Popping my xda cherry with this post guise, but I'm in no way a noob. I've had minimal experience with android (aside from Bluestacks and other people's phones) as I have yet to own one, but I'm an iOS expert (sorry xD) that has switched over to the android side, thanks to Xperia lol
I keep hearing that Google's Nexus is the only way to experience the real/true/pure android, or whatever. Aside from delayed updates and bloatware, what exactly does this mean ? I've heard this is the case, to a frustrating extent, on Samsung devices (which doesn't even matter because I'm anti-Samsung) but does this also apply to Sony's Xperia line ? And if so, to what extent ?
Of course most of it should be removable via rooting and custom ROMs and such (which I will definitely do, at the very least to get rid of CarrierIQ), but is there any other sort of unmanageable difference between Nexus and other android devices ? Specifically, Xperias.
I've tried Jellybean on a Sola, and was overly impressed. But the interwebz have scared me and, being the nerdy tweaker type, I don't wanna stumble upon this frustration after getting the device.
PS. I plan on getting a GSM unlocked (outside the states) Sony Xperia Z, in case it's relevant. Any general advice is also welcome!
Essentially the completely stock Android user interface is, for many people, a great interface because of how clean it is and it's unparalleled performance. It also gets extra points for the limited number of extra unnecessary features - Android itself can take care of that, it just takes some research (trips to this site and the Google Play Store, for example). Carrier skins aren't exactly bad (not at all in my opinion, actually, I really like a lot of them), they're just criticized when they include unnecessary bloat (like games) and also when they release features that don't work well or aren't very helpful. They also used to be very heavily criticized for their hit on performance, but that's less of a problem now that the modern flagships are extremely powerful.
Sony is pretty good about pushing out Android updates, especially to their flagships like the Xperia Z. It's also often been said that Xperia eDream (the UI that the Xperia line uses an overlay skin on Android) is one of the lightest and most 'true-to-stock' full-blown overlays. Other companies have modified Android far less, but in those cases they only really add a widget or two which isn't all that helpful or interesting. In my personal opinion, Xperia eDream is superb - it's extremely smooth, clean, and elegant, and has a bunch of subtle but fancy animations that don't at all hinder performance.
As a side note, I don't think the Xperia Z has CarrierIQ installed... after their presence was unearth a year or so ago they were largely removed from most phones. I could be wrong, though.
There isn't a massive difference between the Xperia line and the Nexus line once you rule out the software differences (which can be fixed). The only real difference I can think of is perhaps the lack of a navigation bar for the Xperia line, which can actually be implemented via software too even though it's not really logical since you have capacitive buttons right underneath. They can be disabled, but then you're just using up screen real estate.
Also, Samsung is actually also pretty good about pushing out regular Android updates, again especially for their flagships. Samsung is often criticized, though, for their UI (Touchwiz) because it has a bunch of features that are primarily gimmicky and aren't often used in day-to-day usage and also due to it's cartoonish look.
The OEM to look out for that hardly ever updates their phones (even their flagships) in a timely manner is HTC.
Of course, this is where this site comes into play - if there's enough support (and I assure you essentially any flagship from a big-name OEM will get plenty of support, Xperia Z included) you can enjoy the latest version of Android for years to come. Of course, the Nexus line still gets the best support (the ancient Nexus phones like the Nexus S and Nexus One still get decent support, especially the Nexus S) but regardless you'll get great support for Android versions.
Reply to Surpass
Thank you for extensive, detailed reply.
Surpass said:
Carrier skins aren't exactly bad (not at all in my opinion, actually, I really like a lot of them), they're just criticized when they include unnecessary bloat (like games) and also when they release features that don't work well or aren't very helpful. They also used to be very heavily criticized for their hit on performance, but that's less of a problem now that the modern flagships are extremely powerful.
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This isn't really a problem for me, as I plan to get the phone GSM unlocked, thereby officially not belonging to any carrier. I simply mentioned this as it is the number one argument I hear when people talk about "real vs fake android"
Sony is pretty good about pushing out Android updates, especially to their flagships like the Xperia Z.
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See, I thought so too. But I mentioned a Sola that a friend of mine has. He only recently updated to Jellybean, upon my advice and instructions, because his phone never told him there was an update. I walked him through the rooting process merely to achieve this. It was pretty disappointing, especially since the Sola has been out for a while.
It's also often been said that Xperia eDream (the UI that the Xperia line uses an overlay skin on Android) is one of the lightest and most 'true-to-stock' full-blown overlays. Other companies have modified Android far less, but in those cases they only really add a widget or two which isn't all that helpful or interesting. In my personal opinion, Xperia eDream is superb - it's extremely smooth, clean, and elegant, and has a bunch of subtle but fancy animations that don't at all hinder performance.
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This is really what I wanted to hear. Thank you.
As a side note, I don't think the Xperia Z has CarrierIQ installed... after their presence was unearth a year or so ago they were largely removed from most phones. I could be wrong, though.
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As far as I know, only Apple has claimed to remove it from iOS5+. But really, why not look into it ? Aside from the privacy concerns, it hogs battery, performance and bandwidth, regardless of whether or not you're on billable internet or not.
There isn't a massive difference between the Xperia line and the Nexus line once you rule out the software differences (which can be fixed).
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As long as software differences are tweakable, they don't bother me.
The only real difference I can think of is perhaps the lack of a navigation bar for the Xperia line, which can actually be implemented via software too even though it's not really logical since you have capacitive buttons right underneath. They can be disabled, but then you're just using up screen real estate.
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You're right, that's just silly.
Also, Samsung is actually also pretty good about pushing out regular Android updates, again especially for their flagships. Samsung is often criticized, though, for their UI (Touchwiz) because it has a bunch of features that are primarily gimmicky and aren't often used in day-to-day usage and also due to it's cartoonish look.
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My hatred for Samsung is more on a corporate level. Touchwiz is ****, but my hatred for the company itself trumps this. Everyone seems to have forgotten this, but in the pre-Galaxy days, before Samsung disturbed the force of the smartphone world, it was famed for being the cheapest brand out there. Be in TV's, PC hardware, ACs, you name it. They always provide barely par products much cheaper than the competition, and for this reason I have no respect for them, as they slow the industry, and technological development in general, by doing this, rather than being innovative and creative.
The OEM to look out for that hardly ever updates their phones (even their flagships) in a timely manner is HTC.
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I've personally never liked HTC, always felt like an i-mate knock off, but thank you. I know many HTC fanbois that need to know this.
Of course, this is where this site comes into play - if there's enough support (and I assure you essentially any flagship from a big-name OEM will get plenty of support, Xperia Z included) you can enjoy the latest version of Android for years to come. Of course, the Nexus line still gets the best support (the ancient Nexus phones like the Nexus S and Nexus One still get decent support, especially the Nexus S) but regardless you'll get great support for Android versions.
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Hence why I posted here. Again, thank you for all that info!
Ace2213 said:
Thank you for extensive, detailed reply.
This isn't really a problem for me, as I plan to get the phone GSM unlocked, thereby officially not belonging to any carrier. I simply mentioned this as it is the number one argument I hear when people talk about "real vs fake android"
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Oops, sorry, I mistyped that reply, actually. I was referring to OEM skins - there's not such a thing as a 'Carrier skin'. Carriers do install their own suite of bloat, though, on top of the OEM skin, so it's good you're getting a GSM unlocked version, which makes for a more 'pure' experience, like you wanted.
