Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Android Authority

Android Authority

Samsung projected to ship 80 million S4 units in 2013, 320 million smartphones in total

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 02:42 AM PDT

Samsung Galaxy S4 1 aa 600

They say it's easier to reach the top than remain there, but when it comes to an ever-changing and always competitive smartphone market, I think it's tough to become king and equally as hard to keep your crown.

So, even if Samsung's mobile division broke every financial and sales record in the company's history during 2012, there were no guarantees going into 2013. But it seems Sammy has played its cards right again, and, boosted by an impressive Galaxy S4, the company can hope not only to keep its sensational financial run, but set new records.

That's at least according to JPMorgan financial analysts, quoted by the French journal Les Echos. JPMorgan predicts that, are you ready for this?, Samsung will ship a total of 320 million smartphones in 2013, a quarter of which should be Galaxy S4 units.

That's 80 million projected shipments for the GS4, which is such a huge number that I can't really wrap my head around it. Granted, I've heard even more optimistic forecasts a while back, but 80 mil would still be double the S3 sales from 2012.

Or, to put things in further perspective, 80 million is 35 million more than all of LG's estimated handheld sales from last year. And when I say all handhelds, I mean both smart and feature phones. Un-be-liev-a-ble!

samsung-money

Of course, just because JPMorgan says the S4 will be such a blockbuster, it doesn't mean it has to be so. After all, compared with its predecessor, the current "big thing" seems to have much stronger competition – HTC's critically acclaimed One, Sony's waterproof Xperia Z, LG's ginormous Optimus G Pro and even BlackBerry's Z10.

But the signs are all there and the stars seem to align for Samsung once again. GS4's manufacturing rate sits at a cool 10 million units per month, while recent reports from IHS Research and Gartner predict great things for the Galaxy makers going ahead.

It can't hurt the S4 that HTC has bumped into severe production issues with the One or that Sony's Xperia Z is likely to never hit a single US carrier.

But what about the other number predicted by JPMorgan – 320 million total smartphone shipments in 2013? Is that also doable? Well, I'm no professional analyst, but, judging by Gartner's numbers and Samsung's recent growing trend, I'm inclined to say yes.

If Sammy manages to push 500 million mobile phones by the end of the year, 320 million would mean around 64%. In 2012, only 53.5% of the Samsung handhelds sold were smartphones, but "dumb" devices are in a free fall around the world for a while now.

Now let’s hear it from you, our dear readers, on Samsung’s and Galaxy S4′s future. Do you think the S4 will become a bigger hit than the S3? Does it deserve to be? Could it sell in 100 million units? 80? 70? And can total smartphone sales top 320 million units? Sound off below.

Google Play Music spreads to seven new counties

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 02:12 AM PDT

Google Play Music app

Google is continuing to gradually roll out its Play Music service around the globe, today another seven counties have joined Google's music streaming club.

If you live in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, or Portugal then you'll be able to start enjoying Google Play Music as of today. Residents of these countries can now add up to 20,000 songs from their existing music collection, and listen to music from their web browser and Android phone or tablet via Play Music, even when they're offline.

Google Play Music seems to be expanding rather slowly, currently only 12 countries – including major markets like the United Kingdom and United States – have access to the service, but nevertheless this is a welcome announcement.

We’re still waiting to see whether to service will head to Asia, and when Canada and South America will be added to the list, but hopefully today’s announcement means that the service will be rolling out to a bunch more countries in the near future.

500 Pantech Vega No. 6 smartphones used in stop motion animation [video]

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 01:56 AM PDT

Pantech Vega No. 6

Pantech went for an out-of-the-box promotion for it's latest 5.9-inch Vega No. 6 smartphone by creating a short stop motion animation in which 500 Vega No. 6 handsets were used to create a city.

The fast-paced action happens in Vega City, with each display portraying one piece of the puzzle, whether it's part of buildings, streets, stairs, rooftops or the sky. In addition to the 500 handsets used, it took the company 170 hours to record over 1600 paper characters and their fighting/chasing through the streets of Vega City.

Obviously, this is a marketing campaign meant to go viral on YouTube, but unfortunately that hasn't really happened. The video has been up for about a week now, getting just over five thousand hits.

Check it out below to see the how all the Vegas look like when used as props. A how-it's-made section is also featured at the end of the short clip.

Announced in late January, the Vega No. 6 is more than just a prop. The smartphone packs a 5.9-inch Natural IPS Pro LCD panel with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, 13-megapixel camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 4G LTE, 3,140mAh battery and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean on top. In case you want to buy one, the handset is available in Hong Kong for around $774.

On a similar note, we'll point out that it took Sony only 196 Xperia ZL handsets arranged in a 14 x 14 matrix to make a huge display at MWC 2013 and take home a Guinness World Record for the world's largest animated mobile phone mosaic.

