Iphone vs. Android

So my wife and I both currently have original Droids and we're getting to the point where we'll be able to upgrade our phones in the next month or so and we're trying to decide which route to go: Iphone or Android. Currently we have Verizon for service, but we're not sure if we're going to stay with them since we think they may force us to change our plan when we upgrade and they now no longer offer unlimited data.

What I'm looking for is some input on which might be the better route and possibly input on the phone companies. Before we went to Verizon I had been with Sprint for like 5 or 6 years but I left them because their customer service dept was useless and extremely rude (they hung up on me multiple times when I was trying to pay a past due bill). For those of you willing to share, I was wondering what types of hardware you're using and what services you have, what you have used in the past, and what you like/dislike about current and past services and hardware.

Thanks in advance for and thoughts or ideas.

iPhone. I can't see myself using any other phone whilst iOS remains as awesome as it is.

I personally hate apple. They always make you do things their way and limit what you can do on their devices.

That being said both me and my wife own Iphone 4's and I don't see us switching anytime soon. Why?

The apps.

No other device can honestly compete with the iphone in terms of volume and quality of apps. My previous 2 phones were a driod and a Blackberry torch. Both good phones, but for someone like me that texts a decent amount, and primarily uses the phone for games/web, none of the others were close.

Plus there is a massive jailbreak community so if you do feel 'limited', you can go ahead and jailbreak and there's not really any risk as a hard reset solves everything.

Too much effort to jailbreak it for me lol.

AtrumX wrote:Too much effort to jailbreak it for me lol.

It seriously takes less than a minute nowadays

Thanks for the advice. I'm not familiar with the term "jailbreak" when it comes to cell phones, please explain.

It is basically a custom version of iOS that gives you access to an alternate app store with apps that have not had to be certified with Apple as well as access to features not currently supported in iOS. For instance, before the iOS 4 update, the only way to get multi-tasking on your iPhone was to use a jailbreak app. Even to this day, jailbreaking is the only option if you want a custom message tone.

S7 SockPuppet wrote:Thanks for the advice. I'm not familiar with the term "jailbreak" when it comes to cell phones, please explain.

I'd suggest a quick google brother.... simple as that.
It's a matter of unlocking the phone to do things you "should" be able to do, but Apple decided you couldn't out the box.

Because they like to take their time and do things properly.

AtrumX wrote:

S7 Epic wrote:Because they like to take your money and do things properly.

Tbh, that's probably why they have to get things right.

If you're providing a premium product with the brand name being a big selling point, which, I'd argue is more of a case for Apple, than it is Motorola, Nokia, etc. then you have to do things well. Sometimes it really is better to not have a feature, than it is to have a half-assed version of it. I'd imagine the iOS multi-tasking has been copied by now (unless Apple have a patent, which I think they may?) but at the time, the multi-tasking solution they brought out was leagues above anything else. Furthermore, having experience with both OS's as a developer, iOS is far more stable a lot less prone to bugs - albeit the iPhone bugs in their day, tended to be fairly major, i.e. the alarm clock bug and the signal strength miscalculation.

It's the same with most of their other products. Forget OS X existed and Apple just produced laptops that ran Windows. You think they'd sell anywhere near as much? Hell no. Apple have to provide a stellar end-user experience, otherwise they're very likely to lose out on a lot of customers.

I think that definitely with the mobile market, pricing is something that Apple will be really keen to work on. The new devices are always going to be costly but I think we'll see the older devices staying around longer and dropping to more competitive price points in favour of increasing market share of mobile OS's and then reaping the rewards from increased app store and iTunes revenues.

I'd agree, that's how they market everything. And the iphone really is a great phone. I believe Razer has said that's why they came out with the Razer Blade. It's got something innovative (the sweet button pad/led screen) so they have a higher price point to try to compete more directly with apple as a 'premium' line of laptops.

