Android or Apple?

[Mr.Mischief]

First; while Google is always very quick to use words like "open", "freedom" and of course "do no evil", the facts show a rather different picture. For example; the latest Andoid version is 3.0 yet this branch of the source code is not being distributed right now. And all thanks to a (disputable) loophole in the open source license they're using. So the whole "closed Apple" vs. "open Google" isn't something you can really compare in a black/white fashion like that. Apple removing applications from their store "just like that?". Same has happened with Android.

The latest version of Aneroid is 4.0 ICS. Android being "open" and how quick Google issues the update are two separate issues.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[Doolie]

The latest version of Aneroid is 4.0 ICS. Android being "open" and how quick Google issues the update are two separate issues.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

My bad. Yes, 4.0, ICS. Agreed. That is very accurate

[rksst228]

Android is great but for me Apple is the best! really looking forward to see iPhone 5.

[developers88]

mobile app developers-:Mobile App Development and Mobile Game Development for iPhone, iPad and Andriod devices.

[T Bong]

The Note is groundbreaking and the S3 is simply inspired by iPhone for iPhone users.

Amazing device with Removable battery and up to 120GB of storage on the phone. no need to pay for cloud services.

[mib1800]

I would say Android since it is more functional, exciting and looks better.

- Various desktop/launcher UI
- Widgets
- Live Wallpaper
- Better notification/alert system
- Automated phone to do stuff at specified time/event/state
- better navigation software/options
- many connectivity options (wifi direct, usb host/drive, BT profiles, nfc, dlna etc)
- true multi-tasking & better cloud services
- better web browsers
- no wifi-only restriction and itunes bondage
- side-loading of apps

[Aurelian]

I would say Android since it is more functional, exciting and looks better.

- Various desktop/launcher UI
- Widgets
- Live Wallpaper
- Better notification/alert system
- Automated phone to do stuff at specified time/event/state
- better navigation software/options
- many connectivity options (wifi direct, usb host/drive, BT profiles, nfc, dlna etc)
- true multi-tasking & better cloud services
- better web browsers
- no wifi-only restriction and itunes bondage
- side-loading of apps

A few points, not to take away from your core argument but rather to say that it's not as uniform as you'd argue.

First: you're not locked to iTunes anymore, certainly not in an era of cloud services. You can use any iOS 5 device without syncing to iTunes, and you mostly want to talk to it for syncing your locally stored music and video collections. And let's face it, most people don't have so much of a chip on their shoulder as to actively avoid iTunes.

I'm wondering what you mean about a WiFi-only restriction. There are apps you can't update on Android (Towers 'n Trolls, as one example) without being on WiFi. And I've done quite a few things on 3G that strain the connection, like 1080p video uploads.

On connectivity options, I'd add that there's no uniform guarantees on those anymore. Some of those features are there for the sake of a checklist item: I've used NFC on Android... twice, and both were deliberate experiments with Android Beam in the rare moments I met someone else with an Android 4.0 phone using NFC. Don't overlook AirPlay, either: it's much, much slicker than DLNA or UPnP.

[mib1800]

A few points, not to take away from your core argument but rather to say that it's not as uniform as you'd argue.

First: you're not locked to iTunes anymore, certainly not in an era of cloud services. You can use any iOS 5 device without syncing to iTunes, and you mostly want to talk to it for syncing your locally stored music and video collections. And let's face it, most people don't have so much of a chip on their shoulder as to actively avoid iTunes.

I am refering more to getting files in and out of the phone. In Android, you just copy those files you want use (thru many methods like usb, wifi, cloud etc) into the phones and open/use them anyway you want. For Iphone, to do such a basic thing is pure torture.

I'm wondering what you mean about a WiFi-only restriction. There are apps you can't update on Android (Towers 'n Trolls, as one example) without being on WiFi. And I've done quite a few things on 3G that strain the connection, like 1080p video uploads.

There are still apps that have (apple imposed) restriction to wifi-only.

On connectivity options, I'd add that there's no uniform guarantees on those anymore. Some of those features are there for the sake of a checklist item: I've used NFC on Android... twice, and both were deliberate experiments with Android Beam in the rare moments I met someone else with an Android 4.0 phone using NFC. Don't overlook AirPlay, either: it's much, much slicker than DLNA or UPnP.

It is better to have the connectivity options that not at all. e.g. I can access any remote network drives from a file explorer in Android and play music/video of it easily. Even if Iphone has those same connectivity options as Android, it will still be crippled due to fact that there are no user accessible file system in iOS.

Airplay is apple-centric and requires a software client unlike DLNA.

