Author: Angelo Carosio

To iPhone or to Android? That is the question. That’s been the question for the last couple of years, and with webOS out and BlackBerry taking a way backseat in the smartphone race, it appears that this will remain the question for new smartphone buyers in the near future. I’ve been wrestling with which platform I like better over the last couple of years, and the decision is becoming harder than it ever has been with the recent batch of phones out now.

My current daily driver phone is an iPhone 4S, but I also have a Samsung Galaxy S for testing and reviewing Android apps. I’ve used both devices extensively, as well as the original Droid, which was my first smartphone. While the 4S blows both devices I’ve owned out of the water, the Galaxy Nexus is the new Android phone hotness, and if there is anything that makes me want to switch away from iPhone land back to Android, this is it. Between the 720p screen, 4G, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Nexus is very, very tempting. But is it a better phone than the 4S? Do the raw specs and cutting-edge features of the Nexus overshadow the ease of use and overall simplicity of the 4S? Let’s take a look at the two devices and see how they compare to each other.

Raw Specs

The 4S contains Apple’s state of the art dual-core A5 processor, a “retina display” screen with a 3.5″ screen and 960×640 resolution (326 ppi), and 512 MB of RAM. It has an 8 MP camera on the back with 1080p video support and a VGA-resolution camera on the front. On the other hand, the Galaxy Nexus has a dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A9 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and an absolutely huge 4.65″ screen with a 720p resolution (316 ppi). The camera on the Nexus is 5 MP, and it also shoots 1080p video.

The specs of these two phones mostly even out, with the Nexus getting a slight edge in the raw power and screen department. With the increased RAM and processor speed, you would expect the Nexus to be faster and snappier than the 4S, but that isn’t always the case. While the Nexus is the speediest Android phone yet, the fact that iOS is running native code while everything in Android runs inside a Java virtual machine mostly makes the devices perform fairly similarly. The screen debate is ongoing, but it comes down mostly to the size of your hands and your pockets. The Galaxy Nexus is a huge phone, and if you have small hands, you might have problems using it with one hand. Both screens look incredible, and you will be hard pressed to see a difference between the iPhone’s 326ppi and the Nexus’ 316.

Edge: Tie

Usability

As someone who hasn’t spent a ton of time with Ice Cream Sandwich, I cannot totally vouch for the Galaxy Nexus in the usability department. Let’s take a look around the Web at some other reviewers who gave their opinion on Ice Cream Sandwich and its usability.

In his post comparing the two devices, GigaOm’s Darrell Etherington has this to say:

In the end, though, Android still has the same problems it always did: it’s harder for new and inexperienced users to get into and navigate, and apps either may or may not work with the device depending on what version of Android they’re coded for and/or what devices they support… The Galaxy Nexus is the best Android device yet, and ICS is the best version of Android to date, and they do a lot to narrow the gap between Google and Apple’s mobile efforts, but they don’t close it, at least not completely.

On the other hand, Josh Smith from GottaBeMobile says that Homescreen Widgets give Android a leg up:

Android still has a leg up on the iPhone when it comes to widgets, and the Galaxy Nexus takes advantage of new Ice Cream Sandwich features to make widgets even better. In addition to smarter built-in Gmail and Calendar widgets, you can customize the layout of most widgets with a drag and drop to fit the way you want your home screen to look. This is much nicer than looking for the right 4×1 widget in settings. Widgets provide fast access to information like weather, traffic, your inbox, and much more.

Over all, while widgets on Android are totally awesome and iOS could definitely use something similar, the experience of using iOS is simply easier. Ice Cream Sandwich is furthering the Android fragmentation problem, as as of now the Galaxy Nexus is the only device with the OS. Apps won’t all work with the new version, and who knows how long it will take for developers to fix all of the issues? In addition, while Ice Cream Sandwich has come a long way in the ease-of-use department, iOS is still a much easier OS for a computer novice to pick up and use.

