Making the jump from iphone to android, have questions...

[iraethan]

Hi forum,

First time posting. A bit about why I'm here:

I own an iphone 3g unocked on Tmobile. I've unlocked a handful of iphones for friends as well, and love the flexibility unlocking gives, as far as tweaks, etc. I also like my Tmobile.

I've been following the growth of Android and am getting intrigued. I've been researching and researching about different phones, carriers, UI's etc, regarding Android.

I want to stick with Tmobile and am planning on waiting for an hspa+ enabled phone, although some people claim the Vibrant receives a boost with hspa+ as well. Given that I like the customization of an unlocked iphone and have been using one for more than 2 years, what should I be looking for in an Android phone?

It seems as though many people dog Sense UI in favor of a Stock Android phone. Is this consensus? For an unlocked iphone user, what android UI should I be looking for?

As far as phones, I'm basically debating between the Vibrant (which is now buy one get one free), the G2 (not certain i need a QWERTY keyboard given i've gotten so used to the iphone), and the rumored mytouch HD.

Thoughts?

 

[jradicle11]

Vibrant will probably be the most similar. Android phones already have a lot more customization and control than an iphone. It's just the nature of the OS. If you want, you could always root your vibrant. This will give you full access to everything on your device. The vibrant even looks like the iphone in regards to size, shape, and even the UI a little bit.

 

[Thefoodman52]

Well, Sense UI is usually dogged because it's just not best for some people. Me, personally, I could care less if it's on my phone. The stock 2.2, or even 2.1 Android home (UI) is perfect for what I need. I use anything from Launcher Pro, GDE, stock, SweeterHome, etc. I never stick for too long on one home. That's one major plus on Android. Get bored with the home screen? Get some more widgets from the market, or just say to heck with that all together and get an entirely different home!

Sense UI is usually good for people just starting off into the whole Android thing; it provides a good selection of widgets, it's got a good level of customization, but other homes offer more than it can ever hope to have. The alternate homes are what I would consider 'upgrading'. You have to get used to Android before you can start comfortably tinkering around with it, as is with anything else.

For the phone choices, the vibrant isn't bad, nor will the G2 be. The G1, hell, it's still around, and it's over 2 years old, if that says anything. One thing to mention though, the virtual keyboards available for Android on a whole, aren't as proficient as the iPhone's virtual keyboard for tap typing yet. The only one I've seen (and use) that 's close to that, with full on multi touch and anything you'd ever need, is Ultra Keyboard. Any way you look at it, the new Android phones on Tmobile aren't bad at all. I, personally, find no need for a keyboard on my Evo. I do think that keyboards are more advantageous with games though, over all touch screen phones. If you intend on playing a good bit of games, I would actually still say the Vibrant in this case though (hardware is MUCH better than the G2, even though it's not released yet).

As far as holding out for HSPA+, I wouldn't wait too long on that. It's still going to be a good long while before that even starts to become a thought of a reality.

 

[jradicle11]

The keyboard on the Droid X and the Droid 2 is quite nice. I've have my friends with iphones type on them with ease.

 

[iraethan]

Thanks for the quick replies.

Let's say I buy the Vibrant and don't like the Sense UI. Can I switch to Stock Android? If so, can I update to the latest build, say 2.2? Then lets say I like Stock Android even less, can I switch back? What is the level of expertise needed to make these switches, if they are possible.

When you say "homes" are you referring to the UI that you are running, i.e. Sense UI or simply Stock UI? Are there widgets and other UI's in the marketplace that will allow you to customize your "home"?

Thanks again, very helpful stuff...

 

[jradicle11]

Switching would require rooting the phone. You could just use Launcher Pro to change what it looks like. With that, switching back would be as easy as uninstalling the app.

I'd check out this forum to review some of the rooting procedures to see if you'd be able to handle them.

 

[graff_king]

If you buy the vibrant you won't have the sense ui as an option without rooting the phone and loading a ROM on it. Sense is a form of UI that HTC uses on their devices. I would say that grabbing a vibrant is your best bet over waiting for hspa. It is a great device with plenty of room for customization on it.
As for "home" apps, there are quite a few available and each has its pros and cons. Personally, I am a fan of launcher pro due to the scrolling dock. But yes, a home app is one that changes how the main interface of the phone looks without having to root it. And within the home apps there are typically themes that can be loaded to further tweak how the phone looks. I have an evo, a droid x, and an iphone 3gs and can say that the iphone has become a paperweight for 99.9999% of the time for me.

 

[iraethan]

Regarding UI, yes, the Vibrant comes stocked with TouchWiz UI, which definitely gets mixed reviews, and beyond that, Samsung has been slow to upgrade their UI's to new Android builds, according to many forums. This is definitely a reason I might shy away from the Vibrant. The other big Vibrant knocks are laggy response and GPS woes. Samsung has ackowledged these problems, yet still hasn't fixed them... It also seems that the Vibrant has not been fully "rooted" to the Stock UI, there are bugs that come along with it, no bueno.

