Samsung Fanboy Opinion: Samsung needs to get their act together
I have no problems admitting that I am a huge fan of Samsung Mobile and their Galaxy line in particular. I remember going to CES and viewing the first Note and thinking to myself: “Man, Samsung is going to make some real headway in the mobile market.” But, there is a difference between being a fanboy and being a blind fanboy. You must acknowledge your problems if you’re ever going to solve them, and blind fanboyism leads to inferior products like the iPhone (had to get my dig in). So remember, as you read through this post, realize I actually am using a Samsung Galaxy Note Edge as my daily driver(read my review here).
I fell in love with the Note 3, and even though people hated Touchwiz, I actually liked it. I loved having it for the stylus, split screen functionality, unique audio controls, etc. When Touchwiz ran on Kit Kat 4.4.2 it actually wasn’t a bad experience for me. Then I went to the Note 4 and Note 4 Edge, both on Kit Kat, and I thought those were the best phones on the market. There is no doubt in my mind that Samsung currently makes the best total hardware package right now, but it’s the software that is causing headaches, and I actually believe Samsung would dominate again if they fixed this issue.
My colleagues here at Androidguys, in particular Cooper Le and Benton Trerise, convinced me to buy a Nexus 6 and give stock Android a spin since they knew I am a diehard Samsung Fanboy. So, I did. I bought a Nexus 6 and learned a ton. I first learned how bad stock Lollipop was on the Nexus running 5.0. It drove me nuts as it did to others. When it went to 5.1 many bugs were fixed, but it made me question how Google gives too much freedom to manufacturers to mess with the software. As much as I love Material Design, at the end of the day it really doesn’t make me drool over Lollipop anymore than Kit Kat.
Motorola is a great example of a company who knows that lag, slow updates, and undeletable apps are super annoying to users. So what do they do? They offer features they believe will help the user experience and nothing more. They definitely don’t make their own email app, or texting app when Android already has them. And another company who doesn’t allow carrier bloat is Apple. One area where all iPhone users are fortunate.
Lollipop on Samsung hardware
Lollipop 5.0.1 SUCKS. Nexus owners don’t have to deal with many issues anymore because they are on 5.1. If you’re a Note 4 or Note Edge user, like me, you most likely started with Kit Kat on your device, which worked great. And then Google decided to release a buggy version of software that murdered battery life, caused memory leaks, and created WiFi issues (just to name a few). My first issue is with Google and releasing a version this buggy, because they left every manufacturer to fend for themselves to work through those issues. In their fifth generation of software, you would think battery life wouldn’t be an issue. My Note Edge went from easily making it through a full day on Kit Kat, to only lasting about 3/4 of a day (and that’s after cutting my usage). It took a couple of months to fix it, but Google did with the release of 5.1. But that doesn’t help me on my carrier-locked Note Edge. I have a thousand dollar phone, which at times runs slower than a 2nd gen Moto G with the battery life of a phone that can’t hold a proper charge.
The worst part of this is, I have absolutely no idea when Samsung and AT&T will release Android 5.1. I used 12 different phones last year, with the Note 3 and 4 being my daily driver while I experimented with the others. I haven’t bought another Android phone since the Nexus 6, because I am so tired of the fragmentation. I don’t want to look up if the LG G4, HTC One M9, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, or any other phone, are running 5.1, because I shouldn’t have to. Lollipop 5.0 is so bad that no smartphone user should have to put up with it any longer, yet it’s been over 9 months since Lollipop has been released and many of us are still dealing with issues. I’m not saying a phone’s software should be flawless, but I am saying a phone’s software in its fifth generation shouldn’t be killing battery life 9 months after its initial release.
Do away with bloat
No need for a Galaxy app store, Games, Keeper, Internet, Milk Music, Music, Instagram, and Mobile Hotspot apps.
