I currently have both. I sold my GS3 when I picked up the Lumia 920 fully knowing I was going to order a Nexus 4. My plan was to compare the 2 and decide which one I wanted to keep. I am in a bit of a struggle there. Would love input from others that Have/had both.
My opinions:
Lumia 920
Pros:
Screen - Much more vivid and bright, but not overly saturated like that of GS3 etc... Also SEEMS bigger due to on screen buttons of Nexus 4
Battery life - I wasn't even coming close to using up the battery in a day with the Lumia. WIth the Nexus I can make it through a day, but definitely not as good.
Feel - The Lumia feels very solid in your hands. The weight actually adds a good amount of feel to the phone as well, doesn't feel like a toy.
Camera - The camera on the Lumia is amazing (for a cell phone camera). Pictures are great quality and are taken with ease and fast.
OS - Windows Phone 8 is super smooth and does everything I need in a smartphone. It's newer to me, and so less boring.
Cons:
Apps - Very limited app selection. I knew this going in to WP8 and I honestly can't say it is missing anything I NEED, I guess this is more of a boredom filler thing.
No Dev - Again knew this coming in, and again a boredom filler more than anything
Nexus 4
Pros:
Dev - Not quite yet, but will have loads of custom tweaks/roms/etc to play with
App Selection - Not nearly as much as iOS but certainly more than WP8.
Call quality - I find the Nexus 4 to have AMAZING call quality (when it has a good signal)
OS - 4.2 on this phone is SUPER quick. No lag to speak of (for a change), but I do have to say I find Android kind of stale and old to me.
Cons:
Build Quality: While overall quality is great, phone feels solid, super light (debatable if that is a plus or not, I don't necessarily care for the toy feel) however the Phone has something that rattles when you shake it. Their is a constant buzz from the earpiece (can't be heard in call). The back is SUPER slippery, will slide off anything.
Signal - Overall signal is lower than the last 4-5 phones i have owned (based on signal at my house). Also when holding the phone in certain ways I can physically WATCH the signal drop down, then move my hand and watch it go back up.
Screen - Screen quality is fantastic, but the colors could use some life. I am not talking super saturated AMOLED style, but these are closer to HTC Dull IMO. The screen is just as usable in the sun test though, so it is bright!
Plenty more of each I will try to add when they come to mind, just wanted to post a few of my thoughts and see if anyone else had factors to add or their opinion (Please only post your opinion if you have had both phones to compare).
This is JUST my opinion. Please do not take my opinion on either phone as FACT or offensively. If you have a different opinion please share it (respectfully) and I am all ears. I am not posting this as a flame or to say either phone is bad or better than the other, in fact that is the decision I am stuck on. Both are AMAZING phones, so again please do not take either as a phone bash.
I'm pretty sure the rattling is the accelerometer. I don't hear the screeching at all...maybe mine is lucky.
WP8 is nice...I wouldn't judge the switch. The 920 has good build quality, too.
I don't think it's enough to pry me away from the openness of a Nexus.
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using xda app-developers app
Don't you care about the price?
You can buy two N4 for one N920.
The N920 Display is close to the N4. A little better than N4, but not as good as the fantastic OneX LCD2.
I'd also love to buy a Nokia again, but well.. N920.price > (N7.price + N4.price)
Edit: The rattling part with my N4 seems to be the camera-lens-system. The speaker only makes sounds when it is asked for
I've used a 920 and while it's an amazing piece of hardware, WP8 kills it for me.
I have none of the symptoms you described on your N4, no rattle, no buzzing from earpiece, or signal issues.
Overall, the determining factor will be first which ecosystem would you rather use, then which piece of hardware you want.
If WP8 is the answer to the first question then the 920 is the easiest choice, if it's Android and you aren't happy with the N4, look at the One X+, SGS 3, and Note 2.
ElectricAndi said:
Don't you care about the price?
You can buy two N4 for one N920.
The N920 Display is close to the N4. A little better than N4, but not as good as the fantastic OneX LCD2.
I'd also love to buy a Nokia again, but well.. N920.price > (N7.price + N4.price)
Edit: The rattling part with my N4 seems to be the camera-lens-system. The speaker only makes sounds when it is asked for
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I already own both. I paid the same price for both. both sell for roughly the same amount on ebay right now. So price is pretty much a wash.
All those windows phones are inferior even compared to apple
myorks1127 said:
All those windows phones are inferior even compared to apple
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Your basing that on? Bring me some facts and I'll gladly have a debate with you.
I strongly disagree, having actually OWNED one, as well as many iOS and Android devices. Not that I think it's better than Android, but I definitely without question find it superior to iOS (to me).
crawlgsx said:
Your basing that on? Bring me some facts and I'll gladly have a debate with you.
I strongly disagree, having actually OWNED one, as well as many iOS and Android devices. Not that I think it's better than Android, but I definitely without question find it superior to iOS (to me).
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I hate apple too just saying the success of it, i think windows phone sales compared to android are significantly lower, ita a failing sector in the phone market
You think the nexus 4 is light and toy like? This thing feels like a tank and feels very solid.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Android feel stale and old to you?
Man you really should stop using Android and buy that Nokia.
The point of Nexus 4's stock interface is for YOU to CUSTOMIZE FOR YOURSELF. If you prefer manufacturer to do that for you, you got the wrong device.
The Lumia is a flop. It's fat, overweight, and runs an OS with no apps.
I love my Nexus 4, a lot. BUT!!!!!! A friend of mine texted me about a week ago and told me he just got the lumia 920, he said its an AMAZING phone and he is blown away by it. ( he's a big android guy, matter of fact he got me to use android). Told me how the camera is amazing, the screen is insane and the fluidity is second to none. Also the predictive keyboard is excellent. THEN!!!! Today one of my coworker who is a big ISHEEP ( but a smart one lol) told me that one of his friend got the lumia and he told me the screen is just too good, he said he was super impressed by it although he said he doesn't like W8. So now I'm gonna get it as secondary phone for sure. Nexus 4 will still be my main phone.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
I have both, and what I can say about the 920 is what I'd say when owning an iPhone too (swapped out a 4s for it): I can handle WP8 & iOS because they're always secondary to Android for me. Exclusively I'd struggle with either, mainly due to lack of apps in WP8, and quite a bit overall in iOS. (The app quality in WP8 isn't poor, it's just the lack of a few are killing me, ie TuneIn - that one damn Swiss station...)
As a second device for me, the Lumia has battery for days - 26h off charger with moderate use the other day and it was at 60% - is built like some concoction designed to protect a tank, and the camera is advanced. Plus it's a simple, well-designed, incredibly smooth, handsome OS which focuses on productivity. And truthfully, for times when I don't need two phones, I often want one I'm inclined to use looking at the screen less - that's the 920. More a tool to the toy, in ways, that is Android for me personally. When I got the 920 I was planning on doing the same as the OP, choosing one, and I went with the 920 initially because I didn't want to be fiddling around with the N4, taking time to flash ROMs, research which kernel is best, figure out why this minor tweak has suddenly borked my entire mobile life, etc, when I'm supposed to be achieving productivity on the level of a respectable member of society. Then I got the N4 in my hands. Phenomenal piece. Not a chance that was going back. When I switch from one to the other, the Lumia feels slow in comparison, almost labored; and that's no slight on it, merely a compliment to the N4's screaming speed. So now it's both.
But in terms of real world use - and I live in a big city - the Lumia gets more day-to-day action for me, in part because I don't have a case for the N4 yet, and I'm terrified of flopping it out of my jacket pocket watching the shards spill across the pavement. I don't baby it, and it's just easier to put somewhere and not worry whether or not the 0.5 degrees of incline is going to send the lubricated glass back hurtling to the floor. I don't worry about the 920. I do about the N4. I also get concerned if I'm out somewhere and the battery is going to die, so I baby the use of my phone under these circumstances; will happen with the N4, won't with the 920. For me, the Lumia sort of ticks a "peace of mind" box. I can throw it in my pocket off the charger and walk out the door, not wondering if it'll last through the night or whether or not it might slap up against something on the subway and shatter, etc.
If it was one or the other and I had both in my hands for a few hours before having to give one back, it'd be no contest: the N4, if my initial concerns about the battery are substantial. I think it's a device of remarkably more potential with a wider variety of uses. However, I think the question to ask is not necessarily which phone is better, but which one best fits your life? People use their devices differently.
For the record, I love having both. Couldn't be happier; what the Nexus 4 gives me - the power, speed, apps, customization, etc. - is complemented perfectly by the 920's strengths - battery, camera, durability, simplicity, LTE, etc. As a pairing of phones, and I've owned a lot of different pairings, this is by far my favorite, and one I'll keep a very long time - which is rare. They're almost the perfect complements in my world. Now if someone could take the best of all these traits and make one single device, they could sell it for four figures on contract and watch the lines on release day stretch counties.
richteralan said:
Android feel stale and old to you?
Man you really should stop using Android and buy that Nokia.
The point of Nexus 4's stock interface is for YOU to CUSTOMIZE FOR YOURSELF. If you prefer manufacturer to do that for you, you got the wrong device.
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Man you should really learn how to read.
First of all, I own both (as stated)
Second of all, I am sorry I put your panties in a bunch that I find Android getting stale FOR ME, it's my opinion. Get over it.
I never said anything about not wanting to customize the interface, The main reason I even like Android is the ability to load custom roms and tweak things myself. I never said otherwise.
When you have something valid to add come back.
barondebxl said:
I love my Nexus 4, a lot. BUT!!!!!! A friend of mine texted me about a week ago and told me he just got the lumia 920, he said its an AMAZING phone and he is blown away by it. ( he's a big android guy, matter of fact he got me to use android). Told me how the camera is amazing, the screen is insane and the fluidity is second to none. Also the predictive keyboard is excellent. THEN!!!! Today one of my coworker who is a big ISHEEP ( but a smart one lol) told me that one of his friend got the lumia and he told me the screen is just too good, he said he was super impressed by it although he said he doesn't like W8. So now I'm gonna get it as secondary phone for sure. Nexus 4 will still be my main phone.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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Good info. That about says how I feel about the Lumia. Will be curious to see how you feel if/when you do get one.
cg9916 said:
I have both, and what I can say about the 920 is what I'd say when owning an iPhone too (swapped out a 4s for it): I can handle WP8 & iOS because they're always secondary to Android for me. Exclusively I'd struggle with either, mainly due to lack of apps in WP8, and quite a bit overall in iOS. (The app quality in WP8 isn't poor, it's just the lack of a few are killing me, ie TuneIn - that one damn Swiss station...)
As a second device for me, the Lumia has battery for days - 26h off charger with moderate use the other day and it was at 60% - is built like some concoction designed to protect a tank, and the camera is advanced. Plus it's a simple, well-designed, incredibly smooth, handsome OS which focuses on productivity. And truthfully, for times when I don't need two phones, I often want one I'm inclined to use looking at the screen less - that's the 920. More a tool to the toy, in ways, that is Android for me personally. When I got the 920 I was planning on doing the same as the OP, choosing one, and I went with the 920 initially because I didn't want to be fiddling around with the N4, taking time to flash ROMs, research which kernel is best, figure out why this minor tweak has suddenly borked my entire mobile life, etc, when I'm supposed to be achieving productivity on the level of a respectable member of society. Then I got the N4 in my hands. Phenomenal piece. Not a chance that was going back. When I switch from one to the other, the Lumia feels slow in comparison, almost labored; and that's no slight on it, merely a compliment to the N4's screaming speed. So now it's both.
