Verizon Droid iDoesn't Beat iPhone on Browser, Apps, Multi-touch or User Interface
Did Verizon and Motorola forget to include a few things in their iDon't attack ads, like iDon't render web pages as slowly or badly, iDon't arbitrarily restrict the amount of apps users can install to 256MB, iDon't fail to implement multi-touch, and iDon't have a worse user experience.
We can't blame them, of course. They were focusing on the iPhone's weaknesses, as the geekier among us (nitpickers included!) would have to admit, and not the Droid's. It was their ad, and fair enough.
However, for those considering the Droid vs. an iPhone, we should lay all the cards on the table. Sure the iPhone lacks a physical keyboard (that irks some users, pleases others), doesn't have Google Maps Navigation (yet), doesn't match all the specs, and has issues with App Store approvals (though that doesn't effect most users). But what about the Droid?
(And no, we don't mean that horrible devil-red eye graphic that's kind of the opposite of "not evil" and makes that incessant "DRRROOOOOOIIDDD" chime pretty much indistinguishable from "REDRUM!")
First, in the perfunctory Browser Battles, it turns out the almost two month old iPhone 3.1 Safari is still king of the mobile mountain, according to MobileCrunch:
On the popular web-standards test known as Acid3, the iPhone scores a 100/100 while the Droid caps out at 93/100. [...] Once you’ve grown accustomed to pinch-zooming, the level of accuracy provided by tap-zooming alone simply doesn’t cut it. [...] The iPhone browser is also considerably faster, with page loads completing anywhere from 15-30% more quickly with both handsets on WiFi.
Second, we all know the Android Market doesn't have as many apps as the App Store, but maybe that's a good thing since Android 2.0 still doesn't fix its app space limitation, leaving Droid with a paltry 256MB for apps according to AndroidandMe.com:
Google does not support installing apps to the SD card (and likely never will), so developers are limited in what they can create. [...] For most applications, we want a small file size to limit the download times. When it comes to 3D games though, we need a ton of space for all the high-res textures, audio, and video. [...] Have you seen all the awesome iPhone and iPod Touch games? Hardly any of them would fit on an Android phone.
This problem, of course, also plagues the Palm webOS and BlackBerry platforms. NokiaExpert and ZDNet's Matt Miller's been told it's a security issue, but does that matter to end users when iPhone's can go up to (almost) 32GB?
Third, if you're a fan of the iPhone and iPod touch's (and Magic Mouse's!) multi-touch, don't think the Droid will have your fingers covered. According to Engadget:
As you have probably heard (or guessed), there's no multitouch on this device. That's clearly an issue with Android 2.0 and choices that Google is making about user interface
Fourth, the user interface, while definitely an improvement -- and maybe even a refreshing change for some -- still doesn't rise to level of usability as the iPhone. Like MobileCrunch (and every other review we've seen), we've given our iPhones to toddlers and they've been able to use them well.
That's still Apple's killer app. And that's likely why, even after going all in on Droid and throwing BlackBerry under the bus (even canceling their BOGO!), Verizon still wants the iPhone...
[Thanks to Tom for the app limit tip!]
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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Darn you beat me to it! You little rascal !
In all fairness, MobileCrunch gave a slight personal edge to the Droid, with the reviewer saying its what works for him, but that he couldn't recommend one phone over the other. This was the first time the reviewer said he couldn't do that when comparing the iPhone to another device.
I don't know what the US market is like, as I live on the other side of the world. But that form factor = yuck! Seriously, I've never seen anyone wandering around the streets with that type of thing. I know HTC have done them in the past, but it's pretty niche!
256 mb of apps = fail
they need to fix that right away
If nothing else, the app space limit would kill it for me. I have 380mb and growing of apps.
We all knew this, i just with big blogs like giz and engadget would tell their viewers instead of leading them on for hits on the site.
OK, you do win on the fact that iphone has a faster browser, and has pinch to zoom, even though droid has tap to zoom, which really isnt that much worse...
but as far as apps go, all you need to do is root your droid and you can save all your apps to the sd card, so the whole app thing is pointless
also a bad UI and a UI easy enough a 2 year old can use it are two different things...
so considering all the benefits, like the fact that you dont have to void the warranty to do customize anything, i think ill go with the droid
@lerch Fair enough. Droid is not bad at all so good luck.
About warranty thing... Rooting to get app to SD you are mentioning in your post is voiding your warranty... so ehm
HAPPY HALLOWEEN....
also, Android 2.0 does support multitouch events, but the functionality isn't implemented
One thing people forget is the service providers. I happen to live in an area where at&t doesn't even have 3G yet and also shines with spotty reception. As much as I would love an iPhone I have to go with the Droid because Verizon does kick butt in the reception dept..
@Gustavo
without rooting your droid it is still more customizable than the iphone, but that is a good point about rooting, i did not know that...
@Obama the Communist
Lemme guess, u r rich middle aged white male working in corporate environment who believes in racism and admires guns? spot on.
Back on topic, the average user will have no clue how to root their droids, so that keeps the app limitation issue pretty valid. Besides, I don't give crap about a feature that is not implemented. Yes, Android does have potential and it's getting better. On the other hand, the Droid is the device ruining that potential. Another point goes to Apple for making both: software and hardware.
this doesn't bring the wow factor for me, maybe another phone.
