iPhone vs. Android
Decatur Metro | May 12, 2011Smalltowngal is in the market for a new phone and would like to hear your opinions on both!
Smalltowngal is in the market for a new phone and would like to hear your opinions on both!
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No cell phone wins.
jitterbug
Via various apps available only for iPhone, I’ve made thousands of dollars in about nine months. That’s only the beginning. Though the App Store rules can seem a nuisance, the reality is that iOS users get a consistent experience. With Android, by design, the experience varies widely by carrier and handset marketer. Android is also designed to work well with Google Apps (mail, calendar, etc). If you use those, great. Otherwise, it’s a challenge. Android does offer true multitasking, whereas iOS provides fast app switching. Some apps can provide limited services in the background (ie GPS navigation) but even web pages can’t even load simultaneously in different windows of the web browser (Safari). Yes, iOS has many limitations and quirks, but the app selection (available early and often exclusively) makes iOS a clear winner for me. AT&T is a definite challenge as a carrier, and the Verizon version doesn’t support the ability to use data and voice at the same time, so carrier choice may boil down to individual preferences. My AT&T bill is significantly lower than any comparable plan on VZW, but sometimes you do get what you pay.
iboys vs gurgles
I love my Android! Easy to use !
I have an android phone. It’s great, except for the battery life, which is quite terrible. If battery life is at all important to you in a smartphone, get an iphone4. There are many android phones to choose from, but all of them have very subpar battery life.
People named Adam are great, except for their reliability. If reliability is important to you, go with a Frank or a Truman. There are a lot of different people named Adam, but they are all unreliable.
Also every Adam interfaces differently. It’s very fragmented.
We are striving to improve Adam interoperability and will address these issues in an upcoming release. As for Frank and Truman, a recent study has shown that Adam’s marketshare has overtaken them both.
TBD.
I just broke up with my Blackberry (even though I still have one for work) and got a Thunderbolt. I’m digging it so far.
I think any smart phone is better than old flip phones. Watching people try to text using those things is laughable.
What’s the best for taking pictures and recording videos?
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_5d_mark_ii#Features
I meant which phone. Thanks though!
Hehe, I was giving a bit of a smartass answer. After seeing the videos that people are making with dslrs, I do kind of dream of having a fancy pants camera with lots of lenses.
I do not have an iphone or an android phone, however, It does seem like people are taking nice artsy fartsy photos with their iphones + photo manipulation apps. I think this would sway me towards the iphone if I was looking at something to take photos with, but I haven’t done any research on video, so I can’t speak to that.
This person has samples of a photo before and after manipulation with apps: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53283407@N04/sets/72157625930930276/with/5398296128/
You can search through flickr for photos taken by phone type:
http://www.flickr.com/cameras/apple/
strixxvaria: if you get to the point of that type of a camera, the 5DII is awesome; I love mine.
(as for the actual conversation here, I still have a “dumb phone”–with a full keyboard, but with an iPad, I don’t feel the need to have smart phone yet–though I’m sure I will when iPhone 5 comes out.)
There’s an old photographer’s maxim–the best camera for the job is the one you have with you.
A good digital SLR takes a far better picture than anything built into a phone, but what’s the chance that you have it with you when that “Eye on the Street” opportunity just pops up on you when you are walking home from Twain’s at 11 on a Friday night?
But that trip to the Grand Canyon is going to seem less grand if all your photos are from a 2mb phone.
At heart, a phone camera and a serious camera serve two different functions, and shouldn’t be held to the same standards.
I’ve been an Apple fanboy since the Mac SE, and love my iPhone. But I suggested an Android for my folks. If you’re not already fluent in one or the other, the Android is just plain cheaper. And the iPhone isn’t good at phoning, really.
Android phones are made by a bunch of different manufacturers (Motorola, LG, Samsung, Sony, HTC, etc.), and who knows how many third party vendors they source their camera lenses and circuitry from. You can’t really compare all of Android with Apple’s iPhone.
In my experience, there are phones that are better and worse at capturing images, but the differences among big-name recently-manufactured devices are not big enough to obscure the fact that it’s really the photographer that matters.
Not really an apples-to-apples comparison. Android is an operating system used on many different handsets made by several manufacturers. iPhone is one handset made by a single manufacturer (Apple). So the comparison really should be iOS vs. Android.
Both have their strengths and weaknesses, but I believe the Apple app store gives iOS (thus, the iPhone) the edge. And I find my AT&T service, despite the media’s reporting to the contrary, is stable, fast, and reliable, with dropped calls a rarity.
