[neoonwheels]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

can brand value play such a big role? is it that i want an iphone because my neighbour has one?

Forget about 30K phone, people buy 10L car only for Brand name and to be in a so called ELITE club . Its a fact that competition will eventually catch up iPhone on features but then catching up on brand image take years together.

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

can brand value play such a big role? is it that i want an iphone because my neighbour has one?
even in terms of looks, i feel all samsungs, SEs & iphones are almost equivalent-

The only disadvantage of Xperia over the Iphone is that it doesn't have multi touch. Even the upgrade to 2.1 won't bring it as the hardware doesn't support Multi touch.

You cannot believe how people buy something just coz it is from Apple. Apple lies through their teeth claiming they are the only guys or the first guys to have certain features and people simply believe them. Apple's reality distortion field is so strong that you need to be really know your stuff to get out of it's grasp.
Case in point, the recent Facetime feature in Iphone4. This is available only through Wifi and that too only from Iphone4 to Iphone4. But Apple makes it appear like they are the first guys to do this. Other phones have been supporting video calls since ages and they support video calls over 3G too. But Apple comes up with a partial implementation and gives it a fancy name and lo, it's termed a revolution.

There are many phones today that are much ahead of the Iphone4 but people just see Apple and they buy the Iphone. Sadly, that is how it works.

[srishiva]

Wifi was always mentioned for Facetime. Its the ease of use which attracts people to Apple. Any non-slightly-geek guy could start using the features without setting up most of the time.
They are poor feature-wise or hardware wise but I dont think it matters to the normal users. Ofcourse they are very costly too.

[rohan_iitr]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Can somebody tell me whats so good in an iphone except the brand name?

Most people buy iphone for the following reasons
1. Coolness factor
2. Marketing hype
3. Peer pressure
4. Snob value
5. Brand loyalty

After buying it and realising their mistake, they try to justify their purchase by saying that it is worth the money because it has intuitive UI with multi touch.

Rohan

[extreme_torque]

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team : Please use "Multi Quote" option for quoting Multiple posts, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Originally Posted by srishiva

Wifi was always mentioned for Facetime. Its the ease of use which attracts people to Apple. Any non-slightly-geek guy could start using the features without setting up most of the time.
They are poor feature-wise or hardware wise but I dont think it matters to the normal users. Ofcourse they are very costly too.

Are you sure they are poor hardware wise? If you do, you need to read up on the internet.
Right from the start, iphone has had one of the most powerful hardware platform which is one of the major reason that you see full scale 3D games being developed for it. In 1998 (or 1997) when the original iphone was launched, it was amongst a few phones which had a seperate GPU but the only one where it was used to the fullest.
iPhone 3GS upped the game with A8 Cortex processor and Power VGX 535 GPU which is still amongst the most powerful GPU on a mobile phone.
The iPhone 4 carries the tradition forward and comes with even faster and better processor.

In terms of OS, yes the Android is close but Apple OS still has the upperhand when it comes to overall interface and usability. You also have to take into account that all the other manufacturers play catch up and they set the trend. The OS has still not been conquered mind you.

They do not have a huge feature list to boast but then one's they boast are really the best optimized and best performing applications which don't slow the phone down to a crawl or have "out of memory" errors. And dont forget, its also an iPod which is one of the best music players on the planet.

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Most people buy iphone for the following reasons
1. Coolness factor
2. Marketing hype
3. Peer pressure
4. Snob value
5. Brand loyalty

After buying it and realising their mistake, they try to justify their purchase by saying that it is worth the money because it has intuitive UI with multi touch.

Rohan

It would be an utter disgrace to the human IQ if you think iPhone has succeeded only because of the factors you mentioned above.

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Are you sure they are poor hardware wise? If you do, you need to read up on the internet.
Right from the start, iphone has had one of the most powerful hardware platform which is one of the major reason that you see full scale 3D games being developed for it. In 1998 (or 1997) when the original iphone was launched, it was amongst a few phones which had a seperate GPU but the only one where it was used to the fullest.
iPhone 3GS upped the game with A8 Cortex processor and Power VGX 535 GPU which is still amongst the most powerful GPU on a mobile phone.
The iPhone 4 carries the tradition forward and comes with even faster and better processor.

Ummm.. Iphone was launched in 2007, not 1997 or 1998. It probably had the fastest processor when it was launched , but it is no longer the fastest. Even when the 3GS was launched, it wasn't the fastest processor in the market and its definitely not the case with the Iphone4 . The Galaxy S has the most powerful GPU in the market. Check out some of the games developed for the Wave or even the new NFS game on the Galaxy S .
When the Iphone was launched, it didn't even support MMS, which was common in even feature phones. Same with many other features. For a long time , the Iphone had only a 3MP camera with very limited features while others had upto 12MP and have a lot of features since a long time. So no, Apple does not lead in hardware.
The only place where Apple leads is the number of apps and the intuitiveness of the software. But Android is catching up soon. Besides, I can't believe you could not set a wallpaper on the Iphone till IOS4 came about.

