Author: Kevin C. Tofel

Opera today shared a preview of its next “State of the Mobile Web” report, which focuses on Opera Mini for iPhone, the app that — to the surprise of many — was approved by Apple for inclusion in its App Store earlier this month. According to Opera, iPhone users are indeed downloading the app — but are they using it?

For while Apple greenlighted the app, it won’t allow users to set Opera Mini as a default browser. And based on the limited preview numbers provided by Opera, it appears that while Opera Mini is finding its way to iPhones, iPhone users aren’t finding their to the way to the web through Opera Mini.

According to a preview of the report:

• The iPhone is currently the No. 3 device used by Opera Mini users worldwide; the other top 20 devices are all Nokia and Sony Ericsson handsets.
• The iPhone is currently the No. 1 device used by Opera Mini users in the U.S., well ahead of BlackBerry (which previously occupied the top spot).
• By mid-April, due to the iPhone launch, the U.S. jumped to No. 5 from No. 8 in the top 10 countries list.
• Beyond the top 10 countries, Australia, Korea, Canada, Germany and Japan are other examples of places where the iPhone has become the device of choice for Opera Mini users.

That all sounds good — but is it the result of users finding Opera Mini to be better than Safari, or a reaction to an alternative browser landing on a highly popular phone? Obviously we’ll have to see the full report to answer that question, but Opera does share some additional global information in today’s preview statement by supplying the top 10 handsets of unique users, downloads and page views per user for Opera Mini.

Nowhere is the iPhone mentioned in the Opera Mini global numbers, although I fully expected it would be after reading the iPhone-specific data points. Instead, the global usage numbers are dominated by handsets from Nokia and Sony Ericsson. In fact, two specific Opera statements appear contradictory — how can the iPhone be the No. 3 device “used by Opera Mini users worldwide” and not appear in the top 10 handsets for Opera Mini unique users list? Perhaps it’s that “unique users” qualifier, that in fact only a relatively few iPhone users are accounting for total Opera Mini use on Apple’s handset.

Even stranger to me is that the iPhone is a singular platform as compared to all of the other global handsets mentioned — put another way: a popular device with essentially one model should compete well in a market fractured by so many different handsets. I realize that Nokia has the strongest presence worldwide — the data should and does reflect that. But the iPhone not showing up in the top 10 handsets lends credence to what I thought would happen: iPhone owners may be installing Opera Mini, but for most of them, Safari will still rule the roost.

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Is there room for another mobile browser on smartphones? Actions speak louder than words, so Mozilla is answering that question by releasing its first iteration of the Firefox browser for Android handsets. Fennec, as the browser is known, is in a pre-alpha state, meaning it’s not ready for the general populace. That didn’t stop me from installing it on my Google Nexus One, however, and even in this early stage of the life cycle, Fennec is looking very nice.

Why an alternative browser, though, when the stock Google web browser is already quite good? In a word: Weave. Mozilla’s Weave project synchronizes browsing data between desktop and mobile — bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history and even open tabs. Using Weave, for example, you could have several tabs open on your desktop in Firefox, walk away, open Firefox on a phone and see the same tabs appear. Google offers a similar feature with its Chrome browser, but Mozilla’s implementation is farther along in the handset space.

I haven’t taken Weave for a spin on Android since it’s highly experimental, but I did use the browser for a bit this morning. For those not familiar with Fennec on a smartphone, Mozilla leverages off-screen space to control bookmarks, open tabs and settings. You can slide the main browsing page left or right to see the controls, which provides access to advanced features on the small screen without cluttering up the browsing experience — a clever implementation that you can see in my screen captures below. There’s currently no support for multitouch zooming or Adobe Flash, however. Fennec on the Nokia N900 originally included support for a Flash plug-in, but Mozilla later pulled it, saying, “The performance of the plugin didn’t meet our standards.”

In this early stage, I wouldn’t recommend that anyone use Fennec as a full-time browser — nor does Mozilla. The code isn’t optimized and performance is sluggish. And this first version requires a phone with some higher-end horsepower — it only works on Android 2.0 devices and up, for example. But it does show promise and if Mozilla can gain traction on the phone with its browser, it could keep more people using Firefox on the desktop thanks to the Weave experience.

