If Apple release a 4.8~5-inch iPhone 5S will you Android users return to iOS?

[raptorstv]

I would return for a larger screen and a better stock keyboard. I won't switch until I get an alternative that's similar to SwiftKey for android.

Thats true... SwiftKey on samsung is really efficient

 

[jrswizzle]

Yup. We're talking about mere millimeters more to reach with the thumb usually. Millimeters. It's not impossible to adjust. And, as you and others have mentioned, the benefits gained with a larger screen are easily worth it.

I've said this numerous times now: the things dedicated iPhone users cling onto are becoming either negligible, petty, or very specific. The fear of anything non-Apple also tends to cloud judgment. We've witnessed it so many times before.

Just as a retort - Many of the things Android users claim makes their Android SOOOO much more useful than the iPhone are petty and superfluous in my mind....things like a dedicated back button, an LED notification light, and widgets....Sorry - apps that need it have a back button, why does my phone need to blink at me when i can either hear it, feel it, see the screen, or all of the above? And widgets are the most overblown "feature" ever - battery draining gimmicks....

And I have owned Android before - have used it and subsequently sold it.

The hate of Apple products and anything Apple tends to send people into a blind rage - a rage I've witnessed numerous times.

*disclaimer - before anyone goes into the rage I mentioned I merely speak of my own preferences and opinions. I like Apple because it suits my needs and I don't expect anyone to feel exactly the same way I do. I am very happy you enjoy your blinky light widget machine

 

[onthecouchagain]

Just as a retort - Many of the things Android users claim makes their Android SOOOO much more useful than the iPhone are petty and superfluous in my mind....things like a dedicated back button, an LED notification light, and widgets....Sorry - apps that need it have a back button, why does my phone need to blink at me when i can either hear it, feel it, see the screen, or all of the above? And widgets are the most overblown "feature" ever - battery draining gimmicks....

And I have owned Android before - have used it and subsequently sold it.

The hate of Apple products and anything Apple tends to send people into a blind rage - a rage I've witnessed numerous times.

*disclaimer - before anyone goes into the rage I mentioned I merely speak of my own preferences and opinions. I like Apple because it suits my needs and I don't expect anyone to feel exactly the same way I do. I am very happy you enjoy your blinky light widget machine

You're 100% right. Apple shouldn't change iOS or the iPhone.

 

[aerok]

Just as a retort - Many of the things Android users claim makes their Android SOOOO much more useful than the iPhone are petty and superfluous in my mind....things like a dedicated back button, an LED notification light, and widgets....Sorry - apps that need it have a back button, why does my phone need to blink at me when i can either hear it, feel it, see the screen, or all of the above? And widgets are the most overblown "feature" ever - battery draining gimmicks....

And I have owned Android before - have used it and subsequently sold it.

The hate of Apple products and anything Apple tends to send people into a blind rage - a rage I've witnessed numerous times.

*disclaimer - before anyone goes into the rage I mentioned I merely speak of my own preferences and opinions. I like Apple because it suits my needs and I don't expect anyone to feel exactly the same way I do. I am very happy you enjoy your blinky light widget machine

Many will claim that Android is better for them the same way you claim the iPhone is better for you. I really don't know why you bring yourself here to make fun of features people like about Android.

 

[jrswizzle]

You're 100% right. Apple shouldn't change iOS or the iPhone.

Haha way to jump to conclusions....I'm fine if they want to change stuff. If they add widgets, good for those who want it - I wouldn't use em. If Apple wants to add any of the wondrous features Android has, as long as my iPhone remains as smooth, efficient and secure as it is, I don't care. I never did any more on my Android than I did on my iPhone....

I was simply pointing out that for every "fearer of all that is non-apple" spouting the same outdated few features they cling to there are an equal number of apple-hating Android lovers who feel the need to justify their preferences to world by saying their phone is SOOOOO much better than the iPhone and does SOOOO much more....

I couldn't figure out what that "much more" was - frankly I had trouble setting a decent backup for when I had to return my N7 because the screen adhesive was coming up.....glad I'm back with iCloud and Apple. As I'm sure you are glad you use Android - and I'm sincerely happy for you.

