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iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5 (and Android)

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The release of the iPhone/watch itself bores me. Simply not interested in their phone or ecosystem. Larger screen and NFC payments - on facebook I welcomed my apple friends to 2011 (in jest). ArsTechnica's Ron Amadeo also had me cracking up at this post:
BxHWndmCIAAV70q.jpg

What is more exciting is the weight they put behind things. Like it or not, mobile payment systems are going to be becoming much more common, and people are going to see that largely as apple's innovation.

Competition is always good.
 
Other than the Apple A8 which looks pretty good and of course extra internal storage, the actual phone looks pretty bland and there is nothing at all that stands out.

Looks boring and quite big considering the screen size, not impressed.
 
were did you guys put the mouse trap?? the i-mousetrap. revolutionary




running for the exit .. now!
 
For a variety of reasons, I've used both Android and iPhones since day one of their existence. Enjoying their individual differences and strengths I didn't have a particular favorite for years.

Then in October of 2011 the introduction of Ice Cream Sandwich otherwise known as Android version 4.0 changed everything for me. Suddenly I had a clear favorite and it was Android hands down. Nonetheless I kept using the latest iPhone and the latest version of iOS.

Fast forward to the two hour Apple event I attended yesterday. The hype, the anticipation (not mine) was so intense in the room it was palatable, yet not surprising, nor much different from past years no matter the venue.

The well worn slogan "it just works" was heard amongst the Apple employees albeit spoken in an almost inaudible tone.

The phones wasn't much different than the latest rumors predicted and I for one felt bored and jaded since despite the new larger form factor, it's still the same basic iOS architecture. They've borrowed quite a bit from Android in regards to notifications and such, but it's just an iPhone which is not bashing them, just an observation.

Finally it's their masterful marketing that has made a big impact. The cult like user base unique to the brand, which in turn has helped Apple amass a vast amount of revenue. Good consistency, especially with customer service has further enhanced public perception.

That said it's no secret that Samsung has made a terrific impact on the Android platform. Between the two phones listed here I'll take the Galaxy 5S hands down without hesitation.
 
(whisper)I still love my Galaxy S4 (yes, FOUR).(end whisper) I'm so tired of upgrading, trying something new just because it's new......... maybe when the S6 comes out, I'll feel different, but I can't imagine a "feature" I could want that I don't have (more memory, better resolution, etc. aren't "features" but specs, to me).
 
yeah.. I am happy with my Note3.. everything sounds so "no big deal". not a must have, so no upgrade for me either this year.

one thing that I like is the water resistant...

and what ever happen to all the talk about iphone getting sapphire crystal screens? apple had purchased all those manufacturing stuff???
 
The sapphire may have gone towards the Watch since its screen is sapphire.

One other thing in regards to NFC, the DC Metro system is finally going forward with payment for rides via smartphones sometime next year. Coinciding with the iPhone getting NFC is not that big a surprise IMO.
 
NFC.. SO REVOLUTIONAL.
The news and blogs are all over this

I am surprised Android has not had it for years... So disappointed in my Note 3
 
breadnatty08 said:
One other thing in regards to NFC, the DC Metro system is finally going forward with payment for rides via smartphones sometime next year. Coinciding with the iPhone getting NFC is not that big a surprise IMO.
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I think they said all the metro and MTA that including NYC etc. But not many places have the NFC isn't out but a few this is a problem with PayPal also u can't use the paypal for everything they are working on places so one extra feature they have . w:eek:w . now this NFC feature will fall in place it can be very helpful but also caution is also . more stolen phones if a person has been noticed using and a fight breaks out now a person has access to your credit info if the device was taken when the NFC page was exposed . they can buy many things if this NFC doesn't have a time out feature or other security features to prevent . so having NFC on apple great having NFC places to use NFC hmmmmmm not so great . I still think PayPal is better and android rocks . so with that said I know Samsung or HTC is about to drop something hotter .
 
dan330 said:
NFC.. SO REVOLUTIONAL.
The news and blogs are all over this

I am surprised Android has not had it for years... So disappointed in my Note 3
Click to expand...

Yup, and I just had an article pop up about Apple inventing the smart watch.

I hate people.
 
bjacks12 said:
Yup, and I just had an article pop up about Apple inventing the smart watch.

I hate people.
Click to expand...


