Questions, comparisons and differences between Windows Phone vs iOS vs Android

[gotluck]

for android this year I would choose between GPE S5, Moto X2, Nexus5'14, M8 GPE or sense
I prefer the blank canvas of stock android (and updates), and value unlocked bootloaders/no knox/root access
but I am a biased GPE S4 owner and probably wont be buying anything this year

 

[MRU]

Of the three the 1520 has by far the better camera.



Of the S4 & M8 I am surprised how fast and fluid Sense 6 is. In many ways its faster than stock alone and to be honest I think there are lots of subtle differences in Sense stock apps that are much better than Google's stock apps. For example the dialer on sense you can swipe to access favorites and contacts rather than having to press a button. The calendar is vastly improved over stock android calendar app (calendar on stock android is showing its age and google are rumored to be launching a new version soon).



Sense won't be for everyone though, but I di think its the best skin for any Android device.



Galaxy S4 google play edition doesn't actually come with the Google Experience Launcher pre-installed, but thankfully it can be downloaded. The stock one is pants in comparison and very dated.



Have to say the M8 and Sense has actually been surprisingly more stable than my S4 GPE. That has little hiccups with random apps often stop responding abs force closing. Not often, but annoying nether the less.



The 1520 with 8.1 feels very complete and I really like it, but whilst the majority of the time the size of the device is not an issue there are times when it can be awkward. I am considering replacing it with a Lumia 930.



The HTC M8 has the best 4mp camera out there... You can take good pictures if you work within its limitations and its a very fast camera too. It is what it is.



I really enjoy fitbit integration with the M8 and the speakers are great. The onscreen Keyboard is very good. It's stock music app is fantastic too. Really well dne and packed with features and a great GUI.



The 1520 has a great camera, but its music apps aren't the greatest. Nokia Music is good but features like lyrics require a mixradio subscription whilst on the M8 stock music all its all free and smoother... Third party apps are still the Lumias biggest weakness with a lack of local content like Banking Apps, supermarket Apps etc..

Basically I'd like a device with Lumia camera, stock android quick updates and HTC's optimizations and speakers etc..

 

[Stuntman06]

I noticed that about the back button, but like you said, changing your OS takes some getting used to. The is no back button on the iPhone and iPad, and IMO, it is a big omission.

The lack of a back button is the most frustrating thing about using iOS if you are used to Android. After a couple of weeks now, I am getting used to no back button, but slowly. It's still frustrating having to use different gestures or tapping at different spots on the screen with different apps and even within the same app just to go back to the previous screen. I know some of the gestures based on which app and where in the app I'm in. Still, I end up doing gestures in the wrong app often.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Of the three the 1520 has by far the better camera.

Of the S4 & M8 I am surprised how fast and fluid Sense 6 is. In many ways its faster than stock alone and to be honest I think there are lots of subtle differences in Sense stock apps that are much better than Google's stock apps. For example the dialer on sense you can swipe to access favorites and contacts rather than having to press a button. The calendar is vastly improved over stock android calendar app (calendar on stock android is showing its age and google are rumored to be launching a new version soon).

Sense won't be for everyone though, but I di think its the best skin for any Android device.

Galaxy S4 google play edition doesn't actually come with the Google Experience Launcher pre-installed, but thankfully it can be downloaded. The stock one is pants in comparison and very dated.

Have to say the M8 and Sense has actually been surprisingly more stable than my S4 GPE. That has little hiccups with random apps often stop responding abs force closing. Not often, but annoying nether the less.

The 1520 with 8.1 feels very complete and I really like it, but whilst the majority of the time the size of the device is not an issue there are times when it can be awkward. I am considering replacing it with a Lumia 930.

The HTC M8 has the best 4mp camera out there... You can take good pictures if you work within its limitations and its a very fast camera too. It is what it is.

I really enjoy fitbit integration with the M8 and the speakers are great. The onscreen Keyboard is very good. It's stock music app is fantastic too. Really well dne and packed with features and a great GUI.

The 1520 has a great camera, but its music apps aren't the greatest. Nokia Music is good but features like lyrics require a mixradio subscription whilst on the M8 stock music all its all free and smoother... Third party apps are still the Lumias biggest weakness with a lack of local content like Banking Apps, supermarket Apps etc..

