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Sunday, March 25, 2018
Android Go Apps vs Regular Apps: What’s The Difference?
You must’ve heard of Android Go, right? That Android variant meant for entry-level Android smartphones? Well, Google, in preparation for Android Go has been releasing a number of Go apps that are supposed to be lighter on the resources and also use fewer data to work flawlessly on smartphones that are priced at like $50 to $80. Well, we decided to check out whether Android Go apps actually do what Google says they do. So, we installed the Android Go apps on our phones and compared them to the regular Google apps to see what’s the difference.
1. Google Go vs Google
First off, I tried the Google Go app, which is supposed to be much lighter on the system while offering the most useful features from the regular Google app. The app is clearly designed to look simple and has features like voice search, maps, GIFS and even google translate. All that for an installed app size of just around 12MB! In comparison, the regular Google app occupies around 166MB. That’s insane. Sure, Google Go doesn’t have features like the Google Feed, but that’s really okay considering the space you’re saving, and a lot of people anyway don’t really use the Google Feed.
Google Go (left) vs Google (right)
Apart from that, Google Go pretty much has every feature that you would expect in the Google App. Not just that, Google Go uses way less RAM than the Google App does. In my tests, I found Google Go used about 61MB of RAM on average, while the Google App used a whopping 250MB! I tested the RAM usage using ADB, so you can count on the results to be pretty accurate.
After Google Go, I moved on to Maps Go, an app that struck me as especially interesting because the APK was just 0.09MB in size. Just let that sink in a bit. For comparison, the regular maps app is a massive 48MB… It’s not massive, but as compared to the Maps Go, well.. you get my point right? The Maps Go app offers a lot of the features from the regular Maps app, including real-time location sharing! What? That’s insane, ok? I mean, Maps Go takes up just 221KB after installing as compared to Maps which takes up 135 megabytes!
Google Maps Go (left) vs Google Maps (right)
However, that insanely small size comes at a big price. The Maps Go app doesn’t support navigation. I mean, I can get directions but I can’t go from directions to real-time navigation and that’s a big turn off for me. However, it has that awesome feature from the Google Maps web app where you can get traffic information for different times of the day to plan your journey accordingly. I mean that is one feature I wish the regular Google Maps app had.In terms of RAM usage as well, Maps Go is amazing. It used just 3.5MB of RAMon average as compared to Google Maps, which used a whopping 183MB.Way to go, Google.
Now while Google doesn’t offer a native File Manager on their devices, there is the tedious method of going through the Download Manager app and then browsing the Internal Storage and such. But as for the Android Go devices, Google has been generous to launch Files Go, which you may remember got really popular when it launched, thanks to its Airdrop like file transfer feature.
Google Files Go
Files Go comes in at just 14.41 megabytes when installed. In comparison, a third-party file explorer like Solid File Explorer is 22MB when installed. Yeah, the difference isn’t all that big but Files Go more than makes up for it with the features it offers. Right on the home screen, the app offers a number of useful features including cards to clear out low-res images, duplicate files, app cache, and even an option to uninstall apps that you’ve not used in a while. All of that fit into a beautiful package.
Files Go is honestly a Go app because it helps users carve out more space on their devices. Instead of being mind-numbingly small like Maps Go, Files Go tries to ensure that all those WhatsApp good morning images don’t eat up your storage.
Yes, everyone uses IM-clients such as WhatsApp and Messenger for keeping in touch with their friends and family. However, even on an entry-level device, chances are people are gonna want to check their emails. Google understands that. The company also has a Gmail Go app so people can enjoy the ease and simplicity of Gmail on their phones.
Gmail Go (left) vs Gmail (right)
The Gmail Go app comes in at just 24.8MB. Even on RAM, the Gmail Go app is much less resource heavy as compared to the regular Gmail app. It uses, on an average around 77MB of RAM, while the regular Gmail app uses over 260 megabytes; plus it offers all the features from the regular Gmail app in the same interface, so you won’t miss out on anything. I mean, it even includes the swipe gestures from the regular Gmail app. Personally, even if you are not on a low-end Android Go device, you could still make the switch to Gmail Go and would barely even know the difference.
Just because you’re buying a cheaper smartphone doesn’t mean you should miss out on the entertainment front, right? Well, keeping that in mind, Google has also rolled out a lightweight variant of its video-sharing service, YouTube Go. However, unlike other Go applications, YouTube Go follows a different approach in bringing entertainment to the user.
YouTube Go (left) vs YouTube (right)
The app focuses on saving your mobile data and storage more than anything else, as can be seen in the fact that tapping on a video doesn’t play it, but presents options to either play it or download. It is not very feature rich, it doesn’t have all the tabs you’ll find in the regular YouTube app, and you can’t even subscribe to channels in the YouTube Go app, but it brings one unique feature. YouTube Go users can share downloaded videos with their friends nearby. YouTube Go also takes up a lot less space as compared to the regular YouTube app. While the regular YouTube app is 122MB in size, YouTube Go is just 29MB, and also uses just about 74MB of RAM on average, as compared to YouTube’s 103MB.
