It has only been 4 years since the original phablet was introduced: A brief look back at the Samsung Galaxy Note
Four years ago this month, Samsung introduced the first phablet with the Samsung Galaxy Note.
In January of 2012, Samsung truly brought us the Next Big Thing with the first Galaxy Note. And big it was with a game changing 5.3″ display.
Without a doubt the dominant smartphone in late 2012 was the iPhone 4s. And it was a great phone, but it had a 3.5″ display! When I think back to the iPhone 4s, I still can’t believe it was just four years ago that I was using that phone. With nothing to lose, Samsung released an experiment in the U.S. at CES 2012, with the Samsung Galaxy Note.
The large 5.3″ display was something mainstream smartphones had not seen before. Many reviewers at the time balked and laughed at the large screen – many people judge too quickly. But customers knew what they wanted. By August of 2012, Samsung had sold over 10 million Galaxy Note smartphones.
In just four fast years, almost all of the major phone manufacturers have large smartphones flagships over 5.3″. And they all owe the size change to Samsung’s willingness to try something radically different.
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Notable 5.5-5.7 inch flagships that have followed in the footsteps of the Samsung Galaxy Note
- Apple iPhone 6S plus
- Huawei Google Nexus 6P
- Motorola Google Nexus 6
- Motorola Moto X Pure
- LG G4
- LG V10
- Sony Xperia Z5
- Blackberry Priv
- Microsoft Lumia 950XL
If you love your large smartphones you need to know who pioneered the large displays, and it was Samsung. The original Samsung Galaxy Note truly changed the design of modern devices. The larger display not only allowed for us to see our screens much more easily, but it also allowed for us to consume videos and online content in a much more pleasurable way. It became much easier to write longer emails, edit documents, read books, and to do online research.
It’s time to pay homage to the original king of display size by adding it to the Smartphone Hall of Fame, the Samsung Galaxy Note.
Thank you Samsung.
From the Galaxy Note website from 2012.
It is the ultimate on-the-go device which consolidates core benefits of diverse mobile devices
while maintaining smartphone portability.
It empowers you with everything you can ever desire so that you can simply, feel free. It is truly smart.
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Consumer research indicates that people always want to do more tasks much better, even on the go, whether it is web browsing, email, games, or viewing photos and videos.
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To do all this, consumers carry multiple devices, because each device has unique benefits that work best in a particular situation. Therefore, consumers constantly switch devices to use the right device at the right time.
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Even for consumers with multiple smart devices, they still carry around a notepad for writing down ideas.
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There is an emerging desire for a primary device for on-the-go use that could consolidate the core tasks of multiple devices as well as recreate the ease and simplicity of using a pen and paper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FvH6vbhOs6Y
The post It has only been 4 years since the original phablet was introduced: A brief look back at the Samsung Galaxy Note appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – November 28, 2015
The year is winding down already, and we’re just now starting to recover from the madness of constant smartphone announcements. That doesn’t mean we’re slowing down, though – this week has been packed full of reviews, comparisons and more tech deals than you can shake a stick at.
This week we brought you our full review of the BlackBerry Priv and Pebble Time Round smartwatch. We’ve also compared the Galaxy Note 5 and the iPhone 6S Plus, as well as the OnePlus X, Xperia Z5 Compact and the latest Moto G. We’ve also rounded up some of the best Thanksgiving weekend deals available on the web. Also, Gary just got back from the ARM TechCon 2015 in California, where he brought us some super informative interviews regarding IoT, future wearables and some challenges developers might face when making apps.
Without any further ado, here are the best Android-related videos you don’t want to miss this week.
Reviews
BlackBerry Priv review
BlackBerry is back… with an Android phone? That’s right, the Priv is BlackBerry’s very first Android smartphone, and we’ve just published our full review. Could this be the next smartphone that’s worthy of your hard-earned dollars? We aim to find that out in our full review of the BlackBerry Priv.
Pebble Time Round review
Pebble just recently launched its very first circular smartwatch – the Pebble Time Round. How does it compare to the best from Android Wear, and is this new wearable worth the money? Josh answers all of those questions, and more, in his full review of the Pebble Time Round.
Battle of the big and small
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs iPhone 6S Plus
Samsung has held the title of “King of the Phablet” ever since large-screened smartphones came to be. How does the latest phone from Apple compare? Krystal takes an in-depth look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs the Apple iPhone 6S Plus.
