The biggest issue I have is with the LTE "standard" itself. There are somewhere around 15 different frequency bands being used for LTE, with each mobile operator implementing a network around the one or two bands they have licenses for. And since the technology generally only allows for a phone to support 4-5 bands, it's basically impossible right now to buy an LTE phone that works internationally.
Here's how screwed up this is going to be. AT&T used to be the choice for international travelers like me because they had GSM phones which worked just about everywhere (except Japan and Korea) whereas Verizon's CDMA phones only worked in the US. However, AT&T's iPhone 5 only supports two LTE bands that are basically only used in North America: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/09/want-global-lte-roaming-on-iphone-5-dont-buy-it-from-att/ But Verizon's iPhone 5 supports 5 LTE bands that are used across many countries and is carrier unlocked out of the box so you can pop in a GSM SIM to avoid roaming charges: http://gigaom.com/apple/why-the-verizon-iphone-5-is-a-globetrotters-best-friend/ That plus the crappy Apple Maps with no transit directions is making me wait to see what happens. ------- Brian Weeden Secure World Foundation +1 202 683-8534 On Sep 25, 2012, at 18:36, Francisco Tapia <[email protected]> wrote: > I've had a blast reading through the comments pro's vs con's on both > android / iOS :). There is just no doubt about it, a phone is a personal > thing and while one product works well for one user, it does not quite fit > for someone else. > > on the Phone. I'm glad there are Android phones and that there are iOS > devices. I like both. I'm not a fan of Samsung, but that's my personal > beef. I picked up a Samsung Fascinate when it launched because I was > excited to see what Android would hold for me, but when Android upgraded > through 2.3 I was left in the dust, meanwhile my iPhone 4 is currently > running iOS 6, sure I don't get all the new features but I'm still getting > many features including the security updates that make my phone safer to > use. Meanwhile I've rooted and ROM'ed my Samsung just so I can run the > newer OS versions... walled garden or not, at least I get to keep up for > the most part on older hardware with my IOS devices (for the most part). > > screensize, is subjective and I know that if you have bad eyesight, the > bigger screens can be a welcomed addition. After my lasik I haven't had > issues with my eyes and I quite enjoy the pixel density of the iPhone 4 and > the iPad 3. I also prefer the slimmer design of the devices because it > means I don't need cargo pants just to carry a phone. > > The real deal breaker may be just over the horizon with windows 8 peeping > over the horizon. IF they bring out a hardware partner that can produce > tablets and phones at comparable prices BUT throws in office for free, then > you'll get a huge migration of users, especially thanks due to the keyboard > cover thing. > > I had the opportunity of checking out a windows 8 pro tablet not too long > ago, and if that MS is bringing to the table, then I can safely say that > Android is going to be sunk! and Apple will need to truly innovate again to > prevent losing their lead. > > > -Francisco > -------------------------- > You should follow me on twitter here <http://twitter.com/seecoolguy> > Blogs: SqlThis! <http://bit.ly/sqlthis> | XCodeThis!<http://bit.ly/xcodethis> > > <http://db.tt/JeXURAx> > > > > > On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 2:24 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I won't buy Apple anymore. Love Android (Xoom, thanx 2 u guys) & LOVE my >> Windows phone. WP7 is pretty limited but it's so solid. I'm excited for >> WP8 as I think it will be the game changer. Tell you what I am so >> tempted to get the Google Nexus 32. 250 bucks, seems like a steal. I >> just can't justify it with a perfectly good Xoom sitting here... The >> MSFT Surface looks great too, worried about pricing tho... >> >> >> Regards, >> joeuser - Still looking for the 'any' key... >> >> "...now these points of data make a beautiful line..." >> >> >>> I'm in the "won't buy Apple" crowd, and I like Android, but I'm not >>> writing off the Windows Phones. I'm also in the "buy Intel for power >>> and AMD for price, when there's a good price difference" crowd. I >>> think that intelligent people who weigh out the differences are going >>> to go Android over Apple, unless they are heavily invested in >>> Apple-only software. >>
