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Mobile Post Apocalypse – Holy Wars

June 23, 2015 by Raj Agrawal Leave a Comment

I remember holding a Nokia 6600 and being in awe of how revolutionary and cutting edge it looked. It’s a bulky and completely outdated phone by todays standards, but back then it was an absolute beauty. A never before seen form factor, bulky but good-to-hold curves and a brilliant camera for its time really made the phone desirable by many.

I remember the Sony Walkman phone, which was in a league of its own. Sony owned the camera battles back then, but the Walkman phone offered more; unprecedented sound quality, and walkman-like music management. There were other players – you bought a Motorola just for the looks. There was nothing like a Razr back then, and there is nothing that looks like the Razr even now. Every major competitor before Apple brought something new to the table. There were no lists of consumer-friendly phone specs that you could compare. You simply had to choose one which fit your needs the best. DPI, megapixels, cores, rom; none of these things mattered much. And the phones were generally very stable.

There will not be another Nokia 3310, or at least a phone which will be as popular. Why? It’s because back then, spec sheets did not matter much.

Mobile post apocalypse - Analogy (Poussin, Nicolas: The Victory of Joshua over the Amalekites - An excerpt from the The Jewish Bible) — Mobile Post Apocalypse – Pictorial analogy (Poussin, Nicolas: The Victory of Joshua over the Amalekites – An excerpt from the The Jewish Bible)

Apple revolutionised mobiles. It’s true. Whether or not you’re an Android fan, this is something you simply have to accept. Touchscreens were never very popular. Using a stylus to operate smartphones today can get really cumbersome. O2 had a lot of clout among the business elitists, but the world was mainly either Nokia, Sony Erricson, Motorola, or Blackberry. Blackberry owned the majority of the business market, and the other three ruled everything else. All Apple had to do was make a good Touchscreen phone. And it did. And it brought something new to the table; something which was acceptable as the next big thing; something which did not seem ahead of its time. That’s really all you need to do; make something which feels like a logical follow up without really trying to change the world. Apple did just that, and suddenly they were innovators. Every new piece of technology they put into the iPhone became a standard. DPI became the next screen rating. Cameras suddenly felt obsolete in comparison. Music was already their bread and butter and coin. It’s like the world was just waiting for a good ‘smartphone’ – a term that brings about mixed feelings, but that”s for another time.

War is, on many levels, a mind game. Your strength lies not in the strength of your units, but in your ability to use them properly. You cannot always be innovative in a war. You simply have to do what’s necessary; fight fire with lava. And sometimes you just have to do what your opponent does, but for free. And that is what Google did. Android created a mobile ecosystem, which was comparable to iOS, was free, and was open source. Their aim was not to cater to the few elite believing in shelling out a bomb for quality. Their aim was to cater to everybody. They created a model where mobile manufacturers did not have to worry about software. All they had to do was create good hardware which could support Android, much like a PC. Apple was untouchable uptil then, having a daunting monotony on the mobile market. Android is the natural competition the world needed to strive in an Apple dominated world.

The result – Samsung is now one of the top phone manufacturers in the world. HTC have left that O2 image behind and made some excellent phones. This automatically enables a sense of doubt for Apple, which makes it strive to make it products better. And any competition is good competition.

As an end user, I can rest assured that the next phone I buy will be of higher quality than the last, and this trend will only continue. At a certain point, Android left its Apple-copier image, and started taking initiatives of its own. It did what google does best, integrate search into the ecosystem, which is Google’s main source of income. They initiated the Nexus series of phones – the purpose of which was to increase their search base, by selling premium quality phones at mid range prices. And this has worked very well for Google. Nexus 5 is now the standard by which Android phones are measured with. Sure there is the Nexus 6, but it feels like a failed experiment, with its obnoxious pricing. The Nexus 5 is Google at its best in the Android space, and the remastered 2015 edition coming out is a testament to that.

My main gripe with this holy war is this – there used to be a magical (sorta) feeling about holding a mobile phone. When I had held a Nokia Communicator, the sense of awe I got was completely different than holding a 6600. The joy of flapping and unflapping a Moto Razr was unlike anything out there. I could throw around a 3310 and know that it will still ring when I get a call. There was art; art with flaws, but art nonetheless.

Being a software engineer, I now realize that the best way to build a software fast, is to reuse. Almost every phone today is reusing the same curvy edges slim trim design. Almost every Android phone today has a home screen which looks exactly the same.

It still feels great to hold a LG G4, but there’s not much that can surprise me. Sure the phone can look after my every need; way more than any phone back then could possibly do, but it just feels part of my daily life, and not something that I should treasure. And I see this in almost every industry these days. Maybe that is what customers want; a fixed standard set of specs for their daily lives. But when every phones feels the same, you don’t have much of a choice. I used to get butterflies at the thought of buying and exploring a new phone. Now it just feels like i’m buying upgraded software.

Sony, Samsung And HTC – Evolve, Follow, Lead, Repeat

November 5, 2013 by Omkar Jadhav Leave a Comment

This is a short novel. Of how leaders can become followers, and followers proving that they have the potential to lead. This is about Samsung & HTC as the leading Android Manufacturers and how Sony evolved with the Xperia series into the Z1.

