What smartphone should I choose?

Android is clearly gaining the most market share amongst smartphones. The Nexus is no longer being sold. Also it probably will depend some on what carrier you are using.

Hi.
The only one who needs to decide what to buy here is you :)
I hope the service I found pretty useful could help you. Try this link. When entering the page you’ll get a Not sure what to get? popup, follow that!

My opinion:
A) the iPhone 4 (but watch out, I’m an Appleboy :D) or
B) Nexus 1 because… I don’t know, I’d just like to have it alongside the iPhone. But you cannot buy a new one anymore.

But as I said, the decision is yours.

Thank you very much

my vote is for iPhone 4. Hands down. ATT service may suck for some but the iPhone is IT.

Anybody notice how many phones came out looking and acting like the iPhone to one degree or another?

Clearly heads and shoulders above the rest (ATT notwithstanding).

I’m fond of my MyTouch. I like the open source operating system and the possibilities it has. I think Android is the way to go.

Avoid Window Phone 7 until t’s mature, and avoid the current Windows Mobile phones period. There are a number of reasons why the Android-based phones beat iPhones in the marketplace and are widening the margin.

One of the biggest is that you can actually develop apps for it. (Some claim that Apple’s tyrannical control makes for inherently superior apps; many on the other side are smart enough to exercise common sense rather than download everything that catches their eye. The open market is Darwinist in nature, so inferior apps are weeded out by natural selection anyways. The only way Apple can win that argument is to make people fearful like Bush did to get support for invading Iraq; misinformation and capitalizing on ignorance.

Another is track record. Most Android phones are relatively mature whereas Apple seems to have hardware issues left and right, especially with the first couple of revisions. Of course, many of the iPhone’s issues actually stem from it being an AT&T exclusive right now, so maybe it’ll be better when they go to Verizon.

@Buttonstc Notice how many computers these days have a mouse and icons? It’s almost like they are copying someone… Xerox! If copying ideas makes for a bad product then Apple is also inferior. Bad logic. The iPhone does have some good attributes, but you are making stuff up.

As for what phone I would go for, I still have my eye on the Droid X.

If you want an Android phone get the Samsung Galaxy S. I’ve heard many many good things about it. It’s fast, got a great battery and has a bright screen. If you prefer Android the Galaxy is a good choice.

I’ve also had nothing but a pleasant experience with my iPhone. It all depends on you though. The iPhone works great too and you’ll find better quality apps in the app store. Updating is easy, it’s a great mp3 (many forget about that one), it’s got a great battery and just a great all in one device. When multitasking it’s also very easy to kill apps unlike many other phones today and because it’s not really “full” multitasking it wont affect your phone’s performance or battery life.

Samsung Galaxy S review
iPhone 4 review

@Jerv

Let’s face it. Steve Jobs was granted a visit with the engineers at Xerox way back when no one had a vision for personal computers in consumers homes. They were only seen as being for business.

He immediately recognized what their own company failed
to appreciate. The critical function of a mouse for a graphical user interface.

Bill Gates was smart enough to adapt his own OS to a GUI rather than command line and that’s what the long standing lawsuit was about.

You’re right off course that it originated with Zerox but Jobs was the one with the critical insight to recognize fully what that meant.

Gates had been writing code requiring the tedious command line interface. Obviously once Jobs demonstrated a GUI interface, he was also smart enough to recognize it’s value also.

Prior to the iPhone most phones required one to plow through a multi page manual in order to understand how to navigate critical functioning apart from just making calls.

The iPhone operation is so intuitive to figure out I can’t begin to describe HOW much.

To a techno tard like myself and many many others like me that has incalculable value. A techno tard like me doesn’t care about being able to program my own apps or wants to worry about turning their phone into a brick just because some script-kiddy wants to get their rocks off.

Is Apple controlling about their systems? Yes. Absolutely. That has value for a non technical person. Freedom to alter an OS means very little to someone who hasn’t the foggiest notion how to utilize it intelligently. I realize it’s a trade off. And its one I’m willing to make.

Obviously tech smart folks like yourself feel exactly the opposite. And I can perfectly understand that and respect that.

But lets be honest here. The vast majority of smartphone users are far more like me than you.

You enjoy the challenges of technology and you’re proficient at it. You guys enjoy the learning curve regardless of how steep in the same way that I enjoy Sudoku and my friend just finds it tedious.

It doesn’t make non techy people lazy. It’s fruitless to devote enormous amounts of time to something I have no aptitude for.

If smarter people than I (like Apple engineers) can develop an intuitive system which bypasses all that, I say great. And most people just want to buy a phone and be able to use it without taking an engineering course.

