Advantages of Android?

[jwolf6589]

At work I am forced to use Windows because Windows is the industry leading standard in the business environment. Also to note that most business software only works under Windows. PC's are also cheaper. Windows 10 has some advantages over Mac.

To be honest I have never used a Google Android phone. What advantages does it have over Apple especially for a mac user? I am not thinking of moving I am just curious encase I ever entered a job that required me to use a Android device.

 

[GoldfishRT]

Ultimately it's just a smartphone OS and it basically works as you'd expect. The real neat thing in my eyes, is that you can skin Android to look and behave basically however you like. I'm a big fan of the Microsoft launcher, as well as the standard Pixel one. That said, I loved my S8 and S9 but they crashed more than once per week, had weird issues with Spotify, and continually had other minor software problems now and then.

But because basically everything on a phone is done through apps, it honestly doesn't feel that different.

Hilariously, by far my favorite feature is being able to put my home screen icons all at the bottom. I can't believe iOS still doesn't have that. It's absurd.

 

[velocityg4]

The only real advantages are you can set your default apps and have more phones to choose from. You'll notice differences in customizing settings. Once you get everything set to your liking. I don't feel there is much difference. Except getting used to different apps if you were using Apple's built in apps.

Getting some stuff working is a pain though. Say you used iMessage for syncing your iPhone, iPad and Mac. Getting something going in Android which will sync SMS messages is a pain. I haven't bothered yet.

The big downside is OS updates and security patches. The only Android devices I'd say to get are Pixel or Android One. If you value timely OS updates and to have a semi-reasonable support life. OS updates and security patches can suffer from months of delays. If they ever arrive because support life is so short on many models, often non-existent. It took a full year for the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active to finally get the Android 9 update. While my Pixel XL got Android 10 on release day and gets immediate security patches. Plus I'd been using the 10 Beta before that.

 

[circatee]

Like @GoldfishRT said, "Hilariously, by far my favorite feature is being able to put my home screen icons all at the bottom. I can't believe iOS still doesn't have that. It's absurd."

Honestly, for something so simple, I do not understand why Apple refuse to offer this...

 

[jwolf6589]

Like @GoldfishRT said, "Hilariously, by far my favorite feature is being able to put my home screen icons all at the bottom. I can't believe iOS still doesn't have that. It's absurd."

Honestly, for something so simple, I do not understand why Apple refuse to offer this...

What about syncing PIM apps such as Notes, Calendar, Contacts, and Reminders? On iOS and Mac they all sync natively. Not the case if one has a Android and Mac? or Android and Windows?

 

[MacDaddyPanda]

What about syncing PIM apps such as Notes, Calendar, Contacts, and Reminders? On iOS and Mac they all sync natively. Not the case if one has a Android and Mac? or Android and Windows?

Android is basically Google. Doesn't Gmail do all that? If one doesn't want to be in Gmail ecosystem then syncing all might be an issue.

 

[jwolf6589]

Android is basically Google. Doesn't Gmail do all that? If one doesn't want to be in Gmail ecosystem then syncing all might be an issue.

I certainly don't and am glad I use Apple. But the day may come where I may be forced by a job to use Android.

 

[circatee]

My main email is Outlook.com, and thus, it sync everything as 'Exchange'.

What about syncing PIM apps such as Notes, Calendar, Contacts, and Reminders? On iOS and Mac they all sync natively. Not the case if one has a Android and Mac? or Android and Windows?

 

[derekamoss]

This is how I pretty much sum up the advantages to Android over iPhone. Anytime you cant do something you want to with iPhone, just know you can with Android. Android isn't perfect though but it's a lot less annoying than iPhone. The only thing that would make me leave Android is if Microsoft brought back a current phone with Windows 8 mobile style interface on it.

 

[raqball]

Getting some stuff working is a pain though. Say you used iMessage for syncing your iPhone, iPad and Mac. Getting something going in Android which will sync SMS messages is a pain. I haven't bothered yet.

Not really true.. There are a TON of easy options and many are free...

1. Pushbullet (I've used the Pro version for years)
2. If you have a Win PC you can use the MS Your Phone app. It works great!
3. Dell has a similar app called Mobile Connect. Works similar to the MS Your Phone app

These are 3 amongst many that will mimic iPhone and Mac connectivity.. I have been using the MS You Phone app as my Pushbullet Pro subscription is expiring soon and I want to try the other options before it expires. I am actually considering letting it expire and using the MS Your Phone app as it's quite good..

 

[SDColorado]

I certainly don't and am glad I use Apple. But the day may come where I may be forced by a job to use Android.

