Poll: IPhone VS Android

[LinwoodElrich]

So I odn't know enough, having not personally used an Android phone before and having only used an ipod touch but my gut is to go with Android for two reasons. One is that companies can make their own phones that run Android, so you get a huge diversity in price and specifications so you can get a phone more tailored to your usage.

Secondly, programming for Android is free and uses Java, which in my experience is much better than XCode or having to pay $100 to just try and figure out how to make an app.

 

[DeltaEdge]

I prefer androids. I don't really like how on iphones, the only thing you can have on the front screen is the apps and a wall paper (no widgets and other useless fun stuff). I'm pretty sure the iphone has the best camera on the mobile phone market, but other than that, I don't see any reason to buy an iphone unless you like over-priced technology that might at best only be slightly better than what you are getting with a different product, cuz why buy a 300 dollar desktop with 2.5 ghrtz and 200gb storage space and 3gb ram when you can get a 3000 dollar apple comp with 2.51 ghrtz 250gb storae and 3.1gb ram?

 

[nadesico33]

I had an iPod Touch (16gig 2nd gen) in the past, before I got my Android (also a Samsung Fascinate). While I did have apps and music, its primary purpose was a rather long list of podcast feeds. iTunes, and by extension iPod Touch and iPhone, is horrible for managing and playing podcasts. Everything from from feed checking and downloading, to syncing took way too much time, adding and deleting feeds would cause iTunes to forget global settings, and it just got worse as iTunes updated itself. Got my Android, and on recommendation of another site, dropped the $6 on Doggcatcher and (once I figured out how to work it at first) never looked back. The games were neglible losses, the music can be dealt with through other services, and thus the iPod touch got sold to Gamestop when they announced that they were taking them for trade, got $80 out of it. So there you go.

 

[Vivi22]

I think iphone and Andriod do their games different. For example I have a free version of fruit ninja on my driod thats the full game it just has ads in it. A coworker also has a free version on the game on her iphone but its more like a demo sense she can only play one mode.

Not sure about fruit ninja, but in the case of Angry Birds, they were planning to release it as a paid app on the android marketplace, but some regions wouldn't have been able to purchase it because of some weird rules and regulations around the marketplace. So instead they put ads in and made it free so those people could have it as well.

Personally, I have an Android and I won't go with anything else unless someone puts out a phone OS that is better than it. I dislike Apple's iOS, and there are some aspects of the interface that get on my nerves. I also like that Android is a much more open platform. Generally, if you want to do something to your phone, you can quite easily, whether it's developing apps or installing custom firmware, and Google and the manufacturer will never tell you to go fuck yourself for doing it. Plus it doesn't require you to install iTunes which is another big one for me as I have no desire to install that piece of crap on my PC, let alone want to go to the trouble of syncing up my phone every time it has to update.

Get a good Android phone and you get a better OS with better hardware for your dollar. I actually used to be quite against getting a smartphone, even (especially?) after using my sisters iPhone, but Android won me over.

 

[4RM3D]

Lets have a look...

My background
I have a background in mobile development, including making apps for Android.
I have both a HTC Android and an iPhone and I have used both of them a lot.

Hardware
Not much difference nowadays. Just the looks, but that is personal.

Operation System
iOS is much more stable, faster, easier and more streamlined but all this comes at the cost of customization and freedom.

Available apps
iPhone has the most and the best apps, but Android isn't far behind. Both have pretty much everything you want.

My opinion
In the end I like the iPhone more. It has it share of issues, but I think it is overall a little bit better than Android.

The navigation of Android is clunky and unintuitive compared to the iPhone. With the iPhone every interaction happens on screen. With the Android you have multiple buttons to navigate. And it can turn into a maze.

The way Android apps are build allows for a lot of flexibility, but at the same time can turn your phone into a clusterfuck of crap, performance problems and evil apps swiping your data. Apple is more reliable and stable, but also a bit less flexible.

My two issues with the iPhone is that you have to use iTunes and that apps can only be distributed through the app store. Although the good side of this is that you can't accidentally install crap.

So, I can only recommend Android if you want more freedom or if you want the cheapest solution.

