Instagram for the iPhone is one of those few apps that can really make a difference in phone purchasing decisions, such is its popularity. The app’s absence from the Android Market hasn’t gone unnoticed, but now that looks like it’s about to change. Read more
Bad news for Nokia. According to new figures, iPhone growth has enabled Apple to pass it and take the top spot as the world’s biggest smartphone maker with Samsung shoving its way into second place. The report from Strategy Analytics says Apple shipped the most smartphones of any manufacturer in the second quarter of 2011 with 20.3 million handsets pumped out into the wild. Apple also comes out top on marketshare with 18% of the market.
Samsung’s achievement is even more impressive. It shipped just 3.1 million phones in the same quarter last year but this year the number has jumped to 19.2 million (an increase of 520%) on the back of the success of the Samsung Galaxy S2. Nokia will hope that moving to Windows Phone 7 later this year will revive its fortunes. Its smartphone shipments dropped by 7.1 million handsets from this time last year.
Out now | £varies | Apple (via Strategy Analytics)
It’s been available on Android since last week, courtesy of GetJar, but Cut the Rope has just hit the official Android Market, as well as Amazon’s own Appstore.
So now there are more ways than ever to sate your hunger for the game.
One of the best PlayStation emulators for Android, PSX4Droid, has been pulled from Android Market. Could the reason have anything to do with a certain PlayStation phone going on sale tomorrow? Read on for the official Google line.
Amazon has launched its free Android shopping app for the UK, Amazon app for Android. It comes with barcode scanning so if you’re out and about, you can use your camera to scan the barcode, and compare prices with Amazon and Amazon Marketplace sellers. The new Amazon app for Android also has 1-Click ordering, and access to Amazon Prime, plus customer reviews, order tracking, recommendations and your wish lists.
Out now | Free | Android Market
Just because that tablet you’ve got your eye on is running Android doesn’t mean you’ll be able to access the Android Market. While the criteria are complicated, there are a number of telltale signs that should give you an idea of whether that tablet runs Android Market or a wonky alternative Android app store. Click through for our easy ten point checklist.
The famous slur against Android Market came from the podfather himself, Steve Jobs, who said that if users wanted porn, they should get an Android. But an announcement yesterday looks set to change that a little. Eric Chu, from the Android Developer Ecosystem said in a post that all apps in the Android Market would be showing content ratings within a few weeks.
