What can the iphone do that android can't?

[ari-free]

It's just a slightly higher resolution LCD display, big deal.

It's only a big deal if you like to be stuck with a 3.5" screen. Androids have much larger screens.

 

[lunatic59]

Not sure what it is about this display. I saw it first hand the other day and used the phone for an hour or two. The guy who owned the phone kept bragging about it, too. I don't understand, it doesn't look any better nor is it any easier to read than my Droid screen at a normal viewing distance. What is the big deal besides the technical specs?

You must be looking at it wrong.

 

[bknewtype]

well for one thing, everyone here is comparing different phones to one iphone 4. which one android phone has everything the iphone 4 does and more?

 

[Deleted User]

well for one thing, everyone here is comparing different phones to one iphone 4. which one android phone has everything the iphone 4 does and more?

Wait until the holiday season or early next year...iPhone will be hosed by multiple phones.

 

[Shocky]

It's only a big deal if you like to be stuck with a 3.5" screen. Androids have much larger screens.

It's a stupid combination, small screen with stupid ratio and high resolution, so useless as a multimedia device and the screens to small to be useful for reading.

So what's the point? Basically Apple realised the iPhone 4 had no stand out feature so they made one up and allot of people are lapping it up.

 

[ExPalm]

iPhone can do a full backup to a local PC, and restore to a new phone. From what I've read, this excludes apps, which have to be re-downloaded (I assume you don't need to pay for them again)

From what I've read, an un-rooted Android phone has nothing like this.

(On my Palm PDA',s they'd do a full backup with every sync. If one died, I'd just plug the new one into my PC, start the sync, and end up with a complete clone of the original, applications, data, everything. Still nothing like this for the Android..

Still won't buy an iPhone though.

 

[woofermazing]

I was seriously considering all three major smartphone platforms this time around. The only thing i thought was a significant advantage with the iPhone 4 was the screen. At 3.5 inches, it's a pretty big waste of such a high resolution display. I am much happier holding my Evo a good distance away, rather than my iPhone 2G 12 inches away.

I didn't think the iPhone 4 camera was worth it either. It might be slightly better, but I couldn't tell a difference. I have a Nikon anyways. anything I want uber quality on I am going to use that.

 

[simonc]

iPhone can do a full backup to a local PC, and restore to a new phone. From what I've read, this excludes apps, which have to be re-downloaded (I assume you don't need to pay for them again)

From what I've read, an un-rooted Android phone has nothing like this.

(On my Palm PDA',s they'd do a full backup with every sync. If one died, I'd just plug the new one into my PC, start the sync, and end up with a complete clone of the original, applications, data, everything. Still nothing like this for the Android..

Still won't buy an iPhone though.

Something like nandroid could be so easily incorporated if they wanted..

 

[jree]

Me and my buddy have compared his I4 to my Vibrant and neither of us could tell that much of a difference between the two. Mine was slightly dimmer but neither of us could barely tell until we stared very very hard

 

[TheBrit]

Me and my buddy have compared his I4 to my Vibrant and neither of us could tell that much of a difference between the two. Mine was slightly dimmer but neither of us could barely tell until we stared very very hard

Which is why the 'retina display' is a bit of a waste of time.

 

[Spridal]

well for one thing, everyone here is comparing different phones to one iphone 4. Which one android phone has everything the iphone 4 does and more?

evo 4g

 

[ari-free]

well for one thing, everyone here is comparing different phones to one iphone 4. which one android phone has everything the iphone 4 does and more?

samsung epic will have
-ffc
-advanced screen technology (s-amoled 4", 16 million colors)
-5 mp camera with flash
-hummingbird cpu
-6 axis control
-sounds like it will also have a sim slot so you can use it as a gsm world phone

action mode with galaxy s vibrant:

 

[Kelmar]

Check out Double Twist

She has... won't sync for her.

 

[MonmouthDroid]

well for one thing, everyone here is comparing different phones to one iphone 4. which one android phone has everything the iphone 4 does and more?

That is part of the beauty of android. We have choices. The Evo does everything the iPhone does, the Epic will as well. But if you don't care about a front facing camera, want a larger screen, and don't want AT&T you have choices. You don't have to compromise with Android like you do with the iPhone. Want a larger screen? Too bad. Want to be on Sprint? Nope. Your whole family has Verizon so you want it too so you don't have to have as many minutes and can save some money? Thats a no go.

Also, I was playing with my dads iPhone 4 (hilarious story, he had to tether off my data at our hotel cause he couldn't even make a call. Then later we were on I5, which is a pretty major highway, and he had to use my phone to make a call, he has said the day the iPhone is out on Verizon, he is getting it.) I didn't think the display was much better than my droid, and not better than my mom's Evo. I had even been convinced before seeing it that this was going to be a pretty killer feature, but I was disappointed.

 

[kellc]

i've been thinking about this- i used to have an iphone and just ordered a nexus one (!!!). i never liked the iphone. however, the ONE thing i miss about it, silly as it may be, is that you can buy endless accessories for it- fancy cases, docks for speakers, etc. etc. i know these do exist for android phones, but not as much.

i know it is a totally ridiculous point but it's the only thing i could come up with that i miss a little bit about having the iphone. aside from that i couldn't stand the thing.

editing to add- i know people like having the ability to take their iphone into an apple store for service when something goes wrong. i did that a few times. unfortunately i did not find it helpful any time i went, but i guess it provides comfort to hand your phone over to someone in person.

