Potential Android to Iphone user

[kingston73]

I've been an android user for years, nearly since the first google phone. In the past year I've gotten more and more frustrated with android and google and I've finally gotten to the point where I'm considering switching to iphone. My wife has a 6+ and a macbook, so I know I'd be able to contact her easier using facetime and texts, etc. but I'm not entirely sure I'm going to like the iphone/IOS environment.

I realize this is a MAC forum so I'm going to get biased answers but I'm hoping somebody who has switched from android to apple can chime in and give me some reality based opinions and comparison between the 2.

Thanks all!

 

[Chatter]

Search the threads and you will find many similar posts.

 

[krspkbl]

i just switched (back) to iphone today. just finished setting up my 6S+. i bought the iphone 5S/5C when they came out but didn't like them. my last proper iphone was the 4S. so i've been with android for a while now. i owned a Galaxy S4, Moto G, HTC, and then Nexus 5 (which I will keep as a back up).

i am so happy to be using this iphone. compared to my nexus 5 it is blazing fast and just looks/feels amazing. back when i had my 4S i also was using a MacBook so both the phone/laptop worked together perfectly so i was worried that now I am using a windows PC that it wouldn't work as well. however, i am happy with how easy it is to sync bookmarks and photos. i can take a picture on my iphone and it's there on my PC. if i'm editing bookmarks in Chrome then safari updates it's bookmarks instantly.

honestly, i have no regrets. android is fine but just needed a change and wanted to come back to iOS. if you aren't sure if you'll like it then you can go into an apple store (if there is one near you) and try them out. i was there for about an hour today just playing about with the phones and nobody bothered me. also if you do buy it and you decide it's not for you then apple has amazing customer support/returns policy. usually it's 14 days you get to return it but since it xmas time it's extended to 20th january (so about a month). they don't hassle you and a refund is straight forward and simple so don't worry about it.

 

[kingston73]

Thank you for the reply, that's exactly what I was looking for. I did search but most of what I read was just pointless arguments, not much actual factual material. I know it's a forum and arguments are par for the course but I really wanted to hear from people who've actually switched. I'm glad to hear that the iphone to pc sync works well. I think I might actually do it, I'm thinking of maybe a nice, used 6+ from swappa or somewhere.

 

[eyoungren]

From a PowerPC Mac/Windows PC user who's had an iPhone since late 2012…

If you are accustomed to doing any kind of customization on your home screen (widgets, extended wallpapers, etc) then you will be frustrated with iOS.

About the only thing Apple allows you to change on the homescreen and lockscreen is wallpaper and positioning of icons. And when it comes to positioning of icons it's in Apple's specific order. Adding icons will always default to the top left. You cannot place them where you'd like. There are no widgets allowed on the homescreen.

Jailbreaking gives you more options, but that's not for everyone. So, if you're comfortable with this limitation (in regards to customization) you'll be ok.

 

[Jfree3000]

Here is my response from an older thread:



#29
Just the thread I was searching for, just signed up today. I have used android since the original Evo launched on sprint. Since then I have owned the Evo 3d, Galaxy S3, Note 3 and finally the Nexus 6. The Nexus 6 was hands down the best Android device I have ever owned and the front facing speakers were amazing. I left android because honestly I got bored with it, this is my first iphone (6s+) and I am blown away by its battery life and super smooth UI.

I can honestly say the only real app I will miss from android is Titanium Backup, it saved all my texts, apps and data from those apps so I could wipe my phone and install them without losing anything. Android just got to be the same thing to me, new version drops, install, root deal with some bugs, find a newer rom with damn near identical features, install, etc. etc.. I pretty much gave up all hope on anything Cyanogen after every single one of its versions had x amount of issues, take to many photos and the phone would crash and reboot for example.

AOSP was nice but as I mentioned someone would make a new rom with a tweak here and a tweak there but they were all pretty much the same. One feature that I miss is Viper Audio, that app made music sound good again on android. jtwlbz I just read your post while typing this and I have to agree, the nexus while smooth had a terrible camera (all of them did). I like the camera on the 6s plus, I like the size and I love all the accessory made for apple. I was so jealous of all the cases the iphone had versus the limited nexus items.

