iPhone vs Android

July 14, 2011

I am about to upgrade my mobile phone to a smart phone. The choice seems to be between iphones and Android based ones. Although geocaching won't be my only use for the phone it will probably be the chief one and is the driving force behind my decision to buy one. I have a Garmin Oregon 450 which I will continue to use. However, internet access and map availability will simplify the location of the starting point for the hunt. Your comments and suggestions will be appreciated

21.9k · July 14, 2011

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the GPS and Technology forum.

July 14, 2011

Well I had an iPhone3G to start with and it served me well. I also have an Oregon 450 since you can't predict whether cell phone reception will disappear and the battery life is so much longer. I now have an iPhone3GS (probably upgrade soon) and I take it everywhere. Using both in tandem means that I have the best of both worlds. I haven't used the app on an Android based phone, but if it is the same app with a different phone then I think you really can't go wrong. I think it is a matter of preference for you, either way you are going to be well equipped.

July 14, 2011

I use a Garmin nuvi 765T and iPhone 4 to go Geocaching. Both of them combined allow me to get accurate results, so definitely having two GPSrs there with you is a plus. As far as the iOS vs. Android Geocaching app goes, I haven't used the Android version. On the other hand, I have the iOS Geocaching app, and it is superb - the app, along with the recent update, allows you to search for caches with specific qualities, take notes, automatically solve hints for you, and log the cache from your iPhone.

Buy it. Nao.

3k · July 14, 2011

I am about to upgrade my mobile phone to a smart phone. The choice seems to be between iphones and Android based ones. Although geocaching won't be my only use for the phone it will probably be the chief one and is the driving force behind my decision to buy one. I have a Garmin Oregon 450 which I will continue to use. However, internet access and map availability will simplify the location of the starting point for the hunt. Your comments and suggestions will be appreciated

Apples and Oranges.

I prefer my Android phones to iPhones - but without knowing which phone, by which manufacturer, or what carrier you're looking at, there's no real way to compare..... there is only one current iOS and iPhone model - but Android is slightly different for every manufacturer, and different phones have different hardware, screen sizes, weights, battery life etc

July 14, 2011

It the iphone's GPS accuracy better on recent models? I introduced someone to caching once and their location was REALLY far out.

2.7k · July 14, 2011

It the iphone's GPS accuracy better on recent models? I introduced someone to caching once and their location was REALLY far out.

The iPhone 4 GPS is a significant improvement over the 3GS/3G models. It is normally just as accurate as my Garmin Colorado 400t. The GPS on the iPhone 4 has a "real" GPS chip on it, not just relying on aGPS or triangulation.

As for the OP - Both Android and iPhone are fantastic platforms for Geocaching whether you use the official Groundspeak apps or other apps.

On the Android side you will have to do a bit more research with the models as there is a bit of platform fragmentation due to the way it is distributed (Software is Google, hardware is OEM). Some OEMs use lesser capable GPS technology than others. Some of the Android OEMs use very good quality GPS chips as well - you'll have to research who uses what.

On the Apple side you have less Apps available due to the lack of side-loading capabilities that Android has. One can release an App without getting vetted by the Market but on iPhone you are only going to load what Apple has approved - that can be a good thing or a bad thing.

I would suggest to the OP that you try out Android devices and Apple devices in a store, and see which device meets your needs overall - not just geocaching. Remember this device will be what you surf the internet on, read email, and use other apps on. Geocaching is just one function. You can try an iPhone in an Apple store and the Android devices should have demo models at a carrier store that you can fiddle around with. See if they will let you go (escorted?) outside with it to spot test the GPS accuracy

From what I have seen on the forums, the people using the "official" Groundspeak app tend to complain more about the Android version than the iPhone version.

