This is going to be an insanely stupid question for those with androids…
So my contract was up, and the iphone 5 isn’t even announced yet so I decided not to wait any longer and just go for a Galaxy S3 now. It’s going to be my first android, so I basically know close to zilch about android phones, which is why this question is going to be really stupid.
So I’m utterly used to downloading podcasts on itunes and having that be on my phone. What do I do with an android wrt podcasts? Is there some kind of a podcast app that handles all the subscriptions and updating of the various podcasts I listen to?
And I guess to a lesser extent (but probably even stupider question), what’s the android equivalent of an itunes program on your computer where one syncs the phone data/apps/music/whatnots?
eta: oh, and for those familiar with androids, is the S3 a good buy? I’m sort of choosing between the S3 (3G) and the S2 LTE (with 4G). S3 is obviously newer and has better hardware in general, but it’s also physically less attractive, feels a bit flimsier than its predecessor, and the region where I’m at, the S3 4G isn’t available yet, and I’m not waiting.
The S3 is a pretty incredible phone. I have very mixed feelings about Samsung (that I’m sure I’ve noted above). The S2 is older hardware. The S3 or HTC One X are both top of the line phones (I have an HTC One S from Tmobile that I’m very happy with)
Moving from iOS to Android is going to be a bit of a culture shock. Things are going to be different and I recommend you do your best to leave your iOS concepts behind. It’ll hinder you.
There isn’t really an equivalent program to iTunes. There are a couple of Apps that try (DoubleTwist, and various iTunes syncing methods), but IMO none of them give the experience that iTunes and an iOS give. It’s been several years since I tried though - so YMMV.
I’m a big fan of Google Music. Basically you put all your music out on the cloud, you can have music local on your phone or in the cloud. Cloud music can be played with a data connection (wifi or cellular).
As for podcasts, I use a program called BeyondPod. It’s a very nice podcast manager.
Apps can be obtained on the phone directly from Google Play (app store). My preferred method is to go to play.google.com on a desktop, and get the app, which is then queued to load onto the phone at the soonest opportunity. It’s very smooth.
As a final note, without a contract you have more bargaining leverage. Call up your carrier’s customer care (typically their cancellation dept) and see if you can get them to sweeten your setup a little A bigger discount on your new phone, or a lower price on your monthly bill. I’ve always had success with this kind of thing on tmobile. The more info you have, the better off you are. If you can stand it, wait for the phone. Go and play with it in a store. The S3 (which I think has a 4.8" screen) is going to be a MASSIVE shift from your 3.5" iPhone. You’ll want to handle it before you committ $300 and 2 years to it.
If BeyondPod doesn’t seem your thing (nothing against the program, just some people prefer an alternative and alternatives are what Android’s all about) give DoggCatcher a try. It’s my personal favorite podcast aggregator, on phones or not.
And I 2nd and 3rd everything else sircastor said, and would like to add that Amazon has an Android app store, and they give away a free app every day. I’ve slowly collected a lot of fun games and good tools just checking the site every day.
Thanks sircastor and 5th horseman for all the information! When I get it, I’d be sure to check out your recommendations.
You definitely have a point there, I’ve been using iOS for so long it’s weird to think of a different setup; but I’m also partly excited to try something that isn’t like itunes at all.
Yeah that’s for sure. Part of the reason why I’m getting a new phone is because of some really excellent deals my provider’s offering me (since it has been quite some time since I’ve switched phones - I have an iphone 3, lol. By nature I’m one of those people who would use the same phone until something’s wrong - and I finally succumbed to the fact that using an older iOS is one giant pain in the ass. It’s why I’m still using a Kindle 2, lol, because I don’t like the idea of just dumping a perfectly functioning piece of equipment even though the new ones are nicer and dirt cheap - and I had been shopping around for better contracts with other providers, which always, always gives great leverage. You tell them you’re thinking of leaving, they suddenly give you a buttload of discounts and freebies).
