My new 5S is just sitting here...

[lawlbringer]

Some people prefer pure android compared to Touchwiz or Sense. In the case of the Nexus range, they get the latest updates as soon as Google releases them. But Google edition devices still have a wait.

There may be a speed bonus of a pure android device since it doesn't have a (usually) bulky skin applied on top that uses additional resources.

I have a Nexus 7, I love it. I find Samsung's Touchwiz interface to look very dated and unnecessary. (for example) That's personal preference. You may enjoy Touchwiz or HTCs Sense.

I find both TouchWiz and Sense annoying. Overall these "skins" and manufacturer bloatware on Android drive me nuts and lead to lost frames/lag/lower battery life. It's like the crap that comes on retail PC's that no one wants but the manufacturer thinks is innovative. On top of that, consider how non-sturdy and easy to break micro-USB ports are.

I had a Nexus 4 and Note 2 and while the Nexus 4 was nice, the build quality was definitely behind anything Apple. Samsung's displays are way too saturated, strain my eyes, and frankly...I don't need to be lugging another bulky 6"+ thing in my pants.

 

[Jordan921]

Brand new in the box.
Just recieved it today.
I was one of those who was able to upgrade on Verizon with the "glitch" a couple weekends ago.
Now, I'm not so sure I chose right.
I've seen what samsungs and htc's are capable of and I'm almost inclined to sell this 5S sealed and buy a GS4 or HTC one or one max.

Thoughts from you android/iOS users? I really want a bigger screen and some other inane features that apples been lacking.

What are these insane features that apple is lacking? It seems like you already got your mind made up on a bigger phone so android it is for you.

 

[robertopod1968]

The Samsung phones aren't even the best androids out there. I've used them all. (GS4, Droid Maxx, HTC one, LG G2)The Moto X is currently the best in my opinion. I have a 5s and Moto X currently. The active notifications feature on the X is just awesome. Moto assist, Moto connect, and touchless control are great features that aren't just fluff crap like Samsung has. I like the iPhone and use it some, but the X is buttery smooth, let's me change the damn keyboard and the features are really just too awesome to be without. The X is the phone I would say is the Android iPhone, except with more useful features and way more customization.

(edit. I haven't used a note 3 yet, but I had a note 2 and that was just too big for me)

----------

After getting my new Iphone 5s I ran over my samsung infuse with my car , android is so laggy and shuts down, heats up etc,,I dont care how big their screens are, I have a cool @ss ipad4 for that lol

Yes the infuse was laggy, heats up and shuts down. That was the phone and not the operating system.

 

[sundog925]

Ok guys. So an update.
After a few hours of using my 5S, I actually love the speed improvement, the touch id and the camera! Wow it's a lot better than the 5. The burst mode and slow mo are also great. I'm content now that I chose not to sell it.

 

[Korican100]

Brand new in the box.
Just recieved it today.
I was one of those who was able to upgrade on Verizon with the "glitch" a couple weekends ago.
Now, I'm not so sure I chose right.
I've seen what samsungs and htc's are capable of and I'm almost inclined to sell this 5S sealed and buy a GS4 or HTC one or one max.

Thoughts from you android/iOS users? I really want a bigger screen and some other inane features that apples been lacking.

From someone that is surrounded by family members with an S4, i don't even see how you think an s4 compares to a 5s. That's just my opinion. i hate how the S4 fits in a pocket, if I sit down I feel like im bending the phone till where it loosens the components over time. I just don't like plastic phones. 5c's are horrible to me too.

and why do you want inane features? lol

 

[apollo1444]

GS4 for sure has lag. Touch wiz sucks. I've tried scroll and rotating, and I don't see the same UI lag on the Nexus 4 as I do on Galaxy phones, but I've only tested these in store, so I'm not sure how 'use' affects these devices. Windows slows down because the registry gets messed up from installing and uninstalling programs. I don't see how Android would have the same problem..

Project butter is still on going, but it's improved dramatically. I'm really impressed with stock Android's speed improvements. It's getting close. Yes, iPhone screen response to touch is fast. I don't know if that difference in speed is always apparent though.

nexus devices have other kinds of problems that make user experience terrible, sure they are pretty snappy, they have the latest versions and google services run actually ok, like they do on the iPhone lol.

but for starters my god the battery on the nexus 4 blows and the pictures taken with that camera are horrendous

it doesn't look like the nexus 5 is a step up. The back of it looks cheap and plasticky when compared to the 4 that had awesome built quality, and the battery doesn't seem to be that big. I have zero hopes for the camera Google are clueless when it comes to cameras, the only awesome thing I see is the screen which will be based on that amazing LG G2 screen, other than that it looks pretty poor

 

[mirz2000]

Ok guys. So an update.
After a few hours of using my 5S, I actually love the speed improvement, the touch id and the camera! Wow it's a lot better than the 5. The burst mode and slow mo are also great. I'm content now that I chose not to sell it.

