Which smartphone?

[word]

I've used Android on a Samsung Galaxy too and now I want to use iPhone. So could any one suggest me about this. thanks.

I'm really curious about this too. Someone suggested that it's better to get a Samsung Galaxy Note instead of an iPhone. I'm wondering how practical that is.

LOL katherine2351 is just a spammer; that post was gibberish used to get people to go to that link in her signature. Her post will probably be deleted pretty soon.

Android vs. iOS; it's just gonna come down to fanboys arguing. At this point, both Android phones and iPhones are pretty decent (depends on which Android phone, of course). Regardless of your decision, you'll probably be pretty happy.

http://gizmodo.com/5896243/the-fanboy-and-the-phone-a-lovehate-story

[hatefulsandwich]

Like I said, I've experienced both and I do plan to get an iPhone as my next phone. Not because Android is terrible or anything, I have really had a lot of fun with it in fact. Partly I would like an iPhone to play nicely with my iPad since there are a couple of things I'd like to do with the pair but currently can't. Apple applications are, on the whole, better developed and now that there are so many different smartphones and tablets and versions of Android, things are getting fragmented. You'll generally get a lot more life out of an iPhone since apple seems to support products for a lot longer than Android smartphone makers. It is frustrating that apple products are locked down so much, though. I like modifying my systems and, hell, I'd like to be allowed to replace my own battery.

Another point I'm not sure I mentioned earlier is that the iPhone is a world phone. At least the current one is anyway. Here we use GSM networks while Japan uses CDMA. I rather like the idea of being able to use my phone back home instead of it becoming a glorified mp3 player.

[eFred]

I've used Android on a Samsung Galaxy too and now I want to use iPhone. So could any one suggest me about this. thanks.

I'm really curious about this too. Someone suggested that it's better to get a Samsung Galaxy Note instead of an iPhone. I'm wondering how practical that is.

LOL katherine2351 is just a spammer; that post was gibberish used to get people to go to that link in her signature. Her post will probably be deleted pretty soon.

oops. O.O

Like I said, I've experienced both and I do plan to get an iPhone as my next phone. Not because Android is terrible or anything, I have really had a lot of fun with it in fact. Partly I would like an iPhone to play nicely with my iPad since there are a couple of things I'd like to do with the pair but currently can't. Apple applications are, on the whole, better developed and now that there are so many different smartphones and tablets and versions of Android, things are getting fragmented. You'll generally get a lot more life out of an iPhone since apple seems to support products for a lot longer than Android smartphone makers. It is frustrating that apple products are locked down so much, though. I like modifying my systems and, hell, I'd like to be allowed to replace my own battery.

Another point I'm not sure I mentioned earlier is that the iPhone is a world phone. At least the current one is anyway. Here we use GSM networks while Japan uses CDMA. I rather like the idea of being able to use my phone back home instead of it becoming a glorified mp3 player.

I'm toying with the idea of getting an unlocked Samsung so that I can use it wherever. Someone explained that this was somehow better (not the phone, the "unlocked" status) but I got lost in all the techno babble. I think maybe I like the Samsung better because all my phones have been Samsung's and hooray for consistency. But like someone else mentioned elsewhere on here, the iphone might be better because supposedly "everyone" (ALT's) has one and it just makes communication easier. Hell, if I can use the internet, text and make the occasionally rare call then I'm fine.

I sortof know about the whole networks thing but if I order a unlocked phone (not from SA) will I be able to use it here and there? Does it depend on the service provider? More importantly, will I have internet access from the moment I step off the plane with said phone? Or is there waiting involved?

[hatefulsandwich]

In South Africa, our phones are unlocked by default. It's law, apparently. However, almost all phones come with either a GSM receiver or a CDMA receiver. The two are incompatible. As far as I can recall, Apple began equipping the iPhone with both because you get both CDMA and GSM networks in the states and they didn't like making two versions of the phone. Samsung, for example, has a different version of the Galaxy for just about every network in the States because of some weird carrier exclusivity thing. I'll also note that CDMA's main purpose is to lock phones into one carrier. As far as I know, there is no SIM to simply be swapped out. I hear there are ways of unlocking phones, but from my questioning on these forums earlier, it would seem that in Japan, at least, they will not give you access to their network unless you bought the phone from that specific carrier.

