Develop Bugs

My Experience Coming from Android (UK User)

I've seen a few posts of people asking what it's like coming from an Android device. I've been a hardcore android fan for years, infact I had a G1 as soon as it was released and then upgraded to a Desire. I recently took a chance and went and bought a HD7 so here are my opinions on what's great and what's not compared to android.
Just to mention, I don't have an unlock code yet, the phone is locked to o2 and I'm in a T-Mobile contract so I haven't been able to test any phone functions (Phone and SMS/MMS).
What's Good
Zune
OMG Zune is awesome, It's never been available in the UK before but the whole experience is great. People put down Zune syncing as a negative but imo it's a much nicer and better way of syncing music/pictures/videos to your phone than having to connect, mount and then drag and drop.
The application itself on the phone is great, certainly better than the iPod app on iPhones. It's nice seeing your last played artist as the background in the app and the live tile, when playing music you can see what's coming next, swipe left to right to skip tracks and there's a now playing type feature that will come up regardless of where you are just by pressing the volume button.
Zune Pass is awesome, it's slightly cheaper than Spotify which is what I was previously using but the best bit is rather than just streaming (and then adding to a playlist and making it avaliable offline) you actually download the music from the store like you would do if you were buying it, it becomes part of your library with all information, tags and cover art. You can also, like spotify, stream.
The Apps
Microsoft have totally reinvented mobile apps and, while there aren't many of them, the majority of WP7 apps are 1000x better than the same or alternative app on Android, iPhone, WebOS and any other platform you can think of. Apps look sexy, there's no more going in and out of sections to do a specific action, you simply swipe left to right.
If you're reading this, you've probably seen examples before and know what I'm on about but if you don't... Take twitter for an example. With the android app, once it's loaded up i'm presented with a load of options... Tweets, Mentions etc. I need to go in and out of these if I want to view more than 1 thing. With WP7 you're presented with everything, your timeline loaded first, swipe to the left to see mentions etc... There's no jumping in and out of different sections.
Apps are also graphically rich, there's little to no plain black backgrounds (apart form in general apps like messaging and calendar where you wouldn't really want anything else).
Gaming
The games on this platform blow away anything else I've seen on a mobile device. They're pretty much xbox live arcade games but there are other great non-xbox games aswell. It ties in with Xbox Live pretty well, you earn achievements and games go in your played list. Each game has a "trial" option where you can download a demo version before buying.
The UI
Anytime I read Android Fanboy's comments about WP7 they always point out how the interface is rubbish and tiles are too simple. I disagree. Tiles are basically widgets just like in Android. Some are live, they display information which are pushed to them or they show some sort of animation... just like how in Android widgets can show information. Some aren't live, these would be the equivalent of taking an app from your app drawer in android and putting that on the home screen. Instead of swiping left to right to see more, you swipe up and down. Instead of pressing a button to view apps, you swipe to the left. They're pretty similar when you think about it.
Scrolling is silky smooth and the whole experience is Much quicker compared to android (and I'm comparing to Cyanogenmod with Launcher Pro, not Stock). The interface and Typography is consistent throughout and the typography is awesome.
Battery Life
I have a HD7 and don't know weather this is device specific or OS specific (however the phone does seem to have a smaller battery than my desire). Today I got 12 hours use. 4 Hours of those I was playing music. The phone is constantly being turned on, new things being downloaded, wifi is on all the time due to me not being able to put my contract sim in yet. On android I averaged about 7 hours, this was with 1 hours worth of music.
What's not good compared to Android
Multitasking
There IS multitasking, to some sort of degree. I don't really know the specifics but what I do know is that Last.FM can play music in the background and Twitter seems to update itself in the background. However what it is hard to get used to is switching between apps. There's no kind of "running applications" menu or anything like that, when switching you need to go via the home screen and load the app. This isn't a biggie but it can take some getting used to when you're used to holding down the home button.
App Prices
Games are quite pricey, they're better than any other games I've seen on a mobile but nevertheless, pricey. They range between £2.50 and £6.00 from what I've seen. Apps aren't pricey but there certainly seems to be more paid apps than free apps which coming from android is weird. However, this may be down to the fact that it's a new platform and there aren't that many apps yet.
Closeness and Customisation
The fact that the device is closed doesn't bother me that much however there are a few things which are annoying like the fact that you can't load custom ringtones. Customisation also doesn't bother me that much but it might be a biggie for some people. You can chose between a light (white backgrounds) and dark (black backgrounds) theme and then choose between a set list of about 6 colours for tiles. That's about as customisable as it gets, you can't set individual colours for tiles or anything like that.
Apps
This is not really a negative, it's a new platform and there aren't many apps, this is acceptable imo. But to some people, they might not like this idea. If you're an "App Whore" and can't live without having 10s of thousands of apps to chose from then windows 7 phone isn't ideal for you yet.
Bugs
There are a few bugs to be ironed out, sometimes apps wont launch. Having said that, it's not like Android doesn't have any bugs even now...
Conclusion
IMO, WP7 has more positives over Android. There are a few niggles but I await to see how Microsoft deals with them and how the future of this platform shapes up. It certainly beats any version of android pre 2.0 hands down. I hope Google bring out something impressive with Gingerbread!

Thats some good insight for users who are planning or thinking of switching from Android.
The battery life is poor because of the big and power hungry screen and the fact that HTC put a small battery in that device.
Other phones like the Samsung Omina 7 will last much longer.

Although Zune pretty much covers my music needs I do love last.fm - Glad to hear it can play in the background.
I knew certain third party devs were/are developing with Microsoft to enable background tasks but nice to have it confirmed for last.fm specifically

Phone Titan said:
Thats some good insight for users who are planning or thinking of switching from Android.
The battery life is poor because of the big and power hungry screen and the fact that HTC put a small battery in that device.
Other phones like the Samsung Omina 7 will last much longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't think the battery life was poor, I think it's quite good compared to my Desire.

Just to add something that I just noticed:
Status
There is no kind of status screen, you cant find out what percentage the battery is and all you have to go by is the battery icon. This is frustrating coming from android where you could find out exactly what percentage the battery was at.

Very nice review/comparison. Thanks!

yes very nice interview some of the android fanboys ned to read this!!!

How's the display on the HD7? I've heard some mixed reviews.

Phone Titan said:
Thats some good insight for users who are planning or thinking of switching from Android.
The battery life is poor because of the big and power hungry screen and the fact that HTC put a small battery in that device.
Other phones like the Samsung Omina 7 will last much longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, that's incorrect.
The Omnia 7 has a bigger battery capacity, but as most of the backgrounds on apps such as email, webpages etc are white, the AMOLED chews the battery up just as bad if not worse if you use these resources, where as the HD7 chews up battery on blacks, so the opposite of eachother.
In general use, they work out about the same, with omnia 7 slightly better. Use the Omnia for web browsing and lots of email and it's worse than the HD7.
I have both handsets and I've tested this.

risq said:
Actually, that's incorrect.
The Omnia 7 has a bigger battery capacity, but as most of the backgrounds on apps such as email, webpages etc are white, the AMOLED chews the battery up just as bad if not worse if you use these resources, where as the HD7 chews up battery on blacks, so the opposite of eachother.
In general use, they work out about the same, with omnia 7 slightly better. Use the Omnia for web browsing and lots of email and it's worse than the HD7.
I have both handsets and I've tested this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those white backgrounds you refer to are the "Light" theme. You can change it to Dark in the settings.

Thanks for the review. I'm waiting for the HD7 to arrive. I've been waiting for a revamp of messenging and mail and WP7 has delivered them. What I really will miss is 3G video call capability.

brummiesteven said:
Just to add something that I just noticed:
Status
There is no kind of status screen, you cant find out what percentage the battery is and all you have to go by is the battery icon. This is frustrating coming from android where you could find out exactly what percentage the battery was at.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as the Battery Icon is accurate, that's fine.
On my Vibrant the Battery Icon estimates ~25% higher than your actual battery level, so it'll show full when you're 75%, and ~30% when you're about to get a warning about your battery level.
As long as it's accurate, I can care less about a status screen.

