Interesting threads displaying trending iPhone (semi) discontent

[ajcadoo]

*yawn* Let's see, where to start...1) The majority of the people in the US buy their phones on contract, so you point about the unlocked phone is moot. As a matter of fact, the average iPhone owner would not even consider spending $800 on an iPhone.
2) The 64gb unlocked is their most expensive model. There are other storage size variants of the 4S that cost the same as other high-end Android phones.

Come with something better than the "the iPhone is expensive" argument. Like I said, if a person can afford a high-end Android phone, they can afford an iPhone. I don't know where you came up with the idea that the iPhone is so hard to get, and that only financially well-off can afford it. It's no more difficult to obtain financially than any other high-end phone.

Yawn

 

[404 tech junkie]

Yawn

That's all you've got? Well I suppose it beats you tossing out more nonsense. When you decide to use some legitimate points, I'll be glad to debate them. Until then, continue keeping quiet. Thanks.

 

[AustinIllini]

You want the newest version of Android but don't want to wait, you root and flash a ROM, simple. Who cares what version of Android other phones are running?

and then you brick your phone...?

 

[matttye]

and then you brick your phone...?

Flashed loads of times on various Android devices and never bricked anything. Even had to reboot once in the middle of flashing on my old Desire, thought the worst but it was fine.

 

[AustinIllini]

Flashed loads of times on various Android devices and never bricked anything. Even had to reboot once in the middle of flashing on my old Desire, thought the worst but it was fine.

I'm just trying to say it's not that simple. If you brick an android phone and go back to the carrier, they'll just laugh at you because you have violated the terms of service.

 

[matttye]

I'm just trying to say it's not that simple. If you brick an android phone and go back to the carrier, they'll just laugh at you because you have violated the terms of service.

Probably, but I haven't yet seen a "bricked" Android phone that can't be fixed. Sometimes you have to buy a "USB Jig" to fix it, but it's still fixable.

If you're willing to root and/or install a custom ROM then you're probably someone who likes to play with their stuff, tweak it etc, so you should be aware that things can go wrong when you use them outside of the manufacturers recommendations and be careful when doing so.

On Samsung phones you can at least bypass the carriers by installing stock unbranded Samsung firmware updates without rooting and without voiding warranty 🙂

 

[ugahairydawgs]

I have to disagree. I think the next iPhone will sell, but it will sell because of hype. In the end it will run iOS6 which doesn't bring anything groundbreaking to the table, and still doesn't quite catch it up with ICS, let alone Jellybean. On the hardware side, it really doesn't matter what processor and GPU it runs, because in the end it's still iOS. iOS doesn't really require any tremendous amount of horsepower because of how it's designed. The most that will be exciting for iPhone fans will be an increase in screen size and perhaps NFC, none of which is particular much reason to celebrate. With what we know about iOS6, I don't see how the next iPhone is going to be all that "sexy". That's not me trying to take a shot or anything, it's just me being a realist. Of course, I could be wrong, but that's how I see it playing out.

I see a statement like this thrown around from time to time and I never quite understand it. What exactly does ICS (or Jelly Bean for that matter) do that is so far above and beyond what iOS 6 will do?

 

[lordofthereef]

I see a statement like this thrown around from time to time and I never quite understand it. What exactly does ICS (or Jelly Bean for that matter) do that is so far above and beyond what iOS 6 will do?

While I am not saying one necessarily does more or less than the other, this article does a decent job comparing the major features in the top three current mobile operating system to the extent currently possible. And this one provides a chart for comparison.

I think it boils down to many being bored with the iOS UI. Some will argue it doesn't need to be changed. That's a fair point. But the guy that is bored with it has a valid point too; it would be nice to see it freshened up. Personally I would like to see some minor changes; "unlimited" apps per folder, rather than the current limit of 12, customize the look of folders, allowing us to add to the widgets bar/notification center (currently widgets are pretty drab). The aforementioned suggestions would all be fairly minor changes with a huge impact on usability, for me anyway.

I am also the type of person that enjoys choice. While it has been documented that Android has more malware, this is of no concern to me because I am smart with my app purchases and I have software that warns me when an app is potentially trying to access information that could be sensitive. There are people, especially those with kids who don't know much better, that need something more secure than this, which is understandable too.

 

[matttye]

I see a statement like this thrown around from time to time and I never quite understand it. What exactly does ICS (or Jelly Bean for that matter) do that is so far above and beyond what iOS 6 will do?

