Iphone Or Android

[Silo Ted]

I'm looking at upgrading my old phone mostly so I can have a music player on the go. Have looked at a few top-end Mp3 plaers (not phones) but the reviews are mixed, and honestly I don't want two devices to carry around, separate chargers etc.

Ultimately what I am not interested in is all the technology such as a million useless apps at my fingertips, nor do I care for the whole facebook/tweet etc. Surfing the internet is something I probbaly wont do a lot of either.

Camera isnt an issue either, as I already have both a DSLR and a pretty good quality Lumix 'pocket camera' for photography.

Basically I want a good quality music player built into a phone with software that's got good functionality, and with an ease-of-use when it comes to adding & deleting music files. Built into a phone that's durable - not 'tradie' durable, but will last as long as the contract duration (I know, probably too much to ask)

In the past i have had two touchscreen phones branded with the Sony Walkman label, and while they were OK, I wasnt happy with the sound it produced. I also had a Nokia 5800 Musicexpress, a pre-Android smartphone, but that was less than satisfactory in the music department. I am fussy about sound reproduction, and generally use Sennheiser or AKG headphones

So, should I look at the iPhone, a brand that has a long reputation for portable music ? My concerns are as follows, and correct me if I'm wrong on the following:

• You can only upload songs via iTunes, which means I cant simply 'drag & drop' files as I have in the past
• iTunes converts Mp3 to .wav, therefore duplicating the somg files on my PC
• Or worse.. I have heard stories that iTunes, combined with iPhone, will convert ALL music files on my PC to their format. This is a big no-no for me, as I am an amateur muso, and have a lot of files that should never have anything to do with my portable music player
• I need to register with the iTunes store, and log in every time I do something with file transfers

How much better is the iPhone than a new generation smartphone ? Love to hear especially from people who have used both regularly.

 

[Clutch]

Android all the way.

*Disclaimer: I use Macs at home, and have a Nokia N8 which I'm very disappointed in.

 

[Bizier]

I have a galaxy s 1, and I'm very happy with it besides breaking the screen. Android is good and my preference, though music player is arguably better on an iphone.

 

[Pollux]

I personally use an LG Optimus Black, which runs android. It's only issue is a small level of inbuilt memory, which can easily be overcome with a big fat micro SD card.

I run winamp on it and often plug it into the car stereo. Strangely enough the sound output isn't the same as my old phone (Nokia N97mini) so I need to turn the stereo up a bit louder, but otherwise I have no complaints.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

+1 Andriod

Both me and SWMBO have HTC Desires. They are great phones, very user friendly. Has a built in 2gb SDmicro, but will support larger ones. Will also dock to your laptop to be used as an internet connection either using WiFi or 3G. SWMBO has an old lappy without wirless, so she uses the phone as a modem to acces the home WiFi, you can also use the phone as an external hard drive, making it easy to load music

The best way to get one is on a Telstra MRO ( Managed Repayement Plane ) over 24mnths, that way you can break the contract if needed. Dont get talked into a fixed plan thingy. Basically, you pay it of over 24mnths with the phone cost incorperated into you call plan. The best one is about $60/mnth. You also get good data download rate.

DISCLAIMER My employer is a Telstra Business Partner, but I dont work on the mobile side of things

One good thing is that it will support different media formats, WAV, FLAC, MP3... pretty much anything. You will need to download apps/players for this.Of course iTunes is not, due to obvious reasons.

Other neat tricks is inbuilt GPS, so you dont need a seperate Navman/Tomtom .( This came in very handy when we went thru Brisvegas a few weeks ago) and FM radio.


Basically it is a small PC with a phone attached, and you wont be tied up with Apples iTunes

 

[Robbo2234]

Android all the way!! No iTunes to deal with!! And I just posted this from my Android too

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Basically I want a good quality music player built into a phone with software that's got good functionality, and with an ease-of-use when it comes to adding & deleting music files. Built into a phone that's durable - not 'tradie' durable, but will last as long as the contract duration (I know, probably too much to ask)

The HTC phones are durable, as they have a metal frame, but you can get an otter box which is a plastic case that includes a clear screen guard, and a rubber casing , making it bullet proof. The only downside is that it makes it a bit bulky, but a small price to pay

Personally I hate those small phones

 

[Silo Ted]

Android is good and my preference, though music player is arguably better on an iphone.

