iOS 5 Brings Many "New" Features

Apple will soon be rolling out its newest update iOS 5.  With this update comes many new features to the OS that while new to Apple and iOS may be familiar to other OS's. The updates will be available to the general public this fall for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (with some features being limited on the older iPhone 3GS).

First off is the Notification Center. This "new" feature will look really familiar to Android users, it finally gets rid of the intrusive pop-up notifications that iPhone users frequently complain about and provides an Android-style pull down menu that flashes notifications at the top of the screen and allows users to pull down a detailed notification list from the top of the screen.

I wont get into the obvious similarities here with Android's notification system, but I would like to touch on the nice advantages to the Apple approach. Similar to what many of us have done on our rooted Android's Apple has provided users with the ability to customize this Notification Center.  This is a really nice touch that I wish Android included in their stock notification system. Apple lets you add, weather or stocks, choose what and where you see various notifications and click a small "x" in the corner to clear specific notifications instead of just "clear all" like Android.  Additionally Apple has included customizable lock screen notifications that let you add various notifications to your lock screen and respond to them by swiping right from the screen. Nice touches that Android might want to incorporate while they are all "sampling" from each other. 

Next up is iMessage what is being called Apple's version of BBM. This service will allow mobile to mobile instant messaging between iDevices and is smart enough to switch over from text to iMessage when it detects that both users are on iOS devices; changing the color of the text bubbles from green (for text) to blue. Early reports from developers and those testing the early beta-release of iOS 5 have really been enjoying the service. iMessage will let you send pics, show when others are typing and is compatible with iPods. Many are looking at this as a potential way to end their need for a SMS plan.  

iOS 5 brings Newsstand, which will make one local place for all of your newspaper and magazine reading pleasure.  This fall the launch of iOS 5 will bring a new section of the App Store specifically for newspapers and magazines. You will be able to fill a virtual news stand with all of your subscriptions similar to iBooks. 

Twitter integration is another great feature included in the iOS 5 update. Apple users will now be able to Tweet from within Apple's native apps, websites being viewed on Safari or from pics in the Camera app. User can login once to their twitter accounts and it will be integrated across the OS, similar to how Android users can "share" to Twitter (or other Twitter apps (or really any applicable app)) from various points throughout the OS.  The Keyboard automatically adjusts providing @ and # keys when you are tweeting as well as autocompleting  usernames. 

Apple says the iOS 5 update contains 200+ improvements! Some of the other major improvements are a split screen keyboard for the iPad, many settings changes allowing users to tweak notifications, led notifications and vibration patterns, new accessibility options, improved reminders, camera upgrades with improved photo editing, Safari reader and updated tabs, and much much more!

Many argue that Apple has stolen their "new" features from other OS's but it seems like in typical Apple fashion they have done a great job of improving upon the competitions features.  Apple customers will definitely be in store for some great new features this fall when the iOS 5 upgrades roll out! For even more details on the new iOS 5 features be sure to check out the source links listed below!

Sources: 

Engadget

Cult of Mac

  

White iPhone 4 Finally Arrived

Not too much to say here but the long awaited white iPhone 4 is now available while supplies last. Has this been the flavor iPhone you've been waiting on?

Source: Boy Genius Report
  

Xoom or Wait?

So after a long tablet-deprived wait I finally got my hands on a WiFi-Only Motorola Xoom.  In exchange for $600 bucks the Wifi Xoom is basically identical to its Verizon 3G/4G enabled counterpart. The Xoom has a  1Ghz dual core Tegra 2 processor, front and back cameras (5MP shooter on back with a front facing cam for video chat), Android 3.0 Honeycomb (Google's newest version of Android optimized for tablets) and a 10.1" Display.

I immediately fell in love with the Xoom, but after a few days that all changed because of glitches and bugs.  I really liked having an Android tablet and would strongly recommended checking out the Xoom, but I returned mine.  There are just too many other Android Tablets on the horizon.  HTC, LG, Samsung, Asus, and Acer all have some pretty competitive tablets coming in the next few months; not to mention tablets from HP (Palm) and Blackberry.  The Xoom's quirks and bugs will be resolved in the coming weeks undoubtedly, but the Xoom is only the tip of the Tablet-iceberg.  Many more options are coming and I will be holding out to explore them.  More competition means more variety in features and hopefully more competitive pricing. So the big question for those looking for and Android tablet is Xoom or Wait?

