Android Phone Fans |
- [Humor] This American Psycho parody is a scarily accurate representation of our times
- Samsung announces sale of over 10 million Galaxy S III handsets
- Uniquely Android: AirDroid
- [Opinion] What I really want on (or before) November 5th
- What can we expect from the next Nexus smartphone?
| [Humor] This American Psycho parody is a scarily accurate representation of our times Posted: 22 Jul 2012 11:34 AM PDT
|
| Samsung announces sale of over 10 million Galaxy S III handsets Posted: 22 Jul 2012 11:23 AM PDT
|
| Posted: 22 Jul 2012 10:55 AM PDT
If I had to pick out a set of apps that I can’t live without, AirDroid would most certainly be amongst them. It isn’t the only one to provide the functionality that it does (I’ll just get to that), but is by far the most polished in its category. So, what exactly is it? AirDroid is an app that allows the user to control several aspects of their Android device from another device, via the browser and a common WiFi connection. Just switch on the app on your phone or tablet, launch web.airdroid.com, and type in the pass code displayed on your Android device or (my personal choice) scan the QR code displayed in the browser. After that, you’re displayed with a “desktop” within the browser through which you can perform several actions such as sending and receiving messages, transfer files over WiFi, view the media on your device and transfer it if you desire, install apps, browse through contacts, push URLs and even add text to the clipboard. Personally, my main uses are file transfer (I don’t remember the last time I connected my phone via USB for a file transfer) and sending messages when I’m working, and would rather not pick up my phone and type it out. Though it’s not perfect, I sometimes even connect my phone to my tablet, particularly when I’m reading a book or something. It’s an amazing little tool to have. You can download AirDroid over here.
|
| [Opinion] What I really want on (or before) November 5th Posted: 22 Jul 2012 08:21 AM PDT
We’re just a few months away from the 5th Anniversary of one of the most significant day in our digital lives: the announcement of the Open Handset Alliance, and the birth of Android as we know it. And, rightly so, there’s a lot of excitement in the build up to the day. However, most of the excitement is related to the rumors of 5 Nexus devices being announced as part of the celebration. However awesome that sounds, it’s not what I really want on November 5. What I want, more than anything else, is an attack on the biggest issue that has plagued the platform during it’s existence: updates. Google has acknowledged the problem before, and even announced the Android Update Alliance at I/O 2011. Unfortunately, that was all we ever heard of the Alliance. It’s too early to tell if the Platform Developer’s Kit would prove to be a useful tool.If yesterday’s rumors about a Jelly Bean update for S III coming as soon as next month has anything to do with it, we’re finally on the right track. However, maybe I’m just greedy but I want something more. When I read about HTC saying no to a Desire HD ICS update, it riled me up. As I’ve said in the past, the phone is more than capable of running ICS. I use a T-Mobile myTouch 4G, or the HTC Glacier as it was codenamed, which has the exact same internals as the DHD. I’m running an ICS ROM from XDA and despite some issues (the camera’s still not perfectly fine) it is far better than their stock Gingerbread ROM or even CM7. I went back to Gingerbread for a while when I felt I couldn’t live without a fully functional camera, but I missed the snappiness of ICS and returned to it. And I’ve been using it since mid-March. This is where the quote at the beginning comes into it. While Google’s statement was in context with app developers, the same can be said of ROM developers. The manufacturer’s need to realize this and do one simple thing that could significantly improve the situation: when announcing that a device will not receive the latest version of Android, they must commit to releasing all proprietary code, primarily drivers, that can be used by developers to create their custom ROMs. The way I see it, manufacturers have nothing to lose from this, and it greatly helps the community that has been struggling to reverse engineer several drivers that are necessary for smooth running ROMs. Users who are comfortable with flashing their own software can then choose to do, and would typically not bear any ill-will towards the manufacturer for having failed to provide an update on their own. If the manufacturer wishes, they can even use any of these ROMs as a base for their own update if they realize that the 3rd party developer has successfully tackled a problem they weren’t able to themselves. I’d like to say that they must commit to future-proofing devices for at least a particular duration (say the length of the contract for $150+ device, a year for those that cost less), but that would be difficult to enforce, and I’m pretty certain Google wouldn’t want to go down that route. But this problem needs to be tackled, and as early as possible. Preferably, the release of these important bits of code should be done immediately, because what I would really like to see on November 5th is as many users on the latest versions of Android as possible.