Thanks, Lee!

Google Glass infographic – how it works

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 01:26 AM PDT

Google Glass

If, like me, you’ve been trying to figure out just how Google Glass works then you'll definitely want to check out this insightful infographic created by Martin Missfeldt. The infographic is a handy, albeit brief glimpse at the hardware setup, including camera, microphone, and speaker locations, and it also demonstrates how the all important digital image overlay works.

google glass infographic

It's actually a surprisingly simple piece of technology, component wise at least, but it's based on a very clever idea. The most important, and innovative piece of technology, is certainly the projector/prism combination. The mini-projector inside Google Glass projects an image onto a semi-transparent prism, allowing digital and real images to be combined and sent directly to the retina in the eye. You can then simply tilt the prism in order to improve the focus of the image.

I've always wondered how Google Glass will work ergonomically, considering peoples individual face shapes and preferences for how intrusive the overlay might be.  Fortunately it also looks like that you can adjust the position of the digital image by adjusting where Google Glass sits on your nose, which seems obvious now that I think about it. Placing Google Glass high on the nose moves the image into your peripheral vision so that you need turn the eye up to focus on the image correctly. Alternatively you can arrange the image overlay more centrally into your vision if you so desire, thanks to the semi-transparent prism.

Martin Missfeldt still has some concerns about how the device will work for people who require normal glasses. Sadly it seems that some additional adjustments will be required in order to focus the image correctly.

HTC One SIM-unlocked models currently out of stock

Posted: 09 Apr 2013 10:52 PM PDT

HTC One

HTC has done darn good job with the HTC One as evidenced by our review, and now it seems the public has also learned about this stellar piece of hardware. After T-Mobile One preorders ran out on the same day the page went live, the SIM-unlocked versions are the next to bite the dust.

As of now on the HTC USA website, both the 32GB SIM-unlocked and the 64GB Developer Edition (sporting an unlocked SIM and bootloader) are currently showing as “out of stock.” Considering all the media attention the One has been getting, coupled with the fact that it is launching a couple of week before the Samsung Galaxy S4, it is not surprising that the sales of the One are proving to be promising — at least if the volume of preorders is to be used as a measure.

If you absolutely need to get your itchy hands on one, the only options that you have are to preorder either the Sprint or the AT&T model. Also, looking at current demand I would recommend ordering it as soon as possible. Who knows how much stock the carriers have left? As always, we will keep you guys updated once the SIM unlocked editions come back in stock or start shipping. To keep an eye on availability yourself, head over to the source link.

Samsung’s Galaxy series found to be simpler than the iPhone

Posted: 09 Apr 2013 07:46 PM PDT

Samsung Galaxy S4 3 aa 600

Apple’s iOS has often been heralded as simpler than other smartphone user interfaces. Fewer choices means a lower likelihood of mistakes and messing something up. A straightforward home screen with all your apps might mean less confusion than having widgets, app drawers and other things possibly confusing the user. By contrast, giving users a choice might be too confusing. Not everyone wants to be empowered by choice, at least when it comes to gadget interfaces.

Android is not exactly stranger to choice. Customization, after all, has been among the stronger arguments toward choosing Android (this is perhaps one reason the concept of Facebook Home is being shot down by Android enthusiasts). Does it mean Android is more complicated? Not necessarily.

A recently-released survey  has shown that Samsung’s Galaxy series — which runs on Android, of course — has been found to be simpler by respondents. Siegel+Gale, a brand consultancy firm that prides itself on its “simple is smart” motto, has surveyed 400 people and found the Galaxy brand to be simpler than the iPhone, at least on a product level.

A few points that respondents found praise-worthy:

  • Compatibility with other brands and standards vs. proprietary standards, including accessories and devices
  • Easy file sharing and file transfers

“At the brand level, Apple is perceived as simpler than Samsung, but on a product level, challenger Galaxy has knocked the long-standing simplicity champion onto the canvas and out of first place,” said the Siegel+Gale statement. Given this, the Samsung Galaxy series is seen as a significant threat to the iPhone because it can do more — and do it simply — than the iPhone.

It is worth noting that Apple has trumped Samsung in terms of simplicity at the brand level, as per the 2012 Global Brand Simplicity Index by Siegel+Gale. Apple holds the fifth spot, while Samsung is number 14. Google, meanwhile, is at the top, amongst the 94 companies included across 25 industries.

Observers note, though, that we might want to take this piece of information with a grain of salt. Samsung is listed as one of the consulting firm’s clients, while Apple is not, notes CNet‘s Chris Matyszczyk. Also, 400 survey respondents might not exactly be a good sample out of millions of smartphone users.