I was just playing with the S3 a few days ago, as well as a bunch of other androids. I think S3 (and the galaxy line in general) was the android I was most comfortable with, even though some of the HTC models are quite tempting. It’s also partly why Nexus was never a choice even though it’s newer than the S2, I feel like it’s not a line that Samsung is invested in; whereas the galaxy series is more or less their crowned jewel (and thus more likely to be more or less well updated). But I actually have no issues with Samsung products as a whole. I have a Samsung laptop for a while now, and it’s been an - knock wood - excellent experience thus far (though I have heard some horror stories concerning its technical support).
I think the one remaining hesitation on my part in getting the S3 now is the lack of a 4G component, which annoys me especially since I am unlikely to switch phones for quite some time.
Ooooh, good tip. Sometimes I wonder how the world functioned without Amazon.
ETA: oh yeah. the screen? Is gorgeous and large and awesome. After playing with it for a while, the iphone screen suddenly seems very lacking in size.
The advantage that you’d get from going with a Nexus is that you know you’ll always be on top of updates. This is where iOS and Android diverge. Where Google makes relatively frequent updates to Android, it often takes carriers quite some time to implement those (if they do at all). It takes even longer if they’ve moved on from the phone you’re using to a newer model. I was sure I was going to be insulated from this with my Galaxy S (Vibrant) because they’d released it on all 4 carriers. Samsung all but abandoned the phones. They had a few minor Over-the-air updates, and the big updates were supplied through a crappy patching program that was only available for Windows.
The point about it is that the only thing you’re guaranteed when you buy the phone is what you’ve got. Some companies are great about updates. Samsung seems to have done a lot better with the SII. Of course, one of the best things about Android is flashing roms, so you have some options.
The SIII is an amazing piece of hardware. Best of luck and if you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask.
Oh crap, now I’m debating between a HTC One XL and the S3. (yeah, the S2 LTE fell out of the running. If I’m getting a 4G phone, it’ll be the XL). I’ve played with both and dont’ have any significant problems with either, so both I’m good with, which means I can’t decide between the two…
Reasons for XL:
4G, which is by far the one biggest reason why I’m debating between the two. If S3 came out with LTE, then there wouldn’t be any discussion…but I’m not waiting any longer (and also by then I reckon the iphone 5 would have come out too, and then it would be a whole new debate), and I really need to replace my old crapped out phone, lol. But anyway. After playing around with both, 4G speeds are definitely significantly better than 3G speeds, and also, having 4G ups the longevity of the phone, if 4G becomes the norm within the next year or two.
all other things being equal, I can get a cheaper plan by about 8 bucks per month.
it’s not as plasticky as S3. I say it’s slightly more of a prettier phone, but I suppose neither is really a looker.
Surprisingly, I think it takes better photos if you have a steady hand.
I like that the display is not as blue than the S3, but less yellow-ish than the iphone4S. I think comparing a whole bunch of smartphones, it probably has the best looking display for me, actually.
ETA: 6. Oh, I forgot. Not sure if it’s a thing that can be adjusted later on , but I like the XL zoom in functions on websites better, it rearranges the print to fit the screen, while with the S3, you have to pan left and right when you zoom in.
Reasons for S3:
the interface is smoother and snappier, and the touch sensitivity is better.
Most applications, especially big ones, run more smoothly and quickly. And faster too when you have multiple things up.
The video quality far exceeds the XL. By quite a bit. Which was surprising considering photo wise I thought the XL is better.
It doesn’t get as heated as the XL get when you run a bunch of stuff on it. (
Better battery life, or so I’m told. Probably true for any 4G vs 3G device though.
SD card slot, which is quite important for me.
Totally biased thing, but amongst friends, their HTC phones tend to crap out on them more than Samsung phones. So I feel better about the prospects of a samsung product over an HTC product.
The screen is bigger and actually does feel that way.
