Thinking about switching back to an iPhone, am I the only one?

[Roman79]

No I haven't been drinking

I've had a Galaxy S for the past year and a half and I like it, and before that I had an iPhone 3G; however I'm seriously thinking about switching to an iPhone 4S. All I seem to see around here are people falling over themselves to get a Galaxy S2 or Nexus, so I think I'm the minority on this.

I have looked at the Galaxy Nexus in-store, and granted it looks impressive. Also ICS seems rather slick, but wow is the phone ever BIG! My wife seems sold on the Nexus and will likely get one next week, but I'm still not there.

Here is what is drawing me back to the dark side:

- Nice high quality hardware (feels solid) that is pocket size
- Higher quality apps.
- Siri - seems like a useful feature, and Android doesn't seem to have anything comparable yet (Voice search doesn't count, unless it's radically better in ICS)
- Better battery life
- More/better accessories, I really miss having a desktop dock (whoever thought to put the usb port on the top of the Galaxy S needs to be dragged out into the street and shot!)
- Airplay - is there an android version of this?

Am I missing something or are these valid reasons?

 

[harsaphes]

Galaxy Nexus user here. First, I would NEVER go back to a smaller screen size. Apps? Any app that I use on a daily basis is cross platform. I dont care about Siri. My battery..GSM version..lasts into the next day. Dont care about AirPlay.
I had the original Iphone and went Nexus since then. But...If Apple comes out with a bigger screen I might give it a look.

 

[collegeboy69us]

I was a huge iphone supporter till right after the 3G series. I was the guy who took off work and waiting in line for the first one in 2007 - and things seemed awesome.

After AT&T kept dicking around with my account and Steve Jobs's grip on my wallet became tighter, I said fuck it to all of them and went to sprint and got an EVO.

Would I go back? Nope. Even with a Retina displa, siri, and the solid smooth (Yet very limited) feel of the OS I just don't want any of that action.

Half the fun for me is experimenting with different flavors of the android OS. I only have an Alpha 0 of Ice Cream Sandwitch on my HP touchpad, but from what I can see it truly is a leap in awesome sauce phone OS wise.

I just don't like how Apple does business - the approach of "this is how your phone is going to be, fuck off if you don't like it" just doesn't sit well with me.

Apple was like that girl you meet online, have some crazy good sex for a while with, and then realize 6 months into it that she's really a psycho controlling bitch that wants to know all and control all.

 

[Valshistixol]

In my opinion...

SGS2 > Nexus > iPhone4S

 

[deathBOB]

No I haven't been drinking

I've had a Galaxy S for the past year and a half and I like it, and before that I had an iPhone 3G; however I'm seriously thinking about switching to an iPhone 4S. All I seem to see around here are people falling over themselves to get a Galaxy S2 or Nexus, so I think I'm the minority on this.

I have looked at the Galaxy Nexus in-store, and granted it looks impressive. Also ICS seems rather slick, but wow is the phone ever BIG! My wife seems sold on the Nexus and will likely get one next week, but I'm still not there.

Here is what is drawing me back to the dark side:

- Nice high quality hardware (feels solid) that is pocket size
- Higher quality apps.
- Siri - seems like a useful feature, and Android doesn't seem to have anything comparable yet (Voice search doesn't count, unless it's radically better in ICS)
- Better battery life
- More/better accessories, I really miss having a desktop dock (whoever thought to put the usb port on the top of the Galaxy S needs to be dragged out into the street and shot!)
- Airplay - is there an android version of this?

Am I missing something or are these valid reasons?

I just moved from an Evo to an iPhone 4S. Here are my thoughts:

• The screen is smaller and it feels way too small at first, but you will get used to this in a few days. It's not a deal breaker.
• It's a better phone: better shape to hold, more comfortable against the ear, fewer dropped calls, better sound quality, etc.
• The app quality is way way better, but almost everything is paid (usually just $0.99 though)
• Battery life is great and it's nice not having to toggle Android settings just to eke out a full day.
• The camera is excellent! Seriously, it is hands down my favorite thing about this phone.

I decided to get this over the Galaxy Nexus because it was cheaper and I wanted good battery life and calling more than screen size. I'm happy with my iPhone, but I imagine I would have been just as happy with a Nexus for other reasons. It's really all about realizing what you need in a device and not what some fanboys say, because there are no more bad choices.

