DiminutiveRocker said:

I use the navigation app that came with my iPhone - never had a problem with it - even used it in Italy - worked just fine.

All the people I know who have droids are constantly charging them and have battery issues. The battery life on both the iPhone and iPad is awesome. of course I take pictures and ocassional video with my iPhone - but it is primarily a phone for me, and so I find that I have plenty of battery life for everything I need - calls, texting, et al.

I am perfectly happy with my iPhone and will continue to upgrade and buy them in the future.

The reason why people are having trouble with battery life, due to the fact that very few, know how to condition their battery, so that it get used to being used. Most, will just use the battery right out of the box, instead of just letting it drain all the way down and then charge it fully. I have never had an issue with battery life, with both of my droids. Both, lasted a day and a half.

shorttrini said:

DiminutiveRocker said:

I use the navigation app that came with my iPhone - never had a problem with it - even used it in Italy - worked just fine.

All the people I know who have droids are constantly charging them and have battery issues. The battery life on both the iPhone and iPad is awesome. of course I take pictures and ocassional video with my iPhone - but it is primarily a phone for me, and so I find that I have plenty of battery life for everything I need - calls, texting, et al.

I am perfectly happy with my iPhone and will continue to upgrade and buy them in the future.

The reason why people are having trouble with battery life, due to the fact that very few, know how to condition their battery, so that it get used to being used. Most, will just use the battery right out of the box, instead of just letting it drain all the way down and then charge it fully. I have never had an issue with battery life, with both of my droids. Both, lasted a day and a half.

Only a day and a 1/2? That doesn't seem long comapred to my iPhone.

shorttrini said:

The reason why people are having trouble with battery life, due to the fact that very few, know how to condition their battery, so that it get used to being used. Most, will just use the battery right out of the box, instead of just letting it drain all the way down and then charge it fully. I have never had an issue with battery life, with both of my droids. Both, lasted a day and a half.

You're running off of horribly outdated methodology my friend. Modern Lithium ion type batteries do not need to be fuly discharged before charging. In fact, discharging them completely before recharging them will shorten the life of these batteries if done on a regular basis.

Older Nickel Metal Hydride batteries had a "memory" problem where it was best to let them discharge fully before recharging but newer batteries are the exact opposite.

jtfolden said:

shorttrini said:

The reason why people are having trouble with battery life, due to the fact that very few, know how to condition their battery, so that it get used to being used. Most, will just use the battery right out of the box, instead of just letting it drain all the way down and then charge it fully. I have never had an issue with battery life, with both of my droids. Both, lasted a day and a half.

You're running off of horribly outdated methodology my friend. Modern Lithium ion type batteries do not need to be fuly discharged before charging. In fact, discharging them completely before recharging them will shorten the life of these batteries if done on a regular basis.

Older Nickel Metal Hydride batteries had a "memory" problem where it was best to let them discharge fully before recharging but newer batteries are the exact opposite.

No. It is not "outdated" methodology, when u consider that doing the following, will indeed extend the life of your phone. You are still conditioning the battery. Also, keep in mind, most people don't "fully charge" their phones. They might do it for an hour or two tops, but not a full 7 to 8 hours.

• Lithium-Ion - Li-ion batteries are the newer type of battery that are found it most newer cell phones (most definitely most, if not all, smartphones use Li-ion and many "dumbphones" use them too now). Li-ion can be thought of as "smarter" than NiCad batteries; Li-ion batteries don't suffer from the "memory effect" and thus don't need to be conditioned like NiCad batteries.

Rather, to condition a new Li-ion battery, fully charge it; it should be allowed to charge for 7-8 hours on the first, initial charge. In other words, when you get your new cell phone - and it has a Li-ion battery - allow it to charge for 7-8 hours even if the cell phone claims to be fully charged. (It is preferable to use outlet charger vs car charger or USB charging via computer because of the voltage difference.) After that, there is no reconditioning necessary for Li-ion batteries since they don't suffer from the "memory effect". However, be sure to avoid fully draining/discharging the Li-ion battery as much as possible; every time a Li-ion battery is fully discharged, it loses battery power and life. (That doesn't mean your battery will die if it is ever fully discharged; it means it is best to avoid fully discharging when possible.) Try to recharge Li-ion batteries when they are at 15-25%. Similarly, avoid heat as much as possible and when (if) storing Li-ion batteries, store them not at full charge.

