Comment by majorlazer | Hacker News Reader

Comment by majorlazer | Hacker News Reader

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Where did you get this idea that Android is more affordable? Compare similar spec'd Android devices to the iPhone and they cost just as much as, if not more, than the iPhone.

Example: iPhone 4s 16gb AT&T - $150 subsidized HTC One X AT&T - $200 subsidized

Sure, there are cheaper Android phones, but there are also cheaper iPhones (3gs/4).

Believe it or not, there are real Android fans. I used to be one, not so much anymore. The carriers and manufacturers have ruined it with their delayed updates, bloatware, and modifications to the UI.

If Apple raised the iPhone screen to at least 4", I would consider getting one. If Microsoft released a WP7 device with good specs, I would get that. But at the moment, Android has the best balance of hardware and software.

Sure similar specced phones cost similar amounts, but with Android I can choose slightly lesser specs a lot less money in a way I can't the iPhone. Even the cheapest iPhone they still sell (3gs 8GB) is $100 more than some pretty good Android phones like the HTC One V, Samsung S plus or Sony Xperia Arc S and 3 times the price (unlocked) of a cheap Android phone (for example a Samsung Galaxy Mini or Galaxy Y or ZTE Blade). And when I buy an unlocked phone I don't get screwed on the contract, saving me even more money in the long run. Sure those cheap phones are technically not as good as the iPhone, but they're still fully functional smart phones that do everything many people need and want.

The 3gs is actually free with a 2-year contract.

I understand where you're coming from, and I'm not denying the fact that Android offers a wider range of devices in different price ranges. I just don't like this concept that many people seem to have stuck in their heads: iPhone = expensive. Android = cheap. All of the high-end phones are expensive, and high-end phones are what we should compare when talking about Android vs iOS because they are in the same price range.

So yes, there most definitely are Android fans out there, but they are most likely using a high-end Android device and not one of the cheap handsets that you couldn't pay me to use.

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