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Motorola’s Droid is the most used Android handset on the AdMob network — with 32 percent of traffic — so it might appear that Google’s Android fragmentation issues are over. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, according to the March metrics report from AdMob, which tracks smartphone usage through ads it provides mobile application developers — Android use on the AdMob network continues to be split fairly evenly among devices running three different versions of the OS. Such fragmentation challenges consumers and developers alike, as apps that run on one Android device may not run on another and consumers can feel that they’re missing out.

To put the fragmentation issue in perspective: Some 96 percent of all Android traffic on AdMob’s network was generated from just two devices on a single version of the OS in September 2009. Seven months later, that same amount of traffic came from 11 different devices across Android versions 1.5, 1.6 and 2.1, as shown by the AdMob graph below.

With the exception of Google’s Nexus One, carriers and handset makers ultimately control what Android version consumers use — carriers also have a say as to which updates get pushed to phones, so Google can’t upgrade every capable handset to its latest version of Android. And even in the case of the Nexus One, Google is backtracking on its strategy to gain greater control — the once web sales-only phone will be sold directly by Vodafone stores in the UK, while the version Google planned for Verizon Wireless isn’t coming to market after all.

Google has started to take steps to reduce the fragmentation, most recently by creating core applications outside of the base Android platform and making them available for download on both old and new Android handsets. As I pointed out last month, such an effort helps reduce fragmentation on existing handsets because “only the base Android functionality would be in the hands of carriers and handset makers, while third-party developers — and Google itself — would expand Android functionality through downloadable software.”

But Google needs to think about fragmentation when it comes to future handsets as well. Further decoupling of Android’s base functionality from installable software could come with Google’s Froyo and Gingerbread — code names for the next two Android iterations. Froyo is expected to debut in three weeks at a Google developer conference, but given the ultimate lack of control on what Android version a handset runs, a bigger (and totally unexpected) announcement would be Google pulling Android 1.x for new phones. Until Google exerts this type of control or decides to take an Apple-like approach and specifies standard hardware requirements for Android devices, the fragmentation issue is likely to continue.

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Chart courtesy of AdMob

Nokia today unveiled the N8, the first handset from the Finnish company to use both the Symbian 3 operating system and the Qt cross-platform application framework. Although the physical hardware of the N8 is attractive, the Symbian 3 software is more important to Nokia’s future. The company’s falling status as a market leader is largely due to its reliance on an old interface not fully optimized for touch, so Symbian 3 represents Nokia’s best chance to prove that it can still reign atop the smartphone world.

The N8 touchscreen supports multitouch navigation and gestures, the ability to run multiple programs simultaneously and social network status updates directly from the home screen. With a 12-megapixel camera and Carl Zeiss optics, consumers can use the N8 to create and edit HD-quality video recordings, which can be shared or viewed on a television by connecting the N8 with a cable. Nokia plans to launch the N8 in the third quarter for 370 euros ($492) in select markets.

The N8 marks Nokia’s largest undertaking to recapture lost smartphone market share — which has dropped to 39 percent from over 50 percent just two years ago . Some of that loss has come at the hands of newer mobile operating systems, such as those from Apple (a aapl) and Google. As competitors created new platforms and user interfaces, Nokia relied heavily on its aging Symbian S60 system. The lone smartphone exception is Nokia’s N900, which runs on the Maemo platform — a derivative of Linux.

While the hardware looks stellar on paper — the first images captured with the N8′s camera rival those of a high-quality dedicated digital camera, for example – Nokia is pinning its hope on the software that will power the N8 as well as future Nokia phones. Using the new Symbian 3 platform, Nokia hopes to reverse its market share losses and prove to consumers that it can still reign atop the smartphone world. And by leveraging the Qt environment that it owns, Nokia is also attempting to woo developers to write software for new Symbian 3 devices.

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Mobile OSes Are No Longer Just About Mobile

Google’s Android Market is on pace to cross the 50,000 application titles threshold this week, based on data from AndroLib, up from 20,000 just four months ago. But the Android Market needs a vast overhaul if it’s ever going to catch up to — much less surpass — Apple’s App Store, which offers nearly four times that number. Consumers need an easier way to both find Android software and to update existing titles, while developers need a hand marketing their software.

