Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 vs Apple iPad Air 2
With Samsung having unveiled their latest Galaxy Tab S2 tablets, we take a look at the competitor that this new range of tablets has been created to directly compete against – the Apple iPad Air 2.
Both the iPad Air 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 have a 4:3 aspect ratio and the Galaxy Tab S2 is being marketed as a media consumption device, much like the iPad Air 2. As for the rest of the specs, we’ve compiled a list of the specs for each tablet and stacked the iPad Air 2 and the Galaxy Tab S2 against each other to see who comes out on top.
The winner? The Galaxy Tab S2 has a bigger battery, faster processor, and is lighter, but iOS has been proven to be better at memory management and power optimisation than Android. With that being said, it really is going to come down to the simple choice of Android against iOS given the similarities between these two devices.
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Is stock Android perfection?
There is sometimes discord in the Android community that demands a time out. This subject is one of those. Too often do we see clamoring that the best solution to any manufacturers’ approach to their phone’s software is untouched, stock Android. And while part of me is with the purists (having owned Nexus devices myself), another part of me can’t bear to jump on the bandwagon and refute any other offering. Hear me out.
If you stop and think about each different UI, you can’t tell me that there isn’t something right it’s doing. Like some sweet feature that another software package doesn’t offer, even stock Android. For argumentative purposes, let’s break them down:
Samsung
Yes, TouchWiz is shunned a lot of the time, and for good reason. But what about the camera software? I had the Nexus 6 and I felt like the camera on it was set on simple mode. There wasn’t much it could do outside of point and shooting. The only modes available are: panorama, photo sphere, lens blur, and HDR.
On the Galaxy camera app, you have a Pro mode, where you can change White Balance, ISO, etc. HDR can be handled automatically, so no more user switching and that lag associated with it. There’s also slow and fast motion capture, selective focusing after the fact, and many more post-processing effects. Also, on the selfie mode, there’s a beautification ability to remove face blemishes.
One TW feature I must mention is the split screen view. It is beyond me on why the Nexus 6, with its ginormous screen, did not have this ability. There are also a multitude of gestures/motions as shortcuts to common actions, such as bringing the phone to your ear to automatically make a call or the screen remaining on until you look away from it.
LG
While LG’s UX 4.0 UI isn’t renowned, it does bring some unique features to the playing field. One of these is navigation button customization. Google is the one who introduced on-screen buttons, so they should have been the ones showing off their flexibility.
In UX 4.0 you can add in another button, with a multitude of functions to choose from to assign to it. You can also rearrange the button layout. For instance, I’m right-handed and like the back button to be on the right side.
LG has up’d their camera game this year as well. The LG camera software has capabilities reaching for DSLR-level of options.
We also can’t forget about that Double-Tap-to-Wake feature, debuted back on the LG G2. It’s another frustration that the current Nexus phone still doesn’t have this.
HTC
In contrary, HTC’s Sense is one of the most accepted UI’s. Since the release of the One M7, Sense has been well-optimized, quick, and for the most part, not annoying to look at.
One great thing HTC introduced with Sense 7 is a very capable theming engine, something Lollipop is lacking. It can basically take any color palate, whether user-specified or from an image, and match the UI’s appearance to it.
Sony
While many would agree that Sony’s UI needs a serious makeover, function-wise it has some great things going for it.
One of its most renowned features is battery optimization. As of late, Lollipop has had some issues in the battery department. Sony works their magic with hardware and software tweaks to make the battery only take sips from its capacity, while still allowing the user to feel like the phone is blazing fast.
Motorola
Even with a near stock experience, Moto still felt the need to spice things up. They did some fancy notification tricks with Moto Display, letting you wave your hand in front of the device to check it. Also, the when you touch the notification, you get a preview without having your entire screen lit up. This is great if you constantly want to know the status without constantly pressing the power button.
In addition, Moto Voice gives you more control over your phone than Google Now, Moto Assist lets you tailor your phone’s behavior for different parts of the day, and Moto Actions provides gesture shortcuts.
Now, before the Comments section of this article gets blown up by “You can have all that on Lollipop, if you root!”. That is not the point. We are not discussing a specific group of people, who are open to putting extra effort and risk to unlocking their phone. We’re talking about the Android community as a whole, and the majority of people aren’t comfortable with stepping out of bounds.
