Mobile OSs Android is more amazing than I thought [MERGED]

[aevan]

Don't worry you're not alone. Thousands of people buy Apple products for the logo. It's sadly all about the status symbol for them.

Yes. Nothing else but the status symbol. Of a device that almost everyone owns and you can see anywhere, because that’s how status symbols work, somehow. Unlike Android - where you just know the owner is not only a technical savant, but also an expert of life if you will, resistant to status symbols and trends, guided only by their impecable instincts and deep understanding of the world.

Yesterday I saw someone with a Galaxy Fold, it was almost as if they had a masters degree in their hand, if not more. I wanted to approach them, tell them “teach me, sir, grant me the gift of knowledge”, alas I was ashamed of my iPhone so I ran into a nearby Starbucks instead!

 

[iHorseHead]

And I paid $59 for the Buds3 Pro's with the purchase of my Galaxy Tab S10 Plus which also had its discounts.

The discounts you get on Android devices and Windows PCs is ridiculous here in Europe.

 

[Bkdodger]

Yes. Nothing else but the status symbol. Of a device that almost everyone owns and you can see anywhere, because that’s how status symbols work, somehow. Unlike Android - where you just know the owner is not only a technical savant, but also an expert of life if you will, resistant to status symbols and trends, guided only by their impecable instincts and deep understanding of the world.

Yesterday I saw someone with a Galaxy Fold, it was almost as if they had a masters degree in their hand, if not more. I wanted to approach them, tell them “teach me, sir, grant me the gift of knowledge”, alas I was ashamed of my iPhone so I ran into a nearby Starbucks instead!

I don't believe in that status symbol thing and never did tbh , I think there are plenty of us on this side of the forums that enjoy both platforms. I can find plenty of good qualities in both my iPhone and my Android side whether it be the foldable or the slab phone. So don't go hiding with your iPhone LMAO and please do me a favor order me a nitro turbo cold brew on the way to the counter.

 

[russell_314]

You make a really important point. No amount of tech or security settings can truly protect someone if they’re in an unsafe relationship where control or violence is present. In those cases, the real solution is finding a way to leave the situation safely, not just relying on a device or PIN.


That said, I do think tools like Android’s privacy features can sometimes give people a little more breathing room or a sense of control while they work toward getting help. But I agree with you—support systems and safe exit strategies matter far more than any phone feature.

Exactly. I’ve seen people stay for money, they think they love the other person, so many other stupid reasons that only make sense in their head. Someone on the outside can clearly see they need to get out.

Ideally, if you have a healthy relationship, your phone code should be known to your spouse in case of emergency or whatever. You shouldn’t have any secrets at least current secrets from your spouse. I mean what you did in high school doesn’t need to be washed out. Also, in that ideal situation, your spouse shouldn’t be looking through your device because they think you’re doing something wrong. That either means you’re doing something wrong, they’re doing something wrong and feel guilty about it or they just have mental problems. I find the latter is most common.

I’m not saying it’s a bad feature because clearly it has its use. If anything it would be to hand your phone to a coworker, but you don’t want that person snooping through your personal photos. That would be a more reasonable use.

I think a dumb phone would be a better solution, something you can hide out of sight completely.

Question: If you somehow forget the PIN for those hidden folders, how do you reset it?

I agree a dumb phone would have less data to be snooped on.

As to forgetting the PIN I suspect there’s only two options. One would be the ability to reset it with your account credentials, which would likely be the way Apple would do it and defeat the purpose of any security. The second would be you lose the data. Apple generally sides with data recovery by default because they don’t want to deal with someone crying about losing their wedding photos.

Funny. Recently, someone wrote basically the same as you. That person also had battery problems with an iPhone 7 and also praised the secure folder feature in Android. What an unbelievable coincidence. 🤔

It might be a popular feature in the android community. 🤷‍♂️😂

 

[kitKAC]

As to forgetting the PIN I suspect there’s only two options. One would be the ability to reset it with your account credentials, which would likely be the way Apple would do it and defeat the purpose of any security. The second would be you lose the data. Apple generally sides with data recovery by default because they don’t want to deal with someone crying about losing their wedding photos.

I was thinking more about how you'd reset the PIN for the hidden folders on Android.

 

[edubfromktown]

I don't believe in that status symbol thing and never did tbh , I think there are plenty of us on this side of the forums that enjoy both platforms. I can find plenty of good qualities in both my iPhone and my Android side whether it be the foldable or the slab phone. So don't go hiding with your iPhone LMAO and please do me a favor order me a nitro turbo cold brew on the way to the counter.

