Help an Android convert get used to new 7 Plus

[Tig Bitties]

Long time Android user, have had like 15 or so flagship Android phones, and only 3 iPhone's. I wanted to try a fresh new Silver 128GB Silver iPhone 7 Plus, to see what Apple has created, and mess around with something different

I won't BS you, this is a very tough transition so far one day in, please offer any advice or tips please;

Comments / Questions;

- iPhone 7 Plus is a beautifully designed well crafted device. But it seems awfully heavy, weighs a heck of a lot more than it should IMO.

- Home button thing, I am very confused with it. I understand it no loner is a true press down button anymore ? Which is fine by me, by then why does Apple force it to behave like one still ? I'd rather it act like a touchpad, something like the HTC 10, or OnePlus 3 have, where you barely tap it and it works, but with the 7 Plus home button, you still need to sort of press it hard or firmly, you can't just lightly tap it like you would software keys on a Pixel or Nexus, or even a trackpad.

- How do I rearrange the icons around ? I don't want the Music app icons in the dock on the bottom, but every time I press to hold down, to get the icons to dance and have the little x's, it 3D Force Touches on me, not allowing me to x out an app or move them. How do I get the icons to rattle and allow me to move them where ever I want ?

- Weather widget, I set my home city, but the widget keeps showing me Santa Clara, how do I force it to keep my home town ? I don't have Location enabled, I always keep that off, only use GPS when actually running Navigation, but that shouldn't matter ? There has to be an option to force the city you choose ?

- Is there a way to setup a Google Calendar widget ? Or a better calendar widget than stock ?

- Animations and fluidity of iOS 10 feels janky and clunky. Not at all smooth as hot butter and warp speed fast like my Nexus 7.1.1 ROM, which is super smooth and ZERO lag, but iOS 10 seems a little slow or just weird acting. If I am in app, then press the home button, it will hiccup for a second, then show the home page of icons fade in slowly.

- G Board keyboard is GREAT on this phone, that is super cool

- iMessage is also great, best texting app around

- No Back button, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD NO FREAKING BACK BUTTON !!! This is just brutal, just insanity using a phone with no back button, *** swipe or gestures, you MUST HAVE A BACK BUTTON ON A SMARTPHONE OS. Blackberry has a back button. Windows Phone has a back button, Android has a back button. ( rumors are that the iPhone 8 will mimic Windows Phone software key type setup ) The no Back Button on the iPhone is borderline a deal breaker for me. I can get used to the change of OS from Android, but no back key is truly a kick in the nuts, and something I can't get comfortable with.

 

[lordofthereef]

As far as the home button, I personally think it's a transitional thing to get rid of it all together. Some have said it's to improve water resistance. I don't know that we were given an official reason for exactly why it works the way it does.

Rearranging icons you activate by pressing down softly. Justnrest your finger on it. Don't push down. They'll wiggle andnfron there in sure you can handle it.

There's s google calendar app. I imagine there is widget capability but I honestly don't use it so can't help beyond that. Try downloading it?

The weather app should have a "+" that lets you add a city. You can add s bunch of them. Unsure what the limit is. I have six.

Back button is just something you get to get used to. I use both iOS and android (work phone) and I don't really miss it. I've had iOS slightly longer but it's been many years with both now. I don't really have any advice here. Possible jaikbreak? If you're on 10.1.x and want to jaikbreak don't upgrade to 10.2.

 

[Tig Bitties]

- Phone / Dialer app. Maybe I'm too used to stock vanilla Android's way of how the phone works, but on the Google phone's it's very fast and fluid to use, you have you page of favorites, then you easily swipe to the right to go to your contact list, or if you need to make a call right away, the little dial pad circle button is right there at the bottom easy and fast to access. Point being, on the iPhone you need to tap in and out of separate phone screens, one is the dialer, one is the contacts list another is recent calls. Just too many tabs and different screens to come in and out of on iOS to go through your phone. I feel stock Android's phone app is way faster, less things to tap to get around missed calls or making calls.

 

[T5BRICK]

I think android may be a better option for you.

 

[5105973]

I feel your pain. To my absolute shock I opened what I thought was a box with my usual pair of slippers (I normally get a new pair for Christmas every year) and instead found a small box with a matte black IPhone 7Plus inside. This is AFTER opening a box with an unlocked Galaxy S7 that I'd put on my Christmas wish list. My husband liked his IPhone 7 Plus so much he felt I would like one, too. And I certainly do.

Like you, for the past couple of months I've been immersed in how HTC 10 looks, feels and operates. Prior to that I used an iPhone SE, with no 3D Touch.

All I can tell you is that it takes a little practice to get the right touch to be able to move the icons. I honestly didn't pay very close attention to the weather widget because initially I leave location services on for everything and then later after I am settled in, I go through and shut down location services app by app until I get the level of privacy I prefer or reduce battery drain if I notice an issue with it.

I don't find myself needing the back button in iOS. I do find it useful in Android but to me iOS works differently enough that I only really use it by accident, believe it or not. When I want to get back in iOS I tend to use the home button and pull up the last open app window I was on. I'm not sure I'm articulating this very clearly but it's been a long Christmas Day and I'm starting to drift off a little.

 

[nordique]

Long time Android user, have had like 15 or so flagship Android phones, and only 3 iPhone's. I wanted to try a fresh new Silver 128GB Silver iPhone 7 Plus, to see what Apple has created, and mess around with something different

I won't BS you, this is a very tough transition so far one day in, please offer any advice or tips please;

Comments / Questions;

- iPhone 7 Plus is a beautifully designed well crafted device. But it seems awfully heavy, weighs a heck of a lot more than it should IMO.

- Home button thing, I am very confused with it. I understand it no loner is a true press down button anymore ? Which is fine by me, by then why does Apple force it to behave like one still ? I'd rather it act like a touchpad, something like the HTC 10, or OnePlus 3 have, where you barely tap it and it works, but with the 7 Plus home button, you still need to sort of press it hard or firmly, you can't just lightly tap it like you would software keys on a Pixel or Nexus, or even a trackpad.

- How do I rearrange the icons around ? I don't want the Music app icons in the dock on the bottom, but every time I press to hold down, to get the icons to dance and have the little x's, it 3D Force Touches on me, not allowing me to x out an app or move them. How do I get the icons to rattle and allow me to move them where ever I want ?

- Weather widget, I set my home city, but the widget keeps showing me Santa Clara, how do I force it to keep my home town ? I don't have Location enabled, I always keep that off, only use GPS when actually running Navigation, but that shouldn't matter ? There has to be an option to force the city you choose ?

- Is there a way to setup a Google Calendar widget ? Or a better calendar widget than stock ?

- Animations and fluidity of iOS 10 feels janky and clunky. Not at all smooth as hot butter and warp speed fast like my Nexus 7.1.1 ROM, which is super smooth and ZERO lag, but iOS 10 seems a little slow or just weird acting. If I am in app, then press the home button, it will hiccup for a second, then show the home page of icons fade in slowly.

- G Board keyboard is GREAT on this phone, that is super cool

- iMessage is also great, best texting app around

- No Back button, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD NO FREAKING BACK BUTTON !!! This is just brutal, just insanity using a phone with no back button, *** swipe or gestures, you MUST HAVE A BACK BUTTON ON A SMARTPHONE OS. Blackberry has a back button. Windows Phone has a back button, Android has a back button. ( rumors are that the iPhone 8 will mimic Windows Phone software key type setup ) The no Back Button on the iPhone is borderline a deal breaker for me. I can get used to the change of OS from Android, but no back key is truly a kick in the nuts, and something I can't get comfortable with.

Lack of back buttons take a while to get used to if you're a long time user but one way iOS implements it that is pretty cool is you just swipe with your finger backwards or forwards when surfing the net for example.

It was the opposite for me, when I first went Android I hated the back button - but once I got used to the OS I absolutely loved it. That said iOS just works differently so try to give it a fair shake. I would recommend swiping using the touchscreen (so if you're on safari just swipe from the left edge to the right edge to go back) and 3D touch for multitasking (press into the screen on the left edge) as a good way to navigate iOS quickly.

Get used to 3D touch multitasking it's awesome once u get the hang of it as well as 3D touch keyboard shortcuts


Unfortunately iOS widgets don't integrate the way they do on Android (I know what you're referring to with the Google calendar widget and how awesome it is ... Or widgets in general. Nothing quite like that on iOS unfortunately but swiping left from the home screen brings your widget drawer and it is still possible to customize to a degree that you can be happy with)

As far as fluidity that is more confined to the plus models, iOS 10 isn't quite as smooth as Nougat on a Pixel but it's pretty smooth in its own right. Definitely is more fluid on the smaller model. 0 hiccups on 7 or 6s. My father's 7 plus has the same stuttery issues but they are pretty minor With general use


As far as wiggling the app's aroubd just don't press too hard on the apps you're pressing into the screen which is activating 3D touch so you want to just hold the app (sort of like using g board on a droid to bring up the alternative characters or numbers)

I'm a longtime iOS user but my daily driver is a galaxy S7....I got the phone for free and it took me a few months to adjust to Android. I kept wanting to switch back but I gave Android a fair shake and have come to appreciate it where it's strengths are and I absolutely enjoy android now.

Likewise give iOS a fair shake. You need time to adjust to it and see what its strengths are if you want to enjoy your iPhone experience.

If you're a long time user of another OS like i was you're going to have to allow for an adjustment period and be open minded about how it functions.

 

[janeauburn]

iPhone 7 Plus is a beautifully designed well crafted device. But it seems awfully heavy, weighs a heck of a lot more than it should IMO

It's too damned heavy. There's no getting used to that. It's like carrying a paperweight in your pocket.

 

[cracksoup]

I'm glad the iPhone doesn't have a back button. It's really counterintuitive to reach down all the time, when almost every app nowadays supports the swipe from left to right gesture in order to go back. If I want to switch between apps, I use the multi tasking view no matter if I'm on an iPhone or Android phone. It just works better for me, but my taste is probably different from yours.

About animations, I feel the exact opposite from you. I think the animations are very fluid and fits the operating system very well. If you don't like them, you can turn them off.

 

[BlueGoldAce]

Long time Android user, have had like 15 or so flagship Android phones, and only 3 iPhone's. I wanted to try a fresh new Silver 128GB Silver iPhone 7 Plus, to see what Apple has created, and mess around with something different

I won't BS you, this is a very tough transition so far one day in, please offer any advice or tips please;

Comments / Questions;

- iPhone 7 Plus is a beautifully designed well crafted device. But it seems awfully heavy, weighs a heck of a lot more than it should IMO.

- Home button thing, I am very confused with it. I understand it no loner is a true press down button anymore ? Which is fine by me, by then why does Apple force it to behave like one still ? I'd rather it act like a touchpad, something like the HTC 10, or OnePlus 3 have, where you barely tap it and it works, but with the 7 Plus home button, you still need to sort of press it hard or firmly, you can't just lightly tap it like you would software keys on a Pixel or Nexus, or even a trackpad.

- How do I rearrange the icons around ? I don't want the Music app icons in the dock on the bottom, but every time I press to hold down, to get the icons to dance and have the little x's, it 3D Force Touches on me, not allowing me to x out an app or move them. How do I get the icons to rattle and allow me to move them where ever I want ?

- Weather widget, I set my home city, but the widget keeps showing me Santa Clara, how do I force it to keep my home town ? I don't have Location enabled, I always keep that off, only use GPS when actually running Navigation, but that shouldn't matter ? There has to be an option to force the city you choose ?

- Is there a way to setup a Google Calendar widget ? Or a better calendar widget than stock ?

- Animations and fluidity of iOS 10 feels janky and clunky. Not at all smooth as hot butter and warp speed fast like my Nexus 7.1.1 ROM, which is super smooth and ZERO lag, but iOS 10 seems a little slow or just weird acting. If I am in app, then press the home button, it will hiccup for a second, then show the home page of icons fade in slowly.

- G Board keyboard is GREAT on this phone, that is super cool

- iMessage is also great, best texting app around

- No Back button, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD NO FREAKING BACK BUTTON !!! This is just brutal, just insanity using a phone with no back button, *** swipe or gestures, you MUST HAVE A BACK BUTTON ON A SMARTPHONE OS. Blackberry has a back button. Windows Phone has a back button, Android has a back button. ( rumors are that the iPhone 8 will mimic Windows Phone software key type setup ) The no Back Button on the iPhone is borderline a deal breaker for me. I can get used to the change of OS from Android, but no back key is truly a kick in the nuts, and something I can't get comfortable with.

No offense, honestly, I mean it...but are you serious?

Your active in the alternate device forum. You root and rom your phone like crazy, so you know your way around tech. You also know how to use a google search. The things you list here are either easily answered via a quick search, or just complaints (that I believe you have voiced before in some shape or form).

It's a different operating system, and you have to embrace that. You embrace the good with the less than ideal, same with android. Also, I wouldn't describe iOS animations as "janky". They are smooth, consistent, but always the same speed.

I'm just confused, and again I don't mean offense. This post is just rather simple to the things you have been vocal about hating when talking about iOS on the alternate device forum.

For example, the home button is how it is. It is meant to mimic/act like the home button always did on iOS. You can't change that, and you knew that prior to getting the phone. I also am not aware of android phone that can use its home button like a touchpad.

 

[apolloa]

Long time Android user, have had like 15 or so flagship Android phones, and only 3 iPhone's. I wanted to try a fresh new Silver 128GB Silver iPhone 7 Plus, to see what Apple has created, and mess around with something different

I won't BS you, this is a very tough transition so far one day in, please offer any advice or tips please;

Comments / Questions;

- iPhone 7 Plus is a beautifully designed well crafted device. But it seems awfully heavy, weighs a heck of a lot more than it should IMO.

- Home button thing, I am very confused with it. I understand it no loner is a true press down button anymore ? Which is fine by me, by then why does Apple force it to behave like one still ? I'd rather it act like a touchpad, something like the HTC 10, or OnePlus 3 have, where you barely tap it and it works, but with the 7 Plus home button, you still need to sort of press it hard or firmly, you can't just lightly tap it like you would software keys on a Pixel or Nexus, or even a trackpad.

- How do I rearrange the icons around ? I don't want the Music app icons in the dock on the bottom, but every time I press to hold down, to get the icons to dance and have the little x's, it 3D Force Touches on me, not allowing me to x out an app or move them. How do I get the icons to rattle and allow me to move them where ever I want ?

- Weather widget, I set my home city, but the widget keeps showing me Santa Clara, how do I force it to keep my home town ? I don't have Location enabled, I always keep that off, only use GPS when actually running Navigation, but that shouldn't matter ? There has to be an option to force the city you choose ?

- Is there a way to setup a Google Calendar widget ? Or a better calendar widget than stock ?

- Animations and fluidity of iOS 10 feels janky and clunky. Not at all smooth as hot butter and warp speed fast like my Nexus 7.1.1 ROM, which is super smooth and ZERO lag, but iOS 10 seems a little slow or just weird acting. If I am in app, then press the home button, it will hiccup for a second, then show the home page of icons fade in slowly.

- G Board keyboard is GREAT on this phone, that is super cool

- iMessage is also great, best texting app around

- No Back button, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD NO FREAKING BACK BUTTON !!! This is just brutal, just insanity using a phone with no back button, *** swipe or gestures, you MUST HAVE A BACK BUTTON ON A SMARTPHONE OS. Blackberry has a back button. Windows Phone has a back button, Android has a back button. ( rumors are that the iPhone 8 will mimic Windows Phone software key type setup ) The no Back Button on the iPhone is borderline a deal breaker for me. I can get used to the change of OS from Android, but no back key is truly a kick in the nuts, and something I can't get comfortable with.

Haha, the Note guy is trying an iPhone Plus. To get the icons to wiggle takes some practice because of the 3D Touch, just gently press first then keep trying a little harder till you get it, also pressing an icon corner I found can help.

iOS is always laggy, although iOS 10 I think is worst, the phones not lacking in power. You'll get used to it though.

The home button is pressure sensitive, basically it's the same as a physical button without being one, I guess they wanted it's users to feel a sense of familiarity.

As for the back button, I actually prefer Apples method of swiping. Their are a fair few gestures, like on webpages swipe left to right to go back, pinch with all your fingers into the centre to go home and use four fingers up from the bottom of the screen to access all your open apps, but that gesture is easier on an iPad.

Anyway you just need to give it time to get used to it. I am actually thinking of getting a silver 128GB iPhone 7 Plus next year when they are cheaper after the next iPhone comes out.

 

[Channan]

- Home button thing, I am very confused with it. I understand it no loner is a true press down button anymore ? Which is fine by me, by then why does Apple force it to behave like one still ? I'd rather it act like a touchpad, something like the HTC 10, or OnePlus 3 have, where you barely tap it and it works, but with the 7 Plus home button, you still need to sort of press it hard or firmly, you can't just lightly tap it like you would software keys on a Pixel or Nexus, or even a trackpad.

That would be awful. I have a Galaxy S7 Edge and I'm constantly pressing the back and task switcher buttons on accident, especially when using my phone in landscape. I hope Apple keeps it the way it is.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Thank you everyone for your reply, I will try best to give this phone is fair chance. It's just a shock how it's so different to operate than a Pixel not saying that's good or bad just different.

 

[vikingjunior]

Funny you remind me of myself when I tried to switch to iphone. Good luck, I never did get accustomed to the way iphone did things. I think if I never touched a Android it would of been different.

 

[lordofthereef]

When I want to get back in iOS I tend to use the home button and pull up the last open app window I was on.

Don't forget 3D touching the left side of your screen activates this as well. I almost never use the home button for this functionality anymore.

 

[I7guy]

Haha, the Note guy is trying an iPhone Plus. To get the icons to wiggle takes some practice because of the 3D Touch, just gently press first then keep trying a little harder till you get it, also pressing an icon corner I found can help.

iOS is always laggy, although iOS 10 I think is worst, the phones not lacking in power. You'll get used to it though.

The home button is pressure sensitive, basically it's the same as a physical button without being one, I guess they wanted it's users to feel a sense of familiarity.

As for the back button, I actually prefer Apples method of swiping. Their are a fair few gestures, like on webpages swipe left to right to go back, pinch with all your fingers into the centre to go home and use four fingers up from the bottom of the screen to access all your open apps, but that gesture is easier on an iPad.

Anyway you just need to give it time to get used to it. I am actually thinking of getting a silver 128GB iPhone 7 Plus next year when they are cheaper after the next iPhone comes out.

Getting the icons to wiggle is like android looonnngg press. Just press it lightly. With experience you learn 3dt activation vs a wiggle press.

iOS is not "always" laggy, that's hyperbole.

 

[harlenmm77]

Don't forget 3D touching the left side of your screen activates this as well. I almost never use the home button for this functionality anymore.

Its 3d touch and swipe. Just touching doesn't do anything.

 

[DUIduckSAUCE]

I also miss the back button when using iPhone. When I use android I miss the swipe to change web pages. The swipe to change web pages is more useful to me.
As for the weight. The iPhone is freakishly large.

 

[lordofthereef]

Its 3d touch and swipe. Just touching doesn't do anything.

This is accurate. It's such an automatic action for me I didn't even think of it. 3D Touch will still shownyou 2 most recent apps but it pops back if you don't swipe a bit.
[doublepost=1482781853][/doublepost]

iOS is not "always" laggy, that's hyperbole.

After seeing a cydia tweak recently that speeds up animations, I can say it's just slower by design (for whatever reason). I can't get my 6 plus jail broken (the beta doesn't work very well and I haven't messed with jaikbreak since iOS 7 so I'm leaving it be for now) but it's definitely something I found interesting. Watch a stock versus the tweaked animations is kind of crazy.

It's in the beholder I guess. I didn't consider my phone slow until I saw it could be faster. lol

 

[I7guy]

This is accurate. It's such an automatic action for me I didn't even think of it. 3D Touch will still shownyou 2 most recent apps but it pops back if you don't swipe a bit.
[doublepost=1482781853][/doublepost]
After seeing a cydia tweak recently that speeds up animations, I can say it's just slower by design (for whatever reason). I can't get my 6 plus jail broken (the beta doesn't work very well and I haven't messed with jaikbreak since iOS 7 so I'm leaving it be for now) but it's definitely something I found interesting. Watch a stock versus the tweaked animations is kind of crazy.

It's in the beholder I guess. I didn't consider my phone slow until I saw it could be faster. lol

I hear what you are saying. I would like to turn off all animations like I can on Windows. No animations would be fine with me and would speed things up considerably. But that isn't lag I guess, or lag by design.

 

[lordofthereef]

I hear what you are saying. I would like to turn off all animations like I can on Windows. No animations would be fine with me and would speed things up considerably. But that isn't lag I guess, or lag by design.

In my gaming days (over a decade ago now) lag was defined as a poor connection. People today refer to framerate drops as lag. I don't know which is more accurate, but the reality is I've seen it used enough both ways to figure they're probably both ok to some extent. There was s time where the term "cool" referred strictly to temperature lol!

 

[apolloa]

Getting the icons to wiggle is like android looonnngg press. Just press it lightly. With experience you learn 3dt activation vs a wiggle press.

iOS is not "always" laggy, that's hyperbole.

it's laggy, you notice it when you've been using fast Android devices. And I said press and hold? Don't know why you repeated that?

 

[Gathomblipoob]

There was s time where the term "cool" referred strictly to temperature lol!

I'm guessing you're about my age.

 

[I7guy]

it's laggy, you notice it when you've been using fast Android devices. And I said press and hold? Don't know why you repeated that?

It's not laggy, and there have been threads posted about how "laggy" fast androids devices are as a counter...so I guess it's relative.

 

[apolloa]

In my gaming days (over a decade ago now) lag was defined as a poor connection. People today refer to framerate drops as lag. I don't know which is more accurate, but the reality is I've seen it used enough both ways to figure they're probably both ok to some extent. There was s time where the term "cool" referred strictly to temperature lol!

I don't get the whole 'sick' and putting your fist in your mouth thing? Yeah I'm too old....
[doublepost=1482786149][/doublepost]

It's not laggy, and there have been threads posted about how "laggy" fast androids devices are as a counter...so I guess it's relative.

It's slow by design and always has been. It looks and feels laggy when used next to a fast android device. Apple have made it like that to probably give the impression of being smooth, instead of snappy.

 

[Tig Bitties]

So far I am enjoying this new 7 Plus, it's a fresh and different

Just waiting for the more stable Jailbreak release, and I'll tweak the **** out of this phone to be uber unique