If Android did not have widgets and live wallpapers....

[77sunsetstrip]

I have a foot in both camps. I am fully part of the Apple ecosystem, but I also use a Nexus 7 as my primary tablet (as I find my iPad too heavy and uncomfortable to use).

Many iPhone and iPad owners have looked at Android with interest, but I wonder if they would still be interested if Android did not have widgets and live wallpapers. What do you think?

 

[snow blind]

It's not just widgets and live wallpapers (does anyone use those anymore though ?) I believe the many options, settings, and features is a big draw. I can't set my iPhone or iPad to automatically enter sleep mode and mute all calls when I enter my car for instance... but I can set that up via a number of ways in Android. Overall there is just more you can do with Android versus iOS, which IMHO, is just a glorified app folder.

 

[NT1440]

I still don't understand live wallpapers, I find them to be more annoying than anything, but that may be because I've only used the demo units at work (best buy).

 

[MRU]

It's not just widgets and live wallpapers (does anyone use those anymore though ?)

When you first get your android.... then you realise most of them are badly coded and drain your battery..

I always find it to be a contrary thing..

The fact that it is the new users (or at least casual users) of Android that seem to love theming, changing icons, wallpapers and dousing multiple screens with every widget under the sun...

and then more adept / avid users of Android seems to drop all of that detritus and go for as close to a ASOP stock Android look as possible. Making it look clean and very tidy, but one could also argue a little samey; thus removing all the things that made a lot of people move to Android in the first place and tout as its main strengths over iOS.

 

[Zman5225]

I actually don't use either of them.

Ok ok I think I use the alarm widget but it's really just a shortcut to launch the ap.

 

[Stuntman06]

Android has many features not available in iOS that is not limited to widgets and live wallpaper. I'm sure that anyone can find many things that an Android device can do that an iOS device cannot.

Here are a few other features of Android:

You can change default applications. If you prefer a different browser, you can set it as the default so whenever you tap on a link from any app such as mail, it will automatically use that default browser. With iOS, you can only use that app if you launch it from the home screen.

You can change your launcher. The one I use on my Android phone is called Nova. I use it because it allows me to have up to 7 rows and 7 columns of icons (I set it to 5 x 4). I also get multiple icon trays (the ones that are docked to the bottom).

You can change the default keyboard. I use Thumb Keyboard because it allows for different keyboard layouts and has a portrait and landscape layout that I like more than the default keyboard. It also has a number of other features that I can control like auto-spacing (which I can turn off).

On the hardware side, you get much more variety than with iOS. There are phones of various screen sizes and form factors. Some have physical keyboards (which I prefer). The same applies to tablets. They come in more variety and sizes. There is currently only one size for an iOS tablet. There are multiple sizes for Android tablets. Even if the iPad Mini comes out, there will still be greater variety in sizes for Android tablets.

There are many more features with Android devices.

 

[zone23]

I believe the bottom line is price. Android phones are cheap. Its also the misconception that you have to pay for everything with Apple.

 

[sigamy]

I've never used an Android device but I just saw the commerical for (I think) Samsung Tab 10.1 and the multitasking looked great. Splitting the screen, playing a video in small window as read/surf.

I'd love to have those features on my iPad.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Android has many features not available in iOS that is not limited to widgets and live wallpaper. I'm sure that anyone can find many things that an Android device can do that an iOS device cannot.

Here are a few other features of Android:

You can change default applications. If you prefer a different browser, you can set it as the default so whenever you tap on a link from any app such as mail, it will automatically use that default browser. With iOS, you can only use that app if you launch it from the home screen.

You can change your launcher. The one I use on my Android phone is called Nova. I use it because it allows me to have up to 7 rows and 7 columns of icons (I set it to 5 x 4). I also get multiple icon trays (the ones that are docked to the bottom).

You can change the default keyboard. I use Thumb Keyboard because it allows for different keyboard layouts and has a portrait and landscape layout that I like more than the default keyboard. It also has a number of other features that I can control like auto-spacing (which I can turn off).

On the hardware side, you get much more variety than with iOS. There are phones of various screen sizes and form factors. Some have physical keyboards (which I prefer). The same applies to tablets. They come in more variety and sizes. There is currently only one size for an iOS tablet. There are multiple sizes for Android tablets. Even if the iPad Mini comes out, there will still be greater variety in sizes for Android tablets.

There are many more features with Android devices.

That is a huge reason why I like android.