Yeh really- to each their own.

I get odd looks from colleagues because I use an Android phone and Mac's (+Linux RPi's) at home.

They are nearly 100% Windows and iPhone people

 

[iHorseHead]

I was thinking more about how you'd reset the PIN for the hidden folders on Android.

https://www.guidingtech.com/unlock-secure-folder-in-samsung-without-password/
Not sure if I'd trust 3rd party apps though?

 

[iHorseHead]

Genuine question: do you actually need this or you just think it's cool?

I've never tried it, but if I was able to run Forticlient VPN and RDP then sure. It could be useful.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Why is it so people take it as an attack when someone's impressed with something and thinks that some other company but Apple did something well?

Because the point is driven beyond that aspect. It’s one thing to be “Oh, wow! Look at this awesome thing!” But then it turns into a comparison, which comes off as at least somewhat condescending/pretentious.

And iPhone 14 is my main phone. My battery health is 98% and not so long ago it was 100% and. it has an original battery and I often keep it on low power mode, yet it still runs out faster than everybody elses phones when we travel somewhere

The Samsung's features on Android 11 blew my mind. It's much better than App Library's "Hidden" apps or "Hidden" photos and you can't hide files, cant customise icons as you can on Samsung with Android 11.

But at this point lack of Apple's features are inexcusable. On Android you can archive Messages and text messages, on Android you can see how much you have left to sleep when you set an alarm, on Android you can actually hide important files and folders.
All that are necessary features for me and I've been waiting for Apple to implement those since 2010 + the Baltic languages.

Gemini seems to be amazing too tbh, compared to Siri.

Anyway… This recent video by Rossmann has relevance. In my opinion, the key point is Android and iOS are different. They attract different users. It’s illogical to want iOS to be Android or Android to be iOS. Again, they’re choices and serve different purposes.

 

[Bkdodger]

Yeh really- to each their own.

I get odd looks from colleagues because I use an Android phone and Mac's (+Linux RPi's) at home.

They are nearly 100% Windows and iPhone people

We just different peeps lol , I only go IMac and have old MacPro

 

[Palmy_Jon]

Android is indeed the king of mobile OS. I was forced to use one after getting a new insulin pump which at the time didn't have an iOS app. The phone itself was great and feature wise much better than the corresponding iPhone and was half the price! But.... I have a MacBook Pro, Apple Watch, Apple TV's and Apple One subscription so my shiny new phone just didn't integrate into my existing ecosystem. When the iOS app came out in June I was back on my iPhone the same day. It is a 13 mini so has awful battery life and struggles to get past 5pm without a charge which is a real PIA. I also lost all my photos I had taken on my android phone as they weren't uploaded to iCloud of course!!
I'll stick with the devil I know for now.

 

[Bungaree.Chubbins]

I'm going to preface this post with the fact that I don't care whether you prefer Android to iOS, or Samsung to Apple. Use whichever phone works best for you!

I've lived in 4 different EU countries. People barely use iPhones… Why would I start arguing with facts? I've lived in the EU my entire life. Even Facebook Messenger is more common than iMessage.

"people barely use iPhones" hey? So 25%-32% of smartphone users in Europe is nothing, right?

Not really sure why is it so offensive to everyone when I ask Apple to step up their game. For me iOS 15 was the last good iOS release. Now I even struggle with changing wallpapers, while on Samsung I can have Dynamic Wallpapers, which change every time I wake the phone up.

It's not offensive at all to question Apple. I'm a pretty big fan, and even I think they need to improve in certain areas! What seems to be offence is push back at what seemed to be your attitude of Apple sucks, no one uses them outside of America, Android is amazing! It's all about perception.

IOS doesn't compare to Android. IOS is like the hooked on phonics OS. If you don't want freedom and just want to show off that logo sitting at Starbucks then Apple is the way to go.

Ah yes, the classic 'everyone who likes the thing I don't like is a bad person!' argument. We all just bought our Apple products because we wanted the status symbol of flashing the logo around, and not because we like the products for what they are!

 

[Paradoxally]

I've lived in 4 different EU countries. People barely use iPhones...

This is a blatant lie.

The people in your circles don't use iPhones.

