In "girl terms", explain to my mom why Android is better than an iPhone

[lippstuh]

to be honest the iphone might be a better choice for your parents..... DONT FLAME

i would not convert my parents to android, all they do is email and use the phone.... download a few apps and check stocks. they aren't very technical so apple made a dumb smartphone for these types of people.

just my two cents

 

[flashpiti]

to be honest the iphone might be a better choice for your parents..... DONT FLAME

i would not convert my parents to android, all they do is email and use the phone.... download a few apps and check stocks. they aren't very technical so apple made a dumb smartphone for these types of people.

just my two cents

I agree completely.

 

[Johnly]

You should see what smart people can do with an iphone.

 

[lippstuh]

You should see what smart people can do with an iphone.

im not downplaying the iphone. i respect the iphone. but different phones for different people.

 

[spectremANDROID.]

Funny.... I read through several pages of these posts before starting to just skim over them. Some of us seem to be taking this question far too seriously. Android and iOS are both excellent right out of the box. The most significant difference comes down to a decision that has to be made based on personality type.

You get an iPhone and you have an EXCELLENT and EXTREMELY user friendly phone with a highly polished and almost perfectly intuitive user interface that does what its supposed to do almost without failure, but if you ever get tired of elements of that interface or feel that there are a few minor changes that would be better suited to your needs and usage habits.... well, that's just too bad and if you want to get really technical and start hacking away and rearranging core functions to REALLY make your handset sing, you're just completely out of luck. But its still a perfectly awesome phone!

Simply put, Android can be used and enjoyed, as is, straight out of the box but whether or not you need, want or make use of it, it also comes with an ocean of other powers and possibilities. It's there if you want it... kinda like everything after 85mph on the speedometer of that sexy little sports car you always wanted... and with Android, there's a handset configuration for ANY and EVERY preference and proclivity.

I always tell people that both OSes are EXCELLENT, both have their high and low points but there's simply no way around educating yourself well enough to make the initial smartphone distinction and decision. After deciding what's best for YOU at the time, you can always simply cling to it forever after.... just as most Android and iOS fans do. LOL!

 

[spectremANDROID.]

im not downplaying the iphone. i respect the iphone. but different phones for different people.

There it is. Elegantly stated.

 

[Johnly]

im not downplaying the iphone. i respect the iphone. but different phones for different people.

I hear ya. I am an Android fan for sure, but I respect apples offering. In fact, no iphone equals no Android. No ipad equals no tab. Apple is highly bleeding edge innovative, and we have all benefitted, android and apple users. I have heard "the iphone is a dumb peoples smart phone," way to many years. It is actually a respectable device, and most people know that.

 

[fundragon]

I dunno about "girl terms"... but in "old fogey terms," some Android phones have larger screens. You'll be able to see and read things better. If you need to type something, and you have a big enough screen, you'll be able to type it without pressing the keys next to it and backspacing to get rid of things you didn't mean to type all of the time. And you'll be able to use Google Voice so you won't need to type as much.

 

[fundragon]

Also, see this post from someone at a Verizon store:

[...]with ANY other phone I can get them a replacement and troubleshoot the issue. The iPhone? Go call Apple Care or hope there is an Apple store close to you.

 

[upsfeup]

I still can't understand why someone who just want to use the phone can't go android?

If someone doesn't want to tinker with it it must go iPhone??? Since when android can't be used out of the box and give a better experience than the iPhone?

 

[Chrisy]

Out of the box my Android had widgets I didn't want and seven screens to fill. I had to adjust settings. I'm still setting it up 2 months later! Yeah, you could leave it as is but the battery will drain quicker, screen filled with widgets and apps you don't use, and it seems like a waste.

Heck, the stupid Blockbuster app was causing us all huge battery drain! My mom would never have got that one. She would just have crappy battery because of it.

I'd actually recommend a BlackBerry over an iPhone or Android for someone who uses it as a phone first and email and messaging second, and little media.

 

[thozgyz]

Android is like 2 unicorns. Apple is like just one unicorn with a chipped horn that can't fly very well yet. Hope that helps.

 

[VideoEngineerAJS]

Out of the box my Android had widgets I didn't want and seven screens to fill. I had to adjust settings. I'm still setting it up 2 months later! Yeah, you could leave it as is but the battery will drain quicker, screen filled with widgets and apps you don't use, and it seems like a waste.

Heck, the stupid Blockbuster app was causing us all huge battery drain! My mom would never have got that one. She would just have crappy battery because of it.

I'd actually recommend a BlackBerry over an iPhone or Android for someone who uses it as a phone first and email and messaging second, and little media.

