Should I get an IPhone or Droid?

What do you like about each phone?

What do dislike about each phone?

What are you looking for in a phone that makes you unsure?

New iPhone next week (12th). I would hold off and see what it offers.

iPhone

It depends on what you expect from a phone.

Personally, I am an Android guy for a multitude of reasons.

1) Multitasking; something iOS cannot really do They claim otherwise, but they lie. Not really an issue for most people, but a big one for me.

2) I hate “walled gardens”. Apple controls the entire iPhone ecosphere; hardware, software, apps, etcetera. It also prevents you from installing third-party apps (unless you jailbreak it) and their market has a nasty habit of disallowing apps they don’t like for arbitrary reasons.. or sometimes no reason at all.
Android is a little more lenient in their market, and allows third-party installations for those apps that are not allowed there. Not only does that come in handy for porn, it also allows you to install things that totally alter the way the phone operates.

3) The iOS UI is immutable; the Android UI is fully customizable.

4) Expandable storage.

5) Removable battery.

6) Hardware choices. Which iPhone models have slideout keyboards? Some peopel like those, some don’t, but the only option you get for iPhones is storage capacity.

7) Bad experiences with other iOS products. Mayeb it was bad luck, maybe I asked too much of it, but iOS crashed on my more in a day than Android does in a month.

I’m not saying Apple puts out a bad product, but they are putting out one that does not suit my needs nor tastes nearly as well as Android. I expect different things from my equipment than many people do from theirs, so it’s possible that your tastes differ in ways that make iPhones a better choice for you.

@johnpowell Entirely so. Even if the new iPhone is a bust, the older ones will drop in price enough to make it worth waiting.

@jerv Some of the newer Androids offer neither expanded storage nor removable batteries.

@Aethelflaed Yes, but none of the iPhones offer those things. See #6 above.

@jerv That is true. Perhaps I’m just overly bitter about the current lineup of Androids.

Well if you like iTunes and iPod the iPhone might be the way to go. If you’re into experimenting with your own apps the Android might be the best way to go as the Android Market is more experimental in the sense that it allows just about any app to pass. With that being said, in my honest opinion it’s really a 50/50 toss up. Believe me when I say there are a ton of “boutique” style app makers that are Apple purest, they love the “modernness” of Apple and it’s commitment to simplicity. And then there are those who are experimental.

My buddy who is a computer science engineer is all about Android because of it’s free range capability (seemingly).

I’m an artist but I love Apple for the exact opposite reason, because it’s not free range and it’s just minimal in my opinion.

Which exact phone are you comparing to iPhone?

How much do you depend upon your phone?

You can get all the advantages of Android customizability on other devices such as tablets and MP3 players.

For me personally, since I don’t have a landline or any other source of phone service, I don’t want to risk the vagaries of the Android OS or the various versions of it adapted by each manufacturer. Or the hardware problems with said manufacturer Not for my phone anyway.

If my tablet (Android) is non-functional for one or another reason (either software or hardware) it’s inconvenient but not life altering.

If there’s any kind of glitch with my iPhone, COMPETENT help is no farther away than a Free helpline (or an Apple store).

Most of the staff at the major phone carriers are next to useless because they are SALES people (NOT SERVICE people-a critical difference). If you’re having problems with your Android phone, don’t expect the problem to be resolved by them unless it specifically involves THEIR network.

Apple service is second to none. That’s a FACT (check out Consumer Reports).

And the legendary scare tactic of how overpriced Apple products are doesn’t apply in the phone market.

With each 2 yr contract signed with most carriers, a smartphone will cost around $200; doesn’t matter if it’s Android or Apple. Pretty much the same price because the carriers subsidize the cost so much (or else few of us could afford smartphones at all).

So, I’m getting a whole lot more for that $200 with an iPhone because if it’s out of commission, Apple is there to get it back in service. I’ve lost track of how many times my problems got solved by simply dialing 1–800-MY IPHONE.

Sadly, I can’t say the same for my Android tablet (and presumably phone). If I had not bought my tablet at Best Buy, I would be SOL with my tablet now because there’s a problem with either the charging port (or the charger or cord).

I called them and the only recourse is to bring it in so they can ship it off for service (2–3 weeks).

Can you imagine what my life would be like if it were an Android phone instead of a tablet? I shudder to think about it.

The last few times Ive had a problem with my iPhone charging, all it took was a phone call and they overnighted me a new part. THAT’S what I call service.

So, even tho there are aspects of Android which I definitely enjoy, I will always opt for the iPhone when it’s time to upgrade.

So, you need to ask yourself how important your cell phone is. For me, it’s the one and ONLY phone line I have, so the answer is obvious for me. I will always stick with Apple (and dabble with Android on an alternate device which is not so critical to my life.)

