iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5 (and Android)

[bjacks12]

L O L.

I don't wait for updates.

 

[Blaster man]

L O L.

I don't wait for updates.

When you're buying 4 phones for family members every 2 years for a grand total of $800 each time or $4,000 over 10 years that's a lot of money. Or you can spend $800 once then the next 4 times sell your phone for the entire amount that you have to pay for a total of $800 over 10 years.

 

[lunatic59]

Unless there is something that isn't working like, I really don't know why people get so fixated on updates. It's not like they make you better looking, or thinner. Every now and then a few features are added, but many times it's to take advantage of newer hardware you might not have anyway. :dontknow:

With Apple, they have fewer models and tight control of the OS. Even so, their updates are long drawn out processes and leave people with broken features twisting in the wind for months. The difference is, they release updates once to everyone, so you can't go to a iPhone user with a 5S and say "neener-neener I have OS6.whatever and you don't."

What most people aren't getting is that Google is taking a lot of the services and features our of the Android OS and building them into Android framework services in the play store. So, when you update through the play store, you are getting a lot of the current updates without ever having to apply an OS upgrade. The only difference is that it will still say 4.2 instead of 4.4 in the phone's menu, but you'll have a good deal of the compatibility and functionality of 4.4 without ever getting anything from a carrier or manufacturer.

As to the value if iPhones, they are able to be sold at higher prices because that's what people are paying. It the classic logical fallacy of "correlation does not imply causation" to assume that they are somehow better.

While I am not a big fan of ZDnet, I thought this particular article was rather interesting. How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199) | ZDNet Please disregard the inane comments that follow the article.

 

[Blaster man]

Unless there is something that isn't working like, I really don't know why people get so fixated on updates. It's not like they make you better looking, or thinner. Every now and then a few features are added, but many times it's to take advantage of newer hardware you might not have anyway. :dontknow:

With Apple, they have fewer models and tight control of the OS. Even so, their updates are long drawn out processes and leave people with broken features twisting in the wind for months. The difference is, they release updates once to everyone, so you can't go to a iPhone user with a 5S and say "neener-neener I have OS6.whatever and you don't."

What most people aren't getting is that Google is taking a lot of the services and features our of the Android OS and building them into Android framework services in the play store. So, when you update through the play store, you are getting a lot of the current updates without ever having to apply an OS upgrade. The only difference is that it will still say 4.2 instead of 4.4 in the phone's menu, but you'll have a good deal of the compatibility and functionality of 4.4 without ever getting anything from a carrier or manufacturer.

As to the value if iPhones, they are able to be sold at higher prices because that's what people are paying. It the classic logical fallacy of "correlation does not imply causation" to assume that they are somehow better.

While I am not a big fan of ZDnet, I thought this particular article was rather interesting. How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199) | ZDNet Please disregard the inane comments that follow the article.

Now hold on a second, I never said the iPhone is better, I said it's a better financial decision for most people. I readily admit that Android phones are better for some in terms of preference.

As for the cost being greater than $200, I'm of course aware of that. Here's the issue though, unless you have T-Mobile you're paying for the phone subsidy regardless of if you upgrade or not. If you have T-Mobile and you get great coverage in your area (then you don't live here) it makes a lot of sense to hold onto your phone. For the traditional post paid plan, we're paying the same even if we don't take the subsidy for a new phone and upgrade "free" after selling the old one.

I'm not sure if the author of the article thinks that everyone's using the new plans...but plenty of us are grandfathered into cheaper plans. I don't need unlimited minutes/texts and I don't want to pay for them.

edit:
http://www.cnet.com/news/confused-about-verizons-family-share-plans-youre-not-alone/
This leads me into the next important question: Can I keep my existing family plan or individual plan if I'm already a Verizon customer?
The answer to this question is "yes." A Verizon spokeswoman said that Verizon will not force anyone to switch from their current plans. So if you are a long time Verizon customer and you're happy with your service you can keep it as long as you like.

I don't know if it's too late to change back to tiered data plans with set numbers of minutes but if they let you, you should do it.

