What can the iphone do that android can't?

[apere006]

I think this defines the difference between iPhone users and Android users. The question that matters to android is which phone can do the most things, period. I would argue that iPhone users, and possibly the general public, care more about if it does the things they want to do well. I think for android to grow pass iPhone market share and succeed outside the tech market, it will need to be the answer of the second question as well as the first.

However, if your looking for why the iPhone 4 is better than the Android phones on the market, which I think is true currently, heres my list:

Better build quality
Smaller than any other quality android phone
Better apps ( better in quality and polish )
Better battery life than almost any other android
Camera that is as good as any other android phone
Gyro
Best screen ( highest pixels per inch, IPS display, the brightest screen on a phone and accurate colors)
lacks the scrolling and animation pauses that are in android(should be fixed by 2.2)
Easier to use

Those are the important things and really I think those are the things that matter the most to customers. I think eventually an android phone will come out that passes the iphone 4 in almost all these categories and brings all the other benefits of android with it. However, I really do think its clear that the iphone 4 overall better than the phones currently on the market.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

However, if your looking for why the iPhone 4 is better than the Android phones on the market, which I think is true currently, heres my list:

Better build quality

Come again?

 

[apere006]

Come again?

Yes it feels more solid and looks better than android phones. Yes it breaks if you drop and has the whole antenna thing, does not really change my mind that it has a build quality than a plastic phone.

 

[Evrcl]

I have been an Iphone user for 3 years and I just now got the Android captivate. Here are my pros and cons:

Android
Pros:
Google Maps with Nav
GMail Sync
Replaceable Battery
Replaceable Memory Cards
Larger Phone Screens
Multi-tasking is better
Youtube is better

Cons:
Does not have a common email inbox
Entire operating system seems buggy
App store lacks many apps that apple has
App store functions are missing like sort
Can not always find my Location OUTDOORS!
Bluetooth does not automatically reconnect
Lags when doing basic things like going from one picture or video to the next.
Multi-button hard coded nav buttons are not as nice as the one button the Iphone has.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Yes it feels more solid and looks better than android phones. Yes it breaks if you drop and has the whole antenna thing, does not really change my mind that it has a build quality than a plastic phone.

Oh... it looks better to you. We are thinking of the term "build" differently. I'd give it high marks for looks; not so much for build.

While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I think most people would be hard pressed to say the iPhone is not a sexy device.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Cons:
Does not have a common email inbox

I don't know why this bothers me so much. It irks me...

 

[grainysand]

However, if your looking for why the iPhone 4 is better than the Android phones on the market, which I think is true currently, heres my list:

Better build quality

It's made of glass. One drop will shatter it. See: Gizmodo intern. We're talking about someone who works for a tech blog that's known for being pro-Apple, here. The Legend, on the other hand, sports an aluminium unibody.

Smaller than any other quality android phone

How is this an asset? Many of us here are power users. Power users freaking love big screens.

Better battery life than almost any other android

?

What's its battery life like again? There've been people who can apparently squeeze 36 hours out of a Desire or something under moderate use. A rooted Nexus One, undervolted, can go on for quite a very, very long time (there was a test and the guy managed, what, 72 hours and counting?). Admittedly, maybe rooted phones don't count.

Camera that is as good as any other android phone

Has anyone actually done a comparison with the Xperia X10? Sony does a lot of things wrong, but I understand they use pretty decent lenses/optics for their phones.

Gyro

Samsung Galaxy S.

Easier to use

That depends. Are you five? Then the iPhone is, obviously, "easier to use."

 

[darkbob]

personally i used an iphone for about a year before i found my first android device which was a tmobile my touch, now im on verizon with an eris soon will be a droid x. my iphone couldnt send files via bluetooth had to jailbreak for that, nor could mine send mms messages. It froze up alooooot i had to restore it a total of 7 times within a year from regular app use.
to me iphones are superficial hollow status symbols. just a pretty face with no personality.

