Regretting Android Purchase

[samcraig]

The iphone is better with the apps as if they aren't doing anything they are in idle state not using extra power. While the Android even not in use they use extra power. Yes they both are task killers, Android is automatic if you want, and iphone is manual, but the iphone ones don't really need to be killed as they don't cause issues with battery life.

Some apps do. Not going to argue that point since there have been several threads that illustrate the fact.

And Apple's Map app needs to be killed to stop draining. Yes - the purpose is to maintain location if you're getting directions, etc and it's one of the multitasking APIs - but ultimately - the app has to be killed. The map app itself doesn't have a "stop" function. Just pointing out one example...

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Some apps do. Not going to argue that point since there have been several threads that illustrate the fact.

And Apple's Map app needs to be killed to stop draining. Yes - the purpose is to maintain location if you're getting directions, etc and it's one of the multitasking APIs - but ultimately - the app has to be killed. The map app itself doesn't have a "stop" function. Just pointing out one example...

About that... When I hit the home button, the GPS/location arrow icon in the notify bar disappears. It reappears when I pull the map up again and I also see the data circle appear for a second everytime I pull the map back up. This leaves me to believe that the maps app stays in an idle state.

Navigon app seems to do the exact same, unless your in the process of a guided direction session which the location arrow stays on and you can still hear voice guidance.

 

[nizmoz]

About that... When I hit the home button, the GPS/location arrow icon in the notify bar disappears. It reappears when I pull the map up again and I also see the data circle appear for a second everytime I pull the map back up. This leaves me to believe that the maps app stays in an idle state.

Navigon app seems to do the exact same, unless your in the process of a guided direction session which the location arrow stays on and you can still hear voice guidance.

Correct. I have yet to find a APP once put in idle causing a power drain on the iphone. Only ones that do that is streaming music like Pandora.

Android, MOST of the APPS stay active, as there is no such thing as IDLE apps.

 

[nizmoz]

Some apps do. Not going to argue that point since there have been several threads that illustrate the fact.

And Apple's Map app needs to be killed to stop draining. Yes - the purpose is to maintain location if you're getting directions, etc and it's one of the multitasking APIs - but ultimately - the app has to be killed. The map app itself doesn't have a "stop" function. Just pointing out one example...

Just quit posting man. You keep getting proven wrong time after time again. It is obvious you have no experience in this.

 

[samcraig]

Just quit posting man. You keep getting proven wrong time after time again. It is obvious you have no experience in this.

I'm sorry (not really) that you don't like my posts. But insinuating that I should quit posting just because you don't agree with my experience is ridiculous. I have plenty of experience. I'm also technologically agnostic and look at all sides fairly and holistically. No OS is perfect. And all devices have learning curves. To argue otherwise only indicates that you are either blindly biased OR that you have no experience.

 

[nizmoz]

I'm sorry (not really) that you don't like my posts. But insinuating that I should quit posting just because you don't agree with my experience is ridiculous. I have plenty of experience. I'm also technologically agnostic and look at all sides fairly and holistically. No OS is perfect. And all devices have learning curves. To argue otherwise only indicates that you are either blindly biased OR that you have no experience.

I have more experience than you would ever get since I get to mess with almost every smart phone from all providers on a daily basis at my job. It seems to me you aren't looking at both sides fairly but more for the Android and finding the negatives against the IOS. While myself and others have said what the negatives and positives are on both phones. 🙄

 

[samcraig]

I have more experience than you would ever get since I get to mess with almost every smart phone from all providers on a daily basis at my job.

You have no idea what I do for a living. Your post, sorry to say, screams that you are young and "bragging" about experience. See- I can make snap judgements too....

My posts in this thread aren't defending iOS because it doesn't need defending. I never said it was inferior or worse. I simply stated that all OS's have their shortcomings. If you think putting OS's on equal playing field is NOT being fair then that's your issue.

