Hardware. Adobe Demos Flash 10.1 for Android on the Nexus One. Yesterday, we brought you an exclusive interview with Aaron Filner, group product manager of Flash, in which we discussed the fuss around Apple, HTML5 and Adobe's multimedia platform.
We learned that Adobe's belief that HTML5 is at odds with Flash is a misperception, and we learned what to expect from Flash in the future, especially when it comes to mobile. That video interview wasn't the only thing I recorded, though; I also got Aaron to give me a 7.5-minute demo of Adobe Flash for Android. With my handheld cam, I recorded as Mr. Filner explored how Flash will eventually work for the Google Nexus One. Not only did he show us a preview of some awesome websites that will support mobile Flash (ESPN.com, NYT, Miniclip just to name a few), but he played several Flash games on his Nexus One, some completely unmodified from their original versions. Here is the full demo of Android for the Nexus One; let us know what you think of what's coming in the comments. NPD: Google Android Smartphones Outselling Apple iPhones. Here’s a curveball of a data point: Android is now outselling the iPhone.
Really? Really, says NPD. The consumer research shop says U.S. sales of smartphones using Google’s mobile operating system climbed past Apple in the first three months of this year. Google (GOOG) nabbed 28 percent of the market, while Apple (AAPL) claimed 21 percent, NPD says. Less surprising is that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIMM) still leads the market, with 36 percent. Here are the data in chart form: Android is the green line with the prominent spike: NPD’s numbers come from self-reported online consumer surveys (corporate sales aren’t included), so there’s likely some variance between its results and actual sales data. The best argument in support of NPD’s numbers, meanwhile, is that Google’s handset and carrier partners, particularly Verizon Wireless (VZ) and Motorola (MOT), have been pushing their Android phones hard in recent months.
It Would Be Kind of Stunning if Android Phones Weren’t Outsellin. Retail research kingpin the NPD Group is reporting that Android-based phones are now outselling iPhones.
Or at least they did last quarter in terms of unit sales in the U.S. according to NPD’s study, which found that RIM’s BlackBerries held 36 percent of the market, phones running Google’s Android had 28 percent, and the iPhone was at 21 percent. Something like this was inevitable, given that: Two models of the iPhone (the 3GS and 3G) are doing battle with scads of Android handsets in an array of shapes and sizes;You can buy an Android phone for a lot less than an iPhone (the original Droid launched in November at the same contract price as an iPhone 3GS–now Amazon has ‘em for twenty bucks);Three out of four major U.S. wireless carriers still don’t have the iPhone. It’ll be fascinating to see whether Android’s unit sales edge persists–and grows. In 2010, the Android Marketplace’s offerings have improved noticeably in terms of both quantity and quality.