Longtime iPhone user goes Android for 4 months. Result? Back to iPhone

[Ns1]

if there's no real iPhone 5 and all we get is a weak ass iPhone4s I'll go with the SGS2

 

[Doboji]

He's got little choice, AT&T doesn't really have a good android lineup for 850/1900. That's why some of us elect to go with international devices - canada, europe, than stick with what's available in the USA. It pays good experience in the long run to do a little homework. There is only one choice to pick when shooting for an iphone, it makes choices plain simpleton.

I know what OP means about a smooth UI, it's one important factor to my use of phones.

So far I've never found a stock android device, barring the newest releases, that granted 'smoothness' as iOS. That's until I rooted them with roms and kernels. Result = smoothness, extended battery life, customization achieved . I usually stayed with AOSP (android open source project) and cyanogenmod, it's as vanilla/barebones as you can get.

But stock for stock, yeah, iOS is probably for the no-hassles free, or technically challenged type of people. I'd recommend android to people who are devs, programmers and pc-hobby types, but all else really fall along the lines of apple.

A major culprit of your battery drain is coming very likely from HTC sense.

What about the Samsung Infuse? Was the screen just too big maybe? I'm on AT&T also.. but I have the SGSII.

The definite downside of Android is that you're not guaranteed a great phone... you can easily be undermined by poor hardware or poor software add-ons. IMHO the best Android phones beat the iPhone easily... but the lesser Android phones don't.

-Max

 

[gaidensensei]

I've been watching this thread and trying to decide if I want to step in as moderator and what I should say. I thought about locking the thread, because I initially agreed with Bateluer's comment that this thread wasn't destined for good things. But the idea that we can't objectively discuss issues with Android (or iOS) is counter to the point of this forum.

Part of it is that there will always be some folks looking to toss in a few lines and opinions on how they feel one os is worse or better. On xda, people compare x vs y roms. With apple, people compare jailbreak vs non jailbroken all the time for which is better, saving money on free/cracked, on android rooting is an accepted thing because its for advanced users, they don't need root to install apks off the market.

As long as myths are corrected for the readers, I'm cool with a good non-trolling discussion.

 

[zerocool84]

My 59yr old mom uses Android just fine. Given my Android phone to a 4yr old and they used it just fine. It's not complex at all. You can even make it easier than other smartphones since you can have all the widgets making things easy access on the screens. Also as we know, the top selling Android phones are the expensive ones. Plus in every part of the world except here you've been able to get an iPhone on multiple carriers as well. In the end you get what suits you more. It's no big deal.

 

[gaidensensei]

What about the Samsung Infuse? Was the screen just too big maybe? I'm on AT&T also.. but I have the SGSII.

The definite downside of Android is that you're not guaranteed a great phone... you can easily be undermined by poor hardware or poor software add-ons. IMHO the best Android phones beat the iPhone easily... but the lesser Android phones don't.

-Max

Never tried the infuse myself, but if I had another pick on att I'd rather go with the SG2 or atrix. Agreed with the point above, I see the iphone as a 'standard', there are definitely a lot of subpar androids, and there are those that can topple it easily.

 

[wheresmybacon]

I'm puzzled... I have an HTC Inspire "4G" phone for work, and it has great battery life. It's better than my Droid X, and on par with my old iPhone 3G.

Are you sure that you didn't get a bad app that was killing your battery? You can tell what's eating it up from the battery control panel.

I had great battery life too for about 3 weeks. It was still stock when the battery shit the bed.

 

[wheresmybacon]

What about the Samsung Infuse? Was the screen just too big maybe? I'm on AT&T also.. but I have the SGSII.

The definite downside of Android is that you're not guaranteed a great phone... you can easily be undermined by poor hardware or poor software add-ons. IMHO the best Android phones beat the iPhone easily... but the lesser Android phones don't.

-Max

This may be true. Maybe there are Androids I'd like better than iPhone. The problem is I don't have the time or energy to find out which one that may be.

I know that I've tried both platforms now, and from what I've seen of Android I prefer iPhone.

 

[zinfamous]

This may be true. Maybe there are Androids I'd like better than iPhone. The problem is I don't have the time or energy to find out which one that may be.

I know that I've tried both platforms now, and from what I've seen of Android I prefer iPhone.

isn't the iPhone battery life on Verizon ~1hr longer than the ATT iPhone?

so, next to this being a bad single-handset comparison, you also have network power efficiency to consider.

or something like that.

