Bientôt des smartphones capables de traductions simultanées chez Google ?

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Les étudiants et anciens étudiants en langues étrangères le savent : l'une des disciplines les plus exigeantes reste la traduction simultanée, qui exige bonne connaissance de la langue d'origine, rapidité de prise de décision et capacité à scinder la compréhension d'une langue étrangère et la retranscription orale dans sa langue maternelle, deux opérations à effectuer en simultané.

Pas simple, à tel point qu'il est souvent question, dans les couloirs d'universités, du caractère prétendument inné d'une telle capacité, voire d'un "don" ou de facilités accordé à quelques chanceux. Rien de scientifique donc, et encore moins de science réductible à une équation ou à des algorithmes.

Babel Fish

Voire. Car si la rumeur dit vrai - elle confirmerait en tous cas un projet réel qui a quelques années au compteur - Google serait sur le point de parvenir à réaliser un vieux fantasme : le traducteur instantané et universel. Un "Babel Fish" mobile, en référence au poisson jaune et absurde de H2G2 : le Guide du voyageur galactique de Douglas Adams.

Google n'est pas le premier à travailler sur l'épineux problème. NTT DoCoMo, l'un des principaux opérateurs japonais, a développé un traducteur de poche, sous forme d'application pour smartphone, capable de comprendre a priori relativement bien une phrase en anglais et de la retranscrire en japonais, et vice versa. C'est d'ailleurs un gros succès au Japon, notamment depuis la généralisation de la 4G (amélioration de la latence).

Voir cette vidéo d'Android Central :

Evidemment, l'application de NTT DoCoMo n'est qu'un "premier pas" vers le traducteur universel. Ce qui permet à Google d'affirmer son avance sur le Japonais. Ainsi, Hugo Barra, vice-président d'Android, estime dans une interview au Times que ce que le géant vise, c'est une traduction quasi-simultanée : pas plus de quelques secondes pour avoir une traduction orale d'une phrase.

Le but est clair, et colle totalement au fantasme : vous parlez en français, votre interlocuteur entend et répond en kirghize, que vous entendez à votre tour en français. Utile pour voyager - un peu de piment en moins cependant, mais chacun fera comme il le souhaite.

Les premiers prototypes sont en cours de développement. Evidemment, on est encore loin a priori des conversations téléphoniques complètement traduites par ce biais, même si c'est quelque chose que Google compte apporter. Adieu alors les problèmes de traduction... Et les traducteurs ?

New Gsm

Smartphones : Samsung domine une fois encore Apple

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

D’après les estimations livrées par Strategy Analytics, Samsung a au deuxième trimestre largement dominé le marché mondial des terminaux mobiles en livrant 107 millions d’appareils en l’espace de trois mois.

Le constructeur coréen détient ainsi près de 28% du marché mondial. Sur le segment des smartphones, malgré les bonnes ventes de l’iPhone (31,2 millions d’unités écoulées par Apple), Samsung reste largement devant avec 76 millions de terminaux.

Nokia sur le déclin à cause de ses téléphones classiques

Au 2e trimestre, le fabricant coréen affiche ainsi une part de marché de 33%, quand Apple recule lui de 16,7% il y a un an à 13,6%. « La part de marché globale d’Apple est à son plus bas depuis le second trimestre 2010 » rappelle le dirigeant de Strategy Analytics, Neil Mawston.

L’ancienne gloire de la téléphonie mobile, Nokia, continue de sombrer avec des ventes de mobiles réduites de pratiquement un tiers sur un an. La part de marché du finlandais est ainsi tombé de 22,5% à 15,5%.

Si du côté d’IDC, qui a livré ses estimations pour le 2e trimestre 2013, les chiffres sont un peu différents, la tendance reste néanmoins la même. Sur un an, le marché des smartphones est en croissance de 52,3% avec 237,9 millions d’unités livrées dans le monde.

Apple progresse moins vite que le marché et perd du terrain

Et parmi les cinq principaux fabricants de smartphone, malgré des ventes supérieures aux attentes, Apple est celui dont la croissance est la plus modérée : 20%. C’est bien, mais dans le même temps, Samsung enregistre une hausse de 43,9% de ses livraisons, LG, Lenovo et ZTE de plus de 50% - et au-delà de 100% pour les chinois.

(Crédit : IDC)

Ces progressions sont cependant à relativiser puisque ces fabricants partent de beaucoup plus bas et, pour Lenovo et ZTE, ils ne disposent pas d’une présence mondiale aussi forte qu’Apple et Samsung. Néanmoins, pour Apple, cette pression concurrentielle se traduit directement par un recul de sa part de marché à 13,1%. Et Samsung connaît un sort équivalent.

Voir aussi notre page
Chiffres clés : les ventes de mobiles et de smartphones

New Gsm

Gartner: smartphones carton, and Windows Phone takes third place

Windows Phone has taken the third place in the mobile operating systems front BlackBerry in the second quarter of 2013. The figures come from Gartner, which analyzes phone sales worldwide as each quarter in a document sent to editors.

