Other Would you ever switch to Android?

Would You Ever Switch To Android?

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    551
I tried it a couple of times.

Samsung S4 and S7, if I recall.

I LOVED the OLED screen on the S7 and the customizable options.

Having said that, Droid is just not as fluid and eco system friendly as iOS. Also Samsung loaded the phones with numerous apps that were useless for me and my user flow.

There are aspects of Droid I wish crossed over to iOS. One of my main ones is letting homescreen icons be arranged in any spot on the screen. The simple things.
 
I have one of each OS. I like them both but find myself staying on the pixel more frequently simply because it gives me the freedom to be more creative with customizing my device, keeps it interesting. Earlier someone said android phones only get one update? What? I know iPhones get more but who keeps a phone longer than 3 years anymore anyway except as a backup device. Pixels updated for 3 years and timely monthly security updates. Seems adequate. After 3 years of using the same phone it's time to upgrade anyway.
Here's a question, if Apple is so security conscious and android is less so as some say, then why does Apple allow all the google apps on their App Store to be installed on an iPhone?
 
In the early iPhone days I was an avid Android/Blackberry/Nokia user. I also got involved in a lot of the early modding/skinning with phones like the T-Mobile G1 (aka HTC Dream).

Whilst I like the customisation and open nature of Android and Android phones, after all this time they still don't come close to the level of optimisation Apple has achieved with iPhones.

Sure, the latest Samsung etc is ultra fast with tons of memory, but even with lesser spec on paper, iPhones will always be more reliable and offer a smoother experience than any Android. Apple has really dialled in to the whole iOS experience. Every update is carefully engineered to ensure it doesn't interrupt the flow of iOS, especially when new updates get to the public release phase.

I know exactly what I'm getting with an iPhone, whereas with Android I feel like there will be something unexpected down the line that will cause me bother. iPhones also hold their value far better than any Android device.
 
I "switched" two months ago. Generally I keep one of each OS around, to avoid too much lock-in and as a fall-back in case of some major problem with either OS, but one tends to be the primary user. So in that sense I went from an old SE to a Samsung XCover Pro. I have not quite gotten used to its large size, but apart from that I cannot remember being this pleased with any new phone.

I'm more of a hands-on computer user - on my private computers I prefer Linux, and within reason I'd rather configure an open standards solution than use something sleek but proprietary. As such a lot of the iPhone's ecosystem integration is lost on me, and in fact in hindsight I have had to deal with a lot of clunky workarounds to make the iPhone work for me, and which now become unnecessary.

Instead of keeping a Windows-partition to run iTunes to upload audio-files to Apple Music for listening on the iPhone, I can now simply store everything on my 512GB memory card, soon to be upgraded to 1TB, including my audiobooks that are much easier to browse by folder structure than by the tags which the iPhone could never make much sense of.

I can plug my custom IEM earphones into the headphone jack, or use my wireless Galaxy Buds that don't make me want to hide my ears from sight. Photos I take show up automatically as good old-fashioned files in my cloud directory (OneDrive via a Linux client) on my computers. My travel electronics are now finally USB-C only, allowing me to shrink my accessories bag. The dual-SIM option will be handy for travels, too. And I can replace the battery on my own in a minute. Regarding UI and apps I feel no significant difference to the iPhone.

Updates are supposed to be guaranteed for 4 years on this one, we will see about that. No doubt annoyances will build up over the years, and my next primary phone might be an iPhone again - I am keeping a close eye on the rumors of the upcoming 5.4" iPhone. But at the moment I am quite happy with this Samsung XCover.
 
cbreze said:
I have one of each OS. I like them both but find myself staying on the pixel more frequently simply because it gives me the freedom to be more creative with customizing my device, keeps it interesting. Earlier someone said android phones only get one update? What? I know iPhones get more but who keeps a phone longer than 3 years anymore anyway except as a backup device. Pixels updated for 3 years and timely monthly security updates. Seems adequate. After 3 years of using the same phone it's time to upgrade anyway.
Here's a question, if Apple is so security conscious and android is less so as some say, then why does Apple allow all the google apps on their App Store to be installed on an iPhone?
Click to expand...

