Those are rather simplistic points which lack any real substance.
What is so significant about the App Store? The number of apps? How you install them? How you browse them? What apps are allowed on the store?
It's not just the number of apps, it's that most of the brain-power in developing new apps is going to the iPhone right now. Many of the major (non-game) apps are available for both platforms, but a lot of the really unique apps that make using an iPhone special aren't available for Android.
How is the iPhone easier to use than an Android device? When setting it up? Making Calls? Browsing the web? Music?
I just helped a co-worker and good friend make the choice between these two phones. For a variety of reasons he went for the Droid, but he acknowledges the many ways in which using it are not as easy as the iphone. A few examples:
- when browsing the web, it is hard to zoom as precisely as you can with the iphone. Yes, you can install Dolphin browser, but it's pinch to zoom is way too sensitive, and it's not a great browser otherwise. Furthermore, pinch to zoom works in so many other apps than the browser.
-If you accidentally click a link, it's easy on the iphone to slightly move your finger to de-select. On the droid you are stuck opening that link then going back.
-The iphone also seems to accurately click on small links much better than the droid.
-same with placing the cursor accurately in a line of text. Many reviewers have even acknowledged that the work around is to just delete then re-type on the droid.
-in general, it's not an uncommon occurrence to get to a point in Droid where you can't do what you want, and the only option is to use the Home or Back button, which takes you further away from what you were trying to do than you'd like.
-While setting up his Exchange account for him, the first time through, after entering all account info, it wouldn't accept my attempts to press Next to finish the process. I had to exit the app, start over, then it worked.
-Trying to look at a couple of jpg attachments (less than 100k) caused it to hang at downloading attachment with no success. To do anything else, you had to use the back button, select a different message, then come back to the original message.
-when he first went to show it to me this morning, it was dead, and the only way it would turn on was to remove the battery. He wasn't so amused with the reminders this gave him of the first days with his xv6700 (that many of us had) which would have such behavior 6-7 times per day as shipped from Verizon. I've NEVER had such an occurrence with my own, nor with the many other iPhones I support.
-Music - tons of people (including my co-worker) are invested in the Itunes music store because it's really convenient. He's considering buying a Touch to supplement the Droid. I'M the one trying to talk him out of this move.
How is the user experience better? Is this just a rehash of point two?
Yes, see above.
What do you think iPhone OS 4 and the next iPhone device will do that will be "game changing"?
Honestly, with a better screen, and some level of multi-tasking, Apple will be pretty well set. I really like the Droid (other than the physical hardware) and I could live with it easily, and enjoy the benefits it has over the iphone. Most non-technical users will still be put off by it because it (like Windows before it) still has too many quirks. There are millions of people like my wife who wanted nothing to do with a smart phone until the iphone came along. Like her, they aren't going to want to hear about anything but the iphone for a long, long time.
