Other A few questions about iPhones from an Android user

[Glmnet1]

Hi,

I'm considering the switch to iOS when I replace my phone. Until now I always bought budget Android phones for about 200-250$ and kept them for about 2 years. It's not that I don't have the money to buy a nicer phone but I like to budget carefully and until now I didn't see the need to spend more. I have a Moto G4 Plus which is fine but is already starting to be slowish and the battery life doesn't last a day.

I'm hoping to replace it with a SE2 if it comes out sometimes this year.

My main reason to switch is because I like the idea of all my devices working together to provide a better experience. I already use a Mac and I'd love to access my Pages documents from my phone, copy-paste between devices, iMessage on my Mac, starting a hotspot from the iPad etc. Also, I will soon need a tablet and I couldn't find an interesting product running Android.

Here are a few questions about making the switch:
- Is the integration of devices as nice as it sounds?
- How long can one hope to keep an iPhone before it feels old? What are the usual reasons that makes you upgrade? I'm usually not the type to upgrade because of new features on the newer devices and I'm hoping I could keep the iPhone longer than my cheap Android phones.
- What in your opinion makes a 350$ SE better than a 200$ Android phone for everyday tasks? What about the 800-1000$ iPhones? I already compared the specs and I also think iPhones feel/look much better but in terms of everyday tasks, what justifies the higher price?
- Any downsides I should be aware of?

Thank you!

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I’m not a fan of small phones so I would rather have a used iPhone 6S-6S+ than an SE. As far as support, the iPhone 5S is still receiving the latest version of iOS so the SE will be fine for awhile. Integration is a plus but, customization is limited in iOS compared to Android.. If you’re waiting for a SE2, it will most likely be next March before you see one.

 

[44267547]

Hi,

I'm considering the switch to iOS when I replace my phone. Until now I always bought budget Android phones for about 200-250$ and kept them for about 2 years. It's not that I don't have the money to buy a nicer phone but I like to budget carefully and until now I didn't see the need to spend more. I have a Moto G4 Plus which is fine but is already starting to be slowish and the battery life doesn't last a day.

I'm hoping to replace it with a SE2 if it comes out sometimes this year.

My main reason to switch is because I like the idea of all my devices working together to provide a better experience. I already use a Mac and I'd love to access my Pages documents from my phone, copy-paste between devices, iMessage on my Mac, starting a hotspot from the iPad etc. Also, I will soon need a tablet and I couldn't find an interesting product running Android.

Here are a few questions about making the switch:
- Is the integration of devices as nice as it sounds?
- How long can one hope to keep an iPhone before it feels old? What are the usual reasons that makes you upgrade? I'm usually not the type to upgrade because of new features on the newer devices and I'm hoping I could keep the iPhone longer than my cheap Android phones.
- What in your opinion makes a 350$ SE better than a 200$ Android phone for everyday tasks? What about the 800-1000$ iPhones? I already compared the specs and I also think iPhones feel/look much better but in terms of everyday tasks, what justifies the higher price?
- Any downsides I should be aware of?

Thank you!

One of the main reasons a lot of iPhone users like Apple is because of their ecosystem and how everything communicates and tethers together.

iPhones typically see approximately five years of iOS updates, your question regarding how long one can hope to keep an iPhone before feels old is solely up to the individual, there is not one definitive answer for that.

The one main advantage with the iPhone SE is it a four inch display and a smaller form factor, that’s essentially what you’re purchasing. It doesn’t have all the latest features and capabilities as the other higher tiered iPhones do.

If you want a higher resolution display, features like 3D Touch and True tone and wireless charging, then that would obviously be the iPhone 8 or higher.

The only for you to justify the higher price point for an iPhone Is to find out what you like about a specific iPhone and what exactly is your budget. Once you determine those two things, then make your decision based off that. And I would also suggest sampling iPhones in stores to find out what you like as well.

 

[Glmnet1]

I’m not a fan of small phones so I would rather have a used iPhone 6S-6S+ than an SE. As far as support, the iPhone 5S is still receiving the latest version of iOS so the SE will be fine for awhile. Integration is a plus but, customization is limited in iOS compared to Android.. If you’re waiting for a SE2, it will most likely be next March before you see one.

I like my big screen too but I'm thinking it might be the best of both world having a small phone and a tablet. Smaller in my pockets, easier to use with one hand and whenever I want to do something that require a bigger screen I can take out the iPad.

I don't customize my phone much. I would probably miss the calendar widget on my home screen but that's about it.

