Q1 mobile numbers: Android is up, Microsoft takes a dive

Gartner has finished collecting data on mobile phone sales and market share for the first quarter of 2011, and while no one expected Android to slow down, few people expected the platform to pick up as much steam as it has.
Android devices now make up over 36 percent of the mobile phone market worldwide, with 36.27 million devices shipping in Q1 alone. The only other company to enjoy significant growth was Apple. The iPhone moved up to 16.8 percent of all mobile phones worldwide, nearly double its market share from a year ago.
The rest of the numbers look bad for their respective companies. Sales of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 flagged, topping only 1.6 million devices of the total 3.66 million mobile phones that run a Microsoft operating system. That 3.66 million is a big number, but it actually represents a sharp decline from a year ago, from 6.8 percent of overall global mobile share to 3.6 percent.

Most analysts point to a lack of manufacturer interest in Windows Phone 7 as the root of Microsoft’s dropping market share in the mobile space: developers are interested in the platform, and many customers are too, but the handset manufacturers simply haven’t lined up.

Google is on a Mission to Control Your Home

First Google dominated the Web with search. Then it ruled mobile devices with Android. Now Google wants to control everything inside your home.
At its annual I/O developers conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, the company previewed Android@Home, a future platform that will allow you to interact with practically any electronic device you own using Google (GOOG, Fortune 500). Connected devices like home media equipment, dishwashers, cars, and lights could soon be able to be controlled using the new platform.
"We'd like to think of your entire home as an accessory, or better yet as a network of accessories, and think of Android as the operating system for your home," said Joe Britt, head of the Android@Home team.
Controlling connected devices with a smartphone, tablet, PC or another gizmo has been discussed for years. Recently, some early attempts have emerged, including pill bottles that link to your phone or cars that can be turned on with through a mobile app. But those are prototypes -- little has been done on a larger scale.
The chief obstacle to making that happen across all connected devices is finding a single, open standard to control everything you own. Right now, most manufacturers of connected devices write their own proprietary software for controlling appliances. Your iPhone can control your Apple TV, and Windows Phone can control your Windows PC, for instance.

Are smartphones becoming tablets?

AT&T and Samsung unveiled the Infuse 4G on Thursday in New York City. One of the most noteworthy and noticeable specs was the 4.5-inch display, which raises the question: is the line between smartphones and tablets becoming blurred?
While the 4.5-inch diagonal Super AMOLED Plus touch screen isn’t that far off from other large smarpthones like the 4.3-inch displays on the HTC Evo 4G and Motorola Droid X, it is certainly getting closer to some of the smaller-scale tablets such as the original 5-inch Dell Streak.

[Image Gallery: Hands-on with AT&T's Samsung Infuse 4G]

When holding the Infuse 4G initially, it definitely felt like a bulkier smartphone. Sure, it’s only 8.99mm thin, making it slim enough to fit into a pocket, but it could definitely stick out of a pocket. It’s not large enough in any regards to be considered a tablet, but a display this large for a smartphone is pushing the boundaries - perhaps unnecessarily.
Smartphone manufacturers and wireless providers have tried to advertise larger smartphones such as the HTC Droid Incredible as perfect for watching movies while traveling, and the Infuse 4G would definitely be the optimal choice if that’s why a consumer is buying a smartphone. But video playback usually isn’t the sole reason a consumer would buy a smartphone.
A 4.5-inch display just isn’t necessary for a smartphone - let alone one running only Android 2.2. The large display and the thin frame are the only qualities that make the Infuse 4G stand out from the plethora of other 4G-enabled, Android smartphones rolling out in 2011. Perhaps if it was running Gingerbread or offered some other unique productivity features, then the Infuse 4G would be more significant.
At this point, it seems that mobile phone manufacturers want to push how large a smartphone display can be. While it’s great that developers and designers want to push the boundaries, eventually we’re going to hit the limit. Smartphones already have their own place with smaller screens, and consumers will buy tablets if they want and/or need a device with a panel that measures seven inches or larger. There is no need to enlarge smartphones to the point where they might feel like mini-tablets. Mobile Phones Website!