Upgrading my smartphone has never been an easy task for me. Probably because I get so familiar with the way it operates. But there are times when you just have to bite-the-bullet and go for it. So, here's my recent experience upgrading my Android smartphone.

So, I had purchased my Droid 4 about three and a half years ago, and it worked just fine for the first couple of years. Then it started having battery run time issues and had to be charged every night.

I had thought about just getting a replacement battery, and that would fix the problem. But this was one of those devices that the manufacturer had glued the battery in-place.

Replacing the battery meant I would have to carefully pry out the old battery, ensuring not to puncture the battery casing. Have you ever seen what happens when you puncture a lithium-ion battery? It's right up there with the exploding battery issue.

So, when my Droid 4 could not hold a charge for more than a couple of hours, I knew it was time for a change. But when I tried to get the back cover off the Droid 4, I found that the battery had swollen to 150% its original size, it was time to get a new smartphone.

I took a look at what my carrier offered for smartphones. I had three (3) requirements; a removable/replaceable battery, a micro SD card slot, and it had to be inexpensive (damage from accidentally dropping it is a significant concern).

So, I ordered a new Samsung Galaxy J3 and prepared for the move. Even though the battery in my Droid 4 was malfunctioning, the device itself was still functioning correctly. As soon as I got the new Samsung J3, I started the process of upgrading my smartphone.

1. The first thing I did was back up everything I wanted to keep from both internal storage and the micro SD card. I had to turn on USB debugging to do this. Even though I am going to move the existing micro SD card to my new phone, I still want to back up the data (photos, music, etc.) I have on it.
   
   Since this will be the third phone I am using this micro SD card with, I may just reformat it to get rid of any junk I don't need.
2. I powered off my existing Droid 4 and removed the micro SD card. Since the battery had started to bulge out, getting the back cover on or off was extremely hard. But with a little finesse, I was able to do it.
3. I tried to connect the new phone to my existing phone carrier's network. What was supposed to be simple turned out to be a little more complicated, but not much. For a day, in my spare time, I tried powering off my old phone and then powering on the new phone. All I keep getting was an error about not being able to connect to a server and to please try again later. I was in no hurry, but I finally called the support number listed on the error screen. After confirming the order number, my new phone finally was able to make a connection and started to function correctly.

After setting up all of my different accounts (Gmail, email, etc.), all that was left was to install all of my apps using Google Play. This process took a little time to figure out, as I wanted to install the same apps on my new phone that were on my old phone, but there did not appear to be a clear way for me to do it. I did finally come across how to do it.

How to install apps from one Android device to another using Google Play

1. Bring up Google Play in a browser on your computer (sign-in if you are not already).
2. On the menu on the left side of the page, left-click on Apps.
3. On the Apps menu, click on My apps.
   
4. Pull-down the All Apps menu and select your old device.
5. Left-click on the app you want to install on your new device.
   
6. In the lower right corner of the app information, you will see a button that says Installed. Left-click on it and bring up the app installation dialog box.
   
7. On the app installation dialog box, you need to choose a device to install it on. When you pull down the device menu, you will see that there is only one device you can install it on. Left-click on your new device and then left-click on Install.

I know that change is good, but sometimes I just fear it. A case in point is my smartphone. I liked my original Droid; it was small enough to fit in my pocket and did everything I needed it to do. But it started to show its age, and newer Android apps wouldn't run on it, so I decided it was time to get a new phone. And the move was relatively easy.

The biggest problem I was facing was the installation of my apps. Some of them were installed before Google created the Android Market, now known as Google Play. I had sync 'd my old Droid with my Google account, so some of my apps were shown as installed inside of Google Play. And there was a couple that was not, and I would have to install them manually.

Both of my Droids appear in My Devices in Google Play

Since my Droid survived so long (over four years), I decided to go with a newer version, the Droid 4. The first thing I did was add the Droid 4 to my Google account and then go over to Google Play. It was now listed in my devices, and I could install apps on it. I went to Apps > My apps, and all of my apps showed up.

Apps show they are installed but not on what device

But when I selected one, it would show it as installed but didn't show what device it was installed on. When I clicked on the 'Installed' button, I was given a list of my devices to choose from. From there, it was pretty easy to get the apps I had on my Droid installed on my Droid 4.

When installing Google Play apps, you have a choice of which device

The next thing I had to do was get my photos, music, etc., off my Droid and on to my Droid 4. Everything was on the micro SD card in my Droid, and since the Droid 4 did not come with a micro SD card, I just powered off both devices and moved my existing 16 GB micro SD card from the Droid to the Droid 4. When I started up the Droid 4, all of my data was found. I simply connected my Droid 4 as a mass storage device to my computer via a USB cable and moved files in between the internal storage and the micro SD card.

List thing I did was manually install the apps that were not listed in Google Play. Once that was done, I had to do some configuration on the apps I had just installed. This took the most time of all. But when it was all done, my Droid 4 was ready to go and working great.

Like a lot of people, I use Microsoft Outlook as a PIM (Personal Information Manager). And being in the computer repair industry, I need to keep all of my data (contacts, calendar, etc.) synchronized and up to date on both my PC and smartphone. I found I can do all of this quite easily with CompanionLink.

CompanionLink 5 for Outlook setup screen

I wrote an article a while back about syncing Outlook with my Android phone using CompanionLink on my PC and DejaOffice on my Android. It works because you install CompanionLink on your PC or Mac and install DejaOffice on your Android, iPhone / iPad, Blackberry, etc. You then define what database (Outlook, ATC!, etc.) and what fields (contacts, calendar, etc.) you want to sync.

