iPhone or Android?

[ricktas]

As some members would know, a few months ago I got rid of my iPhone (having had one since version 1 - bought it in the USA), and swapped to Android based Samsung Galaxy S2. One of the reasons was I was sick of being ripped of by Apple everytime I wanted to buy an App.

A good example is The Photographers Ephemeris

On iTunes for purchase with your iPhone or iPad it costs $8.99 whilst via Android Market it is $4.81

Having been a past Apple user, I really do not understand how Apple is going to survive long term, when Android is offering the same stuff at reduced prices. If Apple is not careful, it could go the way of Kodak

[agb]

Free for the desktop and you have to pay $8.99 from Apple. Does not seem right.

[MarkChap]

I am in 2 minds at the moment, had an iPhone, went to Android, but now having doubts.
There are a few things that interest me that are only available on iPhone, mainly some of Scott Kelby's stuff, they only do iPhone/iPad apps, but that is the only stuff that I wish I could get, so probably won't be enough to switch back

[Cyza]

Android might make more from the app store than apple does, but you have to remember apples produces handsets as well as own the market, they make hundreds of millions from the handsets so even if they lose a couple million dollars due to people buying things on the android market place they won't be worried.

I can't see apple becoming like kodak ever really.

[etherial]

Android is growing very fast and will be the dominant force in smartphones in the not too distant future. Apple have made great products and set the bar high, but they are greedy and will push developers, companies and customers away.

Android all the way for me!

[Tommo1965]

I too just got a android Phone, also a Galaxy S2..all I can say is wow...its so good to be able to leave Itunes behind and apple formats....now I can load up divx shows straight from Windows explorer ...also the "all share" app is amazing..the other night I was streaming a hi res show from the phone to a TV..and watching a show from a NAS on the phone..all this over a wireless N network..I was amazed ... obviously its not just the android OS..but it all part of the package....plus the Galaxy S2 is quite a piece of hardware...FLASH is back..

as far as apps go...there are many more free apps on the Android market place that I would have been buying in the apple app store ....I almost went for a Iphone 4s..as I was upgrading from a 3Gs..so glad I read some reviews and didnt follow the flock...

[Boo53]

Apple presumably wont go the way of Kodak, that leason has been learned, one hopes.

I went to Android 10 months ago and don't think I would go back. I haven't found anything I really want that isn't available in market.

My wife decided she wanted to upgrade her phone to a smart phone so we went off to a Telstra shop in Shepparton. In the end it took about 2 hours for her to decide which one she wanted (me - had to have the blue tick, her - colour, size, etc; ). In that time it seemed that the androids were being signed up at about twice the rate of iphones

[ricktas]

Android might make more from the app store than apple does, but you have to remember apples produces handsets as well as own the market, they make hundreds of millions from the handsets so even if they lose a couple million dollars due to people buying things on the android market place they won't be worried.

I can't see apple becoming like kodak ever really.

But the point is people are getting rid of their Apple products, simply cause of the amounts they are being charged for Apps etc. So Yes Apple make the handsets, but if people stop buying those handsets etc, then they are going to feel it.

I agree they make great products, but the market is leapfrogging over them at present and they may just find they are the follower, not the leader in the next year or two, unless they react to the market forces and rework their iTunes AppStore into a more cost competitive model.

Even the comments in this thread from those who are using/converted to Android products shows that Apple have a fight on their hands. Their domination may soon be threatened and they may not know how to deal with that, cause its been a long time since anyone competed with Apple at their own game, and beat them.

[peterb666]

Free for the desktop and you have to pay $8.99 from Apple. Does not seem right.

The reason for TPE being free on the PC is to to with the licencing agreement for the use of Google maps. I believe they can use Google mapping for free if they don't charge for the product but it costs and arm and a let for PC licencing for commercial software. Different licencing arrangements in the other platforms.

[peterb666]

I got a Samsung Galaxy S II early on it its life. I like the large screen and was wary of the iPhone as no provision of external memory. I have all my old MP3 player songs and a lot of my "show" photos on a Micro SD card in the Samsung.

Will be downloading TPE very soon now that I know it is available for Android.

[Old Skool]

I have an Android phone but wish the hardware accessories abound like those for the IPhone. I would love a charging dock / alarm radio setup, many manufacturers make them, but only for an IPhone. That's where Apple has it sew up.

