Always Thought That iOS Was Simpler Than Android

[DNichter]

No, you really can't. Not when you're transferring things to and from a PC. Things that are easy on Android ... like downloading and setting a ringtone right from the phone ... cannot be done on the iPhone without iTunes. Very basic things that you'd think it could do but can't.

You definitely can. My iPhone X and iPad Pro are my only computers and I use iOS just fine without plugging them into a computer with iTunes.
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Swipe up, Swipe down, Swipe left, Swipe up, Swipe right, Swipe down and then left, press, press and hold, press hold and force, turn off wifi and bluetooth but they are still on.. ....using iOS has became a mess.

Sure you have more function, but you have to remember how to get there, it took me a while back then to figure out how to make the iMessage effect, probably the most un-Apple thing ever.....


Exactly, you have to remember how to use an iOS device..... so much for being intuitive.

DISCLAIMER
I currently use an Android phone, but work 100% on an iPad as main computer, so I like iOS, still all this swiping and remembering what does what...(multitasking especially...is a mess)

You really have a hard time remembering the gestures? I think I was used to the X after 15 minutes or so. If you are serious, that's totally fine, just surprising as they seem really simple to me.

 

[decafjava]

Doesn't make much difference to me either way. I use iOS for the best performance, security, privacy, ecosystem, and support.

Exactly my reasons to stick with iOS (and MacOS for that matter).

 

[Feenician]

It’s funny how people run to this form to defend their OS of choice.

Do people “run to this forum to defend their OS” or did people just reply to a thread on Macrumors in a forum laid out as Forums > iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch > iPhone. It seems to me to be the latter.

 

[macher]

Doesn't make much difference to me either way. I use iOS for the best performance, security, privacy, ecosystem, and support.

Really the only reason I’ve always had iPhones, iPads and a Mac is because of Apple’s customer service and the ability to got to an Apple Store if there’s an issue. No other smartphone can offer this.

As far as ecosystem I would take a guess that a lot of people who have iPhones don’t really rely on ecosystems because it’s a smartphone mobile device which is almost taking over desk top usage. I’m hardly ever on my Mac or iPad. My iPhone is my pocket computer for the most part. And I’ve always used Google services anyway; gmail, Chrome, Google Maps, Calendar etc even on my desktop.

 

[sean000]

I think the topic of this thread is about ease of use. Like the discussion on loading music/video to phone without itunes. Of course, there are always workarounds available for iphone. But none is as simple as Android direct plugging in of harddisk/thumbdrive to the iphone and copy (or play) without the use of intermediary hardware/software. Same with mirroring screen to (miracast) wifi-enabled TV without needing an apple TV box. And flexibility of non-proprieatary BT/wifi-direct file transfer. Like the video said file handling is much more advanced on Android just like your computer unlike the convoluted and messy file handling in iOS. There are also other iphone general UI usability issues as well.

You said all else being equal, you have no reason to move. But it is not equal. Iphone can cost twice or more than the next flagship Android device. To some people that is a great (price) incentive to move.

I have literally never wanted to move files back and forth between my mobile devices and other devices. I guess there are a couple of reasons for that: I keep my files, notes, tasks, and music in the cloud and I stream video from the cloud services we subscribe to (Netflix, Hulu). I don't have time for gaming like i used to before kids. I don't watch video or play games (much) on my mobile devices. Occasionally I might watch something on the iPad when we are traveling, but I have not had any problems getting the videos, podcasts, etc. saved to my devices for offline enjoyment.

I think the reason these discussions can go on forever is because we all use our mobile devices for different things and in different ways. If you use a mobile device for gaming, movies, and other entertainment then I am sure Android is the better platform much like Windows has long been a better gaming platform than macOS. For many people either Android or iOS will allow them to access exactly the same apps, so there really is no difference beyond which devices and which operating system you prefer.

You said all else being equal, you have no reason to move. But it is not equal. Iphone can cost twice or more than the next flagship Android device. To some people that is a great (price) incentive to move.

I can spend $1,000 or $350 whether I want an iPhone or an Android phone. I almost purchased an Android phone a few years ago when I bought my iPhone 6. I stayed with Apple for a couple of reasons, but mostly for the soon-to-be-released Apple Watch. I'm glad I did, because that has been incredibly useful to me. The Android options at the time were bulky and didn't provide nearly as much functionality. The options for Android wear have gotten much better, so I'd be much more likely to switch in the future, but again why change if I can afford the devices I have and they are working well for me?