Here's my take:

Generally, I greatly dislike Apple. I think they make fine products, don't get me wrong, but I very much dislike the company and Steve Jobs (he is a complete asshole IRL), so I find it very hard to support them.

I had wanted an Android since the day they came out, but after fiddling with several over the first couple of generations, they just didn't do it for me. As for the iPhone, I think it's an amazing device. To me, it perfectly fits what Apple does in general--target a very specific market, and make a device to fit that niche perfectly. Honestly, it doesn't matter if it's underpowered and outclassed in certain areas, if it works perfectly well for its intent, then it's a perfect device. More than any of their devices, I think iPhone does this the best.

I came very close to wanting an iPhone, simply because there were no other offerings that worked as well. I honestly don't know why the fans want to claim crazy things (Swallow the marketing, maybe?) that it is the most powerful device, is completely secure, blah blah, when it obviously is not. None of that really matters, actually, because it is designed to do what it does, very well.

BUT, I think the discussion is over, for now--anyway, after the SGS2. This thing kills iPhone, dead. I would be quite surprised if iPhone 5 is released with an A5, or whatever it is, as it would buck the company's trend of releasing "woefully underpowered" devices while claiming the opposite--but again, that "woefully underpowered" doesn't matter for iPhone, and Apple in general. I guess it is the maturity and design of the OS because it simply doesn't need to be heavily powered to do what it does, very well.

And I think, perhaps, the main reason that the SGS2 works so well, and is the perfect Android match to iPhone, is because of Touchwiz 4.0. Funny, b/c it is almost anathema to the Android world to accept any kind of 2nd party system on top of stock Android--it defeats the purpose of the system, in a way. The first thing the community wants to do, is root it, and fix it the way they want to.
I found myself going through those motions with the SGS2--Oh man, I want the sense 3.0 Gui and animations and midgets etc. after getting used to touchwiz for a few days, then trying to work another Rom on top of that, I kept going back to Touchwiz. It's simple, elegant and flat out works out of the box. Pretty much what Apple always touts about their products. It is, indeed, very "iPhoney."

the reviews from the tech sites and Android geeks a light have been pointing to the surprising value of the new Touchwiz, but most people have been pointing to the fluid motion, absence of lag and such. But I think what it really boils down to, in the end, is that out of the box, SGS2 is the most complete Android phone that even an iPhone user would love--and easily forget they are on Android.

 

[Ksyder]

For example, if I think the iphone's screen is too small (for me), it doesn't mean that it's too small for everybody. And repeating that opinion over and over would do nothing but annoy folks.

I just switched from a Droid X to an iPhone 4 and the screen issue at first was a deterrent from switching from the Droid X. I've outlined my reasons why I switched in the other long thread we had lately about the difference between iOS and Android. But just wanted to point out that the screen size issue is not a big deal like I thought it would be due to the higher resolution display on the iPhone 4 despite the smaller screen size.

iPhone 4 is 960 x 640 at 3.5"
Droid X is 854 x 480 at 4.3"

 

[alent1234]

isn't the iPhone battery life on Verizon ~1hr longer than the ATT iPhone?

so, next to this being a bad single-handset comparison, you also have network power efficiency to consider.

or something like that.

Here's my take:

Generally, I greatly dislike Apple. I think they make fine products, don't get me wrong, but I very much dislike the company and Steve Jobs (he is a complete asshole IRL), so I find it very hard to support them.

I had wanted an Android since the day they came out, but after fiddling with several over the first couple of generations, they just didn't do it for me. As for the iPhone, I think it's an amazing device. To me, it perfectly fits what Apple does in general--target a very specific market, and make a device to fit that niche perfectly. Honestly, it doesn't matter if it's underpowered and outclassed in certain areas, if it works perfectly well for its intent, then it's a perfect device. More than any of their devices, I think iPhone does this the best.

I came very close to wanting an iPhone, simply because there were no other offerings that worked as well. I honestly don't know why the fans want to claim crazy things (Swallow the marketing, maybe?) that it is the most powerful device, is completely secure, blah blah, when it obviously is not. None of that really matters, actually, because it is designed to do what it does, very well.

BUT, I think the discussion is over, for now--anyway, after the SGS2. This thing kills iPhone, dead. I would be quite surprised if iPhone 5 is released with an A5, or whatever it is, as it would buck the company's trend of releasing "woefully underpowered" devices while claiming the opposite--but again, that "woefully underpowered" doesn't matter for iPhone, and Apple in general. I guess it is the maturity and design of the OS because it simply doesn't need to be heavily powered to do what it does, very well.

