Tag Archives ⇒ iOS

Full Review of the Google Nexus 4 Smartphone from LG

· Brandon Hann

LG Nexus 4After I skated through the initial ordering process on November 13th and multiple communication breakdowns from Google in regards to order status, shipping date, etc. I finally got my Nexus 4 ten days ago. I was already so put out by the experience that I decided not to do an unboxing video and with Thanksgiving having been on the horizon, the last thing I wanted to do was rehash the Nexus 4 buying experience.

This delay has only served to better my review process since I’ve had a full 10 days to use the device and gather my thoughts and feelings about it. I don’t need to go over the specs on this phone since they’re pretty well known, but if you want to see them, go to the Nexus 4 page on Google.com. So enough chat…let’s get to it.

The Form

The Nexus 4 has got to be one of the smoothest phones I’ve ever felt. This can be a huge con however, considering how easy this thing will slip from your hands if you’re not holding it tight enough. As many of you know, I’m not a fan of cases and screen protectors and to this day, I’ve never scratched or broken a phone. With that said, understand that the Nexus 4 can be made far less slippery with the use of a 3rd party case or the official bumper from Google.

Front panel – The first thing you will notice about the front glass is that it is practically flat across the front, but slightly bevels downward into the siding of the phone. This makes for an almost seamless transition between the rubbery sides and the front panel. This is in sharp contrast to the iPhone 4 series and iPhone 5 models, which has a slightly raised frame around the front glass. This makes the Nexus 4’s screen feel more usable as you slide your finger around from edge to edge. The new Corning Gorilla Glass 2 makes this screen much more durable and scratch resistant than those of other devices. It also provides a much smoother feel over the new iPhone 5.

LG Nexus 4 back panelBack panel – The back panel is also made of Gorilla Glass 2, which gives it the same sexy smoothness that the screen offers. Unlike the prior Nexus device, the back panel is not a readily removable piece (requires T5 hex bit) and it certainly does not feel as cheap. It is inlaid with tiny little circles arranged in such a way that any movement will make them appear like color-changing pixels on a monitor.

Side panels – The sides are made up of very durable rubbery plastic. That’s the best way to describe it because it feels like rubber, but it’s hard like plastic. This is not something that you can make an impression in with your fingernail, but it is likely something that would endure scratches and chips very easy. The advantage to this material is that it helps you keep a grip on the phone if you choose to use it without a case.

The Function

Along the sides, you have a micro SIM card tray, a volume rocker, headphone jack, noise-canceling microphone, power button, voice microphone, micro USB port and two T5 hex screws that hold the back panel on. This design element is very similar to Apple’s iPhone. On the front panel, you have a very thin sliver at the top for the earpiece and a small hole for the 1.3MP front camera and the back panel has a spot for a speaker and the 8MP camera with LED flash.

Screen – The screen is a vibrant 1280-by-768 4.7-inch display. Google describes it best: “Gently curved glass edges allow your finger to slide smoothly on and off the 320ppi screen, while cutting-edge G2 Touch Hybrid display technology means you feel like you’re touching every pixel.”

Rear camera – The 8MP rear camera on the Nexus 4 is an upgrade from the 5MP camera on the Galaxy Nexus and it really shows! The Nexus 4 supports HD video recording in full 1080P quality. With Android Jellybean 4.2, you can now use this camera to take 360 degree photos using a new feature called Photosphere. These .jpg images can be viewed as a flat panoramic photo or in full 3D on the device and other Google services like Google Maps.

Google charging orbWireless charging – I have yet to test this myself since I don’t currently own an inductive charger, but the Nexus 4 supports it. Google was supposed to release their “orb” charging dock, but there has been no word on when this will happen. Other users are reporting that existing devices are compatible. The way this works is you simply place the phone on the dock and it charges. No need to plug in any USB cable!

My Two Cents

In trying to keep this review short, I really only wanted to highlight some of key features. My overall experience has been very satisfying. I was reluctant to go with another non-LTE phone after having left my Galaxy S II for the Galaxy Nexus (GSM model), but since I’m not a heavy data user off wi-fi, I wasn’t too concerned. Plus to be able to buy a brand new phone unlocked and contract-free for about the same price that others pay for a phone after signing up for 2 years is a HUGE plus in my book.