Battle of the minis: OnePlus X vs Xperia Z5 Compact vs Moto G
Not a huge fan of giant smartphones? You’re not alone. To help you decide between some of the best mini smartphones on the market, Gary has made an incredibly informative video comparing the OnePlus X, Sony Xperia Z5 Compact and the Motorola Moto G (2015).
All of the deals you don’t want to miss
We’re still recovering from the onslaught of Black Friday deals that were available this week. And just because Black Friday is over, that doesn’t mean the deals are done. Be sure to check out Joe’s video overview and Andrew’s detailed written piece on the best Black Friday deals of 2015.
Android Apps Weekly
Pandora buys Rdio, no more Humble Bundle, Oddworld! – you don’t want to miss Joe’s latest episode of Android Apps Weekly!
Samsung speculation: what’s the point of the Galaxy View?
The Samsung Galaxy View is a very odd tablet. It has a giant 18.4-inch display with only a 1080p resolution, and overall, the specs just aren’t very good for a tablet this size. Why does it exist? Samsung tries to explain.
Recapping the ARM TechCon 2015 interviews
Our own Gary Sims recently spent some time at ARM’s TechCon 2015 in California, where he interviewed many folks on GPUs, upcoming wearables, the future of fastboot technology, and much, much more. Here are all of the interviews from ARM TechCon 2015.
- Interview: Where does the Cortex-A35 fit in ARM’s lineup?
- ARM VP talks about GPUs, VR and Media processing
- For developers: reversible debugging tool for Android
- Zach Shelby demos wearable with 8 weeks of battery life
- Developers: The challenge of UI design for Android and all touch interfaces
- Walkthrough of ODROID’s range of Android boards
- For hardware gurus: Android QuickBoot demo
- Running Android over a secure RTOS
Nexus 6P vs iPhone 6S Plus
Buy Nexus 6P
Buy iPhone 6S Plus
Google decided to take its Nexus smartphone line down a new path with the Nexus 6, a premium device that unfortunately featured a price tag to match its quality. Continuing on that path, the Nexus 6P is the most premium Nexus device yet, and comes at a lower price tag than its predecessor.
In the other camp is the latest large display smartphone from Apple. Even though this is an “S” year for the series, this device strays for the standard formula by bringing to the table some new and useful additions and upgrades. How does these large display flagships compare? We find out, in this comprehensive look at the Nexus 6P vs iPhone 6S Plus!
Design
As far as the design is concerned, its clear that metal is the order of the day with both smartphones.
The iPhone 6S Plus, as the name suggests, is the larger of Apple’s two new smartphones of this year, and given that it is an “S” iteration, it’s not surprising that the design language of its predecessor has been retained, bringing back the metal unibody construction seen with last year’s iPhone 6. Rounded sides and corners keep the phone feeling really smooth in the hand, maybe too much so however, resulting in a somewhat slippery handling experience, which isn’t great news for a device with a large display.
2.5D glass adorns the front, with the signature home button the only real blemish to be seen here, once again featuring an embedded fingerprint scanner. The sides retain the classic layout as well, with the volume rocker under the silence toggle, and at the bottom is the Lightning port, flanked by the single speaker and the headphone jack. On the back, the only clear lines on the phone outline a rectangle in the middle, and there is also the protruding camera at the top left corner.
On the other hand, the Nexus 6P features a big departure from the way Nexus smartphones have been constructed in the past. While Nexus manufacturers have tended to borrow design cues from their own flagship offerings, things are a little different this year. With Huawei at the helm, there has been a distinct re-imagining of what a premium Nexus smartphone should be.
Metal encompasses a more boxy design, with the flat sides contributing to the handling experience. The volume rocker and power button are all placed on the right side, with the latter placed to be within easy reach and featuring a textured pattern to make it easy to locate by feel. The front face of the device is dominated by the large display, and there is not much else to be found here, save for the front-facing camera, and the dual speaker setup. The headphone jack is up top, and at the bottom is the USB Type-C port, that brings a new standard to the world of Android.
On the back is where the unique design element is to be found, with the black bar up top that houses the camera package. It might look a little odd, but it certainly grows on you, and looks much better than what the initial press renders may have suggested. If nothing else, it serves the purpose of keeping the camera physically protected. On the back is also where you will find the new fingerprint reader, powered by Nexus Imprint, in the middle, placed within comfortable reach of your index finger.
