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Captivate vs Iphone 4

Arcane means secret or esoteric, not old-fashioned or antiquated.

You're right. I wasn't really going for simply "outdated" but also the ideas of it being somewhat hard to understand... but I agree, "Arcane" was still the wrong choice.

Thanks.
 
This thread has been very invaluable to me! I am an iphone turned Android user after I developed a case of iBrick about a month ago. For all the reasons everyone else has already posted, I do love having this phone (Samsung Galaxy S).

However, there are a few things that really bothers me about the phone that kind of makes me regret getting it.

1. Media syncing (explained below)

2. Text scrolling

Composing with swype is absolutely wonderful, and I now use my mobile device for more composition activities. The experience continues to be wonderful until I notice a type-o a couple words back... lining up that damn cursor just right takes about as long as it does to compose the entire piece some times! THe solution doesn't even have to be text scrolling, it is likely that it is the only other option for comparison I can make. And the comparison is that the current method sucks....

Seeing as how my girl friend now wants to watch some videos on her iPhone, it is a pain in the ass to translate them into something the iPhone will read. However, here is a very common tale these days: I live in China and ride my motorcycle to work across beijing. Today, it rained so I took a 2.5 hour bus ride instead. I am sure to pack my headphones cuz I will need to kill time, but alas! The only way to get my favorite podcasts to my phone is drag and drop, and I am not diligent enough to do this regularly or track what things I have/haven't watched.

I am struggling to find a solution as this is really the only that that is keeping me from fulling enjoying this phone! That and the fact that iPhoto (used to organize my pics) doesn't recognize the camera...or that the GPS doesn't work...but I don't have internet through my cell network in china and it is not terribly accurate anyway...There is also the fact that I can't get OS updates, have to do it myself, and I can't see the app store cuz it is not supported in China!

I guess I got to know the iPhone intimately after solving a lot of similar issues and jailbreaking just so I can use it in China and it is hard to change. But I still want thoughtless/actionless podcast updates!!!

Perhaps I am searching for the wrong thing on the forums. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!
 
Great post! These are exactly the points I try to discuss with most people. No iPhone bashing, it's just two different animals and people can prefer whatever they like.
 
This thread has been very invaluable to me! I am an iphone turned Android user after I developed a case of iBrick about a month ago. For all the reasons everyone else has already posted, I do love having this phone (Samsung Galaxy S).

However, there are a few things that really bothers me about the phone that kind of makes me regret getting it.

1. Media syncing (explained below)

2. Text scrolling

Composing with swype is absolutely wonderful, and I now use my mobile device for more composition activities. The experience continues to be wonderful until I notice a type-o a couple words back... lining up that damn cursor just right takes about as long as it does to compose the entire piece some times! THe solution doesn't even have to be text scrolling, it is likely that it is the only other option for comparison I can make. And the comparison is that the current method sucks....

Seeing as how my girl friend now wants to watch some videos on her iPhone, it is a pain in the ass to translate them into something the iPhone will read. However, here is a very common tale these days: I live in China and ride my motorcycle to work across beijing. Today, it rained so I took a 2.5 hour bus ride instead. I am sure to pack my headphones cuz I will need to kill time, but alas! The only way to get my favorite podcasts to my phone is drag and drop, and I am not diligent enough to do this regularly or track what things I have/haven't watched.

I am struggling to find a solution as this is really the only that that is keeping me from fulling enjoying this phone! That and the fact that iPhoto (used to organize my pics) doesn't recognize the camera...or that the GPS doesn't work...but I don't have internet through my cell network in china and it is not terribly accurate anyway...There is also the fact that I can't get OS updates, have to do it myself, and I can't see the app store cuz it is not supported in China!

I guess I got to know the iPhone intimately after solving a lot of similar issues and jailbreaking just so I can use it in China and it is hard to change. But I still want thoughtless/actionless podcast updates!!!

