iOS vs Android

[timmac]

What is a walled garden?

Contrary to a PP, the term "walled garden" when referring to Apple/iOS doesn't so much refer to the battery/memory (or in general, the non-ability of service on devices by an end user), as much as the software environment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walled_garden_(technology)

With iOS, a typical end user has one and only one path to get apps... through the AppStore. (Yes, I know there are provisions for enterprise deployments, as well as developer beta installs, but those are far outside the normal end user case.) It also means that Apple approves each and every application that appears in that store. (and disapproves all that don't)

The argument is that they can make sure all apps are high quality, and no danger to end users, and so on. That's the garden part... it's all nice and shiny looking.

The other side of it though--the wall--is that they can disallow apps for whatever reason they want. For instance, they won't approve any web browsers that don't use Apple web kit rendering engine. For a while, they also blocked any apps that were built originally using Adobe Flash. (They later reversed this opinion, but only after Adobe suggested they'd discontinue publishing some of their software packages on Mac... a move that could have crippled the Mac product line, but I digress.) WiFi sync existed prior to it's inclusion in iOS (required jailbreak), but was never allowed in the App store... the developer who wrote the original version was not exactly happy to see it later included for free. Ditto for the app that let you use the volume- button to trigger the rear camera.

Speaking more generally, any apps that try to interact with one another, or that fundamentally interact with the low-level iOS system or device, will always be rejected.

Anyway, there's both good and bad elements to it. From a user perspective, there are certainly advantages to having a clean, controlled, consistent ecosystem. The downside, is that you're limited on customization abilities, and developers have some restrictions on what kind of things they can do with apps.

 

[jensen]

Thanks for all of the responses, everyone! I ended up with an iPhone 4s (they didn't have any 5's in stock and didn't know when/if they'd be getting any in). I like it, but am having a little bit of buyers remorse. I was really torn between the iPhone and the Galaxy sIII. But, basically went with the iPhone because my mom and sisters had them and LOVED them.

Last week my sister got a new phone and went with the Galaxy sIII. I played around with it last night and I'm a bit jealous. I really like that big screen and not having all of my apps on the home screen! Maybe the iPhone 5 would have been better... I guess I'll find out in two years. Stupid contracts...

 

[JB2K]

OP - I see you already took the plunge -- this is for anyone else on the fence.

Granted, iPhones are nice, but I'll take my $45 "unlimited everything" phone bill every month over my wife's $100 a month iPhone bill with a set number of minutes/texts/data, any day of the week!

 

[jensen]

OP - I see you already took the plunge -- this is for anyone else on the fence.

Granted, iPhones are nice, but I'll take my $45 "unlimited everything" phone bill every month over my wife's $100 a month iPhone bill with a set number of minutes/texts/data, any day of the week!

I do have to agree. I could have easily gone without this toy. When I'm traveling it's great. But, mostly, I'm at home or work and I could just as easily be using my laptop. Maybe if I lived in an urban area and needed to look things up on the go more... But, I live in a small, rural community. I find that I mostly use it for updating my Facebook status. big waste!

 

[luvthemouse71]

I prefer iOS-just seems to be more stable. You don't get the "force close" error on iOS.

I'm someone who has no need to fart around with the tech for fun. I just want the dang thing to work on a reliable basis.

Love my iPhone and my iPad..

 

[manhattanman]

I prefer iOS-just seems to be more stable. You don't get the "force close" error on iOS.

I'm someone who has no need to fart around with the tech for fun. I just want the dang thing to work on a reliable basis.

Love my iPhone and my iPad..

It depends on the device, iOS is great and prior to jellybean it was clearly better. now I am not so sure, vanilla jellybean on a nexus7 is at least as good as iOS 5 on the iPad ( memory shortage errors) or the iPad 2. A nexus 4 should be similar because these OS's are developed for a specific device and are much closer to the closed garden of apple.

I think both are good, it was true that anything prior to 4.2 was inferior to iOS, but the gap is closing.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

So I'm confused. I'll preface this with the fact that I have no prior experience with smartphones other than playing with other peoples. I can upgrade in like 2 weeks and was leaning towards the iphone (specifically 5) I go through Verizon. I see people saying their bill is higher with iphone, why is that?

 

[Bell30012]

It's not just the iPhone. Any Smart phone on certain networks you pay a data charge. AT&T who I have mine though has options of $15 per month, $25 per month and for those like me who still have it $30 per month. The $30 is unlimited. The $15 is worthless.

 

[Princess on the Run]

I've had a Droid for my personal cell phone for a few years (currently the Razor Max HD) and have always loved it. I just switched my work phone from a Blackberry to an iPhone 5. I have to say, I don't love the iPhone. I may just be having an adjustment period and may end up liking it but I find it very complicated to do what i feel should be simple things. I really hate that there is no "back" button. The one button system seems hard to work with. Maybe in a month, I'll be a pro and it will be fine, but 4 days in I am unimpressed.

 

[ssawka]

I have also always had droids. I simply do not like Apple's censorship model. That being said, my laptop is a Mac Air and I love it.

Also, I know the OP said they bought an iPhone 4S, but I would not recommend the 4S to anyone because of its lack of 4G support.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

We used to have unlimited data. It cost me more for three iphones with unlimited 3G data (and only one tetherable) than it does with 3 iphones sharing data and all are tetherable... and 4G. We've never hit our data limits yet and we do a LOT of email, apps, etc. We save about $70 a month from having unlimited data to sharing. And we use our data more now (Hello, Siri!) than we did before.

It's not just the iPhone. Any Smart phone on certain networks you pay a data charge. AT&T who I have mine though has options of $15 per month, $25 per month and for those like me who still have it $30 per month. The $30 is unlimited. The $15 is worthless.