Can Android do that? Can iOS do that?

[KevinJS]

Had this idea for a thread comparing the mobile operating systems. The idea behind this one is to describe something for which you use your mobile device, and then for users of alternative operating systems to describe how they would do it on the other system. Although only iOS and Android are mentioned, it can be expanded to include Windows when MS decide to show their hand.

First, the rules. This forum gets more than it's fair share of requests for Flash. Flash is off-topic for the purposes of this thread. Second, no flame wars. I dont care which devices are better. I'm interested in how they compare to each other in the real world. This thread is intended to become a useful resource for people who are considering the purchase of a mobile device, not a place to attempt to batter your ideological opponents in the tablet wars. There are places for that. This is not one of them..

Posting guidelines. Describe a scenario in which you use your mobile device. The last sentence should be "Can Android/iOS do that?" This will identify the statements. To answer a statement, PLEASE QUOTE IT in every case so that readers can see the statement and response in the same post. Unless you want to make a very strong point, please don't use this thread for any other discussions about the relative merits of the operating systems. Any apps that you use can be mentioned by name, preferably including the current price, and links can be supplied to the app store or iTunes store. Unfortunately, since the forum does not allow external links, we cannot allow links to other app stores.

So describe a scenario in which you have used, either singly or in combination, your mobile devices, and let's see how other people manage to do the same thing. I'll get the ball rolling in the next post.

 

[KevinJS]

I use only iOS devices.

My son called me from his iPod touch, using HeyTell (free from the app store) to ask if I could buy a game for him. I installed it on my iPhone 4 and, 1000 kilometres away, the game automatically installed on his iPod, several days before I could have done it manually. Can Android do that?

 

[zphone]

I've been a blackberry user for a long time before my iPhone. One thing I really loved about blackberry was email. One thing I miss on the stock iPhone is the ability to make rules that look at email content like who it's from or a keyword in the subject or body and then do something like notify me with a special sound when those rules get triggered.

I am wondering if other people have found option to do this on either iPhone or Android? Can either do that?

 

[KevinJS]

I've been a blackberry user for a long time before my iPhone. One thing I really loved about blackberry was email. One thing I miss on the stock iPhone is the ability to make rules that look at email content like who it's from or a keyword in the subject or body and then do something like notify me with a special sound when those rules get triggered.

I am wondering if other people have found option to do this on either iPhone or Android? Can either do that?

Thanks for that, zphone. As far as I know, it is not possible to do anything like setting up email rules using iOS. Email on iOS is pretty basic. Maybe in a future version of the OS, Apple will address this point.

 

[biobunny]

Be the creation of one of the most awesome forums in the world, can Blackberry do that?

Sent from K48

 

[zphone]

Be the creation of one of the most awesome forums in the world, can Blackberry do that?

Sent from K48

Crackberry.com - was on that way before finding this place ;-) however this is a very awesome forum.

 

[AQ_OC]

I've been a blackberry user for a long time before my iPhone. One thing I really loved about blackberry was email. One thing I miss on the stock iPhone is the ability to make rules that look at email content like who it's from or a keyword in the subject or body and then do something like notify me with a special sound when those rules get triggered.

I am wondering if other people have found option to do this on either iPhone or Android? Can either do that?

Yes. Almost the same way as you'd do it on iOS...if both devices are on the same account, both devices can download the app. He might have to trigger the download, but I can't remember right now for sure, but Android does have some mode of automatic downloads. I have and Droid phone (not in active use as a phone), but the still functions as an Android device) and tablet, and if the apps work on both devices then both can get the app.

 

[AQ_OC]

Kevin,

Do the questions have to concern the OS or can they be app related? I have a burning need to get a certain feature on iOS that I had on Android...I think I might have to JB my iPhone to get it....and this is a need that I might be driven to address if there is no straightforward work around.