The Microsoft System is even Honourable growing globally, with an increase of its market share of 0.7 points, from 2.6 per cent in the second quarter 2012 to 3.3%. It therefore sold 7.4 million Windows Phone devices in the second quarter, compared to 4 million a year earlier.

BlackBerry in distress?

The loser is obvious l'ex-troisieme, BlackBerry, which faces, in addition to questions about the company's future, a steady decline of its sales to its relative market share. 5.2% In the second quarter of 2012, BlackBerry Roundup more than 2.7% of the global market share. A decline of 2.5 points which cannot but accentuate the pressure on the leadership of the Canadian group.

BlackBerry developing rapid decomposition? -Image Matthew Hurst CC BY - SA 2.0

In volume of sales also, BlackBerry is the step. Last year, in the same quarter, it sold 8 million devices. A year later, it is more than 7.4 million, despite the launch Meanwhile a new OS and promising devices on paper.

The other, certainly most anticipated decline is iOS. 18.8% In the second quarter of 2012, Apple's operating system dropped to group now 14.2 per cent of market share. A score which remains Honourable face of Android, hardly comparable car used by from many manufacturers, but continuous Apple so its recession at the global level.

iOS is however still above lot, with 31.9 million units sold compared to 28.9 million in the second quarter of 2012, but these sales are no longer the same order as those of Android smartphones.

A monster: Android

Far in the lead, covering many more segments of the market and competition, devices running on the operating system developed by Google show once more net domination. And share less and less with the competition: 64.2% of the market last year, they arrogate now 79% of the global market for smartphones.

Symbian and Bada flow, but are no longer in the heart of the strategies of manufacturers - Image Gartner

It sold, in the second quarter of 2013, 177.9 million smartphones Android, compared with 98.7 million in the second quarter of 2012. The coming year will now have to answer a question: new entrants - Ubuntu, Firefox OS, Tizen - can shake this Behemoth of the smartphone has become Android?

But the second quarter of this year was marked by another event, according to Gartner. For the first time, provides the analysis firm, it sold more smartphones than conventional phones. 225 million smartphones were sold, an increase of 46.5 percent over the previous year.

At the same time, conventional phones are passed to 210 million units, thus experiencing a drop of 21%. The main region supporting this shift remains the Asia-Pacific, with a sales growth of smartphones from 74.1% over one year. Followed by Latin America (55.7%) and Eastern Europe (31.6%).

The race to the "dynamic markets" is on

These trends have not escaped editors operating systems, or manufacturers of smartphones. While Firefox OS is still the "dynamic markets" and that Android is already well settled, particularly in Asia, Apple is about to unveil a 'low cost' iPhone. Eternal rumor... But the figures give reason to this strategy. At the Apple to succeed its moulting without losing what remains its main asset against the competition: its brand.

Whatever it is, the long fall of conventional phones continues: "smartphones represent 51.8% of the sales of mobile phones in the second quarter of 2013, surpassing for the first time conventional phones," concludes Gartner. All devices combined, it sold 435 million units in the second quarter, an increase of 3.6% on a slippery year.

See also our page
Key figures: sales of mobile and smartphones

New Gsm

Smartphones : Sony a retrouvé la voie du succès

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Business : La nouvelle stratégie du japonais est payante avec près de 10 millions de smartphones vendus au deuxième trimestre contre 8 millions trois mois plus tôt.

En se séparant d'Ericsson pour la conception et la fabrication de smartphones, et en revenant à ses fondamentaux, à savoir le premium et le design, Sony est parvenu à rebondir dans le marché hautement difficile des smartphones.

Les chiffres sont là. Après avoir enchaîné des trimestres de ventes en forte baisse, le groupe renoue avec la croissance depuis la mise en place de cette stratégie, illustrée par le Xperia Z, le modèle haut de gamme du nippon.

Retour dans le vert

Au deuxième trimestre, Sony a écoulé 9,6 millions de smartphones, contre 8,1 millions trois mois plus tôt, un chiffre déjà en augmentation de 82% sur un an. Bien sûr, le géant est encore à des années lumière d'un Samsung et n'est toujours pas parvenu à retrouver le Top5 mondial des vendeurs. Mais une chose est sûre : l'appétence des consommateurs est de retour.

En termes financiers, Sony Mobile revient dans le vert avec un chiffre d'affaires de 3,9 milliards de dollars, et un revenu net de 60 millions de dollars, contre une perte trois mois plus tôt.

Voir aussi notre page
Chiffres clés : les ventes de mobiles et de smartphones

New Gsm

Chiffres clés : les ventes de mobiles et de smartphones

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Samsung et Apple écrase la concurrence - Au 2e trimestre 2013, les livraisons mondiales de smartphones progressent de 52,3% à 237,9 millions d'unités. Si les deux géants du secteur, Apple et Samsung, voient leurs ventes augmenter sur un an de respectivement 20% et 43,9%, ils n'en perdent pas moins des parts de marché, signe de l'intensification de la concurrence sur le marché.

Au premier trimestre 2013, 216,2 millions de smartphones ont ainsi été livrés dans le monde par les constructeurs. Apple (17,3%) et Samsung (32,7%) représentent à eux deux 50% des livraisons mondiales de smartphones, avec une nette longueur d’avance pour le coréen en termes d’unités : 70,7 millions, contre 37,4 pour Apple - positionné sur la valeur.

