The new definition of computer has caused Android and iOS to control market share, leading Mark Shuttleworth to close Bug #1 in Ubuntu's bug tracker
Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Ubuntu, has marked the very first bug on Ubuntu's LaunchPad bug tracking site as "Closed -- Fix Released". In this case, Android is a big part of the fix. As Shuttleworth explains in the final comment on bug #1
Personal computing today is a broader proposition than it was in 2004: phones, tablets, wearables and other devices are all part of the mix for our digital lives. From a competitive perspective, that broader market has healthy competition, with IOS and Android representing a meaningful share
Microsoft still is the OS of choice on the desktop, both at home and the workplace. But the new definition of computer -- which not everyone agrees with, including yours truly -- combined with the sheer number of Android and iOS devices out there has changed the landscape.
I'm not so sure that bug #1 was really a bug to begin with. I've no love for Microsoft's products nor their business practices, but the free market has chosen, and both developer and users choose Microsoft when it comes to productivity on their workstations more often than the competition. We think everyone should have a choice that's done well, and one that fits their needs.
Of course others, like Shuttleworth, think differently and clearly when smartphones and tablets (as well as televisions and even appliances) are counted alongside the traditional desktop or laptop computer, Microsoft is now a distant third in terms of marketshare. Our advice? Don't get caught up in the details and appreciate the fact that you do have a choice. In either case, be sure to read Shuttleworth's comment if you're a fan of computing and software.
One of the most important things to remember about the mobile space, I believe, is that there are so many moving parts. I can't help but believe that for as much about this business as we think we know, there's so much more going on behind closed doors. Never mind super secret new hardware. That's a given. It's the business end of things that provide the "why" and "how."
The past week -- past couple weeks, actually -- we've been thinking a lot about why we now have more "Google Experience" phones based on hardware that was designed hand-in-hand with another software experience altogether. Why is Google offering "stock" versions of the HTC One and Galaxy S4 alongside the Nexus 4?
The first answer I tell myself usually is "because it can." And there are worse reasons to do things, I suppose. But there has to be something in it for Samsung and HTC. I'm guessing quicker access to new code, plain and simple.
Anyhoo. We'll take a look at these new Google Experience devices when they're available toward the end of the month. I'm mainly interested in how the cameras perform, along with general use.
About a month ago, BlueStacks announced that it was going to unleash a gaming console on the world to compete with the likes of the OUYA console. One thing they didn’t do, however, was announce an exact price.
Buying a GamePop is going to run a cool $129, but BlueStacks has extended their subscription promotion to get a free console. In case you forgot, you can sign up to pay $6.99 per month to get the console for free in addition to getting access to every game available in the GamePop service. To sweeten that deal. BlueStacks has gotten a few major developers on board with GamePop, including Intellijoy and Korean COM2US. COM2US is apparently getting some special treatment with their own channel on the console, but both companies’ games will be available in the subscription service.
BlueStacks is definitely going to give OUYA some tough competition. Anyone planning on buying either of those consoles?
Those of you early adopters of the HTC One smartphone are certainly in for a special treat as a new update is being pushed to the masses as we speak. This latest update doesn’t bring an unmolested version of Android, but will bring the latest Android version to One owners… well for the time being at least. Users of the smartphone can expect to see Android 4.2.2 which includes the Quick Settings notification bar among other things, while keeping the Sense version at 5.0. Additional cool changes to the software include a new battery level indicator, as well as some minor changes to the app drawer and hopefully— some welcome performance improvements.
No word yet on how long it’ll take for the latest update to hit the general public, but hopefully it will be a relatively quick and smooth process.
In January, ZTE released the world’s thinnest smartphone in the 5-inch Grand S, only 6.9mm thick. However, some consumers found that the phone’s non-removable (and weak) 1,780 mAh battery paired with its quad-core processor and full-HD screen was not a good combination.
