First impressions of iPhone 4s (from a dx owner)

[imronburgundy]

So my wife just got an ip4s as her upgrade. I tried to talk her into getting the galaxy nexus, but she wasn't interested. Of course being the tech person of the house, I had to set it up and also just wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. First impressions: zzzzzzz. Really, nothing was interesting on that phone. Yes it was fast and responsive, but it's a wall of app icons. I even tried out siri and it's basically a gimmick. You talk to it and depending on how rediculous the question, it gives you witty responses. Also, I'm not a gaming person on cell phones (modern warfare on xbox 360 is a different story), so the argument that apple has better apps just isn't valid. Android market has any program that I could possibly need. I browsed the app store and everything is 0.99 and up. Good for developers, bad for consumers. Just thought I'd share my experience and reaffirm the fact that I will never be going to that os anytime soon. Now bring on the Nexus.

 

[trophynuts]

i agree that imo Siri is a gimmick...but we can't really say that too forceful since Android has been doing talk to text for a long time lol....but still Siri=Gimmick

 

[ylexot]

If you really want something like Siri, some folks coded an Android knock-off called Iris in about 8 hours:
Want Siri On Android Try Iris | Land of Droid

Here's the Market link:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.dexetra.iris&feature=search_result

 

[Hrethgir]

Also, I'm not a gaming person on cell phones (modern warfare on xbox 360 is a different story), so the argument that apple has better apps just isn't valid.

Correction: that argument isn't valid FOR YOU. Might be valid for someone else. I do play lots of games on my phone, so that does count for me. That's a big reason I bought my iPhone 3Gs a couple years ago instead of a Palm Pre. I liked the Pre, but apps and games were lacking. Of course, the difference between Apple and iPhone stores is pretty small, most anything Apple has, Android has, but cheaper. Although I really wish there were more pinball games for Android. Otherwise, I call it a draw between the two OS's in the app category. I agree with everything else you said though. iOS is smooth and clean, but sterile and boring unless you jailbreak it. Even then, stock unrooted Android is way easier to mod.

 

[kg2128]

i agree that imo Siri is a gimmick...but we can't really say that too forceful since Android has been doing talk to text for a long time lol....but still Siri=Gimmick

I feel like both aren't that useful. Most of the time it is faster and more accurate to just use the phone. But yeah Android definitely had it first and has had it for awhile, nonfunctional witty responses aside.

 

[imronburgundy]

I feel like both aren't that useful. Most of the time it is faster and more accurate to just use the phone. But yeah Android definitely had it first and has had it for awhile, nonfunctional witty responses aside.

So I was testing both last night and Android's could do pretty much anything the siri could do. It seems that siri uses in phone processes with Wolfram alpha (I think that was it) and Android uses more of google searches (surprise surprise) and brings up the searches in the browser. The only thing I wish ours could do would be something like just saying "espn.go.com" and it would go straight to the site. Instead it brings up the google search of that phrase, unless someone knows the command to do that.

 

[trophynuts]

I feel like both aren't that useful. Most of the time it is faster and more accurate to just use the phone. But yeah Android definitely had it first and has had it for awhile, nonfunctional witty responses aside.

i agree that both are not useful to me.

 

[fam]

I bought a 4s for my wife from her incredible...only for battery life and ease of use for her since all she does is talk, txt, listen to music, facebook and email. Battery life is better, not as good as i thought but apparently theres a bug apple needs to fix to make it a lot better....but I encouraged her to get the apple because she's all about cute cases and fashion...so she had no problem getting a "cute case"...anyway...onto the tech side.

its quick, no lag on anything, no delays, works without fault, screen is nice but tiny..call clarity isnt as good in my opinion..no clear highs like the incredible had, apple did poop the bed with only having a home button and no menu or back button...really complicates apps and makes some situations overly complicated as different apps have different ways to get back.

camera is decent in low light but its barely if any better than the wife's old htc incredible camera..it will still blur and still look grainy (a lot less grainy than the X..but still...they arent perfect in low light)...camera power is overblown by apple...aside from the speed of the camera app.


Galaxy nexus is my next love...and honestly its just so I can take photos without delay...waiting 5 seconds for the camera app to be ready then delays of taking photos and reviewing them is just dumb for me.

 

[theineffablebob]

Between the Droid X and iPhone 4S, I'd definitely take the 4S. Android is great but since both OS's have great ecosystems I'll take fast and responsive over the DX. But I'm upgrading to the Galaxy Nexus so I'll have fast and responsive and a great ecosystem.

 

[zandroidx]

Yes it was fast and responsive, but it's a wall of app icons.

iPhone has allowed app groups for quite a while. Drag one app on top of the other and the group is automatically created with a default group name that you can modify.

 

[chmodx]

I just got an iphone 4s from work. So I have a droid X and the iphone at the same time.

Iphone sucks. The mere fact that android can use widgets makes it a huge bonus based on my needs. Instead of one thing at a time, using the stupid menu, I can do multiple things on one desktop. Winamp, news, and my calendar all on the same screen. Iphone needs 3-4 clicks to delete a text msg or email.

Apple is nothing but a cult of trendy starbucks drinking volkswagon driving hippies. It's for people who want cute without experience true productivity and efficiency.

 

[mxrider821]

So my wife just got an ip4s as her upgrade. I tried to talk her into getting the galaxy nexus, but she wasn't interested. Of course being the tech person of the house, I had to set it up and also just wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. First impressions: zzzzzzz. Really, nothing was interesting on that phone. Yes it was fast and responsive, but it's a wall of app icons. I even tried out siri and it's basically a gimmick. You talk to it and depending on how rediculous the question, it gives you witty responses. Also, I'm not a gaming person on cell phones (modern warfare on xbox 360 is a different story), so the argument that apple has better apps just isn't valid. Android market has any program that I could possibly need. I browsed the app store and everything is 0.99 and up. Good for developers, bad for consumers. Just thought I'd share my experience and reaffirm the fact that I will never be going to that os anytime soon. Now bring on the Nexus.

