Huawei: Windows Phone is still on the agenda

Huawei is still on friendly terms with Windows Phone, but Android is the true object of its affection.

Speaking with blog site TrustedReviews, Huawei Chief Marketing Officer Shao Yang said the maker of mobile devices remains "committed" to making phones outfitted with Microsoft's mobile OS. Last year, China-based Huawei launched the Ascend W1 and struck a deal with Microsoft to sell Windows Phone devices in Africa.

But that commitment isn't quite a top priority.

"Compared with Android, the priority of Windows Phone is much lower but is still one of our choices of OS," Yang said. "We are definitely using a multi-OS strategy."

Judging from Yang's remarks, a team-up between Windows Phone and Android appears to be at the top of the agenda. He said a dual-OS phone will reach US consumers sometime next quarter. Such a device could appeal to a wider range of customers, Yang said.

"With Windows Phone, one direction for us -- and one that we are now following -- is dual OS. Dual OS as in Android and Windows together," Yang told TrustedReviews. "If it is Windows only, maybe people will not find it as easy a decision to buy the phone. If they have the Android and Windows together, you can change it as you wish and it is much easier for people to choose Windows Phone."

Though Huawei still isn't exactly a household name, at least not in the US, it has shot past many of its rivals. Last October, research firm Strategy Analytics dubbed Huawei the third-largest smartphone vendor in the world, behind Samsung and Apple but ahead of LG and Lenovo.

mozilla firefox mobile foothold from Android preinstallation deals

Mozilla has a new way to persuade people to use the Android version of its Firefox browser: get hardware makers to preinstall it.

On Thursday, Mozilla announced that new Kobo Arc tablets and the Gigabyte GSmart Simba SX1 smartphone will have the nonprofit group's mobile browser built in.

That could be helpful to Mozilla, which is trying hard to extend the browser influence it has on personal computers to the fast-growing mobile realm where Apple's iOS and Google's Androidbrowsers dominate usage statistics.

On Google Play, Firefox for Android has between 10 million and 50 million installations, but Google Chrome has between 100 million and 500 million even though it works only on Android 4.0 and later. And of course Google's unbranded Android browser is more widely used than either at present, though Chrome is on the rise.But it would be more helpful if Mozilla could get its browser on higher-profile devices -- those from top-end Android device makers like Samsung, HTC, and LG Electronics.

Preinstallation of software on computing devices means people can more likely try or at least see software they otherwise wouldn't go out of their way to install, and it's a tried-and-true way for software developers to promote their wares. However, developers typically pay manufacturers for the privilege, and preinstalled third-party software often is called "crapware" because it can clutter otherwise pristine new computing devices.

Mozilla also is trying to improve its mobile influence through the development of Firefox OS, a browser-based operating system for smartphones that has started reaching some markets in July.

Microsoft's OK with Nokia using Android

BARCELONA, Spain--Things got awkward for short moment on stage when Microsoft executives were asked about the possibility of Nokia using Android.

Joe Belfiore, vice president of operating systems for Windows, looked to Nick Parker, who runs the world original equipment manufacturer group. Parker looked back, with both wanting to defer to the other.

Finally, Belfiore spoke up, reiterating Microsoft's strong relationship with Nokia. As Microsoft hasn't yet finalized its deal to buy Nokia's device business, he couldn't add too much, but he did offer up this amusing nugget:

"Some things we're excited about, some things we're less excited about," Belfiore said during Microsoft's Mobile World Congress press conference on Sunday, eliciting more than a few chuckles. "Whatever they do, we're very supportive of them."

Parker chimed in, noting that he appreciates the competition.

"It's great to sit there and compete," he said.

Such is the unique relationship that is shaping up between Microsoft and Nokia. Nokia is widely expected to launch a smartphone running Android, a break from its prior commitment to Microsoft and Windows Phone. It's an odd move considering the company's device unit is weeks away from being folded into the company.

Nokia and Microsoft have long had a cozy partnership, particularly with devices head Stephen Elop, a Microsoft veteran poised to return to the mothership. Nokia, in turn, is responsible for a vast majority of sales of Windows Phone devices. Any growth in sales for Windows Phone is due to Nokia. It's the only company to consistently show excitement about the operating system.

But the Android move suggests that Microsoft may keep Nokia at arm's length, even after the acquisition, which is a good thing. Microsoft has to show that it is neutral when dealing with Nokia in order to balance its relationship with its other partners. On Sunday, Microsoft announced a number of new companies supporting Windows Phone, including LG, ZTE, and Lenovo, as well as iPhone-manufacturer Foxconn.

