Long time iPhone user moves to Android

[monty77]

Wanted a place to document my thoughts as I make the switch. The cost, lack of touchID, supply issues and annoyance with UK iphone upgrade program procedure has made me think I'll give Android a try.

I've owned every iPhone model, I was pure Apple ecosystem until relatively recently but stepping out of the Apple world has taught me that they're not the best at everything anymore and when you're not the best you don't get to charge a premium - a cost I'd previously accepted on those terms.

So yesterday I picked up a mint S8 for £495 and a 64Gb u3 card for additional storage. For reference I'm coming from a 128Gb iPhone 7. That S8 is 50% the cost of the X, that's quite a saving, a new iPad in fact - I still believe the iPad is head and shoulders above anything else so it's staying for now.

First impressions:

- Hardware is very nice indeed
- SD card option is welcome
- The iPhone 7 feels ancient almost immediately
- Android is pretty good looking these days
- Bixby button is seriously annoying and apps to repurpose it aren't great

What I miss immediately:

- Raise to wake. Always on screen is OK but raise to wake is so instinctive
- Fingerprint sensor is not as good as TouchID and it's in a dumb place - but it's still better then none at all
- Iris scanner is junk, won't be using that. Same for face scanner for well documented reasons
- Tap to scroll to the top of a page
- Setting up non-google accounts (O365 user) is a bit of a pain

What I like immediately:

- Options!! Yes they're a bit hard to find sometimes but you can do what you want which is nice
- Nova launcher is gorgeous and flexible, scrolling dock I love especially

..I'll keep updating this as I go, for now I'm enjoying the change but still lots to discover. Apple watch will have to go also of course if this move is permanent.

My wish to Apple, which will never happen as they've all but said TouchID is dead despite having just added it to the laptops. If you must have a silly shaped screen do it at the bottom with a smaller touchID sensor seeing as getting it under the screen seems to be nigh on impossible and have a little bezel at the top for all the crazy sensors you suddenly need. Best of both worlds.

 

[Puddled]

It's not an iPhone

It's not an iPhone

It's not an iPhone

.......



Keep remembering that and giving android a chance is my best advise.

Raise to wake is an option in advanced settings (I think)

Remove your biometric data and try it again. I find the samsung FP excellent.

Go through every setting. It will be instrumental in teaching you what the phone can do.

Don't try and use it like an iPhone.

Nova is a great launcher. Evie is perhaps a gentler progression into launchers, although the stock launcher is great as well. Don't feel the need to change stuff just cause you can.

Samsung apps are pretty good.

Google play music is superb.

Samsung Browser is the best on the market.

Hope you enjoy It!

 

[torana355]

Do yourself a favour and download package disabler pro and disable the bixby button. Tap to scroll to top of a page is in the Samsung browser.

 

[mi7chy]

Try Gravity Screen for raise to wake.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.plexnor.gravityscreenofffree

 

[monty77]

Thanks all!!

Gravity seems overly complex (battery life hit?) and the stock option is 'smart wake' where you wave your hand over it when it's flat on a desk - not as useful.

Not so much trying to use it like an iPhone, just didn't want to lose out on stuff I already really like and use.

Shame scroll to top is Samsung browser only, I didn't really how much I use it in everything so system wide would be great.

Still liking it so far ...

Any good apps that'll let me control the phone from my laptop? Sort of like remote desktop ..

Cheers!

 

[Puddled]

Do yourself a favour and download package disabler pro and disable the bixby button. Tap to scroll to top of a page is in the Samsung browser.

Stay away from this kinda stuff. Same for rooting, romming etc.
If you don't know what you are doing, you can get into trouble very easily. PD can cause havoc.

Always disappoints me when a new Android user is told to root/disable/rewire the crap out of his new phone. This isn't 2012 anymore.

Bixby will get better. you might grow to like it. give it a chance

 

[torana355]

Stay away from this kinda stuff. Same for rooting, romming etc.
If you don't know what you are doing, you can get into trouble very easily. PD can cause havoc.

Always disappoints me when a new Android user is told to root/disable/rewire the crap out of his new phone. This isn't 2012 anymore.

Bixby will get better. you might grow to like it. give it a chance

Yes PD can cause havoc but there are clear guides on the internet on how to disable the Bixby button. Its not rocket science. Besides, trying new things is how you learn.