I've have a Iphone 4 and had the 3g one also. the iphone is great for the apps and the internet, even without flash. I use the iphone for everything internet related and rarely turn on the laptop unless I know Im gonna be on the net for hours, do long email, upload stuff to this site, etc. Now the S7 website iphone version is ok, I just choose the classic version and its the same as the web. Now that you can tether stuff to your Iphone without jailbrakeing it its cool, Fantasy football apps are great and it you and your wife both have a iphone then facetime would be cool if you have good 3g coverage. the worst part of the iphone is the phone part fallowed by battery life, the camera, and f'n itunes.
the new iphone should come out in october so iphone 4 might price drop in nov. also check into "being grandfatherd" in your contract as fas unlimited data is concerned. I still have unlimited because i was grandfathered in when I got my 3g iphone.

DROOPYmcC00L wrote:the new iphone should come out in october so iphone 4 might price drop in nov. also check into "being grandfatherd" in your contract as fas unlimited data is concerned. I still have unlimited because i was grandfathered in when I got my 3g iphone.

We'll definitely look into the grandfathering. When we got the Droids we had to change our plan, but that was because the smartphones required the unlimited data plan, which we didn't have with the phones before our Droids. I don't generally have any problems with Verizon and would prefer to keep with them, but if I can't keep the unlimited data I have now (which already costs $30/phone/month), their service will be practically no good to me due to how much surfing and such I do on my phone now.

Unfortunately, when it comes to plans Verizon and AT&T offer tiered plans...and TMO isn't much better. Sprint will most likely go tired in the near future...and they will be getting an iPhone in the next release...

I love my iPhone 4...I've played w/Andriod powered phones, but I'm not that impressed...plus I don't like the 80+ malware apps that are out there...versus zero for iOS.

Like Epic said, Apple takes it's time and generally get's it right...look how much they've been testing iOS 5...which I can't wait for btw....it will be as close to perfection as possible...

All Apple all the time.

Best decision I made before drinking JD Tennessee Honey!!!!

It's a choice between Robot or Alien Which are you? Really though there aren't too many differences anymore - both sides have a lot of paid apps and some free apps. You can jailbreak either but run the risk of screwing up your phone with malware. I chose Android because I don't use Apple, Mac, Itunes, or an Ipod. I use an MP3 player, a PC, and bittorrent for entirely free downloading. If you are a Mac guy, go with I phone. PC guy, go with Droid. Thats the best I can do for advice.

I use a HTC Aria with Android on ATT.

I hate everything apple except for their phone. Great for playing games. Don't see myself switching to another phone until the next 'groundbreaking' thing comes out.

I'm a hot mess when it comes to tech. Currently I run a Windows machine, use an IPod and ITunes, and have an Android phone. I don't really have any loyalty to any particular brand, so that doesn't matter in choosing a phone.

I'm really looking for help on whether an IPhone or an Android phone would be better. Sounds like the majority of people responding seem to be with the IPhone, so that might be where we're leaning.

Yeah that was the point from my post. I'm not what anyone would call an apple fan but they make a great phone. My experience with the Droid was ok. I didn't mind it but I was never like 'man it sure is awesome that I have a droid' Meanwhile there have been many times where I have said that about the Iphone.
The only real downside I have seen so far is that it's more difficult to get a customer ring or text tone. On my droid or blackberry I literally only had to drag a song in to the music folder and could set it as the ringer. I enjoyed having a zelda soundboard to use for different contacts. With the iphone it just takes more effort to do it for free. Haven't looked in to what pay options there are.

The custom ringtone isn't too bad anymore, ltos of stuff out there to help.

The iPhone is definitely one of the best things I have ever bought in terms of how much use/cost I get from it. I have an Android phone for app dev/testing but as Atrum said, I've never really used it and thought 'wow'. Also, the apps tend to be a lot less stable due to all the hardware configs (a la Windows).

I have noticed a lot of apps for my Droid can have Force Close issues, some more than others. Also, my Droid has some "lag" (?) issues where I'll go to the home screen and have to wait like 30 sec for the icons to show up. Since I've never had an IPhone, nor am I really familiar with them, they don't have this kind of issue.

I've had.a few force closes in the year I've had my Droid but no lag or anything. Closes happened while loading multiple web pages and running another app, so just overtasked it a bit. It really depends on the phone and the OS version I hear.

go iphone never any problems and if there is you just bring your iphone to a apple store and more then likely you will end up with a new one and with the warratny extend because you got a new iphone only apple product i have and only one i wil be getting only thing i love from them like they said before apple takes it time but does it right