The first couple of months with the Droid X were liberating. I swore I would never go back to iOS, and I really appreciated the customization that Android afforded. However, I now realize that most of my frustration with my previous iPhones has been with AT&T, not the phone itself. Therefore, when the iPhone is available on Verizion, I will most likely be going back to iOS.
That is not to say I don't like Android. The primary feature that I have enjoyed on Android is the notifications. I have also taken great advantage of Google Voice and voice recognition on the Droid X. I realize that Android is growing rapidly and that the Market is full of some really great apps.
However, Android being an "open" platform primarily benefits the carriers, not the consumer! This is clearly evident by the lengths to which Motorola has gone to lock down their phones. As it stands, it's actually easier to Jailbreak and restore an iPhone than it is to hack a Motorola Android device. And at least on the iPhone you don't have to contend with all sorts of bloatware installed by the carrier that is a pain in the butt for most people to remove. Furthermore, waiting on the carrier AND manufacturer to release an OS update is frustrating slow. I'm convinced now that the ONLY way to go if you want to stick with Android is to purchase a developer phone with stock Android.
My experience with the Droid X and Android has been a mixed bag at best. The customization options are great, and the notifications are well-implemented. But nothing ever works quite the way it should. For every smile I get when I'm able to do things the way I want, there's an equally frustrating problem or glitch. Here are some examples:
- Force closes. Even after going back to the "official" Verizon firmware, I still get random force closes when looking at the battery info and even when downloading updates from the market (I'm fine if I only do one update at a time, but if I try multiple updates, many times it'll force close).
- Headset binding. I use quite a few applications along with my bluetooth headphones to listen to music and podcasts. Android's implementation of headset binding is problematic. Even some developers I have written to have said it has been trouble getting headset binding to work properly. One example is Doggcatcher, a great app I use to listen to podcasts. Many times, using the controls on my headset will open/close the default music app on my phone instead of the app that is currently playing music. So if I want to pause/play my podcast, most of the time I have to actually turn my screen on and do it manually because it starts and stops the wrong player. This is true even if I force headset binding in the app's preferences. Same thing happens with Pandora and a few others. I *never* had this problem on the iPhone.
- Stability issues. Multi-tasking is great, but I'm afraid that the cost is sometimes greater than the gain. Sure, Android does a pretty decent job of multi-tasking without the need for task killers. But, there are an objectionable number of times where my phone either bogs down considerably or needs a reboot. I almost never had to reboot my iPhone. Sometimes I just have to reboot my Droid X to get MP3's to play properly again because it'll give an error message. And finally, sometimes the phone just decides to reboot on its own without warning. These things may seem trite when considered individually, but taken together, they represent a real stability problem, in my opinion.
- Battery life. I quickly switched to the extended battery on my Droid X not long after purchasing it because battery life on the standard battery was abysmal. Sure, if you turn everything off and refrain from using Android's cool features like Live Wallpapers and background updating, you can extend battery life a good deal. But then, that pretty much negates the advantages of Android and takes the fun out of using it. So I switched to the extended battery and I can *almost* get by a whole day without charging. However, even with the extended battery on the Droid X, the iPhone 4 was significantly better in this respect when I was using it during the 30-day return period.
Now then, I'm not trying to convince anyone else to do the same as I intend to do. Nor am I saying that one OS is inherently better than the other. Some will certainly feel defensive and just tell me to go away. Others may find some common ground in the things I'm saying. This is not propaganda, but an honest opinion from a user of both iOS and Android over a substantial period of time. While it's true that Android has grown exponentially, I'm not at all convinced that it has gotten better during that time. It's obvious that Google considers the carriers their customers, while Apple considers the consumer their customers. Google's openness is only a boon to carriers and manufacturers, NOT the consumer. We certainly get the benefits of having multiple phones to choose from on multiple carriers, but once that advantage is no longer applicable (when Apple expands carriers in the USA, for example), I think iOS will blossom even more.
As of today, I would welcome with open arms an iPhone on Verizon and I truly hope it happens sooner than later. Verizon's 3G network may not be as fast in throughput as AT&T's, but its latency is much lower and coverage is much better. I have had no qualms about Verizon's service, and I feel that they are in a good position for the foreseeable future in terms of network upgrades. My most likely plan of upgrading will be to the iPhone with 3G on Verizon until they come out with an LTE iPhone some time in the next couple of years.
