Phones Which new phone?

[Bahumat]

YOu see, you jest, but people who know nothing but the Apple ecosystem are genuinely surprised. Even small things like having a weather and clock displayed on the homescreen or an agenda display like Pure Calender Grid without the need to launch the app are not things they see on IOS.

Just to say the clock is always at the top of the screen on iPhone. I never saw the importance of a weather app on the home screen. The function drains battery and all I need to do is use my eyes to see what the weathers like.
If however I want to know the forecast for the next few days I launch the app which takes no time at all.

 

[soze]

iTunes also is not needed now, you can activate it without iTunes and update over the web. Plus with something like SharePod you can sync music ect without it.

 

[soze]

If however I want to know the forecast for the next few days I launch the app which takes no time at all.

I ask my phone when i want to show if Siri is a total gimmick but it works

 

[Poag]

I bought a 4S recently in order to give iPhone "another go" since my 3GS. Since then i've been HTC Hero, HTC Desire, Nexus S, SGS2 and now HTC One S.


I had it for about 2 months before I offloaded it to someone in the office at half the retail value just so i could get rid of the thing.

The screen is, for me, far to small. I seem to recall when i had my Desire that a 3.5" screen was 'ok'. After using a 4" NexusS and a 4.3 SGS2. Its now too small. You can have bigger text entry windows so no super annoying scrolling up n down in a tiny one line entry box to see what you've written. (Annoyingly I think i've deleted my screenshot example of this when tidying up my dropbox recently. General gist is that the "app" insisted on showing its top bar at the top of the screen. So when you turned it landscape, the keyboard took up the bottom 60%. The title the top 15% and the entry box was 1 line high). Maybe its a shitty app, but its one I use an awful lot and do not have this issue on Droid.

The iOS auto correct is abysmal. Number of times i've typed a word in almost perfectly aside one character being off to the left or right of where it should be (responde for example). iOS's response was to give me a 5 letter word, or two different words. Never the same "suggestion" always something different which was even more infuriating.
The massive bezel is find really pointless. Why would I was a phone with an extra inch of....nothing? The Nexus S and HTC One have a bezel at just the right dimensions now. The SGS2 was almost ok but its blocky corners annoyed me.

Aesthetically the SGS2 was a terrible square of non imagination, ergo as its a clone so is the iPhone....haw!. The Nexus S with its curved screen was awesome, every phone should have a curved front...this is the future we should be going towards. Made it lovely to hold and when you drop it in a pocket, unless you had stick legs, it was never uncomfortable. Also the curve meant it stayed upright rather than falling over sideways in big pockets.

The One S is, to my mind, Aesthetically awesome. Its the right size, it has a solid one piece shell which is very durable and has a nice feel to it. Mines a bit beat up, a chip here and there where i'm a bit over zealous at times, but it takes a licking and keeps on ticking. With the SGS the case, although not "soft" or "wibbly" didn't have a solid feel to it. The iPhone glass gives it a nice solid feel but its far to crackable, although I did see an awesome picture this morning.....

That looks fairly cool, but still the fact there's this sort of art shows how common it is.


One the plus side. The iPhone does do something things well. Its battery is not bad, its bit worse than my OneS but better than the SGS2. It also charges nice and fast which is good.
Its audio is also pretty good, audio reproduction is ok, it doesn't have the variety of options as some Droids but those it does have are pretty good. Its well supported, updates..although not quick...do occur regularly. The extra QA work done on apps seems tow ork well for the big name apps, but the smaller ones it seems to hinder rather than help (delays fixing bugs etc)

I really dont get where people come from saying "Oh the iOS app store is so much better" I couldn't find a decent alternative in iOS to a number of important apps for me that i have on Droid. Tweetdeck for example is dead and buried on iOS but has a 3rd party updater on Droid (its imo the best Twitter/Facebook app around, such a shame Twitter bought them and then didn't update it). Also iOS "free" apps have alot more intrusive ads than Droid apps do, ok they are free but do i really need a full page ad every, single, window.



Regarding the "backgrounding" of apps. iOS does not have true multitasking. Apps, when you leave them, save their state and can perform a limited number of functions in the background. Most of which revolve around receiving push updates, music/audio etc. Anything that actually processes does run in the background and just "resumes" when you bring ti back to the front. ie Its state is loaded from memory and it carrie son from where it left off. So yes they are "running" but they aren't actually "running" in the iOS multitasking setup.
Droid by comparison works like a PC or a mac where they can continue performing the normal functions even when minimized. An example of this is creating a zip file. iOS will only let you do it in the foreground. Droid will let you "home" out of the app and leave it running in the background.

But, iOS apps are built to use it this way so it doesn't really cause the user any problems. It just doesn't let you do "as much" with the multitask functionality.

