iThinkDifferent » Android

HTC Reveals Schedule for Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrades for its Android Phones

Imran — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:25:00 +0000

HTC Reveals Schedule for Ice Cream Sandwich Upgrades for its Android Phones

It’s been a while since Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was announced by Google – May 2011, to be exact. Google also announced efforts to ensure that OEMs push out Android updates quicker and support them on older devices but so far, none of the OEMs have delivered on this promise.

Samsung had announced its plans for the upgrades but we’ve yet to see any device receive an update. The timelines they provided were very vague and mentioned releases starting in 1st quarter of 2012.

Now, HTC has stepped up and announced their timelines for Ice Cream Sandwich update releases. Similar to Samsung, some of the devices have very vague update timelines.

“So, when will my HTC phone get Android 4.0?”

Soon. That’s what we can tell, specially if you bought it recently. Here are all the timelines they’ve provided:

End of March

HTC Sensation
HTC Sensation 4G
HTC Sensation XE
HTC Sensation XL

Later this Year

HTC Rezound
HTC Vivid
HTC Amaze 4G
HTC EVO 3D
HTC EVO Design 4G
HTC Incredible S
HTC Desire S
HTC Desire HD

More information on Ice Cream Sandwich releases will be available in the following weeks.

Why do these updates take so long ?

This is because each OEM has to make sure it works correctly with the set of customizations they provide whether its skin customization, software features or hardware features. HTC is famous for its Sense UI that it builds on top of Android. This UI not only provides a different look, it ships with many features that are not available by default in Android. While, in certain cases, people might find these as bloat, most people find them useful. Same is the case with other Android OEMs such as Samsung, Sony Ericsson and so on.

To make sure that you’re always using the latest version of Android, you can either buy a Google experience device such as Galaxy Nexus which ships with Android 4.0, or you can always try using Cyanogen Mod, which is a custom ROM and always manages to bring the latest Android version to phones before OEMs officially release it themselves. This comes at a cost of not having OEM specific customizations and skins, but some people are more than happy to have this tradeoff since it means having the default Android UI.

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How To Install Ice Cream Sandwich (Cyanogen Mod 9) on Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 [Guide]

Imran — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:38:51 +0000

How To Install Ice Cream Sandwich (Cyanogen Mod 9) on Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 [Guide]

I’ve been using a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 since sometime now. Thanks to the lag and issues, I was about to sell it off due to my disappointment with Honeycomb OS and unknown delivery timeline of the Ice Cream Sandwich update by Samsung when thanks to the Cyanogen Mod team, a preview of an Ice Cream Sandwich based ROM was made available which absolutely changed my mind.

Through the two days that I’ve used this ROM, also known as CM9 KANG build, I’ve been surprisingly pleased at how speedy it is – not only in terms of normal performance but the browser is as fast as Safari as iPad now. Even the built in apps such as Gmail, Google Talk, Gallery are improved.

The build is still not stable enough for use by the average Joe since camera, Bluetooth, HD video hardware acceleration don’t work well yet. Google Wallet keeps force closing as well as there are slight bugs here and there but nothing that is a show stopper and would make you want to go back to Honeycomb ( YUCK! ).

Here’s how you can also install Ice Cream Sandwich on your Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Keep in mind, this is just an alpha build and has no support what so ever. Make sure you back up your data as well.

Note: iTD wont be responsible for any data loss or device malfunction. Although, if you follow the guide correctly, there shouldn’t be any issue.

You would need to make sure your Tab is rooted and has Clockwork mod recovery installed. If it isn’t, follow our guide here to do so.
Download the CM9 KANG Ice Cream Sandwich ROM from here. Download GAPPS 4.0.3 from here. Copy these two files to your Tab storage.
Reboot into boot loader and go into CWM.
Wipe data and cache.
Go to Install zip.. and chose the ICS ROM zip file.
Once done, do the same but this time chose the GAPPS zip file.
Reboot. (It will take some time for the first reboot )

Google Wallet FC Issue Fix

To fix the Google Wallet force closing issue, just go to Settings > Apps > Google Wallet and disable it from running. The OS will show you a message about it being a default app etc etc, ignore it.

Enjoy ICS on your Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1! CM9 might be the best option we have to really enjoy Ice Cream Sandwich on our tablets because Samsung is sure to bloat it with their Touch Wiz UI when they officially release it.

