iPhone Rene Goes Android -- Round Robin Help!

[theshaz]

I'm a new MOTO DROID owner. I came from Windows Mobile. For the last 2 years I had iPhone envy. Windows really dropped the ball IMHO. I could never get an iPhone because AT&T is very spotty where I live.

After having the Droid for almost a month and comparing notes with a coworker who has the iPhone.

Google Nav is THE killer App for the Droid along with the Voice Search. The iPhone is still a tad more refined, but the DROID has customization abilities that are off the charts. Coming from WinMo (been a WinMo user for almost 5 years) I’m used to tweaking the layout. I love changing the look of the device, have done so about three times already in one month.
Android Apps are still lagging behind, but are gaining fast. iheartRadio finally got their Android port going. The Android App store needs a face life compared to the Apple Store. But the PRICES of the apps, OUCH! Somebody is getting fleeced.
Compared to the Samsung Omnia, my last device before the DROID, web browsing is so much better thanks to the CPU speed and the high resolution of the screen. Browsing is a joy except for FLASH but I hear Adobe is working on it.
The only let down is the camera on the Omnia was better than the Droid. They fixed the focusing issue but still, the Omnia was better, both are 5mp. But the video capture on the Droid is wicked good, smooth video, no choppiness.
Since I could not get the iPhone because of carrier issues, I think I got more than just the “next best thing”

 

[simp_10]

Another entry!!

 

[hionhifi]

6) What's with this Nexus One? Seriously? Is it THE Google Phone, A Google Dev Phone, or just the next HTC we'll see in 2010?

I believe the The Nexus One is THE next Google phone, but it is also the next HTC device or at least the direction HTC is going. Think Droid Eris, Hero, etc, etc. I would like to see HTC move in the HTC Touch Pro direction only with Android as the OS. Now that would be a nice unit with a physical keyboard.

 

[rodhnc]

Smartphone round-robin contest entry

 

[leonl]

Another such entry...

 

[AndrewWestSide]

checking in for another entry!

 

[jfa1]

as an ATT only guy since I had a big startac on Altel I am ready for AT to get an android device such as the Whitestone or something similar to try out against a tilt2 or maybe ATT will get someday the HD2.

 

[ipsi]

I reckon platform fracture is likely to be a fairly big issue for Android. If they're not careful, the individual phone will overshadow the platform. Which has, I imagine, already happened with the Motorola Droid - all everyone talks about (who hasn't already heard of Android) is how cool the *Droid* is, not how cool *Android* is. This also happened with the iPhone, but since the iPhone platform is effectively synonymous with the iPhone device, it's basically not a problem (which is why the iPhone is, and probably always will be, more popular than Android).

I personally think Android is fascinating, and it's basically a competition between Android and WM as to what device I'd purchase in the future. WM because there's a few applications I have that only work on WM (and, given the developers hatred of Android, will probably never work on it), and because it's far more open than the iPhone ever will be. Android is equally open, and I'm a much better Java developer than a C++ developer.

I'm also pretty interested in the Nexus One, as that looks pretty awesome. I'm just not sure how much I'd actually miss a physical keyboard. Given how little typing I do on my phone these days, I suspect the answer is 'Not much'.

Also, in reply to someone hoping the Nexus One will work on *any* carrier: Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Worldmode (CDMA/UMTS) phones are pretty rare at the moment, and as far as I'm aware there is not a *single* quad-band 3G device (2100, 1900, 900, 850) device on the market at the moment. But once LTE has been rolled out? Who knows...

 

[duanedude1]

As a Palm OS/Garnet/Centro user... Android is really, really tempting me away from what was a lean towards the Pre. (As a Verizon person, it will probably be the Droid.) Do you think it could tempt iPhone users as well?

 

[AZbear]

Happy New Year everyone !!!!

 

[sethjk]

i'm loving my eris, but I may still switch to the Droid. Battery life has been a deal breaker for me. But, I'll be totallly honest, since getting an Android phone, I no longer have much Iphone envy which has plagued me for the last 2+ years.

