Android Is Beating iOS In Web Usage

Apple has lost yet another battle to Android.

According to the latest data from Net Applications (via 9to5Mac), Android usage is now higher than iOS, Apple’s iPhone and iPad operating system. Net Applications measures web traffic across 160 million monthly visits.

For the longest time, Apple CEO Tim Cook would mock Android — Android tablets in particular — by saying no one uses them. Last year he said, “I don’t know what these other tablets are doing. They must be in warehouses, or on store shelves, or maybe in somebody’s bottom drawer!”

But, he can’t make fun of Android any more. Web traffic to Android is higher than iOS for the first time in history. This shows that Android users are getting more engaged with their devices, using them more and more.

What does this mean for Apple in the long run? It’s hard to say. Android has been clobbering iOS in market share for years now, but Apple has been fine.

Apple is still minting cash, and the iPhone business continues to grow at a double digit pace on annual basis.

The risk for Apple in any of these situations is that developers abandon the platform for Android, which has more users, and, now, a more engaged user base. If Apple loses developer interest, then it will have worse applications, and iOS becomes a second-tier platform.

Apple has hundreds of millions of users and millions of developers. There are no signs that developers are getting bored with the platform.

So, this is mostly just an embarrassment for Apple right now.

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Source: Yahoo News

Android's power user percentage at 23 percent

Most Android users fall into the moderate and light category based on data consumption, but 23 percent are power users who account for 57 percent of traffic, according to Strategy Analytics.

 

Twenty-three percent of Android users would be considered power users, with the majority falling into the moderate usage category, according to Strategy Analytics.

The big question is whether that stat sounds low. In tech circles, Android appears to be the geekiest of the mobile platforms. Folks who care about things like rooting devices use Android — as do people who'll tinker a bit.

To answer that question about whether 23 percent are power users, it's worth looking at Strategy Analytics' definitions. A light user consumes less than 50 MB in data per day. A moderate user consumes 50 to 300 MB per day and a power user tops 300 MB. The data usage covers Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
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A power user could consume data from streaming music or video. I'd define power user more as someone doing real work.

Strategy Analytics' sample size was 1,500 Android users.

Localytics found that Android users historically have skewed toward power users, but the company looks at app usage instead of data consumed. Generally speaking, iOS apps have been more sticky, but Android is closing the gap.

Power users as defined by Localytics — those who use an app more than 10 times a month — are equal on iOS and Android.

In any case, wireless carriers love the power users since they'll pay more for data and drive the most revenue.

Source: ZDnet

Android L preview: Dashing Look for android sets

Google announced the latest version of Android at I/O. The developer preview tips a new colorful design approach to the operating system, as well as several handy new features.

Android L — which does not have a cute dessert name yet — is the biggest facelift Google has given Android in years. Google SVPs Sundar Pichai and Matias Duarte gave a preview of the future of Android at the Google I/O developer conference on Wednesday.

It starts with design: this is certainly the prettiest version of Android ever. Gone is the focus on charcoal and grey from earlier years, and in is a newfound emphasis on color. Following current design trends, Android L also emphasizes “material design,” which turns app windows into cards. Each card has a specified “elevation value,” which allows the Android UI to automatically add drop shadows, perspective, and other animation touches regardless of screen size or dimension.

There’s also a good deal of new animations included in Android L: for instance, a new touch feedback animation that looks like “ripples in a pond.”

Google’s new guidelines for developers to make it easier to keep a consistent look and feel across Android — say, on a big 10-inch tablet as well as a tiny smartwatch screen.

The first place users will notice the visual change is in Google’s built-in apps: for instance, the Gmail app previewed on stage has large amounts of neutral space, a flat design, and Google’s updated Roboto font. The dialer features bold colors, that ripple animation mentioned earlier, and more neutral space.

Notifications have also gotten a lot of attention, with active banners popping up, even if you’re currently in another app, and a new approach to the lockscreen which allows users to take action on notifications without unlocking the device. One of the coolest features here is called Personal Unlocking, which uses context to skip locking the phone down. For instance, if your device is paired with a Bluetooth watch in the area, your phone will stay unlocked.

Chrome, the default browser on Android, has received a big update, with new recent tab screens and improved performance. Consumers will also appreciate the new “Universal Data Controls” feature, which puts all the device’s privacy settings in one place, and “Factory Reset Protection,” which provides a tool for administering remote wipes. Also appreciated: a new set of apps which will help save and monitor your device’s battery.

Under the hood — I/O is a developer’s conference, after all — there’s a lot that’s new as well. Most important is ART, which stands for Android Runtime. Google said ART manages RAM better than Dalvik, the previous runtime, and it’s fully 64-bit compatible. Google also announced the Android Extension Pack, which is a new collection of graphic tools like geometry shaders for game developers.

