[godelsmetric]

Ah, oh well. And of course it can. Depends on usage scenarios for any given user. Of course, an iOS user won't miss what they never had.

Android users getting excited about Project Butter rather poohpoohs that last sentence, no?

[mescalineeyes]

Ah, oh well. And of course it can. Depends on usage scenarios for any given user. Of course, an iOS user won't miss what they never had.

my daily driver is a Galaxy Nexus.
Apart from the big screen it's literally a long list of downgrades and disappointments.

[Deadly Cyclone]

Curious why my August 7th thread was closed, how do we know the 7th isn't true for the announce?

[kinggroin]

my daily driver is a Galaxy Nexus. Apart from the big screen it's literally a long list of downgrades and disappointments.

What the hell is your point? Should I feel the same way?

[AdrianWerner]

Nothing smartphones do can ever wow me. But give me bigger screen and Siri in polish and I will never consider buying anything else as my next phone.

[kinggroin]

Android users getting excited about Project Butter rather poohpoohs that last sentence, no?

...no. it doesn't.


Logically, how can you possibly miss something you never had? Android users (myself included) can be excited about something arriving to the platform that improves it without making my statement false. Same for iOS users and...well, *insert wanted feature*.

Considering I never had a phone that ran as smooth as an iphone, I never said...I miss a smooth ui.

[Lord Error]

After seeing the Google Now in action, I think Apple is finally being left behind on the OS/functionality front, and I don't think anything they can do with hardware can make up for that completely. I was dead set on Iphone 5, but after seeing what's been going on with Android lately, I'm not so sure anymore. At this point I like developing for iOS more than using it.

[Dreams-Visions]

After seeing the Google Now in action, I think Apple is finally being left behind on the OS/functionality front, and I don't think anything they can do with hardware can make up for that completely, to be honest. I was dead set on Iphone 5, but after seeing what's been going on with Android lately, I'm not so sure anymore.

Apple still has superior software support and 3rd party hardware/equipment support.

Having slightly better built-in functionality don't make up for these.

Not yet, anyway.

[Lord Error]

Apple still has superior software support and 3rd party hardware/equipment support. Having slightly better built-in functionality don't make up for these. Not yet, anyway.

I think for me, it might. I have six pages of games and apps that I practically never launch anymore, and the things I use the most (browser, mail, flipboard, camera, maps, in that order) are all there on android now, same or much better in case of maps. To add the insult, the iOS6 seems to be is incredibly sluggish on Iphone 4, I have to restart the phone every other day to keep it somewhat operational. I know, beta, but the performance is so bad that I doubt they'll do anything about it. It's iOS4 on 3G all over again.

[PSFan]

Nintendo franchises on the app store.

[bionic77]

Apple still has superior software support and 3rd party hardware/equipment support. Having slightly better built-in functionality don't make up for these. Not yet, anyway.

The problem with Android is you are only guaranteed the latest features if you get a Nexus. The rest of the phones are a clusterfuck and you are just buying the latest hardware hoping that your phone will eventually be supported. Not to mention the other phones usually have some shit skin on top of the Android OS.

That said I think my wife is thinking of making the leap into Android. She will compare the next Nexus phone to the 5 (or whatever it is called, probably just the new iPhone).

[pompidu]

It's ridiculously that my 2 year old Android phone is better than the newest iPhone. They really need to add drag-and-drop.

[mescalineeyes]

It's ridiculously that my 2 year old Android phone is better than the newest iPhone. They really need to add drag-and-drop.

I am so confused right now.

[Flo_Evans]

anything will blow me away.

I lost my 4, and had to revert back to a 3G. any new phone will feel like I am a time traveler.

[LosDaddie]

I don't understand. Why does the next iPhone need to "wow" me? Is the 4S considered a huge disappointment?

My 4S already does everything, and more, I want it to do. Same would go for an android phone, if I had one. Lite web browsing, email, GPS, flipboard, and some quick gaming here & there accounts for 99% of my 4S use.

About the only thing that would "wow" me is a longer battery life. Like, having to charge it every other day, rather than each night.

[virtuoso88]

The problem with Android is you are only guaranteed the latest features if you get a Nexus. The rest of the phones are a clusterfuck and you are just buying the latest hardware hoping that your phone will eventually be supported. Not to mention the other phones usually have some shit skin on top of the Android OS.

