I recently got an iPhone 4 after having an Android phone (Motorola Droid) for over a year. Making the switch really gave me a better perspective on the different mobile platforms, and I’m sharing my experience. (note: this is not a guide/tutorial)
My first smartphone endeavor began with the Motorola Droid on Verizon which I bought on launch in November 2009. I mainly purchased it because it was one of the first Android powered phones on Verizon, and the rockin’ keyboard drew me in. After about a year of loving the phone, I realized it was getting a tad slow compared to the current generation of phones, so I bought the iPhone 4 in March of 2011 on Verizon (My first Apple product!).
Right after installing a few apps on my iPhone I realized the differences in app quality versus Android was dramatic. Mainly everything was polished and little functionality compared to my Droid, like not being able to select multiple emails and marking them as read in iOS4 was mind blowing to me. The app selection was disappointing as well. Apple always boasts about having 350k+ apps which sounds great but when the majority of them are fart/uesless apps it doesn’t do much for my phone’s functionality. Apps that gave me the ability to backup and search my SMS/MMS/Call Logs in Gmail was great on Android, and due to the limited API of iOS4 iPhone apps can’t achieve such functionality.
I quickly got over things like a broken notification system. Granted the notification system on Android is amazing and Apple will most likely mimic it in iOS5, so I was ok with the current one. Having no delay opening or switching apps gave a nice feel as I was used to waiting a second for apps to load. Granted giving up “true” multitasking, having extended battery life and speed is worth it.
Having a quick phone and polished experience is worth it on the iPhone for the most part. Most users don’t use all their functions on their phone like I do, so small things I notice really don’t matter to most. But this whole experance taught me how much better the Android OS was than iOS, Apple only having to make iOS for a few devices makes the experience way better. It’s only a phone, why not enjoy the time with it, which is why I’m keeping my iPhone4.
I am aware I’m comparing devices that are almost a year apart and that’s why things are faster/better on the iPhone, but this is meant to be a general comparison between devices. I have used newer Android devices and the slight delay when using the touchscreen just ruins a lot of how the devices should feel.
I can’t wait to see what Apple does in iOS5, I’ll be sticking with iPhone in the meantime! (See you in line for iPhone5)
Has anyone else made a switch to a different mobile OS, if so how was it?
Hi, I have the original Droid (I know, behind the times) and I use it for everything. The fist thing I did not like about the Droid is that it does not do hands free blue tooth dialing. I had to download apps for everything it did not do. I dealt with it because I have Verizon and at that time could not get the Iphone. Lately the Droid battery life seems shorter and it is hesitating more than it used to when opening different apps. I think it is time for a new phone! I am trying to decide between the Droid razr and the Iphone4s. Does your Iphone4S do totally hands free calling from the blue tooth device? Can you download an app to improve the notification? Can I sync my Google calendar and Gmail?
Would appreciate any input you could give me. Thank you.
I read the post below….with my Droid I can turn off notifications for certain things. Can’t that be done on the Iphone4S?
Thank you for the review. This was very helpful.
I haven’t used a blue tooth device with my iPhone, but I assume it’s like using the headset where you can hold the button and tell siri voice commands. The notification system is way better with iOS5 now, I have no complaints in that department. Google calendar and gmail but I don’t like the calendar app as much as the android one (granted I use them very little)
Hope that helps, cheers! (running on an iPhone 4s now, see my updated impressions here https://drawne.com//articles/iphone-4s-review/ )
Thanks.. I have a Iphone4 sitting on my desk and my Thunderbolt on my side. I’m getting ready to activate the Iphone and give it a try. The 4Glte does nothing for me besides waste battery. I normally keep it turned off but still the battery life is terrible! My experience with several Android phones has been “o.k”. The thing is, I don’t want just a “o.k.” experience from high priced equipment. Hope the Iphone changes my outlook and maybe I’ll upgrade to the new 4s.
Side note: I hate notifications on both systems. At least iOS provides a single pref pane for managing all notifications. On Android, I have to comb through the preference for dozens of apps, and even then I’m still inundated with useless information:
[App name] is downloading.
[App name] is finished downloading.
[App name] is installing.
[App name] is finished installing.
Who freaking cares? The ONLY thing I need to know is when I have an appointment. Otherwise, I want the OS to shut the hell up! 🙂
I didn’t read this because I don’t read boring phone reviews. Had you made a video though, i’d have watched it.
Good suggestion… Next Post! (maybe)