What Samsung & Google Don’t Tell You About Beaming

October 8, 2012 63 Comments

Last update: October 17, 2013

This article has had almost 190,000 views! Thanks for reading it. Although this article refers to the Galaxy S III, S Beam also works with current Samsung mobile products.

Beaming Is Not New

By now you’ve probably seen the Samsung TV commercial where the wife sends a video to her husband by simply touching phones.

Samsung promotes video sharing in their newest ads

Samsung promotes video sharing in their newest ads

Both Google and Samsung refer to this process as beaming. Beaming multimedia is very cool, but it’s not new. I helped create patent-pending software back in 2009 that sent music, photos or video from a web browser to a connected TV, stereo, game console or mobile phone. That was the first software that used the term “beam” to describe the wireless transmission of multimedia from a computer to a connected device, but readers have pointed out that Palm Pilots were beaming contacts, notes, to-do items and calendar entries more than a decade ago. Beaming of multimedia from one phone to another has been possible for over a year using this and other apps, but few knew this was possible before Samsung started running their commercials for the Galaxy S III. The technology which makes beaming possible is called NFC, which stands for Near Field Communication. NFC has been available on Android devices for almost two years. You can learn more about NFC and its many uses here. The technology used to beam the music playlist in Samsung’s TV commercial is called S Beam. It uses NFC and Wi-Fi Direct and has been available since May.

Beaming Isn’t as Easy as It Looks

The Samsung commercial makes beaming look easy. Google claims Android Beam lets users share with a single tap. Is it really this easy? No. Beaming only works after both mobile devices have been setup properly. Before I wrote this article, I couldn’t even get beaming to work between my Samsung Galaxy S III and a Nexus 7 tablet. But once I setup both devices properly and learned a few tricks, beaming now works almost 100% of the time. This article will teach you how to beam like a pro.

You need to configure several settings before you can beam

How to Beam Like a Pro

The section will teach you how to setup your devices and use Android Beam.

  1. In order to beam items from one phone to another, you need two Android devices that have NFC support. Here’s a list of all of the phones with NFC support.
  • Before trying to beam you must go to Settings/More Settings and make sure NFC is checked and Android Beam is enabled on both devices.
  • Now you’re ready to beam, but before you can do so, you need to open the app you wish to beam from. A list of supported apps is displayed later in this article.
  • Next, you need to locate the item you want to beam. You can beam web pages, contacts, maps, YouTube videos and much more.
  • Finally, you need to hold the backs of your two mobile devices together until you hear a chiming sound. If this doesn’t happen in a few seconds, move your devices apart and then back together.

Troubleshooting Tips: Beaming won’t work unless the screen on the destination device is unlocked. You do not need to tap the two devices together, but they do need to be very close. When beaming from a phone to a tablet, you may need to move your phone around on the back of the tablet to find the spot where the NFC module is located.

  1. After you hear the chime, you need to quickly touch the item you want to beam. If you do this correctly, you’ll see the screen shrink and hear a two-tone confirmation sound.
  • If you press too long, you’ll hear a fast four-part tone that goes from high to low and you’ll need to beam again.
  • If you wait to touch the screen until after the image grows back, you need to move the two devices apart and beam again.
  • If you touch outside of the shrunken item, it won’t beam.

You may need to click OK to accept beamed media

  1. After performing all of the steps above, the beamed item should appear on the other devices’ screen. Although this may seem like a lot of steps to follow, once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy and you’ll want to beam all of the time.

In order to accept a beamed You Tube video on devices like a Samsung Galaxy S III, you need to touch “OK” when you see this message:

Good Luck Trying to Beam a Music Playlist

Want to beam a music playlist like you see in the Samsung commercial? What about a photo or video that you took with the camera on your phone? You can’t do that with Android Beam (running on Android 4.0-powered devices). Fortunately, there are several solutions to these problems.

  1. Use S Beam on Two Galaxy S IIIs — NFC is great for transferring things like contacts or URLs that point to maps or YouTube videos, but it’s not ideal for large files like videos. That’s why S Beam uses NFC for device pairing and Wi-Fi Direct for high-speed data transfer. Wi-Fi Direct is capable of data speeds around 250 Mbps, but because the Galaxy S III supports Wi-Fi channel bonding, files can be transferred at speeds up to 300Mbps. Of course your mileage may vary, depending on the distance from your wireless access point and the amount of interference in your area.

