Written by Steve Kovach
Image: Dan Frommer, Business Insider
There are so many options when it comes to choosing an Android phone. With the release of the Motorola Atrix, every major U.S. carrier has at least one premium Android device to choose from.
Despite the large variety, there are still several common factors in choosing that most Android phones have that could be reason enough to choose one over an iPhone or other competitor.
We found some of these reasons from Unplggd, and included a few of our own based on our experience with various Android phones.
Get a larger screen
Image: Gizmodo
With iPhone, you have one option for screen size: 3.5 inches. But several Android phones such as the Atrix, Droid X, HTC EVO, and Nexus S offer screens 4 inches or larger. That extra space is excellent for users who like to watch movies, play games, or view full web pages on their phone.
Customize your home screen
Image: Dan Frommer, Business Insider
Android phones give you a ton of options for customizing your home screen. You can add live widgets that receive constant updates on weather, RSS feeds, and Facebook or Twitter updates. You can also bookmark your favorite contacts directly on the home screen so you can dial them with just a tap.
Use a camera with more power
Image: Gizmodod
Many Android phones like the Droid Incredible and the HTC EVO 4G have 8 megapixel cameras and shoot 720p HD video. While the iPhone 4 can shoot HD video, it only has a 5 megapixel camera.
Play HD video on your TV
There are many Android devices that offer HDMI ports for playing HD video on your big screen TV. Since it’s unlikely the iPhone will ever have a port other than the standard iPod connector, you’ll never be able to watch true HD on your TV by plugging it in.
Expand your storage
Image: Tested
Most Android phones will allow you to expand and swap your storage with a removable SD card. This is useful for those who want more space for music, video, and apps than their phone allows out of the box.
Enjoy faster processor speeds
Image: Tested
Starting with the Atrix, we’re beginning to see Android phones sport dual core processors that can offer amazing speed for your phone. We put one through its paces and were impressed with the results. The downside? All that processing power will kill your battery.
Take advantage of 4G data speeds
Image: Verizon
There’s a huge wave of 4G Android phones hitting the market this year. And that’s on top of the handful that are already available from Sprint and T-Mobile. The consensus seems to be we won’t see a 4G iPhone until 2012 at the earliest.
Bonus: Awesome note left on my truck after after lunch.
Not sure why this is good when there are two critical flaws: camera – more metalmarks, maybe, but lower picture quality (pros are now using the iPhone4 for a reason…), and hd video to tv – ummm, airplay anyone?
Shut up ya little fan boy
Just so you I have both an IPhone 4 and a samsung android phone so I think I’m a pretty good position to have an opinion on this.
Screens
Yes you can get bigger screens on android phones but they are not as good. I also believe the iPhone 5 will have 4 inch screen anyway.
Home screens
Yep Android is better here but to be honest it’s not something I miss.
Notifications
Android does have a nice method of notification but it’s also bloody annoying. I for one don’t want to be told everytime I have a twitter or facebook update. I’d never get any work done.
Camera
Not worth commenting really iPhone camera takes as good a photos as you need from a phone. If you want better buy a proper camera.
Storage
Certainly on the phone I have you can’t start apps from the storage card. That’s a bit of a problem for android.
Processors
iPhone 5 will probably have dual core processor not that it’s necessary.
Other Points
Firmware updates for android are reliant on the hardware makers unless you want to risk bricking the phone and are sporadic to say the least. No such problems with the IPhone.
Android reminds me of windows mobile. Great when it works but an absolute pig if it doesn’t due to it’s complexity.
All in all for me the IPhone is better but that is not say it will always be.
Other points
Camera is absolutely terrible on the iphone… My brother tried to take a picture of my real estate agents business card….it coulnt focus enough to have any of the text legible….one of many reasons the iphone is sub par in comparison to most off todays smartphones
OK, you knew this was coming.
First to address the screens – larger isn’t necessarily better. Those large-screened android phones still do not have the pixel density (resolution) of the Retina screen. Sorry, try again.
Camera – How many times to people have to be told that more megapixels does not equal a better picture. Its all about sensor quality. The iphone has been proven in multiple independent tests to take better quality pictures than those 8MP androids do.
4G – Where is it? Do you have it? No, and neither does 90% of America. I’ll care when its here.
HD Video – Airplay. Get a new tv.
My epic4g has a better screen hands down….almost every website that reviewed this phone had said how it makes the iphone look terrible……..nice try though
Apple fanboys are always the most militant, pig headed and stubborn ones.