As I've blogged previously, I'm looking to move away from the iPhone to an Android set, likely an HTC model. Before I get into the meat of this personal transition analysis, let's just get something out of the way: I'm over the iPhone, but I absolutely acknowledge and respect the things it (and Apple) brought both to my life and to the mobile world at large, at least in the US. Despite my grumblings about Apple IRL, this is not a knee-jerk decision, nor or is a hater maneuver. Not only does my iPhone and it's crappy carrier give me grief on an almost daily basis, but Apple is heading down a path that I simply can't support, least of all with my wallet. In overhearing friends and colleagues, I also feel like other iPhone users are in the same boat but don't know where to turn post-iPhone; maybe this will help inform (I'll follow up once I've made the switch as well). It's been a great ride, but now it's over.
Back to the analysis.
I decided to first do a full audit of my most used & useful iPhone apps, and find their Android equivalents. I'm leaving out all nonessential apps, both core and downloaded. My four iPhone docked apps - Phone, Messages, Mail, & Safari - are all being assumed for Android.
As soon as I started, I was immediately reminded of Google's bizarre decision to hold back Android OS and app information on the web. Not only do you need to go through a third-party website to search the Marketplace (I found AndroLib, AndroidZoom, and AppBrain), but I couldn't even find a web resource that listed Android's core OS apps. I remember hearing someone gripe about the marketplace being a bit of a mess compared to the App Store. But the fact that the Android website directs you to find a physical handset for information baffles me. Isn't this supposed to be THE cloud company? I do have my ladyfriend's phone for reference but after getting locked out of it for the 10th time, I decided to stick with the web for search.
The process for my analysis was to:
This process - and the crappy marketplace sites - also got me thinking about the approval process for Android, and realizing that this foray was going to require a new mindset for app search and usage. I found this great NPR post about their jumping into Android development for the NPR app, comparing it to their iPhone development experience. It's a great refresher on the apt 'cathedral vs. bazaar' metaphor, which really applies to the user experience too. It certainly encapsulates my thinking on the issue.
With a plan in place, I began the research, breaking out the apps as they currently live on my iPhone, which are basically grouped by personal importance.
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Round 1: "Most Essential" / Home screen apps
Right off the bat, I found my most essential apps addressed by Android developers. The often-opened CityTransit app of NYC's MTA lines & advisories has a few comparatives, as does offline caching app Read It Later. Facebook and Foursquare each have their own official apps, naturally, and while Tweetdeck and Ambiance are each citing "coming soon", there are currently a few alternatives for each.
Two major asides that arose from thinking about this batch. First, I was reminded how much I'm looking forward to native Google service apps, especially Google Calendar, which I use both personally and professionally. It's been said often that the difference between your wanting or needing an iPhone and an Android set can easily be determined by which company's services you use most. I loathe iTunes, use a PC at home, and the only time I use a Mac is for work, at which I very rarely sync to my phone. But I use Google like a maniac throughout every day, so a tightly integrated GPhone makes more sense for me.
The other theme that I noticed was how little I cared about apps for web-based information, like the New York Times app. iPhone does not do a great job of RSS and Safari-based web access (I might throw 'general connectivity' to the mix, but that's due in large part to AT&T; wifi tends to provide). On Amber's Nexus One, both functions work swimmingly. So whether or not the Times ever gets their act together for an Android app, or if the Newspapers app even fits the bill, doesn't concern me. I'll have a much easier time consuming their content through Android's lighter means, and not a bloated crash-prone third-party app.
Round 1 Conclusion: A
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Round 2: Games
Low-hanging fruit first: Scrabble is available from the official source, and I'm fine with taking PuzzleQuest off of the iPhone and onto the DS (they had dubious iterative launches on the iPhone anyway, and the sequel is out next month and I want it now). There are several other games on my iPhone, but I've either finished them or grown bored of them, so there's no need to carry them over.
