Thursday 7 March 2013

iPHONE vs. ANDROID: MY ADORABLE FRIEND & ME!






iPHONE vs. ANDROID

Good afternoon, Synapse Circuit Readers! 7 days and counting to the reveal of the Samsung Galaxy SIV! There are a few more rumours that aren’t really worth blogging about on its own and I think I have mentioned them already... One rumour is that you’ll be able to scroll pages with just your eye movement and not touch the screen at all! The other is that the handset will be made from plastic. Hmmmm... Plastic, eh? Oh well... It was ok for the Galaxy SIII and Note II, so bring it on!

Anyway, this brings me neatly on to the topic of today’s blog: iPhone vs. Android. My adorable friend likes to drop the random, “Why don’t you get an iPhone?” conversation on me once in a while. It’s not really a conversation - it’s more like an advert by an iPhone fan to an Android user: me. Here’s a summary of the “conversation” and my thoughts...

WHAT? NO FLASH?
When the iPhone was released and Jobs made it a point to let the industry and the public know that he wasn’t going to include the Flash Player plugin on the groundbreaking device I lost interest straightaway. Any technology that dictates to the public what they can or cannot have is, at least for me, non-appealing. I believe that technology should give the users options and when these options are limited I think it is dangerous.

Why “dangerous”? I think it is the start of a dictatorship! Jobs was Big Brother to his following! I don’t think they realize or have realized this. As a result I went Android! My first Android handset was the HTC Hero which featured Flash.

If you read the first issue of Synapse Circuit you’d know what I think about Jobs. What? You haven’t read the first issue? Here it is: The Steve Jobs Issue Be aware that this is a large Interactive PDF file!

Anyhoo, the reason why he didn’t include Flash is because it would allow others to create apps for the iPhone (and iPad) thus detracting from the App Store.

Flash worked quite well on Android despite the all the negatives that Jobs stated i.e. battery consumption and security issues. “Dangerous” because a dictator can destroy an industry i.e. Flash web development. From what I can see, Flash web development has taken a dive! As a web designer I now refrain from using Flash because I want my site to be seen by as many people as possible. It’s a shame because Flash can deliver all manner of multimedia: games, video, interactive books, magazines, etc. Anyone can create Flash based media – it helps if you have some skills but anyone can create basic media!

So, when Android contradicted Jobs with the inclusion of the Flash Player he must have been livid! It made him look as he was, a dictator!

Sadly, Google decided to drop support for Flash from Android 4.1, Jelly Bean in favour of the developing HTML 5 standard. Jobs might be laughing in his grave but a lot of Flash developers have had their livelihood compromised as a result.

“THE iPHONE IS BETTER...”
I don’t see how the iPhone is better than Android. Android is an operating system first and foremost. The latest version of Android is more advanced than the iPhone iOS. What makes Android handsets ultimately better than the iPhone is the sheer choice that is on offer to the consumer. The iPhone is just one handset – ok, the iPhone 5 features a slightly bigger screen but the design is practically the same as previous models.

Recently, I have read stories that state whenever Tim Cook opens his mouth shares in Apple drops significantly. If you have been following the Synapse Circuit Interactive PDF issue you’d know that I have been advocating that Cook should keep his mouth shut and get on with the business of developing the iPhone!

Everyone in the mobile phone industry now realizes that the iPhone 5 has been a huge disaster for Apple. Well, everyone except my adorable friend! She recently got herself the iPhone 5. Why???? Lol! Had she asked for my opinion I would have advised her to get the Galaxy Note II instead – especially as she wants to be self-employed!

FACT: The iPhone as it is can no longer compete with high end Android handsets! Samsung Galaxy SIII finally beat it last year! The SIV is going to beat it again! The HTC One has beaten it and the Sony Xperia Z has too! Even the Motorola RAZRi has beaten it on a few levels: The design; the RAZRi screen is a better size – it’s almost edge to edge i.e. bezel less! There’s a microSD card slot for further storage expansion. The camera is good – the quality of results may not be as good as the iPhone but the RAZRi is much cheaper on a contract. I would also advocate that the Samsung Galaxy SII beats the iPhone 5 quite easily too – especially now that it has been upgraded to the latest version of Android! The Galaxy SII still retains its value! I think that is amazing by today’s high standards!

APPS
It has to be said that iPhone apps has a bit of an edge on Android still! It is not difficult to understand why. Do you understand why? Ok, because the iPhone is based on ONE design it makes it so very easy for app developers to create all manner of apps for it with relative ease!

This hasn’t been the case with Android handsets as there are just so many devices out there and this makes it hard for developers to keep up! However, what has happened recently is that most manufacturers are adopting handsets with larger screens and resolutions. Therefore it should become easier for developers to create apps for the Android platform. In addition these new devices are being released with the latest version of Android thus the older versions will soon become a minority as consumers upgrade to the latest models.

Android is slowly but surely winning on that front! I have seen that there are few serious developers making their way to the Android platform!

TAKING OVER THE WORLD
Android pretty much rules the world and I have recently read that China is concerned by this domination! But that’s like being worried about the fastest sprinter in the world, Usain Bolt, in that he keeps winning his races. What are you gonna do, chop his legs off?

I think if Android weren’t good – as some people are saying – then it wouldn’t be dominating the world.

CONCLUSION
I am a technology lover. I don’t have any business in telling people what technology they should use. However, when people try to tell me I have to let them know why I have chosen Android. Unsurprisingly, I have managed to get a few people to drop their iPhone in favour of the Galaxy SIII and Note II! If only my adorable friend would give me a chance to tell her why I have chosen Android... Lol!
Have you noticed how quiet Apple is right now? I think that they are giving folk space and time to forget all their hype – the silly advert about “hand science” (which has thankfully been taken off the air) and all the talk about keeping the iPhone looking the way it does... They will make a u-turn on the design for sure where the larger screen is concerned! After all, Cook did oversee the iPad mini against the wishes of Jobs! And I bet you that the iPad mini has cannibalised the iPad in sales!

There again, at this moment in time, the Tech-Media is concerned with one handset: The Samsung Galaxy S4! I think the iPhone and iPad is finished as being on the top of the chain!

What do you reckon?

Thank you for reading!

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