OK before anyone starts to flame this thread, these are IMO things in Android that could be upgraded to make the average consumer prefer it to the iPhone.
Now I own an EVO and am fully rooted and running a custom ROM and know a lot of people on here are too, I and I assume everyone one else on here already thinks android is better than IOS.
The point of this thread is to point out improvements in the Android OS that will make the average consumer-meaning someone who doesn't know what an .apk is or has heard of XDA developers, or who thinks a task killer is good for your phone. Keep in mind this is a majority of android users. However I will say that android most likely has the largest amount of developers out of any other mobile OS that tweaks/customizes their phone as well.
Now I owned an iPhone 3GS when it first came out, however returned it because of monthly costs with AT&T. I was on a family plan with Sprint and at the time their were no Android phones at all, the only decent touch screen phone was the palm pre.
I really liked the iPhone because of its user friendliness, and the apps.
I have owned the Hero, Moment, and Now the EVO. My cousin needed help JB his iPhone and I am pretty good with that stuff so i did it for him. he has the 3GS, He was gone most of the day and I really got a chance to look at the iPhone and play around with it.
Well Here it goes..
Core apps/interface improvement
Now I know android is supposed to be open and how the user wants it. Their are widgets, apps, live wallpapers, a lot of cool stuff. However scrolling between screens could be a bit smoother, I think we can all say the iPhone may be dull but the physics engine when it comes to scrolling through lists or screens is pretty damn good. I believe that on android would make it a much better user experience.
Another thing is getting rid of all the blackness. The settings menu, text messaging (before eclair) are all black and very dull looking. brighter, more crisp colors makes the phone look alot nicer.
Lastly a battery indicator when charging the Phone. this is one of the things I liked about the iPhone when it was charging, you get a nice clean battery icon to show how much is charged.
keyboard
Now, this kind of still goes along with that boring black look. The Onscreen KB has certainly gotten better with auto correction and learning the way you type, but it doesn't look like something such an advanced phone would release. I know their is the HTC KB, and Droid X KB, but most people don't know about that stuff. I believe a KB that had brighter colors would make it easier to type. One thing IMO the iPhone does better than android is the On screen KB.
Media sync
Now most people on here hate iTunes, but alot of people like having all of their music, videos, and photos in one place. But I believe with clever advertisement and a good optional media application for your PC alot more people will want an android phone. Lets be fair the EVO's screen is huge, but HTC Or Android did not give users a place to download videos in High quality. I think a nice application for your PC that helps users put stuff on their phone would help people who want music on their phone. I know alot of people with iPhones and 99% have it filled up with all their music. I know a few Android users, and I am the only one who actually puts music on their, the rest still use an iPod.
Now before I get flamed for this. I LIKE ANDROID AND PREFER IT TO IOS. however I believe these are fair things that would make Android better. Yes, for developing and flashing ROMS and tweaking their device Android without question is the best IMO. However the OS still needs a little work to satisfy people who just want a functional but "cool" phone.
Agree?
Disagree?
The are a lot of improvements that could and should be made...
None of them I want marketed to the iPhone "lowest common denominator" crowd. When my brother first switched, he complained about every extra menu he had to go in. When I showed him that that extra menu meant endless customizations he said "cool".
We did that enough times that he now says he won't go back.
Lets go through these line by line.
Now I know android is supposed to be open and how the user wants it. Their are widgets, apps, live wallpapers, a lot of cool stuff. However scrolling between screens could be a bit smoother, I think we can all say the iPhone may be dull but the physics engine when it comes to scrolling through lists or screens is pretty damn good. I believe that on android would make it a much better user experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Evo with custom kernel is very smooth, but I have seen some android phones that are a little laggy. What causes it? Multitasking to many programs? Maybe to many running widgets? I will take the ability to do both of those things over "smoothness"
Another thing is getting rid of all the blackness. The settings menu, text messaging (before eclair) are all black and very dull looking. brighter, more crisp colors makes the phone look alot nicer.
Lastly a battery indicator when charging the Phone. this is one of the things I liked about the iPhone when it was charging, you get a nice clean battery icon to show how much is charged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the blackness, if you don't change it... You don't buy android phones to have the color dictated by the manufacturer, you pick, change and choose
Now, this kind of still goes along with that boring black look. The Onscreen KB has certainly gotten better with auto correction and learning the way you type, but it doesn't look like something such an advanced phone would release. I know their is the HTC KB, and Droid X KB, but most people don't know about that stuff. I believe a KB that had brighter colors would make it easier to type. One thing IMO the iPhone does better than android is the On screen KB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, choice. DroidX, Stock, Better keyboard, Swype, etc etc etc. Try them all find one that works for you. Or use speech to text, you get the picture. If you buy a 200 dollar smart phone and you can't figure out that there are a **** ton of keyboards in the marketplace the enjoy your iPhone.
Now most people on here hate iTunes, but alot of people like having all of their music, videos, and photos in one place. But I believe with clever advertisement and a good optional media application for your PC alot more people will want an android phone. Lets be fair the EVO's screen is huge, but HTC Or Android did not give users a place to download videos in High quality. I think a nice application for your PC that helps users put stuff on their phone would help people who want music on their phone. I know alot of people with iPhones and 99% have it filled up with all their music. I know a few Android users, and I am the only one who actually puts music on their, the rest still use an iPod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It allows you to find your own music and movies without needing itunes. What is easier than drag and drop? Why do I need a clunky interface for what essentially is an easy process?
re: music sync
try doubletwist if you want a syncing app. i don't really want or need it, but it works really well for some others.
the android app was free on the market a few days ago, but for a limited time only is what they said. grab it while it is
Man you are missing the point of the whole post.
I know android allows users on here to customize it to their liking, but I meant for the average consumer who doesn't know what ROMS or rooting is, android could use a little bit of touch ups.
I prefer not having to use a program to manage music, but be honest out of all the people you know with android phones or iPhones which group has more users with music on their phone? I would say the iPhone.
Like I said in the post I know alot of people on here don't like having to use a program to control their music but for their average consumer it makes it easier and more people will like it and buy it.
The KB, again the AVERAGE CONSUMER doesn't know that they have more options. IMO the average user would prefer the iPhone KB because of the brighter colors than the black one on stock android. I Know their are many many different ones to customize and pick from, but most people don't know about those.
I am not saying that the iPhone's OS is superior, but it is popular because it is user friendly and looks nice.
Android works well and lets you customize and with that added smoothness or brighter colors to the OS I would say it would make the average consumer want one over the iPhone.
By physics you mean "easing"
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
re sync
Ever tried dropbox... free 2gig.... anything I put in my CPU dropbox folder updates to my phone... ANY F~ing thing
The Evo will never trump the iPhone. Not as long as it's running the second best OS on the market.
Classick206 said:
The Evo will never trump the iPhone. Not as long as it's running the second best OS on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you think it's second best then why did you buy one?
Because I got sick of waiting for the white iPhone to come out.
They don't have an iPhone in a color you want so you get a phone you don't really want? Seriously? Thanks for confirming all the things people saying about iPhone users being incredibly stupid
063_XOBX said:
They don't have an iPhone in a color you want so you get a phone you don't really want? Seriously? Thanks for confirming all the things people saying about iPhone users being incredibly stupid
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for confirming that all Evo owners are incredibly shallow. See what I did there? Over generalizing ftl. To each his own. I swapped to an iPhone after a month, not because I hated my Evo, but because Sprint was bad in my area. If you read iPhone boards, they don't whine and complain about the Evo. I don't know why everyone on this board has a complex about the iPhone.
I can agree with the guy above me, its a phone!
Yes this is an Android forum, but the second an iPhone is mentioned everyone starts talking trash about it, its a phone for god sake.
daveop said:
I don't know why everyone on this board has a complex about the iPhone.
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Click to collapse
everyone ???
daveop said:
Thanks for confirming that all Evo owners are incredibly shallow. See what I did there? Over generalizing ftl. To each his own. I swapped to an iPhone after a month, not because I hated my Evo, but because Sprint was bad in my area. If you read iPhone boards, they don't whine and complain about the Evo. I don't know why everyone on this board has a complex about the iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.) Your call-out makes no sense. The poster was being sarcastic at the other for making a blatantly shallow remark as to why he got the Evo (because there was not a white Iphone available? What the ****? Really?), and you, in turn, called him shallow... that makes absolutely no sense.
2.) As for the rest of your post, I agree... it's more than just fancy specs that make a phone one to buy... in your case, simply HAVING SERVICE was the deal breaker, and rightfully so, lol. I'm the opposite, and AT&T users get absolutely NO service in my apartment buildings, so even if I thought the Iphone was amazing, it'd be a no-go for me.
3.) It doesn't matter what the people post at the Iphone boards. This isn't the Iphone board. Most people here don't visit Iphone boards because **gasp** they don't own an Iphone. With that, you tossing out how "they act" comes off pretty "holier than thou" and has a weird "stealth trolling" vibe to it, because it's irrelevant. At least when you hear most comparisons here, it's about specs and features... you're just grouping the users into categories based on a generalization of how you THINK they think/act, and calling one group better than another. Get that **** out of here.
