Droid vs Iphone

[SaraJayne]

DH's employer has been encouraging him to get a smartphone the last few years (at their expense) and he's finally decided he'd like to get one. We'll only have to pay $10 a month (for personal use) which is great.

If you have a droid or Iphone, why did you choose that particular phone over the other?

I have a cellphone that calls people and texts, so I'm clueless when it comes to high tech phones.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Well, we picked Droid because at that time the iPhone was not an option on Verizon. I like it fine, but I don't find it any better than any other phone I have had except for a few apps are cool. But my wife and I are in agreement.... next time we will have iPhones.

I am an app junkie. Plus I want to use iMovie on the iPhone.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

I love my iPhone. I went through this same choice a few months ago. Both the iPhone and Droid (a platform not an actual phone) phones had great features, however, I ultimately went with the ease of use of the iPhone. We already had iTouch and iPods, so I didn't want to deal with the learning curve on some of the Droid phones. Also, the Droid X and Thunderbolt were WAY too big for me.

HTH

 

[SaraJayne]

I love my iPhone. I went through this same choice a few months ago. Both the iPhone and Droid (a platform not an actual phone) phones had great features, however, I ultimately went with the ease of use of the iPhone. We already had iTouch and iPods, so I didn't want to deal with the learning curve on some of the Droid phones. Also, the Droid X and Thunderbolt were WAY too big for me.

HTH

Thanks.

DS14 has an itouch, so he really wants Dad to get an iphone...so he can teach him how to use it.

 

[mjkacmom]

I went with the Droid - it was the same price as the iphone, but I still need a real keyboard.

 

[SaraJayne]

I went with the Droid - it was the same price as the iphone, but I still need a real keyboard.

So the Droid has a slide Qwerty keyboard, but the iphone's "keyboard" is on the touchscreen?

 

[FireDancer]

I don't have a Droid but I do have a smartphone that runs the Android OS (MyTouch 4G). I love it and never even considered an iPhone because I won't buy into such a closed platform.

 

[robinb]

I love my iPhone and my next phone will be another iPhone .

 

[SaraJayne]

I don't have a Droid but I do have a smartphone that runs the Android OS (MyTouch 4G). I love it and never even considered an iPhone because I won't buy into such a closed platform.

Can you elaborate on the "closed platform"? What does that mean?

Like I said, I'm lucky I can call people with my cell phone. I just started texting about six months ago.

 

[robinb]

Can you elaborate on the "closed platform"? What does that mean?

It means that all apps on the iPhone need to be approved by Apple. I don't see it as a bad thing for the regular user ... it means fewer porn and other unsavory apps available to the general public.

ETA: You also don't risk Malware on the iPhone from randomly downloaded apps. According to eWeek, Android Malware is up 400%: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/A...00-Percent-as-All-Mobile-Threats-Rise-461155/

 

[SaraJayne]

It means that all apps on the iPhone need to be approved by Apple. I don't see it as a bad thing for the regular user ... it means fewer porn and other unsavory apps available to the general public.

ETA: You also don't risk Malware on the iPhone from randomly downloaded apps. According to eWeek, Android Malware is up 400%: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/A...00-Percent-as-All-Mobile-Threats-Rise-461155/

Thanks for the explanation and article, Robin.

That makes total sense to me and I don't see it as a bad thing, either.

So the Droid has a problem with apps randomly downloading without your knowledge?

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Can you elaborate on the "closed platform"? What does that mean?

Like I said, I'm lucky I can call people with my cell phone. I just started texting about six months ago.

It means that all apps on the iPhone need to be approved by Apple. I don't see it as a bad thing for the regular user ... it means fewer porn and other unsavory apps available to the general public.

ETA: You also don't risk Malware on the iPhone from randomly downloaded apps. According to eWeek, Android Malware is up 400%: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/A...00-Percent-as-All-Mobile-Threats-Rise-461155/

Exactly. Apple runs malware checks on almost all the software they sell in the store. Those using Android have a much higher chance of malware being installed on their phones as it is open source --- meaning anybody can write the software and sell it - usually with nobody checking it out to see whether it is a safe program.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Thanks for the explanation and article, Robin.

That makes total sense to me and I don't see it as a bad thing, either.

So the Droid has a problem with apps randomly downloading without your knowledge?

No.

It means that bad stuff is in the downloads ... stuff that steals your information, or messes with the operating system.

 

[SaraJayne]

Though in reading the article, I found this.

The iPhone is at risk because malicious apps can obtain user data and transmit it to a third-party server, the report found.

“In most cases, application developers used pre-packaged code purchased from advertising agencies, originally intended to collect device information that could be used to build advertising profiles of the device user,” Juniper said in the study.

While RIM BlackBerry devices and Apple iPhones are not under as intense attack, Juniper warned that spyware apps such as FlexiSpy, Mobile Spy and MobiStealth are large threats to the platform.

Lyne noted that there are no security software available for the iPhone in the Apple’s app store. The company is not letting users protect themselves, Lyne said.

Juniper also warned that the increase in Wi-Fi enabled devices could result in more man-in-the-middle attacks, especially as people continue to trust public Wi-Fi hotspots.

 

[SideshowBob]

Third Iphone and still love 'em

 

[SaraJayne]

No.

It means that bad stuff is in the downloads ... stuff that steals your information, or messes with the operating system.

Thanks.

 

[robinb]

So the Droid has a problem with apps randomly downloading without your knowledge?

No, sorry for the confusion. It means that you can download an app that says it does one thing and it actually does another (like Big Cuddly Bear said). The same problem you have on your home PC computer system. You would have to take the same precautions about downloading software (apps) and I assume you would have to run virus checkers and the like on your phone.

Personally, I find the Apple approved apps to be perfectly acceptable.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

SJ. I read LOTS of magazines on Apple products and they all say that Apple puts "MOST" programs through a check to see if there is malware. They claim that that is one of the reasons that they take such a big cut of the software price - because they don't just sell everything that developers want to sell, but do security checks. And yet, I have a Droid.

And I have noticed in the Droid app store reviews that people will point out apps that they think have malware on them.

I have yet to see a single Apple app review that says they suspect malware within an app SOLD FROM THE APPLE STORE..... because you can get iPhone apps at other venues.

 

[SaraJayne]

Robin, it was interesting reading that article in that people need to put virus protection on their phones.

That never even ocurred to me, but it makes perfect sense if you're going to be online with it.

 

[robinb]

I have yet to see a single Apple app review that says they suspect malware within an app SOLD FROM THE APPLE STORE..... because you can get iPhone apps at other venues.

I could be wrong, but I think that's only the case if you jailbreak the phone. The normal, everyday user isn't going to jailbreak their phone so all their apps will be from the Apple App Store.