 

[alpha2k]

I personally would not even think about an iPhone simply because of one thing. It doesn't matter to me how revolutionary and awesome the hardware may be or is, what it simply boils down to for me is customizability.

Prime example:
Take 10 iPhone 6 phones and 10 Samsung s5 phones place them on the table in a row. What you will find is that iPhones all look the same bland look. Now take the same s5 phones and you will see pretty much each and every phone is somewhat or drastically different looking, why, simply put in a word......Customizability.......... I've seen so many different android setups I'm still amazed at the differences the phone look like.

I have yet to find a single android phone that is exactly like mine or even similar to mine, yet I have seen a lot of iPhones and they look the same.

I suppose if you like not being able to customize then iPhone would work for you, but I like the fact I can theme the crap outta my phone every day of I want to, and even then it still looks different every time.

Each phone does what it does and does it well it boils down to what you want in a phone.

I find it quite interesting that apple is adopting android options over these last few years, so android must be doing something right, that our apple is out of ideas.

I had a coworker ask me if he should get an iPhone or android and I simply said this, if your are technically challenged and do not want to learn, go for the iPhone......... If you are not afraid of learning new stuff and like customizability, go with an android phone.

 

[Medion]

I don't think that these phones warrant any kind of comparison. You have one operating system designed to be tailored by the OEM, the carrier, and the user (to varying degrees), and one where the decisions are all made for you. So each one is inherently a different experience with a different target audience.

I've always thought it was funny watching Apple and Google fanboys going at it like they'd really convert the other side to their cause. What one size sees as a plus, the other side sees as a negative to the device, so there's no way that they could ever truly agree.

People ask me for phone recommendations all the time. I do my best to make a recommendation based on their needs, and often times, it's an iPhone and not an Android. Apple did an amazing job curating an experience that appeals to so many people.

 

[bjacks12]

When you're buying 4 phones for family members every 2 years for a grand total of $800 each time or $4,000 over 10 years that's a lot of money. Or you can spend $800 once then the next 4 times sell your phone for the entire amount that you have to pay for a total of $800 over 10 years.

How is this even a reply to what I said?

I said I do not wait for U P D A T E S. Those are free from Google.

 

[Blaster man]

How is this even a reply to what I said?

I said I do not wait for U P D A T E S. Those are free from Google.

99% of Android phones wait for the carrier. You may have a Nexus or a rooted phone and that's great. How is that even a reply to what I said about carriers allowing the update? Generally an Android update goes to the hardware manufacturer then to the carrier then finally to the user. It took MONTHS for me to get Droid updates.

 

[bjacks12]

 

[bjacks12]

99% of Android phones wait for the carrier. You may have a Nexus or a rooted phone and that's great. How is that even a reply to what I said about carriers allowing the update? Generally an Android update goes to the hardware manufacturer then to the carrier then finally to the user. It took MONTHS for me to get Droid updates.

That's not an android/google problem. That's an OEM problem. They control the hardware and what goes on it. Look at what Motorola did with the Kitkat update. The Moto X had it immediately. And that was the VERIZON version.

As mentioned above, Google has performed an end run around the OEMs by moving everything under the banner of Google Play Services.

But what am I kidding. You just came on to this forum to bash Android.

 

[breadnatty08]

99% of Android phones wait for the carrier. You may have a Nexus or a rooted phone and that's great. How is that even a reply to what I said about carriers allowing the update? Generally an Android update goes to the hardware manufacturer then to the carrier then finally to the user. It took MONTHS for me to get Droid updates.

Yeah, I'll agree to that.
But, take another look at Lunatic's answer.... Ask any average Android user what OS or version of Android they're running on their phone (if they even know what phone they have) and they'll give you a blank stare. Promise.

In addition, if it works just fine for you, don't worry about the updates. I'll grant you that yeah, back in the day the OG Droid did run a hell of a lot better on Froyo than Eclair; but things got really dicey when I tried flashing GB on it. Its hardware just couldn't handle it.

Overall, updates are great, but they can mess things up on your device too. See the Note 2's KK update. And no, it's not limited to Android devices.

