Looking for input on moving to Android

[waynelang2001]

Personally I think the Note 2 it an amazing device, I do have pro's and con's for it.

Pro's:  large screen
          vibrant colours and contrast
          s pen
          intergrates perfectly with a gmail account
          very customisable
          excellent battery life

Cons:  amoled screen has been known to burn in
          screens colours are not accurate
          s pen sometimes doesnt work as it should ( my brother has it, and many other people have this issue )

All in all I dont see how you could go wrong with the note 2, I do prefer apple products mostly for there build quality and massive app selection. Google is catching up though.

The trouble with the google app store is that not all apps will work with every google device.

Just my  [2cents]

 

[joraft]

The device in question has a superb camera, IMO  better than my girlfriends iPhone 5 (she's also a professional photographer with a degree I am photography).

A friend of mine recently emailed me some photos of his latest project. He has a full frame Canon DSLR, so his photos always look great. I was very surprised when he told me these latest photos were shot with his brand new Samsung Galaxy Note II. I didn't realize that cell phones were now capable of this level of photo quality.

I don't care much about features and apps on my cell phone, but I'm thinking about getting the Samsung just to replace my great little Sony Cybershot. Then I'd have only one device to carry around.

 

[BMH]

I just upgrade from a IPad 1 to a IPad mini. Perfect size and I can see myself in the future dropping the IPhone for a cheap phone and using the mini for everything thing else. Platform stability is very important to me and the Android Eco system is not always compatible with each other. I suspect that in the next couple of years this will be addressed by google and the real competition will start.

 

[mhadler]

No offense, but I am shocked that you work in the software industry if you believe that the Apple ecosystem is "bulletproof virus wise" and is a "walled garden".  It's 2013, not 1998.   I work in software security for one of the largest software companies in the world (not Microsoft) and this just not accurate.

[/quote]
Relative to the world of Microsoft, fritter's point is true. You also have more stringent control over products that find their way into the Appstore ... maybe not bullet proof, but significantly more controlled.

Everyone is going to have an opinion on this and some will contain bias - often for reasons that don't correlate to general market opinions. Haters and minorities are always louder regardless of which camp.

We should forget about comparing apple and android and ... whatever else, start with your critical business needs - if you can only solve them with one device's technology then decision made! Other than that - try one for a while - whatever it is you want.

[/quote]
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Kev, This is also not true anymore.  The only reason why Mac's didn't get a lot of viruses in the past was because they weren't targeted due to their small market share.  If you're a hacker, you aren't going to bother wasting your time writing viruses that target such a small user base.   With the explosive growth of Apple, they are now a target just like any other Windows based machine.   In fact, with the frequency of Windows 7 updates and more automated update procedures, Windows machines are actually as secure if not more secure than an Mac.   You can google this if you don't believe me.   It's amazing how long perceptions and myth's tend to last.

On another note, this was about Android vs. Iphone, not Windows vs. Mac.

 

[builderbob]

I appreciate all of the input!  I knew this would become a diversified conversation. After all, I am looking for people's opinions.

As you can see in the photo...my obvious draw is size. I do have an iPad mini wifi which I connect to my phone as a hotspot. So I do have the capabilities...it's just not as simple as pulling out your phone, all in one, kinda deal!

After having the phone from lastnight into today I've found that I'm not prepared to just jump in head first. I'm very integrated into iCloud & all services apple. I was so frustrated this am that I contacted att and put the iPhone back in service for now.

What I'm probably going to do is keep the phone for a week or two and see if I can mess with it to be able to do what I need it to do for me. The leap is big to flip from one os to another or juggle the two. I am very happy with the way the ecosystem works for me, so I'm not trying to abandon what I have. I know the iPhone can feel "dumbed" down which is why I know that it does just work for me.

The whole repurchasing apps part could suck a bit but is doable.

Thank you again for your input...please keep it coming as I am still interested in hearing from anybody!

I'll let you know what happens!

Bob

 

[GhostFist]

Well looks like you have them both now to play around with so the best judge is going to be you. Having a lot on I cloud and owning an iPad I can see as being a drawback trying to dovetail a Note into the system. I'll see if I can dig anything up to help in this regard. If you have any user specific questions feel free to drop me a pm.

 

[builderbob]

Well looks like you have them both now to play around with so the best judge is going to be you. Having a lot on I cloud and owning an iPad I can see as being a drawback trying to dovetail a Note into the system. I'll see if I can dig anything up to help in this regard. If you have any user specific questions feel free to drop me a pm.

Thanks ghost!  I do appreciate that!

Bob

 

[GPowers]

I know how you feel. I was strongly looking at switching from an iPhone 4s to a Galaxy SIII. But in the end I went with an iPhone5. I was thinking to myself I'am buying the iPhone 5 for all the WRONG reasons.

