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Android Phone users and iPad Tablet users - do you feel confused?

shyam09

shyam09

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 31, 2010
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To preface, I love the iPad. It's a top class tablet and the only tablet I would even consider buying. But I also love my Samsung S7 Edge...

I'm an Android phone guy. I love the Android software on the phone, it's fresh and exciting for me (yeah yeah MR forum); but with the iPad - it's beginning to feel like I really have to invest in the Apple ecosystem if I want to maximize the use, which is a stupid statement for sure since that's the entire point.

But I was looking at purchasing Fantastical or Omnifocus, but I'm not sure if it's worth it in the end if I can only make use of it on one device* (or across multiple iPads - since that's what I own). Both are great apps, but both aren't available on Android. So clearly either I need to find a balance between iOS / Android usage or I need to switch over completely - in this case, to the iPhone side of things because Android tablets can't match up.

This is directed more towards folks with iPads, who use an Android device as their primary or sole smartphone, but everyone feel free to answer. How do you find a balance between the two? How do you cope with the inability to sync between popular and very well developed devices - like is it a big deal for yuou?

Maybe I'm overthinking it and just need to accept that there are some things I will have to go to my iPad for and try adjusting to that.

Thoughts?

*To clarify - I know that Fantastical and Omnifocus can be downloaded on any iOS device, but I only have iPads - no iPhones or Macs.
 
I have same usage pattern too: Android for my phone and Digital Audio Player, and iOS for my iPad!

What I do is simply use each tool for their best purpose: Android for ease of retrieval and inputting of files and data (especially messages) while iOS for rock-stable gameplay for online music games I play on iOS (where every bit of latency counts!).
 
I personally did have an iPad and an Android phone (HTC 10) and switched to the 7 Plus mostly because of the camera (and the Apple TV box at the school I teach at). I do like the symmetry but it wasn't a big deal at the time. I didn't feel like my iPad or my HTC 10 was gimped because their OS didn't match.

Also there is something to be said for having access to Android and iOS apps (and since the iPad is the tablet you can use iPhone based apps in little view low res mode).

And even if those apps were on Android you would still have to make two separate purchases.

I like that my phone and tablet work well together but they certainly don't need to. Your mileage may vary. But your iPad won't suffer much because you don't have an iPhone IMHO
 
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Look at my Ecosystem below...it makes sense.... but I'm use to trying out new Ipads anyways just for the heck of it so may pick up a iPad pro 10.5 once ios 11 releases...i have invested in apples Ecosystem in the past so will just reinstall my purchased past iPad pro apps....but I much prefer android.

I just hate ios limitations and workarounds
.....i can't believe how much I enjoy my chromebook Plus that integrates a desktop OS with android apps...so useful. I even have many uses for my tab s3 due Samsung's software integration with android. Just got to figure out how to make the iPad pro useful with the limitations lol.

When these don't work windows 10 is always an option but typically my last choice.
 
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I like having all my stuff synced between all my devices. I like being able to answer my text messages on my tablet when I'm using my tablet. That wouldn't be possible with different operating systems on different devices. I think it's one of those things that you don't appreciate until you have it.
 
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jamesrick80 said:
Look at my Ecosystem below...it makes sense.... but I'm use to trying out new Ipads anyways just for the heck of it so may pick up a iPad pro 10.5 once ios 11 releases...i have invested in apples Ecosystem in the past so will just reinstall my purchased past iPad pro apps....but I much prefer android.

I just hate ios limitations and workarounds
.....i can't believe how much I enjoy my chromebook Plus that integrates a desktop OS with android apps...so useful. I even have many uses for my tab s3 due Samsung's software integration with android. Just got to figure out how to make the iPad pro useful with the limitations lol.

When these don't work windows 10 is always an option but typically my last choice.
Click to expand...
Are you comparing iOS apps with Android's?
What limitations? there is no limitation.
 
I use a OnePlus 3 and an iPad Pro 12.9" and I use all the google apps. Sheets, calendar, etc no problem. Fantastical is great, I had it on my old iPhone and on my Mac, but it's not the only option out there. Many third party apps sync to gmail and google calendar, so I use Today Calendar on my OnePlus and google calendar on my iPad. Can't help you with OmniFocus, I'm afraid, but do keep looking. I'm sure there is something out there.