ZTE has decided to fix this issue by announcing an upgraded Grand S model called the ZTE Grand S Flex, with a 2,300 mAh battery. It’s a little bit thicker than its predecessor, but it’s worth it. The phone will be available in September in France, and judging by the pictures, there aren’t any noticeable design differences between it and the original Grand S.
We had another busy week at TalkAndroid so here’s a recap of all the top stories. Those that love hardware and vanilla Android will be happy to know that the HTC One Nexus Edition is real. It was announced by Sundar Pachai and will be available on June 26. The big question is if Google plans on releasing anymore Nexus devices, or at least Nexus phones? The Motorola X phone has been confirmed for October release, but you can grab the white Nexus 4 now. Samsung made the Galaxy S 4 mini official, but they have some more stuff to announce on June 20th in London. This coming week we have Computex, so expect some announcements from ASUS and Acer for the tablet segment. It’s time to get caught up and get ready for another exciting week.
LG has released a series of pretty funny videos showing off some of the “Fabsharing” features on the new Optimus G Pro, including Dual Recording, Live Effects, and VuTalk.
Dual Recording allows users to record using both front and back cameras at the same time, with picture-in-picture capabilities. Live Effects adds special effects to pictures and videos, creating a pretty humorous result. VuTalk allows for interactive screen-sharing during phone calls, illustrated in the promotional video by a grandma and her grandson playing hangman on their phones with each other while in the middle of a phone call. Pretty cool stuff! It’s obvious that LG is catching on with Samsung’s ways here, knowing that the majority of consumers purchase based on features, not on hardware.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has appeared in multiple forms, in red and in grey with AT&T’s logo slapped on the back. The handset is not going to be lacking in colors at all, as the device could come in teal as well.
This information comes from an image popular leaker @evleaks put up. The image only shows the side of the device, so there’s no way to tell if there’s any carrier markings like a previous picture revealed. That also means that we’re not sure if the teal version could be coming to AT&T or some other carrier, as some mobile operators have exclusivity on certain colors.
As with all leaks, there’s no way to tell if this image is real or not. So before we hear official confirmation from Samsung, it would be wise to take this with a grain of salt.
When will we see the device? Well, Samsung has an event in London scheduled for June 20 where they will most likely unveil the Galaxy S4 Active. However, that hasn’t been officially confirmed. We should see the Galaxy S4 Active’s brother, the Galaxy S4 Zoom, at the event too.
This week Apple announced that it has sold 100 million iPod Touch units since 2007 – keep in mind that this is not a statistic for all iPod devices, but all iPod Touch units. This is obviously a massive milestone for Apple, but it also brings up the question, why hasn't an Android manufacturer built a legitimate iPod Touch competitor?
What past experiences have brought us
As far as Android is concerned, there have been very little competitors to the iPod Touch. Samsung, for all its success in the smartphone market, dabbled half heartedly into the iPod Touch's domain, but with horrible specs and outdated software, its Galaxy Player models were never going to compete with the iPod Touch, especially after Apple brought out the fifth-generation iPod Touch.
An unsuccessful attempt from Samsung, the Galaxy Player 5.8 was an oddity.
There haven't been a lot of other competitors willing to tip their hats into the ring, and attempt to take on Apple. The only other OEM worth mentioning is Sony, which tried to use the Walkman brand name to leverage its very unsuccessful attempt at an "Android media player".
Why should anyone be interested?
So you're probably thinking that with all the history going against them, why would any OEM be interested? Well it's something called brand recognition. The iPod Touch market is mostly targeted at children and teens, so if you captivate the younger market, they are more likely to be inclined to buy your smartphone when the time comes.
No doubt tablets have affected the sales of the iPod Touch, but it is still going strong, thanks to its lightweight, slim and small design, which gives it the advantage that no tablet can provide, it is uber-pocketable.
An iPod Touch is a device that is often given to a teen, as an inbetweener device, when they're ready for their own handheld device, but not ready for a smartphone. So when you've already had a great experience with an iPod Touch, when the time comes, most teens will be looking at an iPhone to choose as their smartphone.
