Nine Things You Can Still Do Only on Android

The new iPhones reached Indian markets recently and there's definitely a lot to like about them. In many ways iOS is starting to resemble like Android, with like extensions and third-party keyboards, while Android is looking to close the gap on iOS in terms of design with the new Material Design philosophy.

Though the two system are starting to resemble each other, Android's famously "open" ecosystem still gives many more options in terms of the kind of apps that are possible on the platform. Here are a few things you still can't do on iOS devices.

1. Smarten up your home screen
One of the big differences between iOS and Android is how customisable the latter is. You can install a launcher that replaces your home screen, and there are a number of different reasons to do this too. An app like Nova Launcher lets you customise almost all the elements of your home screen, such as the size of the grid, the number of icons in the dock, adding widgets to the dock and much more. Others, like Yahoo Aviate andEverythingMe customise your homescreen to show you the apps that you need, before you even know you need them.

2. Automate everything
On the iPhone, you can install IFTTT and automate some of the functions on your phone. It's pretty neat but also fairly limited. If you want to do more though, then you should check out Android apps like Tasker and Llama. Tasker is a paid app, but Llama is free - both are powerful automation tools. You can set up a geofence to turn your phone's Wi-Fi on when you're near your home or office, and keep it off the rest of the time to conserve battery. And you could disable the password when your phone is connected to the home Wi-Fi, for easy access, but re-enable it when you're outdoors, so your phone is never unlocked when you're not at home. Give it access to your calendar and you can have it keep quiet in meetings, and using your location it can automatically go silent when you're inside a cinema hall.

3. Make calls easier
We lose sight of the fact that our phones are still used to make calls. But calling someone from an iPhone still means either searching through your contacts, or dialling a number from memory. Android phone makers usually put their own diallers which have different features, but you can also turn to apps like Dialer+ and Ready Contact List to add functionality. With Dialer+, for example, you get a T9 dialer so you can use the same keypad to either enter a contact's name or phone number, and it searches your contacts and shows matches while you dial.

4. Smarter SMS
Along with calls, your SMS service can also be customised completely by Android apps. For example, Hello SMS comes with features like an automatic night mode where the screen switches to white text on a black background, tabbed view to quickly see messages from different senders, and automatically switching to instant-messaging over the Internet when connecting to another person who uses Hello.Messages+ from the same company that makes Dialer+, is an excellent SMS replacement app too. You can send free IMs to other Messages+ users, and it also integrates with WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, so you can see people's updates all in one place.

India Against Spam sounds like a political slogan, but this cool app is actually super handy if you're getting bugged by too many ads over SMS or calls. Authorities are cracking down on DND offenders, but it's still cumbersome to type out a complaint every time. India Against Spam gives you a one-touch option to do the same thing.

5. Download Torrents
There are a lot of different legal torrents available, through which you can download software or free media. Downloading these torrents on an iPhone isn't possible though - you'll have to use a workaround such as using a webapp or Dropbox to trigger your desktop torrent software via a 'watch' folder. If you're an Android user though, the download can take place right on your phone, with the official BitTorrent app on Google Play. The popular movie torrent service Popcorn Time is also available for Android users - and the simple interface makes it particularly well suited to use on a mobile device.

6. A full-fledged media centre
There are a lot of great media player available for smartphones and tablets but if you're looking for a full featured media centre that can manage your playlists, download metadata, subtitles and lyrics, load streams from a number of sources (both legal and otherwise) and make sharing your media simple, then nothing comes close to XBMC. And unless you've jailbroken your iPhone, you're not getting it. Android users can side=load the official XBMC app, or they can install TVMC instead. TVMC is XBMC with a lot of the settings and additional streams already downloaded - so you don't have to figure out how to use repositories and add-ons.

7. Fully enjoy Google Now
Apple users aren't cut off from Google Now - you just have to launch the Google app to see your cards and recommendations, but Android users get to enjoy the full benefits. Google Now is one of the most compelling - some might say creepy - things about Google's services, and it's amazing how useful it can get over time, popping up cards as and when you need them. Integrate with Android Wear  for even more effective use. Other fully-functional virtual assistants like Shifu are also only possible on Android.

8. Manage files
With iOS 8, Apple introduced iCloud Drive, that lets apps share files with each other. But there's still no way to browse the files stored on your local device. On Android, using the default file manager can be fairly confusing, but thanks to apps like ES File Explorer you can find everything with a simple swipe. ES File Explorer is our favourite file management app, and aside from the basic functions of browsing and editing the contents of your storage, it also lets you see all the media or documents in one place, making it easy to keep track of your data.