You are probably more likely to be forced by a job to use Windows/PC. In which case you can find the compatibility you are looking for using Microsoft Office and Microsoft's Your Phone app.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

The list of Android advantages is almost never ending. But Apple is definitely moving in the right direction and closing the gap, by removing some major restrictions and adding some major capabilities. Apple still has a ways to go, and of course I'll never expect it to be as open as Android.

I'm currently rotating between the Pro Max and S10+.

 

[pika2000]

At work I am forced to use Windows because Windows is the industry leading standard in the business environment. Also to note that most business software only works under Windows. PC's are also cheaper. Windows 10 has some advantages over Mac.

To be honest I have never used a Google Android phone. What advantages does it have over Apple especially for a mac user? I am not thinking of moving I am just curious encase I ever entered a job that required me to use a Android device.

The advantages of Android also parallels the advantages of Windows.

1. More devices to choose from at various price points. There are an Android phone on any price points, from $100 to $1000, brand new.
2. Due to their large market share, some apps are only available on Android. There are apps from government institutions in emerging countries that are only available on Android.

Aside from those, the rest are mostly personal preference. I use both iPhone and Android. Each has their use case.

 

[cashville2400]

I left my Android note last year and came back to iOS because I love how everything works so well with each other. But I really miss watching YouTube videos while surfing the web or checking emails just like you can do on your computer. The picture in a picture is really what I miss. Also being able to put my google calendar widget on one whole page by itself. So basically I miss all the customization.

I also really miss being able to download zip or rar files on the go. I hate how there really is no file system at all. We can do it on our Macs why not on our $1000 and up phones?

 

[sracer]

The advantages of Android also parallels the advantages of Windows.

1. More devices to choose from at various price points. There are an Android phone on any price points, from $100 to $1000, brand new.
2. Due to their large market share, some apps are only available on Android. There are apps from government institutions in emerging countries that are only available on Android.

Aside from those, the rest are mostly personal preference. I use both iPhone and Android. Each has their use case.

Well said. I have wide-ranging mix of devices and I heavily use both Android and iOS devices (in addition to Linux, macOS, Windows, Chrome OS). I'm at the point now where I can easily pick up any of my devices on a whim and be productive using them. My workflows are no longer locked in to Apple-exclusive hardware/software (though I still make use of them). I enjoy the flexibility this offers as well as not needing to pay Apple-level prices for devices.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I also really miss being able to download zip or rar files on the go. I hate how there really is no file system at all. We can do it on our Macs why not on our $1000 and up phones?

You can do that using Safari now, as it has a download manager. And the file manager extracts zip files. I'm not sure it can extract rar.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Customization and hardware options are the main reasons. But there are a ton of reasons on both sides of the fence, just up to you. You may have to adjust to use android, but I have never heard of an employer requiring it, so not really something to be concerned about. As for me, I like android and iPhones, so I use both.

 

[Stevie jobz 2.0]

The only real advantages are you can set your default apps and have more phones to choose from. You'll notice differences in customizing settings. Once you get everything set to your liking. I don't feel there is much difference. Except getting used to different apps if you were using Apple's built in apps.

Getting some stuff working is a pain though. Say you used iMessage for syncing your iPhone, iPad and Mac. Getting something going in Android which will sync SMS messages is a pain. I haven't bothered yet.

The big downside is OS updates and security patches. The only Android devices I'd say to get are Pixel or Android One. If you value timely OS updates and to have a semi-reasonable support life. OS updates and security patches can suffer from months of delays. If they ever arrive because support life is so short on many models, often non-existent. It took a full year for the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active to finally get the Android 9 update. While my Pixel XL got Android 10 on release day and gets immediate security patches. Plus I'd been using the 10 Beta before that.

The galaxy s8 got September's security patch 2 days ago, it's still September, so hardly been forgotten about...

 

[eyoungren]

What about syncing PIM apps such as Notes, Calendar, Contacts, and Reminders? On iOS and Mac they all sync natively. Not the case if one has a Android and Mac? or Android and Windows?

Android is basically Google. Doesn't Gmail do all that? If one doesn't want to be in Gmail ecosystem then syncing all might be an issue.

I certainly don't and am glad I use Apple. But the day may come where I may be forced by a job to use Android.

Google's services are the same as Apple's. They sync across any device that can use them.

Here's the thing though, as I discovered about iOS in 2011. Apple's services won't work with PowerPC Macs. This is the main reason I got into jailbreaking and the main reason I started using Google.

Google's services (mail, notes, contacts, calendar, etc) worked on PowerPC Macs and still do. Dropbox worked on PowerPC Macs up until around 2015 and with the help of a coder was extended by two years after that.

