Tag Archives: google

LG’s Google TV looks impressive, but is it enough for Google TV to take off?

  By admin | May 16, 2012 - 3:38 pm | Uncategorized
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Remember when Eric Schmidt said that “By the summer of 2012, the majority of the televisions you see in stores will have Google TV embedded in it.”? It doesn’t look like that’s the case so far, and probably won’t be for a while. But LG has just demoed a very impressive TV that runs the Google TV OS, with the help of a dual core processor, that handles 3D as well.

Is Google TV finally ready to take over the market then? I doubt it, and I blame Google for that. While I think Google has learned a lot over the past few years about the consumer market, and they are still learning fast, that doesn’t change the fact that they are still “not there yet”, at least in some regards.

Take Google TV for example. When every set top box on the market was priced from $70 (Roku) to $200 at most (Boxee Box), Google comes out with no experience in this market, almost no content deals, and with software that didn’t look very polished, and wants to sell its first set top box, the Logitech Revue, for $300. Even Apple was selling theirs for $99 (although more limited software wise).

First off, you can’t try selling consumers a product that costs a few hundred dollars with software that isn’t fully ready or doesn’t have enough access to content to justify its price. It’s one thing to pay $300 for something and get access to everything you want, and it’s quite another to pay $300 to get access to Youtube on that device (and granted, a few more channels and Amazon’s video service). The point remains that the value just wasn’t there.

But why did this product cost so much? I still ultimately blame Google for the cost, because they were the ones launching the initial product, and they most definitely had a say in how it works and what specs it has. But other than that, the two biggest factors were Logitech and Intel.

Logitech was at fault because I believe they tried the same old “early adopter pricing” tactic, so, in a way, they tried to rip-off the early adopters with high prices, by being the first one in the market with Google TV. The second one was Intel with its Atom CE CPU, that definitely took the biggest chunk out of the pricing of the components, which of course influenced the final retail price in a major way.

LG’s Google TV might change the game

I think Google has finally put some pieces of the puzzle together though. For instance, the new Google TV from LG has a much better remote, with a keyboard on the back. The new gizmo provides a much better experience than the clunky full keyboard from Logitech, or the weird keyboard from Sony that looked like something from the 80′s. It’s still not perfect, though, and I don’t understand why there has to be a “mouse pointer” on a TV. That doesn’t make sense to me – it’s a waste of effort to move the pointer around, when there’s already a much simpler way to interact with the UI.

But other than the user experience (which I think has been greatly improved), and the fact that the new TVs and set top boxes might finally use ARM chips, the Google TV doesn’t do anything so great that it feels like a revolution.

I’ve been hoping that Google will start promoting Google TV as a gaming platform, so that it revolutionizes the console market, through cheap $100 ARM-powered consoles/set top boxes. Or they could just come built-in with all new TVs (although that means that you’d be stuck with the same chip for 5-10 years). But I still see no hint from Google that it’s going to actively promote it’s TV business like that. It’s more of an afterthought for them right now.

Video-chatting is also something they’ve never really tried to promote with Google TV, and I’m sure Apple will promote it heavily with their upcoming TVs. Expect the emotional ads with family members that interact with each other from the couch, and so on. I’ll be very disappointed if Apple’s TV will become a lot more popular than the Google TV, even though Google TV will have had a 2 year head-start over Apple.

But maybe that’s what both Google and its partners need in order to wake up and do it right, and, hopefully, before the Apple TV becomes too popular.

 


NEXT: LG to Announce a Google TV Device at CES. Is Samsung Next?
LG Google TV LG to launch a Google TV in the US by the end of May Google Play BOOM! Android Market Becomes Google Play Store, along with Google Music and Google Ebookstore [Updated]

This article, LG’s Google TV looks impressive, but is it enough for Google TV to take off? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


WSJ: Multiple Nexus devices coming this fall, from five manufacturers, Jelly Bean onboard

  By admin | May 16, 2012 - 9:42 am | HTC, Motorola, Samsung
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nexus

Traditionally in the Android development cycle, major versions have launched at the end of the year (exception being Gingerbread/Honeycomb). According to the Wall Street Journal, Android Jelly Bean should launch this year, “by Thanksgiving”.

