4 ms·

Feature comparison: iOS3 and 4 VS Android 2.1 and 2.2

8 points by tokyomonster 16y ago

MichaelGG 16y ago
Question: How exactly will carriers charge for tethering? I have Nexus One running 2.2 - turning on tethering is just one touch. Are they going to content sniff and just hope that catches most people? Or are the non-unlocked Android phones restricted to carrier approved apps?
- tokyomonster 16y ago
  The carriers likely have the option to remove this feature/menu item entirely when they push their OTA out to phones.
buster 16y ago
I would add widgets and turn-by-turn navigation. Live wallpapers are rather... unproductive toys, don't know if i would've counted them. CalDAV calendar support maybe.
teilo 16y ago
Another utterly useless comparison, employing the classic marketing trick of ignoring any features which are unique to your competitor. From TA: "Now, the sticky part: being that we’re an Android-centric blog, there’s an obvious bias. However, I’d like to make it clear that we tried to pick the features used in the comparison as objectively as possible so as not to tip the scales in either direction." And you failed miserably. For the record: My phone of choice is a Nexus One.
- tjogin 16y ago
  Besides that, the iPhone is the phenomenal success it is not because of its long list of features. It has famously lacked features other phones have had for years, exactly because Apple's focus is on the experience of using the phone, not the checklist with which other people choose to describe it.
- tokyomonster 16y ago
  Heya! Mind letting us know which features we ignored on the iPhone? If this was done it was an honest oversight. If you'd care to point out the ones we missed, we'll be happy to incorporate them into the chart.
  - illumin8 16y ago
    How about multiple Exchange account support? International keyboards and localization support (you mentioned user installable keyboards, but iPhone already has international keyboards for many countries built in). Kanji input from handwriting recognition? Supporting Exchange Activesync device security restrictions (I have a friend with a N1 and he can't even add our corporate Exchange account in 2.1 because his device doesn't comply with Microsoft's rules). Also, I could tell a lot of bias when you talk about 3rd party apps. You ding iPhone because it needs to be jailbroken but fail to mention that an Android phone has to be rooted in the same manner. More bias in wifi tethering - you fail to mention that the only way to enable it is to install 2.2 which is an unapproved firmware update. The carrier approved version that the vast majority of non-geek users will get WILL have carrier charges if you want to enable wifi tethering. You think Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile are just going to give it away for free when they charge everyone else?
    - tokyomonster 16y ago
      Hey, thanks for the feedback. "How about multiple Exchange account support?" I'll add this row. Both Android and iPhone support it, so it's a wash either way. "International keyboards and localization support (you mentioned user installable keyboards, but iPhone already has international keyboards for many countries built in). Kanji input from handwriting recognition?" Also things I can add. Edit: I'm also removing the user installable keyboards row entirely. "Supporting Exchange Activesync device security restrictions" Yeah, good call on this. iPhone supports it in both OS versions, Android 2.1 doesn't, but 2.2 does. "You ding iPhone because it needs to be jailbroken but fail to mention that an Android phone has to be rooted in the same manner." Android doesn't have to be rooted to install third party apps. You can take a brand new, unrooted android app(unless it's the ATT backflip), and enabled the ability to install third party apps from the settings. You can then go to any website, download an APK and install it. You only need root if you're install an Android app the requires root. "More bias in wifi tethering - you fail to mention that the only way to enable it is to install 2.2 which is an unapproved firmware update. The carrier approved version that the vast majority of non-geek users will get WILL have carrier charges if you want to enable wifi tethering. " Yes and no. It is available in 2.2, and it is up to the carriers to decide about charging. I can add a note, but as far as we know it's in 2.2 and there's no charge to use it.
houseabsolute 16y ago
Maybe they should add another category: "Doesn't look like garbage." Android 2.2 is still failing on that one . . . The intangibles matter, and they're entirely absent from this feature list. Until Google understands that, Android will always take a back seat to iPhone on design.
Sidnicious 16y ago
If you're comparing two products by comparing a list of features, you're doing it wrong. The most ridiculous example of that in this list is "On-device Video Editing". That is not a feature you can compare with a simple yes/no.
- tokyomonster 16y ago
  You're right - I'm going to remove that category entirely. Originally it was there because I was under the impression Apple was offering it(and thus tipped the scale in their favor). I've since realized that the iMovie app they demoed would be an additional $5 purchase and thus qualify as '3rd party', nullifying the need for a category comparing OS features if neither OS actually includes said features.
  - illumin8 16y ago
    iMovie is a 1st-party app, although it does cost $4.99.
    - tokyomonster 16y ago
      Yeah, so it's technically 1st-party, as it's developed by Apple, but you have to buy it separately, which was my point. I removed the video editing category entirely.
dreyfiz 16y ago
Marco Arment on feature checklist dysfunction: http://www.marco.org/380868888 http://www.marco.org/380868888
- tokyomonster 16y ago
  Ha, that's awesome. I'll keep that in mind the next time something like this is pitched.
drivebyacct 16y ago
The two no's for Android are hardly `no`s anyway. Orientation lock can be specified from the Settings and can be overridden on a per-app basis. Anyone using the homescreen is an idiot. The stock Launcher is terrible. LauncherPro is marginally better than ADW Laucnher which are both 100x better than the stock Launcher. That having been said, there is a fair amount of feature loading here for Android. I think it's an accurate comparison, but not a fair one as it leaves out features that would have 'Y's in the iOS columns and 'N's in the Android columns.
- tokyomonster 16y ago
  I don't mind adding those categories (the 'N' for Android ones) if you can think of a few.

