iPhone or Android device: current opinions

[Larry Furlough]

I'm currently facing the decision of upgrading my phone after two years with my sturdy Incredible, that I've rooted, dropped, thrown, cracked, and all the above.

However, even though this is the best phone I've ever owned, I still feel the desire to switch to the iOS platform.

But, I've recently ported Jelly Bean to my phone, and combine that with the advent of these great long battery life, supercharged, crystal clear display phones like the Droid RAZR HD series, I'm having a very hard time departing Android.

So, what's your opinions? I'm up for hearing any arguement, from Content Networks, to notification centers (which I love in Jelly Bean), or even system fonts. :p

[Inoue Katsu]

Android.

I need to find jellybean for my sensation.

[SalemAdams Wobbit]

Android

Maps on the iOS is not google-based, and from what I hear, the Maps app on the Android Platform is much more fully featured than the one on the iOS.

Not to mention that most of the apps that are free on the Android are not free on the iOS (Angry Birds for example).

[George Reisman]

Do you have any friends with iphones or ipods? If so, ask if you can dick around with it, to see if you like it. I've been using an iphone for a long time, and I love the iOS.

[Markius Fox]

Android

Maps on the iOS is not google-based, and from what I hear, the Maps app on the Android Platform is much more fully featured than the one on the iOS.

Not to mention that most of the apps that are free on the Android are not free on the iOS (Angry Birds for example).

That is why I have Google Earth and Google Maps on my iPad

[WhiteCrow67]

Yeah, get Android. I currently have an iPhone 4, and I wish I had gotten the Android.

[Xoza]

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=galaxy_nexus_hspa

• Sold directly by Google
  
• No burned Apps
  
• Yours so you can do with it what you want without voiding a warenty
  
• No BS
  
• No needing to return if you 'cancel your contract' (if you have one)
  
• Inexpensive compared to re-sellers
  
• More powerful then any apple device.
  
• Comes with the most recent version of android.
  

[Deadmon]

android users like to talk up the phone a lot more than it deserves in my opinion. Ive used both and prefer the iphone by far. "but you cant customize and blah blah blah" well, you can if you jailbreak but honestly I just simply have no interest in it. it does everything (but flash ;p) that the androids do and it can do everything that I need.

I dont have any "BS" to put up with, I dont have to worry about having anti-virus on my phone, I can use it all day without it dieing even though it only promotes a 8hr battery life of browsing, I dont ever have dropped calls or any technical issues. TBH, they are just phones. Android is higher maintenance with higher customization but I already have my computer for that and theres nothing I cant do on my iphone that I could on my android that I would need on the handfull of hours im away from the house at any time I would need to use it.

RE: maps and stuff

You can get google maps back on your iphone if you want, youtube app too, the only difference is the standard at-purchase options arent google and right now kinda wonky. But that doesnt really matter to me because I just threw it in the utilities folder and downloaded google maps and youtube on day one and now the only diff is they have different icons. There is no shortage of free apps and games, and on occasion when there is one I want to purchase I have no issue paying $1 to support a developer.

TL;DR It doesnt matter, whichever you feel more comfortable operating is the one to go with. Ive used both and I prefer the lower maintenance and smoother UI of iphones.

[Larry Furlough]

My big problem is that my device slows down, regularly. I have to wipe it every now and then and flash a new rom. Now I'm sure that this happens to some degree with the iPhone, but every time I've ever experimented with someone else's, it's always felt way more fluid and responsive than any android I've ever touched.

[Xoza]

Expandable memory and the ability to move apps onto that memory card (instead of using internal data) prevents this... Android allows this, just depends on the phone you get.

Okay, yes, I hate Apple... I've had absolutely no good experiences with them and I'll hold back my other opinions. All in all, I'll never buy an apple product, even if my job requires it.

[Deadmon]

Ive never had an issue ever, then again I only use apple products for my non-desktop/laptop devices.

Iphones -can- slow down if you have too many apps running, its an easy fix with a double-click of the home button (only button) and then closing the open apps. Though with the 4s (and presumably 5) i dont see much loss of memory even with all of them open.

[Cyphre Iredell]

The way I see it, the breakdown is pretty similar to the Mac vs PC debate. One offers the ability to do just about everything that anyone really does on a phone, with simple controls and a closed platform. The other is a much more customizable and power-user friendly device with a lot more options. It also comes down to familiarity of controls; Macs and iPhones are for people who just need a device to facebook, web browse, and message in some arbitrary format. Thats not to say it can't do more, but 'controls' are still limited.

The latest iPhone 5 is nice, and a welcome improvement hardware-wise from their previous (un)progressive generations, but you'd be hard pressed to find one at the moment due to its recent release. The 4/4S isn't worth it because it was already a dated platform by the time they released the 4S. Either way, you're stuck with no removable battery and no removable media. All your date will have to be sync'd through iTunes. Not sure if they changed it now that they've gotten a 4G LTE phone, but I recall the market doesn't allow direct downloads of apps over a certain size over the air, and requires syncing through iTunes.

Apple maps is also a joke. There are already countless hilarious pictures people have taken of their horrifically bad directions and inconsistency in locations. It would be one thing to simply be missing a POI on a map, and a whole other to be located some blocks or miles/km from its actual location. The 3D view is also pretty hilarious in some places. Currently there is no Google maps solution from the app store short of adding a safari shortcut to the URL. Although Google's statement seems to indicate they will release it as a separate app somewhere down the line. It'll probably be another year before Apple maps becomes useful to the majority of people who use it.

