When
choosing a mobile device, whether it’s a tablet, smartphone, or even an
MP3 Player, you want to make sure the device is right for you. The
operating system is the main feature you’ll notice when selecting a new
mobile device. It’s this that affects the applications (apps) you’ll
get, the customization options, and the general features available on
your device. In this article, I’ll be discussing the three main
Operating Systems you’ll see on modern phones and tablets: Android, iOS
and Blackberry.
Android
Google, the maker
of Android, has done a nice job of improving Android over the years.
Android is installed on over 190 million mobile devices (Q3 2011).
Google recently released their new Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream
Sandwich. Compared to its rivals iOS and Blackberry, Android is
installed on a large variety of different devices, such as smartphones,
MP3 players, and tablets, manufactured by several different companies.
On
devices running the new Android 4.0 the browser will be improved to a
great extent. Android 4.0′s browser will be Google Chrome and You can
enjoy all the features found on the desktop version. Users will also be
able to transfer their favorites, and links from the computer right to
their mobile device. Currently it’s in a beta state, but it will be
added once a full test is complete. Both the current browser and the new
upcoming Chrome can produce full Adobe Flash support on websites;
although it’s not necessary to use Adobe Flash it’s nice to know you
have the capability.
Figure 1. Android 4.0 showing off the menu screen along with the home screen.
When
it comes to user customization people can do many things with the built
in user controls and apps. Users can change the wallpaper along with
lock screen. The wallpaper can also support live wallpaper, which means
you can have images that move. Each Android device is also installed
with its own special software/theme that is designed by the manufacture
of the device. When typing in a document, Android is built with an
Auto-Correcting Dictionary which will assist you in changing/correcting
words. With Android you may add your own custom words (example: lol) to
the dictionary. Another customization is being able to add third party
applications to the mix. Users can add custom themes to suit their
preference.
When you open the App store you are greeted with a
user friendly home screen. Google has divided up its Books, Movies,
Music, Apps, and Games into their own sections. The store has an easy to
use searching bar and apps that will fit all age groups. With 400,000+
apps available for download (63% of those apps are free) you may be busy
for a while.
Android Ice Cream Sandwich will be offered on brand
new devices, as well as those within 3 to 3.5 years old. The latest
version is filled with many cool features such as:
- Facial unlocking
- Camera/Picture settings
- All of Google’s Services
- Voice search
- Data Monitor
Android’s
facial unlocking allows users to unlock their phone with a simple
smile. Making use of the front facing camera found on most smartphones,
Google’s new facial recognition technology is used to register your
face. As a backup you’ll be asked to create a Pattern or PIN password.
This is a patented feature, so it’s unlikely to appear on iOS or
Blackberry anytime soon.
When you take a picture with your built
in phone camera, you can make adjustments such as red-eye reduction,
straightening, continuous focus, zero shutter and image sharing. You’ll
be able to share your photos via social networking, Bluetooth, email and
text message. With this, there is no need to download an expensive
third party photo app to do all the work.
Many of us use Google’s
services every day, such as Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and more;
using Android allows you to carry all of these services with you. These
services can help you throughout the day: Google Search allows you to
look up anything on the internet, Maps will give you voice turn-by-turn
directions, Gmail will manage all of your emails along with sending
emails and the YouTube app will allow you to watch videos all day long.
The
voice search in Google is the best voice recognition feature available
on all three Operating Systems. The voice search will listen and
remember what you’ve said, allowing you to talk for long periods with
pauses in between. After it types what you’ve just said, it will then
underline words to suggest better phrases. Users are also able to speak
in a different language and still use this feature.
Lastly in
Android 4.0 Google added a built in Data Monitor for devices using a
mobile network. This is located in the Settings Menu and monitors all
bandwidth, whether it’s on Wi-Fi or your mobile network. You can set the
data monitor to warn you if you’re coming close to your data limit,
along with the ability to disable your mobile data usage altogether.
Apple
The
famous iOS, found on the iPad, iPod, and iPhone, is installed on
approximately 180 million iDevices (Q4 2011). iOS is only found on Apple
devices, but it’s the most well-known of the three major operating
systems and the oldest. Below the iPad, iPod, and iPhone will be
referred to as the “iDevice(s)” for short.
The app store is one of
the most appealing features of iOS, and holds 500,000+ apps with 37% of
these being free. The vast majority of applications will cost $0.99.
Apple has recently had its 20 billionth download from the App Store, the
largest number of app downloads for any OS. The iPhone 4s and iPad 2
both use a dual-core A5 processor, which allows Apps and Games to run
much faster. Not only can you download Apps/Games from the App Store,
you can also purchase and download from your computer using iTunes.
iTunes is Apple’s music player; Apple requires you to use iTunes for
music, app, books, and movie syncing to your iDevice. For items like
books and movies you’ll need to open the iTunes App, or iTunes on the
computer, and purchase them there.
iOS uses Apple’s own web
browser, Safari. You will immediately notice that Apple has installed a
customised mobile version of Safari; for basic web browsing this works
without any problems. The browser allows you to do features such as:
- Link to websites from the menu screen
- Use AirPrint to Print Web content
- Sync Bookmarks using iCloud
- Use the zoom option to read any font
- Open multiple tabs
- Create a Favorites Section
A
downside to the browser is that Apple does not allow any Adobe Flash
Support; when viewing flash orientated websites they might seem empty or
unusable. Another thing to take note is that PDFs on mobile Safari are
basic and have a read-only mode only.
