Apple iPad users have been pretty busy downloading apps. Since the launch of the original iPad in April 2010, 3 billion apps have been downloaded for the hit tablet, ABI Research announced today. It took the iPhone two years to hit the 3B mark, ABI said, while it took the iPad just a year and …

After investing a considerable amount of time and effort on the Android 4.0 user interface (UI), Google is taking steps to ensure that it remains a key component of devices. Writing on the developer blog yesterday, Android Framework engineer Adam Powell outlined the new compatibility standard for the Holo theme first introduced in 3.0 Honeycomb. Going forward, devices running Ice …

Apple said today that its iPhone 4S will hit stores in China and 21 other countries on January 13, marking the expanded availability of the blockbuster smartphone. The additional countries come at a time when Apple is trying to hang on to its leadership position in the smartphone world even as the Android operating system has long surpassed it in …

Google updated its popular platform version chart this week, giving a current snapshot of the popularity of the various Android releases. As expected, Gingerbread (Android 2.3x) leads the way with a combined 55.5 percent share of the market, followed by Froyo at 30.4 percent and 2-year-old Eclair at 8.5 percent. Trailing behind are Honeycomb (3.3 percent) and very marginal showings …

The promise of super-fast 4G wireless broadband sounds enticing, but what happens when you can’t actually get the 4G service? That’s the question one reader who just got the new 4G LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Nexus is asking. No 4G service. Should I keep the Samsung Galaxy Nexus? Dear Maggie, Four days ago I took delivery of my new Samsung Galaxy …

A year after LG brought Android to the masses with its entry-level Optimus line, the company is doing the same with its new Optimus 2. Though positioned as a successor device, the Optimus 2 barely improves on the earlier models. It runs Gingerbread (thankfully), but the feature set is decidedly conservative. You’ll find a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus, a speakerphone, …

Continuing to build its collection of core iOS patents, Apple’s latest win comes in the form of list editing. It’s yet another example of Apple gaining stronger legal ground to defend the look and feel of iOS from competitors looking to capitalize on the popularity of the mobile operating system. Patently Apple The patent, uncovered by Patently Apple, for “a …

You’ve snapped a bunch of cool vacation/party/family photos on your Android phone; now you want to show them off on your TV. If you have a Roku box and three extra bucks, you’re good to go. Juice for Roku turns your Android device into a media server for your Roku box, wirelessly beaming photos and music to your TV. It …

Microsoft and Nokia are ready to back the money truck up for Windows Phone. That’s according to Windows IT Pro, which reported today that the companies are planning to spend $200 million on marketing in the U.S. to promote the upcoming lineup of phones. The significant surge in spending underscores the importance of making a splash in the market, particularly …

Verizon had a happy holiday thanks to the Apple iPhone. The company’s wireless unit sold 4.2 million iPhones in the fourth quarter, Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said during an investor conference. The figure was more than double the number of iPhones sold in the previous quarter. The figure underscores the enduring popularity of the phone and the importance of …