An iPhone retrospective!

[Night Spring]

- Non-customization. I literally spend 2-3 minutes trying to move my 'Music' app to the bottom right hand corner of my homescreen before I realised that you can't do that. As someone who spends a lot of time initially setting up a homescreen to look and function how I want it to, this REALLY irritated me.

What do you mean by moving the music app to the bottom right hand corner? If you mean moving the music app to that spot on the dock, all you have to do is move another app out of the dock first.

With iTunes I need to import them into iTunes, convert them if iTunes doesn't like the format, then sync them across, and when I want to get rid of them I have to go and unsync them.

Agree about it being irritating to have to convert video formats before being able to use them with iTunes, but you can delete videos once you ae done with them. Just swipe sideways over the one you want to delete.

And I've takn to using an alternative video app to play iTunes incompatible video formats. There are any number of media player apps in the App Store that plays all sorts of media formats.

 

[strausd]

You know, it's really frustrating when I'm trying to discuss a point in which I feel I have a valid view, and you resort to commenting on my personal position on the matter because (I can only assume), you don't know why you're defending the decisions that you are.

Haha you really need to chill. We are talking about phones here, not the end of the world.

 

[Orlandoech]

Haha you really need to chill. We are talking about phones here, not the end of the world.

I agree its no the end of the world, and I believe they know that too, but seriously stop. An opinion is just that, like it or not, agree with it or rebuttal it with respect.

They kindly told you that they were frustrated, no need to be a smart-a.

 

[Night Spring]

Yes, a phone is not a desktop/laptop, but why don't desktop operating systems have dedicated back buttons? Why wouldn't a dedicated back button on the keyboard be useful, and why hasn't one been implemented given ...

Actually, the backspace key works as a "back button" in some desktop programs. For instance, I'm using Internet Explorer, and the backspace key takes me back to the previous page I was browsing.

But I think on the desktop, the entire concept of going back is irrelevant in many applications. In fact, thinking of all the desktop programs I use regularly, I can't think of anything other than web browsers that needs a dedicated "back button." Media players often use arrow keys to skip to next and previous tracks, but here, you are going forward as often as you go backwards, so using the arrow keys make sense. And switching between open apps on a desktop feels to me more like going sideways than going back, because the app windows are very often laid out side-by-side anyway.

So basically, desktops are just a completely different paradigm. The interactions among and within programs are more complex, and you have a lot more options (how many keys on a standard keyboard?) to implement various forms of moving and switching.

 

[strausd]

I agree its no the end of the world, and I believe they know that too, but seriously stop. An opinion is just that, like it or not, agree with it or rebuttal it with respect.

They kindly told you that they were frustrated, no need to be a smart-a.

We were talking about freaking scroll speed. Why does everyone take it so dang personally?

 

[Orlandoech]

We were talking about freaking scroll speed. Why does everyone take it so dang personally?

No clue. But I'm not. In fact, don't scroll for all I care. Lolzzzzz

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

What I like about the iPhone 4S/iOS 6:
- Siri. Even though Google Now is streets ahead (imo), Siri is working a LOT better than I remember her doing last time I used it. I live in Australia, so a lot of the US commands don't work here, but it still gave me pretty accurate results.

Siri and Google Now are trying to accomplish two different goals. Google Now predicts your future usage based on previous usage behaviors. Siri looks up information in the present.

What I don't like about the iPhone 4S/iOS 6:

- No back button. I realise that this is just something that has been bred in from using Android for such a long time, but I find myself constantly reaching for the bottom right hand side of the phone to go back. I know that a lot of apps have the back arrow in the top left corner, but it doesn't always work the same.

- The screen. God damn it. After an hour I was already very uncomfortable using this thing. People say that 5" is too big, but after using a 5", the 4S feels stupidly restrictive. Screen quality is still good, but it's just too damn small.

- Apple apps. I know it's been said time and time again, but I HATE that I can't set Chrome as my default browser. That's all that really needs to be said. Hate it hate it hate it.

- Non-customization. I literally spend 2-3 minutes trying to move my 'Music' app to the bottom right hand corner of my homescreen before I realised that you can't do that. As someone who spends a lot of time initially setting up a homescreen to look and function how I want it to, this REALLY irritated me.

