former iphone users, can we be frank?

[Guamguy]

I have to agree about apps. I am an iPhone 4 user and a Desire HD user. My last Android before this DHD was the Hero on Android 1.6. Apps and games were presented poorly back on 1.6, and to my surprise they still are for the most part which I'm really disappointed about. Even when the functionality is there, if the app looks plain ugly it does spoil the experience for me.

This is really frustrating because out of the box, I prefer the DHD. The ability to drag and drop, email/download whatever I want, customise, delete photos without having to sync, etc. are so liberating after using iOS, but for me the apps just don't cut it yet.

I think you are making a blanket statement about Android apps that are simply not correct.

Take two major Twitter apps for example:

Twitter for Android
Tweetdeck

The Android versions look simply better and more elegant than their iOS counterparts while offering more functionality such as widgets.

 

[HER0]

I did say for the most part, as I understand there obviously are some nice ones, however the fact that you listed only 2 out of over 100,000 apps doesn't make for a strong argument.

 

[lunatic59]

I did say for the most part, as I understand there obviously are some nice ones, however the fact that you listed only 2 out of over 100,000 apps doesn't make for a strong argument.

And that's the problem, isn't it? There is no app to app comparison for even the top 100 apps common to both platforms. While there are a handful of obviously outstanding apps on both platforms that have no or disappointing counterparts on the other, the generalizations that the app store or the market contain superior apps is patently unfounded.

Frankly, the majority of claims come from personal opinion and no quantifiable data.

 

[GeorgeinLA]

I would agree with a lot of the comments about ITunes. I have a Mac at home, but I really don't want to have everything in my digital world running through ITunes. I've never liked that program, even on the Mac itself, and so I'm really happy that my Android is a great first step away from it.

 

[southrncomfort]

I guess I am a bit confused, the AT&T Rep told you that Android didn't flow as well as iTunes?

Does he not know you can drag and drop if you want? That google contacts are synced (push wise) the MINUTE you make a change? That the calendar is synced the MINUTE a change is recognized, that Google tasks and picasa are synced right to their respective programs (if you want them used that is)?

I don't know about anyone else, but from someone who has used iTunes for years, I hate that little POS and will never use it again.

My sister was about to get an iPhone, until I told her she had to use iTunes... Guess what she did? Got the Droid X.

The at&t rep asked why I didnt like my iphone. I said the phone is fine when it syncs like its suppose to its iTunes that I hate. I told him it requires too much of my time etc. That is when he told me Android phones require waaaay more time and attention then iTunes/iPhone.
Because you have to customize everything.

 

[EarlyMon]

Because you have to customize everything.

Truthful statement would be because you CAN customize nearly everything.

Or - just use it out of the box and be happy.

 

[Stuntman]

The at&t rep asked why I didnt like my iphone. I said the phone is fine when it syncs like its suppose to its iTunes that I hate. I told him it requires too much of my time etc. That is when he told me Android phones require waaaay more time and attention then iTunes/iPhone.
Because you have to customize everything.

Any customising in Android you do is designed to save you time in the long run. You could do no customising and just launch everything via the app list. For more commonly used tasks, the little work you do to customise it to provide easy access to the tasks will saves you time in the long run.

 

[NatesMom]

That is when he told me Android phones require waaaay more time and attention then iTunes/iPhone.
Because you have to customize everything.

Well, with every unfamiliar OS and GUI (phones are no different than desktops), there is going to be a learning curve. I admit it took some getting used to Android coming from an iPhone (and I'm tech savvy) but then again it also took some getting used to an iPhone from my candy bar Nokia phone prior to that. It's just how technology evolves and how we users having to adapt to its changes.

I think it's insulting to people's intelligence to assume that you can't learn something because it requires more patience and time. When in the long run, it's to your benefit as others have mentioned.

Trust me, once you go Android, you will not miss the iPhone once you know what it's capable of. The rewards of switching over far outweigh any initial appeal the iPhone has.

 

[Guamguy]

I did say for the most part, as I understand there obviously are some nice ones, however the fact that you listed only 2 out of over 100,000 apps doesn't make for a strong argument.

Actually I can continue to list a lot more.

Another counter argument for you is that many Android apps have iOS versions and in most cases, they are the same, like the Pulse reader app, the CBS News app, the Huffington Post app, the Time Mobile app and so on. There is no difference between the two versions other than the use of Android menus, interval refresh, widgets and sharing features. In fact the use of the special Android features lift these versions over their iOS brethren in terms of functionality.

 

[LoyalServant]

I am not tickled about Netflix on a phone either... something about watching movies on a phone irks me.
It's good for 3 minute youtube videos but more than that?

An iUser has already thrown that in my face.. and my answer is.. so what?
I don't want it and if it was there I would not install it.

Then we have the 'CNN' apps and other special site apps.
I can view the site FULLY, without a special app....
No little boxes with legos in them, the videos all play.. etc etc.

