iPhone 4S vs. Android Phones: What's Better for You?

By Mark Spoonauer & Laptop Magazine

Published October 26, 2011 foxnews.com

You know your smartphone is doing well when 4 million people buy it in the first weekend and it temporarily sells out on all three of your carrier partners. 

The overwhelming demand for the iPhone 4S is understandable, given the much-talked-about Siri voice-controlled assistant, as well as the device's faster dual-core processor and fantastic 8-megapixel camera. But today's top Android phones—such as the Samsung Galaxy S II—offer plenty of features you won't find on Apple's blockbuster sequel. How do you know which side to choose? 

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InterfaceI would never call the row-of-icons interface on the iPhone 4S fresh, but its ease of use means a lot, especially to first-time smartphone owners. And iOS 5 catches up to Android with its Notifications area, which is cleanly designed and dynamic (thanks to the addition of weather and stock info).

However, some Android phones let you do more from the notification area. On the Samsung Galaxy S II, for example, you can toggle the wireless radios on and off. And on HTC Sense phones, you can switch between apps from this menu as well as tweak several settings. The other edge Android has in the interface department is widgets, which let you access all sorts of info at a glance. Indeed, Google's OS is so customizable that the user experience can vary drastically from one phone to the next.

Winner: iPhone 4S. While Android is more flexible, it can also be more confusing. Simplicity wins this round.

MultitaskingJust as with the iPhone 4, it's easy to switch between apps on the iPhone 4S. You just double-press the home button and swipe to either side. To shut down apps, you press and hold the screen and then tap the X next to an app's icon. Because most apps are suspended when they're not open, you don't really need to worry about them zapping battery life.

Today on Android, you must long-press the home button, but you might only see a subset of all of your running apps—and you can't close programs from this view. Android Ice Cream Sandwich will offer a better user experience, with a Recent Apps button that displays live thumbnails of your running apps. And you'll be able to dismiss apps with a swipe.

Winner: iPhone 4S. But it looks like Android 4.0 will put Google's phones ahead.

Screen Size and QualityOne of the chief complaints people have about the screen in the iPhone 4S is that it's the same size as the original iPhone's: 3.5 inches. But what many don't realize is that this LCD's resolution is higher than the vast majority of Android phones. The display is not only crisper but brighter than most of the Android competition.

On the other hand, bigger screens are just easier on the eyes, and they don't force you to zoom in as much to read text. And although they're not as bright, the Super AMOLED displays on phones such as the Galaxy S II and the Droid RAZR offer better contrast and more vibrant colors, making them great for watching movies. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Nexus will up the ante on with the first HD display (1280 x 720 pixels).

Winner: Draw. The iPhone 4S has the superior display right now in terms of detail and brightness, but some shoppers just prefer a larger screen.

Keyboard/TypingAmazingly, Apple's multitouch keyboard remains second to none, despite the fact that in most cases you're typing on a smaller display. Both in portrait mode and landscape mode, I can type quickly and accurately. I'll certainly make more errors than when using a physical keyboard, but overall the iPhone 4S keyboard just works.

With Android phones, keyboards vary quite a bit from one phone maker to the next. Generally speaking, I've found HTC's keyboards to be the best, with Android's stock keyboard on the Samsung Galaxy S 4G being a close second. But Android has a few advantages. One is that you can download third-party keyboards, such as Swype, from the Android Market. Second, only Android phones come with physical keyboards, though they seem to be a dying breed.

Winner: Draw. The iPhone 4S keyboard is great for its size, but some prefer a bigger screen and more customization options.

Web and Data SpeedsThe iPhone 4S may have a fancy new dual-antenna system and the ability to reach 14.4 Mbps (theoretically) on AT&T, but it gets blown away by 4G Android phones. For example, the AT&T iPhone 4S delivered speeds as high as 5.3 Mbps but averaged 2.2 Mbps. Both the T-Mobile Galaxy SII (12.6 Mbps) and theMotorola Droid Bionic (11.6 Mbps) are faster.

In terms of loading web pages, we’ve seen a huge real-world difference as well. The iPhone 4S takes about 10 seconds to load many mobile sites (regardless of the network) versus about half that for true 4G phones. Everything on an iPhone 4S that involves data will require more patience than on an 4G Android phone, whether it’s streaming YouTube videos or updating your Facebook news feed. The only caveat is that 4G radios (especially LTE) can drain your battery in a hurry.

Winner: Android. 4G speeds make a big difference in everyday use.

Social NetworkingApple is making a big deal about Twitter integration with iOS 5, and it’s certainly welcome. You can share photos, websites, and more with just a couple of taps. However, Android goes deeper by including Facebook, as well as pretty much any other service that uses Android’s APIs.