July 14, 2011

I am a huge iPhone fan. The iPhone 4 has a great GPS and is on par with my Oregon 450 at all times. The other advantage is the list of great apps like Geosphere, GeoBucket, and the official iPhone app. On the Android side I'm sure they have some great apps but the huge question is GPS accuracy. Since multiple companies make them there is no standard for the GPS inside and I have seen various results. Some seem better than others but I have not seen any yet that get better accuracy than the iPhone 4.

July 14, 2011

This will not end well. iPhone vs Android discussions seldom do.

July 14, 2011

I just got back from a 10 day caching trip all over Nevada, and I took, and used both an iPhone 4 and a Motorola Droid X. Both phones are excellent, it's really the software that matters. In that case, I found that by far, a program called "geosphere" on the iPhone was the best application to use in areas that have no 3g reception, which basically renders the Groundspeak app useless. (Think GSAK for phones.)

But GPSr accuracy problems on both phones were bad enough, that I often had to load up my trusty Magellan XL with the coords in order to actually cache. At different points along the trip, both phone based GPSr had me several MILES away from my actual location. Not every time, but often enough to be troublesome. It would usually occur after leaving a 3G area.

Neither of the phones support Waas, so they'll never be as accurate as a good handheld GPSr. Battery life on the phones is much worse than the regular GPS too, though they were easy enough to keep plugged into the Jeep.

Android vs iOS arguments never go well, spend some time with both before you buy, but in the end, it's the software that matters, not the phone itself. I have not found anything comparable to geosphere on the Android, so for me, at the moment, the iPhone makes the best geoplatform, at least until the GPSr gets confused.

Take Care!

July 14, 2011

I've had a T-mobile pulse mini (about the cheapest android phone available) and a Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro. The GPS accuracy has been excellent on both. I don't know about any others. Pretty much anything will get you to the vicinity though.

July 15, 2011

Love my Iphone4, but also use a Garmin 60csx for times when their is not reception. I also got a Mophie Juice Pack Plus for the Iphone because the battery does drain quickly when geocaching.

July 15, 2011

Love my Iphone4, but also use a Garmin 60csx for times when their is not reception. I also got a Mophie Juice Pack Plus for the Iphone because the battery does drain quickly when geocaching.

I agree on the Mophie Juice Pack. I usually get 4-5 hours caching on the iPhone using the GPS alone, but the Juice Pack I get closer to 12. It's $79 but money well spent.

2.7k · July 15, 2011

Love my Iphone4, but also use a Garmin 60csx for times when their is not reception. I also got a Mophie Juice Pack Plus for the Iphone because the battery does drain quickly when geocaching.

I agree on the Mophie Juice Pack. I usually get 4-5 hours caching on the iPhone using the GPS alone, but the Juice Pack I get closer to 12. It's $79 but money well spent.

I've got two battery packs for mine - both universal (I can charge my iPhone, or my Blackberry, or my Kindle .....) . I bought them a year apart as my needs changed from day charging to multi-day backpacking trips.

The Mili Power Crystal is nice and small, and charges from/to USB. Its 2000 mAh battery supports 1A charging so my iPhone 4 fills up quick. This has enabled me to have 16 hour caching days.

My Solio Classic not only has an 1650mAh battery with a 1 amp charging circuit, if I'm backcountry I can recharge it from solar in 7 hours. It sits on top of my pack when I'm hiking. Nice thing is it will charge the internal battery and output to the iPhone at the same time if I want.

July 15, 2011

Just a quicky.

iPhone--two carriers...Android...everybody else [including Virgin Mobile for $25 month for unlimited data and 300 minutes of talk--i never talk, i have a company phone anyway..i use Virgin Mobile]...

iPhone--can't change the battery....most androids you can have and install an extra battery without sending it to apple...

iPhone--no SD memory chip capable...you got to buy it with installed memory and cannot change it...Android phone...you choose the micro-SD chip size that you want...there is a slot...you can remove it to download photos and upload music....you can change it at will...

iPhone--you need to use itunes for uploading music... Android...just copy and paste it into the micro-SD memory chip...

iPhone--proprietary charger and cable connection....Androids...most use the standard micro USB connection [i have an LG]...

