My thoughts...

Think before you buy

My issues with the Android OS is continuing. Wifi is unable to provide a trouble free performance. Just wondering at many messages saying Android is a superior operating system. If some one asks me, I will tell this is crap. This is the worst performing OS i have ever seen (after Symbian). The scrolling is not as smooth as iPhone, there are bugs every where in the software. I think our beloved Google has lost count on the number of bugs Android is having. Will be using this phone for a couple of months, before listing it on eBay.

Just laughed a lot yesterday, when a hardcore Android fan sent me a message saying that this is a long resolved issue. Come on, how can a long resolved issue be there in the Android phone i bought two weeks back with factory loaded Android Froyo 2.2? You must support your favorite OS, but must accept the demerits of the same.

Yesterday read the latest issue of Stuff and was really amused at how they were going on explaining the merits of Android OS over iOS. Infact, after reading many reviews and articles, I went and bought the new Dell Streak running factory loaded Android Froyo 2.2 two weeks back. I was using iphone 3GS for the last 1 year and pretty much satisfied with its performance. But gave it up to experience the so called superior OS – Android.

Buy Android and face "no solution yet" issues

After I bought Android, I started to realize the demerits of that OS over iphone OS. The first and foremost issue that started annoying me was related to WIFI. Googling the same provided some insights into that issue. A million more people are also affected by the wifi issues starting from Android 1.4. I initially thought this was a problem with Streak. But reading forum after forum, blog after blog I came to the conclusion that this issue is not unique to streak. Even Nexus one, Droid, Samsung galaxy and galaxy tab, all are having the same issue. Dell is purposefully taking out the wifi issue related complaint I raised in the forum – may be because I raised the issue in the US forum and am located in UAE.

If wifi was my problem, another group was having issue like phone freezing soon after getting a call or sms. Some having problem with Bluetooth, some with applications crashing. My wifi issue was strange. Even if my default connection is there, android will go on searching for the network and finally disconnects itself. The Default connection status will be "disabled" or "disconnected". You can check the same in the youtube video  (caught with my iphone). 

Every time after wakeup (phone waking up from sleep mode), the connection with the default connection will be disabled in spite of whatever you set in the wifi sleep policy menu.

No idea why Google is not providing bug fixes. I saw many work arounds in the google android market. From many forums I learned that many people are cashing in on this bug by providing fixes – some work, some wont. Thank god, only free applications are available in the android market in UAE. Else I would have spent more money buying fixes. Google is going on developing new  versions of existing buggy OS. I said this because, even after the introduction of 2.2, this issue is not cleared. I can very well say that Android will sure grow in numbers. This is not because the OS is very good and Bug free, but there are phones as cheap as 500dhs running android. So anyone can afford android and they will definitely  go for an android smartphone. However, the bug free environment (I squeeze my iPhone with applications and it has never let me down) and the glitch free performance of iPhone can never be repeated by an Android Phone. I can’t find any issue in iphone software-wise as well as after dropping the phone for almost 6 times.

Android bugs

History repeats – It was microsoft windows with 90% market and we always complained about the bugs in the OS. Still it used to be the number one OS in the market – not because of performance, but because it was cheap to own a windows powered PC/ lap – any next door geek can build you one. But Apple OSX was best – performance wise, but it never came to the top position because not all can afford an apple. Similarly, Android will be the top selling OS even with all the bugs and issues. Because we always tend to forget some problems for a few bucks we save!

Totally disappointed with the performance of Android.