Will this be Android 5.0 or another version? That depends on Google’s plans for their I/O developer event happening in June. Andy Rubin’s team has two options: one, launch an Android 4.1 version with some improvements at I/O (and call it Jelly Bean), and then give a new name to Android 5.0. Two, use the event to showcase upcoming features of Android 5.0 Jelly Bean, and release it this fall.

Now, the rumor in WSJ says that Google is getting five manufacturers (probably Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony and LG – no love for Huawei, Google?) to release “Nexus devices”, all at the same time, this fall. How is this possible? Well, Google plans to give all of them early access to the next major version of Android, much like Microsoft does with Windows and WP7 manufacturers.

Google plans to launch the next version of Android with all of them at once , with some less important manufacturers launching a little later.

So what does this mean for us, the users? It means that we get to choose from at least 5 phones and maybe some tablets, too (some manufacturers will choose to release both a phone and a tablet), so our choices for stock Android devices will greatly improve. Even better, they will all be available from day one. That means that, if you don’t like a particular Nexus device, you have several others to choose from, and you won’t have to wait many more months until other devices appear.

This deal means that stock devices will flood the market. Also, manufacturers will have early access to the Android code, meaning that they will also be able to upgrade their skins faster and  launch new devices faster. However, the first devices will still be only stock Android. And Google should make sure of that through a formal agreement.

According to WSJ, the Nexus devices will most likely be sold through Google’s Play Store in US, Europe and Asia, which again is a great move for Google, because they’ll be able to wrestle control over Android from carriers. It won’t hurt carriers too much, because at least in US, most people still buy phones through carrier subsidies, but it should work very well in markets in Europe and Asia.

Overall, this is a very smart move from Google, that will benefit themselves, the consumers, and even the manufacturers.


NEXT: HTC Negotiates with Google for Potential Jelly Bean Nexus
android-jelly-bean Asus Hoping to Be the First Manufacturer to Offer Jelly Bean Devices verizon smartphones 2012 BGR: HTC competitor to the Galaxy Note, multiple Droid RAZR models coming this fall at Verizon

This article, WSJ: Multiple Nexus devices coming this fall, from five manufacturers, Jelly Bean onboard , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Are Google and Samsung working on an Exynos 5250-based device?

  By admin | May 14, 2012 - 11:48 am | Samsung
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Now that we’ve (almost) closed the big book of rumors on the Samsung Galaxy S3, it’s time to play the guessing game on what device Google and Samsung are working on together!

We know that it’s highly likely that Samsung will be Google’s choice for the next Nexus phone, which traditionally comes out at  the end of the year. But the latest report from Sam Mobile might provide us a clue about something even bigger. The website reports that Adam Green, a known ROM developer (maker of Oxygen), has found some lines of code on Google’s Git Repository that seem to lift the curtain on a next-gen Android device that Google and Samsung are collaborating on.

The problem is we’re not sure if the code belongs to a tablet or a phone. From the kernel code, the device will sport the Exynos 5250 processor, a Mali GPU (vithar), a s5K4e5 camera, a s5k6a3 camera, a wm8994 sound chip, and a S6E8AB0 display with 1280 x 800 resolution. These various components could very well belong to a smartphone, but we can’t rule out that the device is actually a tablet.

The Eyxnos 5250, also known as the Exynos 5 Dual, will mark Samsung’s leap to the Cortex-A15 architecture. Like the Exynos 4 Quad, however, it will still use a 32nm HKMG technology. Back in March, Samsung’s Senior Manager at Mobile Marketing Massimiliano Villani said that the Exynos 5250 will be “the first processor able to natively drive a WQXGA display.”

