Froyo vs iOS 4 at eWeek: Are pundits this clueless?

[zerocool84]

That article correctly shows how the majority of iPhone users think. That person who wrote the article obviously hasn't used any phone other than iPhone.

How in the hell did Mac computers get into this discussion in the first place???

 

[zerocool84]

3. Isn't the Apple App store close to 300,000 apps now? That's besides the point, what I'm getting at is that Android apps aren't even close to rivaling the quality of iOS apps. Android fans like to bring up fart apps, but the fact is that Android apps is a fastfood burger, while iOS apps is a filet mignon.

Of course they're better but at least with Android, if you don't like an app you buy you're not stuck with it. One of the biggest advantages to Android App Store is that you can get your money back within 24hrs, no needing to request anything, no questions asked, nothing. Buy an app on Apple App Store and you're stuck with it unless you beg and plead when you "report a problem" and you're not guaranteed to get a refund at all for any reason. Also there isn't lite versions for all apps on the Apple App store either. Just like with everything, there's huge pluses and minuses to both camps.

 

[metalmania]

eWeek is a bunch of Apple fan boys.

 

[cheezy321]

Just to prove you are a phandroid:

This article is about android 2.2 vs. iOS4. Thats what the FUCKING HEADLINE SAYS. Yet you continue to bring up past iterations of iOS and future iterations of android. THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT FROYO VS iOS4!! You try to push talking points in that have NOTHING to do with what the article is talking about. Nothing about the past versions, nothing about the future versions. Current android vs. current iOS. Its as simple as that, and the article explains as much.

 

[McWatt]

Just to prove you are a phandroid:

This article is about android 2.2 vs. iOS4. Thats what the FUCKING HEADLINE SAYS. Yet you continue to bring up past iterations of iOS and future iterations of android. THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT FROYO VS iOS4!! You try to push talking points in that have NOTHING to do with what the article is talking about. Nothing about the past versions, nothing about the future versions. Current android vs. current iOS. Its as simple as that, and the article explains as much.

Ah, that explains the article's claim that the iPhone has multitasking and Android does not.

 

[MrX8503]

Of course they're better but at least with Android, if you don't like an app you buy you're not stuck with it. One of the biggest advantages to Android App Store is that you can get your money back within 24hrs, no needing to request anything, no questions asked, nothing. Buy an app on Apple App Store and you're stuck with it unless you beg and plead when you "report a problem" and you're not guaranteed to get a refund at all for any reason. Also there isn't lite versions for all apps on the Apple App store either. Just like with everything, there's huge pluses and minuses to both camps.

That is true. In my experience I haven't been affected by the "no return" policy, but it would be nice to be able to return something. When I had my Android device though, I was more bothered by quality rather than being able to return something.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I agree with most of your points, except these:




1. Does Android have folders? If I remember correctly it doesnt. I remember using a folders app, but it sucked bad. Aside from folders, iOS handles app management better on the home screen. On Android, if the screen is full, you have to move an app before you can put anything there. On iOS, its smart enough to do all of this in one step.

2. Without GPU acceleration (iOS/WP7 uses this), Android will never be as fast or responsive. Android phones would need a dual core SOC to match the same performance you can get from a GPU.

3. Isn't the Apple App store close to 300,000 apps now? That's besides the point, what I'm getting at is that Android apps aren't even close to rivaling the quality of iOS apps. Android fans like to bring up fart apps, but the fact is that Android apps is a fastfood burger, while iOS apps is a filet mignon.

4. True. Aside from music though, iTunes is a one stop shop for syncing. Photos, notes, books, contacts, apps, calendar. If you have iPhoto, syncing/management of photos is phenomenal. Geotagging, face tagging, albums, events, all of this syncs to your iPhone.

1. Yup, it has folders and they work perfectly fine. Also in the spp drawer apps move around just like you descibe for iOS. Since iOS doesn't even have a real home screen that behavior should be equivalent.

2. Fair enough.

3. Does the Apple app store have Google voice complete w\ widgets? How about Quake 3?

 

[vshah]

eweek is such a shit site. they spew these lists out of their ass

i bet they employ tools like don reisinger to drive page traffic.

 

[shortylickens]

I get lots of different opinions and then judge for myself. This is with phones, hardware, cars, everything.

BUT, I will say Anand is by far the most objective reviewer I've ever seen. Even if he's not always the most thorough. (Though often times he is).

 

[vshah]

I get lots of different opinions and then judge for myself. This is with phones, hardware, cars, everything.

