X & X2 vs iP4/5 - who wins?

[Arelunde]

Mods - Not sure if this is OK for the X forum. If not, please delete...

Given this is a forum for the Droid X, I think I can somewhat predict the answers. But, for the sake of discussion, I was wondering how the iP4 compares with the X - or even the X2 as speculation has it at this point. Which is faster, more user-friendly, better with apps, customizable (that's almost a given), etc.

Also, do you think the X2 will compete directly with the iP5, or will a future Android be the answer?

 

[ottscay]

Honestly, there are users who prefer both. iPhone's tend to be more like appliances than mobile computing solutions - less to configure, meaning both less to learn and also less you can customize.

I personally don't like the appliance "we choose what's right for you" iOS philosophy at all, to the point where if I for some reason couldn't own an Android phone I'd actually hold out for one of the new touch Blackberries rather than get an iPhone, but then I have friends who won't use anything but.

Really, you should just figure out what it is you're looking for in a phone and try them both out.

As for the iPhone5/DX2 - they will actually be very equivalent if current rumor pans out. Both will be dual core phones without 4G support. It looks like the DX2 won't have a orward facing camera, and it looks like Apple is moving to further improve their camera in the next iPhone (which will apparently be called the iPhone 4gs, not "5"). So if either of those camera issues are key to you you may want to hold out for the next iPhone (or looks at one of the many other Android phones for similar camera features). Otherwise you're really back to choosing what sort of mobile experience you want.

A couple of other things to keep in mind:

1) What is your timeline? It appears that the iPhone 4gs won't be out until late fall (late November in the UK) while the DX2 will be available later this month.

2) How do you feel about iTunes/tethering your phone to a computer? No one knows yet to what extend the iPhone 4gs will depend on the link to iTunes, but I'd guess it will still require you to do it often for OS updates, etc., even if they move to a cloud-based music system. Android phones are already cord-free, and Google Music will even let you take your iTunes library and playlists and never have to sync again. Then again, some people are more comfortable doing what they know, so some iTunes users don't want to make the jump.

You also may want to decide what form factor phone you are interested in. The iP4gs will apparently have a larger screen but be the same size, while the DX2 is of course the same size as the same DX. I like the bigger screen, but some prefer pocketability (you could also look at the Incredible2 then).

Finally, the new qHD screen on the DX2 and the larger iPhone 4gs screen (which will be the same overall resolution as the current iPhone and therefore slightly lower in pixel density) will have a very similar pixel density, so that's no longer the same concern it was when comparing the original iP4/DX screens.

I (and most people here) greatly prefer the DX/X2 Android experience, but the important thing is to pick a phone that you'll be happy with for a couple years. Good luck!

 

[RemmyZero]

having had both i'll tell you this:

the iphone wins hands down for camera quality, front camera, hardware (e.g. processor, ram), speed, more polished applications (unlike some of the android apps which will interfere with the OS) and user *ease*.

where the DX shines: removable battery, removable memory and giant screen, customization options within the OS.

now to be fair you can tweak the iphone to have awesome battery life and if you have a 32GB iPhone you probably don't care about removable memory anyway. also, if you have a smaller phone to begin with you won't be disappointed by the slightly smaller iP4 screen.

for me here's what made me sell my iP4: i love to customize. with Android i can change every tiny little detail about the user interface. even after jailbreaking my iPhone there were some things i felt were lacking about the customization options, although there was more i could have done had i taken the time to really tweak it and learn how to change things on the forums.

frankly, the X2 will not compete against the iP4/5 any differently since it's still going to be buggy blur software, the apps are not scrutinized for OS interactions as much and there's no front camera. the game really hasn't changed with the X2 IMHO. we will have to really wait and see how the dual core processor works out because in reality the 1GHz processors we have now should be able to handle the load just fine but even they fall short sometimes.

so to be honest, i've recently had the DX, iPhone 4, Droid Incredible 2 and the Thunderbolt. Frankly i think the Droid X holds up well as an android phone (although the Incredible 2 was really nice) but i'm honestly considering going back to the iPhone this summer and just living with whatever i can do through jailbreaking. just my 2 cents.

 

[ottscay]

It's good that Remmy provided another take on it, but I'm concerned about the factual content of some of its. I definitely agree that the iPhone wins in terms of ease of use (but that's always a double-edged sword that comes with reduced flexibility) and camera quality (including the FFC). I'd add that the iPhone4 has better battery life out of the box, although of course you can have multiple batteries, or a larger aftermarket one on the DX.

His comment on hardware is unfathomable, as it's simply not true (the iPhone4 does not have more RAM - both phones have 512mb, and it's CPU is underclocked below 1ghz...several testers, including Anandtech have shown this).

The main difference is actually in the OS, as the iPhone4 makes better use of its GPU by having more of the UI offloaded to it - this is why so many of the transitions are extremely smooth, even when the device itself slows down. It's also why iOS is so limited in terms of UI customization. Gingerbread actually adds quite a bit more GPU acceleration to UI functions, and I can tell you that running the DX on Gingerbread is a thing of beauty. In fact, running LPP over the new Gingerblur is very nice, and I enjoy it far more than any iOS device, although that's my subjective opinion.

As for iOS apps being "more polished"; they all look more alike, and part of the UI variety on Android apps does lead to some of them looking more amateurish, but then I can also wirelessly sync all of my media right now (even before Music Beta) through an Android app, while iPhone users have to hope that Sir Jobs deigns to give them the ability to cut the cord. So again one users "polish" is another ones "shackles".

The DX2 will be every bit a competitor to the iPhone4gs, which will have almost no new features aside from playing more complex games and probably a better camera. And the new Blur on Gingerbread isn't bad at all (I just can't give up my LPP widgets and task bar). But Gingerblur is fast and stable, and nothing to be ashamed of.

So again I'd urge the OP to think about what is wanted in a phone and to try them both out. Sometimes you are surprised - I used to think the iPhone4 had a better build quality (it sure looks fancy in the photos) but in practice I hate it, as the feel of plastic is simply not comfortable to me (and I always feel like I'm going to break it). I also prefer the industrialized look to the "fine art" of the iPhone. But of course others love the look and feel of it, and again that's all personal opinion.