Funny, I thought my post and question was pretty measured and moderate. I just wanted to know if anyone else was thinking along the same lines as myself…..go figure.
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.
IOS 26…considering Android
- Thread starter Dianneeraser
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
ProbablyDylan
macrumors 68040
I think iOS 26 is pretty ugly, filled with baffling UI decisions and a disdain for information density. That all being said, have you seen Material Expressive 3? 🤢
Realistically, I won't switch (at least not until iOS 27 or later) for some of the reasons already mentioned, namely dislike of Google and (time) cost of switching from Apple apps and services; but my frustration with Apple software has been increasing year by year. If the trend keeps, I’ll take a serious look at GrapheneOS once my current phone becomes unbearable.
Some forum members will claim it’s just a beta and that Apple will keep fixing and tweaking the UI over the coming year(s). I’m not holding my breath, considering some of the longstanding bugs that haven’t been fixed yet or things like the Photos app only getting the library tab back in the next OS upgrade.
My workflow requires two lines, for years I have carried the current years flagship iPhone and Android. Heavily immersed in tech, operating in a cross platform environment it's been very interesting and enjoyable.
Currently using an iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung S25 Ultra, each have their pros and cons. On the Android side it's been Samsung Galaxy's, Google Nexus and Pixel, and a few other brands. What I do enjoy about Android is the less restrictive nature of the OS. The freedom to set it up and use it as one prefers. Not to be confused with "tinkering" as I have no time for that.
Where I do have a very distinct preference is for Apple laptops. My 16” M2 MacBook Pro is the finest laptop I have owned out of many MBP models over the years. While using various ThinkPads and other brands for work requiring Windows, nothing compares to an Apple laptop with their exemplary keyboards, displays, and superior build quality.
Currently using an iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung S25 Ultra, each have their pros and cons. On the Android side it's been Samsung Galaxy's, Google Nexus and Pixel, and a few other brands. What I do enjoy about Android is the less restrictive nature of the OS. The freedom to set it up and use it as one prefers. Not to be confused with "tinkering" as I have no time for that.
Where I do have a very distinct preference is for Apple laptops. My 16” M2 MacBook Pro is the finest laptop I have owned out of many MBP models over the years. While using various ThinkPads and other brands for work requiring Windows, nothing compares to an Apple laptop with their exemplary keyboards, displays, and superior build quality.
UliBaer
macrumors 65816
Well, it's not iOS 26 specifically, but Apple as the whole that concerns me more and more. I'm still on iOS 17.7.2 because iOS 18 already p*ssed me off and i see no real appeal in iOS 26 too.
The iPhone is my only Apple device and i don't use any Apple-specifica for communicating with my cloud of friends. I use Signal and similar tools instead, to not getting imprisoned in any manufacturer-specific "eco system", which is just a nice name for a kind of prison or a dog collar.
For work we rely on M$ office tools, which are thankfully available for any platform. Gosh, even our administrators ask each time we get a new laptop for work, if we want Intel, AMD or a Mac! The vast majority selects a wintel device and only the hardcore cult followers gracefully enjoy their MacBook (way below 5%).
So yes, if this p*ss-me-off-spiral continues, i'm in for something new, for example a Sammy Flip 7 (if i prefer small) or an Oppo Find N5.
The iPhone is my only Apple device and i don't use any Apple-specifica for communicating with my cloud of friends. I use Signal and similar tools instead, to not getting imprisoned in any manufacturer-specific "eco system", which is just a nice name for a kind of prison or a dog collar.
For work we rely on M$ office tools, which are thankfully available for any platform. Gosh, even our administrators ask each time we get a new laptop for work, if we want Intel, AMD or a Mac! The vast majority selects a wintel device and only the hardcore cult followers gracefully enjoy their MacBook (way below 5%).
So yes, if this p*ss-me-off-spiral continues, i'm in for something new, for example a Sammy Flip 7 (if i prefer small) or an Oppo Find N5.
Reverend Benny
macrumors 68000
You are already "imprisoned" due to using certain apps that can't migrate data between different platforms (iOS > Android).
Have a look at Signal as an example, there's currently no way of moving plattforms and keep history. And since chat's can't be exported you are out of options.
Last edited:
P_Watt
macrumors 6502
Ecosystem, that’s the key. I have invested everything in it, the thought of changing is too much.
(I do have a copy of my photos in One Drive just in case Apple shuts down operations in Europe!)
UliBaer
macrumors 65816
No, i'm not and will never let that happen! 😉
You are right, Signal doesn't support moving to a different kind of phone without loosing the chat history. That was also the case when i updated my iPhone to a new one. Since recently Signal supports migration to a new device of the same kind, thereby deleting any traces of the history on the old device! That's for security reasons.
I really don't need my chat history - really, what for, it's a >chat< finally? 🤔 Most messages are already self destruct after a week or a month, so that doesn't really matter. Only some pictures sent to me, that i would like to keep, i simply save to the phone or my computer. Anything else important, like a contract f. e. should be sent by mail, so you can save and archive important stuff.
