iOS users use 3rd party browsers more than Android users

The browser war on the desktop is very heated, but in the mobile space things are pretty calm – the overwhelming majority of Android and iOS users use the default browser on their device.

Here’s something you might not have expected though – Chitika, an ad network and data analytics firm, found out that iOS users are more likely to install and use a 3rd party browser than Android users.

A hair over 91% of Android users stick with the Android stock Browser that comes as part of the OS. The number of iOS users who use Safari is “only” 85%. These numbers come from Chitika‘s ad network, measuring a week of US and Canada web traffic.

Apple limits third-party browsers on its iOS platform – basically, they have to use Safari’s rendering engine and a slower version of Safari’s JavaScript engine (it’s the same engine, but third-party apps don’t get to use JIT).

So, almost all third-party browsers on iOS are just repackaged Safari with a different UI and some extra features (the exceptions being mostly Opera Mini-likew compression browser, which render the sites on a remote server) and yet 15% of iOS owners would rather have that than pure Safari.

Chitika found something else that’s quite interesting – of the 15% share of third-party browsers on iOS, only Chrome has a significant share (at 3%) and the other 12% are split between many different browsers, none of which has any statistically significant share.

On Android, however, only the big names have a measurable share. Surprisingly, Opera is the biggest non-default browser on Android, with Chrome having only half its share. The third player, with barely over half a percent share is Firefox.

Users are less happy with iOS6

A survey conducted by research company On Device shows that users who upgraded to Apple’s iOS6 mobile OS aren’t as less happy with their smartphones than they were before the update.

The survey included 16,000 people, and On Device says this is the first time it is seeing such a drop in user satisfaction after an update. The analysts found this pretty surprising, considering how well users reacted to the transition from iOS4 to iOS5.

Here’s what On Device CEO Alistair Hill told TechCrunch:

We have always seen an increase in device satisfaction as consumer upgrade their mobile operating system from one version to another.

The main reason for the drop in the happiness of iOS users when they started using its latest version is the dismissal of Google Maps in favor of Apple’s own Mapping service.

Apple Iphone5 Review

The Apple iPhone 5 brings the long anticipated larger screen and more capable internals that we already know are ready to trade blows with the most powerful chipsets out there.

   
Apple iPhone 5 official photos

There's also the new slender, slimmer body that no photos really do justice to. If all of Apple's claims are true then the iPhone 5 is a real engineering masterpiece - double the performance in a more compact package without sacrificing anything in terms of battery life.

They could've done worse. A lot worse. But this is Apple telling you to prepare to be wowed. So you have every right to play hard-to-please.

Pros:

• Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support with 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• LTE support where carriers support it and CDMA support when sold by CDMA carriers
• 4" 16M-color LED-backlit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 1136px resolution
• Scratch-resistant screen glass, fingerprint-resistant coating
• 1.2GHz dual-core custom-designed CPU, PowerVR SGX543MP3 GPU, 1GB of RAM, Apple A6 SoC
• iOS 6 and iCloud integration
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and touch focus
• 1080p video recording at 30fps
• 1.2MP secondary front-facing camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; digital compass
• 16/32/64GB storage options
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor and a three-axis gyro sensor
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated secondary microphone
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack, stereo Bluetooth v4.0
• Excellent audio output quality (though worse than 4S)
• Apple Maps with free voice-guided navigation in 56 countries
• Voice recognition, Siri virtual assistant
• Supports HD Voice (needs carrier support too)
• FaceTime video calls over Wi-Fi and cellular
• Impressively slim and light
• Great battery life

Cons:

• Aluminum body looks cool but is easy to scratch
• Proprietary connector, incompatible with previous-gen accessories (needs adapter)
• The new display is not proportionally bigger, but only taller
• Unadapted apps run letterboxed due to the unusual resolution
• nano-SIM support only
• Apple Maps app not up to scratch
• No USB Mass Storage mode
• No FM radio
• No stereo speakers
• No microSD card slot
• No NFC connectivity (though that may be nitpicking)
• Stuck with iTunes for loading content
• Mono audio recording in videos

Should the iPhone 5 be worried about not doing quite enough in terms of new design and features? That question sounds ridiculous considering the sales numbers. But there's a long-term perspective that goes beyond a record-breaking opening weekend.

   
The Apple iPhone 5 live photos

People who thought the iPhone 4S was a half-hearted effort, are rightfully expecting the iPhone 5 to be the real upgrade of the brilliant iPhone 4. In the end, though, there's more to a smartphone's real worth than dry specs. Apple has, on multiple occasions, been able to produce devices that are better than the sum of their parts and few will be surprised at the iPhone 5 pulling off a similar trick.