While you do compromise on the overall functionality of the actual YouTube app, you still retain the ability to watch as well as download videos from the service, along with sharing it with your friends.
The last app to make this list is the newly announced Google Assistant Go. The app takes the power of Google Assistant’s AI and puts it into a lightweight app available for everyone to use. While the user does miss out on certain features that the actual assistant app offers, the Go edition makes up for it with its light size and still decent performance.
Google Assistant Go (left) vs Google Assistant (right)
Just to make things clear, the standard app, despite having an install size of a little above 800KB, relies on the Google Search on one’s device to actually run. On the other hand, Google Assistant Go weighs in at 17.47 MB when installed, which is quite light considering that the app is a standalone variant of Google Assistant. While you do need to enter the app every time you wish to utilize the assistant’s capabilities, the app does work very well. The AI performs pretty much the similar functions as the regular version but is slightly more customized for India when it comes to search results.
However, some of the features missing with the Assistant Go app that are present in the regular version are reminders, controls for smart home devices, Actions on Google, and Device Actions. Nonetheless, for the average user, Google Assistant Go should do the job.
Free up Your Memory and Boost Your Performance with Go-Edition Apps
I think it’s pretty clear that Google has created some spectacular apps for Android Go edition phones, like the Nokia 1. Google’s claims about using much less storage than regular apps holds completely true. According to our calculations, the regular versions of these apps took up around 522 megabytes of storage whereas the Go variants took up just 80.4 megabytes! As such, cheaper Android phones could perform very well if they use Android Oreo Go Edition. Additionally, Google is already in talks with developers to bring lite variants of their apps as well. Furthermore, even mid-range and flagship devices can try out these apps and make the most of their memory, while saving some juice as well.
So, are you going to be switching to Android Go edition apps anytime soon? If so, do share with us your experiences in the comments down below.
Steam is Hosting a Ubisoft Publisher Weekend Sale Ahead of Far Cry 5 Launch
Ubisoft is all set to release Far Cry 5 on March 27 and leading up to the launch, Valve’s digital distribution platform Steam is hosting a Ubisoft Publisher Weekendsale, offering up to 75% off on all Ubisoft games. The sale is currently live and buyers will be able to avail the discounts until 10:30PM on March 26.
Here’s a list of the best deals offered during the Ubisoft Publisher Weekend:
70% off on Tom Clancy’s The Division (Now Rs. 899)
40% off on Assassin’s Creed Origins (Now Rs. 2,099)
67% off on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon (Now Rs. 1,154)
60% off on South Park The Fractured But Whole (Now Rs. 1,399)
Games in the Far Cry series are also available on attractive discounts, with the entire Far Cry Compilation (excluding Far Cry 5) available at a discount of 64% for just Rs. 2,926. Additionally, the sale also features three VR titles from Ubisoft, including Star Trek Bridge Crew at 60% off (Now Rs. 1,199), Eagle Flight at 63% off (Now Rs. 924), and Werewolves Within at 66% off (Now Rs. 611). Head on to the Steam Store and grab yourself all the Ubisoft games you’ve been meaning to buy before the sale ends.
HyperX Cloud Alpha Gaming Headset Launched in India for ₹10,499
HyperX, the arm of Kingston that develops gaming accessories and peripherals, has released the HyperX Cloud Alpha wired headset in India. The headset comes with 50mm neodymium magnets as drivers and features the brand’s popular dual chamber build which results in a crisp and dynamic sound, as per the companTo ensure comfort during long hours of gaming and prevent deformation of ear cups, HyperX Cloud Alpha arepadded with the company’s signature “pliable leatherette” memory foam. The aluminum band which has attractive read accents is supplemented by a comfortable andexpandable headbandwhich would conveniently wrap around most people’s heads.
The 50mm neodymium magnets have a frequency response of 13Hz-27,000Hz which means the headset can also play sound frequencies far outside the range of humans’ aural ability. Paired with the dual chambers, the 50mm drivers create a loud, distortion-free sound in which bass, mid, and treble frequencies are distinctively audible. One thing to note is that the dual chamber technology hinders noise isolation but that shouldn’t bother most of the gamers who are likely to be indoors while playing.
The Cloud Alpha comes with a detachable cable that features an in-line remote control which can be used to adjust the volume as well as has a dedicated button to mute the headset. The attached microphone comes with polar noise-cancellation and is certified by TeamSpeak and Discord to make sure it never disappoints you during team missions. While the headset weighs around 340 grams, gamers can also detach the microphone to make their heads lighter by nearly 40 grams.