Regarding the M$-office suite (or Google Suite also): it completely doesn't matter which device I'm momentarily using, whether laptop, tablet or phone, i just can continue to work! It doesn't even have to be my device!
P_Watt
macrumors 6502
I moved all my documents to One Drive because Word and Excel seem to sync better than in iCloud drive, I have far fewer duplicates and corrupted files now.
I7guy
macrumors Westmere
No. The benefits of me, my family friends and associates of having Apple products outweigh the cons of moving to android. I’m waiting for the breakthrough use case of ai on smartphones though. I don’t care if Siri lags or not. To me ai has to be embedded in the bones of the operating system to be usable.
And also looking forward to iOS 26.
And also looking forward to iOS 26.
ayephoner
macrumors 6502a
I can see how that's not great, especially for those needing accessibility options. I don't think it's awful though, especially seen in videos. I've not actually touched it yet, but I think it won't bother me at all and that I'll actually like it. I guess we'll see. I'm definitely not considering Android though.
Performa 6300
macrumors newbie
No way, security is #1 on my list and Apple seems to do a better job and more vested in that. I can look past other things on the platform.
No. I too am vested in the ecosystem - I switched over to Apple in 2018 and I'm not sure I want to go back to Android. I'm not a fan of the liquid glass stuff either, and at times some things seem half baked still but its not enough to get me to abandon the integration that I have and seek similar integration with multiple new Android based devices. That position is rather ironic for me given that I'm primarily a Windows person and would love to see further integration there (which will never happen). It is what it is. I can still vote with my wallet by slowing down my hardware upgrade cycle.
Flamingdeathbolts
macrumors 6502
I have both systems as one is personal and the other is work. I do not like using the Android platform at all. Sure iOS 26 doesn’t look appealing but as long as it’s still easy to navigate I am okay with it. Android just has different way to navigate through the phone which I personally find clunky.
I'm taking a wait a see and turned off automatic updates on all my devices. This being said, I am not remotely tempted to move to Android because I would lose the advantage of being able to use any of my devices and sync everything. If my only Apple device was an iPhone, I would wait until I need a new phone - mine's only 6 months old. By then, I'd probably learn to live with anything I dislike in iOS 26.
teeshot44
macrumors 65816
I’ve tried 26 betas a couple of times and gone back to 18.6.2 each time as I just plain don’t care at all for “liquid glass” and have tried all available settings and adjustments. At least android gives the opportunity to customize the way you wish. I’m also not so committed to the Apple ecosystem that I would be losing anything useful to me. Android is more than capable of supporting all my needs.
HouseLannister
macrumors 68040
Highly optimistic. 18.1 and 18.2 did nothing to fix the mess of 18.0’s color tinting, dark/light mode glitches, or icons moving all over the place instead of staying where you put them. Instead, they started rolling out more half-baked features and ignored the underlying issues for many months. I don’t expect Liquid Glass to be fixed until after they get the Apple Intelligence stuff announced over a year ago up and running. I actually think it will get worse before it gets better, as new features will introduce new problems and we might not get anything usable until iOS 27.
Material 3 is way better than ios26. Sorry, but it's the truth. I have ipados26 beta on my iPad and a pixel 10 pro XL. Whoever thought making ui elements that see through obviously doesn't use their phone much.
What stops me is the privacy perception of iOS. I know, I know. I also recommend, this closed source technical dinosaur, to my friends as opposed to an Android (and I am an Android developer). So I am guilty too. But this is how it has become. Google is the "only" reason I am not moving back to Android.
But when I think about it - you know what will be the alternative, at least in near future - if Google allows OEMs to bundle their own Android ID (instead of Google ID a la iOS' Apple ID) – you will very soon have at your hands - Oppo ID, Samsung ID, OnePlus ID, Xiaomi ID, Redmi ID, Motorola ID, Nokia ID and it goes on… and these are not the names you would want to trade as your private data handler with Google.
The reason I may move to Android are simpler
But when I think about it - you know what will be the alternative, at least in near future - if Google allows OEMs to bundle their own Android ID (instead of Google ID a la iOS' Apple ID) – you will very soon have at your hands - Oppo ID, Samsung ID, OnePlus ID, Xiaomi ID, Redmi ID, Motorola ID, Nokia ID and it goes on… and these are not the names you would want to trade as your private data handler with Google.
The reason I may move to Android are simpler
- Increasing costs of iPhones with LITERALLY zero innovation, buggier iOS (and macOS) with every release
- Base iPhone sizes becoming bigger.
I don't particularly agree with you on any of your points, but number 4 is very far from my experience.
I'm Swedish, and Apple provides way better support than any other tech brand I've tried. I've used the Apple Store and AppleCare+ for service many times, and every single time I'm impressed over the smoothness of it all.
I just tried a Pixel 10 Pro XL. The grass is far from being greener on the other side, and even brown in several areas. I returned the Pixel and will be sticking with my 15 Pro Max another year.