 

[Unicorn56]

I came from BlackBerry and while the email handling on android is making me crazy, everything else is great. The single feature of Android I use the most is the voice search. I use it constantly for everything from making calls to finding locations (through google navigation.) It has replaced my phone book. And, the best thing is that you don't need to know how to spell what your are looking for ;-)

 

[simp_10]

another entry

 

[carrots]

I'm a previous blackberry user. Storm1, Tour...prior to that I had quite a number of windows mobile devices. Going back to the ipaq 3755...those were the days.
The things that drew me to the droid...solid well built device...
Customization...customize pretty much anything I want...when I want.
Speed...I haven't played with anything that has this kind of speed....even data rated in terms of downloading and browsing...
Overall...I'm fairly satisfied with this device...very few on market I would even consider next to you

 

[carrots]

I'm a previous blackberry user. Storm1, Tour...prior to that I had quite a number of windows mobile devices. Going back to the ipaq 3755...those were the days.
The things that drew me to the droid...solid well built device...
Customization...customize pretty much anything I want...when I want.
Speed...I haven't played with anything that has this kind of speed....even data rated in terms of downloading and browsing...
Overall...I'm fairly satisfied with this device...very few on market I would even consider next to you

 

[Flyguide83]

so, how ar you liking the android platform? do you like being able to customize almost every thing on the phone? or do you prefer to have it more user friendly, like the iphone?

 

[herooftimeloz]

I'll focus on the Droid, as I got one a few weeks ago after being a crackberry addict (pearl and curve) for the past few years:

1) I feel the Droid is a few firmware updates away from living up to its potential. Its hardware is capable of doing a lot, once the software is up to that level, it'll be an even more amazing phone.

2) There's always the risk of platform fracturing. I remember having to download Blackberry OS updates through other wireless carriers. I think part of the reason that RIM (and moreso the wireless carriers) was slow at releasing updates was that they had a chinese menu of Blackberry phones. So far, it seems like Google is promoting the Android OS, but not flooding the markets with near identical devices. This could mean that there'll be greater focus on updating the fewer devices out in the market.

3) I'm gonna confess right now, I'm a Google fanboy. I use practically every Google service on my Droid. At the same time, I have a few non-Google email accounts that I don't want to get rid of (college and Yahoo addresses). Setting them up on the Droid was fairly simple. I can't speak for other services like calendars or contacts list, as I have those setup with Google.

4) Google Nav and Porn In all seriousness though, the openness of the Android system theoretically allows me to create my own programs and load them on my phone without having to submit it to Market. My knowledge of the iPhone app system is limited, but I don't think Apple allows this. So in the Android system the possibilities are limited only by the hardware; in the iPhone the possibilities are limited by Apple.

5) Apple has the edge here as of right now. But that could change when a media player/sync tool is created for Android.

6) I'm just as confused as you are on the N1. My guess is that it's simply the next HTC phone, but with much more input from Google than in the past (probably rivaling or surpassing the Droid).

7) Not a problem, just change the notification sounds and the boot animation.

 

[klebron23]

I agree that Google Nav is a complete game changer for the Android platform.

 

[Arellias]

One Question at a time.

1) Which device do I focus on?
The Droid is a wonderful phone. It is very powerful for the time it was released and it feels solid to me. However, compared to the Nexus One and many of the demos that are out there, I would hold out for the Nexus One. It has the most powerful processor available to a mobile phone and it uses it quite well. The only thing that my Hero has that the Nexus does not is the full GPS versus using aGPS for most other phones. However, you has aGPS with the iPhone so you would not know the difference.

2) Do I need to be afraid of platform fracture?
Obviously, Android is still evolving from what I consider it's infancy. However, it is rather mature for a new OS and it is far from the issues you get from Microsoft with a live Beta and fix it every week type deal. You should not have any fears about it as the interface is very easy to customize and you are already familiar with having your apps spread across several screens. Plus, as the devices get more popular, you can count on them trying to be brought up to the current standards, albeit 6 months later.

3) What if I don't want to use Google, can I still use an Android device?
I have no problem being a slave to Google. My overlords from Mountain View have treated me well. You do need to have a Google account on the phone and if you lack one now, they will ask you to make one at first boot. This is needed for things like Google checkout being linked to the marketplace, much like you are familiar with the iTunes marketplace now. Google is really necessary for this.