[peterb666]

I have an Android phone but wish the hardware accessories abound like those for the IPhone. I would love a charging dock / alarm radio setup, many manufacturers make them, but only for an IPhone. That's where Apple has it sew up.

Agree.

[etherial]

Russell is right. Apple have done one thing right in regards to have a consistent dock format that manufacturers can work with. Android is a bit all over the place with connectivity and handset design so accessories are harder to get and have less variety.

I also think that the cross section of the community posting here are likely to be a little more demanding of their tech. Apple have an advantage when marketing to the mass consumers, their product is simple and it does what it does very well (with the exception of iTunes :p)

Apple will have a market for a long while yet I reckon.

[Cyza]

With my post earlier I wasn't saying I preferred apple, I too will be purchasing an android smart phone (Sony Experia ARC)
I think that tech savvy people like most people on this site (after all we all have pretty darn expensive electronics) will choose android phones as they understand that android phones compete and in some cases beat the latest iPhones. The truth is however most people don't know squat about phones and simple get iPhones because it's the stylish cool phone to get that everyone else has.

Heaps of my friends have the iPhone 4S and will upgrade it when the new one comes out despite the fact they do nothing but call, text, listen to music and play angry birds on it.

[farmer_rob]

...
Even the comments in this thread from those who are using/converted to Android products shows that Apple have a fight on their hands. Their domination may soon be threatened and they may not know how to deal with that, cause its been a long time since anyone competed with Apple at their own game, and beat them.

Android is already dominant, and has been for some time. However, I think you'll find Apple will be around for a while.

From US figures over the past 3 months to november, Android is the top smartphone OS (46.9%) with iOS second (28.7%). Bothe increased market share since august at the expense of Nokia, Microsoft and RIM. (ref macrumors (http://www.macrumors.com/)).

FWIW, I currently do not have a smartphone, but if/when I go, it will be an iPhone. I like the simplicity and consistency. For the $40 I'd spend on apps (based on iPad usage), app store prices are not really an issue.

[Invictus]

Another Android user here.
On a slightly different angle: Due to licensing issues, shared devices in corporate/education environments require more purchases (ie: Per App, per device). There would be some regaining of App sales due to those requirements.

If / When, Apple decide to allow a better structure for licensing and device management, I'll be much happier. (I'm not holding my breath!)

[Boo53]

FWIW, I currently do not have a smartphone, but if/when I go, it will be an iPhone. I like the simplicity and consistency. For the $40 I'd spend on apps (based on iPad usage), app store prices are not really an issue.

Rob

It doesn't appear that apps/tunes cost is the only price issue.

From what I could see yesterday in Shep the cost for a 16gb Iphone with exactly the same "calls included" and other add ins was $15-30/month more than the cost for exactly the same level of service on my wifes Motorola.

[arthurking83]

The real issue is that the people aren't buying the iPhone, the phone companies are!
Large US based telco's have been buying en masse(in the order of 30million or so) under contracts to get in early for an expected rush of customers wanting Apple products.

Apple still have the contracts to survive unless the market turns badly for them in a rapid manner(highly unlikely) and the telco's go out of business by way of mis reading how the market is going.

If telco A has 30million iPhones that nobody wants, and telco B has the galaxy that everyone now wants, then telco B is going to profit and telco A has to readjust to the market demand(making a large loss in the mean time.

Apple will survive for a while yet, but will most probably change course(drop prices) as the market dictates.

[Don1970]

I am a Galaxy SII user - very happy with the android system. Great phone, aside from its poor reception once away from town (put a patch lead in to external aerial though, and now has better range than the old nokia car kit).
I was led to believe that one advantage of the apple apps is that they are not as prone to hacking/viruses as the android apps. Is this correct?

[peterb666]

Probably an important consideration before choosing a phone...

http://youtu.be/_S8sxpK4_iA

[Ang]

I went the Galaxy S i9000 after weighing up between that & iPhone. Love my Galaxy, but I want an S2 now (flash camera!).
I haven't used iTunes in a while (I have a Nano), but have heard that prices are getting exxy, so people aren't paying. It'll be interesting to see if they listen & reduce their prices...

[MiniFighter]

I have had the Iphone 4 since it came out, going from an older windows mobile. Love it, cant fault it. Best phone IMO

My wife has a Galaxy and speaking bluntly, its crap. Battery life is shocking and reception even worse.

