Related
I've noticed a couple times scrolling through the forums that an outsider interested in buying the phone might be turned away if they read through here. Of course, odds are they wouldn't come to XDA in the first place, but still the complaints - though in the minority - are most obvious.
Tired of all the hater threads? Love your HD2 as much as I do? Enjoy the looks of envy from 3GS users? This is our thread
Besides, the best unexpected side benefit of the HD2: plentiful opportunities for "that's what she said."
Wow... the counter part entitled "Lets face it: HD2 (and XDA!) is f*in amazing!". Things are getting interesting.
The best thing I love about HD2 is screen, CPU, WiFi router and Remote Desktop Mobile (my personal favourite). Perhaps a couple of other "diamonds sparkling behind the rock". You need to dig to get the diamonds....lol...
I received envy, but not necessarily quite the type I thought...!
I was at the shops waiting for my GF, playing with my HD2. A little boy probably around 10yo was with his mum sitting next to me spotted me playing games.
Boy: "Look there mum!! See!! EVERYONE has an iPhone!!"
Surprisingly, I was actually slightly offended that someone would mistake the HD2 as an Apple product...but he was only a kid so I kept quiet and just continued playing...hehe.
Love it all, screen crisp and clear, fast fast fast processor and navigates really easily and well, surprising ease of use input methods, that fact that while its big it doesnt feel too big when using it as a phone, how clear and loud the speakers are, plays movies really well and so much better than I expected, really easy to use and individualise... so much more that I'm afraid if I keep typing it will look like I am gushing...
I sold My iPhone 3gs to buy this.................. best thing I have done
dzf said:
I received envy, but not necessarily quite the type I thought...!
I was at the shops waiting for my GF, playing with my HD2. A little boy probably around 10yo was with his mum sitting next to me spotted me playing games.
Boy: "Look there mum!! See!! EVERYONE has an iPhone!!"
Surprisingly, I was actually slightly offended that someone would mistake the HD2 as an Apple product...[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Silly boy that was. It's clear that the hd2 more looks like an iPad than an iPhone
best phone ever in my eye`s. customized to my every need with no bugs, Absolutely love it
gutuff said:
I sold My iPhone 3gs to buy this.................. best thing I have done
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+ 1 and couldn't agree more
oh boy... there we go again...
... I'll just add, that I can play street fighter alpha 3 full speed with sound while sitting on the damn toilet. at the moment there's nothing better than hd2 to run playstation emulator.
oh yeah... it's a decent phone too...
im lovin my hd2 tbh. my last phone was an omnia and over at modaco there is a great rom scene, i havent even tried a custom rom on the hd2 yet, so i havent scratched the surface on what this amazin piece of kit can offer! the best thing about wm is defo the customization.
the screen on this device is something else, web browsing is amazing (im writin this on hd2 now).
xda is brilliant, this forum is so active, lots going on!!
bronx said:
oh boy... there we go again...
... I'll just add, that I can play street fighter alpha 3 full speed with sound while sitting on the damn toilet. at the moment there's nothing better than hd2 to run playstation emulator.
oh yeah... it's a decent phone too...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right on lol nothing like playing crash bandicoot 3 and gran turismo 2 when your taking a dump haha
normally i`m not responding in threads starting HD2 is bleh bleh, but now +1, loving it...
Finally a thread that makes sense
I love the screen, the wifi speed, the speed in the menus, the video playback (streaming with coreplayer of course), the pinch to zoom, the hardware, sense 2.5, the screen resolution and again that screen... so beautiful
moved from xperia x1, the processor is twice fast and so the screen!
still at stock Rom until my spare battery arrive best phone in winmo era!
buy another iptouch if you want to play fancy game, affordable compared to awesome HD2
At work yesterday I showed a mate who has an iPhone, side by side the HD2 just looks SOOOO much nicer
Htc hd2 ftw
I hope i'll be able to write a line or two in this thread next week
I love the HD2, the wonderful screen estate, the speed and all the wonderful mods. XDA-developers is the one reason I stayed with HTC phones and not gone for others. All the help and wonderful tweaks and modifications just make the phone unique to us and we feel so free to do as we like without being restricted.
Best time was when a iPhone 3gs owner got envious of my HD2 XD
And as many o got offended when some ppl have misstaken it for a iPhone >.<
HD2 looks way better than a iPhone, faster too ^^.
Just a quick one from a very loyal windows phone user who went to iPhone 3GS and then played with a HD2...
There are MANY reasons to go back to windows/HTC and given that I have been using the 3GS for around 6 months now, it's quite a big thing to say.
There are also many reasons to stay with the iPhone.
To be honest, the functionality and hardware...the HD2 wins hands down and not a single person can say otherwise.
Software-wise - I have to admit, the same BUT, when I went back to the iPhone, I couldnt help noticing the simplicity of it all which sometimes made it a bit better to use.
There were also a few niggles that the iPhone seemed to not have
Other: The appstore.
This is where the iPhone won over the market place.
The apps are cheap, there are plenty of them around and some of the very few games that I always have to have on a phone (need for speed/asphalt) were a lot better on the iPhone.
Why am I going back to the iPhone?
Only one reason after all that testing... logmein!
I heavily use logmein for home/work and this is something that is too flakey on the HD2.
iPhone has an app, its all done via the app. Related to this, the web side of things work very well on the iphone where zooming in still fits the page to the screen.
