Making the switch to iPhone.

[throwthedice]

Hey guys, I know this topic has been beaten to death but I'm now thinking of making the switch from Android to Apple. My current phone is Nexus 4 which I've been using since Dec 2012. The phone was perfectly fine until Lollipop, which introduced weird software issues. Now in the past used to root and flash ROMs every other day (all thanks to XDA) but these days I don't have the inclination to do so.
Thus the desire to buy a new phone instead of going back to a previous version of Android/flashing a different ROM.


I've never really felt the need to buy an iPhone previously - the screen size was always an issue. With iPhone 6/6+, I started to give iDevice a thought. There are a few nagging thoughts in my mind about getting a new phone..your input will be greatly appreciated:

1. Price - big factor here - need to think about how much a new iphone (s series) will cost and compare it with the other options available..
2. Ease of use - E.g., on android, I can "share" any file across a bunch of 3rd party apps. I'm not sure if this is possible on iOS, so this is something I would like to understand... Are there things which we take for granted on Android that are missing in iOS?
3. Longevity of the device - I don't want to buy an iphone and have it lag after a couple of years. I do understand that "future proof" is not really a thing, but I want to have some sense of assuredness that I will be able to use a new iPhone for a minimum of 3 years (obviously the more the better) - Does an iPhone make sense in this scenario? Or is it better to buy a Moto X or whatever and then replace it after 2 years (I'm guessing the phone would serve me well for 2 to 2 1/2 years at which point I can get a new one without it burning a huge hole in my pocket)
4. What are the current flagships/non flagship phones that I can consider to be an upgrade over my Nexus4 keeping in mind the fact that I don't use my phone for playing games or watching tons of videos on Youtube.

Any experiences of Android users who made the switch to the iphone 6/6+ would also be helpful.

Thanks for all your input.


PS: Mods/Admins -> If this is not the correct section for such a topic, please move this to a sub forum that is more appropriate for such a question.

 

[planetf1]

Equally interested too. I'm a current samsung s4 likely to switch to the 6s plus. Slow sw updates, lag are two reasons. I worry about what I'll miss, but think it will be made up for in things working more easily and reliably.. I hope!

 

[flybub]

Equally interested too. I'm a current samsung s4 likely to switch to the 6s plus. Slow sw updates, lag are two reasons. I worry about what I'll miss, but think it will be made up for in things working more easily and reliably.. I hope!

There are always compromises. Even going from an android phone to android phone. Sharing will be an issue if you share across multiple 3rd party apps. I don't share so it's not something I place value in. However I do miss having my calendar on my home screen, I miss the notification system, and I miss the file system. However, there are too many things I like about the iPhone and the ecosystem to switch back right now.

 

[Trickhot3102]

Hey guys, I know this topic has been beaten to death but I'm now thinking of making the switch from Android to Apple. My current phone is Nexus 4 which I've been using since Dec 2012. The phone was perfectly fine until Lollipop, which introduced weird software issues. Now in the past used to root and flash ROMs every other day (all thanks to XDA) but these days I don't have the inclination to do so.
Thus the desire to buy a new phone instead of going back to a previous version of Android/flashing a different ROM.


I've never really felt the need to buy an iPhone previously - the screen size was always an issue. With iPhone 6/6+, I started to give iDevice a thought. There are a few nagging thoughts in my mind about getting a new phone..your input will be greatly appreciated:

1. Price - big factor here - need to think about how much a new iphone (s series) will cost and compare it with the other options available..
2. Ease of use - E.g., on android, I can "share" any file across a bunch of 3rd party apps. I'm not sure if this is possible on iOS, so this is something I would like to understand... Are there things which we take for granted on Android that are missing in iOS?
3. Longevity of the device - I don't want to buy an iphone and have it lag after a couple of years. I do understand that "future proof" is not really a thing, but I want to have some sense of assuredness that I will be able to use a new iPhone for a minimum of 3 years (obviously the more the better) - Does an iPhone make sense in this scenario? Or is it better to buy a Moto X or whatever and then replace it after 2 years (I'm guessing the phone would serve me well for 2 to 2 1/2 years at which point I can get a new one without it burning a huge hole in my pocket)
4. What are the current flagships/non flagship phones that I can consider to be an upgrade over my Nexus4 keeping in mind the fact that I don't use my phone for playing games or watching tons of videos on Youtube.

Any experiences of Android users who made the switch to the iphone 6/6+ would also be helpful.

Thanks for all your input.


PS: Mods/Admins -> If this is not the correct section for such a topic, please move this to a sub forum that is more appropriate for such a question.

