[mandown]

I'm meditating on going iPhone when my next contract renewal is up in July with Verizon. I've found my Droid Moto to be a bit clunky and I'm not sure I want to try Droid again. The interface lags, I don't do much power using of apps, the Droid camera is weak, and I'm running Mac at home and an iPad.

I know this isn't the most i/Mac friendly hunting ground, but I figured The Oracle of monkey brains here would have some good input (and some lousy input too). Any thoughts from those who have crossed over? Regrets? Epiphanies? Thoughts on waiting a few extra months for the i5 vs snatching up the white i4?

 

[HAB]

Dunno but if you ditch your Droid I'd seriously consider buying it off you if you're interested in unloading it.

 

[berkshire_rider]

I'm meditating on going iPhone when my next contract renewal is up in July with Verizon. I've found my Droid Moto to be a bit clunky and I'm not sure I want to try Droid again. The interface lags, I don't do much power using of apps, the Droid camera is weak, and I'm running Mac at home and an iPad.

It sounds like the issues you are experiencing could possibly be corrected. Is your phone running Froyo (2,2) or Gingerbread (2.3)? I would also look at what apps are running at startup and in the background. Keep things like GPS, wifi, and bluetooth disabled unless you need them running for something specific.

 

[IH8Rice]

i thought the e-speculation is that the Iphone5 wont be out in June/July like prior years

 

[Westy]

Get the i4 in white now. The i5 probably will not come out in white for another year and color is the most important aspect of a phone.

 

[mandown]

It sounds like the issues you are experiencing could possibly be corrected. Is your phone running Froyo (2,2) or Gingerbread (2.3)? I would also look at what apps are running at startup and in the background. Keep things like GPS, wifi, and bluetooth disabled unless you need them running for something specific.

Back in Feb I broke mine so I got a refurbished warranty one wiped clean of everything. It worked well for a bit, with the exception of the meh camera. I only installed a few apps, and even uninstalled some, since I'm not an app heavy user. I've disabled those background runners that slow crap down. I'm still not thrilled with performance. Lags when I try to open the phone or messaging. The music player doesn't sync with iTunes. The physical keyboard is never used and just takes up space. Battery goes from 70% to 20% at seemingly random times of non-use. Not sure the iPhone will be loads better, but I will have something new to get frustrated with.

HAB, I will keep that in mind.

 

[berkshire_rider]

Having GPS/bluetooth/wifi enabled are big battery drainers.

I never have GPS enabled on my phone, unless I'm using turn by turn nav, or an app that requires it. Never needed to have the wifi enabled. I keep bluetooth disabled, except when I'm in the car and need hands-free operation.

Maybe try taking it back to Verizon and tell them you want another phone because the one they gave you is slow as hell and the camera doesn't work correctly?

 

[jonKranked]

latest ive heard is iphone 5 won't be out till september, if it even comes out this year.

a lot of your gripes about the OG droid have been addressed with newer versions of hardware, be sure to spend some time with newer devices before you make a decision (plenty of form factors available now)


have you considered windows phone 7? Everyone i've talked to that has one absolutely LOVES it. and theres finally a WP7 device available on big red (htc trophy), and more to come. based on my (albeit limited) hands on time with it, they have arguable a better and cleaner user interface than just about anything out there.

don't forget the upcoming hp/palm phones with webOS3. This guy is another underdog that is totally underappreciated. again, everyone i know that has one absolutely loves it (the older versions at least). from what i've seen of webOS3 it looks to be a serious contender.

FWIW, i love my android device, but more than likely my next phone won't be another android. and it wont be an iphone.

 

[mandown]

Part of my reasoning is that I'm all Mac at home now, so I'm accustomed to the platform.

Thought about the Droid X for a minute. Hated my BBerry. Does VZW do Palm devices?

 

[jonKranked]

Part of my reasoning is that I'm all Mac at home now, so I'm accustomed to the platform.

Thought about the Droid X for a minute. Hated my BBerry. Does VZW do Palm devices?

yea, VZW had the earlier palm devices, so good reason to believe they'll have the upcoming ones.

 

[gonefirefightin]

 

[woodsguy]

I really like my WP7 (fast, easy to navigate, and great camera and music player) and I heard it plays nice with Mac and itunes. There is a big update coming that will add a bunch of cool stuff.

 

[stevew]

have you considered windows phone 7?

my sister in law had a windows phone forced on her along with her boss.

india could never get the things to take calls consistently....ended up going back to mmikes phone of choice.....blackberry.

 

[jonKranked]

my sister in law had a windows phone forced on her along with her boss.

india could never get the things to take calls consistently....ended up going back to mmikes phone of choice.....blackberry.

old windows mobile or new? you can't really make a fair comparison between the two. m$ knew they had to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch if they wanted to compete in the current mobile environment. based on what i've seen, it was effort well spent

 

[mandown]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/199844-2/iphone_4_vs_droid_x_a_headtohead_comparison.html

shockingly topical comparison fo the DrX/iP4. nearly a draw.

