Hoping for unbiased opinions here.

[Sydman]

First off I would like to say that I have been reading around this forum and it looks like a friendly and helpful community here. So from that I am hoping I can get some good advice as to what I should do about my cellular purchase. The only Apple product I have ever owned was one of the first gen "fat" Ipods, I hated Itunes so much I never went back. So as far as phones go I have had four different Blackberries and on my third Android device all from Verizon now. I had the Blackberry Bold Touch I bought back late August until three days ago when I bought the current Droid Razr I have now. I loved the Blackberry for all the reasons most do, solid phone, good battery, sync with Google works flawlessly, and an AMAZING keyboard. Yet the lack of apps and feel like I could do more with my phone than just email and manage my calendar sent me back to Android.

I have had the Razr for two full days now and I love the phone for the most part. I am happy to have all my apps back, amazing screen, really thin even with Ottorbox case, and again Google syncing. Now what I am not happy with is the fact that my data coverage drops out completely for no reason at all various time throughout the day. This is a problem for all 4G Verizon phones for some reason, and they say a "fix" might be coming early December but I don't think I can count on that. I spend $250 bucks on this phone and I don't think it is too much to ask for it to have a constant data coverage all day. Between that and the rattling on the earpiece during phone calls I think it might be time for this thing to go back. The question is what phone do I get, I am not going to go with another 4G Android device because I will have the same data coverage problems I have now. Can't go with Blackberry because of the continued lack of support from developers and other industry personnel.

So that leaves me with the Iphone 4S from Verizon, so this is where my questions come in. I already read the link someone posted about syncing Google with IOS, and from what I can tell that will work as all other providers do and give me instant push access to my Gmail, contacts, and calendars? Also I hate, and I don't throw that word around lightly, I HATE Itunes and don't even want it on my computer. This might be a stupid question but is there a way to avoid having to use Itunes if I get the Iphone? Will I be able to drag and drop or sync my music through say Windows media player or another Windows based program? And also the software that comes on the phone from the factory is it removable without jailbreaking, or is it just there like on the Android devices unless you jailbreak and remove it?

So I am sorry that this was so long and if you do take the time to read it I will look forward to any advice, criticism, and gentle bashing you offer up. I can't deny the popularity of this phone as far as app support and accessories go, but I have never been one to get a phone just because it is popular. I want a phone that works consistently and does what I need and how I need it. So if that leads me to Apple then so be it, I just want to make the right choice because the next phone I get I am stuck with until I want to pay full price for something else.

 

[microsnook]

Ive had two or three different Android devices and I have loved them, until I got my 4S. My sister got it and my roommate had the 4 and I was just amazed with it. The hardware beats all phones out there. The screen is super touch responsive and gets far less fingerprints than any other touch phone I have seen. Its a great phone.

Now, I have Gmail and it syncs with my 4S just fine. I have Mail, Contacts, and Calendar all syncing with the phone, set up as Exchange account. It works great.
There are some features missing, like you cant star an item in the inbox, simple things like that. But you can get your mail and read it and reply, all the essential things really.
Contacts wont sync your groups, but it will sync all of your contacts. At first mine would not sync all of them, but if you go backwards into groups and then hit refresh, it will load more, and refresh again until they are all there, not a big deal.

Battery life is great. Far better than any Android phone I have used.

Navigation is not as good as Google Maps but it still works fine and thats if you are concerned about it.

And yes you should be able to use iCloud instead of iTunes. But for the music part, Im not sure...

Also, I wouldnt bother with 4G yet. They only have a few towers really, so its pointless for some, if not most people.

I hope I answered all of your concerns...let me know if you have more!

 

[crowd pleaser]

Zzzzz zzz z. Z! Ooop's sorry
Welcome to the forum, as for persuading you in any direction, i can't even buy jewelry or clothes for my better half - and she was born on a distant christmas eve, so you think you have problems?

Anything you buy has compromises, be it a phone, car or cross dressing clothes (on my xmas list btw ).

Apple holds the tittle iconic in all its products, no mean feat if you couple that with sheer reliability and style.

I'm sure you will miss something when biting the apple 'core', weigh that against the certain advantages.

 

[Sydman]

Zzzzz zzz z. Z! Ooop's sorry

Haha I know I am sorry, felt bad even writing all that out. I definitely concur with all you have said, I am sure I could get the Iphone to do everything I want it to and more probably. I have looked at it a few times in the store and do like it, just want to make sure and get all the feedback I can. I am glad a former Android user responded that you microsnook for that, and I forgot to even think about the navigation, I love Google maps on the Android. So crowd pleaser or anyone else as far as getting music on my Iphone would I be limited to Itunes?

