Android vs iPhone Apps

[bazlington]

Lets face it, as Android users we are sick of hearing of Android's "potential". I have opted for the HTC Desire and was really singing its praises...until the missus got an iPhone. I'll be honest...it p*sses all over my HTC Desire and Android applications.

Why is it that Android apps look so amatureish. I'm no developer so am interested in the technical reasons.

 

[Super Noob]

I love my Evo and still sing it's praises. I agree many of the iCan't apps have better eye candy, but didn't the iCan't devs have a few years up developing apps compared to Android devs?

Also, read this thread, maybe it has to do with a higher financial incentive to create apps for the iCan't: http://androidforums.com/android-applications/121890-iphone-developer-makes-1-400-one-day.html

By the way, I am in no way jealous of my wife's iCan't. I have a bigger screen, endless customization without jail-breaking the phone, better camera, 2 flash LEDs, 4G, etc., etc, etc.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Be scientific. Let's consider apps that have ports on both iOS4 and Android OS. Which ones are fantastic on iPhone and bad on Android?

In the interest of fair discussion, I can name a couple, but I am quite interested in seeing your list

 

[Tre Lawrence]

I love my Evo and still sing it's praises. I agree many of the iCan't apps have better eye candy, but didn't the iCan't devs have a few years up developing apps compared to Android devs?

Also, read this thread, maybe it has to do with a higher financial incentive to create apps for the iCan't: http://androidforums.com/android-applications/121890-iphone-developer-makes-1-400-one-day.html

By the way, I am in no way jealous of my wife's iCan't. I have a bigger screen, endless customization without jail-breaking the phone, better camera, 2 flash LEDs, 4G, etc., etc, etc.

Good points...

In strict economics (supply and demand and all that), a developer would put more time into an iOS4 app in hopes of a windfall.

 

[bazlington]

I know this would be a contentious issue on here! Ha!

I havnt got an extensive list, but apps such as Fat Booth are just awsome. Nothing compares to apps like that on the Android. Yes the android is functional, but until developers start producing fun apps that are easy to use, android are p*ssing in the wind if they think they will out do the iPhone.

AND TRUST ME...IT DOES HURT ME TO SAY THIS HA!!!

 

[Super Noob]

Be scientific. Let's consider apps that have ports on both iOS4 and Android OS. Which ones are fantastic on iPhone and bad on Android?

In the interest of fair discussion, I can name a couple, but I am quite interested in seeing your list

Modern Combat: Sandstorm looks pretty good, I haven't played it, but I have seen the Youtube vids.

Asphalt HD is a great looking game that I do have, and if you want eye-candy, Gameloft games are worth checking out.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Contentious? How so? It is a valid discussion, and one worth commenting on, IMHO. I can name a few apps that are absolutely PHENOMENAL on iOS4 but leave plenty to be desired on other platforms, including Android.

However, I am talking about serious apps though. Face warping games don't count!

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Modern Combat: Sandstorm looks pretty good, I haven't played it, but I have seen the Youtube vids.

Asphalt HD is a great looking game that I do have, and if you want eye-candy, Gameloft games are worth checking out.

My original post was directed at Baz, but I cannot argue with those...

 

[LostAlon]

I know this would be a contentious issue on here! Ha!

I havnt got an extensive list, but apps such as Fat Booth are just awsome. Nothing compares to apps like that on the Android. Yes the android is functional, but until developers start producing fun apps that are easy to use, android are p*ssing in the wind if they think they will out do the iPhone.

AND TRUST ME...IT DOES HURT ME TO SAY THIS HA!!!

How good the app situation is on any platform is HUGELY relative, and its something that only you can individually decide if you like.

'Fun' is a descriptor that makes me shiver with hatred tbh. 'Quriky' little apps that are totally non-functional and you only use for the novelty (see lightsabre apps and similar on iOS) are the antithesis of what I want on my phone.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm especially right or that you're opinion is less valid, but it shows a difference in perception of apps, and expectations of what they are for. If you want things that are fun or quirky or whatever, then you'll find a lot of them on the iPhone.