 

[Empty_Quarter]

I have looked at the Galaxy Nexus in-store, and granted it looks impressive. Also ICS seems rather slick, but wow is the phone ever BIG! My wife seems sold on the Nexus and will likely get one next week, but I'm still not there.

Here is what is drawing me back to the dark side:

- Nice high quality hardware (feels solid) that is pocket size
- Higher quality apps.
- Siri - seems like a useful feature, and Android doesn't seem to have anything comparable yet (Voice search doesn't count, unless it's radically better in ICS)
- Better battery life
- More/better accessories, I really miss having a desktop dock (whoever thought to put the usb port on the top of the Galaxy S needs to be dragged out into the street and shot!)
- Airplay - is there an android version of this?

Am I missing something or are these valid reasons?

At first, the phones do seem big, especially compared to the iphone, but they are certainly usable, and do not feel big. I am a fresh convert to android (sgs2) after a solid spree of iphones, ipods, and ipads, and I've never found the phone unsuable because of its size, in fact, I couldnt go back to the iphone just because the screen seems soooo much smaller.

I'll have to admit that during the first few days, my fingers were accidentally pressing buttons because the screen are big and and bleed to the edge, but after a few days, I cant use anything smaller. Granted, I think the GN/SGS2 are pushing the limits are far as screen size goes, anything higher would be a little *too* big.

As far as apps though, as others said, every app that I'd care about is cross platform. ALL the apps that I cared to have from my apple devices are available on android.

 

[brucedeluxe169]

Not that I find myself wanting to go back to iPhone just yet, but I agree with the general feeling the OP expresses, I have rising frustration with Android, and the way Google runs it.

It seems that Google has lost control of the platform, and in the future it will become even more of a fragmented mess than it is today...

The manufacturers ruining the OS with their customizations and lack of updates is becoming a more and more well known problem among the general population.... And I'm pretty sure these problems are part of the reason why last quarter Apple outsold *all* Android makers...

Myself, I'm gonna hold onto my current Galaxy S for another year and assess the smartphone situation again at that time before moving to my next purchase....

 

[W.Feather]

I would never go back to the iPhone.... As for the siri thing, there are several apps in the android Market that do the same thing, ie iris

 

[onedestinazn2]

Not that I find myself wanting to go back to iPhone just yet, but I agree with the general feeling the OP expresses, I have rising frustration with Android, and the way Google runs it.

It seems that Google has lost control of the platform, and in the future it will become even more of a fragmented mess than it is today...

The manufacturers ruining the OS with their customizations and lack of updates is becoming a more and more well known problem among the general population.... And I'm pretty sure these problems are part of the reason why last quarter Apple outsold *all* Android makers...

Myself, I'm gonna hold onto my current Galaxy S for another year and assess the smartphone situation again at that time before moving to my next purchase....

I disagree everything from Googles recent statement of having a more unified guideline and motorola/htc saying that they are releasing less hardware to extend the life of the last model phones says to me that androids are heading in the right direction. As far as the spike in iphone sold, this is how it's always been whenever a new iphone is released. They have a huge spike in sales for that quarter or two then things kind of simmer down.

 

[Mr. Wolf]

I'd give the iPhone another chance if it had a bigger screen. I like all the current smart phone operating systems. It's much more a matter of the hardware for me.

 

[brucedeluxe169]

I disagree everything from Googles recent statement of having a more unified guideline and motorola/htc saying that they are releasing less hardware to extend the life of the last model phones says to me that androids are heading in the right direction. As far as the spike in iphone sold, this is how it's always been whenever a new iphone is released. They have a huge spike in sales for that quarter or two then things kind of simmer down.

Well, I hope you're right... I like android the most out of the big 3, and hence, will reassess in the next year, but I gotta say, at present, it really is a fragmented mess....

 

[MrMitch]

I went back to the iphone after spending 18 months on android with a droid incredible.

The iphone 4S is very nice, do wish the hardware was more varied, I'd like a bigger screen and blah blah blah

But for my mileage, I've tried both, I prefer IOS enough to compromise the choice of a variety of hardware.

 

[Chrisroman]

I moved to iphone 4s from 3GS this was a huge improvement for me. I did look at the gorgeous Galaxy Nexus II, but it was just too much. For me, the iphone is the perfect size for a phone, and when I need something larger, I use a tablet.

