Why I can never switch from an iPhone

[saberz]

Best Multi-tasking was WebOS. What I wouldn't give to have a card like multi tasking interface. iOS's is good but the cards in WebOS were just brilliant. Can't say the same about the rest of it though. Keep the app recommendations coming.

I actually came across Google Currents which is similiar to Flipper.

 

[-aggie-]

A strong fanboy force on both sides, this thread has.

I've had iPhones. I now have a Galaxy Note. Each has pluses and minuses.

The OP mentions a bunch of apps (which seems to be his main argument for keeping the iPhone, not the iPhone itself). Unless one uses the phone the way he does, it's hard to argue whether the apps he describes are the best. For one thing, I don't have my phone monitoring my sleep and telling me when to stop eating or when to end my lunch. Seriously, I can't imagine living like that, but each person is different. Maybe the Android Market has these same apps. IDK. All i do know is that when I switched from using my iPhone to the Note, the Android Market had all the apps I needed and many were free that weren't free in the App Store (Angry Birds for one). The only thing I've found somewhat lacking is the amount of games.

Regarding Games: I really don't think you can compare playing a game on the Galaxy Note to that on the iPhone. Size matters here.

Reading Books: My Note is like a mini-Kindle. Again, size matters.

If you try to argue the iPhone experience is better for either Books or Games, you've just had way too much koolaid, IMO. [Cue the ones who say the Note and other Android phones like it are just too big.] Are there some games the OP mentioned that aren't in the Android Market? Sure. I don't know why that is, but even so, there are a lot that many people enjoy (Angry Birds, N.O.V.A. 2, BIA, GTA, etc.).

Problems with the Android OS: Cut, copy and paste sucks compared to iOS. It's better on ICS, but that isn't out yet for the Note. Also, it was nice to tap at the top of the iPhone to go to the top of a page. For some reason, they didn't implement an easy way to make folders, where you could just drag and drop like iOS.

Stuff I like about the Android OS: Better Browsers. Atomic Web was the best browser I could find for the iPhone, but most browsers are better than that on the Android OS. It's nice to double tap on something and have the page almost magically know what you want zoomed in (it does a nice job of justifying the text, so you don't have to constantly scroll from side to side to read). You don't have to use iTunes. All you do is simply drag your music, whatever to the Note and it gets automatically put into whatever Media app you use.

Battery life: The iPhone has a better battery life. However, it doesn't have a user replaceable battery. So, I'm FREE to carry an extra or buy a bigger battery. All the people on here who drop their iPhones in water would be so much better off, if they could simply take out the battery after that happens. Also, if your battery fails, you aren't at the mercy of Apple who wants to charge you $100 (for a battery that should cost $30) to replace it. Ridiculous.

So, the OP says he can't switch from an iPhone. I say the OP can't switch from the App Store and the iOS ecosystem. Personally, I think I have enough reasons to be glad that I'm free of all that.

 

[jason2811]

This is silly but one of my biggest pet peeves is that you cannot attach a photo to an email from inside the Mail app.

 

[DodgeV83]

I downloaded MotionX Sleep and Slow Shutter. Not sure how MotionX sleep will work since (1) I do have a Tempurpedic Mattress, (2) I'll have to use my iPad2 since my iPhone is busy playing alarm nightstand clock (Nightstand Central) and charging at the same time, and (3) not sure whether it's a good idea to put my iPad under my pillow as they show (as I would hate to have it shooting to the floor), but I'll try it nearby. If it can really identify REM sleep etc., I'll be delighted since I've always wondered how well I sleep (wake up tired, etc.). With the sale price it's definitely worth a try.

I used to take photos with timed shutter speeds in the old days on 35 mm film. I'm going to look at a few other of the photography apps you suggest that I haven't tried yet.

Really good post you made.

It should work with any mattress, but I definitely wouldn't recommend putting any electronic device under your pillow, especially while charging! Putting it next to your pillow should work fine.

