

Feature comparison: iOS3 and 4 VS Android 2.1 and 2.2 - tokyomonster
http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/06/10/apple-ios-3-4-vs-android-2-1-eclair-2-2-froyo-fight/

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teilo
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.

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tokyomonster
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
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
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.

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Sidnicious
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
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
iMovie is a 1st-party app, although it does cost $4.99.

~~~
tokyomonster
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.

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houseabsolute
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.

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

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buster
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.

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dreyfiz
Marco Arment on feature checklist dysfunction:

<http://www.marco.org/380868888>

~~~
tokyomonster
Ha, that's awesome.

I'll keep that in mind the next time something like this is pitched.

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

