@Shooter McGavin I know it's not getting the update, I didn't say it was. I said I've been fully supported for 3 years -- do the math (2007 - 2010). OS 1, 2, and now 3. When OS 4 comes out it'll be over three years and I'll have the iPhone 4 for it. How does that make me a hypocrite? That makes no sense.
As for Android getting updates, they are highly incremental and crappy. Don't take my word for it, Andy Rubin, himself, said Android would move to a once-a-year release cycle for their OSes. I don't mind being downranked in an Android fanboy-infested post because I know my logic is sound and pragmatic.
Insert stupid Internet meme in lieu of posting a witty, insightful ending. Enjoy the Android circle-jerk as you spend $300 every four months for the latest Android phone that tries to catch up to Apple, which sold out of their freaking pre-order allotment. Give me a break, you guys are delusional.
I'm on an Edge iPhone and I wouldn't trade it for a free EVO. Software makes all the difference and Android is still quite rough around the edges. The key critical hardware component that actually does matter would be the touchscreen and from personal experience no other handset comes close to the iPhone's accuracy (touch gaming on a Nexus one is an exercise in frustration). My 2G iPhone runs the latest 3.x software and is from 2007. Meanwhile a 2008 G1 is stuck running Android 1.6 =/
Look at the facts before you make jabs at the iPhone. At least Apple fully supports their handsets for a solid three years which is more than anyone can say. At best you may get 3 revisions of Android software before your carrier decides you need to 'upgrade' to a new phone 6 months later whereas the iPhone continuously receives updates. Can't you see what's happening here? Are you guys delusional? The Droid came out in freaking December and they already want you to drop money on another one? Really? How does nobody see this??
But sure, if we all want to sound the trumpets every time a new Android phone is released and proclaim it an iPhone-killer, go on right ahead as you did with the G1, Eris, Droid, Nexus, Incredible, and EVO. Eventually you may realize people buy the iPhone for a reason --because it is awesome.
Remember that time pre-orders were being taken for that new Android device and how it completely crashed the handset and carrier's servers? Oh wait.
I may be coming off as a mindless fanboy, but I call out Apple on their bullshit all the time (I'm looking at you AppleTV and MagicMouse).
Nope, the original iPhone got the 3.x update. My phone currently reads 3.1.3. Although, it will not be receiving the 4.0 update which is acceptable as I've enjoyed a solid three years of increased functionality for free which is more than any other mobile OS developer can say.
As far as mutlitasking, true multitasking doesn't necessarily mean better multitasking, I'll have to reserve judgement on that until I actually use iPhone 4, but my guess is that it'll offer the benefits of MT while preserving battery.
I can't really argue with the EVO's Qik video chat and HDMI. I fault Apple for not including some sort of display-type port on it, but FaceTime being Wi-Fi only is squarely on AT&T.
The gargantuan screen size on EVO is a little too big for my tastes, but I could see how it would be a pro for some users. I like my phone as pocketable as possible and think the 3.5" screen offers the best of both worlds of size and portability.
I think it's safe to say no Android phone is a match for the A4's. Which to me, is the iPhone 4's killer feature, not so much the improved battery life, 960 x 640 resolution, front-facing camera, extra microphone, 8mm thin enclosure, 9.3mm etc.
Look, I loathe the blind Apple faithful as much as the next guy, but the Android fanboys really take the cake. Are you kidding me? None of those phones can hold a candle to iPhone 4, don't even pretend like they're in the same league, you're only lying to yourself and other readers.
The EVO 4G isn't even the best Android phone, it's abysmal battery life is completely unacceptable for real-world use by real-world people (read: people who have jobs and don't spend their lives tethered to the wall). The Droid Incredible would be a distant second, at best.
When you purchase an iPhone you are guaranteed that for a full year, your device is the latest and greatest mobile that the rest of the industry will be aiming for. Had you bought a Motorola Droid in December (just 7 months ago) you would have been leapfrogged by the Nexus One, Incredible, and possibly EVO 4G. This never happens with the iPhone.
Furthermore, the whole issue of cost/price really boggles my mind. $199/$299 for a phone that you'll likely keep the full two years is not a bad deal. I'm guessing most Android fanboys buy the latest handset every 6 months, amounting to a higher total device cost after two years.
As far as the network goes, yeah AT&T sucks, get over it and stop blaming Apple their shortcomings. Although I will say, in Florida AT&T is rock solid, but I do understand that's not the case everywhere.
