# Droids and iPhone 4 Specs Head to Head



## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

A good no-nonsense comparative chart.
http://www.androidcentral.com/android-vs-iphone-4-specs


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## Big Dawg 23 (Oct 14, 2008)

yes this a nice comparison. I am still lost on how Job's said "This is the biggest jump we made since iPhone 1st Gen". There is nothing this phone has that Droid Incredible, Nexus One or EVO don't have. In my opinion the lack of battery expansion and memory expansion is an issue. I have the Moto Droid and believe it is much better than any of the iPhone out there now or even the 4G.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Marlin Guy said:


> A good no-nonsense comparative chart.
> http://www.androidcentral.com/android-vs-iphone-4-specs


Soon to be obsolete though as there are a few Droid phones coming out in the next couple of months... which may even out-spec the Incredible and iPhone 4.

~Alan


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Big Dawg 23 said:


> yes this a nice comparison. I am still lost on how Job's said "This is the biggest jump we made since iPhone 1st Gen". There is nothing this phone has that Droid Incredible, Nexus One or EVO don't have. In my opinion the lack of battery expansion and memory expansion is an issue. I have the Moto Droid and believe it is much better than any of the iPhone out there now or even the 4G.


Jobs is just playing in his own sandbox filled with the dust the other smartphones are leaving behind. The iphone4 is not a big jump in smartphones, just a jump from the first Apple ican't phone to the 4.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Alan Gordon said:


> Soon to be obsolete though as there are a few Droid phones coming out in the next couple of months... which may even out-spec the Incredible and iPhone 4.
> 
> ~Alan


But it is getting to the point of diminishing returns. Specs are one thing, real life operation is another, the differences/improvements will be getting harder to see.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

BubblePuppy said:


> But it is getting to the point of diminishing returns. Specs are one thing, real life operation is another, the differences/improvements will be getting harder to see.


So true. So even if my new computer can open a program 25% faster than my previous one, I am not going to notice that .5 second difference. I used to upgrade my computers when the current fastest processor speed was 3 times what I had. This progression lasted many years. (5.77>16>90>266>933>2.8)

At this point, I don't even care anymore as it will be fast enough to do what I want and cost 10% of what that first IBM XT cost.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Alan Gordon said:


> Soon to be obsolete though


Yeah. I guess I should have clarified that the chart deals with currently available models. 

You can always wait a couple of months and get something better, faster, cooler. I waited 6 months before ordering the Incredible.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

BubblePuppy said:


> But it is getting to the point of diminishing returns. Specs are one thing, real life operation is another, the differences/improvements will be getting harder to see.


According to leaked pics, one of the newest Droid phones (Xtreme) looks to have HD video recording (ala iPhone 4), and possibly a front-facing camera among other things.

To me, the HD video recording is a VERY cool feature... particularly if it works as good as Engadget seemed to think the iPhone 4's HD video recording worked.



Marlin Guy said:


> Yeah. I guess I should have clarified that the chart deals with currently available models.
> 
> You can always wait a couple of months and get something better, faster, cooler. I waited 6 months before ordering the Incredible.


The HD video recording I mentioned above would make me wait at least a month, though I'm VERY anxious to see what the Droid being released in August will be like. 

~Alan


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## redfiver (Nov 18, 2006)

BubblePuppy said:


> But it is getting to the point of diminishing returns. Specs are one thing, real life operation is another, the differences/improvements will be getting harder to see.


The screen is the biggest improvement and is something that you can physically see. And there is a distinct difference in the speed of the iPhone 3G vs iPhone 3GS vs iPad (which should be similar to the iPhone 4 as they share the same processor)


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

For me its a no brainer. There is no 3G service here for AT&T but there is for Verizon. I will never carry a iPhone without 3G service in my main coverage area I spend most of my time. The Moto Droid is awesome. I can only imagine about the Droid Incredible. Its still a matter of what works best for you. Not just coverage but features and what not. I will also say that Android having an open source for their apps is very nice.


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## Big Dawg 23 (Oct 14, 2008)

Alan Gordon said:


> According to leaked pics, one of the newest Droid phones (Xtreme) looks to have HD video recording (ala iPhone 4), and possibly a front-facing camera among other things.
> 
> To me, the HD video recording is a VERY cool feature... particularly if it works as good as Engadget seemed to think the iPhone 4's HD video recording worked.
> 
> ...