Your mileage may vary.

@Buttonstc That is why I avoided Apple. Like you, my cell is my only phone. I needed something reliable. Something that I could carry in a machine shop and not break. Given what happened to my iPod Touch, I already know how at least that generation of Apple products held up… so I went Motorola. Motorola phones generally range from “durable” to “Fucking indestructible, beeyotch!!” whereas Apple is relatively delicate by comparison. Come to think of it, so are LG and HTC; not all Androids are created equal.

Though my Droid X won’t survive being run over by a Ford F-350 like the old Motorola my buddy had, my phone has survived indignities such as a six-foot faceplant onto concrete. The new iPhones finally have some degree of impact protection so they won’t shatter when they hit the ground like my phone has, but it took them a long time to get it, and I’m not yet convinced that it’s tough enough. Not an issue if you are a less rough-and-tumble sort, but it may be a concern for some. Also, warranties and support are only worthwhile if stuff breaks. Yes, their customer service is far and away the best in the industry, but as someone who has only ever had to deal with customer service a couple of times in a few decades, I don’t see that as being as big a draw as others might.

BTW, what the hell are you doing to your charging ports? Your tablet and your phone both? In all my years, I have never busted a charging port. Try not unplugging your stuff by yanking the cord sideways and you won’t have that problem :p

Ha ha ha. At my age, I’m actually intelligent and experienced enough not to go yanking on ANY cords for ANYTHING, sideways or otherwise :)

I always grasp them at their point of origin, either in the device or in the wall socket.

The guy at BB is theorizing that it’s the port rather than the cord but really has no way to know. But since they don’t carry replacement cords and chargers in the stores, there’s no practical way to test it. So if he writes it up as the port, it justifies the service request (or something like that)

On my iPhone it was always the cord NOT the port at all. That 30 pin connector gizmo is built so solidly, I can’t imagine anyone with the hulk-like strength to eff that up :)
The weakness is at the point where the cord itself intersects the horizontal thick plastic piece which supports the pin connector. It inevitably works it’s way out of the little round piece holding it and with enough turning around just from everyday use, exposes the wires which then fray and short out etc. etc.

(We won’t mention the time that my new kitty mangled it trying to determine if it might make a handy snack. The teeth punctures were rather plainly visible but I didn’t say anything and neither did they :)

Since I paid for the extra year of protection, I figured it was covered. I like a company that isn’t overly petty about such things :)

And for all I know, just the cord COULD be the case with the Acer but since they don’t have any replacement cords or chargers…...the entire thing needs to be shipped in. It’s pretty ridiculous. God forbid I should ever lose the charger or something !

Regarding durability, that’s why certain aftermarket companies excel in this regard (Otterbox etc.).but I understand your concerns on that regard.

Fortunately, most regular cases do fine for me. And I’m actually pretty delicate in handling my tech devices. I can proudly say that my aging iPhone 3G is still in pristine condition. Not a scratch or a scuff on it. If it weren’t obviously this many years old, it could easily be assumed as brand new.

@Buttonstc You are correct that your mileage may vary.

There is a reason I am glad that my tablet and most non-Apple phones use a standard micro-USB for charging and data. Hell, I charge my phone at work with a standard, no-name USB—> micro-USB cord plugged into a USB port on the side of a CNC Lathe.
My tablet can charge that way too, though it’s slower; the stock cord has a slightly longer plug with 12 pins instead of 5 that allow it to charge about four times faster. Still, even the Nook Color doesn’t require a special cord. Standards are great; maybe Apple should adhere to them someday!

I am generally delicate too. Why do you thing certain things never come with me to work?

Unfortunately my tablet won’t charge from USB. I found that out from the tech guy at BB and on the Acer Tab Forums. I have no idea why they even put the mini USB port in at all.

@Buttonstc Lets take this elsewhere ;)

I was driving home on the freeway today and had to decline a phone call and was thinking to myself, “Boy, if I had Siri I could totally call this guy back hands free!” (Ok maybe I would have to unlock my phone and tap siri app or something but you catch my drift?)

I think I Phone will be the best option .

I’m not going to go down the list of pros and cons associated with iOS vs. Android because many people above already have.

Here’s my opinion, however:

1. Android is so many years ahead of iOS in functionality and usability, it’s almost laughable that iOS still exists. Almost (see #2).

2. The state of Android phones is such sh*t that it’s nearly impossible for the average person to purchase an Android phone that isn’t garbage.

