5 reasons not to buy the iPhone 4

ar wor

According to Yahoo finance there is a few shortcomings with new iPhone 4. I think that iPhone 4 is the best one in his category. Go Apple!!!

Biggins

Waiting for the much commented on newer Android based phone.
According to reports much more accessible, user friendly, allows flash sites, allows greater apps, etc than the current load of stuff you can't do or is restricted by Apples strict rules.

Darksaga87

Biggins wrote: »

Waiting for the much commented on newer Android based phone.
According to reports much more accessible, user friendly, allows flash sites, allows greater apps, etc than the current load of stuff you can't do or is restricted by Apples strict rules.

Evo?

JohnC.

ar wor wrote: »

According to Yahoo finance there is a few shortcomings with new iPhone 4. I think that iPhone 4 is the best one in his category. Go Apple!!!

1 is irrelevant everywhere but the US.
2 isn't exactly a shortcoming of the phone, and only temporary.
3, well, who even uses that on any phone? And they are trying to work with carriers to get it working over 3G too
4, I'm not familiar with, but iPhone does predict words
5, there's more to cameras than megapixels. Once you go so high, all the megapixels in the world won't make a difference without better optics. And, I'm told, no other phone camera has a backside illuminated sensor which makes a big difference too, apparently.

dougs09

i'm bloody sick of this whole comparing android phones to iPhones and folks trying there best and hardest to justify reasons why its better then iPhone.

wether its just a clever and a brilliant bit of marketing by apple, suckering everyone in and brainwashing them, or perhaps its just a case of the iPhone genuinely being better then the android, but, the figures speak for themselves, iPhone is a much more popular phone.

heck, even the name android phone, makes me think of that big massive robot that was in lost in space

now i dont know an awful lot in terms of what the android offers in terms of apps and whatnot, but, going through youtube and seeing video reviews of them, how can anyone think one of those are better then an iPhone? they looks bloody terrible.

Biggins

Darksaga87 wrote: »

Evo?

The Droid phone.
See here: http://mashable.com/2010/06/24/iphone-4-droid-x-infographic/



One might want to read here too before rushing to buy: http://mashable.com/2010/06/23/iphone-yellow-screen-tint/

Inquitus

dougs09 wrote: »

i'm bloody sick of this whole comparing android phones to iPhones and folks trying there best and hardest to justify reasons why its better then iPhone.

wether its just a clever and a brilliant bit of marketing by apple, suckering everyone in and brainwashing them, or perhaps its just a case of the iPhone genuinely being better then the android, but, the figures speak for themselves, iPhone is a much more popular phone.

heck, even the name android phone, makes me think of that big massive robot that was in lost in space

now i dont know an awful lot in terms of what the android offers in terms of apps and whatnot, but, going through youtube and seeing video reviews of them, how can anyone think one of those are better then an iPhone? they looks bloody terrible.

Android OS has a very healthy lead over iOS4.

SolarNexus

Inquitus wrote: »

Android OS has a very healthy lead over iOS4.

In what sense?

Dman001

The Droid X, while a lovely device, takes the mobile out of mobile phone.

The likes of the Droid X and the Evo are unnecessarily big, I understand why people would want a big screen but Im sure manufacturers could fit a 4" screen into a device not much bigger than an iPhone. Personally Id rather just buy a Netbook and a small Nokia than carry around a big device like that, because realistically I couldn't comfortably fit it into my pocket.

Narcissus

SolarNexus wrote: »

In what sense?

I imagine he means there are more android users than iOS4 users.
Not sure if it's true but if it is it's not really a fair comparison for an OS that was released on Monday.

BrianD

SolarNexus wrote: »

In what sense?

It's more prevalent - mainly because its being shipped on a wider range of models and manufacturers. Apple had the lead in the smartphone market but are losing out to Android.

having said that it's interesting that iPhone owners tend to be bigger users of the "smart" and connected features of their phones. With the wider availability of smart phones, many people are still using relatively sophisticated phones (any make) for basic tasks. It seems from research taht iPhone users are more likely to use apps, web browsing etc.