[MaddieK]

Android is ok, it's easy to use and there are a lot of free apps available ;P... but somehow I will always be an apple fun

[hellojustinr]

The one thing why I've always liked Apple products is you can always count on them to jailbreak it and circumvent anything you find annoying that you would want borrowed from Android like that AirPlay restriction.

[Aurelian]

I am refering more to getting files in and out of the phone. In Android, you just copy those files you want use (thru many methods like usb, wifi, cloud etc) into the phones and open/use them anyway you want. For Iphone, to do such a basic thing is pure torture.

...

There are still apps that have (apple imposed) restriction to wifi-only.


...

It is better to have the connectivity options that not at all. e.g. I can access any remote network drives from a file explorer in Android and play music/video of it easily. Even if Iphone has those same connectivity options as Android, it will still be crippled due to fact that there are no user accessible file system in iOS.

Airplay is apple-centric and requires a software client unlike DLNA.

I will certainly agree on file swapping. Cloud services make it easier, but I'd ideally have a simple file system. On the Wi-Fi restrictions, however... FaceTime, and that's about it, right? It's not like you're blocked from using Skype on 3G (I've done it).

More importantly, though, I completely disagree with the "better to have the option than not at all." No. It only matters to have features that are meaningful and work well. While I enjoy parts of both platforms, this is something that drives me batty about Android and its OEMs: this almost fetish-like love of beta, half-finished, feature-for-feature's-sake crap. A file system would definitely be handy, but only if it's accessible, consistent and polished.

AirPlay is baked into iOS and, pretty shortly, OS X Mountain Lion. DLNA requires explicit support on its own, and it's not actually built into Android or Windows (companies have to add it after the fact). More importantly, there's a big difference in how they work and how deeply they're integrated. I haven't seen anyone use DLNA to let you play an HTML5 video from the web browser, picking up exactly where you left off. I also haven't seen support that extends much into third-party apps; I can't push Slacker/Spotify/Rdio to a wireless speaker system, for example.

Android@Home was supposed to help sort that out, but Google went completely silent on it after Google I/O last year... I'm not counting on it, and that's a shame.

[Drillbit]

I am refering more to getting files in and out of the phone. In Android, you just copy those files you want use (thru many methods like usb, wifi, cloud etc) into the phones and open/use them anyway you want. For Iphone, to do such a basic thing is pure torture.



There are still apps that have (apple imposed) restriction to wifi-only.




It is better to have the connectivity options that not at all. e.g. I can access any remote network drives from a file explorer in Android and play music/video of it easily. Even if Iphone has those same connectivity options as Android, it will still be crippled due to fact that there are no user accessible file system in iOS.

Airplay is apple-centric and requires a software client unlike DLNA.

I simply hook up my external 500gb hard drive from my laptop to my Acer Iconia A500 tablet. and there I go.

Also, the Clear.fi app on the Acer tablets and notebooks work across each other brilliantly for moving files back and forth across wifi.

[mib1800]

I will certainly agree on file swapping. Cloud services make it easier, but I'd ideally have a simple file system. On the Wi-Fi restrictions, however... FaceTime, and that's about it, right? It's not like you're blocked from using Skype on 3G (I've done it).

More importantly, though, I completely disagree with the "better to have the option than not at all." No. It only matters to have features that are meaningful and work well. While I enjoy parts of both platforms, this is something that drives me batty about Android and its OEMs: this almost fetish-like love of beta, half-finished, feature-for-feature's-sake crap. A file system would definitely be handy, but only if it's accessible, consistent and polished.

What do you mean half-baked? Most of the established connectivity methods like BT file transfer, usb-host/drive, wifi-direct/sharing are all implemented properly in Android ages ago. No matter what excuses you gave for Iphone, it is still ridiculous why all these are absent. The only valid reason is Apple wants to control and lock you into its overly expensive and proprietary eco-system.

NFC chip is in some of the newer Androids waiting for the software side to settle down.

AirPlay is baked into iOS and, pretty shortly, OS X Mountain Lion. DLNA requires explicit support on its own, and it's not actually built into Android or Windows (companies have to add it after the fact). More importantly, there's a big difference in how they work and how deeply they're integrated. I haven't seen anyone use DLNA to let you play an HTML5 video from the web browser, picking up exactly where you left off. I also haven't seen support that extends much into third-party apps; I can't push Slacker/Spotify/Rdio to a wireless speaker system, for example.

Android@Home was supposed to help sort that out, but Google went completely silent on it after Google I/O last year... I'm not counting on it, and that's a shame.

