# iPad user looking at the iPhone



## Guest (Mar 13, 2011)

Removed by author


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I own an iPad (bought it on the first day last year) and later bought an iPod Touch, yet I use an Android phone (Sprint EVO) and love it. So I have a foot in both camps. I don't do much document editing or social media, but here are my observations:

1) For me the biggest difference between Android and iPhone is screen size! My Sprint EVO has a 4.3 inch screen, which makes it relatively easy to see and read text, and especially to click on tightly-spaced links on web pages. I bought an iPod Touch after using the EVO for six months or so, and found the 3.5 inch screen on the Touch maddening to use. Much more difficult to navigate and view things, and really tough to avoid touching the wrong link when they are tightly spaced. iPhone has the same 3.5 inch screen, and I think I'd hate it. On Verizon, the Droid X has a similar large screen. I'm never going back to a smaller screen, bigger screen is so liberating!!!!!

2) A light version of Documents to Go came installed on my phone, here's a link to the version:

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.dataviz.docstogo&feature=search_result

I'm told a "pro" key that lets you edit docs and do more is available in the Market for $15. I'm also told (but have no experience) that you can use even the free light version to edit and store Word documents in the Cloud on Google Docs, but I just don't do that, so I have no experience. Note that by exploring market.android.com you can look at apps that are available and learn what's out there. A website called appbrain.com should work similarly.

3) I haven't used an iPhone, but by all accounts it has better battery life than any Android, hands down. BUT part of this is because Android has lots of useful widgets that display information "live" on your phone screen without you having to access a website. Apple consciously avoids these, partly because they do cut into battery life. My Android has a widget on the home screen that updates every hour with the latest weather forecast. Other widgets show me latest news headlines, and my calendar, automatically syncing calendar and to-do list updates updates from my desktop computer and even from my iPod Touch if I chose to make an entry on it. Finally, as you know, Android uses Flash, and this is battery. To minimize the battery life problem, I bought an extended battery that makes my phone a little bit thicker but gives longer battery life. Despite all my excuses (most of which are legitimate!) I think Apple gets the edge here. Though I'm conceding this point based on testimony from other people, I don't find the battery life on my iPod Touch particularly impressive.

4) I'm easily able to post comments on my Facebook Wall (including links to websites), and take pictures with the phone camera and post them on my Wall using my Android phone. This is the outer limit of social media for me, and I don't even do that very often. It works easily. In my limited experience using my iPad to post on Facebook, things were the same. Someone who got into these more could do a better job of differentiating them, I'm sure.

5) Though Android is getting better, there is no doubt that the App store has a better selection of apps than the Android Market. For utility applications, this doesn't make that much difference, Android Market does fine. Where Apple shines is on obscure and specialized apps, and on high-end games. The games on my iThings blow the doors off the stuff on Android. And I have a number of specialized things, especially artsy-fartsy cultural apps, where Apple is way ahead. On the other hand, as you observed it is conceivable that the Kindle app, and conceivably the Netflix app (though I doubt Netflix will end up being run off) will disappear from Apple. In fairness, I suspect something will be worked out to keep these apps on the iPhone. Speaking of which, I actually read Aesop's Fables on the Kindle app of my Touch, but I much prefer reading on my big-screened Android phone. The 4.3 inch screen is only slightly inferior to reading on my Kindle--It actually has half the screen space for text that Kindle does. Smaller screens aren't nearly as nice to read on. Other than screen size, I've noticed no difference between iOS and Android Kindle app functionality.

6) iOS is definitely easier to use and simpler, but you have a lot less freedom and ability to customize.

In short, I love the flexibility and customizability of my Android phone, but I also love having access to the variety of apps Apple has. Since I carry my phone with me everywhere and use it several times per hour all workday long, I prefer Android for my phone, and having an iPad for that specialized recreational stuff (many of the best specialized apps are available on iPad only and won't run on the iPhone anyway). Android can be a little more "fiddly" sometimes, however. Cost of more flexibility. I think Apple is actually better for some people who just want the phone to work and will accept what's set before them as long as it does work. And confidentially, I admit that if Sprint got a new model iPhone with a four inch or larger screen, I'd at least think about switching (but probably wouldn't).


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

A couple of more items--

If my argument for a larger screen appealed to you, you may want to wait for the Droid Thunderbolt, a 4.3 inch screen phone that is supposedly coming to Verizon very soon. The Droid X has been out for awhile and isn't quite as up to date though it is close. Of course, there is always a treadmill of these phones being superseded by newer and more capable ones.

A good source of phone reviews and general information is a website called AndroidCentral.com. Of course there are a ton of such sites out there, but it is one of the better ones for Android stuff in my opinion. A good source of extended batteries and other phone accessories is here:

http://www.seidioonline.com/

Their products are usually available on Amazon.com at slightly cheaper price once they've been out for awhile.


----------



## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

I don't have a smartphone yet, but liked your review. My 2nd Generation Ipod Touch is not even 2 years old, & the battery is really going down quickly. I also had so much trouble with clicking on links & hitting something else & reading email or websites. That was frustrating. I mainly used it anyway to read my kindle books, when I didn't have my kindle. That did a good job. If I ever get a smartphone, I'll look for an Android one.


----------

