power…”

So what does all this mean? Well, unless Apple has an “out” for a breach by AT&T or is willing to breach the agreement itself, Verizon will not see an iPhone until 2012.

Well, the Wall Street Journal could have some explaining to do because they ran a piece on March 29 stating:

“With Apple developing a phone with CDMA capability, its exclusive U.S. arrangement with AT&T dating to 2007 appears set to end.”

Now, are there ways to reconcile the WSJ article and the court documents from Engadget? Sure. Perhaps the CDMA variety is not intended for Verizon and will be sold overseas. Maybe “appears” is the operative word in the quote above. Perhaps Apple believes AT&T breached or Apple is prepared to breach. In any event, it seems like every few days an article runs one way or another about the Verizon iPhone. I’m not going to write more about this based on rumors but the court documents are very real. The original deal with AT&T had a five year term expiring in 2012 contrary to everything than ran in the blogosphere and in mainstream media.

You might also enjoy:

--Apple and Verizon hate each other. Will the iPhone ever come to Verizon? --Verizon getting iPhone, so says WSJ sources --Android Monster – HTC Scorpion heading to Verizon [Rumor] --Google’s Nexus One outselling Apple’s iPhone --HTC Incredible Coming to Verizon in Two Weeks?

I recently left the Blackberry platform (anyone want to buy a Verizon Tour? :)). About two weeks before the release of the HTC Incredible, I picked up an iPod Touch which runs the current iPhone OS. I played with it extensively for two weeks. I liked it quite a bit, more than I expected. My experience was not soured by AT&T’s shoddy network. I also have been playing with an HTC Incredible Android phone which will be my primary phone on Verizon. I think I have enough experience with both to formulate informed opinions about iPhone vs. Android.

The iPhone platform is a closed environment which sounds like a bad thing. It isn’t necessarily. If someone came up with the best phone in the world with the best apps in the world, open or closed, it would still be the best phone. Well, the iPhone is a damn fine phone. It has a nice user inferface, a terrific web browser and a ginormous app store. What was most striking to me, however, was how well it worked right out of the box and how easy it was to use. I didn’t have to read anything. I just started poking and swiping away and I learned the ins and outs of the phone probably in under an hour. You don’t customize an iPhone except for maybe the case you use to protect it. You basically use it the way Apple intended for you to use it.

Android is an open environment which sounds like a good thing. It isn’t necessarily. If an OS sucks and app developers don’t fill the gaps in the OS, then openness fails to produce a meaningful benefit. This is not the case with Android, however. Android openness is key to its success. I’ll explain that later. However, I would argue that even the best Android phones available today when unboxed fall slightly short of the iPhone in some regards. They are not quite as easy to use. You need to put some time in and navigate a bunch of settings. Androids can be tweaked which is a good thing and a bad thing. You can make the phone behave the way you, not Apple, wants it to behave. If you’re not good with gadgets, however, the tweaking could be difficult for you. It’s actually quite similar to the “Macs are easier to use” principle. Apps for Android are fairly extensive and fill gaps in the operating system. This is where openness shines. If you don’t like the video player, replace it with another one. Same with the virtual keyboards, text message implementation and even the UI (Open Home is a home screen replacement). Androids are more configurable to your liking but it takes some time and some effort to tweak an Android phone. They’re capable of outshining the iPhone in almost every area if you devote yourself to improving the phone. Although I have only had the Droid Incredible a few days, I would say that I now prefer it, the way it is configured now, to any iPhone. But, not everyone wants a fixer-upper or a machine with too many knobs and levers.

That’s my take on the whole iPhone vs. Android scene. It’s not “10 reasons” this or that but I think it gives you the flavor of both OSs and their relative strengths and weaknesses.

If you have other thoughts, feel free to share them in the comment section below.

You might also enjoy:

--iPhone 3GS vs. Android 2.1 — Five Advantages to Each --Switching from Pandora to Slacker (available for Blackberry, iPhone and Android) --Apple iPhone dual-booting Google Android… Really. [Video] --iPhone vs. Android [User Metrics] --FourSquare for iPhone & Android (Blackberry Beta App Very Soon)

Click to Zoom

…the HTC Droid Incredible. He was crowned victorious by an iPhone user in the video below.

