iphone or Android?

[basingstoke]

So, I am getting a new phone. Currently I have a PAYG basic phone that I really only use to text, make calls and sometimes listen to music.

I want to check email, use the internet, play games. I also know people with fancy phones who do all sorts of interesting other things that I might do if I were able to IYSWIM.

My heart says iphone, but my DH head says HTC Desire.

What do you reckon?

if you go with Android, it shouldn't enrich either Jobs or Gates :)

DH would say that the only one true path is to follow the Penguin (he's a Linix hacker), but that is incomprehensible to mere mortals.
Thus me and the DDs have windows machines that he grudgingly debugs. Although a Mac might solve my iTune head aches I think he'd feel that was pushing the household computer maintenance contract too far.

Worth a brief warning that it looks like future Mac products (iMac and iPhone at least) will be even more difficult to modify as they are using some 5-way [pentagram anyone?] screws that are almost impossible to remove, so looks like no home maintenance in future, if you wanted to change hard drive, or fit a battery!).

Only saw that yesterday night (different PC) and a quick search for 'new apple screw' comes up with the name "pentalobular" which is being put into iPhone 4s that go for repair, and seems likely to be the new standard for the iPhone 5 when it is released. Lots of articles saying the same thing, of course, as once one site suggested it on 20/01/2011 other websites cover the same issue. Not sure where it started but various PC mags and even the US "PC World" store cover this as "Apple thwarting DIY repair" (and no doubt making it awkward for anywhere other than Apple Stores / Apple repair centres to open the devices.

startail - in the depths of a OSX in the Mac is a Penguin lurking (the utility called 'Terminal' would allow your DH to type in many command line Linux magic spells too, so best avoid that path for your own sanity :) )

A linux hacker would say that but they completely miss the point.

And that's that most people don't WANT to understand an operating system. They use it to get to their application. Most people couldn't give a flying chuff what a kernel is or what subnet mask is or care what root is.

That's where Apple get you. It just works. IOS is so easy my 4 yr old can use it. It hides the complexity and it looks nice.

And amicissima, I have no problems with either Jobs or Gates getting even more stinkingly rich as long as they're pumping out products I want to use.

I love my Samsung Galaxy, android is great, i can't abide anything apple!

I've not missed the point, it was actually a joke for startail (or maybe more for her DH) :)

I love that phrase "It just works." because if you shift the emphasis it no longer becomes a positive comment... "It just works." (with bugs)

I know for the most part things work fine, but Apple takes "ownership" of the product away from the buyer to a far greater extent than most.

Quite accept that pretty looking items that seemingly integrate with other pretty looking items will "wow" some of the public, but it comes at a price (financial first, and then via the straitjacket of being expected only to ever work within Apple's rules).

I've read this thread with interest. I currently have a sony ericsson xperia x10 mini pro. I like the slidey out qwerty keyboard and it is small enough to neatly fit in my handbag. I am now thinking of what phone to get on upgrade. DH has a nokia N900 (what a mistake that was) and he desperately wants a samsung galaxy s. I am trying to decide between staying with android or getting an iphone. I like the fact i could easily use the iphone as an ipod aswell so when out running i wouldn't have to take 2 things out with me and it does seem that alot of apps seem to come out only for the iphone, but they do seem so expensive. I have not had any problems with the android system other than the apps issue, so i am still in a bit of a quandry as to which to choose, any help gratefully received.

vnmum,I use my android phone as a music player and where android beats thr iphone for me is that I can get my music free fom an app from the Market instead of having to pay through Itunes.

I love my Desire. I had teh bog standard one and now have hte HD...I'm in 2 minds as to whicih one I prefer but deire all the way (plus the phone insurance premiums seem to be taking a hike for iPhone...or at least the letter I have just received suggest that is the case)/

bubbles4 - but surely any source of MP3 audio can be imported into iTunes too, so that alone isn't a good reason against the iPhone.

