iPhone or Captivate

[Neurofreeze]

2. You need to update to 2.2 yourself, they have been dragging ass getting 2.2 to people.

Supposedly the final-super-no-delays-anymore-release-date is November 11th, whether this means all carriers in the US will get it if it actually makes that date or not is anyone's guess, but this date was actually stated by a Samsung rep (unfortunately I can't find the link I was reading yesterday; all google results seem to point to each other and not the actual source).

Still, not holding my breath.

 

[BrNz]

If you like a phone that is ready out of the box.. but are going to be highly restricted on what you can do to "tweak" the device? Then get an iPhone. It will be pain-free and work right out of the box.

You won't be able to do much other then jailbreak it - and that isn't really that great. (though you get custom themes, terminal, and a few other apps.)


With the Captivate you get all of the freedom with all of the headaches that go along with it. GPS Issues, random reboot problems, Lag issues, Force close with applications, and horrible battery life due to the AMOLED screen.

And you will need to run a custom ROM and root the device as soon as you get it to alleviate these issues. Which will of course void your warranty.

I have the Captivate and love it.. even with all I've said about the bugs it has. I can do whatever I feel like to it, and I'm not bound within the walls of the 'iApple' world.

So each has their trade-offs... up to you. If anything you could get the Captivate for 30 days and if you don't like it trade it in for an iPhone.

 

[Blown 89]

If you like a phone that is ready out of the box.. but are going to be highly restricted on what you can do to "tweak" the device? Then get an iPhone. It will be pain-free and work right out of the box.

You won't be able to do much other then jailbreak it - and that isn't really that great. (though you get custom themes, terminal, and a few other apps.)


With the Captivate you get all of the freedom with all of the headaches that go along with it. GPS Issues, random reboot problems, Lag issues, Force close with applications, and horrible battery life due to the AMOLED screen.

And you will need to run a custom ROM and root the device as soon as you get it to alleviate these issues. Which will of course void your warranty.

I have the Captivate and love it.. even with all I've said about the bugs it has. I can do whatever I feel like to it, and I'm not bound within the walls of the 'iApple' world.

So each has their trade-offs... up to you. If anything you could get the Captivate for 30 days and if you don't like it trade it in for an iPhone.

Rooting doesn't void the warranty. Technically it does but removing it is as easy as clicking one button and nobody is the wiser. From the looks of the new updates rolling out the GPS is fixed for most people.

 

[Greenstuffs]

Rooting doesn't void the warranty. Technically it does but removing it is as easy as clicking one button and nobody is the wiser. From the looks of the new updates rolling out the GPS is fixed for most people.

The GPS is fixed, yes you can pin point your position from the satellite and you can get lock as well as finding satellites. The problem comes to navigation, the gps lags about 3 secs and whenever you make a turn the gps gets all crazy and your position jumps all over the map for a few secs before it gets your position again.
Yes the gps is better than stock but i wouldn't say "FIXED" may be if you only did highway navigation. I don't know it is better than no GPS at all but i have to say that i am not that satisfied with it.

 

[paiso]

Pasiso, I have issue with this part of the review:
"The iPhone 4's speaker is found where it should be towards the bottom edge of the phone while it can be found in the rear on the Captivate."

I hated....no loathed, the speaker placement on the iPhone. When it's at the bottom my hand always covered it and muted out the speaker, especially when playing games. The correct place for a speaker on a phone is somewhere on the screen facing the user but having a speaker on the back where my hand doesn't constantly cover it is a step up.

Hey Blown, good point. When playing games, yes, it could be a bit of a problem, but I hardly find any issues with that personally. However, I'm holding it with my fingers on the back of the phone not on the edge where the speaker and mic are. Yeah I know, another "not holding it right" type of statement. And after all, I'd still prefer the iPhone.

 

[Harry1969]

I saw an iphone 4 for the first time yesterday, it felt really cheap which took me by surprise since I have a 3GS. The glass and even the SS bezel felt plasticy. The display was not what I was expecting, I couldn't see any significant difference compared to my 3GS. Specs are great but the display is so small that the high resolution is wasted on this device. If you like to tweak then go with the Captivate.

 

[rflcptr]

Specs are great but the display is so small that the high resolution is wasted on this device.

I think you're mistaken.