DejaOffice 2.2 main screen

Recently they released a new version of both CompanionLink (V5) and DejaOffice (V2.2) with more capabilities and features. They have multiple versions for different applications (I use CompanionLink for Outlook). Here's a quote from their website on the products they offer:

Our products work with Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, HP webOS, Palm OS, and Windows devices. We also sync with Google, Gmail, Google Apps, and Windows Live (Hotmail) accounts

CompanionLink for Outlook
Sync Microsoft Outlook with Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, or any Google/Gmail account. Supports two-way sync of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes.

CompanionLink for Palm Desktop
Sync Palm Desktop or Pimlical with smartphones, tablets, or any Google/Gmail account. Supports two-way sync of contacts, calendar, tasks and memos.

CompanionLink Express
Sync ACT!, Lotus Notes, HighRise, or GroupWise with smartphones, tablets, or any Google/Gmail account. Supports two-way sync of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes.

CompanionLink Professional
Sync Salesforce CRM, Goldmine, or any other supported database with smartphones, tablets, or any Google/Gmail account. Includes all the features of CompanionLink Express, plus the ability to sync to from multiple databases, sync with up to 5 devices, and advanced sync options.

CompanionLink for Google
Sync Microsoft Outlook contacts and calendar to Google Contacts, Google Calendar, and Google Tasks. Works with any Google, Gmail, or Google Apps account. Two-way sync is fully supported so you can make changes to data in Outlook or in Google.

CompanionLink for Outlook.com / Windows Live
Sync Outlook with your Windows Live Hotmail account. Supports two-way sync of contacts, calendar, and tasks.

CompanionLink for Time & Chaos
Sync Time & Chaos with smartphones, tablets, or any Google/Gmail account. Supports two-way sync of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes.

CompanionLink FA
Sync Wise Agent, Infusionsoft, SalesJunction, or Respond with smartphones, tablets, Outlook, or any Google/Gmail account. Supports two-way sync of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes.

CompanionLink for Mac
Sync Mac's Address Book and iCal with any Android device. You can also keep Outlook for Mac in sync with Android. Requires OS X Lion (10.7) or Mountain Lion (10.8).

For more information on CompanionLink and DejaOffice, follow the links below:

CompanionLink

CompanionLink FAQ's

Being in the computer repair business, I find myself going between my workstation, netbook, and smartphone quite often. I need to view/edit files on all of my devices and have the changes synchronize back. I am talking about any file, not just MP3's and JPG's. I can do just that and more for free with Google Drive.

View of Google Drive from inside of Windows Explorer

Google Drive, a cloud-based storage solution, is the latest addition to Google's catalog of products. With the Google Drive application installed on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, you can view/edit files on that device using the programs installed on it. The files then sync back to the Google Drive servers when they are closed. I found it great to synchronize files/folders between my workstation, netbook, and smartphone.

View of Google Drive inside of a web browser

Or you can use a web browser to view/edit files directly on the cloud with the web-based Google Docs (you get instant access when you sign up for Google Drive). Google Drive integrates into Gmail, so you can e-mail and share files with one click. You get 15 GB's of space for free, with more extensive plans (up to 16 TB) available. There are also business plans. Here's a quote from the Google Drive website:

Google Drive. Keep everything. Share anything.

Access everywhere.
Google Drive is everywhere you are on the web, in your home, at the office and on the go. So wherever you are, your stuff is just...there. Ready to go, ready to share. Get started with 15 GB free.

Google Drive is available for:

• PC and Mac
• iPhone and iPad (coming soon)
• Android devices

Store your files in a safe place.
Things happen. Your phone goes for a swim. Your laptop takes an infinite snooze. No matter what happens to your devices, your files are safely stored in Google Drive.

Go beyond storage. Collaborate.
Google Drive lets you do more than just store your files. Share files with exactly who you want and edit them together, from any device. Google Drive gives you instant access to Google Docs, a suite of editing tools that makes working together better, even when your teammates are miles away.

Work better with the products you use everyday.

Gmail
Say goodbye to bulky email attachments. Send a link from Google Drive in Gmail and everyone has the same file, same version—automatically.

For more information about Google Drive, follow the links below:

Google Drive

Google Drive Features

If you haven't heard about Google Voice, let me be the first to tell you about it. Google Voice is a telephony service that can be used on any cellular phone and any carrier. Just a Gmail account is required.

The Google Voice web-based interface

Google Voice was designed to complement your existing cellular phone carrier. Recently, Google has added Phone Number Porting, which allows you to use Google as your primary carrier. The set of features are vibrant, with all of the usual stuff (personal greetings, voicemail, etc.). And when used inside a web browser, you can make calls from your computer (headphones/speakers and microphone required).

Use Google Voice to make calls from your computer

For me, the two best features of Google Voice are the free calls within the U.S. and Canada and cheap international calls. Some of my family is in New England and France. Here's a complete list of features:

• Voicemail transcription to e-mail
• One phone number that can be ported to multiple phone numbers
• Personalized voice mail greetings
• Cheap international calls
• Block/screen callers
• Conference calling
• Mobile app (Android, iPhone, and Blackberry)
• SMS to e-mail

Here's a quote from the Google Voice website:

Teach your phone new tricks

Google Voice enhances the existing capabilities of your phone, regardless of which phone or carrier you have - for free. It also gives you:

One Number
Use a single number that rings you anywhere.

Online voicemail
Get transcribed messages delivered to your inbox.

Cheap calls
Free calls & text messages to the U.S. & Canada.
Super low rates everywhere else.

For more information on Google Voice, follow the link below:

Google Voice