Siri is suprisingly useful. I really thought it would just be a marketing gimick, but I use it everyday. Makes sending email and text messages soooo much easier. And the mapping feature is great. Although I wish more navigation apps would support it (So far, only google maps does). Not sure what Andoid options are like, but I can say that Siri feels very polished and is a great tool.

I've been very happy with the Apple appstore too. Great quality overall.

I just

 

[Zurginator]

Siri is suprisingly useful. I really thought it would just be a marketing gimick, but I use it everyday. Makes sending email and text messages soooo much easier. And the mapping feature is great. Although I wish more navigation apps would support it (So far, only google maps does). Not sure what Andoid options are like, but I can say that Siri feels very polished and is a great tool.
I just

Worth noting that both things you mentioned already work with the existing Google voice commands.... and work even better with alternatives from the market (I use Vlingo myself).

You also need to compare current to current: You're comparing a GS (iP4 equivalent) to an iPhone 4S (GSII equivalent). Of course there would be an improvement.

 

[kllrnohj]

- Nice high quality hardware (feels solid) that is pocket size

Yup, Apple does do that *very* well.

- Higher quality apps.

Eh, I'm kind of torn on this one. iOS apps tend to be prettier and more interactive, but they also usually cost more. Android ones, on the other hand, play nice together thanks to Android's awesome Intent system. iOS's floating islands just doesn't work for me, no matter how pretty and nice those islands are.

- Siri - seems like a useful feature, and Android doesn't seem to have anything comparable yet (Voice search doesn't count, unless it's radically better in ICS)

Why doesn't voice search count? You do realize Android supports voice commands too, right? Not just searching? I hate voice input for what it's worth, at least how it currently is. The network lag and the constant need to correct it makes it slower than just typing what I want.

- More/better accessories, I really miss having a desktop dock (whoever thought to put the usb port on the top of the Galaxy S needs to be dragged out into the street and shot!)

Yeah, Android accessories are few and far between. Maybe, just maybe, someone will finally start making something with Android's accessory support they added last year.

Am I missing something or are these valid reasons?

Do you really need a valid reason? If you want an iPhone, get an iPhone. You don't need to justify it to anyone. That said, if you DO switch back you will almost certainly find yourself missing stuff from Android, just as you currently miss stuff from iOS. Neither one is perfect or "complete". Unless you are do for an upgrade, though, I would at least give one of the ICS ROMs a shot and see if that holds you over.

 

[Roman79]

...
Why doesn't voice search count? You do realize Android supports voice commands too, right? Not just searching? ...

Voice search/commands isn't in the same caliber as Siri IMO, at least not on Gingerbread. It does work, but it isn't that intelligent.

I have tried a few "Siri for Android" apps and here are my thoughts. Well first impressions might be more accurate since I only gave each one about a 5min test :

Iris: Very basic and not very good, might as well just use the stock voice commands
Skyvi: Has potential but seems unfinished. The things that work are impressive, but there are a lot of gaps right now
Speaktoit Assistant: Best one I have tried so far. Still needs work but it seems further ahead than Skyvi

...
Yeah, Android accessories are few and far between. Maybe, just maybe, someone will finally start making something with Android's accessory support they added last year.

After a bit of research I think the tide may be turning on this as Android phones become more popular. Samsung seems to have some very high quality desktop and car docks for the Galaxy Nexus.

...
Do you really need a valid reason? If you want an iPhone, get an iPhone. You don't need to justify it to anyone. That said, if you DO switch back you will almost certainly find yourself missing stuff from Android, just as you currently miss stuff from iOS. Neither one is perfect or "complete". Unless you are do for an upgrade, though, I would at least give one of the ICS ROMs a shot and see if that holds you over.

It's not that I'm trying to justify it to anyone, I just find [H] to be a good sounding board. Also if I have my head in the clouds on an issue (which happens from time to time) people here generally have no problem pointing that out

I just picked up a Galaxy Nexus for my wife tonight; she is awestruck with it as she's coming from a BB Bold. I had a little time to play with it and I must say I'm impressed with both the hardware and software.

I'm not due for an upgrade until August, so I think I'll try ICS when it "comes out" for the Galaxy S.