What about notifications? I heard bad things about them in iOS but I'm not sure why they're considered that bad. I usually keep mines very clean by responding to or dismissing them quickly.

 

[BarracksSi]

Here are a few questions about making the switch:

- Is the integration of devices as nice as it sounds?
* Yup. Everything from my Notes to website passwords are accessible on all of my devices.

- How long can one hope to keep an iPhone before it feels old? What are the usual reasons that makes you upgrade? I'm usually not the type to upgrade because of new features on the newer devices and I'm hoping I could keep the iPhone longer than my cheap Android phones.
* Um, I've usually skipped at least one generation, if not two, before upgrading. Replaced my iPhone 4's battery and kept it going until I bought a 5S, too. I'd keep running the same phone until either it's not feasible to get the battery replaced or it's no longer supported by the latest [and, theoretically, most secure] version of iOS.

- What in your opinion makes a 350$ SE better than a 200$ Android phone for everyday tasks? What about the 800-1000$ iPhones? I already compared the specs and I also think iPhones feel/look much better but in terms of everyday tasks, what justifies the higher price?
* Everything is faster on the higher-priced phones. The hardware is better, too, including the screen, camera, etc. It matters more if you're shooting a lot of photos and video or if you're doing cool stuff like remotely adjusting the mixer board at your concert. But if you're like me and mostly use your phone for scanning emails, checking Twitter, sending texts, using it for nav in your car, and other things that don't need a big screen, the SE is a rockin' little phone. Remember, the SE is basically a 6S in a smaller package (and for half a year, it was the fastest iPhone that Apple sold).

- Any downsides I should be aware of?
None that I'd worry about.

Thank you!

YW, HTH, YMMV, etc

 

[Apple_Robert]

OP,
Ever kissed a woman and forgot your name and afterward, you had to sit down because your knees buckled? Welcome to the smoothness of IOS and its integration.

 

[Glmnet1]

OP,
Ever kissed a woman and forgot your name and afterward, you had to sit down because your knees buckled? Welcome to the smoothness of IOS and its integration.

Very convincing analogy!

 

[0943834]

OP,
Ever kissed a woman and forgot your name and afterward, you had to sit down because your knees buckled? Welcome to the smoothness of IOS and its integration.

As a long time android user and short tim iPhone user, not sure that’s accurate. Vividly descriptive, sure.

 

[osta.doc]

I like my big screen too but I'm thinking it might be the best of both world having a small phone and a tablet. Smaller in my pockets, easier to use with one hand and whenever I want to do something that require a bigger screen I can take out the iPad.

I don't customize my phone much. I would probably miss the calendar widget on my home screen but that's about it.

What about notifications? I heard bad things about them in iOS but I'm not sure why they're considered that bad. I usually keep mines very clean by responding to or dismissing them quickly.

Sounds to me like an SE and an iPad would be a great combo for you.

The SE is the best deal Apple has, in my opinion.

 

[raqball]

Hi,

Here are a few questions about making the switch:
- Is the integration of devices as nice as it sounds?
- How long can one hope to keep an iPhone before it feels old? What are the usual reasons that makes you upgrade? I'm usually not the type to upgrade because of new features on the newer devices and I'm hoping I could keep the iPhone longer than my cheap Android phones.
- What in your opinion makes a 350$ SE better than a 200$ Android phone for everyday tasks? What about the 800-1000$ iPhones? I already compared the specs and I also think iPhones feel/look much better but in terms of everyday tasks, what justifies the higher price?
- Any downsides I should be aware of?

Thank you!

- The integration (handoff and continuity) are fantastic and one of the main reason I love having a MacBook and an iPhone.

- To me the previous iPhones already looks old and dated compared to the X. But the X starts at 1K so that's pricey. As far as how long it will last well, I'd say 3 to 4 years before it starts showing it's age and in need to an upgrade. Some are still happily using iPhone 6 which is 4 years old so your milage may vary depending on how you use the device.

- The SE has the basic internal of an iPhone 6S which should still be much better than any $200 Android with bottom of the barrel specs. What makes any phone worth 800-1K is going to depend on the user and how much they want to spend.

- Downsides? If you've never used iOS before it will take a while to get adjusted and you will need to find and / or buy comparable apps that you used on Android. iOS apps are generally more polished than their Android counterparts so that's a bonus in my opinion.

Good luck whatever you decide on..

