Sample Android ADW.Launcher iPhone Theme on an Android phone
The new iPhone was was to have a new design. It would be thinner and lighter with true 4G and would finally get full Facebook integration and widgets.
But the iPhone 4S was actually slightly bigger and a bit heavier than the iPhone 4. Some say the "S" Stands for Same. The iPhone 4S is still a hit but is no Android Killer (Android marketshare grew to 52% while 15% have iPhones as of 2011Q3). For many Apple fans the features and specs do not matter. It's an Apple.
The iPhone 4S is about 10% smaller overall than the AT&T Galaxy S II and brings Android-like features including Siri (much like Vlingo Voice Controls), dual core, 8MP rear camera, Twitter integration, 1080p recording, wireless sync like Kies or Marksync, and Analysts were disappointed that the iPhone 4S was not the iPhone 5 they hoped for.
Here are some Android features not yet fully implemented in the iPhone 4S. Note that some of the missing features are missing on purpose. Apple often limits feature to only work with other iPhones, Apple TV, etc. Android strives to embrace all. Not all features may matter to you but some will.
The estimates for the new iPhone screen were 3.7" or 4.0" or 4.2" or 4.3". It turned out to be the same 3.5" size as 2007. Today's 4.3" screen area is 51% larger than 3.5". Only 9% Want a Screen Under 4".
Freedom of choice
With Android you can have any size screen from 2.6" to 5.3", with physical keyboards and without. Apple will let you have any size you want as long as it is 3.5" with no physical keyboard. Why did Steve Jobs have to have such small fingers?
Apple does not have a Notification LED for incoming or missed calls, emails, texts, Facebook or calendar events, etc. Many were convinced a Notification LED was finally coming this time, but no luck. Most Androids not only have a Notification LED but the Flashlight Alerts app can also turn the camera LED into a notification LED.
You will never see an iPhone App2SD icon like because they lack a microSD card though almost all flagship phones today have a microSD slot. It's about $50 for 32GB. Many thought that this iPhone would finally have a microSD slot but it didn't. Some speculate that Apple does this to force people to pay $100 to add 16GB of memory when less.
Here is another icon you don't see on an iPhone. This was to be the year that the iPhone would get real AT&T HSPA+ 21 Mbps, Sprint 4G WiMax, T-Mobile HSPA+ 42 Mbps, and Verizon LTE, but there is no 4G button on any iPhone. Most flagship phones in the past year have had 4G.
2011 was the year of the 720p phone display but the iPhone 4S still has it's display from last year. The 4.65" Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a true HD 1280x720p display and the first phone with Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich and is still actually thinner than the 4S. The HTC Rezound, HTC Zeta, HTC Edge, LG Optimus LTE, and Sony Xperia Arc HD also feature 720p displays.
Android replacement batteries are typically $30-$50. Pop off the back cover and put in a spare battery. Better yet, get an extended life battery. Last year the iPhone was to get a removable battery. To 2-3 weeks. Apple says that their Lithium Ion batteries lose about 20% of capacity after 400 charges. How often do you charge your phone?
Widgets like the Battery Left Widget show live information onscreen without opening the app. In this case, you are at 99% power with 35 hours left. iPhone owners waited in vain to finally get Widgets. Widgets are resizable in the Galaxy S II and will be for all in Android 4.0.
See that Facebook icon? It really works on an Android. Apple still has not added the expected full Facebook Integration. Android owners take for granted that friend's photos, status, messages, phones, events, birthdays, emails, and notifications are automatically updated from Facebook. Incoming calls pop-up with updated Facebook profile photos. Full Facebook-iPhone integration may not be coming any time soon.
Apple's iCloud lets iPhone users backup information. But the point of a document is to share it. Dropbox (referral link for 2.25GB for free) lets you backup files for instant use on almost any smartphone or computer, not just Apples. But more importantly, you can share your documents with others.
Apple Documents in the Cloud let an Apple user save a file that they can edit on their own Apple devices. Google Docs let anyone edit files on almost any PC or smartphones including Androids and BlackBerry's as well as iPhones, iPad's, and Macs. More importantly you can work together with others to collaborate and share documents.
With Apple, if you try it, you buy it. The Android Market gives you 15 minutes to try out an app on your phone to see if the options and features are right for you. If not, uninstall it for a full refund. Apple still gives no application trials.
Apple's new iOS 5 Notifications brings some features of Android's Notifications and the Android Executive Assistant app to iOS 5. As a first attempt, Apple has done well but Executive Assistant offers so much more control over repeating notifications, ringtones, vibrations, etc. Take a look.
Much of the web including this site rely on Adobe Flash for multimedia but Apple does not allow a Flash app on the iPhone. Unfortunately the HTML5 standard to replace Flash is still not finalized.
