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iPhone 4 vs. Captivate/Android -- What are the differences?

I have an original iPhone 2G that I want to replace. I've been waiting for the new iPhone 4 to come out, and I was planning on buying one -- but the death-grip problem got me to do some research, which is how I found out about the Captivate.
Now I'm torn on which one to get. Obviously I'm very accustomed to the iPhone, but I've never used Android. So...
1. What are the major differences between iOS and Android?
2. What might I like better about Android? What might I not like about Andriod? And what might I like better about iOS?
3. What might I like better about the Captivate phone? What might I prefer about the iPhone 4 phone?
4. I've read a lot of comments about "Lag" on the Captivate, which would really bug me. Is it true?
Etc, etc...
I think you get the point of the thread.
Thanks in advance.

The hardware differences are obvious. As far as lag, yes, there's some issue's but there's work arounds.
The biggest difference, the IPhone is a great phone, right out of the box without messing with anything. But your stuck with what you got. Apps are restricted, web is restricted, your pretty much at the mercy of att and apple.
Android, requires more out of the box tinkering, but you have endless possibilities. You can customize your phone the way you want it.

You have to realize that the iPhone and ios are completely locked down. You are destined to use the apps that apple ok's you have no other hardware choices and are locked into iTunes and all things apple.
Android is a complete 180 it allows for so much customization that it is simply mind boggleing. If you are unhappy with a certain apps or feature sets you can simply build your own or find something else.
With this.freedom comes responsibility. You need to manage your Apps and memory usage. You have to babysit a bit in order to get the most out of the device.
Being able to play most movie files and tons of audio file types is very freeing
Also the screen is insanely gorgeous.
It really comes down to two things in the end.
Do you have tons of Apps already for ios that you are not willing to part with?
Do you like geeking out a bit in order to build your dream device?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

rob989_69 said:
As far as lag, yes, there's some issue's but there's work arounds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a link to these workarounds? This one's a biggee for me.
rob989_69 said:
The biggest difference, the IPhone is a great phone, right out of the box without messing with anything. But your stuck with what you got. Apps are restricted, web is restricted, your pretty much at the mercy of att and apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this mean that if we're happy with the iPhone out of the box we're better off with iPhone 4 since there's no need to mess with anything?
rob989_69 said:
You can customize your phone the way you want it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How so? Can you give some examples? I only know what the iPhone gives us out of the box, so I have no way to know what I might be missing.
Thanks.

Sounds Good said:
Got a link to these workarounds? This one's a biggee for me.
Does this mean that if we're happy with the iPhone out of the box we're better off with iPhone 4 since there's no need to mess with anything?
How so? Can you give some examples? I only know what the iPhone gives us out of the box, so I have no way to know what I might be missing.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android uses widgets, which is something iOS lacks. You have the freedom to add and remove more than just app icons to your homescreen, such as weather indicators, contact rolodex, clocks, RSS feeds, facebook updates, everything. you can literally have every piece of pertinent info such as your todo list, email, weather, time, and alrams, all available on a single screen, without having to inside individual apps.
Another nifty feature of android are the live wallpapers. These animated, and often interactive, backgrounds adds a unique customization that lets people know your phone is unique.
the captivate is VERY usable right outside the box, unlike some other android phones. Despite what some people say, the Touchwiz UI (the UI that samsung has installed) is very fun to use, easy to customize, and is a natural transition for iphone users. The app dock at the bottom makes it feel slightly like an iphone, but includes the Android widgets to give you a nice feel of the phone.
On the downside, Samsung and AT&T install a lot of bloatware that slows down the phone. You will more than likely want to root the phone to be able to uninstall the AT&T Apps, the only duplicate the functionality that android has by default, and at a cost. for instance AT&T Navigate is a monthly charge app that is inferior to the free and default android navigate.

asrrin29 said:
On the downside, Samsung and AT&T install a lot of bloatware that slows down the phone. You will more than likely want to root the phone to be able to uninstall the AT&T Apps...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm, this may be a problem. The sluggishness would drive me nuts, but if "root" is similar to Jailbraking, it's not my cup of tea. I know, I know... most of you have no problem with this... but I've never done it and I most likely never will. Which (apparently) leaves me with a sluggish phone. Not good.
I appreciate the feedback... it's the only way to truly learn.

Sounds Good said:
Hmmm, this may be a problem. The sluggishness would drive me nuts, but if "root" is similar to Jailbraking, it's not my cup of tea. I know, I know... most of you have no problem with this... but I've never done it and I most likely never will. Which (apparently) leaves me with a sluggish phone. Not good.
I appreciate the feedback... it's the only way to truly learn.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can disable all of the apps without root, but they will still be in your menu taking up space. I notice it's the Samsung widgets that cause lag the most (but honestly, it's still snappy even with the bloat) once you disable them the thing flies.
And rooting is only superficially similar to jail breaking. all rooting does is install the superuser app that allows you to do things an administrator is allowed to do. If you don't want it on your phone you simply uninstall the superuser app and it's back the way it was. what would be more akin to jailbreaking would be to enable sideloading, a way to install apps without using the market. This requires editing the system database, which is harder to reverse. You can enable root without also enabling sideloading, they are two different processes.
If you use a PC, you can even use Droid Explorer to uninstall apps without rooting your phone.

asrrin29 said:
If you use a PC, you can even use Droid Explorer to uninstall apps without rooting your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont you need to have root access to install busybox? My droid explorer wouldnt work until I downloaded and installed an updated busybox.
Rooting my phone was the first thing I did as soon as I got home, so I'm not sure if you need to have root access to install busybox or not.

derek4484 said:
Dont you need to have root access to install busybox? My droid explorer wouldnt work until I downloaded and installed an updated busybox.
Rooting my phone was the first thing I did as soon as I got home, so I'm not sure if you need to have root access to install busybox or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure, I rooted immediately as well, I just read about the explorer here on the forums.