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How To Root Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with Honeycomb Android 3.1/3.2 [All models]

Imran — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:09:21 +0000

How To Root Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with Honeycomb Android 3.1/3.2 [All models]

Despite all the features that Samsung Galaxy Tabs have such as screenshots and so on, apps like ROM manager, market enabler and so on still require that you have root access to your device. There are a few methods to root Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 but we’ll be sharing the quickest and simplest methods to do so for whichever model you might have. This method works with both Android 3.1 and 3.2 but make sure you follow the guide and use the files for your appropriate tablet model.

Before proceeding, make sure that you’ve backed up your important data to avoid any loss during the process.

Note: iTD wont be responsible for any data loss or device malfunction. Although, if you follow the guide correctly, there shouldn’t be any issue.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi [GTP7510]

Download the following files from this link. This includes the USB drivers, ODIN to flash the root files as well as the files themselves. Copy the root.zip to the root of your Tab’s storage.
First of all, install the Samsung USB drivers ( in case, you haven’t installed KIES )
Connect your Samsung Tab 10.1 WiFi model to your computer and hold down the power + volume down button to go into boot loader. Using volume buttons select Downloading mode.
Launch Odin, and in PDA, browse to the file recovery.md5 from the files you downloaded and click start. The process will complete and the Tab will restart.
Go into boot loader again and select recovery. Select, install zip from SD card and point to root.zip. Install it and reboot your Tab. That’s all, your Tab is now rooted.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 3G [GTP7500]

Download the root.zip file from here.
Copy this root.zip file into the root of your Tab’s storage.
Shut down your Tab. Hold down power + volume down buttons to go into the boot loader. Navigate to recovery and select install zip from SD card.
Navigate to the root.zip you copied and install it.
Reboot your Tab.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G [GTP7500]

Download these files: Kernel and Recovery
Copy these files to the root of the storage of your Tab.
Reboot into the boot loader by shutting down your Tab and then holding power + volume down button to start. Go into recovery.
Go to Install zip from SD card, Navigate to Kernel.zip and install it. Once done, go again to Install zip from SD card again and navigate to Recovery.zip to install it.
Reboot!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask them on our Facebook page.

Thanks XDA

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Is Google’s Android 4.0 Anything More Than Just Lipstick on A Pig?

Imran — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:24:13 +0000

Is Google’s Android 4.0 Anything More Than Just Lipstick on A Pig?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you must be well aware by now that Google and Samsung unveiled the next generation Nexus phone called Galaxy Nexus. Although I’m not a fan of the name, I like the specifications that Samsung has been able to cram into the phone. Seems like they threw in everything that Apple rumor sites were saying that the iPhone 5 would have like the tear drop design and so on. I wont go through all the details here but you can just catch up with them on our friends’ coverage of Ice Cream Sandwich at Redmond Pie.

Alright, all joking aside, the phone is a beauty. It’s an engineering marvel that I can only expect from Samsung, after Apple, and I can’t wait to get my hands on one. But, it’s got Android and as always, just like everyone else, I’ve had very high hopes from this new version of Android. It’s a complete new version that jumps from 3.x to 4.0 so you would expect that they’ve worked hard on fixing issues users have long been complaining about and what not. Sure, they fixed one of my major gripes with stock Android: the crappiest camera app ever. They finally added tap to focus, HD video recording and much more to the app. But at the launch event, there wasn’t really any mention of browser improvements or improved battery life. Oh, and the lag that all of us Android users are so accustomed to? It’s still there!

This is my next say the following in their hands-on coverage of the Galaxy Nexus phone:

As to overall performance, we saw a good deal of stutter in the Galaxy Nexus before us.

Oh boy..

Taps were not always recognized and there were occasional delays in performing an instruction, though in Google’s defense, it was a phone fully loaded with running tasks and the software is being continually improved and optimized (i.e. it’s not yet fully baked).

Why did Google and Samsung show us a half baked OS? Alright, it’s a work in progress but don’t we all use our Android phones fully loaded with running tasks? That’s no defense.

That having been said, it unfortunately remains the case that Android isn’t as swift and responsive as iOS or Windows Phone (or even MeeGo Harmattan on the N9). Or at least it wasn’t on the demo phone we got a look at. The subtle, pervasive lag that has characterized the Android UI since it inception is still there, which is not a heartening thing to hear when you’re talking about a super-powered dual-core device like the Galaxy Nexus.

