Android vs ipad

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FlyingForMe

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FlyingForMe
Ok so first off sorry if this thread is already out there and current. My search didn't yield the answer I was looking for.

I currently have an iPad2 32gb with cell.
It was great when I first got it and at the time android didn't have a 1/4 of the apps ios had.
It seams that has changed and my ipad2 is slow and full.

I'm debating now on spending the money on a new iPad or iPad mini, or getting a high end android tablet. Probably Samsung.

Looking for some feedback from people who have tried both specifically.
It appears that Android has almost every single app that iOS has I don't use for flight I use my flight plan go, I use myflightbook and some weather apps.
I am a CFI and just got a full time position at my local fbo.
Love to hear your helpful thoughts.

-Chad
 
I take both in the plane with me on cross-country flights. I bounce amongst various apps depending on the flight I'm doing, and I just enjoy messing with them (iFly is probably my current preference as a moving map). I do prefer the Android tablet since I find that it's much more readable in sunlight, and my iPad mini is much more picky about placement in the cockpit. Also, I believe WingX is about to drop on Android, so that'll be one more option.
 
FlyingForMe said:
Love to hear your helpful thoughts.
Click to expand...
You are not too likely to get any.

Personally, I'm an apps guy, meaning the apps are more important to me than the operating system (although I admit to a small bias in favor of Android). So, mostly as a result of the fact that an Android tablet didn't even exist at the time, I purchased an iPad 1 and ForeFlight about 4 years ago. I'm still pretty committed to ForeFlight, in large part due to familiarity, but also because of the proven (to me) reliability of both the app and its platform.

But, somewhat like Challenged, I use my Andorid tablet as EFB backup. (I have FltPlan Go! on both but never found it reliable enough for use for IFR flight, not even as a backup)

Whether every non-aviation app has a counterpart in both depends on what you are looking for. For the most part, that's true but there are a few. For example, one of my favorite iOS apps, Notability, has a few rough equivalents in Android, but "rough" is the operative word.

So I guess I will continue to be a "both" kind of guy.
 
FlyingForMe said:
Ok so first off sorry if this thread is already out there and current. My search didn't yield the answer I was looking for.

I currently have an iPad2 32gb with cell.
It was great when I first got it and at the time android didn't have a 1/4 of the apps ios had.
It seams that has changed and my ipad2 is slow and full.

I'm debating now on spending the money on a new iPad or iPad mini, or getting a high end android tablet. Probably Samsung.

Looking for some feedback from people who have tried both specifically.
It appears that Android has almost every single app that iOS has I don't use for flight I use my flight plan go, I use myflightbook and some weather apps.
I am a CFI and just got a full time position at my local fbo.
Love to hear your helpful thoughts.

-Chad
Click to expand...

For flying the iOS platform is still the superior by a good margin, that's why I chose the iPad Air2 128gb to replace the same unit you have now. With Garmin Pilot and the GDL-39-3D I'm pretty happy. Only Garmin Pilot works on the Android platform, and it is missing the SVT function still.
 
I started off with a Nexus 7 tablet and tried several apps, including Aviolution, Avare and Garmin Pilot...they all worked fine. GP seems to work equally well on the Nexus and IPAD, and I still run GP (have for over 2 years now). I eventually got an IPAD mini to run GP in the plane for the synthetic vision and later added a full-sized IPAD for my EFB and for tabletop instruction. I still carry the Nexus as a backup EFB with Avare (because it's free).
 
midlifeflyer said:
You are not too likely to get any. .
Click to expand...

Haha, I kind of figured I might be opening a preference debate.

From the feedback thus far I am seeing that if I WANT to go android I will get by just fine. However, ipad still wins in the best (money is no object) category.
I think I may buy a galaxy tab S 8.4 inch to supplement my slow ipad 2 and see how that goes. I won't go ditching the ipad just yet.

Thanks for the feedback!
 
FlyingForMe said:
Haha, I kind of figured I might be opening a preference debate.

From the feedback thus far I am seeing that if I WANT to go android I will get by just fine. However, ipad still wins in the best (money is no object) category.
I think I may buy a galaxy tab S 8.4 inch to supplement my slow ipad 2 and see how that goes. I won't go ditching the ipad just yet.