I've been on your side of the argument before when it came to the PC vs Mac debate. I've never owned a Mac because it was always way cheaper for me to build my own PC with exactly the parts I wanted to use, and I felt like macOS was too rigid of a platform. Back in the 90's and early 2000's there was so much more software available for Windows, and I could customize more things about the operating system. Also, it was much better for gaming and that mattered to me a lot at the time. These days I still run Windows at home and at work (and still build my own computers at home), but I'm much more platform agnostic than I used to be. Over the years between work and home I've used DOS, Windows (starting with 3.1), macOS classic, macOS-X, a number of Unix and Linux distributions, ChromeOS (still own a Chromebook), PalmOS, Blackberry, iOS, etc. Android is pretty much the only major OS I've never used on a personal device, so part of my temptation to switch a few years ago simply came out of curiosity. On the other hand these days the operating system really no longer matters to me. Since I no longer require local storage on my devices I can access my Cloud based files and services from any operating system. That's why I can bounce so easily between Windows, iOS, and ChromeOS. The OS used to matter more to me when I had to care a lot about software and hardware compatibility. If I used my mobile device the way you use yours, I'm sure I would find your reasoning to be compelling. Perhaps I could save some money by switching to Android, but I doubt there would be any gains for me from a productivity perspective. In fact there would be a period of lost productivity as I transition (especially if I don't transition all three devices at the same time). Maybe building my own computers for the last 20+ years allowed me to save enough money to splurge on iOS if I want to
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"I find... that the notifications in Apple are more verbose. There are a lot more of them. More than there needs to be."

I have always noticed on my partner's iPhone that there seem to be tonnes of notifications going days and days back, but I always assumed she just hadn't cleared them.

Is there no way of controlling the volume of notifications? Surely it just depends on how many apps you're allowing to show you notifications - same as on Android?

Of course there is is a way to control this on iOS. You can choose to allow or not allow notifications app by app,and for each app you can choose whether they show as banners or not, whether those are temporary or persistent, whether they make a sound (or a vibration), whether there is a badge icon, show on the lock screen (or not), show previews or not. Then of course many apps that notify will let you customize further to choose specific notification triggers.

Every time you install a new app on iOS, it will ask your permission to send you notifications and you have to allow that. A lot of people just always allow without really thinking about it, and then they never go in and disable or customize their notifications... so they get a ton of them. I think people just get used to seeing them and quickly swiping them away with barely a glance. Wearing an Apple Watch silenced my notifications, but it also made me ruthless about disabling notifications for most apps. I don't need a tap-tap on my wrist for something unless it's really important and/or urgent.

Sean

 

[aKansasKid]

Until Samsung or Motorola makes a quality phone less than 2.7" wide, the OS is a moot point for my wife and me. We're both in our late 60s and are equally comfortable with iOS and Android. But size trumps. No OS is fun if you're finding the size clumsy. And size will always be a truly personal decision for every user.

 

[DNichter]

Really the only reason I’ve always had iPhones, iPads and a Mac is because of Apple’s customer service and the ability to got to an Apple Store if there’s an issue. No other smartphone can offer this.

As far as ecosystem I would take a guess that a lot of people who have iPhones don’t really rely on ecosystems because it’s a smartphone mobile device which is almost taking over desk top usage. I’m hardly ever on my Mac or iPad. My iPhone is my pocket computer for the most part. And I’ve always used Google services anyway; gmail, Chrome, Google Maps, Calendar etc even on my desktop.

For me, ecosystem includes apps. The way I see it, Apple has a huge advantage when it comes to developers, quality of apps, and releases.

 

[dk001]

I would only use a stock Android device like the Pixel 2.

You have to admit from watching the video how more functional and productive Android is though.

This is one of the current open iOS issues: Settings.
Settings needs a do-over. Simplify and Standardize. It feels like they (Apple) just keeps tacking items on and moving some things to places that are either designed to be "out of the way" or "make no sense".

