iMac user, Android phone. Time to switch?

So, I LOVE my iMac and will always have a Mac as my primary computer. I will be getting an iPad at work very soon.

I also LOVE my original Droid, rooted and running Gingerbread. I rely heavily on Google Maps and turn by turn voice navigation. (Does iPhone 4s have anything like this?)

It is time for me to get a new phone.

I am torn between the iPhone 4s and the upcoming Google Nexus. I love to tweak, customize, and hack, so that is why I am drawn to the Android platform. I also love the smooth integration offered by Apple products, of which I will soon have three.

Lame post and lame question, I know, but appreciate any insights, opinions, input, etc.

Thanks!

Jailbreak? That's about as hacked as it gets. I've messed with Android and to me it doesn't have the polish, though I liked what I saw with Ice Cream Sandwich and the Nexus is a tough competitor. I personally think though Apple really did a good job with streamlined integration now that iCloud is out. Google has had that with Google Docs, Calendar and so forth already but the fragmentation and carrier support bothers me. I also have Macs and iOS devices and the experience remains the same across the board in a simple to use way so that is why I stick with it.

Thanks. I'll look onto the option to see if it is worth it. Any input on maps and navigation with the 4s?

iPhone has had Google Maps since day one (2007), long before Android as you currently know it exists.

The iPhone doesn't ship with any turn-by-turn GPS apps, but there should be oh, about a metric tonne of them available from the App Store, starting at "free" and going up to $100 depending on various things. As you'll see with the iPad, our App Store is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Android Marketplace, and that's not bragging, it's a fact. So the answer to your question is "yes."

But if you enjoy your Android device, don't take what I've said as a sales pitch. Stop by an Apple Store sometime, ask the staff if they have an iOS device with a turn-by-turn GPS app on it and compare for yourself. You might be happiest with an Android, or perhaps not. Only you can really tell.

Recently switched from a Droid to the iPhone 4S. I am very happy with the iPhone BUT I am not a tweaker. I use the iPhone as a phone with a few apps. If you are heavily into customizing your phone, I doubt the iPhone is for you. But I will say the UI experience as far as intuitive interfaces and smoothness of operation exceeds any Android phone I have ever tried.

Im more than happy to keep my phone Android, syncs nicely with google cal, no issues, all works nicely with the imac and ipad, get my mail on all of them, contacts synced no issues, why swap to iphone?

Android + Apple

@bazander: I am also deciding between an Android phone (Motorola droid RAZR) and the 4S. Tell me more about Android phone with Apple desktops and iPads....do you have real experience with this? Details, details please...and soon as my Blackberry is dying!

btbt said:

So, I LOVE my iMac and will always have a Mac as my primary computer. I will be getting an iPad at work very soon.

I also LOVE my original Droid, rooted and running Gingerbread. I rely heavily on Google Maps and turn by turn voice navigation. (Does iPhone 4s have anything like this?)

It is time for me to get a new phone.

I am torn between the iPhone 4s and the upcoming Google Nexus. I love to tweak, customize, and hack, so that is why I am drawn to the Android platform. I also love the smooth integration offered by Apple products, of which I will soon have three.

Lame post and lame question, I know, but appreciate any insights, opinions, input, etc.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

iOS doesn't have anything nearly as good as Google Navigation for a reasonable price, and the Galaxy Nexus makes the iPhone 4S look like a joke from a hardware standpoint (720p screen!). Plus, the brand new Ice Cream Sandwich will be full of all kinds of shiny. I wouldn't pick now as the best time to switch if your contract is up - iOS needs some time to mature as a phone platform, and iCloud needs some time to mature as a cloud service.

Discerptor said:

iOS doesn't have anything nearly as good as Google Navigation for a reasonable price, and the Galaxy Nexus makes the iPhone 4S look like a joke from a hardware standpoint (720p screen!). Plus, the brand new Ice Cream Sandwich will be full of all kinds of shiny. I wouldn't pick now as the best time to switch if your contract is up - iOS needs some time to mature as a phone platform, and iCloud needs some time to mature as a cloud service.

Click to expand...

I have to agree with this. The Galaxy Nexus gets updates straight through google so you don't have to worry about bloatware or delayed updates.

It has a 4.65 inch screen, Super AMOLED HD display (720 x 1280 pixels), and a Dual core 1200 MHz, TI OMAP 4460 processor.

Bye Bye Android!

LoganTyler said:

I have to agree with this. The Galaxy Nexus gets updates straight through google so you don't have to worry about bloatware or delayed updates.

It has a 4.65 inch screen, Super AMOLED HD display (720 x 1280 pixels), and a Dual core 1200 MHz, TI OMAP 4460 processor.

Click to expand...

Yes, all well & good, but does the PHONE WORK? I LOVE to play with the OS, Root the phone, Flash ROMs, etc. But I have had 9 (seriously) different Android Phones in the last 1.5 years, none of them lived up to their promises. They re-boot at the most in-opportune times, overheat (I had a Droid X2 that got to 145 degrees F!), lock up and just plain aren't good phones! Nice gadgets, but not for a serious phone user. As much as I love Android, I can't wait to get my iPhone 4s! I will get my Android fix from my Moto Xoom!

So, I played with an iPhone 4s today. I don't think I can live without Swype! Is there an app in the app suite that is Swype-like?

btbt said:

So, I played with an iPhone 4s today. I don't think I can live without Swype! Is there an app in the app suite that is Swype-like?

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Not that I am aware but most of my friends that traded to iPhone said typing was fast an accurate enough that they did not miss it your experience may vary.

osxx said:

Not that I am aware but most of my friends that traded to iPhone said typing was fast an accurate enough that they did not miss it your experience may vary.

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The iPhone's keyboard really is the best onscreen keyboard out there if you're using both thumbs as far as I'm concerned. I don't know what it is about it that makes it feel even easier to use than the keyboards on Android phones with gigantic screens. That said, if you want to text with just one hand, nothing beats Swype.

Wanbli said:

Yes, all well & good, but does the PHONE WORK? I LOVE to play with the OS, Root the phone, Flash ROMs, etc. But I have had 9 (seriously) different Android Phones in the last 1.5 years, none of them lived up to their promises. They re-boot at the most in-opportune times, overheat (I had a Droid X2 that got to 145 degrees F!), lock up and just plain aren't good phones! Nice gadgets, but not for a serious phone user. As much as I love Android, I can't wait to get my iPhone 4s! I will get my Android fix from my Moto Xoom!

Click to expand...

Gee.. what a shock. Someone who roots and fiddles and gets the processor all hot and bothered. I've had ONE Android phone in the past year. One. And all because it actually works pretty darned well. Granted, there are some fairly shoddy Android phones out there, but that's why I researched what I wanted first and then got the EVO 4g. Solid phone all around, including the awesome 8mp camera, though I rarely set it past 5mp.

Until Apple comes out with an Google Navigation killer, I'll not give the iPhone very serious consideration. Google Maps is ok, but the integration with Navigation makes it amazing. I think that once Apple finishes said navigation app, it will be complete. Especially with the Siri integration.

As it stands with my EVO, I can use voice commands (well before Siri came on the scene, and has worked unlike the built in voice command thing that the iPhone has had since.. what, iOS 4? or 3.5?) to either go directly to a place on a map near me or wherever.. or get it to simply navigate right off the bat. Turn by turn voice navigation... I wouldn't settle for less. Google's free app is better than a lot of paid apps out there, too.

Doug