Ist the Android Switch Really a Big Change?

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often"

- Sir Winston Churchill

On the surface, switching over from iPhone to Android feels like a major, life-altering experience. But is it really? Is it really much ado about nothing? Is this change like me moving to a village in rural China, or is it a change like ordering the Starbucks medium roast instead of the dark roast? Which is it?

Well, to ease my anxiety, I could resort to either (1) booze, or (2) listing the tasks I do regularly on my iPhone and see if they translate over to Android. I choose option #2 (for now).

I'm thinking back over the last 48 hours. Here, in order of time spent, are the tasks I've performed on iOS 4.

1. Cell phone activity - phone / text
2. Twitter
3. Web browsing
4. Bejewelled 2
5. Scrabble
6. YouTube

I can see right away, that there would be some sacrifice: #4 and #5 are not available on Android, at least, not in their polished iPhone form. There are Android versions, but they are yucky (to use highly technical terminology).

Let's now take a "glass is half full" approach and look at the gains. What would I get from, say, the Samsung Galaxy S, that I would not get from iPhone 4.

• 4 inch screen
• Apps from Google labs (and there are some real hum-dingers)
• Much lower price point for unlocked/no-contract device
• TV out connector (rumored, but not official yet)

But the iPhone 4 is too sweet to just write off. If these scenarios were to unfold, iPhone 4 would definitely be my next smartphone:

• No contract price is $779 (32 GB model), but if Rogers knocked that price down and allowed me to stay at my current 6 GB / month contract expiring in July 2011.
• Telus offered an iPhone 4 with two-year contract somewhere around $549 ish.
• iPhone is abundantly in stock on Apple's website (temptation might prove to be too great)
• Steve Jobs calls me personally, pleading with me to purchase one.
  

But, whatever, right? Either way, my current pokey iPhone 3G gets relegated to mere iPod status and I end up with a choice smartphone that should hold me for the next couple years.

Android Like Rock in Shoe

Yep. I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that I will be updating my smartphone. My current iPhone 3G is showing its age as its slower, and has some outdated features compared to what's out there in the wild.

While I've already professed my undying love for the new iPhone, I can't help but notice the growing faction of smartphone users that are happy Android adopters. Currently, from an OS perspective, the numbers stand favour iOS. The US smartphone OS mix has iOS at 56% market share with Android at 11%. RIM is at 17%, but that's just stodgy enterprise stuff, so I thumb my nose at RIM. Keep in mind that Apple has iOS on more than just the iPhone. There's the iPad and that other thing called the iPod. Remember the iPod? Played music? Anyone?

Device wise, it seems a bit closer. AdMob's April numbers show 10.7 M iPhone devices in the US compared to 8.7 M Android-based units. Take these numbers with a grain of salt in the case of Canada. US carriers such as T-Mobile and Verizon are very big on Android, if there's a cutting edge Android device, they will have it. Canada is slow to adopt Android based phones, we seem to be around 3 - 6 months behind the times.

But Canada is catching up. Here are two devices that are calling out to me. Two vile temptresses that flaunt themselves before me.

(1) Samsung Galaxy S - This baby will be available on Bell first. She sports a 1 GHz processor, with 500 MB of RAM, a 4 inch super AMOLED screen with 720p video recording and a 5 MP camera, what's not to like?

(2) HTC Desire HD - Not expected until October-ish, probably Telus. This will make up for Canada not getting the Droid X, as this little beauty is considered to be the Droid X's successor. Potentially the device that has you look at an iPhone 4 and giggle while thinking "how cute is that!". Anyway, she sports a massive 4.3 inch screen, 1 GHz processor, 720p video capture, 8 MP camera, divx video playback, (taking breath here... hang on a sec) Flash 10 support, and automated facial tracking. (oops, just drooled)

So, iPhone 4 is not exactly a given for me. Lets see if I can resist her when she comes calling. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only smartphone waffler around here. Right?