What can't you do, or think you can't do, on an iPhone?
Buuut, the things that I would miss on an iphone are:
* Ability to download files from the internet directly onto the phone (such as PDF's) - useful in my line of work
I think you mean downloading PDFs direct from the internet - you can absolutely do this (I've just done it to prove it). The PDF will open in the web browser and you can then choose Open in iBooks to store it for later. Alternatively, you can also store in an appropriate app which is installed by choosing Open in... and selecting the app e.g. Dropbox or Evernote (both free) and you can then access the same file from any other device where these apps are installed (e.g. your laptop / home PC). This also works for Word documents and various other standard formats.
* It's over reliance on a pc for itunes etc. Android phones are completely independant.
You don't need a PC or iTunes at all. My other half never connects her iPhone to our Mac - everything can be accessed from the phone itself and it automatically backs everything up to iCloud so she's protected.
* Flash
Ah, that old chestnut. It still amazes me how much this comes up given how little an issue it seems to be for me, but there you go. It does appear that there are ways round it without jailbreaking (just Google it), but have to say it's never been an issue for me.
Interesting thread.
I'm looking at phones at the moment, so this is quite relevant for me.
I owned a HTC One X for about 2 weeks and I have to say it's amazing and in most ways better than the iphone, but I've returned 3 already and got a refund. I had too many faults (screen disrtortion, screen flickering & a dead pixel). This is where the iphone is strong. It's polished and it works.
I've since been considering S3, iphone 4s or wait for an iphone 5 (whenever that may be).
While the iphone 4s is starting to fall behind on specs and features, I have to say that it's smooth reliable and has great apps. I also don't see the 'slow' processor a problem as the apps seem to really make the most of what it has.
Buuut, the things that I would miss on an iphone are:
* Ability to download files from the internet directly onto the phone (such as PDF's) - useful in my line of work
* It's over reliance on a pc for itunes etc. Android phones are completely independant.
* Flash
PS: I wouldn't want to jailbreak it.
PPS: One x can indeed take 8mp photo's while filming with almost zero lag. Quite impressive.
Hi, the A5 processor is lighting fast, IMO. I've yet to use a phone that was faster, though i've not used a quad core phone yet..
.pdf files work fine. Reading one right now on my - totally unmodified - iPhone 4 in Costa...
http://www.meridian-audio.info/public/306rev%5B1857%5D.pdf
Interesting thread.
I'm looking at phones at the moment, so this is quite relevant for me.
I owned a HTC One X for about 2 weeks and I have to say it's amazing and in most ways better than the iphone, but I've returned 3 already and got a refund. I had too many faults (screen disrtortion, screen flickering & a dead pixel). This is where the iphone is strong. It's polished and it works.
I've since been considering S3, iphone 4s or wait for an iphone 5 (whenever that may be).
While the iphone 4s is starting to fall behind on specs and features, I have to say that it's smooth reliable and has great apps. I also don't see the 'slow' processor a problem as the apps seem to really make the most of what it has.
Buuut, the things that I would miss on an iphone are:
* Ability to download files from the internet directly onto the phone (such as PDF's) - useful in my line of work
* It's over reliance on a pc for itunes etc. Android phones are completely independant.
* Flash
PS: I wouldn't want to jailbreak it.
PPS: One x can indeed take 8mp photo's while filming with almost zero lag. Quite impressive.
Had my One X for a few days and it's perfect. No issues.
I think the main issue with the iPhone other than the politics of the thing are its rather too small (for me) screen.
I understand that you've had issues with quality control, but ALL products have that, including Apple.
But if you have had enough, you should also consider the Nokia Lumia 800. I almost went for that as it's a stunning phone, but it has many of the same downsides (for me) as the iPhone including a rather too small screen.
As it is, I am more than happy with the HTC. It's beautiful, light and with the best screen I've seen all in. I won't be gaming and I won't be attaching PS3 controllers, but I am loving the camera functionality already. 
I understand that you've had issues with quality control, but ALL products have that, including Apple.