Android is easier to connect to corporate Microsoft Exchange email systems. I know because I am a network guy...

Android users need a g-mail account...which is free..

Android is Google friendly! including Google Maps and Google Earth which is of great use to geocachers!

And the GC-ing app seems to work pretty well [although I still do PQs and use the NUVI and PN40 plus VistaHCx as geocaching tools...mainly for ease and battery consumption].

Edited July 15, 2011 by alohabra

July 15, 2011

I just got back from a 10 day caching trip all over Nevada, and I took, and used both an iPhone 4 and a Motorola Droid X. Both phones are excellent, it's really the software that matters. In that case, I found that by far, a program called "geosphere" on the iPhone was the best application to use in areas that have no 3g reception, which basically renders the Groundspeak app useless. (Think GSAK for phones.)

But GPSr accuracy problems on both phones were bad enough, that I often had to load up my trusty Magellan XL with the coords in order to actually cache. At different points along the trip, both phone based GPSr had me several MILES away from my actual location. Not every time, but often enough to be troublesome. It would usually occur after leaving a 3G area.

Neither of the phones support Waas, so they'll never be as accurate as a good handheld GPSr. Battery life on the phones is much worse than the regular GPS too, though they were easy enough to keep plugged into the Jeep.

Android vs iOS arguments never go well, spend some time with both before you buy, but in the end, it's the software that matters, not the phone itself. I have not found anything comparable to geosphere on the Android, so for me, at the moment, the iPhone makes the best geoplatform, at least until the GPSr gets confused.

Take Care!

As an older cacher...I cached without smartphones before I got the Android. I did not consider iPhones because they were limited to ATT.

Now, Verizon has it too, but the Androids are available on many other carriers...or most all of the other ones. I use Virgin Mobile for $25 a month for unlimited data and text.

July 15, 2011

This will not end well. iPhone vs Android discussions seldom do.

I am a network and computer tecky....Apples are for some people with a lot of money and loyalty.

Microsoft and Goggle are for the rest of the people. It is affordable... like costing a lot less and is more common place, like at work.

That is why a PC with Windows 7 will cost $400 vs. a Mac for more that twice as much. Now...the MacBook may look a lot nicer and is lighter, but the generic PC will out run it in performance ...especially for the tecky types...where we overclock the processor..etc..

Androids like PCs are more adjustable than Apples...if you know what it is you that need to tweak....Apples are simpler...

July 15, 2011

Highly suggest Android with the C:geo app.

I think it is technically against the ToS, and the developer has said he is going to stop updating it, but it works a ton ton better than the official Android app.

July 15, 2011

Lots of people seem to like c:geo and it has a lot of features but personally, I have found the downloading too slow and annoying. I prefer Georg with a PQ loaded. For on-the-fly caching, I use the GC app.

Edited July 15, 2011 by insx

July 15, 2011

Right now my LG Thrive Android phone with the geocaching.com app works a lot better than my expensive Garmin Montana, which is wildly inaccurate and full of bugs.

I hope Garmin can get the bugs fixed soon, because it *should* be way better than a smartphone for GPS usage.

2.7k · July 15, 2011

Just a quicky.

iPhone--two carriers...Android...everybody else [including Virgin Mobile for $25 month for unlimited data and 300 minutes of talk--i never talk, i have a company phone anyway..i use Virgin Mobile]...

iPhone--can't change the battery....most androids you can have and install an extra battery without sending it to apple...

iPhone--no SD memory chip capable...you got to buy it with installed memory and cannot change it...Android phone...you choose the micro-SD chip size that you want...there is a slot...you can remove it to download photos and upload music....you can change it at will...

iPhone--you need to use itunes for uploading music... Android...just copy and paste it into the micro-SD memory chip...

iPhone--proprietary charger and cable connection....Androids...most use the standard micro USB connection [i have an LG]...

