Saturday, 4 October 2014
5 of the Best Smartphones You Can Buy Today
2014 has been a banner year for smartphones, especially if you like them big. Even Apple(AAPL) finally caved into the reality of consumer demand for big screens with the iPhone 6 and the super-sized iPhone 6 Plus.
While Apple was going big, some of the Android camp were winning kudos for offering a smaller flagship option. Sony’s(SNE) Z1 Compact, for example, had a 4.3-inch display and was one of the stars of the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show.
If you are one of the many people who has been holding off on a new smartphone purchase until the new iPhones dropped, decision time is here — at least unless you want to wait until next year (when the madness starts all over again).
With most of the current generation of smartphones now on store shelves, which should you buy? Much of that will depend on whether you prefer iOS or Google’s (GOOG) Android operating system, how big you like your screen and whether you prefer plastic or metal.
To help make your decision a little easier, here are five of the best smartphones currently on the market, along with details on what makes them such winners.
Friday, 3 October 2014
With iPhones of every size, now you can feel what fits best
The big and slightly bendy Apple iPhone 6 Plus is a remarkable device that may be seen as a turning point for smartphones in the U.S.
Not because it's huge. Apple is playing catch-up in the jumbo-phone department. No, what's really bending here is Apple.
Instead of dictating what a smartphone shall be, the famously intransigent company is easing up and offering iPhone buyers a variety of choices.
This is partly a changing of the guard. Steve Jobs would have told Goldilocks which phone felt just right.
His successor, Tim Cook, is trying to win over the bear family with different models sized and priced for Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear, too.Apple now sells iPhones with three different screen sizes: the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the "traditional" 4-inch 5S and 5C.
Counting all the different colours and memory options, there are now 29 different models. This creates a difficult choice for the millions of people in the U.S. who have come to look to Apple for a simple answer when trying to figure out which phone they should buy next.
There's no longer a simple answer. Most phone buyers shop around. Apple has about 40% of the U.S. smartphone market, but only about 12% globally, according to comScore and International Data Corporation research.
Apple's global share has actually fallen by a third since 2011, the year Samsung introduced its first jumbo Galaxy Note phone.
Sales of these "phablets" _ phones approaching the size of tablets _ have soared ever since, and are expected to grow 210% this year, compared with 13% for smartphones.
By 2018 they're expected to account for half of smartphone sales, according toIDC.
On a recent trip to Asia, I saw phablets all over the place.
Hawkers in Taipei night markets used them to watch videos while waiting for customers; teens in Myanmar huddled around Galaxy Notes in the evening.
Phablets feel unwieldy if you're used to a small phone, but they may be just the thing if you're looking for a small tablet, a big phone or something in between.
Apple's version isn't cheap. The base model with 16 gigabytes of storage costs US$749 (RM2,435), or US$299 (RM975)with a two-year wireless contract. Models with 64 or 128 gigabytes of storage are US$849 (RM2,760) and US$949(RM3090), or US$399(RM1,280) and US$499(RM1,263) on contract.
They come in silver, gold and "space gray." The iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch diagonal screen in a case that's about 3 inches wide and 6.25 inches tall.
It can feel like you're making calls with a car's rear view mirror, but the extra real estate is nice if you're tired of squinting and zooming to read text on a tiny screen.
As on other phablets, such as the Galaxy Note and Nokia Lumia 1520, the screen is big enough to serve as a decent e-reader, watch a TV show or render a letter-sized document without having to zoom or scroll around much.
Making calls, I had to slide the Plus around a bit to get the speaker close to my ear. Fortunately the polished glass feels supple and smoothly tapers into the aluminum frame.
Apple did away with the chamfered edges of the previous generation iPhones and instead gave the 6 series the same rounded edges used on the iPod Touch.
This makes them appear less massive but they are harder to grip _ there are no crisp edges that catch in the hand _ and seem more likely to slip out of the hand.
On the model I've been using, the power port has a sharp edge that scrapes my pinkie, which I use to hold up the 6-ounce slab when using it one-handed.
