Best smart phone OS for tickets and tracking?

[DD12]

I am looking to buy my first-ever smart-phone, and would like to know which is the best operating system for us enthusiasts, please ??

 

[Bletchleyite]

I am looking to buy my first-ever smart-phone, and would like to know which is the best operating system for us enthusiasts, please ??

Use both (plus the customised Android implementations which can be quite different like Samsung) and see which you prefer is the only sensible answer to this.

Both iOS and Android offer what you're looking for. I personally quite like Apple Wallet for e-tickets, but Google Wallet is gaining prominence.

 

[DD12]

Use both (plus the customised Android implementations which can be quite different like Samsung) and see which you prefer is the only sensible answer to this.

Both iOS and Android offer what you're looking for. I personally quite like Apple Wallet for e-tickets, but Google Wallet is gaining prominence.

Thank you v.much Bletchleyite.

 

[py_megapixel]

As Bletchleyite says it basically doesn't matter. It's really a matter of personal preference. The difference is quite hard to describe - I suppose the best way of putting it is that iOS is a little more prescriptive in how you use it, which is either helpful or annoying depending on your disposition. There's also a lot of variation in different manufacturers' versions of Android, though you'll have no difficulty moving between them as they all have the same basic features and all run apps from the Google Play Store.

I use Android mostly, and if you are unsure, it probably doesn't make sense to buy an iPhone as your first smartphone unless you have a specific reason to - simply because they are comparatively quite expensive, and you may decide you don't like having a smartphone - but there's nothing fundamentally wrong with them.

Here are some more specific thoughts:

Pros for Android:

• If you buy e-tickets they are emailed to you as PDFs, and I find it's easier to organise these well on Android as the file management is less locked down.
• Transferring files back and forth between the phone and a computer is straightforward as you can just plug into the computer with a standard cable. This comes in handy if you want to take photos while trainspotting and then view them later on a laptop, for example, but is probably irrelevant otherwise.
• The phones themselves are generally cheaper for what you get and there is plenty of choice, so you can try it out with less of an initial investment. A range of brands and styles are available.
• Some people feel Android is easier/less confusing to use than iOS.

Pros for iOS:

• Apple Wallet is better supported for tickets than Google - but support is by no means universal for either, and you don't need a wallet app to display them, most people just show in the train company's app or as a PDF.
• If you already have Apple devices (e.g. an iPad or Mac) or use Apple services such as iCloud (which is much better than Google Drive on Android for backup/sync!) or Apple Music, it integrates nicely with those
• Some people feel iOS is easier/less confusing to use than Android.

Sites like Realtimetrains, as well as train company apps, work fine on either and you won't really be able to tell the difference.

One thing worth nothing is that if you choose to purchase apps on one platform and then you want to switch to the other one, you'll have to buy them again - whereas if you switch to another phone with the same OS (even if by a different manufacturer in the case of Android) you can keep them.

Also, some Android manufacturers have a reputation for not providing software updates for as long as Apple. This can be avoided by buying a phone which runs "Android One". Samsung are reasonably good now as well.

 

[DD12]

As Bletchleyite says it basically doesn't matter. It's really a matter of personal preference. The difference is quite hard to describe - I suppose the best way of putting it is that iOS is a little more prescriptive in how you use it, which is either helpful or annoying depending on your disposition. There's also a lot of variation in different manufacturers' versions of Android, though you'll have no difficulty moving between them as they all have the same basic features and all run apps from the Google Play Store.

I use Android mostly, and if you are unsure, it probably doesn't make sense to buy an iPhone as your first smartphone unless you have a specific reason to - simply because they are comparatively quite expensive, and you may decide you don't like having a smartphone - but there's nothing fundamentally wrong with them.

Here are some more specific thoughts:

Pros for Android:

• If you buy e-tickets they are emailed to you as PDFs, and I find it's easier to organise these well on Android as the file management is less locked down.
• Transferring files back and forth between the phone and a computer is straightforward as you can just plug into the computer with a standard cable. This comes in handy if you want to take photos while trainspotting and then view them later on a laptop, for example, but is probably irrelevant otherwise.
• The phones themselves are generally cheaper for what you get and there is plenty of choice, so you can try it out with less of an initial investment. A range of brands and styles are available.
• Some people feel Android is easier/less confusing to use than iOS.

Pros for iOS:

• Apple Wallet is better supported for tickets than Google - but support is by no means universal for either, and you don't need a wallet app to display them, most people just show in the train company's app or as a PDF.
• If you already have Apple devices (e.g. an iPad or Mac) or use Apple services such as iCloud (which is much better than Google Drive on Android for backup/sync!) or Apple Music, it integrates nicely with those
• Some people feel iOS is easier/less confusing to use than Android.

Sites like Realtimetrains, as well as train company apps, work fine on either and you won't really be able to tell the difference.

One thing worth nothing is that if you choose to purchase apps on one platform and then you want to switch to the other one, you'll have to buy them again - whereas if you switch to another phone with the same OS (even if by a different manufacturer in the case of Android) you can keep them.

Also, some Android manufacturers have a reputation for not providing software updates for as long as Apple. This can be avoided by buying a phone which runs "Android One". Samsung are reasonably good now as well.

Wow !! - thanks very much py_megapixel, - plenty to think about there !!

 

[GusB]

Before even taking the operating system into account, I'd want to make sure that the phone I was buying has a decent battery capacity, especially if you're going to be out and about for a fair amount of time without access to a mains charger; I've found that USB charging ports on public transport tend not to give as much oomph. With my previous phone I was very wary about using e-tickets because the battery life was so poor, to the extent that I had to take a powerbank with me to make sure that my phone wouldn't die before I got home.

You should obviously do your own research, but I've recently bought a Moto G22 and I'm more than happy with the battery life. It'll easily go for a couple of days without needing to be recharged. It wasn't all that expensive to purchase outright, either (I bought mine for £129.99 directly from Motorola).

I've never had an iPhone, so I can't make a comparison between the two systems.

 

[scosutsut]

I'd say that the assessments offered by everyone are spot on. I can't think of many cases where an iOS app will exist for something, and an Android one doesn't, or vice versa when it comes to thing like transport and ticketing apps so I would recommend your choice being based on price and preference. Market share for both in the UK is so significant it generally forces app makers to make sure they have both.

I personally prefer Android, as an outright preference because I can customise my experience but also as there are multi price points in reasonable territory, which can't be easily said for iPhones.

Additionally, features often popularised by iPhone generally exist on Android for years prior. NFC/Contactless, Wireless Charging, Genuinely High Resolution Screens, Widgets to name but a few.

 

[DD12]

I'd say that the assessments offered by everyone are spot on. I can't think of many cases where an iOS app will exist for something, and an Android one doesn't, or vice versa when it comes to thing like transport and ticketing apps so I would recommend your choice being based on price and preference. Market share for both in the UK is so significant it generally forces app makers to make sure they have both.

I personally prefer Android, as an outright preference because I can customise my experience but also as there are multi price points in reasonable territory, which can't be easily said for iPhones.

Additionally, features often popularised by iPhone generally exist on Android for years prior. NFC/Contactless, Wireless Charging, Genuinely High Resolution Screens, Widgets to name but a few.

Thanks everyone for all that useful info !!