How do you chose between iphone and Android?

[UCS]

I've been a devote Android fan since its first release but last week I was given an iphone 4, good stuff I thought - something new to play with. But at the same time i upgraded my contract and got a Galaxy S2.

So now I probably have the two best phones you can buy and in all honesty im torn between them... I wasn't expecting this.

When I first tried IOS - its was the original iphone. I found it lacking, it missed the features Android had, it didn't have an equivalent XDA xommunity for mods and tweaks. All this has changed - i was able to jailbreak (root) my iphone in minutes and have a wealth of mods to chose from. I ended up moding IOS so that it had all the features of Android and then some. But I guess I've also done the equivalent with Android for years - modding it to add IOS functionality.

Now both phones run almost the same, its hard on a day to day usability basis to tell them apart. It will be even harder when IOS 5 comes out - since apple nicked 200 ideas from Android and injected it into the iphone. Right now the only difference is the choice of apps. Android market has come on leaps and bounds since the early days (gawd do you remember some of those apps a few years ago!) but it still doesn't match the App store.

Is anyone else in the same boat? Are we all die hard Android fans and wouldn't even consider an iphone? Would you ever switch? Does anyone know how to get an Android to mate with an Iphone?

 

[UCS]

Oh.. i also wanted to point out how lacking Iphone is compared to Google Navigation - they have nothing that comes close.

 

[novox77]

To me, your question isn't about iPhone or Android... It's about how to choose between two comparable phones. And ultimately, you have to make that call.

Here, you're going to get a lot of feedback that may or may not apply to you. Worst case, the thread evolves into a typical iOS vs. Android thread which goes nowhere and ends up getting closed.

So my advice to you is to list all of the pros of the iPhone and all the pros of the Android. Do the same for cons. Take your time. Add to your lists over the course of a few days as things occur to you.

Then, assign a weight to each, for example 1=not important to have; 5=very important to have. Do the same for the cons list, but make all the numbers negative: -1=not so bad; -5=very bad.

Add up all the numbers from the pros and cons lists for each phone. Which phone still has the largest number? That's your phone.

And if it's too close to call still, flip a coin.

 

[UCS]

To me, your question isn't about iPhone or Android... It's about how to choose between two comparable phones. And ultimately, you have to make that call.

Here, you're going to get a lot of feedback that may or may not apply to you. Worst case, the thread evolves into a typical iOS vs. Android thread which goes nowhere and ends up getting closed.

So my advice to you is to list all of the pros of the iPhone and all the pros of the Android. Do the same for cons. Take your time. Add to your lists over the course of a few days as things occur to you.

Then, assign a weight to each, for example 1=not important to have; 5=very important to have. Do the same for the cons list, but make all the numbers negative: -1=not so bad; -5=very bad.

Add up all the numbers from the pros and cons lists for each phone. Which phone still has the largest number? That's your phone.

And if it's too close to call still, flip a coin.

Yep was hoping to have a grown up debate and hoping it wouldn't turn into a war. Im in a unique situation where I have both phones, im guessing not a lot of people get to compare Android and IOS so closely. Maybe this post can add a bit more light onto the age old debate of IOS Vs Android.

I've been compiling a list of pro and cons for the last week in my head and all it boils down to is IOS has better quality apps. Even when you compare apps that are on both platforms for some reason IOS wins. I really wish it didn't. Im guessing its down to the quality of app developer IOS has.

So maybe the question isn't which OS is better, maybe its what can Google do to attract new and exciting app developers?

Sometimes my head is in my hands when I see further fragmentation of the Android App market - in my humble opinion its time for Google to take control.

 

[UCS]

If its a question of which piece of hardware is better - Samsung Galaxy S2 wins hands down. I don't know how long this will be the case for - Iphone 5 is rumoured to be out in Sept/Oct and im guessing they will want to compete in a big way.

 

[alostpacket]

And if it's too close to call still, flip a coin.