Ace2213 said:
See, I thought so too. But I mentioned a Sola that a friend of mine has. He only recently updated to Jellybean, upon my advice and instructions, because his phone never told him there was an update. I walked him through the rooting process merely to achieve this. It was pretty disappointing, especially since the Sola has been out for a while.
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The Xperia Sola is a low-end device, and low-end devices are not normally targeted for the tech-oriented market and as such oftentimes the users of them don't care (or even know, for that matter) what version of Android they're running. The hardware in the Sola (especially the paltry 512MB of RAM) also makes it an illogical choice to upgrade to the latest version of Android, because newer versions of Android are more focused on multi-tasking which doesn't cater well to low RAM. The newer versions also press down harder on the processor and have fancier animations, which can result in a more laggy experience if it's not very well optimized.
Ace2213 said:
My hatred for Samsung is more on a corporate level. Touchwiz is ****, but my hatred for the company itself trumps this. Everyone seems to have forgotten this, but in the pre-Galaxy days, before Samsung disturbed the force of the smartphone world, it was famed for being the cheapest brand out there. Be in TV's, PC hardware, ACs, you name it. They always provide barely par products much cheaper than the competition, and for this reason I have no respect for them, as they slow the industry, and technological development in general, by doing this, rather than being innovative and creative.
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Fair enough. Samsung can be a bit unimaginative in their designs, I agree on that.
Ace2213 said:
I've personally never liked HTC, always felt like an i-mate knock off, but thank you. I know many HTC fanbois that need to know this.
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The problem that HTC has with updates is in the past they pushed out a HUGE number of phones in a short period of time. If you've got 100+ phones released in the past year it gets difficult to support the latest version of Android on every single one.
HTC this year is trying to turn that around by releasing only one key flagship (HTC One) and a few minor other phones. Hopefully with that their support for the latest Android version will improve.
Ace2213 said:
Hence why I posted here. Again, thank you for all that info!
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Sure.
Related
it's been 10 months since it was previewed, 5 months since it was first released.
And only 1.5% of the Android market share is ICS.
What is going on?
I think ICS is a product fails, so it was not released. and overcome, they will use the JellyBean.
It's just my opinion.
Sent from my SK17i using xda premium
What is so compelling about it? I can customize gingerbread to have any features it has. Its not like ios which restricts functionality and appearance to the os level.
The only thing I miss is chrome.
Probably for the same reasons that all Android updates take a while to go out. Manufacturers face several hurdles when they update their phones to a new version of Android. They have to update all drivers to support any changes made to the OS, go through a ton of testing and QA to make sure nothing is broken (remember, not everyone who owns a smartphone can troubleshoot it or go to XDA when something doesn't work, and not every smartphone is fast enough to run new versions of Android). When all that's done, they have to get carrier approval, which means even more testing and other administrative work. Now take all that work and keep in mind that updating phones does not make the manufacturer any kind of profit. These phones have already been sold, and the companies might not be too motivated to rush the creation of an update with no monetary worth.
Now think on a larger scale. The Android ecosystem consists of hundreds of phones released by a ton of manufacturers all over the place, and Google doesn't really have that much control over how the manufacturers run their businesses. The result is the fragmentation we've seen across the platform. Compare that to Apple, which only has to support the last three iPhones, three iPads and two iPod touches, and you can start to understand how iOS updates faster.
Obviously, the manufacturers release updates anyways because otherwise their customers would hate them, their reputation would go way down, and they'd never be able to sell anything to anyone. However, they can still afford to take their time, especially since developers are more than happy to do that work for them.
If Google would let OEMs get in on development earlier they wouldn't be so behind. So the OEMs get the source code late. Instead of just adding drivers and releasing it, the OEMs decide to make their own launchers and bundle bloatware. The whole Android OEM update system is slow and inefficient. I wish we could somehow get updates directly from Google on all devices.
Minimum hardware requirements
Maybe it's because the minimum hardware requirements for ICS mandate more ram, faster processor, etc.. That rules out upgrades of the installed base and adds cost to new products, so the device manufacturers are sticking with Gingerbread for a while longer.
If i recall ... there's is only one ICS released device. The G-Nex.
There are 20million + galaxy s2's out there and another 20 million + galaxy s1's. Add in ten million or so assorted HTC devices and another few million LG and Moto and other oems.
Once more devices with ICS are released, you'll see the percentage increased.
All the GS2's will get ICS soon and many OG Galaxy owners will be near upgrading time (GS3 or so). It'll be rising once the real powerhouses come into town.
Russianzilla already answered out but the basic reason is that phone manufacturers are taking too long to release ics to their owners - for a number of reasons. This means overall adoption is limited to G Nexus buyers and custom room flashers worth compatible devices - hence your miniscule adoption rate
Its not about fragmentation and hardware support, this is business and profit. Its about people still buying gingerbread phones!
If there was some exciting new feature on ics that you couldnt get on an older os/device (siri), people would be waiting with their money and oems would be scrambling. Oems are simply responding to market demand and the market is apparently still good on 2.3 with a promise of upgrade. (Deliver on that promise at their leisure)
spunker88 said:
If Google would let OEMs get in on development earlier they wouldn't be so behind. So the OEMs get the source code late. Instead of just adding drivers and releasing it, the OEMs decide to make their own launchers and bundle bloatware. The whole Android OEM update system is slow and inefficient. I wish we could somehow get updates directly from Google on all devices.
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Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the bloatware. Wouldn't want people getting ICS without Sense or MOTOBLUR on top. (Although from what I've heard, Sense 4.0 is much better than it used to be.)
russianzilla said:
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the bloatware. Wouldn't want people getting ICS without Sense or MOTOBLUR on top. (Although from what I've heard, Sense 4.0 is much better than it used to be.)
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Sense 4 is beautiful... Plus its lighter and faster than the older versions. We're running a cameraless beta over at the desire s forums, and it looks promising.
Beamed from the Dark Side using xda premium.
The framework of ICS alone is hell to tamper with, a dev would need at least 100+ GB (yes GIGABYTES) of space on a Linux PC just to set up an environment and create 1, maybe 2 not even fully functional builds of ICS.! And that's for one phone. Imagine HTC trying to build icsandwich or icsense for all of there phones (at least 15), trying to create an evo 3d optimized build to support 3d apps and camera which is near impossible even with the drivers and source code, trying to build for various screen resolutions and hardware (which isn't impossible because the g1, androids FIRST phone, runs a pretty damn stable ICS with few bugs), and on top of that, manufacturers aren't like devs (who will release with bugs and work as they go), it is there goal to release as close to a perfect build as possible, and that just isn't feesable, trying to keep your hardware and software for all of your latest models up to date just isn't something that can be done
Sent from my HTC Evo 3D using xda premium
Manufacturers are greedy. So they want to make money by new phones. If they release ics to old phones, people wouldn't upgrade to new phones. Therefore less money for greedy manufacturers if they upgrade old phones to latest version of Android.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
ljordan2 said:
Manufacturers are greedy. So they want to make money by new phones. If they release ics to old phones, people wouldn't upgrade to new phones. Therefore less money for greedy manufacturers if they upgrade old phones to latest version of Android.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
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Glad to see I'm not the only one that thinks this way
Sent from my HTC Evo 3D using xda premium
zonyl said:
If there was some exciting new feature on ics that you couldnt get on an older os/device (siri), people would be waiting with their money and oems would be scrambling. Oems are simply responding to market demand and the market is apparently still good on 2.3 with a promise of upgrade. (Deliver on that promise at their leisure)
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don't think so. Ics is the biggest leap Android ever made, it is the first time you're dealing with something that doesn't feel patched up and thoughtless. Gingerbread sure as heck can do most of the things that ics can but everyone knows that the sum is more than it's parts. user interaction and user experience was never part of the gingerbread equation. What you're getting with ics is a modern os that was conceived for modern devices and if that isn't exciting then I don't know.
