The debate about what smartphone OS is the best has been an ongoing and heated one. Is there a general best smartphone OS?

I don’t know if I am alone on this, but picking a single mobile device that suits my needs and meet my budget can be a very challenging task. I have moved from one mobile phone to the other in search of the smartphone that will meet my need just because I do not want to carry more than a single device.

How Did I Get Here?

Before I get into the meat of this article, permit me share a vital point with you.

I have however noticed how some people push for a particular device (or operating system) recommending it to others without first finding out what the unique needs of those people are. I think this is shortsightedness.

To make it clear, you may want to read this piece by Rita. She wrote about her unique needs as someone who resides in Lebanon.

She had once stayed in Paris where she enjoyed high-speed internet, both on wi-fi and on mobile internet (unlimited data). On moving back to Lebanon, she had to stay within a 150mb to 200mb internet data window per month.

200mb per month!? I don’t know how I can use 200mb in a month on my former Samsung Galaxy S2. Yes, former. You see, I have traded my Samsung Galaxy S2 for a Nokia N8. All these adventures of mine have given me a broad perspective about my needs and how different mobile phones can meet them.

Before you blindly go ahead and pick an Android, iPhone or a Windows Phone, please hear me out. You need to weigh your needs and pick your device based on accurate information available.

Why did I switch to the Nokia N8?

These are MY OWN reasons. Note: I am not trying to say that the Nokia N8 is the best phone for everyone. I am sharing from the perspective of MY needs. Those who share my views and have similar needs with me can then hop on a similar device.

1. The N8′s power lasts longer than my Samsung Galaxy S2, even if I use them for the same period. I have used the Nokia N8 for more than two months previously. This is my second time of buying it.

2. The internet data management on the N8 is minor. It is not as data hungry like the Android powered Galaxy S2.

I found out that I use between 2GB to 4GB on my mobile monthly. I download and try different applications, Youtube videos, pictures and sometimes tether my internet with other people’s devices and my PC.

I found out that the Samsung Galaxy’s power and data management was digging too deep into my pocket, as I do not have access to Wifi. All my internet needs are supplied by mobile internet data subscriptions. I would have kept the Samsung Galaxy S 2, got an extra battery (since the battery is replaceable) assuming I have access to free wireless internet.

3. The N8 is not as pricey as iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S, which were also on my list of options. I tried the iPhone 4 running iOS 4 for 24 hours and was impressed with the battery performance. I will eventually get an iPhone, but for now I do not have a budget for an iPhone. You know we do not get iPhones on contract packages here in Nigeria. We have to buy them cash down.

4. The Camera is superb. Not just because it has a 12 megapixel camera. The N8 simply shoots amazing pictures.

5. I can use one of my most preferred applications that is available only on Symbian – Gravity.

Things I am going to miss while using the Nokia N8

1. I will miss the swift and very fast UI of my Samsung Galaxy S2 (But I will save money and use less internet data now)

2. The productivity apps that I have grown fond of — Springpad, Evernote, Anydo, Bufferapp, Facebook for Android, Dolphin browser, plus the ability to download and read PDFs easily without stress.

Moving On

I hope to keep this Nokia N8 for a very long time. Even when I pick my next phone, which would most likely be an iPhone, the Nokia N8 will still remain with me.

There will always be a battle between fans of different OSes till the Lord’s kingdom comes. However, when we engage in those debates, let us keep things in perspective. We must consider specific factors in specific scenarios.

Android fanboys are quick to jump to their favourite OS’ defence when we mention its data guzzling weakness.

I have published articles here to show that Android OS guzzles much more data than any other mobile OS – even when it is idle. I have owned and reviewed several Android devices and seen data consumption that is simply outrageous even when I am not doing anything with the devices.

I remember a particular discussion on this blog during which someone said that he had been using Android and had never had data issues. However, several comments down the line, he mentioned that he managed data consumption on his Android devices with certain 3rd party apps. That was hilarious! I was quite decent and let it pass without a comment from me – till now.

