Unsure about Android

[whichpill]

Hey there. I've had a dumbphone for years, and have been thinking about upgrading to a smartphone for awhile. I have T-Mobile, so finding a phone that I like has been challenging.

I was thinking about waiting until October to see if T-Mobile gets the iPhone 5, but the HTC One S caught my eye. The phone is pretty sleek, but with less than 24 hours of having it I've already noticed some quirks:

• Android seems to have a ton of junk apps (several of which are already on my phone, and its a hassle to get rid of them)
• The HTC One S camera occasionally makes noise while shooting video (I think it's the aperture refocusing, but it's very obvious and annoying)
• Why is it so hard to play videos online? The native player on Youtube and the like seems pretty dingy
• There's a slight light leak at the top of the case...only noticeable in a dark room and even then it's not that bad...but if I'm paying $250+ for a phone...)

I really don't want to invest two years into this phone if it's going to be outclassed a ton by the next iPhone/whatever. It's a cool phone, but I dunno. The thing I like about it is the form factor (I think the Samsung Galaxy S line is way too wide for a phone).

Now I'm wondering if I made the right choice. Regardless of the carrier, I am wondering if I should just return my phone (I'm still in the trial period) and wait to see what they do for the next iPhone. Android seems cool and all, but I wonder if I'd be better off with iOS.

 

[Jon Davis]

All phones / os systems are going to have quirks.
The light leak ; take phone back for exchange, it's a hardware problem.

I am a big fan of droid razr, Motorola phones. That means nothing to you.
I am a big fan of Android. Again, means little to you.

If you stick with Android I advise getting one with Ice Cream Sandwich. That does mean something. Even if you have to pay a bit more.

Good luck.

 

[jefboyardee]

If you’re still pondering an iPhone, check out this thread: Great iOS vs Android Tube

 

[mrsbelpit]

You probably can predict what I'm going to say, since this is an Android forum, but...android at this point truly kicks the crap out of iOS, even when you look at what's coming in iOS 6 (in my opinion)

The One S is a nice phone, but has a ton of bloat (you can blame t-mo for that, not android specifically)
T-mo is the worst when it comes to adding unnecessary apps. That's one of the reasons I got the unlocked Gnex.

If you're not happy with the phone, you should definitely NOT keep it. The other phones I recommend you try are the SGS3 and the Galaxy Nexus, which unlocked and no contract extension at $349 is a steal - if you're not already on a value plan, do that. The pricing is excellent even purchasing a phone at full price.

At any rate, if you're totally unsure, just wait for the iPhone. by the time it comes out, the unlocked one will get you 3g on T-Mobile. Nobody has any idea if it will be subsidized at T-Mo yet.

 

[whichpill]

Thanks. I know the Android is great for personalizing, but still. The HTC One S has ICS, btw.

 

[whichpill]

You probably can predict what I'm going to say, since this is an Android forum, but...android at this point truly kicks the crap out of iOS, even when you look at what's coming in iOS 6 (in my opinion)

The One S is a nice phone, but has a ton of bloat (you can blame t-mo for that, not android specifically)
T-mo is the worst when it comes to adding unnecessary apps. That's one of the reasons I got the unlocked Gnex.

If you're not happy with the phone, you should definitely NOT keep it. The other phones I recommend you try are the SGS3 and the Galaxy Nexus, which unlocked and no contract extension at $349 is a steal - if you're not already on a value plan, do that. The pricing is excellent even purchasing a phone at full price.

At any rate, if you're totally unsure, just wait for the iPhone. by the time it comes out, the unlocked one will get you 3g on T-Mobile. Nobody has any idea if it will be subsidized at T-Mo yet.

Thanks. Yeah, def more on T-Mobile. I mean I like the phone, I just like to whine and worry, haha. My other phone was falling apart a bit, so it kinda sped up the decision to upgrade.

I think the SGS3 is way too wide for a phone, though. Waiting may be the way to go, but it might be a waste of time too. Ughhhh decisions

 

[mrsbelpit]

Ha, I wanted the One S. It's a gorgeous phone. But I decided that updates to the latest and greatest android were more important to me, so I got the Gnex.

You know that you can natively disable all of that bloat in ICS, right? Go to settings, apps, tap all, select the app, and disable at top right. That will also remove them from your app drawer.

 

[ktchong]

I use an Android user, and I am not currently using an iPhone. So I am just gonna be honest here, and a lot of Android fanboys are gonna be very upset with me:

After having adopted Android since October 2011, my conclusion is that iPhone is superior than Android. Superior and more apps and a superior eco-system are the biggest reasons. I am a gamer myself, and Android is missing out on A LOT of games. Game developers are either refusing to develop for Android (like Epic Games) or they are abandoning Android (like Mika Mobile,) and they are good developers that make great games. Android fanboys are attacking those developers and say they suck and they make horrible games and wouldn't be missed. I disagree with them, and I say those are just sour grape and bitter talk.