Modern smartphones do still require battery calibration, but it's more to do with software. If you do not do a full charge, followed by a full drain, phone OS software (both iOS and Android) can give inaccurate results - and indicate that a less than full battery represents 100% of the battery life.

Anyway, battery life on Android is dependent on the model of phone and the capacity of the battery contained within.

The Droid Razr Maxx, for example, packs a 3300mAH battery which offers 21 hours of talk time, 15 hours of constant video playback, and with light to moderate use could most likely last for more than 3 days between charges. However, this is an extreme example as most phones still contains batteries between 2000-2300 mAH batteries, but the trend will go towards more devices like the Razr Maxx over the next few years.

That is a prime example of the beauty of Android. If battery life is your primary concern, buy a Razr Maxx. If fast OS updates are your primary concern, buy a Nexus. If you require a phone with a QWERTY keyboard, you have options there like the Droid 4 or Samsung Galaxy Pro. If you require a larger screen than all other phones, get a Galaxy Note which has a 5.3" screen. If you require a phone that is completely waterproof, you've got the Kyocera Hydro or the Sony Xperia Go. If you're a photography nut, get the Sony Xperia S which has a 12MP camera and the best lens available on all mobile devices (hint, the camera module in the iPhone is an inferior Sony lens).

And if you love video games, get an Xperia Play - a Playstation-certified Android phone with a slide out gaming keypad.

Choice, my friends, is good. More choice is better. No choices is bad. And that is why Android now has 52% global market smartphone market share compared to Apple's 15%.

shorttrini said:

jtfolden said:

You're running off of horribly outdated methodology my friend. Modern Lithium ion type batteries do not need to be fuly discharged before charging. In fact, discharging them completely before recharging them will shorten the life of these batteries if done on a regular basis.

Older Nickel Metal Hydride batteries had a "memory" problem where it was best to let them discharge fully before recharging but newer batteries are the exact opposite.

No. It is not "outdated" methodology, when u consider that doing the following, will indeed extend the life of your phone. You are still conditioning the battery. Also, keep in mind, most people don't "fully charge" their phones. They might do it for an hour or two tops, but not a full 7 to 8 hours.

• Lithium-Ion - Li-ion batteries are the newer type of battery that are found it most newer cell phones (most definitely most, if not all, smartphones use Li-ion and many "dumbphones" use them too now). Li-ion can be thought of as "smarter" than NiCad batteries; Li-ion batteries don't suffer from the "memory effect" and thus don't need to be conditioned like NiCad batteries.

Rather, to condition a new Li-ion battery, fully charge it; it should be allowed to charge for 7-8 hours on the first, initial charge. In other words, when you get your new cell phone - and it has a Li-ion battery - allow it to charge for 7-8 hours even if the cell phone claims to be fully charged. (It is preferable to use outlet charger vs car charger or USB charging via computer because of the voltage difference.) After that, there is no reconditioning necessary for Li-ion batteries since they don't suffer from the "memory effect". However, be sure to avoid fully draining/discharging the Li-ion battery as much as possible; every time a Li-ion battery is fully discharged, it loses battery power and life. (That doesn't mean your battery will die if it is ever fully discharged; it means it is best to avoid fully discharging when possible.) Try to recharge Li-ion batteries when they are at 15-25%. Similarly, avoid heat as much as possible and when (if) storing Li-ion batteries, store them not at full charge.

You do realize that what you quoted supports my statement and not yours, correct?

You stated "letting it drain all the way down and then charge it fully" and what you quote states "be sure to avoid fully draining/discharging the Li-ion battery".

Yes, you *should* fully charge your new battery when you get it (and regularly) but you do not need to let it fully discharge first. You're needlessly shortening its life.

In some cases you may wish to drain it on very rare occasions for other reasons* but it's not necessary to condition the battery that way.

*Other reasons usually being of a software nature (or troubleshooting in phones without a removable battery).

This thread only makes me realize how glad I am I own Apple products.

They're even starting to sway me with the iPad. I originally didn't 'get' tablets, but now I can see where they come in handy. By tablets, I mean of course, the iPad. Just like by mp3 player, most folks mean iPod.