I also read somewhere (as mentioned above) about the hacking difficulty of apple based apps/products.

[Bennymiata]

Parsonally, I'm a bit anti-Apple.
From the way they work, they want to control every facet of what you do and how you do it, like the i-Tunes store.

I'm very happy with my HTC Desire (even though it is a couple of years old now), but I much prefer to be able to plug it into my PC and download what I want for free, rather than having to pay Apple for my music.
I also like that I can have various memory cards to put into it to store photos and such.
If I want to watch a movie, I'll get a Blue-Ray Disk and watch it on my TV set, as watching from a phone is useless, as far as I'm concerned and I'm the type who only watches a movie once anyway.
I do have Foxtel on my phone though, as it's good to catch up with the news when you're on the toilet at work. :D

[ricktas]

I went the Galaxy S i9000 after weighing up between that & iPhone. Love my Galaxy, but I want an S2 now (flash camera!).
I haven't used iTunes in a while (I have a Nano), but have heard that prices are getting exxy, so people aren't paying. It'll be interesting to see if they listen & reduce their prices...

Not sure about the i9000, but with the S2, download 'kies' from the samsung site and you can link it to your iTunes library and have access to all your songs, movies on the Samsung.

[ricktas]

My wife has a Galaxy and speaking bluntly, its crap. Battery life is shocking and reception even worse.



Download the App "Juice defender" and set it up, it will extend the battery life amazingly.

[ashbox]

i was with andriod, now with apple...
there are a few things i miss about the android setup, but am still happy with the move...
i dont really buy much in the way of apps so it doesn't bother me.
one thing i do think apple should be wary of is the use of bluetooth etc.....
i like to share my stuff if i can, and only allowing iphone to iphone/pad bluetooth is a bit stupod

[simonw]

Too many people buy apple just because its... Apple. Photographers are pretty guilty of this! You can get a pc with 16gig of ram, solid state drives, much faster processor for the same price as the basic mac desktop. Apple has an amazing ability to lock people in for life. Many people wont even look at the PC (or android) alternative.

I currently have the iphone 4, upgraded from iphone 3 but will be shopping around when it is time to upgrade again, I know a few others in the same boat

[Xenedis]

I've had mobile phones since 1996.

I had only Nokia phones until 2009, when I switched to the Apple iPhone.

I started with the 3GS, and recently upgraded to the 4S.

Since moving to the iPhone, I cannot say I've looked back, nor felt inspired to look at anyone else's offerings.

I like the hardware and the software (even if some of the phone's capability is hidden or locked away), the simplicity of the interface, and interoperability with other devices, including my car's sound system.

I'm running 100% Apple hardware, having moved to a MacBook Pro in 2009 after 17 years of DOS and Windows, and having recently acquired a free iPad 2.

[cupic]

Download the App "Juice defender" and set it up, it will extend the battery life amazingly.
I can vouch for that nearly 4 days on single charge Xperia Arc occasion usage while hard core usage is 2 days
cheers

[seastorm]

I don't have a problem with Apple stuff. The main things for me is the ease of use and the ecosystem. I suppose I'm technologically savvy (working in an IT company helps), but I don't really want to waste my time tweaking hardware and software....

[peterb666]

Download the App "Juice defender" and set it up, it will extend the battery life amazingly.

Agree. My Samsung Galaxy S II now goes overnight about 7 hours using only about 5% battery power. That's about a 50% improvement and it is a fairly improvement across all usage. Just using the free version and I am impressed.

[AmyK]

I've got a HTC Desire S for my phone, after having an iPhone 3 for nearly two years. I really like the Android system for phone, however I have an iPad, because I don't like any of the Android tablets [Moto Xoom etc.], and I didn't want to wait for the Galaxy 10.1 tablet :P

As far as computers go, I have an iMac, and three PC's, so I'm not really 'loyal' to anything.

Am looking at swapping my Desire S for a Galaxy 2 very soon, as I got one for Mark, and I'm very impressed by the phone, and he won't swap :P

There is some brands that I don't like their little tweaks to the Android platform. Not a fan of the Sony Ericsson androids or the Motorola ones. Just personal preference :)

ETA: What happened to my post count?? I used to have roughly 2000 posts???

[ricktas]

ETA: What happened to my post count?? I used to have roughly 2000 posts???

