Hey, you traitors out there!!

[dulaney22]

I need some input from those who have left iPhone and tested the waters with Android. Let me preface this by saying that I am an Apple fanboy. I am typing this on an aluminum Macbook, only because I hate long entries on my iPad. I have 3 iMacs at my office and multiple iPods. For 2 years I've been a devoted iPhone toter.

Anyway, after being irritated with the pre-order fiasco, I went out and tried an Evo for a while. Let me just say that I was quite shocked with the tech, speed, UI, etc. Yesterday, I went and tested the iPhone 4 and, had I tried the Evo, would probably been a lot more impressed. Don't get me wrong, the screen on the 4 is gorgeous, but there's not much difference between it and my 3GS.

I've surfed and read all I can find for user reviews and opinions. I returned the Evo because Sprint sucks in my area. However, I borrowed a friend's Incredible for a while and was knocked over with Verizon's network speeds and clarity. Of course, the Droid X is the new contender and I'm having a hard time not placing the pre-order.

I know some of you guys out there have gone Android. I've read numerous reports of bugging interface and unstable operating, but I would like real-life user opinions. I already know what I lose in the App store. Make no mistake, the apps available on Android pale in comparison to the Apple store. This is overcome, in my mind, with the availability and use of widgets and Swype. It also doesn't hurt that my iPad has kinda taken some of the iPhone's luster and use for me.

In short, I'm trying to decide if my familiarity and extended use of the iPhone and iOS are causing my eyes to be overwhelmed with bling, or if this platform is a stable and worthy option? Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Higgs1]

well i don't personally use android os but my girlfriend and her family all do. I have always had iPhones (as long as they've been around lol) and she's been stuck on a family play with verzion. She currently has the Droid Eris and got it as soon as it was released along side the Motorola Droid last year.

If its any indication she does not like it at all, granted its her first smartphone, she also carries around her ipod touch because the UI is much more fluid and stable. Her brother recently got the incredible, and while he says he likes it, he still would rather have an iPhone, as he says it has the much better OS.

AT&T around my area is on par with verizon and actually better in most places, so coverage is not a concern for me. She ends up asking to use my phone more often then pulling hers out of her purse, and when we're in wifi she's on her touch more than her droid.

They would all be on AT&T if it wasn't for the 25% discount her parents get on their family plan and since they aren't paying for it don't really have much say.

Take that for what its worth, but i'm firmly behind apple and not a big fan of the droid at all......

 

[Johnd206]

I switched and got the HTC Evo from sprint. My employer uses Sprint so I already know the recipition in Seattle is ok. My battery is gone half way through the day if I do alot of video (Sling,youtube) and tether but I'll pick up an extended battery to keep at work to swap them out. I don't care for the droid apps either (no netflix, imdb isn't a good app) but I have an Ipad for those. All in all I'm fine after the switch and I'm glad to rid myself of AT&T.

 

[dulaney22]

I switched and got the HTC Evo from sprint. My employer uses Sprint so I already know the recipition in Seattle is ok. My battery is gone half way through the day if I do alot of video (Sling,youtube) and tether but I'll pick up an extended battery to keep at work to swap them out. I don't care for the droid apps either (no netflix, imdb isn't a good app) but I have an Ipad for those. All in all I'm fine after the switch and I'm glad to rid myself of AT&T.

Both the Evo and Incredible have atrocious batteries. If the Droid X is similar when finally tested by credible sources, it will be an easy decision for me. I used to begrudge the battery life on my 3G and 3GS, but after using both these I'm happy with Apple's offering.

 

[gloss]

Both the Evo and Incredible have atrocious batteries. If the Droid X is similar when finally tested by credible sources, it will be an easy decision for me. I used to begrudge the battery life on my 3G and 3GS, but after using both these I'm happy with Apple's offering.

Early battery tests on the Droid X seem pretty solid.

PCMag says:
"The large 1570 mAh battery delivered more than eight hours of talk time in our preliminary tests, and battery tests are still ongoing. I anticipate that this phone will have much better battery life overall than the HTC Evo; the large screen means it will probably still need to be recharged every day, but I'm confident in saying the battery won't be a deal-breaker. An even larger, 1930 mAh extended battery which is 1mm thicker will be available at launch as an add-on accessory"

CNet is, similarly, still doing their battery drain tests.

