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Switching back to the iPhone 5: Why the HTC One grass wasn't greener
"Tried the HTC One for 2 weeks and have decided to stick with iPhone 5"
Of all the recently launched phones, the HTC One is perhaps the one that's most desirable to iPhone users, what with its Apple-like use of aluminum, and its beyond Retina display. It shares much that makes the iPhone so popular -- fantastic design, exceptional hardware, and incredible build quality. That might be why Android Central Forums member fettym took a leap of faith, put down the iPhone 5, and went off to try the HTC One. Two weeks later, however, and fettym is back on the iPhone 5. According to the post on Android Central Forums, here's why:
- Couldn't get phone to work well with car which is important to me, petty, I know
- I use an Otterbox and it made it near impossible with one hand
- I find the iPhone Camera to be better quality as I like zooming further than HTC would allow
- Too much clutter, IE Blink Feed and Gallery
- I like the way Mac/iPhone/iTunes sync seamlessly
- Battery was weak compared to what I'm used to in regards to lasting time and charge time
The strengths, and some of the 'marketed features' of the iPhone, such as one-handed use, are often mocked. But here, we see a real-world user frustrated at not being able to use the HTC One with one hand. Even with a case on, the iPhone remains manageable one-handed.
Battery life, seamless syncing between the Mac and the iPhone, and the less 'cluttered' experience of iOS also come out on top. These are all important parts of an enjoyable mobile experience. Once you've had something so good, it's almost impossible to live without. Personally, I've not used a HTC One on a day-to-day basis, but I know that the iPhone 5 battery lasts me way longer than the one on my Nexus 4 ever did.
It looks like fettym has started off a great discussion. There's also folks joining in who've made the switch and decided to stay, and that's fine too. But we want to hear from you guys. Have you switched to another platform only to come back? What made you take the risk and try something new in the first place? What is it about the iPhone that just drawing you in over the deluge of competing devices?
Leave a comment below, or dive into the iPhone 5 Forum here on iMore and share your thoughts!
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Reader comments
Switching back to the iPhone 5: Why the HTC One grass wasn't greener
I personally hate the argument that the iPhone is "perfect for one handed use". While I don't doubt it is for you but it's not for me. I'm 6' 3" with large hands for a person of my size. I have grown relatively custom to working with one hand on my iP5 but when I need to use my phone in situations where I'm wearing gloves (I need to work in clean rooms occasionally), the smaller size is a huge disadvantage. To each his own but to lump everyone in as having an iPhone is the phone to use with one hand is simply incorrect. I love Apple and the iPhone but I really need a bigger phone....
Maybe he got by because we didnt have iPhones or smart phones then. Sorry, but... Duh.
Thats's what jPilla was saying, dumb phones are smaller and have even smaller buttons, so how did he get by then? I'm sure he took off his gloves, but really?
Thats like saying a television is too dark for HIM specifically, when he wears a welding mask.
But I'd understand if his naked fingers were still too big, completely understandable. however thats not the globally estimated finger type
I understand j7469. I personally don't have large hands, but I do have fat fingers. Sometimes typing in portrait mode is a pain as I need the buttons spaced a little more apart. Landscape was my answer on the iPhone 4 and 4s, but with the 5, I have trouble with landscape.
All valid complaints, but not enough to make me switch.
I don't get how that makes sense. Landscape worked for you on the iPhone 4/4s but you have problems with the larger screen on the 5? Do you mean portrait?
No, I mean landscape. I will go over it again. Portrait is too tight because I need more space. Landscape on the 4 and 4s was perfect. Now that the 5 is longer but not wider, I still have the portrait problem of it being too cramped, but now landscape is a little too far apart for comfort.
I have at fingers and I find that the 5 is way better than the 4. As for Android I use to have a few different Android phones at work and typing on those was no piece of cake. Everyone I know that has an Android phone does the same thing I did. "." instead of spaces between words. I have a friend that changed to an SIII and first time he text me my response was when did you get an android phone. He asked how I knew and told him.
You know I recently moved from iPhone after being there from the start and the first thing I did with the note 2 was look for iPhone keyboards on the market.
Fortunately there are a few and I was able to feel at home again but I do totally agree with you most android keyboards don't work anywhere near as nice as the iPhone one.
Swiftkey is so much better than the Iphone keyboard
I recently switched from an iPhone to an HTC One and surprisingly I did not like the larger keyboard on the One as much as the iPhone. However, I installed Swiftkey and it trumps both of them.
Swype is awesome, too. Wish it was on iPhone. It, and links to artist or album or songs in a music app were better than iPhone, even iOS7. But iOS 7 does improve the experience some, and overall, there is no comparison (for me) in the the more professional performance of iOS phones from 4 on up, all of which get upgraded, unlike the poor Androiders who are at the whim and mercy of their phone company for upgrades. Swype wasn't worth that!
So what is your excuse when they come out with a 5" phone? What will you say then? LOL
That a 5" screen is the perfect size, of course. Just as a 3.5" screen, that weird 4" screen and everything else Apple decides to do is perfect.
Frankly, I'd love to see Apple come out with a 5" screen by simply stacking another inch on top of the 4" one. The thing would be about as long as thin as a Hershey's bar, but it would offer an additional two rows of icons!
In a couple of weeks, I'll have something -- anything -- other than an iPhone. That laughably tiny screen on my iPhone is one of the many reasons to move on to something else.
Valid point mate... And I have a friend or two that have complained about the same with the iPhone... Nothing can be designed to be perfect for everyone. But it's the majority of the users that defines the design aesthetics, IMO.
I loved my S3 while I used it and still call it a great phone... It was difficult for one-handed use sometimes but most of the times I was able to make do.
iPhone 5 left a bit to be desired with its design but it is still the best iPhone.
You may be right in saying "it's incorrect to lump everyone in as having an iPhone is the phone to use with one hand" but you may also say you don't speak for everyone. I'm not so sure that in this case "everyone = every person on the planet". Smaller dimensioned phones play a bigger part in a one handed situation, except maybe with 6' 3" Jack in the bean stock hands. Thats not a "mine is better than yours thing". It's fact (or maybe just obvious).
I agree with you (always had that opinion). I will get the next iPad mini with cell to be used away from my computer as a data device for maps, reading and larger internet consumption. My iPhone is a strongly used one handed phone with abilities. My iPhone will never be a tablet (i.e. Galaxy Note).
It's completely fair. There are other factors involved that affect battery life, like processor efficiency, power consumption by the screen, etc. These are visible immediately, regardless of usage.
I had an iPhone 4 on sprint thinking (as an android fan) that I would get better battery life because..well people said the iPhone battery was amazing but I learned that it dies pretty fast if not faster then more of the other phones I have owned. I haven't had an iPhone 5 but my mother in law has one and says the battery life is good so maybe things have changed.
A while ago I switched from iPhone 4 to Samsung Galaxy S2. The Galaxy felt cheap to me and I only lasted a month. Went back to iPhone 5. I have apple everything (Mac, iPad, iPhone, etc.) but now I have an HTC One and love it. It doesn't feel cheap like the Galaxy and I'm happy with the ability to customize my phone more. Will probably have another iPhone in the future, but for now I'm loving my One.
I want to switch from the 4s to the HTC one. I have a Macbook and I was wondering if you have had any problems switching over and still using iTunes, your contacts, mail, etc.
So far I'm loving the HTC one vs. my old iPhone4. The only downside so far is that it's a bit right handed. Once I found a good podcast app, I've had no regrets.
I don't dislike android, but I dislike HTC's button and UI changes. I like the totally button-less concept for Android. Why HTC decides to add physical buttons I don't know. Also, while I like to customize parts of a phone, I prefer not to have to have a base and add to it, not have to try to take sense, touchwiz, etc, away.
Because it makes for an interesting discussion. iMore is a community. Anyone here can make a forum post and, if it's interesting and prompts a great discussion, we'll blog it over any Digitimes rumor, any novelty app, or any kickstarter imaginable.
Hopefully we get more posts like this. If not, we're all failing.
You could've started the same discussion by choosing a previous IPhone user who switched and stayed, and it would seem less like baiting. As a follower of both iMore and Android Central, I see far more of these types of "discussion starters" on here than on AC.
I follow both also & I think there are more of these discussions on iMore because there's a bit less news to report since there's only 1 iPhone a year. AC has a lot more to report on as far as phones go. Just my 2 cents
What difference does it make, man? It's a great topic regardless of someone choosing a previous iPhone user who didn't switch and stayed.
Not necessarily the case... I've seen similar posts at AC as well as WPC and CB.
And of course given that this is a community focused on the iPhone, they wouldn't be posting about someone who switched over from the iPhone and stayed. That's taken care of by the other communities... One thing that I've appreciated about Mobile Nations is that they aren't blindly fanboys of their individual platforms but also appreciate what others are doing... I've read about the HTC One (in a positive light) on iMore once or twice, I've read about iPhone apps and such on CB, and so on...
See? I like that. Seeing and reading the same Apple rumors across 10 tech sites is tiring and annoying. I see them all the time when using Flipboard. When a new screen or casing for an unreleased iProduct comes out, EVERY tech blog has a post about it. Original posts like these are the reason I only read certain blogs.
Not rude at all, but see how much reader engagement and discussion we've got going on?
That's why we write stuff like this :)
I'm a bit jaded toward HTC with the experiences I had with the EVO 4G after the Gingerbread update. My two year upgrade comes up in October. While I find the HTC One to be impressive, it's not on my radar as a phone I could live with for two years. Waiting to see what the Note 3 and next iPhone have to offer.