So, what’s the chance of Samsung letting Google use its considerably advanced Exynos 5250 processor in the next Nexus phone? Let’s just say that manufacturers are lining up to grab that coveted spot, with the Nexus tablet already reserved for Asus. So yeah, it is not an unlikely proposition.

We know that there’s still a limited amount of information out there, but speculation is part of the fun of waiting for the next “wow” phone or tablet, right? Do you think that the code refers to the next Nexus phone? Or will Google surprise us and release a couple of Nexus tablets?


NEXT: Samsung Exynos 5250 on a Galaxy Tab?
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This article, Are Google and Samsung working on an Exynos 5250-based device? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


New Maps for iOS? It’s not exactly a surprise

  By Megan Lavey-Heaton | May 11, 2012 - 8:45 pm | iOS, iPhone
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ImageThe latest rumor to get everyone talking is that Apple will drop Google Maps for their own proprietary software. Sources told 9to5 Mac that a new Maps app will debut with iOS 6 with an Apple-created backend that will resemble the current Maps app, but with a more amenable solution.

This really isn't the big shocker that everyone is making it out to be. The writing has been on the wall for a couple of years. It was never a matter of if Apple would drop Google but when. The question was asked as early as 2009 when Apple bought Placebase. This was followed by the acquisition of several 3D-technology companies -- Poly9 in 2010 and C3 Technologies in 2011. While Apple and Google did renew their partnership last year, it was most likely on a year-to-year basis. Apple wasn't ready with the technology in 2011. It looks to be ready now, and the leak could be intentional to drum up excitement for WWDC.

The proof is in iPhoto for iOS. When the iOS version of iPhoto debuted in March, Apple was using older OpenStreetMap data instead of Google. This was most likely a testing ground to see how their own maps would function before pushing it out to a wider audience with a major iOS release. While the iPhoto maps aren't anywhere near as full-featured as a new Maps app would likely be, and I hope it looks different because the maps in iPhoto are rather ugly, it was a good place to start.

Maps for iOS has long lacked the features offered to Android users, including a solid integration with voice control. If this Maps app does debut with iOS 6, I hope Siri can be used to voice turn-by-turn directions. The addition of 3D-map technology would of course bring additional benefits. What features would you like to see in a new Apple-originated Maps app?

New Maps for iOS? It's not exactly a surprise originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Play hits 15 billion downloads, nobody notices for weeks

  By admin | May 11, 2012 - 10:58 am | Uncategorized
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Understanding the importance of creating a complete and accessible ecosystem for Android users, Google recently rebranded and transformed the Android Market to Google Play. Under that one gigantic Play Store umbrella, users can now download not just apps, but also music, video, books, and even buy a phone.

Since people seem to be fixated on comparing the number of apps available on a certain platform, Google and its competitors still like to flaunt numbers every now and then, just to show who’s boss. So it’s quite puzzling to see Google not throwing the confetti to celebrate the 15 billion app downloads milestone, which was reached several weeks ago. It was only a couple of days ago that the achievement has even been confirmed by the company to TechCrunch.

15 billion – that might seem like a lot of zeros, but Google’s performance hasn’t quite reached Apple’s level yet. Back in March, Apple announced that over 25 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store, by more than 315 million owners of iOS devices.  Since Cupertino passed the 15 billion downloads mark in July 2011, the App Store received an average of 1.25 billion downloads per month, compared to Google’s monthly average of 1 billion downloads.

If you’re interested to know just how many Android apps there are right now that you can download for your phone and tablet, according to Appbrain, there are more than 440,000 apps on Google Play as of May 10, of which 318,000 are free apps and the other 123,000 paid apps. Apple, meanwhile, has over 550,000 apps in its App Store as of March 2012, with 170,000 being iPad-specific.

Anyway, congrats to Google for reaching the 15 billion downloads milestone, and for soon passing half a million apps available (pre-emptive response: yes, we also believe quality matters more than quantity). The latest figures are quite an achievement for a platform that only had 2,300 apps back in March 2009.