4) If I do sell my soul to Google, I'll get Google Voice, Navigation, and Latitude, which Apple has stricken from my usual device. What else will I get that the iPhone could never give me?
You get a phone that will not chain you to a terribly overused and underpowered network in AT&T for starters. The Nexus One will almost certainly be available to multiple carriers soon. It is just too good of a device. T-Mobile is getting it first because they are willing to take a shot at the 'New Thing' as they did with the G1. You also get to know that you won't be tied down to an annual release of the next big thing, as Android is being utilized on many different devices and from many different vendors.

5) Yeah, that iTunes thing. Right now I enjoy super-simple sync and on-device download for movies, TV shows, and podcasts and I *adore* it. The G1 wasn't great for media. Are the 2009 Android device better? Anything else I'll miss if I go from iPhone to Android?
Media on the Android devices still leaves something to be desired. I don't believe anyone can argue with that. However, if you spend more time perusing the internet, my Hero has Flash built into their browser and it works pretty well. It does get hung up on some sites that are extremely heavy with flash, such as Farmville on Facebook, but other apps have no problem.

6) What's with this Nexus One? Seriously? Is it THE Google Phone, A Google Dev Phone, or just the next HTC we'll see in 2010? The Nexus One is the next, truly great phone. Even without the massive ad campaign that Verizon has been pushing, I think it will rival the Droid in sales early on. Google tried to make this thing the most overpowered device they could and I think they have succeeded. They are set to announce it on January 5th and I imagine it will have nothing but iWho comments after the presentation.

7) Can someone please tell the Droid to stop yelling and me and just staring with that one, red, eye. Banta Poodoo!
Leave it around a little dust and the screen will soon die. That is why the eye is red, allergies.

Hope this helps.

 

[tealturboser]

1) Which device do I focus on? Let's face it, those Droid commercials called the iPhone a princess, but the white, touchy-feely Hero looks just a pretty. Is it powerful enough? And speaking of the Droid, is it all hype or does it live up to it? Aside from the quasi-keyboad, how do I decide which is the better Android for me?

Droid hands down. Cant beat the full screen and 3 different keyboards to use

2) Do I need to be afraid of platform fracture? On my network, Rogers, the Dream and Magic may never get updates since they aren't "with Google" and don't use Sense UI. Do Android users need to be more careful about getting a device that's great now, rather than hoping for software update improvements later?

Upgrades can always be found and manually installed once they are out. As with any technology it will get old after a year lol. Hopefully you can upgrade at that time, but if not the phone will still be strong after 2 years

3) What if I don't want to use Google, can I still use an Android device? Let's say I don't like their privacy policy, or just think they're evil. Or I work for Bing or Yahoo! On every other platform, I can pick and choose my search, email, calendar, etc. solution, can I avoid Google and still enjoy the Android?

You can use other email however Google search is built in and unless you root the phone you have to use it. Also you have to create or have a Google account to even use the phone. But is the IPhone any different?

4) If I do sell my soul to Google, I'll get Google Voice, Navigation, and Latitude, which Apple has stricken from my usual device. What else will I get that the iPhone could never give me?

The ability to create your own apps

5) Yeah, that iTunes thing. Right now I enjoy super-simple sync and on-device download for movies, TV shows, and podcasts and I *adore* it. The G1 wasn't great for media. Are the 2009 Android device better? Anything else I'll miss if I go from iPhone to Android?

You have to install 3rd party apps, I cant give good info on this as I have an iPod for music =) Although I hate iTunes for rearranging my library but that is another story.

6) What's with this Nexus One? Seriously? Is it THE Google Phone, A Google Dev Phone, or just the next HTC we'll see in 2010?

Eh, who cares? It is just another Google phone to have fun with. It isnt going to replace anything, just another option for people.

7) Can someone please tell the Droid to stop yelling and me and just staring with that one, red, eye. Banta Poodoo!

Go into Settings>Sound and Display and change the ringtones and notification settings to get rid of the yelling. And to change the red eye you would have to root your phone, then you can change the startup picture to who or whatever you want