1. Did not want to buy all the apps again
2. Had to learn a new OS
3. Loss of  all the default integration with Apple TV and Airport express music streaming (aks the apple eco system)
4. wanted to be on the same OS and my wife to help her with problems
5. settling for a mediocre product

not like all the reason I bought my FIRST iPhone
1. Innovative phone
2. Lots of cool apps
3. Great phone
4. Great camera
5. Just a great product

 

[CarolinaNomad]

I followed the same path gpowers except for upgrading. Which will be soon because I lack screen size. I'm looking to solve the same problem OP has with my next phone upgrade.

However, those google glasses could be the game changer for me.  I'm pretty sure the glasses won't work as well as it would with an android device.

 

[Bikeboy80]

+1 for the Note II

I have had an android phone for the last few years and an iPad for almost two years. When I looked at upgrading back in December I was 99% sure I wanted to get an iPhone because of how much I like using the iPad. I went to the store and "played with the Five and was so underwhelmed, I already knew how everything worked. There was just nothing new to me.
I picked up the Note II and played with it. I started to figure new things out about it's functionality and it just felt the way a the next generation of product should feel!

Now that I had it for two months I love it. I use the spen with the S note app for every job I estimate, allowing me to embed pictures and write dimensions and notes right on them. I also take these notes and send myself a PDF copy along with any subcontractors to explain projects.

I would consider the pictures just average. Still objects are good, fast moving 2 year olds... Not so much. But again it is a phone, it works for me most of the time.

I really like having the larger screen, just about everything is easier to do and see. Using navigation on it is really nice. One handed operation of the phone is not the easiest, but I have gotten used to it.

Syncing: Google for contacts, mail and calendar. Dropbox for file access and photo/video upload. Amazon MP3 player for my music. All work seamlessly.

Google Voice works very well, maybe even better then Siri.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[builderbob]

Well friends,

I sat down with the note 2 on Sunday night and basically fell in love. I was able to grab all of my commonly used apps and only needed to purchase 3 so far...Tapatalk, My Measures & I took the opportunity to puchase Buildcalc. As I was going through the iphone I realized how many unused apps I've accumulated over the years.

I was able to get my apple mail up and running with push notifications on K9 mail.  I haven't decided which browser I favor yet but the features are a pleasant enjoyment for me.

This device will allow me to not need an ipad for much but I'll continue to use my Macbook Air and the combo seems to be fantastic!

I appreciate all of the input!

Bob

 

[GhostFist]

Sweet! let me know if you come across any cool apps!

 

[peter halle]

News Flash - He went back to his iPhone after all this.  [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh] [doh]

Peter

 

[builderbob]

My A vs A saga continues. I've been dubbed wishy washy Bob from a few friends due to this back & forth. If AT&T were to charge me each time they've given me a new SIM card I wouldn't even be able to afford bags for my CT 22!

So it seems Steve Jobs & Co have a mysterious way of keeping the leash short!

I spent a solid week with the android, purchased some apps replaced all the free ones too. I went back to my iPhone 5, MacBook Air & iPad mini. Basically, I LOVED the Note 2 & it's capabilities. The issue that I had was that to me, android felt clumsy. Coming from an ecosystem that works well for me, I wasn't able to enjoy the way that I had to achieve tasks.

I was able to get my apple mail syncd through a great mail app called Aqua Mail (I recommend to any droid user).

At the end of the day, I went back to what was most comfortable for me and what I'm heavily invested in (device wise).

I did purchase an app at the google store that was $20...I contacted the dev, explained that I went back to apple and he sent me a code for his same app on iOS...that was really awesome!

Also, Tapatalk on droid was way better than iOS, but again that's the wishy washy side of me!

Ghost, hopefully you'll still like me! 

Bob

 

[GhostFist]

Haha of course, all is good. Different strokes for different folks. I guess it's all what you're used to. I've been on android for a while now and I find ios clumsy. I just get frustrated with apple's one button nonsense, and I can't type on an iPhone without my hands deforming into pain claws. I'm just used to android. There's no wrong answer just what's right for you.

 

[builderbob]

Haha of course, all is good. Different strokes for different folks. I guess it's all what you're used to. I've been on android for a while now and I find ios clumsy. I just get frustrated with apple's one button nonsense, and I can't type on an iPhone without my hands deforming into pain claws. I'm just used to android. There's no wrong answer just what's right for you.

I was messing w ya! 

I did like the "more than one button" mentality. I guess apple devs are forced to make up for that by having to have all functions on screen. Must be a challenge to be a dev for both platforms!  My hands are smaller, so typing isn't that uncomfortable...in fact I do all of my phone typing in portrait mode!  Having said that, I would appreciate a larger iPhone...even S3 size would be nice!  Here's to hoping!

Bob