 

[falainber]

I just want to thank everyone at MR from the bottom of my heart for finally opening my eyes to how stubborn and closed minded I’ve been regarding my beliefs about the superiority of iOS and the iPhone, and for only wishing to read about Apple products in iPhone forums on sites about Apple. My eyes are actually a little tearful as I write this, having just come to terms with the errors of my ways. Blessings to you all who are doing the good work of sharing this joyous news about the many wonderful non-Apple products in the world. My heart is filled. Thank you!

Your sarcasm is misplaced. In case you did not get it, the phone on the left is an Apple product. You are just too insecure to see any comparisons of your gadgets with other devices.

 

[macher]

Here’s a good video on the subject. Customization and S pen I can live without.

 

[1096bimu]

When will these idiotic threads stop? Ok fine......

1. Even on the home screen you can swipe right to go to the last app
2. This moron didn't even read the manual did he? swipe right to go to the last app!
3. To cycle through recent apps, you can do it with a swipe up and straight into a sideways scroll. You can't do it on Android.
4. You don't need to close apps on iPhone.
5. You don't need to know the exact percentage, trust me, turn it off even if you have the option. Makes it less stressful.
6. Android doesn't have 3D touch, which is what you use to open toggle details without holding for a second.
7. There is no reason to modify the control center all the time. You do it once and you're done. Why have a feature you never use in a convenient place when you can put a more commonly used feature in that same spot?
8. Yes there will be tones of notifications if you allow every app to send notifications.
9. If you don't want to read your notifications, why allow them to be there in the first place?
10. With APFS, multiple copies of the same thing isn't a problem because it doesn't take up any more space. Also you can just have one when you put them in the same place, which you actually can.
11. You don't have your videos in Files because your videos are in Videos. Just look at that list of random folders on Andoid. What's "log"? what's "DJI"? What's "Lost"? what's "N66"? What can and can't I delete?
12. You can have only one version of a photo on iOS, and ALSO have it be revertible to its original state. It's called non-destructive editing. Not available on Android, unless you manually keep multiple copies. But I thought you just said you didn't want multiple copies?
13. With those stock launchers on his Android phones. the only real advantage he gets is arranging the icons in terms of personalization. He's not doing KLWP, he's not doing Nova, he's not actually doing **** other than using a batman wallpaper, which you can also use on iPhone. You know why? Because he probably doesn't have the time to do all those customization, like anybody who has a job.
14. The calendar widget on Android looks horrible. I've always wanted to have one on Android but I could never find one that is properly designed. But now I can on iOS, huray!

I'm actually amazed he didn't come up with anything that is actually in favor on Android, because there are legitimate ways one could say Android is better, without resorting to ignorance of how to use the iPhone.

Also thanks for another idiotic YouTube channel I can block, less junk in my feed in the future is always a good thing.
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Here’s a good video on the subject. Customization and S pen I can live without.

1. This guy talks about "people who know about tech" as if he is one of them. He starts spewing BS from the very beginning. Apple doesn't "design the technology behind the screen" because that's Samsung's job as a display manufacturer. If Samsung wanted they can have the exact same display in their Note 8. Oh wait! in fact they do. They just choose to make that display over saturated by default because they know most customers are ignorant and prefer more saturated displays, kind of like this guy here. On a Note 8 if you enable the calibrated modes manually, it is just as accurate as the iPhone X.
2. When watching most videos, the video isn't wide enough to be covered by the notch. When watching movies, if there was no notch the screen will get shorter and there will be more black bar on top and bottom. I rather have a bigger picture.
3. I have never found multi-window useful on my Android phones.
4. Again this guy clearly knows nothing about tech. The iPhone X or any modern mobile device have more than enough processing power to do multi-window. You do open 3 apps at once on an iPad, that's not the limitation. The limitation is that Apple doesn't ship gimmicky features that aren't well-thought out. The reason Youtube doesn't let you stream only the audio in the background (which is technically dead easy) is because they want to make money with ads. You can pay for Youtube Red to do that on any device. Using the multi-window thing is essentially a hack around this problem. Apple doesn't release features that are used to circumnavigate monetization features of their own developers, that's like shooting yourself in the foot.
5. Ok sure iOS doesn't let you customize. It has held me back for years as well. But it just takes so much effort to customize an Android device well. 95% of the people think they have customized their phone, but they have only ****ed up the aesthetics of it, because they have no taste. I just don't have the time and energy to do it well, so I give up and move to iOS.
6. Workflow is the app that makes my iOS device more like a computer than any Android device I have used.
7. I think the S pen can be great to some people, no complaints. But a lot of "features" are more like gimmicks, Samsung need to hold their horses on the gimmicks and consolidate on better, core features.

