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Thinking of going over to Android (Galaxy S4)...a few questions. (Read 102 times)

mab411


Proboscis Colossus

    Contract's about up on the iPhone 4S/AT&T situation I've got going here.  Thinking about jumping ship to an Android phone for my next one (and over to Verizon while I'm at it, but that's a different thread).  I'd almost certainly be getting the Samsung S4 if I did, and I have a few questions about how certain things work with Android in general, and that phone in specific:

     

    1.  For all the problems with iTunes, I do like that it's so tightly integrated with iOS and therefore is a fairly reliable way of getting media organized and on the phone.  Is there an analogous program for Android/Samsung?  And an easy way to get my current music library converted to whatever format it needs?

     

    2.  Sort of along the same lines, what about podcasts?  I currently get all of my podcasts through iTunes.  I know there are other ways out there of importing them and getting them on my iPhone, but I've never had the need to go outside of Apple for the ones I listen to.  What do Android users generally use to get such content loaded?

     

    3.  What format does the Samsung use in recording videos and photos?  And what is the best way to display those files on a TV?

     

    4.  I assume I can import my contacts and calendar into my Gmail account and from there, it's a simple matter to put them on the new phone, but after following the instructions I found in this article, I'm not seeing either when I go to my Google account.  Is this as easy as that article makes it out to be, or is there some common mistake I might be making (I know this question may not be answerable without having my phone and account in front of you)?

    "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

      I don't have a Samsung but I'm a longtime Android user.

       

      For music I use Amazon--super easy. You can also use Google Play but I've been using Amazon for a long time and don't see a reason to switch.

       

      I don't listen to a lot of Podcasts but there are a ton of apps out there.

       

      Not sure about samsung but my Moto records video in mp4 and photos in jpg.

       

      The whole concept of "getting contacts on your phone" goes away with Android. If they are in Gmail, once you put in your google username and password on your phone *poof* all your contacts and calendar items are on your phone.

      Runners run


      Feeling the growl again

        Make sure you will really use the features of the S4 vs the S3.  I looked at both and went with the S3; most of the "features" were not really valuable changes (to me).

         

        Also, the S4 is about the biggest phone out there.  I can almost guarantee there will be times you won't like having it in your pocket.  The S3 is smaller and I would positively not go with anything any bigger, myself.  But I don't watch video on my phone.

        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

         

        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

         

        TJoseph


          I use Doubletwist to sync my iTunes music with my Android phone.  I don't listen to podcasts, but Doubletwist should work for that too.  If your iTunes music has DRM, then you need to remove that before it will sync.  I don't have an S4, but it will probably be my next phone after I get over the cost of my daughter's wedding in September.  I understand what spaniel is saying about the features, but my take is that if you are buying the phone with a two year contract then it is better to get the latest model because the price difference is very small and you may want those features in the next two years.

           

          MTA:  I like the larger phones.  I don't watch videos on it, but my eyes are getting old.  The new phones are thinner than the phones from just a couple of years ago so they really don't feel bigger in your pocket.  I use a bluetooth headset most of the time when talking on it, so I am not usually holding it to my ear.

           

          MTA2: You can also sync music to your phone with Windows Media Player.


          Feeling the growl again

            As for music...haven't updated my new phone yet but on my Galaxy S I used the RocketPlayer app so I could co-opt my wife's iTunes music.  It worked just fine.

            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

             

            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

             

            mab411


            Proboscis Colossus

              Cool, thanks for the comments so far.

               

              Mikeymike...you say you use "Amazon" for your music...are you talking about the Amazon Cloud Player, the one I have on my iPhone?  If so, are you streaming from your Amazon MP3 account, or using it to download the music to your phone, or is there a way to use it to transfer non-Amazon MP3 account music to the phone?  And that is cool about your Gmail account contacts "magically" appearing on your new Android phone.  That's one of the reasons I'm considering the switch.  Yeah, iCloud...but it just seems like Google is a little more flexible/portable with the information in your account.  If I could just get the contacts/calendar in there...

               

              spaniel, that is a good point about features and size.  On the first point, I tend to think like Tjoseph, although in addition to features (some of which I think I actually would like on the S4), I also take into consideration performance (processor speed, display etc.).  If I'm theoretically going to be stuck with a phone for two years, it's worth an extra C-note to me to be a year further along in the technology cycle.  Size would definitely be something I'd need to consider, though, and I would certainly spend some time in the store handling one before purchase.

               

              Tjoseph, do I understand correctly that you still use iTunes to manage content on your computer, and then this Doubletwist program gets it on the phone for you?  Is it also an app that you use to listen/watch that content?  Congrats on your daughter's wedding, btw.

              "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

                The Amazon MP3 app for Android let's you play music that's on your phone, stream music from your cloud account, and download music from your cloud account to your phone. Amazon also has an app for windows that let's you upload all your music from your PC to the cloud which makes it available on your phone.

                Runners run

                TJoseph


                  Tjoseph, do I understand correctly that you still use iTunes to manage content on your computer, and then this Doubletwist program gets it on the phone for you?  Is it also an app that you use to listen/watch that content?  Congrats on your daughter's wedding, btw.

                   

                  Yes, it syncs the music, cover art, videos and playlists from iTunes to your phone.  There is also a Doubletwist app for the phone which is a music player.  You can play the music from other apps as well, but I think the playlists it creates only work in the Doubletwist player.  The app is free, but the Airsync add on costs $4.99.  That allows you to sync over wifi instead of through a USB cable.

                   

                  http://www.doubletwist.com/

                   

                  Thanks on the wedding.  It seems like it is going to be a disorganized mess right now, but I am sure it will come together.


                  Not dead. Yet.

                    Since you are switching it up anyway, think about going with the newer streaming music model rather than the old "buy and sync mp3s to every device" model.  With Spotify or Google play, you pay a few bucks a month and in return you have the biggest music collection you could ever want at your fingertips at every moment.  No need to ever sync or download a song.

                     

                    It was a tough for me to get started because I had over 40 gigs of music, but once I started playing around with the app, I never went back.   I listen to it at work, in my car and on my runs.  It's amazing.  They also offer up a free 30 day trial.

                    How can we know our limits if we don't test them?

                    mab411


                    Proboscis Colossus

                      The Amazon MP3 app for Android let's you play music that's on your phone, stream music from your cloud account, and download music from your cloud account to your phone. Amazon also has an app for windows that let's you upload all your music from your PC to the cloud which makes it available on your phone.

                       

                      Okay, thanks.  I've got both the iPhone app and the Windows app, but I have lots of music that doesn't come from Amazon, so it wouldn't be a total solution for me (though it would still be one of the first apps I'd get on the new phone).

                       

                      Tjoseph, thanks, sounds like that Doubletwist app might be a good one for me.  And just keep throwing money at the wedding, I'm sure it will be fine! Wink

                       

                      sdizazzo - Thanks, I've heard Spotify is really handy.

                      "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people