Moving to android

[jonathanegan]

Hello

I am currently an Iphone 3GS user (no abuse please). I have always found it worked for me, smooth running, easy to use, apps, itunes etc and when I got it most of the android phones had real problems with lag which wrecked the experience. Now 2 years later I am coming to the end of my contract. I am very tempted by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy s2 since based on all the rumours it is going to have everything the iphone 5 will have and more, yet i won't have to pay out a couple of hundred pounds (already checked and i can get an s2 free, and the contract is slightly cheaper than I am paying at the moment).

My questions/concerns are these:

1. when a new os (like the pending ice cream sandwich) comes out - can you download it as you can with apple updates or is there anything to stop you?

2. I put a load of cds onto itunes to save space - is there any way i can transfer them from itunes onto an android phone? I feel like apple have me over a barrel a bit otherwise (which is one of the things people always complain about apple for)

3. I quite like (except for apple's ridiculous prices) the convenience of downloading a rented movie to my iphone then running it through the tv, i imagine you can but please confirm if you can do similar on android.

4. Should i be looking at a droid other than the galaxy s2 (like the atrix). I don't fancy waiting until the google 4g nexus comes out if it will be as long off as december, and i'm not mad keen on the fact that only has a 5mp camera (whatever the software is to improve it, it just looks like they cheaped out).

Thanks a lot to anyone who takes the time to reply.

 

[maggot_ff]

Hello

I am currently an Iphone 3GS user (no abuse please). I have always found it worked for me, smooth running, easy to use, apps, itunes etc and when I got it most of the android phones had real problems with lag which wrecked the experience. Now 2 years later I am coming to the end of my contract. I am very tempted by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy s2 since based on all the rumours it is going to have everything the iphone 5 will have and more, yet i won't have to pay out a couple of hundred pounds (already checked and i can get an s2 free, and the contract is slightly cheaper than I am paying at the moment).

My questions/concerns are these:

1. when a new os (like the pending ice cream sandwich) comes out - can you download it as you can with apple updates or is there anything to stop you?

2. I put a load of cds onto itunes to save space - is there any way i can transfer them from itunes onto an android phone? I feel like apple have me over a barrel a bit otherwise (which is one of the things people always complain about apple for)

3. I quite like (except for apple's ridiculous prices) the convenience of downloading a rented movie to my iphone then running it through the tv, i imagine you can but please confirm if you can do similar on android.

4. Should i be looking at a droid other than the galaxy s2 (like the atrix). I don't fancy waiting until the google 4g nexus comes out if it will be as long off as december, and i'm not mad keen on the fact that only has a 5mp camera (whatever the software is to improve it, it just looks like they cheaped out).

Thanks a lot to anyone who takes the time to reply.

1: On a google phone, like the nexus, you will get updates as soon as google finishes it, but if you buy a Galaxy S2 or htc or whatever, you will have to wait till they have fitted their UI over the new android version.

2: Yes, there are several apps on the market that will do this for you.

3: Huh.. i Actually can't answer you on this one, i would assume there's an app for it, if not, HTC just recently came out with their "watch" service that you should look in to.

4: I will actually recommend the Galaxy S2 to you. I have one, and i absolutely love it. Absolutely great phone.

And welcome to the android way of living! (and af.com. I haven't been member long enough to welcome people, or at least i don't feel like i can yet. lol... )

 

[lunatic59]

Hello

I am currently an Iphone 3GS user (no abuse please).

No abuse here. The iPhone is in fact a very good device, it's just not everyone's cup of tech.

My questions/concerns are these:

1. when a new os (like the pending ice cream sandwich) comes out - can you download it as you can with apple updates or is there anything to stop you?

Common question. With android, especially phones that are under contract and carrier subsidized, the official updates are made available through the carrier and not direct from Samsung or Google. Usually there is a bit of a delay from when Google releases it and it gets to the device. Timing is up to the carrier. However there is a huge community of developers who put out custom ROMs and generally the newer systems can be had early if you're willing to root and flash.

2. I put a load of cds onto itunes to save space - is there any way i can transfer them from itunes onto an android phone? I feel like apple have me over a barrel a bit otherwise (which is one of the things people always complain about apple for)

If you ripped these from CD, then there is no DRM. Copying these to your phone is as easy as copying the files ... as a matter of fact, that exactly all you need to do.

3. I quite like (except for apple's ridiculous prices) the convenience of downloading a rented movie to my iphone then running it through the tv, i imagine you can but please confirm if you can do similar on android.

that one I'll defer to another user. I've never done it.

4. Should i be looking at a droid other than the galaxy s2 (like the atrix). I don't fancy waiting until the google 4g nexus comes out if it will be as long off as december, and i'm not mad keen on the fact that only has a 5mp camera (whatever the software is to improve it, it just looks like they cheaped out).