 

[crowd pleaser]

Haha I know I am sorry, felt bad even writing all that out. I definitely concur with all you have said, I am sure I could get the Iphone to do everything I want it to and more probably. I have looked at it a few times in the store and do like it, just want to make sure and get all the feedback I can. I am glad a former Android user responded that you microsnook for that, and I forgot to even think about the navigation, I love Google maps on the Android. So crowd pleaser or anyone else as far as getting music on my Iphone would I be limited to Itunes?

, i actually came 'in from the cold' from windows mobiles, not used high end androids but tbh not overly impressed, seems more of an alternative to windows than competing with ios imho.

at first i must admit i thought I'd gone from pan to fire, but the phone hardware is very impressive, so are the range app's available which is how you tweak it to YOUR needs.

i don't criticise iTunes tbh, i like the format, but thats a matter for individual tastes, otherwise we could theoretically swap houses and not immediately chuck out the perfecly serviceable thus far, kitchens and bathrooms.

 

[Sydman]

Understood, well for now I will keep searching around and reading as much as possible. I just know from trying to help my fiance' with her Ipod and using Itunes I still do not like the program and the way it likes to take control of your computers media libraries. But with the millions of Apple users that put up with it and get it doing what they want I suppose I could learn to love it like a red headed step child.

 

[crowd pleaser]

Understood, well for now I will keep searching around and reading as much as possible. I just know from trying to help my fiance' with her Ipod and using Itunes I still do not like the program and the way it likes to take control of your computers media libraries. But with the millions of Apple users that put up with it and get it doing what they want I suppose I could learn to love it like a red headed step child.

changing phone format like hair style can be like buying new shoes, usually the first one's you see your not overly sold on so you hunt about, finally decide the second seen pair was actually the best and good - by which time they are out of fashion .

what ever you buy it will be up to 2 years she us stuck with it, so suggest especially as it is for your fiancé you get her to look with you, last thing you need is a divorce in 18 months time with her blamming the phone as the co-'respondent' or for 'irreconcilable differences'.

 

[Deckyon]

This is more for people who bash out iTunes than the OP, though they could stand to read it too.

iTunes of way back in the "fat iPod" days is not the same iTunes that is it now. I have been using iTunes since v2. I have over 500gb worth of data in iTunes between apps, music, movies and books. While it has been frustrating kludgy in the past, it has made excellent strides in the last few versions to make it more user-friendly and useable. It takes time. You have to really work in it, get to know it and force yourself to use it. My library has been transferred through 6 computers in the last 8 years and the only time it got messed up was my own fault, however iTunes itself fixed the issues. Spend time getting your music and data set up in iTunes, make sure you keep the library file backed up on a regular basis and keep the data in a stable environment. This is not unique to just iTunes. You should treat all your data this way. Windows Media Library gets mentioned - yeah, not recommended on my worst day with iTunes. I will take iTunes over WM any day. I tried getting out of iTunes to WM a couple years ago when I had linux running on my Nano. Glad I did not delete my iTunes library.

You are not going to get rid of the software that is already on the iPhone. it is all part of iOS. Jailbreaking will only "augment" what is there. I have it in "" because I personally do not see a point in Jailbreaking - I have not needed anything out of my iOS devices I cant already do.

It will seamlessly sync with Google. Even easier now with using the Exchange method. Mail, contacts and calendar. I actually have a full Exchange server, so I dont use gmail.

 

[Deckyon]

I come from a long line of Blackberries. From the 8830 through the Torch. I love my iPhone. I put off getting one until I absolutly had to. Work (who I have my BB through) just castrated our service (100 txts, 450 minutes and 250mb data from unlimited everything and we have to pay the overages). I average 5900 txts a month. There is no way I am paying overages on that...

Moving to the iPhone (I didnt look at android because I have had an iPad and a ton of apps for over a year) was probably my best decision. It is been flawless, synced up and activated with no issue, my iCloud backup and wireless iTunes sync has been a dream. I love not having to touch my computer with iTunes on it to sync anymore.

If I didnt have the iPad and apps already, I still dont think I would have gotten an android phone. there are so many out there, and they all have different requirements for the OS that is on them, it is a guess (without a ton of research) which will be able to take the latest version of the OS (is it Salad Bar now?) or which will have the longest battery life. And the app store, letting nearly anything and everything in allowing for malicious code to be integrated in a device which may hold our most intimate details and statistics. Yeah, I would have probably gone for another Torch - BBs are still pretty bullet proof when it comes to security.

Getting phones is a very personal decision - well, any technology, really - and there is no way to remove bias from responses.