I recently switched from the iPhone 5 to the HTC one, I love it, I was unhappy with the UI on the iPhone, I've had the last 3 iPhone and I was so bored. I still have apple products at my house but with the HTC sync manager I found syncing to be easy and seamless, all you have to do is turn on the power save option and Battery life is great, you don't notice any decrease in performance, I went 2 days with moderate to heavy usage
I actually switched from the iPhone 5 to the Galaxy Note II. I lasted about 2 days. I originally switched because I can't stand the screen size of the iPhone 5. Being a "two thumb" typer, the narrow size of the iPhone is growing old. I also like to see more of the web, and the Note II seemed to fit the bill. However, the Apple ecosystem is so strong it makes switching a nightmare. Android and Mac just don't play as nice as iOS, and the lack of a cohesive sync (iCloud) started to bug me immediately. I also found the quality of apps on Android to be bad ports of iOS; many games and apps like Scorecenter or MLB at Bat 13 just look crappy compared to iOS. I still would love to see a larger iPhone but I won't take the plunge into Android to get that experience. As I mentioned to a friend who was thinking of switching to an S4, if you have a Mac and an iPad stay with the iPhone.
While I agree with most of your post, iCloud is one of the features I rarely use. I have always used, and still prefer, Dropbox. I'm not saying iCloud isn't useful, but Dropbox is a solution for "cohesive sync."
It really depends on what eco system you are using. If you use Google stuff, Mail, Drive, Latitude, +, etc... the Android and the Mac can sync quite well. Google+ will auto upload your pics (like Apple camera roll), Gmail of course will work on almost every device, also if you use the Chrome browser on your Mac you get all that sync stuff as well.
Now sure, if you want to use iCloud, iTunes Match, etc... Apple products play best in this sandbox no doubt. Apple designs their services for only their devices. Funny thing, I bet if Apple created an Android version of iMessage it would be THE chat/SMS app. Blackberry is trying this with BBM, but I think they are too little too late.
I'm trying to make the iPhone 5 / HTC One decision myself right now too. I've had the iPhone 5 for a week now, and it is a great device, the OS works very well although it does miss alot of the customization you get on Android, hello, Widgets apple! (maybe iOS 7 will copy this aspect of Android they way the smartly copied the notification draw.)
I'm really considering returning it and trying the HTC One for a bit as well. Assuming I can find a nice return policy like apple has 30 days, no question, no restocking fee... that shows me Apple has faith that people will like their stuff.
I had a 4s for 2 years and loved it. thought it was amazing, upgraded to a note 2 and found the ecosystem change too hard to adjust to. took it back for an iphone5. did alot of thinking and i missed the note 2's features and screen size. i sold it on ebay and bought a note 2 display model.
I like the ability of android app integration, something IOS just cant match. android allows its apps deeper integration into the OS, such as taskr, and car home ultra. i would love for IOS to be able to let me use triggers such as bluetooth and wifi to start automated tasks.
when i start my car my entire phone automatically is ready, carhome ultra loads automatically without doing a thing.
I will say that i am a heavy apple user, ive had 2 ipads, a mac, several iPods. I miss alot of the apple ecosystem. but i love the freedom and functionality of android. IOS7 is a great start and im eagar to see how the new multitasking works, as far as allowing apps to run fully in the background.
I went from an iPhone 4 to the HTC ONE and no regrets. One hand is no problem, love the larger screen, like Blink Feed, great camera, Zoe is cool, love the customization ability. I do think battery is a bit weaker, a few iapps I would like, and a few other things that bug me, but overall very happy with the ONE.
I bought the htc one last week,but I only lasted two days with it,i will say its a great phone I really liked it,but I too need a one handed phone,plus the power button placement on the one is ridiculous,i walk a lot so I can use siri to change music,make calls and text,while my iphone is in my pocket,when I put my sim back in the iphone I swore id never try another phone again ,its just so perfect for me,my girlfriend has the one now she loves it, cant wait for ios 7,bring it on...
After a number of Android phones on T-Mobile (most HTC phones) I was getting tired of all the OS fragmentation. And, being left in the cold every two weeks when a new phone showed up with a newer version of the Android OS on it. My last Android phone was the Galaxy S3... a very nice phone, but I had already gotten tired of Android and needed to make a switch.
Lucky for me T-Mobile had just introduced (officially) the iPhone 5. I decided to dive into the pool. Glad I did. I am enjoying this phone more than I expected. It is simple; does what it is supposed to do and is not overloaded with bloat ware. The screen is amazing and the camera takes great pictures for a phone. Accessing the Internet is very fast on 4G or Wi-Fi with Safari and it renders very well. As I said, I am very pleased with my move and will stick with this phone for at least another year... we'll see what the iPhone 6 brings!
Grasping at straws now, aren't we?
Richard Devine is very credible, so I don't understand why he wrote such a pointless piece.
I would assume he felt like it.
See how much discussion we've started from the readers?
That's why we post items like this :)
Inspired discussion, yes, but so sad in a way that a lot of it is unhappiness. If someone likes a phone for a reason, others will be mad if that persons ideals conflict with their own. Seems no one is ever happy with what they have or happy with what others appreciate.
I'm not perfect or casting stones, I wish my iPhone 5 had a 5 inch screen, but I assume that even I would at some point complain about one handed usage. I complain a lot that apple hates gamers and refuses to give us gaming controller API for ios devices, let alone a controller.
I think the One is a wonderful phone when I tried it at sprint, but I'm an ios guy.
I had an iPhone and am now with my new HTC One. My small hands have no problems at all with the One. The camera is far better than reported, the speakers are extraordinary beyond description. Blinkfeed is actually very useful and cool. Finally, the design of this thing makes the iPhone 5 look like a little box. And I loved the iPhone 5.
I wonder how many switched just because of the design (and perhaps larger screen), and not because of Android or Sense. All the reviews of the One that I read, especially ones comparing it to the S4, mostly praised it for it's aluminum design and great build quality over anything else.
I purchased the One to test drive it for a weekend. The reviews were so great and the size looked just about right. It was a very good piece of hardware, but not enough to make me want to hang up the iPhone and switch to android. All the great things about the One are well documented. However, for me, when typing in landscape mode, the keys weren't any farther apart than the iPhone 5, so no advantage there that I was expecting, and the volume keys are not tightly integrated to the hardware like the iPhones, causing a constant unwanted volume up/down while typing in landscape. That for sure was a deal breaker as I switch to landscape right away for email/text and web entry. My experience on the Iphone is still superior in that respect. I also thought there might be a tighter, seamless integration of my gmail and google products that I use all the time. Again, the experience wasn't any better than iPhone. I'm one of those people that get along just fine with the native mail app on iPhone, and Chrome and all my synced bookmarks/gdrive work just fine on the iPhone. If I went with the One I felt I would be giving up that very nice relationship between the iPhone and my mac. I use Face Time and iMessage quite a bit while on the mac. As awesome as the One is, smoking fast, good hardware, sleek look, its not enough for me. I'll stick with apple for a while. Everything is a tradeoff, there is no perfect smartphone, or computer for that matter.
I just returned the HTC One after a week and went back to my iPhone 5. Why? Because of the battery life, long charging intervals, quality of apps, and or lack of them, no physical home button, camera quality, the One's weird photo gallery layout, nothing in the UI is consistent, and its size. The HTC One is too big to use with one hand. It can be done, but you have to constantly adjust the phone in your hand to properly use it with your thumb.
I found myself bored with this phone after a couple of days. As a matter of fact I kept picking up my iphone 5 to get things done. The iphone felt faster and more polished. I missed airplay and iTunes vast library of media.
The One is a beautiful device and this is why I was willing to give it a chance, but I personally don't think that Jelly Bean is as smooth as iOS 6. The iPhone 5 just checks all the boxes for me. I thought that the grass was greener on the other side because of my five year affair with the iPhone was starting to bore me, but my brief Android experience taught me that Apple puts more thought into the user experience. I can now appreciate that. That's why I came back.
Yeah, that's the thing about Android devices, lack of consistency in the UI...
I myself is an iPod touch 5g carrying, recent Windows Phone convert, coming from Android only usage for more than a year, and a few months with iPhone before that.
I do like the design of HTC One, but I want to stay away from the OS, Android, for now.
Aside from consistency it was also about performance/fluidity of the interface, both WP8 and iOS win over Android, and I've used Android device with better spec than my current Lumia 620 and iPod touch 5g.
Same here.
Switched and have had no regrets ever. Owned iPhones starting with the 3. My wife who had constantly bagged Android for lack of ease is considering it as well. My biggest issue has been battery life, but downloading an app to optimize it has fixed that problem. I can see having difficulty using it one handed, but I have large hands so an iPhone was too small for me almost. Both are great phones and each have their market. Loyal iPhone people won't usually change (most of my friends) since it's a good product but I'm admittedly an Apple hater but it doesn't mean Iwwon't give credit when it's due. I feel Apple is stagnant and once (if) they can stay ahead of the curve, I'd probably go back. I get the best phones in the market regardless of brand. Up until recently, that has been Apple, but I think their time has passed. I know people say the integration with Google isn't any better than an iPhone.. that's just a lie. This thing is so well integrated it almost scares me haha. I hated iTunes and is why I used MediaMonkey.. way better media control IMO and it's even easier with the One. Like I said, everyone had what works best for them but I have to say the One quite literally is the one for me and I couldn't be happier. Hopefully this will keep HTC around a bit longer!