So why not just buy them a smartphone in the first place, you ask? Well it's simple, at the price point these devices need to hit to be even remotely successful, the only smartphones you can buy (off contract that is) are cheap and horribly specced devices. The Nexus 4 is the cheapest high end smartphone and it still costs $300, and I'm thinking of a cheaper price for the device, much cheaper.
This should be considered as a "groomer" device, one that will give a teen a taste of Android, and of an OEM’s devices. The gadget would then move them on to other devices (or even services). Now that's where Google comes in.
Why Google should make a rival to the iPod Touch
Google is all about the services it provides, so the younger the audience it can reach out to, the larger potential for growth in it's customer base.
Picture this: a teen buys a Google made "Nexus Play" (that's the name I've made up for it, not an official name), and starts using Google Drive for all of his or her school assignments, uses Google Plus as his or her social network to keep up with friends and also uses Play Music for all music listening needs. Soon the teen moves on to Gmail, an Android smartphone and all the other Google services that come with it.
This way Google gets to attract a market that it couldn't normally target, and it also has the ability to offer a cheap and affordable device, with great specs and an up to date operating system. So who will make such a device? Well Google has Motorola now, doesn't it?
The Motorola Nexus Play
Let's skip the small talk, Motorola is in a rut, it's losing money and market share, and it desperately needs to hit a homerun. Every manufacturer who has made a Nexus device has had its brand recognition improve dramatically, and since this isn't a market that any of Google's partners are interested in, Google using Motorola to manufacture a cheap, at cost Nexus Play, won't anger the OEMs too much.
So what specs should this device have?
Google already has a great blueprint for the specifications of the "Nexus Play". The Nexus 7 costs $199 for a 16GB model, and comes with heavy-hitting specs like a HD (1280 x 800) screen, a Quad-core Tegra 3 and 1GB of RAM. All Google needs to do is drop the screen size to a 4- to 4.3-inch screen, add a rear camera, swap out the Tegra 3 for a Snapdragon 400 and drop the price to say, $150 (You can go lower Google, surprise me!)
The Nexus 7 is the perfect base for the “Nexus Play”
A device with such specs is hardly anything to sneeze at (and its price is pretty good too). But in this market, hardware isn't the only deciding factor. It's time to talk about customization and accessorization.
Customization and accessorization
It's quite ironic that while Android is the most customizable mobile operating system and it also comes with great choices for hardware, the color choices for devices have long been limited to just black and white. If there's one thing I admire about the Lumia line, it’s Nokia's persistence on offering lots of color choices straight from day one.
With teens and children being the target audience, colors and customization become a much bigger deal than what they are on smartphones. No Google, a black Nexus Play, with a white (and still sort of black) Nexus Play released 6 months later is not the way to go. The key aspect here is colors, bright ones, and lots and lots of them.
The Galaxy S3 came in many color variations, eventually
It's also worth noting that this device is going to need a pair of earphones (no skimping out on this either, Google!). It doesn't matter how good they actually are, these days most kids have been fooled into believing Beats by Dre's are the best quality headphones you can get. But for the sake of the product, and millions of parents’ ears (you can only listen to Gangam style a finite amount of times), a pair of earbuds should be included.
Cases are also a big thing for kids, even though third party manufacturers tend to satisfy this market well. Parents are going to be on the look out for a case that can protect their child's device straight from the get-go. It also allows Google to make some money back when selling its devices at break even prices.
Finally, we need a 32GB version, not in two months time, but at launch. Since this is a Wi-Fi-only device, people will want to stick most, if not all of their stuff on the device, so a 32GB version will be needed.
Wrap up
A Motorola-made Google device competing against the iPod Touch might seem like a ludicrous idea at first, but if Google is able to undercut the iPod Touch and give it the specs listed above, it will finally allow Google to cover all the bases of mobile.
Not many other manufacturers can undercut Google, and those that can probably wouldn't be interested in the first place, that's why a Nexus Play is the perfect device for aspiring Android phone owners and even people who just want a non-cellular Android device that fits in their pockets.