[HellwratH]

Originally Posted by Newpunter

Ummm.. Iphone was launched in 2007, not 1997 or 1998. It probably had the fastest processor when it was launched , but it is no longer the fastest. Even when the 3GS was launched, it wasn't the fastest processor in the market and its definitely not the case with the Iphone4 . The Galaxy S has the most powerful GPU in the market. Check out some of the games developed for the Wave or even the new NFS game on the Galaxy S .
When the Iphone was launched, it didn't even support MMS, which was common in even feature phones. Same with many other features. For a long time , the Iphone had only a 3MP camera with very limited features while others had upto 12MP and have a lot of features since a long time. So no, Apple does not lead in hardware.
The only place where Apple leads is the number of apps and the intuitiveness of the software. But Android is catching up soon. Besides, I can't believe you could not set a wallpaper on the Iphone till IOS4 came about.

Even though I am contemplating on buying an android phone, as an ex-iPhone user, I'll take the liberty to answer this one.

No longer the fastest processor? iPhone 4 has got a 1Ghz processor, don't know of any other phone that has a faster CPU than this one. Many equal it, faster than it? I am not aware of any.

Galaxy S has a good GPU, but have you played any games on an iPhone. The GPU in that can kick some serious a$$. I have had and played a lot of games on my iPhone 2g and trust me, it was smooth. Haven't had a chance to play around with an iPhone 4, so yeah, I won't comment on that one.

One question to every one who complains about lack of MMS in the original iPhone. How many of us have used MMS or still use it now? When I have Mobile office running on a phone, why would I waste my time/money trying to send an MMS? :/. That sure was not a deal breaker for me then and even now.

You gotta be kidding me about the 3MP vs 12MP comparison? How many photos that you take on your cellphone are printed and to what size? Megapixels don't mean anything unless you are printing. And, it's the sensor size that matters more than the megapixels . And yes, I have got some very nice shots with my iPhone camera, even though it was what, 2MP? (Check the attachment).

Apple may not lead in the hardware, but they sure know how to make use of what they have. Their UI is still one of the best, though I consider Android very close to it. The phone doesn't lag like the samsung Galaxy S. And moreover, for someone who doesn't want to tinker around and wants a very good phone to work with, iPhone is awesome. Android is still developing and I am sure it will catch up sooner or later, but I still think iPhone is the best out there. Not to mention the apps that appstore has.

Dude, one last question, have you really used an iPhone? You cannot change the wallpaper? I mean, COME ON!

One thing I didn't understand was, most cell phone companies claim that iPhone was as good as an ancient stone and yet they were trying to kill it! Sigh, Irony. Palm Pre, BB storm, 5800 and the list goes on and on.

P.S: For all you Galaxy S supporters, it's an awesome phone with killer screen and great hardware, but be aware of the problems you are going to get with it. Here's a link,
Goodbye Galaxy S - xda-developers

P.P.S: Everyone who wants to take a shot at looking down upon an iPhone or any other phone, kindly use it and give your personal experience than reading stuff online.

P.P.P.S: I am not a fanboy of either one, I just like to have a good experience when it comes to mobiles and connectivity. Hence, I am moving to android to see what it has to offer and what I can do with it. If I don't like what I see in androind, might as well come back to iPhone. One thing that worries me in android is that a lot of apps are being release with malware in them.

[Newpunter]

I have an Ipod Touch , so i guess i can talk from experience, and not from reading online . I agree that the Iphone is more user friendly than other phones out there, but I don't agree with the lack of lag on the Iphone. Whenever there is a software upgrade, the older models suck. Apple either tests their software only for the latest version, or they want to force you to upgrade so wantedly make the software lag on the older versions. Try playing games on the first generation or second generation Iphones. There is a lot of lag.
Regarding the wallpaper, I'm talking about the background to the home page, not the one that you can see only when you have locked your phone. So no, you could not set your own background to the Iphone ( before IOS4 ) .
And I don't like the lot of restrictions on the Iphone. For example, I don't like Mobile Safari at all. But I don't have an option to use any other mobile browser.
And I hate it that you have to use only Itunes to sync. Itunes is a piece of crap and installs other useless stuff like Bonjour , apple mobile device support ,etc, that keep running in the background all the time on your computer. And if you want to sync your music library to 2 different computers , it erases the earlier library and then copies stuff, which is completely stupid.
Lag on the Samsung Galaxy S ? This is the first i'm hearing about it. Even in the link you have posted, all the comments below say they have never faced this problem. On the contrary, I can show you hundreds of posts with problems about the Iphone4 or the Iphone 3G after the IOS4 upgrade.
Here is a benchmark of the fastest phones on the market :
Image from "Snapdragon vs. Hummingbird vs. OMAP - the mobile CPU war beyond 1GHz" : GLBenchmark 1.1 GPU test results

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by Newpunter

Ummm.. Iphone was launched in 2007, not 1997
or 1998.

