iPhone 4 and iOS vs. Android: hardware features - Page 3

So you're required to carry around 'game cartridges' for any complex 3D games, or do such games not exist on the Android platform?

I have a small'ish list of apps and games installed, 3 of which are over 100 MB, and two of which are over 200 MB. I have about a gig total in apps and games. I would be required to 'swap out a card' to work around this issue?

As to the touch screen issues, HTC is not without blemish:

http://www.techweet.com/2010/06/15/h...hscreen-issues

http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Fix-...e-a_12041.html

http://www.techalps.com/android/htc-...ty-issues.html

None of those are hardware advantages, are they? Note the title of the article


All of the EVO specs you mentioned are noted in the article. It's not clear that a big phone is an advantage, particularly if the screen is just the same stretched resolution with less pixel density. The rear HD camera is not better quality nor does it capture full frame rate video. The front camera has a higher resolution, but still lower frame rate.

The iOS SDK offers developers access to the device screen information as well as any connected screens. Any applications that may be designed in an INflexible manner are third party apps that hardcoded 320x480 resolution numbers into their apps. So I'm sorry Sovok, but the SDK has always been flexibly designed for different resolution displays. Using the same resolution for the last three generations of iPhone was a decision to keep a same aspect-ratio, polished look and feel. And it's this very reason that iPhone 4's resolution is exactly double (640 x 960). It sets a standard for what users expect for screen real-estate and how developers should think about laying out their apps.

So enjoy your barrage of Android devices.

sorry guys i just had to trot out that old recess schoolyard standby. So anyway Berzerker - do you have some physical evidence that the EVO sensor with all those megpixels is better at actually taking pictures - or does it fall prey to the same issue point n shoot cams have been having where they use the smaller sensor, jack up the Mp and still end up with marginal photos?

And the rest of you Android defenders - welcome. This IS Appleinsider however and you are guests - so it behooves you to behave like guests, not piss in peoples wheaties, squat in the corner and take dumps in the potted plants. BECAUSE the more ardent, strident and shrill your claims the less convincing you are to anyone with any doubt about Android.

For example, I was out with my wife this evening. Her Razor is finally giving up the ghost and she wanted to look for a replacement. Now she has long fingernails (God bless her! *grin*) and has categorically refused to consider an iPhone, having played rather less successfully with mine over time. We stopped over to the ATT Store and reviewed the options. We looked at the small number of flip phones (her immediate preference), and then at the candy bar feature phones, and finally at the "smartphones". We played around with the Palm Pixi, with a Samsung running some version of Android a couple of Penteks and so forth. After 45 minutes of sorting out the various issues of what she wanted she turned and told me that she preferred the iPhone. Now, my wife as far as technology goes fits pretty close to that mainstream golden mean for the "average consumer" and with an initial and previously abiding desire NOT to own an iPhone. So I asked what deal was. She told me that of all the phones we looked at the iPhone simply had a better interface and very straight forward controls that she could navigate without a lot of fuss and bother.

And after having played with the Palm and the Samsung, I was VERY disappointed with the user interface on both. DISCLAIMER: I own a 1st gen iPhone. My phone is on Edge networking, it can't update to the latest iOS, and it is well, a bit past its prime. BUT - I get two days of rigorous use out of it per charge STILL, and I can get to whatever I need INSTANTLY on my iPhone. Both UI for Palm and Android took me back to the days of yor when you had to go diving for a menu to get anything to pull up, and you have to figure out - do I push a button here or use the touch screen. Now yeah, I KNOW I can sort out the controls on these - but I'm not the golden mean in the consuming public - my wife is and when she uses something for less than 10 seconds and puts it down frustrated - you know something is not right. OTOH, she picked up the iPhone, played with how she would position her fingers to work on the screen and then began flipping back and forth - in under a minute. Seriously. This dear Android fans is where the rubber meets the road. Unless Google REALLY works out the UI kinks (like those that cause HTC to put Sense in as a UI intermediary), you are going to LOSE the golden mean, you are NOT going to pull in the average consumer - and that dear brother and sisters is where the marketshare and the money is. Screw the features race. Anyone can add freakin' FM radio or a removable battery, or an hdmi connector. If your UI isn't there for the average consumer - you're done. Period.

