Any Apple fans considering switching to android versus IPhone 15?

[Hkfan45]

Apple has been great with hardware updates but seriously lags android in features/usability on the software side. It’s infuriating I can’t do things on a brand new iPhone that android has let me be able to do for over a decade. But, I also have an entire apple ecosystem at my house (everyone else has iPhones and I have an Apple Watch, MacBooks, etc)

Anyone else in my boat considering the move?

 

[ofarlig]

I am on the fence about switching to the Fold 5 or not, currently leaning towards sticking with iOS but not fully decided yet.

Had the Fold 2 (and returned Fold 3) and they seem to have improved on what I found annoying like the battery life but Samsung service is abysmal over here so I am not sure I can be bothered. People seem to have to wait a month to have their Folds repaired here for example.

 

[iHorseHead]

I've actually had thoughts of switching as sometimes I miss Android. I like some of the battery saver features on Android phones. I remember when I had Huawei and I clicked on a battery saver and all you could do then was to call and text. It switched everything off and even the background was black. Android phones really do have better battery lives than most iPhones and I'm talking about my own experiences here. My mom's Samsung Galaxy A51 is running the latest Android and her phone is as old as my iPhone 12 mini and the battery lasts way longer, but then again the 12 mini will get the iOS 17 so I've been thinking to use it till the end of the support just like I used my iPhone 5s. The thing is I have to charge my 12 mini at least twice a day :/

 

[solq]

Last year I would have said no but then I got a Flip 4 as a second phone, and it changed my mind. The experience of the phone itself is basically the same as the iPhone. It's fast, lovely to use, does everything well.

What I'd miss would be the integration with the Macbooks and the iPad, but I could live without.

I'm waiting to see the prices of the new iPhones, and if they're going up compared to the current ones, which are extremely high where I live, I will probably wait for the S24 launch to make a decision.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

My mom's Samsung Galaxy A51 is running the latest Android and her phone is as old as my iPhone 12 mini and the battery lasts way longer... The thing is I have to charge my 12 mini at least twice a day :/

🧐 That's like saying a 2018 pickup truck carries more than a 2018 Chevy Spark. Well, yeah, it does... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[iHorseHead]

🧐 That's like saying a 2018 pickup truck carries more than a 2018 Chevy Spark. Well, yeah, it does... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I mean, my iPhone 7 battery life is 100% and its battery life is bad as well. Android phones that I've generally used have better battery lives with the exception of Huawei Sonic that I used back in 2010.

 

[Awesomesince86]

I’ve been on iOS now for the past few years after basically being on android since the first android device (G1). I moved to iOS after being sick of Pixels being letdowns each year with the Pixel 7 and its radio issues being the final straw. I planned on coming back this year if the Pixel Fold or Fold 5 were good but neither are where I hoped they would be yet. Can’t deal with the F5 form factor and the Pixel Fold just has too many compromises still.

So…I’ll probably get an iPhone 15 PM and wait until next year.

 

[fatTribble]

I’ve never considered switching. A younger family member was a huge Android fan and advocate when he was a teenager. He now has a house filled with HomePods, a MacBook, Watch Ultra and iPhone of course. He’s more of a fanboy than I am.

 

[tbayrgs]

In a household and extended family that predominantly prefers Apple devices, I value the integration far too much to stop using an iphone as my primary phone. I genuinely prefer much of the way iOS functions and love iPbone hardware and build quality.

That being said, I've also generally owned an Android phone as my secondary phone for the past 10 years, usually something made by Google. I've been using a Pixel Fold for the past month and am enjoying the new type of form factor. Realizing that there are just certain functions and apps that I won’t generally use it for helps me not focus on any personal perceived shortcomings and lets me focus on the things it does well.

 

[mjschabow]

I’ve been on iOS now for the past few years after basically being on android since the first android device (G1). I moved to iOS after being sick of Pixels being letdowns each year with the Pixel 7 and its radio issues being the final straw. I planned on coming back this year if the Pixel Fold or Fold 5 were good but neither are where I hoped they would be yet. Can’t deal with the F5 form factor and the Pixel Fold just has too many compromises still.

