[cnbcwatcher]

Right, so I need a new phone and I'm considering a smartphone (not an expensive one though). As I'm a Mac user the obvious choice would be an iPhone but I already have an iPod Touch which is working well (I upgraded it to iOS 6 recently).

I've been going through all the various non-iPhone OSes and I don't want a Windows phone as it wouldn't fit in with my Apple lifestyle and Blackberries are really business phones and not great for gaming. That leaves me with Android. My question is can you sync an Android phone with a Mac and transfer things like contacts, photos and music from the phone to the Mac or vice versa? Any other Mac users here with Android phones?

[chenks]

this article might be worth a read
http://lifehacker.com/5801473/how-to...y-as-an-iphone

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by chenks

this article might be worth a read
http://lifehacker.com/5801473/how-to...y-as-an-iphone

Thanks. I'm not going for the most expensive one, but I'm considering a cheaper Samsung or HTC. The Galaxy Note and the other "phablets" are tempting but too expensive for me. Oh and where do you get a little Android figure?

[whoever,hey]

There was a thread on here last week about Android and OSX. I'll see if i can dig it out for you.

There is this
http://www.wondershare.com/mac-android-manager/

Its great on Windows.

[cnbcwatcher]

^ That one looks good. I thought I'd have a lot of trouble using an Android phone with a Mac but it doesn't seem too bad. Only thing now is keeping up my reputation but I can put an Apple sticker on the back

[mikey86uk]

i tried mac an android and it was a pain in the arse imo.

I no you dont want a Windows phone, there is a Windows Mobile app on the Mac app store which does everything you listed in your OP.

[IvanIV]

Be careful, When you connect Android phone to a mac, a video of Steve Jobs comes up with him shrieking "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

[chenks]

Originally Posted by IvanIV

Be careful, When you connect Android phone to a mac, a video of Steve Jobs comes up with him shrieking "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by mikey86uk

i tried mac an android and it was a pain in the arse imo.

I no you dont want a Windows phone, there is a Windows Mobile app on the Mac app store which does everything you listed in your OP.

That would mean having to install Microsoft products on it I have Office on my Pro but only because I needed it for compatibility with the dark side. My Air has no M$ stuff at all

Anyway, I found out about a program called DoubleTwist which is basically iTunes for Android. It's free too so I'm gonna install it on both laptops. I've chosen my phone too. I'm gonna go with the Samsung Galaxy Ace. Is it any good? It comes with Android Froyo. I don't want to spend an arm and leg, otherwise I would have popped down the Apple Store and bought the iPhone

[Stiggles]

Apple lifestyle?....

[whoever,hey]

Surely an iPhone is peanuts after buying a MacBook Air?

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

Surely an iPhone is peanuts after buying a MacBook Air?

Well here in Ireland iPhones are expensive and you can only get them if you sign up to a phone contract, which is something I don't want to do. The iPhone 5 is tempting though...

As for the Apple lifestyle thing... well since I became a Mac user I've been drinking a lot more Starbucks and bashing Windows and just acting smug when talking to Windows users. I don't wear black turtlenecks 24/7 though or pray to the turtlenecked one every night before going to bed.

[Stiggles]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

As for the Apple lifestyle thing... well since I became a Mac user I've been drinking a lot more Starbucks and bashing Windows and just acting smug when talking to Windows users. I don't wear black turtlenecks 24/7 though or pray to the turtlenecked one every night before going to bed.

Why would you act smug towards windows users though? There's nothing to act smug about at all owning a mac. They are pretty bland basic machines, the OS is boring to use and look at so i see nothing to be smug over!

I toiled with getting another macbook when i stood on my laptop a few weeks ago and sticking windows on till i clapped eyes on the Samsung Chronos series 7. Looks much nicer than the mac so i got that instead and saved about £400 and a better spec. Build quality matches the mac as well.

Back on topic however,i had no issues using my Android phone with my old macbook.

[grumpyoldbat]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

I've chosen my phone too. I'm gonna go with the Samsung Galaxy Ace. Is it any good? It comes with Android Froyo. I don't want to spend an arm and leg, otherwise I would have popped down the Apple Store and bought the iPhone

It's old. It's pretty underpowered. The Ace 2 is an improvement. Froyo is an old version of Android now, like, really old. Even my 2 year old HTC Cha Cha is running Gingerbread, which is the version after it. I think you'd be letting yourself in for a less than stellar first experience of Android, and with a much older version of an operating system on board, you run the risk that newer apps and games won't support that older OS now. There have also been a lot of nice enhancements to Android from Gingerbread onwards.

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat

It's old. It's pretty underpowered. The Ace 2 is an improvement. Froyo is an old version of Android now, like, really old. Even my 2 year old HTC Cha Cha is running Gingerbread, which is the version after it. I think you'd be letting yourself in for a less than stellar first experience of Android, and with a much older version of an operating system on board, you run the risk that newer apps and games won't support that older OS now. There have also been a lot of nice enhancements to Android from Gingerbread onwards.

