Actually, the GV Visual Voice Mail IS integrated into the dialer
And all it takes is downloading the app, and running through the config.-
After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.
Just got IPHONE 4 for VERIZON
- Thread starter tremonti
- Start date
-
- Tags
- samsung fascinate
Actually, the GV Visual Voice Mail IS integrated into the dialer
And all it takes is downloading the app, and running through the config.Actually, the GV Visual Voice Mail IS integrated into the dialer
yeah exactly what i said, you have to download an app, and go through a setting up process. nothing you explained is different than what i said, with an iphone you don't need to install a seperate app and go through any kind of set up process, which is more intuitive.
am i typing in a different language or something? this is exactly what i said. you dont have to download an app or go through any setup with an iphone. and if you don't have google voice, you have to go through some kind of sign up process.
and for the record i have had a google voice # since 07/13/10.
It means iPhone 4 IS NOT EQUAL TO iPhone 4G, as some people are confused on.
nklenchik
Android Enthusiast
The iPhone comes pre-installed with Google Voice then? Or, does it come pre-installed with Visual Voice Mail?
Because Visual Voice mail isn't a built-in function of either iOS or Android. Both are supplied with a 3rd party app (Which may or may not be pre-installed by your wireless carrier).
Actually visual voicemail is built in to iOS.
From my iphone, the phone numbers are whited out.
Actually visual voicemail is built in to iOS.
From my iphone, the phone numbers are whited out.
That's not "built-in". That's an AT&T app. Unless you want to say that Visual Voice Mail from VZW is "built-in" to Android...
Dude it's built in, there is no fee for it, there is no seperate app you have to open, no registration process either. It has no att branding whatsoever You tap the phone app, go to voicemail, and there it is. I don't know how much more built in something can be when there is no app to download, and no extra setup process initially. It's just there when you get the phone.
Ok, I'll give you that, it has no AT&T branding and it doesn't cost extra. But, I'll bet the one you are used to seeing is NOT on the VZW iPhone. And, Visual VM for VZW is there when you get the phone, requires no configuration (Other than hitting "OK" on first usage). So, I guess VZW Visual VM is "built in" per your requirements.
Either way, it just means it's preconfigured. I'm not sure what the huge deal is with downloading an app, and pressing "Next" 3 times... Not to mention, the benefits you get with using GVoice (We access, email notifications, etc).
SirKronan
Android Expert
I think the Fascinate and the iPhone 4 are both excellent devices in their own right, and choosing a clear winner, as many have observed, depends solely on the personal needs of the end user. No reason to be a "fanboy" of either device. Just get what meeds your usage needs. I honestly was torn between getting an iPhone 4 with my latest upgrade, or getting another Fascinate, so my wife and I would both have Fascinates.
I took the time to test both devices, compare both, and research them all I could, and here's the comparison I came up with. Both devices have things in which they are superior.
iPhone 4 advantages:
1. The iPhone 4 takes better pictures and better videos. I have yet to personally test a smartphone - at least on Verizon - that bests the iPhone 4 in pic/vid quality. Fortunately the Samsung is the second best in both those things. The Thunderbolt might prove superior, as there are reports that it will have a new, improved 8MP camera rather than the current model.
2. The iPhone 4 has video output - not HDMI, but VGA at 1024x768, which is still pretty good. The USB to HDMI never materialized for the Galaxy S phones, and XDA folks still haven't gotten the TV out via 3.5 jack mod to work. The iPhone 4 uses the same adapter as the iPad to provide video to any computer monitor or compatible television. I really miss this on my Fascinate. Big time. And this is why I will not get a Thunderbolt with my other upgrade in April (looking to the LG revolution instead).
3. The iPhone screen is superior for reading text - it's noticeably sharper. The only con for some might be the smaller size of the screen, but I personally really like the sharpness, and 3.7 is close enough to 4" for me that it didn't bother me a bit.
4. Front facing camera.
5. The app library is still larger, and there are still big name apps, and especially games, that have not yet made it to the android market.
