Why I can never switch from an iPhone

[psac]

Thanks for the post. Interesting "real world" case study of some in-depth (maybe even obscure) features. This is what a 30 minute iPhone infomercial would look like, and I mean that as a compliment!

ps -- Iris is a great song.

 

[DodgeV83]

I would just submit this:

If the girl in that photo is your wife or girlfriend then I would say you needn't worry about iOS, Android, WM7 or Symbian for that matter...you've got it good!!

Thanks! Now do you see why I use FaceTime so much?

 

[cardinalryan]

Thanks! Now do you see why I use FaceTime so much?

Well, you did a mosaic to the face, so no...but she has great legs!

 

[quickmac]

OP: You only sleep like 5.5 hours a night? Man I sleep like 7.5 and I feel like I need more. I wish I could sleep 6 hrs and be good lol.

But these are all great reasons for owning an iPhone. Those apps you used as examples seem awesome and the graphic screenshots are amazing.

I agree, Android I could never go back to. Although I'm stuck on Blackberry because T-Mobile STILL won't officially get the iPhone for some bizarre reason. I ditched Android after about 3 different ones because it was such a terrible mobile OS. Blackberry is solid but quickly falling behind.

I'd get an iPhone in a second if I switch to Sprint or T-Mobile joins the rest of the world in getting the iPhone. Mainly for the cloud features and seamless syncing between my MBP and an iPhone. For someone who is self employed and makes my owns schedule I would love the organization that comes with auto syncing of calendars, notes, documents, tasks, etc.

Sure I can cobble together something on Blackberry with Google Gmail but it is glitchy, slow, and sometimes gets information wrong. It isn't seamless and I find myself less organized because the Blackberry just doesn't have what the iPhone has.

I will miss the BB keyboard and BBM if I ever switch, but more and more of my colleagues in my field are using iPhones paired with various Apple computers and are raving about how easy it is to keep track of expenses, schedules, payments, clients, etc. Even if I leave the field to go for a doctorate I imagine having the iPhone -Mac pairing set up seamlessly would be well worth the switching!

Why T-Mobile, why don't you get the iPhone?

 

[cynics]

Thanks! Now do you see why I use FaceTime so much?

NO! Care to elaborate?! Haha

 

[saberz]

DodgeVb3,

I agree with a lot of what you posted. I always look at other devices (can't help it you do get bored once in awhile) but am NEVER IMPRESSED. The amount of screen issues that are being reported on the XDA Forums is high for the Note which turns me off.

Now the apps you mentioned are great. I tried slow shutter and its better than the $1 app I bought NightCap. No matter what I did I couldn't get NightCap to take photo's anywhere near as nice as those shown in the previews. Slow Shutter did though.

My favorite app is Web Albums, I have instant connectivity to my Google Account(Picasa) and have my photo's stored there. I can transfer, organize and edit photo's and have them sync between all my devices and is a great backup option. This is probably my number 1 rated app as it's important that I can access photos on the go and manage them. This app also handles Facebook and other accounts as well. Worth the price IMO.

Another app I use frequently is iZip, it just works and it works well (and Free). I email back and forth quite a bit through the day, even at home using my iPhone and this app alone has made it much simpler for me to just use the iPhone instead of my laptop. I view contents, extract contents and what not without issue.

I unfortunately couldn't get HDR Photo Camera to work right, all my photo's were coming out blurry. Still going to mess with it though. Your app suggestions were helpful and definitely point out the advantages of Apple's ecosystem.

Infinity Blade and Infinity Blade 2 are really stellar games and truly showcase the abilities of the iDevices. When you have set hardware specifications it is far easier for developers to create content. I think of Apple's strategy to that of the console games. Set hardware and it gets better with every generation of software.

Android is fragmented similiar to Windows in that Developers have to take into a account a variety of different hardware such as CPU's, GPU's, RAM etc more so than if done for Apple devices. Some apps won't even work on specific handsets.

Thank you for the informative post and providing app references, I always look forward to finding a good app

 

[wtmk81]

OP thanks for this I checked out Slow Shutter and It's free today too. Never would have known about the APP if not for this.

 

[iproductsuser]

Wow that's the BEST written and thorough post i've ever read on an internet forum. I read the entire thing and it truly displays the iphone in a nutshell. I don't do nearly that amount of stuff with mine but I probably should put it to better use. That's truly incredible and it's always nice knowing it will always do what you need it to do plus more. Thanks again for taking the time to compose that post.

