phone advice- Samsung Galaxy S III or iPhone?
 

My husband and I are finally arriving into the new century and getting smartphones for the first time. I've been doing some looking around at the phones out there and am wondering which phone to get. We've narrowed it down to the Samsung Galaxy S III and the iPhone. And there are rumors that the iPhone 5 is coming out soon, and we could wait for that as we aren't in a rush. Any thoughts on the differences between the phones?

♥ my iphone :)

omg. iPhone. i've had both android and mac phones and i've NEVER not once cursed at my iPhone or been confused by it. it's so streamlined and user friendly. can the android actually do more? probably. however, i prefer my technology to be easy to use, sleek and durable! :D

I love my iPhone too. :)

I've never had a different smartphone though.

well, i've never had anything other than an iphone since i switched in 2007 or 2008 from a blackberry - but i LOVE my iPhone and have never wished i had something else.

I love my iphone too. I was actually quite tempted to get the Samsung Galaxy S III to have something new to use but since rumors of iphone 5 coming out are everywhere I will just wait for that. :)

We have the Galaxy II and love it. At this point, the Android/iPhone debate is like Canon/Nikon or PC/Mac IMO. Just personal preference. I think that you should go down to your local store and check them both out and see which one appeals most to you.

Well... my anti-Mac-I-hate-itunes hubby just announced that come fall - we are getting iphones. :D He has a driod right now... and even though it was great in the beginning, now after all the updates since getting it - the thing runs sooooo slow, it locks up, and will turn it's self off... hubby is chewing at the bit to get an iphone 5... I'll just be cool with an iphone4s... ;) All I really want is a decent cell phone camera - not the 1.2mp that is on my 5 year old Rokr... :D

My sister is a manager at AT&T and she has to change up phones like every couple of months. She is constantly telling me how she hates all phones except iphones. They are just way too user-friendly. My parents who were both still using phones from like 2002 just upgraded to iphones and if they can use them with little to no questions then they are definitely user friendly lol

It's also funny now to go to their house and see them in their recliners with their noses in their phones :)

iPhone. even my anti-Mac hubby wishes he had gotten it instead of his droid. I've had blackberry and window's phone before this..hated them too.

I am normally a huge Apple products lover... love my mac, ipad, itouch, etc... love love love!
I am an anti-pc person..... haaaate windows!

However, I have a droid phone which I looooooooove! HATED the iPhone, even though I tried so hard to love it. I won't ever go back to an iphone. Never.

But.... DH is getting ready to come to the real world, lol, and get a smartphone..... I am getting him the iPhone because as smart as he is, I just know that with anything other than an iPhone he's going to be bugging me with questions all the time of how to do stuff on it. Iphones are user friendly, very simple.

My college daughter asked this very question on Facebook. It became a 71 reply post and I'd say about 50 of them are pro-droid and I was shocked to see how many of them have the Galaxy ... and love it. She is an anti-apple person, but was seriously considering getting an iPhone for its ease of use... but the past two weeks she's been playing with her friends Galaxy and now she's changed her mind and is going to do the Galaxy when she gets home from Hawaii (lucky brat... errr.... kid.... lol).

there is no technology that is as user friendly as mac, imo. ease of use wins for me every single time. i hardly even get on my computer anymore to browse and play. this little iPhone of mine is just a wizard.

with all of those mac products how in the world could you hate your phone? the iPhone is exactly like an iTouch, just with a phone built in and a better camera. i'm confused. :D

I was in the same situation a couple of weeks ago, Julie. My first smartphone, and I asked everyone if I should get an iPhone or an Android. I've heard so many opinions it made me dizzy, lol. I had a small preference for iPhone, because well, everyone here always talks about it, haha! But when I investigated into it further, I came to realize that Android is an equivalanet option. The Samsung G S3 is actually the' best phone on the market and it's cheaper than the iphone 5 will be.
My biggest concern was that there would be much less of the cool apps available for Android, but after doing some research, that is definitely not the case anymore. Most apps available on iPhone are also available on Android and you can even play some of those popluar games with someone who has the other brand of phone.
My cousin, who has both, told me the Droid comes with more pre-installed (useful) aps and iphone charges for a lot of those apps. The price was definitely important to me, plus the fact that my hubby already had a Droid.
Sooo... I got the S3. And I LOOOOVE it! It's amazing. I love that it syncs with my google account and all my calendars, task lists, photos,... sync on all my devices and programs automaticly. It also cames with 50 GB of free space on Dropbox, which is awesome. :)

iPhone all the way here! And, yes, I think the iPhone 5 is supposed to be announced within the next month or so . . . not sure when it will actually be available, but it should be something this fall. That's the rumor anyway - but, Apple rumors are usually pretty reliable. :)

Oh - and Julie - since you already have a Mac, the iPhone will sync so nicely through the cloud and everything. It will be seamless and slick. I really think you would love it.

I hated my droid, it was always breaking and annoying! loooove my iphone!

