Question about Android vs iPhone performance

[sosuzguy]

I have only had an Android phone and am not  the least bit interested in switching to a ithing like the rest of the sheep in the world....  But I wonder does iphone users have their own set of problems like Androids do?  Rebooting, froze phones with low signal connectivity, lagging between switching apps? Anyone have any idea?  I certainly hope these type of problems aren't just isolated to Android.  Seems like when I upgraded to 2.2 my Android started having issues.  Really makes Androids look bad and gets a lot of comments "you should of bought an iphone" from the other folks.    Thanks

[nuclearwinter]

Apple users aren't without their share of problems. iPhones lock up, freeze, lag etc... just as any android phone is apt to do. One advantage that an iPhone has is that it's a proprietary device which is upgraded frequently. Android on the other hand is just an OS and is spread amongst many different devices. Problems will be more widespread as they can't concentrate on one device. Having said that, Android is IMO the superior platform. The open source programming is at the core of what makes it great. If you aren't happy with your 2.2 update, if you can follow instructions and aren't afraid to void your warranty/turn your phone into a paperweight you can use a custom rom which savvy software developers tweak every bit of performance and useability out of your phone. http://forum.xda-developers.com/filter.php?cat=Android is a great place to start. Find your device, search thru the threads. Everyone is generally helpful if you have questions, just don't post in the developer section...they tend to be a bit crabby.

[Entropy512]

The good thing about Android is its openness.

The BAD thing about Android is also its openness - Manufacturers can customize the firmware quite a bit, and some of them do an awful job.  Plus, also, AT&T loves the ability to mangle firmware too, the end result is that out of the box, it's almost a universal given that an Android phone sold by AT&T will be extremely poor in terms of firmware quality.

Look at the Galaxy S II for example - the original UCKH7 has a minimal issue with the lockscreen that does not exist in any international firmware for the GSII, and has a MAJOR issue with a widget that eats data not present in any international GSII firmware.  The UCKK6 update has a whole pile of major wifi/bluetooth issues, many of which are present on some international firmwares, but NONE of which are all present at the same time in a single firmware build like they are in UCKK6.  AT&T claims that the reason updates take so long is because of their supposedly superior quality control process - but then how is it that AT&T firmwares are almost universally the buggiest and least reliable Android builds in existence?

The good news is that Android's openness also means you, as the user, can take matters into your own hands and install fixed firmware on many phones.  I'm running firmware based on the international XWKL1 build along with my own custom kernel (maintaining it is a hobby for me), and the results are amazing - rock-solid stability and excellent battery life.

Also, there was a recent interesting article on crash rates of apps on Android vs. iOS - iOS apps crash as often as, if not more often than, Android apps, HOWEVER, on iOS, an app that crashes just disappears and returns you to the home screen, leading to many users thinking that they must have hit a wrong button and closed it.  Android actually tells you that something crash - so it gets a bad rep for being more honest about what REALLY happened.

[Wild Banchi ACE - Professor]

I can honestly say that I trust my iPhone more than my Android phone. Even if it is a year older.

The only thing I have to worry about is the screen cracking.