You can see S Beam in action here. Real world speeds are good, but not amazing. The actual transfer time for a photo is 1 to 2 seconds, but it takes an additional 4 to 6 seconds to establish a connection using S Beam.

Another thing to be aware of: When you touch the back of a Galaxy S III to another S Beam-enabled device for the first time, it takes about 10 seconds to make the connection. For security, the connection times out after 10 minutes.

  1. Use Android Beam on Two Mobile Devices Running Jelly Bean — Android Beam now allows you to send photos and videos from one device running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) to another. Just select a photo or video in the Gallery app, and then hold any two NFC-enabled devices back to back. When prompted, tap the screen to send the file as described above. File are now send using Bluetooth, so transfer speeds are faster than earlier. However files transfers are not as fast as S Beam — because Bluetooth is only capable of data transfer speeds up to 24 Mbit/s. Performance isn’t too bad. It takes about 7 to 9 seconds to send a photo, and 15 seconds to send a short video.

Beamed photos don’t automatically appear

After you beam a photo from the Gallery app, you’ll see the photo downloading in the Notification bar. After the download is complete, you have to swipe down, and select the photo you wish to view. Beamed videos automatically appear after the download is complete however and are ready to play.

Cool observation: Bluetooth does not need to be enabled before you beam a photo. Android Beam will automatically turn Bluetooth on and off as needed. This should reduce battery usage.

Most people don’t know Android Beam can now send multiple files from one Android 4.1 device to another. To do this, long press on a photo or video in the Gallery, select the items you want to transfer, and then hold the devices back-to-back to start the beaming process. Because Bluetooth is being used, you should avoid trying to send too many files at once.

Which Apps Work and Which Ones Don’t?

Apps that work with Android Beam
Here is a list of apps that work with Android Beam followed by any issues they may have.

  • aCalendar
  • Any.Do – This task management app lets you beam assignments to co-workers
  • Chrome
  • Clover Pay
  • Contacts (Android 4.0) – This app seems to be a little temperamental. Wait until the screen gets small before you tap it. This takes about four seconds. Then tap near the photo area.
  • Financial Times
  • Gmail
  • Gallery – only works when Android 4.1 is installed
  • Google Play – Android Beam pushes a link to the app’s details page in Google Play. On the other device, Google Play launches and loads the details page, for easy downloading of the app.
  • Google Earth
  • Google I/O 2012
  • Google Maps
  • Internet (stock Android 4.0 browser)
  • Just Player
  • Kingsoft Office
  • Local – Maps, but nothing else
  • MonTransit
  • Navigation
  • NFC Reader
  • Paper Camera
  • Pattrn
  • People (Android 4.1)
  • Shazam
  • Shazam Encore
  • Songkick Concerts
  • StumbleUpon
  • WiFiBeam – This app can pass WiFi setup info from one device to another
  • YouTube – Can’t beam ads, skip any ads before beaming.

This is a partial list of the apps which work with Android Beam. As I find more apps that work, I’ll add them here.

Apps that don’t work with Android Beam

  • Calculator
  • Currents – Loads app, but not selected article
  • Gallery
  • Google Now – Cards can’t be sent
  • Google+
  • Play Music (appears to work on Android 4.0, but music is not transferred immediately)
  • Samsung’s Calendar
  • Street View on Google Maps
  • Most other Android apps

The Pros and Cons of Android Beam and Samsung’s S Beam

Android Beam – Pros

  • Works with all NFC-enabled Android devices running Android 4.0 (or later)
  • Works on devices that do not have Wi-Fi Direct support
  • Requires less configuration than S Beam (because Wi-Fi Direct does not have to be enabled)
  • Very safe because NFC only works at distances of 4cm or less.
  • More power efficient than S Beam because it uses NFC and Bluetooth

