It has been estimated that over 42 million Android phone contracts were sold this Christmas, with a substantial amount of these likely to have been Christmas presents. The Guardian used figures released by Google showing the total number of unique devices accessing Android Market during the month of December, which suggests that the total number of Android smartphones in use could be in the region of 280 million.

But using the number of activated Android devices announced by Google at the start of November 2011 (200 million) and adding to that the 700,000 daily activations reported by Google towards the end of December, market analysts Enders Analysis only came to a figure of 230 million. What this calculation does not take into consideration is that the number of daily activations probably increased dramatically in the run up to Christmas, peaking on Christmas day.

If these figures are correct it means that the number of Android users increased by 17% during December. The information used by the Guardian was based on reports about the spread of different Android versions across the market, and this revealed one interesting piece of information. As the only device to currently run Android Ice Cream Sandwich, the figures show that about 1.7 million Galaxy Nexus phones were sold during the final month of 2011.

The difference between the results of the Guardian and those of Enders Analysis, a difference of around 50 million, shows that this is not an exact science. On the other hand, it does show that Android continues to grow at a rapid pace despite stiff competition from the iPhone/iPad and, increasingly, Windows Phone devices like the Nokia Lumia.

The increased number of Android activations taking place prior to Christmas has also been felt in other places too, with the social network Google Plus seeing a significant increase in membership. Many websites have noticed more people Google Plussing their websites and content within the last couple of weeks.

The number of estimated sales for the Galaxy Nexus come as a bit of a surprise for a phone that has largely been overshadowed by the iPhone 4S. Many expected the Apple phone to be a primary stocking filler in 2011, and even Apple smugly anticipated that this would push iPhone sales over 30 million.

Although the 1.7 million Galaxy Nexus activations are not on the same level as the 30 million iPhone sales, it does show that the phone is still performing well despite questions regarding its signal quality and Face Unlock feature. This latter feature of Ice Cream Sandwich will likely become a more common sight on smartphones in 2012, as it has just emerged that Apple had filed for a facial recognition patent last summer. Not yet available for Apple lovers, this feature may make an appearance on the iPhone 5 and iPad 3.

Microsoft has launched a new Xbox LIVE app for iOS devices including the iPhone and iPad. The app, called My Xbox LIVE, allows users to edit their Xbox profile as well as their friends list, and compare achievements with other users.

Xbox LIVE has until now only been available on Windows Phones, and Microsoft has reserved it as one of the unique selling points of their mobile operating system. But while Xbox consoles sell by the millions, Windows Phone has struggled to achieve more than a 5% share of the smartphone market.

It seems that when it comes to smartphones, many Xbox owners would rather have an iPhone or Android device. The new iPhone 4S comes with a dual core GPU and Game Center, making it a fairly decent handheld games console in its own right, and likewise Android has a whole host of features and apps to satisfy gamers.

This app for iOS does not offer the same functionality as the Xbox LIVE feature of Windows Phone, and seems to be designed more to tempt iPhone owners over to Microsoft’s mobile OS. Microsoft have even designed the app to look and feel like the Windows Phone interface, perhaps to get iPhone users more familiar with the way that it works.

Recently, Microsoft launched an online simulation of Windows Phone that could be accessed from Android phones and iPhones, so that people could test the OS out on their own devices. My Xbox LIVE appears to be another attempt by Microsoft to raise the profile of Windows Phone amongst smartphone users who have already become stuck in their ways with owning an iPhone.

It is not surprising that Windows Phone does not enjoy the same levels of market share as Android and iPhone, as it was only launched towards the end of 2010. Because of this, many people are not familiar with the operating system or what it has to offer. With only a handful of Windows Phones currently available Microsoft is struggling to attract peoples’ attention.

This should all change in 2012, with the deal between Microsoft and Nokia promising a great deal more Windows Phones in the next 12 months and beyond. The first such device, the Lumia 800, has received a lot of critical acclaim and has been the best phone launch in Nokia’s history.

Like all other Windows Phones, the Nokia Lumia 800 comes with full Xbox LIVE support that not only lets you play games on your phone but also lets you interact with content stored on your Xbox console. This sort of functionality is not offered by the new iOS app, although My Xbox LIVE should offer some tantalizing bait for people whose iPhone contracts are nearing an end.

New and cool games are added to the iTunes store every single day. Some of these games need to be paid for and some can be downloaded for free. But the point is that no matter what, if you have your iPhone in hand, you could never feel bored. It could even be waiting at an airport for long hours; you could have fun while playing cool games on your iPhone.

AAA Memory Game

As a child you might have played this game with cards that need to be paired with the matching image but you’ll need to remember where the other card is placed. Well this game is based on the same principle; you’ll find tiles that lay face down with question marks on them and you have to pick the right pair. It has 16 levels of ascending difficulty and is a great way to test your memory!

Action Dot 2 Dot

Connect dots in this game to reveal images, and the faster you do it, the more rewards you win. With a total of a 125 levels split between 50 arcade levels and 5 worlds, this game is a riot! If you solve it then the world is yours! This games requires concentration and can even enhance concentration levels overall. You can choose from playing the arcade mode, the world mode or just the quick play mode which doesn’t have any levels, but can be played for some easy and quick fun!

Blowfish

How cute will be your first reaction when you see this game. Lots of cool visual effects of a blue sea and bubbles and every time you tap a blowfish it grows bigger and bigger only to pop when a prickly sea urchin comes near them. There are unlimited levels and plenty of sea urchins too. This is a fun game for those times when you are just bored and don?t want to trouble your mind any further.

Bungee Boy

Swing from one building to another as you become Bungee Boy for a day, and have loads of fun. Get points as you pop balloons and stay away from the fire rings when you swing through the city. There are four difficulty modes for you to get through and there are no time limits. So play this addictive game as long as you want!

What’s so great about iTunes is that you get loads of free games on it which you can download without feeling the pinch of something adding to your already long list of expenditure these days. You get these free games under various categories and there are a lot to choose from; so take a look at some of these price-less iPhone games!

Chess Free

If you are a chess addict, and you are nothing short of an addict of your iPhone too, then this game is mean only and only for you! Having been created just for the iPhone, the viewing and playing of this game is pure pleasure. You can play with a 2 player combination here; with some exiting features, cool graphics and enticing sound effects.

Airport Madness

It’s everyone’s nightmare. Losing their luggage at the airport. Relive those tension filled moments with this game where you become an airport suitcase packager. You have to stay alert so that you don’t lose the luggage and make sure that your reflexes are sharp. You can also check scores of other people across the world and compare how you have done.

Slingshot Cowboy

Pick that slingshot up and hit those cows! Enjoy this fun girl that’s all about the slingshot! Aim and hit a cow at each level and have all those injured cows come back at the end of the level as enraged bulls out to attack you. Unless you keep hitting them, you’ll probably get run over or worst still, get killed! It’s got great visual effects and is an awesome game!

Boxed In

If you’re fond of logic based games then this one’s for you. What you have to do is direct a robot to push boxes off the floor. Sounds simple? Well what you have to do is to push the boxes in the right order until you reach the end of the level. There are other a few obstructions and you cannot pull boxes and you won’t be able to push them if there’s some obstruction on the other side. There are about fifty different exciting levels for you to enjoy.