Abstract: The latest Android mobile phone under Google’s flagship phone line, the Nexus family, currently has a diagonal screen size of 4.65 inches (118.1mm). This follows a trend that Google started with the HTC Dream / T-Mobile G1 — their first Android flagship phone. Released in 2008, it had a diagonal screen size of only 3.2 inches (81.3mm). Since then, screen sizes in Google’s Nexus line have grown at an average rate of 0.48 inches (12.2mm) per year.

I. Introduction
In 2008, HTC released the first Android phone, the HTC Dream on T-Mobile[1]. Known as the G1, this phone kicked off the Android revolution. At the time, it featured a screen size of only 3.2 inches (81.3mm) — which is rather paltry by today’s standards. Since then, subsequent releases of Android phones by Google and its partners have featured larger and larger screen sizes, culminating with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus[2], announced earlier this week in Hong Kong.

II. Methods
For this experiment, we only used specifications data provided by Google and its partners to determine the screen size. We listed each of Google’s flagship phone ordered by release date. Then we divided the total change is screen size by the total number of years.

From there, we’re able to extrapolate the potential screen size of future Android phones.

III. Results
Here is data from all of Google’s stock Android phones.

• T-Mobile G1 (2008) – 3.2 inch
• Nexus One[3] (2010) – 3.7 inch
• Nexus S[4] (2010) – 4.0 inch
• Galaxy Nexus (2011) – 4.65 inch

We see that over the course of 3 years, Google’s phones have gained a total of 1.45 inches (36.8mm). This factors out to an average growth rate of 0.48 inches (12.2mm) per year. With this result, we can now predict the screen size of Android devices over time.

• 2012 – 5.13 inches (130mm)
• 2013 – 5.61 inches (142.5mm)
• 2014 – 6.09 inches (154.7mm)
• 2015 – 6.57 inches (166.9mm)
• 2020 – 8.97 inches (227.8mm)

IV. Conclusion
Over the last few years, it’s clear to see that the market has spoken with regard to its preferences over the size of mobile devices. Google has recognized consumer’s preference for larger devices and has moved toward a “bigger-is-better” strategy for mobile phones. At the current rate of growth for Android phones, by 2022, they will eclipse the 9.7 inch screen (246.4mm) size of Apple’s tablet, the iPad[5].

V. Footnotes

HTC Dream / T-Mobile G1
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Nexus One
Samsung Nexus S
Apple iPad

Seeing this post on Gizmodo earlier today made realize something. Android phones are getting bigger and bigger. So, I decided to write this tongue in cheek “research paper” to highlight the increasing “screen bloat” of Android devices. Bring on the 9.7 inch phones, baby! 2022 can’t come soon enough.

At the end of this month, I’ll be down in Los Angeles for our gdgt live event. It’s our first time coming to Southern California. If you like gadgets and want a chance to play with some of the latest and greatest devices out there (and also win them), you should come out!

It’s free, all-ages, and open to the public.

When: Friday, October 28th, 2011 from 7:30pm – 10pm
Where: Club Nokia, 800 West Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles
Who: Over 20 of the hottest brands in tech. See who will be there!
How: This event is free, all-ages, and open to the public. Invite your friends! RSVP here.

[more info gdgt blog]

Alright, I meant to post this awhile ago — here are my impressions of the Fuji FinePix X100 after using it for a week.

Pros

• The viewfinder displays all sorts of awesome live data.
  Holy awesome, I don’t know why more camera manufacturers haven’t done this yet, but the X100′s viewfinder has a live histogram. For me, it’s totally key when trying to nail a photo. I absolutely love using histograms to try and get proper exposure. Plus, there’s all the usual information (aperture, exposure, ISO, grid view).
  
  Another cool aspect of the viewfinder is that it shows a rectangle that shows the actual field of view of the image that will be captured. This means you can see outside this area and use it for anticipation, planning, or lining up your shot. I love it.
• The lens is fast! It’s a fixed 35mm lens with an f/2.0 maximum aperture. The bokeh at f/2.0 is nice. It’s super sharp when stopped down to around f/4.
  