But in terms of real world use - and I live in a big city - the Lumia gets more day-to-day action for me, in part because I don't have a case for the N4 yet, and I'm terrified of flopping it out of my jacket pocket watching the shards spill across the pavement. I don't baby it, and it's just easier to put somewhere and not worry whether or not the 0.5 degrees of incline is going to send the lubricated glass back hurtling to the floor. I don't worry about the 920. I do about the N4. I also get concerned if I'm out somewhere and the battery is going to die, so I baby the use of my phone under these circumstances; will happen with the N4, won't with the 920. For me, the Lumia sort of ticks a "peace of mind" box. I can throw it in my pocket off the charger and walk out the door, not wondering if it'll last through the night or whether or not it might slap up against something on the subway and shatter, etc.
If it was one or the other and I had both in my hands for a few hours before having to give one back, it'd be no contest: the N4, if my initial concerns about the battery are substantial. I think it's a device of remarkably more potential with a wider variety of uses. However, I think the question to ask is not necessarily which phone is better, but which one best fits your life? People use their devices differently.
For the record, I love having both. Couldn't be happier; what the Nexus 4 gives me - the power, speed, apps, customization, etc. - is complemented perfectly by the 920's strengths - battery, camera, durability, simplicity, LTE, etc. As a pairing of phones, and I've owned a lot of different pairings, this is by far my favorite, and one I'll keep a very long time - which is rare. They're almost the perfect complements in my world. Now if someone could take the best of all these traits and make one single device, they could sell it for four figures on contract and watch the lines on release day stretch counties.
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Great info thank you. Your thoughts are very similar to my take. I just don't know that I can justify having 2 devices, so I am trying to make a choice that has turned out to be harder than I thought it would be
crawlgsx said:
Man you should really learn how to read.
First of all, I own both (as stated)
Second of all, I am sorry I put your panties in a bunch that I find Android getting stale FOR ME, it's my opinion. Get over it.
I never said anything about not wanting to customize the interface, The main reason I even like Android is the ability to load custom roms and tweak things myself. I never said otherwise.
When you have something valid to add come back.
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Click to collapse
I don't know what you mean by stale. If you like the ability to load custom ROMs, but complain when you have the most moddable Nexus line in your hand, you have some serious problems buddy. If you have some deeply locked down devices then your complain might be valid.
Apparently you never used a Windows Phone before so you feel fresh. I will see how you comment on your Windows Phone after the "honey moon" period is over.
Also, when you post your opinion publicly but don't expect others to comment on it (valid or not), good for you!
May I introduce you to Neowin.net, where all M$ fanboys hangout, so you can have more help with your Nokia.
BTW, I hangout there, too.
richteralan said:
I don't know what you mean by stale. If you like the ability to load custom ROMs, but complain when you have the most moddable Nexus line in your hand, you have some serious problems buddy. If you have some deeply locked down devices then your complain might be valid.
Apparently you never used a Windows Phone before so you feel fresh. I will see how you comment on your Windows Phone after the "honey moon" period is over.
Also, when you post your opinion publicly but don't expect others to comment on it (valid or not), good for you!
May I introduce you to Neowin.net, where all M$ fanboys hangout, so you can have more help with your Nokia.
BTW, I hangout there, too.
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I mean I have just gotten kind of bored with Android, as in its the SSDD for me. It's not like I haven't owned a few. It's not meant to be offensive to Android, this is a personal problem lol.
My last windows phone is the first on my sig . Been a long time. I had no interest in it when WP7 came out compared to Android but now that I have had Android for a while I picked it up just to try it out and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it runs and functions.
I am not looking for help with either, nor do I expect everyone to see my point of view. All opinions (when stated as such, and not argumentative or stated like it is fact) are very much welcome.
I am not a fanboy of any company OR Operating System, mobile or desktop. I try them all, and I pick what I find the best for ME at the time. I will never understand why some people find the need to attach themselves to one option but to each their own. When it comes down to it, neither of these phones will be in my possession for more than a few months until I get bored with them.
I was just curious what others thought, nothing more, nothing less.
And you may be very well correct on the honeymoon period statement. Part of the enticement to the Lumia IS that WP8 is new to me.(hardware aside) but I will grow bored with it in no time, no doubt.
I fully respect anyone who comes in here with the opinion that I am crazy/stupid/etc for even considering the Lumia over the Nexus, that is fine. I would appreciate some opinions/facts on why, and not fiction about how bad WP8 is (especially if you have never owned one, or at least spent some time with one).
n4 £279
920 £496
if the n4 was closer in price to the 920 it would be a much harder decision. but it isn't. so it isn't. for what you get for your £279, n4 wins hands down.
Well i had android for many years.. but ... it never feels like its it, dont know how to say it.
I have a Lumia 920 now and its bloody awesome, so smooth, never lags, and the appstore is getting bigger everyday.
All my apps i used on Android are in the WP store for me.
Dont get me wrong Android is a great OS, but the changes in versions never live quite up to it.
Related
So I am looking to purchase a Nexus One sometime within the next month or so. I'm an AT&T user and currently am using the FUZE with a custom ROM and running the Eclair XDAndroid build, which obviously doesn't compare to a real android device in any way, shape, or form. I'm completely aware of the features and abilities of both the iPhone and the N1, so this isn't really a feature comparison thread. On paper I know what the N1 is capable of, and everyone I know (literally) has a freaking iPhone so I know what that is capable of in the real world with real use.
Getting to the point, since you folks have been using the N1, may I ask what you like about your N1 over the iPhone? I'm following threads and seeing people with dust complaints, tinted screens, horrifying battery life, the touch sensitive buttons at the bottom not responding... and I'm just struggling on convincing myself to spend over $530 USD on a phone that could cause me problems over spending $300 USD on an iPhone that I know performs very well and already has a ton of memory built in, but lacks everything else that I want in the N1. Are most of these issues from earlier models of the phone? Do they occur more in say the T-Mobile version over the AT&T version (or vice-versa)?
I know this probably seems like a dumb thread, but I've searched and I've heard all the comparisons for features, but I just want to hear your comparisons through actual real world experience with the device (even if you haven't use the iPhone. Oh, and I did see the CNET video of the iPhone vs N1 brawl and that definitely is helping me lean more and more towards the N1.
Any advice would be great. Just please don't turn this into a flame war, both phones are fantastic in their own ways.
lostinbeta said:
So I am looking to purchase a Nexus One sometime within the next month or so. I'm an AT&T user and currently am using the FUZE with a custom ROM and running the Eclair XDAndroid build, which obviously doesn't compare to a real android device in any way, shape, or form. I'm completely aware of the features and abilities of both the iPhone and the N1, so this isn't really a feature comparison thread. On paper I know what the N1 is capable of, and everyone I know (literally) has a freaking iPhone so I know what that is capable of in the real world with real use.
Getting to the point, since you folks have been using the N1, may I ask what you like about your N1 over the iPhone? I'm following threads and seeing people with dust complaints, tinted screens, horrifying battery life, the touch sensitive buttons at the bottom not responding... and I'm just struggling on convincing myself to spend over $530 USD on a phone that could cause me problems over spending $300 USD on an iPhone that I know performs very well and already has a ton of memory built in, but lacks everything else that I want in the N1. Are most of these issues from earlier models of the phone? Do they occur more in say the T-Mobile version over the AT&T version (or vice-versa)?
I know this probably seems like a dumb thread, but I've searched and I've heard all the comparisons for features, but I just want to hear your comparisons through actual real world experience with the device (even if you haven't use the iPhone. Oh, and I did see the CNET video of the iPhone vs N1 brawl and that definitely is helping me lean more and more towards the N1.
Any advice would be great. Just please don't turn this into a flame war, both phones are fantastic in their own ways.
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they're both amazing.
the nexus one is great. features and all. but after like three months, you kinda want your iphone back.. or i do at least.
depending on the 4th Generation iPhone, i may upgrade.
for the time being though, i LOVE my nexus one..
buy it if you are having any doubts. you wont be sorry.
all those issues only apply to a select few or to people that have major ocd..i did like my iphone but i didnt love it..i love my nexus one its a really great phone..i love that i can use it to tether too my laptop, use it as BRIGHT flash light, customize it too my liking, and not having to deal with iphone.
The one thing i did miss when i went back to android from my iphone was the games..iphone games are really really nice but that feeling has gone away since now alot of the 3d games on the iphone are being made for android.
the iphone is a great phone but the UI is sooooooooooo boring..i hated that 4x4 icon page on it.i love having widgets
so to sum it all up get a nexus one......and a ipad ahah
That's kind of my worry. I don't have that kind of money to throw around every couple of months, I don't want to invest all that money and in a couple of months just be jealous of all my friends with iPhones. But it is nice to hear you love your N1, the only apple fanboy thing I'm into is their operating system, anything outside of that I'm not really a huge fan of Apple (I stuck with WinMo just because I could customize it without hassle, unlike the iPhone which is a risk to brick every time you jailbreak it and there's a firmware update)
lostinbeta said:
That's kind of my worry. I don't have that kind of money to throw around every couple of months, I don't want to invest all that money and in a couple of months just be jealous of all my friends with iPhones. But it is nice to hear you love your N1, the only apple fanboy thing I'm into is their operating system, anything outside of that I'm not really a huge fan of Apple (I stuck with WinMo just because I could customize it without hassle, unlike the iPhone which is a risk to brick every time you jailbreak it and there's a firmware update)
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ya i love my macbook its the best thing that ever happened to me ahah..and honestly the chance of bricking and iphone while jailbreaking is slim to none but its a pain when apple is constantly sending you updates to unjailbreak it..trust me you will not be jealous of their iphones
bobdude5 said:
all those issues only apply to a select few or to people that have major ocd..i did like my iphone but i didnt love it..i love my nexus one its a really great phone..i love that i can use it to tether too my laptop, use it as BRIGHT flash light, customize it too my liking, and not having to deal with iphone.
The one thing i did miss when i went back to android from my iphone was the games..iphone games are really really nice but that feeling has gone away since now alot of the 3d games on the iphone are being made for android.
the iphone is a great phone but the UI is sooooooooooo boring..i hated that 4x4 icon page on it.i love having widgets
so to sum it all up get a nexus one......and a ipad ahah
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Click to collapse
Awesome note with the games though, I don't play games on my phone much (sadly I'm horribly addicted to solitaire...haha) so I never really got into the games aspect, I only have one or two on my iPod Touch, most of the time I use the basic Apps which are also available on Android (twitter, facebook, shazaam, things like that). So that's a good thing to keep in mind.
I think one of my biggest worries is battery life. I don't work a job where I can charge my phone at all throughout the day, and there are times I leave at 8am and don't get home until 7pm or later, and I don't want to have to worry that my phone won't make it. My WinMo phone always ends at around 60% with standard/moderate use so I never have to worry about running home to get a charge if I get hung up after work.
idk man, by far the best phone i have ever owned so far. (may be contradicting to what i just said but i literally do not care)
features list is just BOOM!
battery is amazing for me. no dead pixels. saturated screen. bright flashlight (nexus one torch).. idk so many to list.
if you wanna buy RIGHT NOW. go for the nexus one,
but
if you can wait til July...... wait. becuase you may regret it if you dont have the money to buy the newest badass thing, like maybe the 4Gen iPhone, and new product from HTC, or anyone... really its all so hard to tell but if you can wait, i think that'd be in your best interest.
and the only thing i miss about the iphone thats slowly sucking me back in (happens about twice a year, ive owned all the iphones and sold them too haha) is the slickkkkkk UI. the LARGE community and the apps that actually work clean, and flawlessly. the iphones' transition between homescreens is definitely smooth as butter. nexus one? smooth as sand paper.. the ability to take screen shots on the iphone with ease... idk.. haha
nexus one last me a whole a day with heavy usage (texting, internet, games, music, calling) i disagree with the slick UI..iphone has a HORRIBLE UI in my opinion its too plain and transition is just as smooth..the community for android is also huge and screenshots is easy too..just shake the phone (shootme app on market)
bobdude5 said:
nexus one last me a whole a day with heavy usage (texting, internet, games, music, calling) i disagree with the slick UI..iphone has a HORRIBLE UI in my opinion its too plain and transition is just as smooth..the community for android is also huge and screenshots is easy too..just shake the phone (shootme app on market)
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slick as in quick and easy i guess?
and my nexus easily lasts me 1.5+ days under HEAVY usage.
cool i didnt know about that app! thanks!
although you dont need an app for the iphone haha
lol well i never really got a chance to test past 1.5 days lol i charge it when im go to bed but it usually has 40 percent at the time ( i got to bed like at 1-2 am lol)
bobdude5 said:
lol well i never really got a chance to test past 1.5 days lol i charge it when im go to bed but it usually has 40 percent at the time ( i got to bed like at 1-2 am lol)
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i totally agree.. just one night i forgot to plug it in. died later that day though (didnt necessarily let it "die" i just shut it off at like 2%)
My phone is simply perfect. No issues whatsoever, apparently I am one of the lucky Nexus owners. The only thing though, I do like about the iPhone more - is the UI polish. Apple is simply great at designing things. I'm ok though, as long as I have a Desire ROM. HTC Sense is quite nice.