Anyways, on topic:
It'd be nice if there were more out of the box features that really let android shine over the competition. I completely agree on this. Showing my friends all of the theming, power saving, and doodads is definitely downplayed when they ask about simple features like MMS and I my phone is taking 300 kb files and downgrading them to 17 kb.
I agree with the OP that it would help if the stock OS came dressed up more, just not to the point where you have features you can't change or that the OS becomes bloated. Maybe something like an OS wizard so you can choose how the GUI is set up and it downloads them as needed. With all the different ways to customize it you have to spend a lot of time researching, and you will still always find cool stuff you've missed before.
Also people forget that the iPhone is basically the Gold standard for smart phones right now, wether or not it really is a superior phone. Most everyone knows somebody who has one so it's just something easy to compare too.
Related
Hi im wondering if there are any iphone style gimicky apps available, because im unsure on which new phone i should choose, i have narrowed it down to the iphone, the G1 and the X1. If there are any fun apps availble i would moer than likley purchase the X1. I would really like to see something like this http://www.khmerlife.com/Forum/Thread.aspx?ThreadID=14480&Page=1#PostID377774 ,i have tried this game and is very fun.
Thanks for replies
How app
Don't know of something like this for WM, but there are other (At times NOT FREE) apps that are quite hot. I can use my phone as WLAN Router for instance. If it gets stolen, I can track it with builtin GPS. So there you have your game, but this time you are the Zombie Leave your phone on the ground and hunt down the first who is unlucky enoguh to steal it
Firefall! said:
Leave your phone on the ground and hunt down the first who is unlucky enoguh to steal it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, great idea
But for sure, I would also L O V E more Iphone like apps. I can't understand why all of the apps on Iphone are so much more good looking, and why there are a lot more cool (but unnecesary in most cases ) apps for it? I know the audience is a lot bigger and that there is more money to earn, but still
If you just want it to imitate the iPhone, there's the iPhone style panel, here:
ftp://spikedsoftware.co.uk/XperiaX1/PANELS/X1_Panel_Iphone.CAB
It gives you big rounded square buttons that look like the ones on the iPhone, but beware. Many of them dont work, and upon closer inspection, it doesnt look at much like the iphone. Also, it only displays properly in portrait mode. I wouldnt recommend this one, bit if that's what you want, give it a try.
I've also heard of an iphone imitator called iFone or something like that for Windows mobile. Not sure if it works on Xperia since I havent tried it, but if it does, I'm willing to bet it's better than that other thing.
bobbanswe said:
But for sure, I would also L O V E more Iphone like apps. I can't understand why all of the apps on Iphone are so much more good looking, and why there are a lot more cool (but unnecesary in most cases ) apps for it? I know the audience is a lot bigger and that there is more money to earn, but still
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking good but not necessary, as you said it. In WM you can set your wallpaper. That's looking good. Applications are mostly necessary. One point to get an X1: You could install a 3D navigation software with voice directions (If you pay the 100 bucks or simply crack it, which is what I did). Does that beat an iPhone with freaking Google Maps?!?
Personally I bought this phone because its nothing like the Iphone. I look at Iphone vs. X1 the same way as mac vs. pc, a mac is nice and cute and you can get all kinds of software for it, but you can never really tweak it internally, whereas with a pc you can replace its guts choose your own case, and generally have a lot more tweakability (tho this also occasionally leads to slightly less stability as there are more variables to consider).
With the Iphone you get a smooth interface and lots of cutsey apps lots of which cost money all are regulated and aquired thru apple, whereas with the X1 you have this amazing site where you can find everything from ROM's, to icons, to apps and panels, to reg and other tweaks to make it act exactly the way that suits you best. Granted in the mod process you may come across some bouts of instability, but its the price we pay for making something truly personal.
Also how many people did you see talking on an Iphone today? an X1? I like having a phone that I don't see in everyone else's hands, makes me feel special. Just my 2 cents.
Firefall! said:
Looking good but not necessary, as you said it. In WM you can set your wallpaper. That's looking good. Applications are mostly necessary. One point to get an X1: You could install a 3D navigation software with voice directions (If you pay the 100 bucks or simply crack it, which is what I did). Does that beat an iPhone with freaking Google Maps?!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's just say WM has the ability to look like (or be) an iPhone. Can't say that about the iPhone
I agree with Firefall, and you can do a lot more with an WM phone (imo)..
I've had my xperia for about 3 days now, using it non-stop at home, on the go, etc.
I'm having a lot of mixed feelings: i like it, and disappointed in it at the same time.
Please enlighten me in each of the following.. help me learn to love the phone instead of regret it.
1) My biggest gripe: The form factor, the thickness, the small touchscreen embedded WITHIN borders as opposed to a front flat. Admit it.. it feels like a brick.
2) Lack of panels.. Lack of applications (look at apple's app store)
3) The responsiveness.. the overall phone is dodgy, menus take seconds to load, camera and its settings are slow, buttons and inputs are not instantaneous... I've an ipod touch for about more then half a year now, those who've experienced with Apple products know what I mean by 'immediate response' (and in NO WAY am i supporting apple, I am just doing this comparison to illustrate the difference of response)
All these gripes i would have set aside if the price tag was about $100 - $200 dollars CHEAPER. When I'm paying so much, I expect something decent :|
Now for my praises:
1) Biggest plus; It has windows live mail, and windows live messenger, something the iPhone will never have.
2) Panels CONCEPT.
3) The beautiful colors (xperia wall)
4) Keypad, lots of control/input: trackpad, d-pad, touchscreen & stylus
If you've read all that, In no way am i critcizing the xperia as a whole. It's my user-preference I speak with and individual opinion. I, for one, am bothered by all the gripes I have mentioned. I've searched for smartphones for a long time now and none has even PEAKED my interest besides the xperia and the iPhone. The problem is that the iPhone is out of the question because I can't get it. So my question is... What should I do? As in should i stay with the xperia, what can I do with the xperia to make me satisfied with it, etc.
Hey,
dude u need to flash a new ROM. Xperia 'out of the box' looks nice but doesn't work as well as it looks. once you've flashed a ROM it works nicer than it looks.
Im using agent_47 ROM...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=512050
admittedly there are a few bugs every now n then but its nothing that eventually won't be fixed.
Dude there are loooaaddss of panels available. just search the forums. there are also loaaadss of apps available...you just have to find them. tomtom7, facebook, skype, super mario just to give some examples.
So in summary, find a ROM that you like and flash it
Adam
Thanks but it doesn't compensate for the fact that the phone is bulky with a screen embedded within borders. Even though the iPhone may be bigger in volume, at least it has a large screen (thats NOT in border) to make up for its size.
My issue is.. i feel no matter what I change about the software and interface, it'd still feel bricky in my hands, when getting a call; trying to touch the tiny buttons on the embedded screen with my thumbs -___-
What other third party panels could possibly benefit me? Aren't most of them just home screens, mobile shell, etc.
Panels I'd like to see include paralelling the apple app store; at least have the defaults like the facebook panel: twitter, youtube, notes, pocketoffice panel, dictionary, games, etc. Funny how advertisements show panels with different colours but none are remotely worthy to be put. I only have about 7 panels, and i even tolerated putting the fish and clock one.
arikado as adam18488 has said you need a new windows mobile rom.
Most of your Points are related to the Software of the Windows Mobile Computer Operating System.
The WinMo ROM that is shiped with X1 has heavy lags with video rendering.
You are not the only one who is disopointed with the OS on X1.
Iphone works out of the box -Apps store has loads and is v easy ...but you can't customise!
Xperia WILL dissapoint out of the box ...you need to make it yours -customise, tweak etc
If you are new at all this ....the last thing you should do is Flash a custom ROM imho
You need to read LOADS and start small with the tweaks
I was underwhelmed when I first got mine ...a couple of weeks of reading and trialling were quite frustrating (without this forum it would have been impossible)
About a month in I got it all set up the way I liked it ...8 months on I still LOVE it and have continued to make small tweaks (including upgrading the stock ROM twice -now on the current R3A & video works flawlessly BTW)
Take a look at threads like "post your today screen" and the like to see how wide the options are
The WIKI is a must, as are most of the Stickies
arikado said:
Thanks but it doesn't compensate for the fact that the phone is bulky with a screen embedded within borders. Even though the iPhone may be bigger in volume, at least it has a large screen (thats NOT in border) to make up for its size.
My issue is.. i feel no matter what I change about the software and interface, it'd still feel bricky in my hands, when getting a call; trying to touch the tiny buttons on the embedded screen with my thumbs -___-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
arikado,
Did you not at least feel the phone in person before buying it? You can't really whine now that you've bought the phone. It was your responsibility as a customer to ensure that everything about the phone met your expectations before you handed over the cash.
Should've done your homework first. If the phone feels like a brick to you, then even the Touch Pro 2 or even the N97 will feel like a brick because those are -huge- phones.
If you don't want a recessed screen, I strongly suggest the TouchHD, that's about it or wait for the next Xperia, or go with the HTC Hero, or HTC Magic.
Cheers.
Yes - we can't help you now with hardware issues. If you don't like the hardware you should not have bought it. Anyway:
If you are a fan of finger UI's then read about Mobile Shell 3.0. It allows you to do almost everything with your finger. There is also a cab available that imrpoves the responsibility :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=485037&highlight=softtouch
Here you go: X1 SoftTouch.