Google and Android have a formidable obstacle with the iPhone - the HIGHEST USER SATISFACTION rating in the marketplace.

WAIT!!!! You mean my sony trinitron 27" CRT doesnt have an HDMI port. I better call Woolworths and ask for my money back!!!!


And by regular TV you mean???? Its 2010 and a "regular tv" will have an HDMI. I would assume if you own an EVO or iphone 4 the you probably have a TV with a HDMI port.

Nope most of the new android phones which will be getting 2.2 (with the ability to save apps to SD) have about 8gb internal and come with either 8 or 16gb cards.

And yeah HTC has big touch screen problems, no doubt about that.

Ok, that makes sense. If they can store graphic data, media, and whatnot, the limit seems far less...limiting.

I didn't point these out to make some point about build quality or whatnot. it was simply to point out that there are a lot of pros and cons on both sides of the argument that could have been put into the table and weren't. Simply claiming the article is biased because it doesn't list every pro of an android device doesn't make much sense, as some of these simply don't convert well to pro vs cons or they aren't meaningful to a typical end user.

I'll be very interested to see the reviews post 24th, however by that time, for me at least, they will be largely irrelevant, as I already have a pre-order and scheduled pickup on the 24th..lol.

3. Not everyone finds Verizon to be better. IMHO, they're ALL bad (just like the airlines). IIRC, about twice as many people in the country get NO service on Verizon as on AT&T. Those who have good service on both get better performance from AT&T. There is no clear winner - it depends more than anything else on where you live.


Google doesn't get it, either. Why do you think there are dozens of incompatible phones and phones still coming out with ancient versions of Android? Heck, phones are still being sold with Android 1.5 and no hope of getting 2.1, much less 2.2.


It's really sad how the Apple-bashers have to make up crap like that because they're obviously incapable of rational debate. Lots of Apple users have chosen non-Apple products or chosen to ignore new Apple stuff. It's just that Apple stuff is so consistently good, that it usually satisfies users' needs. Too bad you'll never deal with a supplier so good.


Except for the ones that matter - quality. Look at the pixel size on the iPhone compared to the Evo. Look at the fps speed. Megapixels aren't everything.


It means that if the market as a whole is selling less than 50% of their phones to existing users that Apple's market share is growing - and vice versa.


None that matter - except to geeks. In terms of usability, Android is way behind - and falling further behind every day. Fragmentation is a real problem - and getting worse. The OS is hard to use. The hardware has no real advantages (as shown above)>


Wrong. There are relatively new Android phones being sold today which use Android 1.5 - and MAYBE the ability to upgrade to 2.1 some day. Fragmentation is a very real problem - no matter how many times you try to ignore it.

Dick, aren't Daniel's comments pretty much a given? The App Store in fact try to encourage people to buy apps in numerous ways. Apps are signed. Apple pushes developers to use a strategy of lower prices and going for volume to get more people buying software because it's more affordable. As for the Android platform, I wouldn't say it's geared towards hobbyists but I don't know what they are doing to try and protect software from being stolen. Of course all Apple's protection goes out the window when people jailbreak.

I responded to that one on the previous page. I believe this is what they are referring to:

http://www.google.com/support/forum/...f8ac88b3&hl=en

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacman3000/4127815088/

Specifically it's about the return policy. You buy an app, immediately back it up, file for a refund, and then restore your app from backup. Walla. Free app.

Yeah I'm interested in the reviews as well. I have a Droid now but I'm looking at the iPhone 4 and the Droid X and weighing the pros/cons of both. I'm actually a member of this forum and an Android forum, it's funny how deeply entrenched the fanboys are on both sides. People spend way too much energy trying to validate their purchases by convincing others that their phone of choice is the best.

Also, I'm not exactly sure how anyone expected an article from a site called Apple Insider to be objective in the first place.