Niggles:
Main one is that the Audi and the HD2 don't like each other in that the contacts are only syncing up to the letter N
Second was emails i found easier on the iphone (don't shout!)
I love the idea of how it displays on the HD2 but hate the idea that to delete, I have to go into another screen or whatever. This is going back to Simplicity that you have 4 icons, one to reply, one to delete, and whatever the others do ON the email in question. Same goes for multiselect...going to a menu, select, select several is 3 screens to many and the iPhone slide>delete individually is still "simpler"
having said all of this, if I had never touched the iPhone, I would not have realised any of the above and gone for the HD2
But the way I work is to take the HD2, not use the 3GS, and see if I need to use the 3GS for anything...if not, the HD2 is a winner.
And in this case, it did win had it not been for the bluetooth and logmein.
End of the day, it's all personal preference and I know for a fact I'll go back to HTC/WinMo once I get what I want on it
Right now, I just dont know what to do and still have both devices in my pocket
So both my parents and 2 of my brothers use iphones (various flavors except the iphone 4)...but all of them have been jealous of my Nexus One since I got it, none of them even want the iphone 4 since they've already seen what my n1 is capable of, and I just helped my dad order his very own today.
Just thought I'd share =)
MaximReapage said:
So both my parents and 2 of my brothers use iphones (various flavors except the iphone 4)...but all of them have been jealous of my Nexus One since I got it, none of them even want the iphone 4 since they've already seen what my n1 is capable of, and I just helped my dad order his very own today.
Just thought I'd share =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats, they wont regret it.
What were the big things that won them over?
My 50+ (cough) year old mum was the same.
She even went and bought it from google a few months back without my even knowing. It was the speed that she loved. And all the handy little apps/features. Like the app for videoing while its in the car dock.
Former iPhone user here. Bought an iPhone 4 this morning just to see how I liked it. I couldn't be happier to have a nexus! The screen on the 4 is certainly nice, but the colors and saturation on the Nexus are still much better, and the OS flexibility can't be beat. Recently converted my girlfriend too
Wife is getting an Aria today, has a 3G right now. She just liked the way my Nexus felt, how it can be tweaked and adjusted easily. She's not a big techie, and she has her reservations (itunes, apps she uses, etc) but I'm getting those details ironed out for her.
I'll be glad to finally have buying her the damned iphone for her birthday a few years ago off my conscience. She really wanted it, but I felt like a tool buying it regardless.
Very nice. Good work!
I have a family member that loves it, but they've been using a Mac for so long they have tons of contacts and itunes junk that they insist they can only use an iphone for... but refuse to get off verizon. It's frustrating because they really like android and all it can do, but are limiting themselves to staying in such a small world.
Everyone else I show it to, loves it and would get it right now if they could afford it.
I would say don't push too hard. I'm an Android developer, so obviously I want as many handsets in as many hands as possible. But the platform is still immature when compared to iOS (I cannot comment on Froyo).
There are some very fundamental ui caveats still lurking within Android, and attempting to 'convert' non-techie relatives who enjoy Apple's idiot-proof experience may put them off the platform in the future when it gets a bit more user friendly (I hear this is the main goal of Gingerbread).
But, if they're willing to put up with the occasional task-management and UI bugs, I'm all for expanding the Android flock, ye.
Made a few of my friends and family convert too. Specially after this.
Just tested out my coworkers iphone 4. I am very impressed with the camera and noticed how clear the text are in the browser, everything else though my Froyo Frf85 Nexus just dominated.
Here are basis of my comparison:
-Iphone looks real gorgeous, maybe a little bit sexier than the nexus.
-Iphone 4 multi touch is a lot better than the nexus.
-Checkered image when you scroll down really fast on the iphone browser.
-Iphone virtual keyboard is more refined.
-Youtube video quality is noticeably better on the Nexus
-Web Browsing on the Nexus is a lot faster than the iphone, 5-10second difference even with flash on.
-Camera on the iPhone 4 is better, but its a close call.
-Customization on the iphone is still limited.
-Multi tasking is limited on the iphone 4, I probably wasn't using it right but it stopped the music after a certain number of apps opened.
-Market apps on the iphone are ridiculously expensive.
-Sound quality are about the same. I have a kernel with audio hack so that's probably why.
-App rendering is obviously faster with JIT.
Other things:
-OTA is not available for iPhone, you will need a comp to update.
-Market apps are expensive and not refundable on the iPhone.
-I love the trackball on the nexus. I use it a lot.
-Navigation on the Nexus is free and would compare to the 50$ navigation app for the iPhone.
-Flash support on the nexus.
-Tethering for the Nexus.
-Speed advantage on the Nexus.
That's all I can think of for now.
koolin said:
What were the big things that won them over?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flexibility/customization, Android-specific apps (quickdesk, y5, locale, etc) coming unlocked, 1 GHz CPU, Google Navigation, Flash, high-res screen (compared to previous iphones, obviously...still a close call with iphone 4), and the big one for my dad was the charging pins and interchangeable batteries (I take these for granted now!).
clickwir said:
I have a family member that loves it, but they've been using a Mac for so long they have tons of contacts and itunes junk that they insist they can only use an iphone for... but refuse to get off verizon. It's frustrating because they really like android and all it can do, but are limiting themselves to staying in such a small world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
itunes you say?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY3U2GXhz44
Start at 33 minutes =)
Yeah, once i bought my Nexus One I showed it to my co-workers and they were very interested in it. One of them I converted from a BBerry to the Eris, and another from a dumb phone to the Droid.