Samsung domine Apple en Europe de l'Ouest - Au 1er trimestre 2012, Apple avait livré 7 millions d’iPhone dans les pays d’Europe de l’ouest, contre 6,2 millions cette année, selon IDC. Samsung connait lui une toute autre fortune avec une part de marché qui passe de 39% à 45% grâce à des livraisons de smartphones en augmentation de 10,9 à 14,3 millions d’unités. Quant à Nokia, malgré le virage sur Windows Phone, il continue toujours d'abandonner du terrain.

Samsung leader, Nokia en recul constant - En 2013, le marché mondial des téléphones mobiles continue de croître mais à un rythme modéré de 4% au 1er trimestre et de 6% au second. C'est nettement moins que sur le segment des smartphones dont la croissance sur la même période a été de 40% et 50%. Sur ce marché global des mobiles, Samsung maintient sa domination acquise aux dépens du finlandais Nokia. Ce dernier est d'ailleurs en net recul depuis le début de l'année avec des livraisons de mobiles en déclin de 25,1% au 1er trimestre 2013 et de 27% au second.

Samsung passe leader - En 2012, 1,7 milliards de mobiles ont été vendus dans le monde, soit une très légère régression de 1,7% par rapport à 2011. Samsung passe leader devant Nokia avec 384,6 millions d’unités vendues sur l’année contre 333,9 millions pour Nokia. Apple, bien en dessous, occupe la troisième position car il se concentre sur un marché premium avec 130,1 millions d’iPhones vendus. Motorola et RIM, dans un mouchoir de poche, occupent les deux dernières places avec des ventes autour de 34 millions d’unités.

Entre 2008 et 2012 on observe une progression des ventes de smartphones en France de 1 million d’unités vendues à 13,5 millions, soit une croissance de 1250%. Cependant, cette croissance ralentit à partir de 2011, puisque le marché ne croît que de 18,4% entre 2011 et 2012.

New Gsm

Gartner: smartphones carton, and Windows Phone takes third place

Windows Phone has taken the third place in the mobile operating systems front BlackBerry in the second quarter of 2013. The figures come from Gartner, which analyzes phone sales worldwide as each quarter in a document sent to editors.

The Microsoft System is even Honourable growing globally, with an increase of its market share of 0.7 points, from 2.6 per cent in the second quarter 2012 to 3.3%. It therefore sold 7.4 million Windows Phone devices in the second quarter, compared to 4 million a year earlier.

BlackBerry in distress?

The loser is obvious l'ex-troisieme, BlackBerry, which faces, in addition to questions about the company's future, a steady decline of its sales to its relative market share. 5.2% In the second quarter of 2012, BlackBerry Roundup more than 2.7% of the global market share. A decline of 2.5 points which cannot but accentuate the pressure on the leadership of the Canadian group.

BlackBerry developing rapid decomposition? -Image Matthew Hurst CC BY - SA 2.0

In volume of sales also, BlackBerry is the step. Last year, in the same quarter, it sold 8 million devices. A year later, it is more than 7.4 million, despite the launch Meanwhile a new OS and promising devices on paper.

The other, certainly most anticipated decline is iOS. 18.8% In the second quarter of 2012, Apple's operating system dropped to group now 14.2 per cent of market share. A score which remains Honourable face of Android, hardly comparable car used by from many manufacturers, but continuous Apple so its recession at the global level.

iOS is however still above lot, with 31.9 million units sold compared to 28.9 million in the second quarter of 2012, but these sales are no longer the same order as those of Android smartphones.

A monster: Android

Far in the lead, covering many more segments of the market and competition, devices running on the operating system developed by Google show once more net domination. And share less and less with the competition: 64.2% of the market last year, they arrogate now 79% of the global market for smartphones.

Symbian and Bada flow, but are no longer in the heart of the strategies of manufacturers - Image Gartner

It sold, in the second quarter of 2013, 177.9 million smartphones Android, compared with 98.7 million in the second quarter of 2012. The coming year will now have to answer a question: new entrants - Ubuntu, Firefox OS, Tizen - can shake this Behemoth of the smartphone has become Android?

But the second quarter of this year was marked by another event, according to Gartner. For the first time, provides the analysis firm, it sold more smartphones than conventional phones. 225 million smartphones were sold, an increase of 46.5 percent over the previous year.

At the same time, conventional phones are passed to 210 million units, thus experiencing a drop of 21%. The main region supporting this shift remains the Asia-Pacific, with a sales growth of smartphones from 74.1% over one year. Followed by Latin America (55.7%) and Eastern Europe (31.6%).

The race to the "dynamic markets" is on

These trends have not escaped editors operating systems, or manufacturers of smartphones. While Firefox OS is still the "dynamic markets" and that Android is already well settled, particularly in Asia, Apple is about to unveil a 'low cost' iPhone. Eternal rumor... But the figures give reason to this strategy. At the Apple to succeed its moulting without losing what remains its main asset against the competition: its brand.