Deciding between these two designs is obviously a matter of personal choice, but the choice can be pretty easy when looking at such different devices. The iPhone 6S Plus feels like the sleeker of the two, but the Nexus 6P takes the series to new premium heights with a sturdy feel and industrial look. While both smartphones do look great, it is worth mentioning here that while the iPhone 6S Plus is simply a much larger version of its flagship counterpart, the Nexus 6P stands alone, with only the plastic clad Nexus 5X as its smaller alternative.
Display
Displays on these two devices brought higher resolutions than what were found in previous iterations, even if Apple still doesn’t try to match up to the standards currently set by the Android powerhouses.
The iPhone 6S Plus features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a Full HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 401 ppi. 1080p was a development that wasn’t made available to Apple users until the arrival of the Plus line, but the company has always done a good job with their displays, regardless of their comparatively lower resolutions. Colors are nice and vivid, and the translucent effects in iOS help showcase how well the IPS display can perform. Brightness is of no concern either, even if it has to be pumped up to the highest level in daylight for optimal viewing, and while sharpness might be slightly lacking in comparison, reading text is of no issue on this Full HD screen.
1080p is a thing of the past when looking at the latest and greatest in the world of Android however, with Quad HD becoming the accepted flagship standard. The 5.7-inch AMOLED display of the Nexus 6P features a 2560 x 1440 resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 518 ppi. AMOLED is always a good choice if you’re looking for deep backs and high contrast, that really make the colors pop. The high resolution makes everything from media to text look great, with everything as sharp as ever.
The spec hungry will obviously prefer the Quad HD display, but we know that 1080p is still considered the bare standard, and performs just fine for the vast majority of people. Apple does a good job leveraging the IPS display for good quality viewing, but its Android competitor not only brings a higher resolution, but also an AMOLED construction, that allows for a very enjoyable experience of its own.
Performance
A by-the-numbers comparison is not indicative of performance capabilities here, given the two very different ecosystems these processing packages have to power, but in both cases, we are dealing with the pure version of the respective software experiences, resulting in performances that are as high as it should be.
Apple makes its own processing packages, and the iPhone 6S Plus packs a dual-core Apple A9 processor, clocked at 1.84 GHz and backed by the PowerVR GT7600 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. Android fans will consider this really paltry compared to what dominates in the Android world, but for iOS, this processing package works just fine. Moving in and out of screens and applications is smooth and easy, all applications thus far have run without incident, and the gaming experience remained very good during our testing as well.
On the other hand, the Nexus 6P comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, clocked at 2 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 430 GPU and 3 GB of RAM. This processing package is the current flagship standard, and with the stock software experience to be found on-board, performance is definitely as good as ever. There were no problems getting just about anything done on the Nexus 6P, and gaming has been a wonderful experience as well, further enhanced by the availability of a high resolution display and great sounding front-facing speakers.
All said and done, regardless of which device you may pick, you will certainly not have a difficult time getting things done with these smartphones.
Hardware
Hardware is one area in which the separation between Android and Apple smartphones has gradually been decreasing, with similar features being added (or omitted) in both cases.
The iPhone 6S Plus brings back the fingerprint reader from previous generations, but in an even faster iteration, so much so that the finger used to press the home button doesn’t even need to rest there to unlock the device. Just the actual press of the button itself is more than enough for the sensor to register a fingerprint. Though there is only a single bottom-mounted speaker to be had, the sound coming from it is actually fairly robust, even if not particularly loud.
The Lightning port, when it was first introduced, was a pretty big change for plenty of Apple users, and this is a growing pain that Android users will now have to contend with when it comes to USB Type-C. Finally, in battery, the 2,750 mAh unit of the iPhone 6S Plus is large enough to provide only about a day and half in total with low overall usage, though the standby time is impressive on the Apple phones. Also worth mentioning here is the fact that fast charging has yet to come to the Apple world.
A new hardware addition with the Nexus 6P is the fingerprint reader that is mounted on the back, and is the main point of reference for the new Nexus imprint portion of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The scanner does work very well, even if it is a little slower than Apple’s, but an index finger on the back wakes the phone and gives you direct access to the homescreens. The Nexus 6P also goes above and beyond with the availability of dual front-facing speakers, that do a great job of bringing pretty loud, full, stereo sound to whatever you are doing, making gaming and media-consumption very fun experiences.