The Nexus 4 has a quad core processor and I can’t tell you how great that feels. To be able to jump from app to app with almost no load time is a luxury that few people have. It probably helps that this device is running pure Android and isn’t loaded down with carrier and manufacturer software. If I were rating this phone on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give it a 9 only because it doesn’t have LTE. This will be a huge loss to some and although it wasn’t my primary concern, it does suck to not have it.

I hope to expand this review in the near future with sample photos, videos and other hands-on reviews. In the meantime, you can keep checking the Google Play store for this phone to be available for purchase, but I doubt you’ll be getting it anytime soon. I believe the current shipping time is 8-9 weeks!

Has Apple lost its Magic? iPad 4 released already

· Brandon Hann

iPhone 5 comicOne of my readers commented on a blog a while calling me out for “talking crap” about the iPhone 5 and we started a debate about whether Apple really does innovate products anymore or have they lost a bit of the allure that once was when Steve Jobs was around. Of course the answer to this is subjective, but what I found most interesting about this conversation was that he called me an early adopter, thus explaining why I have moved on from Apple.

So after watching Apple’s latest keynote speech where they introduced the new iPad mini, the new iPod nanos and some other product upgrades, I began to think about that conversation and what it actually means to be an early adopter. Essentially what I was being told was that because I like to get in on the ground floor of new tech items, it’s easy for me to get bored with the tried and true. In other words…the moment all my NON-tech savvy friends, my parents or anyone from the older generations start using things like the iPhone, I decided to jump ship to a less-saturated market. I guess sub-consciously I don’t want to be grouped in with all of the people that just buy iPhones because they see celebrities using them.

Anyway, back to the original purpose of this post…

Apple just launched the iPad mini which is really nothing special other than it provides a smaller iPad solution for those seeking one or just interested in owning an “i” device without shelling out tons of money. I feel this is great, but as a tech person, I tend to look at things from an aerial view. When done this way, it appears that Apple isn’t really creating anything new and exciting, but rather just releasing newer versions of their flagship devices.

Now I know all you business-minded people out there will tell us that this is the perfect business model: sell the hell out of your most popular products, but when is enough, enough?

The New iPad

iPad miniHow many versions of the iPad do we really need? And I’m not just talking about the different colors or sizes, but actual upgrades! The new iPad (iPad 3) came out just last March and already it’s been replaced by the new iPad (iPad 4)!! That’s right, as of today, the “new” iPad of November 2012 just replaced the “new” iPad of March 2012.

TechRadar exposes the key differences between iPad 3 and iPad 4 on their blog, but basically you’re getting a faster processer, a better front-facing camera and the new Lightning connector that everybody loves to hate.

I feel bad for everyone that bought the new iPad last March after scrimping and saving for it only to be trumped by a new, new iPad today! The old adage that technology is outdated the moment you buy it is coming true for iPad 3 owners today.

At least back in the day, there was some unwritten business plan that only released new products every year, which I still think is too fast, but seriously…only eight months?!

To top it off, the people who somehow didn’t know the iPad mini was coming, they too probably feel ripped off that they just dropped $500 for a new iPad when all they wanted was a slightly bigger iPhone.

My Thoughts

As if my thoughts aren’t evident enough, here’s some more for you to chew on. I’ll give Apple a pass this time around. Rather than complain that there are too many versions of every Apple product, I’ll just say that maybe they’re just re-aligning their product line.

They now have a full line of Macbooks, iPods, iPads and iMacs that come in a variety of sizes and colors. If we started at square one, then we can say that Apple finally has a product for everyone at almost every price point.

Yes, saying that made me feel better. But I have a feeling that next year isn’t going to bring anything new and spectacular. I think the tech world is going to have to slow down like the video game console world has. There’s no need to release a new device every single year.

I’ll leave you with a funny photo I found on an Android forum:
iPhone evolution

ICE is dropping Blackberry in favor of iPhone

· Brandon Hann

In yet another major hit to the already dwindling customer base that Research in Motion (RIM) has acquired over the years through its Blackberry line, the government agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) is switching over to iPhones.

iPhone vs BlackberryTheir stated reason is that the iPhone currently provides a better technological experience for its users. ICE has used Blackerry devices for eight years now and felt that RIM has not advanced fast enough for their needs. I have often stated that the last saving grace for RIM was going to be its government contracts and it appears that this is becoming the case.