- Scrolling. This is something that I didn't give a thought to until I realised what was going on. If you have a really long vertical webpage and you perform a long flick on an Android device, the page will stream down a long way. If you do a short flick, the page will move a short amount.
In iOS, if you flick short, it will move a short amount. If you flick long, it will move the same short amount. This is driving me NUTS.

- iTunes Syncing. Yeah, I know I said it was something I liked, but it's also something I hate. I like it for music, but I hate it for everything else. On my S4 I had several TV seasons that I could just drag across and then delete when I was done with them. With iTunes I need to import them into iTunes, convert them if iTunes doesn't like the format, then sync them across, and when I want to get rid of them I have to go and unsync them. It's a whole ordeal.

- Lack of share options. I know Apple added FB and Twitter in iOS 6, but I miss being able to share anything to anywhere I wanted.

- Lack of a file system. I know, again this is something that has been bred into me by Android itself, but it now feels like something that seems so simple and obvious. Contrary to popular belief held by iOS users, a file system does not make the user experience more complex. In fact, in most situations you can go without ever using it. But having it there is fantastic, and I miss it on here.

iPhone 5 has a larger screen. Comparing today's 5" versus almost 2 years ago 3.5" is kind of unfair. It would be more fair if you had an Android device with a 4.3" or smaller screen to compare with since that's what was available at iPhone 4S time.

As for scrolling, that is just false. The argument regarding this point has since evolved to variable scroll speed and the option to change it. But your original point is completely factually false. It does not move the same amount with disregard to the actual flick motion. If you flick "faster", it will scroll more than if you flick "slower".

Filesystems do add complexity to the user experience. The very fact that you say it most situations you can go without it inherently states that adding it would add complexity. You can't say both things and not contradict. But I agree, it would be nice to have an option of some kind. And filesystems are indeed very useful. But like you say, in most situations you can go without needing it and frankly, the average smartphone user does not ever use it.

What I'm undecided about RE: the iPhone 4S/iOS 6:

- The build quality. We always hear the Apple is the master of build quality etc, but to be honest - after ergonomically rounded plastic, glass and metal feels really inhospitable. It's always cold with sharp edges and the corners dig into the fleshy part of my thumb. It's not terrible, but it's certainly not overly pleasant.

- Removal of useless apps. I know iOS doesn't have an app drawer (or rather the homescreen IS the app drawer), but being able to disable/hide apps off the homescreen would be really nice, and I'm unsure as to why we can't do this. It actually makes the whole lot look REALLY messy having to stow them away in a corner. They look so out of place.

- Claims of 'lag free'. It's not a dealbreaker, but iOS is certainly not as lag free in contrast to Android as everyone is claiming. Every time I swipe left to get to the search box, it stutters. When I open the camera, it stutters. When I quickly scroll through facebook feeds, it stutters. When I open the settings menu, it hangs for a second.
Now I understand that the 4S is a generation old, but surely the previous generation shouldn't struggle as much as this. The HTC One X, Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy S3's aren't this bad.

Inhospitable? Please clarify what you mean by inhospitable and I really mean your definition. I mean your house probably has windows and metal. Many office buildings have glass and metal. Yet people spend much of their time there (and home). Build quality is different that your personal feel. Build quality is the quality of the materials used and the stuff holding it together. Metal is stronger and more durable than plastic. Glass is stronger than plastic. Etc. That is build quality. What you're talking about is feel which can't really be described universally. But claims like metal is stronger than plastic, glass is stronger than plastic, plastic creaks, etc. can be proven and not subject to personal preferences.

You can't really remove a default Android app in stock Android the last time I really used Android, although you can download custom ROMs that remedy this. So the same applies for iOS.

There are no official claims of lag-free. Everyone isn't claiming it's lag-free. They are claiming it is relatively lag-free compared to Android and that is inherent based on underlying architecture of the two OSes. Project Butter fixes most but not all of these problems.

 

[strausd]

Siri and Google Now are trying to accomplish two different goals. Google Now predicts your future usage based on previous usage behaviors. Siri looks up information in the present.



iPhone 5 has a larger screen. Comparing today's 5" versus almost 2 years ago 3.5" is kind of unfair. It would be more fair if you had an Android device with a 4.3" or smaller screen to compare with since that's what was available at iPhone 4S time.

