November 17, 2011

Operating System Showdown – iOS 5 vs Ice Cream Sandwich

by yogesh

Apple and Google continue developing their mobile platforms, offering customers more power and flexibility to communicate and compute wherever they go. Apple’s latest system, iOS5 came out in time for the new iPhone 4S. Google has a new version of the Android OS called Ice Cream Sandwich. Both systems make the most out of mobile high speed Internet, and they both add impressive new features for mobile users. We discuss just a few of the new features from each product help shoppers know what to expect from them.

Apple iOS 5
Although Android-powered phone users outnumber iPhone users, the iPhone continues to lead the market as the most popular smartphone. Similarly, the Apple iPad shows strong popularity in the tablet market with no sign of yielding its dominance. The new iOS 5 operating system from Apple makes the iPhone 4S and other versions of the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch more useful than ever.
Siri is a voice assistant for hands-free automation and a text to speech feature that lets users dictate messages rather than type them. Siri also expands the accessibility features of the iPhone to adapt to users with poor vision. Other new features of iOS include a new notification system for e-mail, Facebook and Twitter messages. The new iCloud feature uses high speed internet connections to allow users to send photos directly to the cloud for storage and sharing. It also features built-in synchronization to the cloud so users can access all their files from any device or computer.
The other major feature update for iOS 5 is Find My Friends. This feature will help connect friends and family members as well as coworkers. Find My Friends works much like Google Latitude.
Google Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Right now, Android-powered smartphones run on Gingerbread (Android 2.3), and Android-powered tablets run on Honeycomb (Android 3.0). Ice Cream Sandwich unifies those to operating systems into a single product, making it easier for software developers and for consumers.
Google has dramatically updated the look of Android in the new version. Ice Cream Sandwich favors touchscreen controls, not hardware buttons, making it possible for tablet and handset makers to use more of the surface area of their devices for the screen. More screen area makes the use of high speed internet for movies and web browsing even more pleasant. A new font called Roboto makes it easier for users to read their screens and the flick method for accessing recently used programs has carried over from Honeycomb. The OS also sports a new lock screen, magazine-style icons and contact cards. New tiles and other in-call functions make it more useful to users as they talk.
Ice cream Sandwich now has gesture support that complements pinch and zoom actions. This new feature speeds the new button-less navigation feature. Users can now resize widgets and folders and drag and drop apps into folders on the home screen. Calendars now zoom with swipes and pinches and copying and pasting information now is easier throughout the OS. Users can also now take screenshots in Android without a third-party app. Camera improvements like panorama and improved facial detection also come with Android 4.0. A feature called Beam uses near field communication chips to exchange information between devices.
Summing It Up
As the two operating systems continue to battle for market dominance, consumers appear as winners, enjoying impressive new features from both sides. Expect iOS and Android to continue mirroring each other as they both work to deliver the best products on the market to consumers. Although both sides hope for eventual dominance, both Apple and Android devices will continue to improve for a long time.
A writer of all things technical, Blake Sanders writes at broadband comparison site Broadband Expert and specializes in high speed internet, cell phones, as well as the latest in wireless internet provider news and information.
Note: Photo courtesy of jeffanddayna via FlickR Creative Commons.
A writer of all things technical, Blake Sanders writes at broadband comparison site Broadband Expert and specializes in high speed internet, cell phones, as well as the latest in wireless internet provider news and information.