It's still not a F&*$ing iPhone.

a. Maps

We have all heard how the initial launch of Apple Maps was a dismal showing, but I think this is more a story of how awesome Google Maps is. Doing mapping and GPS is really, really hard and Google has it nailed, with better search, better turn-by-turn and a better underlying database. I'd sum it up this way: an Android phone is the best GPS on the planet.

Score: +1 Android

b. Voice Recognition

We've all seen the commercials for Siri, but the reality is the voice recognition on the iPhone is really bad. By comparison the voice recognition on Android hasn't been promoted at all, but it's vastly superior.

Score: +1 Android

c. Open Source

I'm a huge proponent of open source software, so this is a big one for me. It helps us avoid monopolies, which is good for consumers. So I'm going to score this one double.

Score: +2 Android

So far, Android is looking great! ...but we all know this doesn't have a happy ending.

Totals: Android: 4 iPhone: 0

a. Subaru

I drive a Subaru (specifically a 2012 Impreza), and the factory installed bluetooth was built to work with an iPhone. Technically, I can pair it with my Android phone, but every time I restart the engine I have to go through a 6-step manually process of reconnecting my phone that, even with practice takes about 30 seconds. The worst part about this is that my car includes a safety feature that kills the whole process if I am moving. This mean every time I stop (get gas, park, etc.), I have to sit around fiddling with my dials before I can get under way. If I forget to do it before I am moving, I'm stuck without Bluetooth until I hit a long red light or I feel like holding up traffic. I have confirmed that this doesn't happen at all and things work beautifully with an iPhone.

Another, thing that irks me with the integration is that my Subaru is incapable of reading my phone's music when connected via USB. It will read music off a USB stick - even my wife's iPhone - but not an Android phone.

Score: +2 iPhone

b. Airplay

I am a heavy Mac user at home and at work. I have a Macbook as my primary computer and I have a few stereos and an Apple TV that boast Airplay - which allows streaming music/video from your Mac computer OR iPhone. It would be very convenient and satisfying to be able to stream from my Android phone to my Airplay devices, and the good news is that there are now several Android apps designed to do just that. The trouble is that none of them work unless I have rooted my device. WTF?!

Score: +1 iPhone

c. Nike Fuel

Recently I purchased a Nike Fuel band, a little wearable device designed to motivate people into exercising by counting their steps (aka Nike Fuel Points). It's been a pretty good reminder to stay active, which is great and the Nike Fuel Band, unlike some other similar wearable devices allows a Bluetooth connection so you can constantly upload your point status. The trouble is, it only works with an iOS device. That's right. No Android App, and it can't even do it with a computer without being plugged in, so I've been using an iPod Touch I happen to have at my desk.

Score: +1 iPhone

d. iTunes

This is a minor one, but I've been a long time (since 2001) iTunes user. I actually hate the "New" iTunes, but it's still my go-to desktop player because there's nothing better out there. And because it's the go-to for a lot of people, a number of providers like Amazon make purchasing online and syncing with iTunes super easy. Then there is the iTunes Store which syncs your purchases across multiple devices including the Apple TV and any iPads (pretty slick).

Google now has Google Play, which allows purchases similar to iTunes, but it doesn't remember my purchases or app selections across multiple devices. This means I'm stuck downloading all my apps every time I move to a new phone, unless I want to rely on Verizon, Motorolla, Samsung, etc. device sync. No thanks!

Playback may get more fun with Google Chromecast, but it still has a way to go.

Score: + 1 iPhone

e. Google Apps

There are two parts to this: i. the Google client apps (GMail, Calendar, Contacts) and ii. as a company subscriber to Google Apps (the pro version of Gmail), the device+company experience.

1. In my personal opinion, GMail on the iPhone is actually better than GMail on the Google phone. I've never been a big fan of skeuomorphism, so Apple's calendar and contact list have always bugged me - so I'll say Android works on these fronts. No matter what though, both devices are totally functional: I can get my events and contacts into the phone easily, so it's pretty much a wash.

2. The integration with Google Apps with different devices is really the death knell for me. Here's why: my latest phone (the Samsung s4) had it's camera disabled when I hooked it up with my Google account. Yes, that's right. The administrator of my domain (metaltoad.com) has set things so that I cannot use my camera on my phone. This person sounds like a total a--hole, right? The trouble is I am the administrator and I have no idea how to turn this setting off. Not only that, but when an employee at my company goes to hook their Android phone up they see a screen like this:

   

   http://forums.androidcentral.com/droid-razr-maxx/262253-strange-corporate-email-security-warning-after-jb-update.html

   WTF?! "Erase all the phone's data without warning"?! Again, I am the administrator for this domain and I do not want these permissions. For my Android employees this is an epic fail. By comparison, there is no dialog that pops up on an iPhone.

   Score: GMail, Calendar, Contacts: +0 iPhone
   Score: Google Apps: +10 iPhone

   Uh-oh! Things aren't looking so good for Android:

   Totals: Android: 4, iPhone: 15

a. Performance

Despite a number of specs and raw numbers that show Android taking the lead in raw CPU power, etc., iPhone's still offer the best integrated device on the market. Here's a simple, visual comparison between the iPhone 4S, Samsung S3 and the Samsung S4. Look at the differences between the animations that you see across each device.

This performance gap is something mobile developers know all too well, and it's even a bigger divide in the tablet space.

Score: +1 iPhone

b. Design

I'm a bit of design snob^*, and keeping that in mind I have been completely underwhelmed with the graphics that come with the S4 (TouchWiz). It's ugly. I love raw Jellybean, which is no surprise to me given the involvement by Daniel Shiplacoff on the UX side. That said, the only manufacturer I've seen create a beautiful interface is HTC - and of course Google itself. In short, great design is being done in the Android world, but you never know what you are going to get with a particular manufacturer.

* I'm actually a lot of a design snob.

+1 iPhone

Totals: Android: 4, iPhone: 17