 

[AQ_OC]

After spending all day yesterday trying to rid myself of the "low memory" problem on my Droid Incredible, I'm going to switch to the iPhone 4S come 2/22.

Some of my reasons are:
1) Don't want to be spending huge amounts of time configuring the phone
2) Androids are too big...the size of my DI was perfect (and it still is a good phone even now).
3) iOS has the better apps by far. I have both an Android phone and tablet and an iPad. iOS wins hands down.
4) Way more add-ons and stuff. Lots of others ways to add variety and beat down the boredom that always seems to come when tech gets old.
5) I have lots of apps on both platforms and I won't be giving up on Android, as I will get a newer tablet later this year.

I do think about waiting for iPhone 5, though, but I don't really think I want a larger screen and 4G. I don't relish getting faster speeds but then being metered. Geez...kinda stupid. I do like I'd like having more ram and storage that I think iPhone 5 will offer up, however. I do admit that the newer Androids are tempting, but I think that Android is like Windows .... it will be on Version 7 before it is really ready for prime time. People will just put up with the weirdness just like we all did on Windows for friggin years.

 

[dr.stevil]

I do think about waiting for iPhone 5, though, but I don't really think I want a larger screen and 4G. I don't relish getting faster speeds but then being metered. Geez...kinda stupid. I do like I'd like having more ram and storage that I think iPhone 5 will offer up, however. I do admit that the newer Androids are tempting, but I think that Android is like Windows .... it will be on Version 7 before it is really ready for prime time. People will just put up with the weirdness just like we all did on Windows for friggin years.

or wait for the 5 to be released and grab a used 4S on the cheap

 

[Zurginator]

After spending all day yesterday trying to rid myself of the "low memory" problem on my Droid Incredible, I'm going to switch to the iPhone 4S come 2/22.

Your "LM" problem is more due to having a Dinc than android.

Apps have started getting huge.... a 512mb ROM phone isn't gonna do much.

 

[BigJayDogg3]

I do like I'd like having more ram and storage that I think iPhone 5 will offer up, however. I do admit that the newer Androids are tempting, but I think that Android is like Windows .... it will be on Version 7 before it is really ready for prime time. People will just put up with the weirdness just like we all did on Windows for friggin years.

I think you're letting the hardware limitations of the DI skew your view of Android. If you really want to see what Android is like, run a ROM like CM7/CM9. You no longer have the overhead of Sense, so you free up storage space and RAM, all the while running it far, far faster than stock. You still wouldn't be on par with modern Android hardware, but it will be much closer than before.

ICS isn't version 7. And ICS is slick as hell. I was fully planning on buying an iPhone 4 off contract, waiting for the iPhone 5, or trying out Windows Phone. At this point, I don't know what I'm going to do because I really, really like what ICS has done to Android. The question is how are handset manufacturers going to handle it. Are we going to start seeing more stock Android phones? Or will we have more of the same crappy skins? Personally, I'm not buying another phone with a skin, even if that means I finally switch OSs.

 

[AQ_OC]

Your "LM" problem is more due to having a Dinc than android.

This is true. It's an HTC thing, not an Android thing...well, it is an Android thing, but the fault lies with HTC, not Google. Well, they had enough access to create the problem...too many cooks in the kitchen.

But get this: If it were an iPhone, I could have just taken it to the Apple store and let them fix it. I got my fixed without rooting, but it took me a day to wipe and re-install (and since Android doesn't remember your free apps, a lot of it was just remembering what I had loaded in the first place).

 

[AQ_OC]

or wait for the 5 to be released and grab a used 4S on the cheap

My problem is I'm bored with my DINC! Let's face it, no matter which way you go the 'shiny and new' is a big part of the reason for it all.

 

[Vermillion]

You couldn't pay me to go back to iPhone. I kicked my iPhone 3G to the curb after a year of dropped calls, crashing during OS updates, and the phone just not ringing during a call. The "Genius" Bar simply said oh it needs a new SIM card and reload of the OS. they replaced the SIM, reloaded the phone and magically nothing was fixed. So I ate the ETF and went to Verizon, got a Droid, and have never looked back.

The one area Android needs to improve is OS updates. Google knows that and that's why with ICS they are 3rd parties like HTC and Motorola to not touch certain pieces of the OS. That way updates should be a tad simpler in the long run. Time will tell if it works. If it does work it should also help with fragmentation.

