Report: Huawei was the most profitable Android manufacturer in Q3

Strategy Analytics has released an interesting report, showcasing the global operating profit shares for smartphone manufacturers in the third quarter of the year.

According to the report, the smartphone industry generated $9.4 billion in profits in Q3. Apple came out on top, as it took home the vast majority of it — 8.5 billion to be exact (91%). But what's even more interesting, is that for the first time in its history, Huawei came in at second place.

Huawei is the most profitable Android manufacturer in Q3.

This means that the company now prides itself as the most profitable Android manufacturer on the market. Huawei accounted for 2.4 percent of the industry profits, which comes out at around $0.2 billion.

Neil Mawston, the executive director over at Strategy Analytics, believes that Huawei's success in the quarter is based on their efficient supply chain, effective marketing, and a strong product lineup. The company does have quite a few great devices on offer like its flagship P9, which sold over 9 million units globally so far and the newly announced Huawei Mate 9.

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Meanwhile, the third and fourth names on the list are Vivo and Oppo, which are not lagging that far behind Huawei. Each of the two companies captured 2.2 percent of the global smartphone profit share (around $0.2 billion). They were able to pull it off by releasing great-looking devices that offer an excellent price-performance ratio. Increased demand for smartphones across the Asian continent obviously helped them quite a bit as well.

It is interesting to see that the top three most profitable smartphone manufacturers are all based in China. This goes to show that consumers really are getting more price-conscious when buying a new device as these three companies are known to attract customer's attention with their affordable prices.

So, what do you think about this report? Did you expect Huawei to come out on top in the Android world?

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Tor-enabled Android prototype platform is heavy on security

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A developer at the famed anonymous communication software network, Tor, wants to show the world that Android can be much more secure than it is right now. The developer, Mike Perry, has released a prototype, which he nicknames "Mission Improbable". It uses the Copperhead OS as its basis and also uses OrWall, an Android firewall that runs all traffic through Tor.

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The prototype platform only works with Google's Nexus and Pixel devices at the moment. That's because those are the only Android products, according to Perry, that can "install their own keys to retain both the ability to modify the device, as well as have the filesystem security provided by verified boot." However, this software is not the first stage in Tor creating its own smartphone. Perry says this launch is mainly to show that a smartphone can be created "that respects user choice and freedom, vastly reduces vulnerability surface, and sets a direction for the ecosystem with respect to how to meet the needs of high-security users".

This prototype is definitely not for the casual smartphone owner; indeed Perry says it will require familiarity with Linux in order to install it successfully. If you have the skills, you can download the "Mission Improbable" files via GitHub at the link below.

Get it at GitHub

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Re-Volt3, a new RC car game for Android, speeds into the Google Play Store

Playing with remote control cars is fun for all ages, and developer WeGo Interactive tapped into that well of entertainment with the first two games in its Re-Volt series of mobile games. Today, the developer officially launched its latest free-to-play entry in the series, Re-Volt3, for Android devices in the Google Play Store.

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You'll have access to over 50 RC cars in Re-Volt3, including regular racing vehicles along with buggies and monster trucks. Players can customize the look of their RC cars with a variety of paint colors and skins, and they can upgrade certain parts to get more performance.

WeGo Interactive says Re-Volt3 has more realistic looking graphics and improvement in its controls compared to previous games in this series. It includes a single player storyline mode with over 100 stages to complete, with rewards to be won from completing achievements and going up in the rankings. The game also has online multiplayer features, allowing players to compete with other from around the world in a variety of game modes.

If you are a fan of the first two Re-Volt games, what do you think of WeGo's work on Re-Volt3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Get it at Google Play

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Alcatel Idol 4S is now $350 without its bundled VR headset at Amazon

Earlier this year, Alcatel launched the Idol 4S smartphone for $399.99. In an industry first, that price also included a virtual reality headset that was bundled with the 5.5-inch smartphone. Today, the company is offering the same phone with a $50 discount down to $349.99 on Amazon. However, the phone at this price does not come bundled with the VR headset, nor with the previously included Incipio case.

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This will likely be a welcome change for consumers who may not care for virtual reality features (at least, not yet) but still want to get a solid unlocked Android smartphone like the Idol 4S. The phone still comes with a 1440 x 2560 Quad HD Super AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board storage, with a microSD card slot for adding up to 512GB of additional storage. Other features include a 16MP rear camera, an 8MP front-facing camera and a 3,000mAh battery.

If you really want to get into virtual reality, don't fret: the same phone is still available with the VR headset for its regular price of $399.99. Will you be checking out the Alcatel Idol 4S now that you can buy it without the bundled accessories?

