So I have tried Android and iOS now.

[RampantAndroid]

Android side is a mish-mash of different apps, some third party and some carrier-specific, and none as slick as iOS's integration.

Plus, unless you get a Nexus, on Android you may wait for months for an OS update, and that's assuming you get an update at all.

For VVM, I've got the PF VVM app and find it easily meets all my needs. It doesn't look as polished, but functions as well as the iphone's implementation, IMO.

As for updates, AOSP. I'm on 4.2 and have been for weeks now.

 

[Eug]

Err... I betcha if you said AOSP to average Android users, 98% wouldn't know what that is.

Hell, in Canada, they might even ask you if you're talking about the oil sands in Alberta.

 

[z1ggy]

anyway, tl;dr: In my opinion, Android beats the CRAP out of iOS.

From a lot of articles I have read, this seems to be true for 4.2.1 vs iOS 6.x but who knows what 5.0 will bring because I feel like iOS 7 has to have something in store, otherwise I think a lot more people like myself might start switching to android.

Does anybody know if Siri will ever become something that is done completely onboard? The way I understand it now, Nuance owns all the servers and every time Siri is pinged, the server processes the command and then sends instruction back to the phone? I don't get why this has to be done as it seems like apple could just do their own voice processing stuff all in house, and put it all on board. Then maybe siri wouldn't fail so often. I feel though Nuance would not take kindly to this and do some suing for patent infringement or something...

 

[s44]

anyway, tl;dr: In my opinion, Android beats the CRAP out of iOS.

Yeah, I basically agree, though I think it's a curve based on usage.

Single app-for-app, you could argue that iOS is somewhat more polished or choice-rich. But Android wins the more you can/do go zero-app (widgets) or multi-app (multi-tasking or -- especially -- linking apps together). WP, of course, optimizes for zero-app and trails both market leaders heavily with either single- or multi-app use.

 

[Eug]

My point about slickness wasn't really about the amount you can do. It's more about the ease of use for n00bs, and consistency.

Android is fine for me, but it just seems more inconsistent and unnecessarily complicated at times.

 

[RampantAndroid]

From a lot of articles I have read, this seems to be true for 4.2.1 vs iOS 6.x but who knows what 5.0 will bring because I feel like iOS 7 has to have something in store, otherwise I think a lot more people like myself might start switching to android.

Does anybody know if Siri will ever become something that is done completely onboard? The way I understand it now, Nuance owns all the servers and every time Siri is pinged, the server processes the command and then sends instruction back to the phone? I don't get why this has to be done as it seems like apple could just do their own voice processing stuff all in house, and put it all on board. Then maybe siri wouldn't fail so often. I feel though Nuance would not take kindly to this and do some suing for patent infringement or something...

The touchwiz voice search thing uses the same tech as Siri too. And google voice search just hits google servers....no one is willing to put all that voice to text recognition software on a phone...and I can't blame them. It takes a lot of processing power and a lot of space too.

Yeah, I basically agree, though I think it's a curve based on usage.

Single app-for-app, you could argue that iOS is somewhat more polished or choice-rich. But Android wins the more you can/do go zero-app (widgets) or multi-app (multi-tasking or -- especially -- linking apps together). WP, of course, optimizes for zero-app and trails both market leaders heavily with either single- or multi-app use.

Oh, agreed. I'd NEVER give someone who wants a simple phone android. I'd give android to people who have grown up with PCs and are willing to deal with some amount of complexity. Android is basically the old Windows Mobile...just less crappy. One day Google MIGHT just learn to say to all the OEMs and carriers "you get stock android UI, and that's all there is to it. No more custom UI will be allowed" ala WP7 and 8.

My point about slickness wasn't really about the amount you can do. It's more about the ease of use for n00bs, and consistency.

Android is fine for me, but it just seems more inconsistent and unnecessarily complicated at times.

I know what you meant, and agreed with you in my post Android does feel less polished as a whole, at times.

 

[Eug]

The touchwiz voice search thing uses the same tech as Siri too. And google voice search just hits google servers....no one is willing to put all that voice to text recognition software on a phone...and I can't blame them. It takes a lot of processing power and a lot of space too.

Well, the whole point of having this from Google's and Apple's points of view is there is data to be mined.

From a technical standpoint, this also allows constant database updates. Your query today would make my query answers tomorrow even better.

BTW, voice recognition via dedicated apps already works on a phone.

One day Google MIGHT just learn to say to all the OEMs and carriers "you get stock android UI, and that's all there is to it. No more custom UI will be allowed" ala WP7 and 8.

If they do that, companies like Samsung could and would just fork it. They've already hired the Cyanomod guy.

 

[Red Storm]

Well, the whole point of having this from Google's and Apple's points of view is there is data to be mined.

From a technical standpoint, this also allows constant database updates. Your query today would make my query answers tomorrow even better.

BTW, voice recognition via dedicated apps already works on a phone.




If they do that, companies like Samsung could and would just fork it. They've already hired the Cyanomod guy.

Forking would mean losing the Google Play Store. I'd really like to see Samsung try that after years of having it and their customers using it.

 

[Eug]

Forking would mean losing the Google Play Store. I'd really like to see Samsung try that after years of having it and their customers using it.

True, but if they wanted to play hardball, they could partner with Amazon. Amazon's app store is nowhere near as good as Google's, but then again it does exist, and Samsung does have enough clout to actually pull something like this off (with difficulty). Also, Amazon multimedia content on the store is better.

 

[Red Storm]

True, but if they wanted to play hardball, they could partner with Amazon. Amazon's app store is nowhere near as good as Google's, but then again it does exist, and Samsung does have enough clout to actually pull something like this off (with difficulty). Also, Amazon multimedia content on the store is better.

How exactly? Are you referring to Instant Video? It's not that big of a selection, and does not make up for all the downsides of the Amazon app store.