iPhone 4 or EVO 4G: which one should you get?

Hoo boy. This is a tough one, isn't it? In our years at Engadget, we've rarely seen such deafening debate and adulation for a pair of devices. In one corner we have the iPhone 4, coming off a few relatively easy rounds atop the smartphone mind share heap. However, the Droid and its ilk have weakened Apple's spot, and here comes the HTC EVO 4G in for the kill, sporting a larger screen, 4G data, and all manner of HTC sexy. If the devices themselves weren't enough, the debate has turned into something larger and metaphorical, with Apple representing tight restrictions and a singular top down vision, while Google's Android stands for something perhaps a bit more haphazard but democratizing. The gloves come off after the break.

Of course, the easy answer is that they're both great phones. The truth of the matter is that what might make the EVO the perfect smartphone for one person doesn't necessarily pop up on another person's radar. In many cases (like this author's, for instance), there are many pros and cons on both platforms and devices that makes the decision difficult, almost painful. We're going to try to lay out the facts, so that you have the best material at your disposal for making the decisions, but we're not going to call the decision "easy" or "cut and dry" for anybody. This is a road we all eventually walk alone... into an Apple or Sprint store.

Hardware

We've stacked these two phones up every which way specs-wise. They're very similar phones when you run down a checklist, but there's one glaring dissimilarity: the EVO is huge. In fact, many people might find a more direct iPhone competitor in the excellent Droid Incredible, or at least the much thinner Droid X. Outside of lacking of a front facing camera and 4G, they're virtually the same phone as the EVO, just smaller (in different ways). But we didn't come here to talk Droids. Here are some of the big ways these two phones compete:

Design

This is the quintessential spot for personal preference, so we won't linger long. Suffice it to say that these are two companies lauded for their hardware design at the top of their game. The EVO is mostly plastic, the iPhone is glass and metal, EVO has a kickstand, the iPhone is thinner (9.3mm vs. 12.7mm). They both fit fine in a pocket, and are both striking enough visually that you wouldn't want to hide them in a pocket. It's hard to tell which would fare better in a drop test, but both are too premium-feeling for us to really enjoy finding out. The heft of the EVO makes it dangerous, and we've seen a couple reports of shattered screens. The exposed glass edges on both sides of the iPhone make it look fragile, and while it's stronger than it looks, it's certainly not invincible.

Screen

The EVO 4G's 4.3-inch screen is amazing and jawdropping, while the iPhone's 3.5-inch screen looks unchanged until you get up close: and realize it's just as jawdropping. The EVO scores an obvious win on size, but the iPhone certainly has it on pixel density -- approaching that of a printed page -- and even resolution (960 x 640 vs. 800 x 480), and we found it to be a brighter, higher quality display as well.

That said, we don't think most people will suffer one bit with the pixel density of the EVO, and while the iPhone certainly bests it in quality, the EVO is certainly passable for viewing outdoors and wonderful indoors. Coming down to... surprise, surprise, a matter of preference: size vs. quality.

Cameras

The EVO has higher resolution cameras front and back (8 megapixel / 1.3 megapixel, vs. 5 megapixel / VGA). Apple claims its low resolution sensor around back is to improve the low light performance, and both manufacturers are using the same "backside illuminated" tech. The EVO wins the spec war, but in practice we tend to prefer the photos and video produced by the iPhone. It has better sound and less artifacting when shooting video, with a higher framerate at 720p of 30 fps, vs. the EVO's 24. Photos seem better as well, with less JPEG artifacting, less grain, and less chromatic aberration. That's just what our eyes tell us, however. You decide for yourself:

HTC EVO 4G test shots

iPhone 4 camera shots

Battery

This is going to be a big one for a lot of people. In our experience, the EVO can easily get through a day of light use when used on 3G, and isn't that much worse on 4G. Meanwhile, the iPhone has an improved battery over the already strong 3GS, and can fairly handily beat the EVO on both standby and active use time. Then again, the EVO has a user-replaceable battery if you want to pack a spare. We're confident that most people can survive with the EVO, but if you want battery "comfort," the iPhone is the best bet.

