Things that Happen in an Internet Minute…
March 30, 2012 Leave a comment
Nokia’s Amazing New 38MP Cameraphone
March 4, 2012 Leave a comment
A Camera Phone with More Resolution than a Digital SLR?
Symbian may be dying, but Nokia it is not. By now you’ve probably heard about their 38-megapixel camera phone, which was announced last week at the Mobile World Congress show. The Symbian-based Nokia 808 PureView has a Carl Zeiss 41-megapixel sensor and takes photos which have more resolution than some high-end consumer DSLRs. I know this sounds like a gimmick, but seeing is believing. Full resolution photo samples can be viewed here. Just make sure to right-click on the photo sample and select original size.
What you already know: The 808 PureView has an f2.4 aperture lens and takes great looking 38MP photos. The reason the photos look so good is the use of a 41-megapixel sensor and Carl Zeiss optics along with Nokia’s brand-new pixel oversampling technology. They claim the camera has a large sensor which captures up to five times as much light as a conventional camera. It’s also one of the only camera phones with a xenon flash. Its video camera shoots full HD 1080p footage at 30 frames per second with a 4X lossless zoom. Just how good is it for video? See it in action here:
What you don’t already know about Nokia’s new camera phone
The camera is supposed to launch in the second quarter and uses a pixel over-sampling technology is supposed to ensure no loss of detail when zooming in on images. Apparently Nokia uses a technology called pixel-binning which reduces noise makes this possible. The demos shown of the show floor were truly impressive. The person I was talking to took a picture of her jeans and then tapped on the screen to zoom in to the point you could see individual fibers. You can also slide your finger on the screen to zoom. Photos taken by the phone are 7728×5368 pixels. 16:9 photos are 34MP, not 38MP and occupy 9 to 16MB of space. Although the 808 PureView only has 16GB of internal memory, it supports MicroSD cards up to 48GB. Although there hasn’t been much talk about the speed of the phone, I was told it can focus and take a photo in less than one second. Basic specs can be found here. Technical details can be found here.
The First Phone Capable of Great Live Recordings
I spoke at length with Nokia’s Senior Manager for Audio Hardware and got some juicy details you won’t find anywhere else on the Internet. Anyone who has ever tried to record a live concert with an iPhone knows you cannot do it without using expensive third-party mics. This video compares recordings of a live band made on the iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S II and Nokia 808. Both the iPhone 4S and Galaxy S II distort horribly. They also both roll-off most of the low frequencies causing the bass guitar to almost disappear. According to Nokia, this roll-off begins at 200Hz, and is very sharp. See the chart below for proof of this. Nokia’s PureView technology records audio down to 25Hz. Why is Nokia’s recording so much better than other smartphones? Most smartphones have a single mic which is optimized for voice. Nokia uses two good omnidirectional mics, so it’s capable of recording stereo music. But that’s not why it sounds so much better than the others. Their audio hardware has been designed so it’s capable of recording audio up to 147dB without audible distortion. The frequency response of their new audio hardware is also relatively flat. Down 3dB at 40Hz and 20kHz. There is currently a nasty 8-10dB peak around 8kHz, but Nokia says they will tune that out before the 808 PureView ships. There are only two issues I see with Nokia’s Rich Recording technology. The first is the fact that it operates at a very low-level and is not part of the 808’s camera app. This could make it hard to port to non-Symbian phones. Second, their recording app encodes all audio as AAC Plus files, instead of linear audio files. However their audio expert claims that sound APIs are available which could make linear audio recordings possible in the future.
Nokia’s Secret Internal-only Audio Charts
I was able to obtain photos of two internal Nokia charts which you won’t find anywhere else. The first shows how typical smartphones start to distort around the sound levels experienced at concerts.
The second chart shows how the iPhone 4S has almost 20dB of attenuation at low frequencies. Sorry for the low-quality, but these were taken quickly from an iPhone 4 under less than ideal conditions.
Will Anyone Buy This Product?
It’s rare that a company comes out with a product that leapfrogs its competitors as much as the PureView 808 has. However, this shouldn’t be a total surprise to those who have been following Nokia for some time. Nokia came out with it’s first camera phone back in 2002. Followed by an 8MP camera phone in 2009, and the world’s first 12MP camera phone in 2010. The PureView 808 may be years ahead of what Apple is doing in terms of audio, video and photo quality, but it’s unclear to me who will pay $200-$500 for a Symbian-based phone in 2012. This will get interesting however when Nokia releases this technology on the Windows platform. But, because this is so closely tied with Symbian, that could take longer than expected.
Other Nokia Announcements
Nokia also announced a new fast browser or some of its lower-end phones which is supposed to be capable of compressing data traffic up to 90%
Nokia was also showing a free new streaming music app for Windows Phones called Nokia Music. Like Pandora, it creates stations based on artist searches. Unlike Pandora, it can store up to four stations so they are available offline listening. Stations are limited to 50 songs per track however.
Unfortunately their new Lumia 800 phones which come with this app use Microsoft’s Zune app to sync music. Windows Phone Connector on Mac. Nokia also showed some new Play 360 speakers which uses Bluetooth to beam music from the phone. Just tap your Lumia 800/900 phone to connect, no pairing is required because the phones include NFC support.
– Rick
Copyright 2012 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.
A First Look at Samsung’s Galaxy Beam
February 27, 2012 Leave a comment
A Projector in Your Pocket
The biggest news so far at Mobile World Congress is hidden in a small room in the back of the Samsung booth. Samsung’s Galaxy Beam is a smartphone like no other. The phone has a built-in DLP projector, and puts out a surprising amount of light for its size (15 lumen). Pico projectors are nothing new; They’ve been demonstrated by Samsung and others since 2009, but this one is supposed to ship in the first half of this year.
The first big surprise at Mobile World Congress is from Samsung
Thinner than You Think
The phone is only 12.55mm thick which makes it thinner than an HTC Rezound (and only 3.25mm thicker than an iPhone 4S). The projector project whatever is on your phone screen on the wall up to 50”.
I saw it open a PowerPoint slideshow and project it on the wall. Once open, you can use your finger to draw on the slides. Very cool.
Although Samsung claims this device can play a full movie (up to 3 hours) with the built-in 2000 mAh battery. The device does gets pretty warm, so I’ll be curious to see if this is true.
A special app comes with the Galaxy Beam which lets you select what is displayed and draw on the screen. (See photo on the right)
I’ll write more about the other hot new products from Mobile World Congress later.
– Rick
Copyright 2012 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.
Ten Popular Myths about Google Wallet & NFC
February 10, 2012 6 Comments
Last update: May 15, 2014
Everything You Need to Know About Google Wallet and NFC
You can make a purchase without opening the Google Wallet app
With all the talk about Google Wallet being hacked, I thought it might be nice to do a story about it. In case you don’t already know, Google Wallet allows you to make purchases by tapping your NFC-enabled smartphone at PayPass cash registers or terminals. NFC stands for Near Field Communication, and allows two devices to communicate when they’re moved close together. NFC builds upon earlier RFID-based systems like smart cards by allowing two-way communication. Smart cards are only capable of one-way communication. NFC also has advantages over wireless standards like Bluetooth, because it doesn’t require pairing. It also sets up faster, requires less power, and has a shorter range than Bluetooth, which reduces the chance of unwanted interception. Although NFC has been in products for more than six years, there is still a lot of misinformation about it. Let’s start by addressing some of the biggest myths:
Ten Myths about Google Wallet and NFC
- Myth: Google Wallet was hacked and is unsafe to use – Reality: While it’s true that the original Google Wallet was hacked, there was little risk to anyone who used a PIN, or pattern-based screen lock and no risk unless your phone was taken by someone with access to the hack. Besides, this issue was fixed by a software update. Even if your phone was stolen by a hacker, the same rules apply to Google Wallet which apply to traditional credit cards. In most cases you have no liability, and unlike your credit card, a hacker can only spend money which was added to your Google Wallet.
