[INFO] So you want to buy a smart phone? Some platform comparison

Forums › Android › [INFO] So you want to buy a smart phone? Some platform comparison

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#563694 2-Jan-2012 11:33

hairy1: Nice summary!

Android has caught Apple in the intuitiveness stakes. Generally anyone can operate either platform these days (although one of my colleagues wanted to take their iphone back to the shop because it kept jumping to the next song when they ran with it!)

Cheers, Matt.

Nice post and interesting thread. Re. above quote - seems a few people get caught out by a setting in the music player of iOS "shake to shuffle" - yep, start running (or dancing) and all of a sudden it'll skip to a new song - so make sure it's set to how you want it to behave.
Re. general smartphone issues - I've certainly realised that they need to be treated more like a computer than a dumb-phone - which means that an occasional re-boot can solve all sorts of operational glitches. As regards iOS devices - something that may be voodoo (but seems to work): it can help to do a forced reboot if you're having issues: press the sleep & home button together & hold until the Apple icon comes on. For something similar to zapping the PRAM on a Mac: do as above but keep holding both buttons until you see the Apple icon go off and then come back on again. (hope that makes sense).
Other issues with the battery life can often be fixed by calibrating the battery (similar to laptops - Google for instructions), and I only just found out that it seems that some home button issues on iPhones (& maybe iPads) can also be addressed by 'calibrating' the button.

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wally22

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#563780 2-Jan-2012 16:14

I have to say that, as a non-smartphone user, the article was very informative and I got the message quite clearly that the writer was Android biased. I did have trouble understanding some of the terminology (Google is your friend) but only because I have not been anywhere near a Smartphone or taken any notice of its development at all.

A phone is a phone after all, isn't it? I'm into computers, and I don't even have a laptop of my own, such is my technological preference. Why fiddle on a tiny gizmo when a full size keyboard plugged into the wall is much more preferable??? ;)

But I was reading the article to gain insight prior to buying a smartphone, and the article was the most informative and comprehensive I had come across. Thank you and don't let the dissenters make you take it down.

uglyb0b

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#563786 2-Jan-2012 16:22

wally22:
But I was reading the article to gain insight prior to buying a smartphone, and the article was the most informative and comprehensive I had come across. Thank you and don't let the dissenters make you take it down.

I agree, it is very informative. In regards to the bias, the OP specifically said that android is his favourite OS so of course some of that will be reflected in the post. It doesn't change the fact that other operating systems have been discussed, or that there was a specific invitation to discuss further on other OSs.

dclegg

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#563793 2-Jan-2012 16:46

I've seen Androids intuitiveness been mentioned in this thread, so I thought I'd offer my experience with my first Android phone, which I received on Friday (a Huawei X3 running Gingerbread). This phone was purchased for me to test Android apps I'm developing.

As such, I'm not going to be using it as my primary phone. I had configured my Gmail account so I could use the inbuilt mail app if required. I noticed that it was automatically fetching new messages, but I wanted this to be a manual process. I made the required changes in the config section of the Mail app, but I was still getting new email notification alerts. I then found there was a Mail app AND a Gmail one. Once I'd disabled auto synching in the Gmail app, only then did the new mail notifications stop.

I also noticed that under the Theme settings there is an option to download additional themes from the Internet. Selecting that option gives the message "Cannot find market, you can find themes with other internet tools".

In saying that, while I'll still be using my iPhone as my primary phone, I am very impressed with the X5 that I purchased for my daughter. At $250 it really is a cracker of a phone, and one I wouldn't hesitate recommending to others. I also think I'm really going to come to appreciate Swype as a text input mechanism, and will lament that iOS doesn't allow that level of customization.

tdgeek

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#563795 2-Jan-2012 16:52

wally22: Why fiddle on a tiny gizmo when a full size keyboard plugged into the wall is much more preferable??? ;)
.

If you have no need or desire to be online, check a website, check email, chat, etc when out and about, you are correct.

These tiny gizmos have very good screens, allowing you to keep a mini laptop in your pocket.

allan

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#564366 4-Jan-2012 15:10

I think the complaints of being biased are a bit harsh on CdTDroiD. I don't think there are many people on here who have owned/used the wide variety of devices that he has. His note at the beginning quite clearly states the info is his own opinion.