I was able to use my iPhones with my computers because of Google. So, I'm in Google's ecosystem and not Apple's. Whatever your viewpoint on trusting Google, I use them.

And now with Android 10 they have an iCloud type backup (at least on my Pixel). Going to Android it was very easy because all my services were already on Google.

 

[AustinIllini]

I'll be honest, 99% of the Android vs iOS argument comes down to ecosystem and personal taste. Android itself offers very few advantages or disadvantages relative to iOS. The strength of the Android platform really only comes when you attach Google Play Services.

Advantages of Android:
Google Services are king - iOS has everything Google has in terms of Google Services, but most of them can't be made default. Using Google services just feels so natural on Android.

Customization - You can change almost everything about an Android device including the default Apps, the way the launcher/home screen and all the menuing behaves.

Google Assistant - It's just a lot better than Siri. Not much else to say.

Variety of Hardware - You just have a lot of options. If you don't like the way one device does one thing, another device behaves differently. There are all sorts of different camera configurations available as well.


Advantages of iOS:
Privacy - Relative to Google, Apple is far less reliant on your data for profit. I personally don't have a problem with Google having a lot of my personal information. What does concern me is the Chinese phone manufacturers like Huawei and OnePlus. They make stellar devices but sending data back to China makes me a bit uncomfortable. At any point, the Chinese can subpoena your data and Huawei and OnePlus will likely be obliged to send your information to a foreign superpower.

Perks of the Apple Ecosystem - Apple Services are obviously native on iOS, so you can text on your iPad or your Mac. I was at a conference and my Notability notes were directly synced to my iPhone. To me, that's just a huge benefit.

Timely Software Updates - Android is getting much better at this (although I get annoyed as heck by the Pixel update rollout schedule), but Apple builds of new software updates always seem to come at Noon Central Time on launch. Depending on the OEM, Android updates are often few and far between and your phone doesn't usually update to the latest OS until well after I/O and well after the Pixel.

Android Disadvantages:
No Pure Android on a Top of the Line Phone - This is a little nit-picky to me, but Google makes the best pure android device, IMHO, but the hardware is just a step or two behind Samsung or iPhone. If Google could make a Samsung S model phone with pure Google Android, this complaint is null and void. They just haven't done it yet.

Prevalence of Bloatware - 10 years ago when Android started gaining traction, most devices had horrible skins (HTC Sense looked cool but was pretty buggy, TouchWiz from Samsung was trash even when it looked cool). Now, thankfully, most big OEMs have scaled back the customizations within their devices. Now the bloatware is unwanted applications. Sometimes, it's apps out of the box you simply can't delete. Other times, if you buy from a carrier store, it's the carrier software. Either way, the experience is pretty inconsistent and requires scrutiny on the part of the buyer.

 

[drinkingtea]

I'll be honest, 99% of the Android vs iOS argument comes down to ecosystem and personal taste. Android itself offers very few advantages or disadvantages relative to iOS. The strength of the Android platform really only comes when you attach Google Play Services.

Advantages of Android:
Google Services are king - iOS has everything Google has in terms of Google Services, but most of them can't be made default. Using Google services just feels so natural on Android.

Customization - You can change almost everything about an Android device including the default Apps, the way the launcher/home screen and all the menuing behaves.

Google Assistant - It's just a lot better than Siri. Not much else to say.

Variety of Hardware - You just have a lot of options. If you don't like the way one device does one thing, another device behaves differently. There are all sorts of different camera configurations available as well.


Advantages of iOS:
Privacy - Relative to Google, Apple is far less reliant on your data for profit. I personally don't have a problem with Google having a lot of my personal information. What does concern me is the Chinese phone manufacturers like Huawei and OnePlus. They make stellar devices but sending data back to China makes me a bit uncomfortable. At any point, the Chinese can subpoena your data and Huawei and OnePlus will likely be obliged to send your information to a foreign superpower.

Perks of the Apple Ecosystem - Apple Services are obviously native on iOS, so you can text on your iPad or your Mac. I was at a conference and my Notability notes were directly synced to my iPhone. To me, that's just a huge benefit.

Timely Software Updates - Android is getting much better at this (although I get annoyed as heck by the Pixel update rollout schedule), but Apple builds of new software updates always seem to come at Noon Central Time on launch. Depending on the OEM, Android updates are often few and far between and your phone doesn't usually update to the latest OS until well after I/O and well after the Pixel.