 

[monty77]

I actually would rather avoid TOO many customizations. I tried Android briefly about 4 years ago (S4) and it was so unreliable after 'tweaking' .. didn't know whether it was the OS or bad apps but either way I went back to iOS within a week. I really want to give it a proper chance this time.

What Android smart watches are worth a peek? It seems like I cannot put my Spotify music on one and use it untethered from the phone, that's a pretty big deal to me which is a shame - I thought Google didn't pull those Apple-esque stunts with limited functionality to get you to sign up for their music service ?!?

 

[ozaz]

I find Samsung fingerprint sensor very good. Just as good as on my iPad. So surprised you are having issues.

I would also agree with earlier comment to avoid apps which mess around with core functionality as well as rooting. If you have to battle to enjoy using the phone, its not worth having. If you end up not getting on with Samsung's customizations, just get something like a Pixel instead.

I've used and prefer Android as my phone OS for a number of years now. I've also tried many Android tablets in this time and I keep going back to iPad. So I agree with your decision to continue with the iPad even if you ditch the iPhone.

 

[JackieInCo]

On my Note 8 and S8+, I've completely disabled Bixby and just left the button functionless. It's much easier this way then accidentally pressing that button and activating something else.

I've been using Android phones ever since the iPhone 5. I've bought a few iPhones since then but completely skipped the 5, 6, 7, 8 and the X.

As for rooting, pretty much like the S8/+, the US versions of the S8/+ can be rooted but that's about all you can do and the Note 8, may or may not be able to be rooted but chances are it has a locked boot loader as well.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

What Android smart watches are worth a peek? It seems like I cannot put my Spotify music on one and use it untethered from the phone, that's a pretty big deal to me which is a shame - I thought Google didn't pull those Apple-esque stunts with limited functionality to get you to sign up for their music service ?!?

Never tried that with Spotify on Android Wear, but I'm pretty sure it's the same as I mentioned below.

On my Samsung Gear S2 Classic. I can stream Spotify without my phone, if the watch is connected to WiFi. I can also use Spotify Offline and play any downloaded songs. This is what I do when I take a run.

Those with a LTE version Gear watch, will be able to stream from cellular data anywhere.

 

[bufffilm]

Some good pointers so far. I will keep abreast of this thread going forward.

(My main dislike of the S8 is it's too tall for easy one-handed use.)

 

[Will22]

I got an S8 plus a few months ago and at first I thought that it wasn't going to work, I have a 7 and 7 plus.

After a week and after I got used to it I couldn't imagine going back. The S8 it so much quicker and smoother. Finger print sensor is much better as well.

I'm back using the 7 plus now though as I have length my S8 to a friend who is considering getting one and want to try it and see how it works out.

Can't wait to get it back next week.

 

[v0lume4]

Congratulations, OP. It's a lot of fun trying something new. I made the switch earlier this year to a (used) Nexus 6P, and I've grown to love the phone. I quite like Android, and in many regards prefer it to iOS at this point.

A word of advice, based on personal experience -- give the phone a solid month before you make any sort of final decision. Just trust me on this one. The first few weeks of owning the phone, you might find yourself getting frustrated with small things, simply for the sake that they work differently than on iOS. @Puddled said it best when he said "It's not an iPhone."

I have raise to wake on my Nexus 6P. I'm running stock Android. Surely, if it's on my phone, then it'd be on yours, too. See if you can turn it on in the options. If there is a search option within the settings, try searching for the word "ambient" and see if you can come up with anything.

Another word of caution -- don't install apps to do things that you can do natively in the settings. That includes little tweaks and things of the sort. That's a quick way to performance degradation. I haven't customized my phone at all (I like it stock, but that's just how I roll) and it's as fast as the day I bought it.

Enjoy and keep us updated!
[doublepost=1505573240][/doublepost]Oh, and check this out. This is the Google Now launcher. If you want to tone things down a bit, and experience Android the way that Google intended, you should download it and see if you like it. I believe that this launcher also lets you swipe on the home screen to access Google Now (instead of Bixby, which is how the phone would be out of the box). Google Now, for my uses, is by far one of the best features in the OS.

But, hey, I'm the same guy that said don't go overboard with tweaks, so just take it as a suggestion.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.launcher&hl=en

 

[mi7chy]

Gravity seems overly complex (battery life hit?) and the stock option is 'smart wake' where you wave your hand over it when it's flat on a desk - not as useful.