We did a clean-up and archived a heap of old threads and posts that have not been accessed for years. When we did that, the software recalculated everyone's post count.

[ving]

apple stuff is more like a religion than anything else. users swear by it and only buy apple stuff... its weird. and it nearly always cost more. :confused013

anyhow i got myself a HTC incredible S and it does everything i want and then some. I cont complain really. I can get almost a whole day geocaching out of it :)

[soulman]

From the way [Apple] work, they want to control every facet of what you do and how you do it, like the i-Tunes store...

...I much prefer to be able to plug it into my PC and download what I want for free, rather than having to pay Apple for my music.Apple doesn't stop you stealing music if that's what you're into mate and the money mainly goes to the record companies anyway. :) I have only ever bought one song from iTunes but my iPod is full of stuff I've ripped from my own CDs and which could easily have been downloaded from the internet.


Download the App "Juice defender" and set it up, it will extend the battery life amazingly.This sums up one of the big differences between iOS and Android devices for me. I would rather buy something that has had whatever "Juice Defender" does applied to it already. I have more than enough technical skill to use something like this, but I don't like having to tweak my phone to get it to work well. I want a phone that has been optimised by the (hopefully smart) people who designed it so that I don't have to worry about it.

I know there are other manufacturers, but I have had enough Samsung gear to know I never want any more of it. They put out stuff that is just not well sorted and I find that really frustrating. I have a Samsung TV & BD player and you would think that they would be well integrated but they are so bad it's laughable. Really third rate stuff and what I have was not cheap. The TV crashes, the BD player has to be rebooted every now and then because it just won't output sound sometimes and the way they work together is shockingly amateurish. I'm sure they'll improve once Apple releases TVs though. ;)

I've never noticed apps being more expensive on iTunes and have no idea how widespread it is, but if that's what it costs to have a phone that's designed by the people at the top of their game then I don't really mind paying it. From what I hear, iOS is the platform that developers make money on - iOS users actually buy stuff, whereas Android users tend to want everything free so it's harder to make a quid there. I don't think Apple are about to sink into the ocean just yet.

I also much prefer the walled garden approach taken by Apple. Much less likely to get malware this way and it hopefully means less dross to search through. I guess some people would be happy to take the time to look through a gallery that anyone can submit art to, but I'd much rather a well curated show and that seems to be the whole idea of the App Store. I also like having a 2 year old phone that gets software updates that don't depend on my carrier or anyone else. It was a good phone when I bought it, but it's even better now and that's pretty cool. Not a that many Android phones get updates & those that do seem to have to wait for ages. Apple's tight control policy has all sorts of upsides for users.

[ricktas]

Not a that many Android phones get updates & those that do seem to have to wait for ages. Apple's tight control policy has all sorts of upsides for users.

Not sure about others, but mine has had 2 OS updates since I have had it, and Samsung have announced that by around the end of January, it will get the new Android OS (V4), via downloadable update.

I do get why people like Apple, but I certainly am amazed at how many just get the latest Apple gear without considering other options.

[dbax]

apple stuff is more like a religion than anything else. users swear by it and only buy apple stuff... its weird. and it nearly always cost more. :confused013

anyhow i got myself a HTC incredible S and it does everything i want and then some. I cont complain really. I can get almost a whole day geocaching out of it :)


Yep HTC Incredible S for me as well, love it !!

[junqbox]

I'll stick with the iPhone thanks.

Apple has always been a 'minor' player in these realms, including PC's (they regualrly only held about 5-10% of the worlds PC ownership). But it's also notable that during those days, it was roughly estimated that 90% of the worlds websites were produced on a Mac and viewed with a Windoze machine.
It's also notable, plenty of others tried to take them on against the iPod (Zune anyone?) what most of them failed to appreciate, the iPod was spun out of the rest of the Apple OS, including iTunes. Ie- it was the tool which enabled Apple users to take the brand into their pocket.

I don't suspect Apple is focusing all of their efforts on how to make a slightly better phone, but rather how can they continue to develop new products that continue to broaden the overall experience through multi-devices, thereby strengthening their 'integrated' systems, opposed to multi-platform/OS solutions- Windoze computer, Android phone, etc., etc.

[soulman]

Not sure about others, but mine has had 2 OS updates since I have had it, and Samsung have announced that by around the end of January, it will get the new Android OS (V4), via downloadable update.

