Which is better, iPhone or Android?

OC Register ^ | 1-20-2011 | edcoil

[artificial intelligence]

To the average consumer, the war between iPhone and Android is probably very confusing.

Most people don’t know there’s a difference between a “Droid” and an “Android” phone or why these new phones are so different from what came before.

[Swordmaker]

A which is better article: iPhone or Android... PING!

Please! No Flame Wars!
Discuss technical issues, software, and hardware.
Don't attack people!

Don't respond to the Anti-Apple Thread Trolls!
PLEASE IGNORE THEM!!!

Apple V. Android Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

I wasn’t trying to say that the apple screen is better than all android screens, but it’s better than most android screens, when all the really affordable functional generic tablets are included. The Samsungs are known to have good screens.

As far as I know, there are no Android screens that are Retina grade displays... nor are many of the tablets ISP grade screens with 178º angle of view in all direction screens like the iPad.

[Southack]

The Android battery is vastly easier to replace than is the iPhone’s.

[BADROTOFINGER]

I have an iPhone 3GS and love it, but the HTC Evo looks pretty sweet too. Found this as well, its a laugh riot...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7yD-0pqZg

...pretty serious language warning tho, don’t say I didn’t warn you...

[truthfreedom]

There are going to be different ways to measure quality. One might be dpi, another might be contrast or brightness or something like that.

Here are some links to specific info on the chip. Most of the articles are old, and mention that the chip is 1, rather than 1.2. Some think that this mid816 uses the same processor as the ipad. I don’t know what the ipad uses.

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/support/brochures/downloads/systemlsi/S5PV210.pdf - this is the link to the pdf of the
brochure

http://www.gadgets-reviews.com/samsung-introduces-s5pc110-and-s5pv210-application-processors.html
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/newsView.do?news_id=1043
http://www.myefox.com/tmd-mid-android-2-2-tablet-pc-8-1-2-ghz-4gb-cem816-mid-s5pv210-samsung-a-816-kls005-arm-cortex-a8-cem816-p-134458

[Swordmaker]

The screen is not as good on the mid816. I’ve been using a computer for years, as I’m sure you and everyone else has, and I’ve never had to touch the screen at all in order to do something. I’d rather have flash - which the mid816 does have, and the people who have the mid816 are happy with it - than a cooler, better screen. I want the whole internet - the mid816 provides it for less than half the price of the ipad - and the ipad doesn’t provide flash. It’s aware flash exists, is aware that flash is a critical part of the internet, is aware that cheap generic android tabs are doing flash well, and apple is still not putting flash on their $500 ipads? Ridiculous. And those people defending Apple on this are just delusional.

Sorry, Flash is NOT a critical part of the internet... it is ancillary... and getting less and less useful. I don't miss seeing Flash ads on the Internet. I don't need to play Flash Games, and what Flash video there is, is unimportant.

As to the screen being less important than Flash... the angle of view on that MID816 is only about 40º... anything out of that angle loses color and drops out of clarity rapidly. That means it is uncomfortable to view and means it's awkward to share viewing with anyone. . . and even difficult to use except at a specific angle. EVEN using it except at a specific distance with TWO EYES is difficult as the colors will be different between each eye. The screens on the MID816 are junk.

I understand that apple is reluctant to put flash on for battery reasons. Android users would know how to turn on and off the flash, Apple users wouldn’t.

Flash is an internet technology. If the handhelds can’t handle the existing internet, it’s on them. Flash was around before handhelds, before the iphone ipad. we’ve had this argument before I think.

You have this belief that because Apple doesn’t want to do something, that thing isn’t worth doing. Completely irrational, and a reason why people call Apple fanboys cultists. The fanboys can’t separate themselves from the Applecult.

There OBVIOUSLY is something wrong with Apple not supporting Flash on their handhelds. It’s not a debateable point. But the fanboys insist that it’s actually better that the Apple devices don’t have what all standard computers have and what the newest android devices have.

No, it should NOT BE NECESSARY in a proper user interface... and FLASH makes it necessary on a battery powered mobile device. That is the problem Truth... Go to a webpage... Oh, I need to turn on Flash to see this page... leave the page... Oh, I need to turn off flash or my battery will drain in an hour! That is NOT USER FRIENDLY. A Geek might like that a but a user would be pissed as all get out when his phone is dead an hour later when he needs to make a phone call... especially on a multitasking device that leaves the Flash app running in the background along with the browser... or with some Android flash apps, just running with out the browser. Good luck, average user.

