iPhone to Droid.. Hmm..Take the plunge?:D

[pranavss11]

I am definitely considering switching over to verizon. While I have had the iPhone since the first one came out, 3GS didn't excite me at all.

I've heard that the plans are supposed to cost the same (Any confirmation?) and the Engadget hands on looked pretty cool. I am gonna hold off switching until I can get some hands on and check if there are options to back up the data on macs and if it's as easy as iTunes.

Cheers.

 

[Konz]

I'm in limbo right now on Verizon (contract over but not sure if I'm gonna switch for the iPhone) and I'll probably be testing the Droid for whatever the duration of Verizon's return period is.

I really want to see a full gallery of pictures taken with that 5 MP dual LED flash camera, especially some low light ones, but none of the reviews have included it.

If the camera blows donkey nuts it'll still be a tough decision, because the free turn-by-turn GPS is a massive savings compared to what it costs on the iPhone.

 

[pranavss11]

I'm in limbo right now on Verizon (contract over but not sure if I'm gonna switch for the iPhone) and I'll probably be testing the Droid for whatever the duration of Verizon's return period is.

I really want to see a full gallery of pictures taken with that 5 MP dual LED flash camera, especially some low light ones, but none of the reviews have included it.

If the camera blows donkey nuts it'll still be a tough decision, because the free turn-by-turn GPS is a massive savings compared to what it costs on the iPhone.

Definitely, I know google said that they would be bringing the turn-by-turn to the iPhone but I am pretty sure it'll be next year so that they can sell more Android 2.0 phones this holiday season.

 

[LinMac]

1) I'm considering taking the plunge even though I love my iPhone.

Reason: at&t

2) The Google Nav feature will be released "soon". I don't see this as being a feature waiting until next year.

 

[Small White Car]

Definitely, I know google said that they would be bringing the turn-by-turn to the iPhone but I am pretty sure it'll be next year so that they can sell more Android 2.0 phones this holiday season.

Android doesn't cost anything. Google makes no money from it.

What they DO make money from is having their apps used by more people. All they care about is the number of people using their apps. (Which is why Android is free.)

Putting more google apps on the iPhone is a very fast way to make that happen. Google doesn't care if the user is using an iPhone or a Droid, just so long as they use Google software on it.

So why would they try to keep their software off the iPhone? That hurts Google.

 

[NJMetsHero]

1) I'm considering taking the plunge even though I love my iPhone.

Reason: at&t

2) The Google Nav feature will be released "soon". I don't see this as being a feature waiting until next year.

I don't think it's a stretch when I say that most people who consider switching from the iPhone want either a keyboard or hate AT&T. That's the reason I don't have an iPhone and have an iPod Touch instead. They're awful in my area. Verizon is infinitely better.

 

[NJMetsHero]

Android doesn't cost anything. Google makes no money from it.

What they DO make money from is having their apps used by more people. All they care about is the number of people using their apps. (Which is why Android is free.)

Putting more google apps on the iPhone is a very fast way to make that happen. Google doesn't care if the user is using an iPhone or a Droid, just so long as they use Google software on it.

So why would they try to keep their software off the iPhone? That hurts Google.

Even so, I doubt you'll see the update until March. Apple is going to want to make sure it works perfectly and they make major updates like that to the iPhone OS once a year altogether.

 

[Compile 'em all]

No.

 

[Daiden]

I am definitely considering switching over to verizon. While I have had the iPhone since the first one came out, 3GS didn't excite me at all.

I've heard that the plans are supposed to cost the same (Any confirmation?) and the Engadget hands on looked pretty cool. I am gonna hold off switching until I can get some hands on and check if there are options to back up the data on macs and if it's as easy as iTunes.

Cheers.

Go for it. If Verizon is a better network for you in your area, by all means switch over. A phone is only as good as the service you receive.

 

[MTI]

Go for it. If Verizon is a better network for you in your area, by all means switch over. A phone is only as good as the service you receive.

Exactly, that's really the ballgame!

Wired Magazine Also Thinks Highly of the Network


The Droid is Motorola's second attempt at an Android phone but the first one they've actually gotten right. More importantly, it's one of the first phones that can legitimately stand head-to-head with the iPhone -- and come out ahead in some significant respects.

