Rob Cell Phones

It’s a daunting task to compare Android and the iPhone simply
because there are so many Android smartphones. And yet, consumers
still want to know what makes them different.

It’s impossible to compare every Android smartphone against the
iPhone, but we’ve put together a comparison of some of the latest
Android smartphones (as of early 2011) and the current iPhone
model (iPhone 4).

Hardware

When comparing iPhone and Android smartphone hardware, it’s
actually easier to point out what the two phones lack compared to
the other. For instance, most Android displays are larger than
the iPhone 4′s screen. The Android standard seems to be
moving towards 4 inches and above, while the iPhone (for now)
remains at 3.5 inches.

However, the iPhone 4′s Retina Display technology still trumps
any Android phone’s screen resolution. With a pixel resolution of
960 by 640, the iPhone 4 features 330 pixels per inch of display.
The highest Android resolution is only 960 by 540 pixels spread
over 4.3 inches of screen, taking the total resolution down to
256 pixels per inch. In other words, the iPhone screen may be
smaller, but it’s still sharper.

Another important hardware comparison is the processor. The
iPhone 4 uses the Apple-designed A4 processor, which is quite
powerful, but starting to show its age. The newer Android
smartphones have a temporary edge because they use a new
generation of dual-core processors. That being said, they aren’t
that much faster than the A4, and Apple’s processor seems to keep
up quite nicely with current apps.

For those who love physical keyboards, there are options among
the many Android smartphones. But there’s no such option with the
iPhone.

In almost every other way, the hardware of Android smartphones
and iPhones differs only on a case-by-case basis. There’s
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, accelerometers, proximity sensors, volume
controls, headphone jacks and more. Some Android phones also
include a few perks that aren’t appealing to all users, but are
nevertheless not present in the iPhone, including an HDMI port
and FM radio.

Android cameras are starting to provide more resolution (8
megapixels to the iPhone’s 5 megapixels) but image quality has
little to do with the resolution, so results vary by device.
Almost all phones are capable of recording 720p video as well,
and front-facing cameras for video chat are quickly becoming
standard. Even so, FaceTime for the iPhone still seems to be the
most user-friendly and reliable video chat platform.

Apple provides 16GB or 32GB of storage space in the iPhone,
whereas various Android phones can feature anywhere from 16GB to
48GB of
storage thanks to microSD cards (the iPhone doesn’t accept
any memory expansion).

Increasingly, the iPhone is falling behind in the 4G race. While
there are still only a handful of 4G capable Android phones, the
iPhone is lagging behind on the 3G networks. There’s also the
matter of the finicky antenna that caused much alarm when the
phone launched, but that seems to be less of an issue lately.

Finally, battery life for the iPhone is technically rated lower
than many of the latest Android phones, and yet still seems to
perform better in real-world situations. Apple has taken great
care in designing both the hardware and software in the iPhone to
use battery power as economically as possible. Even though many
Android smartphones have bigger batteries, they
struggle to keep up with the iPhone, especially the new 4G
phones.

Software

This is where the real comparisons can be made. Ultimately, the
battle of Android versus iPhone really has nothing to do with
hardware. It boils down to a competition between the Android and
iOS operating systems. And in that race, the
iPhone is still winning.

The current iPhone runs iOS 4, and most Android phones are
running Android 2.2 Froyo (with a few promising future upgrades
to 2.3 Gingerbread). The iPhone experience is standard across all
devices, whereas the open nature of Android has made it possible
for manufacturers to customize the Android interface on their
phones. There are valid arguments from both sides explaining why
this is both a good and bad idea. It allows customers to tweak
and customize their phone as much as they want, but it also
introduces fragmentation, compatibility issues and power
management problems. Ultimately, this is a matter of preference.
Would you like to treat your phone as your own and customize it
how you wish, or would you like the consistency and reliability
of Apples “walled garden”?

In many ways, the iPhone’s operating system has informed the
interface design of Android. Even though there are myriad
differences in how menus are displayed, the touch screen motions
and overall design is very reminiscent, so much so that users can
switch between the two and still find their way around.

