Talking Tech: Choosing between iPhone, Android
Photo of a Hermosa Beach, CA sunset, taken with the Galaxy S4.(Photo: By Jefferson Graham)
Story Highlights
- Hot Android phones have higher resolution than iPhone
- Better battery and screen on Android phones
- "Swyping" is a breeze
LOS ANGELES — Android or iOS?
It's a typical tech question, one that harkens back to Windows or Mac, Blu-ray or HD DVD, or even VHS or Betamax.
With new iPhones set for release Friday, there are many consumers who will enter stores and wonder — should I upgrade, or try one of the new Android phones that are getting so much attention, like the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One or Moto X? They might look at one of the Windows phones as well, but with Android's market share dominance, odds are they'll look in that direction first.
As a 6-year iPhone user, I decided to put myself in their shoes this week, ditching the iPhone for the Android experience, cold turkey. (Note: This was written before the Wednesday afternoon introduction of iOS 7, the software upgrade for Apple mobile devices.)
In the past, I found the general Android experience to be buggy and too techy (four swipes vs. one or two on the iPhone.) But with the Samsung Galaxy S4 that I lived with this week, the reaction was very different.
Let's take a closer look.
— SCREEN: Apple has been prodded by analysts and critics to get more competitive with Android handsets by enlarging the iPhone's screen. However, the new iPhone 5s is still just 4 inches, while the Galaxy S4 is 5 inches — a seemingly small, but huge distinction. Recent rivals have larger real estate too. Both the Moto X and HTC ONE have 4.7 inch screens. Even more impressive: For all of Apple's hype on its "retina display," the Galaxy has much higher resolution — 1920x1080 vs. 1136x640 for the iPhone. Sitting at the kitchen table and watching YouTube on the Galaxy felt like watching a small HD TV. It was that good. (That such higher resolution is even offered gives the nod to Android — with iPhone, there is no other choice.) ADVANTAGE: ANDROID.
— GETTING GOOGLY: We live in a world dominated by Google, Apple and Microsoft. Either accept it or get out of the way. So for a person who uses Gmail, writes in Google Docs, sets appointments in Google Calendar, uses the G+ social network and makes calls with Google Voice, like I do, going Android was cool. My Google Voice number easily became the primary number on the Galaxy (not possible with iPhone) and accessing all other Google apps a breeze. ADVANTAGE: ANDROID.
— PLUG N' PLAY: Plugging the Galaxy into my iMac wasn't the same as having an iPhone there. The device wasn't recognized by my computer — I had to download an Android File Transfer program first. There is no all-encompassing iTunes media program to push files around, or to download podcasts, which I love doing. Google Play has made huge strides, however, and I'm thrilled that Google hasn't changed the name for the program in almost a year. ADVANTAGE: iOS.
— APPS:. Most new apps are released on the Apple platform first, since developers only have to deal with one master — Apple, instead of the many, many different Android formats. That said, I was still able to download most of my favorites — Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, Tunein, SoundCloud and the like — but couldn't locate one of my new favorites, Swell, which calls itself the "Pandora of podcasts." ADVANTAGE: Tie.
— KEYBOARD: Here's one example of innovation that gives Android a huge edge. With the "swipe" typing you can move your finger around the keyboard to spell words, and have Android predictive word tech figure out what you're saying. This is a time saver, and seems to work more efficiently than the old hunt and peck type method. ADVANTAGE: ANDROID.
— BATTERY: My iPhone was a memory hog that petered out usually by early afternoon. The Galaxy battery just kept going and going — even with videos playing at full brightness. But the beauty is the removable battery, at least on the Galaxy S4, which lets you bring a spare with you for when you run out. ADVANTAGE: ANDROID.
— WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Like it or not, the iPhone is a prettier, more elegant experience. The Galaxy comes pre-loaded with tons of Samsung apps that I had no interest in. The screen looks crowded. Luckily, a $4 app, Nova Launcher Prime hid the unwanted apps in tabs easily. ADVANTAGE: IOS.
— CAMERA: This isn't an Android feature per se, but Samsung chose to install a 13 megapixel camera in the S4 and the new Moto X has a 10 megapixel camera, so consider me really impressed with Android here. More people now take their photos on smartphones vs. point and shoot cameras, so the camera is one of the most important smartphone accessories.
The images I shot with the Galaxy S4 — sunset in Hermosa Beach — look terrific. What I didn't like was the overkill of exposure modes supplied by Samsung, while the one I yearned most for — manual — was nowhere to be found.
BOTTOM LINE: based on the screen size, battery, higher-resolution camera, Google integration, ease of tweaking the home screen and swyping, I'm as good as sold. However, I'm waiting to get my hands on a review copy of the new iPhone 5S Friday and the touted improved camera before making a final decision. Look for my verdict this weekend in USA TODAY.
Follow Jefferson Graham on Twitter: @jeffersongraham.