Well, here is news that finally a network operator is calling Google out on Android’s data consumption levels. Japan’s largest network, NTT DoCoMo is reported to be asking Google to reduce the amount of data its mobile OS consumes after a recent disruption to their network caused by an android app.

If anyone should know about data consumption, it is DoCoMo. You see, they are one of the world’s most advanced networks. They are also a network that have had tons of Symbian-powered devices used on their networks (Japan’s advanced mobile networks have been mostly dominated for years by Symbian-powered phones).

DoCoMo knows the difference.

Now, this is not a Symbian versus Android article. It is an article to make a case that is so obvious that NO-ONE should be arguing it – Android is a data guzzling beast.

An excerpt from the news item:

NTT DoCoMo Inc will ask Google Inc to modify its Android operating system so that smartphones running on it will generate less data traffic, the Nikkei reported.

The leading Japanese mobile phone service provider identified an Android application, which enables free-of-charge voice communication, as a major cause behind a service disruption that occurred on Wednesday, the business daily said.

This is probably the first time that any mobile operator is approaching a smartphone operating system provider to amend how its software operates. Telling.

But does this make Android a failure? No.

Does this mean that Android is a terrible OS? No.

Should anyone stop using Android phones because of that? Their choice.

But facts are facts.

It is better that potential users and buyers know upfront what they are getting, so that they can make informed decisions. Nothing more. Android guzzles data (and power too). Yes; it can be managed. If that’s okay with you, buy. If not, get something else.

Now, where is my Android-powered Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro? I was in the middle of a WhatsApp chat….

Source via TNW

I enjoy good movies. A lot. Even better, I enjoy movies on the big screen more. The big screen, the group reactions, and the company of one or more friends simply make the movie experience better.

If you are a cinema buff like me, then you will appreciate a handy app on your mobile to check movie locations, listings and special deals; right? Right.

Enter SeeNeeMa

SeeNeeMa is a home-grown application that makes checking movie listings on the go a whole lot easier.

The user interface is neat and easy – anyone can use this app.

Launch it and the home screen presents you with options to check:

• What’s Hot – currently showing movies
• Coming Soon – upcoming movies
• Cinema Info – listing of cinemas across the countyry
• Movie Reviews – weekly movie reviews
• Special Discounts – where you check which cinemas are offering special deals

That’s it. Simple. Net. Straightforward. Useful. Very.

Multi-Platform Too

Guess what? SeeNeeMa is available for several platforms, including:

• Blackberry smartphones & PlayBook
• Android 2.1 & above
• iOS (still in development)
• Java/J2ME
• Mobile Web

The version that I tested is the Android version, and it works as I have described in this review. It is possible that the different versions for other platforms work slightly different.

Verdict

This one gets a 4-star rating from me. Why did I leave out one star? If the developers, Quadtech Mobile, can add a way to book movie tickets right on the app…. HALLELUJAH! 5 Stars promptly.

Download SeeNeeMa

Apple’s tablet offering in form of the iPad (1 and 2) has not seen any competitor from the Android camp beat it and for good reason too. You see, even if the competition can beat Apple on the hardware front, they still have to play a game of catch-up on the software front.

Asus announced and promptly released the Transformer Prime, an Android tablet that has many geeks and Android fan boys (me included) drooling over the wonderful hardware that it packs in such a slim package.

At just 8.3mm, it is slimmer than both the iPad2 (8.8mm) and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (8.6mm). Around the back it features an all aluminum panel with the front packing a 10.1 Super IPS+ display. It also features a sharp 8mp camera that does 1080p/HD video recording.

With all these specs, you may be asking about the interface and processing power. Ask no more. This baby packs a Tegra 3 Quad-Core processor with console type gaming ability for those that want to really hammer out games on the tab.

The name ‘Transformer’ is gotten from the fact that the Asus has a keyboard dock that it can be plugged into. The battery life of the tablet clocks in at around 12 hours with the tablet only and 18 hours while docked with the keyboard.

What I like most about this tablet is that unlike Sammy, it doesn’t imitate the iPad curve for curve but instead brings a design of its own in a slimmer, more powerful and longer lasting way.