One major plus of ios is the updates, there is no vast versions of iphone running a million different os. Android was just so divided when it came to os rollouts. Of course the nexus was first in line but with that you get all the bugs and other issues. Some android devices don't even get timely updates or just get forgotten altogether. Anyway /rant, glad to have an iphone and waiting for 9.1 jailbreak.

 

[Vicrooloo]

If you only just used your Android phones then iPhone is for you.

If you did more with your Android phone outside of normal boundaries then you'll miss that on iPhone but may very well still enjoy the experience.

 

[kargurin]

I bought the original Droid and owned nothing but Androids until last April when I bought the 6 Plus. Last month I sold the Plus and bought a Note 5. IPhones are not for me but every Android owner should try one. I own an iPad Air and am happy with that.

 

[David-fr]

I had all the iphones until the 4. Moved to Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4 and Nexus 5. Had the last one for two years.

Things I miss:

1. Google NOW - SOOO GOOD. I can still use it in iOS, but is not the same.

2. Easy google search.

3. The phone app could be used to search business names and call from it.

4. Notification bar actually worked! It SUCKS in the iphone. Defeats the purpose of having one. The android pull down widget and notification bar was useful.

What I like now:

1. iMessege and Continuity.

2. Camera is BOSS!

3. Apps are of higher quality.

 

[macjunk(ie)]

I was in a similar boat : iPhone user for many years -> Android for a couple -> tried out the 6S -> went back to Android and gave the 6S to my wife.

Of all the Android phones I could have, my current is a Note 5 (and I had promised myself that I would never buy a Samsung product after Note 3!). The reason I went back to Android was simple: choice!

A few examples:
1) Need to stream your music library? With Apple, buy their expensive-for-what-it-does airport express. With Android, buy the 35 bucks Chromecast! You can buy 2 for 50 at Target.

2) Need a stylus? iPhone - out of luck. Android - Hello Note 5!

3) Need OIS ? with Apple, only the expensive-for-what-it-does iPhone Plus models have it. Android - most top end models that are cheaper than the Plus model have it

4) File system ? Enough said!

5) Don't like the look ? Apple - you are looking at it the wrong way. Buttons are supposed to look like text! Android - whatever suits your fancy man! Themes exist on Android and I love it! I have dark backgrounds all over my phone courtesy a theme and I can use my phone so easily in the night...without lighting up the whole room!

6) Too high price ? With Apple, you just need to suck it up. With Android, many retailers have good deals even for the current flagships during the holiday season. Case in point, Galaxy S6 32GB for 400 on Amazon

7) Multitasking: Benchmarks say that Apple's processor is in a class of its own! Pity then, that it does not support true multitasking. Case in point, my wife was sharing a big video captured via the iPhone camera to a whatsapp group. Since it was taking time, she went to another app hoping this would continue in the background. Guess what, the uploading just stopped and she had to baby-sit the process.

Android supports true multitasking. This is really great but can also be a curse when some rogue apps continue to run in the background. The onus is on us to manage this.

What I miss:
1) iOS 9 is really smooth on the 6S. I expect iOS 10 will be too. After that, Apple will give you the "free" upgrades that so many here are so proud of and that will eventually slow down your phone to a crawl!

2) Awesome browser in Safari. Nothing on Android comes close in terms of how smooth and fast the browser is

3) Syncs your iTunes library without any third part libraries.

4) In-built, offline dictionary, easily accessible from anywhere in the device. Why Android does not have it, I do not know yet but I use a workaround that serves the purpose.


I know, pretty soon I will be pissed off at Samsung for not providing an update to my Note 5. But I will remind myself how my 3G/3GS was screwed by Apple or how the users of 4 and 5 regret upgrading to iOS 7,8 and 9. Anyway, I change my phone quite frequently (even though I got a feeling that the Note 5 is a keeper) and I do not think this will be a problem.