This.

Google, why wont you just fix these issues? I don’t want lag in my Android phone or while swiping screens or while using the browser. I don’t want my phone to slow down after using it for a while and then resort to a task manager to gain some performance. I want a phone that just works for me and doesn’t make me work for it to use it well. I couldn’t care less about facial recognition and the people’s app or widgets that just eat the battery like chipmunks eating peanuts. We need the basics done right. Even Windows Phone 7 has got that covered.

When will Google listen? I just hope that what This is my next saw was a work in progress and the shipping version doesn’t have these issues.

iThinkDifferent - All things different about Microsoft, Apple, Google and the Internet.

New Android Malware Discovered, Hiding as Google+ app, recording your phone calls and more!

David — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 05:56:24 +0000

New Android Malware Discovered, Hiding as Google+ app, recording your phone calls and more!

Attention Android Users! A new Malware has been discovered on the Android System that disguises itself as Google+ and has the ability of recording calls, and collecting data such as SMS messages and more. The app is listed in the list as Google++.

A quote from Trendlabs, which is the group that discovered the Malware, stated that:

ANDROIDOS_NICKISPY.C is capable of collecting data such as text messages, call logs, and GPS location from infected devices, which it then uploads to a certain URL through port 2018. Like other ANDROIDOS_NICKISPY variants, ANDROIDOS_NICKISPY.C also has the capability to record phone calls made from infected devices.

The malware not only records your phone calls, but it automatically answers your phone calls in the background. After it answers the call, it puts the phone into silent mode and then shows the home screen.

Like other ANDROIDOS_NICKISPY variants, ANDROIDOS_NICKISPY.C also has the capability to record phone calls made from infected devices. What makes this particular variant different is that it has the capability to automatically answer incoming calls.

This new malware hasn’t made it’s way into the Android Market yet, and instead is installed via a malicious website. Removal of this new malware is rather easy, all you need to do is check the applications that are installed on your phone. If you discover the Google++ app is installed, remove it immediately. This is the malware hiding in your system. Subscribe to our RSS Feed and keep following us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for all the latest news, updates and more [via techcrunch]

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Google To Acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 Billion – Read All About It!

Imran — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:06:40 +0000

Google To Acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 Billion – Read All About It!

Just when you thought that the patent wars couldn’t get any crazier, Google, out of nowhere, announces that it is acquiring Motorola Mobility ( Motorola’s mobile division only ) for a whooping $12.5 Billion! Before you can say that out completely, let us tell you the single reason behind this acquisition: Android. Or ‘supercharging Android’ as Google puts it.

Google has done what no one could have predicted through out all the patent hoopla that has been going on in the recent past, more importantly the much publicized spat between Google and Microsoft. Acquiring Motorola provides Google a totally of 17,000+ patents with 7,500 pending. That’s a huge number of patents as Motorola has been in the industry for a long time now.

Motorola has a history of over 80 years of innovation in communications technology and products, and in the development of intellectual property, which have helped drive the remarkable revolution in mobile computing we are all enjoying today. Its many industry milestones include the introduction of the world’s first portable cell phone nearly 30 years ago, and the StarTAC—the smallest and lightest phone on earth at time of launch. In 2007, Motorola was a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance that worked to make Android the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. I have loved my Motorola phones from the StarTAC era up to the current DROIDs.
In 2008, Motorola bet big on Android as the sole operating system across all of its smartphone devices. It was a smart bet and we’re thrilled at the success they’ve achieved so far. We believe that their mobile business is on an upward trajectory and poised for explosive growth.
Motorola is also a market leader in the home devices and video solutions business. With the transition to Internet Protocol, we are excited to work together with Motorola and the industry to support our partners and cooperate with them to accelerate innovation in this space.
Motorola’s total commitment to Android in mobile devices is one of many reasons that there is a natural fit between our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers everywhere.

Motorola has been one of the earlier Google partners for Android and have shipped quiet a few phones called Droids with some of them even having sequels. While Motorola’s Android handsets aren’t as well received in the public as HTC or Samsung’s, Motorola is a major player in the US cellular market. To prove this as true, the latest figures show that Motorola actually sold more feature phones than smart phones recently. To put this into perspective, we don’t even know about Motorola’s latest feature phones but we’re fully aware of their smart phone portfolio.