Like get decent reception! The Droid is offered by Verizon in the United States and enjoys all the benefits of their extensive network. In our tests around San Francisco the Droid rarely dropped a call, loaded web pages quickly, and pulled up navigation screens without an ounce of hesitation. Overall, network performance trumped our AT&T iPhone.

WIRED An awesome Android phone on the Verizon network -- finally! Gorgeous, responsive touchscreen. Fast, fast processor. Excellent browser. User-replaceable battery.

TIRED We want our multitouch pinch! Difficult-to-use physical keyboard. Pocket-tearing heft.

 

[aristobrat]

I'm in limbo right now on Verizon (contract over but not sure if I'm gonna switch for the iPhone) and I'll probably be testing the Droid for whatever the duration of Verizon's return period is.

That's what I would do. Sign up for a new Verizon account (with a new phone number), keep my AT&T account, and see how I liked VZW/the Droid.

If it worked for me, I'd have VZW port over my AT&T phone number, thus ending my AT&T contract.

If I wasn't interested in staying with VZW, I'd just cancel before the 30-day trial was over. Worst I'd be out would be the activation fee plus the number of days I used their network for...

 

[Flhusky]

anDroid ONLY has 256 megs for App storage...droid doesn't do app storage
Yes there are hacks to get around this BUT thats not the point. Out of the box the OS is a a failure still after a year

 

[pranavss11]

anDroid ONLY has 256 megs for App storage...droid doesn't do app storage
Yes there are hacks to get around this BUT thats not the point. Out of the box the OS is a a failure still after a year

Yes, I was looking at the full review engadget posted today and I saw a lot of people mention this in the comments section. Also, the newer engadget review said that the phone did not have multi touch, the Media player was really poor and the camera takes blurry pictures.

I am still on the sidelines because when I am at work and in university, I get like 1 bar at most on AT&T while my friend who is on Verizon gets great coverage.

I am definitely gonna go get some hands on with that phone before I make any decisions.

-X

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

Verizon certainly needs this. The Droid is by no means an "iPhone killer", but it could be the phone that corks the giant hole in their user base leaking customers into the AT&T sea, figuratively speaking. I hope it does well. I only have one more person to convert to AT&T/iPhone (and I have no qualms doing it because AT&T reigns around here). Once I get her over I wish Verizon the best.

 

[ctt1wbw]

Plus, having an LED flash doesn't mean it will take pictures in the dark. Flashes are for daylight use when the sun is creating shadows on a face. Having a flash does not mean you can take a picture of a completely dark cave and have it look like full daylight.

 

[Flhusky]

It seems the prudent thing to do is;
1. Wait about a month till the hype dies down and people have time to post 'real world' results/hacks/fixes
2. Check into the Droid Eris ($99)
3. Hope Android OS 2.1x or 3.x fixes some of short comings
4. Consider the HTC Touch 2

My main ?s are (no I haven't spoke to a sales drone at VZW yet)
Contract cost:
I've heard speculation Droid requires a minimum 750min call plan + an unlimited data plan = $120 + taxes
By contrast AT&T will do any ###calling plan + $30 iPhone Data plan meaning you can go as low as $80~ + taxes

 

[PhoneI]

I have been carrying around a HTC hero for awhile now (along with my iPhone). While I find android to have some nice features, the iPhone OS is far more polished and just feels some much better to use. Yeah, I want better notifications and multitasking, but even without those, I find myself just wanting to use my iPhone more than my Android device.

In addition, I dont care how many megapixels the Hero claims it's camera has, if you like to use you phone for video and pictures, stick with the iPhone. Its far better.

 

[Kuddles]

anDroid ONLY has 256 megs for App storage...droid doesn't do app storage
Yes there are hacks to get around this BUT thats not the point. Out of the box the OS is a a failure still after a year

Yeah. The OS is a failure because of that.


I wanted my 3Gs to have background capability. Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.

I wanted to change my 3Gs SMS tones. Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.

I wanted to use Google Voice on my 3GS. Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.

I wanted to be able to fine tune my settings; turn off wifi, BT, etc with a push of a button. Or close apps instantaneously. I mean, Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.




I can go on for days, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT.


Out of the box the OS is a a failure still after a year. Uhhh. Oops. I mean three years.