I can't understand why having an 'app' is supposedly better than using the site as intended?

There are TONS of these 'browser in a window' apps that iPhone users think are apps when they are just some kind of shortcut.
No wonder they have more apps.....

 

[EarlyMon]

Breaking news the other day - Skyfire browser for iPhone improves Flash experience over that previously offered - for US$3. Free on Android for 2.1 and below - not needed with full Flash on 2.2 and above.

 

[Abdur]

I would suggest the Inspire.
The Atrix runs full motoblur, which I have read in tons of reviews, slows down the phone.

I have not played with the Atrix, I have played with the Desire HD (basically the Inspire). I like sense and its integration, and if you dont like it, you can always root, and get custom roms.
(for either phone)
There again, the Inspire has a lot more people developing for it than the Atrix(ie DHD users as well).


Best of luck with this decision, hope you research this stuff well, and make an informed decision.

 

[southrncomfort]

I would suggest the Inspire.
The Atrix runs full motoblur, which I have read in tons of reviews, slows down the phone.

I have not played with the Atrix, I have played with the Desire HD (basically the Inspire). I like sense and its integration, and if you dont like it, you can always root, and get custom roms.
(for either phone)
There again, the Inspire has a lot more people developing for it than the Atrix(ie DHD users as well).


Best of luck with this decision, hope you research this stuff well, and make an informed decision.

I have played with both phones and I prefer the larger screen of the inspire. The Atrix offers more features then someone like myself needs.

 

[krouget]

I would suggest the Inspire.
The Atrix runs full motoblur, which I have read in tons of reviews, slows down the phone.

I have not played with the Atrix, I have played with the Desire HD (basically the Inspire).

I've played with the Atrix, and nothing about the device seemed unusually slow, to me (Android historically has hiccups, though). I'm not sure what a given review may be using as a bar for measure, but at a benchmark of 2675, I would be hard pressed to use "slow" in the same sentence as the Atrix, even as I'm not a fan of Motoblur.

 

[Abdur]

I've played with the Atrix, and nothing about the device seemed unusually slow, to me (Android historically has hiccups, though). I'm not sure what a given review may be using as a bar for measure, but at a benchmark of 2675, I would be hard pressed to use "slow" in the same sentence as the Atrix, even as I'm not a fan of Motoblur.

As I said mate, I read that it was slow in reviews, not in RL, so take that part of my advice with a grain of salt. Also, getting a high benchmark is useless if the UI is not customized to handle that much power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf_w_BC-I68
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF6kKc9zcYM

Its that and a few other video reviews that I am basing my opinion on.
The Desire HD (or the Inspire) was very smooth for me to use, and never slowed down. Although it didnt score as high in the benchmarks, the UI was optimized to utilize that speed.

Then again, you can root the Atrix, and install a faster rom with a better UI. (But that is at the sacrifice of a warranty)

 

[novox77]

(But that is at the sacrifice of a warranty)

Personally, I don't weigh the potential loss of warranty that heavily for the following reasons:

1) in most situations, you can fully unroot the phone if you need to take advantage of the warranty

2) if your phone is so busted that it won't turn on, no one would know it was ever rooted unless they took the time to extract the images from the internal memory just to check, which leads to the next point:

3) the person who processes your warranty doesn't really care if your phone is rooted. They may not even be trained to tell the difference. I speak from real world experience and countless forum posts from people who got their warranty processed despite handing over a rooted phone.

The voided warranty if rooted is really a bluff designed to instill some fear into people who think about rooting. And it works for a large percentage of people, which is all they want to accomplish. Actually calling that bluff is a different issue, and that's where I've seen very little enforcement.

 

[oHIobellboy]

Im currently an At&t iphone 3gs user. Im looking very hard at changing to Android this week. Not because I hate the actual phone, but because I cannot stand iTunes. iTunes requires too much of my attention and Im at my breaking point.
The iphone itself meets my needs, my at&t service has been completely adequate. In fact, Im still under contract with at&t so I will not be switching carriers.
I just find that I hate iTunes with a religious passion.
Im a social phone user, I have a few game apps for my kids but I mostly just use my phone for email, texting, FB, Kindle books, and safari.
I barely even use the phone for talking ironically. Maybe an 2-3 hours of talk time in a month? lol
Im looking at HTC Inspire or Motorola Atrix.
Is there anyone who gave up an iphone and came to miss any of the apps, ease of use etc? Im just moderately smartphone smart, so ease of use is important to me.

Are these phones good choices for a social user such as myself?
Leaning toward Inspire for personal reasons.

I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thanks

Damn, I could have written this

 

[mariamama]

I love my android phone and as a very social user I can really recommend it. I also don't use it much for talking, mainly for fb, emails and sms.
never had any problems with my various email accounts (hotmail, google and yahoo) and also everything else works just fine.

I have a 2 year old who love my phone too, there are plenty of kids applications available for all age groups