iOS 8 vs. Android 4.4: Does Apple finally have the edge?

Just as expected, Apple took the wraps off the newest version of iOS today at WWDC, and it looks a lot like iOS 7, at least on the surface. The improvements in iOS 8 are a bit more low-level than the fundamental UI redesign we saw last year, but it’s a big release nonetheless. Once again, Cupertino is chasing Android, and it definitely catches up in some areas. As Apple likes to say, this is the best version of iOS yet. Still, can it do anything to slow Android’s explosive growth?

Actionable Notifications

Apple has been trying to fix iOS notifications for a very long time and only recently got to a place where it was comparable to Android. For all its early issues, Android has always had great notifications. Beginning with Android 4.1, Google added the ability for developers to add actionable buttons to notifications. Now Apple is doing the same thing, but it goes a bit further.

Android uses expandable lines in the notification shade to keep notifications with buttons and text from taking up too much space. Apple’s buttons in iOS 8 seem to be expanded all the time, but they include quick-reply capability. For example, if you get a message while in another app, the banner that drops down includes a reply button that lets you type a response from the drop-down without leaving your current app. This is, of course, something that can be accomplished with various third-party tools on Android, but Apple’s native functionality is a step beyond Android here.

One remaining pain point with iOS 8 notifications is the continued apparent lack of a single button to clear all active items. As before, you need to empty out one section of notifications at a time. With Android, there’s a simple clear all icon on all devices.

Spotlight Search

With iOS 8 (and the updated OSX) Apple is finally putting that universal search patent to use after suing everyone over it a few years back. Pulling down the search bar in iOS 8 will now offer instant search across a number of different services. It will find apps installed on the device, messages you’ve received, and songs in your library. However, it also reaches out and lists content on iTunes, movie showtimes, maps, and more.

Android’s search UI varies a bit depending on the device, even as of Android 4.4. This is partially because of who was and wasn’t targeted by Apple’s patent suits a few years back, but Google’s default search app has unified things a bit. Basically, you get results from the web and your personal content (local and cloud) when you start typing. To get more, you can flip between various categories like apps, images, books, and other online content.

Android can do all the same things iOS Spotlight Search does — it’s just organized differently. However, any convenience lead Apple might claim in typed searches I feel is more than compensated for on the Android side by Google Now. Google’s predictive search stuff is getting scary good at times. It pulls content from your data like plane tickets, shipping confirmations, and appointments to show you what you need before you’ve even typed anything. Spotlight still can’t touch this.

Continuity Mode

Apple’s new Continuity framework seeks to make your iOS and OS X devices feel interconnected — like a single continuous client. With iOS 8, you can work on a document or look at a web page on one device, then pick up another one and easily pick up where you left off. Android does some of this, but it’s not presented as cleanly or consistently. It is, however, more universal.

Google’s services are much more focused on the web, so you can easily pick up browser tabs, documents, and other content across devices. You have to know where to go, but it does work. The upshot is that Google’s synchronization features work on all devices, even those running iOS. Apple’s Continuity platform is restricted to its devices running the newest version of the desktop and mobile software.

Apple also added the ability for messaging and calls to operate in a more interconnected way on its devices. If you get a call on your iPhone, your Mac or iPad can be used to see who’s calling and even act as a speakerphone to take the call. Regular SMS messages are also relayed through the new Continuity system so you can see them on other iDevices.

QuickType and big input changes

Apple’s keyboard used to be the best touchscreen typing experience, but in recent years the likes of SwiftKey, Swype, and others have given Android users something to cheer about. Apple is upgrading its own keyboard with iOS 8, which is nice, but the big change comes with the opening up of iOS input to third parties — finally.

The default iOS 8 keyboard will have a feature called QuickType, which is simply Apple’s way of saying it has added word prediction to the typing experience. Yes, Android’s default keyboard has had this for years. Unlike some other keyboards, the iOS solution will allegedly be smart enough to choose words based on who you’re talking to. So, it might suggest a more mature set of words when you’re sending an email to your boss than when you’re making plans with friends for happy hour. No sighting of swipe input on the stock iOS keyboard, but maybe you won’t need it.