Apple took its store to the web earlier this year. Aside from offering consumers another place to search for software — and earn Apple 30 percent of every purchase — the online store provides software developers with search engine optimization advantages. By using proper keywords and Apple’s online web store preview, they can better market their wares.

Even after consumers find and install applications, the relationship doesn’t end there; software titles are routinely upgraded. Unfortunately, no currently available version of Android offers an “update all” function like Apple’s iPhone. My own Google Nexus One running Android 2.1, for example, finds updates for my apps on an almost-daily basis. But it requires a several-click process to actually install the latest upgrade to an application — a process that I have to repeat for every individual software title when an update is found in the Market on my phone.

With the Google I/O conference scheduled for May 19, look not only for Froyo, or Android 2.2, but also for enhancements to the Android Market and simpler application update features. In order to have a truly successful mobile platform, the quantity of useful software titles is only half of the equation — Google needs to address the other half by enhancing the user experience.

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Chart courtesy of AndroidLib

Research In Motion today introduced two new BlackBerry handsets, the Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G, in advance of the company’s Wireless Electronics Symposium, which officially begins tomorrow in Orlando, Fla. Both handsets are slightly redesigned, updated models of currently available BlackBerry devices, but neither runs on the new BlackBerry operating system, screenshots of which surfaced last week.

The Bold 9650 supports both GSM / CDMA networks for voice and HSPA / EVDO for wireless data, allowing for potential support on all major U.S. carriers and use by international travelers. Such network flexibility comes at a price however — talk and standby times for the Bold 9650 are 5 hours and 13 days, which is less than the 6 hours and 17 days of battery life on currently available Bold 9700. Nearly all other features and known specifications of the 9650 are comparable to the 9700, including the 3.2 megapixel camera, integrated GPS radio and optical trackpad.

The new Pearl 3G — HSPA only, no EVDO — is also comparable to current BlackBerry models, but gains 802.11n Wi-Fi support for faster wireless transfers over a greater range. Gone is the trackball from the new Pearl 3G, which is replaced by the same optical trackpad found on the new Bold model. The Pearl’s camera sensor is bumped to 3.2 megapixels and supports auto-focus, a 2.5x digital zoom and video recording. Based on the supported frequencies, the Pearl 3G will work on both the T-Mobile and AT&T networks for voice and high-speed data in the U.S.

Upgraded handsets are usually welcomed by consumers, but these two devices are only prolonging the inevitable for Research In Motion. To continue growing market share against the likes of Android and iPhone, the new BlackBerry operating system needs to arrive sooner, rather than later. And it must include that WebKit-based browser that Research In Motion has in the works too. BlackBerry devices may be king of email activities, but consumers are already using the web for social networking more than they’re emailing. It’s time for Research In Motion to get in motion on the new OS.

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Another day and another potential buyer of Palm has been crossed off the list — HTC is reportedly passing on the opportunity to purchase the troubled smartphone maker. Which means all signs are now pointing to Lenovo making a bid, especially in light of its recent decision to jump back into the smartphone market. But at this point, I don’t see Lenovo — or any other handset maker, for that matter — spending the billion or so dollars some expect Palm would fetch, for I think it’s too late for its webOS to compete against the platforms of Apple and Google.

With application developers focusing the lions’ share of their attention on creating titles for iPhone and Android handsets, any company considering involvement with Palm faces a limited ecosystem for software as compared to larger rivals. As a former Palm Pre owner, webOS was a joy to use, but it never truly gained the attention of developers, and so without a vast library of high-quality apps to choose from, I jumped ship.

Multitasking is good, but not enough

To be sure, I’ve owned or used phones from every platform and can say unequivocally that Palm’s webOS handsets do multitasking better than any other smartphone device, thanks to their innovative card system. But it’s not enough of a differentiator; if it were, consumers would shun Apple’s iPhone, which offers limited multitasking for native Apple software.

And Lenovo has already started to build atop of the multitasking Android OS; it introduced the world to its Android-powered Lephone in February. Its decision was an easy one to understand: The operating system doesn’t cost the company anything and it can leverage the growing popularity of Google’s platform in the process.

Why not a Facebook phone?