Lollipop 5.0.1 on my Note Edge with TouchWiz and AT&T is a DISASTER. I have over 20 apps preinstalled by Samsung and AT&T that I can’t delete. Furthermore, it is annoying that some of those apps have to get updated through the Galaxy Store and not the Play Store. For someone like me who is a fan of Android smartphones, I can manage the updates. But for people like my brother who tried an S6 Edge, before going with an iPhone 6, have a valid point that it is ridiculous to have two app stores. It’s ridiculous that there is S-Voice in addition to Google Now. With as good as Google Now is, how can Samsung actually believe people would use S-Voice (if any reader uses S-Voice can you tell us in the comments why you use it)? I pay for a subscription to Google Play Music, and for as great as I think Milk Music is, I really don’t want it on my device. I will NEVER use it. Why does Samsung need to force apps on us? Are they really making that much money on these useless apps? I have a hard time believing they do, but cut the crap out Samsung. It’s not a good way to get people to like your devices when you force crappy apps on them.
Message to Samsung: Be your own thing.
Don’t abandon your loyalists by taking away our removable batteries and memory card slots. If you do, give us a real alternative like a kick ass battery. Sony manages to deliver incredible battery life with the Xperia Z3, and that has a metal frame with a glass front and back just like the S6. Make upgrading to 64GB cost just 25 dollars more than the 32GB variant. Don’t make us pay 100 extra for more internal memory just because Apple can. We all know it doesn’t cost 100 dollars more to insert 64GB vs 32GB. You’re so focused on Apple that you’re letting the Chinese catch up. Keep up this type of behavior, and you will be out of the mobile business just like Nokia, Blackberry, and even Motorola at one point.
Speaking for myself, I loved the Galaxy S5 and Note 3 even though they were made of all plastic. I know objectively they weren’t the best-looking devices, but in your hand they felt great and were rather durable. The S5 was waterproof but still managed to have a replaceable battery and expandable memory. The Note 3 was a true workhorse and offered a fantastic user experience. There were bugs on those devices, but nothing like losing battery life or memory leaking. The people that complained the most about the plastic build were not real Samsung fans as they cared more about how the hardware looked and felt over how it performed. So Samsung responded and abandoned their loyalists with the release of the S6. My first reaction to the release of the S6 was,” Oh geez, why did you have to go and play the Apple game and focus on looks rather than function?”
The funny part about the S6 is the Samsung haters came out in droves to buy it and the Samsung fans were just pissed off about taking away their memory card slot and swappable battery. Even many Apple users were swayed to try out the S6, but felt validated that Android was terrible because of all of the bugs and bloat on the phones. Many of the iPhone users who tried the S6, and went back, will probably never come back to Android now because this was probably one of the worst experiences you could have with Android. Nice work Sammy.
My suggestions for you Samsung
I’m not here to just complain about the same stuff everyone else complains about; I’m going to offer a solution which will make everyone happy.
Consider breaking up your software.
Keep developing Touchwiz. I think there are many great things about Touchwiz. But do it on your own software, Tizen. Leave Android alone. Google doesn’t do you any favors when they release buggy software like Lollipop 5.0. Not only do you have to deal with their issues, but you also have to correct them on all of your devices on Google’s schedule. I think I dealt with Android 5.0 on my Nexus 6 for 2 months before I got the next major update, which means I have to wait 6 months for the update on my Note Edge!
I remember reading a while back that you were going to cut back on the number of products you make, but I have yet to see proof of that. If anything I have seen the contrary, and you’re releasing even more products. The Note Edge and Note 4 have everything in common except for the Edge screen. Yet both phones are on different update schedules. Why did I buy the most expensive phone you make to receive the slowest updates? You’re spreading yourself too thin. Focus on making a few products great vs. creating a bunch of mediocre products.
Make a stock Android version of your Galaxy line and let people decide for themselves which software they want.
Also, let customers buy them on JUMP, EDGE, or hell, finance the devices yourself! Don’t give us a stock Android option where we are stuck paying full retail. You guys have a lot of money. Stop trying to play catch up to Apple. Be yourself. Stick with the fundamentals that got you success. You already differentiate yourself with your displays, processors, size options, etc.