 

[joeconvert]

oh so from your gathering, smartphones will become obsolete and everyone will be carrying around 10 inch tablets around?

fyi, smartphones and tablets are two totally different devices, that serve different functions.

smartphones are here to stay, and so are tablets.

I don't necessarily agree with the poster you are replying to, but I do see his point. I have found the usage of my iPhone 4 declining steadily since I got an iPad a bout a month and a half ago. Sometimes I wonder why I have the iPhone. Portability is the big plus and AT&T's terrible data plans for the iPad kept me with a WiFi only. I generally use it with a Sprint 3G/4G mobile hot spot, but that is not terribly convenient.

If only a phone module could be docked with an iPad like device, get data on the go and not get blasted with the subscriptions for what is generally pretty sub par service anyway.

Back on topic, I do find email, web browsing and other tasks to be much better suited to the iPad rather than the iPhone at this point.

 

[iceterminal]

We purchased my mother in law the iPad, and from what she says that she is now she uses it more than her old cell phone. Mind you, she didn't have a smart phone. But according to her she now uses email more and has a text application on it so she uses it.
However, I think she's doing that because her eyesight is going and she can see the iPad easier.

 

[Interstella5555]

In reality now that tablets are becoming more main stream the app useage for smartphones will decrease. Once you use an iPad going back to the iPhone screen is torture. Sure the phones are good for reading emails and web browsing in a pinch but that is it.

It wasn't that long ago that people used their cell phones just for making phone calls!

Right...and desktops are obsolete because laptops are more portable and can be just as powerful. How did that work out?

 

[tdwilli1]

Yes, I moved on to the other OS after owning an iPhone since 2007. I have to JailBreak and unlock my first iPhone to make it work up here on Canada. I got curious on the perceived openness and other capabilities like "true multitasking" on Android that the fanboys are touting so I got myself a Samsung Galaxy S Captivate on Rogers and things went downhill.

I prefer the multitasking on the iOS and WP7 compared to the battery consuming implementation on my Galaxy S. I once forgot to kill several apps and left them running in the background and it ate 40% of my battery in like three hours. What's the point of having this kind of multitasking when it kills your battery so fast? I also do not like the fact that I have to be actively killing apps in order to preserve battery life.

I also have to root my SGS to make it usable, use One Click Lag Fix to get rid of the lag, use Juice Defender and SetCPU to under clock it to 100 MHz when idle to preserve battery life, use AudioBoost, install Dolphin because the default browser sucks, and numerous other "tweak apps" and hacks.

My experience with Android isn't a pleasing one. I have to do all sorts of geeky stuff to make my Galaxy S useful and last a day. I don't get a kick out of doing all these tweaks and prefer the "it just works" approach of Apple. Tweaking and hacking my Android device doesn't makes me happy, in fact, it's annoying.

It makes me wonder how the non-geek customers of Galaxy S who hasn't done a tweak manages their phone. It must have suck for them. No wonder the user loyalty of Android is at 28% compared to Iphone's 59%. I will switch back to iOS when iPhone 5 comes out. Android feels more like a beta OS compared to the polished iOS.

On the apps department, Android generally fails in quality compared to iOS's. Almost all the apps are better on iOS. Most Android widgets also don't appear elegant and have a Windows XP/ hacker feel.

I expect my Galaxy S to be a phone first and last a day with the smartphone features playing only a second fiddle role to its main purpose. Sadly, my Galaxy S fails its purpose out of the box without tweaks and tweaking Android is not fun at all.

I saved my wife all the hassle and bought her an iPhone 4. 😀

Exactly all the reasons that I came up with when I tried out the Captivate. After 30 days back it went and I got the iPhone 4 back!!!

 

[ulbador]

My brother-in-law is a consumate Android lover. His latest phone is the Evo. Recently we were on vacation and I laughed when he had to charge his phone 2 to 3 times a day. Of course this was probably due to his usage, but it's still pretty hilarious.

