BlackBerry is back with a new operating system, but how does BlackBerry 10 stack up against Windows Phone 8 and the dominant forces of Android Jelly Bean and iOS 6?
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As the fastest growing version of the Android OS, Jelly Bean snatched 3.6% market share over the month of January. With an increase of 3.4% last December Jelly Bean's market share has been growing at a steady rate. Despite that the total market share of the two available Jelly Bean flavors is below the 15% mark and Android 2.3.x Gingerbread is still way ahead of all other versions.
Almost all of the older Android versions lost tiny fractions of their market share in January, but we'd guess the reason is the increase in the total number of Android devices (with the new ones running Gingerbread, ICS, and JB) as opposed to any of the older devices getting updated. At this pace, it would take quite a lot of time for Gingerbread to lose its leading position to some of the newer versions. Judging by the marginal decline, it also seems the sales of Gingerbread devices are still going strong.
Here's a recap of the market share changes that occurred in-between January 3 and February 4:
Android 1.6 Donut: 0.2%>0.2% (change not reflected in the first decimal place)
Samsung Ukraine has announced that it will start rolling out the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update to some of its devices from March. The first ones to get this update is the Galaxy S II as well as the Galaxy Note. The Galaxy S II, as you may know, has already started getting the update elsewhere in the world.
Along with these two device, Samsung will also be updating the Galaxy Ace 2 to Jelly Bean, but that will happen in April. And last but not the least, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 will also be joining the Jelly Bean party around the same time.
The Camera controls in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean are minimal, allowing users to focus on the photo they want to take with fewer distractions. Photo: Alex Washburn/Wired
Android 4.1, known as Jelly Bean, debuted only five months ago. But Google’s already back with 4.2, which will be called … Jelly Bean. But while the name remains the same and the overall user experience sees only minor tweaks, there are still plenty of changes you should know about. Android 4.2 is making its debut on Google’s new Nexus 4 smartphone and the Nexus 10 tablet, both of which begin shipping in November. But older Nexus devices — such as the Nexus 7 tablet, and the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S phones — will get the update shortly thereafter.
So what can Nexus phone and tablet owners expect in Android 4.2? Here’s a rundown of our favorite new features.
Google Now Updates
Google Now, which presents information before you even look for it, feels like the future of Google. In previous incarnations, a simple swipe up from the bottom of the display on any Nexus device running Jelly Bean delivered tips for nearby restaurants and directions and time estimates for our morning commutes. Calendar appointments would pop up, too. Now, if you give Google Now permission to do so, the app will pull package tracking, hotel and flight details, restaurant reservations and other tidbits of timely information straight from your Gmail. If you’re the sort of person who’s bothered by how much information Google has on its users, Google Now has never been for you. But if you’re OK with all this, then the updates to Google Now make the experience even more useful. There is nothing else on any other device that works like Google Now. It’s one of the biggest differentiators found on Android and it keeps getting better.
Gesture Typing in Android 4.2 works smoothly and does a great job of predicting words you’re typing…er swiping out.Photo: Alex Washburn/Wired
Gesture Typing
If you’ve ever used the Swype keyboard app, or if you’ve seen video of the upcoming SwiftKey Flow, then you know what to expect from Android 4.2’s gesture typing. Just glide your fingers across the keyboard, hitting each letter in the word you’d like to spell, and Android will present guesses as to the word you want, just above your finger, as you type. If you see the word you’re typing, just lift to choose it. The feature shows up anywhere you can use a keyboard. In our testing, it worked very well, oftentimes suggesting the words we wanted much earlier than anticipated.
Miracast
Android finally has an answer to Apple’s AirPlay. Sort of. Android 4.2 brings Miracast compatibility to Google’s mobile OS, allowing phones and tablets to wirelessly connect to Mircast-equipped TVs, Blu-ray players and other set-top boxes to mirror what’s on your mobile device on the big screen. The technology was developed by the Wi-Fi alliance and is an open standard that any hardware maker can use, but so far there are only a handful of Miracast products available. If the technology takes off, this could be a real plus for Android users. But right now that’s just an if.
With a two-finger swipe down, or a tap of a button on Android 4.2′s notification shade, quick settings appear. Photo: Alex Washburn/Wired
Quick Settings
Here’s another feature that gives Android an edge over its rivals. When you slide down the notification shade, there is a new button in the top right corner that will take you to quick settings — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, display brightness, battery life, airplane mode, and a button to take you into the full settings menu. If you want to get to quick settings even faster, swipe down from the top of your display with two fingers. It’s a simple, unobtrusive idea that makes a ton of sense.