That's a god damn carrier/vendor problem. They try and add shit to make their version unique and when a new update comes out, they can't waste the time adding back the shit to the new update. They should just leave things vanilla.

[Brera]

I'm honestly satisfied with my iPhone 4.

I don't know what it'll take to wow me but the 4 is perfect.

[kinggroin]

The problem with Android is you are only guaranteed the latest features if you get a Nexus. The rest of the phones are a clusterfuck and you are just buying the latest hardware hoping that your phone will eventually be supported. Not to mention the other phones usually have some shit skin on top of the Android OS. That said I think my wife is thinking of making the leap into Android. She will compare the next Nexus phone to the 5 (or whatever it is called, probably just the new iPhone).

I'd argue that most people buying whatever non-nexus android phone don't give a rats ass about the latest flavor of the OS. As far as they're concerned, as long as the phone does what they need, they're happy with their big screens and gaudily customized desktops.

Same for most iPhone users when it comes to whatever feature the OS was missing in comparison to competition.


Really, its only us phone geeks who care about this stuff in the end. So chances are, if you're one of us, you know enough to buy a nexus from the play store if OS updates are of paramount importance to you.

[Roland Garros]

Got a 4s, love it to bits. I won't be getting the next iPhone but I WILL be getting next year's update, and by then I think Apple will be forced into some real upgrades, what with the competition Android and Sumsung are offering.

Fun times!

[kinggroin]

Got a 4s, love it to bits. I won't be getting the next iPhone but I WILL be getting next year's update, and by then I think Apple will be forced into some real upgrades, what with the competition Android and Sumsung are offering. Fun times!

Damn right. Competition on the software side hasn't been hotter. Hopefully that means less litigation on both sides and more stuff like Jellybean and iOS 6!

[The Bookerman]

Because he's a hipster?

Personally, it's the complete opposite.

[andycapps]

I'm already planning on getting the new iPhone after having my EVO for 2 years now. It's been a great phone and Android as a whole is great, so long as you're either not caring about having the most recent updates, or you're okay with rooting and putting custom ROM's on your phone to stay current. I've been part of the latter, and just don't feel like messing with it anymore. I want a smooth phone that will be supported for a couple years, and I want to just try something new. That's about it. I don't hate my phone, or Android, and I think it's still a pretty great OS. Jelly Bean looks awesome, hoping Apple improves Siri quite a bit to where they can compete with Google Now.

[godelsmetric]

I don't understand. Why does the next iPhone need to "wow" me? Is the 4S considered a huge disappointment?

Android owners agree: 4S is definitely a huge disappointment.

[Deadly Cyclone]

Android owners agree: 4S is definitely a huge disappointment.

I own a Droid X, the 4S is a great phone. The only thing I would want upgraded in my switch to the iPhone 5 is an updated iOS UI and a bigger screen. Better hardware and a better camera would be nice too.

[andycapps]

Android owners agree: 4S is definitely a huge disappointment.

My wife has one and it's a great piece of hardware. The dropdown menu/options are half assed, and widgets could use a lot of upgrading. I'd like the 4" screen the rumors are pointing to. But the OS is very smooth and it has a great camera as well as great apps and games being available. The apps are there for Android and a lot of games too, but most of the dev's effort is put into the iOS side.

[virtuoso88]

Android owners agree: 4S is definitely a huge disappointment.

I liked the 4s. Only switched off it to get unlimited LTE on Verizon. Was planning on switching back with the 5 but the rumored new screen size and the release of Jellybean , I don't think I'll be going with the 5 anymore. And of course finding out I don't really use that many iOS apps on the iPhone that's not on android. I bought a bunch though!

[yogloo]

3d facetime.

[Akuun]

A low price.

[Cheech]

I have a 4S, and it's an amazing phone. The improvements I'd have are mostly nitpicky.

1. Longer battery life. I use an app called Runmeter to track my runs, and the GPS runs nonstop. On an hours' worth of intervals, that kills roughly 20% of my battery life. This results in me having to dock it as soon as I get back to work, because I will burn an entire iPhone battery throughout the course of a day without using the GPS.

2. Slightly bigger screen. I'm satisfied with the leaked screen size; I like the idea of keeping the width the same. Coming off of a Blackberry, I got used to the virtual keyboard very quickly due to the keys being in nearly the exact same spots. I've used those giant Android phones like the Galaxy and it's simply just too unwieldy. I want a phone, not a mini-tablet.