So…I’ll probably get an iPhone 15 PM and wait until next year.

You should get an S23 Ultra. Best phone I've ever owned!

 

[winxmac]

Apple has been great with hardware updates but seriously lags android in features/usability on the software side. It’s infuriating I can’t do things on a brand new iPhone that android has let me be able to do for over a decade. But, I also have an entire apple ecosystem at my house (everyone else has iPhones and I have an Apple Watch, MacBooks, etc)

Anyone else in my boat considering the move?

Would you be more specific regarding those features you can only do on an android phone?

I use both Galaxy S10+ and iPhone 14 Pro Max... I have the iPhone for photo and video and S10+ is the last flagship with expandable storage and a headphone jack...

I may not be using their full potential but it does not hurt to be on both camps, although I prefer iOS over android...

 

[ovbacon]

As someone that has never owned an Android phone I'm curious as to why I would switch? My first cell was probably Ericsson and after that had many brands like Motorola, Nokia, Siemens. When the iPhone came out we never looked back.

So for someone that has had the iPhone from the getgo what are some features/usability that would or could make it useful to switch?

 

[cthompson94]

I've thought about switching to Android and I have a few times (not for very long each time), but with the advances in the apps that can handle the iMessage "problem" (as a USA based person) I really wanted the Fold 5 as a friend of mine has had each fold since the 2nd. I think the fold would be change enough for me to stick with it the only thing keeping me from the Fold is that I go to the beach regularly and I don't want to have 2 phones, and I can imagine that currently sand would be detrimental to a folding device.

 

[RedTheReader]

I’ve been wanting to heavily, but I’ve been caught by the strangest form of ecosystem lock-in I’m betting any of you will have heard of: CarPlay. That’s right, for whatever reason, my vehicle has wireless CarPlay that works wonderfully, but no Android Auto, wired or not. Being able to use my phone’s maps for navigation to new places (or even just for traffic awareness during regular drives) is too massive a feature for me to give up, even for the niceties of any Android phone, and a car isn’t exactly the sort of thing that you swap out every other year. Now, I could add equipment to the vehicle and get Android Auto working, but that would require spending hundreds (and losing the ability to return a new Android phone if I don’t like it), at which point I feel like it’s just easier and more practical to stick to the iPhone or get its new model.

The other thing is, my time trying various foldables has made me realize that I really like the form-factor the iPhone has and don’t want any significant deviations from it. That includes flat screens, like the Nothing phone. Which means that I have no real ideal hardware choice anyway, even if I push myself to move. Maybe if Nothing releases a bigger model that comparable to the Plus/Max(/Ultra?) iPhone or if Samsung/Google get rid of their waterfall curves, I’ll take the plung.

 

[martint235]

I thought about it but it won’t be this year. I got the M2 Pro Mac Mini earlier this year so I’ll wait until that starts to seem slow (probably 4-5 years) and then look at what’s available. It will mean changing desktop, iPad and phone so it’s not cheap.

 

[JiggyJaggy]

I have started using my Honor V2 on Android loads lately. Will see what the iP15 Pro is all about, something tells me it won't be that different. USB-c doesn't bother me, I use universal magnetic charges for lightening, usb-c and micro-usb already.

If the iP15 doesn't wow, Im sticking to using my Android as a daily from now on, far more customisable stuff on it. Makes the iPhone feel a bit bland after a weeks Android use!

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Apple has been great with hardware updates but seriously lags android in features/usability on the software side. It’s infuriating I can’t do things on a brand new iPhone that android has let me be able to do for over a decade. But, I also have an entire apple ecosystem at my house (everyone else has iPhones and I have an Apple Watch, MacBooks, etc)

Anyone else in my boat considering the move?

To those who claim better battery on Android I would point out that good use of MagSafe or qi charging can easily obviate battery issues for most users. E.g. in my case I just have cheap third-party MagSafe pads on my desk, on my nightstand and in the car. Routinely placing the iPhone 14 Pro on MagSafe when I am in one of those locations has meant that the iP14 Pro has never had a dead battery. And it takes literally zero effort, because I would be placing the iPhone in those locations anyway.