Unfortunately, I dislike cellphones because many of my calls are work related. So, I'm hoping some of the features of the iPhone 5 leak into the iPod touch later this year--though, I'm sensing sand alone media devices are receiving less love from companies.

I would love to see creative use Android's latest in their media players though. I'm a creative fan, mainly because I love the sound of their mp3 devices. And I don't hate Android. I just like Apple more, but obviously iOS won't be appearing on Creative labs stuff anytime ever.

Militant said:

Modern smartphones do still require battery calibration, but it's more to do with software. If you do not do a full charge, followed by a full drain, phone OS software (both iOS and Android) can give inaccurate results - and indicate that a less than full battery represents 100% of the battery life.

Anyway, battery life on Android is dependent on the model of phone and the capacity of the battery contained within.

The Droid Razr Maxx, for example, packs a 3300mAH battery which offers 21 hours of talk time, 15 hours of constant video playback, and with light to moderate use could most likely last for more than 3 days between charges. However, this is an extreme example as most phones still contains batteries between 2000-2300 mAH batteries, but the trend will go towards more devices like the Razr Maxx over the next few years.

That is a prime example of the beauty of Android. If battery life is your primary concern, buy a Razr Maxx. If fast OS updates are your primary concern, buy a Nexus. If you require a phone with a QWERTY keyboard, you have options there like the Droid 4 or Samsung Galaxy Pro. If you require a larger screen than all other phones, get a Galaxy Note which has a 5.3" screen. If you require a phone that is completely waterproof, you've got the Kyocera Hydro or the Sony Xperia Go. If you're a photography nut, get the Sony Xperia S which has a 12MP camera and the best lens available on all mobile devices (hint, the camera module in the iPhone is an inferior Sony lens).

And if you love video games, get an Xperia Play - a Playstation-certified Android phone with a slide out gaming keypad.

Choice, my friends, is good. More choice is better. No choices is bad. And that is why Android now has 52% global market smartphone market share compared to Apple's 15%.

According to this article Apple and Samsung will have 50% of the smartphone market by 2013.

that's quite a jump from 15% in June of 2012.

http://news.cnet.com/8301...t-by-2013/

by Don Reisinger

June 5, 2012 8:58 AM PDT

[Edited 6/5/12 12:42pm]

imago said:

This thread only makes me realize how glad I am I own Apple products.

They're even starting to sway me with the iPad. I originally didn't 'get' tablets, but now I can see where they come in handy. By tablets, I mean of course, the iPad. Just like by mp3 player, most folks mean iPod.

Unfortunately, I dislike cellphones because many of my calls are work related. So, I'm hoping some of the features of the iPhone 5 leak into the iPod touch later this year--though, I'm sensing sand alone media devices are receiving less love from companies.

I would love to see creative use Android's latest in their media players though. I'm a creative fan, mainly because I love the sound of their mp3 devices. And I don't hate Android. I just like Apple more, but obviously iOS won't be appearing on Creative labs stuff anytime ever.

Militant said:

nd33 said:

Will see what Apples new mapping system entails which is being released within next couple of months alongside the iphone 5 if my ears are correct...

Yes, they have purchased a few small-fish mapping companies and are hastily cobbling them together in a pathetic effort to remove Google services from their device.

Not a hope in hell in matching the years of development and information that Google Maps has..... hell, even trying to compete with Street View alone would take Apple at least three years from now.

If you're lucky, Google Maps should remain available in the App Store for people who would like to continue using the world's best mapping service.

The new iOS 6 maps app looks amazing!

The features shown in the keynote today are nothing short of amazing.

The new mapping feature looks more mature than what's already out there, and the flyover feature is nothing short of breath-taking. The integration of the mapping software with Siri will be unmatched in the industry.

Apple really just is amazing.

nd33 said:

Militant said:

Yes, they have purchased a few small-fish mapping companies and are hastily cobbling them together in a pathetic effort to remove Google services from their device.

Not a hope in hell in matching the years of development and information that Google Maps has..... hell, even trying to compete with Street View alone would take Apple at least three years from now.

If you're lucky, Google Maps should remain available in the App Store for people who would like to continue using the world's best mapping service.

The new iOS 6 maps app looks amazing!

