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Help me not buy an iPhone 5

Monshroud

Member
*** Warning, I ramble a bit ***

Hi Everyone,
I need some help with making a new phone choice. I am an OG Droid owner and I currently have the R2D2 Droid 2. It has mostly served me well except I keep getting the defective one. I am on my 4th R2 Unit.
I am out of contract, have unlimited data (for now) and I am itching for a new phone. I hate to say it, but I am seriously considering an iPhone 5. I never thought of the 4 or 4S since they didn't have LTE, now they do.

Why I am leaning iPhone:
1> I won't say that stuff on iPhone "Just works", but the apps overall are held to a higher standard, at least I think. I don't worry that I am downloading an app that may steal my passwords. Also, I don't feel like the redheaded step child hoping that some new game or app will also come to Android Market as well.

2> I never used to think the camera in a phone was important, until I found myself on vacation and forgot my digital. Took some pics with my D2 and was really disappointed with the quality when viewing on a regular screen. Most of the people in my group of friends have iPhones, so I don't know how well new Droids really do. Seeing the stupid pics people take of themselves in a VZW store doesn't do much to show off the quality.

3> Battery Life. My wife has a Droid Bionic and with 4G on, the thing pretty much eats through the battery in less than a day. If she is charging it while in the car to and from work, she gets over a full days use though.

4> Sync ability between PC and phone. I know there are apps out there that will sync music and art between your Droid and your PC. When I was looking at them a while back, they always seemed to be made by some guy at home and not a reputable company, or they want $39.99 for their software. Maybe I am just uninformed on this. I have an iPad and sync'ing new stuff is pretty darn painless. Using the stock player in Android, I have to find the artwork online, create a bunch of directory structure on my SD, rename art to AlbumArt.jpg, etc, or use some other software to inject the same pic into every MP3. I just want something simple.

5> I am getting sick of the carriers / manufacturers not upgrading the damn O/S. This phone goes to 2.3, this other to 4.0, this one to 4.1. I mean I know we have a HUGE ammount of support from people especailly here on rooting and upgrading your device, but that voids warranty and your run the possible risk of bricking your phone. I know with an iPhone, the next version of IOS will be made available to me. I don't want to hope and pray that Motorola, HTC, LG, whoever is going to release and support the next version of Android, and I don't want to wait 6 months for them to get around to it.

Now all that being said, I am kinda attached to having my physical keyboard. I can be pursuaded to move past it though. So the next logical step for me would be the Droid 4. Where I am scared is that the Droid 4 is already 6 months old and a new Droid 5 may be right around the corner with better specs and I go ahead and kick myself for not waiting 2 more months or something like that. The Droid line isn't on a set schedule for iteration.

What I love about Android:
1> No silly proprietary connectors. USB and HDMI. That's simple.

2> Replacable or Additional storage available. I would say most Android devices support an additional SD card.

3> I really like the idea of the Lapdocks and wireless video that is showing up in Android phones. Actually one of the reasons I was looking at the Droid 4. Being able to use the lapdock and hook that to my TV is kinda neat.

4> I think Android H/W is superior to Apple spec-for-spec. More RAM, faster proc, I happen to be an NVIDIA fanboy.

5> No iTunes. (I use it to sync my music and videos and backup my iPad, that's it.) I really hate iTunes.

So I am asking the Android community for help. What phones should I look at, what options are there that make my reasons for leaning iPhone obsolete? Thanks for taking the time to read this and I appreciate any advice.

Thank You!
Monshroud
 
A few things I'd like to put my .02 in if you don't mind.

Camera: This varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Motorola hasn't really made phones that have outstanding cameras. That's more HTC, Sony, or Samsung. In addition cell phone cameras in general require a lot of TLC when using. For my Bionic lighting plays a huge role and I do not zoom. Zooming is digital and it degrades the image. If you want the zoomed in effect, crop. It's the same thing as the zoom you got on your phone.

Hardware: I don't want to sound like an Apple fanboy, BUT the iPhone hardware is fairly impressive. In a architectural sense. Yeah, we aren't seeing quad core, 1.5GHz cpus, or 1GB of RAM, but there are reasons for that. Apples CPUs run on higher ARM CPUs. In addition the fact that it can run as it can with these specs are testament to how well the software is optimized with hardware. Consider this more of a perk then a negative.
 