In conclusion, this tablet (to me) is the messiah of the Android Tablet and the only major gripes that end users might have with it is that it only has a WiFi only version and it does not have enough apps or games to really beat what obtains in the iOS ecosystem. Otherwise trumps the iPad in every other aspect.

So if you wanted to get a tablet that is not an iPad, this is the tablet to get, chikenah!

Sony Xperia S

I have used the Nokia N8 consistently for about a year, and it has been difficult letting go of it. For one, that superb 12 megapixel camera has had no equal till date. I am a shutterbug. I love to have an exceptional camera on my mobile.

Dropping the N8 meant a downgrade to an 8 megapixel camera phone – the Nokia N9, iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S II, Nokia E7, Nokia 701 or any of the other pretenders to the crown.

With the announcement of the Sony Xperia S, I am almost certain that this is the device that I want to be using full-time as my personal mobile.

Sony has been good at cameras and audio reproduction on mobile, and I am particular about those. A 12 megapixel camera on a Sony mobile sounds like heaven. Unfortunately, it still won’t have the N8′s Xenon flash, which is a shame. Nothing beats a Xenon flash. I will also miss the FM transmitter, but then…

But I also get a 4.3-inch display and 1080p video recording. The S has MicroSIM card support only, but my main SIM is already cut to MicroSIM anyway, thanks to the N9.

Someone might ask, how about the HTC Titan II and its 16 megapixel camera? I’m sorry guys, but I’ll take a 12 megapixel camera from Nokia, Samsung, Sony or Apple over a 16 megapixel camera from HTC any day – and get better results too.

Plus HTC has never excelled at audio reproduction. Whoever is in charge of that department at HTC needs to be fired.

The Xperia S comes pre-installed with Android Gingerbread, but with a planned upgrade to ICS shortly after the releas. There’s a Dual core 1.5 GHz processor with a GPU and 1 GB RAM in that sleek body too.

If no other manufacturer releases something more impressive than this before its release, I should be found carrying around an Xperia S shortly. Yaaay!

StatCounter is a global web monitoring service which tracks the browsers and OS used to access those websites on which its codes/scripts are embedded.

The statistics from StatCounter show that Symbian is still top dog in mobile web browsing, with a comfortable lead over others.

Yes; this is only StatCounter statistics. Still, note that StatCounter are not small players in this field. As at 1 June 2010, StatCounter tracking code was installed on more than 3 million sites globally.

It is interesting to see that inspite of the claims by many that the Symbian browser is “crappy” and that Symbian is either “dead” or “dying”, this old dog still holds its own.

Of course, partly responsible for this is Symbian’s huge installed base.

In response to this news, someone said, “Symbian is a beast. It just will not die!” Perhaps. Perhaps not. But the message is clear: this dude is no pushover.

Pronounced burning by its own CEO. Maligned on all sides by bloggers. Ignored by carriers/network operators. Outsourced to foster parents.

Still, Symbian has refused to die. The plucky devil’s still got some spunk!

At the moment, we have a Nokia Belle smartphone in the house here for review at Mobility Towers. So far, I have been impressed. I actually prefer a number of things about it to my N9.

Perhaps, just perhaps, Belle may still have a future if Nokia so chooses to reverse its position on this “burning platform”.

Source

We put the matter to test in the public, and you have responded with over 70 comments and 39 votes on that article. The fight was a neck-to-neck battle between the venerable Symbian flagship, Nokia N8 (released in October 2010), and Samsung’s more recent Android flagship, the Galaxy S 2 (released February 2011). Eventually, the Galaxy S 2 edged the N8 back by just four (4) votes to clinch the title.

