Not sure whether to spring for an iPhone or go the Android way? Well, there’s more to the decision than just flipping a coin.
My advice? Don’t pick a new iPhone or Android smartphone until you answer six crucial questions for yourself, starting with…
1. Do smartphones scare you?
When you fiddle with the latest and greatest phones at your local carrier store, do you feel like a deer in the headlights?
Afraid you’ll break something if you tap one of the little icons on the screen?
If so, think twice about Android. Personally, I’m a sucker for all the settings and personalization options on an Android phone, but the thicket of menus and sub-menus may feel bewildering for beginners, or anyone easily frustrated by tricky phone interfaces.
The iPhone, on the other hand, boasts (if you ask me) a clean, simple interface that’s perfect for smartphone novices, while also jettisoning the extra “menu” and “back” buttons that make navigating the standard Android interface such a chore.
2. Do you want a physical QWERTY keypad?
Tapping out lengthy messages on a virtual keypad can be royal pain if you have clumsy fingers, and even those with nimble fingertips may prefer the feel of actual keys to a slippery glass touchscreen.
So if a physical QWERTY keypad is a must, go with Android. Several makes and models of Android phones with roomy, full-on keypads are available. In some cases, the keyboards slide out from behind the touchscreen (like so), while others sit on the front of the phone, just beneath the display.
Apple, on the other hand, shows no signs of making an iPhone with a physical keypad—and while it is possible to connect a wireless Bluetooth keyboard to, say, the iPhone 4S, you’d also have to tote the keyboard accessory wherever you go.
3. Do you depend on Gmail and Google Calendar?
One of the beauties of Android is that the initial setup process is a piece of cake—for Google users, anyway.
If you have a Google account, you can take your new Android phone out of its box, power it up, sign in with your Google ID and password, and presto! All your Gmail messages, mailboxes, Google contacts and calendars will start syncing to your handset automatically. It’s a beautiful thing.
Dedicated Google users who go with the iPhone won’t have too tough a time setting up their Gmail or calendars; dealing with Google contacts is another story, however. A secondary service called Google Sync will help keep all your Google contacts synchronized with the iPhone Address Book, but setting it up is a rather lengthy, tedious process.
4. Do you use a Mac?
Just as Gmail and Google Calendar users will have an easy transition to an Android phone, so will Mac users glide right into an iPhone—particularly if you’re storing your contacts in the Mac OS X Address Book and using iCal for your calendars.
The desktop iTunes software will quickly sync all your Address Book contacts and iCal calendars to a new iPhone (along with all your apps and music, of course), while Apple’s new iCloud service (coupled with iOS 5, the latest version of the iPhone system software) will coordinate all your desktop and iPhone contacts and events wirelessly, no cords required.
5. Want to play Flash videos?
Ever visit a website on a smartphone, only to see a blank panel on the page that reads “Adobe Flash plug-in required”?
That’s because some of the snazziest sites on the web depend on a technology called “Flash” for displaying videos and fancy graphical menus—and without Flash, those sites won’t function properly.
The latest Android phones do support Flash content, meaning just about any site on the web should render properly—and completely.
That’s not the case with the iPhone, though. Indeed, Apple has been openly critical about Flash technology (the late Steve Jobs once called it a battery hog, a slow-poke, and a security concern) and has essentially declared both the iPhone and iPad to be Flash-free zones.
Keep in mind, however, that more and more Flash-heavy websites offer alternate versions tailored for non-Flash smartphones like the iPhone—a development that may eventually render mobile Flash support a moot point.
6. Are you an app addict?
While Android boasts one of the liveliest communities of app makers around, Apple’s App Store is the undisputed king of mobile applications. Its shelves are stocked with 500,000 apps and counting (compared to a still quite healthy 350,000 or so for Google’s Android Market), and the most interesting and exciting applications and tend to be built for the iPhone first.
Angry Birds, for example, didn’t land on Android until nearly a year after debuting on the iPhone, while Android users had to wait nearly a year and a half for their own version of the wildly popular Instagram.
Still debating whether to go with Android or the iPhone? Let me know!