While it’s true that, in the past, developers have prioritized or focused exclusively on iOS devices, more and more popular apps, like Instagram, Flipboard and others, are finally making their way to Android. The introduction of carrier billing option should make Android platform even more attractive for devs.


NEXT: Google Applications Reaches 3 Billion Downloads and 350,000 Activations Each Day
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This article, Google Play hits 15 billion downloads, nobody notices for weeks , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Google must force carriers to do better, and insist they rollout new Android versions promptly

  By admin | May 10, 2012 - 2:36 pm | Android
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Nearly every Android smartphone user has suffered the irritation of knowing that a new version of Android has been released by Google, and they haven’t received it yet. Sometimes they never do.  Updates can often  take around six months to come, if they do at all. Why does this happen, and why does Google let it happen time and time again?

The bloatware process

Briefmobile The biggest cause of update delays which increases device-software fragmentation is not caused by Google, it is the fault of mobile phone carriers who install their bloatware.

Once Google has released a lightning fast, gorgeous new version of Android like Ice Cream Sandwich last year. The smartphone manufacturers then dirty it with their own bulky add-ons, and make a few tweaks here and there to help it run on a specific device. HTC adds HTC Sense, Samsung adds Touchwiz, and so forth, in addition to that and other cumbersome applications.

After the manufacturers are done (about 1-2 months), the software is passed on to the mobile carriers, who then add all of their custom software on top of the manufacturer’s. When I first got my Desire HD it was littered with HTC and T-Mobile applications I didn’t want or need, stealing up space, processor cycles, battery life, etc. Once the carriers are done putting on their bloatware and testing it out (3-4 months sometimes) the software is finally pushed to the devices the carriers and manufacturers deem ‘compatible’. Many devices do not receive software updates, even then they are perfectly capable of running the new Android builds…

The money-making racket that follows

Reuters

One of the ways manufacturers and carriers make money off of Google announcing software releases is to hold the software back and only allow it to be released on their newest devices. This ensures that existing customers who want the ‘newest and greatest’ software will be motivated to purchase a new phone which runs it. This shouldn’t be the case — existing customers should receive a prompt over-the-air update.

This is only sleazy marketing to help start initial sales of new devices. Most devices currently running Android 2.3 Gingerbread are perfectly capable of running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the manufacturers and carriers just don’t want you to. This means that disgruntled customers like myself go and download custom ROM’s from the community which allow us to enjoy Ice Cream Sandwich, with the hassle of research and warranty busting that comes with it.

Google should put their foot down

All this bloatware and the delays of upgrades only hurts Android’s name and public perception, and the customers themselves. Google should lay down the line and give firm instructions on how software should be released to Android fans. It isn’t fair that Google make us a great new build, and the Scrooge-like manufacturers and carriers won’t release it on older phones just so they can make ever more money.

Google should start stating that if carriers and manufacturers continue to deliberately delay the release of Android, then those companies will be penalized by having to endure delays before receiving a new software build, while all their competitors already have it. That would certainly motivate carriers to distribute updates faster, since they can’t afford to fall behind.

Perhaps Google should put additions into Android to help networks out

I can see one of the viewpoints the carriers may have which causes them to hesitate releasing the newest Android builds.

When you look at sales records, networks are still having no trouble selling devices running Android 2.3 and in a lot of cases, Android 2.2. Why should they start making things more complicated for themselves by moving up to 4.0 when they’re already getting plenty of market share by selling the older stuff?

When you look at the new features in Ice Cream Sandwich, they’re all lovely additions for the user to enjoy, but offer no benefit to the network providers. It may be the case that, as well as Google being stricter with networks delaying Android releases, they should also do things to make releasing software upgrades worthwhile to the networks. After all, I can see why T-Mobile wouldn’t want to spend funds sending out a new build of Android 4.0 if it didn’t benefit them in any way.