I said "Nope most of the new android phones which will be getting 2.2 (with the ability to save apps to SD) have about 8gb internal and come with either 8 or 16gb cards." If I'm speaking directly about phones which will be getting 2.2, what is your purpose of saying that? Regardless, 2.2 isn't out yet for my Droid but I'm still running it. Overclocked to 1ghz too, smooth! And who in the heck would buy an android phone with 1.5 when they're up to 2.1, except someone who's technologically clueless? It's like those people who buy cheap emachines PCs and then condemn PCs as a whole.

Thanks for these!

This one also addresses the specific issue with copyright infringement, profit, and other issues with the Android Market.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacman3000/4127815088/

This is fine for techies, but what about those who just want a solution to; improve their productivity; fit into their lifestyle... I can over-clock a toaster and get perfect crumpets in .07 (ah-- maybe .13) seconds... but don't touch the toaster before, during or after the cycle!

Seriously, this argument has been going on since the 1976 Altair-- and, likely, won't be resolved for another 100 years.

I took a '40 Chevy apart (down to the bare frame, babbit in the crankshaft, etc.-- just to learn about cars... got it all running again with very few parts left over (153624).

I won't do htat again, 'cause my time is worth more than that (to me)... as my grandson says: "I have my minions do that kind of stuff!"

.

I would agree that Android is more of an OS for techies, although it isnt necessary to be one (2.2 was coming to the droid regardless, its coming to all phones capable of running it I'm pretty sure) But whats wrong with that? The most powerful phones get the newest OSs for the most part, kinda like how some features are locked out of iOS for older iphones.

If you are going to bring the "accuracy" card to the game - you'd better be able to play it right - it's up to 12 per folder not 8. And for the record you were the one who called for the feature pissing contest. Don't get all whiney when you are flogged with the same crap you are throwing down here. I'm running by your rules here sunshine.


No supporting example. In fact just, oh what was the phrase.... ummmm..."fanboyish" , yep that fits.


Let's see, iAd reference I guess. And the Android ad system is much more superior how again? Just that whole "activity approach" thingy. Wow I'm actually whelmed here. And yet you laden your argument with subtle qualifiers, like "for the most part". Don't you know how it works? So you still get dumped out to a separate ad webpage and have to jump back for your gamus interuptus. Yeah soooo much better. Sorry that was just plain snarky on my part. But not a conclusive win.


So I see this as really subjective on your part. Especially when you lead off with the equivalent of "it really sucked at first, but once the pain subsided it was tolerable. In fact now I kinda like it. No really, I love it!" Large letter is a single column would frustrate the living daylights out of me (see - subjective analysis by me), for me that would be a negative so it's a wash here. I LIKE how Safari browses the web, like how it allows ME to decide what to view and how. Freedom AND responsibility baby - it's groovy man!



So here's the deal. I've had MobileMe for a long time now and this point is only a functional problem IF you don't have MobileMe - which many probably don't. But this brings up a whole other issue I have with Google having unfettered access to my calendar, email and other stuff. After all the ruptures, breaches, hacks and "oops - did we collect that data while we were out there?? We didn't MEAN too - really" they have lost my fundamental trust in their motivation and their ability to protect my data. They are, after all an AD company that provides all kinds of cool and neat things to consumers. Kind of like the candy house in the story of Hansel and Gretel. But we also sign off on them using our data - read the fine print.


Well, here we are again on my point about Google intentions and their security issues. But yes, I will grant you voice recognition is cool, but the 3GS has it built in in a more limited way - so not a clear advantage, depending on your needs.


I'm feeling kinda bad for you right now about all the above so, aside from being able to navigate without turn-by-turn navigation, being able to read a map and generally knowing my urban landscapes well, I'll give you Google's free turn by turn tracking of your move... I mean navigation. Yes it is very cool as a free function.


I get the whole widgets thing, but it isn't a big selling point - I like my screen simple and relatively uncluttered. So as I am STILL feeling bad for you - I'll give you this one as well - YES, Widgets are a cool feature.