Wtf is this lag you all talk about?? install laucher pro and that fixes the laggy touchwiz UI ****tiness...other than that android runs like butter on this device its unreal, i had an acer liquid and trust me android is not the same on a galaxy S its just unreal how smooth it is.

Sounds Good said:
Hmmm, this may be a problem. The sluggishness would drive me nuts, but if "root" is similar to Jailbraking, it's not my cup of tea. I know, I know... most of you have no problem with this... but I've never done it and I most likely never will. Which (apparently) leaves me with a sluggish phone. Not good.
I appreciate the feedback... it's the only way to truly learn.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect that people who have issues with sluggishness just got too enthusiastic about newly acquired freedom I solved this issue (that is if I even had it in a first place) by switching from Live Wallpaper to a regular one. No other tricks. I use TouchWiz (I like it). Here is a video comparing iPhone 4 and Captivate side by side. It uses stock Captivate and it's not any more sluggish than iPhone 4. In fact, it's faster in many tests.

rafyvitto said:
Wtf is this lag you all talk about?? install laucher pro and that fixes the laggy touchwiz UI ****tiness...other than that android runs like butter on this device its unreal, i had an acer liquid and trust me android is not the same on a galaxy S its just unreal how smooth it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not touchwiz that is laggy. I love touchwiz and it's extremely responsive. Rather, it's the Samsung widgets that clutter 3 homscreens that are very processor intensive. Once you place them in the trash and replace them with other apps from the market the experience is far better.

lilo777 said:
Here is a video comparing iPhone 4 and Captivate side by side. It uses stock Captivate and it's not any more sluggish than iPhone 4. In fact, it's faster in many tests.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Thanks for the link.

I'm coming from an iPhone (from what it sounds, i'm a more power user than you but I can offer insight)
the captivate has the advantage of having in house chip manufacturing, now while I have rooted and sideloaded and removed att bloat...before I did that all I did was remove the daily briefing widget (pretty useless imo) and I never experienced any slow down. I was used to waiting a bit with the 3gs so I was pretty happy with the experience.
If you're concerned about lag, don't. there really isn't any. it's perceived from when you hear you have a 1ghz phone that is as good as jesus. Everything even the fastest home computers have the occasional lag.
as for rooting, it really just allows you to have some more control over your phone. It's a stepping stone yes, kind of like a gateway drug into android tweaking. But if you can control yourself it'll allow you to simply remove the ATT apps that suck and use a nice and zippy touchwiz (which I actually really like) and because TW is very iphoneish, you should have a good time navigating.
but man lemme tell you, the browser is much better than iPhone. Flash is pretty awesome. The Screen is much much much! better than the 4's and it is bigger which I personally like. I think it hits the sweet spot between big and medium (I wanted a streak but it took way to long to come out, and i'm glad i didn't bite on an import).
The only two apps which are better on iPhone are facebook and MLB at Bat (at bat because of mlb.tv) otherwise the selection is nice on android, and the apps are very diverse.
I think you'd like it, but then again this is just my opinion. I'm more of the tinkerer anyways and I HAD to jailbreak my iPhone to enjoy it.
the captivate has some neat little tweaks that'll keep surprising you (I find new things every day)
choice is yours hope i could help

V DidDy 210 said:
I'm coming from an iPhone (from what it sounds, i'm a more power user than you but I can offer insight)
the captivate has the advantage of having in house chip manufacturing, now while I have rooted and sideloaded and removed att bloat...before I did that all I did was remove the daily briefing widget (pretty useless imo) and I never experienced any slow down. I was used to waiting a bit with the 3gs so I was pretty happy with the experience.
If you're concerned about lag, don't. there really isn't any. it's perceived from when you hear you have a 1ghz phone that is as good as jesus. Everything even the fastest home computers have the occasional lag.
as for rooting, it really just allows you to have some more control over your phone. It's a stepping stone yes, kind of like a gateway drug into android tweaking. But if you can control yourself it'll allow you to simply remove the ATT apps that suck and use a nice and zippy touchwiz (which I actually really like) and because TW is very iphoneish, you should have a good time navigating.
but man lemme tell you, the browser is much better than iPhone. Flash is pretty awesome. The Screen is much much much! better than the 4's and it is bigger which I personally like. I think it hits the sweet spot between big and medium (I wanted a streak but it took way to long to come out, and i'm glad i didn't bite on an import).
The only two apps which are better on iPhone are facebook and MLB at Bat (at bat because of mlb.tv) otherwise the selection is nice on android, and the apps are very diverse.
I think you'd like it, but then again this is just my opinion. I'm more of the tinkerer anyways and I HAD to jailbreak my iPhone to enjoy it.
the captivate has some neat little tweaks that'll keep surprising you (I find new things every day)
choice is yours hope i could help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also got suspicious about Daily Briefing once I saw that it was updating AP news constantly. I disabled AP News but kept the weather and the stock quotes. In my observation those are not updated automatically (or very infrequently). I think this was enough. I am still thinking about junking entire widget though

