Week that was

PG.biz week that was: PS Vita set for solid sales, Nokia and RIM kick off comebacks, Pokemon pulled from the App Store and Samsung's Galaxy S II shifts 20 million

The past seven days' news compressed bite-sized

PG.biz week that was: PS Vita set for solid sales, Nokia and RIM kick off comebacks, Pokemon pulled from the App Store and Samsung's Galaxy S II shifts 20 million
With new hardware and firmware updates dominating the last seven days, it's been a week of shiny screens marred by smudge marks aplenty at PG.biz: the home of news and views on the business of app stores, smartphone platforms, developments in mobile game making and assorted technology.

Somewhat unusually, it's handhelds and not mobiles that have arguably set the agenda during the last seven days – a precedent Sony will no doubt hope bodes well for PS Vita in the future.

The firm's PSP follow up hit retail in both Europe and the US this week, and while its performance at the tills in both territories is currently unknown – a lack of midnight launches across the UK no doubt hampering its sales on day one – Strategy Analytics projections peg 2012 figures at the 12.4 million mark.

That's providing, of course, Sony seets fit to entertain a price cut at some point between now and Christmas.

That's exactly the action Nintendo was forced to take six months into 3DS's life – a move that's resulted in the handheld hitting sales of 5 million faster than any other console in Japan this week.

Maintaining that momentum won't be easy, however.

A new challenger arives

Especially when the world and its wife continue to snap up smartphones and tablets at a pace.

The most impressive sales figures on that score this week came from Samsung, with the Korean giant revealing the Galaxy S II has passed the 20 million mark in just 10 months.

Its position at the top of the Android tree is unlikely to be challenged for some time, then, though would-be rivals are most certainly circling.

Fujitsu, for instance, is looking to capture a double digit share of the European mobile market within the next three to five years, announcing an intention to launch both Android and Windows Phone handsets in the near future.

Even more threatening, however, is the soon to be Google-owned Motorola.

As the proposed acquisition continues to meet little resistance, so a big shake up within the manufacturer looks to be on the cards – current CEO Sanjay Jha the likely first casualty.

Nevertheless, Samsung – and, indeed, all manufacturers currently plying their trade on Android – may find the biggest challenge to their business in the years to come emerges from outside Google's OS.

Old flame

Indeed, this was another week when Nokia – Windows Phone's most enthusiastic poster child – continued its much billed recovery.

Though Microsoft's OS remains some way off taking on either Android or iOS at the top, Nokia's support has resulted in the platform's share jumping fivefold in the UK, with Lumia 800 also performing strongly in both Germany and Austria.

As a result, the Finnish firm is already the largest OEM operating on Microsoft's OS after just one quarter according to Strategy Analytics.

Its base could expand yet further if two rumoured announcements – including the unveiling of a budget-focused Lumia 610 and a global launch for the currently US-only Lumia 900 – come to pass at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Nokia has also revealed it will lift the lid on "significant industry news" this Monday morning. A possible Microsoft buyout, perhaps? Or maybe the unveiling of the firm's first Windows 8 tablet? We'll hold judgement until CEO Elop takes to the stage.

Apps away

One other former king looking to revive former glories is BlackBerry manufacturer RIM.

The first major update to its PlayBook OS - dubbed version 2.0 – was well received this week, but arguably brought with it the kind of functionality that should have been there from day one.

More encouraging was the much needed revamp to BlackBerry App World, bringing with it new games, including two free releases from Gameloft – Modern Combat 2 and Asphalt 6.

The App Store might also entertain a new look in the months to come - a rumour that gained credibility with the news Apple had acquired app search specialist Chomp for an undisclosed fee.

Developers themselves might well hope any visual upgrades will be coupled with an overhaul to Apple's activities behind the scenes. The continued appearance of clone apps – this week signalled by the launch of Temple Run wannabe Temple Guns and two fake Pokemon games – certainly does the platform's reputation no favours.

Even more worrying is the revelations emanating from Chinese developers caught up in a credit card scam, where fraudulent iTunes accounts are used to sell in-app purchases to genuine consumers on online auction sites at a cheaper price.

While many initially pointed the finger at the developers themselves, Three Kingdoms studio Hoolai Games this week claimed that, at its peak, the scam was costing the outfit $300,000 in lost revenue a month.

Now, they're the kind of numbers nobody will want to celebrate.

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.