iOS 5 vs. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich vs. Windows Phone 7.5 Mango – Comparison

A comparison many have been waiting for I am sure

Link

 

Good timing...I'm currently going through the iPhone vs Android debate...blech...

 

These overview type of comparisons inevitably leave something out, and chances are that they're not even that accurate to begin with.

I've used iOS since day one and had no major problems with it, although the lack of some basic features for a long time and customization even to this day are gripes, and the reason I started moving towards Android.

The table listing that Android is susceptible to malware while iOS has to need for security suites is disingenuous at best. Just look at the latest security "issue" with the iPads where the password screen can be bypassed by simply using a smart cover:

http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/20/anyone-with-a-smart-cover-can-break-into-your-ipad-2/

Bottom line, you need to seriously spend some time researching each option and understanding their standalone pros and cons to get an accurate picture. I think each OS has very solid strengths and quite a few weaknesses, some of which can be addressed with third-party software, some of which can't, but it's obviously something you need to get into in depth before making a decision.

 

Still, it's not unuseful... The broad outline/comparison of features is helpful for me, as I'm also currently weighing options.

 

I am too.

Thanks for posting, Kitty!

 

iPhone is winning at the point.

The longer I have to wait for an iPhone, the more I go back and forth, lol. This is why I need the iPhone now. Darned waitlist.

 

Here is another comparison of Apple from Android ... for those doing due diligence ... After all MP is not here to judge ... but to help

Link: Android 4.0 Vs. iOS 5 Faceoff
Considered as a whole, today's smartphones--whichever platform they run--are amazing devices. They've long outgrown the simple ability to place calls and send text messages. Professionals and consumers alike use smartphones to manage their daily lives; to keep in touch with colleagues, family, and friends; to explore the world around them; and to serve as entertainment devices.


While you'll find a half-dozen smartphone platforms operating in the market, there are two clear frontrunners: Google's Android and Apple's iOS. These two platforms have seen explosive growth at the expense of the old guard smartphone platforms: BlackBerry OS, Symbian, and Windows Mobile. Not only have Android and iOS taken the lead, but also, they continue to set the pace with significant updates and improvements each year.

That's why it is so exciting to see Google and Apple go head-to-head this month with major system revisions. Google announced Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on October 19, and Apple released iOS 5 on October 12. Let's look at what these two new platforms (the platforms themselves, not third parties) bring to the table in their latest iterations.

 

I've got a Windows Phone 7, and I have to say that I like it a ton, especially with the new Mango update. To be fair, I've never used an Android or iOS phone so I can't compare.

That being said, the two features I like the most are 1) the Metro UI (and Live Tiles) and 2) the Office Mobile Apps.

First, the Metro UI looks super-sleek. Yes it's not very customizable (you get the choose the accent color, that's all), but it really does look nice. And the Live-Tiles are Awesome! I've got about 8 tiles pinned to my "start screen" and the tiles update with useful information. The Calendar tile shows any upcoming events, the "Me" tile shows me any twitter references about me and (public) facebook notifications, and of course I can see how many emails, texts, or missed calls I have. Third party apps can also update their Live Tiles - so my Weather app shows me the current weather, and my Stock app shows me how my portfolio is doing. And this is all at a glance at the start screen without having to fire up any apps.

The Office Apps are also great. I can view and edit Word, Excel, and OneNote documents (I've become dependent on OneNote since I got the phone), and I can view PowerPoint presentations as well. It also has Outlook, but I haven't used it yet. You can sync all of your documents with SkyDrive (MS now has web versions of Office that are free, similar to google docs). Great for productivity - I use it all the time to jot down ideas when I'm on the go and have even used it to edit a few word docs while on the train.

There are also cool other features, like the integration of facebook, linkedin, and twitter with the UI - e.g. you can link your contacts social media accounts together. You can switch seamlessly from SMS to facebook messaging to linked-in messages to twitter all in the same conversation screen. And you can make groups of friends (e.g. I have a Monday Night Football group where I can send an SMS to all of them at the same time while watching the game: "That's the sixth time the announcers mentioned Brett Favre - Drink!"). I'm still getting used to these as they are new features, but I definitely like them.

Bing Vision is really cool, too, but I'm not sure how useful it is so far.

The major drawback with WP7 is the lack of apps. For instance my bank has iOS and Android apps, but not WP7. However the number of apps should grow quickly. I can say, as a mobile developer, that the MS development platform for WP7 is really attractive and easy to use. Plus the fact that there are minimum requirements for the hardware mean that I don't have to develop 4 different versions of my app for different kinds of platforms (vs Android where the platform is split between several versions and each version supports different features). So I expect the number of apps on WP7 to continue to grow quickly (I released two in the past month myself).

Anyway, that's just my experience. Hope it was helpful for you.

 

Thanks ACMM - Good article I think; one really cannot go wrong with either imho

 

Ice cream sandwich? That really rolls off the tongue...