Storage

We've never really liked the way Android segments storage between device and microSD card, and the EVO doesn't help its case by requiring you to remove the battery to get at the included 8GB card. Meanwhile Apple offers the iPhone in 16GB and 32GB flavors, all nicely synced and managed with iTunes. There's nothing stopping you from putting all the apps and music you want on the EVO, and with microSD you have theoretically unlimited storage, but it's nowhere near as pretty a process as Apple makes it.

Platform

Software is much more a "shades of grey" area than hardware, so we're going to have to let a bit more opinion seep in here. Please forgive us. You could spend a lifetime detailing the differences and similarities of these two advanced, complicated smartphone OSes (or at least, like, a day), but we'll try to hit the high points:

Notifications

We're going to call this for Android right away. Google's notification tray is just so much more pleasant, useful, and unobtrusive than Apple's pop-overs -- we just wonder how long it'll take Apple to figure this out.

Messaging

HTC isn't helping itself out here by shipping duplicate SMS and email clients to get in the way of Google's own. Apple's also playing catch-up with iOS 4, bringing a unified inbox and threaded messaging to the iPhone. Basically, it comes down to Gmail: if you use it and love it, Android will always be your best experience of it, but for any other service, the iPhone serves just fine. It also makes SMS a prettier experience, though no more usable than its Android counterpart.

Something that's relevant for a minority, but very relevant for that minority, is Google Voice. There's a decent web app that makes it almost usable on the iPhone, but it's a powerful, extremely useful thing as a deeply integrated app on Android, and now that everybody in the US can get in, it's only going to grow in relevance.

Keyboard

These are both touchscreen-only phones, which might be a bit of a change if you're coming from a physical keyboard-equipped device, but rest assured that many humans throughout the ages have managed to become quite proficient on touchscreen keyboards, and Apple and HTC's are pretty much the best in the business. The EVO benefits from its extra real estate -- the keyboard is almost too large in portrait -- and we like some of the ways HTC handles prediction, like offering multiple word alternatives as you type, but the iPhone still offers the best touchscreen keyboard we've ever used in actual practice, and the addition of spellcheck in iOS 4 only helps cement that.

Widgets

Android: yes. iPhone: no.

Multitasking

Apple is finally entering the multitasking arena with iOS 4, but it's certainly doing things its own way. In truth, Apple still doesn't allow any sort of "true" multitasking on its phone, just background services, task completion, and fast app switching. Android blows this away by allowing full apps to run simultaneously. Still, for all of Apple's overwrought babying of the user, it does have a bit of a point: if you don't kill your tasks vigilantly on Android, your phone will run hot (we're speaking from experience with the EVO), slow down, and devour battery life. If you're smart and proactive, Android's multitasking can make you more productive and also more attractive to the opposite sex. For everybody else, the iPhone is the cleaner solution, and in the multitasking-enabled apps we've been using so far, we'd say the iOS approach is usually sufficient -- though it's really reliant on the app developers to get it right.

Polish

This is certainly a matter of taste, but here's a gross simplification: iPhone is for aesthetes, Android is for nerds. HTC's Sense spitshine adds a bit to Android, but it also increases the quantity of divergent, inconsistent UI. Apple's managed to not only present a unified front in its own apps, but also pass on a strong design language to much of its developer community -- something Google is far from doing. Meanwhile, there's something very homespun and fun about diving into Android's technical, geektastic menus and widgets. Extra nerd points included for those brave enough to put stock Android on the thing.