Edge: iPhone 4S

Network

Here is perhaps the biggest difference between the 4S and the Galaxy Nexus. The Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus supports its new 4G LTE network, which is blazing fast. Pages load over 4G in no time at all, streaming music and movies is easier, and, once you’re used to 4G speeds, it is definitely hard to go back to 3G. The iPhone 4S remains with the same 3G network that ran the iPhone 4. If you are someone who spends most of their time on their phone with Wi-Fi, this isn’t a huge deal. But if you commute daily and are using your phone on the go a lot, the 4G is going to make a big difference.

The only caveat to the 4G is that it uses more battery than 3G, but it can also be turned off and on when you need it. Since we are just talking about the network and not the battery life here, the Nexus gets the edge in this category.

Here’s a video comparing the speeds of the 4S (3G) vs. the Droid Bionic (4G). You can expect similar speeds from the Nexus.

Edge: Galaxy Nexus

Conclusion

At the end of the day, we are looking at two incredibly capable phones, each with unique pros and cons that make deciding between them very hard. To be honest with you, there isn’t really a winner in this battle of the phones, but my money is that the iPhone 4S will end up being the winner of the real battle: the device that sells more. The iPhone 4S is cheaper ($200 vs $300 for the Nexus), has better brand recognition, and is easier for the average person to use. While the Galaxy Nexus might be a great device for a tech-savvy person, the iPhone 4S is going to be the device that your mom, grandma, and uncle buy, and that’s where most of the money is. The Galaxy Nexus is a great phone, probably the best Android phone of all time, but it’s not an iPhone killer.

‘Tis the season for cookies, pretty lights, and an onslaught of new Android devices in all shapes and sizes. I hope you saved up your upgrades, because the number of new devices being released this season (especially on Verizon) is quite staggering. There are several flagship phones and tablets coming out in the near future, and the decision of which one to get for yourself or put under the tree for a loved one might be harder than ever. Whether you want the latest and greatest (and most expensive) device, or you would like to keep it simpler and cheaper, there’s something out there for everyone this December.

The following guide will mostly be focusing on Verizon devices, as the company seems to have the exclusive on the newest Android devices for now. We’re going to take a look at devices that are recently released or are coming out before the end of the holiday season, and go over pros, cons, and for who would most benefit from such a gift. So if you’re looking to surprise someone with some awesome technology under the tree, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start.

For the cutting-edge gadget geek: Samsung Galaxy Nexus

After rampant speculation for months, Verizon has finally come out with an official release date for this device: December 9th. This Friday is the day you will finally be able to get your hands on the latest and supposedly greatest Android device around. The reviews are in, and this is the device lots of Android fans have been waiting for. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is a major step forward for the Android platform, and the hardware on the Galaxy Nexus is sleek and the 4G speeds are blazing — the battery life is also much better than comparable 4G Android phones. Combine that with the largest screen so far on an Android phone — 4.7 inches — and you pretty much can’t do any better than the Galaxy Nexus right now.

If you’re looking for a gift for a fan of the Android platform or to buy someone their first smartphone, the Galaxy Nexus is a great (albeit, expensive) bet. The price clocks in at a stiff $300 on-contract, but that’s the price you have to pay for cutting-edge technology. I can assure you that the Galaxy Nexus is going to be worth the money.

For the always-emailing professional: Motorola Droid 4

Some people use their phones to write so many emails that the on-screen keyboard on a traditional smartphone just isn’t going to cut it. Luckily, Motorola has the Droid line of phones, which have slide-out keyboards to make typing a little bit easier. The Motorola Droid 4 is no different, packing an even bigger, better keyboard than previous iterations while also throwing in a larger (4″) qHD screen and a 4G LTE radio.

The Droid 4 is out on December 9th on Verizon as well, and should prove a worthy follow-up to the best selling Droid 1, 2, and 3 that came before. The Droid 4 looks to take some design cues from the Droid RAZR, sporting some sharp lines and a kevlar back. If you are always typing or buying a gift for someone else who is a mobile typeaholic, the Droid 4 would be a great choice. The Droid 4 will be available on December 9th for $299 on-contract.

