Tag Archives: iphone
Gadgets

Nexus S vs Galaxy S vs iPhone 4

By on Friday, December 17, 2010

The latest Google Android reference phone is out. This is going to be a three way fight between the current top Android phone and the latest iPhone. The tale of the tape:

Samsung Google Nexus S Samsung Galaxy S Apple iPhone 4
Size 123.9 x 63 x 10.9 mm 122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9 mm 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm
Weight 129 g 119 g 137 g
Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA 1700 / 2100 /900 HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
Display Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors LED-backlit IPS TFT, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
480X800 pixels, 4 inches 480X800 pixels, 4 inches 640 x 960 pixels, 3.5 inches
Processor ARM Cortex A8 1GHz processor ARM Cortex A8 1GHz processor 1 GHz Apple A4 processor
RAM 512 MB RAM 512 MB RAM 512 MB RAM
Internal Storage 16GB 8/16GB 16/32 GB
External Storage No External Memory Up to 32GB No External Memory
Data Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
Near Field Communications Yes none none
Video 720p@30fps 720p@30fps, LED video light 720p@30fps, LED video light, geo-tagging
Operating System Android OS, v2.3 Gingerbread Android OS, v2.1 Eclair w/ TouchWiz 3.0 iOS 4
Camera 5 MP, 2560 x 1920 pixels, autofocus, LED flash 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Apps About 100K from Android Market + access to non-market apps About 100K from Android Market + access to non-market apps About 300K from Apple app store
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh Standard battery, Li-Po 1420mAh
Standby Up to 713 h (2G) / Up to 428 h (3G) Up to 750 h (2G) / Up to 576 h (3G) Up to 300 h (2G) / Up to 300 h (3G)
Talk-time Up to 14 h(2G) / Up to 7 h (3G) Up to 14 h(2G) / Up to 7 h (3G) Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G)

Based on the specifications, the winner is the iPhone 4 though not overwhelmingly. And it seems the Nexus S in not at all too different from the Galaxy S. Understandable since it’s made by Samsung but not expected since it is newer and Google is involved. So there’s no real reason to get the Nexus S unless you’re developing NFC applications. Just as well since it’s probably going to be priced higher than the Galaxy S which is already overpriced as it is.

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Gadgets

Apple iPhone 4

By on Saturday, December 4, 2010

I put in a reservation for an Apple iPhone 4 a few weeks ago but but never got a call. I learned that some of my friends actually received calls about their reservations. Unwilling to wait anymore, I went back to the Globe business center.

As usual, Globe customer service was thorough (read: slow) unless of course if you’re a Platinum subscriber in which case they would gladly turn back any other customer they’re about to talk to and even give you the last stock of a phone another customer is about to get.

Read More

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Gadgets

Objective: Objective-C

By on Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Since I’ve recently decided to study iPhone programming and and since Starcraft II is still a few days away, I was able to spend some time learning Objective-C, the programming language of choice for iPhone development. Since, I’ve gone through quite a few programming languages (LOGO, BASIC, Pascal, C, some C++, Java, and more recently Flex), picking up the syntax and the basics was a relative breeze. I expect, as usual, things will get exciting once I start working with the iOS APIs. Haven’t felt this excited in a while!

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Gadgets

Joining The Side Of The Light

By on Thursday, November 4, 2010

Now that’s a rather ungainly title. The dark side would be Microsoft. The side of the light would be Apple: somehow it evokes images of a supposedly utopian society, open, clean, orderly, and full of happy, contented people. But under the surface is a dark and sinister truth:  Steve Job’s and his infamous reality distortion field. Those under its spell  goes where he wants them to go and want what he wants them to want.

This is quite ironic since Apple’s famous ad “1984” portrays Apple as the liberator from a controlling entity representing supposedly IBM and, later, Microsoft. The ad is based on the novel of the same name by George Orwell. In the novel, Oceania is totalitarian state whose government  controls the speech, actions, and thoughts of its subjects. The ruler of Oceania is the dictatorial Big Brother. These days, Apple is more and more like the Oceania government and Steve Jobs Big Brother.

Still, it’s undeniable that Apple pulled off a mean feat with the iPhone. Apps is is now an everyday word and the millions and millions of users presents a very compelling argument for developing them. Of course, users buy only apps Apple wants them to buy. What is available on the App Store is tightly controlled by Apple. But hey, just develop what Apple wants you to develop!

Unfortunately, you need a Mac to develop for the iPhone. So today, I pulled the trigger on a 13-inch MacBook Pro. I chose it over the slightly less expensive MacBook because of the faster processor, bigger RAM (4GB!), and, of course, the aluminum unibody (call it higher-end-in-an-egalitarian-society look). Plus I still have the  capability to develop Android apps. I can even play games (that’s the key thing)!

And so begins my journey to the Apple dystopia and hopefully towards becoming an iPhone developer. But first, Starcraft II!

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