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Do I really want an Android Phone?

Newah

Newbie
Oct 6, 2012
19
0
Hey so I've been wanting a smartphone, and am thinking about an iPhone 5. For a long time, I hated the iPhone. Why? First, the screen was too small. I just couldn't. Second, it was too simple for me. I wanted the S3, no doubt. But then I felt it one day. It felt cheap... and it wasn't as smooth/fast as I had hoped. No big deal, I might as well wait until the new Google Nexus comes out right? If I were to get a droid, might as well do it through a Nexus! Not so sure I want to wait though

Now, with the iPhone 5's screen at 4", its still small, but a size I can cope with I suppose.
I'm starting to think that I'd rather have something that "Just Works" as it should, straight and too the point with minimal bugs. As well as a thriving app environmental and community. Even though I love Androids openness, and more capabilities out of the box.

I'm asking because I want to make sure I'm not in the temporary phase of wanting the new Apple product still. Basically..

I like iPhone because:
Design - Well built; Sturdy
App Store - Always growing, and huge variety
Reliability - Works well and speedy
Camera - One of the best on a phone
Community - The amount of friends I have with iPhone's VS SGS3's

I like Droid because:
Open OS - More capabilities
As of now, more "innovative"
Free content - More free content, and easier to get
Speed - Most new Droids coming out later this year will be QUICK
Screen Size - Absolutely love screens around 4.5"

There's some exceptions though. iPhone can have "Free content", and a semi- more open OS with a jailbreak. And, Droid can have a good Camera, Design, and reliability. But with design, I'm not so sure. Doesn't seem likely we will see metal (or glass) materials for droids soon.

So? Am I nuts and becoming an iSheep to chose the iPhone 5? I'm afraid it'll get beat in every way soon. Android is awesome, and catching up.
 
I used to use an iPod then i got an android phone. Ive never used (or touched) an iPhone.

But i can say that though my iPod is broke, i still hold it in my hand once in a while just because it has that luxury feel to it. I dont know if iPhone compares to this, but i know my Android phone does not. My phone (with ICS) is semi-slow and has frustrating lag over the simplest tasks.

If i had an upgrade, i would get iPhone 5. Unfortunately im not even through my first year of my contract. Maybe ill get iPhone 6... or 7.

IMO the number one thing Android has over iPhone is Widget Locker, and the ability to add Widgets to the lock screen. This makes for a simple task such as toggling ring tone on/off, and hotspot, data etc without going through a menu. iOS 6 does have a new 2 finger swipe to open a menu, but im not sure what that menu has in it. I use hotspot a lot but dont leave it on, so i toggle it on/off a lot. Same with ringtone silence when i go in public. I dont want to have to go through a menu to toggle them.

IMO an iPhone for the ease of use and luxury feel + an Android tablet would be my choice. I love Android, but iDevices are so much more polished and luxurious. When i used my iPod i felt like i had something magical. When i use my Android phone, i feel like i just have some regular thing in my hand. Just my opinion.
 
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I'll agree, the s3 feels cheap to me. However, while Samsung has done a great job of marketing the s3, that is surely not the only choice available to you with android. Personally, I love HTC s build quality and will stick with them whenever possible for future purchases

Android has dominated iPhone as far as specs go. Apple just does a much better job of marketing.

I prefer not to pay more for an inferior product and have that extra money go towards marketing and lawyers.
 
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Am I nuts and becoming an iSheep to chose the iPhone 5?

Yes.

I'm afraid it'll get beat in every way soon. Android is awesome, and catching up.

"Soon"? iPhone/iOS has already been beaten by Android. ROYALLY! It is the other way around: it's the iPhone/iOS that has a lot of catching up to do!

Sure, the iPhone looks nice. And waving it around you will neatly fit in with the Joneses. But what do they know? IRL iPhone/iOS sucks compared to high-end Android phones with ICS or Jelly Bean.
 
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Hey so I've been wanting a smartphone, and am thinking about an iPhone 5. For a long time, I hated the iPhone. Why? First, the screen was too small. I just couldn't. Second, it was too simple for me. I wanted the S3, no doubt. But then I felt it one day. It felt cheap... and it wasn't as smooth/fast as I had hoped. No big deal, I might as well wait until the new Google Nexus comes out right? If I were to get a droid, might as well do it through a Nexus! Not so sure I want to wait though

Now, with the iPhone 5's screen at 4", its still small, but a size I can cope with I suppose.
I'm starting to think that I'd rather have something that "Just Works" as it should, straight and too the point with minimal bugs. As well as a thriving app environmental and community. Even though I love Androids openness, and more capabilities out of the box.