Ok but, what if the coin lands on its edge?

 

[MassacrMan]

Ok but, what if the coin lands on its edge?

Take the number you got from adding the pros and cons and divide it by zero.

 

[takeshi]

How do you chose between iphone and Android?

I've been a devote Android fan since its first release but last week I was given an iphone 4, good stuff I thought - something new to play with. But at the same time i upgraded my contract and got a Galaxy S2.

Seems pretty straightforward in your case. Test drive, test drive, test drive. Only you can assess the devices taking your preferences and priorities into consideration. Selecting a smartphone always involves quite a bit of subjective preference. Unless you can effectively share all that info with us you're really on your own with the comparison.

Is anyone else in the same boat?

I'm not but I'd find it hard to believe that no one else has ever shopped an Android device against an iOS device. Every smartphone seems to be compared to its iOS counterpart.

Are we all die hard Android fans and wouldn't even consider an iphone?

Nope. There are a lot of Android fanboys on every Android forum site but that doesn't mean that everyone is closed minded.

Would you ever switch?

Of course. I'm no brand loyalist. Whatever I think suits me best is what I'll use. I'm considering an IP for my next device.

Oh.. i also wanted to point out how lacking Iphone is compared to Google Navigation - they have nothing that comes close.

Stock maybe but there are plenty of GPS nav apps for iOS.

Again, subjective preference matters. Google Maps Nav may be popular but it's not the best option for everyone. Never assume that your preferences are universal.

I was just out in the Hill Country in Texas with no coverage. Google Maps Nav was completely useless. My wife's IP4 with TomTom worked fine as it has locally stored maps (no precaching nonsense). Of course, since then I've picked up CoPilot Live Premium (when it was on sale) so that's no longer an issue for my Droid.

Does anyone know how to get an Android to mate with an Iphone?

Literally or is that a euphemism?

 

[Bnice]

Well just because its hard for you to choose doesn't mean it will be hard for others. For me, I like Android customization and personalization that it offers from day one. I have nothing against apple or the iphone but for some reason I was never drawn to it.

 

[Lombardi]

Idk, I was always turned off by all the "i" stuff. Honestly its a hardware issue. Just get the psp2 vita to run iOs and make calls and ur problems solved

 

[lunatic59]

I have never been a big fan of Apple products and I have owned/used them since the days of the Mac Classic (when it was just a Mac and not classic yet ) Heck, I even had a demonstration of the Lisa in one of the early Apple Stores. They have always been of the philosophy of limiting models and trying to make a few models fit more uses. That, to me, dilutes or restricts the ability of the device to perform specific functions optimally. They are designed well, but a bit too standardized for my tastes.

If I may use that tired old car analogy for a moment, the iPhone is the BMW of the phone world and we can all pretty much agree that the BMW 740i is a beautiful luxury vehicle and "better" than a vast majority of other vehicles. But, if i needed to haul firewood, i'd get a Ford F10. If I wanted exceptional mileage for commuting, I'd get a Prius. If I had to haul the kids to practice I'd get a Honda Odyssey minivan. If was towing the boat to the lake, I'd get a Jeep Cherokee. If I street modding, I'd get a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO ... none of which overall matches the style or quality of the 740i. So the 740i is a luxurious car that impresses folks and carries a few people in style around safe, paved roads. If you wanted to any of the other stuff, there are better suited alternatives, just not from BMW.

I certainly would consider an iPhone, and have looked at them in depth as each new model came out. I remain unimpressed. I recently considered an iPad2 when the tablet fever hit, but after annoying the staff of Best Buy for several hours of sampling, i chose the Asus Transformer. I do own a 3rd generation iPod nano which to me is the best portable music player I've ever owned.

Just an observation ... while evaluating the tablets at Best Buy (suburban Philadelphia area) i noticed that there was very little activity at the iPad display. All the interest was in the Android tablets. That may be because Apple's customers prefer to buy in an Apple store or that Best Buy shoppers are more price motivated (even though the price difference wasn't that great).

