How This Long-Time iPhone User Switched to Android

[Jos]

I’ve been an iPhone user for over six years now, around the time the iPhone 4 came out. I use my smartphone a lot but I’m not a frequent upgrader. Since 2010 I only upgraded once to the iPhone 5s in late 2013 and now halfway into 2016 it was time for another upgrade.

Up until recently I had only used Android for minutes at a time and never as my daily driver. But hearing how Google's smartphone platform had evolved so significantly since I first became an iPhone user, both in terms of software and hardware, I decided it was time to give it a try. For what it’s worth, I started the temporary switch for the purpose of writing an article about it, using Google's mobile operating system with fresh eyes coming from an iPhone. But as it turns out, a few weeks later I’m not just switching short term, my new phone is the Google Nexus 6P and I intend to keep it until my next upgrade.

In 2010 I also switched from Windows to Mac and have since bought a few other iDevices which should only make things more interesting, as I’ll be stepping away from the comfort of living under a unified ecosystem. Read on for my experiences thus far.

Read the complete article.

 

[SirChocula]

Not to sound demeaning but who gives a sh*t what platform you use? I've seen tons of these articles online everywhere about an Android user switching to iOS and vice versa. Use what you like, no one gives a damn why you switch or what not. It's analogous to those SJW screaming about how special of a snowflake they are and their identities, etc.

 

[Burty117]

What did you do with your iTunes Music?
Did you give Apple Music a go?
I'm guessing it's simply out of the question to playback TV Shows and Movies from your iTunes account?
Was there any paid apps you had to re-buy and if so, is the pricing any different?

I've been looking into moving to Android but I have a fair amount of paid apps I'd like to bring along with me and of course I've built up movies and TV Shows over the years.

 

[winjay]

Not to sound demeaning but who gives a sh*t what platform you use? I've seen tons of these articles online everywhere about an Android user switching to iOS and vice versa. Use what you like, no one gives a damn why you switch or what not. It's analogous to those SJW screaming about how special of a snowflake they are and their identities, etc.

A smartphone is something that you use daily. Real people spent lot of time making and designing it. Some people appreciate that. If you have **** loads of money, it may not matter to you, but for those who carefully purchase stuff, it is worthwhile to see what people who used the latest versions of the OS felt about using it.
Also people like to be validated for their choices. Its part of advertising psychology.

 

[SirChocula]

A smartphone is something that you use daily. Real people spent lot of time making and designing it. Some people appreciate that. If you have **** loads of money, it may not matter to you, but for those who carefully purchase stuff, it is worthwhile to see what people who used the latest versions of the OS felt about using it.
Also people like to be validated for their choices. Its part of advertising psychology.

I can see where you're coming from but I just think these sort of experiences is much better on a platform like youtube. Having it on a tech site automatically make people go into the herd mentality that one platform is better vs the other bc it's so prominent on the front page, which is a part of marketing in itself; that's what annoys me when they hide it behind the "tech experience" facade (yahoo does this a lot). Not saying that techspot is doing that, but I rather research from many people's experience on youtube rather than one here. T.S can publish whatever they want, I just find it annoying that these type of articles exist, that's all, even though you do have a legitimate point.

I agree with the advertising psychology part. It's a general defensive mechanism that we all have in general that most people are not aware. As soon as we make a choice, we automatically become inclined towards that choice and favor it vs the choice we just discarded. So even though X item looked great to you before, but you've decided on Y item, you would heavily downplay the importance/significance of X item almost instantly.

 

[liammac002]

I use a cheap android phone as my smartphone and an iPad Pro as my entertainment device. The only stuff I do on my phone is browse the web and play very simple 2D games, as well as texting and calling obviously. My phone is great for all that. I use my iPad for everything else, and it works for me. I like being able to customize my phone a lot because I use it a ton so android is useful, and iOS is great for entertainment because it always just works like I want it to. While I wish I could merge purchases which is obviously never going to happen, I really don't feel like I'm being limited by my ecosystem in either situation. I never have to worry about thermal throttling or apps crashing or bad performance on my iPad, and I don't have to worry about constant updating or not being able to get things to work just how I want them to or a lack of customization with my phone. It works for me.

