Android or iOS? Android Analysis [Part 2]

In part 1 we had a discussion about the advantages of iOS as it pertains to Android. Now it is time to flip things around and discuss Android. Again, I want to try to keep this as unbiased as possible as well as keep my points as relevant as I can to the average consumer.

Google Android OS

Pros:

• User Defined Default Apps/Customization
• Different "Flavors"
• Always Listening
• Contextual Awareness
• Inexpensive Ecosystem

Customization

I know, you've heard it a million and a half times, you can customize Android more than iOS. However I won't lean on the normal widgets argument because I personally only use one and technically I don't even need it. What I am going to talk about is default apps because people take for granted their ability to choose. Apple's approach to certain apps is that they will give you the very best but you have to use it. There is a perfectly valid argument to support this as well as another that shows how it can be annoying. iMessage is probably the best example of what happens when you don't allow users to choose. With everybody on iMessage, iPhone users can quickly chat using the internet rather than using SMS (the whole green or blue thing). In group messaging this is especially nice because MMS messages take ages to send and receive. As I pointed out in part one iMessage stands as a legitimate reason to use iOS.

Android or iOS? iOS Analysis [Part1]

Some people are going to read the title as Android vs. iOS, but that's not what I am trying to do here. A friend of mine who is way less into technology than I am currently owns an iPhone 5S after owning a Samsung Galaxy SIII for a couple years. The SIII was his first smartphone and Android was his first mobile OS, but unfortunately he had some issues with the SIM card that were a known issue in some of those phones. Subsequently his experience was soured by that which caused him amongst other factors such as owning a Mac to switch to an iOS device. I've taken it upon myself to start a discussion here to convince him to come back to Android. While I will be attempting to persuade him to come to my preferred OS, I have to uphold a certain level of integrity. I will try my best to write this without a bias. I am far more knowledgeable with Android than iOS so if it seems I am more in depth about Android it's for that reason.

iOS and Android - A Discussion

The reason I've waited until now to discuss this is in order to wait for Apple to hold their WWDC '15 conference and for Google to hold I/O '15. Now that we've seen what is in store for both platforms we can hold a discussion with the inclusion of new features to come in the next year. Both conferences introduced some great ideas and features, some more exciting than others, but valuable non-the-less.

Why I Root Rant

XDA's exclaimer to users sums up the risks of rooting:

*
 * Your warranty is now void.
 *
 * We are not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards,
 * thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed. Please
 * do some research if you have any concerns about features included in this ROM
 * before flashing it! YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if
 * you point the finger at us for messing up your device, we will laugh at you.
 *
 */

So why risk it? What are the rewards? Do I get free apps?!

No you don't get free apps and I don't understand why that is the first question everybody asks. You can get apps free (on Android) without rooting, its called sideloading. Regardless this isn't for free apps, I pay for all mine because I believe in supporting the developers. 

So why root? I root because I like to customize my phone. The Android rooting community brought us heads up notifications, lockscreen notifications (actually Apple did but ROM devs did it on Android first), and a whole lot more that has all been added to Android in the spirit of open source and sharing ideas and features. Take a look at the features that have come to Lollipop.

If I Were A Smartphone Manufacturer

Have you ever thought about your dream smartphone? What would it have inside? What would you sacrifice and why? Every time a flagship comes out reviewers always mention what could have been done better. As a business student tech enthusiast I find the whole line of smartphones that companies offer interesting and often ask myself why they make certain decisions. A year ago I wrote a huge paper about a fictional company I made up called Core Mobility and yes, there is a company with that name already but I liked it and it was just a school paper so it didn't matter. The fun part was getting to talk about a potential business model. I stole ideas from various manufacturers that I really liked and thought were really great selling points. Motorola, who at the time had just released the Moto X (2013), was a big inspiration because I really really liked that phone. Some day I'll write a review about it because it truly is one of the best phones ever made. It was also when the OnePlus One has first graced the market with its low price and high specs. Then of course manufacturers like Samsung who confuse the hell out of anybody who tries to figure out which device is meant for which people so I made it a goal to have distinguishable product lines marketing each one to different people. So without further ado I will give a rundown of what I would do if I were a smartphone manufacturer.

Company: Animax Mobility

Device Lines:

Why I Own a Smartwatch Rant

Finally, I'm getting around to publishing a rant (this has been waiting in my drafts to be looked over again) and what better subject than smartwatches. Just before millions of people buy the Apple Watch for all the wrong reasons and the complaining ensues, I want to tell you why I own one and continue to wear it everyday.

Truth be told, I did not buy my smartwatch, my girlfriend got it for me for my birthday/Christmas (very close together). However, I had my sights set on the Moto 360 since the day it came out. You can check out my full review of the Moto 360 for more details.

Moto 360

So why did I want it so badly? 

I am an early adopter of sorts, wearables are just getting started and I want to see them flourish. The reason I wanted one though was for the convenience of having everything on my wrist. I also don't own watches and the only ones I bought in the past were purchased from some sketchy guy in NYC. So I wanted a watch but I also wanted to have the ability to leverage my phone and my watch better.