For example, you don’t have to use Twitter on Android; you can use Tweetdeck instead. Android also works with Evernote, Flickr, GroupMe, LinkedIn—you name it. We just wish the Sharing option wasn’t two clicks away from the browser page.

Winner: Android. The iPhone 4S makes it easy to share stuff on Twitter, but you need to use dedicated apps for everything else.

CameraApple has raised the bar for photo quality—both in terms of speed and low-light performance—with the iPhone 4S, thanks to new optics and an improved backside illuminated sensor. It also captures sharp and smooth 1080p video. Android phones such as the Galaxy S II are only a step behind in terms of speed, though, and they take equally good photos outdoors. 

While the iPhone 4S has an HDR feature, there’s not much else you can do when taking photos. An advanced Android phone such as the Amaze 4G has a panorama mode, HDR, burst shot mode, and more. And although the iPhone 4S has some editing features, the best Android phones go further, letting you add all sorts of effects without using a separate app.

Winner: Draw. The iPhone 4S has the best camera we’ve used yet, but Android phones give you more control of your images—before and after the shot.

AppsAfter trailing iOS for years, Android is finally catching up to Apple in terms of the sheer number of apps available in their respective stores. Apple has about 360,000 iPhone apps, compared to approximately 320,000 for Android (according to research firm Research2Guidance). You’ll also find that both app stores stock a lot of the same stuff, from Angry Birds and Words with Friends to Kindle and Pandora.

But if you dig deeper, you’ll find that the iPhone 4S has a better selection of high-quality games with more impessive graphics, such as Infinity Blade and Shadowgun. You’ll also find that apps either come to the iPhone first (such as Netflix) or exclusively (such as Instagram) and just look more polished (Facebook).

Winner: iPhone 4S. The iPhone has always been known for its apps, and at least for now it still has a quality and slight quantity edge.

Secret WeaponsOnly the iPhone 4S has Siri, a fantastic voice-controlled assistant that can help you with everything from scheduling appointments to sending messages. Other advantages unique to the iPhone 4S include iTunes; Google only offers a subset of Apple's content. And then there’s iCloud, which does a better job than Google of keeping all of your content in sync across multiple devices. Last but not least is the iPhone’s vast number of available accessories. Having a single standard connector makes things a lot easier on makers of add-ons.

Android has plenty of unique strengths as well. In addition to offering 4G speeds, only Android has free GPS navigation built in. And only Android phones support NFC, which enables mobile payments and will gain even more power with Ice Cream Sandwich. With the beam feature you’ll be able to share all sorts of info with a tap.

Winner: iPhone 4S. Siri + more content + more accessories give Apple the win in this round.

Bottom LineAndroid phones won five points, but the iPhone 4S took home seven -- making this head to head appear to be a decisive victory for the iPhone 4S. But it really comes down to what you value most in a smartphone. If it’s ease of use and better apps you’re after—as well as smooth performance and a great camera—the iPhone 4S can’t be beat. Siri takes smartphones to the next level by serving your needs with real intelligence. As long as you can live with 3G speeds, you can’t go wrong with the iPhone 4S.

On the other hand, the fact that Android phones offer 4G should not be overlooked. It speeds up practically everything you do. Android also integrates with multiple social networks—instead of just Twitter—and you have a wider range of design choices. If you like the idea of customizing your interface to your heart’s content and want the option of a bigger screen, Android is the way to go.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/26/iphone-4s-vs-android-phones-whats-better-for/#ixzz1bu4Pjjfo

5 Things You Should Never Do Online

• By Neil J. Rubenking
• October 13, 2011 PCMag.com

Leaving yourself open to online trouble is a bad idea. Here are tips to avoid bringing aggravation into your online life

If you walk around New York City staring open-mouthed at the tall buildings, the low-lifes mark you for a hayseed right away. Pickpockets try for your wallet, sidewalk vendors offer great deals on "genuine" Rolexes… you might even get an opportunity to buy the Brooklyn Bridge! Even if you're smart enough not to get taken, you're better off keeping a low profile. The same is true in the online world. There are some things you should just never, ever do. For example:

Never Put Your Email Address in a Comment. Don't put your email address in comments on blog posts. Don't put it in Facebook comments. You may have set Facebook for privacy, but your friends haven't. Don't include the address in plain text on your own Web site; use an image. Spammers send Web crawlers to harvest exposed email addresses and fill your Inbox with ads for Canadian drugs and Russian girls.

Never Respond to Spam. Angry at the spammers? Don't fire off an irate missive. Don't reply with "REMOVE" in the subject. All this does is verify for them that your address is owned by a person who actively uses it. That makes it much more valuable when they sell their list to other spammers.

