Ah. Ignorance fought. That sounds pretty cool.
Hmm, I would argue that the launcher is what you spend much of your time with, especially if you switch or launch apps very often. Every time I turn my phone screen on, there’s the launcher.
Fair point on the features like menus and lists, but of course apps can and do make their own behaviors too so AFAIK it’s not going to be a 100% consistent experience across all apps no matter what platform you choose.
To be fair, the launcher (and even lock screen, these days), have historically been handled differently with Android, when compared to iOS.
Apps are the forefront of the iOS launcher, which quickly shoots you in the direction you want to go, whereas Android nests those away in the drawer and lets you customize the launcher to your needs (or to the point of replacing it, entirely).
I could see Android users spending more time there than iOS users, but I’m not sure how much time they spend, relative to other device activities. With a robust notification system and dedicated task-switching button, as of 3.0, there is even less reason to go back to the launcher, with Android.
Personally, I think Android users place more value in it, as opposed to spending a good chunk of time there.
The launcher is a means, not an end. The apps (including the built-in preinstalled phone/SMS/contacts functionality) are what you actually use.
Not 100% consistent, for sure - some Windows phone apps (particularly games) don’t bother using any conspicuous WP API features, but many (perhaps most) other apps do seem to - certainly more than I found with apps for my previous Android phone (that was one of the key points that turned me off Android).
Point is, just skinning an Android phone to make the launcher look a bit like WP8 doesn’t get you very much of what’s good about Windows Phone. I don’t think you even get proper live tiles.
Great stuff, everyone!
Another issue that someone IRL mentioned: syncing between phone and tablet. I don’t HAVE a tablet, but I want to get one when I can afford it – and the odds are long against my getting an iPad (too expensive) compared to some other tablet. Should that affect my choice of phone?
Not necessarily. What do you want to sync?
A lot of the points have been covered above, but I really think there’s a few simple things to consider:
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Apps - This is probably the most important thing to consider. In general, Windows phones lose here, and the benefits between iPhone and Android really depend on what your needs are. iPhone is most likely to get a major app first, but Android is usually either right there or very closely behind, so it seems like a small difference to me. I have noticed that Android tends to have more free apps, which is a small benefit in that direction. Really, the part I like best about Android here is that apps don’t have to go through QC at Apple. That means that updates tend to come out quicker and more often, though they may not be as controlled. Either way, pretty much a wash between iPhone and Android here, but beware that if you buy apps on one then swap to the other, you’ll have to pay again.
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Services - Really, this is probably your determining factor. I use GMail, Chrome, and a few other Google services, so the convenience of it integrating well with my phone is great. If you use iTunes or other Apple services, iPhone may make more sense to you. If you use Hotmail or Windows stuff, that may make the most sense for you. If you’re using some combination, you’ll need to figure out which you value most work best on which platforms and pick the one that’s the best compromise for you. If you’re not using any of those, you may not care at all.
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Hardware - With Apple, you get a known quantity. There’s only a few different types, so if it fits well, you’re in a really good spot, and if not, you’re stuck dealing with either shortcomings or excesses or whatever. With Android, you get tons of different choices, different processors, different screen sizes, etc. so you get a level of customization in hardware alone, and with the OS greater customizization, that you just can’t get with Apple. Really, it’s not all that unlike comparing buying an Apple computer or laptop to a PC computer or laptop. Oddly, Windows phones seem to come in in the middle there, but more as a worst of both worlds, in they aren’t specially designed just for certain hardware like Apple, but they don’t offer the plethora of choices that Android does. Ultimately, though, Android seems to have the most powerful and option rich hardware, as well as the most options for bargain priced phones without just getting an older one.
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OS - If you have Apple computers at home, it only seems logical to me that an iPhone works well for you. If you have a Windows PC with Windows 8, that may give some edge to Windows if it ties in well, but I haven’t really played with it enough there. What Google brings is the high level of customization, so if you don’t care about that, it may not matter.
So, I think for an average person, the order is Android > iPhone > Windows. Obviously, if you’re an Applephile already, you should pick an iPhone, but you wouldn’t be asking this question if you were. Chances are, you can find an Android that does everything the iPhone you’re looking at does at least as well or better, for less, particularly if you’re interested in working with it and customizing it. I just can’t recommend a Windows for for the simple reason that pretty much in every way that really matters, particularly Apps and hardware, it’s strictly dominated by the competition. If they can get their Apps up to par, and depending on how the Nokia deal pans out over the next couple years, they may become a more viable option.
As Mangetout mentioned, this consistency is one of the selling points of Windows Phone over Android. While it’s not 100%, apps DO look and feel and behave much more similarly. Also, the launcher, keyboard, context menus, system settings, etc. are all designed to match each other.
I used Android for years and love its power and flexibility, but hated that it had such a major “too many cooks” vibe; every screen looked like it was designed by a different committee.
WP feels like everybody is on the same page; the core UI is nice and neutral, and many apps build on it nicely and smoothly.
Nexus phones get the OS updates directly from Google.
If you buy a Windows Phone, it contributes to my paycheck. Clearly that should be a sufficient reason for you. But if you still need technical data, just remember that the makers of the other phones all kill kittens for fun.
More seriously? I think people get way, way too invested in this stuff. All three platforms are far more alike than they are different: they’ll all run a variety of apps, they’ll all browse the web for you, they’ll all fail to make phone calls when you need them most.
iOS and Windows Phone are closed ecosystems: There are barriers to acquiring software meant to keep out poor quality, buggy, and malicious apps. The cost to this is a sort of “nanny” feel. Most people actually prefer this environment, but many hate it, and if “openness” as an idea is more important to you than having to manage your own security, Android is the way to go.
iOS has the most apps, Android second, Windows Phone is working hard at it. That’s a lot less of an issue now than it was even a year or so ago, but the apps still come to iOS first.
Android is extremely inexpensive, both from the original purchase and the app side (any App developer will tell you getting Android users to actually pay money is like pulling teeth). Outside the US, it’s the dominant platform (although it’s not clear how many Android folks actually know they have Android, rather than “the cheapest smartphone.”)
Look at 'em all, choose what you want, then buy Windows Phone, because, you know, kittens.
That’s true, and I probably should have been less lazy and explicitly said that instead of just saying “generally”. However, most Android phones aren’t Nexuses. The developer upgrade is available to all Windows Phones.
Non-Verizon Nexus phones (such a sad story, the CDMA Galaxy Nexus).