The OP inquired which phone "is better for trading in terms of speed, ease of use, and other factors".... I tried to emphasize, and I'll do it once more... Buy the platform that YOUR BROKER SUPPORTS BEST!! This seems like a no brainer to me. Why hinder yourself and hope they bring their least supported version up to the level of their best supported version? I also mentioned that Interactive Brokers seems to support iOS best. I see iOS as a huge benefit because you can still use an Android phone while buying a "cheap" used iPod Touch for trading. Though I personally can never see myself trading from a mobile device, I do see the benefits of monitoring my account(s) from one. I myself will probably always lean toward a very cheap barebones phone (possibly Android in the future) while probably leaning toward Apple computing devices.
Not having 4G would be very costly in a fast moving markets. Really depends on how he plans on trading as well. There is NO comparison between 3G and 4G speeds. I tested my platform for back-up purposes using 3G and it uses a Direct-Connect API and 3G is not fast enough for intra-day trading. It worked fine when it was connected to 4G. IB supports 'almost' any mobile platform. If he needs charts, he obviously wants to get a bigger display. He could do this with any tablet. IB's Android platform runs on version 1.6 or greater and I think it would be hard to find any device with a version that old.
Except if you compare the features and documentation IB provides for Android vs iOS there is no competition. iOS wins. Its pretty obvious to me their efforts are mostly spent on iOS. I'm guessing its probably because most of their customers use an iOS device or the barrier to entry is considerably lower with an iPod Touch device.
Not certain there, the iOS version is 1.5 yrs old and the Android version was updated in February of this year. I am not familiar with IB, but I know some programmers / traders who have attempted to use their api for automated trading and thus far, they haven't been successful. I have a few prospective clients that want to trade through them as well, so I may be forced to figure out what their issues were. However, I would never ever want to trade via mobile, I would prefer an automated system, such as I have developed or a cloud based system. I am certain these will be available in the very near future and should make many of the current issues irrelevant.
This is not on topic wholly but I did notice something about Apple owners. I was scanning craigslist for a used apple laptop. I could not get the sellers to tell me what exactly they had for sale... the description would be "white"... something like that for example. When I contacted them and requested they tell me an exact model number [they upgrade them twice a year on average] they would cop a 'tude.. they were ALL like that. In this thread I discover that Apple doesn't have turn by turn directions and maps??? I was thinking of getting an iPhone but forget it!! A 4G Android with a display as good as an iPhone4 would make me really happy.. I have a Galaxy S and the screen is supposed to be so great but it's GREEN... it's as far into the green spectrum as the iPhone is into the blue spectrum and blue looks a lot better...
I'll also add the biggest problem for me and Android is the delayed software updates and all the non-removable crapware from the carriers. But I guess it will be the price I have to pay for (eventually) a "free" smartphone. This crapware issue is also a problem with most of the major PC manufacturers. Along with awkward/passive firmware updates, these are two more reasons why I'm leaning toward Apple for my computing needs.
LOL I believe it. Everyone I know that switched to apple were people who couldn't use a computer in the first place. Or, in the case of a few females, they bought a mac book because of it's color. LMAO Then later asked me to put WINDOWS on it because it could not run the software that they needed. (Whoever's idea it was to make sure that it was able to run WINDOWS, was on to something). LOL apple definitely welcomed the technologically challenged (this came about with the ipods), and they can HAVE THEM. It has turn by turn directions and maps, BUT UNLESS you purchase an app, you must look at the map or read the directions. Sprint phones have Sprint Navigation and the phone gives you instructions in audio form, just as a GPS would. It's fully integrated in the maps and directions. apple more than likely left this INNOVATIVE IDEA out so that they would make money off of the Tom Tom app. I believe they get 20% of app sales. Once an iphone user sees this on an android phone, they want it and they buy the app. Sprint users have had this for YEARS. Not certain if the iphone has this, but with the EVO, all you have to do is talk to it. If you are searching for something, you click the microphone, talk, and VOILA...there you have it. I hardly ever use the keyboard and the speech recognition is a GOOGLE product and it's amazing. If people think these phones are difficult, they haven't spent much time with them. Before I had the EVO, people with iphones would brag, now they just walk away or they comment on how nice the phone is and it's not too hard to show them things they can't do.
i was under the impression that apple user wold be more advanced as they took an alternative and must of understood the benefits.. this is for computer only.. apple was an alternative to Microsoft. one would have to relearn essentially a new OS. for the phones its another world android is an alternative to iPhone, he with a iPhone probably knows nothing about android besides the fact its not as cool as the iPhone. The iPhone choice here is the default, easy choice. as was windows. as was internet explorer over Firefox or others, it has been said that those who use explorer over firefox and chrome have a lower IQ.. it was in an article.. interestingly, this would mean that iPhone users would tend to have a windows PC. and apple computer users would have a lower percent of iPhone users. and people with apple pc and a android would be smarter then iPhone and windows users. i wonder what percent of apple pc users have a iphone as opposed to windows pc users to iphone.. that being said, it should be noted the android/ apple pc users. may only be smarter when it comes to programming. language ect. Many smart people don't bother with that stuff as they pay others to deal with there tech problems as there may be more money to made spending that energy elsewhere. So some really successful busy people may be more towards the iphone/ pc.. also pc is more compatible with business.. just had to make some room for me in the pc/iphone world lol
My experience has been THE TOTAL OPPOSITE. And for programming? YOU MUST BE KIDDING? Have you ever hired anyone that works with an apple? Other than a designer? I, like you thought that your assumption was correct as well, until I hired a C++ programmer with a mac. MISTAKE, CLUELESS. I began to think he bought the computer to make him 'look' smart. Many also got into apple because the ipods were simple, they could use them so they thought they would try a mac / mac book.
true i was referring to the older apple crowd that before the iPhone.. but yeah i forgot mac still makes pc's that may appeal to the iPad iPhone crowd for compatibility.. I thought there last computer they made was the apple II E but they have the marshan PC ball under the screen thing going on. or a really bad laptop design as i like to call it.. just add a battery and you can put it in your purse or bowling ball bag... my how I've been diverted from the trading world these past few days...i even posted on a farmer vs prostitution thread ??? its good to get out of the charts for a breather though