Hi! I can answer number 3 for you. I have an iPhone 5s (2013) that still runs flawlessly on the latest software in 2015 and will run good on iOS 9 into 2016. From what I understand android phones start to fall apart after the first major update. If that's the case, iPhone isn't like that. It will last AT LEAST 4 years in software updates before it becomes unusable.

 

[Bako-MacAddict]

Welcome to Macrumors . You'll be very happy with your switch. Android to me it's like a rough draft of a long term paper. And the final paper is comparable to IOS lol.

 

[throwthedice]

There are always compromises. Even going from an android phone to android phone. Sharing will be an issue if you share across multiple 3rd party apps. I don't share so it's not something I place value in. However I do miss having my calendar on my home screen, I miss the notification system, and I miss the file system. However, there are too many things I like about the iPhone and the ecosystem to switch back right now.

I keep hearing about how iOS pales in comparison to the notification system on Android. I was wondering if the current iOS version (9 is it?) addresses some of these issues..

Also sharing across multiple apps: One of the instances I can think of is sharing a URL or an image from an app like the Reddit app to Whatsapp or GMail or something similar. Do you think that is also going to be an issue?

Hi! I can answer number 3 for you. I have an iPhone 5s (2013) that still runs flawlessly on the latest software in 2015 and will run good on iOS 9 into 2016. From what I understand android phones start to fall apart after the first major update. If that's the case, iPhone isn't like that. It will last AT LEAST 4 years in software updates before it becomes unusable.

yes, this sounds good. I have a nexus and I don't know how widespread the issue is, but L killed the stability on my phone Random restarts

 

[throwthedice]

Welcome to Macrumors . You'll be very happy with your switch. Android to me it's like a rough draft of a long term paper. And the final paper is comparable to IOS lol.

Thanks

I dunno how serious you are, but Android is not as bad as you might think.

 

[aKansasKid]

Maybe it's just TouchWiz on my Galaxy S4, but notifications on it are far worse than on iOS. Once I get multiple notifications of the same type, they just show lists of senders and not previews in the notification screen. So I can see I have 3 new emails, or 4 new texts, but no preview to see if any are important. In iOS I can see all the previews and scroll through them.

 

[angusmcfisher]

Also sharing across multiple apps: One of the instances I can think of is sharing a URL or an image from an app like the Reddit app to Whatsapp or GMail or something similar. Do you think that is also going to be an issue?

I can't comment specifically on this, as I too am an S4 user waiting to make the switch, but iOS8 introduced third party share sheets, this is what you will use to share data between applications. For an example using WhatsApp, here is a review. http://www.macstories.net/ios/whatsapp-adds-ios-8-share-extension/

 

[bhayes444]

I can answer a few of your questions OP. First off the price was a bit of a turn off for me, but I can assure you that the 6/6+ feel much better in hand than my Nexus 4 ever did. Although I did love that glass back...

The sharing is a bit of an issue as it's just not as easy to share the files across multiple apps. Granted for links you can copy them and then go to the app, but there usually isn't much direct access. Some apps integrate nicely with each other though. For instance, I use 1Password and it is seamless between Safari, itself, and some other apps that require my password be input a lot. On Android I always had to switch back and forth.

One aspect that I do look fondly upon is the app switching, the soft touch multitasking button on Android is so much quicker than the home button and app switcher layout on iOS. It's not the biggest issue in the the world, but once you get used to switching super quick/constantly it becomes noticeable.

If the rumored specs of the 6S are true I don't see a reason why the device wouldn't last 2-3 years easy. I have felt that the experience on the iOS to be a bit better, part because of the physical device, and part because of the app experience being overall superior; in my opinion.

If you want to keep with Android I would suggest the 2015 Moto X releasing soon, the OnePlus 2, or the newer nexus devices (releasing this fall). If you don't car as much about spending the money then the Note 5 and the G4 are good phones, preference leaning towards the Note 5 (even though I despise Touchwiz). Lots of choices, but I decided last year that I was going with the iPhone this time around. I'm using the 6+ with T-Mobile's Jump on Demand program, and I look forward to the 6S update!


P.S. That washed out screen on the Nexus 4 will look horrible next to your new iPhone (if you go that route). I remember that phone fondly though, we had some good flashing sessions!

 

[throwthedice]

I think hardware wise any of the current phones should be able to last a good 4 years (assuming the battery doesn't die on itself). What I worry about is that as new software comes about, the hardware might just not be good enough to support the requirements of the new OS and the like.

With my current Nexus, the only qualms I have are the buggy L, piss poor battery life and camera - which I think will continue into the newer Androids and is therefore one of the main reasons that I am willing to give iPhone a shot.