Oems are too greedy and too stupid to get the picture, that's why ics hasn't been adopded. they still think they can bull**** their customers as they have done for years with no one except Apple standing up for itself. and they'll bail out on jellybean aswell. Samsung just barfed touchwiz on ics, and still some seriously believe devices like the s3 will be getting jb? never going to happen. In future they'll probably be left behind. New Companies will step up, see the potential, understand that openness and customer care can be profitable, and replace them. Look what happened to Nokia, they ruled the 90s. Same will happen to Samsung and Co.
molesarecoming said:
they'll bail out on jellybean aswell. Samsung just barfed touchwiz on ics, and still some seriously believe devices like the s3 will be getting jb? never going to happen.
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Dude, it's too early to say that. Do you really hope that Samsung or other manufacturers would bail JB? Because I really hope they don't. You're being a bit too pessimistic here.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
ICS slow or broken
russianzilla said:
Probably for the same reasons that all Android updates take a while to go out. Manufacturers face several hurdles when they update their phones to a new version of Android. They have to update all drivers to support any changes made to the OS, go through a ton of testing and QA to make sure nothing is broken (remember, not everyone who owns a smartphone can troubleshoot it or go to XDA when something doesn't work, and not every smartphone is fast enough to run new versions of Android). When all that's done, they have to get carrier approval, which means even more testing and other administrative work. Now take all that work and keep in mind that updating phones does not make the manufacturer any kind of profit. These phones have already been sold, and the companies might not be too motivated to rush the creation of an update with no monetary worth.
Now think on a larger scale. The Android ecosystem consists of hundreds of phones released by a ton of manufacturers all over the place, and Google doesn't really have that much control over how the manufacturers run their businesses. The result is the fragmentation we've seen across the platform. Compare that to Apple, which only has to support the last three iPhones, three iPads and two iPod touches, and you can start to understand how iOS updates faster.
Obviously, the manufacturers release updates anyways because otherwise their customers would hate them, their reputation would go way down, and they'd never be able to sell anything to anyone. However, they can still afford to take their time, especially since developers are more than happy to do that work for them.
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All good points. To address the section I've bolded, I refer to a point Chainfire gave in response to a pocketnow.com article. ICS isn't a broken or a product flop but a bigger OS jump for the phones than the tablets. The Transformer Prime updated first cause it was an easier transition from honeycomb. The phones requiring more work are taking longer.
Now on top of that point, the OEM's are adding their skins like sense, motoblur, touchwiz and the like. A shame in most cases but it is what it is. It also adds to the delay. More so as ICS is a bigger upgrade iteration then Gingerbread or Froyo was.
While no direct financial gain is to be had from OEM's investing in these upgrades, there is reputation. Of course a good upgrade cycle experience would encourage repeat business rather than consumers abandon a certain OEM's phones or android entirely which a portion of people are doing.
This of course leads to other questions, ones that may need their own thread.
Questions like should android OEM's embrace a less is more strategy. Fewer styles phones with more focus and polish. Can Google enforce its android alliance, or is Google even willing to. Or should it focus smashing the patent war?
I think whatever we see put out of Asus and Moto in the next 18 months will address these questions I've asked.
ljordan2 said:
Dude, it's too early to say that. Do you really hope that Samsung or other manufacturers would bail JB? Because I really hope they don't. You're being a bit too pessimistic here.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
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I sure hope they don't but then again that's what they are doing right now. ics is a major iteration, the biggest change Android has ever had, Android reconceived from scratch. And yet they skipped it, or worse, somehow saw the need to disfigure it. what makes you think they wouldn't do the same when jb comes out, which, as many people believe, will probably introduce a smaller margin to ics than ics did to gb.
molesarecoming said:
I sure hope they don't but then again that's what they are doing right now. ics is a major iteration, the biggest change Android has ever had, Android reconceived from scratch. And yet they skipped it, or worse, somehow saw the need to disfigure it. what makes you think they wouldn't do the same when jb comes out, which, as many people believe, will probably introduce a smaller margin to ics than ics to gb.
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Well no one knows the future. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope that oems would update our device.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
It's a giant clusterfuck of stupidity from all sides.
1. The manufacturers want you to upgrade more frequently. In their eyes, they have no incentive to push timely upgrades because they would make people keep their phones longer.
2. The carriers pressure the manufacturers into skinning Android because they apparently don't a bunch of Android devices that look to be running the same software next to the iPhone. They feel as though they need variety in hardware AND software on their sales floors. This leads to slower adoption as new skins for new versions of Android have to be made by companies that really have no business making software of this kind.
3. Google has basically just been sitting idly by while all of their effort to make what is without a doubt the best mobile OS out there (ICS) is destroyed/ignored by the manufacturers and carriers.
Here's why they're all misguided:
1. The manufacturers are more focused on tricking people into upgrading instead of providing people with the best products available. This is where companies like Apple excel whereas others just don't get it.
2. The carriers don't need a bunch of different skins on their Android devices. This just does not logically follow. Windows machines have been sold on the same sales floor for years without problems. The distinction should be in hardware, not crippling software differences that fragment the user experience.
3. Google needs to do one thing: expand the Nexus line. They can't really impose restrictions on manufacturers like Microsoft can because Android is open source. Three devices in as many years just isn't enough, ESPECIALLY when the current Nexus device is only on one carrier. Imagine two Nexus devices (a larger one and a smaller one) on the four major carriers? That would seriously improve the Android brand. The vast majority of consumers have no idea what ICS even looks like. That is truly a shame at this point.
Gingerbread is a solid OS but it just isn't polished enough to compare to iOS at first glance (and remember, first glance is what sells phones). ICS is essentially a gorgeous version of Gingerbread that blows iOS out of the water. Consumers are getting the shaft by not being able to experience it. Thank god my Captivate has a couple stock ICS ROMs here on XDA. Otherwise, I'd be pretty frustrated with my mobile phone experience at this point.
Im debating leaving my 4S for android again and to me in terms of looks and features this and the one x look the best, now advantages this has over the x is 32gb internal (US version of x), 4.3 vs 4.7 (4.7 is huge!) and not sure what else, both sense 4 and xperia ui look great, both look awesome in design, both are dual core, both have fast data speeds and stuff like that. As for the one x it has only 16gb vs 32gb on the xperia s but the one x has LTE on att.
Anyway, for those of you with the XS, what are your thoughts overall? Happy with your purchase?
I'm interested in the Xperia S as well.
I will tell you I had a Euro HTC One X last month and sold it. The phone was very buggy. Not just a few but enough to make me sell it. Size wise it was fine, yes big and I have a iPhone 4S as well.
The AT&T version looked good, but I was just reading that users are only getting about 9 gigs after all the bloat wear and apps on the phone. Just not enough IMO.
So I'm temped to get the Xperia, no ICS, but the UI looks good and a good Launcher won't matter.
I like the camera features, though the One X had a few better features, like taking a pic while recording video.