Apps

You can't argue against the fact that the iPhone has more applications, way more games, and a generally higher level of app quality thanks to a more mature SDK and increased competition. Still, when it comes to doing stuff that's not gaming, Android Market does alright for itself. It's really down to a per user thing: can you live without app X? Is there an adequate replacement for app Y? Do you hate having fun? Both devices have approval processes to get onto the branded store, but Android's is a bit more lax (emulators, for instance), and you can also grab unsigned apps directly. You have to jailbreak the iPhone for that kind of freedom.

Some notable first and third party applications:

• Maps: Android is the easy winner, with full dedicated GPS-style turn by turn navigation. This likely isn't going to change soon, either, because Google builds the maps for both handsets.
• Browser: Google claims to be making some improvements with its browser, rating its Froyo version as the "world's fastest mobile browser." Unfortunately, there's no telling when this new version of Android will make it to the EVO -- that's up to HTC and Sprint. Meanwhile, the iPhone browser is generally regarded at the top of the heap for speed and compatibility, with one notable exception: no Flash.
• Twitter: Now that there's a first party Twitter app on Android things are looking up (HTC's one was pretty horrid), but you can still find the most variety and quality for Twitter on the iPhone.
• Facebook: Just about a wash, though there's more integration with contacts on Android.
• Calendar: This is a case of personal preference, though HTC's replacement calendar is an easy loser to the stock Android version and Apple's very pretty iPhone one. Google Calendar integration is slightly easier on Android, but iOS 4 makes it more of a default on the iPhone than it has been.
• YouTube: The EVO wins easily with YouTube HQ, a glorious sight on the 4.3-inch screen. We'd think the iPhone would be getting this quality bump sooner or later, but no mention has been made.
• Tethering: The EVO wins with WiFi hotspot connection sharing, while you have to use a cable or Bluetooth on the iPhone. You can share a 2GB data plan on AT&T for $20 extra, but that ramps all the way to $75 if you use 5GB. Meanwhile the EVO has "unlimited" sharing for $30 extra a month.
• Video chat: We have an more in depth spec comparison here, but basically: HTC EVO uses Qik and can chat to computers or phones, while Apple uses its own FaceTime tech, which is currently iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 only (with a supposedly open standard set to alleviate that limitation over time). Still, in practice FaceTime seems to be higher quality and easier to deal with. It's really the same old story: you'll have more flexibility on Android out of the gate, more polish from Apple.

Service

AT&T / Sprint

This one's pretty simple: if you live in a WiMAX area with good coverage, you could see higher data speeds on Sprint than AT&T. The trick is, you probably don't live in a WiMAX area with good coverage -- they're few and far between. Luckily, Sprint's 3G network is actually pretty great (outside of some notable rough patches in certain areas), and we've had a wonderful experience using it on the EVO so far, surpassing even some other Sprint handsets we've used. As we get further into the launch we're starting to see some hints that the EVO is straining Sprint's network somewhat -- middling performance where it used to be excellent -- but that's at least not a widespread, iPhone-scale problem at this point.

Meanwhile, AT&T is AT&T: great speeds and network if it's not over capacity in your area. The company has made some strong strides at fighting dropped calls in major metropolitan areas like NY and SF, and that new external antenna design on the iPhone 4 helps out as well -- as long as you don't hold it wrong. On a more minor note, the new iPhone also has slightly improved upload speeds.

Costs

The HTC EVO 4G is $199 after a $100 mail-in rebate with Sprint, but you can get it elsewhere (like Radio Shack and Best Buy) for $199 straight up. The iPhone 4 is $199 (if you can find one). Service plans get much more complicated, but basically:

• AT&T you can get as low at $55 with 200MB of data, 450 minutes of talk, and no messaging. If you want unlimited voice and messaging, along with 2GB of data (the most AT&T will pre-sell you, it's $10 per GB after that), you'll be forking over $115 a month.
• Sprint requires you to go for a minimum $80 plan (that includes the required premium data plan add-on for the EVO), which includes unlimited data, unlimited messaging, and 450 minutes of talk. To bump up to unlimited everything (and that $10 premium data charge insures a true unlimited data) you'll be spending $110 a month.