Perhaps the single most important consideration is the apps for
each platform. While both Android and iOS are powerful, they are
really nothing without the hundreds of thousands of apps that can
do, well, just about anything.  The iPhone is the clear
winner here, with well over 300,000 apps. Android got a late
start and has played an admirable game of catch-up, offering more
than 100,000 apps for Android devices.

And yet, even though the Android Market offers much the same
variety as the iPhone App Store, it’s widely accepted that the
iPhone still has a definitive lead in quality. Both stores have
the essentials, and both have useless junk, but overall the
iPhone apps are generally of higher quality across the board.
Android’s problems with fragmentation have also made it hard to
keep apps compatible with the dozens and dozens of phones with
various manufacturer skins and tweaks.

That doesn’t mean that Android is behind in all areas. Most
Android 2.2 devices are compatible with Adobe Flash, which is a
huge advantage for those who want to view the millions of videos,
animations and interactive websites on the Internet that require
it. The iPhone simply can’t view them. Of course, there are
trade-offs: Flash affects battery performance and security.

Another Android advantage is the notifications system. Even
die-hard Apple fans admit that the Apple notification system is
far too intrusive, especially when users are in the middle of
using an app. Android’s notification system is much more subtle
and easier to interact with. Android also has tighter integration
with Google services, including navigation, mail and docs.

Summary

It’s okay to be stumped by the decision between an Android
smartphone and the iPhone. They both have some incredible
features to recommend them and a few shortcomings to ponder
carefully. There’s no clear winner, so pick the features that you
want the most. Are apps most important? Battery life?
Customization options? 4G? Only then will you know if an iPhone
or an Android smartphone is right for you.

• 
  Microsoft Scoops Up Skype for $8.5 Billion, Coming to Windows
  Phone, Outlook, and Kinect
• 
  How to Wipe Personal Data from Your Smartphone
• 
  How to Improve Android Smartphone Battery Life

© 2011 TechNewsDaily

May 10, 2011

by Peter Chubb

0 comments

Gaming

We’ve seen some interesting games on In Entertainment, and a shift towards mobile gaming that spans many devices. From cell phones with high-end graphics to portable game systems, mobile gaming is growing fast. The next major jump for Apple will be the new iPhone 5, and gaming will have to be at its core.

So what can Apple produce with the iPhone 5 in 2011 to get you gaming more on your iOS device? Currently the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone from Apple yet, and the graphics of the games proves just that. We do not want to come out with a bold statement saying that it is the best gaming handset on the market, but it is right up there.

Just imagine what the next iPhone will be like, with rumors of double the amount of RAM, and also a dual-core processor? The likes of Sony knows that the gaming handled market is changing, and they have already answered this with the PlayStation Phone, but Microsoft does not have an answer.

Over the next few years this market could look a whole lot different, one that even Nintendo will not be able to compete in. We expect Apple to put an emphasis on gaming with their iPhone 5, and they have the perfect platform with iTunes to offer more games than the likes of Sony with their PSP and Nintendo with the DS system.

Do you think that the iPhone 5 will be more about gaming than its predecessors?

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Related Stories

• New iPhone 4G: Apple signing another manufacturer
• Gaming and WWDC 2010 Keynote
• New iPhone 4 For Rihanna and Matt
• Watch World Cup 2010 live on iphone: Meet The ITV App
• Apple Deal with Beatles

Tags: Apple, Apple iPhone

Leave a Reply

Pharmaceutical sales reps are under pressure to find better ways to engage doctors during sales visits. Time-pressed primary care physicians typically give salespeople only 30 seconds per interaction.

Some medical specialists have more time than that for sales calls, but sales representatives “still struggle with their ability to differentiate themselves through clear, concise, and interactive messaging,” Eric Newmark, an analyst at IDC Health Insights , said in a blog post last month.

The pharmaceutical industry apparently has a solution to the problem: Buy a bunch of Apple iPads to give salespeople “a quicker, lighter and more attractive way of displaying drug-related information,” Newmark wrote.

Most companies are showing no interest in rival tablets in their headlong rush to the iPad, he said, and they aren’t waiting for vendors to release salesforce automation applications that are optimized for the iPad.