If that’s just not good enough for you, Apple will be letting third-party developers become the default keyboard on iOS 8 as part of the extension framework (more on that later). You can imagine the folks behind SwiftKey, Swype, and other Android-centric keyboards cheered their heads off at that one. When the user sets a third-party keyboard as the default, it is cut off from accessing the network, which is a smart security measure. The user can grant network access as needed, though.

The customizability of Android’s default app scheme has long been a big selling point, and it’s very encouraging to see Apple adopt that model, even just a little bit.

Metal for gaming

OpenGL has been the standard for 3D gaming on mobile devices — both Android and iOS — for years now. The way Apple tells it, though, OpenGL is getting too heavy for its own good and the overhead is hurting the games. That’s why Cupertino is releasing Metal to developers.

Metal is a new graphics API that will allow games to render with much higher efficiency than they ever could with OpenGL. The demos did look very impressive with realistic physics and more triangles than you can shake a polygon at, though the scenes still looked a little sterile. It’s possible lighting effects with Metal weren’t ready to go in time for the keynote.

There’s nothing like Metal on Android — developers there will continue using OpenGL unless Google comes up with some alternative. iOS has been ahead in the gaming sphere for its entire history, so this isn’t so much about catching up to Android as it is widening the gap. Metal might also make it that much more annoying for developers to port games to Android in the first place. Maybe that’s part of Apple’s dastardly plan?

It’s also interesting to note that, with Mantle, DirectX 12, and GameWorks, nearly every major vendor is now working on a “low-overhead” 3D graphics implementation. It would be nice if they could all agree on one standard…

App Extensions

While it was explained in the “developer” section of the iOS 8 reveal, Apple’s new Extension framework might result in the biggest user-facing improvements to the iDevice ecosystem once developers are turned loose. The third-party keyboard support mentioned above is just one way Apple is going to use app extensions to make iOS 8 more Androidy.

At its most basic level, iOS 8 Extensions are about allowing apps to mingle without leaving their private sandboxes. Android apps have always been able to interact freely, but Google has been reigning some of that in over the years. Apple is trying to find a way to get data and features from one app into the other without introducing security holes, and the result is Extensions.

Developers will be able to pipe bits of their UI and features into other apps using this system, which could allow for a huge number of truly interesting implementations. Some of the features Apple demos include inserting more sharing options into AirDrop, custom photo editing, and building widgets for Notification Center. All awesome features that we saw in Android some time ago (i.e. the open sharing menu and rich third-party notifications). Android 4.4 also strengthened the cross-app file picker, which is something iOS 8 is doing now with custom document handler.

Depending on how much functionality developers get with extensions, this could go a long way toward making iOS more customizable and dynamic.

All the small things

The iOS 8 announcement also came with the usual array of smaller feature additions, some with direct Android analogs and some without. Case in point, photo editing has been enhanced with easier controls. It’s not quite as simple as Google’s Auto-Awesome pictures, but you get more control. iOS 8 essentially lets you choose from a slider how you want the image to look, and it twiddles the individual knobs for you.

All those photos can also be dropped into the newly improved iCloud Drive. You get 5GB for free, then it’s $1 per month for 20GB and $4 for 200GB, with additional tiers from there up to 1TB. Android users have the tightly integrated Google Drive service, which is an even better deal starting at $2 per month for 100GB.

All that stuff you’re saving in iCloud can also be plugged into the new Family Sharing system. Up to six people/devices can access each other’s purchased content and see a shared photo stream. Parents can also use this to grant authorization to buy and download content remotely. This is decidedly unlike anything on Android, unless you include the Kinde Fire HDX tablets, which pretty much no one does.

iOS 8 messaging is getting smarter too with improved group chat features like muting and easier ways to send voice and picture messages. This is more of a swipe at WhatsApp than Android, though.

Is Android threatened?

The new iOS looks much the same on the surface, but the under-the-hood improvements are impressive. Better search, enhanced notifications, and Continuity will help to bring iOS 8 closer to Android while extras like faster gaming with Metal widen Apple’s lead.

Android has a huge market share, and that’s not changing anytime soon. Apple has succeeded in making its platform more appealing, but it’s still iOS. To really steal committed Android users away, we’ll have to wait and see if Extensions can unleash developers to build advanced features for those who want them. That might be Apple’s greatest weapon going forward. Android is due for a big shakeup, though, and Google I/O is just weeks away

Source:extremetech

Nokia X vs Moto G

Nokia has stiff competition in the budget Android space for its first entrant, so how does the Nokia X stack up against the current king, the Moto G?