Basically I'd like a device with Lumia camera, stock android quick updates and HTC's optimizations and speakers etc..

Thanks for the comparison. Of the Android phones, I like the HTC. I have never seen the GPE Samsungs, but I would probably like stock Android more than TW, but to be fair, I really don't know the ins and outs of TW. It just seems very busy and layer upon layer to me. The only negative I have read about with the M8 is the camera, and it doesn't sound like it's as bad as some of the reviewers have made it out to be. Perhaps they are making such a big deal about it because it would have been an easy problem to rectify? And it would have made the phone nearly flawless.

For some reason the S5 just doesn't grab me like the M8. I like the dual front speakers on the HTC and the speakerphone is nice and clear. I love the build quality too, it's the only phone to rival the iPhone in that respect, IMO. People seem to really like the Galaxy and to me it's just ok. I start to wonder what I'm missing or not getting about it.

And while talking about Android, I also like the Nexus 5 and Moto X. It will be interesting to see what the next version of each brings. The pricing of these two is quite reasonable. It would be reasonable to buy one of them and do another phone on contract. Just an idea.

And as far as the Lumias go, I think the Icon is a good all around size. It has a gorgeous screen, although the 1520 is IPS. I don't think WP8 would be hard to get used to, and 8.1 makes it even better. The only real drawback is the lack of local apps, like banks, coffee shops, etc. Hopefully as WP gains some market share this will be less of an issue. As for games, as long as I can play Wordament, I'll be happy.

 

[AppleScruff1]

The lack of a back button is the most frustrating thing about using iOS if you are used to Android. After a couple of weeks now, I am getting used to no back button, but slowly. It's still frustrating having to use different gestures or tapping at different spots on the screen with different apps and even within the same app just to go back to the previous screen. I know some of the gestures based on which app and where in the app I'm in. Still, I end up doing gestures in the wrong app often.

At times it gets annoying having to do those things when a back button would do it in a simple, consistent way. And it doesn't seem like it was all that long ago when Safari didn't have tabbed browsing. That was annoying too.

Every new OS has a learning curve. I think we just need to keep an open mind while we learn. Whatever we are used to is always easier for us to use. I get a kick out of people posting how easy OSX is to use compared to Windows, but if you have used Windows for years and switch to OSX, it's not an instant transition. Ditto for iOS as you have experienced yourself. So many say that iOS is more intuitive, etc, but if you've never used it, it takes some getting used to.

 

[gotluck]

Many stick with galaxy s/ note because I believe they are the last removable battery + SD card flagship's around.

Good camera too.

Good hardware tech with compromises in build quality in return

 

[AppleScruff1]

Many stick with galaxy s/ note because I believe they are the last removable battery + SD card flagship's around.

Good camera too.

Good hardware tech with compromises in build quality in return

I have seen the removable battery mentioned as important in many posts and comments. To me personally, it's not a big deal anymore like it was years back. But it does make battery replacement cheaper and a simple do it yourself project, so I can see its merits and how it may be important for some users. Especially if you keep your phone for 2+ years and the battery degrades or swell. IMO, SD card slot should be included on all upper end phones. I think it's pure greed on the manufacturers part not to include it. On an iPhone it costs $200 to go from 16GB to 64GB. You can buy a 64GB SD card for under $40.

 

[MRU]

. The only negative I have read about with the M8 is the camera, and it doesn't sound like it's as bad as some of the reviewers have made it out to be. Perhaps they are making such a big deal about it because it would have been an easy problem to rectify? And it would have made the phone nearly flawless.

When your disappointed you tend to be a lot harsher on the thing that disappoints you.

The camera can take nice shots, see my pics in the M8 thread. BUT there is no doubt 4mp limits you with options afterwards.

You can't really zoom into an image / crop it afterwards and likewise can't really expect to go printing it at 10x8 sizes or above.

If the photo has a subject that's in foreground / near field of view the camera is at it's strongest, where it struggles is on landscapes where everything is in the background and the 4mp just adds a limit on it.