Every piece of [email protected] is different, just find the one that fits you best, if you know what I mean. Apple is great but equally the competition. Heck I had the HTC Aria before the Capt. It's was snappier and has a better UI I think, darn screen is just to small. My wife has the I4 and its cool too for what she uses it for.

Okay... thanks, guys.

I won't comment on regarding the operating system, but i'll tell you why pick Captivate.
_____
Let's just say, SGS currently offers nearly everything at the top of the market.
BUT, it would NOT be future proof. Technology advances regardless of any economical drawbacks, there WILL be better phones out there in the future.
Screen - debatable with iPhone4's screen
This really is a territory where personal preference will determine which the better screen will be, the differences are that minuscule.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iPhone4 Retina Display vs. Galaxy S Super Amoled
CPU/GPU - YES YES YES. THREE times the speed of today's smartphone.
Coolermaster
Hummingbird vs. Snapdragon: The 1 GHz Smartphone Showdown
OS - Debatable so i wouldn't want to get into this. (but might i add this? the community behind android, let alone other OS, has an advantage of being futuristic-proof because of the regular tweets and mods)
Camera - 5mp, pretty darn low comparatively to other smartphones but it's adequate/satisfying after seeing the vids/pics
For me, I would certainly pick SGS. This is a bad place to ask for our opinon, it's a SGS dedicated section! (Trust me, you won't regret it. The screen is the dealbreaker)
_____
AT&T 16gb, No FFC, No flash, gyroscope
Tmobile 16gb, No FFC, No flash, gyroscope
Verizon 2gb, No FFC NOT SURE, flash, gyroscope, Wi-fi Hotspot supported
Sprint 1gb, Yes FFC NOT SURE, Flash, gyroscope, Keyboard, wi-fi hotspot supported
International 8/16gb, FFC, no Flash, gyroscope (not sure)
Captivate has metal battery door.
Nice sliding usb port.
Cool push down opening of the battery door.
better look, in my opinion
_____
Anything else you're wondering?

Seeing as how this is XDA, I'm not surprised everyone is siding with Android/SGS. I'm going to sled a little light on the iPhone since it has yet to be mentioned at all.
Did everyone forget about jailbreaking for the iPhone? The iPhone is just as customizable through jailbreaking as rooting is to Android. People are talking about how the apps are restricted but there is also Cydia and Cydia is freaking amazing.
I definitely recommend you to try and experience both. Reading up on how something is can only go so far. Having personal experience will give you A LOT of insight on how much devices are and which 1 best suits you. Go to AT&T, address the debate that you're having with them and I'm sure they'll gladly arrange something where you can try both devices for X amount of days.

Sounds Good said:
Does this mean that if we're happy with the iPhone out of the box we're better off with iPhone 4 since there's no need to mess with anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably best to stay with iPhone if you don't have a reason to switch.
That said, jailbreaking on the iPhone isn't anywhere near the same thing as rooting the Android.
IE, iPhone users have been waiting a long time now for the iOS4 jailbreak, Captivate users had a root before it ever came out.
Captivate is as simple as putting a zip file on the device, rebooting the phone and applying it. EASY. Not near as involved as jailbreaking the iPhone.

Is android fulfilling all of your needs?

Hey friends,
whats up? How you like Android? Is it fulfilling all of your need? Have fun

Being someone that moved from Palm to the Android, I am fully satisfied! The only thing that I missed from palm is the ability to record my phone calls. But this is not Android OS issue it is hardware issue. So I am a happy Android(HTC Desire) user!

Of course! Everything I need in one homescreen, custom ROMs, plus it beats the hell out of an iPhone!

Most of my needs...
..and for the others we have women

Completely satisfied... Anything it didn't do straight out of the box was easy and painless to add. Having been a BB and iPhone user before, I can safely say Android is by far the best for me.
Although... It doesn't make my coffee in the morning and run me a bath when I finish work, so I've been forced to get married to cover these missing functions...

It has far surpassed my needs!
Even satisfied needs I didn't know I had!
Only drawback I can point to with switching over is there needs to be a way to get out of the cloud if you don't want to have your head, contacts and Calendar in those clouds.
And the lack of Sync with PC for Outlook built in is a major inconvenience.
(I have found some 3rd party functionality here none of it perfect yet)
I used to use my WinMo phone like it was intended, mostly as a communications device and for a wireless hotspot. Sometimes a MP3 player and rarely to get web pages or manuals for the devices I use in my work (Broadcast Video Engineer)
Now on android I have dish pointer that lets me know what satellites I can hit through the camera, I have better web to read and get Manuals where I can zoom much quicker and precisely than I could before.
It automatically will update all the programs I have gotten from the marketplace keeping itself up to date.
And the resposiveness of the hardware (1.2 Ghz) is just a pure pleasure!
It allows me to set the machine up in a sense like format (different tabs for different functions) and the widget is everything WinMo Today plugs SHOULD have been.
I am all for brand loyalty and I understand it is hard to leave a house that you spent so much of your life in but I can't ever imagine wanting to go back or onto the very simplistic and uncustomizable WinPho7.
Android isn't perfect but it sure is a lot better than the other OS' I have seen.

