[OT] iPhone or Android...

Thankfully, the O2 contract is nearly up (bloody useless coverage in my area).

I was about to plump for an iPhone 4S from Three as a) I have an iPhone 3G; b) Three works really well on the Hastings line and inside my house; c) Three have an excellent Allyoucaneat data package with tethering included.

But, now I notice that all the must-have apps I depend on (RBS banking, Ocado to name two) have in the last few months finally appeared on Android, so the closed gate has been opened...

I like Android, the philosophy - I might even write some apps for myself (can't do on iPhone, 'cos I don't have a Mac)

But comparing iPhone with SWMBO's Android pad, my perception is the iPhone is much more in the "just works" camp than Android. Loads of Android apps are crashy IME. Very rare on iOS except for running out of RAM on my ancient

3G

How do others find Android - and who makes a decent handset? (Form factor should be similar to iPhone - I find that a convenient size).

And do you miss iTunes (OK, I can RIP my iTunes purchases - but how is it for selection of new stuff)...

Cheers

Tim

Reply to
Tim Watts
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Tim Watts spake thus:

If you don't get an iPhone 4S, how will other people know that you are better than them?

Reply to
Scion

With me, having a hacked 'roid phone would be of more snob value :)

But, no - this is one type of technology where "just works" > "hackability" (although I do like hacking stuff).

Reply to
Tim Watts

Um, I had an iPod touch and linked it to my Nokia phone using its wifi hotspot. Having replaced the combo with an iPhone 3GS I can say that the iPhone is *much* better than the combo.

Tim

Reply to
Tim

The iPhone 4S is supposed to be a lot faster for hotspot access too. I'm going to speedtest it in Three' shop with my laptop and possibly compare it to an Android doing the same (they all have 3 data SIMs in the display phones).

Personally, I'm trying to carry less crap - not having to take the 3 MIFI around wil be a plus :)

Reply to
Tim Watts

You didn't have a 4G iPod touch then.. it's got the same display and IOS as the iPhone 4. install Skype and you can even make calls with it. it's wafer thin and the battery lasts for ever too, I love it.

Reply to
srp

I downloaded all the bits the other day. Not get a chance to actually try anything yet, but it seems all there. Shame it uses Eclipse rather than NetBeans, but other than that seems fine.

I get the impression both have a fair collection of crap apps available, but the iPhone probably has slightly better looking crap apps! The fundamentals of pretty much anything you need seem to be available now on android as well. Each time I think "perhaps I ought to write x", I then find there are already a dozen apps on the marketplace already!

I have used various friends iPhones although never owned one of my own. Recently I got a 'droid phone of my own[1]. While there is lots of stuff the iPhones do quite nicely, I was less keen on being tethered to nanny in the form of Apple. Also I wanted one with a hard keyboard, so that ruled the iPhone out.

All in all very pleased with my choice. It does all the stuff a phone is supposed to but at the same time does not try to pretend there is not a computer lurking underneath. Hence it has proper files system and apps that interact with it, and it can see network shares, act as a fileserver etc as required. You can plug it into a computer an use it either as a MTP device or a mass storage device and drag stuff to and from.

If there is any part of it your don't like, you just change it... even the interface is not untouchable - so if you want a new keyboard, or wifi hotspot, or emulator for some other platform, then just click download and off it goes.

If I were looking for a iPhone sized device, then the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has a good spec and looks very nice.

[1] Got mine sim free and unbranded. Much prefer not having any operator specific crap on there!
Reply to
John Rumm

Nope, I didn't. But then, I only have to carry and charge one device now.

Tim

Reply to
Tim

I'm happy with Android, rooted my N1 within weeks of buying it, and have used 'community' firmware on it ever since, I'm willing to give up some of the iPhone's gleam and glitter to be able to do whatever *I* want on my phone.

I've used netbeans for a bit of android programming, learning rather than doing really, and the netbeans stuff does tend to lag behind the eclipse stuff

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Reply to
Andy Burns

According to a colleague who has done this, that really doesn't matter. People will stumble across your app, and if it's good, they'll buy it anyway. OK, you'll miss quite a few, but sales should still be OK.

I got a Galaxy S2, but actually preferred a soft keyboard. It's much easier for my big fingers, and the screen is big anough for me to do things without finding the glasses or monocle.

Agreed. It works very well. Just waiting for them to send the Ice Cream Sandwich update, which the S2 is apparently getting.

Yes, the email program didn't do what I wanted, so I just found another one. Tried three SIP phone apps before I found one that would do SIP over TCP...!

Same here.

Reply to
Bob Eager

John Rumm wrote: [snip]

the iPhone out.

I must be imagining this hard (moving key) keyboard for my iPhone then. Oh hang on, no, it's real and it works.

FWIW every android phone I have tried has been clunky s**te with a low resolution display. But if that's what you want, power to your fingertips. Not much power of course.

Reply to
Steve Firth

the iPhone out.

Built in, runs from the main iPhone battery?

(you can add a bluetooth KB to many phones, but personally I like having it as a part of the phone).

Try taking your rose tinted apple branded specs off then...

Reply to
John Rumm

See what the remaining Mr. Apple has to say:

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Reply to
John Rumm

Oh now you start changing the spec.

Whatever.

Try not talking bollocks.

Reply to
Steve Firth

No, it was pretty clear what he meant.

Reply to
Tim Watts

Some of the Android are are just quite explody - I suppose that's the price for a free for all market vs a regulated one.

Your selling it John :)

At least I do have a testbed in the form of a 'roid pad.

OK - I will look at that - cheers for the tip. I'll see if the Three shop on the Strand has one then I can test it with a data connection live too (tethering my laptop on the train will be 70% of its purpose).

Ideally yes. However, with Three doing £35/month for an iPhone 4S (189/99 upfront) for a 2 year contract vs £30/month for just SIM (that's an all you can eat data plan that allows tethering) it does not make sense not to get the device as part of the bundle. Due to where I live, Three is my only choice of operator - everyone else is more or less black here.

Cheers

Tim

Reply to
Tim Watts

Get an Orange Monte Carlo from Argos (change from £100)

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unlock it, repartition and install CyanogenMod 7. I must admit that for me it's as much a toy as a phone but CM7 is as solid as a rock and you have a full Linux system which you can program in Python, Ruby, Rexx etc etc

Reply to
Bob Martin

Indeed ...

Apple iPhone 4S: 960x640 pixels Samsung Galaxy Nexus: 1280x720 pixels

You can argue about pentile vs RGB pixel layouts if you want, but everyone seems to agree it's a stunning display, I'm not convinced I need a 4.65" screen on a phone though.

Reply to
Andy Burns

My phone has 15 buttons and no display at all.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Ooh, REXX on my phone! Mind, I can already run 'classic UNIX' and VAX/ VMS...

Reply to
Bob Eager

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