Watch the video for the head-to-head. Browser speed, UI, etc. The one area where the iPhone appears to outshine the Incredible is the virtual keyboard. Apple’s keyboard seems just slightly easier to use and the auto-correct is better.

P.S. Anyone know if FedEx takes bribes to turn a 2nd day package into an Overnight while it is in transit?

You might also enjoy:

--Motorola Droid X vs. HTC Droid Incredible [Verizon/Android] --Updates Coming to HTC Droid Incredible [Verizon/Android] --HTC Droid Incredible Complete Round Up ~ Pre-Orders on Monday --Android Showdown: HTC Incredible vs. Motorola Droid [Verizon] --Droid X Full Review [Hands On] vs. HTC Incredible — Verizon Android Showdown

50,000 is quite a milestone, I suppose. However, I have a strong distaste for the app count as a direct measure of the overall user experience on any platform. Apple boasts over 185,000 apps. Probably 184,800 of those apps do not appeal to me. (I don’t need an app to disprove that my farts sound like migrating geese. There’s an app for that, I’m sure.) Of those 200 that really hit the spot, I could probably find them on both the Android and iPhone platforms.

The primary reasons I intend to go to the HTC Droid Incredible are (in order): (1) The carrier, Verizon; I still make voice calls and need a signal. Can you hear me now? (2) Better integration with other Google products that I use, especially Gmail, and the very popular turn-by-turn navigation (which is NOT coming to the iPhone anytime soon, contrary to earlier reports; kudos to PC World for reaching out to Google for comment). (3) It’s an entirely open platform and can be heavily customized. And, finally, (4) there are enough fun apps to keep me entertained and accomplish what I want on the phone. I question anyone who wants to put the 185,000 apps > 50,000 apps argument up against 1-3 above.

The good news is that Android is truly becoming competitive with the iPhone on all fronts, including apps.

You might also enjoy:

--AppBrain.com: My First 53 Free Android Apps on the Incredible… --Chevy Volt to be accompanied by iPhone and Blackberry apps --Two promising Blackberry apps you haven’t heard of… --Blackberry Apps Now Available from Verizon’s V Cast App Store --Two New Blackberry Apps — eBay and New York Times

This could upset the people in Cupertino who want to control the entire user experience on the hardware Apple produces. Steve Jobs recently stated at the iPhone OS 4.0 event (video demo) that one of the disadvantages of Android is its ability to access pornographic apps. He reiterated this sentiment in a recent email believed to be authentic. This criticism seems rather silly to me.  As many have pointed out, Apple’s Mobile Safari browser is quite capable of displaying pornography. Should we expect Apple to shut down the browser at some point and only permit Apple-approved, PG-13 and below apps? What about handing teenagers phones with forward-facing videoconferencing cameras on the upcoming iPhone 4G? Couldn’t this play naughty with the Apple “family values”?

[svartling on Buzz via IntoMobile via quickpwn]

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Joe Wilcox at BetaNews lays out a compelling legal case for Apple to prevail against Gizmodo. There may even be grounds for criminal charges. Section 485 of the California Penal Code provides that:

One who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.

What really crossed the line is tearing down the supposed iPhone 4G prototype. This was not necessary to determine the identity of the true owner. The phone has Apple’s ubiquitous logo imprinted on the back. It was abundantly clear to Gizmodo who owns the device. If you need any proof of this fact, consider that Gizmodo actually paid something like $5,000-$10,000 for a non-working smartphone. Further, the teardown reveals to competitors Apple’s closely guarded trade secrets.

While everyone was interested in the sneak peak (Gizmodo registered several million website hits), it’s really bullshit that Gizmodo paid-and-posted a teardown of the phone. If you were to find a car parked in your driveway, you cannot disassemble the car. It’s not your property.

Recommended Reading: the Joe Wilcox article in BetaNews.

You might also enjoy:

--Apple Field Testing Next-Gen iPhone --Apple iPhone / iPod OS 4.0 Beta Demo [Video] --Apple iPhone dual-booting Google Android… Really. [Video] --Apple and Verizon hate each other. Will the iPhone ever come to Verizon? --Adobe sentiment: “Go Screw Yourself Apple.”

