Other Pixel users switch to 12 Pro?

[Tig Bitties]

Serious question from an Android user, specifically a stock vanilla Android guy, Nexus / Pixel fan. I've owned almost every Nexus phone, and every Pixel XL phone, currently still on my Pixel 4 XL, which I like, but want to try something new, and maybe go back to the iPhone, last iPhone I owned was the 7 Plus, it was ok, wasn't an iOS fan then, but seems like it's changed quite a bit since that phone?

What I want in a new phone is this;

-Great battery life, at least 6h Screen on Time minimum, can the 12 Pro do that? Or 12 Pro Max only?
-Bright screen that's good outdoors, the Pixel XL displays have always been dim not bright
-Fluid smooth UI. Pixel phones are actually pretty fast and smooth, but not perfect, there's hiccups and minor lag. Is the 12 Pro buttery smooth?
-90hz screen vs 60hz? Is that noticeable on the iPhone still having the 60hz screen, compared to the 90hz or 120hz newer Android phones have?
-Customization is great, and iOS has zero customizing without a JB, which is a bummer, but on my Android phones, I play around with customizing and set them up for a week, then I'm done, and all set, and never really customize it again.
-iPhone 12 Pro size vs 12 Pro Max size? I have been using larger phones for years now, last three phones have been, Pixel 4 XL, 3 XL, and 2 XL, I'm used to those sizes, but...they are on the large size for me, I don't want anything bigger or heavier, I am sort of getting tired of huge phones, only reason I get them, is for the larger battery size, this longer lasting. So I am willing to go large, if that means night and day better battery life.

Opinions wanted please, and no arguing between Android vs iPhone stuff.

 

[mjschabow]

I mean, the way you just described it, I think you’d be happy with the regular pro. It’s a joy to hold. I’d say you’ll be happy enough with the battery. I just couldn’t go with the larger size this time around. If you’re into cameras you’ll be blown away.

The only box not checked is customization. Apple has gotten better with widgets and I love my setup.

If you buy from Apple, they do have a courtesy 45 day return policy during the pandemic. Maybe spending a few weeks with it would clue you in on if you’d want to keep it.

 

[Jim McN]

I mean, the way you just described it, I think you’d be happy with the regular pro. It’s a joy to hold. I’d say you’ll be happy enough with the battery. I just couldn’t go with the larger size this time around. If you’re into cameras you’ll be blown away.

The only box not checked is customization. Apple has gotten better with widgets and I love my setup.

If you buy from Apple, they do have a courtesy 45 day return policy during the pandemic. Maybe spending a few weeks with it would clue you in on if you’d want to keep it.

I am sure the 12 Pro Build quality feeling will be great for sure and maybe battery life too compared to the Pixel 4XL.

But the Camera for photography will not be a huge bump since the Pixel 4 XL is already one of the best camera phone for photography. Unless if you use it rather for filming then the iPhone will be superior.

 

[Tig Bitties]

One little thing I really like on the Pixel phones, is AoD ( Always on Display ) I know it's not a big deal, but it's just a nice feature, to always see the time on my lockscreen and missed texts or calls. I can just walk by the phone, while it's laying on the table, and don't have to tap the screen or pick it up to check for a notification, the AoD show it.

 

[arfbsantoso]

I mean, the way you just described it, I think you’d be happy with the regular pro. It’s a joy to hold. I’d say you’ll be happy enough with the battery. I just couldn’t go with the larger size this time around. If you’re into cameras you’ll be blown away.

The only box not checked is customization. Apple has gotten better with widgets and I love my setup.

If you buy from Apple, they do have a courtesy 45 day return policy during the pandemic. Maybe spending a few weeks with it would clue you in on if you’d want to keep it.

And 5 years guaranty for iOS updates

 

[Tig Bitties]

And 5 years guaranty for iOS updates

That is nice piece of mind, but I barely keep a phone 2 years most. Typically switch yearly.