But in the end both Android and iOS are good operating systems.

 

[HassEsser]

Used to have an iPod Touch, I hacked it, squeezed all its usefulness out of it over the span of a year, sold it, got a Creative ZEN, which lacked tons and tons of features, but way over all far superior to the iPod.

Just last month I got a Samsung Galaxy 5 Player, which runs on Android, and it is quite literally the device of gods. I can do whatever I want, which is all a device should do. It's easily the best device I've ever seen, and could only be improved if it were a Galaxy Phone, instead.

Android > iOS

 

[SpaceBat]

Just a quick tip in case you go for an Android, Avast! recently released anti virus for Andriod smart phones, you may want to check it out. I hear its quite good but I dont know really.

It doesn't matter whether it's good or not, because it simply can't be any worse than AVG, which does nothing, is littered with commercials, slows the entire thing down and cannot be deleted.

Although I'm not even sure whether anti-virus programs are necessary anyway. As long as people pay attention to the comments and mind the download amounts (apps) and don't visit weird sites, it's near impossible to get viruses or other nasty shit.

Thanks for the info, by the way. Didn't know avast was released.

 

[evilneko]

If I were getting a new smartphone, I would not even consider an iphone. They don't have keyboards, for one.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I've used and experienced both for some time, and I have to say iPhone.

 

[Lunar Templar]

i got a droid commando thing, its a tougher model for a smart phone, and at the time, that's what i needed.

 

[Hazy992]

Got an iPhone and I think it's great. I've had a couple of Androids and I didn't like them. The interface was good and the widgets are great but they were so unreliable! This might not be the case with the newer phones however, but I'll have to say iPhone

 

[SpaceBat]

Im not sure about whether one needs an anti virus or not. I mean, sure, you can avoid weird sites and all, but its better to be safe that sorry. Just the other day I accidentally (as in, mouse slipped) clicked on a link on Facebook that would have given me malware (running noscript so the whole thing didnt get far), I am sure of it. So I like to have an anti virus running in the background regardless, be it on my PC or on a phone, etc...

Yeah, true. It is better to be safe than to be sorry, but it seems that these free anti-virus programs barely get any time put into them. A lot of them provide limited protection, so while noscript or most AV programs stopped the possible malware threat, I'm not sure most android AV programs would have done the same.

I had AVG on my Samsung for the reasons you pointed out. I can't get the damn thing off my smartphone though and the AVG team keeps avoiding such questions, so I'm just a bit irritated at the moment. Sorry about that.

 

[Dr Pussymagnet]

Just got an Xperia PLAY and I gotta say, it's the best phone I've ever had.

 

[Mafoobula]

According to MaximumPC's round-up of what makes the best overall smartphone, while the iPhone is miles better than the competition when it comes to app support and a couple other categories, the sheer variety of the different Android-powered phones promises that I can get what I consider most important in a smartphone from one provider or another.
Also, Apple products in general piss me right the hell off. If I got an iPhone as a gift, it's a 50/50 chance I'll just re-gift/sell it to a friend.

 

[mxfox408]

Well I have an Android, and I dont regret buying it. Its really easy to make my own apps, and even mini patches and firmware modifications. There is the odd freeze up, but not as bad as a common windows machine.

Android all the way.

I agree I'm working on a new apk that I'm sure Android users will love and patenting it so if Apple tries to make a knock off I'd make em pay me royalties, ill post a link to the Android market once its complete. Google is amazing and it reminds me of a company named Encom in the movie tron.

 

[Laughing Man]

The question is difficult, if you like or dislike an Iphone then chances are you will like or dislike all Iphones, after all they are more or less the same. Android on the other hand is just an OS for a massive range of phones, you may buy a phone that has Android and end up hating it because of the underlying tech of the phone, on the other hand you could buy another Android phone and end up loving it because it is a technically better phone.

The only other factor to consider is you may buy an Android phone and hate it but at least Android give s you huge scope to change the way the phone is interfaced with.

I own a Samsung Galaxy S Plus, I like it, but I have never been a big phone tech fan and only got this phone, my first 'smart phone' 3 months ago because I really had to move on.