Well I have to say I've been a die hard android no matter what kind of phone... had this iPhone 5 for about 4 months never been happy about a phone cell or land I'm hard as they come on a phone physically and mentally (I have a lifeproof case ) but anyways this bad boy hangs with me all day there's no bunch bloatware there comes with any android it seems these days don't get me wrong the totally open source is nice but way to much that's why google has a hard time keeping its s**t together it amazes me that apple even considered letting google anywhere near the iPhone and to compare it to any android is beyond me ... Don't let your guard down apple they can try to mimic and clone you ...but I have to say this is one beast of a phone BBq10 you hear me...J/S
Recently sold my 5 and got an optimus g. My main reason for leaving is battery life. My iPhone would die so fast. If this was, say 2006, I wouldnt go to android, but they are a different beast now. This is not the same experience. I would have loved a Windows phone but the apps need to catch up
As I read the article followed by the comments, I found that you guys mostly interested in the screen size, even though I feel that you are right in going with the bigger screen size, but what I don't want to see is 2 iPhones releases (as rumored) which follows the idea of bigger screens better hardware or a screen as big as a whiteboard.(as a max. 4.5-4.7 inch is the best)
For some size really matters. Certainly when it comes to the size of the screen that seems to be the case more and more often.
I haven't personally had the chance to switch. Though I have spoken with a couple of Friends in the UK.
One had an iPhone 4S and switched to the Samsung Galaxy S3 after switching to Apple. She said that she just felt used to Android and never felt comfortable with the switch. She has considered switching to the HTC One.
Her partner was an iPhone user, I remember him persuading me to switch from Blackberry to Apple! I did make the switch. He remained an iPhone user until the launch of the HTC One. The reason he initially gave was that he needed a larger screen because his eyesight has deteriorated and he's just too vain to wear his glasses. He has actually said that he wouldn't go back to an iPhone because the screen size is too small.
We were talking and I pointed out to him that I would change but I have so much invested in paid app, bought music and bought books through Apple. Something that he and his partner had never done.
The interesting thing was that he doesn't seem as devoted to the HTC as he had stated saying that hopefully there would be a larger screen version of the iPhone by the time my contract expired. Even though I had pointed out to him that I use an iPod in the car these days rather than connect the iPhone and still use an iPad and Apple TV both of which allow me easy access to the music I have on iTunes.
In fact I a few other friends have ported across their iTunes music across to their Android devices quite successfully and he was visiting when they did it and knows it is possible which leads me to suspect that really screen size seems to be everything these days.
Though of course we could say that have a huge screen is merely a replacement for the lack of a huge...lol
Well I really do share your point of view, someone as you who have paid money in the Apple store, or even someone who is taken by the iOS ecosystem, it is not easy for you to switch, but it also depends on why should I switch??
For me Android is still in the beta version, may not be true sentence, and it needs improvements(for example the Java engine which the cause of lag) and I think it needs some shave to get you the feel of a mature OS. I don't think that buying a high end device and after using it for couple of weeks, you can't answer your phone call because of the lag!!!!! (Am I right??), but still, what Android offers is the nearest example to your everyday computer needs!!!
So even the matter of the screen size nor the quality is the main things that drives you out of an ecosystem or makes you in.
I have an iPhone 5 on Verizon, but after I lost my jailbreak I decided to give AT&T a try and went with the One. I find the battery life to be phenomenal compared to the iPhone 5. I may have a bad 5, but my battery will go down 10% an hour after I take it off the charger when I'm not even using it. If I didn't have it plugged in constantly it would be dead in 6 or 7 hours (I've got another coming because the hotspot feature didn't work, so we'll see how the new one does). I really like the One's design. The speakers are amazing (for phone speakers). I agree 100% with the annoyances of getting Android and Mac to play nice. I pretty much gave up trying and just use the iP5 for media. Android isn't that great IMO, but at least I can flash some ROMs and get my "jailbreak" fix that way. I also forwarded my iP5 to the One and am able to use a call blocker app to filter out all the SPAM calls I get (don't contribute to political campaigns, my friends), which was the best feature I had with my iP5 jailbroken. If they make an iPhone this size with this kind of battery life I'll ditch this thing in a heartbeat and be back to one phone. For now I'm going to double dip (I realize not everybody can do that) and have the best of both worlds. In the future I may even keep the second line and get a cheapo android just for the call blocking. I really hate spam.
I tried the One for 3 days and I just couldn't get used to blink feed and other features that may feel great to a regular android user but was totally inefficient for me. I think it's a nice phone for someone else especially if your looking for a larger screen size but I love my compact iPhone 4S more!
Being able to use you're phone in the car is not petty to me.
for nearly 8 years i've used an ipod or iphone as my car stereo through a cable and aux input. In fact, the fact that my car came prewired with aux input and was a big factor in the car i bought. I ruled out any car that didn't have a way, somehow to play music off an device. it doesn't have a full fancy interface built into the car but i didn't want one. I listen to audiobooks during long drives and knock out tons of books just commuting. I don't listen to local radio but rather subscribe to about 35 podcasts and i play them in my car daily. Plus, i'm in Cali where it's a car culture so i'm in my car a lot.
side note: saw the one today at best buy but it wasn't on so i couldn't test it.
My iPhone 5 will most likely be my last iPhone. I'm planning on switching to the S4 (stupid Verizon most likely won't get the htc one). I love the one handedness of the iPhone but a larger screen would be very nice. There are a few games that I will definitely miss. Clash of clans is one of them but I can still play on my iPad. The big reason I am switching is I NEED widgets. Not just want. I run a business and I need something on my screen telling me what I have to do for that day. I know Jonny Ive is revamping iOS, but regardless, I'm ready for android again.
Back in October 2012, I switched from using an iPhone 4S to a Samsung Galaxy S3. I had an iPhone 3G, 4 and 4S. My wife and my daughter are still iOS users. I am a Windows user so I wasn't fully a part of the Apple ecosystem like other iPhone users.
I have made the full adjustment to the Android world from iOS after 7 months.
1)widgets are the bomb
2)Nova launcher is amazing.
3)S voice, Google now
4)mail droid pro
6)custom LED notifications for emails, voice mails, text messages
7)Google music player
8)Google apps integration into Android phones.
9)file system access
I jailbroke every iPhone I owned. What bothered me about the iPhone is that I had to jailbreak the device in order to get more features.
I am switching back to the iPhone either next month or October (with next new iPhone model). If you ever run into a hardware problem with your Android device. There's no HTC store, Motorola store or Samsung store to help you for your Android device. Your best chance for help is your carrier. I ran into a hardware problem with my S3 2 months ago. The S3 kept destroying my micro sd card. I went through 3 micro sd cards from 3 different hardware manufacturers (Sandisk, PNY and Kingston). I lost data (photos, music, videos, documents). I went to my local ATT device support center and they didn't know much about the S3. They have to support every mobile device that ATT works with. They doubted my problem. Eventually after calling ATT support, they were able to send me a replacement S3. The replacement S3 still has a problem though not as bad. I am no longer losing data on the micro SD card. It just randomly unmounts. I could be listening to a song or watching a movie and all of a sudden it stops playing. Usually, I can reboot the phone and the SD card will mount successfully. Samsung support blames the SD card manufacturers and they recommend you use a Samsung SD card. Folks are reporting SD card problems with the Samsung SD cards too.
If you want to read about the SD card problems, just do a quick google and type Samsung s3 sd card and you will see a huge list.
I would throw caution to you about switching to a Samsung Galaxy S4. If you run into a hardware problem with your S4, you will miss the Apple Genius bar experience. I had issues with my iPhone 3G (mute button broke, dead pixel). My iPhone 4 had a dead home button. My iPhone 4S kept overheating. Each time, I received excellent help from Apple Genius bar and received a replacement on the spot.
I can't speak for Motorola, HTC hardware but this is my experience with the Samsung Galaxy S3.
I too bought an HTC One M7 to test it out and see if it could replace my beloved iPhone 5. At week 1, I went through iWithrdrawl. Bearing with it, I'm into week four now and have been enjoying the HTC One. Here's why:
1. I'm 50 and the iPhone's screen is too small for me to read easily. Only the Apple apps are designed to use larger fonts
2. The build quality is very hight and it's a pleasure to hold in your hand
3. The HTC Sense user interface removes the crappy look and feel of Android and gives you a clean look. You can even choose the density of the icons on the main page.
4. Earphone jack is on the top. Yes, I like it there.
5. All the apps I used on iOS are available on Android
6. Time is displayed in big numbers (see #1 above!)
7. The User Interface is different from iOS which was getting boring for me
8. Attaching pictures to e-mails is easy. Not an afterthought in a text editing pop-up
9. Swipe to type (see #1 above!)
Overall it's been easy but not without some hiccups, that are primarily related to connecting to the Apple closed ecosystem. As a Macbook Air user (at home) and an iMac user at work, keeping all of my calendar and contacts data in sync with iCloud was important to me.
I found two applications that do exactly what I needed. One disadvantage, edits to contacts on my phone do not sync to iCloud, that's a bother. Calendar has two way sync, so no problem there.
I'm enjoying the change of pace the HTC One M7 has offered--a fresh interface, larger screen for declining vision, and a larger screen with a more forgiving keyboard.
I tried an htc desire hd android same problem lost two sd cards worth of content, Htc blamed me downloading incompatable apps what ever they are, no problems since changing to iPhone 4 & 5...android has too many handsets, too many operating systems, the result instability
It still blows my mind how people can get so offended, if you will, if someone does/doesn't like something they like/don't like. I love my iPhone and have no interest in any other phone but I don't care one bit if someone else prefers an android or windows phone. Furthermore I don't understand why someone would care that my preference is iPhone and I'm not interested in anything else. Just use what you like and don't give a damn what other people do.
I completely 100% agree with you. I am one of those people that loves both platforms (Android and iOS - to me they are the only ones because they have the best apps at present). They do similar things, yet each provides something a little different. iOS provides a cleaner look (good for my OCD), slightly better app selection, better camera, better multimedia selection, and better battery life. Android provides more fun, more tinkering (and I mean straight out of the box, not referring to rooting or jailbreaking), the ability to share anything with nearly any app, full file system access, and a greater ability to make the phone yours and not look like your 80 year old grandma's phone. But these are cell phones. These are not your children. You should not be offended if someone doesn't like yours and prefers something else. I don't get that. If someone prefers iOS or Android, makes no difference to me. Just means that's what works for you.