For what the Note 5 provides today, it is definitely better value for money than the iPhone. I am pretty sure you will find many other Android phones that are value for money. However, I have noticed that in the quest to get the most bang for the buck, people tend to buy alleged flagship killers and then get disappointed when the camera is not up to mark (or <insert another feature here>) and then run back to iOS thinking it is the best platform. You should give Android a fair chance. It is improving by leaps and bounds - faster than Apple is improving their iOS platform

 

[geoff5093]

Most likely your complaints about Android are actually about the manufacturer and their horrible skins, and slow updates. Unless you've had a Nexus phone, you don't know what a true Android phone can be when it's a phone that works the way Google intended.

Having said that, I was also tired of LG, Samsung, and HTC phones that I had so I got the 6s. Used it for a week and a half and hated it, ended up returning it and now I have a 6P and it's worlds better than any of my previous phones, including the 6s.

 

[JackieInCo]

Most likely your complaints about Android are actually about the manufacturer and their horrible skins, and slow updates. Unless you've had a Nexus phone, you don't know what a true Android phone can be when it's a phone that works the way Google intended.

Having said that, I was also tired of LG, Samsung, and HTC phones that I had so I got the 6s. Used it for a week and a half and hated it, ended up returning it and now I have a 6P and it's worlds better than any of my previous phones, including the 6s.

I'm the opposite. I've been using a 6+, Note Edge and a Note 4 for the past year. The Note 4 is getting kind of boring now so I bought a 6S+ and a 6S.

I would have bought a new Nexus a few months ago but I got tired of them being out of stock and I quit visiting the site and eventually just forgot all about it. I don't want one now. I'm having some fun using my iPhones. I kind of have that excitement in them that I have back when I got my very first one in 2007.

I like where Apple is going with the iPhone lately.

 

[geoff5093]

I'm the opposite. I've been using a 6+, Note Edge and a Note 4 for the past year. The Note 4 is getting kind of boring now so I bought a 6S+ and a 6S.

I would have bought a new Nexus a few months ago but I got tired of them being out of stock and I quit visiting the site and eventually just forgot all about it. I don't want one now. I'm having some fun using my iPhones. I kind of have that excitement in them that I have back when I got my very first one in 2007.

I like where Apple is going with the iPhone lately.

That's what I was hoping would happen to me too. I stayed up all night and pre-ordered my 6s, went as far as getting rid of Google Voice and migrating to Apple services, with the expectation that it would remind me when I had my iPhone 3G years ago that I loved. But when I got it I was really underwhelmed from the camera (coming from a G4), and then I started noticing little things that annoyed me that I was so used to on Android, that eventually it was annoying to try and use it. I really wanted to like it. Maybe the iPhone 7 will do it for me.

 

[JackieInCo]

That's what I was hoping would happen to me too. I stayed up all night and pre-ordered my 6s, went as far as getting rid of Google Voice and migrating to Apple services, with the expectation that it would remind me when I had my iPhone 3G years ago that I loved. But when I got it I was really underwhelmed from the camera (coming from a G4), and then I started noticing little things that annoyed me that I was so used to on Android, that eventually it was annoying to try and use it. I really wanted to like it. Maybe the iPhone 7 will do it for me.

I fully understand about the camera differences. When I am at home in the normal room lighting here, I tend to use my Note 4/Note Edge over an iPhone due to the way the Samsung phones process the lighting. The camera brightens the scene whereas the iPhone camera tends to show the actual lighting and sometimes, it can look dull and not pop like what I get on the Samsung phones.

 

[Elisha]

I was in a similar boat : iPhone user for many years -> Android for a couple -> tried out the 6S -> went back to Android and gave the 6S to my wife.

Of all the Android phones I could have, my current is a Note 5 (and I had promised myself that I would never buy a Samsung product after Note 3!). The reason I went back to Android was simple: choice!

A few examples:
1) Need to stream your music library? With Apple, buy their expensive-for-what-it-does airport express. With Android, buy the 35 bucks Chromecast! You can buy 2 for 50 at Target.