3. Safari is just ok. I don't really need it to support Flash, but I do need it to support everything else well. Which it really doesn't. It's serviceable, but not what I'd call robust.

4. The inability to attach pictures after you've started formulating e-mails, as well as send pictures directly to Facebook from the camera app, have driven me nuts. Thankfully these both are getting fixed in iOS 6.

Wracking my brain, that's all I can really come up with. My main issues with Android aren't so much the usability, it's app support. Two of my most used apps are Runmeter and Instacast, and I haven't found Android counterparts that are anywhere close.

[Canis lupus]

4.8" screen and twice as powerful as GS3.

[Deadly Cyclone]

Wracking my brain, that's all I can really come up with. My main issues with Android aren't so much the usability, it's app support. Two of my most used apps are Runmeter and Instacast, and I haven't found Android counterparts that are anywhere close.

Quick note here, MapMyRun and Google's own My Tracks are great run tracking apps on Android. I use Google Listen for podcasts.

[Freep5637]

An entirely new interface that makes it easier to do stuff. Right now even doing simple tasks takes more steps than it does on an Android phone.

I found the total opposite to be true that why I jumped back into the walled garden after going android for a few months.

[Cheech]

Quick note here, MapMyRun and Google's own My Tracks are great run tracking apps on Android. I use Google Listen for podcasts.

I don't want to get into long winded debates, but:

http://www.abvio.com/runmeter/
http://vemedio.com/products/instacast

Both very, very feature rich and incredible attention to detail. Instacast has a feature I love where it will auto-rewind 5-10 seconds of a podcast to cater to people who listen to podcasts over a Bluetooth connection in their car (to compensate for the lag in the car sending the phone the "STOP" signal). Just little things like that.

Runmeter, OTOH, beats the crap out of the $300 Garmin watch I have which is gathering dust.

There are very, very good Android phones out there. But like the old Windows/Mac debate, it always comes down to apps. This is also why I think WinMo 8 is going to fail; the iOS and Android app ecosystems are just too robust to compete with.

[andycapps]

I don't want to get into long winded debates, but: http://www.abvio.com/runmeter/ http://vemedio.com/products/instacast Both very, very feature rich and incredible attention to detail. Instacast has a feature I love where it will auto-rewind 5-10 seconds of a podcast to cater to people who listen to podcasts over a Bluetooth connection in their car (to compensate for the lag in the car sending the phone the "STOP" signal). Just little things like that. Runmeter, OTOH, beats the crap out of the $300 Garmin watch I have which is gathering dust. There are very, very good Android phones out there. But like the old Windows/Mac debate, it always comes down to apps. This is also why I think WinMo 8 is going to fail; the iOS and Android app ecosystems are just too robust to compete with.

Runmeter looks good.. I use Endomondo Pro on my EVO and will probably continue to use that app when I get the new iPhone.. Though I may give Runmeter a shot. Endomondo seems great, I've used Cardio Trainer and thought it was okay, but Endomondo is the best that I've found thus far on Android.

Instacast does look great. The best on Android is probably Doggcatcher but there are a couple other alternatives. Google Listen is okay, but Google hasn't updated it in a year or so. It works, but it's missing a lot of features and the UI is bad.

[out0v0rder]

• Not Shitty
• USB port
• No Itunes for adding music and files
• Drag and Drop
• Not Shitty
• Not expensive

[btrboyev]

I'm just not personally sure why we need quad-core processors and 2GB RAM a phone...for games? okay sure...but it's a phone. Current phones out now are more than fast enough to do any task with very quick response.

iphone 5 will be spec'd the same as the ipad 3rd gen, with a new form factor. You can bet on it.

[Phonomezer]

Maybe they should consult Samsung.

[Nerfgun]

Haptics
Waterproof
Induction Charging

Or maybe if it just looked like a piece of glass in a frame

[LosDaddie]

I'm already planning on getting the new iPhone after having my EVO for 2 years now. It's been a great phone and Android as a whole is great, so long as you're either not caring about having the most recent updates, or you're okay with rooting and putting custom ROM's on your phone to stay current. I've been part of the latter, and just don't feel like messing with it anymore. .

That's the reason why I went with a 4S when my new company told me they'd give me $50/mo to get a smartphone. I did some research and figured the 4S would do everything I need & want to do. All of the custom stuff you can do with Android sounded awesome (really awesome, actually), but then wondered how much of it I would actually want to spend time doing.