 

[apere006]

It's made of glass. One drop will shatter it. See: Gizmodo intern. We're talking about someone who works for a tech blog that's known for being pro-Apple, here. The Legend, on the other hand, sports an aluminium unibody.

I don't think the legend is out yet, at least in the us. I was comparing to current android phones and I feel like glass and steel is better than plastic. Yes glass shatters but it doesn't scratch. I prefer to avoid dropping it versus trying to avoid scratching plastic which is almost impossible. Also it not one drop, I dropped my old iPhone from the second floor onto wood without a scratch.

How is this an asset? Many of us here are power users. Power users freaking love big screens.

Someone can like big screens but smaller is always better if the screen is the same size with a pocket-able device. The small size is plus and the smaller screen could be a negative for some people.

?

What's its battery life like again? There've been people who can apparently squeeze 36 hours out of a Desire or something under moderate use. A rooted Nexus One, undervolted, can go on for quite a very, very long time (there was a test and the guy managed, what, 72 hours and counting?). Admittedly, maybe rooted phones don't count.

What is moderate use? Compare 3g and wifi web surfing. Compare talk time. Compare music or video time. There no way to compare moderate use fairly. You have to admit that the iphone 4 has better battery life that the vast majority of android phones.

Has anyone actually done a comparison with the Xperia X10? Sony does a lot of things wrong, but I understand they use pretty decent lenses/optics for their phones.

I haven't seen a comparison, but I doubt it will outclass an iPhone 4.

Samsung Galaxy S.

I didn't know that it was out already but even now there is just one phone out of many and there will not be any apps that take advantage of the gyro

That depends. Are you five? Then the iPhone is, obviously, "easier to use."

Now this is just silly and condescending. There are many more normal people that understand how to use an iPhone compared to android. This sounds like linux users holding back linux and not making it easier to use because the problem is with users and not linux. I hope android doesn't go down this path.

 

[IOWA]

A few things off hand (for me):
1) Apps. Apps. Apps. You can't discount the apps.
2) Connect to a Cisco VPN (required for my work)
3) DOCK connector that works in many cars. My next car (ordered) has an Iphone dock connector and all the controls are on the steering wheel, playlists are touch control on the nav screen. It is very clean install and hidden.
I have 3 Android phones now (newest one being a Galaxy S) and it is very sloppy to have usb charging, audio wires come out looking like a snake on the dash.
4) Bluetooth voice dialing. Correct me if I am wrong, has this been implemented yet?

Then we get into apps that are not YET on Android:
1) Credit card reader for out-door sales (coming to Android soon)
2) My bank allows me to take a picture of a check and deposit right from an iPhone
3) I can use a iPhone as a camera light meter; replacing a $200 light meter I have.
4) Video editing. iMovie is really worth the price.
5) There is this $4 app that is good as a $400 app for video color grading I've used called CinemaFX.

There are many specific niche apps that either free or well worth their price.

I have friends who use iPhone/iPad as nautical GPS that replaces $1800 Nautical GPS. I know quite a bit of sailors who had no problem spending $700 for iPads because of the $50 apps that was better than the Nautical Garmin versions. Same for pilots. They could justify buying an Ipad and 2-3 iPhones.

I have another friend who uses a custom app that controls proprietary switches for his job. He no longer carries a laptop around.

Then there are apps for controlling Canon dSLRs for pro photographers. There are pro DJ apps to allow DJs to run up to 8 iPhones,etc... The list goes one.

Android is a great OS but... It needs apps. It needs the killer apps to make it complete. I don't look at the price of the phone or features "out of the box."

1.) Apps are nice. Sure. And I like discount apps =P

2.) I can connect to cisco VPN with my samsung moment.

3.) Screw propreitary docks. Seriously. What if people don't own apple products? Waste of space and money. DLNA is the way to go here. Universal wireless standard trumps any dock system(especially proprietary that adds coststhat aren't needed)

No dj (serious) would use an iOS device to play their music. Seriously.