Here's the thing about Android phones. The OS update cycles actually depend on the carriers for any phone that was not sold unlocked. For example, when Android 10 was rolling out last fall, the first Note 10s to even get a beta build were on Verizon's network. ATT didn't even have a beta, and released the Android 10 build about 45 days after the OS went live. When I had AT&T, I think I got 4-5 Android 9 updates before 10 launched. Now that I'm with Verizon, I've received five updates for my Note 10+ since March. The reason these update cycles vary between carriers is because they are placing their own "custom" version of Android on the phone. On the other hand, unlocked handsets are usually among the first to get the updates, because those are pushed directly from Google.
 
dmccloud said:
Here's the thing about Android phones. The OS update cycles actually depend on the carriers for any phone that was not sold unlocked. For example, when Android 10 was rolling out last fall, the first Note 10s to even get a beta build were on Verizon's network. ATT didn't even have a beta, and released the Android 10 build about 45 days after the OS went live. When I had AT&T, I think I got 4-5 Android 9 updates before 10 launched. Now that I'm with Verizon, I've received five updates for my Note 10+ since March. The reason these update cycles vary between carriers is because they are placing their own "custom" version of Android on the phone. On the other hand, unlocked handsets are usually among the first to get the updates, because those are pushed directly from Google.
Click to expand...
Your 100% correct in your explanation. Maybe that’s why android gets a bad rap from certain groups, to many phone makers putting their own spin on it. Googles pixel is the way to experience android.
 
cbreze said:
Your 100% correct in your explanation. Maybe that’s why android gets a bad rap from certain groups, to many phone makers putting their own spin on it. Googles pixel is the way to experience android.
Click to expand...
Unlocked is the way to go and all phones are sold unlocked in my country in Europe. All plans with carriers are month to month. No contracts which lock you in. You can buy the phone outright at a carrier or at an electronic store or pay over one, two or three years. If the phone costs 400 euros, you pay exactly 400 euros no matter if bought outright or with monthly payments.
 
I've tried Android many times and always come back to iphone.

As to why, the general theme is this: I get sucked in by the on-paper tech specs (being a huge tech geek) but I quickly realize that the end-user experience is not actually any better. Android phones are not appreciably faster than their iphone equivalents for my use case, despite the hardware. And, while the hardware on flagship android phones is great, the user interface is not very polished/cartoon looking compared to iOS. Its true of first party apps, but especially true of third party apps. Some android apps and their UI remind me of the old freeware and shareware programs I would download for DOS 6 off of FTP servers back in the early 90s. And these are apps from large companies, etc, who have very polished iOS apps. Now, to be fair, I've only used Samsung phones, other makers might have a better overall UI and first party apps obviously.

In terms of security, I feel OK about Samsung/Google/LG phones. With Google it is sort of a "devil you know" situation. You know you are the product with Google (hint hint, that's why android phones are so cheap despite having seemingly superior or equivalent hardware to iphones), and you know what your data is being used for. For better or for worse Google is only monetizing it for ads. I don't feel so OK about Chinese-owned brand phones like One Plus and Huawei. It has been shown that very specific data is mined from those devices and sent back to their servers for an unknown purpose. I've yet to have anyone give me a convincing argument as to why I shouldn't worry about that. Copying and pasting an article about a security flaw in iOS that was subsequently patched in an update isn't proof that Apple is just as bad, sorry.
 
Northern Man said:
"seen" is certainly the correct word.
Click to expand...

Well certainly there is a ton of marketing and posturing on Apple's part, but it seems like they are really adhering to what they say they are doing. What major scandals has Apple had in terms of privacy recently? Google seems to have these every other day. I'll certainly hedge my bets on Apple in terms of privacy, and even if they are not perfect they are at least the least of all evils by far.
 
Recently sold my S20+ after using it for 3+ months. I've used iPhone and an Android at the same time for the last few years and switch my SIM when I feel like it. I like Android and especially Samsung hardware a lot. The only selling points of Android for me now are background play, ability to run modded apps without ads, streaming apps, and easy drag and drop between my phone and PC.

Otherwise Android has become a chore for me when it comes to messaging (everyone in my life is iPhone).
Music (Apple devices with Sonos gear are great).
Syncing (iCloud photos and sharing are perfect for me).
3rd party password apps (LastPass is terrible still on Android, works flawlessly with Face ID on iPhone 100% of the time).
Watch (nothing comes close to iPhone + Watch experience).
Customer support (two Apple stores within 5 mile radius of home).