Why are Android phones such a mess right now?
– Non-vanilla Android. Hardware manufacturers have decided that stock Android (hands down the best mobile operating system) is not good enough, so they slap their own “skins” on it (Sense, Motoblur, etc) in an attempt to differentiate themselves or some horsesh*t. The result is that most Android phones are running less-functional, really awful versions of Android.
– Because of the above, if you buy a phone today, you will be unable to get the latest version of Android because the manufacturers need to spend months building their crapskins into the latest OS. Sometimes this takes 6 months, and sometimes they abandon brand new phones and say there will be no upgrade. This is really a big deal.
– Every piece of hardware has a major “gotcha” or deal-breaker. Seriously. Samsung can’t seem to make radios that are able to offer reasonable signal strength. I can’t own a Samsung (have purchased and returned multiple times) because of this problem. Motorola has a good record on building great radios with strong signals, but they’ll put shit screens on Droid Razr Maxx and expect us not to laugh at them. Even back in the day, they would build a halfway decent phone (Droid X) and put hardware buttons on it, which is just unforgivable. Samsung has had success with the Galaxy S III lately. Besides the signal issues, they put a damn hardware home button. If I wanted a stupid iPhone, I would buy one. This is also a complete deal breaker.

What do I want in an Android phone?
– vanilla/stock Android
– large, high-resolution screen
– large, removable battery
– sd card slot
– no hardware buttons
– strong radio for a decent signal

We’ve seen all of the above in various Android phones, but we have yet to see them all in a single phone. I am beyond frustrated by this situation, although I know that the alternative is to go back to iOS, which is simply a Fisher Price version of a mobile operating system.

So, should you get an iPhone or Android phone? Neither right now. Wait.

I’ve had both iphone and droid, I currently have a Droid and I love it.

Let me boil this down really simple for you…. It’s basically a choice between Apple and Google

If you have other apple computers, you use apple stuff online and on your computer, such as iTunes, etc. Then you should consider the iphone.

However, if you use a PC, you have a gmail account, and use Google and google products, you’ll have a much better time with a Droid.

This sounds simple, but I promise it’s probably the most significant difference between these phones. They are all awesome, the technology is superb and they can do damn near everything but wash your dishes. So just choose based on your peripheral usage of other computing platforms.

Having owned both iPhone and Droid, I can say that really the only thing I like better about the droid is that it’s more of a PC/Google platform than Mac/Apple.

(EDIT): Sorry, I know I said I “owned” the iphone, but that is incorrect – no one really owns any Apple product, per their ToS. My bad ;-)

@_Whitetigress Droids also have voice commands. While not as sophisticated as Siri (yet), they are more than adequate for hands-free dialing and dictating a text message.

@tom_g That’s what CyanogenMod is for.

@gambitking I have occasionally used my phone to remotely control my computer, and I have dabbled running Ubuntu inside a virtual machine. While both can be as simple as you like, iPhones can be nothing but simple, which reduces their utility greatly.

@jerv: ”@tom_g That’s what CyanogenMod is for.”

I know. But you have to admit that it’s pretty sad that it takes serious tech skills, a voided warranty, and a potential brick just to put the stock version of Android on a phone. Stock Android is always better than the screwed up versions the manufacturers are putting on these phones. So, we have a great OS that is being destroyed by hardware manufacturers, despite the fact that it’s costing them money to do so, and costing consumers. So, CyanogenMod is nice and all, but even I don’t want to fight with this stuff anymore. I nearly bricked an Android phone doing this awhile ago, and I am far more technically savvy then the average shopper.

@_Whitetigress – I’ve been using Android’s voice actions since 2009. I place calls and send myself email reminders during my commute every day (“Note to self. Take out the trash tonight.”). Siri, like all iOS features, are late to the party.

@tom_g I totally agree with you. I love the Android Market, owned by Google now called Google Play. What I don’t love is my phone that is Android powered. I have the Optimus V by LG. It was smooth in the beginning then got really glitchy later on. During texts it sometimes sends when I press H or D or anything really. It’s hard to keep track. It’s overall not a good phone. I play with my wifes iPhone. Man it’s just sturdier, functions on command, overall just seems more real. I’ve also touched my buddies latest Galaxy phone which is pretty prime time stuff. I need to live by the saying more, “You get what you pay for.”

@Whitetigress Agreed. One thing Apple has going for them is that, when you go iPhone, you know what you are going to get, The software is always the same, the hardware is always the same, and you don’t have to worry about it changing…. even if you _want it changed.
With Android, you have to consider the maker. There are only three companies I would consider getting a phone from; Motorola, Samsung, and Nokia. And Nokia went Windows instead of Android, so I would only get a dumbphone from them. As for your LG, HTC, and other also-rans, I have some suggestions what you can do with them…