 

[Jos]

What did you do with your iTunes Music?
Did you give Apple Music a go?
I'm guessing it's simply out of the question to playback TV Shows and Movies from your iTunes account?
Was there any paid apps you had to re-buy and if so, is the pricing any different?

I've been looking into moving to Android but I have a fair amount of paid apps I'd like to bring along with me and of course I've built up movies and TV Shows over the years.

I don't have a lot of purchased songs on iTunes as I've been using a premium Spotify subscription since 2011. I tried Apple Music during the 3-month trial period (I liked the ability to control it with Siri) but ended up going back to Spotify. For movies and TV shows I'm not really losing access to anything since I only watch those on my Apple TV, never on my phone so I haven't even tried that.

The main thing I'm leaving behind are a bunch of paid apps. I've had to look for alternatives, some free and some paid for. I don't think I've spent more than $10 - $15 on Android apps so it's not a big deal. Pricing is similar and some times a bit cheaper, the most I've paid for an Android app is $3.99. I do feel like app quality and availability is a little better on iOS.

 

[yRaz]

What did you do with your iTunes Music?
Did you give Apple Music a go?
I'm guessing it's simply out of the question to playback TV Shows and Movies from your iTunes account?
Was there any paid apps you had to re-buy and if so, is the pricing any different?

I've been looking into moving to Android but I have a fair amount of paid apps I'd like to bring along with me and of course I've built up movies and TV Shows over the years.

We need phones that platform-fluid.

 

[lipe123]

We need phones that platform-fluid.

Apple just need to stop being apple and release itunes on the play store for android. They're stupid for not doing it, they could get lots more itunes users to spend money buying music.

Unless maybe Google is blocking them in favour of play music , not sure...

 

[MoeJoe]

Seeing the light is awesome.

 

[p51d007]

For me, a smartphone is a "toaster oven"...you just use it.
Other than the launcher, it's 100% stock. I don't root it, no custom
roms. I install the programs I want, and leave it alone. I don't have to be
screwing with it 24/7. It's stable, that's all I care. At the end of a work
day, I pretty much put it down and don't touch it again til the next day.
It gets used A LOT for web (work tickets), photos, mp3's, email, text.
It was cheap, $300, 6.1" screen, MASSIVE 4,000mAH battery, and hasn't had
one issue in 2+ years. No reason to get rid of it, till it dies.
I see kids today that want to spend upwards of 600, 700 or more EVERY YEAR
for a new phone that does pretty much 99% of what their "old" phone does...just don't get it.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Android, Blackberry Symbian, Windows, Tizen, Apple? Who the hell cares what other people use and why? It's their prerogative, decision and choice.
I never bothered to read this article, it wouldn't interest me but some of the comments did.

 

[soulsassassin]

Not to sound demeaning but who gives a sh*t what platform you use? I've seen tons of these articles online everywhere about an Android user switching to iOS and vice versa. Use what you like, no one gives a damn why you switch or what not. It's analogous to those SJW screaming about how special of a snowflake they are and their identities, etc.

Not to sound demeaning but who gives a sh*t what platform you use? I've seen tons of these articles online everywhere about an Android user switching to iOS and vice versa. Use what you like, no one gives a damn why you switch or what not. It's analogous to those SJW screaming about how special of a snowflake they are and their identities, etc.

A smartphone is something that you use daily. Real people spent lot of time making and designing it. Some people appreciate that. If you have **** loads of money, it may not matter to you, but for those who carefully purchase stuff, it is worthwhile to see what people who used the latest versions of the OS felt about using it.
Also people like to be validated for their choices. Its part of advertising psychology.

I get your point but to be honest no one gives a **** about which size of icons you like and your whatsapp chat history ....etc this ios vs android articles are so old and boring no one gives a **** about it now , use what you like

 

[Foxpaw]

I've also encountered a few rare occasions where some apps cause Android's soft buttons dissappear altogether and I have to lock/unlock the phone to make them surface again.

Generally if an app has gone fullscreen and hidden the soft buttons you can get them (and the status bar) to reappear by swiping down from the top of the screen.