Gravity Screen is actually more awesome than just raise to wake since you never have to touch/wear out the power button or in case it's already broken. Each feature utilizes the gyroscope and/or proximity sensor and can be toggled on/off and fine tuned. It does wake from pocket, sleep to pocket, wake by waving hand over, raise to wake, etc. I only have pocket sensors and wave hand wake options enabled to cover all bases. My phone is usually in my pocket so it wakes when I take it out of pocket, sleeps when I put it in pocket, to wake for all other cases I wave hand over it, to sleep for all other cases I just turn the phone upside down and Samsung's smart stay keeps the phone on as long as I'm looking at it. Sensors on modern devices are very efficient so battery drain is insignificant.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I wish people moving from iPhone to Android for the first time would always pick the stock Google phone the Nexus or pixel is the best way to experience Android for the first time and I my opinion Samsung's a bad way to experience Android for the first time.

Right off the bat, the Pixel has "raise to wake" standard. Plus the OS is super smooth zero lag.

I think you'd have a much happier time going to the Pixel.

 

[Puddled]

I wish people moving from iPhone to Android for the first time would always pick the stock Google phone the Nexus or pixel is the best way to experience Android for the first time and I my opinion Samsung's a bad way to experience Android for the first time.

Right off the bat, the Pixel has "raise to wake" standard. Plus the OS is super smooth zero lag.

I think you'd have a much happier time going to the Pixel.

gonna disagree with you on that. Perhaps 3-4 years ago in the times of the S4 and S5 when Samsung were throwing everything at android and seeing what stuck, but since the S6, the Samsung android experience has been much refined and is, in my opinion, excellent. I used to have a GPE Android. so i do know what stock android is like.

Samsungs android benefits from the additions. Samsungs apps are fantastic and in many ways better than google's, which (to me) seems to be going right off the rails of late with app quality and development.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Name one app that Samsung does better than Google ? And no S-Pen stuff, because obviously stock Android doesn't do that.

To be honest I despise Touchwiz, Lagwiz, or Grace UI, whatever they call it today, it's still a super bloated OS. Look in Developer Options, under "Running Apps" holy cow Batman there's like ten million apps running in the background on a Galaxy phone. Do they same on a Pixel, and it may be a dozen or so. On my Nexus 6P I have 9 services running in the background. Point being, when there's like 20+ services running in the background that contributes to micro stutter and slight lag.

I owned the S8+ for a week, and FACT it still lags and stutters, sure it's minor and only does so very little for a split second here and there, but it's there. Sure it's way better than horrid S4 days, but it's still there. My Nexus 6P, ZERO lag, warp speed smooth.

Read the S8 forums, now that the been out for almost siz months, there's plenty of posts about lag getting worse as the months pass by with the S8. Not making that up

 

[eyoungren]

Wanted a place to document my thoughts as I make the switch. The cost, lack of touchID, supply issues and annoyance with UK iphone upgrade program procedure has made me think I'll give Android a try.

I've owned every iPhone model, I was pure Apple ecosystem until relatively recently but stepping out of the Apple world has taught me that they're not the best at everything anymore and when you're not the best you don't get to charge a premium - a cost I'd previously accepted on those terms.

So yesterday I picked up a mint S8 for £495 and a 64Gb u3 card for additional storage. For reference I'm coming from a 128Gb iPhone 7. That S8 is 50% the cost of the X, that's quite a saving, a new iPad in fact - I still believe the iPad is head and shoulders above anything else so it's staying for now.

First impressions:

- Hardware is very nice indeed
- SD card option is welcome
- The iPhone 7 feels ancient almost immediately
- Android is pretty good looking these days
- Bixby button is seriously annoying and apps to repurpose it aren't great

What I miss immediately:

- Raise to wake. Always on screen is OK but raise to wake is so instinctive
- Fingerprint sensor is not as good as TouchID and it's in a dumb place - but it's still better then none at all
- Iris scanner is junk, won't be using that. Same for face scanner for well documented reasons
- Tap to scroll to the top of a page
- Setting up non-google accounts (O365 user) is a bit of a pain

What I like immediately:

- Options!! Yes they're a bit hard to find sometimes but you can do what you want which is nice
- Nova launcher is gorgeous and flexible, scrolling dock I love especially

..I'll keep updating this as I go, for now I'm enjoying the change but still lots to discover. Apple watch will have to go also of course if this move is permanent.

