Greetings,

So I've decided it's time to bite the bullet and get a proper phone now. Looking for advice on what phones, or specifically what OS I should be considering.

The temptation is to just go snap up an iPhone 4G, but something tells me that there's probably something a lot better since the general masses flock towards the iPhone

Opinions please!

I would either get the iPhone 4 or a Android device such as the Galaxy S

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v ... w7eVI&feature=related

iPhone is a bit better now it can multitask, but I'd get an Android-based one.

I have bought an iPhone 4 a week ago and haven't found anything negative about it but you probably have different needs than I do so you might like a different phone better.

If I was buying a phone right now, I'd go with Android.

Don't know what's available right now in Canada, but the best Android choices on the market are the:

1. Motorola Droid X
2. Motorola Droid 2
3. HTC (Droid) Incredible
4. Galaxy S variants

T-Mobile is coming out with the G2 soon, as well, which should be pretty good.

Yeah we have those phones here DWB. What's "better" about the Android OS?

What do you use your phone for?

The iPhone is restrictive and expensive... but what it does do it does simply and brilliantly. Like all Apple products... but you pay a price.

Android (when rooted) gives you much more control over the device. No company deciding what apps you can't have, and you have a lot more customizability. But it's not 100% stable, and no Android phone is quite as slick as the iPhone. Android is going to keep being developed, and you have a lot more chance of getting the new "good stuff" on an Android phone than on an iPhone.

Personally, a keyboard is the killer feature. I *hate* software keyboards, so I bought a T-Mobile G1 (outside of the UK - HTC Dream). It's the launch Android phone, and is now (thanks to the custom ROM community) running the latest 2.2 version of Android. It does everything I need (read emails, check Facebook / Twitter, surf the internet, tethering and record my MPG, oh yeah and be a phone) with a great keyboard... but its not exactly quick. I love Android, but i'm really starting to get bored with the "lag" in my phone. And it's still the only decent Android phone with a hardware keyboard.

The iPhone has an *amazing* software keyboard - I can use it just as fast as I can the hardware one on my phone. Based purely on this, and it's overall slickness, probably going to be my next phone...

I've had an iPod touch (iPhone without the phone call capability ) for about 2 years now and though it's a great gadget, but it still lacks the freedom of an Android-based device. Even if you jailbreak an iPhone you won't really get outside the cage Apple closes their customers in. Android, on the other hand, has much bigger potential. There is nobody deciding for you which apps you're allowed to use and what you can/cannot do with YOUR phone. With some knowledge of Java you can even create your own apps pretty easily.

HTC Desire, brilliant phone and so quick

I decided to get a new phone this month myself, had a massive dilemma between iPhone 4 and Galaxy S, but ended up going with the Apple. Why?

Two years ago I already had a 3G, so I had bought craploads of apps for it, and when I sold it away I had already decided I'd get another iPhone again in the future once they have gotten good enough.

Secondly, Android as open it may be, seems to be quite cluttered depending on the app. Some apps work in one way, others work in another, there's no unified way of doing things like on the iOS.

Third decider for me was the camera, which is better on the iPhone but not by much. I only have a D-SLR and a video camera, so my phone MUST have a camera worthy of replacing a separate point and shoot camera.

It depends what you personally want and need, both options are pretty damn epic and have their have ups and downs. Good luck getting the right one in either case.

Personally I'm waiting on this beast: http://www.engadget.com/2010/0 ... -hits-the-fcc-decked-out/

I'd get a phone that you can make phone calls on....

There's one thing I noticed, everyone I see with these smart phones, I never see anyone talking on them as a phone, hehe.

I'm still holding out on cell phones. I don't want or need people to be able to get a hold of me no matter what I'm doing or where I am.

I have a Droid Incredible. Does everything I want, has so many useful apps I still cant believe it, navigation when needed works better than normal navigation systems, camera works great, many other things I could go on about forever.

