50 reasons the Galaxy S3 is better than the iPhone 5

[matttye]

I consider those features and options. Customized to make the phone fit your needs.



Same wall of icons. Simple UI that has gotten stale and boring. To many, simple is a good thing. That is, if you enjoy having apple tell you what you can and can't do.

Every user is different, but it doesn't feel like Apple tells me what I can and can't do, because I can do everything I want to.

I've had Android phones for the past three years and I have to say that the support, timely updates, ecosystem (iTunes+iCloud), battery life, and integration with my iPad make the iPhone a much better device despite the apparently-lacking features.

In a feature list war the iPhone will always lose, but in terms of usability it beats Android hands down.

I love Android, just find iOS suits me more at the moment. Google needs to work on the ecosystem more and make sure that their services are rolled out worldwide in a timely fashion. Google Music has been in beta in the US for MONTHS, but no word on when it's coming to the UK yet.

Meanwhile iTunes has been available on the iPhone in the UK since it was released, and iTunes Match was available very shortly after it was released.

 

[F123D]

It's like all the iPhone users who claimed 3.5" screen was the perfect size. There's no reason to go bigger. Why? Because Apple only offered one choice. All of a sudden, there's a 4" screen and everyones saying, omg, the 3.5" screen is soo tiny, 4" is the perfect size.

When apple only offers one option, you adapt to what you're given. If given choices, users will choose and select what's best for them. Not adapt to what apple says is best for them.

I'm not familiar with any betas and rollouts in the UK but how long has Siri been out? I don't think "Siri is in beta" is a valid excuse any longer.

 

[matttye]

It's like all the iPhone users who claimed 3.5" screen was the perfect size. There's no reason to go bigger. Why? Because Apple only offered one choice. All of a sudden, there's a 4" screen and everyones saying, omg, the 3.5" screen is soo tiny, 4" is the perfect size.

When apple only offers one option, you adapt to what you're given. If given choices, users will choose and select what's best for them. Not adapt to what apple says is best for them.

Right. But everyone chooses their device including iPhone users. It's not like iPhone users only had the iPhone to choose from, we had the same choices as everybody else including all the Android phones, we just chose the iPhone. You act like everyone was forced to get an iPhone and use only what Apple provides, but we all chose the iPhone just like you chose the device you want to use, and how everybody else chooses their own too.

I don't see why anybody would "adapt to what apple says is best for them," they'd either get the iPhone because it suits their needs, or get something else. It's not like I thought, "Oh crap, I really hate 4" screens but I just have to get the iPhone." I bought it because I wanted something that will integrate with my iPad and PC, that has enough storage for all my music, that I can use whilst driving (Siri) and there are a few other benefits, not least having access to the largest music and app stores in the world. The fact that I can talk to my fiancée whilst she's using both her iPad and her phone on my phone is great.

I'm not familiar with any betas and rollouts in the UK but how long has Siri been out? I don't think "Siri is in beta" is a valid excuse any longer.

Been out since the 4S was released, so just over a year, and it works really well. iOS 6 bought local business searches to the UK, so it was a year after Siri's release. Is that the point you're getting at?

 

[sc4rf4c3]

In a feature list war the iPhone will always lose, but in terms of usability it beats Android hands down.

So according to you in order for Android to be useable it has to be used like an iOS device.

 

[wikus]

Wait, i'm missing something. Why does the iPhone lose in this regard? Are you saying that killing apps is easier on Android?

No, I said killing apps is easier on Android.

 

[matttye]

So according to you in order for Android to be useable it has to be used like an iOS device.

Not really, it's just that the iPhone has a number of services and features built in that you have to download third party alternatives for on Android.

For example.. music store (Google Music not available everywhere), data backup (Titanium Backup needs root to work fully if I remember correctly), find my iPhone (certain Android phones, eg the Galaxy S3, have equivalents built in), data syncing, iMessage and iCloud (although Android does also have cloud features that iOS doesn't have, such as installing apps via web browser).

