The Android team updated their OS distribution numbers for the beginning of May this afternoon, showing what appears to be a slight jump for Jelly Bean at 28.4%, which is up from the 25% it topped off at in the beginning of April. We’re seeing a decline in Ice Cream Sandwich’s piece of the pie, which is likely due to devices running Android 4.0+ jumping to Android 4.1+ over the last month. We have seen a number of Jelly Bean updates, after all.

Gingerbread dropped to 38.5%, Honeycomb is barely alive at 0.1%, Froyo dipped to 3.6%, and the rest of the numbers didn’t move for Eclair and Donut.

You can see April’s numbers here, if you’d like to compare. Keep in mind that this numbers are now built using data collected from each device when the user visits the Google Play Store

Via:  Android Developers

Android Distribution Numbers Updated for May – Jelly Bean Jumps Slightly to 28.4% of Devices is a post from: Droid Life

Hey, our least favorite time of the month – Android distribution numbers update! Over a 14-day period that ended on March 4, the Android team has come to the conclusion that 16.5% of Android users are now running Jelly Bean (Android 4.1+). The rest of the numbers look like this – Ice Cream Sandwich (28.6%), Honeycomb (1.2%), Gingerbread (44.2%), Froyo (7.6%), Eclair (1.9%), and Donut (0.2%). 

Compared to last month, that’s a 2.9% increase for the newest version of Android. We’re also finally starting to see Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich shares take a bit of a hit after what seems like years. That means a couple of things – people are dropping Gingerbread devices and upgrading to new ones with newer versions of Android and that manufacturers are finally starting to update their phones.

And cue the Apple blogs with ridiculous titles about fragmentation.

Update:  Google has tweaked a couple of the numbers. Froyo now sits at 7.5%, with Gingerbread 10 at 43.9%.

Via:  Android Developers

Android Distribution Numbers Updated for March, Jelly Bean Slowly Rises as the Rest Fall (Updated) is a post from: Droid Life

Within the hour, Google released new Android distribution numbers for the month of February. The numbers, as usual, aren’t anything to have your IRC troll group run to reddit with, but they do offer up a look at whether or not any Android OEMs have updated phones over the last month. As expected, there have been, so the numbers are changing in the slightest of ways.

Jelly Bean is up to 13.6% (from 10.2%), Ice Cream Sandwich actually dropped to 29.0% (from 29.1%), Honeycomb dropped to 1.3% (from 1.5%), and Gingerbread still leads all but is down to 45.6% (from 46.6%).

Neat, right? If you say so.

Via:  Android Developers

Android Distribution Numbers Updated for February – Jelly Bean Slithers Along, the Rest Drop is a post from: Droid Life

When Google launched Honeycomb, one of the selling points was that the action bar was always at the bottom of the tablet, where you needed it, no matter how you turned the device. With smartphone and tablet designs today looking pretty similar from any direction you look at it, telling which way is up might be a little difficult, but Google’s newest patent looks to help you with that problem.

The patent shows a phone with a microphone and speaker installed into each end of the device, and when the time comes to actually use your phone as a phone, the device will tell which end is up, and activate the speaker and microphone accordingly. It’s an interesting patent that could lead to even more interesting phone designs. Time will only tell though if Google actually puts the IP to any use.

Via: Engadget

Google’s New Patent Lets You Talk into Any End of the Phone You Want is a post from: Droid Life

For the past week I’ve been spending some quality time with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. While I like the hardware for the most part and I don’t mind TouchWiz, I’ve been struggling to find a place for the device in my life. While a large part of it is simply that I’m not entirely convinced that a tablet is the best form factor, I keep finding myself disappointed with the app selection and quality. There are some great apps available for Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich, but overall I’ve been disappointed time and time again. 

Twitter

I use Twitter all the time, so having a great Twitter app is important to me. I’ve tried all the apps out there and the official Twitter app remains my favorite (mostly because TweetDeck has become abandonware). Unfortunately, the Twitter team hasn’t taken the time to make the Twitter app optimized for tablets, which leads to the hideous layout above. It’s usable (though very laggy), but I’ve been forced to switch between Tweetcaster, Plume, and Tweetcomb, all of which have issues. Perhaps the most maddening part of the situation is not that there are only three tablet optimized Twitter apps, but that Twitter has a tablet optimized version of their app for iOS.