The credit card reader would be nice, but I can still run credit cards right from my phone should I choose to.

And the one app on android that trumps all iphone apps? Wifi tether. I can wifi tether to my laptop/netbook/ereader/insert wifi device here. Sharing that internet connection alone allows me to do things not possible with iOS devices.

 

[mrspeedmaster]

1.) Apps are nice. Sure. And I like discount apps =P

2.) I can connect to cisco VPN with my samsung moment.

Care to share how you do it without rooting your phone. I'd like to nail this final problem to the coffin using my Galaxy S.. Specifically Cisco VPN with group authentication.

3.) Screw propreitary docks. Seriously. What if people don't own apple products? Waste of space and money. DLNA is the way to go here. Universal wireless standard trumps any dock system(especially proprietary that adds coststhat aren't needed)

DLNA is cool. I just got that running on my Galaxy S. But.

I was talking about cars. A car would need to have a DLNA server and wifi router.
Also, with Android, you have a bunch of wires hanging out for charging/audio and you need to use a cradle whereas the iPhone can be docked into a car (that has the dock) and in hidden view. In luxury car and an Android phone (take your pick), you have a rats net with a bunch of hanging wires and junk that may not even work properly. Can you image a suction cup mount, and Android phone with 2 wires dangling from a Maserati or a Jaguar? You need to mount the phone because you have no steering wheel controls to control your music.

I can't imagine driving an $80k car and ghetto-fying it with junk to get the same functionality of an iPhone.

On the iphone, Some cars will control the music via steering wheels and playlist thru the navigation screen. Also, some cars will also read your emails/text message and transfer your address books/gps coordinates via the Apple dock system. I posted this in another thread. There is no standard Android API or dock interface that allows car manufactures to do this so they don't bother.

Seriously, if you can't even concede this one point, you are just a fanboy.

And the one app on android that trumps all iphone apps? Wifi tether. I can wifi tether to my laptop/netbook/ereader/insert wifi device here. Sharing that internet connection alone allows me to do things not possible with iOS devices.

Wifi Tether is available on the iPhone either by paying for it thru the carrier (and you would have to do the same on Android) or jail-breaking it which is the same as rooting an Android Phone. My incredible is rooted and I have wifi tether so does my co-worker who has a jailbroken 3Gs.

 

[grainysand]

I don't think the legend is out yet, at least in the us. I was comparing to current android phones and I feel like glass and steel is better than plastic. Yes glass shatters but it doesn't scratch. I prefer to avoid dropping it versus trying to avoid scratching plastic which is almost impossible. Also it not one drop, I dropped my old iPhone from the second floor onto wood without a scratch.

...all Android screens are made of glass. Many HTC phones have soft-touch plastic battery covers, a material that not only feels good to the touch but is also not shatter-prone, or particularly scratchable.

In addition, the Legend has been out for a while globally. The world's more than the US. Sorry your phone choices are limited and lag behind. Oh, and the Droid X's chassis? Brushed metal. Do. Your. Research. Google is very hard, amirite?

I haven't seen a comparison, but I doubt it will outclass an iPhone 4.

Assumptions without research or even a token attempt at research. Cute. I hear the Altar of the Half-Eaten Fruit is one acolyte short.

Now this is just silly and condescending. There are many more normal people that understand how to use an iPhone compared to android. This sounds like linux users holding back linux and not making it easier to use because the problem is with users and not linux. I hope android doesn't go down this path.

