Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Ex-droid users, what do u hate or miss after getting ur iPhone?
- Thread starter bmwsport
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
miss my little green led for a text, and the android market allowed the download of an app called imusic where u download mp3s straight to your phone...so basically i didnt need itunes at all.
The two positives of the iphone are battery life and fluid web browsing. Android wins or ties in most other categories.
The two positives of the iphone are battery life and fluid web browsing. Android wins or ties in most other categories.
If you need the best device out then stop buying as there will always be something bigger and better. That's just you being caught up in hype. And that IT degree thing is BS, I just bought a SGS2 and you don't need an IT degree to use the damn thing.
-4G LTE data speeds. I'm a fairly heavy Youtuber, and really miss being able to watch HQ videos as I pleased. That's one of the reasons I went for the unlimited data plan with Verizon and, hopefully, the next iteration of the iPhone will make use of it.
-Google Nav. Free, simple, and it worked. How can you go wrong... except by not including it?
-Being able to map out and place my application and folder icons wherever I please. For iOS, it sucks that the icons just fill in the next space available on the screen.
-Quick and easy toggles for my data/gps/etc.
-A larger screen. Let's be honest, a good portion of iPhone users would love a larger, high quality screen. Maybe 4.0" - big, but not huge - and edge to edge on the phone, with little wasted space on the form factor. Something with the brightness, contrast, sharpness and pixel density that has us lauding the Retina Display versus the Super AMOLED screens.
-Google Nav. Free, simple, and it worked. How can you go wrong... except by not including it?
-Being able to map out and place my application and folder icons wherever I please. For iOS, it sucks that the icons just fill in the next space available on the screen.
-Quick and easy toggles for my data/gps/etc.
-A larger screen. Let's be honest, a good portion of iPhone users would love a larger, high quality screen. Maybe 4.0" - big, but not huge - and edge to edge on the phone, with little wasted space on the form factor. Something with the brightness, contrast, sharpness and pixel density that has us lauding the Retina Display versus the Super AMOLED screens.
onthecouchagain
macrumors 604
LSUtigers03
macrumors 68020
Especially since you can change how long you have to hold the button to get the secondary character.
Phil A.
Moderator emeritus
I've just switched from an iPhone 4 to a Samsung Galaxy S2 so am coming at this from the opposite side. It's the second Android phone I've had and this time the experience is much, much better. The SGS 2 is just as smooth as an iPhone and whilst the UI doesn't look as consistent as iOS it's a definite improvement over earlier versions.
I also have an iPad 2 and an Asus Transformer so try to keep an open mind over the whole iOS vs Android debate
What I prefer in Android over iOS:
1) The fact I can separate my work Exchange mail into a separate App with separate security policies. This is actually the main reason I went to Android: My employer lets us use ActiveSync on our personal devices to get email (it's either that or a Blackberry!) but require remote admin privileges before they'll let you do so. That includes the ability to remote wipe a device. I was very, very uncomfortable in giving my employer the power to completely wipe my phone but with Android, they only get the permission to wipe the Exchange data held in the separate app
2) GMail - GMail on Android is brilliant and much better than using Apple's mail to collect Gmail based mail
3) Freedom to replace / supplement standard apps: For example, I have installed an enhanced calendar and better music player
4) Option to try before you buy - Google have reduced the return window to 15 minutes but that's still better than the zero minutes you get on iOS
5) Better maps app
6) Proper attachment integration
7) Better dropbox support. I have an app that will do a two way sync between dropbox and folders on my phone. Also, I can open a file from my dropbox straight into an editor and then when it's saved it gets uploaded straight back to my dropbox
8) Proper file system support
9) Bigger screen. I didn't think I wanted a bigger screen than the 3.5" iPhone one, but the SGS 2 manages to pack it's bigger screen into an overall size that's not much bigger than the iPhone and the extra size makes typing, etc, much easier
10) Easy access to switches for GPS, Bluetooth, etc (just swipe down from the top and there they are!)