My dad has a Droid X. I am glad I didn't get that because its just too big and bulky, the Incredible fits into my hand so nicely.

if youre gonna go android id advise you to buy the galaxy based on it having the fastes processor avaulable and the pure awesomeness of its super-amoled screen (which afaik is currently only available on the galaxy)

personally im holding out for the nokia n9 which is rumored to come out quite soon
the n900 is already pretty great but its really held back by its bulkiness and the very unresponsive touch screen which should be fixed with the capacitive screen the n9 is supposed to get
also its the only platform that doesnt come with evil built into the os

By the sounds of all of this, I kinda regret ordering my 3gs

Quote from Shotglass :

if youre gonna go android id advise you to buy the galaxy based on it having the fastes processor avaulable and the pure awesomeness of its super-amoled screen (which afaik is currently only available on the galaxy)

The Galaxy S over here is crippled by the carriers. Dunno how it is in Canada. The "Fascinate" from Verizon is buggy as all hell (or at least the store demo unit was). The Droid 2 they had on hand outperformed it handily, as did the X and even the Incredible.

Quote from Jakg :

The iPhone has an *amazing* software keyboard - I can use it just as fast as I can the hardware one on my phone. Based purely on this, and it's overall slickness, probably going to be my next phone...

I was testing my step dads HTC Desire on the newest Android OS, and the software keyboard was pretty much identical in performance to my iTouch and I found no lag when testing certain things such as the browser. I was impressed actually with the HTC phone, but in comparison I find the iPhone's OS and Android operate the same, there is just more freedom with Android.

No exactly a bad thing for Apple though, as it's very simplistic and easy to use...however my opinion in regards to 'smart phones' is if you're going to buy one you might as well have freedom with it; with lots of options and things to play with...so in that regards I'd recommend an Android phone but I don't know the best one to get.

Quote from spacedskunk :

I was testing my step dads HTC Desire on the newest Android OS, and the software keyboard was pretty much identical in performance to my iTouch and I found no lag when testing certain things such as the browser. I was impressed actually with the HTC phone, but in comparison I find the iPhone's OS and Android operate the same, there is just more freedom with Android.

No exactly a bad thing for Apple though, as it's very simplistic and easy to use...however my opinion in regards to 'smart phones' is if you're going to buy one you might as well have freedom with it; with lots of options and things to play with...so in that regards I'd recommend an Android phone but I don't know the best one to get.

Have you used any other Android phones as a point of reference?

As I said, mine runs 2.2 and uses the same OS / Keyboard as the Desire / Nexus. The comparison was with a last-gen iPod touch. The iPhone 4 (I briefly) used was better still...

Quote from Shotglass :

the n900 is already pretty great but its really held back by its bulkiness and the very unresponsive touch screen which should be fixed with the capacitive screen the n9 is supposed to get
also its the only platform that doesnt come with evil built into the os

while i won't say anything about maemo, because i simply just don't know, you can't get the n900 in canada, unless you're willing to pay for an american one and use it on wind mobile... i don't think there's any other providers it will work on with full 3g service. i wanted one; i checked.

Having used both the iPhone and Droid touch keyboards, I can't really discern any difference. The big difference is with Swype, which is really quite amazing and completely unavailable on the iPhone.

Quote from DeadWolfBones :

Having used both the iPhone and Droid touch keyboards, I can't really discern any difference. The big difference is with Swype, which is really quite amazing and completely unavailable on the iPhone.

Honestly (and I got good at using Swype back on Winmo 6.5).. I can type millions of words per minute faster on my iPhone.

Quote from bunder9999 :

while i won't say anything about maemo, because i simply just don't know

to quote anandtech
Take one look through the packages, and you'll know that Maemo has serious potential in the right hands - what other application marketplace has Wireshark, Kismet, Aircrack-ng and Nmap sitting unsuspectingly inside? That's awesome!

its a really nice platform thats unfortunately let down by the sub par touch interface... scrolling in particular is a pain in the ass and you end up with a lot of unintended clicks instead of scrolls
hopefully things will change now that intel got in on it

I like Android a lot, and I like the diversity because despite the slick looks not everything Apple does works properly, it seems often the UI dictates the functionality these days. Sure not everything on Android works properly either, but at least you can swap stuff out for alternatives.

But in terms of overall user experience there isn't an Android phone currently on the market that can keep up with an iPhone. There are also some amazing apps on the iPhone that aren't on Android and might never be on Android. I'd love to have Amplitube iRig on my phone!

So despite using and loving Android, I'd say if money is no object get an iPhone.

@Mike: My HTC is indeed pretty average as a telephone, but I can live with that because it means I've also got email and the web and a sat nav and an mp3 player and a guitar tuner etc. in my pocket.

Quote from Ball Bearing Turbo :

I've decided it's time to bite the bullet and get a proper phone now

Fo real!