Last year I had hoped that the Android eco-system would eventually catch up, that Android would overtake iOS and have more app and game selections. If a platform has a bigger user base, then it will ultimate have more apps -- that is supposed to make sense, right? However, now it seems pretty clear to me that that won't happen. Android may have more users, but for some weird reasons iOS continue to have more apps and developers continue to prefer iOS over Android. I think this is the first time this weird situation has happened: the more widely-adopted platform has fewer apps than the less-adopted one. App availability and chioces are really huge factors for anyone to choose a platform, and at this point (after watching how the trends have developed overtime and reading about how the trends are evolving) I am fairly certainly Android will never surpass iOS in apps.

The single biggest reason I am somewhat disappointed in Android is that there are just so many great apps and games that are available on iOS but not on Android, and the developers pretty much straight out just declare, "sorry, we are just not going to make anything for Android" for whatever reasons, (but it's always boiled down to money and profitability.) Another big problem is that every Android phone or OS version is "incompatible" with some amount of Android apps. (It's the "fragmentation" problem that everyone is talking about.) The incompatibility and fragmentation problems further narrow down the number of apps that is available to each different Android phone.

I settle for Android over iPhone for some other reasons. I am gonna to admit right now I am a cheapskate, and money was a motivator for me to switch over to Android. I still don't think I should be spending a whole lot on a phone, and I think it's stupid to be locked into a phone contract for more than a yea. I refuse to be locked down by a contract with a corporation. (c'mon, two-year contract, seriously? Two years are longer than most "long-term" relationships and so many marriages can last nowadays.) However, if money or a two-year "the-corporation-can-screw-you-and-reserve-the-privilege-to-change-the-rules-but-you-can't-screw-the-corporation-and-have-to-follow-their-rules" contract is not an issue, then I would recommend you go with an iPhone. But for the price and overhead I am paying to use a smartphone, I am okay with it.

 

[OfTheDamned]

Overall, it sounds like you want the iPhone and feel like you are settling for the One S. If that is even partially true then I'd suggest waiting and getting the phone you really want. There is no point in suffering through a 2 year contract with a phone you don't really like.

Android is an amazing platform and the incredible features go far beyond customization. As the videos (5 or 6 in the series) that jefboyardee linked to will show, there are some things that the iPhone or iOS simply won't or can't do. That said, Android isn't for everyone and that is the reason there are other operating systems out there. You may find that Android just isn't for you and there is nothing wrong with that. You may want to take look at the new Windows Phones as well.

In the end it all really boils down to what you are looking for in a smartphone. Think about what you want to accomplish, what you'll be doing on a daily basis, which features will you use the most or want the most and determine if the phones you are interested in is the right one for you.

 

[whichpill]

Great advice, OfTheDamned. My biggest concern is for the camera, I suppose. The HTC One S has a good one, but it's not perfect. I just want a phone that is good and won't be out of date in 6 months. Is that too much to ask for these days?

 

[OfTheDamned]

Great advice, OfTheDamned. My biggest concern is for the camera, I suppose. The HTC One S has a good one, but it's not perfect. I just want a phone that is good and won't be out of date in 6 months. Is that too much to ask for these days?

It isn't too much to ask for, but unfortunately hard to actually get. It is rather sad, but there will always be a better phone just over the horizon. The problem is that once you wait for it, there is a better phone rumored just beyond that horizon. There will always be better phones coming along. 6 months is a little easier to come by and as long as you are getting a newer phone with Android 4.0 you should be good for at least a year.

As far as the camera goes, you have to keep in mind that none of them are perfect. With smartphones it really becomes one of those Jack of all trades and master of none type of things. They do a lot of different things really well, but none of them perfectly. Some cameras are better than others. HTC's have actually really improved with the One series.

 

[Crashdamage]

ANY phone could be considered out of date in 6 months. New iPhones are out of date in 6 months. Many people consider phones out of date before they're even released and are already speculating about the Next Greatest Thing and should they wait for it to buy?

Screw all that. There's always something better coming, tech moves really fast. Buy what you like and enjoy.

 

[Hadron]

Depends what you mean by "out of date". I have an HTC Desire, 2 years old and still a perfectly serviceable smartphone. I've even run ICS on it, though ICS ROMs for the Desire don't yet match the better GB ROMs for it. Of course I've done this by managing my own software, rather than waiting for the manufacturer.

But yeah, there will always be "something newer/better" within a few months whenever you buy. If that bothers you then it's an argument for the iPhone: if you buy one of those shortly after it's released then you have "the latest iPhone" for about a year, because nobody else can make one (and as the price is controlled too there's no early adopter penalty for buying early because they don't drop the price all year). In that respect the single manufacturer, tightly controlled model makes it easier for the customer.

 

[jetx2x]

I honestly don't understand why people think that because something slightly better came out that theirs is crap and is falling apart... just buy something and be happy with it... I honestly think that the corporations have brainwashed us into believing this...

Sent from my N860 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-5

 

[AntimonyER]

First of all, Welcome to Android Forums!

I think OTD said it best. We could sit here and tell you all the reasons why Android is better than iOS, etc, but if you want an iPhone, then get it.