 

[marefin]

Android is to iPhone as Harry Potter is to Twilight

iPhone has Steve Jobs and I mean that in the most negative way imaginable.

 

[marefin]

Oh one for real thing that the iPhone 3g couldn't do (not sure if they changed it for the 3gs or the iPhone 4) was that if I ever wanted to send a mass text to people, I would have to enter each contact at a time (select one then it'll take you back to the text mssg screen, then you'd have to go into contacts again and select another person, and so on and so on). Android lets me select multiple recipient at the same time. It might sound like a not a very big deal, but I send out enough mass texts that it used to annoy the crap out of me.

 

[Starfleet Captain]

Samsung Captivate has gyroscope with the number of Android phones being released the i4's hardware will be surpassed by many phones before Apple puts out another phone.

Yes, but the Captivate doesn't ALSO have a front facing camera (Or does it?). Now the Epic 4G when its out will have one for sure. Overall, the iphone 4 is a great piece of hardware (sans the antenna issue), but I prefer the Android phones. I just like to give credit where credit is due. The new iphone has a gorgeous looking screen, take better pictures I have seen in a smart phone, and looks good. Now, I have an Evo, and if I had to choose between this and the iphone 4, I would choose the Evo again, because of its customization options, social network integration, and many features of Android of course...

 

[Tre Lawrence]

i've been thinking about this- i used to have an iphone and just ordered a nexus one (!!!). i never liked the iphone. however, the ONE thing i miss about it, silly as it may be, is that you can buy endless accessories for it- fancy cases, docks for speakers, etc. etc. i know these do exist for android phones, but not as much.

i know it is a totally ridiculous point but it's the only thing i could come up with that i miss a little bit about having the iphone. aside from that i couldn't stand the thing.

editing to add- i know people like having the ability to take their iphone into an apple store for service when something goes wrong. i did that a few times. unfortunately i did not find it helpful any time i went, but i guess it provides comfort to hand your phone over to someone in person.

I like accessories, so I feel you. There are millions of accessories for the iPhone.

All I need, now, is a car dock and a few cases. After that, I am good.

 

[tcope]

It's made by Apple and it had a "i" in the front of it's name. This is enough for many people.

Well, that and it's shiny!

 

[birthofahero]

The retina display to me looks fantastic.

 

[ari-free]

I like accessories, so I feel you. There are millions of accessories for the iPhone.

All I need, now, is a car dock and a few cases. After that, I am good.

Android can catch up with iphone in the app market and beat it in specs but yeah, it will be impossible to have that kind of accessory market. But those accessories tie the iPhone and iPod down to a 3.5" screen when so many androids are 3,7", 4" and even 4.3"

 

[lamont]

As per my knowledge I think Android is doing the things that all the iphones are doing.

 

[takeshi]

But on occasion, I get into discussions with the iphone fans in my office. I ask them, "Name something the iphone can do out of the box, that an Android phone can't do?"

It really doesn't matter what one platform can or can't do. It's the suitability to the particular user that matters. Pissing contests like that don't benefit anyone.

For me, the lack of a standard dock connector and lack of Android interfaces on car stereos leave a niche for the iPod that Android still can't fill. Whether that's relevant to anyone else depends on who you ask.

 

[mrspeedmaster]

So, is there anything the iphone can do out of the box, that Android can't? I personally can't think of anything

A few things off hand (for me):
1) Apps. Apps. Apps. You can't discount the apps.
2) Connect to a Cisco VPN (required for my work)
3) DOCK connector that works in many cars. My next car (ordered) has an Iphone dock connector and all the controls are on the steering wheel, playlists are touch control on the nav screen. It is very clean install and hidden.
I have 3 Android phones now (newest one being a Galaxy S) and it is very sloppy to have usb charging, audio wires come out looking like a snake on the dash.
4) Bluetooth voice dialing. Correct me if I am wrong, has this been implemented yet?

Then we get into apps that are not YET on Android:
1) Credit card reader for out-door sales (coming to Android soon)
2) My bank allows me to take a picture of a check and deposit right from an iPhone
3) I can use a iPhone as a camera light meter; replacing a $200 light meter I have.
4) Video editing. iMovie is really worth the price.
5) There is this $4 app that is good as a $400 app for video color grading I've used called CinemaFX.

There are many specific niche apps that either free or well worth their price.

I have friends who use iPhone/iPad as nautical GPS that replaces $1800 Nautical GPS. I know quite a bit of sailors who had no problem spending $700 for iPads because of the $50 apps that was better than the Nautical Garmin versions. Same for pilots. They could justify buying an Ipad and 2-3 iPhones.

I have another friend who uses a custom app that controls proprietary switches for his job. He no longer carries a laptop around.

Then there are apps for controlling Canon dSLRs for pro photographers. There are pro DJ apps to allow DJs to run up to 8 iPhones,etc... The list goes one.

Android is a great OS but... It needs apps. It needs the killer apps to make it complete. I don't look at the price of the phone or features "out of the box."