On my Atrix I used ADW EX as my launcher. Now it only made minor changes to the UI with it. But big thing is I replaced my keyboard with swiftkey. On my GNexus It is nova and really I only made minor changes from stock.

Hell if you compare my layouts between the 2 phones they look a lot a like.

Now I will admit I use a live wall paper but it is not one of those supper flashy ones and if you are not paying attention you would not notices that it is live.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Just going to say... that if iOS had widgets and Android didn't, they'd be glorified to no end by dedicated iOS users.

 

[MRU]

That is a huge reason why I like android.

On my Atrix I used ADW EX as my launcher. Now it only made minor changes to the UI with it. But big thing is I replaced my keyboard with swiftkey. On my GNexus It is nova and really I only made minor changes from stock.

Hell if you compare my layouts between the 2 phones they look a lot a like.

Now I will admit I use a live wall paper but it is not one of those supper flashy ones and if you are not paying attention you would not notices that it is live.

That's the thing, Apex, Nova on 4+ basically just make your phone look like its stock ICS or if your lucky JB.

So most peoples end up all looking the same, something that people then rip on iOS for being in the first place.

Just ironic.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

That's the thing, Apex, Nova on 4+ basically just make your phone look like its stock ICS or if your lucky JB.

So most peoples end up all looking the same, something that people then rip on iOS for being in the first place.

Just ironic.

Stock launcher does not change the fact that how the phone is set up is still going to be very different. Each iOS device is going to look almost exactly alike (grid of icons) same user function and so on.

Compare that to Android you have the app draw which is more or less the same across devices but as soon as you go to the home screens that is where things are very different.

iOS is more or less android with the App draw open full time.

 

[b166er]

I use a few widgets on my Nexus 7. I don't use any live wallpapers. Some widgets are very nice to have depending on your uses.

That stuff is not what drew me in to buying a nexus 7 though. And honestly I could live without it. I am realizing that I really don't like android, and except for being able to have live toggles and the obvious great google integration, this thing really doesn't hold any other advantages over my iPad. I am speaking personally on that, I'm sure some people will not agree with me.

 

[Oletros]

Android has many features not available in iOS that is not limited to widgets and live wallpaper. I'm sure that anyone can find many things that an Android device can do that an iOS device cannot.

Here are a few other features of Android:

You can change default applications. If you prefer a different browser, you can set it as the default so whenever you tap on a link from any app such as mail, it will automatically use that default browser. With iOS, you can only use that app if you launch it from the home screen.

You can change your launcher. The one I use on my Android phone is called Nova. I use it because it allows me to have up to 7 rows and 7 columns of icons (I set it to 5 x 4). I also get multiple icon trays (the ones that are docked to the bottom).

You can change the default keyboard. I use Thumb Keyboard because it allows for different keyboard layouts and has a portrait and landscape layout that I like more than the default keyboard. It also has a number of other features that I can control like auto-spacing (which I can turn off).

On the hardware side, you get much more variety than with iOS. There are phones of various screen sizes and form factors. Some have physical keyboards (which I prefer). The same applies to tablets. They come in more variety and sizes. There is currently only one size for an iOS tablet. There are multiple sizes for Android tablets. Even if the iPad Mini comes out, there will still be greater variety in sizes for Android tablets.

There are many more features with Android devices.

One feature that is always forgotten and I think is one of the more important in Android is Intents.

Apps don't need to implement sharing to dropbox/twitter/facebook/g+/etc. any of them can share via intents.

 

[blackhand1001]

I have a foot in both camps. I am fully part of the Apple ecosystem, but I also use a Nexus 7 as my primary tablet (as I find my iPad too heavy and uncomfortable to use).

Many iPhone and iPad owners have looked at Android with interest, but I wonder if they would still be interested if Android did not have widgets and live wallpapers. What do you think?

I really don't use either. Anyways that's not the reason why I prefer android. Its the fact that it doesn't feel like a limited mobile os. There's a proper file system and apps can all share with each other. Theres also a back button which is taken for granted until you no longer have one.

 

[HappyJB]

I really don't use either. Anyways that's not the reason why I prefer android. Its the fact that it doesn't feel like a limited mobile os. There's a proper file system and apps can all share with each other. Theres also a back button which is taken for granted until you no longer have one.

Widgets are great and very useful. I use a lot of them. The ones I like most are rss news reader widgets, email widgets, schedule widget, to do list widget, Dolphine bookmark widget (all transparent and scrollable).

I also have a very clean main home screen with live wall paper running. Beautiful! There are tons available and even each wall paper provides extensive settings!

