Apple and Android roundup: iPad 2 demand, software updates and ad markets

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Inc. (APPL) and its iPad 2 is still the most popular tablet around the globe, even after it’s been on the shelves for four months. In the last couple of weeks, Apple has finally chipped away at a vast backlog of orders that has caught up to demand and is shipping tablets to consumers in as little as one to three days.
The drop in waiting time from upwards of four to five weeks when the device debuted had dropped to three to five days a week ago and now is as little as one to three days to ship from Apple’s online store this week.
The new expectations are due to component and manufacturing partners stepping up to help Apple keep its market share, including the rebound of parts shortages from the Japanese earthquake and resulting tsunami. The company’s iPad lineup held around two-thirds of the tablet market at the end of the first quarter for 2011, which has seen some decline with a huge release of competitors.
Competition from Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Android and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) rivals haven’t enjoyed the same success due to lack of a simple userface, the ability to supply content and pricing that is on-par or more expensive than the iPad.
The latest OS for Google’s Android is on its way, with the 3.2 update already arriving to Motorola’s (MMI) Xoom tablet. Other tablets expected next in line for the update include Samsung Electronics Co.’s (SSNLF) Galaxy Tab 10.1, Toshiba Corp.’s (TOSBF) Thrive, and Acer Inc.’s  Iconia Tab 500.
According to a July 15 post on the Android developer’s blog, “The new platform includes API (application programming interface) changes and the API level is 13.”
Improvements include optimization for a wider range of screen sizes for developers looking beyond a 10.1-inch screen, a new fill-screen mode to allow a zoom-to-fill screen on devices that scales pixels, the ability for media files to be directly loaded from a user’s SD card to apps that use them, and an extended screen support API so developers can have more control over the user interface and targeting of screens by their dimensions.
In other iOS and Android news, InMobi today released its mobile insights report on Europe for the second quarter, in which it finds that one in five of every mobile ads in Europe over the last quarter was delivered on an Apple device, propelling the manufacturer past Nokia to the top spot for the first time.
This report provides insights from InMobi’s network, which served over 104.9 billion mobile ad impressions across the globe for the second quarter, including 10.8 billion in Europe.
As a result of the iOS popularity, Android has lost 5.0 share points against iOS’s gain of 3.3 over the past quarter. RIM ranked third in terms of operating systems but saw the highest gain during this period, gaining 6.1 share points. However, Android remains the top mobile platform by ad requests with nearly 25% of all requests.
Click here to see a detailed chart from the report: InMobi Graphic.