Should I come back to the iPhone?

[bowlman2345]

I used to be the biggest Apple fan...had an iPhone immediately and loved it. But over the years, I got bored with it. The home screen design had gotten plain and boring, and the customizations just weren't there.

I've used Android for a while now and currently have the Note 5. After getting my iPad Pro, I realized that a part of me misses iOS and having an iPhone - especially the integration. I've felt like Apple has started to innovate the OS a bit better, although its design remains mostly unchanged. If I come back to iOS, I do feel like I'll miss the customization a bit, although it seems like Apple has started to open up a bit and let people take more control.

I think the IPhone 6s Plus would have better battery life than my Note 5 and I know it's plenty fast. Do you think Apple has innovated much with iOS in the last three years? Just looking for opinions. I think I'm close to going back, but can't help but be a bit hesitant.

Thanks for the opinions and suggestions.

 

[eyoungren]

I think Apple has been borrowing a few things from the jailbreakers, but their spin on it leaves a lot to be desired.

You still can't make a lot of customizations and I don't count being allowed to move icons around in a predefined pattern or put them in folders you can label as customization.

That said, there are a few things you can do now that you couldn't in past versions of iOS. Just depends on your viewpoint on how it works to determine if it's right for you or not.

There are reasons I jailbreak and this is a major one of those reasons.

 

[dark_knight177]

Please note that iPhone 6S Plus lags and stutters badly with iOS 9. Siri is a joke and Apple's cloud services are horrible.

These are the points against switching:

1. Siri can't use Google Maps, therefore you will be stuck with inferior product Apple Maps.
2. Siri is a POS that doesn't understand more than 50% of the time, where it's just easier to pull out my phone and complete the task manually. Google Now understands me 95% and saves tremendous amount of time when doing simple tasks.
3. You will have to use iCloud Photo Library which is unreliable POS. Yes you can use Google Photos but again, Apple doesn't allow it to be the default photo app, therefore you will be stuck with inferior iCloud if you want to have acceptable user experience.
4. Copy and paste is very buggy in iOS 9 and doesn't work half of the time. Whereas it works 100% in Android
5. No native push support for Gmail, if you want to use native mail app. Yes you can download Gmail app but again you can't set it as default mail app. Again you are stuck with inferior product.
6. iOS 9 is a joke and stutters on the Plus model, despite iPhone 6S Plus having the most powerful CPU in the world.
7. Too many other bugs to list.

These are the points for switching:
1. You miss iOS
2. iPhone 6S Plus currently has the highest benchmark score, but again it lags horribly due to inefficient OS.
3. iMessage

 

[bbrks]

wooooow, you must be one very disappointed iPhone user .....strange, I have completely different experience, but OK, it's just me

 

[thed0g]

wooooow, you must be one very disappointed iPhone user .....strange, I have completely different experience, but OK, it's just me

Yeah, he's the only one.

Just ignore the tens of other topics about iOS 9 being a ********.

For the OP, skip the 9 and check out how 10 turns out. Based on 9, the iPhone 6S will stutter on iOS 10 anyway, so you would be screwed and would have to "upgrade" to iPhone 7 like an obedient consumer anyway.

 

[Jasmynp]

I had a note 5 and went to the Huawei P8Max. There are limits to international phones that I didn't anticipate so I came back to the trusty experience of Apple. (Although leaner and cleaner, Touchwiz is still annoying so going back to Samsung wasn't an option.) While I came back to Apple, I didn't come back to the iPhone. Instead I ported my number to google and use an LTE iPad as my mobile device. The upsides for me are more screen real estate, no padded carrier cell phone bills for the few calls I make, beautiful apps (android apps aren't as easy on the eyes,) and the tried and true Apple experience. It's not as much fun to set up an iDevice as it is to set up and configure an android device, but once you're set up, that parts over. All that's left is using it day to day and that can be as exciting or as boring as your apps make it, no matter the OS.

Also I haven't had any lagging or iOS 9 issues, admittedly, I got my iPad Air 2 about a week and some change ago.

 

[rugmankc]

I have none of the complaints mentioned--6s Plus is great--best phone I have owned--

 

[aces99]

I used to be the biggest Apple fan...had an iPhone immediately and loved it. But over the years, I got bored with it. The home screen design had gotten plain and boring, and the customizations just weren't there.

