7 months with Android (Nexus 6P)..now back to iOS

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I hear you and can respect that.

I'm a salty guy on the other side of the coin though - if the gs7 was carrier free with a more stock Android approach (with quicker and longer term support say 4 years , since they don't have to use so many resources on software) I would be on Android right now. Nobody makes that phone.

What ever happened to GPE phones? Maybe Google should require manufacturers to give users a choice of a GPE unlocked version if they buy straight from them.

 

[Surf Donkey]

I would also argue they aren't as premium wrt hardware either. Give us a top end device!

I am sad about 2 years, I know custom Roms but still.. Is it really that hard/expensive to keep it going. Most people would rather pay less upfront, but I want some support.

Samsung is probably the only one who could pull it off. I get pissed off about what could only be

That is possible I guess, but the 6P is pretty top tier hardware on many fronts. And the 2016 Nexus phones are looking to have 4+GB, top SOCs, etc, etc. If you want waterproofing and all that other expensive stuff, then yeah, Samsung is it.

Samsung is locking their bootloaders, they are going the complete opposite way.

 

[gotluck]

That is possible I guess, but the 6P is pretty top tier hardware on many fronts. And the 2016 Nexus phones are looking to have 4+GB, top SOCs, etc, etc. If you want waterproofing and all that other expensive stuff, then yeah, Samsung is it.

Samsung is locking their bootloaders, they are going the complete opposite way.

For me it is mostly about size the s7 regular is quite unique.

If s7e gpe was in your hand next to your 6p I bet it would be pretty hard to say no to the s7e!

Plus that awesome storage ,sd card, wireless charging, and waterproof
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What ever happened to GPE phones? Maybe Google should require manufacturers to give users a choice of a GPE unlocked version if they buy straight from them.

I loved my s4 gpe and would buy another for sure

 

[Surf Donkey]

For me it is mostly about size the s7 regular is quite unique.

If s7e gpe was in your hand next to your 6p I bet it would be pretty hard to say no to the s7e!

Plus that awesome storage ,sd card, wireless charging, and waterproof

Sure, but not for $800 vs $500! No one wants a $800 phone. People want to make payments, carrier deals, etc. But very few will slap down that much for something they will use for a couple years.

 

[gotluck]

Sure, but not for $800 vs $500! No one wants a $800 phone. People want to make payments, carrier deals, etc. But very few will slap down that much for something they will use for a couple years.

Haha you are right there. I am seeing s7 on slickdeals for $500 and that's tempting if I could get on board with the device. At least you can hunt for sales, this isn't Apple!

And yes that's an international exynos with unlikely warranty support, but it is dual sim! Then we get into no wifi calling or volte despite having att and T-Mobile bands (though hangouts/google voice can mitigate) and we've arrived at the problem with USA samsung

https://slickdeals.net/coupons/best-buy/

 

[lowendlinux]

Well even stock android (ie Nexus) aren't giving 4 year support anymore (at least not officially). So literally no one makes that phone.

We don't know that yet...It said not guaranteed

That could also indicate a Pixel phone

 

[Savor]

It took me beyond a year to start getting comfortable with Android.

2011 - Hated it.
2012 - Lukewarm
2013 - Like it.
2014 - Love it.
2015 - Love it more.
2016 - Still love it.

2013 was the turning point because that was the year I started using Nova Prime Launcher and TubeMate on my HTC One M7. That was a phenomenal year for Android devices. Then every few months after that, I would tweak it to my liking and discover many useful apps along the way. The gesture swipes or taps started to become normal to me.

Then 2014 is when my love grew and grew. I was downloading free ebooks on bookzz.org using Moon+ Reader Pro which can also read PDF for magazines. By 2015, I started getting into downloading movies from torrent sites like YIFY and Pirate Bay which led me to Flud and uTorrent. Built a big collection of movies. MX Player started becoming my video default app because it could play AVI and MKV.