Youll be happy with the nexus. It is great now and stands to realize much of its latent potential if Google wants it to. If you've had an iPhone you will definitely be disappointed in the touch screen. It's possible though that Android might be able to iron out some of the jittery, jumpiness of the nexus touch screen. But its a decent screen,those who have never used an iPhone think the nexus has the best touch screen there is so its definitely not a deal breaker.
Also, the nexus has higher resolution but I don't think there's and denying that the iPhone just looks crisper, especially the browser. But the nexus gpu definitely loads pages faster. I think I'm just rambling now...
lostinbeta said:
Getting to the point, since you folks have been using the N1, may I ask what you like about your N1 over the iPhone? I'm following threads and seeing people with dust complaints, tinted screens, horrifying battery life, the touch sensitive buttons at the bottom not responding... and I'm just struggling on convincing myself to spend over $530 USD on a phone that could cause me problems over spending $300 USD on an iPhone that I know performs very well and already has a ton of memory built in, but lacks everything else that I want in the N1. Are most of these issues from earlier models of the phone? Do they occur more in say the T-Mobile version over the AT&T version (or vice-versa)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Multitasking
The fact that it's unique and NOT an iPhone that everyone and their mother has
Customization
Live wallpapers
High resolution (2.5 times the iPhone)
Flash Lite
DMaverick50 said:
Also, the nexus has higher resolution but I don't think there's and denying that the iPhone just looks crisper, especially the browser.
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Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, what?
No denying that? I 10000% heartily deny that. Disagree to the nth power.
lostinbeta said:
So I am looking to purchase a Nexus One sometime within the next month or so. I'm an AT&T user and currently am using the FUZE with a custom ROM and running the Eclair XDAndroid build, which obviously doesn't compare to a real android device in any way, shape, or form. I'm completely aware of the features and abilities of both the iPhone and the N1, so this isn't really a feature comparison thread. On paper I know what the N1 is capable of, and everyone I know (literally) has a freaking iPhone so I know what that is capable of in the real world with real use.
Getting to the point, since you folks have been using the N1, may I ask what you like about your N1 over the iPhone? I'm following threads and seeing people with dust complaints, tinted screens, horrifying battery life, the touch sensitive buttons at the bottom not responding... and I'm just struggling on convincing myself to spend over $530 USD on a phone that could cause me problems over spending $300 USD on an iPhone that I know performs very well and already has a ton of memory built in, but lacks everything else that I want in the N1. Are most of these issues from earlier models of the phone? Do they occur more in say the T-Mobile version over the AT&T version (or vice-versa)?
I know this probably seems like a dumb thread, but I've searched and I've heard all the comparisons for features, but I just want to hear your comparisons through actual real world experience with the device (even if you haven't use the iPhone. Oh, and I did see the CNET video of the iPhone vs N1 brawl and that definitely is helping me lean more and more towards the N1.
Any advice would be great. Just please don't turn this into a flame war, both phones are fantastic in their own ways.
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It all comes down to your personal preference. You can read all types of reviews and you'll see that Nexus One wins over iPhone 3GS. The features of the phone are outstanding. Just ask yourself what you want in your phone. If you want lots of applications, music, go for iPhone but if you want free applications, customizations, widgets, great camera, blazing fast web experience, go for Nexus One. Its just a matter of time before android applications touch the mark set by iPhone. Once you root your Nexus One, its going to be a whole world of possibilities....
For the issues you read about Nexus One, I want to tell you that the tinted screen is only present in the newer devices which would be very soon fixed by an update. The capacitive buttons work perfectly when pressed on the upper half of the button. The dust problem is present in a very small no. or hardwares and if you live in US, then you can call for a replacement if it happens with you.
Android would very soon be taken up by most of the mobile makers as its open sourced and free. I read somewhere that the phone companies who have taken up android OS have to pay very little in comparison to Windows Mobile.
So go for Nexus One, you wont be sorry....
Here's what I wrote in another forum regarding this question:
Having thought about it I realised that the choice to go for an N1 is easy if it fits your needs. Since it has been released all the focus has been on how it compares to the iphone. Understandable as apple set a high bar with many features such as the apps, the graphical physics and ease of use. The n1 more or less matches them and comparing many of these features doesn't get you far. They both are fantastic bits of hardware, great screens, amazing computing power, touchscreens etc. In some ways the N1 performs a bit better in others the iphone but the differences between them are small.
However I think the N1 has gone to a new level with features the iphone simply hasn't got. I don't have to open an app to access the information I want. My calender, agenda, weather, news, daily Bible reading, personal photo's, music player (and playlists) one touch dialling to favourite contacts (and many other thing I don't use) all run on my home pages. And here's where it moves mobile information on; all these widgets update automatically and wirelessly. I don't have to plug my phone into my computer to update my agenda, it happen without hassle right onto my homescreen. Furthermore these services are free - and yes I did pay for mobile me and no its not worth it.
Bottom line is that both the iphone and the N1 are great bits of kit, you won't notice many gains in function between either hardware as far as I can tell but the software has moved on from simply apps. Unfortunately the press just focus on the things that you can compare but the how can you compare widget on a N1 to nothing on the iphone? The N1 is in a different class to the iphone because it does things the iphone can't dream of doing, try to keep up apple!
Thank You everybody. Your advice has been helpful. I actually feel that the Android UI is nicer than the iPhone, to me the iPhone seems plain. Though I will admit that the iPhone is probably a little more user friendly, I don't mind the extra clicks on Android, and it's not like it's difficult to figure out by any stretch of the means. And it's good to know that the issues people are having are only occurring in a small percentage of devices, I was really worried that I would throw down that kind of money and have a jacked phone that only lasted me half a day and had a dusty mis-tinted screen...haha. Hopefully I'll be able to get my N1 ordered by the end of this month.
The next step would be rooting. I don't think I'll root it until after the warranty is up, but I don't know, I said the same thing about ROMing my FUZE and that didn't happen. Though on an unrelated question, how come so many N1 ROM threads don't have screenshots of the ROM. The ShootMe app works great, I use it on my FUZE with Eclair. It just seems like a big risk to install a ROM without knowing what you're supposed to be getting.
actually its less clicks for android lol you know with the widgets and all..with the iphone it takes four clicks to modify your brightness for android it takes one, it takes 3 clicks to turn on wifi and bluetooth on iphone and on android it takes one, it takes 4 clicks for gps on iphone and android 1, it takes 3 clicks to post something on facebook and 1 on android (same for myspace), it takes takes 2 clicks to search on iphone and none on android..you see my point lol
lostinbeta said:
The next step would be rooting. I don't think I'll root it until after the warranty is up, but I don't know, I said the same thing about ROMing my FUZE and that didn't happen. Though on an unrelated question, how come so many N1 ROM threads don't have screenshots of the ROM. The ShootMe app works great, I use it on my FUZE with Eclair. It just seems like a big risk to install a ROM without knowing what you're supposed to be getting.
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Warranty is 1 year, you will get hot feet by then. There should be desire screenshots around. CyanogenMod's UI is identical to stock, extra features being the selling point.
zachthemaster said:
slick as in quick and easy i guess?
and my nexus easily lasts me 1.5+ days under HEAVY usage.
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Are you running on the HTC Li-Ion battery or some new U-235 battery?
The Nexus One is great. I don't have complaints so far other than the tiny loudspeaker. Heard that the Desire ROM gives it a louder volume. Anyway, like someone has pointed out, if you can wait until June, I would wait. I think Apple sees the Android OS as a thread so they must be building something big for the iphone 4Gen. The iphone 4Gen will probably be better the Nexus One... BUT I am confident that the Nexus Two or whatever Google wants to release in the future will take over eventually
Not saying the Nexus One will lose to the 4Gen for sure. Remember FroYo and Flash 10 are coming to the Nexus One.
I was considering buying an Atrix a few days ago and decided I would be better off getting an iPhone 4 instead because of Android 2.2. Now before anyone erupts in a tizzy, I am not a fanboy of any system. I like them all. I have all three major systems now: WP7, iOS, Android. But Android, to me, is old ham. I have been using 2.2 (FroYo) on my HD2 for almost a year now. Currently I'm using an excellent DesireHD ROM on it. I know the ins and outs of Android well now and am very familiar with it. To buy an Android-specific phone would be kind of like a waste. I can have any Android build they put out and have already become accustomed to Gingerbread.
Back to the Atrix - I went to the local AT&T store and aw the Atrix on display. I've never been a fan of Motorola's versions of Android...their UI overlay. But I was definitely intrigued by the hardware itself. Having such excellent specs like dual-cpu and all, I was, for a time, tempted to sign a new contract for one. However, after playing with it, I'm glad I didn't get one. It has the common Moto UI and the form of the phone is very nice. But the build quality wasn't up to par with the iPhone. The UI exhibited the usual stiffness common to the Moto Android UI. The experience just felt like old ham. A "been-there-done-that" experience.
The Atrix is probably perfectly fine for people who aren't already tired of the usual Android experience. They would be the ones best suited to the Atrix. But the build quality leaves a little to be desired. Maybe it was just the particular display unit, but I didn't want to take a chance on it. That's one appeal with Apple products...especially the iPhone. You don't have to worry about what you'll get. You know it will be top-quality before you even handle it. It feels good going for a sure thing. And this time, I wasn't disappointed in a phone purchase. Had I gone for the Atrix, I would have felt ripped.
Personally Im not a fan of iPhone, been there done that, Im not going to mock you or give you a difficult time because of your decision as far as Im concerned its your decision no mine or anyone else's. Ultimately you need to do whats right for you, that being said I've also owned an iPhone and I gotta tell you I like Android far better. I have my own reasons of course, but of the 2 I'm happier with Android.
Your concerns are, in my opinion, 100% valid; That said, I currently have a Motorola Droid 2 which I had bought about a month ago - this is my first android device and thus far I am absolutely in love with the capabilities and open nature of the operating system but I agree on Motorola and their inability to design an intuitive UI...
I own an iPad running the latest version of the iOS and yes, that operating system provides a 100% smooth experience with less complaints than any other. However just like in the Mac vs. Windows war it all boils down to functionality vs. ease of use. Apple monitors and controls 100% of what goes in and out of the device unless the OS is modified but then the smooth experience goes down the drain - all that jailbroken fun software just craps on the stability and all of the sudden the device feels jittery.
I love to hack around with my devices, I am currently putting Android on my iPad in order to dual boot it depending on what I want at the time so for me the iOS devices are more of a nuisance because they are less hacker friendly but for any end-user the devices are amazing - another plus to the iOS devices is the absence of bloatware that all the Android phones (especially Motorola) seem to be packed with and of course the fact that it is not up to the carrier and/or manufacturer which version of the OS we have installed.