 

[DodgeV83]

I unfortunately couldn't get HDR Photo Camera to work right, all my photo's were coming out blurry. Still going to mess with it though. Your app suggestions were helpful and definitely point out the advantages of Apple's ecosystem.

Opps! Forgot to mention that can happen if you don't set Low Light Bracketing on. Click on the gear on the bottom right -> Advanced Settings -> Low Light Bracketing -> ON

I like this app better than others, because it also takes a normally exposed photo. That way if the HDR photos are too extreme to be usable, you'll still have the normal photo to use

I'll update the main post.

 

[mrbutters]

Try to take your phone to the Google Bar when it doesn't work right.

Try to make sense of the ridiculous array of phones available running Android.

Try to pick one that isn't crap and won't be obsolete when Hot Milkshake 2.1.4.6.9 comes out in 3 hours.

Try to give your phone to a 5 year old or your grandmother, when your hands are full, and you need them to do something on the phone besides check the time.

Try not to give away your credit card numbers and passwords by installing a malicious clone of Pissed Off Pigeons.

Try not to lose over half of your investment when you resell your phone.

Try not to look like a total dweeb when you point out to all your friends with iPhones that your shiny plastic Android Phone of the Week can access your file system and install a launcher or a custom ROM.

Why would I care about any Android phone except the one I own?

I can have the newest version of Android almost as soon as its released thanks to devs who make it available. Where is that jailbreak for iOS 5.1 that was released months ago?

If you have mentally challenged kids and grandparents, don't blame Android

Never ONCE had my credit card number stolen with Android. However, I DID with Apple. Yep, someone used my credit card at Apple to ship someone a shiny new iPhone 4 last year to someone a few hundred miles from me. Apple quickly realized they were at fault and credited me the money but still. False sense of protection there buddy.

I have never gone more than a few days trying to sell an Android phone. Took me 2 weeks to sell my 4 and i had to sell it for dirt cheap, go figure.

Actually, most of my friends have Android phones, not iPhones so yea...

----------

You listed so much nonsense.

Why would you need to install a custom ROM? Or a new launcher?

Because some people don't like their phones to look and perform like everyone else's phone out there. Only Apple lovers who don't have access to this kind of thing are so closed minded to it. You know damn well if Apple every let iPhone users install custom ROMS or launchers, this board would be filled with people singing its praises. You just thumb your nose and things you can't do and make yourself think its nothing special just because you can't have it. So you must not think LTE is that great either right?

 

[braddick]

As soon as I think I've got my iPhone set up perfectly this thread comes along and proves me wrong!
Thanks for the tweak ideas- I've incorporated most of them and have perfected and already enjoyable experience using this OS.

Thank you for the informative and well put together thread.

 

[Kyotoma]

Why would I care about any Android phone except the one I own? Because your phone is obsolete within days of its release. iPhone is guaranteed for at least a year, with software support for three to four years.

I can have the newest version of Android almost as soon as its released thanks to devs who make it available. Where is that jailbreak for iOS 5.1 that was released months ago? Until your beloved Cyanogenmod or whatever else you use stops supporting your device. Like Jailbreaking, Rooting etc will only last so long.

If you have mentally challenged kids and grandparents, don't blame Android. If you had half a brain, you wouldn't need to resort to insults to make your point.

Never ONCE had my credit card number stolen with Android. However, I DID with Apple. Yep, someone used my credit card at Apple to ship someone a shiny new iPhone 4 last year to someone a few hundred miles from me. Apple quickly realized they were at fault and credited me the money but still. False sense of protection there buddy. Security of the internet should be considered no matter what device you use. I'll agree that some iOS users have a false sense of security, but as I said you should really keep track of what you do online no matter what you use. Besides that, there have been a great deal more of malicious apps documented on Google Play versus iOS.

I have never gone more than a few days trying to sell an Android phone. Took me 2 weeks to sell my 4 and i had to sell it for dirt cheap, go figure. Everyone's experience in this is different. That's how sales works. You could sell it in a few hours or you might have to wait weeks before you find a buyer. And, depending on that buyer, you may have to sell it for less. YMMV.

Actually, most of my friends have Android phones, not iPhones so yea......So yea? That's not a childish argument at all.../sarcasm

----------



Because some people don't like their phones to look and perform like everyone else's phone out there. Only Apple lovers who don't have access to this kind of thing are so closed minded to it. You know damn well if Apple every let iPhone users install custom ROMS or launchers, this board would be filled with people singing its praises. You just thumb your nose and things you can't do and make yourself think its nothing special just because you can't have it. So you must not think LTE is that great either right? Actually, most iOS users as well as Android users don't give a damn about Rooting/ROMing/Jailbreaking. They just want a phone that works. Stock Android, while you can readily customize it moreso than iOS, is no where near as smooth or bug-free as iOS. So while you're right in that this board may end up with posters praising it, they are in no way a majority of any count.