HDR Mode
For the first time, Android’s camera app has a built-in HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode. This involves having the camera take two or more photos of the same scene, at different exposures, and stitch them together to create a single image that has ideal exposure levels for all the bright and dark areas. The point here is to deliver a photo that looks good when there are variances in light quality — say a really bright sunlit background and a darker in-the-shade foreground. As is that case on any camera, HDR mode can be bit hit or miss. But when it works, it works well.
Photo Sphere
Like Google Now, Photo Sphere is a feature you’ll find built into Android and nowhere else. Google’s Maps team worked with the Android team to build Photo Sphere, which is essentially a simplified version of the Street View software Google uses to build the 360-degree panoramas we see on Google Maps. When you launch Photo Sphere, you see a gray grid. As you move your phone around, a blue dot appears telling you where to hold your phone. As you align your phone with the blue dots, the app snaps a photo. After you’ve captured enough shots to cover the scene around you, Photo Sphere stitches them together to deliver a 360-degree panorama you can view on your phone. The results are remarkably free of visible seams, though if you move the camera too quickly, or if people in your panorama are moving around a lot while you’re snapping photos, there will be a bit of blurriness. Regardless, the whole process is a lot of fun and works well. If you’re happy with the panorama you’ve created, you can easily share it on Google+ and even submit it to Google Maps.
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean adds Instagram-like photo filters right into the camera app. Photo: Alex Washburn/Wired
Photo Filters
Google is introducing Instagram-like photo filters built into its camera app. The filters look great, allowing you to tweak the tone, add some graininess, or create a vintage look. And it’s all non-destructive editing, since the app saves a new image every time you add a filter, meaning your original photo is always preserved.
New Camera Controls
Android 4.2’s camera app gets a whole new gesture-based control scheme (see the photo at the top of this article) that is largely hidden until you need it. There’s a large blue button at the bottom for snapping a photo and a thin white circle that hovers over whatever you’re focusing on at the moment. Tap that circle to bring up photo options appear — flash controls, a toggle to switch between front and rear cameras, a white balance button, an HDR mode button, and a button to launch into deeper settings too. The scheme works really well, allowing you to focus on the photo you’re trying to take with as little distraction as possible. When you want more options, they’re there with a simple tap and swipe.
Lockscreen Widgets
This feature is supposed to come with an update scheduled for Nov. 13, when the new Nexus devices start shipping, so we haven’t had a chance to try it out yet. But we expect it to be a new favorite. Lockscreen widgets work just like they sound. You can place them on the lockscreen of a handset an view them by swiping either from the left or right when a phone is locked. This allows quick access to a lineup of calendar events, for example, or your most recent e-mails or maybe weather information, all without having to unlock your phone. Of course, to get into the app the widget leads to, you’ll have to unlock your handset, so you’ll still need a passcode or gesture.
Multiple User Profiles on Tablets
This is another feature scheduled for the Nov. 13 update for the Nexus 10, and shortly thereafter the Nexus 7. From the demos we’ve seen, Android 4.2 tablets will allow for multiple user profiles so a family, a group of roommates, or a workplace team can share a single device without getting into each other’s settings, apps and data. Profile switching takes place on the lockscreen. It’s a great idea that, hopefully, will spread to competing tablets as well.
BlackBerry is back with a new operating system, but how does BlackBerry 10 stack up against Windows Phone 8 and the dominant forces of Android Jelly Bean and iOS 6?
Our smartphones are becoming more and more powerful as we demand greater flexibility, better features and faster performance which means the software they are running has its work cut out.
It's a highly competitive market and one the likes of Google, Apple and Samsung seem to be doing pretty well out of, but for others it's a hard slog as firms such as Nokia, LG and BlackBerry try to keep pace.
With four operating systems sitting on a myriad devices it can be hard to work out which one is best for you, so we've compared all of them to make that choice a little easier.
Interface
The interface is core to any mobile platform as this is what you'll be greeted with day in, day out and makes the most difference to how you use your smartphone.
Apple's user interface (right) is famously known for its locked-down approach with iOS 6 giving you very little control over what can be changed and customised, with just basic functions such as changing the wallpaper and moving app icons available.