Despite the acquisition, Google doesn’t seem to be aiming at becoming a software+hardware manufacturer. Motorola will still be treated as a separate business and a licensee of Android while at the same time keeping Android ‘open’. Motorola had recently shown interest in producing Windows Phone 7 devices so we are not sure how this will affect that decision now.

This acquisition will not change our commitment to run Android as an open platform. Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. We will run Motorola as a separate business. Many hardware partners have contributed to Android’s success and we look forward to continuing to work with all of them to deliver outstanding user experiences.

Google is using this acquisition to once again point fingers at Microsoft and Apple and their anti-competitive patent attacks at Android OEMs. Google is bent on believing that Microsoft and Apple should stand and watch while their intellectual property rights are blown away to bits and Google is allowed to use their innovations in Android and give it away for free. Microsoft and Apple have years and billions worth of research going into their patent portfolio and here at iTD, we believe in respecting that instead of stealing them in the name of ‘open’. Google had previously cried foul on the Nortel patents sale as well.

It is yet to see if this acquisition will be helpful to Google in fighting off Oracle’s lawsuit as well for patent and copyright infringement involving Java against Android. In the past, Apple had also sued HTC due to patent infringement – this was the first time Android came under attack for patent or lawsuit infringement. Microsoft followed up by suing HTC as well while Apple has sued Samsung and actually halted their sales in certain countries through court orders.

One thing is clear for now – whether this deal proves to be any improvement for Android ( let’s be honest – Motorola created MotoBlur and hasn’t updated a huge number of their smartphones to latest Android versions ), Google surely has a lot more arsenal under their belt to face Microsoft and Apple with in courts.

iThinkDifferent - All things different about Microsoft, Apple, Google and the Internet.

Google Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” Leaked [PHOTOS]

Haras — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:16:19 +0000

Google Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” Leaked [PHOTOS]

Google announced Android Ice Cream Sandwich this year at Google IO. We haven’t heard about the update ever since. Well, today, thanks to AndroidPolice and RootzWiki, we have several leaked images to show you of Google Android’s next major update.

Images show numerous small changes to the UI, that are not present in the current OS (Gingerbread). For instance, the orange and green highlights and icons have been changed to blue.

The leakster claims that the Gmail application has been redesigned to fit the new UI, and the camera application now allows panoramic images to be taken. While these aren’t huge features, definitely not the ones we were expecting, they’re nice additions to the core platform.

Aside from the UI, Gmail and Camera application changes, nothing else was mentioned. This leaves us to this that Google is still actively working on the update, and there will be more to this update that we have seen.

Google revealed Android Ice Cream Sandwich to the world during Google IO earlier this year. This update for smartphones is to eliminate the barrier between phone and tablet (like iOS). This update will unify the mobile and tablet operating system into one.

(via Neowin)

iThinkDifferent - All things different about Microsoft, Apple, Google and the Internet.

Apple iCloud VS Windows Live Services VS Google Services

Haras — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:39:03 +0000

Apple iCloud VS Windows Live Services VS Google Services

Remember the good old days of Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail, the time we only had a megabyte or two of storage? And then when Google announced Gmail with 1GB of storage, that seemed unbelievable.

Those days are long gone, Yahoo! seems to have disappeared, Microsoft did a complete refresh to their services, Google has more services than we care to know and new competitors have entered the market.

The three most incredible online services are the old Windows Live Services, Google services and the new, unborn Apple iCloud.

There is no doubt that all three of these services are to aid their respective mobile operating systems. All three tech giants want their customers to have a seamless experience. The question is who does it best?

Mail, Calendars, Contacts

Email is one of the most important needs in our lives today. Without it, we can’t communicate with our friends and family. With all the business work, school work and household work we have today in our lives, it is essential that we have Calendars that are smart and can notify us of an event before it’s too late. Most people today, also have hundreds if not thousands of contacts in their lives. Important and exporting them individually could be (almost) impossible. For all three of these services, we need storage, synchronization and a seamless experience.

All three services offer a great way to do all of this. Now it’s time to go into details.