Here’s a thought to add to the mix: Why does Google leave out features that stock Android should obviously have? What if Google deliberately holds back, to leave room for improvement for their customers to fill?
Let us know what you think!
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Microsoft Hyperlapse Mobile app is now out of beta
In case you haven’t heard of Microsoft’s Hyperlapse effort, they’ve produced a mobile app aimed for adventurers who want to share quality timelapses of those spectacular moments throughout the day. Unfortunately for those interested, the Hyperlapse Mobile app lived in beta form for a while and was limited to a few select Android devices.
But not anymore. Microsoft has finally finished the Android version of Hyperlapse Mobile and it is now widely available, and for free! But bear in mind that if you have an older handset, your mileage may vary. You at least need to be on Android 4.4 (KitKat).
Hyperlapse can be thought of as fancy timelapse video capture. Microsoft’s goal with the project was to smooth out current shaky (sometimes nauseating) action sequences and make them more presentable. Behind the scenes, the Hyperlapse algorithm applies a lot of stabilization and uniformity to frame transitions.
There isn’t much to using the Hyperlapse Mobile app. You can either import a current video or capture a new one through the app. The effect speed is variable, from 2x up to 32x. It even works for selfie videos.
Give it a whirl next time your out and about, just make sure to watch for oncoming traffic.
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Get your Android Bugdroid fix with these wallpapers
Google’s official mascot doesn’t have a real name but is commonly referred to as Bugdroid by the folks over at Google. I’ve gathered a bunch of wallpapers for you to display on your mobile devices with Bugdroid and some are mocking Apple but all in good fun. Check them out.
I’ve also inserted a video of how they named Bugdroid from Google I/O.
If you see a wallpaper that belongs to you and you would like to receive credit, I would love to give it to you! Just drop a comment in the section provided below with some proof (You know, just so we don’t have people claiming things that are not theirs…) So, please choose those that you like and enjoy!
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Samsung’s next Galaxy Tab S should be a whole lot wider
Don’t look now, but Samsung’s widescreen Android tablets might be going the way of the Dodo. Tabletmonkeys claims to have leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S2, and the high-end slate appears to be adopting the same wide, iPad-like aspect ratio as the Galaxy Tab A. In fact, it might lose size and resolution compared to the original Tab S lineup — instead of 8.4- and 10.5-inch 2,560 x 1,600 displays, you’d be looking at 8- and 9.7-inch 2,048 x 1,536 panels. That wouldn’t be so hot for your widescreen videos, but it’d be better for web browsing and anything else that benefits from portrait mode viewing.
Not that they’d be taking steps backwards in any other respect. Both S2 models are reportedly wafer-thin at just over 0.2 inches thick, and they’d be the lightest in their respective classes at just under 0.6 pounds (for the 8-inch version) and 0.9 pounds (for the 9.7-inch device). Not surprisingly, you could also expect Galaxy S6-class guts that include an eight-core Exynos 7420 processor and 3GB of higher-performance memory. Curious? You might not have to wait much longer to give these tablets a shot, since they could be announced as soon as July 20th.
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Samsung
Via: SammyHub
Source: Tabletmonkeys
Samsung’s big Galaxy S6 Edge Plus reportedly breaks cover
Samsung may not be pinning all its hopes for summer phone supremacy on the Galaxy Note 5. All About Samsung has posted photos of what’s supposed to be a store dummy unit for the Galaxy S6 Edge+, an extra-large version of its dual-curve flagship. There isn’t much to reveal about what’s under the hood, but it’s clear that the screen is about as large as what you’d see on the Note 4 (that is, around 5.7 inches). Also, there are no obvious hardware tricks here — the curve isn’t pronounced enough for a Note Edge-style strip, and you certainly aren’t going to find a pen, microSD slot or removable battery.
