Android Archive

From The Verge:

If this is for real, and BlackBerry doesn't mess it up by tying it to carriers and making it very hard for normal people to buy it, this is my next phone. Finally a modern phone with a keyboard.

Play Services is a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because it makes the lives of developers easier and because it bypasses incompetent carriers and OEMs so that users get considerable updates. It's a curse because they're closed source - making it impossible to dig into the code. They make your device less your device, and that's always a bad thing, especially in today's world.

So much of this could be addressed if Google opened up as much of it, but that's very unlikely to happen.

There's been a lot of chatter lately about BlackBerry working on a device running Android, and at first, the rumour was that the portrait slider - yes, with a keyboard - the company briefly flashed before our eyes early this year was going to run Android. I got excited over this one, because I've been wanting a modern smartphone with a keyboard for a long time now. The Passport is a good example, but it's quite expensive for entry into a platform with dubious longevity (I did actually try to buy one when I was in Canada late last year, but Canadian stores were afraid of my money). So, the prospect of an Android slider from BlackBerry surely had my wallet rumbling.

Too bad. A new rumour today suggests that while BlackBerry is indeed working on an Android device, it's not the slider device, but a lower-end, Android One-like device. Still interesting, of course, but not nearly as interest-piquing as a device with a hardware keyboard.

Assuming the rumours don't change tomorrow, those of us hoping for a modern Android smartphone with a hardware keyboard will have to wait a little longer.

Google I/O is here, and the company's big keynote is still underway. The biggest announcement so far is - as expected - Android M, the next major Android release scheduled for Q3 of this year. Much like how the last few iOS releases played catch-up to major Android features, Android M is really catching up to a number of major, stand-out iOS features - and all of them are very welcome.

The biggest new feature coming to Android M is App Permissions - and it's exactly what you're thinking. Instead of applications asking for all possible permissions during installation time, they will now only ask for a permission the first time you use the specific feature of the application that requires it. If you've ever used iOS - well, it's that, essentially. In addition, you can go into the Settings application and revoke an application's individual permissions, or the other way around - look at which applications have a specific permission.

If you're familiar with Android, you'll be aware of the incredibly long and confusing list of possible permissions. Alongside implementing an iOS-like permission system, Android M will also pare down the number of permissions to a much smaller number (I think I saw 8 or 10?), making them clearer and more straightforward. All good so far, and yet another example of how competition between the major platforms makes both of them better - consumers, win.

There's bad news, though, and it's this: the new permission system will only work with applications built with the Android M SDK. "Legacy" applications will, sadly, default to the existing permission system. While that in and of itself is disappointing enough, it also means we'll be using two different permission systems at the same time for at least several months, and possibly years.

Another major new feature in M is a new power state, called Doze, which is basically a deeper form of sleep. Your device will learn your usage patterns, and move to this deep sleep state when it's not being used. According to Google, tablets will benefit the most from this, doubling their standby time. For phones, which get used more often, this will deliver less benefit.

Android's intents system is also getting an upgrade, allowing applications to directly link to each other, without throwing up that "open with" dialog. Google Wallet is getting an upgrade and a name change - Android Pay - and now works pretty much exactly like Apple Pay, and it will be available on all Android phones with NFC. In addition, it supports fingerprint readers. Support for these readers will be further integrated and standardised in M.

There's a lot more in Android M, but these are the biggest features. Google is releasing a developer preview for select Nexus devices today, and the final release will happen somewhere in Q3. This being Android, though, the biggest elephant in the room remained unmentioned: updates. As great as Android M looks, you'll most likely not be getting it until somewhere next year. Such is life.

Nothing on my Moto 360 just yet.

Do we have an Indian readers with Android One devices? How has the experience been?

If there's ever been a use case for 'finally', this is it. iOS gains Android features, Android gains iOS features. They pressure each other into becoming better, and we, all, benefit.

The Apples and Googles of this world might rather not have to deal with it, but isn't competition beautiful?

He's completely right, of course, but his words does have a souer taste when you look at Microsoft's Windows Phone and Windows RT update history and near future.

Insanity.

The Urbane is not exactly my cup of coffee, but a lot of people seem to like it, so get it while it's hot. I hope this means said Wear update will be pushed out to other devices soon, too.

Now that the Nexus 5 is being phased out without replacement (could you get on that, Google?), and the Nexus 6 is ugly and huge, I consider the Z3 and Z3 Compact to be the phones to get if you want Android. They're only six months old, modern in every respect, look great, have minimal software customisations, better battery life than the competition, and thanks to Sony's progressive open source efforts, great third party ROM support (mostly).

Hence, it's sad to see that, in the pursuit of thinness, the Z4 actually has a smaller battery, and possibly, shorter battery life.