So given that Lenovo’s already made its support for the Android platform clear, who’s left to save Palm? Maybe it’s time to step outside the box and consider a less traditional option: Facebook. The webOS Synergy feature can already be used to link a Palm phone with a Facebook profile for easier contact management. In light of the social networking site’s plan to make the entire web social, that’s just the tip of the potential iceberg.

Imagine that Facebook partners with and pays Palm to rebrand its handsets as Facebook phones. Due to ineffective marketing, consumers don’t know about webOS, but they do know what Facebook is. The rebrand alone could vault Palm’s handset line into the spotlight. With the right hooks between Facebook and webOS, the devices would be dedicated social networking mobile phones, the number of which is steadily increasing due to the rise in social activities on smartphones. Palm could use the huge Facebook ecosystem as a carrot to dangle in front of mobile app developers, and Facebook would gain control over a mobile platform.

Perhaps we’ve been asking the wrong question about Palm all along. It’s not which carrier does Palm need, it’s which company Palm should partner with to save itself?

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To Win In the Mobile Market, Focus On Consumers

Image courtesy of Palm

The Cohort Study on Mobile Communications, potentially the largest research effort to understand the effects of radiation from cellular phone use, is now underway in five European nations. COSMOS, as it’s called, hopes to enlist more than 250,000 volunteers over for up to 30 years in Britain, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

Although prior studies have examined the effects of radiation from handsets, none have tracked data for as long as the COSMOS study plans to. A 21-year effort studying radiation and cancer instances in Danish handset owners wrapped up in 2006 and found no ill effects, while short-term proactive studies have failed to find any from wireless phones either. Countries often limit the radiation levels of approved devices, however. Here in the U.S., the FCC allows for a specific absorption rate of 1.6 watts per kilogram. European nations follow the higher International Electrotechnical Commission guideline of 2 watts per kilogram.

By researching over a long period of time, COSMOS can help identify radiation risks as they manifest themselves, not after, such as with handset radiation studies in which cancer patients are asked about their cell phone usage. Success of the COSMOS study is highly dependent on a large number of volunteers, so its organizers are working directly with carriers to help solicit consumers.

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Image courtesy of Flickr user colorblindPICASO

It used to be that I’d see a new Nokia handset launched every few days — at least it felt that way — but lately, that pace appears to have slowed. The company released three new social networking-focused devices earlier this month, but my perception is that Nokia is currently focused more on software over hardware. That in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, as Nokia has plenty of handset models to peddle. Even with this perceived focus shift, however, Nokia can’t get its new Symbian 3 platform out the door fast enough to square off against increased competition.

The company offered a peek of Symbian 3 in February of this year — see the video demo below — and said phones built atop of it would ship in the third quarter of this year. Nokia isn’t late from a delivery perspective, but unfortunately, new iPhone 4.0 hardware is expected in June or July, Google is poised to launch Android 2.2 as early as the company’s I/O conference next month and Research in Motion has an operating system refresh in the works. So the only major smartphone platform that Nokia will beat to market with certainty – pending any internal delays, of course — is Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, which is slated to arrive in time for the holidays.

Aside from the fast-paced platform changes, I agree with Larry Dignan of ZDNet who today writes that: “Companies like Apple and Research in Motion are touting big gains in international sales, notably China. Nokia is dominant in most regions, but the competition will increase.” Indeed, over the past six months, Apple sales topped $1.2 billion in China while iPhone sales alone jumped 474 percent in the Asia-Pacific region.

Facing that growth from a competitor in a huge international market while other challengers are updating their own platforms, Nokia needs to get Symbian out the door in a hurry. Om probably underscores my concern best when discussing the new operating system in his interview with Nokia Chairman, CEO and President Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo: “I’m not holding my breath, however, mostly because I think the guys at Apple and Android are innovating at Internet speed.” The market is moving faster than Nokia is right now. Once Symbian 3 arrives, we’ll know for sure if Nokia has leapfrogged the competition, only just caught up or is still a few steps behind.

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Adobe still plans to release its Flash CS5 development tools in support of Apple’s iPhone, but in a blog post, Adobe’s product manager for Flash, Mike Chambers, writes: “[W]e are not currently planning any additional investments in that feature.” I read that as Adobe finally throwing in the towel, acknowledging that Apple doesn’t want, nor will allow, apps created with Adobe code on its mobile devices.