Would you be interested in getting an Android competitor to the iPod Touch for your son, daughter, niece, nephew? Maybe even one for yourself?
Verizon Wireless pushed out a rather large update on Wednesday that brought a whole host of new features. While the update was overall good news, some are now experiencing severe issues with 4G LTE, such as slowed data speed, says a report from Android Community.
If you haven’t gotten the update yet, it may be wise to hold off until there’s an official fix for the connectivity issues. According to a few tipsters, some people are barely only getting one or two bars on 4G LTE, and while normally you’ll get optimal speeds, it is reported that data speeds have been slowed to a crawl. Others aren’t even getting 4G LTE, as their devices are stuck on 3G connectivity.
Of course, turning on Airplane mode, restarting, or doing a factory reset would be your first thought to fix the issue, however, that doesn’t fix the problem at all. While it may not work for everyone, according to Android Community there’s a potential unofficial fix. Simply head into Settings > More Networks > Mobile Networks and change the network mode to LTE/CDMA instead of Global.
Between more camera features, Multi Window, and Mobile Hotspot improvements, the update to Big Red’s Galaxy S3 was very impressive. Let’s just hope Verizon is able to push out a fix quickly so users can enjoy this update without clunky network issues.
Not long after Google I/O, two livestreams have been scheduled on the Google Developers website. Both events are specifically created for Chrome Mobile, but beyond that, there’s a lack of details. However, you’ll be able to find out what they’re all about soon, with one of them set for June 7 at 1:00 p.m. EDT and the second scheduled for June 13 at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
We have no idea what the topics at these two events involve. However, at least one of could be about Chrome security features, which is something Chrome and Android boss Sundar Pichai mentioned during D11. The events will certainly be interesting, as Google has never scheduled an event specifically for Chrome Mobile, and certainly not so soon after Google I/O. Although, it’s not really a surprise Google scheduled an event soon after Google I/O given the fact that we didn’t see a whole lot of Chrome news at the developer conference.
The first video is titled “Chrome Mobile Special Event” and the second is named “Mobile Chrome Special Event”. From that you could gather that they just accidentally duplicated a video, but since both have been given a time and date, that seems unlikely. Whatever the event is about, I’m certainly excited to hear about more advancements in Chrome, and I’m sure my colleague Nate Swanner is as well.
We can’t even begin to imagine what we’ll see at these events, however, we’d like to know what you think Google has in store for us.
Simply put, Samsung dominates the smartphone world in terms of sales. The company sold 10 million Galaxy S4′s within a month, and this could quite possibly have to deal with its seemingly endless marketing budget. On the other side, we have LG, a company who hasn’t seen nearly as much success with a single device. However, that doesn’t mean their devices don’t pose a challenge to Samsung’s unwavering flagship, the Galaxy S4.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro are both great devices. Despite its size, the Optimus G Pro, in many respects, is on par with the Galaxy S4.
We’re pitting the two devices from South Korea against each other, and only one can come out on top. Join us for the full Samsung Galaxy S4 vs LG Optimus G Pro review or jump straight to the video.
Design and build quality
The first big difference you’ll notice between the Optimus G Pro and the Galaxy S4 is that the former is much larger than Samsung’s latest flagship offering. The Next Big Thing comes in at just 5.3-inches tall while the Optimus G Pro, taking on the likes of the Galaxy Note 2, measures in at 6-inches tall and is a third of an inch wider than the S4.
Once you get past the size differences, the Galaxy Note 2 and Optimus G Pro are both similar in nature. There’s no plastic versus glass dispute here folks, as both phones are built with the same material. It makes the two handsets feel a little less than premium, but not by much.
LG took some design pointers from Samsung, so the button layouts are very similar between the two devices. The only difference worth mentioning is the Q-button tucked above the volume rockers on the Optimus G Pro that serves as a user-defined shortcut.