The industry is going GaGa over Apple Pay, which uses NFC, not NFC itself. Apple isn't using NFC to the extent that Android does. It's used primarily to Facilitate Payments and even then it's only a small piece of the puzzle compared to TouchID.

Mobile Payments is the story, not "NFC."

And if Google had done it that well it wouldn't be a story.

Maybe people should start giving Google their critiques instead of mindlessly bashing Apple for doing stuff better - even if they're years late.

In other markets being 3 years late would doom you (see Microsoft with Windows Phone, Blackberry 10, etc.) yet Apple can just waltz in and take over the mobile payments market (at least here)?

What does that say about "how well" Google handled the Wallet situation?

Apple Pay will be on every carrier here on release. It will "just work." And since Apple isn't an Ad Business, they're willing to give up some rights to knowing exactly what you're doing and how much you're paying for it which a lot of people like.

No one is going GaGa over the fact that Apple is using NFC for that, because it makes complete sense. All the terminals in the store and in vending machines right now... They're using NFC and you don't gain that kind of broad industry support by telling everyone to retool their cash registers, etc. just to work with your specific type of phone.

If Google had gotten Wallet to where Apple Pay is now, before even releasing, this would not even be a story worth talking about and the tech press would be a lot less impressed with it.
 
It's all about the use case. If you have an Apple TV, Mac Desktop / Laptop, iPad....the value of having an iPhone goes up substantially vs a Windows / Android smartphone.

Regardless what your opinion / preference is on Apple computing products...the seamless integration of all their devices has achieved a spit-shine polish. It's a walled garden, but damn it's nice inside.

That said...if you place a high value on being able to customize your phone to your particular preference, if you like to have more freedom with what you can do with your smartphone, and if you have a use for the plethora of features available on Android phones (hands free operation, TV Guide & Universal Remote, Water Proof) there is no question that Android is the phone of choice.

I switched from iPhone to Android, and would never go back (at-least in the Operating System's current form)

A friend of mine switched from iPhone to Android, and hated every minute of it...to the point that he is going to pay out of contract price to get the new iPhone (minus what ever he is able to get for his HTC One M8)

I'd go bonkers going back to iOS, after being spoiled with all the features & customization options in Android. And my friend found he had no use for all the Android related bells & whistles.

As they say....different strokes for different folks.
 
AnonGuy said:
The industry is going GaGa over Apple Pay, which uses NFC, not NFC itself. Apple isn't using NFC to the extent that Android does. It's used primarily to Facilitate Payments and even then it's only a small piece of the puzzle compared to TouchID.

Mobile Payments is the story, not "NFC."

And if Google had done it that well it wouldn't be a story.

Maybe people should start giving Google their critiques instead of mindlessly bashing Apple for doing stuff better - even if they're years late.

In other markets being 3 years late would doom you (see Microsoft with Windows Phone, Blackberry 10, etc.) yet Apple can just waltz in and take over the mobile payments market (at least here)?

What does that say about "how well" Google handled the Wallet situation?
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I agree we had the watch thing back during DICK TRACY ages way before apple and every android maker such as LG electronics etc has the same features such as apple sounds to me like a bunch of copy cats . and at the end of the day android still standing strong with some new old apple owners .
 
BRAINZ2013 said:
I think they said all the metro and MTA that including NYC etc. But not many places have the NFC isn't out but a few this is a problem with PayPal also u can't use the paypal for everything they are working on places so one extra feature they have . w:eek:w . now this NFC feature will fall in place it can be very helpful but also caution is also . more stolen phones if a person has been noticed using and a fight breaks out now a person has access to your credit info if the device was taken when the NFC page was exposed . they can buy many things if this NFC doesn't have a time out feature or other security features to prevent . so having NFC on apple great having NFC places to use NFC hmmmmmm not so great . I still think PayPal is better and android rocks . so with that said I know Samsung or HTC is about to drop something hotter .
Click to expand...
Apple Pay uses Touch ID. They won't even be able to buy anything with the phone, because it requires you to Authenticate with your finger print.

Additionally, they cannot just open the screen and see all your CC information.

You're worse off with an iPhone 6 than you are with your wallet and CCs in your pocket. Hell, you're worse off with any decent NFC Tap and Pay device/system than you are with your wallet these days.

Pretty sure I can steal anyone CC and make online purchases with that information without having to authenticate in any way, shape, form, or fashion.

The point about NFC proliferation is valid, however. Technology is only as good as support for it, which brings me to my point in my earlier post. The reason why Apple Pay is a "big deal" is because they came to the table with a lot of supporters - including the Carriers - which Google and others lacked.
 