Yeah, I have heard and read that the camera in the Galaxy S3 is pretty solid, I haven't really looked into many others. That's another issue with Android, every other week there is a new phone or two and it becomes a bit crazy to keep up with.

Apple does have pretty solid hardware and they squeeze a lot of performance out of it. That said, I think other vendors are able to put more into their phones. Only issue is getting Software vendors to write code for it to take advantage of it.

Also, I am kinda surprised that there isn't 20+ replies telling me about a bunch of great Android phones and solutions. Maybe I posted this too late in the day...
 
I say get the iPhone if you want it. I love android and would never own an iPhone 5 but you can't argue with the new processor and imi believe it will flat out smoke any Android device in speed and performance for a long time. And do it without constantly needing to quick reboot or hang ups...Also one device only has its benefits, apps work great, no compatibility issues,or software update issues. My fiance has an iPhone 4,and she got it 2/10/11 and it's been perfect she uses it constantly, it's way more glitch free than my androids..


Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 
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1. You're right, I do believe the apps are held to a higher standard on the app store, but that could also be a bad thing.

2. As new hardware releases, cameras are getting better and there is no denying that the Apple has a pretty darn good camera. There have been many new phones out since your d2 and all the cameras look good imo, but I would rate HTC at the top of the camera game when it comes to Android phones.

3. Again, more phones have released since the Bionic with great battery life, take a look at the Razr Maxx. If you think the iPhone 5 is a huge improvement, it's not. It gets pretty much the same battery life as the 4s and possibly worse with LTE and a bigger screen now. But that's what Apple claims anyway.

4. I don't like proprietary software so I love the freedom of Android and that our phones act like a flashdrive. IF you're looking to sync things like music, apps such as DoubleTwist work with iTunes.

5. Apple has just as much fragmentation as Android and with the iPhone 5 releasing with iOS 6 or whatever it is now, they're going to be just as fragmented as Android.

The lifespan of Android devices aren't as long as the iPhones and for good reason, different manufacturers. However, even the latest generation of devices aren't too much of a significant upgrade from the previous generation, heck I know plenty of users still happy with their DX2 or D3. It just depends on what you want out of your phone.

Considering you're still on a D2, you'll have plenty to look at and it may seem overwhelming. Head to a Verizon store or any other 3rd party store and check'em all out. If you love using your D2's keyboard, the D4 keyboard is fantastic.
 
I say try it in the store v other devices. iphone 5 is going to be a good device. If you have other apple products, ie iPod (touch), iPad, mac then it may be a perfect fit.
 
4. I don't like proprietary software so I love the freedom of Android and that our phones act like a flashdrive. IF you're looking to sync things like music, apps such as DoubleTwist work with iTunes.

I wasn't aware of DoubleTwist. I will need to check that out. Not that I want to continue to use iTunes, but easy syncing of music is nice. Thanks for touching on my other points as well. I appreciate the help.
 
I guess where I am torn right now is I am worried about just getting the Droid 4 since a new one could be right around the corner. I hate buying something and the new model comes out a month or so later. Granted there hasn't been any hints dropped that I know of right now, so I might be safe. I also get to keep my physical keyboard which I really do like. I know that the S3 is considered one of the top phones right now and that the RAZR HD's are right around the corner.

What Android phones would you recommend right now? Am I doing good on going for a D4 or should I go iPhone? What are the exciting Android phones to make sure I take a look at?
 
I wasn't aware of DoubleTwist. I will need to check that out. Not that I want to continue to use iTunes, but easy syncing of music is nice. Thanks for touching on my other points as well. I appreciate the help.
I think it was DoubleTwist at least. And np, here to help.

Good luck deciding on whichever device!
 
If I were to add a point, my S3 is plenty roomy enough for me to enjoy typing on it. I was apprehensive about losing my physical keyboard (I also upgraded from a Droid 2), but I don't regret the change at all. This big screen really is a luxury. The iPhone on the other hand may be too cramped for typing on screen, unless you have delicate lady fingers (I have the absolute manliest Italian sausage hands). Like another poster said, go play with some phones. That might make your decision a LOT easier.
 
Tried to look at the iPhone 5 and that was a test of patience. Translated that means I stopped waiting and just walked out of the store. I did play with the D4 and S3 and liked them both. I have been so used to having my D2 that the S3 felt so light and flimsy. I hate to sound stupid about this, but with it being plastic backed and so thin, does the screen on the S3 crack easily?
 
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