  
• Hybrid viewfinder: So, this camera does something kind of interesting. It has a regular old optical viewfinder, but it also comes with an electronic viewfinder as well that can be manually engaged (or automatically engaged when in macro mode) that shows what your camera sees directly from the viewfinder. Sadly, there are cons to this (see down below!).
  
  
• Design: The design is awesome. I love that retro style, and the camera is comparable in size to most micro 4/3′s cameras. Except it has an APS-C sensor inside!
  
  
• The camera sensor: It’s an APS-C sensor — this is the same type of sensor you’d find in most DSLRs. Micro 4/3′s cameras (which are all the rage right now, and roughly the same size at the X100) have a slightly smaller sensor.

Cons

• I wear glasses now, so when I put the viewfinder up to my face, I can’t actually see all the information displayed in the viewfinder. I can see the field of view of the image, but that’s about it.
  
  
• Focus = slow: Oh, man. I lost a number of shots while waiting for the lens to lock focus. It’s actually pretty slow! And this is a problem that I notice happens a lot in low light environments (which the camera should actually be really good at shooting in!).
  
  
• Hybrid viewfinder: This camera does something particularly annoying every single time you take a photo using the optical viewfinder. After you take an image, the electronic viewfinder pops up and shows you the most recent image you took. There’s no way to turn this off. Are you in the middle of trying to capture a series of action shots? Too bad! “Snap — view photos for 1 – 2 seconds — snap! — view next photo for 1 – 2 seconds — snap! — oh, my God, just let me take photos and look at things later!”
  
  The other issue I have with this (and all electronic viewfinders in general) is the general poor quality and low resolution of the image you see.
  
  
• Slow to try and setup for a shot: This might be my limited amount of time with the camera and inability to truly get used to it, but I found it a pain to try and setup the camera properly for shots as I walked around Austin and San Francisco with it. Changing lighting conditions (which normally don’t phase me, even on my DSLR), wrecked havoc on my ability to take photos. There’s not really an automatic mode (for better or for worse) — this camera is for really seasoned professionals who know their stuff (do you know your Sunny 16 rules? If so, you can probably be comfortable using this camera).

Last night, we ventured across the bay to check out a play by Mike Daisey at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. It was a 120 minute one-man extemporaneous show about the history of Apple and a look at the people who build the gadgets that we love.

Judging by the title (and with recent events relating to Job’s recent health), you might think this is a show taking a deeper look into the life and times of Mr. Jobs. This would turn out to be an incorrect assumption. Daisey’s performance is an insightful, an often hilarious tale of the two Apples under Steve Jobs and John Scully. “Steve is not a micro-manager — he’s a fucking nano-manager!” Daisey switches between this and taking a serious look into what goes on behind the scenes at “all factories” in Shenzhen, China.

Daisey is the perfect epitome of an Apple fanboy, calling himself a devout follower of the Apple religion and perfectly describes what it’s like to own an Apple product. For those of us who are equally under the influence, it makes him easy to relate to. (That said, I don’t think you need to be a fan of Apple to enjoy this show.)

This sets up his story for a perfect transition from faithful believer, to wavering skeptic. “One day,” says Daisy, “I began to do something that all religions fear — I began to think.” Daisey goes on to explain that it all started because of a post he read on an Apple news site (Daisey says, “Have you ever noticed there’s no such thing as an Apple news site? The only thing they talk about are rumors.”). The post was about an owner of a new iPhone finding a series of pictures from the factory in the camera roll of their phone. A few of the images even showed factory workers in their cleanroom jumpsuits. This changed everything for Daisey. Until that point, he had never thought about the actual people who made his gadgets.

Side note: I think this may be the post that Daisey speaks of.

