OT: iPhone vs Droid

[Lefty2one]

I
If you connect to corporate MS Exchange, neither one is great. I went from Blackberry to iPhone 4 and while the toys on the iPhone are nice, it's nowhere near as good as a pure productivity device for work.

ActiveSync on iPhones/Droids is in another stratosphere compared to BIS/BES on Blackberry. I'm an IT pro and I cringe when I see a Blackberry these days, I can't wait until RIM dies off. Outside of some random issues with Exchange emails missing from iPhones (and some new, minor calendar glitches in iOS 5) I never come across ActiveSync issues with iPhones or Droids.

As for the iPhone/Droid debate, it's mostly about preference. If you're an Apple guy and into the whole Apple world (iTunes, iCould, etc) then the iPhone makes sense. If your a not a techy person then I'd go with an iPhone (which is why I almost always recommend the iPhone to clients), however I disagree with the common notion that iOS is intuitive. It's simple, but it's not THAT intuitive (trust me, I get dozens of questions every week from iPhone users). Simple and intuitive are different things.

I've owned a Droid the last 2+ years and have loved them, but I'm a tinkerer so I love the customization, widgets, rooting, ROMs, etc. I've never owned an Apple device in my life (have an iPad from work) because I don't like how much control they take away from the user. But again, that's a personal preference. The notification system was a huge advantage but now iOS 5 stole it (not that Google can complain) and I will never consider getting an iPhone until they develop their own version of Swype. I'm a "text message warrior" and send dozens of emails a day from my Droid, Swype is an absolute game changer.

 

[jleves]

and I will never consider getting an iPhone until they develop their own version of Swype. I'm a "text message warrior" and send dozens of emails a day from my Droid, Swype is an absolute game changer.

I discovered Swype after I posted my initial message in this thread. It's amazing. I was really concerned about not have a physical keyboard and for the first week or so, I avoided having to type on the droid because I hated the virtual keyboard and how often I would hit the wrong key. Then someone told me about Swype. I had tried it when I got it, but it never presented the word I swyped. I looked into it later and found I had it on french of some such. Since changing it to English, I can't image using a regular keyboard or a phone without Swype. I can swype about 10 times faster than hitting virtual keys and probably 3 or 4 times faster at least than a physical keyboard (on a phone). I can't believe Apple didn't rip this off in the current OS. Siri is great, but you really can't use it in a meeting. Swype is the bomb and after considering all things, it makes the Android the better system right now by far for anyone who texts or types web pages frequently.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

iPhone definitely the choice for non-tech savvy. I'd agree with the people who have mentioned swype. If you do a lot of typing on your phone, Android makes it A LOT easier. I can bang through text messages and emails easily twice as fast or faster than people not using swype.

The other big issue for me is that I'm pretty clumsy with my electronics. This isn't scientific but I see a lot more shattered iphone screens from friends than I see broken droids. I've dropped my droid x numerous times with only a light case on it and there is next to no damage. Maybe someone who has had both can speak to that on better ground than me, but it has always concerned me.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

It's less about what you have than how you use it.

I see a lot of people around me that really don't know how to use their smartphones, more than I see smartphones legitimately being the source of the problem.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

iPhone definitely the choice for non-tech savvy. I'd agree with the people who have mentioned swype. If you do a lot of typing on your phone, Android makes it A LOT easier. I can bang through text messages and emails easily twice as fast or faster than people not using swype.

The other big issue for me is that I'm pretty clumsy with my electronics. This isn't scientific but I see a lot more shattered iphone screens from friends than I see broken droids. I've dropped my droid x numerous times with only a light case on it and there is next to no damage. Maybe someone who has had both can speak to that on better ground than me, but it has always concerned me.

I thought I read somewhere that iphones have glass over the screen while android phones have some kind of plastic. Is this true or does it vary across manufacturers?

 

[gibhunter]

Some of the high end androids have gorilla glass by corning. Very difficult to scratch or break. You almost have to try to scratch it. I haven't used a glass protector on my Samsung Fascinate and the glass is scratch free still.

 

[slumdog]

You can get an iPhone 3Gs for free right now from Apple. 2 year signing bonus, I believe. I was also told about a 50 dollar 3Gs and pick your own usage plan, but haven't found it on the site.

 

[rman726]

The iPod was upgraded to iOs 5 and Windows XP computer to iTunes 10.5. That has been less smooth. The iPod shows huge multiples of the same contact and won't sync more than the 11 most recent CDs I imported, usually freezing when I try re-syncing. Also new, I'm backed up on iCloud and able to sync (however imperfectly) via wi-fi as well as USB cable. If anyone can help with the duplicate/triplicate/quintuplicate contacts and music import, I'd be most appreciative.

My mom had that same problem with the duplicate contacts, having an iPad 2, iPhone 4, and Mac. I think it's because the iCloud was really made to be easy for setting up a new account with clean devices, but not so much with upgrading existing devices/computers. It admittedly just doesn't do a great job with merging existing devices with different information. It should do a better job merging contacts, but at least in this first iteration, they haven't worked those kinks out yet. However, after I got her to iCloud.com, she was able to delete all of her duplicate contacts (and she had a ton of contacts) within 10 minutes. It definitely took a bit of effort to get it all going smoothly, but it is now working great for her. She loves how she can enter in a calendar entry on her phone, and it will show up on iCal on the computer and her iPad 2. I think if you were to set it up all from scratch, you would never have had those problems, so it was definitely a small hassle fixing the merging issues, but it works great after you tinker with it a little bit.

 

[Wonkster]

iPhone 4S is the more mature product...Siri is cute...

Siri is more than "cute." An experienced iPhone user I know not given to overstatement called the 4S "a game changer."

Believe me, this guy is tough to get compliments from. He is exacting in his speech.
.