iPhone 4 vs * (or, the iPhone fanboy thread)

[Workdawg]

The 4th generation of the iPhone was announced at Apples WWDC yesterday, and ZOMG does it look awesome. All the official details are online here: http://www.apple.com/iphone/design/

I am currently eligible for an upgrade, so there's a high likelyhood that I will get one. However, in the interest of making an informed decision... I'm interested in hearing other peoples opinions on what other options are out there for a smartphone user.

I'm NOT interested in the "it's an Apple/Jesus phone, blah blah" crap. If there's one thing worse than a fanboy, IMO, it's irrational hatred of a brand/product. The complete opposite of fanboy. Let's hear some specs, some user experiences, etc surrounding the current top-of-the-line smartphone segment.

iPhone 4 specs:
Hardware:
- The screen. ZOMG the screen. Apple's "Retina Display"... kinda a lame name, but it's srs bizness. 3.5",960x640, 326ppi, IPS LCD. The pics and all the hands on reviews of this thing claim it's THE best looking cellphone screen they've ever seen, and the stats seem to indicate it is.
- Apple's A4 processor. Same processor as in the iPad. 1ghz. The iPad has 256mb ram, but it's unknown for sure how much the iPhone will have.
- aluminosilicate glass: SERIOUSLY hard, yet slightly flexible. This is the same stuff they use in helicopter cockpits. It's now on both the front, AND back of the phone.
- stainless steel frame: Apple claims it's their own special alloy. Forged to be 5x harder than standard SS.
-- The frame is actually 3 parts, and each is a seperate antenna for various networks (wifi, gsm, etc).
- 5mp camera with LED flash, plus a front facing camera for FaceTime video calling.
-- Takes 720p video at 30 fps.
- The usual multitouch touchscreen. In the past Apple's touchscreens have been proven to be more accurate than competitors, we'll see if that's still the case after reviewers get a hold of it.
- Dual Mics, the primary mic for phone calls and voice controls, plus another mic on the top for noise canceling duties.
- Gyrometer in combination with the standard accelerometer make for 6-axis motion control.
- The internal wifi chip supports up to 802.11n
- Comes in 16gb or 32gb varieties.
- Physical Dimensions: 137 grams/4.8 oz, 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm (Thinnest smartphone on the market)

Software:
- FaceTime... In conjunction with the dual cameras on the iPhone 4, Apple allows users to video conference with other iPhone 4 users. You can switch between cameras to show the other person whatever ya want.
- iOS 4, apples latest iteration of the iPhone OS (now renamed iOS), adds some much wanted new stuff.
-- Multitasking: many people have claimed this isn't TRUE multitasking. Will it be sufficient?
-- Folders for apps: A cool idea for allowing for more user customization of the layout of the phone, but I'm sure Android has something similar.

Price: $200 for 16gb and $300 for 32gb with 2 year contract.

For Refernence, here's a chart showing the specs compared to the other top phones: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/iphone-4-vs-the-smartphone-elite-evo-4g-n8-pre-plus-and-hd2/

 

[Workdawg]

I really like my current iPhone, and the new iPhone looks pretty damned sweet.

The thing is built with some serious materials and has some great hardware upgrades.

1ghz processor is right up there at the top with the rest of the options.

The 5mp camera is a decent upgrade from their current offering, but other phones have more MP. I don't really need more, 5mp is plenty for a phone camera. If I wanted to take really nice pics, I'd own a camera. The fact that it takes 720p video is cool, but I'd probably rarely use it.

I'm happy that they didn't make it any bigger. I'm pretty used to the size of my 3g iPhone, but I don't think I could handle it if it got significantly larger. In fact, the thinner profile is quite excellent. The EVO and HD2 are HUGE. I mean, seriously? Check out these pics, the thing looks HUGE by comparison: http://www.engadget.com/photos/iphone-4-vs-evo-4g-fight/#3053503

I like the idea of folders for apps, but I've rarely seen a need for multitasking personally. I guess it'll be kinda nice for some things though.

I admit I haven't used any Android phones before, at least not for more than a few minutes, but the idea of having all of my contacts and stuff synced up to googles cloud is pretty unappealing. While I do have a gmail account, I don't actually use it.