Have you experienced both ? And what makes it better, the sound quality or the phone's software ?

I personally use an LG Optimus Black, which runs android. It's only issue is a small level of inbuilt memory, which can easily be overcome with a big fat micro SD card.

I think that's what my partner has. It's an LG something, which has the previous Android version to 2.2 or whatever the latest is. She loves it, but I find the sound quality lacking - that said I believe you can download mixer/equaliser apps.... ?

I run winamp on it and often plug it into the car stereo. Strangely enough the sound output isn't the same as my old phone (Nokia N97mini) so I need to turn the stereo up a bit louder, but otherwise I have no complaints.

If a device doesn't have a 3.5mm TRS socket, I'm not interested.

Android all the way!! No iTunes to deal with!!

I would like to know more about why the iTunes interface is so fucked. Is it the file duplication that I mentioned in my OP, the format change, the taking over of all music files ?

 

[DUANNE]

i have had iphone and now have galaxy s2. basically any thing the i phone does the android system does better imo including web browsing and music. for music i have installed power amp and just load up the mmory card with most music files in flac format and find it very good.main downside with iphone is no memory card, pre installed battery and i tunes being awfull to use and my one was pretty unreliable. if i buy music online i want to use it on any device i choose not just what apple wants me to buy.

 

[OzMemphis]

If you can use computers and prefer windows/independance than Android
If you just want to go to a market and buy everything without thinking, then Apple.

Its pretty well as easy as that.

I've heared nothing but good from the Samsung Galaxy 2

I have a HTC Desire and haven't had any issues.

My mate has an iPhone 4, with no problems.

It does come down to personal preference.

 

[brettprevans]

Now that I have gotten used to my galaxy s2 after having iphone id have to say andriod. But only android in a good phone. Not all phines running andriod are great. sone r.vetter than othets.

I hated I tunes. Andriod is drag and drop or use a less cumbersome andriod verson of itunes

 

[Silo Ted]

i have had iphone and now have galaxy s2. basically any thing the i phone does the android system does better imo including web browsing and music. for music i have installed power amp and just load up the mmory card with most music files in flac format and find it very good.main downside with iphone is no memory card, pre installed battery and i tunes being awfull to use and my one was pretty unreliable. if i buy music online i want to use it on any device i choose not just what apple wants me to buy.

A'ha, FLAC format. Does iPhone do that ? I'll bet it doesn't. I didn't think of it, but even at home with my PC as Jukebox, I favour FLAC.

I won't be buying music online, and have serious issues with doing so. When I pay for music, I get the CD. And want the freedom to reproduce the music any damn way I want to for personal usage.

What is 'power amp' ?

Maybe I should look at the specs of the different phone models, and particularly their (hardware) pre-amp figures.

If you can use computers and prefer windows/independance than Android
If you just want to go to a market and buy everything without thinking, then Apple.

Its pretty well as easy as that.

I've heared nothing but good from the Samsung Galaxy 2

I have a HTC Desire and haven't had any issues.

My mate has an iPhone 4, with no problems.

It does come down to personal preference.

If I went the iPhone it would be v.3

I hated I tunes. Andriod is drag and drop or use a less cumbersome andriod verson of itunes

Drag & Drop is what I want. I have never used the related software with previous musicphones.

It's becoming very clear to me I think. **** the iPhone ! Especially now that I realise that I can do FLAC, it would be better to have expandable memory (I already own a 16gB SD micro from my last phone)

 

[Bizier]

You guys have convinced me to try something other than the native music player, which I dislike.

I will add that my screen was cracked under conditions which no phone should be subjected to. I use a reinforced leather Melko cover and like it.

 

[white.grant]

We're using HTC desires at work and there have been a lot of problems with them right across the organization, mostly the hassles have been around mail use, but I have had two phones now that just stopped working. Battery life is also terrible.