Get it at Amazon

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Soon you will know if your new microSD card can run apps well on your phone

Internal storage on a smartphone or tablet can quickly be used up by lots of apps, which is why having an microSD card slot for those devices is becoming more important. This week, the group that handles specifications for those cards, the SD Association, announced the Application Performance Class, which is designed to label SD and microSD cards that over solid performance for mobile apps.

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Since the launch of Android 6.0 Marshmallow in 2015, Android devices could use the Adoptable Storage feature, allowing microSD cards to be added to a phone's amount of internal storage, rather than as a separate storage item. This week's launch of the Application Performance Class specification, which is part of the overall SD Specification 5.1, is supposed to give consumers a heads-up on which of those cards are best suited for running apps. Those cards will likely be solid performers in Adoptable Storage situations.

Cards with the "A1" symbol, as shown above, have been approved for the first level of the new Application Performance Class specification. If you see that symbol on a microSD card, that means it can meet or exceed certain standards, such as Random Read Input-Output (IOPS) of 1,500 per second, Write IOPS of 500 per second, and Sustained Sequential performance of 10MB per second.

In addition to the new A1 label on microSD cards, the symbol could also be shown on new smartphones and tablets, to make sure consumers know that their device and their card can run apps with a high enough degree of performance.

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Google Pixel and Pixel XL see huge discounts at Verizon this Black Friday

If you don't mind being locked into a two-year payment plan, Verizon has a really, really good deal on the Google Pixel and Pixel XL.

From this Thursday, November 24 through Friday, November 25, Verizon is selling the 32GB Google Pixel and Pixel XL for an incredibly low $10 per month, while the 128GB Pixel and Pixel XL are going for just $15 per month. That means, essentially, both 32GB models will cost you only $240 in all, and the 128GB versions will cost only $360. As you may recall, the 32GB Pixel and Pixel XL normally start at a hefty $649 and $769, respectively, making this one of the best Pixel deals we've seen thus far.

This is one of the best Pixel deals we've seen thus far

Before we get too excited, there's a hefty dose of fine print we should talk about first.

To get the deal, you'll need to purchase your Pixel or Pixel XL on a standard device payment plan. After roughly 2-3 months, Verizon will start applying monthly bill credits to your account to make up for the discount. So, if you were to buy the 32GB Pixel on a payment plan, for instance, you'd get a total of $409 ($649 full retail price – $240) spread out over 24 months. In order to get the full discount, that line will need to be active for the full 24 months.

So no, you're not getting these phones for $10 or $15 per month the simple way. But if you can get past the few caveats listed above, you'll end up saving yourself quite a bit of money in the long run.

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This deal will be available both online and in-store, so you can even buy your new Google phone from the comfort of your home.

If the Pixel phones aren't for you, Verizon is also letting new customers take $200 off any Android smartphone priced $400 or higher when they switch to Verizon or add a line from November 24-27. Alternatively, current customers can save $100 on any Android phone priced $400 or higher. In both cases, you'll need to activate your new phone on a payment plan to get the discount.

Oh, and one other thing – Verizon, just like many other retailers, is selling the Google Home for just $99, which is a steal.

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T-Mobile offers “free” phones and more for Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend

Following its "Magenta Friday" sales event last weekend, T-Mobile is offering Thanksgiving and Black Friday shoppers some deals on new phones, plus a nice offer for people who are traveling to their loved ones by plane. The deals include a way to get a "free" Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge or LG V20.

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Of course, "free" is a bit of a misnomer. In this particular case, if you trade in a qualified phone and sign up for either an T-Mobile ONE or Simple Choice Unlimited plan, you can get one or more of those phones, along with an iPhone 7, and pay just the sales tax up front. Your bill will get credits for 24 months, making those phones free if you stick with it for two years. T-Mobile is also offering people who switch lines to the carrier $200 on a prepaid MasterCard card for each line, up to $2,400.

Some of the other deals in this promotion include a free Gear VR headset and $50 in a Oculus app store gift card with the purchase of a Samsung Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, or you can get a free Samsung Tab E or LG Gpad X tablet when you sign up for a tablet data plan (again, you get the tablet free via 24 monthly bill credits). T-Mobile is also selling the Mophie Powerstation Mini for just $9.99 during the weekend, a savings of $50.

Finally, from November 24 to November 26, anyone on a airplane with Gogo Wi-Fi service can get one hour of free Internet, sponsored by T-Mobile. That's for anyone on those flights, not just for T-Mobile customers.

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