Inquitus

SolarNexus wrote: »

In what sense?

In the sense that its better:

Can play common dl video formats, doesn't require you to convert everything to mp4.
Can be used as a wifi tether, something iphone can't do.
Can be used as a usb tether without having to pay for an additional data plan.
Can display the full interactive web, including flash, i.e. can be used on rte player.
Can multitask better than iOS4 can.
Can do notifications in a proper useable manner unlike iOS4 which maintains the awful everything stops notifications.
Can do drag and drop.
Doesn't require bloated and slow itunes.
Has a multitude of handsets with different options so you can target your needs.
Integrates seamlessly with your google life.
Allows widgets, which are actually incredibly useful.

and alot else besides.....

SolarNexus

BrianD wrote: »

It's more prevalent - mainly because its being shipped on a wider range of models and manufacturers. Apple had the lead in the smartphone market but are losing out to Android.

having said that it's interesting that iPhone owners tend to be bigger users of the "smart" and connected features of their phones. With the wider availability of smart phones, many people are still using relatively sophisticated phones (any make) for basic tasks. It seems from research taht iPhone users are more likely to use apps, web browsing etc.

That's not entirely accurate:



Given, that data is regarding the US smart phone market, but I think its a good indicator.

Inquitus

SolarNexus wrote: »

That's not entirely accurate:



Given, that data is regarding the US smart phone market, but I think its a good indicator.

Android shipped more units than iPhone in the US in Q1, given iPhone OS has been to market for much longer it has more units out there, doesn't mean it's more popular in the here and now, just means it's been around longer. Run the same stats for iOS v Win Mo and Symbian when iPhone was 1 year in, and you'd see they had a bigger installed base at this point in development, but were losing sales hand over fist.

OI

There are several advantages to android as of course there are with apple. I have recently jumped ship from apple to desire. If cloud computing is the way forward then i believe android to be the winner. Syncing of contacts appointments etc is effortless and free over Google. Mobile me on apple is expensive and other free solutions offer a disjointed experience.

Another major advantage of android is its compatibility with any pc and its drag and dropability without the need for another itunes type programme.

Widgets are also excellent and really need to be experienced before passing judgement. Desire is fully customizable out of the box, has free turn by turn navigation and is easy to sync and set up. The browser is also unreal.

Now I'm not too sure about build quality compared to the iPhone. There is some minor bits of light escaping from the shell particularly from the optical mouse and the inline remote on my headphones doesn't work sometimes. Battery life is also poor but prob as good as iPhone. Camera is excellent as well as flash. In fact the only thing i miss about my iPhone is the face book app and angry birds .

Narcissus

Inquitus wrote: »

In the sense that its better:

Can play common dl video formats, doesn't require you to convert everything to mp4.
Can be used as a wifi tether, something iphone can't do.
Can be used as a usb tether without having to pay for an additional data plan.
Can display the full interactive web, including flash, i.e. can be used on rte player.
Can multitask better than iOS4 can.
Can do notifications in a proper useable manner unlike iOS4 which maintains the awful everything stops notifications.
Has a multitude of handsets with different options so you can target your needs.
Integrates seamlessly with your google life.
Allows widgets, which are actually incredibly useful.

and alot else besides.....

Is flash available now for Android?
How well does it run if so?

Also, how good does the full interactive web look like on a 4 inch screen?

Inquitus

Apapaia wrote: »

Is flash available now for Android?
How well does it run if so?

Also, how good does the full interactive web look like on a 4 inch screen?

About as good as retina looks on a 3.x" screen lol, talk about pointless overkill...........

And if I had 2 phones, one with which to video, I'd show you how good the highlights of the world cup on rteplayer look on my android phone....