Replies are bolded.

More on topic: Great post(s?) OP. Very informative and I enjoy your style of photography. Plus your subject is easy on the eyes.

 

[saberz]

Opps! Forgot to mention that can happen if you don't set Low Light Bracketing on. Click on the gear on the bottom right -> Advanced Settings -> Low Light Bracketing -> ON

I like this app better than others, because it also takes a normally exposed photo. That way if the HDR photos are too extreme to be usable, you'll still have the normal photo to use

I'll update the main post.

That did the trick! Thanks!

 

[iFiend]

Try to take your phone to the Google Bar when it doesn't work right.

Try to make sense of the ridiculous array of phones available running Android.

Try to pick one that isn't crap and won't be obsolete when Hot Milkshake 2.1.4.6.9 comes out in 3 hours.

Try to give your phone to a 5 year old or your grandmother, when your hands are full, and you need them to do something on the phone besides check the time.

Try not to give away your credit card numbers and passwords by installing a malicious clone of Pissed Off Pigeons.

Try not to lose over half of your investment when you resell your phone.

Try not to look like a total dweeb when you point out to all your friends with iPhones that your shiny plastic Android Phone of the Week can access your file system and install a launcher or a custom ROM.

This post is full of win.

I commend you sir, that was my first actual LOL in quite some time.

Bravo.

 

[saberz]

Expanding on the whole Rooting/Rom thing for Android we aren't necessarily talking about hacked/unofficial releases.

From a pure open box usability stand point, you are getting updates for at least 2-3 years guaranteed with an iDevice. The reference to Android was that most handsets do not see an update and are typically stuck on whatever is shipped with the device.

Most carriers/device manufacturers don't bother with the updates because it they are focusing on newer devices which are generally made available every few months. Key aspects are "newer" OS versions and functionality. There are plenty of articles detailing the carrier update headaches around the net. It also doesn't help that every handset maker has their own proprietary software on it(TouchWiz, Sense etc) and that takes time to develop and update as well.

 

[wellok]

Awesome post. I will definitely be checking out some of the apps you mentioned.

 

[cynics]

Can't this thread be more about why you guys like your iPhones and what apps you use. You know, helpful iPhone information?

Most of what I'm reading seems like anti android drivel that has been read somewhere else and just repeated.

 

[braddick]

Can't this thread be more about why you guys like your iPhones and what apps you use. You know, helpful iPhone information?

Most of what I'm reading seems like anti android drivel that has been read somewhere else and just repeated.

That's an excellent idea. How about you start?

 

[saberz]

I'm with the op in terms of the apps he mentioned.

Alien Blue - Is the only Reddit App worth using and is fantastic.

Slow Shutter CAM - Wish I found this before buying NightCap.

I personally use:

Evernote - Great way to keep documents and notes accessible through multiple devices. I can write something on the fly when I am out and expand on it later on using a PC etc.

Box/Dropbox - Convenient having your files on the ready when need be.

iZip - As mentioned before, this is very handy if you have deal with zip files and most apps will launch an option to load iZip for handling of said files. I use this with iMail and Box.

Tapatalk - Great app for hitting up most forums conveniently. Handles your login information and you can jump between boards really quick, subscribe to threads etc.

Dolphin Web Browser - Just a generally more full featured browser. No flash though.

 

[DodgeV83]

Why would I care about any Android phone except the one I own?

I can have the newest version of Android almost as soon as its released thanks to devs who make it available. Where is that jailbreak for iOS 5.1 that was released months ago?

If you have mentally challenged kids and grandparents, don't blame Android

Never ONCE had my credit card number stolen with Android. However, I DID with Apple. Yep, someone used my credit card at Apple to ship someone a shiny new iPhone 4 last year to someone a few hundred miles from me. Apple quickly realized they were at fault and credited me the money but still. False sense of protection there buddy.

I have never gone more than a few days trying to sell an Android phone. Took me 2 weeks to sell my 4 and i had to sell it for dirt cheap, go figure.

Actually, most of my friends have Android phones, not iPhones so yea...

----------



Because some people don't like their phones to look and perform like everyone else's phone out there. Only Apple lovers who don't have access to this kind of thing are so closed minded to it. You know damn well if Apple every let iPhone users install custom ROMS or launchers, this board would be filled with people singing its praises. You just thumb your nose and things you can't do and make yourself think its nothing special just because you can't have it. So you must not think LTE is that great either right?