I never realized how Android gains my favor so quickly
nexus one has one key requirement iphone never has: ogg vorbis support (90% of music I encoded are in ogg vorbis), so I can play them right out of the box without installing ANY codec.
Now I collected official IMs for nexus one (MSN, Yahoo, AIM, and gtalk of course), can iphone do it?
After having my nexus one updated to FRF85B, I can purchase slingplayer and it can play over either 3G or wifi, can iphone do it?
Another benefit I don't use much with Froyo: native wifi tethering. This is the main reason I made a switch from WM to Android and get Nexus One. The phone is the most expensive one I ever had even it's unlocked, but this is also one of the best investment I did so far.
MaximReapage said:
itunes you say?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY3U2GXhz44
Start at 33 minutes =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that is a quite nice feature. I sure hope they get it working well.
However, this person has a lot of professional contacts in their (I don't know what it's called) Mac Mail.?. And I suppose the iphone has great (as I would expect nothing less) synchronization with itunes and mail contacts.
Now, if this was someone that was just a casual user, no problem. Suck it up and re-type in your contacts in gmail. But they've got business cards, letterhead, etc etc. Now, if an Android device can integrate with that and make it as seamless (or nearly) as the iphone, they'd be on android already.
plastix said:
My 50+ (cough) year old mum was the same.
She even went and bought it from google a few months back without my even knowing. It was the speed that she loved. And all the handy little apps/features. Like the app for videoing while its in the car dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What app do you use for video while in the car dock? What does the app do?
Great review, thanks.
rjhay22 said:
Made a few of my friends and family convert too. Specially after this.
Just tested out my coworkers iphone 4. I am very impressed with the camera and noticed how clear the text are in the browser, everything else though my Froyo Frf85 Nexus just dominated.
Here are basis of my comparison:
-Iphone looks real gorgeous, maybe a little bit sexier than the nexus.
-Iphone 4 multi touch is a lot better than the nexus.
-Checkered image when you scroll down really fast on the iphone browser.
-Iphone virtual keyboard is more refined.
-Youtube video quality is noticeably better on the Nexus
-Web Browsing on the Nexus is a lot faster than the iphone, 5-10second difference even with flash on.
-Camera on the iPhone 4 is better, but its a close call.
-Customization on the iphone is still limited.
-Multi tasking is limited on the iphone 4, I probably wasn't using it right but it stopped the music after a certain number of apps opened.
-Market apps on the iphone are ridiculously expensive.
-Sound quality are about the same. I have a kernel with audio hack so that's probably why.
-App rendering is obviously faster with JIT.
Other things:
-OTA is not available for iPhone, you will need a comp to update.
-Market apps are expensive and not refundable on the iPhone.
-I love the trackball on the nexus. I use it a lot.
-Navigation on the Nexus is free and would compare to the 50$ navigation app for the iPhone.
-Flash support on the nexus.
-Tethering for the Nexus.
-Speed advantage on the Nexus.
That's all I can think of for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
clickwir said:
Yes, that is a quite nice feature. I sure hope they get it working well.
However, this person has a lot of professional contacts in their (I don't know what it's called) Mac Mail.?. And I suppose the iphone has great (as I would expect nothing less) synchronization with itunes and mail contacts.
Now, if this was someone that was just a casual user, no problem. Suck it up and re-type in your contacts in gmail. But they've got business cards, letterhead, etc etc. Now, if an Android device can integrate with that and make it as seamless (or nearly) as the iphone, they'd be on android already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If iphone is capable of this, copy contacts to SIM card, then move onto phone memory on new device...it's what I did when I moved from my Fuze to my N1 =D
MaximReapage said:
If iphone is capable of this, copy contacts to SIM card, then move onto phone memory on new device...it's what I did when I moved from my Fuze to my N1 =D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the sim card itself does not have a lot of space, basically its just a id number that the gsm company then reads and allows access to the function that are paid for based on the id number.
Blueman101 said:
the sim card itself does not have a lot of space, basically its just a id number that the gsm company then reads and allows access to the function that are paid for based on the id number.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just successfully copied 363 contacts from my phone memory onto my SIM card. Any idea how many contacts she has?
You can export contacts from the mac address book to gmail which then automatically syncs with the nexus and hey presto your mac contacts are on your phone. Don't know about letter heads but everything else worked for me. Google it.
I consider myself a heavy user of all iDevices (iPod, iPhone, iPad, Macs, Apple TV), Blackberry phones and I could not resist myself the moment I saw the Galaxy Note. I ended up owning one and I really fell in love with that device the moment I held it my hands.
My experience with Note is just 1 week old and I wonder if there are any features that I am already / will be missing from iPhone/iPad world going forward. This is not a review and it is just my observation, opinion of what I feel
Here you go!
Hardware:
The galaxy note IMO is far more superior in the hardware specification than the iPhone 4s right the processor speed, performance, resolution, screen technology, feel.
OS:
Is it better than iOS? Well, can't say! iOS always had a clean interface. No cribs on Android either. Highly customizable, looks great and ICS looks promising (can't wait for it though)
Too many options are good
Battery
Note's battery lasts for nearly 16 hrs on moderate use and is definitely better than iPhone.
Display
One word! Gorgeous! Black is truly black and I believer that there are just too many posts complaining about patchy surface beneath the screen. I guess that is by design and I am not worried. The performance is flawless! Show stealer and all my friends who saw the demo could not close their mouth ;-)
Gestures:
I am not missing anything here! Supports all the gestures!
