iPhone The whole Android vs iPhone debate from my point of view.

[LIVEFRMNYC]

My point of view,

Both OS's are great. However it just takes one annoying Fanboy from either side to see someone using the rival OS and stick their nose in and say "Eurgh... why don't you use Android/iOS? It's so much better blah blah blah"

I know those guys suck. They should be punished by the mobile gods and be forced to use WP8.

 

[ixodes]

Just think of how interesting the debate will be, once there's a third platform added

 

[ek9max]

Just because your house looks like an Apple store doesn't mean iOS is any better for anybody but you. Android is for people who want their phone to work with whatever they want, not just Apple gear.

And iOS is for people that want their phone to work at all..... Oh and it works great with apple stuff too.

Sorry. I generally just stay out of this sorta stuff. But I just keep reading your posts trashing apple and iPhone...... On an apple based web forum. It seems like you like being a villain.

I'll admit. I'm an apple fanboy. But this is after years of windows mobile then hardcore blackberry use. Even after I swayed and fell in love with the iPhone 4. I have since then bought and tried 4 different android phones. While I agree that they have nice features. The basic use of the phones are less polished and buggy.

I think android was made to be different than iPhone. And they were too focused on making it do things that the iphone cant and they forgot a lot of basic "features" like smoothness, reliability, and ease of use for the general public.

Windows phone 8 on the other hand seems like they are making it to be better than iOS. Not just different. More customization to the os and smooth and polished. Also trying I create a rival Eco system with their pic, tablet, Xbox products.

They may have a winner here. Android has huge market hate because of their wide variety in every price categorie. So will windows phone 8.

I'm curious to try it out.

 

[tech4all]

And they were too focused on making it do things that the iphone cant

Depends how you see it. I don't think their goal with Android was to "make it do things that iOS can't do." More like "let's make a platform that allows for customization and let user have more control over their phone."

Same result, different motive.

and they forgot a lot of basic "features" like smoothness, reliability, and ease of use for the general public.

Please explain more...

Android (Jelly Bean) is very smooth.

I've no problems whatsoever with my phone, so I'm not sure why you think they're unreliable.

Ease of use? How easy can it be? I have family who use Android and aren't "tech savvy" and they have no issues using it. In this area Android and iOS are both easy to use, it's just that Android let's you do more if you want to.

 

[BainthaBrakk]

iOS is like a very well behaved catholic girl that goes to church every Sunday.

Android is like a promiscuous slut that does everything.

Easy to work out which one is more reliable, and which one is more fun.

Comment of the year.

 

[Prototypical]

Curious which Droid (Motorola line?) you have that's not on the latest gingerbread?

My OG droid 1 is on gingerbread. Never use it anymore though.

OG Droid... I fired it up last night for the first time since I bought the 4S, checked for updates, and it maxed out at 2.2.3 (Froyo). Playing with it for 2-3 hours reminded me exactly why I moved to the iPhone. The battery went from 100% to 15% in that amount of time, and it was an absolute mess on stability and smooth transitions. The newest Google Maps is pretty slick, though.

I may still re-root it and throw that new Jelly Bean ROM on it for S&Gs.

 

[ek9max]

Depends how you see it. I don't think their goal with Android was to "make it do things that iOS can't do." More like "let's make a platform that allows for customization and let user have more control over their phone."

Same result, different motive.



Please explain more...

Android (Jelly Bean) is very smooth.

I've no problems whatsoever with my phone, so I'm not sure why you think they're unreliable.

Ease of use? How easy can it be? I have family who use Android and aren't "tech savvy" and they have no issues using it. In this area Android and iOS are both easy to use, it's just that Android let's you do more if you want to.

I've had jelly bean on a rooted galaxy nexus. And yes it is definitely improved smoothness over ics. However still not as smooth as iOS. And I shoul have been more clear. When designing early stages of android, they lacked smoothness. Which is why project butter was a project in the first place.

As for reliability. Maybe you have no issues. But every android user that I know including myself have ridiculous battery pulling issues as much as the old blackberries that we gave up years ago. From phones rebooting when receiving incoming calls to just plain freezing twice a day requiring battery pulls.

 

[cynics]

I reset my 4S last night and it forgot a lot of my setting, it's never done that before. It forgot I had battery percentage on, my ringtones, it's still "teaching" me how to use iOS.

Lol

iOS decided to delete a lot of my photos once.

Siri is a moron

I couldnt 'clear all'

I don't know what happened here. Clicking on the email crashed the mail app.