As for scrolling, that is just false. The argument regarding this point has since evolved to variable scroll speed and the option to change it. But your original point is completely factually false. It does not move the same amount with disregard to the actual flick motion. If you flick "faster", it will scroll more than if you flick "slower".

Filesystems do add complexity to the user experience. The very fact that you say it most situations you can go without it inherently states that adding it would add complexity. You can't say both things and not contradict. But I agree, it would be nice to have an option of some kind. And filesystems are indeed very useful. But like you say, in most situations you can go without needing it and frankly, the average smartphone user does not ever use it.



Inhospitable? Please clarify what you mean by inhospitable and I really mean your definition. I mean your house probably has windows and metal. Many office buildings have glass and metal. Yet people spend much of their time there (and home). Build quality is different that your personal feel. Build quality is the quality of the materials used and the stuff holding it together. Metal is stronger and more durable than plastic. Glass is stronger than plastic. Etc. That is build quality. What you're talking about is feel which can't really be described universally. But claims like metal is stronger than plastic, glass is stronger than plastic, plastic creaks, etc. can be proven and not subject to personal preferences.

You can't really remove a default Android app in stock Android the last time I really used Android, although you can download custom ROMs that remedy this. So the same applies for iOS.

There are no official claims of lag-free. Everyone isn't claiming it's lag-free. They are claiming it is relatively lag-free compared to Android and that is inherent based on underlying architecture of the two OSes. Project Butter fixes most but not all of these problems.

I agree with just about everything you said. Although I would add that to what you said about Siri. Google Now does try to be predictive, but does not do a good job in my usage. And it is not even close to being hands free for so many reasons. Siri, however, is much more of a hands free feature and can do much more than simply giving you present information.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

I agree with just about everything you said. Although I would add that to what you said about Siri. Google Now does try to be predictive, but does not do a good job in my usage. And it is not even close to being hands free for so many reasons. Siri, however, is much more of a hands free feature and can do much more than simply giving you present information.

Yes, that is because Now and Siri are two different beasts. Now only works for people who have routines because it's learning what you do. So if you do something once and basically almost never again, it's never going to be ahead of the curve so to speak. Siri is on demand. So inherently, it's never ahead of the curve as well but it's also not far behind it. Also, Now does give future info such as bus/train schedules. But it's assuming you will take the bus again based on the fact that you did sometime in the past. For some people, that doesn't apply.

 

[Orlandoech]

Yes, that is because Now and Siri are two different beasts. Now only works for people who have routines because it's learning what you do. So if you do something once and basically almost never again, it's never going to be ahead of the curve so to speak. Siri is on demand. So inherently, it's never ahead of the curve as well but it's also not far behind it. Also, Now does give future info such as bus/train schedules. But it's assuming you will take the bus again based on the fact that you did sometime in the past. For some people, that doesn't apply.

I agree with this statement.

 

[strausd]

Yes, that is because Now and Siri are two different beasts. Now only works for people who have routines because it's learning what you do. So if you do something once and basically almost never again, it's never going to be ahead of the curve so to speak. Siri is on demand. So inherently, it's never ahead of the curve as well but it's also not far behind it. Also, Now does give future info such as bus/train schedules. But it's assuming you will take the bus again based on the fact that you did sometime in the past. For some people, that doesn't apply.

My biggest issue with Google Now is you have to use the touch screen just to pull it up. There is no way to pull it up without having to look at your device, where as Siri you have the physical home button.

Also, you have to use the touch screen to start talking. You can try saying "Google", but that is a hit or miss.

Then if you try and send a text message, it won't ask you if you want to send it. You can't say "send the message." You have to use the touch screen in order for Google now to complete certain tasks. It is far from hands free. And yes, it serves a different purpose from Siri. But Siri has been much more useful than Google Now.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

My biggest issue with Google Now is you have to use the touch screen just to pull it up. There is no way to pull it up without having to look at your device, where as Siri you have the physical home button.

Also, you have to use the touch screen to start talking. You can try saying "Google", but that is a hit or miss.