One benefit of this headset is that it will save you the expense of investing separately in different headsets. The HyperX Cloud Alpha supports connections with Windows and Mac PCs, Android and iOS smartphones, and a variety of consoles including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, and Nintendo Switch.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha can be bought in India at leading online and offline storesstarting March 26 at a price of ₹10,499.y.
Jio Added 8.3 Million Subscribers in January; More Than Double Of Airtel, Idea, Vodafone Combined
Reliance Jio may be the new kid on the block, but it’s disrupted established players in the industry by offering irresistible deals that have brought high-speed internet to millions in the country
The company has been growing by leaps and bounds, but while a recent reportfrom BloombergQuint had suggested that the company has leapfrogged Idea to become the third-largest telecom service provider in India after Airtel and Vodafone, the latest report from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) now suggests that Idea continues to remain the number three player in the country ahead of Jio.
According to the report, Reliance Jio added as many as 8.3 million new subscribers in January 2018, taking its overall subscriber base to over 168.4 million. Airtel, Vodafone and Idea added 1.5 million, 1.2 million and 1.1 million new subscribers respectively during the same month, while state-run operator BSNL managed to add less than 0.4 million. MTNL, meanwhile, actually lost close to 11,000 subscribers, while troubled carrier Telenor lost 1.6 million.
Overall, Airtel continues to remain at the top of the pile with a massive subscriber base of 291.67 million, while Vodafone and Idea occupy numbers two and three on the list with 213 million and 197 million subscribers respectively.
In terms of market share, Airtel has over a quarter of the market with 25.32 percent, while Vodafone, Idea and Jio come in at numbers two, three and four with 18.56 percent, 17.16 percent and 14.62 percent respectively. BSNL’s 100 million subscribers give it an almost 10 percent market-share.
Overall, the number of mobile subscribers in the country declined marginally from 1.16 billion at the end of December 2017 to 1.15 billion at the end of January 2018, but that has more to do with the bankruptcy of Reliance Communication (not to be confused to Reliance Jio) than any real shrinking of the Indian telecom market.
Some Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ Displays Have Unresponsive ‘Dead Zone’ Problems
The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones that launched to largely positive reviews, especially when it came to those gorgeous Infinity displays. But multiple reports now seem to suggest that at least some units may suffer from a curious dead zone problem with areas that
According to reports on Reddit, the problem seems to be more common on the Galaxy S9+, but the smaller S9 is not completely immune to it. As can be seen in the below gif posted by Redditor bobdurfob, the dead zones seem to be around the letters ‘E’, ‘R’ and ‘T’ on the keyboard.
Other users are reporting dead zones at the top, which is preventing them from pulling down the notification shade. The official Samsung forums are also chock-a-block with posts about malfunctioning touch-response on the Galaxy S9 duo.
From what we can tell, Samsung is yet to issue an official response to these reports, but the company is well aware of the developments. According to at least one Galaxy S9+ user who posted on Samsung’s support forums, the company asked them to exchange their malfunctioning device for a new one. A factory-reset has solved the problem for some as well.
We cannot independently verify any of these claims as our review unit didn’t seem to have any display-related problems.are unresponsive to touch.
Here Are the Xiaomi Phones That Will Get MIUI 9.5 Global Stable ROM
Xiaomi has started the rollout of MIUI 9.5 Global Stable ROM for a host of smartphones in the Redmi and Mi series, and has also detailed the complete release schedule of the update for devices that will receive it in the upcoming weeks. The update is being rolled out in a phased manner and the first batch of devices to get the update are the Redmi Note 3 Special Edition, Redmi Note 3 Qualcomm, Redmi Note 4 Qualcomm/Redmi Note 4X, Redmi 4A, Redmi 5 Plus, Mi Max and Mi Max Prime.
As per an official post on the MIUI forum, the OTA update will gradually be rolled out to other devices soon. The MIUI 9.5 Global Stable ROM update is around 1GB in size and is currently being seeded through the Google Play channel, however, it is also available on the MIUI forum page. As for the changes brought by the update, it includes a lot of bug fixes, system optimizations, revamped start page and new Quick search options. Moreover, users can now use the Mi Mover tool to transfer apps with or without app data.
Xiaomi has also revealed that the new update will be rolled out in three phases viz. late March, early April and mid-April, and has also revealed the complete list of smartphones that will receive the update in the allocated time frame.
It must be noted that the release dates are just estimated timelines, and are subject to change. However, the new update is only incremental in nature and is still based on Android Nougat, which might come as a huge disappointment for many users who are waiting for an upgrade to Android Oreo.