Apple adds new alternative maps

Tim Cook penned a letter to iOS 6 users, apologizing for the sorry state of their new Maps application and promised that they are working hard to make it better. While most would have stopped at that, Cook went on to suggest alternative mapping services that users can use till Apple Maps becomes usable.

Now, Apple has gone one step ahead and created a section in the App Store that can you can find on your iPhone, titled ‘Find Maps for your iPhone’. Clicking on it will show you a bunch of different mapping services, free and paid, that you can download and install on your iOS device.

What’s missing from the list are Google and Nokia’s services, but that’s because they don’t have a dedicated application for iOS. Apple has, however, provided a dedicated page, where you can find out how to access their web services and save it as an icon on your homescreen for quick access.

Apple Maps is not "the most beautiful and powerful ever"

Hot on the heels of the new alternative Maps apps section in the AppStore, Apple has also toned down the elated iOS6 Maps app copy as keen visitors to its website have spotted.

As the screenshot conveniently points, the previous copy called the new Maps app “the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever”. The new wording turns the attention to another key feature – “the beautiful vector-based interface that scales and zooms with ease” and certainly takes a more modest stance.

I wonder when is Apple going to change the messed up icon as well.

It clearly shows a navigation route making a sharp left off a bridge.

WP8 - Nokia Lumia 820

The Nokia event in New York is in full swing and the second phone the Finnish company announced is the Nokia Lumia 820. It has a smaller screen than the 920 flagship and it misses out on a few of the cool new features, but should provide the same solid smartphone experience.

The Nokia Lumia 820 has a 4.3" AMOLED display of WVGA resolution (no HD, sorry), which features the ClearBlack technology. It does have the same super sensitive touch like the 920, which allows it to work with gloves, but misses on the PureMotion HD+ fun.

The phone uses the same polycarbonate unibody design and will have optional protective shells you can put on the back.

  
Nokia Lumia 820

The Nokia Lumia 820 will run Windows Phone 8 (of course) and will be powered by the same Qualcomm S4 chipset as the 920, with a dual-core Krait processor clocked at 1.5GHz and 1GB of RAM at its heart. Nokia says it's up to 30% more power-efficient than "competing quad-core designs" (we assume it means the 45nm Tegra 3). For the record, teh 820 has a 1650mAh battery.

The Lumia 820 is compatible with the wireless charging Fatboy pillow (you need a protective shell for that) and it has 8GB of built-in storage (and 7GB of SkyDrive cloud storage). Unlike old Windows Phone handsets, the 820 has a microSD slot too, so you're free to expand that as you like.

What the Lumia 820 misses, compared to the Lumia 920 is the PureView camera tech, but it still has a Carl Zeiss lens and an 8MP sensor. The Lumia 820 will take advantage of the new camera features that Microsoft just announced.

The LTE connectivity is on board, along with the new and exciting NFC-based features of Windows Phone 8.

The Nokia Lumia 820 measures 123.8 x 68.5 x 9.9mm and weighs 160g. It will be available in several different colors.

WP8- Nokia Lumia 920

The first big announcement to come at Nokia and Microsoft joint event is the Nokia Lumia 920. As it turned out the recently released teasers were spot on, and this is in fact the first Lumia PureView smartphone.

The Nokia Lumia 920 looks much like the Lumia 900, but comes with a bigger 4.5" 720p PureMotionHD+ (that's ClearBlack on stereoids) display, with curved glass on top of it. It is powered by the Snapdragon S4 chipset with a 1.5GHz dual-core Krait processor and Adreno 225 GPU.

The display is something Nokia is really proud. It’s called PureMotion HD+ and its screen color and brightness will adjusts automatically, depending on the ambient light. If you’ve hoped for an AMOLED screen though, you’ll be disappointed.

Lumia 920 camera comes with the PureView branding, but it packs an 8 megapixel sensor at its heart. It offers a cool new image stabilization that Nokia calls "floating lens" and according to its manufacturer is more effective than the optical image stabilization on many dedicated digicams. Carl Zeiss optics, 1080p video recording and an LED flash complete the list of the camera features.

 

The rest of the specs include NFC and LTE connectivity, 32GB internal memory plus 7GB SkyDrive cloud storage and 1GB RAM. The Lumia 920 weighs 185 grams, supports only micro-SIM cards and lacks a memory expansion slot.

Nokia Lumia 920 runs on the latest Windows Phone 8 OS and will come with various new services such as Nokia City Lens (augmented really app, which lets you find nearby cafes, restaurants etc.), refreshed Nokia Drive and Maps, updated hubs and system apps, etc.

