Android Officially Owns More Than 80% Of The World Smartphone Market
Android has hit a new milestone of popularity: it now owns 81% of the world smartphone market, according to a new market research report from IDC.
That’s not a huge jump. It was knocking on the door of 80% market share last quarter, when it hit 79.3 percent. But the growing dominance of Android is still impressive, especially considering that the smartphone market as a whole grew wildly, up 40 percentage points over Q3 2012, IDC says.In Q3 2013, people worldwide bought 261 million smartphones and 212 million were Android, IDC said. Apple sold nearly 34 million iPhones.
Not surprisingly, the low-cost Android phone is why Android is so popular. But the irony is that most Android phone makers except Samsung are struggling to get a measurable bite of this huge pie. IDC notes:
Samsung accounted for 39.9% of all Android shipments for the quarter, while the rest of the vendors either saw single-digit market share or, in the case of the majority of vendors, market share of less than 1%.
Android
Android Security
As long as you do three things before downloading an app, you don’t need antivirus apps slowing down your phone and taking up valuable space.
1: Only download apps from legal reputable sites like the Google Play Store.
2: Read the comment section. People will scream if there’s something funky going on with an app.
3. Knowledge is power. Read these two forum threads:
Android permissions explained, security tips, and avoiding malware.
Push advertising: notification ads, unwanted shortcuts, browsers redirected.
Galaxy S4 Case Reviews
I agonized over what cover I wanted for my new Google Play Edition Samsung Galaxy S4, so I ended up buying more than one. I also bought a really pretty battery cover.
First one I bought was the Elago Slim Fit in Camo Green for $9.99 (I didn’t bother with photographs). I do like it, but it doesn’t feel like it offers much in the way of protection if I accidentally drop my phone. Plus it shows fingerprints on the back, which to me seemed hard to wipe clean. I also found the side button holes to be a pain in the butt. I feel like I need to use my fingernails to get down in there just to push the buttons. Pretty all in all, but not something I will use every day.
This was my second purchase and is what caught my eye on Amazon and what led me to my third purchase: Tonyyan Flower Embossed Battery Cover Housing for $1.99 + $4.99 shipping = $6.98. One might think that because it was made and shipped from China that it would be cheap. It’s anything but. I’m extremely impressed with the artwork, the detail, and the fact that the battery cover fits like a glove. I ordered it on Aug 15th, but not sure when it was delivered since I just got home yesterday after being on vacation… it was in the mailbox. This battery cover is stunning, and since I love Asian designs I will more than likely purchase a few more of these.
My third purchase was the AmazonBasics Protective TPU Case in Frosted Clear for $5.99. Not much to say about this one other than it’s perfect for showing off my new battery cover. Hard to explain how this feels because it’s slick but sticky at the same time. Has a nice lip around the front edges so you can place the phone face down without the glass touching the surface. The buttons on the side of the phone are easily pressed with this case, too. I really like this case and would recommend it to anyone who loves TPU cases.
Now on to the photographs!
More Customizations
Custom Galaxy Nexus