iPhone 4S vs. Galaxy Nexus - A (mostly) Unbiased Review

[BoxerGT2.5]

Apple does need to make it much easier to share photos and plug attachments in emails.

 

[miggitymac]

As was touted when Nexus One came out, and gingerbread came out. Yet, look what happened? Battery life still suck. You see, the whole point is not about gingerbread, or even ICS. I'm sure ICS will be an improvement in android OS, and further integration of tablet and phone OS into one flavour. But the problem lies in android itself, and its partnership with manufacturers. First of all, Google couldn't negotiate with manufacturers to come out with phones that don't ship with manufacturers' bloatwares. These bloatwares will suck up battery life in no time. Trust me, I know. I own the Nexus One, and SGS2. Secondly, as more manufacturers try to outcompete one another in market shares, instead of touting better ecosystem and system integration, they do the shortcuts which is to offer the best technology the current time offers, which as the current trend shows, is bigger AMOLED screens. They upgraded the rams to 1gb, they have huge screens that take too much battery life to power up, and people start saying "yeah that's good". Sure it does look good initially. But is it as good as it looks?

Current battery technology just couldn't support huge AMOLED screens for adequate daily usage, no matter how well the OS is written. Being android, and the inherent often touted feature of true multi-tasking coupled with sleek, thin phones means battery life will be the compromising factor. Manufacturers have no idea how by emphasizing hardwares will inherently impede user experience. You can't blame them because all of us are so engrossed with having the next best powerful gadget, hardware-wise. Understand this, behind all the fancy hardware specs there is always a catch somewhere, as are all things in life. It's either the softwares supporting them that's not up to par, or battery life is lacking. If you have used an android phone, you will know this. ICS is still fundamentally android. It is not stripped to the core and rewritten. Therefore I don't care how anyone might phrase it, but being Google and knowing its approach in the phone business, I know one thing for sure:- battery life will be compromised unless technology is improved and/or android can be streamlined to work with different hardwares in tantrum. Therefore I don't think ICS will matter in the grander scheme of Android. Android is akin to microsoft. Not matter how big it is, it just lack tastes.

ICS does not matter. When all the excitement settles, comes a few months and reread this thread again, and see how much of what we wrote make sense. I'm not going into an argument about which is better, because I already know the answer. If you haven't try an android phone, go grab one like gblax did. Try ICS for yourself, and pardon me for not willing to go into an argument, which is mainly due to my inability to coherently put my thoughts into words. If I can summon all my mortal intellect to sum up my thoughts about android, it would be:- the user experience is just... lacking in android. That's all I have to say.

PS: Perhaps someone should ask "Josh at the Verge" to include his impression about galaxy nexus' battery performance after he has used it for a few days. As of his writing, he did not really played with the phone more than a few hours before he wrote the article.

Yea, the battery life on the iPhone 4S was a complete success.

As for the user experience lacking in Android, I couldn't find any reviews that said the experience on Gingerbread was equal to or better than the experience on iOS. With ICS, there are reviewers saying exactly that.

While I understand that Android isn't for everyone (in general, it's not for complete tech noobs as it requires a bit more technical savvy than iOS does), I wouldn't be so quick to throw ICS into the same lot as the previous incarnations of Android....by most accounts, it's a much improved version. And given that Android was already dominating marketshare, a much improved Android means that ICS does matter...whether you like it or not.

 

[onthecouchagain]

I think even amongst iOS users, there are those ready for change. This doesn't necessarily mean jumping to ICS, but there is a vibe that people are expecting Apple to really bring drastic changes and new features to iOS 6. If Apple stays consistent with their mantra of "slow incremental upgrades" what will happen to those who were expecting/hoping for more.

I think ICS absolutely matters.

 

[iSayuSay]

If you know anything about car engines, then of course that doesnt mean it is better. Bad comparison really.

The size of the screen isnt a big a deal as the size of the overall phone. I like the 4.65" screen. I dont want the overall size to be too big and Android is very near that. Id have to hold it for myself because my Vibrant isnt too big so id have to see just how much bigger it is than that.

