Android and iOS users can now preview web pages before diving in. Instant Previews has been available online for some time. It lets users visually compare search results from webpage snapshots to improve the efficiency of browsing.
It is accessed by clicking on the magnifying glass next to a web page in search results. Starting today, Google Instant Previews is available on Android (2.2+) and iOS (4.0+) devices across 38 languages.
Google has begun to roll out the Android 2.3.3 update to its two officially endorsed phones, the Nexus One and Nexus S.
The news came via Google’s Twitter feed, which also warned that the over the air update might take weeks to reach everyone. The Tweet in full reads: “Gingerbread (Android 2.3.3) update now rolling out to Nexus S and Nexus One. Be patient, may take a few weeks for OTA to complete.”
This is undoubtedly more exciting for Nexus One owners than Nexus S owners for a couple of reasons, the main one being that it brings Gingerbread to the older device for the first time.
Nexus S owners do have a few minor things to look forward to in the update, though. The main improvement will be one of stability – as well as a number of minor bug fixes, the handset’s strange tendency to reboot randomly should be addressed. In terms of major changes, the device’s NFC capabilities have now been expanded, allowing users to write as well as read NFC tags.
The update brings with it some bad news for Nexus S-owning Facebook owners – the ability to sync your contacts has been removed. Apparently it’s to do with Google finally enforcing its official rules, which dictate that third party apps must use Android’s own contact facilities rather than their own. You Nexus One owners will be unaffected, for some strange reason.
All in all it’s nothing major for Nexus S owners, especially as Near Field Communication technology hasn’t really taken hold yet (not in the UK anyway). Still, increased stability is always a good thing, as is the addition of another handset to the Gingerbread fold.
Mobile manufacturers were celebrating the end of 2010 as they achieved record numbers of smartphone shipments, according to IDC. The analyst’s report claimed 100.9 million smartphones were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2010, which equated to a rise of 87.2 per cent year on year.
Google felt a lot of the benefits, claimed Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s mobile phone technology and trends team, whilst Symbian suffered.
“Android continues to gain by leaps and bounds, helping to drive the smartphone market,” he said. “It has become the cornerstone of multiple vendors’ smartphone strategies, and has quickly become a challenger to market leader Symbian.”
The introduction of Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft also helped the overall smartphone market, with over 1.5 million handsets shipped in the quarter.
Llamas concluded: “The high-end of the market has been important to help grow the smartphone market in recent years. IDC expects vendors to provide more mid-range and low-end smartphones at lower prices to reach the mass market. In the same manner, even high-end devices will become available at lower prices. This will result in greater competition and more selection for users.”