anybody worry about google nexus prime & ice cream sandwhich outshining the iphone4s?

[verwon]

I switched from Iphone to Android a year ago, and have been regretting it ever since.
It doesnt matter what sexy phone HTC or Nexus or Samsung bring out, bottomline: the android "experience" is nowhere near IOS.

btw, its so bad, i use a custom rom on my android to mimic IOS!

MIUI?


Mistress of Mischief

 

[verwon]

Like the original? It's still on 2.what?

And maybe we should mention to them how the updates stop coming! Apple is still updating the OS on old products, but on much younger phones like the Evo, Google has already said no more updates!


Mistress of Mischief

 

[boomhower1820]

Neither phone, OS, or platform is better than the other. Both have there strengths and weaknesses. Use what is better for your needs and others will do the same. I just don't get why people feel the need to bicker back and forth arguing whether Android or iOS is better. There is no general correct answer, it will depend on each persons individual needs.

 

[boomhower1820]

And maybe we should mention to them how the updates stop coming! Apple is still updating the OS on old products, but on much younger phones like the Evo, Google has already said no more updates!


Mistress of Mischief

That's the manufacter and carrier. Google puts out the updated source code. It's up to the manufacturer of the device in question and the carrier to incorporate it for that phone.

 

[IIJBII]

Neither phone, OS, or platform is better than the other. Both have there strengths and weaknesses. Use what is better for your needs and others will do the same. I just don't get why people feel the need to bicker back and forth arguing whether Android or iOS is better. There is no general correct answer, it will depend on each persons individual needs.

+1 - well said. Its like what kind of car/truck should I buy? It depends on your individual needs...

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[Jellotime91]

I gotta say it, FRAGMENTATION exists in the iOS world too, not all features or iOS versions are supported on all iPhones so you can't say its solely an Android issue. Second getting an Android Nexus device means you get the Android OS updates from Google and NOT the carrier so again you can't claim fragmentation on Nexus devices.

I will agree though that the rate the OEM's crank out Android based phones out paces Apple's forced upgrade path of obsolescence and by that method a great new Android phone does seem to launch every two weeks.

Sorry but no. This is completely different from Android fragmentation. You know that. I've heard this argument so many times and it's completely bull crap.

Yes, some features are exclusive to newer models, but iOS devices still receive the updates and compatibility... Most Android phones do not.

And if you want to talk about obsolescence, iOS has absolutely nothing on Android. Every 3 months a new Android phone comes out from HTC, Samsung, etc... and it has a new firmware version or fancy new hardware. Android users scramble to replace their 3 month old devices with the latest thing, because their device probably won't get the update for a month or two, or never.

My friend had a Milestone (Droid, but in Canada) and it was almost a year before he got the firmware update to 2.2... And when he did get it, it crippled his phone to hell making it way slower than before (and slower than the 3GS I had at the time).

 

[anon(4698833)]

LOL! Raptor...are you kidding bud? That point is so obscure in comparison with fragmentation on android devices, I'm surprised anyone would even attempt to argue it, hahahahahahah!

 

[DrewBear]

Neither phone, OS, or platform is better than the other. Both have there strengths and weaknesses. Use what is better for your needs and others will do the same.

I agree!

That's the manufacter and carrier. Google puts out the updated source code. It's up to the manufacturer of the device in question and the carrier to incorporate it for that phone.

I agree again. But no one was specifically identifying Google as the sole source of Android fragmentation. The end-user doesn't care whose fault it is. They just know they can't upgrade their Android device to the latest OS version.

That said, fragmentation is not Android's main weakness. It's the overall user experience for the majority of consumers. Now the "strengths" of various form factors and geekability will mean that Android phones still sell well, but they'll do so at lower average prices compared to the iPhone. And those lower prices could also be considered a strength.

I just don't get why people feel the need to bicker back and forth arguing whether Android or iOS is better.

Because it's fun? It's like debating why Ford trucks are better than Chevy. Or why the Celtics are a better franchise than the Lakers. Coke vs Pepsi. Yankees vs Red Sox. You get the idea.

