Compared to the rest of the market, the iPhone isn't a top 10 smartphone.

[bkends35]

What are your criteria for a top ten smartphone? Is it the specs on paper? Is is the real world performance? Is it the user experience? Is it ease of use? Is it the best camera?

It's hard to say what the best smartphone is without identifying how you're deciding... Since you love to hate on the iPhone, let me tell you why it's still the best overall smartphone. It doesn't really do anything the absolute best but it does everything very well.

User interface - simple, yet still tons of features, especially with iOS 8.
Consistency - apps use similar user interfaces, look the same for the most part and it's easy to find things you need because they're always where you expect them.
Camera - easily in the top 3 cameras on the market. Super fast, good in low light, awesome 240FPS slow mo. Incredibly easy to capture a great shot, Apple's image processing is perfect.
TouchID - can't even tell you how useful it is. Has always worked perfect for me and passcodes are a PITA now.
Build quality - still the best, if not second best, on the market. All aluminum design is gorgeous and nobody has come close yet besides HTC.
Screen - not the highest PPI but still looks great. No light bleeding like the new Nexus' and very accurate colors.
Power - once again, on paper it sucks. In the real world, almost nothing can beat it.
Apps - android apps suck when you compare them. Just look at instagram, the image processing on the android's app is horrific compared to iOS'.
Bloatware - None. Simple as that. No "my ATT navigator" or "my VZW account" apps. Also, none of that samsung crap; s view, air view, s voice, water drop sounds when you click on the screen, my magazine, air gesture, air browse, air jump, etc. It's not just samsung, every OEM is guilty of putting useless crap on their skin except motorola.
Old device support - The GS4 is still on a version of android that is three versions old. That's sad. iOS gets updates instantly and for a guaranteed four years after the device is released.
Battery life - once again, minuscule on paper (not the 6+) but apple does a very good job getting the most out of that tiny battery. The standby time is very good and the battery life is consistent. About once week and a half, I'd have a day where a rouge app would kill my androids battery in 4 hours. I always get the same amount of usage out of my 5s, the same cannot be said for my Nexus 5.
iMessage - Very underrated. Seemless integration within iOS and uncompressed picture messaging is awesome.

No, the iPhone probably doesn't do anything the absolute best. BUT, it does everything very well. Well enough to make it the best overall smartphone. The biggest problem I have with android are the OEMs. Their skins suck. Sony's is ugly and full of useless crap, so is LG's, and Samsungs. That being said, I love lollipop on my Nexus 5 and also am a fan of HTC sense on the M8. BUT, my iPhone just works better for me. I need a phone I can always depend on and I still feel like the iPhone is my best choice. I send and receive a ton of emails and the iOS mail.app is simple, yet effective. I also do make a good amount of calls and callers say the Nexus 5 sounds like crap, especially on speakerphone.

My top ten in no order:
Nexus 6
Nexus 5
iPhone 6
iPhone 6+
iPhone 5s
Moto X 2014
Droid Turbo
Moto X 2013
HTC One M8 GPE
HTC One M8

 

[animalx]

Lots of peeps in the alternative section are tech junkies and will use any opportunity to add another device to their arsenal.

As to the thread, honestly I can't see how anyone can say that the iPhone isn't in the top 10. Even subjectively, that would be a reach.

My top 10

1. Note 4
2. Nexus 6
3. iPhone 6+
4. Xperia Z3
5. iPhone 6
6. Droid Turbo
7. Note 3
8. LG G3
9. iPhone 5s
10. Moto X

Interesting list. I see you have last gen phones on it. I can see something of an argument being made to include the 6+, but I can't see the 5S making it. I'd go as far as to say lack of battery life and screen resolution alone are enough to rule out the iPhone 6. If we're talking last gen, I'd put the Nexus 5, last year's Moto X, and last year's GS4 and last year's HTC One in ahead of the 5S.

 

[Sensamic]

The same way some feel about Touchwiz on Galaxy devices, is the same way I feel about iOS on the iPhone.