The Droid offers absolutely nothing new in my opinion, in fact I'd say the Pre gave Apple more of a scare than this thing. If the G1, HTC Touch Diamond & HD, Samsung Instinct, Blackberry Storm, HTC Hero, Palm Pre and Nokia 97 couldn't topple the iPhone, how the hell is the Droid gonna be any different?
I hope eventually, there will be a phone that really makes the iPhone seem 2nd best all in hope to Apple stepping the plate and probably unleashing they're greatest potential by Officially making the iPhone completely customizable running smoothly on all 3.0 Firmwares (learning from previous jailbreak theme projects). Once that happens, it's going to take a lot longer for other phones to catch up and to think even more attracting features than the iPhone...
@Dron
If the average user was too stupid to put the battery in the phone you wouldnt say that the phone doesnt work, if people really care that they dont have enough space, then they can make a google search and figure it out.
and with multi touch not natively implemented you are missing out on very little, but because android/google allows open development for their apps, developers have the ability to make a web browser that uses it, or a game, or a photo app, etc.....
I have 1.28 GB of Games/Apps on my iPhone, and that's -after- housekeeping xD
@Lerch
replacing a battery is routine; hacking your device is not espicially that it voids the warranty. So what's the point? Many customers will not feel comfortable doing it.
Regarding multitouch point, that's exactly what I hate, having developers develop apps that replicate functionality for the sake of one feature. So imagine this, with 256mb for apps, those who want multitouch will run with 2 browsers, 2 photo apps, 2 mail apps, etc... Yea, not my idea of productive, sorry. I hope another Android will be serious competition to the iPhone, but I assure it will not be the Droid.
@Dron
touché....however, im still going to get it since i dont use that many apps and dont care about pinch to zoom
but just because most people wont do it, doesnt mean that they cant, and if you want to use your warranty, unroot it....
and if you do root it you will have 16 gb of app storage for the extra apps....
It's a crap.
@Dron while you try to insult people you show brilliant flashes of ignorance. I believe in racism as do you and every other person on here, mainly because, it exists you damn fool!
Let me guess you are in your late teens to mid twenties, white, come from middle to upper middle class family, are obviously liberal, and have no idea why we have a 2nd amendment.
guess what i am.
the droid will provide for people another product to believe in. the fact that it has google behind it will give it credibility and staying power. it will be the republican to the iphone's democrat and those that own one will end up defending it's honor to the end (when the iphone comes to verizon). it will undoubtedly have strengths that the iphone has weaknesses both in hardware/software and user experience but will in the end placate the masses of people that do not/cannot own an iphone for whatever reason. their core user base will be made up of die-hard PC users/iphone haters.
Wow I didn't know about the limitation of the apps! Good job Rene.
Guys, Don't you think it's pointless to compare the two devices on the basis of only a couple of features? Multitasking? Pinch-zoom? Seriously? I've owned two different cars (same year, same class, different makes) with almost identical feature sets, but one was priced at almost a third premium over the other. Why? Too many reasons to list, and even if I listed all of them, you'd still not be convinced, until you drove both. I thought the premium was worth it. I own a 4.7 Megapixel, almost featureless camera, that will blow your 14MP DSLR out of the water when comparing image quality. What's my point? Just because A does something that B doesn't, A isn't necessarily better. Features do matter, though not separately, but as part of the whole picture. Don't judge a device that you haven't even used, as your opinion will not add any real value. I think iPhone is a wonderful gadget. I get amused, however, seeing iPhone (Android, WM, etc) users act as if their well being is threatened whenever a competitor comes up with a new flashy device. If the Droid delivers, at least consider it. If it doesn't - stick to your iPhone. You're a consumer, not a patriotic citizen of Appleland. As far as Droid goes, let's at least wait till next Friday.
Well as it said...most iPhone users use so much space because of games. Most normal apps are not that big. I have at least 20 apps, and have not used even half of the phone storage (and I'm rooted, I haven't even dug into the SD storage. LOL).
As far as the Droid...it is such a good device because of features and specs.
The true phone I see doing something against it (as far as elegance and design) is the Xperia X3. It's stated as having 16GB/32GB storage, 800x480 resoulation, 4in screen, 1Ghz snapdragon...and of course, it has that beautiful Rachel UI for the Android. Coupled with Android 2.0. That (in MY OPINION...I REPEAT, MY OPINION) would be the phone to beat. Unless iPhone 4.0 has some UI uphaul, App store redesign (as far as searching and such), I don't see it being too much of a wow thing.
Last
I should just stop reading these articles... "Droid has this and that, but oh apple is better at this and that so who cares about that ugly droid." The only reason I have an iphone is because AT&T currently has no webOS/Android phone out. Once it comes, peace out apple. The web browser on the iphone might be faster, but AT&T's 3G network is too slow to keep up with it (at least in my area). The iphone is great, but it was never/will never be my first choice. Guess I'll have to switch carriers and phones. SURPRISE me apple, I dare you.
