Smart phones - iPhone vs ?

[Michele]

What does everyone have and why?

I have an iPhone 4 (pre-Siri). My LifeProof case needs replacing and I'm debating upgrading my phone...yeah I'm deciding between spending $80 or so on a new case or $400+ on a new phone...I'm maxing out the storage on my phone and I might just wait for the new launch to see if it's 128K. Or I could just delete stuff.

[SuzySunshine]

I just got the 5 and love it compared to the 4, yes its not that much different, though it is thinner but its MUCH faster! IMO!

[ladymoreta]

I've only had an iPhone, so no info there, but I had a ton of text messages that were taking up all my storage. I deleted the old ones and freed up 6 GB.

[MsSassyBaskets]

Danger, can of worms ahead! I've had Androids for my last 2 phones and I think just about everything is better than on the iPhone. You don't need to buy a better phone to get more storage in an android - you just need to pop in a bigger SD card. There are so many options though, and some of them are crap. DH loves his Droid Moto Razr Max, I love my Samsung Galaxy Note II (yes, it's gigantic but I keep it in my purse and use it like a tablet, or there's the Galaxy S4 if you like a smaller one). I think DH has said he also likes the new Nexus phone...

All that said, if you use all Apple products already, you should probably stick with an iPhone for the cross-compatibility of all your apps, contacts, etc. I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble. If you use Google products I would ditch the iPhone asap. I'm biased though, I think Apple is a giant scam artist with second-rate hardware.

[alotofyarn]

Agree with MsSassyBaskets 100%. If you have and love your iPad, stick with an iPhone because they work the same and you can keep your apps and everything. Otherwise, I'd consider an Android. I've never had an iPhone, but I have had a smart phone for the last 5 or so years (Palm Treo, Palm Pre, Google Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S3). Partly, I'm not a fan of Apple products for various reasons, partly I think Android does things way better. We're a divided family, and my husband loves his Macbook Pro and iPhone 5. A lot of times with the Androids, support is not as great, because they make so many different ones and the turnover is high. However, with the new Galaxy line, I think they're really pushing to compete with iPhone, and I haven't had any major issues with it. I've gotten several Android updates (some never get updated to the new OS, so you have to get a new phone to update). I don't know too much about the Galaxy S4 - my dad got one and I played with it a little bit, but it seems really similar to the S3.

[HouseofWool]

I dunno. I had huge hardware problems with my Droid and I am having some software issues with my iPhone5. That said, I don't know that I will go back to the Droids. I thought the ease of set up was phenomenal. On top of that, my sister and my mom both have iPads, so when I travel (once or twice a year for work) I can Facetime with the kids.

But, I flove Siri. I cannot imagine not having it now. Very helpful, very, very helpful.

[Pollyanna]

I've had Blackberries, Androids and now the iPhone 4S. I found the Android to be second rate compared to the iPhone. Can't imagine going back. If you let your kids play apps on your phone it's not even close, iPhone for sure.

[JaneDoe]

I also use to have androids and now I have the iPhone 5. The ONLY thing I miss about the android is the step-by-step, voice activated navigation app. Iphones don't come with that. Other than that, I prefer the iPhone 5 much more to an android. I won't go back to android. My Dh still has an android and I chuckle at the frustrations he has with it sometimes. I just don't have those anymore and I'm trying to convince him to make the switch to an iPhone.

[v-girl]

The ONLY thing I miss about the android is the step-by-step, voice activated navigation app. Iphones don't come with that.

Add the Google Maps app. Step-by-step directions and you don't have to keep the app open.

[bobk]

DW and I recently upgraded our iPhone 3GS phones because they were getting old and the batteries failing. She got the IPhone 5 and I went with the Galaxy S3. I like mine a lot better, especially its larger screen. I'd been frustrated with Apple for quite a while because they really lock down the phone and make it hard to customize if you don't like something in their software. The whole fiasco with iOS 6 and Google Maps pushed me over the edge. Switching to Android wasn't a big deal and all the apps I use regularly are available for both systems. I'm happy with the phone so far and I'm sure the S4 is even better.

[oceanchild]

I have an iPhone 4S after previously using an Android, and I'm debating what to upgrade to in the next few months. I'm not crazy in love with the iPhone, but compared to my old Android, it just works. All the time. It doesn't randomly freeze and need to be restarted. It doesn't drain battery for no apparent reason. Stuff like that.

On the other hand, I can't help but wonder whether as soon as I buy an iPhone 5, they come out with an iPhone 6. And when they got rid of Google Maps, I was ready to leave forever, but thankfully those are back.

I'm weird, I guess. I have a MacBook and an iPhone, but most of my life (email, calendar, contacts, etc) goes through Google.

Anyway, DH just got a Galaxy S4, and he's kind of obsessed with it. But he was kind of obsessed with his last Android phone when he first got it, then spent the last 5 months of its life cursing at it constantly. And my iPhone is still running great.

(I think this post is just one giant *shrug* about smartphones, isn't it?)

[HouseofWool]

I think the fact that my iPhone is less glitchy is what sells me on it. I have more confidence that it will work consistently and that an app won't cause the whole thing to crash.

[bobk]

It's difficult to make general statements about Android because there are several different companies that make phones that use it. YMMV depending on what you have.

[oceanchild]

That's true. We've had Motorola and HTC in our household, and both got glitchy after about a year. We'll see how the new Samsung holds up.

[MsSassyBaskets]

It's difficult to make general statements about Android because there are several different companies that make phones that use it. YMMV depending on what you have.

Agreed - you do really have to do some research into the specific phone model, its features and its reviews. I've never had "bugs" or "glitches" with either of my Android OS phones, though one was a notorious battery-suck. But then, unlike an iPhone I was able to replace the battery for about $30 on amazon when the battery life started declining.