Android | Internet Marketing Blog

Should publishers sell tablets?

When Apple announced the iPad, many executives in the publishing industry voiced high hopes for the tablet device. "This could be the technology that helps us capitalize on digital," they effectively said in one way or another.

Of course, today we know that the iPad isn't a panacea for traditional publishers. That, of course, doesn't mean that tablet devices aren't important to them, or that they should abandon all hope.

But how much hope is too much hope?

by Patricio Robles 12 July 2011 15:50pm 1 comment

While Android Market struggles, the App Store surges

The number of Android devices may be growing like a weed, but when it comes to the ecoystem, not all is well.

Google's Android app store, Android Market, isn't nearly as vibrant. Whether due to stingy users, a poor experience or a combination of factors, the risk is clear: if developers treat it like the iPhone's ugly cousin, Android may have tougher times ahead.

Already, there's reason Google should be very concerned. That's because the App Store is surging...

by Patricio Robles 12 July 2011 14:02pm 3 comments

Could Oracle destroy Android?

Two software giants, Oracle and Google, are fighting a fierce war that could upend the mobile market. Oracle, which owns Sun Microsystems, alleges that parts of Android use Sun software that Google didn't license.

Apparently, the allegation may be legitimate, and preparing for victory, Oracle is reportedly approaching handset makers that use Android and asking them to license its software directly at significant cost.

by Patricio Robles 11 July 2011 14:14pm 1 comment

Android's problem: stingy users?

The success of Android in the mobile market may be one of Google's biggest accomplishments outside of search, and it may be crucial to the company's long-term success generally.

But when it comes to ecosystems, Android still lags well behind Apple, which has built the mother of all ecosystems around iOS.

The question for Google: why is that?

by Patricio Robles 04 July 2011 14:19pm 36 comments

Five tips for building addictive mobile apps

According to a new survey conducted by MTV Networks (MTVN), a whopping 83% of mobile app users say they're addicted to their apps. For obvious reasons, that's good news for companies participating in the still-rapidly growing app economies built around Apple iOS and Google Android.

But of course, not all apps are successful. In fact, another new study shows that nearly a third of the Android apps released on Android Market have disappeared.

by Patricio Robles 09 June 2011 15:48pm 2 comments

Fortune bets on the web for its Fortune500+ mobile app

Mobile is here to stay, and publishers are eager to embrace it, even if figuring out how to is not an easy task.

Thus far, publishers have focused much of their effort on building native mobile apps, and it's no surprise why: mobile apps are being downloading at a frantic pace.

According to a recent report by IHS Screen Digest, the top four mobile app stores may generate close to $4bn in revenue this year, and ABI Research has forecast that by 2016, consumers will download 44bn mobile apps.

by Patricio Robles 05 May 2011 14:12pm 1 comment

Will privacy issues dent mobile innovation?

Last week, Apple delivered another tremendous quarter to Wall Street, and it also delivered a tremendous firestorm in the form of a highly-public revelation that the iPhone and iPad store location data in an unencrypted file. The data from this file can be used to effectively retrace the steps their owners have taken.

The billion-dollar question: do consumers really care? Or, more specifically, do consumers really care enough to trade in their smart phones for dumb phones that do less?

by Patricio Robles 26 April 2011 12:39pm 0 comments

Android versus iOS: the cold hard truth

According to comScore, iOS mobile devices captured 25% of the market in February 2011. That's up only slightly from November 2010, despite the introduction of the iPhone on Verizon's network.

On the other hand, iOS' biggest competitor (in the eyes of many), Google's Android, has grown 7% since November 2010, and now commands 33% of the smart phone subscriber market in the United States.

As venture capitalist Fred Wilson sees it, this is solid proof that everyone should be focusing on Android over iOS.

by Patricio Robles 05 April 2011 13:30pm 16 comments

Google launches in-app payments for Android

Google has accomplished a lot in the mobile space thanks to its mobile operating system, Android, but when it comes to building a platform that developers want to develop for, Android still lags behind Apple.

Unlike Google, Apple has thrived at building an ecosystem in which consumers not only use applications, but purchase them.

by Patricio Robles 31 March 2011 12:07pm 1 comment

Color and the importance of managing expectations

If a new startup called Color has its way, photo sharing will never be the same. The company is creating a completely smart phone-based 'social network' of sorts for photos, but instead of focusing on people, it's focusing on location, a concept some have likened to Twitter-for-pics.

Interesting? Maybe. Innovative? Questionable. But Color is already attracting lots of attention having already raised $41m before launch. Color's backers include notable investors, including preeminent venture capital firm Sequoia Capital.

by Patricio Robles 25 March 2011 13:28pm 4 comments