118 replies to this topic

[proftournesol]

Apple are the BMW of the digital world, they aren't concerned about gross market share but make good quality products that they can sell with premium margins, that's what makes them so profitable. It does mean that they make good products although not everyone will like them.

[Drew]

Prof,

Isn't 'good' simply a vague subjective adjective?

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Edited by Drew, 26 January 2012 - 11:27 PM.

[Drizt]

blah... had to remove.

Edited by Drizt, 26 January 2012 - 11:31 PM.

[proftournesol]

Prof,

Isn't 'good' simply a vague subjective adjective?

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Of course 'good' is subjective. That's why some here think Android phones are 'good' and iPhones are 'no good' and vice versa. Clearly enough people think iPhones are 'good' to pay the premium price though.

[pchan]

Of course 'good' is subjective. That's why some here think Android phones are 'good' and iPhones are 'no good' and vice versa. Clearly enough people think iPhones are 'good' to pay the premium price though.

I haven't tried any of the other smart phones but the I4 that is a tool of the trade is the best phone I have ever used but as a phone and a modem apple hasn't really given it any thought. The reception is below average at the best and the modem is not as good as the Nokia. As a multifunction device the I4 cannot handle phone/internet downloads/message all at the same time that I require it to do for my day to day job on the road. As far as Im concern the I4 is a ipod with phone and modem thrown in as a afterthought. The Nokia are dedicated phone and modem.

[Drew]

Of course 'good' is subjective. That's why some here think Android phones are 'good' and iPhones are 'no good' and vice versa. Clearly enough people think iPhones are 'good' to pay the premium price though.

This is the crux of its though. How many people make informed decisions about what they think is good? I'd love to see some numbers on people that have iphones because they are fashionable, or because their friends have them, or because they liked Apple's "imagine a world....." propaganda.

On forums like this you are going to get quite a lot of tech savy consumers whom know what they want, and make informed decisions. I don't believe that this is representative of average joe phone buyer.

Anyways....I've had more than my 2c here......so I'll leave you all in peace to buy whatever idevice you see fit.


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Edited by Drew, 27 January 2012 - 10:14 AM.

[DoggieHowser]

I guess there's a reason why Samsung numbers are always very erratic and subject to a lot speculation.

http://online.wsj.co...3866644746.html

They've stopped reporting sales of handphones by units since 2010.

[nofixedaddress]

According to this latest report Samsung sold more smart phones last year than Apple - Just!

Korean news

I would love to see the figures of people who bought iPhones because they thought everyone else had one based on advertising and brand positioning.

Take for instance news services which promote apps. You will always find the list of supported OS go something like Iphone, Ipad, Blackberry, Android. Creating the illusion that iPhone/ Ipad are the most popular where as Android is the least used. Very clever and the constant repetitive nature of these lists keeps cementing iPhone as no 1 to the public. Take a look next time you see supported OS lists for Apps, iPhone/Ipad will most likely be first and Android near last.

In reference to iphone being the BMW of the phone world - You don't see Australian car accessories listed as BMW, Volkswagen, Skoda, Holden, Ford. They are listed by popularity or alphabetical.

Iphone is popular in peoples minds not only because they are good units (have to give credit where credit is due) but also because of extraordinary marketing strategy.

NFA

[DoggieHowser]

Except as mentioned in an earlier link, Samsung doesn't report sales of handphones anymore, so it's all speculation.

[nofixedaddress]

You will find Samsung started again to release sales figures after some of the legal battles with Apple had resolved.

[DoggieHowser]

You will find Samsung started again to release sales figures after some of the legal battles with Apple had resolved.

This was posted over 5 hours ago:

http://www.reuters.c...=topNews&rpc=71

Samsung didn't give its own sales volume data, but research firm Strategy Analytics put sales at 36.5 million smartphones in October-December, with 3rd-ranked Nokia on 19.6 million.

[rantan]

IMVHO, we should all avoid smartphones and just buy phones, and save a lot of money in the process. The extra cash can then be spent on music or audio equipment.

[nofixedaddress]

This was posted over 5 hours ago:

http://www.reuters.c...=topNews&rpc=71

Samsung didn't give its own sales volume data, but research firm Strategy Analytics put sales at 36.5 million smartphones in October-December, with 3rd-ranked Nokia on 19.6 million.

Looks like you are right there Doogie - here is a take on all the fuzziness. Still looks like Samsung might well be the top seller.


When looking at OS systems however, Android is a clear winner as it is installed other phones as well as the Samsung variants which by themselves level peg or exceed iPhones sales. So the Wiki graph is most likely correct and iPhone OS is not the most used OS at this moment looking back over the past year.

Note Reuters lists Apple apps first and Andriod last. In fact they list two Apple products separately then Blackberry and finally show a Motorola phone for Android. No........no bias there at all.................

NFA

[DoggieHowser]

IMVHO, we should all avoid smartphones and just buy phones, and save a lot of money in the process. The extra cash can then be spent on music or audio equipment.

The problem is I hardly ever use the phone as a phone

I text, email and surf on the iPhone far more than use it to call someone.

When I do get calls, it's usually in the mall where the missus needs to check on where I am and whether I've spent the pitiful bonus on a new gadget or worse, I get cold calls from banks offering the latest credit card.

[Tony M]

When I do get calls, it's usually in the mall where the missus needs to check on where I am

Of course, there's no need for that.