All this being said, is there an online simulator for iOS? Something which can simulate the SW experience on the web including how the OS handles interrupts like an incoming phone call/text message? I could get such an experience from a phone on display at a store but I would rather try out various scenarios on the web or something in the comfort of my home

 

[eyoungren]

1. Price - big factor here - need to think about how much a new iphone (s series) will cost and compare it with the other options available..

Lots of people are put off by the price of the iPhone. However, unless you are paying it off up front, the carriers usually make this as painless as possible through their offerings.

Sprint let me walk out the door with a 128GB iPhone 6+, a 128GB iPhone 6, a $300 speaker and some other accessories three months ago with $0 down.

You also have to understand that iPhones hold their value year over year. That doesn't matter so much to us because we don't sell our phones but a lot of people here on MR sell their old iPhone to finance the purchase of a new iPhone. Two years down the road when you can command at minimum half the price of what you paid this may make a lot of sense to you.

2. Ease of use - E.g., on android, I can "share" any file across a bunch of 3rd party apps. I'm not sure if this is possible on iOS, so this is something I would like to understand... Are there things which we take for granted on Android that are missing in iOS?

You can copy links and paste into any third party app. As for files, I'd have to say it depends. If you put photos in to Dropbox, you can of course share the photo. There are many third party apps that will give you some options.

But as far as sharing something direct from the iPhone file system. No. You have to be jailbroken for that.

3. Longevity of the device - I don't want to buy an iphone and have it lag after a couple of years. I do understand that "future proof" is not really a thing, but I want to have some sense of assuredness that I will be able to use a new iPhone for a minimum of 3 years (obviously the more the better) - Does an iPhone make sense in this scenario? Or is it better to buy a Moto X or whatever and then replace it after 2 years (I'm guessing the phone would serve me well for 2 to 2 1/2 years at which point I can get a new one without it burning a huge hole in my pocket)

Last year I gave my iPhone 3GS to my friend who was moving. It's his main phone. iOS 6 is still relevant (although many here think it's outdated). My friend can iMessage, text, call and email. And the 3GS still looks good.

I have my iPhone 5 on my desk at home. Still going two and a half years after I got it and it's running well on iOS 8.3.

4. What are the current flagships/non flagship phones that I can consider to be an upgrade over my Nexus4 keeping in mind the fact that I don't use my phone for playing games or watching tons of videos on Youtube.

Sorry this one I cannot help with. I've never had or used an Android phone although I do have an Android tablet.

Some things to note.

Unless you are one of those users who holds their ground on updates Apple will continually seek to move you forward. Once you update there is no going back. This is how Apple controls fragmentation of iOS.

You mentioned that you rooted and use to flash ROMs. You may be a candidate for jailbreaking. Jailbreaking will allow you to do with your device things beyond Apple's control. I have jailbroken every Apple iPhone I have owned. My iPhone 5 is currently jailbroken and I jailbroke my 6+ in the first hour I had it. Makes like a lot easier.

That said, there are some things jailbreaking won't give you. A LED indicator light for notifications for instance. Get used to having to pick up your iPhone and turn the screen on to see if you have a notification. Apple does not give you any visual cues after a notification has been received. If you aren't in the spot to hear/see your phone you will only know you got something by turning the screen on.

 

[eyoungren]

I think hardware wise any of the current phones should be able to last a good 4 years (assuming the battery doesn't die on itself). What I worry about is that as new software comes about, the hardware might just not be good enough to support the requirements of the new OS and the like.

Apple is pretty good about making newer versions of iOS work with older iPhones. Although, hardware limitations may sometimes mean you do not get a new feature.

My old 3GS for instance could not do Facetime when iOS 6 was released. Because it does not have a front camera.

All this being said, is there an online simulator for iOS? Something which can simulate the SW experience on the web including how the OS handles interrupts like an incoming phone call/text message? I could get such an experience from a phone on display at a store but I would rather try out various scenarios on the web or something in the comfort of my home

Pick up an old beater iPhone and play with it for a while. eBay has lots of old 3GS iPhones for less than $75. My sister gave me her 3GS (the one I mention) and that allowed me to become comfortable with iOS before I got my iPhone 5.

 

[Broadus]

Hi! I can answer number 3 for you. I have an iPhone 5s (2013) that still runs flawlessly on the latest software in 2015 and will run good on iOS 9 into 2016. From what I understand android phones start to fall apart after the first major update. If that's the case, iPhone isn't like that. It will last AT LEAST 4 years in software updates before it becomes unusable.