I'm just not so sure about Google these days, seem to be assuming the place of the new evil empire.

cheers

grant

 

[pk.sax]

From the OP, point 1 valid, points 2,3,4 wrong.

I haven't used an android. That's outta the way.

3GS here, music through iTunes is easy. Just drag whatever file you want onto iTunes library you like and then add into the iPhone library. I keep my music sync option at manual. That means I only add what I want to the iPhone.
Also, in iTunes settings you can choose what format it converts music you drag drop into the library. Also, can choose for iTunes to convert and save it's own version of the song in the iTunes lib on the computer and leave the source file alone. Handy if you don't want your originals mangled.

The default options in iTunes are geared towards people with no(low) knowledge of IT in general. But the options let you customize more than enough. One other thing that's awesome is that you can do all that editing of the library on the computer and just sync the set you want. No need to fiddle with moving/changing things on a small screen.
Most of my music is also CD ripped, I rarely dl off the iTunes store, but the option to do so is nice. Besides, those downloads are not locked to apple devices - drm free.
Best convenience of all, and this goes back to Nokia days. If you forget your charger/cable out and about, somebody is gonna have an iPod cable around you.

PS: this is posted from my iPhone. And yes, I mostly hate autocorrect.

PPS: the iPhone is an awesome brewery assistant brewmath and brewpal for 99c each do more than enough required to calculate/formulate on the move and are not menu heavy like of software.

 

[OzMemphis]

We're using HTC desires at work and there have been a lot of problems with them right across the organization, mostly the hassles have been around mail use, but I have had two phones now that just stopped working. Battery life is also terrible.

I'm just not so sure about Google these days, seem to be assuming the place of the new evil empire.

cheers

grant

Battery life on all smart phones is terrible! I use my Desire for a personal phone, and we use the Blackberry Torch as a work phone... The blackberry has great battery life, but its a puss phone.

 

[AndrewQLD]

I repair mobile phones for a living and although I can't guide you regarding the music side of things I can advice you on the repair side if you want to know.
Just using the recommendations above.

iPhone 4 = fairly robust, feels good in your hand weight wise, biggest repair issue is broken lcd/digitizer and broken rear glass, very few other problems.

Samsung galaxy S one and 2= Very light phone for size, biggest repair issue is broken lcd/digitizer, broken charge port connector and blown speakers, not very robust, these handsets have some pretty wicked menu features such as voice texting.

HTC Desire = good weight for size, biggest repair issue is broken lcd/digitizer, RX/TX problems and some speaker faults.

Not all handsets have these problems but these are fairly common repairs we do on these particular units.

If your not interested in all the bells and whistles these phones offer, and they do offer a lot, and your main concern is music why not just stick with a top of the range music player?

Andrew

 

[pk.sax]

Andy, I hope they revert to a front mounted digitizer for iphone 5. I replaced mine yesterday on my 3GS and it was a piece of cake, It lasted unscathed through 2+ years of abuse, dropping on concrete, shower, carpets, being flung across the room by accident, sprayed with wort steam.... Eventually, the screen broke when it fell flat on it on hard tiles. I'm pretty impressed by how tough these are built.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

only comment I have is RE the durability of the iPhone - I left my 3GS on the roof of SWMBO's car once, found it face down on the road, screen shattered & smashed to pieces, it had been driven over a few times - still worked fine but it kept slicing up my finger tips.. so I replaced the screen and it was good as new.
Only trouble was the $10 replacement screen from eBay wasn't as durable & I ended up smashing about 4 of them.

 

[brettprevans]

it would be better to have expandable memory (I already own a 16gB SD micro from my last phone)

that would be my 1 biggest complaint about the galazy s2, that you dont have an option of a 16GB or 32GB. it comes in 16GB standard, but can take any type of SD micro memory. so in your case you could slot it into the S2 and youve got 32GB. but i only had a 2GB micro. anyways my point was that samsung should give people the opion of a 32GB phone these days as its pretty standard. but the expandable memory is a great option.