Final Thoughts

Personally, I would be in favour of Google enacting a policy where carriers delaying releases invokes penalisation, as it would get the carriers into gear. With the popularity of Android right now, no carrier could say no and risk losing precious modification time with the next release of Android.

Do you think this is a good idea? Should Google release the newest builds of Android to companies who have shown their goodwill first? Did you want Ice Cream Sandwich as soon as it was announced, or were you happy to wait for carriers to make their additions?


NEXT: Google shares the Android wealth with carriers?
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This article, Google must force carriers to do better, and insist they rollout new Android versions promptly , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Jury: Google infringed Java copyright, but we’re not sure it’s worth a $1 billion penalty

  By admin | May 8, 2012 - 5:22 pm | Android
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oracle-vs-google

Well, who can honestly say that they didn’t see this one coming? In the case of Oracle vs Java, the jury has returned a mixed verdict that will not please either of the sides. Although the jury has found Google to be in the wrong by infringing Oracle-owned Java copyrights, a unanimous decision couldn’t be reached on whether Google’s use of the Java APIs can be considered ‘fair use’ or not.

Judge William Alsup, who oversees the case, said that the jury’s decision to fault Google’s use of the nine lines of the “rangeCheck” code (which are identical to Java code) will be of little help in determining the victor if it fails to conclude on the issue of fair use. Since the deadlock between the jury couldn’t be broken, even after the jurors received more deliberation time over the weekend, the judge decided to move on with the next stage of the trial.

There were four questions that the team of jurors, which consists of five men and seven women, had to answer. Two of the questions were whether or not Google had infringed Oracle documentation copyrights – it’s a no for this one – and whether the copying of code was significant enough to warrant a full-on actionable infringement. The latter is the question upon which the jury can’t seem to decide.

The partial verdict means that Google won’t have to give in to Oracle’s demand to pay $1 billion in damages, since the infringement might still be considered a minor one. Moving away from Oracle’s initial stance of demanding just statutory damages, the company’s legal team now says that Oracle is entitled to a portion of Android profits, as a result of the infringement of those nine lines of code.

Responding to the decision, Google said that “fair use and infringement are two sides of the same coin.” While Google looks forward to the decision of whether Java APIs are copyrightable or not, the search giant is certain that it will prevail. Given the result, Google has filed for a mistrial and a hearing of both sides is set to take place on May 10.

Meanwhile, Oracle is convinced that “the overwhelming evidence demonstrated that Google knew it needed a license and that its unauthorized fork of Java in Android shattered Java’s central write once run anywhere principle.”

The trial will now focus on the alleged violation by Google of another two Java patents. Bear in mind that the jury’s decision will only be used as deliberation points for the judge and the ruling will ultimately be issued by him.


NEXT: Oracle to ask around $100 million from Google over the Android / Java lawsuit.
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This article, Jury: Google infringed Java copyright, but we’re not sure it’s worth a $1 billion penalty , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Is it a BlackBerry? Is it a Symbian? No, it’s the Google Sooner, the first Android reference device

  By admin | May 8, 2012 - 3:29 pm | Android
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If you had fun with the images of that early prototype of a Google phone we showed you a couple of weeks ago, you should prepare yourselves for something even more “special” today. Developer Steven Troughton-Smith got his hands on the first ever “Android reference device” and we are now excited to show you a few high-resolution photos that document Android’s early days.

The Google Sooner, aka the HTC EXCA 300, wasn’t ever officially released, but it’s interesting to see how much head work Google managed to do between 2007, when this device was in the works, and October 2008, when the HTC Dream (or the T-Mobile G1) hit the market.

Tech specs and look

The Sooner was supposed to be powered by an OMAP 850 processor and feature 64 MB of RAM, as well as 64 MB of on-board memory. The LCD screen sported by the device didn’t support touch input and came with a “generous” 320 x 240 pixel resolution.