A summary of the votes cast:

1. Samsung Galaxy S 2: 13 votes
2. Nokia N8: 9 votes
3. Nokia N9: 3 votes
4. Nokia E7: 2 votes
5. iPhone 4S: 2 votes
6. Samsung Galaxy S: 1 vote
7. Nokia 5800: 1 vote
8. Samsung Galaxy Nexus: 1 vote
9. Motorola Droid Razr: 1 vote
10. HTC EVO 3D: 1 vote
11. LG Optimus 3D: 1 vote
12. Nokia X2-01: 1 vote
13. Samsung Galaxy Gio: 1 vote
14. Nokia 701: 1 vote

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you Mobility blog’s phone of the year 2011, the Samsung Galaxy S II:

PS: This review has no pictures yet. We upgraded to WordPress 3.3 last night and have been unable to upload pictures since then. Pictures will be added as soon as we can. Thanks for bearing with us. – Editor.

I said it before and I will again – the LG C660 Optimus Pro is a good-looking budget device. It was the good looks that first got my attention. Okay, well, it really was the QWERTY keypad – and then I noticed how good the phone looked.

But think of it, along with that keypad, this baby offers all the standard features of Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) with a 2.8-inch capacitive display, and a 800 MHz processor. Sounds promising. And it is.

But for a device that costs around N30,000, there has to be compromises; right? Right.

But I will get to that later.

The Shining Stars

First, those keys do look small, but they work very well. I have large fingers and didn’t have big issues using the keypad. As a matter of fact, within hours, I fell more in love with the Optimus Pro on account of the keypad alone.

The display is responsive (more so than that on its distant cousin, the Galaxy Gio). Sunlight legibility is fairly good. With the brightness set to at least 50%, it is usable outdoors. Its not at the top of the ladder of sunlight legibility, but its quite usable.

I particularly like the LG desktop – with the large AccuWeather widget showing your city, time, date and weather condition. Did I mention that I really like it?

All other Android functionality is standard – and those are well known and they work fine: email, web browsing, music playback synchronisation, wifi, hotspot, etc. Its all there, so being a budget device doesn’t mean that you are denied any of those.

Video playback supports MP4, 3GP, WMV, and surprisingly AVI files.

The Compromises

While there’s a hefty 800 MHz processor running under the hood, the limited RAM of 256 MB means that using the phone with multiple apps running results in some lag, as well as a persistent low memory error when the little guy runs out of RAM.

Yep; persistent. The error pop-up gives you the option to select “Okay” to launch the built-in app manager and choose what apps to close, or to tap “Cancel”, go on with what you are doing and let the OS decide what to kill off.

After checking out the app manager once, I always canceled and just went on with my current task. Many times, when I go back to an app that I had been using, I find that its been shut down. I’m looking at a maximum of three or four running apps here. Anything more and something gets shut down.

Well, what were you expecting from 256 MB RAM on Android? This isn’t Symbian or BlackBerry. Still, its not terrible. It can be lived with. I have so enjoyed the Optimus Pro so much that I haven’t griped about it as much as I thought I would.

Another weak point of this guy is the camera. How do I put this? Let’s just say that this is about the worst 3.2 megapixel camera that I have used. I suspect that the erstwhile holder of that honour, the Huawei U8180, produces slightly better pictures. “suspect” is the operative word. The 3.2 megapixel camera on the Samsung Gio certainly does much better.

Like all other Android devices that I have used, power management is not impressive. While your usage may vary, but i find that charging the phone fully and leaving it idle overnight with Gmail, one company mail, Twitter and Facebook running, by daybreak, the battery is down to about 50%.

that’s idle. No human interaction with the phone. As another Android user said, it seems there’s an angel (maybe a devil too, who knows?) who uses his phone while he sleeps.

Your mileage may vary, but you certainly need to watch your battery and nurse this baby tediously to get through a full work day if you have the services listed above running on it.

Of course, you can always disable as many apps and services – or even everything besides calls and SMS – should you really need to.

A Few Other Niggles

I had issues with Glo’s APN settings on the Optimus Pro. The device has GloWAP and GloMMS configured by default. When I create a new APN for GloFlat and select it for use, the phone ignores that and uses GloWAP. I tried again and again, but never found a way around that.

I had no issues with Etisalat or Airtel APNs which I tested, so it looks like a Glo issue.

Conclusions

I like the Optimus Pro. It is a breath of fresh air, especially with its solid feel and good QWERTY keypad in a bar form. Of the several android devices that I have used this year, the Optimus Pro is the one that I developed a fondness this deep for.