Anyway any AT&T users of this phone, what's the verdict?
bothfly said:
I'm interested in the Xperia S as well.
I will tell you I had a Euro HTC One X last month and sold it. The phone was very buggy. Not just a few but enough to make me sell it. Size wise it was fine, yes big and I have a iPhone 4S as well.
The AT&T version looked good, but I was just reading that users are only getting about 9 gigs after all the bloat wear and apps on the phone. Just not enough IMO.
So I'm temped to get the Xperia, no ICS, but the UI looks good and a good Launcher won't matter.
I like the camera features, though the One X had a few better features, like taking a pic while recording video.
Anyway any AT&T users of this phone, what's the verdict?
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Click to collapse
Hmm, interesting. I can always stay iphone as well, I have many apps and im sure the IP5 will have a nice res 4" screen, lte, better proc etc AND tons of memory (64gb ftw!), and say what you will but apple build quality is always A+
bothfly said:
I'm interested in the Xperia S as well.
I will tell you I had a Euro HTC One X last month and sold it. The phone was very buggy. Not just a few but enough to make me sell it. Size wise it was fine, yes big and I have a iPhone 4S as well.
The AT&T version looked good, but I was just reading that users are only getting about 9 gigs after all the bloat wear and apps on the phone. Just not enough IMO.
So I'm temped to get the Xperia, no ICS, but the UI looks good and a good Launcher won't matter.
I like the camera features, though the One X had a few better features, like taking a pic while recording video.
Anyway any AT&T users of this phone, what's the verdict?
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Click to collapse
Taking pics while shooting video is an ICS thing. HTC is trying hard to make it their killer feature, but it actually isn't.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
For me personally having tested the one x as well, the xperia is a much better phone.
The two front runners are the xperia and the galaxy S3.
The one x has all the bells and whistles but fails to deliver, the galaxy S3 has doggy looks but delivers a great user experience while the xperia looks the best but only really delivers for the mainstream user. It's not a phone for the hardcore who always want the latest cutting edge specs.
All these phones are much much better than the toyish iPhone. Apple's problem isn't hardware but software. IOS is still just basically an app launcher and I don't believe that'll change much with IOS6.
Steve jobs stuck to the line that fluidity was better than sophistication. Google on the other hand opted for sophistication knowing fully well that hardware would catch up. Google have won there just as Microsoft did in the nineties.
IOS is so inferior to android that I just can't see them closing the huge gulf that exists between both platforms in only a year. Software wise Apple are behind and will always stay behind because of a philosophy that failed them against Microsoft and is certain to fail them again today.
Overall I'd say get the xperia. ICS hopefully will see the phone really shine bright.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
zodiac100 said:
For me personally having tested the one x as well, the xperia is a much better phone.
The two front runners are the xperia and the galaxy S3.
The one x has all the bells and whistles but fails to deliver, the galaxy S3 has doggy looks but delivers a great user experience while the xperia looks the best but only really delivers for the mainstream user. It's not a phone for the hardcore who always want the latest cutting edge specs.
All these phones are much much better than the toyish iPhone. Apple's problem isn't hardware but software. IOS is still just basically an app launcher and I don't believe that'll change much with IOS6.
Steve jobs stuck to the line that fluidity was better than sophistication. Google on the other hand opted for sophistication knowing fully well that hardware would catch up. Google have won there just as Microsoft did in the nineties.
IOS is so inferior to android that I just can't see them closing the huge gulf that exists between both platforms in only a year. Software wise Apple are behind and will always stay behind because of a philosophy that failed them against Microsoft and is certain to fail them again today.
Overall I'd say get the xperia. ICS hopefully will see the phone really shine bright.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
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Personally for what I do with my phones I see them as pretty similar, its when I start wanting to do stuff like moves files on the phone, apps arent as open in what they can do with the file system and you can basiclly customize anything in android, beyond that to call an iphone a toy is ridiculous, it can do mostly everything android can except some features when you start digging deep, in the end its all about what you need, I consider myself a pretty big tech guy and I rarely run into a situation where Im like "Oh man I REALLY wish I had and android right now!" only times are when using the crappy youtube app (guess why lol), maps could be better, and random scenarios when doing file management stuff.
And yea the GS3 has great specs but but ugly! Like...really ugly lol
solidkevin said:
Personally for what I do with my phones I see them as pretty similar, its when I start wanting to do stuff like moves files on the phone, apps arent as open in what they can do with the file system and you can basiclly customize anything in android, beyond that to call an iphone a toy is ridiculous, it can do mostly everything android can except some features when you start digging deep, in the end its all about what you need, I consider myself a pretty big tech guy and I rarely run into a situation where Im like "Oh man I REALLY wish I had and android right now!" only times are when using the crappy youtube app (guess why lol), maps could be better, and random scenarios when doing file management stuff.
And yea the GS3 has great specs but but ugly! Like...really ugly lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even you yourself have in your response, highlighted quite a few instances where android either can while the iPhone can't or where android can just do it better.
I suggest to you that there are a lot of these instances, and that's right through the operating system. Android carries out most functions in fewer steps than IOS and is more intuitive in just as many ways.
The iPhone like I said, is just an app launcher and that's the stuff of 5yrs ago.
Hand held computing is much more than that now.
The iPhone is what it is, just another 'must have' joker, a status symbol, a very bold neon sign that says ' hey look at me, I'm the man you see in the place to be'.
There you will find the reason for its success and nowhere else.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
My 2 pennies worth.
I don't like Apple, never have and never will for various reasons.
As far as the one x, used one for few hours last week and hated it. It is just full of bugs, too many annoyances to list here. I tried it as I was offered one at a good price, but decided to stick with my XperiaS.
Sent from my XperiaS via subspace beacon.
One x on ATT is boot loader locked, great mobile tho and I'd get that version not the Tegra3.
I'd still get the xperia s over both of them tho as I did
Sent from my LT26i using xda premium
zodiac100 said:
Even you yourself have in your response, highlighted quite a few instances where android either can while the iPhone can't or where android can just do it better.
I suggest to you that there are a lot of these instances, and that's right through the operating system. Android carries out most functions in fewer steps than IOS and is more intuitive in just as many ways.
The iPhone like I said, is just an app launcher and that's the stuff of 5yrs ago.
Hand held computing is much more than that now.
The iPhone is what it is, just another 'must have' joker, a status symbol, a very bold neon sign that says ' hey look at me, I'm the man you see in the place to be'.
There you will find the reason for its success and nowhere else.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, we all have opinions, I like the simplicity and integration of apple combined with its top notch hardware, and I find Android to be a bit all over the place at times, for me they both have their pros and cons and I can use either, now WP7, thats a different story, I have tried it twice and just cant use it, the font and overall style is amazing and it does something things that "just make sense" when you think about it, but then it does things or misses features where it leaves you scratching your head, that combined with the fact that the app slection sucks and the hardware is pretty sub par, wp7 overall leaves much to be desired but has big potential if some major changes are done.
For now I'll wait for the IP5 and see what it offers, if disappointing I'll go android. As of now Im happy with my 4S.
Symbian also wasnt actually too bad! Just SO slow due to bad specs and like 10 apps lol, other then that it was great on my old Nokia's, and WM was alsmot the same in those aspects aswell imo, great potential but the OS was so slow due to low ram and weak proc, they were ahead of their time, but when the time came it was too late.
Yes symbian was very functional. It just lacked the fluidity and the presence of android. Android just like windows will become almost ubiquitous within 10 years.