Thanks I was still being stubborn as I saw the 4g, but this reassured me that I will not regret the switch
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Took delivery of my HD7 yesterday, coming from the HTC Desire - no problems so far apart from 1 random reboot - but then I had that on the Desire in its first week as well, maybe it's a "feature" that HTC include.
I have used WM6.5 (for years), WebOS, IOS, Android and now WP7. I would say WP7 has the most promise.
Reasons:-
-The whole Zune thing - knocks Itunes into a cocked hat - it looks delightful and works beautifully - Zune Pass is what Spotify should be!
-Simplicity of the UI - Android is extremely customisable but gets cluttered and simply ain't as pretty as WP7 (IMHO).
- Social network integration excellent (bear in mind I do not use twitter)
- Info displayed on lock screen useful
- Ability to use camera when device locked
- Kindle app is coming - big thing for me as I am an avid reader.
- Everything so fast and fluid!
- Did I say it looks beautiful?
Things WP7 needs:-
- A bar code reader app/ google goggles type app
- An Ocado app (UK readers will know what I mean)
- Turn by turn nav
- Cut-n- Paste- HTML 5.0, Flash, silverlight
- Text reflow/ wrapping in the browser - the Android browsers I have used are still the best.
BTW, I fervently hope that the WP MArketplace does NOT get filled up with 300,000 useless fart apps/ tip calculators etc. quality not quantity is what is required!

Just to expand on Copy and Paste... There are some scenarios where you need it.
At the moment I'm dealing with an eBay seller. I received a message from him in my GMail Inbox. So I go ahead and type a reply. I get an error back telling me that my address isn't recognised (I recently changed from @googlemail.com to @gmail.com). So I then have to go and type the message out again in the Ebay app as I can't copy and paste what I wrote earlier in the email.

i, too, will be switching from android, but my case is different: for a year i've been stuck on 1.5 (galaxy i7500) so i didn't get the taste of even 1.6 not to mention 2.1, so i had to draw the line. i got bored with android ui and wp7 ui blew my mind, plus the incredible smoothness and speed were enough to convince me to switch. i'll be getting the mozart because it has the best dimensions among other wp7 phones, it's not a huge monster. 8mpx camera is also a treat

zard said:
Thanks for the review. I'm waiting for the HD7 to arrive. I've been waiting for a revamp of messenging and mail and WP7 has delivered them. What I really will miss is 3G video call capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I reached home this morning, picked up the papers, I saw the HD7! I was so happy and the rest was history. I'm enjoying my HD7 reading the posts in XDA and typing this response. I've not set up my emails and contacts, but the browser is a joy to use. It loads so much faster now than my Td2 with my same WiFi speed.

Is there backgrounds? I really like that from Android, all I have seen is white and black backgrounds...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Smokexz said:
Is there backgrounds? I really like that from Android, all I have seen is white and black backgrounds...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are no background options at this current time but you can change the colours.

JEEtoP said:
Although Zune pretty much covers my music needs I do love last.fm - Glad to hear it can play in the background.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JEEtoP,
I love LastFM too. Is there already any way/app to get LastFM scrobbling the music I'm listening with Zune?
Thanks.

WP7 owners, love it, hate it, or ...

Unlike those of us in the US, others can buy Win Phone 7 devices. So what do you think?

I have not tested it yet as mine is arriving shortly.
I think that it does look good and that Microsoft has the right idea.
The only issues that I can see with it is the SDK limitations and the general os limitations.

i love it, it has it's limitation but it will get better.

Used an HD7 for about 30 minutes in the T-Mobile store here. Smooth like butter, and it has 16GB storage.
I'm definitely leaning towards getting one.
Finally an OS that performs like one should on this hardware. Can't even imagine what performance will be like on next-gen hardware.

Up until 28th November I was an Android Fanboy - G1 when it was launched, Desire as an Upgrade.
I now actually prefer Wp7 to Android and love the fact I went and bought a HD7. My desire is now untouched, I put it on Ebay

i just played a bit with one at a t-mobile store... (htc mozart)
very smooth handling in every condition
i dont like pinch to zoom in any browser i used before (opera, safari, whatever android has...) but i like it in wp7 very much
but then there are the known limitations and some of them i realy dislike...
if there was a way to use wp7 device as mass storage my decision would be clear pro wp7...

Had it for 3 days, love it.
Blazingly fast and super solid - yes a few things are unavailable at the moment but its only been out for a matter of days.
Genuinely excited for the future of this OS.

Thanks for the replies. Sounds great. I was hoping to move away from AT&T but, if the WP7 devices are good maybe I will stay with them.
BTW, does anyone have a standalone Zune and care to compare the functionality of the WP7? I have a Zune 80 and love the Zune Marketplace and Zune client.

Love it as well. I miss the the messaging apps available on iOS and Android and some apps are a bit slow to launch, but it is a polished OS especially for a 1.0 with a lot of attention to detail taken on it. In a way it makes Android look like a toy, Aesthetics wise, and it is much smoother natively.

agreed with the ones above, had my HTC Trophy for over 2 days now and i'm really liking it. I see the Trophy as the base model for all Windows Phones. There is no stand out feature in this phone at all, it's all minimum spec, but it works... exceptionally! Games are a little slow on loading, but that's ok, the gameplay itself is fine. This limitation is due to the use of microSD (which you'll probably see in the other HTC phones). But I don't plan on voiding my warranty, and my carrier throws an extra year on top, so i have 2 years warranty. I don't use it for music all that much as i'm more of a radio listener... and let me tell you, when i fired up the radio for the first time this morning... man was it a really nicely designed radio. Simple, only get a bar with the radio frequency on top, and you just scroll left/right, and find the frequency you want. Favourite it, and done. SO NICE!

hmm looks like im really gonna have to get this lol

all good comments.. i suppose to have my HD7 with me right now but my friend could not pick it up in singapore for me... now i have to wait till dec 1st as i cant make it to SG till then..

I LOVE IT. its that simple. There is a few very tiny glitches but i had that with android blackberry and sare i say it ios as well. I do have a couple of poiunts for a few people that moan about some missing features though.
Mass storage - why oh why would you want to use your phone for this i don't get it? the memory inside is for the phone not your pc. Get a memory stick they cost about £20 and will sit on your keyring they are faster and easier to use.
Flash - this is coming very soon adobe and Microsoft have confirmed this.
Copy paste - as above (i suspect the January update for both though flash may come as its own download)
Multitasking - just a battery drain and all the main features do this anyway, the phone is quick at swapping between apps. I don't get why you would want to multi-task beyond what it already does if anyone can give me a good example i will retract that but so far its just "cos we like it that we can" i personally prefer a battery that lasts unlike the desire.
removable storage - once again why would you want this? I have an idea don't buy a load of small cards just get one good one. You can argue that the on board amounts given at launch are poor (i to stated this) BUT, America will get the focus this can be upgraded so to can the dell. The HD7 can be also if you don't mind getting under the back cover. I suspect as with the hd7 we will find others. So there are options even for the most data intensive. Your phone is not a memory stick people.
I personally think wp7 has it right esp for a brand new os that has not even had, dare i call the January update this, service pack 1. I don't like to say i will never touch things again because the world is constantly changing but i will say for now i am so glad i sold my desire and got a hd7 it beats anything else hands down.

I just realized i was so busy fending the so called downsides i forgot to look at why wp7 is the best.
Xbox live - this is so good it makes my nuts tingle though it was a lil slow at first once it has had chance to sync everything up it is amazing. I can see all my avatar stuff in 3d i can see my mates avatars in 3d i can compare gamer scores, i can earn achievements on games i can send messages to my live friends and see what they are doing. Basically all the same stuff i can do on my xbox but on a phone. Plus they will soon have multilayer games not just turn by turn and intergration into actual xbox games.
Zune - By far and away the best music/media experience you can get. Makes iphone look old and rubbish. I have loved Zune since i got my zune hd imported last year. Zune software is easier to use then itunes. It is far better at managing your media and is so good at getting the track data. Plus unlike itunes if it cant find it automatically you can just find it yourself easy as and make sure all the tracks have the right names with a no fuss at all. Put it this way my itunes on my mac has about 80% of the right art my zune has 100% (and for about 8 months i had to use the mac as my main pc due to frying my motherboard so it is nothing to do with me not careing about getting it sorted).
Hubs/live tile - just genius i hardly use my facebook app as i don't need to my friends are asy to contact and find and my pictures are all in one place. Yeah you can collect data together on android but until you have used a wp7, and i do say if your unsure go to the store and play, its hard to explain why its so much better but it just is. updates are right there on the home screen and even the lock screen.
Speed/transactions - This is a zippy os everything is smooth and looks sexy, this isnt a big point for many people i know but, there is no better feeling then when showing someone an email or a text or anything on your phone and it flys there but at the same time looks like something from minority report.