Just because someone used your stolen credit card at apple.com, does not mean it was your iOS phone that caused that breach. Do you have any other reason to believe it was your iPhone besides what you've posted above? There have been 0 reports of someone's Apple ID password being lost to a key logger on any iOS device, it seems much more likely that your breach occurred elsewhere.

Regarding security and custom ROMs, you're assuming the custom ROMs themselves don't contain malicious code. Unfortunately this is actually a huge negative to Android. Think about it, if you at unwilling to replace your entire operating system with an unofficial one posted by random people in a forum, you will be forced to live with an inherently insecure operating system, with known security holes that are unplugged.

As someone who deals with high-security government agencies on a daily basis, there are red flags all over that scenario. Imagine if HP refused to patch your Windows installation, and you were forced to either live with security holes, or apply an unofficial Windows patch from a website forum posted by random people. Actually, it's much worse than that. Since HP won't patch your Windows installation you have to replace your entire Windows install with an unofficial one posted by a random person on a website forum.

You shouldn't have to play Catch-22 with security.

Also, no one ever said it would be hard to sell your old Android phone, they said it would be hard to sell it for a good price. Tell me what your old phone was, if it was around the same year as the iPhone 4, I'm willing to bet the iPhone 4 is selling for significantly more on EBay.

Lastly, two questions for you.

1. You mentioned earlier that Google Navigation is better than anything on the iPhone, but didn't answer my follow-up questions about it. Can you explain what makes it better, especially considering I've given an example where Google Navigation on Android gave a very bad route last weekend?
2. You've posted a lot about what your phone can do, which is cool, but do you have anything to add to our discussion? Do you believe my assertion that no other device can fill the shoes of the apps I've described above is incorrect? If so, explain how.

 

[DodgeV83]

Can't this thread be more about why you guys like your iPhones and what apps you use. You know, helpful iPhone information?

Most of what I'm reading seems like anti android drivel that has been read somewhere else and just repeated.

But part of the reason why "I can never switch from an iPhone" is that the competition can not satisfy what I'm looking for. My experience with the iPhone has changed what I expect from a phone.

If my assertions are wrong, and the competition can do everything I've posted above, I'd like to know about it

Unfortunately, as you stated, the responses don't seem to be going that way. I would much prefer that the pro-android responses stay on topic and address my claim directly, instead of talking about ROMS, file managers, widgets, launchers...etc.

 

[diane143]

Go into an email someone has sent you a phone number. Click it and try to add it as a contact or text that person.

Actually you can. Hold on the phone number and you'll get a menu, one of the options is add contact.

OP - awesome post! Can't wait to look at some of your apps listed.

Can you explain more about the MotionX Sleep? How exactly does that track you? MotionX GPS is one of the few apps I've bought (both iPhone and iPad). I really like their products but am a little baffled on the sleep one.

 

[DodgeV83]

Actually you can. Hold on the phone number and you'll get a menu, one of the options is add contact.

OP - awesome post! Can't wait to look at some of your apps listed.

Can you explain more about the MotionX Sleep? How exactly does that track you? MotionX GPS is one of the few apps I've bought (both iPhone and iPad). I really like their products but am a little baffled on the sleep one.

Sure! Here's a link to the manual:

http://sleep.motionx.com/iphone/manual/

And FAQ:

http://support.motionx.com/faq/motionx-sleep/faq/

In short, you set the alarm, tell it you're going to sleep, and put the phone in your bed. I uses the accelerometer to detect movement, which allows it to tell if you're in a deep or light sleep. It will wake you up if it detects you're in a light sleep during the 30 minutes before your alarm time.

But the first video on this page explains it best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_6yGs7I9HM&feature

http://sleep.motionx.com/iphone/tutorials/

(Note the video is a bit out of date, the app will now fully run in the background, even after putting the phone to sleep). Have fun!

 

[AppleDApp]

This is a great thread I can't wait to try out some of the apps. I believe that once you are invested into the Apple ecosystem it is alot harder to exit it. As of recently all my tech hardware is Apple branded and integrated with each other. If Apple decides to create plenty of new garbage software updates it would be very costly for me to switch.

 

[Daffodil]

Thanks for a lot of great recommendations!

I'm quite happy with my iPhone, but realize that there's a lot more potential regarding apps than I'm currently taking advantage of. A lot of these sounded pretty interesting, and I look forwards to checking them out, and putting my phone to even better use!