It depends what you want really. Android has a lot more features, for example, widgets, notification bar widgets (customisable), shortcuts to settings on the home screens, shortcuts to settings in the notification bar, ability to install custom launchers (change the entire look and feel of your home screens basically), can share to any service that supports the sharing API straight from the gallery or other apps (everything integrates really well).

The sharing thing especially makes you feel like you're using an operating system rather than an app launcher. Apps can implement the Android sharing API to share their content to any service that supports it. Apps can also implement the API so that things can be shared to their service. For example, I can go into the Gallery and share to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, etc, but I could also go into Facebook, Twitter, or any of the ones I've just mentioned and share to the other services. It's as simple as tapping menu and hitting "share" then choosing which service to share to.

You can install apps from outside of the Google Play store.

Apps can do anything they like in the background. This means that you can have things such as IRC clients for Android, which need to stay connected in the background.

You can use live (moving) wallpapers and ones that respond to touch.

You can attach any file to and save any file from an e-mail. You can download files in the web browser. You can change the default browser you want to use.

You can mount your phone as a drive on the PC and copy files to/from it. You can basically use it as a thumb drive.

You can change the battery in most Android phones.

You can use MicroSD cards in most Android phones.

It's basically not as limited as iOS. You feel a lot more FREE when using Android. This isn't desirable for everyone.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

While I am not saying one necessarily does more or less than the other, this article does a decent job comparing the major features in the top three current mobile operating system to the extent currently possible. And this one provides a chart for comparison.

I think it boils down to many being bored with the iOS UI. Some will argue it doesn't need to be changed. That's a fair point. But the guy that is bored with it has a valid point too; it would be nice to see it freshened up. Personally I would like to see some minor changes; "unlimited" apps per folder, rather than the current limit of 12, customize the look of folders, allowing us to add to the widgets bar/notification center (currently widgets are pretty drab). The aforementioned suggestions would all be fairly minor changes with a huge impact on usability, for me anyway.

From a feature standpoint, that chart really shows hardly any differentiation between Android and iOS. That said...I agree with you about there being a few UI tweaks that would go a long way towards making things feel a bit newer.

 

[lordofthereef]

From a feature standpoint, that chart really shows hardly any differentiation between Android and iOS.

This is why I find it so funny when people take the other side of the coin and state how "worlds ahead" iOS is. Point is, people pick a favorite and tend to stick with it. It's a little bit like picking a sport's team. Whether your team sucks currently or not, you don't give up on them. I am not a sport's fan, so I find the entire scenario a little silly.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

Playing devil's advocate a bit...

You can install apps from outside of the Google Play store. (and open yourself up to malware)

Apps can do anything they like in the background. This means that you can have things such as IRC clients for Android, which need to stay connected in the background. (is this something used by a lot of people?)

You can use live (moving) wallpapers and ones that respond to touch. (i think JB is suppose to address this a bit, but those live wall papers have slowed down the phone in a fairly noticeable way in the past)

You can attach any file to and save any file from an e-mail. You can download files in the web browser. You can change the default browser you want to use. (got nothing here. i personally like safari, but i can see the value in chrome)

You can mount your phone as a drive on the PC and copy files to/from it. You can basically use it as a thumb drive. (i don't mean this in a bad way, but if you are nerdy enough to do that then you probably have an account with Dropbox, Skydrive, Google Drive etc. These all become much more viable when you factor in the limited amount of internal storage in the flagship Android phones)

You can change the battery in most Android phones. (again....how many people really do this? I know there are some, but I don't personally know anyone out there that carries a spare battery with them)

You can use MicroSD cards in most Android phones. (lets look at the three "flagship" Android devices right now [One X, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy SIII], only one of the three have MicroSD slots. seems that the trend for Android OEMs these days is to go away from offering those slots in lieu of cloud storage. meanwhile, i don't know of any android devices that come with 64GB of internal flash storage)

Again....that was just my attempt at furthering a discussion. Not necessarily saying your points aren't valid, just that there are multiple sides to each argument.

 

[matttye]

Playing devil's advocate a bit...



Again....that was just my attempt at furthering a discussion. Not necessarily saying your points aren't valid, just that there are multiple sides to each argument.

Responses in red.

You can install apps from outside of the Google Play store. (and open yourself up to malware) You open yourself up to malware simply by using the Android platform, as the Google Play store has malware in it. The option is there if you want it. Some people choose to only distribute their apps via their own websites. This is also means people can share the APK files from phones with others. For example, I was running Flipboard on my Galaxy S2 while it was still supposed to be a Galaxy S3 exclusive. You just have to use your common sense like you would on a PC.

