i thinking of getting a new phone which is better helpful tips thanks.
Did you list to Modern Geek #5 - they did a good job of talking about it. One very valid point they brought up was whether you have an iPad or other tablet? If so, you could save some decent money by sticking with the same OS.
I’m actually in the same position as you though. I have an iPhone now and I’m waiting for Apple’s announcement next week to see what they announce. I know a few with Androids and I might consider it.
Iphones are better on batteries . but i think the latest android phones are better.
apps for everything are available for both…
the best answer is to get the one that you want so that you will use it.
i prefer Android … but that is a preference.
I have grown very tired of the icult.
i prefer Android, because i can’t stand the thinking that someone knows one model that’s best for everyone. I am not totally happy with Android either… maybe one day we can have more freedom in choosing our mobile device OS. Presently we are pretty much hijacked by Mobile service providers and handset manufacturers…
I’ve had a Droid X from Verizon for about six months. The Droid X 2 is now available, but it’s not significantly different from the first one (still 3G). It’s my first smartphone, but I can’t imagine wanting anything else.
As a mobile computing platform - yeah, I’m a power user - it’s fantastic. I can manage my WordPress blog, Facebook, Twitter, G+, and multiple Gmail addresses on the go. Google Docs, Google Reader, Dropbox, and the Opera Mobile Browser (all free) round out my productivity suite. I often go days without touching my laptop - because I don’t need to. I can do everything on my phone. Pandora, YouTube, Netflix, and multiple music and podcast management options mean I’m always entertained.
My wife has the same phone and she’s a casual user, but she loves hers just as much. There’s plenty of free games, and the social media integration is top notch, especially if you do a lot with Google accounts.
Hardware-wise, I can’t speak for other Android models, but the X is fine for battery life. A complete charge last all day with heavy use, as long as I’m not playing CPU-intensive games. I connect to Wifi at work or home, but the mobile 3G is great. I use the Google Maps & Navigation to get around and a combo of free apps for geocaching without any trouble.
Another advantage is degree to which I can customize the GUI. Without going into too much detail, I have 7 screens that I can set however I want - icons, widgets, apps, pics, etc. But I can also have up to three profiles - I have Home, Work, and Blogging set-ups - meaning that I can have a total of 21 different screens.
Androids updates are a snap and make it feel like you’re getting a brand-new phone every few months.
At least check one out!
One thing I will say, as far as smoothness iOS hands down. As to tweaking out of the box that’s android. I had a jail broke iPhone on Tmo and it worked fine. Right now I have a rooted Evo 4g on Sprint. Both have been great. That and the wireless tether I’m on now helps with the iPad since there is no wifi where I’m at the moment.
After next week I’ll know if I’m going back to iPhone 5 or getting the new Sammy. Either way you can’t go wrong.
I think that at the moment iOS is the better choice for most people. Android is somewhat fractured among handset manufacturers and carriers, so you really have to shop around to make sure you’re getting what you think you’re getting. Developers tend to target the iPhone first, since it’s a bigger market than any particular configuration of Android (although Android is bigger overall.)
There’s greater customization available for Android out of the box (usually,) but you can jailbreak an iPhone/iPad rather easily and get the same benefits (and risks.)
The biggest thing is probably the interface, since you’ll use that all the time. If you can, check out some Android phones and some iPhones and see if there are any dealbreakers. Some people don’t like the keyboard on the iPhone, for example, while there’s a wide variety of Android configurations.
That’s a pretty good summary of the differences, Pike. I’m admittedly biased towards Android so I don’t want to skew this thread too much, but if you’re unenthused about the iPhone 4S and are considering switching to Android you should consider a “pure Android” phone like the Nexus S whose UI hasn’t been altered by Moto, Samsung, or HTC. Or if you can wait a little longer for Ice Cream Sandwich to come out, the Galaxy Nexus would be an excellent choice.
One thing that I’ve not seen an android phone beat the iPhone at is the retina display. That screen is gorgeous and bright. My Galaxy S has a SuperAmoLED screen which is supposed to be the contender in this arena, but looking at the iPhone 4(s) in the Apple store really provides a nice viewing experience.
