Switched from Android - my observations

[BlueGoldAce]

Please don't challenge my observations? Interesting way to end a post in a discussion an debate centric online community.
I am sure the posts above will help, like using non stock email app, etc.

But, copy and paste on iOS is ahead of android, up until android M. Android M changed its copy and paste set up to be more intuitive and similar to iOS.

Android does indeed have its advantages , but copy and paste wasn't one of them (past tense, because I haven't used Android M yet).

 

[kasakka]

I had android for a while and finally gave apple a chance I don't regret it it's always fun learning a new device. A few things that I hope get fixed is the lack of customization in the control center,thought that would be a no Brainer to let us change the toggles. Also I HATE that I can't access app settings from the apps themselves and instead I have to back out n hit the settings icon...-_-.

Having settings in one place is actually one of the things I like in iOS. On Android you always get different implementations and locations for settings, Facebook being one of the worst. That said it would be nice if you could access the relevant section from the app itself.

 

[cynics]

Having settings in one place is actually one of the things I like in iOS. On Android you always get different implementations and locations for settings, Facebook being one of the worst. That said it would be nice if you could access the relevant section from the app itself.

Uhm, that's the way iOS is. Some settings are in the app, some settings are in the setting.app.

 

[kasakka]

I would suggest that by the same token, every manufacturer's skinning and customizations would indicate that the manufacturer found glaring issues with the Android OS, so by those standards, Samsung, HTC, your carrier, etc don't think that stock Android is that great, so they do the equivalent of Android jailbreaking for you by re-skinning the whole thing in TouchWiz, Sense, etc.

I wouldn't write off jailbreaking for a means of completely changing the way you use your phone. It's been a long time since I've jailbroken with the old shiny iPod touches, but you can get a lot out of it like face-recognition unlocks, re-skinned home screens, retro-fitted 3D touch swipes, etc. This is a little bit old since it's for iOS 8, but if you want to check it out, this is a pretty good example of some jailbreaking tweaks you can use: http://phonerebel.com/top-100-ios-8-cydia-tweaks/

I totally agree with you and on my iPhone 4 I used to jailbreak because iOS was **** in many areas. The problem is that jailbreaking limits you to a specific version and has you waiting months for updates to the latest OS version. It's just something I would prefer avoiding so I haven't bothered jailbreaking my iPad Air 2 for example.

It's funny that the jailbreak community often comes out with far better ways to do something on iOS years before Apple introduces the same damn feature officially. I wouldn't be surprised if they are looking at jailbroken apps/tweaks for ideas.

For Android skinning the UI is generally more about differentiating the brand. Nowadays thankfully many phones come with a stock or near stock version of Android, with only useful stuff like display color correction or better notification light management baked in rather than the "look what gimmicks we came up with" Samsung was putting in a few years ago.

Unfortunately at the same time Android phones are becoming the same thing over and over again. It's hard to find good sub-5" phones and few manufacturers seem to do anything truly interesting. We are entering into a golden age where you get a lot crammed into a phone for very little money which makes Apple's offerings feel sour by comparison. It's just that subtle differences are the only reason to pick Android phone X over Y because there is nothing else to choose from.

 

[lordofthereef]

1. copy and paste function is very flawed and unstable,

2. very weak email handling in stock Mail app for accounts of Exchange, Hotmail, Gmail,

3. Siri being much less efficient than Androids alternative Google Now,

4. iOS 9 being unstable during hectic work sessions,

5. YouTube app not being able to view video in 1080p or 4k quality,

6. not being able to open some websites in Safari,

7. 3rd party keyboard crushing often, like Swift Key app,

8. loosing important emails with attachments,

9. no physical return button, is often a challenge,

I use both platforms (work phone is a Moto X) so I do have some questions, suggestions, and overall comments to most of your points.

1. Do you utilize 3D touch for copy and paste? It's touch to explain in text if you don't and require an explanation but search some YouTube videos. As much as I've "hated on" 3D Touch before using it, I think it's a boon, especially for this particularly.

2. I won't contest this. Since I only use iOS for personal email it hasn't been an issue. I use Gmail for email but I dislike the App. I've set forwarding up in such a way that I read all of my gmail forwarded to an iCloud account (thus receiving push email) but it is still sent through gmail. My wife does use exchange through work though and haven't complained, though she has virtually always been an iOS person.

3. Hey Siri has been pretty good for me although I do find that there are a lot more "let me check the web" moments than just finding me an immediate answer. If I want to search the web I'll do that manually, thank you Siri! Lol.

4. Tough to judge because I don't know what you're doing. It's great for me on my 6s plus but was terrible on 6 plus. This is a case of hardware limitations (for my experiences). I'm not sure what you're doing with it. If juggling two apps, 3D Touch app switcher (and the new "go back to" button in the top left) are great. Took some getting used to but multitasking is just faster for me now. I still yearn for split screen, which I don't think is unreasonable on a plus.