2) Need a stylus? iPhone - out of luck. Android - Hello Note 5!

3) Need OIS ? with Apple, only the expensive-for-what-it-does iPhone Plus models have it. Android - most top end models that are cheaper than the Plus model have it

4) File system ? Enough said!

5) Don't like the look ? Apple - you are looking at it the wrong way. Buttons are supposed to look like text! Android - whatever suits your fancy man! Themes exist on Android and I love it! I have dark backgrounds all over my phone courtesy a theme and I can use my phone so easily in the night...without lighting up the whole room!

6) Too high price ? With Apple, you just need to suck it up. With Android, many retailers have good deals even for the current flagships during the holiday season. Case in point, Galaxy S6 32GB for 400 on Amazon

7) Multitasking: Benchmarks say that Apple's processor is in a class of its own! Pity then, that it does not support true multitasking. Case in point, my wife was sharing a big video captured via the iPhone camera to a whatsapp group. Since it was taking time, she went to another app hoping this would continue in the background. Guess what, the uploading just stopped and she had to baby-sit the process.

Android supports true multitasking. This is really great but can also be a curse when some rogue apps continue to run in the background. The onus is on us to manage this.

What I miss:
1) iOS 9 is really smooth on the 6S. I expect iOS 10 will be too. After that, Apple will give you the "free" upgrades that so many here are so proud of and that will eventually slow down your phone to a crawl!

2) Awesome browser in Safari. Nothing on Android comes close in terms of how smooth and fast the browser is

3) Syncs your iTunes library without any third part libraries.

4) In-built, offline dictionary, easily accessible from anywhere in the device. Why Android does not have it, I do not know yet but I use a workaround that serves the purpose.


I know, pretty soon I will be pissed off at Samsung for not providing an update to my Note 5. But I will remind myself how my 3G/3GS was screwed by Apple or how the users of 4 and 5 regret upgrading to iOS 7,8 and 9. Anyway, I change my phone quite frequently (even though I got a feeling that the Note 5 is a keeper) and I do not think this will be a problem.

For what the Note 5 provides today, it is definitely better value for money than the iPhone. I am pretty sure you will find many other Android phones that are value for money. However, I have noticed that in the quest to get the most bang for the buck, people tend to buy alleged flagship killers and then get disappointed when the camera is not up to mark (or <insert another feature here>) and then run back to iOS thinking it is the best platform. You should give Android a fair chance. It is improving by leaps and bounds - faster than Apple is improving their iOS platform

You touched on something interesting about multitasking. While the 2gb of ram does help, iOS still doesn't truly multitask. Like your example, you can't start a process and move away and come back to it expecting it to still be doing it or complete. It basically freezes everything in the background only to resume the previous state.

 

[macjunk(ie)]

You touched on something interesting about multitasking. While the 2gb of ram does help, iOS still doesn't truly multitask. Like your example, you can't start a process and move away and come back to it expecting it to still be doing it or complete. It basically freezes everything in the background only to resume the previous state.

and I am not sure why Apple can't do a better job at multitasking. The iPhones are clearly class leading when it comes to processing power. In my specific example, even though whatsapp was enabled in the background app refresh, it did not mean that i could walk away from it when it was uploading pics/videos to other groups. If i walked away and got back to it, it would start the entire upload process right from the start!

And I see a bit of irony in Apple's background app refresh thingy...Apple is a master in abstracting stuff...sometimes so much that it can be argued that they think its users are dumb. I am okay with that because until few years ago it meant Apple's products are easy to use. But today, users have to contend with a background app refresh? If users can understand this, then surely a file system is not too complex for the users to understand....

 

[kingston73]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I've gone ahead and bought a 6plus and I've used it for 1 day. So fast I'm liking it, for a great deal on swappa and even have an Apple leather case thrown in the deal.

 

[Elisha]

and I am not sure why Apple can't do a better job at multitasking. The iPhones are clearly class leading when it comes to processing power. In my specific example, even though whatsapp was enabled in the background app refresh, it did not mean that i could walk away from it when it was uploading pics/videos to other groups. If i walked away and got back to it, it would start the entire upload process right from the start!