But while no games are considered first-screen apps, this second screen is considered my phones right-hand man, for two reasons: gaming on the iPhone is awesome, and 2 Across is my hands-down favorite and most-used app of all time. I've been in touch with Eliza Block, 2 Across' developer. I asked if she had any plans to port the app for Android (it's a perfect daily NYT crossword downloader and the interface can't be beat). An unfortunate resounding no; she works for Apple now. I'm pretty sure the paid version of Crosswords will do the trick but I'm not certain. And if it doesn't, it looks like there aren't any other viable options for daily Times crosswords. This could be a major problem.
Generally speaking, I am concerned about this area of Android development. The iPhone is beginning to really flourish as a gaming platform (Street Fighter IV isn't perfect but it is kind of amazing), and as more casual, portable games increase in popularity, so will their mobile adaptability. It will be up to developers to decide on which OS to spend their energy. Fortunately, I believe the future here for Android is bright, and I'm willing to gamble my mobile use on it.
Round 2 Conclusion: C (possible B, depending on Crosswords successes)
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Round 3: Periodic use
The nonexistent Zipcar and GoodGuide Android apps don't concern me in the least; Zipcar is a bit of a fail, and as my packaged goods consumption goes down so does my interest in GoodGuide. There is a core Android music app (though several sites deem it lacking, so a third-party player may be in order) and - finally! - direct file sharing via USB cable. For Wikipedia, like the Times app, I'd be fine with web-based access only, though on the web I found the recommended Quickpedia app, just in case. Goodreads has been great to have access to while roaming bookstores, but I'll have to wait for an Android port. And I'm happy to ditch the ESPN ScoreCenter app entirely for either web-based access or any other third-party sports score app.
I also stumbled upon a little bonus. While searching sports apps, I did a quick look into fantasy sports apps, a void the App Store hasn't been able to fill. While there's no official Yahoo! app to support my 2010 fantasy baseball league, I came across the aptly-named Fantasy Tracker app, which seems to integrate with Yahoo! and touts the functionality I'm looking for. I have no real expectations of it but I'm very intrigued and excited at the prospect of being able to make on-the-go last-minute fantasy team decisions.
Round 3 Conclusion: A
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Round 4: "Save it for later" apps
Used very infrequently, I'd still like to know that these apps are available on Android. Oh, lucky day: a native calculator and clock, official Fandango and Amazon apps, and cab4me for on-the-fly taxi services.
I can live without the other two. MenuPages is likely sufficient via the web (and even if it isn't, it's no loss), and while I love This American Life, streaming media apps never jived with me. This might be a result of a city lifestyle, but even podcasts come and go as phases in my life. So again, no big deal.
Round 4 Conclusion: A
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Round 5: Back burner
And buried way in the back of the iPhone are a couple of comic apps that I've already read, to which I'm waiting for updates. Comics are surprisingly fun to read on the iPhone - I'd imagine the iPad is fantastic for this - but believe me, it's better I not open the Pandora's Box of comic books on a device that makes it so easy to access and consume. They're addictive and costly enough in physical form. It's better I just pull the cord on these while I have the opportunity.
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There are other things Android sets will do that my iPhone won't (and will never do, since OS 4 won't fully support my 3G handset). Switching over will get me multitasking, camera flash (and probably zooming), augmented reality, well-integrated RSS & other major Google services, snappy performance, and last but certainly not least saying goodbye to AT&T.
I'll follow up in the next couple of weeks once I've made the switch; I'm currently spying the HTC Incredible. From everything I've read, heard, and experienced secondhand, here are my hypotheses for my future Android:
Back to the analysis.
I decided to first do a full audit of my most used & useful iPhone apps, and find their Android equivalents. I'm leaving out all nonessential apps, both core and downloaded. My four iPhone docked apps - Phone, Messages, Mail, & Safari - are all being assumed for Android.