 

[paul-c]

I'm not worried about the Nexus Prime in the slightest, although I'm sure it will be a nice phone.

 

[DrewBear]

The upcoming Nexus Prime aka Droid Prime aka ICS 4.0 phone has a strong chance of being a hot device. The specs, design, 1280x720 Super AMOLED+ display, 32GB of storage (rumored) 1.2+1.5Ghz processor can and will take on the iP4S and in some cases show case what Apple didn't given the iOS community.

Notice that people are excited about the Prime based mainly on hardware specs and physical form. I lurk in Android Central occasionally and read very little about possible upgrades in useability or functionality. The Prime has a bigger screen, but that won't work well for many people with average or small sized hands. (The higher resolution will bring it to parity with the iPhone.) Aside from a different skin, what do we know about what's different or better in ICS?

Contrast that to all the functional improvements in iOS 5. You could argue that half of those only bring it to parity with Android, but the point is that they're still practical improvements for millions of existing iOS 4 users.

When you jump to iPhone 4S with iOS 5, the list of functional improvements jumps considerably. Here are what I think are the most significant features, the ones that Android phones will be trying to catch up to in the following months...including the Prime.

? Camera. It's not about the megapixels. It's the speed it takes to get to the first shot and the short delay between shots. It's also low light sensitivity of the sensor and video stabilization. This camera (hardware + software) will easily allow the average consumer to take the best photos and videos from any phone camera out there.

? Siri. This goes way beyond voice recognition and Android Voice Actions (simple commands). Wait for the reviews to come in on this. I think Youtube reviews of how this actually works will blow people away.

? iCloud. Photo Stream. iTunes Match. Reminders. AirPlay.
Apple explains these better than I can: Apple - iOS 5 - See new features included in iOS 5.

And here's where I think Android phones may still have an advantage over the iPhone:

? Navigation/Maps. We'll have to see if Siri does anything to change this, but for now the integrated text-to-speech directions are top notch.

? Google services: Mail, Docs, Calendar, etc. I think Apple has matched this with all of their services, but if you are already fully invested in Google's services or use it for work, the Android version of all these are better than the iOS version. At least for now.

 

[xlipstickandbruisesx]

Both phones have the positives and negatives and I think for many iPhone users nothing outshines their choice of product/os. For me personally the only place android handsets "outshine" iPhones is with the ability to completely customize your screen(s). I do like high end android phones but there are so many different specs, versions, levels of quality and companies producing them I think it is much harder to get a cohesive and factual opinion on the OS. Even though I like the phone I currently have (Evo 3D) I prefer everything on my friends iPhones's.

 

[ayantwan]

I don't think any Android phone will ever overtake iOS. I have a few friends who own android phones and one friend told me this exactly "Droids are better, dude it's $60 for this or $200 for an iPhone it's such a waste of money droid can do more stuff anyway"

Android is just becoming a second-thing to iOS. Sure, this device is beautiful, yeah all Nexus are, but that doesn't mean I am going to drop my (imaginary) iPhone for this!

 

[Farmdreads]

iPhone - it just works.

 

[CarrieMK]

What it boils down to is personal preference and choice. I have never understood the, for lack of a better term, "war" between Apple and Android. I think the more choices people have, the better. To be honest, the main reason my son is the only person who has any Apple products is the cost. He bought his own iPod and the family pitched in and got him an iPad for Christmas. I just can't afford those things. For the record, I don't have a Galaxy tab either, but I do have an Acer laptop and Asus netbook because I was able to catch them on sale. I also have an NS4G that I was able to upgrade to for for free. It isn't that I don't like Apple, it is that for those of us with less disposable income their products overall are just priced above us.

My son wants the iPhone very much and I am going to do my best to reward his academic achievement with one. He hasn't asked me for one because he knows I can't afford it. I feel really bad as a parent because I have to say no a lot of times because of money, but maybe that is part of the reason he is so driven.

 

[Eileen89]

No worries here. Tried several of the top Android phones out there and always ended up back with my iPhone within a week or two.


