OT: Droid Vs iPhone

[mooseheadm5]

No thanks. I don't really like Apple, iTunes, or the locked down App store. It is a great device for many, but not people like me. That, and I don't want AT&T's fewer bars in more places.

[Nanajoth]

If you want to have a much broader range of options on your Droid you need to go root. It allows overclocking/underclocking for battery life and performance along with a much larger range of apps and custom firmware. I did it on my droid eris and it makes functionality nearly unlimited. You can also use your phone as a wireless hot spot with root access, or a usb modem.

Edit: It will invalidate your warranty, but you would have to be a tard to ruin your phone, it takes alot of work to screw up root access

[mooseheadm5]

I was reading a little about rooting the droid, and I am on board. Rooting, BTW, is Aussi slang for intercourse, so I think it amusing to use that term, since in OZ it would mean your phone is fucked.

[Nanajoth]

The best way to go for the Moto droid is the Cyanogen mod. It has the strongest support group and unlocks all of the phones capabilities.
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php/M ... ogenMod.3F
It allows you to put in all sorts of tweaks to get your phone running the way you want it to.

[wkohler]

I'm happy with mine just the way it is.

[mooseheadm5]

I'm happy with mine just the way it is.

Except that you can't initiate a call over bluetooth.

I can never leave anything stock, so I will definitely customize mine.

[wkohler]

If they never fix it, it wont be the end of the world. Good phone otherwise.

[mooseheadm5]

If they never fix it, it wont be the end of the world. Good phone otherwise.

That is pretty much what I wanted to know. I will try to address the issue on my phone, but I do my best to not ever talk on the phone while I drive. I drive while I drive.

[Avec]

Someone earlier mentioned the Palm Pre, and I second that. I have had mine for almost a year, and I think it is fantastic. In addition to the numerous official and unofficial apps, the OS is able to run multiple apps simultaneously, seamlessly switching through up to seven open applications. In addition to great internet reception, the Pre is capable of both tethering to a computer via data cable to allow the computer to use the Pre's internet, or the Pre can become its own internet hotspot, broadcasting a signal for wireless internet access on other machines.

It has it's own set of issues such as odd ways of switching between calls, or even with various safeguards to prevent 'butt-dialing', it still manages to. Actually, other than the phone features, it is very functional. For those with gmail, it integrates very well with all gmail features.

[Joe in FL]

Kohler,

Settings > Language & Keyboard Settings > Android Keyboard, then uncheck voice input.

The comma returns.

[pridE28]

Verizon Droid Incredible, Sprint HTC EVO 4g or Samsung Galaxy S (unconfirmed network, likely all major ones)
Android OS officially has more of the market than iPhone OS (it just passed it and is second only to Blackberry OS) and because of its multi-carrier consumer base it will have more to offer app wise in the future. The standard droid is also good but still runs the old version of Android OS and wont get an update until Q3-4 this year.

[mooseheadm5]

The droid is now running android 2.1, like the Incredible. I am not getting the HTC mostly due to price, but I do like it. At the price I can get the regular droids for, I will happily pocket the other $380 to go toward the increased phone bills.

[pridE28]

The droid is now running android 2.1, like the Incredible. I am not getting the HTC mostly due to price, but I do like it. At the price I can get the regular droids for, I will happily pocket the other $380 to go toward the increased phone bills.

ah your right i was thinking older android devices, i would still take the droid 10 times out of 10 to an iphone. though if you plan on keeping it a while you would benefit from the newest device in their lineup. that way you are less likely to want to replace it in the future. Especially with the new snapdragon processors in the newer devices.

[wkohler]

The HTC phones don't seem to hold up well, at least according to people who have them. YMMV.

[ChefShawn]

you want a Droid for the simple fact that you can remove the battery (and reload the phone easily) AND there is a physical keyboard, I have had both phones for an extensive period of time and they are almost equal, and to anyone who says the droid does not have enough apps well, you didnt look hard enough and sooo many are free. the iphone charges you for every little one.

[desmofan]

Considering going with one of the two, and the fact that i have huge hamhands makes me want to not get a touch screen phone. Anyone out there have either of these and care to render an opinion?