Note: This updated and revised post was first published in August 2011.
Please read the community policy before posting a comment. I welcome calm, constructive, and helpful comments on this article; however, I will delete any comment threads that veer into angry, fanatical “iPhone vs. Android” territory.
You forgot to mention the price range. You can find Android device at price that complies with your finances. My first Android (Samsung IT5800) was only for $200 and it’s fully functional device with the latest Android OS. it took 15 minutes to explore settings. Everything is clearly defined, categorized and reachable in a few clicks.
Regarding apps. Android Market has everything you wish. iStore wins only in quantity (due to hundreds of similar apps for each category).
I will agree with the author in one thing. If you want straight, fully define, constant, predetermined, non-flexible OS, with hundred thousands available apps then choose iPhone, because you are not allowed to do or to change almost anything. So you won’t brake anything.
Otherwise, if you don’t have extra money to pay for brand, then choose between dozens of Android devices in any price range.
Yes, I’m Android fan. Samsung Galaxy SII rules.
yeah much better,,,if u cant afford the apple phones,,then choose androids,,,much better idea…
I was astounded at the price I paid for my Samsung Galaxy Europa – £55 including 1 month’s phone, text and data, the last being unlimited. I’ve got an iPod Touch and was considering an iPhone but the Samsung has me convinced to stay with Android. A friend of mine was recommended a Samsung Galaxy (upmarket from mine) by her son who’s an Apple man!
From a development standpoint, Android is much more complex based on the amount of android models that are out there today, i believe it is somewhere around 4,000 different types of Android models, where as iPhone only has 3 to 4 phone models, and 1 iPad to develop on.
From a user stand point, I have a BlackBerry which I love, but iPhone are much more simplified and user friendly to use.
Andy Lynn, CEO & Founder
Kickanotch Mobile
http://www.kickanotch.com
From a development standpoint, almost all target devices support one of three environments Android 2.3 Android 3.0 or Android 4.0 basically everything else is a minority (less than 1%) and 3.0 will soon be too as ICS source is out. It’s a myth to say that it is hard to develop for android. On PC there are billions of possible hardware configurations and companies still manage to do quality controll…
If you like choices, take Android. If you like being told what to like (and how to hold it) take Apple.
i like apple cause it’s easy to handle
I agree with you. And Android is for geeks. Apple is for glamorous
U can always jailbreak (legal) ur iphone and tell it what to do..!
There is no choice. You will only buy Apple. Fawned over and endorsed my all major media outlets, plus governments world-wide, Apple is the only choice we will ever need. Buying anything else should be illegal and incur a tax penalty.
Are you mentally deficient? Do you actually believe your own bullshit?
You’re joking right?!
You liberal idiot, you liberals are the biggest hypocrites and should disappear from the face of this earth. You rally against bankers but Apple is great though it kills Chinese workers. What if Citibank was responsible for those chinese deaths at factories making Apple products? You should be made illegal and exterminated.
hi Ben: good insights. I’m a disgruntled RIM “Torch” victim; although I am Canadian & want to support the ‘Home Team’, I’m done with Blackberry.
here’s my ?: I live in a MS world work; I don’t want to add another email account (GMail) to the 5 on my PC / Phone now. I’m thinking about the 4S; can i make the transition easy or will it be death by 1,000 papercuts? what blogs / sites can i reference, in addition to yours, of course.
thanks in advance!
Hi Scott! If you’re using MS Outlook/Exchange for email, you should be able to make the switch fairly easily. The iPhone supports Exchange, so all you have to do is tweak your mail settings—or, better yet, have your office IT guy do it for you. Good luck!
My old android supports exchange too. The iphone is a safe buy and would suit most people. Flash isn’t that big an issue now and there are an enormous amount of apps and after market goodies available. Then saying that it’s like a mid range family car – it’s very “satisfactory” in most respects. Android is now mature, reliable and a little more exciting with far more choice of screen sizes, performance and usability. It’s almost like the Macintosh versus PC battle. The flexibility of the PC allows much more variety over the Mac – but not everyone wants that. Some want a safe bet from the beginning.