In comparison, Blackberry has always been the favored device for many large corporations and government agencies because of its ability to be locked down almost completely by IT and security managers through the use of the Blackberry Enterprise server where as iPhones and Android devices only offer limited control. As for the battle between iPhone and Android devices, ICE said that it looked at both options and decided that iPhone was still a better choice because of the tight controls Apple has on its iOS software.

Of course this development will no doubt give iPhone fans more steam for there “who’s phone is better” argument, but I feel that it only goes to prove that iPhone is indeed more of a tightly controlled device whereas Android devices allow more user customization and “hacks” to get things just right.

As a result of this change, ICE claims it will be providing phones to 17,600 employees which will equate to just over $2 million in sales for Apple. RIM is understandably disappointed in their decision especially since BB10 is about to come out in March of 2013. RIM states that the BB10 will offer a brand new operating system among other features re-directing their focus on getting back the customers they’ve been losing for over a year now.

Personally, I feel like RIM is done. They’ll go the way of Nextel and if their lucky, maybe they’ll be bought out too. It’s not that I want to see RIM fold…it’s just that I quit being a Blackberry customer when I bought the first iPhone and now that everyone is catching on to the smartphone craze, I can’t fathom how Blackberry can compete anymore. However, I might be speaking prematurely because with my luck, the BB10 will be a real contender and a new turning point in the smartphone game will have arrived.

Making the switch from iOS to Android…and feeling good about it

· Brandon Hann

If you listened to everyone around you, you’d probably be under the impression that everyone has an iPhone or an iPad and they are the greatest devices in all the world. These people no doubt love their products (which is a good thing), but for them to imply that Apple has this leading edge over the competition in both quality and quantity is just absurd.

The Numbers

Android vs iOSThe fact is that Apple only has a 17% U.S. market share of phones as compared to Samsung who has 25.7%. Even LG beats out Apple with their 18% share. So why do we all believe that everyone has an iPhone?? Maybe they’re including the total products that have iOS installed…nope…it looks like Google wins that battle with 52.6% of all tablet and phone devices running Android leaving Apple’s iOS with only a 34.3% stake. Ok, maybe they’re counting mobile shares worldwide?! Again, not a chance; together, Samsung and Nokia share 41% of the international smartphone market while Apple only has 5%.

What Apple does have is the “it” factor. They have everyone believing that they do have the greatest product in all the world and that Apple is so innovative and chic that if you don’t own something with their logo on it, you’re somehow not hip. To me, this is similar to when celebrities wear certain clothes, eat certain food or drive certain cars; immediately the sales of these specific products go up. Does this mean Apple is a sham; pushing products that don’t meet expectations? Not at all…it just means that you don’t have to own an iPhone because you think it makes you look cool. And it also means that not everyone has an Apple device.

So what are your choices? Well, if we stick to talking about phones and tablets, the amount of choices is astounding. And if for the sake of this conversation, we push aside smaller competing phones such as Windows Phone, Blackberry and Nokia phones with their meeGo software (which I think is pretty much defunct), then we’re left with two titans: Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.

The Smartphone

One glaring problem for Apple is that they only have one device (not counting older models). The iPhone 5 is the latest version and offers the first iPhone with 4G data speeds. Making the switch here is very easy considering that you have tons of devices running Android software with Samsung being the reinging king here.

What to look for: Android devices come in a vast range of styles, specs, designs and features. No two Android devices look or work the same. This causing confusion among consumers because people who aren’t too tech savvy don’t know why one device is better than the other. This is why I think Apple holds an edge…they provide one device with one way to use it.

As with any purchase, you want to find something that fits your needs. If you need a file manager on your phone, you need Android. Apple doesn’t have it. If you want a better voice recognition program, Siri has Android beat…for now. If you plan on torrenting downloads on your phone, get Android because Apple won’t allow it.

In other words, there’s hardly anything (if anything) that an Android device can’t do that an iPhone can, but I think of plenty of things iPhones can’t do that Androids can!