Then if you try and send a text message, it won't ask you if you want to send it. You can't say "send the message." You have to use the touch screen in order for Google now to complete certain tasks. It is far from hands free. And yes, it serves a different purpose from Siri. But Siri has been much more useful than Google Now.

I agree. Google Now isn't hands-free at all. But to be fair, that's not what Google was trying to do either. For me, Siri works better because it's on-demand. For others, Siri sucks.

 

[Orlandoech]

My biggest issue with Google Now is you have to use the touch screen just to pull it up. There is no way to pull it up without having to look at your device, where as Siri you have the physical home button.

Also, you have to use the touch screen to start talking. You can try saying "Google", but that is a hit or miss.

Then if you try and send a text message, it won't ask you if you want to send it. You can't say "send the message." You have to use the touch screen in order for Google now to complete certain tasks. It is far from hands free. And yes, it serves a different purpose from Siri. But Siri has been much more useful than Google Now.

I agree, but SIRI pisses me off too.

I told SIRI to call (my cousin) Kristy, and it responded "You do not have any contacts Christy", I said it three times and it didn't understand me, I finally said, "Call Kristy with a K" and it figured it out.

 

[strausd]

I agree, but SIRI pisses me off too.

I told SIRI to call (my cousin) Kristy, and it responded "You do not have any contacts Christy", I said it three times and it didn't understand me, I finally said, "Call Kristy with a K" and it figured it out.

Hahaha Google did that to me like 5 times with my girlfriend a few weeks ago. That problem isn't just Siri.

 

[Shadow Puppy]

I've never understood the love and need for a dedicated back button. Desktop operating systems don't feature one, each app has their own controls and switching between programs isn't done by a dedicated back button. iOS features more consistent back button placement and behaviour than most desktop programs.

Desktop OS' are a totally different platform. The principles differ greatly.

My argument makes perfect sense. Default scrolling in iOS is geared towards reading. Default scrolling in Android is geared towards just going up or down a little faster with no way to jump to the top.

No. Android scrolling is geared towards scrolling however you choose to scroll. If I want to scroll slowly like iOS, I can. If I want to scroll quickly, I can.

Haha you really need to chill. We are talking about phones here, not the end of the world.

He made a legitimate point, and communicated it well, to which you inexplicably responded with "chill".. Is that how discussions work now?

Siri and Google Now are trying to accomplish two different goals.

Exactly. Google Now's purpose it to be useful even when you are not actively using it. Siri on the other hand is something that is designed to only be useful if you are using it.

As for scrolling, that is just false. The argument regarding this point has since evolved to variable scroll speed and the option to change it. But your original point is completely factually false. It does not move the same amount with disregard to the actual flick motion. If you flick "faster", it will scroll more than if you flick "slower".

In Safari, no matter how fast you flick, it will only go a predetermined distance. That is what he's saying, you don't really have control over how far you want to scroll (if trying to scroll quickly).

You can't really remove a default Android app in stock Android the last time I really used Android, although you can download custom ROMs that remedy this. So the same applies for iOS.

You can disable stock apps so that they are no longer in the app drawer. If you want to totally remove them from the device, you can easily do so with root access. There is no need for a custom rom at all. All in all, disabling the app takes care of it, so there's no need to root or use a custom rom to accomplish this.

I agree. Google Now isn't hands-free at all. But to be fair, that's not what Google was trying to do either. For me, Siri works better because it's on-demand. For others, Siri sucks.

I would be one of the people that "siri sucks" for. Actually, I wouldn't say it sucks, I would say it just isn't very functional in the sense that it doesn't provide much to me. For example, Siri is really only beneficial if you want it to do something for you, or answer a question. That is pretty much the limit of it's usefulness. With Google Now, I get that sort of functionality too (this part I don't use often), but I also get usefulness even when I am not actively using it. For example, yesterday I ordered something off of Amazon, and Google Now automatically kept me apprised of the packages tracking progress. Another example is a couple weeks ago, a charity event was added to my calendar by someone, and Google Now let me know I needed to leave early to get there on time because there was traffic on the route there. I also keep a Google Now widget on my lockscreen, and it changes to show me pertinent information throughout the day. Google Now let's me know when it's people's birthdays, suggests articles I might be interested in based on what I've been reading (and it's suggestions have been fantastic btw), suggests local events I might want to attend, and various other things. Bear in mind, it does all these things without me actually having to initiate its use. It does it on its own. Heck, it even learns the routes I tend to take to certain places and will adjust the trip times (and traffic) based on the route I like to take, as opposed to the route it normally might have suggested. Things like this are why I find Siri to not be very useful to me. Sure Siri has some decent voice functionality, and can answer questions, but truthfully I don't find myself using anything of that nature very often. I find the other features of Google Now to be much more useful.