Document Editing

Another major disappointment was Google Docs. The application has a great view for choosing documents, but once you get into typing up a document you’re better off scouring the Market for an actual attempt at a decent app. The Galaxy Tab comes with Quickoffice HD which offers much more functionality (including the option to sync with Google Docs, Dropbox, box, huddle, SugarSync, or mobileme), but lacks some key functionality like inserting a period after two spaces. It really is a shame that Google hasn’t done anything to make Google Docs a usable experience. Sure, there’s always the option to use the website, but I’d rather have a useful app.

Music

Apps like Google Music look great on Honeycomb/ICS, but apps like rdio and Google Listen are once again simply blown up apps. Google Listen is the definition of abandonware at this point, but apps like rdio deserve a tablet optimized version (especially since rdio has an app for iPad).  Apps like Google Listen and rdio still function properly, but the experience is tolerable at best. Why Google didn’t just push Google Listen into Google Music is beyond me.

Browser

The stock browser offers decent functionality, but it’s again limited. The browser performed fine for simple sites like Droid-Life, but it had some seriously delay when loading heavier websites like The Verge. Opera had less issues, but Dolphin Browser HD had the best performance of the three. It’s a little disappointing to me that it took downloading a 3rd party browser for me to get a good experience, but I imagine things will improve for the stock browser when ICS is released for the Galaxy Tab.

Netflix

The Netflix app is a great example of the state of Android apps. The app works fine on the Galaxy Tab, though scrolling through a list of films is very jittery. Playing actual video in the app was great, but the experience of finding a movie to watch was sluggish. It felt like Netflix pushed the app out just to get it out without any intention of really optimizing the performance for browsing. It’s a minor issue, sure, but if I’m going to shell out four to five benjamins for a piece of hardware, I’d like to have some assurance that the apps available are high quality.

Gaming

Over the weekend I played a little Dead Space on a friend’s HTC Rezound. I enjoyed the experience, so I figured I’d buy the app to play on the Galaxy Tab. Unfortunately, there is no  tablet version of Dead Space. I can’t even play the phone version. Many other games like Cut the Rope and Hex Defense are just blown up versions of the app, but there’s little reason to expect a tablet optimized version of those apps. Most games played fine, though many could have used some high resolution images so that they looked better when blown up to fit the Galaxy Tab’s screen.

We Still Need Better Apps

I understand that Honeycomb tablets have only been on shelves for eleven months, but I expected there to be better apps on the Market by now. I know the transition from one screen size to another takes time, but I think it’s clear that most developers simply don’t see the value in optimizing their apps to run on tablets. It makes sense; most tablet owners have an iPad, not an Android tablet. I get it, but that doesn’t make me happy about it. It makes it harder for me to recommend something like the Transformer Prime to clients and friends. Sure, it has a keyboard dock, but without a great market of apps it’s worse off than a $250 Windows netbook.

Google needs to start throwing some of their billions at app developers to ensure that major apps like Netflix have a buttery smooth, reliable, fun experience. Just as importantly, Google’s own apps should be optimized for tablets. Gmail looks and works great, but Google Docs is useless. That should never happen. Google’s apps should showcase what developers can do with Android. Google’s apps should number the best in the Market. Right now, many are among the worst available.

Ice Cream Sandwich was a great first step in making Android more usable on tablets, but Google has to know how important apps are in this space. There is no excuse for the official Twitter app to not be optimized for HC/ICS, much less for Google Docs to offer such limited functionality. If Google really wants to compete with Apple, that means we need better apps now.

We Still Need Better Tablet Apps [Opinion] is a post from: Droid Life

Just wanted to point out that this post was finished on Friday night and sure enough, news broke this morning that Eric Schmidt expects there to be a Nexus tablet in 2012.

HP is currently the number two seller of tablets, though most expect Amazon to usurp them in that position (we’ll never know for sure because Amazon doesn’t release sales numbers). HP didn’t become number two (or even number one plus) because people went out in droves to buy the TouchPad for $499 or even $399. HP became number two because they sold the TouchPad for $99 and $149. Amazon is going to do the exact same thing at a $200 price point.

Over the past few weeks there have been several articles that argued that Amazon’s Kindle Fire is aiming to take out Android tablets, not the iPad. Amazon is obviously trying to beef up their market share by attracting people with a cheap tablet – they made a $200 tablet in every sense of the phrase. Amazon’s goal was never to take on the iPad. To try and take out the iPad would take a tremendous effort and a premium product. Amazon’s goal was to sell a lot of cheap tablets with minimal effort, which they did. The whole point of a product that you sell at a loss is either to get rid of inventory or to make up sales through services purchased; Amazon is doing the latter. While Amazon’s efforts certainly won’t disrupt Apple’s plans, they could hurt Google.

