I have an iphone now, its ok, but battery life isnt so good anymore, its gotten much slower and has problems sometimes so its time for a replacement. I'm not interested in getting another iphone.
I have looked at the new phones in the at&t store and most of the android phones have an amazing amount of useless junk on them that I'm not sure if you can get rid of easily, and the windows phones seem much simpler and easy to use. But, I'm sure there is a reason they aren't as popular, and I have heard that lots of people bring them back because they don't like them after using them for a while.
I have an Android phone (galaxy note) and I was able to remove all but a few Samsung apps and some apps from the service provider. I just leave those in the "applications" area and only have my most used apps on the main screen. I have a second panel for apps from my company and a 3rd panel for apps I like when I'm bored.
works well for me
You might have to root an Android phone, but you should be able to install something like CyanogenMod on an Android phone (or get something like a Nexus 4 from Google, it doesn't come with the vendor-inflicted junk).
The main issue with Windows Phone 8 phones at the moment is the lack of apps - you can get a decent number of them but there is much less choice than you get with either an iPhone or an Android phone. That said, I do have a developer model Nokia Lumia 920. I really like that phone and the OS makes a lot more sense on a phone than it does on the desktop.
that is my big problem with sprint.. the useless apps they saddle you with. "sprint football" "sprint Zone" "sprint Tv & Movies" and "Nascar" all apps I have never opened and can't get rid of
Carrier bloat is definitely an issue with a lot of Android phones, but the app selection and hardware variety more than make up for it, IMO. And the bloat can be removed.
Pretty much what BoxheadTim said
With the advent of Ice Cream Sammich you can disable most of the carrier apps though the applications menu so you don't see it even on the application drawer. Most of the time XDA has a detoxed version of the stock image without the carrier crap on it too.
I liked the concept of Windows phone (can't believe I said that) but the ecosystem is really suffering at the hands of Android and iOS. There aren't many developers willing to delve into the Windows phone because of the popularity of the those two systems there's no money to be had there.
If you don't have a need for 4g (it's awesome) or don't live in a 4g market the Nexus 4 is definitely the best bet at 300 dollars. Otherwise get something up to date and well supported by either the folks at XDA or already on the list for Cyanogenmod if you want something clean and quick. XDA always has awesome guides on how to unlock bootloaders (damn you Verizon), root, and flash a new rom if you need any help.
Ugh. This conversation again. There is literally no need to choose Android over Windows phone anymore. I've been on Windows Phone since it came out in 2010 (4th device) and unless you need a specialized app, these days you can find it for all 3 of the OS'es (home automation comes to mind, but there are generic apps that will work.) The app support and updates from 3rd party developers does leave a bit to be desired (Spotify comes to mind here).
Nowadays it's get the phone/device you want, and worry about the OS later. The Lumia 920 I use is BRILLIANT as a cameraphone. I would say it's probably better than my pocket point & shoot Canon camera until you need to zoom.
Thats kinda why I asked though, just to pick up each phone use it for a few minutes I like the windows phones better. Honestly all I would ever use it for is calls, text, email, maps/directions, web browsing/videos, and taking pictures. It seems like the windows phones are actually easier to use for most of those things than the android ones.
sadly, I will probably have to go from android to Apple. Most of the sailing equipment that has smartphone apps.. only has it for the i stuff
mad_machine wrote:
sadly, I will probably have to go from android to Apple. Most of the sailing equipment that has smartphone apps.. only has it for the i stuff
On this note- we are looking at getting our first smart phone ever.
And what is appealing about the iPhone is it's size- it's considerably smaller than most availabe. If a iP3 size was there, I would have it by now, but it's still a little odd to carry.
But all of the 'droid and 'does phones I've seen are bigger, some MUCH bigger. Is anyone aware of an option that is actually modern AND smaller than a iPh5?
Otherwise, I'll get it.
Because in the last year Android has overtaken everything else and where there is market share - there are developer dollars. App availability, feature development and shorter release cycles/bug fixes will all go there first going forward.
Microsoft makes more money on licenses to Android than it does on Win mobile. It is gaining shares but... 51% to 4%... like a mosquito is slowing a freight train. It's measurable but insignificant. Sticking with one of the big two is a no-brainer unless you just like or need the MS stuff for some reason and want to take a shot at being stuck with it for 2yrs.
Wut GPS basically said.They are all pretty easy to basically use.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
Because in the last year Android has overtaken everything else and where there is market share - there are developer dollars. App availability, feature development and shorter release cycles/bug fixes will all go there first going forward.
From what I hear - and I am a professional software developer - there isn't much money in Android apps. I know this is counterintuitive but the Android market seems to have inherited their love of "free" from the Linux community. Unfortunately the "developer dollars" seem to be a bit of a myth, but that also seems to be the case for the iPhone market. Unless you can land the next Angry Birds (which is very rare), not many people making a living off that market.
The way I'm looking at it is that unless there is a killer app that you need which is only available on a single platform, you go an pick the platform that you like best. After all, unless you go no-contract you'll be stuck with the phone for at least two years.
BoxheadTim wrote:
From what I hear - and I am a professional software developer - there isn't much money in Android apps. I know this is counterintuitive but the Android market seems to have inherited their love of "free" from the Linux community.
As a consumer, I'd agree with this observation. Lots more free apps in the android world than the apple world.
I'd also be willing to say most of the 99 cent apple apps are substantially over priced.
In reply to foxtrapper:
I think that goes for most of the 99 cent apps in all app stores.