Does simplicity really influence a consumer’s buying decision? To some extent, I would agree. When upgrading to a new device, or adding yet another one to my usual arsenal of gadgets, I prefer something that would not be too difficult to integrate into my life. This includes migrating data, customization, charging choices and accessories. Being exposed to both iOS and Android, though, I can say that both platforms are simple enough in their own right, at least for my needs. Besides, “simplicity” is not always a selling point for all target markets.

Stop talking about this “post-PC” era

Posted: 09 Apr 2013 06:57 PM PDT

Is desktop computing dead?

Is desktop computing dead? (Image credit: Shutterstock)

As a tech blogger as well as an Android user, mobile is a big part of my life. Smartphones and tablets have irremediably shaped the way we think of, and the way we use technology to serve our various purposes. But although mobile is here to stay, I feel like too many tech bloggers advertise the death of the PC. To me, nothing could be farther from the truth!

As mobile devices are being mostly used to do light stuff such as browsing the web or consuming content, there is no sign that the PC is now obsolete. Sure, the PC industry took a major blow and will have to adapt to the new circumstances and trends before it fully recovers, but it is my opinion that the PC will never become obsolete.

Consumption vs. Production

For starters, when you compare a PC against an equally priced tablet, the difference in computing power is huge, and more and more people now need this extra power: can you render graphics on your tablet? Can you edit videos? Can you edit/produce music at a decent level? Can you play graphically intensive games? How much data can your mobile device store? To illustrate, my desktop currently holds 2TB of data, and while the cloud may be an interesting solution, there are some files that are just too large to be instantly uploaded and downloaded from the Internet.

As tablets will undoubtedly continue to carry more and more processing horsepower, modern PCs will still continue to be much faster than their mobile competitors, mainly due to the cost of miniaturization. In addition, the PC supports true, real-time multi-tasking, which is a must for a lot of professionals.

Why am I putting so much emphasis on the professional side of the PC? Because more and more people do their job on a PC, that's why! And as all companies struggle to keep costs down, most employed people will continue to have a PC in front of them at work for a couple of reasons: first of all, it is much more comfortable to type on a keyboard and follow data on a 24 inch display (as compared to a tablet + keyboard combo), and it is also cheaper.

Are hybrids good enough?

I am aware that keyboard accessories can turn your tablet into a netbook, but the price of an Apple iPad + keyboard dock is exactly the price of a much more powerful PC opponent. The keyboard dock only extends a tablet’s functionality, but it is a long way before I consider that combination as a nemesis for my amazing Lenovo Thinkpad L530.

Additionally, it is my opinion that desktop PCs will continue to remain the "go-to" solution when you need as much performance as you can get, because they can suck out all the energy they want from a power plug. This advantage will never go away and might lead to the adoption of static data-centers in tomorrow's homes, where all the data is held and processed on the PC, and just streamed to other devices around the house, in a way that could be very similar to a router allowing access to the Internet.

And for as long as desktop PCs will have a place at home or at the office, the laptop PC market will always be there to provide a mobile version of the same experience. In addition, just look at how compact these new Ultrabooks are. In my eyes, the extra power and cross compatibility that they offer is worth the ever tinier price to pay for their extra volume.

Obsolescence might just be a trend

But if the PC is not becoming obsolete, what's going on with the poor PC sales for the past couple of years? My guess is that the huge amount of tablets sales bitten from that of PCs is largely due to the fact that plenty customers are willing to get a new (and trendy) device rather than update their desktop / laptop. But that does not mean they have or will stop using it. In fact, some recent reports already claim that the PC industry will rebound during the second quarter of 2013.

As tech advancements in the PC universe reach unprecedented levels, expect a lot of people to consider getting a new, extremely powerful PC in the next three to four years.

Microsoft is still on this ‘Scroogled’ thing

Posted: 09 Apr 2013 05:51 PM PDT

scroogled

The hits just keep on coming.

Just when you thought they'd give up, Microsoft has begun another round of 'Scroogled' jabs aimed squarely at Google. We'd hoped that those seemingly light-hearted April fools day shots aimed at one another were a sign this one-sided blood feud had ended, but it most certainly has not. Well, at least not for Microsoft.

What does this round of barbs bring us? More of the same, really. It's more Microsoft claiming that Google is just downright evil, or otherwise 'nefarious'. Stealing information, reading your emails, giving your information out… the normal stuff we've grown accustomed to in desperate marketing ploys.

Microsoft is relying on scare tactics to gain customers. They've lost a lot of ground since the likes of Google came around, and Apple began taking itself seriously again. Long gone are the days when Microsoft could simply strong-arm the competition into the abyss. Now they must rely on what they consider cunning, though it simply smacks of shame.

What is Google doing in rebuttal? They're loading up nicely, really. Google Glass is set for release later this year, and the rumored Android-powered Smartwatch seems to be a strong possibility as well. Their Babel chat function is taking shape, finally, and the Play Store is seeing updates roll out as you read this. The Motorola X devices are hopefully still set for Google I/O in May, and we also expect to see a fresh version of Android at that time. The Chromebook Pixel is a monster, and both Chrome browser and OS are seeing rapid growth.