My mom tried to use a BlackBerry Storm that someone gave to her because since I had one she thought I could help her and she was really confused by it. She's not incredibly old either, she just turned 58. I mean she really likes my Thunderbolt, but she was confused by the Storm. I think it's because almost everything has a Windows type of menu available. Android is easier to use than BlackBerry I think.

There have actually been times where I've actually been surprised and a bit confused about how little settings there are with some of these apps when you hit the menu button. Again, with the Storm you would pull up the BlackBerry menu and 9 times out of 10 there would be a ton of stuff you could do from there within the app.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to go back to BlackBerry, but some things have really surprised me about Android. Yeah with the Thunderbolt there are some tweaks you need to do to optimize your user experience up front, but once you are finished with that, everything is pretty straight forward. I don't really see it that way with BlackBerry. I mean if all you are doing is phone, email, and messaging, you might as well get a feature phone with a lower data plan.

Like I said before, my mom currently has a Samsung Rogue and when her laptop screen went dead she tried to do some of the browsing she normally did on the computer on her phone and found it lacking. That's when she realized how limiting even today's feature phones are. So that's when she tried going to the BlackBerry and became really confused. Then as I said earlier she came from Ohio to visit about 2 weeks ago and I was able to show her my Thunderbolt and she loved it.

 

[baoiey]

To me, it's customization.

 

[streetstrip01]

By the way, using the phrase "girl terms" to mean non tech or dumb is, well...dumb.

 

[reyxlp]

Wow. "Girl terms" haha... That's just wrong, dude. They might be crazy but they sure as hell aren't dumb. Most of them are smarter than us.

Men and women definitely tend to have different interests and if online tech forums are any indication, women seem less interested than men in rooting and jailbreaking their phones.

I'm also considering Android vs. iOS for my mom and it's a touch choice. My smartphone path was 9530 -> 9550 -> DInc -> iP4 -> TB.

Screen size: TB, much easier to see.
Battery: iP4, no WAY is my mom gonna want to carry/swap a spare battery, open the phone, etc.
Keyboard: NEITHER, she'd much rather have a physical keyboard but the ones on BBs are too small
Apps: TB, way more free Apps for Andoird, she's not paying for an App. Ever.
GUI: iOS. It's just simpler. Not easier or better, just simpler.
NAV: Android, no contest.
Voice Recognition: Android, no contest.
Data: TB, for the chance to have grandfathered unlimited 4G @ $30/mo. when everyone else goes to tiered pricing.

I think the choice for my mom would be the Merge, if they ever effin release it already. Large screen, physical keyboard and presumably good battery life. I'd root it, strip the bloat, possibly de-Sense and streamline it nice, clear and simple for her.

If the iP4 had a larger screen and physical keyboard, I'd give her that.

If BB had a larger, slider landscape keyboard, that'd also be something to consider.

Just my thinking based on what I know of my mom's phone usage...

Good luck!

 

[VideoEngineerAJS]

I think the choice for my mom would be the Merge, if they ever effin release it already. Large screen, physical keyboard and presumably good battery life. I'd root it, strip the bloat, possibly de-Sense and streamline it nice, clear and simple for her.

If the iP4 had a larger screen and physical keyboard, I'd give her that.

If BB had a larger, slider landscape keyboard, that'd also be something to consider.

Just my thinking based on what I know of my mom's phone usage...

Good luck!

The Merge was released yesterday, but they aren't selling it at Verizon corporate stores, 3rd party retailers only.

 

[streetstrip01]

I think Noob is better agreed.. I believe saying "girl" is rather sexist

Get over it.

I should have said "sammach maker."

In Girly terms:

You wouldn't wanna show up at an event wearing the same dress as ten other girls, right?

Well, with Android phones, you can get your shine on with a designer original, no matter what happens.

....and YOU are the designer...

lol, thanks for the humor. At least most here don't have sticks up their asses. And to the ones that actually made a valuable point to the posted question, thank you.

And to the ones that are "offended" at everything mundane in the world....You should get out more, and be "offended" less, life will be more enjoyable.

Funny.... I read through several pages of these posts before starting to just skim over them. Some of us seem to be taking this question far too seriously!

 

[reyxlp]

The Merge was released yesterday, but they aren't selling it at Verizon corporate stores, 3rd party retailers only.

Oh, cool! Thanks -- off to BB after work.

 

[Chrisy]

Get over it.

I should have said "sammach maker."




lol, thanks for the humor. At least most here don't have sticks up their asses. And to the ones that actually made a valuable point to the posted question, thank you.

And to the ones that are "offended" at everything mundane in the world....You should get out more, and be "offended" less, life will be more enjoyable.

Well, it's not our fault your mom is too dumb to use a cell phone. Tell her to stick to making sandwiches and pleasing your dad instead.