 

[Stealthgator]

After having an N1 for a few months now I can honestly say iphones aren't so bad. Apple (and by extension their phones) def have a unified user experience which for me is more important than being able to take good pics. You may miss out on some apps here and there, but a majority of the apps come out on iphone first anyways. If you don't mind that apple is a little more hands-on than android or winmo then I say go for it. And remeber to buy this http://gizmodo.com/5558144/phoneballs-case-protects-iphone-from-hairy-situations

 

[spek1098]

If you enjoyed AOL style internet access, where Steve Jobs controls how you see the web, and your the type of person who likes living in a gated community, then this phone is for you!

 

[Workdawg]

If you enjoyed AOL style internet access, where Steve Jobs controls how you see the web, and you're the type of person who likes living in a gated community, then this phone is for you!

Sounds like some high quality fear mongering. This is in the On Point section. If you've got something constructive to add, then by all means, go ahead. But if you're just going to spew anti-apple slop, then move along.

Also, fixed the above for you.

 

[spek1098]

So your disputing the fact that Apple and Steve Jobs limit what can be done and see on the internet on an iphone and that Apple is helping causing internet fragmentation or are you trying to ignore negitive facts and are attempting to limit open discussion? Cause I see my post as being On Point, as it directly relates to the iphone and apple.

 

[Workdawg]

You spelled "you're" wrong again... but

I AM not disputing anything, or trying to stifle open discussion. You haven't provided any facts... anyone who isn't familiar with the issue you are referring to would be quite confused. If you want to elaborate on the topic, be my guest.

I assume you're (you are) attempting to point out that the iPhone doesn't support flash. If that's the case, then sure, it's true that you can't view flash objects on the iPhone. I would point out the Flash is a platform owned by Adobe. HTML5 is a simply a markup language, and Apple fully supports it.

If you choose to believe that Apple isn't supporting flash out of some weird vendetta against Adobe, or something else, then so be it... but present facts rather than obtuse slander. Maybe he is doing that, or maybe there are techincal reasons for the decision (wastes to much processing power, and thus battery life)...

I don't see how that is contributing to "internet fragmentation", at least not any more than the first phone web browsers did. Many sites have mobile versions because of RIM's shitty web browsers on blackberrys. At least the iPhone can easily navigate standard webpages.

In any case. Simply saying "Apple doesn't support flash on the iPhone" would have been much more succinct.

 

[dmention7]

You called it "the iphone fanboy thread" and did not expect some iphone bashing to go down? lulzy

Your first post alone is deserving of at least a page of anti-apple slop, just to maintain balance in the universe.

 

[Jana]

I want an iPhone, but refuse to switch from Verizon. Still holding out in hopes they work something out...

 

[Picklz]

I would not be surprised at all to see the iphone on other carriers (Possibly VZW) by the end of the year or Q1 2011...AT&T has allowed all current subscribers to upgrade to an Iphone 4 right now if their contract is up anytime in 2010...one major reason I could see them doing this is to get people into GSM Iphones to keep them with AT&T before any announcement of the phone coming to VZW or other carriers.

If I couldn't renew till Nov and heard around then that it was coming for vzw I would likely switch so it may very well work if I'm correct since I am very seriously considering getting one when they are released later this month.

 

[Workdawg]

Well, there are rumor's floating around that ATT will lose their exclusivity sometime soon. I heard some speculation that it is the reason ATT is pushing upgrades up as far as 6 months for people who want an iPhone. Get them hooked now so they don't jump ship when you can get one on another network, possibly within 6 months.

 

[Picklz]

If you enjoyed AOL style internet access, where Steve Jobs controls how you see the web, and your the type of person who likes living in a gated community, then this phone is for you!

Not sure what you are talking about. Have you used an iphone? It's likely near the top of the heap as far as rendering web pages exactly as they appear on any home PC you would use. Please, inform me of how Steve Jobs is controlling how I am seeing the web? I'm not trying to bash but this seems like shens.

 

[AJ]

Well, there are rumor's floating around that ATT will lose their exclusivity sometime soon. I heard some speculation that it is the reason ATT is pushing upgrades up as far as 6 months for people who want an iPhone. Get them hooked now so they don't jump ship when you can get one on another network, possibly within 6 months.