 

[Capaill]

I know these articles are old and a dime a dozen, but I'm always entertained to see how surprised Apple users are when they give Android a chance. Apple is a closed ecosystem which is great for the overall quality and consistency of the device/apps but, being locked in, you are forced to pay more for the device/apps. There is a reason that Apple has less than 50% of the apps in the world but makes over 90% of the world's app revenues. And that revenue is the reason that some app developers develop exclusively for Apple. I reject Apple simply because I don't like monopolies and I want the freedom to choose, even if it's sometimes a poorer choice. I recognise that and I'm ok with it - I'm a techy so I'm willing to play around with different apps to find the one that suits me best.
So Jose, welcome to the world of Android, I hope you enjoy your new journey. And remember, if you can't find an app, you're free to create your own. At least you won't have to pay Apple 30% of your revenues.

 

[Bigtruckseries]

There isn't a single Android that runs iOS.

There isn't a single Android that runs iMovie for iOS.

There isn't a single android that can handle recording for 5 HOURS STRAIGHT in 4K- and then editing and finalizing on the phone itself.

There isn't a single Android with a keyboard that looks and feels as good as iOS'.

I have a 6s+ 128GB and I'm going to upgrade to an iPhone 7 256GB Pro.

The truth of the matter is there is no competition between android and iOS iPhone .

You can compare Galaxy Androids to LG Androids to Verizon's Droids...but when you compare an Android to an iOS device, you get radically different performance that caters to different users.

At the end of the day: many people who want iPhone CAN'T AFFORD IT. Android phones are plentiful and cheap. Even the big screen Androids are bigger and cheaper than a new iPhone Plus model.

And then you've got the people who just wanna be different: CYANOGEN
Desperately hoping that other people will give a damn about their operating system.

Greatest thing that Apple did was building it's own software atop it's own hardware which means that no one else can run iOS and your choice comes down to whether or not you choose iOS or android. When you choose Android, there are like a million different devices from thousands of different makers.

I don't like using Android.

I like android on the tablet (Asus Transformer) but I absolutely hate android on a phone.

For my cellphone I demand absolute simplicity.

I don't mind upgrading to a new phone every single year because I have the money to do so.

This user account above is just one person who in my opinion probably can't afford the apple ecosystem.

Apple dominates the market. Not in terms of sales - since There are a gazillion Androids - but in terms of desirability and aesthetics. When new apps come out they TARGET iPhone specifically because iOS is just one OS and it's easier to program for. Meanwhile, an app that works on one Android device may or may not be stable on the next. Samsung's Galaxy line is the closest thing an Android user can get to coherency.

I don't like the way Androids look, feel or function.

I will be sticking with iOS indefinitely.

Everyone else feel free to choose whatever YOU CAN AFFORD.

 

[joe1946]

I had many Android phones like the HTC Droid DNA that was the first phone with 5" 1080p display and 6.44" Sony Z Ultra but my current phone the 64GB 5.7" (2560x1440 AMOLED) S6 Edge Plus is by far the best with the fast Samsung wireless fast charger and Samsung wallet case that has a chip to shut off display when closed.

It has Android 6.0.1 and I have AT&Ts prepay plan that cost only $25 a month for unlimited talk and text including photos and videos. Since I have Comcast at home I have access to millions of Xfinity wi-fi hotspots along with all the other free wi-fi hotspots.

Samsung Pay works great with it along with Gear VR and my Samsung Gear S smartwatch that has the largest display of any smartwatch.

 

[Zack Casey]

Not to sound demeaning but who gives a sh*t what platform you use? I've seen tons of these articles online everywhere about an Android user switching to iOS and vice versa. Use what you like, no one gives a damn why you switch or what not. It's analogous to those SJW screaming about how special of a snowflake they are and their identities, etc.

Often it's a genuine curiosity to know what iOS users think of Android since iOS since the two are alike in some ways but iOS held to stricter standards then Android. Basically, having an iOS user's account on Android is like getting your car inspected.