USB Type-C is the new standard for Android, and while it is kind of hard to remember to bring the cord along when heading out, the benefit here is the fast charging, that allows for the large 3,450 mAh battery of the Nexus 6P to fully charge in around 90 minutes. Battery life also benefits from the new Doze feature of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, allowing for standby times that now rival that of the iPhone. It does require the phone to be sitting flat without any sensors being triggered at all, but the bottom line is that, with typical moderate usage, users could get the device to last for as long as 2 days fairly easily.
Simply put, the Nexus 6P is the phone that will appeal to the power user, with its front-facing speakers, reliable fast charging, and big battery that can go the distance. Plenty of users have been able to get power usage of the iPhones, but without these extras, it falls just short, and will definitely need a tether faster than its Android competitor.
Camera
Moving on to the camera, the iPhone 6S Plus features an upgraded 12 MP rear camera with a f/2.2 aperture, along with a 5 MP front-facing unit. The main addition with the rear camera is the ability to record 4K video, which puts it on par with plenty of current generation Android smartphone cameras. Optical image stabilization is also something the iPhone can boast over the Nexus 6P, which surprisingly left it out.
Taking selfies gets an extra feature with a screen-powered flash, and while this does tend to wash out subjects no matter what kind of picture it is, users can at least get some light in really dark situations. As far as the camera application is concerned, the features are fairly robust, but without much manual control. Swiping on the view finder brings up the photo, video, timelapse, and hyperlapse options, but the main focus here is on offering a good default camera interface, and it works pretty well in that regard.
On the other hand, the Nexus 6P also comes with a 12 MP rear camera, which – as Google made sure to tout – has a bigger sensor size than most other Android smartphones, but also the iPhone 6S Plus. OIS is missing here, but the larger sensor should still be able to get in a little more light than typical. The front-facing camera is 8 MP, so pictures will be larger on the 6P than they are on the iPhone, but without a secondary light source, selfies in poorly-lit conditions will be a pain.
Nexus 6P camera samples
Google’s own camera application is also focused on being an automatic shooter, so there aren’t really manual controls to be seen here either. Other than the ability to make HDR+ automatic or not, use Lens Blur for a depth of field look, or capture a Photo Sphere, the app is pretty simplistic, and doesn’t come with too many bells and whistles.
iPhone 6S Plus camera samples
Of course, what matters the most here is the quality of the shots possible with these cameras, and in this case, the two phones are on an even playing field. The iPhone family has always been lauded for bringing good camera experiences, and that continues with the iPhone 6S Plus. OIS does a good job of getting in a little more light in poorly-lit conditions, and it does get a bit more than the Nexus. While previous Nexus devices were infamous for their average camera quality, the Nexus 6P marks new territory with a larger sensor, that, even without OIS, does a great job in photos. To that end, we actually found plenty of photos to be a toss-up in terms of detail and visuals.
Software
Finally, on the software side of things, we return to the age-old comparison of Android vs iOS, that might have admittedly been much easier to conduct only a couple of years ago.
iOS is still aesthetically about the same as its past few iterations. The homescreens contain all the installed applications, and while widgets are still unavailable, a few additions over the last couple of years have made a difference. The notification dropdown is similar to Android’s original creation, but a secondary screen can bring up a few extra shortcuts and glances at some contextual information, and a swipe up from the bottom opens the Control Center, where a number of controls and toggles are easily accessible.
Of course, the biggest addition with the iPhone 6S Plus is 3D Touch, which leverages a layer of sensors underneath the screen to sense any harder than normal presses. By doing so, shortcuts will appear from icons on the homescreens, and previews pop up in various built-in applications. This is a level of input that Apple has effectively added in, and adds a new dimension to what has been a very familiar software experience over the years. Apple’s design prowess permeates through iOS, with all the elements shown in a very smooth and pleasing way. Such is the benefit of a focused, unitary ecosystem, that anyone who gets an iPhone will get this kind of experience without fail.
That is also why the Nexus family is so important to Android lovers. If the purest software experience is what you’re looking for, the Nexus is where one will have to go to get it. Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the latest iteration of Android the way that Google wants it to be experienced, and while it is as smooth and snappy as ever, it is also a robust package in and of itself.