Head over to Engaget to enjoy the photos: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/18/iphone-4g-proof/

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--Google Finance Updated… Real-Time News Streams --Bah… I scooped Engadget by more than two months. --DroidLife Posting Many Motorola Xtreme Photos [Android] --Upcoming Blackberry Flip-and-Slide? [Patent Photos] --Pre-Release Device Photos … Mobile Phone “Porn”

Update: Already Jailbroken.

[via YouTube]

You might also enjoy:

--Apple iPhone dual-booting Google Android… Really. [Video] --Demo of HTC’s Latest Sense UI (HTC Legend, HTC Desire, HTC Incredible…) [VIDEO] --iPhone 4G, was it a hoax set up by Apple? --Apple Field Testing Next-Gen iPhone --FourSquare for iPhone & Android (Blackberry Beta App Very Soon)

To the extent new releases of operating systems or other third-party products, platforms or devices, such as the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone or iPad, make it more difficult for our products to perform, and our customers are persuaded to use alternative technologies, our business could be harmed.

Rather than take the Apple assaults lying down, Adobe has fired back, albeit in an unofficial way. Lee Brimelow just posted to the Flash Blog:

Speaking purely for myself, I would look to make it clear what is going through my mind at the moment. Go screw yourself Apple.

As I wrote before, Apple is concerned with its App Store revenues. Flash is capable of replacing some apps through the browser, thus bypassing the Apple gatekeeper status and taxing authority.

Google backs open platforms like Android and recently opted to include Flash Player in all Google Chrome installations. Flash Player will now automatically update through the Chrome updater. Also, Google welcomes the addition of Flash on the Google Nexus One phone. In case the Apple loyalists want to see what they’re missing, below is a video of a Google Nexus One running a Flash-enabled browser. Coming soon to Android:

[via IntoMobile via BusinessWeek]

You might also enjoy:

--Apple iPad vs. Adobe — what’s going on and why Adobe is playing the porn card… --Five ways Google is taking a bite out of Apple (The Story of 2010) --Apple iPhone dual-booting Google Android… Really. [Video] --iPhone 4G, was it a hoax set up by Apple? --Apple Field Testing Next-Gen iPhone

As the graphic shows, ABI Research believes Apple will continue to be the dominant player in the app arena. They predict Android will follow in second place with over 800 million app downloads in 2010.

When I look at the graphic and read their report, I question whether they have all of this right. I’d question just about anyone who tells me they can predict where technology will be in 2015. While iPhone and Android are almost certain to dominate for awhile, Palm may not exist much longer and ABI predicts substantial app downloads on Palm through 2015. Further, Blackberry OS app development is still in the dark ages and may never break out to the high numbers they are predicting. Furthermore, ABI predicts the following:

Revenues from mobile app sales, however, are expected to decline by 2012, as competition has led to downward pressure on application prices; and a greater proportion of “must-have” applications will begin to have free or advertising-supported substitutes. In addition, many handset makers such as Nokia, and Motorola with its Android handsets, have started to bundle applications that allow users to connect to popular social networks, instant messaging, and GPS services.

While that’s all reasonable, the report says nothing about a potential shift from an app-centric mobile world to a browser-based HTML5 or Flash handheld world. I suppose they’ve left room to re-forecast between now and 2015.

P.S. Fellas, “Series” was dropped from the name of Windows Phone 7 last week.

[via IntoMobile]

You might also enjoy:

--Goldman Sachs cuts Research in Motion (RIMM) to “Sell” --Research in Motion Buys Viigo #Blackberry --J.D. Power Smartphone Report 2010: Survey Says… --Five ways Google is taking a bite out of Apple (The Story of 2010) --HTC Portofolio of Phones for 2010 Q1&Q2 Leaked

The Apple “lock-down” on the iPad is bad for consumers. The closed App Store that Apple rules with an iron fist is not the future model of computing that I would like to see.

I’ve been reading a lot about the iPad, primarily because that’s all there is to read in the tech world at the moment. In particular, I just read Jesus Diaz of Gizmodo’s post on MSNBC entitled, “ Apple’s iPad is the future. This is why.” It’s a worthy read but the headline suggests that the iPad will conquer the competitors. I hope not. This is why.

