iPhone 4 or Galaxy S

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merve0o0

492 posts

Ultimate Geek

#65241 31-Jul-2010 17:26

Hi all, its time to replace my 4 year old phone and 2 year old iPod Touch. I have been looking at the options and reading reviews online but i was wanting some "real life" NZ views on whether to get the iPhone 4 or the Galaxy S.

main uses will be music, internet and the odd game. also the odd pic or video.

the only things pointing me to the iphone are the app store and the range of accessories available for it i want a nice case and it would be nice to sync it to my car stereo.

how does the android market compare to the app store.

Things pointing me toward the galaxy s are expandable memory, android, cheaper price

galaxy s
Pros
cheap cost
expandable memory
removable battery
bigger screen

cons
no apple app store
lack of 3rd party accessories
xt version more expensive

Iphone 4
Pros
App Store
Huge range of accessories

Cons
Price

sorry for the longish post and sorry if its been covered before i did search but all results seemed to be referencing the reviews i have already read

any 1st hand experiences or links to unbiased reviews (a rarity when apple is involved) are welcome.

Thanks Alex

n4

959 posts

Ultimate Geek

#360839 31-Jul-2010 22:09

Apple App store vs Android Market - there's no doubt the App store is better equipped with apps, and that at this stage there are probably more good apps that are exclusive to the App store than there are exclusive to the Market. That is the situation now. However, the Market is growing quickly and there are 60-100k apps, so the chances are you can find at least one (if not several) apps for whatever category you are looking. Plus I suspect that in time the developer impetus will swing behind the Market because of the increasing number of Android handsets getting sold.

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NZtechfreak

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#360843 31-Jul-2010 22:19

They are pretty evenly matched in many respects.

In terms of the specific uses you mentioned:

I think the camera in the iPhone has an edge over the Galaxy S
Internet will favor Galaxy S once Froyo hits in a month or so.
Music very closely matched, if you're not an iTunes user then the Galaxy S would probably take it with its wider codec support and essentially equivalent sound quality

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caldazar

459 posts

Ultimate Geek

#360863 31-Jul-2010 23:00

What is the build quality like on the Galaxy S? I'm also trying to decide between these two models.

caldazar

459 posts

Ultimate Geek

#360871 31-Jul-2010 23:22

Also, anyone seen both? how do the screens compare?

caldazar

459 posts

Ultimate Geek

#360883 1-Aug-2010 00:23

Well, I cracked under the pressure... Samsung Galaxy S for me.

nakedmolerat

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#360898 1-Aug-2010 01:07

caldazar: Well, I cracked under the pressure... Samsung Galaxy S for me.

you will be pleased with galaxy S... i ordered a few for friends and have been playing with it. very nice phone indeed. i would have bought one for me except i prefer smaller screen - 3 - 3.2 inch only

Hopefully galaxy Q is not too far away

NZtechfreak

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#360937 1-Aug-2010 09:36

Galaxy S build quality is fine. No sliders or moving parts, its solid enough, but the choice of materials and lightness of the phone doesn't give a good impression of quality. Definitely inferior to the iPhone 4 in that regard (although the back of the Galaxy S won't shatter if dropped, unlike the iPhone).

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androidmnz

178 posts

Master Geek

#370113 20-Aug-2010 02:24

caldazar: Well, I cracked under the pressure... Samsung Galaxy S for me.

Good choice. I'm also using the Galaxy S and have been pretty impressed so far. Battery life is far superior to any smartphone I've ever owned (2-2.5 days moderate use). The screen is fantastic. All in all a good phone.

Linuxluver

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#370498 20-Aug-2010 21:23

NZtechfreak: They are pretty evenly matched in many respects.

In terms of the specific uses you mentioned:

I think the camera in the iPhone has an edge over the Galaxy S
Internet will favor Galaxy S once Froyo hits in a month or so.
Music very closely matched, if you're not an iTunes user then the Galaxy S would probably take it with its wider codec support and essentially equivalent sound quality

The "iSyncr" app on Android lets me happily use iTunes with my Android phone for buying music and listening to it. I can also rate tunes and feed that back into iTunes. Playlists appear to be supported, too.

There are other options. DoubleTwist works with iTunes and they have an Android app. I don't use it because they don't support Linux on the PC. But many Windows user swear by it.

There are other options....but these are the two that people talk about most.

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momoslover

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#380988 17-Sep-2010 03:17

I've got galaxy s and ipod touch 3. I find the music sounds better n louder on the galaxy s.

Handsomedan

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#381313 17-Sep-2010 15:14

Recently (especially with the iOS4.x updates) the sound quality has improved slightly, but overall volume has reduced on the iPhone.

THis may not be a biggie for eom, but in a noisy environment with the EQ on, it's not that loud...

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howdoigetthisworking

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#381689 18-Sep-2010 20:32

Hey,

I have been after a new smart-phone for a while and after saving I'm almost there. Like the first post, I'm tossing up between the Galaxy with an iPhone 4. I've decided I would prefer the Galaxy but is it worth the extra $280??
Although the iPhone retails for $1099 and the Galaxy for $999, on the Vodafone 'Smart1' plan the iPhone costs $619 with a $480 rebate while for some reason Vodafone only offers a $100 rebate with the Galaxy so it ends up costing $899 on the same plan... Kinda annoying as I actually want the Galaxy but am now heading toward the iPhone due to the $280 difference.

My question for those who have had a good play with both is: Is the Galaxy worth waiting an extra few months to save up the $280 difference or not?

Cheers,
Stephen

rossmnz

507 posts

Ultimate Geek

#381690 18-Sep-2010 20:37

wait for HTC Desire HD?

The force is strong with this one!

th3r3turn

258 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#381695 18-Sep-2010 21:06

rossmnz: wait for HTC Desire HD?

yea and after that we should wait for something else! i have not played with the galaxy s, but i have with the iPhone, i enjoyed it very much (had the 2G & 3G), ive been looking at the galaxy s but i want to play on it before hand to get a feel for it. Im about to order a iPhone4, but wheres the cheapest place to get a galaxy s?

BigDave

115 posts

Master Geek

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#381724 18-Sep-2010 22:27

There is always that next phone to wait for ;) I have used the iPhone 4 and played with the galaxy the iPhone has a lovely screen but it's kamikaze/suicidal nature to slide of anything and everything to it's demise.

I am still looking forward to the release of the new blackberry torch which will be my new device of choice.

My views are mine and don't necessarily reflect that of my employer.