What I miss from iOS
1) iWork - there really is nothing to compare to the quality of iWork available on Android. Fortunately, I still have my iPad which is where I mainly used it anyway
2) Facetime - My phone supports "normal" 3G video calling but its not as smooth as facetime
3) More consistent and polished look and feel. As I said above, Android is better than it was, but still not as polished as iOS
4) iTunes integration. I am using Doubletwist to sync my music, etc to my phone but it's not as smooth or easy to use as iTunes
5) Bookmark syncing between my desktop and phone
I also have an iPad 2 and an Asus Transformer so try to keep an open mind over the whole iOS vs Android debate
What I prefer in Android over iOS:
1) The fact I can separate my work Exchange mail into a separate App with separate security policies. This is actually the main reason I went to Android: My employer lets us use ActiveSync on our personal devices to get email (it's either that or a Blackberry!) but require remote admin privileges before they'll let you do so. That includes the ability to remote wipe a device. I was very, very uncomfortable in giving my employer the power to completely wipe my phone but with Android, they only get the permission to wipe the Exchange data held in the separate app
2) GMail - GMail on Android is brilliant and much better than using Apple's mail to collect Gmail based mail
3) Freedom to replace / supplement standard apps: For example, I have installed an enhanced calendar and better music player
4) Option to try before you buy - Google have reduced the return window to 15 minutes but that's still better than the zero minutes you get on iOS
5) Better maps app
6) Proper attachment integration
7) Better dropbox support. I have an app that will do a two way sync between dropbox and folders on my phone. Also, I can open a file from my dropbox straight into an editor and then when it's saved it gets uploaded straight back to my dropbox
8) Proper file system support
9) Bigger screen. I didn't think I wanted a bigger screen than the 3.5" iPhone one, but the SGS 2 manages to pack it's bigger screen into an overall size that's not much bigger than the iPhone and the extra size makes typing, etc, much easier
10) Easy access to switches for GPS, Bluetooth, etc (just swipe down from the top and there they are!)
What I miss from iOS
1) iWork - there really is nothing to compare to the quality of iWork available on Android. Fortunately, I still have my iPad which is where I mainly used it anyway
2) Facetime - My phone supports "normal" 3G video calling but its not as smooth as facetime
3) More consistent and polished look and feel. As I said above, Android is better than it was, but still not as polished as iOS
4) iTunes integration. I am using Doubletwist to sync my music, etc to my phone but it's not as smooth or easy to use as iTunes
5) Bookmark syncing between my desktop and phone
This one is coming in ICS
----------
That's not Android, it's just your HTC. 😉
I love my new IPhone. It's the best phone in the world today. Obviously the turn by turn voice navigation can not be replicated by any third party in the App Store.
While I love this phone, I feel like my screens shouldn't be dominated by apps. I know they can all be switched around, but in Android I could add widgets to any screen. Wouldn't it be nice to just have the weather widget in your home screen? Or better yet an RSS feed with today's news?
I'm hoping that the 4S gets jailbroken because I'd love to have different widgets being present in my drop down menu(which I believe IOS has made better than Android).
In closing this is the best phone in the world!
While I love this phone, I feel like my screens shouldn't be dominated by apps. I know they can all be switched around, but in Android I could add widgets to any screen. Wouldn't it be nice to just have the weather widget in your home screen? Or better yet an RSS feed with today's news?
I'm hoping that the 4S gets jailbroken because I'd love to have different widgets being present in my drop down menu(which I believe IOS has made better than Android).
In closing this is the best phone in the world!
Droid X ex-user
I bought the Droid X last year, 3 months before they announced the Verizon iPhone. Boy was I mad! 😡 So I have sucked up using the X for the last year. The constant locking up and restarting was a feature that was included on the X not just the HTC phones. The constant lag really sucked too.
With Verizon I would have had to pay full price for the privilege to get an iPhone 4. So I waited until the latest iPhone came out and went on Craigslist to look for an Apple junkie who was going to get the new 4s. Found one, bought an iPhone4 and for the last 10 days I have been trying to learn a new system, although everything else in my house is Apple.
I DO NOT miss that crappy X.
However I do miss the following:
I work at night and sleep during the day. The Android market had an app call VIP Alert. After silencing the phone it would allow only selected phone numbers through to ring. Great incase of an emergency or a kid that is sick at school.
