New Microsoft technology might bring Windows 10 to Android phones

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced a seemingly strange partnership with Xiaomi for beta testing Windows 10 mobile. The company proved that it can easily install a Windows ROM on an Android device, suggesting in the future it might decide to compete against Google this way. Rather than launch new Windows hardware, Microsoft might one day provide just the software that would make possible installing Windows on any Android handset.

The software maker has yet to confirm such plans, but the company is toying with technology that will let users boot two operating systems on smartphones and tablets, something that’s not yet available on any device.

Titled User Selectable Operating Systems, a new patent application published a few days ago describes smartphones and tablets that would let users select what operating system to boot.

Microsoft’s technology would let phone makers preinstall multiple operating systems on a device in a compressed form, with the user able to select which operating system he or she would like to boot. For example, a phone could have Windows 10 and Android ROMs – though the patent doesn’t explicitly mention any of them – and users would be able to select which OS they prefer and perform a full install for one of them. There would also be the option of deleting the others.

It’s not clear at this time whether Microsoft is working with any OEMs to preload Windows 10 onto Android devices, but the invention clearly shows the company is thinking well outside of the box on making its mobile operating system more popular with smartphone users.

Revenue Gap Between iOS And Android Apps Grows, Thanks To China

Due to Android’s sizable market share, Google Play apps have historically led iOS apps in terms of the number of downloads, while iOS apps have consistently beat out Google Play apps in revenue. But according to new data out this morning from app store analytics firm App Annie, that gap is still widening – in a large part due to iOS’s growth in China. As of Q1 2015, iOS App Store worldwide revenue was about 70% higher than on Google Play, up from 60% in Q3 2014, the report notes.

China’s importance to the app industry cannot be understated. China has, for the first time since App Annie has been measuring iOS downloads by country (July 2010), surpassed the U.S. in quarterly iOS downloads in the first quarter of 2015.

This change should not be all that surprising, given that recent reports of record-breaking iPhone sales in China. In urban areas, Apple accounted for 25% of smartphone sales in Q1 2015, according to Kantar’s data. And Apple had previously said that China had accounted for $16 billion in sales in the market, while its mobile operating system grew year-over-year at the expense of Android. More importantly, perhaps, the number of first-time smartphone buyers in China who are selecting iPhone is still increasing.

The iOS surge in China is, in part, likely related to the increased sales of the bigger-screened iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices in the Chinese market, as demand for larger screens is particularly high in Asia, says App Annie. For comparison’s sake, in Q4 2104, those phones with screen sizes between 5 and 7 inches were roughly 60% of total smartphone shipments in China, versus 40% worldwide and in the U.S.

In terms downloads by category, Chinese iOS users preferred Games and Photo & Video apps, including those like Tencent’s Pitu, which became one of the most popular apps in the quarter, thanks to its focus on features that appeal to its local user base, like its beauty, make-up and cosplay filters. Other apps like IN and Fotoplace also did well during this time.

However, though downloads in China are soaring, the U.S. still tops that market in terms of revenue, App Annie says.

Emerging Markets Continue To Fuel Android Downloads

Meanwhile, Google Play downloads increased by 70% during the same time frame of Q3 2014 to Q1 2015. These increases were attributed to Android’s growth in emerging markets, especially places like Mexico, Turkey and Brazil. As new, first-time smartphone owners buy Android devices, download volume soars in these markets.

Mexico, in particular, made significant gains in Q1, overtaking what App Annie refers to as an “app store superpower” and a “stronghold for OEMs,” South Korea which is now out of the top five countries by Google Play downloads. During Q1 2015, the Games and Tools categories saw a big lift in Mexico, the latter which features a range of apps from security apps to keyboard replacements and more. The country is now ranked #5, following the U.S., Brazil, India, and Russia by Google Play downloads.

The growth in downloads is not only due to overall smartphone growth, but in particular Android’s traction in that country. Android’s operating system is quite popular in Mexico, with 85% of the smartphone installed base according to IDC, and 29 million smartphone users in 2014 (or 24% of Mexico’s population), per eMarketer. By 2018, it’s expected that smartphone ownership will grow to 50 million here, which means that Mexico’s growth in terms of app downloads will grow as well.