That's called innovation. That's how you get ahead, Microsoft. The jabs may keep coming, but those haymakers are missing.

 

Is the ‘apperating’ system our future?

Posted: 09 Apr 2013 04:35 PM PDT

facebook_home_chat_heads_fullwidth

Facebook Home may be just what you were looking for, or something you just can't think to have on your device. Taste is subjective, which is why some choose Google+ over Facebook… or vice versa. What we find interesting in Facebook Home is not what it gives us in terms of content, but how it's delivered to us. In this new realm, we have a fresh idea in operating systems. More importantly, we have a better concept for keeping the operating system, but using an updated look for it.

With Facebook home, your Android operating system is controlled via an app/launcher/whatever you want to call it. We don't quite know what to label it as, the concept is so new, but we'll call it an app for the sake of discussion. With an app like this, your device essentially has a new 'theme' to it. For those of us who find certain aspects or apps of our device important to the use of it, this is an important breakthrough.

Again, we take Facebook home as the example. As I said in a previous article, if Facebook is centric to your daily life, this is a good app for you to use. The same concept applies across the board, to various other services or websites. The easiest comparison to make would be Google+, but let's take it a step further. This is an excellent idea for Twitter, as well. Any post with a certain hashtag(s) of your choosing pops up in any screen, and you're always in the know.

These apps don't need to be complex, either. A simple pop-up function is an easy way to go, as many sites aren’t as robust or far-reaching as a Facebook. Things like chat, or pictures, can be lost on many sites. Some specialize in one arena of functionality, foregoing or neglecting the rest. Even with the limited functionality, everyone wins.

Google-Play-store Logo

The win-win

With an app that alters the look (and perhaps feel) of your device, the user has the ability to get tucked right into whatever arena they're most comfortable in. You get exactly what you want, how you want it, and it's easily disabled or deleted if you decide to go another way. This can be especially useful when traveling, or for sports fans as the seasons change.

Google also wins in this scenario. As this type of functionality is currently only available via Android, new attention is lavished on the platform. Google has the Play Store, which is the real means of creating revenue, and their services are top-notch. While an app that alters your device sounds a bit daunting, it may be a blessing for all.

Concerns

With any new app comes the plausibility of risk. Again we look to Facebook, as our only example in this arena to date. The app may want permission to view your photos/contacts. Do you trust that? Can you trust that? Facebook has a poor track record of containing personal information, while not many other sites have a proven history one way or another. Depending on what information an app wants to view, you may be putting yourself at risk.

The Play Store may be the real bread-and-butter for Google, but this new wave of 'apperating' systems could have an 'Amazon' effect. Some larger sites with their own agenda could try to wall-off Android, as Amazon has, to build their own ecosystem. This isn't wrong by any means, but it definitely takes away from the Android experience, which is what many are looking for. Even with an ecosystem like Amazon's, it falls short in many respects.

Lock Icon: Android

Conclusion

The 'apperating' system is unique, and promising. It holds a lot of value, and is something we should all embrace and encourage. On the flip-side of that, we should be cautious of what we're allowing those apps to do or see on our device. Visiting a site you consider interesting, or fun, is much different than allowing it access to your life.

If not traversed carefully, this new path may end quickly. Google has committed to Android being open… but abusing that privilege may bode poorly for some. In an odd twist of fate, Google could end up closing Android off if abused in any way. That would be the lose-lose scenario we're all afraid of.

 

AT&T Galaxy S2 Skyrocket Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update available

Posted: 09 Apr 2013 03:53 PM PDT

Galaxy-S2-Jelly-Bean

More and more Galaxy S2 versions are getting their Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update these days, with AT&T's Galaxy S2 Skyrocket being the last model reported to receive the software upgrade.

After seeing the T-Mobile Galaxy S2 Jelly Bean update rolling out the other day, it's now time for AT&T Skyrocket owners to update their devices. As with other Galaxy S2 versions, the Skyrocket can be updated either over-the-air (OTA) or via Samsung KIES, Sam Mobile reports.

Among the new features you'll get to experience with Jelly Bean we'll mention the improved "buttery" performance, the Google Now search feature and a new TouchWiz Nature UX user interface. Obviously, there are many more Jelly Bean features to explore once the update is performed, so here's a changelog with everything new in Jelly Bean.

While some of you are probably running their own Jelly Bean-based custom ROMs on the Skyrocket already, there are plenty of users out there that have not taken the unofficial route to Jelly Bean. In case you want to get yourself better acquainted with Jelly Bean, check out our hands-on videos that detail the differences between Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (above), but also between Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean (below).

As for Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, Samsung is yet to update any Galaxy S2 model to Google's latest mobile OS version.
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