Manufacturers have gotten much better at bringing updates since the Droid days. They also will let you know at release whether it'll be updated to the next version. Motorola has been fantastic with its X and G series and even Samsung has realized the public wants the update. But until they stop putting a massive skin on their devices, you're not going to see updates as quickly as iOS. Plain and simple.

 

[lunatic59]

Manufacturers have gotten much better at bringing updates since the Droid days. They also will let you know at release whether it'll be updated to the next version. Motorola has been fantastic with its X and G series and even Samsung has realized the public wants the update. But until they stop putting a massive skin on their devices, you're not going to see updates as quickly as iOS. Plain and simple.

That's the perception, but iDevices wait just as long for updates, if not longer. It's just that they all get them together. Don't think of it in terms of waiting. Think of it in terms of Nexus phones getting a preview (or beta test ).

Google could have easily made part of it's TOS that all carriers and manufacturers must wait to release until everyone was ready, but that would have been silly.

 

[MLSS]

IOS updates are almost always a mess. My wife's phone always has issues for a couple months after an update.
She went ahead and updated her 5s a couple days ago and now I message is having problems and she is having battery drain issues.
I haven't updated my 5s (work phone) yet because I have been on vacation and haven't used it for a while lol

I don't worry to much about updates on Android because, like others have posted my device works the same with or without it lol

 

[nickdalzell]

My iPhone 4 and iPad 3 got iOS 7 installed without my permission, and I dealt with lag, stutter and poor battery life along with it. The iPhone 4 couldn't run iOS 7 well and IMO should never have gotten it. The iPad 3 update broke a lot of my games. There was no way to downgrade even through a jailbreak

None of that happens with Android. The user can freely choose to update or dismiss the update nag. Updates are not that important.

I'm still a little old fashioned but I do tend to live by the adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". If my tech works perfectly fine, does exactly what I ask of it, and does it free of lag, why gamble with an update that might not even be noticed except for the bugs and broken apps which come with it?

 

[nickdalzell]

I still don't see the big deal with NFC. Perhaps it's because no one here knows what the heck it is and therefore I cannot take advantage of it? It reminds me of the Cybiko handheld, no one here had one so the chat, messaging and games couldn't really be enjoyed.

NFC amounts to the usual Fandroid argument of "I have it and you do not" and I bet 90% of android users don't even use it, either. Perhaps I see beaming a file via Bluetooth more convenient than tapping some stranger's phone

Google confirms my experience as well. Searches about it come up with the top five being "what's this wavy N symbol on my Galaxy S3?"

 

[Clementine_3]

I like NFC/Wallet. I always have my phone with me and if I know a store uses NFC then I don't have to bring my wallet in too, one less thing to carry. You get instant verification of the transaction so don't need a receipt (unless you may want to return something) and Google keeps all your purchases on file. I have a PIN on my phone and a different PIN on wallet, there's no security on the actual credit card. It's just easy and convenient for me.

 

[jhawkkw]

99% of Android phones wait for the carrier. You may have a Nexus or a rooted phone and that's great. How is that even a reply to what I said about carriers allowing the update? Generally an Android update goes to the hardware manufacturer then to the carrier then finally to the user. It took MONTHS for me to get Droid updates.

The number is high, but not that high. Obviously Nexus and GPE devices circumvent everything, but carrier unbranded phones that you find in countries outside of the US and Canada are also obviously immune. European users mostly unlocked and carrier unbranded phones, though the carrier contract model is also available in some countries. You'll often notice that these unbranded version get their updates way before the carrier versions as a result.

 

[nickdalzell]

I always have my wallet with me as its required by law to carry a license while driving. So either way i have cash or my credit card on hand. No one here supports NFC so its useless here. Bluetooth is far easier for simple file transfers.

At least here in Mayberry Owensboro I see NFC like I see wireless charging mats, a dying tech. The market simply doesn't exist.

 

[Clementine_3]

I always have my wallet with me too, but it's not a real wallet, it's a zippered organizer thingy. I don't ever, never, ever have a purse or bag, just that. It's bulky but has everything in it. It's easier not to take in stores if I don't have to, I'd prefer to lock it in the glovebox of the locked car if possible.