Check out my video review of the Xoom below. Let me know what you think

Motorola XOOM Tablet Specs
OS	Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
Differentiation	Larger and higher-resolution display in smaller form-factor, first tablet with Honeycomb software, dual-core 1GHz processor, and a wide range of docking options
Dimensions	249.1mm (h) x 167.8mm (w) x 12.9mm (d)
Display	10.1” 1280x800 resolution
Weight	~25 ounces
Processor	1GHz dual-core processor
Battery	Up to 10 hours video playback
Connectivity	3.5mm, micro USB 2.0 HS, Corporate Sync, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR + HID
Network	802.11n b/g/n
Messaging/Web/Apps	Email (Corporate Sync, Google Mail, POP3/IMAP embedded) , WebKit w/ Flash
Audio	AAC, AAC+, AMR NB, AMR WB, MP3, XMF
Video	HD capture/playback/streaming, H.263, H.264, MPEG4
Camera	5 MP rear-facing camera with dual LED flash/2MP front-facing webcam
Memory	32GB on board user memory, microSD card support after future software update, 1GB DDR2 RAM

Some of the upcoming Tablets that I am waiting to see:

HTC Evo View 4G/HTC Flyer


Asus Eee Pad Transformer


Asus Eee Pad Slider

Verizon iPhone FINALLY officially announced.... AT&T Prepares For Mass Customer Exodus

Probably the most highly anticipated and rumored agreement in history has finally come to pass.  Verizon will officially be offering the iPhone 4 as one of it's many smart phone options! The new CDMA iPhone will not, however be blessed with 4G LTE.  Verizon's iPhone is pratically identical in every way to its GSM cousin on AT&T and will be available to the public February 10th, or what will come to be know as the day that AT&T died lol. Seriously though, This has to take one hell of a chunk out of AT&T's subscriber base.  I expect many AT&T iPhone 4's to start popping up on Ebay and Craigslist as people make the jump and abandon the AT&T ship.  Good thing they're finally getting some good Android handsets to offset the migration a bit.

Check out the pics below, there are a few differences like the changes in the CDMA antenna that have shifted the volume buttons down a bit, you know just enough so that you can't use many of the existing iPhone 4 cases and the addition of Wi-Fi Hotspot functionality but other than that its the same iPhone we all know and love. Is Verizon service and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality enough to make you switch/ choose VZW over AT&T?

 
















Notice the slight shift in volume up/down button placement

Sources: Engadget, Boy Genius Report

  

Gorilla Glass and Why You Want It

So if you've been paying attention to the many new features manufactures are bragging about recently you have likely heard Gorilla Glass mentioned, but what is it? Well it's the new super strong glass that for obvious reason is being incorporated into many of the glass covered gadgets we love to drop and scrape the crap out of with keys, ink pens and other pocket shrapnel.  This new glass is being introduced in new devices like the iPhone 4, Galaxy Tab, Dell Venue Pro and Motorola Droid and is able to take a very impressive beating.

Check out the videos to get a true idea of Gorilla Glass's strength. It's actually pretty amazing I would never try this at home though, but it definitely makes you think twice before wasting money on a "screen protector" for these devices.





Source: Gizmodo

  

AT&T Joins the Android Party with Samsung Infuse 4G, HTC Inspire 4G and Motorola Atrix 4G

AT&T seemed to kind of sit back and watch the high-end Android train leave the station in 2010, but it looks like they were just bidding their time for an amazing 2011 lineup. Going from relatively no high-end options (except the recent  Samsung Captivate, AT&T is preparing to drop three new super-smartphones.

Samsung Infuse 4G

First up is the Samsung Infuse 4G running on AT&T's HSPA+ "4G" network (not compatible with their LTE 4G network going active 2012-2013-ish) with a 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus display. It's said to be super thin (thinnest on AT&T) and running on a 1.2 Ghz (single core Hummingbird) processor, 8MP rear camera, 1.3 MP front facing camera.

HTC Inspire 4G

This appears to basically be an AT&T flavored Thunderbolt/ Desire HD/ Evo 4G which will be a very welcome offering on AT&T! Standard Android 2.2, 8MP shooter with 1.2 (I believe) front facing camera, and 4.3 inch display.

Motorola Atrix 4G

This in my opinion is the most exciting of all of AT&T's upcoming phones and honestly maybe even the most exciting phone period!  The Atrix 4G has a Tegra dual-core processor, 1GB of Ram supports up to 48GB of memory, 4-inch QHD display, front facing vga camera and a 5MP rear shooter with LED flash, a 1930 mAh battery promising 9 hours of talk time, finger print login security and runs on Android 2.2.  But what really makes this phone unique are its accessories.  Motorola will be offering a special media dock and laptop dock that allows your phone to power a small laptop, or serve as a virtual computer and media center.  This is the kind of all in one solution I have dreamed of.  Imagine docking your phone at home and getting a computer like experience on your hdtv or computer monitor with full keyboard and mouse support, then popping it out and continuing your mobile computing via the smartphone itself, then whipping out the laptop dock and getting a large screen, keyboard and touch pad supported laptop experience all powered by your smart phone all done with a seamless experience.  This is the future of computing my friends and its all due to the power of these new dual core tegra processors. I really hope other manufacturers take note of this set up and it becomes more common.  No longer will we be burdened with a plethora of dedicated devices. I love it! Check out the video for a better idea of how this all works. 

One thing is for sure these devices are sure to give the iPhone a run for it's money, so far it has been completely unchallenged on AT&T. It'll be intresting to see Apple's response to this Android offensive on it's home turf!