I've used Android for a while now and currently have the Note 5. After getting my iPad Pro, I realized that a part of me misses iOS and having an iPhone - especially the integration. I've felt like Apple has started to innovate the OS a bit better, although its design remains mostly unchanged. If I come back to iOS, I do feel like I'll miss the customization a bit, although it seems like Apple has started to open up a bit and let people take more control.

I think the IPhone 6s Plus would have better battery life than my Note 5 and I know it's plenty fast. Do you think Apple has innovated much with iOS in the last three years? Just looking for opinions. I think I'm close to going back, but can't help but be a bit hesitant.

Thanks for the opinions and suggestions.

iPhone has made a few changes in the last few years but not a whole lot. You still can't really do much customizing like change default apps, move icons to a specific stop, set preferred wifi priority, make proper folders, etc. I wish they would open things up a bit but I doubt they will for awhile. I am thinking the opposite of you, I am on the fence and seriously considering leaving Apple. But I do like the fact that it just works and the integration part. Will see what they came out with for the iPad Air 3 and new iPhone. Decisions decisions.

 

[bowlman2345]

Wow, I guess I'm surprised...sounds like maybe I should stay where I am.

 

[JackieInCo]

Wow, I guess I'm surprised...sounds like maybe I should stay where I am.

I would give the current iPhone a chance. I think Apple has made some amazing changes to the iOS over the years and SIRI works pretty darned good. This forum has a lot of iPhone haters and they will do their best to try and talk people out of buying an iPhone and giving it a chance.

I bought both a 6S and a 6S+ last month and I have no regrets. Love my iPhones.

 

[Neverbepeace]

Should you come back to the iPhone?

 

[blairh]

As a former Android user I feel iOS is a smoother and overall better experience. I also like the fact that I can have an issue resolved at an Apple store versus dealing with sales reps at a carrier store or being told to call an OEM.

 

[Elisha]

iOS is still iOS. Very limited. But the battery life is phenomenal.
I agree about Siri and Maps being inferior.
Not being able to set default apps is a pain as well.
Eventually you will accept the limitations and live with it begrudgingly.

 

[dark_knight177]

I also like the fact that I can have an issue resolved at an Apple store versus dealing with sales reps at a carrier store or being told to call an OEM.

That's false. You can't just walk-in into Apple Store and have your iPhone fixed. First you will have to make Genius bar appointment, then you will find out that Genius Bar is booked up to one week out. At least all the Apple stores in my area are completely booked one week out. Dealing with apple store is not better than dealing with OEMs.

But if you buy Nexus directly from Google, google will ship the phone out to you next day, then you will just put your old phone into the prepaid box and you are done! Apple also has this service, called "Advance Replacement" but they charge you $40 for it, even though it's not your fault the phone is defective.
[doublepost=1452382095][/doublepost]

As a former Android user I feel iOS is a smoother and overall better experience

If you are coming from a $50 Android phone, then yes you will have a much better experience, but you can't really compare a budget Android phone to a flagship iOS device.

 

[C DM]

That's false. You can't just walk-in into Apple Store and have your iPhone fixed. First you will have to make Genius bar appointment, then you will find out that Genius Bar is booked up to one week out. At least all the Apple stores in my area are completely booked one week out. Dealing with apple store is not better than dealing with OEMs.

But if you buy Nexus directly from Google, google will ship the phone out to you next day, then you will just put your old phone into the prepaid box and you are done! Apple also has this service, called "Advance Replacement" but they charge you $40 for it, even though it's not your fault the phone is defective.
[doublepost=1452382095][/doublepost]
If you are coming from a $50 Android phone, then yes you will have a much better experience, but you can't really compare a budget Android phone to a flagship iOS device.

Sure you can just walk in and get things done. I've done it personally a few times, and know of others as well. Is it something that's always the case or is the case for everyone? No. But it has been and can be still be done.

 

[JackieInCo]

That's false. You can't just walk-in into Apple Store and have your iPhone fixed. First you will have to make Genius bar appointment, then you will find out that Genius Bar is booked up to one week out. At least all the Apple stores in my area are completely booked one week out. Dealing with apple store is not better than dealing with OEMs.

