After extended GS4 test drive, I'm going back to Apple for good. Here's why.

[Shanicenicolle]

What the hell is wrong with some of you people that you can't even handle a well thought out, objective post saying why he does not care for Android? Jesus. Worry more about your own lives and less of others.

Personally, as someone who used an iPhone for three and a half years myself, I moved to Android because I was tired of being told basically "You use this email app because we said so". Thre is no other app you can use to replace iMessage, you use iMessage and that's it. I got tired of (over)paying for a phone that couldn't do what phones from 2009 could do. Seriously, Apple is smoking some good crack pricing their phones the way they have this year. It took Apple seven years to add a friggin' flashlight. If I have to give up a little spit and polish in my apps to be able to do whatever I please with my phone, well, that is a tradeoff I was willing to make.

At the end of the day though, they both do the same thing. You can get apps, play games, use a map, get email, surf the internet and take pictures with them. If someone prefers a platform you don't, what's wrong with that? So many Goddamn intolerat people in this world ready to just EXPLODE over nothing, to the point they have to get infractions over it. That is pathetic.

Take a deep breath, lol.

Sent from my *PURPLE* Galaxy S4

 

[Shanicenicolle]

Talking about the two new models coming. When he said new I was really thinking new

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using AC Forums mobile app

Gotcha

Sent from my *PURPLE* Galaxy S4

 

[puch96]

In my opinion, Android has more options when it comes to user interface. An i-phone cannot do all the things an Android phone can. But Android can do above and beyond the things that i-Phone iOS does. iOS was lagging behind until iOS 7. And still, it's like they copied android features that were in place long ago and still has not changed much.
I personally like iPhone for what they are and would not have any issues if I use one. But personally, I got used to Android and it would be difficult for me to go to iOS due to it's limitations.

 

[gusar2000]

After approximately four months with the GS4 on Verizon, I'll be picking up an iPhone 5s on Friday (fingers crossed that I can even find one). I've dabbled in Android for the very last time and consider it to be the clearly inferior platform. Here's why:

1. The thing I do most on my phone is text friends and family, with most everything else being a distant second. iMessage on iOS has such a huge advantage over the basic SMS texting available on Android that it isn't even funny, especially when you're sending pictures or video which I frequently do. Add to that the effortless synching of iMessages across the entire Apple ecosystem (from Mac to iPhone to iPad, etc.), and Android simply can't compete. Plus, when you get right down to it, I hardly know anyone who doesn't have an iPhone so everyone uses iMessage.

2. The thing I do second most on my phone is listen to music. Again, Apple has a huge advantage over Android in that Apple invented the iPod and continues to produce the best music player by a wide margin. Nothing I've tried on Android (and I've tried ALL the 3rd party music apps) comes close. From displaying album artwork to displaying alerts during music playback (especially in the lock screen mode) to synching everything effortlessly with iTunes - the iPhone continues to be the leader for music lovers IMO.

3. The thing I do third most is use social media apps and various other sports/news apps. Almost to an app, the iOS version is better in that it crashes far less, is more fluid and intuitive, and almost always uploads superior pictures, despite the pictures taken by the GS4 being huge and vibrant. I have no idea why that last gripe is the way it is, but that's simply been my experience.

4. Yes, the screen size of the iPhone leaves a lot to be desired. There's no avoiding that. However, the large size of the GS4's screen is really hampered by almost zero visibility in sunlight and poor touch responsiveness when compared to the iPhone. Unless you can palm a basketball, you'll probably need to use two hands on the GS4 and other giant Android phones. However, if you don't touch what you want exactly spot-on (with the phone braced with one hand and your free hand doing the selecting), the screen simply isn't as responsive and accurate to the touch as the iPhone. Don't even get me started on the poor screen sensitivity's effect on text entry and lousy auto-correct and auto-prediction...

5. Lastly, there is no equivalent of the Find My Friends app on Android. When you have family, friends, children, and others all scattered around, it is an absolutely invaluable tool for when you need to keep tabs on someone, like during car/air/train travel, at sporting events/concerts and other large gatherings of people, or just on the commute home. Again, Android can't compete. Although the Google Latitude app existed briefly, if you enabled location reporting so that the app functioned like FMF, the phone's battery would be dead before you set it down.

There are definitely things about the Android that are great and that I will miss. Full-featured Google Search (and accompanying widget) are great, as are Google Maps, the GMail App, snappy camera, and fully customizable user interface via 3rd party launchers. However, for what I use a phone for most, Android is still playing catch-up and probably always will be.