I had an iPhone 3G that I got pretty close to when it was released, within a few months. I had it for a year and did an early termination of my AT&T contract to get out of the iPhone. I never thought it was a bad phone, just not the phone for me. I went to T-Mobile to get the HTC G1. I was with T-Mobile for about 2 years and in that time I had the G1, the Motorola Cliq, The MyTouch, the Vibrant (Galaxy S), the Sensation, and the Galaxy Nexus. I had a slew of phones but as you can tell, I was never really happy. I did enjoy the Galaxy Nexus but it was the size that I did not care for. I recently came back to AT&T and briefly tried the Nokia Lumia 920 which was a great device but the app store was horrible. I wound up with the iPhone 5 and I love it. I've been back for about 3 months now and have no complaints. The iPhone has grown and matured a lot sense I've been gone. What I do really appreciate (and Google is supposed to be launching something similar) is the iMessage. My wife works in the basement of a hospital and has no cell reception but she does have wifi and it is nice to be able to text any way, aside from Facebook Messenger but I'd rather have it all in one app and not have to think about it. I love my iPhone 5. For reference, my daily laptop is a Chromebook generation 1, my tablet is a Kindle Fire 7" HD and I have an iPod Nano for exercise. Obviously my wife has an iPhone 5 but also a Black Macbook, and an iPad Mini and an iPod Nano.
I started off with HTC when they were the leading provider of Windows Mobile devices. Windows Mobile had been my OS of choice simply because it works better for business for me. When my employer offered me a FREE iPhone 4, I dove in. As a business user, the iPhone is very difficult to use for work. Great apps like Tempo have compensated for its lack of consideration for the business user. Same with file structure. Try attaching a spreadsheet or a PowerPoint presentation to an email on the iPhone. Accept a meeting request in iOS? Better not. It's a crapshoot as to what it will do on the other end with Exchange. I did get an iPhone 5. It was just ok. No real improvements in speed for me. My primary use of the phone is business first. When the HTC One came out, I got it right away. I am not a fan of Android, but what HTC does to keep the interface clean and simple appeals to the business user in me. I don't need apps to compensate for the lack of functionality that's already built into the UI. It's speedy, the screen is plenty big, and there isn't an app that on my iPhone that isn't in the Android store. I can store files to the device and easily attach to emails and send. I found some of the Android apps to have better functionality than that of iOS. As far as battery life, it's a toss up. Using Wi-Fi all day will sap anyone's battery - iOS or Android. To shut off Wi-Fi in iOS, it's several menus deep versus a widget in Android. The build quality is much better. For me, the HTC One is better suited for what I do most - work. When the next iPhone comes out, iPhone 6, I will definitely give it a try if it addresses file structure, access to features and bigger screen with thinner device. For me, the simpler, the better.
I switched to the HTC one as well. After just one week I decided to go back to ios. The quality of apps doesn't even compare on Android. The battery was the biggest issue for me to and the answer most people were telling me on forums was to turn off half the stuff on my phone. I have never had to do that on the iPhone. It's also so much easier to use and on Android you have to configure everything just to make the phone work right. Sure you get more customizations on Android but I buy an expensive phone to work right of the bat like the iPhone whereas on Android you buy an expensive phone and you have to do all the work to make it work right. For anyone that's thinking of switching to android will soon find themselves back on ios.
I also purchased the HTC One to test it out. I have been with iPhone since 2007 however I felt that the One was the first android phone I felt I could live with. First off transitioning using the app they provide is not as seamless as they would make it seem. I have over 12,000 songs in my iTunes library and would have to transfer songs individually as opposed to particular playlists. I also tried using Google music which sort of worked however my music was in the Google music app but not the music folder on my phone. The camera features were nice however they are not very easy to use. I had to actually watch the instruction videos to figure out how to make the features work. The remote app is nice and was able to sync it with my LG TV and DirecTV however there was no guide button and now way for me to add additional buttons and program them. SOund was great but the burden of trying to get my music on the phone was to much of a hassle. The biggest thing for me was the preloaded apps by HTC and AT&T. Android is supposed to be so customizable yet you cant even delete apps that you did not actually download. All the One would let me do is disable those apps but the remain on my phone. I could deal with the HTC apps but there were like 7 or 8 at&t apps i didn't even need.
I haven't used the One but I have bought the Nexus 4. While it was a great device my biggest complaints were horrible twitter apps compared to tweetbot and the one handed usage. I might try another android phone and the One seems to be the best bet unless a new nexus device comes out soon
The reason I stick to apple is because of the software-hardware zen. Man, you can tell they took their time. Every little detail was a conscious, researched, and well thought through decision. All these new phones have these "wow effect" features that appeal to a general audience that doesn't understand how much those features affect the overall performance of the device. I have not yet seen a phone that has such an excellent relationship between hardware and software as the iPhone. The HTC One in my opinion feels rushed. A cookie cutter, copy-paste compared to the iPhone 5.
Firstly I must say.both apple and android users use these facts to say this is why this phone/platform is better. My take is if you like something and works for you then it's perfect for you. The complaints about the HTC or android have the same flavor as complaints about apple. It's people sticking with what they like and justifying it. One handed typing for eg. Try the Swype app it's on both platforms and it's awesome. Battery life. For $20 on eBay you get a portable device that charges your phone twice. IPhone or Android.
I'm a massive HTC fan. But I credit apple for what they have done. I can honestly say nowadays in regards to apps there are very few apps that don't appear on android the apple has. Yes the functionality varies but my partner, has less functionally on the apple version of the ssme apps and vice versa. .IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT'S JUSTIFYING. I like HTC and don't want to change. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate apples efforts. I hate the company ( their suing, iTunes and business model) but respect their products I'm just stubborn and would need something drastic to change from HTC.
Apple's eco system is stable and simple. That's what they were trying to do. Android went open source and allows variation. opposite ends of the spectrum so to speak. Pro and cons to both. it's like saying white is better than black. I only choose android due to customisation abilities as I like to change. Things and play around with my phone. If you don't like to do that then apple will work better for you. Appreciate things for what they are. Yes they are both phones but are aimed at different needs. Screen are far superior on some top end android phones but does it matter? Not to most as the Screens are still good on the iPhone 5. You can clearly see the difference against the full hd screens but it doesn't matter. Only your needs master in choosing s phone. I recommend iPhones to some people and android to others as it suits their needs and I hate apple. It's not about me.
Finally Enjoy the growth of android as it keeps apple having to innovate.Android users appreciate how apple kept it simple and sold millions and millions of 1 type of phone.
both are benefiting from the competition of the other. I cannot believe what I'm seeing on smartphones these days. It's the star trek stuff I was watching in the 80s.
All empires fall , microsoft was replaced by Apple. Who will replace at the top apple? Samsung or google? But that's the nature of business.
+1 Way to put it simply. Couldnt agree more. Just replace HTC with Nexus for me... (but who cares)
I bought the 64 GB HTC One a few weeks ago. The main reason was that I was tired of my iPhone constantly sending my e-mails prematurely, before I finished typing. This happened all the time, and searching the Internet and the Forums provided no answers. I'm having to get accustomed to the HTC One's large size (one-handed operation is now difficult for me), bloatware that I can't figure out how to get rid of, and some apps (like Mail, Phone and Contacts) that don't seem as user-friendly as in the iOS. But I figure that this is mostly a matter of getting used to a new system, and that will take a bit of time. And I'm counting on the Android system to be improved with future versions. But the main factor right now is that I feel liberated that my phone doesn't send off my e-mails right in the middle, before I've finished typing!
I am really close to getting this phone but will hold off until Sept/ Oct. and see what Apple has in store because this 4S is like day-old bread.
I have had the 4, 4s and recently the 5. I always get enticed by these bigger, better specked phones and I ALWAYS come back. My poor wife is always asking why I can't keep a phone for more then 3 months at a time. My last mistake was selling my iPhone 5 to get a GS4. After a week with it I finally( and yes Finally) came to the realization that I don't want one of these 5" plus phones. When I'm out and about or on a road trip I want something that is pocket able, has good battery and the biggest( for me at least) is manageable with one hand. i always think "wow how cool would it be to have a phone with a huge screen" and then I use it on a real day by day basis and I realize they are actually kind of a pain.When I need a larger screen at this point I'll just use my iPad or my PC. Here is what Apple does great and until Android can offer the same user experience I'm going to stick with iOS
1. Group messaging. iOS does this great and its still sloppy on Android
2.COMPLETE back ups of your phone. If say for instance I loose my iPhone I can walk into Verizon purchase a new phone and have it restored to almost the exact same point to when I lost it. Android has some work a rounds for this by rooting but nothing that touches iOS.
3. Overall speed.Why in 2013 are Android phones still experiencing lagging issues, I experienced this many times in the gallery app as well as the browser, etc. When I had my GS4 I was doing some browser speed tests with my wife's iPhone 4s. For the most part loading up web pages on the same WiFi I was getting almost identical results. When you look at the specs of these two phones the GS4 should be blowing it out of the water. For whatever reasons it does not.
4.MMS. Once again this goes back to the messaging woes I experienced on Android. Now Android has tons of choices when it comes to messaging apps, but none of them were as complete as the stock messaging on iOS.For instance and this is one of my biggest gripes. When I record say a 40 second video on my iPhone I can send it via MMS to my wife's phone. Apple smartly will reduce the size of the video on the fly so that it can be sent via MMS. Android will simply not do this. It will just flat out tell you the file is too large to send. Now I realize I could try and upload it to say Dropbox and then send out a text with the link attached. I just can't figure out why Android as smart as it is would not include a simple but very useful function as this.
So there it is, this is my top four reasons why I'm currently going to stay with iOS.