As for what’s under the hood? That’s not so certain, although the current talk is that you might find the same eight-core Exynos 7420 chip that you get in the regular S6 Edge. If so, that’ll make the Edge+ little more than an upscaled version of the phone you already know. It’d be a challenger to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus and its eventual sequel, rather than an upgraded device à la HTC’s One M9+. Not that we’re necessarily complaining, especially as FCC filings suggest that the Edge+ is coming to major US carriers. Historically, Samsung has only offered one giant high-end phone at a time — if this leak is accurate, you’d finally have the choice of additional big-screened Sammys that aren’t big steps down.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Via: Phonedog, Android Authority
Source: All About Samsung (translated)
Samsung’s giant Galaxy S6 Edge Plus reportedly breaks cover
Samsung may not be pinning all its hopes for summer phone supremacy on the Galaxy Note 5. All About Samsung has posted photos of what’s supposed to be a store dummy unit for the Galaxy S6 Edge+, an extra-large version of its dual-curve flagship. There isn’t much to reveal about what’s under the hood, but it’s clear that the screen is about as large as what you’d see on the Note 4 (that is, around 5.7 inches). Also, there are no obvious hardware tricks here — the curve isn’t pronounced enough for a Note Edge-style strip, and you certainly aren’t going to find a pen, microSD slot or removable battery.
As for what’s under the hood? That’s not so certain, although the current talk is that you might find the same eight-core Exynos 7420 chip that you get in the regular S6 Edge. If so, that’ll make the Edge+ little more than an upscaled version of the phone you already know. It’d be a challenger to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus and its eventual sequel, rather than an upgraded device à la HTC’s One M9+. Not that we’re necessarily complaining, especially as FCC filings suggest that the Edge+ is coming to major US carriers. Historically, Samsung has only offered one giant high-end phone at a time — you’d finally have an additional big-screened Sammy that isn’t a step down.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Via: Phonedog, Android Authority
Source: All About Samsung (translated)
Google Play performance Q2 2015 – Google and Apple gain big from new, emerging markets
It’s about that time of year for the quarterly report by App Annie that tell us how Google Play and the Apple App Store did over the last few months. 2015 was projected to be a big year for both iOS and Android as Android moves into emerging markets and iOS continues to dominate in China. If you want to see some prior stats, you can find those here.
1. Google still leads in downloads, but iOS still leads in revenue
The stats: According to App Annie, Google Play continues to outpace the App Store in app downloads. In fact, they’re doing it so well that they’ve actually increased that gap. Google Play had about 85% more downloads than the App Store. On the other hand, the App Store continues to outpace Google Play in revenue by about 70% and this is about what it was back in Q1.
The takeaway: Both companies have been making some big moves this year. With Android One and cheaper Android smartphones, Google has owned the emerging markets and this has led to far more app downloads. However, any impact this (and growth in general) has made on revenue was totally cancelled out by Apple’s continued growth in China.
2. Taiwan finds out Google Play has games and leaves Germany in the dust
The stats: Google Play’s strength in Germany has been stellar and it’s one of the few places where Google Play outpaces the App Store in revenue. However, over the last quarter, Taiwan apparently figured out that Google Play had games and they have flown passed Germany in revenue generated.
The takeaway: This is a very strong example of what can happen when an emerging market starts taking care of business. It wasn’t long ago we were talking about Taiwan from the perspective that they were new in the Google Play stats world. Now, thanks to some core games such as Fun Plus Game and Shoryuken, the country is now among those that generate the most revenue. It’s also worth mentioning (based on the graphic above), that this growth happened within the last four months which is extremely fast.
3. Cord cutting is making a serious impact in the US and China
The stats: Video streaming apps have made a large impact on revenue in the mobile space, but predominately on iOS thanks again to China. The Entertainment category is also in the top five categories for revenue for the first time on Google Play.
The takeaway: It’s been the long time assumption that when cord cutting became a big thing that we’d see it on mobile. Thanks to its ever present nature, mobile devices and tablets seem like the natural fit for things like Netflix, Hulu, and the Chinese streaming services. Expect this to continue to trend upward as services like HBO NOW, Sling TV, Showtime, CBS All Access, and major sports streaming services (NHL Gamecenter, etc) become more popular.
4. The top categories by total time usage and by session duration
The stats: These are graphs that show two things. The first is “total time used” which shows what categories people spend the overall most time on. The other chart is by session which shows what categories people spend the most time doing at once. Here’s the difference. You may check Facebook 15 times a day for five minutes each totally 45 minutes (total time spent). However, you might watch an episode of a TV show on Netflix which is 30 minutes in a single session.