I'm glad you like the post!

 

[saberz]

The iphone does have a battery that can be replaced. Two screws on the bottom and slide off the back glass. Can find batteries on ebay as well. The process isn't difficult.

Its not a sealed enclosure like the the 3gs or HTC One X

 

[DodgeV83]

A strong fanboy force on both sides, this thread has.

I've had iPhones. I now have a Galaxy Note. Each has pluses and minuses.

The OP mentions a bunch of apps (which seems to be his main argument for keeping the iPhone, not the iPhone itself). Unless one uses the phone the way he does, it's hard to argue whether the apps he describes are the best. For one thing, I don't have my phone monitoring my sleep and telling me when to stop eating or when to end my lunch. Seriously, I can't imagine living like that, but each person is different. Maybe the Android Market has these same apps. IDK. All i do know is that when I switched from using my iPhone to the Note, the Android Market had all the apps I needed and many were free that weren't free in the App Store (Angry Birds for one). The only thing I've found somewhat lacking is the amount of games.

Regarding Games: I really don't think you can compare playing a game on the Galaxy Note to that on the iPhone. Size matters here.

Reading Books: My Note is like a mini-Kindle. Again, size matters.

If you try to argue the iPhone experience is better for either Books or Games, you've just had way too much koolaid, IMO. [Cue the ones who say the Note and other Android phones like it are just too big.] Are there some games the OP mentioned that aren't in the Android Market? Sure. I don't know why that is, but even so, there are a lot that many people enjoy (Angry Birds, N.O.V.A. 2, BIA, GTA, etc.).

Problems with the Android OS: Cut, copy and paste sucks compared to iOS. It's better on ICS, but that isn't out yet for the Note. Also, it was nice to tap at the top of the iPhone to go to the top of a page. For some reason, they didn't implement an easy way to make folders, where you could just drag and drop like iOS.

Stuff I like about the Android OS: Better Browsers. Atomic Web was the best browser I could find for the iPhone, but most browsers are better than that on the Android OS. It's nice to double tap on something and have the page almost magically know what you want zoomed in (it does a nice job of justifying the text, so you don't have to constantly scroll from side to side to read). You don't have to use iTunes. All you do is simply drag your music, whatever to the Note and it gets automatically put into whatever Media app you use.

Battery life: The iPhone has a better battery life. However, it doesn't have a user replaceable battery. So, I'm FREE to carry an extra or buy a bigger battery. All the people on here who drop their iPhones in water would be so much better off, if they could simply take out the battery after that happens. Also, if your battery fails, you aren't at the mercy of Apple who wants to charge you $100 (for a battery that should cost $30) to replace it. Ridiculous.

So, the OP says he can't switch from an iPhone. I say the OP can't switch from the App Store and the iOS ecosystem. Personally, I think I have enough reasons to be glad that I'm free of all that.

After reading your post, I picked one of my favorite games, GTA 3, and looked up how well it runs on the Note. It turns out, it's not compatible with the Note 🙁 XDA has a thread describing in detail how to get GTA 3 on the phone (download it illegally), and another thread describing some bad stuttering problems people are experiencing after going through the trouble of getting it installed.

Based on my experience, from asking friends to show me games on their Android phones and researching online, this seems to be the norm for playing any advanced game on the platform.

Curious, I just looked up Real Racing 2, but it too is not compatible with the Note. There's an XDA thread full of people installing and uninstalling drivers, switching ROMS, downloading the game illegally with data sets from diffent phones, manually renaming and moving files...etc.

Most of the games I want to play, aren't available anywhere else but iOS. Of the games that are on Android, there's a good chance it won't run on my device. If I'm lucky and it does run on my device, there's a good chance it will have performance issues.

When people talk about fragmentation, this is it. Even if the game is Android supported, it's not supported on all devices. It doesn't sound like a good experience.

