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Why I decided not to buy the iPhone 5.

So if the unlocked and unsubsidized price of the two top end smartphones are the same, S4 and iPhone 5, it's the local carriers that are overcharging. Not Apple.

If your iPhone was stolen, which is why you're in this situation, maybe buy insurance next time. It's costs only $50 a yr and covers all my iPhones and computers. Part of my home insurance.
 
I've thought about switching and giving and HTC or Samsung a try a few times, but the problems with all of my iPhones have been so minimal that I can't bring myself to do it. I'd kick myself if there was the slightest problem with the hardware or I wasn't crazy about the OS. Perhaps I have been lucky up until now though (watch my iPhone have a meltdown today after I post this).
 
SlCKB0Y said:
If I were you (an iPhone user migrating to Android), I would wait for the next GED device to be announced (Google Experience Device - usually, but not always Nexus). This is rumoured to be at Google I/O, May 15-17.

These devices have the following benefits

1. Pure Android experience, devoid of OEM and carrier bloat.
2. First devices to get software updates which come directly from Google.
3. Highest app compatibility as they are frequently used as developer devices.
4. Unlocked bootloader
5. Trivially easy to root.
6. As Google is involved in the hardware development of these devices, they have the highest degree of "vertical integration" found in the Android world.
7. Very small profit margin and are extremely good value for people who buy unsubsidised.

Former iOS users are less likely to notice deficits in areas they previously took for granted (eg software updates).

It all depends on if you like the hardware they release later this month.
Click to expand...

Thats incredible advice dude thanks. I read that LG is teaming up with google to create the next nexus again. Is there a place to purchase this in Australia? And would it be worth looking at the previous next generation nexus?

I don't necessarily need the latest & greatest but an Australian model would be great. Cheers

----------
zachlegomaniac said:
I've thought about switching and giving and HTC or Samsung a try a few times, but the problems with all of my iPhones have been so minimal that I can't bring myself to do it. I'd kick myself if there was the slightest problem with the hardware or I wasn't crazy about the OS. Perhaps I have been lucky up until now though (watch my iPhone have a meltdown today after I post this).
Click to expand...

Man, I understand. It's similar for me, although I've become less and less dependent on apples os, and although I love the minamilist easy to navigate interface, I messed around with my brothers phone today ( he doesn't care really ) and set it up in a way so it's just as easy to do on the gs3, just chucked a few shortcuts in there, easy to navigate :)
 
Fouracre44 said:
Thats incredible advice dude thanks. I read that LG is teaming up with google to create the next nexus again. Is there a place to purchase this in Australia? And would it be worth looking at the previous next generation nexus?
Click to expand...

No problem. Australia seems to be a tier one release site for Google devices now (we got Nexus 7, 4 and 10 at the same time as the UK and USA).

If they release one it will be available from the Devices section of the Google Play Store for sale direct to Australian consumers: https://play.google.com/store/devices

You'll know within the next two or three weeks if there is a phone coming out and whether its features and specifications interest you.

If not, you can't really go to wrong with a GS4!

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viewfly said:
So if the unlocked and unsubsidized price of the two top end smartphones are the same, S4 and iPhone 5, it's the local carriers that are overcharging. Not Apple.
Click to expand...

Generally in Australia unlocked/unsubsidised phones are sourced either direct from the company (Eg. Apple Store, Samsung Store) or their retail partners, not carriers.

The iPhone price quoted before was direct pricing from Apple Store.
 
DesertEagle said:
There's a chance that after you've been using Android for a while, you'll miss iOS.

But if that doesn't happen, then good for you :)
Click to expand...

I sold my iPhone 4S in January and bought Nexus 4 in March. Now I really miss iOS and hope iPhone 5S will be released earlier.

Anyway I totally agree that iPhone is overpriced, even with much higher quality both in hardware and apps.
 
SlCKB0Y said:
Generally in Australia unlocked/unsubsidised phones are sourced either direct from the company (Eg. Apple Store, Samsung Store) or their retail partners, not carriers.

The iPhone price quoted before was direct pricing from Apple Store.
Click to expand...