BUT, I will say Anand is by far the most objective reviewer I've ever seen. Even if he's not always the most thorough. (Though often times he is).

i find he sometimes doesn't cover things that one could easily find in other reviews, but he and the other reviewers do always pay attention to the issues that make a device interesting. and no one does better battery life tests.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

1) Bull fucking shit about multitasking. Android still does NOT have true multitasking. WinMo, WebOS and Symbian have had it forever. But honestly you don't need full blown multitasking to get stuff done. Sometimes Multitasking on Android feels worse simply because a push notification system hasn't been built in yet. People love Android because it offers a bit of multitasking yet Google dictates WHEN your apps can close and WHEN you can have simultaneous apps running. Similar to Apple anyone? Seriously, if anything, Symbian and WinMo were the true multitasking OSes from YEARS ago.

2) Android runs like crap on slow hardware but even "antiquated OMAP 3430" like the D1 doesn't run well. You have to install a separate home launcher, overclock your D1, and possibly use kernel tweaks before it runs smoothly. A choppy homescreen is ridiculous. Sometimes bringing up the dialer is painfully slow too. Engadget noted this in the N1 review where some menial tasks somehow take forever on Android. Yeah. 1ghz even struggles to run Android as smoothly as say a 600mhz for the iPhone 3GS... Software optimization anyone?

3) About Android's 100,000 apps, the stupid Facebook app still opens a browser window for half the crap. I think this is baloney. If you look at when Apple launched its App store, the first MONTH already featured high quality apps. Many of Android's 2 year old apps still suck balls or look like ass. Give me a better unit converter like ConvertBot or something. And it took long enough for Angry Birds to come to Android... and people rejoiced like they finally found out about mobile gaming or something.

 

[Bateluer]

Just to prove you are a phandroid:

This article is about android 2.2 vs. iOS4. Thats what the FUCKING HEADLINE SAYS. Yet you continue to bring up past iterations of iOS and future iterations of android. THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT FROYO VS iOS4!! You try to push talking points in that have NOTHING to do with what the article is talking about. Nothing about the past versions, nothing about the future versions. Current android vs. current iOS. Its as simple as that, and the article explains as much.

I only brought up past and future versions when they were applicable. Such as Android having folders and multi tasking in its initial release, whereas iOS just got those with 4.0. The article implies that Android does not have those features and that iOS has always had them.

Tablets? Froyo works just fine on tablets, not as smoothly as it does on a phone, but it works just fine. Wouldn't call the Chinese tablets as 'Joe Smith' ready, but Samsung's Galaxy Tab is, by all accounts, a decent product. The Archos tablets look decent as well. The Gingerbread code is nearly its final state and will be released before too much longer, and negate completely several points in the article.

 

[MrX8503]

1. Yup, it has folders and they work perfectly fine. Also in the spp drawer apps move around just like you descibe for iOS. Since iOS doesn't even have a real home screen that behavior should be equivalent.

2. Fair enough.

3. Does the Apple app store have Google voice complete w\ widgets? How about Quake 3?

On the home screen Android has folders? Also on the home screen you can move apps around even though the screen is full? Unless I'm missing something, this wasn't my experience. You have to have a 3rd party app for folders and you have to make room on the homescreen before you can add an app in its place.

Google Voice, widgets, and Quake 3? Uh...what does this have to do with App quality? If you pick out 10 apps that are on both devices, the iOS version will always be faster, prettier, more features, and prompt updates.

And it took long enough for Angry Birds to come to Android... and people rejoiced like they finally found out about mobile gaming or something.

lol, tell me about it. I have Android friends who rejoiced when Angry Birds came out and they acted like it was the second coming. If they only knew what the Apple App store has to offer.

 

[Deeko]

They make some valid points (responsiveness is one) and some pure conjecture/opinion (Google doesn't know software, iTunes > *). However, some of their points are completely absurd.

3. Multitasking

Multitasking on iOS is a key reason why Apple has enjoyed such success in the mobile market. For years, consumers were hoping for true multitasking; for years, the company made no promises. But in iOS 4, multitasking is running on the iPhone. Because of that, Google has a long way to go to match anything Apple is currently offering.

What does this even mean? First off, the iPhone does NOT have full multitasking, Android doesn't either, but it has more of it than iOS, and it has had it since version 1. So what are they talking about regarding Android needing to keep up? Also,how is multitasking a reason Apple has succeeded for years? It was a downfall of the platform, which they assert with their next statement.

4. Folders make it all OK

Apple's iOS platform is better than Android 2.2 for several major reasons. But one of the minor things that consumers should think about is Apple's operating system's folder support. With little effort, consumers can quickly create folders, lump similar programs together, and more. It provides a rewarding experience. And it's a concept that Google has to play catch-up with.

