Can you verify this for me next time you’re with someone with an iPhone? For example, the video I keep using to check quality is the HD Thor Trailer.
I always thought the app’s quality was meh, but after watching it on the iphone it was actually enjoyable.
I appreciate all of your input though guys…
Every youtube video I’ve watched on an iphone sucks unless it’s over wifi. It seems like the phone decreases the quality of the video based on connection. Am I right?
And why would you use a youtube app on an andriod phone when you can just go to youtube.com since the phone actually has flash player? I know I can watch HD youtube video in-browser just fine. I’m not on android though.
If you use the youtube web app on iphone, i don’t think it decreases quality…
There is a backdoor into the $30 unlimited data iphone data on AT&T…
Ya the YouTube app lowers quality on the phone if you arent on WiFi.
I us 3G Unrestrictor to allow me to FaceTime, YouTube in HD and download apps over 3G
The iPhone has a few 3G tricks stock… 20MB app download limit, some apps have reduced quality, and youtube looks like hell. However, you can go to youtube.com and click the HQ button and it looks fine. I just prefer jail breaking it, and installing one of the several 3G unrestrictor apps, such as My3G. Then you can tell everything you’re on WiFi… Facetime over 3G, WiFI quality youtube in the YouTube app, etc…
HD YouTube videos look great when it thinks its on WiFI. OR, There are free and paid apps in the App Store for viewing/downloading HD podcasts, youtube videos, 720P uploads, over 3G, without a jailbreak. Its just easier to use native features and jailbreak to kill restrictions which are in place for good reasons.
Compare the iPhone to any droid side by side and you’ll see the difference. Be ready to watch it on the iPhone first though… because you’ll be waiting for the droid to load it. lol.
Why would I use the app? Um… because that is why we have apps. I don’t want to have to navigate anywhere if there is a button for it. Thats like typing in the URL for NYSpeed instead of making it your homepage. 
Certainly not compared to the droids, but it may.
If you’re referring to the iPhone 2G, activate unlimited, swap card to iPhone 4 thingy… I’m all about it.
I would certainly do something similar because I’d like some facetime with my wife when I’m not on a wifi network.
Once I actually have a phone… I’ll be looking for suggestions. I guess I like the features of the phone w/o having to hack it. I know most of the people with the 4 don’t even jailbreak anymore because it does most of everything that they need.
dont forget that the iphone 4 has a significantly better screen than most of the android phones out there
Well duh, higher quality = more data = longer to load. I’d rather wait the extra 5 seconds to see it in high quality than have to jailbreak a phone just to get past what Steve Jobs thinks is acceptable quality over 3G.
We have apps because phones were not powerful enough to do traditional web browsing in the beginning. And while most phones are now powerful enough for the full web, the iphone still needs to use apps as a crutch.
I’m not a fan of either OS and see the positives and negatives of both. I just hope I’ll have that 3rd OS option to go to in the near future.
The sim swap doesn’t even have to be done with a 2G iphone…If you activate your account with the dumbphone $10 unlimited data and then switch your SIM to an iphone, they will keep you on the $10 for awhile then send you a text that they noticed you are using an iphone and as a “courtesy” they switched you to $30 smartphone unlimited.
Unless you have an OG account like me and can still use $10 unlimited data on smartphones 
When you have the best resolution and pixel density… everyone else is chasing you. :tup:
I think you’re missing the point. You’re getting a better quality video, faster on the iPhone than on a droid. You really need to compare them side by side to understand.
Interesting… maybe when the 5 comes out AT&T will be even more attractive.
At this point, I’ll buy whatever is on the shelf for my trip and then return it when i get back.
Android vs iPhone arguments are hilarious.
I wanted to see the two side by side myself, so here you go…
Top is on 3G, Bottom is 3G tricked to act like WiFi… Initial buffering is about 5-10 seconds versus 2-4, but it generally streams the WiFi quality video over 3G just fine.
The 3G video quality isnt bad, its just its quite good on WiFi. Especially with such high pixel density…
Video is ‘The Birth Of A Violin’ shot in 4K on a RED ONE with the Mysterium sensor.
I got a facetime call from a VZW iPhone 4 as I was going to switch MY3G off… I guess FaceTime over 3G is brutal on the batt, with cranked brightness.
Nice…
I don’t blame the droid guys for not posting screens.
lol, I kid, I kid.
i hardly ever use youtube on my phone, however, you should remember that ATT 3G is actually faster than Verizon’s. So droid phones may be suffering on quality due to speed constraints. Idunno, for the few youtube videos I watch on the droid, it always works pretty well.
From what I recall, the youtube on my ipod touch was never THAT much better than on my droid (and the touch was always wifi obviously). :shrug: It’s splitting hairs really.
Not for someone who would be using youtube as much as any other app on the phone. I’m aware of AT&T’s massive speed advantage, but does that really explain the longer buffering and poorer quality videos? Couldn’t they just pick one?
i tried but i cant take screen shots of the youtube app, it just comes back a black screen
Thats odd.
I don’t know what limitations the speed puts on the video, I would assume that it explains the quality issues, but I’m not a video streaming expert. I don’t know if I’ve ever really even used youtube on a wireless connection. I can try it though.
Telling the iPhone 4 you’re on WiFi really taxes the 3G when streaming youtube videos. If you’re in a bad 3G area, theres no settings to decrease quality, it just picks the highest available. Not sure how high it goes, but on a 720P or 1080P upload, the stream quality is quite good.
Its clear WHY everyone decreases video quality over 3G… ATT no longer has ‘unlimited’ plans, and some 3G areas suck. Not everyone is willing to use more data for improved quality. It generally streams fine, but thats with a 3-4mbit download speed. VZW will never see those speeds over 3G, so it would never stream smoothly at the same quality. Dumping the resolution AND quality gives you some overhead for crappy data areas. It just makes the user experience more seamless, without dealing with constant pausing and re-buffering.