Droid Life Q&A Session: Volume 2 Answers

It’s time for the second installment of our Q&A sessions. On Monday, we asked everyone to submit their second round of questioning for our staff, resulting in tons of fantastic questions from all of you. We have gone through them and have chosen ten that we have answered below.

For reference, you’ll see answers from everyone on the team by their first initial K (Kellen), T (Tim), E (Eric), and R (Ron). We had a ton of fun not only reading through the questions, but answering as well and are looking forward to doing this more often. We hope you enjoy. 

When you’re asked by an iPhone user why he or she should switch to Android, what do you tell them?

K:  At this point, iOS and Android are pretty similar as far as app selection and performance goes, so it really is tough to sell someone on switching. Thankfully I have this big beautiful One X in my pocket that can be pulled out at any time. I don’t want to sound too fanboyish, but the One X sitting next to an iPhone just makes the iPhone look so outdated and tiny. The best selling point for Android is this newest crop of top tier phones.

E:  Customization. There is so much you can do as far as changing your phone to how you want it to look and perform with Android than with iOS. I would list off a bunch of features like changing the keyboard, placing widgets and things like that.

What are your predictions for big Android announcements at Google I/O? Or maybe better yet, what’s on your wishlist for announcements?

R:  Nexus tablet. Maybe an announcement about multiple Nexus phones. Google TV update. Jellybean preview. Android@Home with Motorola hardware.

K:  The big thing has got to be the Nexus tablet from Asus and NVIDIA. After that, I’m hoping we see more on Majel (Google’s new voice software), so that we can stop dealing with all of the crappy Siri kangs in the Play store. I want to see what Google can do with real voice recognition stuff. Hopefully we hear about the multi-Nexus phone plan as well.

Why do you think Android handset manufacturers seem to release a slew of “almost there” handsets? It seems like every device being released is “It would be an amazing device, but…” and pick your feature.

K:  I think this trend is on the verge of dying. At this point, manufacturers realize that they can’t win by pumping out 15 devices each year that all lack something. In 2012, we have seen less devices, but at the same time, they all seem to be pretty complete. One X and Galaxy S3 are total package type devices. By the end of the year, it’ll be tougher than ever to decide which phone because all high-end devices will have it all.

T:  You know, that is a great question. I tend to lean towards the, “There is always something better” outlook when it comes to technology. As far as smartphones, I think it’s just a matter of having something to suit everyone’s different needs. Options. Like K said, I think it will come to an end and every device will look super on paper.

R:  Carriers order the devices. If they want to emphasize one OEM (or OS for that matter) over another they’ll do so with their orders. There is a reason there is still only one Windows Phone on Verizon. OEMs can’t put their devices on CDMA networks without approval and without carrier support in stores and online a device won’t sell well, so OEMs are at the mercy of the carriers.

What features from iOS would you like incorporated into Android.

R:  I really like how iOS puts notifications right on the lock screen. Showing directions on the lock screen is a really nice feature of iOS 6. iOS scrolling physics are still a little better than Android’s and I wouldn’t mind iMessage (or have GTalk integrated into texts).

T:  I don’t really need any features, but I wouldn’t mind a handful of their developers and applications. They tend to have the best games and apps before Android does.

If you could change a few things about Android what would they be?

R:  All OEM enhancements have to be contributed to AOSP. A better tablet UI.

E:  I wish it was a little more intuitive. We, readers of the website, take it for granted but we’ve all gone through the learning curve. It’s not much but Android isn’t the easiest to pick up and understand. If Google took steps in that direction it’d be a truly awesome platform (not that it isn’t already).

Who’s going to win the Thunder vs. Heat series?

E:  I pick the Heat to win in 7 games – They have more experience and I think that this is the year LeBron starts playing like the 3-time MVP that he is during the playoffs. It’s going to be a great series.

T:  Boston is definitely going to win it all – Wait, they didn’t make it to the Finals because of blown calls by refs? Screw this.

K:  I’m going Heat. LeBron seems like he’s heard enough from the media and his haters that he will do everything in his power to shut them up.

Google Wallet and Google TV: Still have some hope or going the way of Google Wave (extinct)?

R:  Google Wallet might survive, but mobile payments in general haven’t been very successful. It looks like iOS is moving in that direction with Passbook, which might help push mobile payments into the mainstream. I have little hope for Google TV as a portal for TV. I think those content deals are still far away, but I’d love to be surprised.

K:  Google seems fully invested in Google TV, but Wallet, I’m not so sure. The fact that Google is letting Verizon and other carriers dictate whether or not users can have Wallet is beyond me. Can you imagine if Verizon told Apple that the iPhone couldn’t have iMessage?

If you couldn’t pick an Android device, what would you pick? iPhone, Blackberry, Windows phone, or a feature phone and why?

E:  WP7 looks really tempting even though I know it doesn’t have all the functionality of Android. If I had to choose one, it would be Windows.

K:  I picked up a Lumia 900 for a weekend and really grew to like Windows Phone as an operating system. The Lumia itself is a horrible device, but if you pair WP7.5 with the build of something like the One X, it would be beyond beautiful. The app selection is definitely not there yet, but it’s coming along.

T:  I would lean iPhone, but I don’t want to be stuck staring at a puny 3.5″ display until they decide to make a phone built for grown ups.

What was the very first Android device you owned and how long of a time period went by before you rooted it?

E:  The OG DROID. I had it for probably 4 months or so before stumbling upon DL and learning how to get my hands dirty with rooting.

R:  The DROID Eris (which was a bummer since it was rarely covered on Droid Life despite being launched a month after the OG). I never rooted it. Once I replaced it with the OG I got into rooting and ROM’s.

K:  Was the original DROID. I don’t remember the first time I rooted it, but after looking back through archives, I can see that our first tutorial for rooting it was with Android 2.0.1 in February of 2010, just before the 2.1 update because we were scared we wouldn’t have root. Crazy how long ago that was.

T:  My first was the OG DROID. I had mine for about one month before I came across DL and learned the benefits that rooting offered.

What music are you all listening most to right now?

E:  I just bought an album by the dubstep/drumstep artist Figure that I can’t get enough of and I also got the Mumford & Sons album that is really, really good.

T:  Hardest question yet – There’s new Gojira (zOMG, yes!), Waka’s new Triple F Life, and tons more. I’m constantly changing it up between my roots in metal and this new wave of faux-gangsta’ rap music. Who doesn’t like driving down the street while brandishing a nine-milli every now and then?

K:  A whole mix of stuff, but mostly hip hop these days. Newest singles from Kanye (Mercy and Way Too Cold), Kirko Bangz, couple of new Usher tracks (Lemme See w/ Rick Ross), and even some of the new Waka Flaka album. Nothing too out there that you probably haven’t heard of.

R:  I listen to “Call Me Maybe” at least once a day. Outside of that silliness, a lot of Young the Giant, The Format, Regina Spektor, Cold War Kids, Florence + The Machine, and Brooke Fraser.