Another annoyance is the way iOS does push notifcations. Oh i dont mean what you see on the phone. The network layer behind it. iOS requires each application to maintain a separate 'connection' (its not a real connection, they just have to go back to the app host says "Hi i'm UID XXXXXXXXXXXX this is my new IP address, send notifications here") for each app.
Conversely Droid handles all this trough a single service. Apps register through Google Apps to push notifications out to phones (they can also do it the iOS way directly, but this way is much better) Then all notifications are pushed out to devices via GTalk. So it only has to register its new IP with one service. Notifications get queued up by Google aswell so when you reconnect, they all push through. This happens for some iOS apps but not all.



Another "thing" about iphones i dont understand is how long it takes them to notice a network has dropped or is available. This was apparent when i caught the train from London to Southampton daily. I had for about a week an iPhone and a Droid on the same network sat next to each other. On a speedy train network comes and goes fairly rapidly. I Notice that the droid would notice a connection had gone alot quicker than the iPhone would do. And then would reconnect to a new network much faster.
I'm fairly sure this is just a software issue in iOS affecting its "Poll" speed or something. But its annoying when your trying to do something. Also the Droid default "We will queue this SMS for you, soon as network is on again we will send it" is much better than the iOS "networks no available...press this button when it is" method. IMO anyway.


All in all, there are no "perfect" phones for my liking. I like a certain form factor (4 - 4.3") I like to get 3+ days of battery of out of them (One S, iPhone, NexusS...ish). I want to give a windows phone a go so that i have "tried" all the current generation OSs. Rather than just spouting opinion on something I've never used for an extended period of time.


TL;DR
Every phone has its problems, non is perfect. I agree with somethings said about the pros of iPhones, but I also think there are alot of cons. Just as there are with Droid phones. But I find the cons in Droid phones are alot easier to resolve with rooted kit than with iOS.
No phone is perfect. If Apple and Samsung would stop dicking each other and licence patents properly then we'd be getting to perfect phones alot sooner.

Hopefully this new Apple/Google patent talk will help things out there...heres hoping.

 

[Poag]

iTunes also is not needed now, you can activate it without iTunes and update over the web. Plus with something like SharePod you can sync music ect without it.

iTunes is required when you want to unlock your phone. Having just done this with some work iPhones in the last 4 days I know this is true still.

 

[Poag]

Just to say the clock is always at the top of the screen on iPhone. I never saw the importance of a weather app on the home screen. The function drains battery and all I need to do is use my eyes to see what the weathers like.
If however I want to know the forecast for the next few days I launch the app which takes no time at all.

The little weather widget takes up less battery than the clock does on my homescreen. Gives me todays weather and at a tap the week ahead. It also shows on my lock screen so I don't have to unlock the phone either, i can tap it on the lockscreen and it'll give me a small box with the next 72 hours in it.

Will add a screeny in a mo. Dropbox not available from work....arrrgrh

 

[soze]

iTunes is required when you want to unlock your phone. Having just done this with some work iPhones in the last 4 days I know this is true still.

If you mean because someone has entered the wrong pin 4 times then that's true but you just unlock it and don't use iTunes again until you forget your pin. Its still not forcing you to use the software regularly. Unless your users cant remember a simple 4 digit number

 

[Poag]

If you mean because someone has entered the wrong pin 4 times then that's true but you just unlock it and don't use iTunes again until you forget your pin. Its still not forcing you to use the software regularly. Unless your users cant remember a simple 4 digit number

No i mean Network Locks, or SIM locks as people with no idea what it really is call them....like the phone companies themselves!

 

[soze]

No i mean Network Locks, or SIM locks as people with no idea what it really is call them....like the phone companies themselves!

Ohh sorry you mean applying the update to make it SIM Free? OK i did not know what one could not come over the air, but again it is a do it once and forget type of deal so not enough of a reason for iTunes to be an issue imo.

 

[MYstIC G]

I really dont get where people come from saying "Oh the iOS app store is so much better" I couldn't find a decent alternative in iOS to a number of important apps for me that i have on Droid. Tweetdeck for example is dead and buried on iOS but has a 3rd party updater on Droid (its imo the best Twitter/Facebook app around, such a shame Twitter bought them and then didn't update it). Also iOS "free" apps have alot more intrusive ads than Droid apps do, ok they are free but do i really need a full page ad every, single, window.

Just an FYI http://tapbots.com/software/tweetbot/ is an insanely better Twitter client than Twitter itself (which was originally some client that they bought, renamed and ruined) or Tweetbot (ditto).

 

[Wij]

Tweetlogix

 

[Bigmac]

iphone batteries don't last 3+ days. I was chatting with a friend today who has a 4s and his battery life is roughly 6-8 hours though he uses it very frequently. I doubt any decent smartphone has a battery that lasts that long. The only phones that I know that can last for days are ones that are built for phoning and texting only.

 

[old.user4556]

I don't recall anyone claiming they last three plus days.