 

[tigress666]

I don't necessarily agree with the poster you are replying to, but I do see his point. I have found the usage of my iPhone 4 declining steadily since I got an iPad a bout a month and a half ago. Sometimes I wonder why I have the iPhone. Portability is the big plus and AT&T's terrible data plans for the iPad kept me with a WiFi only. I generally use it with a Sprint 3G/4G mobile hot spot, but that is not terribly convenient.

If only a phone module could be docked with an iPad like device, get data on the go and not get blasted with the subscriptions for what is generally pretty sub par service anyway.

Back on topic, I do find email, web browsing and other tasks to be much better suited to the iPad rather than the iPhone at this point.

I don't see the poster's point that tablets will make everyone stop using smart phones. Cause sure, some people are going to be just happy lugging a tablet around (and if I am going to bother taking something that big, I'm going to take my laptop that really isn't that much bigger and a helluva lot more capable, if nothing else, it has a built in keyboard that I don't have to set up with cables or turning on wifi and connecting it to use). I'm happy not lugging a tablet around everywhere I go. Where as my iphone can go everywhere I go and it is easy enough to carry.

So just cause it works for you doesn't mean everyone will be happy with your solution. And I assure you, there are plenty of people who aren't going to want to lug a tablet around who are going to want access to things a smart phone gives them (and would rather the compromise of a smaller screen than having to take an extra bag or carry something in their arms everywhere).

 

[Jimmy James]

Call iOS's "fast app switching" bar whatever you want. It's also a task killer. Sometimes apps don't launch correctly - the only way to get them to relaunch is to kill them from the fast app switching bar. How is THAT not task killing?

Some apps (and yes - perhaps it's developer error) do cause battery drain.

Maps app will drain unless killed from the fast app (IE TASK BAR) as they have been designed for.

Point is - calling it anything other than a task manager is marketing and misdirection. Those that will argue otherwise are failing to call a spade a spade.

Agreed. I have 2 apps that I need to "kill" after using them or they'll kill my battery while continuing to run in the background.

 

[aohus]

My brother-in-law is a consumate Android lover. His latest phone is the Evo. Recently we were on vacation and I laughed when he had to charge his phone 2 to 3 times a day. Of course this was probably due to his usage, but it's still pretty hilarious.

the EVO is known to have bad battery life.

Fortunately, thats one of MANY android phones out there, and the fact that Android isn't hardware specific, is a definite plus.

Motorola phones give great battery life, if the user does NOT use a task killer. Additionally, replaceable extended batteries are available at a moments notice.

 

[ulbador]

Motorola phones give great battery life, if the user does NOT use a task killer. Additionally, replaceable extended batteries are available at a moments notice.

Does NOT use a task killer? That seems a little counter-intuitive.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Actually I have experience on Android too. Yes it most definitely needs a task killer. You open too many apps and it slows to a crawl. Without a killer the Android OS would be useless after opening up a couple apps.

No, this is incorrect. An app killer is nice to have, but not necessary to save on battery life on an Android or any handset. Turning off radios will do a much better job of saving battery life.

I had three Android phones and yes you do need task killers in 2.2. I tried the phone with and without TK. Battery life was better with the task killers.

This was true with both my daughter's Incredible and my X and Incredible.

Again, turning off the radios is a better solution and was the cause of your battery drain.

Every iPhone I used and sold when I worked for Apple had the same issue, and customers complained about the battery life the most yet kept every communication device on in their phones.

My brother-in-law is a consumate Android lover. His latest phone is the Evo. Recently we were on vacation and I laughed when he had to charge his phone 2 to 3 times a day. Of course this was probably due to his usage, but it's still pretty hilarious.

This was is own fault, like an iPhone/iPod Touch/Palm Pre/Symbian/Blackberry user having the same problems.

PEBKAC

the EVO is known to have bad battery life.

