2010 May | attention 2 tech

2.2 Froyo Features on the Nexus One

May 23rd, 2010
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Leaving the iPhone for Android

May 23rd, 2010
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I would like to preface this article by saying, I purchased my first iPhone two years ago while I currently owned an HTC Touch Diamond. The Diamond was a phone that I dreamed about, but just didn’t live up to the hype. I fought off buying the iPhone, but after the overwhelming popularity, plus everyone talking about how good it was, I gave in went and bought one. When I purchased it I told myself and others that I was only using the iPhone until something comes out comparable or better. Remember, I was an anti Apple kind of guy. There were some small things I didn’t like about the iPhone, but the good out weighed the bad. Being able to buy your apps all in one place on the device was one of the greatest features leaving from Windows Mobile. I loved the iPhone, because it was the best technology out there at the time.

During my time with the iPhone I traded my Touch Diamond for a little phone called, Google Android G1. This was Google’s first phone, it was fun for a play toy, and I saw some real potential in this phone. My G1 was used mainly on WiFi, because it was a T-Mobile phone and I had AT&T. If you are not aware, T-Mobile and AT&T’s 3G bands are not the same, so only Edge would work with an AT&T sim card installed. To make a long story longer after time went by I sold the G1, then went to the Sprint Hero. The Hero was good, and I saw a lot of progression in Android, but still wasn’t up to par with the iPhone. Keep in mind I always had both phones, the iPhone for primary and Android for secondary. I am currently on my 3rd Android Phone, and it is the Nexus One.

The Nexus One is the first phone that I have had that is fast and snappy with Android. Now that Android has been out for a while and is on most carriers, the app store is growing by leaps and bounds. I have been carrying both, iPhone 3Gs and Nexus One since January, and it changes on which one I like the most, all the time. It has been the best of both worlds having both operating systems at all times. I have always been dependent on my iPhone, and have always wanted to try to be completely reliant upon my Nexus One, but I always take the iPhone just in case. With that said, I decided to sell my iPhone one week ago, so that I would get more money for it before the new one comes out. This was the perfect time to rely only on Android.

However, on day one without the iPhone there was a disconnect, and I think it was just because I knew the iPhone wasn’t there if i needed it. After day one I started feeling quite good about not having it for some reason. I started looking to replace some apps on the iPhone that I did not need to install on the Nexus One previously. It hit me on day 3, I don’t have to have the iPhone anymore, and being forced to use Android all the time was making me like it more and more. I do still have an iPad, but I don’t carry it with me all the time, so it does fill some of the void if any. Now I want to get into a couple of things that you have to think about if you would like to switch to Android from the iPhone.

In the meantime let’s start with apps. Not every app on the iPhone is on Android and vice versa. Overall though, every app you need from the iPhone is on Android, and if it’s not, there is a different app to fill the void there. The apps aren’t the same, they have different UI’s (user interface) and it’s something you have to adjust to at first. Some of the UI’s are better on the iPhone and some are better on Android, and this is my personal opinion. I realize other people may have different opinions. The main place where Android apps are lacking the most are in the games. It is improving over time, and now that 2.2 Froyo is out you can install apps to the storage cards. Additionally, I think the more graphic intensive games will come soon.

The next step I want to talk about is customization and ease of use. If you are an average user that doesn’t like a lot of options, and prefer ease of use over anything, then the iPhone is the device for you (That is if AT&T works in your area). It has been proven over time that everyone can use an iPhone, kids, geeks, grandparents etc.. Android is easy to use, but there are several different ways to do things. You can customize the phone to your liking, and thats the beauty of it. If you want Android to do something different or act a different way, there is an app to change it or make it more to your liking. On the iPhone that is not an option. There is one way to get to things, one way to change things, and you are held back in that aspect. Remember this isn’t a bad thing though, it just depends on what the user likes. This doesn’t mean the average person can’t use Android though. My mom uses one, and the learning curve might be a little bit longer.

Meanwhile for another comparison, I would like to mention carriers. I feel one of the iPhones major downfalls is that it has been stuck on AT&T for its lifetime. Additionally for some it works fine, and for others it does not work at all. It is very nice to be able to pick the carrier and get an Android phone at almost everyone of them. Even though there are downfalls with the Android platform not being on the same software versions. The general amount of public isn’t even aware of this. There also is a choice in the brand of phone you use wether it be, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, etc.. Carrier choices and brand choices make a huge difference on the consumer side.

To wrap this up with why I currently am leaving the iPhone, I’m a phone geek, and I like the progression at which Google is going. They are pushing the market faster and higher. The devices coming out are improving drastically, and the Android OS is growing by leaps and bounds. There are very little restrictions with the platform, after all it’s open, you can customize it, and find any kind of app, to practically do what you want. At this current point, we have not seen the new iPhone officially yet, and don’t know everything it will intel, but from what we do know, it sounds like Android is headed to be the new number one platform. As stated earlier this is a personal opinion, each person is different, and you should use what fits best for you. The time has come for me to hold to my words. I’m only using the iPhone until something comparable or better is out.