My bad, I meant 2007 only.

Originally Posted by Newpunter

It probably had the fastest processor when it was launched , but it is no longer the fastest. Even when the 3GS was launched, it wasn't the fastest processor in the market and its definitely not the case with the Iphone4 .

My response was to the post which said iPhone has "Poor Hardware". Coming back to the processor speed, a poorly optimized software on a fast processor wouldn't run to its maximum efficiency. I have seen an out of memory error on a Samsung Wave, which has the same hardware as the Galaxy S but I have never seen an out of memory error on an iPhone.

It doesnt makes any sense to cram hundreds of features into a phone which dont work when you want them to or how you want them to, the point is to implement the features well so that they can be used and not just on spec sheet. Can you name any phone in 2007 which was as good with web browsing as iPhone was back then. The fact is that phone companies are still playing catch up.

Originally Posted by Newpunter

The Galaxy S has the most powerful GPU in the market. Check out some of the games developed for the Wave or even the new NFS game on the Galaxy S .

I never said iPhone has the best GPU, yes that title goes to Galaxy S now but the fact is that there arent any games yet in the Samsung App Store that take advantage of it. If you think NFS on Samsung is good, wait till you play real racing on iPhone 3GS/4.

Originally Posted by Newpunter

When the Iphone was launched, it didn't even support MMS, which was common in even feature phones.

Well in 1997 iPhone did 100 other things better than feature phones of that time, namely web browsing and as a music player. The point is that it was a new platform then and it has matured now. How about gestures, multitouch and the likes? Xperia X10 launched in 2010 doesn't support multitouch.

Originally Posted by Newpunter

Same with many other features. For a long time , the Iphone had only a 3MP camera with very limited features while others had upto 12MP and have a lot of features since a long time. So no, Apple does not lead in hardware.

Leads in the hardware that matters. The iPhone 4 does have a very good 5 MP camera and does 720p Video at 30 fps.

Originally Posted by Newpunter

The only place where Apple leads is the number of apps and the intuitiveness of the software. But Android is catching up soon. Besides, I can't believe you could not set a wallpaper on the Iphone till IOS4 came about.

One of the reason of these restriction equates to the ultimate performance that you get from the device. Even the latest Motorola Droid X running on a faster 1 ghz processor isnt able to render the webpages faster than iPhone 3GS, let alone the iPhone 4. I am not saying that the iPhone is the best phone around but its the best in what it claims to do.

[raj_5004]

Gosh! Looks like i have started a hot debate here! Anyways, so if i can sum it up, i can say the iphone sell only because of the brand name of apple & its buyers are not interested in its specs or features as compared to other phones.

[srishiva]

Running the phone parallel to the automobile, People should use Iphone to know how refined it is !
For a given hardware specification, iphone performs better than other platforms. They somehow do it better than others. Small kids can figure out things so quickly. Others are just catching up and are trying to do it more in terms of hardware.

Guess we are not really talking about the real use of a phone here, making calls? By the way, my next phone will be on Android. I have iPod to experience all the non-phone things that are very good on a Apple compared to others.

[HellwratH]

Originally Posted by Newpunter

I have an Ipod Touch , so i guess i can talk from experience, and not from reading online . I agree that the Iphone is more user friendly than other phones out there, but I don't agree with the lack of lag on the Iphone. Whenever there is a software upgrade, the older models suck. Apple either tests their software only for the latest version, or they want to force you to upgrade so wantedly make the software lag on the older versions. Try playing games on the first generation or second generation Iphones. There is a lot of lag.
Regarding the wallpaper, I'm talking about the background to the home page, not the one that you can see only when you have locked your phone. So no, you could not set your own background to the Iphone ( before IOS4 ) .
And I don't like the lot of restrictions on the Iphone. For example, I don't like Mobile Safari at all. But I don't have an option to use any other mobile browser.
And I hate it that you have to use only Itunes to sync. Itunes is a piece of crap and installs other useless stuff like Bonjour , apple mobile device support ,etc, that keep running in the background all the time on your computer. And if you want to sync your music library to 2 different computers , it erases the earlier library and then copies stuff, which is completely stupid.
Lag on the Samsung Galaxy S ? This is the first i'm hearing about it. Even in the link you have posted, all the comments below say they have never faced this problem. On the contrary, I can show you hundreds of posts with problems about the Iphone4 or the Iphone 3G after the IOS4 upgrade.
Here is a benchmark of the fastest phones on the market :
Image from "Snapdragon vs. Hummingbird vs. OMAP - the mobile CPU war beyond 1GHz" : GLBenchmark 1.1 GPU test results

Are they charging for the upgrade? Kindly remember that we are talking in terms of iPhone and not iTouch . And what kind of lag are you talking about? I have had the iPhone 2g for more than a year and 3g for a couple of months and have never faced a single issue of lag! When I sold the phones off on craigslist, I promised both the guys that if anything goes wrong or they face any kind of lag/problem, they can always return the phone to me (a one month deal though) and needless to say, I have only received calls praising the phones.