6. Resale value (tony mentioned below. It's true.)
Fascinate advantages:
1. SuperAMOLED screen - more readable in the day, and readable at ANY angle. I also prefer this screen to watching videos. This is a situation where - unlike reading - amazing contrast ratios and a slightly bigger screen do matter. The colors just pop. I continue to amaze people with how good videos look on my screen.
2. Customization - what would I do without Pure Calendar, or my weather widgets? My sticky notes? I know you can get this stuff on the iPhone 4, but I found that accessing that information takes extra clicks beyond what you need in Android. Jailbreaking is nice, but the Android developers are amazing and are releasing gobs of great stuff for the Fascinate. You have but to pick your flavor if you're not afraid of rooting.
3. GPU - the GPU in the Fascinate is more powerful. 3D games, such as NFS Shift, the only one I actually got to test, are just smoother and more fluid on the Fascinate. And it's simply because of the hardware.
4. Price - the Fascinate was $50 with my 2 year upgrade. The iPhone 4 would've been $200. Honestly, it would've been a much harder choice had the iPhone 4 been $50, but it's not $150 better. The iPhone 4 is maybe $50 better, but not $150 better.
Things they tie in:
1. Form factor - I call this a tie because while the iPhone is smaller, it's also heavier. They are both very slim and pocketable, but they are both cursed by slippery surfaces. Ease of use and ergonomics are great on both devices, and they feel natural in the hand, but PLEASE use some rubberized edges or something. I drop my Fascinate all the time, and friends that have the iPhone 4 have to put rubber cases on their phones or they would drop their iPhones too. I never had the Eris or the Droid X slip out of my hands, but the Fascinate does occasionally, and the iPhone feels like it would too if I used it for as many months as I've had the Fascinate. Yes, you can add rubber cases, but it adds thickness and bulk to the device and makes it far less pocketable.
2. Reception and call quality - Both devices did great. They pass my basement test with flying colors. I never noticed any abnormal grip issues making me drop a call, no matter how much of a death grip I used, on either phone. And the two handed death grip appeared to affect the signal relatively equally on both phones, dropping it a bar or two.
3. Battery life - allow me to explain. Out of the box, the iPhone 4 wins. But if you're willing to mod your Fascinate a bit, especially using night modes when available, an using a darker wallpaper and themes, your Fascinate can really give you some good battery life. Obviously it takes a little work, which some will be willing to do, and others won't.
Those are my thoughts comparing the two. I would honestly enjoy either phone, and they both have served to advance the quality of handsets on Verizon, and encourage continued competition, as we will soon see from the likes of HTC in the Thunderbolt (which I will not consider, since I now have a desire for HDMI out) and the LG Revolution, which I have my sights set on. The LG Revolution is rumored to have a pretty clean android OS on it, without anything similar to blur or touchwiz. I hope this holds true. A clean, stock android OS (obviously it's going to come with Bing, VZ nav, and the stupid trial apps...) will likely get side developing and manufacturers updates both easier and more quickly. At least that's what I'm hoping, and definitely mirrors the trend we've seen with Android handsets so far.
I took the time to test both devices, compare both, and research them all I could, and here's the comparison I came up with. Both devices have things in which they are superior.
iPhone 4 advantages:
1. The iPhone 4 takes better pictures and better videos. I have yet to personally test a smartphone - at least on Verizon - that bests the iPhone 4 in pic/vid quality. Fortunately the Samsung is the second best in both those things. The Thunderbolt might prove superior, as there are reports that it will have a new, improved 8MP camera rather than the current model.
2. The iPhone 4 has video output - not HDMI, but VGA at 1024x768, which is still pretty good. The USB to HDMI never materialized for the Galaxy S phones, and XDA folks still haven't gotten the TV out via 3.5 jack mod to work. The iPhone 4 uses the same adapter as the iPad to provide video to any computer monitor or compatible television. I really miss this on my Fascinate. Big time. And this is why I will not get a Thunderbolt with my other upgrade in April (looking to the LG revolution instead).
