Android and the royalties-patents threat

Android is experiencing an explosive growth. On June 28, Andy Rubin wrote on Twitter that “There are now over 500,000 Android devices activated every day, and it’s growing at 4.4% w/w free

But there are several threats to this growth, and one of them is around royalties and patents claims.

Horace Dediu at asymco.com wrote in his blog that Microsoft has received five times more income from Android than from Windows Phone. HTC pays Microsoft $5 for each Android device they manufacture. And this month Microsoft has signed several other deals, see the FOSS Patent blog Android device makers sign up as Microsoft patent licensees — an overview of the situation.  Today is Samsung’s turn, TheRegister writes Behind Microsoft’s $15 Samsung Android royalty claim. And the latest claims on Android’s royalties come from Oracle that wants handset makers to pay $20 for each Android device they make, see Oracle win would strain Android growth.

A related news is the smartphone marketing is booming as Nielsen reports that In US, Smartphones Now Majority of New Cellphone Purchases. Smartphones continue to grow in popularity. According to Nielsen’s May survey of mobile consumers in the U.S., 38 percent now own smartphones. And 55 percent of those who purchased a new handset in the past three months reported buying a smartphone instead of a feature phone, up from 34 percent just a year ago.

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