Good choice! Prior to the iPhone 4S, I had an Android phone. Technically, it was supposed to be more powerful than the iPhone, but for some reason in application it was glitchy. I know others who have had similar experiences. Sometimes a phone can look better "on paper," but when you are using it every day, you find that it just doesn't work out as well. For me the iPhone is just a smoother experience.

Not saying this is always the case of course, but just something I noticed in my circumstance.

 

[GlenK]

Ok guys. So an update.
After a few hours of using my 5S, I actually love the speed improvement, the touch id and the camera! Wow it's a lot better than the 5. The burst mode and slow mo are also great. I'm content now that I chose not to sell it.

Smart move!! Ive tried them all and overall nothing touches 5S..

 

[LithePanther]

I was going to get the 5 or 5s but pulled the trigger on a galaxy s4 a few months ago. For me, I like this phone because I really get to set it up in a way that works for me using lockscreen apps and widgets. The screen is amazing.. vivid and big. And being able to swap my battery with a spare is key.. I don't have to carry around a charger and go looking for a outlet. Overall, I like the phone. But do I miss ios and sometimes wish I had an iphone? Yes.. but I get my ios fix on my ipad.

And that whole lag thing? To each his own. Everyone has a different definition of what lag is, and a different tolerance level for it. I do notice a "stutter" on my galaxy s4, but it doesn't bother me. But you know what, I also notice lag on my sister's 4s and coworker's 5. Every phone will experience this at some point in time, and some people won't experience this at all.

Just want to point out - everyone might have a different definition of what lag is, but lag itself has one definition. So it doesn't really matter what your definition is because your definition isn't equal to its actual definition.

 

[bigjim83]

I had a 5, for almost a year, got tired of iOS , then switched to the GS4. really liked the big vivid screen and I really liked swype. I like the battery swap out, instead of plugging it in.

I used apex launcher , it was cool , I had an iOS 7 theme with iOS 7 icons lol

I hated the bloat ware, you can't uninstall any of it , unless you root it. (which i think disables it) I just didn't want to mess with rooting. I knew I was going to sell it eventually. I do like hacking, but just didn't feel comfortable doing it.

I just wanted to try android again. I didn't go with the Htc one. probably would have been a different experience. just didn't try it out.

the 5s I have now is so much faster and snappier, I couldn't believe it really. games faster too. and no games crashing. I like the one handed use of the iPhone. I have long fingers, and I kinda had trouble using the S4 one handed. I got used to it though, little awkward though.

I've had an iPhone since the original in '07. and every one after. even though I switched to android sometime after the 3GS , but I Still went back to iOS again.

the camera on the s4 was slow sometimes. didn't focus , then I had to close it and open it again. could've just been me idk.

the screen outside was just not good. it was too dim compared to my husbands 5. not even in direct sunlight, I mean just outside even if it was a cloudy day. that was dissapointing.

I did like the different camera modes on the s4 though. they were cool.

the iPhone screen colors aren't as big and bold and they don't pop as much , but that doesn't bother me. they're 2 totally different screens
I don't really miss the big screen. the pros for the 5s out weigh the pros for the s4. that's just me though.

I just turned off the gimmicky features like eye scrolling etc on the s4. I do kinda miss the battery life though. but it has a bigger battery too :/

I'll always be an apple fan girl. oh and I really like the resale value on iPhones much better than the android devices.

that's my experience in a nut shell since the original iPhone.
I'm a tech person. I'll continue to buy iPhones every year even though my husband doesn't approve sometimes lol

sorry this was kinda long. just wanted to share

Should have tried the htc one. In my experience it's head and shoulders better then the S4. That's my humble opinion anyways.

 

[bkribbs]

Honestly I would just keep it. I had an iPhone 5 so this glitch pretty much got me a free upgrade. I received my 5s today and if I paid full price I would've been disappointed but for a free upgrade I'm thrilled.

I've ventured to the other side a few times and I've enjoyed the devices (Galaxy Nexus, Rezound, GN2) , I found myself always coming back to apple. I enjoyed rooting and flashing my android devices but at the end of the day it's all up to third party support and the truth is developers favor iOS users more than android. Not to mention that input lag on those android screens. Trust me, it's noticeable. I noticed it when I went from an iPhone 5 to a GN2.