SolarNexus

Inquitus wrote: »

In the sense that its better:

Can play common dl video formats, doesn't require you to convert everything to mp4.
Can be used as a wifi tether, something iphone can't do.
Can be used as a usb tether without having to pay for an additional data plan. This is an issue with the Carrier, not iPhone. AFAIK o2 Ireland don't charge extra, but charge beyond your allowance.
Can display the full interactive web, including flash, i.e. can be used on rte player. Flash is being phased out by the majority of forward thinking websites, and ask anyone who uses it on a mobile device, it eats up your battery like a mofo. its a Phone after all, you cant expect it to be everything to everybody.
Can multitask better than iOS4 can. This is purely a matter of opinion, it can do more complex multitasking than iOS can, but iPhone supports 95% of background tasks that people desire.
Can do notifications in a proper useable manner unlike iOS4 which maintains the awful everything stops notifications. - I'll admit this can be somewhat annoying at times.
Has a multitude of handsets with different options so you can target your needs. - one might just as easily argue that as a problem, developers cannot target the android platform because its so fragmented. there can never be as much of a wealth of software because each device is different.
Integrates seamlessly with your google life. - you mean YOUR life. dont project your personal preferences onto others.
Allows widgets, which are actually incredibly useful. - which also drain battery and hamper performance. widgets are nothing more than eye candy, theres nothing you get from having a widget that you cant get from having an equivilent app

and alot else besides.....

it seems to me most of your arguments are of personal preference, not with actual functional problems of the platform itself.

Professey Chin

SolarNexus wrote: »

That's not entirely accurate:



Given, that data is regarding the US smart phone market, but I think its a good indicator.

Not really.The US is one of the worst markets to measure smart phone use off.The US is actually pretty prehistoric when it comes to mobile technology.When you look at how long smart phones have been used over here(I was using series 60 phones 6 years ago), the US only had Sidekicks and blackberry then.Nokias pretty much always been ignored over there

Narcissus

Inquitus wrote: »

About as good as retina looks on a 3.x" screen lol, talk about pointless overkill...........

And if I had 2 phones, one with which to video, I'd show you how good the highlights of the world cup on rteplayer look on my android phone....

my point was that it's not the full interactive web you're getting (no matter what the mobile device)

Inquitus

SolarNexus wrote: »

it seems to me most of your arguments are of personal preference, not with actual functional problems of the platform itself.

O2 charge 1c per kb for tethering unless you buy an additional bundle.

A large percentage of the internet world uses google for alot of its online life.......might be cos its free and mobile me is $100 per year!

Flash is here as the main player for well beyond the life of iOS4 and iPhone4, we can argue the merits of it aye, but to poopoo it's current relevance is the crass ignorance of a technofool.

iPhone 4 will be technologically superceded by autumn, but won't be updated til June, and some iphone updates are very incremental.

Widgets are very useful, I like being able to see things at a glance.

I also like my subtle notifications that dont stop my game of angry birds just before I explode my pigeon.

Android is alot better than iOS4 in alot of ways.

SolarNexus

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

Not really.The US is one of the worst markets to measure smart phone use off.The US is actually pretty prehistoric when it comes to mobile technology

Hmm, perhaps so, I've not got any hard data to back it up beyond that, and I think really unless one of us does, its all pretty hypothetical.

Personally, I'm of the belief that there are many more iPhone devices than Android but that Android is picking up steam pretty rapidly. I would be quite surprised if it surpassed Apple, at least for a while yet.

I did play with an Android device recently, its certainly a lot nicer than I had originally thought, but its performance isn't as slick as the iPhone either.

SolarNexus

Inquitus wrote: »

O2 charge 1c per kb for tethering unless you buy an additional bundle.

A large percentage of the internet world uses google for alot of its online life.......might be cos its free and mobile me is $100 per year!

Flash is here as the main player for well beyond the life of iOS4 and iPhone4, we can argue the merits of it aye, but to poopoo it's current relevance is the crass ignorance of a technofool.

iPhone 4 will be technologically superceded by autumn, but won't be updated til June, and some iphone updates are very incremental.

