Google plans NFC trails with MasterCard and Citigroup (US)
If rumors are to be believed, Google has teamed up with MasterCard and Citigroup to embed NFC services into Android smartphones. Surprisingly, Google is not planning to take a percentage of the transaction fee, in a move which could pitch its business model in direct competition with Apple which is expected to demand its slice of the revenues.
According to sources, instead, Google expects to generate revenues from information services such as customer data and advertising to consumers. The move could raise some privacy concerns though, as Google would then – in theory – be able to know which locally delivered adverts lead to an eventual sale in a retail store.
The Google backed system is expected to be launched later this year, and the company has already signed a deal with VeriFone to supply NFC enabled readers to retail stores wanting to join in the trials.
Google’s mobile-payment service could also face competition from EBay’s PayPal and ISIS, a joint effort of several mobile companies. The ISIS system, backed by AT&T and Verizon Wireless, will rely on Discover Financial Services to handle the payments.
Motorola rules over AdMob Android traffic
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 96 percent of total Android traffic in March was generated by 11 device models out of 34 different Android-powered smartphones identified across the AdMob mobile advertising network.
32 percent of AdMob’s Android traffic was yielded by Motorola’s Droid which led all Android smartphones last month.
Nexus One owned by Google drove just 2 percent of Android traffic. 38 percent of AdMob’s Android traffic is accounted by devices running Android 1.5 and devices on Android 2.0/2.1 account for 35 percent and Android 1.6 account for 26 percent.
9% increase in the iPhone 3GS traffic share from 30% in September last year to 39% in March has also been recorded. Motorola led all Android manufacturers with 44 percent of traffic while HTC was close behind with 43% traffic. 54 percent of Android traffic originated via Qwerty keyboard-based devices. In total, worldwide traffic across the AdMob network grew 18 percent month-over-month, tallying close to 16.7 billion total requests.
Four ZTE Android smartphones to be launched
ZTE is all set to change its low-cost handset maker image and enter into the business of higher smartphone market. Android-powered smartphones will supposedly be the next big target of this Chinese company. However, the latest venture to find its way to the market is 4ZTE phones. These phones are expected to circulate even outside China.
ZTE Smooth, the Palm Pre like device has features like Android 1.6, 2.8-inch QVGA display, QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, FM radio, and 3g (UMTS) connectivity. ZTE Blade is another high-end device and has features like Bluetooth, Android 1.6, WiFi, FM radio, GSM/UMTS connectivity and 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen.
ZTE Racer another Android 1.6 phone will have 3G, WiFi, GPS, and 2.-inch QVGA while ZTE Mercury, which is a look-alike of HTC Hero comes with 3.2-inch HVGA display, GPS and EDGE data.
The only problem these Android phones are expected to come across is the distribution otherwise ZTE is super committed to Android. The ZTE Smartphones will soon be popping on every comer of Europe and US.
Rogers to offer HTC Dream & Magic from 2 June’09 (Canada)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Rogers Wireless is bringing the HTC Dream (aka T-Mobile G1) and the HTC Magic in the Canadian market from 2nd June. The two Android smartphones, operating on Google open-source OS, will be the first to be official on-sale through a carrier in Canada. The price tag and tariffs are not yet revealed. But the carrier will offer an unlimited data package for the 3G smartphones.
