Weekend Debate | Mobiles365

Should Google give up on Android tablets?

Posted on November 27, 2016November 27, 2016 by Adam Doud

We’ve come to a bit of a crossroads lately. It’s like an intersection of bad for the folks at Google and we might just be at the point where we need to make a decision that could affect the future of technology. It’s time to decide what’s going to happen to tablets, and more accurately, Android tablets. This is the elephant that has been in the room for the past couple of years, so maybe it’s time to move the elephant out, so we have room for the Christmas tree.

Android tablets have never been all that popular. Some OEMs have made attempts at Android-powered tablets, but despite best efforts, Apple has dominated the tablet market practically from its inception. Recently, we’ve seen a wave of Windows tablets and 2-in-1’s, which is doing an admirable job of picking up those users who haven’t gotten iPads. Then, there’s Google and Android tablets. Yeah. What do we do about those?

Still kicking

Google itself hasn’t gone silently into that good night. The Pixel tablet (and now with phones to compliment it) is a pretty great offering into the tablet space. It has high quality specifications, and a pretty nice keyboard attachment, making it a solid competitor with the Windows offerings claiming to be a laptop replacement. With Google’s Pixel phones coming to market, it might be a good time to double down on this concept and get a new model out there. Brand awareness is a thing, and now would be a good time to strike while the iron is hot.

Google is also making a lot of strides into a connected ecosystem with Google Assistant being everywhere you want it to be. Google Home and The Pixel phones are both coming with Google Assistant and it’s only a matter of time before new phones start coming with it too. Tablets aren’t really a space Google can afford to pass on at the moment. Despite declining tablet sales, there still are tablet sales, which means people are still using them. As long as there is a market, Google can’t really afford to ignore it.

Plus, let’s face it, not everyone wants an Apple or Windows machine. There are many reasons to want to keep an Android tablet. Outside of just the Assistant, Google’s ecosystem is wide ranging in email, documents, calendars, storage, basically just about anything you’re going to be using while mobile. With that tight integration, it’s hard to step outside of Google’s ecosystem, once you’re in. Apps on iOS are decent, but Google’s doing it really slick on Android.

And yet…

But maybe that’s what Chromebooks are for? Chromebooks recently started using Android Apps, so there’s your strong ecosystem. Chromebooks also become a good work machine with the built-in keyboard/mouse, so it’s very much the best of both worlds. Given the relative price point of Chromebooks versus Apple and Microsoft tablets, Google could make a strong push in this market.

Plus, speaking of elephants in the room, let’s talk about phablets. Our phones are getting bigger and bigger. While that may not be such a good thing to some, larger phones mean there is less need for larger screens that come with tablets. An argument could be made that someone could carry around a small phone and a large tablet, but just from a strictly anecdotal standpoint, I don’t know many people that do that. And the sales numbers of tablets back that up.

Who decides?

So, which way do we go from here? Is it even up to Google? I mean, if Samsung wants to make a tablet, who is Google to stop it? And that’s another, bigger problem for Google – complete loss of control over its ecosystem. Recently, we’ve seen Google try to scale things back a bit and try to take the reins more, but Android remains the wild, wild west of the mobile OS world. So, maybe it’s not even up to Google any more. Still, the question needed to be asked, and now I’ve asked it.

So, what do you think? Are Android tablets still viable in today’s market? Is it time to flip the buffet table and push the reset button? Shall I mix a few more metaphors before we get to the end of this article? Sound off below and let’s see if we can figure this out.

The post Should Google give up on Android tablets? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Are high resolution screens worth it?

Posted on November 19, 2016November 19, 2016 by Adam Doud

There has been a debate raging for some time now centering around the thing that chances are you’re staring at right now – your phone’s screen. Specifically, the resolution of said screen. As phones have gotten bigger and bigger, high resolution screens have become more commonplace. Many thought 1080p would always be more than enough to get a smartphone user by. Yet we are seeing phones with screen resolutions surpassing 1080p, with even 4K screens coming to the market. So, one is forced to asked – when is enough, enough?

I want my 1080p

1080p is such common technology these days that even most low end phones usually weigh in at that. What that means is, 1080p is cheap, which is fine. Cheaper components keep the cost down. Lower prices for phones is a good thing for consumers, but maybe not so much for the OEM. But if a cheap screen can provide a great experience for less money, we’re going to put that in the win column.

Plus, lower resolution screens can mean there is a power savings involved. With phones getting thinner, battery life is still at a premium. Often the screen is the one piece of hardware that’s going to suck down all your battery’s juice. If we can have screens that aren’t the primary culprit of battery depletion, that would be amazing and likely lead to longer lasting phones – something we’ve arguably all been clamoring for.

If 1080p became a standard for phone screens, that would also make life easier for app developers around the world. Consider that as phone screens and resolutions change, so too does the layout of your apps. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to have to change your app to match the screen on which it is displayed. Android app development can be particularly challenging in this respect. If a given sized screen suddenly became the standard, app development would be easier. Hey everyone, it’s “Hug a developer day!