I plan to upgrade from a 32GB 4S to the 6S. I've had the 4S for almost four years and would use it another year or perhaps two were it not that I want the larger screen.

 

[techspin]

iPhones hold their value well. Your phone won't lag in a couple of years...granted I recall an iOS update borked the iPhone 4. I'd say general ease of use is better, although I can't speak on the file sharing. iOS is also more stable and receives frequent updates. Wasn't there also a recent potential exploit discovered that affects 95% of all android devices?

 

[bhayes444]

iPhones hold their value well. Your phone won't lag in a couple of years...granted I recall an iOS update borked the iPhone 4. I'd say general ease of use is better, although I can't speak on the file sharing. iOS is also more stable and receives frequent updates. Wasn't there also a recent potential exploit discovered that affects 95% of all android devices?

Yeah, there is an example exploit. Some companies have already sent out patches to "recent" devices, others haven't. OP is fine on his current device as Google already patched the Nexus 4. I will say that the security updates Apple is able to push out to all devices simultaneously is really nice; notwithstanding updates that bring devices to their knees (iPhone 4 on iOS 7).

 

[throwthedice]

Was reading another thread where @bhayes444 said:

The app reloads are a bit offsetting, but are rumored to be remedied by adding more RAM with the next model, and if the Apple keyboard only had gesture typing; because I detest Swiftkey.

I had completely forgotten about Safari and it's annoying page reloads on the iPad. Is it still the case with the current iPhone6/6+ ? And I've gotten so used to swiping my fingers instead of tapping on characters on messaging/other apps on my Android keyboard - are there viable alternatives for iPhone/iOS?

 

[eyoungren]

Was reading another thread where @bhayes444 said:


I had completely forgotten about Safari and it's annoying page reloads on the iPad. Is it still the case with the current iPhone6/6+ ? And I've gotten so used to swiping my fingers instead of tapping on characters on messaging/other apps on my Android keyboard - are there viable alternatives for iPhone/iOS?

My understanding is that with iOS 8 you can have alternative keyboards.

As to Safari and reloads, I'm guessing that still happens because people report it here. However, I don't experience it because I use Dolphin.

I hate Safari/Webkit in all it's forms.

 

[rotohead]

I recently made the switch to iPhone after using android(galaxy note 4). I had the chance to use the top 3 mobile OS(windows,iOS,android). My first iPhone was a 4S and I really liked the phone. Had no problems with it and switched to a windows 8 phone because I got bored of iOS. To be honest I really liked my windows phone, it did a lot of things well and i liked the simplicity of the whole is design.

The main problem with it though is the lack of apps and nothing comparable to iMessage.

After living with it for a year my wife and I both got a Galaxy Note 4. My wife had a 5S but she's been having so much trouble with it that she got fed up and gave android a try. It was fine for a couple months but after month 3, we were both getting tired of all the issues with the phone.

There were no good messaging app, hangouts is a joke, and there is nothing comparable to iMessage. Lollipop made the phone slower and this was top of the line phone! So after 4 month of using the note 4 we ended up borrowing friends' 4S and currently using iPhone 5s.

When I was younger I liked playing around with android, rooting the phone and customizing it to my hearts content(I had the original Motorola droid). But now I don't have as much time or desire to mess around my phone. I just want it to work when I need it, and have easy access to the apps I might want.

I think android does lot of things well, such as notifications and settings pull down menu. But the overall experience is better on the iPhone. And it's made better if you have other devices to connect to.

I don't think the price is much of an issue, as almost all high end android phones are around the same price as he iPhone. But they definitely do not hold their value as well as the iPhone. I ended up selling my note 4 for $400 with accessories. iPhone 6 I believe sells for around $500 right now. Not to mention the note 4 came out 2 months after the iPhone 6.

Obviously you're going to get lots of biased answers here but I believe many are former android users and you will get views from both sides.

Oh and iOS works well with older hardware. As I mentioned I used the iphone4S little while ago and while ios8 ran slow on it, it was usable. If I stuck win iOS 6 probably would be lot better.

 

[rotohead]

My understanding is that with iOS 8 you can have alternative keyboards.

As to Safari and reloads, I'm guessing that still happens because people report it here. However, I don't experience it because I use Dolphin.

I hate Safari/Webkit in all it's forms.

I was wondering about that! It recently started with her last few iOS updates. Constantly having to load Safari is getting annoying. I didn't realize this was a widespread known issue.

Hopefully there will be a fix soon.

 

[C DM]

My understanding is that with iOS 8 you can have alternative keyboards.

As to Safari and reloads, I'm guessing that still happens because people report it here. However, I don't experience it because I use Dolphin.