@jon
"The web browser on the iphone might be faster, but AT&T’s 3G network is too slow to keep up with it"
"The only reason I have an iphone is because AT&T currently has no webOS/Android phone out"
sooo.... youll wait for another device that the network cant keep up with because...? fail.
@Thismachinekillsfascists
hmm, I assumed with the easy access to info these days, people are a bit more intelligent. I guess I'm wrong because idiots like you are shallow beyond belief.
I used the word "believe" for a reason; belief is followed by action. In other words, (so you can comprehend my point - no more assumptions) when you believe in something, you endorse it. The word you are looking for is "acknowledgment". You can acknowledge something but not necessarly endorse it. Therefore, believing in racism is not the same thing as acknowledging it.
There u go. At least u learnt something today. Wait, no more assumption, maybe u stilI didn't get it after all.
At the risk of sounding fanboyish, Rene absolutely gets it.
I did post..probably a year ago..as people do get used to smartphones they will naturally want to get more features or more advanced (as users with AOL got acquainted with the internet and then wanted more and left). The iphone introduced many to this market.
Apple's task then is to keep the user experience simple stupid for new users while advancing it for its long time users who are wanting more. It's easy to say, we want multitasking, we want widgets, themes, etc. But Apple has to do it in a way as to not lose what makes it great. Or it becomes WM or Android and will take too many tweaks on the user end to become usable.
I think Palm showed us such a way with its multitasking. We'll see something similar with Apple's take IMO.
I do think its funny that people are celebrating how customizable Android is as people left WM in droves not long ago because it required so much work and tweaks to use. That does appeal to power users and i wonder if the iphone created more potential power users hungry for that again.
cardfan,
You please my mind.
"these aren't the droids you're looking for..."
Why do people that want the droid hang out here? Cool...get it. Have fun.
You can argue as much as you want and talk about work-arounds all you want, but the article states facts. Droid still do it for you? Willing to hack the phone to pieces to get it to do what you want? (Lord knows I have to hack to get the iPhone to do what I want, so we're even there) Great. Accept the fact that it's not going to topple the iPhone and get over it.
And for Christ's sake, stop hanging around checking out iPhone Blogs and then complain that they're just writing certain articles to get hits. You're part of the problem then, aren't you?
@Republicans = Douchbags
apparently you didn't read my second to last sentence. come on man/woman, don't post fail when you fail yourself...
you know what I would wait for? maybe a completely different apple phone on another carrier
@everyone
let's all start petty nothing fights! You're all worthy of my insults! Psh libritarians... Typical...
Anyway, I think everyone knew the droid wasn't gonna be the new hotness, if it wanted to beat the iPhone at it's own game it shouldn't have deviated from it in so many fundemental ways.
Slider design, space limitations, lack of multitouch (sort of...?). I think, unfortunately, that this is going to be the typical verizon model of heavy persuasive marketing and few substantial results inside a revolutionary-looking packaged piece of overengineered over-thought underperforming garbage. The razr comes to mind, though it wasn't verizons brain child.
Hmm, let's see, I wonder if this site's biased toward the iphone...hmm, it's called theiphoneblog, I wonder if that matters. Give me a break. Boy do you iphoners (and I'm one of them too, but can't wait to switch to the droid) sound nervous...and defensive! lol
Ok, I just realized something...I have 980mb of apps on my iphone...there's no way I could live with 256mb of apps after this...probably before I had my iphone I could (I had a sony dumbphone) but after having all the stuff I have on my iphone? hell no.
droid=ugly phone
The main reason I left blackberry... 256 mb for apps meas small crappy looking apps that cost $5.99. iPhone apps even compare to my nintendo ds is nome respects! My storm, more will the Droid do that.
You'd have thought Verizon would have waited for something less ugly, before they threw money at such a marketing campaign! Not a single potential iPhone user, not even one, will buy this device!
I might but one to take a dump on. I'll post the vid on twi.
@Brett Robbins: Not defensive...effing bored. I'm sick of lackluster phones coming out, claiming to be iPhone killers and failing miserably. I would LOVE a worthy competitor. Keep waiting for something to make Apple sweat, so they'll be forced to wow us again. I thought that the Pre might do it...swing and a miss.
Enjoy your new phone. It's not doing it for me.
The Droid will hurt WinMo, RIM and to a lesser extent the Pre more than it will hurt the iPhone. RIM has been losing market share even with the BOGO Verizon deals and the Verizon advertizing. WinMo's 6.5 time in spotlight has been pretty much ended by the Droid hoopla.
Last = last
What? I have more than 5GB of apps.
but the funny thing is droid does allows one thing that most people dont know.
moto has to release the kernel of the driod to comply with the linux gpl
which means if it does pick up alot of home brewed version of the os to fully customize it.
!!!LAST!!!
Well my daddy can _______. Oh yeah, well my daddy can_______. Regardless of what the Droid or iPhone can or can't do, this is really some immature stuff. Fanboyism is so unbecoming when it comes from the editor. I guess when Chad tries to put down the Verizon network during the TiPb Live broadcast as he is screwing up the audio with gsm audio interference because his iPhone can't hold a 3G signal, I shouldn't expect much right? When your product of choice is dominating the market, why is there a need to crap on anything that shows the slightest bit of potential for competion. I hate even breaking out my Touch in public because I feel like a douche by association.