Well..there are panels, but you are right - not as much as I would have liked!
And there are apps, but not as much because 800x480 screensize is rather new
to phones. Give them some time.
The "borders" around the screen you are taking about is a negative thing on that phone. But like already mentioned: swop with a Touch HD. It is more likely "your" kind of phone!
arikado said:
1) My biggest gripe: The form factor, the thickness, the small touchscreen embedded WITHIN borders as opposed to a front flat. Admit it.. it feels like a brick.
2) Lack of panels.. Lack of applications (look at apple's app store)
3) The responsiveness.. the overall phone is dodgy, menus take seconds to load, camera and its settings are slow, buttons and inputs are not instantaneous... I've an ipod touch for about more then half a year now, those who've experienced with Apple products know what I mean by 'immediate response' (and in NO WAY am i supporting apple, I am just doing this comparison to illustrate the difference of response)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Orelsi reporting in .
1 - I don't mind the thikness, because you get a full keyboard. You can't beat that. The recessed screen is one of my major gripes as well, but it has one (only one lol) good thing going for it - when you drop it, the screen will not get damaged. I admit that it is a brick.
2 - Not true. There are some panels floating around. There are THOUSANDS of apps and games for WinMo and most of them are NOT like these:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/fortune/0907/gallery.dumbest_iphone_apps.fortune/index.html Just read and search .
3- Everything that you listed can be fixed by custom ROMs or tweaks of the system. My only advice is to read the "sticky" topics and then browse the forum for whatever you want.
My X1 has the regular firmware and is lightning fast thanks to massive tweaking and installing of useful apps.
If you can't find anything using the search function, feel free to ask the helpful people in this forum .
If you want a phone that works fine "out of the box" : got an Iphone but you will never be able to customize it
If you want a bigger screen: Got a Touch HD but no hardware keyboard, screen less responsive (my opinion), not really faster
If you want to keep your Xperia: learn about tweaking and flashing rom
My 2 centimes:
- Yes the firmware is painfully slow. This is really the major limitation of this phone out of the box.
- I have not yet flashed a custom ROM (on R2A) but am very hopeful that this improves the snappiness
- Buy SPB Mobile Shell 3.01. Outstanding software and well worth the price.
- After a couple weeks/months, I think most Xperiites ditch panels because they are slow and a fairly silly idea. Why press three times to run an application when you have the option to press only once?
- The hardware on this phone is superb and I think you will only come to appreciate it more and more. Bricks may not look the best, but they last a helluva long time.
Is it just me or am I the only one getting a bit bored of the iPhone fanboys repeating the "My iPhone/My mate's iPhone/My fashionista's iPhone is great, the X1 is crap, why?" question?
If you don't like it's size and shape, why buy one?
In regards to apps, typing "Windows Mobile Apps" into Google gets approx 292,000,000 results. Yes, a lot of these will be repeated/links to each other, but there are at least a few sites off the top of my head that can provide hundreds of *legally free* apps, let alone several that can provide lots of paid-for ones. "Oh but the Apple Store is one place" yes, we all get all of our purchases from the same shop. Unless you're a Tesco/Walmart fanboy also?
I must admit, it is a bit of a pain getting fluff and dirt out of the corners of the screen, but a lot less of a pain than smashing the screen like several of my iPhone loving mates have, especially on a thin-bodied device which depends on the screen to work...
rp-x1 said:
Is it just me or am I the only one getting a bit bored of the iPhone fanboys repeating the "My iPhone/My mate's iPhone/My fashionista's iPhone is great, the X1 is crap, why?" question?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't see anyone here say that. Post in the wrong thread, maybe?
rp-x1 said:
Is it just me or am I the only one getting a bit bored of the iPhone fanboys repeating the "My iPhone/My mate's iPhone/My fashionista's iPhone is great, the X1 is crap, why?" question?
If you don't like it's size and shape, why buy one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Count me in for the bored crowd. What's with the apple fanboys flooding a WinMo forum?
xperiance said:
I didn't see anyone here say that. Post in the wrong thread, maybe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope.
HERE is a possible fix for the screen being pushed into the phone - basicially what i noticed was that when i put a screen protector on it obvoiusly raised the screen so i was thinking - maybe if you put two screen protectors on ! it would be at optimum height! just a thought - i might try it
rp-x1 said:
Is it just me or am I the only one getting a bit bored of the iPhone fanboys repeating the "My iPhone/My mate's iPhone/My fashionista's iPhone is great, the X1 is crap, why?" question?
If you don't like it's size and shape, why buy one?
In regards to apps, typing "Windows Mobile Apps" into Google gets approx 292,000,000 results. Yes, a lot of these will be repeated/links to each other, but there are at least a few sites off the top of my head that can provide hundreds of *legally free* apps, let alone several that can provide lots of paid-for ones. "Oh but the Apple Store is one place" yes, we all get all of our purchases from the same shop. Unless you're a Tesco/Walmart fanboy also?
I must admit, it is a bit of a pain getting fluff and dirt out of the corners of the screen, but a lot less of a pain than smashing the screen like several of my iPhone loving mates have, especially on a thin-bodied device which depends on the screen to work...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iPhone is a good phone in its own ways
Xperia is a good phone in its own ways
both have their ups and down and you need to consider which you think best suits you because neither are perfect
I'm just looking at it from a neutral point of view but i'm glad i chose xperia
comeradealexi said:
iPhone is a good phone in its own ways
Xperia is a good phone in its own ways
both have their ups and down and you need to consider which you think best suits you because neither are perfect
I'm just looking at it from a neutral point of view but i'm glad i chose xperia
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, everything is down to personal preference, but the iPhone losers cannot stop claiming that their device is THE BEST!!! It obviously isn't and any objective man comparing it to a normal phone can see that. It is a glorified mp4 player and barely qualifies as a feature phone.
The attitude of being uneducated and tech illiterate, but still claiming that your device is the Jesus phone, is what annoys me.
Especially when people start posting about it at a WINMO forum. WTF seriously? Use it, enjoy it, but don't try to make it something it clearly is not. That is why the apple fanboys irritate me.
End of rant lolz .
orelsi said:
any objective man... It is a glorified mp4 player and barely qualifies as a feature phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one ever accused you of being "objective".
1) My biggest gripe: The form factor, the thickness, the small touchscreen embedded WITHIN borders as opposed to a front flat. Admit it.. it feels like a brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong, it feels like a luxury device. Even if the OS was a basic symbian it would still feel grand. Admit it...it feels like it's the ****.
The form factor is perfect. The thickness is actually pretty thin. The touch screen is not satisfactory.
2) Lack of panels.. Lack of applications (look at apple's app store)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are you complaining on something that is still being developed? You are one bull****ing fanboy.
Palm Pre > Lack of apps
Android > Lack of tethering @ apps
Apple > Applications are mostly games you turd, and apps are only foreground apps so what is the freaking point?
Look how manys apps that I have for my X1:
3) The responsiveness.. the overall phone is dodgy, menus take seconds to load, camera and its settings are slow, buttons and inputs are not instantaneous... I've an ipod touch for about more then half a year now, those who've experienced with Apple products know what I mean by 'immediate response' (and in NO WAY am i supporting apple, I am just doing this comparison to illustrate the difference of response)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what you mean, actually. I have to agree on this. Played with my brother's ipod touch.
All these gripes i would have set aside if the price tag was about $100 - $200 dollars CHEAPER. When I'm paying so much, I expect something decent :|
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the X1 is worth 900 bucks, but I think it is unfair that the X1i version is a lot cheaper. ****ing bull****. Europeans are lucky!
1) Biggest plus; It has windows live mail, and windows live messenger, something the iPhone will never have.
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What are you gonna think if iPhone has it in the future?
2) Panels CONCEPT.
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It's not a concept you fool.
3) The beautiful colors (xperia wall)
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WTF is an Xperia wall... nobody on this forum ever made a reference to an Xperia wall. The colors are okay, the resolution is better. Think people think.
4) Keypad, lots of control/input: trackpad, d-pad, touchscreen & stylus
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So my question is... What should I do? As in should i stay with the xperia, what can I do with the xperia to make me satisfied with it, etc.
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If you aren't for being organized then get the iPhone...that's all I have to say
Even using apple's software is very inorganized and there is no way for me to mother****ing installed 3rd party schedule applications / alarm applications / automatic profile applications ...so iPhone is just a toy with a lot of games and foreground-only apps.
Xperia keeps me so organized... why? SPB Diary baby. Anyway, just get the Apple because I don't think you're the kind of guy who needs simple features only.
Just listen to me and get the iPhone 3GS and you will be happy.
My most used app is SPB Mobile Shell 3... and AE Button... try them out and it will boost your productivity...
i really loved the batt life of Xperia.. (coming from O2 Atom Life)
xperiance said:
No one ever accused you of being "objective".
