SYNAPSE CIRCUIT APPLE TALK THE FALLOUT 2

Above: The iPhone 6C - not!

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
APPLE TALK:
THE FALLOUT 2
Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers. How are you? How was your day? Ready for the Bank Holiday Carnival Festivities? Heck! I can’t handle the crowds... If you are still going through your day I hope it’ll finish up on a good Note 4 (hee hee hee) and that you will have a relaxed evening!

Apple Talk Fallout is what usually comes after an Apple Talk article; I tell you I get some interesting to downright mad responses from mainly iPhone users when their beloved handset and iPad gets criticism.

#Apple #Samsung #Google #SteveJobs #TimCook #iPhone6 #iPhone6Phablet #iPhone6L #GalaxyNote4 #GalaxyAlpha #Premium #Nexus6 #AndroidL #AndroidLemonMeringuePie

THEY REALLY BELIEVE
THAT IT’S PREMIUM...
Gosh! I am amazed by this discovery: iPhone / iPad users really think that their handset is a “premium” one! Wow! Initially I was asking about the notion of “premium materials” that make up the iPhone / iPad and the fact that the metal is not as durable as plastic. One guy admitted that he dropped his iPad and it now has a dent in it; typically he sidestepped the issue of vulnerability...

Another guy said something along the lines of the iPhone / iPad being likened to a Rolls Royce and that it may “...not be practical for driving the kids around in the back...” However, the adverts have it that the iPhone / iPad can enable children to be creative... I then stated that the top of the range Android handset can be likened to a Ferrari or Lamborghini super-sports cars and Mr. Rolls Royce was not happy about that analogy and had it in his mind that I was belittling the Apple mobile devices. Nothing of the sort!

What I meant by using the Ferrari as an analogy to describe the top of the range Android handset is that it is made from non-metallic materials that such as plastic that makes the Android handset very practical for everyday use! The Ferrari is made from carbon fibre in contrast to the (as far as I know) metal that makes up the Rolls Royce. So, therefore I conclude that many iPhone / iPad users believe that the impractical materials that have gone in to it / them is money well spent. Cool – if that’s what they are happy with.

The first guy who skipped the issue of vulnerability launched into a massive missive about the “premium service and functionality” that he gets with his iDevices. He also mentions that he can move seamlessly – I am paraphrasing – from the iPhone / iPad to the Mac computer. Well, I have news for you mister...

PREMIUM ANDROID?
Another guy just lost it when I stated that, according to analysts, Android have sold over 1 billion handsets compared to 150 million iPhone units. He said something along the lines of, “You can’t compare 1 billion Android handsets to the iPhone...” and... “...iOS and Android would have been a better comparison, blah, blah, blah...” further still... “You (I) should compare the iPhone to a premium Android handset...” Yawn! Why am I being so blasé? I will tell you if you haven’t figured it out already...

The notion of the “premium” Android, from my observations, pertains more to the specifications and – at a stretch – functionality. To the guy that suggested that I should compare the iPhone to a specific Android equivalent... How about the cheapest quad-core Android handset from Google Motorola? Look...

GENERAL   

2G Network 
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
CDMA 800 / 1900 - CDMA version

3G Network 
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - for T-Mobile, AT&T
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - USA version
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - CDMA version

4G Network 
LTE 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1900 - USA version

SIM    
Micro-SIM
Announced 2014, May
Status Available. Released 2014, June

BODY           
Dimensions: 129.9 x 65.9 x 11.6 mm (5.11 x 2.59 x 0.46 in)

DISPLAY      
Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 720 x 1280 pixels, 4.5 inches (326 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch: Yes
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 3

SOUND        
Alert types: Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker: Yes
3.5mm jack: Yes

MEMORY     
Card slot microSD, up to 32 GB
Internal: 8/16 GB, 1 GB RAM

DATA
GPRS: Yes
EDGE: Yes
Speed: HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA; LTE
WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE

USB  
microUSB v2.0, USB Host

CAMERA      
Primary: 5 MP, 2592 х 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Features: Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
Video: 720p@30fps, stereo sound rec., HDR
Secondary: 1.3 MP

FEATURES 
OS: Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat), upgradable to v4.4.3 (KitKat)
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8226 Snapdragon 400
CPU: Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7
GPU: Adreno 305
Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, compass
Messaging: SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser: HTML5
Radio: FM radio
Java: Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
Colors: White, Black, Moto G Ferrari Edition
SNS integration
Google Drive (50 GB storage)
Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
MP3/AAC+/WAV/Flac player
MP4/H.263/H.264 player
Organizer
Photo viewer/editor
Document viewer
Google Search, Maps, Gmail
YouTube, Google Talk, Picasa
Voice memo/dial
Predictive text input

BATTERY              
Non-removable Li-Ion 2070 mAh battery

C’mon... ...you’re not going make me write out the spec of the iPhone 5S are you? What are you people like? Lol! Incidentally the Motorola G 4G has a variation known as the Ferrari edition. Hee hee... Put that in your pipe!