 

[TechBoy]

Actually for all those who are saying you can't tweak the iPhone are seriously misinformed by a mile. There are a hundreds of themes (winterboard), and A LOT of notification mods. Jailbreak it and see. Lockinfo is a good one and a few others, just look around cydia. If you like the android notification drop down theres a mod for that. Do not misinform people if you have never used one. Android certainly has a lot of moding options more so than the iPhone (my droid x has a ASOP rom with no blur and launcher pro and some nice widgets).

The screen is something you will definitely miss is you use it after a while. I know I am hating the Droid X screen, sure it is bigger but all the text with out zooming in is really unreadable. It seems so pixelated compared to the iPhone 4. Also if you care for battery life then the iPhone 4 blows most android phones out of the water.

 

[86 5.0L]

I saw an iphone 4 for the first time yesterday, it felt really cheap which took me by surprise since I have a 3GS. The glass and even the SS bezel felt plasticy. The display was not what I was expecting, I couldn't see any significant difference compared to my 3GS. Specs are great but the display is so small that the high resolution is wasted on this device. If you like to tweak then go with the Captivate.

thats funny, the iphone 4 is the most solidly built phone I've ever held. People who hold it for the first time also remark on the solid feel of it.

 

[Blown 89]

Actually for all those who are saying you can't tweak the iPhone are seriously misinformed by a mile. There are a hundreds of themes (winterboard), and A LOT of notification mods. Jailbreak it and see. Lockinfo is a good one and a few others, just look around cydia. If you like the android notification drop down theres a mod for that. Do not misinform people if you have never used one. Android certainly has a lot of moding options more so than the iPhone (my droid x has a ASOP rom with no blur and launcher pro and some nice widgets).

The screen is something you will definitely miss is you use it after a while. I know I am hating the Droid X screen, sure it is bigger but all the text with out zooming in is really unreadable. It seems so pixelated compared to the iPhone 4. Also if you care for battery life then the iPhone 4 blows most android phones out of the water.

Out of the box Android is much more customizable and it can be argued that root vs. jailbreak falls the same way.

As far as the screen. I don't see a difference. The only difference I see is that the iPhone browser automatically formats a webpage for the screen/mobile device so the text is larger and therefore more readable in the first place. Size for size I don't have any problem reading anything on the Captivate's screen. That's not to say that the iPhone's resolution isn't noticeably better because it is but it's hardly noticeable day to day IMO. IMO being the key part of that all of course.

 

[sugosugita]

props to iphone 4's display, solid build, and solid OS. No need for task-killer.

But having owned one since launch day, I've got an Epic ordered. I'm just sick of staring at app icons. I'd rather have useful info on the home screen and not have to click into individual programs every time I want to see the weather, or a preview of my email, or a facebook post.

but hey, that's my preference. do what you gotta do.

 

[Neurofreeze]

thats funny, the iphone 4 is the most solidly built phone I've ever held. People who hold it for the first time also remark on the solid feel of it.

Everyone always comments on how solid the iPhone 4 FEELS. Keyword being FEELS, because what you feel isn't what is always true. A non-tempered, pure glass brick will feel very solidly made as well, but your feelings for it won't stop it from fracturing.

It feels solid because there is extra weight added to it on the back, via rather brittle, shatter-prone version of an aluminosilicate. Every single person I know, aside from my brother, who has an iPhone 4 has either scratched or shattered it. Ridiculous amounts of anecdotal reports across the internet about scratching and shattering.

It's just a phone, it's not more invincible than any other phone, and in fact can be argued to be far more fragile than some (I would almost put money down that the 3GS is in actuality far more resilient than an iPhone 4).

 

[86 5.0L]

Everyone always comments on how solid the iPhone 4 FEELS. Keyword being FEELS, because what you feel isn't what is always true. A non-tempered, pure glass brick will feel very solidly made as well, but your feelings for it won't stop it from fracturing.

It feels solid because there is extra weight added to it on the back, via rather brittle, shatter-prone version of an aluminosilicate. Every single person I know, aside from my brother, who has an iPhone 4 has either scratched or shattered it. Ridiculous amounts of anecdotal reports across the internet about scratching and shattering.

It's just a phone, it's not more invincible than any other phone, and in fact can be argued to be far more fragile than some (I would almost put money down that the 3GS is in actuality far more resilient than an iPhone 4).

already dropped it twice, the first was on tile... :'(

but I do agree, its not invincible but what I mean is it doesnt have that cheap plastic feel from cheap phones, like bending, creaking or twist etc.