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Many will claim that Android is better for them the same way you claim the iPhone is better for you. I really don't know why you bring yourself here to make fun of features people like about Android.

Probably for the same reason those who claim Android is better for them come to bash on Apple products - the riveting conversations

 

[TheHateMachine]

Just as a retort - Many of the things Android users claim makes their Android SOOOO much more useful than the iPhone are petty and superfluous in my mind....things like a dedicated back button, an LED notification light, and widgets....Sorry - apps that need it have a back button, why does my phone need to blink at me when i can either hear it, feel it, see the screen, or all of the above? And widgets are the most overblown "feature" ever - battery draining gimmicks....

And I have owned Android before - have used it and subsequently sold it.

The hate of Apple products and anything Apple tends to send people into a blind rage - a rage I've witnessed numerous times.

*disclaimer - before anyone goes into the rage I mentioned I merely speak of my own preferences and opinions. I like Apple because it suits my needs and I don't expect anyone to feel exactly the same way I do. I am very happy you enjoy your blinky light widget machine

Just as a retort - Many of the things iPhone users claim makes their iPhone SOOOO much more useful than an Android are petty and superfluous in my mind....things like a only one dedicated button, the lack of a LED notification light, and a grid of static icons ....Sorry - having a back button close to my thumb is much better than having a back button far away, why have my phone not tell me of missed notifications or texts messages when I can have a light blink in different colors to tell me what I missed without having to turn the screen on? And widgets are the most awesome features ever that display information at a glance and only poll the system occassionally and drain a miniscule amount of battery.... as evidenced by a battery history app.

And I have owned iOS before - have used it and subsequently sold it.

The hate of Android products and anything Google tends to send people into a blind rage - a rage I've witnessed numerous times.

*disclaimer - before anyone goes into the rage I mentioned I merely speak of my own preferences and opinions. I like Android because it suits my needs and I don't expect anyone to feel exactly the same way I do. I am very happy you enjoy your no notification grid of icons machine

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Probably for the same reason those who claim Android is better for them come to bash on Apple products - the riveting conversations

So you admit that you are coming to this sub forum for the sole purpose of trolling and argument?

 

[jrswizzle]

Just as a retort - Many of the things iPhone users claim makes their iPhone SOOOO much more useful than an Android are petty and superfluous in my mind....things like a only one dedicated button, the lack of an LED notification light, and a grid of statics icons ....Sorry - having a back button close to my thumb is much better than having a back button far away, why have my phone not tell me of missed notifications or texts messages when I can have a light blink in different colors to tell me what I missed without having to turn the screen on? And widgets are the most awesome features ever that display information at a glance and only poll the system occassionally and drain a miniscule amount of battery.... as evidenced by a battery history app.

And I have owned iOS before - have used it and subsequently sold it.

The hate of Android products and anything Google tends to send people into a blind rage - a rage I've witnessed numerous times.

*disclaimer - before anyone goes into the rage I mentioned I merely speak of my own preferences and opinions. I like Android because it suits my needs and I don't expect anyone to feel exactly the same way I do. I am very happy you enjoy your no notification grid of icons machine

Lol so you did a parody of my parody? Touche....

Widgets didn't do anything for me on my N7 - I was always rearranging them - never got a good feel for my home screen. My phone is always on me so I know when the notifications come it and I can chose to ignore or respond then. You've gotta turn on the phone to respond anyway - if I missed one the app tells me there's # waiting.

And I'm glad there's only one button....heck hopefully they'll get rid of the button and we can go with gestures. As it is, the home button is unnecessary on the iPad - looking forward to either adding more functionality to it (fingerprint scanner) or doing away with it completely. And definitely not a fan of the way Android takes up screen real-estate with the dedicated buttons.

Like I said in response to the OP - for every so called "Android hater" there is an equal "Apple hater" - I personally am neither. In fact, I'm trying to get my work to give me a Note 2 as my company phone instead of the 4S I have - already have an iPhone 5 personally and would like to be able to try out the Note 2 without giving up my security blanket so to speak.