As soon as I started, I was immediately reminded of Google's bizarre decision to hold back Android OS and app information on the web. Not only do you need to go through a third-party website to search the Marketplace (I found AndroLib, AndroidZoom, and AppBrain), but I couldn't even find a web resource that listed Android's core OS apps. I remember hearing someone gripe about the marketplace being a bit of a mess compared to the App Store. But the fact that the Android website directs you to find a physical handset for information baffles me. Isn't this supposed to be THE cloud company? I do have my ladyfriend's phone for reference but after getting locked out of it for the 10th time, I decided to stick with the web for search.
The process for my analysis was to:
- first go to the original source, to see if there is a direct 1:1, official Android version of the iPhone app
- where there was none, search the third-party marketplace sites and Google the term "[name] app android" to see what would come up
This process - and the crappy marketplace sites - also got me thinking about the approval process for Android, and realizing that this foray was going to require a new mindset for app search and usage. I found this great NPR post about their jumping into Android development for the NPR app, comparing it to their iPhone development experience. It's a great refresher on the apt 'cathedral vs. bazaar' metaphor, which really applies to the user experience too. It certainly encapsulates my thinking on the issue.
With a plan in place, I began the research, breaking out the apps as they currently live on my iPhone, which are basically grouped by personal importance.
----------
Round 1: "Most Essential" / Home screen apps
iPhone | Android |
FlickIt (Flickr uploader app) | (several) |
Calendar | Calendar |
Notes | (several) |
Weather Channel | News and Weather (built in) |
Maps | Maps |
CityTransit (NYC transit app) | (a couple of options) |
New York Times | Newspapers (maybe) |
Read It Later (offline caching app) | Paperdroid |
Facebook | Facebook |
Foursquare | Foursquare |
Tweetdeck | Tweetdeck (soon) |
Ambiance (white noise app) | Ambiance (soon) |
Right off the bat, I found my most essential apps addressed by Android developers. The often-opened CityTransit app of NYC's MTA lines & advisories has a few comparatives, as does offline caching app Read It Later. Facebook and Foursquare each have their own official apps, naturally, and while Tweetdeck and Ambiance are each citing "coming soon", there are currently a few alternatives for each.
Two major asides that arose from thinking about this batch. First, I was reminded how much I'm looking forward to native Google service apps, especially Google Calendar, which I use both personally and professionally. It's been said often that the difference between your wanting or needing an iPhone and an Android set can easily be determined by which company's services you use most. I loathe iTunes, use a PC at home, and the only time I use a Mac is for work, at which I very rarely sync to my phone. But I use Google like a maniac throughout every day, so a tightly integrated GPhone makes more sense for me.
The other theme that I noticed was how little I cared about apps for web-based information, like the New York Times app. iPhone does not do a great job of RSS and Safari-based web access (I might throw 'general connectivity' to the mix, but that's due in large part to AT&T; wifi tends to provide). On Amber's Nexus One, both functions work swimmingly. So whether or not the Times ever gets their act together for an Android app, or if the Newspapers app even fits the bill, doesn't concern me. I'll have a much easier time consuming their content through Android's lighter means, and not a bloated crash-prone third-party app.
Round 1 Conclusion: A
----------
Round 2: Games
iPhone | Android |
Scrabble | Scrabble |
2 Across | Crosswords |
PuzzleQuest | (n/a) |
Low-hanging fruit first: Scrabble is available from the official source, and I'm fine with taking PuzzleQuest off of the iPhone and onto the DS (they had dubious iterative launches on the iPhone anyway, and the sequel is out next month and I want it now). There are several other games on my iPhone, but I've either finished them or grown bored of them, so there's no need to carry them over.
But while no games are considered first-screen apps, this second screen is considered my phones right-hand man, for two reasons: gaming on the iPhone is awesome, and 2 Across is my hands-down favorite and most-used app of all time. I've been in touch with Eliza Block, 2 Across' developer. I asked if she had any plans to port the app for Android (it's a perfect daily NYT crossword downloader and the interface can't be beat). An unfortunate resounding no; she works for Apple now. I'm pretty sure the paid version of Crosswords will do the trick but I'm not certain. And if it doesn't, it looks like there aren't any other viable options for daily Times crosswords. This could be a major problem.