As for apps ... the only apps that matter are the ones you want to use. It's great that iOS has a bazillion high quality games and Android has three ... and of those three two are buggy. Still since I don't play games, were the roles reversed it would still have no influence on my decision.

 

[dan330]

lets pretend that the iphone 5 was released next week...
and it is able to do everything top of android can do...
and it came in several hardware configurations to match customer needs..
iphone = android
and vise versa
total balance of functions and features


i will purchase an android phone...

because I HATE apple business strategy/ ethics.
i hate steve jobs and the mind games he does ..

PS.. I am no fanboy of android...
if webos came out with something that can match.. i would get that over apple... if blackberry can get their heads out of their ass and develop something to match; i would get that over apple

 

[Stuntman]

Lunatic59 gave a very good analogy. I may be OK with getting an iPhone, but if I have more specific needs, there are non-iOS phones that suit my needs better. Personally, I want a physical keyboard. That alone eliminates the iPhone (and a large portion of other phones as well) from consideration.

I am currently investigating which tablet to get. I tried the iPad 2 and was very impressed with the web browsing capabilities even without flash. I tried the web sites I frequent and am satisfied with how the content is presented. The feel of the device and interface is very impressive. It's on my short list. Other ones I am considering are the Asus Eee Pad Transformer and Galaxy Tab 10.1. I want to actually try out these devices before buy to ensure they can handle the web sites I frequent. I haven't had an opportunity to do so for the Android tablets yet.

 

[phatbass]

When I got my Desire HD, I'd decided it was pretty much even between them - both have pro's and con's for my use, but none of these are major, looked at objectively, in *MY* opinion.

I was back 'n' forth for a few weeks and in the end I was going to get an iPhone4 purely because a bunch of my friends have 'em so I had an established local user base to compare notes with.

But because the company I wanted to get the 'phone from (for practical reasons I won't go into) started making it too much hassle to get one, I got the HTC instead.

I'm happy with it - it's my first smartphone and has a bunch of stuff, probably about 70%, that I'll rarely or never use. There's a free app in the Market for anything I've wanted to do so far (except for Tasker, which I was more than happy to pay for). It is nice to be able to use a larger capacity SD card, but not essential. And I do like not having to use a special adapter to plug into a USB port.

So my choice was really nothing to do with the phone itself and I'd probably be nearly as happy if I'd ended up with an iPhone.

The good thing for users, IMO, is that Apple have got a good kick up the ring from HTC and others, and will maybe start to realise consumers actually have opinions that aren't driven purely by what they're told they want by advertisers. It'll be interesting to see the next iteration of the iPhone. Easily expandable memory? Standard USB ports?

 

[Brucew0617]

Well just because its hard for you to choose doesn't mean it will be hard for others. For me, I like Android customization and personalization that it offers from day one. I have nothing against apple or the iphone but for some reason I was never drawn to it.

Almost the same as you. BUt I had to say that ios had optimized so good!

 

[bac22]

I was just out in the Hill Country in Texas with no coverage. Google Maps Nav was completely useless. My wife's IP4 with TomTom worked fine as it has locally stored maps (no precaching nonsense). Of course, since then I've picked up CoPilot Live Premium (when it was on sale) so that's no longer an issue for my Droid.

I was under the impression that the latest version of Nav would download routes ahead of time in case you went out of coverage?

As for which phone to get, it seems to me that the OP wouldn't be happy with either phone only because the OP will find that one feature they wish they had that the other phone does have!

 

[B2L]

For me the answer to this question is simply choice. I have had iOS devices in the past, sure they are great if you are looking for a simple software experience, and tons of high quality apps. But you don't get to pick your hardware, unless you consider choosing between an iPhone 4 and 3gs.

With Android i can choose exactly what i want my phone to have. Screen size, battery, processor, stock android or with a custom UI, 3G or 4G, keyboard or not, or any of several other choices you have.