Whatever it is, the long fall of conventional phones continues: "smartphones represent 51.8% of the sales of mobile phones in the second quarter of 2013, surpassing for the first time conventional phones," concludes Gartner. All devices combined, it sold 435 million units in the second quarter, an increase of 3.6% on a slippery year.

See also our page
Key figures: sales of mobile and smartphones

Soon smartphones capable of simultaneous translation at Google?

Students and former students in foreign languages know: one of the most demanding disciplines still simultaneous translation, which requires good knowledge of the language of origin, speed of decision-making and ability to split the understanding of a foreign language and the oral transcription in his mother tongue, two operations to be performed simultaneously.

Not simple, to the point that it is often question, in the corridors of universities, the supposedly innate character of such a capability, or even a 'donation' or facilities granted to a few lucky. Scientist so, and yet nothing less than collapsible science to an equation or algorithms.

Babel Fish

Or even. Because if the rumored to be true - it would confirm in any case a real project which has a few years to counter - Google is about to achieve an old fantasy: the instant and universal translator. A "Babel Fish mobile, in reference to the fish yellow and absurd to H2G2: the Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Google isn't the first to work on the thorny issue. NTT DoCoMo, one of the main Japanese operators, has developed a Pocket translator, in form of application for smartphone, capable of understanding a priori quite a sentence in English and transcribe in Japanese, and vice versa. It was a big hit in Japan, especially since the widespread use of 4G (improvement of latency).

See this video of Android Central:

Obviously, the application of NTT DoCoMo is only a "first step" towards the universal translator. Allowing Google to assert its advance on the Japanese. Thus, Hugo Barra, vice-president of Android, estimated in an interview with the Times that what the giant, it is a PSMA translation: not more than a few seconds to have an oral translation of a sentence.

The goal is clear, and totally sticks to the fantasy: you speak in French, your caller hears and responds in Kyrgyz, you hear your turn in French. Useful for travel - a little spice less however, but each will do as he wishes.

The first prototypes are being developed. Obviously, it is still far a priori of telephone conversations completely translated in this way, even if it is something that Google has provide. Farewell then translation problems... And translators?

Smartphones: Sony found the road to success

Business: The new strategy of the Japanese is charged with almost 10 million smartphones sold in the second quarter against 8 million three months earlier.

Separating Ericsson for the design and manufacture of smartphones, and returning to its fundamental, namely the premium and design, Sony has managed to bounce in the highly challenging market of smartphones.

The figures are there. After having chained quarters of sales in decline, the Group reunites with growth since the implementation of this strategy, illustrated by the Xperia Z, the high-end model of the Japanese.

Back in the Green

In the second quarter, Sony has sold 9.6 million smartphones, against 8.1 million three months earlier, a figure already 82% over one year. Of course, the giant is still years light of a Samsung and is still not managed to regain the world Top5 sellers. But one thing is certain: the consumer appetite is back.

In financial terms, Sony Mobile back in green with a turnover of $ 3.9 billion, and a net income of 60 million dollars, against a loss three months earlier.

See also our page
Key figures: sales of mobile and smartphones

Key figures: sales of mobile and smartphones

Samsung and Apple crushes the competition-In the 2nd quarter of 2013, worldwide shipments of smartphones rose 52.3% to 237.9 million units. If the two giants of the sector, Apple and Samsung, see their sales increase over one year of respectively 20% and 43.9%, they did not lose market share less, sign of the intensification of competition on the market.

In the first quarter of 2013, 216.2 million smartphones have thus been delivered worldwide by manufacturers. Apple (17.3%) and Samsung (32.7%) two 50% of worldwide shipments of smartphones, with a net length in advance for Korean in terms of units: 70.7 million, against 37.4 for Apple - positioned on the value.

Samsung dominates Apple in Western - Europe In the first quarter of 2012, Apple had delivered 7 million iPhone in the European countries of the West, against 6.2 million this year, according to IDC. Samsung knows him any other fortune with a market share which increased from 39 percent to 45 percent with shipments of smartphones increase of 10.9 to 14.3 million units. As for Nokia, despite the turn on Windows Phone, it still continues to abandon the field.

Samsung remains the leader in 2012- In 2012, 722.4 million smartphones were sold worldwide, 46 per cent more than in 2011. Samsung maintains its leading position with 215.8 million units sold in the year, become Apple that displays 135.9 million iPhones sold. Nokia, HTC and RIM Announce much more modest performance that the two leaders, with equivalent sales ranging between 32.5 million (RIM) and 35.1 million units sold (Nokia).

Rejected - Nokia In terms of market share, Nokia is definitively excluded from the top 4 in 2012, and Samsung maintains its leading position in all the quarters, with a maximum of 32.3% in the second quarter. Apple, which occupies the second position, declined over the first three quarters with a minimum to 14.6% in Q3. Sony still trolling with a market share of around 4,5%, elbow to elbow with Chinese competitors, ZTE and Huawei.

Samsung leader Nokia in constant - recoil In 2013, the global market for mobile phones continues to grow but at a pace moderate 4% in the first quarter and 6% in the second. This is significantly less than on the segment of smartphones which has grown 40% and 50% over the same period. On the global mobile market, Samsung maintains its domination gained at the expense of Finland's Nokia. The latter is in net decline since the beginning of the year with deliveries of mobiles in decline of 25.1% in the first quarter of 2013 and 27% in the second.