My history with iPhone went the opposite direction -

2007 - Envy.
2008 - Love it esp when jailbroken
2009 - Love it.
2010 - Love it.
2011 - Love faded.
2012 - Lukewarm.
2013 - Stopped caring for it.
2014 - Don't care.
2015 - Don't care.
2016 - Blasé. *yawn*

I think it was around summer of 2011 when I started trying out different platforms. Everything from BlackBerry OS, webOS, Android, and WP. I realized iOS wasn't really all that to me and not for the price. I prefer OPEN. I also tried out different multimedia programs other than iTunes. But it was basically the reliance on iTunes that drew me away from iOS and not about iPhone prices and fanatic extremists. Patience is definitely a virtue when using Android.

The Android smartphone that started it all for me...

 

[petvas]

I would also argue they aren't as premium wrt hardware either. Give us a top end device!

I am sad about 2 years, I know custom Roms but still.. Is it really that hard/expensive to keep it going. Most people would rather pay less upfront, but I want some support.

Samsung is probably the only one who could pull it off. I get pissed off about what could only be

For me, HTC makes the best hardware. If only they could resolve their issues with the camera software...

 

[Tig Bitties]

What ever happened to GPE phones? Maybe Google should require manufacturers to give users a choice of a GPE unlocked version if they buy straight from them.

I wish. But unfortunately the manufacturers don't want to waste resources on supporting their non UI phone.

I mean a S7 Edge GPE would be a dream smartphone

 

[samcraig]

As much as I might like iOS for my work phone, I am not sure I would ever switch back for my personal phone. I might start considering it if Apple allowed you to change default apps. And I'm sure that's available via jailbreaking - but I want it out of the box.

 

[sk1wbw]

I find iOS and Android perfectly fine, but I still give the nod to iOS. After all the icon themes and live wallpapers and stupid **** like that, iOS is still the better option. iMessages still can't be beat and I really hate hate the way Google does widgets. I want them on the pull down shade like iOS does it instead of on the home screen. If you want more than one widget using Android and you want them visible at the same time, you have to put them on one screen. And if you actually want normal size widgets with information that you can actually see, you have to expand them to some size like 4x2 or 4x3 and that takes up almost all of the home screen. I like the way iOS does it much better. But on the other hand, on Android, the Twitter and Reddit apps are exponentially better than the ones on iOS. Same for some of the calendars, but not all of them. The todo apps on iOS are far superior as well as the text editors. But due to bad eyesight, I'm using a Nexus 6 and loving it. Until Apple comes out with a 6" iPhone Plus, those phones are just too small for me.

 

[spinedoc77]

I kind of gave up on root. Even if possible, then there are issues with Android/Samsung pay, voiding warranties, etc. I also find custom ROMs to have issues usually, IMO their utility and ability to streamline battery, lag, etc are usually overstated. Not that I wouldn't mind root, Xposed is one thing I sorely miss without root. It's just that it's such a pita, even on Google vanilla devices.
[doublepost=1467139857][/doublepost]

I find iOS and Android perfectly fine, but I still give the nod to iOS. After all the icon themes and live wallpapers and stupid **** like that, iOS is still the better option. iMessages still can't be beat and I really hate hate the way Google does widgets. I want them on the pull down shade like iOS does it instead of on the home screen. If you want more than one widget using Android and you want them visible at the same time, you have to put them on one screen. And if you actually want normal size widgets with information that you can actually see, you have to expand them to some size like 4x2 or 4x3 and that takes up almost all of the home screen. I like the way iOS does it much better. But on the other hand, on Android, the Twitter and Reddit apps are exponentially better than the ones on iOS. Same for some of the calendars, but not all of them. The todo apps on iOS are far superior as well as the text editors. But due to bad eyesight, I'm using a Nexus 6 and loving it. Until Apple comes out with a 6" iPhone Plus, those phones are just too small for me.

