[General Topics] JAguirre1231:
Note: I use Android, so if it sounds like I am biased, it's because I am (Although I tried to stay unbias). I removed some categories because I felt that either I did not know the answer (Rare) or that I didn't feel like taking the time to write one up. These are NOT definitive answers based on potential, this is purely from stock functionality (With touches on their equivalent of being rooted sometimes). Why did I do a stock comparison? This because 1) That's what most people will use and 2) The limits of both OS' when rooted/jailbroken are almost non-existent

- Cut and paste design

iPhone: Hold over text, magnifying glass comes up, release to get the two bars then drag them to copy. This is pretty straight-forward.

Android: Method 1- Hold on text entry place, then choose "Select All" or "select Text"

Method 2- If your device has a keyboard, hold the shift button and select text (Works in most places)

Method 3 (Limited to 2.1 sense Users)- Same as iPhone, but it has a few more options than cut, copy, paste.

- Multitasking design

iPhone; Currently not available for stock and I have no experience of it with a kailbroken iPhone

Android: Android multi-tasks without tweaking. It can hold as many app in memory as RAM allows (It will only kill processes when the processes kill themselves or when it runs out of memory, in which case it kills the oldest ones). To see a list of RECENTLY running processes, hold the home button. This will bring up a list of the last 6 used (Obviously it's not practical to show the 50 or so the Nexus can have running at the same time).

- hardware button design

iPhone: Home button which is multi-functional (Home, Double tap will have different functions depending on users choice/firmware), (Camera Button?), Volume Rocker, and Sleep/Wake Button.

Android: All Android phones MUST include at least a Home Button (also multi-functional, but not as much so), a Menu Button, a Back Button, and as far as I know an End Call Button. They also usually include a camera button and a volume rocker.

- multimedia capabilities

Not quite sure what we want here, but if it is how the experience is, the iPhone wins pretty heavily. Android can do the same exact things, but it looks ugly while doing it. Sense Users have the best form of Music app in Htc Music, but I'll try to stick to stock for now.

- Storage capability

iPhone: Whichever size you buy is what you're stuck with for life (16 or 32gb in 3GS)

Android: Normally have limited internal memory (Action of phone manufacturer) which means many apps may not be installed (Not a problem as most Android apps are under 1mb). Sdcards are used, give an "unlimited" amount of external storage.

- Processor and graphic capability

iPhone: Pretty sure it's 600 mhz, correct me if wrong

Android: So far we're at 1ghz, need I say more?

- Market place

iPhone: Don't own one so someone else will need to cover this

Android: Mention what you need to know and one of us Android users will tell you.

- Application software

Not quite sure what we mean by this.

- Vendor support

Both operating systems is for as long as the hardware capabilities don't force them to stop supporting it.

- Firmware upgrade

iPhone: Upgrade through iTunes, you may not get all features in the firmware update.

Android: OTA updates, if you're getting the update you usually get everything in it.

- Battery life and design

iPhone: No removable battery, and from what I've heard, battery life sucks.

Android: Removable Batteries, from what I've heard, the Nexus can go a day and a half no problem. The Nexus is thinner than iPhone, has a bigger screen, looks sexy but the iPhone would win in this department (But the plastic backs kind of kill it on the iPhone for me)

- Best GPS software (I feel that this is important enough to warrant distinct segregation)

iPhone: Third-Party apps, not sure which is best

Android: The Google Navigation is by far the best I have ever used

- Theme and UI customization capabiilty

iPhone: Out of the box, you can change the lockscreen wallpaper and move icons around.

Android: Wallpaper, Homescreens, can replace anything if you don't like it (Most apps will allow you to use that instead of the stock app equivalent).

- User interface of applications:

iPhone: In my opinion, they are all a little stale because they use the SAME exact interface (But that's the point of a user interface).They use the bar at top, bar at bottom for navigation, it's all equivalent to the stock apps

Android: They vary a little more in UI but they all are the same on thie inside. Press Menu to view options, they all have the grey bar (Mostly because this is integrated into the Android framework)

- User interface of desktop/sprinboard/program launcher/widget/task switcher

iPhone:

Android:

- Notification handling

iPhone: Annoying popups, 'nuf said

Android: Status bar, pull down to see all notifications

- Best web browsing application

Not really a fair comparison as iPhone has two (Opera or Safari)

- Global search

iPhone: Can search all device files from homescreen

Android: Same as iPhone but the web search is also integrated

- Speech recognition

iPhone: Voice Over, For Music and...? purposes

Android: Voice Search by holding the search button, Voice Dialer by holding send button, voice keyboard in all text entry fields

- Side loading of applications

Clarification?

- File Management and Access

iPhone: Not sure

Android: Have full access to the all partitions other than the system partition (AFAIK) without root.