So you admit that you are coming to this sub forum for the sole purpose of trolling and argument?

Sure - Though I'd call it discussion more than trolling/argument. I didn't begin this particular discussion - I merely posted a similarly worded retort from a "pro apple" side to someone who clearly was "pro android".

You can take it more seriously if you wish - though I will point out, you did exactly the same thing I did.

And lastly - the original position was "Apple lovers cling to outdated features for superiority". My counter-position can be summed up as "Android lovers flaunt superfluous gimmicks as real productive features." Is this trolling?

 

[thehustleman]

I had the SGS3 before the iphone 5 was announced. The sole reason why i used the SGS3 was coz I couldnt stand the 3.5" iPhone screens. I much prefer iOS, but I still miss SGS3's screen sometimes... For those who own Android, will u guys buy an iPhone with 4.8~5" screen?

If they make the following improvements to the phone and ios, yes
Ability to install apps from other places than the app store, live wallpapers, nfc, pop up video player, swipe for screenshot, Google now, and all the other advantages the galaxy s 3 has, then no question.



If not, not at all.

Much as I love Apple products (essentially converting my household this year) I just can't get with the phone and its limitations

 

[onthecouchagain]

From my thread titled "What Would Make You Return to the iPhone?": https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1501886/

Despite having converted and now throwing my support behind Android, I am willing to return to the iPhone if the hardware and software was right. Anyone else? And if so, what would that entail?

This isn't a wishlist, so try not to post unrealistic desires. Or to phrase my question another way: what's the most minimal changes you would require to return to the iPhone?

Here's mine...

Hardware

-I don't think I can accept anything smaller than a 4.3" screen. I think anywhere between 4.3-4.6 is the sweet spot, for me. Needless to say, it needs to get wider too.

-I think I would need Apple to finally go with a capacitive or an on-screen home button. I've been spoiled by the Nexus experience, and to some degree it's laboring to have to depress the home button now. Plus, it just feels antiquated. Something about the digital button versus the analog button is more futuristic. I'd feel like I'd be taking a step back. I don't want to have to deal with convincing Apple Geniuses that my home button is acting up (I've been turned away before because I couldn't replicate the issue at the time of my meeting). It'd be nice to move past these little frustrations.

-Depending on how they manage the 4.3" screen, whether they actually enlarge the device to some degree or use up less bezel, I may or may not require the sleep/wake button to be on the side. As devices get larger, putting it on the top is becoming a no-no. The HTC One X, for example, is horridly cumbersome to wake and put to sleep. For those worried about accidentally hitting the volume buttons, I really think people can learn to adjust. Also, you can offset the positions by putting the sleep button higher (like it is on the Nexus 4; it's a little too high, actually) on the right side. Again, this isn't necessarily a deal breaker if they don't, but it'll depend on how they manage that 4.3" screen.

-Notification light. The benefits of this puppy is enormous. They could design it so that it's part of the aesthetics of the iPhone. Make the home button (or at least the square app shape on the home button) be the light. Imagine the home button (or again, the square shape) glowing! That would be beautiful.

That's really all hardware-wise. I don't think these are extreme requirements, especially the ~4.3" screen.


Software


-First and foremost, for the love of god, update the iOS keyboard. It's in desperate need of upgrading. It's been years. It's time. Give us upper and lower case signifiers, give us control over our own dictionary (please!), give us some sort of suggestion bar (Blackberry came up with their own way, why can't Apple?), give us long-presses for secondary symbols, improve the autocorrection, let us change the size of the keyboard (again, this doesn't have to be complicated. You can model it after Swiftkey, which simply offers: "Small, Medium, Large." Not difficult!). The keyboard experience was one of the main reasons I was driven away from the iPhone. It would do wonders in bringing me back if they make the right and necessary improvements.