And yet…

But consider the fact that we as a culture consume so much media on our phones. Media streaming alone is one of the primary things we do on our phones. Higher resolution screens lead to a much more premium experience. Having reviewed more than a few budget phones in my day, I’m always taken aback when I pick up my HTC 10 because that screen is so gorgeous. And if that premium experience is worth a little extra money, well that’s why flagships are worth a little extra money.

There’s also screen real estate to consider. Higher resolution screens can display more information on them, so from a practical aspect, this benefits the user. Considering things like multi-tasking on phones which is going to become more commonplace, high resolutions screens will be necessary to display as much information as we’re asking our phones to display. Android N has multi-tasking baked into the OS, so this is quickly becoming a thing.

Virtually better

Plus, consider where we’re headed with VR and VR headsets. I don’t know about you, but my demos of VR headsets in which a phone is the screen component, have not been the best, especially when it comes to resolution. Strapping on a VR headset and seeing pixels the size of garbage cans isn’t what I would call a good experience. Of course, with higher resolution screens this could quickly become a concern of the past. VR isn’t going away any time soon – we’ve established it’s here for the long run. So, if that’s the case, our phones are going to have a new standard by which they’re measured. Daydream anyone?

Overall, the main reason why phone screens have gotten bigger and why resolutions have climbed higher and higher is because of the market. The market has dictated that it wants VR, and it wants multi-tasking, and those two reasons alone are enough to justify the larger and more densely packed screens we’re looking at today. 1080P will be around for a while, so if pixel pushing is not something that is important to you, you can always step down to the midrange – which is a great field of phones in and of itself.

What say you?

But what do you think? Are we a pixel obsessed culture that needs “MOAR!” to be satisfied? Or is there a reason that we want to see screens pushing the limit of the human eye? Are we wasting our resources when ”good enough” tech is already out there and somewhat cheaply available? Sound off below in the comments and let’s see if we can figure this out.

The post Are high resolution screens worth it? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Should Microsoft give up on Windows 10 Mobile?

Posted on October 22, 2016October 22, 2016 by Adam Doud

This weekend’s debate requires a little bit of back story, so bear with me here. I haven’t had much experience with Windows 10, the desktop OS. I had a little experience with the Lumia 950 early this year, but the only experience I had with Windows 10 was on a Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet – which is a tablet that probably shouldn’t run Windows 10 on it – and maybe not Windows 8 either. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a somewhat nice tablet, but not exactly a powerhouse.For further context, I’ve been working in my day job for an iOS developer who is, with good reason, pretty much all ...

The post Should Microsoft give up on Windows 10 Mobile? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Would a removable battery have solved Samsung’s Note 7 problem?

Posted on October 15, 2016October 15, 2016 by Adam Doud

If there’s anything that this whole Samsung Note 7 debacle has taught us, it’s that making phones isn’t easy. When you think about it, Samsung, of all OEMs has had this Note 7 thing blow up in its face, literally. The really interesting part of this is this is Samsung for crying out loud. Samsung has made so many smartphones in the last decade, it should be able to literally do this in its sleep. And yet, it completely dropped the ball and screwed the pooch at the same time. No small feat.And the crazy part is, we still don’t even know why. Speculation has run rampant that this has ...

The post Would a removable battery have solved Samsung’s Note 7 problem? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Is Google killing the Nexus for the Pixel a good or bad thing?

Posted on October 8, 2016October 8, 2016 by Adam Doud

Much ado has been made about Google’s new phones – the Pixel and the Pixel XL. On the plus side, Google has made some fantastic (review pending) phones that can easily stand toe to toe with any flagship out there. With a premium look and feel and specs to match, Google has now joined the OEM community with a very strong entry. And with that strong entry comes a strong price tag.The Pixel phones are pricey. A base model costs the same as a base model iPhone, and a base model Galaxy S7. Gone are the days when Google could be counted on to release a good phone with a great price. But ...

The post Is Google killing the Nexus for the Pixel a good or bad thing? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Will you try to persuade your friends and family to use Allo and Duo?

Posted on September 24, 2016September 24, 2016 by Adam Doud

Now that Google’s messaging platform is complete – or some might argue overcomplete – with its new offerings of Allo and Duo, it’s time to ask ourselves a question. Actually, it’s time to ask a series of questions. Will I use it? If I use it, who will I use it with? Can I get my peeps to use it? Do people still say “peeps” anymore? These are all really important questions, and the Weekend Debate is all about questions, so let’s dive in shall we?Cross the streamsOne of the great things about Allo and Duo are that they’re both cross-platform unlike some other video ...

The post Will you try to persuade your friends and family to use Allo and Duo? appeared first on Pocketnow.

With such great midrange phones, do we even need modular phones?

Posted on September 17, 2016September 17, 2016 by Adam Doud

2016 is arguably the year of the midrange phone. This year’s crop of ~$400 phones is spectacular, full featured, and, dare we say it, flagship killers. These phones are so good, we’re comparing them in video. When was the last time we compared a midrange phone to anything? The Moto G two years ago?These midrange phones are getting really great. It’s almost unbelievable what $400 will get you today. Phones this cheap could signal a shift in how the consumer views the smartphone. At 300-400 dollars, you can ...