I actually find Android (OS itself and native apps) more reliable then iOS.

However app related crashes hinders Android just as bad as iOS. There is a thread in the iOS 6 section on panorama pics and using tapatalk I can not look at those pics without it crashing tapatalk. Very frustrating...

On the PA turnpike, nooo roooaaaddd!!!

I fell for the "it just works" bs....lol

 

[apierrec]

A very good fix if you ask me.

Yep, agreed, perfect.

 

[dojoman]

This fight never ends. While Apple just sold their 10 millionth iPhone 5.

 

[swpars]

Android syncing - it's called copy and paste. Much faster.

Yeah, that doesn't bring over playlists or any other organizational schemes I've applied in iTunes.

No thanks.

 

[cotak]

I don't get a few things:

1) Why does everyone assumes that iOS is smooth? My iphone 4 was a bloody lag fest. The 3G was so annoying when it got iOS 4 I wanted to throw it at a wall a few times.
2) Why is it automatically assumed that iOS has better quality? The same iphone 4 had the location service battery eating bug for months. Drove me nuts. The 3G had TONS of bugs.
3) iOS 4 to 5 had crashes and stability issue for me when the first got introduced. That's typical apple and it's why I am still on Lion and haven't upgraded to ML yet.

Why is it that for some people they got supplied with rose tinted glasses when they got an apple product? Where's my glasses?

 

[Stuntman06]

Another problem i have with android is that there is always a newer and better phone around the corner. Like with motorola they just announced the razr m and hd a couple weeks ago. But now they've just announced the razr i(an intel powered razr m but not available in the usa as of now). Its good in a way that they are constantly putting out new products but not good for us consumers that may not be certain on when to buy due to that fear of "what if i do buy this phone and next couple months something even better".

That's something Apple has an advantage of imo. One phone every year.
But then again i guess you can see this either way.

I don't understand how this can be an advantage for Apple. It is 6 months after Apple released their iPhone. If you want an iOS phone, you get a 6-month old phone. It is 6 months after <insert Android manufacturer> announces their flagship device. If you want to get an Android phone, chances are there is a high-end Android phone that is less than 6 months old.

It's this "I'm sad if someone has a newer phone than I" complex that I just don't understand some Android users have. The phone you have is the same phone the day you bought it. How can the existence of a newer phone somehow make that phone you love the day you bought it suddenly suck so bad, you want to flush it down the toilet?

 

[tbayrgs]

I don't get a few things:

1) Why does everyone assumes that iOS is smooth? My iphone 4 was a bloody lag fest. The 3G was so annoying when it got iOS 4 I wanted to throw it at a wall a few times.
2) Why is it automatically assumed that iOS has better quality? The same iphone 4 had the location service battery eating bug for months. Drove me nuts. The 3G had TONS of bugs.
3) iOS 4 to 5 had crashes and stability issue for me when the first got introduced. That's typical apple and it's why I am still on Lion and haven't upgraded to ML yet.

Why is it that for some people they got supplied with rose tinted glasses when they got an apple product? Where's my glasses?

Most of us aren't assuming iOS is smooth because for us, it IS smooth. No OS is completely bug free and of course user experiences are going to vary but I think you find the general consensus is that iOS amongst the most smooth mobile OS. And you're complaining about using an at the time new OS on 2 year old hardware.

For every situation like yours there are tons of users who have had just the opposite experience. I've had all of the iPhones and iPads and only had to exchange one device (can't remember if it was an iPhone or iPad) at launch due to light bleed from the seem around the glass screen. I've also been lucky to have not been affected by any of the documented bugs over the past few releases of iOS.

Sorry your experience has been less than stellar but assuming we're all wearing rose colored glasses because you've had poor experiences is as bad as me assuming Apple can do no wrong because I've had very good experiences and I'd personally never assume such as thing.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Seems to me this is the first time I'm really beginning to see cracks in the Apple fan base. I get this sense of insecurity amongst the forums.

I think a lot of people will agree with The Verge's review of iPhone 5, particular with Josh Topolsky's take on iOS 6 in the "Software" section. I'm glad, finally, someone is offering an honest assessment of the state of iOS. And I think Josh hits the nail on the head. Everyone should read it. http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/21/3363238/iphone-5-review

Will Apple listen? Thanks to the revealing trials, we now know Apple actually pays close attention to consumers. Is it more important now than ever to have a voice... for Apple's sake?

 

[dreamteam]

Here's my point of view on this topic... WHO CARES!?

Why do people feel the need that they're using the best phone out there, and everyone else are idiots for using something else?