It's Google's alternative to Windows. Understand that and you'll understand where it's going.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
zodiac100 said:
Yes symbian was very functional. It just lacked the fluidity and the presence of android. Android just like windows will become almost ubiquitous within 10 years.
It's Google's alternative to Windows. Understand that and you'll understand where it's going.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Competition is good, it forces everyone to step up their games, hopefully apple can impress with IOS6 and lets see if MS can turn around WP sales with an updated WP fixing the missing features and what not.
Please, lets stop saying "the Iphone can do what android can" and just face the facts. My droid can share files ota easily, run programs that can remotely control computers, etc... My sister has a hard time transferings songs from her mac book to her iphone... Enough said.
I am already planning on getting an xperia S. The choices I was facing was either the SGS3, ONE X and Xperia S. I was a bit dissapointed with SE last year when I got my NEO V because the hardware specs werent that competitive(single core 1ghz, 512 ram, 420mb storage). When xperia s came out it was a large step from what they had last 2011. I was thinking of shifting to samsung for the s3 but after I saw how ugly it is, it was safe to assume that im going with sony again. I never did like htc because of its crappy QC and sub-standard build quality.
I have to give to Sony though...their phones really are sexy. Aesthetically, it looks top class. Even the UI is one of the best around.
Sent from my NEO V Tapatalk
I love this phone
chefnoob said:
Please, lets stop saying "the Iphone can do what android can" and just face the facts. My droid can share files ota easily, run programs that can remotely control computers, etc... My sister has a hard time transferings songs from her mac book to her iphone... Enough said.
I am already planning on getting an xperia S. The choices I was facing was either the SGS3, ONE X and Xperia S. I was a bit dissapointed with SE last year when I got my NEO V because the hardware specs werent that competitive(single core 1ghz, 512 ram, 420mb storage). When xperia s came out it was a large step from what they had last 2011. I was thinking of shifting to samsung for the s3 but after I saw how ugly it is, it was safe to assume that im going with sony again. I never did like htc because of its crappy QC and sub-standard build quality.
I have to give to Sony though...their phones really are sexy. Aesthetically, it looks top class. Even the UI is one of the best around.
Sent from my NEO V Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right Android can do more then iphone but the majority of iphone users could care less about that stuff so its a moot point for them, all they care about is playing music, web, phone, text, apps, just the basic stuff which iphone does exceptionally well, honestly thats all I use my phone for. Most iphone users dont care about cores, ram, and stuff like that, thats what many seem to not understand. All I want is a quad core and bigger screen on iphone which im sure the 5 will.
Exactly! Its like comparing apples with oranges...each has its own purpose.
Me personally, I needed a phone that can double as my pc and laptop at the same time... I do a lot on it; edit files, remotely controling my pc at home, viewing wifi cams at home, works as an extension for other devices, etc. I need a phone that can do more than just play music and other basic stuff.
When I saw the xperia S camera specs, I figured I need more now. I travel a lot and take tons of photos for personal and work purposes... This means I dont have to carry my camera all the time.
Sent from my NEO V Tapatalk
So, I've owned only Android devices since I began buying smartphones and tablets, but I really feel like very little has changed with regards to Android's performance ever since the Snapdragon 800 in 2013. Even the addition of more RAM and higher-spec processors hasn't really changed much about the AOSP experience, and my old (GPE-converted) Galaxy S4 still feels like I could throw most anything at it.
With the Nexus 6P finally bringing the last few things I really wanted in a mobile phone (the fingerprint sensor, metal, 1440p AMOLED, pure Android without compromising the camera, USB-C), I'm really thinking that this may be my last Android phone for a long while. I feel like, while equally unnecessary, the N6P will offer the pinnacle of stock Android, while rounding out the feature set of all I look for. I was debating whether to cheap out and buy a N5X for dev and general mucking about, but I think I will instead commit to getting the 6P for the above reasons.
My last upgrade to the G3 was almost unnecessary, even though I love the phone. I only upgraded, since my S4's power button broke and headphone jack got a bit wonky. Had that not happened, I think I'd be still using it today as my DD. I didn't even feel the itch to upgrade to any of this year's devices (except the Nexus phones and the buzz around the fp sensor and camera), and I've already had the device for more than a year.
While it may be an unpopular opinion around these parts, I think I may switch to an iPhone (probably the 7+) when my contract is up just to see how that platform improves over the next couple of years. A second GB of RAM totally changed that phone, which shows just how behind they are in some aspects, and where potential lies. I just don't see Android making any earth-shattering changes, mostly because it doesn't need to anymore. OEMs drive their own crap update cycle by bogging down their updates and the like, a problem which never existed on my GPE-converted S4, and won't exist on the Nexus.
Don't really know why I felt like making this post, but I did. :silly:
I agree with you on certain points.
But remember,
my old (GPE-converted) Galaxy S4 still feels like I could throw most anything at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You did something to your phone in order to be fast / smooth / etc. While we as a community continue to do this and find ways to improve everything.. Android (stock) has come a long way.
I'm really thinking that this may be my last Android phone for a long while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You reasoning for this is there is nothing really new on Android and Android phones haven't really evolved much but the same goes for iOS. This coming from someone who keeps going back and forth from Android to iOS. iOS is much more polished and needs less specs to run smooth, but you also have to remember they only have to worry about support their own hardware. And while yes, there has been phone upgrades from Apple (bigger screen, etc.), this is stuff Android has been doing for a long time.
It's kind of hard honestly.. after a certain point.. development / upgrades happen slower.. when jumping from phone to phone now, things don't seem like much of an upgrade. I think that's because we upgrade phones so often now, we don't notice the differences as much. But say you had to keep your S4 for another year without the ability to root / install a custom ROM, I'm sure you'd be all over the N6P.
While XDA has made Android development much bigger and contributed in a positive way, it has also kind of spoiled us and made us think the way you are.
For me the big things that keep me on android are customization and the ability to do what I want with the phone (not what Apple or anyone else wants me to do). I would love to say this would be my last phone for a while but 2 things will prevent that....
1. I'm a tech junkie
2. Android support is 2 years
Well, the LG G3 isnt the best phone... you'll probably like the Nexus 6P a LOT!
I said that with the Nexus 6. I might still keep the Nexus 6 but I'm at least going to give the 6P a shot.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
I'm not far behind but not because Android vs Apple but because my life centers around MS products. I work in IT, exclusively with MS products. Why is my mobile device on a different ecosystem?
I'm excited for what MS has in store for their APIs that allow ios and Android apps to behave as if they're in their natural environment. I think this approach is going to flatten the playing field and OS will no longer matter.
Now if they could just make tech without built in obsolescion the market will start filling with devices that have purpose instead of purely consumerism. There WILL be a threshold of device waste that will force our hand.
Excel made some good points. And I too felt the same about not seeing much improvement from my phone but the continuous development thru ROMs makes it seems like the progress is small but it not....if you tally up the progress over the 1 year iPhone life cycle it is a lot of progress.
Google has too many things going on and unfortunately doesn't take the time to perfect their products except their search engine. They rather create a new product versus refining an existing one.
Imagine if google only had drive, no gmail, no G+, a tablet, one PC, and Android that ran on a single phone from one manufacturer....say LG. And Kept that same phone and just improved the hardware each year and the software as well....and diverted all other efforts towards perfecting that single device. That phone would be light years ahead of apple. Instead google has close to 200 products and services they wear themselves thin with. And tackling the immense task of attempting to make android run seemless and smooth on
Almost 19,000 devices instead of on just a handful of devices plus one phone is the difference between google and apple.