At least for now, Belfiore and Parker seem content to let Nokia work independently, although things may changes down the line once the deal closes.

Samsung Gear 2 ditches Android, adds music player

Samsung's Gear 2 updates the original Galaxy Gear with a new operating system and a camera on the watch body.

(Credit: Samsung)

BARCELONA, Spain -- The time has come for Samsung to say goodbye to Android as the operating system powering its smartwatch. On Sunday, a day ahead of its press conference here at Mobile World Congress, the electronics titan announced two new cogs in the Gear smartwatch machine, the Samsung Gear 2 and Samsung Gear 2 Neo.

Both wearables drop "Galaxy" from their names, a nod to the fact that the smartwatches runSamsung's homebrewed Tizen OS and not Google's Android platform.

The move to clock Tizen in and check Android out is the biggest change to come to the Gear 2, though one that may not be as obvious to customers who strap on the watches. More obviously, the Gear 2's camera gets a boost to a 2-megapixel resolution, and moves from the wrist straps to the body of the smartwatch.

Thus liberated, the straps are now in a position for you to pop them off and exchange them with differently colored bands. For the Gear 2, your color pool includes Charcoal Black, Gold Brown, and Wild Orange, all similar shades carried over from the original Galaxy Gear.

Some of us weren't fans of flipping our wrists to talk into the microphone embedded in the original Galaxy Gear's clasp, and Samsung listened, placing the mic into the phone's body instead.The watch also picks up a few more hardware and software tricks, like an infrared sensor and a standalone music player that means you can leave your phone at home while you go for a jog (so long as you sync it to a Bluetooth headset.) Samsung has also added a heart rate sensor as well.

Lest you think Samsung left the watch's guts alone, it make internal adjustments, like increasing the processor from an 800MHz single-core unit to a 1GHz dual-core chip. Interestingly, the Gear 2 looses a tiny bit of juice, dropping from a 315mAh battery to a 300mAh ticker.

Smart watch	Samsung Gear 2	Samsung Gear Neo	Samsung Galaxy Gear
OS	Tizen	Tizen	Android
Processor	1GHz dual core	1GHz dual core	800MHz single core
Screen	1.63-inch Super AMOLED; 320x320 pixels	1.63-inch Super AMOLED; 320x320 pixels	1.63-inch Super AMOLED; 320x320 pixels
RAM	512MB	512MB	512MB
Internal storage	4GB	4GB	4GB
Camera location	Main body	No camera	Strap
Camera resolution	2 megapixels	N/A	1.9 megapixels
Bluetooth music player	Yes	Yes	No
Bluetooth version	4.0	4.0	4.0
Infrared	Yes	Yes	No
Heartrate sensor	Yes	Yes	No
Battery	300mAH	300mAH	315mAH
Dimensions (mm)	36.9x58.4x10	37.9x58.8x10	36.8x56.6x11.1
Weight (ounces, g)	2.4, 68	1.9, 55	2.6, 74
Colors	Charcoal Black, Gold Brown, Wild Orange	Charcoal Black, Mocha Gray, Wild Orange	Jet Black, Oatmeal Beige, Lime Green, Mocha Gray, Wild Orange

Credit: Nick Hide

Aesthetically, the Gear 2 looks much the same as the original Gear, though its rectangular face is very slightly larger and slimmer. You'll still see that finish made to look like brushed metal, the textured straps, and a clip-in clasp closure. You'll also continue to charge the smartwatch with a separate charging cradle. With the Gear 2 (and also camera-less Gear 2 Neo), Samsung says it's serious about smartwatches.

Outlook

Samsung's updated Gear 2 has nipped some annoyances, like having to keep your phone on-hand to stream music. Mostly, though, the quick update cycle reflects Samsung's ambitions to strengthen its in-house Tizen brand and gain some distance from the Googleplex.

I'm interested in seeing how the new camera and microphone placement work in every day life -- if they're both more practical locations than before, or if new usability bobbles arise.

I'm also wondering how the switch to Tizen will affect the software update cycle in ways the users care about, like making more Samsung phones and other phones compatible with the Gear family of wearables, and bringing other app-makers on board. Hopefully we'll have more answers to these questions and more when we get a chance to wrist-drive the Gear 2.

In the meantime, catch all the mobile news from Mobile World Congress 2014.

smartwatch Gear 2 running Tizen: Smart move for Samsung

BARCELONA, Spain -- Samsung's first move with Tizen may not be big, but it could prove to be pretty savvy.

