Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I can never think of these phones as anything more than counterfeits that cost the same as the original. It is mystifying to me why anybody would buy one.

I used to feel that way, but I now give credit to Samsung for the Galaxy S phone design, and the tech it touts. I think it's unique enough from iPhone to be considered a first in many cases. That variable aperture feature is wild!
 
The samsung bloatware special. lol With so much bloat and forked up'ness it's hard to call this garbage an android phone.

Unsurprisingly, the things that don’t work invariably involve software. Ouch...but i think he meant bloatware.

Bixby isn’t new, but it’s still here, and it’s just as bad as it was when it launched last summer. LOL


And then there’s the perennial complaint with Samsung’s software (bloatware): why are there so many duplicate apps? The unlocked S9 I’ve been testing has two email apps, two gallery apps, two browsers, and two app stores. The carrier versions will surely have even more duplicative apps. A couple of Samsung’s apps are good — namely the Samsung browser and Samsung Pay — but the rest are inferior to the Google apps that are also installed on the phone, which just makes them annoying. If you care at all about software updates, Samsung is one of the worst manufacturers when it comes to delivering new versions of Android. As of this review, last year’s Galaxy S8 still doesn’t have Android 8.0 in the US, and that was released by Google over six months ago.

But then again the unwashed that buy these care little beyond how the phone looks which is its biggest draw.
 
iPhone 8 is $699, 8 Plus is $799 to start. How is that not reasonable by comparison?
The S9 is "a worthy rival to the iPhone X" according to the reviews and has a full-screen AMOLED screen. It isn't competing with a four-generation old, huge bezel, LCD design.

The iPhone X should have started at $800 and the iPhone 8 should have had a $50 price cut over the iPhone 7 rather than a $50 increase.
 
I can never think of these phones as anything more than counterfeits that cost the same as the original. It is mystifying to me why anybody would buy one.

You get a piece of hardware with a lot more features than Apple gives you and Android provides a lot more flexibility and control over the Phone than iOS does. You're also much less locked into an eco system.

It's very much a preference thing. Some people like Apple's "you will do it our way and like it" philosophy, some people don't.

Is it really that mystifying?

Just the fact that the S9 has a headphone jack and the iPhone doesn't sums up this entire difference between the platforms and the people who choose to use them. Both phones are equally capable of using wireless headphones.
 
The samsung bloatware special. lol With so much bloat and forked up'ness it's hard to call this garbage an android phone.

Unsurprisingly, the things that don’t work invariably involve software. Ouch...but i think he meant bloatware.

Bixby isn’t new, but it’s still here, and it’s just as bad as it was when it launched last summer. LOL


And then there’s the perennial complaint with Samsung’s software (bloatware): why are there so many duplicate apps? The unlocked S9 I’ve been testing has two email apps, two gallery apps, two browsers, and two app stores. The carrier versions will surely have even more duplicative apps. A couple of Samsung’s apps are good — namely the Samsung browser and Samsung Pay — but the rest are inferior to the Google apps that are also installed on the phone, which just makes them annoying. If you care at all about software updates, Samsung is one of the worst manufacturers when it comes to delivering new versions of Android. As of this review, last year’s Galaxy S8 still doesn’t have Android 8.0 in the US, and that was released by Google over six months ago.

But then again the unwashed that buy these care little beyond how the phone looks which is its biggest draw.

Samsung is not anywhere near the worst when it comes to software updates.
 
The S9 is "a worthy rival to the iPhone X" according to the reviews and has a full-screen AMOLED screen. It isn't competing with a four-generation old, huge bezel, LCD design.

The iPhone X should have started at $800 and the iPhone 8 should have had a $50 price cut over the iPhone 7 rather than a $50 increase.

There is no way in hell the iPhone X could start at $800 with a $210 camera array for face ID. The S9 has nothing that can compete with that piece of technology, which is the true differentiator for the iPhone X. And performance wise, it's still going to fall slightly behind the iPhone 8. Yes, I would prefer the S9 design to the 8 but I'm not falling for the X comparison.
[doublepost=1520530962][/doublepost]
You get a piece of hardware with a lot more features than Apple gives you and Android provides a lot more flexibility and control over the Phone than iOS does. You're also much less locked into an eco system.

It's very much a preference thing. Some people like Apple's "you will do it our way and like it" philosophy, some people don't.