I could never use an HTC One. iPhone is where it's at! The iPhone 5s is going to be awesome! I can't wait for iOS 7, too! If anyone else is looking to get iOS 7 beta, they can from http://udidreg.com. I bought from them, and they let you download iOS 7 beta, before it's released to the public!
I would have to say that the writers opinion of the hardware is spot on...... Very well designed and in my opinion better than iPhone
My life runs on a phone ...always keen to buy and test a new device as I have done with the HTC one...however at this stage I still see the ios software far superior so I will stick to my iPhone 5
I do find the battery as good as my iPhone and the fact you can now buy a MOPHIE to fit the HTC is great
Android issues as I see it
No copy and paste
The need to add apps to improve such as controlling the size of photos being emailed.....I think it wont be long and Android will catch up .....the perfect phone for me would be the HTC with ios software along with the ability to have widgets
could you stop this nonsense for a second? first of all the iphone is well designed and good but the price tag is just making me sick. The HTC one beats the iphone in nearly every aspect. Only the camera is a hesitate. Android is as far as IOS is and some manufacters like samsung are making more improvement than apple , just face it people.
I am a LONG TIME iPhone user and Apple fanboy using iPhone since the first model. I feel apple has lacked in innovation and decided to switch to the ONE. After 3 weeks with the phone now, I could not go back to iPhone. First if you are switching platforms you need to give it a couple weeks to get use to it. Secondly, setting up the device is flawless. Backup your iPhone before getting the new device, sync all your photos to your computert, export your contacts and calenders from what ever application icloud is syncing too and import it into your gmail account. Do this before getting the new device. Also download Google Music Manager and have it sync all your music in itunes to your google play cloud. Then Download HTC Sync Manager. When you get the new device, plus it into your computer (MAC or PC), by the way I have MAC, and restore from the iphone backup. You can bring over all your pics, contact, calanders, messages, ect. If you imported your contacts and calanders to gmail already no need to sync it, as they will sync when you add your gmail account to the phone. Sync what ever info from this backup. After that down load dropbox and HTC Backup. Set both up and then download your apps and customize. If you use podcasts, download BeyondPod. Other tips. When streaming music turn your ringtone sound to vibrate/silent, so that music isn't interuptted.
Google NOW KILLS Siri, except for when on headphones, they need to improve that, but in every other way it Google Now is better. Also I highly recommend swiftkey for your keyboard, its much better then stock keyboard. I also found installing notification toggle to add the option to the notification shade allows me to control power better. Also to deal with bloatware, just go to settings - apps - show all - then disable any/all at&t apps you dont use. this deletes the icons from the your app tray, and disable any other apps you don't want. Also, from your app tray you can hide the icons of the apps you don't use that you cant disable.
Those are my tips, and since I have done that, its been smooth sailing, I LOVE THIS DEVICE!!!
I just recently moved from the iphone 4 to the HTC one and I have to say. The HTC is a pretty good phone. I do like the fact that the camera works really well in low light atmospheres. I really like the way my pictures look my 65 inch samsung smart tv. Picture quality is very superb outside and inside. I do really like the fact that the pictures are very crisp compared to my iphone. Also, the bigger screen is pretty nice compared to the iphone. I used to complain to my wife that the iphone would mess up my vision after a long game play with it. The dual speakers sound very good especially playing movies on it. I also like the fact that I can use my phone as a remote control on my TV set. As far as build quality, I have to say that for an android device the build quality is excellent but not compared to the build quality of an iphone. As far as detailed I believe that the iphone has superior build quality over the HTC one. Don't get me wrong the HTC is a beautiful device but I must say comparing the buttons and headphone holes, the iphone is very precise. The iphone definitely has a superior build quality compared to the HTC. I would say that the iphone would be a top of the line rolex watch and the HTC one would be the rolex imitation. It seems as if HTC just focused on the aluminum cover but as for the plastic sits in-between the aluminum and the glass it feels cheap. The sim card tray doesn't feel as heavy duty as the iphone. (Because it is cut out from plastic the sim doesn't really fit tightly into slot - the iphone on the other hand is made of metal and when you put the tray into the iphone it has a tight fit unlike the HTC sim tray) As far as the buttons, the buttons feel flimsy and cheap to me. The HTC volume button and the top button are very loose. I feel that it will be an issue over time and will wear pretty fast, especially as a heavy user as I am. The iphone battery life to me is far better than the battery life of my HTC. I also noticed that when it is plugged to charge, the HTC doesn't really run that great when using the phone while it is plugged in. With my iphone I have no issues with the phone while it is in the charging mode. With the HTC in the charging mode I cannot access my phone's applications or even make phone calls without being glitchy. It seems as if it runs slow when in charging mode. Did any one else recognize this? This happened on both my HTC one T-mobile version and my HTC one Dev Edition. FOr the iphone of course, there are no issues when in charging mode. Phone works seamless when in charge. I do agree with most folks about the application on google. IOS apps are really well developed compared to their google counterpart. Another thing i miss on my iphone is syncing my phone. Since most of my devices are apple products I like how easy it is to sync everything through iTunes. All you information is backup so if you ever lose your phone you can always put back all your information in a new iphone including passcodes within applications etc with itunes. I just love the fact that the iphone is very user friendly... So other than that I am going to keep this phone because I do like the bigger screen, the speakers and the camera. These functions are the most important to me as for now. Would like to see this android build quality get better in due time. Can't wait to see what apple has under their sleeves in the future.
I, for one, switched from iPhone to the One X a year ago and have been extremely pleased with the experience. Found the screen size, customization options, integration of Google products, and various other aspects to be superior to what I was used to. In face, I love this phone. Nevertheless, I will be switching back to the iPhone 5.
Why? Simply, every other member of my immediate and extended family is in the iOS ecosystem. On several out of the country travels, I severely missed the ability to easily FaceTime or iMessage my family via wifi. Yes, I now there are other ways to do this, and I tried to get my kiddos on google chat, etc. (even went so far as to get them a Nexus 7 for this). But, it almost always turned into a frustrating experience. I had grown a bit tired of apple's extreme control of the iOS ecosystem, but, after a year of experience, I have found the advantage of tight integration of that entire ecosystem to be something that I appreciate a bit more, and I am willing to live with it, ... for now;)
Meh, I'm still much happier with Android and my Nexus 4.
I too was seduced by the larger screen of the HTC One and the nice clean modern style of the phone. The phone is the right size for me. BoomSound is great, and I like BlinkFeed.
However, I switched back to my iPhone because of its superior physical usability. I like the physical slider switch on the iPhone to toggle silent mode without needing to wake the phone and find the software setting. I also like the physical home button because I can pick up my phone without looking at it and orient the phone by touch (is it upside down or right side up) by feeling for the home button. I also like the physical home button as another way to wake the phone (besides the power button). I also like the raised volume buttons on the iPhone better because they are not flush with the case, they are raised, so I can feel for the buttons and adjust volume without having to take the phone out of my pocket at the gym. Additionally, the colors seem better with my iPhone. I noticed the iPhone screen brightness can be turned lower than HTC one (great for very dark environments to avoid being blinded) and also the iPhone screen can be turned up brighter than the HTC one (great for outdoors). The iPhone's auto-brightness setting is more accurate than HTC one too. I thought the HTC one was too sensitive and varied the brightness too frequently and by too much, making it very noticeable. The iPhone auto-brightness does its thing less anoyingly (more subtly and seemingly accurately for me anyway). So the physical usability of he iPhone is far superior to me. I also think the iPhone has a more solid feel. This is all based on my real world usage of both phones. My ideal iPhone would have a 4.8" - 5" screen at 1920x1200 or even 1920x1080, and the same physical quality and usability as the current set of iPhones.
Personally, I wish the iPhone 5 came with the light aluminum case but with the black front glass (instead of the white front glass).
I think HTC 1 is getting on the right track. There are not many phones that put in great amount of thought about build quality and usability. Samsung S4 is great, no doubt, but it feels cheap. I wouldnt want to get a phone which I pay 400 sterling and it feeling really cheap in my hands. Petty, maybe but it's my thing.
I think the more you get into the app eco system the harder it is to get out of it. I have been using iPhones since iPhone 3. For me the apps that I collected as well as the music, books films etc keep me rooted to iPhone. I tried Android phones before but found them inconsistent. Again, you almost have to stay with one manufacturer as their own face on the phone is unique and have their own quirks.
I wouldnt mind the 1 but I found the problem for me was that you cant just go into a stripped mode. However, that may change once they release the HTC1 with stock Android. We will see.
BTW I jailbreak my phone so I don't lose out on modifications and such. I enoy the fact that you can have a stock version working well or a jailbroken version. My 2 pence.
I don't see Apple syncing anything better than Google. I have an iPhone 5 and iPad 2 but my Nexus 7 and Chromebook are never out of step with each other. I like my iPhone 5 and with ios7 it looks like I will be interested to see how it compares to my GNex. I like to switch between the two. I wish that iOS had the use able information at a glance that android does. By the way, what is anyone doing with the other hand?
I love this article. Believe me when I say that im a fan of smartphones. I have owned every iphones, Every nexus devices, Every single high end galaxy devices Including galaxy s 1 to 4, note 1 and 2, HTC One ( twice), nokia lumia 920, Optimus G pro and the list goes on. ( I could be here for days). I love the HTC One, I think it is the best android phone out and maybe the best phone period. Right now im taking a break from android and I just re-purchased an iphone 5 ( should be delivered to me Friday). Android is my favorite mobile OS but I do love how IOS is. Performance is flawless, apps are amazing, it can be boring at times and im not a big fan of smaller screens but im really excited to take a small break from android and enjoy the many awesome things IOS has to offer.