My wish to Apple, which will never happen as they've all but said TouchID is dead despite having just added it to the laptops. If you must have a silly shaped screen do it at the bottom with a smaller touchID sensor seeing as getting it under the screen seems to be nigh on impossible and have a little bezel at the top for all the crazy sensors you suddenly need. Best of both worlds.

I will be following you in a few months.

Not to the same phone probably, but definitely Android.

I feel the UI has gotten better looking in the past year and that's always been my major complaint about Android.

One of the other things that's always bothered me about Android is making heads or tails of the status bar. There's so many icons jammed in there that it's difficult to determine what a lot of them mean.

In trying to sort that out I was looking around and there are some ways to make the Android status bar look more like the iPhone. So, that's at least one problem I know I can mitigate.

I will be following your thread as well.

 

[thedropout]

learn to use "ok google" its by far my favorite feature

 

[840quadra]

Sounds like a fun switch. I too live in both worlds, but am one of the odd ones that stick to liking some aspects of iOS better than android, and vice versa. The pixel XL is shipping as I type this, the loaner I have from a friend is great. I wouldn’t say it is any faster than my iPhone 7 at anything, but it is a great experience of a solid cut of Android.

As others have said, the hardest part is getting used to the way the OS does things. Once you get past that, It is like having windows and Mac OS at home, both different, but easy to get the hang of, and switch back to and from.

 

[torana355]

Name one app that Samsung does better than Google ? And no S-Pen stuff, because obviously stock Android doesn't do that.

\

To start with the Samsung Browser, it is the best mobile browser on Android.
[doublepost=1505598275][/doublepost]

I owned the S8+ for a week, and FACT it still lags and stutters, sure it's minor and only does so very little for a split second here and there, but it's there. Sure it's way better than horrid S4 days, but it's still there. My Nexus 6P, ZERO lag, warp speed smooth.

See im having a very different experience, my S8 plus is smooth, zero lag and zero stutter and ive had it since launch. Trust me I know what micro stutters are my S7 had them bad at times.

Anyway to each their own, I like the stock google experience but I prefer Samsungs skin these days. Even on the S7 that lagged I preferred it over stock, the extra features make it worth it imo.

 

[monty77]

Looks like plenty of people in the same boat as me. Some further thoughts:

- The smart unlock by location is a bit funky, seems to think I'm not where I am, could be the building I suppose
- Notifications, I've turned most of them off but still getting nagged by google maps for random stuff, will see if I can shut them down
- Copy and paste from stock google sms app, surely this is possible? couldn't get it to work for me
- Split screen is useful sometimes

 

[Fille84]

Name one app that Samsung does better than Google ? And no S-Pen stuff, because obviously stock Android doesn't do that.

To be honest I despise Touchwiz, Lagwiz, or Grace UI, whatever they call it today, it's still a super bloated OS. Look in Developer Options, under "Running Apps" holy cow Batman there's like ten million apps running in the background on a Galaxy phone. Do they same on a Pixel, and it may be a dozen or so. On my Nexus 6P I have 9 services running in the background. Point being, when there's like 20+ services running in the background that contributes to micro stutter and slight lag.

I owned the S8+ for a week, and FACT it still lags and stutters, sure it's minor and only does so very little for a split second here and there, but it's there. Sure it's way better than horrid S4 days, but it's still there. My Nexus 6P, ZERO lag, warp speed smooth.

Read the S8 forums, now that the been out for almost siz months, there's plenty of posts about lag getting worse as the months pass by with the S8. Not making that up

So just because you read about some people having lag makes the s8 a laggy phone? I've read more posts and reviews from people saying the totally opposite.

And I've had the s8 myself since release and have zero lag and I can tell you that the touch latency on this thing is one of the best, if not the best on any Android I've tried.

 

[Tig Bitties]

So just because you read about some people having lag makes the s8 a laggy phone? I've read more posts and reviews from people saying the totally opposite.

And I've had the s8 myself since release and have zero lag and I can tell you that the touch latency on this thing is one of the best, if not the best on any Android I've tried.

Which version do you have ? Exynos or SD835?