Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
Some of the overblown nonsense went away after 4.1.

Android can be faster but not smoother.

It can lag but not from Android itself, but the skins OEM's put on it. But iPhones generally have better GPU and better optimization. Also iOS does LESS in the background.

It's worth noting that since iOS 7 and the introduction of background app refresh, there is less of a gap than before between the capabilities of the multitasking systems in iOS and Android. iOS retains its' smoothness though.
 

coldjeanzzz

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2012
655
17
I don't notice lag on my HTC One on most apps, but apps that are horribly optimized it will happen. For example all the HTC default apps such as mail, messages, and browser are super smooth. But Chrome browser? Wow that thing is a joke, it feels like I'm running Android 2.2 on a 2009 phone.
 

Savor

Suspended
Jun 18, 2010
3,742
918
It's worth noting that since iOS 7 and the introduction of background app refresh, there is less of a gap than before between the capabilities of the multitasking systems in iOS and Android. iOS retains its' smoothness though.
I havent really checked out iOS7 since I'm no fan of its looks but does the newer animations make it slower? Similar to the unnecessary animations when I was with Windows Phone?

I turn off animations sometimes as it kills battery. I will give the edge to iOS and WP for smoothness but restrictions is why I would not go back to them.

There was a comment read on GSMArena a few days ago about iOS. Poster was like what is point of iOS' smoothness, 64-bit, etc when you cant really do much with it. Cant Bluetooth transfer, cant download songs directly from the browser, cant do alot of things like adding or deleting files without iTunes, iOS to iOS communicating usually, only has 1 GB of RAM so what's the point of 64-bit?, etc.

All that power and cooler animations for really nothing, more restrictions, and only baby steps with evolution.
 

matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
I havent really checked out iOS7 since I'm no fan of its looks but does the newer animations make it slower? Similar to the unnecessary animations when I was with Windows Phone?

I turn off animations sometimes as it kills battery. I will give the edge to iOS and WP for smoothness but restrictions is why I would no go back to them.

There was a comment read on GSMArena a few days ago about iOS. Poster was like what is point of iOS' smoothness, 64-bit, etc when you cant really do much with it. Cant Bluetooth transfer, cant download songs directly from the browser, cant do alot of things like adding or deleting files without iTunes, iOS to iOS communicating usually, only has 1 GB of RAM for what's the point of 64-bit?, etc.

All that power and cooler animations for really nothing, more restrictions, and more baby steps with evolution.

I know it sounds cheesy but 'there's an app for that' :p you can download apps to Bluetooth transfer.

If you have a 5 or a 5s, or an iPad 4, then you can use airdrop, which uses Bluetooth low energy to find users to share with (VERY fast) and then wifi direct to send files. It's about a billion times better than sending a file over Bluetooth. Obviously the problem is that it's limited to only a few devices.

Animations in iOS7 are quite slow, yes. I'm hoping they resolve this in a future update. It doesn't bother me immensely but sometimes I try to use the phone before the animation has finished and it just ignores me.

I don't find iOS that limiting but we obviously have different uses for an OS. I buy all my songs from iTunes anyway so not being able to download songs in the browser is a non-issue for me.
 

thunng8

macrumors 65816
Feb 8, 2006
1,032
417
I know it sounds cheesy but 'there's an app for that' :p you can download apps to Bluetooth transfer.

If you have a 5 or a 5s, or an iPad 4, then you can use airdrop, which uses Bluetooth low energy to find users to share with (VERY fast) and then wifi direct to send files. It's about a billion times better than sending a file over Bluetooth. Obviously the problem is that it's limited to only a few devices.

AirDrop is super fast. Use it all the time.

Btw, ipad mini, iPod touch 5th gen, iphone 5c are also compatible.
 

Naxters

macrumors newbie
May 24, 2013
18
1
It's fact.

I was in a shop, and than tried Samsung S4, and it's lagged even in a stock apps... Android with TouchWiz is just laggy.
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
I trust android OEMs and Google to fix these "issues" with lag faster than I trust Apple will give us the features we'd all love to see in iOS. There are some we may never ever see (like I wouldn't hold my breath out for being able to set default apps, for example).

Whereas the options out there are plentiful if you want to avoid skins that may cause lag. There are nexus devices, Google play editions (hopefully more added to this family of phones), and there are even OEMs who are skinning less (HTC sense and Sony's current skin).

Even Samsung will figure out the lag as they continue to throw out powerful hardware. If lg can make the g2 not lag (all reports have been utterly positive about the smoothness etc) then Samsung can and will too.

As others have said, lag really has become a minor issue where the talking point only remains by the most nitpicking users. Again, milliseconds. I can live with that. But even that will change and improve over time faster than iOS will remove its limitations.
 

appledes7

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2011
756
0
I havent really checked out iOS7 since I'm no fan of its looks but does the newer animations make it slower? Similar to the unnecessary animations when I was with Windows Phone?