Nailed it.

I'm not even gonna bother talking about the lack of functionally of iOS compared to Android...

My top 5:

- OnePlus One.
- Nexus 6.
- SGS5.
- Note 4.
- M8 or Moto X2.

 

[Menneisyys2]

I'd go as far as to say lack of battery life and screen resolution alone are enough to rule out the iPhone 6.

...and the camera OIS. It was a very silly decision on Apple's part to leave it out for whatever reason (most probably, the usual "let's force people to get the more expensive model"). That's what completely ruled out the iP6 for me.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

It's hard to say what the best smartphone is without identifying how you're deciding... Since you love to hate on the iPhone, let me tell you why it's still the best overall smartphone. It doesn't really do anything the absolute best but it does everything very well.

User interface - simple, yet still tons of features, especially with iOS 8.
Consistency - apps use similar user interfaces, look the same for the most part and it's easy to find things you need because they're always where you expect them.
Camera - easily in the top 3 cameras on the market. Super fast, good in low light, awesome 240FPS slow mo. Incredibly easy to capture a great shot, Apple's image processing is perfect.
TouchID - can't even tell you how useful it is. Has always worked perfect for me and passcodes are a PITA now.
Build quality - still the best, if not second best, on the market. All aluminum design is gorgeous and nobody has come close yet besides HTC.
Screen - not the highest PPI but still looks great. No light bleeding like the new Nexus' and very accurate colors.
Power - once again, on paper it sucks. In the real world, almost nothing can beat it.
Apps - android apps suck when you compare them. Just look at instagram, the image processing on the android's app is horrific compared to iOS'.
Bloatware - None. Simple as that. No "my ATT navigator" or "my VZW account" apps. Also, none of that samsung crap; s view, air view, s voice, water drop sounds when you click on the screen, my magazine, air gesture, air browse, air jump, etc. It's not just samsung, every OEM is guilty of putting useless crap on their skin except motorola.
Old device support - The GS4 is still on a version of android that is three versions old. That's sad. iOS gets updates instantly and for a guaranteed four years after the device is released.
Battery life - once again, minuscule on paper (not the 6+) but apple does a very good job getting the most out of that tiny battery. The standby time is very good and the battery life is consistent. About once week and a half, I'd have a day where a rouge app would kill my androids battery in 4 hours. I always get the same amount of usage out of my 5s, the same cannot be said for my Nexus 5.
iMessage - Very underrated. Seemless integration within iOS and uncompressed picture messaging is awesome.

No, the iPhone probably doesn't do anything the absolute best. BUT, it does everything very well. Well enough to make it the best overall smartphone.

User interface - The homescreens are nothing but an app drawer and too simple for my taste. I always found iOS settings more complicated and scattered around vs on Android. I really wish Apple would at least open up homescreen customization.


Consistency - looks wise, most iOS apps do keep it's iOS style UI. But consistency is another thing. There is the UI back button within each app that's not consistent, and menu inconsistencies. Like I stated above with scattered settings, that also applies to apps.


Camera - Yes I agree, the iPhone camera has never disappointed, but others have outdone it.

TouchID - Apple wins this category hands down at the moment. Anyone that says otherwise is fooling themselves. The new Snapdragon Dev phone looks interesting though. Looks that they have a TouchID like sensor on the back.

Build quality - I can't argue for or against this. I'm not that big on materials used on a build. As long as it's build quality is solid.

Screen - Never had any complaints about any iDevice screen.

Power - This can be subjective to optimization. Sometimes tweaking when jailbroken makes you realize it can't handle the tweaks. I almost never have lag or stalling problems when tweaking good spec Android devices. But that's just my experience, I'm no expert when talking about CPU/GPU.

Apps - 95% of cross platform apps are just as good and similar on both iOS and Android. Rarely do I find a better version on either.