As you might expect, the Optimus G Pro is harder to use with a single hand than the Galaxy S4 due to the large form factor. The Galaxy S4 is easy to operate in one hand, making it the best 5-inch device to handle right now. It’s obvious that the Optimus G Pro is meant to be used with two hands. Looking around the back of both devices, you’ll see a camera up top surrounded by a removable plastic cover.
Bottom line, the Galaxy S4 and Optimus G Pro are both well built devices, so it really depends on your preference. If you’d rather go for a comfortable single-handed operation, the Galaxy S4 is the perfect choice. If you’re looking for something larger and don’t mind two-handed operation, the Optimus G Pro is an obvious choice.
Display
There’s about a half-inch difference between the screen, but both have nearly the same specifications. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a Super AMOLED 1080p display rated at 441ppi. It’s a beautiful display with very saturated colors that compliments Samsung’s TouchWiz interface. However, it can be a turnoff for some people.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have a larger and less saturated 5.5-inch True IPS display on the LG Optimus G Pro. It also is capable of 1080p, but it’s rated at a lower 401 ppi. The pixel density isn’t much of a difference though. Text has the same sharpness and media consumption like videos, pictures, and games are enjoyable on whichever device you choose.
When you get down to it, the real difference, again, is the size of the displays. If you’re looking for something less saturated, but with a larger screen, the Optimus G Pro is no doubt the way to go, especially when it comes to media consumption. On the other hand, the Galaxy S4′s 5-inch Super AMOLED display is no slouch either, and is still great when it comes to videos, pictures, and games.
Performance
As we mentioned earlier, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro are very similar, and that holds true with the performance of the two devices. The western version of the Galaxy S4 is no slouch, sporting a Snapdragon 600 CPU clocked at 1.9GHz with an Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The device performs wonderfully and provides for a slick experience. Being a high-end phone, AnTuTU rates this bad boy at the top, around the 25,000 range.
As for its competitor, the Optimus G Pro, it was released a little before the Galaxy S4, making it one of the first devices to sport that wicked Snapdragon 600 processor. It’s clocked at 1.7GHz, and similar to the S4, it is backed by the Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. So when it comes to performance, it’s very similar to the slickness of the Galaxy S4.
The Optimus G Pro measured in with a lower AnTuTu score, but it’s hard to deny that its performance isn’t matched by the Galaxy S4. So whether you choose the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the LG Optimus G Pro, you’ll get a slick experience without sacrificing performance.
Specs
There’s no doubt that a lot of work went into the Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro to make them the two top dogs on the market. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a removable plastic cover allowing for battery replacement when power is low or when you just have a bad battery. There’s also a microSD card slot to expand the device’s storage by 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB. The S4 also features an IR Blaster to control a number of different devices, such as TVs or set top boxes. Finally, there’s a number of sensors used for navigation and unique applications.
Under the hood of the LG Optimus G Pro is a removable battery and a microSD slot in case you use the device’s entire 32GB of onboard memory. Similar to its competitor, it sports an IR Blaster for controlling TVs and a number of other devices. The Optimus G Pro really lacks when it comes to sensors — it doesn’t have nearly as many as the Galaxy S4. However, it does have the gyroscope and the accelerometer, and Eastern versions of the device have a long antenna for broadcasted television.
When it comes to hardware, the Galaxy S4 has a lot more to offer than the Optimus G Pro. However, that may not be a bad thing, as you may or may not put all of the Galaxy S4′s features to use. If you like the extra bells and whistles, the Galaxy S4 is without doubt the route to follow. Otherwise, the Optimus G Pro is your standard smartphone, just bigger.
Battery and cameras
Naturally, the Optimus G Pro has a larger battery than the Galaxy S4 to power the larger screen and body. It’s actually quite a difference too — 3,140 milliamps compared to the Galaxy S4′s 2,600mAh battery. Despite the larger battery, in some ways the Optimus G Pro still runs out of juice faster than the S4.