3. The iPhone screen is superior for reading text - it's noticeably sharper. The only con for some might be the smaller size of the screen, but I personally really like the sharpness, and 3.7 is close enough to 4" for me that it didn't bother me a bit.
4. Front facing camera.
5. The app library is still larger, and there are still big name apps, and especially games, that have not yet made it to the android market.
6. Resale value (tony mentioned below. It's true.)
Fascinate advantages:
1. SuperAMOLED screen - more readable in the day, and readable at ANY angle. I also prefer this screen to watching videos. This is a situation where - unlike reading - amazing contrast ratios and a slightly bigger screen do matter. The colors just pop. I continue to amaze people with how good videos look on my screen.
2. Customization - what would I do without Pure Calendar, or my weather widgets? My sticky notes? I know you can get this stuff on the iPhone 4, but I found that accessing that information takes extra clicks beyond what you need in Android. Jailbreaking is nice, but the Android developers are amazing and are releasing gobs of great stuff for the Fascinate. You have but to pick your flavor if you're not afraid of rooting.
3. GPU - the GPU in the Fascinate is more powerful. 3D games, such as NFS Shift, the only one I actually got to test, are just smoother and more fluid on the Fascinate. And it's simply because of the hardware.
4. Price - the Fascinate was $50 with my 2 year upgrade. The iPhone 4 would've been $200. Honestly, it would've been a much harder choice had the iPhone 4 been $50, but it's not $150 better. The iPhone 4 is maybe $50 better, but not $150 better.
Things they tie in:
1. Form factor - I call this a tie because while the iPhone is smaller, it's also heavier. They are both very slim and pocketable, but they are both cursed by slippery surfaces. Ease of use and ergonomics are great on both devices, and they feel natural in the hand, but PLEASE use some rubberized edges or something. I drop my Fascinate all the time, and friends that have the iPhone 4 have to put rubber cases on their phones or they would drop their iPhones too. I never had the Eris or the Droid X slip out of my hands, but the Fascinate does occasionally, and the iPhone feels like it would too if I used it for as many months as I've had the Fascinate. Yes, you can add rubber cases, but it adds thickness and bulk to the device and makes it far less pocketable.
2. Reception and call quality - Both devices did great. They pass my basement test with flying colors. I never noticed any abnormal grip issues making me drop a call, no matter how much of a death grip I used, on either phone. And the two handed death grip appeared to affect the signal relatively equally on both phones, dropping it a bar or two.
3. Battery life - allow me to explain. Out of the box, the iPhone 4 wins. But if you're willing to mod your Fascinate a bit, especially using night modes when available, an using a darker wallpaper and themes, your Fascinate can really give you some good battery life. Obviously it takes a little work, which some will be willing to do, and others won't.
Those are my thoughts comparing the two. I would honestly enjoy either phone, and they both have served to advance the quality of handsets on Verizon, and encourage continued competition, as we will soon see from the likes of HTC in the Thunderbolt (which I will not consider, since I now have a desire for HDMI out) and the LG Revolution, which I have my sights set on. The LG Revolution is rumored to have a pretty clean android OS on it, without anything similar to blur or touchwiz. I hope this holds true. A clean, stock android OS (obviously it's going to come with Bing, VZ nav, and the stupid trial apps...) will likely get side developing and manufacturers updates both easier and more quickly. At least that's what I'm hoping, and definitely mirrors the trend we've seen with Android handsets so far.
One big advantage you didn't mention with iphone 4 is its resale value, sure you may be paying more upfront, but when you want to sell the phone to get a newer one you can make more money off of it then selling a fascinate. Just an example if you go to gazelle.com you get $183.00 for a Fascinate, and $360.00 for an iphone 4. Even a 16gb 3gs will get you $165.00.
That is huge for people that don't want to go through a 2 year waiting period to get a new phone, and therein lies a huge disadvantage for the Fascinate and all Android phones. When you buy an iphone at its launch you know you are getting the best iphone for atleast 1 year. You buy an Android phone at its launch, a better one comes in out a few months.