9. Control your phone from your PC
Apps like AirDroid and Pushbullet make it simple to have your different devices working together. You can share files, pictures and more between devices, install apps on your phone from your desktop, send SMS messages from your computer, or share clipboards across devices. Apple users can experience this with the new Continuity features in iOS 8, but you need to be locked into multiple Apple devices for that to work.

These are our favourite Android-only apps - if you know of Android apps, or if you use some essential iPhone apps that Android users are missing out on, let us know via the comments.

iPhone 5S

iPhone 5S rumoured to be announced on June 20

Anupam Saxena, May 01, 2013

The next generation iPhone could be announced as soon as June 20 if a new report is to be believed.

French publication NoWhereElse.fr (via UberGizmo) claims to have got access to a document from Japanese mobile carrier, KDDI, which mentions that Apple's next iPhone, iPhone 5S, will be announced on June 20 and will go on sale by July.

The document also suggests that the phone will run iOS 7 (of course), the next iteration of Apple's mobile operating system and feature an upgraded 13-megapixel camera lens.
 
We'd advise you to take this information with a heap of salt as it's difficult to authenticate the reliability of the document.

While earlier rumours had suggested that we could see a summer announcement for the iPhone, new reports point towards a late release. Just a few days back, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo came out with a new research report that said that the Phone 5S, low-cost iPhone and iPad mini 2 will begin shipping later than what was previously expected. Ming-Chi Kuo had not shared any specific time frame for the new iPhone's launch. 

Recently, iMore's Rene Ritchie also said that the next iPhone, iPhone 5S, is likely to release in August. But John Gruber of Daring Fireball had mentioned that iOS 7 was running behind. 

Prior to that Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty had released a report, in which she predicted that Apple will launch the new iPhone in September 2013 after previewing the iOS 7 in June at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

The only thing that goes in favour of the report is that the alleged announcement date is pretty close to the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). Apple is widely expected to showcase iOS 7 at WWDC, which will be held between June 10 and 14 at its usual venue, Moscone West in San Francisco, California. 

It's worth noting that Apple had shipped its last two phones, the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, in fall. Apple CEO Tim Cook also stressed the fall period of this year during a Q&A after this quarter's earnings call,saying,  "I'm just saying we've got some really great stuff coming in the fall and across all of 2014."

cheaper iPhone's plastic

Purported pictures of cheaper iPhone's plastic rear shell surface

Anupam Saxena, April 19, 2013

Case manufacturer Tactus has shared purported pictures of the rear shell of Apple's much rumored lower-cost iPhone. The rear shell is White in colour and appears to have been made from plastic polycarbonate. This could also open the possibility of the phone coming in multiple colours, as reported earlier. The case maker also informs that the device will be available in Black, White, Blue, Red and Yellow colours, citing the ' factory producing this secretive project' as a source.

Posting an image of the shell on its blog, Tactus informs that the actual phone might be around 9mm thick, 120mm in height and around 62-65mm in width, making it both taller and wider than the iPhone 4 and 4S.

It's difficult to verify the credibility of the image of the case. Accessory makers have produced mock-up cases in the past that have at times turned out to be accurate.

The case maker goes on to report that the budget iPhone will be powered by an A5 processor similar to the iPad Mini with a 32nm diecast and that it will have a 3.5-inch retina screen, like the iPhone 4S. The phone is expected to sport a 5-megapixel rear camera.

It even mentions that the budget iPhone would go on sale October 15th for $300. However, we'd take it with a grain of salt as an accessory maker or anyone part of Apple's supply chain is unlikely to have accurate information of Apple's exact device plans.

Just a few days back KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo came out with a new research report that said that the Phone 5S, low-cost iPhone and iPad mini 2 will begin shipments later than its previous expectation. He had also confirmed a plastic shell for the budget iPhone and had said that Apple was finding it difficult to keep the plastic shell of the low-cost iPhone as thin as it would like.

iPhone 5S

iPhone 5S rumoured specs: Apple A7 quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 12-megapixel camera

NDTV Correspondent, April 16, 2013

iPhone 5S release date has been the subject of a lot of speculation off-late. While some reports have indicated the phone may launch in June-July, others insist that the next generation iPhone will release in August. However, there has been very little information coming out in terms of the purported specs of the phone. Until now.

The folks over at DroidGator have come across a picture of what they claim is a iPhone 5Smotherboard. They add that the picture was sent to them from an IP belonging to Apple HQ in Cupertino, thereby lending credence to the image. The website says the new motherboard is similar in size to the iPhone 4S motherboard, which "may mean that the future iPhone 5S should arrive with the same touchscreen that the previous handset has: 4 inches."