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Did I lie in my statement?
hello
im looking to buy a new phone in about a month and im deciding between the nexus one and the iphone. i currently have a HTC Touch Diamond and i have suffered quite a bit with this phone and im doubting the quality of the products that htc makes. i have read all the reviews and the specs and im still finding it hard to choose so i want to find out from u guys here if it is actually the perfect phone or it comes with glitches, and the occasional freezing.
dragonoflight said:
hello
im looking to buy a new phone in about a month and im deciding between the nexus one and the iphone. i currently have a HTC Touch Diamond and i have suffered quite a bit with this phone and im doubting the quality of the products that htc makes. i have read all the reviews and the specs and im still finding it hard to choose so i want to find out from u guys here if it is actually the perfect phone or it comes with glitches, and the occasional freezing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you do want a phone with 3G glitches, faulty software and occasional freezes / reboots then be sure to buy the iPhone. Ask my wife about her wonderful iPhone
Seriously though, just about every modern phone has some flaws and requires a restart every now and again ... its progress
iPhone simple and capable with loads of apps and support, sort of a "Tomy - My First Phone"
Android edgy and capable with loads of apps but not as many as iphone (most companies will release to the iPhone first due to the huge base of customers who will buy).
If you are happy having a simple interface with no options of customisation and are happy never being able to do anything your own way or take shortcuts then the iPhone is for you.
If you are happy to do a bit of tinkering and customise your phone then the Android is for you.
Both are amazing phones and look good and are easy to use. Specs wise Nexus one wins hands down.
If you love google and use Gmail, contacts, etc. And if you dont like iTunes and stuff then Nexus One is definetly the way to go.
But if you like all the crazy apps thats out on the iphone seems quite good for that, however Nexus One has got some really good apps aswell! A lot of people say iPhone is still easier to use. But I would say nexus one is just as easy and highly customizable which is cool.
All comes down to personal preference...
iPhone is obviously more stable seeing as OS 4 is going to come out whereas Android is 2.1, iPhone has less bugs and stuff im guessing..But Nexus one should be no trouble as your everyday phone and internet device!
I always fund iPhone really boring, with out jailbreak there isn't much in it.
Lots of apps and what else? I never had able to figur it out . If you coming from windos mobile i think you should get Nexus. You would love it.
I've been using WM since 1997 (PPC).
I've got my Nexus One yeasterday its my first Android device, i like it.
as far i saw iphone is mostly problem free and i want a phone with causes a little problems a possible but i have been with xda for more than 1 year and have gotten into the habit of customising so a phone with a little change in interface would be nice. the quality of the apps u get in the iphone is extremely good, u always get a nice colour full, smooth and simple interface. i personaly dont know about android apps but my experience of windows mobile apps is that they are ****. they come with 1980 style buttons and some times they don't even fit on ur screen cos thy were build with the developers looking at a different phone and the apps are expensive. so you see i don't want to go through that again.
I'm not sure there is anything such as the perfect phone since everyone has some different interpretation of what that is. I just received my Nexus One yesterday and I'm switching from the iphone, although I have extensive experience with winmo, palm and symbian. A few observations:
Build Quality: this is the best built phone I've seen in a long time. It has the exceptionally solid feel of the iphone, but still gives you the removable battery feature and expandable storage. In addition, it just feels great in the hand, nicely rounded with great build materials. Just overall top notch build and feel.
Software: I spent yesterday evening looking at the applications on my iphone and trying to find comparable ones on Android. I was successful for about 90% of what I use. The applications may look a little different, but the functionality is essentially the same and I haven't had any issues so far. There are a couple that I couldn't yet replace like the kindle app, cnn and the NY times, but I expect they'll be there eventually. A few others like ewallet have equivalent products on android such as splashid.
Useability: The iphone is dead simply which is both a strength and a weakness. I've always found it to be a little too easy and the lack of customization was frustrating as well as the lack of multitasking. I've always found the multitasking issue rather humorous since so much of the tech industry used to point this out as a weakness in the palm os and now the iphone has the same weakness years later and it's not an issue for the writers...go figure. The N1 is not quite as simple as the iphone and you'll probably spend a little more time getting used to it and setup the way you want, but you'll end up with a phone that meets your personal needs as opposed to someone else's view of your needs.
Overall I'm finding it to be a top notch phone that I expect will only get better as the OS continues to evolve. Google seems to be on a pretty regular update cycle and it continues to evolve. As the os attracts more users the applications will continue to grow as well.
One final word. I wouldn't equate the winmo htc experience with what you'll have with an android htc device. Winmo definitely contributes to issues with some of the htc phones. This device is in a whole different league.
here is few questions if you guys could answer it would be really helpful
does it freeze or have problems when running multiple apps?
do the apps have nice interface and are thy smooth?
does it lag alot?
and i herd mutitouch is coming to the google phone does anyone know when?
does it freeze or have problems when running multiple apps? - Nope for me its been pretty smooth, no stuttering at all, Apps open very quickly.
do the apps have nice interface and are thy smooth? - yes most do, there are one or two that do not scale well to the larger screen, these will be fixed with updates, just waiting on the devs to resolve.
does it lag alot? - no lag for me what so ever.
and i herd mutitouch is coming to the google phone does anyone know when?
- no one knows, its been demo'd on the European version of the Nexus One. However you can have multitouch browsing using either a custom ROM (soon to be released) or the Dolphin Browser (free download from the market place).
I know exactly what you're going through with your WinMo and HTC. I had multiple problems with the two just barely working at all. Android is so different but so much easier to find things in. I've played with iPhones and yeah they're fun for a bit but I have a friend with one that has had it for a couple months and is already starting to get bored with it. He says he's jealous of my Android and how much more I can do with it. It always looks different each time he looks at it.
I can tell youre trying to compare the Nexus One to your diamond because Ive used that phone and know what youre talking about with the lag and freezing and theres simply no comparison between the N1 and diamond, if you do get it you will be simply amazed.
I own a nexus, g1, iPhone 2g, and a touch pro 2. I can easily say in terms of speed, battery life, and overall enjoyment, the nexus is easily king. The keyboard is on par with the iPhone as far as usibility, which I could never say about the g1's onscreen. You can still sync your iTunes library with the correct software, it's the best mobile web browsing experiance I've had to date.
Simply put, nexus one ftw!
i think il wait to see how the muti touch on the nexus one turns out. thanks for all ur help!!!
bigger screen, higher resolution, brighter, prettier, easier to unlock and root... none of this cat and mouse crap with apple and the dev team...
I'm sure there are other things to compare..
oh yeah!!! the N! has bluetooth stereo stream and the iphone doesnt...
but, apple is gonna announce a new iphone this feb... so... up to you if you want to wait or not.
The N1 has a 1 Ghz proc, vs iPhone's 600 Mhz,
an 800x480 screen vs iphone's 480x320 (There are as many pixels shoved in the short side of the N1's screen as there are on the entire tall side of the iphone's screen, it's been widely cited as the best looking screen right now, with bright whites and colors and blacks like velvet. It can play full 720p HD video in this resolution.),
512 mb RAM vs. the iPhone's 256 mb, though of course you probably don't need it on the iPhone as you can't even run more than one app at a time (clearly, the iPhone is not a computer)
However, the nexus one doesn't have as many apps. The apps it does have are incredible, though, and you can emulate SNES, download torrents, Remote-desktop to your PC from anywhere with 3G/wifi, run a wireless tether without much trouble. Generally, the kind of stuff Apple would never let you get away with. While Apple has some cooler games, their utilities simply don't stack up.
I know EAXCTLY what you're talking about in terms of HTC and WinMo. I just upgraded from the HTC Touch to the Nexus One. There simply is no comparison, Android is an entirely different animal than WinMo.
As for iPhone vs the N1, the N1 beats it by far in terms of raw specs. In terms of OS vs OS the difference is that with the iPhone you're forced to play in Apple's little sandbox. Highly regulated app store, no "real" customization to speak of. This has the benefit of being an extremely stable and polished OS but if you're used to making things "your own" like I am, it's just not fun.
This is the first Android phone I've had, been using it for almost a week now and I will never look back. I LOVE it. Some of the apps aren't quite as good as they are on the iPhone in no small part due to the nature of Android itself. Developers have to worry about supporting multiple phone specifications and networks. It's very comparable to the Mac vs PC argument. PCs require a bit more maintenance and attention while giving you TONS of options while Macs give you stability and TONS of polish with a bit more limited options.
*Edit*
You mentioned multi-touch, the phone fully supports it at the hardware level. The only "problem" is that it's not supported natively in Google's own apps (everyone assumes this has to do with some legal concern of Google's). Developers can use the API in their apps to fully take advantage of this support and many already do. I use the Dolphin Browser over the one that comes pre-loaded and the multi-touch in it is FANTASTIC. Best part is that unlike the iPhone it auto re-scales things for you to keep them readable.
I hoping to get multi touch as soon as N1 Euro out via custom roms.
Nexus could be superior all around if our apps would mature a bit more. Yes we're growing in apps, but they lack polish. You can look at many of our apps and go "Yeah thats clearly made by an engineer". They work great, but one reason the IPhone sells is because it is pure sexy in just about all forms.
The iPhone and the Nexus One are two different beasts, multi touch is something you dont use that often as you think when you are on the iPhone. When I had the iPhone(1st gen) multi touch was on, the kb, the browser, the photo viewer, and later on gimmicky apps that just came out.
