Android Central Podcast

Daniel Bader is joined this week by Carolina Milanesi, an Analyst for Creative Strategies. During their one-on-one conversation, they place a light on the broader smartphone market in relation to Apple — especially as it relates to Apple's poor performance in mainland China. Apple is no longer the benchmark against which all others are judged. Many players have emerged as smartphones have transitioned from to luxury to commodity items. Additionally, ecosystem lock-in diminishes in value due to features/services that are geographically restricted.

They also talk about Samsung, AKA the "Apple of the Android World" and what's happening with them around the world. Finally, they look at what you should (and should not) expect for CES.

• Thrifter.com: All the best deals from Amazon, Best Buy, and more, fussily curated and constantly updated.