One-handed operation is tricky but that's the trade off with a big screen. Even browsing takes two hands, unless you've got thumbs that can reach across the screen to the back button.
Apple made a few concessions to the size. It moved the power switch from the top to the side of the case and added a "reachability" feature that pulls material on the screen halfway down when you tap the power button. I rarely used this unless I hit it by mistake.
When rotated horizontally, a special keyboard with additional keys surfaces on the Plus. It's nice to have cursor keys finally but the letter keys are small and centered, requiring a big reach with your thumbs to type this way.
The awkwardness of these big phones is partly why Samsung and now Apple are building "smartwatches." They start to make sense when you think of them as remote controls for the big phone in your pocket or purse.
Instead of pulling it out, you can handle messages, view headlines and control media from your wrist. Some apps are disjointed on the big screen of the Plus. Microsoft's "Wordament" game, for instance, has a 1-inch gap under the game tiles, putting it out of reach of the thumb you use to play.
Apps that were optimized for the 4-inch iPhone, such as Instagram and Twitter, scale up to the big screen and didn't do anything special with the extra space.
It would be nice if there was an adjustment control so you could, for instance, show a lot more tweets per screen. Battery life is good but not spectacular. With moderate use on AT&T's LTE network in Seattle, the Plus would run a day and a half.
Apple upgraded the camera but continues to use an 8megapixel sensor. It takes nice pictures, particularly close ups, but in my cursory tests they weren't as dazzling as those taken by upper-end Nokia Lumia phones.
The phone runs a nicely upgraded version of Apple's iOS operating system. Additions include convenient new tricks for handling messages, such as the ability to swipe sideways to delete a message.
At least, it was a nice upgrade until an update crippled the phone capability on some models. Apple issued a fix a few days later, but it was an inexcusable error. Perhaps it's just as well the first batch of iPhone 6 Plus models is largely sold out.
The software should be sorted out by the time shelves are restocked. That will also give people time to handle one in stores and see where Apple and the phone industry are heading. If you've been waiting for a really big iPhone, the Plus may feel just right. — McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Android 5.0 L Update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10: Release Date Speculations
As we are getting close to the release date of the Android 5.0 L update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10, more details regarding the new Android iteration are starting to hit the web. As you may know, Google didn’t announce when the new software update will be released for the masses, but, hopefully, we will be able to make estimations regarding its release date based on the latest reports.
Beginning with Android 5.0 L, Google will change the way major Android updates are launched. Until now, there have been two major Android updates launched each year, one in the summer and the other one mid-to-late fall. The way Google is planning to release Android 5.0 L is a reminiscent of Apple’s iOS launches. Apple is usually presenting new iOS versions in the summer, at their annual WWDC conference, then makes the beta version available for developers soon after. The final iOS versions are released in the fall along with a new iPhone. How is Google’s Android 5.0 L launch similar to Apple’s? Well, they introduced the new version as Android L in the summer at Google I/O and made the Developer Preview available for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013 (there’s also an bug-fixing update for Android L Developer Preview that you can check out here). Google will probably roll out the Android 5.0 L update for the public in the fall, synchronized with the debut of new Nexus hardware.
There are also some controversies regarding the final name of the new Android iteration. Each major Android update had a specific version number and a nickname inspired by a dessert. Given the amount of changes and improvements it brings, it will no doubt have version number 5.0. Because the dessert name has to begin with letter “L,” Lollipop, Licorice, and Lemon Meringue Pie have all been mentioned by speculations. Anyway, most of the reports are pointing towards Lemon Meringue Pie. Summing up, you should expect it to be released as Android 5.0 Lemon Meringue Pie or Android 5.0 LMP.
Now let’s talk about the new Nexus hardware Google is planning to release. As I was mentioning above, the Android 5.0 L release date is the same as the release date of the new Nexus devices. Early this year, it was rumored that Google was reading a new program called Android Silver, meant to replace the Nexus line-up. After a Google employee officially dismissed the rumors, reports of a new Nexus smartphone and a new Nexus tablet started to surface online.
