Iphone 5 or Samsung SIII

[Ricky]

Just returned from my trip to Hong Kong.

I seen loads of people there using Samsung SIII, it's very tempting with such a big screen. Would you still go for iPhone 5 or Samsung SIII?

 

[Ricardodaforce]

You might get more response if you put it in the right forum, Computers, Websites and Other Technology

 

[Dave *]

I got an S3 2 weeks ago as an upgrade and sold it last week. The money will go towards a new iPhone once it is released.

Text input/selection/cut & paste on the s3 seemed worse than the S2, and all the android devices have been worse than the iPhone 4.

 

[Russ77]

Had may Galaxy S since December 2010, it was only during a firmware upgrade that I had any problems, basically Kies failed at a critical point and pretty much bricked my phone.

Luckily, after a lot of cursing and swearing I managed to de-brick it with a custom version of Firmware and it's been fine and I really like the way the phone works so I'll definitely be getting an S3 when I'm due for upgrade in December

I'm not saying iPhones are rubbish (before I get lynched by the iSheep brigade) far from it, they're a decent bit of kit. I just prefer to have more say in how my phone works

 

[Ricardodaforce]

Had may Galaxy S since December 2010, it was only during a firmware upgrade that I had any problems, basically Kies failed at a critical point and pretty much bricked my phone.

Luckily, after a lot of cursing and swearing I managed to de-brick it with a custom version of Firmware and it's been fine and I really like the way the phone works so I'll definitely be getting an S3 when I'm due for upgrade in December

I'm not saying iPhones are rubbish (before I get lynched by the iSheep brigade) far from it, they're a decent bit of kit. I just prefer to have more say in how my phone works

Isn't referring to people who buy Apple products as "iSheep" trolling?

 

[Rebel t3i]

aren't they the same roflol

 

[antihero]

aren't they the same roflol

...we both have rectangular phones with a touch screen, but we though of it first so you owe us a bazillion dollars

honestly...how can anyone pass judgement before the 5 has even been officially announced, never mind released? No doubt it will be a good phone, as is the S3.

 

[Russ77]

Isn't referring to people who buy Apple products as "iSheep" trolling?

I don't think so, I was certain it was a collective term for those who have been brainwashed by Apple to believe that the only products on the market are Apple and we live on an Apple shaped planet and worship Steve Jobs.

 

[AndyB1976]

....wonder if the Apple shaped planet exists in an Apple shaped galaxy......

 

[Ricardodaforce]

I don't think so, I was certain it was a collective term for those who have been brainwashed by Apple to believe that the only products on the market are Apple and we live on an Apple shaped planet and worship Steve Jobs.

Have you met anyone that has been "brainwashed"? How does it happen? Do you have to go to Cupertino?

 

[stupar]

and all the android devices have been worse than the iPhone 4.

Assuming you have used every single android device out during the availability of the iPhone 4, can you be a bit more specific with your reasons.

 

[Rebel t3i]

I bought samsung because the screen was bigger and for no other reason, had the i phone had the biggest screen I would have bought one of those, so simple for me

 

[boliston]

I find the main annoyances with the S3 seem to be the way that the auto brightness does not seem to work (always seems too dim) so I keep having to manually adjust the screen brightness.

Also not at all keen on the settings menus having white text on a black background as it quite tiring on the eyes - I much prefer to have all text as black on a white background.

 

[PSILVERMAN]

Had an s2. Worked ok up until a software update then it was never the same. Crashing, freezing it even wiped all of my micro sd card and sim. It turned into the worst phone I've ever had.
Since gone back to iPhone and it was like coming home. It works, it's reliable and it's better! I will never get another Samsung phone again.
I have a friend with an s3 and it's developing the same behaviour. Sorry in my opinion Samsung phones are crap.

 

[Dave *]

Assuming you have used every single android device out during the availability of the iPhone 4, can you be a bit more specific with your reasons.

I've had a pretty good selection, enough to be able to compare android to iOS.