Some of these features are fundamental things that people want in a mobile device, and they tend to be easier to use on iOS.

 

[F123D]

Understood.

Some people prefer a simple basic UI while others prefer a UI with features and options.

What's dissapointing for me is after a year, iOS6 hasn't shown much improvement.

 

[matttye]

Understood.

Some people prefer a simple basic UI while others prefer a UI with features and options.

What's dissapointing for me is after a year, iOS6 hasn't shown much improvement.

Kinda but that still doesn't summarise it.

It's not so much about the UI for me, but how it works with my other products and services. I can buy pretty much any song I want to listen to on iTunes right from the phone itself. I used to pay for Spotify, but the problem with that is that it doesn't integrate with voice commands (on either Android or iPhone), so I prefer buying music on iTunes. Now I can choose what music I want to listen to using my voice when I'm driving or working out.

I can receive messages, shared photo streams, etc, on both my iPad and my iPhone.

 

[munkery]

Here is some interesting information:

A study by Gene Munster at Piper Jaffray indicates that Apple iPhone users are very happy, and 94% plan to purchase another iPhone in the future. However, only 47% of Android users expect to buy another Android device and 42% expect to buy an iPhone. Another study by Gfk in the UK indicated that 84% of iPhone users will repurchase an iPhone compared to just 60% who would repurchase an Android phone. Brand loyalty amongst Apple users is high, ranks as number one, and has for years. Brand Keys just released their 2012 Consumer Loyalty report, and Apple again ranked top in tablets and smartphones.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/darcytr...s-apple-ios-market-share-numbers-dont-matter/

 

[onthecouchagain]

You know what's awesome about Android? You can share pictures, etc. with and via ANY program that's on your phone.

As far as I can tell, iOS only allows you to share mainly on FB, Twitter and via Mail. No DropBox. No nothing else, unless you actually do it through the app.

People keep touting how iOS is so simple and how that's such an important strength. Well, it's so simple that it's limiting. It's so simple it takes more steps to accomplish some of the simplest tasks (and in some cases, like switching between private browsing, it takes many steps). iOS is so simple that it's less usable.

Meanwhile, the competition has figured out better ways to accomplish the same things, and more.

 

[matttye]

You know what's awesome about Android? You can share pictures, etc. with and via ANY program that's on your phone.

As far as I can tell, iOS only allows you to share mainly on FB, Twitter and via Mail. No DropBox. No nothing else, unless you actually do it through the app.

People keep touting how iOS is so simple and how that's such an important strength. Well, it's so simple that it's limiting. It's so simple it takes more steps to accomplish some of the simplest tasks (and in some cases, like switching between private browsing, it takes many steps). iOS is so simple that it's less usable.

Meanwhile, the competition has figured out better ways to accomplish the same things, and more.

I think iOS 6 brings sharing more in line with Android's implementation, although I'm not sure whether it's as extensible or not from a developer perspective.

When I install EverNote, it shows up in the list of things I can share my photos to, and when I uninstall it, it disappears.

Don't know if it works for other apps, that's just the one I noticed.

You're taking a really simplistic view if you think iOS is less usable because it takes more steps to achieve something.

 

[daveathall]

Here is some interesting information:

A study by Gene Munster at Piper Jaffray indicates that Apple iPhone users are very happy, and 94% plan to purchase another iPhone in the future. However, only 47% of Android users expect to buy another Android device and 42% expect to buy an iPhone. Another study by Gfk in the UK indicated that 84% of iPhone users will repurchase an iPhone compared to just 60% who would repurchase an Android phone. Brand loyalty amongst Apple users is high, ranks as number one, and has for years. Brand Keys just released their 2012 Consumer Loyalty report, and Apple again ranked top in tablets and smartphones.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/darcytr...s-apple-ios-market-share-numbers-dont-matter/

Im not so sure that that is a good thing for consumers, it indicates that the majority of Apple purchasers will buy the device come hell and high water no matter what innovations are, or more importantly, are not included, it doesn't exactly force Apple to push the envelope, IMHO iOS 6 is a prime example, their "headline" feature (maps) cannot in all honesty be called a success by any stretch of the imagination.

