In Defense of iPhone...and maybe Blackberry

I am not a self-proclaimed gadget critic. I am not even a geek. I don't even know what Antutu benchmark mark is and how they measure smartphones capability and power. My knowledge on gadgets are fairly limited to its practical use, basic specs and perceived value. I review gadgets based on its beauty and brain. I am not in awe of any revolutionary tactics. I am more convinced by the sharpness of the display, the quality of photo, ease of use and navigation, fluidity of OS, and most importantly reliability. I am therefore an iPhone fan and will always be. I hate it when I see people in tech blogs comments page bashing each other, seemingly amused with their fanaticism over their preferred OS/smartphone, throwing harsh words and criticisms against each other, in an attempt to prove their mighty geek prowess and defend their almighty OS. I find it amusing and pathetic at the same time.

I love Blackberry. Before turning my eye on iPhone I was a huge Blackberry fan, and remains so until now. It is true that an individual's preference of a smartphone is dependent on its inherent character and personality. My relationship with Blackberry is loyal and honest - the tic-tac sound of the keyboard, the speed to text, the easiness of navigation, the discreet notifications, the multi-colored blinking lights, all of these features made Blackberry my preferred smartphone over the year. That was the era when I preferred productivity over style. As a salesman and a heavy communicator, I have to rely on the speed of my phone. I can't afford to make a mistake on my typing, a single stroke of error is tantamount to a lost of sale. Therefore during the years that I was working so hard, I can't put my hands off my beloved BB.

And then the beauty of iPhone's display swept me off my feet. I have seen's Samsung Galaxy S2s AMOLED display and it was awesome. But I felt it was a little too saturated, a bit yellowish/greenish. As compared to iPhone's natural contrast and brightness, it was just pleasant to the eye. But even if I got an iPhone, I still use my beloved BB 9360 as my main workphone. iPhone cannot replace BB on this particular field.

Android is great in the area of customization. It understand the character of its target market. They are the rebel, the young and adventurous. Their operating system is tailor-fitted to people who loves to do more and expect more. Therefore they decided to push the envelope further.

Samsung and any other Android OS smartphones such as HTC, Sony, LG are winning more users as they know that Android is more open and adaptive. They know that consumers love to see more drama, they love to see things get bigger, faster, better. There is no room for less improvement. Consumers are becoming more demanding and the evolution of technology is fast-paced. On this particular area, Samsung is getting more raves and applause. They know that Samsung is harnessing Android's strength to its full potential.

It is evident in the recent market surveys that iOS is losing more of its base and their market share continues to goes down, while Windows and Android are both gaining strength. Critics are bashing Apple over its recent performance during the September 10 unveiling. It was lack-luster, many were saying it was disappointing and boring. They said they were missing Steve Jobs' magic. iPhone 5S and 5C were expected even before the opening of the event and many people were hoping they would see more or they were looking for more surprise. But Tim Cook quickly ushered them to the demo room to see the iPhone 5S and 5C in action.

But iPhone knows that their money is on iOS reliability. They know that critics would bash them because they expect iPhone to be more revolutionary than ever. I don't think Apple is turning a blind eye on this sentiment. I know that Apple is intelligent enough to keep some magic under their sleeves. They knew that making iPhone bigger in terms of size is not going to increase their market share. They know that the right thing to do now is change the the way their OS works. The unveiling of iOS 7 for me is more than enough. A lot of critics were probably bored to see the usual icons, the slide to unlock, and the notification bars. And the revamped interface of iOS 7 is aimed to addressed that. The renewed spirit of iPhone is incarnated through Jonthan Ive's vision. They knew that changing the look and feel of the operating system is what Apple badly need right now. They have to attract new customers and at the same time, retain their current base who are easily swayed by their competitors fast-changing environment.

Apple is not going to rest on its laurels. I know that the Cupertino company is anchored on the vision that to be successful in this market is to be sustainable and they should keep the strength of their ecosystem at place and continue to rely on its marketing and logistics expertise.

Samsung Unveils Galaxy, hits on iPhone weakness

What a bold move by Samsung to take advantage of iPhone 4's latest antenna blunder and market/position their newest Android phone towards the Apple's frustrated users. The big question is will they succeed?


Well, the battle for Smartphone dominance is still wide open. The Android phone is getting more rave reviews lately and Blackberry OS is keeping up with the pace of the smartphone direction. Surprisingly, Symbian is still the most popular smartphone OS according to a Gigaom/Gartner survey (March 2010).


Samsung Galaxy S is determined to get a share of the iPhone market, from Samsung official:

“Recently there has been a real increase in online activity from consumers dissatisfied with some of our competitors’ products. We decided to contact a cross section of individuals to offer them a free Samsung Galaxy S as a replacement, as we’re confident that once people have the phone in their hands, they’ll see how impressive it is for themselves.” 

What's new with Samsung Galaxy S? Well, the AMOLED. We all know that Samsung's phone display is not the market leader and the touch-screen intuitiveness and sensitivity can be a headache for some users. By the way, don't be confused with Galaxy Spica, it's a different one.


But the Galaxy S boasts itself with a powerful 1Ghz processor and a HD video recording capability.

Hey, it looks like an iPhone!