I currently have a Nexus 7, a Galaxy S2 and a ZTE Blade 2. I have had (over about the last 2 years) the SonyEricsson X10i, Arc and Xperia Pro, the HTC Desire HD and One S, the Samsung i5700, Tab 7 P1000, Galaxy S, Galaxy Ace, the Motorola XOOM and Defy and the Orange San Francisco.

I've also had each of the iPhones from the original to the iP4.

I would suggest I have experienced a great enough selection to be able to comment, it would probably be better if you quoted my statement in its entirety rather than just half of it it would also be clearer.
(I'm on my Nexus 7 and can't get the stupid thing to select and cut/paste my comment to repost, I'll try again once posted).

What i said:

Text input/selection/cut & paste on the s3 seemed worse than the S2, and all the android devices have been worse than the iPhone 4

So, in essence what I said S2 better than S3 for cut paste and text insertion, and iphone is better than all the Android. I actually swapped to my iphone for the cut and paste and edit.

 

[gramps]

S3 looked a bit too big to me if that's what I saw earlier on the news ... if so and iPhone 5 is similar to the 4 I'll be sticking with iPhone.

 

[stupar]

I've had a pretty good selection, enough to be able to compare android to iOS.

I currently have a Nexus 7, a Galaxy S2 and a ZTE Blade. I have had (over about the last 2 years) the SonyEricsson X10i, Arc and Xperia Pro, the HTC Desire HD and One S, the Samsung i5700, Tab 7 P1000, Galaxy S, Galaxy Ace, the Motorola XOOM and Defy and the Orange San Francisco.

I've also had each of the iPhones from the original to the iP4.

I would suggest I have experienced a great enough selection to be able to comment, it would probably be better if you quoted my statement in its entirety rather than just half of it it would also be clearer.
(I'm on my Nexus 7 and can't get the stupid thing to select and cut/paste my comment to repost, I'll try again once posted).

What i said:

Your use of a comma mid sentence makes it read differently that's why I questioned your motives re devices.

 

[Dave *]

Your use of a comma mid sentence makes it read differently that's why I questioned your motives re devices.

If it read as you interpreted it there would be a full stop in the middle.

 

[EOS_JD]

The S3 is a fantastic bit of kit. Not without some minor annoyances but I love the device.

The iPhone is also a fantastic device however there are major flaws depending on how you use it. The major flaw though could also be seen as it's major plus - The closed system. It keeps everything the same, updates to the OS are consistent, the apps are the same across both but Android is known for having some that are guff. Not quite the same as Apple's store.

I like the larger devices and even 4" on the Apple is not quite big enough.

But for me I want to be able to just connect my phone to my PC anywhere (at work or at home or on my netbook) and happily copy to and from without being tied into itunes and the android devices allow that.

With Apple you have to use iTunes and i just don't get that. Just a bit too restrictive - But yes an amazing product.

I like both but prefer the Android device for the extra flexibility it has.

 

[Ricardodaforce]

But for me I want to be able to just connect my phone to my PC anywhere (at work or at home or on my netbook) and happily copy to and from without being tied into itunes and the android devices allow that.

With iTunes Match once all your music has been matched you can forget about connecting to your PC. You do all via the cloud. The only time you'd need connect the 2 is if you'd want to add more music that you'd bought on CD etc. But you'd have to connect an Android mobile to do the same too. I bought some music via iTunes today and almost instantly it appeared on my iPhone, without any need of a physical connection.

 

[Dave *]

With Apple you have to use iTunes and i just don't get that. Just a bit too restrictive - But yes an amazing product.

I like both but prefer the Android device for the extra flexibility it has.

Not really true, there are a number of alternatives to using iTunes.

 

[EOS_JD]

Not really true, there are a number of alternatives to using iTunes.

I don't mean just to play music.

 

[Steep]

I've had a pretty good selection, enough to be able to compare android to iOS.

I currently have ........... a ZTE Blade 2. ................and the Orange San Francisco.

That's cheating

 

[Dave *]

I don't mean just to play music.

Neither do I, there are a number of file manager type programs and media manager programs.

 

[Dave *]

That's cheating

Actually a mistake, the newer one is the ZTE Crescent (unbranded San Francisco 2) I managed to mangle the 2 names. First one was the Orange branded San Francisco.

