One Billion Smartphones By 2015 - WP To Take Second Place

When Apple debut the iPhone in 2007, there was already 1 billion phones sold worldwide.  However, that include regular phones that just made calls.  Since then, smartphones like the iPhone, Blackberries, and those based on Android have grown to become a large share of the global phone market.  According to IDC, there we will see 1 billion smartphones ship by 2015.

What's interesting is that I was going to extrapolate the numbers based on today's marketshare.  However, IDC had their own ideas.  Windows Phone 7 will come out of nowhere and take second pace from Apple while Android remains at the top.

With one billion smartphones in 2015, 440 million of them will be Android, 200 million will be WP devices, 170 million iOS phones, and 130 million Blackberries.  Essentially, IDC has WP growing from about 2 to 3 million shipped so far to 200 million in 48 months.  Or a 100x growth.  

Obviously, I am not one to put it past Microsoft to suddenly have a spurt of inspiration and innovative energy that can make this happen.  Still, this is one statistic I'm going to keep in in the back of my head for reference in 2015.  

Pulling back a bit, one billion is a crazy number and even by 2015, I'm sure the market will still have lots of room to growth on a planet with 7 billion-ish people.  And can you imagine the awesome mobile devices that we'll see in just 48 months?  

More at Info World.

No Need To Panic Yet: Key Gesture Feature in iOS 5 Not Available For iPad

The iPad usher in the post-PC era for Apple and the iPad 2 pretty much put an exclamation point on that.  Back in April of 2010, the iPad launched with iOS 3.  It was not until November that we finally were graced with iOS 4 on the iPad.  And now, with iOS 5 not even out, we still expect the iPad to enjoy every single feature of Apple's latest iOS.

However, developers are claiming that the gesture feature is not available on the iPad.  If true and this feature does not return this fall when the final version of iOS 5 is released, it means that less than a year after the iPad got the iOS 4, it is pretty much outdated as far as iOS features goes.  

That kinda sucks to me if you think about it.  So I don't think it's time for us to panic just yet.  The feature might return when iOS 5 finally ships.  A few months back, a beta version of iOS 4.3 included gesture that worked well on the iPad.  So if there is any kind of a limitation, it would be an artificial one placed on the iOS by Apple.  

And what of iPhone 4 and the latest iPod touch? I don't see why don't get gestures as well.  

More at Applebitch, AppAdvice, Apple iOS 5 Features.

Mobile At A Food Fair - iPhones And iPads Could have Helped Us Do Better Business

On Saturday, I went to help some friends with their first endeavor into selling food at a small stand they set up.  It was one of the more interesting experiences I've had.  I've done retail before for our family business but never sold food.  

I found that it was hard work but could mobile tech have made it easier?  Maybe even some kind of a bulletin or blog to help understand what's going on and how to go about becoming or efficient?

After all, we all had iPhones except for one and her job was to look pretty and pass out samples.  

And after this week's WWDC, I reckon that for our next food fair, I think iCloud can play a larger role in all this.  For instance, we had a schedule that we could keep and allow everyone to see who was showing up to help out.  Tweeting and updating on Facebook could probably be a way to keep everyone updated as well though I think I rather stay away from Facebook if I can.

Ultimately, we want to be able to use mobile to do better business.  Actually, I think we could have used an iPad to help us show off what we were offering and take videos of customer testimonies of what they thought about our food.

Also, keeping an inventory of what we had and we needed to stock up would have helped as well.  

There are plenty of apps that can help us with our jobs.  Maybe next time, we will try to integrate mobile tech and apps.  

Apple Changes In-App Subscription Rules - Whatever the Reasons, It's Great News

Apple instituted a draconian set of rules for in-app purchases, pricing, and some seemingly anti-competitive barriers in spring.  However, it looks like that walled-off part of the already walled garden is coming down.  

Some changes include not requiring publishers to charge the same price or less for subscriptions between iOS and non-iOS deals.  Now, publishers can set whatever price they well are pleased to do.  Publishers can sell them cheaper for the iOS or make it so expensive that no one will buy subscriptions through the app except through other means.  

One thing that does stay in the app is that there has to be a way for iOS subscribers/readers to buy it in the app.  it is unclear just what this all means for content.  i like to think that we'll see a lot more of it than expected.  

So, why the sudden change of heart?  Competition.  Probably.  Apple has received some input from publishers and worked out an equitable deal.  Apple wants to make more money from selling iOS devices and not changes from in-app purchases.  I think we're getting warmer.

So, whatever the real reason, this is great news for us mobile users.  This will also put pressure on other tablet platforms.  Another example of competition working for us mobile warriors.

More at Cult of Mac.

Features Missing from iOS 5 Beta I Would Still Like To See

Did you get everything you wanted from iOS 5 so far?  Yeah, me neither.  I had expected widgets to make an appearance on stage at Apple's WWDC keynote presentation on Monday.  It wasn't a game breaker for me but would be nice to have.  I have widgets on Android but I don't interact with it all that much.  

The other feature missing feature I would have like to see is a total voice command system.  One that can allow me to verbally unlock my iOS devices, dictate mails or messages, make calls, do searches.  I guess I was looking for a super-buff Siri.

What else was missing for you?  Insider has seven that they would have liked to see.

Sprint Raises Upload Speed; iPhone Confirmed In the Works For Sprint

In days like what we have when carriers are cutting back on data access like AT&T and Verizon or T-Mobile messing around with what "unlimited" means, Sprint seems to be going the other direction for the moment.  "Unlimited" does appear to be unlimited and now, they're doing even one better.

Starting today, upload speed will reach 1.5Mbps up from 1Mbps.  

This is definitely something to consider going forward for those not happy with the artificial limitations carriers play on our mobile needs i the name of financial games.

More at Phandroid.

Note: Of interest is that there is evidence Apple is working on a Sprint version of the iPhone.  WiMax?  Don't know.  This is confirmed but it's also one of those things Apple do that might never see the light of day. 

iTunes Match Is Music To Labels' Ears But Some Pirates Have Issues With It

It's said that iTunes Match is a great way for music labels and publishers to recoup some money lost from pirated music.  For the monent, let's say that's true.  It also means that some music sharing folks, pirates to some, have issues with Apple's new "one more thing".

They argue that Apple, after matching the music, ends up owning all the data.  One day, music listeners will no longer own any music of their own.  Certainly, I see that things leading into that direction.  

After all, I had thought that with iCloud and iTunes Match, Apple can release a less expensive iPhone with smaller data storage to keep the cost down.  Both of these services would be geared towards this market.  And in this Forbes post, some music execs believe that iTunes Match will eventually head to subscriptions for iOS users and propagate to to other mobile platforms.

I don't know if we're quite there yet or if we ever will be.  Apple has been a staunch defender of music downloads and ownership. I don't see that ever change as long as Steve Jobs or the current crop of executives are still there.

Still, maybe iTunes Match is a bigger deal than I thought if Pirate Bay isn't too happy with it. 

More at Forbes.