@frog I am a potential iPhone buyer and I will quite likely buy the Droid instead. My VZW contract expired 4 months ago and I have waited to see what would be available.
Lack of multi tasking, lock out of apps that I want and the horrible AT&T network being my 3 big drawbacks. iDon't think the Droid is an iPhone killer at all but it would mean getting more of what I want from my phone.
There are loads of people who would rather have an iPhone but want no part of AT&T. Me? I love my iPod Touch but would not be satisfied with this as my phone. There will be plenty of people standing in line to get this phone and a good number will be potential iPhone buyers.
Droid seems to be a nice smartphone and a needed one for those on the Verizon network, since it was no iPhone for you from Apple and AT$T. I'm not happy with my iPhone's limitations as a notebook substitute, because Apple has ignored folks like me who need a keyboard. My next phone? HTC Touch Pro 2 from Verizon.
last +1
"...we’ve given our iPhones to toddlers and they’ve been able to use them well."'
And, that my iPhone friends and iPhone haters, is the core differentiation between the iPhone and all the copycats out there.
My 5-yo and my 65-yo mom can figure it out -- no instructions needed.
Whine all you want about the details but any other phone out there is a blatant rip that doesn't even come close to iPhone perfection.
If this makes me a 'fanboy', then so be it.
@dron
Not to jump into a petty side-show, but the definition you use for believe isn't the standard definition. To believe something is simply to have confidence in its truth, without absolute knowledge of its truth. So, I'd say you're both wrong. The other poster doesn't believe in racism, he has knowledge of racism's existence. The definition you use is considered the 7th definition for the word. Which means that it is fine to use it in that context, but you can't make fun of others for using it in a different way and saying the 7th most common definition is the only definition. That only shows your own ignorance. In fact, your statement "belief is followed by action" is so factually wrong it is astounding. Belief only implies a mind state, and doesn't even have connotations of being "followed by action."
"I used the word “believe” for a reason; belief is followed by action. In other words, (so you can comprehend my point – no more assumptions) when you believe in something, you endorse it. The word you are looking for is “acknowledgment”. You can acknowledge something but not necessarly endorse it. Therefore, believing in racism is not the same thing as acknowledging it."
@pimp lucious
Amen brotha...
Even if a phone came out that beat the iPhone in every aspect, they would say, "well that phone doesn't sync with iTunes, and doesn't have a simple interface"
There are still people in Iraq that swear Saddam was a great leader. Brainwashed...
iDon't smoke crack.
Just sayin. It's a shame that companies have to put down other companies to make buisness. I always wondered how coke and pepsi are allowed to do this? It's just unethical.
I left verizon to get an iPhone. While I love the iPhone, I hate AT&T service. It's absolutely horrible and yes I live in an area with full 3g service. It drops calls all day and often sends calls to vmail without ringing. That is the reason that I am interested in what Verizon has coming out. If it's a droid that is competitive then I would be very interested. If something is competitive with the iPhone, I would love having a phone that always worked good as a phone.
i really hate people who complain or judge service based on one device with a terrible or sub par reception.
The Droid -does- have multitouch.
we’ve given our iPhones to toddlers and they’ve been able to use them well.
That’s still Apple’s killer app.”
You’re not serious, are you? You think that most folks want/need a device that emulates the methods and the design of a dumbed-down kid’s toy?
Naw. I think that there’s a niche of users who want/need this, but that most normal adults buy stuff that is capable – like the Blackberry, and upcoming, like the Droid, even if it means that they can’t get usage advice from their kids. Maybe that is why the Blackberry outsells the iPhone by a 2 to 1 margin? Maybe that is why the dominant prediction is that Android will overtake the iPhone? And Apple will (once again) languish in single-digit market penetration?
“The Telephone for the Rest of Us – Those who have trouble figgerin stuff out…”
"If the G1, HTC Touch Diamond & HD, Samsung Instinct, Blackberry Storm, HTC Hero, Palm Pre and Nokia 97 couldn’t topple the iPhone, how the hell is the Droid gonna be any different?"
Because it has superior hardware. The screen resolution alone will sell lots of phones.
And because with Android 2.0, it now has superior software. Google Navigation is a game-changing capability.
jeez u iphoners protect an outdated phone come on now #rd generation phone that still looks the same barely has any improvments?????? its not always good sticking to old things. we american should know. we sticked so long to old things that now america goes to bad times instead preventing it with improvement. well pre gets a flash player what means internet browser will be able to stream videos right on the internet side hmm iphone wont get it also do they get AMD LINUX graphics engineer. so that they can make games like halo on the palm pre hmmm hmmm hmmm well and memory issue is solved to since u can openly and freely patch the pre with no problem well apple doesnt give u that freedom. and i think u should be able to do whatever u want with ur phone right??? and again 3rd generation phone that now finally has a 3megapixel camera and flash? wow impressive that it took apple 3 generations to do so. i guess they really need jon rubenstein back to come with new inventions and ideas. and good phones and technologie is just cool because it makes things even better and we the costumer benefit of it. eitherway my brothers is a huge macfan has everything fromihpone to ipod to mac computers and laptops but even he said the iphone isnt just as great it needs to be improved and only the app excuse doesnt cut it then iphone first when it came out had like no apps at all remember?? well of course iphoners forget that fact as well that the iphone is an the 3rd generation and other phones in their first generation and almost beat a 3rd generation phone pretty sad if u ask me. and someone who is a huge apple nerd can admit that phones like pre and droid aree impressive and bring new ideas and so and just open eyed see that only apps alone dont cut it. we all should be happy to have phones they do what they do today and be happy with. doesnt matter if iphones blackberries pre droids windows mobile those are all just phones they do evrything what every phone can today some do other things better then other once and those do things better then a other phone so it really doesnt matter. make love no war and stop the bichting jeez dont u geeks have better stuff to do then almost jack off about phones?? sad sad sad jesus.