That is not to say I don't like Android. The primary feature that I have enjoyed on Android is the notifications. I have also taken great advantage of Google Voice and voice recognition on the Droid X. I realize that Android is growing rapidly and that the Market is full of some really great apps.
However, Android being an "open" platform primarily benefits the carriers, not the consumer! This is clearly evident by the lengths to which Motorola has gone to lock down their phones. As it stands, it's actually easier to Jailbreak and restore an iPhone than it is to hack a Motorola Android device. And at least on the iPhone you don't have to contend with all sorts of bloatware installed by the carrier that is a pain in the butt for most people to remove. Furthermore, waiting on the carrier AND manufacturer to release an OS update is frustrating slow. I'm convinced now that the ONLY way to go if you want to stick with Android is to purchase a developer phone with stock Android.
My experience with the Droid X and Android has been a mixed bag at best. The customization options are great, and the notifications are well-implemented. But nothing ever works quite the way it should. For every smile I get when I'm able to do things the way I want, there's an equally frustrating problem or glitch. Here are some examples:
- Force closes. Even after going back to the "official" Verizon firmware, I still get random force closes when looking at the battery info and even when downloading updates from the market (I'm fine if I only do one update at a time, but if I try multiple updates, many times it'll force close).
- Headset binding. I use quite a few applications along with my bluetooth headphones to listen to music and podcasts. Android's implementation of headset binding is problematic. Even some developers I have written to have said it has been trouble getting headset binding to work properly. One example is Doggcatcher, a great app I use to listen to podcasts. Many times, using the controls on my headset will open/close the default music app on my phone instead of the app that is currently playing music. So if I want to pause/play my podcast, most of the time I have to actually turn my screen on and do it manually because it starts and stops the wrong player. This is true even if I force headset binding in the app's preferences. Same thing happens with Pandora and a few others. I *never* had this problem on the iPhone.
- Stability issues. Multi-tasking is great, but I'm afraid that the cost is sometimes greater than the gain. Sure, Android does a pretty decent job of multi-tasking without the need for task killers. But, there are an objectionable number of times where my phone either bogs down considerably or needs a reboot. I almost never had to reboot my iPhone. Sometimes I just have to reboot my Droid X to get MP3's to play properly again because it'll give an error message. And finally, sometimes the phone just decides to reboot on its own without warning. These things may seem trite when considered individually, but taken together, they represent a real stability problem, in my opinion.
- Battery life. I quickly switched to the extended battery on my Droid X not long after purchasing it because battery life on the standard battery was abysmal. Sure, if you turn everything off and refrain from using Android's cool features like Live Wallpapers and background updating, you can extend battery life a good deal. But then, that pretty much negates the advantages of Android and takes the fun out of using it. So I switched to the extended battery and I can *almost* get by a whole day without charging. However, even with the extended battery on the Droid X, the iPhone 4 was significantly better in this respect when I was using it during the 30-day return period.
Now then, I'm not trying to convince anyone else to do the same as I intend to do. Nor am I saying that one OS is inherently better than the other. Some will certainly feel defensive and just tell me to go away. Others may find some common ground in the things I'm saying. This is not propaganda, but an honest opinion from a user of both iOS and Android over a substantial period of time. While it's true that Android has grown exponentially, I'm not at all convinced that it has gotten better during that time. It's obvious that Google considers the carriers their customers, while Apple considers the consumer their customers. Google's openness is only a boon to carriers and manufacturers, NOT the consumer. We certainly get the benefits of having multiple phones to choose from on multiple carriers, but once that advantage is no longer applicable (when Apple expands carriers in the USA, for example), I think iOS will blossom even more.
As of today, I would welcome with open arms an iPhone on Verizon and I truly hope it happens sooner than later. Verizon's 3G network may not be as fast in throughput as AT&T's, but its latency is much lower and coverage is much better. I have had no qualms about Verizon's service, and I feel that they are in a good position for the foreseeable future in terms of network upgrades. My most likely plan of upgrading will be to the iPhone with 3G on Verizon until they come out with an LTE iPhone some time in the next couple of years.
I'm sure you could probably sell your DX and get a good amount to apply towards it too
Now, while I personally could never go back to the iphone, there is nothing wrong with it. It, as always, comes down to personal preference. It is always important to get the phone that is best for you!!