I do get why people like Apple, but I certainly am amazed at how many just get the latest Apple gear without considering other options.I'm still on my first iPhone & I'm not sure what I'll do when it's time to replace it. The 4S doesn't really excite me, but I can't see myself buying anything else from Samsung and don't really want to waste hours researching all the Android phones I could choose from when I have no complaints about Apple's product.

What will probably push me toward another iPhone is the fact that nobody seemed to be able to make a useable smartphone before Apple and it seems only fair to support the people who put the hard work into it in the first place. I know some people say that Android has leapfrogged iOS, but I haven't seen anything that makes me think there's any real innovation going on there. Windows Mobile looks interesting and at least it's original, but not quite exciting enough to make me switch. The other thing I don't like about Android is the fact that when I buy an iPhone I am Apple's customer, whereas when I buy an Android phone I am Google's product. Google aren't giving Android away because they're a bunch of cool guys who support anything warm & fuzzy like openness, they're giving it away because it gives them better access to you, which gives their customers - advertisers - more value. Google are actually pretty creepy I reckon.

Good that the SII is getting an OS update, but it looks like Galaxy S owners won't be so lucky (http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-will-not-upgrade-galaxy-s-phones-2012-1).

[LJG]

I have an LG Android. After I got thoroughly pinged off with it I had my old Nokia 6500 slide put in and repaired. The LG then sat in a drawer gathering dust! My Nokia has again failed and I have resurrected the LG again. I've had a out a week and already going to see if my old Nokia can be fixed again. Talk about hard to use. The stupid screen does not respond half the time, then when it does it opens up anything but the thing you want. I have used my sons iPhone 4 and it is streets ahead of the LG for user ease. I have had it in and had the latest updatewear put in but no luck, still as awkward as ever.

[Tommo1965]

broke my Galaxy S2....early life failure they called it ..now on my second one!,,hope it lasts longer than the first :eek:

[jev]

I got myself an HTC Sensation XL to replace my old HTC Hero. It's a great phone and the software is good enough.

There are two things I see as a plus for Apple: the completeness of the eco-system and the ability to pay using other ways than just credit card. The iTunes store (even though the software isn't my cup of tea) just is great and even though google announced google music I've yet to see it'll be filled like Apple's store.

For the moment though I'm quite happy with Android, even though the tablet I've got doesn't cut it like an iPad would.

[ving]

for those out there using an android fone you may have noticed FB laging terribly lately. the cause is the latest update (or rather latest 2). my recommendations is to uninstall the updates till the next one comes out... much faster and more reliable.

[KeeFy]

I have to agree that Apple rips people off. Considering it's such a multi billion dollar company, did you know that Apple does not contribute back to society? No donations, no charity, no philanthropy. It was quite shocking when i read an article on it and i believe it stems from Steve Jobs being a tight arse. He is a great visonary and all but he's one person i'd never want to work for.

Anyway back to the point. These days you really can't go wrong with WP7, Android or iOS. They have come a really long way and i'd reckon as long as it suits your needs, why not? I got a iphone 4 (never had an iphone) purely because it was cheap. If not i would have gone with a S2. Apple has become too much of a cult and Apple uses the ipod touch as a stepping stone for students. They give a free itouch for students when they buy a laptop so that they can ease them to the iphone in the future. All part of the marketing strategy. A good one at that!

Eventually all tech giants will meet a new foe. Motorola did, Ericsson Did, Nokia did, Microsoft did, Apple will too.

I remember the days of my first cellphone, Motorola microtac with the huge credit card sized simcard and pathetic battery life. Oh how we have progressed in technology.

[mistletoe]

Loads of great phones out there and quad core phones on the horizon. Me, I'm an android user: Galaxy S2. Why? The screen!!! Plus, being a developer I can't be bothered leaping through hoops and paying apple just for the privilege of developing an app for them and then paying them again to distribute an app when I can develop and distribute apps on Android for free.

I think iOS will go the way of Blackberry. Business people will use iOS and general consumers will use Android.

I also think that apps will be developed first on Android and then later ported to iOS.

That said, the iPhones themselves are top notch, its just the company that sucks.