So tell me in what ways Android is difficult to use without using a "well I've seen a five-year-old use an iPhone" argument. Go on. I'll preempt you with a few points:

• changing wallpapers: on iOS, you first look for "Settings", an unremarkable icon in a sea of endless, indistinguishable other icons arranged in identical grids across your homescreens. Then you pick Wallpaper. Then you pick an image from a gallery. Then you tap "Options." Then you choose "Use as Wallpaper" and then crop/zoom in/zoom out. Look at that, intuitive UI personified! On Android, you long-press your homescreen (much like you'd right-click your desktop) anywhere from any of your multiple homescreens, pick Wallpapers, pick gallery, pick a picture, crop/zoom and tap "Save."
• toggling settings: on iOS, again it's the Settings rigmarole. Wifi/bluetooth/GPS and brightness settings aren't even in the same tab. On Android, you locate your Power Control widget which is either a swipe or (if you're using Sense/Launcher Pro/ADW) one pinch away. Tap wifi/gps/bluetooth/brightness/etc as necessary. Oh no, how unbearably difficult and incomprehensible! Excuse me while I retrieve my smelling salts, this stress on my brain is making me faint.

You're right. For a lobotimized ape, Android is hideously complicated and too difficult to use.

Wifi Tether is available on the iPhone either by paying for it thru the carrier (and you would have to do the same on Android) or jail-breaking it which is the same as rooting an Android Phone. My incredible is rooted and I have wifi tether so does my co-worker who has a jailbroken 3Gs.

Boyfriend, an unrooted Nexus One running Froyo can tether any time, any way, without paying anything extra to the carrier.

 

[apere006]

3.) Screw propreitary docks. Seriously. What if people don't own apple products? Waste of space and money. DLNA is the way to go here. Universal wireless standard trumps any dock system(especially proprietary that adds costs that aren't needed)

That a great idea but what do we do until there are cars and stereos with DLNA? This is idealistic, ipods work now in many cars and stereos that people own. This is a benefit, and until DLNA becomes popular in these setting it hurts android. This is a big reason why theres no android competitor for ipod touch (which I would love to own).

 

[apere006]

...all Android screens are made of glass. Many HTC phones have soft-touch plastic battery covers, a material that not only feels good to the touch but is also not shatter-prone, or particularly scratchable.

In addition, the Legend has been out for a while globally. The world's more than the US. Sorry your phone choices are limited and lag behind. Oh, and the Droid X's chassis? Brushed metal. Do. Your. Research. Google is very hard, amirite?

I can't really compare build quality without holding it, which is impossible for me in the us. There are two phones that the iPhone 4 does blow out of the water in build quality and both of the phones are kind of ugly in my opinion.

Assumptions without research or even a token attempt at research. Cute. I hear the Altar of the Half-Eaten Fruit is one acolyte short.

I have done extensive research and every android camera is significantly worse or comparable to the iPhone 4. Sorry for not being clear but I have seen photos and video of x10. It looks comparable to an iphone 4 but there are no direct comparisons with the iphone photo so I can't really judge quality. However I doubt its head and shoulders better, because most of these phones use similar tech and if none of the other android phone blow out the iphone, I doubt this will.

So tell me in what ways Android is difficult to use without using a "well I've seen a five-year-old use an iPhone" argument. Go on. I'll preempt you with a few points:

• changing wallpapers: on iOS, you first look for "Settings", an unremarkable icon in a sea of endless, indistinguishable other icons arranged in identical grids across your homescreens. Then you pick Wallpaper. Then you pick an image from a gallery. Then you tap "Options." Then you choose "Use as Wallpaper" and then crop/zoom in/zoom out. Look at that, intuitive UI personified! On Android, you long-press your homescreen (much like you'd right-click your desktop) anywhere from any of your multiple homescreens, pick Wallpapers, pick gallery, pick a picture, crop/zoom and tap "Save."
• toggling settings: on iOS, again it's the Settings rigmarole. Wifi/bluetooth/GPS and brightness settings aren't even in the same tab. On Android, you locate your Power Control widget which is either a swipe or (if you're using Sense/Launcher Pro/ADW) one pinch away. Tap wifi/gps/bluetooth/brightness/etc as necessary. Oh no, how unbearably difficult and incomprehensible! Excuse me while I retrieve my smelling salts, this stress on my brain is making me faint.

You're right. For a lobotimized ape, Android is hideously complicated and too difficult to use.