Get back to your roots. You were an underdog before so there was no pressure when you created the first Galaxy device. Just like HTC and LG are underdogs now. They aren’t the top dog so people don’t have high expectations from them like they do with you. Learn from companies like Motorola who reinvented themselves, or OnePlus One who is making waves in the mobile industry. OnePlus is annoying as heck with their marketing style, and coupons needed to buy one of their phones, but they’re making waves because they’re trying to give people what they want. They don’t want to overpay for things they won’t use like bloatware or extravagant designs.
Stop with the anti-Apple commercials. It has become annoying. Be original. Solve our mobile problems and avoid adding new ones and we will love you back for it. I’m still your fanboy and every relationships has its ups and downs.
None of this is easy to do, but if you want to be great you have to earn it. Doing the easy thing like copying Apple is what gets you into trouble.
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Android Auto on Pioneer AVIC-7100NEX Review
As I talked about in my recent article outlining what Android Auto is, Google is hoping to make our roads safer by bringing a feature-rich experience to your car without causing you to take your eyes off the road or hands off the steering wheel much longer than a single press-of-the-button. Pioneer gave me one of their AVIC-7100NEX units with Android Auto installed for me to use. Let’s see if Google’s idea was well implemented.
Setup
I go through a lot of this in my “What is Android Auto, and how does it work?” article, so I won’t go into much detail about how to do it.
I’ll get into this more later, but the odd thing about Android Auto is this it’s so simple… it’s complicated. Plugging your phone into Android Auto for the first time takes quite some time to download the Android Auto app, run the app, and actually set up the phone. There isn’t a whole lot for you, the user, to do other than sit and wait.
I have mixed feelings about this, as first-time set up for just about anything takes longer than normal, but I suppose when I would like to get in the car and get going, my road rage kicks in early when I’m sitting parked in my car for 5-10 minutes.
The other thing about Android Auto is while Google is much more restrictive about how a third-party app is designed for the system, not every app works perfectly with the system, and they don’t exactly work the way a car radio might normally work.
For example, I enjoy listening to podcasts at times while driving. If I get in the car and open a podcast through a third-party app, I like to listen to the whole thing before playing something else. So you’d think that the next time I get in the car, Android Auto would know to pull up that app and start playing that podcast immediately.
Well, that doesn’t happen. The system seems to think I want to set things up differently every time. While theoretically the system isn’t supposed to know what I want to play at any given time, at the very least I’d like it so that opening up the podcast app begins playing the last thing it played.
But at this point, who is to blame here? Seeing as how Google is keeping the design of the app under control, and the ones who approve it, it could be their’s.
However, we all know one of the beauties of Android exists in the openness of the app ecosystem. So then is it the app developer? Either way, it would be nice to see Google encourage this sort of functionality, so that just like a normal car radio, I don’t need to fiddle with anything just to get audio playing.
On that note, I’d like an easy way to find apps compatible with Android Auto through my phone as currently there is no easy way to find them on Play Store. Perhaps a link to a section in the Play Store from the Android Auto app (while not connected to the car) would be useful similar to the Android Wear apps.
“Android Auto is leaps and bounds better than any other in-dash car software system.“
Usage
Android Auto is a great piece of software… once you understand how it works.
Let me explain: Android Auto strives to keep things as simplified as possible, so that the driver won’t be distracted. Once you understand that, Android Auto works great. The problem is, I kept trying to complicate things. Rather, I kept trying to use it like an Android smartphone.
For example, when going to use Google Play Music, I wanted to select an artist to play. However, you can’t navigate to an artist’s page like you would on the Google Play Music app on an Android phone. Instead, you have to prompt Google with your voice, and say “Play *Artist Name*”. The only options you have by touch are “Listen now” (recommendations), “Recent playlists”, and “Instant mixes” (mixes based on your favorite artists & songs).
Point is, once you understand you’re not supposed to fiddle with the screen, using Android Auto is great. Navigating is fluid, animations follow Material Design standards, and compared to other car dash software, the performance is phenomenal. I felt like I had a smart car, being able to give it commands via voice with little-to-no hassle.