Android is easier to connect to corporate Microsoft Exchange email systems. I know because I am a network guy...

Android users need a g-mail account...which is free..

Android is Google friendly! including Google Maps and Google Earth which is of great use to geocachers!

And the GC-ing app seems to work pretty well [although I still do PQs and use the NUVI and PN40 plus VistaHCx as geocaching tools...mainly for ease and battery consumption].

On Google friendliness:

iPhone ships with Google Maps preloaded.

Google Earth, Latitude, Places and Photovine are all available free in the App store

IPhone works well with Exhange. Multiple Exchange servers actually. I have my corporate Exchange connected to mine, and Gmail as an Exchange server too. I can edit my wife's calendar from my phone.

On battery: $30 will get you a universal battery pack. $70 will get you one with a 1A charging capability. How much is that extra battery from your typical Android OEM. My last spare OEM HTC battery was $120 but Seidio tended to sell knock offs for $50. Apple doesn't do removable batteries as they use the space to ad more battery capacity to the device be that phone, tablet or laptop.

On SD Card. Handy yes, but I got sick of my HTC devices corrupting my mini SD card every three months. In real world, practical use I found I never pulled out the SD card anyway but that was me. I currently use iTunes over WiFi to load stuff or iCloud. But most people don't have access to iOS 5 yet (registered developers only during beta)

One huge downside you didn't mention: the OS vs OEM problem. Google sells the OS, or should I say provides a version of the OS, policing the UI via the Google Marketplace. OEMs - HTC, Samsung, Motorola are free to put what hardware they want inside - it isn't a standard to use a good GPS chip, for example. Companies like HTC can put in a crappy Qualcomm GPSOne chip and you are then stuck doing the meander while geocaching. At least with the Apple devices you are kept to a much tighter hardware spec.

Things will get real messy if Amazon posts a non Google Android tablet this fall (as rumoured) and the Playbook becomes another non Google Android device. I would lose a lot of hair trying to keep that platform fragmentation in mind as an Android developer!

Android is available on more carriers - this is a biggie yes. If you have a contract on, say, Tmobile USA then you are not getting an iPhone. That may sway your decision more than any other variable.

On iTunes:

IPhone users running iOS5, which is bet right now do not even need to own a computer to download photos - it is all cloud based now so scratch that iTunes required thing. The software will be available this fall.

July 15, 2011

On battery: $30 will get you a universal battery pack. $70 will get you one with a 1A charging capability. How much is that extra battery from your typical Android OEM. My last spare OEM HTC battery was $120 but Seidio tended to sell knock offs for $50.

I don't know about all that, but I recently bought a compatible battery for my android phone for $10. It has more capacity than the original. Original Sony Ericsson batteries are around $40.

July 15, 2011

And I just bought an LG OEM battery for my LG Android phone on Amazon, and it was $11 including shipping.

Not sure why the Apple fanboy paid $120 for an OEM HTC battery. Maybe he bought it at the Apple Store? ;-)

Edited July 15, 2011 by michaelnel

2.7k · July 15, 2011

And I just bought an LG OEM battery for my LG Android phone on Amazon, and it was $11 including shipping.

Not sure why the Apple fanboy paid $120 for an OEM HTC battery. Maybe he bought it at the Apple Store? ;-)

Two things:

1) I feel like Godwins Law should be invoked over the Fanboi remark. Really, I own three HTC Devices, a Blackberry Bold 9700 and an iPhone. I also manage 350 Blackberrys, 25 iPhones and 20 Android devices at work. Clearly I must be just some kind of Apple Zealot who doesn't use the other devices. Sheesh. BTW I have rolled my own ROMs for the HTC devices too

2) if you read my post I said I paid less at Seidio. Didn't feel like dealing with the Hong Kong eBay stores for my expensive smartphones. I have seen what a cheaply built (vs priced) can do to your smartphone and warranty. $120 is the price at the carrier store. I guarantee you TMobile is not offering white box $11 batteries for their Android phones.