If you've got "find my Iphone" enabled, she could just go to icloud.com on a computer and (if she knows your password) find your exact location at any time. Scary, isn't it?

Sometimes I'm glad Mrs M isn't very tech-savvy.

[Captain Crunch]

It's only a matter of time before forum posters start referring to Google as 'the evil empire'!

[Drizt]

It's only a matter of time before forum posters start referring to Google as 'the evil empire'!

If they turn in to apple, then sure, that would be the the right thing to call them

[DoggieHowser]

Google isn't the evil empire!??

http://www.extremete...google-is-fubar

Late yesterday, Google announced perhaps the biggest change it has ever made to its massive network of web services:

Starting in March, your search and surf habits across all of Google's products will be combined to form the mother of all behavioral profiles.

On March 1, Search will know the contents of your email and the videos you watch on YouTube. If you use Google Docs for work, Search will know which company you work for and which industry you work in. Via Google Reader, Search and YouTube will know what content you like to consume.

And of course, the kicker: Google's ad networks- AdSense, AdWords, DoubleClick - will have full access to all of your search and surf habits from every Google web service.

Edited by DoggieHowser, 28 January 2012 - 01:32 AM.

[surfpurple]

Of course, there's no need for that.

If you've got "find my Iphone" enabled, she could just go to icloud.com on a computer and (if she knows your password) find your exact location at any time. Scary, isn't it?

Sometimes I'm glad Mrs M isn't very tech-savvy.

I'm glad my missus isn't tech-savvy! Although I could have shot myself in the foot because just bought her a lappy for her b'day. Starting to have some regrets now. Hope she dosen't work out the internet browsing history tab !!!

[Drizt]

Google isn't the evil empire!??

http://www.extremete...google-is-fubar

Late yesterday, Google announced perhaps the biggest change it has ever made to its massive network of web services:

Starting in March, your search and surf habits across all of Google's products will be combined to form the mother of all behavioral profiles.

On March 1, Search will know the contents of your email and the videos you watch on YouTube. If you use Google Docs for work, Search will know which company you work for and which industry you work in. Via Google Reader, Search and YouTube will know what content you like to consume.

And of course, the kicker: Google's ad networks- AdSense, AdWords, DoubleClick - will have full access to all of your search and surf habits from every Google web service.

They probably already did that, its just that it is now official

[DoggieHowser]

So google's intrusion of privacy isn't evil but apple's closed infrastructure is?!

Here's more

http://www.boingboin...solicits-f.html

http://blog.mocality...e-you-thinking/

Here's Mocality CEO Stef Magdalinski on the subject

Since October, Google GKBO appears to have been systematically accessing Mocalitys database and attempting to sell their competing product to our business owners.

They have been telling untruths about their relationship with us, and about our business practices, in order to do so. As of January 11th, nearly 30% of our database has apparently been contacted.

Furthermore, they now seem to have outsourced this operation from Kenya to India.

When we started this investigation, I thought that we'd catch a rogue call-centre employee, point out to Google that they were violating our Terms and conditions (sections 9.12 and 9.17, amongst others), someone would get a slap on the wrist, and life would continue.

I did not expect to find a human-powered, systematic, months-long, fraudulent (falsely claiming to be collaborating with us, and worse) attempt to undermine our business, being perpetrated from call centres on 2 continents.

Edited by DoggieHowser, 28 January 2012 - 11:40 AM.

[toeknee2]

Bloody hell that was a lot of reading. After all that I think the iphone4s is the best suiter for me. I'll be going with that phone but I might change networks. Thanks to all the honest opinions on here, its certainly not as black and white as I thought.

[Randle]

I went an android phone and got a ipod classic to fulfill the music needs through my Pure i-20. While I may go through a few phone iterations, I'll keep the classic until I find an equivalent priced mp3 player with a digital out.
I haven't seen an android phone yet that has digital out... but they often do have the advantage of interchangeable micro sd cards... but still - no digital out. I should have never got rid of my iRiver mp3 player with rockbox on it. It had digital out and in

[DoggieHowser]

I bought an adaptor for my Motorola Xoom's micro USB port that converts it to a USB host. I have used keyboards and mouse with it. But never tried a DAC yet. I believe a similar adaptor works for Samsung Galaxy. Maybe someone can give that a try.

Ps I've found my iPod touch and iPhone digital out to my ALO Cypher Solo to sound better than that of the Classic.

[toeknee2]

Thats something I never considered, I take it for granted that it is easy to extract the digital signal out of an iphone. Maybe other phones can't do that as easily. that should have been written at the start as my main requirement.

[Randle]

Ps I've found my iPod touch and iPhone digital out to my ALO Cypher Solo to sound better than that of the Classic.

What generation classic have you got?
That ALO Cypher Solo looks like a nice piece of kit!

[DoggieHowser]

G6. That's the Classic

I have have the 5 and 5.5 Video. But those models don't work so well (UI disabled) with the ALO.

The ALO RXII does a reasonably good job of driving the Audeze LCD2

[Jventer]

I have read your first post and then had to wade through more than a 100 posts that did not answer your question. Guess that is life on the forum where memers gets sidetracked. I agree they caused you a lot of reading.

Your question was re a good phone which can also be used to connect to a dac. Simple answer: iPhone.

As far as I know there is nothing else.

[Jventer]

Off the topic post. Read if you like Samsung S2 and want to listen to music.

http://www.anandtech...st-redefined/13