Conclusion
I understand that this review seems pretty wishy-washy about my feelings for Android Auto. I suppose that is how I feel, wishy-washy. On one hand, Android Auto is leaps and bounds better than any other in-dash car software system. I feel like I’m aboard the Enterprise talking to the ship computer whenever I ask Android Auto to give me the best place for tacos nearby.
On the other hand, some of the things I would expect to be natural parts of Android Auto, aren’t. Also, seeing as how the entry-level price of Android Auto is the cost of a flagship smartphone (no-contract), it can be hard for the average user to justify spending that money.
But really, how can you blame the developers of Android Auto? For a first-time build, it really is beautiful.
But I’d really like it to work like my smartphone…
But… but…
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Cortana for Android leaks early, APK available to download
Google Now competitor Cortana by Microsoft was said to be coming to Android and as a companion app to Windows 10. Now, the app for Android has been leaked early and can be installed on most Android devices by sideloading the APK.
Cortana is Microsoft’s virtual assistant that can answer contexual questions and perform actions such as finding local restaurants or texting your partner to say you’re home.
You can grab the APK now using this link and sideload it onto your Android device right now.
Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 due July 20, report claims
Sources are suggesting that the next generation of Samsung Galaxy S Tab range could launch as soon as Monday, July 20th, in the UK. Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 (SM-T810) and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 (SM-T710) could be only days away from launch if the latest information is anything to go by.
The 2nd generation Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 devices will have a new 4:3 aspect ratio and the screen sizes have been reduced to 9.7-inches and 8.0-inches running at 2048 x 1536, as well as a more powerful 64-bit Exynos 7420 processor and 3GB of RAM.
The devices will be just 5.4mm thick and weigh 407 grams for the Tab S2 9.7 and 260 grams for the Tab S2 8.0.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is expected to be $399 and $499 for the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, with an additional $99 for the 4G LTE version. Standby for Monday when we’ll hopefully see these devices unveiled by Samsung.
Source: TabletMonkeys
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The Sharp Aquos Zeta is yet another gorgeous, bezel-less smartphone arriving in Japan
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If you haven’t been paying attention, Sharp has been making some pretty gorgeous smartphones of late. Throwing all caution to the wind, the Japanese manufacturer has made a conscious decision to minimize the bezels on all its devices, and we have to say, we like it. Sharp has just announced its latest bezel-less device, the Sharp Aquos Zeta, and although it’s only available in Japan for now, we’re hoping it makes the jump West sooner rather than later. I mean, just look at it:
The Aquos Zeta has some pretty impressive specs to match its pretty face: a 5.5-inch 1080p display will be powered by a Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The back is adorned with a 13MP camera with OIS as well as a fingerprint scanner, and the whole package is waterproof and will run Android Lollipop. All-in-all, an intriguing package, so we’ll have to see how much Sharp wants for the device if, or when, it brings this device to a market outside of Japan.
What do you think about the Sharp Aquos Zeta? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Android Headlines via Phones Review
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Jump the Rope is now on Android: think Flappy Bird, but with jump rope
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The mobile gaming world is mad for games that are simple, yet infuriating, to play – Flappy Bird is the most obvious example of this. Despite how impossibly annoying it was to play, we just kept playing. Another game in this vein of gameplay is Jump the Rope, a new game just published by Kalypso Media and developed by Tiny Roar, which gives you control of “Jumpy”, an adorable bear jumping rope. The controls are devilishly simple – tap to make Jumpy jump. And that’s it. Check out the Jump the Rope trailer below:
There are also customizations for Jumpy which you’ll unlock after reaching certain milestones. The rope also changes speed, which adds to the level of difficulty, but frankly, I’m yet to get over 2 jumps in a row at this point. If your weekend is devoid gaming so far, Jump the Rope is available on the Google Play Store now – download it at the link below:
What do you think about Jump the Rope? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Boeing and Hacking Team want drones to deliver spyware
Forget safeguarding drones against hacks — if Boeing and Hacking Team have their way, robotic aircraft would dish out a few internet attacks of their own. Email conversations posted on WikiLeaks reveal that the two companies want drones to carry devices that inject spyware into target computers through WiFi networks. If a suspect makes the mistake of using a computer at a coffee shop, the drone could slip in surveillance code from a safe distance.
