"the Iphone 5 Is A Miracle"

[robblok]

http://techcrunch.co...ch (TechCrunch)

This is kind of crazy: 19% of Americans say they're "very likely" to buy an iPhone 5. 13% say they are somewhat likely to. 19% is almost double the iPhone 4S which had the same survey at 10%.

The thing that limits phone size for me is my front pocket. A Galaxy S3 is certainly taking that to its limits, for a Note 2 I'd need a man purse (or murse).

Looked at both today I don't see the appeal - what can the S3 do that an iPhone can't? Its UI is a little more awkward and a little uglier thanks to Android - I guess not many people would notice this but all the transition animations on Android look like crap compared to those on iOS. They're smooth now - but they're not well designed. They look like they were designed by programmers, similar to the various 3D Linux desktops. A lot of technical know-how and GPU horsepower, but very little knowledge about animation and UI design. The animation is a gimmick, rather than a feature: It doesn't make the user interface better.

The S3 screen size is bigger but not substantially so IMO - it won't make much of a difference in looking at web pages. And let's not even talk about apps, where Android is just a mess thanks to fragmentation. Apps don't take advantage of the screen size, and if they do, they don't do it well. Except the built in apps of course, but for me it's about 100s of thousands of 3rd party apps.

The Note 2 is more interesting IMO, even though it's absurdly large. But thanks to that huge screen, it actually differentiates itself from an iPhone. It can do things the iPhone can't. If it wasn't for the issue of having to carry it, that screen size would be really nice to have.

I have used both a S3 and an iphone it does make a lot of difference. Just looking at a phone does not really cut it you need to have owned both before you can make an informed comparison.

The message center is way better in the s3 you can configure more stuff then on an iphone. You can ad memory (wow apple just rips you off if you want more gb in the phone). You can even change the battery.

You can use it as a drive, no more itunes holding you in a choke hold. You own your phone you are not in prison like on an iphone.

Just use one for a while and after a few weeks you really see the difference. Just holding one and trying a few things is not a fair test as your used to your old phone. After a few weeks it starts to shine.

[DrTuner]

So because it feels like a block of aluminium it's well engineered ? At least open the damned thing before making such statements. It's standard SMD construction just as the rest of them. The design is probably patented by some company producing sardine cans.

Samsung Wave, the phone with bada OS a couple of years ago had same kind of form factor. Didn't like it, too high. Apple is hanging itself because none of the apps scale to other aspects or densities and it's become a display/HID race.

[nikster]

I have used both a S3 and an iphone it does make a lot of difference. Just looking at a phone does not really cut it you need to have owned both before you can make an informed comparison.

The message center is way better in the s3 you can configure more stuff then on an iphone. You can ad memory (wow apple just rips you off if you want more gb in the phone). You can even change the battery.

You can use it as a drive, no more itunes holding you in a choke hold. You own your phone you are not in prison like on an iphone.

Just use one for a while and after a few weeks you really see the difference. Just holding one and trying a few things is not a fair test as your used to your old phone. After a few weeks it starts to shine.

Message center, battery, SD card slot, iTunes - I don't need any of these, the lack of iTunes is a problem, even. I turn most stuff off in the message center in iOS too. Notifications in iOS were ripped off from Android - I thought it was a great idea, until I had it, now I have to say I never use it. iTunes automatic backups has saved me a number of times, wouldn't want to be without it.

I've always jailbroken my iPhones - good way outta prison, do anything you want, just like rooting your Android thingy...

[negreanu]

Just use one for a while and after a few weeks you really see the difference. Just holding one and trying a few things is not a fair test as your used to your old phone. After a few weeks it starts to shine.

I did. Back on iPhone 5. To be honest with the increased screen size on the iphone5 which was the con while comparing to the galaxy - The main advantage of the S3 has kind of been degraded. Yes the S3 is still bigger but i feel Apple have got the sweet spot between phone size and screen size.

The iphone 5 feels way faster and smoother than the S3 in my opinion. Yes iTunes is a pain in the ass agreed. I dont hate and I don't love it. But it's not that bad. If you have the funds available to use it on a daily basis itunes store for music video etc. is pretty dam_n good.

[canuckamuck]

When I start looking for a phone to rub and caress, I will definitely think of Apple first.

[lomatopo]

When I start looking for a phone to rub and caress, I will definitely think of Apple first.

This conjures up images of Blofeld stroking his cat.

[Crushdepth]

I just have to post this - a lot of the tech press, and techies who read the tech press, really don't get Apple products. They're eternally wondering why people "fall for it". Most of them don't own an Apple product or would consider one based on specs, open-ness, or price, or general resentment of the brand.

I'd like to offer an alternative hypothesis: Maybe you don't get it and the techies are right Given a new device, any techie or indeed rational individual forms an opinion about i) the good things about it and ii) the *bad* things about it. Specs, glasnost and price are legitimate points for criticism. Nothing should be placed on the alter and worshipped.

Apple wants to provide the best customer experience - that's the company philosophy and has always been.

IMHO Apple's first priority and philosophy is to create a closed ecosystem that they alone control. A great customer experience is somewhere well south of that, and this is evident in the shortcomings evident in their devices (proprietary ports, iTunes, etc).

As for craftsmanship - I'll give Apple the number one slot for beautiful designs and I love aluminium cases. In functional terms though - drop an iPhone or a plastic Galaxy on the ground, which do you think is more likely to crack? Plastic has a lot going for it from a design point of view.