A Top Apple Writer Explains Why He Ditched His iPhone For A Samsung Galaxy S3

[Pam]

silvarios wrote:
[quote=Pam]
I had an Android (Incredible) for 2 years before I got my iPhone 4s (been about 1.5 years now). I was extremely relieved to switch. Everything is so much easier and straight forward on the iPhone. Sure a larger screen would be better, but I don't think it'd fit in my back pocket any more. Where are people putting these things?

Wait, you are comparing what was a two year old Android phone to what was a brand new iPhone? Wouldn't comparing one of the top Android phones with a newer version of Android be a better comparison? I don't still dislike iOS because of lack of copy/paste, folders, voice dialing, MMS, good camera, or third party multi-tasking as those reasons no longer apply.
The Incredible and OS (which I kept updated) hadn't changed much when the iPhone 4s came out. The only reason I got the Incredible in the first place was Verizon didn't yet have the iPhone. Sure, things improve over time on both platforms. You can copy/paste, voice dial, and the camera is great. I don't know about MMS or multitasking. The latter is something that has never affected me.

[macphanatic]

The problem with Android phones as I see it is that the user has to expect that OS updates will be limited thru the life of the phone. Google has to release a update or release a new OS, the phone manufacturer needs to take said release and "tweak" it for each device, then the user's carrier has to take the "tweaked" release for each device and further "tweak" it for their network.

I have a year old Samsung Galaxy something or other (work phone) that's stuck running some version of 2.x. While there may be unofficial releases of newer versions of the OS, this is a work phone.

I can type emails and text messages easily in iOS but using the Galaxy is frustrating because they crammed so much into the keyboard that it's difficult to type anything correctly. I have average sized fingers, so I can't see how people with bigger fingers could type anything but garbage on it.

[decocritter]

I had an Evo, and now have an iPhone 4s both on Sprint. iPhone internet browsing is not as fast or easy for me. I like the bigger screen and the way the browsing works. I like Evo keyboard better and swipe. I research on the web a lot from a phone. It was a better experience on Evo.

I like the camera on my iPhone, and the syncing of the iPhone with my other products. I like the apple apps store better, but in reality, most of the apps I frequent, work about the same on both platforms. Call quality was a bit better on the Evo.

I helped a friend set up a newer and larger Evo, and I enjoyed playing with it and loved the screen. Siri is a little bit buggy and does not understand most of what I say.

[JoeM]

There are a number of things that put me off about my iPhone 5 which I've mentioned here before and some are not minor gripes for me. On the other hand there are things about the iPhone which I really like it's Settings app and it's messaging.

But the one thing I simply can't believe is it's inability to forward delete when typing anything. It's selection ability also leaves a lot to be desired, as well, for me.

[silvarios]

Carnos,
I justed wanted to say, I truly appreciate your input. Great discussion.

[Carnos Jax]

No doubt brother, I learn a lot from what u say. I have to admit, in spirit I'm with u a lot of ways. Maybe one day when my priorities change, I can get back to my 'roots' in the tech world.

[silvarios]

tenders wrote:
I thought this was a thoughtful point:

Presenting a consistent and logical experience across the device for the majority of all users is important, particularly when you think about the large percentage of technophobic users and the added percentage of users who don’t ever want to be bothered.

Noted. Why should I give half a damn about any user but myself? I try to be a good social citizen, but I have never thought “Though this unalterable factory setting frustrates me and makes this device more difficult for me to use, I shall suffer proudly, knowing that this device’s lack of customization features makes it less confusing to some new mobile phone user who still doesn’t understand why there’s no dial tone.”

Interesting, yes.

[datbeme]

It's not a ditch or a condemnation. It's a well thought out choice based on what works for him. Yay!!!

But I'm sure there will be 1000 emotional comments at the bottom of the article slinging around terms like "sheep" and "fanboi." :banghead:

[silvarios]

datbeme wrote:
It's not a ditch or a condemnation. It's a well thought out choice based on what works for him. Yay!!!

But I'm sure there will be 1000 emotional comments at the bottom of the article slinging around terms like "sheep" and "fanboi." :banghead:

Yeah. Hard to have a discussion with brand loyalists clogging the airwaves. To much senseless back and forth.

[silvarios]

Pam wrote:
You can copy/paste, voice dial, and the camera is great. I don't know about MMS or multitasking. The latter is something that has never affected me.

Right, as I noted. Those were formerly weak points in the iOS platform, but Apple kept tweaking, which is a good thing. On the flip side, we can list a lot of problems in the early version of Android which have likewise been fixed/added with later versions. Are there still holes? Sure. Gremlins that annoy? Yep. Yet, Android has grown to be so much better, so quickly, the gap between iOS and Android is not great. In fact, some of us find more problems with iOS than Android at this point. As noted in the article.

I remember really wanting to like Android when it first launched but it took until Android 2.x for the platform to mature into something I would say was truly competitive with iOS. Despite my desire for Android to succeed (linux kernel, semi open development, not locked to one manufacturer or carrier), I ended up with iOS (iPod touches, not iPhones) as my first long term experience with either platform.