Boyfriend, an unrooted Nexus One running Froyo can tether any time, any way, without paying anything extra to the carrier.

In iOS
-you click "Settings"
-click Wallpaper
-You pick an image from a gallery
-crop/zoom in/zoom out if you want
-Click set
-Click "Use as Wallpaper"

Android
- you long-press your homescreen
- pick Wallpapers
-pick gallery
- pick a picture
- crop/zoom
-tap "Save."

Why is android easier its pretty much the same except you need to know to use a hidden gesture vs knowing you need to go to a settings app to change all you device settings.


Hows updating apps on android pre 2.2 vs iphone. One button to update all vs having to update each individually.

How taking screen shots on an android device?
On iphone its : press home and power button, done.

When does the search button bring up universal search, when does the back button take you out of an app, when does menu button do something. All app functions are displayed on the screen for an iphone but android phones you need to test the effect of each button in each app.

 

[crex43]

I think the conclusion we should be arriving at is that it's mostly impossible to compare an "Android" device to the iPhone 4.

The iPhone is a single, distinct piece of hardware. No further clarification is needed when someone says they use an iPhone4. The hardware is what it is. On the other end of the spectrum, Android is simply an operating system that is supported by a vast potpourri of hardware, and even the operating system can differ for each piece of hardware due to its open source nature. You can compare an iPhone4 to a HTC Droid Eris and LG Ally and come away with one impression, but you can also compare an iPhone4 to an HTC Droid Incredible and Motorola Droid X and come away with a completely different impression.

You have to compare hardware to hardware and software to software. A fair comparison is iOS 4 and Android 2.1/2.2.

 

[grainysand]

In iOS
-you click "Settings"
-click Wallpaper
-You pick an image from a gallery
-crop/zoom in/zoom out if you want
-Click set
-Click "Use as Wallpaper"

Android
- you long-press your homescreen
- pick Wallpapers
-pick gallery
- pick a picture
- crop/zoom
-tap "Save."

Because on iOS you're doing the equivalent of going into Control Panel to change your wallpaper, which is dumb. On Android you do the equivalent of right-clicking on your desktop, which is exactly where you'd expect the options to change wallpapers to be. As I've pointed out, you can long-press your homescreen to change wallpapers from anywhere even if you've got nine screens. On iOS, it's only doable through a specific icon located on a particular screen.

Why is android easier its pretty much the same except you need to know to use a hidden gesture vs knowing you need to go to a settings app to change all you device settings.

Wow, pressing the menu button (another way to change your wallpaper) is totally a hidden gesture. Holy shit.

Hows updating apps on android pre 2.2 vs iphone. One button to update all vs having to update each individually.

Pray tell, my good man, why are we comparing iOS4 to pre-2.2 Android? Does the logic of comparing the latest to the latest elude you? I know, we'll compare Snow Leopard to Windows 3.1 and declare Mac OS X the indisputable winner! Maybe while we're at it, we can address the absolute shittiness of iOS 4 on any device that's not the iPhone 4. On a 3GS? Sluggish. S-s-stutter. 3G? Good luck using your phone ever again, it's now a crippled, barely usable brick, and you still can't have multi-tasking or wallpapers. Behold: 2.2 makes things run faster even on a device released back in January. Magic!

When does the search button bring up universal search, when does the back button take you out of an app, when does menu button do something. All app functions are displayed on the screen for an iphone but android phones you need to test the effect of each button in each app.

Yay, I've got a teeny-tiny 3.5 inch screen and I want it all filled up with menu options and glossy buttons! Instead of, I don't know, content? Pure. Genius.

 

[tdieckman]

Smaller than any other quality android phone

There's a lot of different Android phones and some are smaller than the iPhone. Just recently, phones like the Evo have come out that are a bit larger than the iPhone.

If the iPhone was the largest smartphone out now, you would have possibly used this quote:
"Larger than any other quality android phone".

My response to either statement is "There are more form-factors to choose from with an Android phone".