The phone is fantastic. The system is very smooth! The zune feature wit zune pass is great. One thing though, notification sounds for txt and email are very, very quiet (HD7). I can hardly hear them

robart76 said:
The phone is fantastic. The system is very smooth! The zune feature wit zune pass is great. One thing though, notification sounds for txt and email are very, very quiet (HD7). I can hardly hear them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you updated the audio controller from htc as it may be coincidence but i thought it was quieter before i did that.

lumpaywk said:
Multitasking - just a battery drain and all the main features do this anyway, the phone is quick at swapping between apps. I don't get why you would want to multi-task beyond what it already does if anyone can give me a good example i will retract that but so far its just "cos we like it that we can" i personally prefer a battery that lasts unlike the desire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. There are cases where multitasking would help, one area would be instant messaging. Also, I have looked at most reviews out there and battery life is on par with similarly specced Android devices. For example, the HD7 vs. EVO/Desire HD. Even my developer WP7 devices battery lasts around the same time as my Captivate.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

There is no denying the fact that multitasking would help in many cases. I am glad that MS never said they wouldn't allow 3rd party aps to multitask. I am sure it's already in development... may be being tested as we speak

Went from HTC to Samsung Focus, so far i do love the smoothness and speed. Active tiles are a huge plus and can see where this can be beneficial in various ways. Only 'major' things needed is tethering or turning the phone into a WiFi Hotspot (and would like bluetooth rSAP support).

emuneee said:
I disagree. There are cases where multitasking would help, one area would be instant messaging. Also, I have looked at most reviews out there and battery life is on par with similarly specced Android devices. For example, the HD7 vs. EVO/Desire HD. Even my developer WP7 devices battery lasts around the same time as my Captivate.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're wrong.
With Push Messaging, you get you IMs without the app even running. Multitasking IM applications is a huge waste of battery.
Do you even have a clue what you're talking about?
Also, the HD7 has a weak battery in it. It's around 1230 mAh, IIRC. Most decent phones have 1500 mAh batteries in them. Check that before you make a comparison. Also, use patterns on the two phones may not be identical. It's almost impossible to conduct a decent test for battery life outside of a controlled environment.

What makes the Nexus better than the iPhone?

You guys are dropping some serious cash on the Nexus, and for serious cash, I expect there must be serious reasons. What makes the Nexus better than the 4S, for you? I don't just want to hear blanket statements like "more customizability," I'm looking for specific things that effect how you use your phone day-to-day, in a positive way. (hey, it rhymes)
I don't own a GN, but here's some reasons I can think of switching:
-I can turn off annoying animations
-hi-res screen, shows more content
-bigger screen
-no physical buttons
-I can turn off the lock screen
-loads webpages faster
-slightly better browser tabs
-widgets. They'd be slightly helpful
-Flash, for when I need it
-file system. This is kinda crippled now, but whatever.
-better YouTube app
-better Gmail support
-better Google maps
I figure I'll mention the cons, too...
-worse camera
-not as smooth
-no 100% reliable, native syncing for my photos and music
-no comparable suite to iWorks
-less app selection
-bad battery life
-no good solution for security if I lose my phone. Find My iPhone is pretty sweet.
What about you? I'm hoping to hear about some things I didn't think about. Part of me really wants to get the Nexus.

Yumunum said:
You guys are dropping some serious cash on the Nexus, and for serious cash, I expect there must be serious reasons. What makes the Nexus better than the 4S, for you? I don't just want to hear blanket statements like "more customizability," I'm looking for specific things that effect how you use your phone day-to-day, in a positive way. (hey, it rhymes)
I don't own a GN, but here's some reasons I can think of switching:
-I can turn off annoying animations
-hi-res screen, shows more content
-bigger screen
-no physical buttons
-I can turn off the lock screen
-loads webpages faster
-slightly better browser tabs
-widgets. They'd be slightly helpful
-Flash, for when I need it
-file system. This is kinda crippled now, but whatever.
-better YouTube app
-better Gmail support
-better Google maps
I figure I'll mention the cons, too...
-worse camera
-not as smooth
-no 100% reliable, native syncing for my photos and music
-no comparable suite to iWorks
-less app selection
-bad battery life
-no good solution for security if I lose my phone. Find My iPhone is pretty sweet.
What about you? I'm hoping to hear about some things I didn't think about. Part of me really wants to get the Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a 4S and I honestly didn't like it. I don't like the way it handles multitasking or really anything about it. I guess I am also accustomed to larger screens having had a few 4.3" phones before this and the iPhone. My 4S had absolute **** battery life so this is an improvement and it's not bad at all. I don't know where you got that we have no security apps like find my iPhone because we have a dozen or so that work just as well if not better. Documents to go is reliable for when I need to make a quick edit on the go. I find my nexus to be just as smooth as the 4S I had as well. Also in terms of less app selection.. we have most of the big names
Hope this helps quell some of your fears a little
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

because it's not apple. Setting up apps and.screen is lot better over the good old setup. Hw acceleration finally. Bigger screen. Not apple. Higher res. Better sound. And I get great battery life. What you talking about Willis?
And the no. 1 reason is dev support. They pick up where Google and Samsung don't and then some. And some more. Thanks devs without you guys we'd eat more apples.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I haven't had an issue with battery life ever since phone started coming with micro usb. One of the reasons I didn't buy an iPhone is the proprietary usb, with GN (or any other android phone) everywhere you go has a charger.
That and it's a phone with a large screen, I'm not going to quibble over a few hours difference in battery life. It either lasts a month on 1 charge or I need a charger everywhere I go....
My main beef with iPhone is the connectivity, I need iTunes and not just on any computer but an authorised one. I use a lot of computers so that's out...
Apps, camera, OS, battery life its all the same more or less. Like comparing Mercedes to BMW.
The other feature I can't live without is Google Navigation, even though you can download an app on iPhone that does the same, having it fully integrated with Google Map is very useful. I use Google Maps like Yellow Pages now....
The search is also a lot more useful with ICS (wont be GN only feature soon) as it combines searching for apps/music/files on your phone with google search.
All this will be on any ICS phone/tablet, not just GN. So it's not really GN vs iPhone, its ICS vs iOS5.
Oh and another nice feature is having multiple accounts in Market. So if you want your wife/girlfriend to have the same purchased app/game you don't have to buy it twice.

I won't go into a device comparison, but here's what I like about the Nexus/Android:
- Super Amoled HD Screen
- Pentaband & Unlocked
- Widgets and customizability
- Scrolling and/or Live Wallpaper
- Replaceable Battery
- Faster data speeds on AT&T (For my location)
- The best web browsing experience on a mobile device...PERIOD. If you goto Settings->Labs and select Quick Controls and Fullscreen...it's a whole different experience. Full HD screen is used to browse and it's buttery smooth
- I prefer ICS's Task Manager MUCH MUCH better than iOS. It's quick to hit a button and swipe on the android vs. double table, hit small x's and scroll.
- Voice Guided Directions via Google Maps (Improved over previous versions)
- Face Unlock
- Better youtube
- Camera isn't as good as the iPhone, but IMO the app and shutter speed make up for it.
- Syncs beautifully with iTunes with iSyncr app!
- People always bring up selection of apps, or lack thereof as a bad thing. While there are some titles missing from the market, there are apps available that you would never be able to download on the app store. For example mp3 downloads, bit torrent remotes, etc.
- Type as you speak voice recognition
- I find the battery life equal, if not better than the iPhone 4S
- Free mobile hotspot (Don't abuse her)
- NFC
- Built in data usage tracker and limiter. Perfect for those on data caps. Also displays what apps are hogging
- Notice a killer app on the Market only to find out it's garbage after the purchase? 15 min refund window!
Don't like compared to the iPhone...
- Build quality is good but the quality of materials could be better
- Speaker sucks
- Front facing camera may have more pixels, but looks like crap compared to the 4s
- I miss iTunes Match, iCloud and Photostream
Don't get me wrong, the 4S is a sweet device and I've used a ton of Android phones in the past, but the Nexus w/ICS is a whole different ballgame. My Nexus and iPad 2 are a match made in heaven.