All in all, start looking at Android phones. Plenty to choose from, all of which in the same price range. At the very least, head to your local carrier's store and try out the demo phones. Even with live wallpapers, my android phones have performed smoothly.

[Cygna]

I have an iPhone 5 (iOS), a Samsung Galaxy S3 (Android), and a prototype SGH-T899M (Windows Phone 8). They're all 4G LTE, and current-tech mobile SOCs. I have them all integrated through Google Voice, although I enjoy using the iPhone 5 more than the other two as an every-day device simply because of personal preference. In terms of functionality, they all quite literally do the same thing for me (the SGH-T899M tends to fall behind in terms of 3rd party applications), therefore it boils down to little things like ergonomics and the phone's physical appeal. The iPhone 5 is glass/metal and I can one-hand it (use one thumb). The Galaxy S3/SGH-T899M have nice glass screens but are plastic otherwise. They do both have a larger screen physically and in terms of resolution, but a lower DPI (the Apple retina display is fantastic). Neither of them can be one handed steadily due to their size. While I'm disappointed in the new "Apple Maps," Google has already created a Google Maps app for the iOS platform and submitted it to Apple-- it's awaiting approval. When it's approved I'll definitely be using that.

If you really like customizing/modding your device I'd recommend using Android or WP8. If you don't really care about the aforementioned, go iOS. For a while I was into customization and modding, but I believe I've grown out of it-- it was sort of a phase that got boring after a while. I always found that modding my phones (jailbreaking or rooting) were tedious and the results lukewarm at best, but that's just my opinion. One advantage to getting an iPhone will be that Apple fully restricts carrier bloatware. If you get an Android or WP8, it'll have carrier apps installed on it which you'll probably never use and they take up assets. There is the option to get the Google Nexus Phone, which won't have bloatware and you basically get a pure/virgin Android OS straight from Google along with every new release. It could take 6 months for AT&T/Verizon/T-Mobile/Sprint to roll out the newest release of Android OS (as they're busy custom-tailoring the OS to their networks, or putting their thumbs up their butts; who knows).

In the end, the device market is really competitive. Because of this, they will all do relatively the same thing at relatively the same speeds for a certain generation. It's best that you go to your carrier's store and choose the device that you enjoy using the most.

[Tsukiyomi Yuhara]

What Intus said.

To be honest, having used both. I personally just hate the iOS UI. Things about it irk me.. No matter what anyone tells you it comes down to preference. So basically, ditto to what Intus said as it was worded way better than I could have put it,

[Kellervo]

Avoid iOS 6. It has some pretty major inconveniences, especially if you use maps often (my city of over 1 million people has only four major roads apparently).

[Cyphre Iredell]

I have an iPhone 5 (iOS), a Samsung Galaxy S3 (Android), and a prototype SGH-T899M (Windows Phone 8).

Geez Intus, GEEZ.

Also, Android 4.0 (such as on the Galaxy S3) has the ability to 'hide' apps which also prevents the applications from automatically starting up. So you can clean out your app drawer in at least one way, even if not physically from the internal memory itself (an insignificant amount of space).

[SalemAdams Wobbit]

@Cyphre: How do you do that? (ASUS eee Pad Transformer with Android 4.0)

[Inoue Katsu]

I just stuffed jellybean on my HTC Sensation >.>

Also, if you really want to be reachable by phone even in bad reception areas, get a Nokia 6310i. I still have one of those and it has reception *everywhere*, even in the center of a ferry on the open water. Also over a week of battery life :-)

They're hard to get now though, mine is from like 2005.

[Cyphre Iredell]

Not entirely sure how to do it on an ASUS (as I've never used Vanilla android or whatever theme they are using), but on mine you just hit the menu button while in the app drawer and there is an option to 'hide applications'. I'm fairly certain its a native feature of ICS and not just Samsung...

[Larry Furlough]

Went with the iPhone 4S!

Love it, a lot more fluid than what I had, also enjoy the little things about it that make the overall experience more enjoyable. I love android, but all the devices I was able to get hands on with just didn't seem as snappy. Looking into buying a developer device for android soon, though. So I'm not totally jumping that ship.

BUT YEAH, thanks guys! This thread resulted in a pretty satisfying purchase.

[Arokh Takakura]

How come you didn't get the 5? I get mine this week.

[Larry Furlough]

I'm too poor for that.

[SalemAdams Wobbit]

Went with the iPhone 4S!

Love it, a lot more fluid than what I had, also enjoy the little things about it that make the overall experience more enjoyable. I love android, but all the devices I was able to get hands on with just didn't seem as snappy. Looking into buying a developer device for android soon, though. So I'm not totally jumping that ship.

BUT YEAH, thanks guys! This thread resulted in a pretty satisfying purchase.

So...the Galaxy Nexus? Or are you talking about the developer tablet?

[Deadmon]

How come you didn't get the 5? I get mine this week.

I'm too poor for that.

I love my 4s, and I wouldnt have gone for the 5. Its not much different in a side-by-side comparison stat wise and holding both at the same time (checked it out in store) I think I actually like the dimensions of the 4s better. I never have battery or memory lag issues. It does everything I need and want with the added bonus of being able to manage my time better with siri (and thats really it, but I make reminders and alarms throughout the day to make sure I do what I need to so siri is handy for me) Im waiting for the 6 when theres an noticeable difference to upgrade ;p

[Huttser]

By noticeable upgrade you mean they might give you a few more color options for the 6 :P