That's an understatement: http://events.apple.com.e...index.html

The fact that you can naturally talk to Siri and ask for things like gas stations, and Siri will

search for one along the path and report back to you, all without you touching the phone is awesome.

imago said:

The features shown in the keynote today are nothing short of amazing.

The new mapping feature looks more mature than what's already out there, and the flyover feature is nothing short of breath-taking. The integration of the mapping software with Siri will be unmatched in the industry.

Apple really just is amazing.

LOL! You're smoking crack, right? The Apple maps fall short of Google Maps in about a hundred ways. And Android has had voice controlled navigation and mapping for over two years now.

Militant said:

I've owned FOUR Android phones to date - including the G1

understandable, since supports ends roughly 48 hours after purchase my iPhone is 4 years old and still gets OS updates

Also, you appear to have NO understanding how Android works. First of all, it's an open-source OS so Google don't "sell" it to anyone as you incorrectly claimed. Any manufacturer is free to take the code and use it on their device. Secondly, no, Google don't offer support for things other companies do.

sure, that explains the problems but does not make them go away

Google don't push out updates either to non-Nexus devices. The carriers do. If your phone got screwed by a bad update, it's Verizon's fault. Blame them, not Google.

sure, that explains the problems but does not make them go away

Droid: throwaway kiddie products with the life expectancy of a chewing gum

Militant said:

Choice, my friends, is good. More choice is better. No choices is bad. And that is why Android now has 52% global market smartphone market share compared to Apple's 15%.

nope. the reason is you have to update the hardware every couple of of months if you still want software updates

throwaway kiddie prodcuts that in majority are cheaply produced and sold, simply sell more than quality stuff, that's not rocket science

[Edited 6/13/12 4:24am]

Mistadobalina said:

understandable, since supports ends roughly 48 hours after purchase my iPhone is 4 years old and still gets OS updates

Hardly. I had my G1 for 2 years. My carrier offer me a new device every year as an upgrade. Why not take it? I enjoy being on the cutting edge. I know iPhone users who have owned every iPhone, also released yearly. Every hardware manufacturer offers comprehensive support.

sure, that explains the problems but does not make them go away

Again, I've never had any problems.

How do you explain the millions of iPhone 4 customers who had signal, only to be laughably told "you're holding the phone wrong".

Also, according to iSuppli - the total bill of materials for the iPhone 4S is $188 per unit, compared to $210 for the Samsung Galaxy S2.

What was that about being made cheaply? Also how does it feel to be completely incorrect? Probably about the same as it feels to have zero choice over your hardware and to be completely dictated to by your Cupertino overlords. Enjoy your walled, childsafe kiddieoproof Apple garden while I explore the whole world

yeah let's have another pissing contest about which phone is the best. They're telephones, no?

Let's revisit this once they alow you to teleport into space or summink

yes, there are a few high end models, don't deny that, and more power to you if you have one

but Apple has ONLY high end models. but if you brag around with 52% market share, then you have to count the majority of cheap sub-standard kiddie models too. only fair and they are the ones causing the problems, the problems you never had

I'm not an Apple fan, never was, the software is mainly waaaahhhh. yes, I got an MacBook Air cause the hardware is sublime, but it's running Windows 7 and not MacOS

but on smartphones I was willing to make an exception. and I'm sure I can access any corner of the world just like you. just more cozy and comfortable

as for updates and support on Andorid....

We have all been there, waiting for an update to arrive and not knowing if the manufacture of our device will pull through to make it happen. Theunderstatment.com has taken a look and has graphed out the iPhone and Android update history per device for three years after launch and provides a glimpse at which manufactures are at the top of their game for delivering timely updates.

It's not really a surprise to see Apple devices supported to a greater degree than Android devices as Apple only has a limited number of models that it needs to update. Android, on the other hand, provides a mixed bag of updates with highlights of Google's own devices getting timely updates and then there are devices like the Motorola Cliq and Backflip that left the starting gate already behind. The graphic is representative of "every Android phone shipped in the United States up through the middle of last year".

Is it a straight comparison to compare iPhones to all Android devices, certainly not, and should not be used as material in the great fanboy wars of 2011. A more fair comparison are Nexus product updates to iPhone updates as they are both products directly from the vendor.

The chart is below and we will let you be the judge of who is better at updating their devices in a timely manor.