DH just bought the Galaxy Nexus straight from google. It's stemmed his iPhone envy. They are different OSs, so if you are more used to one then the other may be a little confusing, but both are pretty easy to pick up on. The screen is amazing on the Nexus, btw. Like the iPhone but bigger. He is really pleased with it, and loves finding apps that can break into his phone (things that Apple is pretty strict on) to do things just how he wants. He listens to Android podcasts and all that jazz to learn a lot.

I love my iPhone, he loves his Android. One huge difference between the two is the size. His phone is pretty big, and probably wouldn't fit comfortably in my pocket like my iPhone. I haven't really compared the pictures yet...maybe I should. We will have to take the same pictures to really tell though.

LOVE my iPhone & I only have the 3gs! I've played with friends Androids & Windows phones & hated them! The new iPhone is supposed to be announced on September 12th & released on the 21st. That should significantly drop the price of the 4s! We've been waiting for the new one to come out & 4s price to drop for us to upgrade! lol I can't wait to get my 4s!

I agree... its all a matter of opinion, but I am starting to think Lizzy is an iPhone sales rep!

I love my iPhone. I don't think I will ever get anything else. I had a Blackberry before and the only thing I miss about it was the messenger feature...even though I could never remember where to find my number for that. LOL! It wasn't very user friendly.

My friend switched from an iPhone to an Android a while back. She loved it at first and now she is kicking herself in the hiney for switching. She hates her phone. Like someone else mentioned, her phone moves at a turtles pace, locks up on her, shuts off randomly, text messages come in weird or randomly.

:D when i like something i definitely shout it from the roof tops, don't i?

really, it's simple. every phone wants to be an iPhone. Apple is cutting edge and they get it right! i used to be an Apple HATER - big time. then i folded, got my iPhone and haven't looked back. i want to go Apple all the way in the Reiber house and so does my hubby. he never used his phones in the past for anything other than talking and texting and he's hooked on his iPhone too. they are so brilliant.

LOL.. I tried to love it! One of the things I hate about the iphone is the stupid home button, it's always acting quirky. My itouch has never had any issues. None, and it's been through the ringer and back! Maybe cause I use my phone a LOT.. lol

I don't hate the iphone, it just wasn't for me. It shocks my friends because they know how much of an apple product lover I am!

wow, I never expected to see it overwhelming for an iPhone! I thought it would be like 50/50 or maybe towards the Samsung. I'm going to listen to your advice and wait until next month in hopes of the iPhone 5 being released then.

My 20 year old son has a Samsung Galaxy (a 2 year old one) and hates that it has an old operating system that they no longer support. He has tried to unlock it several times and keeps bricking it, but he luckily got it back to the original operating system. He likes the phone, just hates the old operating system, so his recommendation was the Galaxy III since it's new.

However, like you all said, I just want a phone that works smoothly and is user friendly. My DH especially needs user friendly... he is not technical AT ALL. Thanks sooo much girls!!

I saw today that Best Buy has the 8GB iPhone4 for just $49. So the prices are already dropping!

YEah, but the iPhone 4 was replaced by the 4S a year ago, so thats not a new price, I've seen similar several times.

I agree that it's just personal preference. I personally love Android. Google runs my life, so I love syncing it with everything Google (Gmail, Picassa, Calendar, Blog images, Contacts) and it all being right there when I need it!

I'm an android girl too, and I have the Samsung Galaxy S 3 and LOVE IT. Amazon app marketplace gives a paid app for free every day and I've gotten some fabulous ones from there.. and I have too much invested in my apps to switch to an iphone and repurchase them all. The Galaxy is really easy to use and I love the android interface.

That's just the 4, not the 4s. It's still $199-$399 depending on the size. The rumor is that once the new iPhone comes out, the 4 will be the free, penny or $1 phone (depending on who you go through), the 4s will be the $50ish phone & the new will be the $200-$400!

iPhone!!! :wub: My MOTHER just got one yesterday and she's on her way over to my house to learn to use it. LOL!

With Androids, there are so many different manufacturers and models. My first Droid was a lot slower and clunkier. But the Galaxy is slim, sleek, and fast. It also takes great pics. And, like Sara, we have gotten some great free apps from the Android Marketplace.

I use to have the HTC Inspire (Droid) and I loooooooved the size, sleekness and shape. Now I have the HTC Vivid... it's sleek and thin, but it's taller and abit clunkier in the pocket... but I deal with it cause I love the very large 4.5 screen on it, and it takes beautiful pics.

One thing I really like about not using an iphone is that I am not stuck with iTunes. I can get apps and such from several places.

I also love my iPhone! :wub: My previous phone was an Android and I really prefer my iPhone. If you have an iPad and purchase apps that work on both the iPhone and iPad, then you'll have them on both devices. I have a year before I can update my 4s to the 5 and I've heard it will have a much better camera, although I've been reasonably happy with the photos taken on my iPhone. You might find that the newer Droids have better cameras and if that's an issue for you, it's worth considering the other phone.