I can live with the low RAM, but that poor camera is an issue. For you, things may be different. The power management is a deal breaker for me. I hate having to nurse a phone to get through a day of usage.

However, what is certain is that for its price, the LG Optimus Pro is serious value for money.

I had a long discussion with someone on Twitter today, and along the line, he made the following statement:

Symbian is the most power efficient mobile OS there is. Which really isn’t saying much because it doesn’t do much

I may be wrong, but the above statement seems to stem from ignorance or just plain fanboyism. I used two Symbian devices (Nokia N8 and Nokia E7) this year, and there was NOTHING that I got done on Android, iOS, WindowsPhone or Blackberry that I didn’t get done on those devices.

Yes; each OS does specific things in different ways, and some have strength in one area and weakness in that other area. But for crying out loud, statements like the above just….. stink. Let’s call rubbish what it is – RUBBISH.

No; I don’t use Symbian any longer. As a matter of fact, I am moved on. But facts are facts, and lies are lies.

Can anyone tell me in clear terms what AndroidOS does that Symbian does not do? No bullshitting. Just say it straight: “You can browse the internet on Android, but cannot do that on Symbian“.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not asking for things that Android does better than Symbian. I am asking for things that Android does that Symbian is not capable of.

Any bullshitting comments will be deleted. I’m not going to waste my time responding to bullshit and going round in circles.

Samsung’s Galaxy range of Android mobiles has been a runaway hit in the market globally. As a matter of fact, the saying, “There is a Galaxy for everyone” is becoming commonplace. That is because indeed, there is a Galaxy for everyone.

The Samsung Galaxy Gio is a mid-tier offering running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The display is 3.2 inches and there’s a 3.5 megapixel camera thrown in for good measure.

My unit came pre-installed with Android 2.2 (Froyo), but after connecting it to a PC running Samsung Kies software, I was notified of an available upgrade to Android 2.3.3. That version seems to be the latest version available for the Gio. Some other devices got 2.3.5. But I’m not sure of any huge advantage of the latter over the former.

The capabilities and weaknesses of the Android OS are well known – standard Android Gmail, email, web and wifi, among others – so I won’t go into those details here.

The question is, how well does the Gio meet the needs of the segment that it is targeted at?

Generally, it does it well. Audio playback is loud – significantly louder than what the N9 throws out (which is not saying much, as the N9′s audio playback is not quite loud). But you get the comparison.

Video playback is pretty limited: None of the XviD, AVI and MPG files that I tried on it played. MP4 played without issues though.

I had problems typing on the 3.2-inch display. Whether this is due to the display not being so responsive or due to the layout of the on-screen QWERTY keyboard, I am not certain. However, I have typed more comfortably on smaller displays.

The 3.2 megapixel camera is one of the better ones out there and has autofocus functionality. Without a flash though, forget about taking pictures in low-light situations.

The Galaxy Gio is another Android smartphone that doesn’t stand out in any special way – and its not meant to stand out. Its one of the devices that you buy when you don;’t have the cash to splurge on the higher range Galaxy devices.

You get most of the functionality at much lower cost. Afterall, the Gio costs only about N35,000 in the market. That is a good deal.

It is December and a good time to take stock of the year ending. Looking back at 2011, I have owned 14 mobile devices this year.

As a long-time Symbian fan, I find it intriguing that of those 14 mobiles that I acquired this year, only 1 was Symbian – and I didn’t buy it. One. Go figure.

Of those 14 devices, 5 ran Android OS, 2 ran BlackBerry OS, 2 Windows Phone, 1 MeeGo, 1 WebOS, 1 Symbian, and 2 iOS.

I have come to terms with the fact that I am moving away from Symbian as my primary platform. It still meets my needs as a platform, but there are simply no new devices exciting enough to keep an adventurous person like me hooked on it.

And what’s Mister Mobility without mobile adventure and excitement?

I love something in every one of the existing platforms, but each of them also has one or two things that don’t go down well with me.

