[bimg=fright|300]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RU5bwb5-mSg/TpP2OFIYSFI/AAAAAAAABGk/5sSki1ihWpc/s320/justin_wagoner_ipad_2_tent.jpeg[/bimg]I read a lot of spec sheets comparing the latest Android phones against the iPhone iterations. These to me are just two guys in a room arguing over cars or their preference of a PC or Mac. Everyone has their preference so the arguments and comments on these articles are usually very passionate and fueled, but they don’t answer the questions raised:
Which phone is better?
To really answer that question, is not as simple as fastest processor, largest screen, and newest operating system.
“Comparing individual specs between smartphones is like opening up the hood of a Ford Mustang and the hood of a BMW M3 and pointing out why one is better than the other based on its innards.“
http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal-tech/smart-phones/231900086
So here is the most popular comparison, the Galaxy S4 running Android OS and the iPhone 5S running iOS7. People want to point out here that the Galaxy S4 is the clear winner due to the larger screen, however, the difference between AMOLED and RETINA is still up for debate. Let's also talk about LARGER phones for a second. Yes the screen looks awesome at first glance, but this is still a phone and lets talk about the ease of use with one hand while say… DRIVING??!!… lol. Below is the arc of the thumb when holding a phone.
An older image of the iPhone 4 and Galaxy SII but still relevant.
“Hardware will never trump anything if the software running on it doesn’t use it to its fullest potential."
That can also mean holding back power to reserve battery or make transitions smoother. A faster processor doesn't mean a phone will run faster if there are bottlenecks in the operating system or applications. And one things Apple does is keep their OS unified long enough for developers to really optimize those specs. (Update: One very distinct feature people all around the web can agree upon is the capacitive touch screens, Android users often feel stuttering or lag when scrolling pinch to zoom etc, while the experience on an iPhone is much smoother, which is software, not hardware. I.E. Older iPod touches vs newer Android phones.)
So OK fine, you are still unconvinced that the iPhone 4S is a contender, even after the record breaking presales and you continue to be a die hard Android OS user. That is fine, in the end it really is about personal preference. Statistically, Blackberry users(that still exist) are hardcore email users and their phones work great for that, Windows 7 phone users want to be on the edge of their seats hoping their new jump will take off and they can be early adopters, Android users usually tend to want full control over all aspects of their phone, and iPhone users tend to want something they can turn on and just use.
But screw personal preference, as we are here to say which phone is better.
So here is what I will tell you from personal experience; I have owned two android devices the HTC Incredible and Droid Eris. Both of these phones felt great to me, they ran fast and without hiccup, but within a month of owning both devices I looked on the web and realized there was a “faster/better” phone already out, so I started to get disheartened, I couldn’t keep up with the tech. I had to use a family members upgrades to keep up to date or shell out full price and hope my “old” device would sell on craigslist. That sucked. Then I would find out that my operating system was old and my phone wouldn’t get updated. So even though my phone was better the OS held it back and made it feel clunky. Well that is disappointing.
The fragmentation between phones is too great to keep them all up to date, a downfall Google is finally addressing, hopefully, in their next OS.
Android is selling more devices right now because there are more devices. What I haven’t seen yet is an article with Android users exclaiming their fear that for once, iPhone lovers can get a damn good device, the iPhone 4, for 99 dollars with contract. That is a HUGE step.
Apple may not have shock and awed the world with a redesign of the device but they opened up their phone to almost all the carriers and made it affordable, just like android with their lower level competitors.
Let’s talk Droid AD campaign for a second as well,
These ADs really don’t scream, “Mother of two children, a dog, and picket fence, I should be your next phone!” It is kinda a mix between a bad B movie with girls in scantily clad bikinis fighting zombies with that new movie “Real Steel!!!!” where Wolverine fights boxing matches with robots.. WHAT!?!
So we are not really selling to the females of the world, and then I have had a strange observation: any girl I have known that owned or owns a “Droid” has either broken it over 3 times and eventually gets an iPhone or just doesn’t dig deep enough into their Android phone’s settings and features to get the full potential of their phone to work. It sucks that the operating system needs apps and widgets to really make its full potential shine. Those features are cool, but you can download shitty features, without even being aware, that drain your battery within seconds.
Which brings me to the Battery. Whether your Android phone has a 1750 MHZ or a 900000 MHZ battery, without application mitigation from the operating system, the battery will still drain faster than it should. iOS may not have widgets but what they do have mitigates the battery to A, last longer, and B, charge faster. Those are TWO very important features.
The real elephant in the room here is the APPs, people like to say Android is now catching up with the APP game, but from my recent purchase of an iPad 2, it would seem, that is not as true as you may think. When I saw the amount of apps there were that would aid me in my daily life I almost shat a brick, then being an Android user I almost shit my pants again because OMG “I HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE!?!?!?”
That is the mentality of an Android user, their OS is free, and therefore the apps should be too. This is a huge deciding factor for companies making some of the most successful apps on iOS to NOT port them over to Android devices. They can’t make money, because iPhone users are more likely to pay for an APP than Android users.