Well yeah maybe not totally good comparison, but so does 1.5GHz CPU on Nexus doesn't mean it's twice better than 800MHz CPU on iPhone 4s. At some aspects it even still worse than iPhone 4s.

Also we know iPhone 4s battery life is kinda downer, so embarrassing it even called battery gate, but apparently Nexus do it even worse.

 

[Gathomblipoob]

Also we know iPhone 4s battery life is kinda downer, so embarrassing it even called battery gate, but apparently Nexus do it even worse.

That's if you have a problem with the iPhone 4S battery. I'm on iOS 5.0, and my battery life is great - as good as that on my iPhone 4.

 

[miggitymac]

Well yeah maybe not totally good comparison, but so does 1.5GHz CPU on Nexus doesn't mean it's twice better than 800MHz CPU on iPhone 4s. At some aspects it even still worse than iPhone 4s.

Also we know iPhone 4s battery life is kinda downer, so embarrassing it even called battery gate, but apparently Nexus do it even worse.

Where did you see that the Nexus' battery life is even worse than the 4S' battery life?

 

[Yumunum]

Interesting that you've had a different experience than me with your GN. Perhaps I didn't do enough reading, but I'm curious how yours was set up differently than mine. I didn't add much other than a few apps and widgets, and kept the device pretty barebones and more or less 'stock'. Can you elaborate on how you 'set it up'?

I have no bias for or against Samsung, I just thought this particular device felt too flimsy for lack of a better word. You're probably right in terms of shattering though, I definintely did not get the impression that the GN would shatter like an iPhone if dropped.

Don't listen to that guy you're responding to... There's no special way to set up Android devices. You did things 100% correct and normally.

Some people seem completely blind. Ever looked at some reviews on Android phones, and hear the reviewer say "reaaaally smooth" as he scrolls on a leggy Android handset? It's hilarious, and I have no idea what's going on in there heads.

Btw OP, I wouldn't worry too much about the device feeling flimsy. You may learn to love it. Think about it, how does the device "feeling" cheap actually effect you? You know that it'll survive a fall better than an iPhone, it makes the materials really nice and light, and it won't get scratched as easily. Seems like pros to me.

But, I don't know if I could recommend you keeping the device... I've owned 4 Android phones, and all of the experiences were lacking. ICS fixes some things, but overall it's the same Android it's always been. You have no good solutions for media syncing, you still have lag (even with ICS's hardware acceleration), you have lower-quality apps and a smaller selection of apps, you're gonna have to rely on 3rd party solutions for tons of misc. features, battery life is bad, and.... Yeah. You get the point.

 

[iSayuSay]

Where did you see that the Nexus' battery life is even worse than the 4S' battery life?

Well ... how about this:

.....
I've found the 4S's battery life (eagerly awaiting the 5.0.2 to fix this), the Galaxy Nexus simply sucked in this department. After a few texts, some light web-browsing and playing some music, I found the battery down a full 25% in about an hour. ....

Source: The very first post of this thread?

Unless he tells some lies and he's being good at it, or it's just simply an anomaly which not represent the whole statistic data, that statement means Nexus' battery life is worse than a 4s.

 

[miggitymac]

Well ... how about this:



Source: The very first post of this thread?

Unless he tell some lies and he's being good at it, or it's just simply an anomaly which not represent the whole statistic data, that statement means Nexus' battery life is worse than a 4s.

Haha...actually, the full quote is like this:

Also, as awful as I've found the 4S's battery life (eagerly awaiting the 5.0.2 to fix this), the Galaxy Nexus simply sucked in this department. After a few texts, some light web-browsing and playing some music, I found the battery down a full 25% in about an hour. This, in conjunction with the multitude of small annoyances with the software, has been enough to convince me that Android is just not quite ready to earn my money.

(I added the bold-emphasis)

He didn't compare the two, nor did he say which was worse...he basically just said both suck. And that was one post. The "batterygate" thread has over 2800 posts.

I'm not claiming that the Galaxy Nexus will have an awesome battery life or anything...I'm just making the point that if you want to favourably compare the features of the 4S, battery life probably shouldn't be the first thing you turn to.