So while the iPhone 4 isn't revolutionary and doesn't introduce features never before seen in a mobile phone, it does execute on all its intended purposes masterfully.
I'm all for interconnected-ness, sharing, flower power, opensource operating systems, and unicorns, but you're kidding yourself if you think Google doesn't have their own evil M.O. At least Apple is fairly candid in their approach. They are a business and want to make money, how shocking! If you don't like their products, then don't buy them. However, just because you take issue with Apple as a company doesn't mean you get to pretend and even entertain the idea that there is a mobile out there or that will be released within the next 6 months than will be a challenger to iPhone 4. For christsakes, even the iPhone 3GS still holds its own a full year later against these battery-draining 1 GHz Snapdragon processors that run dinosaur, automatically garbage-collected Java code.
Don't forget Android users, your inaugural handset (the G1) still runs 1.6 and was introduced almost two years ago. My original iPhone from June 2007 (3 years old) is running the latest iOS firmware (3.x). So while everybody likes to bitch and moan about Apple, it's important to look at things like facts and figures while leaving behind ideology that keeps your devices outdated and crippled. The fit and finish just isn't there in Android (yet). I'm all for competition and am truly grateful Apple has some competition as it'll keep pushing them to make the world's greatest handset. With that said, I would keep my Edge iPhone over being given a free Incredible/Droid/EVO any day of the week. I'm sorry, but the App Store makes all the difference. Sure the open nature of the Android Marketplace is nice, but let's cut through the crap here and be frank, most Android apps blow.
I subscribe to the school of thought that says 'in every domain, choose the best possible solution for yourself ignoring brand loyalty'. I'm writing this from a Dell Studio 15 laptop as I cannot stand OS X and believe Windows 7 to be the superior product, but as far cell phones go, it'll be a cold day in hell when I forgo purchasing an iPhone when it is clearly the superlative.
I hate to nitpick, but Engadget editors and pretty much everyone else on the Internet needs to start capitalizing the word 'Internet'. It's a proper noun, show it the respect it deserves. The written word has gone to shit since 1990.
Their mobile efforts are admirable, but will a sizable portion of the population actually buy any of these products? My guess is no. Their product line-up seems convoluted. Sure, choice is a good thing, but when a slew of products are offered, customer service and quality control typically go out the window.
@DaHarder Couldn't agree more. Good riddance to the curved edges that were introduced with the MacBook Air and ostensibly infiltrated the iPhone 3G/3GS. The see-saw effect may have finally met its demise, huzzah!
Motorola, Verizon announcing 'next generation of Droid' on June 23
Jun 16th 2010 1:20AM (Engadget)OS 1, 2, and now 3. When OS 4 comes out it'll be over three years and I'll have the iPhone 4 for it. How does that make me a hypocrite? That makes no sense.
As for Android getting updates, they are highly incremental and crappy. Don't take my word for it, Andy Rubin, himself, said Android would move to a once-a-year release cycle for their OSes. I don't mind being downranked in an Android fanboy-infested post because I know my logic is sound and pragmatic.
Insert stupid Internet meme in lieu of posting a witty, insightful ending. Enjoy the Android circle-jerk as you spend $300 every four months for the latest Android phone that tries to catch up to Apple, which sold out of their freaking pre-order allotment. Give me a break, you guys are delusional.
Motorola, Verizon announcing 'next generation of Droid' on June 23
Jun 15th 2010 4:54PM (Engadget)I'm on an Edge iPhone and I wouldn't trade it for a free EVO. Software makes all the difference and Android is still quite rough around the edges. The key critical hardware component that actually does matter would be the touchscreen and from personal experience no other handset comes close to the iPhone's accuracy (touch gaming on a Nexus one is an exercise in frustration). My 2G iPhone runs the latest 3.x software and is from 2007. Meanwhile a 2008 G1 is stuck running Android 1.6 =/
Look at the facts before you make jabs at the iPhone. At least Apple fully supports their handsets for a solid three years which is more than anyone can say. At best you may get 3 revisions of Android software before your carrier decides you need to 'upgrade' to a new phone 6 months later whereas the iPhone continuously receives updates. Can't you see what's happening here? Are you guys delusional? The Droid came out in freaking December and they already want you to drop money on another one? Really? How does nobody see this??
But sure, if we all want to sound the trumpets every time a new Android phone is released and proclaim it an iPhone-killer, go on right ahead as you did with the G1, Eris, Droid, Nexus, Incredible, and EVO. Eventually you may realize people buy the iPhone for a reason --because it is awesome.
