UPDATED 12:30 EDT / JANUARY 26 2012

Unhappy iPhone Owners, HP’s Next Step with webOS and Android Tablets Play Catchup

Apple

As rumors of the iPhone 5 launching by summer proliferate across the internet, reports of unhappy iPhone owners surfaced the web.

According to a report from Reuters, Apple is not strict in accepting damaged products for repair or replacement, and even offer new devices at a discounted price if you turn in your old one.  If you’re an Apple device owner, this is great news because you can have your damaged device replaced at no cost, as long as it’s still under warranty.  But if you’re Apple device was stolen, things can get a bit nightmarish–Apple won’t replace your device.  Could be great for the thief though. This is Apple’s “honor system” – even if you aren’t the real owner, because you are in possession of the device, you can swap it for a new one.

MIT graduate student Kayla Menard had her 3-month old iPhone snatched from her at a train station.  Days after, she received an e-mail from Apple stating that her damaged iPhone was repaired at a certain Apple Store.  Menard went there hoping to retrieve the stolen device, but Apple staff wasn’t helpful because of the “honor system.”

Electronic devices such as iPhones and iPads are hot commodities, and are considered as good as cash.  According to a report from New York Daily News, based on an internal New York City Police report, of the 16,000 electronic robberies reported in New York between January and October 2011, 70% of phones taken were iPhones.

Apple has yet to comment.

If Apple consumers aren’t happy, at least their employees are.  Apple CEO Tim Cook decided it was time to give back to their employees for their success, as employees may soon enjoy a $500 discount if they purchase new Macs and $250 discounts on purchases of a new iPad.

HP

On Wednesday, Hewlett-Packard announced on their webOS Developer Blog that their taking webOS to another level.

“We’re taking the next step on this journey by releasing Enyo, our JavaScript app framework, under open source licensing, allowing developers to distribute their Enyo-based webOS apps across other platforms. In this post, we’ll also provide a first look at our open source release roadmap.”

Enyo is aimed at mobile devices and web browsers.

Back in December, they announced that they would be open-sourcing the OS, and earlier this month it was announced that webOS will venture out in the medical field, as researchers develop applications for the newly open-source platform.

Android

According to a resent study from Strategy Analytics, Android tablet sales are catching up to iPad sales, though the Apple product still reigns supreme.  Android’s global share rose to 39% while Apple maintained the lead at 58%.

Peter King, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 26.8 million units in Q4 2011, surging 150 percent from 10.7 million in Q4 2010. Demand for tablets among consumer, business and education users remains strong. Apple shipped a robust 15.4 million iPads worldwide and maintained its strong market leadership with 58 percent share during the fourth quarter of 2011. Apple shrugged off the much-hyped threat from entry-level Android models this quarter.”

The report also stated that global tablet shipments hit 66.9 million units in full-year 2011, surging 260% from 18.6 million in full-year 2010, as consumers are now more interested in buying tablets rather than netbooks or desktops.


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