iPhone or Android?

[Flying Shogi]

I'm mostly looking for battery life since I do not know much about smart phones.

So convince me which one you think is better.

[The Envoy of the Beginning]

Why no option for Windows phone? I've thought about switching from Android to Windows Phone the next time I upgrade my phone.

[Flying Shogi]

Those two are popular ones so I assume they're "good." But then again, I'm not a phone person so I wouldn't know.

In any case, if you think a type of phone is good, recommend it. I'm ok with choices.

[Samias]

My sister recently replaced her iPhone 3S with an iPhone 5, and she hates it. The iPhone 5 exceeds her old phone in performance in everything... except the abysmal battery life, which doesn't even last for a single day and frequently dies while she's in the middle of work. She's a heavy user because she relies on a lot of medical apps, but the solution offered to her was "Carry a charger". Also, you need to download iTunes if you want to manage the files on your iPhone through your computer, and the syncing process can be finicky.

I personally have a Galaxy Nexus and get either a day or two of use with a fair bit of data use and music playing. My boyfriend's Galaxy SIII lasts even longer. I find that Jellybean is a solid OS and the user interface is pretty intuitive and feature-rich. I don't have to install iTunes and can manage files simply by plugging in my phone with a non-proprietary cable. The Galaxy Nexus doesn't have expandable memory but most Android phones do, so you can keep files on an SD card. Overall my experience with my phone has been overwhelmingly positive. I couldn't tell you about Windows Phone or Blackberry 10.

[Narga_Rocks]

Waterloo is crying at the first post and topic title. At least Samias threw them a bone.

[Steampunk]

Been a while since I've had an iPhone, but here are my thoughts on the two. It really depends on what you want. Android is a lot "freer" in that just about anyone can develop apps for it and there aren't as many built-in limits on what type of apps you can run (namely emulators). Also, Android phones/tablets have a file registry while iPhones/iPads don't, so uploading and downloading content is much simpler on them (There are workarounds and some websites make special Apple apps for uploading documents, but don't expect to upload docs/files to an email like you would on a PC). Also, Android devices are typically much more customizable and have wonderful user communities where you can get help with just about anything.

The advantage to Apple is that there's a much less chance of bugs, errors, etc. They're really good "pick up and use" devices, so if you will just surf the internet, check facebook, buy music, and make calls/texts, and possible download a few ebooks, an iPhone will do that just fine with a very simple and straightforward interface. You'll be limited to using only Apple iStore apps unless you jailbreak the device (which will void your warranty, but is usually pretty safe I understand). You won't be able to run any third party apps/games/software because of this, though.

My personal opinion: Android is better. More options with what you can do with it, and it will still do the routine email/texting/social media thing if that's all you want from your phone. Apple devices are great, but they're pretty restricting in what they'll let you do with the phone you paid money for. Either one is a solid phone though, and it really comes down to what you plan on using it for.

[Superbus]

I'll answer the original question with one of my own: what are you looking for in this phone, exactly?

[Lord Raven]

My sister recently replaced her iPhone 3S with an iPhone 5, and she hates it. The iPhone 5 exceeds her old phone in performance in everything... except the abysmal battery life, which doesn't even last for a single day and frequently dies while she's in the middle of work. She's a heavy user because she relies on a lot of medical apps, but the solution offered to her was "Carry a charger". Also, you need to download iTunes if you want to manage the files on your iPhone through your computer, and the syncing process can be finicky.

Mine lasts like 10-15 hours with heavy use of texting and fb chat, and two days with minimal use. Tell her to google solutions to that lol

I echo the "depends on what you're looking for" sentiment. I personally prefer iPhone because I dont want to have to reconfigure everything if I get a new phone and things to that extent, and I dont mind lack of customizability because I've always found the iphone generally reliable.

[Raven]

I had an iPhone 3G for nearly two years. I was quite happy with it, yet it started being very slow and sluggish in nearly everything it did. When the contract was up, I got myself a Galaxy SII, which I believe was the best thing I could possibly have done at the time. I've had it for a year now, and it's far superior to what the 3G was. As for the Android OS itself, it takes a little getting used to compared to the iOS, but it's a lot more rewarding. iOS feels too simple, it doesn't let you grow. Maybe that's why the Android OS felt so complex to me when I first began using it, because I was so used to the simplistic iOS.

I'll not be going back to Apple anytime soon. Next year when this SII contract's up, I'll probably be getting an SIII. Or maybe an SIV if my bank account is decent enough.