Accessories: Because with the iPhone there is just ONE design every two years, it has the most amazing offerings of cases, chargers, and accessories. Developers have more time to create and polish them, making the choice the users decision, not decided by which phone you have. By the time cool accessories come out for your Android phone it has been replaced and the companies move on to the phone that is dubbed “cooler” so they can make more sales.So the iPhone 4S, has been dubbed a disappointment, but the sales are clear so far: it is a success. And that has a lot to do with the fact that they didn’t just upgrade the internals, they REALLY updated them, they already have one of the best cameras regardless of “megapixels” and they just updated the hell out of it with some seriously impressive features. These days who doesn’t use their phone as a main camera now for everyday stuff?
“The best camera is the one you have with you” Chase Jarvis
iOS 7 a HUGE overhaul. Did it copy ideas from Android? Damn straight! But before you get your panties in a bunch didn’t Android have to copy ideas from iOS to begin? And I give both companies props for continuing the forward momentum. Siri while may be fun to bag on, if it is what they say it is, is a HUGE advancement in Voice operation. I actually hope the two companies continue to push each other feature wise, so the user gets the rewards in the end.
[bimg=fleft|300]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNouMoT-aP8/TpHlxhnQ00I/AAAAAAAABFM/PT5AQ_0y01Y/s320/GoogleSearch.png[/bimg]I have a PC a Macbook Pro, and Ipad 2 and the iPhone 5S because I decided I was tired of screaming at my OS when it would just do stupid shit, like drain my battery in less than 5 minutes after a full charge, or lag in apps especially when texting, and I realized the widgets, such as the google search bar, while cool just took up space on the screen and drained battery life.
I like knowing I will always have the most up to date OS, my phone will retain value, and I can upgrade every year instead of every month to keep up.
Which brings me to my final statement
“Standing in line” aka Brand Loyalty
[bimg=fleft|400]http://iphonewhatever.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/donotcross-300x300.jpg[/bimg]For the release of the “small update” iPhone 5S, there were already 2 people standing in line at the 5th avenue Apple Store in NYC for 15 days, they began camping out 2 weeks before the launch of the phone to secure their spot as FIRST to get their new device!
Disney capitalized on this well, they know they have good rides, so they setup lines that people don’t want to stand in, but will to go on a crazy adventure that lets them forget about the line in the first place.
I took a trip down there to see if they were crazy, but to my surprise they were normal every day people with jobs, who just wanted to experience the phenomenon of an Apple Launch event as first.
This desire to stand in line and be first is something that is important to the iPhone’s reputation; they feel having the phone first is tangible rather than fleeting. And in a world of txts and emails and lack of social interaction, yet filled with it, feeling a connection with your device, as strange as it sounds is important. You will use it every day, so you better like it.
The brand name association with Android is diminishing even more with each phone released as the companies who make them are having a power struggle to have the best phone. With Android you have Motorola who came into the picture as the front runner with the original Droid, but quietly from the darkness emerged a little company called HTC who overlaid their own UI on the Android device and quickly overtook Motorola, now it seems Samsung has taken the gold, but when I, the consumer, go to the store, I am doing the opposite of what I should when shopping for a new Android phone; I am looking at specs of the all the different “brands” of Androids. Checking their specs and listening to the reps telling me which has 1080p or not, when in the end it is about the user experience, if the 1080p looks like shit with 9827 megapixels then why did I choose it over the other brand? I like choice, but I don’t want the choice to be a sacrifice, 1080p for lack of an awesome UI by HTC, Shitty mic but great camera on samsung, great battery on moto but not much else... The iPhone makes sure all features work and are at the top of their game. Shit their specs this time around even trump the current phones on the market other than expandable storage and extra batteries.
My problem is Apple stepped up and made an eco system, Google sticks to their "open source" nature in theory but doesn't execute it in a way that allows the user experience to be united. Manufacturers can turn such a profit on Android devices that they often just try to blow you out of the water with specs. Google really needs to jump in and say, NO you CANNOT have a device that runs the older OS you need to make it so all phones run the latest and greatest version of Android, because some of the shit they churn out is gold. Sadly 40% of users can use it, and 70% of users buy last gen or used smartphones these days.
Conclusion: Word of mouth is the best AD campaign anyone can ask for. With the iPhone you know what to tell your friends, with Android, you are still not quite sure what it is or which phone to suggest to them, because your phone is a month old and the newest Android might be coming out next week, and trying to explain to someone that if they wait a month they might get the latest software upgrade, is like telling a 3 year old he might be able to watch TV if he eats his vegetables.
So I feel with the offering of an affordable iPhone 5C with damn good specs still, due to a polished OS with iOS7, and the much faster iPhone 5S, Apple is the winner. Not because I am a fanboy but because it just makes more sense to get the device that doesn’t give me buyers remorse a month later and with new features like BBM type services and uniformed apps over the platform I will want my friends to have it too. It has a community feel and congruence therefore I am more likely to suggest it to my friends so I can interact with them on the device.
Call me a sheeple, at least I enjoy my phone.
P.S. That is the key, enjoy your device. It is about what OS works for you these days, not the brand of your phone. For me the iPhone just offers the hardware and software polish and finesse I need.
The really fun part is once you go to Apple, you don't really look at competitor brands of phones as much anymore and the comments are usually not filled with Apple users. You can also equate that to the iPhone as more of an everymans phone(with money) and once it is bought there is really no interest in going to a geeky site about tech and specs, or maybe it is the fact that the iPhone has a very self sufficient ecosystem, sheltering it's users from needing to browse the internet for answers.