Month: November 2009 (Page 5 of 9)

      Just how many Droids has Verizon sold?

      November 14, 2009 /

      Motorla Droid.Now that the Droid has launched we all want to know how many have sold. Well, I want to know anyway, and I’m guessing a few of you probably do as well. If you take Bloomberg’s word, opening weekend showed 110,000 units sold. Developer uLocate, which develops the GPS app “Where” has confirmed those numbers and done one better.

      According to uLocate, the Where app typically gets installed on 10% of new Android devices in the first month, jumping to a 25% penetration rate thereafter. The same was true for the Droid, boasting 11,000 downloads during opening weekend. Since last weekend that number is up to 25,000, meaning we’re looking at 250,000 Droid sales in the first week. Considering the Palm Pre only sold 300,000 in its first month, that number’s looking pretty good. Doesn’t hurt that you can get the Droid on Verizon who, despite recent bad press concerning fees, is the most desirable network in the country (though T-Mobile is probably a close second with its new plans).

      Hopefully it’s onward and upward for the Droid. I’m not personally a fan, but success of the handset means good things for Android, and that’s something I can get behind.

      Source: Boy Genius Report

      Apps, Mobile

      Will somebody save Palm?

      November 14, 2009 /

      Rumors that Nokia might take a look at purchasing Palm resurfaced today, giving Palm stock an eight percent bump. It’s a deal we’ve been hearing about for months, though not always with Nokia as the buyer. There have also been rumors that Dell or Microsoft could nab the struggling mobile company.

      Let’s consider the Nokia thing for a minute, though. I would be amazed to see it drop the estimated $2 billion to purchase Palm, especially since Palm isn’t exactly going gangbusters. Stock dipped 30% after this same deal failed to mature in September. So why would Nokia spend so much just to acquire the company, not to mention the marketing that Palm needs to stay alive, when the Finnish handset manufacturer is bleeding market share to Apple every day? It just doesn’t make sense.

      Palm’s struggling stock is a clear reminder that the company needs help, but I don’t think it would bring enough value to any of the potential buyers to make a deal reasonable. If anything, Nokia could license WebOS for a facelift on a few devices, but even Palm’s operating system seems to have an expiration date looming in the near future.

      Mobile, News

      Get $100 gift card when you buy a blackberry at Walmart

      November 13, 2009 /

      Walmart lookin depressing.Starting tomorrow, Walmart’s offering a pretty nice deal for new Blackberry owners. When you purchase a new Blackberry, either in the store or online, you’ll get a $100 gift, which you’ll likely then blow on chargers and other accessories. It’s a great deal, and it runs through the end of next week.

      The deal works like a rebate for online purchases, so you’re waiting 4-6 weeks for your card, but in-store purchases get the gift card instantly. And yes, this is for two-year contracts only.

      As for the phones you can get, Walmart carries the following Blackberry devices:

      – AT&T Curve 8310
      – AT&T Bold 9000
      – Sprint Curve 8330
      – T-Mobile 8520
      – T-Mobile Pearl 8120
      – Verizon Storm
      – Verizon Storm II

      Again, deal runs from the 14th to the 21st.

      Mobile

      Apple to open 40-50 stores next year

      November 12, 2009 /

      Apple store.On the heels of an insane earnings report and just prior to another store opening, Apple announced today that it would open 40-50 retail locations in 2010. The announcement was part of a speech in which senior VP of retail, Ron Johnson, said the company expects a solid holiday season.

      I’d imagine so. The $1.6 billion mobile profits report blew everyone away (especially Nokia). The retail stores continue to grow with the mobile business, up 7 percent from last year and sporting $1.87 billion in profits last quarter alone. That’s a big pile of cash for a company whose yearly profits were closer to $5 billion just over a decade ago.

      The new retail stores are mostly headed outside the US. Plans have already been made for new stores in London, Paris, and two in Shanghai. The newest stateside store will open on Saturday on the upper west side of Manhattan.

      Apple, iPhone

      Joe Hewitt quits iPhone development because of Apple

      November 12, 2009 /

      Joe Hewitt.Joe Hewitt’s been unhappy with and outspoken about Apple’s app approval process since about the time he started working on the Facebook app. Well he’s finally had enough. According to a recent, tweet he’s done working on the app and ready to move on.

      Time for me to try something new. I’ve handed the Facebook iPhone app off to another engineer, and I’m onto a new project.

      Hewitt also said in very clear language that he left iPhone development because of Apple. Speaking to TechCrunch he said, “My decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple’s policies. I respect their right to manage their platform however they want, however I am philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process.” As are a lot of people, but to this point no one with Hewitt’s resume has made the same decision (Arrington left the iPhone for a different reason and he’s not a developer).

      Hewitt’s in a better position to “quit” then some developers, though. He’s got a swanky gig at Facebook, where he’ll still be developing after his announcement. A house like Tapulous, on the other hand, is making enough money off the App Store that it’s unlikely it will leave, and we probably wouldn’t hear about one of its developers quitting because of a philosophical opposition like Hewitt’s.

      Instead we’ll probably continue to see the trickle of policy changes Apple has made over the last several months. The most recent allows developers to see real time status updates about the app, so when it’s sitting in “waiting for review” you can start throwing around some lawsuits.

      Apple, Apps, iPhone, News

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