I can however hear where the article is coming from, 6 months ago If you had asked me the same question I would have undoubtedly answered that my next phone would be an iPhone, I couldn't have imagined me jumping from the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone 5 is a superb device, but IMHO, it was the same old, same old (I had one and sold it) I am so glad that I have took the plunge and sampled other offerings, ATM, they suit me better,

 

[Markyboy81]

Im not so sure that that is a good thing for consumers, it indicates that the majority of Apple purchasers will buy the device come hell and high water no matter what innovations are, or more importantly, are not included, it doesn't exactly force Apple to push the envelope, IMHO iOS 6 is a prime example, their "headline" feature (maps) cannot in all honesty be called a success by any stretch of the imagination.

I can however hear where the article is coming from, 6 months ago If you had asked me the same question I would have undoubtedly answered that my next phone would be an iPhone, I couldn't have imagined me jumping from the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone 5 is a superb device, but IMHO, it was the same old, same old (I had one and sold it) I am so glad that I have took the plunge and sampled other offerings, ATM, they suit me better,

I'm with you on this, I bought an iPhone 4s 7 months ago and it is an amazing device. However, as time went on I became limited by what apple allowed me to do with it. I'll give you one example;

Importing photos from a digital camera. I've got a decent digital camera and wanted to be able to import the pictures to my iphone to be able to upload them to Facebook etc. There is no device to be able to do this for iphone although there is a device that will let you import photos from an sd card to an ipad. Why won't this work on an iPhone? Well it would work, but apple have restricted it, possibly because of the impact on battery life? Why can't I decide whether I want to sacrifice my battery life? No, sorry, apple won't let me have that kind of control.
No worries I thought, I can import to my ipad 1 and then transfer the photos to the iPhone. Why can't I just tether my iphone to my ipad, as the ipad is wifi only and there are no hotspots? Well in theory iPhone hotspots should work but I don't have a special iPhone contract (which would cost me twice as much for the same amount of data) so this feature has been disabled. Note that my carrier explicitly allows tethering with all other devices that support the feature, so again I blame apple.
This leaves me with the option of sending the files via bluetooth. There are apps to do this, but these either restrict the number of transfers or compress the photos. I want neither.
So I downloaded iphoto as I was sure this would work. But lo and behold, it's not compatible with the original ipad, not because it won't work, but because apple in their wisdom have decided that it wouldn't run well.
This is what I mean when I talk about lack of control.

 

[zbarvian]

This whole "wanting control over my smartphone" still bewilders me. Lol. I've never once felt that I wasn't in control of my iPhone, and don't understand how people arrive at that sentiment.

 

[sc4rf4c3]

This whole "wanting control over my smartphone" still bewilders me. Lol. I've never once felt that I wasn't in control of my iPhone, and don't understand how people arrive at that sentiment.

It bewilders you because you can't see the fact that other people want a different approach in controlling and using their smartphones. The Apple way is not the only way.

 

[Markyboy81]

This whole "wanting control over my smartphone" still bewilders me. Lol. I've never once felt that I wasn't in control of my iPhone, and don't understand how people arrive at that sentiment.

If you've never felt like this then clearly the iPhone is perfect for you as you're clearly happy to live well within apple's walled garden. Unfortunately not everyone wants to do this.

 

[paulsalter]

This whole "wanting control over my smartphone" still bewilders me. Lol. I've never once felt that I wasn't in control of my iPhone, and don't understand how people arrive at that sentiment.

I have never used iOS with documents as I dont like the way it stores data within the app, but how would the following work on iOS

I have all my documents stored in a folder on my device
I have been using app XX to edit these documents
A few months later I see a new app that I want to try, so I install it and all my data is instantly available

sharing data like this might be in iOS now, I dont know, but if not how easy is it to have 2 apps (or more) share documents

 

[xuselppa]

This whole "wanting control over my smartphone" still bewilders me. Lol. I've never once felt that I wasn't in control of my iPhone, and don't understand how people arrive at that sentiment.

