Which smartphone is best is the perennial question? No matter how you answer this question, fervent fans of the posh iPhone or the Android phones will always demonstrate to prove that their preferred smartphone is best. This is similar to the "Occupy Any Where - QAW© to make our point and get free stuff" movement. One smartphone is not truly better than the other but rather one of these choices is more suited to your needs and budget. Having used both helps me understand what you should consider when selecting a smartphone. Before picking your next smartphone, you should read this article to help you in the decision process.
The active iPhone family includes the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S. These phones are supported on the big cellular networks of AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint as well as others. The active Android family is larger because Android is a Linux-based software Operating System (OS) for mobile devices including smartphones and tablet computers. The Android OS is maintained by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. The current Android OS named Gingerbread runs on a wide variety of cell phones and other devices.
The first difference between the iPhone and the Android phones is that the iPhone is tightly controlled by Apple. In contrast the Android phones are in a "Wild West" open source market influenced by Google. Tight control results in exclusivity, higher costs, and dependency upon Apple. The result is that the iPhone is the posh phone that everyone wishing to be important desires. Please do not get me wrong, the iPhone is a darn good phone which I depended upon for three years. Android phones in contrast are more flexible, easily work with Gmail, and support new hardware features that on paper are better than the iPhone. The hardware feature differences are not enough to warrant picking an Android phone over an iPhone.
In the three years of time with the iPhone there was one failure issue. One day the iPhone 3GS just quit while I was driving using the GPS navigation feature. When I say just quit, I mean that is died so completely that I could not even make a 911 call. I have a very old Blackberry phone that is no longer in service upon which I can make a 911 call today if needed. There is likely a Federal law or FCC ruling that requires all cell phones to always dial 911 no matter what has happened to them. The only excuse for not dialing 911 is a dead battery and no available power. Apple replaced the phone without charge.
Two other iPhone observations are there was a death grip with the iPhone 4 that caused calls to drop and that the battery is not replaceable by the user. The first issue is solved by an iPhone cover that separates your hand ever so slightly from the phone.
The second issue impacts iPhone longevity. Not being able to change a battery means that at some point you must buy a new iPhone. The battery is good for two or more years depending upon usage. All batteries develop memory that limits the battery charge. This battery charge supports the iPhone operation in standby mode, in data mode, in text messaging mode, or when talking on the phone. To maintain the longest battery life, the battery be fully discharged before it is recharged. At first an iPhone may run for two days without recharging with moderate phone usage. After some time, the phone will need daily recharging. Older phones often cannot run a full day. This may be solved using expensive external batteries for an iPhone. No external batteries have worked to my satisfaction. Sticking with the iPhone battery is best. The short battery life issue is solved using car chargers and carrying an iPhone charger.
In contrast the Samsung and Motorola Android phones do not have a death grip. Both phones support battery replacement with a second battery running about $50. They are light on power consumption unless you connect to 4G service. When using 4G service these phones eat power like football players eat steak.
The Android phones have iPhone "apps" (application programs) rebuilt for Android phones. These "apps" are downloaded to the phone from the Android market. There was no issues finding my most frequently used iPhone "apps" for the Android phone. It took a short time to acclimate to operating the Android phone because the controls work differently than the iPhone. The Android phone needed a case because it was too thin to stay in my shirt pocket. It kept falling out. This was very bad, but the problem was solved by purchasing a $20 case.
The new iPhone 4S has a helpful voice application that is changing how we use our cell phones. It responds with answers to spoken commands when you know how to use that feature effectively. In contrast the Android phones have excellent speech to text input which permits you to dictate email messages and perform other limited tasks. While the voice recognition is excellent, the editing, and other functions are rudimentary and not very smooth. It can be very useful when combined with the Evernote.com "app". In the longer term the Android phones will catch up and include a feature similar to the new iPhone feature.
Unfortunately, the Android phone diminished my public image that was built using the iPhone. This can be important when you are a nerd. The Android phones are not often used by movie stars and other notable people.
The last important item is which cellular service should go with your iPhone or Android phone? A nerd's most important criteria is unlimited data. Unlimited data is not provided by AT&T and Verizon.
Both AT&T and Verizon seem to have better cellular phone reception coverage than Sprint. In the Baltimore area all have good 4G (4th Generation) cellular coverage. In theory 3G data can go up to several Millions of bits per second (Mbps) and 4G data can go up to several hundred Mbps. In fact 3G phones operate typically using 500 Kbps to 700 Kbps and 4G phones operate using 3 Mbps to 5 Mbps. The high speeds provide greater capabilities and more communications features such as phone to phone video calls. If I visit my family in Binghamton, NY; AT&T, Verizon and Sprint cellular networks only provide 3G service.
Also you want coverage that permits you to make a call and use the phone at the same time. Newer smart phones have a wireless hot spot capability built into them. Using the hot spot capability adds an extra monthly charge to your bill. On 3G networks phones support the hot spot feature, but you must either use the hot spot or talk on the phone. Both functions do not work well when used simultaneously.
Unfortunately cellular speed costs money. When data is limited, you may be surprised by an unexpectedly high bill or two. It is easy without realizing it to run up a tab using text messaging or data while streaming videos. It costs to use the new phones up to their true potential. Sprint provides unlimited data but its service coverage is not quite the same as Verizon and AT&T.
Voice minutes are less important. Today anytime voice minutes are charged when you talk from cell phone to land line. This is a holdover from the old telephone tariffs of the 1980's. Cell phone-to-cell phone calls in many plans are unlimited.
When you are picking a cell phone important considerations beyond the blow by blow feature comparison are:
1. The prestige of owning the most expensive and desired phone.
2. The utility in terms of battery life and dropped calls.
3. The "apps" you most frequently use and new functions you may use.
4. The service plan cost as it relates to data, voice and messaging.
5. The cellular network phone reception coverage.
2. The utility in terms of battery life and dropped calls.
3. The "apps" you most frequently use and new functions you may use.
4. The service plan cost as it relates to data, voice and messaging.
5. The cellular network phone reception coverage.
Comparing phone feature by feature is marginally helpful because the features are so similar that they rarely make a difference between phones. Smartphones are the future and the future is now. They can only get better and make us unable to live without them at our side.
Pete (the nerd) Moulton is "Your Friend on a Technically Challenged Planet"©. Helpful videos and other information from Pete are posted at http://www.dialanerd.com. If you have questions on technology or any published article, please e-mail Pete at dialanerd@verizon.net. Check out Pete's most recent book "Pete The Nerds Do It Yourself Virus Removal" found at http://www.amazon.com/Nerds-Yourself-Virus-Removal-ebook/dp/B005K013W4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315457289&sr=8-1. Thank you for your time.
© Copyright - Pete Moulton. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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