Nokia X6 or Apple iPhone 4 - Which One Is Better?

Introduction
Whenever you hear people talk about getting a new phone, Apple iPhone is normally one of the first things on their lips. There are a huge range of Smart touch screen phones out there that combine all of the features of an iPhone. The camera, mp3 player, internet, social networking, apps, emails and of course phone calls. So why is it that people just think iPhone, is it because of their huge advertising budget and brand name or is the phone actually just better. Nokia have recently released the latest competitor to the iPhone which is the Nokia X6 (read review here http://6300phones.com. In this article I will compare the X6 with Apples iPhone 4.

First glance
Aesthetically both phones are pleasing to the eye. They both look modern, although in my opinion the X6 looks slightly more stylish and also has more colour options out of the box with the iPhone relying on custom cases. They iPhone has been advertised as the phone for everything, anything you want there is an app available. Where as the X6 is being advertised as a phone for fun and entertainment.

Dimensions and weight
One complaint about the iPhone 3Gs was that it was a bit bulky, considering phones spend most of their lives in your pocket, smaller is better. The X6 is the lightest at 122g compared to 137g for the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 is slightly longer and wider, but this is because it needs to fit in the massive 3.5 inch screen with its huge resolution of 960x640. This means that although its bulkier you do get a better viewing experience compared to the X6 which sports a 3.2 inch screen with 640x360, which is still quite a nice size. The iPhone is also a lot slimmer with a depth of just 9mm, 5mm smaller then the X6.

Storage
People are now storing more and more things on their phones, including photos and music. It has therefore become important to have huge memories to contain all of this information. The X6 was initially criticised because it was released with 16gb, where as iPhone models went up to 32gb. This has now changed and both brands have released 8gb, 16gb and 32gb versions of their phones. The main advantage here is that Nokia phones are always cheaper then their Apple competitors of the same size. Neither model has external storage such as SD cards, so you are stuck with whatever initial choice you have made.

Features
Some people over look the main function of a phone and that is to phone people. The talk time for the iPhone is 840m which is 330m longer then the X6. So if you tend to have long conversations then have that extra time could be decisive. On the down side iPhones are not known for having great battery life, a lot of the features put a real drain on the battery. The X6 has a detachable battery, so you could always carry a spare where as with the iPhone you will be carrying a plug around with you a lot of the time.

Most new phones now come with gps as standard, both of these phones do. Nokia has its own maps program, so you can get easy access and directions. Where as the iPhone relies on third party apps. Google maps is installed as default and you can also purchase apps such as one from Tom Tom. These are good but require you to take action rather then just being able to use it straight out the box like with the X6.

One of the main selling points of the iPhone 4 over the iPhone 3 is the introduction of multitasking. You can switch between games to text or to surf and then go straight back as its still running in the background. This is something that is missing from the X6.

Camera
Hardly anyone carries a camera around with them anymore. They just whip their phone out whenever a photo opportunity arises. The main downside with iPhones in the past has been the lack of a flash, however this model they have finally included one. Both phones sport 5 megapixel cameras with digital zooms and autofocus. The X6's flash is supposed to be better then the iPhone.

One of the features that you can perform on the iPhone is geo-tagging. This means that you can add your location through the gps and attach it to the photo so that you know exactly where it was taken. Now that you can video call on mobiles, they require a second camera. The iPhone 4 has the higher resolution at 640x480 but you need a wifi connection to be able to connect the call. The X6 on the other hand although it only has a resolution of 176x144, you can connect on a normal 3g signal, although this would cost extra unless your tariff allows free video calls. They also both feature a video option.

Music
Not only is it important to be able to play music on your phone, people also expect to be able to play it out loud and download music on the fly. The iPhone 4 has access to iTunes, which has a huge range of songs available to download. It also has the same iPod software that you probably have on your mp3 player. So you can download music, listen to it like an iPod and sync it with your iTunes. The X6 doesn't stand a chance...or does it? To start off with the X6 has an FM radio built in so no need to access internet for radio stations. It also comes boxed with better headphones, Apple are known for bundling cheap low quality headphones. The speakers on the X6 are also a better quality digital speaker then the iPhones, so can be used to play out loud without needing a dock. Nokia have invested a fortune into their own music store, it might not be up to the quality of iTunes or have the same quantity of songs but you can still get a huge range of music on the fly. They also offer unlimited music download services. So even as a music player, Apples niche, the X6 still remains competitive.

Internet and Social Networking
It is no longer enough just to provide sms and mms services. Phones these days are expected to have email access and links into the social networking world. Both phones allow email access and they both provide fast easy access to the internet. The main advantage to the X6 is that it has Java installed and also allows access to websites with Flash. This is a big issue with iPhones at the moment, resulting in a court case with Adobe who own Flash. Any websites with Flash content will not work properly, therefore causing a difficult browsing experience. On the plus side, all the major sites have written iPhone versions of their sites or provide apps that not only let you access them but in most cases make it easier. Both of the phones also have access to all of the major social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. So you can keep in contact on the move.

Summary
The iPhone is more expensive but is also more flexible with its greater range of apps. It is without doubt the most fun out of both devices and does everything you could ever really want it to do and loads more that you would never want. It is a great music player, great for games, great for internet, great for social networking and great for many other things. The only thing is that the X6 does all of those things and in most cases a little bit better. So If you just want a phone, where you can browse the net the X6 is better. If you want a phone with a camera, the X6 is better. If you want a phone just for listening to music the X6 is better. So it is definitely worth considering, however if you want a fun phone that can do anything after a few finger presses then the iPhone is for you.