How can you fathom what you don't understand? The iPhone is a simple phone, designed for both 2 year olds, 80 year olds, and everyone in betwixt. It can do a lot of things, but how it goes about doing it has already been pre-selected by Apple. You are simply taken out of the loop. Apple wants this to ensure a smooth and predictable UI. i. e. When a program force closes on iOS it shuts down and takes you back to the home screen. Idevice users don't realize the program had an issue and even if they did, they have no idea why.

 

[zbarvian]

How can you fathom what you don't understand? The iPhone is a simple phone, designed for both 2 year olds, 80 year olds, and everyone in betwixt. It can do a lot of things, but how it goes about doing it has already been pre-selected by Apple. You are simply taken out of the loop. Apple wants this to ensure a smooth and predictable UI. i. e. When a program force closes on iOS it shuts down and takes you back to the home screen. Idevice users don't realize the program had an issue and even if they did, they have no idea why.

Because that perspective is just wacky to me. I understand exactly what you're saying, but I never feel like "I'm taken out of the loop." My phone is mine, I'm in full control all the time. Just because I can't modify the kernel or download alternate keyboards doesn't mean I have no control.

 

[Markyboy81]

Because that perspective is just wacky to me. I understand exactly what you're saying, but I never feel like "I'm taken out of the loop." My phone is mine, I'm in full control all the time. Just because I can't modify the kernel or download alternate keyboards doesn't mean I have no control.

Like I said before that's great if you think like that, but I guess some of us like to have more freedom and do things how we like and not how apple tells us

 

[onthecouchagain]

This whole "wanting control over my smartphone" still bewilders me. Lol. I've never once felt that I wasn't in control of my iPhone, and don't understand how people arrive at that sentiment.

No one is saying you've "lost control" of your iPhone. Once again, you're using obscurantism to muddle people's valid complaints of iOS.

So ludicrous we have to convince people like you iOS can and should improve before we can talk about what iOS can and should improve on.

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And I just want to add... if it was iOS that implemented easier access to settings and offered less steps to accomplish the same things, I'd wager we'd have Apple fans praising how intuitive and easier to use iOS is.

But since it's the competition that has figured out better ways to do this, then "I don't get this whole obsession with controlling your phone!"

 

[Dontazemebro]

This whole "wanting control over my smartphone" still bewilders me. Lol. I've never once felt that I wasn't in control of my iPhone, and don't understand how people arrive at that sentiment.

 

[zbarvian]

No one is saying you've "lost control" of your iPhone. Once again, you're using obscurantism to muddle people's valid complaints of iOS.

So ludicrous we have to convince people like you iOS can and should improve before we can talk about what iOS can and should improve on.

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And I just want to add... if it was iOS that implemented easier access to settings and offered less steps to accomplish the same things, I'd wager we'd have Apple fans praising how intuitive and easier to use iOS is.

But since it's the competition that has figured out better ways to do this, then "I don't get this whole obsession with controlling your phone!"

Classic "hypocrite" argument. I know what's wrong with iOS and where it needs improving. Doesn't mean I can't disagree with the supposed "advantages of iOS."

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Image

The Real World was a bleak, ugly, dangerous place. I'll stay where I'm at right now.

 

[tbayrgs]

And I just want to add... if it was iOS that implemented easier access to settings and offered less steps to accomplish the same things, I'd wager we'd have Apple fans praising how intuitive and easier to use iOS is.

But since it's the competition that has figured out better ways to do this, then "I don't get this whole obsession with controlling your phone!"

I think you offer many valid points and useful insight and information with most of your posts but dude, you are becoming such a broken record. Nearly every post I read of yours makes a reference to Apple fans only advocating a feature/function in a device once it's in an iDevice, else 'it's useless'. We get it, Apple fanboys are blind and ignorant. Point made, time to move on...

 

[Dontazemebro]

the real world was a bleak, ugly, dangerous place. I'll stay where i'm at right now.

:d