Bloatware - Bloatware is subjective. I sure don't need Newstand, Tips, iBooks. But I still agree, that the iPhone basically has next to none. Bloatware has never been a problem for me on Android, as you can permanently disable the bloatware.

Old device support - Older devices still miss out on many of the main reasons for upgrading.

Battery life - The gap is basically closed and surpassed when comparing the top tier phones.


iMessage - I agree the integration of iMessage is unmatched. But it's easy to live without. From Google +, Tango, Skype, Whatsapp, and etc, I don't have one contact that doesn't have at least one of them always connected.

 

[I7guy]

Exactly! That's why I didn't even bother to respond to that person. Clearly this post is that of a subjective nature. If one needs a disclaimer in order to discern the obvious, then they have other challenges to deal with beyond my smartphone opinion lol.

----------



I'm not talking about age, I'm talking about functionality (and I can't stand Windows by the way lol). As for 64-bit, that really isn't even an argument you can make, as it isn't even really implemented, nor does it really have the hardware to make use of it anyway.

Lol. Okay you don't like windows, which basically runs the world. Nobody is forcing you to like it. And implemented is implemented, no matter how you may try to downplay the achievement.

 

[JoeG4]

Meh
My list
HTC One M8
nexus 6
the heck with everything else.

Not sure how I'd relate the iPhone 6+ I have to those.

After my Note 2, I wouldn't actually pay money for a Samsung.

Lol. Okay you don't like windows, which basically runs the world. Nobody is forcing you to like it. And implemented is implemented, no matter how you may try to downplay the achievement.

Wrong.

Sure, MS has a stranglehold on the "business management" and HR crowd, but they haven't got anything in the internet of things, their mobile OS is still struggling to get a footing, and they don't have much of a standing in the server market either.

http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2013/07/02/july-2013-web-server-survey.html

 

[Menneisyys2]

iOS gets updates instantly and for a guaranteed four years after the device is released.

Four years? That's pretty optimistic with at least half the models:
3G: 2008 -> 2011 (4.2.1)
3GS: 2009 -> 2012 (the 2013 6.1.6 didn't really add any new features)
4: 2010 -> 2014 (7.1.2)
4S: 2011 -> 2015 (won't receive iOS8)

And, of course, the last major OS version jumps will deliberately slow down all models to force people to upgrade - as has happened to every single iPhone (and iPad) model up to now. And there's no way back. That is, in some respects, it's better NOT to have any (if, for some reason, you need to restore) forced OS "upgrade" at all.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

Lol. Okay you don't like windows, which basically runs the world. Nobody is forcing you to like it. And implemented is implemented, no matter how you may try to downplay the achievement.

Because Windows runs the world it does not mean that it is a prerogative to be liked or to be good. It is common knowledge how this domination was achieved.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Of course this is just my opinion but my top phones would be:

iPhone 6 plus
Note 4
Galaxy S5
Galaxy Alpha
iPhone 6
LG G3
HTC One M8

 

[Zwhaler]

Imo, half of this list doesnt deserve to be truly better than iPhone 6
Nexus 6?
Pricey + 6'' format

To be fair, the Nexus 6 is quite a bit cheaper than the iPhone 6 16GB unlocked.

 

[bkends35]

Four years? That's pretty optimistic with at least half the models:
3G: 2008 -> 2011 (4.2.1)
3GS: 2009 -> 2012 (the 2013 6.1.6 didn't really add any new features)
4: 2010 -> 2014 (7.1.2)
4S: 2011 -> 2015 (won't receive iOS8)

And, of course, the last major OS version jumps will deliberately slow down all models to force people to upgrade - as has happened to every single iPhone (and iPad) model up to now. And there's no way back. That is, in some respects, it's better NOT to have any (if, for some reason, you need to restore) forced OS "upgrade" at all.

