The Motorola Droid is due to launch in a couple of days now and BillShrink put together a nice chart comparison of the four main Smart Phones out there to help you compare and eventually make a choice:
What’s the most surprising really is how Motorola’s Droid fits the iPhone offering to the cent. As you can see also the App Store has a clear advantage over the other platforms which can only brag about (and that’s not totally true because you can actually still do it) multitasking.
Does it comfort you in your choice ?
Awesome chart. It is comforting for me to see this, perhaps you can create another chart for developers and evolution of each OS/platform.
Good chart the multitasking that says no for the iPhone is a little misleading in someways.
Apples own apps tend to multitask like the ipod and mail and phone and text. Ok it isnt the same as full multitasking but they should should clarify this
The whole multitasking thing is kind of ridiculous. Multitasking is using Pandora (or other music apps) while using another app. Thats it. Granted using Pandora in the background would be cool but still, it’s not a deal breaker.
Whenever I come across someone that has a Pre or Android I ask them what they like most about their phone and why they chose it over an iPhone and they almost always bring up multitasking. I then ask them what that means exactly to them and they always say something like “I can text someone and check facebook and browse the web at the same time.” The fact is all that is impossible to do. Basically they do the same thing that you would do on an iphone, which is just switch back and forth to each app. You can even start typing a text or a facebook message or an email, close the app, and reopen it later and what you had typed will still be there. I would call that just as much multitasking as any other phone.
sorry for the rant but this multitasking nonsense is just annoying.
I aggree, The iphone multitasks with native apps.. Its just done differently, not using cover flow.. pre owners make it sound like they can do all three thing simultaneously, they still have to switch screens and so do we..
Well, I disagree.
The iPhone does NOT multitask properly and sorry to the article writer, but jailbreaking shouldn’t be part of a product comparison chart. Just accept that, instead of inventing new unscientific definitions of multitasking or trying to rubbish why someone else might find it useful.
Closing one app and then launching another, then closing that app and launching the first, is not the same as flicking back and fore between running apps – aka multitasking. What if the programs are on different home screens? Happy to go flicking through home screens as well? All instead, of one finger swipe?
You’re saying that it’s almost as the same as Android, but going through such a rigmarole on your desktop computer would be laughable. You’ll be grateful enough and vocal enough when iPhoneOS 4.0 or whatever introduces it properly I’m sure.
flicking from card to card on the pre is multitasking but flicking from page to page on the iPhone isn’t? And thats kind of a silly argument anyways since most people put their most used apps on the same page or on the first couple pages. I realize it isn’t exactly the same but you really can’t argue that there is that big of a difference. Especially on the 3Gs where most apps open within seconds.
“flicking from card to card on the pre is multitasking but flicking from page to page on the iPhone isn’t?”
The apps are not running at the same time! That is not multitasking!
Read a technical definition of the term or just be quiet, because you simply don’t know what you’re talking about.
But that’s my point. What good does it do you to have multiple apps (other than music apps) running at the same time? There is no real benefit to it.
The same benefit as it has on your desktop. You shouldn’t have to quit an app and search for another just to achieve another task.
If I’m switching between tasks, I want to have them both open and switch immediately, not in several seconds, even if it completely saves my previous state on the app, which isn’t guaranteeds. Waiting for one to quit, finding the other waiting for it to launch is no good if you have to switch 2, 3, 4, more times. If I’m chatting on IM and browsing or emailing at the same time, I don’t want to disconnect my IM session do I?
There’s lots of instances. As I said at the beginning, you wouldn’t accept a singletasking desktop computer, and when it arrives on iPhone you’ll realise its value immediately. I wouldn’t be surprised if you became vocal about how much nice the iPhone is to use because of it. Instead of playing down its faults to Android or Pre users, why not reserve judgement until that feature arrives?
The whole multitasking thing is kind of ridiculous. Multitasking is using Pandora (or other music apps) while using another app. Thats it. Granted using Pandora in the background would be cool but still, it’s not a deal breaker.
Whenever I come across someone that has a Pre or Android I ask them what they like most about their phone and why they chose it over an iPhone and they almost always bring up multitasking. I then ask them what that means exactly to them and they always say something like “I can text someone and check facebook and browse the web at the same time.” The fact is all that is impossible to do. Basically they do the same thing that you would do on an iphone, which is just switch back and forth to each app. You can even start typing a text or a facebook message or an email, close the app, and reopen it later and what you had typed will still be there. I would call that just as much multitasking as any other phone.
sorry for the rant but this multitasking nonsense is just annoying.
Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one.
iPhone 3GS has a 32gb model.
Looking at this chart, why would anyone buy a Pre?!
the Droid isn’t for everybody… people should definitely try it out in their Verizon store before buying it since the thinness and square edges won’t feel right in everyone’s hand
Whoever said this “The whole multitasking thing is kind of ridiculous. Multitasking is using Pandora (or other music apps) while using another app. Thats it. Granted using Pandora in the background would be cool but still, it’s not a deal breaker.” is either just a kid…or someone who really only needs their mobile phone for calls and fun.
For the grown-ups out there who are on the go while maintaining a job, this multitasking (or lack thereof) is a real issue. Multitasking WOULD BE – the ability to listen to a voice memo of a short conversation I had with a client at lunch and then taking notes in my ‘Apple installed notes app’ while listening to it – NOT having to pause it, close it, open up notes app, write note, close that, reopen recording and play again…over and over and over just to jot down a few notes.
Multitasking would be the ability to enhance the color of a photo taken in the photoshop app…so that it’s merely presentable to email my boss at work…and be able to include multiple photos in the same email…so as not to fill up his inbox with 4 emails…to do this…I have to close down and reopen the photoshop app each time..not only that, but cancel out of the NEW email it pulls up for me..to get back to the one I saved…or copy and paste each photo into one…try it sometime on your iphone. See how long and takes you…and then tell me how unnecessary multitasking is.