- Myth: Google Wallet only works with Citi MasterCard – Reality: Not true. Back in August, Google rolled out a cloud-based version of Google Wallet which supports all major credit and debit cards. Since that time Google Wallet usage has more than doubled. You just link one or more of your cards with Google Wallet and it remembers all of your data.
- Myth: Only a few phones support NFC today – Reality: Nine out of ten cellphone makers have phones on the market this year with an NFC chip inside them [Source: ABI Research]. Examples include the Samsung Galaxy SIII, LG Nexus 4, HTC Droid DNA, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Google Nexus S, LG Intuition, HTC Evo 4G LTE and Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket. Over 60 other devices support NFC today as well including other phones from RIM (Blackberry), HTC, LG, Nokia and Samsung. Here is the full list. ABI forecasts that 285 million smartphones and tablets with embedded NFC chips will ship in 2013, up from 102 million this year. Google Wallet is also preloaded on the NFC-enabled Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets. Soon you may not need your carriers permission or an NFC-enabled phone to buy things using Google Wallet. Google’s new credit card is rumored to work anywhere that accepts traditional credit or debit cards.
You can use Google Wallet anywhere you see these images
- Myth: Google Wallet is only accepted by a few merchants – Reality: Google Wallet is currently accepted at over thirty different retail chains including 7 Eleven, American Eagle, Banana Republic, Best Buy, Bloomingdales, Champs, Chevron, Container Store, CVS Pharmacy, Duane Reade, Einstein Bros Bagels, Foot Locker, Guess, Home Depot, Jack in the Box, Jamba Juice, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Noah’s Bagles, Office Max, Old Navy, Peet’s Coffee, Pinkberry, Radio Shack, Rite Aid, Sports Authority, Sunoco (gas station), Toys R US, Whole Foods, Yellow Cab (NYC) and others. That doesn’t seem like much, but it means you can use your Google Wallet at over 300,000 MasterCard PayPass-enabled terminals. The Google Market has an app called MasterCard PayPass Locator, which helps you to locate places you can use Google Wallet, but it’s missing many places which accept it. Look for these symbols above to find merchants who accept Google Wallet. Google Wallet can also be used for in-app payments on your mobile devices although there has been some controversy over this. Experts say in five years 86 percent of all North American merchants will have NFC-enabled terminals. However, only 53 percent of merchants will support NFC worldwide by 2017.
- Myth: NFC is new and unproven – Reality: NFC phones have been around since 2006. NFC has been used by consumers in Japan, South Korea and European cities for several years without problems. London buses now accept payment from NFC-enabled phones like the Samsung Galaxy S III.
- Myth: Most carriers are still preventing Google Wallet from being installed on their devices – Reality: Google Wallet can now be installed on every mobile device in the U.S. running Android 2.3 and later. It can even be downloaded on devices without NFC support and formerly carrier blocked devices like the Verizon Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4. That’s the good news. The bad news is, for now, Tap and pay functionality is available in the US, and requires one of the following NFC-enabled Android devices shown here with a Secure Element chip, on select carrier networks. In other words, if you’re not on Sprint or have a Nexus device, you’re still screwed.
- Myth: No signature is required when buying things using Google Wallet – Reality: Although this is generally true, a signature may be required when purchasing items costing $30 or more.
- Myth: Apple doesn’t plan to support NFC – Reality: According to Bloomberg, future generations of iPhone, iPod and iPad will support NFC. Windows Phone 8 is also rumored to support NFC.
- Myth: Google Wallet will quickly drain your battery – Reality: Although this was true earlier, the problem was fixed by a software update. Enabling NFC consumes some power, but on my phone it’s responsible for less than 2% of total battery usage.
This explains how you can purchase things without an Internet connection
- Myth: You need to have an Internet connection in order to buy something using Google Wallet. Reality: Not true. You do not need to be connected to a Wi-Fi or 3G/4G network in order to Tap and Pay using Google Wallet. That means tablet users without cellular service can use Google Wallet for purchases.
How To Secure Your Google Wallet
As mentioned earlier, the best way to protect your Google Wallet is to lock your screen. “Face Unlock,” “Pattern,” “PIN” and “Password” are all ways to do this. If you’re still worried, here are some more extreme steps to secure your Google Wallet:
There are several easy ways you can secure your phone
- Make sure “USB debugging” is not enabled – When enabled, the data on mobile devices can be accessed without first passing a lock screen challenge unless full disk encryption is also enabled.
- Enable full disk encryption – This will prevent even USB Debugging from bypassing the lock screen.
If your phone is stolen and you have Google Wallet installed, Google recommends you call 855-492-5538, and ask them to disable your prepaid card.
Not Just For Financial Transactions
NFC isn’t just good for financial transactions. Google Wallet also includes support for SingleTap, enabling users to redeem coupons and earn reward points. NFC can also be used to share contacts, photos and other files. If you’re running Android 4.0 today, you can Android Beam web pages, contacts, maps, YouTube videos and more, from one phone to another. Users of the popular Foursquare app can now bump phones and transfer places visited or lists. They can also check-in or initiate friend requests wherever NFC tags are. Imagine going to a venue and touching on a sign with an embedded NFC tag to check in. Pretty cool.
NFC isn’t just good for mobile payments, in the future NFC may even help you set up Wi-Fi connections, or enter multiplayer mobile games. There are so many things NFC is good for. I’m looking forward to using my phone to pay for mass transit. That way I won’t have to take out my wallet on a crowded train platform. You can even order business cards with an NFC chip into them, which will take the person you give them to a URL of your choosing. The main advantage to these is the fact that the URL can be changed without reprinting more business cards.
NFC isn’t limited to smartphones either. Next generation computers like the Sony Tap 20 and Duo 11, will include NFC support so you can beam data from your phone to computer, by simply touching them together. You can also purchase a Nexus 7 tablet for only $199 which has full support for NFC and Google Wallet. That’s one of the easiest ways to try Google Wallet at the moment, since carriers like Verizon are still trying to block it.
Google Wallet Isn’t the Only Game In Town
There are other mobile payment systems as well. One of the most promising is called Isis. Like Google Wallet, Isis lets you add your credit cards to your mobile wallet, but that’s not all. Isis is also supposed to let you add debit and loyalty cards to your mobile wallet, and provide access to personalized offers. That means after you use your phone to pay for a Starbucks coffee, you can tap again to get a discount or add the purchase to your Starbucks loyalty card. Isis is currently being tested in two U.S. cities, and coming soon to NFC-enabled phones from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.