[Speedway]

I am like a lot of others and use my mobile for phone calls (I rarely use text messaging, preferring to talk). My cameras are for photos, my CD player is for music, my DVD player is for movies and my computer is for most other things. So all I want is a phone everything else is wasted.
Keith.
See photo for collection, I had 3 bricks the one on the left all digital + a few I could not find. The phones all still worked but batteries were not available or prohibitively priced.


84149

[remin]

iPhone for a phone, Android for a tablet. Best of both worlds :)

[soulman]

Considering it's such a multi billion dollar company, did you know that Apple does not contribute back to society? No donations, no charity, no philanthropy. It was quite shocking when i read an article on it and i believe it stems from Steve Jobs being a tight arse.From what I can gather, Jobs didn't think all that much of public philanthropy, but who knows what he did in private? I know some people prefer it this way. His wife is and has for some years been largely involved with philanthropy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurene_Powell_Jobs#Philanthropy) and Jobs signed Apple up for the Product(RED) campaign (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/09/02/u2_singer_bono_praises_philanthropy_of_apples_steve_jobs.html), which funds programs for women & children affected by AIDS in Africa. Bono has been quoted as saying that "Apple has been the largest contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS" so I'm guessing a few bucks have changed hands there. Apple's current CEO, Tim Cook, is obviously a much bigger fan of doing it in public though and Apple started a charitable matching program (http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/08/apple-institutes-new-charitable-matching-program-for-employees/) in September last year.

I think Apple are also pretty concerned with ensuring their factories do the right thing by their workers (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/01/13/apple_ceo_tim_cook_e_mails_employees_about_dramatic_improvements_in_supplier_hirings_.html) too. I wonder how well Samsung do with this kind of stuff? You never hear much about their record, but it doesn't look like they're a member of the Fair Labour Association (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/01/13/apple_is_first_technology_company_to_join_to_fair_labor_association_.html).

[KeeFy]

It's pretty obvious that you're somewhat of a fanboy toward Apple and these facts whilst refreshing is not much.

1. Red campaign was supported due to Bono and is not real philanthropy. Making use of "awareness" to promote their product sales is not the same as outright giving.
2. Wife has is irrelevant to jobs. Her beliefs and what she does with her time does not reflect Job's beliefs, much less Apple's corporate beliefs.
3. Factories issues were taken as "priority" due to public outcry. I used to live near the Chengdu Foxconn plant and have spoken to some of the workers/managers. Everytime the corporate people come down, a show is put on and lots of $$ splurged on the Apple staff. Straight out from a manager's mouth. Regardless, working conditions are still bad. It's all about the bottom line for these corporate companies.
4. Fair Labour Association was joined to appease the public and gain confidence so that people will still buy their items after. Samsung has it's own fair share of factory deaths and so forth. Only difference is there is less media coverage over such stuff vs apple.
5. Samsung has been doing corporate philanthropy for many years now, as with many many other companies. If you've not noticed over the years, probably you have apple eyes.

[jamesyu]

I also use Samsung Galaxy II too.
I love it .

[arthurking83]

i'm currently sending this reply from my GalaxySII for this one time. the phone and OS all seem to work ok, but there were some annoyances that i had to sort through. First up was trying to get all my contacts from the old phone into this SII. stupid thing was that my old phone was also a samsung (jets8003) which uses a proprietary Samsung OS, but there was no easy way to migrate from one phone to the other!
You'd think Samsung would provide an easy upgrade path... but of course they don't. in the end i thought i'd lose the formatting of my contacts in the old samsung phone, but in doing a Bt transfer from phone to phone, it worked flawlessly.
the issue is the Samsung Kies software's inability to support any other format other than their own .spb format.
No csv, xls, txt, doc, pst, nothing!... other than this useless .spb format.

anyhow, apart from this headache the phone and most features work well..... would never use the camera for any semi important uses though... same with an iPhone camera either! even a cheapie camera will provide better IQ.
HTC desire also looks good from the brief play i had with my sis's the other day. much the same as the Galaxy SII really.
But then again this is my first smart phone, where the samsung jet is more of a dumb drone... all apps were slow molasses based java apps that ran at glacial pace.
so really this is my first intro into smart phoning.... looks good!