The reason i chose Android and love it so much is because it allows me to choose what i want in a phone, the last thing i could possibly want being a tech junkie is having predetermined hardware.

 

[vikingjunior]

I've owned both a HTC EVO and iphone.

They both do what they do very well.

What it came down to for me was the screen size. I find 4" perfect.

Now if the iphone 5 is 4" I might have to take another look at the iphone.

 

[Tal]

I've been a devote Android fan since its first release but last week I was given an iphone 4, good stuff I thought - something new to play with. But at the same time i upgraded my contract and got a Galaxy S2.

So now I probably have the two best phones you can buy and in all honesty im torn between them... I wasn't expecting this.

When I first tried IOS - its was the original iphone. I found it lacking, it missed the features Android had, it didn't have an equivalent XDA xommunity for mods and tweaks. All this has changed - i was able to jailbreak (root) my iphone in minutes and have a wealth of mods to chose from. I ended up moding IOS so that it had all the features of Android and then some. But I guess I've also done the equivalent with Android for years - modding it to add IOS functionality.

Now both phones run almost the same, its hard on a day to day usability basis to tell them apart. It will be even harder when IOS 5 comes out - since apple nicked 200 ideas from Android and injected it into the iphone. Right now the only difference is the choice of apps. Android market has come on leaps and bounds since the early days (gawd do you remember some of those apps a few years ago!) but it still doesn't match the App store.

Is anyone else in the same boat? Are we all die hard Android fans and wouldn't even consider an iphone? Would you ever switch? Does anyone know how to get an Android to mate with an Iphone?

I have an iPhone 4. I

 

[Rico ANDROID]

how do you choose? its easy..... A N D R O I D..

 

[scabies]

Tal did you enjoy moving to the iphone 4S or did you switch to android? after reading your post i can understand why you are reluctant to move to anything else, but being limited with the iphone to using itunes, would frustrate me, I like the freedom to choose what to put on my device (SGS2) after coming from nokia's ovi system to android it is like a breath of fresh air, so much more choice. good luck with whatever you choose, but I am now a fandroid.

to make your mind up just get the best phone in the world (simple really)

 

[cdl]

What are your priorities? The key things I like about Android, and for which I'd never switch to an Iphone:

1) different form factors available. I find the iphone screen too small and really like smartphones with slide out keyboards (Motorola Droid / Milestone). I had an iphone 3gs for over a year but could never type more than a short sms with the same speed and accuracy I get with my Milestone 2

2) imap idle, supported by Android (k-9) but not by IOS. This means there's no way to get push email on the iphone unless you have a mailbox with yahoo or an exchange server (maybe gmail push is supported, not sure). Absolute deal-breaker for me. I must be one of the few who feels this way because this point is never mentioned. Oh, and it's not true that imap idle drains the battery because my Milestone lasts longer than my iphone.

3) customisable home screens with widgets. Widgets can give me instant access to the key information I need. If I just turn the screen on, I'll see a snapshot of my upcoming appointments and my to do lists. I could do the same with sms and emails. I also have a widget that shows the train times, with delays, if any, on the route to work. None of this would be possible with the iphone

4) I can use my Android for free tethering and I can turn it into a wifi hotspot without paying an additional hefty price

5) flash. The lack of flash makes a number of websites impossible to view on the iphone, but Android now does support it.

Androids also tend to be cheaper, but this is a very subjective point - most Apple fans seem to be price insensitive.

As for navigation, Iphone has the edge with the TomTom app which supports HD traffic, which is way way better than CoPilot's Live Premium traffic updates, at least in Europe. Of course neither app comes cheap.

 

[cdl]

What are your priorities? The key things I like about Android, and for which I'd never switch to an Iphone:

[...]

PS a big shortcoming of Android is that bluetooth rsap (remote sim access profile) is not supported natively, but only in some HTC and Samsung phones. This means that most Androids won't work with some navigation devices or some built-in bluetooth car systems.