Thanks for the feedback!
Click to expand...

:confused: I thought you were asking for preference.:confused::dunno: I am not an Apple fanboy, I just use the platform that provides the best service for the application. For aviation the by far the most apps and options go to iOS.
 
Disregarding my personal preferences, Android is a better OS over iOS, hands down, no discussion.

As for quality of the actual HW, you are not locked into the crApple brand but can choose actually a good manufacturer with great reputation. And you should still have some (av)gas money left over for a hamburger run. FWIW, though, all tablets are made in sweatshops in China.

iOS bugs are rarely fixed. Android bug fixes are usually pretty speedy.
You can use any version of Android that your device supports. You MUST use the only version of iOS that our overlords dictate, no matter how buggy, laggy and ugly. :)

When it comes to aviation app availability, ForeFlight is not the only good app out there so you are not limited to iOS anymore. Yes, FF is currently the best but competition is catching up fast.
If you want to make your own app, Android is a good way to go. Otherwise, as you guessed it, you would need to buy a pricey MacIntosh computer to develop anything for an iPad.
Android tablets also tend to have great features that are missing from iPads. USB should be the biggest example.

So again, from all points of usability, especially for a pilot, Android wins strides ahead of crApple.

And I bet you already guessed my personal preference, unfortunately acquired from years of use. Take it or leave it. :goofy:
 
:-) I love your "non-opinionated" facts here. I've had android for my phone since t-mobile launched the g-phone.
I agree 100% it comes down to hardware for android os reliability and performance. Unfortunately for flying and other things it also comes down to what apps are available. As the list continues to grow my faithfulness to android grows stronger and stronger.

Fyi, I've been pretty happy with fltplango it's not as seamless as some of the monster company paid apps, but it's free and works well in my experience.
 
For another perspective, I have a Samsung tablet and Garmin Pilot on it is very unreliable. Last night for the first time I used my iPhone 6 with GP on it to BT to my GDL39 and it was rock solid the whole 1.5 hrs.

I flew a 1100 NM trip recently with my buddy and he brought along his Samsung tablet. Both had issues holding the signal, consistent information display, etc. My limited experience so far shows that the iPhone was far superior in terms of sheer reliability. I can't tell you how many times as I approach a busy field I look down only to see "This app has stopped responding.":mad2:
 
Ipad by a large margin, if just to run foreflight.

Your ipad 2 should still be plenty fast enough for aviation use, free up some space and check your iOS, I'd avoid "upgrading" your iOS.
 
First, as an instrument instructor, I've found that virtually all of the few instrument trainees with whom I've worked who use WingX or any of the Android EFB apps struggle with it. OTOH, every one of the many instrument trainees with whom I've worked who use iPad/ForeFlight find it quick to learn and easy to use effectively -- including those who switched from WingX to ForeFlight in the middle of training after watching me use ForeFlight. And that's consistent with my own experience evaluating the various choices by watching what my trainees were using before I went from paper to EFB four years ago.

Second as a working instructor, you probably want to be using the same tools your trainees are using, and iPad/ForeFlight is the overwhelming favorite, especially among professional pilots.

Third, if your iPad2 is becoming obsolescent, then it's probably time to upgrade to an iPad mini Retina with the latest CPU chip and the latest iOS. Things will only get worse (and quickly) because the iPad2 is now two generations old, and the apps are only backwards compatible for two generations.
 
I've been running a non-Android non-Apple EFB for 6 years. There are more than just those two options. And I can run in on as many devices I like. None of this 2 devices only bullcrap.

But keep your eyes closed people. It's what you're good at.
 
Ron Levy said:
First, as an instrument instructor, I've found that virtually all of the few instrument trainees with whom I've worked who use WingX or any of the Android EFB apps struggle with it.
Click to expand...
I use wingx pro on the ipad.
wingxpro isn't out for android, the website still says coming soon, so I'm not sure how your students are finding wingx for android.
http://www.hiltonsoftware.com/

I have used the garmin app, wingx, and foreflight and find wingx to be the easiest to use for me, even before it was free for CFI's, I paid for it. When it's out for android and full featured, I'll likely switch to android.
 