|
| What can we expect from the next Nexus smartphone? Posted: 21 Jul 2012 08:24 PM PDT
For those unfamiliar to the subject, a Nexus device is a smartphone (now tablets and media streaming devices, as well) built by a manufacturer in cooperation with Google. There is usually one released per year, with each becoming an official Google device. Originally meant for developers, these devices are supposed to be the first to get the newest Android updates, as it is supported by Google, carries to manufacturer UI overlays and is not limited by the carriers’ decisions (until the Verizon Galaxy Nexus came to be). These are also said to be a representation of where Android is headed. With that out of the way, we can get to the juicy parts. If it all goes as usual, this device should be announced sometime during the last quarter of the year or the beginning of next year. The Nexus One, Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus have all followed this pattern. Many of us believe the Nexus 7 may have shaken things up a bit, though. Mostly because we have seen no major leaks and rumors ever since the talks of 5 Nexus devices coming from different manufacturers (now that would be crazy). Regardless of what the outcome will be, we have a certain set of standards. We must also remember that Nexus devices usually don’t come with the best of the best specs, something that tends to let us down. We tend to over-hype Nexus devices to a point where pleasing us would be nearly impossible. We must keep in mind that we don’t exactly need amazingly stunning specs. Nexus smartphones get updates in a timely fashion and run stock Android, making the experience as smooth and fast as can be. With that out of the way, here is what I would like to see in the next pure Google smartphone(s): A 1080p screen?No. A 1080p display simply does not make a difference in a 5-inch or smaller display. Sure, it would be great marketing material. But seriously, those talking about wanting a 1080p display on a smartphone need to reconsider. We are talking about 440 pixels per inch; this is for a 5-inch display with 1920x1080p resolution. Apple’s Retina Display features a pixel density of 326 ppi. This makes individual pixels practically invisible to the naked eye (you have to really try to look for them). A display with such resolution would only be a waste of processing power. Your smarpthone would function much better running a 720p screen, which looks just as amazing on a sub-5-inch display. Quad-core Processor?We have seen dual-core processors out-perform quad-core chips. The most notable example is the Snapdragon S4 compared to NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processors. An operating system could ultimately take advantage of extra cores, though, and Google could optimize Android to do so.
Tegra 3 processors are getting LTE compatibility later this year. NVIDIA’s lack of LTE compatibility is the main reason why manufacturers have been opting for S4 processors lately. When more processors start becoming LTE capable, competition should start getting fierce, especially in the US.
Regardless of the chip maker, we should definitely see some very good power under the hood. As mentioned above, though, remember Nexus devices don’t need too much power to run better than most high-end smartphones out there. Larger DisplayI must say, I am more than happy with the Galaxy Nexus’ 4.65-inch display. It is not small, it is not huge. But I do happen to be a fan of monsters like the Galaxy Note. With that said, I would definitely like to see a Nexus device with at least a 5-inch display. That is a personal preference, though, and a touchy subject for many. I am sure those with smaller hands would not appreciate it.
Regardless, size is not as important as quality. As mentioned above, I would like to see a 720p display. I would prefer to stick with AMOLED (and its variants), but I would also be happy with a good Super LCD display. Wireless Charging
Larger battery instead of thinness, please!Manufacturers have been moving towards thinner designs, giving battery life and removable batteries less focus. This is a big issue for many Android users, yours truly included. I like being able to keep my device alive, so please do not start making Nexus devices with a non-removable battery and please give us a larger battery (even if that means keeping the device a bit thicker). This is a personal preference, you might love thin devices. But even if that is the case, look at the Motorola RAZR Maxx; a super-thin device with the largest battery in the smartphone market. It is definitely possible to please the majority of us, so I would like to see some good options here. Make my next smartphone with a larger battery, if that is not possible, don’t stop me from going back there and changing things my way. The Next Android VersionThis is where it gets tricky. Nexus devices are usually released along with a major Android update, to which they hold exclusivity for a while. The reason why we believe the Nexus 7 may have pushed things back is because it was released with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is a major update. Unless Google has some good plans for Android 4.2 coming that soon, the next Nexus device might very well come with a very small update. Wrap UpLooking through my personal preferences, I guess my only advice would be to keep it simple and not have any over-expectations of the next Nexus device(s). It is nice to dream and be a nerd, but this also makes us upset when devices are finally announced. We do need to move forward, though. The next Nexus should be better than the current one, and if we are lucky, it should come with some new awesome features. Something else I would like to see is Android@Home. I did not mention this because it is not exactly exclusive to the next Nexus (or Nexi), but seeing some Android@Home accessories and features built into Android would keep me more than happy. Regardless, the device will rock, it will be awesome and it will even be the best Android phone available for at least a few months. With that said, let’s jump into the fun part – what do you expect from the upcoming Nexus? Do you think Google will actually release multiple devices? Do you agree with my points? Is there something I didn’t include that you would like to have?
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Phone Fans To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment