Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

joshwithachance

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 11, 2009
1,991
914
So a couple weeks ago I took the plunge and decided to try out the Galaxy S III as my daily driver, and see if this phone was the better smartphone.

At first I was completely wowed and thought I would end up keeping it, but soon enough that "wow" factor wore off.

What I loved about the S III: the big screen, the amazing battery life, how light it is and how amazing it feels in the hand, and a few of the gestures (like swipe with the side of your hand for a screenshot & the ability to keep the screen on just by looking at it).

What I didn't like about the S III: the phone feels cheap overall, especially the buttons, the camera isn't that good indoors, the speaker being placed on the back, how the screen isn't bright enough outdoors and too bright indoors, the delayed response when hitting the home button (even with S-Voice turned off), it's just a bit too big, and the lack of really any way to easily sync your content with it from a Mac.

What I missed about my iPhone 4S: the quality of the apps, the high quality of the phone itself, the camera, the mute switch, iMessage, and iCloud.

All in all, I'm glad to be back to my iPhone as I feel Android isn't QUITE there yet. While I miss the big screen and amazing battery life, the S III has helped me appreciate the iPhone again for it's stellar hardware, amazing apps, and the iOS community.

Have any of you taken the plunge on a different OS recently and come back to the iPhone?
 

daviddcmd

macrumors regular
Apr 22, 2010
124
65
I did the same thing

I'm on the fence. I have until this Friday to decide if I'm keeping the S3 of go back to the 4S. If only there was a jailbroken IOS6 with a 4.2" screen, it would be perfect.

Android is much better than it use to be but IOS is like an old pair of slippers.
 

Want300

macrumors 65816
Oct 12, 2011
1,194
2
St. Louis, MO
I took the plunge on my work phone... And the same thing happened to me. I got the Galaxy S2 back in early November of last year. It was so exciting to have my iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S2 (at the time, the best of both worlds). My list of pros and cons is just like yours, I liked the swipe to type functionality.

My biggest issue was my work email, it did not seem to like Yahoo Small Business email accounts. Even the Yahoo Mail App did not work for my work email. I got it to work through the built in mail app, but it did not work well, and eventually stopped working even on Wifi.

Several months ago, one of my coworkers who had an iPhone 4S left the company. I ended up switching out my phone, so now I have a White 32 GB iPhone 4S and a Black 16 GB iPhone 4S. Twice the battery now... sort of...
 

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,666
5,879
same thing here....after the initial "wow" of widgets and customizing ability, I missed my iphone a lot. I couldn't get it back fast enough. I needed to try out android to see what I was missing, and it just confirmed I will be buying iphones for a long time.
 

Faux Carnival

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2010
697
2
Syncing is ancient now... I haven't plugged in my phone for a very long time. But everyone has their own taste I guess.
 

iceterminal

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2008
1,870
27
Dallas Tx.
Syncing is ancient now... I haven't plugged in my phone for a very long time. But everyone has their own taste I guess.

My wife said the same thing. Until she dropped her phone. She got another one of course, but when she asked where her music and apps were I said "with your backup".
Her response: "What backup?"

Now there is the cloud, which helps. But isn't a complete solution, at least not for us.
 

mjpearce023

macrumors 6502a
Jul 10, 2012
719
464
I did the same thing with the HTC One X and I really wanted to like it but I had to go back to my 4s. The One X made me appreciate everything I like about the iPhone all over again. I do miss the large screen from the One X but that's about it. I didn't really get used to widgets enough to miss them but they are a handy feature. I don't understand why people argue so much about android vs iPhone because they are both really good at what they do. If I had 3 months with an Android I would probably love it but unfortunately there was no 3 month return policy so I had to make a decision. After using the One X I could easily see why people love android so much. I just happen to be accustomed to iOS and it does everything I need now with iOS6. It all comes down to personal preference so I don’t see there being a wrong answer between the iPhone, One X and S3.
 

Wrathwitch

macrumors 65816
Dec 4, 2009
1,303
55
Hats off to all of those who actually "tried out" the other devices and went back to what they like.

I really hate reading posts by people who have never tried other OS and have a strong zealous opinion on it. Kinda like trying to discuss theology with a born again Christian. There is just no getting through. (well in most cases, but you get my gist).

I think I still stay on these forums because I like both devices, it's not a matter of trolling or lurking because deep down I want my iPhone back (like another poster mentioned in this thread). I have been a member of MR community for a couple of years now and like it here. Just because I have a new phone doesn't mean I don't have anything valid or relevant to contribute.

In fact, I am taking a friend to buy her first "hassle free" smartphone today. iP4S. I don't think she is able to wait until the next iPhone comes out so it has to be done today.
 

LittleGwen

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2012
274
0
USA
I'll miss my apps too much. And my iPhone is just.. comfortable. I just wish the new iPhone came with much bigger screen.
 

k3roro

macrumors 6502
Aug 28, 2010
369
7
Hats off to all of those who actually "tried out" the other devices and went back to what they like.

I really hate reading posts by people who have never tried other OS and have a strong zealous opinion on it. Kinda like trying to discuss theology with a born again Christian. There is just no getting through. (well in most cases, but you get my gist).

I think I still stay on these forums because I like both devices, it's not a matter of trolling or lurking because deep down I want my iPhone back (like another poster mentioned in this thread). I have been a member of MR community for a couple of years now and like it here. Just because I have a new phone doesn't mean I don't have anything valid or relevant to contribute.

In fact, I am taking a friend to buy her first "hassle free" smartphone today. iP4S. I don't think she is able to wait until the next iPhone comes out so it has to be done today.

I tried out 2 BlackBerry and 2 Android devices (one Google one non-Google) before going back to the iPhone. Needless to say, the costs have kept me from trying out Windows Phone.
 

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,666
5,879
Hats off to all of those who actually "tried out" the other devices and went back to what they like.

I really hate reading posts by people who have never tried other OS and have a strong zealous opinion on it. Kinda like trying to discuss theology with a born again Christian. There is just no getting through. (well in most cases, but you get my gist).

I think I still stay on these forums because I like both devices, it's not a matter of trolling or lurking because deep down I want my iPhone back (like another poster mentioned in this thread). I have been a member of MR community for a couple of years now and like it here. Just because I have a new phone doesn't mean I don't have anything valid or relevant to contribute.

In fact, I am taking a friend to buy her first "hassle free" smartphone today. iP4S. I don't think she is able to wait until the next iPhone comes out so it has to be done today.

well said :)
 

Tones2

macrumors 65816
Jan 8, 2009
1,471
0
I'll miss my apps too much. And my iPhone is just.. comfortable. I just wish the new iPhone came with much bigger screen.

And that, my friend, is the major issue. If you want a 4.3"+ screen in the next 2 or 3 years, you need to get something other than an iPhone. This is the main reason I switched for the S3. That and expandable storage.

I'm going opposite here and after having an S3 for about a month, almost nothing could bring me back to the iPhone unless Apple has a SIGNIFICANT change in phisolophy to begin to become more current with their hardware and software feature set. I'm especially glad after seeing the next iPhone with only have a slightly taller 4" screen and almost no other significant new hardware features except LTE.

It's not enough anymore to be the "easier' platform to use. The Android are pretty darn easy now, and I can still use iTuns for music purchases and organization and sync to my phone. I'm also so relieved to get out of the once a year frenzied Apple cycle. Now I can buy any Android phone at any time with numerous ones to choose from. The 5.5" Note 2 will be released about the same time as the 4" iPhone 5, he he.....
 

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,666
5,879
And that, my friend, is the major issue. If you want a 4.3"+ screen in the next 2 or 3 years, you need to get something other than an iPhone. This is the main reason I switched for the S3. That and expandable storage.

I'm going opposite here and after having an S3 for about a month, almost nothing could bring me back to the iPhone unless Apple has a SIGNIFICANT change in phisolophy to begin to become more current with their hardware and software feature set. I'm especially glad after seeing the next iPhone with only have a slightly taller 4" screen and almost no other significant new hardware features except LTE.

It's not enough anymore to be the "easier' platform to use. The Android are pretty darn easy now, and I can still use iTuns for music purchases and organization and sync to my phone. I'm also so relieved to get out of the once a year frenzied Apple cycle. Now I can buy any Android phone at any time with numerous ones to choose from. The 5.5" Note 2 will be released about the same time as the 4" iPhone 5, he he.....

doesn't that make things worse b.c you just bought an s3 and the new nexus will be out before years end? Once a year upgrades helps my wallet and my latest/greatest mind rest :)
 

THE JUICEMAN

macrumors 68020
Oct 3, 2007
2,371
1,122
I almost posted a thread exactly like this. Over this last month I have had 2 galaxy nexus phones ( one Verizon and one unlocked). I am now back to my iPhone. I missed the LITTLE things on iPhone. But that is what matters sometimes.

I missed the keyboard A LOT. I missed tapping the clock to get to the top of a long list or website. I missed the screen quality. I missed the mute switch. I missed something that I though I hated....the home button! It sucks to not be able to turn on the screen without hunting for a button way up on the side of the phone.

Android has come a long way but my battery life still sucked and I hated having to "manage" everything in order to save battery. Widgets are useless because you can't allow them to update at all or they will drain your battery even more. The notifications are Nice on android and google now I liked. The build quality was not very good. Plastic. The screen was amazing for videos but not for text.

Surprisingly I was harder to type one handed because of the width of the phone. Maybe this is why apple is rumored to be keeping the same width?

All in all I'm glad I tried android. (this is my 4th time trying it). It's so much better than before but I guess my personal preference is just iPhone and iOS. I like the old pair of slippers comment. I will be stealing it ;-)

This post is all over the place but I just let my thoughts flow out.

Bring on iPhone 5!
 

Tones2

macrumors 65816
Jan 8, 2009
1,471
0
I almost posted a thread exactly like this. Over this last month I have had 2 galaxy nexus phones ( one Verizon and one unlocked). I am now back to my iPhone. I missed the LITTLE things on iPhone. But that is what matters sometimes.

I missed the keyboard A LOT. I missed tapping the clock to get to the top of a long list or website. I missed the screen quality. I missed the mute switch. I missed something that I though I hated....the home button! It sucks to not be able to turn on the screen without hunting for a button way up on the side of the phone.

Android has come a long way but my battery life still sucked and I hated having to "manage" everything in order to save battery. Widgets are useless because you can't allow them to update at all or they will drain your battery even more. The notifications are Nice on android and google now I liked. The build quality was not very good. Plastic. The screen was amazing for videos but not for text.

Surprisingly I was harder to type one handed because of the width of the phone. Maybe this is why apple is rumored to be keeping the same width?

All in all I'm glad I tried android. (this is my 4th time trying it). It's so much better than before but I guess my personal preference is just iPhone and iOS. I like the old pair of slippers comment. I will be stealing it ;-)

This post is all over the place but I just let my thoughts flow out.

Bring on iPhone 5!

S3 battery is NOT an issue, well at least compared to an iPhone 4S. I have my screen turned to 100% brightness and have 4G LTE or WIFI on constantly and have numerous widgets on my desktop. And the battery is at LEAST as good as my iPhone 4S. Plus, there are apps that will auto manage power during period of inactivity (like when the phone is on standby) that work really well. Plus the S3 HAS a Home button. The keyboard is fantastoc on the S3, but if you don;t like it you can buy like 20 different keyboards (not just skins) many that function way better than the iPhone keyboard and has more advanced features like swype.

Get a TOP OF THE LINE Android like a SGS3 and give yourself time to actually LEARN the thing, and you'll see the difference.
 

mjpearce023

macrumors 6502a
Jul 10, 2012
719
464
the home button! It sucks to not be able to turn on the screen without hunting for a button way up on the side of the phone.

I'll second that one. The HTC One X was the same way and I hit the home button EVERY time and nothing ever happened. I hated reaching up to the top of the phone to turn the screen on and it's really hard to break the home button habit after doing it for 4 years.
 

THE JUICEMAN

macrumors 68020
Oct 3, 2007
2,371
1,122
S3 battery is NOT an issue, well at least compared to an iPhone 4S. I have my screen turned to 100% brightness and have 4G LTE or WIFI on constantly and have numerous widgets on my desktop. And the battery is at LEAST as good as my iPhone 4S. Plus, there are apps that will auto manage power during period of inactivity (like when the phone is on standby) that work really well. Plus the S3 HAS a Home button. The keyboard is fantastoc on the S3, but if you don;t like it you can buy like 20 different keyboards (not just skins) many that function way better than the iPhone keyboard and has more advanced features like swype.

Get a TOP OF THE LINE Android like a SGS3 and give yourself time to actually LEARN the thing, and you'll see the difference.

I've used the S3 and hated the home button. It's a weird shape. The screen quality is still not as good as iPhone or HTC one x. I've compared them side by side. I will give you the app to manage battery because I never tried that. It could have helped. I have used swiftkey which is said to be the best on android and I still prefer iPhone keyboard BY FAR. S3 is a great phone though. Just not for me. I've tried it several times. Actually I was in the store last night trying one.

----------

I'll second that one. The HTC One X was the same way and I hit the home button EVERY time and nothing ever happened. I hated reaching up to the top of the phone to turn the screen on and it's really hard to break the home button habit after doing it for 4 years.

Yep. And I don't know if this is a Samsung thing or and android thing but it really bothered me that the screen didn't light up when I got a notification.
 

Kyrra

macrumors member
Jan 15, 2009
50
0
I sorta feel the same way. There are some nice things about Android, but after spending so much time on the iPhone platform, the move is pretty hard to get used to. (iPhone 3Gs to Galaxy Nexus)
 

Peanut207

macrumors 6502
Mar 2, 2010
498
119
I had a similar experience but with the HTC One X. Tried it out for a few days and couldn't wait to go back to my iPhone 4s. :D
 

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,666
5,879
I've used the S3 and hated the home button. It's a weird shape. The screen quality is still not as good as iPhone or HTC one x. I've compared them side by side. I will give you the app to manage battery because I never tried that. It could have helped. I have used swiftkey which is said to be the best on android and I still prefer iPhone keyboard BY FAR. S3 is a great phone though. Just not for me. I've tried it several times. Actually I was in the store last night trying one.

----------



Yep. And I don't know if this is a Samsung thing or and android thing but it really bothered me that the screen didn't light up when I got a notification.

agree about the keyboard. I tried so many on the s3 and hated them all....the best one I found was one that 'tried' to mimic the iphone keyboard.
 

Interstella5555

macrumors 603
Jun 30, 2008
5,219
13
Hey, I just bought you,
Android's crazy,
But now it's got my number,
So call it, maybe?

And all the other phones,
Try to change me,
But S3's got my number,
So call it, maybe?

Before Cupcake came into my life
I missed iOS so bad
I missed iOS so bad
I missed iOS so, so bad
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.