With that said and even with google continuing to expand like they do....I still think Google's android os running on top tier android devices will surpass IPhones in all aspects in couple years.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
Exel said:
You did something to your phone in order to be fast / smooth / etc. While we as a community continue to do this and find ways to improve everything.. Android (stock) has come a long way.
You reasoning for this is there is nothing really new on Android and Android phones haven't really evolved much but the same goes for iOS. This coming from someone who keeps going back and forth from Android to iOS. iOS is much more polished and needs less specs to run smooth, but you also have to remember they only have to worry about support their own hardware. And while yes, there has been phone upgrades from Apple (bigger screen, etc.), this is stuff Android has been doing for a long time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Partially correct on the first point. It is fundamentally still "stock" (no kernel mods/custom features) on GPE firmware, but yes, I haven't tried stock since the original shipping firmware. I haven't rooted my phones since putting GPE on the S4. My Nexus 9, the G3, and the S4 all run unrooted, the former two of which are on stock firmware. The biggest pain about Android is debloating carrier crapware, a problem nonexistent on Nexus devices.
I feel like Android has matured to the point that there is little left to give. As far as supporting their own stuff, that's why I feel like the N6P would be the ultimate.
WoodroweBones said:
For me the big things that keep me on android are customization and the ability to do what I want with the phone (not what Apple or anyone else wants me to do). I would love to say this would be my last phone for a while but 2 things will prevent that....
1. I'm a tech junkie
2. Android support is 2 years
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, but customisation is so easy to do on Android without mods or root. The only other phone I was considering was the S6 edge +, which is also comparably restrictive. I just haven't felt the need to root since the S4.
An iPhone, on the other hand, I would be keen to jailbreak instantly. Quite a lot of interesting tweaks come out of Apple's "crack R&D team" (like swipeselection....), and jailbreaking is the only way to stay on that edge and get appropriate customisation.
I would also be using pretty much solely Google apps there anyway, since the default apps are kinda terrible.
bsg411 said:
Google has too many things going on and unfortunately doesn't take the time to perfect their products except their search engine. They rather create a new product versus refining an existing one.
Imagine if google only had drive, no gmail, no G+, a tablet, one PC, and Android that ran on a single phone from one manufacturer....That phone would be light years ahead of apple. Instead google has close to 200 products and services they wear themselves thin with.
With that said and even with google continuing to expand like they do....I still think Google's android os running on top tier android devices will surpass IPhones in all aspects in couple years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But the diversity is the beauty of Google. The fact that they move the ecosystem forward and have a constant stream of novelty across their business is what helps them succeed. Android itself doesn't really need more improvement, is my argument. It's already there, and their job is to create new services to drive the platform.
Android as an OS already far exceeds that of iOS IMO, especially with Google Now. What I want to see is how Apple catches , since their platform seems to still be in flux (as far as performance and service delivery goes).
You'll change your mind when they release the Nexus 14z, which will project it's 16k display directly to your brain, and be able to read your thoughts instead of having to speak "OK Google".
I'm serious, because Google will have perfected mind control by then and we'll all be drones.
All hail Masters Page and Brin, our merciful overlords!
---------- Post added at 09:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 PM ----------
Seriously though, I admire your pragmatic upgrade preferences on smartphones.
TemporaryTester said:
But the diversity is the beauty of Google. The fact that they move the ecosystem forward and have a constant stream of novelty across their business is what helps them succeed. Android itself doesn't really need more improvement, is my argument. It's already there, and their job is to create new services to drive the platform.
Android as an OS already far exceeds that of iOS IMO, especially with Google Now. What I want to see is how Apple catches , since their platform seems to still be in flux (as far as performance and service delivery goes).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you the software is better but implementing all the services via the OS on a multitude of devices is a difficult task. However starting with this 6P nexus devices I think are on par with iPhone (hardware and software) and I bet will surpass the iPhone 7 next year.
I just wish they worked with one manufacturer to help perfect the hardware and built on a good hardware design instead of going back and forth with with hardware features and designs .....kinda like the 5x with 6P features.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
If the 6P lives up to the hype, the improvements left are physics stuff: battery life, moar camera, lighter/thinner/stronger, waterproof, sapphire display.
That said, iPhones have been such a bitter disappointment since the Gingerbread days. I'm on Apple for the most part (MBr, iMac 5k) and would consider switching to iOS but the differentiators that custom Androids offer simply aren't there, or even possible. The current crop of crippled hardware is missing too much. When Apple makes a real retina display (eg AMOLED 2k) and loses the oversized HTC-ish bezels it'll be worth another look. Assuming Apple gives out widgets, call recording & MinMinGuard too.
WoodroweBones said:
2. Android support is 2 years
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For a Nexus device the support window is 3 years. N5 is 2 years old and just recieved Android 6.0. It will continue to get updates for atleast another full year. Unfortunately that is likely to end when android N comes next fall.
Interesting that this phone has everything you ever wanted. Did you know you wanted a 1440p phone with a fingerprint scanner 2 years ago? Probably not. I'm sure innovation will continue, though maybe slowly. I'd like to see better battery tech.
This is how the technology cycle is. You cant have the same level of developments every year throughout the products/os cycle.
I believe many of the features we see added are already developed. They just hold back so they can have a balance of Big n small changes each year & also market couple of features as exclusives for the latest version.
It is the same with iOs as well. You will not see a lot of big changes. Many of them will be hardware based. As os's get more refined hardware dependency will reduce. Today you can get excellent performance from a mid range android device. Tomorrow it will spread to lower end devices aswell. In principal its a good thing.
Right now the top most focus for any R&D of software or hardware company is battery life. The company that cracks it will play a major role.
CrashTestDroid said:
If the 6P lives up to the hype, the improvements left are physics stuff: battery life, moar camera, lighter/thinner/stronger, waterproof, sapphire display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? People are still hung up on sapphire? Sapphire is brittle. I want foldable screens. I still believe Nokia's concept of a phone that trifolds and then bends to fit as a watch is the future. No more carrying a giant brick in my pocket.
Spaderess said:
For a Nexus device the support window is 3 years. N5 is 2 years old and just recieved Android 6.0. It will continue to get updates for atleast another full year. Unfortunately that is likely to end when android N comes next fall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True... I guess for me I mean 2 years of getting a new android version but yeah technically 3 years support I suppose.
warplane95 said:
Well, the LG G3 isnt the best phone... you'll probably like the Nexus 6P a LOT!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A G3 running BlissPop ROM is truly a thing of beauty! It's incredibly compact and lightweight for a 5.5" phone, and it flies without the LG software on it. It has a great camera (a step behind the current best, but I've had very few pictures I wasn't very happy with), and the screen as much better than it's reputation indicates it should be ... mostly, I think, because the default brightness is quite low. And the battery life is quite good ... I end most days with 50% after about 1.5 hours of SOT.
I'm mostly upgrading to the 6P because I usually buy a new phone every 6-9 months, but it's been 14 months and I need a new shiny object to fondle. I'm honestly not expecting it to be a whole lot better than the G3 for me ... better screen, better speakers (I hope) and a fingerprint reader may or may not be enough to compensate for the substantial increase in bulk. I had a Note 5 for a week, and it just didn't feel like much of an improvement so I sent it back, which I have never done before.
