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

teknikal90

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jan 28, 2008
3,384
1,945
Vancouver, BC
Hi all,

Got a 4S here and am thinking to upgrade to the 5S next year. That's the plan anyway.
Until I saw the Jelly Bean 4.2 Video and saw how much more innovation the other side of the camp has!
Anyway, still not sold on moving camp. Lots of apps on the Apple side... Until I saw this:

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_16gb

Are you kidding me?? The flagship phone, arguably better than the iPhone 5 - (specs dont matter I know - but Jelly Bean is really really smooth nowadays, and Android is moving forward at a faster rate than iOS), almost as many apps and.... for $300 less than the iPhone 5 16gb??

How is this a fair fight???

Or am I missing something - i dont think that price has a contract attached??
 
Last edited:

surjavarman

macrumors 6502a
Nov 24, 2007
645
2
The nexus4 doesn't have the build quality and premium feel of the iPhone. And android also doesn't have as much games as the iPhone.

Other than that yes it destroys the iphone5 and its unbelievable value
 

thespazz

macrumors 6502a
Jul 5, 2007
530
37
The nexus4 doesn't have the build quality and premium feel of the iPhone. And android also doesn't have as much games as the iPhone.

Other than that yes it destroys the iphone5 and its unbelievable value

lol as many games ... please ... since when did that become a worthy aspect of judging an OS?
 

teknikal90

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jan 28, 2008
3,384
1,945
Vancouver, BC
I'm an Apple fanatic. Wont touch any other laptop with the glowing logo on it. iPhone since the 3G.. Owned 3 ipads so far... iPods...Apple TV.

But I have to say, it's really tough for me to justify that $300
 

surjavarman

macrumors 6502a
Nov 24, 2007
645
2
lol as many games ... please ... since when did that become a worthy aspect of judging an OS?

replace games with ecosystem. but they are interchangeable cause whenever people are talking about the great ecosystem of iOS, they are talking about the games.
 

chakraj

macrumors 65816
Feb 6, 2008
1,285
10
So Cal
The nexus4 doesn't have the build quality and premium feel of the iPhone. And android also doesn't have as much games as the iPhone.

Other than that yes it destroys the iphone5 and its unbelievable value

Yes the nexus 4 is glass on both sides, so it doesnt have the inferior aluminium build quality, thanks for pointing that out.
 

dwhynman

macrumors regular
Jun 23, 2010
105
1
I totally agree

I was just saying today that I think the iphone 5 may not even be in the top 3 phones on the market after the new nexus comes out. I have been a long time apple supporter. I have had every iPhone, but I feel the iphone is falling behind. The new google search app that I downloaded today shows just how much better their voice recognition is as well. I do love how the iphone works with itunes in the cloud, but the google phones do that as well just not with iTunes. I just have too much money invested in apps and music through iTunes that I cant leave iOS. I am trapped and it sucks because I would love to get myself one of these new android devices.
 

Wuiffi

macrumors 6502a
Oct 6, 2011
686
78
I've been with an so called Android Flagship for more than 2.5 years no and let me tell you, it's just fun for the first few weeks. I have had 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.0 and now different 4.1 ROMs.
Phone slows down with time like an old Win 98 machine, customization is fun for the first week - there is only the clock/timer widget that I use.
It got a lot of force closes and there are some pretty bad bugs too!
 

IFRIT

macrumors 6502a
Oct 15, 2012
840
137
I've been with an so called Android Flagship for more than 2.5 years no and let me tell you, it's just fun for the first few weeks. I have had 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.0 and now different 4.1 ROMs.
Phone slows down with time like an old Win 98 machine, customization is fun for the first week - there is only the clock/timer widget that I use.
It got a lot of force closes and there are some pretty bad bugs too!

Nexus devices are not flagship phones.
 

teknikal90

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jan 28, 2008
3,384
1,945
Vancouver, BC
Okay. Well if that's what I'm paying $300 for.. iOS better have NO bugs...
But thats not the case! iOS has bugs too...

I get it, you pay a premium for a premium product. A Sony TV will more expensive than a similarly specced generic found at Wallmart.. But with that premium comes better quality. Better build, better software, better picture quality...
How is the iPhone of higher quality? iOS is arguably inferior... The specs are also pretty much on par..yes, no LTE, but not a big deal IMO, not $300 worth... Is Apple really charging me $300 for aluminium vs. plastic?