Now this is what I like to read on these forums... THE Truth! Right when I read this, i was thinking to myself this sounds like its all coming from me. lol I'm just saying Iagree with you 100% percent on everything and i am also waiting on the nexus too so
I thought it was funny. I'm hoping the SamsungGN is all the hype its been brought up to be, because it looks super good but we'll never know until we use it in our hands individually. I'm hoping it is, because i'm about to throw my droid x against the wall HA. So over that PIECE lol


p.s. nice post

 

[bigbadwulff]

I find i-Phone users are generally:
1) Social types that depend on a group to form their opinions for them.
2) The type that thinks whatever they are doing at the moment is the highlight of their life(or they want you to think that).
3) The type that gets together with others and does boring stuff that they then relate as extremely exciting to make you think they have an exciting life.
4) Can't really do or figure things out on their own, thus want a phone that is blatantly easy to use and is "fashionable", not necessarily functional.
5) The type that HAS to be in a social club(sorority, fraternity) to gain self-importance.

Android users are generally anti-social types that can figure things out on their own and are fiercely independent.

Of course that isn't rock-hard, 100% but in general the way it is.

 

[sorka]

So I was testing both last night and Android's could do pretty much anything the siri could do. It seems that siri uses in phone processes with Wolfram alpha (I think that was it) and Android uses more of google searches (surprise surprise) and brings up the searches in the browser. The only thing I wish ours could do would be something like just saying "espn.go.com" and it would go straight to the site. Instead it brings up the google search of that phrase, unless someone knows the command to do that.

Not true. I love my X but Siri out classes googles voice search by a lot and google has a lot to do to catch up to it. Siri is far more integrated with the phones native apps than google is. For instance, here are things I can do with Siri that I can't with my X as issued voice commands:

"Play music by <some author>"
"Play the song <some title>"
"Play the album <some titlte>"
Try various permutations, they all work. Siri get's it.

"Remind me to call <so and so> when I leave work", or "when I start driving" or "when I get near<so and so>".

"Remind me to get milk when I get near <some store>"

"Wake me up at 7:00 AM". Really wish my x could do this.
"Make an appointment for <so and so> on <such and such date and time>". Also really wish my X could do this.

 

[tryck02]

Not true. I love my X but Siri out classes googles voice search by a lot and google has a lot to do to catch up to it. Siri is far more integrated with the phones native apps than google is. For instance, here are things I can do with Siri that I can't with my X as issued voice commands:

"Play music by <some author>"
"Play the song <some title>"
"Play the album <some titlte>"
Try various permutations, they all work. Siri get's it.

"Remind me to call <so and so> when I leave work", or "when I start driving" or "when I get near<so and so>".

"Remind me to get milk when I get near <some store>"

"Wake me up at 7:00 AM". Really wish my x could do this.
"Make an appointment for <so and so> on <such and such date and time>". Also really wish my X could do this.

Voice Actions by Pannous on my X can do everything Siri can do,Everything.Google voice stinks.

 

[tranceFusion]

I just got a 4s and while I loved the X, it would be disappointing to go back.

The biggest thing I miss from Android is the home screen flexibility I got with Launcher Pro. iOS has made some improvements such as adding a notification pull down that widgets can be added to, and allows apps to be clustered into folders.

There isn't anything that the iphone can do that Android can't necessarily, but I think the things Android can do that iOS can't gap is closing. Mapquest offers pretty damn good voice nav for free, for instance. There's no question that the quality of the apps is better on on iOS. There's more junk too, but there's more excellent games and the pay apps for iphone often aren't available on Android at all.

However, the thing that really impresses me is how buttery smooth, seamlessly, and bug-free everything works. You don't really need to spend hours hunting for the best keyboard replacement, cause the stock one just works. Yeah, if you don't like it, you are stuck with it, but for most users its plenty good enough and that feeling is pretty liberating after being stuck in the "Patch OS, hunt for a month for apps to replace the crappy stock ones that don't work right" cycle. The biggest things missing from iOS these days are screen size and 4g.

I'm not a fanboy on either side. I'd love to be able to afford to get all the hot new phones as they come out but for now I'm stuck to upgrading about once a year. If you look at it objectively I guess consumers are lucky to have 2 great but different choices. My dream would be to have the best features of both worlds merged into one.

 

[zandroidx]

Iphone needs 3-4 clicks to delete a text msg or email.

You're doing it wrong. To delete a message, quickly slide your finger left to right on the message, then tap delete. No slower than it takes to delete a message on my X.

 

[alprazolam]

I find i-Phone users are generally:
1) Social types that depend on a group to form their opinions for them.
2) The type that thinks whatever they are doing at the moment is the highlight of their life(or they want you to think that).
3) The type that gets together with others and does boring stuff that they then relate as extremely exciting to make you think they have an exciting life.
4) Can't really do or figure things out on their own, thus want a phone that is blatantly easy to use and is "fashionable", not necessarily functional.
5) The type that HAS to be in a social club(sorority, fraternity) to gain self-importance.

Android users are generally anti-social types that can figure things out on their own and are fiercely independent.

Of course that isn't rock-hard, 100% but in general the way it is.

I realize that this was posted ages ago (although not as long ago as when the GN was announced by Google). I just had to say that even if this is quite a generalization, it is still funny enough that I must post it to my twitter feed to tease my ifone friends.