As are the prices I quoted. Direct from Apple, $649 and $749. Samsung through Best Buy is $749
 
I have found this thread very interesting. My impression is:
1. Apple had a huge gap with all manufacturer's when the original iPhone came out. Since then the gap has closed much, particularly with Samsung Galaxy S2/HTC one. Hence some people say Apple is overpriced compared to competition. The value proposition has a gap in the perceived value in comparison to the past.
2. Android is not all that it is painted out to be, regarding Flexibility etc.I have a Samsung GS2 and also played with the Nexus 4. The lag is horrendous on Android even with Jelly Bean.
3. To those who complain about how much flexibility a replaceable batter in Samsung is over the iPhone and about flexibility to add Ram consider this: The Samsung battery WILL need a battery replacement in a year's time and it costs $38 for OE. The SD RAM slows down your Apps that store data there. For my camera, as my SGS2 writes the camera image to SD, the camera freezes for a few moments.
4. Most of competitor products in 18 months look like they were put in a drier for 30 minutes. How many really old models of Apple's competitor do you see in usage, compared to older models of iPhones.


However, there are 2 key reasons I am not using the iPhone 5 as my main phone:
1. Currently T-mobile does not provide Wi-Fi calling on the iPhone 5 compared to Android and BB. Wi-Fi calling is a very useful tool when I travel overseas.
2. The swype input in my SGS2 is far better than my iPhone 5. One can hold the phone in one hand and move the thumb rapidly to each character to get the word input very rapidly.

A minor feature of the find my phone in Android can find the last location it was in usage whereas in the case of iPhone it only shows if it is currently connected or connected next time. But if the iPhone is wiped there is no recourse.
 
DesertEagle said:
There's a chance that after you've been using Android for a while, you'll miss iOS.

But if that doesn't happen, then good for you :)
Click to expand...

Exactly what happened to me. Note that the Android phone in my signature remains the old Galaxy Nexus, but the iOS phone has gone from the iPhone 4S to the iPhone 5.
 
upnorth85 said:
2. Android is not all that it is painted out to be, regarding Flexibility etc.I have a Samsung GS2 and also played with the Nexus 4. The lag is horrendous on Android even with Jelly Bean.
Click to expand...

This is really interesting. On a modern phone on 4.2 like the Nexus 4, I've found the lag to be absolutely minimal.

How many really old models of Apple's competitor do you see in usage, compared to older models of iPhones.
Click to expand...

I see an awful lot of iPhone 4/4S around with horribly cracked screens or backs that the owner seems resigned to continue using.
 
Hi guys, here is somewhat of a twist to the thread and a total 180 of my original intentions.

So I did my research, tried out a few phones. I ended up buying a HTC one, throwing it in an otterbox commuter at this stage ( I know you sissies think this is a crime, but I'm a tradie and I need my phone protected a little bit more).

As someone who has migrated from IOS may I say WOW, I certainly didn't need the bells and whistles of the s4 and I much prefer HTC sense which I think has matured and is excellent. This phone is fast, reliable, has excellent sound, call quality and is great. Immediately, the downsides for me were non removeable battery and added storage ability, although 32 is enough for me as I don't watch movies, I do have games and I put a few descent albums on there but that's all at this stage, I also use apps in my job and my life ( which I've yet to find good versions of on the app store ).

Build quality is exceptional, I think HTC is back in a big way and although you still dont have the ease of use of the iphone, this thing is excellent, premium and mature device. It's also good looking for the people that care about that sort of thing and don't want to put a big ugly case on it like I'm doing ( which I think looks great ).

I bought the phone outright because I was tired of waiting to get another phone, after a few months I decided it was time and I couldn't be more pleased. I'm not on an expensive plan, I went on a cheaper plan and added data to it for when I'm not at home on my wifi.

This is it for me guys, cheers for the all the advice. I look forward to having a solid smart phone again and getting to know another operating system, I know everyone raves about it but I'm glad I didn't end up getting the s4.

I wonder if I'll be back, I usually don't make choices lightly so It is gonna take some serious frustration and lag to get me back to a new iphone.