I switched from an iPhone 4S to a Galaxy Nexus (and a Galaxy Note between).
First of all I like Apple products, I use an iMac and a MacBook Air for work and have owned iPhones, iPods and iPads. They are usually well designed and do the job at least as well as competitors and yes there is a premium to pay for that and I have always thought that worth paying extra for.
But for me the iPhone 4S was a major disappointment. I had seen some of the renderings of possible designs and they looked exciting but what we got was a revamp of the iPhone 4 with new notifications and Siri.
I still bought one as I like to have the latest tech but after you realise that Siri is a gimmick that last 10 minutes and is then redundant and the pull down notification system has been perfected by Android 100 phones ago, then the same old IOS niggles surfaced.
For me the first time I used the Galaxy Nexus I thought 'this is better'. ICS is smooth and runs quickly on the Nexus out of the box. I have owned virtually all the top smartphones and my one gripe about Android is that to get the very best out of the phone I have to visit XDA and start updating and tweaking.
My main reasons for switching away from the iPhone were lack of Flash support and screen size. So I bought a Galaxy Note and was blown away but the size was just a little too large and when I read up about the Nexus I just had to have one. I can wait a month or so for Flash but otherwise I don't think I have ever been happier with a phone.

Yumunum said:
You guys are dropping some serious cash on the Nexus, and for serious cash, I expect there must be serious reasons. What makes the Nexus better than the 4S, for you? I don't just want to hear blanket statements like "more customizability," I'm looking for specific things that effect how you use your phone day-to-day, in a positive way. (hey, it rhymes)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind that not everyone here is buying it outright for $600+, and keep in mind that a lot of people here wouldn't even consider an iPhone instead of Android in general. This post sounds a bit like flame bait, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
My personal reasons are as follows:
Screen: Not just quality (AMOLED), but size. Ever since I had my Samsung Captivate, holding an iPhone has just felt wrong. Everything feels tiny on the iPhone, watching movies is a significantly worse experience etc.
OS: In a nutshell, I prefer Android to iOS. The notification system is better, the multitasking is better (especially in ICS), the OS gives me more options and doesn't hold my hand telling me I'll break my phone if I'm given any more freedoms.
Widgets: Falls in line with OS, but deserves its own category. Why the hell does iOS not have widgets yet? Why don't I have glanceable data on my homescreens such as weather, calendar, and RSS feeds? This is the killer app for me as far as Android is concerned. iOS simply does not compare.
iTunes: I hate it. Especially on PC. I don't like Apple's music format, I don't like being forced to sync content as opposed to drag and drop, and I don't like how iTunes on PC is so badly coded that it completely freezes up and becomes unresponsive while syncing. Something like iTunes should be optional at best.
TV out: the iPhone simply doesn't have it. Connecting my phone to my TV to output youtube videos, emulated SNES, PS1 etc. games, and pictures is a huge boon for the GN. Yes there are alternatives, no they are not as simple as "connect a cable and the picture literally pops up the next second".
General freedom: No emulators or inappropriate content on the iOS market. Yeah, I don't put porn on my phone, but the next guy may want to and he should be able to do so freely without a company scrutinizing his morals. The Android market allows virtually anything as long as it's legal.
Programming freedom: In the same vein as the above, iOS is extremely locked down. There are no custom ROMs, there's no system level tweaking.
As far as drawbacks go:
Camera: Let's face it. The iPhone 4S' camera is best in class. Yes the GN's is faster, but for sheer quality iPhone simply wins hands down.
Touch response: This one may be a bit subjective, but every time I pick up an iPhone I marvel a bit at how smooth it is. Yes ICS is smooth, but I don't feel that it's quite at the same level.
Applications: For sheer quantity, Android is getting there. Quality however, is just now starting to pick up. More triple A developers are starting to realize that Android is a force to be reckoned with, so this is one that will fix itself in time. For the time being however iOS' app selection is simply better.
GPS: Every iPhone I've tried locks instantaneously indoors to a 10-15 meter radius. Every Android phone takes 5 seconds to forever to do the same. It's a minor gripe at best since the GN's GPS is pretty good but it's still technically worse.
That's about all I've got. Also OP, you'll be pleased to know that Android also has a variation of "Find my iPhone". "Where's my Droid" does basically the same thing.

I thought of getting an iPhone but then I took an arrow to the knee
I don't own a GN, but here's some reasons I can think of switching:
-I can turn off annoying animations
-hi-res screen, shows more content
-bigger screen
-no physical buttons
-I can turn off the lock screen
-loads webpages faster
-slightly better browser tabs
-widgets. They'd be slightly helpful
-Flash, for when I need it
-file system. This is kinda crippled now, but whatever.
-better YouTube app
-better Gmail support
-better Google maps
I figure I'll mention the cons, too...
-worse camera
-not as smooth
-no 100% reliable, native syncing for my photos and music
-no comparable suite to iWorks
-less app selection
-bad battery life
-no good solution for security if I lose my phone. Find My iPhone is pretty sweet.
First off, I'll say that I don't own a G_Nex... yet. I have also thought long and hard about making the jump to the iphone and the other side but a few things have kept me back. And this is my experience with a Droid Incredible which came out early last year so It's based off of an old device with outdated software.
First, I hate iTunes, with a passion. If you like it, cool but I have had such a hard time moving all my media from windows media to itunes I finally gave my ipod away. I'm sure it's a much less stressful endeavor with a Mac but I don't have one of those either so... It just seems way easier to use windows media for me
As far as the camera. I haven't seen it in my hand but there are a few iPhone4s/G-Nex picture comparison and from what I can tell it doesn't look very different. I say that the SGN does have some advantages over the iPhone with the no-lag feature and panoramic photos but that is just opinion. my camera is outdated but like everyone says your not gonna blow up an 8mp photo to put on your wall, it just doesn't make sense.
I don't use it personally but HTC sense has an onlive service similar to Find My iPhone, but without an HTC device your options are limited to apps like Lookout Mobile Security which you can disable everything except for the GPS service so you don't have annoying popups everytime you download an app. I believe they are also apps that can wipe your phone remotely in case your worried about your personal info.
Although I feel like Sense on HTC is just as smooth as an iPhone I've seen the lag and jerkiness of other devices. that said, I think if you check out some YouTube vids of the G-Nex you'll see that there is nothing but smooth butter on 4.0
I agree as far as the battery life goes. sometimes I can go 6hrs before my phone dies but I've settled on the idea that I will need a charger with me everywhere I go work/home/school. But there is a big reason for this: Android does so many other things in the background compared to iPhone. widgets, live wallpapers, etc... look at the animations on a new HTC device with the 3D widgets. it takes a ton of battery to keep all that running and running smooth. Also with the introduction of 4G the battery technology just hasn't caught up with it yet. but give it time.
One thing I will say about iPhone is the quality of apps are way better than Android, but it will not be that way forever. app developers are wanting to make money and if they can expand to another platform they will. There are only a very few app devs that are brand loyal and there are more and more devs porting there apps to Android every day.
To me, Apple did a great job in making a great phone and marketing it to the masses when it first came out. However, there are still a ton of flaws in their ideals. they want to make things simpler but unless you already have a Mac you will struggle. And they don't want to change it because they know most people will get frustrated and just go buy a Mac which makes them more money. and that is something I can't get with.
last but not least I will ask, who's idea was it to design a phone incased in glass anyway? I mean the only way you could've made it anymore fragile is if you made all the componets inside the out of glass as well. I mean really?!