The Tablet

There’s no doubt that the iPad is one sexy beast. But the problem is that there was a thought process long ago that dictated tablets would be used to replace computers. Unfortunately, iPad comes up short on this because it’s nothing more than a super-sized iPhone. Still no file system, still no mouse support and certainly no easy way to move files from computer to computer.

Android tablets fair a lot better in most cases, but are plagued again with the fact that there are too many choices. The reason I say this is a problem is because what happens when one manufacturer decides to stop making the device? You lose support and upgrades to the software. Look what happened to HP’s TouchPad (although it didn’t originally run Android). As an aside, Android has practically saved the underground support for the defunct TouchPad with users replacing its original OS with Android!

What to look for: Again, the same rules apply as do for the smartphones. The one difference with the tablets would be the screen size. Android tablets currently come in 7 and 10in sizes with a few manufacturers choosing a less than standard size. So until Apple releases a smaller (and larger) iPad, Android takes the cake on this one as well.

The Ecosystem

One of the number one reasons why Apple fans choose to stay with Apple is because they’ve invested time and money into setting up iTunes and iCloud just the way they like it. I don’t blame them…it’s a nice system and if you’re someone who has dropped hundreds of dollars on apps, music, tv shows and movies over the years, making a switch to Android and having to do the same thing all over is a daunting idea!

But for those of you who aren’t heavily invested and are just questioning whether Google and Android can compare with Apple and iTunes, then you’d be happy to know that once again, Google can do anything Apple can do.

So instead of iTunes, iOS and iCloud, you would use Google Play, Android and Google Drive. Many of you probably already have a Gmail account, so you’re already 99% ready for the switch! But how do these three compare?

iTunes and Google Play

iTunes vs Google PlayGoogle doesn’t have a dedicated software program that you install on your computer like iTunes. They believe that applications are headed to the cloud anyway, so why not start there?

  • Music, movies and tv shows — I’m sure there are some things you’d find on one, but not the other, but overall, you can just about the same content.
  • Apps — Apple touts how many apps they have, but they tend to leave out one important detail: many of those apps are duplicates of others. I mean really, how many flashlight apps do we need? While Google counts apps in the same fashion, they don’t seem to bank on the number as an indicator of their quality. However, there are many apps that iPhone users have that Android users don’t with just as many that Android users have that iOS users don’t. It comes down to which apps and games are more important to you, so head on over to Google.com/play and take a look if it’s there.

iCloud and Google Drive

Both services offer the same features…store items and device backups in the cloud. So what’s so different? Well for music storage, Apple offers iTunes match which is a feature that allows you to “match” your current music library of songs that weren’t purchased from iTunes on all your devices. In other words, instead of uploading 5,000 songs from your personal collection, iTunes Match will scour your library and give you free access to the songs for all your devices. It only costs $24.99 per year.

Google’s answer to this is to allow you to upload all of your music (up to 25,000 songs) to your Google Play account for free with no hits to your Google Drive 5GB storage limit. Cost per year: $0. The only drawback is you have to actually upload all of your songs…which for someone like me, could take a week.

Other than that, these two services are practically the same.

Final Thoughts

As some of my readers already know, I was a huge Apple fan for many years and this website was biased toward all products Apple at one point. However, I got a little put out when Apple kept releasing the same OS over and over again without really adding anything new. My brother being over on the Android side of things always showed me the features that his phones had and slowly but surely, I made the switch.

If anything, it was more of a test, but so far I’m about a year into it and I can honestly say I’ll never look back. Since I had already used Google for most of my services like email and all sorts of features used on my websites, it just made perfect sense.

Galaxy Nexus – Best Phone Ever?

· Brandon Hann

Ever since I got rid of my iPhone and moved farther away from iTunes and the whole Apple ecosystem, I’ve tried quite a few different devices. Because I was funding my transition from device to device out of my own pocket, it hasn’t been a fast or cheap adventure. As an AT&T customer since the early 2000’s, I’ve fulfilled my fair share of contracts and purchased many subsidized phones. Today, I couldn’t be less interested in 2-year contracts and cheap upgrade prices. Enter the Galaxy Nexus…

