SYNAPSE CIRCUIT HELLO LENOMOTO

SOLD!

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
HELLO, LENOMOTO... MOTONOVO...

#Motorola #Google #Lenovo #LenoMoto #MotoNovo #MotoX #MotoG #MotoE #AndroidLollipop #Android #Chrome #ChromeOS #AndroidWear #AndroidAuto #AndroidTV #Chromecast #Glass #Nexus #Silver #Lollipop #Android5 #Android5Lollipop #ChromeAndroidOS #ChromeAndroidPC

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers. How are you? Do you happen to own a PC? Did you see the Reallusion article on the forthcoming iClone 6 3D animation software? If you want to start your own animation studio you NEED to check it out: iClone 6 Pre-Launch Offer!

I also don’t suppose you’re an Android fan? Have you heard the good news?

LENOVO COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF MOTOROLA MOBILITY FROM GOOGLE

WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR ANDROID & COMPETING MANUFACTURERS...

A DONE DEAL
“Over the past two years we have transformed Motorola by focusing on what matters most -- consumers. We’ve made huge strides in bringing the mobile Internet to millions of people around the world and improving their lives through exceptional technology, experiences and value. While we’re proud of the progress we’ve made, we recognize that there is still much more we can achieve -- in innovation, reach and impact.

In Lenovo we have a partner that shares our mission and that brings global scale, a diverse product portfolio and a track record of seizing strategic opportunities and making the most of them. Together we will go farther, faster. With an impressive portfolio of smartphones, wearables and PCs, our two companies will be uniquely positioned to push the boundaries of choice and value, and bring exciting new experiences to people everywhere.

As excited as we are about what’s changing, we’re also pleased with what we are carrying forward with us. We will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Lenovo and remain headquartered in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart while maintaining offices around the world, including in Silicon Valley. The iconic Motorola brand will continue, as will the Moto and DROID franchises that have propelled our growth over the past year. We will continue to focus on pure Android and fast upgrades, and remain committed to developing technology to solve real consumer problems. And we will continue to develop mobile devices that bring people unprecedented choice, value and quality.

Motorola is a company that has long helped to define the course of the mobile telecommunications and mobile computing industries. With Lenovo backing us, we look forward to being able to reshape the industry for decades to come. We’re ready for the challenge and hope you’ll join us on the journey.”

Motorola Mobility President Rick Osterloh

WHY, GOOGLE, WHY?

ANSWER: ACCELERATION
To accelerate Android’s world domination. In this year and especially in the month of October – Happy Halloween – Google have made enormous strides in technological advancement. CEO Larry Page has truly delivered on his promise to bring the cost of the smartphone down to sweet price point and as a result the Nexus 5 has become a main driver for many Android fans; it sold out on the first day it hit the UK retail outlets. I tried to get hold of one and they had flown out of the stores! This was the breakthrough Nexus that gave the iPhone a run for its money.

No, I still maintain that Android is not directly competing with Apple iOS simply because there are millions of Mac users around the world and therefore the iPhone enjoys a readymade marketplace (opened by its range of computers). As you know or may not know, the Mac computer was aimed squarely at the desktop publishing / graphic designer and these, often pompous, elitist folk felt that the combination of the Mac, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and a desktop publishing program for printing arty design magazines, etc liberated them from the mechanical processes of print. As a result they were prepared to pay what I feel is extortionate prices for a Mac. Once upon a time – if you hung around the graphic design circle – all you heard was, “Yah, Mac... Yah, design... Yah, Adobe...” That’s my attempt at visually reproducing the snooty, annoyingly smug Mac person. And I guess they had some justification for being that way...

The Apple Mac and Adobe revolutionized the print, publishing and design industries almost overnight! It was relatively easy to start, back in those days, a publishing company, design house and advertising agency, etc. If you could afford the top of the range Mac computers, high resolution scanners, software, etc that was half the battle won. And since the magazine industry was very much in its infancy it was not too difficult to create and publish new titles. In fact, it was thanks to technological advancements that created a whole new publishing industry based on computer aided design and music. Not to mention the handful of dedicated Mac magazines. Then the Windows PC came along and burst that elitist bubble! Steve Jobs was pissed and so were the Mac owners! From there we got the “us against them” mentality. Only the PC owners outnumbered the Mac elitists. As a result Apple was able to retain its high prices by maintaining that to own a Mac meant that one was a committed professional media producer. Owning a high-end Mac was and no doubt seen by many (Mac owners) as the Ferrari of the computer industry. The PC, in comparison, was like the American custom car build in that the PC allows folk to swap out components as and when. Need a new graphics card? Sure, remove the old one and insert the new one in. And with enough knowledge one can build a PC from scratch!

Fast forward to today, we can see that Apple has been usurped again. Jobs tried – and quite successfully – to make the iPhone seem like it was a precious stone made from rare meteorites. Jobs made a move to block Adobe and the Flash phenomenon was a dying wild beast in the jungle and maggots started to multiply in the thousands from that savage bite. Fancy that, eh? Flash, Adobe Flash had been entertaining a worldwide web audience from the mid 90s until now. It makes me laugh upon recalling the smirking Jobs’ face whenever he talked about Adobe Flash. For a while Google used Flash as a selling point, “Compatible with Adobe Flash...” as did BlackBerry with its Playbook tablet. It worked. However, Google dropped support for Flash as it had YouTube and that it was in its best interests to push for the HTML5 standard and wrestled a key medium from Adobe. Not only did Google put the wounded Flash beast out of its misery it killed off Apple’s QuickTime movie format too! Do you remember the days when you went to the Apple QuickTime site to watch movie trailers? Those days are gone thanks to YouTube, MP4 and the HTML5 video player format.

Effectively, Google was able to push its YouTube platform into the stratosphere and to move Android away from utilizing a media technology owned by Adobe. What Google has been doing and has done is to place its music, book and newsstand solutions over any other. And by making Android open source Google knew that the battle for world domination had been won already! Apple with its elitist ethos was not going to dominate the world with overly expensive handsets and tablets; this is what Jobs realized. Jobs had effectively shown that he hadn’t learned from making the Mac so expensive that it is often seen as specialist. Had Jobs looked more deeply into the future just about every household on the planet would have a Mac computer today! Instead the man had a thermonuclear meltdown! Imagine that, eh? Imagine missing the mark AGAIN!!! Cook, with a clearer head, can now see that iOS can never be as popular and it is futile to keep Jobs’ legacy of vengeance. Cook as recently said that he’ll, “...never produce a cheap iPhone...” He has also come out in full as being Gay. It’s amazing what the feeling of liberation can do! It must be a huge weight off his shoulders to be able to bury Jobs’ vendetta against Google Android with the man himself.

Google had taken the Microsoft model by making Chrome the antithesis of Internet Explorer and on top of that it made Chrome into an operating system! Essentially, Chrome OS could usurp Windows based computers as the relationship between them and Microsoft is quite frosty and every hybrid Android and Windows device has been blasted out of the sky (by Google). I get the feeling that Google is biding its time... Chrome OS is going to grow into something else... Now that Android has gone 64-bit and spans across many CPU architecture the next logical step has to be a dual bootable Chromebook / Chromebox or instead of a dual boot it would be a symbiotic boot as it is now! Google has recently made it possible to run some Android apps on Chrome OS. This is why Chrome OS and Android is not going to merge in the foreseeable future. In a sense they (Android and Chrome OS) have merged already; Yin and Yang.

