Are you thinking of giving up your iPhone for one of the new slick Android phones? If so, go with one of the new powerhouse Droid Smartphones. You will wonder why you waited so long to switch. I suggest going for a 4-inch or 4.3-inch LCD, a 1GHz or greater processor, and a high-resolution screen. That way you will know you have upgraded from the iPhone rather than settling for something less. Make sure it runs on at least the Android 2.2 OS and is Adobe Flash friendly. That is one of my main objections to the iPhoneit doesnt support Adobe Flash. There are many websites out there that use Flash, and the iPhone doesnt cut it. The HTC Inspire 4G on AT&T, the Samsung Galaxy S 4G for T-Mobile, the HTC EVO 4G for Sprint, and the Motorola Droid X or HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon are all great choices.
Change your home screen. Unlike the iPhone, the Android Smartphones are all capable of customizing the home screen. Dont just use the standard icons and widgets that come with the phone. Instead, put your favorites on the front screen. Its really easy to do. All you have to do is touch a blank spot on the screen and hold it there for a moment. A dialog box pops up and asks what you want to put there. You simply choose your favorites and voila! You have a customized screen. You can also change the background image easily.
Take advantage of the cloud server. The Google Cloud Server is used for Gmail, Google Docs, Google Contacts, etc. It is so handy to be able to access all your contacts on your computer as well as your Droid phone, without having to plug into your computer to sync up the device. And speaking of syncing, with the Android OS you are not tied to just iTunes to transfer files as you are with the iPhone. On the Droid phones you can swap out a microSD card, drag and drop using the USB connection, or use wireless syncing with Double Twist (another app). If you have lots of music in your iTunes, you will need to download the iTunes Plus (unprotected) to move them over to the Droid phone, but then its smooth.
One of the drawbacks to the Droid is the battery life. However there are ways to work around that. I downloaded an app called Advanced App Killer that lets me choose which apps are running in the background. Another tip is to disable the GPS unless you need to use it. Searching for Wi-Fi also drains the battery, so unless you are going to be using the Wi-Fi at a Hot-Spot, turn it off. You can always access it just by touching the widget on the home screen. The other plus to having an Android Smartphone is that most of them have the option of buying an extended battery. The iPhone wont even let you change batteries yourself. You have to send it to Apple to have it changed. An extended battery can double the talk time of your Android phone. For example, the HTC Incredible extended battery is 2700mAh while the HTC Incredible battery that came with the phone is only 1300mAh.
Use the free Google Maps GPS Navigation. Not only does it have voice-enabled and turn-by-turn navigation, but according to an article by Jamie Lendino, PC Magazine, you can see animated satellite views, realistic street views of destinations, and a voice input mode that recognizes complex instructions like navigate to the museum with the Picasso exhibit in San Francisco. "
Have a favorite iPhone app? If you browse over to the Android Market, you will most likely find its equivalent theremaybe even for free. In addition, there are tons of apps that will let you give voice commands to your Android phone (and they really work.)
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