How are iOS widgets in terms of information and interaction? Can I scroll up and down through all my emails in an iOS widget? Can I have widgets like IP camera pro that give me a live feed of a camera? Can I change my google voice settings or respond right to a text message? I'm genuinely curious as I haven't really seen where widgets have gone in iOS since the beginning of iOS 9 where they were basically just static pictures of very little info. The level of interactibility with android widgets is phenomenal and one of the main reasons I stay with Android. You're right that you have to squeeze the widgets onto homescreens, but with something like Nova launcher that lets you resize widgets you'd be surprised how many widgets you can get on there. I have 2 home screens and they are packed with widgets.

 

[tbayrgs]

How are iOS widgets in terms of information and interaction? Can I scroll up and down through all my emails in an iOS widget? Can I have widgets like IP camera pro that give me a live feed of a camera? Can I change my google voice settings or respond right to a text message? I'm genuinely curious as I haven't really seen where widgets have gone in iOS since the beginning of iOS 9 where they were basically just static pictures of very little info. The level of interactibility with android widgets is phenomenal and one of the main reasons I stay with Android. You're right that you have to squeeze the widgets onto homescreens, but with something like Nova launcher that lets you resize widgets you'd be surprised how many widgets you can get on there. I have 2 home screens and they are packed with widgets.

They've gotten better but don't have the level of live interactivity that is capable on Android. I also live the implementation on iOS 9--use them for quick snapshots of info but also to interact (get 2-factor authentication codes from Authy, quick calculations using PCalc, and my favorite--use Launcher to navigate directly to apps or specific functions). Having all of this available no matter where I am in the OS makes it my preferred implementation.

All that being said, I'm quite worried that this will all soon be ancient history as the first beta of iOS no longer has the Today pane in the pulldown panel, meaning widgets are only accessible to the left of the lock screen or left of the first home screen. IMO, this change turns iOS' widgets implementation from great to terrible as they'd be less accessible than even those in Android. If Apple doesn't put the Today panel back in the pulldown shade before the final release, I likely won't be upgrading past iOS 9 and may take a long hard look at staying on iOS as this change severely impacts my workflow.

 

[jamezr]

They've gotten better but don't have the level of live interactivity that is capable on Android. I also live the implementation on iOS 9--use them for quick snapshots of info but also to interact (get 2-factor authentication codes from Authy, quick calculations using PCalc, and my favorite--use Launcher to navigate directly to apps or specific functions). Having all of this available no matter where I am in the OS makes it my preferred implementation.

All that being said, I'm quite worried that this will all soon be ancient history as the first beta of iOS no longer has the Today pane in the pulldown panel, meaning widgets are only accessible to the left of the lock screen or left of the first home screen. IMO, this change turns iOS' widgets implementation from great to terrible as they'd be less accessible than even those in Android. If Apple doesn't put the Today panel back in the pulldown shade before the final release, I likely won't be upgrading past iOS 9 and may take a long hard look at staying on iOS as this change severely impacts my workflow.

Wow that is huge for you to say that. I think they are looking more to make the widgets Google now card like they are on Android. But they need to make them interactive. Like on the music widget....it shows playlists but you can't scroll to the playlist you want.

 

[tbayrgs]

Wow that is huge for you to say that. I think they are looking more to make the widgets Google now card like they are on Android. But they need to make them interactive. Like on the music widget....it shows playlists but you can't scroll to the playlist you want.

Yeah...it's a pretty big issue for my usage. I use the Launcher widget a lot throughout the day...so easy to pull down from anywhere, especially from within an app, and be able to quickly launch an action. For instance, I believe I've mentioned previously that I use 1Password as my password manager. It's super accessible via the intents menus in Safari/Chrome but not usually so within apps. Now, I pull down to the Today screen, launch 1Password via a button in the Launcher Widget, copy the necessary info, use the top corner link or 3DT to return to the app and paste the password. As widgets are currently set up in iOS 10, I'd need to click home, swipe right just to get to the Launcher widget---might as well just go to the 1Password app at this point. I then also don't have the return link available in the top corner as I would now---basically the same action requires multiple additional steps. Same goes for any other quick action I often now use straight from the Today panel...Authy codes, quick launch directions home in Waze, quick access to Google Keep shortcuts, etc. Would be a big loss of functionality for me personally--one of the advantage I see in iOS that would be gone.