What better company to sell Motorola to than Lenovo, a PC manufacturer? I can envisage that Lenovo will be one of the first computer manufacturers to produce a Chromebox Android PC and from that position Lenovo Motorola can push compatible smartphones, wearables and tablets in a way that Microsoft is struggling to. Microsoft has lost over $1 Billion pushing Windows RT. Apple is doing this seamless transition from device to device but the iPad is very much surplus to requirements. With Android and Chrome OS Google has made it so that just about everybody can own a device.

“Together we will go farther, faster. With an impressive portfolio of smartphones, wearables and PCs, our two companies will be uniquely positioned to push the boundaries of choice and value, and bring exciting new experiences to people everywhere.”

The desktop / laptop computer isn’t dead... Because Chrome OS can work on Windows based PCs it potentially makes the Windows PC a cocoon waiting for this Chrome / Android OS Symbiote to emerge. If and when this happens I can only hope that Google will be sure not to go the way the Amiga computer went: Great operating system, Workbench, but no blinking software worthwhile running on it!

We’ve seen very interesting shake ups with Google of late besides Android 5 Lollipop; CEO Larry Page has put Sundar Pichai in charge of all of Google’s major consumer products including Maps, Search, and Google+ as well as commerce and ads. Page is going to step back to take a look at the bigger picture! And the latest Nexus products: 6 & 9 (69 symbolizes perfection) and these products look perfect! Android 5 has come to herald a New Age of personal computing.

This could very well be the reason why Samsung has pulled out of producing PC products for the foreseeable future.

“Android 5.0 Lollipop, which comes on Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player, will also be available on Nexus 4, 5, 7, 10 and Google Play edition devices in the coming weeks...”

What better company other than Lenovo to pass the Motorola baton to?

“The iconic Motorola brand will continue, as will the Moto and DROID franchises that have propelled our growth over the past year. We will continue to focus on pure Android and fast upgrades, and remain committed to developing technology to solve real consumer problems. And we will continue to develop mobile devices that bring people unprecedented choice, value and quality.”

Just look at the great portfolio of Motorola handsets that literally came out of the blue and reinstated the Motorola brand as being amongst the top mobile device players in the world! In the meantime Nokia has bitten the dust and BlackBerry has produced another dud! Look at them:-

Moto X (1st Gen. & 2nd Gen.)

Moto G (1st Gen. & 2nd Gen.)

Moto G with 4G LTE

Moto E

Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini

These handsets are getting the sweet Lollipop upgrade! Yes, even the 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 dual-core Moto E with 4GB of internal storage is getting the Android 5 Lollipop upgrade! It makes me wonder as to how many budget Android handsets can receive the upgrade.

We are going to be seeing some awesome looking handsets in the future! I think the next Nexus devices will come from Lenovo!

In any event this lazy headline attention grabbing, Apple vs. Android thing should be well and truly dead now. Different operating and ecosystems yet Google have applications running on both platforms. Genius!

WEAR IT WITH STYLE

MORE WEARBLES ARE COMING
Glass and Moto 360 are just the tip of the iceberg... I am predicting that Google and Lenovo have already started exploring new designs of Glass and smartwatches; the quest is to make them even more cost effective to manufacture so that Glass can come in well below £700! I can only hope that will be the case! And as for smartwatches... I can see that they’ll morph into smartwristbands ranging from a 4” rectangular wrap-around band to the current wristwatch design. We’ll have to wait and see!

A BLANK SLATE

ANDROID TABLETS RISING
8 and 9 seems to be the magic numbers where Android tablets are concerned and I have been practically campaigning for 7 to be the new phablet size! Why? I want the 3G / 4G LTE enabled tablets to be able to utilize the standard mobile SIM. Because the 7” phablet is still seen as a tablet the mobile network providers wants to extract more money from the consumer with data only SIMs aimed at tablet users. I would like to change that! Anyhoo... The Nexus 9 looks superb and very, very desirable. But I do like the idea of a 7” 4G enabled tablet with a 64-bit CPU and made from modest materials! I’ve told you and will keep telling you that plastic is ultimately the most durable materials for tablets and handsets! Not only does plastic go some way to making your devices last longer it makes them very cost effective! Give me a 7” version of the Moto G any day of the week if it’s going to cost me around the £150 mark! Okay, £200 if it has a 64-bit processor and full HD screen! Make the darn thing thicker, place a super-high capacity battery in there and add a couple of USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and so on!

Look, the iPad Air 2 may possibly be the thinnest tablet in the known universe but this thinness comes at the expense of the battery! Tell me, what... ...is ...the ...point??? The prices of the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 are very high but what are these consumers really paying for, an LCD screen with an LED light underneath it??? C’mon, let’s stop this “the thinnest” nonsense and let’s have slates that are up to 12mm thick! Try it! Put a decent price on it and some USB 3.0, etc as stated above and I reckon they will fly off the virtual and physical shelves!

PACK IT IN OR PACK UP

OFFICIAL BATTERY PACKS
Finally, I would like to see official battery pack extensions that plug into the micro USB port for smarpthones and tablets because if Google (Apple and Microsoft) wants us to use our devices productively some serious longevity has to be built into the battery or have some way of juicing up our devices with official battery packs. Using an unofficial battery extension in my Galaxy S caused it to malfunction like an ED-209 (Robocop, 1987). This ties in to having thicker tablets (and handsets).

It remains to be seen if Lollipop will add some longevity to Android devices in general! Despite my absolute HATRED for non-removable batteries in smartphones – my HTC One X is finished after taking a few pictures and checking my Facebook in less than 2 hours – I had to get the second generation Moto G! I wanted to be amongst the first wave of fortunate individuals to experience pure Lollipop! What a milestone!

Roll on, Google! Roll on, Android 5 Lollipop! Roll on, Motorola Lenovo! So long, Andy Rubin! Thank you for Android!

There you! Some things to think about!

THANK YOU FOR READING!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT ANDROID TALK NEXUS 6

Above: On the right is the LG G3 and on the left is the forthcoming Nexus 6 / X.

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT 

ANDROID TALK 3:
NEXUS 6 OR X, HTC NEXUS TABLET & ANDROID 5

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! How are you? How’s it going? I hope you are well and making great progress with your tech – especially if you are embarking upon a project using your mobile device applications and computer software! Did I tell you that I have now joined the Android tablet ranks? Well, I have! I will post up a review shortly! Watch this space for my reveal...

Ooooh, yes! It’s now the first day of October and you know what that means? Absolutely! That’s right... ...we are closer to the next Google Nexus range of toys: phone(s) and tablet(s) to usher in the next version of Android!

#Android #Google #HTC #LG #ASUS #Samsung #Sony

NEXUS 6 OR X

"Shamu! Hee hee..." Bad Michael Jackson joke... 

What can I tell you that you haven’t already discovered through a web search on the subject of “Nexus 6 (X)”? Nothing other than I am looking forward to the reveal! These days I prefer not to do too much searching for clues and leave some space to be surprised. I don’t know about you but I do get tired of feeling disappointed after a massive build up! Hahahaha!