Daisey ends up traveling to Shenzhen, China and poses as an American businessman. He shares some of the things he saw; from factories with tens of thousands of people working on assembly lines in complete silence, to young teenagers who spoke to him about their work days (12, 14, or 16 hours).

Throughout the entire performance, Daisey is switching between the seriousness of what he saw in Shenzhen and his light hearted story of Apple’s history. In the mid-1990′s, Daisey explains, “Apple needed Jesus Fucking Christ to save them. So, they got the next best thing and brought Jobs back.”

If you’re a fan of gadgets and technology, I think you’d get a kick out of this show. It’s an interesting look into Apple and makes you consider the consequences of using the gadgets we love. Daisey explains that while it’s shameful nearly all companies turn a blind eye to this sort of behavior, the onus is on us as consumers to let these companies know we won’t stand for it.

Fortunately, Daisey’s humor and stories make the show quite entertaining, and you never really feel like you’re being lectured at. That said, I definitely felt bad about using my gadgets afterward (I arrived at the show carrying my bag containing a MBP, iPad, and iPhone — all of which were made in Shenzhen). You leave the theater with a heavy heart.

“The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” is performing at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre until February 27th, 2011. Ticket prices range anywhere from $45 – $75 dollars.

Show info: www.berkeleyrep.org­/index.asp

This week, we rolled out a new feature at gdgt that allows users to embed their gadget lists onto their own personal website or blog. It’s a pretty awesome way to show off what gadgets you have or want, and even foster new discussion about the technology you’re passionate in.

We previously had a flash widget (ugh) that was designed by a third party — fortunately or unfortunately, they’re going out of business and shutting their service down. So, the team took it upon themselves and designed our own widget in house. It uses javascript, is completely cross platform, and looks dead sexy!

Check it out!

gdgt is visiting Chicago next week! It’ll be my first visit to the Windy City, so I’m pretty excited.

If you’re in the area, come check us out at Gallery 223 (223 West Huron) on May 12th at 7pm. We’ll have a ton of cool gadgets on display, drinks, music, and even the potential to win some rad gear. More info is available here.

Tomorrow is a big day! It’s Apple’s latest keynote / Stevenote and rumor has it that they’ll finally be debuting their revolutionary new tablet. Either that, or a new paint ball gun.

We haven’t seen this much hype prior to an Apple keynote since Macworld 2007, when Apple announced the iPhone. It’ll be exciting to see what Steve unveils.

We’ll be there, covering it live at gdgt. Tune into our live blog at 10AM Pacific for live commentary and photos from the event as it happens.

It’ll be exciting no matter what happens. Personally, I want some new software. Multitasking on the iPhone. Please?

The Canon PowerShot S90 is by far the most versatile and impressive point and shoot digital camera that I’ve ever used. From manual controls, to impressive image and build quality, this consumer camera has all the bases covered. It’s not without a few minor issues, but it definitely offers many features that are not yet standard on similarly priced point and shoot cameras.

What do you get when you open up the box for the S90? A pocket-size camera with built-in image stabilization, macro mode, ability to shoot VGA video, a 3.8x zoom lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.0, the ability to shoot images in RAW format, support for SDHC cards, maximum ISO of 3200 (and ISO 12800 in a special mode), and a large 3-inch screen.

You can also read this entire review on gdgt.

Background

I’ve been on a quest for a new point and shoot camera for awhile now. Something that has good image quality, but didn’t take up too much room in my bag. I needed something new that would compliment my DSLR (a Nikon D300) and the variety of lenses that I normally carry around.

For a time, I considered one of the Micro 4/3rd’s cameras, thinking that was the best compromise of camera size and image quality. Plus, it weighed a lot less than my DSLR! But investing in a new suite of lenses didn’t excite me, nor did the size. Also, a Micro 4/3rd’s camera isn’t very pocketable. Lastly, I’m not too thrilled with the 2.0x crop factor that is so prevalent on these camera bodies.