Apps:
I almost find all the apps in the Android market place that I used to use daily on my iPhone / iPad except a few (Love ArtRage on my iPad). I am sure the developers must be working on it. Only crib is that I need to buy them again. I wish there is a platform independent licensing mechanism.
iCloud
Yes, I am missing the iCloud backup / Restore across all my devices. But, at the end of the day I own only 1 Android phone and I believe the backup is happening here on either Google/Samsung. Experts?
Airplay
Yes, I miss it and I am not quite happy with AllShare (DLNA) as the videos don't play. This only plays Audio, Photos on DLNA certified systems and not what I watch on youtube etc.
In Apple world, the AirPlay is just awesome and helped us watch things directly on the TV using Apple TV.
PC Indepent
Truly it is. Till date iOS always depended on a machine and this dependency is removed only with iOS5. In the past one week, I have not connect my Note to any of my machines even once and fully operational within minutes of the purchase!
Audio / Call quality
Not missing anything here. Had too many confusions after reading user reviews and finally i wanted to give it a try and compromise even if the SQ is not that great. I am glad that I did it.
To my ears, the sound is equally good between iPhone and Note. But I found that the music quality is much better with the stock player than using 3rd party EQ/Amps. Somehow, the PowerAmp kills the quality. Not using it any more.
Missing iTunes? I don't think so. I copy my songs the microSD and job is done. Genius playlists? Never use them. No cribs!
iTunes Music Match? Wont work in my country!!
Oh, Did I say the FM quality is good?
Similarly no complaints on call quality either. crystal clear and I am using all default settings while placing the call. I am not disabling noise canceling as some users do.
Car friendliness:
Well, not too much happy as holding it on one hand is an issue while driving. Connects seamlessly with my Parrot BT hooked up to my Alpine and hence no major issues!
However, iPhone is equally bad and not superior. '
I guess it is more to do with lock screens and touch screens as I am more used to using my Blackberry Bold for business purposes to engage in conference calls (Dial a bridge and key in a 6-10 digit PIN code). Just imagine typing the PIN using one hand in Note. Really a struggle and it is too dangerous! On BB, I can feel the keys and type, while I watch the road.
Voice Recognition
Frankly I am not a big fan of this and hence not considering Siri too here. I don't think we can mimic US accent, how much ever we try and hence giving up on that!
Tamil eBooks
My tamil collection worked nicely on iBooks and on Note, I had to struggle a bit for Android. Finally I ended up Moon Reader and Cool Reader for tamil language support. I like Moon+Reader better than the Aldiko!
Timer control to make the phone sleep is missing in Note.
Mails / Messages
Both seamlessly connect to Exchange 2010 and IMO, Android uses advanced features (integrating the SMS) with Exchange better than iOS.
iPod Docking
In my car I am used to connecting my iPhone using the provided dock and connect to Parrot BT using bluetooth.
I know my Alpine suppers hard disks, USB disks etc. Need to buy the accessory to mount my phone so that I can play the songs! Will update once i get it!
Some of the above are just OS related and really not device related though!!
My 2 cents!
onlt thing i miss from iphone is android market is not selling items to my country so making tricks to get paid apps is not a good thing. iphone doesnt have this kşnd of issues.
I came from a IP3,3gs&4.
I miss bubble notifications, i know u can get them on launchers/themes but they don't cover a lot of apps like whatapp, work email etc.
Also on a jail broken ip4 the lock screen app vis on cydia is great. All my emails,SMS,whatapp / notifcations at the lockscreen. Didn't have to unlock to read first few lines of a notification.
So its just software hopefully ill get what i need when someone devs it
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
I will never sell my iphone
iphone apps>>>>>>>>>>>android
So the sole reason you're keeping your iDevices is apps? I know the i ones tend to be more polished UI wise but that will come in time on Android, and seriously, how many apps exist on the i ecosystem that you can't substitute with an Android app, or come close?
Just wondering...
Games apps etc are all better on iphone more fluid and look better
Tamil eBooks
My tamil collection worked nicely on iBooks and on Note, I had to struggle a bit for Android. Finally I ended up Moon Reader and Cool Reader for tamil language support. I like Moon+Reader better than the Aldiko!
If your files are epub try Go Books it looks nice I used to use Moon+reader but switched up
oh.... let's see.... I missed the fact that my thumb can reach edge to edge of the screen on any of the iPhones. I also missed the slow evolution of the iDevices but they made sure we didn't feel cheap about it by selling them at a higher price than similar devices.
Gosh... there are so many paid apps that are so polished that the Androids will never catch up to.....
iFanbois, please get a life.
darkmax1974 said:
oh.... let's see.... I missed the fact that my thumb can reach edge to edge of the screen on any of the iPhones. I also missed the slow evolution of the iDevices but they made sure we didn't feel cheap about it by selling them at a higher price than similar devices.
Gosh... there are so many paid apps that are so polished that the Androids will never catch up to.....
iFanbois, please get a life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The irony
In 2 weeks I miss the app store, the ease of use, the polished ios5 and most importantly the sync. Android sync is absolute garbage!
The rest of the stuff the note wins hands down, I'll bear with it till the iphone 5 comes out and see what that looks like, may even go back to windows if I dont ever manage to sync this thing properly
From 3GS to 4 to Note..
I miss activator from Cydia to features from status bar.
No yet enuf reading, is it activator or something similiar exist?