It's all a money making scheme and each side has major pros and cons - It's good that you went at it with some smarts and made the right choice! I for one love iPhoes, I love my iPad, and I love my Droid 2.
The iPhone is cleaner and more well-designed, both in hardware and software. However I can do more with Android. In my situation at least, with Android, there truly is an App For That.
perdurabo2 said:
The iPhone is cleaner and more well-designed, both in hardware and software. However I can do more with Android.
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+1
..........
One other thing that came to mind that I forgot to mention in my first post: The battery life.
One thing I know about Android is the low battery life among all handsets. BL varies from one Android handset to another, but they all seem to be on the low side. I knew that the Atrix would likely be even worse for BL due to the high-end hardware. With my iPhone, I am blown away by the BL.
For the last couple of years, I have been using various different phones and my HD2 was the earliest real-smartphone I had bought since selling my first-gen iPhone and going to T-Mobile. With WinMo, the BL was about as good...maybe not quite as good...as the 1st-gen iPhone I had. Using Android on it and getting involved with the Android forums and reading and learning about the pros and cons of Android, I saw a marked decrease in BL. But this was likely just a situation with Android on the HD2. I got into other Android handsets and continued to see low BL, though. The HTC Evo was the most prominent handset with excessively low BL. The T-Mobile MyTouch 4G was another and so on. A friend has the Galaxy S and isn't too pleased with his handset's BL. A lot of online reviewers comment about Android consistently needing larger batteries to compete with other OSs in BL.
I could probably get, at most, 2 days of life out of my HD2 in stand-by. That's the same for the other Android handests I'm familiar with. Since having my iPhone 4, the battery life has been nothing shy of astounding. I can play several games, listen to music for an hour or so, make calls, surf the web, download apps and do a lot on it in a days use and the battery life will be maybe slightly below a quarter down. If doing all of that on my other handsets, including my HD7, which runs WP7, I would already be charging them.
My estimation about the battery life on my iPhone would be such that I would make it 5 to 7 days without a charge on my way of using it. If I were to just leave it in stand-by, I would estimate the battery life would last up 2 weeks or longer.
Like I said, I am blown away by the iPhone 4 battery life.
I charge my droid every few hours.. I know the pain. I bring my charger with me every day at school and work - the bright side is that it charges from 10-100% in an hour, no joke.
Not sure if this is worthy of creating a new thread or not, but to each his own. iPhone build quality is great but the screen is too small. The device feels isolated and not connected in ways a google device is connected. You handled the phone, thats cool.... but put the phone through its paces and you'll see its pretty awesome. iPhone has lost its luster IMO.
PS check my sig.
novaIS350 said:
Not sure if this is worthy of creating a new thread or not, but to each his own. iPhone build quality is great but the screen is too small. The device feels isolated and not connected in ways a google device is connected. You handled the phone, thats cool.... but put the phone through its paces and you'll see its pretty awesome. iPhone has lost its luster IMO.
PS check my sig.
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I know that experience. I wish Apple would make 4.3" the minimum size for iPhones. And Android does a lot of things better...more efficiently...than Apple. My opinion is the UI is more intuitive on Android than it is on iPhone. But the quality and style of the iPhone experience is second to none. Apple's way of doing things is charming and unique. The whole experience has the same kind of appeal Harley Davidson motorcycles have.
Androids are definitely more connected. But, to my surprise, the iPhone has been supremely more connected than my 1st-gen iPhone ever was. I was amazed how well the email accounts setup and established all my folders and such.
If Google would just refine Android to where it got better BL and deal with the system fragmentation...a nightmare for them, I'm sure...Android could be up there in appeal with iOS. But the BL is the main and foremost thing they should deal with. If they solve that, they will be at the top. As it stands with the iPhone, it's a secure feeling knowing no matter which model you get through the years you will always have a quality, ever familiar, experience.
Since having my iPhone4, it has brought back the pleasing experiences I had with my first iPhone. It was like a "coming-home" feeling. It just feels so comfortable.
I must say these forums are very informative, have found out a lot about various devices and about the android system, now to the OP it is funny because this is the same way I feel but funny enough it the iPhone I have moved away from. I originally owned the G1 Day1 and was in love with the OS UI thought it would change things but at that time something was missing.
I then moved on to the I phone 3G and never looked back after that loved it, loved what I could do with it everything just seemed right. Then not to long ago my brother in law showed me his Droid X and wow I was impressed. Android has grow up and is on par or better (for me at least) than the iPhone. Now before hate starts coming my way I just want to make sure I still like iOS I own macbook, iPod and iPad. For me it just felt the same thing on the phone and just wanted to change.
Now the one thing that I have though about for a while now is if Apple has changed the look of the iphone (hardware) love the way it feels now and looks but what about the OS same look and feel since the 1st Gen. If they were to change things up a bit I might still own an iPhone.
Who knows though I'm to much a tech geek to stay with one lol lets see what Apple has up there sleeves for the iPhone5
I like a lot of things I'm hearing about the Atrix, i'm just concerned about the low data speeds, and wonder if the iphone 4 might just have it beaten (for now).
Seems like many of you out here have good experience on both. You guys can help me (a lot) by rating which phone is better in my areas of biggest importance. And i know i am going to get iphone haters but I'm not sure i understand specifically WHY. The phone really is a great device, so please be fair to it here, but do feel free to also tell me why you think i won't like it.
1. GPS
2. Internet Browsing speed/ease
3. Stability/Speed
4. Call Quality/Least dropped calls
5. Speaker Quality/Volume
Feel free to touch on any deciding factors you might feel i did not have listed...and thanks
Your going to get some very biased answers asking this on the atrix forums, let alone xda!
Sent from my DAMN Galaxy 4G¡!
1. GPS
Pretty damn good; I used it while walking down the street to the coffee shop and got a fast lock and accurate reads.
2. Internet Browsing speed/ease
Very, very fast, although not that much faster than current generation top tier phones.
3. Stability/Speed
Amazing; the phone in its entirity feels fast and snappy. It never sslows down, even when a lot of applications are running.
4. Call Quality/Least dropped calls
I'm part of the group that never gets dropped calls or a bad signal wherever I am. Nothing but positive experiences with me.
5. Speaker Quality/Volume
Very good. Calls canned through clear. However, there is a widespread issue with the notice cancelling feature. If you have it set too high, people can't hear you.
I ended up taking mine back though. The fact that on the same wifi network, it only beat my Nexus 1 aand Captivate by asecond or so; and the quality of the screen isn't that great, even though it has a higher pixel density.
Honestly i had this same debate before i bought my atrix, after having my jailbroken iTouch(which isn't much of a difference from an iphone) and my htc aria, i've noticed how locked down the iphone is, and i love customizing my phones/devices, and android seemed like it had so much more to offer, i can't lie, i like the design of the iphone 4 and almost bought it, but the atrix is waaay more powerful and has a very bright future ahead of it rather than the iphone 4 which is about to be sorta outdated in a few months when the iphone 5 comes out(which really isn't gonna have much of a difference from the iphone 4.
This is my first motorola phone with motoblur, and a lot of people don't like motoblur but actually it's not bad at all, i blame the bad rep on the motorola backflip
ok now to answer your questions:
Motorola Atrix
1: the GPS works great, no complaints
2: the internet is blazing fast and very smooth
3: 1ghz dual core processor, pretty self explanitory lol, but i haven't experienced any lag at all
4: I haven't had any dropped calls, and the speaker is very clear and loud
5: speaker is clear and loud enough to hear from another room
and no i'm not giving a biased opinion, i like both phones, but the Atrix seems more stable and dependable which is important when on the go
I will play devil's advocate for you. My buddy's Iphone 4 is "faster" in a speedtest.net race. I have NEVER seen him upload anything through his iphone. So saying that the iphone is faster is almost a mute point, but it does upload faster. Our download speeds are the same, his Iphone, my captivate, and sadly my Atrix all hit the same download speeds.
The ONE thing that makes me android green with envy, his stupid "unreal" games. I mean its freaking gorgeous to look at, I dont even know the name of the game but its badass. I know that we are going to get some sweet game via nvidia tegra zone, but so far they all look cartoony to me. I am sure we will eventually overtake the iphone in terms of games.
Ok so back to why my phone is better... I can use my phone as a nintendo, supernintendo, playstation 1, or nintendo 64 AND connect it to the big screen AND play the games from my wii remote...
And we have webtop so neiner neiner.
atrix screen
I strongly disagree with the previous post. The Atrix screen is GREAT. Motorola did not include any hi res movies either becasue they were rushing it out the door or just not fully developed the apps. But I have seen hi res videos on the Atrix and the screen is excellent. The Atrix beats the IPhone hands done in every category. Droid phones can be optimized and customized and the result is a phone that does exactly what you want, better than any other phone out there. Trust me, get the Atrix...spend time here looking at the apps and homescreens and spend time on it....it's worth it!
Dillsnik said:
1. GPS
2. Internet Browsing speed/ease
3. Stability/Speed
4. Call Quality/Least dropped calls
5. Speaker Quality/Volume
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Click to collapse
WINNERS:
1. Atrix - by a lot
2. iPhone 4, by a small margin
3. Speed goes to Atrix, stability goes to Atrix if you are familiar with Android
4. Atrix, hands down. very loud speaker, very clear voice. Far fewer dropped calls.
5. ATRIX - loudest speaker I've ever had.
I just came from the iPhone 4 to the atrix, so I figure I can speak better then most.
I really like both of these phones, and figure that either way you go will be a win for you. So that's the good news.
Some quick comparison thoughts:
The screens on the same are very very comparable. They both have a notably high pixel density, and look super sharp and clear. The colors on the iPhone are perhaps a tiny bit better, but maybe that's just a trick of the mind. Regardless, they are very comparable.
Both phones are fast, very fast. Generally, I would say that the Atrix is a bit more responsive then the iPhone. But this is not true when it comes to changing orientation. I've noticed that the Atrix can stutter for a second, where the iPhone was instant. Could be my launcher.
GPS is excellent on both. But the Atrix comes with Google Navigation built in, which basically gives you a full blown GPS on your phone. iPhone requires an expensive app, or more of a maps view then a nav view.
Stability wise, I'm torn. The Atrix does... weird things sometimes. I can't exactly explain it. I had to do a battery pull to get it to work yesterday... brought me back a few years to my blackberry days. Not that it's a terrible thing, but it is a little different. I don't think I was forced to reboot the iPhone once due to issues. It is very very stable.
Build quality goes to the iPhone 4 hands down. The Atrix has little annoying things like the fact that the back on it creaks on some phones (mine is one). Not a big deal by any stretch. But I do miss the awesome build quality of my iPhone 4. Again, Atrix is awesome, but just can't compare to the best in class iPhone.
I love the notification LED on the Atrix. That was probably the thing I missed most on my iPhone.
Call quality and clarity is better on the Atrix. The earpiece is crystal clear, which I can't say for the iPhone. My friends say I sound better on the Atrix too.
To me what it comes down for overall is the software though. I am by no means an expert developer or crazy programmer, but I am very good with most technology. I love controlling my experience, and being able to mess with it. The iPhone is... for lack of a better word, very boring. It is kind of all the same stuff, and once you have it for a week, nothing ever really changes on it. You have the same home screen and everything else. It is what it is.
The possibilities on Atrix are endless. Even without an unlocked bootloader, there is a ridiculous amount of stuff you can do with this phone. Depending on your mood on a given week, you can completely customize things to fit your demands. What widgets and setup you use one day you can completely change the next. I like that freedom a lot.
And call me stupid... but I love my live wallpapers. They are so cool to me.
