Android Ends the Year on Top but Apple Scores in Key European Markets:

The latest smartphone sales data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, for the three months to December 2013, shows that Android ended 2013 as the top OS across Europe with 68.6% share, while Apple held second place with 18.5%. Windows Phone continues to show high year-on-year growth, but its share of the European market has essentially remained flat at 10.3% for the past three months.

Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, comments: "Android finished 2013 strongly, showing year-on-year share growth across 12 major global markets including Europe, USA, Latin America, China and Japan. Apple has lost share in most countries compared with this time last year, but importantly it has held strong shares in key markets including 43.9% in USA, 29.9% in Great Britain and 19.0% in China.

Sony Mobile Reportedly Working on Microsoft Based Smartphone:

Ongoing rumours that Sony Mobile may launch a Windows Phone based smartphone have been given a boost from fresh reports that it is indeed working on such a device.

Citing two unnamed sources, The Information wrote that Sony Mobile could be launching a Windows phone as soon as the middle of this year.

Now that Micorsoft is buying Nokia, it is seen to need to expand the range of handset manufacturers supporting its WP software lest it end up becoming a single platform OS.

Microsoft has been reportedly in talks with ZTE and HTC in recent months, with the issue of lowering the cost of the OS being the main topic of negotiation.

Microsoft-Nokia deal clears European regulatory hurdle:

The European Commission (EC) cleared Microsoft’s €5.4 billion acquisition of Nokia’s Devices and Services business,

The Commission concluded that the transaction did not raise any competition concerns as there are only “modest overlaps” in the activities of the companies following the approval of the deal by US regulators earlier in the week.

In addition, “the links between Microsoft’s mobile operating systems, mobile applications and enterprise mail server software with Nokia’s smart mobile devices are unlikely to lead to competitors being shut out from the market”.

The Commission also found that strong rivals, such as Samsung and Apple, “will continue to compete with the merged entity”.

The US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) both approved the deal at the beginning of the week, with the FTC granting early termination on the deal. Nokia shareholders strongly approved the deal at a company EGM in November.

Nokia told Mobile World Live that “more than half of the regulatory approvals required have already been received”, with Brazil, Canada, India, Israel, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, also passing the deal.

“Only six further countries including China need to approve the transaction before it can close, which we continue to anticipate to be in the first quarter of 2014, subject to these approvals and other closing conditions,” Nokia said in a statement.

The EC judged it unlikely that Microsoft will deny the use of Windows Phone by third party device manufacturers following the acquisition of Nokia. This is partly due to Microsoft’s reliance on third party vendors to increase the limited market share of Windows Phone and attract app developers to the OS.

Zain to launch direct operator billing in MENA:

Zain Group, a pioneer in mobile telecommunications in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, announced the signing of an agreement with renowned mobile solutions provider, SLA Mobile, to provide customers with Direct Operator Billing capabilities. Through this agreement Zain Group becomes one of the first operators in the region that will launch the service.

Direct Operator Billing, which is also known as Carrier Billing, will enable Zain’s customers to pay for digital goods from a third-party content or service provider by charging the transaction to their mobile phone monthly bill or using their pre-paid credit.

In regard to Zain Group’s deal with SLA Mobile, the service will provide several benefits to Zain and its customers and to the industry at large, namely:

It will provide customers the ability to easily and safely purchase apps from leading global app stores across the various operating platforms such as Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry and charge their bills or their credit balance in case of prepaid, all without a requirement for a credit card.

Customers can easily purchase digital content and services provided by Zain’s local and regional partners with merchants and app developers now being able to reach a wider audience with their products and services encouraging and driving the innovation and consumption of such content

Scott Gegenheimer, Zain Group CEO said: “By being one of the first telecom providers in the Middle East to launch a Direct Operator Billing service, we reinforce our dedication to providing customers with the best purchasing experience and we are confident this service will enable them to use mobile payments in a safe and easy manner.”

Gegenheimer continued: “The exciting world of mobile digital services is driving the mobile industry forward at the moment, with a whole new world of content and applications being developed and introduced all the time. Zain is already one of the leading technology innovators with respect to our state-of-the-art mobile broadband networks, and this investment in our networks goes hand-in-hand with our ability to offer services that enhance customer’s digital purchasing experiences.”