If and only if the user fails to use the device correctly. It's been said a million times in regards to the EVO, turn off 4G and get 40% of your battery life back.

Turning off:

WiFi
Bluetooth
GPS
Tethering and even syncing will give you even more battery life

I think everyone needs to get a gripe on reality about any smartphone or device with that many radios and ways to connect to the internet.

p.s. Palm Pre is still the only phone with REAL multitasking that doesn't drain battery life at all. 😛

p.p.s. The only app that kills my battery on my EVO is Angry Birds after two hours of running at full screen brightness on a 4.3" screen.

 

[kenypowa]

The iphone is better with the apps as if they aren't doing anything they are in idle state not using extra power. While the Android even not in use they use extra power. Yes they both are task killers, Android is automatic if you want, and iphone is manual, but the iphone ones don't really need to be killed as they don't cause issues with battery life.

Right.....why don't you leave GPS apps running in the background and see how the battery is affected?

Correct. I have yet to find a APP once put in idle causing a power drain on the iphone. Only ones that do that is streaming music like Pandora.

Android, MOST of the APPS stay active, as there is no such thing as IDLE apps.

That's simply not true. The only app that I have to kill is Skpye. It is ruining the battery life. All other apps are fine.

 

[kenypowa]

I prefer the multitasking on the iOS and WP7 compared to the battery consuming implementation on my Galaxy S.

Sorry, WP7 can'thave multi-task yet. It has to wait until the early 2011 update.😛

 

[kdarling]

Android, MOST of the APPS stay active, as there is no such thing as IDLE apps.

This is totally incorrect, although it seems to be a common misconception.

Just as many people get confused by the iOS recently-used apps strip and mistakenly think those apps are all still active, many people also see apps in Android task managers and mistakenly think all those are active.

In actuality, Apple added almost exactly the same model of "freezing" apps when they're pushed into the background, as Android is already using.

In both OSes, most apps are paused in place, doing nothing, ready to be started again as-is. In both cases, the least-used apps are removed if memory is needed. In both cases, the apps that are about to be removed can implement a special method to store state.

The biggest difference from Android is that most iOS apps have not been rewritten or recompiled to take advantage of this fast-app-switching model.

--

As for actually doing stuff in the background, both OSes allow apps to do at least the most common and useful operations: transferring files, playing music, waiting for timed events, and watching for location changes.

Android allows a few more background operations if an app is written for it (usually if they're a widget meant to do so). No doubt iOS will eventually add these things as well... just the same as they have already added some to the original iOS.

There seems to be a common and naive myth that allowing background tasks is somehow bad. Does that mean iOS 4 is evil compared to previous versions? Of course not. Devices advance, and they become far more useful when they can do more for us without being asked.

 

[aohus]

Does NOT use a task killer? That seems a little counter-intuitive.

task killers are NOT essential in Android 2.2. Its available natively. There are multiple articles stating task killers are not beneficial in Android.

Its not Windows, its not OSX, its not BlackBerry OS. Its Android.

There seems to be a common and naive concept that allowing background tasks is somehow bad. Does that mean iOS 4 is evil compared to previous versions? Of course not. Devices advance, and they become far more useful when they can do more for us without being asked.

Quoted for truth. Its just that some applications, if not coded correctly, can cause battery drainage.

 

[nizmoz]

Right.....why don't you leave GPS apps running in the background and see how the battery is affected?



That's simply not true. The only app that I have to kill is Skpye. It is ruining the battery life. All other apps are fine.

It goes into a IDLE state as I have done this.

 

[nizmoz]

task killers are NOT essential in Android 2.2. Its available natively. There are multiple articles stating task killers are not beneficial in Android.

Its not Windows, its not OSX, its not BlackBerry OS. Its Android.



Quoted for truth. Its just that some applications, if not coded correctly, can cause battery drainage.

2.2 doesn't need it because it's built in. 2.1 needed apps to do it for you.