 

[iSayuSay]

Haha...actually, the full quote is like this:

(I added the bold-emphasis)

He didn't compare the two, nor did he say which was worse...he basically just said both suck. And that was one post. The "batterygate" thread has over 2800 posts.

I'm not claiming that the Galaxy Nexus will have an awesome battery life or anything...I'm just making the point that if you want to favourably compare the features of the 4S, battery life probably shouldn't be the first thing you turn to.

Fair enough .. but I don't think we have disagreement here .. because didn't I stated earlier that iPhone 4s batterylife is a downer too? means I agreed that both are not excellent in term of batterylife.

But when I compare that data, while still bad, at least iPhone 4s don't eat 25% battery in about an hour just for some texting, playing some music & light browsing, right?

Yes there are so much factors when you compare two smartphones like this. And maybe I don't see it as a big picture.

 

[PPFee]

well if yours was a stuttery one,u couldn't have set it up right!!,had my nexus for a couple of days now,and in my opinion everything it does is just that bit snappier than my 4S,i think that its a really fast bit of kit,ICS is great,and if this what the Dual-cores do with ICS,the Quad-cores in Jan/feb will be something else!!!...very impressed with it,going to stick with the Nexus now,IOS still looks the same as it did in 2007,yep....i know its moved on,but its now very very stale...ICS is a revalation in Android,and ok you lot are obviously mostly against Android and in particular Samsung,my Nexus isn't made of Glass,aluminium etc,but the thing won't shatter if i drop it,it might scratch but certainly won't shatter,i'v dropped and broken 3 iPhone 4s in the last year...im on first name terms with the phone insurance people!!!..lol

Ive got a whole lot more to reply to this but only have a moment.
" ICS is a revalation in android", that incorrect word is wrong and misspelled, assuming you meant revolution, you are still wrong. Its an evolution in android correcting a decent number of inadequicies that have existed since its inception. IOS was actually originally in 07 a true revolution on mobile OS's and therefore its expected to be moving on in an evolutionary manner, Its been quick, streamlined, and had high-res icons since day one, because of this no one is going to sing praises about IOS 5's higher res high-res icons....I'm glad ICS now is a little prettier, but don't kid yourself by acting like its out inovating the OS that its based on.

 

[kalex]

Ive got a whole lot more to reply to this but only have a moment.
" ICS is a revalation in android", that incorrect word is wrong and misspelled, assuming you meant revolution, you are still wrong. Its an evolution in android correcting a decent number of inadequicies that have existed since its inception. IOS was actually originally in 07 a true revolution on mobile OS's and therefore its expected to be moving on in an evolutionary manner, Its been quick, streamlined, and had high-res icons since day one, because of this no one is going to sing praises about IOS 5's higher res high-res icons....I'm glad ICS now is a little prettier, but don't kid yourself by acting like its out inovating the OS that its based on.

Now that your english lesson is over - go read the reviews again. ICS has been rebuilt from ground up. If you haven't used gingerbread go use it then use ICS and you will see what I mean. I have original Nexus S that had pure google 2.3.7 on it and just flashed ICS rom that is floating around. ICS is a total revamp of Android OS not just fluff added on top.

To the OP - good review until i got to your description of android market and comparison to itunes. I actually have to totally disagree with you on that part and I think reason why you like itunes is because u used it for four years. I just switched to iphone 4s from using android devices for about 2-3 years and find itunes and app store a total mess. I guess because I got use to android ecosystem i find it easier to use than itunes even though i run it on mac pro and kind of had to use it before.
I do agree with you how android allows 3rd party apps to be hooked into its system and be available anywhere you are. And I know i'm going to be laughed at this but I do love and used file system access on my phone all the time and lack of access on IOS is one of the most annoying things about it. I'm still adjusting to iphone 4s and so far had experienced both positive and negative aspects from switching from android.

 

[miggitymac]

Ive got a whole lot more to reply to this but only have a moment.
" ICS is a revalation in android", that incorrect word is wrong and misspelled, assuming you meant revolution, you are still wrong. Its an evolution in android correcting a decent number of inadequicies that have existed since its inception. IOS was actually originally in 07 a true revolution on mobile OS's and therefore its expected to be moving on in an evolutionary manner, Its been quick, streamlined, and had high-res icons since day one, because of this no one is going to sing praises about IOS 5's higher res high-res icons....I'm glad ICS now is a little prettier, but don't kid yourself by acting like its out inovating the OS that its based on.