And my G3 has a replaceable battery, and I could probably be happy with it for 5 more years, if I wasn't such a gadget whore.
Of course I certainly don't think an iPhone is the answer .... that's just ridiculous!
Whoops double post
Here's an idea...try to find a friend with an iPhone who would be willing to trade with you for a week or something. Wipe the phones, trade your SIMs and see how the other side lives.
Sent from my LG-V410 using Tapatalk
Though it had it's issues, the Nexus 6 strong enough in all the categories that I stuck with it for a full year. The only thing strong enough to pull me away now is the 6P. I fully expect it to keep me locked in for the next year as well. However, it could be good enough that I don't feel the need to upgrade to next year's nexus. Only time will tell.
I wish I had an iphone. All I have is a galaxy s6 and the LG g5 doesnt look too good. If it was a iPhone e it would be Considered great. Who how is better android of apple and shy?
It's subjective, they both have pros and cons.
I prefer Android as it offers more freedom and customization. IPhone lacks any kind of customization and with the very limited color selection, you end up with the exact same phone and layout as half the planet. The lack of homescreen widgets is also a negative.
The only real benefits to an IPhone, for me, are that Apple doesn't cater to carriers and let them bloat the phone with their bloatware/custom UI's, which leads to the second benefit of immediate updates. I also like that they support all bands, so you don't need to buy a new device when jumping carriers.
There is no best with phones. There is only better for you. Some users (like myself) prefer android. It allows me to customize and do things I cannot on the iPhone. Some users love the UI of iOS and love how simple it is and hate android because of how complex it can be. I find the best way to make a ex iPhone user happy with android is to go Nexus. It is similar in simplicity and provides a familiar ease. My wife just did that and she hated android before but not loves it with her Nexus 5X.
Really it depends on the person. These debates can be irrelevant and get heated for no reason because people will argue points that are better for them and not the other person in the debate. I find as time passes the gap between iOS and android is closing in. The non-stock android devices are becoming closer to stock and slimming down their skins and it is helping iOS users to come over. I have owned a lot of iOS and Android devices (see my signature) but eventually I find the iPhone to be boring and want more features. But once again the features that I use and the features that you use will differ so there is no reason for me to state android is better.
I do think that Apple really needs to shake up the market. They have been dry the last couple of years and allowed android to take off with the market. They could easily lock up the market permanently if they just add some of the features android users love (quick charge, front facing speakers, slimmer bezels, larger batteries, wireless charging and the list goes on)
This is my unbiased opinion, hope it helps
If you wish you had an iPhone, get an iPhone.
joshuadjohnson22 said:
There is no best with phones. There is only better for you. Some users (like myself) prefer android. It allows me to customize and do things I cannot on the iPhone. Some users love the UI of iOS and love how simple it is and hate android because of how complex it can be. I find the best way to make a ex iPhone user happy with android is to go Nexus. It is similar in simplicity and provides a familiar ease. My wife just did that and she hated android before but not loves it with her Nexus 5X.
Really it depends on the person. These debates can be irrelevant and get heated for no reason because people will argue points that are better for them and not the other person in the debate. I find as time passes the gap between iOS and android is closing in. The non-stock android devices are becoming closer to stock and slimming down their skins and it is helping iOS users to come over. I have owned a lot of iOS and Android devices (see my signature) but eventually I find the iPhone to be boring and want more features. But once again the features that I use and the features that you use will differ so there is no reason for me to state android is better.
I do think that Apple really needs to shake up the market. They have been dry the last couple of years and allowed android to take off with the market. They could easily lock up the market permanently if they just add some of the features android users love (quick charge, front facing speakers, slimmer bezels, larger batteries, wireless charging and the list goes on)
This is my unbiased opinion, hope it helps
If you wish you had an iPhone, get an iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone that I know says that their iphone is better. The iphone does look nice and it is faster and doesn't lag or get stuck like android phones do. It also has better features and I would buy one but i can't afford the iphone.
Dgball40 said:
Everyone that I know says that their iphone is better. The iphone does look nice and it is faster and doesn't lag or get stuck like android phones do. It also has better features and I would buy one but i can't afford the iphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't matter what "everyone" says... I know a lot of people who would disagree with your "everyone". By the statement you made and my comment above , clearly if they own an iPhone then they prefer iOS to android and it is better for them. But it does not mean it is better for everyone. My 6P and my wife's 5X do not have any lag. In fact I had more lag on my iPhone 6 than I have on these devices. So you may buy an iPhone and still get frustrated with issues. My wife's iPhone had issue after issues which led her to get an android after everything lagged and would crash.
Well either save up and buy one or sell your phone and buy an older iPhone. I do not get the point of this thread if you asked for which is better but then you stated you have already made up your mind. This thread is irrelevant now unless your plan was to public state how you think iOS is better. I have owned many iPhones in my life and I have never had a better phone than my 6P. It is crazy fast and handles any task I toss at it. Future android phones will be similar.
EDIT: oh @Dgball40 I will admit that the S6 is a laggy mess with horrible battery life so if you are judging your android experience on that phone try a real phone.
joshuadjohnson22 said:
These debates can be irrelevant and get heated for no reason because people will argue points that are better for them and not the other person in the debate..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This guy nailed it.
Thread closed.
-XDA Staff
Hello,
I'm thinking of buying a small phone, since I find it uncomfortable those that exceed 5 inches.
I was watching and analyzing those who have good battery, camera and features and I think the best that there are currently on the market are these 2: the Iphone SE and the Sony X Compact.
I'm not going to use it for games of any kind. What I most look for is that it has good battery life, a good rear camera (selfies do not bag) and, if possible, you can hear well with the headphones on.
Obvious that it is 2 different operating systems and, leaving aside that, since I like to use IOS or Android, from their own experience, comments or whatever: with which would they stay?
From now, thank you for you help!!
salocin82 said:
Hello,
I'm thinking of buying a small phone, since I find it uncomfortable those that exceed 5 inches.
I was watching and analyzing those who have good battery, camera and features and I think the best that there are currently on the market are these 2: the Iphone SE and the Sony X Compact.
I'm not going to use it for games of any kind. What I most look for is that it has good battery life, a good rear camera (selfies do not bag) and, if possible, you can hear well with the headphones on.
Obvious that it is 2 different operating systems and, leaving aside that, since I like to use IOS or Android, from their own experience, comments or whatever: with which would they stay?
From now, thank you for you help!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't ever owned an SE so I can't really comment on it vs the compact. However I do know that the compact has more picture storage potential due to the SD Card slot (SE doesn't have one). The SE uses a 12 megapixel shooter vs the Compact using a 23. I am note a huge taking pictures kinda guy so no complaints from me on the camera but I guess that's not saying much. Anyway below is a link to a video comparing the two. It's a little outdated as it has the compact running marshmallow (it has Nougat now) but does a decent job of comparing the two. https://youtu.be/U5g7LTCJqaY
Sony. Water resistance, SDcard. That's about it lol.
The SE may perform smoother as it is powered by the 6S internals.
Sent from my SM-G930T using XDA-Developers Legacy app
If you're not bothered about customizing then buy an iPhone, if you want customization then buy any Android.
iphone fails
- missing notification led
- no customizing and no jailbreak in sight, closed source system
- no slight to unlock (stupid doubble press home button to unlock since apple removed slide to unlock)
- less ram, no sd card, memory not expandable
- 1600 mAh vs 2700 mAh and no quick charge
- smaller display hurts your eyes,
- ligning connector incompatible (how many cables do we need ?)