Bad battery life...it is really bad. and also bad reception.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

native syncing for my photos and music - The camera app on the GN can auto matically sync your photos to google+ if you want it to. Also google music can sync your music from the cloud thus meaning you dont have gig's and gig's of storage taken up on your phone.

First of all, generally speaking the main reason that pulled me away from Apple (I had a 3GS) and towards Android was widgets. It might be a minor thing for most people, but I really really love having them on my screen. It just makes things so much easier and faster to accomplish.
Now, focussing on the Galaxy Nexus specifically, the biggest plusses for me where those two:
- The combination of a large AMOLED-screen and the top-notch resolution which takes care of all the "Pentile"-drama that was going on.
- Direct updates through Google (I know, it's the same with Apple, but no other current Android handset offers this, and since your question aimed at why we spend so much money on the GN: This is the main reason why I picked the GN over a Moto or an HTC)
And that's basically it. Mind you, I was almost going to buy the Moto RAZR instead of the Nexus, because I am not a fan of handsets made entirely of plastic shells. But in the end I dismissed the Razr, mainly because of the "Software Update"-reason mentioned above. I could have lived with the lower-res display.
Of course, there are dozens of other reasons why I pick Android over iOS (open platform, costumizability, direct filesystem-access, etc. etc. blah blah), but you probably know them already anyway, so I'm not gonna repeat here once again
Both Android and iOS have their advantages and disadavantages, my take on this is that you should first decide which ECOSYSTEM is better suited for your personal needs and usecases, and after that decide on the actual hardware you're going to buy. Getting a new phone is quickly done, making everything run after an OS transition is much more of a headache (starting with the money one spent on all the apps that become rendered useless the moment you change sides)

only things I miss from my iphone 4 so far are
battery life
quick gps locking
HBO GO!

Screen is beautifull. I just got mine and i Love IT!!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Yumunum said:
You guys are dropping some serious cash on the Nexus, and for serious cash, I expect there must be serious reasons. What makes the Nexus better than the 4S, for you? I don't just want to hear blanket statements like "more customizability," I'm looking for specific things that effect how you use your phone day-to-day, in a positive way. (hey, it rhymes)
I don't own a GN, but here's some reasons I can think of switching:
-I can turn off annoying animations
-hi-res screen, shows more content
-bigger screen
-no physical buttons
-I can turn off the lock screen
-loads webpages faster
-slightly better browser tabs
-widgets. They'd be slightly helpful
-Flash, for when I need it
-file system. This is kinda crippled now, but whatever.
-better YouTube app
-better Gmail support
-better Google maps
I figure I'll mention the cons, too...
-worse camera
-not as smooth
-no 100% reliable, native syncing for my photos and music
-no comparable suite to iWorks
-less app selection
-bad battery life
-no good solution for security if I lose my phone. Find My iPhone is pretty sweet.
What about you? I'm hoping to hear about some things I didn't think about. Part of me really wants to get the Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you define as comparable to iWorks? Personally I preferred QuickOffice on my ipad and android also has that.
Besides games I have yet to find an app I need not on the market.
There exist some security things in the market. Don't know how well they work but they are there.
Some pros for the nexus
- custom ROMs do more with your phone nor just what apple tells you
- third party sync with contacts such as Google+ twitter and eventually Facebook when they update the syncing for ics
I came from an iPhone to an atrix before my nexus and I will never go back. It's a personal choice but I like the freedom of android.
Sent from my GT-P7310 using Tapatalk

Yumunum said:
I figure I'll mention the cons, too...
-worse camera - Want a better camera, by a SLR, its a phone remember...
-not as smooth - No i find it smooother
-no 100% reliable, native syncing for my photos and musicPersonal preference, i find the syncing very good for mail, photos, contacts, music. The Music sync infact is amazing. I can access my music collection on ANY flash enable browser!
-no comparable suite to iWorks Really, your going to work on the 4.6" screen on documents, spreadsheets? buy a galaxy note, galaxy 10.1 or if you want iWorks, buy an Ipad or Mac!
-less app selection But also the app market is managed by the apple sheep so you actually have access to more apps which are banned on the apple store on the android market
-bad battery life Manage it better then! Its because you can customize everything on an android battery can drain so quickly, if you could do the same on an iphone as you can on an android im sure the iphone wouldnt last 10 hours!
-no good solution for security if I lose my phone. Find My iPhone is pretty sweet. Google an alternative.... like https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mango.findmyphone&hl=en. Also you can encrypt your phone, which is stronger than any solution done by apple at the moment
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Come on, really its down to personal preference. Every pro can be argued with a con, and vice versa
A big plus for me is accessing the app store in a browser!

I'm unclear why the OP said we were dropping serious cash for the nexus, and then proceeded to ask why it's better than the 4S, they are the same price, so what gives?

I'll be the odd one out, this is why I sold my Galaxy Nexus and kept my iPhone 4S:
- I find iOS notifications to be better. Sure, swap to discard is a lot better than the tiny "Clear" button on iOS, but being able to see pending notifications on the lockscreen is a lot better than having to reach up and pull down the list. I never managed to find a working solution to get the same function on ICS. Also iOS categorizes them per app, which I like. I also love push notifications and there's really just one twitter app that does it on Android, and its just not a very good app.
- Browsing. Sorry, but I find the ICS browser to not be very good. Sure, it's fast, but Google still treats pages like a desktop browser and text is TINY when zoomed out. iOS picks up what text is important and increases its size so it's readable on most websites without having to zoom in. Also, double tapping to zoom on Android zooms to the general area you want, but will usually cut off text or images. iOS somehow manages to fit the window exactly to the paragraph you want.
- Battery life. Yes, the 4S is famous for not lasting very long, but at least I don't have to worry about what colors im displaying on it because white will burn the battery out faster than black. With SAMOLED (I've had a Galaxy S, Galaxy S 2 and the Nexus) I always found myself worrying about using apps with mostly a black background.
- Screen. I want to lick the Galaxy Nexus screen, really, it looks amazing. Except when I look at slight dark pictures, where the extreme contrast and black levels will degrade and oversaturate colors. Also PenTile, while less noticeable is still there and makes text look horrible at small sizes. Watching HD video on it was an orgasmic experience, but I honestly never watch movies or series on my phone so I just wouldn't have taken advantage of it.
- Speaker. Its bad, really bad, and positioned in a place where setting the phone on a sofa or any other soft surface will muffle it. Volume+ on the market fixes the problem mostly, but still sounds like a low quality speaker.
- Apps. I love the ICS UI, I love how the google apps look on the GNexus, but I HATE how most third party apps look and function on ICS. Yes, I realize this will change in time, but just picking the iPhone and opening Tweetbot or Whatsapp and seeing how much smoother they were compared to similar apps on ICS made me angry.
- Camera. Photos look pretty good in daylight, but it breaks apart easily when light is low. Mushy colors, no sharpness. I love the 4S camera.
- Size. This one I guess is more personal than the others. I found it to be slighty larger than I like and had to flex my hand too much to use it one handed most of the time.
- Smoothness. ICS has hardware acceleration, fine, and it works most of the time, sure, but it's really noticeable when it's not there and really inconsistent to have it be completely smooth in some areas and really stuttery in others. I guess this will get better over time, but I like having this work "out of the box". iOS is smooth 95% of the time.
I'm not dissing the GNexus, I find it to be the best android phone to date and I really love most of what Google has done to android. However, after more than a year owning several android handsets and then buying the 4S I remembered how pain-free the iOS experience is, and I realized I spent more time changing ROMs and customizing android than I did enjoying it and using apps.
I never had a need for a real filesystem, I have no issues with iTunes and I don't feel limited by iOS' restrictions, though I understand if most of you do. I'll probably go back to android with the Galaxy S3 or whatever, and I guess everything will be more mature by then, but right now I'm happy with my 4S and it suits my needs better than the Gnex did.

For some reason when you own an iphone you start wearing turtlenecks and people start calling you a pretentious douche.