Coming from IOS it doesnt seem as smooth or polished but it has been able to do everything I need...

^^
+1...android has lots of customizations..great features but it isnt just as smooth as my iphone was.
drafunt said:
Being someone that moved from Palm to the Android, I am fully satisfied! The only thing that I missed from palm is the ability to record my phone calls. But this is not Android OS issue it is hardware issue. So I am a happy Android(HTC Desire) user!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an app in the market called call rocorder...i m using it currenty with my evo...and it works great...it uses the phones mic to record and the recorded conversations are clearly audible.
You can try it for your phone.

OnlyFone.com said:
Hey friends,
whats up? How you like Android? Is it fulfilling all of your need? Have fun
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only thing is miss from my iphone is the ability to listen to podcasts at 2x speed. I know there are some apps out there that have a solution for this but they dont work on my Streak.

I would say i'm very Satisfied with android coming from a iPhone was a big upgrade to me. I like the freedom that we have and can customize pretty much everything. But I will admit that the only things I missed from having a iPhone is the music player and some of the apps were pretty sweet.

Very much!
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using XDA App

DPLOY said:
Coming from IOS it doesnt seem as smooth or polished but it has been able to do everything I need...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it depends on your phone and ROM. I use a Galaxy S, and Doc's ROM (fully customized from the kitchen), and my phone literally couldn't be faster. I click something and usually it's done before I lift my finger. Except for 3G (which is pathetic in Australia).
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Absolutely! I used an iPhone for a year before switching to Android. A couple months ago, I decided to sell my iPhone so I booted it up to clear everything out, and couldn't figure out how to do anything! Simple actions, like turning on wifi, and finding an app, are multi-step processes there. Android is awesome, simply put.

Android has not failed me so far, not in regards to software. Apps are great, software gets better every update, account syncing makes adding contacts so much easier... I could go on.
That said, I've had my truly great experiences with the software only after I rooted my device, shortly after HTC pushed out their 2.1 Sense ROM for it. Since then, I've used a variety of amazing ROMs, both 2.2 and 2.3, which are much more representative of what Android is capable of when truly optimised to a specific device. I've used Symbian and iOS, but I don't think I'll be looking back from Android any time soon.

Yep! I find it can do everything I want and really fast, plus more. I must say there are some really handy apps out there.
One area which I think could improve is GPS software, I'm talking about offline map GPS software. I use CoPilot and while it's the best I've seen so far on Android, iGO8 on my i900 WinMo is much much better.

Great for multitasking, smooth, very customizable. I love android and will never switch to another os
Sent from my SilverBullet "RootedHTCDesireZ"

Works great for me, I can't get away from my phone. I just wish service was better, but that's another story.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk

Android is the best upgrading i ever did, switching from my dumb nokia n97..
The only thing degrading rite now is the android market.. Slowly, day by day, the android market has turned into itunes app market.. Lot's of crap apps rather than really useful apps.. Seriously, what's up with fart apps, stupid bikini puzzle, pointless sexy girl wallpaper apps?? We don't need million stupid apps that cluttering the market.. That is one of the reasons i stop myself from buying an iphone4..
No offense..

it is more than full filing my needs . I do everything with it fun, work, multimedia etc.

Far from satisfied.
Navigation isn't as good as on WM
Keyboard sucks, had to get swype
Can't make calls using phone numbers emailed to me
Email client is soooooo basic, only good thing about it is the ability to connect to 2 exchange servers
Browsing the web is a PITA, go to zoom in, accidently hit a link instead which is too small to read (hence the need to zoom in) and then have to go back and do it again. Also there are many pages/links which it can't handle using default browser/firefox/opera
So many apps, so few decent ones

Slashgear Review . . .

I think this is the first proper review.
http://www.slashgear.com/htc-sensation-review-23153699/
Do the people with the phone already, agree with the conclusions drawn?

freedirk said:
I think this is the first proper review.
http://www.slashgear.com/htc-sensation-review-23153699/
Do the people with the phone already, agree with the conclusions drawn?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seemed pretty fair and balanced. Glad to see that pics are better with this handset over some other HTC ones. Little bummed about the tearing int he video - but I imagine that might be something that a software update might address. Browser seems fine if a little different than the samsung when zooming flash. Battery life looked ok - but what surprised me was that they have great battery life on their SGS II. That seems to be one of the most dominant complaint threads on their boards.
All in all I feel better about looking to purchase one when it comes out in the states.

Damn.
I'm thinking more and more of getting the SG2 now instead due to lack of dev support and this review is swaying it more too. The SG2 is a much better hardware package but i prefer the design of htc and i prefer sense to touchwiz.