Widgets are very useful, I like being able to see things at a glance.

I also like my subtle notifications that dont stop my game of angry birds just before I explode my pigeon.

Android is alot better than iOS4 in alot of ways.

I agree with some of what you say, but I still contend its ultimately a matter of choice. I started off with a Windows Mobile and it was a decent enough experience, but I didnt love it. Before I got the iPhone I tried going with a BlackBerry because I didnt like the idea of a curated platform or walled garden, ultimately I found the BlackBerry platform provincial compared to iPhone. There was nowhere near as much innovation.

Android is certainly a different beast and has a lot of good points, but just because it's a jack of all trades, doesnt imply that its the best platform, just that its the best platform for you.

Ultimately, I think its fair to say that we wouldn't even be having this debate without the iPhone. Like it or not, the iPhone spurs the industry to innovate like its never done before; and it can only do that by being the leader in one respect or another.

Personally I put it down like this:

Android is a Jack of All Trades. It may be able to do everything, but rarely in a way thats very well done.

iOS doesn't do as much, but what it does do, it does well.

Bluehair

Meh.... I never really understand the sheer effort Apple haters put into trying to prove why everything or anything else is better than iPhone :rolleyes:

Seriously, get over yerselves

Personally Apple stuff just works for me. No messing around with steep learning curves, honestly I could care less whats running underneath. Apps that do what i want, when i want. Intuitive os and portability.

You don't like it? Find, choose and enjoy something else just don't bother moaning about other choices to make yourself feel better about your own small willy IT choices

SolarNexus

Bluehair wrote: »

Meh.... I never really understand the sheer effort Apple haters put into trying to prove why everything or anything else is better than iPhone :rolleyes:

Seriously, get over yerselves

Personally Apple stuff just works for me. No messing around with steep learning curves, honestly I could care less whats running underneath. Apps that do what i want, when i want. Intuitive os and portability.

You don't like it? Find, choose and enjoy something else just don't bother moaning about other choices to make yourself feel better about your own small willy IT choices

hahah if I could vote up a post, I would... +1

Theres so much of an anti-apple vibe from some people, it really gets old.

Inquitus

SolarNexus wrote: »

hahah if I could vote up a post, I would... +1

Theres so much of an anti-apple vibe from some people, it really gets old.

I think you miss the point, I own an iPad, because despite Jobs and Apples OS limitations its the most effective tablet out there. I also gave away my iPhone 3GS to my wife because it became far from the most effective solution out there. I am not an apple hater, I am just a techno realist, and I'll make my choices on whats the best available option, and in the smartphone market it's no longer iOS.....

SolarNexus

Inquitus wrote: »

I think you miss the point, I own an iPad, because despite Jobs and Apples OS limitations its the most effective tablet out there. I also gave away my iPhone 3GS to my wife because it became far from the most effective solution out there. I am not an apple hater, I am just a techno realist, and I'll make my choices on whats the best available option, and in the smartphone market it's no longer iOS.....

...in your opinion :P

Edit: I dont mean to suggest your a 'hater', just that your personal preferences are colouring your view of the platform. what works for you works for you, but the inherent value of a platform doesnt sway with your personal preferences. on the whole, I think iOS ticks more boxes for more people. in *my* opinion.

Inquitus

SolarNexus wrote: »

...in your opinion :P

Maybe so, but because I have an Android phone I didn't have to buy a 3G iPad because I can tether it via my Android phones 3G.........just another example of why iOS4 is losing ground, it's constrained by the Network Operators and as long as Apple is in their pocket, it will continue to haemorrhage market share to a viable and open alternative.

