Tag: android

Inside Secure finds that consumers are using their mobile devices to get their holiday shopping done

A new survey from Inside Secure shows that holiday shopping is having a major impact on mobile commerce. The survey found that 51% of holiday shoppers prefer using a mobile app when they are purchasing products. Doing so is seen as more convenient, as they are able to avoid large crowds when shopping online or accelerate the checkout process when they visit physical stores. Using mobile devices in physical stores, however, is less popular among consumers than using these devices to shop online.

Security concerns keep some consumers away from mobile commerce

According to the survey from Inside Secure, many consumers do not use their mobile devices to pay for products in physical stores because they have security concerns. Some 70% cited identity theft and payment fraud as the reason they avoid mobile commerce in physical stores. Shoppers have also expressed concerns regarding their privacy, as past cyber attacks focused on retailers have highlighted how easily some malicious groups can acquire consumer information and exploit this data for personal gain.

Mobile shopping is on the rise as holiday season approaches

While consumers have concerns regarding security, many believe that mobile commerce is the wave of the future. The mobile commerce space is experiencing healthy growth, powered by the holiday shopping seasons of past years. This year, some 39% of mobile consumers are planning to make an in-store purchase with their smartphones, an increase from the 33% that did so last year. A greater portion of consumers are planning on purchasing products online, using their mobile devices as their primary shopping platform.

Younger consumers are more comfortable with mobile commerce

Notably, the survey found that mobile commerce is most popular among those between the ages of 18 and 44. This demographic tends to be more comfortable with mobile technology, having had a great deal of experience with smartphones and the digital world. The survey also found that iOS users are more likely than their Android counterparts to participate in mobile commerce over the holiday season, making use of Apple’s new mobile payments service, Apple Pay.

The second half of 2015 may see a new device from the handset maker, based on Google’s mobile operating system.

The rumors are flying and reports are coming from every direction, suggesting that BlackBerry smartphones will soon have Android operating systems, despite the fact that at the time that this article was written, the company and its CEO have, so far, not confirmed any of the speculations.

The reports have now indicated that multiple smartphone models will be rolled out this year, using Android.

Though officially unconfirmed, virtually every sign is now indicating that BlackBerry smartphones will soon be produced based on the Android operating system. The company has even gone to the extent of purchasing two domain names “AndroidSecured.com” and “AndroidSecured.net”, which have to do with a statement that CEO John Chen had previously made on the subject. When asked if his company would be making mobile devices based on Android, his reply was that it would happen only if Google’s mobile operating system could be made to be far more secure.

BlackBerry smartphones operating on Android would still maintain some of the company’s own software functions.

Even though it would have a different operating system, there would still be signs of the BlackBerry OS in terms of the software functions as well as the applications services, for example: BBM, BES12, and BlackBerry Blend. This according to a number of sources that have been reported by the media, but who have remained unnamed. They are, supposedly, from Foxconn, the manufacturer of the devices.

In order to boost the hardware’s competitive edge, BlackBerry has also broadened its hardware partnerships in order to include Wistron and Compal Electronics, in addition to the partner that it already has, Foxconn.

Many analysts in the industry feel that if Blackberry smartphones are rolled out with Android, it is very unlikely that the company will face losses as a result. The company does still maintain a strong brand image in a range of different markets. Moreover, its reputation in terms of security – particularly from its enterprise side – is essentially unparalleled. However, it is more than evident that changes need to be made in order to boost the value of the hardware business unit at BlackBerry, and to many, it feels as though this could be the move that would make that difference.