"And, that my iPhone friends and iPhone haters, is the core differentiation between the iPhone and all the copycats out there.
My 5-yo and my 65-yo mom can figure it out — no instructions needed."
And that, my Apple Fans, is why Apple has single-digit market shares for most all of its products. The iPhone will soon lose its "most capable phone" status, and be relegated into niche status, just like all the other Apple products.
I really think all this speculation about the Droid really doesn't matter until you get to try one out and see how it feels, both hardware and software - wise. Most of us can't comment on it right now.
P.S. I just want a phone that can mark all emails as read. Is that too much to ask?
@arthur: I tried to read your long post, but couldn't. If you want adults to read your points and take this seriously, PLEASE think about taking the time to format and write correctly. You probably have some good points, but I jut gave up.
But they can say, "iDo make phone calls"
And that's the reason I'll be leaving my iPhone behind on the 6th.
Even if you root apps to the sd cards. Developers will still make game apps that are less than 280mb which means less quality on 3D games. The iPhone has no limit and so games come out more nice with better quality
sorry i didnt grow up here in america so german is my native tounge. english is just my 2nd
and i totally agree the droid isnt the prettiest micest looking phone i ever saw. but the tv spot is pretty funny for sure.
People, switch if you want. Apple has plenty of customers now and I would say 90% are not power users like the posters here. There will be so many different android phones that the normal user won't be able to decide which one to get over the iPhone so Apple will keep a good customer base for a while. So unsatisfied iPhone users get to steppen, the Android will be a fun new territory but we iPhone users will still enjoy our phones too.
@Auther, your so full of crap, at the end of your long rant no phone would be even close to the iPhone if the iPhone wasn't made. So the third generation crap is stupid. I guess Ford should be in front because it was one of the first cars. Ideas are stolen and improved on, Apple improves thier phones and everybody knows they could have improved it more but they were on top and they didn't have too. It's was up to the competition to get the market really moving. Have you seen the tv industry? It's just weird each year they can make it two inches bigger for another $300.00.
And you talk about it only being a phone, but you have the longest post bashing the iPhone when it rocks, have you seen the sale numbers?The iPhone will eventually be a thing of the past but not for a while.
you all missed the part that the droid kernel source has to be released under the gpl since the driod phone runs on linux kernel.
with that said, once it out, even if it has a 256 meg limit a it wont last long, people can fix that and add sd storage with a flash.
on a side not, unlike apple, android allows the users to customize the phone.
why are people bent out of shape over something thats a day old. the iphone took over 2 years to get cut and paste and that was invented back in 80's? 90s?
took 3 gen's of iphones to get voice dialing.
“If the G1, HTC Touch Diamond & HD, Samsung Instinct, Blackberry Storm, HTC Hero, Palm Pre and Nokia 97 couldn’t topple the iPhone, how the hell is the Droid gonna be any different?”
iGenius
"Because it has superior hardware. The screen resolution alone will sell lots of phones. And because with Android 2.0, it now has superior software. Google Navigation is a game-changing capability".
Mmmmm.... no I don't think so. Once again you're missing the point. Is Android 2.0 really offering anything new that the consumer hasn't seen before? Nope. The Pre brought some really nice and original ideas, better ideas than Android 2.0 and that wasn't enough to gain success. The screen? Well, the HTC Touch HD and Samsung Omnia HD had better screens than the iPhone and where did they end up? And maps? Google Navigation is coming to the iPhone so that advantage the Droid had gone.
The phones I mentioned all had "advantages" over the iPhone and all of them failed in their attempts at "iPhone killing," the Droid will be no different.
LOL this back and forth banter is too funny. There is just no sense in it because the apple fanboys will never admit the iPhones faults and the apple haters will never admit the iPhones merits. For me personally I don't care for a lot of apple's decisions but I'm using their handheld products for one reason: there are no true competitors. I didn't buy an iPhone or iPod because I like apple but because all of the competing products aren't on par. Desktops and laptops...that's another story.
well about screen resolution youtube on the pre looks the best its hd all the way even looks better then on a computer so screen resolution on the iphone isnt the best. but it doesnt matter. all phones are fine in there ways well not all phones like phones from 6 years ago or so arent ok but the recent one do all the stuff people want or need not everyone wants just a teenager multi media phone like the iphone some people want more serious business phones like a blackberry or other people jsut want a plain normal phone to talk with like an razr or something and then other once want a mix of multi media phone/business phone like the pre so and the good thing is we can choice for whatever we need or want. thats just great having the freedom of the choice.
