Ramblings from an iPhone convert....

[1Paladin]

There are some really cool apps in iTunes for the iPhone. There is also a huge amount of crap.

I personally have an iPod touch and have played with several but to be honest most games I tried are just so so.. I play them for a few min then get bored. There are 50K + apps but I bet 1/2 to 3/4 are in the so so to crap category. Android seems to have a lot of bad ones as well (just from perusing Appbrain etc... I don't have my Evo yet) but I bet percent wise, it is the same.

With that said there are a few apps that I wonder if they can be done on Android at all but I bet they can. I have one dice program on my iPod Touch that just rolls various user defined dice, like 4/6/8/10/12/20 sides dice used for gaming. It looks 3D. It is VERY cool. The dice are rendered such that when the display is tilted it renders the view along with it so the dice appear totally 3D, That is cool as hell... You can actually look at the other side of a dice by tilting like they were sitting on the screen. I am just unsure the accelerometer etc.. is as sensitive on Android to do that sort of thing. I sure hope so....

EDIT: Damn if I didn't just answer my own question <BIG GRIN> I found this on appbrain:
http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.teazel.dice3d
I cannot wait to see how it compares.. DAMN I LOVE ANDROID!!!!!! And I don't even have it yet!!!!

Anyway...

I am however a Google Fan boy (Google is my Apple) and a year ago when I got my Pre I really wanted an Android device. The hardware just was not there for me and the apps were limited.

WOW what a difference a year makes. The shear amount of devices that have Android OS has driven development in overdrive. The old "If you build it they will come" adage. Well they build them, in the dozens. Believe me the apps will come and just be better and better. I predict that within 5 years, probably more like 3, Android will be equal if not ahead of iPhones in number, that is devices and software. JMHO. To me the iPhone is just a bit..well...boring. ii

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

I actually wanted to Android phone before I went with the iPhone. Unfortunately, at the time the only one available was the G1 which just looked poorly designed to me. The thing was a brick with a chin. So I eventually got tired of waiting for a decent Android phone to come out I settled on an iPhone 3G.

The iPhone UI is flashy (ironic wording?) and all, but it's also slow. Between that and how locked down it is I've been ready to jump ship since the time I first got it.

 

[Gonkutron3000]

Ramblings from an iPhone convert....


Android/Evo Cons:

• No surprise...battery life isn't that great.
  
• Light leakage around the bottom frame. No biggie, but you'd think HTC/Sprint would of caught it during QC testing.
  
• The battery cover is flimsy and doesn't fit flush.
  
• So I finally tested 4G in the San Antonio area and the results are dismal. In most cases, 3G delivered faster results.
  
• HD video recording is subpar...and that's putting it nicely.
  
• I actually love iTunes and the simpllicity it offers. I've found that syncing media to the Evo (Android) is cumbersome.
  
• Market apps suck. I could care less about bikini apps or fart sound generators and if I see another asian soft core porn app I'm going to vomit.
  
• Lots of plastic.
  
• Sprint Marketing, show people what the EVO and ANDROID platform can do. The general public could care less about pixels, megabytes, 4g, blah blah.

Android/Evo Advantages:

• Good God, the screen is to die for.
  
• Fast as hell! 1GHZ Snapdragon
  
• 8 Megapixel Camera w/Autofocus and flash
  
• Wifi Hotspot is simple and effective. Bring on the $30 hotspot and $10 premium fees! I pay over $60/month for a 5 gig capped Verizon MIFI! The Evo Hotspot will save me over $20 a month plus I have one less device and charger to carry on trips.
  
• Out of the box turn by turn directions w/voice. iPhone...no.
  
• Google Translation (This is a free app and holy crap...it rocks! Speak a phrase and it's translated via text AND speech!)
  
• Speech to Text Integration (I can dictate notes, enter website addresses, perform searches, send texts and find videos on youtube by speaking.)
  