 

[callihan_44]

I use both android and ios, if you absolutely dont care about tinkering with customizing your phone then you will be ok... Itunes sux, i like to plug my android phone into a pc and drag and drop items at will but i digress. If you already have a mac then go for it, you will probably appreciate the transition .... i find apps on android for the most part just as polished as their ios counterparts...

imessage is still probably the best messaging though not being able to customize colors is annoying, if you want a smart watch the apple watch looks to work very well though i dont own one yet.

the older i get the less i want to play around on my phone and just use it for weather,messages,phone calls, podcasts, internet browsing when standing in line at the checkout counter.

in this day and age ios and android are more similar than different

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

You can get a used iPhone 7 for about $400 or probably a little under that if you search enough. That would be your best bet.

Nowadays, many budget Android phones are far better than the SE.

What about notifications? I heard bad things about them in iOS but I'm not sure why they're considered that bad. I usually keep mines very clean by responding to or dismissing them quickly.

A lot of notifications don't clear out. Too many times, I had to manually clear them. And it's a two step process of swiping and tapping clear. The long one step swipe is just as cumbersome if you have a ton notifications. On Android you just quickly swipe it away.

And iOS is complete garbage at condensing/grouping notifications from the same apps. Be ready to see a ton of notifications from the same app scattered according to time of.

 

[dk001]

I just went the opposite way. Reason: iOS 11 is crap for me. Far too many issues.
Hope Apple fixes it with 12.
Only thing I miss is the integration. Still, I don't miss enough to go back.

 

[IowaLynn]

I've clicked "X" and clear - carefully - from a middle group (Earlier Today) only to have all the newer ones also got removed.

Oreo seems to have the lead and Pi (or Pie?) Will only increase the gap with iOS 12.

Optimizing battery usage of individual apps being put to sleep it even not optimize at all and allowed full background.
Twitter for me is a huge battery hog in the background. Yet I don't want to turn off bg

 

[iHateMacs]

I had 3G, 3GS & 4 then jumped ship to Galaxy Note 3 then Galaxy Edge 7.

After a while I noticed iOS improving and was jealous of the Mac integration so jumped back to the iPhone 7Plus.
My only regret was not waiting for the X, which I upgraded to later.

iPhone and Mac work great for me. No problems with anything. I wouldn't go back to Android unless I stopped using Macs.

I think buying an SE or SE2 would be a step back in time being so small. The size of the X is perfect and the feel (in the brown leather case) is definitely premium. I love it.

It is half past midnight now and my phone hasn't been on charge since 7am and it's still showing 82%.

 

[Apple_Robert]

You can get a used iPhone 7 for about $400 or probably a little under that if you search enough. That would be your best bet.

Nowadays, many budget Android phones are far better than the SE.





A lot of notifications don't clear out. Too many times, I had to manually clear them. And it's a two step process of swiping and tapping clear. The long one step swipe is just as cumbersome if you have a ton notifications. On Android you just quickly swipe it away.

And iOS is complete garbage at condensing/grouping notifications from the same apps. Be ready to see a ton of notifications from the same app scattered according to time of.

A user can limit the amount of notifications that are received on iOS.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

A user can limit the amount of notifications that are received on iOS.

That's only for the lock screen. And I wouldn't want to limit any notifications, I would like them grouped and condensed properly.

 

[dk001]

That's only for the lock screen. And I wouldn't want to limit any notifications, I would like them grouped and condensed properly.

If you watch iOS and Android notifications and what you can do with them side by side you quickly see the gaps in iOS.

 

[BarracksSi]

iOS notifications disappear after a week, at least for me. What am I missing?

 

[dk001]

iOS notifications disappear after a week, at least for me. What am I missing?

Grouping by app

 

[BarracksSi]

Grouping by app

Does it sort by time, too?

 

[dk001]

Does it sort by time, too?

Mine does in descending order grouped by app. Or just descending.....
It's flexible.

 

[thisismyusername]

- Is the integration of devices as nice as it sounds?

Yes, but that comes with a price. The deeper you go down the Apple ecosystem rabbit hole, the harder it is to climb out of it. That's why, aside from iMessage, I tend to stay away from Apple services even though I like their hardware. I could get an Android tomorrow and not miss a thing, nor am I missing out on anything by not using Apple services.

I also think a lot of Apple fans exaggerate how much better the "Apple ecosystem" is. Sure, some parts of it are arguably better than the competition (e.g. iMessage). However, lots of that same integration can be obtained by just using equivalent non-Apple services that work on both Apple and non-Apple devices.

- How long can one hope to keep an iPhone before it feels old? What are the usual reasons that makes you upgrade?

