Will IOS' simplisticity lead to it's doom?

555BUK · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:03

In recent years my work has suppled me with an iPhone 3GS, followed by iPhone 4, and now a shiny new Samsung Galaxy S2.

Initially I was a bit peeved that the firm had seen fit to cut costs and downgrade current handsets to inferior rubbish, but after playing with the S2 yesterday and today (doing not very much real work) I am actually really impressed.

No longer am I tied to square icons or itunes. I am also not forced to look at that crappy Bookshelf icon given to me after my last IOS update, or several other crappy icons I cannot delete. With Andorid, I can simply place everything where I want, remove it if I want, add useful widgets, resize things, and transfer any file to and from any PC without the need for drivers.

Now, Apple's build quality is definately much better. It is also much simpler to use and there are more apps (although all of the decent ones have now been cloned onto Android) After 2 days my conclusion is that Apple are on a downward spiral unless they significiantly update the flexability of their IOS. i know that many people like "simplistic", but the cost is functionality.

Perhaps it is new toy love, but I really feel that Android is superior. It is just a shame that I cannot trasfer all of my paid Apple apps over.

Will I miss my iPhone? - not likely.

So, my question to you is: Can Apple maintain it's current position without a major overhaul of it's IOS? Other than simplicity and the narrowing gap between the iStore and Android Markets, is there any reason for new smartphone buyers to choose Apple?

waso_dude · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:08

I'm opposite, I have to deal/use all andriods and Windows 7 phones as work refuses to allow us to have iphones, but i still prefer my personal iphone.

Glaucus · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:09

I don't think so, I think they release new useful but miner software just in time. While being quite ahead of the game in others like Siri. I do think in 2013 android and iOS will need massive updates to compete with windows8.

They still have a lot going for them
Image, compatibility and useful lifespan.

Something android totally fails on the last two and is the biggest issues for me.
Windows however have gone much more apple stance on controlling hardware and apps, which is great.

fez · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:30

If you are always updating your phone then android is fine but I think that you will soon tire of the complete disregard manufacturers have for updating the OS on phones after a year or so.

I had an android handset for 2 years there before getting a 4S and I can safely say that I will be sticking with apple for a while yet. I rooted and updated my android to the latest versions via the modding community but just never really felt good using it.

It all comes down to what you want to use your phone for. Its like comparing a porche and a ford escort estate (ignore the price etc). If you want to carry a family around, don't get the porsche.

I couldn't care less about widgets. I don't bother with facebook any more, I don't need a clock that takes up half my home screen and I don't need a 1/2 line summary of my emails.

There is a damn good reason apple decide to control the OS and apps so much and its what allows them to delivery good battery life, fewer bugs and a better experience. This is of course just my experience with the 2 and if you prioritise other things in a phone then you may prefer android.

Horses for courses but I don't see why it always seems to be an "us or them" attitude with mobiles. It's very rare when I actually see someone admit that the two phones are targeting a different audience and both have their strengths and weaknesses rather than trying to convince everyone that which is the better phone is not a subjective matter.

Tute · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:31

A couple of things:

a) I'll take build quality over customisation any day.
b) Have you tried jailbreaking your iPhone?

555BUK · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:33

I agree with the lifespan part as IOS upgrades are dependent upon whoever manufactures the Android phone. I have read that Samsung will allow my S2 to uplift to Ice-Cream Sandwhich, but uinshure whether future updates will apply.

With Apple you know the iphone will be supported for atleast 2 generations (even if you do get crappy Bookshelf like apps that you cannot delete). I don't know why Bookshelf annoys me so much but it just does.

Rameses · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:35

Selling 20m iPhones a quarter doesn't seem like doom to me. I understand that android is more geek friendly but the fact Apple is able to market this phone to your whole family (even your gran or granddad) is a feat in itself. I wouldn't call it simplistic, I'd call it a well rounded OS with every care taken to make it simple to use. It is a powerful OS underneath but the whole point is to make it universally usable!

555BUK · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:35

Tute said:
A couple of things:

a) I'll take build quality over customisation any day.
b) Have you tried jailbreaking your iPhone?

It was a work phone so not Jailbroken. The Samsung can also be "Rooted" but I will not be doing this either for the same reason.

bcjames · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:36

iOS' simplicity is what appeals to me. I can shove apps I don't use on a different page, it syncs perfectly with what it needs to on my mac, and it just works out the box.

If I had an android phone, I'd probably use it in much the same way and not make use of the customisation on offer, providing it was just as functional from the start.

panyan · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:36

555BUK said:
No longer am I tied to square icons or itunes. I am also not forced to look at that crappy Bookshelf icon given to me after my last IOS update, or several other crappy icons I cannot delete. With Andorid, I can simply place everything where I want, remove it if I want, add useful widgets, resize things, and transfer any file to and from any PC without the need for drivers.

you can sync all your data including music with your google account through the cloud too - no need for a wire unless to charge

Now, Apple's build quality is definately much better.

agreed

It is also much simpler to use and there are more apps (although all of the decent ones have now been cloned onto Android)

more apps, yes, but the best are on android too so there is no real disadvantage

i know that many people like "simplistic", but the cost is functionality.

i agree, that is why got rid of my iphone after a couple of months - the limitations were just infuriating - apple wanting complete control of every aspect...