Samsung past leader - In 2012, 1.7 billion of mobile have been sold in the world, for a very light regression of 1.7% from 2011. Samsung past leader before Nokia with 384.6 million units sold in the year against 333,9 million for Nokia. Apple, well below, is in the third position because it focuses on a market premium with 130.1 million iPhones sold. Motorola and RIM, in a Pocket handkerchief, occupy the last two places with sales around 34 million units.

In terms of market share, Samsung is mechanically leader, capturing 22% of the market, followed closely by Nokia to 19.1 per cent. Apple by far is third place, up to 7.5%. RIM and Motorola are still trolling with equivalent market share (around 2%).

Between 2008 and 2012 there is an increase in sales of smartphones in France from 1 million units sold to 13.5 million, an increase of 1250%. However, this growth slows from 2011, since the market is growing by 18.4% between 2011 and 2012.

Smartphones: Samsung dominates again Apple

According estimates supplied by Strategy Analytics, Samsung has in the second quarter largely dominated the global market for mobile devices by delivering 107 million devices in the space of three months.

The Korean manufacturer holds almost 28% of the global market. In the segment of smartphones, despite good sales of the iPhone (31.2 million units sold by Apple), Samsung remains largely front with 76 million terminals.

Nokia on the decline because of its classic phones

In the 2nd quarter, the Korean manufacturer to display a market share of 33%, when Apple reverses him 16.7% a year ago to 13.6%. "Apple's global market share is at its lowest since the second quarter of 2010," said Strategy Analytics leader, Neil Mawston.

The former glory of the mobile phone, Nokia continues to sink with mobile sales reduced by almost a third on a year. The market share of the Finnish thus fell from 22.5% to 15.5%.

If on the side of IDC, which delivered its estimates for the second quarter of 2013, the numbers are a little different, the trend remains the same. Over one year, the Smartphone market is growing 52.3% with 237.9 million units shipped worldwide.

Apple is progressing more slowly than the market and loses ground

And among the five leading manufacturers of smartphone, despite sales exceeding expectations, Apple is the one whose growth was more moderate: 20%. It is good, but at the same time, Samsung recorded an increase of 43.9% of its deliveries, LG, Lenovo and ZTE over 50% - and beyond 100% for the Chinese.

(Credit: IDC)

However, these progressions are to put into perspective because these manufacturers go much further down, and for Lenovo and ZTE, they are not as strong as Apple and Samsung global presence. However, for Apple, this competitive pressure translates directly into a decline in its market share to 13.1%. And Samsung has an equivalent spell.

See also our page
Key figures: sales of mobile and smartphones

A removable camera for Xperia smartphones?

Technology: Sony could propose an external camera that would attach to its Xperia smartphones with a magnet. The accessory would be equipped with sensor and the lens used in the digital camera DSC - RX100 II.

If Samsung and Nokia have chosen to integrate a camera powerful in their smartphone Galaxy S4 Zoom and Lumia 1020, Sony would be left on any other concept. According to SonyAlphaRumors, the Japanese brand has developed an external camera that will attach to the rear hull of its Xperia smartphones with a magnet.

NFC

The accessory comes in the form of a Carl Zeiss lens f/1.8 with a 20 megapixel Exmor R sensor found on the Sony DSC-RX100 II AFN.

With its own storage memory, it could be used separately or from a smartphone Xperia with which he would communicate through Bluetooth or NFC.

Another model with a less powerful sensor and a larger zoom would be expected. No commercialization date is advanced, but it would be no surprise to discover this product in September on the occasion of the IFA. (Eureka press)

See also our page
Key figures: sales of mobile and smartphones

Firefox OS : Deutsche Telekom annonce la disponibilité des smartphones en Pologne

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Le second smartphone Firefox OS à poser le coin de sa coque sur le sol européen est l'Alcatel One Touch Fire. Ce n'est pas une surprise, il était même annoncé par l'opérateur allemand Deutsche Telekom, alors que l'Espagnol Telefonica a misé sur le ZTE Open, commercialisé en Espagne.

Il sera bientôt disponible pour les consommateurs polonais, a annoncé l'opérateur à l'occasion d'une conférence de presse à Varsovie. La filiale de Deutsche Telekom dans le pays le mettra en vente à partir du 15 juillet prochain. La Pologne devient donc le second marché où les smartphones sous Firefox OS sont disponibles pour le grand public.

"Pas de verrou"

Nul besoin de chercher le principal argument de Firefox OS : il s'agit de son ouverture. "Il n'y a pas de verrou, tout le monde peut faire des applications," a martelé Andreas Gal, le vice-président de l'ingénierie, à Varsovie. Et si le modèle propriétaire d'Apple sur iOS est bien visé, Mozilla cible aussi les utilisateurs d'Android...

Car pour l'éditeur, malgré le caractère open source du système soutenu par Google, celui-ci reste fermé... à cause de son app store. L'argument est à double tranchant. D'abord parce que des app stores alternatifs se sont développés sur Android, et même sur iOS, moyennant un contournement de la sécurité de l'appareil.