That entirely depends on you. I'm still using an iPhone 5S that I bought 4.5 years ago and I'm not sure I'll upgrade anytime soon. The things that usually cause me to upgrade are limited storage capacity and overall performance of the device. However, it is starting to feel old. Most iPhone users would have upgraded at least a year or 2 ago.

One thing that tends to make iPhones last longer than cheaper Android devices is software support. I'm still able to run the latest version of iOS even though my phone is approaching 5 years old. Lots of Android devices get maybe 1 or 2 software updates and that's it.

What about the 800-1000$ iPhones? I already compared the specs and I also think iPhones feel/look much better but in terms of everyday tasks, what justifies the higher price?

I'm going to go against most Apple users on this one... I don't think high end iPhones are any better than high end Androids. While they do tend to leapfrog each other with every new device, they're all generally pretty equal and solid devices. It's really down to personal preference and whether or not you want iOS or Android.

- Any downsides I should be aware of?

You can't customize an iPhone nearly as much as an Android device. You can only run apps that Apple approves. Google Project Fi is kind of out unless you're ok with it only working with T-Mobile. You can't expand the storage of an iPhone by just popping in an SD card. You can't change the default apps (e.g. you can't tell iOS to make Chrome the default browser instead of Safari which is one of my biggest issues with iOS). Siri is stupid. iCloud Photos doesn't give you free, unlimited storage like Google Photos does although to be fair it's very cheap. Lightning vs USB-C although that isn't necessarily a downside, and some would say that's an upside. No headphone jacks on the newer devices. The SE is as cheap as you're gonna get for new iPhones and I'd expect that to go up to $400 if an "SE2" comes out. iTunes sucks. Apple really wants you to use Apple Music instead of Spotify (I think Spotify is better); this is more an issue with the Apple Watch and HomePod.

 

[Glmnet1]

Thank you all for your answers, they really helped to get an idea of what i'd be getting into!

You can get a used iPhone 7 for about $400 or probably a little under that if you search enough. That would be your best bet.

Yeah I'll compare my options when I finally decide to upgrade. A 8 next September/October could be interesting.

A lot of notifications don't clear out. Too many times, I had to manually clear them. And it's a two step process of swiping and tapping clear. The long one step swipe is just as cumbersome if you have a ton notifications. On Android you just quickly swipe it away.

I just watched a few videos that compare both and overall I think I'd prefer the way iOS works actually.

Most of the time when Android groups notifications I find it annoying. For example I like to respond quickly to emails and texts from the notification and as soon as they are grouped it becomes harder to do (You can never respond to the second one unless you dismiss the first one. If the group is too big it simply tells you "You have X messages" with no way to respond inline.)

I also think I'll enjoy the fact that if you read them without dismissing or responding to them they are hidden but still accessible on iOS, on Android they stay on the home screen until I dismiss them which annoys me sometimes when I want to take a look later.

You can't change the default apps (e.g. you can't tell iOS to make Chrome the default browser instead of Safari which is one of my biggest issues with iOS).

Yeah, that could become quickly annoying!

Apple really wants you to use Apple Music instead of Spotify (I think Spotify is better);

I used Spotify for a while and decided to try Apple Music 2 weeks ago with the 3 months trial. For now, I prefer Apple Music so this might actually be a good thing.

I'm not a big fan of the interface on iTunes (didn't try the mobile app yet, I mostly listen to music at home from my Mac) but it seems to understand my musical taste a lot better than Spotify once I told it what I like/dislike (Btw, why do they hide this in a submenu in iTunes? It's the feature I use the most once I start a radio or a playlist.).

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I just watched a few videos that compare both and overall I think I'd prefer the way iOS works actually.

Most of the time when Android groups notifications I find it annoying. For example I like to respond quickly to emails and texts from the notification and as soon as they are grouped it becomes harder to do (You can never respond to the second one unless you dismiss the first one. If the group is too big it simply tells you "You have X messages" with no way to respond inline.)

I also think I'll enjoy the fact that if you read them without dismissing or responding to them they are hidden but still accessible on iOS, on Android they stay on the home screen until I dismiss them which annoys me sometimes when I want to take a look later.

Could be your budget Android phone way of doing things (manufacturer skin), and most likely it's not even on Nougat yet.

I have a Blu R1 HD that does notifications exactly how you explained. It's on Marshmallow (6.0). Same with my older flagship phones.

I have a few other budget phones on Nougat, and you can simply tap the arrow and it collapses the specific group into individual tabs. I haven't ran across a device yet running Nougat or the latest Oreo, that you can't collapse a group.

The way you explained is the old way.

Hopefully, when budget phones start releasing with Oreo, project treble will keep them updated.