The one interesting aspect that I would like to mention is that it appears as though Motorola is manufacturing the next Nexus; “6”? I would like to think that it’ll be called Nexus 6 regardless of the biological Androids featured in the classic Sci-Fi movie ‘Blade Runner’. A mobile phone is different from a movie character and this shouldn’t present a potential litigation problem, right? This situation reminds me of when ASUS were being sued over the “Transformer” name! Pathetic! ASUS won by the way! Yay!

The Nexus 6 may be the penultimate design and release from Google Motorola before the baton is passed over to Lenovo! When Google first acquired Motorola I thought that one of the first things they would have done is the Nexus 5 but it still worked out great for LG! From what little I have seen the Nexus 6 looks very much like a bigger Moto X which is fine by me! If you haven’t heard the latest whispers the Nexus 6 may come at a nice 5.9” screen size. What? Too big? Not for me! The other whisper is that there will be a smaller version at 5.2”. I guess like the iPhone 6 situation! I am curious if the Nexus 6 model(s) will feature a 64-bit chip as my hope is that Google will show off the 64-bit enabled Android with style!

As I stated earlier, I haven’t bothered to look for “spec leaks” but logic tells me that the imminent Nexus 6 is going to be a great contender – more so than usual! I can’t say that I care too much if it’s 64-bit because a premium Android is blazing fast and, apparently, at least 4GB of RAM is needed to take advantage of the 64-bit chip architecture. I can’t confirm this repeated notion.

HTC NEXUS TABLET

Again, like the handset I have vague details such as the codename: “Volantis” and that it’s either a 9” or 8.9” in screen size. Oh, there is a strong rumour that it will feature a 64-bit Snapdragon CPU! The 64-bit CPU wouldn’t surprise me as HTC is said to be in the process of releasing a 64-bit handset shortly! We’ll see!

It’ll also be great if ASUS was still in the game to produce the 7” Nexus tablet as it’s still a handy size. Despite the iPad market in continual freefall the Android tablet market is still vital! Why? If you have been following my articles on the subject of the tablet market you will know why Android tablets will continue to flourish! But if you haven’t been following my articles... ...here goes...

1. The Android operating system, unlike Windows and OS X, is not cut from a desktop operating system. Therefore there is no hardware to cannibalize as with the iPad Air cannibalizing the Macbook Air for example. In theory, because Android 5 will be compatible across different CPU architectures there is a possibility for an Android based desktop and the 64-bit tablet could very well be what Microsoft is trying to achieve with the Surface tablet; great idea that comes at a great price – so much so that a decent laptop is preferable!

2. Cost! The Android tablet comes in at different price levels to serve entertainment / social media, basic productivity to high end productivity.

3. The 3G / 4G enabled tablet has become the new “phablet” and it is just a matter of time before the UK (that’s where I am based) and International networks allow us to use standard phone SIMs. At the moment it’s either the Internet (data) or call / text limits. Not good! But one can use either a main handset as personal Wi-Fi hotpot (tethering) or a dedicated Mi-Fi device to keep you connected on the go!

4. Because Google Play is being populated with quality applications specifically for the tablet it means that it has yet to peak! Whereas with the iPad it has gotten to a point whereby you may as well add a bit extra and get a Macbook Air because there is no longevity in the iPad; next year your expensive purchase is outdated already! You are better off using software as opposed to apps. The iPhone 6 Plus will most likely eat into the iPad market.

Android tablets of today has longevity built into them as the operating system becomes highly optimized and remember that Android devices over the last 2 years is blessed with decent hardware; there is a good chance that the 2013 Nexus 7, for example, will be able to upgrade to the latest operating system (Android 5). I would imagine that a top notch tablet that is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S range will last a good while! Just look at the Nexus 10 – it has stood the test of time!

5. Combining the points above, the Android tablet can be an inexpensive sketchpad of sorts that compliments a PC / MAC computer as the files produced on an Android tablet is compatible. It’s so easy to put the 7” Android tablet / phablet in a jacket / coat pocket and be productive on a bus journey for example. It’s not as precious as an iPad where you might feel uncomfortable showing it off in public – especially in London where crime is rife!

There you have it! There will come a time whereby we will stop using a PC or MAC desk or laptop as the Android apps have a greater potential fulfil our needs as we continue to embrace digital formats. It’s funny... I have seen apps that create physical greetings and postcards; why not just send the postcard digitally? We already do with WhatsApp and LINE. Why waste a tree for the purpose of such folly? It is Android that has given us a great range of cost effective handsets and tablets that everyone on the planet should have one by now! I love it that I can send a picture, video, recorded voice message, etc to anyone in the world! Okay, I have to admit to enjoying sending and receiving Christmas cards as such items become part of the decorations. Other than that the greetings and postcards are practically dead or dying! The cost of the domestic printer ought to come down somewhat! I digress slightly... ...as usual!

My jury is out on HTC manufacturing the next Nexus tablet as I feel that it hasn’t delivered the goods where the handset is concerned. Yes, the One (M7 & 8) are great looking handsets but the cameras let them down. The One isn’t complete as the Galaxy S4 & 5 is where the camera is concerned. Sure, the Galaxy S range looks minimal in comparison but the handsets deliver all-round! HTC has got to be on top of its game for the Nexus tablet and I hope they turn its fortunes around big time! HTC reminds me of none other than Rocky Balboa in that they keep taking knocks but come back with something potentially brilliant! C’mon, HTC!

THE MOTOROLA NEXUS TABLET?
I don’t know about you but I hoped that Motorola would get back into the tablet arena. Isn’t funny how circumstance can create the most amazing phenomena? From what I have understood early versions of Android could only support a low resolution and as a result that gave us the 7” tablet! Typically, Jobs laughed at the very idea of a 7” tablet made it clear that there would never a 7” iPad. Derisively, Jobs stated that tablet apps were nothing but stretched out phone apps. So, Google responded with Honeycomb, Android 3. Motorola put out the XOOM 10.1” tablet to mixed reviews followed by the XOOM 2. If I remember correctly there was some dispute with the “XOOM” name and along with the idea that Android wasn’t quite ready for a large tablet Motorola pulled the plug on its tablet range.

My how times have changed! I hope that Motorola will design and produce the Moto Nexus Pad X (???); I envisage that this tablet or set of tablets could be aimed at the mid-range with competitive pricing. I feel that the Moto X and G ranges are missing a tablet counterpart! So, the Nexus 6 phablet makes a great deal of sense. I feel that there is room for a nice 7” Moto Nexus tablet with slim bezels and that dual front-facing speaker design that is working well for Motorola right now! I reckon it’d be something if there was a 3G and / or 4G version(s) with a dual SIM slot enabling calls and data as Android folk are gravitating towards bigger handset screens. I don’t know about you but I LOVE these huge screens as it makes the consumption of media, surfing the Net and productivity such much better!