 

[Ipadq]

I've read numerous reports of bugging interface and unstable operating, but I would like real-life user opinions.

In short, I'm trying to decide if my familiarity and extended use of the iPhone and iOS are causing my eyes to be overwhelmed with bling, or if this platform is a stable and worthy option? Any thoughts are appreciated.

Real-life user experiences will always be some-what-biased anecdotes, and not likely to aid you more than the 'numerous reports' that you have already read. I think you have already chosen the best approach -- testing the waters yourself, as you did with the Evo. I would recommend doing that again with the Verizon Android devices as well.

 

[peestandingup]

Nice try fandroid, now go play with your Fisher Price android phone and let the grownups talk.
Macrumors has become a magnet for disgruntled fandroids who can't handle the fact that the new iphone blows any android crap away.
Don't you guys have your own forums?

About Android, IMO it's probably the closest rival to iOS. However, to me a lot of the apps look generic compared to most the stuff on iPhone. They're just not as polished & robust overall.

Then there's the fact that Android is "open", which is good & bad. Instead of getting your OS updates from one source (like Apple does), you have to wait on both your phone maker & the carrier to send it to you. It's a major PITA. So you could be stuck in limbo for quite sometime while others are using the latest & greatest OS.

 

[Trent0341]

I've had every iPhone on release day so I'm hardly the one to give you advice. Can you afford the worst case scenario if you hate the droid X? Do you have any friends planning on buying one that would let you have a test run on it? Either way I wish you best of luck and would be interested in hearing your decision (and opinion of the droid X should you go that route).

 

[Macdicted]

Hey you TRAITORS ?

Funny I don't remember Steve Jobs ever paying me a salary or paying any of my bills. So if your an independent thinker than your a traitor for not buying EVERYTHING Apple ?

Your just as bad as the Apple fanboys that are mindless , thoughtless blind loyalist that think because it's made by Apple they have to buy it , and it MUST be better than anything else. LMAO

I too like Apple but the last 2 releases have been disappointing. The iPad has wifi issues which even though Apple acknowledged such 2 months ago they have yet to address the issue with an update. Nice to see them more worried about shipping them out the door than fixing the problems at hand. No way it shouldn't have been fixed by now. Then you have problems with the iPhone and reception, what is Steve's answer ? Don't hold it that way ! Screw him and screw Apple till they fix the problems.

So much for quality control , guess that isn't Apples main objective anymore.
Just another company out for their bottom line.

 

[ThatsMeRight]

You should chose what you prefer. If you like Android phones more, get an Android phone. If you like the iPhone more, get an iPhone.

Personally, I don't really like Android phones. Sometimes it's got really great hardware and stuff, but yet I like the iPhone more. The iPhone is an iPod (which I prefer above any other music player) so that's already a pro in my eyes. Besides that, it's got a lot of apps. The App Store is one of the most important reasons why I like the iPhone more. There are a lot of games for the iPhone, so I can use it as a Nintendo DS or a PSP. Sure, there are no physical buttons but I can usually live with that. Next to that I prefer web browsing on an iPhone. Every morning when I wake up, I first pick up my iPhone to browse the web in bed and to check out some apps. Other phones can do web browsing, but I've never enjoyed it more than on an iPhone. These are the reasons why I prefer the iPhone more.

Sure, Android phones sometimes might have better hardware but in the end it's all about how I experience it. The iPhone is not slow. Sometimes it's even faster than an Android phone, even though it's got 'worse hardware'. You shouldn't look particulary at the hardware, you should look at the over-all experience.

If you enjoy Android phones more, if you like the software more, than get an Android.

 

[gloss]

Personally I think the op is a douche too. Hey you TRAITORS ?

I'm thinking he meant it jokingly.

People need to relax.

 

[dulaney22]

I'm thinking he meant it jokingly.

People need to relax.

Yes, it was said jokingly to draw attention. I tried to put a sign in the title but it didn't work.

I knew it would draw the douchebag comments, but I also hope there is some serious discussion.

Thanks to those with actual insight. My mind is not made up and I've got a month or so before doing anything.

 

[Lamarak]

I had the droid incredible for three weeks before going back to apple. I had the three previous iphones, got mad at att for a mistake they made on a bill and left in a huff. My pros and cons from my admittedly limited use.