The camera takes decent shots for your social networking sites. If you don't expect the moon on a stick you'll likely get by, but it is indeed frustrating to know the device could have been just that closer to awesome if they had stuck an 8-16mp shooter in there.

 

[maflynn]

I was only curious about turning it off accidentally, not with getting used to the button placement. I just thought that you may be more likely to press it accidentally when holding the phone vs it being on the top. How/where do you carry your 1520? Can you put it in your pocket? What kind of case do you use? Again, thank you for the replies.

I love the button placement on my Lumia Icon. They're perfectly placed and I don't accidentally hit them. tbh, it feels very natural and my hand just goes there.

I still look at the bottom of the phone for the phone jack though

 

[gotluck]

I have seen the removable battery mentioned as important in many posts and comments. To me personally, it's not a big deal anymore like it was years back. But it does make battery replacement cheaper and a simple do it yourself project, so I can see its merits and how it may be important for some users. Especially if you keep your phone for 2+ years and the battery degrades or swell. IMO, SD card slot should be included on all upper end phones. I think it's pure greed on the manufacturers part not to include it. On an iPhone it costs $200 to go from 16GB to 64GB. You can buy a 64GB SD card for under $40.

Yea I hear you it isn't a huge deal to me either. Sure it was a factor in my decision (I mean I'm not going to complain about it), but not the end all be all. I'm glad the m8 included the sd card this year, mostly because why not?

All in all, it's really going to come down to preferences IMO. Each oem has it's trade off.
Samsung, build quality, Knox (IMO)
Htc, camera
Moto, camera
Nexus, goodies like ir blaster sd card
Sony, unavailability in the us
LG, software (IMO) never seem to sell unlocked gsm devices in USA (personally hate carrier lockdown)

I don't think there is a super phone that checks all the boxes for android

 

[ozaz]

Each oem has it's trade off.
Samsung, build quality, Knox (IMO)

Just got a Samsung phone for the first time today. As far as I can tell, Knox is an opt-in security solution. If that's the case, why do you consider it a negative?

 

[gotluck]

Just got a Samsung phone for the first time today. As far as I can tell, Knox is an opt-in security solution. If that's the case, why do you consider it a negative?

Rooting or tinkering with the device can flip an irreversible 'efuse' that can be used to deny warranty support. I believe this is the case whether you opt in or not. Tripping the fuse breaks the ability to opt in in the future I believe.

I've read that people have still got warranty support despite but ymmv

One of the main reasons I left ios was for freedom, so it's kind of just based on principle, I just don't want to have to deal with it.

 

[ozaz]

Rooting or tinkering with the device can flip an irreversible 'efuse' that can be used to deny warranty support. I believe this is the case whether you opt in or not. Tripping the fuse breaks the ability to opt in in the future I believe.

I've read that people have still got warranty support despite but ymmv

One of the main reasons I left ios was for freedom, so it's kind of just based on principle, I just don't want to have to deal with it.

Thanks. I have no desire to root. But what is meant by tinkering?

I've just read a description of Knox, and actually, for me I can see it being a positive feature. http://blog.clove.co.uk/2013/10/22/samsung-knox/

For me, these two things stand out from the linked blog description:

if you take a photo whilst in Knox, it cannot be accessed from your personal gallery

I've always avoided taking work-related photos with my smartphones because I'm not supposed to allow them to get onto cloud storage (e.g. via auto backup). So this is a potentially big benefit.

Another nice touch is that if you have a work email account setup in Knox using Microsoft Exchange, the management policies that are applied to the account (e.g remote device wipe) only apply to the Knox container. This means that if for any reason your place of work feels the need to remotely delete your data, it will only be applied to the Knox container and will not delete files in your personal account.

This has always worried me when I setup work exchange accounts on my personal devices, so again another potentially big benefit.

Given the nature of this thread, I wonder....are there any similar modes in other OSs?

Somewhat related, I've always wished it were possible to setup different personal and work start screens & notification settings and toggle between them as needed (e.g. I would switch on work start screen & work-related notifications during 9-5 and switch to personal start screen and notification settings at other times). Is such a thing possible on any mobile OS?

 

[jamezr]

Thanks. I have no desire to root. But what is meant by tinkering?