The last feature worth mentioning is the built-in wireless charging. It uses the Qi standard and will be compatible with future accessories. The first supported wireless charging tool is the Fatboy wireless charging pillow. We hope it comes included in the retail package, but that is yet to be confired. Nokia also teamed up with Virgin Atlantic and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to put wireless charging stations so you can charge your Lumia 920 even when you are out for a coffee.

The Lumia 920 will launch in glossy white, yellow and black colors. The pricing and availability is yet to be announced.

Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100

The Samsung Galaxy Note II is the epitome of the "go big or go home" mantra. From the screen, processing power, through the software package and the revival of the stylus, everything has been pushed right to the very edge of current technology.

   
Samsung Galaxy Note II

The big Galaxy Note 10.1 slate took a lot of time getting to market and, for all its cool features, it probably won't be able to sort the Android tablet problem. The Note II will ride on the success of the original, not to mention that it actually beats its tablet namesake in some aspects - and no, we're not just talking portability.

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps; LTE 700/2100 MHz, 100Mbps down, 50Mbps up
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phablet
• Dimensions: 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm, 180 g
• Display: 5.5" 16M-color HD (720 x 1280 pixels) Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, Gorilla Glass 2
• Stylus: S Pen, 1024 pressure levels, hover functionality
• Chipset: Exynos 4212 Quad
• CPU: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 1.6 GHz processor
• GPU: Mali-400MP
• RAM: 2GB
• OS: Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean)
• Memory: 16/32/64GB storage, microSD card slot
• Still camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with backlit sensor, face detection and Best faces feature, touch focus and image stabilization;
• Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps, LED flash, 1.9MP front facing camera, video-calls
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL features (TV Out, USB host), GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio, NFC
• Battery: 3100 mAh
• Misc: TouchWiz 4.0 UI, Extremely rich video/audio codec support, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor, gyroscope sensor, Smart stay and Smart rotation eye-tracking, S Voice

We've already seen the overclocked Exynos 4212 Quad chipset come out on top in a head-to-head with current high-end Androids and it will probably keep its lead at least until the arrival of Qualcomm S4 Pro with its four Krait cores.

Samsung has also packed the Galaxy Note II with so many various tricks and features and gestures that it gets hard to keep track. And while keeping things simple is generally a good thing, we can't help but love the gazillion or so tweaks to the user experience that the Note II brings.

We can't talk about the Note II without mentioning the signature feature of the series - the S Pen. The advanced stylus has been nicely integrated throughout the interface, sprinkling cool features all over the place and we'll do our best to cover them all.

LG Optimus G

LG has shown a serious commitment to pushing the limits of Android hardware. The first dual-core droid was manufactured by the Koreans and, while they showed up late to the quad-core party, they're back with a bang with the Optimus G - the first phone to employ the Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset.

 
LG Optimus G E973

If you're not familiar with Qualcomm's numbering scheme, S4 chipsets fall into three categories - Play (for low-end phones), Plus (the one with two Krait cores we've seen a good deal of) and Pro.

What S4 Pro chipsets do is combine four Krait cores with next-gen Adreno 320 graphics (Plus employs Adreno 225). LG is the first to bring an S4 Pro-powered smartphone to the market (even though Xiaomi had one announced a while ago).

The LG Optimus G E973 puts another first on its resume - it's LG's first phone with a 13MP camera.

The screen boasts some impressive credentials as well. The 4.7" True HD IPS Plus screen of WXGA resolution (768 x 1280) has Zerogap touch technology (in-cell touch, laminated layers to reduce glare). The screen bezel is kept to a minimum too.

• General: 2G/3G/LTE
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45mm, 145 g
• Display: 4.7" WXGA True HD IPS Plus (768 x 1280 pixels) capacitive touchscreen, Gorilla Glass
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
• CPU: Quad-core Krait 1.5 GHz processor
• GPU: Adreno 320
• RAM: 2GB
• OS: Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Memory: 32GB of storage
• Still camera: 8/13 megapixel auto-focus camera with Time catch shot, smart shutter and cheese shutter; 1.3MP front facing camera
• Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps, LED flash,
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL support (TV Out, USB host), A-GPS receiver, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC
• Battery: Li-Po, 2100 mAh
• Misc: Optimus UI, Dual Screen Dual Play, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor, gyroscope sensor, Q Slide Function

And that's not all either. The sides of the Optimus G are laser-cut for excellent build quality, there's real glass at the back with a polarized pattern that shifts as you move the phone and the battery should have a longer lifespan with 800 recharge cycles.