1. If you're going to point out other peoples' spelling and/or grammatical mistakes, at least do some spellchecking.

2. ICS isn't just a little "prettier" than Gingerbread. It's a completely revamped version of Android. And the jump from Gingerbread to ICS is a lot bigger than iOS 4 to iOS 5, even if you want to lump Siri into iOS 5 (because technically, Siri isn't a part of the OS).

Maybe it's because iOS was already pretty good to start with when compared to Gingerbread, but give credit where credit is due...Google is showing that it's at least willing to try and make a completely new experience for Android users. Apple, on the other hand...iOS is good and it's been good for a while, but it's been pretty much the same for a while now too.

While some might say iOS doesn't have to change as much as Android because it's good as it is...that's not exactly the kind of mentality that inspires innovation, now is it?

 

[UCLAKoolman]

Haha...actually, the full quote is like this:

(I added the bold-emphasis)

He didn't compare the two, nor did he say which was worse...he basically just said both suck. And that was one post. The "batterygate" thread has over 2800 posts.

I'm not claiming that the Galaxy Nexus will have an awesome battery life or anything...I'm just making the point that if you want to favourably compare the features of the 4S, battery life probably shouldn't be the first thing you turn to.

battery life on the 4S has been fixed with the update. Go look at the "batterygate" thread, lots of people are getting multiple days of use now!

 

[OTACORB]

While some might say iOS doesn't have to change as much as Android because it's good as it is...that's not exactly the kind of mentality that inspires innovation, now is it?

I think most people other than geeks aren't looking for a lot of change. It has been Apple's consistency that is appreciated. It doesn't matter if I have an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and even in some was Lion on my Mac many things are done the same. The easy user experience is one of the big pluses of iOS.

The problem with Android is that its a mess in terms of the user interface. I've used it and in my office where we have several folks with Androids, I've had them ask me how do set this up or how do you set that up. Each one of them it was a bit different and most of the time it is because of the various versions of Android, not to mention the overlay of things on top of Android by manufacturers.

Give me a consistent experience across the board with a REAL ecosystem, accessories, docks, car integration to name a few. Android just isn't there.

I also want to thank the original poster as your experience and mine are very similar even though mine was on a few other Android devices. I also love how reviewers always talk about Android smoothness. Smoothness, RIGHT!

Just for the record, I can go 2 days without charging my iPhone 4S after this last update. Ain't an update in the world going to fix those big power hungry displays on these latest Android phones.

 

[miggitymac]

I think most people other than geeks aren't looking for a lot of change. It has been Apple's consistency that is appreciated. It doesn't matter if I have an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and even in some was Lion on my Mac many things are done the same. The easy user experience is one of the big pluses of iOS.

The problem with Android is that its a mess in terms of the user interface. I've used it and in my office where we have several folks with Androids, I've had them ask me how do set this up or how do you set that up. Each one of them it was a bit different and most of the time it is because of the various versions of Android, not to mention the overlay of things on top of Android by manufacturers.

No I understand that consistency is a plus for iOS. My post was in response to the guy I quoted, who said "don't kid yourself by acting like its out inovating the OS that its based on"...(i.e. don't kid yourself that Android is out-innovating iOS).

If you look at what Google did with ICS though, they have been innovating while Apple has been basically maintaining (again...maybe that's because they feel they don't need to innovate since iOS is already very good). Android and iOS are very different and they appeal to different types of people. But by most accounts so far, the gap in quality and user experience between the two is getting smaller.

I also want to thank the original poster as your experience and mine are very similar even though mine was on a few other Android devices. I also love how reviewers always talk about Android smoothness. Smoothness, RIGHT!

Just for the record, I can go 2 days without charging my iPhone 4S after this last update. Ain't an update in the world going to fix those big power hungry displays on these latest Android phones.

I love how you gave Apple the benefit of a doubt for over a month, but are so quick to say that Google/Samsung won't be able to fix any battery issues.