Wrap-up

You know the facts, you've heard the arguments, you've passively observed the roar of comments from each side... now follow your heart!

Not good enough for you? You can find out more on your own with our iPhone 4 review, and our EVO 4G review. Stay tuned for our Droid X review, as well! You won't be sorry.

Update: If you'll recall, we put this post up briefly a couple of weeks ago, before deciding we wanted to review the iPhone 4 and get all the facts before really pitting these against each other. To reflect the semi-newness of this comparo, here's a semi-new poll to let you express your own opinion. Here are the results of the last poll, for reference.

iPhone 4 or an EVO 4G?

iPhone 4	36745 (37.6%)
EVO 4G	39913 (40.9%)
Holding out for something better	14050 (14.4%)
I'm happy with what I have	6979 (7.1%)

[liljaywc Posted Jun 25th 2010 4:59PM]

@Ariel Bender
I entirely, completely, whole-heartedly agree with every word! Android and the phones that come with Android cant even come close to the all around build quality (hardware and software) that the iPhone has. Android=Fail.

[MuzikJay Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:00PM]

@AcE17

Probably, I'm sure. Although I haven't read it

Also, anyone notice how the last picture shows the EVO 4G Review banner on the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4 Review on the EVO 4G? heh. kinda funny. They're promoting each other. =D

[crawdad689 Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:01PM]

@Ash

3 weeks ago, I swapped out my iphone 3G for the Evo.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN I EVER GET 24 HOURS OUT OF THE BATTERY (even if I were to leave it in standby, and not touch the damn thing). ANY time I forget to plug it in overnight, I wake up to find that my phone has shut itself off at some point, due to no battery. I tried the hard reset, I've tried a couple different task killers. Nada. It's simply unusable for me.

People gripe about the dropped calls on the new iPhone, but the thing is, that I really don't TALK on the phone. I do just about everything else, but I keep my conversations brief (I have a weird thing about HATING to talk on the phone - I can't even imagine how much I would hate making VIDEO calls... :-\ )

Additionally, I don't find the headphone audio quality to be ANYWHERE near that of my iPhone 3G - not that the 3G is as good as my gf's Zune HD, FWIW.

And then, there are the random kinks that the Evo has that annoy me. A lot of the time, when I hit the Camera icon, it will start up, and then shut down immediately, as if i pressed the back button, though I didn't. The music (and Doubletwist) apps crash often (at least once a day), and when they crash, it's not just the app that crashes - it actually shuts down my phone. Unacceptable. I find the phone just a little too large for my tastes - it fits in my pocket fine, but it's hard to use with only one had, because the screen is too big, IMO.

That's not to say that the Evo/Android doesn't do certain things MUCH better than iOS - I absolutely LOVE that if you email yourself directions from (desktop) google Maps, when you open the link in your phone's email browser, it prompts you to ask whether you want to view the directions in Google maps, google turn by turn, or the internet browser. I LOVE the calendar and gmail cloud integration, as well.

That said, for me, the Evo's cons outweigh the pros, in comparison to the iPhone. I'm returning it this weekend, going back to AT&T w/ my iPhone 3G, and then probably getting a white iPhone 4 when they come out, and hopefully there'll be some sort of patch for these supposed antenna issues (though Engadget furiously claims that these reports are exaggerated).

The fact of the matter is that a phone is MUCH more than its specs sheet. There is a correlation between specs and user experience, but it's not 1 to 1. There are many other parts - build quality, design, snappyness, and efficiency/"fewest-taps-necessary-to-do-what-you-need-it-to-do" are also extremely important to me, and I believe the Evo is a distant second to the iPhone, in these areas.

[Sh1fty Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:01PM]

Add the Dolphin HD browser and the Evo positively SMOKES the iPhone's browser.