According to an article in Mobile Week, Isis has some distinct advantages because it’s setting up a system that can give financial institutions the reassurance that transactions conducted by smartphone will be secure. Isis has also lined up cards from Chase, Capital One, American Express and Barclays. Its transactions are supported by the Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover payment networks.
Isis isn’t the only new player. Retailers including Walmart, Target, Sears and others announced their own own payment system back in August called MCX. Since then they’ve gone dark however.
ISIS is conducting a mobile payment trail in two U.S. cities
October Updates
Other Recent NFC-related Announcements
November Updates
Soon you’ll be able to use your phone to unlock your door
Spring 2013 Updates
Summer Updates
Other Updates
– Rick
Where to Learn More
Copyright 2013-2014 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.
Follow me on Twitter @mostlytech1
The Pros and Cons of Rooting Your Phone
February 6, 2012 42 Comments
Last update: November 28, 2013
This article has had over 90,000 views! Thanks for reading it.
Rooting your mobile device allows you to do things which are not possible on a normal smartphone or tablet. Carriers normally prevent access to root-level files, because you could delete essential files or cause others problems. Unfortunately this limits what you can do with your mobile devices. You bought it and you should have the right to do whatever you want with it. There are some compelling reasons why you should consider rooting your device.
Reasons to Root
- Free Tethering – You already pay for a mobile data plan and shouldn’t you have to pay more to share your cellular connection with your other devices. Just download a free tethering app, and in seconds you’ll be able to share your phones cellular modem with your tablet, laptop or other devices. Now you can access the Internet from your tablet even when a Wi-Fi hotspot is not available. Wi-Fi isn’t your only option, you can also tether your devices over Bluetooth, or by connecting a USB cable. Although you don’t need to root your phone to run tethering apps like FoxFi, ClockworkMod Tether or 1-Click WiFi Tether, some of the best tethering apps only work on rooted phones.
- Delete Carrier Bloatware – Carriers load your phone with lots of apps you’ll never use. These apps consume storage space, memory and other resources. After rooting your phone, it’s easy to delete carrier-installed apps you don’t want. Although there are several ways to do this, I recommend you download Titanium Backup. This app allows you to uninstall any app with a single click.
- Eliminate Banner Ads – Apps like AdFree remove most advertisements that appear in your browser and other apps. This is done using a blacklist which blocks ads before they can even download data. Now you can play Angry Birds and most other apps ad-free. This is a big deal, because it means you can get one of the biggest benefits of paid apps for free.
- Backup Everything on Your Phone – Apps like Titanium Backup allow you automatically backup everything on your phone. This includes protected apps, system apps and data on your SD card. If you purchase a license key for Titanium Backup you can upload your backups to your free Dropbox account. This makes it easy to restore a backup from the cloud if your phone is ever lost or stolen.
- Make Your Phone Run Faster – Apps like SetCPU allow you to overclock the speed of your processor to make your phone run faster. More info.
- Increase Your Battery Life – Custom ROMs and apps like SetCPU increase the battery life of your phone. In some cases the difference is significant. For example, a Nexus 7 running a CyanogenMod ROM gets up to twice the battery life of an off-the-shelf Nexus 7.
- Install Custom ROMs – After you root your phone, you can install custom ROMs which give your phone better battery life, faster performance, custom themes and additional features like special audio processing. Cynanogenmod is the most popular aftermarket firmware. It has a new installer that is very easy to use.
- Run Any App You Like – Once you root your phone you’ll be able to install any app you like. This includes apps that have been blocked by your carrier, or banned by Google.
- Run Apps on Your SD Card – Most mobile devices do not allow you to install or move apps to your SD card. By doing this you free up internal memory.
- Perform Other UI Tweaks – Want to remove the search box from your home screen and replace it with a search button? No problem. What about adding back a menu button to the main screen of your phone. Again, no problem. Do a Google Search or check the XDA Developers forums to learn more about these and many others UI tweaks.
Imagine sharing your phone's fast 4G connection with your tablet
Apps like Titanium Backup can backup everything on your phone and sync it with the cloud
Popular Myths About Rooting
- Rooting Voids Your Warranty – Although it’s true rooting your phone could void its warranty, if you restore it to its original factory condition, it’s unlikely your carrier could tell it was ever rooted.
- It’s Easy to Brick your Phone – Not true. Most Android phones are not easy to brick, if you carefully follow directions.
- Rooting is a Cat and Mouse Game – Not true. Once you root your phone you normally won’t have to do it again.
- Rooting is Difficult – Although it varies from phone to phone, rooting your phone isn’t as hard as it once was. In fact, one-click rooting apps are available in the Android Market.
- Rooting Will Make Your Phone Less Stable – Not true. When done correctly, rooting your phone will not make it any less stable.
- Rooting Makes It Hard to Transfer or Sell Your Phone to Another Person – Not true. I recently gave my rooted Galaxy Nexus to my son. He inserted the SIM card which was provided by Verizon for my new phone and then called a toll-free number to activate it. He then reset the phone (to wipe out all of my info) and rebooted (entering his Google account info). Withing 15 minutes, all essential services were functional on his rooted phone, and the phone was automatically downloading all of his apps.
- You Can’t Root a Phone With a Locked Bootloader – Not always true. A friend just rooted his Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 even though it has a locked boot-loader. Instructions can be found here.
Reasons Not to Root
Although rooting your phone isn’t as dangerous as most people think, it’s not for everyone. Here are some risks you should be aware of before you root your phone.
- Rooting Could Be Illegal – Back in July of 2010, the U.S. federal government recognized the legality of jailbreaking a phone. Unfortunately starting on January 26th of 2013, it officially become illegal” to unlock a phone without your carriers permission. It’s still to soon to know whether this applies to all rooting, but it does not look good. Carriers like T-Mobile recommend customers contact their device manufacturer or AT&T directly to request the unlock code for their device, but don’t be surprised if these aren’t easy to get.
- Rooting Isn’t for Everyone – Although there a one-touch rooting solutions, I wouldn’t say rooting is easy yet. Some phones are easier to root than others. Make sure to do some serious research to find if others with your model are having good results when they try to root them.
- Rooting May Prevent You from Getting Updates – If you root your phone you may no longer be able to download and install over-the-air operating system updates. This was a problem for me when Verizon released Android 4.0.4 and 4.1 updates for my phone. There is a way around this, but it’s not easy. This issue affected my Samsung Galaxy Nexus — but probably applies to all Android phones and other carriers.
- Overclocking Can Cause Damage – If you overclock your phone too much you could cause it to overheat. You could even damage its processor, although some phones have safeguardus to prevent this.
- You May Need to Wipe Your Phone – In some cases you have to wipe your phone when you root it, so make sure to copy your media off of your phone. It’s also a good idea to make screen shots of all of your home screens and app page, so you can quickly restore your device to the same look and feel you had before.
- Issues With Some Media Rentals – You could receive an error when attempting to play a rented movie on a rooted device.
- Legal Risks – And last, but not least, the use of tethering software may violate your carrier’s Terms of Service — whatever that means. I’m unaware of anyone who has been prosecuted because they unlocked or rooted their phone.
Overclocking your phone too much could cause it to overheat
A Checklist for First-timers
-
Rooting is not something you should attempt to do quickly. I recommend you complete this entire checklist before rooting your phone:
- Make sure you have step-by-step instructions for your exact model of phone before beginning.