Fast forward to this past summer. Somehow, the Gods of technology were listening to my needs. In August, Canon announced their newest camera in the PowerShot family, the Canon PowerShot S90. It was about as big as their previous point and shoot offerings, offering 10 megapixels, with an expanded range of ISO speeds (up to ISO 3200, and a special mode that goes up to ISO 12800!), built-in image stabilization, and a 3-inch screen.

Many of those features are pretty standard on other manufacturer’s point and shoots. Where the Canon S90 excels are the additional features this camera has. An f/2.0 zoom lens, full manual controls, and the ability to shoot images in RAW format. On a point and shoot. Are you kidding me?

The moment this was announced, I was all over it. It was instantly added to my gdgt want list!

The camera

Since I’ve received the camera, I’ve been as happy as can be. It features a full compliment of modes that you can find on any DSLR (manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, automatic, various scene selections). The manual controls are extraordinarily simple to use and the feedback on the camera’s LCD screen as you change settings and modes is very responsive. This camera does lack a viewfinder, which might be a turnoff to some people interested in this camera. I’ve noticed this to be an issue on a few occasions, particular when the sun is behind my back. In this scenario, it’s very hard to see what I’m shooting on the LCD screen.

This brings up one of the unique features about this camera: the control ring. On the front of the camera, around the lens itself, is a ring that you can move in either direction. Depending on the mode you’re in, this allows you to control various features of the camera (zoom, aperture, shutter speed) and you’re able to customize the settings to your liking. It’s not at all gimmicky and you actually feel pretty in touch with your camera as you manipulate the settings for the perfect shot. It’s a refreshing feeling to be able to change some of these basic shooting options on a point and shoot without having to navigate through endless menus.

There is a secondary wheel on the back of the camera, near the LCD screen that works similar to the wheel on the back of a Canon DSLR. This can also be customized and used to manipulate your shot. For example, in manual mode, the control ring can control aperture, while the rear wheel can control shutter speed. In aperture priority mode, the control ring can control aperture, while the rear wheel can control exposure compensation.

My only complaint about this particular system is that the rear wheel is much too easy to move. If I’m simply trying to engage the flash, or bring up a menu (these buttons are located in the middle of the wheel), I’ve found myself accidentally changing some aspect of my shot on numerous occasions. It’s kind of annoying!

Another ergonomics issue that was an initial problem was the placement of the shoot button. On most digital cameras, the shoot button is either on the mode selection switch or very near it. The placement of the shoot button on the S90 is slightly peculiar. It’s about an inch or so in from the edge of the camera. You immediately notice it when you pick the camera up and try to take your first shot and there isn’t a button where you subconsciously placed your finger. I’m not sure what the design decision behind this was, but it’s definitely something that comes up whenever I have someone the camera to play with. Once you spend some time with the camera, this is an issue that you quickly forget as muscle memory takes over.

The camera has both autofocus and manual focus modes. For the most part, autofocus properly locks onto the objects you’re trying to shoot. It also includes a face detection mode, which is handy for getting those portraits of your friends and family. There is an option to manual focus an image, but it is rather tedious. When you select manual focus, a zoomed in image pops up on screen, and you move the back wheel to properly focus an image. Personally, I find that it’s kind of awkward to hold the camera and try to manually focus on a subject. Fortunately, it’s not often that I’ve needed to resort to manual focus modes.

Some people have had an issue with the S90′s fairly meager battery life. It’s rated at only 220 shots. In my month or so of using the camera, I haven’t yet had a situation where I’ve run out of battery life, but I’m also pretty deliberate in how I shoot. It’s definitely possible that someone using this camera to capture an endless number of photos for their Facebook album might quickly run into this issue over the course of an evening, but I don’t think that’s who this camera is necessarily intended for.

