For those of you who have experienced both, do you prefer iPhone or Android? Why?

[ageorges]

I am due to upgrade soon, and I currently have a 4s. I am looking for more information on both.

I have iPhone 4s from work and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 as personal phone.
Only reason to still carry iPhone is for corporate Exchange email, other than that it is useless to me.
Android/Note 2 advantages:
More flexible configuration, bigger screen, Torque Pro (not available on iOS due to the Bluetooth constraints imposed by Apple). Did I mention reliable navigation?
I could find many free applications for every need I have. I can set up default application for every action (like play music or messaging or web browsing).
I do not flash custom ROMs, but I like the fact that I have the choice if I want to.

 

[Djlild7hina]

I used iOS until the 4S and gave the S3 a try. I wanted to sell it after a couple of days but decided it wasn't long enough. Sure enough, I'm content with android now

Things I like about android: app launcher (I hate icons on my main screen), custom default apps, Swiftkey, and bigger screen
I don't use widgets at all nor do I use custom ROMs. I do use the Nova launcher though since I like its customization options.
I've had issues with iSyncr so I just do manual drag-n-drop. It sucks but I'm pretty up-to-date on what I'm missing from iTunes. I also love the fact that I can make a custom ringtone, notifcation, etc on my phone and not have to sync it back to the comp in order to put it on my phone.

I do miss some of the applications on iOS but that's what the iPad is for

I was thinking of switching back to iOS with iOS7 and iPhone 5S but don't really see the incentive. Unless apple makes a 4.7-5" 1080P phone or something I'll gladly stick with android.

I'm planning on buying the s4 from at&t and running the google ROM on it or a stock international i9505 rom.

 

[sammieboy]

I have to admit, the first day or so of owning my HTC One, i was elated and extremely excited. Then after installing a couple of apps and games that I normally frequent on iOS, and that excitement diminished some due to the lack of quality and polish as its counterpart on iOS. But after about a week of getting used to Android's pros and cons, I am really happy with my decision to switch from iOS to Android. Having the HTC One definitely helps as the quality of the phone rivals if not bests any iphone model. The level of customization is something that I could only dream about even with a Jailbroken Iphone. I am really happy with Android!

Although, I have to say, stick with iOS if you're the type of person that do not like to tinker with the OS and have boat loads of time to spend tweaking things. But if thats the sort of stuff that you do enjoy, like me, then you'll love the switch.

 

[deeddawg]

As others mention, there's a lot more to it than you can discover in store.

I'm trying out a Galaxy S4 Active right now and truth be told I'm not as jazzed by it as I thought I'd be. I like the larger screen, but get annoyed at apps not really making good use of the screen real estate. Apps like eBay or Amazon don't really give much more info in the larger display than on my iPhone 4S; they just use larger icons or space stuff out wider.

It seems the main activities that benefit from the larger screen are watching videos, playing games, surfing websites, and reading Kindle books.

IMHO, the UI is just not as intuitive in some ways that go beyond just getting used to a new paradigm. Two examples are settings (do you do them in the app or in Settings or in both) and going back a page in an app (back button or tap somewhere on-screen?)

Most of my apps are present on both platforms and are functionally close enough. One big surprise though was the utter absence of an Amazon Prime Instant Video app. WTF?

Bloatware. Uggh. Having been on the iphone platform for a while I'd forgotten how much crap AT&T loads on their phones. I was able to disable most of it, but it's stupid to have to mess with it. Win for Apple on that one.

I like the notification LED (missed it from my old BB devices) but it's crippled by the inability to see new email or other alerts on the lockscreen. I have to wake the device, input the PIN to unlock it, then swipe-down to see the notifications list. Can't change lockscreen widget to one showing notifications since my work Exchange Activesync policies force PIN lock.

Seems to be a Samsung thing. I tried a couple different Notification options including one that embeds them in the wallpaper, none seem to work. No, I'm not rooting the phone - I have other things I'd rather do than geek out my phone.