But if you have had enough, you should also consider the Nokia Lumia 800. I almost went for that as it's a stunning phone, but it has many of the same downsides (for me) as the iPhone including a rather too small screen.
As it is, I am more than happy with the HTC. It's beautiful, light and with the best screen I've seen all in. I won't be gaming and I won't be attaching PS3 controllers, but I am loving the camera functionality already.
Sounds like you're one of the lucky ones
It is a really nice phone. If HTC guaranteed that the problems were to be fixed in a firmware update I would pick one up in snap. I returned it as after 28 days you have to send it off for repair, where you get a refurbished phone :(
I'm glad yours works though.
Buuut, the things that I would miss on an iphone are:
* Ability to download files from the internet directly onto the phone (such as PDF's) - useful in my line of work
I think you mean downloading PDFs direct from the internet - you can absolutely do this (I've just done it to prove it). The PDF will open in the web browser and you can then choose Open in iBooks to store it for later. Alternatively, you can also store in an appropriate app which is installed by choosing Open in... and selecting the app e.g. Dropbox or Evernote (both free) and you can then access the same file from any other device where these apps are installed (e.g. your laptop / home PC). This also works for Word documents and various other standard formats.
Ah, that's good to know! I am not above buying an iphone if I can find ways of achieving these things.
* It's over reliance on a pc for itunes etc. Android phones are completely independant.
You don't need a PC or iTunes at all. My other half never connects her iPhone to our Mac - everything can be accessed from the phone itself and it automatically backs everything up to iCloud so she's protected.
Another good to know.
* Flash
Ah, that old chestnut. It still amazes me how much this comes up given how little an issue it seems to be for me, but there you go. It does appear that there are ways round it without jailbreaking (just Google it), but have to say it's never been an issue for me.
I was trying out iphones earlier in the week in the Apple store. The first website I went to was bbc news, where I was greeted with an unable to play flash message. I'm sure there are workarounds, but on my 2 year old desire, I can just watch these where they are as embeded video (which I do frequently on my commute). I'm not really a fan of applying workarounds to perform such basic functionality.
I accept that not all phones are perfect. I've always liked Androids functionality, but after my recent experiences and playing with the iphone a few days ago I must admit that I'm considering a change. Still undecided though. Depends what the s3 is like or if HTC announce a fix for some of the problems, which it's still not clear if they are hardware or software related.
If the One X was fault free it would be a no-brainer.
Hi, the A5 processor is lighting fast, IMO. I've yet to use a phone that was faster, though i've not used a quad core phone yet..
I supose it depends how you look at it. Benchtested against the more recent quad core phones it is left wanting, but iOS5 is less processor hungry than Android and Windows so in reality it may not make a great deal of diifference.
The problem may come when the (i assume quad core) iphone 5 is released. There will be a flurry of apps designed to run on the new superfast hardware which will be slow (or not run at all on the 4s). I had this problem with my first gen ipod touch.
If you bought one at launch then it's not much of a problem, but with an 18 or 24 month contract and iphone 5 tipped for a 2012 release it may be an (albeit) minor problem. The latest and greatest android are likely to be good for the next 24 months (just as my Desire was) - This is not an anti-iphone thing, just the timing of contract expiry vs most recent hardware releases.
Maybe I just think to hard about these things...and should just do it
How much is a brand new, unlocked, 16gb iPhone 4S in the UK? I'm just curious..
How much is a brand new, unlocked, 16gb iPhone 4S in the UK? I'm just curious..
£499, if bought from Apple store.
I was trying out iphones earlier in the week in the Apple store. The first website I went to was bbc news, where I was greeted with an unable to play flash message.
Yes, BBC News is about the only place I see it - it's not really an issue as I don't want to watch those videos on my phone, I'd normally watch them on the laptop at home. If I did, I can always watch them through the BBC app as well.
Don't get me wrong, I can understand why this is an issue for some people, and obviously iPhone doesn't suit their needs. I agree with the whole workaround thing - it's not a solution if you want to watch Flash videos all the time. For me though, it's just nice to know it's available for those possibly few occassions I might want to do it
The problem may come when the (i assume quad core) iphone 5 is released. There will be a flurry of apps designed to run on the new superfast hardware which will be slow (or not run at all on the 4s). I had this problem with my first gen ipod touch.