 

[Poag]

All in all, there are no "perfect" phones for my liking. I like a certain form factor (4 - 4.3") I like to get 3+ days of battery of out of them (One S, iPhone, NexusS...ish). I want to give a windows phone a go so that i have "tried" all the current generation OSs. Rather than just spouting opinion on something I've never used for an extended period of time.

I don't recall anyone claiming they last three plus days.

It was me. I can get 3 days of usage out of my OneS with light usage, couple of calls, some SMS but no music or video watching. ie using it as a phone 4S i got 2 ish. Nexus S about the same.

 

[old.user4556]

Oh that giant post that no one read .

 

[Poag]

Oh that giant post that no one read .

Should do. Its got paragraphs and everything! and pictures!

Maybe i should write for a tech blog or something :/

 

[eksdee]

If you're seriously interested in writing about phones, you could drop the editor of the magazine I work for - What Mobile - a line. We're currently going through a complete overhaul of the magazine since he joined, just finished with the magazine itself and we're now working on the website. I think having extra content on the website such as opinion pieces, columns etc would be something he'd be very interested in.

http://www.whatmobile.net

 

[PLightstar]

Alot of good posts. Have to say, I don't notice my One X's size anymore. You kind of live with whatever size phone you have. Like the One S I can get a few days use out of it, if I use it like a phone and use 3G instead of Wi-Fi (next update is supposed to fix that, whenever it comes) I have seen rooted One X's last 3 days with extensive use. It seems the bedroom developers have a better grip of the phones and software than the official companies. I have noticed that people who have an Apple as their first smart phone, will just stick with it as they bought apps and things, they see Android as something foreign and would love alot of its features ported over. (such as a homescreen and widgets for mail, calenders etc)

 

[eksdee]

I love my One S, first proper smartphone I've had and couldn't be happier with it.

 

[soze]

If the video of the slightly longer thinner iPhone 5 is real I am interested it looks like the bezel is thinner at the sides so the screen is a bit bigger without the phone getting masses bigger. Bit annoyed that they are changing the port used on the devices i don't care if they sell adapters i liked my phone sitting on its £25 charging cradle and speaker systems now i will need a adapter to make it fit?

Some reports are saying the new screen size means the retina display will be full HD.

 

[Krazeh]

Some reports are saying the new screen size means the retina display will be full HD.

Most of the reports I've seen have said it's likely to be 1136x640 which is a way off full HD. Altho I'm sure they'll have thought up some new buzz word to describe it.

 

[soze]

Most of the reports I've seen have said it's likely to be 1136x640 which is a way off full HD. Altho I'm sure they'll have thought up some new buzz word to describe it.

the Screen is wider in the video so i would be very surprised if it is still 640 which is what the 4s has. I would think 720 will be the minimum. But no one will know till tomorrow.

We were discussing the 5 in work today, Apple normally announce the device and then say you can buy it from the first of the next month, that must mean they either have thousands of these sitting in the warehouse waiting to ship or they are already on boats over here? I doubt they send them air mail. The NDA they have must be unreal to have stopped more pictures appearing.

 

[Wij]

Pretty sure I'll get a 5 but haven't bothered selling my 4S while the price is still good. I'll wait for more details and probably my next payday.

Got to replace the wife's phone this month. Thinking of getting her a GS3 and replacing my second phone with her GS1 and putting CM10 on it.

Hard work this.

 

[Trem]

The Omega rom was/is way better than CM10 imo Wij-bra.

Doesn't the new iPhone have a different connection on it so if you have docking stations, speakers etc they will become useless?

 

[Raven]

If you are after a Sony phone, check that it is still supported by Sony.

In their usual fashion of not supporting their own products they have dropped quite a few android phones and they will no longer be updated...my 9 month old Xperia play for example.

I will flash it at some point and update it myself I think, cut out a lot of the Sony undeletable junk that way too!

 

[MYstIC G]

If they do change the docking port I'll be sticking with my 3GS. I've just got it sorted how I wanted in the motor so it does my satnav/music and is dash mounted. I'm not about to swap cables about or want stupid adapters on show. I think it would be a very pointless move in any event.

 

[Raven]

Aren't they supposed to be making them universal?

 

[soze]

Yeah I agree but it is a rumour that's not going away as they say the current connector takes up too much room

 

[MYstIC G]

Aren't they supposed to be making them universal?

Chargers have to be universal, you have to have a Mini or Micro (can't remember which) USB charger so that there isn't any more multiple charger waste. Apples will no doubt ship with an adapter to comply with the law but just be dickish and not actually use the standard.

 

[Poag]

Yes.

But they aren't. Everyone else has moved to Micro USB for connections. Apple are sticking with propriety connectors. Reports say they are going from 30-pin to 19-pin in order to get more space inside the phones with a smaller connector.