With the beginning of 2013, the front line of ‘smartphone battlefield’ was led by massive 5 Inch Full HD smartphones. This was an expected step up as the last battle was dominated by smartphones wielding 720p displays. The fierce and highly competitive battle continues and, and is only beginning to get crazier (especially with the US variant of Note III, already capable of capturing 4K/ Ultra HD Videos, resolution – 3840×2160 compared to Full HD 1920×1080). If you’re actively following the mobile industry, you may have noticed the iterative increase in larger smartphone sizes and displays as an apparent trend. And it’s not necessarily a great idea. I personally prefer the ideal device screen size to lie between 4 and 5 inches anything beyond that, I consider it to fall outside the smartphone category, inclining more towards the phablet or a tablet zone. I would prefer owning a 5″ smartphone and a 10″ tablet, both serving totally different uses, instead of the thrifty zone of “getting more and both of two segments for the same price”.

The Evolving title of Smartphones into the ‘Phablets’ moniker

Size does matter, but only to the extent of its utility. Not many challenge the odds and go beyond the buffer zones of the predefined standards. Sony’s Xperia Z Ultra was one such device to go 6.4 inch mammoth screen on the body height of a 7 inch tablet, at the same time retaining its sleek body. Sony, known for outstanding design and displays in general always lagged behind the leading Android Manufacturer Battle of Samsung and HTC. The reigning duo continued to outdo each other though in different aspects, one in hardware and another in design, Samsung through its marketing prowess always bested HTC in the overall market reach. Both consistently remained strong, but Samsung maintained its focus on maximising the internal hardware, and gradually pushing the software package beyond the need. While HTC stayed true to its craftsmanship, designing beautiful devices in almost all the price range with comparatively less to offer in terms of the internal machinery.

Display, LCD vs AMOLED

Smart-phone displays should be judged on the resolution depth, the level of realistic color reproduction it may offer and NOT in terms of how flashy, colourful, and attractive. Samsung is popular for making poor designs, but makes up significantly in hardware performance, and software bonanza which is beyond excess. Evidently, that restricts the hardware output more than it manages to lure ‘loyal’ customers who base their decisions on the well crafted ads showcasing the features in the most idealistic environment suited for them to work.

Sony Z Series and The Z1 Flagship

Sony has set a benchmark by taking remotely used features like elemental resistance, be it dust and water, mainstream and yet retaining the visual appeal or rather surpassing its rivals in that context. When the Z1, Sony’s latest flagship comprises two layers (front and back) of the Dragontrail glass, which evidently surpasses Gorilla glass. And add a layer of shatter-resistant screen protector (both sides, front and back) which lowers the chances breaking, but at the cost of increasing the chances of scratches. The scratch-resistant glass lies beneath the shatter-resistant protector on which the front Sony logo is baked.

What does one do with a 1920 x 1080 Full HD display on a 5 inch screen, usually preferred on 40-50 inch living room TV set?

At first, you just stare at it and be amazed. Is this what you would like to do? I, coming from an S III, a 720p 4.8 inch display, to Xperia Z1 with 1080p 5inch one, happened to notice the huge difference. It should be easily noticeable (maintaining a 1-2 feet viewing distance, from your eye to your device’s display, when holding the device in your hand). Though a 1080p might seem like an extreme pixel accumulation (441 in a 5 inch device), many might not even consider it as a need for a smartphone to be this dense and rich, but, it is definitely more than just a privilege when you have it.

Browsing

A good way to judge a screen, is through browsing activities. I take the example of Dolphin because it best replicates the desktop browsing experience. Reading feels just right on Xperia Z1. You can read a webpage on desktop mode without having the need to pinch the screen all the way.

720p to 1080p jump & OmniBalance

720p displays are decent, but when you push them to a 1080p display, the text appears ‘floating’ on the upper surface of the glass. Another OmniBalance design implementation that eliminates is a layer of air. What I mean is, it is bound to the glass and when you notice closely, it just floats right beneath your finger.

How the Design Build Quality Adds-up to the Daily Use

Did I mention that the front and back made of the Z1 is made of reflective and durable tempered glass and how it amounts to the phone’s elegant design? This feature was last seen in Xperia Z and Xperia Z Ultra. Now, this has improved with glass sides along aluminium uni-body on the Z1. Sony calls it “OmniBalance” design, which is a genuine design expression. According to Sony, OmniBalance is creating balance and symmetry from all sides. Having this while retaining a decent body weight of 170gm which might seem more than the usual, but when you consider the glass body and one piece aluminium frame, it is justified. The Xperia Z1 feels just right. While holding the device, rest other devices feel like sham.