Pros of android using the incredible-
1. superior maps and turn by turn directions
2. widgets and very customizable home screens
3. Could speech to text sms with no apps, microphone located with the keyboard, worked very well and handy when driving and want to text safely. That I miss the most, could talk text fast was very cool to use.
4. Could turn bluetooth off and on without going through many menus all the time.
5. removable battery and storage.

Cons-
1. Apps are no where near as polished, some require to much private info and access to phone than I liked. Hard to control use without something like appbrain.
2. Audio and music integration very clunky, if have itunes need to rely on other apps to make work.
3. Battery use could be awful if you did not watch apps you had running.
4. Hate the mini usb and plastic cover to charge phone, especially a pain for a car charger.
5, Audio and music quality not nearly as good, in my own opinion, YMMV.
6. Device as a whole felt cheaply built compared to an iphone, like would not stand up to long term use.
7. The biggie, that any updates are at the mercy of the phone company and maker, so your device may never see an update of any kind or have to wait months while others get it.


This was my honest opinion, and please take as that. Not meant to say one way or the other of whether this is better. Just wasnt for me.

 

[MacGeekDC]

Hey you TRAITORS ?

Just another company out for their bottom line.

Of course they are, it's a corporation.

 

[icyfire]

Well if you are still trying to decide between Android and iPhone, let me tell you, I have dropped 6 calls just today on my brand new iPhone 4. That's right 6 calls. My friend who I was talking to was literally laughing at me after the 3rd dropped call. And I was holding the phone without covering up that stupid black seam. Worse still, the damn phone was showing 5 bars 3G when it was dropping calls ! I also live in densely populated Central NJ which is supposed to be blanketed in AT&T 3G. I'm returning this thing and not walking, but running back to Verizon. Droid X, here I come.

 

[tuatha]

Yeah, I wouldn't bother with the evo. It's not a bad phone by any stretch, but it's a mixed bag. Some great features, some crappy ones.

Droid x looks like being a better bet.

Or you could wait a little longer and see what htc will be announcing in the autumn. Rumor has it we might see the first dual-core android phones around september of this year. Plus froyo will be standard by then.

I disagree with the comments saying android is clunky or difficult to use btw, it's come a long way and you would literally have to be retarded to find it remotely confusing.

The one issue you might have is, as mentioned above, the itunes factor. If you already have the misfortune of being locked in to that godawful program, it might cause some difficulties.

 

[sectime]

I have a 3Gs, had Iphone 2G, 3G, I'm not sure about upgrading to the 4. I tried a Droid and an Evo, both times came back to my Iphone. For me if it was just phone vs Iphone, I think Android wins on many fronts, loses on a few. When it matures, I think Apple will have a real fight on it's hands, especially with people who don't own macs. Ask a person how he feels about owning a Samsung Moment and other current Androids since it was just announced that no Froyo for you. I have macs at work and home, and an Apple TV, the way Apple products work seamlessly together in their universe is the compelling reason to stay, for me.
People complain about walled gardens, and Apple control, but it works pretty good. I have Itunes, works great for me, again I use Macs so maybe thats the difference. IMHO for the haters on both sides.

 

[wreckshop]

I think the Nexus 1 is still the best android phone, and here's why:

N1 will always get OS updates first.

N1 looks and feels like a premium device (made of metal)

compared to evo or droid x, N1 gets far better battery life and u can buy xtra batteries from google for only $25

N1 has a multicolor LED trackball which can be used for notifications or games and makes selecting text a lot easier.

N1 is unlocked (not a big deal unless u travel tho)

N1 is rare! Since u can only buy it online not many people have it and know about it.

 

[pika2000]

Imo Android is overrated by the geeks. It's still a great OS if you are switching from a dumbphone/Symbian/Winmo, but if you're already an iPhone user, using Android feels like you're going back to Winmo. Gone are all the nice little polishes that we take for granted on iOS. Something as simple as re-arranging icons inside a folder. Guess what, you can't do that in a stock 2.1 Android. Another simple task, moving a cursor on a text box. It's a nightmare on Android as you have to keep tapping and hoping the cursor will fall on the spot you want. If you tap and hold, it will pop up a copy-and-paste menu. iOS implementation is much better as tap and holding will reveal a magnifying glass allowing you to pinpoint where you want the cursor to be. People make fun of iOS when it lacked features like folders and copy-n-paste, but fail to realize the better usability on Apple's implementation.

