iPhone user to Android User, my thoughts after a week

[mosco]

As some of you might have seen, I dropped my iphone in a lake last week. Since then I have have used 2 Android phones. I started with a SE Arc that I borrowed, and then moved onto a Captivate.

A little background: I have used an iPhone since the 3G model. Then got a 3Gs and then an iPhone 4. Right before the original iPhone came out, I was working at a startup that was doing music services for telcos. I had access to a lot of phones from different telcos all over the world. When the iPhone came out, we started to realize that things were never going to be the same.

I left that company to do ~3 years of java enterprise work. I have spent the last year working on mobile development(web first, and now iPhone, android to follow) for the same company. I think I have a pretty high standard toward mobile apps and experience.

Having said that, I haven't had a great experience with either phone over the last week. I figured that it would grow on me, but so far it hasn't. In fact, I feel like I am barely using my phone, because nothing seems as seemless as the iPhone.

Regarding the captivate. The hardware is fine, I don't really have any complaints. Wouldn't be my first choice if I had an unlimited budget, but it's Ok. It came with Android 2.1 installed. Pretty awful honestly. I updated to 2.2 and it was still pretty awful. Since then I have tried 2 Roms and settled on a 2.3.5 leak from samsung for this phone, with all the ATT bloat removed and some other tweaks. I might try some more roms, but to be honest, alot of roms I am finding on XDA just make the phone look cheesy. Not to say there aren't better looks ones, but what are people thinking?

TW3 isn't very good, and I found a hack where I can install TW4 so I hope that's better.

What I can't get over is how unrefined and clunky everything is. From the menu system to the launcher settings, nothing about android seems to be thought out. Not to mention how poor TW3 and whatever launcher sony uses seem to fit.

And it's even just android that doesn't seem refined, but the apps too. Common apps like facebook, too. Apps just don't have polish.

That isn't to say there aren't things about android I like, like custom keyboards (thank for this, the default samsung keyboard with its T9x perdictive type is bad), being able to turn wifi, etc off from the notification bar(although I had this on my jailbroken iphone), better good maps, I can change the default browser (although I could do this on my jailbroken phone, but its cool that you can switch this stuff out).

Hopefully someone can help me out in terms of making the experience better. I am looking for a free solution to:

SMS - using chompSms, which looks just like the iphone sms, but with ads. anything without ads?

Music/Podcast - Have yet to find an app that handles podcasts and music as well as the iphone music app. I am using BeyondPod to get my podcasts. It's kind of clunky, but it does the job. It would be great if I could combine this with a good music player.


I will continue adding questions/thoughts as I continue to use more ROMs and apps.

 

[alent1234]

Dumping my inspire and going back to the icult this month myself.

 

[Oyeve]

First dump those 2 phones. Second, you are kinda coming off as an apple snob so g/l getting help.

 

[mosco]

Dumping my inspire and going back to the icult this month myself.

One of the upsides about android is its customizability, which also seems to be one of its downsides.

The iphone didn't have every feature, but the features it did have were generally well thought out and the interface is generally clean and consistant. I have been customizing this captivate pretty much non stop since I got it, and I am still not happy with it. Maybe I just haven't hit the right rom yet.

 

[mosco]

First dump those 2 phones. Second, you are kinda coming off as an apple snob so g/l getting help.

My choices aren't great since I am on ATT 3G and didn't want to want to break the bank on something like the Atrix(although I am not sure it would have been better). I think a 4 inch screen is about as big as I want, which is actually my favorite feature of the Captivate. So that rules out stuff like the Infuse 4g (or inspire, I can't remember).

I wouldn't call myself an apple snob. Things I own:

i3-2100/Gigabyte ITX/Win 7 media center that uses a HDHome Run Prime cable card tuner
i2500k/Asus p67 mobo/8gig ram/120gig m4 SSD/Win7
MSI e350 mini-itx nas/6TB of storage/Win7/Flexraid
Macbook Air
HP Touchpad
Boxee Box

So I have more PCs and other devices than apple products. I am sorry if caring about a user experience makes me a snob.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