Perhaps it is new toy love, but I really feel that Android is superior. It is just a shame that I cannot trasfer all of my paid Apple apps over.

interestingly when i moved over, i realised the same apps from the same developers were cheaper on android and sometimes free

Glaucus · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:41

The best aren't on android. The banks, the mobile phone operators and other similaer apps that third parties can't make are still lacking on android compared to ios.

555BUK · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:41

I treated my iPhones rough. They were both dropped many times, used without a case, and kept in my pocket with coins and keys. Apart from a few scratches, the only thing that failed was the "silince" switch on my 3GS. Hopefully the Galaxy will serve me nearly as well.

reflux · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:43

Really, the two operating systems are targeted at different people and different audiences. With the advent of Android 4, it's very difficult to say either is better than the other because it totally depends on what you want from a device. I had an iPhone 4 for 6 months, but ended up going back to Android because of Apple's lack of flexibility.

I guess the main thing that will hold iOS back is that, in general, most people who use it are happy with how simple it is. They don't cry out for more advanced features or UI design because it does the range of things it does very well. There will always be a market for a device that just 'does', rather than a device that 'can do'. And that's not a knock against iOS, because it's an excellent piece of software. It fills a niche for some people, and Android fills the opposite niche.

whitecrook · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:44

panyan said:
i agree, that is why got rid of my iphone after a couple of months - the limitations were just infuriating - apple wanting complete control of every aspect...

What do you mean by this ? I see people saying it a lot, but I get the feeling it's just rhetoric. Apple doesn't completely control every aspect of my iphone?

555BUK · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:46

Glaucus said:
The best aren't on android. The banks, the mobile phone operators and vital other apps that third parties can't make are still lacking on android compared to ios.

But then Google Navigation, StarChart and others are not on Apple. The most popular apps, or very similar apps are now available on both.

Deku · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:48

I find it mildly amusing all these people complaining about the tight grip Apple has on the iPhone and the fenced in ecosystem.

Try Jailbreaking then come back to us.

reflux · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:50

Deku said:
I find it mildly amusing all these people complaining about the "tight grip" and "fenced in" iPhone.

Try Jailbreaking then come back to us.

I did. I found it frustrating having to wait months for a decent untethered break. And Cydia annoyed me by being constantly slow and buggy.

This was about a year ago though, so things may have moved on since then.

Steve_bullockuk · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:51

whitecrook said:
What do you mean by this ? I see people saying it a lot, but I get the feeling it's just rhetoric. Apple doesn't completely control every aspect of my iphone?

+1.

Ive really never understood this logic, but then im not on the "hey check me out......im cool because I hate Apple" bus.

I also jumped ship from an iPhone 4 to my first Android device. At first it was great. The customisation, the different widgets, the different Rom's, however it soon wore off. Im now back with an iPhone 4 6 months later.

randal · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:51

I was totally the same as you, I grew tired of iOS on my 3G. Being left behind with software updates that weren't sympathetic to perfectly capable hardware because it was n models behind the current wound me up.

So I jumped. Bought a San Francisco, liked what I saw but felt the hardware was letting the OS down. So I bought an HTC Desire, for a time it was good. However, it always felt unpolished and unfinished to me. Then, it started to dawn on me. The integration, and tightly controlled standards with computer/mobile are there for a reason. The slick things I took for granted in iOS like syncing, music transfer with iTunes, photos etc.. all became that much more of a chore in Android.

Stuck it out for a bit, but battery life on the Desire coupled with having to use a rooted, manipulated ROM started to wear thin. So I bought an iPhone 4 and haven't looked back. It's not jailbroken, nor will it ever be. It does what a phone should, and what a smart phone should. If I need anything else, I've got a computer/netbook to do that.

With regards to the simplicity of the OS killing the brand, I think that's a way off yet. Unless the majority of the iPhone user demographic suddenly becomes technically hungry for SSH sessions, homebrew or pirated software, etc.. then I can't see it happening. The majority of iPhone users, like OS X users buy the hardware for the OS it runs. They do that because it's easy to use.

Glaucus · 4 Jan 2012 at 16:51

555BUK said:
But then Google Navigation, StarChart and others are not on Apple. The most popular apps, or very similar apps are now available on both.

But they aren't restricted, there's plenty of decent navigation apps, even free. It is the big companies that third parties can not achieve that have issues and although android is slowly closing the gap, it's taking an awfully long time.

should have compared bbc news apps, untill the android release the other month. The difference was massive.