 

[eppslogan4]

Ill let you know my thoughts once my 12 Pro gets here. I had an iPhone X but then switched to a Pixel 3a XL and a Galaxy S10+ once my iPhone screen broke and they wanted $300 just for that lol. I too love the AoD of the Pixel and Galaxy phones, and it's one of my favorite things. I'm very interested to compare night mode on the iPhone vs Night Sight from the Pixel. I remember when I first got the 3a XL all of my friends and family were just blown away by the night shots I was getting that they simply couldn't get from an iPhone.

 

[pbonitati]

Serious question from an Android user, specifically a stock vanilla Android guy, Nexus / Pixel fan. I've owned almost every Nexus phone, and every Pixel XL phone, currently still on my Pixel 4 XL, which I like, but want to try something new, and maybe go back to the iPhone, last iPhone I owned was the 7 Plus, it was ok, wasn't an iOS fan then, but seems like it's changed quite a bit since that phone?

What I want in a new phone is this;

-Great battery life, at least 6h Screen on Time minimum, can the 12 Pro do that? Or 12 Pro Max only?
-Bright screen that's good outdoors, the Pixel XL displays have always been dim not bright
-Fluid smooth UI. Pixel phones are actually pretty fast and smooth, but not perfect, there's hiccups and minor lag. Is the 12 Pro buttery smooth?
-90hz screen vs 60hz? Is that noticeable on the iPhone still having the 60hz screen, compared to the 90hz or 120hz newer Android phones have?
-Customization is great, and iOS has zero customizing without a JB, which is a bummer, but on my Android phones, I play around with customizing and set them up for a week, then I'm done, and all set, and never really customize it again.
-iPhone 12 Pro size vs 12 Pro Max size? I have been using larger phones for years now, last three phones have been, Pixel 4 XL, 3 XL, and 2 XL, I'm used to those sizes, but...they are on the large size for me, I don't want anything bigger or heavier, I am sort of getting tired of huge phones, only reason I get them, is for the larger battery size, this longer lasting. So I am willing to go large, if that means night and day better battery life.

Opinions wanted please, and no arguing between Android vs iPhone stuff.

1. but seems like it's changed quite a bit since that phone? Yes, iOS 14 has brought about a ton of changes. Most notable to you will be the addition of widgets which subjectively look much better than android. Also, application defaults which was a big Android user complaint.
2. Great battery life, at least 6h Screen on Time minimum, can the 12 Pro do that? Or 12 Pro Max only? Tough question and it is highly dependent on your usage. But I can tell you this, iPhone battery management is unparalleled. I've had a Pixel 4xl and my iPhone 12 Pro easily will out last it. Is it the best? No. But I do not have battery anxiety.
3. Bright screen that's good outdoors, the Pixel XL displays have always been dim not bright. Top notch displays across the brand. People nit pick and have their preferences, but you will rarely ever see complaints in the brightness category.
4. Fluid smooth UI. Pixel phones are actually pretty fast and smooth, but not perfect, there's hiccups and minor lag. Is the 12 Pro buttery smooth? Combined with your refresh question. iOS is super smooth IMO, easily as smooth as Pixel if not more. It makes 60hz feel like 90. I do not think you will have an issue here.
5. Customization is great, and iOS has zero customizing without a JB, which is a bummer, but on my Android phones, I play around with customizing and set them up for a week, then I'm done, and all set, and never really customize it again. Lots going on in the customization space, kinda of gimmicky solutions out there, but at least it is possible w/o JB. We are in a place where not everyone's iPhone looks the same anymore.
6. iPhone 12 Pro size vs 12 Pro Max size? I have been using larger phones for years now, last three phones have been, Pixel 4 XL, 3 XL, and 2 XL, I'm used to those sizes, but...they are on the large size for me, I don't want anything bigger or heavier, I am sort of getting tired of huge phones, only reason I get them, is for the larger battery size, this longer lasting. So I am willing to go large, if that means night and day better battery life. This is a huge preference type question. For me with the Pixel 4 XL the transition to iPhone 12 Pro was the perfect move, like I said the battery is better for me on iPhone 12 with a much smaller foot print. But in the end you will make this decision maybe by trying out the max and 12 pro.