I have had a Droid since November of last year and love it. I do still have issues sometimes when typing, as I hit the wrong key. The Auto-complete helps a LOT, but it is still sometimes a pain. My wife just (last night) got an iPhone from her company, and I was setting it up for her. The screen on the Droid is "bigger", but only because it is longer. It is either narrower, or they do not use the width as efficiently, because I have not had any issues typing on the iPhone. I would recommend a Droid over an iPhone, except for the typing issue, and since you made that a key concern, you may be happier with the iPhone, as much as it pains em to say that.

[Nanajoth]

The HTC phones don't seem to hold up well, at least according to people who have them. YMMV.

I have an HTC Droid Eris and it has been a great phone, the screen is quite scratch resistant and I have dropped it a few times and is still holding up well. I went with the HTC one over the Motorola Droid due to my last phone being a Moto RIZR and it literally came apart on me.

[C.R. Krieger]

Someone earlier mentioned the Palm Pre, and I second that. I have had mine for almost a year, and I think it is fantastic. In addition to the numerous official and unofficial apps, the OS is able to run multiple apps simultaneously, seamlessly switching through up to seven open applications. In addition to great internet reception, the Pre is capable of both tethering to a computer via data cable to allow the computer to use the Pre's internet, or the Pre can become its own internet hotspot, broadcasting a signal for wireless internet access on other machines.

That is the Pre Plus from Verizon. The Pre from Sprint cannot be tethered without rooting - and you run the risk of violating your Sprint contract on data usage if you do. While I was excited about the possibility, I wouldn't really use that capability all that much. WebOS is an excellent browser and my data plan is unlimited. The thing I kind of wish I did have is the 16 Gb memory of the Plus instead of the 8 Gb I have on my Pre. I have a lot of music loaded on it.

It has it's own set of issues such as odd ways of switching between calls, or even with various safeguards to prevent 'butt-dialing', it still manages to. Actually, other than the phone features, it is very functional. For those with gmail, it integrates very well with all gmail features.

It does. I got it because of my 'legacy' Palm software experience. I've carried a Palm of one kind or another for about a decade now and I was used to Desktop. Imagine my surprise when I found out the Pre doesn't use it. It doesn't have a dedicated calendar; it uses your Google/Gmail calendar. Now that I'm used to it, I see the big advantages. I make changes from anywhere and my office has them immediately - and vice versa. I import my daughter's calendar into mine and her appointments show up in another color. If the phone and/or my computer crashes, I haven't lost anything! My wife isn't quite up to speed on this stuff yet. Maybe in another decade ...

The Pre also 'hoovers' all your contacts from everywhere you let it look. So I found old Yahoo contacts as well as my newly-exported Google contacts and all my Facebook contacts! It will display a picture for any that have them as part of their profile and it will allow you to link or unlink or delete contacts as you choose. I had to link quite a few that were slightly different to narrow down the sheer numbers. Then I had to unlink one from me - because my dad was also listed as "C.R.". Again, if all your gadgets go Tango Upsilon, you haven't lost anything. It's all out there on Tha Intarwebz.

There's a multitude of 'toy' apps including the seismometer (separable axes; can you say "g Analyst"?), bubble level, 'rolling ball' accelerometer games, and all kinds of other crap for which I've paid almost nothing so far. There's non-iTunes-linked music galore plus a bunch of internet radio streams I can listen to. The previous software didn't allow video or sound recording but the latest update unlocked that capability, adding it to the pretty decent camera (with LED flash).

It works well enough to replace my old iQue GPS for most navigation purposes and there are several free apps, including voice guided instructions (Sprint Navigator is preloaded), for that alone.

I've replaced it once (the first one had a microphone failure) but generally, I've been quite satisfied with it. I mean, having a smartphone that can't function as a phone is really pretty minor in the overall scheme of things, isn't it?

[Tammer in Philly]

you want a Droid for the simple fact that you can remove the battery (and reload the phone easily) AND there is a physical keyboard,

I only know of one Droid user who used the hard keyboard after the first month of ownership. The soft keys on the Droid or iPhone are very easy to use, very quick to learn, and the hard setup is redundant and unnecessary. It just adds to the bulk of the phone. Comparing soft keyboards, the iPhone's is better IMO.