And I think, perhaps, the main reason that the SGS2 works so well, and is the perfect Android match to iPhone, is because of Touchwiz 4.0. Funny, b/c it is almost anathema to the Android world to accept any kind of 2nd party system on top of stock Android--it defeats the purpose of the system, in a way. The first thing the community wants to do, is root it, and fix it the way they want to.
I found myself going through those motions with the SGS2--Oh man, I want the sense 3.0 Gui and animations and midgets etc. after getting used to touchwiz for a few days, then trying to work another Rom on top of that, I kept going back to Touchwiz. It's simple, elegant and flat out works out of the box. Pretty much what Apple always touts about their products. It is, indeed, very "iPhoney."

the reviews from the tech sites and Android geeks a light have been pointing to the surprising value of the new Touchwiz, but most people have been pointing to the fluid motion, absence of lag and such. But I think what it really boils down to, in the end, is that out of the box, SGS2 is the most complete Android phone that even an iPhone user would love--and easily forget they are on Android.

except for the bigger screen how is it going to kill the iphone? dual core A5 and probably 1GB of RAM if last year is any indication. new iphone will have the A5.

iphone has never been underpowered. the 3GS was one of the few phones with a GPU when it was released and apple used it for encryption to make exchange email more secure on iOS

and what is it with android and ad hoc wireless networks. my ipad connect fine so i can sync my spotify at work

 

[Fire&Blood]

First of all, comparing the best Android vs iphone, I don't think it's entirely fair to compare the SGS2 to the iphone 4, even more so knowing the i5 is around the corner. SGS2 was meant to compete against the iphone 5, it was on the drawing board when iphone 4 came out.

The screen size is a matter of personal preference. While some may hope for a bigger screen, there are users who don't want a bigger iphone 5 so it's a moot point.

I expect i5 to ship with the A5 as well.

The whole iOS vs. Android debate is full of moot points, becoming a moot point itself. With both platforms pretty equal in terms of maturity and ecosystem, it's becoming a apple vs. oranges, Lamborghini vs. Ferrari argument.

 

[snikt]

and what is it with android and ad hoc wireless networks. my ipad connect fine so i can sync my spotify at work

What's with iOS and Cloud synchronization, notification center, and OTA updates. Why do iphone users need to connect their phone to another device to get updates?

 

[Ns1]

What's with iOS and Cloud synchronization, notification center, and OTA updates. Why do iphone users need to connect their phone to another device to get updates?

in 2 months we won't :biggrin:

 

[zinfamous]

except for the bigger screen how is it going to kill the iphone? dual core A5 and probably 1GB of RAM if last year is any indication. new iphone will have the A5.

iphone has never been underpowered. the 3GS was one of the few phones with a GPU when it was released and apple used it for encryption to make exchange email more secure on iOS

and what is it with android and ad hoc wireless networks. my ipad connect fine so i can sync my spotify at work

I don't think it will kill the iPhone--that simply can't happen. I simply think it is the best match so far, on an Android platform, for a single device to be market-competitive to the iPhone.

Android has been selling better than iPhone for nearly a year now, but I think that is a silly argument--many, many devices competing against one. You can argue platform vs platform, but again---with so many Android devices at wide ranges of performances, you end up comparing the entire stable of BMW to a single Porshe 911, or something like that.

I'm simply saying that with SGS2 and then the Prime, and Bionic, perhaps--I suppose I'm forgetting a few--one is already a single, direct competitor to iPhone (likely iPhone 5), with the others potentially being that as well.

Is the bolded actually confirmed, or is it an assumption? History with Apple indicates that they won't use today's tech, and will instead provide several arguments for "why it isn't needed," and why you deserve to pay more for that privilege. :\

 

[snikt]

in 2 months we won't :biggrin:

Don't get me wrong. If the next iphone is released with the hardware specs I prefer, i.e. a larger screen, I just might get one. Pair it with my SGS2.

 

[Aikouka]

Is the bolded actually confirmed, or is it an assumption? History with Apple indicates that they won't use today's tech, and will instead provide several arguments for "why it isn't needed," and why you deserve to pay more for that privilege. :\

Where in Apple's past smartphone history have they shown that they consistently use under-performing parts? There are only two situations that I can think of... the PowerVR SGX535 being in the A4 and the iPhone 3G being nothing more than an iPhone with a 3G modem. The 535 wouldn't have been much of an issue if the "Retina display" didn't have 4x the pixels. Although, even with that... the games look just as good as they do on their Android counterparts.