@Dragonfly
To be fair...the Touch HD and Omnia HD never even came to USA.
But I agree with Miles. This is funny. On one side you have the iPhone lovers saying nothing will ever or have ever beat the iPhone because of this and that. Then you have the iPhone haters who won't give the iPhone any type of credit.
The iPhone is nice. Is it the phone for me? Nah. Does it do things others don't? Yes. Is it more capable than Android? Depends who uses it for what.
If you're someone who buys a phone to play games (that sounds pretty dumb to me mind you), then you're not gonna see an Android or any other phone as being capable.
If you want complete cloud sync with basically everything you do for free and customization, then you won't see the iPhone as being capable.
Each phone has it's weaknesses (yes the iPhone has a weakness) and strengths.
And I tire of people naming off handsets that "failed" to beat the iPhone. Remember one thing...even with declining marketshare...RIM still holds the most spots in the top 10 selling smartphones...including the number 1 spot (Curve). Whether it be because of BOGO...multiple carriers...whatever. It's still number one. If you're going to use numbers and say who hasn't beat who...use them right.
lerch. why are you trying to make sensible points on a apple fanboy site. The droid isnt curvy and "hip" like the iphone so they will take nothing less than hipster phones.
Bugs it took so long because there was no competition, come'on use your head.
Browser: The browser is slower, yes, but it's also flash 10 ready. Adobe should be releasing the update for flash 10 next year. Apple won't allow flash on iPhones because they'll lose their all-important control over the platform. As soon as full-featured flash is released, I won't care if it takes 17 seconds instead of 12 to render a page.
Apps: Good developers understand the restrictions of the platform. They'll develop just as good of a game as they could for iPhone, but store the assets (graphics, models, etc - the bulk of any game's content) on the SD card. Very few mobile apps should ever be bigger than 1 MB, or they are over-engineering for their platform.
Furthermore, there is an app for installing other apps from the SD card, so you can keep your less used apps on standby, but still have them accessible. If it doesn't support it, it won't be long before someone creates an app that gives you a shortcut that installs an app from the SD card, runs it, and uninstalls it when you close it, transparently.
The flipside of the argument is, the iPhone only has 32 GB of storage space, ever. When that runs out, you're done. If a Droid runs out of space, swap SD cards and keep going. A game-maker could build a game that requires an entire 32 GB card to run. On the iPhone, this would not be practical, as it wouldn't leave any space for anything else. On the droid, you just insert the game's SD card and play, and switch back to your main card when you are done. So in some ways, the Droid has more space to play with than the iPhone.
Multi-touch: Google thought it more important to get the 2.0 SDK out the door so programmers could start updating their apps for it before the device came out. I expect there to be an update soon that will add in support for multi-touch to the major applications that need it, particularly the browser and maps. I've seen several reports that the software keyboard does in fact already support multi-touch.
User Interface: This is the real sticking point between Apple and Google. Apple builds their interfaces for toddlers. Only the functionality that a toddler would understand is available, so it is much simpler and easier to use. A perfect example is widgets. iPhone doesn't support them because there's no easy way to add them without confusing toddlers (or your grandma). Android allows higher levels of customization, and thus has a deeper user interface. I for one, enjoy a user interface that allows me to do more with it over one that makes it easier to do fewer things. My wife, on the other hand, would prefer a simpler interface that hides away the complexities. With time and the openness of Android, both UI styles will come to the forefront. HTC's Sense UI is getting pretty close, for example. With iPhone, though, I don't get the choice.
Summary: So it basically comes down to this: iPhone is what iPhone is - a simple interface in a pretty package that does almost everything you would want. Android, on the other hand, is an open system that is better for techies and gadget geeks than iPhone because of its extensibility now, and may soon be better for the general public because of its extensibility.
iPhone is what Apple wants it to be. Android will be what its users want it to become. That is why I choose Android.
david u got it right on the point droid or pre webos r open and let u do whatever u want ur phone to become. thank for ur wisdom
its funny how much people wanna get restricted to what to do. i though we r in the land of the free not the land of restrictions
"And I tire of people naming off handsets that “failed” to beat the iPhone. Remember one thing…even with declining marketshare…RIM still holds the most spots in the top 10 selling smartphones…including the number 1 spot (Curve). Whether it be because of BOGO…multiple carriers…whatever. It’s still number one. If you’re going to use numbers and say who hasn’t beat who…use them right."
iDavey
As you pointed out yourself RIM is losing market share, unless they completely overhaul their OS it's only a matter of time before they get usurped by the iPhone, especially now that Apple is ending exclusive deals. How long do you think RIM would hold the No.1 spot for if the iPhone comes to Verison?
@Dragonfly
I give to you a time frome. The 80's. Apple was head honcho of the personal computer game. Windows was a "who?" company.
Fast forward...
Windows is now leading marketshare holder.
Another scenario. 2006. Linux was doing big on mobile platforms. 400% growth and such. Analysts pegged it as gaining 26% marketshare of smartphone OS.