Like to activate/click on status bar from running app to return to home screen without clickinf on the physical button.(To minimize using of the button that frequently faulty.on my iphone)
TapaTalking on Note
vprabu said:
I consider myself a heavy user ,,,,,
iCloud
Yes, I am missing the iCloud backup / Restore across all my devices. But, at the end of the day I own only 1 Android phone and I believe the backup is happening here on either Google/Samsung. Experts?
.......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you try Dropbox? 2GB Free. By the way, if you use this link: http://db.tt/bO7rycn we both will win + 250 Free MB
I would say the apps are better on iOS. More of them, and better quality.
I had that great periodic table app, not on Android. Also there many more star map apps on iOS. Google Sky sux.
Android is very popular, maybe not as much as Apple devices but for how popular Android is I am surprised that more of the polished apps haven't been ported.
The thing I DON'T miss is iTunes. God i hate that app and the fact that you MUST use it to do anything on iOS.
I miss how easy it was to copy and paste, going back to a letter in word for correcting mistakes, and tiny wings
I don't miss the small screen, no flash, and no custom ROMS
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
darkmax1974 said:
iFanbois, please get a life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We don't need those post's here. If you don't agree with him, discuss the topic, stay away from fanboy talk. The best way to let it die is to deny it exist's, lets keep it real.
I'm planning on buying a Note and keeping my iPhone 4(jailbroken) at first at least. I want to see where my needs are met or lost first. I'd like to be able to have the Note replace both my iPhone 4 and my HTC Flyer, but as it stands both devices are very nice singularly. I love my iPhone, and I love my Flyer. Both Android and iOS bring a lot to the table, Thanks for your incite on this thread!
From my personal experience
Hardware - android ++++++
Software - ios ++++++
I'm an android user but have been playing with several friends' iphones. I was always impressed with how polished the iOS in terms of smoothness and design. The sheer number of apps and how good some of them were also made me jealous. But in the end I can't imagine living a day-to-day life with a device so limited by one man's vision. These things are to be used the way somebody wants me to use them (including the way I grip the phone ;P). I'm aware that it really depends on personal preference but I'm a power user and being told how to use my device is simply an insult to me (and a painful limitation of course). On android I feel free.
Pere said:
Why don't you try Dropbox? 2GB Free. By the way, if you use this link: http://db.tt/bO7rycn we both will win + 250 Free MB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do use Dropbox. But what I meant is that the devices synching our data (including apps) effortlessly.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
drgopoos said:
From my personal experience
Hardware - android ++++++
Software - ios ++++++
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I partly agree. To me softwares / apps are still 3rd party stuff and they still do a good job when they support both the platforms. However the developers who are not familiar with UI/UX and when they create apps only on android, the UI is a bit lousy.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
I miss the way Music Player in iOS creating playlist. I find it more convenient as I always like to create playlists each day going out.
And honestly, the way iOS manage apps is better, I dont have to worry if I leave anything running in the background that killing the phone battery.
Anyway, I'm in love with my Note now
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
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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.
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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.
Sorry for the editorial here but I just had to get this off my chest regardless if anyone reads it or responds. I love my Nexus 7 (2013) but it's been giving me a lot of problems (hardware and software). I decided to upgrade to a bigger tablet and sell my nexus 7 in the process but there weren't really any 10" tablet that enticed me. I have a Note 2 and I love it, but can't stand the hardware buttons on the Note 10.1 (2014 edition). I briefly considered getting a Nexus 10 but it's a year old hardware and I would be very angry if I bought it only for Google to get off their ass and actually announce/release a new Nexus 10 a few weeks or a months later. So....I went to my nearest Apple store and picked up an iPad Air 64gb.
I'm not gonna lie, I loved it. I haven't used iOS in so long but the feel and fluidity of the iPad just brought me back. I went through the app store buying all the apps I've ever wanted but were never ported (or were gimped) on android. Man I was flying high.......until I actually started using the apps and I fell fast and hard. Is there anyone else on here who owns even one iDevice? Because I don't know if iOS is just objectively this bad or if years on android has spoiled me.
First of all, I completely forgot what a horrible experice you can have using iTunes. Ever since I discovered MediaMonkey and sold my iPod I haven't had any experience with iTunes beyond helping my Mom here and there. I think it's been so long that I manged to convince myself that iTunes wasn't so bad. The fact that iTunes and the app store don't automatically sync my purchases still to this day is mind boggling. If I buy something on my brand new out of the box Nexus 7, it's available in my app list on the Play store and across all devices. If I buy something on my iPad then uninstall it, I can't recover it on iTunes on my computer unless i manually plug in my iPad and sync it first. I appreciate the fact that unlike the Play store web browser, iTunes actually auto suggests titles based a first few letters of my search query but what good is it if iTunes crashes ALL THE DAMN TIME. I've had iTunes crash 7 times in one hour. Hell, I've made in-app purchases that don't download to my device for over 24 hours.
In apps, I kept getting buried under menus. I had to back out over and over just to get to certain menu options. I found myself unconsciously swiping from the left. I was one of the people calling for full screen mode on android with a hidden nav bar but man I never thought I would miss it so much. I hold the iPad on the bottom and every time I wanted to go back I had reach up to hit the back button.
iPad has the best Japanese keyboard hands down. However why they wouldn't give you the option of re-sizing the keyboard on such a large device I'll never understand. My fingers can barely reach some keys. Whenever I want to type effectively I have to hold the tablet in one hand and peck with the other. Same thing goes for the home screen. Also, you would think webpages would be clearer but the text size was basically the same as on my nexus 7 (at least for the pages I regularly visit). Just little annoyances building up like pictures downloaded from the web getting saved in my camera roll. Let's not even get into the 4:3 aspect ratio.