Overall, the move to Atrix was an awesome decision for me.
I just switched from an iPhone 4 yesterday to the Atrix and the bottom line is that I am incredibly happy with the switch.
A lot of people covered the basics: The GPS is great and built in Nav is nice. Call quality is very crisp, the phone is fast and web browsing is just as smooth as the iPhone. I have had no difficulty adjusting and actually, a lot of things, such as notifications, are designed much more logically.
My reason for a switch was that I was very bored with iOS, going through 3 generations of the phone. The OS is sort of stagnant.
There are a few hiccups on the Atrix - I don't love the texting app and the way it handles embedded images. I also think that the battery indicator is a little strange - still figuring it out.
Aside from, the customization options (even without bootloader access) are incredibly diverse. I love the screen (don't understand all the hate, honestly) and I similarly have had no problems with motoblur yet. Some of the moto widgets are bad, but I just delete them.
One more key factor - I LOVE BEING ITUNES FREE. It is SO nice to just drag and drop files to my phone and have them show up appropriately. It's a world of difference.
If you have any specific questions for a recent iPhone 4 switcher, feel free to PM me.
Thanks
As an owner of both phones, I can say both phones are great. As much as I hate Apple as a company, it has saddened me the past year to say build quality wise, nothing really compares to the iPhone4...it's like a nice expensive watch, glass on both sides and metal on the sides. The Atrix's plasticy build with small creaks here and there(all phones with some plastic removable battery cover will always creak). Both phones are pretty snappy but iOS has always been more smooth and fluid when it comes to UI transitions. My i4 is jailbroken and tweaked to hell, but I don't theme it with Winterboard as I see some lag with it. Apple must use a better digitizer and have some better touch algorithm implemented, because no other touch device is on par with them. The Atrix screen comes close, but you still can feel the difference on touch response. You can also tell the IPS screen on the iPhone4 is still sharper and produces colors more accurately, but then again, it is an IPS screen. While I've always loved how the Android browser loads the pages quickly with no transparancy checkerboard, browsing on the iPhone4 is just smoother, but that could be a by-product of the better screen. Sometimes people say I sound muffled on the Atrix, but it may depend on how I hold the phone.
I wanted to see the hype about Tegra2 so I download Samurai2 for Tegra2. It looks stunning on the Atrix, however, it looks just as good on the iPhone4 too. So that was kind of a letdown to see that Tegra2 was matched by Apple's 9month old SOC. I also have a NexusOne(currently running on Modaco's GB) and love how I can install ROMs and Nandroid to backup my device to try other other ROMs, but with this bootloader lockdown and the possibility that there is a Nvidia efuse in Tegra2, it makes buying Moto almost as bad as buying Apple. While xda is a great community with some very very intelligent people, the jailbreak scene on iOS has worked wonders because they only focus on one OS version for basically one device(Pod/Pad/Phone/TV).
Basically, you shouldn't even consider the iPhone4, when the 5 is coming. Spec wise, if it's using the dual core A5 chip that they just announced on the iPad2, then it will probably be one of the fastest and most powerful phones available. The only thing is, you have to deal with the Apple tax of iTunes and a locked down system until it's jailbroken. The Atrix is a great phone and if you had to buy a phone tomorrow, it should be the one to get...but July isn't that far away.
If you can wait....
I have been thinking about both. It might make sense to wait a month until iPhone 5 details come out. It is supposed to have a HW upgrade and there are some pretty interesting rummours out there (NFC, etc).
Do not buy the iPhone 4 right now as 5 is coming out in a few months...
That being said, the Atrix has VERY fast web browsing. From what I remember of using the iPhone 4 for a month, whenever you try to scroll quickly or zoom out quickly, you get a slight gray loading area. This also happened on the Captivate and n1, but on the Atrix, that never happens on heavy content sites like Engadget.
If you really dont care about the differences between iOs and Android, and LOVE gaming and the best battery life of any smartphone, get the iPhone. But if you want "freedom" and hands down the best integrated google service, get the Atrix.
I think both devices are extremely good. If you want to live in the iTunes ecosystem, then the iPhone is the way to go. However, I have not a single dropped call with my Atrix in St. Louis, and my cousin's iPhone 4 drops calls constantly. It's not the network, it's the phone.
The iPhone has a better app store ecosystem in that the quality of apps are often better and there are a ton of high-quality iOS games from big developers, not quite up there for Android yet.
The iPhone also has a very good camera and camcorder. Better media support (as in netflix, hulu +, AirVideo streaming, etc).
The Atrix is a great all-around device too. I think the camera and camcorder are pretty good, and the screen is wonderful. I just can't use a 3.5" screen on the iPhone anymore. And the iPhone notification system is just terrible.
Google Maps, Voice and Gmail are extremely good on the Atrix and they are all lacking on the iPhone. I also think the battery life on the Atrix is incredible. I'm getting better battery life than I had on any other phone ever.
I had to make this decision and I chose the Atrix.
illmatic416 said:
Basically, you shouldn't even consider the iPhone4, when the 5 is coming. Spec wise, if it's using the dual core A5 chip that they just announced on the iPad2, then it will probably be one of the fastest and most powerful phones available. July isn't that far away.
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Click to collapse
Agreed, At least on a personal level. used my upgrade for the Atrix, returned it for the iPhone 4 a few days later. Today ill be going back, returning the iPhone and getting the Atrix at full price ($499). That way ill get my full upgrade back for July when I see how the next iPhone looks (if its not a 4" screen I doubt i'll waist my time, but we will see). I'm considering just staying with the Atrix and maybe supplimenting my lack of iOS games with the iPad 2, but we will see.
iPhone screen seems awfully small after using an atrix
I went from an iPhone 4 to an Atrix, and i don't miss the iPhone at all, really. Will the iPhone 5 be better? Possibly. Will i care? Not really. The main turn-off for me in regards to any Apple product is their OCD towards iTunes. I want my phone to be a phone..... just as much as i want a 16GB storage media to be a 16GB storage media. I don't want to have to either constantly sync it to iTunes, or rely on some 3rd party work-around to be able to access the data stored on my phone without using Apple's sh*tty software.
If it wasn't for iTunes, lack of complete customization, and basically being just another sheep in the herd carrying one around.... i wouldn't mind another iPhone. But until that time comes (which it never will), buh bye iPhone.
elementaldragon said:
I went from an iPhone 4 to an Atrix, and i don't miss the iPhone at all, really. Will the iPhone 5 be better? Possibly. Will i care? Not really. The main turn-off for me in regards to any Apple product is their OCD towards iTunes. I want my phone to be a phone..... just as much as i want a 16GB storage media to be a 16GB storage media. I don't want to have to either constantly sync it to iTunes, or rely on some 3rd party work-around to be able to access the data stored on my phone without using Apple's sh*tty software.
If it wasn't for iTunes, lack of complete customization, and basically being just another sheep in the herd carrying one around.... i wouldn't mind another iPhone. But until that time comes (which it never will), buh bye iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitly agree
Well, the choice also depends on whether you prefer stable and simple os or a more complex but not as cleaned up os. As for now, I agree with the other posters to wait for the iphone 5, then compare. Right now I have the atrix, and already the iphone 4 camera and screen are both better. The atrix may be powerful, but nothing is capable of fully utilizing it, not to mention that the iphone 5 will be just as, if not more, powerful. The atrix may be good in a few months, but for fast updates, reliable stability, and damn nice designing, wait for the iphone 5.
Oh and android doesn't have monopoly (I mean the board game)
Thank you everyone
Thanks to all that contributed...some very good points made all around.
Basically here's how i have broken down the comparison with all other things being practically equal:
Iphone has slightly better screen, excellent build (best of any phone possibly), and better cams, but proprietary OS etc make it hard(er) to customize.
Atrix has more customization/freedom, led notifications, possibly better call quality, and the potential to be a great phone once it's cracked.
I can't hold off for i5, although i'm sure i can give it a look when it's here. For the meantime i think i am going to go with the Atrix. It's a shame Apple turns off so many with having to use itunes bc i think that is where it's biggest argument against seems to be from and i am sure if i owned it i would not like that either
after 4 years of using an iPhone, once I tried out Android, I stayed. User-customizability is what won me over (among other things such as notifications, google apps, swype, google nav, google voice, etc).
My timeline of smartphones as follows:
iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, Evo, Captivate, Nexus One, Atrix
ANTI-FANBOY DISCLAIMER:
I am aware that I am on a forum full of people that are geared towards a single OS (Android) and who are more likely than not very biased about which is "better" and which "sucks". I am aware that many are not platform agnostic and have not learned to be objective about different ecosystems. Thus, I am anticipating the possibility of anti-apple comments. Oh well.
Anyways, I just wanted to create this side note to say that I'm platform agnostic for everything and have just about every major commercial platform (Windows/Mac, Android/iOS, Wii/PS3/360). So when I do this comparison I am naturally doing it without fanboyism, although my bias does seep through as I naturally have different preferences than others (just a fact of life, different people like different things). However, I try to be as objective as possible.
Hey all,
I'm sitting here with my black Galaxy Note 16GB and white iPhone 4S 64GB and have been thinking about the two a lot lately, mainly comparing them and considering which I should go with. So here's a comparison:
iPhone 4S
TLDR: The thing "just works" with zero hassle, low time requirements to get what you need done, and pretty much everything that you want software-wise is more than satisfied.
Superior:
- Better UI interface (more intuitive, logically laid out, refined, etc) for pretty much every part of the phone
- A little more smooth in terms of performance
- Does multitasking MUCH better and it is easier to use multitasking. Its quite usual to have about 10 to 15 apps going in the background and being able to comfortably switch between them. That's simply not possible on the Note on 2.3.6 (stock firmware) or is much more difficult to do thanks to the multitasking switching method (recent apps window) and the large RAM/CPU demand of many android apps.
- Cloud sync, if you have a mac, is absolutely wonderful and works better than expected. It just works. No hassle, minimal (almost zero) setup and maintenance time.
- The sound quality on the 4S is MUCH better.
- App store is fantastic, has better apps than the Android. This can't be emphasized enough as there are numerous apps on iPhone that simply have no equivalent in terms of quality. For me, the major ones are the office suite (Keynote, Pages, Numbers) as well as a class manager app called iStudiez. I've tried the equivalents on Android and I have found them to be not up to the quality where I would be willing to use them (bad aesthetics, lacking functionality, doesn't "just work with zero hassle")
- I have zero worries about viruses, malware, etc on my iPhone
- if you know other people with iDevices running iOS 5, then FaceTime/iMessage is great.
- I like that the iPhone uses white for a lot of the background colour. The black backgrounds for the settings, messages, etc on the Note really depresses me and makes the screen seem small.
- Camera is better, and it has better anti-shaky-cam functionality. 1080p video works great and the phone handles it wonderfully. I am able to record lectures in class perfectly.
Inferior:
- The hardware is just not as good as the Note. Screen is claustrophobic/postage-stamp-size and hampers full use of the best apps (Pages, Keynote, Numbers).
- The OS and apps don't take advantage of the resolution. It might as well have a 320 x 480 resolution.
- Some people may not like that its not very customizable. I don't mind it because the stock experience is pretty much perfect. I don't HAVE to change anything. On the other hand, I don't GET to.
Galaxy Note
TLDR: Great, but not as good as the 4S in terms of software (which cripples the phone). But, this will be fixed in time and I doubt even the iPhone 5 will be able to beat the Note once the software becomes even close to being on par.
Superior:
- Hardware is wonderful. The screen allows me to use the phone in a much more advanced, useful way - especially for browsing the web. I have been reading my etextbooks on my Galaxy Note quite regularly and prefer reading off of it rather than my actual physical textbooks. That really goes to show that the Note has an amazing screen because I don't want to read my etextbooks off anything else - and I have some amazing displays at my disposal: a 17" macbook pro screen, a 17" alienware R2 RGBLED screen (best screen ever made IMO), a 27" Thunderbolt display, etc.