Xiaomi Teases New Headphones Which Could Feature Ceramic Plate Drivers
A couple of days ago, Xiaomi launched a pair of headphones in the Mi Earphones series for the Indian market, adding to its line-up of audio products available in the country. The Chinese company has now started teasing the launch of a new headphone, which is slightly more premium in nature, in China. According to the teasers, the headphones are likely to be very light and will have ceramic plate drivers, which would make it a high-end offering in terms of hardware,
Xiaomi recently shared a teaser poster for the launch of a new audio device on its official Weibo account, which says that the company will unveil a new product on March 23. The teaser shows the picture of a musical tone made out of light cotton-like material, which is a clear sign that Xiaomi’s new launch will be an audio-centric device that will focus on the weight and sleek design.
Image courtesy: MyDriversXiaomi shared another teaser poster which shows a semi-circular section of the upcoming audio device juxtaposed with a photo of a ceramic plate. If the new teaser is anything to go by, the upcoming headset is expected to flaunt ceramic plate drivers, which are known for their consistent in sound reproduction, especially in the high frequencies. Moreover, the text on the poster says ‘New Material, Extraordinary Sound’, which seemingly confirms the core traits of the upcoming Xiaomi headset.
As far as the placement of the upcoming audio product in Xiaomi’s line-up is concerned, a Gizmochina report claims that the upcoming device will most likely be the next generation Sports Bluetooth headset. The reason behind the speculation is that the original Xiaomi Sports Bluetooth headset recently received a price cut, which suggests that a new iteration of the audio product is about to hit the market. We’ll keep you updated with new information once Xiaomi unveils the new headset tomorrow in China.
Android P Could Support Contextual App Launch for Connected Devices
Earlier this month, Google released the Developer Preview of its next big Android update, dubbed Android P, starting with the Pixel smartphones. Android P is set to bring support for the iPhone X-like notch on Android devices, aside from some notable visual changes and functional improvements like improved battery optimization and enhanced security.
Now XDA Developers says the upcoming Android version could also bring support forcontextual app launch, which would automatically open an app when an external device is connected to a smartphone.
Evidence of the automatic app launch feature was uncovered from the teardown of Android P’s SystemUI APK files conducted by the folks over at XDA-Developers. Strings spotted in the files suggest that once an external device is connected to a smartphone, a pre-configured app will automatically open.
Image Courtesy: XDA-Developers
Even though the strings gives us a hint that a specific app will launch automatically once the smartphone is connected to another device, it does not specify the mode of connection i.e. via wireless media like Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC, etc. or wired devices such as headphones and USB-supported peripherals. However, the premise of automatically launching the music player when the headphone is plugged in and similar other automation tasks surely sounds promising.
Moreover, the limits to which an automation task can be configured in Android P is also not clear. Take for example the aforesaid case, if users have multiple music player apps on their smartphone, which application will open once a Bluetooth speaker or headset is connected? There is no clue right now whether it will be Google Play Music or any third-party app chosen by the user.
Whatever the case, the contextual app launch feature sure seems appealing from a productivity point of view, however, it might not provide the same level of automation controls as tools like IFTTT and Tasker, at least from what’s being seen in Android P so far.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Demand Reportedly Weaker Than Galaxy S8
The Samsung Galaxy S9 was one of the easiest ways to initiate small talk at MWC 2018, and shortly after its glamorous launch a day before the main conference, the smartphone duo was available for pre-order. Naturally, Samsung would expect a greater excitement for the new smartphones than the Galaxy S8 and S8+ series which launched last year – considering the similar price tag – but that is apparently not the case. Although Samsung expects the S9 series to shatter records set by Galaxy S8, Korean operators reportedly believe that the demand for the latest Samsung flagship might not beat its predecessor in numbers. While Samsung has not publically revealed the pre-order figures for the S9 and S9+ yet, the Samsung Galaxy S8 series clocked 500,000 pre-orders in just the first two days.
The reason behind the lack of public interest is not entirely clear but it could be because, in spite of numerous claims by Samsung, the S9 is more of an upgrade to the S8 series than a newly redone or an innovative device. Nonetheless, Samsung has said that its promotion centers throughout South Korea have witnessed 1.6 million visitors within a week of opening the pre-order window. It also expects the S9 to outdo the performance of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ flagships.
Since its launch, Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ have been in the news for having the best display, the highest-rated camera, as well as for being the best-connected device. Although Samsung opened up pre-orders for the devices in India at the same time it opened pre-orders in other countries including South Korea and the USA, the Galaxy S9 series was launched in India today.
While the Galaxy S9 costs ₹57,900 for the 4GB RAM/64GB ROM model, the 4GB RAM/256GB ROM variant of S9+ costs ₹65,900. The devices will be delivered to users as well as be available at offline stores in India starting March 16 and the company has entered into major tie-ups for several benefits and cashbacks