Love tinkering with Android, but it has gotten old. I'll still pay attention to what Google has to offer later in the year but will buy the next iPhone in a few months.
 
Already did. Haven't been that impressed with iPhones for the last 8 years. Don't get me wrong I think they're fantastic but the file system has been pretty chronically restrictive until more recently. Not to mention the screen and bezel thing has had Android in the lead pretty much the entire time which is a big factor for me. Finally with iOS 14 they are bringing more of an Android-like experience with widgets and the app drawer setup. So I'm planning on buying my first iPhone in 10 years this fall and rocking 2 phones. Not sure if I'll give up Android conoletely but I'm ready to give iOS another shot.
 
My daily device is a Galaxy Note 10+, in part because I find the S-Pen particularly useful. While Samsung has improved their OneUI (interface) over the last few years, I still rely on Nova Launcher and honestly my home screens are very iOS-like. From a security standpoint, Samsung's Knox does go a long way towards shoring up some of the security flaws within Android itself, although some segments of the Android community get mad because it makes it harder to root ("jailbreak") Samsung phones.
 
The iPhone has top hardware and iOS is great, but for my needs the Oppo A9 2020 ($350 AUD) works great. The cheapest iPhone is $750 AUD (but with a much smaller screen and battery.)

I do miss how things just work so smoothly and simply on iOS, but not enough to cough up the extra dosh.
 
I started out using iphones, but as you had to wait longer and longer for new versions of jailbreak to catch up with new os releases I switched over to android - probably 10 years ago or so. I hated that iPhones couldnt be customised as much as android.

Had a P30 pro for a while now and the camera blows away anything the iPhone can do. The tech is always ahead on android phones and I NEVER thought Id switch back to apple...

I recently had a few health things going on and needed to track my heart rate, I had a gen 1 apple watch kicking about in the loft, so bought a cheapy iphone 8 off ebay to use with it for a while... and you know what? IM LOVING IT!!
Still seems to be a really quick handset given the age, love ios now there is a dark mode, and holy **** I love how small it is!! Never liked the ridiculous size of the top end phones , but had to live with it if you want the best features (especially in regards to the cameras). And the P30 pro is a joke to hold as its so massive and stabs me in the nads everytime I sit down. God knows how kids in their girly ass, skin tight jeans do it, I’m old school and baggy jeans and it’s a struggle even for me 🤣

I’m really looking forward to ios 14 so I can FINALLY get a customisable homescreen with widgets... cant wait for that ‘magic homescreen’ that only took them 10 + years ffs 🤣
So I’m waiting to see what the iphone 12 smaller version will be like before I decide if I’m switching back to apple for good.

pretty sure the camera will still be crap compared to the periscope zoom on the P30 pro, but my thinking is I can just keep the android as an actual camera and rock the 12 as my pocket friendly phone.
 
mrochester said:
When you supply or share data with Apple it is done to improve the products and services they offer. Apple don’t use that data to build detailed user profiles to target advertising or influence behaviour. Google does both of those things. It’s the using your data to build detailed profiles to sell to advertisers that is the surveillance capitalism. It’s what is currently destroying our democracies, fuelling hate and polarisation online, and I can’t be part of that.
Click to expand...
Trust me in this, as someone who ran a mobile agency for years, as son as create a google account or facebook account, the same data gets collected and used whether you’re on ios or android!
 
crezo said:
I started out using iphones, but as you had to wait longer and longer for new versions of jailbreak to catch up with new os releases I switched over to android - probably 10 years ago or so. I hated that iPhones couldnt be customised as much as android.

Had a P30 pro for a while now and the camera blows away anything the iPhone can do. The tech is always ahead on android phones and I NEVER thought Id switch back to apple...