Dolphin is by far the best browser I've ever used on a mobile device and it's not even close.

Also, I don't think the iPhone's multi-tasking is very elegant, you basically have a task manager you have to deal with, and I have yet to have a problem with back ground apps killing my battery or slowing down my Evo.

And again you guys kind of down played possible physical design problems with the iPhone. Over on Giz one of their interns dropped his iPhone 4 from 3ish feet up and it's back shattered, and Ryan Block apparently has had some scratching issues with his. You guys also probably should have noted the Evo glass lifting issue. Mine has this issue, it's minor, and doesn't affect my phone operation at all but still annoying, and makes me worry that dust or something might get under there.

[MuzikJay Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:05PM]

@yankdez

fo sho!

And why only 7 photos with the EVO 4G and 33 with the iPhone 4??

[zob Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:07PM]

@Son Of a Gun
Nokia N8 Symbian ^3, slower cpu, 12MP CZ camera, xenon flash, FM transmitter, best battery life, usb host, bt 3 comes in colors

[Beatnik Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:08PM]

I have a Nexus One, Great phone. I like HTC Evo, but in my opinion, iphone should be compared instead to Samsung Galaxy S. And HTC Evo with Motorola Droid X. Shame that Motorola Droid X doesnt have front facing camera.

[koideath Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:11PM]

@Ariel Bender Dude I totally agree. I am glad someone finally gets it. I have yet to find a phone that doesn't feel like a cheap piece of junk except for the iPhone.

[SCXFAN Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:11PM]

@yankdez

iPhone because everything else is better.

[MuzikJay Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:23PM]

@AcE17

Read it....totally biased. Actually pretty irritating. So much so that I don't want to go in to detail lol

[benchase7 Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:26PM]

How to make a call with YOUR new iPhone:

1) Go outside, far from any buildings, trees or structures.
2) Using ONLY your RIGHT hand, gently grasp the iPhone with a pair of tweezers as far from the "antenna" as possible.
3) Pray that you get an ATT signal.

This method does not guarantee that one will complete the entire call in which they desire, although if you stand on one leg and raise your LEFT hand, as well as turn off all wifi within a 10 mi radius, it may increase your chances.

Signed,
S. Jobs

[ahhduy Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:26PM]

@Son Of a Gun
The Galaxy S is actually supposed to be better than all the other phones in direct sunlight visability. Also the Droid X does not have a slide out qwerty keyboard

[HotFuzz Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:28PM]

UNLEASH THE FANDROID ARMY!

:|

(And where was the outrage when the Nexus One was discovered to have reception issues?)

[OMGOMG Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:31PM]

@Ash Ironically, when the gloves were taken off for this competition, the iPhone started dropping calls again.

[mickey744 Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:32PM]

@Son Of a Gun

there is no slide out QWERTY on the droid x and the galaxy s uses a super AMOLED vs the AMOLED which gives it visibility as good as most outdoors.. its the whole point of the 'super'.

[Brad Hubbard Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:33PM]

@Son Of a Gun Droid X doesn't have a slide-out QWERTY. You're thinking of the as-yet-unannounced Droid 2

[Immortal78 Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:45PM]

@ajac09

You got 14 hrs, maybe you should turn it on before comparing it to the iphone.....LMAO!

[AniMill Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:48PM]

@dgtlber Just preordered mine today. iPhone is a beautiful thing, I just don't want to switch to AT&T. But I'll still get the best-of-both-worlds by pairing my EVOwhite w/ my iPad wifi. July 11 get here already!

[peta Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:49PM]

@The Advanced Kind Very shortly, it seems. Altho a Samsung. Captivate.