But if you buy Nexus directly from Google, google will ship the phone out to you next day, then you will just put your old phone into the prepaid box and you are done! Apple also has this service, called "Advance Replacement" but they charge you $40 for it, even though it's not your fault the phone is defective.
[doublepost=1452382095][/doublepost]
If you are coming from a $50 Android phone, then yes you will have a much better experience, but you can't really compare a budget Android phone to a flagship iOS device.

I too feel it's smoother coming from Note 4 and a Note Edge. The Note edge was a $1000 phone. Is that more comparable?

 

[GreenPea]

LOL! I just came back to the iPhone TODAY.
Like you, I got a little bored with Apple and quite frankly I get a little upset with the amount of money Apple is charging for an iPhone these days. So I sold my 6S and bought a Samsung Galaxy S6.
At first I liked it ok, but I quickly realized that I miss the simplicity, quality, and style of Apple/Iphone.
The Samsung S6 is a nice phone, but is not near as quality as my iPhone 6S. (in my opinion)

Reasons why I changed back:
1) Battery Life is MUCH better on the iPhone 6S. (there is a HUGE difference in battery life)
2) I like the Apps better on IOS. (the same apps. on android didn't operate as well as on iOS.)
3) Android phones feel "buggy" to me. (iPhone is more consistent)
4) I like Simplicity better than "bells and whistles". I don't need all of the customization, it's overrated.
(The iPhone feels like a Porsche 911 compared to the Samsung which feels like a souped up Corvette. While the stats may be similar.... the quality, performance, and feel are stronger with the iPhone.)
5) I like the email set-up on iPhone/ios much better than Android/Gmail. (even the FONT, I know... weird)
6) The overall fit and finish on the iPhone "screams" quality when compared to most Android phones.
7) I could upload photos from camera onto Craigslist directly with my Samsung S6.
8) There is an intangible "measure" that iPhone has for me over Android phones.
9) I like Apple's FONT much better.
10) Too many "moving parts" for me on Android. (Keep it simple, stupid)
11) Iphone 6S Equals "Classic" simplicity, style, and quality to me.

So, while I have a healthy respect for Samsung and Android, I had to admit that I made a mistake and went back to iPhone 6S. I had sold my 1st iPhone 64gb for $600. I bought this new one 64gb, still in plastic, for $500 ca$h. So I guess I made $100.

There are MANY souped up American made cars that have all of the "splashy" stats; however, I prefer the Porsche 911.
just my .02

 

[dark_knight177]

I too feel it's smoother coming from Note 4 and a Note Edge. The Note edge was a $1000 phone. Is that more comparable?

Note edge came out in 2014 so you should comepare it to iPhone 6 Plus which also came out in 2014. Granted iPhone 6 Plus is a complete lagfest on iOS 9

 

[aces99]

SIRI works pretty darn good? Half then time I ask SIRI something either she doesn't understand what I asked or I get something totally different than what I wanted. It is easier to just type what I want. Google Now is better. Would be nice is Apple gave us the other to change the default apps.

 

[aces99]

LOL! I just came back to the iPhone TODAY.
Like you, I got a little bored with Apple and quite frankly I get a little upset with the amount of money Apple is charging for an iPhone these days. So I sold my 6S and bought a Samsung Galaxy S6.
At first I liked it ok, but I quickly realized that I miss the simplicity, quality, and style of Apple/Iphone.
The Samsung S6 is a nice phone, but is not near as quality as my iPhone 6S. (in my opinion)

Reasons why I changed back:
1) Battery Life is MUCH better on the iPhone 6S. (there is a HUGE difference in battery life)
2) I like the Apps better on IOS. (the same apps. on android didn't operate as well as on iOS.)
3) Android phones feel "buggy" to me. (iPhone is more consistent)
4) I like Simplicity better than "bells and whistles". I don't need all of the customization, it's overrated.
(The iPhone feels like a Porsche 911 compared to the Samsung which feels like a souped up Corvette. While the stats may be similar.... the quality, performance, and feel are stronger with the iPhone.)
5) I like the email set-up on iPhone/ios much better than Android/Gmail. (even the FONT, I know... weird)
6) The overall fit and finish on the iPhone "screams" quality when compared to most Android phones.
7) I could upload photos from camera onto Craigslist directly with my Samsung S6.
8) There is an intangible "measure" that iPhone has for me over Android phones.
9) I like Apple's FONT much better.
10) Too many "moving parts" for me on Android. (Keep it simple, stupid)
11) Iphone 6S Equals "Classic" simplicity, style, and quality to me.