Plus, already owning an iPad 2 just made getting the 4S an easier decision.

[The Real Abed]

Seeing as I just spent $650 on an iPhone 4S, I think I'm good for the next two years.

Yes, I am that guy who bought a Virgin iPhone. And I don't regret it.

[Newline]

I think the iPhone 4S is pretty darn perfect look wise and hardware wise imo. Just completely overhaul iOS and I would be happy, and perhaps remove some of that top and bottom bezel and replace it with a 4" screen (if I was to be picky).

Haptics

Something i've enjoyed on my iPhone ever since jailbreaking it. Should definitely be a stock option in the future.

[KingJ2002]

widgets screen on iPhone.

just because android stole the idea before apple had time to roll it out doesn't mean iPhone's shouldn't have it.

[Red UFO]

What exactly are people's problems with iOS? I often see people say it 'needs a complete overhaul' but it seems fine to me.

P.S. I've never used an Android or Windows Phone device.

[twofold]

I'm just not personally sure why we need quad-core processors and 2GB RAM a phone...for games? okay sure...but it's a phone. Current phones out now are more than fast enough to do any task with very quick response. iphone 5 will be spec'd the same as the ipad 3rd gen, with a new form factor. You can bet on it.

Agreed. I'll be happy as long as the hardware is powerful enough to run apps and the OS smoothly.

I think the obsession with hardware is definitely an Android thing. Pre-JB, a quick cpu/gpu was a necessity because Android was so janky on the lower specced models. The manufacturers have also pushed hardware a lot to differentiate themselves from their competitors which has made people pay more attention to specs. These factors don't really apply to iphones.

[Greyface]

What exactly are people's problems with iOS? I often see people say it 'needs a complete overhaul' but it seems fine to me. P.S. I've never used an Android or Windows Phone device.

What about webOS or Symbian; have you used those?

[Nerfgun]

What exactly are people's problems with iOS? I often see people say it 'needs a complete overhaul' but it seems fine to me. P.S. I've never used an Android or Windows Phone device.

They're just tired of it. It's familiar. That's all.

[Cipherr]

What exactly are people's problems with iOS? I often see people say it 'needs a complete overhaul' but it seems fine to me.

Its just opinions. Different OS's different people, different desires. Doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you being satisfied, in fact thats the only thing that matters.

Agreed. I'll be happy as long as the hardware is powerful enough to run apps and the OS smoothly.

And guess whats going to be needed going forward in order to keep your mobile OS and its ever improving Apps, Games, functionality and media running smoothly? You guessed it, more horsepower. More IPC more ram and so forth. Improved hardware is going to happen. And it should. Theres nothing OS specific about it. Everyone can benefit from it, every OS can benefit from it. These phones are designed and often bought on 2 year contracts. Toss in multitasking and new features like 3D mapping, Voice Recognition and dictation, Higher resolution displays, NFC, streaming 1080p media and games that are more visually demanding and larger in scale and scope, possible 60 FPS HD video recording (I cannot wait for this) and increased hardwares importance becomes clear.

Seriously every time someone says "I dont get why you would ever need another core on a cellphone" I just want to rip their throats out. Remember to thank your hardware manufacturer for not listening to you in 2 years when you are enjoying the increased capabilities of the iPhone 7 or whatever. These devices have ENORMOUS room for growth in function, this really is just the beginning. Incredible lack of foresight man.

[Newline]

What exactly are people's problems with iOS? I often see people say it 'needs a complete overhaul' but it seems fine to me. P.S. I've never used an Android or Windows Phone device.

The fake multitasking. How everything is so modular, yeah ok apple are making baby steps with regards to twitter and facebook but it's still abysmal. The fact that anything that isn't safari has completely crippled browsing capabilities (hello slow facebook / chrome apps). I could go on :(

Its just opinions. Different OS's different people, different desires. Doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you being satisfied, in fact thats the only thing that matters.

Yeah this is true, as much as I moan it's all just things that I personally want.

They're just tired of it. It's familiar. That's all.

This is also true, playing with apples mobile operating system since the first touch device it does all feel way too familiar now when contrasting it to the evolution other mobile OS's have undertaken.

[The Real Abed]

The so called fake multitasking is what keeps my battery going from early in the morning to late at night. I don't want real multitasking.

I do wish they'd borrow webOS' app switcher method though. Double click Home then swipe horizontally to switch and up or down to quit. Just steal it.