Just to comment on some of the other points made here. I work for an organisation of around 30 people and we have iPhones deployed as a company supplied device. Approx 80% 3GS and 20% iPhone 4. Yes great for "set and forget" users. We have also actually had a few issues with the screen cracking on the 4's. We have had one 3GS screen crack over an 18 month period, but three of the 4's in about 4 months. Maybe it's just user carelessness - who knows.

I agree with the comment about the Stuff app crashing on IOS. Until the very latest release, it had been crashing frequently for me and just exiting the app - to the point of being unusable. I had reverted to just using their smartphone oriented website. Even now it still hangs from time to time. And have you seen the size of it - 69MB, compared to the NZ Herald app at 32MB and 3 News at 5MB.

Personally I've owned various iterations of Windows Mobile devices, have an HTC Touch Windows Mobile 6.5 device under contract for another couple of months and will replace it with a higher end Android device in due course - given that I also will probably want to tinker!

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#564373 4-Jan-2012 15:39

Im eagerly waiting for next week when new devices should get announced. Im especially anticipating to see what SE has in store, cant wait.

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jeffnz

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#564381 4-Jan-2012 16:00

I would agree with you Allan that people have been a bit harsh also saying his credibility is in question, where did that come from so emotional over reaction to what appears to be totally factual.

Would make more sense if they actually shot his claims down with facts but doesn't seem to be tha case.

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CdTDroiD

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#566153 8-Jan-2012 17:18

jeffnz: I would agree with you Allan that people have been a bit harsh also saying his credibility is in question, where did that come from so emotional over reaction to what appears to be totally factual.

Would make more sense if they actually shot his claims down with facts but doesn't seem to be tha case.

LOL my point exactly, If my facts are wrong please correct me but they are not... Thanks ;)

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#566191 8-Jan-2012 18:43

jeffnz: I would agree with you Allan that people have been a bit harsh also saying his credibility is in question, where did that come from so emotional over reaction to what appears to be totally factual.

Would make more sense if they actually shot his claims down with facts but doesn't seem to be tha case.

Look it from other angle... The post was originally "[GUIDE]". Anyone reading a "guide" expect non-biased information to help decide what is better for their needs - not what's the personal preference of the person writing the post.

After I suggested that "GUIDE" was misleading and that the topic post was biased, the OP changed it to "[INFO]" which is more accurate.

No was saying anything about the OP's credibility. The comment about credibility came first from me, as in "if you thinkin you could in the future venture into writing other guides it would be good for your credibility to make non-biased posts".

Note that this is in the Mobile Handsets forum so it should be impartial. If this was supposed to be a "Android Uber Alles" then I suggest we move this topic to the Android forum and change the subject to "Why I think you should get an Android device instead of anything else".

CdTDroiD

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#566197 8-Jan-2012 18:52

Its funny how this whole thread has been arguing about credibility and my writing, please do move it to Android section

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jeffnz

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#567204 11-Jan-2012 08:38

effectively this information has been buried for whatever reason. Personally I thought it well written and whilst the Op acknowledged he is android pro, I found it pretty objective although it may have changed somewhat from first writing.

I've read test reports on Consumer that are more biased than this article and they are paid unlike on here which is done as a service therefore people should be a bit more open minded.

Lastly, I would have been more sympathetic to the nay sayers on here if they had at least come up with 'facts' to prove the Op was wrong, So I think this is wrong and some who may be looking in future to buy a phone and could have benefited from this will miss out.

rant over and I won't bring it up again.

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#567206 11-Jan-2012 08:40

jeffnz: effectively this information has been buried for whatever reason. Personally I thought it well written and whilst the Op acknowledged he is android pro, I found it pretty objective although it may have changed somewhat from first writing.

How can you say "it's been buried for whatever reason", seeing we moved it to the top of the forum list (STICKY) since day one?

We are actually promoting it, because of the content, regardless of the follow up discussion, and yet some still accuse us of "burying it"?

Seriously folks, give it a break.