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Future of my iPhone - Question for those who switched.
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First off, I love my iPhone, but I've grown up with the Apple experience for a while, and the other appearances are starting to really appeal to me. The only thing that really prevents me from at least *trying* another OS is because I have a lot of investment in the iOS platform. I have a question for those previous and current iPhone owners, what platform did you switch to/did you come from, and how has that changed your smartphone experience. Also, if you're a Mac user/Rely on iCloud, how has your integration with your devices changed for better or for worse?
I was part of the Apple universe from day #1
Original iPhone, iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S - always bought outright as I never had a contract - the 4S was my first.
I started to want an iPhone once I had the original IPOD Touch - I said back then "brilliant device, just the phone function missing".
But it has been 5+ years now and whilst iOS has changed a bit - it genreally looks / feels the same. I was peed off for years that I couldn't change my ringtone / text tone to a custom sound and it took years for iOS to finally catch up with functions my old Nokia 2110 had.
I am not going into specific details as it seems that Apple fans jump at your throat straight away no matter what, but bottom line - I got bored and I missed a lot of specifics for a long long time and finally gave up waiting.
I played with a Samsung Galaxy S3 once and got hooked. I legally unlocked my contract iPhone 4S with the provider, sold it and bought an unlocked Galaxy S3 from the shop outright (iPhone 4S contract still going until mid next year) and love the thing to bits.
Apps and music were one concern myself. As some mentioned - apps: how many do you really use ? In fact, I had only two apps I WANTED on my S3. First iTap RDP - best RDP client out there I think, and I bought it also on my S3 now (still using it on iPad). ANother premium app is Tom Tom - that however is not yet available on the S3 but Google Navigation is a LOT better. Even the voice directions making a lot more sense than Tom Tom or Co Pilot.
Music - only songs before 2009 have DRM. I found 6 Albums only which were encrypted. A quick "online search" showed I can get them back anyway. A few other albums were purchased under a different account using an email address which doesn't exist anymore so I can't play or sync them anyway anymore. So all in all I am "down" 10 albums I "lost".
Another music issue is lossless m4a files - whilst they don't have DRM - Android seems to have issues with it.
I run my whole library, including the M4A files, through a converter (MP3 Variable Bitrate) so that was that (funnily enough some ID3v2 tags need fixing).
Now two weeks down the line, and all that sorted - I LOVE it.
Biggest advantage when using Android over iPhone (for ME anyway): Codecs. For years I have been converting movies and whatnot to Apple files in order to play them on iPad, iPhone and then via HDMI adapter.
No need on Android - it even understands MKVs - which is a massive plus as most movies downloaded (HD ones anyway) end up in MKV container.
That alone is a big plus for me. Not to mention the ability to download movies straight to the phone's SD card, hook it up via Micro USB <> HDMI adapter to my HDTV and watch movies in high - def.
The way you can customize the Android OS is amazing. Some things are certainly a gimmick (animated wallpaper, different coloured notification LED), but nonetheless, it makes such an expensive gimmick a lot more enjoyable.
Long story short - ANDROID .. Never going back unless Apple gets their act together and catches up with issues. For 5 years I had to put up with the stupid Stock app and other nonsense you can't get rid of. Time to change their "propriotry" attitude.
O, some Samsung stock apps can't be removed either, but app section and home screens are kept seperatly - so it isn't constantly in my face (plus like iPhone - you can root them and remove the apps anyway and before you talk jailbreak - yes you can, but a lot of times I had more issues than benefits.
Oh and widgets - damn I love them - all known apps I am using come with proper widgets on Android - Only one example: Cozi Calendar. On iPhone - you have to go into the app, wait until it loads and whatno - on Android you can create a homescreen page with one large Cozi widget and see all upcoming few appointments in one view - never have to open the app again - ever. Or our UK Train Time App - you have to go into the app on Iphone - on Android the widget can be configured to show train times from home to work and vice versa - and it updates the direction based on your geo location - again - no need to open an app but just a swipe to another page on your home screen.
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I think so. WP8 ecosystem just isn't there yet. If a user has iOS, apps are usually very important to him/her. Going from iOS App Store to the Windows Phone Store would be horrifying. App Store to Play Store is much less painful.
What options for apps/music if you don't want to use Google services? Ever since Google decided they have the right to scan your personal information (Jan 1, 2012) and use it for their own purposes, I've refused to use their Ecosystem.
This plus that fact that I have a few hundred gb of music in iTunes that I selectively sync with my iPhone using playlists to control what gets sync'd. It's audio and video, and my system has evolved from my iPod days(2006) to present. That's a lot of ratings and tagging(groups, genre, playlists, media type ) to convert over to ....(whatever the android equivalent is )
I would like the freedom of not being in Apple's walled garden, and a larger screen if I'd like. But cost in the loss of apps, my fear(justified? ) of being forced to use google services, and obstacle of the music library are holding me back.
This plus that fact that I have a few hundred gb of music in iTunes that I selectively sync with my iPhone using playlists to control what gets sync'd. It's audio and video, and my system has evolved from my iPod days(2006) to present. That's a lot of ratings and tagging(groups, genre, playlists, media type ) to convert over to ....(whatever the android equivalent is )
I would like the freedom of not being in Apple's walled garden, and a larger screen if I'd like. But cost in the loss of apps, my fear(justified? ) of being forced to use google services, and obstacle of the music library are holding me back.
if you don't like google then don't use it. for music - just use usb to copy them over or get one of many iTunes sync app which copy your music into phone without transfering them to cloud first.
for email / pims connect direct to your email server via exchange or other protocols.
turn off the gps via wireless network location and you won't be tracked.
don't buy apps from playstore. use side loading.
btw: how did you survive for so long with iphone. apple plus 3rd party apps had been collecting and sending your personal data out from your phone without you knowing. unlike android where every app has to disclose what permissions it required, on iphone any apps are given all permissions by default without user consent.
You need to update your knowledge. Starting with iOS 6 apps have to ask for permissions. Plus you can give certain permissions while denying others.
Oh Yeah, we should disregard the fact that you just switched to a N4 to iP5 because you didn't like it? But Apple lost you a long time ago....
I think you've lost all credibility to most people on this forum. At least, I hope you have.
location and contact permissions only. There are many more that are not make known. look at android permissions and get some ideas.