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matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
Yes I can. When I first power it up, it will ask for my Apple ID and iCloud and I can choose to restore from an iCloud back up (or iTunes). Either way, it will grab my contacts from iCloud.

Of course it won't sync with non Apple devices (unless I get it done at the store) because they don't have access to iCloud.

Android phones do that too; it's obviously moving between platforms that causes problems, not moving between multiple devices on the same platform.
 

blackhand1001

macrumors 68030
Jan 6, 2009
2,599
33
Out of pure curiosity to see if I was truly using the best platform for me, I bought a refurbished Galaxy S II. And after about a day, I came running back to iOS.

Why?

Music: Where is the Google iCloud music alternative? I have music on my laptop in iTunes, I don't want to upload ALL of it to the cloud to hear it on my phone. Even syncing music through OSX was painful, and not nearly as intuitive as iOS. I felt so lost by the disorganization and lack of simplicity that iOS offers with iTunes Match and iTunes

iMessage: A missed feature as I use messages on my iPad and Mac. It's not worth splitting conversations between Android and Apple, so I definitely missed iMessage too much. Plus the little features of delivery receipts and others were missed.

Contacts: Syncing or moving contacts from my address book to Android shouldn't be difficult. For other Apple devices, before iCloud (which now automatically manages this), I would just export Vcards and import them into the new device. I tried this via email on my GS II and it wouldn't read the Vcards. You would think given how Android wants to adopt more iOS users, they would implement a more convenient solution. Also, I don't want random email addresses that I once used from my Gmail account populated in my contacts.

Apps: Too many bloatware or flakey apps, not enough high quality ones as compared to iOS. The app store seemed confusing not as easy to browse as iOS. Let's not start on the trojans ...

Jailbreaking/Rooting: I missed the root access of my iPhone and installing jailbreak apps. I couldn't even ROOT my "open" GS II on 4.03! Without a doubt, jailbroken iOS > Android. I couldn't uninstall the crappy AT&T preloaded software.

Other: Why the heck does the average user want access to the hundreds of "apps" that are core portions of Android? I am pretty tech-saavy, and even I don't want to view the components of my mobile phone OS like "USB drivers". It should just work ...

Camera: Wow! I was stunned at how poor the camera was. Yes, it has the same MP count, and maybe even better flash technology, but I was amazed at how inferior the picture quality was in comparison to my 4S

However, things I did appreciate were the larger screen and high speed wireless connectivity. It's nice that rumors point towards Apple closing the gap in regards to these categories with the new iPhone though.

In total, having lived in the Apple ecosystem with my iPad, Macbook Pro and iPhone, leaving it seems impossible. Yes, for better or worse, I am trapped and I think I like it that way.

I can understand that there wouldn't be the same kind of separation anxiety for someone who doesn't own an iPad or use cloud services in connection with a computer ... or like to have easy access to their music, but that person is not me. I NEED my media and information seamlessly up to date across my devices now that I have been spoiled by Apple, and I don't think Android is able to fill that gap well at all.

More glad than ever to be an iPhone user and am that much more thrilled for the new iPhone in a month! I would like to say in closing though, that iOS un-jailbroken feels severely limited. If jailbreaking became impossible, I'm not sure if I could stay with iOS, but that bridge will be crossed when necessary.

Everything you mentioned is very easy even in gingerbread. You can import vcards in the contacts app by hitting menu.

Google Play music the icloud music alternative, actually existed prior to icloud.

Google talk is imessage except cross platform.

Rooting a samsung phone is very easy. Obviously you didn't try.

Camera is pretty comparable to the 4s.

You can disable most of the stock apps without rooting in 4.03. Just click disable in the apps menu under the app you want. That essentially uninstalls it. It just kept backup in case you want to re-enable it.

You honestly sound like a troll. Everything you wanted to do is pretty straight forward.
 

batting1000

macrumors 604
Sep 4, 2011
7,451
1,840
Florida
Everything you mentioned is very easy even in gingerbread. You can import vcards in the contacts app by hitting menu.

Google Play music the icloud music alternative, actually existed prior to icloud.

Google talk is imessage except cross platform.

Rooting a samsung phone is very easy. Obviously you didn't try.

Camera is pretty comparable to the 4s.

You honsetly sound like a troll.

Just because you don't agree with him doesn't mean he's a troll.
 

Mac.World

macrumors 68000
Jan 9, 2011
1,819
1
In front of uranus
Yes I can. When I first power it up, it will ask for my Apple ID and iCloud and I can choose to restore from an iCloud back up (or iTunes). Either way, it will grab my contacts from iCloud.