 

[PNut12345]

Give steve jobs the finger: get an Android or a WP7.

Android pros: you're not locked in to itunes.

WP7 pros: you're locked into Zune, which is on the good side of light years away from being locked in to itunes.

 

[gwu168]

I switched from a nexus one to iphone 4, and I'm not overly impressed. The only thing holding me over is the 960x640 screen. I can't get enough pixels on my phones!!!

As soon as an android phone gets 720p screen, I'm jumping back! (sorry WP7, you're not mature enough yet)

 

[legendz411]

The biggest issue for me was the fact the the Phones screen is just worlds past anything else. The Super AMOLED screens are definitly a super close 2nd/3rd, but the pixel density is just retarded on the iP4.

Seriously, fuck anything else. It is gorgeous.

 

[crackbone]

The biggest issue for me was the fact the the Phones screen is just worlds past anything else. The Super AMOLED screens are definitly a super close 2nd/3rd, but the pixel density is just retarded on the iP4.

Seriously, fuck anything else. It is gorgeous.

That is absolutely true. The screen is pretty insane.

 

[leezard]

Everyone always comments on how solid the iPhone 4 FEELS. Keyword being FEELS, because what you feel isn't what is always true. A non-tempered, pure glass brick will feel very solidly made as well, but your feelings for it won't stop it from fracturing.

It feels solid because there is extra weight added to it on the back, via rather brittle, shatter-prone version of an aluminosilicate. Every single person I know, aside from my brother, who has an iPhone 4 has either scratched or shattered it. Ridiculous amounts of anecdotal reports across the internet about scratching and shattering.

It's just a phone, it's not more invincible than any other phone, and in fact can be argued to be far more fragile than some (I would almost put money down that the 3GS is in actuality far more resilient than an iPhone 4).

I've dropped my iphone 4 a few times and shut it in the car door once, it is still in "out of the box like new condition" of course thats because of the kick ass Ballistic HC case.

To the OP, my recommendation is go to an ATT store and mess around with both phones and get whichever one you like the best, you have 30 days to decide if you want to keep it or not, if you dont like it take it back and get the other. I went from an iphone 3G to an iphone 4 and dont regret it a bit.

 

[LGabrielPhoto]

The biggest issue for me was the fact the the Phones screen is just worlds past anything else. The Super AMOLED screens are definitly a super close 2nd/3rd, but the pixel density is just retarded on the iP4.

Seriously, fuck anything else. It is gorgeous.

Seriously your opinion...the Super AMOLED kicks the crap out of the IP4 for me.
Yeah you got more pixel density, we got every else done better.

 

[Zurginator]

Seriously your opinion...the Super AMOLED kicks the crap out of the IP4 for me.
Yeah you got more pixel density, we got every else done better.

I had the SAMOLED Epic (returned it though) and my friend has an iPhone 4. Even he would agree the screen on mine was better.

 

[str3tchb0y]

still up in the air.

 

[Blown 89]

Seriously your opinion...the Super AMOLED kicks the crap out of the IP4 for me.
Yeah you got more pixel density, we got every else done better.

Pretty much. I was showing a client pictures on my Vibrant during a social event at work and someone walked up and asked how I got my iPhone's screen to look so good. I laughed so hard it was embarrassing. "Get a Galaxy S" I told him.

 

[Kevl4R]

I'm a little over two weeks in on my 30-day grace period on the Captivate. I went from a iPhone 3G to the Captivate and no doubt about it, the AMOLED screen is fan freaking tastic. However, I've grown to hate the Captivate and I'll be exchanging for a WP7 phone on the 8th when they are released by AT&T. (If the WP7 phone lets me down, I'll go back to an iPhone 4)

I knew what I was getting into with the Captivate, the possibilities of customization, ROM's, Rooting etc...but along the way I've decided that I don't want to screw around with my phone the way I do my PC. I don't have the desire to screw around to get the Captivate to sync up with Windows 7 64-bit either. I know many, many people are going to love the Captivate and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

 

[SixtyWattMan]

Pretty much. I was showing a client pictures on my Vibrant during a social event at work and someone walked up and asked how I got my iPhone's screen to look so good. I laughed so hard it was embarrassing. "Get a Galaxy S" I told him.

The thing does look exactly like an iPhone, can't blame the poor guy. lol

 

[cputeki]

iphone FTW!