• Flash Lite Support
  
• Live Wallpapers
  
• YouTube HQ is slick
  
• Replaceable Battery
  
• Facebook integration (The address book allows you to link your contacts to their Facebook profiles or Flickr accounts so that the information they share with friends on those profiles - maybe their birthday, home number or private e-mail address - gets wrapped into the contacts card.)
• Widgets! (I love the bookmarks, calendar and friends feed widgets!)
• That little thing called multi-tasking.
• HDMI
• Kickstand! Sounds like a cheesy feature, but it actually comes in handy!
• Voice Search (Click the app, say what you're looking for).
• Say what you will about the Sprint apps, but I love em! They provide news channels for me, Bravo for the wife and Nickelodeon to keep my kids entertained.
• I love the having the ability to return an app to the Market store for a full refund!
• Amazon MP3 store (EVO).

I love Apple products, hell I'm a self professed fanboy, but there is no denying the Evo. I was skeptical, but after using it for a few days I can honestly say this is one of the best phones that I've owned. I'm sure the new iPhone will be a slick device, but the Evo does what I want at a price point that puts a smile on my face.

This is what bugs me MOST! WTF is up with that?? dont get me wrong im still getting it but that is pretty weak.

 

[marleynyc]

My first post on this forum... I'm also an iPhone convert... I've had every iPhone since 2007. (Sold the old one on craigslist and bought the new one)

I'm switching mainly because of the jailbreak/unlock drama. I have t-mobile (until june 4th! and it was a hassle unlocking and jailbreaking my phone each time there was an update. My wife locked her phone and we had several months without her phone useable until an unlock was found.... Also jailbreaking made the phone slllllllllloooooow. (since thats the only way to get some of the basic things i needed that apple blocked).

BUT!!.... I've been waiting for an android phone like the EVO.. It's got all the features I had to have in my next phone: Multitask, large screen, front camera, flash on camera, text-to-speech EVERYWHERE , google translate, HTC sense!!!!!! (I LOVE Sense!!), free turn-by-turn navigation!! 2 of them!! LOL, and 4G will be nice once it gets to S. Florida but I'll just be glad to have 3G speeds!! (couldnt use 3G on tmobile with the iphone since it only had ATT 3G bands)

P.S. My ONLY beef with Android was the lack of something similar to itunes (My wife had a G1 before her iPhone and it was a pain to put music on with the SD card) but I've found "DoubleTwist" and I'm good to go!!!!!!

So... JUNE 4th, Sprint, HTC, ANDROID, HERE I COME!!!!!!!!!

 

[effluent]

I've only recently been able to play a lot with friend's iPhones as well as a couple different Android phones. Android phones are fun to use, so much you can do with it, home screens and widgets are awesome. Frankly I really don't like iPhones. Boring and not intuitive to me. Also can't use the keyboard accurately compared to other on screen keyboards on Android and Samsung Instinct. I know that stuff sounds backwards from everything I've heard but I think iPhone OS is ugly and just plain bad. And I was expecting better. That's going in with no bias.. as I've never owned a phone that wasn't PalmOS.

 

[blake247]

This is what bugs me MOST! WTF is up with that?? dont get me wrong im still getting it but that is pretty weak.

Here's a pic of the light leakage on the bottom...

Hopefully dust won't find it's way through the gap.

 

[IOWA]

http://androidforums.com/android-me...ur-music-your-android-winamp-56k-warning.html

 

[newone757]

nice honest review right here. thanks

 

[T Mac]

Not another light gap issue. Good thing im getting the innocase.

Sent from my HERO200 using Tapatalk

 

[nizmoz]

blake, I'm in SA also, can I go over and play with your EVO??? pleassssssse???

I'd also like to check this out! In SA here.

 

[nizmoz]

I personally have seen with Clear's WIFI devices, as fast as 13meg down here in SA. Most of the time it's 6-9meg down. But those aren't phones.

Try putting a tv show or movie on the Evo. It can be done, but it's not a simple as clicking a button.



The frame is black plastic, not metal. I'm not saying the phone feels cheap, just part of my battery cover isn't flush. Actually I used an Incredible for a week and thought it was well built.




I tested 4G near 1604 & 35 and 410 & 35. Wow 7-8 Mbps down? I haven't seen anyone achieve those speeds

 

[IOWA]

I personally have seen with Clear's WIFI devices, as fast as 13meg down here in SA. Most of the time it's 6-9meg down. But those aren't phones.

Try putting a tv show or movie on the Evo. It can be done, but it's not a simple as clicking a button.



The frame is black plastic, not metal. I'm

Yeah the clear wimax @home modem and the tiny modem chip in the evo really can't be compared.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Blake... good stuff.