Cheers guys
 
OP I have this problem with ALL Apple products. Not being able to justify an expense isn't a bad thing. For what you get per dollar Apple products are very expensive.

I'd suggest looking at the overall experience from build quality to customer service to even resale. If after you look at everything you still can't justify the expense then maybe its not the right product for you.

Nothing wrong with that!
 
I do hope you enjoy your new phone. Keep in mind that you will need some time to get used to Android. There are some subtle differences between Android and iOS that going from one to another may cause some frustration initially. As for whether or not you like Android long term, it just depends on whether or not and how much you take advantage of the flexibility of Android. Some people love that flexibility, some people couldn't care less.

There are some trade offs that may affect how you like Android. My experience as an Android user trying an iPhone is that the UI was noticeably smoother. This was over 2 years ago. Android phones have gotten much smoother since, but you may still notice some difference. You'll have to decide if this bothers you or not. I can see why some people who have switched away from iOS do not like the fact that Android is less smooth than iOS.

I'd be interested in hearing your opinion of the switch after a few weeks.
 
Stuntman06 said:
I do hope you enjoy your new phone. Keep in mind that you will need some time to get used to Android. There are some subtle differences between Android and iOS that going from one to another may cause some frustration initially. As for whether or not you like Android long term, it just depends on whether or not and how much you take advantage of the flexibility of Android. Some people love that flexibility, some people couldn't care less.

There are some trade offs that may affect how you like Android. My experience as an Android user trying an iPhone is that the UI was noticeably smoother. This was over 2 years ago. Android phones have gotten much smoother since, but you may still notice some difference. You'll have to decide if this bothers you or not. I can see why some people who have switched away from iOS do not like the fact that Android is less smooth than iOS.

I'd be interested in hearing your opinion of the switch after a few weeks.
Click to expand...


That's well said man, it's certainly got more bells and whistles than iOS and sometimes you know you just want your phone to be fluid, easy to use & don't care about that other stuff. But man, so far after the first few days I'm enjoying it. I'm actually doing my best to make it an easy to use phone, I'm very tach savvy but I enjoy my devices to be simple, easy to use so that using my phone for my work and personal is quick and easy. I've organised everything into folders, and man HTC sense is great, it's not like samsung which is full of useless crap, it has real benefits and this phone is easy to use for me, my father found this phone easy to use but he still loves iphones better.

I think while initially I'll be like, oh I miss the iphone os because I know it, if I stick this out it could be great for me in the long run. I hope android continues to mature as an OS and improves on this experience. HTC has an excellent influence on jelly bean in this version I'm running and honestly, the phone is a joy to use, INCREDIBLY smooth, excellent call quality, sound quality, great on screen keyboard, although I know use a swiftkey app. And an excellent selection of apps compared to the olden days of android.

I would recommend this phone to any one who is looking for something a little different to IOS and anyone whos bored with it ( I wasnt ) and wants to do a few different things. I think samsung interferes with android just a little to much and their features which are popular amongst heaps of people on the new gs4 just don't appeal to me. Although HTC holds a small ( and decreasing ) market share amongst smart phone users, I think this is a HUGE comeback. I loved the ONE XL ( Telstras variant of the the one x, or the dual core verson to you international people ) which was zippy, without lag and a great interface. I think this is certainly my official switch to android.

The phone is durable, excellent quality and the screen is awesome. It's going to be interesting to see how this phone works for me in future, so far, today was my first day using the phone at work. I'm an electrician by trade, and I work on power lines mostly, but I also work in tight spaces in commerical and industrial areas too so it's vital I put a case on it. I am using the otterbox commuter which looks great on the phone, it looks like a beauty of a smart phone and at the moment, allows me to easily contact my boss and colleagues, it is a great tool for business but also heaps of fun. Heading off to the pub this evening, wouldn't have taken my iphone out before, but since I got a solid case, I am comfortable taking this phone out with me in the chance that I have a bit to drink. Maybe I shall film it and do a beer submerge.

I look forward to updating and letting everyone know whether this device ends up causing me so much frustration I end up biting the bullet and buying an iphone and being done with it, or this marks the start of my android journey.