Well I’m part of that MS world and both iPhone and Android support Outlook/Exchange. What I have done is get GMail to import all my accounts so I can access them all from just one. I hate Blackberry phones with the only advantage being BBM but there are iPhone and Android equivalents. Safe bet iPhone. More choice of style, size, shape and slightly more complexity – Android. I just hate that Apple have become “the man” now and feel a little rebellious of their corporate control and “hugeness”.
I’ve experienced both android and apple. Though I like iphone’s clean and hassle free navigation, I’m sticking to android because it syncs all my contacts without any hassle. Getting them on iphone is a real pain.
Sm detecting some bias here. Is this mere provocation or a serious attempt to compare cell phone operating systems?
when we say on applications,much better to choose iPhones..hassle free and user friendly,,compare to android phones which theres a need of extra time to study those features.,.but then it depends on how you handle those phones..
Just like they did with the Macintosh way back, Apple have tried to ensure reliability and quality through a very fixed controlled format. It didn’t end up working with the Mac and now they use standard PC components with a Unix based kernel and a flashy GUI. While they have managed to make the iPhone into a fashion accessory causing lots of sales actually the iPhone offers the safe bet lacking the performance and variety of other phones – Android included. Nothing wrong with buying a standard item from “the man” It used to be IBM that were the safe bet… Now it’s Apple. Get away from the fashion feature and you have a very expensive, samey, lower spec phone with admittedly huge support. The Mac didn’t suit me and neither will the iPhone. I want a little excitement from my money so I bought Android.
i totally agree to you Martin. I couldn’t explain it better.! Cheers..!
Looking at Apple’s sales it has worked very well with the Mac, from the Motorola, through PowerPC and to the current Intel based versions.
And although owners of various high-end Android phones keep touting the superior processors and graphics chips in their phones they rarely have an answer when asked what exactly they’re doing with all that horsepower that the other guy can’t do with his supposedly anaemic iPhone.
I am guessing u haven’t used any of the high end Anroid devices a few days at least, I already mentioned a few comments up what Android phones have over iPhone, but the important thing is that u can do a lot of stuff simultaneously, and have them run parallel, not switching between apps constantly, and have a live wallpaper. Plus ICS looks amazing with sense for example, and is a lot more efficient at anything than iPhone. The horsepower is being used indeed. iPhone doesn’t need a fast processor since it can run a single app at a time, browser, then double tap, go to contacts, double tap, go to calender (or 4 finger swipe between them, doesn’t change a thing)… iPad use here (got it as a gift:) ).
The simplistic design of the Apple UI is appealing to some, but to me it just screams “too safe”, and very boring.
Live wallpaper? Doesn’t sound like a compelling feature. Moving on, as I said I’ve asked these people what they’re doing with all this supposed extra horsepower and they had no answer. They’re just boasting about how many megahertz and cores they have. I’m a major multitasker on computers and have embraced it since it was first available on home computers, but it works there because the screen is bigger and of course it is simply a different type of environment with different tasks. But still what are these multiple tasks that Android users are commonly running simultaneously?
A huge downside with Android phones is what appears to be a screen size arms race. It’s incredibly annoying having so few, if any now, Android phones that are compact, but still have good processing power and a high resolution screen. A friend just got himself the latest HTC model, and he thought it was great at first, but within a week was complaining that the screen is just too big. And this from a dyed in the wool Android fanatic who hates all Apple products.
HTC One X has fixed memory, so not all Android phones support using memory cards. This might well become a trend.
High-end Android phones are also very expensive. It’s pointless arguing about price. Top smartphones cost a lot of money.
I also regularly hear this story about how everything on the iPhone app store is paid and expensive, but this good stuff is free for Android, when the truth is that there are mountains of free applications on the iPhone store and quite often the paid ones are extremely cheap.What I don’t have time for anymore is spending ages tailoring my phone and fiddling with settings. Android or iOS it must be ready to go out of the box and come with tools that make managing the phone easy.