 

[jonKranked]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/199844-2/iphone_4_vs_droid_x_a_headtohead_comparison.html

shockingly topical comparison fo the DrX/iP4. nearly a draw.

that's the OG droid x. the X2 just came out last week.

 

[stevew]

old windows mobile or new? you can't really make a fair comparison between the two. m$ knew they had to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch if they wanted to compete in the current mobile environment. based on what i've seen, it was effort well spent

new i believe......suffered with it i think thru march/april.....

 

[IH8Rice]

that's the OG droid x. the X2 just came out last week.

its still a fair comparison since the Iphone4 is nearly a year old already

 

[jonKranked]

its still a fair comparison since the Iphone4 is nearly a year old already

why buy the old model when a newer one is available?

 

[IH8Rice]

why buy the old model when a newer one is available?

 

[jonKranked]

no

 

[dante]

why buy the old model when a newer one is available?

I have to agree, with the research I did just before getting my HTC Thunderbolt, it seems like the mobile phone industry is in a bit of a technology revolution. It's as if phones that came out even 6mo ago are outdated, and 1+ year ago is ancient. Everything from hardware (1ghz processors, dual processors, RAM, etc) to software to connectivity (4g, etc) it seems like phones are outdated as soon as they hit the market. Even the T-bolt, which seemed like the best when it came out a couple months ago is already surpassed by a couple others (dual-processor phones running gingerbread, etc). I can't imagine buying a year-old iPhone that'll be stuck on 3g for the next two years till your contract runs out and you can buy another one......

 

[Silver]

They are all **** toys. Get whatever is shiny at the moment.

I would have gone Droid last time, but AT&T. Frankly, the minute I can ditch the stupid phone, I will, and life will be better for it. I probably never will.

 

[jonKranked]

I have to agree, with the research I did just before getting my HTC Thunderbolt, it seems like the mobile phone industry is in a bit of a technology revolution. It's as if phones that came out even 6mo ago are outdated, and 1+ year ago is ancient. Everything from hardware (1ghz processors, dual processors, RAM, etc) to software to connectivity (4g, etc) it seems like phones are outdated as soon as they hit the market. Even the T-bolt, which seemed like the best when it came out a couple months ago is already surpassed by a couple others (dual-processor phones running gingerbread, etc). I can't imagine buying a year-old iPhone that'll be stuck on 3g for the next two years till your contract runs out and you can buy another one......

I view this as a double bladed sword.

On the upside, new hardware is constantly coming out. Don't like anything currently available? Wait a month or 2 and there will be something better.


On the downside, new hardware is constantly coming out. Which means that manufacturers have an ever growing number of models on the market which they have to support. Which can be a huge PITA. Given that most customers are on 2 year contracts, they generally only purchase new phones when their contracts are up. So it's pretty safe to say that the average life of a device *should* be two years. Combined with possible minimum hardware specs for devices, you could very realistically have a device that support basically disappears after a year.

 

[mandown]

That is an element of my consideration. If tech stopped today, I'd be happy with the iPhone 4 as it is. However, with the horizon showing the growth of 4g networks, my concern is that mobile sites and apps will adjust for the faster speed, leaving me driving with three on the tree while getting passed by six speed paddle shifters on the info superhighway. I'm not looking to be the guy on he block with the coolest car, just one that won't clunk out.

I was hoping some of y'all might have been closer to the rumor mill source on things the i5 will do different, like maybe 4g. Or, will the processor and/or OS change in such a way that would have a notable change in performance. Nothing I'm finding on the web indicates there will be radical changes.

 

[jonKranked]

adam - does your area have "4g" coverage? (i'm guessing so)

regardless, 2 big reasons i'd avoid "4g" devices right now:

1) - the "4g" networks right now aren't true 4G networks. none of them are, as of yet, capable of hitting the speeds required to be considered an actual 4G network (us carriers claim that the "4g" in their marketing speak just means 4th generation). while its certainly faster than 3G, bandwidth is nowhere near the speeds they're capable of. verizon is the fastest and has the biggest footprint of it, but they're still not true 4G.

2) - the current crop of "4g" phones on the market have pretty abysmal battery life. high bandwidth comes at a price (more than just $$); power consumption/optimization needs worlds of improvements

 

[mandown]

Haven't checked the map, but I'm in LA, so I'd guess that if it isn't here now, it will be within the next two years.

Looks like WWDC is soon and the rumors should get better once that hits.

 

[jonKranked]

Haven't checked the map, but I'm in LA, so I'd guess that if it isn't here now, it will be within the next two years.

Looks like WWDC is soon and the rumors should get better once that hits.

wwdc is going on now. only thing iphone related is ios5.

based on apple's history of not adding a feature till its ready and solid, i'd be astounded if they released a 4g version of the iphone this year.

 

[binary visions]

Verizon's LTE network is the closest to real 4G. At least it's the right technology even if it isn't certified 4G. AT&T/T-Mobile are just using their same 3G infrastructure with new protocols and calling it 4G.

LOL@WWDC. Apple implemented the exact same notification bar as Android, and the exact same lock screen as Samsung's Android implementation. This couldn't be tantamount to saying Android did a couple things so right that Apple couldn't improve on them or even modify them enough to say they did, could it?

