What to expect from Android?

[Dovahkiin]

Hey guys, this is my first time on an Android forum and I'd like to know what Android has to offer.

I've had a iPhone 3G for two years, and to be honest it was a big letdown, after they released the latest firmware update for the little bugger, it was all slow and it went hot pretty quickly after watching a few YouTube videos, I'm getting a Galaxy S2 for my birthday, so I'd like to know what kind of features Android has to offer as an OS on itself.

More like, what apps can be downloaded, how modable is the OS, is it possible to introduce your own apps on the phone, can you download synch apps with friends, just the general stuff.

Thanks for the support,

Dovahkiin, Dragonborn.

 

[Sierra255]

I went from the iPhone 3GS to the Galaxy S2 and I couldn't be happier. Here's my take on your questions.

The same kind of apps (often the exact same apps) can be found in the Google Market that you could find in the Apple App Store. I haven't used the app store from Amazon, but then again I haven't needed to.

I'm not sure what you mean by a modable OS. The phone will allow rooting, which allows you to do pretty much anything you want, if you decide you want to do that. If you're talking about just stock customizations, you still have a lot of options. From wallpapers, to the way your home screens are set up, to widgets that provide live or semi-live (say every hour or any other interval you set) updates. This is where iOS falls way short in my opinion. There's no way to make your phone feel completely different than someone else's. With Android, it's one of the key features.

When I first got my 3GS, I loved it. I think it was mainly because it was the first true smartphone I ever had. (Yeah, I had an AT&T 8525 before it, but for anyone that knows that phone knows that it definitely wasn't smart. And it was the size and weight of a brick.) Then, I got an iPad and it was exactly the same as my phone. No difference in the OS. Same set, unchangeable main screen. Same swipe the pages from side to side, with the same exact layout. Same single tile design. In other words, boring. With Android, you can set up your layout any way you like. The only set tiles are the four at the bottom - Phone, Contacts, Messaging and Applications (changes to Home when you're in the Applications section). From there, it's up to you design your home pages any way you like. Add as much or as little as you'd like. Add widgets if you like them. Some apps even offer widgets in different sizes. It's refreshing to be able to design a phone layout that you like instead of being told how it's going to look. It's interesting and it just feels right. I know there's a lot more to the Android OS than I've been able to discover, too. But so far I like it, and I think you will ,too.

 

[Sak01]

The only set tiles are the four at the bottom - Phone, Contacts, Messaging and Applications (changes to Home when you're in the Applications section).

You can change those too with if use a launcher

 

[kawaiikleyn]

You can change those too with if use a launcher

Actually, I've managed to change those preset homescreen (Phone, Phonebook, Messaging etc even without a launcher or with a launcher, my phone's not rooted..

Mine is Phone, phonebook, go sms (instead of the usual messaging) and application.

 

[Bnice]

What you can expect is freedom,customization and personalization. But most importantly, give yourself adequate time to learn the OS.

 

[GreenBeans]

Its different from i0S and is slightly more complicated.

 

[chanchan05]

Actually, I've managed to change those preset homescreen (Phone, Phonebook, Messaging etc even without a launcher or with a launcher, my phone's not rooted..

Mine is Phone, phonebook, go sms (instead of the usual messaging) and application.

With a different launcher, you can have 5 on the dock, scrollable as well to hold 15 icons (mine's phone, contacts, apps, boat browser, go sms pro, and 10 folders for games, office apps, etc), and change the icons as well.