Not a good time to be investing in Apple I think
 

sahnjuro

macrumors regular
Jul 15, 2009
101
65
iphone is overpriced

I truly believe that iphone is overpriced. It isn't because apple makes something like 50% profit on it. They should charge as much as people are willing to pay but I don't believe that the iphone warrants its a full price.

In that sense android phones are better deals, but not too many people on this forum or at apple will care to hear that.

Over time iphone price will come down like prices of PC did. Since innovations on smartphones have plateaued, it will eventually come down because of it.
 

richmds

macrumors regular
Sep 30, 2012
171
0
Its all perception, if you like Nexus do it.

Some people prefer Camry's for the cost and reliability. Some like Lambos even though they are less reliable and 10X the cost of the Camry. They both transport you from A to B.
 

enophi1

macrumors 6502a
Nov 23, 2008
521
0
UK
All depends on how much you're willing to pay, what features you're going to use "LTE" for example , the look and feel of the device and if you want to move away from Apple.

I love my iphone 5 and sure I think it's terribly overpriced, but at the end of the day it suits my needs.
 

teknikal90

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jan 28, 2008
3,384
1,945
Vancouver, BC
Its all perception, if you like Nexus do it.

Some people prefer Camry's for the cost and reliability. Some like Lambos even though they are less reliable and 10X the cost of the Camry. They both transport you from A to B.

All I'm saying, is if a Camry has arguably better interiors and is arguably faster than a Lamborghini, the price of the Lamborghini will start to be open for debate.

To put it in a similar industry... It's getting harder and harder right now to justify buying a Mac Pro, when the rest of the industry have moved faster and further forward from those 2010 features
 

jimmyb5374

macrumors member
Oct 24, 2012
54
0
berkshire,U.K.
Being here in the uk where lte / 4g won't be a huge shout for what a year or two from now , i would gladly pay half the price to get a 3-5mbps connection out of a nexus 4 , over say an iphone 5, or the 4s i have right now

I firmly think when its out i will be trading / ebaying the 4s and getting one , i mean there are mad fans either camps ,debunkers and just plain trolls either camps , but apple making a markup from a $175 build cost to a £500 resale here in the UK, that's just pure business based on the utter hype apple don't get virus issues , have a fully stable ring fenced OS and have a better build quality , all of which have been very debatable in the last few months .

Face it Apple are getting to a point where the bubble will certainly burst , mobile wise anyway ,as soon as people actually accept there are just as good options out there for a lot less $$$
 

wknapp0924

macrumors 6502
Sep 14, 2012
410
15
Honolulu, HI
All I'm saying, is if a Camry has arguably better interiors and is arguably faster than a Lamborghini, the price of the Lamborghini will start to be open for debate.

Your not just paying for the insides of the phone. You are paying for the prestige of the name brand.

Apple is not supposed to be a budget brand, and they can and will always charge a premium for this symbol :apple:
 

itjw

macrumors 65816
Dec 20, 2011
1,088
6
People vote with their $$$

So far, for all of the "customization" "innovation" and "tech specs" Android phones (I say phones because it seems like there is a new model almost weekly and wouldn't want to cite Nexus 4 when there is really a slightly better Nexus 6 due out in 12 days...), the iPhone literally destroys any single model using Android.

If the iPhone didn't exist I would probably own an Android. Luckily it does exist, does everything I need (and more), does so with a polished and integrated ecosystem that works better (not flawlessly, but better) than any computer I have ever owned, and holds it's resale better than any Android phone I have seen (my brother has owned several, and taken a bath on all of them because of how quickly they fall out of style and become dated).

The iPhone dominates because of a package. Not because of one killer "app" or "spec". Android people hate the fact that iPhones aren't "innovative" or "customizable" yet the majority of Android power users use a custom ROM instead of the stock "innovation".

And yes, once you load an Android phone up with "customization" it slows to a crawl, force quits a LOT, and makes you want something else.

Never, in owning every iPhone since the 2G, have I longed for another phone on the market. There hasn't been a reason to. The iPhone is the best because it does everything well. Not because it's the fastest or the most something, but because it does everything at a very high level. There are no legitimate compromises (even LTE was cut in favor of battery life... which, while I love LTE, would be fine without if it killed my battery).