Apple sells a premium product, not a bargain product. Google is trying to do the same thing, but so far tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Motorola Xoom haven’t fared as well in sales (Motorola and Samsung make up less than 3% of the market by Gruber’s estimates). It’s possible that products like the ASUS Transformer Prime will gain some traction, but it remains to be seen if any Android tablet can gain significant market share. Even combined, Android tablets are insignificant in market share compared to the iPad.

I’m convinced that Google needs to do three things to gain market share in the tablet space: make a halo product, advertise it, and sell it for cheaper than the iPad.  

Right now the best Android tablet on the market (or at least soon to be on the market) is the ASUS Transformer Prime. The thing that sets the Prime apart from others in my mind isn’t the gaming or the support for a wireless controller or the gorgeous display, but rather the dock. The keyboard dock sets the Prime apart because it transforms the Prime (see what I did there?) into a legitimate productivity device. With Ice Cream Sandwich it will only get better. Google needs to partner with a company like ASUS and make a Nexus tablet. For all intents and purposes the Prime is the Nexus tablet (does anyone think the Prime name was an accident?), but having an excellent product isn’t enough.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over the last year Apple has increased spending on advertisement from $691 million to $933 million. In the meantime, Google hasn’t run one advertisement about Android tablets. People know about Android phones because the carriers have flooded their stores with dozens of models, but tablets haven’t caught on. Even if people don’t own an Android phone, they’ve seen the commercials or one of their friends uses one. There’s no way to really tell why Android tablets haven’t caught on in the market (much like many journalists are unsure of why Windows Phone still has insanely small market share), but there’s no doubt in my mind that advertisements showing off what these devices can do would help increase awareness if not actual sales.

For a long time everyone called all smartphones Blackberries. That eventually shifted to iPhones, but now people know the term smartphone (though many still think all Android phones are Droids…). I think most people still call tablets in general iPads (though I’ve heard some people reference the Galaxy Tab), and with that comes the assumption that the iPad is the only real option. I’ve seen a lot of people walk through a Best Buy and look at Android tablets, but I haven’t seen very many walk out with one. i think part of that is because they’re not sure how to really use one. If people started seeing advertisements for a tablet with people using them, however, that might make people more interested. If people saw how tablets like the Transformer Prime can replace their netbook or how the Galaxy Tab 7 Plus can replace their reading device, they might be more inclined to walk out the door with an Android tablet. I’d prefer Google advertise one halo device, but a good commercial showing off the options that their parters offer could help spur on sales for tablets already in the market.

I think Google has done a good job in the past of trying to make technology feel human. Their advertising team sees how their products can help people connect in a way that wasn’t possible before. Android 4.0 is much more human, and Google should be showing that with advertisements for their tablets. They have the specs and now they have the software, but they need the propaganda. People need to know how good Android tablets are before they will buy them. Google has placed the propaganda burden on the manufacturers, but I think its time they stepped up and did it themselves.

I think the final step for Google will be to sell a tablet at a $300 to $400 price. This would place the tablet in between the iPad and the Fire in price, but Google could advertise it as better than both. It’s the same argument that Microsoft has made with Windows forever. Microsoft argued that you could get a Windows machine for much less than a Mac. Sure, there’s always been the option for a cheaper system by buying the parts yourself and running Linux, but it doesn’t offer the same experience as a Windows PC. I think the same argument could work for Google. Google has the money to spend on both advertising and on making a product that they could sell for significantly cheaper.

If Google really wants to compete with Apple (and I think they do), then they need to step up their game. It’s not enough to partner with Motorola and make a tablet that is bound to a carrier and is overpriced. They should have known from the start that most people aren’t buying tablets from a carrier, they’re buying the WiFi-only version. It’s also not enough to simply rely on the manufacturers to make good products and advertise them well. That plan is obviously not working. It’s time for Google to step up and put themselves in the game with a product of their own. Some worry that if Google starts to do this they’ll push manufacturers to Microsoft. I don’t think that will happen. People don’t want a Windows tablet – they never have. People want a light, fun, productive experience. Android can offer a better product than Amazon and Apple, but at a better price.

Google has the power to really shift the market for the better. When they first release Android 4.0 I hoped that we would see a new Google. So far I haven’t seen that, but I hope that Google will step up and make a product themselves. I’m tired of seeing manufacturers fumble around with Android. I’m tired of seeing carriers tie down devices to their networks. It is time for Google to step up and take control of the tablet space with Android 4.0.