Android Fragmentation isn't nearly the issue it's made out to be. Especially since Android 2.2. It's still an issue, but it isn't the giant ball of doom so many claim it to be.

HTC and Motorola also seem to be catching on since both vendors have stated they are not going to release a million devices in 2012. Instead they'll focus on a handful. Hopefully, that helps with some of the update issues as well since they'll have far less phones to have to try to update which again should also ease fragmentation issues.

and since Android doesn't remember your free apps, a lot of it was just remembering what I had loaded in the first place

What are you talking about? Any app you install from the Android Market or Amazon Appstore are remembered. The Android Market ties all installs to your Google Account. Amazon of course ties to your Amazon account. If you do a factory wipe on an Android device, as soon as you tie your Google Account back to the phone the system auto-downloads every app and installs it...

 

[AQ_OC]

You couldn't pay me to go back to iPhone. I kicked my iPhone 3G to the curb after a year of dropped calls, crashing during OS updates, and the phone just not ringing during a call. The "Genius" Bar simply said oh it needs a new SIM card and reload of the OS. they replaced the SIM, reloaded the phone and magically nothing was fixed. So I ate the ETF and went to Verizon, got a Droid, and have never looked back.

The one area Android needs to improve is OS updates. Google knows that and that's why with ICS they are 3rd parties like HTC and Motorola to not touch certain pieces of the OS. That way updates should be a tad simpler in the long run. Time will tell if it works. If it does work it should also help with fragmentation.

Android Fragmentation isn't nearly the issue it's made out to be. Especially since Android 2.2. It's still an issue, but it isn't the giant ball of doom so many claim it to be.

All of the devices out there right now are still suffering from fragmentation. I just lost a day of my life due to this..and there are zillions of devices out there running ancient version of Android and will not be upgraded.

HTC and Motorola also seem to be catching on since both vendors have stated they are not going to release a million devices in 2012. Instead they'll focus on a handful. Hopefully, that helps with some of the update issues as well since they'll have far less phones to have to try to update which again should also ease fragmentation issues.

That doesn't translate into less problems for users with existing phones. Not everyone wants to upgrade at $200 to $300 a pop, every two years.

What are you talking about? Any app you install from the Android Market or Amazon Appstore are remembered. The Android Market ties all installs to your Google Account. Amazon of course ties to your Amazon account. If you do a factory wipe on an Android device, as soon as you tie your Google Account back to the phone the system auto-downloads every app and installs it...

Just not true. Only the apps you pay for get remembered. The free stuff doesn't get remembered. Just wipe your phone and try it.

 

[BigJayDogg3]

That doesn't translate into less problems for users with existing phones. Not everyone wants to upgrade at $200 to $300 a pop, every two years.

I do take issue with this. If you are the type of user that will hang onto a phone for more than two years, you likely are also the type of user that won't care about updates.

In my opinion, for all but the geekiest of geeks, the lack of Android updates is not an issue. A friend of mine had the crap that was a Moto Backflip. She never would have known the difference had it not been for me constantly poking fun at her phone. What a wonderful friend I am. ^_^

 

[AQ_OC]

I do take issue with this. If you are the type of user that will hang onto a phone for more than two years, you likely are also the type of user that won't care about updates.

In my opinion, for all but the geekiest of geeks, the lack of Android updates is not an issue. A friend of mine had the crap that was a Moto Backflip. She never would have known the difference had it not been for me constantly poking fun at her phone. What a wonderful friend I am. ^_^

There are plenty of people who are forced to keep a phone longer than they'd like to just due to the economy. And updates are happening on tablets, and ipods too, devices which aren't just phones, and aren't tied to contracts. I'm sure lots of apple users were happy to get updated to iOS 5 so they could sync wirelessly. I would like my Acer Iconia to get the ICS update, too. Just because.

 

[SuperSubZero]

I have an Incredible and in August when my contract is up it's going directly into the garbage. The Android experience for me has been depressing. The hardware is pretty bad, I have honest-to-goodness burn-in on my screen and the memory card slot recently decided it no longer works (not the card, the actual slot). The OS itself, well, they recently pushed 2.3 out after months of stalled starts and recalled updates. I've had sporadic (read: frequent) problems with gmail not pushing since then, which was reported by androidcentral users too, so hey, good job you broke one of the only reasons to have a smartphone and that's how you'll go out.