Good luck

 

[Tig Bitties]

So tempted to.pre order a 12 Pro Max, but I'm also quite content happy still with my Pixel 4 XL.

 

[jdlindsey7]

So tempted to.pre order a 12 Pro Max, but I'm also quite content happy still with my Pixel 4 XL.

I have the Pixel 5 and also ordered a 12 Pro Max to try. I really like the small footprint and amazing battery life of the Pixel 5, but it’s a phone with some trade offs. I tried the 12 Pro and had horrible battery life (it was dying around 14 hours off the charger but with only 3.5 hours of SOT). If the 12 Pro Max is too unwieldy and offers decent battery life that may be my go to.
To hit on your points:
- Pixel 5 will have better battery life
- the iPhone screens are amazing but you will notice the difference in 60Hz and 90Hz in situations (scrolling text being the most notable)
- iPhones are barely customizable coming from Android. The widgets are okay but most are not interactive and few app developers have implemented widgets yet.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I have the Pixel 5 and also ordered a 12 Pro Max to try. I really like the small footprint and amazing battery life of the Pixel 5, but it’s a phone with some trade offs. I tried the 12 Pro and had horrible battery life (it was dying around 14 hours off the charger but with only 3.5 hours of SOT). If the 12 Pro Max is too unwieldy and offers decent battery life that may be my go to.
To hit on your points:
- Pixel 5 will have better battery life
- the iPhone screens are amazing but you will notice the difference in 60Hz and 90Hz in situations (scrolling text being the most notable)
- iPhones are barely customizable coming from Android. The widgets are okay but most are not interactive and few app developers have implemented widgets yet.

I have the Pixel 5 as well, went back to my 4 XL, the Pixel 5 had terrible earpiece speaker sound, phone calls sounded tinny like coming out of a kids plastic toy phone, and people on the phone sounded like they were far away under water. Useless for phone calls, and I use my phone a lot during the workweek.

But the battery life on the Pixel 5 was AMAZING, cray good. And the screen was pretty bright and nice.

The size of the Pixel 5? I don't know, it seems a bit too small for me, I kinda like my Pixel 4 XL size better, plus the 4 XL just had a more premium high build quality, felt like a higher end phone, sharper display, etc...

 

[C. Robert]

I wouldn't switch, more than likely it will be a waste of money. I like some androids but know that the phones are pretty much the same nowadays.

 

[Dontdothat317]

Wanted to bump this thread instead of creating a new one.

What did OP decide to purchase and what are your thoughts? Or if anyone else can share their experience?

I'm a lifelong Android user, thinking of switching to an iPhone 12 Pro because I need an LTE watch and I think the Apple Watch has so much more development support than the Galaxy Watch Active 2.

iOS14 seems to have remedied (or made improvements) in the areas of greatest concern. Specifically widgets, customization, and allowing changes to default applications. Because my entire ecosystem is Google, I intend to make my iPhone as "Googled out" as possible, relying on Google Calendars, Gmail, Google Contacts and Google Drive + Dropbox to sync everything.

Are there any major deficiencies that you miss about Android after switching that you wish you had thought of, or knew about?

Any issues with Chromecast compatibility/casting?
Any issues with syncing with Google contacts or calendar?
Any apps you used frequently in Android that are banned from the Apple app store? I made a list of all my questionable/important apps and double checked their availability... seems ok so far..




Thanks!

 

[lordhamster]

Wanted to bump this thread instead of creating a new one.

What did OP decide to purchase and what are your thoughts? Or if anyone else can share their experience?

I'm a lifelong Android user, thinking of switching to an iPhone 12 Pro because I need an LTE watch and I think the Apple Watch has so much more development support than the Galaxy Watch Active 2.

iOS14 seems to have remedied (or made improvements) in the areas of greatest concern. Specifically widgets, customization, and allowing changes to default applications. Because my entire ecosystem is Google, I intend to make my iPhone as "Googled out" as possible, relying on Google Calendars, Gmail, Google Contacts and Google Drive + Dropbox to sync everything.

