This article was updated at 1:25 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, to correct the spelling of Sara Zailskas’ name and to clarify that Google Calendar is used as an example of integration.
With iPhone 4’s arrival on Verizon Wireless’ network, maybe you’re thinking about switching phones. Maybe you’re an Android user who’s finally ready to take a bite of the Apple, now that there’s an alternative to AT&T. Or perhaps you’re through with the iPhone and want something you can completely customize to your life. How do you choose between the two hottest phone platforms?
iPhone 4 is simplicity. Android phones are a tweaker’s paradise. Of course, the iPhone can be tweaked and an Android can be simple to use, but on the whole, the iPhone is for folks who don’t want to mess with a whole bunch of settings, and an Android phone is for those who do.
Android to iPhone iOS4
Why
: The iTunes App Store is bigger, more varied, better organized and has vetted apps. App-makers usually develop for the iPhone first, Android phones second. If you have a $99 Apple TV, you can easily watch your iTunes movie rentals and purchases on your TV. Those are some of the reasons iPhone owners don’t feel phone envy, unlike Android owners who see improved models coming out every other month.
The killer app
: The iTunes App Store plus Apple TV will change your life. The breadth and depth of games, photo-editing tools, travel helpers, dinner planners, car mechanic finders and more available at the touch of a virtual button will make getting through each day easier. As the old ad said, “There’s an app for that.” Add an Apple TV, and you might start thinking seriously about dropping your cable company.
iPhone to an Android
Why
: The Android operating system seems to do things faster than the iPhone’s OS, and Google’s Web applications are integrated with your phone. So, while an iPhone lets you get your Gmail message with the address of tonight’s party, on an Android phone you tap that message to get a map to the soiree.
The killer app
: The $2.99 iSyncr app lets you drag your iTunes music library to your phone (sorry, no movies or podcasts), as long as the songs were bought after September 2009 (when Apple stopped using copy-protection software on all its songs or pre-2009 iTunes Plus songs). So no worries about losing your iTunes music.
Everyone will find something to love about an Android phone (Yeah! It uses a micro-USB cable to connect to my computer, instead of a proprietary 30-pin connector) and the iPhone 4 (Wow! It’s so sexy!). Similarly, everyone will find something to gripe about (Boo! Android phones seem built for power users only. Yuck! By approving what’s available in the App Store, Apple is deciding what I can and can’t have).
But now that the iPhone is available from more than one carrier, and given the growing love affair with the Android platform—it had the fastest-selling phones last year—there are more choices for everybody. And that’s a good thing. You just have to decide if you’re a power user (Android) or a just ready to grab and go (iPhone).
Once you’ve made your decision, there’s no need to look back. Just ask Verizon Wireless customer Sara Zelinski, who bought an Android-powered Droid 2 last year, before Apple confirmed the iPhone 4 would be available on that carrier: “I realize now I was missing out more just by not having a smart phone—not just an iPhone—and now that that problem’s solved, life is good.”
Do you have a tech question? Send a note to Eric Gwinn at egwinn@tribune.com. Be sure to include your name, location and a way to reach you if we need more information—and your question, of course.