Image Credit: Theunderstatement.com

Other than the original G1 and MyTouch, virtually all of the millions of phones represented by this chart are still under contract today. If you thought that entitled you to some support, think again:

• 7 of the 18 Android phones never ran a current version of the OS.
• 12 of 18 only ran a current version of the OS for a matter of weeks or less.
• 10 of 18 were at least two major versions behind well within their two year contract period.
• 11 of 18 stopped getting any support updates less than a year after release.
• 13 of 18 stopped getting any support updates before they even stopped selling the device or very shortly thereafter.
• 15 of 18 don’t run Gingerbread, which shipped in December 2010.
• In a few weeks, when Ice Cream Sandwich comes out, every device on here will be another major version behind.
• At least 16 of 18 will almost certainly never get Ice Cream Sandwich.

Also worth noting that each bar in the chart starts from the first day of release - so it only gets worse for people who bought their phone late in its sales period.

Why Is This So Bad?

This may be stating the obvious but there are at least three major reasons.

Consumers Get Screwed

Ever since the iPhone turned every smartphone into a blank slate, the value of a phone is largely derived from the software it can run and how well the phone can run it. When you’re making a 2 year commitment to a device, it’d be nice to have some way to tell if the software was going to be remotely current in a year or, heck, even a month. Turns out that’s nearly impossible - here are two examples:

The Samsung Behold II on T-Mobile was the most expensive Android phone ever and Samsung promoted that it would get a major update to Eclair at least. But at launch the phone was already two major versions behind — and then Samsung decided not to do the update after all, and it fell three major OS versions behind. Every one ever sold is still under contract today.

The Motorola Devour on Verizon launched with a Megan Fox Super Bowl ad, while reviews said it was “built to last and it deli...n features.” As it turned out, the Devour shipped with an OS that was already outdated. Before the next Super Bowl came around, it was three major versions behind. Every one ever sold is still under contract until sometime next year.

Developers Are Constrained

Besides the obvious platform fragmentation problems, consider this comparison: iOS developers, like Instapaper’s Marco Arment, waited patiently until just this month to raise their apps’ minimum requirement to the 11 month old iOS 4.2.1. They can do so knowing that it’s been well over 3 years since anyone bought an iPhone that couldn’t run that OS. If developers apply that same standard to Android, it will be at least 2015 before they can start requiring 2010’s Gingerbread OS. That’s because every US carrier is still selling - even just now introducing² - smartphones that will almost certainly never run Gingerbread and beyond. Further, those are phones still selling for actual upfront money - I’m not even counting the generally even more outdated & presumably much more popular free phones.

It seems this is one area the Android/Windows comparison holds up: most app developers will end up targeting an ancient version of the OS in order to maximize market reach.

Security Risks Loom

In the chart, the dashed line in the middle of each bar indicates how long that phone was getting any kind of support updates - not just major OS upgrades. The significant majority of models have received very limited support after sales were discontinued. If a security or privacy problem popped up in old versions of Android or its associated apps (i.e. the browser), it’s hard to imagine that all of these no-longer-supported phones would be updated. This is only less likely as the number of phones that manufacturers would have to go back and deal with increases: Motorola, Samsung, and HTC all have at least 20 models each in the field already, each with a range of carriers that seemingly have to be dealt with individually.

read more here http://theunderstatement....of-support

what a patchwork of shitter shitty shit

I take back what I said above. chewing gums probably get better support and updates

but really clever in a way. that's how you sell 52% on the whole market: deny support and make customers buy new models every other week. yes, droids are cheaper. but you need 10 phones during the lifetime of one iPhone.

[Edited 6/13/12 6:13am]

Militant said:

This video tells you all you need to know.

Around 9:07 he says, "with iOS, developers can do whatever they want and really ruin the experience of the operating system" referring to the fact that each app has it's own interface and location of a back button (or navigation in general).

Doesn't this seem to actually say the iphone is offering more freedom to developers?

At 10:04 he compares "closing apps" navigation and icons, and despite him dismissing the iphone's version, it is so much better looking and "feeling" on the iphone. Just watch this part, it's hilarious that he included it.

And then at 10:56....

He slowly starts to fail to bring up and demonstrate actual examples as well. His taste and logic are a bit suspect!