Fingers crossed it returns as i've seen the same gripe quite often online.

 

[Mildredop]

7 months with Android (Nexus 6P)..now back to iOS

I didn't really read your post as it was incredibly long and probably very similar to every other "I love iOS over Android/I love Android over iOS" post. But just going by your title, it's at least something that you managed 7 months on Android. I bought an iPhone 6S just before xmas and didn't even last two weeks before going back to Android.

But this is exactly what consumer choice is all about - consumers choosing what is best for them. We both win!

Life is good.

 

[petvas]

I didn't really read your post as it was incredibly long and probably very similar to every other "I love iOS over Android/I love Android over iOS" post. But just going by your title, it's at least something that you managed 7 months on Android. I bought an iPhone 6S just before xmas and didn't even last two weeks before going back to Android.

But this is exactly what consumer choice is all about - consumers choosing what is best for them. We both win!

Life is good.

There are many posts about how bad Android or iOS are, but my post is not about that. Both operating systems are very good and the differences are subtle. I believe that iOS despite its shortcomings, that is still offering the better user experience. Other people like Android more. It is good that we have choices.

 

[MRU]

There are many posts about how bad Android or iOS are, but my post is not about that. Both operating systems are very good and the differences are subtle. I believe that iOS despite its shortcomings, that is still offering the better user experience. Other people like Android more. It is good that we have choices.

Agreed. Everyone seems obsessed with the differences, yet i find more commonalities between the OSes than differences, and in particular stock Android and iOS which seem to be heading in very similar direction albeit from different starting points.

Both to me are great, like I've said in this forum many times, people are always looking for the greener grass in the next field, yet ios and Android are akin to two fields with near identical grass, just a perhaps a different shade or two between them.

Essentially the grass isn't better in the other field, it's just slightly different grass.


edit .. wow just noticed spellings. Google auto correct is a bugger at times.

 

[mrex]

I like the way iOS does it much better.

I have never understood widgets in ios - never use them either. I really dont undestand why should i pull and scroll and not even then able to see everything and interact with them.

It takes less time just to launch the whole app and get access to the info. Maybe there is some magic that i havent found yet?

 

[MRU]

I have never understood widgets in ios - never use them either. I really dont undestand why should i pull and scroll and not even then able to see everything and interact with them.

It takes less time just to launch the whole app and get access to the info. Maybe there is some magic that i havent found yet?

This is where I've found 3D Touch to come in handy for a few of my apps like todoist and such. If Apple could expand 3D Touch to the point where a lot of widget info (not just few shortcut options) could appear when we hard press then it would be handy for those that want quick access to widget info.

Personally I only use a clock / weather widget on Android and the todoist / calendar / weather info on iOS.

I've for the majority of time found myself that i would rather go into an app that deal with a widget on either platform personally.

But it's subjective and I know for many here, they love their widgets.

 

[jamezr]

Agreed. Everyone seems obsessed with the differences, yet i find more commonalities between the OSes than differences, and in particular stock Android and iOS which seem to be heading in very similar direction albeit from different starting points.

Both to me after great, like I've said in this forum many times, people are always looking for the greener grass in the next field, yet ios and Android are akin to two fields with best identical grass, just a perhaps a different shade or two between them.

Essentially the grass isn't better in the other field, it's just slightly different grass.

agreed.......i switch between my 6s+ and Android phones all the time. I do find some things I like about one platform over the other and vice versa. But for the most part I can use both platforms and still have a great user experience.

 

[v0lume4]

I'll be the first to say that my iPhone lags all the time. Sometimes it doesn't even register my touches. But... I own an iPhone 5. It's entirely possible that the phone's age plays a huge part. However, I'm still getting software updates so I can't complain much.

However, you have to wonder how much of my issues are hardware and how much of it is software?