Yes I have used Android phones. Those I know who chose the iPhone were not pressured or idiots taken in by marketing. They made a legitimate choice that the iPhone’s features meet their needs. I have yet to be convinced of why Android phones are inherently superior to the iPhone. And Android users who imply iPhone users are mindless drones are really saying they have no good arguments against their choice, so instead they resort to insults.
Live wallpaper! Google maps wallpaper unlock your phone and know exactly where you are, it’s very useful.
I do many things with the extra horsepower… for one, my phone can handle 720p content quite well so when I visit a friend without cable/tivo we can watch something on the tv provided I don’t forget my hdmi cable at home. Then my keypad app (thumb keyboard 4) has a built in copy & paste button. I use that all the time to save some web comments and blog entries before hitting the send button and crashing… in case my carrier kicks me from the net I can then paste to evernote and try again a few moments later.
On android there are some pretty powerful music creation tools like Su-preme MPA and Caustic that need extra power to convert from .wav to .mp3 record a multi tracks song and the likes…
But what really needs power is multi-tasking:
While I’m partly typing and partly dictating this text on my android device I’m listening to the hourly BBC World News podcast through the BeyondPod app on my bluetooth plantronics 590a headset with microphone. So it is streaming into my ear while I’m sending voice commands simultaneously. Meanwhile my 4 whatsapp chat rooms (work, collegues, family and chess club) keep on notifying me that people are messaging. My RSS feeds app is also notifying that new feeds are available from the blogs I’m following. All while skype, gtalk and a weather widget app are happily camping in the background.
You know; MULTITASKING
very very very well said m8
I’ll be interested to see if Ubuntu for Android becomes a killer app for the OS. Might be a 7th thing to consider: do you want your phone to double as a desktop computer?
I have used Android and iPhone. Unfortunately, I feel like sticking to my iPhone rather than even changing Android world.
End of the day, its depends on your taste. Seems like the author wanted to push Android here though.
I love google and Android but for me its iPhone 🙂
Good article but you omitted 2 (to me, important) points:
1) Android phones are expandable as they have memory card slots. My Samsung can take up to 32 GByte Micro SD cards. With iPhones you’re stuck with what you bought. Upgrade an iPhone? No, you buy a replacement. Apart from expandability there’s the security aspect – swap the memory card and you can lend your phone to a friend without risking losing any valuable data.
2) Android phones have replaceable batteries which means you can carry a fully charged spare giving extended use without the need to recharge or, when the first battery’s performance deteriorates, you can simply replace it. With Apple, you have to send your iPhone back to Apple.
@ 1st point: u urself said what was required.. “u get what u buy”.. Dats jus sumthin u need to take care of when buying a phone… nd although i’m not against expandable memory.. but i still cant justify this as a con… And i dont think being able to “lend a phone to a friend” seems to hold any importance at all.
@2nd point: Not ol android fones hv that opt.. fr eg. the HTC One X
thanks for insight. i am looking for a phone that can create a lot of groups and a lot of members in a group. can iphone and android phone have this? please help. thanks
Hi,
I just viewed the the introduction of the new Samsung Galaxy 3 and frankly speaking quite impressed by it. The thing is i use to own and iphone but lost it and got a Samsung SL as a replacement. The thing is ever since i bought it (April 2011) i have got the motherboard changed 3 times!! Should i take a risk or wait for the iphone 5??
i guess u shud wait for d iphone 5..
I too chekd out d SIII preview and the intelligent features did impress me too.. but i think u already have siri which if not better would definitely be at par with the samsung’s. And fr d rest of them.. i wud say they really sound good.. bt i dont think would be exploited much.. fr eg the stay feature.. hardly feels “useful”
Nd den dis is still d iphone 4s being pitched against the SIII.. u dont know wadd iphone 5 comes out wid..
Nd if u r an ios fan.. u may nt really enjoy android.. in particular the play store… i find the iOS app store faaar better.. for the short while i used the galaxy note.. i ended up deleting 60% of the apps that i had downloaded..!!