 

[Iwan79]

I hate exactly that Apple is money making industry!
Doesn't give user any freedom and LOCKS you inside their annoying system!
For experienced Android user it is pleasure and sense of freedom! Ofcourse there might be occasional errors popping out due to either heavy customisation or simply by developers mistake in writing code for an app!
Wherefore, if you are capable with bit of programming, you can create your own app just for your need!

 

[BuckRogers]

I used Android for 5 years, moved to iOS and I'm never looking back. I'm guessing part 2 of this is that he'd going back to iOS. It's just better but hard to tell unless you've used both for years. I'm 2 years in on iOS and can say for sure that the overall experience is just superior. Android is wonky, too many bad devices and too few updates to too few of those devices.

 

[Phr3d]

RE "who gives a shyt?" so JAY-ded, surprisingly enough, the clicks will show that many people do, we jaded just aren't.

RE "Everyone else feel free to choose whatever YOU CAN AFFORD." seems to presuppose the only reason any careful user would choose Android is because they are poor, and your rant seems to bear out your opinion.
Like all personal decisions, aka everyone's got one - and each is as worthy, without yet Another rant attempting to Absolutely Define why it Should Be Everyone's Conclusion, unless they're poor (or in subtext, because they're too Stupid to reach your insurmountable conclusion).

this shyt just craks me up.. such passion, let's figure out a way to homogenize it and feed the world.

 

[kissx]

Marshmallow is the worst google did so far!

 

[michaelhall43]

There isn't a single Android that runs iOS.

There isn't a single Android that runs iMovie for iOS.

There isn't a single android that can handle recording for 5 HOURS STRAIGHT in 4K- and then editing and finalizing on the phone itself.

There isn't a single Android with a keyboard that looks and feels as good as iOS'.

I have a 6s+ 128GB and I'm going to upgrade to an iPhone 7 256GB Pro.

The truth of the matter is there is no competition between android and iOS iPhone .

You can compare Galaxy Androids to LG Androids to Verizon's Droids...but when you compare an Android to an iOS device, you get radically different performance that caters to different users.

At the end of the day: many people who want iPhone CAN'T AFFORD IT. Android phones are plentiful and cheap. Even the big screen Androids are bigger and cheaper than a new iPhone Plus model.

And then you've got the people who just wanna be different: CYANOGEN
Desperately hoping that other people will give a damn about their operating system.

Greatest thing that Apple did was building it's own software atop it's own hardware which means that no one else can run iOS and your choice comes down to whether or not you choose iOS or android. When you choose Android, there are like a million different devices from thousands of different makers.

I don't like using Android.

I like android on the tablet (Asus Transformer) but I absolutely hate android on a phone.

For my cellphone I demand absolute simplicity.

I don't mind upgrading to a new phone every single year because I have the money to do so.

This user account above is just one person who in my opinion probably can't afford the apple ecosystem.

Apple dominates the market. Not in terms of sales - since There are a gazillion Androids - but in terms of desirability and aesthetics. When new apps come out they TARGET iPhone specifically because iOS is just one OS and it's easier to program for. Meanwhile, an app that works on one Android device may or may not be stable on the next. Samsung's Galaxy line is the closest thing an Android user can get to coherency.

I don't like the way Androids look, feel or function.

I will be sticking with iOS indefinitely.

Everyone else feel free to choose whatever YOU CAN AFFORD.

I'm 80% sure this is a troll. But I'll bite for fun.

iMovie isn't the be all and end all. There are plenty of video editing apps available on the App Store and Play Store that share the functionality of iMovie. Why you would want to record 4k video for 5 hours straight is beyond me, but there's no reason my Galaxy S7 Edge couldn't.

There isn't a single Android keyboard that looks and feels as good as iOS'? Have you ever used Google Keyboard or Swiftkey? Both work amazingly well, with autocorrect being almost perfect and endless customisation options.

You have a 6s Plus top model? Good for you. I have an S7 Edge top model - so what. The truth of the matter is, there is raging competition between Android phones and iPhones (why do you think Apple went on a litigation spree?). Performance side by side with the S7 edge and the iPhone 6s plus are similar.