As far as I'm concerned, the newest software for the 3G and 3GS was current for four years. The 4 and 4s will be on the newest software for five years. I'm sure this trend will continue and actually get larger as the A7 and A8x are significantly more powerful than their predecessors. As far as slowing down intentionally, I can see how people think that. My iPad 4 was slow on 8.0-8.1 until 8.1.1 was released which definitely made the experience better. iOS 6 was never slow on the iPhone 4 but iOS 7 was a turd on the iPhone 4. The transparency really takes a toll on the performance. And no, Apple doesn't force you to upgrade so if one wanted to keep their device on the version that it shipped with they easily can. Just don't upgrade, simple as that.

 

[AppleRobert]

I can make a list of what I have. I cannot distinguish which are the top ones cause I like them all or I would have sold it if I didn't.

It depends upon my mood. I have all of the OSes covered and have various screen sizes and weight.

----------

Do we really need a disclaimer for everything? If anyone can't tell that it's just the OP's opinion from the first sentence, then that's their fault.

And your first thoughts was when you saw the thread title?

Sorry but I agree with him, it is not even close imho the way it should have been written considering the number of Apple folks who venture into this forum.

 

[Menneisyys2]

I'm sure this trend will continue and actually get larger as the A7 and A8x are significantly more powerful than their predecessors.

This subject has been widely discussed in many threads but still: how come Microsoft, with Windows 8.1, produced an OS that runs significantly faster than not only Windows 7, but also XP preceding it by some 12 years? And some Android versions were also significantly faster than previous ones.

And no, Apple doesn't force you to upgrade so if one wanted to keep their device on the version that it shipped with they easily can. Just don't upgrade, simple as that.

If you EVER need to get your phone serviced by Apple or a carrier, it may be upgraded even if you tell them NOT to upgrade. This happened to me too. This means a forced upgrade.

So is any incident like the OS getting useless.

It'd be far more consumer-friendly to allow for downgrading. Of course, then, they couldn't render "old" models uselessly slow by the new iOS versions...

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

And your first thoughts was when you saw the thread title?

Sorry but I agree with him, it is not even close imho the way it should have been written considering the number of Apple folks who venture into this forum.

I first thoughts were to read the OP.

Seriously, half the thread titles aren't exactly what it seems. Shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[I7guy]

Because Windows runs the world it does not mean that it is a prerogative to be liked or to be good. It is common knowledge how this domination was achived.

I think I agreed with you popularity and dominance are not necessarily correlated.

 

[animalx]

What are your criteria for a top ten smartphone? Is it the specs on paper? Is is the real world performance? Is it the user experience? Is it ease of use? Is it the best camera?

It's hard to say what the best smartphone is without identifying how you're deciding... Since you love to hate on the iPhone, let me tell you why it's still the best overall smartphone. It doesn't really do anything the absolute best but it does everything very well.

It's all subjective really. What makes a phone good to you, may be a weakness to me, and vice versa.

User interface - simple, yet still tons of features, especially with iOS 8.

We differ here. I find the UI on iOS to be extremely dumbed down, to the point it impacts it's ability to useful in it's most basic form. They've iproved this in iOS 8, to a degree, but it still has a ways to go.

Consistency - apps use similar user interfaces, look the same for the most part and it's easy to find things you need because they're always where you expect them.

I guess it depends on what you expect, and what you're used to. For example, I expect for the settings for an app, to be in that app. I don't expect to have to leave the app I'm in, to change the settings for it, and then return to said app. That's counterintuitive to me, and doesn't make much sense.

Camera - easily in the top 3 cameras on the market. Super fast, good in low light, awesome 240FPS slow mo. Incredibly easy to capture a great shot, Apple's image processing is perfect.

Agreed.....until you start having to crop...then it's weakness shows up more. However, overall the camera is very good.

TouchID - can't even tell you how useful it is. Has always worked perfect for me and passcodes are a PITA now.

Understood. It was a decent feature back with the Atrix, but overall I didn't care much, and still don't now. That said, I do understand how the little things can add to the experience.

