Android user and why I bought a 4S

[IMShooter]

I've been an android user from day 1. I like the customization. I like the wide variety of free apps. I like the custom ROMs that devs create. I like the screen size. I like the hardware. I like open source.

What I don't like: The fragmentation of the OS version that is decided by each carrier&manufacturer. (other than nexus devices). Horrid update schedules from both parties. The rapidity with which devices are put out. Your "new" top of the line device becomes obsolete within the first couple of months. Having to root the device to actually get a naked Android OS phone that you can tweak to your heart's content. Although doing this will void your warranty when you brick your phone.

The exception to this rule are the Nexus devices. Pure naked vanilla Android from Google. Great devices. You can customize until your eyes bleed. Updates as soon as Google gets them done.

I'm on ATT. In the town I live in, we have ATT or Verizon. My wife gets a huge discount from ATT due to her work, which makes Verizon about 22% more expensive. Other than the Iphone, the Nexus products are the only other non-carrier controlled pure devices. The Nexus was only coming on Verizon and nobody really knows for how long they'll have exclusivity, let alone if ATT or other carriers will even pick it up. i wanted to go with a pure vanilla phone (without spending 700 for an unlocked Nexus), so my choice was limited to the Iphone for ATT.

Was never an apple fan. Never liked their pricing model and the tight leash on development. Didn't like the attitude of many of the "isheep". didn't like the fact that you had to use iTunes to do anything for your phone. Didn't like that you had to actually pay for most apps and tones.

I started looking at the 4S when I realized the Nexus probably wasn't coming to ATT for a few months, if at all.

I like the hardware of this phone. I don't mind the OS and moving around in it. Some things are very intuitive, some things are a pain. I like that you no longer need iTunes to update your phone and such. The smaller size is new to me, but I'm starting to like it. The camera is sickeningly amazing. The display is awesome. The sound from the built in speakers are better than any of the Android phones I've had. There are tons of accessories for the iPhone. One phone from one company makes it very easy for companies to create stuff.
I like the appstore and iTunes store. I like the call quality, message features, I can see where Siri would be useable instead of a gimmick .

What I don't like: The battery life is horrid. Even after the OS update. I have gps/location services turned off, my brightness is below 50%, my screen turn off setting is as low as it'll go, no cell data on unless i'm not near wifi, no push at all and no weather thing running. Only have 2 notifications on. I still drain battery at a fast rate. I'll charge it to 100% (yes I "conditioned" it), surf the appstore for 1/2 hr or so and my phone will be down to 87%. Go online for a 1/2hr-1hr reading tech forums, below 80%. Not everyone is experiencing this either. But alot of people are.

I'm not a big fan of the apps in the app store. I don't mind paying for an app if I'm going to use it and it's a well made app.

The free apps can be misleading and many of them are created by people that create 4-5dev companies and remarket their stuff with diff names.

In-app purchases need to go also.
Charging for upgrades during a game can be costly. tap zoo charges for little kids anyone? (yes, it is the parents resp. to watch what their kids are doing..but the way this dev did this is just scam).

If an app says it's free, then make it free. I don't want to download it or read the info before downloading to see that you get 2 free levels and then you can pay 9.99 in game for the rest of it!!! just make it a lite version and if I like it, I'll buy the full game.

Not being able to dl ringtones other than directly from the iTunes store. To get ringtones other than the ones that the iTunes store offers, you have to convert the 30sec of tone/music you want to the Apple format and then use iTunes anyway to drop them in the folder that tones go into.

The 3.5" screen is a bit of a pain. Being used to a larger screen makes the eyes a bit strained until you get used to it. But with the Retina display and the ability to double tap the screen to make it fit/word wrap the screen alleviates this a bit.

I had a novel written instead of this novella, but this is just the few things I've noticed since I picked this phone up a few days ago. Need to see what ATT is going to do with future releases. I know on some of their newer phones, you can actually turn off and hide the bloatware. That's a step in the right direction.

[kcw12]

I too am a andriod user. About any phone out there can be rooted and another rom installed.

[IMShooter]

yeah. I'd love android more if it were just pure vanilla android. I've gone through miui, cyanogen, serendipity etc etc...i'm sick of rooting and throwing on a ROM. Just tired of phones not being supported 3months after release, huge wait time for updates (w/o having to root all the time), the amount of phones being spewed out.. If att had the nexus, i'd be all over it. But they don't and probably won't for months.

Will continue to test this iPhone out and see if I still like it close to the 30day mark. So far so good. Not a huge fan of having to make custom ringtones, move it to iTunes and convert it. I hate the in-app upgrade !!!! that goes on.
Kind of used to the smaller screen size now. Double tap on the screen to word wrap webpages is nice.
Kind of weird being in the Apple "ecosystem". Been using Android since the Backflip days and being used to Open Source OS for my pc.

when the jailbreak comes out for the 4s i'll give that a whirl and see what it can do and what Cydia has to offer.