Battery, Camera and Other Daily Utilities

The most liberating feeling of switching out from a Samsung phone is the de-bloated, and non-impairing software. If you have used the Samsung’s Touchwiz skin, you might be familiar with that nagging lag, which occurs every now and then, turning those smooth animations into haphazardly jerky ones. Son’y UI had similar issues earlier; it’s all fluid performance now, like one would expect from a Vanilla Android. Only in this case it is more feature rich, but topped with some nifty tweaks which still retains the software performance and let the underlying hardware do its job well. Battery life is decent. The phone’s battery can last for more than one day, under moderate use. When you use the phone for playing multimedia, then you might just get by through the day. Or you can use the stamina mode, which is another great add on for a device with a non-removable battery.

Camera, 1/2.3″ 20.7MP, Exmor RS™, G Lens, BIONZ™

Camera, which should have been the eye catcher of this flagship, sadly, isn’t. If you are switching from an 8 MP shooter, this will still feel like a huge upgrade, which should be obvious considering the powerful hardware of the camera specialists. Apparently, the software falls short. Grains, artefacts and some bad processing is a common occurrence, but this is only under daylight and scenic modes. This is weird because the performance for low light, macro and short to medium object distance otherwise great. This seems to have been fixed in the recent software update.

Speakers

Then the speakers which are loud enough for your phone notification/ringtone to be audible in the next room, but music performance isn’t exceptional, but that is only in terms of loudness. This isn’t a concern unless you were planning on blasting some desi tracks on your Z1 while going to work. Also there are some useful audio settings which give you clarity as well as loudness boost.

Ones, Notes, G2s & Ultras

This year was filled with some great devices, like the Sony Xperia Z, HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S IV, Sony Xperia Z Ultra, the Z1, the unprecedented LG’s flagship G2, as well as the widely anticipated Note III. The devices could not help but strut in some department. All of them definitely created a lasting mark though common shortcomings like, good display but poor battery, powerful hardware but unpolished software, astounding speakers but average camera, any several other polarising pairing of inherent features managed to still exist.

Finale

As a flagship, Sony Xperia Z1 good, but not an excellent device. It’s definitely worth if you consider indulging in not just the Android software prowess but also the premium hardware and unique design experience Sony has to offer. Furthermore, this device, is more of an indication of Sony taking the Smartphone race seriously. Sony can retain its current state and continue outperforming is with improved device support, timely software roll outs, updates and fixes (which Sony already is likely to roll out KitKat on Z1 second, next to Nexus 5). The attention Sony as a manufacturer is giving its existing devices and not orphaning them is commendable. If Sony launches another flagship with only a few months difference after Z1, it might cause some previous devices to be pushed into the long waiting line of updates.

LG Optimus 4X HD Launches In India – First Look

July 27, 2012 by Raj Agrawal 1 Comment

LG isn’t a newcomer when it comes to high end smartphones. They’ve been in the mobile space for a long time, but have never quite been able to penetrate the market as effectively as some of their peers. They were one of the first companies to release handsets with dual core processors, and although the same cannot be said for the quad core sector, they’re here, and they looking to create a stir. With phones such as the One X, and the Galaxy S3, one may say that the quad core scenario has already peaked in terms of popularity. Even so, there is always room for improvement, and the LG Optimus 4X HD seeks to prove as a worthy adversary to the aforementioned heavy hitters and make a name for itself.

At first glance, the Optimus 4X HD looks like a larger version of the much acclaimed Galaxy S2. The edges aren’t rounded, well they are, but they’re still square edges only slightly rounded at the very tip, and the phone is ultra light, exactly the reasons why we loved the S2. Hardware wise, it’s no slouch. The 4.1 core Tegra 3 processor is speedy and keeps response time to a minimum. It comes packed with 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB storage, an 8 mega pixel snapper, and almost all the features you’d expect from a high end smartphone. The screen size is 4.7 inches, on par with the One X and the Galaxy S3, and for such a huge phone, it is surprisingly light. The screen looks gorgeous, but the glare is apparent while viewing the screen under direct sunlight.

But that’s not all the phone has to offer. Quick memo offers the users the ability to quickly edit their photos and videos. Also possible is video zooming with the ability to pan across different sections of the zoomed video without much loss in quality. Using the newly implemented Icon Customizer, you can now have custom icons for all of your apps. Also added is the ability to share files via other devices with the use of NFC. You can also quickly change the settings of the phone with the use of the awesome NFC tag, plus the system. The phone will come packed with three such tags and each can be rewritten to accommodate several settings that the user wishes to achieve. The settings will then change everytime the user simply taps the tag. Also added is the ability to remotely control your phone via your computer using a DLNA specific service called Smartshare.

The 4X HD also sports some India specific features, at the center of which stands LG mobile TV, a television media service which will stream a select group of channels straight to the phone. The service is free for the first 3 months, and will be chargeable after that. There is no online media library on the phone at the moment, but it is in the works and might hit the phone late next year.

The LG Optimus 4X HD is priced at Rs. 34,990

Overall the phone feels like a good edition to the high end paradigm, and although it won’t be giving Samsung of HTC nightmares, it is still looking like a very nice alternative to the other phones in a saturated market. Our little hands on with the phone left us cautiously impressed, but i’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of the phone, to better understand whether it can actually stand the test of time, or fall like countless others. The fact that it even made me contemplate asking that question, is an achievement in todays world, where no two products are very dissimilar or genuine.