You can, of course, fill up your homescreen with icons, but this being Android, a variety of widgets are available. On the side is Google Now, and the notification dropdown here includes its own version of Quick Settings, so that everything you may need remains within easy reach. Marshmallow has refined some of the well-known aspects, like adding a frequently used apps line in the now vertical scrolling app drawer. App permissions bring a certain level of security to daily tasks, similar to how iOS might constantly notify users that other apps are being triggered or opened, but a whole page for deeper insight is now available too.
Google Now on Tap is an easy way to quickly do a search based on what is on the screen, though it might seem a little fickle at times. Though Material Design arrived a couple of versions ago, the overall Android experience has been refined, and made not only easier on the eyes, but also easier on workflow. Multi-tasking might be a little bare, but you won’t have any trouble with work or play on this mature operating system.
People that are already entrenched in the Android or iOS camp will have little reason to move to the other ecosystem. In the past, app support for iOS used to be more robust than on Android, but that gap is all but closed.
Specs comparison
| Moto X Style / Pure Edition | iPhone 6s Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.7-inch AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 518 ppi |
5.5-inch IPS LCD display Full HD resolution, 401 ppi |
| Processor | 2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Adreno 430 GPU |
1.8 GHz dual-core Apple A9 PowerVR GT7600 GPU |
| RAM | 3 GB | 2 GB |
| Storage | 32/64/128 GB no expansion |
16/64/128 GB no expansion |
| Camera | 12 MP rear camera, 1.55 micron pixel size, laser auto focus, dual LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera |
12 MP rear camera with OIS 5 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 2.0, USB Type-C |
a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS NFC ( with Apple Pay only) USB 2.0 |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | iOS 9 |
| Battery | 3,450 mAh | 2,750 mAh |
| Dimensions | 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3 mm 178 grams |
158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm 192 grams |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
Prices for both of these devices reach the premium brackets, but the iPhone is notorious for being a very expensive phone, especially when a higher storage capacity is factored in. $749 total in payments to T-Mobile gets you the 16 GB version, with the 64 GB iteration setting you back and additional $100. On the other hand, the Nexus 6P is more aggressively priced, but given its unlocked nature, requires a full payment. $499 will get you the base model, requiring another $50 for the 64 GB edition.
So there you have it for this in-depth look at the Nexus 6P vs iPhone 6S Plus! These are the bigger quintessential devices of their respective lines, and they both certainly bring a lot to the table. Apple jumped into the large form factor game only last year, and with the 6S Plus, it is more about refining the formula, aside from the one main addition in 3D Touch. The Nexus 6P is Google’s latest attempt to not only provide a great reference point, but rather be a device that is worthy of claiming the flagship crown. With a design overhaul, Marshmallow additions, and an improved camera, it is worthy of being considered as such.
If you want a larger display with performance to match, either of these devices will do. Purists will stick to what they know and love, and in this comparison, we see that the grass is greener on the other side, in either case.
Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – October 17, 2015
As we patiently wait for our new Nexus handsets to arrive, we managed to bring you a number of great reviews, hands-on and unboxing videos this week.
This week, Lanh brought you a detailed comparison of the Moto X Style vs the iPhone 6S Plus, while Josh published his reviews of the Moto 360 (2nd Gen.), Huawei Watch and his impressions on the Moto X Style. Gary also unboxed the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact on Periscope, and you don’t want to miss it! Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week.
Flagships going head to head
Motorola Moto X Style (Pure Edition) vs iPhone 6s Plus
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Motorola’s Moto X Style (or Pure Edition) is one hell of an Android smartphone. Just how does it compare to the latest large-screened handset from Apple? We find out, in this detailed comparison between the Moto X Style and the iPhone 6s Plus.
Android Wear reviews
Motorola Moto 360 (2nd Gen.) review
Last year when the first-generation Moto 360 launched, it didn’t really have a whole lot of competition in the round smartwatch space. And a year later, we’re taking a look at the brand new Moto 360 (2nd Gen). Does it still stand out from the crowd? Josh finds out.
Huawei Watch review
Huawei’s long-awaited Android Wear smartwatch is finally here! Wondering how it fares against the competition? Take a look at Josh’s full review for more info.
