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IPhone VS Androids Phones?
- Thread starter inka
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I think you'd be much better off looking at a few reviews of a prototypical Android phone vs. the iPhone as opposed to seeing a few summary evaluations of one versus the other here. Look at the HTC Evo 4G and the Motorola Droid X for two close iPhone rivals.
there are a lot better iphone apps, there are good android apps but not like ios,
ios is supposedly more polished
android has more features:
mobile hotspot
swype
they are both easy to use
comes down to preference though
EDIT: but i will say even though i am a hardcore apple fan, i love my iphone but lately i really like a lot of androids features that apple wont allow on ios. im not jailbreaking just yet but i played with my friends droid x yesterday. swype, google goggles, and a lot more are very well done.
ios is supposedly more polished
android has more features:
mobile hotspot
swype
they are both easy to use
comes down to preference though
EDIT: but i will say even though i am a hardcore apple fan, i love my iphone but lately i really like a lot of androids features that apple wont allow on ios. im not jailbreaking just yet but i played with my friends droid x yesterday. swype, google goggles, and a lot more are very well done.
A jailbroken iPhone can do that, and there really aren't that many reasons to not. Also, you didn't notice how the Droid X lags a lot? As do most android phones that do not run stock android
I own the EVO and will give you a non-biased review
The apps store is far superior to the market in many ways:
One device,
this means the iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS, iPod touch, and iPhone 4, all have the same specs, besides the retina display on the iPhone 4, they all have the same GPU ability, hardware and all that good stuff.
With android their are devices with 2.8 inch screens, 3.7, 4.3 and so on, some with 420*320 some with 800*480, some with 854*480.
Their for you are going to get alot off apps that don't look good on certain devices, also developers have to update and fix quirks more to accomodate the new phones.
updates
IOS is on version 4, and apple as released a major update ONCE a year. meaning almost 99% of iPhone users are on the same OS (Unless they need to stay to be unlocked or jailbroken)
Some android phones are still on 1.5, 1.6 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 again making alot of problems for developers.
Organization,
The app store looks great, its organized and very easy to find things, Now the market on 2.0 and up looks alot nicer, and in terms of looks is very close to the iPhone, but it is kind of cluttered. Their are many apps in the market that give you "force closes" and some apps point blank say " this app does nothing"
One problem is some apps, in fact keep your phone on 100% awake time and kill your battery.
"OPEN SOURCE"
=BS
The whole open source argument doesn't make alot of sense when jailbroken iPhone users have cydia which lets you tweak everything on your phone without having to connect to your computer.
Trust me I am on XDA all the time and as much as they make fun of iPhone users they are just as bad with their android phones. Their argument is that
"our app store allows you to out custom roms, and kernels and tweaks in it"
However you need to ROOT the device through the computer to do most of that stuff, and iPhone users have cydia which does the same thing.
Quality of apps/games.
Their is no question that in terms of size the iPhone wins, it has the most apps and games and they all WORK.
Their are many 3D and advanced games because developers have full access to GPU and all the good hardware the iPhone has to offer, while with android they don't so its, much harder to develop for andrioid in terms of high quality gaming.
Apps on the iPhone are just better, I have not seen one app in the market that has more functionality/ features than its iPhone counter part. the android facebook app still has to open the browser on your phone to do alot of stuff.
However the android market is a very nice alternative to the app store, and although its a little cluttered now, when gingerbread android OS 3.0 comes out it should be alot nicer, and bring alot more to the table, but untill then because of my above argument I prefer IOS4. Lastly you will see more free apps in the market.
The apps store is far superior to the market in many ways:
One device,
this means the iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS, iPod touch, and iPhone 4, all have the same specs, besides the retina display on the iPhone 4, they all have the same GPU ability, hardware and all that good stuff.
With android their are devices with 2.8 inch screens, 3.7, 4.3 and so on, some with 420*320 some with 800*480, some with 854*480.
Their for you are going to get alot off apps that don't look good on certain devices, also developers have to update and fix quirks more to accomodate the new phones.
updates
IOS is on version 4, and apple as released a major update ONCE a year. meaning almost 99% of iPhone users are on the same OS (Unless they need to stay to be unlocked or jailbroken)
Some android phones are still on 1.5, 1.6 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 again making alot of problems for developers.