I think of the iPhone more like a PS3 whereas android phones are more like a computer
iphone or android?
its how tech savy you are, ad how much you want to learn ot use something.
the iphone is simple. you hit a button, it responds instantely and it does exactly what it said it was going to do.
andriod is more advanced. alot more ways to customize it but it comes with a learning curve. this curve isnt as bad as the winmo one but it does exsist.
so it comes down to power vs simplicity. id go for power
When I first got my EVO on launch day a year ago, I fell in love with Android (coming from an iPhone 3GS) and the EVO hardware, but the apps were complete crap; I hoped they'd get better, and to some extent, they have. A very small percentage of the apps do look and work better, but the selection is still really lackluster. The apps still aren't even close to the iOS apps I left over a year ago; they're nothing close in terms of selection or quality when compared.
Troll and flame away! Just kidding. I would actually like to conduct a half-way decent thread about the state of Android apps.
Hrshycro said:
When I first got my EVO on launch day a year ago, I fell in love with Android (coming from an iPhone 3GS) and the EVO hardware, but the apps were complete crap; I hoped they'd get better, and to some extent, they have. A very small percentage of the apps do look and work better, but the selection is still really lackluster. The apps still aren't even close to the iOS apps I left over a year ago; they're nothing close in terms of selection or quality when compared.
Troll and flame away! Just kidding. I would actually like to conduct a half-way decent thread about the state of Android apps.
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In my opinion all the apps I used are getting "more professional looking" as time moves on. Certainly since Gingerbread's release.
Are they all up to "iPhone app standards"? No. But they're getting there.
mattykinsx said:
In my opinion all the apps I used are getting "more professional looking" as time moves on. Certainly since Gingerbread's release.
Are they all up to "iPhone app standards"? No. But they're getting there.
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I agree...the 5 I use are getting better, but still a good half away from an iOS app. Still, no real selection of 'good' apps. They kind of remind me of Windows apps compared to OS X apps.
Let's keep in mind that the Android Marketplace is a full year or so younger than Apple's app store.
The platform is younger, in terms of public use, and the style is more open ended.
That is positive for some reasons and negative for others.
I can definitely agree with that. While there are certainly some amazing apps (Tasker, looking at you!) they tend to be few and far between. And the inconsistencies can be more than glaring. Even a killer app may have a horrid UI (Tasker, again, looking at you!). I suppose that so long as the job gets done, I can't really complain much.
But that is one thing I can get behind with iOS; the uniformity. Sure, worthless apps exist, but in terms of the look and feel? For the most part it's very consistent. I know that with Android you have so many people that are able to create and release an app, but that also lends to a bunch of half-ass applications that either barely get the job done or just look down right ugly. Or are just completely useless.
The multitude of choice is both good and bad. Even such things as a goofy application icon gets to me. Sure, I change my icons ... but, dayum. That's not even important, it's that it just adds to the madness at times.
There are definitely some amazing applications out there, and over time you find the ones you really need and appreciate, like a decent calendar. But that still requires some hunting and experimenting, which isn't necessarily bad unless you're trying to find a solid app that simply looks and acts the way you want.
I love the Android platform, but this is one of the things that can add to the frustrations of it. It has gotten better, and will get better. Just like Android as a whole.
I think that will change once ice cream sandwich comes out, all of the honeycomb apps have a very consistent and sexy looking UI
psych2l said:
I think that will change once ice cream sandwich comes out, all of the honeycomb apps have a very consistent and sexy looking UI
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Indeed. I'm really banking on this next shift.
mattykinsx said:
Let's keep in mind that the Android Marketplace is a full year or so younger than Apple's app store.
The platform is younger, in terms of public use, and the style is more open ended.
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/\This.
Apple has been around for a fair amount of time now. Android Market is younger, and I think had a somewhat slow start, before taking over the smartphone market, like it has today. I would say, all things considered, it's not half bad, and yes it definitely keeps getting better. Two of my fav apps, Pageonce and PhonemyPC, have gotten exponentially better just in the short time I've been using them.
*edit* sorry this got a little longer than I had planned I got going and couldn't stop till I had made my point which as it turns out is kind of big.
I also love the platform we have BUT iPhone apps have been and will likely always be better. Think of it like art. There are plenty of painters in the world, but most are average. They would all like to hang their pictures in a gallery, but really at best .0001% are good enough to warrant this. The Apple Appstore is like a gallery. It takes only the best looking, best working, most efficient apps and rejects the rest. Therefore when you walk in, you are blown away. All you see is the best.
The Android Market is more like a city wall. Sure you could paint a masterpiece on one, but who'd notice with all the graffiti everywhere? Everyone who can use a paintbrush is painting all over everything and it's a damned clusterf**k. Just finding the good paintings is luck at best, and there is almost no incentive to paint a masterpiece there for just that reason.
The best Devs develop for iPhones. They prefer the walled garden because it helps keep their app from getting lost in the shuffle(tho the average devs hate it because it keeps rejecting their poorly coded barely functional apps). Also Devs love that when making an iPhone app, you know exactly what type of OS and Phone it will run on. There's only one iPhone. There's only one iOS. There are thousands of android phones, some with keyboards, some with touch-screens, some with Android 2.3, some with 2.3, some with 2.1, plenty with even older versions, some with one resolution, some with other resolutions, some with 3g some with 4g, some without either even. Some are smart phones some are *dumb* phones. Some are flip phones some are sliders. Some have touchwiz some have Sense. Some have Motoblur. Some have...well you get where I'm going with this.
Historically, if you look at apps for Mac computers, while few in number compared to PC apps, they were usually superior and more user friendly. And more polished. The apple and android phone conflict is not a new war, it's a mobile version of the same war that has raged since the early 80s:
On one side there is Apple, saying that "this is our Hardware and this is our OS. You can use it if you but you can't change it. Can't put it on your hardware. You can't put your own spin on it. Our stuff will "just work" because from a Devs standpoint, all variables are known, and we don't allow them access to anything important enough to make your phone stop working at any rate."
On the other side there is Android(taking the place of windows). They say "Here is our software, we don't make hardware so knock yourselves out. Make phones form $50 to $700 dollars for all we care. Also we don't mind if you change our code and make our OS your own. But beware because there will be billions of possible hardware/software combinations due to this and the truly best Devs will just make apps for Mac because it's easier by far. And those Devs who brave our water will produce apps which are buggy and largely untested on most devices... but we will allow them to do many times more with those apps than the simple, easy to use Mac software."
So in the end it will come down to exactly the same argument as had been used for the PC/MAC war for decades. If all you need to do is basic things(email phone calls texts etc) get an iphone(A Mac). If you want to be able to do more but at the expense of user-friendliness and stability, get a android(PC)."
I like to tinker, I use Android. Would NEVER get my girlfriend an android phone tho if she wanted a smartphone. Like ever. Or my parents. Or my daughter.
When all is said and done, Android will win the war for Quantity. There will be far more Android phones and apps. The cell providers love android. And due to the multiple price points and variable there is one for everybody.
But just like in the PC/Mac wars, the iPhone will still have a place. And it's apps will likely always be a cut above.
I feel like this is going to belong. Apologies. (feel free to skip to......)
When I turned 18 in '07, I purchased my first smartphone which happened to be the first generation iPhone on launch day. Since then, I've continued on this strange road with Apple products. That iPhone opened my eyes. It was my everything. Since then, I've had every iPhone (including my purchased & returned iPhone 5.) I am currently using a 4s and am unhappy with it. Well, not unhappy. I don't know the word. I'm just satisfied with it. Not happy, not enthusiastic about it. It's just... there.
My tenure with the iPhone hasn't always been grand. In 2009, my iPhone 3Gs took the biggest crap on me. I ended up replacing it 3 times. When it messed up for a 4th time, I decided that I'd switch to Blackberry. What was Android anyway? it was such a knockoff to my superior iPhone. I stayed with Blackberry for 10 months before going back to an iPhone. This time it was the iPhone 4. I loved it, until I didn't.
In 2011, I finally dumped my iPhone (for what appeared to be the last time) for my first Android phone, the Motorola Atrix. I did everything to hate that phone for the next three months... That was until I loved Android (with the help of this website and forum). Earlier that year, I started working a job at a cell phone retailer and began to learn Android in and out. I got to play with the coolest phones. We don't sell any Apple products, by the way, so it was all Android.
I thought I was done with Apple, that is until the 4s. I ditched my Atrix and newly acquired Droid X2 for the iPhone 4s. I felt bad as if I were regressing to a horrible drug after being sober for so long. Now a year has passed and I see that I've completely effed up.
(....here) I am currently in the market for a new phone. I've purchased the Nexus 4 and I'm waiting for the 5-to-6 weeks to pass until I get it. The thing is, that I'm so used to my iPhone that I'm afraid it will be a frustrating adjustment for me and this device will end up being a $400 (more like $383.93) paperweight. I've watched every unboxing and comparison video that I could find on YouTube and have read as many threads that my eyes could take on XDA.
I can spew out specs for days. Hell, I'm a salesman. I know the flagship phones in and out because I am setting them up all day and fixing issues for customers. It's always fun when they ask me what phone I'm using... Oops?
Are there any Nexus 4 users that switched from an iPhone? What features do you miss? Does the Nexus 4 adequately make the transition seamless?
I'm just looking for a bit of real life users and not a bunch of reviewers on YouTube and LG Reps at my job sounding extra robotic about the phone.
Thanks!
(Kudos if you read this whole thing. Seriously. K-U-D-O-S.)
