iPhone or Android smartphone?

[icul8rg8r]

Finally am taking the leap from a simple flip phone (voice only) to a smartphone and trying to decide on whether to get an iPhone or an android. I've heard that the iPhone is very user friendly and easy to learn. That's important to me! Verizon is the only carrier that has decent coverage where we live (southest of Seattle).

Any suggestions? I realize this is similar to the Canon vs. Nikon debate, and there are no wrong answers. Just curious what folks may be using!

 

[Clemson Fan]

I bought my first iPhone 2.5 years ago and I love it! It works so darn well and can do so many things. It's really a revolutionary product!

Android is really good and there are a ton of choices with a lot of good looking phones, but IMO the iPhone has been so awesome I really don't have any urge to switch.

 

[scrapngen]

love my Windows 7.5 Samsung focus phone w/Mango

 

[Sandy VDH]

Love my new Motorola Razr, Android phone, getting ICS (new andriod operating system) software update, early this year.

 

[artringwald]

I also got a Motorola Razr and love it. It's light and thin and has a gorgeous display. I used to have the original Motorola Droid which was so slow that I'd rather check my email on a PC. With the Razr, checking email and Facebook is quite fast, even for an impatient person as myself. The $0.99 for many Apple apps adds up quickly. I prefer the plethora of free apps for Android, and their market share keeps growing. If you have small hands, the Razr might not feel comfortable, but it fits mine, and I really like having such a big display.

 

[Sea Six]

Google iPhone vs Android, and you will get a lot of reading material.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/218104/head_to_head_iphone_vs_android.html

 

[sdbrier]

You could get as many answers to this question as there are apps in the app store! After being a pc person for years and having only voice phones until recently, I can tell you our Apple experience has been wonderful. The one thing that is a good selling point is that Aplle is what is known as a closed system, not open as a windows or android phone would be. Closed means everything is Aplle vetted and approved, hence the reason I have never had a virus on my computer and have never ran any virus software( Norton or McAffe). It is well built and secure in that arena, but it ultimately will come down to what you like the best for yourself. There really isn't a wrong choice, just a personal preference.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[Mosca]

I have an Android and I love it. I got my daughter an iPhone and she loves it. I think whichever you pick, that will be the result. Best answer is go to the phne store and handle them, see which fits your hand best.

If you choose Android, go top shelf. Get whatever the newest is. One of the downsides of Android is that the platform is constantly developing, and phones become obsolete quickly, and obsolete phones don't get system updates. (As a matter of fact, that is probably the strongest reason to choose iPhone.)

 

[judyjht]

I just switched from the old flip phone to the iPhone too! Loving it so far. I actually just went to the beginners workshop (free) held at the Apple store. I also have Verizon but bought it at the Apple store because the Verizon store really did not know squat about it and I think the support would stink or be non-existant. You can buy it from Verizon and go the the Apple store for help. The price is the same at both.

 

[malonem68]

I think the main question for you is do you use Itunes frequently and have a half decent collection in Itunes.

The Iphone is a nice phone, but the Android phones are just as nice. You will be happy with either. However, if you use Itunes quite a bit, then the Iphone integrates with Itunes much better than an android.

If you are not an Itunes user, then I would suggest android. Reason being...many more free apps to put on the phone.

In our family we have 3 androids and 1 Iphone. I am more of an android peron myself, but totaly undersand the attraction of the iphone.

 

[persia]

This is one of those Mac v. PC, Coke v. Pepsi questions. You really can't go wrong with either, so long as the Android phone runs 2.2 or better. Apple's environment is secure, there are more apps and because of the standard equipment in iPhones they can do some remarkable things. There are camera apps for example that couldn't be replicated in Android because of the diversity of cameras. Android has matured, pre-2.2 versions of the OS have annoying features, such as forcing all apps into a tiny little space, but if you buy a new phone it will come with at least 2.2 so that's not an issue. Android's user interface is a bit more complex and differs slightly for manufacturer to manufacturer.

For m, eI decided to use iCloud, when I take a picture with my phone it just appears in my iPhoto library, music, documents, etc sync nicely. I really miss it in the Android devices I have.

 

[Cathyb]

Senior loves Iphone

Finally am taking the leap from a simple flip phone (voice only) to a smartphone and trying to decide on whether to get an iPhone or an android. I've heard that the iPhone is very user friendly and easy to learn. That's important to me! Verizon is the only carrier that has decent coverage where we live (southest of Seattle).