Organization,
The app store looks great, its organized and very easy to find things, Now the market on 2.0 and up looks alot nicer, and in terms of looks is very close to the iPhone, but it is kind of cluttered. Their are many apps in the market that give you "force closes" and some apps point blank say " this app does nothing"
One problem is some apps, in fact keep your phone on 100% awake time and kill your battery.
"OPEN SOURCE"
=BS
The whole open source argument doesn't make alot of sense when jailbroken iPhone users have cydia which lets you tweak everything on your phone without having to connect to your computer.
Trust me I am on XDA all the time and as much as they make fun of iPhone users they are just as bad with their android phones. Their argument is that
"our app store allows you to out custom roms, and kernels and tweaks in it"
However you need to ROOT the device through the computer to do most of that stuff, and iPhone users have cydia which does the same thing.
Quality of apps/games.
Their is no question that in terms of size the iPhone wins, it has the most apps and games and they all WORK.
Their are many 3D and advanced games because developers have full access to GPU and all the good hardware the iPhone has to offer, while with android they don't so its, much harder to develop for andrioid in terms of high quality gaming.
Apps on the iPhone are just better, I have not seen one app in the market that has more functionality/ features than its iPhone counter part. the android facebook app still has to open the browser on your phone to do alot of stuff.
However the android market is a very nice alternative to the app store, and although its a little cluttered now, when gingerbread android OS 3.0 comes out it should be alot nicer, and bring alot more to the table, but untill then because of my above argument I prefer IOS4. Lastly you will see more free apps in the market.
I own an HTC G1 (old school) and a Samsung Vibrant. My roommate has an Iphone 2G and and iPhone 4. Both phones are the first and current (respectively) revisions of Android and iOS.
Since there are so many Android devices, it makes more sense to compare software to software and hardware to hardware separately.
The hardware on the iPhone4 is top notch, except for the blunder with the antennae. iPhones have always gotten crappy signals compared to other phones and the iPhone4 maintains that legacy. Still, there are two cameras, and excellent pixel density.
The hardware on Android phones has come a long way. They are only now equipping the phones with hardware powerful enough to run it without lag or delayed response. Depending on which phone you pick (Epic) you can basically match or surpass the hardware on the iPhone4 except for the retina display. The Epic doesn't have the pixel density, but the Super AMOLED screen is nicer than the IPS screen on the iPhone4. It looks like a miniature plasma/LCD TV.... which shouldnt' be surprising because Samsung has been making top notch flat screen displays for a long time.
The hardware on an Android phone will also let you replace the battery or upgrade the microSD card. I currently have 32GB on my Vibrant (16GB internal memory and 16GB microSD memory), but I could easily triple that space by tossing a few spare microSD cards in my pocket when I travel. I can basically bring entire seasons of TV shows with me on a plane or in the car when I travel.
The software of the two platforms is largely about one's preference and tolerance. There are way more similarities than differences... but as a general rule:
Apple has more restrictions on the way you can use the OS without spending money for extra services, or jail-breaking to implement disallowed functions.
This is somewhat true for Android in that you need root access for some functions, but Android now comes with a few more features than iOS4 currently offers.
As for apps.....I probably have less than 10 on my phone, so I am a bad judge. Most of the popular apps are available for both platforms. Android has more variety, though... due to the less restrictive nature of the OS and the market.
Since there are so many Android devices, it makes more sense to compare software to software and hardware to hardware separately.
The hardware on the iPhone4 is top notch, except for the blunder with the antennae. iPhones have always gotten crappy signals compared to other phones and the iPhone4 maintains that legacy. Still, there are two cameras, and excellent pixel density.
The hardware on Android phones has come a long way. They are only now equipping the phones with hardware powerful enough to run it without lag or delayed response. Depending on which phone you pick (Epic) you can basically match or surpass the hardware on the iPhone4 except for the retina display. The Epic doesn't have the pixel density, but the Super AMOLED screen is nicer than the IPS screen on the iPhone4. It looks like a miniature plasma/LCD TV.... which shouldnt' be surprising because Samsung has been making top notch flat screen displays for a long time.
The hardware on an Android phone will also let you replace the battery or upgrade the microSD card. I currently have 32GB on my Vibrant (16GB internal memory and 16GB microSD memory), but I could easily triple that space by tossing a few spare microSD cards in my pocket when I travel. I can basically bring entire seasons of TV shows with me on a plane or in the car when I travel.