Android Disadvantages:
No Pure Android on a Top of the Line Phone - This is a little nit-picky to me, but Google makes the best pure android device, IMHO, but the hardware is just a step or two behind Samsung or iPhone. If Google could make a Samsung S model phone with pure Google Android, this complaint is null and void. They just haven't done it yet.

Prevalence of Bloatware - 10 years ago when Android started gaining traction, most devices had horrible skins (HTC Sense looked cool but was pretty buggy, TouchWiz from Samsung was trash even when it looked cool). Now, thankfully, most big OEMs have scaled back the customizations within their devices. Now the bloatware is unwanted applications. Sometimes, it's apps out of the box you simply can't delete. Other times, if you buy from a carrier store, it's the carrier software. Either way, the experience is pretty inconsistent and requires scrutiny on the part of the buyer.

I agree with your claims regarding OnePlus. I’m really not sure how non-Chinese individuals feel secure using a Chinese phone. I would be paranoid 24/7, and even more so because of OnePlus’s shady history. I couldn’t imagine ever owning a Chinese phone, no matter how nice it was.

 

[Awesomesince86]

I'll be honest, 99% of the Android vs iOS argument comes down to ecosystem and personal taste. Android itself offers very few advantages or disadvantages relative to iOS. The strength of the Android platform really only comes when you attach Google Play Services.

Advantages of Android:
Google Services are king - iOS has everything Google has in terms of Google Services, but most of them can't be made default. Using Google services just feels so natural on Android.

Customization - You can change almost everything about an Android device including the default Apps, the way the launcher/home screen and all the menuing behaves.

Google Assistant - It's just a lot better than Siri. Not much else to say.

Variety of Hardware - You just have a lot of options. If you don't like the way one device does one thing, another device behaves differently. There are all sorts of different camera configurations available as well.


Advantages of iOS:
Privacy - Relative to Google, Apple is far less reliant on your data for profit. I personally don't have a problem with Google having a lot of my personal information. What does concern me is the Chinese phone manufacturers like Huawei and OnePlus. They make stellar devices but sending data back to China makes me a bit uncomfortable. At any point, the Chinese can subpoena your data and Huawei and OnePlus will likely be obliged to send your information to a foreign superpower.

Perks of the Apple Ecosystem - Apple Services are obviously native on iOS, so you can text on your iPad or your Mac. I was at a conference and my Notability notes were directly synced to my iPhone. To me, that's just a huge benefit.

Timely Software Updates - Android is getting much better at this (although I get annoyed as heck by the Pixel update rollout schedule), but Apple builds of new software updates always seem to come at Noon Central Time on launch. Depending on the OEM, Android updates are often few and far between and your phone doesn't usually update to the latest OS until well after I/O and well after the Pixel.

Android Disadvantages:
No Pure Android on a Top of the Line Phone - This is a little nit-picky to me, but Google makes the best pure android device, IMHO, but the hardware is just a step or two behind Samsung or iPhone. If Google could make a Samsung S model phone with pure Google Android, this complaint is null and void. They just haven't done it yet.

Prevalence of Bloatware - 10 years ago when Android started gaining traction, most devices had horrible skins (HTC Sense looked cool but was pretty buggy, TouchWiz from Samsung was trash even when it looked cool). Now, thankfully, most big OEMs have scaled back the customizations within their devices. Now the bloatware is unwanted applications. Sometimes, it's apps out of the box you simply can't delete. Other times, if you buy from a carrier store, it's the carrier software. Either way, the experience is pretty inconsistent and requires scrutiny on the part of the buyer.

I agree regarding the best android devices having subpar hardware. If any of the S or Note Samsung devices ran stock android they would easily be the best phones in the world. It wouldn’t even be close.

 

[AustinIllini]

I agree regarding the best android devices having subpar hardware. If any of the S or Note Samsung devices ran stock android they would easily be the best phones in the world. It wouldn’t even be close.

Samsung has Apple level hardware quality but the software is just lacking. They’re really close.

 

[nfl46]

Man, the list of why people prefer Android over iOS keeps getting smaller by the year, lol. Now, all I hear from Android users are customizing and setting default apps is what is keeping them from iOS. iOS 14 may be the year that a lot of Android user finally move over...especially if Apple gives them those two things.

 

[drinkingtea]

Man, the list of why people prefer Android over iOS keeps getting smaller by the year, lol. Now, all I hear from Android users are customizing and setting default apps is what is keeping them from iOS. iOS 14 may be the year that a lot of Android user finally move over...especially if Apple gives them those two things.

iOS has a subpar notification system as well. Maybe if that is fixed, too, that will tempt some Android users, but not most or all.

Apple products are way too expensive and the price alone understandably closes the door for so many people, including myself.