Of course it won't sync with non Apple devices (unless I get it done at the store) because they don't have access to iCloud.

This wouldn't help anyone that didn't have an iDevice capable of using iCloud before, now does it? Or how about an iphone 3g; or a 3gs owner that never updated to ios5, perhaps? What about dumb phone users? There are many people that only use itunes to do music and update the OS. How many actually do back-ups?

You assume to much about iphone and itune users.
 

daveathall

macrumors 68020
Aug 6, 2010
2,379
1,410
North Yorkshire
A month ago I changed from a 4S to a SGS3 fully expecting to go back to the iPhone. Today I sold my iPhone 4S, seems like my experience is different to the OPs even though the majority of my devices are Apple branded..
 

Mac.World

macrumors 68000
Jan 9, 2011
1,819
1
In front of uranus
Everything you mentioned is very easy even in gingerbread. You can import vcards in the contacts app by hitting menu.

Google Play music the icloud music alternative, actually existed prior to icloud.

Google talk is imessage except cross platform.

Rooting a samsung phone is very easy. Obviously you didn't try.

Camera is pretty comparable to the 4s.

You can disable most of the stock apps without rooting in 4.03. Just click disable in the apps menu under the app you want. That essentially uninstalls it. It just kept backup in case you want to re-enable it.

You honestly sound like a troll. Everything you wanted to do is pretty straight forward.

I agree with everything, except the camera bit. The S2 or even follow on S2's like the Skyrocket don't come close to the iphone 4s camera. The S2's sensor and software imaging are crap. The S3 is an equivalent camera taker to the iphone, because the quality is there with both sensor and software, the differences come down to preference of color and saturation.
 

batting1000

macrumors 604
Sep 4, 2011
7,451
1,840
Florida
This wouldn't help anyone that didn't have an iDevice capable of using iCloud before, now does it? Or how about an iphone 3g; or a 3gs owner that never updated to ios5, perhaps? What about dumb phone users? There are many people that only use itunes to do music and update the OS. How many actually do back-ups?

You assume to much about iphone and itune users.

Ok I'm aware of that. Not sure if he was trying to prove Android could be synced with a dumbphone because it can't.
 

SurferMan

macrumors 65816
May 14, 2010
1,267
51
South FL
Yes I can. When I first power it up, it will ask for my Apple ID and iCloud and I can choose to restore from an iCloud back up (or iTunes). Either way, it will grab my contacts from iCloud.

Of course it won't sync with non Apple devices (unless I get it done at the store) because they don't have access to iCloud.
No different then Android, you first turn it on or flash Rom and you just log into Google, just like logging in for Apple, don't have to go to the store. I always keep the iPhones sync'd with Gmail anyway so transferring contacts around is simple, all my SMS is backed up with Gmail now too. Had to export it from the iPhones initially though to use on my GSII as have a lot of important text.

Course if your going from one device to another obviously somethings aren't going to work immedietly , when each device has its own system. You trade your BMW in on a Porsche, do you just hop in and expect your BMW key to work?

Still don't notice any difference between my cam and my 4S cam, slight advantage to 4S in dim conditions though. I used screen adjuster to adjust saturation and colors etc.
 
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ritmomundo

macrumors 68020
Jan 12, 2011
2,022
543
Los Angeles, CA
Um, actually yea, syncing my music, contacts, calenders, ect. works right out of the box on my iPhone, it took you a lot of time how to click the sync button and check a box in iTunes :confused:

And actually I enabled thats sync option and they STILL don't appear on my Android device.

And I don't CARE When the rest of the world received a device, I care when I, the user, had acces to use it. As far as I'm concerned, the GS II is the competitor in all equal facets to the 4S.

It took a "lot of time" for me to explain because its obvious that you need things spelled out to the letter (obviously it still went over your head). Google Sync is probably the simplest universal sync method out there.

Also, are you actually comparing syncing contacts from one iPhone to another iPhone versus an iPhone to Android? You are aware that they are completely different ecosystems, aren't you?

And just because YOU don't care, doesn't mean its not true. This makes a lot of your argument invalid.

Yes I can. When I first power it up, it will ask for my Apple ID and iCloud and I can choose to restore from an iCloud back up (or iTunes). Either way, it will grab my contacts from iCloud.

Of course it won't sync with non Apple devices (unless I get it done at the store) because they don't have access to iCloud.