Android Beam – Cons

  • Only works with Android devices that have NFC support
  • Has data transfer rates up to 10x slower than S Beam
  • Can only send photos, videos and playlists if you’re running Android 4.1 (or later)
  • Beamed photos don’t automatically open
  • Doesn’t use Bluetooth for transfers unless you’re running Android 4.1 (or later)

S Beam – Pros

  • Capable transfer speeds up to 10x faster than Android Beam
  • Supports music playlists, photos and videos on Android 4.0 devices
  • Once a transfer in started it’s capable of working at greater distances than NFC-only transfers
  • Safe when good Wi-Fi security practices are followed.
  • Can be used to transfer documents from one Galaxy Note 2 to another

S Beam – Cons

  • Only works with a limited number of Samsung devices (like the Galaxy S III)
  • Only works on devices running Android 4.0 (and later)
  • Wi-Fi Direct draws so much power that it’s turned off after only a few minutes of inactivity
  • Only works on devices that have with NFC and Wi-Fi Direct support
  • S Beam works with fewer apps than Android Beam
You can now beam files from Android to iOS devices

You can now beam files from Android to iOS devices

How to Beam Files to an iPhone or iPad

S Beam isn’t the only game in town. I’ve been using an app called Bump for years. It started as a way to exchange contacts on iOS devices, but now can transfer any file you have on your device (videos, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc). First install the Bump app on both of your devices. Next, launch the app on both devices and select the type of file you want to exchange. Then touch your devices together lightly until you feel them vibrate. You need to press the blue Connect button on both devices, before your file can be transferred. Like Android Beam, Bump can be a little temperamental and often requires several tries before it works. Also be aware that all music metadata and album art is lost when you transfer music files.

Cross-platform Beaming Issues

In theory, you should be able to tap an NFC-enabled Windows Phone 8 to a Galaxy S III or Galaxy Nexus and share anything. However, I’m told that sharing of web pages and contacts work fine, but sharing of files and photos does not. Let’s hope Microsoft and Google get together to address this issue soon.

The Final Word

While it’s true that Samsung and Google may have oversold beaming, once you know how to use it, it’s a powerful feature. As more devices support these two features, I’d like to see both companies enable these by default so no setup is required. Also, Samsung should find a way to automatically toggle on and off Wi- Fi Direct (like Google does with Bluetooth beaming), so you don’t have to turn it on every time. I’m glad that Samsung has made this concept something that everyone now is aware of. We live in a wireless world, and you should never have to connect a cable to transfer files.

Have fun beaming!

– Rick

Copyright 2013 Rick E. Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.

Follow me on Twitter @mostlytech1

Filed under Blog Posts, How-to, Mobile Technology Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Filed under Mobile Technology Tagged with , , , ,

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 are one of the ways Android users can customize their mobile devices

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

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:

    Turn-by-turn directions are another Android advantage

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Classic Android Advantages

You’ve probably heard most of these advantages before. They’re all still true.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

    3. One of the many free Wi-Fi tethering apps in the Android Market

  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10.  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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

    3. Apple makes some tablet users choose between distorted text or apps which don't occupy the entire screen.

  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.

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.

Filed under Mobile Technology Tagged with , , , ,

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:

  1. My next phone must support LTE
  2. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

Follow me on Twitter @mostlytech1

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Cage Match: Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus vs. Apple’s iPhone 4S

December 26, 2011 Leave a comment

The Galaxy Nexus (shown in orange) outperforms most other Android phones

Round 1 – Product Specifications

Many reviewers have heralded the Samsung Galaxy Nexus as the best Android phone ever. It supports LTE, has a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, a 4.65” 720p display and is the first device to run Android 4.0. As you can see from the chart above, the Galaxy Nexus does well when you compare it to other Android devices, but how do its specs compare with the iPhone 4S? Read on to learn the answer.

 

Apple iPhone 4S

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Processor

800MHz dual-core

1.2 GHz dual-core

RAM

512MB

1GB

Internal storage

16, 32, 64GB

32GB

Screen size

3.5”

4.65”

Display resolution

960×640

1280×720

Pixel density

326 ppi

316 ppi

Rear cam

8MP

5MP

Front cam

0.3MP

1.3MP

Network

HSPA

LTE

Dual-band Wi-Fi

No

Yes

NFC

No

Yes

Thickness

9.3mm

9.47mm

Weight

140g

150g

Battery

1420 mAh

1850 mAh

There is a clear winner when you compare the specs of these two devices. The Galaxy Nexus beats the iPhone 4S in 10 out of 14 specs. The specs the iPhone wins are important however: screen density, camera (MP), thickness and weight.

