Android vs iOS

[rridgely]

I just feel like causing a little trouble.(and getting a few lively posts here again)

Which mobile OS do you prefer? Why? Why are the other options terrible?

 

Discuss.(No personal insults please)

I can't remember if we have ever officially had this topic before...

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I use both. iOS is better but Android is improving with each update.

Worst mistake I made last year? Trading my iPhone 5 for a galaxy S3. I can deal with the buggy software on my nexus 7, but my phone has to just work and its not worth having to tinker with it.

[nodles]

Android, of course! Easier to use (really!) and customizable (which iOS is not). Had to work with a few iPads at work and damn it was painful. :I

I'm using SGS2 with Android 4.1.2.

Even Windows OS would be better than iOS..

 

I can deal with the buggy software on my nexus 7, but my phone has to just work and its not worth having to tinker with it.

 

And how it is buggy..?

[Winapp2.ini]

I have several devices running both. Overall, I prefer the functionality / custimization and asthetics of android (rooted) over iOS (not jailbroken), but I loathe the fact that a lot of great apps/games are made for iOS and either not made for Android at all, or android gets some sort of back-burner treatment where it doesn't get updated and is buggy. I also think Android is sorely lacking in the backup dept, whereas iOS has iCloud. I've been using Carbon (now Helium) backup for my Androids, but it only works 4.0+ which is a bummer for older phones like the Droid 3 that my sister has.

 

I also am not a big fan of the OEM + Carrier non removable apps that they load onto the phone (removable with root).

 

One major UI aspect of iOS that kills me is having to have every app's icon on the home screen at all times.

 

My girlfriend has Windows phone 8 and it's nice but I think it's too young to judge it really. It works and is pretty smooth though.

[login123]

Blackberry QNX. Might be it's only supporter, but I like the one I have now.

 

I had a chance to try a Blackberry Z10 at the store. Fast, pretty good set of apps available, and according to Winapp it is not too difficult to port Android apps. (As if I could ever...)

 

Sounds good here:

http://www.zdnet.com...nts-7000010650/

[Nergal]

still a webOS boy m'self

[mta]

iOS for me.

every time I have had a play with Android it takes me longer than I feel necessary to find things.

now you may say, "because you aren't familiar with it" and you'd be correct.

but the same task of doing something I've not done before on iOS is less painful.

for me, iOS is more user-friendly.

 

Plus, just to completely go the opposite of @nodles, the fact that iOS is completely non-customizable works as a positive.

at least you know whatever iDevice you play with will have the same look and feel.

[nodles]

Me + some colleagues at work:

"Where the hell are all the f*ing settings?!?!?"

"There are none! : ))"

Also wireless file transfer is (almost) impossible. The filesystem sucks (Windows doesn't recognize it as a "storage" device) etc..

 

Damn I hate Apple.

[Winapp2.ini]

at least you know whatever iDevice you play with will have the same look and feel.

 

That's another complaint about Android that I have. I really hate most/all of the OEM versions of Android. Sense 5 I haven't tried. but Sense 3.6 are two-toned and kind of ugly (also have rounded corners like iOS), MIUI / Touchwiz literally are/were iOS clones, etc. Stock Android (with Holo Dark) IMO is perfect eyecandy without being guady.

 

Aside: The fact that developers for Android and iOS use the same icons for both sucks too. Android has extensive guidelines for making icons: http://developer.and...conography.html but many developers use the same icon they do for iOS and it looks out of place. iOS icons usually have rounded corners and some sort of glassy finish overlay over the graphic.

[rriforrman]

I'm using both, but iOS is still the best though. It's hard at first, but later you will love it.

[TheWebAtom]

Android; because I find iOS to look very dated. (Disclaimer; I own and frequently use an iPad) The interface is really stuck in the 2000's, with all those rounded corners and glossy overlays.

 

That's not to say Android is perfect. Most OEM's and carriers pack it full of bloatware and other assorted crap, while Apple keeps their toys relatively clean with all the restrictions and lockdowns. The skins that Android manufacturers force are consistently horrid, however stock Android's Holo interface design is delightful.

 

But of course, Android is better for one simple reason: I can play the original Pokemon games without needing to jailbreak.