Sur Firefox OS, "il n'y a pas de marketplace unique contrôlée par une entreprise unique. Et, plus important, la technologie de l'appareil n'est pas contrôlée par une entreprise unique. Nous essayons d'apporter HTML5 dans un espace où chacun peut créer."

Offert pour un abonnement à 9,25 euros

Pour les détracteurs du système, c'est également l'un de ses points faibles. Car l'ouverture peut poser des problèmes de sécurité, argument régulièrement martelé à l'encontre d'Android, supposé moins sécurisé car plus ouvert, par rapport à iOS ou Windows Phone.

La distribution des applications évoluera sans doute, aiguillée par les ratés ou les bonnes pratiques trouvées, voire inspirées de la concurrence. Reste que le pari de l'ouverture est intéressant, et assure d'ores et déjà à Firefox OS quelques soutiens de poids. L'engagement de Telefonica et de Deutsche Telekom en est la preuve, même si là encore, il faudra attendre de voir qui pourra tirer son épingle du jeu de la concurrence, sur le marché prometteur des smartphones d'entrée de gamme.

Pour comparaison, les offres les moins onéreuses pour les smartphones Firefox OS en Pologne débutent à 9,25 euros par mois, pour un téléphone offert par l'opérateur - ou presque, car l'utilisateur doit s'acquitter d'un zloty symbolique. Le modèle pourrait prendre, même si pour ce prix-là, il ne faudra pas attendre de l'Alcatel One Touch Fire qu'il soit un modèle de performances.

Le prochain pays à être fourni devrait être l'Allemagne, où les smartphones sont annoncés pour la fin de l'année. Ils seront commercialisés par Congstar, opérateur low-cost de Deutsche Telekom. Le groupe devrait également viser dans les mêmes dates la Hongrie (avec sa filiale Magyar Telekom), et la Grèce (Cosmote).

Voir aussi notre page
Chiffres clés : les OS pour smartphones

Smartphones : l'orginalité n'est pas gage de réussite

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Qu'est-ce qui ressemble le plus à un smartphone ? Un autre smartphone. C'est vrai qu'aujourd'hui, les designs exploités par les fabricants ne brillent pas par leur originalité.

En fait, depuis l'apparition du premier iPhone, le modèle rectangulaire avec gros bouton sur la partie inférieure semble être considéré, à quelques exception près, comme un standard incontournable.

On assiste en fait à une uniformisation assez malheureuse du design produit. Or, rappelez-vous le temps pas si lointain où les fabricants jouaient la carte de la forme pour se différencier avec des design très hétérogènes...

Faudrait-il alors renouer avec cette tendance pour se différencier ? Qui osera casser les codes pour imposer une nouvelle donne ? Personne. Car, la différence ne paye pas vraiment.

Anxiété

Une étude britannique réalisée par la Warwick Business School repérée par nos collègues de ZDNet.com montre en fait que le consommateur est avant tout attiré par un produit qui ressemble de près à celui de son voisin. Ca le rassure paraît-il...

"Apple et Samsung peuvent bien se battre à coup de plaintes pour violation de brevets, les clients apprécient le fait que leurs terminaux se ressemblent", souligne Qing Wang, professeur de Marketing dans cette école.

Et de préciser : "notre étude visait à vérifier si les similitudes entre les modèles de smartphones avaient un impact négatif sur la décision d'achat. Ce n'est pas le cas. En fait, cette ressemblance a pour conséquence de transférer la confiance d'une marque à l'autre".

Conclusion, jouer la carte de la différenciation par la forme n'est pas la meilleure politique. De la même manière "inonder le client de trop d'informations pourrait être contre-productif en générant auprès des consommateurs de l'anxiété lors du choix".

Bref, chers fabricants, continuez à fabriquer des smartphones sans aspérités, au design commun, c'est votre meilleure chance pour vous imposer...

A voir - Design : quand les mobiles jouaient la carte de l'originalité

HP confirms his return in smartphones but did not say when

Will HP make forget its disastrous strategy in smartphones? Recall that the giant had bet on webOS through the acquisition of Palm for a spot in this market.

But very quickly, the manufacturer had all stopped, paralysed by a commercial failure combined with a slowdown in PC sales, its core business. And fall by the wayside an investment of $ 1.2 billion, to the chagrin of the founder of Palm, Jon Rubinstein.

Despite this setback, HP, aware that it is vital to be present in this market, announced last September that a smartphone is in the pipes. This is what showed Meg Whitman, the patron saint of the group.

This announcement was confirmed these days by Su Yin, Director of the Consumer PC and Media Tablets for Asia-Pacific activity. "The question, are we going to offer a smartphone, the answer is Yes. It would be foolish for HP to ignore this market. HP must be in the game. But I can not give you planning."