I'm genuinely afraid of the Android Market. Why? Why do I have to wonder if a random app is going to either put me in a botnet or at best, start spamming my status bar with ads even if the app isn't running?

I also made an interesting discovery. I have an Android Droid-branded HTC phone on Verizon. A client of mine has an Android Droid-branded HTC phone on Verizon. The Gmail app, a Google-provided app, is *totally* different between my phone and his. If there is one place I think consistency across phones should be, it's in the Gmail app. Not K9 or HTC Mail or whatever, I mean the plain old Gmail app.

I will definitely be getting an iPhone.

 

[Vermillion]

All of the devices out there right now are still suffering from fragmentation. I just lost a day of my life due to this..and there are zillions of devices out there running ancient version of Android and will not be upgraded.

So all phones running ancient software should be upgraded? That P4 @ 1.6GHz with 1GB of RAM should run Windows Vista correctly too I'm guessing?

Hardware gets old. iPhone 3G had huge performance issues with iOS 4.x. My old Droid could barely run Android 2.3.x. It's no suprise it never got an official update.

That doesn't translate into less problems for users with existing phones. Not everyone wants to upgrade at $200 to $300 a pop, every two years.

Agreed, except the general population doesn't give a rats ass about updates. And those iPhone users have the same issue. iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4? Sorry, no Siri for you! Even though the jailbreak community has proven Siri runs just fine on both. Forced obsolescence is a wonderful thing!

It's a fine line for whether or not hardware can run the latest and greatest. Like I said...my Droid could run Android 2.3.x, just not very well without some hacks to force things to stay in memory. We also can't expect companies to continuously update 2+ year old hardware.

You have to remember that it's not as simple as compiling Android and slapping it on the phone. For example the Dinc has lib files that need to be updated to correctly function under ICS. Those lib files are proprietary to HTC. Meaning they have to update those libs as well as Android itself. So more money and development time into a 2 year old device that is EOL and not even sold anymore. Even though we don't like it, on the business side it just doesn't make any sense to support that older hardware.

I'm still waiting to see what ICS runs like on the Droid Incredible (my wife has one) especially with the hacks that are being done to make the hardware function correctly without those updated lib files. Dinc was the same hardware as Nexus One, which isn't getting the update, I'm interested in seeing how it does before passing judgement on lack of Google pushing an official update.

Just not true. Only the apps you pay for get remembered. The free stuff doesn't get remembered. Just wipe your phone and try it.

I wipe my phone more often than you blink, since I'm a crack flasher, and the phone always restores ALL of my applications. It's annoying really because I have so many apps.

 

[Dan_D]

I've got a Samsung Galaxy S and it's been nearly the biggest piece of shit I've ever had as far as phones go. Random call drops, randomly not accepting calls or texts with nothing to indicate to me there is an issue, (power cycling it resolves this issue) horrid battery life, screwed up problems with USB file transfers, bad Samsung Kies software, oh and a GPS that has NEVER once worked properly. I've never had driven any where with the GPS navigation in use and kept the GPS signal the entire time. Fortunately, I've rarely ever needed the feature as I know DFW pretty well.

My girlfriend and another friend of mine have or had the same phone and theirs suffered from pretty much the same problems. Though some like the USB detection / transfer issues are unique to my piece of crap. I've considered the iPhone just because of this. So far all the Droid phones I've seen have had tons of issues. At least it seems that way.

 

[Ryoohki360]

If the Iphone wasn't tied to Itunes, i would consider it. but since it's the biggest POS windows software that i have installed on my computer.. i'll never have one..

 

[T4rd]

Just not true. Only the apps you pay for get remembered. The free stuff doesn't get remembered. Just wipe your phone and try it.

Not sure if that's Sense or what, but even my OG Droid restored all of my (free) apps automatically upon signing in after a wipe. My Galaxy Nexus does it too. But I usually disable it immediately after flashing a new ROM in favor of Titanium Backup, then then enable it after restoring apps/data so I can get back my saved WiFi and BT profiles. The "automatic restore" option is in the "backup & reset" settings on ICS, but I can't remember where it's at in 2.3 or below.

 

[Blown 89]

Just not true. Only the apps you pay for get remembered. The free stuff doesn't get remembered. Just wipe your phone and try it.