If you’re lucky enough to have a Nexus 5 or Nexus 7, you can download the Android L ROMs later today.

Source: Gigaom

Motorola exec confirms: Moto X to get Android L software update

Good news for folks (like me) who bought a Moto X handset: Android Central notes the phone will be upgraded to Android L after Google releases the next major software version. Android L is currently available in a developer preview for Nexus 5 and 7 devices, and is expected to debut publicly later this year.

Motorola previously said its budget Moto E handset would get the next major Android upgrade but hasn’t clarified its position on the Moto G and X phones. Confirmation of Android L for the Moto X came from Motorola’s Punit Soni on Google+, responding to the question about Android L for the Moto X with a simple “Yup” statement.

Given that the budget Moto E and its relatively lowly specs are getting Android L, surely the more powerful Moto X is capable of running Google’s newest Android software. Look at the long history of Android updates for phones, however, and you’ll see plenty of examples where “capable” devices were left out in the cold due to various handset maker or carrier decisions. Motorola has been a leader when it comes to Android updates, though.

Thanks to the largely stock Android user interface on its phones, along with useful custom apps that are available in the Google Play Store, Motorola devices upgrade paths are a little easier to tread: The company can push software updates more quickly than some competitors.

That’s one of the main reasons I still use a Moto X as my primary Android phone, in fact: Yes, there are phones with better processors, cameras or screens, but this phone meets my needs now, and with expected software updates and Motorola’s history of making them available more quickly than most, it will probably meet my needs for a while to come. I won’t lie, though: I’m still intrigued by the purported Moto X+1, a successor to my Moto X.

Source: Yahoo News

Best smartphones on sale as of June 2014

WE USE it on the train, at work, at home, pretty much everywhere. Our phone has become the most important tool in our lives, so which one is right for you?

If camera is most important — Nokia Lumia 1020

The Lumia 1020’s 41-megapixel camera is in a league of its own. Low-light pictures are excellent, and well lit shots are often as good, if not better than most point-and-shoot cameras. Thanks to the insane amount of pixels, you can zoom in much further than any other mobile without losing quality, a key advantage over its closest competitor, the iPhone 5s.

The Nokia Pro Cam app lets you manually change settings like your exposure and aperture on the go, too. However, Windows Phone may leave you wishing you had something else if you enjoy using lots of apps, and Nokia is due for a replacement model quite soon. But if you must have the best camera phone on the market right now, you can’t do wrong with the Lumia 1020.

The big camera sensor on the back will ease the pain if you forget your DSLR. Source: Supplied

I’m just so sick of seeing that low battery notification — BlackBerry Z30

If all you care about is battery life, then Blackberry’s Z30 is for you. While away at the Formula 1 earlier in the year, this reporter charged the Z30 on Thursday night, then used it to take pictures, make calls, send emails and record interviews and it didn’t need charging until late Sunday. No other phone we have used can do that.

BlackBerry 10 is also an underrated platform, especially if you use your phone as a communication device. There’s a limited amount of apps on the BlackBerry World, but you can also install Android apps which fills in a lot of the gaps.

The BlackBerry Z30 will last for days. And days and days. Source: Supplied

Do you need something pretty? — HTC One (M8)

While the One could also be considered a worthy contender for the outright best phone, its horrible camera lets it down. Being made out of a single piece of aluminium however makes it the best looking phone on the market. While not technically part of the design, the screen is also brilliant and adds to the look and feel of the phone.

Who would have thought a piece of technology could look this good? Source: Supplied 

Just tell me the best phone! — Apple iPhone 5s

There simply isn’t another device right now that does everything as well as the iPhone 5s. True to Apple, everything about the 5s just works, and everything it does works well. The camera is best in class (The Lumia 1020 is in a league of its own), the design is gorgeous, it has every app you could hope for and iOS is still the easiest mobile operating system to use. Plus with every update Apple puts out, they add the best bits from Android and Windows Phone. While it may not have the best battery life or screen, they’re not as big deterrents as most other phones have. It does everything well, and that’s why it’s the best.

The jack of all trades, but master of none. Source: Supplied

Who gets runner up? - Sony Xperia Z2

Sony’s Xperia Z2 is our runner up, for much the same reason that the iPhone 5s was our winner. It doesn’t do anything the best, but it does everything well. Decent battery life? Check. Decent camera? Check. Good app selection? Check. Water proof? Check.

It might be a bit big for some people and the edges can be sharp, but if you’re after a phone bigger than Apple’s iPhone with as little compromises as possible, the Z2 should be your choice.

Want a bigger than an iPhone Android device? The Z2 is for you. Source: Supplied

Source: News.Com.Au