Are there any major deficiencies that you miss about Android after switching that you wish you had thought of, or knew about?

Any issues with Chromecast compatibility/casting?
Any issues with syncing with Google contacts or calendar?
Any apps you used frequently in Android that are banned from the Apple app store? I made a list of all my questionable/important apps and double checked their availability... seems ok so far..




Thanks!

On Friday Nov 13th, I made the switch from a Pixel 4XL to the 12 Pro Max. So far I'm happy.

Some background:
I'm a frequent platform switcher. In the recent past, I had the Nexus 6P and the Gen 1 Pixel. I then switched back to iOS with the launch of the iPhone X. Upgrade to the XS Max and kept that for 1.5 years before switching to Pixel 4XL around Jan of this year.

I love many things about the Pixel:

• Deep google AI integration
• Google ecosystem things like Google Photos and Drive etc.
• Google FI
• The Pixel camera.

For me, I only consider bone-stock android phones like Pixel or iPhones. I'm not one to do much "customization." I've never felt the need to make my system font comic sans, and get "icon" packs. Honestly that kind of customization feels like childish tomfoolery to me. I've also always found widgets useless. Only one I use is the clock/weather widget that shipped with the phone pre-enabled. I do like some of the more granular system level control Android gives. For example, you can modify what bluetooth profiles every device has. IN my car, I can turn of the A2DP streaming but leave the speaker phone function enabled. Networking, I can set a private DNS server, more granularly control VPN tunnels, and use non-webkit based browsers. That said... the main reason I had to do lots of that is the fact Google borks adblocking on the out of the box browser.


Why the switch to iPhone again?:
Well in a word... I have a problem. I simply enjoy new technology and the change between ecosystems is fun for me.

The 12 Pro Max phone is great, and since leaving iOS before it has definitely become more android-like:

• Icons no longer have to be put on dozens of unorganized home pages... we can now delete them from the home page and keep them in app library. For me, I have only my most used icons on the homepage. All other apps, I do same thing I did on my pixel. I drag down the spotlight search, type the first letter, then launch the app. Only difference between pixel and iPhone here is the direction of swipe.
• You can now have your default apps for email / browser. However you can't have a default app for SMS. Then again, I HATE SMS. Since most of my friends/family/colleagues are on iOS, iMessage is a good choice, coupled with WhatsApp for my European relatives. When I had my Pixel I got excited about RCS... but literally only 2 people out of my 300+ person contact list (even the android users) could use RCS and or had it enabled.
• Camera: The iPhone 12Pro camera is great... for me the image quality seems on par with the Pixel 4XL, but it is much more powerful. My pixel would choke if I did 4-5 portrait shots in a row. The 12 Pro doesn't bat an eyelash and powers through it.
• Screen: Some people claim they can see difference between 90hz and 60hz. My old man eyes can't. When I first got the Pixel 4XL I didn't notice any improvement, and now that I have the iPhone I don't see any differences either.
• Syncing: My Gmail/Contacts/Calendar all work seamlessly on iPhone. Just log into Google under "accounts" and make sure you turn off iCloud for mail/contacts/calendar to avoid collisions. Frankly calendar and reminders works BETTER for me because I have a Google workplace domain I own. On the Pixel 4XL, have the stuff I wanted Google assistant to do didn't work because Google doesn't support their paid users well in assistant.
• Photos: This is the big caveat. You can use Google Photos on iPhone for Backup, but the app needs to remain running. iOS tends to like to kill the app I the background. It seems if you give the App location access always, then you can get around this. I'm not sure. With Google's recent announcement about ending the free unlimited storage, I'm in the process of migrating my photos out and to iCloud. I signed up for Apple One Premium, so if I'm going to be paying for space, I'll enjoy the deeper integration with iOS.
• Chromecast: Chromecasting works from within apps where the developer supports it. But you cannot cast your whole screen to a chrome cast. So casting Netflix, YouTube, etc works great. You just can't cast your home screen.
• Banned Apps? Not that I use. I have 100% app parity.