The absolute worst thing and the one thing that has me returning the iPad? Multitasking. Trying to download my whole comic book collection was an exercise in patience. It took (honestly) 16 hours for my full library to download. Every time the iPad screen went off, the download paused. Every time I played a video in Youtube, the download paused. This is most frustrating OS experience I've had lately on such a premium well made device. The worst part is that I knew all this going in but I figured the experience just had to be better than the last time I used it, and I couldn't be more wrong. It's changed aesthetically but it's still the same software that pushed me to android to be with.
Now I'm over $1000 (cases and accessories) in and I find myself completely disenchanted by the experience. I just lost $80 in app purchases and I don't know if Apple charges a restocking fee but despite all that I'm still returning the iPad today. ::sigh:: I wish I could download half these apps on the Play store. Hell even the Bamboo Paper app I like so much is available for my Note 2 but not compatible with the Nexus 7 (????) and that's a watered down version to begin with. I think it's hilarious that the ecosystem that's so highly touted wasn't enough to keep me.
Anyway I just had to get this off my chest. For anyone who actually read it to the end, first, thanks and second, if you still use an iDevice along side your android devices then what is keeping you tied to the OS? I honestly tried, because there's nothing I hate more than returning things that aren't defective, but I'm willing to pay a restocking fee because it just isn't worth it to me right now. I wish Goggle would get their game together.
Another thing I never realized. Using the iPad feels like using a resistive screen. The glass is not glue down and so there is a gap that makes tapping on the iPad feel more hollow. Pressing down on the glass distorts the screen which is unfortunate because many of the stylus I used require so much force to work well. I kept wondering why the glass on my Nexus 7 felt more solid. I am surprised none of the reviews I watched/read have mentioned this.
That was an interesting read. I have a friend that did a similar thing. After his Android tablet was stolen he bought an iPad and then just ended up returning it to Bestbuy. Personally I've never owned any iDevice but I've used them plenty and it just doesn't feel as natural to me. In my opinion they are just pretty devices that suffer terribly from software annoyances and lack of functionality.
I was long time ago a iPhone, iPod and iPad user, but even with the advances in IOS7 I'm still feel this platform is not for me, too many constrains and limitation to my taste. Right now I love every aspect of my Nexus 7 (2013) and even the lack of ext SD is not a bummer for me, but I have the 32GB version.
Still I recommend the iPad to those of my friends that grow up under the Apple umbrella. I got a couple of former iPad users converted to the Nexus, but only when I feel they want a change or are open to test different shores. I see some advantages using iPad for some users, so I'm not a IOS hater, just is not for me.
<-------- to much words to say nothing, damn, I becoming dumber....
I agree with basically all of your points. Multitasking is much faster on Android for sure, I can switch between apps very quickly and they will also stay open unlike iOS when they might get cut off. iTunes is horrible, as always, but I don't use it anymore. Spotify is all I need for music and everything else I can handle on the device itself. I've used Android for quite some time I'd like to think, but the same thing keeps me from using it exclusively and that's the feel when you touch the screen. It's hard to explain but it's noticeable especially in scrolling. Android has gotten much, much better lately, but it just doesn't feel as connected as iOS does and that really annoys me. I'm quite sensitive to small details like this, most people seem to not even notice these things. My older issues have been basically fixed, like inconsistent app design (Holo fixes this). I like Android, it's quick and efficient but for my usage patterns I prefer iOS. Also my most used apps, Tweetbot and Alien Blue, have good alternatives on android but not quite as good, that's also part of the reason but that's just because I'm heavily invested in the iOS ecosystem.
Go ahead and disagree, but please use some arguments with some thought put into them.
How was the low memory crashes?
"Is there anyone else on here who owns even one iDevice? Because I don't know if iOS is just objectively this bad or if years on android has spoiled me."
This statement alone made me swap my 16gig iPhone 5s (my first iPhone) for a Note 3. iOS felt "fisher-price" compared to all my years with Android. Being there with my Droid OG and seeing how far Android has come is truly amazing. I should have never doubted Android.
And for Apple to release such a fast CPU and to only gimp it with 1gig of memory across the board is ridiculous. All the "lowmem" errors in the diagnostic log and crashes was a joke.
freemini said:
I agree with basically all of your points. Multitasking is much faster on Android for sure, I can switch between apps very quickly and they will also stay open unlike iOS when they might get cut off. iTunes is horrible, as always, but I don't use it anymore. Spotify is all I need for music and everything else I can handle on the device itself. I've used Android for quite some time I'd like to think, but the same thing keeps me from using it exclusively and that's the feel when you touch the screen. It's hard to explain but it's noticeable especially in scrolling. Android has gotten much, much better lately, but it just doesn't feel as connected as iOS does and that really annoys me. I'm quite sensitive to small details like this, most people seem to not even notice these things. My older issues have been basically fixed, like inconsistent app design (Holo fixes this). I like Android, it's quick and efficient but for my usage patterns I prefer iOS. Also my most used apps, Tweetbot and Alien Blue, have good alternatives on android but not quite as good, that's also part of the reason but that's just because I'm heavily invested in the iOS ecosystem.