iPhone users are quick to point out that while Android devices do have very similar functionality, the Android landscape is very complex. For the most part, they are correct. Here you have Google handing out a free operating system and a plethora of manufacturers waiting to destroy it. By “destroy”, I simply mean that they decide to add their own software which sits[pullquote_right]A 2-year contract carries over more than your promise to stay onboard with just cell service.[/pullquote_right]
on top of Android like a heavy fog in a city park. In most cases, this extra software adds a great deal of functionality that jives perfectly with the physical features of the phone. For the most part, the lines between Android and the add-ons are blurred, but once you pick up a Samsung device and compare it to an HTC device and then compare it again to a Motorola device, you start to feel like you’re holding three very distinct Android versions. In fact, you’re probably looking at the same version, but aren’t used to seeing the vast differences between manufacturer-skinned Android software. On top of this, you have the carriers adding their own software, network logos and other features all while blocking certain apps and hardware functions. This is simply unfair marketing.

Bloatware Abounds

For example, Google Wallet is a really sick piece of software that uses Near Field Communication (NFC) to allow you to pay for products at supporting retailers simply by choosing a digitally saved copy of your credit card information on your phone and touching the phone to the receiver at the register. This is a perfect marriage between hardware and software, but AT&T and Verizon block the app from being used on all their Android devices!! Why?! Because they are in a joint venture with T-Mobile to create a competing service called ISIS that does the same thing. The problem I have with this is what if I prefer to trust Google with my account information or maybe I like their software better…why can’t I choose what service to use? Apparently, the carriers feel that a 2-year contract carries over more than your promise to stay onboard with just cell service.

Another example of unfair marketing is how AT&T adds their versions of maps, navigation/GPS services and other software that is completely un-removable from the device. Granted, I don’t have to use them if I choose, but why can’t I remove them from MY device?! They just have to sit there taking up space. It doesn’t even end there…AT&T’s partnership with Yellow Pages has placed a permanent entry into my contacts list for the Yellow Pages directory service! It’s at the top of the list and cannot be renamed, deleted or moved.

Lastly, getting the latest Android updates are a nightmare! Because of all this extra software, the Android updates have to come down from Google, get approved and tweaked by the manufacturer, then sent over for the same process at the carriers. The entire process adds months and months onto the expected release time.  So while all the iPhone users are getting their updates on the same day, the Android users are all using different versions for a very long time.

But I digress. Wasn’t I supposed to be chatting about the Galaxy Nexus?!

Galaxy Nexus

Samsung Galaxy NexusOk, so the Galaxy Nexus is a Samsung device that is part of Google’s Nexus program. If you’re unfamiliar with it, WikiPedia has a nice spread about it, but I’ll summarize here. Google contracts with a hardware manufacturer to make a device worthy of a pure Android experience. Up until recently, this program has selected one manufacturer to make one device that is void of any software tweaks and hacks. The manufacturer is only allowed to make the hardware and cannot touch the software.

The Nexus phone came out last November and was only available on Verizon. I have to say that this single device almost made me switch to Verizon, but I stayed on AT&T due to my remaining contract. Needless to say, I was excited when I found out that Google began selling an unlocked GSM version on their website. I can’t seem to locate information on when the GSM version began selling, but I hadn’t seen it until about four months ago. The device sells for $349 + tax and comes unlocked and ready to use on any GSM carrier worldwide. I secured a 3-week old one on CraigsList for $300 tax free about a month ago.

I can’t explain it, but there is nothing like a pure Android experience on a phone! Having come from a Galaxy SII Skyrocket, which is technically a better phone spec-wise, I can say without a doubt that the Nexus is the best phone I’ve ever used. I have just two complaints. One, it’s not 4G and two, it’s stuck at 16GB with no SD card slot. However, the HSPA+ speed is very comparable to 4G considering that 4G isn’t even available in a lot of places yet and the memory issue doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would.

But the best part is that there’s no carrier branding, no locks on Google Wallet and no bloatware to laugh at me as I try unsuccessfully to remove. Also, just the other day I discovered that the built-in wi-fi hotspot tethering feature is not blocked either! Normally, AT&T requires you to upgrade to a tethering data plan before they allow you to hook it to your laptop or tablet. This can set you back $60 per month and remove your unlimited data plan if you’re lucky enough to still have one…like I do. The Nexus simply allows me to turn it on, configure a wireless network and be off and running. AT&T has no way of blocking this because the Nexus is not a device that’s registered on their network. In fact, when I log into my AT&T account manager, it doesn’t even recognize what kind of phone I’m using and that pleases me to no end.