Cheers guys ;) appreciate the contributions to the thread.
 
Fouracre44 said:
I believe that there is no value for money in the iphone and it's honestly, just too much of a PREMIUM consumer product.
Click to expand...

I can sympathize with your sentiment, however, you must understand that Apple never intended the iPhone to be a "value for money" product; it was always intended to be a "premium" product.

If you want to save money, one way to do it is to hold off on the update cycle. I'm still using the iPhone 4 and I don't plan to upgrade until the iPhone 6 comes out. Even the iPhone is not that expensive if you decide to upgrade only once every 3-4 years instead of every year.
 
badman89 said:
I can sympathize with your sentiment, however, you must understand that Apple never intended the iPhone to be a "value for money" product; it was always intended to be a "premium" product.

If you want to save money, one way to do it is to hold off on the update cycle. I'm still using the iPhone 4 and I don't plan to upgrade until the iPhone 6 comes out. Even the iPhone is not that expensive if you decide to upgrade only once every 3-4 years instead of every year.
Click to expand...

I do understand that, which is why I haven't bagged on the iphone or anything, it's insanely good quality, the iphone is great. And I've actually somehow ended up with a phone in a similar price range ( the htc one ) I just believe there are many things apple needs to solve and do in terms of the iphone, but it really is great device.

I don't think the iphone is actually worth the money it cost, but that's a whole different argumenent.

I' had the 3gs and then the 4s, and I'd still be using the 4s had my phone not been stolen. I am gonna grab insurance on this next mobile plan.
 
Fouracre44 said:
I do understand that, which is why I haven't bagged on the iphone or anything, it's insanely good quality, the iphone is great. And I've actually somehow ended up with a phone in a similar price range ( the htc one ) I just believe there are many things apple needs to solve and do in terms of the iphone, but it really is great device.

I don't think the iphone is actually worth the money it cost, but that's a whole different argumenent.

I' had the 3gs and then the 4s, and I'd still be using the 4s had my phone not been stolen. I am gonna grab insurance on this next mobile plan.
Click to expand...
Which is it the iPhone is great but not worth the money?? But you still pay just as much for a HTC one. And you are in a passive aggressive way bashing the iPhone.#all of the top smart phones are in the same price range. HTC had to make an all metal phone just to get back in the game but they lack an ecosystem.
 
osofast240sx said:
Which is it the iPhone is great but not worth the money?? But you still pay just as much for a HTC one. And you are in a passive aggressive way bashing the iPhone.#all of the top smart phones are in the same price range. HTC had to make an all metal phone just to get back in the game but they lack an ecosystem.
Click to expand...

What do you mean the HTC One lacks an ecosystem? Being Android it has a big ecosystem? Or do you mean it doesn't have other HTC devices it syncs with??
 
Fouracre44 said:
That's well said man, it's certainly got more bells and whistles than iOS and sometimes you know you just want your phone to be fluid, easy to use & don't care about that other stuff. But man, so far after the first few days I'm enjoying it. I'm actually doing my best to make it an easy to use phone, I'm very tach savvy but I enjoy my devices to be simple, easy to use so that using my phone for my work and personal is quick and easy. I've organised everything into folders, and man HTC sense is great, it's not like samsung which is full of useless crap, it has real benefits and this phone is easy to use for me, my father found this phone easy to use but he still loves iphones better.
Click to expand...

I've used both an HTC phone and a Samsung phone. I currently own a Galaxy S3 and was using an HTC Desire Z before it died. Both UIs do offer some things that I actually like. HTC has the best widgets I have ever seen. I love the Twitter and Calendar full screen widgets. I really miss these and have had to use Android Pro Widgets as inferior substitutes.

Samsung TouchWiz does have the power controls in the notification bar. I like the fact that I can access the auto-rotate from the notification bars. The home key on the bottom is something that is convenient to wake the phone when it is in my car mount. Samsung does have its own set of apps which I don't care for. I normally just leave them off my home screens, but it does bother me to update from time to time.