I do know Samsung has released some "Duos" phones that are made with both receivers, but they've mainly been targeted at India if I recall correctly. I personally wouldn't get those phones even if I could because I'm a fan of Android development and modding and there wouldn't be a large international support community like there is with, for example, the Galaxy S.

It's not like having a different phone means you won't be able to interact with people who have iPhones, it just means you won't be compatible with a few of the Apple-specific services like iMessage. There is always WhatsApp for that kind of thing, of course.

One last thing is that you won't be able to bring in a phone and get it on a Japanese Network. I was thinking of doing the same thing, but no luck. You'll sort out things in Japan and get a brand new, shiny phone! Otherwise you can pay exorbitant fees and get data roaming if it's especially important to you that you keep in touch with family when you first get to Japan.

[eFred]

One last thing is that you won't be able to bring in a phone and get it on a Japanese Network. I was thinking of doing the same thing, but no luck. You'll sort out things in Japan and get a brand new, shiny phone! Otherwise you can pay exorbitant fees and get data roaming if it's especially important to you that you keep in touch with family when you first get to Japan.

Grrrrrr. How bothersome! It's not a must-contact-family thing. It's more of a must-tell-the-world-what-I'm-doing thing. Also I have a thing about checking my emails. Constantly.

Well thank you. Very much. This has been extremely informative (and money saving).

[hatefulsandwich]

Ah, I'm sure you'll be able to get by one way or the other. Maybe not a hell of a lot in the first few days, but I'm sure the cellphone thing is kind of a priority that they like to sort you out with. Otherwise, if you have the cash, be sure to invest in a netbook or laptop or even tablet in order you record your memoirs and post them on the Internet when you get the opportunity.

[Tealparadise]

I switched from droid to iphone just because it was the path of least resistance / the path I could get help with from former JETs.

MISTAKE. MISTAKE. MISTAKE.

Please please please...anything but iphone. The things they lock up are ridiculous.

Can Do on ANY Droid but NOT on iphone:
- use as USB/thumb drive to move files (just plug into the computer, drag and drop in the folders- including music)
- use google maps

The first one doesn't seem like a huge deal, but it is nice to be able to (when the school's net goes down for ex) log into your gmail, download a file, and use the cable to move it to your persocon. An iphone won't do this, period. It won't download the file from email, it won't connect with your computer unless you install itunes.

The second is an obvious choice. It's pretty legendary at this point how much the imaps suck. I live in a small town and they literally do nothing at all. I just get an error message that says "cannot find route between these locations" for EVERY SINGLE LOCATION that I put in.

My iphone is a useless brick and I regret buying it / wish I had just roughed it out with my poor japanese at AU instead of going the easy way with the senior JETs in my area.

[scarreddragon]

"Also, both Softbank and au have the iPhone but au is on CDMA which basically means that you'll have to check your mailbox all the time for text messages in order to get them. It's kind of the running joke with my friends that you can tell who has an au iPhone because they are constantly checking their phone for text messages. That being said, it might be easier for you to get an iPhone with au because they really want business. "

Nope, my AU iPhone pushes messages through just fine. A friend of mine (softbank) and I actually experiemnted with this, and every single text he sent over a 1 hour period I got right when he sent it.

I'd say that the only downside right now of the iphone is the maps app. I'm sure someone will jump in with "omg its not that bad!!!!1!" but I am constantly fighting with it to find places, get correct routes, etc. and really at this point I don't trust the app at all to get me where I need to go, so I just keep a direct link to google maps on my home screen. It isn't the greatest solution, but it works better than the native app. However there are several other map apps out there, and we should be getting a google map app pretty soon (if Apple actually approves it, that is...), so there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

[word]

I switched from droid to iphone just because it was the path of least resistance / the path I could get help with from former JETs.

MISTAKE. MISTAKE. MISTAKE.

Please please please...anything but iphone. The things they lock up are ridiculous.

Can Do on ANY Droid but NOT on iphone:
- use as USB/thumb drive to move files (just plug into the computer, drag and drop in the folders- including music)
- use google maps

The first one doesn't seem like a huge deal, but it is nice to be able to (when the school's net goes down for ex) log into your gmail, download a file, and use the cable to move it to your persocon. An iphone won't do this, period. It won't download the file from email, it won't connect with your computer unless you install itunes.

The second is an obvious choice. It's pretty legendary at this point how much the imaps suck. I live in a small town and they literally do nothing at all. I just get an error message that says "cannot find route between these locations" for EVERY SINGLE LOCATION that I put in.