Figure 2. The iPhone 4s showing off the menu screen, Siri and its Camera settings.
With
the new iOS 5.0.1 firmware, users can now change the wallpaper of the
iDevice. Just like the Android you can personalize items like the lock
screen and the home screen with a different type of wallpaper. Apple has
kept the exact same look and feel for each iDevice.
iOS 5.0.1 has
recently been released to all new iDevices. This OS has an advanced,
user friendly UI. The new firmware fixes minor adjustments along with
200+ new features. The new iOS 5 contains new major features like:
- Notification center
- PC Free File Sharing
- Facetime
- Siri
The
new notification center will alert you to all of your notifications.
When playing a game or running an app, notifications will now appear at
the top of the device to avoid interruptions. You’ll also notice that
when using an iDevice running 5.0.1, your notifications will show up on
the lock screen.
PC Free File Sharing allows you to sync your
iDevice with your computer wirelessly, removing the need to find a cable
for your device to connect with. iOS 5 also uses Apple’s iCloud to
backup and restore your device automatically.
Facetime allows you
to talk, see, and speak to another iDevice. Now you can speak to anybody
miles away in real time. Apple’s Facetime gives users the ability to
use it right out of the box; no need to setup accounts or download the
app. You’re also given the option to record the conversation; you can
keep the moment and share it with others.
Siri is the new face of
iOS 5; she is a smart voice searching tool. Siri will listen to anything
you have to say and reply with an answer. She can do anything from
setup a business meeting to reminding you that you have a date tonight.
What is great about Siri is you can send text messages or call somebody
just by using your voice; just say who to send it too and what you want
to say. Siri also understands most accents, and rarely gets something
wrong.
About once a year Apple releases a new version of iOS with
new changes and features. Unfortunately if your Apple device is 2 – 2.5
years old Apple considers the device to be “out of date”. How does this
affect you? When you go to update your device, you won’t be about to
install the new update. Unlike Android and Blackberry, Apple requires
that you use iTunes for all purchases and music, and firmware updates
for each iDevice.
Blackberry
Blackberry is
known as the workphone of America; chances are if you have a work phone
it’s a Blackberry. Blackberry manufactures phones that include
comprehensive personal assistant functions for your day-to-day life.
Although Blackberries are often seen only as a work phone, Blackberry
phones can easy be used as a personal phone for a wide variety of users.
Each Blackberry phone is designed with a built in QWERTY keyboard for
quick and easy typing. This allows people to use the same computer
layout when typing, as well as saving time. Blackberry phones make up 3%
of all mobile sales worldwide. To compete with Android and Apple
tablets, Blackberry also has its own tablet called the Blackberry
Playbook.
Blackberry’s app store is the smallest out of the three
companies. The App World holds 60,000+ apps. Most of the developers for
Blackberry make the apps targeted for business so Blackberries might not
make the best family phone. Do take note that App World is different
for the Blackberry tablet; the tablet version contains more games and
non-business apps. Prices of apps range from completely free to a
maximum of $999.
The Blackberry browser is similar to the iOS
browser. This is a mobile based platform which enables you to perform
basic web browsing. Unlike the iOS’s Safari, the Blackberry browser can
handle flash content, allowing you to view the latest websites. Along
with Flash, the browser uses HTML5 and JavaScript. You can also bookmark
sites, and have multiple websites opened at once.
Figure 3. Blackberry Bold on its home screen.
When
it comes to customization, you can change the wallpaper and add a
custom banner to the home screen. As it’s not as customizable out of the
box, users can download themes from the App World. On the Blackberry
Playbook you have the same type of customization; you can add custom
themes, change the wallpaper, and lock screen.
Blackberry’s 7.1 OS
is the newest OS for all Blackberry Phones and has made using the
device even easier. The 7.1 OS is designed with a new user friendly UI
and includes features such as:
- Updated Blackberry Messenger
- FM Radio
- Wi-Fi Calling
- Mobile Hotspot
- Universal voice search
Blackberry
Messenger, also known as BBM, is a messaging system just like AIM or
MSN. You can chat with other Blackberry users for free. In 7.1, you can
now chat from within apps, share your GPS and calendar, and set up group
collaborations. BBM allows you to connect up with friends and business
members with real time Instant Messaging.
As with the other
systems, You can now also enjoy FM radio content on your phone. As long
as headphones are connected, which are needed to act as the antennas,
you can listen to any nearby radio stations. This is a great feature if
you want to listen for some new music or need to hear the local news.
In addition you can call using Blackberry’s Wi-Fi Calling using your
home network. This acts just like a standard VoIP (Voice over IP)
device, which saves you talk-time/minutes on your phone. If you’re
paying for a personal plan with your Blackberry, this feature will save
you money as you can lower your mobile plan to fewer minutes.
Blackberry
has a voice activated universal searching tool with the new 7.1 OS. As a
universal speech recognizable search, you can do things such as
speech-to-text, search for local files, emails, contacts and music. As
you speak the phone will also give you suggestions to find what you need
even faster.
Specification:
