04-09-2011, 07:34 PM

My upgrade for Verizon is on Thursday and Im trying to decide between the iPhone and the HTC Thunderbolt. I have pros and cons for each and cant really decide what to get.

iPhone:
Pros- Reliable, more apps, simpler (could be a con too), smaller, better screen
Cons- iPhone 5 coming this summer, I feel like getting the iPhone 4 would be useless if an upgrade will be coming in the next couple months

Thunderbolt:
Pros- Most apps are free, customizable
Cons- Terrible Battery, Thicker

So what do you guys think? I really cant decide, I kind of want an iPhone but it will suck if i get the iPhone 4 now and the new iPhone comes out in a couple months. Will the iPhone 5 be much different than the 4 do you guys think?

Another question, why do so many apple apps cost money while most Android apps are free? Right now I am sort of leaning towards the Droid due to free apps but wanted to get some opinions from you Apple fans.

Thanks for your help/

04-09-2011, 08:39 PM

If you really want an iPhone, then it's worth the wait until the iPhone 5 is released. In the meantime keep using what you have. iPhone is the best, why settle for something else?

04-09-2011, 09:52 PM

I dont know if I really want an iPhone, thats why I came here haha

04-09-2011, 10:14 PM

If I we're you stick with your current phone, until the iPhone 5 comes out. There's rumors of a 4 inch screen too, and of course under the hood upgrades. Still a year later, the iPhone still feels like it's the best smartphone design out there... just feels so premium.

Personally the HTC Thunderbolt looks cool... but with any 4G device battery life is important for me. I don't plan on jumping on the 4G bandwagon just yet, depending on when Apple goes 4G, I'll stick and wait out how good the battery is. I use Wi-Fi most of the time anyways.

04-09-2011, 10:49 PM

There is nothing more than speculation that an iPhone 5 will be out this summer, especially for VZW. It could be a minor update to the iPhone 4 for AT&T and nothing for Verizon or it could be for both We won't know until Apple releases it.

Best advice has already been given. Unless your current phone is dying or extremely old wait a few months and see what happens. Your upgrade isn't going to go away and you can still get the latest and greatest later.

04-09-2011, 11:02 PM

Having come from an HTC Droid Incredible over to a VZW iPhone, I'd say don't bother with an HTC Droid. HTC's Sense UI, while very pretty, is also remarkably buggy. You'll also have to wait months for HTC to get their act together and release any Android updates for your phone.

My other observation is that the best apps for Android are usually worse than the crappiest apps for the iPhone. YMMV, of course, but I can tell you that it was a blessed relief to finally get an iPhone and sell off my pretend one.

04-10-2011, 01:15 AM

how is the calendar/scheduling system on the iphone. One of the mains reasons I am getting a smart phone is because I am very busy in college and need a solid device to schedule daily events and appointments.

04-10-2011, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by DaRev3rend

how is the calendar/scheduling system on the iphone. One of the mains reasons I am getting a smart phone is because I am very busy in college and need a solid device to schedule daily events and appointments.

its as solid as any smartphone, not great but not lame... it does scheduling when and where you need it with potential alarms if you need them

04-10-2011, 09:49 AM

I just switched from an Incredible (the Thunderbolt's older brother) to an iPhone 4, and I must say I'm more than happy with it.

While you'll have customization, as many sites can show you there is a lot of 'ugly' going on in Android. Most of the time any widgets you'll want will come direct from HTC (which is a plus) but other than that, the majority of the time they aren't worth it.

Oh, and have fun carrying around two extra batteries. My Incredible would be 'dead' after a couple of hours unless I had GPS off, Sync off, and had it in Airplane Mode every other half hour. Add the LTE strain to the Thunderbolt, and you have a recipe for disaster. You might also have to play what I call the charging game--and what everyone else calls bump charging--so be prepared for that.

I'm not saying this (just) because I'm some Apple fanboy; these are my observations after having the Incredible from July-two days ago, and really, you'll love it at first but small annoyances with the Thunderbolt will add up over time.

Do you even live somewhere where LTE is viable?

Oh, and as for why iOS apps are paid: it's because they're worth it. People have put countless hours into these apps and they've been being updated for god-knows-how-long (not to mention the fact that getting paid is good motivation to continue development). There's this weird mindset that comes with both Android and iOS; Android wants free, and iOS wants to pay.

Even after only two days, on an app level, iOS takes a dump all over Android.

That's just what I think based on my own experience, but really, use your 14 (30, if you buy through Best Buy) day 'grace period' to test out both.

04-10-2011, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by ElegantEsthetic

I just switched from an Incredible (the Thunderbolt's older brother) to an iPhone 4, and I must say I'm more than happy with it.

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat - you've made some great points here, hope you don't mind me adding my $0.02

While you'll have customization, as many sites can show you there is a lot of 'ugly' going on in Android. Most of the time any widgets you'll want will come direct from HTC (which is a plus) but other than that, the majority of the time they aren't worth it.

Widgets do give you some nice flexibility, but they are a double-edged sword. Widgets are running all the time, as such, they're also adding to your data usage *and* draining your battery. Some widgets will make the Sense UI crash too (well, then again, breathing on the phone can make the Sense UI crash ).

Oh, and have fun carrying around two extra batteries. My Incredible would be 'dead' after a couple of hours unless I had GPS off, Sync off, and had it in Airplane Mode every other half hour. Add the LTE strain to the Thunderbolt, and you have a recipe for disaster. You might also have to play what I call the charging game--and what everyone else calls bump charging--so be prepared for that.

Ah, the endless joys of battery management on Android.

Android fanboys love to gloat about the wonderful multitasking built-into Android. But what they don't tell you is that Google has provided absolutely no mechanism to control running apps. So, when you open most apps, you can never close them - they run happily in the background until you use a third-party task killer to close them. And if you're not in the habit of doing this, kiss your battery goodbye.

Even with my extreme obsession over battery management and light use of the phone, I could barely go 24 hours in between charges. On the iPhone, I generally go about 2 days - sometimes 3 in light use.

I'm not saying this (just) because I'm some Apple fanboy; these are my observations after having the Incredible from July-two days ago, and really, you'll love it at first but small annoyances with the Thunderbolt will add up over time.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Do you even live somewhere where LTE is viable?

That was one of the reasons I jumped on the iPhone 4, rather than wait for something newer. By the time LTE actually rolls out to areas other than major cities, the iPhone 6 will be out and I'll be ready for a new phone.

Oh, and as for why iOS apps are paid: it's because they're worth it. People have put countless hours into these apps and they've been being updated for god-knows-how-long (not to mention the fact that getting paid is good motivation to continue development). There's this weird mindset that comes with both Android and iOS; Android wants free, and iOS wants to pay.

Even after only two days, on an app level, iOS takes a dump all over Android.

Could not agree more. And honestly, most paid apps are a $1. I look at it like buying a soda from a machine - and I have the app a lot longer than the soda

That's just what I think based on my own experience, but really, use your 14 (30, if you buy through Best Buy) day 'grace period' to test out both.

Great advice.

04-10-2011, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by DaRev3rend

My upgrade for Verizon is on Thursday and Im trying to decide between the iPhone and the HTC Thunderbolt. I have pros and cons for each and cant really decide what to get.

iPhone:
Pros- Reliable, more apps, simpler (could be a con too), smaller, better screen
Cons- iPhone 5 coming this summer, I feel like getting the iPhone 4 would be useless if an upgrade will be coming in the next couple months

Thunderbolt:
Pros- Most apps are free, customizable
Cons- Terrible Battery, Thicker

So what do you guys think? I really cant decide, I kind of want an iPhone but it will suck if i get the iPhone 4 now and the new iPhone comes out in a couple months. Will the iPhone 5 be much different than the 4 do you guys think?

Another question, why do so many apple apps cost money while most Android apps are free? Right now I am sort of leaning towards the Droid due to free apps but wanted to get some opinions from you Apple fans.

Thanks for your help/

So, you're worried about the iPhone 5 coming out, thus making your iPhone 4 old, but you're thinking about getting an Android phone, which a newer one releases every month it seems?

I made the switch from the Evo to the iPhone 4 on Verizon and I couldn't be happier.

Right now, anything with the iPhone 5 is speculation. Depending on where you look, some people think the iPhone 5 won't be released until next year and that we'll only see a major update to iOS this summer.

Fact is, nobody truly knows. My suggestion is, play around with both phones at a VZW store and make your decision. The few people I know who were in the same dilemma chose the Apple product because it was just better.

As for Apps costing money on iOS and not Apple, eh, it's not that big of a deal. Most apps still cost money on Android, and while some of the paid apps on iOS are free on Android, those apps have adds on the Android version that cause the game/app to run slower. It's a trade-off.

Also, apps that find themselves on both platforms generally look and run better on iOS.

Android Gripes, Why do apps from the same company look worse on Android than on iPhone?

04-10-2011, 04:21 PM

CWA and Elegant made all of my points for me, thanks guys!

I left a Droid X behind and the wife left her Incredible in the dust. We could not be happier with the change. We are 100% Apple in the house and MobileMe users, so this just plain works for us. The apps are great and like already stated they just work. I have no problem spending money for apps that work. Android is so fragmented across manufacturers that there is no telling if an app will work 100% on your particular device.

The iPhone is one great piece of hardware, and plain and simply darn sexy! I have enough lines to have an upgrade available quite often, but I see this lasting for quite some time. The only thing that would make me think about upgrading is LTE, and IMO I don't see Apple doing that this summer with a possible iPhone 5 until VZW makes a bigger dent on the LTE map.

04-10-2011, 07:21 PM

My area is supposed to get LTE by Early June to Late August.... The only thing holding me back from the iPhone is that

1. iPhone 5 is coming soon. (would wait but i REALLY need a new phone soon)
2. Apps cost money, I know you have given some examples. But some of the same apps that are free on the Android cost money on the Apple Store.
3. One of top reasons for getting a smart phone for me is like I said, Calendar and Scheduling. I have heard iPhones Calendar isnt nearly as sophisticated as some on Android Phones.

Help me out? Haha.

04-10-2011, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by DaRev3rend

My area is supposed to get LTE by Early June to Late August.... The only thing holding me back from the iPhone is that

1. iPhone 5 is coming soon. (would wait but i REALLY need a new phone soon)
2. Apps cost money, I know you have given some examples. But some of the same apps that are free on the Android cost money on the Apple Store.
3. One of top reasons for getting a smart phone for me is like I said, Calendar and Scheduling. I have heard iPhones Calendar isnt nearly as sophisticated as some on Android Phones.

Help me out? Haha.

Well, there is no guarantee on the iPhone 5 this summer. It is pure speculation at this point. If you need a phone you need to make a choice and get one.

You really need to go to the Verizon store and get your hands on both and decide which one is best for you. What I need in a calendar is likely different from your needs.

There are plenty of posts on the Android forums telling of returns or wanting trades for the Thunderbolt.

04-10-2011, 08:43 PM

You are also making the assumption that the iPhone 5 would have LTE 4G. That's a big assumption at this point.