And up to that point all his criticisms seem to be based on his visual taste or user experience preference. For example, early in the video, he criticizes the gridlike simple look of icons across an iphone vs the way he has his apps limited to a certain area of his screen on his Android. But as a professional graphic designer, I would say the iphone even distribution of icons is much more aesthetically pleasing.

It seems like the majority of criticism against the iphone is that the user of the Android wants the ability to customize their screens and functionality. But of course the whole point of Apple's stance on products is that they have a superior sense of design, function, and usability, and they do not want that messed with because the taste of the user is suspect. If everyone designed and customized their own suit, well, you can imagine that the results from many people in compariosn to buying a fixed, designed suit from a professional fashion designer.

For example (back when both were popular mostly with college kids) compare Facebook to Myspace. Myspace slowly became this horrible place to visit due to the customization of everyone's page, whereas Facebook stuck with a certain aesthetic and functionality. Facebook became the more pleasant place to visit.

Ha, you could even make an analogy to zoning or no zoning rules in a city. In Houston you have no zoning restrictions (unless is a private neighborhood or residential area) and yuo can have a McDonalds next to a porn store next to a church. In cities that are zoned like where I am at right now, you have controlled streets. You find a more uniform but aesthetically pleasing streetview as you drive past. Whether or not that's a good thing is up to your opinion of what you find pleasing as part of your experience.

or

I think it s the difference of buying an IKEA piece of furniture which you can configure whatever way you want, regardless of whether it's tasteful in someone else's opinion. This abillity for customizaton of the furniture does lead to certain bulkiness or "rougher" details. Or there's buying a premade designer piece of furniture which is locked into the consistent design and structure that that designer is famous for.

Iphone is designed as a smart PHONE. Ipad is their convenient user interface for web and entertainment. Outside of that you can get their computers or laptops for doing work within the "constraints" of their design.

[Edited 6/13/12 9:30am]

Year after year it's the same result - iPhone always scores top in customer satisfaction.

They're simply doing more things right than anyones else when it comes to mobile phones.

iPhone again scores top s...tisfaction

And that new mapping software is gonna be awesome. You can guarantee that it'll be smooth as butter if it's an Apple product for their baby.

[Edited 6/13/12 9:32am]

Militant said:

imago said:

The features shown in the keynote today are nothing short of amazing.

The new mapping feature looks more mature than what's already out there, and the flyover feature is nothing short of breath-taking. The integration of the mapping software with Siri will be unmatched in the industry.

Apple really just is amazing.

LOL! You're smoking crack, right? The Apple maps fall short of Google Maps in about a hundred ways. And Android has had voice controlled navigation and mapping for over two years now.

Coming from a guy that just a few months ago said android would save Flash on cellphones?

Look, you were wrong about flash. I'm confident you're wrong about this.

PurpleJedi, don't get caught up in the specs hoopla.

Ultimately if you're going to shell out tons of money for a top end smartphone you

have to take customer service and the over user experience into consideration.

Here, Apple is simply unchallenged. There are VERY few unhappy iphone

customers. No droid competitor can match customer satisfaction. The can

ramble on and on about various featurs of their plastic cellphones, but

the overall experience is what is important. People love their iphones

for much more than the fact it's the best phone experience out there.

They love them for the service.

BUT..... wait for the iphone 5. I'm suspecting 5 will not be incremental.

nd33 said:

Year after year it's the same result - iPhone always scores top in customer satisfaction.

They're simply doing more things right than anyones else when it comes to mobile phones.

iPhone again scores top s...tisfaction

And that new mapping software is gonna be awesome. You can guarantee that it'll be smooth as butter if it's an Apple product for their baby.

[Edited 6/13/12 9:32am]

oops, I didn't see this when I posted my comments above. I say "yeah, that ^^^ "

imago said:

Militant said:

LOL! You're smoking crack, right? The Apple maps fall short of Google Maps in about a hundred ways. And Android has had voice controlled navigation and mapping for over two years now.

Coming from a guy that just a few months ago said android would save Flash on cellphones?

Look, you were wrong about flash. I'm confident you're wrong about this.

I never said that.

Anyway, I still look at flash websites ALL-THE-TIME on my Galaxy S2. It would definitely piss me off if I couldn't.