-I want to see easier access to settings. Do we need widgets? Not necessarily. I've always said, most widgets are overrated, but the little more simpler widgets... they go a long way! Things like toggles, or quick access to settings. Apple could so easily implement this, that it's baffling they haven't yet. I'm talking about easy access to switching sound profiles, switching the lock screen on/off (I shouldn't need to input my lock screen code every single time I need to use my phone at home), switching WiFi/GPS/Bluetooth, etc. Again, these aren't insane requests. Just make things a bit more accessible. I'm sure Apple can find a way with or without widgets.

-Dynamic icons. Similar vein, these don't have to become full blown widgets. It'd be nice to see an accurate weather reading on the weather icon (this is the example used the most). At this point and time, I don't see why I'd trade the dynamics of home screens for an app drawer.

-Improved notification center and status bar. I still dislike the banner drop down. Why can't Apple utilize the space in the status bar? I don't mean copy Android with a little icon, I mean, why can't the banner simply roll onto the status bar area? Yes, it'll be smaller, but the point is to just alert the user. Why not remove the carrier sign (or in the case of the iPad Wifi, the "iPad" sign -- why do I need this there?) on the upper left? That space could be put to better use for notifications, etc. Also, please allow us to swipe away single notifications, which is a very simple request.

-Going to add upgrades to Mail and Safari. Would need to see full threaded messages in Mail. Would love to see my entire mailbox, too, ready at my finger tips (every time I load up my "Sent" mailbox, it has to actually load it. With Gmail, it's already preloaded). Give me more than 3 weeks worth of old mail, too. Safari could use more tabs. OR allow us to set default Mail/Browser apps.

-Allow for more sharing through other apps. Yes, people use things other than Facebook and Instagram and Twitter.

I've run out of steam, but I think there are a few more things that I'd need Apple to change before I return. I'll edit as they come to me. Please add yours!


I'm also going to throw a curveball. This is neither here nor there, but I'll mention it anyway...

Philosophy

I'd like to see Apple adopt a more humbling approach to their keynotes and presentations. A lot of it is condescending or disingenuous. We live in a fact-checking world, and making claims that they offer the world's thinnest phone or trying to insinuate that one handed use is foolish beyond anything 4" just won't cut it anymore. Millions of S3 owners can attest to somehow surviving with a much larger phone, as can others.

It'd be nice if they brought down their unlocked phone prices, too. Yes, yes, they need the profit for all that R&D, but don't forget they're also somehow sitting on a bank with reserves over $100 billion dollars...

There are probably other little things too... like stop withholding main features in software updates (iPhone 4 and SIRI)... or touting Beta programs as the main features... or holding true to incremental upgrades. Why play the slow game? This ties into being overly concerned with profit margins. Give us the specs people want.


I'd return in a heartbeat if Apple can hit these points.

Most of the things people are asking for in the thread aren't even asking for a lot. In short, they're asking for iOS to catch up to the competition. So to answer the thread's question, I think it'll take more than just a larger screen iPhone.

 

[jrswizzle]

If they make the following improvements to the phone and ios, yes
Ability to install apps from other places than the app store, live wallpapers, nfc, pop up video player, swipe for screenshot, Google now, and all the other advantages the galaxy s 3 has, then no question.



If not, not at all.

Much as I love Apple products (essentially converting my household this year) I just can't get with the phone and its limitations

Serious question - where do these "other apps" come from and what do they do that they either wouldn't have an equivalent on the app store or wouldn't be allowed there?

 

[macbookpro13]

I just switched from an i4 to GS3 yesterday for the big AMOLED and promise of superior android OS. Returned the phone today and went back to the i4.

Android/GS3 issues aside (seriously, why the **** can't this thing connect to a mac over USB?), the screen really was lovely. Far superior to any LCD. Colors were rich, blacks were infinitely deep and inky, motion was smooth, and everything was just so much easier to see due to the 4.8 size. Playing videos side by side with the two phones, the i4 looked like a cheap joke. Videos on the GS3 reminded me of a Pioneer Kuro plasma in the palm of my hand.