I reccomend you to S3, I tried it for some time, really excellent phone!
currently i am using samsung note and very satisfied with it.
i am not gadget and phone wiz ,so i don’t really use all the benefits given by androids, but i tried iphone3 and i switched to samsung note, browse thru the net super fast too with wifis, loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it!!!!
(and yes i do use google mails)
I’m still living with my SGspica after like, two years for some reason. I don’t know why I didn’t get a knew phone earlier, but anyway. Now I have this problem about what should I choose? I really like the design and look of the iphone, but I don’t know how long it will last. It’s a bit small too even if my current phone is even smaller. I really like the Iphones awesome camera which is still undefeated (maybe the S3 has a chance). Then I like the user friendly userinterface on the android, but I think I could live with the IOS too. Flash player is something I would consider really usefull though. Other than that I want a powerfull phone and it feels a bit too late to buy a 4S, that’s my biggest problem. I should have been out earlier, but that’s how it is. If the Iphone5 get’s out and goes down to a reasonable price before august then that’s my next phone, but if it doesn’t it feels like I’m going for the S3, even if I really like Iphones premium design and luxury ;D
What should I do, is it too late for the 4S? Or will the Iphone5 launch in june/july?
yea.. it definitely is late for d iphone 4s.. although u cant be assured of a june/july launch.. bt it wud surely come out until october (like the 4s).. Nd if playing videos if ur main flash usage.. u cn do it on iphone too.. through browser apps (both paid and free) available on the app store.. Nd yea.. i too find the iphone small..!!
I dont think you should underestimate the quality of these. ok they are made from polycarbonate… but thats because glass breaks :/
Polycarbonate is essentially plastic, but at the same time isnt. Chemically it isnt like plastic at all – and offers fantastic heat scratch and conducting properties. It wont smash to pieces if you drop it… and on the off chance it does- costs about £1 to replace !
I hv an iphone.. Nd I too initially had problems playing videos from d net.. bt den i found browsers(apps) like “rockmelt” , “downloads lite” etc. which play most of these videos.. and the best part is .. I dint have to pay nethin fr eider of the 2..!!! Also, there are some better (but paid) apps like “skyfire browser” which are exclusively there for playing flash videos.. although you still won’t be able to access other flash stuff (like games etc.)…but I guess d app store does well to cover up for that bit..
I have also used a galaxy note fr a short while.. and although seting up gmail ws much easier.. but i still like d iOS male client more.. D only Google advantage i found with the note ws d ”merge contacts with google” feature…What i really miss the note fr is its screen size.. use d note fr an hour.. and d iphone starts feeling toooo small.. i hope apple brings a bigger screen to d iphone 5, as an option atleast..
No offense, but if you are typing this reply from your phone, I want to avoid it.
Any physical keyboard that will fit into a gadget the size of a smartphone won’t be any easier or faster to use than an onscreen one, so this question wouldn’t have any validity for me (should I ever–unaccountably–become rich enough to afford a smartphone, that is).
Disagree. The keyboard on my E71 is definitely easier to use than the iPhone one.
You forgot to mention Android’s Swype keyboard. I kept my old HTC HD2 with phone keypad option rather than jab away at a tiny qwerty keyboard as on an iPhone or Blackberry. But the Swype keyboard on my Galaxy is THE BEST. I now happily reply to emails and write entire documents on my phone. Compared to my Galaxy Note, even my iPad now feels very basic.
My experience with Andorid is wonderful but with iPad is so very painful. With iOS I feel like I am in a very tough prison, most of apps crash every couple of minutes. To download a tiny app it takes much time more than it should be, I do not have any ability to remove or add files in easy way. Oh, really with Android I feel I am in heaven, and with iOS I feel I am in hell.
Android does offer flexibility but app crashes shouldn’t end up with you crying over here. You should report that! I’ve been using iPad since 2 years and I’ve not seen a single serious crash as you say.
This is a not war of the brands, please be a bit more legitimate when you say something, replies like yours actually have some weightage in people looking for reviews on both devices. Don’t mislead them is all what i say!
Absolutely in love with my Windows Phone!
I used to love my Windows Phone!