First we’ve heard of a new Nexus tablet, codenamed Flounder and manufactured by HTC. According to the rumor mill, the unofficially dubbed Nexus 9 will pack an 8.9-inch screen with 4:3 aspect ratio, 64-bit Nvidia Tegra K1 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 8 MP primary camera, and “aluminium zero-gap construction.” There are reports of a new Nexus smartphone (codenamed Shamu), as well. It looks like it will be manufactured by Motorola and that it will sport a a 5.9-inch Quad HD screen, Snapdragon 805 CPU paired with 3 GB of RAM, and a 13 MP primary shooter with optical image stabilization and dual-LED flash.A report confirming most of the Motorola Shamu above-mentioned specs and revealing a mock-up of the device made the headlines earlier this week.Without a doubt, both devices will come pre-loaded with Android 5.0 L. Paul O’Brian, respected member of the Android community, tweeted mid-September that “the Nexus 9 will be launched on 16th October.” A week later, two trustworthy tech publications wrote that the Nexus 9 release date “is very close,” followed by a report saying that the new Nexus devices will be launched mid-October and that the Android 5.0 L will not be released sooner than November 1.
With all these being said, expect the Android 5.0 L update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 to roll out early November. Because this is the most major update Android has seen since the jump from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich, let’s have a look at some the new features it brings.
Android 5.0 L brings a revamped interface thanks to Google’s new design philosophy called Material Design. Therefore, you will be greeted by a more animated and more colorful interface, and by 3D effects and shadows that aim to make the UI more intuitive. You will now be able to see where everything came from and where everything goes at fluid 60 fps transitions.
The new Android version also arrives with performance and battery life enhancements. Google has replaced Dalivk runtime with ART and introduced support for 64-bit processors. On the other hand, Project Volta aims to fix one of the biggest issues of modern smartphones: battery life. Many of the users who installed Android L Developer Preview on their Nexus 5 smartphones have reported battery life improvements of 30 – 40%.
The Notifications Panel has received noteworthy improvements, too. Besides the new color scheme and the transparent background, you should also notice that the Quick Settings button has been removed. In order to access the Quick Settings menu you will have to swipe down once to get to the Notifications panel, then swipe down once again. Quick Settings now allow you to control WiFi, Bluetooth, Mobile Data, Airplane Mode, Notifications, Auto Rotate, Location, and Cast Screen, and has a slider for Brightness control.
Android 5.0 L also introduces a new Lock Screen. Besides displaying your unread notifications, the new Lock Screen also allows you to dismiss them (swipe left/right), read them (tap on a notification), or see more details (swipe down on a notification). Furthermore, the notifications will be sorted based on the frequency you interact with them.
The Android 5.0 L Dynamic Status Bar changes its color based on the action bar of the app opened on the screen. Of course, it’s still transparent in home and lock screens. Most of the Android 5.0 L native apps have this new feature enabled as default, but the developers will have to update their apps too, so we can enjoy a unified visual experience.
The Settings app also arrives with major changes. It has been reorganized, it has a new color scheme, and introduces new animations, toggles, and check boxes. Google also included a search bar that allows you to easily find the option you are looking for.
The Recents menu has also received a makeover in Android 5.0 L, arriving with a card-based interface that is a reminiscent of Chrome’s recent tabs screen. Moreover, some apps will be able to display more than one card in Recents, a feature that is a part of Google’s new document-centric multitasking.
As usual, the Android 5.0 L update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 will be the first one to roll out. The Google Play Edition devices will probably get it next, followed soon after by Motorola’s supported devices. HTC promised back in June that they will be bringing Android 5.0 L to One M7 and One M8 within 90 days after Google makes the final code available, while Samsung is expected to bring the new update on Galaxy S5 and Note 4 late November or early December. Sony’s and LG’s flagship smartphones and tablets could also get updated to the latest Android version by the end of the year.
What are your expectations for Android 5.0 L? Did you had the chance to play with Android L Developer Preview? What are your first impressions? The comments section is all yours.
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
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