“Several major pharmaceutical companies are putting the cart before the horse by purchasing iPads in large quantities prior to even owning a single application to run on the iPad,” Newmark said. “More than one company has told us they have already purchased iPads in significant volume and are storing them for later use,” when sales apps become available.

Newmark concluded that “the skyrocketing adoption of iPads in pharma sales and marketing” will put Apple in a great position to “quickly become a dominant hardware vendor” in that market.

Read more about mobile and wireless in Computerworld’s Mobile and Wireless Topic Center.

If you have 4G connections available to you, but your let down by the iPhone’s lack of 4G connectivity. Korean Telecom has unveiled its new Egg Series iPhone WiMAX Sleeve the KWF-B2500, might help, as it allows you to add 4G connectivity to your iPhone 4 together with a little extra battery power in the process.

The new iPhone WiMAX Sleeve adds and extra 1500mA battery power capable of providing up to an extra 5 hours of 4G surfing. But it also brings with it a little extra bulk, adding 2.4 ounces or 68g in extra weight and a third of an inch, around 8mm in extra thickness.

If your not so sure you would like to add the extra bulk to your pocket sized iPhone, the other alternative is to use the new Egg Series 4G Hotspot also unveiled by Korean Telecom, which is now 60% smaller than previous Korean Telecom WiMax portable hotspots and will provide you with up to 4h of continuous WiMax experience on a single charge.

The new Egg Series iPhone WiMAX Sleeve (KWF-B2500) is available to purchase from Korea for around $120 or ₩129,800.

Source : Akihabaranews

TOKYO — Softbank, the only Japanese mobile carrier offering the hit iPhone, said annual profit nearly doubled despite suffering damage from the March 11 quake and tsunami that battered northeastern Japan.

Softbank, which did not break down quarterly numbers, reported Monday that profit for the fiscal year ended March 31 swelled to 189.71 billion yen ($2.37 billion) from 96.72 billion yen the previous year.

It said the increase was driven by a booming smart phone business that offset a special loss of 14 billion yen ($175 million) caused by the disasters.

Those losses were from fixing telecommunications networks and equipment destroyed by the magnitude-9.0 quake and ensuing tsunami, as well as offering free services to those in the disaster zone whose mobile phones were out of operation for any period, according to Softbank.

The Tokyo-based Internet and communications conglomerate said sales for the fiscal year climbed nearly 9 percent to a company record 3 trillion yen ($37.5 billion) from 2.76 trillion yen.

Separately, Softbank said it had invested $62.5 million in Gilt Groupe, which operates an online shopping service, offering fashion clothing. Softbank has also agreed to acquire 50 percent of the Japan subsidiary of Gilt Groupe, to accelerate its expansion in Japan, it said.

Softbank, long the underdog in Japan’s telecom industry, has seen its fortunes improve in recent years with the popularity of the iPhone and

iPad from Apple (AAPL).

Its founder and president Masayoshi Son, often praised as the Bill Gates of Japan for having pushed Internet businesses, has been outspoken in criticizing the government’s recent handling of the nuclear reactor crisis that was spawned by the tsunami.

Son, who owns 21 percent of Softbank, has donated 10 billion yen ($125 million) toward the disaster effort, in addition to the 1 billion yen ($12.5 million) donated by Softbank Group.

“We want to be the kind of company that is liked by society,” he told a news conference.

Son said sales results show Softbank is growing in the mobile business at a time when its two major rivals in Japan, NTT DoCoMo and KDDI Corp. were strugggling to grow. Softbank mobile users had grown from 15 million in 2005 to 25.4 million today, said Son.

“Our numbers were all good,” he said of the earnings results.

Son said Softbank has gotten over the damage to its bottom line from massive broadband investments it made six or seven years ago.

But he promised to make key investments in response to complaints that Softbank cell phones had poor connections, instead of chasing immediate profit growth.

He said the company will invest 500 billion yen ($6.25 billion) this year in equipment, and another 500 billion yen ($6.25 billion) in 2012. Softbank invested 420 billion yen ($5.25) last year, he said.

Softbank did not disclose sales numbers for the iPhone or iPad in Japan. But long lines have formed outside stores whenever new models have arrived. Son said the new white iPhone 4, as well as the iPad 2, which both went on sale in Japan on April 28, were proving popular.