I'm asking because I want to make sure I'm not in the temporary phase of wanting the new Apple product still. Basically..

I like iPhone because:
Design - Well built; Sturdy
App Store - Always growing, and huge variety
Reliability - Works well and speedy
Camera - One of the best on a phone
Community - The amount of friends I have with iPhone's VS SGS3's

I like Droid because:
Open OS - More capabilities
As of now, more "innovative"
Free content - More free content, and easier to get
Speed - Most new Droids coming out later this year will be QUICK
Screen Size - Absolutely love screens around 4.5"

There's some exceptions though. iPhone can have "Free content", and a semi- more open OS with a jailbreak. And, Droid can have a good Camera, Design, and reliability. But with design, I'm not so sure. Doesn't seem likely we will see metal (or glass) materials for droids soon.

So? Am I nuts and becoming an iSheep to chose the iPhone 5? I'm afraid it'll get beat in every way soon. Android is awesome, and catching up.

-there are plenty of choices for phones that have different feel as far as build quality. People said the GSII "felt" cheap, but it has held up very well.
-There are actually more and better choices of apps on Android. Because of the open nature of the OS, devs can do more with apps.
-Android is completely reliable and I personally have more problems with apps on my ipad2 than on my GSII.
-Android cameras are very good (and BTW I was doing panoramic pictures over 2 years ago)


And the single biggest flaw in your argument is that Android is catching up. Apple doesn't innovate anymore. For ios 4,5, and 6 here are just some of the things they have copied from Android: OTA system updates, notifications, navigation (huge fail here), panoramic pictures, and those are just the first few that pop in my head. Can you name a single thing Apple does better than Android that Android needs to catch up??
 
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Of all the brand's flagship phones Apple's iPhone 5 still has the smallest screen. How innovative... NOT.
iPhone 5/iOS 6 was redundant the day it was launched... :-D

It looks like Apple wants to maintain the iPhone's phone aspect more than its 'i' aspect. Apple seems to ignore that IRL smartphones are used as mini-tablets for 97% of the time. Not as phones.
 
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When I said android is catching up, I meant in the sense of how man people are using it, and how many supporters and app devs there are. The OS is more advanced since ICS. And TBH, if Lumia 920 would have Android, I'd get it. Windows 8 doesn't have enough apps/support for me right now, but seriously, its a sick phone with an insane camera/screen.

I'm thinking of doing this. Get an iPhone 5 and a Nexus Tablet. Why? For a phone, something I use all of the time, fast, straight and to the point use at all time is a must. Plus the countless apps and great simple features of the iPhone will help it get through the day with no frustration. An Android tablet will take full advantage of Jelly Bean, and IMO a better experience with Android on a tablet.

Thanks guys
 
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When I said android is catching up, I meant in the sense of how man people are using it

So you think more people use iPhones/iOS than they do Android phones? Where did you get that idea? It is completely the other way around. Android's market share is far bigger than iPhone/iOS's.

and how many supporters and app devs there are. The OS is more advanced since ICS. And TBH, if Lumia 920 would have Android, I'd get it. Windows 8 doesn't have enough apps/support for me right now, but seriously, its a sick phone with an insane camera/screen.

You make it sound as if you know what you're talking about...

I'm thinking of doing this. Get an iPhone 5 and a Nexus Tablet. Why? For a phone, something I use all of the time, fast, straight and to the point use at all time is a must. Plus the countless apps and great simple features of the iPhone will help it get through the day with no frustration.

LOL!
Famous last words!
FYI: you've also got the app thing backwards. There are roughly 500,000 Android apps now. iOS around 300,000.

An Android tablet will take full advantage of Jelly Bean, and IMO a better experience with Android on a tablet.

Yes, you seem exactly the kind of person Apple makes iPhones for. So that's probably your best bet.
 