Of course, if you say anything is not perfect about the EVO, some folks get testy, even if the review is positive in an overall sense.

I like balance.

I, for one, agree that porn-ish apps should be set aside. Or something.

 

[trick202]

Most just want a change. That's why I got the desire.

I have both Android and iPhone.

To me, Android is more exciting but still has a long way to go before the stability, quality and mindshare (OS and apps) of the iPhone is reached.

There are some real blunders which are seldom mentioned here: no native apps2SD, no C&P from the gmail app, poor selection of quality games, janky kinetics, no QC in app market at all resulting in OS being compromised (using excessive battery, failing to go into sleep mode, FC'ing all the time).

I think Android is the horse I'd back in a long-term race though. I think OS4.0 and the new iPhone will put them in front again, but it will be very short lived this time. FroYo and Gingerbread will increase the rate at which Android is improving over Apple's update schedule. Froyo MUST be rolled out soon though - lest we face the Hero mess again.

I'm not sure I care about a lot of what was demo'd in I/O with regards to sending nav actions directly to the device, or installing apps in the pc that get sent to the phone. If you're by the pc anyway, why bother?

I want better performance of the OS in general.

I also keep hearing about all these devs leaving apple because of the constraints. I don't see much evidence of this though - and I certainly don't see an increase in Android app quality as a result of this desertion. Where are they going?

Thanks to the OP for a balanced, honest appraisal.

 

[Gonkutron3000]

Here's a pic of the light leakage on the bottom...

Hopefully dust won't find it's way through the gap.

Dang! that is not making me smile hopefully a nice case will/can cover that up...i was also thinking of going to Lowes or Home Depot and buying some sort of black sealer/epoxy to try and fill the gap.

 

[jaysmi32]

i'm also a iphone 3gs user, free paid apps all day long att is awesome where i live in OC, 3 mbps down on the average on 3g, my evo will be here soon and i have 30 days to test it out, also looking forward to see what the new iphone is all about on June 7, i'm no apple fanboy and im open to new devices

 

[DucatiDude]

i'm also a iphone 3gs user, free paid apps all day long

So, are you saying you steal Applications and don't pay for them?

 

[jaysmi32]

i wouldn't call it stealing, more like trying them out and if i like them, ill buy them, i should of made that more clear

 

[jaysmi32]

plus im sure u never downloaded songs or movies which is consider stealing, right!!

 

[pcsperson]

Ramblings from an iPhone convert....


Android/Evo Cons:

Thanks for in depth comparison. Good to hear from both side of the coin

 

[DucatiDude]

i wouldn't call it stealing, more like trying them out and if i like them, ill buy them, i should of made that more clear

Ok, cool. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[MisterEd]

Anybody else surprised at the number of iPhone converts?

Not really. The iPhone is no longer innovative. It really hasn't changed a lot since it was released. It looks the same, it feels the same, the interface is exactly the same (other then if you jailbreak it, but the average user doesn't do that). Generally boring. Need something new.

 

[DucatiDude]

Not really. The iPhone is no longer innovative. It really hasn't changed a lot since it was released. It looks the same, it feels the same, the interface is exactly the same (other then if you jailbreak it, but the average user doesn't do that). Generally boring. Need something new.

Yeah, what he said.

 

[dzar]

My battery cover fits fine, and the Evo feels like the highest quality phone htc has made...

The battery cover is not flush. It is "locked in" but not flush. It annoys me too (not, I'm not selling my EVO because of it... this is truly a nit as it affects nothing and my silicone case I'm likely to get will mask it). The HD2 has a nicer (metal) battery cover. I'm a bit sorry we didn't get that. Maybe a bit too much weight?

It's a solid phone (or feels like it).

 

[IOWA]

My battery cover fits fine, and the Evo feels like the highest quality phone htc has made...

The battery cover is not flush. It is "locked in" but not flush. It annoys me too (not, I'm not selling my EVO because of it... this is truly a nit as it affects nothing and my silicone case I'm likely to get will mask it). The HD2 has a nicer (metal) battery cover. I'm a bit sorry we didn't get that. Maybe a bit too much weight?

It's a solid phone (or feels like it).

Or maybe b/c of the built in kickstand.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.