iOS 8 boasts new features and better graphics

[Maverick Jester]

This is where Apples vertical integration has everyone beat.

Google Services were never about vertical integration in any event.

Not really. Google + photo backup works like iCloud photos currently works. It just makes a backup of whatever you take while keeping the photo on the device. What iCloud Photo Library will do is automatically store the originals in iCloud while only leaving lightweight device specific sized copies on the device

That seems to be a more limited offering, then. What if I don't want to store my photos solely in the cloud? At least give me the option of doing both.

On some of your other points- the video and voice notes feature is something that WhatsApp already has, or even SnapChat for that matter. It's also ecosystem dependent, so it's rather gimmicky. The HomeKit program is impressive, but not something that hasn't been available to Android users before.

Points I found interesting, because they now catchup to what Android has already offered:

Interoperability between applications.
Always on Siri, ala Moto X.
The new programming language.
Family sharing.

I may finally be ready to cross the divide

 

[Maverick Jester]

Does Google Voice allow you to use your main cellphone number? Or do people need to call you on a Google Voice specific number much like Skype as I suspect?

Similar to Skype, yes, but it can link multiple numbers that you have, to one Google Voice number.

I've had people telling me this morning that you can do this on PC etc for years now. But when I enquire it turns out there's a PBX or server involved or it's just plain forwarding of calls, which means it's not the same thing at all.

It's not entirely a call forwarding service, it does allow you to perform voice of video calls to both PC and phones using the plugin. But naturally, the integration is not quite as complete as the iOS solution at present.

 

[Hush9300]

Google Services were never about vertical integration in any event.

It's not just about services. Vertical integration includes hardware and software as well. Handoff is hardly a services feature as the hardware acts as the conduit instead of an additional service.

That seems to be a more limited offering, then. What if I don't want to store my photos solely in the cloud? At least give me the option of doing both.

It's an opt in service...

On some of your other points- the video and voice notes feature is something that WhatsApp already has, or even SnapChat for that matter. It's also ecosystem dependent, so it's rather gimmicky. The HomeKit program is impressive, but not something that hasn't been available to Android users before.

So now Android users are falling into the mantra of "there is an app for that." How things have changed!

Points I found interesting, because they now catchup to what Android has already offered:

Interoperability between applications.
Always on Siri, ala Moto X.
The new programming language.
Family sharing.

I may finally be ready to cross the divide

Fair enough. Although always on Siri only works when plugged in.

 

[Maverick Jester]

It's not just about services. Vertical integration includes hardware and software as well. Handoff is hardly a services feature as the hardware acts as the conduit instead of an additional service.

Yes, but the service functions in the manner that it does because of the tightness in integration between hardware and software within the Apple ecosystem.

It's an opt in service...

With an either or approach from what I can see. I don't know if this is wrong.

So now Android users are falling into the mantra of "there is an app for that." How things have changed!

No, it's the Android user's turn to remark that Apple are coming up with gimmicks.

And in fairness- Samsung would be hounded to death if they had to offer such features. They already were with things like Smart Stay and Smart Scroll.

Fair enough. Although always on Siri only works when plugged in.

The "only works when plugged in" thing kind of disappoints me, particularly as the iPhone 5S and iPad Air models have the M7 co-processor, which could be used to enable the "always on" functionality without needing it to be plugged into a power source.

 

[Hush9300]

No, it's the Android user's turn to remark that Apple are coming up with gimmicks.

And in fairness- Samsung would be hounded to death if they had to offer such features. They already were with things like Smart Stay and Smart Scroll

I'm not so sure self destruct voice and video fall into the same category as Smart Stay and Scroll because third party apps of a similar nature have demonstrated the features popularity.

HomeKit on the other hand may well fall into that category but I believe that Apple are going to make good use of the feature through its own hardware later this year but yeah it's an unknown now.

I think the reason Samsung were wrapped on the knuckles for Smart Stay and Scroll was because its function defeated the very purposes of having a touch display.

 

[Maverick Jester]

I'm not so sure self destruct voice and video fall into the same category as Smart Stay and Scroll because third party apps of a similar nature have demonstrated the features popularity.

So too, has Smart Stay, with third party apps replicating the functionality. Self destructing videos and voice only between Apple devices is a gimmick.

HomeKit on the other hand may well fall into that category but I believe that Apple are going to make good use of the feature through its own hardware later this year but yeah it's an unknown now.

This is an impressive feature, and one I am looking forward to seeing in action.

I think the reason Samsung were wrapped on the knuckles for Smart Stay and Scroll was because its function defeated the very purposes of having a touch display.

How so? It's annoying to have to touch the screen every so often when reading something, and having a longer timeout by default lessens battery life. Smart Stay bridges the gap between user interaction for a flawed situation. However, it is still gimmicky, because likelihood that I would need to use it is not that great.

 

[Maverick Jester]

With all that being said- any current Android user now tempted by iOS as an ecosystem? iOS 8 has plugged a few glaring holes that the OS had, and I would say is now, functionally, close to parity with Android.

If Apple brought out a 4.7" iPhone, it would be a no brainer to me

 

[Skerminkel]

With all that being said- any current Android user now tempted by iOS as an ecosystem?
...

Naah. Apart from the odd gimmick that all the manufacturers come up with, the general progress on all platforms are evolutionary. Any of the latest minor improvements might develop into something indispensable in future, but nothing that shoots out the lights yet.

The major difference between iOS and Android, at least if you know the slightest thing about the industry, is if you trust Apple or Google with your secrets.

 

[Anakha56]

Naughty Apple!

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/apple-healthkit-taken/

But since you are Apple, you will get away with it...