This last one is going to be a deal killer if I don't find a simple workaround in the next couple days.

 

[appleisking]

Ah if only we can have the best of both worlds. Quality apps and proper os functionality.

 

[spinedoc77]

I like Android a ton, but I always end up back to iOS as a business user. I just found too many things on Android kind of forced me into that Google Search paradigm. I'd find Google Now would force me into a search, "call Mario" would turn into a google search for super mario brothers and weird stuff like that. Siri always treated me as a phone user first, where google seemed to treat me as an internet searcher first so it just seemed to be easier to get stuff done easier with iOS, especially careening down the highway at 80mph.

They are both tremendous OS' and I miss a ton of stuff on Android.

 

[kasakka]

Both have their ups and downs.

iOS is mostly quite intuitive to use, much more so than Android where settings are littered across apps in various locations and are often branded in confusing terms (see Samsung devices). But on the flipside if something doesn't work like you want it to, you can often find an Android replacement or tweak to do it but on the iOS you have to jailbreak and even then the functionality might not be available. iOS apps generally function in a more uniform way and don't have the same discrepancy in looks from app to app, there's more polish and attention to detail in many iOS apps. File handling is far superior on Android and generally apps interact with each other much better. For example it's ridiculous that in iOS clearing a notification doesn't really clear it from the app.

On the hardware side Android devices pack more capable hardware in the phones, but in real world use seem to break pretty much even, with iOS somehow being able to make a constantly smooth experience with a dual core processor while a quad core on an Android doesn't seem to add much in comparison.

For physical features iPhones generally win on the design, quality of construction and ease of use but should you want for example a bigger screen or expandability, it's a no go. However, should you want a smaller Android device than the 4.7-5" stuff that is currently popular, you're basically **** out of luck. All the smaller Androids have subpar displays (low res for the 4-4.3" sizes they come in) and the other specs are a shadow of the flagship phones. The upcoming HTC One Mini seems to be the only real contender for the smaller Android market.

I recently moved from an iPhone 4 to a Galaxy S4 because I felt the iPhone was becoming too slow for my use and I relied too much on jailbreak software to get it working like I wanted. It took me a day to configure the S4 to my liking but so far it seems nice. I don't mind the all plastic construction, it doesn't feel cheap like the S3 did.

 

[cuzo]

I have a iPhone, I like the smooth was but its too restrictive for me, I don't want to sell due to low resale value for android phones.

I like the apps and games but the thing is i isn't game much, so scratch that out. Also I'm realizing that most the programs iOS has over android I don't really need.

I do need a larger screen, and a easier way to type. I'd also like to download YouTube videos, I'd like to change my music from my notification bar. I'd like to download files and transfer them to my pc.

iOS I'd great for some people, I respect that battery life, build and quality apps but its not for everyone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[otismotive77]

android, the best. it has so many advanced features, great customization features and the best of all, you can root it, make it completely new, install more apps, make your mobile more fast and fluid and delete all the useless stuff.

 

[cualexander]

It's still impossible to upload anything but photos to Dropbox on iOS, which, for many people, is a massive inconvenience for reasons different to mine. It's worth noting that IMO. The over-simplification of iOS can be a big burden. For example, I also couldn't upload my documents to any cloud service but iCloud on my iPad. That is a burden. On my Nexus 7 this issue simply does not exist.

iTunes Match actually costs £21.99 in the UK, which is ~$32. Right away I'm being ripped off compared to the US price. Yes it's still cheap for a year, but if I can get 50GB of storage free, why do I need to pay Apple anything at all? I'd be burning £20 of my precious beer money every year because iOS is more locked down than it needs to be. That, to me, is simply an unnecessary hassle which doesn't exist on Android.