- Make sure you have everything you need before beginning. This includes software drivers, ROMs, required apps, etc.
- Make sure to create a backup of your phone and all of its data before you root it. Some backup software doesn’t automatically backup all of your music and photos, so you might want to manually back those up.
- Make sure you know how to restore your phone to its original factory state if you don’t like the result of the rooting process. Even if you brick your phone, you can often restore it to its original factory condition. Here are some steps how to do this. Although these apply to the Samsung Galaxy S III, the information here applies to other phones as well.
- Try to find someone who can help you if problems occur. Your carrier will not help you if things don’t go right.
Important: If you have any doubts after reading this, do not proceed until you can find someone to help you. I cannot help you, nor can I assume any responsibility for bricked phones.
Some Important Closing Thoughts
Although rooting is still too technical for many users, the process is getting easier. Unfortunately, you may now need an unlock code from your carrier to legally unlock your phone and you are unlikely to get that unless your contract is up. Rooting your phone for the first time can be scary, but I believe the benefits far exceed the risks. In the six months since I first rooted my phone, my experience has been 100% problem free — with one notable exception. When Verizon released OS updates for my rooted phone, I was unable to install them. Although I was able to find a solution to the problem online, it wasn’t simple, and required me to either restore my phone to stock, or wipe it and manually install the software update. Although major OS updates don’t happen that often, this is something to consider before rooting.
Where to Learn More
- Android ROM and rooting dictionary for beginners
- Android 101: Rooting, Jailbreaking and Unlocking
- What is Rooting? (AndroidPIT Modder’s Guide)
- How To Root The Galaxy S II
- How To Install A Custom ROM On Your Rooted Samsung Galaxy S II
- Step-by-step instructions how to root the Samsung Galaxy S III
- A List of Good Root-only Apps (and more reasons to root)
- How to Un-root Your Samsung Galaxy S III and flash it back to Android 4.0.4
- How to hack your Android like a pro: Rooting and ROMs explained
– Rick
Copyright 2013 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.
Follow me on Twitter @mostlytech1
Today’s Best Smartphones (February 2012)
January 30, 2012 Leave a comment
Since this article was first written, an updated version has been posted here. Check it out. A lot has changed.
When it comes to overall specs, it's hard to beat Samsung's Galaxy Series
And the Winners Are…
Back in December I created a chart of the top smartphones available at the time. Since then, a lot has happened, so I’ve updated my list. Here are the top five smartphones available today:
|
|
HTC Rezound |
LG Nitro HD |
Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx |
Samsung Galaxy Nexus |
Samsung Galaxy Note |
|
Processor |
1.5 GHz dual-core |
1.5 GHz dual-core |
1.2 GHz dual-core |
1.2 GHz dual-core |
1.5 GHz dual-core |
|
RAM |
1GB |
1GB |
1GB |
1GB |
1GB |
|
Storage |
16GB |
16+4GB |
16+16GB |
32GB |
TBD |
|
Screen size |
4.3” |
4.5” |
4.3” |
4.65” |
5.3” |
|
Resolution |
1280×720 |
1280×720 |
960×540 |
1280×720 |
1280×800 |
|
Pixel density |
342 ppi |
329 ppi |
256 ppi |
316 ppi |
285 ppi |
|
Rear cam |
8MP |
8MP |
8MP |
5MP |
8MP |
|
Front cam |
2MP |
1.3MP |
1.3MP |
1.3MP |
2MP |
|
Network |
LTE |
LTE |
LTE |
LTE |
LTE |
|
5GHz Wi-Fi |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Bluetooth |
3.0 |
3.0 |
4.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
|
NFC |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Thickness |
13.65mm |
10.4mm |
8.99mm |
9.47mm |
9.65mm |
|
Weight |
164g |
128g |
145g |
150g |
178g |
|
Battery |
1620 mAh |
1830 mAh |
3300 mAh |
1850 mAh |
2500 mAh |
|
OS |
Android 2.3.4 |
Android 2.3.5 |
Android 2.3.5 |
Android 4.0.2 |
Android 2.3.5 |
|
Carrier |
Verizon |
AT&T |
Verizon |
Verizon |
AT&T |
- Comments
- Although the Rezound is the thickest phone here, it has the highest pixel density, and a very fast processor. For now, it stays on the ‘best’ list.
- You could argue the Droid RAZR belongs in the above chart because it’s thinner and lighter than the RAZR Maxx, but battery life is such an important issue on LTE phones. The RAZR Maxx’s 3300mAh battery has 85% more current than the 1780mAh battery in the original RAZR. Even with the extended battery, the RAZR Maxx is still the thinnest phone in the above chart.
- Sprint will be releasing a Galaxy Nexus in the first half of this year that is rumored to have a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 2100mAh extended battery and a functioning Google Wallet. The original Galaxy Nexus is capable of supporting NFC, but Verizon blocks users from downloading the Google Wallet. Smart users know of a trick which allows Verizon users to download and install Google Wallet from the Android Market.
- Although the Galaxy Note became available in Europe last year, it’s rumored to go on sale here in the U.S. on February 19th.
Although iPhone 4 sales are better than ever, it no longer competes when it comes to most specs.
Close, But No Cigar
You may have noticed that some phones which were included in my December list, have fallen by the wayside. This includes the iPhone 4S and several other phones which are still good, but no longer compare with the best phones. Each has at least one major flaw.
|
|
Apple iPhone 4S |
HTC Vivid |
Motorola Droid RAZR |
Motorola Droid 4 |
Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket |
|
Processor |
800MHz dual-core |
1.2 GHz dual-core |
1.2 GHz dual-core |
1.2 GHz dual-core |
1.5 GHz dual-core |
|
RAM |
512MB |
1GB |
1GB |
1GB |
1GB |
|
Storage |
16GB, 32GB, 64GB |
16GB |
16+16GB |
16GB |
16GB |
|
Screen size |
3.5” |
4.5” |
4.3” |
4.0” |
4.5” |
|
Resolution |
960×640 |
960×540 |
960×540 |
960×540 |
800×480 |
|
Pixel density |
326 ppi |
245 ppi |
256 ppi |
275 ppi |
207 ppi |
|
Rear cam |
8MP |
8MP |
8MP |
8MP |
8MP |
|
Front cam |
0.3MP |
1.3MP |
1.3MP |
1.3MP |
2MP |
|
Network |
HSPA |
LTE/HSPA+ |
LTE |
LTE |
LTE/HSPA+ |
|
5GHz Wi-Fi |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Bluetooth |
4.0 |
3.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
3.0 |
|
NFC |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Thickness |
9.3mm |
11.2mm |
7.1mm |
12.99mm |
9.40mm |
|
Weight |
140g |
177g |
127g |
179g |
132g |
|
Battery |
1420 mAh |
1620 mAh |
1780 mAh |
1785 mAh |
1850 mAh |
|
OS |
iOS 5.0 |
Android 2.3.5 |
Android 2.3.5 |
Android 2.3.5 |
Android 2.3.4 |
|
Carrier(s) |
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint |
AT&T |
Verizon |
Verizon 2/10 |
AT&T |
- Comments
- You could argue the Droid RAZR belongs in the first list because it’s thinner and lighter than the Maxx, but battery life is such an important issue with LTE phones that I favored the RAZR Maxx over the older Droid. It’s 3300mAh battery has 85% more current than the battery in the original Droid Razr.