Moto RAZR i - 2GHz Intel CPU

At a dedicated press event in London today, Motorola and Intel officially unveiled the RAZR i powered by an Intel Medfield chipset.

The processor powering the Motorola RAZR i is a single-core 2GHz Intel Atom (yes, you read that right, 2GHz!) built on the 32nm manufacturing process. It supports hyper-threading as well, so its single-core architecture shouldn't be an issue.

   
Motorola RAZR i

At the front of the Motorola Razr i sits a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display of qHD resolution with Gorilla Glass for protection. Motorola also took a dig at the competition (mostly Apple, really), comparing the the RAZR i screen with the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5. The RAZR i has 40% more screen per square inch than the iPhone 4S, and 15% more than the iPhone 5.

The 2GHz Intel Atom chip is so fast, that the Motorola RAZR i starts the 8 megapixel camera under 1 second and can take 10 pictures in less than one second. At the front, there's a 0.3MP snapper for making video calls.

Measuring 122.5mm x 60.9mm x 8.3mm, the RAZR i packs a 2,000 mAh battery under its back cover, which according to Motorola should be good for a full day of continuous use

The Kevlar-coated RAZR i will be launched in the UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico in the beginning of October. It should cost about £340/€420 at launch.

HTC's upcoming 5" smartphone

 With its likely unveiling , an alleged press shot of HTC's long rumored 5" smartphone has emerged. When official, the Taiwanese Android powerhouse will likely be called HTC One X 5.

The rumored specs of the HTC One X 5 include a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and a 1080p display. If this is the case, the handset will easily top the current crop of Android top dogs.

The device in the press shot also looks a lot like the one which leaked out in a blurry image a couple of weeks back.

We will likely find out all about the new device at HTC's event in New York City this coming Wednesday. We will be covering it live from the spot, so be sure to stick around.

Nokia Asha 308 and 309

Nokia has announced two new budget phones called the Asha 308 and the Asha 309, their cheapest with a capacitive touchscreen.

Both are 2G-enabled handsets with a 3.0-inch, WQVGA capacitive touchscreen display, 2 megapixel camera, multiple homescreens, stereo loudspeaker, FM radio and have up to 32GB microSD card support. The phones come with the usual social networking applications, YouTube as well as free 40 games from EA.

The difference between the two is that the Asha 308 is a dual SIM phone whereas the Asha 309 is a single SIM phone with built-in Wi-Fi.

The phones are expected to cost around $99 plus taxes and will start shipping some time in the fourth quarter of this year. 

Pink Samsung Galaxy S III

Samsung has been quite busy expanding the palette of available colors for its Galaxy S III flagship. Only three weeks ago it announced four new versions of the quad-core smartphone will be making their ways to the shelves and now we learn of a new fifth one.

The Samsung Galaxy S III will be hitting Korean shelves in pink next week. This brings the total number of choices for the color of the smartphone to seven, after the initially available Marble White and Pebble Blue and the four new versions from the end of last month (Amber Brown, Garnet Red, Sapphire Black and Titanium Grey).

  
Samsung Galaxy S III in pink

Naturally, availability of the individual colors will vary by region, and we haven't received confirmation yet that the Pink units will be leaving Korea at all, but chances are you'll be able to get whatever color you prefer all around the globe in time for Christmas.

So are the ladies out there tempted to go for the Pink Galaxy S III, or have you already set your heart on one of the other versions?

ASUS Padfone 2

ASUS has sent out "save the date" notes for the launch of its Padfone 2 hybrid device. The second generation of the quirky smartphone with a tablet suit will break cover on October 16 at events in Taipei, Taiwan and Milano, Italy.

The specifications of the upcoming device are yet to be known. Rumor has it that the newcomer will pack a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich - a significant boost over the hardware of the original.

While the ASUS Padfone 2's chipset is likely spot-on in the rumors, we doubt that we'll see the device launch with Android 4.0. Given that ASUS is the maker of the Google Nexus 7, it will be a surprise not to see Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on the company’s upcoming flagship.

Samsung to pursue iPhone 5 sales ban over LTE patents infringement

It was a long time coming, but now it has been officially confirmed - Samsung is going to pursue a ban on the US sales of the Apple iPhone 5. The Koreans believe that the latest iOS smartphone infringes on at least 8 of their LTE patents.