Apps can do anything they like in the background. This means that you can have things such as IRC clients for Android, which need to stay connected in the background. (is this something used by a lot of people?) Probably not, that was just an example. One example of where true multitasking bests Apple's is that apps can only download in the background for ten minutes on iOS. I always sync my Spotify playlists for offline use on my devices. On iOS, I can't just let it sit there because after ten minutes it will stop downloading. I have to keep switching to Spotify every ten minutes so it doesn't stop. On Android it will download everything in the background with no user intervention. This is the same when uploading to Dropbox etc.

You can use live (moving) wallpapers and ones that respond to touch. (i think JB is suppose to address this a bit, but those live wall papers have slowed down the phone in a fairly noticeable way in the past) It depends on the phone. My HTC Desire, Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S3 have all handled them well.

You can attach any file to and save any file from an e-mail. You can download files in the web browser. You can change the default browser you want to use. (got nothing here. i personally like safari, but i can see the value in chrome)

You can mount your phone as a drive on the PC and copy files to/from it. You can basically use it as a thumb drive. (i don't mean this in a bad way, but if you are nerdy enough to do that then you probably have an account with Dropbox, Skydrive, Google Drive etc. These all become much more viable when you factor in the limited amount of internal storage in the flagship Android phones) Yeah, but why use the internet when it's not necessary and not needed? File transfers over USB are a lot faster. Why would I want to upload everything to Dropbox rather than simply transfer them onto my phone? I do use Dropbox, but I use it for files that I want to be available everything, and that's not always the case for things I want to store on my phone.

You can change the battery in most Android phones. (again....how many people really do this? I know there are some, but I don't personally know anyone out there that carries a spare battery with them) Anyone that goes to music festivals or on camping trips probably 😛 I don't use it but the option is there.

You can use MicroSD cards in most Android phones. (lets look at the three "flagship" Android devices right now [One X, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy SIII], only one of the three have MicroSD slots. seems that the trend for Android OEMs these days is to go away from offering those slots in lieu of cloud storage. meanwhile, i don't know of any android devices that come with 64GB of internal flash storage) Galaxy S3 will have 64GB storage, but not sure when. During the announcement Samsung said it will come in 16, 32 and 64GB varieties. Cloud storage is good, but there are a number of reasons why internal storage isn't out of the game yet. 1) speed. 2) accessibility. 3) data allowances.

We could debate for days about this, but the fact is that Android isn't as limited as iOS. Whether or not you need those features is for the individual to decide.

 

[lordofthereef]

Playing devil's advocate a bit...



Again....that was just my attempt at furthering a discussion. Not necessarily saying your points aren't valid, just that there are multiple sides to each argument.

You can install apps from outside of the Google Play store. (and open yourself up to malware) This is true, but as I mentioned before an informed person REALLY need not worry. If you are one to install everything under the sun, it may be advisable to stay away. The reason I prefer Android in this sense is because I feel the AppStore is noncompetitive. If I want to buy something for iOS, I HAVE TO go through Apple. That doesn't sit so well with me. Android essentially allows anyone, a good example being Amazon, set up shop, create sales, etc. There are often times when Google Play is an equal or better deal, but there are often times when it is not.

Apps can do anything they like in the background. This means that you can have things such as IRC clients for Android, which need to stay connected in the background. (is this something used by a lot of people?) I am not sure what you consider "a lot". To me, how many people use it is irrelevant. If it's a feature I care about I am happy to have it. If it is not, well, I could care less. 🙂

You can use live (moving) wallpapers and ones that respond to touch. (i think JB is suppose to address this a bit, but those live wall papers have slowed down the phone in a fairly noticeable way in the past) Live wallpapers work pretty nicely on current devices. Either way, this brings no utility to the device. Some people like it. For those that do, they can have it. I am the guy that could care less about this feature.

You can attach any file to and save any file from an e-mail. You can download files in the web browser. You can change the default browser you want to use. (got nothing here. i personally like safari, but i can see the value in chrome) I think this is coming in iOS6, or something like it. I don't find myself having to download files very often (ever) so I am mostly indifferent about downloads. Attaching files to email I do use on both OS's (currently using a JB tweak for iOS5.x)

You can mount your phone as a drive on the PC and copy files to/from it. You can basically use it as a thumb drive. (i don't mean this in a bad way, but if you are nerdy enough to do that then you probably have an account with Dropbox, Skydrive, Google Drive etc. These all become much more viable when you factor in the limited amount of internal storage in the flagship Android phones) Cloud storage and local storage are not the same, at least not to me. To start, not all computers necessarily have the luxury of drop box (or other cloud storage) access. In many cases it can be much quick to just drag, drop, and get on the go. You are also not having to rely on an internet connection or a cloud service, either of which can potentially go down. For important files/documents, local storage is the better choice. As far as flagship phone internal storage, simply choose the phone with removable storage, assuming that is important to you. I am fairly confident there will always be at least one flagship device with removable storage as an option. That has been Android's claim to fame for a while.