 

[jonKranked]

Verizon's LTE network is the closest to real 4G. At least it's the right technology even if it isn't certified 4G. AT&T/T-Mobile are just using their same 3G infrastructure with new protocols and calling it 4G.

that's what i was trying to say, you just did it better

LOL@WWDC. Apple implemented the exact same notification bar as Android, and the exact same lock screen as Samsung's Android implementation. This couldn't be tantamount to saying Android did a couple things so right that Apple couldn't improve on them or even modify them enough to say they did, could it?

i was just thinking that. [edit: and no "clear all button". must be waiting for iOS6]

also - 5th major iteration of your OS and you're just now getting around to OTA activating and updating?

 

[IH8Rice]

LOL@WWDC. Apple implemented the exact same notification bar as Android, and the exact same lock screen as Samsung's Android implementation. This couldn't be tantamount to saying Android did a couple things so right that Apple couldn't improve on them or even modify them enough to say they did, could it?

well it couldnt get any worse then it already is.

 

[jonKranked]

synced messaging across devices? what other cues are they gonna take from android

edit: imessage is more of a bbm ripoff with a taste of gtalk. derp.

 

[binary visions]

well it couldnt get any worse then it already is.

Too true.

Just make me laugh that a whole bunch of these announcements are catch-ups to Android. There will always be back-and-forth, obviously, but here we are, after Google made a mad dash to bring Android up to the standards set by iOS, and sure enough, a new WWDC rolls around and there's the slightly-uncomfortable "...just like Android" hanging off the end of all the announcements.

"We've got a new notification system!" ...just like Android.
"We've got a functional lock screen!" ...just like Android.
"We're doing Twitter integration with contacts!" ...just like Android.
"New cloud-based contacts management for multiple devices!" ...just like Android.
"Music and photos and documents in the cloud!" ...just like Android.
"OTA software! OTA activations! WiFi sync! No more cables!" ...just like Android.

Interesting reminder service that integrates with GPS/etc. Android doesn't have that natively but Tasker has been doing it for over a year now... still, clean to have it in the OS.

Just goes to show how far Google has brought Android in surprisingly little time.

 

[IH8Rice]

Just goes to show how far Google has brought Android in surprisingly little time.

well, they took a step back and looked at what sucked/sucks on IOS and did the opposite.

the new camera function, notification alert and notifications on the lock screen are really the only thing that i look forward to.

 

[jonKranked]

Too true.

Just make me laugh that a whole bunch of these announcements are catch-ups to Android. There will always be back-and-forth, obviously, but here we are, after Google made a mad dash to bring Android up to the standards set by iOS, and sure enough, a new WWDC rolls around and there's the slightly-uncomfortable "...just like Android" hanging off the end of all the announcements.

"We've got a new notification system!" ...just like Android.
"We've got a functional lock screen!" ...just like Android.
"We're doing Twitter integration with contacts!" ...just like Android.
"New cloud-based contacts management for multiple devices!" ...just like Android.
"Music and photos and documents in the cloud!" ...just like Android.
"OTA software! OTA activations! WiFi sync! No more cables!" ...just like Android.

Interesting reminder service that integrates with GPS/etc. Android doesn't have that natively but Tasker has been doing it for over a year now... still, clean to have it in the OS.

Just goes to show how far Google has brought Android in surprisingly little time.

you forgot tabbed browsing

 

[jonKranked]

as far as i'm concerned, obvious troll spammer is obvious

 

[IH8Rice]

now that i know their notification system will actually be improved, im becoming increasingly annoyed when doing something and a damn pop-up blocks me from continuing until i acknowledge it

 

[mandown]

Given what I have heard about what 4g signals do to battery life, I think that it is unlikely to see a 4g iPhone until they can figure out a way to hold a charge, particularly since battery life seems to be a bragging right. I also must admit that it is swaying me away from the need for speed. These days, I need a phone with a touch screen, the email and web functionality seems to be less of a concern for me than it was a few years back when I got my first smart phone. Admitting that is changing my shopping direction.

 

[syadasti]

Given what I have heard about what 4g signals do to battery life, I think that it is unlikely to see a 4g iPhone until they can figure out a way to hold a charge, particularly since battery life seems to be a bragging right. I also must admit that it is swaying me away from the need for speed. These days, I need a phone with a touch screen, the email and web functionality seems to be less of a concern for me than it was a few years back when I got my first smart phone. Admitting that is changing my shopping direction.

This has little to nothing to do with handset maker, the radio system chipsets are designed by third parties. Software and firmware optimizations will help but the primary boost would be from more mature chipsets.

The big things that help battery life are display type efficiency (ie evolution from CCFL to LED on LCD to mems, e-ink, and other new display technologies), improved radio system chipsets, and processor efficiency (going from 45nm to 28nm will help a lot and adding better power saving technologies)

 

[mandown]

I'm sure there are various ways to get more life, but the fact is that the current crop of 4g phones are juice hungry, and I don't see Apple jumping on that 4g bandwagon until the technology has matured.