[patohi Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:50PM]

@Ash IPHONE!!! WHY? BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOFTWARE UPDATES!!! WE ALL KNOW THAT IPHONE WILL HAVE OS UPDATES FOR 3 MORE YEARS.... THE ANDROID PHONES???? ITS A WAIT AND SEE... TOO MANY HANDSETS...TOO MANY CUSTOM USER INTERFACES.... WHEN IS FROYO OUT???? LOL

[ohnoitsaspider Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:53PM]

@ArhcAngel iPhone 4 is now

[scorpeo Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:55PM]

I keep seeing some comments that mention "build issue" on the EVO. Can someone produce ONE video which shows the "build quality issue"? To date I've yet to see one, frankly I think some folks are full of it!

[ohnoitsaspider Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:55PM]

@ArhcAngel iPhone4 is now 100% compatible with T-Mobile. Yet it is still locked to AT&T.

[otownlars Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:55PM]

@Ash

And this article forgets to mention that the $80 plan from Sprint includes unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling to any carrier within the US.

[Good Idea Posted Jun 25th 2010 5:56PM]

@cdf74dc9 Neither does the iPhone 4. It took 4 drops.

[Ninetysix Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:01PM]

Here's a camera/video test between the iPhone 3GS and Evo. Guess who won? This was tested by a fandroid.

@Ash http://obamapacman.com/2010/06/2009-apple-iphone-3gs-4-vs-2010-htc-evo-video-camera-quality-test/

[ohnoitsaspider Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:01PM]

@Son Of a Gun HSPA+

[longcat Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:03PM]

@ohnoitsaspider As far as has been released, the iPhone 4 does not support UMTS band IV, which is T-mobile 3G-US. So it is not fully compatible. The iPhone supports UMTS bands I, II, V, VI, & VIII aka 2100, 1900, 850, 800 & 900MHz frequencies. Of course, GSM will still work fine.

[jbreez Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:11PM]

@Mike10010100 I'm guessing the reason he used that number and thinks its concrete is because of that sprint fired an employee article... and forgot to keep in mind whether or not number was true the best buy and radio shack numbers aren't counted since those were all sold by sprint themselves.

[ohnoitsaspider Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:12PM]

@longcat It is a pentaband 3G phone; it does support band IV but the Apple website doesn't say that.

[MasterRothschild Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:13PM]

@Son Of a Gun You forgot a major CON on the iPhone side:

IT HAS NO SIGNAL WHEN YOU HOLD IT IN YOUR HAND!!

[longcat Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:20PM]

@ohnoitsaspider There are many UMTS bands. The iPhone 3GS supports 800/850/1900/2100 MHz. The iPhone 4 supports 2100/1900/850/800/900. T-mobile requires UMTS band IV which is 1700/2100. The new band, VIII aka 900MHz supports Europe, Asia, Australia. But not T-mobile 3G US. Sorry. I thought it was going to support T-mobile 3G US too when I heard penta-band, but upon further research realized I was wrong.

[xusxmarinesx Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:21PM]

@Girish remember that froyo software is better and faster would wait for that till deciding and in a little bit developers and/or HTC will fix the 30fps issue making 3d gaming just as good as i4 if not better cause of evo screen size

[scorpeo Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:25PM]

EVO vs iphone 4, check this video out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULv-0xcciFE Keep in mind, the EVO loads flash the iphone 4 does not, the EVO is still faster.

[patohi Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:25PM]

Android is a disaster!!!! People have already been left in the cold with no OS updates for their 6 month old phones!!! People who chose Android are shooting themselves in the foot!!!! Until there is an option of installing a vanilla version of the latest android release.... waiting for the middlemen(hardware manufactures and carriers) is too big of a minus!!!!!

[btcutter Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:32PM]

@The Advanced Kind

Please explain when Incredible > Droid X > Evo 4g??? Have you try them all? or just a guess on your part?

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:41PM]

@zerotwone "Although I'm very pleased with the iPhone 4 – the EVO 4G is sexy and I sure wouldn't mind the larger screen size."


You know, some people do get freaked out by large things.

