I know that there are fans of both phone types on the board so I want to get some pros and cons of both. I fully intended on buying the 5 whenever it debuts later this year but now I am considering my options. One of the reasons I am considering the switch is to see what else is being offered by the competition. Also, I hate the interface between the iPhone and computer and the requirement to use iTunes for everything between the two. The iPhone also seems to be more fragile. The lack of customization sans jailbreaking is also a negative and the trouble of jailbreaking itself is unappealing. Everybody I know has an iPhone so I have not been able to see the competition in person and a limitation similar to the iTunes one mentioned before may be the same with Android phones. I do know that the Apple store has many more apps than the Android store but apps are not a high priority for me and I have seen that the apps I use the most are available in the Android market. From iPhone users and those who prefer it, what are some reasons I should stay with the iPhone. From Android users and those who prefer it, why should I switch? What are some models I should look at?
It's all personal preference man. If you don't feel like upgrading OS often, Apple does a decent job doing it for you. Don't expect phone vendors to upgrade your Android. It doesn't happen often or at all for some phones. You can start learning how to root, but it's a highly technical process that's been simplified. Meaning, if it doesn't work out as planned, you're gonna be on message boards begging for help and wondering if your warranty is busted for a bricked phone. The Windows phone is a pretty competitive alternative. Less reliance on apps (for obvious reasons) and it's doing so bad that they're practically giving them away for 50 bucks. Despite that the UI is nice and it's much better designed than the last WinMo incarnation. I've all but sworn off of Windows Mobile, but you might not have that bias and your needs might like it. Android is pretty leaky and fragmented. If you're worried about data and privacy, don't get a phone...but at least Apple tries to contain it for them and only them. Android manufacturers don't really give a hoot, and the way Google has been approaching fragmentation (not at all) doesn't make the user feel any safer.
It's rumored 3-4 new Nexus phones from different manufacturers will be coming out before the end of the year. My suggestion is don't make a decision either way before they are released or you may regret it.
All I know is I rooted my Galaxy S2 and royally screwed it up somehow. Now the damn thing won't sync with my PC. So, it's pretty worthless. And Sprint is horrid. I know the iPhone 5 is coming soon, but I'm very tempted to just salvage my phone, break my contract, and jump to Verizon and get an iPhone 4 on the cheap. Good service and a solid phone, even if I'm paying out the nose for every text and gigabyte.
The problem with Android is there's always a fancy new phone 3-4 months down the line because there are so many manufacturers. Lotta buyers remorse with that.
This is true to some extent but the Nexus lines are not typical Android phones. The OS can always be upgraded at least once and they are pure Android stock. They are worth waiting for, especially this time around.
I am pretty happy with my iPhone and have no reason to switch. Another reason that makes me not seriously consider Android is that I have already invested in iOS. I would hate to repurchase apps.
If you want a phone that works well out of the box, stick with the iPhone. Android phones can do more than iPhones, but usually require more maintenance and constant tinkering to find that sweet spot. If the additional features are worth that time, go with Android.
Pretty much. I recommend most my friends an iPhone because it works prefect out the box. With android, you have to tweak it, possibly root it to get it just right. It's more tech savvy.
I only recommend the Galaxy Nexus to iOS users planning on switching. Buy the phone directly from Google at $349.99 and save yourself from signing a contract, and use it on any GSM carrier. The updates hit the GSM Galaxy Nexus (not verizon/sprint version) first before any device and manufacturer . If you're willing to wait, a new Nexus will be announced later this year The reason I say Nexus over anything is that currently the Nexus has Android 4.1 jelly bean which is so much of an improvement over 4.0
Nokia is coming out with the Windows 8 phone in early-Sept. May be worth a look. Android is nice in the sense that the phone works like a USB drive when you connect to the PC. Easy to drag and drop mp3s and other files.