Meanwhile, the countries leading in Google Play revenue include Japan, the U.S., South Korea, Germany and Taiwan – a very different list than those for downloads. The same lists on iOS, however, are more similar. By downloads, it’s China, then the U.S., Japan, the U.K, then Russia. And by revenue, the U.S. beats out Japan, China, the U.K. and Australia.

App Annie also spotted another change in Q1 related to what apps perform well, by way of revenue, on Google Play. This past quarter, Education apps surged to overtake the Entertainment category, and now rank #2 behind Games. Recently popular were a number of language learning apps like Babble and Rosetta Course, as well as brain-training apps like Lumosity and NeuroNation.

Report: Google adding voice unlock to Android devices

You may soon be able to unlock your Android Lollipop 5.0 phone simply by saying "OK Google." That probably sounds useful, but it doesn't sound all that secure. In fact, it isn't, based on screen shots of the setup process published by Android Police.

Google hasn't officially announced the feature, which is called Trusted Voice. It appears to be an addition to the other Smart Lock options found in Android 5.0 that arrived with version 7.0 of Google Play Services. Android Police notes that a few people have reported gaining Trusted Voice and that it's likely to be rolling out in a slow, controlled fashion.

Trusted Voice will join other ways to unlock your Android phone or tablet running the Lollipop software. Trusted Places keeps your device unlocked in certain locations, such as at home, while enabling On-Body Detection does the same when your phone is in a pocket; place it on a table, however, and it will lock.

It's good that Google is creating different choices to give people faster access to their phones and tablets. And the "OK Google" feature is actually quite good at working only with a device owner's voice. After training my Moto X to recognize my voice, I have yet to see (or hear) anyone else get it working with their voice. We've tried to fool it but no dice.

Still, as Google notes on the setup screen, a recording of your voice could unlock the device. So too could a similar voice. As a result, I don't expect many people that carry an Android phone to the office to use Trusted Voice. Even home workers like me will have to think twice before using it.

NEW REPORT ON ANDROID SECURITY FINDS FEWER THAN 1% OF PHONES ARE POTENTIALLY AT RISK

Google just released its 2014 Android Security Year in Review, an intensely data-driven report intended to bring transparency to the vulnerability of phones running on Android. Its findings: fewer than 0.15% of devices that only install from Google Play had a Potentially Harmful App (PHA)—apps that pose a threat to users or their data— installed. Overall, fewer than 1% of Android devices had a PHA installed in 2014. Apple, Microsoft, and Blackberry haven’t released similar figures.

The report reads more like a Center for Disease Control study than one produced by an information technology company. It's an apt analogy: If we’ve learned anything from the steady stream of news reports about security breaches, malware is as inevitable as disease. And while both are impossible to fully eradicate, they can be detected and managed within a population. And like the CDC, Android security operates at scale by regularly testing over a billion devices to predict and respond to malware infection trends.

Google uses an analytic approach to security for a practical reason beyond the company’s oft-cited obsession for managing everything from search ads to human resources with data analysis. From the beginning, Android was designed to leave the choice of hardware to manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, and Motorola to allow for innovation and competition. Mobile carriers and manufacturers bought into Google’s approach shortly after the iPhone was introduced because they wanted the common Android operating system to introduce competition and prevent an Apple smartphone monopoly. This resulted in a diverse, but also unpredictable, ecosystem, posing challenges to fighting malware.

Google splits its PHA detection between the Google Play Store and the device. Apps submitted to the Play Store undergo automatic testing for malware before making them available for download. Detection of malware relies in part on the analysis of how the app operates and partly by using big data to predict which apps may be harmful. This helps detect threats on over 1 billion devices, each of which was sends anonymized data to Google. About 200 million devices are scanned each day.

When users circumvent the Play Store security by directly loading an app, Verify Apps—Android's malware detection feature—will still scan it. If malware is detected, it will enforce a multistep confirmation to ensure the user really intends to install a PHA. Google gets a balanced perspective of the Android’s malware susceptibility outside of the safety of the Play Store based on the upload of the results of the scan, and the user's decision to install or not to install.

The data uploaded from the Verify Apps provides Google with up-to-the-minute global security status. The report points out the source of the apps are a critical factor in blocking PHA installations. In 2014, U.S. devices had a PHA installed on about 0.4% of devices, about 0.2% lower than the worldwide average; users in the U.S. typically download tested apps from the Play store. Users installing apps from stores in other geographies such as China, Russia, and the Arab Emirates have a much greater chance of installing a PHA.