 

[zphone]

Kevin,

Do the questions have to concern the OS or can they be app related? I have a burning need to get a certain feature on iOS that I had on Android...I think I might have to JB my iPhone to get it....and this is a need that I might be driven to address if there is no straightforward work around.

I think in your answer to my post above you answered Kevin's question.

However, why don't you post your app question and if Kevin disagrees he can delete it now that you have piqued my interest.

 

[KevinJS]

Kevin,

Do the questions have to concern the OS or can they be app related? I have a burning need to get a certain feature on iOS that I had on Android...I think I might have to JB my iPhone to get it....and this is a need that I might be driven to address if there is no straightforward work around.

This is exactly what the thread is intended to address. If an app exists that enables Android to do something, and doesn't appear to exist for iOS, I'd like to see it in this thread. Who knows, maybe app developers will read it here, and do something about it.

 

[Midranger4]

I've been a blackberry user for a long time before my iPhone. One thing I really loved about blackberry was email. One thing I miss on the stock iPhone is the ability to make rules that look at email content like who it's from or a keyword in the subject or body and then do something like notify me with a special sound when those rules get triggered.

I am wondering if other people have found option to do this on either iPhone or Android? Can either do that?

I miss this feature very much and tried very hard on both an android phone and an iPhone to replicate the feature.

In essence it is the ability to create a white list of contacts and assign rules and alerts to them as a group or individually then invoke the white list rules as a do not disturb type profile. Only family and critical business contacts defined to the white list would result in my phone making me aware someone is trying to reach me when the profile was made active.

As zphone asks......can either iOS or Android do this or is it a function only RIM has?

 

[AQ_OC]

My situation is really about iPhone, not iPad, but typically the apps are quite the same.

On Android, I had an app called Mr. Number. This little app would block all calls from numbers not in my contacts, or would send them immediately to voice mail. And it would block text messages from numbers not in my contacts. Right now, on my 4S with iOS 5.1, I'm running naked and people are calling leaving long messages on my voicemail or sending me stupid text messages, as if I would ever buy or use any product that came to me this way. I can only block 5 numbers on Verizon, without paying them more. And it doesn't even matter because the numbers are always changing. I have already blocked texts coming from an email address or web.

This is driving me batty. If I can't find an app to fix this, then I'm going to have to go for the jail break. I seem to recall seeing such an app for JB'ed iPhone in some ad posted on the Hardware forum.

 

[Darkstar2007]

My situation is really about iPhone, not iPad, but typically the apps are quite the same.

On Android, I had an app called Mr. Number. This little app would block all calls from numbers not in my contacts, or would send them immediately to voice mail. And it would block text messages from numbers not in my contacts. Right now, on my 4S with iOS 5.1, I'm running naked and people are calling leaving long messages on my voicemail or sending me stupid text messages, as if I would ever buy or use any product that came to me this way. I can only block 5 numbers on Verizon, without paying them more. And it doesn't even matter because the numbers are always changing. I have already blocked texts coming from an email address or web.

This is driving me batty. If I can't find an app to fix this, then I'm going to have to go for the jail break. I seem to recall seeing such an app for JB'ed iPhone in some ad posted on the Hardware forum.

The jailbroken app your referring to is "iBlacklist".

 

[AQ_OC]

The jailbroken app your referring to is "iBlacklist".

Thanks...I have the page to it open in another window..but I'm not convinced it works as I wish it to. I want it to block any number NOT in my contacts, rather than letting me put numbers on a list. No one I know is bugging me, just those people who think they can make a living by cold calling or cold texting me.

 

[Darkstar2007]

Thanks...I have the page to it open in another window..but I'm not convinced it works as I wish it to. I want it to block any number NOT in my contacts, rather than letting me put numbers on a list. No one I know is bugging me, just those people who think they can make a living by cold calling or cold texting me.

It's been a while since I've had the app, but you might be right.
It could either be a breeze, or a headache to manually add the numbers to that list. Depending on how many contacts you have.