Hogzy

To be honest i dont think alot of you here can comment on iphone or android because id say alot of you have not used the opposite of what you have. Iv had an ipod touch and borrowed someones iphone (only for 2 days). I know have a HTC Desire. I loved my Ipod and the iphone, i still love my ipod but for what I want from a phone i find android suits me alot better than iphone. Im a techie, I like to customise what gadgets i own. Androids wallpapers (I know iOS4 has them now but it didnt before) and widget which are UNBELIEVABLY handy, i never realised how useful they can be...

Before people go saying iOS4 (Iphone 4) or Android is crap then your wrong. Both systems are excellent at what they do and are FANTASTIC pieces of technology.
For you apple fan boys i highly recommend using android for a day or two. Its a really great OS.

bk

Inquitus wrote: »

Android OS has a very healthy lead over iOS4.

Not really, Android barely outsold iPhone in Q1 2010, always the worst quarter for Apple as everyone and their dog knows that new iPhones are coming soon and hold off on buying.

We will see how these results look for Q3 2010. Also Verizon the number one carrier in the US has been heavily pushing Android in the US as it doesn't have the iPhone. Android has been much less successful in Europe where most carriers have the iPhone. If Verizon got the iPhone tomorrow, Android would be far less successful.

Also this doesn't include iPad or iPod Touch, which is fair enough as they aren't smartphones, but you say iOS4 above and these are also iOS devices.

Inquitus wrote: »

Can play common dl video formats, doesn't require you to convert everything to mp4.
Sure you can, with Jailbreak and VLC, but when playing non MPEG4 video it quickly kills the battery, just like on Android, which is why Apple doesn't allow it by default.
Can be used as a wifi tether, something iphone can't do.
Sure you can with Jailbreak and MyWi
Can be used as a usb tether without having to pay for an additional data plan.
Sure you can with Jailbreak and MyWi
Can display the full interactive web, including flash, i.e. can be used on rte player.
Nope, not a single Android phone can display flash yet, it is coming in the upcoming Android 2.2 update, but not for a few months yet and even then, flash is awful and will quickly kill your battery life. One of my favorite things about my iPad is the lack of Flash.
Can multitask better than iOS4 can.
Better is a bad term, yes it can do more multitasking features, but then it also adversely effects battery life and requires a task killer. I think Apple has a better balance that will satisfy 99% of peoples needs. BTW a jailbroken iPhone can do palm webos style multitasking which is even better then Android.
Can do notifications in a proper useable manner unlike iOS4 which maintains the awful everything stops notifications.
I agree 100%, no argument here
Can do drag and drop.
Doesn't require bloated and slow itunes.
That is a personal preference, I think for non techies iTunes is much easier to understand and use then handling files. The lack of a good media manager is actually a major weak point with Android.
Has a multitude of handsets with different options so you can target your needs.
Integrates seamlessly with your google life.
So does iOS, I'm happily using Google Email, Calendars and Contacts with over the air syncing
Allows widgets, which are actually incredibly useful.
I agree

and alot else besides.....

My take on it is that Apple constrains some of the things you can do as they can adversely effect the user experience such as kill battery life, slow the phone down, etc. By doing so they ensure their ordinary joe soap users always have a great experience.

For us techies, who want to do more extreme things like full multitasking or playing any type of video you have Android or just jailbreak your iPhone.

But I wouldn't recommend Android to my sisters, parents, etc. it just isn't as polished, simple and user friendly experience as iPhone.

OI wrote: »

There are several advantages to android as of course there are with apple. I have recently jumped ship from apple to desire. If cloud computing is the way forward then i believe android to be the winner. Syncing of contacts appointments etc is effortless and free over Google. Mobile me on apple is expensive and other free solutions offer a disjointed experience.

I use Google email, contacts and calendar sync on all my iOS devices for free, works perfectly fine.

BTW I'm not beating down on Android, I'm just trying to correct some misunderstandings, I think Android is a very interesting OS and I'm glad it is driving Apple to be more competitive.

banquo

I was going to get an android phone, but then I realized it didn't have a floppy drive.