In late 2013 Motorola knocked our socks off with the Moto G. What it delivered was a top of the line Android experience for not a lot of money. It changed the budget space for the better and set a new benchmark for how a cheap Android phone should be made. Solid hardware, excellent software, even better price.

Nokia is also well known for its more price-oriented devices. Indeed, we pitched the Moto G against the similarly priced Lumia 625 already, but now it's a straight up Android on Android fight. The Nokia X costs roughly the same as the Moto G (at current pricing), runs Android and is targeted towards the budget conscious smartphone buyer.

So which is best? There's only one way to find out.

The hardware

Both Nokia and Motorola can make good quality smartphones. Both are also big on customization and color, and so both the Nokia X and the Moto G can be had in a variety of colors, some louder than others. But, hardware really is the Moto G's strong point, and the Nokia X can't come close.

For while the Nokia X is extremely well built, durable and solid feeling, everything else about its hardware is lacking. It feels sturdier than the Moto G, but after that it's a Motorola whitewash. Screen, internals, camera, all go to the Moto G. The Snapdragon 400, 720p display and 5MP camera with flash are streets ahead of the Nokia X's lacklustre Snapdragon S4, 480x800 resolution display and 3MP fixed focus camera with no flash.

The Moto G also comes with 8GB of on-board storage as standard with a 16GB option. The Nokia X comes with 4GB built in but does have an optional microSD card slot which the Moto G does not. Important to note if you're into expandable storage.

The software

Both phones may run Android, but that's where any similarities end. The Moto G is running a clean, crisp, near Google fresh build of Android 4.4.2 KitKat while the Nokia X runs Nokia's own 'fork' of Android. And one based on an early version of Jelly Bean, at that. Nokia's software has a simplistic front to it reminiscent of Windows Phone.

But without Google Play the Nokia X is down on apps. The Nokia Store isn't so great right now, and while you can install the Amazon Appstore, there's just no substitute for the sheer might of the Google Play Store. You can only buy apps from Nokia, no music, no movies.

Both manufacturers have added their own touches to their respective phones. But again Motorola probably has the edge. The Migrate app along with Motorola Assist, Trusted Bluetooth and the pretty nice Motorola Camera app are all fine additions. Nokia has MixRadio and HERE Maps which are both excellent apps and services, as well as an overly spec'd up Camera app given the hardware.

But you just can't beat the power of Google's software and services when it comes to an Android phone.

The camera

Nokia is well known for making some of the very best smartphone cameras out there, but that doesn't follow them to the Nokia X. The Moto G won't exactly be shooting you any prize winners either, but for our money it still beats out the Nokia. Higher resolution images at 5MP to 3MP, but more importantly the Moto G has auto-focus and an LED flash. The Nokia X has neither of these things.

The camera isn't likely the highest priority for buyers of either phone, but if you're getting one you want to get the best you can. The Moto G's shooter improved a little with the KitKat update and definitely has the edge. Nokia has the more feature packed camera app, but Motorola's is still such a pleasure to use for capturing those quick snaps.

Price

Nokia manages to claw back some brownie points when it comes to cost, since the 4-inch Nokia X we have here is priced around €89. The list price of the Moto G is higher than this, but it's also been the subject of some pretty impressive deals.

Value for money would still peg the Moto G as the better buy since you get so much more for your spend, but looking at how much you have to part with alone, Nokia has it beat.

The bottom line

If you're specifically looking for a cheap Android phone, the Moto G is still the one to buy. The compromises Motorola made to deliver the device and experience it did is still remarkable and makes it the undisputed king of the budget space.

The Nokia X isn't without some charm, but it's a more likely prospect to someone who doesn't really care too much what their phone is running, or just wants a cheap phone that will also go on Facebook and Twitter.