You see what I did there??!! I reverSeD YouR ArGuMEnT! 3 YEarS and IpHOnE STiLL DOEsNT HaVe ThEsE CAPAbiLITIES!!



oh snap! burned!!$#$%

 

[army91c]

Yeah. The OS is a failure because of that.


I wanted my 3Gs to have background capability. Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.

I wanted to change my 3Gs SMS tones. Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.
I wanted to use Google Voice on my 3GS. Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.
I wanted to be able to fine tune my settings; turn off wifi, BT, etc with a push of a button. Or close apps instantaneously. I mean, Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.
I can go on for days, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT.
Out of the box the OS is a a failure still after a year. Uhhh. Oops. I mean three years.
You see what I did there??!! I reverSeD YouR ArGuMEnT! 3 YEarS and IpHOnE STiLL DOEsNT HaVe ThEsE CAPAbiLITIES!!
oh snap! burned!!$#$%

My iPhone can do all these things.... oh snap! burned!

Are you 12?

Those guys at wired seem to be big time verizon fan boys.

I don't feel the need to get into a pissing contest as to which phone is better.... I like my i and will be sticking to it. ANY phone that pushes the others to make a better phone is good for all involved. IF a phone makes you feel better about yourself, maybe some professional help is in order.

 

[AbSoluTc]

Yeah. The OS is a failure because of that.


I wanted my 3Gs to have background capability. Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.

I wanted to change my 3Gs SMS tones. Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.

I wanted to use Google Voice on my 3GS. Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.

I wanted to be able to fine tune my settings; turn off wifi, BT, etc with a push of a button. Or close apps instantaneously. I mean, Yes there are hacks around this BUT thats not the point.




I can go on for days, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT.


Out of the box the OS is a a failure still after a year. Uhhh. Oops. I mean three years.

You see what I did there??!! I reverSeD YouR ArGuMEnT! 3 YEarS and IpHOnE STiLL DOEsNT HaVe ThEsE CAPAbiLITIES!!



oh snap! burned!!$#$%

You're grasping at straws there buddy. The crap you bring us isn't even worth bringing up. Google Voice? Yeah, because EVERY OTHER phone has it. Background capability because why? Because you have THAT MUCH free time on your hands? Or just when you're driving? Fine tune your settings? Really? Get a Winmo phone then. Close apps instantly? Umm - every phone does that. Even the iPhone.

Again, you sound like you just want to argue - about anything. Even if it's stupid.

 

[Konz]

anDroid ONLY has 256 megs for App storage...droid doesn't do app storage
Yes there are hacks to get around this BUT thats not the point. Out of the box the OS is a a failure still after a year

I can't believe so many fools have been duped by this BS and now parrot it everywhere. Let's make something clear once and for all:

256MB is enough room for hundreds of apps, including ones like Myst that have more than 700MB of data overall.

Basic files and the executable will be stored in that 256MB slot while the rest is loaded onto the SD card. If an app takes up 1MB or more it's most likely due to poor programming.

 

[greygray]

My iPhone can do all these things.... oh snap! burned!

Are you 12?

Today's the 1st.

 

[wowipod]

I can't believe so many fools have been duped by this BS and now parrot it everywhere. Let's make something clear once and for all:

256MB is enough room for hundreds of apps, including ones like Myst that have more than 700MB of data overall.

Basic files and the executable will be stored in that 256MB slot while the rest is loaded onto the SD card. If an app takes up 1MB or more it's most likely due to poor programming.

We're on Mac forum here. They were trying to make is sound rubbish, they probably know all about that.

You're grasping at straws there buddy. The crap you bring us isn't even worth bringing up. Google Voice? Yeah, because EVERY OTHER phone has it. Background capability because why? Because you have THAT MUCH free time on your hands? Or just when you're driving? Fine tune your settings? Really? Get a Winmo phone then. Close apps instantly? Umm - every phone does that. Even the iPhone.

Again, you sound like you just want to argue - about anything. Even if it's stupid.

That's not what he is doing. If you go and pick on a feature the droid lacks and then say there are hacks 'but thats not the point', I would go and bring up every feature the iPhone lacks but can be achieved as a hack as an argument. We can't have double standards now can we?

 

[DeepIn2U]

I am definitely considering switching over to verizon. While I have had the iPhone since the first one came out, 3GS didn't excite me at all.