This x 1,000. Both phones have very strong pluses, and very strong minuses. iPhones "just work", which is what a lot of people want and need. Android phones can be tweaked (or, in the case of DonnyMost, over-tweaked) to do just about anything, which is what a lot of other people want and need. Unlike many Android users, I don't hate Apple products. Quite the opposite: I love them...for certain applications. The iPod is the best MP3 player, hands down. The design of Apple products in general is a marvel to behold. The OS is very smooth and polished...as long as you don't want to do anything not already setup in the OS. If there's a setting you don't like or an OS / UI issue that bugs you, you're basically stuck with what the folks in Cupertino want to give you. Android has a developer community that is HUGE. Tons of people, busting every line of code, looking for new ways to squeeze every drop of performance and features from their phone...with mixed results. Android phones are, generally, a bit less stable than Apple phones. But only a bit. My iPhone 3GS needed to reboot about once a week or so. My Android phone doubles that, but still, far more often than not, it's running just fine. It can be a bit confusing / daunting to research and implement new features on your Android phone. Fortunately, the Google folks recognized this and tried to make the latest Nexus phone (the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which it what I use) as "out-of-the-box" friendly as possible. Want a phone that "just works"? Keep your Nexus stock, install updates OTA (over the air), and it will still be more open and capable than the iPhone. Want to tweak? Root it, unlock the bootloader, and go to town. The support is out there, you've just gotta find it. Last thing: don't be influenced by the size of App stores. Apple likes to flaunt their huge app selection but to be honest, most of those apps 1.) are garbage and 2.) cost more money. There is nothing I've purchased through iTunes that I couldn't get through Google Play. Even if there are apps that haven't appeared on Android yet, odds are they'll be arriving shortly or there's already an Android equivalent. Plus, there are FAR more free and low-cost ($.99 - $1.99) apps on Android. Replacing all my iOS apps didn't cost me nearly as much as I thought it would. All in all, barring some unforeseen gotta-have-it feature, I can't see myself ever going back to iPhone. Android is just too dang much fun. :grin:
Yup. Apple is definitely feeling the heat. Folks are starting to grumble at the general lack of perceived progress of the iPhone platform. But if rumors are to believed, the iPhone 5 may be their biggest misstep to date. Word is, the phone will not feature a significantly larger screen, and will replace the 30-pin dock connector with a smaller, 19-pin. Say goodbye all your current accessories, or at the very least, hello to an ugly adapter. http://gizmodo.com/5929444/has-the-iphone-5-been-smuggled-out-of-the-factory-already
Lil Pun, I've had both and recently got the HTC X1. I rooted my last phone (Desire HD, I think it's called HTC Evo 4g in the US) and changed the ROM (which is like an overlay for the Android OS) 14 times and never had a problem. I can not understand any of the acronyms that expert Android users use. The way I rooted my phone is I got this app called Visionary and pressed this button which said "root now". When I wanted to unroot it for warranty, I pressed the unroot now button. The reason I rooted my last phone was because I was not happy with the look of the OS out of the box and wanted to download apps which allowed more customization of the look. After rooting my phone, I discovered there are apps in the Android Market which work only for rooted phones, and gave me even more customization options (different clocks, themes, better battery life, different dialer, different camera app, different media apps, removal of pre-installed apps, etc). Since I've gotten the HTC X1, I can tell that the OS has come a long way. I can root it in a few minutes but can't be bothered because they have really polished it up. If I wanted the iPhone look and feel, I would root my phone and install an iPhone theme which mimics the iPhone. A friend of mine has an S3 and while he was pissed that it was glitchy when he bought it, they released a patch a week later and he loves it now. I got rid of the iPhone because I realized that it is engineered so that there is only one way to do things, like it or not, and so you end up with a very easy to use and slick device. Moreover, I found that the accessories are too expensive, and needed way to often. But the biggest reason I bailed on it is that I could not stand iTunes. I could not stand it being on my PC, I could not stand having to use it for all my media, and I could not stand being unable to do anything other than what iTunes allowed me to. Syncing was really irritating for me too. There are better apps on iPhone, but these days they are only exclusive to iPhone for a few months if at all until it pops up in the Android store. I love being able to drag and drop things as if my phone is a hard drive. I love the fact that my phone is seamlessly linked to my gmail account, youtube account, google maps, google drive (cloud), docs and tasks. I also love the ability to use Adobe Flash, but I think Android is starting to get rid of it. It all depends on what you do with your phone. If you have the same preferences I do, you won't regret switching to Android. If you are less into these preferences and more into (insert the advantages of iPhone), then you will. From what you describe, I think you probably wouldn't regret switching. This whole fragmentation thing is really overblown. It is only a problem for the Google company... as a user I have never faced an issue because Android is too fragmented. If you want a lot of updates, then root your phone and there's a huge number of ROMS customized for specific needs like more battery, nicer look, better options, etc. Good luck.
When i've set my S2 down next to the 4S and compared displays the iPhone looks old and outdated. I think the 5 will look old next to the S2 and antiquated next to the S3, but we'll see -- you never know with Apple they could surprise us with two phones sizes (small/ large).
Yeah, there is no way I could tolerate iTunes -- I love just dragging and dropping all my music either on the phone or to Google music -- no hassles.
What you call "buyers remorse" I call anticipation for my next phone. Lets see. You find it remorseful to see the next best thing that you could pick up. Oppossed seeing small increments in change once a year, slapping a "s" tag on the end of it and hailing the year wait for it? Even though its far behind the the rest of the world in technology. Got it!