The Korean electronics giant has been working on Tizen-based smartphones for months, but the first global product to use the open-source Linux operating system won't be a phone. Rather, Samsung on Monday will unveil a new version of its Gear smartwatch that runs the company's Tizen software rather than Google's Android operating system. Introducing Tizen to the masses via Gear may be one of the smartest moves Samsung could make. The reason? Apps.

Smartphones and tablets require app stores with millions of offerings to gain traction with users. Just look at how the lack of apps has hurt Windows Phone and Blackberry and how much money and time they've spent to boost their stores. Samsung also has offered millions of dollars in prizes and funding to get developers to make apps for Tizen.

In the case of the first Gear, Samsung has closely controlled what apps could be on the device, rather than opening the gadget up to the entire Google Play universe of apps. Before launching the device, Samsung sought out app developers and worked with them to create software that would work well with the smartwatch. While it has since opened up its mobile software development kits to developers, Samsung has kept the Gear app store invite-only.The situation is different for smartwatches and other wearables -- at least during these early days. Essentially all wearables on the market have to be tethered to a smartphone to truly work. That means they don't need to do as many things on their own aside from notifications or fitness tracking. And the small screens and overall limitations mean mostAndroid apps wouldn't work on them anyway.

"We need to make sure we're ready to go big," Curtis Sasaki, senior vice president of Samsung's Media Solution Center Americas business, told CNET at the company's developer conference in late October.

Continuing with such an invite-only model for the Tizen-based Gear could help the operating system gain more traction, particularly compared with how a Tizen-based smartphone would do. Samsung wouldn't have to worry about having millions of apps that run on Tizen. It would just need to make sure it had a curated batch of apps that worked really well with its smartwatch, and that's exactly what Samsung is doing, according to people briefed on the Gear 2.

While the developers making apps for Gear 2 sure can tell the difference between the software on the old and new devices, consumers likely won't. Samsung's version of Android on the first Gear barely looked like Android at all.

In addition, with something like Gear, Samsung doesn't need the same carrier support that a smartphone requires. Many wireless companies -- such as Sprint, Orange, and Vodafone -- are part of the Tizen Association, but there also have been some high-profile setbacks. Sprint joined the Tizen Association, quit, but later rejoined. Other carriers, such as Telefonica, have quit and never returned, and even more have expressed concerns about Tizen's progress.

NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest carrier and an early proponent of Tizen, in January scuttled its immediate plans to launch a Tizen-based smartphone. The company, which said it continues to support Tizen, made the move because of the lack of consumer demand beyond Android or Apple's iOS.

"We [had] been aiming to launch the first Tizen handset by end of March 2014," NTT DoCoMo told CNET in a statement. "However, due to changes in the current Japanese mobile market, where the growth of smartphone sales is leveling out, we have decided to postpone the release."

Tizen's future also came into question amid reports that Samsung and Google had eased some of their recent tension. Samsung reportedly agreed to pare back the bloatware on its Android devices while Google agreed to focus its attention on mobile software, not hardware. The twosigned a cross-licensing agreement, and Google sold its Motorola Mobility business to Lenovo a few days later.

Even if the two companies reached some sort of agreement about software, Samsung clearly isn't giving up on Tizen. Samsung is the undisputed king of Android smartphones, but it still needs an alternative that gives it more control over its own future. The company knows that its future growth increasingly will be tied to software and services, and it has devoted significant resources to honing its skills in those areas.

Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch hits the runway at New York Fashion Week (pictures)

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"Software is something that we're working on continuously," Samsung co-CEO Boo-keun Yoon,told CNET last year. "These days, hardware is important, but that is not enough."

Tizen's entree to the market has been anticipated for a couple of years. Most recently, Samsung planned to launch a high-end, Tizen-powered handset by September 2013, but it delayed the release by several months to the fourth quarter. The delay was partly because it wanted to improve the hardware and partly because it didn't have the apps necessary to launch a new ecosystem. Samsung delayed the phone a second time, saying in November that it would introduce a Tizen smartphone in February.

At least one Tizen phone could make an appearance this coming week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, according to people briefed on the matter. However, it's unclear when or where that particular device will be sold.

Samsung also has said it plans to push Tizen into a broad range of devices, including TVs and home appliances. Similar to wearables, the size of the app store for those products doesn't really matter.

"With Samsung, just bringing [Tizen to] phones is not enough," said Andrew Till, the head of mobile at Symphony Teleca, a company that partners with Samsung and helps companies make apps. "They have to position Tizen as a cross-industry offering."

For now, Samsung's greatest hope for Tizen -- and the way to get the operating system into consumers' homes, almost without them even knowing it -- will come through Gear. Here's hoping more people buy the smartwatch this time around.