Never Click Links from Strangers. Got an unsolicited email promising you a free iPad, a vacation in Belize, or something else tempting? Resist temptation! Clicking that link won't get you the prize, but it might well recruit your computer into the latest botnet army. Sure, your antivirus or security suite will probably keep you safe. So in the best case, you get… nothing.

Never Share Your Password. OK, this may sound too simple, too obvious, yet I've seen people do it. "Hey, can I use your [fill in the blank] account?" Sure, it's a good friend asking, but will this person safeguard your security the way you would yourself? Maybe you don't really care about that particular account, but are you sure you haven't used that same password on one, two, or twenty other sites? Sharing is good, in general, but not password sharing.

Never Do Your Banking at the Coffeehouse. Banking over the public WiFi at a coffee house or Internet café is a seriously bad idea. These networks can be ridiculously insecure. The guy at the next table could be using Firesheep to capture your online session. The sinister café owner could be tracking every packet that passes through the network. Save your online financial transactions for times when you can connect to a secure network.

These tips won't guarantee total online safety, but they're a good start. Follow them and you won't look like a yokel.

The 35 Best Free Apple iPhone Apps

• By Jill Duffy
• October 24, 2011

PCMAG.com

If 'free' is the magic word when you're shopping for iPhone apps, this essential set of 35 should be on your list.

I've paid for precisely two Apple iPhone apps out of my own pocket… and one was a fat-finger mistake (my pudgy paws slipped on the "buy" button, and I entered my password without realizing what I was doing). "Free" is the magic word for me. When I hear about a fantastic app for the iPhone, I always check to see if I can find a free alternative that's just as good. Every so often, I'll even find a free one that beats the tar out of the paid app.

Apps are what transform the iPhone from mobile phone to pocket PC. Without them, you might as well be carrying around that old flip phone you had in 2004 that could play an 8-bit knock off version of Tetris. Okay, it would still be better in many ways, but you get the point. We at PCMag spend thousands of hours each year scouring iTunes, speaking with developers, reviewing the best apps we find, and hunting for hidden gems. If there's an app that makes owning the iPhone more worthwhile, we find out about it. And if they're free—hey, even better.

The 35 apps that made the cut for this list are the ones that have shown outstanding performance, have been well received by a variety of technology users, and are free. And "free" means free. No gimmicks, no "membership required." Free. Period.

Missing from this list are apps and features (like Siri) that come pre-installed on the iPhone, although they are certainly not to be overlooked. The YouTube, Maps, and Clocks apps in particular should not be ignored, while the iTunes, Music (formerly called iPod app), and App Store apps typically see a fair share of well-deserved usage, but I suppose you technically paid for them because you bought the phone, so they're not really free. In any case, you don't need to choose to download them, so we're not listing them here.

If you have more recommendations for more free apps that we at PCMag need to check out, post your suggestions in the comments.—Next: Apps 1-10 >

Drop test: iPhone 4S vs. Galaxy S II

n case you were wondering whether an iPhone 4S or a Galaxy S II would fare better when dropped onto concrete, I'll give you a little hint: plastic tends to survive where glass does not.

We're not saying there's a lot of scientific method here, but it's amusing, and the folks who make these hot-gadget smasheroo videos, warranty provider SquareTrade, keep their sales spiel to a minimum.

They provide a nice service, but if you're really worried about gear breakage, it's probably better to invest your cash in a good protective case. And as SquareTrade is quick to point out, "We don't cover intentional damage like you see in the video."

Spam messages are down, but stay vigilant

By Athima Chansanchai

In a bi-annual security analysis, spam messages are down, but no one should start breathing any easier. 

The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report focused on the first half of 2011 to bring to the surface the dangers often lurking right in front of you as you're going about your daily business on your computers.

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

The 168-page tome is bursting with more insights than we could fit in a blog post, but Ars Technica's take-away intrigued us, too: 

In July 2010, 89.2 billion spam messages were blocked by Microsoft’s Forefront Online Protection for Exchange service, which is used by thousands of enterprise customers. By June 2011, that monthly total was down to 25 billion.

The report attributes the dramatic downshift to "takedowns of two major botnets: Cutwail, which was shut down in August 2010 , and Rustock, which was shut down in March 2011 following a period of dormancy that began in January. The magnitude of this decrease suggests that coordinated takedown efforts such as the ones directed at Cutwail and Rustock can have a positive effect on improving the health of the email ecosystem."

While overall it seems like measures like these are working, this is no time to yield vigilance. Taking the pre-emptive step of regularly installing security updates "is one of the most fundamental steps that IT departments and individual users can take to reduce their risk from malicious software."  

The report found that phishers, which traditionally have targeted financial sites, have now turned their sights on social networks, where they "can effectively target many more people per site. Still, the potential for direct illicitaccess to victims’ bank accounts means that financial institutions remain perennially popular phishing targets, and they continue to receive the largest or second-largest number of impressions each month." 