I suspect that its a difference in how apps get made. The vast majority of apps on iOS are professionally made, either by developers hired by a company to make a promotional app, or by professional developers who want to make money from it. This is further compounded by apple maintaining a choke hold on what apps can make it to non-JB iPhones.

There are professional developers on android, but definitely far fewer than on iPhone, and the majority of apps are made by community developers who want to make something that fulfills a need in their life, and that they want on their own device, which leads to a lot of functioning apps that were just designed to DO something and then maybe pretty up the UI if the developers can be bothered.

Maybe I'm hideously wrong, but thats just my perception.

Personally, I was happy with the apps on my blackberry, so you can see how spartan my taste in apps is

 

[0sync0]

I went from an iPod Touch to the Nexus One. I mostly find Android apps not up to the level of the apps I had on the iPod. But they are good enough for me since there is no way I'll get an iPhone.

 

[bazlington]

But I think the reason the iPhone is the simplicity of apps such as fat booth. Its the reaction of people in a pub or social situation that is the best advert for the fone. People from every spectrum of life will find that very simple fat booth app fantastic.

If I showed 99.9% of people the latest 3D space flying shoot-um-up available on Android, yes amazing as it looks, they will not have the same reaction as the do to apps of the likes of fat booth etc...

So why is it that android cant seem to produces these simple, "pub friendly" type apps? That is was missing from Android/developers IMHO.

 

[Little Darwin]

Lightsabre (or a similar app) is available for Android... I had it loaded for a few hours just for fun... and an hour was more than enough time.

 

[jamezr]

How good the app situation is on any platform is HUGELY relative, and its something that only you can individually decide if you like.

'Fun' is a descriptor that makes me shiver with hatred tbh. 'Quriky' little apps that are totally non-functional and you only use for the novelty (see lightsabre apps and similar on iOS) are the antithesis of what I want on my phone.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm especially right or that you're opinion is less valid, but it shows a difference in perception of apps, and expectations of what they are for. If you want things that are fun or quirky or whatever, then you'll find a lot of them on the iPhone.

I suspect that its a difference in how apps get made. The vast majority of apps on iOS are professionally made, either by developers hired by a company to make a promotional app, or by professional developers who want to make money from it. This is further compounded by apple maintaining a choke hold on what apps can make it to non-JB iPhones.

There are professional developers on android, but definitely far fewer than on iPhone, and the majority of apps are made by community developers who want to make something that fulfills a need in their life, and that they want on their own device, which leads to a lot of functioning apps that were just designed to DO something and then maybe pretty up the UI if the developers can be bothered.

Maybe I'm hideously wrong, but thats just my perception.

Personally, I was happy with the apps on my blackberry, so you can see how spartan my taste in apps is

Those are some great points. I agree with you on just about all of them.
I am a iPhone 4G switcher. I wanted a phone that worked no matter how I held it. My iphone 4G lost signal if I held it wrong. Since switching to the HTC EVO I have not lost out on anything. I have the same apps and more functionality than I had with my iphone. I have had the 3G and 3GS iphones from the start. The iphone apps seem to have more eye candy if you will but the android apps do exactly the same thing. I would rather have function over form. My EVO works great and it is bigger and faster. BUT the battery is another story.....

 

[bazlington]

How good the app situation is on any platform is HUGELY relative, and its something that only you can individually decide if you like.

'Fun' is a descriptor that makes me shiver with hatred tbh. 'Quriky' little apps that are totally non-functional and you only use for the novelty (see lightsabre apps and similar on iOS) are the antithesis of what I want on my phone.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm especially right or that you're opinion is less valid, but it shows a difference in perception of apps, and expectations of what they are for. If you want things that are fun or quirky or whatever, then you'll find a lot of them on the iPhone.

I suspect that its a difference in how apps get made. The vast majority of apps on iOS are professionally made, either by developers hired by a company to make a promotional app, or by professional developers who want to make money from it. This is further compounded by apple maintaining a choke hold on what apps can make it to non-JB iPhones.