OK - let me restate this in your own words: "Flash: I hate Flash, ...I'm able to view ...part of a Flash page." For me Flash sucks majorly. I run Click to Flash on my Mac and wish I could install it on my work PCs as well. With the piss-poor usage of Flash on the internet to serve annoying ads at me. No. Not even. Don't even go there. The very rare few places where Flash has provided cool content doesn't make up for the volumes of dreck that spews forth from poorly configured ads. This more than anything else demonstrates the sheer desperation of Google in trying to drive their ad revenue by supporting Flash in Android. Ack.Ptoooie. Moving on.


Sorry I'm calling foul on this statement. Lots of smaller features. Total fanboy cop-out. TOTAL. Referencing files on my smartphone - is so 20th century. It was Google's lazy-ass way of not having to come up with a better system of file management. The UI is not conducive to deep manipulation of file and directory structures, it's another layer of complexity unneeded for the average user and a total geek nectar thing.


And so does iOS - even in 3.1.3. Just not all apps. The user doesn't have to worry about manually closing apps that are running - but can if they choose - just like in Android. And yet in the Android forums time and again problems with managing apps running in the background pile in and are discussed ad nauseam. What's even sillier is the whole "you don't need to manage your apps/ yes-yes, you need the app killer installed" disagreement among the contributors. Even "superusers" in the fora can't agree as to whether or not Android can manage things correctly!


I have addressed every point you made, even gave you a couple, so this whole, "So the operating system has tons of advantages even over iOS4" statement is crap. Seriously crap. Not tons not even pounds. Ounces here and there - maybe.

And that 4G thing. Wow! On the 4th largest network in 13 markets nationwide! Oh, wait did you see all the reports about what that 4G access does to your battery life? No? OK.

NOT higher resolution cameras - let's be accurate here - higher megapixel cams - yes. Resolution is not solely determined by Mp, in fact it's only one of several parts of the determination. So no on that as well.

HDMI output? Again, like the whole FM radio thing, where's the actual (versus perceived) value in this. I can put an HDMI output system in my car, but what the heck good is that for my everyday use of it? But hey - let me give you that one too. You have HDMI output on the EVO.

Now let's have you address the security and privacy issues that are endemic to partnering yourself with Google. You have been assimilated. Your data is NOT your own, you have agreed, with every app you use, to share your personal data with Google. What will you do when all that data gets hacked, or used in a way that is not in your own best interest? What feature will you claim then?

I'm happy you are happy with your EVO. You should continue to be happy with it, enjoy it, use it. But don't sully your experience with tossing off a bunch of nonsense in the fora about it being clearly and monumentally superior it every way imaginable to an iPhone.

Because it's not.

is an early limited implementation in the 4th largest carrier in the US - 13 WHOLE markets supported in. Wow. And what kind of comment is "wait until 2011!"?

By now even my sainted mother knows that 4G is being implemented by the two largest carriers in the US (ATT & Verizon) between now and 2012. And in the meantime there will be a score or so more phones released, Sprint will stumble along with their non-standard WiMax implementation of 4G, sucking the life out of hapless smartphone batteries - but fortunately only in those few lucky markets. Hopefully Orange and Softbank have a more energy-efficient implementation underway.

http://www.google.com/support/mobile...40&topic=14252

when i saw the headline for this article i knew the comments would devolve into spec squabbling. Dan didn't help the way he framed the piece.

consumers don't buy specs (tho gadget heads do), they buy results. for the camera, for example, the bottom line is how easy is it to use, how practical in real life everyday situations, and how good the resulting photos and videos. i don't mean the megabits, i mean how they look! great specs can be hard to use, they can be missing or poorly implementing the convenience features that are really useful (starting with focus and exposure), and weak links in other parts of their hardware and software chain can result in ultimate lower quality results than the specs alone would support in theory.

and then there is the "what can i do with it?" part of photos and videos. which gets into apps and ecosystems and all that, and the ease of use to do it and the final quality that results.

likewise the display screen. it's not just dpi. it's the quality of viewing in all light conditions and angles. it's the accuracy and responsiveness of the touch controls. it's the durability and scratch resistance of the glass and assembly.

specs alone are shallow thinking.