As an iPhone user since the very first one hit the shelves in the US in 2007, I bid adieu to the iOS and switched to HTC ONE, much like you. Entirely unlike you, I find HTC ONE to be a lot greener that iOS 6 or 7 (I have the beta) and never looked back after switching to the ONE. A few specific reasons:
1. The screen size on the iPhone is simply too small for the information use of today. It was fine 2,3,4,5 years ago but not anymore. I find the HTC ONE at 4.7 inches is perfect - neither too small like the iPhone 5, nor too big like the Galaxy S4 or Xperia Z/ZL. HTC ONE is perfect ergonomically for one handed use - just my opinion.
2. As far as the cases - perhaps Otterbox was the problem? I use an incipio case and while providing ultimate protection to the phone, it's as if it's not even there.
3. My phone usage in the car actually improved, thanks to the HTC's Car Mode which automates a lot of functions that on the iPhone would still be manual or require additional steps (automatically reading out text messages as they arrive).
4. The battery sucked - for the first day. Not sure what happened, but it would overheat and die pretty quickly. Then on day 2 and to this day (it's been a month), it's held its own better than my iPhone 5, especially if I use the PowerSaver mode, though that's not required.
5. KEYBOARD - this is one area where Apple still lags ages behind and Android options are infinitely better. SwiftKey is one such solution which alone is worth going to the Android side.
6. Voice recognition - in terms of accuracy and flexibility, Android's voice recognition makes Siri look like a red-headed stepchild that can't do anything right. I gave up on Siri time and time again, but am incredibly happy with the Android version.
7. The build of the phone is excellent, much like the iPhone, but I find the aluminum to be a bit more resilient.
I am still on the fence, I like my iPhone5 and the fact that the apple ecosystem just works I am able to sync calendars with my iPad, my wife's ipad and sync contact seamlessly but have to admit that I may be a little tired of the interface and I do like the fact that the HTC one & Samsung Galaxy S4 both have bigger screens. I think I may try the HTC one since I prefer the look and feel of the phone. I know its not the end of the world just nervous about switching. Sometime I take for granted that things just work for me with the iPhone and apple products. I keep reading all of the articles and I think its great for there to be competition its what makes each of the manufactures make better products. Is there anything that you regret because you switched?
I'm late to this thread, but this is the scenario that has tempted me lately. While I haven't tried and returned an HTC One, I've given it way too much thought.
I have a 4S, which seems slower than I'd like and the battery is starting to get weaker, too. AT&T 4G is fast enough... but LTE would be better. I love the HTC One's design and big screen, and there have been a whole bunch of promotions recently which would make it cheaper. Android is a lot better than it was before, and I have been enjoying my Nexus 7's huge selection of retro game emulators. Many of my top apps (Waze, Kindle, Audible, Words with Friends, Flipboard, Pandora, Pocket, and Spotify) are on every platform.
That said, car integration is a big deal (not "petty!"). It's important to me that I continue with my wife's iPhone 4S for services like shared Reminders, Find My Friends, Find My iPhone, and iMessage. There are more, better apps in the iOS store (Tweetbot, Reeder, Downcast, Llamasoft games and many many others). I can't see the value in buying books, music, or movies from the Google Play store when I can't put them on an iPad or AppleTV. Video apps from TiVo and Amazon are cut-down and non-existent, respectively, on Android.
To say nothing of the uncertain future of HTC's products. Their management seems to be in disarray, they just discontinued software updates on the relatively recently One S, and it's completely unclear how the Google edition will work. The unlocked prices are hard to stomach.
I don't think I could be happy with even the nicest of Android phones for the period of a 2-year contract. I'm keeping my 4S until the 5S comes along.
I've started out using a none apple product as far as cellular, loved them all. Thot I was in heaven, until I got my hands on an iTouch. After which I fell in love an now I have n iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 iPhone 4S iPhone 5 iTouch second gen, and an iPad 2.
The thing I didn't like about the Samsung, Samsung s s2 s3 is the media scan wouldn't allow me to do anything until it stopped cycling. I've tried the blackberry various models, but no going back yo bb, I've had 2 devices dual sims by Astar 5000 android phone, loved it, now my Astar is a mini wifi tablet, I've even got a Samsung tab 1 & 2 and a Samsung tab phone, love them. However apple iOS keeps viruses out of their system as well as unapproved third parties operating systems, not talking about jail break, I like my iPhones unbroken.
I purchased the galaxy s4 over the iPhone 5 and it was the worst decision I made . The s4 would lag the back of the phone got very hot when charging it it was uncomfortable to hold and and have in my pocket with the otterbox on it so thankfully best buy had a 2 week exchange policy so I took it back and let me tell you I love the iPhone 5 it's comfortable to hold even with the otterbox on it and it fits in my pocket nice. The speeds are great and it don't lag or heat up while charging it unlike the galaxy s4 oh and by the way I read on the Internet that the s4 can explode while being charged .. Thank you apple for such a great phone . I would definitely recommend the iPhone 5 it's a great phone
I use a 4S still as my main phone and a VERY ageing 3GS as my second phone when travelling in which I use a local SIM from the relevant country. The 3GS is on it's deathbed now for sure BUT IOS7 will be the only IOS update that the phone will not be able to run. That's four years of free, timely updates. Sure certain aspects of the IOS functionality the phone hasn't been able to use but that would be the same with any phone that a manufacturer supported for 4 years, but who else does?
I'm desperate to replace the 3GS before it kills another SIM or before the 'Home' button gives up altogether and I really like the HTC One. But, having been bitten 5-6 years ago with the then top HTC WinMo phone that they pulled support for after just a few months, I vowed never to buy another HTC device. Maybe they will learn and support the One for longer but it's one of the main reasons keeping me away.
The other reason is the amount of money I've invested in Apple and the app store with numerous very expensive apps that I'd merely have to re-buy on Android, at considerable cost, a few hundred $ at least. There's also the issue of keeping a non IOS device in sync with the rest of the Apple devices I use (Macbook, iPad and another iPhone), esp for things like Calendar, Contacts, Notes and Mail (I mostly use iCloud now, not Gmail).
I suppose for some, switching phones from contract to contract is easier if they don't have such a legacy 'system' to consider. More so perhaps if the person already operates more within the Google ecosystem. But for me, given the expense and effort I would need to put in just trying to integrate the phone into my system, Android (and in this instance, Sense) would have to offer a CONSIDERABLY better experience that IOS and from what I've read I'm not sure it does, just different.
The things that some seem to despise about iPhones / Apple don't bother me to be honest, it's just a device. I pull it out, do what I need on whatever app and put it back in my pocket. I don't gaze at it all day, get bored with the look or layout or whatever. Likewise, the things that some seem to be attracted to Android for I'm not really interested in, can't be bothered to be honest.
For me there are other issues too, such as the lack of a dedicated mute button, battery life and the large size of the more popular Android flagships. I just don't want something that big.
I'm not overly pro Apple or anti-Android. I would actually like to try the HTC One and nearly did, or even an S4. But the cost, hassle and other issues will mean I'll likely stick with Apple and IOS, especially as the 5S/6 is so close to release now, and a cheaper plastic version which, as a second phone (and one that I'll inevitably put in a case anyway) suits me fine. And if the plastic version is not the same (or nearly the same spec) as the 5S, I'll likely go for the price-reduced 5 if it's still in the line up, at around 75% the cost of a One, contract free.
htc one really is an innovation to all phones im an htc user myself and i enjoyed it but it all comes down to a company that updates OS of all phone it sells and has a great service center that doesnt make you wait that long to fix your phone.. thats why im going for the iphone 5 and will wait for ios7 thats why apple is expensive it has great services
Apple is my love, my god and my life!
Hail to apple :) HTC is eeeevil! Apple is goood!!!! :)))
I bought the galaxy s3 last year when it first came out. About 2 weeks later u gave up and went back to iphone 4 which I had at the time. The user interface is dead on with the iphone, from scrolling on the we pages to texting. It just works so good!
Apple should start selling their operating systems to other phone manufacturers. Sometimes I wish I had a slightly bigger screen. 4.9" would seem perfect
I've been using iPhone's since day 1 although i love the quality of apple i'm also a phone repairer and when customer bring me android phones i'm like s**t phones however i recently purchased a note 2 and i found it to be a million times better than a iphone simply due their being no restrictions a lot more customisable although i find iPhones are a lot more easier to repair but software wise android will easily beat IOS. Now i have just got a HTC One last week and personally feel it is the best phone out on the market it has the same quality build as a iphone with the aluminium and glass so strong quality feeling not like cheap ass plastic samsung's and the android os just tops it all off. now going on to the speakers OMG where do i start best sound quality ever has alot more depth and clear bass not overpowering. The camera quality is also amazing in low light not really used it in daylight so cant really report on that but will do soon.
So my personal opinion being a iphone user since 6 years HTC One is the way forward will take a bit longer than usual to get used to due to the fact there being a lot more settings which can be changed and there is nothing hidden.
Suggestions download a separate launcher google it for options as it does look very cluttered stock.
I had an iphone 5 16gb and i decided to trade it for the htc one,well after 2 weeks of using it i feel like there is something missing and my daily basic needs like have been unavailable to send video through messages or do facetime with friends or relatives that haves other iphones and siri is definilty more accurate and complete iphones are more simple thats correct but thats makes them smother elegant and secure the way it handles... and now im traying to trade the htc one back to iphone 5 im not saying that the phone is bad at all but is more for entertainment and gaming u get to hear music in beats audio and play games on bigger screen
- Couldn't get phone to work well with car which is important to me, petty, I know
I have an HTC One. I have a 2013 Honda Accord. I sit down in the car, turn it on. About 15 seconds later, my music is playing from Google Play Music.
- I use an Otterbox and it made it near impossible with one hand
This is just your own damn fault. I'm sorry you want to throw a fucking safe on your phone and ruin all the hard work someone put into designing it.