 

[Volume]

I just got rid of my iPhone 3G yesterday and got a Captivate. I LOVE IT! I actually have had no problems with the GPS, and used it as a navigator while driving.

It's fast as hell (can only imagine how quick it's going to run with 2.2). The screen is amazing, and the battery life actually is better than I expected. I've tried an iPhone 4, and to me it's just another overhyped iPhone. Plus, the Captivate was $50 less during the upgrade

 

[Slava]

I went from Samsung Vibrant to iPhone 4. Had a lot of problems with back button stop working, had to exchange it, then second vibrant had usb connected/disconnected glitch. Got iPhone and haven't had any problems whatsoever lol

 

[Neurofreeze]

I went from Samsung Vibrant to iPhone 4. Had a lot of problems with back button stop working, had to exchange it, then second vibrant had usb connected/disconnected glitch. Got iPhone and haven't had any problems whatsoever lol

All phones can have manufacturing issues. I know a guy who has had an iPhone 4 with the volume buttons swapped, then another one with faulty volume buttons, then another one with a malfunctioning camera button, then another one with a display problem (the screen had a noticeable gradient; it got darker/off color towards one end), and his current one has a display that is very noticeably not the same temperature (it looks much 'warmer' than other iPhone 4's we have around the office, to the point that some have made the joke that he must have peed on his screen as that is the actual color of a 'white' background). This is just from ONE GUY. These are all problems that were out of the box, as in, before he even had a chance to introduce any user breakage.

Ironically he is still adamant that iPhone 4's are well designed and well made.

 

[TechBoy]

whoa whoa whoa, the iPhone 4 has a camera button? WTF tell me where that is.

 

[Neurofreeze]

whoa whoa whoa, the iPhone 4 has a camera button? WTF tell me where that is.

I'm not sure what actual apple people call it (they do love their special names, eg. gimped-video-chat-from-2002 = FaceTime, IPS LCD = retina display, marketing = innovation). But it's a button, and it was clearly faulty on that particular phone, and you use it for your camera (amongst other things).

 

[TechBoy]

wait wait wait. You are telling me that that button right there doesnt bring you to the home screen, double tap and get you to the app switcher, hold for voice command but does camera? Damn I did not know that because everytime I use it it always swaps out of the camera app.

 

[leezard]

wait wait wait. You are telling me that that button right there doesnt bring you to the home screen, double tap and get you to the app switcher, hold for voice command but does camera? Damn I did not know that because everytime I use it it always swaps out of the camera app.

lol this, the "camera button" is on the touchscreen

 

[jayx9]

), and his current one has a display that is very noticeably not the same temperature (it looks much 'warmer' than other iPhone 4's we have around the office, to the point that some have made the joke that he must have peed on his screen as that is the actual color of a 'white' background).

I have had this problem. When I first got my original iPhone 4 the screen was perfect and pure white. Then I dropped that phone a fewtimes and the mic stopped working. I got it exchanged for another one and the screen was horribly yellow/brown. Comparing it to my GF's iPhone 4 was night and day. I went back to the apple store and had them bring me out 3 different phones til I had one that had a good screen. Anyway the point is if you go and buy an iPhone 4 before you walk out with it compare it to the other phones and make sure the screen is up to snuff.

 

[Neurofreeze]

wait wait wait. You are telling me that that button right there doesnt bring you to the home screen, double tap and get you to the app switcher, hold for voice command but does camera? Damn I did not know that because everytime I use it it always swaps out of the camera app.

Whatever it does, or did, in this particular phone it did nothing (as in, he would press it and did nothing of any sort under any circumstance). I made a mistake and you can nitpick it however you please, but my point still stands; no phone is manufactured perfectly; I actually see way more faulty iPhones than any other phone.

But keep on going if it makes you feel better about yourself.

I have had this problem. When I first got my original iPhone 4 the screen was perfect and pure white. Then I dropped that phone a fewtimes and the mic stopped working. I got it exchanged for another one and the screen was horribly yellow/brown. Comparing it to my GF's iPhone 4 was night and day. I went back to the apple store and had them bring me out 3 different phones til I had one that had a good screen. Anyway the point is if you go and buy an iPhone 4 before you walk out with it compare it to the other phones and make sure the screen is up to snuff.

Yeah, he went in with another one of our mutual friends who has a mostly flawless iPhone (he doesn't use a screen protector, thus the 'indestructible' glass was scratched; and this is a guy who carries it around in a bumper with the whole thing wrapped in a microfiber cloth), as his control group, so to speak. All the phones he saw in there also had the yellowish tint. It makes me wonder if it's either A) just a really huge bad batch, or B) they simply changed the temperature setting.