Nexus is the closest thing to iphone you will ever find in the android world. Fast updates, excellent HW/SW integration, etc.
This year I've had a lot of phones, iphone 4 > sensation > GS2 > atrix > GS2 > GNex > GS3 > nokia e5 > Nexus 4, and a lot of iphones 4S, and no one gets close to a nexus.
Trust me, you could never go wrong with a Nexus
I don't fit in the criterion for responders, but hopefully you can appreciate my contribution.
It's very rare that you'll find an iOS feature that isn't implemented on Android. It's usually the other way around.
Anand Shimpi describes the two operating systems better than I can: iOS is an appliance and Android is an OS. With iOS, you have to work with what you're given and the phone is a tool, in the same way a toaster oven is really convenient for a lot of purposes. However, Android is the whole damn kitchen. It's a real OS and gives you the opportunities to do precisely what you want done.
On iOS, jailbreaking is a bit daunting due to the loss of Appstore access and security features. I've also heard that stability is notably worse. However, rooting on Android is a very common and standard process. It's akin to providing yourself an administrative account on Windows, as opposed to a kid's account with limited access and abilities.
In all likelihood, there's not a thing you'll miss about iOS that isn't identically fulfilled by system and third party apps. Except in the case of a few select games and apps (Hype Machine is one that comes to mind) Android equivalents are just that: the same app, but for a different platform.
Now for my bias: I think of iPhones as glorified dumb phones. Widgets are essential for me, and the modularity of the system allows you to actually use an OS fit to your liking. In don't see a functional difference between iPhones today and the Sony Ericsson phone I had on 2003. Both just run apps and give extremely limited access to the file system. I want a real file explorer, and apps that can utilize libs/APIs that significantly improve performance (the reason why iOS browsers not based on Safari suck). I want to install apps that replicate system functions, and do so in better ways. Sometimes, in illegal ways (WiFi sniffing and unpaid tethering), but it's my choice whether or not to do them.
I don't think you'll miss anything about the iPhone. At first, you may think Android is a little clunky, nonstandard, or even un-navigable. But just give it time and you'll come to appreciate the difference between the two OSes. One provides a great out-of-the-box experience that can't be tinkered with, but everything will be generally familiar. The other provides nearly complete freedom to change how you use the phone, at the cost of a dictatorial structure. I prefer the latter, as no phone OS is even close to what I want. Android let's me add, remove, and modify itself to let me get a little closer to having a desktop in my pocket.
raul90 said:
Nexus is the closest thing to iphone you will ever find in the android world. Fast updates, excellent HW/SW integration, etc.
This year I've had a lot of phones, iphone 4 > sensation > GS2 > atrix > GS2 > GNex > GS3 > nokia e5 > Nexus 4, and a lot of iphones 4S, and no one gets close to a nexus.
Trust me, you could never go wrong with a Nexus
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From my job, I have an extensive in-store experience with all of those, except for the E5. There is a HUGE difference from setting someone's phone up, showing them a bit of cool features, and then having them sign a contract, as opposed to actually owning it and going home with the device to make it your own.
I love the ability to make drag and drop folders that ICS added. I'm hoping to get the same clean experience that I've gotten used to, but I just want more. iOS isn't cutting it anymore.
I will miss the keyboard, though.
Hung0702 said:
I don't fit in the criterion for responders, but hopefully you can appreciate my contribution.
It's very rare that you'll find an iOS feature that isn't implemented on Android. It's usually the other way around.
Anand Shimpi describes the two operating systems better than I can: iOS is an appliance and Android is an OS. With iOS, you have to work with what you're given and the phone is a tool, in the same way a toaster oven is really convenient for a lot of purposes. However, Android is the whole damn kitchen. It's a real OS and gives you the opportunities to do precisely what you want done.
On iOS, jailbreaking is a bit daunting due to the loss of Appstore access and security features. I've also heard that stability is notably worse. However, rooting on Android is a very common and standard process. It's akin to providing yourself an administrative account on Windows, as opposed to a kid's account with limited access and abilities.
In all likelihood, there's not a thing you'll miss about iOS that isn't identically fulfilled by system and third party apps. Except in the case of a few select games and apps (Hype Machine is one that comes to mind) Android equivalents are just that: the same app, but for a different platform.
Now for my bias: I think of iPhones as glorified dumb phones. Widgets are essential for me, and the modularity of the system allows you to actually use an OS fit to your liking. In don't see a functional difference between iPhones today and the Sony Ericsson phone I had on 2003. Both just run apps and give extremely limited access to the file system. I want a real file explorer, and apps that can utilize libs/APIs that significantly improve performance (the reason why iOS browsers not based on Safari suck). I want to install apps that replicate system functions, and do so in better ways. Sometimes, in illegal ways (WiFi sniffing and unpaid tethering), but it's my choice whether or not to do them.
I don't think you'll miss anything about the iPhone. At first, you may think Android is a little clunky, nonstandard, or even un-navigable. But just give it time and you'll come to appreciate the difference between the two OSes. One provides a great out-of-the-box experience that can't be tinkered with, but everything will be generally familiar. The other provides nearly complete freedom to change how you use the phone, at the cost of a dictatorial structure. I prefer the latter, as no phone OS is even close to what I want. Android let's me add, remove, and modify itself to let me get a little closer to having a desktop in my pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Glorified dumb phone" -- Couldn't have put it better.
Right now, I'm at the point where customizations are so limited with my iPhone. I want widgets and I want to be able to move my icons where I want them and not be locked to this stupid grid. I've also ALWAYS complained about downloading apps and being kicked out of the app store to my desktop to watch the damned thing download and install. Now that they've added the ability to stay in the app store, it seems like "too little, too late."
I haven't even bothered with jailbreaking my 4s, because I know it still won't do the things that I've seen Android OS phones do.
I feel like I've reached my peak with my iPhone experience and I'd prefer so much more. I just don't want it to feel like some huge trade off because of the little idiosyncratic things that iOS has done for me. It's been very intuitive. I only used Android 2.3 for 5 months before going back to an iPhone. I didn't do much with it other than complain for 2 and a half months! LOL!
From what I hear, 4.2 on the Nexus is the best Android experience yet. That's what made me purchase it without even having a handson experience with it yet.
I came over from iOS, after being with the operating system since my first smart phone, the iPhone 3GS. (I had the 4S just before).
I'm very enthralled by my tech gadgets, and the iPhone is no exception. I jailbroke it, tweaked it to my liking, and have been content with its functionality. However, when I saw the price of this phone--also it's factory unlocked--I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to try out Android. I was a bit apprehensive at first to switch over to something completely new, but for me, the transition has been seamless.
I actually avoid much of the cloud-based systems from Apple because I have been with Google to begin with, so the integration of contacts, email, and music were such a relief, and extremely useful. The widgets in Android are analogous to Dashboard X, if you are familiar, but so much better because of their native integration.
I received my Nexus 4 the week of release, and I haven't run into any problems since then. The customization is just as awesome--if you're into that--and it's actually much better on Android because of the limitations set by iOS.
Hopefully this is useful! I'll be happy to provide any more insight if you need.
Zaimojin said:
I came over from iOS, after being with the operating system since my first smart phone, the iPhone 3GS. (I had the 4S just before).
I'm very enthralled by my tech gadgets, and the iPhone is no exception. I jailbroke it, tweaked it to my liking, and have been content with its functionality. However, when I saw the price of this phone--also it's factory unlocked--I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to try out Android. I was a bit apprehensive at first to switch over to something completely new, but for me, the transition has been seamless.
I actually avoid much of the cloud-based systems from Apple because I have been with Google to begin with, so the integration of contacts, email, and music were such a relief, and extremely useful. The widgets in Android are analogous to Dashboard X, if you are familiar, but so much better because of their native integration.
I received my Nexus 4 the week of release, and I haven't run into any problems since then. The customization is just as awesome--if you're into that--and it's actually much better on Android because of the limitations set by iOS.
Hopefully this is useful! I'll be happy to provide any more insight if you need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your train of thought seemed to be the same as mine. I saw the price-point and that it was unlocked and figured "what the heck?" This could be my only opportunity to try something new for such an awesome price. I spend that kind of money on my newest iPhone models plus a case to be locked into AT&T (snow Sprint... whew! Don't get me STARTED) to have the same features that I've already had.
The price point is enough trade off for me to buy out of my contract with Sprint and utilize one of the dealer-lines that I get for working where I do. They all require me to provide my own phone, so this is the perfect chance to do so.
As far as customizations, I haven't done anything since my 3Gs because I haven't jailbroken my 4 or 4s. I would LOVE to do more. It's just so hard to get anything done when your have the stock icons and a stock grid. Hell, my Mars Blackmon "theme" is all kinds of ruined (see the attachment). I'm anxious to get into a few more things.
Also, I, like you, have been using google since the days of the invite. So, I'm pretty sure that will be EASY AS EVER to get all of my contacts and stuff over. I'm excited about that. The thing is, I'm so deep into the Apple ecosystem. For example, my iPhone notes automatically update on my MacBook. The same goes for reminders and notifications. I like that. I feel like I'm going to miss that a lot.
Oh, and how's the music player? I'm really OCD when it comes to the organization of the music on my phone.