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Disregarding my personal preferences, Android is a better OS over iOS, hands down, no discussion.
Click to expand...

Yes and Ford is better than Chevy, hands down.

I'm an Android Developer, I like the freedom that you get with Android compared to the authoritarian iOS platform.

The problem with using Android for aviation applications is that there are about a million different combinations of hardware and OS versions that the software developers have to deal with. Android apps have the benefit of not being tightly sandboxed, but then again, Android apps can interact with each other in unpredictable ways. Playstore apps are not as carefully curated as AppStore apps, and of course Android users have the freedom to install any app from anywhere if they want to.

And of course many Android devices come with uninstallable crapwear, such as this latest Samsung Keyboard, the one with the huge security hole.

An Android dev can be the greatest software developer since Alan Turning, but his application can be crippled by some junkware installed by either an unsophsticated user, a cell phone carrier, or the manufactuer.

And of course unless you buy a Nexus Device (which you should) you can't count on your Android OS ever being updated.

Besides being outstanding developers, the Foreflight and WingX developers have to support only a very limited and well defined set of hardware and OS version configurations. iOS devs just have more time to polish their software, and this shows in the average quality of the apps for each platform.

For aviation I find that my iPad mini is just more stable than my Nexus 7, so I have an iPad Mini on my yoke running Foreflight and a Nexus 7 with the excellent and free FlightPlanPro in my flight bag as a backup.
 
PeeGee said:
I use wingx pro on the ipad.
wingxpro isn't out for android, the website still says coming soon, so I'm not sure how your students are finding wingx for android.
http://www.hiltonsoftware.com/
Click to expand...

I think you are not correctly parsing Ron's comment. I'm pretty sure he is saying that there are two sets of users:

A ) The happy ones using ForeFlight

B ) The less happy ones using WingX OR any Android application.
 
PeeGee said:
wingxpro isn't out for android, the website still says coming soon, so I'm not sure how your students are finding wingx for android.
http://www.hiltonsoftware.com/
Click to expand...
I don't think he said that . Ron said
I've found that virtually all of the few instrument trainees with whom I've worked who use WingX or any of the Android EFB apps
Click to expand...
not
I've found that virtually all of the few instrument trainees with whom I've worked who use WingX or any of the other Android EFB apps
Click to expand...
 
When I went in to get a new cell phone a few weeks ago, Verizon was running a deal to get a "free" (I know, nothing is 'free') Elipsis (Android OS) 8" tablet with activation on their network. I bit on it just to try it out.

I installed Avare on it to tinker with and it works fine enough for what I need. It has moving map, and you can download sectional, WAC, IFR hi, IFR low, approach plates, etc. directly from the app. I actually used it recently on a long xc flight and it worked very well for being able to pull up AFD info directly from the moving map, flipping through approach plates, a/p diagrams, etc.

The Elipsis isn't a high power performer, but at the price point, I'm pretty happy with it.

My dad has ForeFlight on his iPad and he seems happy with it. Just depends on what device you're more comfortable with and if you can get a 'deal' on one device over the other I guess.
 
JimNtexas said:
Yes and Ford is better than Chevy, hands down.

I'm an Android Developer, I like the freedom that you get with Android compared to the authoritarian iOS platform.

The problem with using Android for aviation applications is that there are about a million different combinations of hardware and OS versions that the software developers have to deal with.
Click to expand...
I'm interested in whatever education you are willing to give on the effect of multiple Android versions on development.

The hardware issue has always been there with more open platforms ("more open" being a completely relative term). We've seen the same thing for, oh, the past 30 years, even since the original Mac vs PC wars. Apple has controlled hardware and software as unit; that's pretty much how they stared. Microsoft started by creating software for whomever had a box with the OS to run it and graduated to the OS itself. So there's been lots of hardware junk there as well.

But even with Android, there is good hardware. We do have some responsibility as consumers for what we purchase.
 
EdFred said:
I've been running a non-Android non-Apple EFB for 6 years. There are more than just those two options. And I can run in on as many devices I like. None of this 2 devices only bullcrap.

But keep your eyes closed people. It's what you're good at.
Click to expand...

Outside of Jeppesen stuff, what exists?
 