I can comment on TouchWiz vs. Sense. I got an SGS2 because I couldn't wait for the Sensation to come to the States to evaluate it. I had Sense on my former HTC phones and was expecting TouchWiz to be kind of the same thing. Sense is an environment with apps tightly integrated whereas TouchWiz is really just a Samsung launcher. I used launchers on my last two phones which were vanilla Android so TouchWiz's more Android feel felt comfortable. People looking for HTC's approach toward common apps being front-ended by Sense and tightly integrated would be disappointed with TouchWiz. Not that TouchWiz is bad and a lot of Samsung's proprietary apps and hubs are really good, it's just a very different approach.

"Sensation as the consumer’s phone and the Galaxy S II as the Android fan’s phone"

this review is that whas i need.
i dont intresting sg2. i only intresting or sensation is beter that desire in all aspekts ( screen, power, call quality, camera, sound in 3.5mm and laudnes in speeker, battery u.t.t)
Sensation is beter? i think it is.
hope for root, bet some time i cen live without that
p.s in latvian phone cen wait 2-3 weaks after unbranded realise in eorope. need wait some time

MartijnMM said:
"Sensation as the consumer’s phone and the Galaxy S II as the Android fan’s phone"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i disagree. sg2 is just too ugly and iphone'esque (even if Apple copied their original design from samsung)
HTC are a better all rounder i think

Well Barff1984, I do agree with you that in the all-rounder category the Sensation is the winner, however in terms of "Android Fans Phone" I think it's a bit inconclusive:
On one hand you've got the fact that the SGS2 was released earlier, with its bootloader opened wide with the sound of devs cheers, incredible specs and whatnot. Is it the easy fan choice? Well;
On the other hand: Some people (myself included, hate me if I sound a bit biased) prefer HTC's approach - albeit slightly weaker, when it comes down to the experience of actually using it - the UI, the sense of quality in your hand is a key factor.
And you know what? I think that's another way of being an Android fan - sticking with the things you like, and not fitting into an iFruity pattern. That's the beauty of Android - you've always got choice, whether its hardware or software. If you don't like it - change it. Because you can.
Plus I can smell the dev gods are cooking delicious stuff for us Hardcore HTC guys, and just because Samsung got a head start doesn't mean the Sensation is DOA.

i agree with you trek -
I don't think you can say either phone is better, they both had good points, both had bad points...
but the reason i love android - WE are left with a choice of which one WE prefer !
i happen to prefer better build and feel of htc and sense over touchwiz.

Barff1984 said:
i disagree. sg2 is just too ugly and iphone'esque (even if Apple copied their original design from samsung)
HTC are a better all rounder i think
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you've mis-read the quote slightly.
I think it's to do with the sensation having a more polished interface which will make it sit better with casual users. Whereas people that have researched the phones a great deal will possibly prefer the Galaxy2 for its unlocked bootloader and arguably better hardware.
Of course as slashgear also stated,this generalisation does nothing for either phone as both are power houses.
P.s. I also realise that the vast majority of users here have researched both phones and have alot of knowledge, hence the reason we're here. ;-)
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

It's a never-ending debate.
As long as someone is happy with any of the phone, I would say job well done from the part of the manufacturer/OEM. And I believe the review did it's best not to raise the fanboy-ish sentiments that we have.
I am absolutely sure that Engadget review will be provocative/controversial (it's always their goal to generate maximum comments). Gsmarena/Anandtech seems to be much more detailed and objective.

Phil750123 said:
i agree with you trek -
I don't think you can say either phone is better, they both had good points, both had bad points...
but the reason i love android - WE are left with a choice of which one WE prefer !
i happen to prefer better build and feel of htc and sense over touchwiz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What i just hate is that HTC failed on a few VERY simple issues,
if they did better on those points, they would easy have a winner.
1) More RAM and internal storage
2) Non signed bootloader
3) Hardware accl browser

Barff1984 said:
i disagree. sg2 is just too ugly and iphone'esque (even if Apple copied their original design from samsung)
HTC are a better all rounder i think
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1, put together, SGS2 is ugly look.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App

I think the review was good. I saw some complaints about it being too superficial but I think it serves its purpose and was unbiased pointing out the benefits and cons giving each phone its due (I don't care that it was more of a comparative review as that's basically how people on here treat it). I also hope the GSMArena one comes out soon. They tend to have very detailed review going into all aspects of the phones. I'm still quite sure I'm getting it but I like to be aware of all the "bad" stuff before I get something (this is also nice because often the bad doesn't turn out to be as bad as I thought it would be making me pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed )

MartijnMM said:
What i just hate is that HTC failed on a few VERY simple issues,
if they did better on those points, they would easy have a winner.
1) More RAM and internal storage
2) Non signed bootloader
3) Hardware accl browser
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, minor steps for big improvements.
1) Think the ram is the big issue, specially when sense is going to take up
more ram then touchwiz (im guessing here but im pretty certain it be the
case)
2) Im sure "hoping" that this will be by passable, I've read a detail
article about this stating, it not as bad as people believe. I dont understand
it fully but as most people on here, i just want custom roms!
3) Would be nice, but not on my top list as personally im not a big
web broswer on my mobile. (Although might change when i get a bigger screen
and faster web browsing )
Im leaving work early to fly down to the vodafone shop and see if
they have one in stock - bar that to phones 4 u shop opposite so
hopefully I'll be able to talk from first hand experience!