Nearly 30 percent are run of the mill advertisements for everyday household and medicine cabinet supplies — the complete opposite of bringing sexy back. In fact, sexually explicit email only makes up just about five percent of potentially damaging spam messages that were blocked by filters.

Consistent with previous reports, "nonsexual pharmaceutical products" and "nonpharmaceutical product advertisements" together account for the majority of spam messages (28 percent and 17.2, respectively). The third biggest category was the “419” advance-fee loan scams (13.2 percent). These emails were blocked using Microsoft's Forefront Online Protection for Exchange (FOPE), which "scans billions of email messages every year to identify and block spam and malware." 

If you want to see what else wants to infiltrate your email, see the pie chart above, which breaks down the kinds of messages that want to grab your attention — as well as your money and your identity.

For BlackBerry addicts, RIM is 'chipping away our faith'

By Mark Milian, CNN updated 4:52 PM EST, Fri October 14, 2011

(CNN) -- The love affair between BlackBerry devotees and their mobile communicators is becoming strained, and some of them made the quarrel very public this week after a service outage.

Fans often discuss the intimate details about why they are attached at the hip to smartphones made by Research in Motion -- the clack-clack of the tiny keys, the feel of the trackball or square pad on their thumbs, the informative indicator light calling out for attention. They affectionately call it the "CrackBerry."

After the recent outage, which RIM says was caused by a server error, some longtime BlackBerry users are writing goodbye letters on blogs, and on message boards operated and frequented by the CrackBerry collective. Richie, a British member of a Web forum called CrackBerry, summed up the concerns, saying RIM has been "chipping away our faith" in the company's ability to satisfy customers.

In interviews with reporters, RIM executives issued apologies, which they also made public in a recorded video, but they avoided questions about whether they planned to offer incentives as compensation for the millions of customers affected by the outage. RIM did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

By comparison, after Sony restored its network this summer following a lengthy outage, the company compensated users of its subscription service, and gave free games and movie rentals to all users.

Netflix has offered small discounts to customers affected by technical troubles.

Despite RIM's lack of public comment, an AT&T customer in Cleveland wrote on the CrackBerry message boards that he received a credit on his bill when he called to complain about the outage.

RIM customers still holding onto their faith in the company should pay close attention to a conference being held in San Francisco next week. The pressure on BlackBerry from competitors is mounting, and RIM's promised next-generation models, with dual-core processors and large touchscreens, are overdue.

A CrackBerry forum member, posting under the alias N8star, says he is giving up his BlackBerry Torch 9850 "after years of being treated like a battered spouse by RIM," he wrote. His wife urged him to switch to an iPhone, and he says he will acquiesce.

Jim Kerstetter, the executive editor for technology website CNET, published an editorial on Thursday titled "RIM, you're dead to me now." He writes that he has defended BlackBerry, despite the lack of multimedia features, but that the recent outage has spurred him to switch phones and operating systems.

RIM still has a comfortable hold on corporate buyers, who snap up large orders for employees. Security experts tend to trust BlackBerry more than other smartphone platforms.

However, even tech departments in companies are becoming more lenient on this policy. David Hurst, who was waiting in line to buy an iPhone 4S for his wife at a store in Atlanta, said her company "has finally approved for her to switch from BlackBerry to iPhone, and her BlackBerry is just falling apart."

In the now crucial mobile-consumer market, Google and Apple both lead BlackBerry in sales, a trend expected to continue into the crucial holiday shopping season. A combined 69% of smartphone buyers say they plan to get either an Android phone or iPhone, while only 8% indicated that BlackBerry was at the top of their shopping lists, according to an NPD study from this summer.

RIM is "struggling to compete against Apple and Android," NPD analyst Linda Barrabee said in a phone interview. "The outage comes at a really opportune time. ... You've got, during the same week, the availability of the iPhone 4S."

Among the dedicated Apple followers who lined up outside stores around the world to buy the new iPhone on Friday, some reluctant people waiting at stores told CNN that they were there because they believed BlackBerry was too far behind the technological curve.

Outside the Apple Store in Los Gatos, California, a few spots behind Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in line, Karol McBrian held a spot for her son. She is a longtime BlackBerry user, but she said she is changing allegiances. She will be inheriting her son's iPhone 4.

Teresa Sparks, a 41-year-old nurse in Atlanta, waited in a line across the country from McBrian to buy her iPhone, which will replace a BlackBerry. She is especially excited about Siri, the voice-assistant technology that Apple has promoted heavily. "I don't know who made it; I don't care," she said. "I just want the personal assistant."

CNN's Umika Pidaparthy contributed to this report.