 

[mjschabow]

To those who claim better battery on Android I would point out that good use of MagSafe or qi charging can easily obviate battery issues for most users. E.g. in my case I just have a MagSafe pad on my desk, on my nightstand and in the car. Routinely placing the iPhone 14 Pro on MagSafe when I am in one of those locations has meant that the iP14 Pro has never had a dead battery. And it takes literally zero effort, because I would be placing the iPhone in those locations anyway.

I mean... Android has wireless charging as well as cases that work with Magsafe if you absolutely need it.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I mean... Android has wireless charging as well as cases that work with Magsafe if you absolutely need it.

Correct, which is why I said MagSafe or qi. The strategy works just as well for those non-Apple phones that conveniently magnetically charge.

But the main point is that with a little forethought battery life in 2023 can be moot for most folks on either platform.

 

[mjschabow]

My battery measurement always looks at the situations where you don't have a charger available for some time. Like a long hike, for example. What's interesting is that I still think Apple takes the cake when it comes to standby, but not as much as they used to. One thing that I've noticed since being on Android for over a half year now, is that the 45 Watt Super Fast Charging on the S23 Ultra is a game changer. I was in St Paul for a Pearl Jam concert this weekend and we were out and about in the city all afternoon, taking pictures, uploading to social media, and by the time we got to the hotel to drop a couple things off, my battery was at 52%. Not great, but after throwing it on the charger for a quick 15 minutes, I was already up to 80% by the time we left to go to the concert.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Already have done the switch but 2wks back. I love the device I chose, the color and although a bot of a learning curve & adjustment to thinking, I'm happier with my decision.

Will I return to ios in the future, unsure but at this point not in the near future unless I missed some crucial data I'm not aware of currently.

 

[Mellofello808]

I think I might go the other way, and switch to the iPhone 15.

Been having a bit of a time with some work apps that don't play well with android.

Not sure if I can give up Dex, and the folding form factor though.

 

[Awesomesince86]

You should get an S23 Ultra. Best phone I've ever owned!

I had galaxy phones for like 3 years before getting the Pixel 6 Pro. I think Samsung kills it when it comes to hardware and has done a lot better with software over the years. But I honestly just got bored with their software and how bad their cameras are with moving objects (I have two children).

I appreciate their “give them everything” software approach as it gives the user choice. But I found too many of their features weren’t fleshed out all the way. For example, Pixel devices have less features but the ones they have like call screening are done incredible well.

Eventually I went to iPhone originally just to try it out as it had been a while and stayed because of the old cliche that everything just worked, worked well, and to me the app quality is noticeably better and that’s where I spend most my time. Oh and the Apple Watch just torches anything offered by android.

 

[mjschabow]

I had galaxy phones for like 3 years before getting the Pixel 6 Pro. I think Samsung kills it when it comes to hardware and has done a lot better with software over the years. But I honestly just got bored with their software and how bad their cameras are with moving objects (I have two children).

I appreciate their “give them everything” software approach as it gives the user choice. But I found too many of their features weren’t fleshed out all the way. For example, Pixel devices have less features but the ones they have like call screening are done incredible well.

Eventually I went to iPhone originally just to try it out as it had been a while and stayed because of the old cliche that everything just worked, worked well, and to me the app quality is noticeably better and that’s where I spend most my time. Oh and the Apple Watch just torches anything offered by android.

Totally get it. That was always my reasoning for switching back. Thankfully Samsung has fixed all of the issues you noted above.

I'm not sure about the Watch. I have the Watch 6 Classic and it works about as good as an Apple Watch for what I need.

 

[nburwell]

I have always been in the Apple ecosystem. I have tried Android devices over the years, but I have never considered switching. iOS works great for me and my wife — coupled with the fact that we’re fully engrained in the Apple ecosystem with iPad’s, Apple Watches, Apple TV’s, MacBook’s, etc. There really is no benefit to us switching.