Then there's the segregation of Gmail and non-Gmail emails. This is really confusing, especially if you're used to get pushed email all at once in iOS. Oh, and if you want to type an email from some other app (eg. Contacts) and you have multiple email accounts, there's no way to easily switch which account you want to use. You're stuck with the default.

I can go on and on. Yeah, you can view porn, root your phone, install whatever apps you want, and multi-tasks like crazy, but to me usability takes precedence, and Android is not there yet. Currently, it feels more like Winmo in terms of usability. It has a great potential, but it's overrated by the geeks at its current iteration.

 

[Ipadq]

Imo Android is overrated by the geeks. It's still a great OS if you are switching from a dumbphone/Symbian/Winmo, but if you're already an iPhone user, using Android feels like you're going back to Winmo. Gone are all the nice little polishes that we take for granted on iOS. Something as simple as re-arranging icons inside a folder. Guess what, you can't do that in a stock 2.1 Android. Another simple task, moving a cursor on a text box. It's a nightmare on Android as you have to keep tapping and hoping the cursor will fall on the spot you want. If you tap and hold, it will pop up a copy-and-paste menu. iOS implementation is much better as tap and holding will reveal a magnifying glass allowing you to pinpoint where you want the cursor to be. People make fun of iOS when it lacked features like folders and copy-n-paste, but fail to realize the better usability on Apple's implementation.

Then there's the segregation of Gmail and non-Gmail emails. This is really confusing, especially if you're used to get pushed email all at once in iOS. Oh, and if you want to type an email from some other app (eg. Contacts) and you have multiple email accounts, there's no way to easily switch which account you want to use. You're stuck with the default.

I can go on and on. Yeah, you can view porn, root your phone, install whatever apps you want, and multi-tasks like crazy, but to me usability takes precedence, and Android is not there yet. Currently, it feels more like Winmo in terms of usability. It has a great potential, but it's overrated by the geeks at its current iteration.

Hmmm.. The placing cursor thing must be a subjective issue. I'm doing a trial run with the Evo and I find it much easier to place the cursor with it than the iPad. With the iPad I have to use the magnifying glass and move the cursor to place it at the right spot, but with the evo keyboards (both swype and non-swype) I seem to get it right the first time. Also, evo's keyboards have arrow keys which make it more convenient to move the cursor, something I wish the iPad had.

Also, with evo's UI, it is much easier to customize and move icons than on the iPad.

Like I said, this is a very subjective thing, IMO.

 

[ArmyTech]

First off let me say that i love apple products, and I have just about every product in my home. I had every generation of iPhones, but switched from the 3GS to the Evo. The Evo is an awesome phone, the screen size is amazing, having conversations with my wife is more crisp then my iPhone experience, and Internet use is much quicker. The apps are generic compared to the iPhone, and although battery life is not as good as the iPhone, Its not really that bad. The camera is not as crisp as the iPhone 4 (tested with my friends iPhone 4), but the picture and videos still are amazing for a cell phone. My experience this past month with Sprint has been outstanding, and I'm glad that I switched from AT&T. I wish that I purchased just the iPad wifi instead of the 3GS version because the htc evo is made perfectly for the iPad, the hotspot feature is amazing and I get better speeds then Atts crowded 3G service. My opinion is unbiased, and solely based off of my experience since I switched from the iPhone to Htc evo on launch day. The evo is not as polished as the iPhone, but the new iPhone and AT&T didn't really convince me to stay. The evo is an awesome phone, and is probably the only phone I would put on par with the iPhone 4. I hope this helps.

Sent from my iPad 64GB 3GS!

 

[dulaney22]

Thanks to everyone for the input.

I did have some issues with the Evo cursor placement. However, the arrow keys solve any such problems. Luckily, I have the wifi iPad so an Android with hotspot would be great! I agree that the OS on android isn't as polished and, as the above poster stated, the apps seem more generic. This would be a bigger issue for me if I didn't own the iPad.

I'm surprised you don't see more folks touting swype. IMO, that is one of the biggest pluses for Android at the moment. I do a lot of text entry from my phone and found it to be fantastic and pretty dang polished.