The iPhone battery replacement issue is valid, but I don't know of too many complaints. At 18 months of use, mine still gives good service life even with extensive use through the day. I do carry a charger in my bag and keep one at home, which is necessary if I'm going from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. of "normal" use (some phone calls, some web browsing, music most of the day, lots of texting these days--that keeps the screen on a lot and burns up battery). It usually starts needing a charge around 8-10 p.m. Battery life starts to suck if you use the GPS a lot, so if I'm on a long drive and using the navigation, I'll try to plug in the phone at least periodically. This is when having a hard-wired radar detector is useful.

I have had both phones for an extensive period of time and they are almost equal, and to anyone who says the droid does not have enough apps well, you didnt look hard enough and sooo many are free. the iphone charges you for every little one.

Bullshit; I've got dozens of apps and have paid for fewer than 10. I've only purchased one that cost more than $2. I think my total app expenditure is <$20.

As of the last quarter, Android phones now outnumber iPhones in the market. Of course, that's partially because there are multiple Android phones available on every carrier. AT&T is the biggest reason not to get an iPhone; the device itself is still pretty incredible even after being in the market for a few years. The 4th-gen one looks very appealing and I'm looking forward to upgrading next year when my plan allows the discount. The "smart" way to buy Apple products is similar to my MO for purchasing BMW products: avoid the first generation of any new product, and don't upgrade every time they release something new. Every other version gets you more bang for the buck. The 3G was worth waiting for over the EDGE phone, and the 4G or whatever it will be called will be worth the wait over the 3GS (which isn't enough of an improvement over the 3G to be worthwhile).

-tammer

[nnarth212]

Matter of preference.

Apple: do what your told-- get used to it.

Jobs is about the "experience" and image of Apple. Cult.

Droid: do what you want-- more complicated. You define the user experience, not Apple.

[Tammer in Philly]

Matter of preference.

Apple: do what your told-- get used to it.

Jobs is about the "experience" and image of Apple. Cult.

Droid: do what you want-- more complicated. You define the user experience, not Apple.

Jailbreak.

-tammer

[mooseheadm5]

You can, of course, jailbreak and iphone, but they keep doing stuff to screw over anyone that does that. I prefer PC to Apple, and will probably prefer the android OS to iphone for the same reasons. Hell, if I had more time and brainpower, I'd go linux on my computer, too. I like open source. It is freedom. It requires more work, but such is the price of freedom.

[nnarth212]

The term 'jailbreak' is apt. You are treated as a criminal-- at any time your hard won iPhone freedom can be taken away.

Apple-- great, awful, depending on your tastes. If your tastes are expensive-- go with the Fruit.

[Rich Euro M5]

you want a Droid for the simple fact that you can remove the battery (and reload the phone easily) AND there is a physical keyboard,

I only know of one Droid user who used the hard keyboard after the first month of ownership. The soft keys on the Droid or iPhone are very easy to use, very quick to learn, and the hard setup is redundant and unnecessary. It just adds to the bulk of the phone. Comparing soft keyboards, the iPhone's is better IMO.

-tammer

I have a Droid and I use both keyboards. It depends on what I'm doing. When surfing MyE28 I have the phone in landscape mode and use the keyboard. If I'm doing simple tasks that don't require being in landscape mode I use the on-screen soft keys.

My daughter has an iPhone and now wishes she had gone with the HTC Eris. It's the AT&T experience she doesn't like. She did jailbreak on day two of iPhone ownership.

Rich

[C.R. Krieger]

The term 'jailbreak' is apt. You are treated as a criminal-- at any time your hard won iPhone freedom can be taken away.

Apple-- great, awful, depending on your tastes. If your tastes are expensive-- go with the Fruit.

[nnarth212]

[Nanajoth]

HTC is bumping the Droid Eris up to 2.1 today, and the Hero along with every other 1.5 phone will follow suit.

[nnarth212]

I just remembered--- I HATE APPLE.

I forget that sometimes. </rant>