Written by Mitch Wagner
Customer satisfaction is far more important than speeds, feeds and features when evaluating a smartphone. Are people using it? Are they happy with it? In the case of EVO, the answers are definitely: Yes, and yes.
But let’s take a look at the specs and features anyway, shall we? CNET’s Nicole Lee has done a side-by-side comparison of the iPhone 4 vs. EVO. Some of the differences that jump out at me:
Bandwidth: The EVO is faster, 4G WiMax where available. But is it available near me? I’m hearing the 4G kills battery life.
Screen size: The EVO has a bigger screen, 4.3 inches vs. 3.5 inches. On the other hand, the EVO is also a bigger phone: 4.8 inches vs. 3.5 inches. It’s heavier: 6 ounces vs. 4.8 ounces. And the iPhone screen has better resolution.
Camera: The EVO has a bigger-capacity camera: 8 megapixel vs. 5 megapixel for the iPhone. That’s not as important as it sounds, though; with a digital camera, it’s not the megapixels that matter, it’s the size of the sensor, which information is not available on the CNET chart. Both phones have tap-to-focus, LED flash, and 720p HD recording.
Storage: Storage is 16 GB or 32 GB on the iPhone, with no external storage options. The EVO has a scant 1 GB internal memory, but it accepts 32 GB external SD cards. Big points to iPhone on this one. External SD cards are more components to buy, keep track of, break, and lose.
Voice-data plan: As is always the case, comparing between the two is confusing as heck. With the EVO, I’d probably go with an $80/month plan for 450 voice minutes, unlimited texting and data. The iPhone’s closest equivalent is more expensive, $85-$90. That’s not enough of a difference to matter in my decision-making.
Hardware price: The EVO, at $200, is the same price as the low-end iPhone 4, and $100 cheaper than the high-end iPhone 4. That doesn’t matter a lot to me; if I were looking to economize, I wouldn’t buy a new phone at all. I’ll pay $100 more if I get a better phone for it.
Other factors I’m weighing:
Corporate culture: Earlier this month, I asked, Is Apple evil? I concluded they’re not. But they are creepy. Employees at their major manufacturer, Foxconn, are committing suicide rather than work there (Foxconn also makes products for Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Sony). Apple is sending the cops to break down journalists’ doors. And they’re subjugating content providers — that’s me and my employers — to their will, driving applications to the App Store where Apple keeps a tight leash on its partners.
The latest step in that direction: Apple added an ad-blocker to Safari 5, while simultaneously introducing the iAd platform for App Store advertising. Apple is pushing content providers off the Web and pulling them into the App Store, where Apple will control access between the content providers and their audience.
Google has its problems, but it’s nowhere near as creepy as Apple.
Also, Google talks to journalists and bloggers. Apple is buttoned up as tight as Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
Google Apps integration: I use Google Voice for my primary phone for work and personal calls, and Gmail for e-mail. Those services are integrated into Android. On the other hand, Apple rejected the Google Voice application for the iPhone. Google countered by coming out with an HTML5 browser-based version of Voice; it works well, but I think a version integrated into the phone would be better.
Application compatibility: I’m figuring that’ll be a wash. I figure every app I love in the iPhone has its equivalent on Android. I’m sure Android has lovely Twitter and Facebook clients.
The one application I’m most concerned about is Lose It, an application for tracking calories and exercise. I’ve lost 62 pounds since March 2009 using Lose It, I have 38 pounds to go. I’m sure I can find another weight loss app on Android — heck, for 100 years people lost weight counting calories with pencil and paper — but I’m used to Lose It and I don’t want to mess with a system that works.
Wi-Fi tethering: The EVO is convertible to a portable Wi-Fi hotspot; you can use Wi-Fi to share your EVO wireless data connection with any Wi-Fi enabled device, including a notebook computer, iPod or iPad. This is suddenly a huge deal for me, because my wife and I both have Wi-Fi-enabled iPads, but not the more expensive Wi-Fi+3G models. The EVO would make our Wi-Fi-enabled iPads into go-anywhere wireless data devices.
The iPhone 4 will offer data tethering — but not, for some baffling reason, with the iPad.
The iPad was a game-changer for me in my relationship to the iPhone, and not in a good way. Most of the things I used to do on the iPhone are now things I do in the iPad: Reading, Twitter, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, Web browser. The iPad has made the iPhone a lot less important in my life.
I have three big questions:
Music and podcasts: How does the Android compare to the iPhone for listening to music and podcasts? I have a music collection and a long list of podcast subscriptions in iTunes, is that going to be a problem?
Web browsing: How does the Android Web browser compare with Mobile Safari?
Text entry: How do the two phones compare for text entry? Swype for Android looks like a great way of inputting text, is it as good as it sounds?
Wireless coverage: How reliable is the voice and data network for Sprint, particularly where I live in San Diego? I’ve been pretty satisfied with AT&T service, although I know I’m in a minority on this.
So what should I do, folks? Stick with the iPhone for another generation, or switch to Android?
Update: My colleague Preston Gralla has reasons why I should jump from the iPhone to Android. And colleague JR Raphael compares the iPhone to Android.
Mitch Wagner is a freelance technology journalist and social media strategist. Follow him on Twitter: @MitchWagner.
After three years as a loyal iPhone user, I’m thinking about making the switch to a phone running Google Android. I’m looking for something new, Android is looking good nowadays, and Apple’s creepy corporate culture is wearing me down.