 

[borisnikon]

I like iPhones because they just work, ios is made for the iPhone but android is built to work with many so will just never be as slick...

 

[swordjo]

I like iPhones because they just work, ios is made for the iPhone but android is built to work with many so will just never be as slick...

This may be true of cheaper devices, but do you think companies like Sony, HTC and Samsung will just chuck on a vanilla version without tweaking it to work with their specific device.

I've not real loyalty to either iOS or Android, they both have their place in the market. At the moment I like the flexibility of Android on my S3 out of the box (without have to jailbreak etc), I like having a mircoSD card to expand my memory if I need it etc. The size worked better for me than the iPhone due to having rather large hands.

Canon/Nikon
Mac/PC
Android/iOS
Swings/Roundabouts!

 

[LongLensPhotography]

SIII 4G LTE with vanilla android flash is my current thought

 

[Les McLean]

I think a lot will depend on Iphone 5 supporting the UK version of 4G, I understand SIII will?, but Iphone 5?

 

[Dave *]

I think a lot will depend on Iphone 5 supporting the UK version of 4G, I understand SIII will?, but Iphone 5?

As the S3 LTE is already released in the USA it's probably fair to assume it has the US frequencies and not Euro frequencies and so won't work here on 4G. The first Euro compatible phones are supposed to be the 2 new Nokias announced last week.

Edit

Reading the EE press release, they are launching a Samsung S3 LTE, confusingly, it isn't the same phone as the US Samsung S3 LTE, not even the hardware is the same (dual core in US, quad core in UK). The current S3 will still be sold, but it isnt LTE capable on any of the networks.

What a way to make 4G even more confusing.

 

[Russ77]

Have you met anyone that has been "brainwashed"? How does it happen? Do you have to go to Cupertino?

I do know a few people who I'd class as "brainwashed" and I've come across a few on several different internet forums and Facebook.

I will clarify my position for the sake of balance (and so Apple don't hunt me down, drag me to Cupertino and brainwash me too )

For years if someone said to me "I want an iPod" I would always steer them to a "generic" MP3 player instead.

However, I purchased one myself in 2007 and found it brilliant.

Apple to make/sell great products, I'll never deny that. What grinds my gears is those that are blind to the fact that their are other products that could meet their needs/expectations.

iPhones are great devices but I don't like being tied down to how the manufacturer decides how the device should be used. For me, the latest Samsung smart phones give you the iPhone gloss with the ability to customise and "tinker" with the way it works. Much like running Linux on a PC allows you more control than Microsoft Windows which in turn allows you more control than the equivalent Apple offering.

I think a dead giveaway to how good Samsung phones/tablets are is how intent Apple are to stop them being sold

As I said in my first post, my Galaxy S bricked during a firmware upgrade but equally, I've seen plenty of my friends on Facebook complain about iPhone upgrades not going so smoothly.

I believe we're at a point now where these smart phones have been around for a few years. People have invested in Apps for their chosen "platform" so that is perhaps the biggest steer on who buys what. Not dissimilar to the age old Canon/Nikkon thing, once you buy into one format it's likely you'll stick with it because of the perhipherals.

 

[Ricardodaforce]

I base my opinions on personal experience, not brainwashing.
I had an Android phone, an HTC Legend, that caused me no end of problems. My wife had an Android phone, an HTC Desire, that caused her no end of problems. One could argue that that experience reflects badly on HTC not Android, but to me Android (then) just didn't seem polished.
I own a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that I never use. The lack of quality Android tablet apps is appalling. My iPad is just great.
Almost my entire music collection is on my iPod Classic 120GB. As a user of iTunes Match I have access to my collection of 14,364, 51.5days, 118.82GB of music on my iPhone.
What I like is the reliabilty and connectivity of the Apple products. I don't need to use a cable to sync. They are reliable, and they just work!