I really miss that one, cause we have no home phone.
Also the Android market had two tethering apps that worked decently at no charge:
Easy tether and PDA.net
Miss those.
I too miss the Weather widgets on the home screen.
Also miss the navigator, not perfect but better than what I have found so far on the iPhone.
Also miss being able to toggle bluetooth, wifi, airplane mode and GPS, on and off from the home page.
Ringtones were abundant in the Android market.
Missing the Zedge.
I also miss that many apps were free with the Android market.
What I don't miss is the fact that the battery did not last more than 12 hours, just had my iPhone on and unplugged for almost 48 hours, love it.
Love the seamless integration between my Mac and my phone.
I also love how polished the whole iOS is.
Overall as my friends and I have said before we love Apple because it just works. Insert any product here.
Although after reading through my list one may ask why I switched.
I am kind of wondering that now too. I guess I just had to have an iPhone.
It has only been 10 days though. I will report back when it has been 10 weeks.
I bought the Droid X last year, 3 months before they announced the Verizon iPhone. Boy was I mad! 😡 So I have sucked up using the X for the last year. The constant locking up and restarting was a feature that was included on the X not just the HTC phones. The constant lag really sucked too.
With Verizon I would have had to pay full price for the privilege to get an iPhone 4. So I waited until the latest iPhone came out and went on Craigslist to look for an Apple junkie who was going to get the new 4s. Found one, bought an iPhone4 and for the last 10 days I have been trying to learn a new system, although everything else in my house is Apple.
I DO NOT miss that crappy X.
However I do miss the following:
I work at night and sleep during the day. The Android market had an app call VIP Alert. After silencing the phone it would allow only selected phone numbers through to ring. Great incase of an emergency or a kid that is sick at school.
I really miss that one, cause we have no home phone.
Also the Android market had two tethering apps that worked decently at no charge:
Easy tether and PDA.net
Miss those.
I too miss the Weather widgets on the home screen.
Also miss the navigator, not perfect but better than what I have found so far on the iPhone.
Also miss being able to toggle bluetooth, wifi, airplane mode and GPS, on and off from the home page.
Ringtones were abundant in the Android market.
Missing the Zedge.
I also miss that many apps were free with the Android market.
What I don't miss is the fact that the battery did not last more than 12 hours, just had my iPhone on and unplugged for almost 48 hours, love it.
Love the seamless integration between my Mac and my phone.
I also love how polished the whole iOS is.
Overall as my friends and I have said before we love Apple because it just works. Insert any product here.
Although after reading through my list one may ask why I switched.
I am kind of wondering that now too. I guess I just had to have an iPhone.
It has only been 10 days though. I will report back when it has been 10 weeks.
iToNe24
macrumors regular
perfect thread
#1 is turn by turn voice navigation
http://9to5mac.com/2011/02/11/iphon...turn-by-turn-voice-navigation-with-jailbreak/
who knows if this will happen?
Other things that i not to fond about is the appstore. There is no way to get to app information page on apps that u have installed. When i go to updates/purchased/All .. it just shows the purchased uninstalled apps, not every app.
NO way to contact devs from the app info page to work out bugs or suggest future updates. In the google market, each app has an email link to each the developers.
still learning with my first iPhone .. even though there are some shortcomings i am enjoying every minute with it.
Bring on the jailbreak for the 4s!
#1 is turn by turn voice navigation
http://9to5mac.com/2011/02/11/iphon...turn-by-turn-voice-navigation-with-jailbreak/
who knows if this will happen?
Other things that i not to fond about is the appstore. There is no way to get to app information page on apps that u have installed. When i go to updates/purchased/All .. it just shows the purchased uninstalled apps, not every app.
NO way to contact devs from the app info page to work out bugs or suggest future updates. In the google market, each app has an email link to each the developers.
still learning with my first iPhone .. even though there are some shortcomings i am enjoying every minute with it.
Bring on the jailbreak for the 4s!