Not entirely true. I upload things other than photos to Dropbox all the time, you just have to open the file in Dropbox and it will upload it. And you can use the Mercury web browser to download files off the web, and upload them to Dropbox, you can upload email attachments to Dropbox. You just can't access all files in all apps, depending on the app, but you can upload other files to Dropbox.

 

[Bobby Corwen]

Personally, I hate iTunes and find it to be the worst software apple has ever created, I delete it from every computer I have. The music has parts of the sound cut out to save space, and the videos are laced with tons of DRM.

Sounds serious.

Almost criminal in fact.

android, the best. it has so many advanced features, great customization features and the best of all, you can root it, make it completely new, install more apps, make your mobile more fast and fluid and delete all the useless stuff.

and the best of all, you can root it,

Yaaayyyyyyy

sounds like a blast!!

 

[cualexander]

For those of you who have experienced both, do you prefer iPhone or Android? ...

Also, to comment on the original topic, it all depends on what you personally value. Android has more operating system features, but iOS gets new apps first or new app features first. For instance, Spotify released 320kbps music quality for iOS months before Android. Then you have Instagram, Flipboard, Vine,etc. All released on iOS first. Yes, Android got them, eventually... But I'd rather have them first. Android fans keep saying Android will get new apps first eventually, but I've yet to see any evidence of it, aside from Google's apps. Twitter Music, released in April, iOS only.

And Web Browsing experience is better on iOS than Android, in my opinion. I've yet to find a feature rich browser like Mercury on Android. And I personally find it easier the way web links in Facebook,etc. open in the app on iOS, rather than a separate browser.

 

[maxosx]

Although, I have to say, stick with iOS if you're the type of person that do not like to tinker with the OS and have boat loads of time to spend tweaking things. But if thats the sort of stuff that you do enjoy, like me, then you'll love the switch.

For clarification, the current premium Android models from HTC, Samsung & others all ship with Android versions 4.0.x or greater.

NONE of these requires "Tinkering" any more than a new iPhone does. In fact they are every bit as fast and efficient, and in several cases require less keystrokes to do the same task as in iOS.

The Choice of one over the other, truly comes down to the simple matter of personal preference.

 

[T5BRICK]

I prefer Android for two simple reasons. Screen size and the ability to choose my own default apps. I'm also having a ton of fun installing custom ROMs and tweaking settings that weren't available in iOS.

 

[jcpb]

I have to use iOS still because I can't get ミクLSP on Android (its region locked), whereas I already have an iTunes account to handle that.

 

[0dev]

Not entirely true. I upload things other than photos to Dropbox all the time, you just have to open the file in Dropbox and it will upload it. And you can use the Mercury web browser to download files off the web, and upload them to Dropbox, you can upload email attachments to Dropbox. You just can't access all files in all apps, depending on the app, but you can upload other files to Dropbox.

I didn't even know you could do that, ha. But let's say I have a song in my Music library I want to upload. I still can't open that in Dropbox, not without some sort of jailbreak tweak anyway.

It's also a very inconvenient way of doing things compared to being able to upload anything directly from the app and it's essentially a workaround to the nature of the locked down OS.

 

[cualexander]

I didn't even know you could do that, ha. But let's say I have a song in my Music library I want to upload. I still can't open that in Dropbox, not without some sort of jailbreak tweak anyway.

It's also a very inconvenient way of doing things compared to being able to upload anything directly from the app and it's essentially a workaround to the nature of the locked down OS.

All my music is already in Google music and iTunes Match, so I've never run into a situation where I need to upload it to dropbox, but I'd use the logmein ignition file manager to select a file from my home computer and push it up to Dropbox. It's a couple clicks. Also, I've downloaded mp3s with Mercury from the web and pushed them to Dropbox. And then Automator on Mac moves it to iTunes automatically and it gets pushed into iTunes Match and Google Play simultaneously, so it shows in my music library a few seconds later. There are ways to do everything in iOS.

 

[Elit3]

I am due to upgrade soon, and I currently have a 4s. I am looking for more information on both.