I don't mind not having expandable memory or LTE. Hell, I haven't had it for this long. LOL! HSPA+ will be a huge improvement over my 0.23mbps averaging Speed Tests on Sprint's network.
morejaylesswar said:
Your train of thought seemed to be the same as mine. I saw the price-point and that it was unlocked and figured "what the heck?" This could be my only opportunity to try something new for such an awesome price. I spend that kind of money on my newest iPhone models plus a case to be locked into AT&T (snow Sprint... whew! Don't get me STARTED) to have the same features that I've already had.
The price point is enough trade off for me to buy out of my contract with Sprint and utilize one of the dealer-lines that I get for working where I do. They all require me to provide my own phone, so this is the perfect chance to do so.
As far as customizations, I haven't done anything since my 3Gs because I haven't jailbroken my 4 or 4s. I would LOVE to do more. It's just so hard to get anything done when your have the stock icons and a stock grid. Hell, my Mars Blackmon "theme" is all kinds of ruined (see the attachment). I'm anxious to get into a few more things.
Also, I, like you, have been using google since the days of the invite. So, I'm pretty sure that will be EASY AS EVER to get all of my contacts and stuff over. I'm excited about that. The thing is, I'm so deep into the Apple ecosystem. For example, my iPhone notes automatically update on my MacBook. The same goes for reminders and notifications. I like that. I feel like I'm going to miss that a lot.
Oh, and how's the music player? I'm really OCD when it comes to the organization of the music on my phone.
I don't mind not having expandable memory or LTE. Hell, I haven't had it for this long. LOL! HSPA+ will be a huge improvement over my 0.23mbps averaging Speed Tests on Sprint's network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can empathize with you with syncing of notes/reminders/things Google doesn't handle because I have an iPad as well. It wasn't too huge of a loss for me because I use a Windows laptop, and my school email is integrated with gmail so the tasks work well. It definitely is something to consider though since you have a MacBook.
If I were in your shoes, it would be difficult to lose all those features because of convenient it makes everything. I'm guessing real world testing will be the only way for you to decide if you can be without it or not.
As far as the music player, I'm particularly OCD about the organization as well. It's not bad, nor is it exceptional; it does what it needs to. Since getting the Nexus, I've uploaded my music into Google Music and have been streaming it all since then--I have the grandfathered unlimited data plan from the 3GS--and it hasn't given me much issues.
The only thing I can say for certain that I sorely miss is music controls via the hardware volume buttons. I used them all the time to avoid taking my phone out of my pocket, or looking at my phone while driving. Fortunately, the feature should be brought back with ROMs in the near future, so there's not really much encouraging me to go back to my 4S.
I actually bought the 16 gb Nexus 4 because the 8 gb wasn't enough space, and I've sold the 8gb while waiting for the 16 gb to come in. I'm using my 4S again tentatively until the 16 gb comes in, and I can't believe how important screen real estate is. I really don't appreciate the 3.5 inch screen on the iPhone, nor the elongated 4 inch screen on the 5; the Nexus 4 really nice. The bigger screen size is much more useful for watching videos, and all around usage since you can see more.
morejaylesswar said:
"Glorified dumb phone" -- Couldn't have put it better.
Right now, I'm at the point where customizations are so limited with my iPhone. I want widgets and I want to be able to move my icons where I want them and not be locked to this stupid grid. I've also ALWAYS complained about downloading apps and being kicked out of the app store to my desktop to watch the damned thing download and install. Now that they've added the ability to stay in the app store, it seems like "too little, too late."
I haven't even bothered with jailbreaking my 4s, because I know it still won't do the things that I've seen Android OS phones do.
I feel like I've reached my peak with my iPhone experience and I'd prefer so much more. I just don't want it to feel like some huge trade off because of the little idiosyncratic things that iOS has done for me. It's been very intuitive. I only used Android 2.3 for 5 months before going back to an iPhone. I didn't do much with it other than complain for 2 and a half months! LOL!
From what I hear, 4.2 on the Nexus is the best Android experience yet. That's what made me purchase it without even having a handson experience with it yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've got to ask yourself a few questions. Do I need any advanced functionality? Is it extremely beneficial to be able to glance at my phone and get a lot of information at once? Are there any platform-specific apps that I use?
My father is an older gentleman and only uses his phone to call, text, check email, and check his bank accounts. He occasionally takes pictures, but he's a photographer so he prefers to use his DSLR. I certainly recommend that users like this can use an iPhone and be more content than they would with Android. The iPhone dictates your usage, which can be useful if you don't really know what you have to do. The problem with Android is that the experience from one app to another can be very different. Further, you have so much freedom, it can be difficult to know what to do.
Also, here's a little album that has some of the customizations I made to my phone. Note the navigation bar colors, the widgets, the different dpi (text size) among different apps. I can really do what I want with the phone, however limited phone OSes may be at the moment.
I will put it simply. If you are considering a switch because iPhone feels too locked down, its because it is and you have been spoiled by Android. Android does all iOS does and much more and to a higher level of complexity. I was a former iPhone user and I love that now I am able to use MY phone however I want, not how Apple intended. I can use my phone as hotspot, create an FTP, share any file via NFC or Bluetooth, use whatever ringtone, download whatever typr file I want and being able to open it, sideload apks, pretty much anything I imagine. And no iTunes, either. Good old drag and drop, usable as a pen drive for that matter.
If you are not somebody who is satisfied by simplicity, but rather seeks customizability and expandability, then it's a no brainer. Especially at that price point.
I have come from a similar position as you morejaylesswar. (iPhone 3 -> 3GS -> 4 -> 4S) I'll give you my quick and dirty opinions after having my Nexus 4 for nearly 3 weeks now. Good and bad.
GOOD:
I love the freedom of android compared to IOS, you can just do so much more. Even more than a jailbroken iphone.
The screen size is great, at first i thought it was maybe a bit big for me but it didn't take long to get used to it, going back to my 4S which i still have seems way to small now in comparison.
Widget, widget, widgets!! i will say no more than that
NFC, i love using NFC tags for switching profiles e.t.c like switching bluetooth on, wifi off and launching the music player for when i get in my car.
EQ for the music player, this was one of my BIG issues with IOS. Why they never added just a simple 3 or 5 band EQ to the iphone i will never know.
BAD:
The camera on the nexus is poor compared to the 4S, outdoor shots in good light are ok but anything else is frustratingly bad, slow shutter speed, noisy images and a flash thats WAY too bright.
Music apps, this is obviously a personal one but if you like using music production apps (Korg e.t.c) you will be disappointed by the lack of apps on the play store, something to do with the lag thats inherent in the android os.
Battery life, my standby time is good but actually using the phone eats the battery like hell, of course this is to be expected with such a large screen but it is just a bit of a shock when first coming over from the 4S.
All in all the goods outweigh the bads for me by a long way, and i can only see me loving android (and my Nexus) more and more as i learn more about android and what i can do with it. I was bored with IOS, i didn't think it had evolved enough in the last few years and had become a bit stale.
morejaylesswar said:
Are there any Nexus 4 users that switched from an iPhone? What features do you miss? Does the Nexus 4 adequately make the transition seamless?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Things I miss about my iPhone 4/5.
iMessages (medium issue)
In areas where I have wifi and no cell signal (ie: work), it was convenient for me to communicate with people who had iOS
Size (minor issue)
Some people will argue this, but my i5 was perfect for jogging, I could hold it in my hand, switch tunes, even text one handed.. a little trickier on the N4 but not impossible.
LTE (minor issue)
Yes I do miss it, it's not as big of an issue but I did love the fast speeds that were available in my city.
Screen (very minor issue)
Side by side the i5's screen (to me) is a tad bit better than the N4.
All in all though, I am very satisfied with the N4. I thought I'd be reaching for my iPhone 5 again (I have a nano converter so I can easily switch it back out) but I find myself just using the N4 exclusively now. As people have said the customization will keep you busy for a while, and just the sheer amount of things you can do vs iOS is just night and day.
Argenist said:
Things I miss about my iPhone 4/5.
iMessages (medium issue)
In areas where I have wifi and no cell signal (ie: work), it was convenient for me to communicate with people who had iOS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just use Google Talk, it's an open platform that's not just locked to Apple users, you can type, voice call, or video call anyone. Be it Android, Apple, PC or whatever...
The reason I would never touch any Apple product is it's proprietary nature that use to lock users in (hardware connectors, quicktime format, iCloud/iMessage etc)
germanj said:
I will put it simply. If you are considering a switch because iPhone feels too locked down, its because it is and you have been spoiled by Android. Android does all iOS does and much more and to a higher level of complexity. I was a former iPhone user and I love that now I am able to use MY phone however I want, not how Apple intended. I can use my phone as hotspot, create an FTP, share any file via NFC or Bluetooth, use whatever ringtone, download whatever typr file I want and being able to open it, sideload apks, pretty much anything I imagine. And no iTunes, either. Good old drag and drop, usable as a pen drive for that matter.