OK, full disclosure…I work for AT&T Mobility. But I would still prefer the iPhone.
Love my Verizon Android! Just updated to 4G Thunderbolt. It rocks!
I’ve owned both and have a BlackBerry for work. Choose the carrier you like best as both function fine. I like the unlimited plan I got with T-Mobile so I got a HTC-built MyTouch. Good phone. iPhone is yes, “better” but both are fine and this plan suits me better.
Android battery life is improved if you use an Ap Killer application. The Android OS seems to like to run a dozen apps at once.
Important iPhone v. Blackberry v. Android research!
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20013268-71.html
I have a 20th century flip phone, so I’m not sure what it says about me.
If Verizon is your carrier you might go with a Droid phone at this time. Consumer Reports felt that the Verizon iPhone isn’t quite there yet and we all might be better off waiting for a second or third generation iPhone. I got a Global Droid Two recently because of the keyboard, and now find that I almost exclusively use the touch screen.
You can’t go wrong with either one you choose. I’m not sure why folks are talking up the Apple App Store because Android has as many if not more apps. Plus a higher percentage of them are free. But as far as the major apps, you should be able to find most them (or something very similar) in both Apple’s and Android’s app stores.
One thing that separates Android is widgets which customize your home screen with a clock, weather, twitter feed, music controls, and any number of other things.
On the other hand the iPhone has a much larger selection of accessories, cases, adapters, etc. than any individual Android phone.
When Carl says “With Android, by design, the experience varies widely by carrier and handset marketer.” he is referring to the “issue” with Android commonly called fragmentation. Should you care about it? If you are a developer of Android applications then probably yes (though I’ve heard varying opinions from developers). But as a normal phone user does it matter that my Samsung Galaxy on T-mobile looks different than a Verizon Droid? Not one bit. Couldn’t care less.
“But as a normal phone user does it matter that my Samsung Galaxy on T-mobile looks different than a Verizon Droid?”
Doesn’t matter til you change phones!
Although I’ve never used an Android phone, I have to give props to the iPhone. I started with the 3G and then upgraded to the 4. I LOVE IT!!! Very easy to use, lots of apps, battery life is ok (I charge mine every day), the screen is so clear, and the ability to use the phone and internet at the same time comes in quite handy. Also, the pictures and video are pretty good.
My head hurts…
I LOVE MY ANDROID! Apps are awesome–the only one you can’t get is iTunes, of course, but I’ve managed without that. I love the big screen–perfect for watching video. Battery life is great. I can’t say enough good things. Oh, and it runs Hootsuite beautifully so it’s super easy to update all of my social networks. It really changed how I connect to the world both personally and professionally.
Thanks, everybody, keep it coming! As someone noted, my question really is iOS vs Android? And I should have included Blackberry, since that will be on the table, too. I have some prejudice against Windows Mobile, but does anybody have positive feedback on that one?
My priorities are voice quality; ability to monitor email 24/7 so untethered from laptop when I want to be; Internet access (read NYT when waiting in line, check weather, check traffic, FB); ability to sync contacts, calendar, notes with Outlook on laptop; decent camera. (Would be nice to check in on DM from mobile device, but I’ve lived without it this long and wouldn’t pay extra!) Don’t care about music, video or games. Extremely resistant to paying for any app unless it’s mission-critical to my work.
Will probably stick with AT&T because they’ve been the only carrier to provide reliable cellular signal at my house.
Any and all feedback is appreciated!
I hate the Android as a phone. My old flip phone was handier and had much better voice quality. But I need a few of the smartphone features so I got an Android to keep Verizon service. Email and web access are wonderful. But I hate it as a phone.
If you like AT&T, then I would get an iPhone. There is an iPhone 4 and a newly-updated Android phone in my house and the iPhone is faster, smarter and better looking. I’ve never had a problem with the phone syncing any of my e-mail accounts, including Outlook.
It sounds like you hope the phone will keep you entertained — I love my iPhone b/c of all of the podcasts I listen to on it. If you want music or podcasts — or take a lot of photos or video — be sure you get a phone with plenty of space to hold it all.
If you think you’ll be typing more than browsing, you may prefer having a keyboard on your phone. More apps are free on Android — but I’ve only paid for three on my iPhone and have more than I need for work and play!
The last I heard, the rumors were that a new version of iPhone 4 will be coming out in July and iPhone 5 will follow in September or October.