- S-Pen is pretty useful just with the stock apps, and I can't wait until iAnnotate comes out along with other apps.
- The OS allows me to customize it more. I don't really like this as I have a tendency to waste my time looking for good upgrades for it, but some people might.
Inferior:
- App store has very few Apps on par with the iPhone editions of them. There are some good ones but generally the quality is lower than the iPhone app store. This is the biggest con. I can't express how much this affects my use of the phone. I can't use the phone for office capabilities because polaris is glitchy, looks bad, and isn't optimized for the screen size, and there is no alternative to iStudiez that is on par with it (already tried class buddy, it's quality is not high enough to be useful to me).
- Stock experience of Android is good but is showing its age compared to the iPhone. ICS should fix this but it won't fix the lack of great apps.
- Camera is not as good, and I can't seem to take 1080p videos over a certain file size. I can't record lectures with it due to the file size thing.
- Viruses on android. My mom got her email hacked because of some stupid malware app (she has a Note and 4S too, but sold her Note because of the security vulnerability and her bad experience with getting hacked).
This review is kinda short but I don't have much free time lately as I am very busy.
The major let down for me was the app store for android. If it was on par with the iPhone app store then I would use the Note over the iPhone even though iOS is superior to Gingerbread. Though this shouldn't be around forever (I give it about two or three years before they are on par), but its crippling the phone for me.
So, what I've ended up doing is using both phones. I use the Note for internet, and the iPhone for everything else. I await the day when I can dump the iPhone as i prefer the hardware of the Note. My prediction is that ICS and its stylus support will encourage more devs onto the platform and will result in better apps, but to what degree I'm not sure. Even if it doesn't immediately result in more good apps coming out, I'm sure that within two or three years the iPhone app market will be saturated enough to persuade developers that they will get more money from Android.
EDIT: I figured out a while ago what the solution is: Buy the Galaxy Note and an iPod Touch and tether the two with wifi while on the go. It gives the best of both worlds for not all that much money (especially if you get a used iPod touch).You get the App store on the iPod touch and the hardware of the Note.
- Liquid
Does multitasking MUCH better and it is easier to use multitasking. Its quite usual to have about 10 to 15 apps going in the background and being able to comfortably switch between them. That's simply not possible on the Note on 2.3.6 (stock firmware) or is much more difficult to do thanks to the multitasking switching method (recent apps window) and the large RAM/CPU demand of many android apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You really don't understand how Android multi-tasking works, do you? Or how it works on iOS, for that matter.
Im not going to bother reading it but I can tell by the longer list of "superior" items under the iphone that android is not for you. Dont want to make this a vs thread but you have no idea what your talking about. You and mom(viruses) should give up android.
Theres a reason I wont allow my wife or mom to purchase a android device. My wife uses a iphone4 and ipad2 daily. Theres absolutely nothing a iphone does better than sgs, sgs2 or note.
Funny thing is family and friends go crazy over all my android devices. With everything they can do. Christmas day, with all my friends over, watching movies/games thru mhl, and the million other things that entertained us. Bought my wife the ipad 2 for christmas and after a weeks time, the only thing that was even fun was the camera mirror photo booth app.
Out of the box android is superior to iphone. Jail-broken iphone only tries to mimic android. Funny thing is my winmo 6 devices were superior to android/iphone years ago.
and android doesnt have a app store lol.
1. 4S is can NOT be jailbroken, the devs are not even close to a solution.
2. Siri, is a gimmick and send all the voice data to apple for processing, this in turn increases your data usage.
3. The visible hardware is unchanged from iPhone4 and Androids have moved ages ahead.
4. iPhone4S has some Simcard issues. Loss of network is the result.
5. The iPhone UI is unchanged since the first 2G. Thats a lot of years of using the same UI. Most people didn't upgrade to 4S from 4 (including me) as the external form factor and the UI was the same. I just couldn't justify spending a bomb on a new fone that looks exactly the same and has the same interface.
6. Theme support? You can not put winterboard or dreamboard ,if you are not jailbroken.
7. iMessage although a nice concept has its own issues. It doesnt come close to Whatsapp or Blackberry Messenger.
The positive things about an iphone is the the resale value due to the novelty value is good and the Accessories that are available. Like the Indash DVD unit of my car syncs to ipod/iphone the Kicker music dock syncs to iphone/ipod etc.
Apple with iPhone 5 will really have to come up with something radical to catch up with the droids i believe.
Edit : How could i forget iPhone are marred by the fact that iTunes exists.
PS. I'm not a Droid fanboy, i used to be a apple fanboy.
Croak said:
You really don't understand how Android multi-tasking works, do you? Or how it works on iOS, for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It might be right, that LiquidNitrogen have no idea about dalvik, JVME or JIT-Compiling. What he does is: He is sharing his experience with both devices and the point is, that LiquidNitrogen loves the "no hassle" thing and uses the devices stock - like thousands of people do!
His arguments are only subjective and not scientificaly prooved and thats what apple is turning in to their business: they create products with zero-hassle-experience! Even my Mom could use an Iphone, and she allready has problems using a TV Remote
For me, i like hassle. I want to customize the look of my device and utilize it for doing what i want to, since WinMo 5.0... Android is just perfect for me.
I allways used big screen devices like HTC Universal, Dell Streak, etc.
I cannot understand how apple can sell a poststamp-sized-screen-phone for 700 bucks.... and: i would never buy this device since iTunes is an "must-have" thing. I hate iTunes, there is nothing worse than iTunes. my sister calls me once a week: "i just downloaded a video in .flv format, how can i make iTunes sync this with my iphohe?" you guys know what i mean ;-)
I don't have an iphone, but I thought your post was pretty objective.
Of course, this being the internet, you'll get flamed no matter what you do.
Some things I'd comment on:
LiquidNitrogen said:
pretty much everything that you want software-wise is more than satisfied.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Software is always personal choice. I think as long as you have facebook, twitter, and angry birds, you satisfy 95% of the general public. That's a slight exaggeration, but not by much actually.
LiquidNitrogen said:
I like that the iPhone uses white for a lot of the background colour.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I absolutely hate white backgrounds since It's just a battery drainer.
LiquidNitrogen said:
- The OS and apps don't take advantage of the resolution. It might as well have a 320 x 480 resolution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume you mean fonts/buttons are still large - this is a result of the small screen. Even on the note, some tablet apps are just too painful to use. The text is just too small.
LiquidNitrogen said:
I don't mind it because the stock experience is pretty much perfect. I don't HAVE to change anything. On the other hand, I don't GET to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See 'the paradox of choice'
- Frank
This post made me laugh. The iPhone having better multitasking? Really? No. the iPhone freezes your app that's "open" and there is no "multi tasking" it's monotasking with an icon to reopen where you were.
Cloud sync? Really? I haven't had to backup my contacts in years. Nor my calendar. I have sugarsync and dropbox, mostly sugarsync since I have a paid account with them, for my desktop. I also use it on my phone. It automatically backs up pictures and videos and any folders I want every day on my terms: wifi, plugged in. I don't see "cloud sync" as a pro for iOS. Especially not since it JUST came out. I've been syncing since my blackberry days to Google Contacts and Calendar.
Data usage on the iPhone is also a lot higher. Your email app for example loads emails AGAIN and AGAIN every time you open the email you want to see! Great way to lose data on silly things.
I used an iPhone 4 for almost a year, (that's a long time for me, check my signature), and I liked it but I got SOOO bored :
Tiny screen (not small, TINY...)
UI was so outdated, even though smooth. I'd prefer functional over esthetics. On my Notes desktop I have widgets for everything I need, and direct shortcuts to everything else. In 2 clicks I have wifi, gps, volume, etc. Access to a ton of features. Turning on / off wifi on the iphone is a pain. I'd imagine they did it on purpose as to be too much of a pain to turn it on and then you'd just use your data connection, use more data, and get carriers more money (back to the constant reloading of data)
Games were fun! But they were on such a small screen that text was almost illegible.
Multitasking took FOREVER. Many times I would want to reload an app, and since it wasn't made for saved-state, it would reload! And then there's the whole RELOADING of the app entirely if your ram ran out and your phone decided to recycle it completely while still showing that it's running.
Regardless, I DO agree that the iPhone just works. I also find that they made a huge profit margin on the same product (iphone 4 --> 4s) due to the same frame, screen, memory, buttons, etc.
That's a huge waste for us. Don't people want innovation? Choices? Apple gives you 1 iphone a year, with the same form factor, and the ONLY thing you can choose is memory and color. What if you could only get a car in 2 colors, and if it's a v6 or v8? Everyone would hate that. I think apple limits technology. I do believe Apple does do some things right though: user experience. Just because I love to tinker doesn't mean others do. Cameras, they have fantastic cameras in their phones. And that's about my limit. Ohh... and hyping a device They're good at that, too. haha.
These are my personal opinions. My mom uses a motorola flipout because it's got a physical keyboard. She likes her memory games and simple things that a crappy device gives her. She doesn't need a 600 euro phone (iPhone) that doesn't do anything better than her current 120 euro (unlocked) flipout that I got her 8 months ago, especially for her. Apple doesn't give her the choice for devices. Android devices do: they come in all shapes, prices, sizes and colors.
The OP was very respectful and quite accurate in his shared ideas.
At least as for the sound quality goes the iPhone headphone out trumps the Note one in terms of resolution and soundstage (Easily audible thru my Westone UM3x).
And that's a fact. As the lack of a clean line out is another fact. For music iPhone is still the king however you look at it.
For reading and browisng the Note trumps the iPhone. Obviously.
In the end the OP prefers the Note because of the screen. I don't see any fanboysm on him.
His view on the Android app market is spot on. Android fragmentation prevents apps to reach the quality level that they feature on iOS. It seems that ICS will fight that fragmentation.
IMO, in simplest terms, the iPhone and Note just caters to different people with different tastes.
In terms of library, iOS has a more robust environment compared to Android. And the fact that iOS apps simply "just works" is one feature that people would pay, rather than getting into a hassle.
Convenience has always been the market of choice for Apple, and it delivers.
And no, i do not own an iPhone, but my cousin has one, and i mostly assist when she needs to access the iOS market, so i have an idea of how robust this is.
Granted, the note works "out of the box", but the name of the game is customization, and android delivers. Especially when you decide to "root", and you just have a device, free from restrictions, and capable of becoming anything you want it to (granted, it is within the possibility).
I enjoy tinkering my note. Encountered plethoras of problems, and have grown wiser from it. Learned the capabilities and limitations of my device, and keep pushing it to its limits and beyond.
The note is a modders' dream come true.
I agree that iPhone is easier to use. I also agree that the Note is more superior compared to it. What i don't agree with, is labeling iPhone is superior/inferior to Note, because, based on how you use it, it always boils down to personal preference.
I am not fond of countering arguments, because in the simplest terms, they are just opinions. And opinions basically goes two ways. It's either you agree with it, or you disagree with it, and provide a counter argument.
Any device without a back button = FAIL
Croak said:
You really don't understand how Android multi-tasking works, do you? Or how it works on iOS, for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disqualified all his review as soon as I read about his opinion regarding multitasking... he has no opinion and doesn't know that ios is a half backed multitasking... lol and let me not start about his cloudsync or even Sirius lol
Croak said:
You really don't understand how Android multi-tasking works, do you? Or how it works on iOS, for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How it works under the hood is only for geeks, 99.99% of the users only care about the user experience and for him its easier on iOS. No need to complicate things.
luv the note but !!!
feel embarassed to use the iphone headset wid it coz the one which came wid the note suckss .rest note is a beast.