At the end of the day many people want sports cars and can't afford them, or a bigger house or a Galaxy S7 Edge. So what? There are Androids which are cheaper than the iPhone, some which are in the same price range and even some which are more expensive. Price is meaningless when you have as much money as you supposedly do. Look at the technology.

Custom Android ROMs are used by people who want extra functionality, new jazzy features or improved battery life - It is an awful lot of hassle to go though to be 'different' for different's sake.

"Greatest thing that Apple did was building it's own software atop it's own hardware which means that no one else can run iOS and your choice comes down to whether or not you choose iOS or android. When you choose Android, there are like a million different devices from thousands of different makers." Only in your world is this a pro for iOS. Competition helps everyone - it drives innovation, pushes costs down and makes products better. iOS being locked down has resulted in stagnation of the feature set - Apple are now reduced to sourcing ideas from other people - mostly Google.

You can't really say you flat out hate Android's interface for its lack of simplicity seeing as every manufacturer's take on Android is different. Huawei go complex, Samsung somewhere inbetween and Moto total simplicity. That's the thing about Android, you CHOOSE.

I also have the money for a new phone every year - so do a lot of people. However many don't get an new one every year as they don't want to feel like a consumerist fool. Perhaps, when you buy your next phone, think: "Do I really need to use up more of this planet's resources when an iPhone 6 still works fine?".

 

[BuckRogers]

There isn't a single Android that runs iOS.

There isn't a single Android that runs iMovie for iOS.

There isn't a single android that can handle recording for 5 HOURS STRAIGHT in 4K- and then editing and finalizing on the phone itself.

There isn't a single Android with a keyboard that looks and feels as good as iOS'.

I have a 6s+ 128GB and I'm going to upgrade to an iPhone 7 256GB Pro.

The truth of the matter is there is no competition between android and iOS iPhone .

You can compare Galaxy Androids to LG Androids to Verizon's Droids...but when you compare an Android to an iOS device, you get radically different performance that caters to different users.

At the end of the day: many people who want iPhone CAN'T AFFORD IT. Android phones are plentiful and cheap. Even the big screen Androids are bigger and cheaper than a new iPhone Plus model.

And then you've got the people who just wanna be different: CYANOGEN
Desperately hoping that other people will give a damn about their operating system.

Greatest thing that Apple did was building it's own software atop it's own hardware which means that no one else can run iOS and your choice comes down to whether or not you choose iOS or android. When you choose Android, there are like a million different devices from thousands of different makers.

I don't like using Android.

I like android on the tablet (Asus Transformer) but I absolutely hate android on a phone.

For my cellphone I demand absolute simplicity.

I don't mind upgrading to a new phone every single year because I have the money to do so.

This user account above is just one person who in my opinion probably can't afford the apple ecosystem.

Apple dominates the market. Not in terms of sales - since There are a gazillion Androids - but in terms of desirability and aesthetics. When new apps come out they TARGET iPhone specifically because iOS is just one OS and it's easier to program for. Meanwhile, an app that works on one Android device may or may not be stable on the next. Samsung's Galaxy line is the closest thing an Android user can get to coherency.

I don't like the way Androids look, feel or function.

I will be sticking with iOS indefinitely.

Everyone else feel free to choose whatever YOU CAN AFFORD.

I'm 80% sure this is a troll. But I'll bite for fun.

iMovie isn't the be all and end all. There are plenty of video editing apps available on the App Store and Play Store that share the functionality of iMovie. Why you would want to record 4k video for 5 hours straight is beyond me, but there's no reason my Galaxy S7 Edge couldn't.

There isn't a single Android keyboard that looks and feels as good as iOS'? Have you ever used Google Keyboard or Swiftkey? Both work amazingly well, with autocorrect being almost perfect and endless customisation options.

You have a 6s Plus top model? Good for you. I have an S7 Edge top model - so what. The truth of the matter is, there is raging competition between Android phones and iPhones (why do you think Apple went on a litigation spree?). Performance side by side with the S7 edge and the iPhone 6s plus are similar.

At the end of the day many people want sports cars and can't afford them, or a bigger house or a Galaxy S7 Edge. So what? There are Androids which are cheaper than the iPhone, some which are in the same price range and even some which are more expensive. Price is meaningless when you have as much money as you supposedly do. Look at the technology.