The "best" phone conundrum ... we really can't pick for you because we don't know what your preferences and requirements are. Anybody can make comparisons on spec's, which is generally how online reviews go, but it really doesn't tell you if it's going to work for you.

 

[cds0699]

Hi, welcome to the Android forums!

1) When updates are released officially (after the carriers approve it and all), like Ice Cream Sandwhich will be for the GS2, then it will be pushed to your phone via an OTA (over the air) update and its a very easy install from there. Definitely make sure to back up your data just in case there's any bug issues so that your important info is safe (this is just a protective I take regardless with any device).

2) There are apps that can sync iTunes with your Android phone, the one I use is iSyncr for PC. There is also an app/service from google that lets you upload your iTunes library to the cloud and all your music is available on your PC/tablet/phone (across all your devices) you can see a youtube video on that here

3) Google does have a tab on the Android Market at the top (Next to apps, books, and "my library"). I have never rented one, but this is what I know exists, ask other users on how good it is.

4) From everything I've read, the Galaxy S2 looks like a beast of a phone, and in my opinion probably the best one to be looking at.

 

[sweeds]

Welcome to the Dark side.. I mean Android Side. I think you'll enjoy what Android has to offer as far as OS, Hardware, Dev, and Community - It's what were all about

3. I quite like (except for apple's ridiculous prices) the convenience of downloading a rented movie to my iphone then running it through the tv, i imagine you can but please confirm if you can do similar on android

If you mean to download the movie through iTunes Store, then no. Apple puts DRM protection rights so they can only be played through Apple Devices. If you acquire the movie some other way, you can definitely load a movie onto the phone and output to a TV through HDMI. The Galaxy S2 has HDMI support. Personally, I use the Netflix app to stream full HD Movies and TV right from my phone!

Welcome, and enjoy your stay.

 

[jonathanegan]

Thanks a lot for all the replies, netflix sounds like a plan for the movie rental side of things, and from the earlier posts it looks to me like I will be able to get everything I am hoping for. I can upgrade from late august, I will see if there is any sensational apple update at the start of september (like straight in with a quadcore - highly unlikely) but if it is just, as it seems it will be, catching up with where the droid phones are anyway I can't possibly see how i could justify the extra expense for zero gain.

 

[Stuntman]

2. I put a load of cds onto itunes to save space - is there any way i can transfer them from itunes onto an android phone? I feel like apple have me over a barrel a bit otherwise (which is one of the things people always complain about apple for)

You should not have any issues transferring songs from CD's to your Android phone. I recently used iTunes to import some CD's onto my wife's PC so she can listen to them on her iPod. You have to go into the iTune settings to import into an MP3 instead of the proprietary Apple format. Then you can just copy those MP3's onto your Android phone and play them on the Android music player.

 

[KENNECTED]

You should not have any issues transferring songs from CD's to your Android phone. I recently used iTunes to import some CD's onto my wife's PC so she can listen to them on her iPod. You have to go into the iTune settings to import into an MP3 instead of the proprietary Apple format. Then you can just copy those MP3's onto your Android phone and play them on the Android music player.

With Google Music you dont need to do this any longer. Everything is in the Cloud.

 

[lunatic59]

You should not have any issues transferring songs from CD's to your Android phone. I recently used iTunes to import some CD's onto my wife's PC so she can listen to them on her iPod. You have to go into the iTune settings to import into an MP3 instead of the proprietary Apple format. Then you can just copy those MP3's onto your Android phone and play them on the Android music player.

Not exactly correct. Apple's m4p format after 2006 had DRM removed and will play fine on Android phones.

 

[KENNECTED]

Not exactly correct. Apple's m4p format after 2006 had DRM removed and will play fine on Android phones.

To add on, if you go to iTunes Plus on the upper right hand side of the iTunes screen you can upgrade all previously purchased music that was protected to non protected for a small fee.

iTunes Store: iTunes Plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

After you update your iTunes library any song can then be played on any device. I did this for my library and now all the songs I purchased via iTunes, can be played using Google music.

 

[DocBeech]

Just keep in mind that 4GLTE is a little harder on the battery than 3G-D. With my droid charge I am having to run the extended battery since I work 12 hour shifts, and people with the thunderbolt can go through two batteries a day. The phones are great, I just wanted you to keep in mind that 4GLTE is pretty rough on battery life. But you can download at 40Mbps down and upload at 6Mbps. As opposed to the 1.5Mbps down and .75Mbps up of 3G-D.

I would also recommend looking at the Droid Charge. The screen on them is beautiful, and thats what I use. Its a fairly powerful phone and comes stock with 32gigs of memory.