A second opinion
Motorola Moto X Style (Pure Edition) – second opinion
Lanh has already brought you his full review of the Moto X Style (Pure Edition), but what about a second opinion? Josh gives us his thoughts on Motorola’s latest flagship.
Meet our newest team member!
One of the newest members of our video team is Krystal Lora, and she’s here to tell you a little bit about herself.
Live on Periscope
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A few weeks ago we brought you a live unboxing of the Xperia Z5 from Periscope, and now it’s time to take the wraps off the smaller Z5 device. Check out Gary’s detailed unboxing and first impressions of the Xperia Z5 Compact.
Android Apps Weekly
Minion’s Paradise, Waze rates driving, Kanye hates IAPs – you don’t want to miss Joe’s newest episode of Android Apps Weekly!
OnePlus’ upcoming smartphone
OnePlus X – What to expect?
We’ve known about it for some time, and it’s finally starting to leak out. What can we expect from OnePlus’ upcoming smartphone? Jayce speculates.
Did you know you can finance the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X?
There’s a change coming to the mobile industry. One of the little known things that happened when Apple announced the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus is that the Cupertino-based company itself is willing to finance either device to you–installment payments, just like you’d find on a carrier.
Another little known fact is that Google is actually doing the same thing with its Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. Those interested in purchasing one can choose whether to buy it outright or finance it for 24 months.
An important thing to note is that this is only for Project Fi customers. Fi customers will be able to finance the base model of the Nexus 5X for a meager $15.79 per month or the 128GB Nexus 6P for $27.04 per month. All you have to do is pay sales tax and shipping costs upfront. And as a carrier will let you do, you can pay off the remaining balance of your device at any time if you don’t want to go through the full 24 months.
Those of you interested just have to head on over to the Project Fi website, click on “Your plan” and then “Upgrade device” to get the process started! It’ll be interesting to see if Google will ever extend this option to all of its customers. What’ll be more intriguing is seeing more manufactures like Samsung, LG, and HTC move to offering something like this.
Anyone plan on financing a Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P?
source: Project Fi
via: Android Central
Come comment on this article: Did you know you can finance the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X?
Samsung crashes the iPhone 6S launch in London with the Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 Edge+
Consumers flocked to Apple’s Regent Street store in London to be some of the first to get their hands on the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. However, Samsung was there ready to hand out information packages on the Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 Edge+.
One thing’s for sure, Samsung worked hard to announce and release the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ ahead of Apple’s year iPhone release. As the old maxim goes, “the early bird gets the worm!” And in this case, Samsung’s doing everything it can to take advantage of that.
Android Central was able to get some stills of Samsung’s aggressive marketing tactics on the streets. Just head over to the link below to see Samsung in action!
via: Android Central
Come comment on this article: Samsung crashes the iPhone 6S launch in London with the Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 Edge+
Google should steal these iOS features for Android
After the recent announcement of Apple’s iPhone 6S and iOS 9 (along with the confusing iPad Pro), I started thinking that there is a lot Android could learn (or just steal) from. There are a few features Google has yet to implement or get right with Android even to this day.
Also, due to Android being on more devices than iOS, I won’t be talking about things like build quality or better cameras because Android is meant to run on many different types of devices, all at different price points. It’s not fair to say Android should get a better camera, like the iPhone’s, when this would be a manufacturer issue and not actually an Android problem.
Fast Updates
Google may release new versions of Android every year or so but good luck actually seeing it come to your phone. Even the most expensive high-end Android phones usually don’t see the latest version of Android until about six months later. If you have a low-end or mid-range device phone, your chances of seeing multiple updates in its lifetime are slim.
Apple’s iOS 9, on the other hand, was officially announced on June 8 with public beta testing starting on July 9. A month later, on September 9, the company unveiled the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus running an official version of iOS 9. Both will be available around the world on September 25. iOS 9 actually came out a bit before the iPhone 6S on September 16. Not only is that a fast release, but the amount of included devices to get the iOS 9 update on the same day is huge. Even as far back as the iPad 2, which was unveiled in March 2011, by Steve Jobs, will be receiving the iOS 9 update. Look at all the devices that saw the update on September 16.