-Flash, for when I need it // Nexus Doesn't support flash...yet
-file system. This is kinda crippled now, but whatever. //Why? Works just like it has on my other Androids?
-worse camera // It's as good as the person using it.. my iPhone wasn't that great.
-not as smooth // Depends on what you have running unlike the iPhone that just randomly shuts apps off.
-no 100% reliable, native syncing for my photos and music //This is why I quit iPhones Itunes is a joke takes fooooorever to sync the it duplicates and deletes... just drag and drop...simple.
-no comparable suite to iWorks // There are many office apps most are the same ones in the app store.
-less app selection // seems like both stores have pretty much the same ones and the billion junk apps
-bad battery life // If you run the screen and skype and video... guess what iPhone or android the battery drains.....The iphone will win not because it has better battery life but because it will quit skype force the screen off and stop the video because it knows what you want better than you do.
I have had every IOS device except the 4S... so I don't dislike them but I do dislike lists like this... Because you really should try out Android (especially ICS) and formulate your opinion. Because its not just about the hardware its about changing from my phone knows best I just expect the battery to last.... To taking the time to set it to do exactly what you want it to....and yes if you have 50 apps running the battery WILL die a quick death...lol

The difference and what makes it better is easy. I am in no way bashing the iPhone. I own it and love all apple products. Here are the facts iPhone is a place that houses all your apps the SN is a OS with apps.

Previous iOS user, switching to Android.

Hello Everyone,
I'm mattymac from Waterloo, Ontario. I'm making the huge leap from iOS to Android and I need some advice. I searched all of the forum, post after post, reading thoughts on devices, operating systems, future products and I am in a bind. I am going to buy a phone to replace my iphone 4, I love modding, customizing and the latter and I don't know what phone to get. I am leaning to the Galaxy Nexus (i'm with Rogers in Canada). I don't care about internal memory because frankly I don't think I have ever reached 10 GIGs on my iphone. I don't have LTE and won't in my area for a year. I love the design of the GN but is it worth while to wait for something new this year or is the GN the phone to get? I understand from all the other posts that the GN is the more pure android device and that I like. All of your comments will be greatly appreciated. (cost is no issue, i can purchase any device out there).

Ya, Galaxy nexus is a great start for android, get it and be ready to taste the pure android experience.

thanks, do you think it is the best phone on the market? I have been looking at the s2 lte as well. I can't say I like the phone design better than the Nexus. I have to say I am rather nervous about the learning curve but it seems android has way more to offer.

The Galaxy S2 it's great also. And this year is coming the Galaxy S3.

You will be good with the Galaxy Nexus Matt. Development for this phone will be ongoing for a long time. I made the switch YEARS ago and never looked back to ios.

First off, thanks for all of your speedy replies, its awesome. Do you think it is worth the wait? Is there that much difference between the s2 or s3 and Nexus? I was offered a free upgrade, so I can get any phone from Rogers free pretty much anytime in the next year.
FACK IT! *611 to Rogers as we speak I am going for it. Ordering the NEXUS ! YA BABY.. Stoked.

Well how bad are you trying to get rid of your current phone? If you can't stand it upgrade now but if you just have an itch then it comes down to how bad that itch is.

The only reason I don't want to wait is, if I do, a new iphone will come out and I won't be able to sell if for close to as much (I probably could get 375 for it today).

Go for the Galaxy Nexus. If you keep waiting for the best, you will wait forever.

Thanks buddy, I'm on it. Ps. your videos are pretty sweet. Well done.

Thank you sir.
I'm far from a video pro.... but I don't mind doing them to help the Android community.

I would say yes, go for the Nexus Prime, it's uber easy to unlock and mod, as long as you take the time to learn the process behind the retard proof one-click methods of rooting and installing recoveries, etc. The Nexus series of phones are an excellent choice for an introduction to Android.
Welcome to XDA, Mattymac from Waterloo, Ontario.

Like the others said.if you can wait I would wait for something down the road..as technology is outdated so quickly and new devices are always out performing them...I've had the Droid x.x2..bionic..And this phone is the best so far..One thing with this phone is the nexus community will always be here with full support of roms,kernals,and themes..due to the phone being so new a lot of roms and kernals are in testing and constantly making changes...you'll love the phone
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Great, I think I made the right choice

Coming from a and Iphone 3g myself I can offer some opinions after going to the galaxy nexus:
Pros of the iOS and Iphone:
1. Battery life is better - with the GN I'm finding all sorts of ways to decrease my battery usage from different kernels, darker wall papers and apps, etc. I find it adequate now, but definitely not as good as my GF's Iphone 4s
2. Speaker much better - you'll need to get some apps to increase the volume on the GN, which intern distorts the sound a bit
3. iTunes (can be a pro and a con), everything is quite integrated with itunes, all your photos, videos, music, books etc... it's all one system and one place. Where as with android I find you have the flexiibility to choose whatever you want, but it's not as integrated. Even backing up the GN is not easy unless your rooted and have clockwork mod. if your a bit of a techie, it's not really an issue.
4. Specifically for the 4s, the Siri system works with bluetooth... for some reason, the google voice commands don't work with bluetooth. Just this stupid generic voice recognitiion that doesn't work very well.
5. Accessories - With apple, there is a whole slew of Apple and aftermarket accessories that work with the phone... Samsung can't even get their own accessories to launch in a timely fashion.
6. Apps - undisputely there are more apps for the iOS. Reality is that it's not as big of a detriment as Android has plenty of apps and most of the important ones.
7. Smoother scrolling - Android is not as smooth in the scrolling and will studder. It's not bad, but when you put it next to an iOS device you will notice it.
8. High Resolution Contact Pics - This is just something stupid on Googles part. If you load up High Res photos to your contacts and it's sync'd with your gmail, the high res photos will be downgraded into this pixelated mess.
Pros of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus over the iOS:
1. Big ass screen - this makes browsing, emails, pretty much anything more enjoyable. I find I use the GN more than the Iphone just because of this... probably also why I drain the battery faster too
2. Highly customizable - once you play with custom launchers, roms, kernels, you'll get the phone to exactly how you personally like it
3. UI controls - after you get through the learning curve, it's actually much faster accessing anything on the Android. Everything from quick menus, toggle switches.
4. Widgets - darn cool to have widgets and things that update automatically in the menu screen.
5. File System - you can actually see what you download, where things are stored, manipulate them like it's on a PC
6. Notification screen and icons - Much nicer than the iOS
7. Google Music - can load all your songs up there without having to pay!!
8. Navigation - Turn by turn navigation as well as seeing things on street view. much better than the iOS
Overall, I'd say if you like to play with your electronic devices and let the geek in you come out, the Android is a wonderful device that can be customize to your needs and wants. If all you do is take it out of the box and want it perform at it's best, the iOS does that much better. I find the iOS is a purposefully designed device and works as it should right out of the box. Whether the design suits your needs is another question.

Welcome to Team Android!
I think you'll like it here

I got the Galaxy Nexus as my first Android phone and I LOVE IT! Amazing that I can customize and set it up the way I want it, and the development of custom roms on this device have really come a long way in the short time since launch.
The next great android phone might be the s3, but that's still far away.

You wont regret it. I switched from iOS on an iPhone 3GS and Android as a whole is a much better experience.

my 2 cents
Hi,
i also switched from iphone4 to gnex for about a month now and let me tell u my experience...
Expecting the worst...
1) battery: expect to be half of iphone
2) OS: not stable. Need restart avg 5 times a wk. I now get into a habbit of doing it evryday.
3) music: headset support only 1 button where ios supports 3
4) music: i had 2-3 songs playing at the same time... usually should be 1. Again, lot of bugs
5) apps stop: quite often apps willl say it stops. I don't see much in ios
6) pics file management: every apps has a folder. All pics assoicated to apps saved to their own folder. After sometime, you have 20+ folders everywhere with dup pics everywhere
7) apps: IOS apps still better i have to say
The goods....
1) big screen
2) voice recognization is very good. English i say 90-95% types out what you said. You can even do chinese in simplified or traditional. When i m home and chat with someone, i just talk to it instead of typing.
3) Lots of cool home customizations
4) ligh weight
5) Many good voice assistant to choose from and they are fun (Skyvi, eva, vlingo etc)
Conclusion:
I feel i m back to pocket pc phone day where i spent lots of time fixing the phone rather than using or enjoying it Don't get me wrong i still have the phone. The reason i stuck with it it's because i broke a sim pin when i first insert micro sim adaptor. NEVER DO THAT!!!! cuz the sim tray on gnex the pin stick out lot and if you put in an adaptor it will likely break the pin which i did and the reason i m still stuck with it. Hard to find spare part still.