The software of the two platforms is largely about one's preference and tolerance. There are way more similarities than differences... but as a general rule:
Apple has more restrictions on the way you can use the OS without spending money for extra services, or jail-breaking to implement disallowed functions.
This is somewhat true for Android in that you need root access for some functions, but Android now comes with a few more features than iOS4 currently offers.
As for apps.....I probably have less than 10 on my phone, so I am a bad judge. Most of the popular apps are available for both platforms. Android has more variety, though... due to the less restrictive nature of the OS and the market.
Are you sure about that? The iPhone 3G/2nd gen touch have vastly inferior CPU/GPU compared to the 3GS/ 36/64GB touch and the iPhone 4. From what I've heard, if a application doesn't support a devices screen resolution then it will not be displayed in Android market so to the end user, it shouldn't be a problem. The same thing happens with the iPhone, if it is lacking the compass (iPhone 3G) and the app requires one, it isn't displayed to 3G owners.
This can be a problem for developers. If you are doing some high end applications tho, a minimum 2.1 base wouldn't be a bad thing to aim for as a lot of the older devices wouldn't be capable of running any apps or games that need high performance.
Easiest way to organise and find apps on Android? Appbrain. At the comfort of any PC/Mac I an browse, sort and install apps to my Nexus One without touching the thing. On the "force close" and "this app does nothing", do you have any names of apps you are having problems with? Have you tried contacting the developer(s) on your issues?
You think that the PDF and jailbreakme exploit was a good thing? In the wrong hands that could have been disastrous.
The Android market does not allow direct download of custom roms so I don't know who from XDADevelopers has been posting that. The only app that allows you to do this is Rom Manager which gets the update.zip files direct from where the roms are hosted, not Android Market.
There are also solutions to root phones without a computer. Being an XDA Dev member, I'm suprised you haven't heard of Universal androot. Remember, the open source nature of Android has nothing to do with the market. It's all to do with the Android source code and custom Roms derive from that.
The Android NDK gives developers access to the hardware just as it does on the iPhone.
Titles like Ex Zeus, Fifa 2010, Need For Speed Shift & N.O.V.A are just as good as their iPhone counterparts on Android. Other apps that are more feature packed on Android for me include the last.fm app that can do realtime scrobbling of your music playback on your phone, Google Maps of course with its free Navigation, Universal voice search/commands on Android, chrome2phone. Apps like Call Blocker Elite enable me to block unwanted calls from withheld or specific numbers. Lastly there are various Emulators that are not allowed on the app store.
The addition of multitasking to iOS (3GS and upwards only remember!) does level the playing field on a lot of apps that have been updated which is a good thing.
You make good points, However you have to think about the average consumer when it comes to expandable memory and removable battery.
For one the battery on the iPhone 4 spanks the EVO, and because so many people have apple devices, finding a charger for your iPhone is alot eaiser than carrying around an extra battery and 16gb on board and 32gb on board beats the 8gb that comes with the EVO and many other droid devices.
Now, think about your average iPhone and Android consumer. Someone on this forum or XDA developers is NOT an average consumer. Maybe 10% of Android and iPhone users are on websites like this.
So when they open their new shiny iPhone they just want to plug it into their computer and drag music on their and 16gb is plenty and 32gb is more than enough imo.
With android phones its still very very easy, but you have to open up the folder on the sd card that holds the music and copy and paste them in, and it might sound crazy to you. But believe it or not, a lot of people don't know how to copy songs to their SD card. Think about how many people you know with iPhones, I would bet 9 out of 10 have music on it. Now think about your average android user, I would bet 2 out of 10 have a decent music collection on their phone and still carry around an extra iPod.
Plus how conveniant is it to carry around an extra micro SD cards that is the size of your finger nail? You have to pop out the battery on the phone, and store the extra one without losing it?
Think about all the teenagers and people without a lot of technical knowledge (80%) of Phone users?
I guarentee you 99% of phone users don't carry around extra sd cards. Again I am not calling you out, or saying that your wrong, but Apple has it right with putting alot of internal memory, without having to worry about buying and placing micro sd cards.