And although developers may feel otherwise, I believe Adobe is making the right decision. In fact, it probably should have made it sooner. Apple’s developer agreement actually pointed out such restrictions last November: “An Application may not itself install or launch other executable code by any means, including without limitation through the use of a plug-in architecture, calling other frameworks, other APIs or otherwise.” More recently, via the terms of its developer program license agreement, Apple reiterated the fact that it doesn’t want any proprietary code running on its mobile devices. Simply put, this issue isn’t a sleeping volcano that is only now exploding — it’s been prolonged by Adobe in the hopes that Apple would back down and give people a choice as to what they want to use on their handsets. But whether it likes it or not, Adobe has to hitch its ride to another wagon, just the latest fallout from the “open vs. closed” battle.

Rallying cries of “we want choice” are understandable, but ignore the fact that Apple has a choice, too. Just like any other company that manufactures goods, Apple gets to choose what — and what doesn’t — go into its products. Which means the consumer is left to decide what it wants most: the polished but controlled ecosystem of Apple that leverages web standards or a competing handset that offers those same standards plus Adobe’s upcoming Flash products.

The consumer may not have to look much farther than Google’s Android platform, which, by some measures, is growing faster than Apple’s iPhone. While Adobe is committed to delivering Flash 10.1 before the end of June, the company continues to mention Android in statements it makes related to that delivery date. (Note: I’ve asked Adobe which other platforms will see Flash 10.1 in the first half of the year, but have not received a response.) Google, meanwhile, is rushing to support its Open Handset Alliance partner with a post on the Adobe blog by none other than Andy Rubin, VP of engineering for Android, who writes:

“Partnerships have been at the very heart of Android, the first truly open and comprehensive mobile platform, since we first introduced it with the Open Handset Alliance. Through close relationships with carriers, device manufacturers, developers, and others, Google is working to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform. Today we’re excited that, working with Adobe, we will be able to bring both AIR and Flash to Android.”

With such public backing from Google, Adobe’s situation doesn’t appear as tenuous as it did earlier this week, although this future isn’t written yet. Content providers that are hedging bets by offering video both in Flash and H.264 format will likely continue to do so — they can’t afford to have their content unplayable on certain devices, so they’ll play both sides of the fence. And developers that use Adobe’s toolset will still have a large audience for their apps on other platforms. The more immediate impact could be that Apple pulls the existing iPhone apps created with CS5 — Chambers says there are “100+ on the store today,” which is fewer than I expected.

When it comes to buying apps in the iTunes App Store, books are the most widely available, but they’re also the apps least likely to be purchased, according to Apptizr, an iPhone application recommendation service. It found that 22 percent of all available paid apps in the App Store are books, yet they account for just 3 percent of all app purchases. For developers, a better return on investment comes from Games, Entertainment and Productivity software, the top three categories of paid software in the App Store.

Apptizr’s aggregated data is a gold mine for current and would-be developers alike. For instance, its latest report shows that utilities are the most-browsed category — potential software buyers look for utilities 24 percent of the time. That compares to 15 percent searching the games category, which is the runner-up in terms of interest. And the folks browsing through all those books only do so 2 percent of the time; in other words, developers may be creating many book titles, but they’re simply not in demand.

Apptizr’s report (PDF) comes from the crowd-sourced user data it collects from more than 10 million users, which install the free Apptizr software and “seed” the service by sharing the types of applications they prefer. The Apptizr app then tracks software titles users install on their iPhones and suggests new ones based on an in-house algorithm. Think of it as a Pandora service for iPhone apps.

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Chart and thumbnail image courtesy of Apptizr

How much time do you think consumers spend engaging in social networking on their mobile phones? Would you believe nearly 60 percent? Ground Truth, a Seattle-based mobile measurement firm, said today that it’s found consumers use their phones for social networking activities a staggering 59.83 percent of the time.