The numbers back me up. People who buy an iPhone KEEP buying iPhones. Android doesn't have that retention factor. Why is that???
 

jimmyb5374

macrumors member
Oct 24, 2012
54
0
berkshire,U.K.
long response lol

Having owned android phone since 2007, and hating some things i will disagree with you on 2 points ;

1) apple sales now are not so much incremental based on tech , they are upgrades and based on "my mates all have them so i want one" , that's pretty evident if you go into any phone store , i mean actual phone store not apple store.

2) Custom roms on android phones make them blaze in speed / industry standard performance tests against everything but the ip5 , and when the jellybean roms get blitzed i genuinely believe they will outperform the ip5

You are 100% right that apples walled garden can be better , makes for a smoother os to not need this trickery etc to be better , i mean i have owned an iphone 4s for 5 days and today i got siri to bring me up the new die hard trailer in about 1.5 seconds flat , which to me is cool ,but how many things like that will stave off the much bigger android market from outpacing them and just plain making them look tired etc ?

If i want flipboard on one half of my screen at the top , and facebook feed on the bottom half, then on about 24 "crappy android phones" i can do that in 5 seconds , but apple decided thats not a necessary feature

to me thats protectionism , not progression


People vote with their $$$

So far, for all of the "customization" "innovation" and "tech specs" Android phones (I say phones because it seems like there is a new model almost weekly and wouldn't want to cite Nexus 4 when there is really a slightly better Nexus 6 due out in 12 days...), the iPhone literally destroys any single model using Android.

If the iPhone didn't exist I would probably own an Android. Luckily it does exist, does everything I need (and more), does so with a polished and integrated ecosystem that works better (not flawlessly, but better) than any computer I have ever owned, and holds it's resale better than any Android phone I have seen (my brother has owned several, and taken a bath on all of them because of how quickly they fall out of style and become dated).

The iPhone dominates because of a package. Not because of one killer "app" or "spec". Android people hate the fact that iPhones aren't "innovative" or "customizable" yet the majority of Android power users use a custom ROM instead of the stock "innovation".

And yes, once you load an Android phone up with "customization" it slows to a crawl, force quits a LOT, and makes you want something else.

Never, in owning every iPhone since the 2G, have I longed for another phone on the market. There hasn't been a reason to. The iPhone is the best because it does everything well. Not because it's the fastest or the most something, but because it does everything at a very high level. There are no legitimate compromises (even LTE was cut in favor of battery life... which, while I love LTE, would be fine without if it killed my battery).

The numbers back me up. People who buy an iPhone KEEP buying iPhones. Android doesn't have that retention factor. Why is that???
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
Okay. Well if that's what I'm paying $300 for.. iOS better have NO bugs...
But thats not the case! iOS has bugs too...

Thank you for being honest. It's very true. My 4S had plenty of issues. And even just one issue debunks the whole "it just works" myth.

Even my iPad 3rd gen with iOS 6 sees bugs once in a while, including the occasional lag.

All OSes will have their issues.


For what it's worth, now is a great time to try Android. Stock Android, that is. And I predict the party's just getting started...
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
would you pay $300 for LTE?

The unlocked iPhone 4 and 4S back then didn't have LTE either, and they were still $649. Today, the unlocked 4S is $549, if I'm not mistaken. Again, without LTE.

Unlocked phones typically don't have LTE so try to not pay too much heed to these "No LTE!" arguments. Yes, Google should eventually release carrier specific Nexus 4's with CDMA/LTE, and hopefully they do for their own sake, but initially, the Nexus is meant to be an unlocked device. The iPhone, on the other hand, is meant to be carrier-specific. Different methods.

HSPA+ is no slouch, and don't forget the trade off for LTE: 15.3 hours of talk time and 330 hours of standby time (compared to iPhone's 8 hours talk, 225 hours standby). Only you can decide if that's worth the trade off. In my opinion, the differences of loading websites in seconds is worth it for nearly double the iPhone's battery life.

And for those that are skeptical about those numbers, here are recent stats of my Galaxy Nexus battery running on Tmo's HSPA:

4KOfA.png


pHNH9.png


13+ hours and still 48% left. I could push it hard for another good few hours if I wanted to. Much more if I used the rest of the battery moderately.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.