I've heard that the plans are supposed to cost the same (Any confirmation?) and the Engadget hands on looked pretty cool. I am gonna hold off switching until I can get some hands on and check if there are options to back up the data on macs and if it's as easy as iTunes.

Cheers.

If you're looking for a phone to excite you and you're choosing the Moto Droid on Verizon ... you're going to be impressed for a SHORT term. Less than 6mths later when you know how to use the device without much thought, you're going to be bored! Trust me ... this is advice coming from a smartphone junky!

What's worse is you'll be using a device that has 1yr left of real life due to the network bands it supports (Verizon is going LTE by end of 2010/mid-2011). And you'll be on contract for the term of the device 2yrs! Should anything REALLY sweet that tickles your fancy before those 2yrs and trust me it will (note your post above), you'll be annoyed. Lastly you have MORE choice going for an HSPA/UMTS based device - higher resale value if you NEED to switch.

My advice ... wait to see other Android 2.0 OS devices coming soon: SonyEricsson Infinity (Rachel) and Acer Liquid - both are non-keyboard devices though.

Have a look what a J2ME powerhouse can do with Android 2.0.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvsl5IBSZh0
^ SonyEricsson Infinity (codename: Rachel) which will be announced Nov.3rd. It may not ship until January 2010 though.

Take note ... its better to full OWN your device than on Contract. In less than 1 year you've already paid for the phone and also the monthly service plans, and data overages the provider pockets no change in value to you.

Even so, I doubt you'll see the update until March. Apple is going to want to make sure it works perfectly and they make major updates like that to the iPhone OS once a year altogether.

That's an odd theory. My iPhone 3GS shipped with 3.1.1 and had the GMaps function that shows street view right out of the box ... less than 2mths after other platforms. I'm sure an update will occur before March 2010; since that is a LONG wait for just 1 function.

Either way Android for smartphones is coming of age; and since its being ported to so many other uses I consider it very similar to WinCE that is used in GasPumps, PoS machines, etc.

However, as time moves own - features in Android OS grows - you'll see Apps begin to debut in retail with a price associated with it. Especially with those NOT from Google and with great feature set. Don't assume it'll be free forever; just the core OS will be.

I'm curious about the following though:
Where is support for SMP?
Where is support for proper Javascript & J2ME without specific Android Java tweaks? (This may be resolved in 2.0 since SonyEricsson waited for 2.0 specifically for multimedia and java their core developer business model)
Issues with a unified UI. Changing from Droid to Magic to Cliq/Dext to Infinity to Liquid the layouts will be so different that the end user will not see Android except for that menu drawer thing (which also will be changed on Acer's Liquid device). This may cause issues when users change devices as their preference or needs change down the road; will this also cause application issues? I'm not talking about basic core apps, I'm talking about anything that talks to the social sync or the like that works on 1 device but may not on another (Motorola Cliq app uses Blurr to social sync, if I use a 3rd party app that is using this - which I may not know about - will it work on Moto Droid which is vanilla Android 2.0)??

Just some things to consider/debate which may or may not help the thread op.

 

[nehunte]

Verizon certainly needs this. The Droid is by no means an "iPhone killer", but it could be the phone that corks the giant hole in their user base leaking customers into the AT&T sea, figuratively speaking. I hope it does well.

You are absolutely correct. Verizon is a smart company. They know this isn't the iPhone killer. But with the Droid, the Blackberry Storm 2, and the Pre in January, they'll have far fewer customers leaving for the iPhone.

If you're looking for a phone to excite you and you're choosing the Moto Droid on Verizon ... you're going to be impressed for a SHORT term. Less than 6mths later when you know how to use the device without much thought, you're going to be bored! Trust me ... this is advice coming from a smartphone junky!

Couldn't agree with you more. I've owned 5 different smartphones with 5 different operating systems, Nokia's Symbian OS being the only one I haven't used. However, they all became boring and simply a phone after only a handful of months of use other than the iPhone. I've hand the iPhone since February and my battery still dies during the day sometimes because I use it so much! While I've only had around 5 hours of hands-on experience with the Android OS, I wasn't overly impressed with it's creative value, long term. That might be the fault of the hardware and less of the software. Hard to tell though.