Plus a 16gb micro sd is gonna easily cost you $40
Lastly to the person saying that they can have a bunch of tv series on their phone, again thats really nice, but your average consumer would rather just click download once on itunes and have the season or episode right on their phone.
v.
Download video software (thats Free BTW)
insert DVD or download movie clip
wait for movie to download to computer
convert each episode to correct format for phone
No one can argue that apple is not on to something when it comes to satisfying your average consumer, and because the average consumer is going to be the vast majority of users, its not going to change.
Of course, the iPhone is smoother. It is in its 4th iteration of the os. Google is getting there. Google's execution is messy. Not all phones have the same version. iPhone has two models out there: 3gs and 4. Android has over 30 types from a variety hardware manufactures. Some are okay. A few are great. Rest are awful. I have an iPhone 4 and had 2g,3g,3gs. I am greatly satisfied with the iPhone. I don't see myself switching unless, android offers something "jaw" dropping features. Swype is not a big deal. Hotspot: I would may use it once every 6 months or so. So nope. Google goggle or dictation: you can find that in apps provided by google or someone else. No big deal. My only concern is that developers may stop making apps for apple because there are more androids. However, there are over 100 million ios operating devices. Developers will not stop making apps for apple. Microscoft is the only one that has to worry about that. Well, blackberry too. Once the iphone is on all carriers, iphone will catchup and maybe outsell the android army.
No, its not. Go play with a Samsung Vibrant/Captivate/Epic (Epic isn't out till Aug. 31).
I don't quite follow. Android has had 4 major releases 1.5, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.2 is already available. I see all models of iPhone still in use from 2G to 4. How is this better/worse/different?
Swype is AWESOME. Biggest innovation to come along for touchscreen smartphones in a few years.
iPhone4 offers tethering too. Don't see the difference here.
Mmm, no. iOS has dragon dictation and google voice search which are both a far cry from google voice control which lets you composes texts and emails by talking to your phone and text-to-voice notification which will read your text messages out to you automatically. iOS definitely has less features in this category.
iPhone won't catch up at this point. It has lost its 'cool' factor and the iPhone 4 wasn't even the most advanced smartphone when it launched this past summer (EVO was).
When iPhone does to multi-carrier, AT&T will stop marketing it so heavily (they get a better deal on hardware from other smart-phone manufacturers) and iPhone will have to rely on its feature set to compete. It will be one phone in a sea of touchscreen smart-phones.
I think the last metric measured that 70% of iPhone4 owners were upgraders. Verizon is a special case, but if people aren't willing to leave T-mobile or Sprint for the iPhone, then the uptick of users for multiple carriers won't be as big as Apple fans want to believe.
At this point, I dont' think Verizon gives a rat's a** if they ever get the iPhone. They are kicking the crap out of everyone without it. They will only budge if Sprint gets it. They don't see anyone else as a real threat.
Vlingo on the iphone lets you compose texts and emails, do twitter and facebook updates, search the net, search on google maps all by talking to it. so you should really have researched what the iPhone has before saying that iOS doesn't have it....
you don't even need to go to that effort, with cinexplayer, you just copy the divx/xvid videos to the iphone in itunes file sharing.