The analogy I'd use here is this - iOS/Apple : Android/Samsung/HTC :: Ferrari : Hennessey Motorsports. Yes, the super-tuned Hennessey sports car (take your pick of which one) can match the performance of and typically exceed that of a Ferrari on the racetrack. However, the Ferrari can't be touched in terms of overall taste, fit, finish, and class.

Why do you need latest, most expensive IPhone for 1, 2, 3 and 5?
Texting... To buy $700-900 phone to mostly text?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Btw, it is not true that there is nothing comparable to imessage on the android os. My sisters are both on iPhone and the message me maybe 100 times a day (we are dealing with elderly mom with declining health). I don't have unlimited sms and they quickly burned through my allotment. So, we all got on message me, which is like iMessage but with all kinds of media options. Runs on both platforms in all their various forms.

 

[mahler9]

Maybe I'm missing something, but if you use Google Voice for voicemail, it's just as good as iPhone's VVM...(if not better in some respects)

I second that. Google Voice is fanatastic

 

[Giorivera]

After approximately four months with the GS4 on Verizon, I'll be picking up an iPhone 5s on Friday (fingers crossed that I can even find one). I've dabbled in Android for the very last time and consider it to be the clearly inferior platform. Here's why:

1. The thing I do most on my phone is text friends and family, with most everything else being a distant second. iMessage on iOS has such a huge advantage over the basic SMS texting available on Android that it isn't even funny, especially when you're sending pictures or video which I frequently do. Add to that the effortless synching of iMessages across the entire Apple ecosystem (from Mac to iPhone to iPad, etc.), and Android simply can't compete. Plus, when you get right down to it, I hardly know anyone who doesn't have an iPhone so everyone uses iMessage.

2. The thing I do second most on my phone is listen to music. Again, Apple has a huge advantage over Android in that Apple invented the iPod and continues to produce the best music player by a wide margin. Nothing I've tried on Android (and I've tried ALL the 3rd party music apps) comes close. From displaying album artwork to displaying alerts during music playback (especially in the lock screen mode) to synching everything effortlessly with iTunes - the iPhone continues to be the leader for music lovers IMO.

3. The thing I do third most is use social media apps and various other sports/news apps. Almost to an app, the iOS version is better in that it crashes far less, is more fluid and intuitive, and almost always uploads superior pictures, despite the pictures taken by the GS4 being huge and vibrant. I have no idea why that last gripe is the way it is, but that's simply been my experience.

4. Yes, the screen size of the iPhone leaves a lot to be desired. There's no avoiding that. However, the large size of the GS4's screen is really hampered by almost zero visibility in sunlight and poor touch responsiveness when compared to the iPhone. Unless you can palm a basketball, you'll probably need to use two hands on the GS4 and other giant Android phones. However, if you don't touch what you want exactly spot-on (with the phone braced with one hand and your free hand doing the selecting), the screen simply isn't as responsive and accurate to the touch as the iPhone. Don't even get me started on the poor screen sensitivity's effect on text entry and lousy auto-correct and auto-prediction...

5. Lastly, there is no equivalent of the Find My Friends app on Android. When you have family, friends, children, and others all scattered around, it is an absolutely invaluable tool for when you need to keep tabs on someone, like during car/air/train travel, at sporting events/concerts and other large gatherings of people, or just on the commute home. Again, Android can't compete. Although the Google Latitude app existed briefly, if you enabled location reporting so that the app functioned like FMF, the phone's battery would be dead before you set it down.

There are definitely things about the Android that are great and that I will miss. Full-featured Google Search (and accompanying widget) are great, as are Google Maps, the GMail App, snappy camera, and fully customizable user interface via 3rd party launchers. However, for what I use a phone for most, Android is still playing catch-up and probably always will be.

The analogy I'd use here is this - iOS/Apple : Android/Samsung/HTC :: Ferrari : Hennessey Motorsports. Yes, the super-tuned Hennessey sports car (take your pick of which one) can match the performance of and typically exceed that of a Ferrari on the racetrack. However, the Ferrari can't be touched in terms of overall taste, fit, finish, and class.