For the first time, I feel like I’m on my own terms and have not fallen victim to whatever biddings AT&T and Samsung would like me to follow. I also love the fact that I can take this phone to another country, install a locally serviced SIM card and have cell service without having to pay international roaming fees. As for those pesky software updates that never seem to come…well the Nexus updates come directly from Google so there’s no more waiting.

All of this freedom comes at a price however. Gone for me are the days of subsidized pricing (but then again, so are the contracts) and it appears my device choices are limited, but that’s ok…I was an iPhone user for many years so I’m used to it. I can’t wait for the Nexus 2.

AT&T and Apple Are Officially Unlocking Old iPhones

· Brandon Hann

For years, iPhone owners have been stuck with their devices being network-locked to AT&T even when they’ve fulfilled their contract commitments rendering these devices useless on other GSM networks. That is, until now. Last week, AT&T began unlocking iPhones that are no longer under contract. For years, many users who have upgraded their phones have searched for ways to sell their old iPhone and it is common knowledge that selling an unlocked phone gives it more value on the secondary market.

The problem has been that unless you purchased your iPhone unlocked from Apple (not available until iPhone 4), then you were stuck with illegal software hacks to get the device unlocked. Unlocking an iPhone could easily be done by jailbreaking the software, but this option is not always safe and it certainly voids your warranty.

Official AT&T Unlock

The easiest way to do this is to simply chat with AT&T online! Here are the steps:

  1. Find your IMEI number using one of these four ways:
    1 – Go into Settings –> General –> About.
    2 – Dial *#06#.
    3 – Take your SIM card out and look at the bottom of the tray (iPhone 4 and 4S only).
    4 – Take a look at the bottom of your box…this is assuming you haven’t swapped out your phone at some point in the past.
  2. Head on over to the AT&T chat support page. You will need to log in to your AT&T wireless account.
  3. Begin the chat by asking to unlock your old iPhone.
  4. Verify any account information they ask you for and send your IMEI number.
  5. Wait for 5-7 business days and AT&T will send you an email with instructions on how to perform the unlock.

The email will contain something similar to the following:

iPhone Unlock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This email will come to you once AT&T has authorized your device to be unlocked. I’m not sure what exactly will keep you from getting your phone unlocked, but one of them for sure is if you’re still on contract and have NOT upgraded your device. It’s also not certain whether the steps above will work on older iPhones. An alternative method for unlocking your device is to call customer support at 611 from your current cell phone.

It looks like the restore process will check the Apple and/or AT&T database for an authorized IMEI number and perform the unlock if applicable. There’s nothing easier than that and the best part is that it’s free! I hope everyone finds this information before getting suckered into paying someone to do this for you!

My two cents

My friend upgraded his phone to the 4S and asked me to sell his old iPhone 4. Since this news came out, I decided to get the phone unlocked so I could attract more buyers from all over the world. I just performed the above steps earlier today, so I have yet to see how well this whole process works. However, when I was doing the online chat, I wasn’t presented with any roadblocks, so I hope that is good news.

I’ve heard some people have had to produce receipts for proof of purchase, but I don’t know how AT&T has been handling that. There wasn’t anywhere I saw to upload scans nor was there any information about sending copies in for review. I’m fairly certain that AT&T has as much information as they need simply by punching the IMEI number into their database.

If anyone has completed the unlock process already, please share your experience in the comments below!!

Goodbye iOS, Hello Android

· Brandon Hann

Readers of this site are well versed in my rants and raves about all things Apple—namely the iPhone and its iOS software, but all things come to an end at some point. For me, that point has arrived. I’ve been using an iPhone ever since it came out in 2007 for two reasons. One, because I’ve always been an AT&T customer and two, because it was the only phone at the time that really blurred the lines between computer functions and telephone features. And much like other Apple users (you may call them fanboys or fangirls), I kept using the device. New and faster phones came and went, 3G was added, new features “invented”, competitors failed.