- I find the iPhone Camera to be better quality as I like zooming further than HTC would allow
Too much clutter, IE Blink Feed and Gallery
No objections here. I mean, if it zooms further, that's cool. I mean, it's still gonna look like shit because who the fuck zooms on a camera on a phone...?
- I like the way Mac/iPhone/iTunes sync seamlessly
You mean like the way Google has since forever? You know, since it backs up seamlessly. Updates seamlessly. iTunes or a similar product is non-existant on Android because they know that you don't want to be restricted to mp4's, and you can easily download a program that will work in this manner.
- Battery was weak compared to what I'm used to in regards to lasting time and charge time
I don't know. I mean, I can't say what kind of usage you've had. But I generally get 1 day minimum out of mine with more than 4 hours screen time. Typically my batter will last me 36 hours. On the weekend when I'm not using it, a charge on Friday morning will last me until Monday morning.
All in all, I just think you are being overly subjective and more frazzled by the ecosystem change, than actually accepting what is different between the two. I get it, iPhones just "work". That's great. Some people want that simplicity. However, as a former iPhone user, I will only go back if their design radically changes. Right now it just pays off to have more selection from Google and the Android Manufacturers.
I've had mine for about 2 months and will be switching back to iPhone as soon as the next one comes out. I like the screen size, speakers, picture quality, and ability to use SwiftKey, but other than that I'm ready to hurl the One from my car as I rocket down the freeway. I spend my life charging it and I learned the hard way today that you cannot simply restore like an iPhone. Some HTC app I never knew existed took over my phone and I couldn't charge or sync. Turns out the USB cable was also bad. AT&T had never heard of the "Car" app (mode?) and the guy just up and reset my phone. I lost all of my text messages and call history and had to reinstall each app one by one. Thanks to iPhone, I was able to restore my texts from 2 months ago, but everything in the last two months is gone daddy gone. I had to change all my settings again and move my apps into folders. I basically wasted a day screwing around with it only to get half-ass results.
I MUCH prefer the contacts and text messaging interfaces of the iPhone. I feel like it's a journey to the top of the Himalayas just to make a phone call b/c there are so many taps that have to be made with perfect aim or you get redirected to the wrong screen and have to go back. This didn't bother me too much until I was in an emergency situation driving up the freeway at 100 mi an hour desperately trying to get ahold of people. I feel like the iPhone is more conducive to voice commands, while the One requires a lot more typing.
I also don't always get texts or notifications that I have texts. My boss texted me on Tuesday and I didn't get it til Friday when he texted me again. The order of texts really jumps around each time you open the app so you have to be VERY careful about making sure you are texting the correct person.
The music is also jacked up and makes no sense and the interface is not user friendly at all.
Let's just say there's a lot of cussing with the One. I take back every complaint I had about the iPhone. The One is not more customizable than the iPhone. e.g. I was told making your own ringtones was sooooo easy but I have yet to figure out how to make a single one. I just get error messages when I try to use the apps.
I also did not think about the fact that you lose all your apps when switching from iTunes. I cannot bear to part with my old iPhone because I spent money on those apps and I might switch back and don't want to lose them. I also could not transfer important voicemails that I need for a court case.
Overall, I'm not impressed and I think all those Android users who think they're better than iPhone users have NEVER USED AN IPHONE!!!! I now look at them like old fogeys who are just too afraid or poor to switch to Apple/Mac products.
The texting delays have nothing to do with a device. They are dependent on your carrier. And it is not accurate to state android lovers never used an iPhone. I'm sorry you did not enjoy the device and certainly the iPhone 5 is a great phone. I agree it sucks to lose your apps from iTunes if you switch over.
I had pretty much all major devices note 2 to s4 and the illustrious iPhone. The One is my phone now and I have to say it's the best android based device I've ever used. Build quality and looks kick the crap out of all other phones. Sense 5 is a nice change. Is it the best skin? That's up for debate. Now is the One preferrable to "the iPhone"? When judging build quality, neither device is standing on top: that's how good they are. Now comparing is and skins is tricky and to say Apple is superior or vice versa is impossible. The easy synching with ITunes is nice: Apple thrives in simplicity for the user. But, and this is a big but, the simplicity locks the phone Razer tight. Meaning no easy sideloading of personal media or video files. No rooting the phone for better skins and looks. Jailbreaking is a tedious and tricky process that really makes rooting seem easy. I fall in the group of users that prefer the option to do different things with my expensive device.
Well done to imore for getting the scoop on the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. The phones were announced pretty much as expected. Well done to Apple too for keeping at least some secrets, especially the 64 bit architecture. Being the first to bring 64 bit to mobile proves Apple is on the cutting edge and this will have huge benefits moving forward. Can't wait to try out the new camera tech. Finger print scanner perks remain to be seen though, only real world use will tell.
Why bother to write an opinion on a phone if one has not used it. The original post was a waste of time. Richard should find other work
I own both devices iPhone 5 with ios7 and HTC one with sense 5 4.3 and no matter anyone says that small screen size is small, they are both great phones but I think the one is a better one, I've recently installed the latest beta version of the new twitter app and its beautiful, things are falling into place and I think in coming months the apps will be much better .
There's something to be said about the iOS experience in getting people to use their phone for what it's made for and then put it down until next time. Some call it the boring grid of icons, but I think it plays a part in battery life. Also, I have an android nexus phone and a 4s and while I've noticed that some of the apps on the Android side are more pleasing to use, the apps on the 4s seem to be more optimized. The multi-tasking of the Android is awesome but it takes away from battery life. The widgets on Android are great, but they suck away the battery. I am just glad that we are seeing new phones for both platforms. Hopefully we see more impressive battery life in the iPhone 6 and newer Android phones, but until then, enjoy these amazing devices for what they are. If you get unhappy, remember the dumb phones we had just a few short years ago.
I made the switch to the SG4. Huge mistake. I'm contemplating buying the iPhone 5s full price even though I defenitely can't afford it. I agree with being able to use the phone one handed. Battery life on the iPhone is better then the SG4. I love that IOS just works. I'm always having weird bugs with my S4. I will be back with an iPhone in the future. Hopefully sooner then later.
I think people need to stop with their iPhone vs. Android rants. The Galaxy S4, iPhone 5 and upcoming phones are all absolutely incredible innovations. Think about where phones were less than a decade ago. I remember upgrading to the first ever colored FLIP phone. No matter if you are a fan boy of Apple or Android, you will more than likely make one valid point as to the strength of each phone. This is the point of having multiple phones and companies that provide them. Competition is healthy and each phone has advantages to certain people . No two people are alike. An older person may benefit from a large 5" screen on the SG4, but also may like the simplicity and easy use of an iPhone. It doesn't take a genius to know there is no ecosystem in the world of technology that comes even close to Apple's. While you may argue your SG4 is so cool because you can look away and it pauses, or swipe your hand in the air to move the screen, what is the point of these? Packing a phone with useless technology that most people won't utilize is not wise. Being the first to invent something NO ONE will use, is not impressive. Apple revolutionized smartphones, tablets, computers and the way we listen to music with iPods. You are foolish to look past this and say that Apple has "lost its innovative" touch. Yes, they have not come out with a new product category since the iPad. That was also 3 short years ago. 64 bit A7, M7 co processor, iOS 7, new camera technology - I had no idea that wasn't innovation. You dont need some useless feature no one uses, to innovate. Name me ONE feature Apple has revolutionized that isn't used by a widespread amount of people. Or wasn't copied. Siri is a huge one. Google Voice is a direct answer to the new mainstream. Samsung came out a day after the iPhone 5S announcement and claimed they'd make a 64 bit chip too - something that COMPLETELY threw them and everyone else off. You all know apple will come out with a television and watch that blows Samsung's gear out of the water ( Absolutely horrific watch. ) I have used Samsung, HTC, and Apple phones. I COMPLETELY understand people's want for customizing and that's a huge plus for Android, but i'd rather my device work and the much better App store. I'd rather be able to upgrade the SECOND the new software is dropped. Each phone is different and geared towards different customers. Apple for me, is perfect. Android is perfect for other's needs
Currently have the HTC One and I switched from an iPhone 4s, I'm having many problems with my phone randomly and it bothers me considering I've had it since it came out and it gave me little to no problems. Both phones are comfortable in your hands, I can easily use the HTC One with one hand having normal sized hands for an American male.. The HTC One is a great phone, but I'm considering going back to the iPhone with the 5s.
That is what I just did. I had iphone 5 for about 9 months. Then I thought bigger screen would be way cooler than iPhone's 4 inch display. Likewise, I thought I would be able to customize my phone better than iPhone and so on. I went to the T mobile store and upgraded to Galaxy s4. Felt nice at first. But then I started having problems with it. Phone would freeze randomly in between application. Viber would not work properly. Could not connect to my Car properly. Also, iPhone's Sound on spotify is much better than S4's. There were so many clutters in the phone. I found myself searching app that would make my S4 like iphone. I was missing iPhone's flawless experience. Of course, you would not be able to customize your iPhone like Android. There is no Nova luncher on the App store. However, iPhone does all the things its set to do without a single problem. You don't need antivirus for your iPhone. And trust me the display is nothing like super Amoled but it displays true color. And the most important part is that the charge time is super quick for iphone 5s than S4.
In conclusion, I thought I would sacrifice S4's display for all the other things and I just bought my iPhone 5s.