The EVO records in HD now. 4G iPhone is late to the game as HTC beat them to it. HD2 plays video in HD something the others dont. But the Next Droid rumors are heating up and looking good by the specs. I now can't wait for the Dual Core Snap dragon processor.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

I viewed a sample of the 720p video the other day.
It looked like bad video in 720P. 
The whole HD video on a phone thing is a bit ridiculous.

If you're going to shoot HD video, and you want truly good quality, then buy a decent camcorder.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Big Dawg 23 said:


> The EVO records in HD now. 4G iPhone is late to the game as HTC beat them to it. HD2 plays video in HD something the others dont. But the Next Droid rumors are heating up and looking good by the specs. I now can't wait for the Dual Core Snap dragon processor.


Yes, but the EVO is only available via Sprint according to the sheet above. Given that AT&T and Verizon are the biggest wireless providers, the fact that EVO had it first may not matter to someone with Verizon or AT&T.

I live in an area where Verizon and Alltel are my only decent (contract) provider choices. The EVO would not be an option for me... but the upcoming Droid with HD video will in fact be an option for me. 

~Alan


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

joshjr said:


> The Moto Droid is awesome. I can only imagine about the Droid Incredible. Its still a matter of what works best for you. Not just coverage but features and what not. I will also say that Android having an open source for their apps is very nice.


I have the Moto Droid (got it on release day), coworkers have just gotten the Incredible.

My niggles and irritations: 
1. Sense UI. While I appreciate that HTC has been in the skinning business for quite some time, it's positively irritating that it's SO different from other Android devices. This also leads to...

2. OS updates. Because of the Sense UI, they're incapable of just dropping a new version of Android on the phone. Meanwhile, I've _already upgraded my Droid to Froyo 2.2_. Way ahead of schedule (and not for the faint of heart). That kind of update is only ever going to emerge as a back channel hack, the likes of which I've been playing with for months on my Droid.

3. Camera sticks out from the back. I swear, it's gonna break.

4. Sort of from Sense UI but it's vaguely different: the HTC onscreen keyboard is odd, different, a change...pick your poison, I dislike it. I dislike the default Android keyboard, too. I always install Swype as soon as possible.

5. Widget ridiculousness. *So *many weird, useless widgets.

6. No SD card included in the box. I appreciate 8GB on board, but my Droid came with a 16. The least you could do is 8 on board and 8 in a chip.

Uh. Yeah. Sorry. That's a lot of stuff. 

Otherwise it's a hot piece of hardware. Screen's gorgeous. Very fast. I like it. If I could pull the Sense UI off of it, I'd be even happier. As it is, I'm sticking with the skinless Droid.


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## Big Dawg 23 (Oct 14, 2008)

Alan Gordon said:


> Yes, but the EVO is only available via Sprint according to the sheet above. Given that AT&T and Verizon are the biggest wireless providers, the fact that EVO had it first may not matter to someone with Verizon or AT&T.
> 
> I live in an area where Verizon and Alltel are my only decent (contract) provider choices. The EVO would not be an option for me... but the upcoming Droid with HD video will in fact be an option for me.
> 
> ~Alan


Here you go problem solved for your network issue.

http://www.intomobile.com/2010/06/0...megapixel-camera-with-hd-video-recording.html


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

All in the chart are nice phones. IMO it just comes down to user preference.

The hardware, specs, and features are there on all of them.


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## Fluthy (Feb 9, 2008)

RasputinAXP... you can install a different launcher for your DROID. This will replace HTC Sense... and work much faster...example ADW Launcher works great! Much faster and more response then Sense.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

NickFluth said:


> RasputinAXP... you can install a different launcher for your DROID. This will replace HTC Sense... and work much faster...example ADW Launcher works great! Much faster and more response then Sense.


Hey, I'm not interface-challenged, I'm running stock Froyo 2.2 with an overclocked kernel on my Moto Droid.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

redfiver said:


> The screen is the biggest improvement and is something that you can physically see. And there is a distinct difference in the speed of the iPhone 3G vs iPhone 3GS vs iPad (which should be similar to the iPhone 4 as they share the same processor)


I don't think comparing the ipad to any smartphone is relevant, totally unrelated products with different purposes. However the new smart phones are replacing the laptop just on the convenience and portability factor, but still lack the full capabilities of the laptop. I do use my Nexus1 more than I use my laptop.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

BubblePuppy said:


> I don't think comparing the ipad to any smartphone is relevant, .