Gmail: This service has been around for quite some time. In this time, it has had quite some time to evolve, and it has. Users now get over 7GB of storage, and all of this data can be synced very easily. Email, Contacts and Calendars used to be different apps, however now Contacts is integrated in Mail, but Calendars still lacks. This should be alright for most users, but for those who need to make calendar appointments regularly; this could a slight problem.

Hotmail: Microsoft’s service has been here for a little longer, but unfortunately Microsoft didn’t add much functionality to the service until recently. But, thankfully the service looks so much better today than it did six months ago. Users get 25GB of storage, which is more than enough for the average user. Email, Calendars and Contacts are synced quite well, there is one app where you can do everything, opposed to Gmail which has several applications which users need to visit to achieve an action.

iCloud: Apple’s iCloud is new to this game. In fact, it hasn’t even been released yet. According to Apple, this service is set to have better synchronization. The service will completely sync all email, contacts and calendars. One very compelling feature of iCloud is that it works with your existing iPhone apps, so there’s no need to install new apps or to visit a webpage. Another ‘feature’ Apple is really promoting is that there is no ads whatsoever. Apple’s service limits the storage at 5GB.

Winner: Google. They have been doing a great job in improving their service over the years and it works great. Gmail can work on virtually every smartphone. And that’s why they are the winner here.

Backup Services

Using cables to sync your phone is so 2010. Today, we want to wirelessly sync our data, and “cut the cord” to our PC.

Google: Google offers a service that backups all of the user’s phone settings and applications. This way, when the users decides to get a new Android phone, they can automatically get all of their applications back, without having to back it up manually. There is no limit to how much data can be stored.

Windows Live Services: Microsoft does not back up any user data from the phone to the cloud as of now.

iCloud: Apple has again stepped up the game here. iCloud is said to sync user applications (including App data), iBooks, music, device settings, SMS & MMS, ringtones and list goes one. All of this data is synchronized seamlessly between devices. The user only needs to sign in once, when setting up their iOS device. On top of all of this, Photo Stream also syncs the last 1,000 photos taken or imported, which none other services offer. Furthermore, documents are also synced between user devices.

Winner: Apple. This is clear, no-one comes near Apple in backing up data. They have nailed it.

Find My Phone

Loosing your phone can be very frustrating, whether it’s under the couch or really stolen. Not having the ability to their where you’re phone is, can be a deal-breaker for some.

Google: There is no official way to find your lost or stolen phone on Android.

Windows Live: Windows Phone users can find their lost or stolen phone, using GPS coordinates or using nearby WiFi signals. The service is very similar to Find My iPhone by Apple. Users are able to make their phone ring, send a message and view the location on a map.

iCloud: Apple has shifted MobileMe’s Find My iPhone service to iCloud. The service is basically the same. It allows users to track their phone using GPS or WiFi signals, make it ring and send a message. In addition, this service also allows Mac users to “Find My Mac”.

Winner: Apple, Microsoft. Both services are almost identical, but Apple can get a slight edge due to the “Find My Mac” service.

Extras

We have covered three most important features a user may want when choosing a service. There are more features a user may like as an addition.

Google: Google has countless services, we discover new ones every day. Anyway, other services that you may like are Google Docs which lets you create and edit documents. The service only has an online version, and can be accessed from a desktop, tablet or phone. Google Music is also another great service, it will allow users to purchase and upload their existing music to the cloud. The service is currently in beta, and pricing has not yet been announced.

Windows Live: Like Google, Microsoft also allows users to use online documents editing for free, the service is very advanced but is very slow and sluggish. As users get 25GB of storage, they can upload more-than-needed documents, photos and videos and share them with friends.

iCloud: For music lovers, Apple has iTunes in the Cloud, which will let you sync your music online. So, it gets to all of your devices instantly. In addition, it will upgrade your songs to 256kbps AAC for an annual fee of $24.99. Users can also create documents on their Macs, iPhone, iPod and iPads and they will be synchronized seamlessly. Apart from iTunes Match all other Apple services are free.

Winner: Apple. Once again, they have nailed it. They have kept prices down, and offered more than anyone else.

Conclusion

While all three of these services are great, and offer a great way to do mail, backups and find your stolen phone. Which one should you have?

The answer is much harder than you might expect. In today’s tech industry, whether companies say they are open or not, they are acting very closed and exclusive. That is clearly visible from all three of these services, they support all operating systems to some extent, but the core features are only supported by their respective operating systems.