I get that everyone has different needs. I get that not every phone is for every person. I totally can even understand you wanting to go back to iPhone. But none of these reasons you mentioned actually hold any weight. The iPhone is a stable product. However, I'm not going to sit here and refute everything, I just don't have the time, nor do I care that much. But I live by a very simple creed when it comes to technology; "You can't knock it until you try it"; and I give you kudos on at least trying Android, but it appears you did not try the right way, by finding the correct solution. Its almost like you tried Android with a predisposition that it isn't as good as iOS. I've tried all OS's, in my opinion nothing comes close to Android. Google Music (Play Music), is a big reason and can even hold its weight as the only reason to go Android, if you are truly a music enthusiast. It's not even close. It syncs all of your iTunes library (and Libraries) to your Google Music Account (Cloud) for free. You can play your music from any Internet connected device, including iOS. And if you want to argue that there are data caps, there is also Offline mode, which caches the music to your device, so that its permanently locally on your device, and its no longer streaming using data. Again, it doesn't seem like you actually gave Android a shot. To each his own, but don't try to undermine Android as if its inferior. Maybe its just not for you, but it does not have any of the barriers you mentioned. Give credit to where credit is due.

 

[Farish]

Btw, it is not true that there is nothing comparable to imessage on the android os. My sisters are both on iPhone and the message me maybe 100 times a day (we are dealing with elderly mom with declining health). I don't have unlimited sms and they quickly burned through my allotment. So, we all got on message me, which is like iMessage but with all kinds of media options. Runs on both platforms in all their various forms.

Message Me doesn't have sms integration, which is the big deal about iMessage. When you use Message Me, everybody has to have the app. When you use iMessage, it will still send and receive a text regardless of what platform the other person is using. iMessage can send a text to a dumb flip phone with no issues.

This is why SMS integration is so crucial for Hangouts as it becomes universal regardless of platform.

 

[Shanicenicolle]

Message Me doesn't have sms integration, which is the big deal about iMessage. When you use Message Me, everybody has to have the app. When you use iMessage, it will still send and receive a text regardless of what platform the other person is using. iMessage can send a text to a dumb flip phone with no issues.

This is why SMS integration is so crucial for Hangouts as it becomes universal regardless of platform.

Imessage is only iPhone to iPhone. It is integrated into the regular messaging app but if you message a non smartphone it's no longer imessage just texting.


I agree with your point on why message me isn't a solution tho.

Sent from my *PURPLE* Galaxy S4

 

[Farish]

Imessage is only iPhone to iPhone. It is integrated into the regular messaging app but if you message a non smartphone it's no longer imessage just texting.


I agree with your point on why message me isn't a solution tho.

Sent from my *PURPLE* Galaxy S4

Sigh

 

[LegalAmerican]

Being a iPhone user since 2007 and switching to the S4 back in July, I have to say, of all of the things I miss from iOS is the app quality/design. I'm not sure if Apple keeps devs on the ball, but their app quality is MUCH better than Android. So much so, I'm thinking about switching back (I really love the bigger screen and the Android sharing capabilities, however). Just look at how many apps were ready to go for the iOS 7 redesign - all the major apps too (Facebook, Twitter, New York Times, Evernote, etc.), not just one offs. I just don't see something like that happening with Android, if they decided to go for a redesign for Android 4.4 or 5.0. I still don't understand why Android still allows the time to be show nice and big on the lock screen AND show the time in the status bar at the same time. iOS 7 got this part right.

I use Carbon for my Twitter so it's as polished as i'd ever need. Basically the apps I use A LOT are great on Android. So really that's not been a big downfall. I picked up my iPod Classic that I bought in 2008 and it still feels solid and works great. And I thought to myself.......I would kill for a Smartphone that could theoretically last this long and still impress me in the way it feels and responds. I LOVE my S3 but I don't think it would ever last that long. However, the iPhone might last a long time but I don't know if I could be miserable the whole time I had it because of the non-inspiring Operating System. My coworker just got to work after waiting in line at Verizon for the new iPhone and she let me play with it for a while and go through the menus and such, and I just had the same "blah" feeling that I did after the iPhone 5. They HAVE to get bigger screens on those mothers. Looking at a tiny, elongated 4" screen just doesn't do it for me.

 

[Farish]

I use Carbon for my Twitter so it's as polished as i'd ever need. Basically the apps I use A LOT are great on Android. So really that's not been a big downfall. I picked up my iPod Classic that I bought in 2008 and it still feels solid and works great. And I thought to myself.......I would kill for a Smartphone that could theoretically last this long and still impress me in the way it feels and responds. I LOVE my S3 but I don't think it would ever last that long. However, the iPhone might last a long time but I don't know if I could be miserable the whole time I had it because of the non-inspiring Operating System. My coworker just got to work after waiting in line at Verizon for the new iPhone and she let me play with it for a while and go through the menus and such, and I just had the same "blah" feeling that I did after the iPhone 5. They HAVE to get bigger screens on those mothers. Looking at a tiny, elongated 4" screen just doesn't do it for me.