There is an advantage to this walled garden approach though, as it makes iOS 6 an easy system to navigate as options are limited which benefits users who are less tech savvy, or new to smartphones.
iOS hasn't changed a great deal since its inception back in 2007 and it is starting to feel its age, especially as we're seeing rivals making significant advancements on their platforms.
At the other end of the scale to iOS is the open source Android platform, built by Google, allowing users far more freedom on their handsets.
Instead of just an app list, Android (left) gives you homescreens which you can place apps, widgets and shortcuts to provide a handset which is more tailored to your needs instead of the one-size fits all approach of its Cupertino-based rival.
While technology lovers generally love the openness provided by Android, the experience can be a difficult one for anyone who isn't so technically minded with seemingly endless options and settings littering every app.
That said, the latest incarnation of Android, known as Jelly Bean, is definitely the best iteration from Google and goes some way to overcoming the complexities found on previous versions.
Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10 fall in between the two leaders of the smartphone OS war in terms of openness, and are caught in a battle for the spot of 'third most popular mobile OS'.
At the moment Windows Phone 8 (right) has the upper hand simply because it's been on the market for several months with BlackBerry 10 only just launched.
Microsoft has chosen to go down the more insular Apple route with Windows Phone 8, offering an almost identical user interface on every device, with a very different layout to anything else on the market.
The homescreen itself consists of a mash up between apps and widgets in the form of Live Tiles, which update automatically to show you the latest information be it a new email or the latest scores.
With large, clear Live Tiles and an unfussy, uncomplicated app list and menu system Windows Phone 8 is great for first time users as it makes for an easy ride into the smartphone world, albeit a little limited in places.
BlackBerry 10 (left) goes back towards the general style of iOS 6 and Jelly Bean, but with its own twist.
Instead of various navigational tools below the display or at the top of the screen BB 10 opts for a gesture-based interface, encouraging users to slide their way around the system.
It's a radically different way of doing things and feels very alien to anyone who has previously used any other OS in the past, requiring the user to dedicate a decent amount of time to learn its ways.
BlackBerry talks about how BB10 "just flows", but unless they're prepared to put the hours in and trust a brand new platform users may get confused just looking for simple things like the settings option in an app.
Messaging
Smartphones still make calls. No, we kid you not, they really do – but no one calls people anymore, messaging is king.
And it's not just simple SMS messages anymore either, as there are a huge number of ways to stay in touch on today's mobiles without ever having to mutter a word.
We'll kick off with Android (right) which sees separate text messaging and email apps pre-installed which are perfectly functional, but pop over to Google Play and you'll be met with swathes of messaging options (most of which are free) such as WhatsApp and Skype.
Because manufacturers are allowed to tinker with the Android platform before sticking it on their devices you get a slightly different experience from each company, so it will probably be worth trialling some handsets in store before making a final decision – with keyboards usually the sticking point.
The stock Android offering is serviceable but not every manufacturer decides to stick with it; firms such as HTC and Huawei opt to install their own keyboards, with varying degrees of success.
The beauty of Jelly Bean (and previous versions of Android) is the ability to download third party keyboards from Google Play, our favourite being the excellent SwiftKey – seriously, give it a whirl if you like typing at incredible speeds.
Over on iOS 6 (left) and unsurprisingly Apple allows you to use its keyboard only, with no support for third party apps to come in and steal the show.
That said, the iOS keyboard is a decent, responsive and generally accurate input method which allows users to rack up a good typing speed.
As far as messaging goes, like Jelly Bean, iOS 6 comes with separate text and email apps, but there's an additional offering out of the box in the form of iMessage.
iMessage is Apple's answer to BlackBerry's BBM messaging service, allowing iPhone users to message each over for free without the worry of eating into their text message allowance.
Third party messaging apps can be downloaded from the App Store in the same way they can on Jelly Bean with many applications providing cross-platform support.
BBM is still going strong over on BlackBerry 10 (right) which sports the all new BlackBerry Hub – a universal inbox for every message your phone is capable of receiving.
Everything from texts and emails to missed calls, BBMs and social updates pop up in the Hub, making it your one-stop shop for communication.
You can reply via any account via the Hub meaning you don't need to fire up the official BBM, Facebook, Twitter etc apps to tap out a response.
The Hub can be filtered to just show one account if it all gets a bit confusing and it's a system we're fond of - it's probably the best feature on BlackBerry 10.
