Gizmodo lists the best new features of ICS:
http://gizmodo.com/5851181/the-bestnew-features-in-android-40-ice-cream-sandwich?tag=android
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Looks like Google/Samsung couldn't do any better...
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Gizmodo lists the best new features of ICS:
http://gizmodo.com/5851181/the-bestnew-features-in-android-40-ice-cream-sandwich?tag=android
I'm interested in the Nexus as well. Did they say anything about what carriers they support? Will it be a world phone that supports all GSM/LTE frequencies? And what about T-Mobile USA with their wierd frequencies?
What I'm really looking for is a unlocked phone that can run on ATT and T-Mobile in the US and on GSM in Europe and that also supports LTE to be future proof. The iPhone does not support LTE.
The best thing for all of us is the competition, because it allows neither company is able to rest on their laurels. We've seen Apple work very hard to add feature parity, and now we're seeing Google work on bringing more "ease of use" parity.
Along the way, we're seeing great ideas get "borrowed" by each platform. Apple borrowed notifications from Android, Android has borrowed a lock screen camera, system wide screen shots, and a few other interface ideas from Apple.
In the meantime, new features get tossed in, like NFC, screen resolution wars, widgets, voice recognition, etc. This pushes the envelope so that the next generation of our smartphones will do even more.
I am happy that Android might be catching up to Apple, cause it will spur Apple to be more competitive.
Uh, Android caught and passed iOS a little over a year ago.
Please notice how the core features of iOS 5 (new notifications and voice recognition) have been in android for over a year already.
iOS still doesn't have as many features as Android. It probably never will due to the closed ecosystem that Apple prefers.
Android will always have better specs than iOS devices and their operating system will always have more features. Apple knows it can come out with small upgrades and still demolish competition. It doesn't need all the fancy features of these Android devices to be number 1. Most of these people on here talking about they wasn't going to buy the 4S because it is a small upgrade, went and bought it anyway...myself included. Apple has us right where they want us...they know we ain't leaving, and even if we do, we always come back.
Indeed. Apple is trying to catch up on features and google on easy of use. It all benefits us. Just want to point out that Apple "borrowed" Camera lock screen from Android. Manufacture skins like the new HTC sense, Meizu UI etc has had this for a while.
OnT: Looks sweet but i've never never liked this stock android UI and i'm not very impressed with the ICS ui but i like the features. I may get this unless Nokia World or the HTC event later in october gives me something else to grasp on.
That phone looks very nice and ICS looks good too. I wish they would have kept the green theme, but that's just my personal preference. What I really didn't like was the screen size, 4.65 is a bit too big and I can only imagine the battery will suffer. Also, from some of the videos I've seen it looks pretty choppy already, not as smooth as I would have expected.
ICS still has the same dated look
I was hoping for some UI goodness - but ICS looks as dated and nerdy as Gingerbread. Facial recog unlock seems good even though it failed in the demo .. the tech journos who later tried it out mostly agreed it worked fine. Probably the light on-stage was really bad when it was demo'd and failed. I wonder if it will unlock the phone if someone held up the phone-owner's photo?
The features shown last night were mostly useful, but not exciting - grouping apps into folders, the People App (which seems cool), facial recognition unlock, enhanced mail, etc etc.
They do have some features which I wish iOS had.
- ability to reply with a pre-created text msg when you receive a call you can't answer right then
- animated lock screen
- widgets - resizeable too
- creating shortcuts to contacts for 1-click dial
- creating folders with contacts (which can then be moved to the dock)
- HTC's Sense UI has a cool animated weather widget on the home screen which I liked a lot
I was hoping for some UI goodness - but ICS looks as dated and nerdy as Gingerbread. Facial recog unlock seems good even though it failed in the demo .. the tech journos who later tried it out mostly agreed it worked fine. Probably the light on-stage was really bad when it was demo'd and failed. I wonder if it will unlock the phone if someone held up the phone-owner's photo?
The features shown last night were mostly useful, but not exciting - grouping apps into folders, the People App (which seems cool), facial recognition unlock, enhanced mail, etc etc.
They do have some features which I wish iOS had.
- ability to reply with a pre-created text msg when you receive a call you can't answer right then
- animated lock screen
- widgets - resizeable too
- creating shortcuts to contacts for 1-click dial
- creating folders with contacts (which can then be moved to the dock)
- HTC's Sense UI has a cool animated weather widget on the home screen which I liked a lot
I'd say the best part of their presentation was their voice transcription being a complete fail.
Goes to show you how advanced Siri really is. +1 for iPhone
You are failing to understand the difference between Siri and voice transcription that ICS got. You should compare Siri with Android voice commands. iOS does not have anything comparable to ICS voice transcription. With Siri (and voice commander) you say a sentence and wait until Siri passes data to the server, server analyzes it and returns the result. Voice transcription is ICS works differently. It is said to be able to follow you immediately (they claim - withing two syllables from you). Obviously this mode is much more preferable for dictation.