Then you have OS updates, this past June with i0S 4, even the iphone 3g was apart of the update. What are the odds that the Fascinate will receive an update to its OS 2 years after its release?
That is huge for people that don't want to go through a 2 year waiting period to get a new phone, and therein lies a huge disadvantage for the Fascinate and all Android phones. When you buy an iphone at its launch you know you are getting the best iphone for atleast 1 year. You buy an Android phone at its launch, a better one comes in out a few months.
Then you have OS updates, this past June with i0S 4, even the iphone 3g was apart of the update. What are the odds that the Fascinate will receive an update to its OS 2 years after its release?
Lars
Android Expert
In android it will give you 3D turn by turn voice directions and you can choose your transportation method: car, public transit, bicycle or walking. When you get there it will show you a street view of the building automatically. It will buffer the data so even if you lose data signal it will continue to navigate. You can sync destinations with a PC automatically via Starred items on maps you create. You can add layers including traffic, public transit stops, gas stations, wiki, friends, terrain, 3D buildings, buzz etc.
Which part of the iphone maps is better? I think it's the same version as came on the iphone/ipod 1Gs.
WV_ANDROID
Android Enthusiast
I know this is an android forum iphones are pretty sweet my wife really wants one but im happy with android.
nklenchik
Android Enthusiast
Well considering Apple releases one phone a year, the estimate is sometime this summer, most likely late summer to grab in all the people who would still think about buying an iPhone 4 by then. We're also supposed to be getting the HTC Incredible 2 (rumored), but the only real difference is a better display, battery life and a bigger 4inch screen.
The comments about Fascinate being a "better" phone (quotations because that's subjective) is unfair since most of us are "power users" (relatively speaking) compared to the average consumer. When a tech site does a review of the phone, they don't factor moddability/hackability into the final score.
You don't give a grade because something has POTENTIAL. You give a grade best on the experience out of the box.
I could buy an Acura Integra and compare it to a BMW M3 and give the Integra a +3 handicap because the after market scene is more prominent (well, maybe not these days) but that wouldn't be fair.
Fascinate is a good phone when rooted and modded, but you can't deny that there is a higher percentage of owners with problems like lag, GPS, battery life, etc...compared to the iPhone 4. And I don't want to hear that iPhone 4 "has problems, too!" of course it does. All products do, but the point is the PERCENTAGE of owners with problems are likely not as high. Apple just does a great job with QC and especially with software updates.
Samsung needs to be crucified for shipping a ******ed, broken GPS and not launching this phone with Froyo, since VZW is apparently holding back the update.
iPhone 4 has phenomenal battery life on average compared to the Fascinate. It's not even close.
And I still love my Fascinate, but will give credit when it is due.
You don't give a grade because something has POTENTIAL. You give a grade best on the experience out of the box.
I could buy an Acura Integra and compare it to a BMW M3 and give the Integra a +3 handicap because the after market scene is more prominent (well, maybe not these days) but that wouldn't be fair.
Fascinate is a good phone when rooted and modded, but you can't deny that there is a higher percentage of owners with problems like lag, GPS, battery life, etc...compared to the iPhone 4. And I don't want to hear that iPhone 4 "has problems, too!" of course it does. All products do, but the point is the PERCENTAGE of owners with problems are likely not as high. Apple just does a great job with QC and especially with software updates.
Samsung needs to be crucified for shipping a ******ed, broken GPS and not launching this phone with Froyo, since VZW is apparently holding back the update.
iPhone 4 has phenomenal battery life on average compared to the Fascinate. It's not even close.
And I still love my Fascinate, but will give credit when it is due.
It's called the Incredible S and does have a 4-inch screen, but is still at 1 GHz and battery life is still unknown. It was semi-announced (can't recall if it was official, by HTC) and there is a forum on this site dedicated to it.
I'm not impressed, personally.
Of course, a phone is not a car. A phone (Now a days) is closer to a computer, rather than a car.
And, one rates computers on capabilities and possibilities; not on "Out of the box experience", because, if we did, Windows would have lost the PC war.
We rate computers (And software) on supportability, expandability, and capability.