I’ve skimmed through the other iPhone threads and they seem a bit dated. I’d like to hear people’s thoughts on the latest & greatest iPhone… pros, cons, would you recommend it or an alternative? What are your favorite apps?
My buddy just purchased one and he had a bubble level app that seemed to work pretty slick. I also really liked the Pandora app where you can plug your phone into your receiver and stream music into it for free, I have the Onkyo 707 with iPod adaptor that will allow this. What other interesting or fun apps are people using? Anything shooter related?
EDIT: Changed thread title to comparison with Droid as well.
I’m actually in the process of upgrading my 6 year old cell phone. I decided to join the 21st century and buy a Droid. I’m avoiding the iPhone for a couple of reasons:
Apple – I don’t really like having to do everything Apple’s way.
AT&T mobile – is pretty bad. I know lots of iPhone people and they are always bitching about their service and coverage.
check out KAC’s app for ballistic calculation. Ive been a BB guy for a few years, but got my wife an iPhone. I have to say, im sold on it. Its web capabilities are superior to anything ive used on a mobile device. I have heard Android has promise. Cant add anything as far as the apps part go. There is much ahead for that phone though. Shopsavvy by Alex Muse sounds pretty neat, it lets you scan upc barcodes with the iPhones camera and then price compares across the web.
I agree with you 100% about the “Apple way” and having to conform to it, it is a slick looking phone though
I’ve been stuck with AT&T for 8 years due to my company’s corporate plan and the only thing I really like about them is their international service, it can’t be beat. I’ve recently changed companies and may be stuck with AT&T again… That being said my friend who just got the iPhone has experienced great results with web browsing and streaming music thus far.
I think you should really pay attention on how you will use it. Meaning that if you are a heavy e-mailer, then a BlackBerry will most likely be a better choice.
If you are a heavy web surfer, then I think the Apple clearly wins.
I run a BB 8830 and LOVE it for e-mail. Surfing the website is not very good, but gets the job done.
I also own an Apple IPOD TOUCH and really like it a lot. So if I am somewhere that has free WI-FI, I just bring it and surf.
The SF shot timer works pretty well I think (in a pinch) and some of the apps available (at no charge) are fantastic I think.
E-mail will most by done from my laptop when traveling. The surfing part is great for when I’m out and about in a different city and want to look up an address or phone number for a restaurant or store I’m trying to find.
My current phone is the latest Blackjack and I’m not too crazy about it… trying to find info on the Droid you guys are mentioning now.
I love my iPhone. It is the first phone I have had that I was completely happy with. That being said, AT&T sucks. And by sucks I mean they F-ing suck! Sure their 3g network is about 10% faster than Verizon, but the actual deployment of that network is so bad it defies explanation. And EDGE is a joke. We are talking ISDN speed here.
The Android based phones are a good alternative if you don’t want AT&T. They have had a few issues but it is still a young platform so that is to be expected. I have played around on a couple phones and while I prefer the iPhone I can’t find anything really bad to say about Android.
From what I have read, the Droid is a close second to the IPHONE in web surfing, but kicks its ass in e-mail capability.
The Google GPS setup in this phone is second to none and will most likely kill a lot of stand alone GPS sales (it is that good).
So if you want a phone that can double as a GPS unit, do e-mail very well and surf the web nearly as well as the IPHONE, then the DROID would be the choice I think.
What draws folks the IPHONE are all the free apps I think.
You should probably get input from somebody who is more tech savvy than I am. I’ll figure out how to do the basic bread and butter stuff pretty quick, but I’m sure that the rest of the phone’s features will mystify me.
I figure it will be a lot like a Rubik’s Cube that I can use to make phone calls and maybe send an e-mail.
I love my iPhone. It is the way phones should work. And Apple’s support is second to none. My GS had the battery die. I made an appt at the Apple Store, walked in and told them the symptoms, and they tried plugging it in and then got me a new phone, said “sign here” and I was walking out the door (figuratively, I was actually in another part of the store looking at replacing my iPhone case) in 10 min.
AT&T works fine unless you are in San Fran, New York, Boston, or a few other really saturated places. I have no problem here in the Salt Lake area and have had no problems when I was in Vegas 2 years ago for the SHOT Show or in Florida or Phoenix or where ever.
Best thing to do is find AT&T customers in your area and see how the service works in your area.
Lots of cool apps.
I do a lot or email and I do not mind the virtual keyboard. It is something you get used to and you have to change the way you type maybe (the auto correct really works well for example). I don’t like physical keyboards on phones – makes them less reliable physically and small keys are a pain to type on anyway so why take up half the phone with a keyboard.
I would have to disagree. The virtual keyboards suck (own both). You are also much slower on them than with a fixed keyboard (like the BB).
When talking about the ease of mobile e-mail, the Blackberry is far superior to the IPHONE. Blackberry was created with business use in mind. Also, when it comes to security on the Blackberry, it’s secure enough for President Obama to use.
As I have said, if you are into playing games on your phone and surfing, the IPHONE has the BB beat for sure. From a strict business point of view, the BB wins.
All depends on who you are and how you type and how you adapt. I have seen people on an iPhone or iPod Touch who are faster than I have seen anyone on a BB. And of course BB people will be much faster on the BB than elsewhere.
IT IS an acquired skill. It takes some time to get used to it and to start trusting the system to correct your mistakes. I got much better once I started trusting the system.
Lots of people like the BB keyboard better. I won’t argue with that. But there are many who now prefer the virtual keyboards.
Final Verdict: Motorola Droid wins the match 8-3 by beating iPhone comprehensively. It has outpunched and outjabbed iPhone to emerge as the winner. However, the score does not present a complete picture as iPhone 3GS was launched much earlier than Droid and still iPhone remains unbeatable on the music and applications front. In other words, Droid’s true strength will be tested when Apple launches the next generation iPhone, sometime probably in next Spring or Autumn. But till then, Droid can rest easy as it has emerged as the champion of champions. For the moment.
Absolutely, just posting what I’m reading to help others going down the same road. From another article:
If you must compare the DROID to the iPhone, then know that the Android platform still has a ways to go before the experience of using the phone is as seamless as the one Apple has created – but also know that Apple has a long way to go before its messaging, email, and customization can match what Google is offering. Both products have very distinct strengths and weaknesses.
We are on T-Mobile for family savings and have the G1 Androids, they now have the G2 out now. Our kids have iPhones. The apps for droid are similar to iPhone. The new droid HTC phones are interesting… I agree with the proprietary apple use, but they may win in the wow factor. What I like about the Android phones is that they interface with Google, gmail, maps and everything else. We sync our contacts, calendars etc from browser to phone. Makes it much easier for these old eyes. You can also access web mail accounts with k-9, so you’re not locked into having a gmail account. The shop savvy is really cool. I’ve saved some $ scanning for price matching. I think I’ve paid for the phone that way. There is also a ballistic app for android.
scans barcodes and find a billion and one places online to buy it. Find almost any sort of product
Fun games
geoDefense
geoDefense Swarm
fun “castle defense” type games that will capture you for hours
Geared – figure out how to lay out ears to power a target gear – puzzle game
Doodle Jump – very simple but addictive game getting your doodle bug to jump up obstacles
lots of cool racing games
various shooting games
I just picked up a driving GPS app that only cost $3. (MotionX GPS Driving or something like that) The “catch” is that you have to subscribe for live turn by turn (it works without live turn by turn for no extra charge). But you can subscribe only when you need it – $2.95 a month or $24.95 a year
If you have iTunes go to the app store and look around