"HP must be in the game"

HP thus delay in this matter would no problem raise according to the official. "This allows us to propose new approaches. Many things can be done, it is not too late to offer a different experience. ''

We want to believe it. Remains that with a market-dominated by very few players, HP should really innovate to hope to emerge. And the giant is expected on these strategic and technological choices.
The objective would particularly target markets where clients use smartphones as main unit. "Ultimately we need to offer a smartphone because in many countries this is the first computer terminal. There are countries in the world where most people don't have never of Tablet, of laptop or desktop PC (...) We are an it company and we must exploit this format,"said Meg Whitman in September.

Technologically after webOS, manufacturer psychodrama playing prudence, but the choice will necessarily between Android and Windows Phone. In the first case, HP may be embedded within a bloated offer in all types of ranges. Differentiate will be complicated.

The Windows Phone choice may be more relevant, the eco-system being primarily fed by a single player (Nokia). Furthermore, this choice have meaning in the context of compatibility with the administration tools for business offered by HP.

See also our page
Key figures: the OS for smartphones

Firefox OS: first smartphones available this week in Spain

The first Alcatel and ZTE under Firefox OS smartphones will be sold tomorrow. The first to launch will be Telefónica, Spanish operator and partner of Mozilla on Firefox OS. It will market in Spain, under its brand Movistar, ZTE Open.

This entry-level unit will not satisfy the most demanding of users, accustomed to high range on Android, iOS and Windows Phone terminals. This segment is clearly not in the heart of the strategy of Mozilla, and it will take these advanced users turn to phones for developers - if stocks return one day - for a little more power.

69 naked euros, 2.18 euros per month in subsidized

Sold to 69 euros, with 30 EUR included credit, ZTE Open marketed by Telefonica will also be subsidized at the rate of 2,38 euros per month for a commitment of 24 months. The target is clear and is confirmed: Mozilla and Telefónica aim people having not yet smartphone or refusing more expensive handsets by lack of need or budget.

Ultimately bother to wait for a machine of war, but with a 3.5 inch screen (480 x 320), 256 MB RAM, 512 MB of storage and a microSD included 4 GB, the device should do the trick for target users by the offer.

Other manufacturers on rows, it may appoint Alcatel, which will soon launch its One Touch Fire. Manufacturers will be distributed directly by operators partners, Telefonica and Deutsche Telekom, with launches planned before the end of the year in Spain, Eastern Europe, Central Europe and Latin America.

A smartphone sold by Telenor is example expected in Eastern Europe as early as 2013, while Deutsche Telekom should aim at an early date, a unit in Poland. Most popular Alcatel or ZTE manufacturers could also begin, since Mozilla counts among its partners Sony or LG.

Firefox also functional Marketplace

Firefox OS is an alternative to the dominant systems, especially for the 21% of mobile subscribers worldwide who don't have a smartphone, according to Kleiner Perkins figures cited by Mozilla. The Editor still promises the extension of its area of sale to "other markets by the end of the year".

We know that Western Europe is not in his line of sight, but perhaps there come from here, with more top-end smartphones? It will probably depend on the commitment of developers. If they are, according to Mozilla, more interested in Firefox OS by Tizen, Blackerry, or Kindle Fire, the arrival of top-of-the-range terminals is also linked to intensive applications (and vice versa).

For now, Firefox Marketplace, the app store of Mozilla, is equipped with a few essential applications: Nokia Here for navigation, Facebook and Twitter for social networks, Soundcloud for the sound, Terra, AccuWeather, the weather and a few EA games browser.

Other applications are integrated (the classic calculator, unit photo, etc), or to discover (Wikipedia, Airbnb, etc) on the web interface of the app store. Note that some are in good recovery of the mobile version of the site... So more or less optimized.

On the side of manufacturers, the Firefox OS experience must prove its relevance. Interviewed by ZDnet.fr, William Chhao, Director of sales of terminals for ZTE France explained: "we are pragmatic, it is a test we do request the operator Telefonica. But there's a real shot to play in the emerging countries with less than $ 50 terminals. Firefox OS can fill this niche. Will develop more products if the success for the operator is satisfactory. Remains that alternatives to iOS and Android have never really worked".

See also our page
Key figures: the OS for smartphones

Android holds more than 70% of the European market of smartphones

Android reigns over Europe. Kantar Worldpanel ComTech has published the figures for sales of smartphones for the period from March to may 2013. On the five main European countries (England, Germany, Spain, France and Italy), the Google OS represents 70.4% of sales in the period with an increase of 9.1% in one year. iOS is a distant second with 17.8% 1.4%.

Windows Phone is with Android mobile OS only to have seen its market share grow positively, from 4.3% to 4.2%. BlackBerry falls strongly by 7% to 2.5% of Symbian (from 5.4% to 1.2%).

65.2% of market share in France

If we take only the figures for the France, Android is 65.2% (+ 8.5%), ahead of iOS (17.9%), Windows Phone (7.4%), BlackBerry (2.9%) and Symbian (1.4%).