For the anti-Apple tablet fan: Droid XYBOARD

There’s no doubt in my mind that the iPad 2 is the best tablet available today. There’s just no matching the iPad’s effortless user interface and huge app selection. However, some people just don’t like Apple, don’t agree with its business practices, or find iOS too limiting. If you’re one of those people, or you’re buying a gift for one, the Droid XYBOARD is Verizon’s newest Android tablet.

Running Android 3.2 Honeycomb at launch with an upgrade to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich planned for the near future, the XYBOARD is the current top-of-the-line Android tablet. These tablets run on Verizon’s 4G LTE network, have 1.2 GHz dual-core processors, 1 GB of RAM, 5 MP rear cameras, and 1.3 MP front cameras.

The Android tablet app selection isn’t totally flushed out at this point, but it will only get better over time. If you’re buying a tablet for an Android fan and want the newest and best, take a look at the XYBOARD. It will be out later this month (no specific date has been announced at this point), and starts at $429 for the 8.2″ version and $529 for the 10″ version.

For the budget-minded: Samsung Illusion

Not everyone has $299 to plunk down on a top-of-the-line Android device. Luckily, Verizon still has you covered if you’re looking for a capable device that’s a little easier on the wallet. The Samsung Illusion has decent specs (Android 2.3, 1 GHz Hummingbird processor, and a 3 MP camera), is a nice looking device made by Samsung, a reputable company, but the price is much less than everything else on this list: only $79 with a two-year contract.

If you are thinking about your first smartphone but don’t want to spend a ton of money, the Illusion will be a more than capable device for you. The screen might not be as big as the others and the processor might be a little bit slower, but you’ll hardly notice most of this in day-to-day use. If you don’t need to brag about your phone, the Illusion is a great choice.

Roundup

Over all, there are a ton of great devices coming out or that have just been released on Verizon this month, and anyone shopping for a new phone for themselves or someone else will surely find something that fits their needs. Whether you want the latest and greatest or just a capable, everyday smartphone, Android’s flexibility ensures that there will definitely be something for you.

Last year, iPhone users had to deal with “locationgate.” Now, Android users have their privacy to worry about, as recent information that’s been uncovered by YouTuber TrevorEckhart has shown that software made by a company called Carrier IQ, installed by default on many Android phones by the carriers and hardware manufacturers, is tracking a whole lot more about your phone usage than just your location.

What is Carrier IQ, exactly?

The software is hidden inside phones — there is little you can do to detect that it’s even installed, let alone remove it, and it tracks everything. Keystrokes, browsing and surfing habits, Google searches, and basically every single thing that you are doing on your phone and every button that you press is logged by this software. Jump to 9:00 in the YouTube video below for the proof — this is basically a keylogger running on your phone that you didn’t know about.

The company that’s creating this software claims that the point of the software is to deliver “analytics” about devices to the carriers to help them provide better service to their users. But is recording every keystroke really necessary for that information? Does not telling the users about this and making it near-impossible to opt out seem a bit fishy to anybody else? This software is on almost all Android phones made by the big names (HTC, Samsung, Motorola), and is even on BlackBerries and Nokia devices, as well.

Carrier IQ says in this public statement that it is “not logging keystrokes or providing tracking tools” and that its software is used to track performance, but the video proves entirely otherwise: this app is sitting in between you and the Android OS and is making a note of everything you do. Secure websites don’t help. Even using Wi-Fi doesn’t help. Your phone use is being logged by this software, and there is no way to easily opt out.

So what can I do to ensure my privacy?

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to protect yourself. There’s no switch that you can turn off in the settings of your phone or software that appears in your app drawer that you can simply uninstall. As far as the GUI of your phone is concerned, Carrier IQ isn’t even there. But it is there, hiding in the background, making sure that you don’t even know it exists. And for many, that’s just not cool. Your phone is a deeply personal device and contains lots of things (emails, photos, text messages) that many would consider totally private. Why should this company have access?

While I’m almost certain that the hubbub on the blogosphere that has resulted from TrevorEckhart’s research will force the company to come up with a way to turn its software off, that has not happened yet. In the meantime, Android users who value their privacy need some kind of a solution. If you’d like to make sure Carrier IQ is not on your phone, the best way to do that would be to replace the Android ROM on your phone with another that does not have Carrier IQ installed.