[/quote]
Build quality - still the best, if not second best, on the market. All aluminum design is gorgeous and nobody has come close yet besides HTC.[/quote]
I totally disagree. The phone does not make efficient use of it's on space, has no ergonomic design, and is flimsy. Those things do not make for good overall build quality, and I'll go as far as to suggest the opposite.

Screen - not the highest PPI but still looks great. No light bleeding like the new Nexus' and very accurate colors.

There is no such thing as light bleed on the new Nexus. The new Nexus doesn't even have a backlight, to have light bleeding. It's an amoled display. That said, you are flat out wrong on that one. As for the iPhone's display, it's decent even though it's a rather low resolution. However, it is good for what it is.

Power - once again, on paper it sucks. In the real world, almost nothing can beat it.

I don't think any flagships are lacking in power at all, and truthfully are capable of more than the software can even push right now.

Apps - android apps suck when you compare them. Just look at instagram, the image processing on the android's app is horrific compared to iOS'.

This is an old line, that doesn't necessarily ring true anymore. Some apps are better on iOS, and some are better on Android.

Bloatware - None. Simple as that. No "my ATT navigator" or "my VZW account" apps. Also, none of that samsung crap; s view, air view, s voice, water drop sounds when you click on the screen, my magazine, air gesture, air browse, air jump, etc. It's not just samsung, every OEM is guilty of putting useless crap on their skin except motorola.

Apple has their own things they put on your device, and then let's not even get into the whole iTunes thing.... As for the things you mentioned, the beauty of choice is being able to disable or turn off whatever you don't want.

Old device support - The GS4 is still on a version of android that is three versions old. That's sad. iOS gets updates instantly and for a guaranteed four years after the device is released.

This argument is not really valid, because the two OS' are not updated in the same fashion. Apple devices require an update to get new features, whereas on Android that is not true. Android is more modular, in that individual features can be added even without the need for an overall OS update. With that said, Android devices actually receive more updates than iOS devices. You're thinking in terms of just the OS update, but on Android features and updates are rolled out all throughout the year in modular fashion.

Battery life - once again, minuscule on paper (not the 6+) but apple does a very good job getting the most out of that tiny battery. The standby time is very good and the battery life is consistent. About once week and a half, I'd have a day where a rouge app would kill my androids battery in 4 hours. I always get the same amount of usage out of my 5s, the same cannot be said for my Nexus 5.

I agree that iPhones get very good standby times (due to how limited the OS is). However, once you're actually using them, they do not do as well. While standby time is definitely important, usage time is more important. With that said, that's where they have struggled a bit in recent years. They've done a little bit better with the 6 plus, however the 6 still struggles with actual use.

iMessage - Very underrated. Seemless integration within iOS and uncompressed picture messaging is awesome.

This is a great example of something you consider being a strength being a point of contention for me. I do not like iMessage at all, and don't see it as a strength. I don't like that it isn't cross platform, and I also don't like the issues it can give you if you stop using it.

No, the iPhone probably doesn't do anything the absolute best. BUT, it does everything very well. Well enough to make it the best overall smartphone.

I disagree here. A few quick points would be terrible email attachment capabilities, handicapped web browsing (downloading), and even something as simple as creating your own ringtones.

My top ten in no order:
Nexus 6
Nexus 5
iPhone 6
iPhone 6+
iPhone 5s
Moto X 2014
Droid Turbo
Moto X 2013
HTC One M8 GPE
HTC One M8

Wow! lol

 

[fredaroony]

I don't know what your biases are.

My list starts with the iphone 6+ as number 1. But I have no intention of making a top 10 list; I vote with my wallet.

Is this the same phone you have had zero issues with along with every iDevice you have owned?

 

[animalx]

...and the camera OIS. It was a very silly decision on Apple's part to leave it out for whatever reason (most probably, the usual "let's force people to get the more expensive model"). That's what completely ruled out the iP6 for me.

Another good point!

Lol. Okay you don't like windows, which basically runs the world. Nobody is forcing you to like it. And implemented is implemented, no matter how you may try to downplay the achievement.

