Google announced that mobile search queries had grown 400% y/y and Android queries had grown 10x. In the earnings call, Google pointed to mobile as the key growth area for 2011 with particular initiatives for mobile payments, inexpensive handsets, and faster mobile networks.
Opera Mini grew to 86M users in 2010, up 84% y/y. The company is seeing 4000%+ growth in Africa.
Starbucks launched a mobile loyalty and payment application to customers last week. 20% of Starbucks transactions are made with a Starbucks card and one third of customers have a smart phone, compared to 18% for the US.
Scoreloop announces 1M new users per week are registering with the service, an indicator of the massive growth in mobile gaming.
Blackberry announces 2M daily downloads of mobile apps from BlackBerry app world. Over the past 8 months, Apple has averaged 24M.
HTC announces $9.4B in revenue (+90%) and net income of $1.4B (+75%). The company shipped 25M phones (+110%) in 2010.
Sony announced 43.1M phones (-24% y/y) shipped in 2010
Microsoft has partnered with MACH to bring billing to Windows 7 Phones.
Groupon has launched a mobile couponing portal for KDDI, Japan's second largest carrier.
Verizon is suing the FCC to reject the net neutrality regulations the commission enacted 2 months ago on the grounds the commission does not have the jurisdiction. Under the order, carriers are prevented from blocking VOIP competitors.