android versus iphone... ?

[joko]

is it a case of the emperors clothes with iphone?

there is a certain amount of snobbery and loyalty with macs and iphones etc, with users hating windows and vehemently defending and supporting apple.
whereas, android user dont seem to care about apple.

but many people, who have no allegiance to either say that the android is actually as good as iphone if not better ...

i had an iphone... and i got rid of it for an android ... and i am happier with the android one - i was so excited when i got the iphone, thought id utterly love it... but it was just a phone and i didnt find it that fab (not bad, just not how i expected) i felt apple were awkward and made things hard for users sometimes...whereas android is easy and has all the same functions, apps and uses...

so what to do you think?

(please dont just stick up for your fave, and s1ag off the other, because you feel loyal to it)

[cazzz1975]

I have an iphone, I dont have any affiliation to apple or android, my iphone has been fine, no problems. I dont think I will upgrade to another iphone though, I am not impressed with the iphone 5, I also dislike the Ios6 upgrade which deliberatly is aimed at short-changing Iphone 3gs and 4 users so they will upgrade.

Im not a fan of tactics, I will probably get an android phone as the operating system looks much improved from when I last used one.

[ChuckFickens]

I'm not a fan of the iphones, I've had android phones which I've been happy with and I've now got a windows phone 7 phone which I'm very happy with.

[divegirl]

I have a iPhone 4 and though I love it I won't be running our to grab a 5 even though my upgrade is due as we type.
Why?
Perfectly happy with the 4. It has worked perfectly for a whole two years and does everything I require of it. Its a phone, plays music and games, I can access my emails [though rarely do], write notes, I like the camera and I have the odd amusing, to me, ap on it.
My brother has a Galaxy and I found it harder to navigate but it looks lovely and I would imagine I could get used to the os if needed.
For now though I'm sticking with my iPhone.

Lisa x

[sunny-dave]

Android has been running hard to catch up with IoS.

Two years ago when I got my Samsung Galaxy it was inferior in terms of 'usability' to the (then) current iPhones - now I think it has just got its nose in front.

The 'tactics' referred to by cazz have certainly put me off any thoughts of getting an iPhone when/if I come to upgrade. I'm happier with the less regulated (albeit more dangerous) Android market rather than the control-freakery of Apple.

[sidkid]

I understand that the new Iphone's connector is different so all your current cables/accessories won't work. Good work Apple! One of the reasons I like Android is that there are dozens if not hundreds of different handsets from different manufacturers that you can choose from. With Iphone there is...er...one (apart from earlier versions of it).

[rojash]

Presumably you are aware of all the hooha over the Apple Maps fiasco.
As Apple Maps is clearly such Cr@p, and Google maps is no longer supplied, you have to ask yourself: Who were Apple thinking of when they made the decision - their customers, or their ownership of the customers?

[cazzz1975]

plus the removal of google maps and streetview from Iphones is stupid beyond belief! google must be laughing at them.

[Ellipsis]

They're both good, it's just a matter of your philosophy

In theory Apple can make better products because they don't have to make them in bits that bolt together. This is a given reason why Facetime works so well - the software works right at the machine level of the hardware and can therefore offer much greater performance. Similar with Siri I believe, which is why you can't get it on older iPhones - it's custom written for performance ...

In practice, this means you get "locked in" to Apple, who fiercely protect everything with patents and who, as has been pointed out, don't even feel obliged to make power adapters compatible from one product to the next. We have four different iPods in our family, and the chargers look identical, but each needs its own charger!

So I go with some Apple products but not all. I have an iPad and an iPod, but an Android phone and a Windows PC.

[Gromit]

It is just a preference. Some phones suit some people and other phones suit other people. What is better for one person may not be suitable for another.

I have an iPhone and have been very happy with it. When I broke the screen and had to send it away to be mended, I was loaned an Android phone and thought it was junk and far inferior. I missed a load of apps that were just not available from Play.

In my opinion, if you mainly want a phone, then Android would be a better choice for you, but if you want a pocket computer and mobile web browsing, then the iPhone is better.

[Gromit]

In 2007 Apple and Google an agreement to embed Google maps and search into Apples phones for 5 years. That agreement has now run out. People are assuming Apple removed the embedded apps but that might not be the case. Google make money by placing adverts in search results and maps. A dedicated app does this far better for Google than embedding it into the iOS. It is in Googles interest not to extend the 5 year agreement as it is Apple's.

You can still use google search and maps in the iOS browser. And Google Earth app with maps is still a free app. Just that these services are not built into the OS, they are still available to iPhone users.

[joko]

thanks all,

that interesting gromit, because i have found the apps with android to be much more varied and widely available and easy to use - i have not found anything lacking at all. i found it hard with apple, and ended up jailbreaking my phone - but it didnt help and i had the same problem - the amount available just wasnt as good as android

i also am extremely happy with the pocket computer and web browing capability of the android - and mine is not even a paticularly new model - its fast and i can use everything on my pc, on a my phone so i can sync everything.

the iphone was good for browsing but the mini computer wasnt so true for me as its hard to get apps to do all you need without costing.
the online app sites were also hard to navigate.

most of it is free too and i dont have to jump through hoops like with the iphone.

[Gromit]

// the amount available just wasnt as good as android //

Though the gap is now far smaller, there have always been more iPhone apps than Android ones. I think the current figure is 500,000 on iPhone and 450,000 on Android.

It seems odd that prats will camp out all night to be the first to get a gadget. But most companies would kill for such brand loyalty.

[AB Editor]

"whereas, android user dont seem to care about apple."

You've clearly not read the comments on TechCrunch :)

If you want to try something clean and "fresh" before your next upgrade feeling try one of the Windows Phone 7 handsets. I've had one for a year and it's a really solid bit of kit.

As others have said, it's much a case of tase/philosophy and whether you want the "all in"/"everything connected" experience. Luckily all platforms offer this now.

[ChuckFickens]

" try one of the Windows Phone 7 handsets."

I'd suggest waiting a month, windows phone 8 is out at the end of October and most (all?) the current windows phone 7 handsets won't support WP8 (they'll get a WP7.8 upgrade that will look like WP8 but will be different underneath)

[EvianBaby]

I keep my iPhone for a couple of reasons. One, it's familar I know how to use everything on it and I can't be bothered to learn something else. But because I've got an iPad I like that I can easily sync to two items so flick between one or the other.

Aside from that I've no real loyalty to Apple and actually feel like they've got people over a barrel a little bit but I love my iPad so the iPhone is staying.

[AB Editor]

"I'd suggest waiting a month, windows phone 8 is out at the end of October and most (all?) the current windows phone 7 handsets won't support WP8 (they'll get a WP7.8 upgrade that will look like WP8 but will be different underneath)"

True. Lumia 920 looks nice - as do the new HTC WP phones.

[Arksided]

It seems odd that prats will camp out all night to be the first to get a gadget.

Pmsl... Gromit.

[AB Editor]

Oh, this was fun as well:



For the record, quite like iPhones. They're just not for me.

[ChuckFickens]

I really like the look of the Lumia 920 too...

I've heard following the iphone 5's change to the 16:9 screen format being so well accepted they are planing to take the taller resolution a step further in the iphone6