I've also seen that ATT will keep their exclusive iPhone due to the 4G network. The pain point is the HUGE Cali and NY markets where current ATT network sucks shit, and they know it. BB is king in these work and tech fueled areas. And BB knows they will take a huge dip in market share if the 4G network does the job for iPhone users.

 

[JohnnyT]

Not sure what you are talking about. Have you used an iphone? It's likely near the top of the heap as far as rendering web pages exactly as they appear on any home PC you would use. Please, inform me of how Steve Jobs is controlling how I am seeing the web? I'm not trying to bash but this seems like shens.

Yeah....way better than my old shitberry.

Spankwire is even meant for iPhone fapping!

 

[Stealthgator]

The only knock I have against the i(whatever) products is that uniformity and stability trump the freedom to use a very capable product in the way you would like to use it, see Cut & Pasting, teathering, and syncing itunes w/palm pre for examples. I understand that to maintain stability certian limitations must be enforced, but apple seems to pride itself on stability (which may not in the long run be a terrible thing given how sucessful their products have been) but it does come at the cost of having a hardware, to be specific, that sometimes doesn't live up to it's full capability.

 

[Jesse MS3GT]

I thought the iPhone and Apple were known for engineering and producing groundbreaking products? They are playing catch up with this version of the iPhone.

I like being able to tinker with my phone. I like having more than one button(just like on my pc's mouse).
I like to be able to listen to Pandora whilst texting, at least this version has multi tasking, but I'd like to see how fluid and stable it is. The ability to multi-task results in a significantly higher probability of errors. Are you more likely to make a mistake while doing one task, say programming... Or are you more likely to err if you're engaged in concurrent tasks like programming, scratching your groin and eating a delicious Chipotle burrito?

If your highest priorities are device dimensions, stability and media, then buy this phone and sacrifice customization, ease of use, a larger screen and swappable memory.

I like being able to mount my SD Card via a USB cable, and dragging and dropping files. That is ease of use IMO. I like being able to swap files without syncing everything through iTunes. I know this pertains to the iPad, but it's why I dislike Apple(I do like Macbook's, though). This was a response to an mnsc members rant about Apple's immured product, the iPad.(You may read the rant at the end of this post)

It's easy, you just bring your iPad into an Apple store where they have the necessary proprietary diagnostic equipment readily available, or you can take a free class to learn how to use their products. I don't know why you think that's any more difficult than mounting an sd card to your computer via a usb cable, and dragging and dropping files.

But really, I think the whole reason Apple is so closed off is because they know most of their customers are anti-windows. By making their products difficult to use whilst saying its user friendly, Apple can indoctrinate their customers with awesome customer service, guaranteeing the continuity of said customers love to be spoon fed Apple branding.

Also, I like modifying my phone, no really I do. My Moto Droid isn't a powerhouse, and it has it's flaws, but I like being able to do stuff freely, like install a leaked version of Froyo to my phone, overclock the cpu, and see results akin to this. BTW, before I had Froyo installed I was running Android 2.1 @ 1Ghz and my results were usually in the 500-700 range.

I wish I was still with Sprint, I want an EVO 4G, regardless of its brobdingnagian size.

/rant

F***ing apple/itunes!!!!!!!x10^1x10^10x100^100x10000 ( rant warning: 45 life-seconds)
...or I'm dumb, someone help me.

iTunes is a fucking abomination/Golem so I've basically abandoned apple stuff for the last few years (and been sad about it - Apple hardware is pretty much on the top of all consumer hardware - USUALLY, so I've watched them put out some cool stuff, but always on the sidelines), but the ipad is very cool, so I picked one up for mom today. Now I want to get some some pictures of the kids onto the ipad. I don't want itunes to manage those pictures and in every product I've ever used in the world (except anything that goes through the malware called itunes) I can drag some pictures to the device/application/storage/short-cut and then it will copy them over to the device, but yet not need to fucking catalog the shit, or just have me put a check box by some shit and then when Steve Jobs flushes his toilet, collectively the worlds iDevices sync-timer goes off?