 

[ari-free]

Android has different ways of doing things but that doesn't make it harder. it's not like you need to open a command line in order to change settings. Android has a file system while in iphone, apps own files. That by itself makes android much easier to use.

 

[lakai113]

i not sure about other android phones but its this little thing that i cant get out of my head with my droidX.
SCREEN SHOTS!!! i have to DL a program and hook my phone up to my computer just to take screen shots.. i have searched and searched to find a better way and thats all i can come up with.. this is not a problem with the iphone..

 

[IOWA]

Mr Speedmaster, your last post is utterly riduculous. Normally your posts have merit, but that.. is just way off. Care to explain how a proprietary dock that only wworks with iOs devices is better than a universal, wireless standard that can accomplish all those same tasks/features just the same and just as easily and will work with tons of other devices?

If you can't concede that the universal standard, that would work across all devices that should choose to implement said technology, is better than a propreitary standard, that only one company can use, and only works with a handful of devices with said company, than you sir, are the fanboy here.

 

[apere006]

Pray tell, my good man, why are we comparing iOS4 to pre-2.2 Android? Does the logic of comparing the latest to the latest elude you? I know, we'll compare Snow Leopard to Windows 3.1 and declare Mac OS X the indisputable winner! Maybe while we're at it, we can address the absolute shittiness of iOS 4 on any device that's not the iPhone 4. On a 3GS? Sluggish. S-s-stutter. 3G? Good luck using your phone ever again, it's now a crippled, barely usable brick, and you still can't have multi-tasking or wallpapers. Behold: 2.2 makes things run faster even on a device released back in January. Magic!



Yay, I've got a teeny-tiny 3.5 inch screen and I want it all filled up with menu options and glossy buttons! Instead of, I don't know, content? Pure. Genius.

This silly... It is fair to compare iphone 4 to pre 2.2 android because all the phones you are comparing to the iphone 4 DO NOT run 2.2 and iphone four only runs iOS 4. The 3Gs runs 4.0 great. The 3g is older then the g1 which will never officially get 2.2.

Great fill up your screen with content and take away a developer's control to customize an app interface but you have to see why thats more difficult to use.

 

[ari-free]

I didn't know that it was out already but even now there is just one phone out of many and there will not be any apps that take advantage of the gyro

SGS may be just one phone but it will be available on all carriers and so many countries. There will also be a PMP and tablet versions. That's another reason why it makes better sense to get this over droid x or EVO. Developers won't optimize their apps for those single carrier phones. Especially game developers that aren't in the US (eg Gameloft)

 

[Tre Lawrence]

There's a lot of different Android phones and some are smaller than the iPhone. Just recently, phones like the Evo have come out that are a bit larger than the iPhone.

If the iPhone was the largest smartphone out now, you would have possibly used this quote:
"Larger than any other quality android phone".

My response to either statement is "There are more form-factors to choose from with an Android phone".

I actually remember when the relative size of the earlier iPhones was considered to be an advantage, so I agree with you.

Good point.

 

[apere006]

I actually remember when the relative size of the earlier iPhones was considered to be an advantage, so I agree with you.

Good point.

The size is never an advantage, the screen size can be an advantage. The Evo screen is nice for videos but its a pain to hold it with one hand. I doubt the ideal phone will be bigger than 4". And yes I know your ideal is different than my ideal...

 

[apere006]

Mr Speedmaster, your last post is utterly riduculous. Normally your posts have merit, but that.. is just way off. Care to explain how a proprietary dock that only wworks with iOs devices is better than a universal, wireless standard that can accomplish all those same tasks/features just the same and just as easily and will work with tons of other devices?

If you can't concede that the universal standard, that would work across all devices that should choose to implement said technology, is better than a propreitary standard, that only one company can use, and only works with a handful of devices with said company, than you sir, are the fanboy here.

The key thing is WILL work. Your comparing the idea of something and saying its much better than a real product.