Fair comparison, I don't and wont use apple myself but when some friends of mine that are totally clueless about tech stuff ask me what to get. I tell them to get an apple, they work as are and don't need any customization simply because it doesn't let you.
A more techy person will prefer android as its much more open and to get the best out of it you need to get down and dirty a little. Apple is simple and fairly idiot proof thats why the Idiots prefer them only joking lol.
I love the title a small iphone 4s vs NOTE
I have not read your post either since this kind of opinions has become too boring.
But will instead give you one piece of advice:
Whoever bought theGNote is unlikely to go back to IPhone, that's why this kind of comparison are useless. Just an hour ago went to meet a client, he was with a group of friends first thing he does seeing me: Hey Jack is that Samsung of yours with you?
-sure
They compare it with their IPhones, they want to watch a movie,just yesterday downloaded Paul with HD quality,their eyes pop up!!
Is this also a phone? One of them asks, -yes.
They want to see the camera, they are impressed after seeing the Spen.
-how much you said you paid for it?.
And no I don't work for Samsung,you don't have to since people have eyes to see.They want F#####g CHOICES, not just one form factor, telling you either take it or take it. !!
hagba said:
I have not read your post either since this kind of opinions has become too boring.
But will instead give you one piece of advice:
Whoever bought theGNote is unlikely to go back to IPhone, that's why this kind of comparison are useless. Just an hour ago went to meet a client, he was with a group of friends first thing he does seeing me: Hey Jack is that Samsung of yours with you?
-sure
They compare it with their IPhones, they want to watch a movie,just yesterday downloaded Paul with HD quality,their eyes pop up!!
Is this also a phone? One of them asks, -yes.
They want to see the camera, they are impressed after seeing the Spen.
-how much you said you paid for it?.
And no I don't work for Samsung,you don't have to since people have eyes to see.They want F#####g CHOICES, not just one form factor, telling you either take it or take it. !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. I chose to buy my Note over an iPhone for such reasons. Though I'm ever more concerned of wowing myself than other people.
But I do have to agree to one point in the review: Android market needs a little more apps, more specifically - games! But I'm pretty sure it'll catch up in no time so no pressure. On the productivity side, what we have now is more than good enough.
App selection aside, the iPhone is just like an Android phone that doesn't let you change mostly anything. (which is also in the review ) It starts of great but stays there. Androids can potentially start crappy, but if you know what you're doing you can make it better like, ten to hundredfold.
This thread is troll bait if I ever saw it...Must not reply...must not reply...lol
hackerboi said:
1. 4S is can NOT be jailbroken, the devs are not even close to a solution.
2. Siri, is a gimmick and send all the voice data to apple for processing, this in turn increases your data usage.
3. The visible hardware is unchanged from iPhone4 and Androids have moved ages ahead.
4. iPhone4S has some Simcard issues. Loss of network is the result.
5. The iPhone UI is unchanged since the first 2G. Thats a lot of years of using the same UI. Most people didn't upgrade to 4S from 4 (including me) as the external form factor and the UI was the same. I just couldn't justify spending a bomb on a new fone that looks exactly the same and has the same interface.
6. Theme support? You can not put winterboard or dreamboard ,if you are not jailbroken.
7. iMessage although a nice concept has its own issues. It doesnt come close to Whatsapp or Blackberry Messenger.
The positive things about an iphone is the the resale value due to the novelty value is good and the Accessories that are available. Like the Indash DVD unit of my car syncs to ipod/iphone the Kicker music dock syncs to iphone/ipod etc.
Apple with iPhone 5 will really have to come up with something radical to catch up with the droids i believe.
Edit : How could i forget iPhone are marred by the fact that iTunes exists.
PS. I'm not a Droid fanboy, i used to be a apple fanboy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
one major reason why I came back to android after getting the iphone 4s awful network faults, buggy its oh and locked down fymware never again will I own anything apple note rocks love it
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
EarlZ said:
How it works under the hood is only for geeks, 99.99% of the users only care about the user experience and for him its easier on iOS. No need to complicate things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
Also, I do know the basics of how multi-tasking works on iOS vs Android, but not enough to make comments about it so I didn't. I based the multi-tasking comment on how the average non-techie person would interpret the phone. I get 6 apps in Android's "recent apps" list and I get as many as I want in iOS's multi-tasking 'tray'/'bar'. Also, I didn't make a comment about apps being frozen by iOS simply because of this question: Do I notice it? The answer is no. I rarely, if ever, notice that my apps are being frozen. And when I do, I don't care. On Android, I DO notice that I can't pull up more than six apps easily. I also notice that I can't play youtube and other videos in the background on the Note, which annoys me to no end. This will be fixed in ICS though, if I remember correctly.
As for the back button thing, yes it certainly is a pro for Android. On the downside, it doesn't always perform correctly. I anticipate this being solved in ICS though. Gingerbread, to me, feels full of 'beginner/basic mistakes' that will be probably solved in ICS. I didn't mention most of them because of that.
Also, I am aware that my comparison is very top heavy in terms of more stuff written about iPhone then the Note, but I just ran out of steam by the end of my article.
As for rooting/jailbreaking, I didn't include either as I don't have experience with either, and I also didn't include it as the average person does not know how to do that nor will end up doing it if given the option: either because they don't want to, don't have the time to, don't have the knowledge/techie-skills to, etc. I tried to base my article around what the average user might experience than the advanced stuff.
On a side note, I've noticed a lot of flamey/poorly-written comments. Oh well. I expected it, even though I don't root for one device or the other. Please take note of how I didn't say "The iPhone is better" or "The Note is better" but rather just listed features where one felt superior/inferior to the other. Basically a pro's/con's list. I did this because, objectively speaking, neither is better or worse than the other.
Also I didn't even mention Siri, but from some comments here some people think that I did - which is an obvious tipoff that a lot of people are commenting without reading. Anyways, perhaps I should have mentioned Siri, but I didn't. Why? I never really use it. Same with the voice functionality on the Note. If I did, however, have to choose one or the other, I would definitely choose Siri - just because of the way its setup and the things I can do with it. Whenever I have used siri it is when I have the phone in my pocket and don't feel like answering a text or otherwise pulling the phone out, so I long-press on the button on my headphones and just tell Siri what I want. She gets it right most of the time.
I also didn't mention that the iPhone has a superior physical design. The metal and glass design looks amazing. I didn't mention it, however, because I always have it in a case, so I hardly see it. It also makes it very heavy. The Note feels kind of cheap if I had to comment about it, at least in comparison to the iPhone, but its part of the reason why its light so its forgivable, and I never really notice the quality difference between the 4S and the Note.
Also, BIG DIFFERENCE between the Note and the 4S that I didn't think to write: the 4S is very scratch resistant and the screen just feels more durable. My Note's screen gets scratched very easily and the glass on it feels much less durable.
Another difference is that the volume rocker and the power button on the Note are right where I always want to grab it to pull it out of my pocket or a case or whatever. I often always pretty the power button by accident while holding the phone. It's very annoying. However, I realize that they did it that way because the top of the phone is too far to reach with the hand that is holding the phone. If I was given the choice, though, I wouldn't change the power button and volume rocker configuration - but it is annoying. Also, I usually don't have that problem with the iPhone and if I do it is just the volume buttons I end up pressing.
Also, another interesting social aspect of the Note vs iPhone: When I got my iPhone, my friends with Android phones flamed me to no end (and still flame me to this day). However, when I got the Note, my friends with iPhones didn't make a single negative comment and complimented me on it. This may be unique to my situation but it's just another difference I noticed.
What's also interesting is that the S-Pen on my Note is much more sensitive and better to use than the one on my parents Note. Both were stock and running the same firmware, and came from the same source and carrier (and probably batch).
LiquidNitrogen said:
As for the back button thing, yes it certainly is a pro for Android. On the downside, it doesn't always perform correctly..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Used SGS, SGS II, now using SGN - never faced any problem.
Two things I liked about the white iPhone 4 and the Black iPhone 4S I had was they had very good resell value and a really pretty girl wanted to see my white iPhone and we had coffee together.
First of all let me give you a little background about myself. I am the mobile admin for a major software company in Silicon valley. I have access to any phone I feel that is worth testing so I can be completely unbiased. Here are the pros and cons of the S3 which I am now testing:
Pros:
1. Screen is big and very nice. It is pentile but I can barely tell. The iPhone 4s is a bit sharper but the s3 just looks better. Blacks are black. and they toned down the punchiness of the OMLED
2. The phone is thin and sexy. I got the casemate barley there which gives the phone more grip and fits like a glove.
Cons:
1. It gets warm with use.
2. When using auto brightness the avg brightness is to week. If it were bumped up about 25% it would be perfect or even better if you could adjust the avg brightness like you can with the iPhone it would be perfect.
2. Im in the bay area and do not get a solid LTE signal with ATT like I do on the iPad. Most of the times its on 4G 5 bars when my iPad has LTE. When it is in LTE I get the usual 20-40mbps which is great.
3. Android OS is just not as polished and solid as iOS. Yes it has more capabilities but it just doesn't work as well for me.
4. it was charged to 100 percent at midnight so I unplugged it and went to bed. Woke up at 7 am and it was at %50. I looked at the battery menu and didn't see anything out of the norm. Yes its possible I left some app running in the back ground but I should not have to worry about that. Apple got it right why can't google? If I ever forget to plug it in then it will most likely die in the middle of the night and I may miss an important work call. The iPhone can be at %20 and if I forget to charge it, it will be at %15 in the am.
Overall the perceived build quality doesn't compare to the iPhone 4s but its not bad with the gorilla glass 2 screen and Casemate barely there. Even though the 4S feels more solid Id feel safer dropping the S3 then the 4s since the 4S has more glass. Im really hoping to make this my primary phone but its no where near the 4S in terms of usefull functionality. Hardware wise its light years ahead. With the 4S i use it as a tool. With the S3 i use at so I can look at it and go ooooh ahhhh. I keep picking it up so I can run my finger across the awesome OMLED screen to hear the water and look at my background pic which is the dandy lion. Now if I could just blow on it
I'm curious, other than the OS on the iphone being a little more intuitive and user friendly, what functionality did you find in the iphone that you don't find in the S3? I'm coming over from an iphone myself and am finding that the whole iphone vs droid debate is a little overblown. Out of the actually functional uses and not just stuff to play around with and tweak, I haven't found much that one phone can do that the other can't. They both do pretty much the same things, just some of the things are done a little differently.
Well, except for the battery life on the S3 which from what I've read on this and other forums is a common issue and one which the iphone doesn't have. I'd have to say that that is my biggest disappointment with this phone.
I agree on somethings you have to say about the GS3, I too am a heavy iPhone user and I have been looking for a good Android to replace the iPhone 4s with. I have access to ANY phone I want as well and I have tested just about them all, One X's Lumina 900's ect they were all good but I kept coming back to the iPhone 4S, it just couldn't be beat.
Until now, I've been using an International GS3 and just switched to the ATT version and while both were good, the ATT model works better, I live in LTE even though my phone is on Home WiFi most of the time. I prefer the ATT over the Quad Core model.
But this thing does it all the iPhone does, I've got everything syncing back and forth with all the Mac's iPads ect, its all good to go.
The little iPhone screen is just to small these days, if your like my buddy that never tired a 4 plus inch screen then your fine with the iPhone, but no way can I try and read emails on the iPhone, just too small.
The GS3 is here to stay, until the next greatest thing comes out.
Oh and the Rock Case is way better the Case Mate's.:good:
Cool story bro.
TROLL BAIT!
Who are you again that we should all listen to your opinion?