Source:androidcentral.com

Inside the HTC One (M8): very difficult to repair

Very quickly after launch, the HTC One (M8) has appeared on the "operating table" of the "doctor" comes from iFixit site and they will tell us within this new device have what detailed . At first engineers found few screws and they think that the M8 will be easy to fix, but then things become more complicated because they have to remove a lot of the tape insulation to reach the components inside. When on the motherboard, the iFixit discovered more that these components are glued to the body, then the battery is like. During the implementation process, and he also accidentally cut cable digitization by computer screen should no longer be used (by touch operation can not be recognized).

Indeed, the before the early One such repair is difficult, and only scored 2/10 in terms of the level of repairs, but HTC says that it has some special tools to do this and the technician have to not take much time to replace components. It is unclear What is the M8. In wait time, the answer from HTC invite you to check out the operation of iFixit okay.

This is HTC One before dissection.

Version for Verizon network

Open the SIM tray. One poke with similar SIM.

Remove the front lid.....

.... to reveal the inside of a few small screws. Seemingly simple story.

Want to open the lid off , it have to pry the screen. Also quite difficult.

This is the monolithic aluminum back casing and the screen-board-main event of device link.

Slowly remove the cables.

Must add a bunch of tape stripping insulation again, then see the below components also as removing the motherboard.

Peel off any screen. Must be removed at the new glue to do it right.

Motherboards with the key components of the M8. The red  is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at quad-core 2.3 GHz with 2GB RAM produced by Elpida, The green is two-chip of power management, the blue is power amplifiers, The purple is the touch controller and The black is the signal acquisition by Qualcomm .

Next to pry and remove the glue to the screen in the battery area.

This is a 2600mAh capacity battery ,  higher 300mAh than last year's model.

Remove the sub motherboard at the top of the One M8.

And here is the camera behind. We have two cameras are connected together into a block. The small camera that you see in here is responsible for capturing information of depth image to  capture  before and focus after.

And here is the sub camera 5 megapixel on the front M8.

Red chip are NFC controller.

Remove the BoomSound speaker from the M8 (also one half on top of the camera). BoomSound is one of the features people highly appreciated by life One of the first and it looks like it will not change on M8.

measure the thickness of the screen: 2.1 mm.

All the components of the One M8 after dissection.

Only 2 /10. That is very difficult to repair.

Best smartphones to look forward to in 2014

With the pace of smartphone evolution moving so fast, there's always something waiting in the wings. No sooner have you spied the latest handset, then there's anticipation of something else, the next big thing.

We've rounded up the best smartphones for 2014, those we consider to be the best across all platforms, and we've regularly updated that list as the smartphone world has evolved over the last year from 2013 in to 2014. You can find those in our Best smartphones 2014 feature.

Here we're looking at those phones that haven't yet launched, those we know are coming, or are anticipated. Some will be rumour, some will be fact, but here we'll cut through the speculation to highlight those phones we really want to see.

We'll be updating this list on a regular basis, with those device rumours we think are credible and exciting, and devices just announced but yet to hit the shelves. With Mobile World Congress 2014 bringing us a number of phones, there's plenty to consider.

HTC M8/new HTC One

We've known since July 2013 that the next HTC flagship handset is referred to internally as the HTC M8, the successor to the M7, the device that became the HTC One. With HTC saying that the "One" name is here to stay, it's safe to predict that the final commercial name will be new HTC One or HTC One (2014) or something like that.

As for the specs, it looks like HTC will be bringing the M8 up to the mark with a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display and Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6.0. There's little to surprise in there and we suspect most of the attention will be on the metal body construction as HTC looks to repeat the luscious looks of the 2013 HTC One.

One change appears to be the addition of an extra camera sensor on the rear of the handset, designed to improve focusing, low light shooting and depth of field.

We'll be keeping a close eye on HTC and bringing you any news we hear on the next HTC handset. The HTC One will be launched on 25 March at an event in London and New York, so more will be revealed soon.

Samsung Galaxy S5

So many of the rumours weren't true. There's no bump in resolution, no metal body, no radical change in the UI. Instead there's a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate sensor, with Samsung eyeing-up fitness.

But the Samsung Galaxy S5 is still going to be one of the hottest phones of the year. It has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and there's no lack of power with a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset.

Speed is on the agenda with a 16-megapixel camera that will focus fast, as well as a Download Booster offering to pull in files over Wi-Fi and 4G simultaneously.