The official statement goes as following:

Samsung anticipates that it will file, in the near future, a motion to amend its infringement contentions to add the iPhone 5 as an accused product. On September 12, 2012, Apple announced that it will release the iPhone 5 on September 21, 2012. Based on information currently available, Samsung expects that the iPhone 5 will infringe the asserted Samsung patents-in-suit in the same way as the other accused iPhone models. Samsung plans to file a motion to amend its infringement contentions to address the iPhone 5 as soon as it has had a reasonable opportunity to analyze the device. Because Samsung believes the accused functionality of the iPhone 5 will be similar to the accused functionality of other accused Apple products, Samsung does not believe that amendment of its infringement contentions should affect the case schedule.

In other words - Samsung doesn't have proof that the iPhone 5 infringes on anything, but it believes the realization of the LTE connectivity in the iPhone 5 is identical to that in other Apple products (the latest iPad). It's yet to analyze the device and extend its claim if its suspicions come out correct.

Apple is not sitting still either. The lawyers of the Cupertino-based company have identified Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as their next target and will try to deal a major blow to the platform, by proving that Android's core functionality infringes Apple-owned patents.

Judge Koh, who is in charge of the lawsuit, will hold a hearing on Wednesday (September 26) to discuss its further management.

HTC Windows Phone 8X & 8S

HTC Windows Phone 8X & 8S

The announcement part of the event is now over and it's time to take the HTC Windows Phone 8X for a spin. The WP8-powered flagship is undoubtedly the more interesting of the two new devices we saw today as it's got a better screen and more processing power.

  
HTC Windows Phone 8X official photos

Built around a 4.3" 720p SuperLCD 2 screen, the HTC Windows Phone 8X is more compact than the Titan and measures 132.4 x 66.2 x 10.1mm. The matte finish of the polycarbonate unibody makes the HTC WP 8X feel great in hand and the tapered edges help it feel rather slim, despite its 10.1mm profile.

The display is protected with Gorilla Glass 2 and is laminated to reduce glare. The great resolution on the 4.3-inch display results in sharp images and really nice and crisp colors.

  
HTC Windows Phone 8X display

The HTC 8X comes in four different colors California Blue, Flame Red, a super-deep Graphite Black, and Limelight Yellow. They are all monochrome, unlike the two-tone polycarbonate coloring of the 8S. Here's the Windows Phone 8X in yellow.

  
HTC Windows Phone 8X in Limelight Yellow

  
HTC Windows Phone 8X live photos

The HTC Windows Phone 8X is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Krait processor, Adreno 225 GPU and 1GB of RAM. HTC didn't allow us to play with the OS, as Microsoft hasn't completely finalized it yet, so we can't report on how smooth the experience is with this exact hardware.

At the back, there's an 8MP camera with a BSI sensor, bright F/2.0 aperture and wide 28mm field of view. It features HTC's dedicated ImageChip and is capable of shooting 1080p video with stereo sound. Another 1080p-cabale F/2.0 snapper is at the front - this one does 2.1MP stills.

 

A great news for sound lovers will be the addition of HTC's trademark Beats Audio sound enhancement in the 8X. Unfortunately, a Beats headset won't be included in the retail package.

The HTC Windows Phone 8X packs 16GB of built-in storage, which is all you get since there's no microSD card slot (just like on the One X). Connectivity is rich as well, including dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, NFC, Bluetooth 2.1, microUSB and 3.5mm audio jack.

 

HTC Windows Phone 8S

Despite the lack of flagship appeal, the smartphone is still something to look forward to. It shapes up to be the most affordable WP8 offering, giving you the easiest access to the latest version of the Microsoft platform.

The HTC Windows Phone 8S comes with a medium-sized 4-inch display but its resolution is rather low at 800 x 480 pixels. Still, the overall image quality of the Super LCD2 unit isn't bad and there's Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection on top.

 
HTC Windows Phone 8S live photos

The phone is smaller and lighter than the HTC Windows Phone 8X – it stands at 120.5 x 63 x 10.3 mm and weighs just 113 grams. The internals are the same, but the Krait cores have been set to tick at 1GHz instead of 1.5GHz.

  
HTC Windows Phone 8S sized up against the HTC Windows Phone 8X

HTC Windows Phone 8S uses a similar to 8X matte plastic on almost its entire back, except for the bottom, which goes for a different material.

   
HTC Windows Phone 8S

The phone is a pleasure to handle, fingerprints occur only on the screen and over the capacitive buttons (that’s inevitable though). There is no doubt the HTC Windows Phone 8S has distinct youthful appeal, but it's design is certainly not everyone's cup of tea.

   
HTC Windows Phone 8S

The HTC Windows Phone 8S comes with a microSD slot, in case the 4 gigs of internal storage is not enough for you. Unfortunately we can't share any impressions of the Windows Phone 8 OS here either - Microsoft should complete the development first.