Anyway, the battle is over, Android is winning and very soon iOS devices will be what OSX devices are - a less than 10% niche.

I just perused my Facebook feed for the first time today and in just TWO MINUTES of looking through my feed I saw no less than SIX, count 'em, SIX posts like this (none of those comments were made by me)....

Even Apple admitted in their court filing against Samsung that the S3 is the most extensively pre-ordered device in history. The judge rightly lambasted on that, saying that information was inconsequential.

Apple can't, and never have been able to compete with Google on software (it's taken them THREE years to develop even a basic Google Maps competitor), and they can't compete with Samsung on hardware - hell, even half the iPhone is made from Samsung parts, and they definitely aren't giving their best materials to Apple. Apple can't compete on innovation, so they compete using lawsuits.

iOS is a closed-development, elitist, dictatorship that you have to jailbreak in order to get basic functionality that should be included out of the box. Android represents the dream of all the world's technology enthuisiasts - an open source model with freedom of choice on every level. A true democratic level playing field.

Thankfully, the market share agrees with the notion, and the numbers don't lie.

It's quite embarrasing how far behind iOS5 was compared to Ice Cream Sandwich. iOS6 has admittedly, closed the gap......but Google are announcing Jelly Bean in two weeks, and Android will surge ahead, once again.

[Edited 6/13/12 11:33am]

Oh yeah, and you were saying about DESIGN?

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich just took home the Gold Award for "Best Platform Experience" at the legendary Parson's School of Design Annual UX awards show.

The following clip reel was what was shown at the awards.

http://www.androidcentral...-ux-awards

why does this thread feel like an infomercial?

I've got a Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket running Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and LOVE it. It does everything I could possibly need it to, and it does it well.

There are too many things that I DON'T like about the iPhone, they outweigh all the things that I do like about it, so it is an easy decision for me.

What was that about Apple's Maps being any good?

http://gizmodo.com/591817...comparison

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps: A Side-By-Side Comparison

The biggest change—among many—in iOS 6will undoubtedly be Apple's new Maps app. And though its turn-by-turn directions, Flyover and oh so sweet Siri look promising, the real question is how Apple's maps will compare to Google's.

Here's a side by side comparison of the two, so you can see for yourself. It may have you wishing Apple hadn't gone it alone quite yet.

It's admittedly a little unfair to judge Apple Maps since it hasn't even passed beta yet, but it doesn't change the fact that Apple's offering has to be great to not be a failure. And it's also worth noting that Siri proved Apple's not afraid to put an incomplete feature on an iPhone.

No iPhone user wanted to kill Google Maps. It makes me uneasy to even think about a phone without it. If you're replacing something as ubiquitous and functional as Google Maps, you had better be just as good. Or as a wise man from the streets once said, "If you come at the king, you best not miss."

Note: In the examples below, Google Maps is on the left and Apple Maps is on the right.

Map View of San Francisco

Apple's maps look wonderful. Crisp, clean, paper-like, even, but... right now they're completely devoid of useful information.

It's pretty clear that Google Maps gives you more information in terms of street names, street directions, subway stops, emphasis on major streets and so on.

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Map View of New York

The solution is to add more map information even when zoomed out. Pretty is great to look at; informative is better to use.

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Traffic

Traffic on Apple Maps seems pretty majorly incomplete but this is more of a beta issue than a real-life issue, since Cupertino's going to lean heavily on users to determine where the gridlock is.

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Directions

Directions on both Apple and Google Maps are great; they'll get you to where you need to get to. The advantage of Apple Maps over Google Maps on iOS is that Apple will give you turn-by-turn directions, which Google never did on the iPhone (though it's been available on Android for some time). However, Apple desperately needs to add public transit directions before iOS 6 launches.

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Satellite View

Satellite view, even if you rarely use it, tells the same story. Google Maps just currently has more information at every level.

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Street View

There is, though, a good chance you use Street View. Apple Maps doesn't have an equivalent feature yet. And though Flyover seems really nice, it's nice in a "show off to your friends" sort of way rather than something you'd use on a regular basis.

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We'll see how Apple Maps really works once iOS 6 officially launches. But as of right now, it's lacking a lot of the granularity and features that make Google Maps great. So far upgrading doesn't seem like an upgrade at all.