I guess I am dreaming – again! But that would be such a higher note (no pun intended) for Google Motorola to go out on before handing over the reins to Lenovo! All the best to Lenovo! Anyhoo... ...by all accounts the legacies of the Moto X, G and E is such a brilliant achievement! Just when you thought that Motorola weren’t happening! After the RAZRi the Moto X, G and E constitutes of a great return to form! And let’s not forget the customization of the Moto X by being able to choose from a great range of colours and unique materials such as bamboo and leather for the battery cover! Awesome! Oh, and the Moto 360 smartwatch! I must review the Moto 360 asap!

ANDROID 5: LOLLIPOP?

My girl lollipop... 

Now the rumour is that Android 5 will be called Lollipop as opposed to Lemon Meringue Pie which was looking very likely... ...in any event I can’t wait to experience the game changer that is Android 5! Google appears to have taken its time with getting the next version of Android right. I am quite sure that if Google followed Apple’s enthusiasm for jumping from iOS version 6, 7 to 8 with minor improvements I reckon we’d have reached Android 10 by now. And look at how iOS 8 has been plagued with inconsistencies... ...this is not to say that this can’t happen to Android but I get the feeling that Google have been putting Android 5 through the wringer!

I have understood that Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4 will get the Android 5 upgrade towards the end of the year! Hurrah! Fingers crossed on that one! I do find myself wondering as to how far back can Android 5 go... Will it be possible for the Galaxy S4 and Note 2 / 3, for example, to get the update?

And if you are using a Cyanogenmod ROM on some of your handsets when will the Cyanogenmod guys have CM12 (Android 5) ready for installation?

One thing is for sure: Thanks to Google, Android and the awe inspiring manufacturers we get another Christmasesque experience! Bring it!

That’s something to think about!

THANKS FOR READING...

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

REVIEWS & COMPETITIONS ARE COMING SOON!!! PLEASE STANDBY!!!

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT APPLE FALLOUT

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

APPLE TALK: THE FALLOUT
Good afternoon, Synapse Circuit Readers. How are you? I hope that all is well with you! It seems as though summer is coming to an end here in the UK... It’s gone all cloudy and it rains quite heavily from time to time...

I have had some rather interesting feedback with regards to the “Apple Talk” article. Amongst the quite frankly silly idea that my writing and sharing of the article is pretty much “clickbait” and responses of that sort of nature (and from mature adults too – shock horror) there were a few good ones...

#Apple #Samsung #Google #SteveJobs #TimCook #iPhone6 #iPhone6Phablet #iPhone6L #GalaxyNote4 #GalaxyAlpha

APPLE OF YOUR EYE?
OR IN YOUR EYE?
If you are an Apple fan boy or girl to the point of being blinkered then you are not going to be able to see that Apple is not the innovator that it was once. Google have surpassed Apple in many ways and it is hard for Apple fans to take in... Let’s take the iPhone as an example to show that Apple is lagging behind Google...

You would have to have a big chunk of Apple in your eye to not see that premium Android handsets are way in advance of the iPhone save for the 64-bit processor which doesn’t seem to have had a great effect on the iPhone. Premium Android handsets have the following advantages:

1. They are usually constructed with durable materials. Drop an iPhone and an Android phone on a hard surface and if both handsets get away with the screen being intact you are almost guaranteed that the iPhone will have dents and scratches.

2. iPhone fans are excited – quite rightly so – to be able to have a larger screen! Now for the past 2 or 3 years the premium Android handset screen has surpassed the Apple retina standard whereby to go on about the “retina screen” in their adverts has become very redundant.

3. Most premium Android handsets come with a removable battery! Whoohoo! There is nothing worse than being on the go and being aware that your battery is about to go any minute... With the Samsung Galaxy S and Note handsets the battery can be switched out with ease! Look at what has happened to the sale of LG’s G3 when a removable battery was incorporated into that beautiful handset! The sales have skyrocketed for LG! Good for LG!

4. The Android operating system is awesome! Sadly for Tim Cook and co they try to – in every press launch – mock the different versions of Android i.e. Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. But the average user cannot tell the difference between them. Android just works! Okay, I will concede that there can be a lag on pre-Jelly Bean versions of Android but I am not going to pull my hair out just because it takes milliseconds for an app to be launched after launching it.

I’ve said it once and a thousand times: Android is doing remarkably well considering the 100s of iterations of screen sizes, hardware, etc. Android L, version 5 (due this fall) is said to address such attributes. Because the iPhone and iPad are closed off devices – meaning that there aren’t multiple manufacturers making numerous versions with different screen sizes – Apple are therefore able to steer a tighter ship with regards to performance of the devices. However, because Android has so many options it is able to go provide devices at different price points.

5. Price! It has been said by a few iPhone fan boys and girls that there is a lot of “cheap crap” when it comes to some of the budget Android handsets out there. But that is consumer choice! The sad thing is that it is the sales person or persons at mobile device retail outlets who knowingly give a false impression to budget conscious customers wishing to get on the smartphone bandwagon. I’ve done some mystery shopping for the purpose of finding out what retailers tell prospective customers about budget Android handsets:

A. “This is a very good phone; it’s quite fast and has good memory on it...”
That’s an out and out lie. The budget handsets at the time I was investigating proved to have a single core processor and 512MB of RAM. While such a handset is good to make calls it makes a terrible job of delivering processor intensive apps such as social networking apps.

B. “You can store apps directly to the microSD card...”
Another lie! Either that or the person doesn’t realize that many applications just do not function on the microSD card. Google should make it so that apps can run from the microSD card.

I wish mobile devices retail outlet staff would stop being misleading for the purpose of a sale.

Sticking with price... One can enjoy the most latest up-to-date premium Android handsets on a contract whereby the upfront costs are minimal or nonexistent. Again, the budget conscious can get last year’s Android premium model such as the Galaxy S4 or the S3 for a great, great price.

On the mid-range level it is possible for the consumer to purchase an Android handset outright!

6. The Android handset comes in a range of different sizes to suit. If you want a handset with a larger screen for under £250 you’ve got it! Sure, you might have to compromise on a few details such as processor, RAM and screen resolution but it just goes to show how much of a marketing ploy “retina” was before the iPhone and other devices featured a high resolution screen. I have handsets with varying resolutions that I use just fine. But I do agree that a high screen resolution does make a difference but I would be prepared to compromise a little if the screen was good enough and large enough that I wouldn’t notice the pixels that much.

7. External storage. I don’t know about you but as soon as you start taking pictures and HD quality video your phone is filled up before you know it. But slip in a microSD card and you’re laughing. What? You’re not laughing? Oh... Of course you can use cloud based storage but Android has Google Drive, Dropbox and access to other cloud based storage.

8. Cameras of a very high resolution and quality. In tests that I have done between the Galaxy S5 and the iPhone 5S the Galaxy S5 wins by quite a good margin.

9. The concept of the “phablet”... Once upon a time the Android “phablet” was considered being between 5.5 to 6 inches. Not anymore. Android handsets have become delightfully larger yet still compact that above 6 inches can be considered as a phablet. This means that the 7 inch Android tablet is now in phablet territory and therefore Android tablet manufacturers have built in an onboard mobile broadband in the form of 3G and 4G. Now that is a powerful and liberating thing!

You have to bear in mind that a couple of years ago applications for the tablet was pretty thin but today there are more and more tablet oriented applications that are worth having!