I understand Android is a much larger ecosystem with many more devices having to be coded for the latest update, but the wait is just crazy. You would think at least the flagship devices from the top manufactures would receive the latest updates in a timely fashion but that isn’t the case. Once Google creates the next version of Android, it has to be passed down to the device manufacturers and after that the carriers perform tests of their own. This creates a sluggish release and most of the time results in bugs which aren’t taken care of until the next update. You could be waiting up to an entire year to receive the next update just to fix small bugs you got from the last update. It has gotten a bit quicker over the years but is still comically bad compared to how Apple handles the process.
Full Phone Backups
One of the first things I noticed when I made the switch to Android from iOS was that there was no way of backing up my device. If it got lost, stolen, broke, or I just wanted another phone, there was no easy way of loading all data to it. This became extremely annoying and frustrating. The most insane part was the only way to do a full backup was to root your phone in order to install an app that could back it up. You couldn’t even get an app from the Play Store without having root access.
Nowadays there are apps like Helium, which can backup your phone without ROOT access, but this is not something users should have to install, but should be included directly into Android. Other manufacturers, like Samsung, have backup tools as well, but they aren’t that easy to use and, again, shouldn’t even be needed.
With iOS you can back up to iCloud or plug the iPhone into your computer to back up with iTunes. Very simple and hassle-free. I have had problems with iPhones and Android devices, both having to fully return the device for a new one. When I returned the iPhone 3GS and got a new one, I just plugged it into my computer and iTunes set everything up just like how I had it. When I returned my Android phone and got a new one, it was basically hours of re-downloading apps and entering passwords for each one. I am not an app-heavy person, but I can not imagine how horrible it would be for people with tons and tons of apps installed.
Google has said the next version of Android, Marshmallow, will be able to backup all your app data to Google Drive for free. It has a limit of only 25MB per app, but at least we are heading in the right direction.
No Bloat
I am so tired of paying huge amounts of money for high-end phones only to have half their internal storage gone towards useless pre-installed apps. The carrier ones are especially annoying because they never offer anything great and are usually ripoffs of better apps. Feel free to make all the apps your want, but release them in the Play Store and tell your customers to get them. Don’t force these apps down their throats.
I bought an unlocked phone from one carrier and use it on another carrier, but still have the first carrier’s garbage installed. Obviously, I’m never going to use their apps to check my plan or whatever, but I’m forced to have them installed forever. Again, this is an unlocked phone that I paid full price for. I have no connection with this carrier at all and there is no reason why I shouldn’t be able to uninstall their apps.
Manufacturer bloat is sometimes as bad as the carriers’. I can understand that each manufacturer has to give consumers a reason to choose their phones. And when most of your competition is also using the same operating system, it becomes more difficult. They have to create unique apps and user interfaces to get consumers to buy their products over the rest. Fair enough. However, it is extremely annoying having apps like Facebook pre-installed on my phone. The most infuriating thing is being unable to remove them. Android is supposed to be all about choice and personal freedom, but having apps like Facebook forcefully installed ruins all of that.
I’m sure everyone has installed an app from the Play Store and seen a huge list of requesting permissions for you to accept. I appreciate being shown this list as it gives me the decision to install it or not. When apps are pre-installed, that choice is taken away, and since you can’t uninstall them, those apps can “spy” on you forever. I can just picture Mark Zuckerberg sitting at his desk, laughing away, knowing that you can never escape his control.
Apple knew from the first day of the App Store’s existence that this would be annoying and forced the carriers to agree to not include any extra apps on the iPhone. They also don’t pre-install any third-party apps.
Uniformity/Simplicity
This is another one that is tricky to fix. As I mentioned already, Android has a huge user base with different devices, making it very difficult to keep everyone on the same page. Google does a good job creating guidelines, such as Material Design, for everyone to follow, but many developers do not care to implement them into their apps, creating a problem when actually using many Android devices as nothing ever matches very well. There really isn’t an easy way to fix this without having harsh penalties towards developers who don’t modify their apps to reflect the new design principles, and that would go against what Android is all about.
However, there is no excuse for large manufacture skins. They have the money to hire the best designers in the world and their skins should reflect that. I hate buying a new Android phone only to instantly replace the keyboard, messaging app, and launcher because they don’t match anything else or function horribly.
Technically, the purest form of Android would be on a Nexus device. Definitely the smoothest of all Android phones, but compared to the latest iPhone, it’s really not that smooth. There are always little bugs or animation glitches that don’t make it perfect compared to the iPhone. Anyone who has used a Nexus device and an iPhone will know exactly what I mean.
