Three of the biggest questions asked when buy a smartphone are:
1) Should I get an Apple iPhone or a Google based Android phone?
2) The next question is should I get AT&T or Verizon or another service provider?
3) Ok, which iPhone, the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4S? Or, which Android phone.
Interestingly enough, the answer for both is the same! It Depends.
In this post, I will take a quick look at the first question – Should I get an iPhone or an Android. I will address the others in later posts.
But first we need to be clear what we mean here. In Apple’s case, there is basically one family of phones, the iPhone. They all use an operating system* called “iOS”. Yes, each year they make improvements and changes, but they are just continual improvements, which still maintain the same basic look and feel. When we talk about the Android, we are simply referring to the operating system* that Google designed. There are many different manufacturers who make phones that use the Android operating system. Most of these manufacturers have several different phones. That means there is a huge selection and variety of Android phones.
So when how the heck can you choose between all these options?
Here are a few of the main points to consider:
| Features | Apple iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Apps (They both have so many, it almost doesn't matter the difference.) | >750,000 (This number is growing every day.) | >500,000 (This number is growing every day.) |
| Freedom in App Selection | Tightly controls which apps can be downloaded (without jailbreaking) | No control over apps |
| Consistency | All iPhones and iPad tables have the same look and feel, and run the same apps. The only differences are improvements with model upgrades. | Each manufacturer is different. The overall look and feel is similar, but the exact implementation, features, details, and feel etc are different. |
| Simplicity | Once you know how a single Apple device will work, you will know how to use the other devices. Also, there is one place to find, research, review, and buy apps. | Each manufacturers devices will be slightly different. You need to decide which features you want and which feel you like. Also, there are many places to find apps, making it harder to know all that is available and harder to compare them. |
| Security | Since Apple controls every app, there are much fewer problems with an app not working and Apple makes sure that the apps do not use any unwanted, unscrupulous information. | There is no real control over the apps. You are taking a risk as to whether the app will work on your device and that it won't take any unwanted information. |
As you can see, there is not real answer to which one is better or which one is right for you. So here is how I would advise you:
–> If you want simplicity, something that is easier to figure out, easier to use, and easier to find, evaluate, and buy apps for; then the Apple iPhone is for you.
–> If you do not want to be tied down, limited or “controlled” by what Apple or you are looking for specific features, and you do not mind a steeper learning curve and a few more headaches; then an Android phone is for you.
See, wasn’t that simple.
Good luck and please let me know your thoughts,
Richard, The iTech Tutor
* Operating System – is a fancy way of saying the software that runs devices hardware. It basically controls how everything on the phone interacts with everything else. It gives the phone the overall feel/usability.
This is cool!
Just where is the facebook like link ?
Thank you for asking. At the bottom of each post on the post page, there are several social networking icons. One of them is for Facebook.
he’s 100 percent saisifted with his purchase.As for me, I bought a Sony Ericsson w960i recently. Its looks and interface may not be that cool. But I’m a 100 percent saisifted customer too. All because this little phone is feature-packed with Wifi, Chinese-English dictionary, Business Card scanner, timer, stopwatch, walkman, FM radio, etc.
Its like you read my thoughts! You seem to know so much approximately this, such as you wrote the e-book in it or something. I think that you just could do with a few percent to power the message house a bit, however instead of that, that is great blog. A great read. I’ll certainly be back.
Any GSM Android phone would be quad-band.. The only one ATT has would be the Backflip.. T-Mobile has several, but obsuvioly even worse coverage than ATT.. Verizon has not launched any global-capable Android phones yet, but one should be out by the end of the year, otherwise when LTE launches.. Congrats on ditching the iDont btw!!