Hmm, I wonder when we'll start seeing reviews with proper GPS testing. Not comments like "the gps is fine, it locked really fast!" but showing some tracks and proof of decent accuracy and consistency. That would help avoiding fiascos like the one with the Galaxy S.
I'm curious about the Sensation but will definitely not buy another toy without clearing this out first... can't get lost.

did anyone notice sample camera picture taken by sensation at slashgear review have soft image on left and sharp on the right?
ignore the already out of focus background flower pic, other street and tree pictures it doesn't seem like depth of field, anyone got the device on hand can confirm or share your picture please.

Beowulf_pt said:
Hmm, I wonder when we'll start seeing reviews with proper GPS testing. Not comments like "the gps is fine, it locked really fast!" but showing some tracks and proof of decent accuracy and consistency. That would help avoiding fiascos like the one with the Galaxy S.
I'm curious about the Sensation but will definitely not buy another toy without clearing this out first... can't get lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I'd like to know this. But no tech site, or youtube review has brought up the GPS issue, which I'm sure they would when they did their review.
I did hear (made a poll), on androidforums, that a few had these problems but all of them, now, have basically ironed themselves out. Really odd, but a few days later virtually everyone reported back that it fixed itself. I know your looking for hard evidence but I just thought I'd share what I know.

ratchetnclank said:
Damn.
I'm thinking more and more of getting the SG2 now instead due to lack of dev support and this review is swaying it more too. The SG2 is a much better hardware package but i prefer the design of htc and i prefer sense to touchwiz.
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Click to collapse
Well, Its kinda just got out on contract... wait for it to be off-contract and published in the USA and more :O

http://www.slashgear.com/sensation-vs-galaxy-s-ii-does-qhd-make-a-difference-24154010/
Addition stuff about the screens. Looks like for games its the SGII for movies/webbrowsing/text based stuff - Sensation.

Can my questions be answered???

Hi everyone, i have a couple of questions, now im in no way a troll or anything but i was thinking to switchin to wp, im with android at the moment i have a galaxy note.
Basically i just wanted to know what does wp 7.8 or even the upcoming wp8 devices have thats different to say an android or ios phone? I have no experience whatsoever with wp and would just like to know why you as users love your devices, ive seen the videos of the nokia 920 on youtube and it looks absolutely amazing, the reason i would like to switch is probably the fluidity of the os but other than that is there much else a reason to swap, even if someone could post a link as to reasons why wp is a good os that would be great, once again im not a troll i just have no clue about the operating system at all, i was curious about broadening my horizons abit many thanks if anyone can enlighten me
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Obvious troll is obvious.
And three question marks is rude.

I just said i werent trolling are u stupid???
Its people like u who make xda such a nasty place to be in, i had a genuine question cos i was seriously thinkin bout switchin from android to wp, so i say to u to stop being so paranoid bout trolling when someone asks a genuine question oh and stop spamming my post with useless comments, if u thought i was a troll then why bother using ur energy and time to post in the thread, ur the troll causing needless arguements
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Your question would be better asked in the WP8 forum. No need to beat this horse.
You watched the videos , you should have a pretty good understanding of the OS. What you see is exactly all there is to it, nothing more.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dazza_84 said:
Hi everyone, i have a couple of questions, now im in no way a troll or anything but i was thinking to switchin to wp, im with android at the moment i have a galaxy note.
Basically i just wanted to know what does wp 7.8 or even the upcoming wp8 devices have thats different to say an android or ios phone? I have no experience whatsoever with wp and would just like to know why you as users love your devices, ive seen the videos of the nokia 920 on youtube and it looks absolutely amazing, the reason i would like to switch is probably the fluidity of the os but other than that is there much else a reason to swap, even if someone could post a link as to reasons why wp is a good os that would be great, once again im not a troll i just have no clue about the operating system at all, i was curious about broadening my horizons abit many thanks if anyone can enlighten me
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason why i love my Windows Phone is the design, the minimalistic design which is "modern" since 1950 till today that style is modern like black and white clothes. the second thing is that i dont need so much apps for every possible thing. i dont need to know how my wp7 works to manage it to work for months.
3rd what i love is the durability, i switch my wp7 only off if i have a new rom (that happens maybe once a year ). In wp7 you dont need to feel that your device uses you, you have the full control over the functions what your device can do for you. you dont need to bother if the device is gonna shut off at any time, no bother about slowdowns or maybe even forcing to restart like i saw multiple times on my brothers stock HTC evo 3D.
and the 4th are the live tiles, you spend way less time customizing and arranging your live tiles then on android the look and feel.
5th. my battery last now in my device over one day and 10 hours, and my battery is 1 year and 3 months old. and only 1500mAh! the lumia 920 has 2000mAh, just imagine what can be done with it. and how long it lasts.
6st. wireless sync with my pc, all my videos and pictures get synced automatic if my device is charging anywhere in my house.
7th. the people hub, there i have all the news from twitter, facebook, windows live, and linked in in one "app" that doesnt have a loading, if you have internet it download instantly the news if you switch to the "news" tab in the people hub.
8th. i love the overall simplicity of wp7, no bunch of setting for each app, instead microsoft has found the middle way, settings for all apps together. and i think it is a good way despite users say "i need a seperate volume ringtone and seperate volum for sms" you use your device or you dont use it you have volume turned on or off. thats what i need, nothing in between.
9th. i love the bunch of new developers with new app and functions like the official FC Bayern football app, if i'm not at home it send me an instant notification about goals, and the result is on the live tile, it is visible even without opening the app, thats only one example of apps that i like (instant news and info without opening app) - so to say "on the go"
10th. a wp7 has not every of my friends. i dont like mainstream to much.
11th. reason why i love windows phone 7 or 8 or 7.8 is that making apps for them is really easy (i heard from various developers that developing for iOS is a pain in the ass), with a few books and tutorials and some practice everybody can make an app, as an student you get an free dev center account where you can publish your apps and even earn money on them.
12th. reason is i'am 24h online, so i get emails instantly, news about my buddys... my brohter turn its wifi off on its Android HTC EVO 3D because he says it drains its battery... i dont like that. if it is a smartphone let it be a smartphone 24h not only 2h daily.
and WP7 is truly a smartphone, it makes my life easier, much.