or you can use airvideo to convert and automatically import to itunes, which will then copy it to the iphone when you sync it next
I have both, Android & Apple.*
First I will say they are both excellent.*
It's all about what you want to do with your phone. It also depends to a lesser degree, on what computer (s) you have. If you have just one computer and it's a Mac I would choose iPhone. If you use a windows computer then you can go either way.*
As a point of reference, I have a new MacBook Pro & new ThinkPad. My current phones are iPhone 4, Droid X, Samsung Captivate, Nexus, BB 9700. Of these, my two favorites are Captivate & iPhone 4.*
The easiest to use for non technical users is iPhone 4. Hence it's popularity. There is nothing as easy & simple.*
The Android powered Captivate is also easy to use. Yet unlike the iPhone, there is so much more you can do to customize it just for you. This is why all the excitement & momentum is growing so fast with the Android platform.*
Unlike the iPhone where you are limited to just one handset design, Android has been implemented by more & more handset makers each month. We are at the beginning of the curve, with even more to follow.*
What I really love about the Captivate is it's 4" display. The size is wonderful for all types of work and entertainment. Unlike the compromised iPhone screen, Samsung's Super AMOLED display is a proper 16:9 aspect ratio which us exactly what movies are. It also extends battery life since it does not require a backlight. Even though it's a slightly lower*resolution, in real world usage it's even better since it is brighter, has better colors, and is larger. Clarity is excellent. *Since Apples retina display can show finer detail than the human eye can see, much of it's beauty is wasted.*
The Samsung Captivate offers one of the newest, most impressive input methods in years. It's called "SWYPE"
Google for details. Briefly it's fast, easy to learn & lots of fun to use. It allows you to swipe your finger across the keys of each letter in the word without having to tap it out. I'm about 60% faster than using the old school method of typing. Their web site has outstanding videos to show how it works. Too bad Apple forbids it's use.*
If you want lots of silly apps like farts and such. Apple wins, it why many people love Apple and brag about how many apps they have. Many are poor. Android apps are quite good with a higher percentage being free and more diverse since there is a huge number of adults that use Android.*
Bottom line, take your time to research each of your choices. You can't go wrong that way.*
I also have a Samsung Captivate. Great phone, but I prefer the hardware and screen on my Iphone 4. Not to mention the Captivate requires far more tweaking to get it running like it should. Let's not forget about the broken GPS either. Android is nice, but it lacks the polish and performance of iOS. The app stores aren't even comparable. The apps available for iPhone are far superior and IMO Android's app store is a mess.
Android is far more fun to tinker with though.
Android is far more fun to tinker with though.
I got the original iPhone on launch day. I really enjoyed it. There were a few things here and there that bothered me, mainly with coverage.
My 3G broke 4 days before the iPhone4 launch, and 1 month until my upgrade period (That was shortened for iPhone4 purchases). AT&T wanted to charge me either full price for a 3GS, or $350 ETF. There may have been some confusion on the part of the customer rep with the new ETF fees. However I was unable to make any headway.
So I walked down the street to Verizon and got myself a DRIOD. The service provided by Verizon is leaps and bounds beyond AT&T, sadly the same can not be said about the phone. With the Android phones you either get a phone light on features or a phone that weights a ton. I am constantly hitting the search and back keys by mistake as there placement is right where ones fingers rest against the phone. The screen is very bright and colorful, but the touch response of it is weak. For instance, selecting a link will usually take you to a link either right above or below the link you wanted to select. I can't get a decent picture out of the camera to save my life. the slide out keyboard is a nice option over the touch screen, if that more suits ones needs.
The call quality is worse then the iPhone for sure. I do like the removable battery and the 16G microSD card for sure.
Google is making a good attempt at the Android software, however IMHO the software constitutes a Beta tag at best, Quite often behaving erratically. Moving icons around on the home screen is much much more a chore then it is on the iPhone. Usually taking a number of attempts to complete what you set out to do. Instead of double tapping and the like Google adapted a short long press idea that only helps you want to throw the phone. It's getting better, as of the 2.2 update for instance the call log has been cleaned up. Instead of having multiple entries for one number you simply have a drop arrow to show all activity with that number. However a lot of the issues are still unresolved. I believe it will be a few more years before the Android OS is fully matured.
I think the biggest thorn is the Android app market. A lot of people where angry with Apples approval process, but it made sure that apps were of a certain quality. Most apps (even the ones that are excellent of the iPhone) are junk. Limited functionality, redundancy, and misused of system resources.
With the Apple App store if you buy an app and down the road move away from the iPhone you can still use the apps on an iPod Touch or possibly an iPad. With the Android market this is not the case, as if you're not running an android phone, you're not running that app. Also a lot of apps are made for specific devices, so if you buy an app for the DROID then move the the Nexus One the DROID app my not work. I bought apps from the Apple app store, however I could never see myself purchasing an app of the android market, even if the app is rock solid. One great thing about the android market is information given to you about what access the app has on your phone before you install it. Of course this is needed with android to prevent malware, and there is tons of that.
I miss my iPhone greatly and really hope a CDMA version actually materializes. AT&T is the devil, and the Droid is just garbage. Verizon is not without it's problems, however when escalating you feel that the reps honestly want you to be happy as compared to AT&Ts take it or leave it philosophy.
Apple as well is not without it's demons, however their hardware and software design are still miles beyond the composition.
just my two, ok 72 cents!
