My Digital Life

Android vs Symbian

2010-10-23T18:06:00.000+02:00

I've been using an Android phone for a few weeks now, and while mostly good, my experience hasn't been without its problems and frustrations. Coming from a Nokia and Symbian experience, it's impossible not to make comparisons.
The phone I'm using now is definitely not one of the best examples of Android available, but I expect many of my thoughts are generic. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini is very much an entry level smartphone, but its most limiting factor is that it is still running Android 1.6 (Donut). Hopefully that will change before the end of October, when the upgrade to 2.1 (Eclair) is due. Anyway, to put it into context, my previous phone was a Nokia XpressMusic 5800, Nokia's first effort at a touchscreen phone. However, I have also spent some time with an N97 Mini, so I'm fairly familiar with the S60 V5 software, and its capabilities and limitations.
As a Google self-proclaimed fanboy I really want to like Android. However, it's lack of polish came as a big surprise. The OS, certainly in 1.6 form, feels unfinished. Considering the speed at which update are being churned out, maybe this version should be considered unfinished! But worries me is that maybe this is the Android Team's approach, and all versions will be like that.
So what am I talking about? Mainly, it has to do with the features available natively on the phone. For example, Nokia have long offered the option for an ascending alarm ringtone. There's nothing worse than waking to an alarm at full volume! Such a basic feature, you'd think it would be standard on every phone. For sure, if I was developing a new OS, it's just one of the things I would have on my list of essential features. But not Android. Sure, I was able to download a free app (AlarmDroid) that includes that feature, but that's exactly what worries me about the success of Android in the market. Most of the people I know don't want to be bothered with trying to find an alarm app to download; they expect it to come standard, and if it doesn't they'll tell their mates about the lack of features! The Android Team shouldn't be leaving it to the app developers to supply the features for their phones; they should be building those features into the OS.

Of course, the alarm feature isn't the only example. I've had to download an app to monitor data usage (NetCounter), another to add an alarm and pop-up notification for calendar events (Android Agenda Widget), and a third to pull my calendar events into a widget on one of the homepages (Calendar Snooze). These features are standard on Nokia's phones.
Of course, there's a huge amount being written by how important apps are in the post iPhone world. Apple and Google are even adding App Stores to their desktop OS's. And there are some fantastic apps available; many for free. Apart from the obvious Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare ones, I've been very impressed with the likes of Endomondo and CardioTrainer (both for sports tracking via GPS), doubleTwist (music and podcast syncing and playing), and Google's own Google Goggles (search via photos taken on your phone). My point is that many of these, or variations of these, are also available in Nokia's Ovi Market.
In my opinion, Nokia isn't quite as dead as many tech journalists would have you believe. Apps alone will not make a great OS!
However, I will pursue with my Android phone for a while longer, and I hope that upcoming upgrades (Gingerbread, Honeycomb) will add the polish that Android needs.

Thanks for reading!

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini

2010-09-29T22:00:00.000+02:00

I've long been a Nokia fan, but over the last few years they seem to have lost the plot. Ever since the original iPhone was launched back in 2007, Nokia have steadily lost market share in the smartphone market. Nokia's loss has been Android's gain; in less than 2 years the Google developed mobile operating system has gained substantial footing in this competitive market.

As a self-proclaimed Google fanboy, the attractions for any Android phone are numerous. Above all, the auto sync with gmail, calendars and contacts. After years of wrestling with Mail for Exchange and apps like Emoze, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the real deal!

My chance came this week in the form of a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini. I have this phone on a short term loan from my girlfriend, but I already dread the day I have to go back to my old Nokia 5800. Anyway, back to the phone: this is the smallest Android phone available, and comes in at a very competitive price. It offers the convenience of a touchscreen smartphone, without too much complexity or any of the bulk, weighing in at a featherweight 88g. An ideal handbag phone. The interchangeable coloured backcovers should also appeal to the style conscious. But that's not to say it lacks oomph, I've been very impressed with how smoothly the phone has handled everything I've thrown at it. The 2.55" capacitive screen doesn't offer the highest resolution either; at 240 x 320 pixels don't expect the "retina" display.

The biggest problem with the X10 Mini is shared with its big brother, the X10. Both phones are still running Android 1.6 (Donut), and the update to 2.1 (Eclair) has been pushed back to the end of October. Judging by the reaction on the various forums, everyone is desperate to get their hands on the upgrade. However, its still not clear if or when the Mini will get 2.2 (Froyo). We can only hope...

My other problem has been the battery capacity. At first I couldn't go a whole day without recharging. However, after a weeks use, and several charge/discharge cycles, performance has improved slightly. On the advice of several forums members, I installed the JuiceDefender app. The free version doesn't offer many features, but by reducing the length of time the phone accesses data in the background, the battery life is extended substantially.

Another useful free app is Timeriffic. This allows you to set various 'profiles' for different times of the day. For example, an essential one is to switch off the notification at night. Getting woken up every time I receive an email is not an option!

The X10 Mini has a number of homescreens that can be set up with widgets, one for each page. Flicking through these will give you instant access to your calendar, weather reports, Google Search, etc. Set these up as you like. A vertical flick across the screen reveal the icons for any apps you have loaded. Again, a horizontal flick takes you from page to page, with 9 icons per page. This system works very well, and makes good use of the limited screen space.

