Latest Android news, applications and forum discussion

Send Us Tips!

Jun

8

2010

“New” to iOS 4 is Old for Android

11

by Chris Moor
tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Well in case you live under a rock, you undoubtedly heard that Apple came out with a new iPhone yesterday. Even before it came out, I told you why you shouldn’t get one. Well now that we know a little more information about it, lets look again.

I will hand it to Apple, the jump from iPhone OS3 to i OS 4 is a much bigger jump than Android 2.1 to Android 2.2. iOS 4 introduced a lot of features that iUsers desperately needed, such as multitasking, threaded-email, folder support and tethering. (Which Jobs left out of his keynote speech for some reason). So rejoice iUsers, you’re going to be getting some good stuff! (If any iUsers are even reading this, lol)

Don’t let Jobs’ puppy dog face fool you tho, what may be new to Apple-land, is yesterdays cookies for Android users.

  • Multi-tasking – Goes back to the very first Android phone, the G1 (circa 2008)
  • Threaded Email – Same as above, G1 had it 2 years ago.
  • Folders, Video Sharing & tap to focus has existed on previous versions of Android for a while now
  • Tethering – This has been around on Android for a while as well. But Sprint is more gung-ho about it with their EVO 4G

So there you have it, iOS 4′s “amazing” new features that the Android community has been basking in for quite some time. Not to mention that Apple’s video calling is only iPhone 4 to iPhone 4. Compare that to Android, which is phone to phone, platform to platrorm (with Fring & Skype)… and did  I mention Apple only supports it via wifi? So now that Apple has finally caught up to Google’s OS, it’s time for them to fall behind again.

Last month at Google’s I/O, they announced a major upgrade to the Android Market that wirelessly installs apps from the web to your phone. A fantastic new feature that was nowhere to be found during Mr. Jobs’ keynote. Welcome to the cloud Apple, how’s the view from down there?

But it’s not all bad news for Apple fans, Farmville, the revolutionary farming simulator, will be the app to have for the iPhone.

[via cnet]

» See more articles by Chris Moor

Categorized as Android News

Comments

  • James Dunmore

    I agree with this, but to be 100% fair – even the latest HTC android phones are lacking things Nokia’s (even mid range) had about 5 years ago – FM receiver/transmitters, 2 cameras, decent bluetooth (android only just caught up), etc.

    Still, watch the apple marketing machine work at it’s best – sadly!! But hopefully looks like people are waking up to the fact that android (and mainly HTC androids) are delivering just the same (as iPhones), but cheaper (okay, maybe not as shiny)

  • bittermormon

    “…tap to focus has existed on previous versions of Android for a while now” can you please elaborate on this? I think tap to focus is one of the cooler features on the iphone.

  • http://theonlyanswer.blogspot.com Joey Koval

    I realize this is flame-bait, posting here, but I read this and had to at least respond in some way.

    While Android has many things going for it, you guys are making ignorant points.

    Tap to focus has been in the iPhone OS since at least the iPhone 3GS, if not the 3G (sorry, I’m at work and don’t have time to research this right now..). I use it on my iPhone 3GS every time I decide to take a photo with it.

    Tethering? iPhone had it first, as far as I can tell. It’s been available since iPhone 3.0. New to America? Sure it is, but this isn’t Apple’s fault. AT&T has seriously dropped the ball on this and no one, even the biggest Apple fanboys like Jon Gruber, will deny it. But people across the globe have been able to tether with their iPhones for at least a year now.

    Also, other than maybe multi-tasking, which of these was a bullet point at yesterday’s announcement? I might be wrong, but I don’t even remember them mentioning tethering at all. That was announced days ago when AT&T announced their new plan terms.

    What I’m saying is, your heads are so far up your fanboy asses that what you’re seeing as “amazing new features” are not what anyone else is noticing. FaceTime, an amazingly crisp display, a powerful processor and impeccable design are what fascinated everyone else about the new iPhone, the same sort of things that drew us to the first. The software is the lynchpin that holds it all together, but design is what makes Apple products desirable.

  • http://tinyhippos.com Brent

    Not flame bait, I am an Android lover (but not a fanboy of anything). You are right on a lot of points. For example my friend can tether his 3G cross platform no problem and only 2.2 seems to be up to par with that. The camera is a mute point, go see some some phones in Japan for example.

    The 4G is a really nice device. A4 is slick.

    Of course I do enjoy my Nexus One and 2.2 once I get it.

    Two good OS’s I think. Glad OS4 is getting multi tasking too though that was eventual.

    Competition drives innovation so both have their flaws.

  • Jorgen

    Important info: Perhaps this is in Sense, but tap to focus does _not_ exist on stock Android builds. I’m running Froyo (version 2.2) on my Nexus One, and before that 2.1 – neither build has it.

    I upgraded from the 3GS in March, giving the 3GS to my wife.

    Tap to focus puts the usability of the 3GS’ camera ahead of my Nexus One during daytime. At night however the LED flash of the N1 makes up for that; it can take some great photos.

    As such, just speaking as a geek and taking my Android fanboy out of the equation, I would currently put the proposed Iphone 4′s camera _ahead_ of at least the Nexus One with current 2.2 software.

  • aki

    It’s not a fault if you love your existing android and are being proud of having it – but never ever give credits to it by stepping on something else. It really does not encourage people to drop their iphones and go bracing android, but only reveals the bit that you need to learn the art of talk.

  • Dr. Phil

    All this is true, but the difference is that when apple does it is seamless. there is a big difference between having a phone that can stream video, after setting up the needed connections, and having a video phone, which means you call someone and see their face. Be honest, the only reason why android exist is to compete with the apple’s iPhone, and the iPhone is not in competition with anyone, it has become the standard for smart phones, everything else, simply put, falls short.

  • Carlos

    call me ignorant or whatever but, does not the iphone wirelessly installs apps from the web since the app store appeared on the phone?

  • http://www.talkandroid.com/2661-new-to-ios-4-is-old-for-android/ teknoinfo

    @Carlos
    This is totally different than what you are thinking about. Can you go to iTunes on your desktop and have an app you downloaded installed/uninstall on your iPhone without a cable?

  • http://www.1guoji.com Mark Respinger

    i think the key point with the iPhone is ease of use and difficulty to mess up. I understand that having an open platform is great, and everyone wants control, but not everyone is ready for it.

    It is like the three types of support calls I used to get when managing various networks.

    UNIX box – Advice to client “DON’T TOUCH!!”
    Windows – Question to client “Can you tell me what you were doing when Error 67564 popped up?”
    Mac – Client request “Rain got in the server room and we need some new machines”

    If I have to put a normal user at the controls, it is always Macs that are the easiest to manage.. iPhone is the same. No one wants to deal with a hacked Android phone because someone downloaded something they shouldn’t have. No one wants to be that end user when they have no idea what is wrong and they can’t just take it to the nearest mac shop and have it fixed on the spot.

  • curse

    Mark – a “non-hacked(not rooted?)” Android phone is like a “non-jailbreaked” iPhone, very easy to use and hard to mess up.
    a “hacked(rooted?)” Android phone is like a “jailbreaked” iPhone, you can do more stuff, but also mess it up.
    It’s not about the OS, it’s what you do with it.