First I want to say that I want this thread to be fact-based only, please leave fan biases at the door. We should be analyzing and discussing valid points and criticisms only. I'm a complete Android fan, it's the only platform I've ever purchased, and these opinions are coming from honest viewpoints after using and dealing with several devices.
Basically, after years of talking up the benefits of Android and disliking most anything Apple, I'm half-considering selling my remaining Android devices and just totally switching. I keep expecting the platform to get better, and yet it really doesn't. It's like Google just doesn't get it and is lost in the woods.
Let's look at 10" tablets. It took them 2 1/2 years to come out with a semi-respectable iPad competitor (Nexus 10). I bought it and thought, great, this will be the perfect tablet, with its performance, resolution, and speakers. A year has passed, and what do we have? The KitKat update for the N10 is an abomination. Most features didn't make the cut - transparent bars, ART, GEL, etc. This tablet is ONE year old and it's already getting a very cut-down update. The Settings app has lost its two-pane layout in favor of the phone layout, going against Google's own tablet design guidelines. Chrome is still awful - constant reboots, slow loading, choppy scrolling. This is Chrome 31 on Android 4.4! And we still have not progressed out of the dark ages. News of a new N10 is currently dark. It feels like Google is abandoning this product segment.
Next: phone. After using a Galaxy Nexus and loving stock Android, I immediately bought a Nexus 5 when it came out. Unfortunately after all this time has passed, most of the issues with the GNex are still not resolved. The only thing the phone has going for it is its speed. The camera is not better and maybe even worse. It will plow through the battery just taking a few pics. Battery life on the whole is unimpressive - maybe 3 hours screen time, the same I could achieve with the GNex. All in all, the things I cared about upgrading the most besides performance are not really upgraded at all. I feel constantly frustrated and reaching for the nearest iPhone instead when I want to take a quick picture and have it come out well, or browse the web without worrying about destroying my battery. Chrome is still bad. It will reload pages every time I come back to the app, even if I only had one tab open, and even with 2 GB RAM. How does Google screw this up so badly? My two year old GNex with the AOSP browser doesn't do this. What exactly did I get for $400? A slight speed upgrade, that is all.
TV: I'll keep this one short. I tried a Google TV, it was awful. Immediately replaced it with a Roku. Chromecast has been out since summer and the SDK is still not public - devs are still unsure what they'll be able to do with it.
In summary: I love Android, I want to see it be successful, but it seems Google's vision and/or engineering are simply lacking. At this point I'm wondering what reasons there are to stick with either of these devices, or to buy new ones, instead of just giving up and getting an iPhone and iPad.
Again - please leave biases at the door, and stick to valid points and criticisms! Would really appreciate any honest input or things I may be missing.
Basically, after years of talking up the benefits of Android and disliking most anything Apple, I'm half-considering selling my remaining Android devices and just totally switching. I keep expecting the platform to get better, and yet it really doesn't. It's like Google just doesn't get it and is lost in the woods.
Let's look at 10" tablets. It took them 2 1/2 years to come out with a semi-respectable iPad competitor (Nexus 10). I bought it and thought, great, this will be the perfect tablet, with its performance, resolution, and speakers. A year has passed, and what do we have? The KitKat update for the N10 is an abomination. Most features didn't make the cut - transparent bars, ART, GEL, etc. This tablet is ONE year old and it's already getting a very cut-down update. The Settings app has lost its two-pane layout in favor of the phone layout, going against Google's own tablet design guidelines. Chrome is still awful - constant reboots, slow loading, choppy scrolling. This is Chrome 31 on Android 4.4! And we still have not progressed out of the dark ages. News of a new N10 is currently dark. It feels like Google is abandoning this product segment.
Next: phone. After using a Galaxy Nexus and loving stock Android, I immediately bought a Nexus 5 when it came out. Unfortunately after all this time has passed, most of the issues with the GNex are still not resolved. The only thing the phone has going for it is its speed. The camera is not better and maybe even worse. It will plow through the battery just taking a few pics. Battery life on the whole is unimpressive - maybe 3 hours screen time, the same I could achieve with the GNex. All in all, the things I cared about upgrading the most besides performance are not really upgraded at all. I feel constantly frustrated and reaching for the nearest iPhone instead when I want to take a quick picture and have it come out well, or browse the web without worrying about destroying my battery. Chrome is still bad. It will reload pages every time I come back to the app, even if I only had one tab open, and even with 2 GB RAM. How does Google screw this up so badly? My two year old GNex with the AOSP browser doesn't do this. What exactly did I get for $400? A slight speed upgrade, that is all.
TV: I'll keep this one short. I tried a Google TV, it was awful. Immediately replaced it with a Roku. Chromecast has been out since summer and the SDK is still not public - devs are still unsure what they'll be able to do with it.
In summary: I love Android, I want to see it be successful, but it seems Google's vision and/or engineering are simply lacking. At this point I'm wondering what reasons there are to stick with either of these devices, or to buy new ones, instead of just giving up and getting an iPhone and iPad.
Again - please leave biases at the door, and stick to valid points and criticisms! Would really appreciate any honest input or things I may be missing.