Thanks,
Alex
 
Peter K. said:
Not meaning to demean you, but I can't imagine having my phones and tablets not of the same ecosystem.
Click to expand...
I feel the same, anyone who has not commited to a particular ecosystem will have big big problems. Its not a smart move. A smart move is to have all apple products for compatibility. Then keep a secret windows laptop in your drawer. When no ones looking you can do all the important stuff and when you have guests around you lock it away and show them Promotion :) but then you have to hide all the laggy non promotion devices :/

Its getting more difficult for sure
[doublepost=1497609785][/doublepost]
The Game 161 said:
Same

I'm too OCD about things like that. Hell I need to have the same storage on my devices.
Click to expand...
How did you get a 256 Gb apple watch? And it looks like your macbook is due for upgrade too mate
 
For a couple of years I had an iPhone and an Android tablet (2nd gen Nexus 7). Part of the reason why I chose the Nexus was specifically to avoid what I felt was the redundancy of having two iOS devices. While I have since replaced my Nexus 7 with an iPad Mini 4 (never stopped loving the Nexus though, it was just time for something new), but I've never really bought into the idea that one needs to be entrenched in a particular ecosystem. I'm still a diehard Windows user, and I certainly wouldn't rule out getting another Android device in the future.
 
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shyam09 said:
To preface, I love the iPad. It's a top class tablet and the only tablet I would even consider buying. But I also love my Samsung S7 Edge...

I'm an Android phone guy. I love the Android software on the phone, it's fresh and exciting for me (yeah yeah MR forum); but with the iPad - it's beginning to feel like I really have to invest in the Apple ecosystem if I want to maximize the use, which is a stupid statement for sure since that's the entire point.

But I was looking at purchasing Fantastical or Omnifocus, but I'm not sure if it's worth it in the end if I can only make use of it on one device* (or across multiple iPads - since that's what I own). Both are great apps, but both aren't available on Android. So clearly either I need to find a balance between iOS / Android usage or I need to switch over completely - in this case, to the iPhone side of things because Android tablets can't match up.

This is directed more towards folks with iPads, who use an Android device as their primary or sole smartphone, but everyone feel free to answer. How do you find a balance between the two? How do you cope with the inability to sync between popular and very well developed devices - like is it a big deal for yuou?

Maybe I'm overthinking it and just need to accept that there are some things I will have to go to my iPad for and try adjusting to that.

Thoughts?

*To clarify - I know that Fantastical and Omnifocus can be downloaded on any iOS device, but I only have iPads - no iPhones or Macs.
Click to expand...

Fear nothing, also have the same setup and always preferred. Enjoy the best of both worlds.
 
I couldn't imagine not having my phone and computer in the same ecosystem, it makes everything much simpler when it comes to app compatibility/availability, performance, and consistency between systems. I like to have both very in sync when it comes to almost everything (color, storage, wallpaper, apps, app locations - I know, a little nutty). It just feels like an easier and more fluid transition from device to device when everything works the same. I wouldn't want it any other way.
 
I don't like to feel stuck in one particular ecosystem, tried using an iPhone as well and didn't see many utility on it.

For those curious, search about Pushbullet or Airdroid and you basically get the sync between macs/ipads and Android, just like you would if you had an iPhone :)
 
I use both android and iPhones...but I couldn't countenance an Android tablet as they're pretty much all crap hence my iPad.
 
I use an Android phone, Windows PC, iPad and IPod Touch for Music. I have no problem with multiple systems. I am even a better expert at my wife's iPhone than her. To be fair, I had iPhones prior to my S7 Edge. I do have an iPhone SE for work, but I keep it separate from my personal devices.
 
Eric5273 said:
I like having all my stuff synced between all my devices. I like being able to answer my text messages on my tablet when I'm using my tablet. That wouldn't be possible with different operating systems on different devices. I think it's one of those things that you don't appreciate until you have it.
Click to expand...
Yes it is. I do it all the time. But I use Google Voice, which makes it possible. It doesn't matter which OS I'm using.
 
I have my iPad, a Galaxy S7 Edge Android smartphone, a couple of Android tablets, and Windows laptop and desktops and don't have any problems with the mixed systems. Nor do I really prefer one over the other.
 
Channan said:
Yes it is. I do it all the time. But I use Google Voice, which makes it possible. It doesn't matter which OS I'm using.
Click to expand...
Does Google Voice work for SMS short code now (e.g. from banks, etc)? Last I used it, that was a limitation of the service.
 
rui no onna said:
Does Google Voice work for SMS short code now (e.g. from banks, etc)? Last I used it, that was a limitation of the service.
Click to expand...
I get texts from things like that, but I did have an issue signing up for something via text like a year ago. For another company, I was able to receive texts from a 5 digit number but when I tried to reply, it said it didn't support sending texts to numbers outside the US and Canada or something like that.

But recently, I haven't had any issues.
 
I couldn't imagine being all Apple or all Google or Windows when owning multiple devices.

I may prefer my iPhone to my androids but I use them all.
 
Yeah, being cross platform user can be annoying when there are exclusive apps. At the same time, there are probably cross platform alternatives for the apps you are looking at.
And using Android and iOS together is not bad at all, simply because Google also make great apps on iOS.
 
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