I don't get your point when you say, whenever they release an upgrade the older models become suck? How? Specific examples will help me understand the point rather than generic statements. :/

Yes, I have played many games that were release for iPhone 2g, Brothers in arms, sparta, nfs etc and no, not even once have I faced any issue playing it or having a lag.

Ah ok, that background. I never even thought about it actually . But yes, I will agree about that.

And except for flash, what don't you like about Safari? And as far as I remember, I have used another browsing application that had come out, umm, I think it was full browser or something that would basically take out all the extra space used by the safari to display back etc.

Other than iTunes erasing, is there anything in specific that you don't like? Apple released iTunes for both windows and mac, KIES (samsung software) is not even available for mac users! Beat that!

And if you think I am the first one telling you about lag on Galaxy S, you definitely gotta check it out in person. And also see why most people won't even touch the Xperia X10 with a stick. I am not sure if you have read all 12-13 pages of that discussion, if not, please do. Then you'll know what I mean. And let's not even get started on the build quality on the galaxy s when compared to an iPhone. Also, google nexus one multi touch problems and see the shocking video. HTC legend can cause a lot of irritation to your ear if you talk on it for long. The AMOLED/SAMOLED screens are not even visible properly when taken outside. Should I go on and on about problems in various android phones?

My point being, every phone has it's positives and negatives. Choose the one that suits you the most and stop bashing a phone just because it was release by a particular brand and is priced on the higher side. For most of us, even a basic nokia phone or a chinese phone might suffice, why do we have to go out and spend 10 times more to get a branded phone? Warranty you may say and I agree, iPhones have been replaced without users being asked any kind of questions and HTC service has been known to be ignorant about their own phones when it came to warranty.

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Gosh! Looks like i have started a hot debate here! Anyways, so if i can sum it up, i can say the iphone sell only because of the brand name of apple & its buyers are not interested in its specs or features as compared to other phones.

Disagree. And if you'd still like to think so, it's your choice. TBH, every iPhone user will question himself/herself if it's really worth spending that much and can he/she get what he/she's looking for in that price? Only then a choice is made.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Gosh! Looks like i have started a hot debate here! Anyways, so if i can sum it up, i can say the iphone sell only because of the brand name of apple & its buyers are not interested in its specs or features as compared to other phones.

After going through the discussion, this is all you got out of it? I say, more power to you.

Ok let me ask you a few questions regarding you phone usage. Apart from calls what other features of the X10 you use and let me then tell you why iPhone will do that much better.

[Gandhi]

I don't have any of the mobile phones being discussed here right now but am thinking of buying one. Here I found a good comparison between 3 of the best mobile phones right now - iPhone 4, HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S.

HTC Desire vs iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S | News | TechRadar UK

Posting the verdict here for those who don't want to read the long article -

Verdict

We like what we're seeing here: three smartphones that really offer a shedload of hardware for your cash.

The iPhone 4 and HTC Desire are very closely matched at the head of the field, with the Samsung Galaxy S not too far behind either.

It almost comes down to preference – are you a lover of the open Android approach, or do you prefer the controlled-but-app-filled Apple existence?

Thanks to the reception problem, the HTC Desire still represents the best all-round device in our opinion – Apple's free case solution is a great step, but it doesn't alter the fact that the phone hardware still has the problem.

So well done to the HTC Desire – despite being the oldest on test, it's still the top smartphone in our eyes... and if something beats it in the next few months, we're looking forward to seeing that.

Winner: HTC Desire

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

After going through the discussion, this is all you got out of it? I say, more power to you.

Ok let me ask you a few questions regarding you phone usage. Apart from calls what other features of the X10 you use and let me then tell you why iPhone will do that much better.

clicking pics, listening to music (where i think iphone may have an upper hand) & web browsing (timescape feature plays an important role).

Out of these, i find X10's cam to be much better in terms of picture quality & features.

i dint get the chance to compare iphones' & X10's music quality back to back.

Timescape is one feature which i like in X10 as it integrates all my mail accounts, FB account, twitter account & even general call handling, messages & media files all together in one interface, which makes it really convenient.

there are some small conveniences apart form these like photo tagging which i find very convenient in the X10.