The conversation was still in the early stages as of the leak, so you don’t have to worry about drones planting bugs any time soon. It’s also unclear as to who the customers would be. While the NSA is fond of spyware, there’s no certainty that it or other US agencies would line up as customers. Still, don’t be surprised if military recon drones are eventually doing a lot more than snapping pictures.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Matt York]
Filed under: Robots, Networking, Internet
Via: The Intercept
Source: WikiLeaks (1), (2)
Slugterra: Dark Waters game launches on the Google Play Store
Have you ever watched Slugterra? This Canadian animated series has managed to get very popular since its 2012 launch. It’s been airing for a few years now and a new season is coming, but few of us knew the franchise’s next step was going to be mobile gaming.
Developer Apps Ministry put together a pretty fun game based on the show. Slugterra: Dark Waters is an action-packed shooting game with 13 levels, 10 unique enemies and many, many slugs.
For those who need a reminder or may not be familiar with the series, Slugterra follows a story line based on an underground world deep under our feet. This subterranean location has people, villages, amazing technology and slugs.
What are slugs? These creatures are cute little pets, but they are much more than they seem. They are also living ammo, as you can shoot them out of your blaster and use their unique abilities to protect the underground world.
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Pretty interesting, right? The game is looking to be just as fun as the cartoon, too. You would take control of the main character, Eli Shane, in order to protect the 99 caverns from Dr. Blakk. This evil character wants to gain control of the subterranean lands by giving slugs “dark water” a substance that turns them into evil weapons.
Want in on the action? You can download Slugterra: Dark Waters straight from the Google Play Store today. The game is free to play, but does offer in-app purchases to speed up your progress and upgrade your slugs. Have a blast and hit the comments to tell us how you are enjoying the new game!
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 S-Pen gets its own leak air-time, new feature at top of stylus
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Yesterday, we took a look at leaked images from case maker Ringke which suggested that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 S-Pen sits flush with the bottom edge – that is, there is likely an electrically activated feature that makes the S-Pen eject, like an auto-eject feature for instance. Well, the S-Pen has today gotten its own leak, getting spotted in the flesh and it looks… well, it looks like an S-Pen. Predictably, there isn’t a whole lot different appearance-wise compared to previous Samsung styluses – the capacitive tip and side button make their return. However, despite all the familiarities, there is one notable thing to note about the S-Pen which is obvious in the images below:
If you take a look at the top of the S-Pen, you will see that there appears to be some kind of movable button feature, similar to a ballpoint pen, although it’s probably not for this purpose as the tip is already out. We’ve got a few theories about this new part: it’s either an extra button (the less likely of the two), or its some kind of eject feature i.e. when you request your S-Pen, this new part flicks out, giving you the finger space you need to pull out the S-Pen. Unfortunately, this makes the auto-eject feature we mentioned yesterday less likely, but this is still quite a cool innovation.
What do you think about the new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 S-Pen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: TalkAndroid
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Jeb Bush is a big Apple fan apparently
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Living in Australia, I have absolutely no say in who becomes the next President of the United States of America, but if I did, I would probably harbour some interesting emotions towards Republican candidate John Ellis “Jeb” Bush after his latest campaign video. In it, its revealed Jeb Bush is a big Apple fan as he’s asked some binary questions about his “Silicon Valley favorites” and emphatically mentions that he has an iPhone, a MacBook Pro and an Apple Watch. Check out the campaign video below:
The only concession Google gets in the whole video is that Bush is more excited about driverless cars than segways, and frankly who wouldn’t. We realize the point of the video is probably to try and make Bush seem more like one of us, but with 64.9% of Americans owning Android smartphones, 30.9% owning iPhones and just 0.7% owning a Blackberry (Kantar), you start to get the feeling that Bush and his marketing team are still a little bit out of touch with the current times. Or, at the very least, Apple-biased, but we’re willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now.
What do you think about Jeb Bush’s latest campaign video? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: JebBush via Phone Arena
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AIVAnet 