Flash as a general app requires mouse over and keyboard inputs, and floating menus that operate from such mouse overs and expected a keyboard touch... and touch screen interfaces do not have either a mouse or a separate keyboard... so how do you expect Flash to interpret that input? You have to fake it... and that doesn't work well. So, you need a two level Flash script... those with Mobile device design in mind, and those without... and many will never be rewritten and will not work at all with mobile devices. Too bad for those. . . they will not work with Mobile apps, no matter how much you want them to. Some Flash games work, many will not. Most Flash video will... but why not just convert the video to an open standard that works with everything. THAT is happening.

Flash is also riddled with security holes... and they have NOT BEEN closed. It is one of the primary ways that malware enters computers. Why open up the iPhone and iPad to those security issues? It also the source of frequent crashes... Why ask for that?

Just leave Flash behind like the floppy disk and those problems go away.

[Swordmaker]

I don’t know much about the Xoom, but it did win best of CES and lots of people are excited about it. But no it’s not out yet. Honeycomb 3.0 is supposed to be great, and the Tegra2 processors are supposed to be great, and in no time flat you’ll be able to get a perfectly fine tablet for $99. These things are cheap and generic as they come and they’ll continue to get better and better. And people can hook up their mouse and their keyboard and their monitor and use the computer that way, or unplug the cords, and use it like a tablet.

All I see, TruthFreedom, is a guy who is tossing out stuff you really don't understand about Vaporware that is junk... claiming it is better than a product that is selling far better than the junk you claim is better... when you really haven't got a clue about what you are talking about. Your junk tablets, except for the Xoom, have screens that are almost worthless for the purpose you are claiming for them... reviews of them tell they are hard to even use for a single person to look at with both eyes open because of the extremetly limited angle of view. There IS a reason why they are so cheap... it's because they use CHEAP parts.

The website claimed it was capacitance, but the review revealed the MID816 was Resistance screen... and not multitouch... and uses a stylus. Junk.

You blithely dismiss the fact that even their proponents say things DON'T WORK... important things like YOUTUBE... that's not a small thing... while damning the iPad because it doesn't include a buggy battery draining plug-in like Flash. I'm sorry... you are spreading FUD when you do that.

[ReignOfError]

watch the 1st video - shows flash performance. Solid.

You are still way, way too impressed with canned YouTube demos.

[antiRepublicrat]

Many sources if you search “Apple A4 VXD375”. Here’s one.

http://www.edepot.com/iphone.html#iPhone_Hardware

I’ve never been able to find the specs on the 375, but the 370 simply takes one or more video streams from any of the major standards and decodes them using very little power. I’m guessing the 375 is an Apple-specific version.

http://www.imgtec.com/corporate/newsdetail.asp?NewsID=312

[dangerdoc]

The Hummingbird has the 370. That is why I’m curious to read specifically what the A4 does that the Hummingbird does not.

My wife has a Vibrant, I have an iPad. Other than the Vibrant supporting more video formats, both feel equivilent in handling HD video.

[antiRepublicrat]

I’ve been using a computer for years, as I’m sure you and everyone else has, and I’ve never had to touch the screen at all in order to do something.

Of course not. We haven't been using touch tablets. But touch tablets happen to be the current subject.

It’s aware flash exists, is aware that flash is a critical part of the internet

Flash is old, broken and replaceable. I say this as a former Flash developer. The only reason it got so popular was that it got included with most browsers, so it was what most people wrote to. I was against Flash before the iPhone because of its bugginess and security issues. Back then it was the #1 thing to slow down or crash my PC's web browser, IE or Firefox on Windows.

I want the whole internet - the mid816 provides it

Nope. The Android Flash player doesn't work with much of the Flash content on the Internet. That has to be rewritten since it is designed to use mouse tracking and hovers, which don't exist in touch.

I understand that apple is reluctant to put flash on for battery reasons. Android users would know how to turn on and off the flash, Apple users wouldn’t.

In the interest of being user friendly, Apple doesn't want users to have to bother. And no you don't just turn Flash on and off. You hit a web site with it, you use Flash. That is if that web site has rewritten that Flash to work with handhelds.

But I don’t like their attitude.

I've been hating Apple's attitudes for years, especially in the legal department. I have at times come to the opinion that Apple should have some copyrights stripped due to their gross abuse of them. My defense comes from the products, not from any Apple love.