Do you have that phone with the new "3 scoop neapolitan sundae with nuts, chocolate, caramel and whipped cream with a cherry on top" operating system?

 

Here are some musings from a iPhone 4S owner.


10 days with iPhone 4S: a personal review
By Erica Sadun posted Oct 24, 2011 13:00


Under normal circumstances, I would not be considered a target customer for the iPhone 4S. I bought the iPhone 4 on launch day. I was not up for renewal until late November.

Because of work commitments (look for the upcoming "Taking Your iPhone 4S to the Max" co-written with fellow TUAW bloggers), I paid the early upgrade penalty and received my iPhone 4S on October 14.

I've now spent 10 focused days with the iPhone 4S, exploring onboard features for technical coverage (I probably know a little more about how to make selections and share media in the Photo app than any normal person ought). The rest of the time I've been doing what the iPhone is meant to do: place phone calls, run errands, take family pictures and so forth.

Here's some extremely subjective feedback on my personal 4S experience during this time.

Battery

I know there's been talk about the decreased standby battery time, but man does this iPhone rock out battery-wise. My daughter and I took a trip over the weekend, and she subjected my phone (and my grandfathered unlimited data plan -- bless it) to an unmentionable number of hours of "My Little Pony," courtesy of YouTube.

The iPhone 4S also endured several games of Bejeweled (normally a battery sucker), navigation through maps, and lots and lots of Siri. Despite near constant use, the iPhone 4S made it to the end of each day. It's noticeably a usage power-house compared to the iPhone 4.

Camera

The shutter speed on this unit is simply amazing. With Autumn on full-blast, the child and I spent a lot of time throwing leaves into the air and snapping pictures of them as they fell. We have picture after picture of those leaves frozen in the air, frozen in time, with beautiful crisp resolution. You could not do that with earlier generation units.

Siri

Whether it's finding a restaurant, setting an alarm, or updating a to-do list, Siri has seen lots of use over the last 10 days. It already feels natural to pick up the iPhone, press the Home button and speak.

Siri, in and of itself, has been the main reason I am currently not using a lock code on my phone. That instant access is just so seductive. "Read me my texts" and "Reply to it" are so simple to use and the voice recognition component is absolutely insanely good. I used Voice Memos a lot on my old iPhone -- including the whole unlock / find the app / tap it / start recording sequence. I've touched it maybe once since the 4S arrived.

To be fair, my wish list for Siri is now about a mile long (launching apps is near the top) and the technology is far from perfect, but the feature is amazing.

Airplay Mirroring

The built-in mirroring got reasonable use this past week as I ended up demoing my 4S a lot. The feature works exactly as advertised, with good mirrored responsiveness. If you demo the iPhone, it's a must-have option -- one that you don't get on any other device but the iPad 2.

Processor speed

The iPhone 4S feels plenty zippy, though I should note that I haven't subjected it to serious testing just yet, as I've been focused on writing. This means I haven't done any hardcore gaming, either.

It's not all roses, of course. I'm annoyed by mobile Safari's lack of responsiveness to typing URLs (this seems to be an iOS 5 issue and not unique to the 4S) despite the 4S's high-end processor. I know the extra power is there, I just haven't really internalized it through any personal experience of performance gains.

Phone calls

I have run signal strength tests on the 4S, put it in my signal-killing hands, and made phone call after phone call. Both objectively and subjectively, this is a far better phone-call making unit than the 4 ever was. It maintains good signal quality under more stress, and does not seem to suffer from my hand-held attenuation the way the 4 did. I'm not a quality assessment professional for telephony, but my 4S just seems to work better. I like it a lot.

Conclusions

If you're an iPhone 4 owner, should you consider a jump to the 4S? Each of the points I've listed above may be a motivator. If you need that better camera, that better battery, or Airplay mirroring, the 4S has those items in spades. If you want Siri or the upgraded processor, you're not going to find those anywhere else. If you've had signal problems in the past, the 4S holds out the promise of better telephony, at least in my non-scientific experience.

I'm really happy with my 4S purchase, even more than I expected to be. Yes, it has the same case shape, but as far as I can tell it feels like a new generation -- not just a speed bump. I wish the Apple paradigm (new models each year) and the carrier paradigm (subsidized items, two year contracts, early cancellation penalties) were more in sync.

Depending where you are on your contract, the upgrade may or may not make sense financially. In terms of equipment quality, however, I think most people will be satisfied customers once they really start using the 4S.

[From my milePoint enabled iPhone]

 

Thanks for posting. Question. Is this a Canada or US based iPhone 4S user? Just curious of the service provider. I may end up switching mine based on data speeds that I have been reading about with my current provider.

Add that to my list of things to ponder.