I recently had a few health things going on and needed to track my heart rate, I had a gen 1 apple watch kicking about in the loft, so bought a cheapy iphone 8 off ebay to use with it for a while... and you know what? IM LOVING IT!!
Still seems to be a really quick handset given the age, love ios now there is a dark mode, and holy **** I love how small it is!! Never liked the ridiculous size of the top end phones , but had to live with it if you want the best features (especially in regards to the cameras). And the P30 pro is a joke to hold as its so massive and stabs me in the nads everytime I sit down. God knows how kids in their girly ass, skin tight jeans do it, I’m old school and baggy jeans and it’s a struggle even for me 🤣

I’m really looking forward to ios 14 so I can FINALLY get a customisable homescreen with widgets... cant wait for that ‘magic homescreen’ that only took them 10 + years ffs 🤣
So I’m waiting to see what the iphone 12 smaller version will be like before I decide if I’m switching back to apple for good.

pretty sure the camera will still be crap compared to the periscope zoom on the P30 pro, but my thinking is I can just keep the android as an actual camera and rock the 12 as my pocket friendly phone.
Click to expand...

i have a lot of android phone as me as developer but i still using iphone 7 second hand.Reason i hate at the back finger print sensor and i have small hand. I was thinking before either using samsung galaxy watch v2 or apple watch series 5 witch more pricier. For note, what interest me samsung galaxy watch v2 is in the future heart blood preasure but apple watch series 5 has ecg which kinda interested to me because i have some minor issue heart.

I will stick to this phone till iphone se v2 drop price. I don't need high spec iphone because i allready got ipad mini 2019 for that purpose.

** i don't like the current latest phone over contrast mode. Sometimes it fills so oddly the picture.
 
In my mind, switching to Android is like signing a contract inviting Google to:

- Read my every word
- Track my every move
- Follow my every action
- Spy on me with total impunity

No thanks.
 
dumastudetto said:
In my mind, switching to Android is like signing a contract inviting Google to:

- Read my every word
- Track my every move
- Follow my every action
- Spy on me with total impunity

No thanks.
Click to expand...
both track but google you can check within permission. it depend whos the devil anyway. Old times, most people scare of microsoft instead of google.
 
In Europe, Apple products are criminally overpriced. They act as if 1 EUR = 1 USD, and then add some.

I pay the premium for Macbooks as no other laptop comes close (I just put my business laptop on the shelf the day I get it), but I'm happy with my Nokia, knowing I can buy four Android phones for the price of one iPhone which I'll eventually lose or break anyway. I also try to avoid spending time on my phone.
 
selfmachine said:
In Europe, Apple products are criminally overpriced. They act as if 1 EUR = 1 USD, and then add some.

I pay the premium for Macbooks as no other laptop comes close (I just put my business laptop on the shelf the day I get it), but I'm happy with my Nokia, knowing I can buy four Android phones for the price of one iPhone which I'll eventually lose or break anyway. I also try to avoid spending time on my phone.
Click to expand...
in sea country x4 .So it super over price .
 
selfmachine said:
In Europe, Apple products are criminally overpriced. They act as if 1 EUR = 1 USD, and then add some.
Click to expand...
It should be noted that US MSRP doesn’t include sales tax while I believe it’s included for European prices. I think VAT goes up to 20% in some countries there.
 
I came from Android to Iphone. Not opposed to using Android again, but I see no real compelling reason yet. Sometimes I help my dad with his Samsung phone. And whenever I have to navigate the menus on it. I'm glad to be back on my Iphone lol. It's just more pleasant to use. Even though my last Android phone was an S9. I'm looking forward to see what IOS 14 changes in real world use. But if I were to use a Android phone again I was probably thinking A pixel. Less Android bloat compared to the other Android phones.
 
Sure, I have several iPhones and a Pixel XL 3. It's a nice phone. For tablets, Android is pretty lacking - the plethora of form factors make it hard to write great software for them, and Apple has a reasonably workable model (AutoLayout, Adapative UI, size classes, trait collections) for developers to navigate a way through the chaos, and build a single app, that does well on the 4-600 different permutations of device sizes and orientations in Apple-land.

I don't see that happening in Android-land. Google cares nothing for tablets. Really, I don't think they care that much about Android - they just want an alternative to Apple's walled garden that keeps users where they can track and monetize them.

Android phones are quite nice, though. I like the Pixel a lot. Before I was an iOS developer, I used an Android phone for my daily driver (Note 2, 3, 4), but that was before the iPhone 6, now that Apple has bigger screens, I am not drawn to Android phones as much. And the iOS software stack is really awesome, it's a candystore of incredible features for developers.
 
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