People who are less than competent with computers, or gadgets seem to like apple.

I'm a Windows user since 2.0, and a long-time Windows developer and systems admin. I've run a rather large number of Windows servers. I switched to Mac a few years ago mainly because I wanted a modern OS without the headache I was paid to deal with at work.

even it its tricky or complicated or difficult to get.

You just described the Mac. It's brain-dead easy for 99% of what people want. For the rest you can drop down into the UNIX terminal. I wanted to customize some power settings in ways that the GUI wouldn't do, so I dropped to Terminal and learned the "pmset" command.

this device is far cheaper than the ipad. $200-$250 vs $500

Did you know that when it came out, Apple's parts cost for the iPad was estimated at around $250? That doesn't count corporate overhead, advertising, customer service, R&D, and paying off that $400 million worth of chip designer acquisitions.

[dayglored]

"Better"?? What a stupid question.

That's not directed at you, AI; that's directed at the article.

Some people have no concept that free market choice and variety are supposed to provide for differing tastes and preferences.

"Better" for whom? For what use? etc. etc. Sheesh.

[antiRepublicrat]

The Hummingbird has the 370.

I haven't heard of the Hummingbird having the 370. That's the S5PC111 which is an A8 + SGX540. The 370 was in older Samsung SoC that was in the older iPhones.

My wife has a Vibrant, I have an iPad. Other than the Vibrant supporting more video formats, both feel equivilent in handling HD video.

You won't notice the difference in playing. The Hummingbird has enough power to easily handle HD video in all the major formats (although maybe not high profile level 4 H.264, but then the iDevices can't do that either). The difference will be in how much battery is used by playing video.

[itsahoot]

I saw this stat somewhere the other day.

Less than 4% of Android devices are running the latest version of the operating system.

Apple iOS devices, 90% are running the latest version of the iOS.

[GOPJ]

I’m sure it does... but I don’t have an app to activate that yet. I took some pictures when I was visiting another city recently and after an upload, the pictures came back as being taken in that city. I love the little thing...

[Melas]

The iPhone can do it... AT&T won't allow it. That's not a shorfailing of the phone. It's a failing of the carrier.

Irrelevant. Wifi hotspot is a feature that I use, and as a user it really doesn't matter to me why my Iphone couldn't do it. It only mattered to me that it couldn't do it.

It (voice navigation)is available.

I never said it wasn't. I clearly stated that it was available on the Iphone, but expensive. I get the same level of functionality free on my android.

Again, pioneered by Apple... but crippled by AT&T's limitations.

Again why should I care? The fact that the limitations come from (at the moment) the Iphone's sole carrier doesn't make it any less of a limitation. You don't honestly expect someone to say, "Yeah, it can't do it, but it's AT&T's fault, and not Apples, so it's ok." do you? Why use a cable... I send HD content directly from my iPhone4 and iPad to my AppleTV without a cable... works perfectly. I also have an adaptor for iPhone/iPad to HDMI... also works perfectly.

Ah, Apple TV. So if I got rid of my non-Apple Blu-Ray Player and/or Toshiba LED which are both wireless, I wouldn't need a cable? Sorry, not married to Apple. Bottom line is that I am having a much better user experience with my android that I did with my Iphone. That's a fact, and nothing can change it.

[Poser]

If you just want a phone, get a $29 Trac Phone.

If you want to do email, surf the web and run gaming apps, get the iPhone. This is especially true if you already have an iPod touch or iPad because they share most apps and all iTunes music and video.

[Melas]

I do believe you are the first person I've ever heard who actually wanted to plug a phone into a TV. That is a very esoteric feature.

This actually surprises me. Being able to directly hook it up to the television is what makes the video camera useful to me.

[antiRepublicrat]

Being able to directly hook it up to the television is what makes the video camera useful to me.

I've had iPods for a while and never used the TV connection. I used to use the TV connection for my old Hi8 video camera, but that was long ago. Now it all gets dumped on the computer, turned into digital video files to be emailed or streamed to the PS3 hooked up to the TV, or turned into DVDs to be snail-mailed to family (iDVD is AWESOME).

[Waco]

Google posted a 29 percent increase in earnings too 8.75/sh. They are down today. CNBC would say nothing about it till early this AM, how much money does Googlr have to make before they’re deemed a total failure. Usually when earnings come out after the close they’re covered right away. Apple was not treated so shabbily. What gives.