The post With such great midrange phones, do we even need modular phones? appeared first on Pocketnow.

How will Note 7 fires affect Samsung in the long run?

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Adam Doud

As much fun as it is to make fun of Samsung’s Note 7 fire issue, this is one area that could have impact to the entire smartphone industry. Samsung has a big fracking problem on its hands, and it needs to be very careful of its next steps. For those not familiar with the situation, let me catch you up. Over the course of the last few weeks, Samsung’s latest flagship, the Note 7, went on sale. Some users reported the phone would burst into flames while charging. Since then, Samsung has issued a ...

The post How will Note 7 fires affect Samsung in the long run? appeared first on Pocketnow.

The flagship is dead, long live the new flagship

Posted on August 27, 2016August 27, 2016 by Adam Doud

OnePlus may have been right after all, as Obi Wan would say, “…from a certain point of view.” When OnePlus started playing this game we call “making smartphones” it billed its first device a “flagship killer”. Now, I’m not saying that the OnePlus One killed the flagship – far from it. But the OnePlus One was one of several devices that started riding the rising “good midranger” wave. OEMs like OnePlus, Alcatel, Motorola, Blu, and any number of other OEMs have all started putting out devices that are pretty good and won’t hurt the wallet. Heck, ZTE just put out the ...

The post The flagship is dead, long live the new flagship appeared first on Pocketnow.

The flagship is dead, long live the new flagship

Posted on August 27, 2016August 27, 2016 by Adam Doud

The post The flagship is dead, long live the new flagship appeared first on Pocketnow.

Is the Samsung Note 7 iris scanner necessary?

Posted on August 6, 2016August 6, 2016 by Adam Doud

The Samsung Note 7 made its appearance this week and on board was a spiffy new security measure – the iris scanner. Biometrics are pushing the boundaries of security today, and adding biometric security to a flagship phone targeted toward business is a smart strong move. Which is why Samsung added a fingerprint sensor two years ago. So, Samsung is no stranger to biometric security, and has a pretty good biometric security feature already in place, so what’s with the iris scanner?Adding a second layer of security like this is expensive on a phone that is already just under $100 more ...

The post Is the Samsung Note 7 iris scanner necessary? appeared first on Pocketnow.

If the Priv failed to get BlackBerry back, can the DTEK50?

Posted on July 30, 2016July 30, 2016 by Adam Doud

BlackBerry is a funny little company. Once a juggernaut in the mobile space, it has since fallen from grace. Overwhelming numbers by Android and iOS pushed BlackBerry down into the dreaded “other” category on most pie charts. Many companies would have silently slipped tail between legs and slinked off, but not BlackBerry, and that’s actually one of the thing I admire about the company.Overwhelming evidence suggests that BlackBerry has hit the canvas so many times, even LL Cool J is saying “Ain’t gonna Comeback”. But here comes Blackberry with another offering – the DTEK50 – ...

The post If the Priv failed to get BlackBerry back, can the DTEK50? appeared first on Pocketnow.

If we had a personal cloud instead of a phone, would we be better off?

Posted on July 23, 2016July 23, 2016 by Adam Doud

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the possibility of giving up your smartphone for a collection of devices. This personal cloud of devices would include a smartwatch, a heads-up display, a battery pack/WiFi device, and whatever else. It would be a personal network of devices, all excelling at what they did individually to make up a collective whole.This is a fascinating concept when you think about it. One of the things I like the most about wearable tech is its omnipresent, but unobtrusive nature – ...

The post If we had a personal cloud instead of a phone, would we be better off? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Is it time for Samsung to really innovate on the Note 7?

Posted on July 3, 2016July 3, 2016 by Adam Doud

Samsung is set to debut its generation-skipping Galaxy Note 7 sometime this summer. This typically reflects Samsung’s large-screen compatriot to the Galaxy S phone from earlier in the year. For the last couple of years, Samsung has issued an Edge variant to the Note series at this time as well. But pretty much the main thing distinguishing the Note from the S is the S-Pen. This isn’t exactly the definition of innovation here, amirite?Further, the Edge variant of the Note last year lost the S-Pen. Add to that the fact that this year’s Galaxy Edge was .2” inches smaller than last ...

The post Is it time for Samsung to really innovate on the Note 7? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Does the iPhone’s future depend on an iOS overhaul at WWDC 2016?

Posted on June 11, 2016June 11, 2016 by Adam Doud

Funny thing. I guess my latest collaborative post should have had a “Spoiler alert” tag on it, because if you read my thoughts on what I’d like to see at WWDC, you would have noticed that I talked about this editorial. Specifically, I suggested that iOS was boring and needed a major overhaul. So I started thinking about it; was I right? I’m not so sure, and that brings us to this debate.iOS has been stuck in quite the rut for years and years (and years and years) now. Its basic grid of icons and up-until-recently awful notification shade have been designed to exacting ...

The post Does the iPhone’s future depend on an iOS overhaul at WWDC 2016? appeared first on Pocketnow.