The same word you use describes exactly how I feel about the new iPhone.

Blah

 

[Shanicenicolle]

Sigh

Yah... The phone number of an iphone. If it's not blue it's sms. Once you text a non iOS device it's green...

Sent from my *PURPLE* Galaxy S4

 

[LegalAmerican]

The same word you use describes exactly how I feel about the new iPhone.

Blah

It seemed like a great device. But it didn't feel or appear ANY different in any way from the 5. And really, the screen size isn't significant over the 4s or 4. I really want to give the iPhone a try because i've only ever used Android extensively. I want to see for SURE if iOS is as boring day-to-day as it is just when i'm briefly exploring. I don't use the term: "blah" to be offensive in any way and I hope it's not received as such. It's just that in order to switch, I have to be wowed. I was wowed when I activated my sister's Nexus 4. I was wowed when I got the Jelly Bean update on my S3. I was wowed when I messed around with my Brother's Note 2 last year. I just don't get that with the iPhone. I even dislike how light they are. I prefer the slightly hefty feel of the older iPhones because it made me feel more like it was REAL. Like the metal and the quality was there. Now they're so light (which some people love) that it feels like it's a fake product or something.

I have to have that WOW factor if i'm going to switch to iOS and it's just massively lacking for me. Yesterday my other coworker with a 4s got the iOS 7 update and was testing to see if Apple really did improve Siri. She asked it to show her a map of africa, and it said sorry, it didn't understand her request. So she asked it where is africa, and it still couldn't figure it out. So I asked Google Now where Africa was and got a map, a satellite image, and a ton of webpage links to info about Africa. Apple certainly makes a quality device and some people absolutely love them. I just haven't been swept off my feet by Apple like I have with some Android devices.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Message Me doesn't have sms integration, which is the big deal about iMessage. When you use Message Me, everybody has to have the app. When you use iMessage, it will still send and receive a text regardless of what platform the other person is using. iMessage can send a text to a dumb flip phone with no issues.

This is why SMS integration is so crucial for Hangouts as it becomes universal regardless of platform.

Yup, that is true. Similar issue with Whatsapp. In fact, my sisters did not understand why I rebelled against them contacting me through iMessage all the time because it kept showing up as texts on my Android phone.

Good point.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

BTW, on an aside, I have never completely bought his idea that IOS is so simple to use. What I find with my various IOS devices, is that there are issues that frustrate the hell out of me and there is almost no way to fix them. For example, I dislike the native launcher. There are sometimes work around, but with Android it is world's easier to quickly add some new feature that corrects whatever it is I am unhappy about.

And, as much as everybody talks about killer features like iMessage, IOS is missing the one feature I consider must-have for a new phone: Swype! I'll never go back to picking and pecking.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Sigh

His point is in relation to folk like me. I hated the way my sister's iMessages would eat up my entire SMS allowance. They looked at it in the same way as they did with BBM back when we were all on crackberries. But, what they were actually doing was texting me!

But, I see your point and totally agree.

 

[Farish]

Yah... The phone number of an iphone. If it's not blue it's sms. Once you text a non iOS device it's green...

Sent from my *PURPLE* Galaxy S4

You said this.

Imessage is only iPhone to iPhone.

My chart shows other devices. It was more than the iPhone. If I got a SMS on my iPhone and it was in the other room I still got it on my Mac or iPad. I could respond back and forth from my Mac and not bother to get my iPhone.

The best part was it even worked when my iPhone was dead.

Yes the color denotes the difference on your iPhone, but to the other user they couldn't tell the difference. Remember iMessage is the same App on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, there is no different app.

 

[Shanicenicolle]

His point is in relation to folk like me. I hated the way my sister's iMessages would eat up my entire SMS allowance. They looked at it in the same way as they did with BBM back when we were all on crackberries. But, what they were actually doing was texting me!

But, I see your point and totally agree.

That's the thing tho. If they text you its text for them too. So if they don't have unlimited it would count against them. The only time it is an imessage (using data) is when it goes to another apple device.

Sent from my *PURPLE* Galaxy S4

 

[Shanicenicolle]

His point is in relation to folk like me. I hated the way my sister's iMessages would eat up my entire SMS allowance. They looked at it in the same way as they did with BBM back when we were all on crackberries. But, what they were actually doing was texting me!

But, I see your point and totally agree.

That's the thing tho. If they text you its text for them too. So if they don't have unlimited it would count against them.. only time it is an imessage (using data) is when it goes to another apple device.

Sent from my *PURPLE* Galaxy S4