[ricktas]

i'm currently sending this reply from my GalaxySII for this one time. the phone and OS all seem to work ok, but there were some annoyances that i had to sort through. First up was trying to get all my contacts from the old phone into this SII. stupid thing was that my old phone was also a samsung (jets8003) which uses a proprietary Samsung OS, but there was no easy way to migrate from one phone to the other!
You'd think Samsung would provide an easy upgrade path... but of course they don't. in the end i thought i'd lose the formatting of my contacts in the old samsung phone, but in doing a Bt transfer from phone to phone, it worked flawlessly.
the issue is the Samsung Kies software's inability to support any other format other than their own .spb format.
No csv, xls, txt, doc, pst, nothing!... other than this useless .spb format.

anyhow, apart from this headache the phone and most features work well..... would never use the camera for any semi important uses though... same with an iPhone camera either! even a cheapie camera will provide better IQ.
HTC desire also looks good from the brief play i had with my sis's the other day. much the same as the Galaxy SII really.
But then again this is my first smart phone, where the samsung jet is more of a dumb drone... all apps were slow molasses based java apps that ran at glacial pace.
so really this is my first intro into smart phoning.... looks good!

Enjoy. It does take some playing with, to get used to. The Android OS is a bit more complex than the iOS, in that it is much more user customisable, so there is a lot hidden away in menu's etc, where iOS, is locked down fairly tight and it gives you a reasonable range of user settings.

Re transferring contacts, I just connected my iPhone to my PC, and synced (via iTunes) with Outlook. Then connected my S2 to the PC with Kies, and copied them over. I think using Outlook might have been the key factor. So I suppose it depends if your old phone was capable of syncing with Outlook, and if you even have Outlook.

[etherial]

I just have all my contacts in my gmail account now so any android device I login on they are magically there. Love my Android.:D

[arthurking83]

Aha! Outlook may have been a factor for sure.
I have it(Office) but never used it as I use T'bird.
What gets me is that when you do an 'import contacts' job, the only option is this .spb format .... but! .. if you look in the default directory, Kies saves all manner of backup and peripheral files and one of those file types is called .ecsv. Have no idea on what it is and what it can do, but is unrecognisable as far as I found out.
So without me having to go through the hassle of opening and registering myself with Outlook, do you have any alternate options for saving your contacts files?
I only get this .spb format .. so for example in the future, if I want to export my contacts file to another format, I can't!

EDIT: Yeah! Ditto Mic.. spent most of yesterday configuring and saving and just general stuffing about with as much as my small brain could retain in such as short span of time.
Can't see where any of this saved info is tho .. it'd be great if you could access it and save it as any other file format type ..... or transfer the info into other devices/software and so on.

[ricktas]

AK., just googled 'sync thunderbird to android phone'.

Seems this freebie is what you need: http://www.fjsoft.at/en/

[arthurking83]

OF course! :D

was playing stuffing abotu with it for most of the day yesterday and never really looked into some of the other apps available.

Just downloaded and installed MyPhoneExplorer(PC) and the client app(phone) from Android Market .. and it's a bucket load better than Kies software in terms of functionality. :th3:

Will sync all manner of stuff soon enough .. but for now it's back to the serious business of building bridges and flying paper planes! :D

[tassam380]

I will say that I am not very fond of Apple. You just do want they want you to do on the product and thats it. After my entire family going Droid I decided it was time to follow suit. I picked up a Galaxy S i9000 for $200 and can't complain. Screen is Bigger and Brighter than the iPhone. It was also easy to migrate my stuff from iTunes to the Galaxy with Kies. Im just hoping for ICS on it.
Phillips have actually made an iPod like speaker dock, heres a link to the PCAuthority Article. - http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/279947,philips-releases-world8217s-first-android-speaker-docks.aspx

[Bax]

I'm still rocking out the HTC Desire - I learnt early on that the iPhone wasn't what I wanted.

[etherial]

I love my HTC Desire and since I flashed a custom ROM onto it, it has turned into a SUPER PHONE! I think I'll have it for a while yet, no reason to change.

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

[Bax]

I love my HTC Desire and since I flashed a custom ROM onto it, it has turned into a SUPER PHONE! I think I'll have it for a while yet, no reason to change.

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

Dare I ask what custom ROM you're using? I'm just using leedroids T-Mod, but have been thinking about changing.

[etherial]

Dare I ask what custom ROM you're using? I'm just using leedroids T-Mod, but have been thinking about changing.

I'm using an Oxygen based ROM called Mildwild. forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1353861

I like version 2.6.2.


Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk