Android World Update # Android Community

Android Community Tracking the Android Platform Revolution

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Android Jelly Bean usage rises above the 50 percent milestone Nov 2nd 2013, 10:55, by Robert Nelson October was the month we saw Android 4.3 first make an appearance in the Android usage numbers released by Google. Android 4.3 entered with 1.5 percent of the pie and that has grown to 2.3 percent for the month of November. And while 4.3 grew individually, Jelly Bean usage also grew as a whole. In fact, Jelly Bean has risen over the 50 percent milestone. We cannot help but get a bit snarky given Jelly Bean has finally crested 50 percent — almost the same day we have begun seeing 4.4 Kit Kat arrive with the Nexus 5 (and soon to be on other devices). For now though, there is no sign of any Kit Kat on this latest Android usage report. Breaking Jelly Bean down and we have 4.1.x with 37.3 percent, 4.2.x with 12.5 percent and 4.3 with 2.3 — making for a total of 52.1 percent. In comparison, that is up last month from 45.1 percent with the breakdown as follows; 4.1.x with 36.5, 4.2.x with 10.6 and 4.3 with 1.5 percent. Basically, Jelly Bean usage grew as a whole and over the three variants. One interesting and slightly frustrating number was for Gingerbread, which is still holding strong with more than a quarter of the overall usage. Gingerbread, which breaks down as 2.3.3 – 2.3.7 had 26.3 percent for November. Thankfully though, that number did drop a bit as compared to October, which had Gingerbread sitting with 28.5 percent. Otherwise, the full breakdown for the month of October is as follows; Android 2.2 – Froyo – 1.7 percent Android 2.3.3 – 2.3.7 – Gingerbread – 26.3 percent Android 3.2 – Honeycomb – 0.1 percent Android 4.0.3 – 4.0.4 – Ice Cream Sandwich – 19.8 percent Android 4.1.x – Jelly Bean – 37.3 percent Android 4.2.x – Jelly Bean – 12.5 percent Android 4.3 – Jelly Bean – 2.3 percent Similar to Gingerbread, but not quite so high in terms of usage, Ice Cream Sandwich is holding quite a bit of the pie. Given the 0.1 percent (which, coincidentally was the same as last month), Gingerbread doesn’t appear to have much longer left in the overall usage number reports. The last departures came in September when Donut and Elciar dropped off for good. Of course, by that logic, it would appear as if Froyo is going down the same path. SOURCE: Google Developers Story Timeline Android usage report has Jelly Bean at over 10% with Cupcake finally gone Android usage report released showing the slow and steady climb of Jelly Bean Jelly Bean usage rises above Gingerbread Jelly Bean usage continues to rise, takes 40% of Android distribution chart Android Jelly Bean usage nears 50 percent

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Android World Update # Top 5 News: Task Switcher, Halloween, Music Players , KitKat + more

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Top 5 News: Task Switcher, Halloween, Music Players , KitKat + more Nov 2nd 2013, 09:00, by Kris Carlon It's been quite the week of anticipation: everyone held on increasingly tightly to their hats for the Android 4.4 KitKat and Nexus 5 explosion to rock the Android world, and boy how it did. Finally. We're still recovering a bit and putting together as much detailed information as we can on what it all means, how you can get it on your smartphone and when it will all be happening officially for you. But it was also Halloween, and we happily shot a zombie video in between compiling lists of every app you could ever want for Halloween. But what was the most read news this week? Top 5 News of the Week. / © AndroidPIT (This is a preview - click here to read the entire entry.)

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Android World Update # In KitKat, the new launcher is part of the Google Search app, report says

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In KitKat, the new launcher is part of the Google Search app, report says Nov 2nd 2013, 03:45, by Chris Smith Not directly visible to the KitKat user, it appears that the Google Search app has actually taken over the launcher in the new Android release, according to the discoveries made by a publication. Google Search and Google Now received their own updates and visual makeovers in KitKat – which is expected considering that Google's entire business revolves around search – but it looks like Google went a step further and made Search an even more important part of Android. Ars Technica took a closer look to Android 4.4 KitKat and found that the Google Home launcher has been sacrificed in favor of the new Google Search, which takes over the screen in a similar fashion Facebook's launcher does: That’s right, Google Search isn’t just integrated into the home screen, it is the home screen. Everything you see on the home screen—the wallpaper, the icons, the widgets, and the app drawer—are all drawn by the Google Search app. “GoogleHome.apk” still exists, but it is an empty shell that forwards everything to the search app. [Check out the image above in which a comparison between the Android 4.3 launcher and the Android 4.4 Google Search app is shown.] The difference here is that Google does it in a more subtle way than Facebook, which isn't obvious to the user and doesn't change the overall experience when it comes to visual elements. Installing just the GoogleHome.apk found on the Nexus 5 on other devices would only bring up an error message telling the user that the Google Search app has not been found (image below). Installing the Google Search app will fix the problem, but it will also bring Google's Search-filled launcher to your device. Is that a bad or a good thing? That depends on your preferences and your stance towards privacy and ads – ultimately it has something to do with advertising because that's how Google make cash. Not to mention that the implications of this finding are actually bigger when it comes to OEMs and their way of customizing the Android experience they offer especially because Google Search is an independent app that can be installed on any Android device. On a related note, earlier today we heard that the smarter Dialer may someday get ads, but Google has told Ars Technica that won't happen – but then again, a few years ago the company promised not to show banner ads in search results, a promise that was recently broken. The new Google Search does bring new features to users including always-on listening (at least on the Google Nexus 5) and app indexing support (which means Search can open apps to respond to certain queries), but does the fact that the launcher is a Search front bother you? Media files: Google Nexus 5_ I Do – YouTube 21 001039 android-4.3-launcher-vs-android-4.4-google-search-ars-technica-1 android-4.4-google-search-launcher-ars-technica-1

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Android World Update # TalkAndroid Daily Dose for November 1, 2013

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TalkAndroid Daily Dose for November 1, 2013 Nov 2nd 2013, 03:24, by Robert Nazarian With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!! Apps Moto X owners receive augmented reality short 'Windy Day' New KitKat keyboard available for download with emojis and space-awareness Gaming Marvel's Thor: TDW official game hits Google Play in time for theatrical release Google Google's mystery barge in San Francisco will include luxury showrooms and party deck Phones Moto G leaks yet again, this time with more specs and pricing Nexus 5 battery life will be better than expected thanks to Qualcomm Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 owners can now get a taste of Android 4.4 Kit Kat Sprint Galaxy Nexus now receiving Android 4.3, last major update ROMs Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 owners can now get a taste of Android 4.4 Kit Kat Tablets Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 owners can now get a taste of Android 4.4 Kit Kat Updates Sprint Galaxy Nexus now receiving Android 4.3, last major update Miscellaneous Android has more than 80% market share in Q3, shipments see a huge increase too Come comment on this article: TalkAndroid Daily Dose for November 1, 2013 Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

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Android World Update # Nexus 5 specs comparison with iPhone 5S, Galaxy Note 3, LG G2, Moto X, Xperia Z1, Galaxy S4, HTC One and others

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Nexus 5 specs comparison with iPhone 5S, Galaxy Note 3, LG G2, Moto X, Xperia Z1, Galaxy S4, HTC One and others Nov 2nd 2013, 02:42, by Chris Smith The Nexus 5 is finally official, so it's time to compare it to some of the existing flagship smartphones out there, including Android and non-Android devices. The specs of the new Nexus have not been a secret for quite a while, and Google only confirmed yesterday what we already knew from the many leaks that preceded the announcement – much like with the Nexus 4 a year ago. The Nexus 5 is largely based on the LG G2, but the device is not an exact replica of LG's current flagship that’s simply running Google's latest Android operating system. The handset is smaller in size and therefore packs a smaller battery, but that's not the only difference when compared to the LG G2. But the Nexus 5 marks an important jump from the Nexus 4, and we expect it to offer a significant overall performance improvement boost, especially considering the heavy optimization in KitKat – to see our Nexus 5 vs Nexus 4 comparison, check out this post. Not to mention that the Nexus 5 appears to be ready to stand the test of time in a much better fashion than the Nexus 4. Nexus 5 vs “regular” Android smartphones That said, in what follows you'll get to check out some of the most important specs of the Nexus 5, in comparison with current flagships from other Android device makers including the Xperia Z1, LG G2, Moto X, Galaxy S4 and HTC One.   Nexus 5 Xperia Z1 LG G2 Moto X Galaxy S4 HTC One Maker LG Sony LG Google Samsung HTC Size (mm) 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59 144 x 74 x 8.5 138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 129.3 x 65.3 x 10.4 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 Weight (g) 130 170 143 130 130 143 Display 4.95-inch 5-inch 5.2-inch 4.7-inch 5-inch 4.7-inch Type LCD TFT LCD AMOLED Super AMOLED LCD Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 1280 x 720 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 PPI 445 441 424 312 441 469 CPU Snapdragon 800 Snapdragon 800 Snapdragon 800 X8 System Snapdragon 600 or 800 / Exynos 5 Octa Snapdragon 600 RAM 2GB 2GB 2GB 2GB 2GB 2GB Storage 16/32GB 16GB 16/32GB 16/32GB 16/32/64GB 32/64GB MicroSD No Yes No No Yes No Camera 8MP 20.7MP 13MP 10MP 13MP 4MP Second camera 1.3MP 2MP 2.1MP 2MP 2MP 2.1MP Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.0 LE 4.0 LE 4.0 LE 4.0 LE 4.0 LE 4.0 LE LTE Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes NFC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes GPS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Battery 2300mAh 3000mAh 3000mAh 2200mAh 2600mAh 2300mAh Battery standby 300 hours 880 hours 790 hours 576 hours 370 hours 480 hours Wireless Charging Yes No Yes No Yes No Fingerprint scanner No No No No No No Infrared sensor No No Yes No Yes Yes OS Android 4.4 KitKat Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Price Starts at $349 off-contract N/A Starts at $199 (w/contract) Starts at $199 (w/contract) Starts at $199 (w/contract) Starts at $199 (w/contract) Naturally, more models could have been picked for this particular comparison, as this year we've seen quite a few OEMs release some very interesting devices, but we decided to stick to some of the most recent and/or most popular devices of 2013. Nexus 5 vs the “phablets” As you can see in the table above, we have not included extra-large devices into the mix, focusing on handsets with displays between four and five inches – the sole exception is the LG G2, the Nexus 5's older brother, which has a 5.2-inch display. But in case you want to compare it to the current generation of flagship "phablets" from leading device manufacturers, check out the following table, to see how the Nexus 5 fares against the HTC One Max Galaxy Note 3, Xperia Z Ultra, and the newly announced Nokia Lumia 1520.   Nexus 5 One Max Galaxy Note 3 Xperia Z Ultra N1 Lumia 1520 Maker LG HTC Samsung Sony Oppo Nokia Size (mm) 69.17 x 137.84 x 8.59 164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 179 x 92.2 x 6.5 170.7 x 82.6 x 9 162.8 x 85.4 x 8.7 Weight (g) 130 217 168 212 213 209 Display 4.95-inch 5.9-inch 5.7-inc 6.4-inch 5.9-inch 6-inch Type LCD LCD Super AMOLED LCD LCD LCD Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 PPI 445 373 386 344 373 367 CPU Snapdragon 800 Snapdragon 600 Snapdragon 800 / Exynos 5 Octa Snapdragon 800 Snapdraong 600 Snapdragon 800 RAM 2GB 2GB 3GB 2GB 2GB 2GB Storage 16/32GB 16/32GB 32/64GB 16GB 16/32GB 32GB MicroSD No Yes (up to 64GB) Yes (up to 64GB) Yes (up to 64GB) No Yes (up to 64GB) Camera 8MP 4MP 13MP 8MP 13MP 20MP Second camera 1.3MP 2.1MP 2MP 2MP Camera rotates to the front 1.2MP Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.0 LE 4.0 LE 4.0 LE 4.0 4.0 4.0 LTE Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes NFC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes GPS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Battery 2300mAh 3300 mAh 3200mAh 3050mAh 3610mAh 3400mAh Battery standby 300 hours 585 hours 420 hours 820 hours N/A 768 hours Wireless charging Yes Yes No No No Yes Infrared sensor No Yes Yes No No No Fingerprint scanner No Yes No No No No OS Android 4.4 KitKat Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Windows Phone 8 Price Starts at $349 off-contract N/A Starts at $299 (w/contract) N/A N/A N/A Nexus 5 vs the iPhones, Lumias and BlackBerry Finally, we have one more specs comparison for you, between the Nexus 5 and several devices from the competition – we're looking at the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, the Nokia Lumia 1020 and the BlackBerry Z30 in the following table.   Nexus 5 iPhone 5S iPhone 5c Lumia 1020 BlackBerry Z30 Maker LG Apple Apple Nokia BlackBerry Size (mm) 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 124.4 x 59.2 x 8.97 130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4 140.7 x 72 x 9.4 Weight (g) 130 112 132 158 170 Display 4.95-inch 4-inch 4-inch 4.5-inch 5-inch Type LCD LCD LCD AMOLED Super AMOLED Resolution 1920 x 1080 1136 x 640 1136 x 640 1280 x 768 1280 x 720 PPI 445 326 326 332 294 CPU Snapdragon 800 A7 A6 Snapdragon S4 Plus Snapdragon S4 Pro RAM 2GB 1GB 1GB 2GB 2GB Storage 16/32GB 16/32/64GB 16/32GB 32/64GB 16GB MicroSD No No No No Yes (up to 64GB) Camera 8MP 8MP 8MP 41MP 8MP Second camera 1.3MP 1.2MP 1.2MP 1.2MP 2MP Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n 802.11 a/b/g/n 802.11 a/b/g/n 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth 4.0 LE 4.0 LE 4.0 LE 3.0 4.0 LE LTE Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes NFC Yes No No Yes Yes GPS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Battery 2300mAh 1560mAh 1500mAh 2000mAh 2880mAh Battery standby 300 hours 250 hours 250 hours 384 hours 384 hours Wireless charging Yes No No Yes Yes Infrared sensor No No No No No Fingerprint scanner No Yes No No No OS Android 4.4 KitKat iOS 7 iOS 7 Windows Phone 8 BlackBerry 10.2 Price Starts at $349 off-contract Starts at $199 (w/contract) Starts at $99 (w/contract) Starts at $199 (w/contract) N/A The best choice? By no means, we’re implying that the Nexus 5 is the better choice here. It may very well prove to be the best phone in the world for some, while others may be disappointed and find comfort in a different device for different reasons – that’s the nature of things with every new piece of hardware. But it’s definitely one of the handsets to check out this holiday shopping season. We're going to remind you that the specs comparison alone doesn't tell the whole story when deciding between various devices, especially when it comes to flagship handsets, so make sure to check our upcoming extensive Nexus 5 coverage to see how this beast performs in the wild. Meanwhile, the Nexus 5 is selling like hot cakes, and it may not be available for purchase for several weeks, depending on model and market. Media files: nexus 5 official

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Android World Update # Ad code found in KitKat dialer raises eyebrows but there’s no reason for alarm

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Ad code found in KitKat dialer raises eyebrows but there's no reason for alarm Nov 2nd 2013, 01:36, by Chris Chavez It was one of the coolest new features of the new Android 4.4 KitKat update: Google’s brand new dialer app. While that may not sound very exciting at first, it’s the new dialer features that have our undies in a bunch. Leveraging the power of Google Maps, the dialer not only pulls up contacts saved to your Google account, but phone numbers from local businesses in your area as well. So insanely useful, it was like combining the Yellow Pages and dialer into a single cohesive experience. Last night, Google made the “stock ROM” for the Nexus 5 available, along with all the new apps therein. We were able to extract a handful of the new Android 4.4 KitKat apps, some of which we were even able to get up and running on our non-Nexus 5 devices. “Haxxors” and generally nosey Android fans began diving into some of these new apps, KitKat’s latest Dialer being one of them. What was discovered was a line of code found inside the Dialer app that began raising some eyebrows. Here’s what was discovered: <string name=”enable_disable_advertisements”>Advertisements</string> <string name=”advertisements_enable”>Advertisements enabled</string> <string name=”advertisements_disable”>Advertisements disabled</string> From the looks of it, it’s easy to assume that some kind of advertisements would be making their way into the dialer, especially given the Dialer’s new Maps business listings search. This even lead to ArsTechnica’s Ron Amadeo to sate, “Google will show Ads in the KitKat Dialer” but they can be turned off (see enable/disable string). After handing the app over our developer, he looked over it and found that this line of code wasn’t even new to KitKat. After searching for the code in past AOSP repos, he found that that it’s almost as old as Android itself, dating all the way back to Android 1.6. Yes, folks, Donut. So while we suppose it’s possible for Google to add ads to the dialer in the future, this was simply some leftover code from Android’s past that failed to get cleaned up. There should be absolutely no reason for concern, ads are definitely not coming to your Dialer anytime soon.

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Android World Update # This week's sidebar poll: Did you order a Nexus 5?

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This week's sidebar poll: Did you order a Nexus 5? Nov 2nd 2013, 00:39, by Jerry Hildenbrand Orders are shipping — is one of them yours? Let us all know in this week's poll Finally, all the crazy rumors and speculation is over. The Nexus 5 — and Kit Kat — are "officially real." You can probably tell if you've been on the Internet in the past 30 or so hours. Everyone is talking about it, including Alex who was lucky enough to get one in his hands early this morning. For most of us though, we have to experience it all from what the lucky few are telling us. Which, so far, is looking awful damn good for the most part. Alex tells me it's pretty much the best Android phone ever. Alex knows his stuff, and has plenty of experience with some great phones. He has me excited. I goofed. I was sure I would be able to go out Friday morning and spend a little extra to buy one retail. I was wrong, and now i have to wait. Hopefully, not too many of you did the same, but we're about to find out. We've got a poll — you'll find it in the sidebar to the right or after the break. Take a second and answer it, then get in the comments at discuss. The Nexus 5 in pictures | The Nexus 5 forums read more

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