 

[-aggie-]

After reading your post, I picked one of my favorite games, GTA 3, and looked up how well it runs on the Note. It turns out, it's not compatible with the Note 🙁 XDA has a thread describing in detail how to get GTA 3 on the phone (download it illegally), and another thread describing some bad stuttering problems people are experiencing after going through the trouble of getting it installed.

Based on my experience, from asking friends to show me games on their Android phones and researching online, this seems to be the norm for playing any advanced game on the platform.

Curious, I just looked up Real Racing 2, but it too is not compatible with the Note. There's an XDA thread full of people installing and uninstalling drivers, switching ROMS, downloading the game illegally with data sets from diffent phones, manually renaming and moving files...etc.

Most of the games I want to play, aren't available anywhere else but iOS. Of the games that are on Android, there's a good chance it won't run on my device. If I'm lucky and it does run on my device, there's a good chance it will have performance issues.

When people talk about fragmentation, this is it. Even if the game is Android supported, it's not supported on all devices. It doesn't sound like a good experience.

Uh, no:



Anyway, I wasn't trying to get you to switch. I don't care. My point is, and has always been, that both have their pluses and minuses. And as I stated, Android lags behind the App Store as far as games go. But thanks for playing.

 

[entatlrg]

Oh boy another thread that's quickly gone to Android vs iOS. How can I go weeks on Androidcentral and XDA without a single mention of iOS but he it's on MR Android is the main topic?

Dodge, looks like there is no alternative for you! Btw are you trying to convince us or yourself? If you think those functions can't be done with anything other then an iPhone then more then likely your just convincing yourself.

OP - great informative post, thanks for taking the time to write it.

Cynics - why the smart assed remarks? ... This is a forum where people share views and idea's, when done with some class it's fun ... no need to insult people or put people down, that's getting a little old around here.

 

[VSMacOne]

OP, that post must've taken some serious time .. Great job! 😉
I agree with you.. iOS is perfect for me right now and unless something major happens I don't see myself switching anytime soon. Why would I? For a faster processor and bigger screen? Who cares? I see my phone as part of my work and life and it's helping me do both of those better. It's more than just specs and such .., it's all about the ecosystem. My MacBooks my iPad my wife's iPhone.. They all play together very well and do so without any tweaking or extra effort. They work well, do exactly what we need them to do so I have no reason to switch.
What baffles me is how people feel like they have to come on an Apple forum to share their opinion about Android, WP etc. who cares? If you like Android better good for you. Go talk about it with people that are interested in that.

Again, OP thanks for sharing. It's always cool to see how other people use iOS as part of their daily schedule.

 

[DodgeV83]

Uh, no:

View attachment 339202

Anyway, I wasn't trying to get you to switch. I don't care. My point is, and has always been, that both have their pluses and minuses. And as I stated, Android lags behind the App Store as far as games go. But thanks for playing.

Interesting, I stand corrected. The thread I was reading must've been old as it is clearly showing up as compatible for you now. At one point, it wasn't compatible. The stuttering thread, however, was created recently.

Anyway, how do you keep both batteries charged in that scenario? Is there a special battery charger you use, or do you keep switching them out until both are charged? I much prefer my battery case to having to keep a second battery charged all of the time, but I get your point.

 

[diane143]

BigLens – This is the app that really changed how I look at mobile photography. It lets you easily add Depth of Field to a photo, as if it were taken with an expensive DSLR.

Is there a desktop app that does this? I'm thinking of moving away from photoshop. I did find Big Aperture but wonder if there are more.

 

[qijianjonathan]

Very nice post. I like my iPhone a lot because it syncs between my computers. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase an unlocked iPhone and a Macbook Pro for cheaper than normal when I was studying in the US, and the syncing feature is great.

 

[-aggie-]

Interesting, I stand corrected. The thread I was reading must've been old as it is clearly showing up as compatible for you now. At one point, it wasn't compatible. The stuttering thread, however, was created recently.

