iPhone vs. Android

While there are hundreds of different mobile phones to choose from, there are really only four internet enabled platforms if you are looking for an advanced phone beyond the basics of calling:

• Apple iPhone


• RIM Blackberry


• Windows Mobile


• Google Android

By far and away, the fight of the moment is between Apple iPhone and Google Android. In the first of Citizen Savvy's "versus" series, we compare these platforms and make some recommendations. Spoiler alert: there is not a clear winner as both of these platforms provides different advantages depending upon the type of use you will put them through. However, I will make one very bold generalization claim before the comparison starts. If you consider yourself a technical novice (i.e. not technical), chances are extremely likely that you will prefer the iPhone over Android. However, it's not so cut and dry to divide these two platforms between non-technical users and a more tech-savvy crowd. Unlike other reviews, I won't get into nuance, highly technical details between the two platforms. In keeping with the Citizen Savvy mantra of keeping it simple, I compare the features that will matter most in your day-to-day use. Let's jump in:

Apple iPhone

Apple's latest version of the iPhone is the iPhone 4. This is not to be confused with "4G" technology. 4G refers to the speed of mobile internet connection. The iPhone 4 still uses 3G technology for mobile internet connectivity and in the United States, this is still tied to the AT&T 3G network (for now, but more on that later). The "4" in iPhone 4 refers to the 4th generation/version of the product.

Device feel - From a physical perspective, suffice it to say that the iPhone 4 is probably the highest quality mobile phone made. True to Apple form, the phone's materials are top-notch. Excellent weight, real glass on the front and back along with real aluminum gives a truly luxury feel to the phone.

Battery - As with previous iPhones, the battery is inaccessible so you can't carry around a spare battery or replace the battery yourself should it need to be replaced. If the battery does need to be replaced, Apple will have to do it for you. There are plenty of third-party charging solutions out there, so running out of power should not be a huge concern when comparing the phone to Android. Any phone that has a large screen and a touchscreen will consume power beyond what was typical among mobile phones just a few years ago.

Screen - Again, the iPhone is the hands-down winner here as Apple have developed what they call a "retina-display" which means it has more pixels per centimeter than any other device on the market which means greater color depth and a vivid display.

Phone Features & Call Quality - A common saying among iPhone users is that the iPhone is a great mobile device and yet a horrible phone. To be fair, a majority of these complaints can be tied to the AT&T network. Once upon a time AT&T was above average when it came to call quality. My speculation is that the iPhone has been so successful for AT&T, that AT&T did not scale the network to meet the demand of the millions of new subscribers on their network. The rumor that the iPhone will be available on Verizon is nearly fact and my guess will be available by the end of February if not sooner on Verizon which will make the iPhone shine on their network.

Apps - Apple started the mobile apps phenomenon and they continue to have the lions-share of the development community cranking out apps on the platform. The truth is that you probably don't care if they have 100 apps or 200,000. What matters is that they have the apps that matter most to you and most likely Apple does.

Cameras - There are now two cameras on the iPhone. The typical rear facing camera and now they have included a front-facing camera for video chat and for self portraits.

The Experience - There is a reason that the iPhone is the most successful mobile phone in history: simplicity. Apple created the first touch screen phone that uses touch rather than a stylus and made the user interface, keyboard, and general use so simple to use. Along with most Apple products, the iPhone works, is stable and easy to use. This is the same formula that Apple used with the iPod.

I will reiterate that if you are on the low side of the technical scale, than you will most likely enjoy using the iPhone over an Android device. The gorgeous hardware, intuitive interface and stable platform still makes the iPhone the phone to beat.

The iPhone, however, is not perfect. If you are a heavy user of Gmail and other Google services, than you might have some envy amongst your Android toting friends who have a tightly integrated experience with Gmail, Google Voice, Google Maps & Navigation and other Google services. Of course, once Google created their own mobile platform, they are not incentivized to tightly integrate with the iPhone. If you want a decent GPS navigation system on the iPhone, you have pay a decent amount of money ($50+) for a good application. Also, Apple is known to restrict applications if it competes with any of their own native functionality. And for some, the AT&T network is the achilles heal of the iPhone. This will change however in early 2011 as Verizon will most likely finally offer the iPhone on their network which could be a game changer for many.