You can change the battery in most Android phones. (again....how many people really do this? I know there are some, but I don't personally know anyone out there that carries a spare battery with them) I am not sure there are numbers. I know I am the type of person that likes a spare battery on hand, but I use the phone heavily. I just like to point out that choice is always good. The person who can live without a removable battery can likely live with one (I mean just pretend it's non removable, if it makes you happy 🙂 )

You can use MicroSD cards in most Android phones. (lets look at the three "flagship" Android devices right now [One X, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy SIII], only one of the three have MicroSD slots. seems that the trend for Android OEMs these days is to go away from offering those slots in lieu of cloud storage. meanwhile, i don't know of any android devices that come with 64GB of internal flash storage)I already touched on this a bit, but if removable storage is your thing, you will likely always have this option, or at least for a very long time. As always, it boils down to choice. If I need it, with Android, I can have it.

Response in bold 🙂

 

[dcypal]

It looks like Verizon is up to its old tricks again regarding the Galaxy S III, locked bootloader and removing the WiFi toggle in the notification bar. This kind of chicanery is nothing new to Verizon, I have come to expect it. However Apple is the only company able to stand up to Verizon and dictate their terms. That's why I will be staying with the iPhone, no bloatware and same experience across all carriers.

 

[Zaft]

It looks like Verizon is up to its old tricks again regarding the Galaxy S III, locked bootloader and removing the WiFi toggle in the notification bar. This kind of chicanery is nothing new to Verizon, I have come to expect it. However Apple is the only company able to stand up to Verizon and dictate their terms. That's why I will be staying with the iPhone, no bloatware and same experience across all carriers.

I don't understand why Verizon would do that....

 

[mbell1975]

You can install apps from outside of the Google Play store.

Apps can do anything they like in the background. This means that you can have things such as IRC clients for Android, which need to stay connected in the background.

You can use live (moving) wallpapers and ones that respond to touch.

You can attach any file to and save any file from an e-mail. You can download files in the web browser. You can change the default browser you want to use.

You can mount your phone as a drive on the PC and copy files to/from it. You can basically use it as a thumb drive.

You can change the battery in most Android phones.

You can use MicroSD cards in most Android phones.

It's basically not as limited as iOS. You feel a lot more FREE when using Android. This isn't desirable for everyone.

I will add to this...

File manager
Widgets
Custom ROMs
Custom launchers
Automation (ability to turn on/off things like wifi, GPS etc...based on time of day or location)
Use any browser as a default
Use any keyboard as a default
Flash
NFC
Set a ringtone without having to use iTunes/computer
Upload to FB, Twitter, Instagram, Picasa etc..while looking at a photo


Thats just off the top of my head. I am sure there is a ton more.

 

[Vegastouch]

and then you brick your phone...?

Only if you cant follow simple directions.

 

[9795393]

File manager - Unnecessary for a smart phone. File managers are not going to remain in the post PC epoch
Widgets - Does not match current UI paradigm.
Custom ROMs - Carriers hate custom roms
Custom launchers - Distracts from user ability
Automation (ability to turn on/off things like wifi, GPS etc...based on time of day or location) - Interesting, but useless. Better power management would allow always on with better battery life
Use any browser as a default - unnecessary
Use any keyboard as a default - default keyboard is wonderful, unnecessary to change
Flash - Phased out
NFC - Coming, but current implementations are crippled by carriers.
Set a ringtone without having to use iTunes/computer - How many times do you do this?
Upload to FB, Twitter, Instagram, Picasa etc..while looking at a photo - Can for Twitter, coming for FB. IG probably as well. Picasa won't happen. Features photo stream upload.


Pros of iOS
Unified inbox
Support for Google, Yahoo and Exchange out of the box
Same number for iMessage/SMS
Push notifications
Full functionality with earphones with remote

Pros of iPhone
Top camera
Highest DPI screen
Fast charging
No removable parts
World class support

 

[Vegastouch]

Playing devil's advocate a bit...



Again....that was just my attempt at furthering a discussion. Not necessarily saying your points aren't valid, just that there are multiple sides to each argument.