 

[Wide opeN]

Glad you made the switch and welcome back.

 

[lordhamster]

Glad you made the switch and welcome back.

It is nice to be a blue bubble boy again. ahha.

While all my european family & indian colleagues are on WhatsApp, my American friends are all on iMessage. I tried to coax them to use Signal (only my wife signed up), Whatsapp was a no-go for most...and I HATE Facebook Messenger.

Google's RCS is a complete and total failure.

It is also nice to have the deep integration with my iPad, Macbook Pro, Apple TV, airpods as well. Now I just need to sell my Garmin Fenix 6x and get an Apple watch.

As for home automation, I have my Garage doors wired to Homekit, everything else is on z-wave. I'll have to figure out what to do there. All my "smart" speakers are Alexa or Google, so that is also sub-optimal... but if I replace all of those with homepod minis, I'll be in divorce court by the end of the week.

 

[Dontdothat317]

On Friday Nov 13th, I made the switch from a Pixel 4XL to the 12 Pro Max. So far I'm happy.

Some background:
I'm a frequent platform switcher. In the recent past, I had the Nexus 6P and the Gen 1 Pixel. I then switched back to iOS with the launch of the iPhone X. Upgrade to the XS Max and kept that for 1.5 years before switching to Pixel 4XL around Jan of this year.

I love many things about the Pixel:

• Deep google AI integration
• Google ecosystem things like Google Photos and Drive etc.
• Google FI
• The Pixel camera.

For me, I only consider bone-stock android phones like Pixel or iPhones. I'm not one to do much "customization." I've never felt the need to make my system font comic sans, and get "icon" packs. Honestly that kind of customization feels like childish tomfoolery to me. I've also always found widgets useless. Only one I use is the clock/weather widget that shipped with the phone pre-enabled. I do like some of the more granular system level control Android gives. For example, you can modify what bluetooth profiles every device has. IN my car, I can turn of the A2DP streaming but leave the speaker phone function enabled. Networking, I can set a private DNS server, more granularly control VPN tunnels, and use non-webkit based browsers. That said... the main reason I had to do lots of that is the fact Google borks adblocking on the out of the box browser.


Why the switch to iPhone again?:
Well in a word... I have a problem. I simply enjoy new technology and the change between ecosystems is fun for me.

The 12 Pro Max phone is great, and since leaving iOS before it has definitely become more android-like:

• Icons no longer have to be put on dozens of unorganized home pages... we can now delete them from the home page and keep them in app library. For me, I have only my most used icons on the homepage. All other apps, I do same thing I did on my pixel. I drag down the spotlight search, type the first letter, then launch the app. Only difference between pixel and iPhone here is the direction of swipe.
• You can now have your default apps for email / browser. However you can't have a default app for SMS. Then again, I HATE SMS. Since most of my friends/family/colleagues are on iOS, iMessage is a good choice, coupled with WhatsApp for my European relatives. When I had my Pixel I got excited about RCS... but literally only 2 people out of my 300+ person contact list (even the android users) could use RCS and or had it enabled.
• Camera: The iPhone 12Pro camera is great... for me the image quality seems on par with the Pixel 4XL, but it is much more powerful. My pixel would choke if I did 4-5 portrait shots in a row. The 12 Pro doesn't bat an eyelash and powers through it.
• Screen: Some people claim they can see difference between 90hz and 60hz. My old man eyes can't. When I first got the Pixel 4XL I didn't notice any improvement, and now that I have the iPhone I don't see any differences either.
• Syncing: My Gmail/Contacts/Calendar all work seamlessly on iPhone. Just log into Google under "accounts" and make sure you turn off iCloud for mail/contacts/calendar to avoid collisions. Frankly calendar and reminders works BETTER for me because I have a Google workplace domain I own. On the Pixel 4XL, have the stuff I wanted Google assistant to do didn't work because Google doesn't support their paid users well in assistant.
• Photos: This is the big caveat. You can use Google Photos on iPhone for Backup, but the app needs to remain running. iOS tends to like to kill the app I the background. It seems if you give the App location access always, then you can get around this. I'm not sure. With Google's recent announcement about ending the free unlimited storage, I'm in the process of migrating my photos out and to iCloud. I signed up for Apple One Premium, so if I'm going to be paying for space, I'll enjoy the deeper integration with iOS.
• Chromecast: Chromecasting works from within apps where the developer supports it. But you cannot cast your whole screen to a chrome cast. So casting Netflix, YouTube, etc works great. You just can't cast your home screen.
• Banned Apps? Not that I use. I have 100% app parity.