This piece forced me to comment, since I use both an iPhone 5 (for my business) and an HTC One Dev. Ed. (personal) -- and love 'em both for different reasons. I use the One one-handed with no problems -- can even do a pretty complex unlock pattern one-handed -- except for SwiftKey, which doesn't seem built for one-thumbers. The iPhone keyboard, OTOH, feels to me as if it were explicitly designed for one-thumb use, right down to errors that the auto-correct seems to expect. But the reason I'm never without my One is the CAMERA. I'm hooked on the HTC One's Zoeys and Highlights, and regret that HTC doesn't document them better. I discovered the Highlights by accident on my wife's birthday, when our restaurant was slow to seat our party and I ran off a bunch of Zoeys, only to discover that they assembled themselves, like obedient robots, into a super little micro-movie, selecting the best Zoeys AND stills, and even inserting a music track. WOW. So here's how I use the phones right now:
Productivity: iPhone 5, always
Podcasts: HTC One (always with Pocket Cast)
Videos: HTC One if I have no external screen; otherwise AirPlay with iPhone
Social: Tie between Tweetbot on iPhone 5 and Falcon Pro on HTC One
Email: Gmail on HTC One, followed by Sparrow on iPhone 5 (for my domain server).
Music: iPhone if using AirPlay; HTC One if I have no external speakers (awesome sound)
Shopping: HTC One for everything except Apple Store
So, do you get my drift? I honestly think that the HTC One outscores the iPhone on specs and design; however the iPhone wins hands down on productivity apps, ecosystem (but less than before) and now, suddenly, for its OPERATING SYSTEM. iOS7 is a freaking joy to use, and I can't get enough of it.
I'm getting the 5s, of course, and can't wait to use the first iPhone with Tim Cook innards. Quite honestly, I think a lot of the knocks taken by the iPhone were caused by Steve-Jobs-era products in the pipeline -- including Apple's slowness to enlarge the iPhone screen, Maps and Siri beta. I sense a strengthening of Apple's Mojo -- not that they ever lost it, but it inevitably weakened as cancer took its toll on the most brilliant product developer of my lifetime. Now Apple is unquestionably Tim Cook's company, and the hiring of Angela Ahrendt to succeed Browett signals to me that Cook learns from his mistakes and has matured amazingly on the job. I'll still be using my HTC One and HOPE its successor is even better, but if I had to get by with just one phone, it would unquestionably be the iPhone.
> I like the way Mac/iPhone/iTunes sync seamlessly
This is pretty much the key. If you judge a phone by its ability to sync with iTunes and with your desktop Mac, pretty much the only phone that is even worth considering is the iPhone.
Someone who values iTunes/Mac syncing as a must-have shouldn't have moved to an Android.
Note that I say this as a long-time Android user who can't think of anything worse (well, not many things) than being locked into the walled-off Mac/iTunes ecosystem, when life outside those walls is so, so much better. But everyone's opinion is going to be different.
When it's a question of individual priorities, it's no surprise that someone who likes and values that ecosystem really is going to be better off with an iPhone.
HTC one at first was WOW for me. then, i've noticed the flimsy volume rocker. thought it was just mine but nahh. they are made of some flimsy material. the camera wasn't better than the iPhone. and i wondered it if, this phone breaks or needs repair, is it going to be like the other android phones which you'll be hassled with organising,preparing and begging them for your android phone to be given immediate solution. android phone's customer service is way,way behind Apple.
I switched to the S4 from the iphone 5 when it came out in April . Yesterday I switched back to the 5s. Had a good time with the GS4 and gave it a fair crack. Now feel at home again with iphone. It's hard getting used to smaller screen again but everything just works with the iphone. Customer support is also first class.
Camera on new iphone is great, gs4 camera was good too though. Happy to be back
HTC one's battery easily outlasts the iPhone 5, you shouldn't write a review and judge it's battery life from a different device...
Also the camera quality is much better on the One. Try taking a picture in the dark.
i could never switch because i have everything apple and it all works so well together. how would i give up things like air play to my apple tv? thats how apple gets a hold of you and keeps you.
For those people that do have everything Apple -- Macs, iPhones, iPods, iPads, Apple TV's -- yes, indeed it's difficult to move to anything else, thanks in part to Apple's locked-in, closed, walled-off ecosystem that makes it very difficult to get out of.
However, that mentality totally changes when, aside from the iPhone, you have everything Google (and Canonical...) A Chromebook. A Chromecast. A desktop that's been home-built specifically so that Ubuntu 13.10 will run on it without a hiccup. And an iPhone? They just don't go together. Yet I in particular have all of them... and to be fair, I was reluctantly forced into the iPhone last December due to, for one, the lack of any Nexae being offered as AT&T upgrade options, and for two, AT&T's terrible track record at delivering Android OS updates on a prompt basis.
The experience, thanks to Google Play Music coming to iOS, Google Now being integrated into the iOS version of the Google Search app, and an iOS version of the Chromecast app, I admit, has gotten much better over the past year... but still: With Android, all of those things -- Chrome, Google Now, the Chromecast, Hangouts, Music, and everything else -- are all tied together, and on top of that they're all tightly integrated into the home screen. In iOS, by contrast, everything's compartmentalized. You can't do anything to change any part of the system without jailbreaking, because Apple will ban any apps from the App Store that don't adhere to this strict sandboxing policy. There are indeed URL schemes that will force certain links to open in Google's alternatives to Apple's apps, but they need to be explicitly defined, unlike with Android, where users can actually choose default apps to open links in from simple dialog boxes. In addition, Android apps can be installed from sources other than Google Play -- or, in other words, sideloaded -- simply by checking a box in the Settings app. Isn't that what jailbreaking is all about? Ticking a box versus replacing an entire kernel. We all know which is easier to master. Even if you don't do that, however, you can still install custom keyboards, custom home screen interfaces (launchers), and some other things from the official Google Play Store that Apple, on the other hand, simply does not allow in its half-baked alternative.
To be fair, however, I have indeed come to see how much iOS has improved, especially now that iOS 7 essentially makes flat user interfaces ubiquitous across all three major mobile operating systems. iOS and Android, in many ways, both have their ups and downs: iOS is beautiful, seamless, and always up-to-date, but locked down. Android, on the other hand, is perfectly open, easy to do whatever you want with, and has a bigger ecosystem (let's not forget: Google Play reached 1M apps when Google unveiled the Nexus 7 and Chromecast back in July, and Apple didn't announce 1M apps until October), but at the same time tends to let carriers and handset manufacturers get in the way of the update process. So for me, if I do go back to Android in the future, it's Nexus or Nothing...
I think the perfect screen size is 3.5 -4 inch. I used to love the 3.5 inch screen on my iPhone 4 because I could always lock and unlock the phone with one hand real easily something I found kind of hard to do on the iPhone 5 because it was longer than the 4. If apple kept that same screen size and just made the iPhone thinner I would have been perfectly fine with the iPhone even though I do enjoy the .5 bigger screen I some times do miss being able to unlock n lock the phone without sliding my hand up the phone just to real the lock button.
"Couldn't get phone to work well with car which is important to me, petty, I know" - IMHO, the car app on the HTCone is fantastic. With the option for complete voice automation it can sit on the dash and can be controlled completely hands free. This user probably didnt put the time into learning how to use the app.
"I use an Otterbox and it made it near impossible with one hand" - there are Mini options for this phone, if it's too big, don't buy it. You can test it in the shop so this is not a valid argument.
"I find the iPhone Camera to be better quality as I like zooming further than HTC would allow" - the iPhone camera is designed to allow a user that knows nothing about photography to take good pictures, may I suggest buying an actual camera with a telephoto zoom if you want zoom.
"Too much clutter, IE Blink Feed and Gallery" - install a different launcher. The beauty of android is that it is completely configurable. If you dont like an aspect of it, change it. I use Nova Launcher and it is less cluttered than iOS.
"I like the way Mac/iPhone/iTunes sync seamlessly" - Not a valid argument as Mac/iPhone go together. Android is not designed with either in mind and syncs seamlessly with G+/Google/Gmail/PC seamlessly.
"Battery was weak compared to what I'm used to in regards to lasting time and charge time" - learn how to configure your device. A lot of processes run on an out-the-box phone that can be turned off. The HTC one has incredible power saving features with configurable levels, including, data off when screen off for example.
All these points are merely the whines of an iPhone user that lacks intuition or understanding of the technology they are using.


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Update (March 19/07): TwitterMap LIVE! --> See TwitterVision Realtime (beta)
Heard of Twitter yet? Check it out.. Twitter is a cool new (read it: addictive) social networking service that allows members of the service let others know what they're up to in very brief fashion. users send messages via SMS or IM, then friends of that user can receive updates via web, RSS, IM or SMS. This isn't a blog or email - it's a micro-snippet of what someone is doing right now. Here is an example taken from a random user appearing on the Twitter front page right now:
Twitter community member DaveTroy has established a Google Maps mashup of Twitter users called, none other than.. TwitterMap! TwitterMap pulls the location and last message of Twitter community members using a public Twitter feed, then plots it to a Google Map. The resulting map lets you discover what geographic area your Twitter friends are from, or you can find new Twitter-folk to interact with in your community. Update: Stefan from Google Karten also suggests: GeoTwitter, another Google Maps + Twitter user mashup.
More on Twitter..
Steve Rubel from the Micro Persuasion Blog (where I first discovered Twitter) points out that there are now New York Times and Google News US Twitter pages which lets you treat the US as a Twitter user and get updates from it in the same way you would a friend. Micro Persuasion also points to US Presidential candidate John Edwards using Twitter. Steve has talked up Twitter in a number of other posts (search in-page for many references) that will let you see how this trend is evolving.. Business 2.0 Magazine also predicts this new web 2.0 concept might be the next Flickr or YouTube: "..It's too early to tell which brand of user-generated content will be the Web 2.0 phenomenon of 2007, but placing an early bet on Twitter might be a good move." - Check out the article here (and do a find in-page for Twitter for the mention or scroll down to: #4 -> A Buddy List That's Always Talking).
More Google Maps Web 2.0 Mashups here..
Technorati Tags: [Twitter], [Twitter Map], [Web 2.0]

subset: commoncrawl