Things Android Has That iOS Needs

I love stirring this pot because it always brings out the fanboi in us.

Things Android has that iOS Needs | The Brooks Review

I’m stunned that the iPhone’s tethering is actually, physical tethering, i.e. it shares its 3G connection over USB.

Stunned.

That’s something BlackBerry has had for years.

Is this true? I can’t find any anecdotal evidence, although I didn’t look very hard. Asking Twitter now.

If true, this is a major win for Android. Wireless tethering to my EVO is one of the top three features I love about it because it means I have internets pretty much everywhere I go.

No extra cost to pay for cafe or hotel wifi, no need to run VPN to avoid baddies.

Other than that bombshell, I completely agree that the iOS notifications are essentially worthless, and the so-called multitasking is crippled.

Thoughts?

AboutJake

a.k.a.:jkuramot

10 comments

  1. Tethering for sure. Completely agree about the notifications center being light years ahead of what iOS delivers. Folks I’ve tested with really love that. And, on a purely vacuous level (and because I collect such things) I must say Android t-shirts are way cooler than Apple’s: http://www.googlestore.com/Wea

  2. Exactly, Jakey. I know you didn’t mention Flash as it is obvious. But what about the ability to download an MP3 from a link on a web page? Does the iBrowser allow this yet? Last I checked, no, go directly to iTunes. The greater issue is that Apple is excercising totalitarian tactics over software on it’s devices for totalitarian reasons: power and control.

    Now let’s talk hardware. Will Apple ever offer an iPhone w/ a slide-out keyboard? How about one that looks like a Blackberry? Maybe they can bring back the Newton one day. My point here is that they can’t possibly match the open Android ecosystem–neither in diversity or price.

    To sum it up, if Apple doesn’t open up and compete, they will eventually lose. Maybe maybe?

  3. I don’t really see Flash as the big talking point that many do. I can’t stand Flash and how it abuses my CPU and hides its sneaky cookies. No big loss for me.

    Haven’t noticed the mp3 behavior, but that makes sense for Apple to do, typical.

    Even though I detest sliding keyboards, I suppose they are good to have. This wasn’t really an exercise in hating on Apple per se; I was just amazed at the lack of mobile hotspot, huge miss.

    I’m against Apple’s mobile hegemony too, but for many users, Apple just works, which is good enough.

    Oh and please don’t call me Jakey 🙂

  4. It’s astounding how convoluted the iOS multitasking is, given Apple’s usual care for UX. Plus, I hear that removing an app from the multitasking dock does not kill the process, which is counter-intuitive.And, many apps in that dock do not actually maintain their state, so it’s a highly arbitrary experience.All kinds of bad.
    +1 for better shirts 🙂

  5. You can tether using bluetooth… came out same time as USB tethering, but the ability to create a WiFi hotspot would be cool (a feature that would probably only interest geeks though).

    Do you think most people care about the way Apple implemented “multi-tasking”? I don’t think so. For most people it works like “normal” multi-tasking e.g. fast app switching, open app and it’s same screen where you left it, background music etc.

    Cheers
    F.

  6. Ah, well, Bluetooth is better than USB only. Hotspot is a feature I’ll bet Apple’s marketing could push into the general consciousness. Lots of features start out as geek-only.

    Apple’s app switching doesn’t work like traditional multi-tasking. People might notice when apps in the tray restart vs. resume. This happens a lot with iOS, even after short intervals.

    I have covered the average person before, which is frequently a place where fanbois go to excuse design decisions. I was actually in the iOS camp re. app switching, but after using Android, there is a difference. Android does it better, and the utility is worth the sacrifice in battery.

  7. Watched the Zuckerberg interview on 60 minutes, where he’s commenting on the movie – he says the one thing they got right was all the t-shirts he had.

    Also watched my kids rotate content as they hand-me-down ipods, and terrified-of-tech wife explain to 9-year-old about iTunes gift card – I now hate on Apple just from watching that. +1 that they can do it, -100 that they have to.

    Jakey is my genius kindergartner great-nephew 🙂

  8. Don’t really get your point about Apple. I never was a fanboi, but since the iPhone and App Store, I’ve been wary. Bums me out to hear fanbois blindly defend them.

    Tony turns out to be someone I know. I just missed all the cues, possibly blinded by rage at being called that 🙂

  9. Ha, as if that will matter. Plus I don’t live in the Bay Area. I think Clayton Donley attends these gatherings.

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