But compatibility issues with my mac and ultimately my mum smashing it accidentally made me buy another phone.
I’ve had my Nexus for over a year now, and while I’ve gone from android 2.3 to 4.0.4 (soon to be 4.1) with MANY great updates. Windows Phone has seen just one.
I’m not sure whether I want to go back to Windows Phone – yet.
I would think of a million things u “forgot” to ask: live wallpapers, stock phone capabilities (all the tools, wifi hotspot…), bigger screen, better resolution, better reception and call quality, faster processor, more RAM, removable SD card, a lot of program andoroid has for free, are very expensive in the appstore (filemaneger, office…)
Of course, how could I forget the BLOATED price of the iphone. Any high end android is a lot better than an iphone, and people who fail to see that are just pressured by publicity, friends, and misconception that because Apple is expensive, it’s better, and gives u a better imagine.
Isn’t that the point 1 actually? Too many things which may scare away beginners?
I think there is alot of unfair comparison to the appstore and playstore.
on a whole you tend to get better quality apps and indeed earlier from the appstore.
but those release dates are getting slimmer – and now somewhat ahead or level for certain things.
it is also worth a note that almost anything good from the appstore comes at a cost – whereas the playstore alot of the better things are free. (2 examples, Angry Birds , whatsapp – both cost from the appstore and are free on the playstore)
there is also a vastly superior content range on the playstore.
Play is also alot easier to navigate and categories. I found it to be anyway… I had an iPad and just found myself looking at the same 50 apps in the appstore
Indeed in Play Store it might be free, but it DRAINS MUCH BATTERY
My experience with iPhone is wonderful but with Galaxy Note is so very
painful. With Android I feel like I am in a very tough prison, most of apps
crash every couple of minutes. To download a tiny app it takes much time
more than it should be, I do not have any ability to remove or add
files in easy way. Oh, really with iOS I feel I am in heaven, and
with Android I feel I am in hell.
I don’t share your internet connection, so Note is like heaven to me!
These comparisons are stupid.
Everything comes in waves. Mac killed PC in the early days, PC’s with Microsoft killed Macs, Macs are starting to make a rise again. Things have periods of growth and decay.
Honestly, iPhones are the king now, Android may take over, windows phone may see some love, Apple will come back, android will make another rise.
But by then, who knows what technology will be out?
Just chill out and watch.
Actually, Android holds a sizeable share of the smartphone market — much more so than the iPhone. Google it.
iPhone had the title, but now, Android (read Samsung) is the king.
I am learning a lot with your comments and suggestions.
1. I learned that even you have more memory, you can’t use all the apps at the same time and frequently changing them as you went on getting bored, so 16 Gb is enough else, buy a playstation :).
2. If only apple has an android in it, i will buy it considering it is an Apple (with elegance)
3. If only you can watch TV’s in HD and Cable channels without extra cost on Samsung phones, why not, anyway Samsung started on appliance category.
veridtc: But an HTC One X 🙂 superb and quiet.
7. Are you using or planning on using a tablet?
iPad is the undisputed king of tablets and tablet Apps. Android tablets and the very limited selection of apps designed for them, makes iPad the only real choice.
If you’re going to be using iPad, it only makes sense to go iPhone and benefit from the integrated IOS experience.
If you already have an Android tablet you may want to stay integrated in the Android world, or you may have realized your mistake and know its time to go Apple.
Or Microsoft Surface now?
re: limited selection of android tablet apps
Actually, unlike ios, android is able to properly (re)scale applications for different screen resolutions and dpi’s instead of zooming in like ios does (zooming in degrades quality)
Plus, android allows apps to have separate phone and tablet versions in the same app. Instead of having separate regular and HD versions of the same app (as in ios) android can have one app that displays completely different on different devices.
For instance, there is only one imdb app in the google play store. But it looks totally different on my phone than it does on my tab even though it is the same app.
