The much-anticipated Chrome browser for Android has finally arrived.
Google has launched the beta of their popular Chrome browser for Android smartphones and tablets. Currently, Android uses its own variant of Chrome as the native browser, and there are many alternatives, including Firefox, Dolphin HD and Opera.
Says Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Google Chrome, on why it took 3 years to bring the browser over: “We didn’t want to just push out Chrome light. Our goal was to get all of Chrome onto Android.”
If you are already a user of the desktop version of Chrome, the browser should be a great addition to your phone. After logging in to your Google account (and signing into Chrome on your desktop), all your bookmarks will be synced over, and all pages you left open at home will open on your mobile device. Search terms and history will sync over, as well.
There is one catch, you will need Ice Cream Sandwich to use the app.
Result for: smartphones
Canalys has posted their Q4 2011 global smartphone research report and it appears that for the first time, ever, smartphones have outshipped PCs.
158.5 million smartphones were shipped during the quarter, for a total of 488 million on the year. The figure was a huge 63 percent jump from the 300 million shipped in 2010. PCs, on the other hand, only saw a 15 percent bump to 414.6 million units, including tablets like the iPad.
Says Canalys: “In 2011 we saw a fall in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads. But pads have had negligible impact on smartphone volumes and markets across the globe have seen persistent and substantial growth through 2011. Smartphone shipments overtaking those of client PCs should be seen as a significant milestone.
In the space of a few years, smartphones have grown from being a niche product segment at the high-end of the mobile phone market to becoming a truly mass-market proposition. The greater availability of smartphones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices.”
Apple was the top smartphone and PC vendor during the quarter, selling 37 million iPhones, 15 million iPads and just over 5 million Macs. Altogether, the company shipped 93.1 million iPhones during the year, barely beating out Samsung who also finished strong and ended with 91.9 million smartphones shipped for the year.
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Result for: smartphones
Microsoft continues to force Android makers to pay up, and the company is now bragging that it owns 70 percent of the Android market.
Thanks to a rock solid patent portfolio, Microsoft has spent the last two years negotiating licensing deals with Android and Chrome OS makers, forcing them to pay Microsoft a piece every time a device sells. Like with other deals, the terms were not disclosed.
Says Microsoft: “We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Together with our ten previous agreements with Android and Chrome OS device manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung and Acer, this agreement with LG means that more than seventy percent of all Android smartphones sold in the U.S. are now receiving coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio. We are proud of the continued success of our program in resolving the IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome OS.”