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Yes i am a troll. Im a troll that really likes this phone. Im going to give it more time. Ive tried 100s of Android phones and hands down this is the best. compared to the iPhone its quirky but I'm bored out of my mind with the iPhone 4 design and small screen so I'm think I'm going to switch to this baby until the iPhone 5 hits the market in 4 months or so.
I too would like to hear what the iPhone can do that the s3 can't? I also went from the iPhone a 3GS model to the S3 and it can do anything that my iphone did and may things it does better. Like the last poster stated the iPhone is just too small plus this thing is just way faster than my iPhone ever dreamed of being.
richard371 said:
First of all let me give you a little background about myself. I am the mobile admin for a major software company in Silicon valley. I have access to any phone I feel that is worth testing so I can be completely unbiased. Here are the pros and cons of the S3 which I am now testing:
Pros:
1. Screen is big and very nice. It is pentile but I can barely tell. The iPhone 4s is a bit sharper but the s3 just looks better. Blacks are black. and they toned down the punchiness of the OMLED
2. The phone is thin and sexy. I got the casemate barley there which gives the phone more grip and fits like a glove.
Cons:
1. It gets warm with use.
2. When using auto brightness the avg brightness is to week. If it were bumped up about 25% it would be perfect or even better if you could adjust the avg brightness like you can with the iPhone it would be perfect.
2. Im in the bay area and do not get a solid LTE signal with ATT like I do on the iPad. Most of the times its on 4G 5 bars when my iPad has LTE. When it is in LTE I get the usual 20-40mbps which is great.
3. Android OS is just not as polished and solid as iOS. Yes it has more capabilities but it just doesn't work as well for me.
4. it was charged to 100 percent at midnight so I unplugged it and went to bed. Woke up at 7 am and it was at %50. I looked at the battery menu and didn't see anything out of the norm. Yes its possible I left some app running in the back ground but I should not have to worry about that. Apple got it right why can't google? If I ever forget to plug it in then it will most likely die in the middle of the night and I may miss an important work call. The iPhone can be at %20 and if I forget to charge it, it will be at %15 in the am.
Overall the perceived build quality doesn't compare to the iPhone 4s but its not bad with the gorilla glass 2 screen and Casemate barely there. Even though the 4S feels more solid Id feel safer dropping the S3 then the 4s since the 4S has more glass. Im really hoping to make this my primary phone but its no where near the 4S in terms of usefull functionality. Hardware wise its light years ahead. With the 4S i use it as a tool. With the S3 i use at so I can look at it and go ooooh ahhhh. I keep picking it up so I can run my finger across the awesome OMLED screen to hear the water and look at my background pic which is the dandy lion. Now if I could just blow on it
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Thank you for taking the time to write your review. Even though I don't see eye to eye with everything you said I do appreciate the time you took to write it! C:
browniegirl said:
Thank you for taking the time to write your review. Even though I don't see eye to eye with everything you said I do appreciate the time you took to write it! C:
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Yes I do too, but he does seem a bit trollish since he has answered off haned comments, but fails to answer a question 2 people have asked already. " What can the iPhone do that the GS3 can't?"
Im not downing the s3 at all. On the contrary i think its a great phone and better then the iphone 4 in many ways and I have pretty much decided to make it my primary phone. I was just being honest about a few things I found that I do not like but its my opinion.
in my opinion Apple's iOS may not have the flexibility and features of Android but it is rock solid and does what it does best. Now with my ipad 3 and the S3 I have the best of both worlds. The S3 is an amazing phone but I stand by my review from my personal experience.
Is that clear to you curtiswalker29?
cwalker29 said:
Is that clear enough with ya?
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I find it hard to believe that you are un bias, you seem to be very much ingrained inn the ios camp. Which is to bad because I was expecting an gives review. That being said, I disagree with you on a few points.
First off, the last 4 nights I have had Nino more than 6% battery drain, most nights have been about 5 or 4. So 50 is hard to believe unless you had to screen on all night with apps running.
Second, I have an iPhone 4 and compared my sgs3 with a 4s and hands down the sgs3 was know responsive, more fluid, and multi tasking was un comparable. I returned an app a day later and was at the exact same place doing the same action as if I never left.
All actions performed faster on the sgs3.
Maps and GPS lock quicker and load faster.
S voice actual understands what I say 90% of the time vs 50% with siri.
I use to be a hardcore ios guy, always pcs though, and I couldn't imagined going back to such a stifling os like ios.
I to am curious at what you believe runs better on ios vs android.
The only thing ios has that android doesn't is consistency among hardware which equals an overall smoother software experience due to the lack of fragmentation. But is rather have choices and freedom in my software and hardware than be pigeon held to what Apple believes I want.
The screen on the 4 s is nice, but ios a screen that small it is wasted.
Additionally, I hate even calling ios an operating system, it's nothing more than a glorified app launcher. Up until recently it lacked all customizability, and even now are so far behind android in terms of os function that they are going to have to make significant changes to even the playing field. Android simply creates a feature rich os, leaving ios seeming stale and UN bending.
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I am sure with a little bit of time getting to know the ends and outs of the new operating sytem and tricks that you will like it just as much. I think it's a matter of what you get used too IMO.
Did you know that it can do Visual Voicemail too? I installed the app from the market and it works well. Just had a heck of a time getting AT&T to provision the service right, but that's not the phone's fault.
Well I'd say that was a pretty unbiased review so thank you. Some people will feel otherwise, but this is a GSIII forum so most people here are obviously going to be pretty biased towards THEIR own phone lol.
I have tweaked and played with the whole spectrum of iOS devices and android devices. I have a Mac Pro, Macbook Pro, and an iPad3 (and a GSIII and GSII ) so I'm pretty unbiased as well.
IMHO, this phone is first that really gives the iPhone4s and iOS a run for its money. Out of the box there's no question that iOS and the iPhone4 are more polished. The iPhone4S feels great in your hand and iOS is very intuitive especially for people who have little to know interest in 'tweaking' things.
But the screen is far too small, the glass is VERY prone to breaking if dropped, and I don't like to be looked into iOS's ecosystem.
I used an iPhone4 while I waited for my GSIII to arrive and all in all it wasn't that bad. At this point in time I think virtually everything you can do on one platform, you can do on the other. All just personal preference I guess.
But I will say apple needs to really have some groundbreaking stuff for the iPhone5 to keep up!
Thanks for the write up but I to would like to know what the iphone can do that the sgs3 cannot?
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Can some one tell me why they think ios is more intuitive? How so? Android operates far mode naturally, with gesture control, motion activation, combination actions like reject call to text... android is far more seamless to operate and navigate from home to app to app etc... the only reason why I believe people think ios is more intuitive is, because it has been around so long and has changed very little, people are confusing intuitive with familiar... that's just my take on it.
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theraffman said:
Can some one tell me why they think ios is more intuitive? How so? Android operates far mode naturally, with gesture control, motion activation, combination actions like reject call to text... android is far more seamless to operate and navigate from home to app to app etc... the only reason why I believe people think ios is more intuitive is, because it has been around so long and has changed very little, people are confusing intuitive with familiar... that's just my take on it.
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agree, it's muscle memory. I've used android so much that I stumble using an iphone and many things to me seem counter intuitive. it doesn't mean the system is bad, it just means my experience gives me a different way of doing things. another example of this is a study that was done on IQ tests. When they asked a bunch of kids from chicago and puerto rico to give an example of umbrella use, the kids from chicago said the obvious, for rain. the puerto rican kids stated that it was for sunny days, giving completely different answers and uses. So each group gave answers that spoke to their personal experiences.
so to go back to the point at hand, the whole android vs ios thing is stupid because it all depends on your perspective. how a ui feels, if it's intuitive or smooth, if a phone feels sturdy or not, these are subjective feelings that are too dependent on things that build up to that. they are also dependent on your own viewpoint of smartphones. if a smartphone is in the same category as a toaster to you then ios is great, but if a smartphone is an artifact that increases the capacities of the human senses, then android will probably be your bet.
Lol at OMLED. It sounds like omelet. Maybe I can make an omelet when playing a game and charging at the same time.
Yeah if you weren't aware, XDA is as anti-Apple as it gets. Don't expect reasonable replies. The cult of Android is far worse than the cult of STeve Jobs. I think AndroidCentral is a little bit better. Not by much.
iOS is way simpler and predictable. The answer is really that simple. An OS can install apps and programs. That's it. Customization is not a requirement. Look at Windows Phone. Having a single button and apps already there on the screen makes a big difference. The extra layers that Android adds with homescreens and app drawers and capacitive buttons and secret menus and randomly holding things to see if functions pop up. Ugh. Not as intuitive. The back button closes the app but the home button doesn't? How about just keep a stranglehold on memory and background services so battery life is always good no matter what. The idea is so novel.
The next Android version should be called Sour Patch Kid. SPK
thats like saying you know it makes so much sense, it's common logic, why can't you see my logic whats wrong with you -_-
katamari201 said:
Lol at OMLED. It sounds like omelet. Maybe I can make an omelet when playing a game and charging at the same time.
Yeah if you weren't aware, XDA is as anti-Apple as it gets. Don't expect reasonable replies. The cult of Android is far worse than the cult of STeve Jobs. I think AndroidCentral is a little bit better. Not by much.
iOS is way simpler and predictable. The answer is really that simple. An OS can install apps and programs. That's it. Customization is not a requirement. Look at Windows Phone. Having a single button and apps already there on the screen makes a big difference. The extra layers that Android adds with homescreens and app drawers and capacitive buttons and secret menus and randomly holding things to see if functions pop up. Ugh. Not as intuitive. The back button closes the app but the home button doesn't? How about just keep a stranglehold on memory and background services so battery life is always good no matter what. The idea is so novel.
The next Android version should be called Sour Patch Kid. SPK
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Click to collapse
Actually this post shows that you know nothing of android.
First off, backing doesnt close programs unless a) you specify it to by selecting (kill app on longpress) or b) if the app prompts you to do so.
Secondly, you obviously have been brain washed to think that an app launcher is the same thing as an os. (And yes WM is in the same category as ios) take a look at any pc/Mac based os, you are provided with a user defined workspace, within this workspace you can control, launch, schedule and manipulate software and data through out the system. All a dedicated app launcher does Is to organize each individual program for access and deployment... that's all ios really is.
Long pressing and gestures are all part pour the process that makes these devices more intuitive... that's what intuitive means, taking tasks and making them more seamless and natural... this is of course based on perception. But considering that I have spent atleast twice as much time on ios than android my perception is well rounded. I still have an iPhone 4 I use it as a music player for my kids. And occasionally play with it and everything seemingly takes more steps.
now I know you are a troll, I've seen you in many other threads trying to reassure and convince yourself that ios is in some way superior, that must be a constant struggle.
Admittedly, ios has its benefits, but everyday android advances while ios stays stagnant, they as just now implementing features that android has had for two years. I home they step up their game and make android work for their inevitable win. I guess we will see what the iPhone 5 will bring, but if it's just a 4" 4s then they will practically give their customers to android. It's only a Matter of time before the faithful Iphone users see that the others are passing them up. That's what happened to me, I use to argue to no end with my friends on android but eventually got so board with ios that I bought an infuse to replace my 4 and have since seen what these devices can really do when allowed the freedom to do so.
But continue to live in your house of mirrors, you'll be here sooner or later.
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Yeah punk... Lol
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My 1st smartphone was when the iPhone 1st came out. Since my 1st android device (Droid/Milestone), I was converted and became an iPhone hater(especially after I got the Nexus One). But you gotta admit, the iPhone can hold its charge better than any Android. With that I have to place the blame on the OS. But who knows??? If iOS implemented widgets on the homescreen it might b a different story. OTHER THAN Better BATTERY management, there isn't anything that the iPhone can do that my Android can't. It's the iPhone that CAN'T do a lot of what Android phones can.