Plus, because of proper rescaling, almost all apps that were originally designed for phones look perfectly fine on my android tablet. That was not the case with the ipads I played with (they were either zoomed in and pixelated or ended up in a tiny window in the middle of the screen)
i’m still confused.. i really like 4s it’s my dream phone…but when i saw the features of s3 it made me feel like s3 can do more things than 4s. but i still don’t like android…
s3 is the undisputed phone at the moment. am an open minded person am not biased by any os but we have to appreciated work done by apple but the fact comes out now that the android operating system is much superior than the ios. look at the jelly bean it’s more than i do even imagine
After all, thanks to iOS, Android born. I mean, never had there been Android without iOS because Android is the copycat of iOS.
You said Linux is a copycat of iOS?!
You sure? LOL
If you like freedom of choice, and can make intelligent decisions for yourself, buy android.
If not, buy apple
As they say, apple is for those who don’t know any better
Thanks to the author for having explored the two systems, I have really stayed away from Apple for the past five years. I appreciate that there may be some work from Android menus, but it’s just like with all the computer systems, and that doesn’t seem to deter a few million computer users. Android is the Linux that I was waiting for on a handheld platform, and it’s (Moto 917) completely taken over where an “e-book” would have been. So I only needed to buy a full-sized laptop and a handheld, in place of my old palm treo and my Windows XP notebook. The transitions were flawless, and the upgrade in speed and usability is enormous. A fully handheld office that communicates on all levels, that was what the doctor ordered.
great article, I enjoy reading it.
iPhone is a phone. Android is an OS. Compare apples to apples 😉
You’ll also notice iPhones are maybe not as good as (fill in your device) but its a standard. Something else is always ‘better than iPhone’ or iPad etc. You need a standard to measure something else. Some of us prefer buying the standard and others prefer better. Neither of us should mind.
I am not familiar with Android products and I do have iPad, iTouch, etc. but what bothers me is the fact that Apple is a control freak and those blank screens are a pain for not displaying Flash contents.
I do love apple but I am probably going to try the new Google tablet instead of replacing my existing ipad with a newer version. If they are any good I am definitely leaving Apple products for good.
It is important to understand which handset the person is coming from and how much non-voice services/features are used or expected from the device. The comparison handsets shown are not really fair has it shows a large device compared to a standard sized handset.
If a person surfs the net often on the handset and needed occasional hand-scribble, the Galaxy Note is the best choice. It however, needs to be carried by hand all the time as opposed to being held in a holster. Also a compromised decision as to how the device is being handled when not being used but carried by the owner.
To tech geeks, it is about “Open vs Closed” system. Open as in Android that allows freedom to change the OS to one’s whim. Prerequisite is to be technically apt in doing so.
Some just want the best camera out there, so Xperia S is a great choice for that. Others prefer superior features to iPhone, so HTC One X and SGS3 are superphones for that. If choices change later, they will trade up to a different handset or adapt their usage to the handset they have.
For those going for the price, set the price range and get the handset that suits you best within the price range. It is easy. Usually there are 3-4 to choose from and it is easy to shortlist this into 2 or a single choice.
I have a Mac and my Nexus syncs flawlessly and instantly with iCal and everything. When i make a change to my calendar on my phone, I open iCal and that’s already been altered to match my phone.
Just because some users may have a Mac it doesn’t mean that you should opt for an iPhone.
I HATE iPhones and their boring operating system.
If there’s one Operating System clash I’d say stay away from that’s Windows Phone and Mac OSX – I had a Windows Phone last year and I had to get rid of it because it was so frustrating trying to get them to work with each other.
there is really not such question. If you have even the smallest clue about tech,know whats best, and a very small amount of common sense then youd go for android. If you dont have these… then you probably use iphone
I think the iPhone is the best one compare to the Android. Because as I have view the features and facility associated with it are great one compare to any android phone.
Good points. If you are satified with what you have, stay with it. With your developers next phone they will have improvements over the others and then the others will and then yours will and so on and on. Praise the competitors for forcing your choice of developer to make what you like, better!
The price and quality of phone are the first.
The other major point you forgot was support. Working in the industry, as a lowly mobile retail salesmen, I see a lot of people with broken phones. If you’re a high power executive travelling the world on the weekly basis, you need to have an iPhone since you’ll be instantly supported in any country incredibly fast. If you own an Android and it breaks, at least in my company, you’ll be phone-less for 4-6 weeks.