Put mass storage in Windows Phone, and I would signup right now. Same for iOS. BlackBerry ticks all the specs, but that platform lacks great cameras (one of my critical needs), as well as the fact that there isn’t much excitement there either.

Android is exciting, but at a killing level. You buy an Android smartphone today and it is almost a grandpa in another one month. That kind of excitement means that I will be cycling through Android phones at an alarming rate.

MeeGo is dead. WebOS is in a coma. Bada? I don’t know. Bada is a poor copy of Android. if I want Android, I go buy Android.

Here I am evaluating all my available options. Whatever I decide, I promise you months and years of exciting reviews and stories ahead. Of course, regardless of what platform I adopt, I will still continue to purchase devices from other platforms for review purposes, so no-one feels left out.

One thing is for sure, without exciting devices, I have lost the passion for Symbian. I used to be “Symbian Inside”. Now, I am “Symbian Over And Out“.

It is a potential nightmare situation – where your phone tracks every keypress, message and location (even when you disable GPS location services). A nightmare, yes. But it is with us already.

A researcher named Trevor Eckhart found that a logging software from a company named Carrier IQ is installed on a number smartphones from multiple manufacturers and carriers, and it tracks every keypress, message and location and sends this information out – all without the user’s knowledge.

Trevor’s research using his Android-running HTC EVO 4G smartphone led to the discovery of this software from Carrier IQ.

You can watch the video of his demonstration below:

Carrier IQ claims that the information collected is to help improve the user experience on mobile devices.

Who Is Guilty?

Carrier IQ is not built into any mobile OS, but is installed at the point of customisation or manufacture by either the carrier or device manufacturer.

HTC have come out to say that they run an opt-in system and have no direct involvement in installing Carrier IQ ion their devices. They point at the carriers.

Microsoft have boldly stated that Carrier IQ is not installed on any Windows Phone. See tweet by Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore.

Apple, who have been recently hit by a privacy storm, have stated that they stopped supporting Carrier IQ in iOS 5, and would completely remove it in future updates.

Through its Blackberry Advisor, Mark Sohm, RIM has stated that it does not pre-install the CarrierIQ application on BlackBerry smartphones and has never done so or authorised its installation.

TechCrunch says:

Eckhart’s original report has shown that Carrier IQ has been discovered on HTC and Samsung devices, and that CarrierIQ counts Sprint among their domestic carrier clients. AT&T also appears to use Carrier IQ on their devices: a member of the XDA-dev forums called AT&T and was told that Carrier IQ is indeed preloaded on the HTC Vivid. Other carriers, including Verizon, Vodafone, and O2 have all denied that they use Carrier IQ on their devices.

Nokia and RIM were also among the companies that Eckhart claimed CarrierIQ provided their “mobile intelligence” services to, but they have vociferously denied the connection. The Verge also reports that the three devices in Google’s Nexus line are free of the logging service, so Nexus devotees can rest easy.

RIM has responded that “If the CarrierIQ application is present on a BlackBerry smartphone, it does not mean that the CarrierIQ application has “hacked” the BlackBerry platform. It means that either the BlackBerry smartphone user or the user’s BlackBerry Enterprise Server admin explicitly installed the application and authorized it to run“.

The whole Carrier IQ scandal seems to be a US-only issue, so not everyone in the world has to worry about it. Of course, if your phone was imported from the US, especially if branded by one of the fingered carriers, chances are that you are in the picture too.

Stay In the Know

If you use an Android phone – and it is rooted or you are willing to root it – you can run a quick check to find out if Carrier IQ is installed on your phone.

Download Eckhart’s free Logging Test app. Once installed, hit ‘CIQ Checks’ to run the test.

Wrapping Up

If manufacturers and carriers need user feedback, it should be an opt-in system, not something that runs hidden in the system. Also, exactly who is the info sent to, and what is it used for? How safe are the users from exposure?

Questions. Questions.

The US justice department has shown interest in this, and talks of lawsuits are already in the air. This can get very messy, but in my opinion, the public has a right to know what is going on.

This will certainly get more interesting. Comments welcome!