Custom Android ROMs are used by people who want extra functionality, new jazzy features or improved battery life - It is an awful lot of hassle to go though to be 'different' for different's sake.

"Greatest thing that Apple did was building it's own software atop it's own hardware which means that no one else can run iOS and your choice comes down to whether or not you choose iOS or android. When you choose Android, there are like a million different devices from thousands of different makers." Only in your world is this a pro for iOS. Competition helps everyone - it drives innovation, pushes costs down and makes products better. iOS being locked down has resulted in stagnation of the feature set - Apple are now reduced to sourcing ideas from other people - mostly Google.

You can't really say you flat out hate Android's interface for its lack of simplicity seeing as every manufacturer's take on Android is different. Huawei go complex, Samsung somewhere inbetween and Moto total simplicity. That's the thing about Android, you CHOOSE.

I also have the money for a new phone every year - so do a lot of people. However many don't get an new one every year as they don't want to feel like a consumerist fool. Perhaps, when you buy your next phone, think: "Do I really need to use up more of this planet's resources when an iPhone 6 still works fine?".

My wife and I feel the same about the consumption part. She's still on a 4S, a phone that lasted through about 3 Android phones on my side and is still going to this day- it's the main reason I gave the 5S a shot and now I'm a believer in iOS/iPhone.

We don't update that often, only when we need to or really want to. At this point, the gap between the 4S and 7 Plus will be so wide that we're updating her on a "want" basis. We're wasting some of the world's resources, but if only the majority of consumers followed our lead.

My 5S is getting used for a longer time. It will either get replaced by a Plus phone or SE. Whenever that time comes.

We have no money shortage, I have over $100,000 in savings and a meaty income that increases it daily. We can afford new phones every year. Kids bragging about upgrading have no effect on us. We can easily shame them if it's a money question.

I just upgraded from my old Q9450 based computer (from 2008) to an Intel Skull Canyon NUC as well. This was kind of like the 4S update that's happening. It's part need, part want. I want the lowered heat output, lower power draw, and less noise along with the increased performance. Going from a Q1 2008 CPU (and its associated old motherboard, a Radeon 5870 GPU, the USB 3.0 PCIE card and the Intel X25-M 160GB + 40GB SSDs that are in there) that's 45nm to a Q1 2016 CPU that's 14nm will be significant.

I will admit I'm not relatively excited about cellphones and never really was. I am excited about NUCs ('nukes' if you say it according to what Intel says it is) and may upgrade to a 10nm + Thunderbolt4 enabled part but it would take that. But the leap from old stuff, given significant time can be worth it. I'm using a USB-C 3.1 external drive bay with an old SSD until Samsung releases their "960 Pro" NVME M.2 1TB SSD. Everything including the Corsair 32GB DDR4-3000 SODIMMs I put in my NUC are light years ahead of my old hardware (Mushkin 8GB DDR2).

So it's not always a money issue, it also becomes a need if your system isn't hacking it. My Q9450 was barely there. I considered pepping it up with a low end Geforce (VP9 acceleration etc) but the rest of the system is still from 2008/2009. It didn't really make much sense. You might wonder why someone would move from desktops to a NUC. I don't need a high powered video card anymore so the IGP is fine for me, but Thunderbolt3 solves that if I have any regrets on moving to Skull Canyon.

On the "money" stance. People say moving to a NUC like this is stupid from a price/perf standpoint. I'm not short on money. I can afford what I want, in this case I'm ready to say goodbye to standard ATX systems after 30 years of them and ready to take the opportunity and embrace something new.

Didn't mean too much of a tangent onto the NUC, though I do love this thing. Main point was about price/performance and just people being "too poor" to upgrade. I'm not poor and I just upgrade when I really need or want to. We're thoughtful consumers.

 

[JonnDoe]

Well as fer me I'm still using my LG440g flip phone and tracfone service I can make phone calls(anyone remember that?) get voice messages and I can TXT and I have a computer at home, I don't care about iOS or AndroidOS.
P.S. I also have day's of battery life.