I'm not a fan of iTunes - I like the way with most other phones the storage can be accessed via USB just like a flash drive, so it can be easier to copy to/from them than the iPhone but the iPhone is not blocked from accepting MP3s collected outside of iTunes / Apple.

I've had HTC desire s for about 6 wks now. Wasn't sure if I liked it at first but now i know i do - i have hardly lifted my ipod touch for the last couple of weeks. And now I've found that I can get music from my itunes library onto it.
The camera is great too and it takes hd video.
It can do anything an iphone can do as far as i can see

NetworkGuy,I get what you are saying about importing music into Itunes,the dc,s all have ipod touches,but if they havent got a particular track then they have to pay 99p for it whereas I can get it free from the app in the Market,this fact persuaded both my older dc,s to go with android rather than apple.

maybe so, Amicissima, (will read the article later) but with their link with Nokia, which benefits both (Nokia as it needs a 'big name' from the big 3 to go with, Microsoft, as Nokia has had large past sales) and phones in the sub 175 area on the horizon, there are rumours some other MS partners like HTC may switch to Android only in the next 2-3 years, and speculation than in 4-5 years the market will be split with Android at about 45%, Microsoft at about 25% and Apple at around 20%.

Bubbles = not sure which app can give you free music (are you sure the source is legit?) but I was meaning if a friend had an MP3 'rip' of a music track, and sent it by e-mail, it could be imported in iTunes so the purchase aspect may be avoidable.

Over the years, many MP3 copies of tracks have circulated, so I am guessing many people have a friend or friends with certain tracks and share them. I've got 16GB of music tracks from a time when I had to take a copy of a hard drive before it died (it was ~11 years old). Must admit have not heard even 5% so far, may just zap the lot, but MP3s may be had almost for free... in some circles...

if you can get it free, do you save the MP3 on a hard drive for them to import into iTunes later ?

NetworkGuy it seems that the app "Music Wizard" that we were using has gone from the Market but it took me about 2 minutes to find another one "Music Download" and I have already used it to download 2 free tracks.

No we dont import into Itunes,since they have got their android phones,the ipod touches are rarely used,they use the phone as a music player.

I have transferred my downloads to my hard drive and listen using WMP.

Ah, interesting. Being curious, do the iPod touches have wi-fi available, or are those top end models? (Don't have any portable Apple devices here, so clueless !)

For MP3 playing, I think one of the better (free) applications I used in the past was MMJB - Music Match Juke Box (which allowed use to select some particular genre of music and it would select and randomly play, giving the 'juke box' name). WinAmp was another free application, handy for ripping tracks from CDs.

These days I'd also mention RipStation Micro as it can handle multiple format ripping simultaneously, to cope with demand for high quality through a hi-fi and medium quality via a phone or 10 pound MP3 player :)

Yes the ipod touches have wifi and just out of interest have just quizzed ds and he says that android is better for free music but the ipod touches are better for free games .

always best to ask a (young) expert :)

As much as I am a fan of Apple and have owned all iPhone generations and currently own an iPad, iPad 2, iMac and Macbook, I have a Samsung Galaxy S and it is honestly the best phone I have ever owned.

The only downside is the camera doesn't have a flash but it's a pretty damn good camera regardless. It outperforms the iPhone and all HTC's.

This thread has been interesting. I am starting to sway towards staying with an android phone and maybe getting the samsung galaxy s/s2

I'm starting to like the Sensation a bit more now. The whizziness of it is starting to appeal and the gripes, I'm starting to get used to.

I'd still like to see HTC test their phones a bit more before releasing it to the market. I notice that none of these bugs existed with the Orange SanFran running stock Android.

I think for most people, they won't notice or need the stuff I've come across. I'd say that the midrange phones like the HTC Desire S & Samsung Galaxy S are better value for money than the iphone but I still maintain that Apple make for a better all round experience......but naturally that comes at a price.