Google 'Nexus tablet' delayed until July?
Google will not launch its eagerly-anticipated Nexus tablet until at least July, as the company seeks to further lower the cost of the Android slate, according to reports.
The Verge reports that Google is currently working with ASUS on a co-branded 7-inch, Wi-Fi-only tablet, which will sport the new Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor.
Apparently, Google believes that its planned $249 (£156) price-point is too high and is now looking at ways to bring the cost in line with the Amazon Kindle Fire.
The Kindle Fire has enjoyed phenomenal success since launching for $199 (around £125) in November, while reports yesterday claimed that Apple is also working on a 7.85-inch iPad tablet.
No Jelly Bean at launch
The device will also come loaded with Android Ice Cream Sandwich, rather than the forthcoming Android 5.0 Jelly Bean OS, says the article.The Verge's source says bringing Jelly Bean into the mix will just cause further delays, so it's likely that the newer version of the OS will be tagged-on at a later time.
It seems plausible that Google will look to an inexpensive model to boost the profile of Android slates, considering the lack of success tablets have had competing with the iPad at the same price structure.
Last month we reported that chip-maker Nvidia was hoping to facilitate the launch of $199 Tegra 3 tablets this summer.
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HTC downturn continues as revenues dip 35 per cent
HTC's recent slump has continued with the announcement that sales have fallen by a whopping 35 per cent year-on-year.
The Taiwanese manufacturer, once the undisputed darling of the early Android era, saw revenues drop to $2.3 billion (£1.5 billion) in the first three months of 2012.
The company had experienced exponential growth in sales until they began to stall last year, amid market saturation and increased competition from Samsung in the Android arena.
Samsung steals the throne
HTC's recent shortcomings are highlighted by Samsung's own announcement, which saw the company post record profits, which have nearly doubled since the same period of 2011.
If there was ever any doubt as to who's the current king of the Android market, one look at the contrasting fortunes of Samsung and HTC answers that question pretty decisively.
HTC will hope it can bounce back during the rest of 2012 with the eagerly-anticipated HTC One stable of devices now on sale.
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Samsung announces record profits
Samsung has posted record profits, which come close to doubling its earnings from the same period in 2011.
The company beat the expectations of analysts by announcing a $5.1 billion (£3.2bn) profit for the first quarter of 2012, up from $2.95 billion a year earlier (1.85bn).
The figures have been propelled into record territory by sales of the Galaxy range of smartphones and tablets, particularly the Galaxy S2 handset and the Galaxy Note hybrid device.
Sales of the company's hugely-impressive range of televisions have also helped Samsung increase sales.
Samsung had its chips?
Reports suggest the company's profits may have been even higher, but for the slowing sales in the chip division."Sales of new models of smartphones, such as the Note, were better than expected," analyst James Strong told Bloomberg.
"They have a good line-up of new products, so they will be able to keep the momentum alive for two or three quarters, at least."
Another analyst told Bloomberg that Samsung likely shifted 44 million smartphones during the first three months of 2012, which would make the company the world's biggest manufacturer during that period.
That figure would triple its sales from one year ago and exceed Apple iPhone sales "by a significant margin," according to Seoul-based Matt Evans.
With the Galaxy S3 in the pipeline, and anticipation for that phone reaching fever pitch, it doesn't seem like those profits will be taking a downward trajectory any time soon.
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Americans do most second screen viewing
A study by Nielsen has found that TV viewers in the US are the most likely to be dividing their attention between the boob tube and a smartphone or tablet.
Unlike in drinking circles, there are no penalties for being double-parked and in fact it could be argued that rocking two screens at once makes you more sociable. Or just more likely to produce a please-god-let-it-stop-Twitter-stream-of-consciousness during the latest Jersey/Geordie Shore episode.
The study compares dual device use in the US, UK, Germany and Italy.
US viewers were most likely to go two-up with a tablet, with 88 percent of tablet owners and 86 percent of smartphone owners saying that they do so at least once a month.
45 percent of those American tablet users double dabble daily, with 26 percent doing it several times a day.
UK second in double-viewing tables
The UK came in a close second, with 80 percent of tablet users clocking up heavy usage while watching TV, and 24 percent of those surveyed said they used their device several times a day in front of the gogglebox.Meanwhile 29 percent of both Italians and Germans claim to never use a tablet and TV together.
Disappointingly, most popular second screen activity was simply checking emails, but there were also plenty of product- and programme-related searches.
After all, who's not guilty of IMDBing that dreamy actor you just can't remember the name of?
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