 

[dk001]

Repeat after me, you now (for a few years) can use ios without ever using itunes..

Actually you cannot.
Encrypted backup - need iTunes
Have a problem with your device? At some point you get the ...... you need iTunes.
Want ....

You can find ways not to use iTunes for most things but they are generally workarounds or iTunes alternatives. Still waiting for Apple to come out with a non-iTunes iOS
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1) https://imazing.com

and

2) https://softorino.com/w2

But ok you can only use iTunes.

iMazing does a semi-decent backup job excluding heavily encrypted files. Tried it and had issues.
Softorino - at a price

Neither of these replace iTunes rather an iTunes function. Just one of many.

Saying these are alternatives is like saying no to a truck and buying a pull trailer.

 

[DNichter]

Actually you cannot.
Encrypted backup - need iTunes
Have a problem with your device? At some point you get the ...... you need iTunes.
Want ....

You can find ways not to use iTunes for most things but they are generally workarounds or iTunes alternatives. Still waiting for Apple to come out with a non-iTunes iOS
[doublepost=1511825604][/doublepost]

iMazing does a semi-decent backup job excluding heavily encrypted files. Tried it and had issues.
Softorino - at a price

Neither of these replace iTunes rather an iTunes function. Just one of many.

Saying these are alternatives is like saying no to a truck and buying a pull trailer.

I haven’t used iTunes for any of my devices in years. Not a problem. I don’t even have a computer with iTunes anymore.

 

[dk001]

I think it is the perspective that differs.

For Apple users, combined gadgets/services is the way to go - you need tablet, watch, mac, iphone, itunes and icloud to complement each other to give you your usability. Missing any of these items then the level of usability plummets.

Then there are those who use their phone as a single all-in-one device like myself. I don't care for a watch or tablet (used them before) since I carry my phone everywhere. My phone needs to work well with every adhoc environment out there instead of just my personal/home setup. And in this aspect as a standalone device, Android is far superior to iOS wrt interfacing with external environments/systems.

I wouldn't go that far.
Tried the Note 5 with a Samsung smartwatch - the phone didn't have all I needed. Had issues and didn't solve my needs.
Tried the same with LG and Urbane. Same issue. Went with a Fitbit.
They also were not a tablet replacement. More of a tablet helper.

Now ... I did the iPhone 6S with an Apple Watch 1 - that was as bad.
Fitbit didn't do well with my iPhone either.

Where am I now? iPhone 7+ with a Apple Watch Nike ver 2... and an iPad Pro 12 G2.
Either Apple or Android, I end up needing multiple devices to do all I need.

Maybe my needs are more complex than yours. Don't know.
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When you have younger kids and want to keep in touch with them iMessage is king.

Actually all my young-un's and similar tend to use Snapchat or FB. Or Skype
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Until Samsung or Motorola makes a quality phone less than 2.7" wide, the OS is a moot point for my wife and me. We're both in our late 60s and are equally comfortable with iOS and Android. But size trumps. No OS is fun if you're finding the size clumsy. And size will always be a truly personal decision for every user.

LMAO!!! I recently gave my mom (over 80 ) a new iPhone SE. She said she wish it worked like her old phone but she did like the size. Her old phone was an LG G3.
She prefers Android but likes the SE size.
Ironically she uses an iPad as her tablet of choice.

 

[Mildredop]

This is one of the current open iOS issues: Settings.
Settings needs a do-over. Simplify and Standardize. It feels like they (Apple) just keeps tacking items on and moving some things to places that are either designed to be "out of the way" or "make no sense".

iPhones have always been like that and were one of the big reasons I left iPhone several years ago.

It simply made no sense that you could open safari and it'd say wifi wasn't switched on. So you had to exit Safari, open Settings, go to wifi, switch wifi on, exit settings, re-open Safari.

I always thought, if you're telling me the wifi is off, why not just ask me if you want to turn it on?!

 

[vddobrev]

... So you had to exit Safari, open Settings, go to wifi, switch wifi on, exit settings, re-open Safari.