A tip for those of you looking for great phone/text/data plans, check out Virgin Mobile. You have to buy your own phone (big selection at Target and Best Buy, etc.) but the price on the plans can’t be beat — especially if you’re not big on gabbing.
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Anyone a Mac fan but not a Mac nut? I’m thinking about getting a MacBook Air and wonder if it’s the right fit (I would get an iPad but I need a little more oomph). I haven’t owned a Mac since the 80s but I’m tired of my laptops crashing, breaking and getting so darn hot. I’d love to hear from PC people too — what are less expensive, powerful, high-quality, light and cool (temperature-wise) alternatives? Heck, I don’t even know if the Air is cool — it looks cool
Is it true that Apples don’t get virus/malware infections at the rate of PCs? I can’t take the all night marathon’s trying to clean up our desktop every 6 months or so. No security software has been a magic bullet for us yet. The kids like Apples because that’s what they are used to at school but I have been a Windows/PC person my whole life so the idea of buying an Apple is scarey. Someone at work claims that Apples get infected much, much less but can still handle much of what I might bring home from work or life–Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, pdfs, Powerpoint presentations, etc. True?
I’ve had macs since I scrapped my TRS-80 model III in 1987, never had any third-party virus protection software, and have never had an infected machine. This isn’t an exceptional example.
I’m not saying it never happens, but it’s fair to say that mac viruses are a rarity.
The Microsoft Office suite on the Mac is a great set of applications, and can exchange documents with the Windows version seamlessly, with no friction whatsoever. If you use Excel, Word and Powerpoint, you can do whatever you need on a Mac.
I am writing this on a Macbook Air–I’ve had it for about six weeks. Light as a feather, up to TEN HOURS of battery life, and stays quite cool. It takes some care to get the most out of it: don’t keep a lot of windows you don’t need open, and install clicktoflash, so that Flash doesn’t run automatically. You’ll notice the difference in power drain (and temperature). The other thing is that with no hard drive, it runs absolutely silently most of the time.
I think it may have required a reboot once in this time–quite stable.
I bought a cheap external DVD drive, but don’t use it much. That’s the only real compromise.
I sold my office desktop as well as the home laptop the Air replaced. It’s so light that even on foot, carrying it back and forth to my office at Agnes Scott is not a hassle.
The Mac vs. PC arguments are usually pretty fruitless and dogmatic, but even the most fervent of Windows people will admit that Apple is a champion of industrial design. And the Air may be the best computer they’ve ever made.
It is true that Macs virtually cannot get viruses – there is a fundamental difference in the way they work which means that viruses cannot operate on a Mac. However while viruses are certainly the most infamous security risk, they are only a small subset of them. There are still plenty of other ways the bad guys can get you and Apple fixes just as many (if not more) security vulnerabilities in Macs as Microsoft does with Windows. (In fact the worst offender by far is Adobe.) The point is if you do choose a Mac, don’t let the fact that there are no viruses lull you into a false sense of security.
Thanks so much, everyone! I think the Air may be the one for me!
It sounds like you might want to buy a used iPhone 3GS to experience for a while without entering into a new 2 year contract. Early 3GS units will come off contract in the next 4-6 weeks.
Can’t compare with iPhone, since I’ve never used one, but have the new droid Incredible 2 from Verizon – love it (switched from a Blackberry – like the android better). Easy 24/7 push syncing with both work (Outlook) and home g-mail account for mail, calendar, contacts, notes, documents (have accessed a multi-sheet excel workbook via google docs on my phone), global if you need that, 8 megapixel camera, phone voice quality fine as far as I can tell, good internet access with widgets for ready news, weather, FB, etc. – haven’t paid for an extra app yet. And yes, you can check in with DM (I have it bookmarked
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I’ve never been a fan of Apple. I could go into the many reasons, but I’ve mainly been a Windoze and Linux user for decades because I like to tweak things and I like to have choices. But mostly, it’s because of the Apple zealots who blindly follow everything that comes out of Cupertino like it was God handing down stone tablets.
That being said, Ive been an iPhone user for three years now, and I got an iPad 2 last month and I love the $&@# out of it.
The reason why is that it’s GOOD ENOUGH. It may not have every great feature, it may be mediocre as a phone, and it may be maddening that it doesn’t do some things that it absolutely should, but it’s got enough excellent features to get you by, and there are hundreds of thousands of apps to do thousands of things. The biggest advantageis that you’ll know what you’re getting. For better or worse, iOS runs only on Apple devices, while Android OS is available on many manufacturers’ devices.