5. 4K I wouldn't care about since I'm limited
To a 1080p screen. I don't notice an issue when playing videos (they seem great to me, but then I don't play all that many videos and how stay haven't looked into setting to see exactly what quality they're playing on). My son plays quite a few videos in car rides and an hour of hd video seems to take up about 500-700mb

6. Never really had an issue here, but this depends on what you're trying to open. Flash has basically been abandoned by nearly everyone at this point, so again, if have to know what you're working with.

7. I've heard this. Unsure what the cause is (iOS versus just third party being poorly written). I don't really care for third party keyboards anyhow so tough to comment further.

8. Again, tough to comment. How are you "losing" emails? I'll concede some attachments are limited, probably, but in still unsure how spent Hong would be lost?

9. This is, again, difficult to say. I've been on iOS for years, and think 9 with force touch is actually fantastic. I don't find myself missing a back button, especially this year. With iOS 9 I find myself feeling a bit like Windows versus OS X. It's a different way of getting around and multitasking, but I find it equally as good.

 

[I7guy]

To add to the above.

1. copy/paste: don't know never had an issue with it. 3d touch makes it better
2. never had an issue with exchange accounts and yes it's critical that I deal effectively and efficiently with email. I use the gmail app because I don't want gmail in my stock mail.
3. siri, don't use it except "hey siri" while driving handsfree.
4. I find ios 9 to be as solid as a rock.
5. Youtube it's one of those things don't really care.
6. have no issues with safari at all. Can you list some websites that don't open?
7. don't use 3rd party keyboards.
8. This has never happened, not once.
9. this is an ios thing that you have to get used to.

If you are a dyed-in-the-wool android person, an iphone is not the right mobile device for you. (not saying you are). I played around with android on various occasions at the phone store and I realized that on a a day to day basis an iphone works better for me.

 

[VB Mermaid]

I have always had iPhones except for last year. I wanted a screen in between the 6 and the 6 plus so I ended up going with the s5. Worst year with a phone that I can remember, nothing in paticular really, I just didn't like it. I'm thrilled to now have a 6s Plus!!

 

[mrklaw]

Swipe right/left is more obvious or intuitive than pressing the lock button? I've never pocket answered a call.

As far as safari scrolling differences in screen real estate are the cause of the differences in the scrolling algorithms.

Yes, because swiping has an onscreen indicator. Pressing the lock button is an entirely hidden function which you have to learn - seems very un-Apple.

 

[I7guy]

Yes, because swiping has an onscreen indicator. Pressing the lock button is an entirely hidden function which you have to learn - seems very un-Apple.

I guess it was one of the first things I figured out...the lock button is a multifunction button that is context aware. Been like that through several operating system iterations.

 

[jamezr]

I am a constant switcher between Android and IOS. I have a iPhone 6s+ and a Galaxy Note 5. Love both phones and platforms. there are some things both of them do well and some things they don't do so well. Sometimes I switch weekly or just for the heck of it.
Some observations when switching to my 6s+ or Note 5.
1) Miss the back button. It is on the bottom right where my thumb can reach it and it is very convenient.
2) Notification light. Very useful to see what notification i have without touching my phone. Different color means a different notification.
3) Keyboards....the IOS keyboard is the best i have ever used...bar none. I make far less mistakes typing on my iphone.
4) Fingerprint scanners. TouchID is still the best. The larger bezels actually help the ergonomics. It makes it easier to hold my iphone and unlock my phone or apps.
5) Camera...not going to get into which one is better. There is a separate thread for that. But I love the voice controls on my Note 5. I can just say smile and it snaps a pic.
6) Battery life.......They both have great battery life. But my iphone is better at preserving battery life while not inuse.

 

[mrex]

maybe the Android store is more comfy, but the level of the released apps is way below the polished and authorized IOS apps. what would you prefer?

honestly, i dont see differences between apps. i have same apps on my ios/android devices. abit larger selection in android because of openness and productivity. what is the differences between these apps? nothing really, some are better on ios and some are better on android but mostly they are copies from each other. But... when the app crashes/is force closed on ios, i think what i did rather than it gives me any error message like in android. with android i like that it tells honestly when app was force closed, not hiding that like in ios...

 

[I7guy]

honestly, i dont see differences between apps. i have same apps on my ios/android devices. abit larger selection in android because of openness and productivity. what is the differences between these apps? nothing really, some are better on ios and some are better on android but mostly they are copies from each other. But... when the app crashes/is force closed on ios, i think what i did rather than it gives me any error message like in android. with android i like that it tells honestly when app was force closed, not hiding that like in ios...