Most newer consumers electronics (tv etc) support DLNA. There are hundreds of millions DLNA enabled devices out there. A lot of Android phones support DLNA so it is an open system. Apple just wants their proprietary Airplay protocol to lock users into its eco-system. If you don't mind paying for over-priced Apple/apple licensed product go ahead be my guest.

[Aurelian]

What do you mean half-baked? Most of the established connectivity methods like BT file transfer, usb-host/drive, wifi-direct/sharing are all implemented properly in Android ages ago. No matter what excuses you gave for Iphone, it is still ridiculous why all these are absent. The only valid reason is Apple wants to control and lock you into its overly expensive and proprietary eco-system.

NFC chip is in some of the newer Androids waiting for the software side to settle down.

File system stuff is basic to implement, but it's also not the easiest to use. I'd add that the lack of a USB host feature is actually a virtue of the file system choices Apple made: it wants one large, contiguous space. That's why the Galaxy Nexus and a few other Android 4.0 phones don't mount except in MTP. The regular Android method makes it easy, but also leads to gigabytes' worth of wasted space. So no, it's not Apple just trying to lock you into an ecosystem.

It's other things. Android Beam and Google Wallet are quintessential examples on Google's part: they work decently on their own, but Google's disregard for actually creating a solid, sustained ecosystem around them means few will ever use them. Wallet may get overwhelmed by a carrier-controlled payment system (ISIS) or even Apple if it goes that route, simply because it couldn't make sure enough people were onboard. Not to mention the legions of one-off gimmick Android phones: Kyocera Echo or Motorola Backflip, anyone?

And then there's Samsung. It manages to take Android Beam and limit it only to its own phones through S Beam -- a company took a universal Android feature and made it proprietary, sabotaging any chance of getting real adoption. Or S Voice... not only is it a blatant Siri knockoff (it makes iOS 5's notifications seem original by comparison), it doesn't even work as well -- it's a hacked up version of Vlingo. S Pen: it's a decent pen system, but still a bit laggy and has terrible support from the developer community.

If you want an example of where Android devs do it right, look at HTC's camera system in the One S and One X. Polished, obviously, but it combines both a special hardware advantage (dedicated image processing) with software that makes it genuinely useful, simple for most, and advanced if you want it to be.

Most newer consumers electronics (tv etc) support DLNA. There are hundreds of millions DLNA enabled devices out there. A lot of Android phones support DLNA so it is an open system. Apple just wants their proprietary Airplay protocol to lock users into its eco-system. If you don't mind paying for over-priced Apple/apple licensed product go ahead be my guest.

Yes, DLNA is ubiquitous, but how many people actually use it? You would, of course, but you're also the kind of person who would post on HowardForums and care deeply about Wi-Fi Direct support, i.e. a very small minority of the population.

Does Apple want you to buy within their ecosystem with AirPlay? You bet, and that's a much better lock-in example. However, it does a lot more than DLNA; you can't do live mirroring, seamless auto-resuming or play that video from a web page directly to your TV.

As for the "overpriced" claim... well, where's the universal, Android-supported equivalent to AirPlay? You can't say something is overpriced when there's no meaningful equivalent to it -- Android@Home has been a no-show since Google I/O last year, and I've already said why DLNA doesn't measure up. And what there is for AirPlay-related gadgets can be considered reasonable: $99 for an Apple TV box that's not only a full media hub but lets me show exactly what's on my screen, run dual-screen aware apps, and share content from many third-party titles.

That's what I'm talking about. As much as I really like some aspects of Android, there's a lot of skim-the-surface stuff where it's either rough or not working to its full potential. Apple may want you living in its own sphere, but most of its ideas are thoroughly considered.

[Doolie]

F

What do you mean half-baked? Most of the established connectivity methods like BT file transfer, usb-host/drive, wifi-direct/sharing are all implemented properly in Android ages ago. No matter what excuses you gave for Iphone, it is still ridiculous why all these are absent. The only valid reason is Apple wants to control and lock you into its overly expensive and proprietary eco-system.

NFC chip is in some of the newer Androids waiting for the software side to settle down.




Most newer consumers electronics (tv etc) support DLNA. There are hundreds of millions DLNA enabled devices out there. A lot of Android phones support DLNA so it is an open system. Apple just wants their proprietary Airplay protocol to lock users into its eco-system. If you don't mind paying for over-priced Apple/apple licensed product go ahead be my guest.

Not all Bluetooth features are allowed or implemented by all carriers consistently with all Android devices. I don't want to have to carry around 10 different Android phones to get the one feature I want at the moment.


NFC is available for I think any current iPhone using a simple NFC embedded case. A whole lot cheaper than having to buy yet another Android phone to get the feature.