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Verizon signed up more customers in Q2 than AT&T

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by Dustin Karnes on
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According to an article over at intomobile, Verizon signed up more customers this last quarter than AT&T… which is, in the words of the infamous Ron Burgundy, “kind of a big deal”.

Verizon has stated that it signed up 1.4 million customers, but that’s not the main number they’re touting. The big digit in their mind has to do with customers signed up on a long-term contract, which flew in at 665,000. They also mention the fact that their “churn rate”, or amount of customers who leave after their contract ends, is a mere 0.94%… pretty impressive, considering AT&T biffed it before second base, with only 496,000 new contract customers. Keep in mind, folks, that’s with the iPhone 4 release, which sold 3.2 million devices. However, if Verizon wants these numbers to keep in the direction they’re headed, this writer suggests they up inventory on new phones before release… Droid X, anyone?

Does this news pull down the veil behind the giant floating head that is the iPhone market share to reveal that AT&T’s Apple loving clientèle is dwindling, or are the numbers simply indicative of a lucky quarter for big red? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

[via intomobile]

Library of Congress finds no issues with rooting, jailbreaking

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by Dustin Karnes on
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The Library of Congress has officially made special exemptions for the act of rooting (Android, WebOS) and jailbreaking (iOS), and rules that would keep you from doing so from the DMCA will not apply. In other words, grab you SDK’s and USB cables, because it’s time to rejoice. According to the announcement:

Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.

While this will not keep the device manufacturers from locking down their devices as best they can to keep you out of the root file structure of your device, it does mean that you won’t be getting any knocks on your door from black suits and sunglasses asking if you can run an “su” command on your phone.

Check out the full statement below, and let us know what you think in the comments!

» Read the rest

Apple continues Antenna attacks, taking stabs at the Droid X

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by Chris Moor on
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Apple is at it again this time focusing on the recently released Motorola Droid X. In this latest video from Apple they show the X loosing signal strength when held a certain way but if you look closely the person is squeezing the phone so tight his hand shakes. Also what interests me is that the background, which looks to be like an office, is so blurred out you cannot see any clues to what type of environment it is in.

For all we know it can be in a sealed building where they are using a signal booster like the one Verizon sells for customers in low coverage areas. Then on cue they could theoretically be turning off the signal to simulate loosing it naturally by holding the phone a certain way. Come on Apple go outside and show us the iPhone side by side with these devices in “Real” environments.

I for one don’t believe these videos until clearer ‘Proof’ is shown. I have smothered my Droid trying to re-create the signal loss and nothing I did ever made it drop off. Has any of you X users had this happen? Any other speculation on how they could be making the devices miraculously loose signal on command? I tell you one thing with all the time and money they have put into trying to push off the issue, they could have found a solution and fixed current handsets by now.

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[via applerelated]

Apple takes a stab at the Droid Eris, HTC says they have no where near as many complaints

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by Chris Moor on
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If you recall Apple’s pitiful attempt to turn the spotlight from their hardware issues, you might remember one of the devices used was the HTC Droid Eris. Apple is trying to shift the focus off of their mistakes by claiming it is an industry wide problem. While any device can have interference from the human body when in operation, it has never been on a scale of what iPhone 4 users are experiencing.

HTC has not issued an official statement as of yet, but they did give a some insight to Pocket-Lint.com on just how many users have complained about antenna issues on the Droid Eris. According to the Global Head of PR for HTC, Eric Lin “Approximately .016% of customers, . . . we have had very few complaints about signal or antenna problems on the Eris.”

HTC was one of several companies attacked by Apple during the spectacle, and I am sure we are going to see some hard repercussions in the short future over this. I personally have taken my Motorola Droid and covered it fully with my hands while on a call and never dropped a signal once. I also have no case or skin on my phone either so that’s not an issue. Have any of our readers had a signal issue with your phones? We would love to hear your feedback on the issue.

[via pocket-lint]

Do you lose reception based on how you hold your phone? An Android Poll

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by Chris Moor on
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As we all know, the iPhone 4 has issues with how you hold it. Hold it a certain way and *poof* there goes your reception. Steve Jobs said in a press conference yesterday that all modern phones have this issue, including Android phones. I can personally say that I’ve never had an issue with any of my cell phones having an issue with how I hold them, much less my Android devices. What what about you? Does the way you hold your cell phone effect your reception?

We’d like to know. Vote in our poll and if you have noticed that your grip effects your reception, let us know what phone you have in the comments.

Steve Jobs – “No One Is Going To Buy A Big Phone”

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by Chris Moor on
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At today’s press conference concerning the iPhone 4 reception issues Steve Jobs indirectly attacked the new group of large smart phones that have been coming onto the market calling them “Hummers” and claiming that “No one is going to buy them.”