[Flying Shogi]

To be honest, I don't really know what I'm looking for. I don't use my phone a lot but I would like to have a phone that does not require me to charge it every night.

It would be nice if it can take some pictures but I think most smart phones do that anyway.

But it's not like I'm in hurry or anything. My dad told me a few days ago that we're getting new phones so I want something that is worth the price he's paying for.

[redturtle806]

The Rzr Max (droid) is the best phone I've ever owned, hands down. I don't ever wanna get a new phone lol.

Pros:

The battery life is one major of the selling point of this phone, and it just plan rocks. It will last for 6-8 hours if gaming/watching movies on full brightness, but can go for 2-3 days if your just using it to make the occasional call/text. When I'm out on the town late at night and all my friends iphones are dying, the Droid Rzr still lives on.

It's built like a tank. A very awesome futuristic tank, but a tank none the less. The back is kelvar (bullet proof vest stuff) and the front is gorilla glass. I've had it for a year now, and the only damage it has is from dropping it on a beach where sand got into the audio jack. However it has survived: Sitting in the rain on the ground for about 30 min, two straight months of camping, falling down the concrete stairs, me getting drunk and dropping/throwing it, me falling about 6 ft and landing on my leg, etc etc. Bottom line: good luck breaking this phone.

Widgets: They're cool, and iphones don't have them. Great for stuff like weather, news, or email.

Fire Emblem. The droid emulators for NES, SNES, Genesis, and GBA all work great.

4G is faster than my home internet, and the mobile wifi hot spot tethering works well.

Cons:

If you have small hands, I could see it being a little bulky. However it works great for me as a male college student.

If you use it to game or watch a movie for about an hour straight with max brightness it gets a little hot. However if you just let it chill for 10 min it cools down pretty fast.

Stock browser is a little unimpressive, but you can install new ones.

Androids are great and all, but they have a slightly steeper leaning curve than an iphone. Granted you can do a lot more than an iphone, you just have to spend a little extra time tweaking it to your personal tastes when you first get it.

The audio jack does not like sand. Keep it away from the beach haha.

Edited February 28, 2013 by redturtle806

[Nice]

If it's about battery - Android phones hands down - because there're many Android to choose.

Battery

Samsung Galaxy Note II - 3100 mAh

or Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX HD - 3300 mAh

but it's not about battery that make you choose iPhone - it's the iOS and its ecosystem (apps) and other factors

and almost - if not all - smartphone must be charged every night

P.S. I'm using Galaxy Note 1

Edited February 28, 2013 by Nice

[Raven]

If it's about price, then avoid iPhones.

[Superbus]

To be honest, I don't really know what I'm looking for. I don't use my phone a lot but I would like to have a phone that does not require me to charge it every night.

It would be nice if it can take some pictures but I think most smart phones do that anyway.

But it's not like I'm in hurry or anything. My dad told me a few days ago that we're getting new phones so I want something that is worth the price he's paying for.

If you want something you don't have to charge every day, then get a Nokia 5510. Otherwise, you're likely not going to get outstanding battery life.

However, the new Galaxy phones seem to have the best life, and I believe they're also external (meaning, you can replace it). With the iPhone, you're stuck; if the battery blows up, your options are 1) new iPhone or 2) go fuck yourself.

Also remember that the iPhone is a completely closed ecosystem. You *must* either get everything from the Apple store, or jailbreak it; I don't think you have the technical know-how to jailbreak a phone and keep it that way.

[Firespark Faerie]

I don't know much about androids because I've never owned one. From what I've heard about them however, they do have longer batter lives than iPhones.

As a proud iPhone 5 user though, I do highly recommend it if you can afford it and don't mind the battery life. While the battery won't last as long as a droid or a classic styled cellphone, it's always lasted 1-2 days for me, and I have no issue so long as I remember to plug it in before I go to sleep at night. I've had very good experience with Apple's customer service, and there's a very large selection of apps to choose from, including games. If you like playing games on your phone, the Appstore has titles in pretty much every genre you can think of, including classic Final Fantasy games. I'm sure the Android has a good game library as well, though I wouldn't know what's available for it.

[Steampunk]

I have a Galaxy Note, and it has a pretty good battery. Then again, the phone is large enough to accommodate a pretty big battery, so that may have something to do with it. To get a little more life out of your Android phone per charge, you can disable GPS and Wifi when you don't need them, and also end process on any continuous refresh apps/widgets you have (like an email or weather app that refreshes every fifteen minutes). If you want to keep those running, you can just set them to manual refresh to save data and battery life. That's only if you really want to milk every hour out of your battery though.