Go ahead and disagree, but please use some arguments with some thought put into them.
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Android lags heavily in certain apps and it is very noticeable when you scroll. I think only dyed to the core fanboys would defend that. But that's more a Google thing than it is an Android thing. I have over 1000 pics in Quickpic and it loads and scrolls so smoothly with absolutely no hiccups. However attempting to scroll through the "All Apps" section of the Play Store is a nightmare. A lot of Google made apps lag horribly with the only exception I've found so far being surprisingly Maps and Keep. Scrolling is smoother on iOS but it has it's wealth of problems. I had 12 re-springs yesterday attempting to use Safari with only 3 tabs open. Switched to Dolphin and it was only marginally better. It also lagged though not as noticeably as Android.
I agree that iOS offers a very consistent experience and design language and some of the apps are just better designed than their counterparts will ever be on android. I blame Google here though. When I was considering 10" tablets, one of the things that swayed me, beyond the fact that they're weren't options I liked in Android, was the fact that the Play Store just doesn't have many tablet optimized apps. I know some people are going to say it's up to the devs to redesign their apps but why would they bother when Google seems be making it a moot point. Instead of incentivising them to make better optimized tablet apps, Google instead went the opposite route and made their tablet UI more like a Phablet UI. My Nexus 7 just feels like scaled up Note 2 without the Stylus or memory slot and yet my Note 2 (which I still don't understand) has access to more productivity apps than the Nexus. It can't just be because it has a stylus, those are a dime a dozen and I have 2 Bamboo stylus that work very well on my Nexus, so why the limitation when the larger screen would benefit more from handwriting and drawing.
iOS is only slightly better. They may have better optimized tablet apps but all a lot the apps do is move things around while giving you the illusion of more real estate. On my brother's iPhone 5s and my iPad Air, the Bamboo Paper app gives us the same number of lines when we open a notebook. While Android is guilty of leaving phone UI's on tablets so you're left with a lot of white space, iOS is the opposite. Every little bit of your screen is filled but a lot of times it's just by apps that scale up their visuals instead actually optimizing it. Though I should add that I am one of those people that prefers to always use my tablet in portrait mode unless an app forces landscape mode. This is even more evident on the home screen and settings and why I complained about the Keyboard. Apple literally just scaled up everything in their tablets. The keyboard, the icons, the layout...everything is exactly the same as on their phones.
I suppose it would be easy for me to get heavily invested back into the ecosystem. I have hundreds of apps I bought previously (when I was still an iPhone user) but for about 98% of those I'm forced to re-buy the tablet version if I want them again. Never thought I would say this, but if I could load the App store on my Android device while still keeping everything fundamentally android, I'd be happy as hell. I know iPad is better built but some decisions like leaving a space between the glass and the screen or putting both speakers at the bottom seem very odd to me. Sometimes the screen feels very plastic because of the give.
mi7chy said:
How was the low memory crashes?
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I got a lot of those but only using browser apps. Surprisingly none of the other 30 apps I used crashed even once but the web browsers just went crazy crashing left and right sometimes just from clicking on a link.
cdmoore74 said:
"Is there anyone else on here who owns even one iDevice? Because I don't know if iOS is just objectively this bad or if years on android has spoiled me."
This statement alone made me swap my 16gig iPhone 5s (my first iPhone) for a Note 3. iOS felt "fisher-price" compared to all my years with Android. Being there with my Droid OG and seeing how far Android has come is truly amazing. I should have never doubted Android.
And for Apple to release such a fast CPU and to only gimp it with 1gig of memory across the board is ridiculous. All the "lowmem" errors in the diagnostic log and crashes was a joke.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I would never consider iOS for a phone and to be honest unless Samsung does something really stupid to the Note line I think all my phones moving forward will a Galaxy Note (I love the Nexus line but the functionality offered by the Note line is unmatched). I just thought Apple might provide a better tablet experience and if it had I would have stuck with it. There's no loyalty in tech. I buy what works best for me and if that happens to be Apple or Android I show my support by buying their products. I'm just surprised that Apple didn't do it for me. I was really expecting to move forward with an iPad in my backpack and a Note 2 in my pocket.
I have a 5th gen iPod Touch and absolutely love it. As far as music players, I just don't think they get any better. As far as phones and tablets, I'm pretty much always going to be an Android fan. I do have an Acer Iconia W510, running Windows 8.1 but it's running an x86 processor and not using that RT crap. With its keyboard dock, I think of it as more of a laptop than a tablet, with the added bonus of being able to get the keyboard out of my way.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Analyss14 said:
I got a lot of those but only using browser apps. Surprisingly none of the other 30 apps I used crashed even once but the web browsers just went crazy crashing left and right sometimes just from clicking on a link.
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Exactly my experience, but it seems isolated to the iPad air. I've had my 5S for about a month and I don't have a single LowMemory log, I have a fair share of Alien Blue crashes though.
I would like a small ipod with blue tooth so I can exchange music....
But I think it s too much to ask!
I had the first ipad, an ipad 2 and an ipad4. In the end, I always come back to Android and the ipads go to the wife/kids.
I won't even consider an ipad until Apple adds a proper file management system. I have multiple file types for projects and don't want to try and keep track of what app I need to open to get to my data.
Actually, not having USB OTG would be a problem for me since I use usb-rs232 adapters that wouldn't work with idevices. I rarely use this but when I need it, it is certainly easier than carrying a laptop. I guess I'm be more inclined to get a Surface 2 Pro and a 7" android device. without a file manager, apple is useless to me.