Other than that, the GS3 was not impressive, and I didn't like the cheap feel and carrier branding all over the phone/boot screen and the nonremovable crapware. That stuff gives me the feeling that it's not my phone but rather the carrier's phone, and I'm just using it. I didn't see that many options in the OS that I was led to believe either. I guess you have to root the phone and install custom ROM in order to tinker with every aspect of the phone.

Anyway, that's for another thread. I'm keeping my i4 for now and don't feel like upgrading to a new iphone until Apple makes something around 4.5" and with AMOLED.

 

[aerok]

Probably for the same reason those who claim Android is better for them come to bash on Apple products - the riveting conversations

I claim Android is better than iOS for me but you'll never see me bash an Apple product.

 

[raptorstv]

Serious question - where do these "other apps" come from and what do they do that they either wouldn't have an equivalent on the app store or wouldn't be allowed there?

How is it that uTorrent is allowed in android but not on iOS? So unfair really..

 

[jrswizzle]

From my thread titled "What Would Make You Return to the iPhone?": https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1501886/

Most of the things people are asking for in the thread aren't even asking for a lot. In short, they're asking for iOS to catch up to the competition. So to answer the thread's question, I think it'll take more than just a larger screen iPhone.

I think the Apple on the back of the phone lighting up would be cool for your notification light - MBPs and MBAs do it, why not the iPhone and iPad?

I'd actually agree with most of your wants - though other things cause me to stay with Apple. I agree with your sweetspot size, though maybe the lower end (4.3"). I still think its funny to see people complain about the width of the iP5 only and not the overall size (not saying you are doing this) give the aspect ratio is the same as the SGS3 and most other android devices.

I'd like to see the home button evolve as well - possibly with some security features (fingerprint scanner or something).

I'd welcome all of your features if they were included in a new iPhone. The truth for me is, I don't stay (and wouldn't leave) with Apple over keyboards and such - its the ecosystem of apps, my other devices and how they connect and work together behind the scenes that causes me (and I'd be willing to bet many) to stay. Sometimes, its not simply about the latest greatest feature - which I think is the sticking point in a lot of these arguments.

(*SOME) Android users can't seem to understand why an Apple user would use a phone with inferior specs and be excited for a feature they've (Android) had for a while. It's not about the feature itself - its about how that feature is implemented and what that feature fits into.

That said - I can guarentee you won't see that last one from anyone at Apple anytime soon (or Samsung for that matter either).

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I claim Android is better than iOS for me but you'll never see me bash an Apple product.

Cool - then my sarcastic jest didn't include you

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How is it that uTorrent is allowed in android but not on iOS? So unfair really..

Ahh torrents.....I've been looking at work arounds to download torrents on my iPad - they exist, but take some tinkering and time (which I don't have).

 

[nick_elt]

No. I wouldn't want a 5" screen nor would Apple ever make one. Why? Cause it doesn't fit in your hand comfortably.

Millions of others would say differently, millions of customers that Apple is losing. I was a long time ios user but after having a note 2 now i couldnt go back to the current iphone size.

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And yeh Apple while your at it can i have a wacom stylus and swift key like keyboard.

 

[Internaut]

If it wasn't for the Nano SIM, I'd already have an iPhone 5 to compliment my S3. I like both OSs!

 

[3bs]

If it wasn't for the Nano SIM, I'd already have an iPhone 5 to compliment my S3. I like both OSs!

Why don't you use an adapter? My friend uses one when switching between his Note 2 and iPhone 5.

I agree that having phones with the same kind of SIM is easier though. I keep switching back and forth between my Nexus 4 and HTC 8X.

 

[Ericcc]

I just switched from an i4 to GS3 yesterday for the big AMOLED and promise of superior android OS. Returned the phone today and went back to the i4.

Android/GS3 issues aside (seriously, why the **** can't this thing connect to a mac over USB?), the screen really was lovely. Far superior to any LCD. Colors were rich, blacks were infinitely deep and inky, motion was smooth, and everything was just so much easier to see due to the 4.8 size. Playing videos side by side with the two phones, the i4 looked like a cheap joke. Videos on the GS3 reminded me of a Pioneer Kuro plasma in the palm of my hand.