At the end of the day the phone that I use is a phone. I want it to be able to do all of the things that I would like it to do while on the go. I want it to be comfortable to use when talking on the phone and I want it to be usable with one hand. If I want a massive screen then I'll stick to my HDTV or computer monitor (my 15" MacBook Pro isn't massive).

If I ever have a problem I want to be able to get my device replaced the SAME day. I don't want to ship my phone back to Verizon. I DISLIKE dealing with Verizon. If it weren't for my truly unlimited data I would've left a long time ago.

For real.

 

[apwtwenty]

Should have tried the htc one. In my experience it's head and shoulders better then the S4. That's my humble opinion anyways.

yeah I might've made a mistake there.

it's all gravy good though (;

 

[eoblaed]

It's just a phone.

I dunno what device you're using, but mine is far, far, far more than just a phone. Yeah, I make calls with it, but 95% (or more) of my usage is non-call related (such as reading this forum and making this post).

That said, I'm unimpressed by anything Android and not into big phones.

Spot on.

 

[sundog925]

Good choice! Prior to the iPhone 4S, I had an Android phone. Technically, it was supposed to be more powerful than the iPhone, but for some reason in application it was glitchy. I know others who have had similar experiences. Sometimes a phone can look better "on paper," but when you are using it every day, you find that it just doesn't work out as well. For me the iPhone is just a smoother experience.

Not saying this is always the case of course, but just something I noticed in my circumstance.

Smart move!! Ive tried them all and overall nothing touches 5S..

Even using the phone is more of a joy than the 5.
The speed is noticeable for me using it doing everyday things.
Either im super lazy, or just LOVE the touch ID lol. Its perfect.

 

[bunnicula]

I dunno what device you're using, but mine is far, far, far more than just a phone. Yeah, I make calls with it, but 95% (or more) of my usage is non-call related (such as reading this forum and making this post).



Spot on.

I am solidly iPhone. Perhaps you misinterpreted my comment.

I am firmly entrenched in the platform. I cannot fathom a situation like the OP's because I have no interest in jumping platforms.

People like the OP are clearly thinking of smart phones as something they can flip back and forth on. Sooo... To the OP?

Just a phone. Why not switch?

Me? I would just use the 5s.

 

[GlenK]

Even using the phone is more of a joy than the 5.
The speed is noticeable for me using it doing everyday things.
Either im super lazy, or just LOVE the touch ID lol. Its perfect.

I know and the battery life is great. Mine is so good I stopped posting it. It was just making people angry.. lol.. love this phone!!!

 

[Dave Felix]

Brand new in the box.
Just recieved it today.
I was one of those who was able to upgrade on Verizon with the "glitch" a couple weekends ago.
Now, I'm not so sure I chose right.
I've seen what samsungs and htc's are capable of and I'm almost inclined to sell this 5S sealed and buy a GS4 or HTC one or one max.

Thoughts from you android/iOS users? I really want a bigger screen and some other inane features that apples been lacking.

I did not like the releases this past month. The Note 3 being too big, HTC1's home button is not centered and the iPhone 5S.. well you know. The S4 is older so you can sell your iPhone and get the S4 and have cash to spare. I liked the S4. It was a light weight, 441 PPI screen, IR blaster, etc. Next year I will probably get the S5 or the IP6 depending if iOS changes.

By the way, does anyone think iOS 8 will be out next year or is that a long shot? I don't mind it, but I also don't think its that great..Even with a bigger screen next year, iOS gets a little boring to me.

 

[kapolani]

I really want to get the 5S.

I've been using a Galaxy Nexus for the past 2 years. My daughter broke my I4 right before the 5 came out. I really wanted a bigger screen at the time. I've always wondered what Android was like so decided to give it a try.

I rooted and rom'd from day one. I like doing stuff like that so Android was a natural fit.

Rarely watched movies on my phone. Rarely surfed on my phone. We have Macbook Airs and iPads in our house so I always grabbed those devices first.

Things I did't like about Android:

- Lag. It's there. Swiping. Input. It's perceptible. It was the first thing I noticed.
- Sub par apps.
- Force close of apps. Even when I jailbroke I never had as many problems.
- Random reboots.
- My phone is rarely shut off for the entire time I use it. But, there were times when I would reach for my phone and it shut off. Couldn't turn it back on without removing and replacing the battery.

My wife has stayed with the iPhone since the 3G. She loves the ecosystem. I was the lone wolf so I had to integrate within our little network with work arounds.

Things I"m worried about going back to IOS.

Google App integration. I've always loved Google products. GDrive, Google Voice. Calendars etc.

I use Google Voice extensively. Back when I had my I4 it integrated somewhat. Wasn't the best. Calendars and Exchange worked well so I'm not worried about that.