- I debated whether the soon to be released Droid 4 belonged in the first chart, but it’s lacking a HD screen and it is one the thickest and heaviest of all of these phones. If you’ve just got to have a real keyboard, you might be willing to overlook these problems.
- I also debated whether the Galaxy S II Skyrocket belonged in the first chart, because it has such a fast processor. I left it out because it has the worst screen of any of the phones here.
- Windows Phone fans might ask why the Titan isn’t in this chart, because it has a 1.5GHz processor and a 4.7″ screen. I left it out because it doesn’t have a HD screen and the Titan II is just around the corner..
Why The iPhone 4S Is No Longer One of The Best
Some of you are probably wondering why the iPhone 4S is no longer listed in the chart of best smartphones. The answer is easy: The iPhone 4S hasn’t been competitive for a while. It has an under-clocked processor that runs at almost half the speed of the best Android phones. While it’s true the iPhone does well in some graphics-related benchmarks, the fastest Android phones kill it in side-by-side real world speed tests. If you want to see just how much faster the Droid RAZR is than the iPhone 4S, watch this video.The iPhone also doesn’t have a 720p HD display, and believe it or not, it’s not a real 4G phone. That means its data speeds are 5-10x slower than most 4G LTE phones. If you’re a hard-core Apple fan, you’ll probably buy the iPhone 4S anyway, and that’s O.K — just don’t say you weren’t warned. Two years is a long time to own a non-4G phone.
Several new quad-core phones will be demonstrated in Spain next month. As soon as new phones are released, I’ll update this chart.
If you think I missed a phone that should be considered, please let me know.
– Rick
Copyright 2012 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.
Optimizing Your Network for Multimedia Streaming
January 18, 2012 8 Comments
Last updated: January 5, 2014
This article has had almost 20,000 views. Thanks for reading it.
How to Optimize Your Home Network for Multimedia Streaming
Wireless devices can be found many places in a typical home
Wireless networks can be found in almost every home and office. Setting up a Wi-Fi network for normal use is easy. But when you try to stream high-quality video, you’re likely to experience occasional stuttering or rebuffering. According to a study, almost one in five U.S. Internet users are unable to stream 720p HD video reliably. In some states, 40% of consumers cannot do this. When problems like this occur, you can do several things to improve the situation:
- Use an uncrowded channel – Make sure you’re not sharing the same Wi-Fi channel with others close to you. Many 2.4GHz wireless access-points default to the same channel when they are powered up. This can make congestion worse and lower your throughput. Download software like Farproc’s free Wifi Analyzer to get a visual picture of your network. It even tells you which are the best channels to use. Most routers will allow you to set the channel using your web browser.
- Avoid overlapping channels – Use the channels 1, 6, or 11 when possible, because they are non-overlapping.
- Upgrade for more speed – If you have an 802.11b or 802.11g wireless router, consider upgrading to an 802.11n or 802.11ac router. Both are capable of faster data speeds and also support the less crowded 5GHz band. Some 802.11ac routers are capable of speeds over 1Gbps.
- Use the 5GHz band if your devices support it – The 5GHz band is faster and not as susceptible to interference from cordless telephones, microwave ovens, baby monitors, Bluetooth devices and wireless keyboards as the 2.4GHz band. It’s also much less crowded and should be used as long as your devices support it, and you are not too far away from your wireless access point.
- Extend your range – If your problem is signal strength-related, consider using a Wi-Fi booster/repeater or wireless access point with better antennas like this one. By adding the $40 Wi-Fi booster shown on the right, I was able to increase my download speeds by almost 400%. An even better option for those who have a wired Ethernet network is to purchase a second router that supports 802.11ac. Make sure to set it up as an access point where you connect the first router to the port 1 and NOT the WAP port. Also make sure to disable the DHCP server. More details here.
- Consider wireless alternatives – When you’re having problems steaming HD video, you may want to consider wireless alternatives like HomePlug Powerline AV adapters. If you go this route, make sure your adapter is HomePlug AV-compatible so you can mix and match devices from other companies. According a recent article in Maximum PC, last-generation Homeplug AV 200 adapters were supposed to be capable of speeds of up to 200Mb/s. Even though they only got real world speeds were 60-70Mb/s, that’s enough for a single HD stream. Newer devices support the IEEE 1903 standard which is capable of theoretical speeds up to 500Mbps and real world speeds up to 100Mbps. These speeds are even faster than you can get over standard Ethernet wiring, so you should be able to stream multiple HD movies at once in your home using multiple adapters. Consider the TP-Link AV-500 TL-PA511KIT or eNetgear Nano 500 XAVB5101 adapters. Those are two of the best affordable adapters available today. Both should be capable of real world read speeds of over 62Mbps and real world write speeds over 54Mbps.
Another good wireless alternative are MoCA adapters, which transmit multimedia data over coax cable. Both of these are capable of higher data rates and more reliable than most wireless routers.
- Test your download speed – If you stream media over the Internet, you should know what your download speed is. Even more important than the peak speed is the average speed. Watch whether the data rate is consistent, or fluctuates a lot. There are several good sites and apps which do this. More info.
Utilities like this one tell you which wireless channels to use.
The 2.4GHz band is much more crowded than the 5GHz band
A low-cost Wi-Fi Booster
An Ethernet Over Coax MoCA Network Adapter
Dual-Band Wi-Fi FAQ
Do all 802.11g/n products support dual-band?
No. 802.11ac was designed specifically for the 5GHz band, however, so it seems likely all ‘ac’ products will support 5GHz.
Who makes dual-band routers?
Most wireless routers sold over the past few years support dual-band. Examples include: Apple’s Airport Express, all ASUS routers (RT-AC66U, RT-N65U, RT-N66U and EA-N66) the Linksys N600, N750, N900 and AC1750 as well as routers from Netgear.
Here are just a few of the smartphones with 5GHz Wi-Fi support
Do you have a list of mobile devices that support 5GHz Wi-Fi?
Here are a few of the devices which support dual-band Wi-Fi. Note: This list is not current. These days most mobile devices support 5GHz.
- Amazon Kindle Fire HD
- Amazon Kindle Fire HDX
- Apple AirPort Extreme (2009 and later)
- Apple computers with Wireless-N support
- Apple iPad
- Apple iPad 2
- Apple iPad 3
- Apple iPad 4
- Apple iPhone 5 (and later)
- Apple TV (2nd and 3rd gen.)
- ASUS Nexus 7
- BlackBerry PlayBook
- Google Nexus 10
- HTC Droid DNA
- HTC Rezound
- HTC Windows Phone 8x
- LG Nexus 4
- LG Nexus 5
- Linksys EA-3500 wireless router
- Linksys E-4200 wireless router
- Linksys EA-4500 wireless router
- Microsoft Surface RT
- PCs with Wireless-N support (most, not all)
- Samsung Galaxy Premier
- Samsung Galaxy Nexus
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
- Samsung Galaxy Note II
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8
- Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (and later models)
- Samsung Galaxy S II
- Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
- Samsung Galaxy S III (and later models)
- Samsung Galaxy S III mini
- Samsung Galaxy S 4
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (possibly other sizes as well, but NOT the Galaxy Tab 2)
- Samsung Nexus 10
- Slingbox 500
Where can I go to find out if my devices supports Dual-band Wi-Fi?