I'd also like to point out that many people still have battery issues even after updating to 5.0.1, and in some cases, have experienced worse battery-life after updating. I wouldn't call the issue fixed quite yet.

As for smoothness, don't knock ICS until you've tried it. I doubt you've even tried Gingerbread on one of the Nexus phones.

 

[OTACORB]

If you look at what Google did with ICS though, they have been innovating while Apple has been basically maintaining (again...maybe that's because they feel they don't need to innovate since iOS is already very good). Android and iOS are very different and they appeal to different types of people. But by most accounts so far, the gap in quality and user experience between the two is getting smaller.

It maybe getting smaller, but it has a ways to go. The other big advantage of iOS is the huge ecosystem rather it be iCloud, iTunes, accessories such as docks, boomboxes, speaker systems and YES car integration.

Clearly Android needs to do a lot of work because the current experience isn't nearly as smooth as iOS. The thing that many people seem to see as being innovated such as widgets and graphical customization are also the thing that eats up battery life. But huge displays are certainly a factor.

I love how you gave Apple the benefit of a doubt for over a month, but are so quick to say that Google/Samsung won't be able to fix any battery issues.

I've not had 6 months of battery issues on my iPhone. I switched from a 4 to a 4S and for the most part battery life has been the same.

Do I have more faith that Apple is likely going to fix the battery life issues on vs Google and its group of manufactures that can take 6 months if ever to roll out updates. You darn right I do.

You can't fix power hungry huge displays and processors with a software upgrade. So, NO I don't think Google/Samsung can fix a hardware issue with a software fix. I think they have tweaked it all it can be tweaked. I have friends that can barely get through the day and Samsung and Google has yet to even address that there is an issue.

The other thing to consider on iOS5 especially the iPhone 4S is that many are now playing around with SIRI , using iCloud for backing up and downloading music with iTunes Match. These are things they didn't do before. So it is only natural that your will take a battery hit when you add certain features. I do think many that are having what they call battery issues is because they are using there phones more than they did previous version of the iPhone. However, I am pretty confident that Apple will continue to tweak IOS5 to get as much battery life as possible. However, you can only do so much with software tweaks, eventually you just have to accept that it maximized and what you have is what it is going to be.

 

[miggitymac]

Clearly Android needs to do a lot of work because the current experience isn't nearly as smooth as iOS. The thing that many people seem to see as being innovated such as widgets and graphical customization are also the thing that eats up battery life. But huge displays are certainly a factor.

I don't know how you can make comments about the "current user experience" when you haven't tried the current Android version. If you're basing it off reviews, then yes, the OP said it's not great...many others have said that it is great. Either way, I fail to see how it's you can say it's "clearly" not as smooth as iOS when you "clearly" don't know for yourself.

You can't fix power hungry huge displays and processors with a software upgrade. So, NO I don't think Google/Samsung can fix a hardware issue with a software fix. I think they have tweaked it all it can be tweaked. I have friends that can barely get through the day and Samsung and Google has yet to even address that there is an issue.

If you think that the AMOLED/SAMOLED displays on Android phones are more power hungry than the IPS-LCD (aka Retina display) technology on the iPhone, I encourage you to read this article.

And please tell me, what "hardware issue" is on the Galaxy Nexus? The bigger screen? Remember, it also has a bigger battery (as in more capacity) than the 4S. The "huge" power hungry processor? Do you even know what processor is in the Galaxy Nexus? Or GPU for that matter?

Also, while I appreciate your thoughts on what can/cannot be done by Samsung and Google and your insights into your friends' experiences, I hope you'll excuse me for not trusting the thoughts of a random fanboy, err, i mean stranger who bases an argument based on his friends' experiences with previous versions of Android when the topic is the current one.

The other thing to consider on iOS5 especially the iPhone 4S is that many are now playing around with SIRI , using iCloud for backing up and downloading music with iTunes Match. These are things they didn't do before. So it is only natural that your will take a battery hit when you add certain features. I do think many that are having what they call battery issues is because they are using there phones more than they did previous version of the iPhone. However, I am pretty confident that Apple will continue to tweak IOS5 to get as much battery life as possible. However, you can only do so much with software tweaks, eventually you just have to accept that it maximized and what you have is what it is going to be.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that if Apple is admitting to battery issues and is trying to address them, the cause isn't as simple as people doing "things they didn't do before" on their phones. But way to trivialize other peoples' problems just because you were lucky enough not to experience them.

 

[charliecc]

I've also made the switch from iPhone (4) to Galaxy Nexus.

I agree with some of the points made in the initial post, the UI isn't as refined as iOS, nor are the apps, but I fully expected this to be the case.

It's great having a big screen and I don't have an issue with the size of the phone, but then my hands are probably bigger than 99% of the people here. I'd also have to say, I haven't noticed any lag whatsoever and the phone hasn't locked up on me once yet, although with time this may well happen.

Camera isn't as good as the iPhone, but again it's pretty close.

All-in-all I'm more than happy I made the switch, but then I'd just as happily switch back to iPhone once Apple pull their head out their arses and release a decent upgrade, I love the bigger screen devices.

 

[d4rklamp]

I was one of those people who were thinking of going to Android phones. I used to have an iPhone 3G and needed a new phone cause it was so damn slow and Apple stopped updating it. (I was like wtf they stop updating it at this stage of lagginess?) So when the iPhone 4S came out, I was thinking whether I should stick to Apple or go for Android. At this time, I was also waiting for Nexus Prime. Sure there was Galaxy S2 but I didnt really like this phone (tried it and played with it). I don't like screens bigger than 4" because bigger than that, you have to use 2 hands. So that's how I ended up with the 4S. Well coming from a stagnant iPhone 3G iOS 4.2.1 to iPhone 4S iOS 5, sure I am satisfied with some new features and speed. In terms of interface, it wasnt a huge "new" thing for me. Cause it was just the same experience as previous iOS. The good thing is the Apps ecosystem. I get to download back all my paid apps. Seeing reviews about the 4S's camera compared to the latest Android phones, seems like the 4S does in fact has the best so far. So, I am quite satisfied with the 4S, but wouldnt say 100%. Would have wanted a 4" screen at least. But well, don't really bother with this anymore now. Just waiting badly for jailbreak to come out. I guess that's when the real fun will start with the 4S.

 

[digitard]

Solid review. I was in the same boat to a degree.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1279631/

I keep seeing the same things about various new Android phones. I'm surprised that they keep having such Camera issues. I use my camera a TON (2 kids) because we're always out and I can't always take my T2I with me. I've had constant issues with every Android device I've played with in response to the overall camera. It's one little issue or another. I wish they'd really get that right.

 

[jake921660]

I still have a Samsung galaxy s2. I too was amazed by the sheer speed and response from the phone, and the amount of customization offered by android. However one thing to note about most android phones with screens > 4" and AMOLED technology is that battery life sucks big time. You probably won't notice this until a couple of days after fully setting up the phone and go about your daily usage. But in my experience, samsung's bloatwares will quickly kick into motion, and soon you will feel just how much it sucks up all the battery juice.

No offense, but I do love the screen real estate and android technology. I love the specs of these recent 4"+ AMOLED android phones. But what's the point of having a 100% charged phone when you sleep and waking up with 60% left when you wake up 8 hours later? I had to charge that fellow twice during work. It's impossible to go through my day with stock ROM with all those crazy Samsung bloatwares. I'm still an active member at the XDA forum, and despite going through various custom ROMs, getting rid of battery-sucking bloatwares and customizations, I'm still not getting better battery life than my iPhone 4 or 4S, despite what many fellow members had shown and prophesied. I had to lower the screen brightness till 10%, and then think to myself... "WTF am I lowering the brightness of this beautiful AMOLED screen? Doesn't it just defeat the whole purpose of owning one?" But lowering it I did, because I had to conserved battery life. Battery life conservation has become almost a ritual for android users, and custom ROMs have been built with this primary mission in mind, to a fault in some extend. I would swop ROMs just as soon as a newer version is out, calibrate my battery, reload all my apps etc. Then it comes to a point when you ask yourself if you have been spending more time customizing the phone than actually using the phone? If you think the iPhone's battery sucks, wait till you really use an android AMOLED phone. These gorgeous screens just take up too much juice to power up.

not sure if your phone is defective or you were exaggerating but i can leave mine on standby while i sleep for 8 hours and still have at least 95% left. i would recommend you return it. you then say the screen is the biggest waste of battery but this wouldnt make sense if its draining overnight. im not having a go at you im just wondering why yours would be that bad. i can finish 2 days with about 20% battery left with light-moderate usage. the screen does usually use most of the battery though. ]i havent used it yet so i cant comment on the battery life of the galaxy nexus but tbh im not sure i would rather have one of them. apart from the screen the phone seems to be a bit of a downgrade, especially considering there are already unofficial ics ports for the sgs2

 

[OTACORB]

I don't know how you can make comments about the "current user experience" when you haven't tried the current Android version. If you're basing it off reviews, then yes, the OP said it's not great...many others have said that it is great.

If you think that the AMOLED/SAMOLED displays on Android phones are more power hungry than the IPS-LCD (aka Retina display) technology on the iPhone, I encourage you to read this .

Actually, I'm pretty sure that if Apple is admitting to battery issues and is trying to address them, the cause isn't as simple as people doing "things they didn't do before" on their phones. But way to trivialize other peoples' problems just because you were lucky enough not to experience them.

Did a bit of snipping to get down to brass tacks!

You are correct I have not used ICS, but plenty of people have already and there is a pattern that most reviews are stating that there is still lag and that ICS is still not as smooth and refined as iOS5. This has been the case with Android even up to the current version that has been released on Samsung Galaxy 2. You need to have a heart attack to know the symptoms? I don't think you do!

In regards to the screen power use it isn't so much about power consumption as much as it size that eats up a lot of battery power.

I think in regards to iOS5 and iPhone 4S particularly Apple will do some tweaks here and there. I think Google/Samsung will too for as much as they can, but again it boils down to processor and display those eat up most of the battery life. The one thing about Apple is hardware and software all seem to be in tune with each other for the best battery life and the highest user experience. As you said the gap is closing, but it still not there. They also still don't have nearly the ecosystem that Apple has.

I am not going to argue with you about this. That is my opinion and you aren't going to change my mind, no more than I will change your mind. So, we can agree to disagree.

 

[Savor]

Google needs to get a few things right. Start with stability and not having Android be such a resource hog. Alot of Android phones even the premium ones are known to crash, lag, and have poorer battery life compared to other platforms including WP7. Then from there, work on having a better ecosystem where you don't need a credit card to download paid apps. Of course, piracy takes away from that cause like it does to any store. Build an official media content program or buy doubleTwist or MediaMonkey and improve upon it. And last, work on exclusive KILLER apps. Other than free turn-by-turn navigation, there aren't that many apps that can't be done on iOS. Google needs what Microsoft got with Halo or Gears Of War or what Nintendo has with Mario and Zelda. Exclusive content. Apps and features that makes you want to change platforms because you can't find them anywhere else other than Android. Apple will likely always get better games first, so Android is left with never having a game that is exclusive for them. Yet, they are open to emulators and having SONY on their side to build exclusive content. There are disadvantages with having to partners because the end-to-end experience isn't always consistent, but like a double-esged sword, there are advantages as well. Exploit those advantages.

 

[sentinelsx]

Apple has made a really nice phone which is why despite using many android phones i always feel like using an iPhone. The OS, hardware and integration works like a charm.

That said, the ease of media loading is what is keeping me on a cheapo Galaxy S i got a few months ago as backup. I have always found iTunes to be a pain and i really want Apple to let us just drag and drop songs, pictures and videos directly to the phone. It is so easy. Mandatory syncing was the first shock to me when switching from a E71 to iPhone 4. I could just load anything on the nokia and when i had to launch a media app it would add the new material in seconds and be ready to enjoy...

Also, who was the smart guy making it possible to make albums in iOS but not delete them afterwards? That is so annoying. Again have to sync with iTunes to get rid of it.

Oh and last, a 4-4.2 inch screen will not kill anybody. I am sure even with such dimensions the next iPhone will sell 8 million in a weekend So please, make it happen.