And some like the closed ecosystem as opposed to the massive fragmented mess that is Android. I considered Android for a few days before the 4s launch, and almost bought an HTM Amaze 4g. But, reading about the real situation - OS updates don't come out for most models. I got iOS5 even for my 3gs. I don't even think the Galaxy S2 (one of the best-selling Android phones) will get ICS anytime soon. That's the sorry state of affairs in the Android world. Yes, phones are very powerful, big and compensates for the owners' shortcomings.
As opposed to "the fewer features you have the better the OS"? Should not we all prefer dumb phones then?
Previously purchased 3G and 4, but Samsung's getting my next phone's business. iPhone screen, while beautiful, can't match the huge AMOLED retina display. Originally attracted to buying iPhone because it had largest screen out there...now the smallest.
I don't buy the argument that you should get an iPad if you wan't larger than 3.5...it's like GWB saying "you're with us or against us." There is a happy medium, and it's somewhere around 4-5 inches, though of course I don't begrudge someone buying an iPhone because they want a compact device.
Screen is the main way you interface with your phone (even with Siri)...the best phone should have the best screen, which up until about a year ago may have been the iPhone, but is no longer, IMO. Best screen coupled with good (though not best camera, which is in 4S or N8) and attractive UI (prefer it to Apple's overly-crowded home screens, though for responsiveness Apple still on top) in a quality device (everything Samsung I've owned has been great)
I don't buy the argument that you should get an iPad if you wan't larger than 3.5...it's like GWB saying "you're with us or against us." There is a happy medium, and it's somewhere around 4-5 inches, though of course I don't begrudge someone buying an iPhone because they want a compact device.
Screen is the main way you interface with your phone (even with Siri)...the best phone should have the best screen, which up until about a year ago may have been the iPhone, but is no longer, IMO. Best screen coupled with good (though not best camera, which is in 4S or N8) and attractive UI (prefer it to Apple's overly-crowded home screens, though for responsiveness Apple still on top) in a quality device (everything Samsung I've owned has been great)
Let us not forget Steve's failed attempt to connect to wifi during the introduction of the iP4I'd say the best part of their presentation was their voice transcription being a complete fail.
Goes to show you how advanced Siri really is. +1 for iPhone
ha ha ... The smartphone was created by Apple's iPhone. Before that, we had semi-smart phones - Symbian and all sorts of hacked-together OS's. Android is good as a competitor which Apple can occasionally rip off, and to keep Apple on their toes to provide new features. But, Android is for geeks and those who're forever tweaking their phones and "need more power". Android phones, even with much higher specs, perform the same or worse than iPhone 4s. iPhones are one of the smartest and yet, easiest to use phones. Android devices are among the smartest, yet heavily fragmented, and dull-by-default ones. Everybody's trying to come out with an iPod killer or iPhone killer or iPad killer - for good reason - that's the benchmark. Nobody talks about a Galaxy S2 killer or Droid Bionic killer. Those are merely one of the many models mfrs throw out, hoping someone will catch it.
iPhone users don't need the fastest processors or the max RAM or the biggest screens - we already have a beautiful phone, with an amazingly thought-out ecosystem of apps and services. With ICS, google and with WP7, Microsoft are finally realizing the advantages of having a closed or semi-closed system, because that makes the system more streamlined, consistent and of higher quality. Yesterday, at the google demo, they kept repeating "consistent" behavior - in version 4. Apple already had this covered in version 1.
The very fact that there are so many Android fans on a mac-only forum, trying to trash-talk Apple shows how sad things are in the Android world.
Talk about a whining Apple Sheep,4.65 is only too large because Apple doesn't have it. If your out be out and stay out.
If you're so happy with Android, why're you hanging around on an iPhone forum, trash-talking?
Personally, I find iPhone screens a tad too small - I'd love a 4" screen. If I want anything more than 4", I can use my iPad 2 which I travel with all the time. 3.5" is a bit too small. I have fairly big hands - but with a thick case, the iPhone is big enough for a cell phone, but .. I really wish it had a 4" screen.
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If you have any common sense than you should always hope Android comes out with something awesome because it will force Apple to stay on its toes.
It appears that Android is FINALLY catching up with the ppi of the retina display. This has always been a huge knock on previous Android devices.
I'm excited to play with this phone but I won't make a decision about my next phone until I see what Apple will unveil next fall. Right now iOS 5 has breathed new life into my iP4.
It appears that Android is FINALLY catching up with the ppi of the retina display. This has always been a huge knock on previous Android devices.
I'm excited to play with this phone but I won't make a decision about my next phone until I see what Apple will unveil next fall. Right now iOS 5 has breathed new life into my iP4.
Because I can newbie.If you're so happy with Android, why're you hanging around on an iPhone forum, trash-talking?
I'd imagine the RAZR would be pretty close to what you need. MOTO claims it is locked by VZW but I'd imagine Verizon will sell this phone as a "world" phone to offset the fact that the Nexus won't be.
To me, it seems like the only real difference between the Nexus and the RAZR are the operating system (which should be corrected in time) and the screen size / resolution. So if you don't watch movies and you don't define your existence by the version number of your phone OS, the RAZR would be perfect.
it took away the screen resolution advantage, but the iPhone still has the best creen resolution on the market
The "quick responses" feature when you can't answer a call looks really awesome, so simple, surprised it hadn't been done before.