I currently use Nova Prime launcher to replace the home screen. I can't stand the dock that seems to be default on all phones these days. When I swipe sideways to go to a different home screen, I want all of the screen objects to change except for the notification bar. I can also add extra rows and columns of screen objects with this launcher. I just add 2 extra rows and remove the dock. If you are looking for some more home screen customisation capability, you can look into alternate launchers. The only downside is that the HTC specific widgets may not work with alternate launchers.
 
osofast240sx said:
Which is it the iPhone is great but not worth the money?? But you still pay just as much for a HTC one. And you are in a passive aggressive way bashing the iPhone.#all of the top smart phones are in the same price range. HTC had to make an all metal phone just to get back in the game but they lack an ecosystem.
Click to expand...

Why did this comment get a like? Lol

I'm not passive agressive. Okay, let me say it straight out, I think the iphone is great, however not worth the same amount of money as the HTC one, I prefer to use the better hardware and I like HTC sense a little more than iOS, which is cool but needs a swift kick in the butt. I understand for majority of people it's great, and it worked for me, but It's not worth $788 to ME, again it is to other people.

I think the iphones design isn't as good as the HTC one, not just the hardware, becasue the iphone is insanely smooth, but now the software, and I prefer android. iphone costs $788 outright, that's too much for what it provides.

Both great phones, I just think the reason why I'd pay MORE of or as much for the HTC one is because it's a better phone for me. I don't care about phones looks but compare the finish on the iphone 5 to the HTC one, which I did before I had the phone. WOW, iphone 5s finish is MUCH MUCH less appealing, and also ten times more prone to scratching and peeling. I know they are just phones so all in all your going to be happy with either one, but I am happy I've made the switch and it's proving to be a good device for work & also a good weekend device.

This was not really about what one phone is better than the other, mainly just why I thought the iphone wasn't a good buy. You've got to admit, no matter what side you are on, Android is catching up and in some ways they are ahead of the game. I have yet to use windows OS or BlackBerry so I can't say android is the best, but I do enjoy it a little more than os, there has to be some people that agree with me and who have owned both phones.

One thing I do miss is the fact that I know the OS, I know what notification settings I like, what privacy, security settings I like, what app settings etc.. I have to figure out a whole new way to make this device my own and to tune the settings. One of the things with the htc one, is setting up power saving, customising blink feed, just gotta get it up & running again.


The biggest downside is I now have to re buy all of my apps that I want, and I feel that my iOS apps may go to waste which was a fair few. I'll get there.

Cheers
 
From GS3 to iphone

Hey guys,
I have a macbook pro retina, an ipad 3 and a samsung s3. I feel android isnt really fulfilling my needs especially since I have two other apple devices. I want something that just works with no lag and something I can sync easily with my macbook. Do you guys recommend I buy an iPhone 5 and get the iOS 7 when it comes out in June? Wait for the iPhone 5s or stick to android and enjoy the best of both worlds?
Appreciate it.
 
It's like they say, if Apple released the iPhone today as the first one, it wouldn't sell nearly as well. However there's safety in numbers, and there's safety in the iPhone. The android approach come off as scary to a great deal of consumers who want the best, but have no clue or technological insight of what the best really is.

In my country the GS4 is cheaper, but will in reality be way more expensive due to the resale value of Apple products. Which is why I bought an iPhone, so I can sell it once the next big thing hits the market. Which more than likely will be brought by someone else than Apple.
 
iOS 7 will most likely be announced June 10th and available to developers for testing. It will most likely be released with the 5S in September. Based on what you have you will be happier with the iPhone over the S3. I have the S4 and its in the drawer as I prefer the iPhone 5 with no lag.

DB14ify said:
Hey guys,
I have a macbook pro retina, an ipad 3 and a samsung s3. I feel android isnt really fulfilling my needs especially since I have two other apple devices. I want something that just works with no lag and something I can sync easily with my macbook. Do you guys recommend I buy an iPhone 5 and get the iOS 7 when it comes out in June? Wait for the iPhone 5s or stick to android and enjoy the best of both worlds?
Appreciate it.
Click to expand...
 
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