Any suggestions? I realize this is similar to the Canon vs. Nikon debate, and there are no wrong answers. Just curious what folks may be using!

If I can learn using the I-Phone, anyone can! Free classes as well at Apple stores. Takes terrific photos as well. It even has a feature where you can find your phone if you lose it. Also, Facetime is where you actually SEE your caller (if you two own I-phones) while talking. It was great with my Colorado son when we were celebrating Christmas and he was able to see all the rest of us in California. Love it!

 

[jlr10]

Also, Facetime is where you actually SEE your caller (if you two own I-phones) while talking.

I have the iPhone and really like it. It was fairly easy to use even before instruction from my son. But I agree that my favorite feature is Facetime. We speak to our son every Sunday and when we see him on Facetime it feels more like we are visiting him rather than calling him on the phone. We also use it to show each other things, such as completed landscapping or the fact that he really cleaned his room.

DH got an iTouch for Christmas, very similar to an iPhone, and he likes quite a bit too. We will probably upgrade his next phone to an iPhone.

 

[janej]

I'd go for iPhone if you don't have time to research and learn how to use your phone. It is much easier. My boys went with droids when we qualified for upgrade, they really regret it. It could be the type of phone they chose. But they are patiently waiting for 10 more month to change over to the iphone.

 

[timeos2]

One big factor I didn't see mentioned is how much do you plan to use data vs play music and use it as a phone? iPhone may have a tiny edge in music because of it's ipod type (heck, it IS an ipod) interface but for data (internet, mms, email) it is a big generation back as it can only do 3G. As a phone is it middle of the road at best - the better Androids like the Bionic & Razr among many others are great phones as well as offering 4G for all the data uses.

Most people find that once they have a smartphone it is the data side that gets the most use while music is a distant third. Buying what amounts to hardware two years behind the curve as the iPhone is in an industry that thinks six months is dated then having to live with it another two years is probably not a good choice now.

 

[artringwald]

One big factor I didn't see mentioned is how much do you plan to use data vs play music and use it as a phone?

I spite of my preference for Android, I do get jealous that clock radios and stereo receivers have docks for iPhones. That will never happen for Android phones because there is no standard for the form factors and connector positions.

 

[ScoopKona]

I'd sick with the voice-only phone. Monthly plans hover at around $90 per month. Compared to what I'm paying for three "dumb phones," that's an annual savings of around $750 -- for just one phone.

There's a website called billshrink.com that will help you navigate the muddy waters of data plans. It also compares cable/satellite, credit cards, bank rates and gas stations.

You just plug your phone number into billshrink, let them access your phone account, and they'll give you detailed information on what you can save by switching to another plan.

(I literally sit at the bottom of cellphone charges nationwide. The next-least expensive way to make calls was $150 more per year than what I'm doing currently.)

 

[Passepartout]

If you have already decided to buy a smartphone, I would encourage you to check the Windows 7.5 phones. They all work the same, are not proprietary like some (ahem), and with their cool movable tiles, will give you a leg up on Windows 8 that will be out next year. They will work similarly.

(disclosure) DW has one and DS manages for MS in Redmond. We may be biased.

Jim

 

[siesta]

The iphone 4S is not even a 4G phone, and has no support for mobile tethering, and does not have an expandable memory slot. Game over.

 

[persia]

A couple of articles on data speed

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221960/iPhone_4S_data_speeds_Web_browsing_fastest_on_AT_T_test_shows

It's one of those things that people love to argue endlessly about. There's a ton of argument back and forth on the iPhone 4S data speed and the "real world tests" tend to contradict each other.

I'm assuming that the original poster is in the US, where the real speed questions are. European 3.5G is really about the same speed as 4G.

Lack of expandable memory means that you have to decide how much memory you want and stick with it. You also can't swap out memory cards for different purposes. On the plus side, you'll never forget the GPS Navigator program at home on another SD card..... I have the 64 GB version which is as much or more memory than any other smart phone on the market. You can't hold your entire iTunes library, but that's what the cloud is for!

In the end it comes down to do you like Apple's way of doing things? It's safe and secure and apps just work. Android is a bit more wild west, you can shut down some protection (although some manufacturers lock things down too) and there's a hundred variations of everything.