Other features included a 1.3 megapixel camera (that’s actually decent if you think about it) with video recording capabilities, a 2G radio, a mini-SD slot, a mini-USB port, a full Qwerty keyboard, a four-way d-pad, and four system buttons. WiFi and 3G connectivity were missing, but that doesn’t come as a surprise.

As for the phone’s design, I don’t know about you, but I can’t help smiling when I look at the photos below. However, Troughton-Smith does mention that the device felt “surprisingly light” and that the exterior “had a certain quality to it”, so if the Sooner wasn’t elegant (and it certainly wasn’t), at least it was solid, without being too bulky.

Software

While some of you might have a good laugh when looking at the exterior of the Google Sooner, we are more interested in the phone’s software. Built on May 15 2007, according to Troughton-Smith, the device runs a much earlier Android version than anything we’ve seen before.

As you may imagine, the fact that the Google Sooner didn’t support touch input made this early software build very different from Android’s first stock version. However, there are a number of other differences too, mostly when talking about the home screen and the phone’s pre-loaded apps.

In fact, the Google Sooner didn’t actually feature a home screen, as we know it these days. Instead, the phone’s primary interface consisted of a large (and pretty cool) clock and a pop-up Google search bar. As far as apps go, you had Google Talk, Gmail, a calculator, a calendar, a notepad, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Earth, and a bunch of other similar “programs” pre-installed on the device.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, most of them were rudimentary and looked kind of ugly, to be honest (what’s up with the green Google Talk?), but for such an early smartphone, there were quite a few things to keep you busy. Unfortunately, there were also a few bugs here and there and neither Google Maps, nor YouTube ran smoothly for Troughton-Smith.

Was Sooner canceled because of the iPhone?

Aside from providing us with a sweet look back at Android’s childhood, Steven Troughton-Smith tries to explain the reasons why the Google Sooner was never shown to the public.

Troughton-Smith says that “it’s quite clear that Android was being designed to a completely different target before the iPhone was released” and that Apple’s gadget determined Google to change its perspective and step up its game a notch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, Diane Hackthorn, an employee of Google’s Android engineering group, describes Smith’s blog post as “misleading”. According to Hackthorn, the T-Mobile G1 and the Google Sooner “were basically the same” and the decision to drop Sooner was taken “well before the iPhone announcement”.

In cases like this, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle, but I, for one, don’t think it’s that important to know whether Google canceled the Sooner due to the iPhone or not. What is important, though, is that Android really has come a long way from its inception, and that mobile technology as a whole progressed tremendously in just a few short years.

You should also check out the following Android demo from November 2007. You can catch a glimpse of the Sooner in this clip, but you can also see a different and significantly more complex prototype, with a touchscreen and a “friendlier” interface. Have fun!


NEXT: Google’s Android to eclipse Nokia’s Symbian in 2012
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This article, Is it a BlackBerry? Is it a Symbian? No, it’s the Google Sooner, the first Android reference device , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Google gets first self-driving car license in Nevada

  By admin | May 8, 2012 - 2:45 pm | Uncategorized
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Google Self-Driving Car

This may come as a surprise to many, but it looks like Google’s self-driving car concept is a lot closer to reaching the consumer market than previously thought. Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently gave Google the first ever autonomous vehicle license. The Google-modified Toyota Prius is the only licensed autonomous car we’ll see around for a while, as such vehicles are not available to the public yet. On the upside, DMV officials have announced their plans to license self-driving vehicles to the general public at some point in the future.

I must admit that, when I first took a glance at the concept and the videos that Google has uploaded on its Youtube channel, I wasn’t convinced that Google’s self driving car is actually this close to being bug-free. Skeptical by nature, I was willing to bet that videos such as the following one are compiled from chunks of successful footage, and do not reflect the actual state of the concept.