Round 1 Winner: Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Specs Can Be Deceiving

On paper the iPhone 4S doesn’t look that great. Its dual-core CPU runs at a clock speed which is 33% slower than the Galaxy Nexus (800MHz vs. 1.2GHz). But clock speed isn’t the only thing which determines the speed of a device. The graphics co-processor can have a big impact on performance, especially when running games. The mobile operating system and chipset can also have an impact on performance.

Software benchmarks are used to compare the performance of different devices? One of the best sources of this type of data is AnandTech. Unfortunately some of the best mobile benchmarks do not run on the iOS platform (e.g. Rightware BrowserMark, Quadrant, NenaMark, AnTuTu and Vellamo).

Fortunately there are some good benchmarking apps which run on both platforms. Let’s run a few of them and see how these two phones compare.

Round 2 – Browser Performance


SunSpider is one of the most popular tests for browser performance. It’s designed to compare different browsers to each other. Although the chart above shows the non-LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus, I ran SunSpider on my LTE Nexus and got an even better score (1907). That’s 15% faster than the iPhone 4S. The first round is over and we have a winner.

Round 2 Winner: Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Round 3 – Graphics Performance

Let’s move on to round 2. This round will test graphics performance. GLBenchmark is an app which measures the graphic and computation capabilities of a mobile device. The majority of the tests it runs focus on things like high-level 3D animations.

I was expecting the iPhone 4S to beat the Galaxy Nexus in this test, but I wasn’t expecting such a big difference in scores. One possible explanation might be the fact the Galaxy Nexus has 50% more pixels to process than the iPhone 4S (921600 vs. 614400). In the real world, graphics on the iPhone 4S aren’t 3 times faster than the Galaxy Nexus. Both phones are great for gaming, and it’s unlikely you’ll see much difference in real-world use. In fact, in many real world tests the fastest Android phones kill the iPhone 4S in side-by-side speed tests. If you want to see just how much faster the Droid RAZR is than the iPhone 4S watch this video. Still, I’d be remiss to say this round was not a knock out — according to this benchmark.

Round 3 Winner: Apple iPhone 4S

NOTE: Since this article was written the iPhone 4S has lost it’s advantage in most benchmarks. Phones like the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy SIII beat it badly in most benchmarks. More info.

Round 4 – Wi-Fi Performance

Wi-Fi performance is important to many users. In the test the Galaxy Nexus did better than the iPhone 4S, but the difference was only 16%. Perhaps a bigger difference between the two devices is the fact that the Galaxy Nexus supports dual-band Wi-Fi, and the iPhone 4S only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. The 5GHz band is much less prone to interference, and can be faster than the 2.4GHz band.

Round 4 Winner: Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Round 5 – 3G/4G Data Speeds

The best way to compare data speeds on two different phones is to run the same bandwidth test software on both. I use a popular app called Speed Test, which is available for both Android and iOS. It’s important to realize that data speeds vary by carrier. PC Magazine ran a good article recently which found iPhone 4S data speeds on AT&T’s network top out around 3-4Mbps. Verizon’s 3G network averaged 700kbps down, with peaks of 2.5Mbps; Sprint’s only eked out 480kbps on average, with peaks of 2.22Mbps. I was an AT&T customer for over 3 years and I never saw speeds on my iPhone approaching anywhere near 3Mbps, but I’ll give Apple the benefit of the doubt here.

The Galaxy Nexus is capable of data speeds 20-30x faster than the iPhone 4S

Even with PC Mag’s generous results on the AT&T’s network, a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon’s slower network, absolutely kills the iPhone in data speed tests. The reason for this is obvious: The iPhone 4S doesn’t have LTE support yet, and LTE speeds (even on Verizon’s slower network) blow away regular 3G HSPA speeds. In this test the Galaxy Nexus was 33 times faster than the iPhone 4S! So this round was a knock out.