AnonGuy said:
The industry is going GaGa over Apple Pay, ...
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I'd hardly say it's going "gaga" unless you mean it's covering itself with glitter and showing a little too much cleavage. ;)

Most of the non-tech blogs ..., like the New York Times or The Wall Street Journal seem to be luke warm on the topic. There are also are a good many questions about privacy and security. With Apple Pay and Smartwatch, a Privacy Challengel

When you cut out the Apple-centric "news" sources and the Anti-Apple crowd, businesses seem to be taking a "we'll see" attitude.

The banking industry has agreed to let Apple take a cut of the fees, much like the deal they struck with AT&T for the original iPhone. For me, Mobile Payment systems are a solution in search of a problem and just another way Apple has found to reach into consumer pockets.
 
I'm comparing reaction to the actual payment system to the inclusion of NFC, which people are talking about in this thread.

If you stop clipping single sentences or fragments from posts, it allows you to keep the context intact. Just a tip.

Don't really care about opinions on it. I'm comparing reactions to a component to reactions to the service it enables.

Aside from a payment system, there was never a reason to put NFC in an iPhone since Apple has always used BT or WiFi for pairing it's devices, and they don't care too much about designing for interoperability with others devices - whether you like it or not.
 
AnonGuy said:
If you stop clipping single sentences or fragments from posts, it allows you to keep the context intact. Just a tip.
Click to expand...

Here's another tip; it's called "quoting" and it's encouraged to save on unnecessary bandwidth for the many users who access the site from mobile devices. Every quote carries a link to the original post so losing context shouldn't be an issue for anyone who can read.

Now, with that clarified, back to the discussion.....
 
NFC wouldn't be much use here i'm afraid. QR codes have already gone the way of the dinosaur and NFC tags still are not in stock. Best Buy said that, like wireless charging mats, they 'never caught on and we stopped carrying them'

Around here the most commonly spotted smartphone is the iPhone 3GS. less common are iPhone 4 (not 4S) and with them, older (as in running Android 2.x) Android handsets, often obsolete Samsung phones such as the Galaxy S or SII, or a more budget device sold to Straight Talk such as the Galaxy Centura. the whole culture here is extremely conservative and technophobic. iOS 7 is a total flop and they're even selling the iPad Mini for $199 at Best Buy locally.

point is, don't assume that something as new as NFC is the 'biggest thing since sliced bread' when the masses hardly know what it is. a technology, no matter how innovative or good, isn't going to amount to a hill of beans if the people can't see any point. remember the Apple Newton? it wasn't a bad product, but ahead of its time. same could be said of the CueCAT, QR Codes and now, NFC.

Tap To Pay doesn't even exist in town yet. we just started getting Paypal support in Dollar General (and that's it)

As for the S5, while a nice refreshed TouchWiz UI is one of its strong suits, the phone isn't that different than the S4 before it. me thinks that like Google, Samsung has ultimately ran out of ideas for their flagship line. the phone is a failure so far, as is the iPhone 5S and 5C around here. and partly to do with the fact the only color available currently around here is the 'band-aid' colored model that people write off for looking exactly like a band-aid on the back. the rest are just afraid of anything new. believe it or not, a few holdouts still carry around a StarTAC or RAZR VIII--to them the ability to make and receive phone calls reliably in a low-signal rural landscape is more important than playing Angry Birds or installing hundreds of apps.
 
That's pretty extreme, and not even close to being indicative of the market. It's an outlier.

Here, even people on Welfare have late model Apple and Samsung phones.
 
nickdalzell said:
NFC wouldn't be much use here i'm afraid. QR codes have already gone the way of the dinosaur and NFC tags still are not in stock. Best Buy said that, like wireless charging mats, they 'never caught on and we stopped carrying them'

Around here the most commonly spotted smartphone is the iPhone 3GS. less common are iPhone 4 (not 4S) and with them, older (as in running Android 2.x) Android handsets, often obsolete Samsung phones such as the Galaxy S or SII, or a more budget device sold to Straight Talk such as the Galaxy Centura. the whole culture here is extremely conservative and technophobic. iOS 7 is a total flop and they're even selling the iPad Mini for $199 at Best Buy locally.

point is, don't assume that something as new as NFC is the 'biggest thing since sliced bread' when the masses hardly know what it is. a technology, no matter how innovative or good, isn't going to amount to a hill of beans if the people can't see any point. remember the Apple Newton? it wasn't a bad product, but ahead of its time. same could be said of the CueCAT, QR Codes and now, NFC.