Generally speaking, I am concerned about this area of Android development. The iPhone is beginning to really flourish as a gaming platform (Street Fighter IV isn't perfect but it is kind of amazing), and as more casual, portable games increase in popularity, so will their mobile adaptability. It will be up to developers to decide on which OS to spend their energy. Fortunately, I believe the future here for Android is bright, and I'm willing to gamble my mobile use on it.
Round 2 Conclusion: C (possible B, depending on Crosswords successes)
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Round 3: Periodic use
iPhone | Android |
iPod | Music app |
Zipcar | (n/a) |
Air Sharing (file storage) | (USB cable) |
ESPN ScoreCenter | (several) |
GoodGuide (product guide) | (n/a) |
Goodreads | Goodreads (soon) |
Articles (Wikipedia app) | Quickpedia |
The nonexistent Zipcar and GoodGuide Android apps don't concern me in the least; Zipcar is a bit of a fail, and as my packaged goods consumption goes down so does my interest in GoodGuide. There is a core Android music app (though several sites deem it lacking, so a third-party player may be in order) and - finally! - direct file sharing via USB cable. For Wikipedia, like the Times app, I'd be fine with web-based access only, though on the web I found the recommended Quickpedia app, just in case. Goodreads has been great to have access to while roaming bookstores, but I'll have to wait for an Android port. And I'm happy to ditch the ESPN ScoreCenter app entirely for either web-based access or any other third-party sports score app.
I also stumbled upon a little bonus. While searching sports apps, I did a quick look into fantasy sports apps, a void the App Store hasn't been able to fill. While there's no official Yahoo! app to support my 2010 fantasy baseball league, I came across the aptly-named Fantasy Tracker app, which seems to integrate with Yahoo! and touts the functionality I'm looking for. I have no real expectations of it but I'm very intrigued and excited at the prospect of being able to make on-the-go last-minute fantasy team decisions.
Round 3 Conclusion: A
----------
Round 4: "Save it for later" apps
iPhone | Android |
Taxi | cab4me |
Clock | Clock |
Calculator | Calculator |
This American Life | This American Life (maybe), NPR news, Google Listen |
Fandango | Fandango |
Amazon | Amazon |
MenuPages | MenuPages (soon) |
Used very infrequently, I'd still like to know that these apps are available on Android. Oh, lucky day: a native calculator and clock, official Fandango and Amazon apps, and cab4me for on-the-fly taxi services.
I can live without the other two. MenuPages is likely sufficient via the web (and even if it isn't, it's no loss), and while I love This American Life, streaming media apps never jived with me. This might be a result of a city lifestyle, but even podcasts come and go as phases in my life. So again, no big deal.
Round 4 Conclusion: A
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Round 5: Back burner
iPhone | Android |
Various comics | (some) |
And buried way in the back of the iPhone are a couple of comic apps that I've already read, to which I'm waiting for updates. Comics are surprisingly fun to read on the iPhone - I'd imagine the iPad is fantastic for this - but believe me, it's better I not open the Pandora's Box of comic books on a device that makes it so easy to access and consume. They're addictive and costly enough in physical form. It's better I just pull the cord on these while I have the opportunity.
----------
There are other things Android sets will do that my iPhone won't (and will never do, since OS 4 won't fully support my 3G handset). Switching over will get me multitasking, camera flash (and probably zooming), augmented reality, well-integrated RSS & other major Google services, snappy performance, and last but certainly not least saying goodbye to AT&T.
I'll follow up in the next couple of weeks once I've made the switch; I'm currently spying the HTC Incredible. From everything I've read, heard, and experienced secondhand, here are my hypotheses for my future Android:
- Verizon service will be stellar in comparison to AT&T
- The HTC will perform and respond far better than my current iPhone
- App discovery will continue to be murky and apps less frequently downloaded
- Gaming will not manifest seriously for at least another 6 months
- Non-gaming app development will dramatically increase in the next 6 months