iOS 7: how does it stack up against Android?

Derived from Apple’s OS X, iOS kicked off the touch revolution six years ago. But while competitors like HTC, Samsung, LG, Google, Microsoft, and BlackBerry have constantly shown off newer and better looking versions of their own operating systems, Apple has largely refrained from tinkering with its success. Until now, that is. Due to mounting pressure from Android phones, Apple has redesigned iOS and added a host of new features. With iOS 7, Apple is trying to pull even with and one-up Android at every turn. So how does iOS 7 look when it is put side-by-side to Android? Below, we compare the lock screen, notification bar, and many other features to show you just how much iOS 7 does and doesn’t look like Google’s Android.

Lock Screen

Without diving in to the patent war between Samsung and Apple, the lock screen that Apple went through the trouble to defend in court was eliminated. This change is probably the best indication of what it has done to the entirety of iOS 7. Apple’s OS greets you with a new, clear, simple look that may or may not be a direct homage to Android’s own lock screen. All you’ll see is text telling you the time, date, and the directions to slide to unlock your device. In contrast, Android has a similar looking screen, but allows users to customize the information they get with widgets. Though widgets were rumored to make their way into iOS 7, they are still absent. So if you count on information presented in a translucent box  to fill your lock screen, chalk this up as a win for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Notifications

While we’re talking about the lock screen, it’s worth noting that iOS 7 offers the ability to view the notification bar without unlocking your device. This is a feature that has been present in Android for a few versions now. Previously, iOS users could view recent notifications, but not the whole list. There are differences in the design of iOS’s notifications, though. The Notification Center in iOS presents all information in a tabbed menu, allowing users to browse their notifications under Today, All, or Missed. Android simply presents these in a listed fashion in the order they are received and can then be dealt with as needed. The preference here will come down to how you like your notifications organized, how many yo get on a daily basis, and how you prefer to handle them. If you like to take care of things immediately, Android’s system is probably best for you as you can take action or dismiss them with some easy swipes. Apple’s redone notification system, on the other hand, will be nice for those who compartmentalize and don’t immediately act on notifications.

Navigation

Apple is probably best known for it’s single button approach to things, a design commitment that has long confused Windows fans when they use an Apple mouse with only one button on it.The iPhone and iPad only have one single button for navigation and the rest is done on screen. To streamline the process, Apple apps now feature slide-out “drawers” to enhance in-app navigation. These drawers have been

How To Find & Install a Custom ROM For Your Android Device

One of the great things about Android is that the operating system isn’t stuck on just one device – you can find it on all sorts of gadgets from multiple manufacturers. Another beautiful feature about Android is that it is extremely customizable, and (usually) so is the hardware. This means that if you’d rather run a custom ROM on your device, thechances of being able to do that is pretty good.

However, since not every device can be hacked into to make such changes – as the manufacturers can still choose to be restrictive if they feel it’s necessary – you’ll need to have a strategy to look for custom ROMs for your device. Also, if you do find a custom ROM you’d like to try out, you’ll need to know what you must do on your device in order to install the ROM.

What’s A Custom ROM & Why Use One?

A custom ROM is simply a version of Android which third-party developers create for your device. They are meant to replace what is known as the stock ROM, or the version of Android that the manufacturer provided on your device. There are many reasons why you may want to try a custom ROM on your device. In most cases, they take away all the bloatware that is usually impossible to remove, they can potentially increase performance and/or improvebattery life, and they may bump you up to a newer version of Android that the manufacturer may not offer.

There are potential downsides to running custom ROMs, however, which include invalidated warranties, lack of hardware support for things such as your camera, and potential battery drain. However, if you stick to a custom ROM which comes from a more reputable source, then these downsides except for the invalidated warranties shouldn’t appear.

Where To Find One For Your Device

There’s a handful of different places you can look at to see if there’s a custom ROM for your device, but I highly recommend that the first place you should check out is CyanogenMod. These guys are among the leaders of custom Android ROMs and therefore one of the most reputable. They offer support for a huge variety of phones, so a high percentage of you should be able to find a custom ROM from them.

Their ROMs usually improve performance and battery life, upgrade your device to a newer version of Android than what the manufacturer supports, and includes some other extras such as enthusiast-level performance settings. If your device is quite popular, then CyanogenMod is most likely to offer custom ROMs for it.

However, if your device is pretty unknown or CyanogenMod simply happens to not have a custom ROM for it, then your next best place to look is the XDA Developers Forum. This community is packed with Android hackers who work on every project under the sun. The site is also quite large simply because they have sub-forums for just about every Android device ever released, and many people post their own custom ROMs into these sub-forums.

Be cautious, however, as anyone can post their custom ROMs onto the forums, and as such, offer no guarantees of success or community support. It’s best to read through the threads entirely before making a decision.

For some rough, general guidelines, make sure that:

• The developer has claimed it to be stable and not beta, alpha, etc.
• The developer claims complete hardware support.
• Multiple people have posted in the thread claiming success with the custom ROM.
• The amount of concerns that arise in the thread are at a minimum; any concerns that do appear should not seem critical to the ROM’s functionality or safety.

Of course, try to use common sense while determining whether you should try a custom ROM that you find. This is important because any major hiccups in the flashing process (everything explained below) can cause your device to become bricked, leaving it as functional as a paperweight.

Installing Your Custom ROM