Oops Well I was going by price. I think it can be upgraded to Gingerbread. Will it play Angry Birds though?

[chenks]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

Oops Well I was going by price. I think it can be upgraded to Gingerbread. Will it play Angry Birds though?

even gingerbread is quite old now.
it's cheap for a reason i'm afraid.

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by chenks

even gingerbread is quite old now.
it's cheap for a reason i'm afraid.

I think I might have to reconsider. I'll have another look. I'm setting a budget as I don't want to pay an arm and a leg, otherwise I'd go to the Apple Store and buy that iPhone

[chenks]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

I think I might have to reconsider. I'll have another look. I'm setting a budget as I don't want to pay an arm and a leg, otherwise I'd go to the Apple Store and buy that iPhone

what is the budget? are you buying sim free or on contract?

[grumpyoldbat]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

Oops Well I was going by price. I think it can be upgraded to Gingerbread. Will it play Angry Birds though?

It will probably work, but it won't necessarily be that smooth. Why don't you just use the phone as a phone, text, email, Facebook tool, and use your iPod touch for games?

[mikey86uk]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

That would mean having to install Microsoft products on it I have Office on my Pro but only because I needed it for compatibility with the dark side. My Air has no M$ stuff at all

Anyway, I found out about a program called DoubleTwist which is basically iTunes for Android. It's free too so I'm gonna install it on both laptops. I've chosen my phone too. I'm gonna go with the Samsung Galaxy Ace. Is it any good? It comes with Android Froyo. I don't want to spend an arm and leg, otherwise I would have popped down the Apple Store and bought the iPhone

Thats the software i used on my iMac

For some reason it kept duplicating my music etc, so i would have 2 of every song etc. This was back on Lion about a year ago, so may have been fixed with a newer version.

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by chenks

what is the budget? are you buying sim free or on contract?

Budget is around €200 (not sure how much that is in good old British pounds) and I'm buying Pay As You Go. Don't want to get locked into a contract.

Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat

It will probably work, but it won't necessarily be that smooth. Why don't you just use the phone as a phone, text, email, Facebook tool, and use your iPod touch for games?

I'll put it on there anyway, even if I don't play it much. I don't use Facebook so it would be for general internet browsing

[cnbcwatcher]

Update: Was just on the phone to a friend and he recommended the Samsung Galaxy S3 (he said 3S but I know it's S3). I'm tempted to go for that even though it costs €569. I can get it on PAYG though. It has a 1.4GHz quad core processor so it's almost as fast as my Macbook Air and it runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich - is that a newer version of Android? As for the Mac issue, I saw someone in college today with a Macbook and Samsung phone running Android, so it's perfectly acceptable It's Windows phones Mac people shouldn't be seen with I do have a reputation to uphold.

[Chairman___Meow]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

Update: Was just on the phone to a friend and he recommended the Samsung Galaxy S3 (he said 3S but I know it's S3). I'm tempted to go for that even though it costs €569. I can get it on PAYG though. It has a 1.4GHz quad core processor so it's almost as fast as my Macbook Air and it runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich - is that a newer version of Android? As for the Mac issue, I saw someone in college today with a Macbook and Samsung phone running Android, so it's perfectly acceptable It's Windows phones Mac people shouldn't be seen with I do have a reputation to uphold.

If connecting to your mac is important dont get an S3. I had one and getting it to be recognised by my Macbook Pro was a world of pain. Had to try out several different apps and found them a pain in the ass to use.

Samsung made this app called Kies which is meant to sync with your S3 but its the buggiest, slowest thing ever. I never want to see it again it was so bad.

You might want to look at the Nexus 4. Had no problems syncing with my mac and its a better phone. (and cheaper)

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by Chairman___Meow

If connecting to your mac is important dont get an S3. I had one and getting it to be recognised by my Macbook Pro was a world of pain. Had to try out several different apps and found them a pain in the ass to use.

Samsung made this app called Kies which is meant to sync with your S3 but its the buggiest, slowest thing ever. I never want to see it again it was so bad.

You might want to look at the Nexus 4. Had no problems syncing with my mac and its a better phone. (and cheaper)

What worked on the nexus and not s3?

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by Chairman___Meow

If connecting to your mac is important dont get an S3. I had one and getting it to be recognised by my Macbook Pro was a world of pain. Had to try out several different apps and found them a pain in the ass to use.

Samsung made this app called Kies which is meant to sync with your S3 but its the buggiest, slowest thing ever. I never want to see it again it was so bad.

You might want to look at the Nexus 4. Had no problems syncing with my mac and its a better phone. (and cheaper)

OK, maybe I won't bother with the S3. Anyway it costs an arm and leg. If I was going to spend that much I'd just go and buy an iPhone like most iSheep How much is the Nexus 4? Is there anywhere you can buy unlocked phones that you just put your own SIM into?