The takeaway: Once you take a good, hard look at the data, nothing here should surprise anyone. Entertainment includes things like Netflix which people will sit and watch for hours at a time so it makes sense that it tops the charts with the longest sessions. Similarly, Social and Communication make sense because people send texts and check their social media profiles copiously. The interesting part is that Books & Reference make an appearance on Google Play session duration which means people read for longer on Android than iOS. The iOS folks seem to be sticking to Music and Entertainment as per the norm.
5. Top countries for revenue and downloads barely change at all
The stats: Part of these stats show which countries were responsible for the most downloads and the most revenue. For the App Store, it’s been China, the United States, and Japan while on Google, it’s been Japan, the United States, and South Korea. The only notable change was that Taiwan surpassed Germany for Google Play revenue to be fourth overall.
The takeaway: There really isn’t any takeaway here. Steady as she goes because the same names that made a splash in Q1 of 2015 were the ones who continue to dominate Q2 of 2015.
6. …and the same goes for app categories
The stats: These stats show which categories saw the most downloads and obtained the most revenue in Q2 of 2015. There haven’t been many changes with the only notable change being that Entertainment is on the rise in revenue for both iOS and Android.
The takeaway: We discussed the rise of Entertainment earlier as cord cutters become more common and services like Sling TV making the idea more appealing. Other than that, much like the revenue and downloads by country, everything here is pretty much the same as it was in Q1 of 2015. Steady as she goes.
Wrap up
Overall, there weren’t a lot of big changes for the App Store and Google Play in Q2 of 2015. Google got some extra downloads while iOS got a little extra revenue. The Entertainment category saw some excitement as did Taiwan. Really, though, everything is pretty much the same and we expect it to remain that way for a while. Change is in the air but it’s slow getting here. If you have any thoughts, let us know in the comments!
July 28th could bring us all the 2015 Moto G
Motorola is all set to bring the all new Moto G (2015) into the market. It’s been reported that Motorola could launch the Moto G (2015) as early as July 28. This latest iteration has been rumored and leaked a couple of times before, giving us the glimpse of internal specifications as well as hardware features.
Rumored specifications :
- 5-inch 720p display
- 1.4 GHz quad core Cortex A53 CPU(Snapdragon 410)
- 1GB RAM and 8/16GB of internal storage
- 13MP rear-facing camera
- 5MP front-facing camera
- micro-SD card slot
- 2,470 mAh battery
In addition to all of this, Motorola is also supposed to bring Moto Maker support to the Moto G (2015). The handset is also supposed to be water resistant, but I think it will be just nano-coating that will be preventing the hardware from water damage to some extent as seen in other Moto devices.
It’s interesting to see that Motorola is bringing customization to the mid-range Moto G. There’s no word on whether or not Moto Maker will cost extra for the latest version, or whether it will carry additional material options for the rear shell like the Moto X. However, we will be sure to keep you posted about each and every detail surrounding the all new Moto G(2015).
Source: tecmundo
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Samsung’s next Galaxy Tab S should be a whole lot wider
Don’t look now, but Samsung’s widescreen Android tablets might be going the way of the Dodo. Tabletmonkeys claims to have leaked images of the Galaxy Tab S2, and the high-end slate appears to be adopting the same wide, iPad-like aspect ratio as the Galaxy Tab A. In fact, it might lose size and resolution compared to the original Tab S lineup — instead of 8.4- and 10.5-inch 2,560 x 1,600 displays, you’d be looking at 8- and 9.7-inch 2,048 x 1,536 panels. That wouldn’t be so hot for your widescreen videos, but it’d be better for web browsing and anything else that benefits from portrait mode viewing.
Not that they’d be taking steps backwards in any other respect. Both S2 models are reportedly wafer-thin at just over 0.2 inches thick, and they’d be the lightest in their respective classes at just under 0.6 pounds (for the 8-inch version) and 0.9 pounds (for the 9.7-inch device). Not surprisingly, you could also expect Galaxy S6-class guts that include an eight-core Exynos 7420 processor and 3GB of higher-performance memory. Curious? You might not have to wait much longer to give these tablets a shot, since they could be announced as soon as July 20th.
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Samsung
Via: SammyHub
Source: Tabletmonkeys
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