That said, I’m more or less and dedicated Android user. I do like the flexibility. I love widgets. My home screen has provided at-a-glance info for calendar, weather, to-do, and stocks. Right now I have frequently accessed apps, calendar, and frequent controls (silent, wifi, BT, GPS, rotate lock)
I like that if the podcast app I’m using doesn’t work I have a handful more I can try out.
I like that the community offers improvements to the phone (core OS improvements, better kernels) and I can try those out.
Android’s features tend to be a little bit faster out of the gate. Though (as mentioned in Modern Geek), when Apple adds the feature, they do it right.
I cannot stress this point enough. Especially in the case of Samsung, and likely in the case of other manufacturers. My experience with My Galaxy S (tmobile vibrant) has been one of an awful lot of disappointment when it came to having an up-to-date phone. Your manufacture and carrier don’t have a lot of incentive to do anything more with the phone once they got you to it and sign the contract. They would rather spend their time selling you (or someone else) a new phone. Samsung (for instance) abandoned the Behold II a mere 9 months after release. I would strongly recommend that you buy only a google phone. You can probably find a used Nexus S for pretty cheap that will be upgraded to Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
Just picked up an iPhone 4s. I’ll have to post back once I spend some more time with it. Though one quick thing I have discovered: Siri is my new best friend.
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=29.547244,-98.527136
I had an original Motorola Droid on Verizon for about 18 months and then switched to the iPhone 4S last October (6 months now give or take). I don’t think it’s fair to compare the two since they are from completely different generations but I’ll tell you what I like/liked about each.
Droid: free tethering with paid app, Google Sky Map, interchangeable SD card, multiple available apps for services like Twitter or Facebook.
iPhone 4S: Battery life, SIRI, iTunes interface, FaceTime, Netflix, games, Nike+ GPS, iMessage, front & back camera, SDCC app only on iOS, ability to share apps across iOS devices.
Overall I’m very happy with the iPhone. Admittedly I’m a heavy user but not a power user so I’m less interested in the “back-end” of my smart phone. Having other family members or close friends with mobile Apple devices also helps to utilize features like iMessage or FaceTime.
I would recommend asking yourself what you want to use the device for and then figure out which device is best to accomplish those use cases and budget.
~Shooter Out
In addition to the excellent advice already present, also consider spending some time playing around with the phones in a store! It’s easy to use a list of features to make a decision and then end up disliking the user interface (this applies to anything from cars to DVD players and so on). Some people prefer the Android interface, and some people prefer the iPhones. There are a few people somewhere that prefer Windows 7 Phones too, but we try not to make any sudden movements around them… I kid! I kid! 
For my laptop I"m a PC users. And I love my iPad. But I’ve been very happpy with my Android phone.
Android has (obviously) wide choices of carriers, and the voice and data plans way cheaper.
And I’m not aware of any key app for the iPhone that’s not also available in some form for an Android phone.
I would suggest Android (though I don’t have a huge experience with smartphones in general).
what … no Blackberry?
Seriously, I get phones through my corporate overlords and am mandated to have a Blackberry. As well, several other phones are sent my way for testing, evaluation and integration work. In short, my team loathes the BB and are evenly split on the current iPhone and Android offerings.
YMMV.
OB
Android doesn’t seem to have any software specifically for time travelers yet: http://ziggy.hallert.net/
Truly, whoever conceived of this must be a great man. I can safely say, that to know him, must be to love him. And to love him would be to know him… Those who know him, love him, while those who do not know him love him from afar.
Time traveling is particularly difficult for me because I follow the Terminator rules for time travel.
That means I need to be nude when I time travel, leaving no place to put my android phone 
Well, most modern phones DO have, ah, ‘rounded edges’…
Apparently you haven’t either tried to catch smugglers/terrorists lately or thought like one. I can think of one place in particular to “put” your Android phone during Terminator style time travel.
~Shooter Out
Okay…I think I should get a disposable case for my phone (did this thread just go in a weird direction? Can I blame it on someone else? Where’s that Galaxy Ranger when I need him? )
It’s only weird if you add a vibration thread to this discussion. As in the ability to put the Android on vibration mode for ringtones and notifications while in Terminator style transport mode.
~Shooter Out