Like all Galaxy S devices, the S4 has a lot of built-in power saving features. During battery tests, the power saving features in the Galaxy S4 helped it outlast the Optimus G Pro, even during media consumption. Of course, that might be an okay tradeoff, as a spare battery and charging dock come with the Optimus G Pro.
As for the cameras, the Galaxy S4 sports a 13-megapixel rear facing shooter. The picture quality is very good. Details are reproduced quite well, and the color accuracy is another great strength of the camera. As per the norm with Samsung, most of the camera’s strengths lie in the application itself. It’s rich with features — there’s an arsenal of different modes to make your photo pop in a unique way. You’ll find Drama and Eraser modes to be some of the most useful, as they add or remove objects from your photos. There’s also a cool dual recording mode, which was first shown in the Optimus G Pro.
LG’s offering isn’t far behind. Similarly, you’ll notice good picture quality, but the depth of field that the Galaxy S4 offers just isn’t there. Details are reproduced just as well, and so is the color accuracy. As you might imagine, the Optimus G Pro doesn’t have nearly as many camera features as the Galaxy S4. However, it does provide HDR, dual recording, and even its own version of PhotoSphere, which was introduced to Android with version 4.2.
When it comes down to it, the Optimus G Pro’s camera is pretty standard, but it does what it’s expected to do very well. The Samsung Galaxy S4 certainly has some unique features, but whatever phone you choose to get you’ll have a great point-and-shoot camera on hand.
Software
As for the software, Samsung has included some new navigation features in TouchWiz. Gestured based sensors now allow you to navigate through your phone with a simple wave of your hand and hovering your finger over an item, such as a text message, will give you a preview of said message. The Samsung’s Galaxy S4 tagline is “Life Companion”, so Samsung has included new applications that will make your life easier, such as S Health and S Translator among others.
The Optimus UI isn’t as colorful or bloated as TouchWiz, but it still packs a ton of features. As we mentioned earlier, the LG Optimus G Pro doesn’t have the necessary sensors that the S4 has for navigation. Albeit disappointing, LG makes up for this by providing a few nifty tools that will help with multitasking. QApps are small applications, like QVoice and QMemo, that can be put on the screen to accomplish small tasks. Then we have QSlide, which is very similar to a nifty feature called Multi Window in the Galaxy S4.
It will allow you to have two windows open at the same time. So for example, you could have your browser opened up in one window and Google Maps in another to efficiently search for directions. Again, similar to Multi Window, but helpful to have nonetheless.
As we mentioned earlier, there’s a QButton on the top left of the Optimus G Pro above the volume rocker. This is one of the Optimus G Pro’s most unique features, as it will let you program the button as a shortcut for opening an app like Google+ or just general QApps.
While the G Pro lacks navigation sensors, it makes up for it with the QButton and QApps. On the other hand, the Galaxy S4′s motion navigation is a cool feature to have. So when it comes down to it, you’re either giving up a ton of multitasking features or some of the cool new ways of navigating the Galaxy S4. It all depends on what interests you more.
Hands-on video review
Price and final thoughts
The unlocked Optimus G Pro runs at $800 USD. The Galaxy S4 runs for $100 cheaper unlocked at $700. If you’re looking to get either phone on contract, and we’ll use AT&T as our measure, both devices will run you $199 on a new two-year agreement with the carrier. So unlocked, there’s quite a significant difference, which also may affect your buying decision.
Both the LG Optimus G Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S4 are great devices. In many respects they’re similar, but when it comes down to it, you’re going to have to decide if you like the Galaxy S4′s 5-inch screen or the Optimus G Pro’s larger 5.5-inch screen. If you’re someone who isn’t fond of often using two-handed operation for your device, the LG Optimus G Pro probably isn’t for you. On the other hand, the Galaxy S4 has some downsides too, such as the Super AMOLED display with the saturated colors.
Regardless of your choice, either way you’re getting a really powerful device. What phone do you prefer? Vote in our poll and let us know in the comments!