 

[Slo Pesci]

I just bought a Samsung A56 and a Samsung Tab S10 Ultra to test Android after all these years. On the phone was FORCED to download apps like Temu and Tiktok. It was the only way to get a certain notification to go away.

Samsung doing this just makes it seem super tacky to me. So much damn bloatware. Also confused by some apps having a Samsung version and Google version. For example Google Photos & Samsung Gallery. No way to disable the Samsung gallery.

Hardware is A+ tho.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Yes. Nothing else but the status symbol. Of a device that almost everyone owns and you can see anywhere, because that’s how status symbols work, somehow. Unlike Android - where you just know the owner is not only a technical savant, but also an expert of life if you will, resistant to status symbols and trends, guided only by their impecable instincts and deep understanding of the world.

Yesterday I saw someone with a Galaxy Fold, it was almost as if they had a masters degree in their hand, if not more. I wanted to approach them, tell them “teach me, sir, grant me the gift of knowledge”, alas I was ashamed of my iPhone so I ran into a nearby Starbucks instead!

You kind sir won the internet for a year.

 

[Moonlight]

What upsets me is that people are missing the point:
I am not going to buy a brand new phone for a SIM card that I barely use. I was stunned how much BEHIND Apple is from Android 11 even when we compare it to the current iOS.

You are using the current OS on an iPhone 7? Or do you have multiple iPhones? Or are you speaking from non-experience?

 

[martint235]

I just bought a Samsung A56 and a Samsung Tab S10 Ultra to test Android after all these years. On the phone was FORCED to download apps like Temu and Tiktok. It was the only way to get a certain notification to go away.

Samsung doing this just makes it seem super tacky to me. So much damn bloatware. Also confused by some apps having a Samsung version and Google version. For example Google Photos & Samsung Gallery. No way to disable the Samsung gallery.

Hardware is A+ tho.

I think you’ve done something wrong in your set up. I’ve recently had a Samsung and it didn’t force me to do that or even ask me to

 

[Slo Pesci]

I think you’ve done something wrong in your set up. I’ve recently had a Samsung and it didn’t force me to do that or even ask me to

No, it's common on A series phones. Also it is Samsung doing it not a carrier since my phone was bough unlocked.

Scummy stuff.

https://www.reddit.com/r/oneui/comments/1idouuz/what_is_app_cloud_and_why_is_it_installing_temu

 

[Smellmet]

No Samsung phone I've ever owned has forced those apps on me - their own ones, yes but they never present a problem for me.

 

[martint235]

No, it's common on A series phones. Also it is Samsung doing it not a carrier since my phone was bough unlocked.

Scummy stuff.

https://www.reddit.com/r/oneui/comments/1idouuz/what_is_app_cloud_and_why_is_it_installing_temu

Ah ok apologies. I’ve not had an A series. Weird it only affects those, you would have thought it was only really spec differences between A and S series

 

[Slo Pesci]

Ah ok apologies. I’ve not had an A series. Weird it only affects those, you would have thought it was only really spec differences between A and S series

Oh it's all good. Ya I think they try to justify it by selling the A series phones at a lower cost and then fill em up with bloatware. I also got the Samsung Tab S10 Ultra, their highest end tablet, and while it does have bloatware it had nothing like the A series phone. It doesn't trick you into downloading apps.

 

[sunapple]

Anyway… This recent video by Rossmann has relevance. In my opinion, the key point is Android and iOS are different. They attract different users. It’s illogical to want iOS to be Android or Android to be iOS. Again, they’re choices and serve different purposes.

The key point is that the main difference of open vs closed is fading because Google decided to lock down their OS.

I switched to Android a couple of weeks ago and in my view I can do all the same stuff, the big difference is the open-source nature which for example gives me the freedom to install any app. Take that away and the differences are marginal.

I also switched for the hardware/brand which is an ability I'd like to maintain forever (so not sticking to either Apple or Google services for my digital life that keep you locked in).

 

[lowendlinux]

Honest question to those with Android experience.
How do you handle backing up your phone?

Apple can apparently create an image of some sort and transfer it to iCloud, but still refuses to show me the courtesy to simply throw that same image on my NAS. I have to use a computer application to make a backup.

I ask as a long time (30-something years) Apple consumer who now spends inordinate amounts of time cursing at things that either don’t work correctly, or are completely illogical in my iOS/iPadOS devices.

I use a USB C thumb drive to backup but iOS/MacOS have better backup systems that really anyone else.

