Seeing as how Android is fast becoming one of the fastest growing smartphone and tablet platforms out there, it’s surprising to note how little clear information is available for the uninitiated towards the platform that would actually explain what certain terms – those that experienced users are so familiar with that it seems second nature to them – mean.
Samsung's Galaxy range is not only among the most popular in terms of the Korean company's outlets, but is easily the most revered range available for Google's Android platform. As such, even though the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II have been rousing success stories, Samsung has sought to capitalize on the consumer interest in the devices by releasing a series of similar handsets at lower prices. Following on from the Galaxy S III Mini in October and the Galaxy Grand in December, Samsung has expanded its mid-range product portfolio once more with the announcement of the Galaxy Express.
It is no secret that iOS and Android devices are the leaders on the smartphone market, with outputs that greatly outweigh the other players. The latest data published on Monday shows that their lead has edged, having taken over 92.1% of smartphone shipments in the last three months of last year.
One of the most important and widely used feature of any mobile device has to be the access to the internet it offers. Owners of devices have the option to stick with the default browser that is included as part of the operating system or scour the app market for a third-party offering. Owners of Android tablets and smartphones could do a lot worse than downloading and giving the Lightning Browser offering a chance to satisfy their web-based browsing needs.
Samsung pushes out a quite phenomenal number of handsets during the course of a year, and adding to its mammoth collection is the robust Xcover 2, built purposely for those who may regularly encounter the brunt of the varying terrain in the great outdoors. Unveiled today, it runs on Android Jelly Bean (4.1), boasts a 5-megapixel camera, and offers a 4-inch display. More details after the break.
It's the archetypal cycle of an upcoming device; the talk begins, the rumors start to swirl, and after a certain period of time, the supposed 'sightings' begin to emerge. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, which has already been confirmed as arriving at MWC by the Korean company's Vice President along with a set of leaked specs and images, that point of a leaked image looks to be upon us, and unsurprisingly, it looks almost identical to the Galaxy Tab 10.0.
The ability to run custom launchers on Android devices is something that, to many, gives the Google platform the edge on its competitors. We feature plenty of launchers here at Redmond Pie, each of which tends to offer its own unique quirk, and and today's offering is no different. Named SF Launcher, it is currently in early alpha stage, but already bears the hallmarks of a very promising home screen alternative.
For the last few years, it is not just processors and storage that have been indicators of the quality of a smartphones: screen resolution and sharpness has become just as much of a factor for consumers when purchasing a new device. According to a new report, the Samsung Galaxy S IV is bound to have a higher-resolution display than any other smartphone on the market, including the iPhone 5.
One of the great things about Android, and ultimately one of the reasons why a lot of users prefer it over the alternatives, is the ability to customize certain aspects of it. Developers are also able to produce software that essentially acts as a replacement for the native way of doing things. One of the more popular examples of this is rolling out of an entirely new launcher that brings additional features over the stock implementation. HomeFlip for Ice Cream Sandwich and above is one of the latest examples of an app built around the launcher concept.
When it comes to the look and feel of the OS, Android gives much more freedom to users as opposed to any other comparable smartphone operating system. You can theme, make changes through widgets, customize the boot animation, and pretty much change every aspect of the OS itself, all the way from the battery indicator to how the dock behaves (or even exists at all). In fact, the level of customization is so deep, that items like recovery and flashing of ZIP files through it have been given a proper, functional GUI as well (AROMA installer, for instance). The same freedom is also enjoyed by various manufacturers, who have, over time, developed a unique identity of their own through their distinctive Android UI skins. And the most popular one of them, by far, seems to be HTC’s Sense UI.