Lastly, the size of the camera can be slightly unsettling to some. I think it’s the perfect compromise between size and image quality, and it just barely fits in my pocket. It’s not as thin as some cameras in the PowerShot family, and it’s very apparent when one holds them next to each other. Compared to the Canon G11 though, the camera offers many of the same features and capabilities, but in a much easier-to-handle size.

Image quality

As far as images go, I’ve been quite happy with the images this camera produces. It’s dynamic range and noise characteristics are much better than any previous point and shoot that I’ve owned. Even shooting in automatic mode and pointing the camera at a blue sky, I rarely see noise in my images. Most point and shoot cameras seem to exhibit a lot of noise in their photos, regardless of the lighting conditions.

Images up to ISO 1600 are fairly useable, though the noise definitely increases a noticeable amount. While the camera also supports ISO 3200 at 10 megapixels, it’s not necessarily the cleanest image. The camera also contains a special lowlight mode, which can shoot up to ISO 12800. However, the images resolution is stepped down to 2.5 megapixels (presumably, to try and mask the awful noise present).

The other issue I have with lowlight mode is that it is a fully automatic setting. This means that the camera takes over and determines the ideal ISO and shutter speed for a given shot. This is unfortunate, because I’d really like to try my hand at composing images up to ISO 12800, regardless of image quality.

The lens

This camera features a 28mm – 105mm, f/2.0 – 4/f.9 zoom lens with built in image stabilization. The lens in the S90 is very fast for a consumer point and shoot camera. At the wide end, this lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.0! Combined with image stabilization and higher ISO’s, I’ve been able to score some pretty nice lowlight and night time shots with this camera.

At f/2.0, the lens produces some decent bokeh, nicely blurring out background details. You’re really only able to see using the camera’s macro mode and getting up close to an object to shoot it. The results are quite satisfying though.

With a 28mm focal length at the wide end, this lens seems to be on par with most other point and shoot cameras. It’s not truly wide angle, but it’s “wide enough” for most cases. At the wide end, the camera does exhibit barrel distortion, which can be particularly annoying when trying to take pictures of square or rectangular geometries (such as buildings, windows, or brick walls). The long end of the lens tops out at 105mm with a rather average maximum aperture of 4.9.3

Special modes

Like many other point and shoots, this camera offers a number of special shooting modes, such as portrait, landscape, nighttime, underwater (!), and a special lowlight mode. I don’t often shoot in these modes, instead preferring to manually control how I take photos.

Video

One thing that I was disappointed to learn about this camera was its video recording capabilities. The Canon S90 records video at a mediocre resolution of 640 x 480. As expensive as this camera is, I think it’s quite disappointing that it only records video at VGA resolution. I know there are limits to sensor sizes and video recording quality, but when I see other point and shoots (with less versatile sensors) and Flip / Kodak video cameras recording HD video, I really wonder why Canon left this out.

Conclusion

Overall, my gripes with this camera are pretty minor, and are pretty easy to overlook when weighed against the awesome feature set of this camera. As someone looking for a secondary device to compliment my DSLR, this camera fits all my needs and is something I’ve been heartily recommending to people. The MSRP of $429 is a little steep, and unless you’re desperately in need of a new camera, it might be wise to wait until the price drops a bit.

However, if you’re a photography buff looking for a portable and powerful camera to either complement or add to your collection, I think this price is easily to justify. It is without a doubt, the best point and shoot currently on the market.

Now that the holiday shopping season is underway, I was recently reminded of an experience I had while working in Apple’s retail division during the holidays a number of years ago.

A customer came in and wanted demanded an iPod nano in a specific color and capacity that we didn’t offer. I told him that this product didn’t exist, and helpfully pointed him to the area where our iPods were on display.

He became rather irritated, and then yelled at me.

“You guys are nothing but a bunch of fucktards!”¹

And he stormed out.

Happy holidays to you, sir!

Addendum: The guy was in his early fourties.

–

¹ According to the Urban Dictionary, a fucktard is a contraction of “fucking retard.”