My 3G broke 4 days before the iPhone4 launch, and 1 month until my upgrade period (That was shortened for iPhone4 purchases). AT&T wanted to charge me either full price for a 3GS, or $350 ETF. There may have been some confusion on the part of the customer rep with the new ETF fees. However I was unable to make any headway.
So I walked down the street to Verizon and got myself a DRIOD. The service provided by Verizon is leaps and bounds beyond AT&T, sadly the same can not be said about the phone. With the Android phones you either get a phone light on features or a phone that weights a ton. I am constantly hitting the search and back keys by mistake as there placement is right where ones fingers rest against the phone. The screen is very bright and colorful, but the touch response of it is weak. For instance, selecting a link will usually take you to a link either right above or below the link you wanted to select. I can't get a decent picture out of the camera to save my life. the slide out keyboard is a nice option over the touch screen, if that more suits ones needs.
The call quality is worse then the iPhone for sure. I do like the removable battery and the 16G microSD card for sure.
Google is making a good attempt at the Android software, however IMHO the software constitutes a Beta tag at best, Quite often behaving erratically. Moving icons around on the home screen is much much more a chore then it is on the iPhone. Usually taking a number of attempts to complete what you set out to do. Instead of double tapping and the like Google adapted a short long press idea that only helps you want to throw the phone. It's getting better, as of the 2.2 update for instance the call log has been cleaned up. Instead of having multiple entries for one number you simply have a drop arrow to show all activity with that number. However a lot of the issues are still unresolved. I believe it will be a few more years before the Android OS is fully matured.
I think the biggest thorn is the Android app market. A lot of people where angry with Apples approval process, but it made sure that apps were of a certain quality. Most apps (even the ones that are excellent of the iPhone) are junk. Limited functionality, redundancy, and misused of system resources.
With the Apple App store if you buy an app and down the road move away from the iPhone you can still use the apps on an iPod Touch or possibly an iPad. With the Android market this is not the case, as if you're not running an android phone, you're not running that app. Also a lot of apps are made for specific devices, so if you buy an app for the DROID then move the the Nexus One the DROID app my not work. I bought apps from the Apple app store, however I could never see myself purchasing an app of the android market, even if the app is rock solid. One great thing about the android market is information given to you about what access the app has on your phone before you install it. Of course this is needed with android to prevent malware, and there is tons of that.
I miss my iPhone greatly and really hope a CDMA version actually materializes. AT&T is the devil, and the Droid is just garbage. Verizon is not without it's problems, however when escalating you feel that the reps honestly want you to be happy as compared to AT&Ts take it or leave it philosophy.
Apple as well is not without it's demons, however their hardware and software design are still miles beyond the composition.
just my two, ok 72 cents!
Just my .2 cents on the matter. Switched from iOS to Android mobile platform using Droid X. Very pleased with Android OS thus far. Some features that I liked that iOS is lacking.
1) navigation is an extremely enjoyable experience. very smooth transitions on the map, so it doesn't jerk around while the map is moving, its really smooth. you get pretty much all the features of google maps desktop version in navigation. you can also add text to speech packs so you can get different style of voices (british, australian, american accents, etc).
2) voice search is extremely accurate and was greatly improved in 2.2 where you can now speak long sentences as long as you enunciate. when im on the road i just hold down the search button on the Droid X and speak what i have to say. The official google demonstration gives a good example of its strengths.
3) swype is definitely a revolutionary feature. its easy to learn and makes texting a breeze. i wasn't much of a texter but have been increasingly texting due to the ease of use. i can just use one hand to text instead of two.
Note: Its funny that people keep talking about the EVO, hello but theres a new Android flagship phone out, the Droid X. Its not as wide as the EVO and performs very well in terms of battery life and flash implementation. I am getting over a day of full usage from the Droid X battery. Btw, they are replaceable, so you can get extended battery from Verizon for as little as $30.
1) navigation is an extremely enjoyable experience. very smooth transitions on the map, so it doesn't jerk around while the map is moving, its really smooth. you get pretty much all the features of google maps desktop version in navigation. you can also add text to speech packs so you can get different style of voices (british, australian, american accents, etc).
2) voice search is extremely accurate and was greatly improved in 2.2 where you can now speak long sentences as long as you enunciate. when im on the road i just hold down the search button on the Droid X and speak what i have to say. The official google demonstration gives a good example of its strengths.