So if I put an engine in my car that can put out 500 horsepower, but all the other components under the hood, can only handle 250 horsepower, I should still get kudos for putting a useless extra 250 hp under there? I'm sorry but it isn't an actual achievement if it can't really be used. Would you give me the Nobel Prize if I told you I created a time machine....you just can't use it right now?

Sure, MS has a stranglehold on the "business management" and HR crowd, but they haven't got anything in the internet of things, their mobile OS is still struggling to get a footing, and they don't have much of a standing in the server market either.

http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2013/07/02/july-2013-web-server-survey.html

Right. A good example is Google. They have millions of servers, and not one of them runs Microsoft anything. They are all Linux.

 

[I7guy]

Is this the same phone you have had zero issues with along with every iDevice you have owned?

I don't understand the pejorative nature of your question?

----------

Another good point!


So if I put an engine in my car that can put out 500 horsepower, but all the other components under the hood, can only handle 250 horsepower, I should still get kudos for putting a useless extra 250 hp under there? I'm sorry but it isn't an actual achievement if it can't really be used. Would you give me the Nobel Prize if I told you I created a time machine....you just can't use it right now?



Right. A good example is Google. They have millions of servers, and not one of them runs Microsoft anything. They are all Linux.

I'll leave you to figure out the fallacy of your own answers.

 

[fredaroony]

I don't understand the pejorative nature of your question?

It was a snarky based question based on your claim that all your iDevices have had zero issues, which of course is a complete lie.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It was a snarky based question based on your claim that all your iDevices have had zero issues, which of course is a complete lie.

It all depends how issues are rated. I've had one or two extremely minor issues with the iPhone 6 but reading here some people have had worse examples. I am yet to have issues that make me consider switching to another OS, but the alternative to iOS is what I had before anyway lol. It's about weighing up the experience and deciding what is better for you.

 

[Shanghaichica]

It all depends how issues are rated. I've had one or two extremely minor issues with the iPhone 6 but reading here some people have had worse examples. I am yet to have issues that make me consider switching to another OS, but the alternative to iOS is what I had before anyway lol. It's about weighing up the experience and deciding what is better for you.

You could just be lucky with the devices you have. Actually I've only ever had one issue with an iOS device, my iPhone 3G. The home button stopped working after a year and I had to have the phone replaced. Otherwise things have been pretty Minor if any issues occurred.

I've had a pretty good record with Samsung too.

Note 1- serious issues (phone had to be replaced)
S4- no issues
Note 3- no issues
S5- minor issues
Tab 2 10.1- serious issues, had to be replaced.
Tab pro 10.1 - serious issues (will need repair or replacement).

 

[Technarchy]

Oh an by the way....It all depends on how you bench it. Some battery tests would have Apple pulling up the rear. Again, it just all depends on what you run and how. Again, if I have to explain benchmarks and why they haven't been relevant for some time, then you've already missed the boat anyway.

Image

See how that works? lol

What is the source and reputation of that graph?

 

[fredaroony]

You could just be lucky with the devices you have. Actually I've only ever had one issue with an iOS device, my iPhone 3G. The home button stopped working after a year and I had to have the phone replaced. Otherwise things have been pretty Minor if any issues occurred.

I've had a pretty good record with Samsung too.

Note 1- serious issues (phone had to be replaced)
S4- no issues
Note 3- no issues
S5- minor issues
Tab 2 10.1- serious issues, had to be replaced.
Tab pro 10.1 - serious issues (will need repair or replacement).

I've had:

iPhone 4S (had quite a few of them)
Battery died
Home button died
Power button died
Wifi chip died
Volume button died
Microphone died
Speaker died

iPhone 5
Screen glitches and had to be replaced

iPhone 5C
Freezing after 8.x installed

iPad 2
Mark on the inside of the screen and had to be replaced

iPad mini
Total joke in performance after installing 8 and now keeping it on 7.1.2 for now