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I prefer BlackBerry myself, but the second they come out with an Android in BlackBerry form factor that can be used on a GSM network I'm on Android (except the moto charm, too ugly).
Droid PRO?
Has the FORM FACTOR. Just need the GSM.
- Apple - buttons at the bottom of the screen provide access to every section of the store
- Android - makes greater use of its search and back buttons on the phone hardware, so more screen real estate is available--but at a price: In the absence of dedicated tabs for navigation, your only way to get around is via the back button, and you may soon find yourself five layers deep in a labyrinth of subcategories and searches.
* Discovery: Apple Wins!!!
- Apple - curated lists such as "Apps for Movie Lovers," "iPhone Game of the Week," and "App Store Essentials." The App Store also provides a Genius tab, which recommends apps based on your existing library and a list of "what's hot" items.
- Android - Google recently spruced up the Android Market to emphasize featured apps, recommending a handful for each category in the store
* Search: Apple Wins!!!
- Apple - has an almost telepathic sense of what you're looking for, backed by a powerful auto-suggest feature; and it gets generic searches right, as well.
- Android - Since Google is a company that specializes in search, you'd expect a better job of app indexing than the Android Market actually provides. Searching for "Twitter" doesn't bring up the official Twitter app on the first page. Searching for "Angry Birds" returns 20 junky results (mostly ringtones, cheats, and knockoffs) before the actual game
* App Pages: Android Wins!!!
- Android - Google's latest update to the Android Market bulked up the landing pages for individual apps. Users can now see reviews, ratings, related apps, and additional apps from the same developer. The layout resembles that of the iPhone App Store, but with a few clear advantages: The Android Market provides an e-mail address and a Website for each developer, and it allows you to uninstall or update directly from the app page.
* Ease of Updates: Android Wins!!!
- Apple - The iPhone App Store devotes a separate tab to available updates, with the changes for each app listed directly on that page. You can update apps individually or all at once
- Android - has an 'update all' option, but the version notes are buried within each individual app page. you can turn on automatic updates for any app you like.
* User Reviews: Apple Wins!!!
- Apple -review system isn't much different, but it shows reviews only for the app's latest update, so you don't have to contend with outdated feedback. The App Store also lists the number of reviews an app's rating is based on, which gives you some sense of whether a five-star average is bogus or legit.
- Android - allows you to mark user reviews as helpful or unhelpful, but it squanders this system by displaying all reviews chronologically.
* Web Access: Android Wins!!!
- Apple - has a Web landing page for every app in the store, with a description, version notes, user reviews, screenshots, pricing, and system requirements. The App Store Website links only to iTunes software, which is best avoided whenever possible.
- Android - limited app showcase looks lazy by comparison. Fortunately, other Websites such as AppBrain can post QR codes that provide a direct link to the Android Market when scanned by the phone.
* Payment Options: Apple Wins!!!
- Apple - you need an iTunes Store account; however, this brings several advantages (in the form of Paypal support and gift cards) to paying customers. You can also send an app to another iPhone user as a gift.
- Android - offers stingy folks one big advantage: You can download free apps without ever entering credit card information.
* Refund: Android Wins!!!
- Apple - Officially, the iPhone App Store has no refund policy other than for apps that don't download properly
- Android - Within 15 minutes of purchase, you can get a full refund by heading to the 'My Apps' section of the menu, selecting the application, and pressing the 'Uninstall & Refund' button
* App Quantity: Apple Wins!!! - Apple has 400,000+ apps with 10 billion downloads. Released July-2008.
- Android - there's a shortage of exclusive Android apps that Apple would allow in the iPhone App Store. Most of the highest-ranked paid Android applications of 2010, according to Distimo, are task killers, widgets, rooting tools, and backup utilities. Looking at lists of must-haveAndroid apps, those that don't fall into the "not possible on iOS" category are either made by Google or already available on the iPhone.
- Apple - numerous must-have iPhone apps aren't available on Android. And some apps that exist on both platforms lack certain features in the Android version. Paypal, for example, can cash checks on the iPhone but not on Android.
* App Prices: Android Wins!!!
- Android - Counting only paid apps, the Android Market is less expensive than the iPhone, with an average selling price of $3.23 versus the iPhone's $4.31, according to an August 2010 study by Distimo.In Distimo's ratio of free to paid apps. In the Android Market, 60 percent of apps are free, compared with 29 percent in the iPhone App Store. In view of the much higher proportion of free Android apps, you'll probably spend less in the Android Market.