Google Android

Unlike the iPhone, when we speak of the Google Android platform, we are not talking about a single phone made from a single company. In fact, there are dozens of manufacturers that create multiple varieties of Android devices. I will however make a recommendation on a per-carrier basis on which Android phone to get after the feature comparison.

Device feel - As noted above, every Android device will "feel" different depending upon the make and brand. That being said, there is no Android device available today that at present, matches the physical quality of the iPhone.

Battery - Most Android devices allow you to replace the battery yourself. From a battery performance perspective, while there are some outliers, most will compare about the same to the iPhone.

Screen - As with device feel, the screen will vary by device and brand. And again, there is not a screen on the market that will compare favorably to the iPhone. There are a lot of good, crisp screens available for Android, but none quite match up to the iPhone's "retina-display".

Phone Features & Call Quality - The phone features themselves compare as nearly the same between Android and the iPhone. Call quality will of course vary between service provider. Verizon usually gets top billing for call coverage and voice quality.

Apps - Android is catching up fast to the iPhone as a platform with respect to the number of apps being developed. Suffice it to say that there is near parity here with iPhone.

The Experience - While not quite as polished as the iPhone experience, Google's Android has some tricks up its sleeve. There are four compelling reasons why Android might be more attractive to some over the iPhone:

• Free Google Navigation GPS. Without paying additional money for a navigation app, Google Android comes with one of the best navigation systems available on any phone and even can be considered better than dedicated GPS devices such as Tom Tom.


• Flexible home screen. There are some nice applications that provide "widgets" that can be placed directly on the home screen such as weather, clocks, and shortcuts to phone services such as WiFi, bluetooth and access to other services. There are literally thousands of different widgets available. The iPhone does not allow this kind of functionality.


• Seamless and tight integration with Google Services such as Gmail, Google Voice, and other Google services.


• Google Android allows a lot more freedom to developers. This freedom translates to better apps such as better keyboard choices like Swype or email applications other than Gmail. In Contrast, Apple will not allow any apps into the store that competes with its own offerings like keyboard and email.

Swype Beta on Nexus One from bcpk on Vimeo.

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If you decide that Android is the right platform for you, than which device should you choose?  Here is a list of recommendations on a per carrier basis (USA):

Verizon

Virtual Keyboard: Droid Incredible by HTC

Physical Keyboard: Droid Pro by Motorola

T Mobile

Virtual Keyboard: Nexus S by Samsung

Physical Keyboard: T-Mobile G2

AT & T

Virtual Keyboard: Aria by HTC

Physical Keyboard: Flipside by Motorola

What are your thoughts?  Share your feedback below!

1.11.11 -- Update: Verizon Wireless announced this morning that the iPhone 4 will be available on Verizon starting February 10th. So, what does Citizen Savvy Recommend? If the Verizon network is important to you, go with the new iPhone 4 on their network. If Android is what you want, the best Android phone right now is the Samsung Nexus S on T-Mobile.

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Comments

[Michael]

BTW -- I am using the Nexus One which is a Google Android phone. If I were to upgrade this phone, I would upgrade to the Nexus S.

[Abbie]

I've been thrilled with my new iPhone 4.

[Terry]

Great timing on this article Michael, our current contract is up and I must say I and my lovely bride are still on the fence as to who our next phones/provider will be. We have been in the market for about a month now looking at several phones/providers and all I can say is do not underestimate Google and their Android platform. I would also not underestimate Samsung... As far as these aging eyes are concerned the latest Samsung phones are right up there in screen quality with the iPhone. So, I would say I am hanging out right now looking for the killer Android deal possibly with the next Samsung phone. If apple should however hook up with Verizon that would be tempting except for the fact that we are somewhat rural and they want $250 for their extender, ouch!!! Now, for my lovely bride she is leaning towards the iPhone 4, I'm sure for most of the reasons in your article, but I think mostly for the camera in the front and camera in the back so she can do the whole video chat thing with the kids and new Grandson that's on the way... I guess I can't blame her there, and anything to keep me out of the Illinois snow...

It would be great to hear from others on their experience with the latest phones/platforms out there, pros, cons, etc...