Fast Forward
Second place belongs to RIM.
You see what I'm saying. NOTHING is set in stone.
Yes, iPhone has the most amazing growth. But the thing with Apple products is...when it reaches a level, it normally stays there. People who want them, have them. Don't need a new one because it's just so fine. They drug the iPhone's evolution out over 3 iterations. What more can they do besides changing what the iPhone fundamentally is. There's only so much you can do to keep a phone "simple."
Am I saying Apple is doomed to fail? No. Am I saying there is a chance they can plateau and reach that saturation point? Yes. Can any business reach that? Yes.
It's not Apple's game. It's nobody's game.
In regards to declining market...you also have to take into account that the actual smartphone market is growing. So when you do all that fancy math (which they so conveniently tend to leave out) it could possibly level out to the same level. When something grows and more comes in, of course your share is going to shrink. Just as Apple's is growing, so is Android's. Miraculous things are happening. As many reviewers put it...nobody needs to beat the iPhone. They just need to be something OTHER than the iPhone.
(my opinion) once Android phones take queues from Samsung Galaxy and the forthcoming Xperia X3 and put some GB onboard storage...once they hit more carriers in the US...more will make mainstream apps for it (because the point of having killer apps is not the question, they are there, they're jsut not advertised).
Then after that grows, and you get beautiful phones like the Xperia X3...again (Lord allowing it to sell on a US carrier), it will catch attention. Most phones sell because of looks. How is Android so much more complicated than iPhone? You have a tab...you pull it up...there's your grids of icons. If you don't wanna customize your homescreen, you don't have to. But it's there for the folks to do, if they so please. There is nothing complicated about Android. It's as simple as the iPhone UI. Just with the ability to add pizazz to it.
Alright to end this crap.
Spec wise Droid has a better Camera and a better screen... thats about it. Multitasking apps all depends on the user and the needs of the user. Running AIM in the background on droid is no different then having Beejive on your iPhone due to push.
The main weakness of the Android platform vs the iPhone is APPS. The android phones while they can multitask will always have limited App capacity and limited App Development. Sure you can make a web apps and some utility based Apps over and over but in the end the lack of space and the conflicting hardware is going to ground serious app development.
This is where the iPhone will be the victor is App development for the device allows for more complex applications and more graphic intensive programs. Now here in lies to true debate. The Droid provides features similar or better (Camera and Higher Rez Screen.) but in truth which is better is always PERSONAL choice.
As an App Platform the iPhone will always be light years ahead. Its easy to write for, the phone can allow for apps larger then a 200mbs, and since it one hardware platform basically there is little to no fragmentation.
ANdroid unless it can get over the hardware limitations will never be a serious threat there. Now if Apps are not that important to the user then both phones will be the same. The UI of the iPhone is far easier to use and while power users may dislike that simplicity... it will always be major selling point of the iPhone. Widgets are gonna be another personal opinion. My view is it makes a medium to difficult to nav OS easy to navigate. Android while its not nearly as labrynithian as Windows it still needs widgets to allow it some form of Simplicity. For the iPhone the idea of Widgets would be retarded... the OS is so easy to nav that the search function is almost overkill.
The android phones are good... they could be WinMo killers easily but like windows it will lead to a heavily fragmented app market and honestly the apps while they could grow to 50 to 100,000 like the iPhones will never be as good due to memory requirements.
This is what i am looking at... the iPhone is now starting to encroach upon the PSP and DS... This is very very important as it raises App development and to be honest.. How many people will look at the ability of Mobile gaming and say "I can have all the apps WinMo, Android, and Blackberry can have and I can have the gaming capabilities of a PSP and a DS? Awesome!".
What i see is the Droid is a good phone and very good device for VzW to use to keep its customers from leaving. Having played with it and seen what it can do I think of the Device like this. If you are looking for a Smartphone thats easy to use, has a good camera with flash, can run multiple applications, a good web browser, and utilizes your Gmail like no other then the Droid is for you. If your looking for a phone that can give you a great Web browsing experience, has a huge app selection, a good camera, a good email experience, and has an OS that requires zero learning curve then you want an iPhone.
This damn phone sucks I doubt any future "iPhone killers" will ever beat the iPhone it's very ignorant for people to actually call it the phone killer before a consumer can actually get his/her hands on it
Why do I still get a blue cube with a questionmark in it lieu of an image on my 3rd gen iPhone, when I get a nice picture on my Treo Pro?
Because the iPhone's web browser has many limitations that Safari has.
LollipopJones said it! I can agree partly.
The only part that makes me "eh" is the PSP/DS point. It can encroach, but it will never overtake.
Nintendo is to handheld what Apple is to MP3. iPhone/iPod Touch can offer all the games they like...but when it comes to handheld gaming, you need a full display. Not half of a 3.5 screen taken up by controls. This is where hardware actually helps.
Add to it that DSi XL...DS will be cemented as the king of handhelds for even longer. PSP might have to fear though, lol.