3) swype is definitely a revolutionary feature. its easy to learn and makes texting a breeze. i wasn't much of a texter but have been increasingly texting due to the ease of use. i can just use one hand to text instead of two.
Note: Its funny that people keep talking about the EVO, hello but theres a new Android flagship phone out, the Droid X. Its not as wide as the EVO and performs very well in terms of battery life and flash implementation. I am getting over a day of full usage from the Droid X battery. Btw, they are replaceable, so you can get extended battery from Verizon for as little as $30.
How about I compare my Captivate to the iPhone line?
Firstly, so I can don't get hated on by y'all as an "Android troll" or anything, I have had the iPhone(s). I started with the first iPhone, then dropped it for the 3GS, and have used an iPhone4 (My brother's) extensively.
I was getting tired of the iPhone UI/physical design, so I decided to try out Android, and the only above average Android phone on AT&T was the Captivate. So, I bought that for $99 (Letstalk).
So comparison:
Screen: The Captivate screen is on par with iPhone4's. The 3GS/3G/First fall behind. In direct sunlight, I'd prefer the iPhone4s. Inside, I'd MUCH rather prefer the Captivate's. Yes, I understand the resolution is a little lower on the Captivate than the iPhone4. The SuperAMOLED screen IMO is better than the Retina Display. Although, that's largely on personal preference. I have my brightness on all my devices set to the lowest setting possible.
Battery Life: I get about the same battery life on my Captivate as an iPhone4. (About 1 day with texting all day, and still on the phone). Although, recently, I turned off haptic feedback on the Captivate, and I'm getting close to 20% better battery life by the end of the day. So, in this case, I'd have to go with the Captivate's battery.
Camera: iPhone4's camera IMO is better than the Captivate's. But, the Captivate does offer different settings/modes that the iPhone's doesn't. Plus, the addition of the Front-Facing camera, I'm going to have to go with iPhone4. The 3GS/3G's camera are a little lower-quality than the Captivate's.
Phone Calls: The Captivate's speaker is on par with the iPhones. And it doesn't have the Proximity issue. The only complain I have is that you can't change the volume while your phone's near your face (If the screen is off). I'd say both the phones are very even on this.
UI: The iPhone's UI is definitely easier to learn/use than Android. Although, once you use Android for some time, you'll get really used to it. But, in the end, they're both basically perfectly capable OSs. It really comes down to personal preference. Would you rather use something that's easier to learn than something that has more features? The speed of the phones are about the same, and I haven't even put the LagFix on my Captivate yet.
Yes, the Captivate does have GPS issues, which is temporarily fixable. The update comes out in September for a permanent fix.
In the end, I'd say it's ALL up to personal preference which phone OS you go with. They're both perfectly fine.
Firstly, so I can don't get hated on by y'all as an "Android troll" or anything, I have had the iPhone(s). I started with the first iPhone, then dropped it for the 3GS, and have used an iPhone4 (My brother's) extensively.
I was getting tired of the iPhone UI/physical design, so I decided to try out Android, and the only above average Android phone on AT&T was the Captivate. So, I bought that for $99 (Letstalk).
So comparison:
Screen: The Captivate screen is on par with iPhone4's. The 3GS/3G/First fall behind. In direct sunlight, I'd prefer the iPhone4s. Inside, I'd MUCH rather prefer the Captivate's. Yes, I understand the resolution is a little lower on the Captivate than the iPhone4. The SuperAMOLED screen IMO is better than the Retina Display. Although, that's largely on personal preference. I have my brightness on all my devices set to the lowest setting possible.
Battery Life: I get about the same battery life on my Captivate as an iPhone4. (About 1 day with texting all day, and still on the phone). Although, recently, I turned off haptic feedback on the Captivate, and I'm getting close to 20% better battery life by the end of the day. So, in this case, I'd have to go with the Captivate's battery.
Camera: iPhone4's camera IMO is better than the Captivate's. But, the Captivate does offer different settings/modes that the iPhone's doesn't. Plus, the addition of the Front-Facing camera, I'm going to have to go with iPhone4. The 3GS/3G's camera are a little lower-quality than the Captivate's.
Phone Calls: The Captivate's speaker is on par with the iPhones. And it doesn't have the Proximity issue. The only complain I have is that you can't change the volume while your phone's near your face (If the screen is off). I'd say both the phones are very even on this.