Thank you very much for the informative first hand post! A lot of that was very relatable, so I guess there's no final way to know other than to take the plunge.

Just received my 12 Pro 128gb and Watch SE with LTE. Guess I have 2 weeks to return them if I really don't like them, but these days I don't customize my phone much either as long as the main Calendar and Email widgets are there. I still will be making my phone as "Googled out" as possible since I'm just used to all their services and how they function.

Good on Apple for opening iOS to customization and making it more like Android with widgets and setting default apps. If it were not for this I probably would have stuck with Android.

 

[juice3250]

Glad you made the switch. I did the same thing a few weeks ago. It’s taking some time getting used to iOS coming from Android. The camera blows me away. All apps are so smooth and much more polished. Dark mode is dark across all apps and not just some select apps. Absolutely the smoothest experience in a phone. My 4xl would stutter when scrolling through apps. So 90hz was kind of a waste in that regard. Battery life is about twice as long as the 4xl. The customization is what kept me on Android for so many years all the while sacrificing quality hardware and software. Not to mention iMessage. There are also so many more options available for accessories. On the 12 pro, not so much just yet as companies are trying to manufacture accessories for the new model. But I can be assured if a company is making cases, they will make them for my 12 pro. I don’t have to wonder if they will anymore.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Good replies so far, thanks. I'm still thinking if maybe going 12 Pro from my Pixel 4 XL, just nervous I'll hate iOS compared to stock Android.

 

[camilasaunder89]

iPhone 12 is a really nice phone if you are looking to switch from Android to iPhone. It will give you a good battery life, camera quality and of course graphics.

 

[Tig Bitties]

So Pixel or Android users, how do you like your move to the iPhone 12 line?

I like to hear from people that haven't had an iPhone in years, like iPhone 6 or something, or never owned an iPhone before at all. Those will give me the best opinions, not people that just had the iPhone X, that's too new, and means they like and know current iPhone's already.

 

[mhdena]

Why switch? Keep both.

I've had an iPhone since the 4, got a Pixel 3XL on the Travel on Fi cyber Monday sale a couple of years ago, collected $1000 in Delta Gift Cards, sold them for $850, so my 3XL net cost of $150. Still great.

Recently went from a 7 plus to a 12 Pro Max, like all three. keeping the three.

If I can find a good deal on a 4XL will get that too.

 

[KrisYYC]

I've had every Pixel and currently have the Pixel 5. I also have had iPhone 8, iPhone XS and currently have an iPhone 11 Pro. I used to switch between my Pixels and iPhone's fairly regularly on a 50/50 ish split. But lately it's been more of a 90/10 split with 90% of the time I'm using my Pixel. I use Google assistant more and it find it light years ahead of Siri, plus with Google rolling out RCS messaging I now have Google's version of iMessage with my entire family and some friends. I prefer smaller phones and I found the Pixels, especially the Pixel 4 just easier to use.

There are some things I prefer on the iPhone though. The stock music player is much better, I have other Apple accessories like Airpods pro that do work with my Pixel but the same integration as with my iPhone. Video recording on the iPhone is better, though the Pixel 5 has made significant improvements there compared to previous Pixels. The screen is brighter on the iPhone and I do like True Tone.

That being said, I still find iOS pretty boring. There's just something about the Pixel that keeps me going back to it. Oh, and price is a big one. In Canada the Pixel 5 is $800 compared to over $1300 for the base model 12 pro.