I'm interested in whatever education you are willing to give on the effect of multiple Android versions on development.

The hardware issue has always been there with more open platforms ("more open" being a completely relative term). We've seen the same thing for, oh, the past 30 years, even since the original Mac vs PC wars. Apple has controlled hardware and software as unit; that's pretty much how they stared. Microsoft started by creating software for whomever had a box with the OS to run it and graduated to the OS itself. So there's been lots of hardware junk there as well.

But even with Android, there is good hardware. We do have some responsibility as consumers for what we purchase.
Click to expand...

Windows will run on darn near any system, when you write a windows (or OS-X) application the OS pretty much takes care of 95% of the hardware issues for you. So it's not hard to make an app that runs OK on an older system and really great on a newer one. And of course, both Windows and OS-X are updated frequently.

Many Android devices can never be updated.

When you are starting an Android program you have decide how many users you are going to not support. Almost no Android users are running the latest version 5.x (Lolipop), huge numbers are still running 4.0 and 4.1, and Google is about release version 6 ('MilkyWay'?).

Android device screen sizes range from 3 to 12 inches in size, and come in a variety of pixel densities. Nobody, not even Google, can test all the possible permutations and combinations of OS versions and hardware. In graphic heavy applications like aviation apps that's a real disadvantage.

Android OS 5 and the soon to be released version 6 are huge improvements over version 4.x. Sadly, commercial Android programs usually can't take advantage of the new features because so many users are frozen in the past.

For iOS, the story is different. The great majority of iOS devices are running iOS 8, and the handful that haven't yet upgraded are running version 7. iOS developers don't need to write for any version prior to 7.

iOS developers have to write for only four phones and three tablets. IPhones 4 through 6+, iPad Air / Retina iPad, iPad Mini, and non-Retina iPad.

And the watch if you want to be pedantic.

Life is just harder for the Android developer compared to iOS, Windows, and OS-X devs.
 
JimNtexas said:
Windows will run on darn near any system, when you write a windows (or OS-X) application the OS pretty much takes care of 95% of the hardware issues for you. So it's not hard to make an app that runs OK on an older system and really great on a newer one. And of course, both Windows and OS-X are updated frequently.

Many Android devices can never be updated.

When you are starting an Android program you have decide how many users you are going to not support. Almost no Android users are running the latest version 5.x (Lolipop), huge numbers are still running 4.0 and 4.1, and Google is about release version 6 ('MilkyWay'?).

Android device screen sizes range from 3 to 12 inches in size, and come in a variety of pixel densities. Nobody, not even Google, can test all the possible permutations and combinations of OS versions and hardware. In graphic heavy applications like aviation apps that's a real disadvantage.

Android OS 5 and the soon to be released version 6 are huge improvements over version 4.x. Sadly, commercial Android programs usually can't take advantage of the new features because so many users are frozen in the past.

For iOS, the story is different. The great majority of iOS devices are running iOS 8, and the handful that haven't yet upgraded are running version 7. iOS developers don't need to write for any version prior to 7.

iOS developers have to write for only four phones and three tablets. IPhones 4 through 6+, iPad Air / Retina iPad, iPad Mini, and non-Retina iPad.

And the watch if you want to be pedantic.

Life is just harder for the Android developer compared to iOS, Windows, and OS-X devs.
Click to expand...

So Android is kind of like the Linux of portables?
 
If you're happy with your ipad2 I would stick with iOS. I started on apple devices and every android phone or tablet I have tried just doesn't feel right. There are lots of subtle differences in the interface that will drive you nuts.

I am a fan of the ipad mini, it is the perfect size for in-cockpit use and out of the cockpit I can hold the whole thing comfortably in the palm of my hand and operate it with the other hand. I don't miss the extra screen size at all.
 
cowman said:
If you're happy with your ipad2 I would stick with iOS. I started on apple devices and every android phone or tablet I have tried just doesn't feel right. There are lots of subtle differences in the interface that will drive you nuts.

I am a fan of the ipad mini, it is the perfect size for in-cockpit use and out of the cockpit I can hold the whole thing comfortably in the palm of my hand and operate it with the other hand. I don't miss the extra screen size at all.
Click to expand...