- easy scratches on alu frame,
- banana bending,
- design from 2012
- steve jobs is dead
etc
-
How is the dev community for this phone though?
There doesn't seem to be any official Lineago OS builds and only one AOSP ROM ...
I would buy this phone in a heartbeat with Lineage OS support but without it seems like one would be dependent on one single developer for ROMs on this phone.
andTab said:
How is the dev community for this phone though?
There doesn't seem to be any official Lineago OS builds and only one AOSP ROM ...
I would buy this phone in a heartbeat with Lineage OS support but without it seems like one would be dependent on one single developer for ROMs on this phone.
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You are welcome to join the dev community and help to bring LineageOS to this device. Otherwise buy yourself a Nexus...
ondrejvaroscak said:
You are welcome to join the dev community and help to bring LineageOS to this device. Otherwise buy yourself a Nexus...
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Nexus phones have ****ty hardware, so no thank you. Then I will get an iPhone.
Don't need a phone with a manufacturing defect that has thousands of phones failing and Google telling you that you are sadly 21 days out of warranty.
Problem solved
I have owned both of them and I found the iPhone SE to be the absolute perfect size for 1 hand use. The X Compact is good but there are still times where the opposite corner can be hard to reach. The SE also feels great in hand and is built with high quality materials. I inevitably returned mine and got a X Compact instead. They are both great phones and if OS doesn't matter to you, I would go with the SE, but I personally prefer Android and it's customization so I returned it.
switcher said:
iphone fails
- less ram, no sd card, memory not expandable-
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Well you're comparing two different Systems, iOS doesn't require as much RAM as Android.
Aviad1928 said:
Well you're comparing two different Systems, iOS doesn't require as much RAM as Android.
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maybe in the old days, but have you seen IOS 10.3 on the SE today ? Compared to the SE the XC performs much better
and the iphone 7+ is shipped with 3gb for a good reason
switcher said:
maybe in the old days, but have you seen IOS 10.3 on the SE today ? Compared to the SE the XC performs much better
and the iphone 7+ is shipped with 3gb for a good reason
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haha honestly I haven't seen an iPhone since 2012, maybe you're right
I own both, they both have positives and negatives. I actively swap between the two because of that! The iPhone is smooth and beautiful, great quality hardware, but iOS feels much more restricted and the screen is very small (even for a small phone fan like myself). Camera is awesome; super quality and quick in all conditions, although selfie camera is only 1.2mp. Not that big a deal though since the pics still look good. X compact on the other hand has a much more vibrant screen which is bigger (but not too big!), very snappy and excellent performance compared to other androids, the system is overall much more customizable, great camera too with wider lens and better selfies. But overall the phone feels cheaper in hand (plastic body), and like all android phones it doesn't have the super polished behaviour, look and feel of apple. As I said, positives and negatives for both! For me I use Google Apps for everything, which is more restricted on iphone obviously, and I like being able to read news clearly on my commute on the larger brighter screen, so I use the x compact more. But sometimes I go back to the iPhone se just because of the smooth shiny experience
Hello, I really wanted a powerful and fast phone with clean interface, so I bought an iPhone 7 as the first non-Android phone in 7 years, so I'm very experienced with Android. I just wasn't impressed with with the Pixel for it's price. I also have a SE. I need some functionality in Android that's missing on the 7 and looking for a companion small phone that I can alternate with if needed, so I'm looking to get rid of my SE to fund for the Compact.
What I do learn from using iOS is that it's more primitive than I thought, despite the clean smooth experience. Somethings are just a joke on it I don't know how they get away with it when millions people are paying for it. But it has it's benefits as well, I do enjoy the A10 chip performance and not spending many hours to setup my phone. And some things just work better, like the Fine my iPhone. On the Honor 8, I could just bypass that lost phone screen . I see too many bugs on Android with skinned devices, and giant devices, which made me really tired of dealing with them. The Pixel just doesn't do it for me in term of pricing, all the issues I'm hearing about, the availability. I would say the Android market abandoned me, not the other way around, and this pushed me to iPhone.
My last Sony phone was the Xperia Play. I'm hoping the current Sony's OS is not too far away from stock Android.
I bought the X Compact for my wife as a Christmas gift - the other phone I was looking at was the iPhone SE.
After she tried out a loaner iPhone for about three weeks she decided she preferred Android, chiefly due to more free apps being available/costing less than the iOS version.
From everything I gathered from the numerous reviews, it essentially comes down to which platform you prefer. The iPhone SE has a slightly better camera in low light (night), but that looked like the only hardware advantage. If you go with the x-compact, try to wait until B&H photo has it on sale for $270. It's done that 3 times in the last five months.
switcher said:
iphone fails
- no customizing and no jailbreak in sight, closed source system
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I was also seriously considering the SE, but that is the big reason I got the X compact. The Sony open devices program is a major plus for me. I look forward to actually owning my own device and have freedom of messing around with it, maybe even trying out Jolla's SailfishOS when it's available.
The only thing that concerns me about Android is there seems to be vulnerabilities exposed on the net or viruses (adware that calls back to someone's server in the background and monitors SMS messages) through legitimate apps.. seems there's a security flaw announced once a week. How is development for security patches on it, given the frequency of malware?
Not sure about ios but I kinda like having open source android., So long as devs are on top of things and not just adding feature fluff.
volcolm said:
The only thing that concerns me about Android is there seems to be vulnerabilities exposed on the net or viruses (adware that calls back to someone's server in the background and monitors SMS messages) through legitimate apps.. seems there's a security flaw announced once a week. How is development for security patches on it, given the frequency of malware?
Not sure about ios but I kinda like having open source android., So long as devs are on top of things and not just adding feature fluff.
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Android now have built in permission management so you can deny that app from accessing your personal info. It would be nice to have a built in feature to block internet access outright, but generally only MIUI based roms have that. I don't see it as an issue aside from people who download dubious apps or sideloading from questionable sources.
If you are that concerned you should get a phone that is promised monthly security updates, which is a Google Pixel. https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/ I was surprised the X Compact (international version) have timely monthly security updates.
I would say the closed source nature of iOS potentially makes it more insecure, with open source at least you have much more developers looking at it and alerting the issues.
eksasol said:
Android now have built in permission management so you can deny that app from accessing your personal info. It would be nice to have a built in feature to block internet access outright, but generally only MIUI based roms have that. I don't see it as an issue aside from people who download dubious apps or sideloading from questionable sources.
If you are that concerned you should get a phone that is promised monthly security updates, which is a Google Pixel. https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/ I was surprised the X Compact (international version) have timely monthly security updates.
I would say the closed source nature of iOS potentially makes it more insecure, with open source at least you have much more developers looking at it and alerting the issues.
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It'd have been easier to state that the XC already gets monthly (security) updates as the GP, but I digress. This is good, probably better than most manufacturers in that regard. My last phone was a buy once, throwaway after a couple months because Huawei decides "Want latest Android, your phone is obsolete -- buy a new Mate instead". Before folks say "Wait, they update their Mate line now!" - watch a "beta" ROM come online from Huawei after a year of not releasing any updates for months (once new phones are around the corner), the poof, scrapped ROM/patch (and now your phone is obsolete/vulnerable) because hey go buy new shiny phone to get the latest "update". It's infuriating, a phone should be "supported" for at least 3 years. Usually the good XDA developers make a phone last much longer than that!