Enjoy your new Samsung phone and the move over to the Android side. I think Samsung overall has so many good things about it with the OS small extras that really help make the experience excellent. I dual carry one iPhone and one Android phone and I always find myself using the Android side of things. I don't have any issues with my GPay or Samsung wallet. I enjoy Android Auto over Carplay. Agree I enjoy my AirPod Pros over my Buds3. I use AWU equally with the GWU or OnePlus Watch 3 they all have things that I prefer in each. It's great having choices

I prefer CarPlaybut they both get the job done.

 

[xyaqubx]

I used iPhones from 3GS, went on this switching journey few times , putting on the side it is very expensive thing to do , I done it few times during years and while I reflected on it sometimes I think was purely for getting high level of dopamine.

I switched to Nexus phones and tablets, I switched to Samsung phones and tablets , I switched to Windows phones ( while they existed) and Surface devices, I wanted to break those invisible chains attached to the Apple and they ecosystem but eventually every time I was coming back , what cost me even more .

Recently few days ago I was tempted to move to Galaxy Fold 7 or Honor Magic V5, get rid of of my iPad Pro and use mainly one device ( phone which can be tablet as well) , but this time I spoke to my senses and realised that I would have to move from my watch Ultra 2 to Garmin which I done before and always at the end preferred Apple Watch fitness’s functionality ( I’m not fitness freak), Android watches, Samsung , Amazfit or even Whoop band all have major problems.

No matter what iPad when is coming to apps will be still superior to any Androids tablets and folded phones.

Generally apps are better designed , more slick on iOS , plus so many of them not exist on Android in the form they exist on Android.
One first example will be app like Tripsy , which is amazing for preparing travel with family members.

So even in so many ways I’m fed up with Apple , don’t like upcoming iPhones looks, would love having in watch battery which last at least week , would love having in phone pencil support, knowing that buying Apple products I’m paying extra for status ( no matter what Apple still is prestige brand in many places) for now I will resist all temptation of switching , because from my experiences grass is not green on other side.

And I know temptation of switching comes from the same angle like temptation of getting new partners after 20 years of being married , only for getting this feeling of excitement and trying something new , hoping that’s our life will drastically change, most times is better to stick to something we know in and out , to our safe zone … So I will upgrade to new iPhone , I will open it , setup with almost zero excitement, I will barely notice like every year any change but still will do the job and have functionality in any aspects which can’t be replaced.

 

[robvalentine]

Recently few days ago I was tempted to move to Galaxy Fold 7 or Honor Magic V5, get rid of of my iPad Pro and use mainly one device ( phone which can be tablet as well) , but this time I spoke to my senses and realised that I would have to move from my watch Ultra 2 to Garmin which I done before and always at the end preferred Apple Watch fitness’s functionality ( I’m not fitness freak), Android watches, Samsung , Amazfit or even Whoop band all have major problems.

No matter what iPad when is coming to apps will be still superior to any Androids tablets and folded phones.

Generally apps are better designed , more slick on iOS , plus so many of them not exist on Android in the form they exist on Android.
One first example will be app like Tripsy , which is amazing for preparing travel with family members.

So even in so many ways I’m fed up with Apple , don’t like upcoming iPhones looks, would love having in watch battery which last at least week , would love having in phone pencil support, knowing that buying Apple products I’m paying extra for status ( no matter what Apple still is prestige brand in many places) for now I will resist all temptation of switching , because from my experiences grass is not green on other side.

And I know temptation of switching comes from the same angle like temptation of getting new partners after 20 years of being married , only for getting this feeling of excitement and trying something new , hoping that’s our life will drastically change, most times is better to stick to something we know in and out , to our safe zone … So I will upgrade to new iPhone , I will open it , setup with almost zero excitement, I will barely notice like every year any change but still will do the job and have functionality in any aspects which can’t be replaced.

I ended up switching to Garmin to get away from the smart watch features, and I got addicted to closing all 3 rings each day, to the point where I would lower the targets to reach em. I find not having the rings, but a simple steps target and a weekly intensity target much healthier.

I switch back and forth, but usually get frustrated either at the iPhone's keyboard, the in ability to swipe away notifications when they arrive or how difficult it is to cast to our smart speakers (we went with google nest as I couldn't find a good homekit enabled video doorbell at the time). with android it's just easier, and Garmin's work properly in terms of being able to reply to messages etc. also battery. Having said all that I have a pixel watch 4 on preorder.