I have had several Andoid phones, sometimes two at the same time, and definitely agree with you on this, the most constant annoyance being the reversal of the 'menu' and 'back' buttons at the bottom.:mad2:
 
PeeGee said:
I use wingx pro on the ipad.
wingxpro isn't out for android, the website still says coming soon, so I'm not sure how your students are finding wingx for android.
http://www.hiltonsoftware.com/
Click to expand...
Perhaps you misunderstood -- I said "WingX or any of the Android EFB apps", i.e., WingX (which runs only on an iPad), or any of the various EFB apps available for an Android tablet. IOW, Jim and Mark are correct. Sorry for the confusion from my sloppy writing.

BTW, my current IR trainee has WingX on his iPad, and got so frustrated with it, that he reverted to paper for inflight use, although he's still using WingX for flight planning.
 
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Jim in Texas, thanks for your perspective. I have one of those Verizon specials and have been using GP on it.

For simplicity and reliability in the cockpit, and all the reasons you mentioned, I'll just opt for the iOS version at some point, since I already have a Garmin GPS and GDL 39. But that's my personal choice.

I'm in IT for a financial institution and the issues we have with our online banking vendor's rendition for the Droid platform mirror the experience you speak of from a programming perspective. It seems too much choice in hardware/softare is a bad thing for the Android market.
 
Another vote for the ipad mini and I have both it and android.

The battery life on the mini is darn good too....

Android gets apples leftovers and is always playing catchup it seems.
 
As you've no doubt discovered there is a lot of personal opinion and probably no right or wrong answer. Preference plays a big role. I have an iPad 2 but I've never found it to be as user friendly as everyone says. I just finished a 1200 sm trip in a light plane from FL to PA. I used a Samsung Galaxy 4 and the DUAL XGPS 170 for GPS and ADSB-In my EFB was iFLY GPS. I had no problems with any components and I like the iFLY GPS app. Also recently while instructing an IFR student I used iPAD with XWing as that was what he was using. I did use the Dual 170 and was able to compare the ADSB-in with the TIS on his Garmin panel setup. I preferred the ADSB-IN by orders of magnitude.
 
I consider OSs like politicians, you have a choice of least bad, nothing out there is anything remotely close to what I would consider user friendly. iOS just happens to have the most choices and stability at the moment for the aviation applications, most being far from perfect.
 
Henning said:
Then it's like Linux in every way, except they have managed to find a mass market for it.:lol:
Click to expand...

Well, OS X is derived from NeXt which was derived from BSD Unix if I remember correctly. Linux is just Linus Torvalds' version of Unix. iOS is also Unix like. Just jailbreak an iPhone and look at the directory structure and you will see /var, /etc and all the others any Unix person knows and loves.
 
peppy said:
Well, OS X is derived from NeXt which was derived from BSD Unix if I remember correctly. Linux is just Linus Torvalds' version of Unix. iOS is also Unix like. Just jailbreak an iPhone and look at the directory structure and you will see /var, /etc and all the others any Unix person knows and loves.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I wasn't referring to the technical aspects, but rather the commercial aspect.;)
 
I'm not an Apple Fan Boy, but gotta say that my experience with Aviation Apps on the iPad has been much better than Android. I truly wish I could say that the Android measures up, but can't. I'm on my 3rd iPad, and have 3 Android tablets, including two Nexus 7's (both gens). The reliability of the iPad is better, and the battery life is much better. I'll be trying the Android version of WingX when it hits (June Hilton?), but they've already said it won't have the same features as the iPad version. Same for GP.
 
I'm on my third (and best, yet) Android tablet. The Samsung Galaxy S 8.4" is simply amazing, with the brightest, sharpest screen on the market. (Essential, in our application as a complete back-cockpit EFIS in our RV-8A.)

The only downside? The damned thing ain't cheap, which negates one of the biggest advantages over the (absurdly overpriced, IMHO) iPad. But the build quality and incredible speed are great.

Used in conjunction with our Garmin GDL-39 (ADS-B receiver), and the Garmin Pilot app, and the GRT app (to give us the EFIS in the back hole), Android tablets have given us capability beyond anything we ever dreamed of, just a few years ago.
 
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