As far as worrying about being outspec'd, based on the iOS 6 announcement, I don't know if there is anything to worry about in that respect. The majority of "new" features were just to catch up to Android's features. And for most of their components, Apple depends on suppliers who also supply to Android manufacturers (or ARE android manufacturers -- Samsung). When you combine that with the extra polishing Apple does, the iPhone most likely will not be the highest spec'd phone when it releases ever again.

 

[Stuntman]

Android seems to have a ton of junk apps (several of which are already on my phone, and its a hassle to get rid of them)

I normally just put the apps I use regularly on my home screen and remove and junk apps from my home screens. I hardly ever use my app tray except for adding an app to my home screen, deleting an app or using an app that I probably haven't used for months. Is this such a big deal?

• The HTC One S camera occasionally makes noise while shooting video (I think it's the aperture refocusing, but it's very obvious and annoying)

I thought all auto-focus cameras make a noise like this.

• There's a slight light leak at the top of the case...only noticeable in a dark room and even then it's not that bad...but if I'm paying $250+ for a phone...)

Perhaps you should return it for a new one. I've heard of light bleeding on various devices before.

I really don't want to invest two years into this phone if it's going to be outclassed a ton by the next iPhone/whatever. It's a cool phone, but I dunno. The thing I like about it is the form factor (I think the Samsung Galaxy S line is way too wide for a phone).

Whichever phone you choose to buy will probably be outclassed by a ton by the next phone. Mobile technology seems to be advancing at a tremendous rate at this time. If you are very susceptible to phone envy, there is no device you can buy that will stop it. Just accept that your phone will not be brand spanking new for 2 years. It just isn't going to happen unless you buy up every single patent there is and ban any manufacturer from making phones for the next 2 years.

Think of it this way. If you are happy with your phone yesterday and a new phone with better specs, features and can slice vegitables comes out today, your old phone doesn't just suddenly break down and become a totally useless brick. I've had mine for 20 months and it works as well (actually a little better with updates) as it did the day I bought it. It does everything it did back then. I was happy with it the day I bought it and am still happy with it today even with dual core phones with HD screens. It still does the job and there isn't much that I want my phone to do that it cannot do.

Now I'm wondering if I made the right choice. Regardless of the carrier, I am wondering if I should just return my phone (I'm still in the trial period) and wait to see what they do for the next iPhone. Android seems cool and all, but I wonder if I'd be better off with iOS.

I'm not sure that many reasons you gave are good reasons to switch to iOS. Noisy auto-focus isn't an OS issue. Light bleed isn't an OS issue. If you some how managed to install iOS on your Android phone, it will not fix these issue. If you are unhappy with the video player on your phone and like the one on the iPhone, then perhaps that is a reason. I do find that the video player on iOS has some advantages over Android, but Android can play Flash. If Flash isn't important to you, then perhaps iOS is better in this respect. Junk apps can be removed from your home screens on Android, so you don't see them very much at all.

Great advice, OfTheDamned. My biggest concern is for the camera, I suppose. The HTC One S has a good one, but it's not perfect.

Not sure how important the camera is for you. The best cameras is on Nokia phones which run on Symbian. For all other phones, you can look at camera reviews on various websites. There was a recent one done on PhoneArena.com. (Just don't look at the Engadget camera phone reviews. I've never forgiven them for making the best camera take the worse pictures.)

I just want a phone that is good and won't be out of date in 6 months. Is that too much to ask for these days?

Yes, it is too much to ask. Just get the phone you like the most today.

 

[itsallgood]

You got some great advice from everyone here. As others have said, you need to decide what you want/need your cellphone to do. After that, check out all the phones that meet this need and narrow down your search. As to iOS or Android, that will depend if you want customization and verity go with Android. If you want your phone all ready set up and much better fragmentation of the OS, then go with iOS.

I have an Atrix 4G, which came out last year in March and was branded the worlds first dual core/fastest smart phone. We will be getting ICS in a month or so. I love my phone, even though it's not the fastest and highest spec. phone out anymore. It still can keep up with todays newer phones and still meeting all of my needs.

Android is really limitless as to what you can make your cellphone do. It just takes time, patients and knowing how to do things.

 

[whichpill]

Just to update you guys...after almost a week of owning the HTC One S, I have to say, I like it. It's fast, responsive, and seems to be the best bet over the other options available today.

The video recording issue is not as major as I initially thought, the playback problem was due to Google Chrome and not the native Internet browser, and I've sorted through the apps.

Thanks for the responses!

 

[baramsey]

I have a droid X and i really want to find out if i can put old PC games on it. This post may be way off topic but can anyone help me with that. particularly i wanted to put mechcommander on my phone if anyone knows it can't be done that would be appreciated as well thank you

 

[candroid11]

Trade your phone in and upgrade to the One X. That is the best camera you can get in any phone to my knowledge. And I can assure you that the iphone is not outclassing any high-end android phone.

As for the person who said that the games selection on android sucks, all I have to say is that you should be playing games on your PC or console and not your phone. That's a pretty crappy reason to criticize android. Since the OP didn't mention that he wants to use his phone for games I dont think it's fair to mention this as a reason for him to scrap his android phone.