dazza_84 said:
I have no experience whatsoever with wp and would just like to know why you as users love your devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. The main strength is its UI. Even after almost two years of ownership, I still get amazed watching smooth animations on my phone. It simply never ages, never slows down. Even typing on its keyboard feels quite amazing.
2. Second biggest strength is its exclusive apps. For example, Nokia Drive served me many times and quite beautifully. Nokia Group Shots is extremely handy and blows my friends away. Photosynth is just mindblowing (now available on iOS as well)! MS Office is quite useful. My phone quite easily connects to all kinds of WiFi networks with proxy settings, no hassles at all! Xbox avatar (see my xda avatar) is just so cute and achievements add a new dimension to games.
In a small summary, it's some small things which can't be mentioned on specs sheet which makes WP7 truly amazing. It is so wonderful that I can't even care if my phone is not getting WP8 upgrade. I'm actually far more looking for a slew of new Nokia apps like Xpress browser which has saved me 84% data so far

daAppu said:
1. The main strength is its UI. Even after almost two years of ownership, I still get amazed watching smooth animations on my phone. It simply never ages, never slows down. Even typing on its keyboard feels quite amazing.
2. Second biggest strength is its exclusive apps. For example, Nokia Drive served me many times and quite beautifully. Nokia Group Shots is extremely handy and blows my friends away. Photosynth is just mindblowing (now available on iOS as well)! MS Office is quite useful. My phone quite easily connects to all kinds of WiFi networks with proxy settings, no hassles at all! Xbox avatar (see my xda avatar) is just so cute and achievements add a new dimension to games.
In a small summary, it's some small things which can't be mentioned on specs sheet which makes WP7 truly amazing. It is so wonderful that I can't even care if my phone is not getting WP8 upgrade. I'm actually far more looking for a slew of new Nokia apps like Xpress browser which has saved me 84% data so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So refreshing to see such a positive note for WP7.x! :good:

Help me make an expensive decision, XDA. (Nexus 4 v. iPhone 5)

Note to Mods: If this is in the wrong section, I truly am sorry, I just don't know where else this can go.
A note to peasants like me: LEAVE ALL YOUR BIAS BEHIND. Please make good argumentative points, don't just baselesly bash everyone who doesn't think like you. Also, don't just say "uhuh that sukz jst bcuz wow l00zer n00b ur mum" to back up your points.
Thanks.
Ok, now that that's out of the way, on to the elephant in the room:
I'm considering buying an unlocked phone to use for Tmo or Att prepaid plans here in the US. I'm seriously considering the iPhone 5, and the Nexus 4, or a considerably similar phone.
I want you(the community) to help me decide by making some points and just helping me out. This is a big decision and I trust you guys at XDA will help me make the correct decision.
Reasons why I'm considering the iPhone 5:
-Apps developed here almost always before Android, and usually run better on iOS than on Android (Temple Run, Instagram, etc.)
-Some apps exclusive to iOS, like Quizlet (This is a HUGE point, being that my main "studdy buddy" is Quizlet since StudyBlue has a garbage Android app.) (Also, in apps like Flipboard, certain channels blocked to
-iMessage: a lot, and I mean A LOT of my buddies own iPhones, I miss out on a lot of iMessage stuff.
-System-wide color Emoji support (this is the stupidest reason, this shouldn't even be a reason, but whatever)
-Better and much broader range of cases available(LifeProof is a huge bonus, as is Otterbox, etc.)
-Screen looks really nice (even though it's somewhat of a downgrade)
-Notification Center for the lock screen is GREAT imho.
-Find my iPhone and other services already baked in, rather than a standalone app
-Solid construction
Reasons why I'm considering the Nexus 4/Comparable devices
-Google Now
-Ability to make programs default programs, unlike iOS
-Customization
-Swappable keyboards
-Google Maps
-Already have a considerable amount of money (~$15) bought in Play Store stuff that I'd have to rebuy on App Store, plus the money in my Play Store account from credit for buying a Nexus 7 (~$20 left)
If I went the iPhone way, I'd make a complete switch, which means get rid of my N7, which I currently use for college, and replace it with an iPad, which I've heard is better for college.
So, XDA, can you help me make an educated and very expensive decision? Thanks. I'll be monitoring this thread