And INQ’s Social Mobile, which it unveiled at February’s Mobile World Congress Show, is just one of numerous handsets aimed at riding the cresting wave of engagement through social networking features:

• Motorola’s Motoblur — Announced in September at our Mobilize 09 event, Motoblur is a customized interface for Motorola’s Android phones that shows real-time status updates from Facebook, Twitter and MySpace right on the home screen. Users can update their own status directly through any Motorola phone that supports Motoblur — such as the Cliq or Backflip — making the interface a two-way social portal.
• Microsoft Kin — Two Kin models were announced this month that are targeted squarely at the social networking teenager. The phones support simple drag-and-drop sharing of pictures, video, and location on Facebook, My Space, Twitter and Windows Live. And all content shared or created on the phones is available online in a unique timeline.
• Sony Ericsson Zylo and Spiro — Just announced two weeks ago, the Zylo and Spiro combine the music features of the Walkman brand with native Facebook and Twitter applications. Users can share not only their current status, but tell the world what tunes they’re enjoying in real time.
• Nokia C3, C6, and E5 — This trio of social networking handsets from Nokia were also introduced earlier this month. Each offers quick access to read or update status on Facebook or Twitter, but also tie into Nokia’s own Ovi service, which adds image sharing and instant messaging features.

While most modern phones allow for installing social networking applications or using the web to check and update one’s status, it may not be long before all phones offer native and direct ties to the big social networks. The open question then, is: Will the data networks be able to handle the demand created by all of us tweeting, sharing photos and using Facebook from our phones?

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T-Mobile USA today took the wraps off an exclusive new handset from Garmin, the GPS navigation company, that runs the Google Android operating system. Available later this spring, the Garminfone touchscreen handset offers 3G connectivity on T-Mobile’s network, a 3-megapixel camera with geo-tagging support, access to Google’s Android Market for software applications — and pre-loaded maps of North America.

The pre-loaded maps give the Garminfone a key competitive advantage because they allow the device to offer directions without a cellular signal. That’s in contrast to other Android-based handsets, which feature built-in Google Navigation, as they have to pull directions from the cloud. Garmin also integrates the navigation functionality throughout applications on the phone — tapping an address in nearly any app offers directions; the phone can even help you locate your parked car.

This isn’t Garmin’s first attempt to branch out beyond its core competency of dedicated navigation devices, which, much like standalone MP3 players, are rendered largely obsolete by smartphones that offer converged services and features. AT&T carries Garmin’s nuvifone, but the handset uses a proprietary operating system, so consumers don’t have access to a large software application store. By building the Garminfone on the Android platform, Garmin is combining strong navigation features — both online and offline — with availability of the over 38,000 software titles in the Google Android Market.

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Image credit: T-Mobile

By now, those who care about the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone have seen the pictures that surfaced courtesy of Gizmodo and are likely wondering what Apple will do next. But here at GigaOM, we’re wondering how AT&T’s role as the exclusive provider of the iPhone will affect some of the promising features such pics displayed. One of them may not be supported and another further locks the iPhone to AT&T, while a third could help improve call quality on the carrier’s network.

Front-facing camera – In trying to predict iPhone 4.0 OS features, I said that the platform would add support for a second camera. The new iPhone does indeed sport a front-facing camera, presumably for video chatting since the camera on the back is for snapping photos while using the display as a viewfinder. Such a feature is welcome as we find new ways to connect with the people in our lives, but will AT&T support such a feature?

The carrier currently offers video services on its phones, but only for one-way video and at a cost of up to $9.99 per month. If Apple’s front-facing camera is meant for two-way video conversation, AT&T will need to create a new offering. And it remains to be seen if AT&T customers will pay for another add-on service. Also possible is a lack of initial support for the camera; after all, AT&T has yet to offer the iPhone tethering feature that arrived in the last major software iteration.

Micro SIM – Just like the iPad 3G model, the new iPhone will purportedly use a micro SIM card. For consumers that don’t swap SIM cards often, such use would be a non-issue, although I anticipate some hackery — folks will invariably try to use the cheaper 3G plan of the iPad by putting its micro SIM card in the new iPhone for data services. Abroad, where SIM card swapping is prevalent, it could generate some backlash as few phone models currently use the micro SIM form factor.

Here in the U.S, some iPhone owners use a T-Mobile SIM card to extricate themselves from AT&T’s network. But T-Mobile doesn’t yet use micro versions of such cards in handsets, so unless consumers want to trim their existing T-Mobile SIM cards to fit, the new iPhone will be completely tied to AT&T.

