The notable difference is the solutions to the Apple threads don’t involve rooting it, flashing custom rom, using a different bootloader, installing task killers…
If somebody has an Android phone that requires any of the above to get it working properly then they have a duff phone and should return it.
Rooting, Jailbreaking, Flashing etc are all great if you’re that way inclined, i’ve seen some stunning custom ROMs running on Android handsets….but really since version 2,1 (we’ve since had 2.2 Froyo, 2.3 Gingerbread, 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and now 4.1 Jellybean) the OS has been stable and has a level of customisation making rooting obsolete for casual users.
If you cant get a current Android handset to do something you want it to do then i’d suggest (user error aside obviously) that what you’re asking isnt yet possible on a phone, they’re that good at the moment.
They have taken all the simple functionality of iOS and run with the idea of what an OS can do, multiple home screens, live/real time widgets, scrolling notifications, the beginning of emails, texts etc showing on the lock screen when you pick the phone up so you dont have to unlock the phone to see who just emailed/texted/called etc, instant compatibility with most PCs without being tied to iTunes or other proprietary software, genuine multitasking (see the Galaxy S3’s screen within a screen for the most impressive demonstration of this)….battery life was a problem with early Android phones, the OS is more of a drain than iOS….because it does more obviously.
More efficient chipsets and bigger batteries have largely solved the problem, lets not get carried away now and hold the iPhone up as a shining example of battery life….its about on a par with the Galaxy S3 at the moment and some way behind the current batch of Motorola devices touting huge batteries….recent tests from various tech sites say it’s a small amount better than the 4S was with it’s battery….that’s on current 3G and WiFi technology, wait until 4G is switched on and watch the battery life drain much faster, eventually Apple are going to have to start making bigger handsets for the batteries that 4G requires.
Task killers are a hang over from early Android, since 2.3 (in 2010) the stock OS has the feature to see whats running and stop tasks/Apps as the user sees fit….outdated comments like stating Android devices need task killers would be like me criticising the iPhone for not having a flash or being able to record video….but that was back on the 3G version, times change and OS move on.
I have a mate who swears by Apple, has the laptop, the phones etc…i have used all of his devices since he got a 3G back in 2008, they are good phones….the design of the 4,4S and 5 is superb….but i keep replacing my own handset with Android (Hero, Desire HD, Nexus-S and One-S) because they do everything his phone does and more…..and they’re cheaper, at one point his 3Gs (i think?) was £40+ per month on O2, this strikes me as faintly ridiculous, my current phone was free with a £27 monthly bill (unlimited data too) with my network wanting £34 per month and an up front fee to get the iPhone-5….
….i will happily pay a premium for a product that is the best or has certain unique features, the iPhone did….in 2008.
Everybody else has caught up and the price being paid is now for the kudos of simply owning the device rather than what is is capable of, it has become a fashion item which i think is a bit sad.
There was a joke on-line a while a go which went:
Q. How do you know if somebody has an iPhone?
A. They’ll tell you.
The gist being that somebody with this device is often such a try-hard that they will start a conversation by referencing their phone….you know, to show how cool they are.
What was once the leftfield choice of hipsters around the world is now abut as mainstream as white goods get…is that irony, i dont know i’m obviously not cool enough?!
My current HTC One-S is a glass and metal build, has a sensible sized screen and weighs about the same as the new iPhone, it also has chip architecture more advanced than the new iPhone (more efficient 28nm process as opposed to 32nm in the iPhone), is currently on 38% battery remaining after 29hrs – it gives me genuine 2 day use….and was released 6 months ago….if it was an Apple device i dread to think of the mass hysteria it would’ve generated.