 

[Russ77]

I base my opinions on personal experience, not brainwashing.
I had an Android phone, an HTC Legend, that caused me no end of problems. My wife had an Android phone, an HTC Desire, that caused her no end of problems. One could argue that that experience reflects badly on HTC not Android, but to me Android (then) just didn't seem polished.
I own a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that I never use. The lack of quality Android tablet apps is appalling. My iPad is just great.
Almost my entire music collection is on my iPod Classic 120GB. As a user of iTunes Match I have access to my collection of 14,364, 51.5days, 118.82GB of music on my iPhone.
What I like is the reliabilty and connectivity of the Apple products. I don't need to use a cable to sync. They are reliable, and they just work!

That's fair enough, not got a problem with anyone who likes Apple products I promise you.

It's the people who like them without reason other than "It's apple, it's the best" without comparing to anything else.

I've had no bad experiences with Apple, although I only own a 5 year old 80GB classic iPod

I'm possibly in the market for a tablet and will consider the iPad along with Samsung's offering, however this isn't because I'm a fan of Samsung per se, it's just that the competition outside the Samsung/Apple arena isn't great!

 

[Ricardodaforce]

I've had no bad experiences with Apple, although I only own a 5 year old 80GB classic iPod

The Classic is a classic! I love mine. I'm not even sure if they still sell them.

 

[Russ77]

The Classic is a classic! I love mine. I'm not even sure if they still sell them.

I think they do but they're not as classic as they used to be

Incidentally I use iTunes as my default media player as it does a lot better job of organising my 30K+ MP3s

 

[dod]

I've got an iphone and an android phone and neither are perfect.

The android didn't really like the icecream sandwich upgrade. Maybe I could have rooted it and fixed it but to be honest lifes too short. The iphone text feature is clumsy compared to the HTC, the social networking implementation is poor, itunes is abysmal, BUT the calendar feature (the reason why I stay with it, for now) is perfect for me syncing multiple calendars. Android kept duplicating entries for some reason and that was a major annoyance. My phone is far more of a business tool than a social one.

I preferred the way I could save files on the HTC and unless I find an easy way of saving spreadsheets/ word docs etc soon I can see me going back to an android phone of some description. I might also hold off till the new windows phones and os are available and see what they're offering.

 

[Andymilts]

The big downside of the iPhone 5 is the fact the chargers and devices will need a different connector, at £20 ish a go thats going to be £80 at least.

For me android is just too flaky not had the galaxy but the mrs has and she has to reset often and on my 4s once in a year

 

[EOS_JD]

it's just that the competition outside the Samsung/Apple arena isn't great!

Possibly the best tablet on the market is from neither! The Asus Transformer is the one I've been looking at - Battery life is superb!

 

[trencheel303]

I find iOS devices horribly unintuitive.

Because the device has no "hard" back/previous button, the reliance to provide such a feature is on the apps themselves, and it does not always work consistently or smoothly across different apps. Whenever I use an iPhone, I'm staring at the screen momentarily thinking "how do I go back to where I was?" whereas with any other device on the planet there is always a programmed button for the sole purpose of going "back". If you get to a menu you don't want, you just mash the back key. On an iPhone, it's a momentary panic thinking "right, what do I do here" as not all apps have an obvious "back" function. To not have a back button is to me akin to providing a car without a steering wheel. I have found this unintuitive ever since I used an iPod Touch 2 which was before I'd ever experienced another "smart" device or phone. Within a week of using a HTC wildfire, my first smartphone, I wondered why the Apple devices never had a "back" button, as it made perfect sense.

I also think the fact that the email app on iPhone 4 is excessively unintuitive with the way it accepts attachments, i.e., you must attach an item from within the item itself, there is no option to do it in the mail app.

Imo the truly intuitive Apple age is long gone, to me their heyday was in the System 7 and Mac OS 8 days, now THAT is what you call intuitive software. They may have been about to go bust around that time but I still think it's their best era, before they just became a huge corporate hype machine.

 

[Ricardodaforce]

I also think the fact that the email app on iPhone 4 is excessively unintuitive with the way it accepts attachments, i.e., you must attach an item from within the item itself, there is no option to do it in the mail app.

Yes there is. You can certainly insert photos or videos. Not sure about other media.