What has been said by some iPhone and iPad fan boys and girls is that when they went for a Google Nexus 7 tablet they felt that they the apps were “just bigger versions of the phone app...” Duh! Well, kinda duh! Lol! The reason for “duh” is because that some apps are developed to cover the small to larger screen. And “kinda duh” is because the 7” tablet has now become a phablet whereby the 7” screen is not much bigger than a standard 5” or 5.5” handset so 7” is not that much of a leap (in screen size)! It may be a different story with an 8” or 10” tablet.

10. Design! Android users can pick from the wonderful designs from many manufacturers. Again, the LG G3 stands out a great deal. As for the iPhone design... ...it’s the same one only a little elongated!

WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
For a long while there were rumours of the Apple iWatch and it has yet to surface. Samsung and Google have beaten Apple to the punch where wearable technology is concerned. The offerings look interesting and Apple has the advantage of being able to usurp Google and Samsung with its own take on the smartwatch. However, Apple hasn’t got, as far as I know, an equivalent of Project Glass. You can say what you want about Project Glass but at least the technology exists and it could work given a chance. Sometimes such a technological breakthrough can be difficult to absorb in the first instance. Now that Project Glass is available on sale on the UK Play Store it is out there for those who can afford it. It makes me laugh that there are bans in place such as the cinema or movie theatre if you prefer. I couldn’t tell you when was the last time I went to the movies because many movies are just about entertaining at best. I can’t imagine myself smuggling in my Project Glass glasses (now there’s a mouthful) to record a crap movie for the purpose of preventing prospective movies goers from purchasing a ticket and / or the official DVD (when released).

Project Glass can be an alternative to the handset and some medical institutions / practitioners are using it to record medical procedures for teaching purposes. Project Glass is very interesting.

Will Apple come up with an alternative to Project Glass?

And carrying on with the eyes, Google have invented an electronic contact lens that is able to detect diabetes. I think that is a great invention. Perhaps the electronic contact lens can detect even more preventable diseases.

Apple have nothing to show - as of yet - where such wearable technology is concerned.

ANDROID TV?
Google have been leading up to Android TV for a while and has faced stiff competition from not only Apple but other players on the computer television front too. I thought Chromecast was a major development in that little dongle that you plug into your HDMI enabled monitor / TV and stream content on the screen using the Android (and iPhone) handset(s). But to bring Chromecast in at £30 is pretty remarkable!

Let’s face it... British UK cable channels are really not very good at all! Take the Channel 4 additional channel E4 as an example whereby it is pure repeats on that channel and when a season of, let’s say, The Big Bang Theory comes to an end that season then goes on Channel 4 and creates an endless repeat cycle. I am fortunate in that I am not a sports fan whereby I have got to see the latest game, etc. But these days one can watch many terrestrial TV channels via the smartphone and Samsung has made it possible to also stream what’s on the mobile screen to the TV screen!

Then there is Amazon and the Kindle range of tablets that uses a version of Android to deliver entertainment to its users. Amazon Kindle can only be made possible by Android.

But the upcoming Android TV can further change the way we view television and films.

And if you are watching a video, TV program or movie doesn’t it look great on an Android handset or tablet compared to the postage stamp of an iPhone screen? You know it does! Ha ha!

TABLETS
I am not going to write too much on tablets as I have already written about tablets and phablets but in case you missed those articles:

The iPad and its mini variations have gone into a sales decline. The reasons for this is because the iPad is surplus to requirements if you already own a Mac or PC and have purchased a bunch of relatively expensive software for the tasks of desktop publishing, video editing, music composition, graphics and so on. It is cheaper for the PC person to go out and buy a decent laptop and use real software as opposed to apps on the iPad. Sure, it may not be a tablet but, to me, the tablet seems rather redundant for PC and Mac owners with the astronomical Surface Pro tablet (Microsoft) and the iPad respectively.

An Android tablet can be cost effective to enjoy for specifics:

Gaming – a review of the Archos GamePad 2 is coming very soon!

Entertainment – music and video

Social Networking / Web Surfing

Music Composition

Video Editing

Office Productivity – Microsoft Office alternatives

Photo Editing / Manipulation

The above represents what one typically would like to do with or on a tablet.

Expenditure on the iPad may be considered as overkill for most people. And as stated before, if you have a decent laptop in the form of a delightful Macbook or a decent PC then you’d just get on with bring productive, game playing or enjoying entertainment on those devices. Very often the laptop is considered to be secondary to the desktop which is often more of a powerful computing beast. So, the tablet may be overkill – especially if it has no built in broadband connection i.e. 3G / 4G. If you had to send a document off you’d rely on Wi-Fi from establishments such as shopping malls, cafes and so on and they may not be safe when taking documents and files of a personal nature into consideration. You’d rather enjoy your own Wi-Fi or stay at home and be productive. The point I am making is that you can just be as productive with a laptop on the way to wherever and connecting with Wi-Fi once you’ve reached your destination. Yes, you can use your phone has a Wi-Fi hotspot but it may cost you extra and if you wanted to take out a contract on any broadband enabled tablet that will cost you in addition to your phone!

Enter the cost effective Android mobile broadband enabled tablet that is good enough to do many of the tasks above. Many people find it necessary to have an additional handset either through pay as you go (PAYG) or via another contract that could be a very cost effective SIM only deal or on such an affordable contract 3G or 4G enabled 7” or 8” inch tablet. But it is possible to purchase such a 7” 4G enabled tablet for around £200! All one would need at that point is a SIM only deal! Hurrah! And if you are not self-conscious regarding making and receiving calls on your 7” 3G / 4G enabled tablet you have a secondary phone! Rejoice! The 3G enabled 7” tablet or phablet is even cheaper! The lowest price I have seen on such a 3G 7” tablet is £80! Of course a lot depends upon the processor and RAM for such intensive tasks as gaming! As mentioned before, the NVIDIA Shield gaming 8” tablet could be what you need!

The one possible downside is that the inexpensive all-round tablet can suffer – if you can call it that – from a low resolution screen but that shouldn’t stop anyone from doing a document in the equivalent of Word for Windows. A low resolution screen shouldn’t stop you from editing video with material that you have transferred from your lap or desktop that could have originated from a dedicated camcorder or smartphone to the tablet. I can see myself editing a video knowing that I may have to spend a considerable amount of time travelling be it on a bus, train, boat or plane!

And there are great music making apps for Android that will allow me to compose on the smartphone but would look better still on a 7” phablet or 8” and above tablet. As I do not have a laptop and I do not feel the inclination to get one I want a tablet with a built in broadband to work injunction with my PC set-up at home.

What I like about the 7” Android phablet or tablet is that it is compact; it can fit in the inside pocket of my jacket quite easily. And because it is made of high grade techno plastic material I don’t have to worry about a pocket rivet or zip scratching the body. The glass screens are quite durable too and if need be I can get protective case that doesn’t add much bulk.

So, in many respects Jobs was right to decry the 7” tablet because it exposes the over expensive premium iPad illusion. And what does Cook do as soon as Jobs was out of the picture? That’s right, put out a 7.9” iPad – the mini! Game over! So, why put out a 7.9” iPad mini if the original iPad is selling well? Because it wasn’t selling well! Why kill the cash cow? What purpose does that serve? To reach the budget conscious with a smaller iPad! As stated before Apple’s idea of premium prestige made sure the iPad mini wasn’t competitive in price thus leaving the market free for Android to exploit.