Let me explain:
By having a smartwatch I can have a password on my phone but never type it in beca

use the phone sees my watch. I usually don't have a lock code because I think they're inconvenient and you end up telling people anyway. With the smartwatch I have the convenience of not having a passcode when my phone is with me and having it locked when I'm away from it. Pretty cool, right?

I can respond to text messages quickly with my voice or used the canned responses. I can also just look at my wrist and see if the notification I got is worth retrieving my phone for.

This is where most people tell me I'm just lazy and wasted money because I don't like the inconvenience of taking my phone out only to see that my friend posted something on Facebook.

And yes from the perspective of somebody who doesn't perceive the value of the watch that is a reasonable response. But let me ask you this, does your $250 watch from wherever do what mine does? No.

LG G Watch Urbane

Then they say, "but a regular watch looks nicer," again you are correct, but that's not why I got it. I got it because it does all those cool things with my phone. I got it because I wanted a watch with functions, not a fashion statement. You don't buy a smartwatch for what it looks like or for how good of a timekeeper it is. You buy it because it's a cool gadget.

The classic response I get as well is, "I don't understand, if it doesn't do anything your phone can't, or really do anything without your phone, what's the point?"

My reply is usually, "What does a $2,000 Rolex do that this watch and my phone can't do?" Nothing! I can get the time on my watch and I betcha in room full of people I will get more people to ask me about my smartwatch than an expensive Rolex, and you can bet the conversations will be longer too as I'll explain the cool stuff it does. That Rolex will look a million times better without a doubt but to me that isn't important.

To wrap up this rant I want to summarize. People see a new piece of technology these days and expect it to blow their minds. They want it to do something new, it's a sign of the times. We don't see a smartwatch as a big deal but tell someone in the 90's about your smartwatch and they'd be blown away. Apple knows that people think that way and that's why they packed so much stuff into the watch. Viewing your photo album on a watch is impractical but Apple is making it happen. If Steve Jobs was alive he'd go on a rampage, personally I think Steve Jobs would like Android Wear more.

And I'm going to stop there. I will post it rant theory in a future post so subscribe to updates so you can read about that. As always please leave a comment and +1 this.

Samsung Confirms Rumors... Are Ridiculous

AT&T Leaked Advertisement

Anybody who had been following the rumor mill for the soon to be announced Samsung Galaxy S6 has probably gotten tired of all the silly renderings and rumors. Anybody can suggest these features, whether or not they hold any merit. Often I wish these companies would just dismiss them so websites can't profit from made up rumors from "sources."

Well my wish has come true, but rather than dismiss the rumors swirling around, Samsung went all out to poke fun at all the silly rumors. Check out this page and see what Samsung thinks of the rumors, it's a quick laugh that will brighten your day so please check it out.

Samsung is expected to reveal the new device to the public at this years Mobile World Congress with the possibility of two variations (the only rumor I find interesting); one normal and another "Edge" phone like the Galaxy Note 4 Edge. The unpacked events (here is last year's) are usually more than your average keynote, they have performances where the new features get shown off. 

Concepts are a popular method to rumor specs

I found a link that has a rundown of all the rumors, if you look at the "early untrue rumors" you can tell it was just click mining. People like me who follow this stuff would rather see genuine articles because I tend to skip anything that says rumor (unless its the Nexus 6 Verizon release date) because it'll be a guess based on nothing. In the article they mention that early rumors suggested Samsung will stick with a 1080p display but as we get closer it appears they will go for QHD. Anybody could have guessed that because its one or the other, 4k on a phone is coming but not now and they won't go back to 720p because they'll never sell the phone. If the person predicting was smarter they'd say QHD is the most likely because the average consumer doesn't realize the total benefit of a 1080p display. So from a marketing standpoint you can't legitimately release a flagship phone who's screen is worse than all the other flagships. Plus the Note 4 has a brilliant QHD display (MKBHD Review) and Samsung is going to use the momentum from that to show off the S6 screen. We have tons of clues as to why they'd choose QHD over 1080p, and it makes me think that the people who post this stuff don't really know what they're talking about. Granted at this point the phone isn't out and I could be wrong too.

Now that this is a full blown rant I'm just going to continue with another theory (so-to-speak) about rumors. I'm sitting here as a blogger who's main source of traffic is probably bots and crawlers yet if one day someone reads this and I'm wrong about QHD, I look really silly. And maybe that's what these freelance writers who are trying to make a living by writing tons of articles and throwing them out there in hopes of getting one published. But why not have more fun with it, why not be honest about it. Don't call it a rumor, call it a guess and back it up. Write a whole article about why you think it'll have a 1080p display, and you don't need facts, this isn't the court of law, you're allowed to speculate and use your perceptions. An article that is based on fact is needed if you want to call it a rumor though, and citing a source that may or may not exist isn't convincing me. Write higher quality articles, have more fun, and just be truthful.  

Comment below and +1's are always appreciated. If any real people read this please leave a comment on anything, discussions are great and it gives me an idea of what you want to read. So don't be afraid!