[masklinn]

> I can tether via USB or WiFi

USB and Bluetooth tethering available on the iPhone

> install apps from websites without using the Market

True.

> and use free turn-by-turn navigation all while while taking a phone call

Always been available on the iPhone, you can do whatever you want while taking a call. With iOS 4, users will be able to do even more.

> With Android I feel like I have freedom to do what I want

Yeah especially when you don't know what you can do on an iPhone, I find that interesting.

[vetinari]

> Always been available on the iPhone, you can do whatever you want while taking a call. With iOS 4, users will be able to do even more.

"Taking a call" is an example, an placeholder for X. You can say "use free turn-by-turn navigation all while chatting through Talk" or "use free turn-by-turn navigation all while tracking my progress using My Tracks" or "use free turn-by-turn navigation all while staring at Google Sky". The X is anything, not just specific vendor supplied apps (or in OS4, vendor approved activities).

[masklinn]

> "Taking a call" is an example, an placeholder for X.

Then it's a stupid example, because it's not a placeholder. It's a very specific action and one important for a phone. Important enough that it's always been possible to take a call while doing something else on an iphone.

[Osiris]

Those were just some examples. My biggest point was the freedom of phone hardware and carrier.

Also, from everything I've read, AT&T has never supported tethering, and Google Maps doesn't have Navigation on the iPhone.

[masklinn]

> Those were just some examples. My biggest point was the freedom of phone hardware and carrier.

I'm happy to report my iphone is entirely free from carriers control.

> Also, from everything I've read, AT&T has never supported tethering

I'm not in the US and not on AT&T, so in my world I have tethering, Android handsets are 6+ months later and most countries can't even buy apps on the Android market, let alone make them.

> Google Maps doesn't have Navigation on the iPhone.

Erm... yeah? It's a google soft...

[vetinari]

> I'm happy to report my iphone is entirely free from carriers control.

Then you are mistaken. All settings under "carrier profile" (for example, enable tethering is there) cannot be set by you, the owner. They can be only imported using settings file signed by the carrier.

> Erm... yeah? It's a google soft...

If you were paying attention, exclusive features for own products is Apple tactics, not Googles. Actually, there were people asking why Google bothers with Maps and Voice for iPhone (i.e. why it is helping iPhone at expense of Android). If you know the answer why, you already know why Google doesn't play platform favorites.

[masklinn]

> If you were paying attention, exclusive features for own products is Apple tactics, not Googles.

Yet Navigation is s a piece of software by google for google's platform.

> Actually, there were people asking why Google bothers with Maps and Voice for iPhone (i.e. why it is helping iPhone at expense of Android).

You seem unaware that Maps for iPhone is written entirely by Apple using Google's public APIs. As for voice, it's obviously because getting more people to use Voice plays to Google's advantage.

> If you know the answer why, you already know why Google doesn't play platform favorites.

because their platform (services) stand on top of other platforms.

[michaelcampbell]

> > I can tether via USB or WiFi

> USB and Bluetooth tethering available on the iPhone

Neither of which are wifi.