I've just read a description of Knox, and actually, for me I can see it being a positive feature. http://blog.clove.co.uk/2013/10/22/samsung-knox/

For me, these two things stand out from the linked blog description:



I've always avoided taking work-related photos with my smartphones because I'm not supposed to allow them to get onto cloud storage (e.g. via auto backup). So this is a potentially big benefit.



This has always worried me when I setup work exchange accounts on my personal devices, so again another potentially big benefit.

Given the nature of this thread, I wonder....are there any similar modes in other OSs?

Somewhat related, I've always wished it were possible to setup different personal and work start screens & notification settings and toggle between them as needed (e.g. I would switch on work start screen & work-related notifications during 9-5 and switch to personal start screen and notification settings at other times). Is such a thing possible on any mobile OS?

At my work they are piloting a program just like why you are describing. They want to give each employee that is approved a mobile phone the choice of a stipend ($600) to but the phone of their choice (has to meet requirements) or the firm provides a phone. If you choose to take the stipend and choose your own phone.....you get to only carry one phone with two different profiles. One for work and one personal. All of the data in each profile is encrypted and separate. Right now they will do this using software called Mobile Iron. They haven't offered it yet....it is still in the demo stage right now. It sounds interesting though. The choice of phones are said to include iPhone 5s, Galaxy S5, Note 3 and others but I can't remember what they are. Oh and o think it has to be at least a 32Gb or higher model....

 

[AppleScruff1]

I love the button placement on my Lumia Icon. They're perfectly placed and I don't accidentally hit them. tbh, it feels very natural and my hand just goes there.

I still look at the bottom of the phone for the phone jack though

Good to hear about no accidental button presses. And I guess it would take some getting used to having the headphone jack on the top if you're used to it on the bottom. Wasn't the iPhone 5 the first iPhone with the jack on the bottom? I can see the reasoning with putting your phone in your pocket upside down, when you reach in and take it out it's top side up and ready for use.

----------

Yea I hear you it isn't a huge deal to me either. Sure it was a factor in my decision (I mean I'm not going to complain about it), but not the end all be all. I'm glad the m8 included the sd card this year, mostly because why not?

All in all, it's really going to come down to preferences IMO. Each oem has it's trade off.
Samsung, build quality, Knox (IMO)
Htc, camera
Moto, camera
Nexus, goodies like ir blaster sd card
Sony, unavailability in the us
LG, software (IMO) never seem to sell unlocked gsm devices in USA (personally hate carrier lockdown)

I don't think there is a super phone that checks all the boxes for android

I don't think there is a phone that hits all the high points on any operating system.

----------

Thanks. I have no desire to root. But what is meant by tinkering?

I've just read a description of Knox, and actually, for me I can see it being a positive feature. http://blog.clove.co.uk/2013/10/22/samsung-knox/

For me, these two things stand out from the linked blog description:



I've always avoided taking work-related photos with my smartphones because I'm not supposed to allow them to get onto cloud storage (e.g. via auto backup). So this is a potentially big benefit.


This has always worried me when I setup work exchange accounts on my personal devices, so again another potentially big benefit.

Given the nature of this thread, I wonder....are there any similar modes in other OSs?

Somewhat related, I've always wished it were possible to setup different personal and work start screens & notification settings and toggle between them as needed (e.g. I would switch on work start screen & work-related notifications during 9-5 and switch to personal start screen and notification settings at other times). Is such a thing possible on any mobile OS?

I think you brought an interesting twist to the thread. I think it's good to hear about the differences in the various phone operating systems. We all have different wants and needs.

 

[gotluck]

Thanks. I have no desire to root. But what is meant by tinkering?

I've just read a description of Knox, and actually, for me I can see it being a positive feature. http://blog.clove.co.uk/2013/10/22/samsung-knox/

For me, these two things stand out from the linked blog description:



I've always avoided taking work-related photos with my smartphones because I'm not supposed to allow them to get onto cloud storage (e.g. via auto backup). So this is a potentially big benefit.



This has always worried me when I setup work exchange accounts on my personal devices, so again another potentially big benefit.

Given the nature of this thread, I wonder....are there any similar modes in other OSs?