I've heard Sense Ui is much less invasive and buggy then TouchWIZ and that HTC is quicker upgrade. The rumor mills states the HTC mytouch HD will drop in early November, is it worth the wait?

As far as processor speed, some people have said the new G2, though is only 800mhz, is faster than any of the 1ghz processors in phones out today, as it has been redesigned...

I'm not afraid to root a phone, but would prefer not to have to. It does sound as easy as jailbreaking an iphone though...

Still clouded. Any ideas or recommendations on what I should do?

 

[BBOOZE]

I am also an iPhone user looking to jump ship. This topic is very useful.

Given that I am with AT&T I am thinking of switching networks along with my phone. It seems that the Samsung Galaxy line of phones are the best (correct me if I'm wrong) and available on all four networks so I'm just wondering what the differences are. Not so much in terms of functionality, as I've seen comparison charts of all four versions of the Galaxy phone, but in terms of flexibility, Android version, call quality, etc that tend to be determined by the network. Will these phone have 2.2?

I'd love to wait around for the HTC Desire HD but doesn't look like that is coming out anytime soon.

 

[arifwn]

Heard good things about mytouch slide hd. It's like an upgraded mytouch slide with bigger resolution, faster processor and (hopefully) better keyboard. I think it's worth the wait. A hardware keyboard is useful since typing with soft keyboard while walking or in a moving car is really difficult, even with swype. Just my $ 0.02 though.

 

[sharkync]

I am also an iPhone user looking to jump ship. This topic is very useful.

Will these phone have 2.2?

Just got a Captivate - came from a 3G - ships with 2.1. Still no OTA - at least for me.

 

[mrmojoz]

Still no OTA - at least for me.

What? They haven't even announced a release date yet. Little early to be looking for OTAs.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Personally, I love Sense. I've tried other launchers and don't like them at all. Sense works perfectly for me. I like the phone button right in the middle where it should be and the app drawer on the side. It's beautiful. I love the multiple scenes and use and abuse them. I love it. Your mileage may vary though.

 

[BBOOZE]

Can I also ask a basic question: how easy is it to connect and maintain wifi connections with android. The big selling point for me coming from a Windows Mobile environment to the iPhone in 2008 was that the Apple OS simply works - any idiot can do the basics without any hassle. For instance, I'm staying at a hotel that I haven't stayed at in eight months and my iPhone remembered that I was on this wifi network before and just connected without me thinking about it. Is Android just as idiot-proof?

 

[A.Nonymous]

Can I also ask a basic question: how easy is it to connect and maintain wifi connections with android. The big selling point for me coming from a Windows Mobile environment to the iPhone in 2008 was that the Apple OS simply works - any idiot can do the basics without any hassle. For instance, I'm staying at a hotel that I haven't stayed at in eight months and my iPhone remembered that I was on this wifi network before and just connected without me thinking about it. Is Android just as idiot-proof?

I personally don't think it is. A power user can do far more with stock Android than a power user can do with stock iOS. A complete moron can use iOS and do just about anything on it. That's the beauty of the OS IMO. It locks out the power users, but gives a remarkably easy experience for everyone else.

 

[takeshi]

Given that I like the customization of an unlocked iphone and have been using one for more than 2 years, what should I be looking for in an Android phone?

Rootability and an active modding community for the device(s) you're considering.

It seems as though many people dog Sense UI in favor of a Stock Android phone. Is this consensus? For an unlocked iphone user, what android UI should I be looking for?

Why do forum users looking for advice tend to ask for consensus? It's not what's popular that matters. It's what suits you specifically that matters. Go with the UI (or not) that you prefer.

It seems that the Samsung Galaxy line of phones are the best (correct me if I'm wrong)

Depends on who you ask. Best is always highly subjective, regardless of topic.

 

[iraethan]

Well, thanks for all the responses everyone. Definitely informative. I've definitely been weighing my options and think I've come to a few basic decisions, which should help me make a decision.

1. I don't want to root my phone when I first get it. I want to experience the phone as is, and then make a decision on rooting.

2. Stock Android definitely seems like the way to go as far as UI.

With those two decisions, I think I am going to wait for the G2 to come out on October 6th. I've never used a qwerty keyboard, but it sure looks well designed and i think it will help with longer emails. I just watched engadget's hands on video with the G2 and it seems really sturdy and does not seem too bulky. If I do try out the G2 once it comes out and decide I don't like it for some reason, I'll probably wait for the rumored Tmobile Mytouch HD to drop in November.

or go back to the drawing room...

Any thoughts on the decision?

 

[GeorgeinLA]

The G2 sounds perfect for you. I bought my Droid 2 two months ago, and if I had known that the G2 was coming out, I would've waited. For what you want, I think a stock Android 2.2 phone with the good QWERTY and HSPA+ ready hits all the essential points.