Android, It's Been Fun. Hello Good Friend (iOS)
 

I purchased an iPhone the day it came out, and bought each subsequent hardware release until the 4S was released. Since using a new phone with a 3.5" screen was pretty much unacceptable or my taste, I switched to the Verizon Galaxy Nexus. It's certainly been a nice phone, and loading up new Roms keeps the software interesting, but I still think the Android ecosystem has a long way to go to make the experience as accessible as iOS.

For starters, requiring the carriers to push out new updates is extremely frustrating. There are still owners off the VGN that still haven't been pushed JellyBean 4.1, and the SGSIII CDMA version was pushed back yet again. Of course rooting your phone is very attractive since you can go online and find a nice Rom with decent features, but no matter which custom Rom I use I still feel there are unacceptable bugs that hamper the experience. Having your phone reset and take 5 minutes to boot up while trying to navigate to a location I am unfamiliar with is infuriating, yet happens at least a few times a day.

App support sucks on Android, and is the biggest reason I prefer iOS. I honestly don't use a lot of apps on my phone, but the ones I do are used multiple times per day and integral to my phone experience. A couple examples are Spotify and MLB At Bat. Spotify radio functionality was introduced months after it was on iOS, and the "extreme quality" option took even longer. MLB was JUST updated a few days ago, and the newer Gameday function they updated to was on iOS almost 2 years ago. Games like Worms 2 aren't even on Android, or titles like Street Fighter 4, Real Racing, Infinity Blade, as well as various others. While the Play store has come a long way in recent years, App creators seem to be less enthused about updating or adding products that should be on there.

Hardware usually seems to lean in Android's favor, and after using my friend's SGSIII on numerous occasions, the nod certainly goes to Google based phones. But being forced to purchase Google's nexus devices to get the newest OS seems to curb the hardware benefit of owning an Android device. JB is still pretty spotty on the SGSIII, and I refuse to take the Rom community's definition of "Extremely Stable" when referring to a new Rom (the experience of multiple restarts and crashes is not my idea of ****ing stable).

While there are always trade offs between the pros and cons of similar devices, it seems Apple's way of encouraging stability in their OS is more in line of what I want and expect out of a phone. iphone 5, here I come. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/cool1.gif

Mods can we get a section in the forums for cellphones? GD is starting to get cramped.

1: Iphone 5 just came out
2: Tech Forum with a mobile benchmark
3: Smartphones are becoming increasingly popular
4: Only 4 threads on the main page out of 20 were about smartphones
5: what is a cellphone? I have a smartphone.... : P

A smartphone is a mobile/cellphone.

Have to say I'm very happy with my Galaxy Nexus with stock Jellybean 4.1.1 at the moment, I've only ever had one crash on it that needed a restart so far, and the OS itself (although still arguably not quite as polished as iOS) is pretty damn smooth and definitely an improvement over ICS in the UI.

I'll probably keep the phone until the next Android update (which I should get, it is a Nexus after all, and the old Nexus S still got JB too!) and see how it runs, but I like the phone itself, it's slim, the 720p screen is nice, and it just feels good to use.

Let me know how you like it, Acu, it is quite an attractive phone.

I definitely hear you regarding OS updates. I am currently running a modified T-Mobile leak of 4.1 on my SGS3 and I have been lucky in the sense that I haven't encountered the GPS lock issue, and larger issues but I have encountered the power button reboot when charging. (most likely kernel related)

The last ROM I was on (Synergy) was fantastic and added a lot of functionality but there were still the occasional hiccups here and there.

I love tinkering with my phone and am a flashaholic but overall I have always been highly impressed with how tightly knit and polished iOS is. One of the reasons I cannot see myself moving away from the iPad.

It feels like you complain about it as much as people discuss it. Just ignore it and don't bother wasting any energy commenting on it because this is a tech oriented forum and people like discussing all forms of tech.

I'll let you know!

I really like that both ecosystems have different and varying strengths. Some of the Android hardware is absolutely gorgeous (SGSIII is incredible), but I have grown tired of tinkering with Roms all the time. I'm glad I had the chance to enjoy and experience the Android OS, and if Google blows the door off with their next software revision, maybe I'll switch back. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/biggrin1.gif

I agree, it's certainly a very nice phone. At the time, I really liked it more than the 4S, which made switching to Android much easier. But I'm probably in the minority because I liked playing the exclusive games on iOS, so I'm certainly looking forward to switching back.

I did the iPhone to Android to iPhone, I regret it. You get spoilt with the thinks like Google Navigation on Android - you will miss that. I have been trying to get rid of this phone since about one month after I got it.

You may be used to this or even desire this, but everyone has a ****ing iPhone. I feel like a sheep when I pull that **** out in public.

There aren't many times I used Google's Nav over my own vehicle's GPS. Plus, I bought the TomTom App on the iPhone, which I feel is a lot better than Google's offering. But things like Facebook's contact picture FINALLY being fixed on Android is inexcusable. I never really enjoyed a postage stamp size picture blown up on my 4.65" screen whenever a friend called.

That post reminds me so much of my Linux days, circa 1999 or so. Awesome in theory... so annoying in practice.

Welcome back to the dark side.

Back to the good ol' days of spamming the shopping cart on Apple.com at 3am so I can officially pre-order the damn thing alongside 30million other people. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/laugh1.gif

I want to get one for my wife... I might just wait until the cram is over. 3:00am... no way. Plus I am setting off on Saturday for the mother of all road trips.

All phone GPS blows doesn't matter which you choose IMO! I have used everything to navigate Texas and so far Garmin is the winner only because all the TomTom hardware I've had get buggy after a few months. This includes Andriod, iPhone, Nokia whatever.

That aside. I agree with you 100% OP. iPhone5 is a total let down for me but I'm doing the switch anyways because of the lack of support for Andriod. I love my Note with it's giant screen, but theres not crap for Andriod compared to Apple. All the good devs are on the dark side so thats where I'm going back to. I had 3g 3gs 4 then Andriod. What a mistake software wise. So I will be paying full price for the 5 and making it up with selling my Note.

Just do not rely on your phone as a navigation device. Oh, and bring a charger - two of them.

Car has its own GPS, Garmin. Yes to the chargers... maybe 3, we have 2 iPads between us.

Google maps > Garmin. I've always sworn by Garmin, but in the past couple months I've had my Garmin take me to the wrong address (my own house! as well as others) and take the longer route. Using very recent maps too. I still love my Garmin, but my phone is starting to become more attractive. I love Google Maps for walking around unfamiliar towns.

Technically you are correct, both are cellphones but there is a fundamental difference.

A smartphone uses a mobile operating system and a cellphone doesn't. There are other differences as well, but that's the really big one.

Holy taint ****. I just pre-ordered a 64GB iPhone 5 and it was about $850. My anus is quite sore at the moment. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...es/unsure1.gif

Is that with contract? If it helps you feel better they are $1,048 unlocked in the UK. A 16GB one will be free on any two year contract of $60 or above though.

Contract free, but I can't help but feel steve jobs' corpse just penetrating my brown star.