Here’s how to do it:

First, you need to root your phone. Rooting isn’t as scary as it may sound, and there are many guides available for the different devices. The best place to look for information on rooting is the XDA Forum. Search on the page for your phone name and go to the “General” forum for the device. There, you should find threads with guides on how to root and get the phone ready to install custom ROMs. The process varies widely phone by phone, so we can’t give you a definitive guide here, but XDA is generally on top of the best rooting processes for the major devices.

The next step is to find a ROM that supports your device that does not have Carrier IQ installed on it. Your best bet is to look for “AOSP” or “Vanilla” ROMs. These are versions of Android that have built entirely from the open source code for Android that’s released by Google each time a new version comes out. These ROMs will be free from carrier and device manufacturer tinkering, and won’t have Carrier IQ hiding in the background.

Another great custom ROM solution is Cyanogenmod. Cyanogenmod has some nice additional tweaks and features above stock Android, and is definitely the most well respected and most frequently updated custom ROM out there. Additionally, it’s available on most popular Android devices out there. We wrote a guide on installing Cyanogenmod earlier this year, as well as a guide on updating Cyanogenmod to the newest version. If you are worried about Carrier IQ, I recommend Cyanogenmod as the best solution. The developers are even working hard on the next version, based on Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.

Final thoughts

I’ve had a custom ROM installed on my Android phone since day one, mostly because I don’t want to deal with Verizon’s bloatware, and I’m happy that this Carrier IQ tracking fiasco has not — and will not ever — affect me. It’s not okay that it’s affecting others, and the best way to combat it is to install a custom ROM and let Carrier IQ know that what it is doing is not okay. Here’s their website. Here’s the company’s contact page. We need as many Android fans as possible letting the people there know that they have installed Cyanogenmod specifically because Carrier IQ’s software invades their privacy. Let them know that unless they make this service opt-in rather than impossible to opt-out, you as a user will avoid their software and let your friends know that by default, their phone is spying on them.

In this digital age, privacy is more important than ever. Just because you “don’t have anything to hide,” does not mean that you shouldn’t value your privacy or fight for it when companies do things like this, especially with something as personal as your cell phone. While I understand that tracking some information such as phone performance and signal level anonymously is okay and important for carriers to optimize their networks, your keystrokes on your cell phone should not be logged, period.

If you know anyone with an iPhone 4S, you’ve probably played with Siri, Apple’s digital “personal assistant.” Siri intelligently responds to your questions and is able to induce meaning out of things like “What should I wear today?” and be able to give you correct answers (“It’s going to be 30, so you may need a coat”). Since this killer feature has been available on the iPhone, we knew it was only a matter of time before a developer came up with a similar solution on Android phones.

Cluzee is one of the the first attempts at that magical app. Cluzee claims to be an Android replacement for Siri. It “bring[s] conversational interface, intelligence and many more capabilities on Android. I understand natural language variations. You need not memorize commands.” Cluzee is similar to Siri, but on paper claims to offer more features, such as doing things like updating your Facebook and managing a “personal radio” with news stories that can be read back to you.

While in theory this app could be as good as or better than Siri, in practice it doesn’t quite live up to the hype for a few reasons. The first is the simple fact that it’s not integrated into the phone. Siri is almost too easy to use; all you have to do is hold down the home button and no matter where you are on your iPhone, Siri comes up, and fast. With Chuzee, your best bet is to put a shortcut to the app on your homescreen, but that could still mean you need to close out your current app or unlock your phone, then swipe to the right homescreen, and then launch the app. Because it’s not a native app, it could not be in memory, and could take five to 10 seconds to load — which is way too long when the whole point is to get something done faster.

The second shortcoming with Cluzee is that is just plain isn’t as good at parsing speech as Siri is. I was frequently misunderstood; Cluzee would have to double-check to make sure it was opening the app that I told it to open. It just plain didn’t feel like something that was worth the time to use, and I frequently got frustrated giving it commands only to have it crash and burn trying to respond to them.