Anyway, how do you keep both batteries charged in that scenario? Is there a special battery charger you use, or do you keep switching them out until both are charged? I much prefer my battery case to having to keep a second battery charged all of the time, but I get your point.

I haven't bought it off Amazon yet (haven't had the need, because the battery is fine...although about an hour less battery life than the iPhone 4), but there's a charger and battery (Samsung) for ~$30 here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n...07758011&keywords=i717&ie=UTF8&qid=1336707513

Amazon also has a double capacity battery for around $80 (i.e., double the time). Mugen also sells batteries for the Note.

BTW, I had intended to buy the next iPhone, but after it became apparent that they weren't going to change it much (especially the size, which is important to me for the reasons I use the phone mostly (reading books and going on the internet)), and that it wasn't coming out until October probably, I got tired of waiting. But as I've said, that doesn't take anything away from those who find the iPhone to be perfect for them. Perhaps, if I was younger, the iPhone would be perfect for me too, because I know a lot of people think it's fine for reasons I wanted my Note for.

 

[b166er]

I think one of the big things that keeps iPhone users in place (or has them coming back after experimenting) is the ecosystem. If you're a mac user, obviously the iPhone has several advantages for you. If you've been using iOS for more than 6 moths, chances are you have a good chunk of money invested in apps, especially if you're in to taking pictures or making music, etc. Thing is, if you're in to using the phone as a creative tool, you can get a no contract iPad and chances are a lot of the apps are now universal, plus the iPad is a better size for creating content.

There are some Android phones out there that are gorgeous and loaded with amazing hardware. It's at a point now where I am even starting to warm up to Android OS, I think it has matured a lot since it's launch. I have not strayed from the iPhone since I bought a 3G when they came out, and I don't think I will any time soon, but as much as I've put down android in the past, it really is becoming a usable OS.

 

[Savor]

This was basically a brochure on how to experience iPhone 4s and its best apps in the best possible way and during a daily basis. Apple's marketing should hire the OP.

 

[Azzin]

I've always been a bit of a phone whore and normally switched providers just to get a new phone whenever my contract was up (I'm in the UK).

However, that all changed when the iPhone arrived.

I started with the original iPhone, then moved to a 3G and then to a 4 (and I'll get a 5 or whatever it's called this year).

It's worth noting that I had never had an Apple computer, just an original iPod & then a Nano, but since then I have bought an iPad 1 (which I recently replaced with an iPad 3) and now a 27" iMac.

For me, it just all fell in to place and made things that were previously a drag really simple and easy to do.

I run my personal & business email as Exchange accounts (both are hosted on Google Apps) and I also have Contacts & Calenders for both.

I don't keep much music on it (normally have the radio on in the car) and I don't play games on it. For me it's a tool that works really well and one that really hooked my attention in terms of functionality.

I don't have loads of apps, in fact I only have one page (the homescreen) of folders.

I use the usual apps, such as Sky News, Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter etc and occasionally I'll use Teamviewer.

Otherwise, it's a phone/email/web device that does other things that I want it to do, really simply and effectively.

I'm not a fan of Android, or any of the associated phones. That's not because I'm just "anti", I just don't like the Android GUI.

I get that you can customise Android a lot more than iOS, but I don't want to, so it's no plus to me.

In all honesty, I just like prefer the way Apple's devices operate. I couple that with being able to go in to an Apple store in the event of an issue and walk out with a replacement phone (as opposed to a carrier subsidised phone having to be sent away for repair for a week or two).

Never say never, but at this point I just can't see me ever moving away from an iPhone, due to liking pretty much everything about the Apple 'world' and the (IMO) simplicity of their products.

 

[barredfreak]

I enjoyed this thread tremendously. Thank you for taking the time to write this all out. It has helped me discover many new apps I had never even heard of before. Cheers!

 

[shinobi-81]

I find it convenient to have my iPod "built into" the same device that I use as a mobile telephone, in perfect sync with my iTunes library. This is the main reason why I got an iPhone in the first place, and it's what keeps me from switching to Android.