The app crashes I've seen are not usually apple related, but are third party. A very recent update to vz navigator caused an app crash while opening the app, a delete and reinstall solved the issue. NJ Tix just rolled over and I can't log in no matter what, this is since IOS 9. Waiting for an update...this an app from a major transportation entity.

 

[pika2000]

Hello.
1. copy and paste function is very flawed and unstable,

2. very weak email handling in stock Mail app for accounts of Exchange, Hotmail, Gmail,

3. Siri being much less efficient than Androids alternative Google Now,

4. iOS 9 being unstable during hectic work sessions,

5. YouTube app not being able to view video in 1080p or 4k quality,

6. not being able to open some websites in Safari,

7. 3rd party keyboard crushing often, like Swift Key app,

8. loosing important emails with attachments,

9. no physical return button, is often a challenge,

I have used Android since Nexus 1, GNex, 4, 5, HTC One, Moto X, and lastly OnePlus One.

1. Copy-n-paste on iOS is more intuitive and better than Android

2. iOS stock email app is much better (HTML email, universal inbox) than Android's stock email app.

3. Different product positioning. Siri is designed to be a personal assistant, while Google Now is more of a proactive search. I do feel Google Now is more useful in some circumstances.

4. Android 5.1.1 (CM12) on my OnePlus One need a reboot at least once a day. Lock screen can crash, forcing a reboot. Frequent "system UI" force closing. iOS9 on my iPad mini 2 and 6S are much more stable.

5. Although it would be nice, realistically pointless as you probably won't be able to discern the difference on a small screen.

6. Please provide examples. Google Chrome is also webkit based, so there's no reason why some websites would open on it but not Safari

7. SwiftKey on iOS does feel more sluggish. However, not necessarily the OS' fault. Swift Key on my One Plus One also crashes.

8. Please elaborate.

9. Not needed considering most apps will have a back function on the UI (plus the back to previous app feature of iOS9)

There are things I like about Android, and I could probably stick with Android. However, Google and the OEMs forced me to switch to iOS.

 

[eyeseeyou]

Personally I can't believe there is no way to reject an incoming call from the lock screen except pressing the lock button. I only found that out by googling it. How many people have had their phone sitting there ringing away without knowing how to reject it? I really like the android method of requiring a swipe (to prevent accidental triggering in the pocket), but letting you swipe right to answer or left to reject.

This is a good point. I usually just reply with message

 

[sunking101]

This is a good point. I usually just reply with message

I press the Assistive Touch button, and then hit mute. It's incredibly stupid how we can't hang-up/reject an incoming call.

 

[jamezr]

I have used Android since Nexus 1, GNex, 4, 5, HTC One, Moto X, and lastly OnePlus One.

1. Copy-n-paste on iOS is more intuitive and better than Android

2. iOS stock email app is much better (HTML email, universal inbox) than Android's stock email app.

3. Different product positioning. Siri is designed to be a personal assistant, while Google Now is more of a proactive search. I do feel Google Now is more useful in some circumstances.

4. Android 5.1.1 (CM12) on my OnePlus One need a reboot at least once a day. Lock screen can crash, forcing a reboot. Frequent "system UI" force closing. iOS9 on my iPad mini 2 and 6S are much more stable.

5. Although it would be nice, realistically pointless as you probably won't be able to discern the difference on a small screen.

6. Please provide examples. Google Chrome is also webkit based, so there's no reason why some websites would open on it but not Safari

7. SwiftKey on iOS does feel more sluggish. However, not necessarily the OS' fault. Swift Key on my One Plus One also crashes.

8. Please elaborate.

9. Not needed considering most apps will have a back function on the UI (plus the back to previous app feature of iOS9)

There are things I like about Android, and I could probably stick with Android. However, Google and the OEMs forced me to switch to iOS.

Hey....for #4 on your list. I have had the OPO 1 and 2 and have never had those issues. You might need to do a factory reset. If you have done that already then you might have a defective unit.

 

[Rocko9999]

Hello.

I have now switched from Android to iPhone 6s. During first two weeks of hectic usage of my new iPhone, both for work and leisure. I want to reveal my observations of some of the major weakness of newest iPhone:


1. copy and paste function is very flawed and unstable,

2. very weak email handling in stock Mail app for accounts of Exchange, Hotmail, Gmail,

3. Siri being much less efficient than Androids alternative Google Now,

4. iOS 9 being unstable during hectic work sessions,

5. YouTube app not being able to view video in 1080p or 4k quality,

6. not being able to open some websites in Safari,

7. 3rd party keyboard crushing often, like Swift Key app,

8. loosing important emails with attachments,

9. no physical return button, is often a challenge,


Reason why I jumped on the Apple wagon now is that I assumed that after ten generations of iPhones, everything was polished and ready for the switch from my 8 years with Samsung and HTC phones. But, its far from ready. The result of this ”faulty” work by Apple is that on world basis Apple has only 14% of cellphone market share comparing to Androids 83% market share, I believe that this will not change in the near future, due to the above mentioned reasons and of course the obvious, iPhones are still massively overpriced.