Every app I've ever downloaded is remembered by the Android Market. It doesn't matter if it's free or paid. Go to the market and select Apps in the "My Library" tab. There are all of your free apps. They load right up on my phone every time I flash.

 

[Vermillion]

I have an Incredible and in August when my contract is up it's going directly into the garbage. The Android experience for me has been depressing. The hardware is pretty bad, I have honest-to-goodness burn-in on my screen and the memory card slot recently decided it no longer works (not the card, the actual slot). The OS itself, well, they recently pushed 2.3 out after months of stalled starts and recalled updates. I've had sporadic (read: frequent) problems with gmail not pushing since then, which was reported by androidcentral users too, so hey, good job you broke one of the only reasons to have a smartphone and that's how you'll go out.

Some phones just go bad. A co-workers brand new EVO 3D had the capacitive buttons die within two weeks. The replacement has had zero issues for the last 4 months. Had another co-worker go through three iPhone 3GS's in 6 months with random issues like the home button suddenly failing to function. Any hardware is a crapshoot in my opinion.

The Android 2.3 for Droid Incredible update is a perfect example of what's wrong with the update process right now with Android. It's also why my wife runs custom ROM's. It's sad that the Android development community does a better job updating ROM's then the OEM's do.

I'm genuinely afraid of the Android Market. Why? Why do I have to wonder if a random app is going to either put me in a botnet or at best, start spamming my status bar with ads even if the app isn't running?

Yay, I love how disinformation from all the bloggers and AV makers out there ruin it for everybody. The Android "malware" issue is almost exclusively on unsafe 3rd party sites, many of which are based in China. If somebody really wants to install the Sexy Screaming Japanese Girls app though that's their choice.

The actual Android Market itself is fairly safe especially if you pay attention. Why would you download an app that only has 100 downloads and is made by some random guy with no other application to his/her name? I wouldn't install it even if I wanted it. I'd wait a few days/weeks and see what happens.

Not to mention a lot of the malware that creeps up on the actual Android Market is a lot of social engineering attempts where you download an app but it isn't really the app. Saw that one two weeks ago to tell the truth. The same guy uploaded about a dozen apps like Monopoly and other games. Monopoly ran supposedly but it had offending code added for behind the scenes action! They were gone in about 2 hours and it was pretty easy to tell the difference between the scumbag and EA's Monopoly version. A few million downloads with thousands of reviews for EA versus a hundred downloads and two dozen reviews for the scumbag.

The ad thing in the notification bar is annoying and I don't think anybody will disagree. There is an app on the market that can tell you what app installed that nasty thing though so you can toss the offending app.

I also made an interesting discovery. I have an Android Droid-branded HTC phone on Verizon. A client of mine has an Android Droid-branded HTC phone on Verizon. The Gmail app, a Google-provided app, is *totally* different between my phone and his. If there is one place I think consistency across phones should be, it's in the Gmail app. Not K9 or HTC Mail or whatever, I mean the plain old Gmail app.

I will definitely be getting an iPhone.

Actually, that's easily explainable. It's based on the version of Android not the app itself. The Google Apps for Android 2.3.x aren't the same as the Google Apps for Android 2.2.x. Check out the changes in the GMail app for Android 4.0.3. Stuff you'll never see in Android 2.3.x.

 

[onedestinazn2]

I have an Incredible and in August when my contract is up it's going directly into the garbage. The Android experience for me has been depressing. The hardware is pretty bad, I have honest-to-goodness burn-in on my screen and the memory card slot recently decided it no longer works (not the card, the actual slot). The OS itself, well, they recently pushed 2.3 out after months of stalled starts and recalled updates. I've had sporadic (read: frequent) problems with gmail not pushing since then, which was reported by androidcentral users too, so hey, good job you broke one of the only reasons to have a smartphone and that's how you'll go out.

I'm genuinely afraid of the Android Market. Why? Why do I have to wonder if a random app is going to either put me in a botnet or at best, start spamming my status bar with ads even if the app isn't running?

I also made an interesting discovery. I have an Android Droid-branded HTC phone on Verizon. A client of mine has an Android Droid-branded HTC phone on Verizon. The Gmail app, a Google-provided app, is *totally* different between my phone and his. If there is one place I think consistency across phones should be, it's in the Gmail app. Not K9 or HTC Mail or whatever, I mean the plain old Gmail app.