Without them, I would probably have gone to iPhone 3gs.

 

[blackhand1001]

I understand some people use them. But they are at from the only reason to use android over iOS.

 

[Oridus]

I believe the bottom line is price. Android phones are cheap. Its also the misconception that you have to pay for everything with Apple.

Wrong. Most high end androids are the same starting price as iPhones ($199.99).... Only difference comes in paying for memory, you pay $100 per 16 gigs where you can find 32 and even 64 gb cards for android phones under $100 a lot of the time.

 

[xuselppa]

I believe the bottom line is price. Android phones are cheap. Its also the misconception that you have to pay for everything with Apple.

iPhone 4 - $0
iPhone 4S - $99
iPhone 5 - $199

Seems to me that all iphones are cheap?

As for costs, any accessory or aftermarket product from Apple IS overpriced. Go into any Apple store and look at the prices for hard drives, RAM, the new ear pods, the new lightning adaptor!, etc

Apple is basically forcing every iphone owner to fork out another $40 to buy a lightning adaptor, since all those accessories that you have bought over the years are paperweights until you get the adaptor,

 

[Stuntman06]

That's the thing, Apex, Nova on 4+ basically just make your phone look like its stock ICS or if your lucky JB.

So most peoples end up all looking the same, something that people then rip on iOS for being in the first place.

Just ironic.

Nova launcher has a number of different settings that can make one phone look different than another. Two Android phones can look way more different than each other than two iPhones.

 

[zone23]

iPhone 4 - $0
iPhone 4S - $99
iPhone 5 - $199

Seems to me that all iphones are cheap?

As for costs, any accessory or aftermarket product from Apple IS overpriced. Go into any Apple store and look at the prices for hard drives, RAM, the new ear pods, the new lightning adaptor!, etc

Apple is basically forcing every iphone owner to fork out another $40 to buy a lightning adaptor, since all those accessories that you have bought over the years are paperweights until you get the adaptor,

Ya and the iPhones weren't free/cheap until about 2 weeks ago so try again. I buy RAM/HDDs on Newegg like everyone else. Nice try though. Don't know anyone who uses Apples earbuds when I can buy Beats Audio for 3x what they are worth. Your facts are not facts just an angry android user like the rest.

 

[xuselppa]

Ya and the iPhones weren't free/cheap until about 2 weeks ago so try again. I buy RAM/HDDs on Newegg like everyone else. Nice try though. Don't know anyone who uses Apples earbuds when I can buy Beats Audio for 3x what they are worth. Your facts are not facts just an angry android user like the rest.

Why would I be angry? It doesn't matter to me what you buy.

And 3 weeks ago:
iphone 3gs - $0
iphone 4 - $99
iphone 4S - $199

All still cheap phones. Sorry, if that somehow hurts your feelings that Apple isn't some outrageously priced phone that only the wealthy can possess. it is just a phone, just like any Android or Windows phone. Some can do more than others.

you also said it was a misconception that you pay more for everything with Apple. You gave the impression that Apple products are the same price at Target, as they are in the Appl3 store. This is simply not the case. Another example of price gouging by Apple would be when you have them build a computer to order. They overcharge big time for a little more hard drive or RAM. And do you think going from a 16gb iphone to a 32gb is worth $100 or more?

Just pointing out a few facts.

 

[pdjudd]

Ya and the iPhones weren't free/cheap until about 2 weeks ago so try again.

I think Apple started selling cheap phones was right when the 3gs went on sale. If you want to go by free, they started that a year later.

 

[Trungy]

I love my Android, but I enjoy messing around with my wife's iPod and iPhone (she's had them at different times). I cannot imagine a home computer that isn't a Mac, but I've got a Windows 7 computer at home for work stuff, and I use Windows at work all day.

Every OS has their advantages and disadvantages, but in the end, OS's nowadays are so advanced that you can have a positive experience with them all.

Including Ubuntu and probably Windows 8 phone.

 

[Androidfan1x]

some of the reasons i didn't buy an ipad but bought an android tablet instead:
- ipad is not widescreen: i watch videos a lot, rarely read books, so widescreen is for me
- the ipad virtual keyboard: seriously, if apple doesn't allow third party devs to make their own keyboard (because of "security reasons") then they should make a good virtual keyboard. i tried typing on my brother's ipad and my fingers hurt, it's so painful slow tired. swiftkey on my android tablet is awesome, and guess what, even the stock google android keyboard is better than apple stock ios keyboard.