The primary thing making me look at Android — specifically the HTC Evo 4G, which seems to be the current top-of-the-line for Android phones — is word-of-mouth. I know a few people who have the phones, and they’re happy. My friend Gina Trapani, founding editor of the Lifehacker blog, is a former iPhone user and she’s very happy with her EVO.
Swype is in fact as good as it sounds. I've used it a bit on my brother's Nexus One; he's written entire blog posts with it fairly regularly.
Don't forget about Google Navigation on Android, and btw I have FREE tethering using the third party app Azilink. You can easily use third party apps with Android. All you have to do is check a checkbox to enable them, download the application, and install using a file explorer app like Astro.
I have information about tethering, and a comparison of EVO vs iPhone 4 on my blog ๐
http://danielhollenbach.blogspot.com/2010/06/sp…
“Iโve lost 62 pounds since March 2009 using Lose It, I have 38 pounds to go. ”
I refuse to take advice from overweight people.
ha… well listen to me then! I'm 135 lbs.
good for you! and what might have you to say?
I wrote a little comparison of the HTC EVO vs iPhone 4 on my blog earlier this week:
http://danielhollenbach.blogspot.com/2010/06/sp…
Get off the Nazi crAPPLE bandwagon & go for the EVO! At least you can load songs onto your phone without screwing with itunes! AND you can store any files/data you want on your Micro SD card on your phone..I HATE the control that Apple forces onto everyone..the only way I like my iPhone is JAILBROKEN!!! Otherwise, its kind of a piece of garbage. WTF is up with not even being able to change the BACKGROUND on the iphone?? OR install any themes to make it YOURS & not APPLE'S?? The novelty has worn off now that there are comparable phone models on the market…nothing about the iphone or the next one is “new”.
BTW…NO FLASH STILL ON ANYYYY IPHONE…FAIL!
I'm not as techie as maybe other people but here's my 2cents in to the Droid (i've never had an iPhone so keep in mind any bias, but I'll do my best). Right now I have a Driod HTC Eris.
The apps or the app store aren't as good on the droid I don't think, looking at the apps briefly in the iPhone. Given my phone is one of the earlier ones, my droid seems to have problems running two apps at the same time. I like to run, and i use an app tracking device to measure distance, speed, route (it's a great app) while having a pandora app running so i can listen to the radio. the tracking app works fine, but sometimes pandora has glitches (which might not be the phone but just the app itself). In addition, i felt like my droid was running too slow, so i began getting rid of apps i didn't need but might still have wanted. i actually haven't gotten an SD card yet (again yet), so i can't tell you anything about that or music. however, it is a nuisance getting one.
As for “lose it,” i can't look right now if its in the droid app market because i am abroad. unfortunately, the HTC eris and motorola droids do not have GSM. but i have seen new HTC phones on the verizon website showing new phonse that can be used for travel. but i have definitely seen equivalents of lose it. the thing about the apps is that there are ones that totally suck. but, i love reading reviews of them to see beforehand if they're any good. dunno what's its like for the iPhone.
things i really like are, of course, gmail app, gchat app, camera, weather app, internet that i can put on my “desktop.” i like the multiple screens so i can have my calendar, favorite people to contact, Wifi enabler, googe search, texts, and app widgets (BBC, CNN, dictionary) a slide screen/ swipe of a finger away. with my other apps in a separate pull up screen if i need them. the touch texting was something foreign to me, but after a while its just faster. droid remembers words you've used before, and remembers the preferred word you meant to use.
sometimes the phone gets slow, but i'm only speaking for the eris. and it's bulky and big, but i like it. you forget how big it is after a while (for me at least). Lastly, and most importantly, my phone is with verizon. i need a good signal, and at the end of the day, what i really need is a phone. which at&t with the iPhone can't give me. (my dad had an iPhone and regularly complained of dropped calls. he made the switch to droid motorola with verizon). good luck.
I have a connection, and it is a really cool phone, I'm running Froyo 2.2 software, and it is very fast. My son uses iphone 3G and I think the interface is dated and old. My connection is a splash screen changes from day to day and applications are equally good applications Iphone ASA. I really dig the new iPhone 4 hardware but some software settings and user interface without the open source network bad just kill this unit. 3.5 inch screen on the new iPhone is a stupid move. Go Android, you will not be disappointed.
I got myself an Android phone (HTC Desire), here are some PRO&CONS about switching from iPhone to Android :
– Smart dialing ๐
– USB ๐
– No vibrate-mode button ๐
– …
I try to keep track of them on my dedicated blog for those who cares : http://www.fromiphonetoandroid.com
Android is a far different approach than iPhone's: it's multi-carrier, multi-platform, multi-tasking. You can see Android on not only dozens of handsets, but also book readers, netbooks, and even TVs. Apple has been able to control internal costs and quality by relying on a small set of devices (three models) via a consistent manufacturing specification.
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this is a terrible comparison…its bleatingly obvious your an iphone fanboy, almost everything thing about the evo is an upgrade from the iphone yet you make it out to be a bad thing….
Whilst I love a bodily keyboard, after handling the Samsung Captivate for roughly quarter-hour, it’s arduous to go back. Right now I’m debating whether to go to Verizon for the Droid X, pass to Dash for the EVO, or stay with AT&T for the Captivate…selections, decisions.
If your coming from an iPhone and your Android keyboard is bothering you, try iTap Keyboard.
https://market.android.com/details?id=sixgreen.aos.itap
Not all Android screen keyboards are created equal!