Are you dense? How did your contacts get to iCloud in the first place?
 

batting1000

macrumors 604
Sep 4, 2011
7,451
1,840
Florida
No different then Android, you first turn it on or flash Rom and you just log into Google, just like logging in for Apple, don't have to go to the store. I always keep the iPhones sync'd with Gmail anyway so transferring contacts around is simple, all my SMS is backed up with Gmail now too. Had to export it from the iPhones initially though to use on my GSII as have a lot of important text.

Still don't notice any difference between my cam and my 4S cam, slight advantage to 4S in dim conditions though. I used screen adjuster to adjust saturation and colors etc.

I wasn't denying that Android could do this...

Are you dense? How did your contacts get to iCloud in the first place?

I actually had them in my Gmail contacts or whatever. Makes it easier to email people and add them to my phones as well. But to get them to the phone, I could have Sprint (in my case) do it at the store. The contacts would then be in the phone and I could back up to iCloud.
 

lamboman

macrumors 6502
Aug 13, 2011
394
2
Sorry, but for a few of these you simply haven't read up enough on how to migrate quickly and easily. Migrating contacts is more easily done on your Mac. Disable iCloud, ensure that it keeps all your iCloud contacts on your system, then sync with Google. Job done. Rooting is very simple too. Just do a bit of reading up on how to do it.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
I think the main issue is you are trying to do things like you did in iOS vs the way it's done on Android.

I had the same problem coming too iOS. For example just recently I had a member here help me figure out how to take a PDF from an email and email it too someone else. Basically use drop box to save it and adobe reader to send it via email. I was used to just saving the PDF then attaching it like you would on a PC with Android.

It's like an adult learning a new language. They/we are constantly trying to convert it back to our native language.
 

Dontazemebro

macrumors 68020
Jul 23, 2010
2,173
0
I dunno, somewhere in West Texas
The only at&t galaxy s2 variant released in the fall of 2011 was the galaxy s2 skyrocket.

I can't believe you couldn't find how to root it, did you even look for it? I found it the first time I googled "samsung Galaxy s2 skyrocket root"

Makes me question the rest of your post. Sounds like your just lazy and need everything spoon fed for you.
 

SurferMan

macrumors 65816
May 14, 2010
1,267
51
South FL
I don't know how you people cope without a back button

my iPad is much less user-friendly in that sense.
That's one of those little things I didn't think of much/or really care about at first. But then holy crap, I couldn't imagine not having it now, for one thing when your multitasking it makes everything so easy and fast, but just in general it's so nice to have. Wish Apple implemented something like that, it would make iOS's sorta clumsy tasking much better.

Sold my iPad 2 as didn't use it much, found myself going for the 13" instead, but yeh when I was using the iPad after getting the GSII... not having the back button was annoying lol.
 

Vegastouch

macrumors 603
Jul 12, 2008
6,135
946
Las Vegas, NV
This thread is a little precosious. When i switched from pc to mac back in the 90's it was painful too. It takes a little time

No kidding. One day? Android is very different than iOS. Google music is your iCloud for music so how could he miss that?

Oh i know, he only used it one day.
 

scott craft

macrumors 6502a
Feb 10, 2011
689
138
Louisiana
One of the reasons I have my contacts synced with gmail and I purchase music from places such as Amazon is to minimize the difficulty in switching platforms if I choose to do so.
 

Jb07

macrumors 6502
Oct 31, 2011
433
1
Dallas
So you used it one day and did absolutely no research before hand and you don't like it? Go figure. You can't switch to a completely different platform and expect everything to "just work." Need to sync? Kies or DoubleTwist. Google Play Music is cloud music and it is pretty easy to root a Samsung GS2.

If you expect everything to be done for you with one click, Android isn't for you.
 

Sedrick

macrumors 68030
Nov 10, 2010
2,596
26
I can always tell a post where someone is looking for reasons not to like the competition.
 

Dwalls90

macrumors 603
Original poster
Feb 5, 2009
5,427
4,413
I can always tell a post where someone is looking for reasons not to like the competition.

Actually I bought the phone in hopes of finding compelling reasons to like it and haven't found any.
 

SurferMan

macrumors 65816
May 14, 2010
1,267
51
South FL
Actually I bought the phone in hopes of finding compelling reasons to like it and haven't found any.
You just didn't lookup/research of how to use it. Plenty of us already posted what to do and gave you tips etc. I have the same phone as you along with my 4S, i777, and don't have the issues or complaints you do... guess YMMV. Can't just jump into a different OS like it's 2nd nature, even from another going to iOS applies as you still have to setup and tweak itunes and everything else. I'm running the ShoStock2 Rom and love this phone, lot's of Rom's and tweaks for this phone so that can be confusing as the phone has an insane level of support from the dev's vs basically any other Android device.
 
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