Android
An Android Review for iOS Users: Home Screens (Day 2)
This is part 2 of a 5 part series on Android from the perspective on an iOS user.
* Part 1: Third Party Apps
* Part 2: Home Screens
* Part 3: Notifications
* Part 4: All the Little Things
* Part 5: Conclusion
Today's post is going to be quite a bit more positive than yesterday'
Android
An Android Review for iOS Users: Third Party Apps (Day 1)
This is part 1 of a 5 part series on Android from the perspective on an iOS user.
* Part 1: Third Party Apps
* Part 2: Home Screens
* Part 3: Notifications
* Part 4: All the Little Things
* Part 5: Conclusion
We'll get into some specific Android system features in later pieces, but I had
Android
An Android Review for iOS Users: Introduction
Ah, the great Android vs iOS debate. It's the great computing rivalry of our time, and odds are that if you are reading this, you have a particular opinion on the matter. Maybe you're a "fandroid" and will love Android until your dying days, or maybe you're
Android
The little things that make Android so great and so terrible
Everyone reading this site likely knows I'm an iOS guy, but I've been spending the last week with Android 100% of the time. I have a Moto G4, which is a near stock Android phone with respectable specs and is running Android Marshmallow. Here are some of the little things I&
Android
24 hours with Android
It seems like I do this every year like clockwork. The weather starts to get colder, we start buying presents for each other, and I start using Android again. Last year it was the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge1 and before that was the HTC One M8 and Moto X, and before that it was the
Android
Don't Live in the Past
I saw this tweet today and it blew me away:
https://twitter.com/vladsavov/status/791774827107520520
That's a photo straight out of the Google Pixel camera, and it looks stunning. Say what you will about this being a fluke, or how the iPhone would have done even better, but you have to admit
Android
Nexus Owners are Getting the Shaft
Good piece on 9to5Google on Google’s unfortunate move to make Nexus phones second rate Android devices:
Google’s new Pixel smartphone doesn’t really have much to justify its premium price on the hardware side. It has the “best smartphone camera ever” perhaps (that’s still yet to be officially determined, other than by
Android
Who Gets Android Updates?
There are two main reasons people will buy a Nexus (now Pixel) phone:
1. They want stick Android, not a heavy third party skin
2. They want to get software updates
These are things that are not givens in the world of Android, as the vast majority of people are running a version of Android
Android
Why an Expensive Nexus (Pixel) Phone Could Work
There are some pretty credible rumors out today indicating that the new phone from Google will start at $650, just like the iPhone and Galaxy S7. Many Google fans are upset by this, and I don't entirely blame them. The Nexus 6P currently retails for $499, so a $150 jump in price is
Android
Android Nougat Multitasking is a Little Rough
https://youtu.be/8d2AjjLJlYg
Split screen multitasking in iOS 9 was my favorite new feature Apple introduced last year, so I was happy to see Android catch up this year and add split screen as well. As is the Android way though, this feature is only really half-baked in this first incarnation.
You first
Android
Just Reboot Your Phone Once a Day
Samsung's official advice to people is to reboot your phone once a day to ensure it's performance stays solid. Here's a screenshot in case that link breaks:
I'm beside myself, I really am. How is it 2016 and Samsung's advice for keeping your phone running
Android
Android Speed Over Time
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before:
Last year's ABC XYZ suffered from performance issues caused by software bloat, as well as generally poorly optimized software. Today's XYZ 2 thankfully does not suffer from these same problems, and this is one of the fastest smartphones I've ever
Android
The Perks of Being an iOS User
Google Photos is one of the most valuable tools on my phone. It's a wonderfully accessible archive of all the photos I have ever taken. Smart searching is Google Photos' killer feature, as I can find just about any photo by simply typing the name of something in that photo.
Google also
Android
Why Truly Standalone Apps are Android Wear 2's Biggest New Feature
I'm a well-known lover of smart watches, especially the Apple Watch. And while I think Pebble is doing good work in the smart watch space, Android Wear has never really impressed me that much. The hardware looked really bad and the software was way too limited. But Google just had their I/
Android
Greener Grass
Marco Arment wrote a good piece yesterday about how Apple could become the next Blackberry in the smartphone world if they're not careful.
If Google is wrong, and computing continues to be defined by a tightly controlled grid of siloed apps that you poke a thousand times a day on a smooth rectangle
Android
Google Didn't Win Over this Apple Fan at I/O 2016
Each year's Google I/O is a tough time for me. I'm an iOS user, and have been for many years, but Google's big annual developer conference always gets me thinking maybe I should switch to the other side. They show off this cool technology that makes me think
Android
2 Android N Features I Want Apple to Steal for iOS 10
First and foremost, Apple needs to look at how Android's notification shade handles access to commonly-used settings. Apple's current solution, Control Center gets the job done for some things, but I would wager that most people don't use it as often as Apple would like.
Android N'
Android
4K Android N Wallpapers That Look Good on Any Phone
Google surprised the world by announcing and releasing the developer beta for Android N today. It's an unexpected move from the company that tends to save these releases for their Google I/O conference or a Nexus event in the fall.
The beta only runs on Nexus phones so you're probably