Secondary microphone and new back cover – A hole atop the handset appears to be a second microphone, which should help improve voice quality both on calls and for the advanced voice-control features I anticipate in iPhone 4.0 OS. With the right signal processor and software solution, a secondary microphone vastly improves the voice experience  — my Nexus One offers one, and after using it I wouldn’t want to go back to a smartphone that didn’t. And with a new, clear back on the device, which appears to be ceramic or plastic, the next iPhone will be able to get a stronger cellular signal — improving the voice experience on AT&T’s network that much more.

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Image credit: Gizmodo

Ford has announced the marriage of smartphones to its in-vehicle information system, a union that will enable owners of future Ford vehicles to control software on their mobile devices through the Ford Sync hands-free service. The move will not only leverage the more than 2 million Sync systems in use, but will mean mobile programmers could see greater demand for their software.

To wed a smartphone with a car, Ford developed Sync AppLink, a downloadable software upgrade for its in-vehicle computing platform that will first appear in the 2011 Fiesta model. Sync AppLink will extend smartphone application control via voice recognition, allowing consumers to use supported software on their smartphones in hands-free mode through the Sync system. In order to entice developers to implement functionality that supports Sync AppLink, Ford is creating a new mobile application developer network.

Ford, after all, needs developers — and the mobile software they create — more than developers need Ford. The app economy is thriving in the smartphone space — Apple’s App Store generates more than $250 million per month, 70 percent of which goes to developers. So Ford will make it easy for developers to “Sync-enable” an application by offering an API that connects a software title with the hands-free control functionality already offered by the Sync platform. And since the feature is a “value-add,” developers can justifiably charge more for a Sync-compatible application.

The Sync platform is a partnership between Ford and Microsoft, yet ironically, the first phones to support Sync AppLink won’t be running Microsoft’s smartphone platform. Instead, Ford chose to target Google’s Android and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry handsets; applications that can use the Sync system will appear in their respective app stores. Ford will also offer its own Sync apps for these handsets, such as those for traffic or navigation, and will leverage pre-installed smartphone applications — the popular Pandora music-streaming title, for example.

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Image courtesy of Ford

Lenovo today reasserted its commitment to the smartphone market, saying it expects mobile Internet products to account for as much as 20 percent of its revenues within five years vs. the low single digit-range today. In fact, the company believes its mobile devices — Lenovo counts both smartphones and netbooks in the definition — will outsell its laptop and desktop PCs by 2016, it said during a media briefing. The product strategy makes sense — Gartner has predicted that smartphone sales will top those of computers by 2013, if not sooner — but Lenovo sure took a strange path to arrive at this point when it comes to smartphones.

Lenovo sold its Lenovo Mobile handset business in early 2008 for $100 million, reportedly to focus on notebooks, only to buy back the same entity for $200 million in November of 2009. Without a presence in the smartphone market during this time, it’s no wonder that Lenovo’s overall revenue percentage from what it calls a “mobile device” is a single digit. But even with a nearly two-year hiatus from the smartphone market, Lenovo isn’t out of the game just yet.

Lenovo is based in China, which, according to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, had 765.97 million mobile subscribers as of February. With a population of more than 1.3 billion, that works out to 42.7 percent without a handset in China. By way of comparison, the U.S. handset penetration rate hovers around 90 percent, while in many European nations, the rate is well over 100 percent as some consumers own multiple handsets. While basing a company in a particular country doesn’t guarantee sales there, upon the repurchase of the smartphone business, Lenovo said it “ranks No.3 in China’s mobile handset market and is the No.1 domestic brand.”

So now that Lenovo once again has a mobile division again — and a large, brand-aware potential market for its mobile products — what’s next? Lenovo could be pondering a pitch to Palm for the company’s webOS operating system and its many smartphone patents. While I still think HTC would be a more likely buyer of Palm, perhaps China is the best resting place for Palm’s platform. With a new start, proper marketing and a rebrand, webOS could get a new lease on life in China under Lenovo’s guidance. Barring that from happening, Lenovo will turn to Google Android for it phone strategy. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Lenovo showed off its Lephone — powered by Android but with a custom user interface designed by Lenovo.

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Mobile Market Overview, Q1 2010

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