8 points by tokyomonster 16y ago

Question: How exactly will carriers charge for tethering? I have Nexus One running 2.2 - turning on tethering is just one touch. Are they going to content sniff and just hope that catches most people? Or are the non-unlocked Android phones restricted to carrier approved apps?

tokyomonster 16y ago
The carriers likely have the option to remove this feature/menu item entirely when they push their OTA out to phones.

buster 16y ago

I would add widgets and turn-by-turn navigation. Live wallpapers are rather... unproductive toys, don't know if i would've counted them. CalDAV calendar support maybe.

teilo 16y ago

Another utterly useless comparison, employing the classic marketing trick of ignoring any features which are unique to your competitor. From TA: "Now, the sticky part: being that we’re an Android-centric blog, there’s an obvious bias. However, I’d like to make it clear that we tried to pick the features used in the comparison as objectively as possible so as not to tip the scales in either direction." And you failed miserably. For the record: My phone of choice is a Nexus One.

tjogin 16y ago
Besides that, the iPhone is the phenomenal success it is not because of its long list of features. It has famously lacked features other phones have had for years, exactly because Apple's focus is on the experience of using the phone, not the checklist with which other people choose to describe it.
tokyomonster 16y ago
Heya! Mind letting us know which features we ignored on the iPhone? If this was done it was an honest oversight. If you'd care to point out the ones we missed, we'll be happy to incorporate them into the chart.
- illumin8 16y ago
  How about multiple Exchange account support? International keyboards and localization support (you mentioned user installable keyboards, but iPhone already has international keyboards for many countries built in). Kanji input from handwriting recognition? Supporting Exchange Activesync device security restrictions (I have a friend with a N1 and he can't even add our corporate Exchange account in 2.1 because his device doesn't comply with Microsoft's rules). Also, I could tell a lot of bias when you talk about 3rd party apps. You ding iPhone because it needs to be jailbroken but fail to mention that an Android phone has to be rooted in the same manner. More bias in wifi tethering - you fail to mention that the only way to enable it is to install 2.2 which is an unapproved firmware update. The carrier approved version that the vast majority of non-geek users will get WILL have carrier charges if you want to enable wifi tethering. You think Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile are just going to give it away for free when they charge everyone else?
  - tokyomonster 16y ago
    Hey, thanks for the feedback. "How about multiple Exchange account support?" I'll add this row. Both Android and iPhone support it, so it's a wash either way. "International keyboards and localization support (you mentioned user installable keyboards, but iPhone already has international keyboards for many countries built in). Kanji input from handwriting recognition?" Also things I can add. Edit: I'm also removing the user installable keyboards row entirely. "Supporting Exchange Activesync device security restrictions" Yeah, good call on this. iPhone supports it in both OS versions, Android 2.1 doesn't, but 2.2 does. "You ding iPhone because it needs to be jailbroken but fail to mention that an Android phone has to be rooted in the same manner." Android doesn't have to be rooted to install third party apps. You can take a brand new, unrooted android app(unless it's the ATT backflip), and enabled the ability to install third party apps from the settings. You can then go to any website, download an APK and install it. You only need root if you're install an Android app the requires root. "More bias in wifi tethering - you fail to mention that the only way to enable it is to install 2.2 which is an unapproved firmware update. The carrier approved version that the vast majority of non-geek users will get WILL have carrier charges if you want to enable wifi tethering. " Yes and no. It is available in 2.2, and it is up to the carriers to decide about charging. I can add a note, but as far as we know it's in 2.2 and there's no charge to use it.

houseabsolute 16y ago

Maybe they should add another category: "Doesn't look like garbage." Android 2.2 is still failing on that one . . . The intangibles matter, and they're entirely absent from this feature list. Until Google understands that, Android will always take a back seat to iPhone on design.

Sidnicious 16y ago

If you're comparing two products by comparing a list of features, you're doing it wrong. The most ridiculous example of that in this list is "On-device Video Editing". That is not a feature you can compare with a simple yes/no.

tokyomonster 16y ago
You're right - I'm going to remove that category entirely. Originally it was there because I was under the impression Apple was offering it(and thus tipped the scale in their favor). I've since realized that the iMovie app they demoed would be an additional $5 purchase and thus qualify as '3rd party', nullifying the need for a category comparing OS features if neither OS actually includes said features.
- illumin8 16y ago
  iMovie is a 1st-party app, although it does cost $4.99.
  - tokyomonster 16y ago
    Yeah, so it's technically 1st-party, as it's developed by Apple, but you have to buy it separately, which was my point. I removed the video editing category entirely.

dreyfiz 16y ago

Marco Arment on feature checklist dysfunction: http://www.marco.org/380868888 http://www.marco.org/380868888

tokyomonster 16y ago
Ha, that's awesome. I'll keep that in mind the next time something like this is pitched.

drivebyacct 16y ago

The two no's for Android are hardly `no`s anyway. Orientation lock can be specified from the Settings and can be overridden on a per-app basis. Anyone using the homescreen is an idiot. The stock Launcher is terrible. LauncherPro is marginally better than ADW Laucnher which are both 100x better than the stock Launcher. That having been said, there is a fair amount of feature loading here for Android. I think it's an accurate comparison, but not a fair one as it leaves out features that would have 'Y's in the iOS columns and 'N's in the Android columns.

tokyomonster 16y ago
I don't mind adding those categories (the 'N' for Android ones) if you can think of a few.