 

[strausd]

No. Android scrolling is geared towards scrolling however you choose to scroll. If I want to scroll slowly like iOS, I can. If I want to scroll quickly, I can.


He made a legitimate point, and communicated it well, to which you inexplicably responded with "chill".. Is that how discussions work now?

Oh its you again. What happened to your other MR account?

I clearly made the point that iOS scrolling is geared towards reading. That is made evident by the simple feature of tapping to go to the top. If you have a huge webpage that you just finished reading and want to go to the top on Android, you will need to flick multiple times. iOS? Just tap once. Talk about simplicity.

Plus if you need to get to the bottom of a page quickly, iOS will indeed scroll faster depending on how fast you flick and the length of time between flicks. If you flick fast enough with a short time inbetween, you will see it scroll faster than stock Android. Just tried it on my iPad and it did it.

But go ahead, keep thinking whatever you want. Sorry my view on scrolling offended you so much. I guess I should know better to not express any sort of pro-iOS opinion around here

 

[mib1800]

Oh its you again. What happened to your other MR account?

I clearly made the point that iOS scrolling is geared towards reading. That is made evident by the simple feature of tapping to go to the top. If you have a huge webpage that you just finished reading and want to go to the top on Android, you will need to flick multiple times. iOS? Just tap once. Talk about simplicity.

Some android browsers give you a scroll button which you can drag. On galaxy default broswer you can double-tap to go to top. imo, scrolling back to top may not be that essential (why you want to go back to top after you have finished reading??)

Plus if you need to get to the bottom of a page quickly, iOS will indeed scroll faster depending on how fast you flick and the length of time between flicks. If you flick fast enough with a short time inbetween, you will see it scroll faster than stock Android. Just tried it on my iPad and it did it.

Wrong. The amount scrolled is constant per flip (no matter how fast you do it). So for a long page, you have to flip n-times whether you are doing slow or fast flips. On android, the amount scrolled is proportion to how fast/long you flip.

See the folliowing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH1GDLunomY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dn-8aR_Ht4

But go ahead, keep thinking whatever you want. Sorry my view on scrolling offended you so much. I guess I should know better to not express any sort of pro-iOS opinion around here

You can be pro-ios but if what you put out is not true or inaccurate, people can rebut you.

 

[Krimsonmyst]

Oh its you again. What happened to your other MR account?

I clearly made the point that iOS scrolling is geared towards reading. That is made evident by the simple feature of tapping to go to the top. If you have a huge webpage that you just finished reading and want to go to the top on Android, you will need to flick multiple times. iOS? Just tap once. Talk about simplicity.

Plus if you need to get to the bottom of a page quickly, iOS will indeed scroll faster depending on how fast you flick and the length of time between flicks. If you flick fast enough with a short time inbetween, you will see it scroll faster than stock Android. Just tried it on my iPad and it did it.

But go ahead, keep thinking whatever you want. Sorry my view on scrolling offended you so much. I guess I should know better to not express any sort of pro-iOS opinion around here

Actually mate - my account is still here - don't know why you're accusing other people of being 'my other account'.

It's not your view on scrolling that is irritating, its your attitude towards this whole argument. I made a point - you said I was wrong. I politely corrected you - you ignored my rebuttal and told me to chill, and are now acting like I was the only that got overly sensitive.

I welcome discussion here, as I am the person that started this thread. I have no problem with you being pro-iOS, being a primarily Apple-centric site you expect that around here - but what frustrates me is your blind dedication to something that is fundamentally incorrect to what you claim.