Even when it does respond, it doesn’t do as as fast as Siri — even though Siri is frequently under heavy load and can be much faster at some times than others. After playing with Cluzee, the verdict is that is isn’t Siri, but it’s reasonably close. With a little work, it could be just as good as Siri. However, Siri is a work in progress, too. Let’s hope that some friendly competition among developers will lead to better voice command systems for all platforms.

Below is a video from Android Central going over the pros and cons of Cluzee:

If you’re an Android fan, you’ve probably heard about Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s probably the biggest Android upgrade so far, bringing awesome features like a new, redesigned user interface, improved notifications, a new lock screen, improved keyboard, and a whole lot more. As of now, the only phone you can get with Ice Cream Sandwich is the Galaxy Nexus, but what if you have an older Android phone? Will you be able to get ICS on your device?

There are a couple of ways to get Ice Cream Sandwich. The first is to wait for your device maker to release an official upgrade to your device. This is the easiest way, because it does not require any work from you; just wait (it could be a long time) and most newer Android phones will receive an upgrade. If you want to know when, check with your device manufacturer, but don’t expect to be able to get a very concrete answer from it about the matter.

The other way to get ICS on your device is to install a custom ROM. This requires that your device be rooted and have a custom bootloader installed, but many users who are planning on going this route have those things installed already. If you are new to all this, check out the XDA Forum for your device to find instructions on rooting your phone or tablet. As of now, here are the devices that have Ice Cream Sandwich ports, and links to threads with the ROMs to download along with any instructions for their installation.

• Motorola XOOM
• DROID Incredible
• HTC Thunderbolt
• DROID 3
• DROID Bionic

Keep in mind that the builds for these devices are not quite at 100% yet, so make sure to create a backup of your current install and do not install these builds on any mission-critical devices. There may be bugs, and you should never run beta / unstable OS builds on a device that you depend on every day. If you’re looking for some video of Ice Cream Sandwich in action on these devices, here are videos of it running on the Xoom and the Droid 3.

For those of you who have taken the plunge, what do you think of Android 4.0?

The Galaxy Nexus is the newest state-of-the-art Android smart phone. Running brand new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, it’s the newest in Google’s Nexus series, which has so far had the Nexus One and the Nexus S. The difference with the Galaxy Nexus is that not only are you able to buy a GSM version of the phone unlocked, but Google is also partnering with Verizon to sell a CDMA version of the phone on contract.

So when is the phone coming out, and for how much? The ad you see below was appearing on many Android blogs before Black Friday, but unfortunately the ad took you to a page with information about the phone rather than a place to buy or even pre-order it.

There has also been a stat sheet leaked by Verizon, which compares the Galaxy Nexus to some of the similar phones available on other carriers (like the Galaxy S II, which Verizon passed on). One of the things that hardcore Android fans will appreciate is the “User Interface” row on that chart, which lists No OEM Customization under the Galaxy Nexus column, meaning there is no TouchWhiz anywhere to be found on the Verizon version of this phone — it’s Verizon’s first pure Android device since the original Motorola Droid.

So the only question on most people’s minds is: “When can I get this phone, and for how much?” Well, it looks like the $199 price tag from the ad is the only hint we’re going to get, but we have no idea if that’s a promotional price or the full price, as Verizon has been charging $299 for 4G LTE smart phones recently. As for the date, it’s really anyone’s guess at this point until Verizon says something. Verizon is releasing this phone, and soon, but how soon is still up in the air. Verizon employees are being trained, the promotional material is leaking out onto the Internet, the Galaxy Nexus will be here soon.

Are you waiting for the Nexus Prime? Check back over the next few weeks and we’ll make sure that you know when the phone is going to be released.

In the market for a new Android phone this holiday season? It appears that Amazon has launched its Black Friday promotions a little bit early, and boy are they good if you’re an Android fan. Get this: every single Android phone in the Amazon Wireless store on Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T is going for one penny.