Search for your device here. It’s dual-band if there is a “1” under 5.0 GHz transmit and receive.
Is 5GHz Wi-Fi faster than 2.4GHz Wi-Fi?
It you refer to the chart below, you’ll see some routers are capable of higher data rates when using the 5GHz band. More info.
Chart courtesy of Maximum PC
Is there a downside when using 5GHz Wi-Fi?
Yes. Not all devices support 5GHz Wi-Fi. Also, the higher frequency signals of 5GHz networks do not penetrate walls as well as 2.4GHz signals. This limits their reach inside some homes.
How can you force your devices to use 5GHz Wi-Fi?
‘Forget’ the 2.4GHz network and connect to the 5GHz one.
What’s better than 802.11n?
802.11ac is a new wireless-networking standard which is capable of speeds that are almost 3x faster than 802.11n. You can learn here about it here. In addition to higher throughput, 802.11ac has wider coverage and improved power efficiency. Although real-world speeds won’t always exceed 1Gbps, 802.11ac should be capable of speeds of 500Mbps at distances of 50 meters. Apple’s Macs now include support for 802.11ac. All premium routers now include 802.11ac support as well. Asus shipped a laptop with support for 802.11ac over a year ago.
Is anything else being done to improve streaming of multimedia around the house?
Yes, companies like Qualcomm are working on technology called StreamBoost. When combined with 802.11ac, this is supposed to improve performance by managing network traffic. StreamBoost-compatible products let users to see all the devices connected to their network and monitor the real-time bandwidth usage of every device.
What comes after 802.11ac?
According to this blog, “802.11ad improves upon the wireless capabilities introduced in 802.11n. Ideally, 802.11ad will allow devices to communicate over four, 2.16GHz-wide channels, delivering data rates of up to 7 Gigabits per second, even for mobile devices with limited power, a significant improvement over both 11n and 11ac.” More info about 802.11ad.
There are also people who say G.hn is the next big thing in home networking. It uses existing home wiring including coaxial cables, phone lines and power lines. You can learn here about it here.
More about what lies next in networking.
Another good article related to this topic.
If you follow the above guidelines, you should be able to stream high-definition videos without problems. Let me know if I missed any good Wi-Fi tips.
– Rick
Copyright 2013-2014 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged. Network photo courtesy of Apple.
Follow me on Twitter @mostlytech1
iOS 5.0’s Advantages over Android 4.0
January 3, 2012 1 Comment
This article was just updated! You can view the new version here. It compares iOS 6 to Android 4.1.
Android has come a long way, but iOS is very mature and still has quite a few advantages over Android. Yesterday I listed the things I like better about Android 4.0 OS. Here are the things I miss most from iOS 5.0 and the Apple mobile ecosystem.
- Better overall app quality – Android apps have improved, but still don’t match the App Store when it comes to overall app quality. Apple tests all apps and it shows. Apple also excels in categories like games.
- Few tablet-optimized apps – Andy Rubin once said he didn’t think there should be apps specific to a tablet. I don’t agree with this statement. While it’s true, a well-designed app should adapt to different screen sizes, iPad-optimized apps provide a much better experience than standard iPhone apps. I wish the Android Market had a filter for tablet-optimized apps.
- More iOS-only or iOS first apps – By now you’d think all popular apps would be available on both platforms, but that’s not the case. Android is still missing some popular iOS apps. To make things worse, even when developers support both platforms, they often release their iOS apps first. If I were Google, I would provide incentives to top app developers to make sure they release their popular apps at the same time on both platforms.
- iCloud – Google had a huge lead in the area of cloud-based apps, but they still haven’t put together a comprehensive solution like Apple has with iCloud. Sure you could create an iCloud-like solution, but you’d have to do with a collection of apps. Apple makes it easier.
- Better intelligent personal assistant – I’ve tried Iris and a few other Siri competitors on Android and they don’t compete with Siri yet. It’s ironic that Google let Apple win in this area, because they still have better cloud-based voice recognition and return more useful search results in general.
- Better cut and paste – Apple has done a better job implementing their cut and paste. The also have more region selection options. This is one of the things I miss the most.
- Better calendar app – Another thing I miss is the iOS calendar. I found it much easier to add appointments to the Apple Calendar than the Android Calendar.
- No carrier bloatware – Carriers load all non-Nexus Android phones with useless apps. Some of these are links to paid services, others are carrier-branded apps. Most are things you don’t need and will never use. They clutter your screens and can’t be removed.
- Less OS fragmentation – Carriers decide which versions of the Android OS to include. Oftentimes they do not allow users to upgrade to the newest OS. This combined with carrier skins makes the Android experience vary from phone to phone. Although Apple does have some problems with fragmentation of older phones (e.g. iPhone 3G), it’s not near as bad as most Android phones.
- Better voice mail app – I think it’s ridiculous that I have to dial *86 to get voice-mail on my Galaxy Nexus. You’d think its 1998, not 2012. Apple’s phone app has dedicated voice mail button and its interface is excellent.
- Better power management – iOS devices seem to have power management than Android devices. Some of this may be a result of the fact that iOS doesn’t allow third-party apps to run in the background. Others might have to do with the fact that iPhone 4S has an under-clocked processor and no LTE support. Whatever the reason, it’s an Apple advantage.
- One-button operation – Apple uses a single button to return to the Home screen, display the search box, and show recently opened apps. Is it intuitive? No, but once you learn it, it works well.
These are the things that I miss about iOS. What did I leave out?
This article was just updated! You can view the new version here. It compares iOS 6 to Android 4.1.
– Rick
Copyright 2012 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.
Follow me on Twitter @mostlytech1
Android 4.0’s Advantages over iOS 5.1
January 2, 2012 2 Comments
This article was just updated! You can view the new version here. It compares Android 4.1 to iOS 6.
I recently switched from an iPhone to an Android phone and was surprised how easy the transition was. That says a lot about how far Android has come over the past year. While everything is still fresh in my mind, I want to talk about the strengths of each operating system (OS). I’ll start with Android 4.0, and then list the advantages iOS has over Android.
Extensive Customization Options
There are so many different ways you can customize an Android phone that it would be almost impossible to list them all here. Here are a few of the ways you can customize your Home screen(s).
- Widgets – Widgets can be placed on any of the five Android home screens and provide you with things like weather updates, stock quotes, recent e-mails, or your daily calendar. Widgets are accessible, always visible and updated in real-time without needing to launch an app. Widgets also provide easy access to both system and application settings. Want to disable Wi-Fi or GPS services? Use a widget. You can get widget-like apps for the iPhone, but they can only run on your lock screen, and some require a jail-broken phone or third-party widget executor software.
- Easier screen organization – It’s much easier to rearrange the home screen locations of your apps on an Android phone. If you’ve ever tried to move an app several screens on an iPhone without rearranging the existing apps, then you know what I mean. It’s almost impossible to do.