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When I said android is catching up, I meant in the sense of how man people are using it, and how many supporters and app devs there are. The OS is more advanced since ICS. And TBH, if Lumia 920 would have Android, I'd get it. Windows 8 doesn't have enough apps/support for me right now, but seriously, its a sick phone with an insane camera/screen.

I'm thinking of doing this. Get an iPhone 5 and a Nexus Tablet. Why? For a phone, something I use all of the time, fast, straight and to the point use at all time is a must. Plus the countless apps and great simple features of the iPhone will help it get through the day with no frustration. An Android tablet will take full advantage of Jelly Bean, and IMO a better experience with Android on a tablet.

Thanks guys

Android actually has the larger market share worldwide. The numbers here in the US are closer but I believe android was still ahead last time I saw a report.

I'm writing this from a nexus 7 right now. Its a great tablet and if you would want an introduction to iOS and android to compare the two at the same time your idea would make sense.

I'd suggest getting and android phone though. If you got the androidphne and nexus 7 tablet you can save money and make a comparison between whatever phone overlay you get (touchwiz, sense, motoblur, sect) and an AOSP nexus device that has android the way Google intended.
 
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I found some statistics
New Marketshare Numbers Show Android Holding Its Lead Worldwide, ComScore Says US Smartphones Will Soon Become Majority

"Worldwide...Android still commands a strong lead with 68.5% of the sales in the big five European countries (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France), and iOS has 14%."

US:
nexusae0_2012-10-02_14h07_42_thumb.png


(Google 51%, Apple 32%)
 
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I found some statistics
New Marketshare Numbers Show Android Holding Its Lead Worldwide, ComScore Says US Smartphones Will Soon Become Majority

"Worldwide...Android still commands a strong lead with 68.5% of the sales in the big five European countries (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France), and iOS has 14%."

US:
nexusae0_2012-10-02_14h07_42_thumb.png


(Google 51%, Apple 32%)
As an android fan I have to point out that these numbers mean we are now the "sheep" that fandroid zealots accuse ios users of being' Also both iphones and android phones work perfectly well " out of the box " but with android my neighbor or my son can have a need for an app, write the script and offer it for mass consumption and as long as it poses no threat to security or privacy be accepted by the android community reguardless of it's potential to generate profit
 
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What does "feels cheap" mean?

Something that feels light vs heavy does not equal cheap or sturdy. My Droid X has a very heavy feel, my Nexus does not, but my Nexus doesn't feel cheap just because it isn't as dense.

One of the main things iPhone 5 people complained about was it feels too light and one of the main things people said about the Galaxy Nexus was the plastic backing feels cheap.
To me, both of those things are equally ridiculous.

With regard to the 100's of thousands of apps available per platform, who cares?
No one is going to install all 600k apps, and a large number of the apps are duplicates of the duplicates, so the number of apps available is irrelevant until you talk about the apps available only for one platform.

The Android/iPhone bashing/zealotry makes no sense. They are both very popular devices, each with their own pros and cons.
 
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What does "feels cheap" mean?
With regard to my comments on the s3 feeling cheap, its a complaint that many people have. Its got to do with the plastic Samsung chose to use. It just felt like I wouldn't trust it holding up for the 2 years I was going to be in contract under if I got that device. I expect a $600 phone to not feel cheap. Don't get me wrong, the s3 is a blockbuster device and worthy of it, but it wasn't for me. My aluminum Evo 4G LTE (sprints ONE X) feels right in my hand.

The Android/iPhone bashing/zealotry makes no sense. They are both very popular devices, each with their own pros and cons.
Of course, but being that this is an android website, most of the users here have already decided that android>iOS for them.
 
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This is just like the PlayStation vs Xbox argument. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and I like both. I also have androids and iPads. Whoever said you can only have one but not the other is clearly insane

Although I hate to admit it, my Kindle Fire is collecting dust since my ipad. But my android phone smashes the old iPhone 3GS by a country mile.
 
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I like iPhone because:
Design - Well built; Sturdy
App Store - Always growing, and huge variety
Reliability - Works well and speedy
Camera - One of the best on a phone
Community - The amount of friends I have with iPhone's VS SGS3's
Let's begin with a simpler premise: what do you need/want your smartphone to do? And who will do that for you at the best price? That should be what determines which phone/OS is best for you. To respond to the specifics above:

Design - as others have pointed out, this is a matter of preference, and Android phones offer you a range of choices.