Windows Phone 8 (left) returns us to the status quo with separate apps for texts, emails and third party messaging apps, but an added extra here is the inclusion of Windows Live messenger – something which is being rolled into the now Microsoft-owned Skype package.
From within the text messaging app you can slide over to your online Messenger profile and instant chat with any of your buddies who are online – handy.
Both BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone 8, like iOS, don't allow you to install alternative keyboards meaning you're stuck with the default offerings.
Neither is particularly bad, but we've had more accurate typing experiences on other handsets than both the Windows Phone and BlackBerry input methods. We'll be fair though and point out that it's really what you get used to that defines how good a system is... it's just Microsoft and BlackBerry's efforts are a little harder to learn correctly.
Internet
Web browsing is an increasingly important part of today's smartphone usage and operating systems need to make sure users have a simple and speedy experience.
Speeds are dependent on a number of factors: from the software and browser you're running to the hardware found under the hood.
While all four operating system come pre-packed with their own web browsers they all allow you to download third party alternatives from their various application stores if you're not happy with the initial offering.
Jelly Bean (right) now relies on Google Chrome as its default browser, a pared down version of the popular desktop client and it provides a simple and clean interface and generally good browsing speeds.
Android is the most susceptible to variable browsing speeds though as the vast range of handsets from bargain-basement to bank-busting have very different power capabilities.
Top handsets such as the Galaxy S3, Nexus 4 and One X+ can all keep pace with the rival systems, but the budget devices are noticeably slower when it comes to browsing the web.
iOS 6 (left), like Android and Windows Phone, has taken a desktop web browser and adapted it for the smaller screen using Apple's Safari.
Unlike Android handsets, iPhones have always been high-end handsets with decent specifications, providing a more linear web experience no matter whether you're on an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 5.
More features such as offline reading and integration to iCloud allowing for tab syncing arrived with the iOS 6 update, plus there are Smart App Banners which help sites promote their apps, bringing a richer cohesion to the whole platform.
Windows Phone 8 takes internet browsing very seriously, bringing the latest version of Internet Explorer, IE10 (right).
This helps keep WP8 at the forefront of the mobile internet browsing, but also keeps you safe whilst you do. IE10 comes with a phishing filter and SmartScreen service to make it harder for you to be tracked by malicious websites.
Last, but certainly not least is the new browser in BlackBerry 10, which design wise looks very similar to IE in WP8 and it has all the features you'd expect including bookmarks and reader mode.
The BB10 browser is impressively fast and more than capable of mixing it with the rest of the crowd, so you needn't worry about web surfing if you fancy a BlackBerry Z10 or Q10.
It also comes with the vaunted Reading Mode and supports Flash too, making it an almost unrecognisable change from the rubbish browsers found on BB7 devices.
Camera
Microsoft hasn't skimped on Windows Phone 8's Camera app (below), getting a new simple, clean look, with a small menu button that accesses the camera's various settings.
Nokia branded handsets are also set to bring over the PureView technology that was made famous in the Nokia 808 PureView.
A stipulation of handsets which run Windows Phone is they must feature a physical shutter button, which makes taking pictures and launching the app an easier experience.
The Android Jelly Bean (below) camera system brings in more changes. It's faster and has a better review system making editing and removing images simpler.
A new feature which arrived as part of the Android 4.2 update is photo sphere – allowing you to take a 360 degree picture of your surroundings for a slightly surreal image. It's more gimmick than practical, but it's fun to play with.
There are also varying scene modes, customisable levels white balance and exposure, all helping you to create your ideal shot. A panoramic mode and photo editing are also thrown in, alongside the impressive zero shutter lag.
iOS 6 (below) builds upon the work from iOS 5, debuted on the iPhone 4S. Continuing the simplicity theme, settings are all sorted automatically to allow users to focus (arf) on the picture they want instead of messing about with ISO modes.
Focus is also automatic, unless you specify a certain area by touching the screen. For those who require a physical shutter button, iOS also allows the use of the up volume button as well as the on screen option.
In terms of features the BlackBerry 10 camera app is the least well-equipped, with very few options to play with.
Luckily shutter speed to pretty decent and an excellent built in picture editing mode comes to the aid of the BlackBerry OS, plus like on iOS you can use the volume keys on the side of the handset to take photos.
Apps
Apps are big business and the selection available to customers can make or break a person's decision to buy a handset.