I have a 3GS and will buy another iPhone next year when my contract is up, so I like it all and am relatively happy. But let's be fair - if the iPhone 4 came with an FM radio, HDMI ouput and 4G - even in only a handful of cities you (Eriamih) and many others would tout it all as a major and welcome upgrade. I think Sprint's 4G is shady also and false advertising and I don't care about an FM tuner, but the HDMI is a cool addition. And if Apple added the above features I'd welcome 'em. So, it's cool to like/love your iPhone, but also recognize there is always room for improvement and competition pushes everyone to further develop.

I am already looking for to the 2011 iPhone when I'll be eligible without paying a hefty upgrade fee.

LOL Always cracking me up.

its NOT just about the hardware silly duh

It's about apps: (not so much the hard ware), why are folks so fixated only on hardware is beyond me. The success of iPhone vs Android clones will play out depending on how each competes in terms of how well they integrate hardware and software and how fast they can update their respective OS and control the experience. Also a factor will be how each company responds to hacking.

Google is trying to go after the mobile market by getting users to hit on their ad revenue cash cow via the browsers. Unfortunately this is a flawed business model on a smart phone and they know it. But they are desperate to get as many phones out there as possible to attempt to thwart Apple before Apple monopolizes the entire smart phone marketplace. Google has to get apps out there that link to Google's adMob. Likewise Apple is doing the same with iAd. the game is just getting started.

The name of the game is getting apps to stay active while the app user finds information within the app. (not click way to a browser). Apple is attempting to make the interface seamless in their usual slick way. If Android cannot make this seamless which is likely? they are going to lose out .

Jobs even mentioned that something like 70%? of the time users go to an app to find information not a web browser. This will kill Google if they don't find a way of getting users to click on embedded ads to google. This is the reason iAd and Admob are such crucial players in this new market place. The next 2-3 years should see this high stakes battle play out. Perhaps though both Apple and Google will split this market between them. Place your bets gentlemen.

I know Apple is good at integrating everything well with both hardware and software. However, I still feel like this article is a little bias in regards to Android. I mean, sure it may not always tie-in well compared to Apple, but at least the stuff works.

Give it time. Android was released a year after the iPhone so it'll take a little a while for things to polish. Same thing can be said with iOS. I still remember the old 1.x and 2.x days; when Apple was less obsessive over control. Not even the apps looked all that great, honestly.

So, while Android's features may not be as perfect when compared to iPhone, at least there giving it to you the best they can. Again, like iOS, it'll improve. I really have no idea how well that'll sink in with everyone knowing the sudden Google hate and sudden fanboy love over yet another OS.


Agreed. HDMI seems like total over kill. Never understood why anyone would want one on a PHONE.

Having owned an HTC Desire for a week and having an iPhone for a couple of years, I can say that the iPhone is best for making phone calls.

The "Favourite"contacts system on Android (at least HTC Sense) is stupid, as it lists the favourite contacts in alphabetical order only. I want them in a specific order I define, most important/often called first.

And Adroid as a whole was a bit of a mess (granted I only had 2.1, but didn't like it that much).

Dear Apple Store Customer,

You recently received a Shipment Notification email from Apple advising you that your iPhone has shipped.

This email is to confirm that your delivery will occur on June 23rd. Although Apple and FedEx tracking information may currently indicate a later date, you can check the FedEx website the morning of the June 23rd to track your package to your doorstep.

In the event that you will not be available to accept delivery on June 23rd, it may be more convenient to use our pre-sign delivery option by visiting our Order Status web site.

Sincerely,

The Apple Store Team

My iPhone 4 arrived in Oakland, CA 10:00 PM yesterday.

I suspect that FedEX is backed up with deliveries and got special dispensation for the day-early deliveries.

.

i bought a Nexus One for AT&T, used it for 3 days, and returned it. Once you use an iPhone and get used to what it can do with the apps, it is IMPOSSIBLE to switch. I also was a Palm Pre early adopter, that phone lasted 3 weeks before it went back.. my iPhone 4 will be here Thursday and i will never ever leave again.

Now I'm just as guilty as the next when it comes to the hardware specs "discussion". No one will ever be won over to one side of the fence, especially on an Apple-centric forum. But, I do feel someone brought up a good point earlier in regards to how would people react if the iPhone got some of the "unique features" that the Evo got and vice versa. The iPhone faithful would then defend those features....