Yes, that’s right, you read me correctly. If you are a new customer on any of these carriers, your new smart phone isn’t going to cost you $200 or $100; it’s going to cost you one penny (plus your monthly bill, of course). If you’re an existing customer, the deals aren’t quite as good, but you can still get most phones on Amazon cheaper than you can at the Verizon or AT&T retail stores or websites.

Even phones that are regularly $299 are a penny, including the brand new Droid RAZR from Verizon and the fan favorite Galaxy S II from AT&T and Sprint. In total there are a whopping 97 phones available for one cent with a new contract. This might be the best Android sale in years, so if you are interested, make sure to pick out your phone before Cyber Monday (November 28th), which is the last day of this fantastic promotion.

But wait, there’s even more: You can also combine this promotion with Amazon’s existing mobile hotspot promotion. If you activate your new phone with the mobile hotspot feature added on (around $30 more a month), Amazon will also hook you up with a $100 gift card. To sum up the total deal: If you buy a new Android phone from Amazon Wireless and activate the mobile hotspot feature when you buy the phone, Amazon will pay you $99.99. Yes, the deal is so good that you are being paid for getting a new phone with mobile hotspot.

Other mobile retailers must be shaking in their boots at this sale. Is there really any reason to buy a cell phone anywhere else on Black Friday?

YouTube for Android, probably one of the most popular Android apps while also one of the least updated, has received an update today that brings some new features as well as some key tie-ins to new Google services that will be very useful for YouTube aficionados.

The first thing you’ll notice if you update your YouTube app is that Google has added its now ubiquitous +1 button to all videos in the app, and giving something your approval is now just a click away. We’re not sure how Google is integrating the +1s into the overall YouTube sorting and ranking algorithm, but as of now, giving a video a +1 will simply add that video to the list of content that you’ve +1d in your Google+ profile. It’s fairly simple, but definitely an easy way to tag a video on your mobile phone to watch later on your desktop.

Another key feature added to this new YouTube version is Watch it Later. Desktop users have had Watch It Later for months, and it’s essentially a queue so you can tag a bunch of videos and then watch them all in a row. This feature could be great for long bus rides, as you can set up a series of videos to watch all in a row. To access this feature, just go to any video page, tap the + button at the top of the screen, and select Watch Later. Once you set up your queue, you can press Menu > Playlists > Watch It Later to access the queue and play back your videos.

Finally, the new version adds a feature for those of you who like to create and upload videos to YouTube right from your phone. Once you start the upload, you can edit all the video info right from that page without interrupting your upload. This is a change from the last version, where you had to wait until the video finished uploading before you could edit that information.

Over all, the changes in the new YouTube app are relatively small, but they definitely improve the mobile video-watching experience. Head to the Market and update your app today!

Finally, a whole year after Gingerbread was announced and released on the Nexus S, older devices are finally getting the official upgrades. If you are the owner of a Spring Epic 4G (part of the Samsung Galaxy S family of devices), we have a treat for you today: the official upgrade has leaked and you can install it right now.

If you are one of those people who gets worried about installing new OS updates on their phone, we can assure you this is safe. This file is exactly the same as the one you’d get if you waited for the over-the-air update to come, only you don’t have to wait. If you want to get some fancy new features on your phone like the new keyboard, improved copy/paste functionality, and the newest version of Samsung’s TouchWhiz user interface, follow along for instructions.

First, download the official update file from Google. This link is straight to Google’s servers, so you know that it’s legit. Then, change the name of the downloaded file to update.zip. If you see the downloaded file without a .zip extension, you might have file extensions turned off on your PC. If that’s the case, make sure you just call it “update” or else it will actually be called “update.zip.zip”

Next, hook up your Epic 4G to your computer via USB and mount the SDCard per the usual process. Copy the update.zip file that you downloaded to the root folder of your phone’s SD Card.

Once the file has been copied, shut down your phone by holding down the power button and selecting “Shut Down,” and then turn it back on while holding down both the Volume Down and Camera button. Your phone should boot up and the update should run itself. Sit back, relax, and wait for your phone to update.

Once it’s done, your phone should reboot and you should be all good to go in Gingerbread! Enjoy your new phone OS.