We Need a Nexus Tablet [Opinion] is a post from: Droid Life

Logitech Revue owners may have a hard time believing this, but according to Logitech’s blog, the Honeycomb update will roll out to units starting this week. After what seems like almost a year of waiting, everyone with some sort of Google TV product will finally have the Android Market, apps, and a completely new experience on a product that got off to a pretty rocky start.

There doesn’t appear to be a way to force the update, but you can check as many times as you’d like in your Settings panel.

To see an overview of what you can expect with this update, check out this highlight post. Then be sure to check out our hands-on walk-through of it here.

Via:  Logitech, Google

Logitech Revue Honeycomb Update Rolling Out This Week is a post from: Droid Life

It has been about a year since we saw the first major player in the Android game, the original Samsung Galaxy Tab. That particular slate kicked off the release of the Froyo tablet era followed by the barrage of Honeycomb entries in mid-2011. The world was supposed to gobble up Android tablets by the millions, overtaking the iPad on the way. Well, we all know now that that did not happen. After reading sad story after sad story of Honeycomb tablet disappointments, we are wondering now what the future of the Android tablet game looks like. Ice Cream Sandwich could breathe new life into a platform that struggled throughout much of 2011, but we won’t know until it finally arrives.

Are you still interested in them? Did you go with an iPad instead? Have you ruled out the purchase of one altogether? Will the next batch powered by quad-core processors entice you? Be sure to weigh in through the poll and with your thoughts in the comments.

Wednesday Poll: Is an Android Tablet Still a Part of Your Future? is a post from: Droid Life

The Netflix team released an update to their Android app today that includes a new tablet experience for bigger screened devices. The Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet are supported as well, so the timing couldn’t have been better. It’s very similar to what you see on TV-centric Netflix apps and is a welcomed visual overhaul. With that said, this app might be the slowest and clunkiest in the history of all Android apps. Well, either that or my XOOM and its dual-core processor just isn’t powerful enough these days. Through the first few minutes with it, I kept hoping for it to return to being snappy and fluid, but that just never happened. Here’s to hoping that the next update includes some performance tweaks. 

Market Link

Via:  Netflix

Cheers Edward!

Netflix App on Android Receives Tablet UI Overhaul, Ahead of iPad Version is a post from: Droid Life

There are probably more than a handful of you that own and utilize IM+ as a chatting service on Android. The “pro” version of the app – which is normally $9.99 – was free for a day on Amazon, causing us to write about it and eventually adopt it as a go-to-app for Google Talk, since well, pre-Honeycomb Android can’t seem to handle multiple accounts. So today’s update that introduces full-tablet support along with a more polished UI is awesome, except for the fact that the Amazon version hasn’t been updated yet.

Here is a list of the changes:

1. Version 5.0 changes:
2. Fully optimized for Android OS tablet computers
3. Support of native Android OS “Share” feature
4. IM+ widget allows to change status right from your Android home screen
5. Typing notifications
6. Upload your avatar right from IM+
7. Group chats for AOL/AIM/iChat and ICQ
8. Option to select a different notification for active chat
9. All chats are saved under Chats tab when IM+ is restarted/reconnected
10. Battery usage optimization

Solid, right? And here is where we run into issues with having multiple Android markets. Many of you only have and use this app because it was free from Amazon, but who knows when you will see the update for it. Meh.

Cheers everyone!

IM+ Adds Tablet Support, Other New Features – Amazon Version That We All Use Receives No Love is a post from: Droid Life

The Honeycomb update for Google TV started rolling out to Sony TV units on Monday and is just now popping up for Blu-Ray units. Since we have the Blu-Ray version, we are just getting to it and wanted to toss out this quick gallery of some of the first things we noticed. So far, this update looks like it may blow past most of our expectations. In just a couple of minutes with HC for my TV, I can easily say that it has become useful for the first time in months. Things like the “TV and Movies” app and Android Market are essentially game changers in my opinion.

Jump on past the break to see what’s new. 

(Click all images for larger versions)

Apps and Home Screen

Whenever you press the “Home” button on your remote now, you get to the image on the left. It’s a quick shortcut menu of sorts that lets you jump into some of the more popular apps like “TV and Movies,” Netflix, the Market, and Chrome. With a simple click though, you can jump right into your entire app drawer. Everything is easily accessible in Honeycomb.