If it wasn't Nexus, probably a Samsung Note for the S-Pen. I'd like to try it and see if it is any good.
If you are looking for a 10" tablet, I have now had many android tablets. I currently have the Note 10.1 2014 and the Nexus 7. The Shield is not really a tablet but I have it as well. The Note 10.1 2014 is far and way the most useful tablet I have owned. It has great battery life and a spectacular screen. It is smaller and lighter than the Nexus 10. I am not a fan of the home button it has but that would be my only complaint. I like the Nexus 7 a bunch also it is great for throwing in a pocket on the go. I am totally against iAnything.
The main issue I have with android apps are the pdf readers, I have tried every pdf app but non of the scroll smoothly, not even basic text books.
ios app developers have to keep their apps top notch to compete within the appstore, on google play there are threemmajor pdf apps ( paid)
Ezpdf, repligo reader, mantano reader
All of them have major problems witth either speed of rendering, highlighting difficulties , clumbsy menus and much more.
And note another weird thing, non of them have implemented immersion mode, in fact the only reader app that has enabled it is moon reader.
I get that 4.4 is on a very low share of their market but still these are paid apps, they should have taken the time to implement it.
Nexus 7 with its quadcore hits a wall when it comes to these apps
RKight said:
I have a 5th gen iPod Touch and absolutely love it. As far as music players, I just don't think they get any better. As far as phones and tablets, I'm pretty much always going to be an Android fan. I do have an Acer Iconia W510, running Windows 8.1 but it's running an x86 processor and not using that RT crap. With its keyboard dock, I think of it as more of a laptop than a tablet, with the added bonus of being able to get the keyboard out of my way.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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Same here. Loved my iPod 5G in the few months I had it. Very decent camera built in as will.
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013)
---------- Post added at 06:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:16 AM ----------
Only thing I miss after selling my iOS device is the exclusive apps/games like Bastion, Limbo etc. That's all.
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013)
You should try iPhone, Once you did, you would never say this again
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Different strokes...
I've owned an iPhone and an iPad and I was a Mac developer for 17 years.
I'll never go back to Apple products again as long as I live. My experiences with the new iDevices has been execrable. But what's much worse is the attitude that Apple fans have "Try an iPhone and you'll never go back." Right. Because we're all exactly the same, want the same things - value the same things.
No wonder people call them iSheep. They want everyone to be exactly the same.
Well, screw that.
To paraphrase Edgar Friendly from Demolition Man
"You see, according to Steve Jobs' plan. *I'm* the enemy. Because I like to think, I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech, freedom of choice. I'm the kind if guy who would sit in the Best Buy and think "Gee, should I have the big screen or the 3D screen phone with the side order of 7" tablet?" I *want* high cholesterol. I want to eat bacon, butter and buckets of cheese alright? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinatti in a non-smoking section. I wanna run around naked with green jell-o all over my body reading a Playboy magazine. Why? Because maybe I feel the need to, okay pal? I've *seen* the future, you know what it is? It's a 47 year-old virgin in gray pajamas soaking in a bubble bath, drinking a broccoli milkshake and thinking "I'm sophisticated because I have a fricking iPhone". You wanna live the Apple way, you gotta live Jobs' way. What he wants, when he wants, how he wants. Your other option: come down here, maybe flash your own ROMs."
Cool story. I read it till the end. We should create ex-IOS support group.
Here's my story (long one) :
I still have my launch day iPad2. Mainly since it's in pieces atm.
I've been repairing it several times since spring this year. It was poorly assembled to begin with, the glass was lifting and it'd cut my thumb every now and then.
It finally stopped charging. So I bought a replacement charge connector to fix it.
End up damaging the wifi antenna while opening it.
Bought replacement part. First one didn't work.
2 parts later, I got it fixed.
At this time, the glass was cracked beyond help. Bought a replacement part to fix it.
At this point, I ended up ripping the 4 pin speaker connector.
I'm just gonna solder the wires directly to the main board to fix it.
Then I'm going to flip it on CL.
Around the same time my iPad2 was problematic, my iPhone4 home button gave up.
Didn't feel like going through the same ordeals as the iPad, I sold the iPhone 4 with broken home button on CL for $175.
When I finally finished repairing my iPad2, I'm pretty sure I could get at least $300 for it, since others are asking $350-400.
At the same time when 2 of my iDevices gave up, I had to buy cheap replacements: LG Optimus L9 $150 and B&N Nook HD $150.
I had tried Android prior to this point, but hated them (poorly made, slow, weird interface).
When my L9 and Nook HD work great, fast, so flexible, and everything that's not iOS, I was BLOWN AWAY!
I ended up learning a lot more about Android, rooting, found Samba client app, my life is finally complete again.
I've since bought: Nexus 4, Note 2 and 2x Nexus 7 2013.
At this point, it'd take a lot of Google eff-ups (like the updated G maps), to make me want switch back to iOS.
Oh, and I also sold my iPod Nano 8GB on CL for $75, because the button was starting to wiggle on me. And the buyer bought it knowing about the problem. Bought a Clip+ & 64GB uSDXC and still left with some change.
BTW, Apple wanted $200-400 to repair the iPad2 for the stopped charging issue.
Last, I figured out why my Android experience a long time ago (2.2) was horrible: combination of immature OS and cheap Chinese made crap (don't know why, my friends had garbage like H20 and HTC at that time), was what got me.