And when the iPad and mini variants weren’t able to compete they tried to claw back revenue through litigation and trying to force competitive slates from being sold in the States and abroad. Who can forget when Apple was made to - by a UK court - publish an apology and retraction on the UK Apple website that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet did not copy the iPad? Apple being what they are couldn’t publish the retraction without being sarcastic and was made to republish the retraction. Bad, bad PR. Ha ha ha! Shameful!

Could the iPad make a comeback if made from a high grade but inexpensive plastic and onboard 4G as default? I reckon if Apple could have £150 off the cost the iPad will sell.

GMAIL
You would have to be found living under a rock if you didn’t (a) never heard of Gmail and (b) do not have a Gmail account or two! I think Gmail is such an amazing invention in that it fits right into the Google plan of things... Who would have thought that having a Gmail account would connect you up to the Android operating system that leads to the Play Store, G + and other perks that comes with the most popular operating system in the world to date? It is ingenious! Was this the plan all along? But what I appreciate about Gmail is that I am not hemmed in like I would be if I were under Apple.

Gmail is a Godsend to small businesses with an online presence i.e. a website that wishes to avoid extortionate email plans from web hosting providers. It is so easy to open up a Gmail account and start communicating with others. And the beauty is that one can have Gmail on iOS and Windows!

Google, through Gmail alone, has changed the way small businesses and people in general send and receive electronic mail! Although there are some great email apps for POP / IMAP accounts but there aren’t as reliable as the Gmail app. Messages come through 95% of the time in real time via 3G and flawless under 4G and home broadband connection through Wi-Fi. POP / IMAP email apps do not always detect incoming mail automatically and so therefore you have to check manually if you can remember! It is just easier to use Gmail.

G+
G Plus like all the social networking facilities have the usual flaws i.e. trolls and individuals who think that they the judge, jury and executioner of such social networks and forums. See my articles on AntiSocial Networking if you haven’t read them already!

Recently Google has allowed people to assume whatever name they wish to use on G+; I always said that G Plus, Facebook and others were wrong to assume that by using an alternative name to denote an allegiance to a particular culture / subculture. Such people using a name that they have chosen for themselves are more likely to behave in an honest way within a social network. My actual name has presented a problem for Google and I had to prove my identity! Lol!

Facebook
I like Facebook because I get to meet and see genuine people; it is very social. It is fairly easy to make friends / new connections with individuals, groups and pages.

Twitter
Twitter has proven to be difficult to interface with people and it takes ages to establish a rapport with people.

In comparison I think G Plus / G+ is like a hybridization of the Facebook Group / Pages with its Communities. But because the G+ interface is more Twitter than Facebook I find it hard to get to strike up a rapport with individuals. As mentioned in the opening of this article, when promoting my articles I get accused of foolishness:-

“Click bait”! What’s gonna happen when you click on the link to my article? The way some people carry on you’d be forgiven for thinking that I was uploading the digital equivalent to the Ebola virus! Gosh!

“Spam”! I don’t understand that... It’s a clear link to an article and you can decide if it is relevant or not. You do not have to click on the Google Ads if you don’t find them relevant. I digress a little but the point I am making is important for independent writers / bloggers wishing to find an audience and the G+ communities really do a good job of channelling my work to intelligent readers and I am slowly but surely building a rapport with people but it is much faster than with Twitter!

What G Plus could do with is a interface overhaul so that it resembles Facebook a little more; other than that I think G+ could around for ages to come. Since its founder, Vic Gundotra departed from Google there have been rumours going round that Google will shut down G+ at some point. I surely hope not; the interface just needs a little tweaking and Google will have a real winner on its hands.

But Apple, as far as I know, does not have its own social networking platform. Others have criticized and mocked G+ yet it has very strong Apple based communities. How’s that for irony?

C’MON, ADMIT IT
Whether you want to admit it or not as an Apple fanatic Google has overtaken – at least for now – the mantle of true innovation / innovators. Do not misunderstand me; I appreciate what Apple has done by the way of the introduction of design ethos to the world of computing. I so appreciate the way in which Jobs turned the fortune of Apple around with the iMac. Personally, I thought the iMac was an ugly looking computer but it sure stopped people from thinking of the computers as off-white / cream-ish coloured boxes that you have to attach things to in order to make it work. I’ll tell you something funny... Swallow whatever you have in your mouth as I do not want to be responsible for messing up your screen... A friend of mine told me how her son put his computer together and I thought she meant build the thing from putting the motherboard into the case and so on. What she was referring to was the connection of the monitor, keyboard, mouse and monitor. I had to get up and go to the WC to laugh!

Anyway, I thought it was a masterstroke for Jobs and Ives to redesign the computer. I was actually considering purchasing a Mac computer. Another thing that I loved about the Mac computer is the default software package iWork. Kudos! It made me want to get one of those mini Macs just to exploit some of the iWork software. I forget what the web design program was but what put me off was that I had to get a closed off Mac account in order to make the most of the web functions so I opted for a PC instead and a couple of great web design software: Serif PagePlus and Xara Web Designer. Even then I noticed how Apple can lock you into its ecosystem. I didn’t like that.

I have also noticed that Apple / Jobs are good a reinventing concepts from others. Check the Synapse Circuit interactive PDF issue on how Apple reinvents. Essentially, the iPhone and its operating system, iOS, are like the Symbian as utilized by Nokia – particularly with the N95 handset - and other manufacturers. And the iPad is an idea from different sources including Microsoft’s desire to create a fully blown computer in a tablet form that proved to be too expensive (and still is) and so the project was dashed! It doesn’t take a genius to realize that instead of trying for a computer in a tablet form a new computing platform can be spawned from developing applications for the larger non-cellular iPad? Or does it? Microsoft didn’t see iOS and subsequently Android coming. It’s only natural that Android would want to populate its devices with applications too! Just like there was Facebook for Symbian devices and – if I am correct – Samsung’s Bada so it must follow that there would be a Facebook app for Android and so on and so forth. Again, it was such a pity that Apple / Jobs wanted to go “Thermonuclear” just because Android stole the iPhone and iPad thunder!

THE GOOGLE TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION CONTINUES
It looks as though Google are again revolutionizing computing with Android L and Chrome OS. As you know Android L supports 64-bit architecture and also supports x86 processors by AMD & Intel. In addition to the forthcoming Android 5 (L) there is already a version of Android for the x86 processor via Android-x86.org, you can install it on your old PC lying around – probably! But it the official Android 5 release hints at the possibility of it being ported over to the PC! Wow! Are you envisioning software that one can run on the PC running Android? Fancy that... ...being able to run Android on just about any PC configuration! Would the power scale up from the ARM processor to old Pentiums (is that possible? I must check on that...) up to the latest processors from AMD and Intel to enable fast editing of full HD to 4K video and so on?