Source: Engadget

  

Sprint's HTC Evo Shift 4G Coming January 9th!

Not too long ago I posted about a leak regarding Sprint's next big phone headed out this month. Well the new HTC Evo Shift 4G will officially be available January 9th for $149.99. Though many are thinking of it as a sucussor to the Evo, I'd say it's more of a sibling; similiar to the Droid 2, Droid X, and Droid Incredible on Verizon. It shows Sprint's decision to launch an Evo line of phones; a smart move in my opinion. I'm loving HTC's phones right now and Sprint's line up was definitely in need of more variety and another  NON-SAMSUNG full qwerty Android device. I am not really feeling Samsung right now for a number of reasons (possibly an entire separate post), so a qwerty device from HTC is definitely welcome.

Not quite the "Evo with a Keyboard" I hoped it to be, the Shift ( as I am dubbing it) is still a really good phone!  It basically takes the Evo, adds a keyboard and a newer snappier processor but reduces the screen and rear camera and removes the front facing camera.  It's actually a lot closer to the the T-Mobile G2 (also made by HTC).

Looking at the Specs might draw a better picture:

HTC Evo Shift 4G	HTC Evo 4G (OG Evo)
800MHz Scorpion (Qualcomm MSM 7230) Processor	1GHz Snapdragon (Qualcomm QSD8650) Processor
3.6 inch LCD screen	4.3 inch LCD screen
4G	4G
512MB RAM	512MB RAM
1GB internal memory	1GB internal memory
Android 2.2	Android 2.2
5MP rear camera	8MP rear camera
X	1.3MP front facing camera
Physical QWERTY keyboard	X

*Forgot to add OG Evo has HDMI out. I don't believe the Shift does

At the end of the day the new Evo Shift 4G will definietely be one of the best phones on Sprint and right at the top of the Android class across carriers.  Priced well at $150 too.  Given my preference for HTC mainly because of their far superior software support and modifications, I'd definitely say it's between the Evo's for Sprint's top smartphone spot.  HTC provides a more reliable stock route to Gingerbread ( Android 2.3), and has proven to respond to software bugs and glitches much more reliably than the Samsung alternatives. 

Check out the video:

Source: WireFly

  

The Return of Windows... Mobile

Those of you smart phone veterans definitely remember not too long ago when Windows Mobile held a respectable share of the smart phone market and WinMo phones could be found on the high end of every carrier's shelf. But as time passed and innovation was completely ignored Windows Mobile became a stale, stagnant OS that was sustained primarily by its underground developing community.

Like many WinMo users I jumped ship and helped contribute to the swelling market shares of Apple's iPhone, Googles Android, RIM's BlackBerry and even Palm's (HP's) WebOS.  Well now Windows is back to reclaim its position in the mobile phone arena.  Beginning the end of October and early November Microsoft will unleash its new Windows Phone 7 devices.  Capitalizing on the success of Windows 7, Microsoft has completely re-invented its OS for the mobile arena!

The most impressive part of Windows Phone 7 to me, is the integration of many of Microsoft's various services; most notably, MS Office, Xbox Live and Zune.  Microsoft seems to have put a lot of thought into making a seamless experience across all of its premier products and services. Utilizing what they call "hubs" user will launch into various apps, or interfaces to utilize the devices different functionalities.  At launch Dell, HTC, LG and Samsung will provide devices which will initially be limited to AT&T and T-Mobile with devices coming to Sprint and Verizon in 2011. Check out these devices below plus a little info on the new OS.

• HTC 7 Surround -- The 3.8-inch T8788 with slideout speaker for AT&T and Telus
• HTC HD7 -- Schubert comes of age as a 4.3-inch HD2 cousin for T-Mobile and beyond
• HTC 7 Trophy -- the 3.8-inch Spark headed to international carriers
• HTC 7 Mozart -- another heavily leaked int'l player with 3.7-inch display
• Dell Venue Pro -- 4.1-inch portrait QWERTY slider for T-Mobile we broke as Lightning
• Samsung Focus -- AT&T's 4-inch Super AMOLED slate we broke as Cetus
• Samsung Omnia 7 -- the i8700 is a 4-inch Super AMOLED jobbie for Europe
• LG Optimus 7/7Q -- the E900 is the official 3.8-inch global workhorse
• LG Quantum -- AT&T's 3.5-inch landscape slider first seen as the C900

• HTC 7 Pro -- a 3.6-inch QWERTY slider for Sprint (2011)

Video tour of devices below:



Though I wont be jumping back on the Windows bandwagon any time soon, I have to say I am impressed. It will be interesting to see MS attempts to get back into the hands and pockets of consumers. I really like the AT&T U-verse integration with the ability to control and watch DVR'd content (free for existing customers $10/month for non-U-verse customers), Netflix, and Xbox Live integration. I welcome Microsoft's return to the smart phone arena; more competitors means more competition, which is all win for us consumers! The big question is will it be enough to persuade smart phone users to come back from Android and Apple land?

Check out the impressive Xbox Live integration:


Source: Engadget