My iphone is a useless brick and I regret buying it / wish I had just roughed it out with my poor japanese at AU instead of going the easy way with the senior JETs in my area.

For the first issue, try a file-syncing app like Dropbox. It may help with your frustrations--and you won't even have to bother with a cable.

That said, Apple's iTunes-only situation does suck. There are ways around it, though; don't be unnecessarily frustrated!

[teabot]

I switched from droid to iphone just because it was the path of least resistance / the path I could get help with from former JETs.

MISTAKE. MISTAKE. MISTAKE.

Please please please...anything but iphone. The things they lock up are ridiculous.

Can Do on ANY Droid but NOT on iphone:
- use as USB/thumb drive to move files (just plug into the computer, drag and drop in the folders- including music)
- use google maps

The first one doesn't seem like a huge deal, but it is nice to be able to (when the school's net goes down for ex) log into your gmail, download a file, and use the cable to move it to your persocon. An iphone won't do this, period. It won't download the file from email, it won't connect with your computer unless you install itunes.

The second is an obvious choice. It's pretty legendary at this point how much the imaps suck. I live in a small town and they literally do nothing at all. I just get an error message that says "cannot find route between these locations" for EVERY SINGLE LOCATION that I put in.

My iphone is a useless brick and I regret buying it / wish I had just roughed it out with my poor japanese at AU instead of going the easy way with the senior JETs in my area.

For the first issue, try a file-syncing app like Dropbox. It may help with your frustrations--and you won't even have to bother with a cable.

That said, Apple's iTunes-only situation does suck. There are ways around it, though; don't be unnecessarily frustrated!

dropbox is great, but it won't work in the above example where his/her computer isn't able to connect to the internet to synch with whatever was dropped via phone.

i'm actually not allowed to connect to the school network at all (on my personal computer; don't have a school-issued one), so when i have to grab something via the internet, i download via internet on my phone and use bluetooth to transfer the files. (or alternatively if i need to email a file to someone else while at work, transfer from computer to phone to email.) i presume iPhone has bluetooth, right? there would be an issue if your computer doesn't, though...

i use a droid, but it actually never crossed my mind to use the cable, though that would obviously work. hahah

[word]

Touché; I wasn't paying attention. teabot is right, though; you could probably get around a lot of this via tethering, and there are a helluvalotta tethering apps available for the iPhone (including many like PDANet that are designed to bypass your carrier's ability to detect and block/charge for such usage).

[Shem]

I'm using an iPhone5 with tethering on au (it's included for free at the moment).

I was sorely, sorely tempted by the Samsung Galaxy S3, but in the end I preferred the size of the iPhone and Apple devices, in my experience, always win on battery life compared to android.

I've had both apple and android devices so I'm not really a fanboy of either. Android is usually better in terms of cost:performance and while the number of apps may not be as high, often apps that cost on iStore are free through the Android Market (lookin' at you anki).

For me, battery life, size/ feel and tethering were my deciding factors.

[mothsafterglow]

The decision for me wasn't the phone, but the carrier. It's important to note what you plan to do, where you plan to go, and what the coverage maps look like for your area. I spend lots of time on the mountains up here in Hokkaido, and the recommendation from my friends of the same mind was to go with Docomo. Docomo doesn't carry the iPhone, and I had no real attachment to apple, so I went with the S3. I'd echo that they're both going to be really good and unless you're super tied to one thing that's available on one and not the other then you'll be happy either way, but if you want Docomo, you can't have your appley goodness.

[Tealparadise]

Touché; I wasn't paying attention. teabot is right, though; you could probably get around a lot of this via tethering, and there are a helluvalotta tethering apps available for the iPhone (including many like PDANet that are designed to bypass your carrier's ability to detect and block/charge for such usage).

I think my previous internet thing was covered pretty well so yeah. I didn't consider bluetooth... but somehow I doubt the laptops that can't connect to the net have it.

Anyway as for this..... WHAT. This could literally save me. I am currently paying 4000y/month for softbank's terrible mobile router, which ALSO doesn't get great signal in the inaka. I used tethering on my Android with PDANet previously knowing no one cared, but I assumed from my contract here that they would notice and charge. There's even a spot on my bill that includes tethering (not that I have tried it).

I am on the US app market, so I can definitely get PDANet again. Has anyone done this and had it go unnoticed? I need details.