iPhone 5S

FEATURES 
OS: iOS 7, upgradable to iOS 7.1.2, planned upgrade to iOS 8
Chipset: Apple A7
CPU: Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based)
GPU: PowerVR G6430 (quad-core graphics)

The spec is similar but obviously not the same... A main difference is beyond the CPU and operating system is the camera; the camera on the iPhone features an 8MP sensor to the Moto G 5MP that only manages HD video at 720p! Oh, the screen size of the Moto G is bigger by half an inch with a 326ppi pixel density to the iPhone 5S 4” screen with the same pixel density. I almost forgot that the Moto G storage is expandable via microSD whereas the iPhone 5S has fixed storage options starting at 16GB! Now let’s look at the prices of these babies!

Moto G 8GB 4G, £150 vs. iPhone 5S 16GB 4G, £540
Me? I have come to the realization that many Android handsets from £150 to £250 are premium! And dare I say it, the prices are set to fall slightly come 2015 due to the influx of Chinese manufacturers. LG have already announced its new budget L series and the L Bello model boasts a quad-core 1.3GHz processor, 5” 196ppi pixel density and an 8MP camera! Not bad, huh? I wonder how much it will retail at... Under £140?

Make no mistake, many Android handsets are indeed premium and that’s how it is able to dominate and sell over 1 billion units! Handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S & Note; HTC One M8 and LG G3 are what I would call superphones in that they go all out to give the consumer so much more: DTP quality pictures for printing resulting from great cameras (aside from the HTC One M8 – the pictures are ok but not of the same quality as the Galaxy S, Note and G3! Video recording at 4K (again, with the exception of the One M8) and very useful interface features! Maybe the superphone is a niche market as not everybody needs such hardcore tech! Me? I love all that tech! I want as much tech as possible squeezed into my superphone! Have you seen the Vin Diesel 'XXX' movie and the bit where he tells an uber-nerd technician to, "Put all that (tech and weapons) in there (pointing to a Mustang car - I think)..." That's me with Samsung, LG and any other manufacturer that wants to wow and woo me! I gotta get the Galaxy Note 4! It's not long now...

NEED A PC / MAC?
One can argue that the PC and Mac are essentially the same in what they are capable of. You can make music on a PC; you can make it on a Mac. The same goes for video, DTP, photo editing / manipulation etc. But it is very possible that you may not need either when using the iPhone / iPad or the Android handset / tablet.

I was asked by Mr. Premium Got-A-Dent-In My iDevice, “Is it possible to do use an Android handset or tablet in conjunction with a projector to do presentations...” Of course! There are projectors that allow the Android user to project via Wi-Fi with an app; it’s also possible to use a big flatscreen panel using HDMI and Chromecast and some handsets allows for the Screen Mirroring with or without a dongle. You won’t need the dongle if, for example, you intend on using a Galaxy S or Note with a Samsung smart TV!

Then there is much iteration of apps that can edit Microsoft Office documents – including PowerPoint presentations. Google has them all: Slides, Docs and Sheets! And there are a few apps available only for the tablet that enables the creation of eBooks!

And should you need to transfer files to be completed on the PC or Mac you can! I guess that’s what you’d call premium functionality! I can’t think of any Android handset above the £130 upwards price range that can’t do any of the above! Personally, I haven’t had much time with budget handsets at the low-end of the market. I had a couple that cost £80 at the time and I had to get rid very quickly as I found them too slow and the screen too small!

BREAKTHROUGH
I think I may have made a breakthrough in understanding the iDevice user psychology! They actually think that the Android handset is unable to perform office tasks such as word processing, projecting slides with the aid of a projector / screen-panel for example. You can also edit video; make high quality professional music... I can’t think of anything that I can’t do on a smartphone / superphone! Okay, I concede that the camera quality can vary on an Android handset – you get what you pay for! Lol! But you are still paying less than you would for an iPhone! Once again, I do not see metal as being a premium component of a handset. My beloved Galaxy S2 looks pretty much like it did when I took it out of the box some years ago! I am pretty proud about that! Now my nephew’s iPhone 5S... Ouch! Hee hee...

Anyway, it was good to read the responses from the Apple Talk articles!

I do think that Android 5, Lemon Meringue Pie, is going to be a major breakthrough for the Android industry! While iOS is catching up to Android it will fall behind again this fall! We could be seeing a new Nexus handset, Nexus 6, to usher in Android 5 which, I predict, will the crème de la crème of mobile operating systems! It should be faster, leaner and even more versatile than before! I think it will have manufacturers doing away with heavy user interface overlays for even more responsiveness! Roll on 64-bit Android! The premiums just keep getting higher!

Hey! If you are happy with your iPhone – and I do hope that 6 and 6L is all what you want it to be – that’s brilliant! It’s all good! But some are marginally better! Wink, wink! Ahem, Galaxy Note 4! Ahem! Wink!

That’s something to think about!

THANKS FOR READING...
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