[Q] Moving from iPhone to Note 2, advice please!

Evening all,
I am a long time lurker on this forum, and I have noticed that a lot of you have got Android phones so I was after a bit of advice.
Currently, I have had the pleasure of using an iPhone 4 for the last two and a bit years. It has been a spectacular phone and with the combination of iTunes for management, it had made everything a lot easier. However, with the launch of the iPhone 5 I personally feel that the ‘enhancements’ made do not warrant the extra expenditure, so I am looking for a change.
My next phone of choice is probably going to be the Samsung Galaxy note 2; which, I have read a number of reviews and watched a variety of different YouTube videos showing its features and functionality. I was looking at buying this on a 24 month contract with 3UK but there are a few little things stopping me.
First, from the management side of things, is there anything like iTunes for the Android platform, secondly is Android as fluid as iOS as I know a few early adopters who used Android and it was one of my primary decisions to go to iOS and lastly what is the build quality like on the Samsung devices?
Thanks in advance!

Do yourself a favour and get Tunesync. It syncs your iTunes library perfectly over wifi - to this day it's the only way I know to get iTunes libraries to your phone without the album art etc screwing up.
Saying that, there's always Spotify too!
In terms of build quality, the Note 2 is a mile ahead of the S3 and has a far better screen, although the sheer size difference may make your head spin. Android runs great provided you get a custom ROM, Android revolution HD is my favourite as it's a very fine tuned version of the ROM it comes with. In fact, after the hideous iOS 6 update to my ipad 3 I'd say my Android is smoother.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

I have been offered the note 2 on three with £30 discount.
I love the way the iPhone works, but I want something that is a little different. What about app synchronisation? How is this done with android?

I'll make this short and sweet.
In terms of build quality, iphone much is better.
It terms of anything else, note 2 is better.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

MohJee said:
I'll make this short and sweet.
In terms of build quality, iphone much is better.
It terms of anything else, note 2 is better.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In what way is the note 2 better?

MohJee said:
I'll make this short and sweet.
In terms of build quality, iphone much is better.
It terms of anything else, note 2 is better.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree you pay much more for the build quality, thats why iphones are expensive.
I have been very disappointed by the quality of the note2, let's start with the usb cable not working out of the box, a small scratch on the screen out of the box too, and a little bit deformed back cover (camera hole didn't fit perfectly).
Otherwise, I think it is a real smartphone, not a tinny cute Iphone.
How the note 2 is better? It is a computer like not a normal phone, you throw any media file in it and play it, you can use the stylus for working by writing notes on pdf files, highlighting sentences, signing docs, making plans... The extra real estate screen fot browsing Web and i mean, real browsing, not playing it cool with a 4inch toy, you can even use the stylus the way you use the mouse. And finally usb otg, just stick a usb drive and copy, cut, create docs or files or whatever you want.
I can't keep on, but as I said, you will use a smart phone for the first time in your life (if you are coming from iphones as you said) windows smartphones where very cool, but android is taking over.
Sent from my GT-N7100

RokkaMan said:
Android runs great provided you get a custom ROM, Android revolution HD is my favourite as it's a very fine tuned version of the ROM it comes with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree, most new Android phones with ics and above run great as stock without using a new rom.
Sent from my Samsung Note II.

Tomo1971 said:
I disagree, most new Android phones with ics and above run great as stock without using a new rom.
Sent from my Samsung Note II.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+10
I don't use any custom roms. I love stock Samsung Note 2

Dylanlewis2000 said:
In what way is the note 2 better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-Screen size. Speaks for itself.
-Battery life. Probably the second best battery life on a smart phone, second only to RAZR MAXX.
-S-Pen(which comes with a whole set of features far too long for me to list here.)
-A lot of cool and useful features (multi Window, smart stay, smart rotation, direct call, pop up video player, pop up browser, swipe to screen shot and much more)
-Jelly bean (4.1.1) out of the box, official 4.1.2 coming soon.
-Quad core 1.6GHz processor, which is faster than iphone 5 dual core A6 processor.
-2GB ram.
- Feature rich camera. (best shot, best faces, low light, hdr, burst mode, panorama, face detection, share shot, smile detection, timer, anti shake + 12 effects + set exposure value +auto focus & macro focus etc...)
-micro sd card. Enough said. Allows you to add up to 64gb of additional storage. (64gb SanDisk card cost 40 or 50 dollars in amazon, or somewhere around that).
-removable battery, should for whatever reason the 3100mah be not enough for you, you can buy a spare one. Although you probably won't need one because like I said the battery life in this phone is amazing.
On top of my head, these things . I still haven't gone into the tens of dozens things what android can do that IOS simply can't, and I really don't want to since that'll take a lot of typing, and you can Google this stuff.
Also I strongly disagree with above who said that you NEED a custom rom. In my opinion, the stock experience in this phone is excellent and touchwiz is hugely improved than what it was before. You can get custom rom if that's you're thing, but you certainly don't need them. Only thing I'd advise anyone to do is to root their phone.
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You can mention thousand points why Note 2 is better, but the point is how many points are actually applicable in real life usage.
Anyway, replying to OP's query, well in short, NO, Android is NOT smoother or as smooth as iOS 6, in fact it is not smooth like the previous iOS, and I am talking about Jelly Bean 4.1. Well I am using both iPhone and Android/Samsung flagships for over three years now. I have never ditched my iPhone 4S for anything, but I just sold it for iPhone 5. I purchased Note 2 because I loved the S-Pen idea, the screen size. But being said that, when I scroll through my contacts, or some apps, my iPhone 5 is LOT smoother than my Note 2. Jelly Bean might have a name like 'Project butter' but iOS has the real butter.
Also, keep in mind that Android applications (Play Store) are NO MATCH for App Store. Yes, there are several crap in App Store, but more in Play Store, and the overall quality is pretty bad.
I love both my devices for several different reasons, so can't ditch either of them. And another thing about Android users you will see is their pathetic fanboys. They don't even mind a laggy, buggy, crappy device, they just want openness, now I never found out what is openness, the craze of CM ROM's maybe?
Now build quality, well boy, what can say but plastic? Well, Note 2 has all plastic. So I will not comment on it's build quality. Some kids will say glass will break easy, well lets drop both iP5 and Note 2, then see.
So, IMO, if optimization, fluidity and smoothness of OS matters to you big time then stick with iPhone 5, for all the other reasons go with Note 2, and if you have spare money to burn, then have both.
Now you see I have skipped all the cons about iOS, why? Because you know them already.
I am NOT a fanboy of either iOS or Android, I hate them.

I am used to prime-evil OSs, as over the last few years I have had a variety of devices ranging from Symbian os to windows mobile 3,4 and 5. All have their advantages and disadvantages, I loved windows mobile As it had fantastic email client support and a lot of apps (2003-2005 era) and I like Symbian for its simplicity and the devices Nokia created like the E90’ But since transitioning to the iPhone I have found a fantastic yet restrictive user experience.
The restrictiveness with apple is one of the main reasons they have created a fantastic App Store, whereas the Nokia and wimo stores back in the day were utter gash.
Do you get many problems with android apps? Do the fill the screen? I remember reading early reports that android apps were not filling the screen on some devices and on others refuse to run. This is something that would annoy me.