Google claims they are “open”, but lately they have been the complete opposite. We don’t know why, it could be because Apple won’t allow it. But, that doesn’t matter to the consumer. They want the best, and don’t care why a service doesn’t have certain features.

All in all, Google, Microsoft and Apple have/are doing a great job with their online services. But, clearly Apple is the best here. They are new, and may not look the best at first but they are a whole bunch of these small features. And it is these that make Apple the winner of the best online service provider.

iThinkDifferent - All things different about Microsoft, Apple, Google and the Internet.

TouchWiz OTA Update For Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Available On August 5

ICEMAN — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:40:57 +0000

TouchWiz OTA Update For Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Available On August 5

Samsung is ready to release an OTA update for all its Galaxy Tab 10.1 users this Friday i.e August 05, 2011. The update consists of TouchWiz UX, custom designed for Galaxy 10.1 Tablet running Android Honeycomb 3.1 OS. At a special event held in NewYork yesterday, Samsung has already upgraded some of the Galaxy 10.1 tablets to the new UI. In addiction to the UI enhancements, the update will also include Amazon Music Player, Words with Friends, Swype, Social Hub, Samsung Media Hub & also the Kindle software.

Samsung TouchWiz UX is specifically designed to work with Android Honeycomb 3.1 to optimize the large screen tablet user experience with better multi-tasking and enhanced visuals. It includes the following UI enhancements:

Live Panel: Magazine-like widget view for immediate access to weather, social updates, email, news, photo gallery, all on the home screen. The visual layout of Live Panel is completely customizable for one-touch entry into each user’s most important information.
Mini Mode Tray: One-touch access to commonly used applications—Task Manager, Calendar, World Clock, Pen Memo, Calculator, Music—which overlay in a pop-up window on display screen for powerful multi-tasking.
Clipboard: Advanced copy & paste functionality allows Galaxy Tab 10.1 users to store photos, Web pages, YouTube links, etc., on the clipboard for easy sharing via email and social network sites.
Indicator Quick Panel: Quickly toggle on/off Wi-Fi, notifications, sound, brightness and settings in lower right hand corner of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 display.
Photo Editor: Rotate, crop and adjust colors on high quality digital images

You can read the full press release here.

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iThinkDifferent - All things different about Microsoft, Apple, Google and the Internet.

Google: Apple And Microsoft Have Teamed Up Against Us

Haras — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:25:45 +0000

Google: Apple And Microsoft Have Teamed Up Against Us

Google’s Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer David Drummond posted a blog entry on Google’s official blog, criticising Apple and Microsoft for teaming up against Google.

He says that the two tech giants together with Oracle and other companies have “jumped into bed together” to start a “hostile, organized campaign against Android”.

The article claims these companies are buying patents from bankrupt companies like Nortel and Novell to stop others from innovating. He also claims that Microsoft is charging $15 for every Android device being sold, to make Android devices more expensive and to make sure Google doesn’t get to buy the Nortel patents.

Drummond claims this is a very “anti-competitive strategy”, which makes it more difficult and expensive for companies to manufacture Android devices. He does however say that Google understands the technology and knows it’s a very competitive market.

We’re not naive; technology is a tough and ever-changing industry and we work very hard to stay focused on our own business and make better products. But in this instance we thought it was important to speak out and make it clear that we’re determined to preserve Android as a competitive choice for consumers, by stopping those who are trying to strangle it.

From the other side of the fence, Microsoft has also replied to the situation. The matter was handled by Microsoft’s General Counsel, Brad Smith who said that they openly asked Google to bid jointly for Nortel patents, but Google refused.

In addition, Microsoft’s Chief Frank Shaw also commented by a tweet backing up Smith’s story. Shaw claims he had emailed Kent Walker regarding the Nortel patents before too.

The email says the following:

Brad –

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you — I came down with a 24-hour bug on the way back from San Antonio. After talking with people here, it sounds as though for various reasons a joint bid wouldn’t be advisable for us on this one. But I appreciate your flagging it, and we’re open to discussing other similar opportunities in the future.

I hope the rest of your travels go well, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

– Kent

(via WinRumors)

iThinkDifferent - All things different about Microsoft, Apple, Google and the Internet.