Somewhat related, I've always wished it were possible to setup different personal and work start screens & notification settings and toggle between them as needed (e.g. I would switch on work start screen & work-related notifications during 9-5 and switch to personal start screen and notification settings at other times). Is such a thing possible on any mobile OS?

Yep fair points indeed. Tinkering I would describe as using roms, but I'm not entirely sure what can trip Knox. I know MRU tripped Knox using Kies to restore the device, which seems like a malfunction but I think root is the primary way to trip it.

It certainly has it's positives. I'm admittedly obsessed with having root

I too wish for profiles, why not?!

Fwiw, third party exchange apps like nine and touchdown have the exchange container feature as described with respect to wiping and security as well.

 

[MRU]

I know MRU tripped Knox using Kies to restore the device, which seems like a malfunction but I think root is the primary way to trip it.
.

Yep that's what happened. A few other folks found same so it's likely a bug / fault with restore in Kies. Kies is a terrible application.


The only other thing to note is if you trip Knox on the S5, it may break the fingerprint scanner for good....

 

[danny_w]

I really appreciate all of the information in this thread. I am looking at potentially changing from my iPhone and information like this is very useful to me. I went to BB yesterday to look at phones and with the short amount of time I had to spend there, the LG G2 impressed me the most, esp. for the money. I may go to T-Mobile today to see what they have in the store and play around some more. Keep up the comparisons, the information is most appreciated!

 

[MRU]

^ The LG G2 gets a lot of praise and it's camera is supposed to be great. Personally I really don't like LG's skin on Android - but that's just a personal preference. Value for money wise the LG G2 can be picked up off contract very cheap these days making it very compelling, especially given the difference between Snapdragon 800 & Snapdragon 801 performance is nothing too major.

 

[mib1800]

Yep that's what happened. A few other folks found same so it's likely a bug / fault with restore in Kies. Kies is a terrible application.


The only other thing to note is if you trip Knox on the S5, it may break the fingerprint scanner for good....

Then don't root. Nobody here complain about iphone not being able to jailbreak as a major disadvantage to not to buy. And a non rooted s5 have more capabilites than a jailbroken iphone. So what the huh hah? Smell of hypocrisy too me.

 

[gotluck]

Yep that's what happened. A few other folks found same so it's likely a bug / fault with restore in Kies. Kies is a terrible application.


The only other thing to note is if you trip Knox on the S5, it may break the fingerprint scanner for good....

Fair enough, I have never had the chance to use kies..

also curious about the fingerprint scanner

/tangent
strange how the GE has no official method to return to stock. Did you Odin back to stock using the user created stock files on XDA when you bought your device second hand?

You can actually root the device through fastboot with the bootloader locked still. The previous owner could have rooted, messed with stuff, unrooted and sold the phone. Just was thinking about some of the stability concerns you mentioned, can't say I really see what you've experienced much. Guess it depends on how many crashes you're getting.

well that was a tangent

 

[MRU]

Fair enough, I have never had the chance to use kies..

also curious about the fingerprint scanner

/tangent
strange how the GE has no official method to return to stock. Did you Odin back to stock using the user created stock files on XDA when you bought your device second hand?

You can actually root the device through fastboot with the bootloader locked still. The previous owner could have rooted, messed with stuff, unrooted and sold the phone. Just was thinking about some of the stability concerns you mentioned, can't say I really see what you've experienced much. Guess it depends on how many crashes you're getting.

well that was a tangent

I didn't flash anything in Odin I just used factory reset in stock recovery, though I may look at doing a user created stock flash.

 

[gotluck]

I didn't flash anything in Odin I just used factory reset in stock recovery, though I may look at doing a user created stock flash.

Yea I'm under the impression that doesn't clean the system.

Fair warning I have not tried the unofficial xda method. It seems to work though.

 

[MRU]

Yea I'm under the impression that doesn't clean the system.

Fair warning I have not tried the unofficial xda method. It seems to work though.

There seems to be quite a few xda threads - do you know which is likely best to use?

 

[gotluck]

There seems to be quite a few xda threads - do you know which is likely best to use?

Here is the 4.4.2 samuraihl is the guy
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2569510

You can flash an earlier version and take the ota updates as well if you'd like. Bear in mind its a long shot and your system may very well be fine.