They are both great. People just want to impose their ideas to make them feel better about their phone. Either one will do the job, with android what you pay is what you get. Don’t expect a $200 phone to rival the big boys like an iPhone or a Gallaxy SIII. My experience with a cheap android is that it is unusable (who wants a phone that lasts 3h in standby?), went back to my not-so-smart Nokia until I got dough to buy a proper one. BTW my not-so-smart Nokia will be 10 later this year and still holds the charge for more than a week with moderate use. Definitely the best if you just need to phone and text.
Dear Mr. Patterson,
I am so torn between doing the T-Mobile Full Monty with the Galaxy S3 or the Apple Iphone 4S. I currently have a Nokia E72 which although it is the sharper looking blackberry alternative I does not have BBM so I don’t want to make that mistake again in this case. My personal research has
shown that Apple holds its value in £’s much better in the long term which is
particularly good if I want to sell it on, if the new iphone5 is considerably different. I do feel however that with the S3 I wouldn’t have to buy an Ipad which cuts
costs considerably and apart from build quality the S3 does feel like a
superior all-in-one Ipad3 and Iphone4S. I just want an intuitive no nonsense
phone for business and university. So is IOS6 with Siri better than ice cream
sandwich with Svoice? Oh and I have never owned an Apple ever.Sincerely,Brook
Very well-written article, I’m always looking for a neat, clean comparison between these two smartphone opponents. My first smartphone experience has been an Android flavoured one, but as the iPhone 5 (or “new iPhone” as I guess they’ll call it, if not perhaps *sigh* iPhone 4GS?) draws near, I surrender to iCuriosity and admit that I’m already saving up to switch to iOS. I have an Xperia arc that’s recently been upgraded to ICS and I’m happy and grateful to say that it’s still running fine, barring some hiccups due to higher RAM demands and such. I have considered the pros and cons of both Android and iOS and I think the time has come to admit that I will probably feel a lot more at ease in the world of Apple. I like the way the hardware and software are perfectly tailored to co-operate like a well-oiled machine. I like the fact that upgrades are made available for devices as old as the 3GS. I am rather impressed by the camera (that’s a HUGE dealbreaker for me, possibly THE reason for buying the Xperia arc) and the slick design. I will take any and all disadvantages (don’t you just hate those screeching fanboys of either side who can only talk about how outdated iOS is or how poor you are to buy an Android etc etc) for granted and here’s the most important part for me: if it works for you and it makes you feel comfortable, then you’ve made the right choice. End of story. Sorry for the rant, got a bit carried away I guess.
I’ve had various iPhones, unlocked and jailbroken, and after using an entry level Android device I prefer it. When offered an iPhone over the entry level Android device for free, I tried it, but couldn’t switch. You can just do so much to customize Android. Making folders, changing folder/file location, and deleting files from the disk like a computer is something simple that Android can do and is impossible on iPhone without special apps after jailbreaking, and it is still too complicated.
The android as far as i am concerned is the blue screen of death. I love my apple products and used to love my andorid before i got an iphone, truth be told i hate them both for different reasons. Im hoping with iphone 5 i can corrects the mistakes of before with Andorid pigglets skype not working for instance in the early part of 2011. But the there is MICROSOFT windows 8 with Nokia 920. Im holding out for that bad boy!!
Hi I have just upgraded (and I use that deliberately) from an iPhone 4S to the Samsung Galaxy Note and, at last, I am FREEEEEEE I can even download a film from the web straight onto my android and watch it straight away. No connecting to my Mac or PC (I have both) No signing in every app download. I LOVE the back button which allows me to ‘escape’ from most things!
IPhone is very special and i appreciate that ( I still Have the iPad) but Android has cut the chains !!! 🙂
Oh, and there are more free apps ;o)
Neither, the best choice is Windows phone hands down. It has the simplicity and estability of ios while being much pretier and it has some of the customizability of android. The perfect middle ground