Who cares about iDont have a real keyboard. I type faster now than I ever did on my Treo 650 or the Voyager. My wife is the only one in our family who has issue with the iPhone keyboard. As with a lot of females she has difficulty typing because of her fingernails on the iPhone.
iDo like the google turn-by-turn on the Droid and really look forward to this feature on the iPhone. My wife is upgrading her Verizon Voyager on Friday for the Droid. I'll keep my iPhone for now.
@ the acid 3 test scores.
first off my winmobile device gets a 100/100 on it, yet it renderes the page wrong, also the iphone 3g renders the start end page wrong by both showing the pink x on top.
i dont get why people are so butt hurt over a 100/100 score when it cant even properly display the image to start with...
LOL?
I still say Android will give Apple iphone a run for it money. There are other phone that gone come with Android.
android wont give apple a run for there money.
android is far from polish, which is one key factor behind the iphone.
android will do a few things that the iphone cant, one is a home brew scene, or maybe if the dev team ever release iboot or w/e they had to boot other os'es on the phone.
verizon see's every product as an iphone killer and its there marketing that makes its vs iphone.
when t-mo relased the g1 / g2 it not once mentioned anything about apple.
verizon released the first storm commercial target apple, first droid target apple.
notice a trend?
android is not targeting apple, its more for the people who run linux or want to play with there os.
what comes out of this, is yet to be seen, its been for a while only locked to one carrier with one phone, now other mfg picked up the os, and maybe we will see great thing or not.
the one big drawback is hardware, which apple does not have to compete in since all iphones are the same screen. while other devices can be different shapes, size, resolutions input methods.
@iDavey: It doesn't matter if it over takes them (it will not by the nature of carrier, Price Plan, and whatnot) but the ability to largely have the games that those system can have is an advantage over every single Smartphone.
Only Iphone has a cult behind it. Only Iphone users actually take it personally when someone makes a quality product that isn't an Iphone. Only Iphone users spend time and money downloading gigabytes of applications that they don't even use/need/take a second look at, after getting them. Only Iphone users feel like they have to defend their phone like it's their spouse.
My name is MintOreo and I make broad statements that alienate people that are iPhone users but aren't fanboys..
You do realize when you go to a site based on certain device your going to have fanboys on the site right? Go tell a Blackberry user on Crackberry that the Droid is better then their Blackberry and see how they react.
Go onto Palm and tell them their stuff is crap compared to the Android phones.
True. But can you really tell me that their level of fanboyism is nearly vocal as a typical Iphone user? I used to go to Crackberry all the time.. and they rarely had entire articles dedicated to hating another platform.. The same with WMExperts. I haven't visited Android/Palm central (since those are the only two platforms I haven't used), but I doubt it'll be like this.
Though, I guess Droid did have it coming by making the "Idon't" commercial. It's kind of sad, really. Everyone who bases their product as "Iphone killers" is basically elevating the Iphone to a place it doesn't deserve - the top, where it needs to be dethroned.
"Well my daddy can _______. Oh yeah, well my daddy can_______. Regardless of what the Droid or iPhone can or can’t do, this is really some immature stuff."
True, it's very childish to compare daddies. Are you seriously saying that comparing phones is childish? What the hell do you do when deciding which phone to buy...Eenie, meenie, miney, moe? I, personally compare what a phone does and doesn't do when deciding upon a purchase. Verizon and Motorola decided to advertise their phone by slamming the iphone. Checking on what the iphone does do that the Droid doesn't do is something that any reasonable person deciding which phone to buy would do. Unfortunately, too many people follow your method of "I saw a commercial, so I bought it." How very adult of you. Good you avoid the childish pitfall of making an informed decision.
@Obee1
As a matter of fact, I did quite a bit of homework before I bought the Touch Pro 2. But, thanks for putting words in my mouth.
Read.
http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-10267274-85.html?tag=mncol;txt
Comparing phones is no big deal.. it's to be expected. But the term "Iphone killer" implies that it's the best phone ever that needs to be dethroned.. and that just isn't true.
A couple expansions on your analysis.
a ) Browser speed. With only about 1/3 the pixels to render a speed difference is expected.If the next iPhone comes with an HD screen then we can revisit this issue.(precise advantage 2.66875 times as many pixels)
b ) The suggestion that application data such as 3D game data can not reside on the swappable micro SD card is false. In addition Android has announced that SD cards will be able to store aps in the near future. V2.1
This comparison was stupid...... First thing you need to relize is that "apple's multitouch" is one Of a kind when it comes down on the pinch zooming. And along with the fact that Android is still trying to make their way into the battle field of mobile smartphones. Give them their propts the iPhone has had it's time of glory and will never be to it's fullest potential unless they cancel their exclusivety with AT&T and create either new phones or OS for other mobile phones to compete with Android. You have to notice this. The iPhone has AWSOME SOFTWARE but let's face it Android phones have THE BEST HARDWARE and when it comes down to the customer into buying a phone they look at the harware over the software unless your a geek like my self who goes intothose type of things. And don't even try to compare the app store apps with the android market. Cause 85% of those apps are a wasted of fcking time and money. So in the end my opinion is that Android wins due to the fact they have expended their horizions more than apple have and with that come MORE MONEY AND IN DUE TIME THAT MEAN MORE PHONE WHICH MEANS MORE CUSTOMERS!!!!!!!!