And then there is the Chromebook computer with Chrome OS and there are some models that utilize Intel i3 and i5 processors. The Chromebook, like Android handsets, are manufactured by leading players in the computer industry:

Acer
Asus
HP
Samsung

These Chromebooks are weaving its way into the mainstream i.e. students, schools and families as they are so inexpensive. And nowadays it is possible to watch and edit videos, create documents in a similar and compatible vein of Microsoft Office products (Word, Xcel and PowerPoint) and other productivity apps that one can use offline. I must say that there are great productivity apps for the Chrome OS and recently Google have announced more integration with Android! Oh, many apps are also available for Android too so there is a crossplatform pollination going on. It could very well be that Chromebook laptops may take the place of the Windows laptop. As for Windows Surface... Hmmmm... Let’s face it, Windows RT is a waste of time and computing giant, Dell, has announced that it will not be releasing anymore hardware with Windows RT. It is just pointless! Perhaps Microsoft should adopt Android or Chrome OS on its future computers and ditch Windows for mobile devices too!

In any event Google are certainly offering very great alternatives to often very expensive laptops such as the Macbook. Still, there is some mileage in both the PC and Mac. The prices of the PC keep coming down – even high end game stations are starting at a lower price point. Will Apple follow suit and make more affordable computers and mobile devices? I have noticed that there isn’t a buzz / rumour on the possibility of the iPhone 6C. Hmmmm...

FINALLY...
It is said that both Apple’s and Google’s goal is to “make money”. Sure, but it appears to me that Apple wants to sell us the idea of elitism whereas Google wants to make the world a better place through technology and therefore the innovations go deeper into our lives. Fit me up with one of those contact lenses so that I can find out if I drink too much sugar and avoid diabetes. Put another lens in my eye to give me the highest resolution screen so that I can enjoy movies, etc. Yeah, fuse those lenses to my corneas. While you are at it, Google, I’d like a discreet exoskeleton too! Yes, I have been watching Elysium and the tech just makes me think of you (Google). But please cut out the pseudo-Fascist robots – we can do without that nonsense! Thank you!

OH, THE 200M iPHONE 6 UNITS...
Yes, it has been revealed by several sources that the iPhone has sold 150 million units in 2013 but is this just the 5S alone or the combination of 5C? Oh well... On that basis there is speculation that Apple has produced 100 to 200 million iPhone 6 units and it is unclear if this is for the 4.7 inch or 5.5 inch version.

Above: The Mi4 from Xiaomi that poses yet another threat to the iPhone 6.

In any event I’ve not budged from my position which is to state that I estimate the production is a lot less due to the emerging markets in China to the point whereby the mighty Samsung has been toppled from being the number one selling handset manufacturer. It appears to be that Xiaomi and Lenovo / Motorola have risen to meet market demand in their territory and as a result this will most likely have an adverse effect on the iPhone 6 market there.

Then there is Samsung’s killer device to be announced on the September 3, 2014... Yes, the Galaxy Note 4! As always there are the usual rumours and a mix of desired features that gets thrown up in “leaks” and whatnot. I have avoided writing on speculations on the Galaxy Note 4 for the simple reason that I want to be surprised! Ha ha! I can tell you what I would like to see and that would be a new out there design based around a YOUM flexible screen, a 20MP camera with optical stabilization and a 64-bit processor but somehow I don’t think all of that is going to happen. But I digress... It is os easy to go off on tangents when considering the possibilities!

I do believe that the Galaxy Note 4 poses a huge threat this time around to the iPhone 6 and if the rumours prove to be accurate that Apple is going to announce it on September 9, 2014 it is because Apple has seen the Galaxy Note go from strength to strength! Many iPhone users didn’t opt for 5S or 5C and went for a Galaxy Note 3 instead! And many iPhone users have told me that they intend on getting the Galaxy Note 4 over the iPhone 6! It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest! The Galaxy Note form factor from screen to the S Pen, split screen multitasking and productivity software is just amazing! I think initially it was meant for business but so many people have gone for the Galaxy Note that is possibly overshadowing the Galaxy S! Well, that’s cannibalism. Or is it?

That’s something to think about!

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SYNAPSE CIRCUIT GOOGLE TALK

 Android L 5: Finally supporting 64-bits!

Android One: The sub $100 handset to enter world markets!

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

GOOGLE TALK
Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers. What’s happening tonight? What are you up to? Well, I can see that a lot of you have read my latest articles including the latest one on Apple!

Here’s the lowdown on Google...

#Google #Asus #Samsung #HTC #Nexus6 #AndroidL #Android5

SHOULD GOOGLE BE SCARED?
You know what I am on about... Should Google be scared of the imminent iPhone 6 launch whereby it is said that Apple have been said to have manufactured something like 150-odd million iPhone 6 units ready to engulf the competition... Oooh! Be afraid. Be very afraid...

Hmmmm... Gone are the days where iPhone fans sleep out on the streets in line to the Apple store to be the very first of a batch of very special people to hold the iconic smartphone. I saw people walk up to the iPhone 5 and walk away again in the stores upon the first day of release. Gone are the days where the iPhone is the dominant handset on the streets! Today paints a different picture of London’s hip inhabitants brandishing their sense of fashion regarding their choice of handset or handsets as so many people have a secondary phone! And from what I can see in my weird and wonderful neighbourhood the iPhone is outnumbered by around 10 to 1 by an array of Samsung handsets that includes the Galaxy S4, S5 and Note 3. Then it’s HTC One M7 and M8 followed by Sony and LG handsets. Oh, the other day I saw a rare Acer Liquid S2 and it looked great! Whoa! I went off on a little tangent there... The question is: Can the iPhone 6 recapture the smartphone market? The short answer is probably not... And now for the long answer...

ANDROID 5 / ANDROID L

The current buzz in the world of smartphones is Android L, version 5! When Apple announced the forthcoming iOS 8 what must have struck even the most ardent of iPhone fans can see that iOS 8 has taken so much from Android – especially the interactive notifications! Therefore I would imagine that many iPhone fans are secretly curious about the originator of mobile operating system innovation, Android! I know I would be! Just as I am curious about the iPhone 6, Samsung’s Tizen and Microsoft’s Windows phones – any development in mobile device technology! As a result of this perceived curiosity I reckon that many iPhone users will hold off on the iPhone 6 until they see what else is on offer! Yes, I do not deny that I am an Android fan as I have worked out that it is the best operating system for my needs and if you think differently I won’t begrudge you for it! Lol! I am happy. You’re happy! End of! But as an Android fan I have to say that I am very, very interested in what I think is the biggest and most important release of Android – version 5 codenamed “L”.

Check out my coverage of this year’s Google i / O to find out in depth why I and millions of others are excited about Android 5:-

i / O 2014 Thoughts & Reaction

In a nutshell Android 5 – the preview – looks simply amazing and it looks as though it is going to blast other mobile operating systems out of the water for shear innovation. This “Material” development looks like magic! I for one can’t wait to have Android 5 on my devices!

NEXUS

If you know anything about Google then you will know that with each major release of Android comes a new device in the form of a Nexus handset. Nexus is the only way to enjoy Android in its pure form. Android 5 could possibly present a problem for manufacturers that uses a user interface (UI) overlay to effectively cover Android that is unique to each manufacturer i.e. Samsung uses ‘TouchWiz’ and HTC uses ‘Sense’ and so on.