And I see a bit of irony in Apple's background app refresh thingy...Apple is a master in abstracting stuff...sometimes so much that it can be argued that they think its users are dumb. I am okay with that because until few years ago it meant Apple's products are easy to use. But today, users have to contend with a background app refresh? If users can understand this, then surely a file system is not too complex for the users to understand....

I miss not being able to download torrents directly to my phone and the status bar is useless. It should at least have an indicator icon for when you have toggled the vibrate/silent switch. I often forget that I'm on silent until I realize I missed a bunch of notifications.

 

[BentTable123]

I have both a iphone and android (work) phone for several years. iPhone has more useful services out of the box like imessage, photostream, podcasts, facetime, visual voicemail and you freely download of google's apps like google maps, gmail, youtube, voice, etc. Android phones come with slightly better google services but don't have anything like imessage, podcasts, facetime built in. Also android phones come with a lot of bloatware, and you have to pay to get rid of ads in voicemail!!! Android phones definitely have better specs and I would argue better hardware including camera, homebutton, and screen, but iphone has better software and a lot less tinkering that is needed. I also like how you can block access to contacts, location services, etc in an iphone but with an android phone, you have to give access to everything and there's no fine grain control. iPhone of course gets a yearly major update every fall and your phone will be up to date for 4-5 years. With android you might be lucky to get one major update and after that you are obsolete.

 

[kargurin]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I've gone ahead and bought a 6plus and I've used it for 1 day. So fast I'm liking it, for a great deal on swappa and even have an Apple leather case thrown in the deal.

Apple leather case might be my favorite. Slim, naturally protective, perfect grip.

 

[PJM83]

I made the switch a while back from countless of androids to the 6S+. Actually I tried making the switch last year for the 6+ but I didn't stay, the 1gb of RAM was killing me. Went back to Android and then got the S about a month ago. This time the experience is much better and I can see myself staying. Was a iPhone user for the 3gs and 4 but then left because I wanted a bigger screen.

Now my brother-in-law is thinking about switching back also after I showed him my 6S+. The same guy who was laughing at me when I had the 6+ for such a short while.

 

[LovingTeddy]

I am going back and forth from iPhone to Android, then back to Android. I could not find myself liking iPhone let alone use iPhone for long period of time. The longest time I kept my iPhone as primary phone was 2 months.

I will tell you why:

1. Fils transfer and file operation on iOS is nightmare. Any external file need go through iTunes and it is pain in the butt. If you to download file from internet? Too bad, you cannot. The most thing you can do is save it to an app. It is maybe OK for common files like pdf, docx, potx, but for any uncommon file, like .zip, flc file, it is nightmare to handle. It is doable, but complicated. The worst part is I have to remember which all I opened with.

2. email attachment is painful as well. I tried to send few documents from Google Drive and email to coworker, nope cannot. I have to send one by one.

3. Multitasking is weak with iOS.

4. Last thing I want to get is Apple teaching me how to use my phone. I don't need Apple tell me you cannot change how iOS look becuase it gonna make iOS not uniform. I don't need Apple tell me you cannot downgrade iOS becuase of "security" reason.

5. Expand storage and USB otg.

6. iPhone's terrible battery life. I am able to get 6 hours of screen on time with 3 hous of video streaming continuously with my Moto X Play.

7. Choice. I wat 2K display, I have choice. I want expand storage, I have choice. I want high capacity battery, I have choice.

That is pretty much sums up all I want.

 

[eyoungren]

It should at least have an indicator icon for when you have toggled the vibrate/silent switch. I often forget that I'm on silent until I realize I missed a bunch of notifications.

Yeah, about that…

 

[Edge1978]

Yeah, about that…

View attachment 607582

I LOVE your background....Audrey Meadows.

I am a HUGE Honeymooners fan

 

[John Mcgregor]

Funny first thing i did i removed all the widgets from the screen on galaxy s6.