I prefer android, even though not by much. You actually need to go to a store and experience it to make you choice. Nobody can describe what your experience will be to you.

Yep, it is personal preference, but, Android as a fact, by specs, by it's power, by what it can acheive it better. Maybe steal a friends phone for 2 days and test out HTC ONE or a Nexus, best two Android phones atm.

 

[jrswizzle]

All my music is already in Google music and iTunes Match, so I've never run into a situation where I need to upload it to dropbox, but I'd use the logmein ignition file manager to select a file from my home computer and push it up to Dropbox. It's a couple clicks. Also, I've downloaded mp3s with Mercury from the web and pushed them to Dropbox. And then Automator on Mac moves it to iTunes automatically and it gets pushed into iTunes Match and Google Play simultaneously, so it shows in my music library a few seconds later. There are ways to do everything in iOS.

I need to learn Automator - maybe when I get my Air.....

 

[aneftp]

Owner for the first Android G1 to lastest Nexus 4 (holding off for note 3).

Owner of first iPhone to lastest iPhone 5.

Android has come a long way from the G1 days.

But I still prefer iPhone. But it's by a tiny margin. Mainly the apps available on iOS vs Android.

 

[tekelley2]

Plugging a USB cable into a computer and dragging files into a window doesn't seem like much work...

A little late on this. But, it's more work than what i have to do with my iphone wherei can just use the cloud or plug it in and it syncs.

 

[mib1800]

A little late on this. But, it's more work than what i have to do with my iphone wherei can just use the cloud or plug it in and it syncs.

Try doing that without iTunes or upload a 2gb file to icloud and downloading it again to the phone.

 

[Technarchy]

I have iPhone 4s from work and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 as personal phone.
Only reason to still carry iPhone is for corporate Exchange email, other than that it is useless to me.
Android/Note 2 advantages:
More flexible configuration, bigger screen, Torque Pro (not available on iOS due to the Bluetooth constraints imposed by Apple). Did I mention reliable navigation?
I could find many free applications for every need I have. I can set up default application for every action (like play music or messaging or web browsing).
I do not flash custom ROMs, but I like the fact that I have the choice if I want to.

I've owned 3 iPhones starting with the 4S and and 7 android phones spanning from Jelly Bean to Donut.

I prefer iPhone. I sold my iPhone 5 for a GS4 and 3 months later I was back with an iPhone 5S. Sold my iPad 4 for a Nexus 7 and 13 days later I was back to iOS with an iPad Mini Retina.

The reasons are basically what everyone else says

• Great Apple support with local retail locations
• No lag, smooth scrolling, high responsiveness, smooth operation, high frame rate UI
• App selection, app quality
• High value retention low depreciation for easy upgrades
• Siri, which I use daily and it works great for me, especially on iOS7
• Fast software updates and support
• Ecosystem. Goes better with my Apple TV, MBA, iPod, iPhone, iPad...
• Facetime works better than Hangouts, Qik, Skype...
• iMessage
  

And a few other things, but there are some things I miss about android too, but not enough to keep me in the android ecosystem.

 

[pdqgp]

Never thought I'd say Android but.....

I'm saying Android. Apple even with the 5s has completely missed the boat. I don't see ever going back until they not only come out with a larger phone but also greatly enhance the capability of the devices and OS.

I'm using the Samsung Note 3 aka as by my pics below, what I call the 6" iPhone.

It's spectacular in just about every way, but most impressive for me today was opening a HUGE spreadsheet. Power of the processors on board made this heavy MS Excel open instantaneously vs the iPhone 4s I had which took 20 seconds, then another 15 or so to jump over tabs. I was blown away by it's ability.

 

[Cole Slaw]

After having always bought iPhones in the past I'd have to say Android now.
Bigger screens, and I really enjoy the customizing you can do with Android.
Just plain bored to death with iOS.