The picture also shows a A7 chip, which the website claims is a quad-core processor, clocked at 1.2GHz. Other rumoured specs include 2GB RAM and Power SGX554MP4 GPU. The website also claims the new iPhone will ship with a faster Siri, with support for additional languages.

Additionally, Redmond Pie is reporting via Tinhte.vn that the iPhone 5S will ship with a 12-megapixel camera with improved low-light performance.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports that Foxconn, the company that manufacturers iPhone and other Apple products in China, has stepped up hiring at its Zhengzhou plant. The company said Monday it has added about 10,000 assembly-line workers a week in Zhengzhou, its major production facility for iPhones. This increase in hiring is being seen as a sign that Apple is gearing up to produce the new iPhone.

"We have been very busy recently as we will start mass-producing the new iPhone soon," a Zhengzhou-based Foxconn executive with direct knowledge of production plans told WSJ.

iPhone 5S

iPhone 5S, cheaper iPhone and new iPad mini reportedly delayed

Surbhi Chawla, April 12, 2013

In the recent months there has been a lot of speculation regarding the tentative launch dates for the next generation iPhone, the 'supposedly' low-cost iPhone and the next generation iPad mini.

As per a recent report by Mac Rumours, Apple is facing a lot of challenges in producing its forthcoming line-ups and these challenges may delay the launch of the new iPhone and iPad mini models.

The website is quoting KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who till a month ago was expecting Apple to launch a new iPhone model by June or July. However, on Thursday he came out with a new research report that cites the company may not be as busy as he had earlier predicted.

Earlier we estimated that shipments of the new iPhone would begin in July (FDD version) and September (TDD version), while iPad mini 2 would hit the market in August. Currently, market consensus for shipments of iPhone 5S, low-cost iPhone and iPad mini 2 is July, July, and August, respectively. But in light of publicly available information and our knowledge of technological trends, we now think all three products will begin shipments later than our previous expectation and market consensus.

Ming-Chi Kuo in his research note has not shared any specific time frame by when Apple may launch its new iPhone, the low cost iPhone or the new iPad mini Furthermore, Mac rumours via KGI Securities notes that Apple is currently facing three major challenges that is causing the delay. The first being production difficulties for the 'retina display for iPad mini'. Kuo believes that the next generation iPad will come with a Retina display, and the company is facing various and technical challenges related to its design and manufacturing.

The second challenge is being cited as 'colour coatings for lower-cost iPhone'. As per Kuo, the economically priced iPhone is likely to come with plastic shell, which will be available in numerous colour options. He opines that Apple is finding it difficult to keep the plastic shell of this iPhone as thin as it would like.

Lastly, Kuo notes that Apple is finding it challenging to manufacture iPhone 5S because of its purported fingerprint sensor. He further states that finding the right colour coatings to prevent interference with the sensor is proving to be a big challenge.

This news report by Mac Rumours comes a day after DigiTimes reported that Apple will be commencing production of its fifth generation iPad in July or August. DigiTimes news report was based on the information that the website had garnered from its sources in the Taiwan-based supply chain.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty has released a report, in which she predicted that Apple will launch the new iPhone in September 2013 after previewing the iOS 7 in June at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). This is in contradiction to what we had heard days earlier, when a report indicated Apple will launch the iPhone 5S in August in more than two colour options.

LG now number 3 smartphone maker

LG now number 3 smartphone maker by sales; Apple, Samsung lead, HTC drops to fourth

Reuters, April 11, 2013

LG Electronics Inc has become the world's No.3 smartphone maker behind Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd for the first time in the $223 billion market, industry data showed, as solid sales of high-end models helped it win customers.

LG saw its smartphone market share rise to 3.2 percent in the fourth quarter by sales, propelling it to the third spot for the first time, while rival HTC Corp slid to fourth, data from research firm Strategy Analytics showed.

Samsung and Apple took a combined 71.4 percent of the market and the rest is split among firms such as LG, HTC, Sony Corp and BlackBerry, the data showed.

Reflecting growing optimism that LG's smartphone business will recover, LG Electronics shares have gained 54 percent from their 2012 low hit in late July. The shares ended up nearly 2 percent on Thursday at 86,600 won, the highest in more than a year.

LG is betting high-end models that boast powerful hardware and software features and a fast 4G connection will help it rebuild its tarnished handset brand quality and increase its market share of the lower-end segment as well.

The South Korean company announced on Thursday software upgrades for its flagship Optimus G Pro model that will allow consumers access to features that Samsung touted as major selling points of its upcoming Galaxy S4. The move is its latest attempt to boost appeal to upmarket consumers before rival products hit the market.