 

[Aurelius]

QA issues notwithstanding (I haven't seen these issues with the many I've seen myself), the iPhone 4's screen is actually preferable to me over that of a Galaxy S phone.

A few reasons: the sharpness, of course, is great for text. Samsung's use of PenTile in its Super AMOLED screens gives them a very slight but noticeable "fuzz." Also, while the Galaxy S is definitely more vivid, it's almost too vivid; I've seen color accuracy tests that proved certain hues (particularly reds) were oversaturated. The iPhone's screen might not be as rich, but it's more neutral and less gaudy.

There's also the matter of battery life. Super AMOLED is relatively power-hungry, whidh isn't really worth the sacrifice. An iPhone isn't perfect, but it actually sips less energy despite needing that backlight.

 

[TechBoy]

Whatever it does, or did, in this particular phone it did nothing (as in, he would press it and did nothing of any sort under any circumstance). I made a mistake and you can nitpick it however you please, but my point still stands; no phone is manufactured perfectly; I actually see way more faulty iPhones than any other phone.

But keep on going if it makes you feel better about yourself.



Yeah, he went in with another one of our mutual friends who has a mostly flawless iPhone (he doesn't use a screen protector, thus the 'indestructible' glass was scratched; and this is a guy who carries it around in a bumper with the whole thing wrapped in a microfiber cloth), as his control group, so to speak. All the phones he saw in there also had the yellowish tint. It makes me wonder if it's either A) just a really huge bad batch, or B) they simply changed the temperature setting.

I was actually throughly intrigued because a hardware camera button would be really nice. Also it seems that a while back the iPhone 4 was reported to have a yellowish tint that in fact went away after a few days of use. I do not know if that is the case anymore, but it was a known issue.

 

[Blown 89]

Ironically he is still adamant that iPhone 4's are well designed and well made.

That sounds about right. My friend went through the same thing with his 3G and after exchanging something ridiculous like 6 phones he still swore it is the best phone ever made. I talk to him a couple of times a week and have never (literally never) had a phone conversation with him where he didn't drop the call. Everyone he knows complains about it and we all complain that his Bluetooth doesn't work worth a shit. When I talked to him today I told him to call from his home phone because I didn't want to get cut off and he said he needs to exchange the phone but was adamant that he's staying with the iPhone because it's the best, most well made phone on the market. Like most Apple folks he's definitely drinking the cool-aide.

 

[stamsek]

I <3 my iPhone 4.


This thread needs more cowbell. And a poll. Where is the effin' poll?

 

[Serpico]

But keep on going if it makes you feel better about yourself.

Blows my mind how people on the internet are totally incapable of saying "whoops, I was wrong, my bad."

Frigging amazing/hysterical

 

[Serpico]

QA issues notwithstanding (I haven't seen these issues with the many I've seen myself), the iPhone 4's screen is actually preferable to me over that of a Galaxy S phone.

A few reasons: the sharpness, of course, is great for text. Samsung's use of PenTile in its Super AMOLED screens gives them a very slight but noticeable "fuzz." Also, while the Galaxy S is definitely more vivid, it's almost too vivid; I've seen color accuracy tests that proved certain hues (particularly reds) were oversaturated. The iPhone's screen might not be as rich, but it's more neutral and less gaudy.

I agree, colors are very oversaturated and the overall image is too contrasty on the Galaxy S. Perhaps a better custom color profile could compensate for the shortcomings of the display. It's what I did to fix the color of Windows 7 on my notebook.

Between balanced color and a display so sharp that you don't need anti-aliasing on fonts anymore, yeah, the iPhone 4 display is pretty awesome. I want a desktop display made from that >300 PPI panel next.

There's also the matter of battery life. Super AMOLED is relatively power-hungry, whidh isn't really worth the sacrifice. An iPhone isn't perfect, but it actually sips less energy despite needing that backlight.

The iPhone 4 has some of the best battery life of any smartphone out there, not just the Galaxy S: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3982/windows-phone-7-review/28
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3957/samsung-fascinate-review-verizons-galaxy-s-smartphone/8

What I love is that the same people that were bashing on past iPhone battery life are now jumping through hoops to defend the battery life of certain Android phones that are actually worse than what the old 3G had.