Looks like Apple is susceptible to Malware now

Apple gets first Malware in App store

 

[blackhand1001]

File manager - Unnecessary for a smart phone. File managers are not going to remain in the post PC epoch
Widgets - Does not match current UI paradigm.
Custom ROMs - Carriers hate custom roms
Custom launchers - Distracts from user ability
Automation (ability to turn on/off things like wifi, GPS etc...based on time of day or location) - Interesting, but useless. Better power management would allow always on with better battery life
Use any browser as a default - unnecessary
Use any keyboard as a default - default keyboard is wonderful, unnecessary to change
Flash - Phased out
NFC - Coming, but current implementations are crippled by carriers.
Set a ringtone without having to use iTunes/computer - How many times do you do this?
Upload to FB, Twitter, Instagram, Picasa etc..while looking at a photo - Can for Twitter, coming for FB. IG probably as well. Picasa won't happen. Features photo stream upload.


Pros of iOS
Unified inbox
Support for Google, Yahoo and Exchange out of the box
Same number for iMessage/SMS
Push notifications
Full functionality with earphones with remote

Pros of iPhone
Top camera
Highest DPI screen
Fast charging
No removable parts
World class support

IPhone doesn't have highest dpi screen. The rezound does. Also the one x has a better camera and screen than the iPhone and about the same dpi. It also has better color and.contrast. the siii has a better camera as well and I prefer the superamoled over the retina display. No removable parts isn't a pro and fast charging compared to what? The list you had for iOS is all also applied for Android.

 

[Vegastouch]

Responses in red.



We could debate for days about this, but the fact is that Android isn't as limited as iOS. Whether or not you need those features is for the individual to decide.

IMO HTC messed up by not having a Micro slot. Made me look elsewhere. The Nexus phones have never had to because they are really developement phones so they dont need em. They do get updates first as you know but they also get lessor cameras as well.

So the other guy saying they dont get one really dont mean much to me. Those are lacking a few things and why i have never bought one. I really want the micro slot. Just makes more sense to me. I have a class 10 32GB in my GS3 and it loads really fast.

 

[9795393]

IPhone doesn't have highest dpi screen. The rezound does. Also the one x has a better camera and screen than the iPhone and about the same dpi. It also has better color and.contrast. the siii has a better camera as well and I prefer the superamoled over the retina display. No removable parts isn't a pro and fast charging compared to what? The list you had for iOS is all also applied for Android.

How do I get a unified email inbox on Android?

 

[ajcadoo]

That's all you've got? Well I suppose it beats you tossing out more nonsense. When you decide to use some legitimate points, I'll be glad to debate them. Until then, continue keeping quiet. Thanks.

No, I was just tired from the excessive tangent you were creating in regards to iPhone. My original post never singled out the iPhone. But the convoluted tangent you created made me just so so tired.

 

[matttye]

File manager - Unnecessary for a smart phone. File managers are not going to remain in the post PC epoch

Yes they are. People want control of their things, they don't want to only be able to access their files through specific apps.

They are necessary for smartphones imo.

Widgets - Does not match current UI paradigm.

What?

Custom ROMs - Carriers hate custom roms

Carriers can pee off.

Custom launchers - Distracts from user ability

No it doesn't, you're talking crap.

Automation (ability to turn on/off things like wifi, GPS etc...based on time of day or location) - Interesting, but useless. Better power management would allow always on with better battery life

Again, you're talking crap. Automation is not only used for power management, although I admit that's probably one of the main uses for a lot of people.

You could enable silent mode automatically when you get to work, and disable it when you leave.

Use any browser as a default - unnecessary

Not unnecessary. If I want to use a different browser, maybe one that supports Flash, I should be able to.

Use any keyboard as a default - default keyboard is wonderful, unnecessary to change

Default keyboard in iOS is shocking. It only lets you correct each word with one choice, which isn't the right one half of the time. It doesn't predict your next word, and you can't add to the custom dictionary (well you can, but in a hacky workaround sort of way.)

Flash - Phased out

Not yet.

NFC - Coming, but current implementations are crippled by carriers.

No they're not. You can use NFC Smart Tags to do pretty much anything on your Android phones.

Set a ringtone without having to use iTunes/computer - How many times do you do this?

Any time you want to change your ringtone? It's faster than using a computer to do it.

Upload to FB, Twitter, Instagram, Picasa etc..while looking at a photo - Can for Twitter, coming for FB. IG probably as well. Picasa won't happen. Features photo stream upload.

Yeah. All of those services are HARD CODED into iOS, whereas Android provides a set of APIs and allows ANY APP that implements them to be supported throughout the OS. They're completely different.

In short. Your post was full of tripe 😛