The company did not give a forecast for this year.

About 19 percent of Softbank’s telecommunications equipment nationwide was damaged by the March 11 quake and tsunami, but nearly all of it has been fixed, including using substitute satellite connections, Son said.

In the long term, Son said he was banking on growth in Asia, and positioning Softbank group companies to become No. 1 in the region in the Internet business, with strategic investments, such as Renren, which runs an online social network in China.

Softbank shares edged down 0.8 percent to 3,230 yen ($40) in Tokyo, shortly before the earnings were announced.

After four years with Facebook, mobile developer Joe Hewitt has decided to move on.

“Today was my last day at Facebook,” Hewitt wrote on his blog. “Normally when I leave a job I go out cursing the management and wishing I had left much sooner. in the case of Facebook, I sent heartfelt emails to all of my managers thanking them for the privilege of letting me work there, and I genuinely meant it. Facebook was the longest I ever worked at one company, and the best employer I’ve ever had.”

Hewitt was no doubt a huge asset to Facebook. As GigaOm’s Om Malik points out, he built the first version of Facebook for iPhone. He later left the iPhone team because he disagreed with Apple’s policies. He had been working on further integrating Facebook with Android.

“At Facebook, I’ve gotten to build communications tools that reach hundreds of millions of people,” Hewitt continued. “I’ve had the honor of seeing people, even my own parents using my apps while walking down the street, in restaurants, on trains, in planes, and everywhere I go.”

The developer says he is leaving Facebook to pursue his own HTML 5-related projects.

“I’m independent now, and I’m going to pour myself into understanding the needs of modern developers and designers, and creating software to fill those needs.”

Prior to his stint at Facebook, Hewitt built Firebug, a highly-respected Web site that provides tools for developers. But it’s not just developers that have benefitted from Hewitt’s ideas. If you have an iPhone, chances are you’ve used Hewitt’s apps. In fact, Facebook for iPhone is currently the most downloaded app of all time.

For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.

Let’s leave aside iPhone 5 rumours just for a moment. All Things Digital reports that an iPhone Mini shouldn’t be viewed as an impossibility, as financial analysis firm Oppenheimer predicts that it’s just a matter of time before Apple releases a smaller phone, obviously much cheaper, in order to gain an even bigger market share and squeeze its rivals even more.

There are already rumours that Apple has been negotiating with components suppliers to cheapen the price and make some changes to the production cycle. A $50 cut in iPhone’s price could turn out to be a real deal for Apple. Or they could launch a mini-iPhone and target another type of consumer.

Obviously, if Apple wants to increase the market share of the iPhone, they have to come up with lower-entry handsets, that could be used in the prepaid market. 

Ittai Kidron, Oppenheimer’s analyst, states: 

“We strongly believe that a lower cost mini-iPhone will eventually materialize, as it would allow Apple and carriers to ease back on the device and service pricing and extend Apple’s reach into new and lower consumer segments with only minimal cannibalization to the iPhone’s high-end position,” he writes. “Clearly, there is a large untapped market available to Apple once it lowers price, and it makes sense to approach these markets in the same way that the iPod found its way to lower price tiers.”

Navigation could be the killer app Apple is waiting for.

May 7 2011, 11:32pm CDT | by Robert Evans

Apple knows the importance of making a splash. Their new products aren’t just unveiled at massive electronics shows like some common Xoom. They get their own special launch events, and the really important ones see an introduction by Steve Jobs himself. There’s value in waiting to launch until a product has something to truly differentiate itself from the last generation.

And no, a dual-core processor is not enough to separate the iPhone 4 from the iPhone 5. That would be a cop out, and Apple tends to avoid those when it comes to design. So, if the iPhone 5 has been delayed, it makes sense that this would be due to some key new feature not being ready yet. And- having read the latest speculation, I have to think it’s Maps.

Most of the great differences between iOS and Android come down to matters of personal preference. There are only really two features that Android has an objective lead in: voice recognition and navigation. Apple hasn’t yet struck a deal with Nuance, so I doubt the new iPhone will brag about voice control. But maps, there’s a feature sorely in need of love on the current version of iOS.