UI: The iPhone's UI is definitely easier to learn/use than Android. Although, once you use Android for some time, you'll get really used to it. But, in the end, they're both basically perfectly capable OSs. It really comes down to personal preference. Would you rather use something that's easier to learn than something that has more features? The speed of the phones are about the same, and I haven't even put the LagFix on my Captivate yet.
Yes, the Captivate does have GPS issues, which is temporarily fixable. The update comes out in September for a permanent fix.
In the end, I'd say it's ALL up to personal preference which phone OS you go with. They're both perfectly fine.
You would just have to use both and see which one suits your needs. I have a Captivate and love it. One area where iOS stands out to me is the App Store. I can easily find 15-20 quality iOS games that are worth downloading and playing (on my GFs iPod Touch). The same cannot be said for Android, in my experience. But small things, like notifications, multitasking, & stock customization on Android work better for me. Different strokes for different folks.
This. All that needs to be said really.
I have a Droid X and I use it daily with an iPad with 3G. Both operating systems have their pros and cons.
This is what differentiates between a iOS and Android user. i don't mean to stereotype, but this is more of a generalization
iOS users tend to be younger, not as technically astute with regards to the mobile platform, and tend to be 'gamer-oriented' users. They also tend to suck up a lot of data from AT&T with their 1000 texts/day.
Android, tends to be for the user that needs an assistant to complement their informational needs. Android does well with accessing information in the most efficient possible manner. They tend to be professionals who generally have a technical background of sorts.
I would group myself in the latter, where the smartphone complements my lifestyle, accessing information as quickly as possible (using voice search, voice commands, instant navigation). Whereas I see iOS try to keep users entrenched in their rich app store, Google is striving for you to access information as quickly as possible. Apple is trying to keep you encased in their closed environment.
Feel free to disagree. Just my $.02
I had an iPhone 3G and loved it. I have an EVO 4G and love it.
My two cents: Android phones can be (and often need to be) tinkered with a lot more than the iPhone right out of the box. Echoing what others have said, iOS is a bit more polished at this point and the App Store definitely has a broader selection than the Android Market does at this time (that will change, of course, but it's going to take time), but there are so many more things you can do with your home screens on Android than you can on iOS. I can't say that one OS is better than the other, but after two years with the iPhone, I was itching for a change. For me, the EVO scratched that itch perfectly.
As for aohus's claim that the Droid X is the "Android flagship phone" and is better than the EVO, I'm afraid I must disagree because:
Just my opinion, of course (and I get around 40 hours per charge with normal usage).
My two cents: Android phones can be (and often need to be) tinkered with a lot more than the iPhone right out of the box. Echoing what others have said, iOS is a bit more polished at this point and the App Store definitely has a broader selection than the Android Market does at this time (that will change, of course, but it's going to take time), but there are so many more things you can do with your home screens on Android than you can on iOS. I can't say that one OS is better than the other, but after two years with the iPhone, I was itching for a change. For me, the EVO scratched that itch perfectly.
As for aohus's claim that the Droid X is the "Android flagship phone" and is better than the EVO, I'm afraid I must disagree because:
- EVO > Droid X when it comes to hardware look/feel (esp. the buttons)
- Sprint plans are light years better than anything Verizon (or AT&T) offer despite the lame $10/month "4G fee"
- 4G (if, of course, you live in a 4G market like I do)
Just my opinion, of course (and I get around 40 hours per charge with normal usage).
I think your first point is debatable, eye of the beholder. I actually prefer the Droid X over the EVO as it is not as wide as the EVO, which makes handling the device easier. But to each his own. I also like how Motorola rubberized the entire exterior of the phone so its extremely scratch resistant and not easy to fall off a table and what not (ahem all iPhones except for ip4). I do like EVO's kickstand though
Sprint plans might be competitive, but their network is simply mediocre. In my area, if you're not on AT&T or Verizon, prepare for lots of dropped calls. I used my girl's Sprint BB just the other weekend, and i was barely able to get service in my own home (ended up with a dropped call with comcast technician on the other line)
Lastly, 4G WiMAX is only available in a few select cities at this moment. Its not much of an asset when its not widely available. There is also talk of Sprint going LTE as well, following the big boys like AT&T / Verizon.