How is it with IOS7?

It's a toss up between the Note 3 and 5S. Heavily weighted towards the iPhoen at this point, though.

 

[whtrbt7]

I've always liked Android just because it's fun and there are so many things to tinker with. I even like being able to root and flash custom firmware. Android is a great system to tinker but for a daily beater, it's iOS and the iPhone. iPhones are one of those set it, forget it, and abuse it products IMO. I install apps on it, I use apps (but have to use spotlight because I don't know which page of icons has the app ), and I just use the thing to death. There's no "Oh let's change the background, oh let's make it do this specialized thing, or oh let's organize a desktop on it." Android has all of these things. If I was going to use an Android phone as a daily beater, it would have to be the Galaxy Note II or III. It's got a huge screen, barely fits in my pocket but is large enough to be a mini tablet, and it can multitask. The biggest issues are lag on the SGNIIorIII, audio issues, memory management, exchange activesync, battery life, and system crashes.

 

[nitromac]

first world problems



joking aside, just go with whatever you like. I also considered an Android phone before upgrading from my 4S to the 5S, but then I learned that I would lose my grandfathered (and fairly cheap) unlimited data plan because it is iPhone-specific. No regrets though. Android is cool to fool around with but at the end of the day, I prefer iOS overall.

 

[macjunk(ie)]

well...just got a iPhone 5S space grey today...after using a HTC One for some time. To be honest, I absolutely love my HTC One and even the OS. The OS on this phone is not at all laggy and is very functional....except....it does not fit in with my Apple ecosystem that well. After sleeping around with Android...I really understood what I value most...my ecosystem. And it is so damn simple for Android guys to crack if they put a little thought into it.

The three main things I care about are my pictures, music and airplay. If the Android folks just figure out a way to do all that in a smooth fashion...they have my attention and my money (after all I love the choice the Android folks have)...But for all their efforts to get iPhone users buy their phones...they just cant seem to get this right...

 

[wepiii]

My HTC One is a fantastic phone. I'm the kind of person who enjoys tweaking the settings and changing ROMs, but I could be perfectly happy with the stock OS and HTC Sense 5.0. And if you don't like Sense, the Google edition is an option as well.

The GS4 is nice too, but I didn't buy one because I dislike TouchWiz and the Google edition wasn't available at the time. It is now, so that would be a good option as well.

----------



It's TouchWiz. The HTC One with the stock OS and Sense 5.0 has minor lag, but the problem disappears almost completely when using the Google Edition variant.

I think this pretty much sums up the android vs ios argument. They both have pros and cons, but if you enjoy tweaking and messing around with your phone, you can make the android work exactly how you want it to. But if you just want it to work well right out of the box I would stay with the 5S. The 5S is an awesome phone. And so are the other ones you mentioned. You just have to decide what you can live with and without. I prefer the smaller size of the iPhone so it works for me, but if you need a bigger screen then android is gonna be your only option.

 

[gatearray]

What are these insane features that apple is lacking? It seems like you already got your mind made up on a bigger phone so android it is for you.

He actually said "inane" features, which sounds about right to me.

 

[yinz]

nexus devices have other kinds of problems that make user experience terrible, sure they are pretty snappy, they have the latest versions and google services run actually ok, like they do on the iPhone lol.

but for starters my god the battery on the nexus 4 blows and the pictures taken with that camera are horrendous

it doesn't look like the nexus 5 is a step up. The back of it looks cheap and plasticky when compared to the 4 that had awesome built quality, and the battery doesn't seem to be that big. I have zero hopes for the camera Google are clueless when it comes to cameras, the only awesome thing I see is the screen which will be based on that amazing LG G2 screen, other than that it looks pretty poor

So it IS smooth then. I'm not too sure how well the Nexus 4 battery life holds up. I've never actually had one for more than 3 minutes in my hand, and it was plugged in. I DO have a camera, so the camera doesn't bother me.

With the Nexus 5, I think your opinion is your opinion, but many people (reviews mostly), like the back and build of the Nexus 7, so if the rumoured Nexus 5 is built similarly, I don't see why some people wouldn't like it too.

Most of your comments about the Nexus device is all very superficial though. I think the important points about the Nexus phones are the user experience more than the hardware. Google is very 'Apple-like' in that it focuses more on user experience rather than hardware specs (ahem, Samsung). I personally prefer the looks of Nexus 4 as well, but I have no animosity towards 'Nexus 5'.

If Nexus 5 has the 'always-listening' chip and the touchless controls the Moto X has, it'd be a very compelling device to try regardless of camera quality (for me).