 

[Savor]

http://www.gsmarena.com/battery-test.php3

GSM Arena Endurance Rating

Apple iPhone 4s = 45 hrs
Web - 6:56
Video - 9:24

Apple iPhone 5 = 51 hrs
Web - 9:56
Video - 10:12

Apple iPhone 5c = 52 hrs
Web - 9:05
Video - 7:41

Apple iPhone 5s = 54 hrs
Web - 9:58
Video - 10:31

Apple iPhone 6 = 61 hrs
Web - 10:29
Video - 9:24

Apple iPhone 6 Plus = 79 hrs
Web - 9:05
Video - 11:15

Apple iPhone 6s = 62 hrs
Web - 12:27
Video - 10:46

Apple iPhone 6s Plus = 85 hrs
Web - 11:51
Video - 13:57

Apple iPhone SE = 73 hrs
Web - 12:55
Video - 14:17
_

Huawei Nexus 6P - 74 hrs
Web - 8:35
Video - 9:59

LG Nexus 5X = 60 hrs
Web - 8:32
Video - 6:25

Motorola Nexus 6 = 70 hrs
Web - 7:54
Video - 10:01

LG Nexus 5 = 38 hrs
Web - 4:45
Video - 5:01

LG Nexus 4 = 32 hrs
Web = 4:34
Video = 4:55
_

GSM Arena tends to skew the overall scores with talk time, so I pay attention more to the web and video playback scores since that correlates more to screen on time. For my money, the iPhone SE scores the best with SOT among all iPhones. Just add the browsing and video playback time and divide the number by 2. Or just look at phones that gives you a triple-double in all three areas and specifically a double-double or double-dozen (12+ hrs web/video).

Huawei Nexus 6P has surprisingly poor results with web at 8.5 hrs. Their Mate 8 excelled at it with over 17 hrs. Nexus 6 also scored fairly average at only 7:54 hrs for web. The S7 edge (either version) has fantastic video results at 20+ and nearly 17 for the US model. Most iPhones other than the 4s and 5c excelled in both web and video stamina. So yeah, stick to iPhone if you can only depend on a single device.

Some of these results don't always reflect real life though. My HTC One M7 never gave me 10 hrs with web or video. Had the AT&T model which was known to be worse with stamina. More like 5 & 7. My Mom's iPhone 6 Plus tends to drain faster than her 5. She gets mostly 6 hrs instead of 8 from her previous iPhone 5. I believe SE ranks the highest in battery life even with its 73h rating which scored less than the Plus models of 79 and 85. 13 & 12 are great results for the SE.

My Phones

Xiaomi Mi 3 = 66 hrs
Web - 8:04
Video - 9:28

Microsoft Lumia 640 = 76 hrs
Web - 10:23
Video - 9:43

Motorola Moto E (2nd gen) = 82 hrs
Web - 12:42
Video - 13:04

I believe that those results are fairly accurate with my phones. Moto E2 tends to give me the best results with over 10 hrs SOT every single time even if I stream or download videos. The 12 & 13 hr stats isn't far fetched. Only has to power a "4.5/540p with an ample 2390 mAh which is near my Lumia's 2500 mAh size which has to power "5/720p. And 2500 mAh is ample enough for that size/res unlike the HTC One M7, Xperia Z, and Nexus 5 packing smaller to power 1080p.

My LG G3 Beat was not tested with GSM Arena but is similar to the G2 mini (76 hrs) or maybe between the Lumia and Moto (78-80 hr range). Standby on it is fantastic and I took a screenshot of it reaching 11:05 once doing mostly web and occasional streaming with 40 hrs of idle time to boot. I charge it every 3-5 days. Was the champion with its 2540 mAh before the Moto E2 arrived. Battery results tends to matter to me less these days since I just rotate them anytime they reach 30-40% and three of them have a minimum 70 hr rating.

One phone's weakness is another phone's strengths and vice-versa.

One M7, Galaxy S3, Nexus 4, Xperia Z

^ I can't believe 3-3.5 years ago I wanted a Nexus 4 and Xperia Z. The Nexus 4 was on my wishlist for awhile. Now I am grateful I never did as well as never getting the Xperia ZR, Moto X (2013), and Huawei Ascend P6. I can't believe the Snapdragon 410 found in budget phones today like my cheap Moto E2 or ZTE Zmax 2 outperforms the Snapdragon S4 Pro.