- Apple - if you narrow the lists down to each store's top 100 paid apps, Apple's store is less expensive, at $2.15 per app versus $4.57 per app in the Android Market.
There is no limit to the criteria of which the two are being compared. The criteria that's listed, is just a starting point. The thread is not limited to those of which I listed. By the way, there is an "other" criterion.
Location: Charlotte,NC, US, North America, Earth, Alpha Quadrant,Milky Way Galaxy
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It's going to be a coke vs pepsi type race for a while.
Apple has an extreme loyal fan base that will keep buying the latest and greatest "just because". Apple has an advantage of creating a strong consistent user experience since they controll all aspects of the device (hardware,OS,apps). Andriod doesn't have that, the experience is dependent on the particular manufacturer. With that said HTC has emerged as the top hardware manufacturer for the andriod and they provide a great user experience. What google has going for it is that most new basic smartphones that major carriers are giving way are andriod based. Google is also refining it's OS at a good pace and with each rev makes great improvements.
Apple has a stronger and more mature app market and a polished interface to the PC/Mac. Andriod doesn't- in fact they lag behind tremendously here.
As stated earlier Android is more open (i.e., flash, you can play most music and video types) compared to Apple (however it appears most Apple people don't care that they can only play mp3 and mp4 files), so this isn't much of a differentiator.
Right now iphone is the leader and should be for a while, however google is on it's heals hot and heavy which is great b/c competition will push innovation on both fronts.
The two are more similar than many people realize, although there are two very different reasons they are in business.
Apple iOS - based on open source BSD, add a layer of closed source Apple software
Android - based on open source Linux, add a layer of closed source Google software
Apple - Controlled app market with curated apps for sale, ensures quality and limits spam apps, Apple takes a cut from app sales, and can remove any app from your phone at any time
Android - Controlled app market with no curation, any app can be loaded, including increasingly spyware, spam apps, and the rising need to have anti-virus and anti-spam apps to run on the device, Google takes a cut from app sales, and can remove any app from your phone at any time
Apple - a company that designs and sells operating systems and hardware with full integration and QA, it spends millions yearly on usability and reliability testing
Android - From Google, a company that exists to mine data and uses Android as one tool to do so, it leaves hardware design and testing to 3rd parties to create and sell devices to run its software
So long as Google is following Apple's lead, it will always be a step behind in terms of the OS. Its hardware vendors try to make up for this with additional features or by competing on price, but they always seem to forsake user experience.
Apple of course errs on the side of closed/security, to the annoyance of some, but the "open" Android OS does expose users to more risks in addition to its freedoms. Most people do not need, or would never utilize those freedoms, but its a general distinction not everyone understands. Its also a bit of a gilded cage vs exposed to the elements argument - some may want to go for a walk in the woods, others, to come in from the harsh elements.
For people looking for a device "that simply works", both Android and iOS can do the trick, but Apple's system has a higher level of polish since it owns the hardware/software integration. Google's Android is an OS that is matched with different hardware designs vs built for them. iOS isn't for everyone, and that's where Android comes in. Apple isn't for everyone, and that's where hardware makers like Motorola come in.
Some day Android will own a majority of the market as devices drop in price and the market grows to include areas Apple does not compete in, but for now the market is all expensive devices for the most part.
- Apple - buttons at the bottom of the screen provide access to every section of the store
- Android - makes greater use of its search and back buttons on the phone hardware, so more screen real estate is available--but at a price: In the absence of dedicated tabs for navigation, your only way to get around is via the back button, and you may soon find yourself five layers deep in a labyrinth of subcategories and searches. <snip>
Keep in mind that some Android Phones have built-in GPS receivers. iPhone does not; position data rely on triangulation from cell phone towers. Voice navigation is also possible on some Android models. Not sure of you can navigate via. voice on the iPhone. Without voice prompts, using a smartphone to navigate while driving might be illegal in some sates.
You also forgot to mention the issues about reception and dropped calls. I think most would give the nod to Android phones in this area. Consumer Reports seems to think that the new Verizon iPhones have the same antenna problems that plagued the AT&T iPhones. This might suggest a hardware problem, not a carrier problem.
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