Another iPhone girl here! I have the 4S and came from a Blackberry (which I absolutely hated) and I love love love my iPhone (and my iPad) so dang much!

I think you must have had a bad copy or something. lol.

I totally and completely hated my dried.... I actually only had it for about eight months and it was starting to die- the screen was broke, it started freezing up, I would hang up on people with my face all the time, etc. As soon as Verizon released the iPhone last year, Colby and I both upgraded and it cost us a lot of money... but it was worth it. lol. Now everyone in my extended family (including my parents and mil) have iPhones and love it. Since your already Mac, it makes sense for you to go with an iPhone.

As soon as the iPhone 5 is released, I will be upgraded. Ek. :)

Another iPhone lover weighing in. Love that I can sync my movies, scrapbook lo's, photos, music, calendar, contacts to my Mac. My only complaint is that I actually get poor PHONE reception unless I'm outside! But since I only use it as a mini-scrapbook displayer anyway, it doesn't matter.

And APPS! So fun!

Well I'm in the minority, but I *LOVE* my Galaxy S III!!! I just got my first "smartphone" in May and it was the regular Galaxy, hubby bought it used to see if I would like it and once I got it I never put it down!!! So he just upgraded me to the III and I am in heaven!!! I agree....it's really just what ever you prefer!!!! Which ever you decide on Julie....have fun playing with your new pressie!!! :thumbup:

My hubby has the Samsung Galaxy S II which is cool, but I definitely prefer my iPhone 4S. I would get rid of my laptop before I get rid of my preciouussssss. :D

I am pretty sure you can sync your Google stuff on the iPhone. There is a Gmail app for the iPhone and we've got our Google Calendars on our iCloud calendar.

Love my iPhone. I had a Droid previously and I pretty much hated my phone. ( it was more the phone than the platform though) My DH and I upgraded at the same time and he stayed with a Droid. He likes his, I LOVE mine. My only regret is that I couldn't hold out for the 5.

DH just told me that he likes his phone better than mine. He had a cheapy Droid phone before that was definitely not as good, but this one is pretty nice, and pretty easy to use too. And he has this settings app that lets you use the mobile hotspot feature without paying for the cell phone service! So with his data plan and my minutes plane, I can use his wi-fi. We are cheap, and it's awesome. :)

Yes - you can. My hubby has an iPhone and syncs it with all his Google stuff. It's just a little more seamless with the Mac desktop applications I think.

Oh yeah, I don't have any issues syncing my Google things.

I have had both and honestly I think it's just personal preference and I agree with the sentiment that you should go out and try them both and see what feels right for you.

iPhones are totally user friendly so if that's really important to you then go with that. There is a bit of a learning curve with the Android phones, but they can do oodles and are pretty awesome. :)

I switched from an iPhone to the Samsung Galaxy Note and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It's biiiiig but you get totally used to it! It's not even weird to talk on it which surprised me! It does so many super awesome things. I just adore it! I loved my iphone too, but it was the old version and I wanted something new and different. I don't regret switching from an iPhone :)

If it was a 4, there were known issues with the home button. Mine got so bad that it was finally replaced. I couldn't do anything with the phone--because the home button was so messed up.

Despite that, and despite the fact that the replacement (a refurb) was even more messed up (so much so that Best Buy gave me a $100GC towards a new 4s--got it for $99), I love my iPhone. I had a Droid while waiting for my replacement and have never, ever, ever hated a phone so much. I spent those ten days practically begging Andrew to let me use his phone instead.

This was a huge selling point for me!!! I get music everywhere and I use the Zedge app on my droid for awesome ring and text tones for free. Love that about my phone!

Im an iPhone lover too! I have the 4 and just had to replace my home button but it was like $50 to replace. I was hoping it would make it until I could upgrade when the 5 comes out but it was not letting me do anything and Im LOST without my iphone. LOST. So, I will be upgrading once the new phone comes out but only AFTER we get back from Europe. Right now, Im not under contract and so DH unlocked my phone and I can get a SIM card in Europe so I wont have to pay horrendous rates to use my phone in London and Paris.

Seriously?? I want to live in America!! The iPhone 4S costs 649 € here. That's 815 dollars. It will never go to $50 and we've never heard of a $1 phone! :crying:
I paid 530 € for my Samsung Galaxy S3 ($665) and that was the cheapest I could find. Booo, it's not fair! :p

The phones that are supposedly $1 are contract phones, so you are locked into using them for 2 years. As you can see, they are usually phones that cell phone companies want to move out of their inventory. An older mobile that is several versions old is not likely to sell well compared to the newer, flashier phones, but the cell phone company will still make tons of money through the two year contract. You're essentially buying the phone over time and locking yourself into a two year contract with the company.

I came across this article this morning and thought of you, Julie. There might be some interesting points in this.

How to Switch From an iPhone to an Android

Walmart has decreased the price of the 4s already ...

http://dealseekingmom.com/iphone-4s-...om%E2%84%A2%29

iPhone all the way :)