I have both and I feel the SGS2 is a better business phone (a la Blackberry) for email and especially MS Exchange. I like the ability to reply to emails with an attachment from my Dropbox. That kind of intergration is still not possible with iCloud and IOS 5.0. I hope it's coming. Business users need this type of feature.
However, the iPhone is much better for media and consumer tasks. I find the SGS2 works better for me Monday-Friday at work while the Iphone is the better phone for me on weekends.
However, the iPhone is much better for media and consumer tasks. I find the SGS2 works better for me Monday-Friday at work while the Iphone is the better phone for me on weekends.
Prototypical
macrumors 6502
As a current Android user, I find this app infuriating. Maybe it's because I'm on old hardware (original Motorola Droid) but any time I have a sudden instance of "oh crap, I'm lost" the nav app completely fails me. It takes 15-20 seconds to fire up, another 2-3 minutes to figure out where the hell I am, and then I'm lucky if it stays locked on my location the entire trip. I'm sure the lock-on time would decrease if I left GPS on all the time, but doing so eats through the battery in a matter of hours.
My other issue is tied into the battery problem. I only attempted to use the Nav app once on a long trip, but the device would consistently run out of power EVEN when plugged into the AC/Adapter. It actually used power at a faster rate than it could take in, and was unbelievably hot to the touch. I had to turn the AC vents towards the device to keep it from overheating and shutting off... Not what you want when you're depending on the device to get you where you need to go.
It's just old hardware. GPS consumes a lot of power on any platform (iOS or Android) so on long trips the phone has to be plugged in (but it should not discharge 😡) . On modern Android phones (like Galaxy SII), the application takes milliseconds to start and GPS locks in seconds. Application is well integrated into OS (shortcuts, contacts etc.), does not require paying for map updates and has unique capabilities like showing the picture of the intersection where the next turn on your route is (thanks for Google Street View). Overall, it's a great feature of Android phones.
Switched to a iPhone 4s from a Motorola Droid
I miss the turn by turn navigation. I rarely used it, but when I did, it was pretty helpful.
There's some small customization features I miss, but nothing earth shattering.
I don't miss the constant force closing, cool new apps that don't work for my less than two year phone, having to constantly delete old apps because my phone only had 512 internal storage. I'll wait two years and see if Android has gotten more consistent support across carriers/manufacturers.
I miss the turn by turn navigation. I rarely used it, but when I did, it was pretty helpful.
There's some small customization features I miss, but nothing earth shattering.
I don't miss the constant force closing, cool new apps that don't work for my less than two year phone, having to constantly delete old apps because my phone only had 512 internal storage. I'll wait two years and see if Android has gotten more consistent support across carriers/manufacturers.
I came to to the iphone from an Evo 4g that I got on it's release day. I'm still figuring out the apple way of doing certain things but loving it nonetheless.
What I miss from my android phone;
-toggles for 4g, 3g, wifi, bluetooth, GPS
-ROMs, mainly the free wireless tethering they have baked in
-big screen (due to my old eyes)
-weather and clock widget on home screen
-flext9 keyboard
What I do not miss about my android phone;
-lag, everywhere was lag regardless of the ROM
-poor battery life, i had chargers at home, work and in my car plus 2 extra
batteries because I ran out of charge so often (thus my experimenting
with various ROMs and kernels)
-always felt like it was a work in progress as opposed the my iphone feeling
like a finished product
All in all i'm very happy with my iphone purchase! My wife upgraded at the same time but she went with the ETGSII because apparently size really does matter to women (or her at least). 😉
What I miss from my android phone;
-toggles for 4g, 3g, wifi, bluetooth, GPS
-ROMs, mainly the free wireless tethering they have baked in
-big screen (due to my old eyes)
-weather and clock widget on home screen
-flext9 keyboard
What I do not miss about my android phone;
-lag, everywhere was lag regardless of the ROM
-poor battery life, i had chargers at home, work and in my car plus 2 extra
batteries because I ran out of charge so often (thus my experimenting
with various ROMs and kernels)
-always felt like it was a work in progress as opposed the my iphone feeling
like a finished product
All in all i'm very happy with my iphone purchase! My wife upgraded at the same time but she went with the ETGSII because apparently size really does matter to women (or her at least). 😉