At the time, I was not interested in anything but Apple. I can’t be blamed though…it’s a fact that for a few years there, nothing could touch the iPhone. But today, all that’s changed. While iPhone users will tout that their phone is the greatest in all the land, Android users have fun at pinpointing exactly what it is that their phones can do that iPhones can’t. For the longest time, I was one of the fanboys bitterly defending iPhone to the last breath, but then something just snapped one day… (Continue to my blog)

10 Reasons to switch to Android

Whenever I speak to people about the “switch”, the first thing they say is how much they love iPhone and how they don’t need to switch because iPhone does everything. I expect this because I was once in that camp. However, I’ve come up with 10 reasons that made me want to switch.

  1. Hardware – iOS has one device (counting phones only). You get what they have and that’s it. If you don’t like the look or the specs, too bad. However, Android is on many different devices, so you get to choose what phone you want based on your real life preferences (and your wallet). Just on AT&T alone, there are 21 phones that run Android!
  2. Customizations – With iOS, you’re completely stuck with the general layout of the phone. Of course you can change your background image and some other visuals, but with Android you can have fully functional widgets that are actually useful. You can change fonts and sizes, colors, etc.
  3. Functionality – Both operating systems are great, but Android excels at functionality with things like automation (tell your phone what to do and when to do it),  custom app launchers (used to change how the home screens look and operate), remote control (use your phone through your computer) and let’s not forget that Android can play Flash videos. See more things that iPhone can’t do at LifeHacker.
  4. Multitasking – While both systems offer it, Android manages apps much better. On iOS, you have to double-click the home button and close each app one by one, whereas on Android, there’s a full-featured task manager. You can exit all apps with the click of one button.
  5. Screen size – This is more of a comparison between devices, but almost all Android devices have a larger screen than iPhone. You don’t even notice how small iPhone is until you’ve used an Android device for about 2 days. It’s actually hard to go back!
  6. 4G – Although iPhone 4S appears to be on par with HSPA+ (still not 4G) speeds, it’s not a 4G phone and this is one area where Android devices can really excel. Of course there are 3G Androids available as well, but there aren’t any 4G iPhones as of yet!
  7. Photos – This comparison isn’t between cameras since all devices are relatively equal. However, where Android excels in this area is with image controls. On an Android device, you can find many camera settings that rival those of high-end SLR cameras. These settings can be used before or after taking a photo.
  8. Apps – There was a time where Apple was king of the hill in the app world, but Android has certainly caught up with both quantity and quality of apps and games available. You’d be hardpressed to find an app on Apple that doesn’t have an Android counterpart. That is unless you’re using Instagram.
  9. Storage – With iPhone, you have 3 storage options and must pay dearly for the larger upgrades. On Android devices, you can easily add a microSD card to increase your storage for relatively cheap.
  10. File System – There’s no usable file system on iOS. You can’t create folders to save documents in. You can’t go into the system and make changes to things. In fact, to get anything off your iOS device, you need iTunes and even then, the task can be annoying. On Android, all you need is a USB cable. You can use your Android device as external storage. When combined with software like Dropbox, you don’t even need that USB cable!

Just for fun, check out which types of people use iOS and Android!

My two cents

In addition to the above list, I’ll say that the main motivating factor for me to switch was seeing how awesome the Android 4.0 software is. Another great feature of Android devices is the ability to install custom ROMs and software that utilize many features that aren’t always available on stock phones. You can customize to the hilt and when you’re done, you will no longer have a cookie-cutter device that looks like everyone else’s. For the first time, the word “customized” won’t mean that you just re-arranged your home screen.

There are naysayers of course who feel that Android was ripped off of iOS in its early days and Steve Jobs was one of them when he said this to biographer Walter Isaacson:

“I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.”

So far, I’m about a week into my new Android phone which happens to be a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket (say that three times fast) and I love everything about it! This will likely get sold as soon as the Galaxy S III is released, but for now it is an amazing little device and super fast. And while iPhone is also a really nice phone, I couldn’t see myself going back to it unless Apple starts releasing 4G iPhones that allow more Android-like features.

Apple OS X Mountain Lion Hits Mac This Summer

· Brandon Hann

Much like Snow Leopard was an incremental update to Leopard, Mountain Lion is expected to add some new features over Lion, but not be a complete makeover. After looking at the limited information we have so far, Mountain Lion proves that Apple is beginning to look more toward their iOS software for inspiration. With the major success of iOS on the iPhone and iPad, Apple has decided to add some features to OS X that will reflect iOS.