Apple products are undoubtedly inventions. When I think of revolutionary inventions, the automobile comes to mind and some analogies are apropos. Think back to the days of Henry Ford. In 1909 he remarked about Ford’s latest invention, the Model T, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.” This is exactly what Apple is telling us by bolting the iPad to the App Store. Apple also goes one step further and prohibits you from repainting your car. You can only run Apple approved apps, pay commissions to Apple for their app blessings and customize the system within the framework Apple allows. The childhood game of “Mother May I” comes to mind. HackerNews ran a headline that read, “The iPad is a LEGO set that can only be assembled into what’s drawn on the box.”

Would you purchase a computer that could only run software that the hardware manufacturer approves? This is where I believe Apple is heading. The distinction between a tablet and a computer will be blurred as we add peripheral keyboards to tablets. Will the next MacBook support the installation of software?

Android tablets have more appeal to me because they will not be locked-down. You want a red car? You can have a red car. You can customize your system to your heart’s content but there’s a catch. Apple has been on a patent frenzy lately and Apple v. HTC shows that it may attempt to enforce some of them. Will Android tablets have pinch-zoom in the aftermath of Apple v. HTC? Imagine if Henry Ford patented the car stereo. If you wanted one, you’d be forced to drive a black Model T. Toss in patents on floormats, leather seats and virtually anything else slightly innovative. This is Apple’s playbook. They want to control your experience. Some people are willing to make accept the bargain, pay the so-called Apple “tax” mark-up prices and let Apple control their computing experience.

The patent system has its merits and without it companies wouldn’t innovate, so the argument goes. Perhaps the life of patents should be shortened, especially in light of the speed with which technology advances and the profits that companies can reap in such a short period of time. Recovering R&D expense happens over a shorter horizon than it did in the past. Instead, we have a patent system that helped propel a company that was once on the verge of extinction to the third largest U.S. company by market capitalization. Back to the point…

Is the “Apple-makes-decisions-for-you iPad” a product you really want? I’ll go with an Android tablet or just stick to my netbook that runs two linux variants and Windows 7.

You might also enjoy:

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Click to Enlarge

It seems like there are almost as many news stories about the iPad as the number of them sold. Clearly, Apple has the first mover advantage as they did with the iPhone and many of their other products. However, many alternative tablets are in development, including Neofonie’s WePad. Despite the knock-off name, this is no inferior counterfeit-like device. The WePad has incredible specs and runs on Google’s Android OS. Check out the side-by-side comparison below which show the WePad specs followed by parenthesis with the iPad specs.

Display: 11.6″ 1,366 x 768 (9.7″ 1,024 x 768)

Processor: 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 Pineview-M (1.0 GHz Apple A4)

Memory: 16 GB / 32 GB plus up to 32 GB on SD Card (16 GB / 32 GB / 64GB)

Webcam: 1.3 MP (None)

Peripheral Connections: 2 USB, Universal Cardreader, SIM Card Slot, Multi-Pin (Adapter for Camera and Cardreader)

Adobe Flash / Adobe Air Support: Yes (No)

Battery Life: 6 hours (10 hours)

Software: Completely open to all Android apps/widgets and ebook formats (Apple App Store and select ebook formats)

Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wireless N, 3G [optional] (Bluetooth, Wireless N, 3G [optional])

GPS: Yes (Yes)

Dimensions: 288 x 190 x 13 mm (242.8 x 189.7 x 13.4 mm)

Weight: 800 gm (680 gm)

Additional Hardware: Light Sensor, Motion Sensor, Stereo, Microphone (Light Sensor, Motion Sensor, Stereo, Microphone)

Unfortunately, pricing is not available but should be soon. If priced right (which is virtually certain to be below Apple’s pricing) and properly marketed, the Neofonie WePad tablet might give Apple a serious run for its money.

[via MobileWack.com]

You might also enjoy:

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Click to Enlarge

AppAdvice.com broke the news early this morning that MuscleNerd, a member of the Dev-Team, jailbroke his iPad. Like jailbreaks for other Apple hardware, this allows unsigned apps to run on the device. Accordingly, apps from sources other than the official App Store can be installed once an iPad is jailbroken.