Swipe down from top right (or up from bottom for older phones) and toggle WiFi from the control center.

 

[Wowereit]

Unlike Android there is no need to close an app, hence there is no option to close all.

Where do you see differences between Android and iOS in this regard?
The only time you have to close apps on either system is killing stuck ones - which rarely happens to me these days.



On the topic in general:
Both systems work great these days. For most tasks the differences don't matter, but each system has it's strengths and weaknesses in minor details.

One thing I especially love about iOS is the force touch cursor.
It's so much more convenient for editing text than trying to tap exactly between 2 characters, fail and then try to drag the editing bar to the right place.
On the other hand Google's predictions are more reliable and make less false changes which often negates the need to go back and edit in the first place.

 

[Puddled]

I think it is the perspective that differs.

For Apple users, combined gadgets/services is the way to go - you need tablet, watch, mac, iphone, itunes and icloud to complement each other to give you your usability. Missing any of these items then the level of usability plummets.

Then there are those who use their phone as a single all-in-one device like myself. I don't care for a watch or tablet (used them before) since I carry my phone everywhere. My phone needs to work well with every adhoc environment out there instead of just my personal/home setup. And in this aspect as a standalone device, Android is far superior to iOS wrt interfacing with external environments/systems.

Absolutely spot on.

When on site, i only need one thing. My Android phone. It does everything without compromise in my working environment. It really is a pocket PC (and more).

 

[Mildredop]

Swipe down from top right (or up from bottom for older phones) and toggle WiFi from the control center.

That didn't exist then. It did on Android which is (one reason) why a moved over.

 

[macher]

Absolutely spot on.

When on site, i only need one thing. My Android phone. It does everything without compromise in my working environment. It really is a pocket PC (and more).

I keep hearing this by watching videos that Android is more of a pocket computer than the iPhone and has more productivity. The iPhone is great for basic stuff. Seems like most of the people who prefer Android are power users vs people like me who does basic stuff when on a computer or smartphone.

 

[Mildredop]

But there are some areas that iPhones win hands down and Android just isn't bothering.

A big one for me is getting photos off my phone onto my Mac. I haven't done it for years because it just never works. I've only had my S8 for a couple of months so hadn't yet tried. I've just attempted it and yet again are met with "Could not connect to device".

I could transfer via Bluetooth but that'd take weeks. The photos are on a micro SD card, so I could take it out and plug it into my Mac but I have no idea where my adaptor is.

With iPhone, it'd be seamless.

Incidentally, I've tried "restarting and reconnecting" my device. Neither worked.

 

[sean000]

Absolutely spot on.

When on site, i only need one thing. My Android phone. It does everything without compromise in my working environment. It really is a pocket PC (and more).

Yeah, but you still have to dig your phone out of your pocket or bag just to see if that text message is important, or just to check the weather. And you're still reading and typing on a 5 or 6 inch display instead of on a 10 or 12 inch display. Smartwatches and tablets do not exist because they do things a smartphone can't do. They exist because they provide the SAME functions more conveniently (the watch) or more comfortably (the tablet). An iPhone is the only mobile device most iOS users need as well (hey, it's a pocket computer too), but some of us want the comfort and convenience of the other devices as well. Obviously some Android users feel the same way, because smartwatches and tablets exist in the Android world.

 

[1096bimu]

Absolutely spot on.

When on site, i only need one thing. My Android phone. It does everything without compromise in my working environment. It really is a pocket PC (and more).

Give me something you do on your android phone that can’t be done on an iPhone.
Something work related, and not just like, I can drag icons on the home screen.

 

[Septembersrain]

Give me something you do on your android phone that can’t be done on an iPhone.
Something work related, and not just like, I can drag icons on the home screen.

Well up until recently it was using the calculator fast and hoping for the right answer. Bluetooth can be used on an Android to multiple other devices, so it'll work at possibly double the amount of time as an iPhone. Not that everyone uses this but split screen apps. When using a browser and getting information, it can come in handy for productivity.

 

[1096bimu]

Well up until recently it was using the calculator fast and hoping for the right answer. Bluetooth can be used on an Android to multiple other devices, so it'll work at possibly double the amount of time as an iPhone. Not that everyone uses this but split screen apps. When using a browser and getting information, it can come in handy for productivity.

So you can still do it, just without split screen apps?