I do believe Android has had folders & shortcuts since Cupcake. No, not in the app drawer, but on the homescreen - a concept iOS completely lacks.

Anyway, I'm not interested in another tired Android vs iOS flamewar, but seriously - those points aren't just biased, they are completely ignorant of the platforms.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

On the home screen Android has folders? Also on the home screen you can move apps around even though the screen is full? Unless I'm missing something, this wasn't my experience. You have to have a 3rd party app for folders and you have to make room on the homescreen before you can add an app in its place.

Google Voice, widgets, and Quake 3? Uh...what does this have to do with App quality? If you pick out 10 apps that are on both devices, the iOS version will always be faster, prettier, more features, and prompt updates.

Yes it has folders on the home screen, at least on Galaxy s phones. You can move apps around in the app drawer/screen aka what iOS calls a home screen while the pages are full. I haven't actually tried doing it on the real home screen in android so i can't comment if it works there or not.

Google Voice and Quake 3 are apps that iOS doesn't have (at least without jailbreaking). Google Voice in particular is a necessity for me and I would never consider any smart phone without a proper implementation of it.

 

[basslover1]

On the home screen Android has folders? Also on the home screen you can move apps around even though the screen is full? Unless I'm missing something, this wasn't my experience. You have to have a 3rd party app for folders and you have to make room on the homescreen before you can add an app in its place.

Yes, you can have folders on the home screen, this has been around IIRC since the G1 was released.

I do find the full home screen to be a PITA some times but I have my home screens set up in such a way that they have everything I commonly use easily accessible, which means the full home screen "feature" doesn't really bother me much.

 

[Bateluer]

Anyway, I'm not interested in another tired Android vs iOS flamewar, but seriously - those points aren't just biased, they are completely ignorant of the platforms.

That was the point I was trying to make.

 

[zerocool84]

Just to prove you are a phandroid:

This article is about android 2.2 vs. iOS4. Thats what the FUCKING HEADLINE SAYS. Yet you continue to bring up past iterations of iOS and future iterations of android. THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT FROYO VS iOS4!! You try to push talking points in that have NOTHING to do with what the article is talking about. Nothing about the past versions, nothing about the future versions. Current android vs. current iOS. Its as simple as that, and the article explains as much.

You didn't read the article or get the article. One example is the multitasking he talked about.

Also you're just as bad as the "phandroid" people you make fun of. Don't hate o your own type of people.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Yeah, the flamewars are pretty pointless.

I use Android phones because of factors other than the OS. I'd be happy with an iDevice if it met my needs. Larger screen, cheaper contract, good coverage, etc... Bring on the 4+" iPhone from Verizon & Sprint

 

[Raduque]

If you pick out 10 apps that are on both devices, the iOS version will always be faster, prettier, more features, and prompt updates.

Let's see the iPhone do anything CLOSE to "Beautiful Widgets".

Or MixZing widget

Or "BattStatt"

Or hell, anything that's a widget.

 

[MrX8503]

Let's see the iPhone do anything CLOSE to "Beautiful Widgets".

Or MixZing widget

Or "BattStatt"

Or hell, anything that's a widget.

The argument was about app quality, and none of that stuff changes the fact that iOS apps are much better. I've traversed the Android Market and the App Store, its like night and day. There are high quality apps being born in the App Store literally every day.

 

[kaerflog]

Its not even close when comparing the apps store to the market.
Anyone that have used both can't dispute this.
Every since I started using the IP4, I can find paid apps that have been discounted to free every single day.
You pretty much don't have to pay for apps for all.

 

[Bateluer]

There are high quality apps being born in the App Store literally every day.

Same with Android.

I will agree that the Market UI itself needs some polish and better filtering/sorting options. Perhaps when Gingerbread arrives.

 

[MrX8503]

Same with Android.

I will agree that the Market UI itself needs some polish and better filtering/sorting options. Perhaps when Gingerbread arrives.

No it isn't. The entire Android Market and its ecosystem is mediocre. It has the apps you need and its functional, but its quality is still something left to be desired.

iOS
http://appshopper.com/bestsellers/paid

Android
http://www.appbrain.com/apps/popular/

 

[Monster_Munch]

2. Without GPU acceleration (iOS/WP7 uses this), Android will never be as fast or responsive. Android phones would need a dual core SOC to match the same performance you can get from a GPU.

That is true for UI scrolling and games, but Froyo is fast enough to beat the ipad in browser benchmarks