Fuck that.

I don't want itunes to MANAGE OR CATALOG MY STUFF, especially since I'm giving it to mom - she won't have these pictures on her system at all, just on the pad, and her itunes won't have these pictures - and will it fucking WHIPE THE THING when she syncs it anyways? (I know this software is easy to use in your eyes, but you mac types are used to it, so it seems easy. But to those of us are newly interred at the Steve Jobs Institute for the Criminally Copylefted...well...forgive me if I don't know how to work the controls on the straight-jacket!!!), but I want to get it on my ipad. I want to select some files (hopefully in my OS's file manager - and I'll use whatever, I have ubuntu, and windows mostly, but I'll get a mac if itunes works better there), I want them to go to the ipad immediately then I want a status bar showing me it's progress and when it's done. Appears to be impossible with apple stuff? Shane - I'm looking at you. Everyone always acts like it's almost automatically that way, but when they get to showing me, they go "OH, well - you can't use that storage method with the iphone" or some bs limitation.

Actually, now I'll take ANY METHOD to get a video I have, just some random video of kids or something and getting it onto this motherfucker appears impossible. Will I need to start a shell production company to copyright everything and join the MPAA if I want to put a short clip of my kids on my mom's ipad? Steve you fucken dick.

I'm going to pry android onto this thing the day they hack it - no matter what bizarre fucking linkers and chicken-sacrificing-hoops I have jump through. It can't be as bad as this. You know - on my android phone I can download a random file - like a tar, gz, or msi or something? It's easy, then that file can go onto removable storage and put anywhere. Like YOU. WOULD. EXPECT. Now I'm not saying android/other devices like this are all that great, but when you can't even get to the basics...it shows you that it really is just meant to be a piece of glass connected to Apple, and they are in the middle of everything that happens in it, because they are 'feeding' it to you - and it tastes good.

So to completely talk out the other side of my mouth for minute (pfff you thought there was some form of credibility on the web?....hahahahahahahahahaha)

On the hardware. Wow.

If you're on the fence, just get one, they're not that expensive, really fun, I hate every apple application I've ever used (but always LOVE the hardware), but for just browsing the web, it's so much better than my netbooks - this is the real bridge between pc and mobile. If you're frugal, wait for the end of the year for some real contenders, but for $500...the screen is just as sensitive if not better than my iphone.

Don't expect to use it for much other than web stuff or specialty applications. Netflix is great on it.

This is NOT a tablet-computer. It's a piece of glass connected to Steve Jobs penis, so don't expect it to do computery things and you'll be fine. LOVE it for the web - and probably reading books actually - first thing I've ever picked up that I would actually read a book at - well have yet to do it for hours like I would with a book, but we'll see. I browse for hours, so can't be any worse than that?

 

[Jesse MS3GT]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGzfdZO5k98&feature=popular

 

[Workdawg]

I agree with some of what he says.

1. Mobile Hotspot. I would be dollars to donuts ATT would shit their pants if Apple tried to get them to allow this. The iPhone OS has been able to tether for like a year, but ATT is JUST allowing it. Either way, I would rarely use it, though I'm sure there some people who would. Most of the time when I would use it, it'd probably only be for me, and at that point, I could just tether.

2. 4g. Again, ATT, not so much Apple I would bet.

3. Haptic touch screen. I would prefer it NOT be this way. Certainly some people (those who want a hardware keyboard) would like it, but it just feels weird to me. The iPhone has always had the most accurate touchscreen, and I could definitely see this hindering that.

4. Customization. I would certainly welcome this, but it's a software issue, not a hardware issue. To say that the iPhone4 is lacking customization is a bit innaccurate I think. Certainly the iOS 4 is lacking in that department when compared to Android, but a new version of the OS can change that. You won't have to buy a new phone at that point.

 

[Jesse MS3GT]

Precisely, that is why I hate Apple, it's their closed off nazi esque OS. I have never had a problem with the phone because of the hardware, solely the operating system.

China would approve.

 

[VTEC8YA]

Modifying and hacking phones has become my number one hobby lately, and the fact that I cant even take the battery out of the Iphone... is a big do not want!!