I'm not betting that NFC readers/payments are going to take over the world, but something eventually will (besides carrying your plastic). I have some, but not a ton, of places that do have NFC so I'll use it 'til it goes away and something else (invented by Apple after everyone else has it) comes along.

 

[Hadron]

My iPhone 4 and iPad 3 got iOS 7 installed without my permission, and I dealt with lag, stutter and poor battery life along with it. The iPhone 4 couldn't run iOS 7 well and IMO should never have gotten it. The iPad 3 update broke a lot of my games. There was no way to downgrade even through a jailbreak

The funny thing is that none of the iDevices in my household have ever had an unsolicited update installed. And the only one with iOS7 is the one which came with it. The iPhone 4s is still running 6, and will stay that way as the owner isn't interested in updating to 7 or 8.

 

[nickdalzell]

I know, I should have gotten the little number 1 badge on settings, but it sat there after I dismissed it and after a few weeks I found it self-installed while on charger connected to wifi. I assume it must have updated since it had already downloaded it anyway and the icloud backup must have initiated the install.

A few friends with an iPhone 4 had a similar experience, dismissing the update, eventually getting it the instant they plugged into iTunes. A close friend got a replacement 4 when ios 7 made his laggy and buggy, and it also updated itself when plugged into a computer running the latest version of iTunes. He's currently considering a Galaxy S5.

The only true way to avoid the update is using the inferior iPhone 3GS or an iPad 1.

 

[mikedt]

I always have my wallet with me as its required by law to carry a license while driving. So either way i have cash or my credit card on hand. No one here supports NFC so its useless here. Bluetooth is far easier for simple file transfers.

At least here in Mayberry Owensboro I see NFC like I see wireless charging mats, a dying tech. The market simply doesn't exist.

I have one NFC card in my wallet, a Transport for London, Oyster card. Which I'm actually using this week, because I'm currently in London. Not sure if I would like to wave my phone around to pay for Tube and bus rides though. Risk of theft.

Relatively few phones have wireless charging as standard, and the ones that do, have pads included.

Edit:

Actually I have two NFC items, my chipped passport, and the phone can read it.

 

[Hadron]

Guys, I think I'm sold:

Didn't see this earlier (Tapatalk didn't load the image).

I guess this is the follow-up to last year's "iOS7 waterproofs your phone" spoof. Becoming an annual ritual?

 

[nickdalzell]

I wish solar panels would be offered on phones as a charge maintainer myself. Not exactly a replacement for plugging in but at least extending battery life while out walking around, or some type of self-winding style movement based generator linked to the pedometer also. If one thing got me back on flip phones, battery life is the number one reason. Even my tablets get better standby times than my Note 3 did.

I wanted a charging mat because 90% of my devices support it (and is the only point of NFC here) and I am plum out of outlets due to so many USB chargers being necessary to keep my tablets charged when not used, but between the parasitic electrical draw, no outlets left for other devices I wanted a singular point of charge, one outlet for all my tablets and smartphones. Unfortunately, like NFC is going, the area I live in never had a demand for wireless changing mats, and they vanished completely. The same lack of demand is killing NFC's chances here as well.

My Galaxy S3 supported wireless charging plus NFC, but never shipped with a mat. You cannot buy them here, and no store uses NFC so the only argument that Android users have over iPhone is the 'my device has NFC and yours doesn't. ' to which they reply, 'what's the point of having a feature if you can't even use it? '

The sad thing is the NFC argument is the most common, and android fans treat the option as if it were the be-all end-all of the smartphone experience. I simply don't get it. Perhaps if I lived where you could at least take advantage of it I might see things differently.

Sadly, they were correct.

 

[mikedt]

Didn't see this earlier (Tapatalk didn't load the image).

I guess this is the follow-up to last year's "iOS7 waterproofs your phone" spoof. Becoming an annual ritual?

I bet some people believed it, and microwaved their iPhones, dunking them last year.