Oddly enough Droid X which is one of the largest phones ever released is reportedly selling out around the country, even with  the large initial stock shipped out by Verizon. It is also odd that Jobs compared large phones to Hummers, as some might take this as a compliment.  In the same conference Jobs showed  videos of other phones losing coverage when held in very specific ways, prompting angry reactions from Rim and Nokia among others.

So it seems in the short run Mr. Jobs is simply wrong about “Hummer Phones” and if Droid X  sales continue at this rate he will be regretting his statement for sometime to come.

[via: Engadget]

Even without the iPhone, Verizon is gaining on AT&T

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by Chris Moor on
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One of the biggest things that is keeping most people from getting an iPhone (besides Android of course) is the fact that the iPhone is tied to AT&T. Many people have asked “When is Verizon getting the iPhone?”

But does Verizon really need the iPhone? Sure putting what is arguably the world’s most recognized phone on the US’s biggest cell carrier would obviously be a win for Verizon, but they (Verizon) may decide that they don’t need the iPhone.

Tomorrow, Verizon launches the Droid X, which maybe the iPhone’s best competitor yet, with it’s huge 4.3″ touchscreen, 1GHz OMAP processor and 8MP camera. An analyst for Sanford C Bernstein & Company was quoted saying “Verizon is back in the game, even without the iPhone.”

What’s ironic about all of this is that back when Google wanted to force federal government to require carries to make their networks more open to a wide range of devices, Verizon flipped it’s lid and vowed not to support the Android OS.  This lasted until they saw the threat posed by the iPhone, so they got together with Google and Motorola and the result of that threesome was the much beloved and still widely used, Motorola Droid.

Verizon has since released six Android phones, which no doubt has helped boost Android’s marketshare in the US to 13%, behind Apple’s 24% and RIM’s 42%. Some additional factors that Verizon doesn’t need the iPhone are apps.

“Google and Verizon may have agreed to share the revenue produced by Android app sales, something that Apple does not do. Verizon would feel uncomfortable ceding those things to Apple.” said Philip Cusick, analyst at Macquarie Research Equities.

Regardless, Apple’s contract with AT&T is rumored to end in 2012 anyway. But with the Droid X no doubt to be a huge success (if they can keep them in stock) then I wouldn’t be surprised to Verizon just stick with Android.

[via nyt]


Steve Jobs Vs Google

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by Chris Moor on
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Steve Jobs. The name draws out very different emotions from  a wide range of people. Some see Jobs as an all knowing deity, who is made of golden ideas and innovation. Others view him as a communist controlling dictator who runs Apple with an iRon (get it?) fist, while at the same time distorting facts to downplay his competition.

No matter what you think of Jobs, you will find it interesting (and perhaps infuriating) that he apparently attacked Google in a town hall meeting with Apple employees.

Apparently someone brought up Google and Jobs said “We did not enter the search business. They entered the phone business. Make no mistake: they want to kill the iPhone. We won’t let them.”

And then, apparently, he went off. Like an iBomb (ok last one).

According to Wired.com, an Apple employee tried to move on to another question, but apparently Google being brought up had struck a nerve. “I want to go back to that other question first and say one more thing,” he said. “This ‘Don’t be evil’ mantra: It’s bullshit.” Woah. Steve. Really?

In this industry there is a certain way to go about proving your the best. With data, numbers, reviews, and customer satisfaction. So why did Jobs decide to call Google’s mantra bullshit? Certainly not because he has seen last weeks data. Definitely not because he is worried that Google is actually slowly but surely succeeding in killing the iPhone. Absolutely not because of the horrible launch the iPhone 4 has seen. And, I can promise you it has nothing to do with how well the Droid X has been reviewed. No. I am sure Steve just said what he said because…….ok I have nothing.

So Google has Apple running scared. Or at least angry. And for that they should be applauded.

[via: wired]

Benchmarks shows Android 2.2 browser’s JavaScript performance superior to iOS4

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by Chris Moor on
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Benchmark

The Android 2.2 (Froyo) platform was touted by Vic Gundotra of Google to have superior performance when he showed off the Nexus One blowing by the iPad at the Google IO Conference recently. Many Apple followers claimed foul because the test was done running older Apple hardware.

Ars Technica has now pitted the Nexus One running Android 2.2 against the Apple iPhone 4 running IOS4 and the results speak for them self. Two benchmarks (Spider and V8) which gauge the JavaScript performance of the browser show that the Nexus One was significantly faster (ok ran circles around it) than the iPhone 4. Specifically in the Spider benchmark the Nexus One was just about twice as fast and in the V8 benchmark it was more than three times faster.

Looks like Vic was dead on with his demo. Apple has some work ahead of them if they really want to compete in the browser war.

[via ars technica]

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