I turn off animations sometimes as it kills battery. I will give the edge to iOS and WP for smoothness but restrictions is why I would not go back to them.

There was a comment read on GSMArena a few days ago about iOS. Poster was like what is point of iOS' smoothness, 64-bit, etc when you cant really do much with it. Cant Bluetooth transfer, cant download songs directly from the browser, cant do alot of things like adding or deleting files without iTunes, iOS to iOS communicating usually, only has 1 GB of RAM so what's the point of 64-bit?, etc.

All that power and cooler animations for really nothing, more restrictions, and only baby steps with evolution.

That sounds so narrow minded. I'm sure when Intel first brought up 64-bit CPUs they weren't "necessary" at the time, but it is a way to prepare for future advancements.

Plus, there is a lot more to a phone that bluetooth file transfer, browser song downloads, and deleting files....

Especially when it comes to gaming performance and frame rates, iOS still has an edge.
 

Technarchy

macrumors 604
May 21, 2012
6,753
4,927
AirDrop is super fast. Use it all the time.

Btw, ipad mini, iPod touch 5th gen, iphone 5c are also compatible.

AirDrop has become all the rage in the office. It's been around a week and already "I'll AirDrop you" has become common lingo.

Very nice feature.

----------

I don't notice lag on my HTC One on most apps, but apps that are horribly optimized it will happen. For example all the HTC default apps such as mail, messages, and browser are super smooth. But Chrome browser? Wow that thing is a joke, it feels like I'm running Android 2.2 on a 2009 phone.

The sad thing about Chrome is I really like the features and syncing across devices.

But really, the scrolling, zooming and overall smoothness is horrid compared to iOS Safari.
 

gotluck

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2011
5,717
1,260
East Central Florida
That sounds so narrow minded. I'm sure when Intel first brought up 64-bit CPUs they weren't "necessary" at the time, but it is a way to prepare for future advancements.

Plus, there is a lot more to a phone that bluetooth file transfer, browser song downloads, and deleting files....

Especially when it comes to gaming performance and frame rates, iOS still has an edge.

The much lower resolution must be accounted for as well for gaming and frame rates.

I do agree with the sentiment that android will address touch latency before apple adds those freedom giving features listed.
 

Zaft

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2009
4,570
4,049
Brooklyn, NY
I bought a nexus 7 2013 just yesterday to try it out. I was hoping it would replace my iPad so I could have iOS phone and tablet on android. Long story short it's going back today. Even stock android lags. It just bothered me too much... And the apps on tablet are just bad. It's a shame because it's a nice little device.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    2 MB · Views: 120

King Shady

macrumors 6502
Aug 22, 2010
374
134
San Jose, CA
I bought a nexus 7 2013 just yesterday to try it out. I was hoping it would replace my iPad so I could have iOS phone and tablet on android. Long story short it's going back today. Even stock android lags. It just bothered me too much... And the apps on tablet are just bad. It's a shame because it's a nice little device.

In all videos of the new Nexus 7, I've never seen it lag. When I used my friend's, it did not lag. Not saying you're wrong at all. Just saying that on 4.3 on my GS4, there is really zero lag. Personally, I'd stick with an iPad just because of the tablet apps, but honestly lag should not even be a problem for the Nexus 7.
 

macrem

macrumors 65816
Mar 11, 2008
1,438
102
In all videos of the new Nexus 7, I've never seen it lag. When I used my friend's, it did not lag. Not saying you're wrong at all. Just saying that on 4.3 on my GS4, there is really zero lag. Personally, I'd stick with an iPad just because of the tablet apps, but honestly lag should not even be a problem for the Nexus 7.
I have a Nexus 7, I see lag and it is definitely not as smooth as any iOS device. What the OP said about iOS giving up performance for smoothness does not make sense. The iPhone 5s smokes the S4 on Geekbench tests with 1/2 the number of cores and lower clock speeds, for example.
 
Last edited:

Technarchy

macrumors 604
May 21, 2012
6,753
4,927
In all videos of the new Nexus 7, I've never seen it lag. When I used my friend's, it did not lag. Not saying you're wrong at all. Just saying that on 4.3 on my GS4, there is really zero lag. Personally, I'd stick with an iPad just because of the tablet apps, but honestly lag should not even be a problem for the Nexus 7.

A co-worker has a Nexus 7 and it's a stretch to say the UI is as seamless and responsive as my iPad 4.

What is acceptable and "lag-free" for those accustomed to android can be jarring for those accustomed to iOS, especially when speaking of recently released iOS devices which keep a blistering high frame rate for just about everything in the UI experience.

That said, Apple needs to tweak iOS 7 and clean up some of the transition effects on the iPad which do NOT have that polish of previous iterations if iOS.
 