Perhaps I am searching for the wrong thing on the forums. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

To line up the cursor for correction you can tap and hold the 123 key in the Samsung keyboard to get cursor arrows - the swype keyboard has a similar command. You can move the cursor very easily then.

For podcasts have you tried Google's app?
Listen Home
 
After customizing my Samsung Captivate for the last three weeks I know I couldn't go to an iPhone - it would feel like a step backwards to me. My two iPhone friends get jealous every time I unlock my phone and there are working widgets right on the homescreen with the background representing the weather outside and not just a bunch of application icons :).
 
After customizing my Samsung Captivate for the last three weeks I know I couldn't go to an iPhone - it would feel like a step backwards to me. My two iPhone friends get jealous every time I unlock my phone and there are working widgets right on the homescreen with the background representing the weather outside and not just a bunch of application icons :).

Kind of off topic here, I apologize, but I gotta know what background you use because I've been wanting something just like what you describe!
 
Hi everyone! I'm currently using a BB Curve right now and looking at either the iphone 4 or the Samsung Captivate. I'm really leaning towards purchasing the Captivate. I was wondering how much data would be used if I were to use the GPS on the Captivate. I'm just trying to get an idea whether to go for the 200 mb or 2 gb.
 
Great writeup. I returned my captivate for a now jailbroken iPhone 4 and the only things I miss are the swype keyboard and larger screen. Text looks terrible on the AMOLED screen when compared to the iPhone 4 and I'm not even going to get into all the 374728 other issues I had with the phone. ios4 is just so much more polished than android. I'm hoping gingerbread will please my needs around the holiday season and I'll say goodbye to the iPhone 4.
 
Kind of off topic here, I apologize, but I gotta know what background you use because I've been wanting something just like what you describe!
I hate 'me too' posts, but - me too! I'm a weather geek and would love to have something like this, too :)
 
Well, I use FancyWidget, you can download with the barcode. Not sure about the person you guys were replying to, but this is weather and clock, and looks pretty nice.


 
First off I am new to the forums and the android OS as well. I have been an avid 3gs user for the last year and now I have had the captivate for about 3 weeks and I am still very much on the fence about going back to the Iphone. I have to Admit though I do really like my Capitvate though. I am having trouble getting past the small details that made my Iphone really work for me, Like voice dialing..really I have had several phones that had it standard..Not the captivate though which is a huge turn off. Another huge turn off is where the power cord plugs in..When I am in my card and I have it in the holder the card looks extremely tacky dangling over the top or when I am making phone calls it is awkward while the phone is plug in. Those are really my main complaints about the phone. I have experienced the black screen as well as the sluggishness when trying to navigate between screens but its a phone not a computer. I am kind oh having front facing camera and flash envy as well...Anyone else notice when you hold the bottom right corner the slight drop??? hmmm what to do..should
I stay or should I go???
 
Thanks for the responses everyone. Are you guys liking the Captivate? If you don't mind me asking, what data plan do you currently have for the Captivate?
 
newuser23

I suspect that by now you have browsed around for some of the GPS threads. The satisfaction of GPS performance borders on controversial. Some report it works fine, most who use it very much says it works fine maybe 90% of the time.

If GPS is important, and you expect to rely on it, the Captivate is not for you .... now. According to Samsung, they will have it fixedt "...in September'. That's 10 days left to meet that commitment.

Depending on your interest in customization, and many other factors really, you may do well to wait on the Captivate.

But, to make you decision, you need to do some reading and research. There are a number of posts around from former BB users, as well as iPhone users.

It all depends on your needs and preferences.
 
Thanks for the responses everyone. Are you guys liking the Captivate? If you don't mind me asking, what data plan do you currently have for the Captivate?

I like the phone. I used to have an iPhone 3G and I like Android much better than iOS. My only two issues with the phone are the lag and the GPS.

1. The "lag" - sometimes the phone will just freeze for a second or process really slow. It extremely noticeable when using the Android Market or some specific apps like Facebook. There are some fixes for this, but it requires modifying the partition/system file information on the phone. It's easy to do, but I wish we didn't have to take those measures to get the phone to operate as it should.