The features LG is adding include motion detecting technology that stops and starts videos depending on whether someone is looking at the screen and snapping pictures.

The 5-inch Optimus Pro debuted in South Korea in late February and in Japan this month. It is LG's fastest-selling smartphone with sales hitting 500,000 in the first 40 days of the launch, LG said.

In terms of unit shipments, LG remains the seventh-largest with a 4.0 percent share, following Huawei, Lenovo Group Ltd, Sony and ZTE Corp which have market share of between 4 and 5 percent.

Analysts expect LG's smartphone shipments will rise by 16 percent to a record 10 million after 8.6 million phones sold in the fourth quarter, a strong performance as the overall market is seen contracting by 6 percent from the strong year-end holiday quarter.

HTC reported on Monday a record-low quarterly profit that missed analysts' estimates after it delayed the full launch of its 2013 flagship smartphone model, which will now debut against Samsung's newest Galaxy.

LG reports its first-quarter results on April 24.

Apple iPad mini

Everything you wanted to know about Apple iPad mini

Date: November 3, 2012      Duration: 01:43

Everything you wanted to know about Apple iPad mini

Apple still on top

Apple still on top, but showing signs of vulnerability

Agence France-Presse, November 10, 2012

Apple, the world's biggest and perhaps most admired company, seems to have lost some of its luster.

Despite the hugely successful launch of the iPhone 5 and iPad mini tablet, shares in the California tech giant have slid some 20 percent from all-time highs, and analysts are questioning whether Apple remains the leader in "innovation."

A flubbed mobile maps program and a major shakeup in key management have also tarnished the image of the firm that had seemed nearly invincible just months earlier.

A more competitive landscape for mobile phones and tablets, including the surge in devices using the Google Android operating system, have also changed the outlook for Apple.

Last month, Apple parted ways with Scott Forstall, the executive in charge of mobile software, following embarrassments over its glitch-ridden maps program, as well as John Browett, who headed Apple's real-world shops.

Some analysts say the company lacks the vision and commitment to excellence after the death last year of its admired chief Steve Jobs.

Apple stock hit a record high above $700 in September, but have since slumped more than 20 percent to $547.06 on Friday.

"Investors are confused and have lost faith in Apple management," said Trip Chowdhry, analyst at Global Equities Research.

"Apple today is not as customer centric as it used to be, and the rate of innovation is declining when the rate of innovation of competitors has dramatically risen."

Others argue that it is too soon to say Apple has peaked.

Charles Golvin at Forrester Research said that in a season filled with product launches from Amazon, Motorola, Nokia and others, Apple has been able "to exert a superior gravitational pull on its customers and partners than its competitors."

And Forrester's Sarah Rotman Epps said Apple "is entering the 2012 holiday season with its strongest product lineup ever, with wider retail distribution than it has ever had.

"Apple is already leading every game it plays. But these products will maintain Apple's momentum," she added.

Yet Apple has lost market share both in the tablet market, which it created with the iPad, and in smartphones.

Research firm IDC said Apple held a 50.4 percent of the tablet market in the third quarter from more than 65 percent in the second quarter, as rivals like Amazon and Google gained in the growing market.

IDC's Tom Mainelli said many consumers interested in buying a tablet "sat out the third quarter" waiting for the new iPad mini.

"We expect Apple to have a very good quarter. However, we believe the mini's relatively high $329 starting price leaves plenty of room for Android vendors to build upon the success they achieved in the third quarter," Mainelli said.

In smartphones, it was a similar story with Android grabbing 75 percent of the market and the Samsung Galaxy S3 getting the crown as the world's top selling smartphone, based on surveys.

IDC said Apple's smartphone market share slipped to 14.9 percent in the third quarter from 16.9 percent the prior period.

Even though the figures came as Apple launched the iPhone 5 -- which combined with the iPhone 4S, outsold the Samsung flagship -- the news was sobering for the Cupertino, California firm.

Many analysts remain bullish on Apple and say the recent stock slump is nothing to fret over.

"The selloff in Apple's stock in recent weeks has spooked investors but this correction is similar to the three others experienced over the past 13 months, all of which proved to be attractive buying opportunities," said Brian White at Topeka Capital Markets.

Gregori Volokhine of the investment firm Meeschaert said one problem for investors is that Apple, because of its huge success in recent years, has become the largest holding for nearly every investment fund in the US and elsewhere.

That means any move is likely to be amplified as investors follow the trend.

"Having too much of one stock means portfolio managers will sell on declines to reduce exposure," Volokhine said. "It's a vicious circle."