contract or locked for the iphone? personally i'd go with a nexus for the fact that it's unlocked at a great price, albeit not as great as a contracted phone. also depends if you love to flash or leave it out of the box? iphone only wins for ditching the glass on glass concept

nyamoV2 said:
contract or locked for the iphone? personally i'd go with a nexus for the fact that it's unlocked at a great price, albeit not as great as a contracted phone. also depends if you love to flash or leave it out of the box? iphone only wins for ditching the glass on glass concept
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Click to collapse
Both would be unlocked. I like flashing new ROMs, but I'll usually wait until they're relatively stable or at least until basic necessities begin to work.

Depends , on what you like to do... But why do you say that is a downgrade the ip5 display, it has the most accurate colors....
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app

z0mg hwo cud u menshun appul produks on xda zomg u shud b kikband :laugh:
For the iphone: it works, good battery life, the newer versions of siri are pretty much tied with google now (whereas the older version was easily beat by google now), and most importantly, it works! (did I mention it works yet? well, it works). Apps tend to run better, and it just feels smoother. I hate to give it to apple, but I have never found an android phone with hardware as nicely done as on an iphone. The con is that it's extremely limited, and I don't like the UI.
nexus 4: just look through the XDA development forums. Then look back at that iphone...need I say more? :good:
added to that, I prefer the UI and the greater amount of customization. Also more great apps are free for android than on Iphone (or at least the ones I tend to use). Overall I feel that an android can do more easier than iphone can, provided you set things up right. I'm mostly looking at the homescreen, but also the settings menu, etc.
So obviously I'm biased towards an android, but I think an iphone has plenty of advantages as well.

Well, I'm sure you'll be told to go to the device recommendation thread - but I might as well post since I have nothing better to do and it's not locked yet.
I've had Apple devices before and have nothing against them. I bought a MacBook a few years back because it was the best choice for me at the time. I've since gotten rid of the "laptop" part of my device collection and use Linux and an Android tablet + phone. I considered the iPhone when I was shopping.
Personally, I do not like where the iPhone is at right now, that's one of the reasons I didn't go with it. I think Apple really needs to "re-think" iOS and do something perhaps like Samsung has with "Simple" and "Basic" modes for the UI - so that they can get to creating something more than a glorified App Drawer. It's an eyesore to me, and though I appreciate that it's familiar to many people, I don't think it's even the easiest configuration to use for new tech users.
I don't really know why an iPad would be better for "college" - I'm going to college right now and have seen people use both Apple and Android tablets. I think the Transformer series from ASUS is the most "college friendly" type of tablet, but I guess it depends on what you're trying to do with it.
If you can't tell, I love learning and playing around with the stuff I have. Android is a better playground for this than iOS which doesn't exactly encourage it. They like to cultivate their system to a high level, but I prefer being able to experiment even if it's possible the outcome will suck.
It really depends on what's important to YOU. I ended up choosing the SIII because I wanted a removable battery and micro SD card and Apple just didn't offer this no matter what. That's what I wanted and what was the "deal maker" for me. I also like that there's so much customisation without having to void the warranty. I can make this the phone I want - the UI is very important for me and while I don't mind OSX (although Ubuntu has done for the general OS look what OSX really ought to do) on a computer, I'm really not a fan of iOS - I feel like Apple's technology and ideas are great, but their software and design aesthetic are lagging - like if Windows 8 hadn't moved on and instead decided to keep the Win98 look so people would be "more comfortable". Because I wanted the removable battery + SD card, that would rule out the N4 for me, too. Personally, I'd still go for the SIII or wait for the IV.
I'm on T-Mobile, I switched from Sprint. I love the service, though I've heard it's not so great on an iPhone. I'd consider the plans and your area and what kind of service there is, too. I have 4G towers all over the city where my school is and get very fast speeds all over campus. But T-Mobile isn't everywhere and I think there are speed issues with the iPhone although if they're getting one, maybe they're changing things ? I don't know, since I'm not in the market for a new phone I haven't looked into this.

i would never suggest to go for a iphone for a simple reason of the difficulty in sharing media over bluetooth. I share a lot of stuff with my friends over bluetooth specially music which is not possible on iphone. i am unsure if the lates iphone 5 has these limitations removed or not. Maybe you could share via whatsapp or other messenger but there are times when there is no network coverage and you want to share stuff and thats when you need bluetooth.

This is well worth watching if you've haven't already, made a similar decision for me quite simple..
...If you like to customize, theme whatever then Get the Nexus, if you want a Phone that does what it says on the tin, and nothing more, get the iPhone.

Nexus 4 for me... Iphone 5 have a lot of problems...

Please ask such questions in the device suggestion thread.
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