[muyoso Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:48PM]

@Ash I wish Engadget would stop this nonsense with the pricing on the Evo. Sprint does not require you to spend $80 dollars on a plan. Sprint EPRP plan which ANYONE can buy since the VP of sprint gave out his details to use:

http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/nxt/epc/epclanding.asp

$59 +$10 = ~$70 a month for 500 minutes and unlimited data, messaging, etc.

[xxJohnnyRocketxx Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:48PM]

@BrandonHarris

Guess what, there is already some software fragmentation happening with iphone OS. Do you get the same experience you get with original iphone, 3g, 3gs, and iphone 4, hell, even iPad? no. I still know several people who use original iPhones and 3g iPhones.

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jun 25th 2010 6:59PM]

@Good Idea " Neither does the iPhone 4. It took 4 drops."

Actually, some people break it in one drop in like 3 feet high. I don't think the condom help it much. It so breakable that it sicken even the most hardcore ifan.

[Droidum Posted Jun 25th 2010 7:08PM]

@treats I dunno... I'm going with the Droid X. That's the hottest phone on the market, bar none.

[jeff stamos Posted Jun 25th 2010 7:12PM]

@illmatic thats a truly ignorant statement, especially considering that its not pressure activated service termination.

[Bobbo Posted Jun 25th 2010 7:13PM]

@Son Of a Gun
No slide out Qwerty on Droid X. That's coming on the Droid 2.

[iiee Posted Jun 25th 2010 7:26PM]

I just got my Samsung Galaxy S today and to be honest i think the new touch wiz interface is actually pretty good. It take the right bits of the iphone interface and adds in a few tweaks of its own which really work. Added to the exceptional media playback software and sensational screen i would say that if your in the market for a media phone particularly if you watch video on your phone its the one to get. We dont have the evo in the uk but if its media playback is anything like the desires then the Galaxy will run rings round it all day long. Yes its easy to mistake for a 3gs and yes i wish samsung had done a better job with the materials but the build is actually pretty good and it slips into the pocket and feels good in the hand. If you dont want or cant afford an iphone then the galaxy is definately at least as good as a 3gs out of the box in terms of software and responsiveness and runs rings round it when it comes to multitasking and video playback. i haven't seen a 4g yet but i will say that for me the galaxy is easily the best android phone so far in terms of performance and software and is well worth your money. The only grey cloud on the horizon is a lack of a firm date for froyo.

[hoops1ed Posted Jun 25th 2010 8:06PM]

@Ash I guess the evo is being geared to cargo pants wearers, and man purse carriers, cuz that thing is massive. Also its for those who don't use itunes, listen to podcasts or have an ipod. Its got cool features but, when it comes down to it the size and lack of software I use everyday (itunes) makes it tough to beat the iphone.

[jcontursi Posted Jun 25th 2010 8:13PM]

@muyoso Where can I find the 'vp details'?

[phinn Posted Jun 25th 2010 8:25PM]

@yankdez umm what? in my area (NJ) at&t has near perfect coverage everywhere, and sprint is really spotty in some areas. no idea where you live but i'd be surprised if sprint was better than at&t.

[ohnoitsaspider Posted Jun 25th 2010 8:31PM]

@operationnightscratch Sprint have had loads of ads on TV, radio and online so you must have just been asleep.

[miroslavv Posted Jun 25th 2010 8:38PM]

@Son Of a Gun
Locked down platform - both are actually locked down. It's actually very unfair towards open source developers - android actually is an open platform, but android phones are not. Here's why - you need to root the android phone which is something like jailbreaking the iPhone, drivers for many peripherals found inside android phones don't have open source support.
AT&T, No true Multitasking
iOS and android both are do support preemptive multitasking on operating system level, however what you see (switching between apps) is not multitasking in either case. It's a 1:1 situation.

[recharged95 Posted Jun 25th 2010 9:03PM]

@operationnightscratch

Maybe its because they're on backorder.

Apple was smart, they horded all the parts to create a exhausted pipeline.