 

[janej]

The iphone 4S is not even a 4G phone, and has no support for mobile tethering, and does not have an expandable memory slot. Game over.

Speaking of tethering, I jailbroke my iphone and installed mywi. It worked like a charm. We used my phone during a recent vacation. I had no problem with 2 ipad and 4 laptops connecting through my phone at the same time on the AT&T network. My son also did something to his droids and got his droids to wifi hotspot. He is on Sprint network. His network was so much slower. It is almost useless. By the way, that was the number one reason he chose a droid phone to start with. He has a long bus ride home and wanted to use his phone as a hotspot.

The difference between the iphone and the driods is that it is so much easier to find information on the iphone since you only have to specify the version of the phone and the ios. After my son got his wifi hotspot working, all our relatives wanted him to get their phones to mobile tether. Each one of them is different. He was able to get some to work, but not all.

I am a software engineer and I use to loathe Apple's way of doing business. Now that I am so busy with my own life, I see simple is better for me as a consumer.

 

[Ken555]

I think it's really amusing to see that some of you think Android is better because there are more free apps for Android than iOS. How many apps do you need or want? At what point would you consider sufficient to not consider this a valued point in consideration which platform to purchase? These are serious questions... For myself, I see many thousands of free apps for iPhone and I've never not found something I needed. Of course, I also buy apps.

Also, many free apps are now free to start, but to really use require payment. These types of apps are counted toward those free totals.

Anyway, I'm at CES this week in Las Vegas. I haven't looked into many yet, but I've already seen a number of new Android based phones. Some look very cool. However - and this is purely anecdotal - most of the people attending (and even booth workers) I see checking their email or calling on their phone, are using iPhones. Ironic.

On a tangent, but the coolest item I saw yesterday at the show was an app which watches the road ahead of you as you drive using your phones camera, and warns you when you may have a collision, etc. I'm not sure if it's legal in every State (they're looking into it) but it's out now for Android and coming soon for iPhone. www.ionroad.com

 

[timeos2]

If you have already decided to buy a smartphone, I would encourage you to check the Windows 7.5 phones. They all work the same, are not proprietary like some (ahem), and with their cool movable tiles, will give you a leg up on Windows 8 that will be out next year. They will work similarly.

(disclosure) DW has one and DS manages for MS in Redmond. We may be biased.

Jim

Windows phones have bombed horrendously in the market. It is not a route anyone seems to care to go on. An iPhone would be a better choice by far if that was the only option.

 

[Elan]

Windows phones have bombed horrendously in the market. It is not a route anyone seems to care to go on.

I think it's a bit early to pass judgement on WP. The reviews I've read have all been highly favorable. Will Windows Phone catch Android for market penetration? Probably not. But that doesn't make the devices unworthy of consideration, especially considering the prices on some of the unlocked phones.

 

[timeos2]

Three strikes & out

I think it's a bit early to pass judgement on WP. The reviews I've read have all been highly favorable. Will Windows Phone catch Android for market penetration? Probably not. But that doesn't make the devices unworthy of consideration, especially considering the prices on some of the unlocked phones.

They have tried 3 times already & bombed each time worse than the last. The biggest one time supporter - Samsung I believe it was - has announced they have bailed & joined the Android camp and have enjoyed a surge ever since. It is now down to Android vs iPhone (IOS) with no one else likely to break in significantly in the next 4-5 years. Microsoft is not good at anything that needs to have a small & reliable footprint. People don't want or need pc power phones and thats what it takes to run an MS operating system. Ask Ford owners how SYNC has worked out for them if you need other examples of unreliable/unmanageable MS attempts at "simple" interfaces (Hey, this issue goes back to BOB!)

Palm /HP had the best OS for phones in the WebOS but it too has now been regulated to a niche at best. RIM is still #3 and they are barely holding on. WebOS - now that it's public domain - may have a brighter future as an upgraded interface to Android than any version of Windows phone. If you like the Windows phone thats great but it isn't a serious player, doesn't have much application support and is a likely dead end technology long before the hardware life /contract is over. Recommending it to a new user is not a good idea IMO.

I'm not a believer that the market picks the best - it has been proven time & time again it doesn't - but manufacturers and developers do not continue support very long for any product with a tiny market share. That is Windows phone to a fault.