Everything I've read makes me think Android is like early PCs, where most things are kinda janky and require a high level of tolerance and technical skill, and that it has very little use beyond toys. I would never recommend an android phone to any of my friends, or even my wife, since I'd be worried about getting blamed if (when..) it doesn't work right. I've been waiting from Android 2.2 to see how they improve things before I spend money on it for myself. I like tinkering with tech every now and then so I'm not tempted to get an iPhone either (my ipod touch has convinced me of that), but I don't think "general consumers" should use an android phone.

edit: Just FYI: I do not mean that you are a general consumer, you're much more tech savvy then me, but you clearly want something to work more smoothly. As do I which is why I haven't jumped on Android yet

 

[Oyeve]

Well, the captivate is a slow phone to begin with. I own the Vibrant (tmos version of the GS) and it is dog slow. I blame it on the file system and the 200+ crazy apps I have on it. My only other android experiences have been on the original droid which was ok 2 years ago, the behold 2 which I wouldnt give my worse enemy, the asus transformer which is awesome and fast, my droid x which is almost as slow as my vibrant and is way too heavy for normal use. I played with the gx2 and loved it but hated the screen. I really dont know what att has except for their initial galaxy phones. Android still has a way to go imo, but it will get there soon.

 

[Anubis]

asghdfghsh

try either GoSMS or Handcent SMS neither have adds IIRC. seeing as you have rooted to do roms you can simply install Ad Free Android which is a hosts filed edit that blocks 99% of the ads.

free apps come with adds, the plethora of free apps is an :thumbsup: over apple IMO

powerAmp for music - podcasts i cant help you never got into them
Opera mobile is my fave browser, IMO better then dolphin but dolphin is also very nice

try ADW/ADWEX, Launcher Pro, Go Launcher for a launcher replacement all are great, better then stock/TW very customizable

as for your comments about versions being crap. what exactly do you mean by this? what about 2.1 and 2.1 did you find aweful that you find less aweful abot 2.3.x? and as for the menu system ive always felt it was fine, felt like a computer to me /shrug


the apps lacking polish thing comes up a lot andf FB is always mentioned. now i have never used the FB ap on an iphone but there is nothing i find lacking of unpolished about the android ap - someone has yet to explain to me what aps being less poloshed means other then being less shiny with square corners instead of rounded ones

 

[zerocool84]

In all honesty, pretty much every Android phone made before 2011 isn't that great. This year is when Android phones finally came out with enough RAM and 2.3 which made things even better. Even the Galaxy S phones weren't that good. I went from a first gen Android phone which was horrible to a Nexus S and it's such a huge difference. Even the Galaxy S phones feel slow compared to the Nexus S. I can totally understand why many people who had iPhones and tried an older Android phone would not like it because they're not that great.

 

[chin311]

def switch to GOsms, ive used that for a while and its good, Handcent is another one.

 

[gorcorps]

You're comparing your experience with a top of the line iphone to an old (and cheap as you said) Android phone. I jumped from the iphone 4 to the Atrix a couple months back, and yes there's things I miss but I consider them nearly on par.

Apple has a very good out of box experience, but many Android devices require some tweaking or customization to get to that level. Apple keeps things free and clear of junk on any provider, Android devices get ruined by carrier added crap. Apple goes through all apps with a fine tooth comb (comparitively) and charges $100 a year to even be an app store developer, Android allows all comers and lets the review system dictate what's quality (mostly).

There's bound to be differences and it's all a matter of what you want. If you don't mind some tweaking, and actually have a GOOD phone, Android can be very slick and work well. If you don't want to mess with much then just stick with the iPhone. Regardless of browser the web experience on Android isn't as good as on iOS, but it's close enough that I've gotten used to it and no longer have any issues.

Anyway, there's nothing wrong with liking iphones over Android. Just make sure you compare modern devices before you make up your mind because right now it's not very equal.

 

[swanysto]

It is pretty clear you should go back to the iPhone.

"I am sorry if caring about a user experience makes me a snob. "

The android user experience is what you make it, and clearly you are not capable of making it what you want. Saying that nothing is thought out in android is stupid cause you can do whatever you want with android. Go back to apple where they tell you what the user experience should be.

A few tips:

1. If you don't like touchwiz(like most everyone else out there) there are a dozen other free launchers out there you can download and use that look better and are more customizable.

2. ROMS are other people's customization of how they like the phone. Most are to be used as a basis for what you want to do, not an end all be all.

 

[Brian Stirling]

I think limiting to 4 inches or less is gonna hurt your options with Android as most of the newer high end Android phones are 4.3 inches or larger.