I’m not making anything up by stating that Jobs/Apple was the FIRST and best at understanding the needs of the average computer/smartphone user.

I am not making it up by stating that the most phones prior to the iPhone were a nightmare to figure out for anything beyond simple phone calls.

I couldn’t figure out how on earth to do much on my old Samsung C 417 other than phone and contacts. Texting, email, forget it.

Within a few hours of having my iPhone I was emailing with ease. A few days later I was using the GPS to get me home from a strange location. A short time later I went on a 900 mile trip using only the iPhone.

I had backup info from AAA and never needed to use it once. Thats how intuitive the interface that Apple built in truly is.

When I made my remark about Apple being first, I wasn’t making anything up at all. Were there any phones that intuitive to use prior to iPhone? No, there weren’t.

I wasn’t just referring to how the screen looks (even tho most other phones are copying that as well) I was talking about how the interface functions.

Have others (Android) improved upon that. Possibly. But not enough to cause me to want to switch.

Some phones may be narrowing the gap but that gap still exists. And why wouldn’t others copying be expected to improve certain aspects.

The gap exists for the simple reason that Apple is, and always has been, the leader in putting out products designed for the average non techy person.

You have called it dumbing down. And from your perspective, at the top of the technology mountain that’s how you see it.

But for the lowly peons at the foot of the mountain we are just glad that someone decided to make technology accessible for us as well. I’m. Delighted with my dumbed down piece of technology. It works the way it’s supposed to and I don’t need a degree in Computer Science to figure out how to use it.

I’ll gladly leave the Linux tinkering tho those who enjoy it and actually know what they’re doing.

The OP is perfectly free to decide which approach he prefers. My opinion was asked for and I gave it. I didn’t make anything up at all.

Apple iPhones are still head and shoulders above the rest. Perhaps in the future the numbers may change. But right now that’s what is clearly shown. I didn’t have to make it up.

@jerv I’m having a little trouble understanding all this so maybe you can help me. When you say that Apple’s control is inferior to Google’s open market place please elaborate. When I look at both app stores I notice that Apple’s has much more apps that are higher quality. Say what you want but I think this is true. Now I do understand that by saying that more is better isn’t right because by that kind of logic we’d all be using Windows but does it really matter from the end user’s point of view? I mean why is the “open” marketplace really “superior” if I can find much more apps that are better on my “evil” closed one? (that are completely safe too!) Google can just as easily yank apps off of peoples phone even if they’ve already downloaded it to their phone (and why should they have to in the first place?). What difference does it make for me, as the user actually using the phone? Or does it really all just come down to morals? Is closed really that evil?

I find it a bit surprising that Android hasn’t surpassed Apple yet considering it runs on a million phones on four different carriers. There is only one iPhone running one only one carrier. Why hasn’t the market place really caught up? This is what I need help understanding. I still don’t understand why this market place of theirs is really all that “better” from Apple’s. Please help me on that one.

@rawrgrr

I know from previous conversations we’ve had that Jerv is a really super smart tech oriented guy. I am not being sarcastic at all. He really knows his stuff.

If I ever needed any advice on Windows Qs or advice on tech equipment like routers, TVs or whatever, he would be at the top of my list.

But because of the depth of his technical knowledge, he really gets extrememely irked at a company’s interference in him being able to make decisions and choices. He views this as dumbing down and it reeeeaaaalllllly annoys him.

I actually understand his view on this as there’s a good friend of mine who is freaky genuis at any kind of computer or tech stuff.

He actually enjoys figuring out all the ins and outs of complex systems and pieces of machinery. He enjoys tackling it the way people enjoy doing thousand piece jigsaw puzzles. He built my first computer from scratch. He is happy as a pig in slop with this stuff.

For me it’s one giant headache. Plain and simple. It’s painful. He actually had to talk me through swapping out the hard drive. Endles arrays of going through diagnostic routines to figure out that this was the problem took HOURS.

This was followed by more hours of phone calls for putting in the new drive. For me it was torture and physically and emotionally exhausting. He was thrilled as he could now envision me building computers. Ha

Needless to say that didn’t happen. For him this whole thing was just a little glitch and a great exercise in solving a puzzling situation. For me it was torture.

So nowadays he helps me with some of my computer stuff when he’s in town and I help him with editing his reports and letter writing. He has realized the futility of trying to turn me into a version of himself.

I don’t know whether Jerv realizes how completely I understand his viewpoint. Because of the aforementioned friend I really do.

But I’m not sure that Jerv understands the enormous value that I place upon what Apple does in terms of making technology accessible for the rest of us. Many others feel likewise.