Unless you Jailbreak an iPhone (and break your warranty), you can't easily change themes or icons. But with apps like AWD.Launcher it is easy to make your Android look like an iPhone or anything else. See the screenshot above.
Apple only wants you to buy apps from the Apple company store. The Android Market has endless apps too but that is just the beginning. Google allows you to have access to competing markets plus MyAppSharer lets you "share" your actual app files with a friend.
Here is another app you will never see on an iPhone. The Getjar has a constantly changing assortment of normally paid apps for free including mature content.
Apple also forces you to buy music from the Apple company store. With Android you can buy music from Google or you can opt for a number of competitors. Amazon MP3 for instance offers almost every song available, typically for about 30% less than iTunes.
MP3 Music Download has nearly every song as well...for free.
Live Wallpaper is animated. The Earth rotates, thunder storms, fish swim, snow swirls, raindrops slide down your screen, and robots fly. It's fun to see how the Live Wallpaper responds to your touch or movements.
The iPhone Siri app is nice but not a true hands-free solution like Vlingo. Siri requires you to push buttons to use it. Vlingo can turn on and operate totally from your voice. Still Siri has included many of Vlingo's other features and was an important step for Apple.
The iPhone 4S has Limited GPS Navigation and no turn-by-turn directions. With Android, turn-by-turn navigation is included for free.
Most flagship Android phones come with Visual Voicemail that lets you see the caller's latest Facebook photo when you play their message. Apple's voicemail has gotten better but still is missing the Visual photos.
The old iPhone front camera was supposed to have been updated to 2MP but the iPhone 4S is still VGA. Most flagship Android phones today have 2MP front cameras.
Along with the updated VGA front camera, Facetime video chat was to finally allow 3G. But the iPhone 4S is still limited to WiFi only. Android Qik, Skype and ooVoo give you free unlimited video calls over WiFi, 3G and 4G.
Apple products are often restricted to working with work with other Apple products. iPhone 4S video mirroring streams the iPhone 4S's display to via Apple TV using AirPlay. But only 4% of the streaming video devices are compatible. Many Android devices offer DLNA that can work with Apple TV as well as almost any other internet enabled TV, Blueray player, PS3, Xbox, etc. Some say it is fitting that the symbol Apple chose for Airplay is a blacked-out square.
The 85% of your friends who have other phones. The Latitude feature in Google Maps lets you find friends with all different sorts of phones.
That icon is for Swype holder of multiple World Texting Speed Records. Apple prohibits the use of any keyboard but their own. So no Swype. Fortunately Android lets you use any Keyboard you like.
SwiftKey contends that their predictive keyboard is even faster. SwiftKey users can easily break the world record because SwiftKey learns what you have typed once and then predicts your words.
Many thought that the new iPhone would have Near Field Communication (NFC) for instant payments, keycard, and ID like the Galaxy S II, but no. Android NFC can share a contact, photo, song, application, and video or pair Bluetooth or WiFi devices. See the Google NFC Demo.
The iPhone LED backlights that are always on with an LCD layer blocking light to produce colors. Organic LED phones like the Galaxy S II don't need backlights so blacks take almost no power because the LED's are off. Forbes says the iPhone will get an OLED display but not this year.
Open Source
Apple iOS is Not Open Source. No one is licensed to modify the Apple keyboard, email, browser, contacts, or other Apple apps. Android is mostly Open Source. If a developer doesn't like a stock Android keyboard or other app, they can change it and re-release it back into the Android Market. Google uses licensing to reduce fragmentation so Android is not fully Open Source.
← See that mouse pointer? The Galaxy S II lets you to connect a Bluetooth wireless mouse or keyboard. This along with HDMI mirroring allows easy control while on an monitor or HDTV. See this video showing USB Host, Bluetooth, and HDMI out from xda-developers. Android 4.0 will bring USB Host to more phones.
USB Host lets you plug in a memory thumb drive, PS3 Game Controller, mouse, or keyboard into a micro USB Host adapter as shown in these videos at xda-developers.
Summary
Not all of these three dozen features lacking in the iPhone 4S may be important to you but some will be. There are a list of other features that did not make it into the iPhone 4S including a native USB connector or FM Radio and Apple still has some Multitasking Limitations to deal with. Also the iPhone still lacks Smart Dial meaning that you can't type a name in the dialer like Android, BB, or WM7. No visible file system available like Android AndExplorer or Astro File Manager show.
Still, in the end, a phone is like shoes. Get the one that fits you. If you have small hands, you should definitely consider an iPhone.
See Also
• Phone Comparison
• Editorial: Now we know why Apple went after Samsung in the courtroom
• Samsung Releases a Comparison Chart: Galaxy S II vs iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4S vs. the smartphone elite: Galaxy S II, Bionic and Titan -- Engadget
• Specification Comparison: iPhone 4S vs Samsung Galaxy S II
• iPhone 4 iOS 5 User Guide
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