Round 5 Winner: Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Round 6 – Battery Life

There is a price to be paid for the lightning-fast data speeds LTE phones like the Galaxy Nexus have. The price is poor battery life. Even though the Galaxy Nexus has a more powerful battery than the iPhone 4S (1850 mAh vs. 1420 mAh), its battery life is still worse. There are other factors for this as well, Apple underclocks their A5 processor, and Android’s true multitasking consumes more power than Apple’s approach, which suspends apps in the background. Nonetheless, the difference is clear in the charts below.

As you can see, the iPhone 4S kills the Galaxy Nexus in web browsing battery life over both 3G and Wi-Fi. The only bright spot for the Nexus is acting as a Wi-Fi hotspot over 3G. In those tests, the Galaxy Nexus operated 1.5 hrs longer than the iPhone 4S. That can probably be attributed to the larger battery in the Galaxy Nexus. [Note: This test was done with the European version of the Galaxy Nexus, no test data was available for the U.S. LTE version.]

Round 6 Winner: Apple iPhone 4S

Fight Results

Round 1 – Winner: Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Round 2 – Winner: Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Round 3 – Winner: Apple iPhone 4S
Round 4 – Winner: Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Round 5 – Winner: Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Round 6 – Winner: Apple iPhone 4S

The Victor

It was a long fight but the final round is over. If I was on the panel of judges, I would rule the Galaxy Nexus victor because it won 4 out of 6 rounds, but it was a close fight. Would you rule the same way?

– Rick

Copyright 2011 Rick Schwartz (text only). All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged. All charts are courtesy of AnandTech.

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The Ultimate Mobile Device (Updated Feb.)

November 27, 2011 Leave a comment


Since this article was first written, an updated version has been posted here. Check it out. A lot has changed.

Although there are lots of great mobile devices available today, there is no one single device that is best at everything. It is possible to say which phone (or tablet) has the best display, processor and so on. After reading this article, you should be better prepared to purchase the ultimate mobile device based on your needs.

Best Mobile Display

Since the screen is the main interface to your mobile device, it’s very important. Although the size and total number of pixels matters, it’s the pixel density which determines the amount of detail you’ll see. More info.

The Galaxy Note is the the only smartphone with a 5.3" display

  • First place: The HTC Rezound has a 4.3” screen with 1280×720 pixels and a higher pixel density than the iPhone 4S (342 ppi vs. 326 ppi). The Windows Phone Lumia 900 is the most readable under bright light. More info.
  • Runner-up: The Samsung Galaxy Note has the largest screen you’ll find on a smartphone today. It’s an amazing 5.3” and has a record setting 1280×800 pixels. The reason it doesn’t come in first is because its pixel density is lower than the HTC Rezound. When it comes to tablets, the Samsung Galaxy series have some of the best displays available today, and pixel densities which are almost 30% higher than the iPad 2.
  • What to look for: A tablet with a 2560×1600 pixel screen will be available in 2012. Smartphones will get screens with pixel densities near 400 ppi as well. Also expect to see displays with polarized filters, that make screens more visible in direct sunlight.

Best Mobile Processor

The processor in your mobile device determines how fast your apps will run. Today’s best mobile devices have multi-core processors, which allow your device to do several things at once without slowing down. More info.

The Asus Transformer Prime was the first quad-core powered mobile device

  • First place: The ASUS Transformer Prime has an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor which out performs every mobile device on the market today in most benchmarks.
  • Runner-up: The HTC Rezound, LG Nitro HD and Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket all have 1.5GHz dual-core processors. The HTC Jetstream tablet also has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor.
  • What to look for: Quite a few quad-core smartphones will be announced in Q1. Dual-core CPUs in smartphones will hit speeds of 1.8 GHz in 2012. Tablet processors will hit speeds of 2GHz in 2012, and could go as high as 2.5GHz.

Fastest Data Speeds

4G LTE devices are at least 5-10x faster than 3G devices

Data speeds have a significant impact on the perceived speed of your mobile device. Verizon claims 4G LTE speeds that are at least twice as fast as AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ phones and up to 12 times faster than 3G speeds. More info.

