[drivebyacct2]

What about iOS feels ahead of it's time? iOS is showing it's age in my opinion. With Contracts and Charms in Windows and Intents in Android, I feel cramped and limited every time I use iOS (where Twitter integration is "magical" and things like Instagram are necessary). Even with ICS and it's makeover and hardware acceleration it's hard to give iOS the "magic" edge these days.

That having been said, it's of course very popular and better received on average than Android (I think ICS adoption will help with this), and dooms-day articles like this are silly when written and fun to look back and laugh at.

[jimmyvanhalen]

> What about iOS feels ahead of it's time?

-iOS doesn't crash as often as Android

-iOS doesn't have nearly as many security/privacy issues/virus/spyware

-iOS is not(as) fragmented like Android

-iOS is faster (no lags) and not as buggy as Android

-iOS developer and user support way better than Android

-iOS ecosystem/app market way better than Android

-iOS user interface is simpler/easier to use/more straightforward than Android/TouchWiz/HTCSense/etc.

-more well-designed, well-written iOS apps than Android

-better battery life, better hardware, better screen, better user interface, etc.

[barrkel]

I struggle to think of a single time Android has crashed on me. The iOS browser, on the other hand, crashed 3 times in my first day with an Apple device.

But the primary reason I use Android is that it has features iOS doesn't; proper cross-app integration with intents, a replaceable launcher, a user accessible file system and best of all, I never have to deal with iTunes. I absolutely loathe iTunes.

I've never had problems with fragmentation (probably helps that I run Nexus devices - I've had more issues running older iOS on iPod Touches that hadn't been upgraded owing to upgrade fees); and I find UI more consistent - or at least did, before the menu button was deprecated (I happen to like menus for their discoverability). The back button is awesome. It's been some time since I was in the Apple app ecosystem, but I still don't think they let you have things like AIDE, Tasker or Locale.

I do think iOS devices have higher frame rates, fewer dropped frames and lower touch latency. ICS recent apps button latency is a joke - nearly a second on my galaxy nexus at times. The iOS text selection mechanism is better. And having switched from HTC to Samsung, I'm not impressed with the hardware (though the margin between iPhone 4 screen and Galaxy Nexus screen is quite small). But I also think iPhone 4 glass back is a triumph of style over usefulness.

[myspy]

User accessible file system? Are you kidding me? It's one of the great things to get rid of this thing. I see no advantage in there. Especially on mobile devices. Only another thing to understand and handle to get things done.

[barrkel]

I'm talking about what I want in a device and OS. The file system isn't directly in any of the default apps, and nor is it visible in most apps. But if you want a file browser, you can install one easily; and nor is data siloed inside specific apps when it doesn't fit into predefined categories like Photo | Video | Music.

That's right: I want control over my data. I don't want apps from third parties thinking they're in control of my data.

[beej71]

Really at the end of the day, we can only choose the devices that work best for us, personally. As an ex-iPhone user, I take issue with most of your list, but that's just me. iPhones are great for a huge number of people.

It's good to have options!

[rkwz]

WindowsPhone have all the advantage you mentioned except the apps part. And they're also more affordable.

[drivebyacct2]

None of those are facts and in my experience the anecdote goes the opposite way. My Galaxy Nexus has locked up ONCE on me ever, my iPhone breathern crash often enough that it happens weekly just from being at the bars.

Fragmentation is a joke. My phone has never, ever, ever had a privacy issue and that's also hilarious given the weeks of iPhone privacy issues (GPS, iOS5, Contacts)

>-iOS is faster (no lags) and not as buggy as Android

hahahahaha

>-iOS ecosystem/app market way better than Android

hahahaha

Do people really believe this stuff still? Yes. Faux wood and fake plastic looks great in apps. So futuristic.

Better hardware? Verifiably false. Better screen? Pft, mine's AMOLED 720p.

[CountSessine]

Sorry - I have to address this for posterity - I'd hate for this post to become the HN word on the Galaxy Nexus.

I have access to 2 Galaxy Nexuses - one is mine, and another is a work phone used as a sample MTP USB device. Both are the the most crazy, crash-happy computing devices I've ever had the misfortune of using. For a.while my GN was literally crashing once every 2 days. I'd pull the stupid thing out of my pocket after feeling it vibrate to discover that the case over the CPU was burning hot and OS was rebooting and showing that ugly startup animation. Online forum complaints suggest that i'm not the only obe seeibg this.

Then there's the flaky behavior. Once every week a system process on my GN will crash. This service has something to do with the radio modem because I'll turn my GN on and discover that it isn't on 3G and that ive been missing phone calls and texts for who-knows-how-long.

I cant believe that i returned an iphone 4S to buy this lemon.

[drivebyacct2]

I'm sorry your experience has been like this. I would argue that you did get a lemon and you should talk to VZW about getting it replaced. Both of the Nexii I had were fine (until I broke one of them :/) and the other hackers in my dorm love theirs as well. I'd recommend at the very least a system restore and then paying attention to what apps you install.

I have one that will happily restart itself and run my GPS down all damn day long. Got rid of it pretty quickly.

[danbee]

> My phone has never, ever, ever had a privacy issue...

Has everyone forgotten about CarrierIQ?

[drivebyacct2]

That was on a small subset of phones and was placed on by specific carriers and manufacturers. But yes, I did forget.

[danbee]

I seem to remember it was on most Android phones, and sent quite a lot of data back to the carriers.

[drivebyacct2]

Nope. Look again. Almost nothing was transmitted to carriers. The big scare was the on-phone log. It was only Sprint and a handful of HTC devices.

[mzuvella]

Are you kidding me? The iOS App Store makes 10x Google Play or whatever it is called these days.

Galaxy Nexus...that crap was obsolete the day it came out...isn't there a Galaxy Nexus S 3 Super S v2 out by now?

[drivebyacct2]

>iOS App Store makes 10x Google Play

What does that have to do with the usability of my device? In terms of the app store, I can click a button on my browser and by time I've turned the screen on on my phone, it's done downloading.

>that crap was obsolete the day it came out

What on Earth are you talking about? The Galaxy Nexus (esp since it has ICS) rolls with any of the big dogs in terms of performance (in raw numbers, let alone actual day-to-day usage)

>Galaxy Nexus S 3 Super S v2

Uh, Samsung's rumored to be announcing the S3 in the coming weeks. Like 6 months after the Nexus and a year after the SII. So a pretty typical product upgrade cycle. What's your point anyway. That doesn't make the Galaxy Nexus obsolete.

(it's fun to watch these comments flip back and forth as people come through and downvote in masse)