There are professional developers on android, but definitely far fewer than on iPhone, and the majority of apps are made by community developers who want to make something that fulfills a need in their life, and that they want on their own device, which leads to a lot of functioning apps that were just designed to DO something and then maybe pretty up the UI if the developers can be bothered.

Maybe I'm hideously wrong, but thats just my perception.

Personally, I was happy with the apps on my blackberry, so you can see how spartan my taste in apps is

So do you think that it is a straight up choice between the quirky/fun iPhone apps or functional Android apps? I cant see why Android cant do both?

 

[Tre Lawrence]

How good the app situation is on any platform is HUGELY relative, and its something that only you can individually decide if you like.

'Fun' is a descriptor that makes me shiver with hatred tbh. 'Quriky' little apps that are totally non-functional and you only use for the novelty (see lightsabre apps and similar on iOS) are the antithesis of what I want on my phone.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm especially right or that you're opinion is less valid, but it shows a difference in perception of apps, and expectations of what they are for. If you want things that are fun or quirky or whatever, then you'll find a lot of them on the iPhone.

I suspect that its a difference in how apps get made. The vast majority of apps on iOS are professionally made, either by developers hired by a company to make a promotional app, or by professional developers who want to make money from it. This is further compounded by apple maintaining a choke hold on what apps can make it to non-JB iPhones.

There are professional developers on android, but definitely far fewer than on iPhone, and the majority of apps are made by community developers who want to make something that fulfills a need in their life, and that they want on their own device, which leads to a lot of functioning apps that were just designed to DO something and then maybe pretty up the UI if the developers can be bothered.

Maybe I'm hideously wrong, but thats just my perception.

Personally, I was happy with the apps on my blackberry, so you can see how spartan my taste in apps is

Exactly. Well said.

I agree with perception playing a role.

I am a BB user as well... so I understand the absolute horror (tongue-in-cheek) of not having butt-expulsion apps available.

But, when friends with iPhones discussed what I consider to be serious apps, there was almost ALWAYS one I could pick out for BB. Now, in some cases, it was 5 times as expensive as the iPhone port/alternative, but they did exist.

 

[opticalshadow]

other then better looking UI none of the apps i use are really any beter or worse then the iphone counterparts. android does have potential, and youll hear that because its true, but liek mentioned above iphone has a huge leg up in that they were out before anyone, as such alot of people had contracts with iphone for app development and advertiseing , which is why until only more recently you never seen an ad say you could get an android app for whatever it is they had, it was always iphone. apple was smart and stormed the market first.

btter android apps are coming out every now and then but apple has a market, but the biggest diffrence i see in iphone apps compared to android ones are apple's look preitter, which is essentially how they treat all of their products. their macs were always more streamlined then other standered computers, they strive on looks. android tends to be liek mentioned above more functinal, they get teh job done.

but in the end you cant find Adobe Flash 10.1 in the apple market, and for that reason i still give my droid market the win.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

But I think the reason the iPhone is the simplicity of apps such as fat booth. Its the reaction of people in a pub or social situation that is the best advert for the fone. People from every spectrum of life will find that very simple fat booth app fantastic.

If I showed 99.9% of people the latest 3D space flying shoot-um-up available on Android, yes amazing as it looks, they will not have the same reaction as the do to apps of the likes of fat booth etc...

So why is it that android cant seem to produces these simple, "pub friendly" type apps? That is was missing from Android/developers IMHO.

I cannot argue with this point either...

 

[syrne]

It's a lot easier to develop for one piece of hardware than many. Think of it like console vs PC games. You wouldn't call a PC with xbox 360 specs a high end gaming rig, but it can run graphically intensive games because they are tweaked and coded to work with the hardware. Devs can develop for the iPhone and it works for all of them, if they develop for the Nexus one then they have to tweak it to get it to work with all the others or get spammed to death on the comments about how it doesn't work.