iPod vs. iPhone's iPod - iPhone 3G

SmartAlx · 07-27-2007, 11:36 PM

Okay, I’m going to try to ask this in a way that hopefully gets the accurate results I’m looking for. My goal is to get a serious comparison between the functionality of the ipod on the iPhone and the functionality of an iPod device.

Yes, I'm sorry. I did ask a similar question and I was quite pleased with the results, but I think some of you were holding back. I don’t think some of the people were using their iPhone the same way that they were using their iPod. I think they were comparing iPod to iPhone+computer. So, I’m going to do something to force the two devices to be completely apples to apples: remove the computer.

Ok. In my thought experiment, you are allowed to use the computer ONCE to put two identical libraries of music/videos/movies/pictures on your iPhone/iPod. But that’s it. No more computer after this. Do NOT assume that you can RETURN to the computer again to do something else like sync, reset, delete, move, copy, rename, create, or do ANYTHING. Everything must be done on the device.

Now compare.

How do the user interfaces compare? I hear the iPhone is better.
How easy is it to navigate? I hear iPhone is better.
Do both allow you to create playlists on the fly? I suspect the iPod allows you to do this, but you need a computer to do this with the iPhone, right?
(Sorry, I don’t have a computer with itunes available to me. I use the iPhone for internet only right now. L)
Are there more features that one device allows you to do that the other one doesn’t?
(And please don’t say maps, phone, or youtube or safari – those aren’t iPod functions)
And if there is anything else that can be used as a basis for comparison, please share.

I REALLY want a genuine apples to apples comparison here. I have zero doubt that everybody is ecstatic about the functionality of their iPhones (as am I), but I’m wondering just how many steps back has the iPhone’s iPod taken to take so many steps forward.

If there is nothing that the iPod can do that the iPhone can't, I apologize in advance for my skepticism.

Alexander · 07-27-2007, 11:53 PM

Well I'll be the first to add that the iPhone DOES support On-the-Go playlists as does the iPod.

SmartAlx · 07-28-2007, 12:06 AM

Cool. Cool.

Man I can't wait to get my stinking music on my iPhone.

wildonrio · 07-28-2007, 12:21 AM

Why iPhone is better:

iPhone has cover flow, iPod doesn't.
iPhone has touch screen scroll, iPod doesn't. (With iPhone it takes less than 3 seconds to find a song that would take 10 to find on an iPod, assuming a library of about 1000 songs.)
iPhone has much larger text and a screen twice as big that is much sharper and more colorful - near full screen album art during song playback.
iPhone has much better animations (albums flipping around and twisting depending on how you hold the phone and where you push.)
iPhone can change the equalizer setting automatically based on the genre of the song.
iPhone offers song skipping and pausing from the headset, iPod doesn't.

Why iPod is better:

iPod has support for lyrics, iPhone doesn't (Try looking them up on Safari )
iPod is slightly easier to search through a song. iPhone's onscreen scroll bar is really small and hard to pinpoint an exact moment in a song.
iPod supports third party headphones, iPhone needs an adapter.
iPod is currently more stable, iPhone (at least for me) crashes quite a bit, especially when you are looking through cover flow while listening to music.
iPod is much easier to skip a song while driving, iPhone has a touch screen skip arrow that has no tactile feedback. You need to really have a good feel for your iPhone and where that skip button is or look down every time and risk getting in a wreck, especially if you skip a lot. I've noticed that when I skip a song on the iPhone, I try and keep my thumb hovering over the same spot on the screen. After a few skips, though, I push down and nothing happens and I realize my thumb has traveled a little above or a little to the right or something...

Notice, however, that each one of iPhone's problems (except that headphone jack) can be fixed through a simple software update - THAT'S where the iPhone will win every time. No software update will give the iPod a bigger screen, or a touch screen, or larger text (that wouldn't fit on the screen right), or better animations (it would need a better processor).

Did I miss anything important? I think the iPhone's unique features far outweigh the iPod's.

flipto · 07-28-2007, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander

Well I'll be the first to add that the iPhone DOES support On-the-Go playlists as does the iPod.

how did u do it on the iphone?

wildonrio · 07-28-2007, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flipto

how did u do it on the iphone?

Click playlists, then On-The-Go... Do you see it?

flipto · 07-28-2007, 01:02 AM

wow..lol..i only use the album cover and didnt even notice it exists..

wildonrio · 07-28-2007, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flipto

wow..lol..i only use the album cover and didnt even notice it exists..

Yeah, I was stuck on cover flow for about week until I snapped out of it and went, "Whoa, there's more!". I could spend an entire hour just playing with cover flow...

Unfortunately you can't use On-The-Go playlists with Cover Flow. I think it would be so fun to just sift through your albums adding songs here and there to the queue that you want to play next. Oh well, maybe a software update.

linkerjpatrick · 07-29-2007, 01:43 PM

I actually kind of miss the click wheel. I found it a bit easier to control however they could probably add virtual one if they wanted to.

Skipper · 07-29-2007, 10:26 PM

No video out function on the iPhone... thats my only problem.

oh and the storage. 80 gig iPhone would make me cream my pants.

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