Why are so many iPhone users afraid of Android?

[onthecouchagain]

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

[annk]

I don't think iPhone users are afraid of anything. I think it's pretty clear that at least two factors are at work here:

• Money. These phones aren't cheap. If you're in the Apple ecosystem and happy there, you might be interested when you hear lots of talk about another system, but be concerned that jumping ship might be an expensive experiment that doesn't work out.
• You're perhaps confusing research with fear. Just because iPhone users ask questions about switching here, doesn't mean they're afraid of anything. It just means they're doing their research.

[walie]

Originally Posted by RenoG

This^^

How about this, I simply have no enterest in android at this time. I'm completely content with the way apple is currrently taking care of my needs. I have waaaayyy more important things to be concerned with in life than some other tech platform. I mean why, really.

And yet somehow you found the time to go to this forum and this thread....

[RenoG]

Originally Posted by walie

And yet somehow you found the time to go to this forum and this thread....

Yup I hang out Macrumors all the time. Sometimes I choose to comment where I feel like it, its nothing.

[rmhop81]

Originally Posted by mikegasol

I have seen a lot of threads come up lately from iPhone users who want to switch or even try Android but they are afraid to give up Apple's ecosystem. This is totally understandable and I can releate as I have all Apple products as well but I dont get the hesitation. I have a Note 2 as my phone but I also have a new ipod touch and an ipad mini for all my iOS needs. The ipod touch is basically an iphone 5 without the phone. I have my itunes integration, i Message, remote app to control my AppleTV etc, all my iOS apps etc...So I really dont get why some feel they NEED to have an iphone to still use iOS. Just curious.

For me, I've tried Android numerous times and it hasn't worked out yet. I use airplay constantly so not sure what I would do if I had an android phone. I wouldn't be able to play music to 3 sets of speakers I have set up or play through 2 apple tv's we have. We also play video's/show photos on our appletv with airplay.

It's too much compromise. Sure, android can be great, but in my experience battery life has always been worse than any iPhone I have owned. 95% of friends and family have iPhones so iMessage is a big deal.

You are still spending money on an iPod touch...which like u said is like an iPhone minus the phone part. So what's different if someone wants an iPhone compared to your iPod touch?

Here's a list of apple devices we have at home:
black iPad mini
white iPad mini
black iPhone 5
white iPhone 5
11inch MBA
3 airport express
1 airport extreme
2 apple tv's

We are also considering the new iMac too.

so as you can see we have a lot of apple gear.... they all work well together.

yeah we have iPad's so we could play music/stream stuff to appleTV, but that would change what i do now. And i've tried it and didn't like it. Everything with apple is so well integrated. I'm still interested in a Galaxy note II, but i couldn't have it as my primary device. If I got it, I would keep my iPhone 5 as my primary and have the note as a secondary device.

[Prototypical]

All wonderful points in this thread, kudos to you guys.

And to angle this another way - why do Android users think all iPhone users should switch? Not everyone wants/needs the same things out of their phones. For some, the iOS path makes the most sense. For others, Android. It's okay to have a different phone than your buddy, or your mom, or your wife. The ecosystem "evangelism" that has taken hold between iOS and Android is just silly.

[mikegasol]

Originally Posted by VulchR

@OP: Being a newbie, you have made 20 posts, of which only one has anything to do with iOS or OS X. The rest are about Android.

So... I am just curious - why have you joined MacRumors, which is focused largely around Apple products? I suspect if you answer this question honestly it will apply equally to the question you posed in this thread.

Oh, this is the part where you call out the new guy and question his allegiance to Apple for makinh some posts about Android right? Like I am some Google rep or Fan droid joininh just to cause problems. Yea, ok. Are these enough Apple products to justify me being a member here? I have an Apple TV I can go take a pic of too if you need more assurance. Yes, I took this pic just for you!

[VulchR]

Originally Posted by mikegasol

Oh, this is the part where you call out the new guy and question his allegiance to Apple for makinh some posts about Android right? Like I am some Google rep or Fan droid joininh just to cause problems. Yea, ok. Are these enough Apple products to justify me being a member here? I have an Apple TV I can go take a pic of too if you need more assurance. Yes, I took this pic just for you!

It seems that you like Apple products. There's your answer - most iPhone users are not afraid of switching from iOS, they like iOS. The answer to your question has nothing to do with allegiances, but it was right in front of you all along.

[Brazzan]

I recently contemplated switching to Android from my old iPhone 4, so maybe my experience will help explain.

First of all, I made a list of apps that I use heavily. To be fair, most of them were available in some version under Android, but a few (e.g. Hipstamatic) had only rather poor counterparts (by my standards, anyway). Some (such as visual voice mail) had no equivalent that was available in the UK without paying an additional subscription to a third party. None of these are show-stoppers, but they are negatives.

Then I thought about integration with my existing peripherals; mac, iPad, Apple tv. There are sort-of workarounds for most of these, but they are all a bit clunky compared to what's available from Apple. Again, no show-stoppers, just a slightly worse experience than I have now.

Finally, I thought about hardware differences. I like the bigger screens on some Android devices, but as far as I can tell from various comparative reviews, the cameras and battery life are generally worse than the iPhone 5, which would be the natural alternative. A slight negative overall, but again not a show-stopper.