Other than that, the GS3 was not impressive, and I didn't like the cheap feel and carrier branding all over the phone/boot screen and the nonremovable crapware. That stuff gives me the feeling that it's not my phone but rather the carrier's phone, and I'm just using it. I didn't see that many options in the OS that I was led to believe either. I guess you have to root the phone and install custom ROM in order to tinker with every aspect of the phone.

Anyway, that's for another thread. I'm keeping my i4 for now and don't feel like upgrading to a new iphone until Apple makes something around 4.5" and with AMOLED.

Sadly, a lot of your problems can be solved through a few apps without resorting to root. Have to give the thing an honest effort for more than a day, and do some research. But yeah, carrier add-ons are a real pain, and probably Android's number 1 obstacle.

This is why I think Google really missed the boat on the Nexus 4. At that price point, they could have sold tons of the devices, and showcased Stock Android to tons of people.

 

[jrswizzle]

Sadly, a lot of your problems can be solved through a few apps without resorting to root. Have to give the thing an honest effort for more than a day, and do some research. But yeah, carrier add-ons are a real pain, and probably Android's number 1 obstacle.

This is why I think Google really missed the boat on the Nexus 4. At that price point, they could have sold tons of the devices, and showcased Stock Android to tons of people.

How has touchwiz gotten? I had heard pretty terrible things but seeing as the Nexus 4 doesn't have LTE and one of the reason for trying out an Android for me would be to try out a bigger screen - I figure I might as well check out the Note 2....was just wary of Samsung's skin - always liked the look of HTC's Sense....a shame they can't seem to keep up.

 

[bearboy]

Go Nexus 4 or go home

Gimme more than 16gb of memory and LTE then I'll jump on the N4 bandwagon.

Again hate to sound like a everyone else, but it was IOS that drove me from Apple to Android. Like many people I was a long time Iphone user (had the original through to the I4). But by the time the I4 came around I was ready for a change.

If Apple revamped the OS and included the things disussed here that Android users enjoy as standard features then I would consider coming back. But I really don't see that happening anytime soon.

 

[aerok]

How has touchwiz gotten? I had heard pretty terrible things but seeing as the Nexus 4 doesn't have LTE and one of the reason for trying out an Android for me would be to try out a bigger screen - I figure I might as well check out the Note 2....was just wary of Samsung's skin - always liked the look of HTC's Sense....a shame they can't seem to keep up.

Install LauncherPro or NovaLauncher and poof, Touchwiz is gone.

But Touchwiz itself isn't so bad anymore, I just don't like the look of the icons.

 

[macbookpro13]

Sadly, a lot of your problems can be solved through a few apps without resorting to root. Have to give the thing an honest effort for more than a day, and do some research. But yeah, carrier add-ons are a real pain, and probably Android's number 1 obstacle.

This is why I think Google really missed the boat on the Nexus 4. At that price point, they could have sold tons of the devices, and showcased Stock Android to tons of people.

Getting my itunes music onto it was a huge pain. I read online that android lets you plug the phone into a computer as a USB drive and drag/drop music that way (which is what I always wanted because I don't like syncing). Well, that option is not available in the GS3. Only MTP and PTP. And neither option worked with android file transfer. Tried airdroid. Didn't work in Safari, and in Chrome I could only transfer one song at a time. Tried doubletwist. Doesn't work with GS3 since it lacks USB mass storage mode, and airsync costs money. Tried using google play, but that took forever to upload songs. Finally used Kies (which is a POS software that makes my macbook heat up whenever it's open) and imported my itunes playlist to it and then synced it to the phone. But then I thought, isn't this just Samsung's version of itunes/sync? What the hell did I accomplish by switching to android? Went from one closed garden to a different one. Only the new one happens to be complete ****. I also don't like how the GS3 has the power button on the side of the phone, right where you grip it. How is this even logical? Turned it off so many times just holding it or flipping to landscape.