The jailbreak relies upon a bug in MobileSafari in iPhone firmware 3.1.3. and the exploit is called “Spirit.” Detailed step-by-step instructions are not yet available for others to use the exploit but they’re expected soon, along with an automated jailbreak application.

Now that the iPad can be cracked wide open by owners, the device may have even more mass appeal. Below is a video of the jailbroken iPad by MuscleNerd:

You might also enjoy:

--Students: Register for Google Voice, Get it Within 24 Hours --The iPad “Lock-Down” is Bad for Consumers --Android alternative to iPad, the Neofonie WePad [Specs] --PC Mag’s Video Review of iPad #betterthanexpected --Apple iPad vs. Adobe — what’s going on and why Adobe is playing the porn card…

• Touchscreen smartphone owners and considerably more satisfied with their handsets (smartphones and dumbphones alike) than owners of handsets with other input mechanisms (physical keys and keyboards).
• 17% of touchscreen smartphone owners frequently stream videos on their device.
• Apps are very popular among smartphone users. (Duh!)

Although Apple was the shoo-in to top the survey, HTC had a very strong showing in customer satisfaction. This bodes well for the Taiwanese device manufacturer that was relatively unknown amongst non-geeks prior to the announcement of Google’s Nexus One. The HTC brand will significantly strengthen in the coming months. While Blackberry had a very strong showing, the trends towards touchscreen devices and an app-centric experience suggests to me that Blackberry will struggle to perform well in next year’s survey.

[via J.D. Powers & Associates]

You might also enjoy:

--Bad News for Blackberry [Survey] --App Download Forecast for 2010-2015 by ABI Research --Five ways Google is taking a bite out of Apple (The Story of 2010) --HTC Portofolio of Phones for 2010 Q1&Q2 Leaked --Dell Mini 3 Smartphone Featuring Android to Launch in China Later This Month

iPhone 3GS vs. Android 2.1 (now on Droid too)

Anyone looking to buy a terrific smartphone today is faced with the dilemma of choosing between the iPhone 3GS and an Android 2.1 device. ZDNet and PocketNow.com recently ran dueling posts on this topic with ZDNet offering five reasons why the iPhone is superior and PocketNow.com countering with five reasons why Android 2.1 is superior. Below is a synopsis with some commentary along the way.

Five Things iPhones Do Better offered by ZDNet

1. Both phones can copy and paste, although, apparently, the iPhone does it better. I think this is a none issue and most users rarely, if ever, use the feature. In those rare instances where a user wants to copy and paste, both phones can achieve the end result. I became skeptical of the rest of the ZDNet claims after reading this “advantage” as numero uno on their list.
2. Touchscreen quality. Objective tests have shown the iPhone to have a more responsive and more precise touchscreen than the Nexus One. Whether this impacts the user experience in a meaningful way is a question worth considering. The author also believes that text appears crisper on the iPhone. While this could be true (I’ve never seen the two side by side), the Nexus One has a larger screen and when text is scaled, I suspect that the Nexus One would outshine the iPhone in readability.
3. The music app user interface is better on the iPhone. This is definitely the case when comparing the native apps (and should have been listed as numero uno) but keep in mind that Android Market has a wide variety of third party music apps that have been promoted for having good UIs, including some with 3D navigation.
4. Google Voice’s threading of SMS. Apparently they don’t thread the same way as they do on the iPhone. The PocketNow post states that the author has never experienced any SMS threading “problem” with Google Voice. Oddly, I was wondering, “WTH?” Google Voice barely even exists on the iPhone because Apple won’t allow it into the App Store. Advantage Android?
5. App Store. Android is making up ground here, as the author notes, but the App Store has some ridiculous number of apps with a bunch of digits in it. It does seem like many developers are going for App Store cash first before heading to the Android Market. I think as more Android devices hit the market the playing field will become more level but Apple clearly has the upperhand on app development right now.