If you are not somebody who is satisfied by simplicity, but rather seeks customizability and expandability, then it's a no brainer. Especially at that price point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being that I am a Mac user, iTunes (unfortunately) is a huge part of my life. I hate the time it takes to sync my iPhone. I mean, seriously, there is years worth of stuff in my iTunes. I'm a music hoarder. '
You're right, dealing with Android everyday, I'm a bit spoiled. In my down times at work, I'd rather browse on the Galaxy S III at my job than my own phone. I haven't gotten into messing around with it for more than what I do on my iPhone and that's just browsing, updating my social networks, and watching videos. It's just because I don't know WHAT to do. I know I can do more, but man, that's all I can do on my iPhone. LOL. I haven't downloaded an app in forever while I'm out because Sprint's network is PAINFULLY SLOW. I wish I would've stuck with AT&T.
Google boasts having over 700,000 apps. I'm looking forward to getting into that. I also haven't owned an Android device since it went to the "Play Store." The 'Market' was one of my big complaints when I used Android. It just wasn't my well known 'App Store.' Google Play has come a HECK OF A LONG WAY. Man, I'm impressed at how clean it looks and how user friendly it is.
Oh yes i forgot one more thing...
The search facility on the Nexus is nowhere near as good as the Spotlight search on IOS. You cannot for example type a name in and have it show all emails, texts, notes, calendar things related to that search. Also there is no option to search within any exchange email accounts you have setup.
To say that google is the king of search engines this is a little disappointing
keepittidy said:
I have come from a similar position as you morejaylesswar. (iPhone 3 -> 3GS -> 4 -> 4S) I'll give you my quick and dirty opinions after having my Nexus 4 for nearly 3 weeks now. Good and bad.
GOOD:
I love the freedom of android compared to IOS, you can just do so much more. Even more than a jailbroken iphone.
The screen size is great, at first i thought it was maybe a bit big for me but it didn't take long to get used to it, going back to my 4S which i still have seems way to small now in comparison.
Widget, widget, widgets!! i will say no more than that
NFC, i love using NFC tags for switching profiles e.t.c like switching bluetooth on, wifi off and launching the music player for when i get in my car.
EQ for the music player, this was one of my BIG issues with IOS. Why they never added just a simple 3 or 5 band EQ to the iphone i will never know.
BAD:
The camera on the nexus is poor compared to the 4S, outdoor shots in good light are ok but anything else is frustratingly bad, slow shutter speed, noisy images and a flash thats WAY too bright.
Music apps, this is obviously a personal one but if you like using music production apps (Korg e.t.c) you will be disappointed by the lack of apps on the play store, something to do with the lag thats inherent in the android os.
Battery life, my standby time is good but actually using the phone eats the battery like hell, of course this is to be expected with such a large screen but it is just a bit of a shock when first coming over from the 4S.
All in all the goods outweigh the bads for me by a long way, and i can only see me loving android (and my Nexus) more and more as i learn more about android and what i can do with it. I was bored with IOS, i didn't think it had evolved enough in the last few years and had become a bit stale.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The music apps is why I have to keep a mobile Apple product. I've already figured that it would be my iPad, since I use that the least. I'm a musician, songwriter, and recording and mix engineer. There are so many apps that make my life easy when it comes to that stuff. I have apps that control my recording consoles, actual mobile DAWs that allow me to sketch ideas out and export them into their full counterparts on my Mac.
I know that I will be having some tradeoff with the Nexus S speaker vs the iPhone speaker. When I'm at home, but not in my studio, I use my iPhone speaker to play the music that I am writing to at the time. I don't use headphones to write, because I need to hear myself as I go over the material.
Damn, another thing I will miss is the ability to control my iTunes if I have something playing there, but am pacing around my workspace while I'm writing. Unless there is an app that allows me to control those kinds of things wirelessly on Android. That'd be pretty dope.
I'm interested to see how the battery performs. Despite EVERYONE saying the 4s had horrible battery life... I've gotten 1.5 to 2 days out of it sometimes. But that's because I don't run many apps because of my network and all I do is read sports news on it right now. I feel so caged, lol.
keepittidy said:
Oh yes i forgot one more thing...
The search facility on the Nexus is nowhere near as good as the Spotlight search on IOS. You cannot for example type a name in and have it show all emails, texts, notes, calendar things related to that search. Also there is no option to search within any exchange email accounts you have setup.
To say that google is the king of search engines this is a little disappointing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google had that on the Galaxy Nexus until Apple sued them over it and made them change the search because "they had that idea patented." (BREAKING: They also have breathing through the nose, walking upright, and the opposable thumb patented, too.) The less informed customers that shop at my location were nervous that Apple would make them forfeit their device over those lawsuits. LOL. It was so strange.
Argenist said:
Things I miss about my iPhone 4/5.
iMessages (medium issue)
In areas where I have wifi and no cell signal (ie: work), it was convenient for me to communicate with people who had iOS
Size (minor issue)
Some people will argue this, but my i5 was perfect for jogging, I could hold it in my hand, switch tunes, even text one handed.. a little trickier on the N4 but not impossible.
LTE (minor issue)
Yes I do miss it, it's not as big of an issue but I did love the fast speeds that were available in my city.
Screen (very minor issue)
Side by side the i5's screen (to me) is a tad bit better than the N4.
All in all though, I am very satisfied with the N4. I thought I'd be reaching for my iPhone 5 again (I have a nano converter so I can easily switch it back out) but I find myself just using the N4 exclusively now. As people have said the customization will keep you busy for a while, and just the sheer amount of things you can do vs iOS is just night and day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iMessage has saved my life on more than one occasion. Most recently, my brother hadn't paid his half of the phone bill and our phone service was cut off. I had no idea until I was running late for work because of traffic and had to call into my job to let someone know. Long story short, I was able to turn on my hotspot (provided by my job) and iMessage someone to let them know of the situation.
As far as the screen size, most people laugh at me because of how small the iPhone looks in my hands. I'm 6'8" and can palm a basketball with ease. So, holding the Nexus 4 will probably be more natural to my hand than the iPhone is. I'm just used to it.
Zaimojin said:
I can empathize with you with syncing of notes/reminders/things Google doesn't handle because I have an iPad as well. It wasn't too huge of a loss for me because I use a Windows laptop, and my school email is integrated with gmail so the tasks work well. It definitely is something to consider though since you have a MacBook.
If I were in your shoes, it would be difficult to lose all those features because of convenient it makes everything. I'm guessing real world testing will be the only way for you to decide if you can be without it or not.
As far as the music player, I'm particularly OCD about the organization as well. It's not bad, nor is it exceptional; it does what it needs to. Since getting the Nexus, I've uploaded my music into Google Music and have been streaming it all since then--I have the grandfathered unlimited data plan from the 3GS--and it hasn't given me much issues.
The only thing I can say for certain that I sorely miss is music controls via the hardware volume buttons. I used them all the time to avoid taking my phone out of my pocket, or looking at my phone while driving. Fortunately, the feature should be brought back with ROMs in the near future, so there's not really much encouraging me to go back to my 4S.
I actually bought the 16 gb Nexus 4 because the 8 gb wasn't enough space, and I've sold the 8gb while waiting for the 16 gb to come in. I'm using my 4S again tentatively until the 16 gb comes in, and I can't believe how important screen real estate is. I really don't appreciate the 3.5 inch screen on the iPhone, nor the elongated 4 inch screen on the 5; the Nexus 4 really nice. The bigger screen size is much more useful for watching videos, and all around usage since you can see more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, I definitely had to do the 16GB, because of how much music I have. I'm certain that my music will overtake this phone... So much so that I'm thinking about just getting an iPod for my car.
Unlimited data is precisely why I chose T-Mobile over AT&T. When I left AT&T last year, I obviously forfeited my unlimited. I don't use much data now (again, blame Sprint) but if I have to do a lot of cloud based things, I'd much rather be on T-Mobile. As well, in my area, when I speed test the T-Mobile phones at my store, I get about 15-20mbps on TMO HSPA+ 42 over AT&T's 3-5mbps on HSPA+ 14.1.
morejaylesswar said:
Being that I am a Mac user, iTunes (unfortunately) is a huge part of my life. I hate the time it takes to sync my iPhone. I mean, seriously, there is years worth of stuff in my iTunes. I'm a music hoarder. '
You're right, dealing with Android everyday, I'm a bit spoiled. In my down times at work, I'd rather browse on the Galaxy S III at my job than my own phone. I haven't gotten into messing around with it for more than what I do on my iPhone and that's just browsing, updating my social networks, and watching videos. It's just because I don't know WHAT to do. I know I can do more, but man, that's all I can do on my iPhone. LOL. I haven't downloaded an app in forever while I'm out because Sprint's network is PAINFULLY SLOW. I wish I would've stuck with AT&T.
Google boasts having over 700,000 apps. I'm looking forward to getting into that. I also haven't owned an Android device since it went to the "Play Store." The 'Market' was one of my big complaints when I used Android. It just wasn't my well known 'App Store.' Google Play has come a HECK OF A LONG WAY. Man, I'm impressed at how clean it looks and how user friendly it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are hundreds of apps that make your transition from iTunes a breeze. But for perspective, also note there are no apps of this nature in iOS. For example, Kies software from Samsung. A lot of free apps from the market, such as DoubleTwist, easysync, etc. But you don't even need an app for ios->android, once more thanks to the openness (?) of the OS. On iTunes preferences there is a box that let's it organize everything in their own folders (iTunes media folder, Michael Jackson, bad, for example). Its all organized, you would just need to drag and drop into the phone music folder and Google Music takes care of the rest. Not to mention the plethora of music apps.