I didn't read his post that way at all.
He was merely using the ipad's processor speed as a compatible reference to the new iphone.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Marlin Guy said:


> I didn't read his post that way at all.
> He was merely using the ipad's processor speed as a compatible reference to the new iphone.


Oh, I wasn't being critical, it's just that there are more internal differences between a ipad and a iphone that will determine how the processor functions. That's all.


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## redfiver (Nov 18, 2006)

BubblePuppy said:


> Oh, I wasn't being critical, it's just that there are more internal differences between a ipad and a iphone that will determine how the processor functions. That's all.


I was simply using the iPad as a comparison for speed since it's the only other device out there with an A4 processor.

Yes, the components inside are different, but I doubt they are that much different. Folks who have touched the iPhone 4 have said the response time is similar to the iPad which is why I included that comparison. I'll let you know the difference in speed between iphone 3G, 3GS and 4 on June 24th in case you're still wondering. 

And yes, the iPad should not be compared to smartphones, as Ballmer did. It's a new class. It's closest comparison is a netbook, but it's still different than that device. In our house, it's really changed the way we use computers. Yes, i know that sounds cliche but after spending all this time with it, it's quite possibly the nicest computer I've ever owned.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

redfiver said:


> I was simply using the iPad as a comparison for speed since it's the only other device out there with an A4 processor.
> 
> Yes, the components inside are different, but I doubt they are that much different. Folks who have touched the iPhone 4 have said the response time is similar to the iPad which is why I included that comparison. I'll let you know the difference in speed between iphone 3G, 3GS and 4 on June 24th in case you're still wondering.
> 
> And yes, the iPad should not be compared to smartphones, as Ballmer did. It's a new class. It's closest comparison is a netbook, but it's still different than that device. In our house, it's really changed the way we use computers. Yes, i know that sounds cliche but after spending all this time with it, it's quite possibly the nicest computer I've ever owned.


I will be interested in your speed comparison tests, thanks.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

redfiver said:


> And yes, the iPad should not be compared to smartphones, as Ballmer did.


Any statement containing the phrase, "as Ballmer did" gets an automatic logic waiver.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Another point to consider is that even though OS 4 will be downloaded to all of the iphone incarnations except the original, and the ipad, each one will operate differently. So even though the iphone 4 has the same processor as the ipad, OS 4 may not allow the iphone processor to run as fast as the ipad's. Just like not all apps will be able to run on both devices, and some features will be crippled depending on....well who knows.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Marlin Guy said:


> Any statement containing the phrase, "as Ballmer did" gets an automatic logic waiver.


In fact Ballmer didn't say anything.....he wrote.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Seems like the iPhone 4 most capably highlights the deficiencies of the iPad.


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## BudShark (Aug 11, 2003)

Big Dawg 23 said:


> yes this a nice comparison. I am still lost on how Job's said "This is the biggest jump we made since iPhone 1st Gen". There is nothing this phone has that Droid Incredible, Nexus One or EVO don't have. In my opinion the lack of battery expansion and memory expansion is an issue. I have the Moto Droid and believe it is much better than any of the iPhone out there now or even the 4G.


I'm surprised by some of the comments.
Higher resolution screen, longer battery life, comparable speed, smaller form factor, higher resolution video recording, noise cancelling, twice the included memory @ same price of any of the other phones on the list (yes, removable cards, but they are not included), wireless-n, etc.

So, if you take away the 3 to 1 comparison and do a single point comparison, the iPhone beats every single one of these phones on a feature basis. Then you look at size and weight, and it kills the Evo, and is smaller at the same weight as the other two. Then look at build quality - zero external plastic vs. the makeup of the other phones at the same price.

So, IMO, yes - its a big leap forward for both Apple and the other phones. There is nothing on the market that brings all these features together. You get some of them in various Android phones, but not all in One Android. And there is no phone that has the display and build quality. And all of this at the same price.

So, from a hardware perspective it is a jump. I'd like to see HTC or Samsung or someone else put together a solid phone with all these features. It would be attractive and competitive. As it stands today, the only phone that brings size, speed, battery life, HD, and next-gen display in a quality build package to the table is the iPhone 4. That could change quickly though.

One of the more striking images to me is the iPhone next to an Evo. Holy crap...  It makes the Evo look huge. Of course, they went with the larger display... but still.


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