Is it really that mystifying?

Just the fact that the S9 has a headphone jack and the iPhone doesn't sums up this entire difference between the platforms and the people who choose to use them. Both phones are equally capable of using wireless headphones.

Yes, it's definitely a preference and ecosystem thing. But let's not kid ourselves, you can't enter Apple's ecosystem from the Galaxy phones and vice verse. The Android ecosystem is definitely more open but the tradeoff there is usually that you will require more setup and configuration. Sometimes it's not the case and Android is more versatile for sure.

As far as wireless goes, I'd be interested in knowing how well Apple's W1/W2 chip enhances sound over bluetooth's current codecs. Until Bluetooth 5.0 gets the audio codecs to take advantage of the enhanced bandwidth, it's still the same old bluetooth as far as audio goes.
 
The Notch - Apple's innovative design Vs Samsung no notch.

upload_2018-3-8_12-42-31.png
 
Last edited:
Really?

After about 9 months, you are pushed to the slow train in terms of software updates. You'll skip most of the monthly security patches, you'll get a major OS update maybe 10 months after it is released, and after approximately 2 years it's no more software updates for you.

All iOS users get the same software updates on day one as released. Devices are typically supported for 4-5 years with updates. And this helps protect the resale value of your device, should you wish to sell it on before buying a new one.

Samsung charges prices in the same ballpark as Apple but with almost none of the customer service or care.
Please be accurate with your nay saying, I have a work s7 edge, its not perfect but the last monthly security update i got was Feb 2018. So not exactly out of date.
 
Despite never liking them, bitmoji was at least silly in a “cartoony” way. Samsung’s version of mixing bitmoji with 3D scan of your face is just creepy.
 
Sounds about right. Solid hardware, about the same when it comes to pictures, and really nothing special about it. It's the same as the S8. It really only appeals to people who prefer Android as there really isn't much reason to jump from iOS. On top of it all, performance, security, privacy, ecosystem, apps, and support are all poor compared to Apple. I don't get it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MacsRuleOthersDrool
IMO the iPhone X is the best looking phone right now. It feels more bezeless than other phones because it's largest bezel is smaller than other phones. The screen also goes to all 4 corners of the phone.

The polished steel band is nice too. It reminds me of a stainless steel Apple Watch while being a nice throwback to the OG iPhone.
 
There is no way in hell the iPhone X could start at $800 with a $210 camera array for face ID. The S9 has nothing that can compete with that piece of technology, which is the true differentiator for the iPhone X. And performance wise, it's still going to fall slightly behind the iPhone 8. Yes, I would prefer the S9 design to the 8 but I'm not falling for the X comparison.

Link to your source for the FaceID camera module costing $210. IHS Markit estimates the True Depth camera cluster to cost $16.70 with the total cost of all phone components being only $370.

http://news.ihsmarkit.com/press-rel...ple-370-materials-ihs-markit-teardown-reveals

While certainly not exact, given Apple's historical tripling of component cost in setting retail price the IHS Markit estimate is probably going to be pretty close overall.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: DanJBS
My wife has the S8. In terms of hardware, it's certainly an admirable piece of tech. However, the fact that it runs a heavily skinned version of Android that, as clearly evidenced by Samsung's prior behavior, won't see updates for quite some time makes it a non-starter for me.

Agreed. I just cant stand the touchwiz UI.. I hate that so much - even if someone gives me a samsung for free, I won't take it..If I want an android phone, i'll get a pixel 2 for sure. So how good their hardware is, it doesn't matter to me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AlphaGuitarist
Keeping in mind no tech is perfect, but... Apple's FaceID, AR, and CPU/GPU performance (among other things) is in a class of it's own. Nobody in Android land even comes close. Interesting to see the summaries gloss over that.

However, if I were in the Android camp, the S9 would be a compelling product. Not bad looking either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AlphaGuitarist
In the end, I agree with you. Others tend disparage against iOS in terms of lack of customization or its boring, but iOS has always been about simplicity and security. It doesn’t have any clutter and it’s a clean platform. Hardware eventually wears off as it is, where software is more meaningful long-term, where I think iOS leads.
No Clutter? The pages are a mess with those big icons and not being able to customize them for a nice clean homepage. Disagree with that. I also find it not quite as easy to use as Android as you have to take more steps to do some things.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.