I would say that Apple's decisions are probably based partly on money/supplier reasoning. If they determined that the 535 was "good enough", and they already used it in the 3GS, they would save a bundle by simply increasing their existing order versus going for the newer SGX540. Do note though... Android phones only just started featuring the SGX540. So can you really blame Apple for not putting it in their device nearly 15 months ago?

The reason people believe the A5 will be in the iPhone is because the iPhone 4 was released with the A4 and then Apple used it in the iPad 1. Wouldn't it be logical for Apple to simply order more and use the A5 in the next iPhone?

Personally, I'd like to get a 64GB iPhone. My phone only has 4GB of space left.

EDIT:

To add to the whole "today's tech" thing. The A5 was released in the iPad 2 this past March, and it's still has the fastest SoC on the market. The only thing that will come out this year and outclass it is the Playstation Vita's SoC, and that's because it uses a quad-core version of the same GPU!

 

[jiffylube1024]

The problem I see with Android is it's still way too complicated for the average user. The customizations along with the different skins make most users confused and get sick of Android.

Agreed. It's ironic because customization is one of Android's greatest strengths, but doing more sophisticated things on your phone is not as easy as on the iPhone, and the OS doesn't seem to provide as much guidance as iOS.

I consider myself a "power user", yet when I got my Samsung Galaxy S Captivate, it took me a solid night to figure out the ins and outs of the system - how to access the settings, working with widgets, custom skins, etc. Part of the "problem" with Android coming from iOS is that everything on iOS is touch based, whereas with Android you need to use the buttons - primarily menu and back. I feel this is actually a strength for Android when you get the hang of it - because physical buttons don't take up and space on screen, but it takes getting used to coming from iOS.

With all that said, I got a Galaxy S for both my wife and I, and she is loving her phone. She doesn't customize her phone as much as I do, but she's quickly reached a level of proficiency in the OS that she's comfortable with, and she can do at least as much as she can in iOS now - add and remove apps (and widgets), change the wallpaper, etc.

The notification bar at the top of Android is fantastic and I notice that Apple has basically taken that concept and stuck it in iOS 5.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Androids increasing marketshare is because of cost of device and the number of handsets sold, at least in the US or markets with subsidized handsets.

... Ya think! Also, Android does not have an advantage in subsidized handsets - just about everyone who gets a new smartphone gets it subsidized from one phone carrier or another. There's not many people shelling out $600 for an iPhone or a Galaxy S II (though more for the latter due to the lag time coming to the US).

 

[poofyhairguy]

To add to the whole "today's tech" thing. The A5 was released in the iPad 2 this past March, and it's still has the fastest SoC on the market.

It has the fastest GPU. Its CPU is actually below the current dual-core average (Tegra) in tests I have seen.

 

[jiffylube1024]

...
My reasons for going back to iPhone from Android:

First of all, OP I think your post was fantastic and I tip my cap to you for trying out Android. I did the same thing going from an iPhone 3GS to a Samsung Galaxy S (the first one). It's all personal preference and you gave both major phone OSes their fair shake.

Phone Freezing: About once a week I have to power down my phone due to it freezing. It usually freezes when I’m playing one of several games or listening to online radio, but it can freeze at any time. Half the time a cold power down will fix this problem, other times I have to remove the battery.

That sucks. For me on my Galaxy S, my phone only freezes occasionally when playing Plants vs. Zombies. I do get the occasional 2-5 second "stutter" which is crazy annoying considering on my 400 MHz processor iPhone 3GS the OS itself was buttery smooth.

My problems with my Android phone are as follows: occasional freezing in PvZ; and Bluetooth dialing app doesn't work properly on my Captivate Galaxy S with Rogers (Canada) official firmware 2.2 Froyo [my previous Captivate with Cyanogen Mod 7 and rooted to 2.3.5 worked fine with Bluetooth dialing]. On my iPhone, needless to say, Bluetooth dialing always worked perfectly.

I definitely prefer several things from iOS:

I like the iPhone's implementation of its music player a lot better than any music players I've encountered on Android, and I've tried a few - Double Twist, etc.

I still think typing on the iPhone is still just a bit smoother/easier than Android, even with the Gingerbread keyboard or Swiftkey X (which I currently use, and like).