Every user has different requirements, and every phone has its strengths and weaknesses. The phone I think is a good match for me, won't be a good match for many others. Just be thankful there's alot of competition out there!

 

[Stropaganda]

Yeah, that doesn't bring over playlists or any other organizational schemes I've applied in iTunes.

No thanks.

Check out DoubleTwist. Not sure what it syncs and what it doesn't, but I hear great things.

http://doubletwist.com/

 

[Irishman]

A very good fix if you ask me.

I agree. IOS is mature and polished to the point where we can ask now, 5 years in, "how can Apple innovate?" It's not like the old days of iOS where we got big new features, like cut and paste, or notification center to name a couple. The feature set is pretty well baked in at this point, as it should be. I think that the largest reason some folks are complaining that Apple played it safe with iOS 6, or the hardware in the iPhone, is because tech punditry, blogging, and whatnot are personally bored from reporting on the iPhone and iOS. They're underwhelmed, so many potential phone buyers are magically underwhelmed.

Go figure.

----------

Just because your house looks like an Apple store doesn't mean iOS is any better for anybody but you. Android is for people who want their phone to work with whatever they want, not just Apple gear.

What kinds of things do you use your Android for that can't be done on the iPhone?

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1) I'm here because I was an iPhone user for years now. See my registration date? I've only been an Android user since June of this year.
2) I'm in the alternatives forum. How can I be trolling if I'm mostly in here?
3) I like to talk to people like me who used to have an iPhone but switched. Makes for a more interesting conversation than somebody who is pro-Android or pro-Apple. I am pro-anything that works the best for advanced users like myself.
4) I have absolutely no problem with anybody using the iPhone. I think people who don't know much about computers or smartphones should use it. I just think it's disingenuous to say, as many people do, that the iPhone is the most advanced phone when it can't even do most of what OSX can do when iOS is based on OSX.

What makes you any more advanced than the rest of us?

----------

At least android let's you replace your ROM...Via hacking. Hacking iOS lets you change colors and other silly things. NOTHING to improve the performance of the system. Plus, iOS is just an app drawer.

Improving system performance is a means to an end only for tweakers and tinkerers. Now, with that said, every phone user cares about performance, whether they know it or not. Everyone wants a phone that's snappy to use, that makes and keeps calls, that lets you email, text, take decent photos or videos, pulls up webpages quickly.

In that, most smart phones fulfill this bill.

 

[Dontazemebro]

I was in this boat a year ago, after owning a Droid for 18 months. I now own a 4S. I liken choosing a phone / ecosystem to being a car enthusiast. Some people like to buy Civics and Integras so they can completely dismantle the car and rebuild it how they want. Others buy an Audi or BMW and MAYBE tweak it here and there.

There are pros and cons to each; the tuner crowd gets to build exactly what they want, but at the expense of reliability (building a car in your garage is not the same as an engineer in a lab). The Audi crowd gets a nearly perfect car out of the box, but customization can be prohibitively expensive... so they're kind of "stuck" with what they have.

Personally, I started in the Civic (actually VW) camp. Now I'm moving towards the Audi camp, because I'd rather buy the right car for me, right out of the box. I might change wheels or suspension or little pieces here and there, but otherwise I like the car as-is. I don't have time for the Civic, "replace all the things!" mentality any more. I need my car to do what it was built to do, not sit broken in the garage. And frankly, I shouldn't HAVE to modify the car because it's too slow, or too ugly, or whatever.

</randomcarmetaphor>

Only problem with your analogy is that you're likening android out the box to a civic. If the iPhone is a Audi/BMW then android out the box is a Benz.

After customizations, then we're looking at an AMG Benz

 

[rockout]

This fight never ends. While Apple just sold their 10 millionth iPhone 5.

You gotta be careful when you start quoting numbers like that. Some Android fan, or maybe just someone looking to put it into context, might come around here and point out there's now nearly 400 million Android devices in use.

I'd hate to see that happen.

 

[Prototypical]

Only problem with your analogy is that you're likening android out the box to a civic. If the iPhone is a Audi/BMW then android out the box is a Benz.

After customizations, then we're looking at an AMG Benz

I'm comparing Android to a Civic for the customization options available as compared to Apple (Honda vs. Audi). Apple also tends to target the "luxury-minded" market, where Honda targets the more financially conservative market - ie. "Most Bang for your Buck." If you want to look at it strictly from a design standpoint, there is no way you could compare any existing Android device to the rigid, detailed, understated, luxurious style of a Benz. That's honestly more of Apple's game. Android is more like a Mini Cooper if you want to go the German "pseudo-luxury" angle.