I will definitely be getting an iPhone.

Just recently got Verizon to give my friend a different phone after going through 3 Dinc's. I know plenty of people have great experiences with it, but IMO its a load of crap and i hate it. That being said, should i judge all androids based off of experience a single model? Hell no. I've been enjoying my Evo3d far more than when i had my iphone4, but thats me.

 

[FaRKle0079]

My father and I bought my mother an iPhone 4S for Christmas because "all her friends have one." One of the first things she asked me after I was showing her how to use a smartphone (on my Epic 4G Touch) was, "Ooh I want a big clock thing (widget) like yours. How do I get one of those?" lol

I can't say I envy her 4S one bit. It feels so fragile to me. I drop my phone a lot, and my thin TPU case on my GS2 protects perfectly well, but I wouldn't feel safe dropping the heavy, glass-covered 4S without a bulky otterbox which efffectively makes the 4S larger than my GS2...

 

[wand3r3r]

I have the reverse desire. I am sick of locked down systems, you can't do it unless apple has a commercial interest and can sell you something in the process. The iphone is decent and I can see the appeal, but I will be going for a new nokia Lumia windows phone most likely when I get a chance.

Plus I have an interest in playing with windows phones and possibly programming in it. I don't know enough about the windows phones but the newest nokias look pretty sweet and every nokia has been a million times more durable then the iphone icrack glass.

The phone got cracked almost immediately (on the back) after I got it and I know I hadn't done anything remotely intense to it at that point. Apple said the case must have gotten a spec of something between it and the phone and that is their widely given answer to all the cracks that come without real cause. Why would you put something like glass on a back cover of a phone anyway. Regardless, apple is over rated and over priced. I'll go windows, or possibly android.

 

[AQ_OC]

If the Iphone wasn't tied to Itunes, i would consider it. but since it's the biggest POS windows software that i have installed on my computer.. i'll never have one..

I agree that itunes sucks bad...but I rarely use itunes with my iPad. Most things i need I can do without using itunes...and a few things i need I can do wirelessly. Obviously, the sucky Windows version of itunes is a plot by Apple to drive Windows users to Macs. That will never happen with me (even though I might add an older mac to my fleet of machines).

 

[AQ_OC]

Every app I've ever downloaded is remembered by the Android Market. It doesn't matter if it's free or paid. Go to the market and select Apps in the "My Library" tab. There are all of your free apps. They load right up on my phone every time I flash.

Ok....I'll accept what you guys are saying but this is not what happened to me yesterday. All of my paid for apps showed right up on the phone and downloaded one by one. I didn't even go to the website. But I had to manually re-add my free apps. Can't explain why...and this was the first time I never reset my DINC (which, BTW, did fix the LM problem I was having...I now have like 91 out of 149MB free -- and I have a lot of apps). Actually, I'm trying to get it to break again so I can call VZW up and talk them into letting me upgrade before my time, since I'm less than 30 days away.

 

[AQ_OC]

Just recently got Verizon to give my friend a different phone after going through 3 Dinc's. I know plenty of people have great experiences with it, but IMO its a load of crap and i hate it. That being said, should i judge all androids based off of experience a single model? Hell no. I've been enjoying my Evo3d far more than when i had my iphone4, but thats me.

My DINC has been a good phone for me until recently with the low memory bug showed up. Since then, it has been a royal PITA. But it is fixed for the moment and seems to run fine.

 

[sethmo]

I have a work iPhone 4S and a HTC Droid Incredible 2 for personal, both on Verizon. I do not like the iPhone. If you even like changing icons on your homescreens or having a couple of helpful widgets, you will loathe iOS. Siri is dumb and pointless, I have only used it a few times to make it say funny things. Also, not having a physical or soft back button on the iPhone is a killer for me. It makes it hard to navigate back and forth in iOS without a back button, even though some apps or menus have a software back button.

I don't like the screen size, the screen resolution is nice, but it is too small. Most of my complaints are with iOS and not the hardware. Like for every Update you do, you have to type in your password, whether it is a paid app or free app. The app store seems harder to navigate and it doesnt look as good as the Android Market.

If it were up to me, I would get rid of my work iPhone 4S for another Android phone.