So, while I have a healthy respect for Samsung and Android, I had to admit that I made a mistake and went back to iPhone 6S. I had sold my 1st iPhone 64gb for $600. I bought this new one 64gb, still in plastic, for $500 ca$h. So I guess I made $100.

There are MANY souped up American made cars that have all of the "splashy" stats; however, I prefer the Porsche 911.
just my .02

Have you tried the top Nexus phone. I heard they are a stripped down Android version without all the bloat. That might make a difference compared to the other Android phones. If I go with Android I will go Th a Nexus. But I hear you the simplicity and smoothness of Apple is nice

 

[blairh]

That's false. You can't just walk-in into Apple Store and have your iPhone fixed. First you will have to make Genius bar appointment, then you will find out that Genius Bar is booked up to one week out. At least all the Apple stores in my area are completely booked one week out. Dealing with apple store is not better than dealing with OEMs.

But if you buy Nexus directly from Google, google will ship the phone out to you next day, then you will just put your old phone into the prepaid box and you are done! Apple also has this service, called "Advance Replacement" but they charge you $40 for it, even though it's not your fault the phone is defective.
[doublepost=1452382095][/doublepost]
If you are coming from a $50 Android phone, then yes you will have a much better experience, but you can't really compare a budget Android phone to a flagship iOS device.

I've had iPhone's fixed at the Apple store in the past with no reservation. Depends how busy they are.

I just made an appointment to have my iPhone looked at. I live in a busy area of Boston suburbs and there are reservations available tomorrow.

Yes it is better. I can speak to a human in person. My friend had their iPhone replaced last month out of warranty. It does happen at times. You won't get that anywhere else.

I wasn't comparing it to a budget Android devices. I used an S4 for a year. And a Nexus 5 for 6 months.

 

[pika2000]

But over the years, I got bored with it. The home screen design had gotten plain and boring, and the customizations just weren't there.

Do you think Apple has innovated much with iOS in the last three years? Just looking for opinions. I think I'm close to going back, but can't help but be a bit hesitant.

Thanks for the opinions and suggestions.

You got "bored" with the home screen? If that is the level of "innovation" you are expecting, then stick with Android. Android will have different OEMs doing different skins and you can change the home screen, so you will never get bored. Don't bother with iPhones.

 

[bowlman2345]

I had the iPhone 6 Plus and went to the Note 5. I loved my Note 5 more at first. But one thing I've noticed with all my Android devices is the battery life always starts fading faster after the first 4-6 months and it slows down considerably. It's happened with every single Android device I've had so far. I don't remember having these issues on my iPhone. It was consistent. I like some of the features more on my Note 5, but I do wish the battery life would have held up and the speed would have too.

 

[BradWould]

I have the iPhone 6S + and honestly I don't see where all of the problems previous posters are. This whole "serious lag" stuff is a joke. I just don't see it AT ALL and I'm tired of reading about it. As far as the "iOS isn't powerful enough" or "Apple limits the potential of iOS" arguments go, I also strongly disagree. iOS is a secure, stable, non fragmented, powerful OS. People expect different things from their phones, I get that. But seriously, I say "hey Siri, goodnight " and all of the lights in my damn house turn off. How much more power do you need. I am a fan of Apple so you can count me as one of the sheep if you like but until they give me an actual reason to look elsewhere I will be sticking with the iPhone.


Edit: I lost track of the point. Yes I think you should come back to the iPhone.

 

[pika2000]

I had the iPhone 6 Plus and went to the Note 5. I loved my Note 5 more at first. But one thing I've noticed with all my Android devices is the battery life always starts fading faster after the first 4-6 months and it slows down considerably. It's happened with every single Android device I've had so far. I don't remember having these issues on my iPhone. It was consistent. I like some of the features more on my Note 5, but I do wish the battery life would have held up and the speed would have too.

Ditch that Note 5 for the Nexus 6P.