No matter how much you want it to be true, Safari has a set scrolling speed/distance, regardless of flick speed/pressure. And as for your 'iOS can get to the top of a webpage in one tap' - so can Android, I've been doing it for a while. You just gotta know where to look

 

[Night Spring]

(why you want to go back to top after you have finished reading??)

Some sites have controls / links at the top -- MacRumors is one site where I'm constantly reading to the bottom and then jumping back to the top because the next link I want -- like links to other major site sections -- is at the top.

 

[bmac4]

Actually mate - my account is still here - don't know why you're accusing other people of being 'my other account'.

It's not your view on scrolling that is irritating, its your attitude towards this whole argument. I made a point - you said I was wrong. I politely corrected you - you ignored my rebuttal and told me to chill, and are now acting like I was the only that got overly sensitive.

I welcome discussion here, as I am the person that started this thread. I have no problem with you being pro-iOS, being a primarily Apple-centric site you expect that around here - but what frustrates me is your blind dedication to something that is fundamentally incorrect to what you claim.

No matter how much you want it to be true, Safari has a set scrolling speed/distance, regardless of flick speed/pressure. And as for your 'iOS can get to the top of a webpage in one tap' - so can Android, I've been doing it for a while. You just gotta know where to look

I don't mean to start another argument about scrolling because it seems kind of pointless, but I just tested the scrolling on my iphone 5. I can control have fast is scrolls. If I swipe my finger fast and a long distance across the screen it will scroll really fast, and it large movements. If I slowly and short swipe it moves slower and over a smaller distance. I don't call that set scrolling.

 

[Night Spring]

I don't mean to start another argument about scrolling because it seems kind of pointless, but I just tested the scrolling on my iphone 5. I can control have fast is scrolls. If I swipe my finger fast and a long distance across the screen it will scroll really fast, and it large movements. If I slowly and short swipe it moves slower and over a smaller distance. I don't call that set scrolling.

I'm testing this on my iPad, and the trick seems to be to flick, then to flick again before it stops scrolling. That really accelerates the scroll, and carries it a lot further than a "pre set distance." By the time you give it a third flick, the page is really whizzing by.

You do need multiple flicks to get it going, though. So Ii guess on Android, you flick and it keeps on scrolling until you stop it? How exactly does it work?

 

[OceanView]

Another Con you might have forgotten is that iPhones often reboot on their own.
I have yet to experience that on any of my android devices but I have had that happen on all of my previous iPhones at least a few times a week.

 

[mib1800]

I'm testing this on my iPad, and the trick seems to be to flick, then to flick again before it stops scrolling. That really accelerates the scroll, and carries it a lot further than a "pre set distance." By the time you give it a third flick, the page is really whizzing by.

You do need multiple flicks to get it going, though. So Ii guess on Android, you flick and it keeps on scrolling until you stop it? How exactly does it work?

why don't you take a look at this to see difference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dn-8aR_Ht4

I know if you flick fast, the scroll move faster but distance move is still short. Do normal fast flicks, count how many times you need to go to end of a long page. Then do the fastest flicks you can and count how many times you need to go to end. You see there is no much differnt in the number of flicks.

On android, you can see the speed and distance moved varies a lot depending on how fast or long you flick.

 

[bmac4]

I'm testing this on my iPad, and the trick seems to be to flick, then to flick again before it stops scrolling. That really accelerates the scroll, and carries it a lot further than a "pre set distance." By the time you give it a third flick, the page is really whizzing by.

You do need multiple flicks to get it going, though. So Ii guess on Android, you flick and it keeps on scrolling until you stop it? How exactly does it work?

No android does not just keep scrolling. I have the nexus 4 as well and it does scroll longer distances, but it does not continue to scroll. I am really not sure what the argument is all about, or why we need to argument about which phone scrolls the fastest or the best. Seems kind of dumb to me. Maybe it is just me, but I could care less which scrolls faster. I think they are both smooth and work well. That is all that matters to me.

 

[Niko91]

Another Con you might have forgotten is that iPhones often reboot on their own.
I have yet to experience that on any of my android devices but I have had that happen on all of my previous iPhones at least a few times a week.

Reboot on their own?
Uh, never happened to me.