Remember that time pre-orders were being taken for that new Android device and how it completely crashed the handset and carrier's servers? Oh wait.
I may be coming off as a mindless fanboy, but I call out Apple on their bullshit all the time (I'm looking at you AppleTV and MagicMouse).
iPhone 4 vs. the smartphone elite: EVO 4G, N8, Pre Plus, and HD2
Jun 7th 2010 9:30PM (Engadget)Nope, the original iPhone got the 3.x update. My phone currently reads 3.1.3. Although, it will not be receiving the 4.0 update which is acceptable as I've enjoyed a solid three years of increased functionality for free which is more than any other mobile OS developer can say.
As far as mutlitasking, true multitasking doesn't necessarily mean better multitasking, I'll have to reserve judgement on that until I actually use iPhone 4, but my guess is that it'll offer the benefits of MT while preserving battery.
I can't really argue with the EVO's Qik video chat and HDMI. I fault Apple for not including some sort of display-type port on it, but FaceTime being Wi-Fi only is squarely on AT&T.
The gargantuan screen size on EVO is a little too big for my tastes, but I could see how it would be a pro for some users. I like my phone as pocketable as possible and think the 3.5" screen offers the best of both worlds of size and portability.
I think it's safe to say no Android phone is a match for the A4's. Which to me, is the iPhone 4's killer feature, not so much the improved battery life, 960 x 640 resolution, front-facing camera, extra microphone, 8mm thin enclosure, 9.3mm etc.
iPhone 4 vs. the smartphone elite: EVO 4G, N8, Pre Plus, and HD2
Jun 7th 2010 8:57PM (Engadget)The EVO 4G isn't even the best Android phone, it's abysmal battery life is completely unacceptable for real-world use by real-world people (read: people who have jobs and don't spend their lives tethered to the wall). The Droid Incredible would be a distant second, at best.
When you purchase an iPhone you are guaranteed that for a full year, your device is the latest and greatest mobile that the rest of the industry will be aiming for. Had you bought a Motorola Droid in December (just 7 months ago) you would have been leapfrogged by the Nexus One, Incredible, and possibly EVO 4G. This never happens with the iPhone.
Furthermore, the whole issue of cost/price really boggles my mind. $199/$299 for a phone that you'll likely keep the full two years is not a bad deal. I'm guessing most Android fanboys buy the latest handset every 6 months, amounting to a higher total device cost after two years.
As far as the network goes, yeah AT&T sucks, get over it and stop blaming Apple their shortcomings. Although I will say, in Florida AT&T is rock solid, but I do understand that's not the case everywhere.
So while the iPhone 4 isn't revolutionary and doesn't introduce features never before seen in a mobile phone, it does execute on all its intended purposes masterfully.
I'm all for interconnected-ness, sharing, flower power, opensource operating systems, and unicorns, but you're kidding yourself if you think Google doesn't have their own evil M.O. At least Apple is fairly candid in their approach. They are a business and want to make money, how shocking! If you don't like their products, then don't buy them. However, just because you take issue with Apple as a company doesn't mean you get to pretend and even entertain the idea that there is a mobile out there or that will be released within the next 6 months than will be a challenger to iPhone 4. For christsakes, even the iPhone 3GS still holds its own a full year later against these battery-draining 1 GHz Snapdragon processors that run dinosaur, automatically garbage-collected Java code.
Don't forget Android users, your inaugural handset (the G1) still runs 1.6 and was introduced almost two years ago. My original iPhone from June 2007 (3 years old) is running the latest iOS firmware (3.x). So while everybody likes to bitch and moan about Apple, it's important to look at things like facts and figures while leaving behind ideology that keeps your devices outdated and crippled. The fit and finish just isn't there in Android (yet). I'm all for competition and am truly grateful Apple has some competition as it'll keep pushing them to make the world's greatest handset. With that said, I would keep my Edge iPhone over being given a free Incredible/Droid/EVO any day of the week. I'm sorry, but the App Store makes all the difference. Sure the open nature of the Android Marketplace is nice, but let's cut through the crap here and be frank, most Android apps blow.
I subscribe to the school of thought that says 'in every domain, choose the best possible solution for yourself ignoring brand loyalty'. I'm writing this from a Dell Studio 15 laptop as I cannot stand OS X and believe Windows 7 to be the superior product, but as far cell phones go, it'll be a cold day in hell when I forgo purchasing an iPhone when it is clearly the superlative.
FCC outlines new 'third way' internet regulatory plan, will split access from content
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