I really don't regret returning it. Only thing I miss is that big, beautiful screen. I appreciate that you can upgrade the storage with a SD card (big fail on Apple's part), but given how hard it is to connect the phone to my computer just to see its internal storage, I don't know how I'd even make use of it.

 

[jrswizzle]

Gimme more than 16gb of memory and LTE then I'll jump on the N4 bandwagon.

Again hate to sound like a everyone else, but it was IOS that drove me from Apple to Android. Like many people I was a long time Iphone user (had the original through to the I4). But by the time the I4 came around I was ready for a change.

If Apple revamped the OS and included the things disussed here that Android users enjoy as standard features then I would consider coming back. But I really don't see that happening anytime soon.

This is my curiosity so please don't take this as some attack like others seem to have:

Do you look at the iPhone as a stand alone device (i.e. buy it based off of what it can do alone) or do you have other devices that work with it? I could see using Android if I only used a phone and maybe a Windows laptop - but the across-the-board Apple integration in all their devices is one of the major reasons I can't/won't switch.

Just wondering how those who did switch made the decision - based solely off the device, or did other personal devices get factored in?

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Install LauncherPro or NovaLauncher and poof, Touchwiz is gone.

But Touchwiz itself isn't so bad anymore, I just don't like the look of the icons.

That was the other thing - rooting. I've jailbroken my iPhone once or twice - wasted some money and proceeded to crawl back to the safe confines of stock iOS. Rooting seemed slightly more difficult than jailbreaking and therefore lost my interest....did I miss some website that walks you through it/makes it simple?

(granted I used an N7 - still flashing custom ROMs and such seemed too involved for me - timewise.)

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I really don't regret returning it. Only thing I miss is that big, beautiful screen.

Size-wise, the Galaxy is big. But the iP5 screen produces some insanely accurate colors (according to some studies, the MOST accurate of any smartphone out there).

Never been a big fan of AMOLED - my brother-in-law's GS3 looks like its tinted blue....

 

[Ericcc]

How has touchwiz gotten? I had heard pretty terrible things but seeing as the Nexus 4 doesn't have LTE and one of the reason for trying out an Android for me would be to try out a bigger screen - I figure I might as well check out the Note 2....was just wary of Samsung's skin - always liked the look of HTC's Sense....a shame they can't seem to keep up.

Touchwiz has really improved in the last couple of years. Most would agree that it's the best of the manufacturer skins. Note that I don't own a Samsung device. Playing with my friend's GS3(from Bell Canada), first impression is that it's smooth, nice to operate, and the Amoled makes icon colours really pop out. Some of its features I actually prefer over current iterations of stock android, such as a dedicated menu button.

 

[bearboy]

Getting my itunes music onto it was a huge pain. I read online that android lets you plug the phone into a computer as a USB drive and drag/drop music that way (which is what I always wanted because I don't like syncing). Well, that option is not available in the GS3. Only MTP and PTP. And neither option worked with android file transfer. Tried airdroid. Didn't work in Safari, and in Chrome I could only transfer one song at a time. Tried doubletwist. Doesn't work with GS3 since it lacks USB mass storage mode, and airsync costs money. Tried using google play, but that took forever to upload songs. Finally used Kies (which is a POS software that makes my macbook heat up whenever it's open) and imported my itunes playlist to it and then synced it to the phone. But then I thought, isn't this just Samsung's version of itunes/sync? What the hell did I accomplish by switching to android? Went from one closed garden to a different one. Only the new one happens to be complete ****. I also don't like how the GS3 has the power button on the side of the phone, right where you grip it. How is this even logical? Turned it off so many times just holding it or flipping to landscape.

I really don't regret returning it. Only thing I miss is that big, beautiful screen. I appreciate that you can upgrade the storage with a SD card (big fail on Apple's part), but given how hard it is to connect the phone to my computer just to see its internal storage, I don't know how I'd even make use of it.

Well there are other apps like Isyncr that syncs with my SIII. But I have no issues dragging and dropping. I really only have one playlist that I use on my SIII, N7, Ipad and Ipod Touch.