King Shady

macrumors 6502
Aug 22, 2010
374
134
San Jose, CA
I have a Nexus 7, I see lag and it is definitely not as smooth as any iOS device. What the OP said about iOS giving up performance for smoothness does not make sense. The iPhone 5s smokes the S4 on Geekbench tests with 1/2 the number of cores and lower clock speeds, for example.

I didn't say it was smoother than iOS devices. I just said based on my personal usage, I've never seen noticeable lag. And yes I know the A7 is a beast.

----------

A co-worker has a Nexus 7 and it's a stretch to say the UI is as seamless and responsive as my iPad 4.

What is acceptable and "lag-free" for those accustomed to android can be jarring for those accustomed to iOS, especially when speaking of recently released iOS devices which keep a blistering high frame rate for just about everything in the UI experience.

That said, Apple needs to tweak iOS 7 and clean up some of the transition effects on the iPad which do NOT have that polish of previous iterations if iOS.

Again, did not say the Nexus 7 was smoother than your iPad 4. I even said I'd personally get an iPad because of the far better tablet app selection. iOS 7 is pretty smooth, but looks atrocious in my honest opinion.
 

kenknotts

macrumors 6502
Sep 23, 2013
276
0
I bought a nexus 7 2013 just yesterday to try it out. I was hoping it would replace my iPad so I could have iOS phone and tablet on android. Long story short it's going back today. Even stock android lags. It just bothered me too much... And the apps on tablet are just bad. It's a shame because it's a nice little device.

I did the same thing. Returned the N7 and kept my iPad mini. I had the N7 with the 5s for a few days. Having an iOS phone and an Android tablet sucked to be honest. Unless you like spending double the money for apps or going thru the hassle of downloading the same app twice.
 

appledes7

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2011
756
0
The much lower resolution must be accounted for as well for gaming and frame rates.

I do agree with the sentiment that android will address touch latency before apple adds those freedom giving features listed.

Some resource heavy 3D games, like blitz brigade for example, were smoother on my iPad 3 than my 2013 Nexus 7. The gap becomes even more noticeable with an iPad 4.
 

gotluck

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2011
5,717
1,260
East Central Florida
Some resource heavy 3D games, like blitz brigade for example, were smoother on my iPad 3 than my 2013 Nexus 7. The gap becomes even more noticeable with an iPad 4.

If I'm not mistaken the specs on the iPad 4 are better so that would make sense. I would hope the device that costs more than twice the other would have higher gaming performance. Surprised to hear that about the 3, from what I heard that device is a choker.
 

ReanimationN

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2011
724
0
Australia
I bought a nexus 7 2013 just yesterday to try it out. I was hoping it would replace my iPad so I could have iOS phone and tablet on android. Long story short it's going back today. Even stock android lags. It just bothered me too much... And the apps on tablet are just bad. It's a shame because it's a nice little device.
That sounds like the exact same experience I had with the 2012 N7. It was easily one of the most disappointing tech purchases I've ever made. I'll also never trust another review of an Android device that says it's lag-free.
 

appledes7

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2011
756
0
If I'm not mistaken the specs on the iPad 4 are better so that would make sense. I would hope the device that costs more than twice the other would have higher gaming performance. Surprised to hear that about the 3, from what I heard that device is a choker.

Its not all about raw specs and numbers. IOS is just able to do a lot more with available resources than Android.
 

viskon

macrumors 6502
Oct 20, 2012
464
10
In terms of noticeable performance.

If you define performance as apps opening quickly, and moving through home screens smoother, and general responsiveness of the UI, I think Apple does a great job of optimizing iOS7 for their current flaghips.

If you define performance in terms of customizability, multitasking, wider options, etc, iOS has quite the distance to cover (not used iOS 7 yet, though) . There is no denying that Apple makes great hardware, but the software just hasn't demanded much from it, given iOS's limited capabilities. And when it does (think iOS4 on iPhone 3g or iOS 6 on iPod Touch 4), the hardware doesn't cope well - lags and stutters abound.

On my Galaxy S4, on stock Touchwiz, I have observed stutters and lags. On my old Galaxy Nexus, never seen these same things.

I think a better statement to make would be - all devices made by lazy manufacturers (Samsung on the S4) or by manufacturers wanting you to upgrade (Apple) lag, irrespective of OS.
 
Last edited:

KurianOfBorg

macrumors member
Jul 23, 2013
54
3
Apple screwed up iOS 7 performance wise. It's lags unacceptably on everything up to the iPhone 4S and the iPad 3. It's unbelievable how laggy those two extremely powerful devices are on iOS 7.
 

zbarvian

macrumors 68010
Jul 23, 2011
2,004
2
The much lower resolution must be accounted for as well for gaming and frame rates.

I do agree with the sentiment that android will address touch latency before apple adds those freedom giving features listed.

That is, if the touch latency issues originate from Android, and not the touch screens or third party skins. And I wouldn't be surprised if Apple allows default apps in iOS 8, I'm almost counting on it.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.