I believe in choice. IPhone is not for everyone. IPhone is also not a terrible choice for a hiker and the limitations most often presented by Android "fanboi's" are typically not as dire as presented.

The market grows, evolves, changes. The iPhone 1 up against a Droid 2 is a pile of crap. The iPhone 4 vs the Droid 2 is much more reasonable.

Two years ago everyone thought Blackberry was king. I will be very surprised if Blackberry devices are common in 5 years. Who knows where we are heading.

I do like the NFC thing that Android is pioneering though!

1.9k · July 15, 2011

I do like the NFC thing that Android is pioneering though!

I'll bite . . . why?

As a wallet replacement? What compelling features do you envision?

Thanks

1.9k · July 15, 2011

Right now my LG Thrive Android phone with the geocaching.com app works a lot better than my expensive Garmin Montana, which is wildly inaccurate and full of bugs.

All Garmin's come full of bugs out of the gate. It's the corporate philosophy. You un/knowingly signed on to be a beta tester with your purchase.

2.7k · July 15, 2011

I do like the NFC thing that Android is pioneering though!
I'll bite . . . why?

As a wallet replacement? What compelling features do you envision?

Thanks

Absolutely! I like the idea of using my phone to buy everyday things. Some of the systems I have seen will email you a receipt too - handy for spotting account fraud quickly (assuming you have the email copied to an account that un isn't right there on the phone for the bad guy to delete)

I use PayPass all the time, and I use Key Ring instead of carrying 20 loyalty cards at the moment.

But the big thing for me is that two way communication with ME for fraud spotting at transaction time.

It is going to be interesting for sure. Too bad Apple is not (rumored) putting it in iPhone 5 ... So they basically gave that market to Google!

1.9k · July 15, 2011

Absolutely! I like the idea of using my phone to buy everyday things. Some of the systems I have seen will email you a receipt too - handy for spotting account fraud quickly (assuming you have the email copied to an account that un isn't right there on the phone for the bad guy to delete)

I use PayPass all the time, and I use Key Ring instead of carrying 20 loyalty cards at the moment.

But the big thing for me is that two way communication with ME for fraud spotting at transaction time.

It is going to be interesting for sure. Too bad Apple is not (rumored) putting it in iPhone 5 ... So they basically gave that market to Google!

Okay, so you're light years ahead of me. Never heard of either Paypass or KeyRing (Google found both). I only carry one loyalty card and it's 20-years old. Every time I'm offered another, I refuse, too little use, too much space in the wallet.

I don't own a smart phone (I could easily see getting one except for the data fees.), but I'll bet you still carry a wallet.

Still, thanks for the reply from a dinosaur.

July 26, 2011

Thank everyone for an interesting and informative discussion. After looking at a few phone models, I decided that neither was for me. I almost bought an iPad, instead, until I realized that it does not have a USB port. The Toshiba Thrive is so equipped and I bought one. I plan to use it in conjunction with my Garmin Oregon and hope that this will work out.

July 29, 2011

I am a huge iPhone fan. The iPhone 4 has a great GPS and is on par with my Oregon 450 at all times. The other advantage is the list of great apps like Geosphere, GeoBucket, and the official iPhone app. On the Android side I'm sure they have some great apps but the huge question is GPS accuracy. Since multiple companies make them there is no standard for the GPS inside and I have seen various results. Some seem better than others but I have not seen any yet that get better accuracy than the iPhone 4.

I use my iPhone 4 for almost every cache now. I keep my sportrak as backup.

Of course - android vs. Iphone arguments are a lot like Chevy vs Ford. Everyone has a stubborn opinion...

I'm not against android, I just had iPhone first, and I not going to switch and have to buy all the apps again, for pretty much the same product.

iPhone vs Android

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