- Moving wallpapers – Live wallpapers are pre-installed on all Android 4.0 devices. They allow you to run cool animations on every home screen, without rooting your phone, or needing to use a third-party app.
Widgets are one of the ways Android users can customize their mobile devices
Superior Navigation Services
All Android devices have navigation services which are far superior to those found on the iPhone. There are two main reason for this:
- More accurate GPS – The GPS on the iPhone is often inaccurate when you’re in a large city, or at an event with many people. Sometimes it shows your location hundreds of feet from where you are — even when there are only a few mobile devices in the area. My Android phone uses a compass, Wi-Fi, a barometer (for altitude) and other techniques to improve its GPS accuracy. The difference in GPS accuracy between it and an iPhone is dramatic.
- Turn-by-turn directions – The Google Maps app is much better on Android than iOS devices. Its turn-by-turn directions are far superior to any free navigation app you can find for iPhone. It’s even better than paid services like Verizon’s VZ Navigator and most automotive GPS systems. Google Maps also has other important features you won’t find on other maps including offline maps, transit maps, walking directions, Street view and indoor maps.
Turn-by-turn directions are another Android advantage
Classic Android Advantages
You’ve probably heard most of these advantages before. They’re all still true.
- System Intents – It’s easiest to explain this by contrasting a iOS app with an Android app. When I click Share on my free Android “Notes Lite” app I have 15 choices including the ability to share via Dropbox, Bluetooth, Email, Facebook, Gmail, Google+, Text Message, Twitter, WordPress Blog, and six more options. [The actual list of intents varies depending on which apps you have installed.] When I click Share and Print on my $10 Apple “Pages” word processor app I’m given five sharing choices: Email, iWork, iTunes (useless), iDisk and WebDAV (useless). Google realizes they cannot be best at everything and allows their customers to choose which services they would like to use. Almost all Android apps support this feature.
- Flash support – The lack of Flash support is probably the best-known iOS limitation. I can’t tell you how many times someone has sent me a link to a video I couldn’t watch on the iPhone or iPad because it was Flash. Android users don’t have to worry about this.
- Better free Wi-Fi tethering – There are several good free Wi-Fi Tethering apps in the Android Market which don’t require you to root your phone. These apps allow Android users to share their network connections with their computers and tablets. This advantage can save you about $20 a month. Tethering is possible on iOS devices only after you jail-break your phone and download a paid app from a third-party app store.
- True multitasking – Apple places restrictions on background operation for third-party apps. In most cases, they are suspended and not allowed to communicate with other apps. Android has no such restrictions and supports true-multitasking. This has changed the way I use my phone, and allows me to do things which weren’t possible on an iPhone.
- 3rd-Party App Stores – There are quite a few good alternative app stores for Android users including: AppBrain, GetJar, Handango, Handmark, and the Amazon App Store, which offers one paid app a day for free. The only apps which can be installed outside the Apple app store are called Cydia apps. Cydia is only available for jailbroken devices.
- No need to sync media – It’s a hassle to get anything but photos on or off of an iOS device. With Android devices you just connect a USB cable to your computer and drag and drop your files. There’s no need to use iTunes (or other apps) to sync files.
- More advanced notifications – Although notifications have improved in iOS 5.1, Android still has advantages in this area. For example, you can tell at a glance what types of notifications have occurred, and clear all with a single click.
- Easier to root/jailbreak – In most cases it’s easier to root an Android mobile device than it is to jailbreak an Apple mobile device. One reason for this is because Apple has devoted significant resources to prevent jailbreaking and prevent jalibreaking apps from appearing in the App Store. Some of the most popular apps in the Android Market only work on rooted devices.
- Easier access to app settings – Android users can either use an in-app Menu button, or onscreen widgets to manage apps settings. iPhone users must use the Settings app every time they want to change app settings, or turn off Bluetooth.
- A more open marketplace – The Android Market has far less restrictions than the App store. There is a long list of apps Apple won’t allow, including apps which compete with iTunes, free Wi-Fi tethering apps, VoIP apps which use technologies like Google Talk, and great utilizes like Farproc’s Wi-Fi Analyzer.
- More screen unlock options – Android now has five different ways to unlock your screen: A slider which lets you access the home screen or camera, pattern unlock, PIN unlock, password unlock and a flashy new Face unlock, which unlocks the screen when you hold the phone up to your face.
- Back button – Android’s Back button can be very useful on some apps and sites. For some strange reason, the iOS home screen (and many iOS apps) doesn’t allow you to go back.
One of the many free Wi-Fi tethering apps in the Android Market
Other Important Android Advantages
Android 4.0 has other important advantages over iOS 5.1. You probably haven’t heard of these before, but they are very important to me.
- More Stable – Apps Crash Less – One of the first things I noticed when I switched to Android, is that apps like the browser crash much less. Apparently I’m not the only one who has experienced this. A recent study published in Forbes magazine, shows this to be true.
- Better Wi-Fi to cellular switching – My iPhone had so many problems switching from Wi-Fi to 3G, that I had to turn off Wi-Fi much of the time. Once my phone saw a wireless access point it recognized, it would try to connect even when the signal was poor and data transfer rates were slow.
- More Tablet-friendly – There is no need to push a 2x button to run older Android apps on a tablet. Older apps stretch to fill the larger screen without the types of distortion you see when you use the 2x mode on an iPad.
- A Better Web browser – I’ve tried all of the best iOS browsers (Dolphin, Opera, Atomic Web, etc.) and none of them beats Chrome running on Android 4.0. See for yourself. On Android you can also set an alternative browser as your default. This is not possible with iOS.
- Better app updating – My iOS devices sometimes only show available updates after I launch the App Store app or iTunes on my computer. And every time I update an app I’m asked to enter my password. Android doesn’t have either of these issues.
- Better Facebook App – I was very surprised to find that ‘Facebook for Android’ is now better than ‘Facebook for iOS.’ ‘Facebook for Android’ doesn’t lose its place when you go back after reading a post. It also doesn’t crash when you try to browse a lot of posts.
- Easier Exchange setup – I was also surprised that it was easier to setup access to my corporate e-mail account on an Android phone than it was on my iPhone. All I had to do was enter my e-mail and password and my contacts and calendars were synced with my Android phone. Apple needed to know my companies server name, domain name and username — in addition to my e-mail and password.
- Better in-line spell checker – Apple’s infamous spell checker has spawned many spell check parody sites like this one. The Android in-line spell checker and suggestion modes work better than Apple’s. I like the way it provides four suggestions, and doesn’t try to auto-insert as many words. It also has a mic button on the keyboard, which makes it easier to speak your words. The iPhone’s onscreen keyboard used to be superior, but with Android 4.0 the difference is much smaller.
- Better voice searches – Android has better voice recognition and more relevant search results than Siri. Don’t believe me? Ask Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. You can read more about his thoughts about the accuracy of Siri here.
Apple makes some tablet users choose between distorted text or apps which don't occupy the entire screen.
Parting Thoughts
Before anyone gets too excited about any of this, I’d like to say that my comments above are my personal observations. This isn’t intended to be a comprehensive list. I know I’ve left a few important things out like NFC. My comments are based on my observations over six months of usage. I use iOS 5.1 and Android 4.0 every single day and view them as equal in many ways. If it seems like I’m stressing Android’s advantages over iOS, it’s because most people think the iPhone is still far ahead of Android and that is no longer true. Even in the area of mobile UI design, Android 4.0 is now beating iOS in some areas. Case in point: Android 4.0 was just awarded best platform experience by Parsons School of Design. More info.