Android 5 will be a milestone when released and one can be said that it its coming of age. Android 5 could very well be the point at which Google will lay down rules regarding manufacturers using their own custom UI on top! Will these manufacturers comply? I would imagine that the top Android handset manufacturers will see the UIs as a means of identification and therefore there is bound to be some friction with a few manufacturers... Yes, I have Samsung in mind! Lol! But if Samsung and other manufacturers were to use Android 5 without using a UI overlay it could result in more sales as many, many people do not like TouchWiz or any other UI. I don’t like HTC Sense as a personal choice. The main point of focus should be Android and with version 5 it should come as a gift to manufacturers. If I am correct, Huawei have used the official Google Now launcher on their latest handsets and I presume that this is to usher in the pure Android experience when it is released this Fall. Perhaps Huawei have inspired other manufacturers to drop custom UIs to preserve the integrity of what will no doubt be the most advanced and greatest operating system in the world. I guess it helps that Android has the world share of the market! Manufacturers should be thinking the following:-

1. Creating a launcher that users can either download or purchase on Google Play; a “launcher” is an alternative user interface to customise the Android interface. So, if you don’t like the current interface on your handsets just go to the Google Play Store and type in “launcher”. Take your pick!

2. Custom widgets to add more functionality to Android.

3. Developing applications for the office; school / education; video editing; music composition and so on. I reckon manufacturers can make a fortune by selling quality apps that you will find on iOS devices. I know that I would purchase good apps that allow me to be productive!

Let’s not forget that Android L is compatible with 64-bit processors and this should start a new era of applications that will resemble programs on the PC or MAC. This also means that there will be a new era of handsets...

The Nexus 6! Already there is rumour that the Nexus 6 handset will be a 6 inch manufactured by Lenovo / Motorola and feature a 64-bit processor! Gosh! Again, 6 inches will not be considered to be a “phablet” by today’s standards and what better way to show off Android 5 than on a big screen? We could be seeing a Nexus 6 handset in October at the earliest to coincide with the release of Android 5!

There are also rumours about the next Nexus tablet that is said to be 8 inches and manufactured by HTC. Other rumours say that it will be made by Asus again! Either way I don’t mind as HTC and Asus make great products! And yes, there is rumour that the new Nexus tablet will feature a 64-bit processor. Now does this mean that Google will stop making a 7 inch tablet? Is this the end of the line for the Nexus 7 tablet? Could the Nexus 7 become a “phablet” in the not so distant future? The market indicates that this is what the “phablet” has evolved into. Me? I am all for it! It is so enjoyable to be able to be productive on the move on a big screen. The amount of articles I have started whilst on public transport; the music I have been composing and the poetry that I write on my Galaxy Note 2 is a dream for my busy and creative mind. My Galaxy S4 just looks small now in comparison.

I wonder if the new Nexus tablets will feature 4G by default and thus doing away with the need for a Wi-Fi version. It makes sense to me! The cost of adding 4G is really very small that it is not worth creating a Wi-Fi only model.

PHONEBLOKS

Phonebloks or Project Ara is yet another exciting development to come from Google. It is said that a working Phonebloks modular handset should be with us by December. It has great implications where customization is concerned but how will Phonebloks affect other Android manufacturers? Will people stop purchasing / taking out contracts on premium handsets? There again I would imagine that manufacturers would be creating the kind of Sci-Fi looking handsets through the mastery of the flexible screen and being able to print circuit on paper thin materials that would allow for foldable handsets and tablets.

In the meantime I would love to have a Phonebloks handset when it is fully realized! I wonder if it will be possible to create an Android kit in a similar fashion to the Raspberry kits whereby folk can learn how to program and perhaps create apps too! With Google anything is possible!

PREDICTION
I do enjoy making predictions because I am often wrong or proved right in the long term! Lol! But it is fun to make predictions...

The Apple biased tech-media have it that Google Android has peaked and thus this notion paves the way for the iPhone. Now if Android has peaked with handsets featuring 5 inch and above 4K screens then how do they think the iPhone 6 will go down? Surely if Android has peaked then this could mean that the iPhone could effectively be finished too! But the truth is that Android handsets have peaked by the way of design with the exception of the LG G3 and that a new era of design is about to kick in – it already has! The first wave of this new era has seen the “phablet” stretch to 6.5 inches to 7. We’ve seen the 7 inch Android Galaxy Q launched in China!

Designs accommodating the flexible screen are coming! But in the meantime what will happen is that what was once considered as high-end such as the Galaxy S4 will be sold for around £150! The low-end handset will retail at around £30! We will see these low-end handsets coming from China and will be made from surplus quad-core CPUs when the 64-bit CPU comes into effect. I will give it a year or a little under.

Although Apple got the jump on the 64-bit processor it is unable to compete at the mid to low end of the Android handset market. And these low-end handsets will be very powerful and capable. I would imagine that Apple will continue with this “premium” idea of what a iPhone should be and that will continue to hammer the nails of its coffin lid tightly shut!

APPLE’S MISTAKE

Apple made the mistake of entering pointless and continual litigations that effectively cost its reputation. Now that is ONE MASSIVE PR FUMBLE!!!! The constant litigations sent a message to the consumer that the competitors are better; why else would they try to get competitive products off the shelves (so to speak)?

When you’re busy initiating litigations all over the world you are not taking care of business at home! Apple should have been making inroads to make its loyal followers understand that it is in their best interests to be able to choose mobile devices of differing screen sizes and to forego this idea of “premium” materials that have proven to be delicate. My nephew’s iPhone 5S looks like it has been in a warzone in comparison to my Galaxy S2 that looks pretty much like it did when I first got it! Because Tim Cook was haunted by the ghost of Jobs he kept pursuing this idea that iOS is so different from Android when with each iOS update it took on Android attributes; a lot of people can see through that.

The way forward for the iPhone is to allow it to integrate with Google and Microsoft mobile devices and to bury or cremate this “us against them” attitude with Jobs. Technology should bring us together instead of dividing us.

That’s something to think about!



NO!
I don’t think Google are going to lose much sleep over the iPhone 6. Google has its objectives to meet for this and the foreseeable years to come! I haven’t even touched about Android Wearable; TV and Auto. Writing a good article on Google is hard work because they have so many irons in the fire! What will happen to the driverless cars? What are they going to do with all that robot technology they have purchased? What’s the future of Project Glass? Is there a Project Glass 2 in the pipeline? Will it cost considerably less? In a way the Android handset and tablet battle – if there was one – has already conquered a vast majority of the world. I reckon Google are currently thinking beyond handsets and tablets. The day is fast approaching when you will be able to pick up a quad-core pre-64bit CPU for £30! Already we can pick up a 7 inch 3G enabled tablet from Archos for £80! Come Christmas ’14, handsets and 3G / 4G enabled tablets will be sold very, very inexpensively that Apple and possibly Microsoft will be sitting it out in the cold. This will not be the fault of Google why these other tech giants aren’t competitive. No! It will be the result of pointless litigation over innovation. Manufacturers have to give consumers what they want. If a manufacturer wants to stick its head in the sand and say, “We are the epitome of premium prestige...” then good luck! When the innovation of a retail outlet is placed above the products within you know something is wrong.

Roll on Google! Show me what you’ve got!

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