I hate Safari/Webkit in all it's forms.

Aren't all iOS browsers using the same rendering engine as Safari?

 

[eyoungren]

Aren't all iOS browsers using the same rendering engine as Safari?

Technically true. But they all differ in their features and how they go about things. Dolphin to me is most like Firefox than anything I've yet found. It will even let you transfer open tabs from desktop Firefox to mobile Dolphin and vice versa.

I much prefer Firefox/TenFourFox/Mozilla over everything else.

 

[Che Castro]

Stop asking so many questions and throw the dice

 

[sartrekid]

1. Price - big factor here - need to think about how much a new iphone (s series) will cost and compare it with the other options available..
2. Ease of use - E.g., on android, I can "share" any file across a bunch of 3rd party apps. I'm not sure if this is possible on iOS, so this is something I would like to understand... Are there things which we take for granted on Android that are missing in iOS?
3. Longevity of the device - I don't want to buy an iphone and have it lag after a couple of years. I do understand that "future proof" is not really a thing, but I want to have some sense of assuredness that I will be able to use a new iPhone for a minimum of 3 years (obviously the more the better) - Does an iPhone make sense in this scenario? Or is it better to buy a Moto X or whatever and then replace it after 2 years (I'm guessing the phone would serve me well for 2 to 2 1/2 years at which point I can get a new one without it burning a huge hole in my pocket)
4. What are the current flagships/non flagship phones that I can consider to be an upgrade over my Nexus4 keeping in mind the fact that I don't use my phone for playing games or watching tons of videos on Youtube.

I still own and use my iPhone 4S as a secondary device. My daily driver is a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. I am planning on getting the S6 probably, but for now I'm quite happy with my Edge.

1. Off contract, this is without a doubt the most expensive flagship you can get, along with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge/Edge Plus. You'll be looking at something like €650 at the very least, if they keep their price philosophy of the past few years. However, I think it's a good and solid investment and Apple's products continue to have the best resale value compared to any other phone manufacturer. Samsung's phones are almost identical (some models currently going for a higher price than the iPhone).

2. Not sure about the file-sharing features and ease of use in that regard but generally iOS is extremely simple and easy to use. That comes at a cost though. As you know, you can't customize the phone the way you can customize Android. You could always jailbreak it, if you wanted more freedom, but out-of-the-box your customization options are highly limited. Should you want more information, I can recommend EverythingApplePro and iDeviceHelp, both YouTubers who frequently give out tips and tricks on iOS for jailbroken and non-jailbroken devices.

3. I can only speak from my own experiences. I've had a G3S and the 4S and both have shown to be extremely sturdy on the hardware side. I can't tell you how many times I've dropped my 4S but it must have been at least 50 times or so. I don't use a case on it, so it's slippery. I have zero scratches on my display and just a few tiny scratches on the back of the phone. It works like on day one, runs the latest software without hiccups. It's definitely not the fastest phone anymore, obviously, but it does everything just fine considering I've had it for nearly five years now. I could easily use it a few more years. So yes, the iPhones I've owned have shown to have great longevity. Software support is great.

If you don't want to switch to iOS and rather stay with Android, then the new Moto phones are good as well as the current gen Nexus. Don't forget that there's a new LG Nexus coming out this fall, too. As far as I know, these two are the phones with the best Android updates frequency.

4. The Samsung Galaxy S6/Edge is a killer phone. There's nothing better out there at the moment, imo. The Note 5 is also said to be equally great, has few more features. But you can hardly go wrong with any of this year's flagships, e.g. the HTC One M9 (the issues with the camera quality are said to have been somewhat fixed), the Moto X models, One Plus Two, LG G4, Sony Xperia Z4, etc. In fact, unless frequent Android updates are an issue, there are so many new less expensive options you could take into consideration, premium and mid-tier models by brands that are slowly but gradually making a name for themselves in the smartphone market, like the Asus Zenfone 2 (not so new), Oppo R7, ZTE Axon, Huawei P8, and plenty others.

 

[willmtaylor]

Was reading another thread where @bhayes444 said:


I had completely forgotten about Safari and it's annoying page reloads on the iPad. Is it still the case with the current iPhone6/6+ ? And I've gotten so used to swiping my fingers instead of tapping on characters on messaging/other apps on my Android keyboard - are there viable alternatives for iPhone/iOS?

You can download 3rd party keyboards for iOS 8 and further: SwiftKey, Swype, Fleksy, et a are all available in App Store, as are these beauties (because who doesn't want a keyboard which looks like Nyan Cat vomitted all over it?):