To him it’s restrictive. To me it’s freeing because I can do things I never thought possible.

Those of us enjoying Apples products aren’t just dumb sheep being led blindly along. We just don’t find it so horrible to use a system with some limits but far greater safety.

Jerv seems to find those limitations so annoying that he sees red and I think it gives him a bit of a skewed perspective. I suppose maybe I SHOULD be more outraged that I can’t view Flash on my iPhone.

But I’m so happy and busy doing everything it CAN do, I just can’t seem to work up the necessary degree of outrage at the few things it can’t do.

I guess, in the eyes of some, that means I must be really dumb. Somehow I don’t feel that way. :D

@all – Lets not make this about me! I said my thoughts that are relevant to this question, and if you want to argue about the superiority of Apple, we have other, more relevant threads to argue in (like this one), and I have a comment page.

@Buttonstc I definitely agree with you. I’ve had several discussions with him before and I’ve told him the same. With a bit more difficulty since it was hard for me to really express what I felt about the issue (and i’m only 15 at the moment). I like technology too! and I don’t mind learning something new, I enjoy it actually but I couldn’t of put it better than you. I wish that people didn’t just look at things on paper but instead cared about things you couldn’t write down. I understand his point of view and I do respect it and I’ve told him before but it kind of irritated me that he kept referring to people like me as “sheep” or how we just get caught up in the iHype and that didn’t sit well for me but I understood where he was coming from. It may seem crazy to some that we sacrifice something like Flash for something like, well, a better experience which is really what drives me to Apple and I just wish some could see how much I appreciate and respect Apple for what they do. I am an Apple person and will always enjoy the slick easy to use products that Apple continues to make for people like me.

@jerv Haha sorrry

I might change my mind on the iPhone after it goes to Verizon. After all, iPhone users abroad don’t have nearly as many issues as those here in the US. As it stands, I consider the iPhone to be an iPod Touch with a monthly fee.

@rawrgrr Continued in comments…

@jerv

Most of what wrote was indeed very pertinent to a phone users potential experience.

The thread to which you linked is not pertinent to anything I’ve said. I’m certainly not a total unquestioning Apple fan. If an Android phone comes out that will give me a superior user experience, I’ll gladly switch.

But if you don’t want someone to tell you in detail why they prefer a particular Apple product, don’t accuse them of “making things up”. Those were your precise words.

I merely backed up my statements. I didn’t make up a thing. I didn’t need to. Facts and figures speak for themselves.

If you choose a public forum to state that I’m making things up then I will likewise reply in public lest people think that your unchallenged assertion about “making things up” is correct.

FYI if I were a blind Apple sheep, don’t you think I would have jumped in with guns blazin’ in the iPad Q?

I didn’t say a word because you may very well prove correct on that particular product.

I don’t own one (and have no plans to at that price) so I couldn’t speak from experience. If I were totally brainwashed by Apple, do you think that would have stopped me. The other thread you linked has no bearing upon this thread.

I have a great deal of respect for both your knowledge and intelligence. Please have at least enough respect for me to refrain from assuming that I make things up. I don’t have to do that.

@Buttonstc I refute that the iPhone has a more intuitive interface. Granted, it is good, but it sends me to the users guide just as often as any other GUI, and moreso than any menu-driven interface (which tend to be more self explanatory). Its an opinion, and one I do not share.

I do not consider equal to be superior, so I cannot and will not say that Apple has a superior user experience. It still has a learning curve that is just as steep, and doesn’t have a monopoly on things. That said, I don’t find it inferior either, and I rather enjoy my iPod Touch. I do wish mine had an HD (or even an FM) tuner like some of it’s competitors though… I see Android as an alternative on equal footing, and one that has features that I personally prefer.

I also see the fact that you can download software from nearly any source to not be an issue for those who know enough to not take candy from strangers. Ubuntu uses a similar system where only the stuff known to be bug-free and decent quality makes it into the Canonical repository; as long as you only go there for your Ubuntu needs, you won’t ever get crapware. Therefore, what many claim is a strength of Apple’s tyranny is really an illusion unless you are even more cynical about humanity than I am and give them even less credit than I do.

PS – The only thing I claimed that you made up is what I took to be an insinuation that Apple is the source of all that is good about computer interfaces.

@jacobsohn The Nokias I’ve had were tough, reliable and able to pick up a bar or two where other phones get no service, but aside from that, I agree that they aren’t great unless reliability is the only thing that matters to you.
Too bad the infrastructure here in the US sucks compared to practically every other industrialized nation. It seems like we have more issues with our cellphones in general than, say, Europe or Japan.