Category Archives: App stores
3 UK gets into bed with the Nokia Ovi store
Rating: You need a Symbian ^3 phone, like the X7, to benefit though
Now that Vodafone has partnered with Google’s Android Market (see our previous story here), it seems that 3UK has followed suit. But not with Google – it’s gone with Nokia and the Ovi apps store. However, it seems that only those with the very latest Symbian ^3 handsets such as the Nokia C7, Nokia E7 and Nokia N8 will be able to access the special ‘Three Likes’ page. Plus the Nokia X7, of course, because that particular handset is available now exclusively in the UK through 3. The handset features a built-in app that integrates fully with a new version of the Ovi Store that appeared this week [July 2011]. The move shows that Nokia’s Ovi store is far from dead as its rivals like to paint it. Continue reading
Vodafone offers Android Market channel
Rating: Whole bunch of extra content
After quietly shelving its Vodafone 360 offering, it seems that Vodafone has caught the Android bug. As of July 4th ( which co-incidentally is American Independence Day), those with Android handset on the Vodafone network will be able to see a new tab which should appear on the homepage of Android Market. GoMo News can’t find its working Vodafone SIM card so we can’t confirm the tab is there yet. Anyway, if you can see it, then you should have access to a regularly updated selection of Vodafone services as well as news, sport, information and gaming apps Apparently, all the content is sourced from Vodafone’s global and local partnerships – on an exclusive, free or discounted basis. Continue reading
Orange UK offers free Windows Phone apps – we think
Rating: You have to be set properly up to see ‘em
What a nice gesture. Orange UK has decided to give away a free app a day to those owning Windows Phone handsets on its network during July [2011]. It claims that customers will able to download a total of 31 individual apps worth more than £70. Great. But what are these apps? Ah, there’s the rub. Only those with Windows Phone handsets connected to the Orange network – and with the Orange App shop app downloaded – are able to see them. So we can’t tell you whether they’re great or naff. Continue reading
Free ebook on how to grow your mobile app business
Rating: Actually it’s a plug for Fiksu’s acquisition platform
This is a topic which will be close to the hearts of many GoMo News readers: – ‘Best Practices for Growing your Mobile App Business’. We spotted an advert for a free ‘ebook’ on the Mobile Crunch web site and the title grabbed our attention. Especially since the sub-heading is ’Proven ways to increase your ROI and get your app in the hands of loyal users’. The ebook is, in fact, a 19 page PDF file and its publisher is Fiksu – a company which we have covered on numerous occasions here at GoMo News. See Cian’s explanatory article here. So it turns out this ebook is a hidden plug for Fiksu’s ‘Fiksu for Mobile Apps user acquisition platform. Continue reading
How to convince Android Market you’re in USA
Rating: All you need is a US SIM card
Whilst researching a story about Hulu Plus (see here), it was very frustrating for GoMo News to be unable to test the actual application itself. Google’s Android Market wouldn’t allow a download of the app to our PC because none of the Android handsets associated with our account was classified as having connected via a US network. We’ve found a workable solution which involves inserting a SIM card into the handset which belongs to a US based network. In our case we happened to have an old Cingular (AT&T) SIM card kicking around. However, you can probably buy a pre-paid US SIM card via eBay or Amazon quite easily. Continue reading
GetJar admits app recommendation doesn’t really work [UPDATED]
GetJar is one of the biggest app stores in the world – and it’s the very largest that allows any phone to download apps. No matter your device, you’ll find something that will work on it at GetJar. Today it has announced that it is building social features into the GetJar portal using Facebook. Continue reading
Stop Bill Shock NOW!
Yikes, here I am at Mach Insights in Berlin and to be honest, I am having a great time. I watched some great presentations from Informa (Mark Newman and Pamela Clark-Dickson) and from Vesa Terava from the European Commission.
What did I learn?
Continue reading
Telegraph Media and Color partner for the Royal wedding via iphone app
Telegraph has joined forces with Color to bring together live eye-witness photos of the royal wedding and the celebrations going on across the country, effectively creating a snapshot of Britain on the 29th of April 2011.
Continue reading
fring offers 4-way video calling for Android & iPhone
Rating: Anytime, anywhere group video for free
Sticking two fingers up to those peddling expensive video conferencing hardware, video software specialist, fring claims to have launched the world’s first group video call service for both iPhone and Android handsets. It’s available immediately for from the Apple iTunes App Store and the Android Market (just search for Fring). The best news is that you can conference with up to three other friends simultaneously for free. Plus – unlike certain other offerings – in addition to working over Wi-Fi, it will also work over 3G and so-called 4G using fring’s proprietary DVQ technology. Continue reading
Out of the media spotlight? Lauch your own iPhone app
Rating: Seems to be working for Charlie Sheen
What do you do if you’re a famous Hollywood actor but your star seems to be on the wane? Ignore the Big Screen and go for the fourth screen by launching your own iPhone app. That’s exactly what Hollywood Bad Boy, Charlie Sheen has done by launching ‘The MaSheen’ app for the iPhone. It will set you back a £1.79 and is described by one iTunes App Store reviewer as “the only officially Sheenius app”. He’s obviously still got his fans, although the app appears to need a bit of tweaking as one of the videos crashes according to another reviewer. Continue reading
Apple changes to mobile app ranking system are a great idea
Last week, we covered the launch of a new app marketing company called Fiksu here on GoMo News. The company is dedicated to ensuring that your app gets the greatest visibility possible on app stores, through acquiring users rather than downloads. As various sources noted that Apple seems to have changed the way it ranks applications, Fiksu has released a claim that the changes are based on what category the app is in – for example, Social Networking apps seem to now be more heavily weighted in the rankings than gaming apps. Continue reading
GetJar responds to IDGA rant vs Amazon
Rating: Apparently, all’s not fair …
The International Game Developers Association (IDGA) has recently written an open letter to online app store Amazon about unfair pricing practices on Amazon App store. It can be found here. The letter says, “The IGDA has significant concerns about Amazon’s current Appstore distribution terms and the negative impact they may have on the game development community, and we urge developers to educate themselves on the pros and cons of submitting content to Amazon. This letter has inspired Patrick Mork, CMO of GetJar, to blog about the matter himself. Continue reading
Nokia’s Ovi stats impress
Rating; Yes but are 158 developers now millionaires?
On March 12th 2001 (today), Nokia has released some very impressive stats for its Ovi Store. It claims the store has grown by nearly eight times compared to the same time last year [2010]. Nokia’s app store now achieves 5 million downloads per day. 15 per cent of those daily downloads go to Symbian ^3 devices. To put that into perspective, Apple is clocking up around 30 million downloads per day according to Uberpshones here. Continue reading
Android Market ignores the Unbanked
Rating: Plenty of options with iTunes App Store. though
The concept that potentially huge numbers of customers don’t have access to a bank account, let alone a credit card seems to bypass giant corporations and Google is no exception. In the UK, GoMo News has found it impossible to pay for Android apps without borrowing somebody else’s card. By contrast, the number of opportunities to pay for goods on Apple’s iTunes App Store seem to be constantly increasing. Continue reading
A cutting insight into Windows Marketplace
Rating: It’s not all bad says IDC’s Delaney
A research note put out by IDC director, John Delaney, shows that everything isn’t quite as dire for Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Marketplace as things might initially appear. For starters, Windows Phone users appear to be very heavy consumers of apps. He also points out that when you compare the number of apps Windows Phone has after five months, to how many the iPhone had after five months, Microsoft isn’t lagging that far behind. Continue reading