Long story short - The iPhone tends to be a better phone for those who want to buy something perfect (for them) out of the box, and MAYBE tweak it a little if it isn't 100% perfect. Androids tend to be better phones for the people who want a solid platform to start from and customize to the hilt. There are also cars that fit those two schools of thought as well... Some are easy to strip down and build up as you see fit, where others are built for a purpose and serve that purpose well.

There is nothing wrong with either approach. There are plenty of Apple users that are fully capable of understanding and using Android to its full potential, but would rather use iOS for the simplicity, compatibility, and practicality... They likely have better things to do than tinker with their phones all the time. As I said, I used to be in the "110% customization!" camp, but I just don't have time for that any more. Life is more important to me now.

You gotta be careful when you start quoting numbers like that. Some Android fan, or maybe just someone looking to put it into context, might come around here and point out there's now nearly 400 million Android devices in use.

I'd hate to see that happen.

So just to clarify, you're implying that a comparison between a week's worth of iPhone5 sales and the sales figures of every Android device ever produced is a valid one?

 

[dojoman]

You gotta be careful when you start quoting numbers like that. Some Android fan, or maybe just someone looking to put it into context, might come around here and point out there's now nearly 400 million Android devices in use.

I'd hate to see that happen.

I don't remember seeing a single Android phone before iPhone was released in 2007.

 

[mib1800]

If I remember correctly, for last quarter Android has 68% compared to iphone 17% worldwide smartphone market share. That's 4 times of iphone. If a quarter of these are high ends then that's equal volume of iphone sold. In Europe and Asia, Android is really thrashing iphone.

Why is the Iphone losing so much ground if it is so much better than Android like some of you claimed?

 

[Dontazemebro]

I'm comparing Android to a Civic for the customization options available as compared to Apple (Honda vs. Audi). Apple also tends to target the "luxury-minded" market, where Honda targets the more financially conservative market - ie. "Most Bang for your Buck." If you want to look at it strictly from a design standpoint, there is no way you could compare any existing Android device to the rigid, detailed, understated, luxurious style of a Benz. That's honestly more of Apple's game. Android is more like a Mini Cooper if you want to go the German "pseudo-luxury" angle.

Long story short - The iPhone tends to be a better phone for those who want to buy something perfect (for them) out of the box, and MAYBE tweak it a little if it isn't 100% perfect. Androids tend to be better phones for the people who want a solid platform to start from and customize to the hilt. There are also cars that fit those two schools of thought as well... Some are easy to strip down and build up as you see fit, where others are built for a purpose and serve that purpose well.

There is nothing wrong with either approach. There are plenty of Apple users that are fully capable of understanding and using Android to its full potential, but would rather use iOS for the simplicity, compatibility, and practicality... They likely have better things to do than tinker with their phones all the time. As I said, I used to be in the "110% customization!" camp, but I just don't have time for that any more. Life is more important to me now.



So just to clarify, you're implying that a comparison between a week's worth of iPhone5 sales and the sales figures of every Android device ever produced is a valid one?

Still a bunk comparison because it insinuates that one far outclasses the other. Under the hood android is much more powerful so it doesn't really jive with your analogy. Furthermore, it's not all about customizing. Various people choose android because of all the different form factors available. You want a keyboard, large screen, or extra battery life. Well android has every option available for you. I know plenty of people who don't even know how to put widgets on their homescreens but they still prefer android devices because it fits their needs.

For example my mother has an android phone because it's easier for her to read text on the large screen. Plus she likes the bigger keyboard when typing.

If you want to make an analogy that fits, compare a manufacturer (Cadillac) that offers various different models at different price points to one that only specializes on 1 model (hummer) every year.

 

[.macbookpro.]

If I remember correctly, for last quarter Android has 68% compared to iphone 17% worldwide smartphone market share. That's 4 times of iphone. If a quarter of these are high ends then that's equal volume of iphone sold. In Europe and Asia, Android is really thrashing iphone.

Why is the Iphone losing so much ground if it is so much better than Android like some of you claimed?

Because android have the cheap end of the smartphone range, and iphone is only 4 devices while android is thousands. Comparing samsung to apple in terms of smartphone sales is much fairer.

As a note, ive had an android phone for 2 years now, and an ipod touch for the same time. I jailbroke my itouch and it was very easy to do. I feel i'm too scared to try and flash my androids devices rom, and i would say im very tech savy