I drank the iKoolAid and moved on long ago, so take this with a grain of salt, but my understanding is that there are many, many different versions of the Android OS. That means that Apps may run on one phone, but not another. (However, Google wants to correct this situation and is making changes to keep more control and ensure more compatibility.) So make sure that your phone runs the latest and greatest FULL version of the Android OS and you will be fine.
As for Windows, I struggled for years with my PC and phone (Remember the Blackjack and Omnia and other windows POS phones?) and swore off Windows phones forever. They will never convince me again that THIS TIME they got it right.
BoxheadTim wrote:
From what I hear - and I am a professional software developer - there isn't much money in Android apps.
There is plenty of money to be made working for companies with established products for security, product integration, etc. Those companies are going to focus on the platform with the widest audience.
Take the Webex client - it's free to me - but it is developed as an Android app as a priority and works very well because they get paid by my clients to allow me to be at a racetrack doing a video conference call. Google webex client for Win mobile. You will get pages of people complaining for a year that it's buggy. Why? Nobody at Cisco cares about that 4.1% number. The software sorta works sometimes and they have more important stuff to do.
As a consumer, you go with the big players or you put up with being ignored.
Android. It's what I'd settle for if I wasn't still using my N900 running Maemo (GNU/Linux).
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
That's where my comment about the "killer app" came from - certain niche apps (and yes, Webex despite its ubiquity is a niche app in the phone world compared to, say, Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja) work better on certain OSs and if those are important to you then you need to base your decision on which OS to pick on those apps.
alfadriver wrote:
mad_machine wrote:
sadly, I will probably have to go from android to Apple. Most of the sailing equipment that has smartphone apps.. only has it for the i stuff
On this note- we are looking at getting our first smart phone ever.
And what is appealing about the iPhone is it's size- it's considerably smaller than most availabe. If a iP3 size was there, I would have it by now, but it's still a little odd to carry.
But all of the 'droid and 'does phones I've seen are bigger, some MUCH bigger. Is anyone aware of an option that is actually modern AND smaller than a iPh5?
Otherwise, I'll get it.
There are plenty of smaller Android phones, but you're right, they don't tend to be on the cutting edge, hardware-wise. There is a Galaxy S4 Mini on the way, but "mini" compared to the regular GS4 might still be a pretty big phone. 
Two things on this based on my personal experience. I like a big screen. My fingers are fat and my eyes aren't what they used to be. Now, there's a limit, I'm not going to carry around a phablet like a Galaxy Note in my pocket, but the GS4/HTC One would be fine. The other is that the "cutting edge hardware" I just mentioned doesn't matter as much as it used to. Much like PCs, these things have become powerful enough that even a lower-end model will do everything you want without difficulty.
I think Windows Mobile is a good OS, it's easy to use and is certainly more advanced than iOS, which hasn't made a significant UI upgrade in 3-4 years. I think if you are going to buy into Microsoft's whole ecosystem with Windows 8, Surface, Outlook mail, and the whole bit, Windows Mobile is the way to go. Personally, I've chosen Google's, I use Gmail, Google Drive, Google Music, etc, so for me, Android was the way to go. Plus I'm a tinkerer and I like to play with rooting and ROMs and such.
But really, any smartphone that you buy in mid-2013 is going to be pretty amazing and do everything you want. I don't know how I ever lived without one.
pinchvalve wrote:
As for Windows, I struggled for years with my PC and phone (Remember the Blackjack and Omnia and other windows POS phones?) and swore off Windows phones forever. They will never convince me again that THIS TIME they got it right.
It is much, MUCH different now. The old Windows Mobile phones were barely even useful as a phone, much less a smartphone. The current Windows Phone devices (they really could have named it better, I think) are light years ahead of the WinMo that came before them. True, I am a fanboy of the Windows Phones, but I'm also not one to just blindly promote something either. Try one out in a store and see how you like the functionality.
Like has been said before, one product won't work for everyone, etc..
Tom_Spangler wrote:
I'm not going to carry around a phablet like a Galaxy Note in my pocket
One of my co-workers has one of those. I keep busting on him thatt sitting too close to the TV will hurt his eyes
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
Because in the last year Android has overtaken everything else and where there is market share - there are developer dollars. App availability, feature development and shorter release cycles/bug fixes will all go there first going forward.
Microsoft makes more money on licenses to Android than it does on Win mobile. It is gaining shares but... 51% to 4%... like a mosquito is slowing a freight train. It's measurable but insignificant. Sticking with one of the big two is a no-brainer unless you just like or need the MS stuff for some reason and want to take a shot at being stuck with it for 2yrs.
Between those two, Android for what GPS said.
But remember that Android number is ALL ANDROID PRODUCED PHONES! Apple, by far, is the dominate player in the smart phone market.
IMHO I would get a new 4S, not 5, and not look back.
Flight Service wrote:
But remember that Android number is ALL ANDROID PRODUCED PHONES! Apple, by far, is the dominate player in the smart phone market.
I don't get why that matters. The apps are all compatible, whether the phone is an HTC, Samsung, Motorola, or whatever.
alfadriver wrote:
And what is appealing about the iPhone is it's size- it's considerably smaller than most availabe. If a iP3 size was there, I would have it by now, but it's still a little odd to carry.
But all of the 'droid and 'does phones I've seen are bigger, some MUCH bigger. Is anyone aware of an option that is actually modern AND smaller than a iPh5?
Otherwise, I'll get it.
Motorola Droid RAZR M. Only slightly wider (60.9 vs 58.6mm) and thicker (8.3 vs 7.6mm), but shorter (122.5 vs 123.8mm). Has a bigger screen. (4.3" vs 4"). Can be had free, with 2yr contract.