Five Things Android Does Better offered by PocketNow.com

1. You don’t need iTunes “bloatware” to activate Android. True but are computers really grinding to a halt because of iTunes? Also, iTunes has a good UI and some people actually like it.
2. “App Freedom” is an advantage because Android phones, other than those on AT&T, can install apps without Apple or anyone else as a gatekeeper. Openness means nobody censors the apps you can install. What will be particularly telling on this front is whether Apple approves the Opera Mini browser for iPhone which beats the heck out of the native browser in speed. This is one example of how a closed ecosystem can diminish the user experience.
3. Alternatives to built-in apps exist for Android. This is a score for Android because, among other reasons, the stock Android keyboard isn’t so hot. The Apple counterargument is “we perfected the built-in apps”; however, see above regarding Opera Mini browser.
4. Carrier options exist for Android phones. This was a really big deal and probably the single-most reason why I didn’t go iPhone/AT&T. However, the next generation iPhone will also be offered on other, more reliable carriers than AT&T.
5. Google Voice is a big score for Android. See #4 above in prior list. If you want to make cheap international calls, free calls within the U.S. and Canada and send SMS for free, then this matters.

My own calculus comes down to apps on the iPhone vs. “openness” and Google Voice on Android. I’m mid-contract with Verizon and can adopt the wait-and-see approach. Hell, I’m still stuck with a Blackberry Tour. I’ll can give you a minimum of 10 reasons why both the iPhone and Android are superior to the Tour.

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I see a number of reasons why the Nexus One is globally popular. Google is known as one of the world’s best brands. The Nexus One has industry-leading hardware, including a 3.7″ AMOLED touchscreen. The phone is reasonably priced off-contract, which is very important to non-U.S. markets where the subscription/subsidy mobile model does not exist.

Android is on a tear lately and now accounts for almost as much smartphone traffic as the iPhone.  See below:

I believe that the chart above represents the single biggest reason iPhone exclusivity in the U.S. will end this year. Apple needs market share, plain and simple.

Will the next-generation iPhone close the gap that is likely to develop or is this a case of “openness” winning?

*Update: The iPhone Footprint report does not cite any sources for the proposition that the Nexus One outsold the iPhone by 16% in February. This is unconfirmed. Thank you to my Google Buzz followers for their noteworthy correction.

You might also enjoy:

--Apple iPhone dual-booting Google Android… Really. [Video] --No Nexus Two; Nexus One Major Success for Android, Says Google --iPhone 4G, was it a hoax set up by Apple? --Apple Field Testing Next-Gen iPhone --Apple iPhone / iPod OS 4.0 Beta Demo [Video]

This is obviously bad news for AT&T which has gained many subscribers due to iPhone exclusivity. It’s great news for Verizon and other carriers who were losing customers to AT&T. In the end, consumers should win out as cellular service and product offerings become decoupled.

This leak comes at an awkward time for Verizon which is expected to launch two solid Android devices in the coming weeks, the Nexus One and the HTC Incredible. I doubt we’ll see a bunch of “iDon’t” advertisements.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304370304575152242601774892.html

You might also enjoy:

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If these numbers are statistically meaningful (BGR reports the survey has a +/- 10% margin of error) and these preferences play out in the marketplace, RIM will suffer immensely (Nasdaq:RIMM stock chart). My assessment is that there is only scenario that rescue RIM. If RIM develops a competitive web browser (the present one stinks) and the mobile market shifts from apps to HTML5 which is platform independent, then RIM could compete. I wonder, however, whether both of these events can happen within a reasonable period of time. RIM is working on a WebKit browser. However, the smartphone market in the U.S. churns phones every two years. Hordes of Blackberry Curve 8330 users are up for new phones within the next year. So, unless RIM kicks it into high gear and rolls out a killer product very soon, it is virtually guaranteed to lose substantial market share (as has been predicted by many).

Speaking of a RIM “killer product,” I posted up a leaked photo of the upcoming Palm Pre-like Blackberry Slider. To put it lightly, the product is not being well received in the Crackberry community. It’s probably not the answer to RIM’s prayers. Also, BGR reports that it failed internal RIM testing four out of five times. This product isn’t looking pretty, literally or figuratively.

Also foreboding for RIM, the Crowd Science report suggests that people who go for iPhone or Android remain loyal to their chosen platform. 92% of iPhone users would prefer another iPhone and 87% of Android users would prefer to remain with Android.