FM Radio... "Ahh Steve Jobs, you finally have thought about our lack of network service and I can now listen to my favorite morning show without needing to worry about going over my data allotment or being in a 3G service area."

SD slot... "Finally I can share photos with someone on the go, or trade music quickly with someone else. We all know I can only sync music from one machine to my iPhone. So if I download some music when away from my home machine, now I can listen to it!"

HDMI out... "Steve is so forward thinking! He's well aware that the new standard in HD input is HDMI. We all have them in our HDTVs at home and can now with one cord share both audio and video when at the next family gathering!"

And if the Apple faithful had to "look down" upon the unique features it is actually receiving (if the Evo had them):

802.11n... "Not many networks I actually connect to throughout the day are even 802.11n. It really doesn't help anyways as I can't sync over Wi-Fi. As long as it's faster than 3G and uses less battery it's fine with me."

6-axis motion gyro... "The iPhone games right now are the best on the market. I'm not sure this addition could make them much better. Besides, the Android Market hasn't yet made a great game that wasn't an iPhone clone."

Noise Cancellation.... "I guess I don't understand this feature. You can make calls on this thing? It's never worked for me."

That's nice. You managed to miss the entire point, but feel free to brag about your overclocked phone.

The point is that Android has a major problem in that there's no consistency. Some phones can do A, but not B. Some phones can't do C, but might be able to with an update. Other phones can never do C, but have this really cool feature, D.

Talking about what Android phones will do is a losing battle from the start - because there's no such thing as a standard Android phone. Rather, you can only talk about what a specific phone will do - but Android people don't do that because they only way they can get credibility is to lump ALL Android phones together - and even then they can't catch up to iPhones.

Most Android phones on the market will never have the 'high end' software features you're bragging about. So either limit yourself to one phone and talk about how great that phone is compared to the iPhone or settle for the fact that if you want to consolidate a lot of phones that most of them are missing the features you're bragging about.


That claim is silly - and demonstrably false. Many, many phones capable of running newer versions of Android don't have them. My daughter's Backflip is capable of running 2.1 but there's no sign of it on the horizon. Most phones capable of running 2.2 don't have an upgrade available, either. It's not enough for Android 2.2 to be out; you also need the phone manufacturer AND the carrier to support it - and that's happening at a snail's pace.

Only an iPhone user would ask this question. Everyone elses mobile phone has had no trouble making calls for the last 10 years. iPhone users obviously don't take this for granted. Hey, but your phone looks cool, and you can play your with your apps while other people are making calls.

Are you serious? Good god.

What is with this site an Android people? Who are you and why are you here? Nobody cares what you think, about your own phone, or the iPhone.

The AI chart was a great look at the basics, hardware wise. Software, there is no comparison. Apple's software ecosystem is decades ahead, and if you don't realize that, the iPhone probably isn't for you in the first place. So, no point in being here!

I don't think Google is using android primarily for mobile abs in the browser, I can personally tell you that mobile web abs go largely unnoticed. If google is pushing them...Because I can't remember seeing any, which means if they are doing that approach they sure aren't doing a very good job! I think their major gain from this is the data collected from their Android "minions" day to day usage, making their lives easier.


Lolwut? A week with one android phone (of many) and you're qualified to say that the iPhone is better? Ok. The favorites contacts list on mine is the most frequent callers and not in alphabetical order. I have a Droid, btw.

Having messed around with my friend's iphone since the 3G launched and my Droid since this november, I've always managed to have better service than him (verizon vs AT&T). I've never heard of the actual "phone" part of the iPhone being touted as a major strongpoint.

In terms of software, I find google's voice recognition software better for voice commands to make a call. Other than that I'd say they're about equal in the process of making a call. Service/Signal strength will obviously differ by provider and device.


This is obvious, its actually on both sides. Fanboys never appreciate a feature until its on their phone. It's "useless" until their phone gets it. I remember that from when I used to have a Blackberry. The BlackBerry Storm users tried to convince themselves and everyone else that wifi was useless, unnecessary, and would kill the battery. Until the Storm 2 released it and they found it to be the best thing ever.

