Interface
I would never call the row-of-icons interface on the iPhone
4S fresh, but its ease of use means a lot, especially to first-time smartphone
owners. And iOS 5 catches up to Android with its Notifications area, which is
cleanly designed and dynamic (thanks to the addition of weather and stock info)
However, some Android phones let you do more from the
notification area. On the Samsung Galaxy S II, for example, you can toggle the
wireless radios on and off. And on HTC Sense phones, you can switch between
apps from this menu as well as tweak several settings. The other edge Android
has in the interface department is widgets, which let you access all sorts of
info at a glance. Indeed, Google's OS is so customizable that the user
experience can vary drastically from one phone to the next.
Winner: iPhone 4S. While Android is more flexible, it can
also be more confusing. Simplicity wins this round.
Multitasking
Just as with the iPhone 4, it's easy to switch between apps
on the iPhone 4S. You just double-press the home button and swipe to either
side. To shut down apps, you press and hold the screen and then tap the X next
to an app's icon. Because most apps are suspended when they're not open, you
don't really need to worry about them zapping battery life.
Today on Android, you must long-press the home button, but
you might only see a subset of all of your running apps—and you can't close
programs from this view. Android Ice Cream Sandwich will offer a better user
experience, with a Recent Apps button that displays live thumbnails of your
running apps. And you'll be able to dismiss apps with a swipe.
Winner: iPhone 4S. But it looks like Android 4.0 will put
Google's phones ahead.
Screen Size and Quality
One of the chief complaints people have about the screen in
the iPhone 4S is that it's the same size as the original iPhone's: 3.5 inches.
But what many don't realize is that this LCD's resolution is higher than the
vast majority of Android phones. The display is not only crisper but brighter
than most of the Android competition.
On the other hand, bigger screens are just easier on the
eyes, and they don't force you to zoom in as much to read text. And although
they're not as bright, the Super AMOLED displays on phones such as the Galaxy S
II and the Droid RAZR offer better contrast and more vibrant colors, making
them great for watching movies. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Nexus will up the
ante on with the first HD display (1280 x 720 pixels).
Winner: Draw. The iPhone 4S has the superior display
right now in terms of detail and brightness, but some shoppers just prefer a
larger screen.
Keyboard/Typing
Amazingly, Apple's multi-touch keyboard remains second to
none, despite the fact that in most cases you're typing on a smaller display.
Both in portrait mode and landscape mode, I can type quickly and accurately.
I'll certainly make more errors than when using a physical keyboard, but
overall the iPhone 4S keyboard just works.
With Android phones, keyboards vary quite a bit from one
phone maker to the next. Generally speaking, I've found HTC's keyboards to be
the best, with Android's stock keyboard on the Samsung Galaxy S 4G being a
close second. But Android has a few advantages. One is that you can download
third-party keyboards, such as Skype, from the Android Market. Second, only
Android phones come with physical keyboards, though they seem to be a dying
breed.
Winner: Draw. The iPhone 4S keyboard is great for its
size, but some prefer a bigger screen and more customization options.
Web and Data Speeds
The iPhone 4S may have a fancy new dual-antenna system and
the ability to reach 14.4 Mbps (theoretically) on AT&T, but it gets blown
away by 4G Android phones. For example, the AT&T iPhone 4S delivered speeds
as high as 5.3 Mbps but averaged 2.2 Mbps. Both the T-Mobile Galaxy SII (12.6
Mbps) and the Motorola Droid Bionic (11.6 Mbps) are faster.
In terms of loading web pages, we’ve seen a huge real-world
difference as well. The iPhone 4S takes about 10 seconds to load many mobile
sites (regardless of the network) versus about half that for true 4G phones.
Everything on an iPhone 4S that involves data will require more patience than
on an 4G Android phone, whether it’s streaming YouTube videos or updating your
Facebook news feed. The only caveat is that 4G radios (especially LTE) can
drain your battery in a hurry.
Winner: Android. 4G speeds make a big difference in
everyday use.
Social Networking
Apple is making a big deal about Twitter integration with
iOS 5, and it’s certainly welcome. You can share photos, websites, and more
with just a couple of taps. However, Android goes deeper by including Facebook,
as well as pretty much any other service that uses Android’s APIs.
For example, you don’t have to use Twitter on Android; you
can use Tweetdeck instead. Android also works with Evernote, Flickr, GroupMe,
LinkedIn—you name it. We just wish the Sharing option wasn’t two clicks away
from the browser page.
Winner: Android. The iPhone 4S makes it easy to share
stuff on Twitter, but you need to use dedicated apps for everything else.
Camera
Apple has raised the bar for photo quality—both in terms of
speed and low-light performance—with the iPhone 4S, thanks to new optics and an
improved backside illuminated sensor. It also captures sharp and smooth 1080p
video. Android phones such as the Galaxy S II are only a step behind in terms
of speed, though, and they take equally good photos outdoors.
While the iPhone 4S has an HDR feature, there’s not much
else you can do when taking photos. An advanced Android phone such as the Amaze
4G has a panorama mode, HDR, burst shot mode, and more. And although the iPhone
4S has some editing features, the best Android phones go further, letting you
add all sorts of effects without using a separate app.
Winner: Draw. The iPhone 4S has the best camera we’ve
used yet, but Android phones give you more control of your images—before and
after the shot.
Apps
After trailing iOS for years, Android is finally catching up
to Apple in terms of the sheer number of apps available in their respective
stores. Apple has about 360,000 iPhone apps, compared to approximately 320,000
for Android (according to research firm Research2Guidance). You’ll also find
that both app stores stock a lot of the same stuff, from Angry Birds and Words
with Friends to Kindle and Pandora.
But if you dig deeper, you’ll find that the iPhone 4S has a
better selection of high-quality games with more impressive graphics, such as
Infinity Blade and Shadowgun. You’ll also find that apps either come to the
iPhone first (such as Netflix) or exclusively (such as Instagram) and just look
more polished (Facebook).
Winner: iPhone 4S. The iPhone has always been known for
its apps, and at least for now it still has a quality and slight quantity edge.
Secret Weapons
Only the iPhone 4S has Siri, a fantastic voice-controlled
assistant that can help you with everything from scheduling appointments to
sending messages. Other advantages unique to the iPhone 4S include iTunes;
Google only offers a subset of Apple's content. And then there’s iCloud, which
does a better job than Google of keeping all of your content in sync across
multiple devices. Last but not least is the iPhone’s vast number of available
accessories. Having a single standard connector makes things a lot easier on
makers of add-ons.
Android has plenty of unique strengths as well. In addition
to offering 4G speeds, only Android has free GPS navigation built in. And only
Android phones support NFC, which enables mobile payments and will gain even
more power with Ice Cream Sandwich. With the beam feature you’ll be able to
share all sorts of info with a tap.
Winner: iPhone 4S. Siri + more content + more accessories
give Apple the win in this round.