Perhaps if RIM’s stock is beaten up badly (it still has a market cap of $42B), it could become a takeover target. As I relayed, Microsoft is shopping for a device manufacturer to vertically integrate (the Apple model). Maybe that’s the way RIM will shakeout.

You might also enjoy:

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• Apple united with AT&T over Verizon for the iPhone and signed into a long-term exclusive deal.
• Verizon has twice tried to launch an iPhone killer, failing miserably both times. The first was the Blackberry Storm which was the brainchild of Verizon and never took in the marketplace. The second was the Motorola Droid and the heavy “iDon’t” campaign.
• Verizon and AT&T continue to take swipes at one another in their advertisements and, obviously, Apple is heavily invested in AT&T’s success.
• Despite rumors that sounded credible before the iPad launch that it would be offered on Verizon, Apple again signed an exclusive deal with AT&T.
• Apple’s recent patent lawsuit against HTC is really targeted at HTC, Google and Verizon collectively. Why didn’t Apple file the lawsuit when the Nexus One was launched on T-Mobile? Are Apple’s lawyers really that slow? Probably not. The lawsuit was filed just prior to the launch of the Google/HTC Nexus One launch on Verizon (around the same time the FCC approved the CDMA version of the Nexus One) and Apple seeks to enjoin the sale of the Nexus One phone in the U.S. Perhaps this could actually speed up the launch of the Nexus One on Verizon, which is expected within the next few weeks, because it may benefit the defendants to have the phone in the market before there is a ruling on the injunction. BGR is reporting that Verizon employees are already being trained on the Nexus One.

The contract between Apple and AT&T regarding iPhone exclusivity is expected to be up for renewal this summer. Will Apple renew it? Most of the speculation I have read is that iPhone exclusivity in the U.S. will end; nonetheless, I have become increasingly doubtful that Verizon and Apple could ever become friendly with one another, especially in light of Apple v. HTC.

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Photo courtesy of IntoMobile via TheFlashBlog via Wired

Despite the silliness, there’s a real war being waged here with a significant amount of money at stake. Apple makes a ton of money off of the App Store. If it allowed developers access to the iPad through Adobe Flash, they could circumvent the App Store and target consumers through the browser. (This is the route Google is going with HTML versions of Google Voice for the iPhone after being shut out from the App Store.) It’s no secret that Adobe wants Flash-based games to be the future in mobile device gaming. Google (yeah, I always tie things into Google), on the other hand, supports fully open operating systems. At the inaugural showing of the Google Nexus One, Google made it clear that the Nexus One will have native flash support in the future.

This difference in approaches leaves consumers in a quandary. On the one hand, Apple is the great innovator but rules it devices with an iron first. On the other hand, Google is not a hardware innovator but allows consumers significant choice. It seems like most consumers are wooed by innovation these days. Google sorely needs hardware innovation like being the first to offer an RFID equipped phone because choice plus innovation could dethrone Apple in the mobile phone arena. And, from Google’s perspective, the sooner the better. It’s going to be tough to compete with 100,000 Apple app developers and a few million apps in the App Store.

[inspired by IntoMobile]

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Curiously, it is unclear whether the Google Voice app will ever be available on the iPhone. Google Voice currently uses traditional land lines to route calls. Apple has rejected it from the App Store claiming that duplicates the phone’s existing functionality and would confuse customers. Arguably, VOIP apps duplicate the phone’s functionality as well. I suggest that neither would actually confuse customers but would rip profits from AT&T. The Google Voice vs. Apple showdown is before the FCC now.

In the future, Google Voice may become a VOIP service. As I relayed back in November, Google acquired Gizmo5, a VOIP outfit, and will integrate Gizmo5 technology with Google Voice. When this happens, Apple may have no choice but to approve a Google Voice app. In the meantime, Google is coding around Apple’s restrictions and thumbing its nose at the App Store. Google Voice can be accessed via the iPhone browser at m.google.com/voice.

[First VOIP App Approved via Gizmodo]

You might also enjoy:

--iPhone 4G, was it a hoax set up by Apple? --Apple Field Testing Next-Gen iPhone --Apple iPhone / iPod OS 4.0 Beta Demo [Video] --Apple iPhone dual-booting Google Android… Really. [Video] --Apple and Verizon hate each other. Will the iPhone ever come to Verizon?