Tap To Pay doesn't even exist in town yet. we just started getting Paypal support in Dollar General (and that's it)
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You're kidding about QR codes going the way of the dinosaur right?

Mickey Mouse.
12eebeba9b112d54d8fec12d3c87cfd4.jpg



Me :thumbup:
66d8f3cb2947d305042850851cffdda8.jpg


Stock Android may not have a QR Code scanner built into it, but it's in many apps, like WeChat and QQ, and is a very convenient way of exchanging contact details, we often use it.

Thing with the CueCat, it was quite badly thought out, but maybe was ahead of it's time? Basically you had to go out of your way to plug a proprietary piece of hardware into your PC just so you could interact with a Coke bottle or something.

QR Code has been a success, because the company that introduced it, didn't charge for it and so anyone can use it without paying any royalties. And of course almost everyone has a smart-phone with a camera on it, unlike the CueCat which was proprietary, clumsy and was hard-wired to a desktop PC or laptop.

I don't have any NFC tags specifically for my phone, but I've been walking around with 2 NFC smart cards this year, Transport for London Oyster and Hong Kong MTR Octopus cards. And my phone can query them, get a balance and even recharge them with credit via an app.

There's no point in stocking wireless charging pads when almost no phones have it as standard, and if a phone does have wireless charging the manufacturer will probably include one with it anyway. They'll sell you a USB charger though, plenty of them in stock, because that's what all phones have.


EDIT:

BTW anyone remember Barcode Battler?
 
Check back in six months to see how things are going with the Apple iPhone 6. That'll be the best test how public acceptance has been.
 
You simply don't see QR codes in Owensboro, Kentucky. And I'm sure much of the US especially the southern US see NFC as a useless gimmick overall. Without point of sale terminals to support it in anywhere other than large cities I don't see that changing. Just a waste of resources here.

You really only spot a newer phone from more wealthy folks and that's not common in a Mayberry style agricultural community like Owensboro. Regardless of the major hardware differences, the first thought to enter someone's mind when viewing the now - rare QR code is 'CueCat'. They are used to the similar looks since the codes once spammed their TV Guides. I remember when VCR Plus was a new thing, but no one even knew how to set the clock on the VCR so it ended up flopping. Can't see NFC being a game changer if the tech doesn't exist anywhere to make use of it. Like it or not, not everyone lives in huge sprawling cities.

The reason for the many iPhone 3GS in use today is either the hatred of iOS 7, or simply the feeling that 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality at work. If their iPhone 3GS works fine, gets signal and holds charge, why upgrade? They don't care one iota about retina screens or apps and the phone is just easy for them to use. They usually got one for email and such, maybe Weather Channel but that's it. Most still have a RAZR and to a lesser extent, a StarTAC. Most Android phones still run gingerbread. Same thing I suppose. Fits their needs and such. The 3GS is also super cheap and if someone wants to get into the Apple ecosystem, what better way to begin than with a $50 iPhone? Apple products do depreciate extremely fast, so people here take advantage of still usable if not a few generations old Apple products. Heck, I got a PowerBook G4 free, which still works.
 
nickdalzell said:
You simply don't see QR codes in Owensboro, Kentucky. And I'm sure much of the US especially the southern US see NFC as a useless gimmick overall. Without point of sale terminals to support it in anywhere other than large cities I don't see that changing. Just a waste of resources here.
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It's like China then? You're mostly making cash payments for things and carrying real money around, and sometimes quite large amounts as well. When i was in the UK during the summer, most stores, restaurants, pubs, etc. did have contactless payment terminals, which would also take traditional dip or swipe credit cards as well. Although I didn't actually see anyone using anything other than a card for paying for something, certainly not using any phones, because of carriers not allowing Google Wallet or whatever. Maybe Apple will have more clout and might change things. Many phones these days have NFC.
 
Well the closest we got is Dollar General having PayPal support. No sign of contact less anything yet.

Cops here also won't accept digital insurance cards either if you get pulled over. But then, some sheriffs still have a Police Dodge Diplomat cruiser too, there is one still being used (and belching blue smoke due to the 318 V8's nature of eating valve guide seals at 100k) in Calhoun, KY, only 15 miles from my home.
 
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