There are other little things like the icons being all different sizes. Luckily, aftermarket launchers like Nova Launcher are adding uniformed icons that are visually the same size while still maintaining different shapes, but this shouldn’t be something aftermarket launchers even have to worry about and definitely already built into Android.
Plus, features like the notifications bar including quick toggles. Only recently did stock Android get this feature and it’s not implemented as well as it is in iOS, in my opinion.
Other things like showing the actual battery percentage at the top, as far as I know, still isn’t possible in stock Android. Just look at the status bar on the iPhone compared to the Nexus 6. Both are probably about 44%, but it’s impossible to tell on the Nexus 6 since it won’t tell you real numbers.
Android provides a lot of unnecessary work.
Battery Efficiency
The iPhone 6 has an 1810mAh battery and the iPhone 6S has a 1715mAh battery. Apple made it smaller this time around! Both batteries are very small compared to Android flagships and yet they last roughly the same amount of time. For a phone with a battery that is basically half of an Android phone’s, it should be much worse. One reason they get such long lasting performance is because iPhone’s barely lose any battery while in standby mode. When you aren’t using it, you basically aren’t using the battery either. Android phones will have double the size battery and lose 4%-20% just while you are asleep. Again, this is with basically double the size! If the iPhone drained that much, you would go to sleep just to wake up to basically a dead phone every morning.
Fortunately, Google sees this as a huge problem too and is working on a new feature called Doze for Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It is tasked with watching how you use your phone and adjusting certain things when you aren’t using it to give you maximum standby battery life. Will this feature realistically improve battery life? I can’t say right now, but we can certainly hope it will. The only problem I can see is where Google says Doze will only work when your phone is perfectly still. Once you start moving, the feature turns off. This means if your phone is in your pocket all day, literally doing nothing, Doze will seemingly not be working and battery drain will be the same. If you leave your phone on a desk all day, that is when Doze would be saving you battery. I think, overall, it’s meant for when you are asleep and won’t be looking at your phone at all. Also, don’t forget Doze is only for devices running Marshmallow, meaning you probably won’t be receiving it on your device anytime soon. Either way, this is a huge area that Android needs improvement in.
Rogue apps are another huge problem for battery life. Most of the time, apps use what I would consider to be a normal amount of battery drain, but every once in a while a ‘noob’ developer will release an app that works great yet murders battery life. Even huge apps like Facebook are always notorious for using an absurd amount of battery life. Whether the developer isn’t as skilled to create an app with battery efficiency or a large developer does not spend the time making their app energy-efficient, this has got to change. Apple’s iOS never runs into these problems, and Google definitely needs to investigate how they do it, and implement it into Android.
Tap To Top
On any iOS device, you can just tap the top of the screen in any app to get back to the top of it. This is amazing for long webpages where you would reach the bottom, but want to go back to the top; all you had to do was tap and you were there. With Android, you have to scroll for what feels like days. After knowing a feature like this exist elsewhere, it feels so primitive having to physically scroll to the top. I assume Apple has a patent on this feature, which is why no one has ripped it off yet. Samsung, though, did try to clone it on their Galaxy S III, but asked users to tap the phsysical top of the device to get to the top. It wasn’t as clean to use since the device was much larger than an iPhone at the time, but the worst part was it only worked in certain Samsung supported apps. Something like Apple’s ‘tap to top’ feature would be highly welcomed in Android.
So what do you think — which features does Google need to consider implementing in Android?
Come comment on this article: Google should steal these iOS features for Android
Latest Samsung ad takes a swing at the new iPhone
Never one to shy away from a publicity opportunity, Samsung have taken the opportunity of the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus release to add to the ongoing battle between the two companies and their smartphones.
In Samsung’s latest TV advertisement, the company highlight the lack of major features on Apple’s new flagship device and take the opportunity to highlight Samsung’s wireless charging. There’s also a twist on Apple’s latest “if it’s not an iPhone, it’s not an iPhone” tagline, to which Samsung responds with “it’s not a phone, it’s a Galaxy.”
The theme of the whole advert is summed up when the text “time to let go” appears on the screen, indicating that Samsung feel the latest Apple offerings just don’t meet the level of expectation of the market Samsung.
What do you think?
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