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How to waterproof your iPhone (or other smartphone) the right way!

· Brandon Hann

There was a time when you could go to a pool party and be humorously thrown in fully dressed. You’d climb out embarrassed, but only upset that you spilled your drink. Or remember the days when you can just go to the beach, rip your clothes off down to your bathing suit and go flying into the surf?? Today, with all of our tech gadgets, but more specifically our phones, we can’t be as free anymore. We now have to consider the elements around us when we leave our pants in the sand or stand poolside with a bunch of punk kids around. [pullquote_right]”The most practical use you’d probably get from this product is the ability to answer your phone with wet hands or being able to use it while it’s raining.”[/pullquote_right]

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iPhone 5 Coming to Sprint in mid-October and With Unlimited Data

· Brandon Hann

While it’s still anyone’s guess as to what kind of device we’re looking at with the proposed “iPhone 5” rumored to be making an appearance sometime next month, what is becoming clear is that the next iPhone is coming to Sprint—and most likely even T-Mobile. The best news to come from Sprint is the fact that they will be retaining their unlimited data plans with iPhone users, which will pit them against Verizon and AT&T in yet another battle for customers. If this is true, Sprint will be the only carrier left with an unrestricted, unlimited data plan for all of its customers.

The questions about the phone start with just one: Will the next iPhone be a completely brand new device called iPhone 5 or will it a simple spec upgrade, possibly being called iPhone 4S?

There are two big reasons why I believe it’ll be just a spec upgrade. The first reason is because Apple hasn’t followed through with their one-phone-per-year release model and the second reason is because they are also planning to release an upgraded iPad soon that won’t be an iPad 3. With that said, it would make sense for Apple to take the mid-upgrade step now like they did with the 3GS while holding off on a major upgrade and/or redesign until next summer. Another thought that came to mind is that maybe Apple was waiting until all the carriers had access to their phone before going forward with a brand new device. With Sprint and T-Mobile being the last ones left, this would make perfect sense not to release it until everyone has had a nice lead-in for new customers.

Sprint has admitted that even though unlimited data will be allowed initially, it may not be forever. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has acknowledged that Sprint may not be able to keep up with data demands from the added iPhone customers in the future and has implied that, should this become a reality, Sprint will wind up limiting their plans just as Verizon and AT&T have done. Just how they plan to do this is unclear. For example, AT&T and Verizon have taken this approach slightly different:

  • AT&T – They were the first to remove the unlimited data plans from their service offerings, but allowed existing plan holders to be grandfathered in. However, a few months ago, AT&T decided that grandfathered plans would be subjected to speed caps for users going over the “invisible” 2GB cap—2GB being the max for their new plans. So whereas a new customer would be charged for going over 2GB, but retain 3G speeds, an older customer wouldn’t be charged for going over, but would have to suffer losing 3G speeds.
  • Verizon – Once Verizon got the iPhone, it was no surprise that people jumped ship from AT&T. This was in part due to service quality concerns, but also Verizon still allowing unlimited data plans. This has now changed although they followed in AT&T’s footsteps by allowing existing customers to be grandfathered in. It remains to be seen whether they will implement speed caps like AT&T has.
  • T-Mobile – Although T-Mobile doesn’t currently have the iPhone, they are another carrier (besides Sprint) still offering unlimited data plans, but they have always had speed limits on these plans. This is likely to remain the same even if they get the next iPhone.

My two cents

I sold my iPhone 4 because I figured that if the new phone came out, I’d lose more value on it. In the meantime, I’ve been using an Android phone for a short period and now I’m on a Samsung focus with Windows Phone 7. I like Windows Phone 7 and from the looks of things, Samsung and Nokia are coming out with a few cool devices this October to compete with this new iPhone.

For me, I doubt I’ll jump back into another iPhone right away unless it really blows my mind. If it ends up being an iPhone 4S, I probably won’t even touch it. I’ll either stick with my Focus after upgrading to Windows Phone Mango (7.5) and wait until a newer iPhone shows up or I’ll explore other options. I’m still undecided, but let’s just say that October seems to be looking like a very interesting month in the way of technology.