Market

Ahhh the Android Market on your TV. Does it get better than this? So far, there are just a handful of apps that I have had zero chance to explore, but can say that installation, search, and launching of them is super easy. It’s just like the market on your tablet or phone, but with a black background. One cool thing I noticed, was when you click install and jump out of the market, you get a notification progress bar on screen until it is done.

TV and Movies

Favorite feature by far. “TV and Movies” makes it ultra-easy to find your favorite shows and movies, tells you when they are own, and even lets you watch them instantly through things like Amazon and YouTube. You know if they are showing in HD, get to see descriptions of each episode, and can sort by category (comedy, drama, etc.)

YouTube

YouTube was given a massive makeover. Simple searches, new on-screen controls, HD sorting, and so much more were added.

Browser

Haven’t found a ton of differences in the browser, but will have to assume that it’s at least stable unlike the previous versions. New menus give you more options to tweak and play with, and my settings from pre-Honeycomb all seem to have been carried over (bookmarks being the big one).

Notifications

When apps are installed, your newly introduced inbox is filled with a notification for it. From the “Home” screen, you can access your notifications in the far left corner along with your most recently used apps.

I’ll have much more time tonight to dig deeper into this latest update, but so far am very impressed. The hardware side of things could use an upgrade and I would not call it “fast” by any means. Hopefully the GTV team has made enough software tweaks to make that a non-issue.

Google TV Honeycomb Update Quick Walk-Through is a post from: Droid Life

On Friday, the Google TV team notified the world that Honeycomb was finally ready and would introduce a simpler approach to their TV-inspired OS. The update would first arrive on Sony Google TV products which includes the Blu-Ray player as well as the actual Sony TV. According to one of our readers, his TV received the update within the last hour or so; my Sony Blu-Ray unit has not received a damn thing. Logitech units on the other hand will be waiting a bit and have been given the “soon after” time line.

Once I get the update though, we will be doing a full walk-through of the update to give potential GTV adoptees a look at the future.

And on a related note, everyone that owns some sort of Google TV unit should have received an email from Google explaining the update. It’s really just the info that was released on Friday, but still worth a read if you have one of these devices.

And on a non-related note, I’ll try not to use the word “unit” for another month. Someone get me some Orbit gum.

Cheers Garland!

Google TV Honeycomb Update Starts Arriving on Sony TVs, Reminders Sent to All GTV Owners is a post from: Droid Life

Looks like the newest shipments of Logitech Revues are coming with Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) and the long awaited Android Market. Us who already own the device have been waiting patiently for the OTA, but still have not heard anything. Is this a sign that all we are waiting for is the green light from Logitech? If they are shipping with all the new goodies, then let us get the ball rolling. We are hungry for Honeycomb and the Market on our TVs.  

Update:  Logitech support offers up some clarification on the situation. These units do not actually have 3.1 pre-installed and are also not supposed to be sold until the update is ready. They did not give an actual time as to when we should expect that to happen, but it sounds like we are close.

Via: Engadget, Logitech

Cheers Jerry!

New Logitech Revues Shipping With Honeycomb And Android Market – Where’s The OTA? (Updated) is a post from: Droid Life

Motorola is looking to help tablet owners out by pointing them in the right direction of some good quality apps. MotoPack contains a showcase of certain Honeycomb optimized apps based on categories – Games, Back-to-School, Home Office, Lounging, and apps made just for kids. Perfect for people who don’t need to spend hours searching the market for all of the right apps. Once you click on an app inside MotoPack, it will direct you to the Market to download the application. Plain and simple.

Market Link

Cheers Frank!

Motorola Releases MotoPack – Ultimate App Roundup For Honeycomb Users is a post from: Droid Life

Last week, there was a calculation done suggesting that there were only 3.4 million Honeycomb tablets out in the wild right now. Google’s own Andy Rubin has come out and given us some statistics straight from the horse’s mouth. He says that according to Google, there are 6 million tablets in people’s hands that run the Android operating system. A much larger number than what has been reported before.

This number makes sense too, taking into account all the Froyo and Gingerbread tablets that were pushed out into the public’s hands before they got Google’s official blessing. That would mean that a little over half of all Android tablets are running Honeycomb. Let’s hope that when Ice Cream Sandwich comes out, it does so with a bang. After last night I am a little bit more than excited to see how this plays out.

Via: Phandroid

Andy Rubin: Android Running On 6 Million Tablets Worldwide is a post from: Droid Life