Tomorrow I’ll try to be equally passionate about iOS’ advantages over Android. Check back and see how I did.
This article was just updated! You can view the new version here. It compares Android 4.1 to iOS 6.
– Rick
Copyright 2012 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.
Jumping Ship – Moving from iOS to Android
January 1, 2012 5 Comments
I Was an iPhone Addict
I’ve been a hardcore iPhone user for the past several years. Like most iPhone users, I had a hard time imagining ever switching to another phone. I’d seen some early Android phones and their user interface didn’t look nearly as polished as iOS. I also thought the transition would be too hard and I might regret making the switch. I knew my iPhone so well I could practically operate it blindfolded.
Why Would Anyone Defect?
I had planned to buy an iPhone 5 the first day it was available. However, once the iPhone 4S was announced, and it became clear an iPhone 5 was not going to be released in 2011, I started having second thoughts. My old iPhone had slowed down to the point it was sometimes frustrating to use. I’m not sure if this was a result of iOS, or the fact I was on the AT&T network, which is horrible where I live. While I was researching this problem, I learned about the differences between 4G LTE and the 4G imposters like HSPA+. 4G LTE phones are 5 to 12 times faster than other phones. Two things were clear to me:
- My next phone must support LTE
- My next phone must run on the Verizon network
More about the confusion around 4G data speeds can be found here.
Verizon's LTE speed comparison
These two requirements made my decision easier. The iPhone 4S had disappointing specs (compared to the newest Android phones) and it did not support LTE. There was no way I was going to sign another two-year contract on a non-LTE phone.
So, I started looking into Android phones. I’d heard about the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and read several reviews which said it was the best Android phone ever. Some of the reviews said Android 4.0 was more intuitive than earlier versions, and even had the nerve to compare it to iOS. So I took a big leap of faith and bought a Samsung Galaxy Nexus the first day they became available. I wasn’t too worried, because I had two weeks to return the phone if I didn’t like it.
More about the differences between iPhone 4S and the Galaxy Nexus can be found here.
I immediately started using my new Galaxy Nexus and was surprised the transition wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. Once I installed a few of my favorite apps, I was on my way. I did encounter a few hurdles along the way, so I made a list of suggestions for a trouble free transition from iOS to Android.
Ten Steps to a Trouble-free Transition
Once you get through these steps, you’ll be on your way to being a happy Android user.
- First things first – Start by creating a Google account (if you don’t already have one) and enter your credit card so you can purchase apps. This account will allow you to backup everything on your phone to the cloud, and sync with other Google apps. Next, enter the key for your Wi-Fi network.
- Setup your voice mail – Now learn how to makes call and setup your voice mail. On my phone, I have to dial *86 to check my voice mail, your phone may have a dedicated button for this.
- Install your favorite apps – Now go to the Android Market and install a few of your most-used apps. Don’t bother to make a list of your old apps. If you really need them, you’ll remember their names.
- How do I switch apps without that big button? – One of the first hurdles I encountered was figuring out how the Home button works on Android phones. Both phones have Home buttons, but they work a little differently.
iOS Home button
- Pressing that big Home button on the iPhone always takes you back to the main Home screen. Pressing the Home button on an Android 4.0 phone takes you back to the last Home screen you were on.
Android's Home button
- Pressing the Home button on the home screen of an iPhone takes you to the Search screen. This doesn’t happen on Android phones because the search box is displayed on every home screen.
Android's Recent Apps button
- Double-pressing the Home button on an iPhone 4S shows your most recently opened apps. You can do the same thing on an Android 4.0 phone by pressing the Recent Apps button. The only difference is that you scroll up and down, instead of left to right.
Android's Back button
- Two other important navigation differences exist between the iPhone and Android phones are the Menu and Back buttons. The Back button on an Android phone works like the back button on your browser. Once you get used to doing this, I think you’ll find it very useful.
Android's Menu button
- The same is true with the Menu button. On Android phones before 4.0, there is a dedicated Menu button which works much like the right mouse button on a Windows PC. This can also be a real time saver once you get used to it. On an iPhone you have to go to the Setting app to access options which are available in the Menu key on Android phones. Note:On Android 4.0 phones the Menu button is only displayed once you launch an app.
Android's App Drawer
- Another difference is the fact that all downloaded iOS apps must appear on one of the iPhone’s home screens. On Android, this is not the case. All apps are displayed when you touch the App Drawer. It’s up to you which app you want to have displayed on your five home screens.
- Pressing that big Home button on the iPhone always takes you back to the main Home screen. Pressing the Home button on an Android 4.0 phone takes you back to the last Home screen you were on.
- Syncing your calendar and contacts – Google automatically syncs all of your Google contacts and calendars. If you want to sync your work contacts and calender, it’s easy. Click on the E-mail app and then select Settings using the menu key. Then click Add Account and enter your work e-mail and password. In a few minutes, all of your work contacts and calendar will be synced with your Android phone. When you add a new contact or appointment to your calendar, it will instantly appear on your Android phone without any type of manual sync needed.
- Learn how Notifications work – Notifications work a little different on Android and iOS 5.0 devices. On an Android phone, you’ll see different icons at the top of the screen every time you receive a new e-mail or other activities. Like iOS, you swipe down from the top of the screen to view your notifications. Once you review them, just click the “X” to clear them.
- Install the “must-have” Android apps – Every platform has its own “must-have” apps. CNET recently published a list of some of the best Android apps. You may want to download some of these after you get a new Android phone.
- Optimize your battery life – If you get a lot of e-mail, you need to make some changes to extend your battery life. Load the E-mail app, go to Settings and set the Inbox check frequency to 1 hour or never. You can still manually sync at any time. Other good battery-saving suggestions can be found here.
- Make it your own– Learn how to customize your Home screens. Move your app shortcuts around, create folders for similar apps and deleting apps you don’t use daily. Learn how to use widgets. Widgets are a big differentiator between Android and iOS.
- Relax – Don’t expect to master a new mobile operating system over night. It could take days — even weeks until you are fully comfortable with your new phone. Be patient while you adjust to some new ways of doing things. The effort you put in will be worth it in the end.
Would I Ever Go Back to Apple?
Sure. I didn’t buy an iPhone because all of my friends had one. In fact, when I bought my first iPhone, it wasn’t that popular. I bought it because it was the best mobile device available at the time. That’s the same reason I recently bought a Samsung Galaxy. I want the fastest and best phone on the planet. I don’t care who makes it.
Which Mobile OS Do I Prefer?
In another blog post, I compare Android 4.1 with iOS 6, and let you know which things I like best about each. You won’t want to miss those posts.
– Rick
Since this article was first written, the iPhone 5 has come out and I’ve switched to a Samsung Galaxy S III. Gizmodo ran a really good article which also talks about making the switch from Android to iOS. I must not be the only person switching, because there are now four times more Android phones than Apple phones. Even with the iPhone 5, it’s going to be impossible for Apple to ever catch up.
Copyright 2012 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.
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