Looking forward to a wider range of wireless connectivity and the HD video capability, but sadly, galaxy does not comes with a flash. The Amoled display is indeed a great upgrade to Samsung's currently weak display and touchscreen technical design.

Swipe Technology (the ability to slide your fingers to the keypad that is supposed to make typing easier and faster) is also an interesting key feature and this could be something curious users would first look into.

Layar browser is a hot, hot feature i would love to see on this one

As for the rest of the hardware, keeping the whole thing moving is Samsung’s own 1GHz Hummingbird processor, paired with 8GB (or 16GB, depending on version) of internal storage. In our 8GB review unit that’s partitioned into approximately 2GB for apps and 6GB for media; there’s also a microSD slot (for up to 32GB cards). Connectivity includes triband 900/1900/2100 HSDPA/HSUPA along with WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and a microUSB 2.0 port; there’s also GPS, an accelerometer, digital compass, and both proximity and light sensors. Like the iPhone 4, the Galaxy S has two cameras: one, a 5-megapixel autofocus unit on the back, and a VGA-quality front facing camera for video calls. No flash – LED or otherwise – however, though you can record 720p HD video at 30fps.

Samsung has something of a reputation for decent cellphone cameras, and the Galaxy S generally doesn’t disappoint. At 5-megapixels with autofocus, the only thing missing from the spec sheet is a flash of some sort. What you do get are various photography modes, including blink, face and smile detection, panorama and high-speed shooting, together with a decent amount of control over manual settings. There are also multiple effects, such as vintage and cartoon, and a high-visibility mode which boosts the UI so that it’s easier to see while outdoors. The end result are bright, clear and well balanced shots, with decent colors and – as long as you don’t use the digital zoom – little noise or pixellation. Without a flash you’re obviously limited in your low-light use, with focus being a particular trouble, though we might argue that LED flash units are generally underwhelming anyway. There are samples in the gallery below, unedited aside from being resized by 50-percent. 

[Slashgear]

For me, being a Samsung user, Galaxy S must answer Samsung's touch screen hurdle and sensitivity. This feature is sorely lacking in their latest full touch-screen line and I am looking forward to this new offering from Samsung.

Hot Item: Panasonix Lumix LX5 is here

They say Lumix is getting the attention of DSLR users.

And Panasonic? Yes, Panasonic, this is not from the two titans - Canon and Nikon. This compact, almost DSLR-grade quality producing camera is a keeper.

I have no qualms or reviews about Lumix, but this one is getting some serious attention lately. So, are you willing to trade your entry-level SLR cam for this new toy?

Care to see the specs. Visit the Official Panasonic LX5 Tech Specs

From Letsgodigital.org

10.1 megapixel Panasonic Lumix LX5 camera 

The 24mm of wide angle offers extraordinarily large viewing space and now the optical zoom is extended to 3.8x (90mm) making the LX5 even more versatile. The highly acclaimed 10.1-megapixel CCD in the LX3 has been redesigned to achieve the expansion of dynamic range by increasing the sensitivity and the saturation. The Venus Engine FHD is also redesigned for advanced signal processing in both photo and movie recording. The high sensitivity made possible by the new sensor and the superior signal processing by the new imaging engine especially elevates the picture quality in low light situations. For the movie recording, the Panasonic Lumix LX5 is newly compatible with long time high quality HD movie recording in AVCHD Lite in addition to the conventional motion JPEG format. A host of creative options including Creative Movie mode, My Color mode and Film mode are available for more extended expression not only in photography but also in videography. The external design is also improved to pursue high operability - the thickened grip for easier hold, the newly incorporated turn-and-push jog dial achieves various selection and setting more quickly. The hot shoe allows attachment of advanced accessories such as optional Live View Finder which helps shooting under strong daylight with high visibility. The 1:1 square format setting is added in the aspect ratio option which can be selected with the switch at the side of the lens barrel. 

First Impressions
by Pocket-lint.com (Review)

While it’s hard to argue that the Panasonic LX5 doesn’t have everything you could ask for in a high-end compact camera, it does rather feel that you’re kept at arms length from it. It’s an obvious machine to use for point and press activity and there’s certainly enough automatic options to keep your shots properly exposed but, at the same time, there didn’t seem a lot to enjoy about it for DLSR or higher knowledge users looking for a kick around camera to keep on them at all times. Most of the manual fun was just too far from your fingertips to make that possible.

All the same, we certainly wouldn’t say that this isn’t a good machine. It works well. It takes great pictures, but somehow it just isn’t a whole lot of fun. People choosing it as a step up aren’t going to learn a lot from it and enthusiasts might rather play with something else. If you want a top notch point and press though, this might be what you’re after. 

By the looks of it, this one is a major eye candy. Lumix's strength can be derived from it's sheer compactness and awesome capabilities. Gadgets are getting smaller nowadays, and the smaller with greater features wins the battle of DSLR supremacy.

It's not gonna be the end of Canon and Nikon rivalry by the way. It will take a long time before Lumix can finally break the stereotype, but this one is definitely a threat. Lumix can be a viable and attractive for amateur and aspiring photographers as well as hobbyists. Besides, many still consider Lumix within the range of point-and-shoot category.