 

[CarlJ]

This is silly but one of my biggest pet peeves is that you cannot attach a photo to an email from inside the Mail app.

I used to get annoyed when I'd get half way through writing an email, and then want to add one or more pictures -- if that's what you're running into... it turns out that you can simply switch over to the Photos app and long-press on any picture in the thumbnail gallery until the "Copy" button comes up, tap "Copy", then switch back to Mail, long-press wherever in the message you want the picture, and tap "Paste". Rinse/repeat. Not quite as clean as popping up a picture selector inside Mail, but pretty quick.

 

[decafjava]

A strong fanboy force on both sides, this thread has.

You don't have to use iTunes. All you do is simply drag your music, whatever to the Note and it gets automatically put into whatever Media app you use.


So, the OP says he can't switch from an iPhone. I say the OP can't switch from the App Store and the iOS ecosystem. Personally, I think I have enough reasons to be glad that I'm free of all that.

Good post, although I tend to agree with the Op you make some solid points.

I can't imagine why you think dragging and dropping music (and other media) is a better way of managing your media than iTunes (or equivalent music management). It might be better on a Note or larger device to create playlists or whatever but I personally would not want to spend the time organising it on the device itself.

I've banged on about this before but I've never seen as powerful and flxible system as smart playlists on iTunes for managing music in particular. Even now in a semi-broken state on ios devices (and they don't work that well on icloud as far as I know) it's the best way to manage any library of more that a few hundred songs.

My own library is modest, only some 4000+ audio files (mostly songs and a few audio books and a couple of comedy albums) but can't imagine not having a system to rate, organise and rotate my music both to keep it fresh and rotate it on and off my device while keeping enough space for my apps. (I have a 32 GB iPhone 4).

Before anyone asks, yes I've listened to every song in my library at least once-I like having the option to listen to whatever genre playlist I've set up-or album if the mood strikes me. Granted I listen to rock or 80s pop more often than Orff's Carmine Burana or Mozart's Requiem but I do listen to them all.

Or if you prefer streaming music like Spotify or internet radio with apps like tunein I suppose it doesn't matter. Whatever phone you choose though, do get some better buds than the ones most phones are usually bundled with. I presume most Android phones have mediocre earbuds like Apple's. 😀

P.S. Apple please pay more attention to this feature, it's been semi-broken as I understand for quite awhile.

 

[Sedrick]

Thread should have been titled "why I can never leave iOS". Good points and wouldnt it all be that much better on a screen you didn't need a magnifying glass to use...

 

[Kyotoma]

Ok, well 4G then, not so much LTE. I hope you are kidding about iOS multitasking better. It can only handle one app download at a time, I can do 12 at once on my Android. Also, if I am watching a video or playing a game on my 4s, it will pause anytime I get something like a text or email, ridiculous. Android's multitasking is far superior. You have never had one apparently.

Why would you ever need to download more than one app at a time?? If anything, it would only cause problems with the capped data plan users. And as far as email or text messages go, if you have banner notifications set, it will not interrupt what you are doing. Unless you accidentally tap it of course.

And actually I have had an Android device. The Samsung Captivate, to be more specific.

 

[Lindenhurst]

I've always been a bit of a phone whore and normally switched providers just to get a new phone whenever my contract was up (I'm in the UK).

However, that all changed when the iPhone arrived.

I started with the original iPhone, then moved to a 3G and then to a 4 (and I'll get a 5 or whatever it's called this year).

It's worth noting that I had never had an Apple computer, just an original iPod & then a Nano, but since then I have bought an iPad 1 (which I recently replaced with an iPad 3) and now a 27" iMac.

For me, it just all fell in to place and made things that were previously a drag really simple and easy to do.

I run my personal & business email as Exchange accounts (both are hosted on Google Apps) and I also have Contacts & Calenders for both.