In the newest version, Android 5, Google’s development team has borrowed technology from SELinux kernel that mandates how apps operate safely on an Android device. It blocks apps from taking control of system functions, like an unauthorized app that uses the camera or microphone for a purpose unintended by the user. It will take some time for users with devices that have previous Android versions to get this feature since Google can’t directly update most of its Android devices directly and relies on mobile carriers and manufacturers to deliver these updates.

The report provides transparency into the state of Android security, but it also may spark a movement to similar quantify mobile security with Apple.

Apple Stores now accept non-Apple device trade-ins

Trading in an Android phone for credit towards an iPhone is now a reality. If you walk into an Apple Store and hand them an Android, Windows, or BlackBerry phone, there’s a good chance they’ll offer you some sort of trade-in credit towards an iPhone. In conjunction with Brightstar, who runs their iOS trade-in program already, Apple stores now take non-Apple smartphones for Apple Store credit. The new program starts today in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, and France.

Apple started accepting trade-ins in 2013, which until today was only for iOS devices. The aim was to encourage upgrades to a new iPhone for existing iOS customers. With larger phones and the Apple Watch incoming, Apple is opening up their trade-in program to encourage all to try iOS out (or come back to the platform).

As mentioned, the program is run through Brightstar, which already accepts Android phones for trade-in via other avenues. Though it seems to be working via Brightstar, some are reporting not all stores are aware of the non-Apple trade-in program having launched, and the Apple trade-in site seems to be stuck on Apple-only devices for trade-in.

Also, if you’re trying to trade in a non-Apple device for something like an Apple Watch or iPad, you might be out of luck. All info indicates this will be a phone-for-phone-credit deal.

You also have options if you want to ditch your existing phone for an iPhone. There are sites like Swappa and Gazelle that offer up cash in hand or a portal for selling to others, both of which are secure.

APPLE TO IMPLEMENT TRADE-IN OFFER FOR ANDROID DEVICES

Apple will be launching a new program which allows users to trade-in their non-Apple devices to receive discounts when purchasing a new Apple device. The company will be using a similar program it has for its iPhone Reuse and Recycle trade-in program, but this time to cater to non-Apple devices.

In the company’s latest effort to tempt potential Android switchers, the Cupertino giant is starting a trade-in program for users to obtain discounts by trading in their devices – mostly Android and Blackberry smartphones. The discount will come in the form of gift cards and it can be used to receive a price reduction when purchasing a new iDevice.

To prepare for the new program which will purportedly begin in the coming weeks, extensive training programs for retail store employees will soon commence. Apple employees will be trained to evaluate the trade-in value based on the devices’ aesthetics and functionality. Besides that, they will be able to migrate some of the user’s data like contacts from their devices to iPhones, whereas other data will have to be moved by customers themselves.

The iPhone Reuse and Recycle trade-in program was launched back in 2013 and it was originally exclusively for the iPhone. The company later added the iPad to the program on Earth Day, 22nd April 2014. The program was to encourage users of older iPhone models to upgrade to the iPhone 5 series – iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. It now covers countries like the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.

[Sources: 9to5mac via GSMarena]

Apple makes nearly eight times as much money as all Android vendors combined

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone operating profit reached US$21 billion in Q4 2014. The Android operating system captured a record-low 11 percent global smartphone profit share during the quarter. In contrast, Apple iOS took a record-high 89 percent profit share.

Linda Sui, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global smartphone operating profit grew 31 percent annually from US$16.2 billion in Q4 2013 to US$21.2 billion in Q4 2014. Android hardware vendors combined took a record-low 11 percent global smartphone profit share, down from 29 percent one year ago. In contrast, Apple iOS captured a record-high 89 percent profit share, up from 71 percent in Q4 2013.”

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Apple iOS continues to tighten its grip on the smartphone industry. Apple’s strategy of premium products and lean logistics is proving hugely profitable. Android’s weak profitability for its hardware partners will worry Google. If major smartphone manufacturers, like Samsung or Huawei, cannot make decent profits from the Android ecosystem, they may be tempted in the future to look at alternative platforms such as Microsoft, Tizen or Firefox.”