Jelly Bean and iOS 6 are far and away the winners in terms of volume with both Google Play and the App Store boasting over 700,000 apps each.
While there's a lot of dross in both stores there's also a lot of quality and the sheer size of the libraries and the market dominance the two enjoy means the big companies are happy to develop for the platforms.
Both app stores are well presented and are easy to navigate with plenty of top lists on show allowing you to check out the best apps around.
The news isn't quite so rosy for Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10 which can't match the number of apps which iOS and Android enjoy.
While BlackBerry is keen to stress it is quality not quantity that counts the fact of the matter is big name applications are missing from both BlackBerry World and the Windows Phone MarketPlace.
Both stores will continue to grow over the coming months but for anyone who wants all the big apps right now it's really a choice between iOS 6 or Android Jelly Bean.
We weren't overly impressed with the layout of BlackBerry World, but then again the Android Market wasn't exactly the nicest place to be back in the day, so we're willing to give BlackBerry a bit of time to improve the UI.
Maps
Android Jelly Bean, somewhat unsurprisingly, bases its mapping system on the well known and excellent Google Maps (right), bringing Street View, 3D and indoor mapping, free turn-by-turn navigation and live traffic information.
Integrating with Google Now, the mapping system continues the sat-nav experience for both pedestrians and motorists, providing details of how and when to leave to get to your appointments on time, plus public transport is also present if walking and driving is out of the question.
Windows Phone 8 surprisingly ditches Microsoft's proprietary Bing Maps. On the other hand, its new system is hardly shocking.
Windows Phone 8 now brings in the Nokia mapping system, bringing 3D street navigation, and Nokia's Navteq Traffic Service.
It's not a feature-packed as Google's offering nor is it as attractive to look at, but it does the job in hand.
iOS (left) has traditionally also based their mapping on Google's offering, but this all changed with iOS 6 when Apple Maps was launched.
Unfortunately Apple Maps hasn't been able to live up to all the hype it was given during the iOS 6 launch event as people found it littered with mistakes including incorrect locations and borked maps.
It's so bad in fact that Apple CEO Tim Cook came out and advised iOS 6 users to use competitors' solutions until it works out all the issues – and we're still waiting to get the all clear to use it again from Apple HQ.
BlackBerry (right) has teamed up with TomTom to provide its Maps app on BlackBerry 10 and like Windows Phone 8 is perfectly serviceable, if a bit light on features and design.
The maps themselves give a pretty good account of the lie of the land, although as an app it's not as polished as the excellent Google Maps.
There are far fewer features as well with just the standard map view available, no satellite overlay, no street view, no flyover – but at least it knows where places are.
Visually the maps are not quite as impressive as Google's offering, with the images not looking overly defined – especially when you zoom out.
Even though for the time being the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for Samsung Galaxy S3 didn’t hit all the European countries, expect it to arrive on your terminal over the past few days.
After you update your Samsung Galaxy S3 to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean you will be able to enjoy the latest goodies brought by the new firmware version, like the highly-appreciated Multi Window from Note 2, customizable toggles in the notifications are and improved battery life.
Among others, the new Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for Samsung Galaxy S3 brings an improved camera app, with Best Face, allowing the user to choose the best face for each person from a group of photos taken in Burst Mode.
Another new feature for the camera is the new Low Light mode, that helps the camera sensor take high-quality photos in low light conditions without flash.
After you’ll update your Samsung Galaxy S3 to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean you will also get your hands on the Paper Artist app, imported from Galaxy Note 2. It allows you to draw using your finger, in a similar way it does on the Note 2. The only difference is that the Samsung phablet brings an S-Pen stylus, but do not worry as we tested it it works great.
Besides the new Gallery App (same as in Galaxy Note 2), the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for Samsung Galaxy S3 brings a customizable notifications panel, letting you choose which toggles to appear, while the brightness slider in notification panel can now be disabled.
I remind you that Samsung Galaxy S3 comes pre-loaded with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, packing a 4.7-inch HD Super AMOLED display, quad-core 1.4 GHz Exynos 4 Quad CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 8 megapixel camera with full HD video recording capabilities and 16/32/64 GB of internal storage expandable using microSD cards.
Even though Samsung didn’t make an official announcement yet, the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for Galaxy S3 might also be available outside UK. Has it hit your smartphone yet? Please let us know.
Meanwhile, here are a couple of videos that explain some of the new features introduced by the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for Samsung Galaxy S3.