App Store - Unless you are a big gamer, the Play Store is not only as good; it's better. Your experience is integrated in the Play Store - you launch it once and can download apps, buy music and movies, books or magazines. You have to launch different stores to do each of those things in iOS (App store for apps, iTunes for music, etc.).

Reliability - Two words: Jelly Bean.

Camera - Lots of Android phones out there with cameras as good or better - and certainly the next (set of?) Nexus phone(s) will have a camera at least as good. But again, ask yourself - how good a camera do you need? I have a Galaxy Nexus, and its camera works quite well for me.

Community - What is the advantage of having the same phone as many of your friends? iMessage? There are a lot of apps available to do something similar on both platforms.
 
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In terms of build quality I really have no idea why people think the S3 feels cheap. Does it use plastic? Sure. Look at the antenna issues the iPhone 4 had because of it's metal body.

Besides, the S3 and the iPhone were designed with two completely mindsets. Apple design the iPhone with an industrious feel, and they certainly accomplished that. Samsung took there inspiration from nature, more specifically a stone from a river bed. They definitely accomplished that too. I love the way the S3 feels in my hands, smooth edges, smooth body, I think it's one of the nicest phones to hold.

Plastic no longer equals cheap, and metal doesn't always mean quality.

Also, Android isn't catching up, it has surpassed iOS a long time ago. The iPhone 5 is apples attempt to catch up too the latest Android Phones.
 
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With regard to my comments on the s3 feeling cheap, its a complaint that many people have. Its got to do with the plastic Samsung chose to use. It just felt like I wouldn't trust it holding up for the 2 years I was going to be in contract under if I got that device. I expect a $600 phone to not feel cheap. Don't get me wrong, the s3 is a blockbuster device and worthy of it, but it wasn't for me. My aluminum Evo 4G LTE (sprints ONE X) feels right in my hand.


Of course, but being that this is an android website, most of the users here have already decided that android>iOS for them.

I think when people mention "build-quality", they're really talking about ergonomics, not durability. In my opinion, the 3gs was a more attractive phone and was better built than the 4/4s, yet people raved about the "build-quality" of the glass exterior despite the ease at which it cracked. And like you, I sort of prefer aluminium bodies, but they scratch more easily and can dent unlike plastic, so it wouldn't at all be a determining factor in choosing a phone for me.
 
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My htc evo 4G lte is aluminum, along with many htc phones. :)

Your coming to an android forum so most everyone will tell you go with android but it's really up to you of course.

The camera on my evo lte is awesome. Same goes for many android phones.I can get better close up shots than my friends 4s hands down. The iphone 5's camera hasn't changed really from the 4s.

As far as screens go if you want a larger screen android is the way to go. If you don't like the amoled screens you can choose a different style. That's why android is great. I love the 720p display on my evo lte. No 720p on the iphone.

For me it's a no brainer. I would pick android all day over ios. Iphone doesn't bring anything to the table that I don't already have in my 5 month old evo lte. I honestly have more features in my "old" phone. I say old because in all fairness it is running an "old" os in ice cream sandwich. And like I've told others, if you do choose to get an iphone don't get the 5. The 4s is super cheap right now and with ios6 it basically becomes an iphone 5.
 
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Why would I get the 4S? What's $100 for something im going to use everyday all the time. I get 2x speed, longer support from Apple, better design, LTE, bigger screen... 4S?-Not for me. And don't complain that the iPhone "cant do 720p". It has RETINA display = NO visible pixels the naked eye. NO point AT ALL in increasing resolution

And the camera is insanely important for me TBH. I love photography.

I made a topic on an Apple fan forum too, so I am getting a mix of both sides. And, this is what I have decided:

I will get the iPhone 5. I'm tired of waiting for the one android phone to be "the one" for me. The rounded backs on android phones is ugly to me too.

With the iPhone 5, for christmas I'm getting a Nexus Tablet (Or hold up until a new Nexus tab?). I feel the combination will bring me just what I want. More capabilities when I use my larger screened tablet, but with an iPhone I have a simple yet great device for being there when I need it all of the time, as a primary device.

Thought about a new nexus and an iPad, but iPads are too limited for the screen real estate.
 
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