 

Android OS codenames have almost always managed to end up in the mainstream, even though "officially" they're supposed to be version numbers. My guess is that the bulk of the user base are tech-heavy people who don't mind using the codename and it has just sort of stuck.

With the exception of Android 1.0 and 1.1 which were limited to the G1, every Android OS update has gone by a codename that seems to be more popular than the version itself. And Google has been in the habit of using sweets as codenames... beats Microsoft or Intel codenames any day if you ask me.

Version 1.5 was Cupcake, 1.6 was Donut, 2.0 and 2.1 were Eclair, 2.2 was Froyo (frozen yogurt), 2.3 was Gingerbread, 3.0 was Honeycomb, and 4.0 is Ice Cream Sandwich.

 

Yeah I know the nomenclature, but as you mentioned..the previous ones have been more conventional, or at least, one word. I mean, donut, gingerbread, etc are a lot easier on the tongue than "Ice Cream Sandwich." More likely it is probably something like ICS at Google in house.

 

AFAIK he is from the USA. However I could not find any indication of carrier.

[From my milePoint enabled iPhone]

 

Thanks, Kitty! Narrows it down to ATT and Verizon, both who now have a tiered data plan approach and grandfathered customers into the unlimited data plan.

 

Just like Ubuntu -- which has horrendous and yet hilarious codenames (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases) -- they're going alphabetical.

My guess is the developer in charge couldn't think of a dessert that starts with an "I" off the top of his head.

 

Does not sprint carry it also?

[From my milePoint enabled iPhone]

 

+1. Thanks for the links!

I would urge anyone making a decision to spend as much time as possible with their 'top candidates' (either in the store, or by taking advantage of carrier's return policy).

Here are my two cents:

1. Feature comparisons only make sense if you're fairly well-versed in field. Otherwise, their impact on your everyday experience may not be clear. For example, Android and WM have 'true multitasking', but it says nothing about actual impact on user experience. Same goes for malware and security issues. Try reading more extensive reviews in consumer publications - they tend be less techy - to understand pros, cons and limitations of each platform. Ask questions.

FWIW, both articles mentioned are just plain wrong in several areas, though still provide a good high-level overview.

2. There are very few plain Android devices. Most models you can pick up at a store come heavily customized by their manufacturers via add-ons, skins, etc. User interface and functionality of HTC, Motorola and Samsung phones are not at all the same, so you need to compare actual Android-based devices with iPhone, not just some 'generic' Android. Windows Phone devices look much more alike, and of course, there is only one iPhone.

3. Don't pay attention to the hype about the number of applications in the stores. Just like Google search results, few people explore the long tail of the app stores. Figure out what matters to you, and see what's available in each store. If tight integration that Google Voice provides on Android devices is a must-have for you, it doesn't matter what kind of applications Windows Phone has. Likewise, if you are a regular iTunes customer, none of 400,000 Android apps will help you.

 

Sprint is the only one with the unlimited data plan now, but they just got the iPhone for the first time. I have been reading forums where the data speeds are slow, so was trying to decide if it makes sense to switch to a GSM based phone (ATT) or stick it out with Sprint. Verizon is totally off the table for me.

I am not sure what a 2GB data "allowance" looks like for an iPhone user (my friends on ATT are on grandfathered data plans). Hard for me to figure out since I am a BB user now and I am not using a ton of data now, but I know I will be using lots more when I get the iPhone.

Also - I have no idea how much data Siri uses - that could be a lot. Who knows.

 

Android release names are no match for nonsensical Ubuntu names.

 

There was a thread about this elsewhere... it of course varies by whatever you actually do with your phone. Some people are nibblers and do basic email and browsing, and for that 2GB is plenty. When I don't do much I rarely go over 300-500MB of data.

But other people are heavy users and do netflix and spotify and upload hundreds of multi-megabyte pictures and videos. On a "high usage" month I did 2GB easy, and like I mentioned elsewhere I have friends that do 5-7GB of data a month on a consistent basis.

 

Well I think 'she ' is in att if this link story us correct

http://i.tuaw.com/2011/10/07/early-adopters-penalized-85-for-sticking-with-atandt/

But this writer here us in sprint and in the surface seems happy?

http://beyondthetech.com/2011/10/wh...-for-the-iphone-aka-my-breakup-letter-to-att/

Tough decisions I know. All the best with your decisions

[From my milePoint enabled iPhone]

 

I'm yet to go over 2GB with my Android device, even with heavy use and occasional tethering. I don't stream videos though.

I've used Android and Symbian devices with Vlingo (http://www.vlingo.com) - a similar, cloud-based natural speech recognition service, though without attitude - and it does not use a lot of data, since only a small audio file is being sent over the internet.

Sprint's 3G CDMA network is generally significantly slower than AT&T's and T-Mobile HSPA networks, but it all depends on the network load in your location. All three carriers are expected to cover majority of the populated areas with LTE network by 2013, making switching easier for future iPhone models.