In the end, I just decided to stick with the iPhone 4 and save money by moving to a cheaper contract. Not because the Android alternatives were frightening, or terrible, but because they were a little worse overall for my needs.

[1member1]

I don't like android overall. I think it's innovative but not perfect as everyone describing it.
I like to deal with computers, I do it everyday as part of my work and getting deeper and deeper every day but when I look at my phone i just want peace of mind.
I can see my friends with android customize it every 20 minutes and change rom every 3 days. they backup, restore and clean up their devices they have usual way to do it. dosen't it feel like windows or a cheap linux distro where you have to work for the computer just to make it work like you want it to be ?

I'm sure people will tell me "but you can use the OEM version of samsung, HTC, LG and sony but everytime I see someone in my office with an android problem the first question is - "do you run stock version or customize ?"
"if you run stock this is the problem"

every day i have this discussion over and over and every day they remind me apple will not be here in the next year.



they said it for the last 3 years so far

[mikegasol]

Originally Posted by Brazzan

I recently contemplated switching to Android from my old iPhone 4, so maybe my experience will help explain.

First of all, I made a list of apps that I use heavily. To be fair, most of them were available in some version under Android, but a few (e.g. Hipstamatic) had only rather poor counterparts (by my standards, anyway). Some (such as visual voice mail) had no equivalent that was available in the UK without paying an additional subscription to a third party. None of these are show-stoppers, but they are negatives.

Then I thought about integration with my existing peripherals; mac, iPad, Apple tv. There are sort-of workarounds for most of these, but they are all a bit clunky compared to what's available from Apple. Again, no show-stoppers, just a slightly worse experience than I have now.

Finally, I thought about hardware differences. I like the bigger screens on some Android devices, but as far as I can tell from various comparative reviews, the cameras and battery life are generally worse than the iPhone 5, which would be the natural alternative. A slight negative overall, but again not a show-stopper.

In the end, I just decided to stick with the iPhone 4 and save money by moving to a cheaper contract. Not because the Android alternatives were frightening, or terrible, but because they were a little worse overall for my needs.

Ok, so you are one of the people I posted this for. Why do you feel the need to SWITCH to Android? If you decided to try Android and you liked it, you wouldn't have to switch or give up iOS at all. You just get an ipod touch thats perfectly capable of doing everything your iphone does. That way you could have both platforms. As I said, I dont understand why some people feel they need to have an iphone to enjoy iOS when an ipod touch and/or ipad will do everything an iphone can do.

[Oletros]

Originally Posted by mikegasol

Ok, so you are one of the people I posted this for. Why do you feel the need to SWITCH to Android? If you decided to try Android and you liked it, you wouldn't have to switch or give up iOS at all. You just get an ipod touch thats perfectly capable of doing everything your iphone does. That way you could have both platforms. As I said, I dont understand why some people feel they need to have an iphone to enjoy iOS when an ipod touch and/or ipad will do everything an iphone can do.

Why do I have to buy a gadget that I don't need?

[craftytony]

Originally Posted by mikegasol

I have seen a lot of threads come up lately from iPhone users who want to switch or even try Android but they are afraid to give up Apple's ecosystem. This is totally understandable and I can releate as I have all Apple products as well but I dont get the hesitation. I have a Note 2 as my phone but I also have a new ipod touch and an ipad mini for all my iOS needs. The ipod touch is basically an iphone 5 without the phone. I have my itunes integration, i Message, remote app to control my AppleTV etc, all my iOS apps etc...So I really dont get why some feel they NEED to have an iphone to still use iOS. Just curious.

One reason I can think of is not everyone is willing to carry around 2 devices. For example an ipod touch & an android device.

And i'm betting there are more than just a few apps you would have to end up re-purchasing for your android device, if they are even available on android...

[Brazzan]

Originally Posted by mikegasol

Ok, so you are one of the people I posted this for. Why do you feel the need to SWITCH to Android? If you decided to try Android and you liked it, you wouldn't have to switch or give up iOS at all. You just get an ipod touch thats perfectly capable of doing everything your iphone does. That way you could have both platforms. As I said, I dont understand why some people feel they need to have an iphone to enjoy iOS when an ipod touch and/or ipad will do everything an iphone can do.

This seems like a rather odd solution. It involves buying an Android device that does the same as what I have already (but slightly worse, as described in my previous post), plus buying an additional device (an iPod touch) to fill in the gaps (which it won't do very well, as the camera isn't as good as on the iPhone). So it leaves me with something worse than I have now, yet costing more and being a pain to carry, needing two devices, chargers, etc.

Why would I want to do that?

[mikegasol]

Carry 2 chargers? Not sure why. The battery on th. Ipod touch lasts forever, plus it charges while I have it plugged in to my car stereo. I have never needed a charger for it. Its also so small I can almost stick it in my wallet. Everyone is different though, what works for some may not work for others. I love getting to use both Android and iOS though

[rmhop81]

Originally Posted by mikegasol

Carry 2 chargers? Not sure why. The battery on th. Ipod touch lasts forever, plus it charges while I have it plugged in to my car stereo. I have never needed a charger for it. Its also so small I can almost stick it in my wallet. Everyone is different though, what works for some may not work for others. I love getting to use both Android and iOS though

most people need to charge their phones...so since they have different charges...thus TWO is needed lol. seems like a waste to buy an iPod touch to go along with your Android.