Tomo1971 said:
I disagree, most new Android phones with ics and above run great as stock without using a new rom.
Sent from my Samsung Note II.
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Uh, let's just say in my experience compared to my other android phones, that hasn't been the case yet.
And for the record, Android revolution HD is just the stock rom that's been tweaked, just to counter the "custom rom" misinformation in this thread.
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Dylanlewis2000 said:
The restrictiveness with apple is one of the main reasons they have created a fantastic App Store
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Well this is so simple to understand but some so called 'power users' are too dumb too get it
Dylanlewis2000 said:
Do you get many problems with android apps? Do the fill the screen? I remember reading early reports that android apps were not filling the screen on some devices and on others refuse to run. This is something that would annoy me.
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They fit the screen. At least the one I use, and I don't install anything I see. I first see if it's labeled as 'Top developer' or 'Editors choice', then I see the users rating. Just for an example, a good sports app, Score Mobile, labeled as Top developer, available in Play Store. I already was used to this app from my iPhone 4S. It was so smooth, so fluid in iOS, but when I use it on my Note, oh boy, I have never seen an app could lag/stutter like that. Now if this is an app labeled as 'Top Developer' then imagine the apps which are not labeled in anything.

I was an I phone user for 2 years then switched to galaxy s2 and now note 2. The I phone is idiot proof and everything just works but android is catching up. The apps are all full screen any phone and just as good as ios. The real beauty of android is if you don't like something rhen just change it. You can change anything from keyboard to launcher and widgets are a godsend. Got to say I'm really impressed with google now its spookily good, its like it can read my mind
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I switched from iPhone 4 to Note 2 in this week.
I'm very satisfied. The only problems that i have noticed are:
- Bad email clients (even those from the market. iOS Mail is much better to use)
- Bad space management (it's impossible, i have a giant 5.5" screen and Messages app is impossible to read decently with the keyboard open)
- Best app quality in iOS (Whatsapp messenger for iOS has more options, like custom ringtones for every single contact)
- Bad display quality if you not see it directly in front of you (iPhone has IPS, which is the best display for view angles)
- Some strange response when i receive a notification. If that is a SMS the phone rings, display turns on etc, if that is a mail, i receive only a notification sound, no display on. And seems that is no way to change this.
- Apps like Facebook Messenger, that has a unique notification tone on iOS, doesnt' have that particular ringtone here, but they use a default tone chosen by the user. And that is the default tone for ALL the application that doesn't permit to personalise it.
I know that there will be solutions for a lot of this things, they will be hidden somewhere but hey, it is a huge waste of time.
Besides, it is a great phone. Great sound quality, great battery, great screen and it has so powerful hardware that it results more smooth than iPhone 4. And it's Android, which means infinite personalization and possibility to use custom roms for reaching better battery life (i suppose), better personalization, better user experience.
Sorry for my english, i'm an italian user. :fingers-crossed:

Music sync can be done with either double twist and tunesync, they both mirror itunes libraries and playlists etc.
I've been a user of the iphone 4 for 2 years and the note 2 is a HUGE improvement. People that say ios never lagged are just lying lol. iOS lagged and apps crashed on my iphone several times.
From the opinion of someone thats been on both sides, I honestly could not go back to an iphone. Mainly because of the screen size of the note 2 makes iphone screens seem too small for me to use anymore. But to each his own. Its about what suits you.
Stock rom on the note 2 is fine. I only get a lag when opening the S-Note app and a slight delay when opening the contacts app. Other than that everything has run smooth even with 3 browser windows open at once and a video playing at the same time.
As for app syncing, why? lol. I never understood the point of it on iOS and always disabled it.
app quality is definitely more refined in iOS. But improving slowly on android finally.
edit: @ the guy above my post: you can change most notification tones in the individual app settings. Facebook -> menu -> settings -> notification tone
In what way is the stock email client bad? :S I find it miles ahead of the iOS email client because you can actually attach multiple files at once. Plus for me, it is easier to use. I find the iOS mail client to be garbage. But again, thats my opinion

If iOS email client is garbage then I see fanboyism again here? And no one said iOS never lagged.
Anyway, I don't wanna argue.

jujuburi said:
If iOS email client is garbage then I see fanboyism again here? And no one said iOS never lagged.
Anyway, I don't wanna argue.
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Lol no fanboyism here. Just my opinion. I used the iphone for 2 years and the app honestly annoyed me because it felt so limited. I actually do find the stock android one better. I dont count it as fanboyism as I genuinely used both and gave both a try instead of blindly bashing one without experience.
As for the lagging. My bad, I misread one of the earlier posts. But in general I do find my friends claiming that ios never lags.
All good bro, im not looking to argue either
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@Note 2 might be too big specially if ur coming from an iPhone
3.5→5.5
I even felt the difference between s2 and s3
4.3→4.8
2 inches more straight away ! You gonna take some time for adjusting for sure !
sent from my gs3 GT i 9300
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I would say go for nexus 4 instead it has best software and is better than iPhone 5 in terms of fluidity also it has s4 pro processor faster quad core processor presently for mobile.
Only problem is space if it doesn't bother then go for it I used nexus 4 yesterday and it is awesome a bit better than s3 overall I feel , note 2 was too big for me when I used.
I think nexus 4 was the only phone I have used and is way fluid than iPhone, note 2,galaxy s3
sent from my gs3 GT i 9300
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I see that the discussion took a turn to android vs. ios. I guess this is inevitable in these kind of topics. Anyways, here's my take, and I've used both operating systems.
-IOS has the advantage in a number of things. For one, there are way fewer devices to worry about. After all, the IOS is exclusive to Apple devices, which you can count on your finger tips. Android, on the other hand, runs on literally hundreds of devices (a side-effect of being open-source). Naturally, this has it's advantages and disadvantages. For instance, app developers for the IOS, for instance, can make sure that their apps work flawlessly in the Iphone, with all its models, and the Ipad, with all its models, before pushing that app into the market. An advantage of using an open source OS would be that manufacturers don't have to pay for using it in their devices, and as such can offer their devices at lower prices due to lower costs. Another advantage of being open source is that each one can manipulate the system however they like to make it unique than the others and add to it whatever they want (eg: Samsung's Touchwiz, HTC's sensation).
-Google and Apple have completely different philosophies. Apple believes in a "walled garden" approach. Meaning that they'll reject any app unless it fits to their criteria. Of course, what works for Apple in this case can't work for Google. If Google rejected any app that doesn't work perfectly with all android devices, their market would be a ghost town. Consequently, an app developer in android can release an app even if it doesn't play nice with all devices. Most of them will then update it to make it as perfect as possible (at least for the popular android devices) taking into consideration user feedback. Having said that, you'll be hard pressed to find an app that doesn't run on an android device, unless that device is old/obsolete/runs on a very old version of android. To put things in perspective, I still haven't run into an app or a game that don't work well in my note 2 or doesn't fill the entire screen, the same app would work perfect in my old Galaxy S2 before I sold it, which has a much smaller screen and used to run on Android v. 2.3 (this brings me to my next point, read below).
- Largely because it is open sourced, Android is a much more flexible OS. What do I mean by this? Well, take for example the jump from 3.5" Iphones to the now new screen size 4" in the Iphone 5. Most apps in the apple store would get letterboxed until the developers update them to support the new screen size, even though the increase in screen size is only 0.5". I've yet to run into a game or an app that doesn't fill my 5.5" screen in the note 2. If there are any, and probably there are, they would be rare.
- It's difficult to go wrong with IOS because it's a bare-boned operating system (all you really have is an app drawer.. i.e: a bunch of icons on the screen). For the most, the iOS now looks exactly how it did back in 2007. Even the notification slider (which was copied from android) is nowhere as good as it is in android. If that's all you'll ever need or want, then by all means, stay with the Iphone, because you're going to get much more than that moving to Android. It hard to go wrong when you don't actually add anything major. Of course, that's not to say Apple doesn't add things. They are masters in the art of adding things (say for example, the notification slider, rejecting a call with a message, or Panorama mode in the camera) and then calling it revolutionary, notwithstanding the fact that such things existed in other OS's for years.
Like I said this could go on for pages, and it really doesn't have to. Once you understand the concept of a 'closed' system vs. an 'open' system, you'll understand the major advantages and disadvantages of each. Having understood that, you decide for yourself which one is the best one for you. For me personally, I'd rather have device that runs Froyo than one that runs the on the latest iOS 6.