The study by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech also stresses the fact that nearly 50% of the smartphones sold in Europe during this period are of Samsung brand. But analysts point to a resurgence of Sony who became the 4th seller of smartphones in England. Across the channel, 38% of the buyers of a Xperia model are old Samsung users and Kantar believes that the Korean brand will have to be vigilant against competition who knows how to offer products combining quality of finish and use approval. (Eureka press)

See also our page
Key figures: the OS for smartphones

Firefox OS: the first smartphones arrive this week

The first Alcatel and ZTE under Firefox OS smartphones will be sold tomorrow. The first to launch will be Telefónica, Spanish operator and partner of Mozilla on Firefox OS. It will market in Spain, under its brand Movistar, ZTE Open.

This entry-level unit will not satisfy the most demanding of users, accustomed to high range on Android, iOS and Windows Phone terminals. This segment is clearly not in the heart of the strategy of Mozilla, and it will take these advanced users turn to phones for developers - if stocks return one day - for a little more power.

69 naked euros, 2.18 euros per month in subsidized

Sold to 69 euros, with 30 EUR included credit, ZTE Open marketed by Telefonica will also be subsidized at the rate of 2,38 euros per month for a commitment of 24 months. The target is clear and is confirmed: Mozilla and Telefónica aim people having not yet smartphone or refusing more expensive handsets by lack of need or budget.

Ultimately bother to wait for a machine of war, but with a 3.5 inch screen (480 x 320), 256 MB RAM, 512 MB of storage and a microSD included 4 GB, the device should do the trick for target users by the offer.

Other manufacturers on rows, it may appoint Alcatel, which will soon launch its One Touch Fire. Manufacturers will be distributed directly by operators partners, Telefonica and Deutsche Telekom, with launches planned before the end of the year in Spain, Eastern Europe, Central Europe and Latin America.

A smartphone sold by Telenor is example expected in Eastern Europe as early as 2013, while Deutsche Telekom should aim at an early date, a unit in Poland. Most popular Alcatel or ZTE manufacturers could also begin, since Mozilla counts among its partners Sony or LG.

Firefox also functional Marketplace

Firefox OS is an alternative to the dominant systems, especially for the 21% of mobile subscribers worldwide who don't have a smartphone, according to Kleiner Perkins figures cited by Mozilla. The Editor still promises the extension of its area of sale to "other markets by the end of the year".

We know that Western Europe is not in his line of sight, but perhaps there come from here, with more top-end smartphones? It will probably depend on the commitment of developers. If they are, according to Mozilla, more interested in Firefox OS by Tizen, Blackerry, or Kindle Fire, the arrival of top-of-the-range terminals is also linked to intensive applications (and vice versa).

For now, Firefox Marketplace, the app store of Mozilla, is equipped with a few essential applications: Nokia Here for navigation, Facebook and Twitter for social networks, Soundcloud for the sound, Terra, AccuWeather, the weather and a few EA games browser.

Other applications are integrated (the classic calculator, unit photo, etc), or to discover (Wikipedia, Airbnb, etc) on the web interface of the app store. Note that some are in good recovery of the mobile version of the site... So more or less optimized.

On the side of manufacturers, the Firefox OS experience must prove its relevance. Interviewed by ZDnet.fr, William Chhao, Director of sales of terminals for ZTE France explained: "we are pragmatic, it is a test we do request the operator Telefonica. But there's a real shot to play in the emerging countries with less than $ 50 terminals. Firefox OS can fill this niche. Will develop more products if the success for the operator is satisfactory. Remains that alternatives to iOS and Android have never really worked".

See also our page
Key figures: the OS for smartphones

HP confirms his return in smartphones

Will HP make forget its disastrous strategy in smartphones? Recall that the giant had bet on webOS through the acquisition of Palm for a spot in this market.

But very quickly, the manufacturer had all stopped, paralysed by a commercial failure combined with a slowdown in PC sales, its core business. And fall by the wayside an investment of $ 1.2 billion, to the chagrin of the founder of Palm, Jon Rubinstein.

Despite this setback, HP, aware that it is vital to be present in this market, announced last September that a smartphone is in the pipes. This is what showed Meg Whitman, the patron saint of the group.

This announcement was confirmed these days by Su Yin, Director of the Consumer PC and Media Tablets for Asia-Pacific activity. "The question, are we going to offer a smartphone, the answer is Yes. It would be foolish for HP to ignore this market. HP must be in the game. But I can not give you planning."

"HP must be in the game"

HP thus delay in this matter would no problem raise according to the official. "This allows us to propose new approaches. Many things can be done, it is not too late to offer a different experience. ''

We want to believe it. Remains that with a market-dominated by very few players, HP should really innovate to hope to emerge. And the giant is expected on these strategic and technological choices.
The objective would particularly target markets where clients use smartphones as main unit. "Ultimately we need to offer a smartphone because in many countries this is the first computer terminal. There are countries in the world where most people don't have never of Tablet, of laptop or desktop PC (...) We are an it company and we must exploit this format,"said Meg Whitman in September.

Technologically after webOS, manufacturer psychodrama playing prudence, but the choice will necessarily between Android and Windows Phone. In the first case, HP may be embedded within a bloated offer in all types of ranges. Differentiate will be complicated.

The Windows Phone choice may be more relevant, the eco-system being primarily fed by a single player (Nokia). Furthermore, this choice have meaning in the context of compatibility with the administration tools for business offered by HP.

See also our page
Key figures: the OS for smartphones

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