20 Most Debated and Popular Phandroid Articles of 2014

Joe Fedewa
9 years ago

2014 was a very busy year for us here at Phandroid. In typical Android fashion there were tons of new devices, new device categories, software updates, and much more. On top of all that we increased our focus on unique original content, which resulted in some really fun stuff. Earlier this week we recapped the top stories in Android this year, but now we’re looking back at all the most debated and popular Phandroid posts from 2014. Enjoy!

Most Debated

First we’ll talk about the posts that received the most comments. We love hearing your opinions, and in these posts you did it a lot. Phandroid is nothing without its readers. In 2015 we hope you leave even more comments!

1. 8 things I hate about the Samsung Galaxy S5

In this editorial from April Chris shares the 8 things he hates about the Samsung Galaxy S5. He wrote this piece during the height of GS5 hype. It was an unpopular opinion at the time, which led to a lot of comments.

Like my mother used to tell me, you’ll never find the perfect woman, only the perfect woman for you. Because, Android is a wonderful mess right now, manufacturers put a lot of time and effort into offering their unique versions of Android, that simply put — aren’t for everyone. Having owned the Samsung Galaxy S5 for a full week now, I think it’s time to stop beating around the bush: this phone simply isn’t for me. [Read More]

2. FBI snatches Google Glass off the face of innocent AMC movie-goer

Rob wrote this post way back in January, and it all turned out to be a misunderstanding. The original story that we reported on stated a man went to a movie theater with Google Glass, and halfway through the film a FBI agent snatched it off his face. Eventually an official statement was released which stated the man was not recording. It was dropped at that.

This story received tons of comments because it was during a time when Google Glass was very controversial. There were other stories at the time about businesses not allowing customers who wear Google Glass, and people getting pulled over for wearing Glass while driving. The idea of someone getting Glass confiscated at a movie theater was just another case of people not understanding the technology. [Read More]

3. Samsung officially announces the Galaxy S5

Surprise! People were excited about the Samsung Galaxy S5. Obviously Samsung news is always a big deal in the Android world. They didn’t become the largest Android manufacturer without gaining a few fans in the process. Back in February Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S5, and you guys left over 300 comments about it. We’re sure the Galaxy S6 will get the same reception in 2015. [Read More]

4. Why you should never sign another carrier contract

Joe doesn’t like carrier contracts, and in this editorial he urged everyone to never sign another one. His arguments include freedom to upgrade or leave whenever you want, a cheaper monthly bill, and more control over your device and services. The comments on this post were great, especially from our non-US readers.

The moral of the story is very clear. If you want control of your device and service don’t sign a contract. Look at the big picture and don’t let them hook you in with the cheap initial cost. They want your money more than anything. [Read More]

5. The 5 types of Android users you meet

This hilariously true post about the types of Android users was written by Joe back in April. He argues that all Android users can be sorted into five types based solely on homescreen personalization. You’re either a Stock Jock, Themer, Minimalist, Hot Chick, or Ugly Duckling. Here’s the description for Minimalist:

Who: The Minimalist has been through the Themer phase. They’ve seen it all, and now it’s time to take things slow. Keep it simple. They have a keen eye for design, or at least that’s what they will tell you. The Minimalist is also a tad OCD about how things are set up. Every app and widget is meticulously themed and organized. Man, I would love to download this new app, but I just can’t make that icon work.

Item they order at McDonald’s: Hamburger

Favorite beverage: Water

[Read More]

6. Did Google create a better smartwatch interface than Apple?

One of the biggest stories in tech from 2014 was the announcement of the Apple Watch. Of course by the time the Apple Watch was announced there were already several Android Wear devices available. In this post Joe compared the UI’s of the Apple Watch and Android Wear.

The crazy thing about this comparison is how much better Android Wear looks compared to Apple’s weird watch software. It’s one of the rare, but happening more frequently, times that Google has bested Apple in software design. Most of you agreed whole-heartedly in the comments. [Read More]

7. If Apple made an Android-based iPhone, would you buy it? [POLL]

When Steve Wozniak talks the tech world listens. His comments about Apple “diversifying their options” inspired Quentyn to create this poll. The question was simple: if Apple made an Android device would you buy it? The reason this poll got so many comments is the real underlying question.

Do you dislike the iPhone because you prefer Android over iOS, or do you just plain hate all things Apple? The comments were very split on this topic. Many of you praised Apple’s hardware design, but just as many of you said you refuse to own an Apple product. The war wages on. [Read More]

8. HTC One M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 vs LG G Pro 2 vs Sony Xperia Z2 [CAMERA FACE OFF]

A big thing to consider when deciding on an Android phone is the camera performance. The easiest way to compare cameras is to get a bunch of phones and take the same photos with all of them. Chris reported on a comparison between the HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G Pro 2, and Sony Xperia Z2 (can you believe the Z3 came out in 2014 too?).

The funny thing about comparing photos is different people see different things. Rarely is it easy to pick a unanimous winner. That was certainly the case with this post, which is why so many of you left comments. [Read More]

9. iPhone 6 vs Galaxy S5 (and Android)

When it comes to smartphones there were two obvious top dogs in 2014: the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5. For many people these were the only two phones to consider, so naturally a lot of people wanted to compare them. As you might expect, the comparison between an Apple product and top Android phones resulted in a lot of comments.

Some people think the iPhone 6 is better. Some people think the Galaxy S5 is better. Others didn’t even think the GS5 should have been included in the comparison. Posts like these are a great place to see a wide variety of opinions. [Read More]

10. Motorola’s Shamu, the first Nexus phone I do not want [Opinion]

The last post on our most debated list comes from one of Phandroid’s newest members. Derek Ross wrote an opinion piece about the rumored “Motorola Shamu” device, which we now know as the Nexus 6. At this time it was the first we heard about the next Nexus having a 6-inch display. Derek had this to say about the size:

That’s just insane. I might be a self-proclaimed Android fanboy, but holy hell. I do not want something that big. I might live and breathe Nexus and Android, however I’m saddened to say that this might be the first Nexus phone that I won’t salivate over or end up buying. It’s just too damn big to comfortably use.

The best part about this story is the twist ending. Derek is now using the Nexus 6 as his daily phone. A lot can change when you actually get a device in your hands. [Read More]

Continue to 10 Most Popular Articles

Most Popular

Now we’ll talk about the posts that were most popular according to our analytics. These didn’t necessarily have the most comments (though a few of them did), but they show us what Android users were searching for in 2014.

The obvious takeaway from these results is the popularity of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung in general. 50% of the top ten posts are related to Samsung in some way. We can also see that the new Moto X was a very popular phone.

The most surprising post from this list is the iOS-style lockscreen notifications. It’s a good thing Google added this feature in Android Lollipop, because it looks like a lot of people wanted it. A lot of people also wanted to download new Lollipop apps.

***

Phew. What a year it has been! The nice thing about covering Android is there’s always something new and exciting happening. It could be a new wearable from LG, a crazy virtual reality device from Samsung, or the new addictive game from a small indie developer. 2014 was great, and we hope 2015 is even better. What were your favorite stories from Phandroid this year?