I don’t think I’ve used Maps on my iPad 2 once for a practical purpose. Whenever I end up in the car with iPhone-owning friends, it’s my Evo that we use to map out directions. There’s not even an argument. Google Nav is a fantastic, free service, and there is nothing on any Apple device that remotely compares. Apple can’t be happy with this state of affairs.

Now Apple bought Poly9, a 3D mapping service, in July 2010. And Apple promised in their response to the location-data-storage gaffe that they would have a crowd-sourced traffic database in the near future. Right now might be a little early for a new iOS navigation feature to get up and running…but September could be just the right time. Which is when one rumor places the launch of the iPhone.

As things stand, Apple will have a hard time following up on the iPhone 4. And, since the iPhone 4 seems to still be in full production, it doesn’t look like the Cupertino-based company plans to do so any time soon. A new iPhone launching alongside a new version of iOS with a full, free navigation app would be a serious threat to every Android device scheduled for launch this holiday season. But this would require a major change in Apple’s yearly pattern.

It would also require an actual iPhone 5 delay. June hasn’t rolled around yet and, as far as we know, the yearly refresh is still due at its regular time. Apple won’t tell us until right before D-Day, so you can expect these rumors to keep cropping up until then.

Don’t miss …

rumors

Confirmation from ATT that there is no new iPhone 5 this Summer

4 days ago

Rumors already point to a September release of the iPhone 5…

rumors

iOS 5 already in Testing outside of Apple HQ

Apr 28 2011

App Developer detects iOS 5 crash reports.

news

White iPhone 4 launches Thursday says Apple

Apr 27 2011

The white iPhone 4 has been announced for tomorrow.

news

Apple can afford to launch iPhone 5 in Fall with iPhone 4 Sales like this

Apr 21 2011

Apple sold 18.65 million iPhones in the last quarter. That…

• More Apple Stories
• I4U News Homepage

Robert Evans
The excitement about new smartphones, tablets and anything mobile drive
Robert to unearth the latest rumors and developments in this fast
moving space. He adopted 4G as soon as it become available and knows
where the mobile market is going.
Robert can be contacted directly at robert@i4u.com.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
blog comments powered by Disqus

Comments

Latest stories

Latest Deals

These days, everything’s in glorious 3-D — from movies and TV shows to portable video games. So why not the iPhone too?

Hasbro, the makers of Mr. Potato Head and My Little Pony, has created a plastic viewer similar to those old-fashioned View-Master toys. It works to display videos, pictures and games on the iPhone or iPod touch in 3-D. But if you think wearing those dorky 3-D glasses in the movie theaters is the height of a fashion faux pas, imagine what you will look like in public when you put the MY3D goggles up to your face. Oh, the horror!

But risking self-image for the sake of consumer reviews is my business, and I was willing to look like a complete dweeb around my co-workers (not hard to do) in order to review Hasbro’s new invention.

The fact that it’s a product by Hasbro should tell you a lot about its quality. It feels like a plastic toy of the Nerf-dart-gun quality, not that it’s poorly made. But for $30, this isn’t meant to be a high-tech accessory for your iDevice.

The viewer features a large pair of plastic goggles with two eyepieces, plus a hinged door on the back where you insert your iPhone or iPod touch. It comes with four different plastic trays to fit the different generations of iPods and iPhones, but none of these pieces are labeled — so you’ll spend some time fishing for the right one. There are also two holes on the bottom to poke your thumbs through to use the phone’s touchscreen.

You can’t just watch any plain iPhone video or picture with MY3D. Instead, you’ll have to download seven free apps from iTunes that are specially developed for the device. They include six games and one application that’s a demo reel with movie trailers and 3-D clips. But beware that some of the apps are huge in file size and take up over a gigabyte of storage combined.

How the MY3D works is similar to an old View-Master toy. The apps display two images on the phone’s 3.5-inch screen that are nearly identical except for a slight variation. But when you insert the phone into the back and look at the images through the viewer, the lenses compile the two pictures into one 3-D image without the use of batteries or power.