I have my doubts on a quad core iPhone 5, mainly because it would take a suitable hit on the battery life for not much gain. Larger devices with (in my view, too big a screen for my own wants of a phone) can get away with this as there's also therefore more room for a larger battery. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a similar approach as that taken with the iPad i.e. more RAM and a faster graphics unit (mainly for games) and instead longer battery life (which is something many people are crying out for in their smart phone).
Of course, who knows? It's all speculation until the media feeding frenzy that will be the iPhone 5 release comes to a head!
Hi, the A5 processor is lighting fast, IMO. I've yet to use a phone that was faster, though i've not used a quad core phone yet..
I supose it depends how you look at it. Benchtested against the more recent quad core phones it is left wanting, but iOS5 is less processor hungry than Android and Windows so in reality it may not make a great deal of diifference.
The problem may come when the (i assume quad core) iphone 5 is released. There will be a flurry of apps designed to run on the new superfast hardware which will be slow (or not run at all on the 4s). I had this problem with my first gen ipod touch.
If you bought one at launch then it's not much of a problem, but with an 18 or 24 month contract and iphone 5 tipped for a 2012 release it may be an (albeit) minor problem. The latest and greatest android are likely to be good for the next 24 months (just as my Desire was) - This is not an anti-iphone thing, just the timing of contract expiry vs most recent hardware releases.
Maybe I just think to hard about these things...and should just do it
It's a tricky one for you, the iPhone 5 will almost certainly be out this year (i hope so), and will no doubt be one of the best phones around, and highly sought after. I have a feeling it will use the same processor as the new iPad though, as the 4S did, getting the one from the iPad 2.
If it were me, i'd not commit to a new contract (if that's possible) and buy sim free, so you can change phones at any point, you may end up paying a bit more for calls, data etc, but it could be worth it to have the flexibility.
Or i'd buy one of the newer Android models like maybe the Galaxy s3, as i just don't think i'd be happy owning a 4S while seeing the iPhone 5, and maybe 5S, make appearances
How much is a brand new, unlocked, 16gb iPhone 4S in the UK? I'm just curious..
£499, if bought from Apple store.
If it were me, i'd not commit to a new contract (if that's possible) and buy sim free, so you can change phones at any point, you may end up paying a bit more for calls, data etc, but it could be worth it to have the flexibility.
It's actually cheaper to do this (not by a lot admittedly - I worked out about £60 or so for me over 2 years). It assumes you have the available upfront cash to do so though.
If it were me, i'd not commit to a new contract (if that's possible) and buy sim free, so you can change phones at any point, you may end up paying a bit more for calls, data etc, but it could be worth it to have the flexibility.
It's actually cheaper to do this (not by a lot admittedly - I worked out about £60 or so for me over 2 years). It assumes you have the available upfront cash to do so though.
, I sometimes have to top up by an extra tenner. Not bad at all, i even use my phone as a wifi hotspot so have no broadband bills, and i change phones as often as i like
Interesting thread.
I'm looking at phones at the moment, so this is quite relevant for me.
I owned a HTC One X for about 2 weeks and I have to say it's amazing and in most ways better than the iphone, but I've returned 3 already and got a refund. I had too many faults (screen disrtortion, screen flickering & a dead pixel). This is where the iphone is strong. It's polished and it works.
I've since been considering S3, iphone 4s or wait for an iphone 5 (whenever that may be).
While the iphone 4s is starting to fall behind on specs and features, I have to say that it's smooth reliable and has great apps. I also don't see the 'slow' processor a problem as the apps seem to really make the most of what it has.
Buuut, the things that I would miss on an iphone are:
* Ability to download files from the internet directly onto the phone (such as PDF's) - useful in my line of work
* It's over reliance on a pc for itunes etc. Android phones are completely independant.
* Flash
PS: I wouldn't want to jailbreak it.
PPS: One x can indeed take 8mp photo's while filming with almost zero lag. Quite impressive.
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