The one feature I haven't mentioned is Timescape. This Sony Ecicsson app combines your Twitter and Facebook stream with your text (SMS) messages, MMS and missed calls, into tiles that flow chronologically on the screen. The effect is awesome, but due to concerns about excessive data usage I disabled it almost immediately!

So, as my introduction to Android, what do I think? Did it live up to my expectations? Definitely! Android highlights how dated Symbian has become. I love that almost everything can be modified or adjusted, if not natively, then by using one of the thousands of available apps. As of right now, us South Africans do not have access to the paid apps in the Android Market (although that will apparently change shortly), so it was a nice surprise that almost every app I wanted has been available for free. The Market itself could use some work, especially on discovery, but compared to the Ovi Store it's been fantastic! Looking ahead, I'm thinking about what phones will be available when my current contract comes up for renewal in the new year. One thing I know for sure: it'll be an Android!

Thanks for reading!

iPhone OS vs Android

2010-05-21T13:46:00.001+02:00

My first cell phone was an Ericsson, one of the original ones with a single line of LEDs for a screen! Since then, with the exception of 2 years with a Samsung, I have had Nokias. Most recently a 6300, an E51, and currently a 5800 XpressMusic. I like Nokias; they’ve served me well. Later this year I’ll be due for an upgrade, and geek that I am, I’m already weighing up my options, and scheming how I can get the best “bang for my buck”!

I would like a true smartphone, but even Nokia's latest version of Symbian, ^3, fails to impress. No, there are only 2 players in the game right now: Apple's iPhone and Google's Android.

Choosing between the 2 is a tough decision; with the apps you buy and the systems you integrate with on the internet, you're not going to want to start from scratch every time your contract is up for renewal. Your decision should include some longer term thinking; which is the system you will still want to be using a few years into the future?

The iPhone is an icon, as was the iPod. It epitomises cool. However, going the iPhone route means buying into the Apple eco-system, and that's a fairly difficult hole to climb out, should you want to. iTunes is a great concept, and no-one has done it better than Apple, but it still sucks! Apple dictate formats and decides which ones they will support. Download something from the net - good luck trying to get it to work on your iPhone! There is only 1 model of the iPhone released each year, and you better like it, because there is no choice. Should Apple bring out a dud, you're stuck! The Apple vision is seemingly that of a single man, and he will decide what is best for you. Steve Jobs is indisputably a visionary, and many people trust that he will continue to set the trend for years to come.

The majority of people are scared of tech. They want gadgets with simple menus, that work as they should. They don't want too many options to confuse them. These people buy Apple products.

Android is the underdog. Android is open sourced. Android has been adopted by HTC, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, Motorola and others, in a variety of form factors. Android is all about choice - it is the polar opposite of the iPhone! Google hasn't developed an equivalent of iTunes and their App Market is far from perfect. They rely heavily on developers to add the additional features that iPhone users may take for granted.

Yesterday (20 May), Google announced Android 2.2 (Froyo), and lots of exciting new features to up the ante in their war with Apple. Lots was said about the number of handsets being sold, and the growth rate of Android vs iPhone. The internet has been abuzz with people praising this update, and taking comfort in the latest figures. The latest handsets from HTC are stunning, and at this stage I'm definitely swaying towards Android, and all the Google goodness!

However, in a couple of weeks time it will be Apple's turn to take to the stage. They've got their 4th generation iPhone due for release in the northern hemisphere summer, along with V4.0 of the iPhone OS, and Steve Jobs is sure to have something up his sleeve to wow the crowds with.

Maybe I'll hold back on my decision a bit longer!

Thanks for reading.

Google Chrome Web Store

2010-05-20T11:33:00.000+02:00

For me, the most important announcement on Day 1 of Google's annual I/O Developer Conference was the introduction of the Chrome Web Store, due to open later this year.

Web apps existed before now, but they were often hard to find, and we had to rely on news services like TechCrunch and Mashable to review these for us. A searchable store with a list of Google approved, high quality apps will be great for anyone that uses the internet.

There will be a greater incentive for developers to create new and exciting apps if there's a store they can market them through. There will also be a way to monetize apps, but paid apps may not prove too popular. However, people accept that they have to pay for apps in Apple's iStore - they may not mind paying for a web app that offers a unique functionality.

Users will be able to "install" applications by adding a shortcut to the new tab page. When you "install" an application, it can integrate with the browser by using advanced features that require permission: local storage, user's location, notifications.

"An installed web app could be separated visually from other tabs, could integrate better with the OS, and could be granted increased permissions. This special handling of web apps is exactly what we're working on in Google Chrome. Installing a web app in Google Chrome is easy and quick, with no restart required. At its simplest, installing a web app is like creating a super-bookmark to it. Once installed, a web app gets a big icon in Google Chrome's app launcher area, as well as some integration with the host OS," explains Google.

"When running, an installed web app has a special frame and other UI enhancements to make the web app easier to distinguish from other web content. This special treatment makes running apps easier to find and prevents accidentally opening multiple copies of them."

Google are due to launch their Chrome OS later this year, and the Web Store is clearly preparation for that introduction. Google will be able to direct new users to the Web Store to select photo editors, music players, games, etc, as well as Google's own apps (Gmail, Calendar, Docs, etc), all re-written to take advantage of the power of Chrome.

What's great is that we won't have to wait for Chrome OS to experience all this Google goodness - any device that can run the Chrome browser will be able to run these apps.

Thanks for reading.