Go check out a Gallaxy S II and see if that's a viable option. Back when the EVO came out there was a lot of complaining about such a big phone (4.3 inches), but before long many of those complaining loudest had bought one...


Brian

 

[mosco]

It is pretty clear you should go back to the iPhone.

"I am sorry if caring about a user experience makes me a snob. "

The android user experience is what you make it, and clearly you are not capable of making it what you want. Saying that nothing is thought out in android is stupid cause you can do whatever you want with android. Go back to apple where they tell you what the user experience should be.

A few tips:

1. If you don't like touchwiz(like most everyone else out there) there are a dozen other free launchers out there you can download and use that look better and are more customizable.

2. ROMS are other people's customization of how they like the phone. Most are to be used as a basis for what you want to do, not an end all be all.

Not sure I understand the argument against my "android isn't thought out" statement. Just because android is "open" and "customizable" doesn't give google and phone manufactures the right to produce a lackluster UX.

I am sorry that you don't think I am capable of customizing my phone, because I am pretty sure most users wouldn't understand updating to GB bootloaders, overriding rom signature checking in 2.2, and all the other annoyances of hacking a captivate. But I have been doing it anyway and admitted that maybe its just because I haven't found the right rom.

But you brought up a good point inadvertently that a lot of people probably aren't going to go through the hassle nor will they know how to. You shouldn't have to do all this work to have a quality product.

A common android theme seems to be declaration that being "open" and "customizable" makes it a better product which I don't think is a truth.

Anyway, for those of of you that offered suggestions, I will try them and thank you for not being so insecure in your phone choice that you couldn't offer suggestions.

 

[mosco]

I think limiting to 4 inches or less is gonna hurt your options with Android as most of the newer high end Android phones are 4.3 inches or larger.

Go check out a Gallaxy S II and see if that's a viable option. Back when the EVO came out there was a lot of complaining about such a big phone (4.3 inches), but before long many of those complaining loudest had bought one...

Brian

I am not elegible for an upgrade yet, so my options are for a used phone.

I am pretty firm on the 4 inch screen. As I said, thats the best feature of the captivate compared to the iphone 4. I love the extra screen size.

 

[etrigan420]

Not sure I understand the argument against my "android isn't thought out" statement. Just because android is "open" and "customizable" doesn't give google and phone manufactures the right to produce a lackluster UX.

I am sorry that you don't think I am capable of customizing my phone, because I am pretty sure most users wouldn't understand updating to GB bootloaders, overriding rom signature checking in 2.2, and all the other annoyances of hacking a captivate. But I have been doing it anyway and admitted that maybe its just because I haven't found the right rom.

But you brought up a good point inadvertently that a lot of people probably aren't going to go through the hassle nor will they know how to. You shouldn't have to do all this work to have a quality product.

A common android theme seems to be declaration that being "open" and "customizable" makes it a better product which I don't think is a truth.

Anyway, for those of of you that offered suggestions, I will try them and thank you for not being so insecure in your phone choice that you couldn't offer suggestions.

Why don't you just go back to the iPhone? I mean seriously? You were happy with it...you're *not* happy with Android offerings. The answer seems painfully simple.

I don't understand the conundrum. :\

 

[mosco]

You're comparing your experience with a top of the line iphone to an old (and cheap as you said) Android phone. I jumped from the iphone 4 to the Atrix a couple months back, and yes there's things I miss but I consider them nearly on par.

Apple has a very good out of box experience, but many Android devices require some tweaking or customization to get to that level. Apple keeps things free and clear of junk on any provider, Android devices get ruined by carrier added crap. Apple goes through all apps with a fine tooth comb (comparitively) and charges $100 a year to even be an app store developer, Android allows all comers and lets the review system dictate what's quality (mostly).

There's bound to be differences and it's all a matter of what you want. If you don't mind some tweaking, and actually have a GOOD phone, Android can be very slick and work well. If you don't want to mess with much then just stick with the iPhone. Regardless of browser the web experience on Android isn't as good as on iOS, but it's close enough that I've gotten used to it and no longer have any issues.

Anyway, there's nothing wrong with liking iphones over Android. Just make sure you compare modern devices before you make up your mind because right now it's not very equal.