Fortunately, I was wrong. Nevada officials have test-driven (pun intended) the concept in various areas, such as the Las Vegas Strip, Carson City, the Golden Gate bridge, and a number of highways. The conclusion that Nevada State officials have reached is that Google’s self driving car will actually make driving safer than it is in the present. More, according to Nevada DMV director Bruce Breslow, self-driving vehicles are “the car of the future”.

Nevada is not the only state in the US that plans to regulate autonomous cars in the near future. California, Google’s home state, is also taking the matter into consideration. According to Alex Padilla, California state Senator: “The vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error. Through the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous vehicle is capable of analyzing the driving environment more quickly and operating the vehicle more safely”.

What do you guys make of this story? Are autonomous vehicles closer than we think? Would you allow a computer to take care of driving for you? Drop us a line in the comment section below!


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This article, Google gets first self-driving car license in Nevada , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.


Android 2.3 Gingerbread vs. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich [video]

  By admin | May 2, 2012 - 10:42 am | Galaxy Nexus
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September 23, 2008, Android 1.0, the first commercial version of Android is released. Just over 3 years later, October 19, 2011, after evolving from Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, and Honeycomb, not including Astro and Bender, Ice Cream Sandwich was announced. Along the way, Android put out loads of features and took in some 200+ million users. Today, we’re going to be breaking down two of the newest, and arguably best, Android versions (Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich). Obviously, a winner has already been chosen for this Versus Match. However, look at the competition as more of a comparison and evolution of Android.

UI (User Interface)

It is hard to miss the fact that Google was going for an improved User Interface with Ice Cream Sandwich. Just from taking a look at the search bar, you can tell that Ice Cream Sandwich is much sleeker than Gingerbread. Mainly, Ice Cream Sandwich will make it easier for users to find those common buttons and actions that were always playing hide and go seek in older Android versions. Furthermore, the animations and “typeface” have been refined to play nicely with your new 720p HD display. Furthermore, Ice Cream Sandwich introduces the new font “Roboto”. This Google creation will make reading easier and give Android a more modern feel.

By far, the most visible interface on any device is the font you read everything from websites, to emails, to SMS’ on. With Android 4.0, Google has designed a font completely from the ground up, and it looks exceptional. Dubbed Roboto, it’s a font built with modernity in mind, and looks great.

With a heavy dose of the use of intuitive gestures, and the ability for developers to add them too, Ice Cream Sandwich really is as silky smooth as its name implies.

Multitasking, Widgets, and Folders

Two of Android’s most notable and original features are Multitasking and Widgets. Therefore, Ice Cream Sandwich will be bringing new meaning to both of those features with some key upgrades.

First, the Recent Apps button lets users jump instantly from one task to another using the list in the System Bar. The list that pops up should be very familiar to Honeycomb users. Furthermore, the list will show you a thumbnail image of whats going on inside of that app for easy app-switching. If you want to get rid of recent app, just toss it away with a finger swipe.

Note! this swiping feature also works with browser tabs and notifications.

In addition, Ice Cream Sandwich now enables users to re-seize their widgets. Want a full page dedicated to Gmail? Go for it! Finally, Android 4.0 borrows iOS’s folder creation method of drag and drop. Therefore, all you have to do to create a folder is pick up and app, and throw it onto another one.

Network Data Manager

Wireless providers are starting to charge their customers an arm and a leg for less and less data. Thankfully, Google has provided us with a solution. The new Data usage controls allow for constant monitoring of your total usage by network type and application. In addition, it adds the ability to set limits on those data-hungry apps.

This is one of the more welcome additions to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as it gives you the complete breakdown on what your most data hungry apps are, which can end up saving you a lot of money. Definitely not something the carriers are looking forward to, but consider this a win for you, the consumer. Plus, it displays all of the info an easy to understand and beautiful graph, too.

Sharing

Now that Social Networks are destined to completely take over our lives, Android has adapted to make sharing a heck of a lot easier. First, Ice Cream Sandwich will introduce a whole new way to look at your friends.