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[Eileen89]

My son wants the iPhone very much and I am going to do my best to reward his academic achievement with one. He hasn't asked me for one because he knows I can't afford it. I feel really bad as a parent because I have to say no a lot of times because of money, but maybe that is part of the reason he is so driven.

It's great that your son is doing well in school, however, you shouldn't feel bad about saying no. I know it's hard, but part of being a parent is saying no to our children. They probably won't understand why at this point in their life, but when they get older they'll certainly understand....


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[CarrieMK]

It's great that your son is doing well in school, however, you shouldn't feel bad about saying no. I know it's hard, but part of being a parent is saying no to our children. They probably won't understand why at this point in their life, but when they get older they'll certainly understand....


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Thank you. I believe he already understands because he doesn't ask and doesn't complain, which makes me love him even more, if that is possible

 

[xlipstickandbruisesx]

Yes Carrie don't be afraid to say no haha. I don't have kids but I did grow up in a single parent home and had to work hard and either purchase myself or pay the difference between the basics and what I wanted. It helped me learn the value of a dollar and gave me a strong work ethic. I grew up in a wealthy area and I know plenty of people that were handed anything and everything and most of them turned out ok too but while it might suck at times as a teenager to not be able to have the latest and the greatest in the end I appreciate and respect my mother for how hard she worked to provide for me and it made me appreciate the luxury items I did get even more than if I was able to get whatever I wanted when I wanted. It sounds like you are doing a great job with your son and I'm sure he shares the same sentiments as I do at least most of the time lol

 

[DrewBear]

I'm a Nexus S user it works flawlessly and has no carrier blot wear and has no manufacture UI. Android phones that have blot wear and manufacture UI suck...Blot wear slows them down...I truly believe if all android phones ran Google raw software like the Nexus, android would be a better experience for all its users.

You may be right, but Android is theoretically open-source, so the manufacturers & carriers can do what they want (to some extent) on any particular phone. But consumers can choose between "pure" Android or any of the skins (TouchWiz, Sense, Motoblur, etc.). They have overwhelmingly chosen the skins over "pure". None of the three Nexus models have sold very well at all.

Everyone expects that the next generation of Goog-rola phones will run "pure" Android. We'll see if Samsung, HTC, etc. are pressured to go along and strip away their layers and the carrier bloatware. I doubt it.

 

[DrewBear]

What it boils down to is personal preference and choice. I have never understood the, for lack of a better term, "war" between Apple and Android. I think the more choices people have, the better.

I agree. But people should understand the choices they are making. That's why these debates (not wars) about what works better on one platform or another should hopefully be informative rather than simply mud-slinging rants.

Here's an example. Let's say the Nexus Prime turns out to have a 4.6" high resolution display that matches the Retina display in the iPhone. That will be great for someone who needs a larger display because they prefer larger fonts and have large hands. But it won't be that great for someone who has smaller hands and prefers to use the phone in one hand. A larger display also requires more power, so battery life could be compromised. That might not matter for someone who's willing to carry a spare battery or always has access to a car charger.

Pros and cons to everything. Like you said, everyone is free to choose what package of features and compromises they prefer. Just be sure you understand what the pros & cons actually are.

A nephew asked my advice a few months ago about selecting his first smartphone. He had a long list of reasons why he wanted one of the 4G Android phones. I didn't bother to try and talk him into waiting for the 5th gen. iPhone, but did warn him that most reviews said that battery life stunk with the 4G phones. He said he understood that, but his friends assured him that he would be able to install power management apps and tweak it so that battery life was fine.

So he got the 4G Android phone and a couple of weeks later sheepishly emailed me saying that battery life sucked big time. But otherwise he loved the phone, so he'll have to adapt by either carrying a charger or a spare battery. He's in college and carries a pack all the time anyways, so it's no big deal for him. But that might not be the case for someone else.

Few of us here have hands-on experience with every single phone that comes along. But many of us do read lots of reviews. So note any critical comments about a phone or OS and then do some research about it. And preferably spend time actually using a phone. These are touchscreen devices and UI responsiveness is a huge deal that affects practically everything you want to accomplish on it. Any lag, stuttering or sluggishness will get annoying very quickly.