It felt like yesterday people were going crazy for a Nexus 4 for $299! Now we have a sub-$100 Moto E2 and ZTE Zmax that outperforms the Nexus 4 and Xperia in performance and battery life. The Moto G4 is also arriving soon which looks like a Nexus 4 but far better. LOL at 32h rating for Nexus 4. Sub-5 hrs for web and video. First gen Galaxy Note also scores shockingly bad for web at 3.5 hrs.

Entry phones now are faster than most 2010-2013 flagships. By 2019, we will have FHD & QHD phones in the sub-$100 market that will outperform some current flagships of today. This is the main reason why I got turned off by flagships as of late. Where is their value when you know none of them will defeat Father Time as seen from my lost interest with many top phones from 2-3 years ago.

 

[KillaMac]

Every Android I have owned I have seen a touch of LAG on. Even the iPhone has it on occasion, but Android, does it more often. The last phones I owned were the HTC 10 and S7 Edge. I actually had two S7 Edges (one for work and personal), but sold my personal one and went back to the iPhone 6s plus and works stayed the same. I wanted a reliable phone that works everywhere as well. I had issues with the car sometimes working and sometimes not with android. Siri always work with the car.

Android people will always deny the lag because they are hard core fanboys. I use to be one. OK google only works 75% of the time for me. Sometimes it doesn't. Siri hasn't failed me yet.

HTC and Samsung have caught up in hardware quality. But with that, the s7 is a delicate piece and one drop, it most likely will crack. The iPhone can handle many drops and so can the HTC 10.

Yep, Apple wins on the updates. Always keeping their phones up to date all the time, even their old phones. Where Samsung and other brands usually after 2 years drop support and updates. The Nexus will lose it's updates in 2017. Where you can probably even then still get updates on a iPhone 5 which is MUCH older than that Nexus. Samsung takes 6 months after a new O/S version comes out to get it. Sometimes a year.

TLDR, but I read your bullet points.

Lag on the Nexus 6P? Tech reviewers don't agree with you, nor do most of the people who use one. Long iOS animations may seem more fluid, but that is al lit is.

"Ok, Google" works for me quite well, but i rarely use either. "Hey, Siri" requires it to be charging....so kind of a limited appeal.

Onenote is great on android, largely because of the sharing abilities. I don't see the quality difference.

I don't agree with the text rendering, but that is subjective.

Hardware quality, not anymore. HTC, Samsung, and several others match Apple now.

Updates? This is where you lost me...completely. The Nexus 6p gets constant updates, on a monthly update, at a rate more frequent than iOS. Either this thread is fraudulent, or you just included this since it is a commonly referred to issue. Ill assume the later, at which point, its a mixed bag. If you buy an unlocked android phone from google, or a few other manufactueres, you are fine. The situation is improving, but if you get a carrier locked phone, good luck. Consumer knowledge is power here. This complaint doesn't apply to the Nexus family, and thus makes no sense in your post.

iMessage is superior to hangouts, you will get no argument from me. Alto looks to change that this summer, but google hasn't released it yet.

Anyway, I took the time to reply because I was in the mood to voice my opinion. That is all your post is, as well as mine. iPhone vs Android, Ford vs Chevy, Republican vs Democrat.

Technology and software at this point has nearly eliminated the gap. There are advantages and disadvantages to both sides, related to the nature of their software, and how it is packaged.

No offense to you, or anyone, but these "going back" post are becoming mundane. The same arguments will develop, the flames will spread, and eventually it will get shut down.

Again, I don't mean offense, and apologize if it comes across that way.
[doublepost=1466988058][/doublepost]
I think his response may have referred to all "switching back post".

 

[spinedoc77]

Android people will always deny the lag because they are hard core fanboys. I use to be one.

Lol, well there goes the credibility.