There's a whole collection of smart camera and software features, as well as a new focus on battery life, with the SGS5 offering a low power mode to make sure you stay connected for longer. The Samsung Galaxy S5 will be available globally on 11 April.

Sony Xperia Z2

The talk of Mobile World Congress has been the Sony Xperia Z2. It takes the Xperia Z1 - launched only 6 months ago - and refines it. The screen expands to 5.2-inches and it gets itself a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM, so it could be one of the fastest phones around.

It's large though, as the previous model was, but it's definitely better. With added software refinement and Android 4.4 KitKat, it's more polished and offers more features than the previous device.

Most of the rumours were true: there are front-facing speakers to boost the sound quality, but also noise cancellation through the supplied headphones. There's 4K video, as well as stabilisation.

There's no confirmed launch date, but we suspect April, although the phone is on pre-order for £599.

LG G3

LG has seen a return to form in 2013, with the LG G2 doing a lot to restore faith in the company's smartphone ambitions. That, and the new Nexus 5, see growing anticipation for LG's next flagship device, the LG G3.

The LG G3 is said to land with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution display, with a slight increase in size. One of the strengths of the G2 is packing a larger 5.2-inch display into a handset that's smaller than some rivals (like the Xperia Z1), so we'd expect to see the same again: more display without the bulk.

There's talk of LG using it's octa-core Odin chipset to power the G3, as well as looking at a fingerprint scanner for security.

LG G Pro 2

LG has now officially launched the LG G Pro 2, although it's initially a Korean handset only, with no news on whether we'll see it in other territories.

The LG G Pro 2 has a 5.9-inch 1080 x 1920 resolution display, 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, 3GB of RAM, and LTE connectivity. The G Pro 2 has a 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation on the rear, capable of 4K video capture.

It looks like a strong competitor for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and should be a great phablet.

Nokia Lumia Icon

Nokia has been going from strength to strength in 2013, making Windows Phone a much more attractive proposition over the past 12 months. The best device so far has been the Lumia 1520, as it breaks new ground for Windows Phone, pushing the display resolution up and making better use of the space available.

The Nokia Lumia Icon brings those phablet skills down to a 5-inch device, but it's a Verizon exclusive. The Lumia Icon has a full HD display, along with a 20-megapixel PureView camera and a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. That's something that might grab the attention of those getting tired of Android.

The Nokia Lumia Icon is now on pre-order, hitting stores on 20 February for $199 on a 2-year Verizon contract.

Nokia X

One of the most leaked phones, the Nokia X is something of an oddity. It's an Android phone, but has been removed from Google, so that you can have mixture of apps you'll find familiar from Nokia's Windows Phone. Falling somewhere between the too, you'll get access to Nokia's services, but it will also run Android apps.

There's no Google Play, however, but there will be a Nokia Store to give you apps and you can sideload apps. The biggest thing about the Nokia X, however, is price. They're affordable devices and although they won't give you the best of the smartphone experience, they might connect those who otherwise couldn't afford a smartphone.

Starting at €99, the Nokia X devices are definitely quirky.

Nokia Lumia 930

There's a new Nokia kid on the rumour block called the Lumia 930, said to be a 4.5-inch update of the 920/925 level of device. It's been mentioned that it will bring the top specs of the Lumia Icon to the rest of the world. Previously there was the Lumia 1520V, said to be a smaller version of the 1520, so we suspect they are the same handset.

The Lumia 930 is said to have a 4.5-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset and a 20-megapixel PureView camera. With the Lumia 925 getting rather old, it sounds like a likely spec bump for this important flagship space for Nokia.

There's talk of a launch at Mobile World Congress 2014 at the end of February.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is undoubtedly a great device. It's king of the phablets and has been a huge success for the company, helping remind us why big devices are also beautiful.

But for some, it's just too much. It's too big, it's too expensive and it's overkill: enter the Neo, to bring the Galaxy Note experience to a wider audience. Samsung has formally announced the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, but it looks like Neo won't be coming to the UK or US. Those in Poland, however, you're in luck.

The Galaxy Note 3 Neo features faux leather back, neatly dressing the 5.5-inch 720p AMOLED display, 1.6GHz quad-core processor and 8-megapixel camera. It sounds like the Note 2 in a new coat and that's pretty much what it is, with LTE thrown into the mix.