  • First place: LTE phones like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy S II HD LTE win because they work on LTE networks and support both 2.5GHz and 5.0GHz Wi-Fi.
  • Runner-up: The HTC Rezound, Motorola Droid RAZR, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, HTC  Jetstream and all other mobile devices which support LTE or WiMAX.
  • What to look for: Expect Apple’s iPhone to finally get LTE support in 2012.

Best Camera

Today’s best mobile devices have 8 megapixel rear cameras which are capable of taking surprisingly good-looking photos. Most have LED flashes and front-facing cameras for video conferencing.

The HTC Titan II will be the first phone with a 16MP camera

  • First place: Too close to call. The 12MP Nokia N8 wins on specs with its Carl Zeiss optics and a xenon flash, but it’s on a Symbian phone which is more than a year old. When it comes to smartphones with 8MP cameras, the iPhone 4S, HTC Amaze, HTC Sensation, HTC Titan, Samsung Galaxy S II and T-Mobile MyTouch Slide all take photos which rival some point-and-shoot cameras. The Samsung Galaxy 10.1V tablet comes in first because of its 8MP camera. Unfortunately, this model is only available in Europe.
  • Runner-up: The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a stellar light sensor and almost no shutter lag when taking photos in rapid succession. The BlackBerry PlayBook and HTC Flyer also deserve recognition because they have 3-MP front-facing cameras.
  • What to look for: The HTC Titan II will be released in March with the first 16-megapixel camera! Fujitsu is also releasing a 13.1MP camera capable of ISO 25,600. Expect to see a camera with a xenon flash and optical zoom later this year as well. Future tablets will also be capable of 1440p video playback.

Most Internal Storage

The Archos 70 has 250GB of storage

Today most mobile devices have only 16 or 32 MB of internal storage. Unfortunately that is not enough storage for a large media library.

  • First place: The Archos 70 tablet has an internal 250GB hard drive.
  • Runner-up:  The Apple iPhone 4S, Nokia N8 and Nokia N9 are all available with 64GB of internal storage.
  • What to look for:  Expect to see more tablets which have lightning-fast solid-state drives like the Asus Eee Slate.

Most Powerful Battery

Today’s fastest mobile devices require more power than ever. Especially those with high processor speeds and power-hungry LTE radios. That’s why we’re seeing mobile devices with more powerful batteries.

The HTC Jetstream has a 7300 mAh battery

  • First place: The HTC Jetstream has a 7300 mAh battery, which is the most powerful battery available in a stock mobile device today.
  • Runner-up:  Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (7000 mAh). The Droid RAZR Maxx has the most powerful battery in a smartphone today. At 3300mAh, this phone has a talk time of 21.5 hours and a standby time of approx. 15.8 days.
  • What to look for in the near future:  Expect to see even more powerful batteries in mobile devices, and the ability to add a second battery to some tablets.

Thinnest Case

Today’s best mobile devices are incredibly thin and light.

The Droid Razr is the World's Thinnest LTE Smartphone

  • First place: The 6.68mm Huawei Ascend P1S is technically now the world’s thinnest smartphone. It’s effectively tied with the Fujitsu Arrows F-07D which comes in at 6.7mm. Too bad neither phone is available in the U.S. and both don’t support LTE. The 7.1mm Motorola Droid RAZR is the thinnest LTE smartphone. The 7.0mm OGT Eros is supposed to be the world’s thinnest tablet but it has yet to be released.
  • Runner-up:  The 8.3 mm ASUS Transformer Prime is the thinnest tablet available in the U.S today.
  • What to look for in future cases:  Expect to see more mobile devices which can be submerged in water. Fujitsu’s new quad-core phone can be submerged 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes.

The Final Word

It’s a given that technology will always get better over time, but we’ve seen unprecedented improvements in mobile devices over the past year. Today’s best smartphones blow away some of those which were released earlier. If you’re eligible for an upgrade, you should consider some of the devices covered in this article. As you can see, there isn’t a single mobile device that is best at everything. You should pick your next smartphone or tablet based on the things which matter most to you.

Update: Since this article was last updated, a chart listing the best smartphones was published here.

Copyright 2011-2012 Rick Schwartz. All rights reserved. Linking to this article is encouraged.

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