2. The GPS - The GPS has two main issues. 1) not getting a location fix or taking several minutes to get a location. 2) being extremely inaccurate when you do get a location fix. The latter causes the Navigation app to show you on the wrong street or wrong side of the freeway.

My suggestion to you is that if you really want to get a Galaxy S, wait for Froyo or the GPS fix to come out and check the forum to see what people are saying. If you can't wait, you can take the risk and get the phone now. The other option would be to get a different phone (personally, I'd get an HTC if not a Galaxy S).
 
Hmmm...the locking up, blank screen and freezes just don't seem right. I wonder if maybe you don't need a new unit all together. I've had a few minor issues, but none of those. Anyone else want to chime in on that?
I've had none of these issues, nor have the eight of my other friends that have Captivates.

My Captivate has been far better than my iPhone 4, but it's all about personal preference. I've had antenna problems, proximity sensor, camera issues and the list goes on. Plus I'm on my fourth, iPhone 4 so it's not like I haven't returned it to get a good one. I've been a long time Apple customer buying their laptops and other products. So, my only point is, I do think they are letting their quality control slip and resting on their laurels of the past. Notoriously greedy and arrogant it's what Apple does.

The build quality, functionality and overall performance of my Captivate has been quite nice. Then when one takes into consideration just how young this OS is as compared to the head start Apple has had, it's a very impressive start for Android.
 
I love the Android experience with all my heart, but I feel that Android seems to have inadvertently inherited the biggest weakness of linux. Fragmentation.

Despite there being only one core source for the Android versions, each carrier and each smartphone manufacturer insists on customizing the OS to the point where you essentially have to rely on them or some XDA Developer types to get any updates for your phone. There is such a huge disparity between new version rollouts it's a giant mess.

When people buy a new android phone they have to be afraid not only if the phone will be outdated soon (every phone has this problem of course), but also if your vendor/carrier will deem your device worthy of an update. With so many different devices out there and more coming out every day, I think this problem will become worse before it becomes better.

As much as it pains my little open-source heart to say this, Google needs to lock down the kinds of customization Phone vendors and Carriers can do if they are going to save their ecosystem. App market developers can't be expected to write software for so many varieties of Android and customers can't continue to live with such uncertainty.

Nexus One was a good start...

If Android 3.0 were to usher in an age of phones that:
1. Are all on the same version and all get OS updates at the same time.
2. Aren't pre-loaded with tons of crap
I think Android would be unstoppable.

As it is the Android universe is too much like an unfortunate child of Linux & PC. A fractured operating system environment, preloaded with crapware.
 
Well, I won't repeat it, but I think I made some good points in my review (coming from an iphone personally).

http://androidforums.com/samsung-captivate/178704-thinking-switching-ios-my-thoughts-1-week-later.html

Ultimately, I feel its more about deciding what kind of a phone user you are, rather than which phone is better.

Overall, I find MY* captivate to be a much cleaner, more beautiful device to use.

I really don't like the look and feel of a page full of chiclet-icons.

*Mine only... if you go to the "show your home screen" thread, you will see how many different ways people customize their UI (Most does not require rooting).


Oh, and I will say that I am also making phone calls in places that i would NEVER be bale to with my old iphone. Out in the mountains, at my desk at work, etc...
 
I've had the phone since launch day and I'm not sure if it's android, the captivate or both but I find that every other day it's something that's not working right.

For example, the other day a process called media server killed my battery in 4 hours. Today the phone locked up and I had to pull the battery to reset. Other days I get bounced to EDGE in my house (never happens with any other phone in my house). GPS issues, random lags, Dolphin browser starting up when I end a call, Dolphin browser taking forever to close, weather widgets not working, force close this and that, etc.

There are aspects of android I like but it seems like there's no quality control in neither android, the phones nor the apps. I'm ready to go back to the iPhone, which sucks because I'm not a fan of the iPhone 4 hardware but at least it works with minimum fuss.
 
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