Edited May 6, 2013 by TheWebAtom

[Winapp2.ini]

I like the custom rom scene for android as well. You can even hack together your own if you're so inclined, and hopefully everything will work. Currently I'm waiting for the kernel source to drop for my (admittedly old) phone to breathe some life back into it. I'm due for an upgrade but I'd like to wait to see if Google I/O has anything interesting going on.

[mta]

I'm picking up it seems to be age related more than anything else.

Baby-boomer's and Gen-X, on average, head towards iOS.

Gen-Y seem to gyrate towards Android.

 

I should try and find some stats to support/disprove that theory....

[Winapp2.ini]

The Samsung Galaxy 3 commerical gave a subtle nod towards that, although it used it negatively. There were a bunch of teenagers standing on line for the "next big thing," and one got off and said "oh no, I was saving a spot" and his visibly older parents showed up (if I'm recalling correctly)

[login123]

Well, you guys are missing a critical point.

The GPS navigator lady on Blackberry has a much nicer voice than either Siri or Garmin.

Plus she won't get you lost. like apple maps.

[mta]

I love your loyalty @login123, you seem to be the only Blackberry card-carrying member around still.

[Winapp2.ini]

My father was a loyal blackberry user for many years, but I think RIM (now Blackberry) kind of missed their opportunity to join the ranks of the "new" generation of smart phones. Maybe not, depending on how their reboot goes, but I expect it'll be tough to grab users away from the big two, and it also has smaller OS' to contend with (Firefox OS, Chrome OS, Symbian, Windows Phone 8, etc)

 

That being said, I hope they do well. More choices and more variation in the market is always the best thing for consumers and innovation.

[login123]

I guess they all work pretty well. That long delay before releasing the new OS hurt RIM, i guess. What was it, a year, two??

[Winapp2.ini]

About a year, I think, between the Bold Touch and the new one.

[rridgely]

Here are my list of grievances with Android. Remember I have a galaxy s3 and a nexus 7. I actually like the nexus, the gs3 is not terrible but not as good as iphone.

 

1. Software updates are aweful. To get the newest android on the galaxy I have to use one of the worst programs ever(samsung kies). That is of course when/if the update even comes out at all. All iphones get the latest software.(unless your on like a 3g)

2. All applications work with every iphone. I can go on the app store and there is no guarantee that the app I download will work with my phone. The hardware is so diverse that no app seems to work on everything.

3. As someone pointed out, back ups on android stink.

4. Battery life. My GS3 has a removable battery but it doesn't have the option to turn off lte and the power saver doesn't do much good. I cant get even half a day with this phone and thats not even with me on it very much.

5. Bloatware. Touchwiz/whatever your phone uses, carrier crap that cant be removed,ect.

6. I use lots of apps on both my ipad and my galaxy. The same apps will crash way more on Android.(Pulse especially)

7. Apps aren't as nice on android. Spotify on my ipad and spotify on my nexus look like 2 different programs. The iOS version is way better. This isn't the only app like this, I'm not sure why the android versions are uglier/less feature rich.

8. No visual voice mail built in. ATT has an app to make up for this but its not as seamless as on iOS.

 

The only reason I traded for the GS3 was for the bigger screen. Trade definitely doesn't seem worth it anymore.

I do like the nexus 7. I like the stock android better than what is on my phone however since I've gotten my ipad 4 I barely touch the nexus. If I go somewhere I bring it with me over the ipad because I'm less worried about it getting stolen.

[rridgely]

still a webOS boy m'self

 

I sold my touchpads(I had 2 of them) for $400. Was awesome to actually make $200 more than I spent on them.

[rridgely]

Blackberry QNX. Might be it's only supporter, but I like the one I have now.

 

I had a chance to try a Blackberry Z10 at the store. Fast, pretty good set of apps available, and according to Winapp it is not too difficult to port Android apps. (As if I could ever...)

 

Sounds good here:

http://www.zdnet.com...nts-7000010650/

 

You may like this review:

 

Go about 30 minutes in to get to the z10 review. He basically says its nice hardware but its missing a lot of apps available on other platforms.

[minty_45]

iOS is still the best among others.

[TheWebAtom]

iOS is still the best among others.

 

And here, inevitably, come the fanboys with the unsubstantiated claims about their preferred OS. The intelligent discussion was fun while it lasted.

[mta]

Ouch, Shane, that's a bit harsh.

[TheWebAtom]

Harsh, but true. Even as an iOS user, I have no respect for someone who registers to a forum just to post something like that, without any justification for why they feel that way.