Device Size: I knew what I was getting in to when I bought the Inspire; it’s no secret it’s huge. The problem is I have a new job where I’m physically moving around quite a bit, so the physical size is now indeed a problem.

^This is where we differ. For me, the primary reason I switched from my iPhone 3GS (aside from some apps/games loading slowly due to the dated hardware) was the small 3.5" screen with a horrible resolution. Browsing the internet and reading text on the iPhone 3GS was a chore; the iPhone 4 completely solves the clarity problem with the Retina display, but not the size problem. I love the 4" display on my Galaxy S and I am planning on upgrading to a 4.3" or 4.5" Samsung Galaxy S II. I find browsing the phone and reading to be much more pleasurable on a bigger screen, and I don't mind a bit more phone size at all - they're so slim that it's not like they're bulky phones!

 

[jiffylube1024]

To add to the whole "today's tech" thing. The A5 was released in the iPad 2 this past March, and it's still has the fastest SoC on the market.

... And it's still not in a phone! While Android phones have had 4"+ screens for a year and a half, and dual cores for a year, Apple is still stuck at 3.5" and single core. Granted, dual core is not as much of an issue for iOS as it is for Android, which seems to stutter more.

Apple's 2x 1GHz ARM Corex A9 processors have been met and exceeded by other phones over the last 6 months. Some of the new Galaxy S II variants are rumored to have 2x 1.5 GHz CPU's in there!

As for the A5 being super powerful, it is. However, from what I've read the PowerVR SGX 543MP2 from the iPad 2 won't be used in the next iPhone; the single core version (PowerVR SGX 543 I believe) will be used due to heat and battery life.

 

[Ns1]

... And it's still not in a phone! While Android phones have had 4"+ screens for a year and a half, and dual cores for a year, Apple is still stuck at 3.5" and single core.

apple hasn't released a new phone in over a year?

I guess we'll all know what's up in 2 weeks.

 

[alent1234]

I don't think it will kill the iPhone--that simply can't happen. I simply think it is the best match so far, on an Android platform, for a single device to be market-competitive to the iPhone.

Android has been selling better than iPhone for nearly a year now, but I think that is a silly argument--many, many devices competing against one. You can argue platform vs platform, but again---with so many Android devices at wide ranges of performances, you end up comparing the entire stable of BMW to a single Porshe 911, or something like that.

I'm simply saying that with SGS2 and then the Prime, and Bionic, perhaps--I suppose I'm forgetting a few--one is already a single, direct competitor to iPhone (likely iPhone 5), with the others potentially being that as well.

Is the bolded actually confirmed, or is it an assumption? History with Apple indicates that they won't use today's tech, and will instead provide several arguments for "why it isn't needed," and why you deserve to pay more for that privilege. :\

every time i think about buying the SGS2 i think about samsung's crappy history of updates and the rumors of them using Bada going forward.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Most of those problems are with HTC not Android. There are plenty of other Android phones that wouldn't have any of those isues. The Nexus S in particular is smaller and has better battery life than the Inspire. The Atrix also is smaller, more powerful, and has better battery life wile being significantly more powerful.

The Nexus S doesn't ahve spectacular battery life either. I woke up yesterday, went to the gym, ran 30 minutes, was back by 830am. I showered and left my phone home. I didn't really use my phone except to check in on Foursquare at the gym, so I'd say it had at least 90% battery life.

I came back at 11pm after leaving my phone home ALL DAY, and it was down to 32%. Not impressive. Now imagine actually USING it all day. Heh. Thank goodness I charge on the go.

What about the Samsung Infuse? Was the screen just too big maybe? I'm on AT&T also.. but I have the SGSII.

The definite downside of Android is that you're not guaranteed a great phone... you can easily be undermined by poor hardware or poor software add-ons. IMHO the best Android phones beat the iPhone easily... but the lesser Android phones don't.

-Max

But the infuse isn't smooth is what the OP is talking about. I've seen and used an Infuse that my friend has. Bottom line is unless you customize Android, it's not going to be smooth. My Nexus S seems to smoke the stock Atrix and a lot of other devices because I've tweaked it and all. I just wish Google optimized its launcher and all.

 

[runawayprisoner]

It has the fastest GPU. Its CPU is actually below the current dual-core average (Tegra) in tests I have seen.

Funny you should put it that way.

It's actually the other way around from what I have seen, but please feel free to point out where Tegra is faster than Apple's A5.