And yes, the MY3D works, just not as well as the 3-D you may be used to in movie theaters or on a high-end 3-D HD-TV. The depth between layers of objects is less pronounced, even when compared to the glasses-less technology used in Nintendo’s new 3DS portable gaming system.

• Published May 4, 2011 02:25:40PM 0 Comments

• Published May 3, 2011 11:27:36AM 3 Comments

• Published Apr 28, 2011 12:26:33PM 0 Comments

Another setback is that the resulting 3-D image is always in the vertical portrait mode, even though it’s more natural to play games and see movies in a wide-screen landscape orientation.

But the plastic lenses in the viewer are well-made for such a cheap device, and you can see a clear magnified image of the screen, even to the point of noticing the individual pixels on the iPhone 4.

Fortunately, the games are free, because they’re not the most exciting apps you’ll find on iTunes. The best of them is a space shooter where you control laser cannons to shoot enemy ships. Using the iPhone’s gyroscope, you steer the cannons by swiveling around. The demo app includes dozens of movie trailers, photos and other video clips, though the 3-D on the videos have much less depth than with the pictures. Hopefully, Hasbro will keep developing more free apps.

For $30, the MY3D isn’t bad investment for kids who want a little more out of your iPhone or iPod while whiling away the hours during a long drive. Just don’t expect it to be a feast for your eyes like “Avatar” was.

ohmytech@sltrib.com

Twitter: twitter.com/ohmytech

facebook/tribremix

By Josh Ong

Published: 12:45 AM EST

After a security researcher publicized a vulnerability in the Mac version of Skype, the company revealed plans to release a public fix next week. A new rumor suggests that Chinese video site Youku is in talks with Apple to swap out the pre-installed YouTube app for its app on iPhones sold in China. Also, Apple is reportedly negotiating an “expansive licensing agreement” with voice recognition company Nuance.

Skype

Gordon Maddern of security research firm Pure Hacking published news of a “Skype 0day vulnerability” on his blog earlier this week, though he declined to release details of the exploit until after Skype fully resolves the issue.

Skype responded by noting that it had released a quick fix in mid-April and will issue another update early next week, as noted by CNet.

According to Maddern, the vulnerability could allow a maliciously crafted Skype message to gain control of a Mac. Maddern discovered the vulnerability about a month ago and notified Skype of the issue.

News of the Skype vulnerability came as the second security concern for Macs this week. It was revealed on Monday that a malicious software dubbed “MACDefender” attempts to automatically download itself via JavaScript. However, the threat was categorized as low because users must still agree to install the software and provide a password.

Youku

Victor Koo, the CEO of Chinese video service Youku, which held a high-profile initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange last December, has met with Apple CEO Steve Jobs to discuss the possibility of pre-installing the YouKu app for iPhones officially sold in China, TechNode reports.

If true, the move could come as another blow to Google’s YouTube, which has been blocked in the country since March 2009. Google has struggled in China in recent years, culminating in a class with the Chinese government last March after the company refused to censor search results in response to the government’s alleged involvement in a security breach that attempted to steal the source code for Google’s Gmail service.

The YouTube app on the iPhone has been a staple on the device since it was first released in 2007.

Nuance

TechCrunch reported late Friday that multiple sources claim Apple “has been negotiating a deal with Nuance in recent months.”

Last year, rumors buzzed that Apple had purchased Nuance after Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak misspoke. Wozniak had meant to say that Apple had acquired Siri, the developer behind a voice-activated personal assistant app for the iPhone.

Wozniak may have been confused because Siri relies on Nuance’s voice recognition technology to generate the transcriptions it needs. Given that Siri is rumored to play a big role in iOS 5, Apple’s licensing agreements with Nuance are seen as highly critical.

According to Friday’s report, Nuance CEO Paul Ricci has driven a hard bargain with Apple’s Jobs. Apple reportedly looked into purchasing Nuance, but balked at the multi-billion dollar price tag. Also, an outright acquisition would be a less favorable solution, as it would nullify Nuance’s existing licensing deals.

“All types of possibilities are still on the table, including an acquisition,” the report noted, adding that an “expansive licensing deal” is more likely. The report also goes on to speculate that Apple may be quietly developing its own voice recognition service.