 

[Dolby]

With all that being said- any current Android user now tempted by iOS as an ecosystem? iOS 8 has plugged a few glaring holes that the OS had, and I would say is now, functionally, close to parity with Android

Nope.

I think having an earlier iOS device once put me off them for life. Besides I think the integration with Android / Google / Gmail / Google Now is just far better for me.

 

[icyrus]

Naughty Apple!

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/apple-healthkit-taken/

But since you are Apple, you will get away with it...

Pretty much all of Apple's APIs have Kit postfix names.

 

[km2]

With all that being said- any current Android user now tempted by iOS as an ecosystem? iOS 8 has plugged a few glaring holes that the OS had, and I would say is now, functionally, close to parity with Android.

If Apple brought out a 4.7" iPhone, it would be a no brainer to me

I'm tempted not so much by the changes made in iOS8, but if they come out with an iPhone that is 4.7" I'll probably go back. Most of the time I spend actively using the phone is with web browsing, and the deal-breaker for me is being able to browse websites in portrait mode without needing to zoom. It's all about that horizontal resolution, needs to have at least as many pixels as people design websites on desktop machines for i.e. 960px+.

I've got a Nexus 5 after having switched from an iPhone 4S six months ago, and it's taken them 6 months to fix a level of video recording hiss that really limited its usage. I appreciate the less bull**** that exists in the iPhone world, and that at least Apple has to take ownership of problems that exist, rather than random people going "why don't you try a different ROM, why don't you root it and change this and this, why don't you replace the stock app" instead of focusing on getting the manufacturer to fix the problem.

Also to whoever said in the forum earlier that you can't use iOS as a flash drive, well you can't use Android as a damn flash drive anymore in KitKat either. MTP sucks compared to mass storage mode. Still don't have decent Bluetooth bicycle cadence/speed sensor support in Android apps either (Endomondo finally got HRM support), while it's been working and available in iOS apps for over a year.

 

[Dolby]

rather than random people going "why don't you try a different ROM, why don't you root it and change this and this, why don't you replace the stock app"

iOS has got it's series of phrases too ... generally 'it can't be done', followed by 'there's a work around' and 'well I see no point in the feature' when they lack it.

 

[km2]

iOS has got it's series of phrases too ... generally 'it can't be done', followed by 'there's a work around' and 'well I see no point in the feature' when they lack it.

I know, and maybe it's just me, but I find it much easier to see through the iOS fans way of saying something isn't available. So if you ask "can I plug my phone in and use it as a USB stick" they'll say things like "why would you need to do that, use AirDrop", "just email it to yourself", "sync it to the cloud and you can then download it on whatever machine". But at least I get that I can't use it to do what I want.

If I ask that in an Android forum, people will say "sure you can use it as a flash stick!". But it's not mentioned that it's been removed in 4.3. If you push further someone will say that there's an app for it, but then that app needs root, and that brings in its own caveats like messing with OTA updates, and you can't access the filesystem directly but instead can access only a created virtual image etc.

I just find it that iOS people are forced to admit their OS can't do it, and then they will try to desperately justify why the limitations is a good thing, while Android users will say yes to just about anything but then don't tell you the massive caveats and tradeoffs you'll have to make to get that particular feature operational.

 

[skierenw]

Can't wait for apple to release this - IOS7 is good but there are still a few glitches.

 

[Crowley]

If I ask that in an Android forum, people will say "sure you can use it as a flash stick!". But it's not mentioned that it's been removed in 4.3. If you push further someone will say that there's an app for it, but then that app needs root, and that brings in its own caveats like messing with OTA updates, and you can't access the filesystem directly but instead can access only a created virtual image etc.

I honestly have no idea what you are on about. I just connected my phone to my PC and transferred a file to the phone and to the memory card. Galaxy S4 with 4.4.2 firmware.

 

[cerebus]

I like the direction they're taking lately with iOS development - creating APIs that developers can hook into and allowing them to make their own platforms and concepts on top of them. 3rd party keyboards, interoperability between apps, HealthKit, the M7 coprocessor, HomeKit, widgets - I know in a lot of cases they're mimicking Android's features (in some cases not), but it's counter to how they've acted in the past in locking out their OS from tinkering. I get the sense that they're more confident lately. WWDC was the most relaxed I've seen them onstage in a long time.

 

[Crowley]

I like the direction they're taking lately with iOS development - creating APIs that developers can hook into and allowing them to make their own platforms and concepts on top of them. 3rd party keyboards, interoperability between apps, HealthKit, the M7 coprocessor, HomeKit, widgets - I know in a lot of cases they're mimicking Android's features (in some cases not), but it's counter to how they've acted in the past in locking out their OS from tinkering. I get the sense that they're more confident lately. WWDC was the most relaxed I've seen them onstage in a long time.

More confident or did they run out of ideas?

Apple has taken the wraps off iOS 8, its newest mobile operating system, at its WWDC keynote. There were lots of new features added to iOS, but any observer familiar with Android saw quite a few things that seem... familiar. That's because many of Apple's announced upgrades were things the Android OS has boasted for years.

Read more...
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/06/great-artists-steal-the-ios-8-features-inspired-by-android/

 

[km2]

I honestly have no idea what you are on about. I just connected my phone to my PC and transferred a file to the phone and to the memory card. Galaxy S4 with 4.4.2 firmware.

That's probably MTP, rather than mass storage. Does it have a drive letter? Can you run apps off it like a USB stick? If you have a .RAR on there can you open it directly and extract the files without first transferring to your computer. Used to be mass storage pre-4.3, then changed to ****ty MTP.

 

[Crowley]

Fair enough, it is MTP but it is still a million times more useful than what Apple offers.