Please do challenge my observations, come with suggestions on how to optimize iPhone for higher daily efficiency and performance. Because I truly want to give Apple a chance to convince me that iPhone is the tool for digital life.


Thank you

Having Note 4 for two weeks.

Scrolling on the Note 4 as a whole is much more choppy. Lag is present in much of the phones operations. Overall just less polished than IOS. But it has it's advantages. Love being able to access the file system, adding/removing music and files is a snap. Screen is much brighter and vibrant than 6s Plus. Back button rules. Both phones have merits, its just the 6s Plus is a highly engineered Japanese sports car and the Note is a muscle car.

 

[roeiz]

Having Note 4 for two weeks.

Scrolling on the Note 4 as a whole is much more choppy. Lag is present in much of the phones operations. Overall just less polished than IOS. But it has it's advantages. Love being able to access the file system, adding/removing music and files is a snap. Screen is much brighter and vibrant than 6s Plus. Back button rules. Both phones have merits, its just the 6s Plus is a highly engineered Japanese sports car and the Note is a muscle car.

yes. but i found out about ITools, and it's a game changer for me since using ITunes.
i just plug the phone and it's all so light and fast with doing anything you like with the phone.
adding music and stuff is 2 seconds after you plug the phone.

 

[AbsynthMinded]

There are a few apps that allow you to manage music without iTunes. I personally prefer iTunes since it gives me some flexibility cloud-wise to slap my music in iTunes, hand apple $25 for iTunes match for the year, and now I have unlimited (up to the max library size of 25,000 songs which don't include the songs that iTunes can match to equivalent albums on the store) streaming of my lossless (converted to 256kb aac) collection from iCloud. A similar approach would be to do it with Google Music, but what you're probably looking for is VLC.

VLC will let you steam from Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. It will also let you make a web interface on your LAN to upload files to.

View attachment 593222

VLC also lets you open webm files from Safari, so you can browse websites that use that format in Safari if you're willing to download the video to vlc to view.

A little off topic but I had to ask because it was mentioned here but how safe would it be to allow VLC access to your google drive? I don't know too much about VideoLan aside from the VLC media player it offers on Windows and OS X

 

[I7guy]

I press the Assistive Touch button, and then hit mute. It's incredibly stupid how we can't hang-up/reject an incoming call.

Or you could mute the phone? Or press the lock button?

 

[roeiz]

wanted to ask -
i really need to have the browser function i had in Opera (Android)
when after zooming in on a text page, the bigger text will always align itself into the screen (don't remember how it was called).. auto fit perhaps?
can this be done in Safari somehow?
thanks.

 

[thatanonymoususer]

wanted to ask -
i really need to have the browser function i had in Opera (Android)
when after zooming in on a text page, the bigger text will always align itself into the screen (don't remember how it was called)..
can this be done in Safari somehow?
thanks.

If you double-tap on a text field, Safari should zoom in and align the edges on a column of text. You could also check the top of the page to see if the reader view is available (It would show up in the URL bar).

EDIT:
Whoops looks like I mis-read. I don't think what you're specifically asking about is available, but reader view can cover some of those use-cases. Opera mini is also available on the App Store, but can't be made default.

 

[geoff5093]

Having settings in one place is actually one of the things I like in iOS. On Android you always get different implementations and locations for settings, Facebook being one of the worst. That said it would be nice if you could access the relevant section from the app itself.

That problem you mentioned is what's wrong with iOS. App settings are either in settings page, or in the app itself. On Android, all app settings are in the app.

 

[AbsynthMinded]

That problem you mentioned is what's wrong with iOS. App settings are either in settings page, or in the app itself. On Android, all app settings are in the app.

I wouldn't necessarily consider that a bad thing, but it depends on your experiences of course. The iOS settings control how the app interacts with your phone while the app settings control how the app works in its own environment. If an app is going nuts on my phone I can just stop/start it from iOS settings without actually having to uninstall or open it, for me that's more convenient.

 

[geoff5093]

I wouldn't necessarily consider that a bad thing, but it depends on your experiences of course. The iOS settings control how the app interacts with your phone while the app settings control how the app works in its own environment. If an app is going nuts on my phone I can just stop/start it from iOS settings without actually having to uninstall or open it, for me that's more convenient.

It's a huge inconvenience. If you are in an app and decide to stop notifications, you have to leave the app, go to settings, find the app, then disable it. It would make a lot more sense to simply have all app settings within the app.