I'd be more impressed with Sprint's WiMax if I wasn't a former WiMax (Xohm) customer...right up until I realized that Sprint decided not to cover BWI airport with WiMax signal. Given that BWI doesn't have free wireless it's an epic fail for a new deployment not to cover the major airport in a major launch city.

The current Sprint WiMax isn't any faster than what AT&T will deploy with HSPA+ soon if you use T-Mobile's HSPA+ build out as a guide.

"Sprint’s WiMAX topped out at around 4,066 kbps download and 978kbps upload speeds, but other tests conducted gave them speeds somewhere near 748 kbps down and 60 kbps up. That’s a pretty drastic range of speeds, but we’ll take em’! Sprint’s WiMAX networked averaged out to 2,785 kbps down, and 589 kbps up."

" T-Mobile’s HSPA+ hit speeds up to 5,442 kbps down, and 1,888 kbps up. On the lower end of their tests, T-Mo came out with 976 kbps down and 938 kbps up, averaging the tests out gives HSPA+ speeds around 2,960 kbps down and 1,283 kbps up."

http://www.intomobile.com/2010/06/04...bile-hspa.html

Since both are in their build out phases the comparison is pretty fair. I got around 4 Mbps with one of the Xohm home base stations with a external antenna. If the iPhone 4 can manage around 4 Mbps on the 7.2 HSPA radio that's pretty much parity. That's a big if on AT&T's network but they have been adding backhaul capability and real-world 4-5 Mbps on the top end has been seen in other 7.2 HSPA markets. Shame we don't have HSPA+ radios in the iP4.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/13/m...-update-in-q3/
A major issue with the backflip is AT&T has their own tinkering to do with the OS (banning apps from outside the Android market, removing tethering, and other feature removal)

Anyway, the same issue exists across generations with iPhones. They don't all "just work" the same with the newest software.

And yes, there is fragmentation. I wouldn't exactly say Android was better for average consumers. If you aren't aware that your phone is a low tier phone, you're going to have issues. All of the "high end" phones are getting 2.2 or have had it leaked (for the purposes of the average consumer leaks are irrelevant though). Unlike the iPhone, you can't just pick it up and expect it to be the same. You can pick up two phones and they'll have completely different features at times, which can be a positive and a negative. But people who are up to date with tech (not the average consumer) would know this. I'd lump most Android users with the people who jailbreak their iPhones--people who like to mess with their phone just for the hell of it.

Google is actually working on removing the need for all the custom UIs from the new Gingerbread OS, which should solve this issue kind of. Everyone will be able to get the newest software at once, but just like the iphone they wont all necessarily be able to fully use it on their new phones.

You take issue with the fact the all the phones have different features, but I don't see that as a negative (except I agree on the premise that it makes updating phones much slower). I like having the option to choose based on features I want (I know we all like the iPhone here but lets not pretend it does EVERYTHING--although for some individual's purposes it very well may). This can lead to bad purchases and ruin the opinion of android though, like windows. Apple never has this problem because by dictating what the consumer wants they dont have room for error. That works for them very well, not so much with people who like to endlessly alter their devices. Apple is smart to avoid fragmentation. Various options allow too much room for consumers to choose, and unfortunately the average consumer isn't too tech savvy. People will probably buy the backflip after seeing the "Droid" commercials, and frankly the backflip plain sucks. I'm not sure why anyone would buy it willingly (in your case I'm sure it's because you have an iphone and got an android phone based on provider, AT&T's android offerings are complete crap).

Oh and BTW I'm not an "Android person". I'm a "whoever offers me the best phone for my needs at the time" person. I have no company allegiance.

haha. it should come with a spare!

Really? because it sure doesn't look that way.

Yes, but for instance here in The Netherlands we are stuck with T-Mobile which over here has the worst coverage of all (KPN and Vodafone are best). Were it not for T-mobile coverage (which is so bad they were recently forced to pay compensation to customers), I would have bought an iPhone already.

Thank you for the link! So much for "Retina Display Misleading Advertisement"

STOP!!! The truth is hurting my Apple-fanboy ears.