The iphone 4 came out June 24, 2010 and the Captivate was released on July 18, 2010 according to wikipedia. I don't think it's too unfair to compare them.

To be honest, the "speed" of the phone isn't even really one of my complaints.

 

[mosco]

Why don't you just go back to the iPhone? I mean seriously? You were happy with it...you're *not* happy with Android offerings. The answer seems painfully simple.

I don't understand the conundrum. :\

Well, I dropped my iphone in a lake, and a used iphone 4 is a lot more expensive than a used captivate.

I figured I would try out android and then when I become eligible to upgrade in November I could either go back to the iphone (via iphone 4S/5) or get a better android phone.

 

[pm]

Mosco has raised several points based on his experience of using both operating systems - since most of us haven't used both OS's extensively, this is a useful discussion. Labelling him as a snob is a mild personal insult and doesn't contribute to the discussion. Please keep the discussion respectful.

Thank you,
Moderator PM

 

[Oyeve]

Mosco has raised several points based on his experience of using both operating systems - since most of us haven't used both OS's extensively, this is a useful discussion. Labelling him as a snob is a mild personal insult and doesn't contribute to the discussion. Please keep the discussion respectful.

Thank you,
Moderator PM

I agree. My "Second, you are kinda coming off as an apple snob so g/l getting help." Statement should have read more like other readers may see him come off as a snob from the initial post. I was trying to tell him this to avoid yet another ios vs. android vs. my RAZR V3i will smoke all thread. 🙂

Anyhoot...

 

[Munky]

I hear all this talk of "polish" but no concrete examples to back it up.

 

[swanysto]

Not sure I understand the argument against my "android isn't thought out" statement. Just because android is "open" and "customizable" doesn't give google and phone manufactures the right to produce a lackluster UX.

I am sorry that you don't think I am capable of customizing my phone, because I am pretty sure most users wouldn't understand updating to GB bootloaders, overriding rom signature checking in 2.2, and all the other annoyances of hacking a captivate. But I have been doing it anyway and admitted that maybe its just because I haven't found the right rom.

But you brought up a good point inadvertently that a lot of people probably aren't going to go through the hassle nor will they know how to. You shouldn't have to do all this work to have a quality product.

A common android theme seems to be declaration that being "open" and "customizable" makes it a better product which I don't think is a truth.

Anyway, for those of of you that offered suggestions, I will try them and thank you for not being so insecure in your phone choice that you couldn't offer suggestions.

You are right, that is why the phone is not for you. Apparently it is too hard, so you shouldn't have to go through all that trouble to use it. I am not insecure either, it is just abundantly clear that your mind was made up way before you bought the android phones. So go back to it and enjoy. Your critiques make no sense cause you obviously want the iphone experience on an android, and you aren't going to get it.

 

[JS80]

My choices aren't great since I am on ATT 3G and didn't want to want to break the bank on something like the Atrix(although I am not sure it would have been better). I think a 4 inch screen is about as big as I want, which is actually my favorite feature of the Captivate. So that rules out stuff like the Infuse 4g (or inspire, I can't remember).

I wouldn't call myself an apple snob. Things I own:

i3-2100/Gigabyte ITX/Win 7 media center that uses a HDHome Run Prime cable card tuner
i2500k/Asus p67 mobo/8gig ram/120gig m4 SSD/Win7
MSI e350 mini-itx nas/6TB of storage/Win7/Flexraid
Macbook Air
HP Touchpad
Boxee Box

So I have more PCs and other devices than apple products. I am sorry if caring about a user experience makes me a snob.

Owning 1 Apple device = nevermind

 

[mosco]

I hear all this talk of "polish" but no concrete examples to back it up.

If I can pull an ipod touch away from another developer at work, I will try to take some screenshots of how some apple apps compare to android apps along with preferences and such. No promises though, not sure I can get access to one(simulator doesn't have most standard apps, just the browser).

 

[poofyhairguy]

Everything I've read makes me think Android is like early PCs, where most things are kinda janky and require a high level of tolerance and technical skill, and that it has very little use beyond toys.

I feel it is more like desktop Linux. Very powerful, very customizable, very flexible, but it lacks the polish you get spoiled to in Windows or OSX and your mom might have problems using it.

As a iPhone to Android switcher as of yesterday, I am loving it. But I have had the iPhone since the first one, so I am tired of polish and gloss!