Android 2.3′s contact list was known for being extremely boring. The new People app in Android 4.0 offers richer profile information, including a large profile picture, phone numbers, addresses and accounts, status updates, events, and a new button for connecting on integrated social networks.

But what happens when you want to send something to the person sitting right next to you instantly?! Well, with Gingerbread, you email it to them. In Ice Cream Sandwich, simply touch phones, and given that you have an NFC-capable device, voila! The guy next to you is watching the exact video or playing the same game as you are. Furthermore, Google has left this feature open to developers. Therefore, passing game scores, initiating a multiplayer game or chat, and more just got a lot easier.

Camera and Video

Live Effects are a collection of graphical transformations that allow you to turn your friend into an alien, put them on the moon, or more all from the Camera app. For example, users can change the background behind them to any stock or custom image, for just the right setting when shooting video. Also available is “Silly Faces”, a set of morphing effects that transform facial features. For example, you can use effects such as small eyes, big mouth, big nose, face squeeze, and more. Into video chatting? All of this can be done in the Google Talk app as well.

Do you hate it when friends get into your phone? But at the same time, setting a password stops you from getting into your phone fast. Google has come to the rescue with a new revolutionary feature called Face Unlock. It is exactly what you think it is, face recognition lets you unlock your phone with your face.

Improved Speed

Although at the time, Gingerbread was a huge update to older android versions in terms of speed, Google somehow managed to make Ice Cream Sandwich faster. And we’re not just talking about minor speed improvements. “In benchmarks run on a Nexus S device, the Android 4.0 browser showed an improvement of nearly 220% over the Android 2.3 browser in the V8 Benchmark Suite and more than 35% in the SunSpider 9.1 JavaScript Benchmark. When run on a Galaxy Nexus device, the Android 4.0 browser showed improvement of nearly 550% in the V8 benchmark and nearly 70% in the SunSpider benchmark” (Android Developers).

Furthermore, Ice Cream Sandwich makes email better by adding improved auto-completion, quick responses, an integrated menu, nested mail subfolders, and as mentioned before, a resizable Email widget.

Other Goodies

Wi-Fi Direct: will make instant sharing of files, photos, or other media; streaming video or audio from another device; or connecting to compatible printers or other devices all possible for Ice Cream Sandwich devices.

Bluetooth Health Device Profile (HDP): will allow for connecting to wireless medical devices and sensors in hospitals, fitness centers, homes, and elsewhere with some help from third party application developers.

Developers: 

Key Android 3.x developer features, now for phones too

Core UI

  • Fragments and content loaders
  • Resizeable home screen widgets
  • Rich notifications
  • Multi-selection, drag-drop, clipboard
  • Improved screen-support API
  • Hardware-accelerated 2D graphics

Graphics and animation

  • Property-based animation
  • Renderscript 3D graphics

Media and connectivity

  • HTTP Live streaming
  • Bluetooth A2DP and HSP devices
  • Support for RTP
  • MTP/PTP file transfer
  • DRM framework
  • Input from keyboard, mouse, gamepad, joystick

Enterprise

  • Full device encryption
  • DPM policies for encrypted storage and passwords

Video Comparison

As you can tell, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has added quite a large amount of new features. With that being said, Android 4.0 will be eliminating many of the problems that users had with older versions while also adding loads of new features, and innovation for developers. Ice Cream Sandwich made its debut on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. However, it is far from limited to this device. Any device that comes out after, or relatively close behind, October 19th 2011 (ICS Release Date) is almost guaranteed the upgrade to 4.0. Furthermore, tons of Gingerbread devices will be getting the call for an upgrade in the near future.

Also, let’s not forget it’s already starting to trickle into all sorts of devices like the Kindle Fire, the Asus Transformer, and many, many more. Google has released the source, and it’s likely this will herald an entirely new generation of useful devices in the near future.

For a full list of new Android 4.0 features for users and developers, click here.


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This article, Android 2.3 Gingerbread vs. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich [video] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.