I don't keep much music on it (normally have the radio on in the car) and I don't play games on it. For me it's a tool that works really well and one that really hooked my attention in terms of functionality.

I don't have loads of apps, in fact I only have one page (the homescreen) of folders.

I use the usual apps, such as Sky News, Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter etc and occasionally I'll use Teamviewer.

Otherwise, it's a phone/email/web device that does other things that I want it to do, really simply and effectively.

I'm not a fan of Android, or any of the associated phones. That's not because I'm just "anti", I just don't like the Android GUI.

I get that you can customise Android a lot more than iOS, but I don't want to, so it's no plus to me.

In all honesty, I just like prefer the way Apple's devices operate. I couple that with being able to go in to an Apple store in the event of an issue and walk out with a replacement phone (as opposed to a carrier subsidised phone having to be sent away for repair for a week or two).

Never say never, but at this point I just can't see me ever moving away from an iPhone, due to liking pretty much everything about the Apple 'world' and the (IMO) simplicity of their products.

I hear ya. Apple customer service is tops.

 

[DodgeV83]

Is there a desktop app that does this? I'm thinking of moving away from photoshop. I did find Big Aperture but wonder if there are more.

You could always use Gimp 🙂

 

[nefan65]

A strong fanboy force on both sides, this thread has.

I've had iPhones. I now have a Galaxy Note. Each has pluses and minuses.

The OP mentions a bunch of apps (which seems to be his main argument for keeping the iPhone, not the iPhone itself). Unless one uses the phone the way he does, it's hard to argue whether the apps he describes are the best. For one thing, I don't have my phone monitoring my sleep and telling me when to stop eating or when to end my lunch. Seriously, I can't imagine living like that, but each person is different. Maybe the Android Market has these same apps. IDK. All i do know is that when I switched from using my iPhone to the Note, the Android Market had all the apps I needed and many were free that weren't free in the App Store (Angry Birds for one). The only thing I've found somewhat lacking is the amount of games.

Regarding Games: I really don't think you can compare playing a game on the Galaxy Note to that on the iPhone. Size matters here.

Reading Books: My Note is like a mini-Kindle. Again, size matters.

If you try to argue the iPhone experience is better for either Books or Games, you've just had way too much koolaid, IMO. [Cue the ones who say the Note and other Android phones like it are just too big.] Are there some games the OP mentioned that aren't in the Android Market? Sure. I don't know why that is, but even so, there are a lot that many people enjoy (Angry Birds, N.O.V.A. 2, BIA, GTA, etc.).

Problems with the Android OS: Cut, copy and paste sucks compared to iOS. It's better on ICS, but that isn't out yet for the Note. Also, it was nice to tap at the top of the iPhone to go to the top of a page. For some reason, they didn't implement an easy way to make folders, where you could just drag and drop like iOS.

Stuff I like about the Android OS: Better Browsers. Atomic Web was the best browser I could find for the iPhone, but most browsers are better than that on the Android OS. It's nice to double tap on something and have the page almost magically know what you want zoomed in (it does a nice job of justifying the text, so you don't have to constantly scroll from side to side to read). You don't have to use iTunes. All you do is simply drag your music, whatever to the Note and it gets automatically put into whatever Media app you use.

Battery life: The iPhone has a better battery life. However, it doesn't have a user replaceable battery. So, I'm FREE to carry an extra or buy a bigger battery. All the people on here who drop their iPhones in water would be so much better off, if they could simply take out the battery after that happens. Also, if your battery fails, you aren't at the mercy of Apple who wants to charge you $100 (for a battery that should cost $30) to replace it. Ridiculous.

So, the OP says he can't switch from an iPhone. I say the OP can't switch from the App Store and the iOS ecosystem. Personally, I think I have enough reasons to be glad that I'm free of all that.

Nice argument; to support your purchase. You start out saying both have pluses, and minuses. Then go on saying how much better your Android device is...nice balance /s.