Anyone move to Samsung recently?

[Awesomesince86]

Prior to moving to iOS I was deep in the Samsung ecosystem. If you’re wanting a full ecosystem on the Android side of things, it’s your best option. Phones are great, no loss there. The tablets have excellent displays for media consumption but the app selection as far as what’s optimized for a tablet is worse than with an iPad. Also the Galaxy Watch is worse than the AW.

The biggest different though will be the set of ecosystem features. Apple have designed their stuff in a way that every product gets better the more ecosystem items you have. It’s clear they were all designed with a purpose and way to interact with each other. Samsungs has this to a lesser degree and it feels more half baked and tacked on after the fact.

 

[tweaknmod]

Yea I understand that completely, at one point last year I had the S23 Ultra, the Watch 4 classic and the Tabs S8 Ultra. I sold it all and went back to Apple in the end.
I’m now using an S24 Ultra alongside my iPhone, I’m not sure if I will keep it tho. I have until the 7th Feb to return if I choose. Maybe you should try and see how you get on with the Samsung devices, if you’re not happy return them (if you’re in the UK you don’t have anything to lose since we don’t have any re-stocking fee).

I may try that (Canada; same return policies). Thanks!

 

[Dave245]

The tablets have excellent displays for media consumption but the app selection as far as what’s optimized for a tablet is worse than with an iPad. Also the Galaxy Watch is worse than the AW.

The biggest different though will be the set of ecosystem features. Apple have designed their stuff in a way that every product gets better the more ecosystem items you have. It’s clear they were all designed with a purpose and way to interact with each other. Samsungs has this to a lesser degree and it feels more half baked and tacked on after the fact.

I agree with this! The AW is by far better in my opinion than the Samsung Watch. I currently have the S24 Ultra and they gave me a free Watch 6 as a pre-order bonus. I have to say that I don’t like the Watch 6, compared to my AW the battery life is worse, the fitness tracking is worse, it stutters and the round design is not as good compared to the AW design.

The apps on Android are just not as polished compared to iOS. That’s not to say Apple are perfect, i find the IOS boring, BUT it’s very consistent. It does what it needs too and that’s what most people want.

 

[Dave245]

I may try that (Canada; same return policies). Thanks!

No problem, i’ve done it a few times with Samsung phones. Try it and see, you’ve got nothing to lose.

Report back on here and let us know how you’re getting on. It‘s all about your experience, there are no right or wrong answers, some of the fanboys will try and tell you there is, but it’s all about what you feel comfortable with and what your experience is.

 

[Technerd108]

It is clear that Apple has from day one had a vision that no one else had in the tech space and with interconectivity of their devices.

It is also clear once the competition realized this, they have been scrambling ever since to catch up. Part of the reason Samsung went into PC space I bet was to offer their customers a complete ecosystem. Without a PC acting as a hub for the phone and tablet, they have no ecosystem.

That all being said, I feel that Samsung does the best at creating a similar environment.

I actually tried the Google ecosystem and as great as the AI is, this is where things fall apart unless you have a Chromebook instead of a PC. Not a fan of Chromebook's in general. For a secure limited use system ChromeOS is great and I know I can use Linux but it is generally the combination of hardware and limited software and cost that keep me away.

I love the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel watch 2 but for the same price I paid Google for those I got the S24U and galaxy watch 6 classic. I already have a s tablet. Everything syncs with my PC. If I had a Galaxy Book I would have even better integration than just link to Windows. With Google link to Windows is bare bones. If I spent a lot more money with Google I could have their Tablet too but I traded in an older s tab for the tab s9 for a couple hundred less than the Pixel tablet.

For me, financially speaking alone Samsung offers me through promotions and trade in deals a way to continually buy new Samsung gear for much less than I could afford new otherwise. They make really good products and solid hardware. Samsung has the best Apple ecosystem alternative. Samsung only let's me down in software and it is not because the software is bad. OneUI 6.1 just isn't as fantastic as Pixel UI but in some ways stands out on its own. In some ways it is better. They just really need to polish call screening and make it work as closely to Google as possible.

So I am re thinking my spending. I will always have some Pixel device because they are fun but the hardware and ecosystem still have some catching up although the Pixel 8 Pro is the best and finest Pixel Google has ever made. They just need to step up the quality even more and use even better components because they are now charging commensurate prices at least in MSRP. Pixel is still a little cheaper but a little cheaper with inferior components doesn't really work at the higher end. They are doing good but they need to continue to give more upgrades. For example, 2 things that would not have been costly but would have added a lot to performance and battery life would be ufs 4.0 storage instead of the ufs 3.1 used and a proper vapor chamber cooling rather than carbon pads and copper tape. It would have given apps better opening speed and better file transfer speeds. Better thermals improve performance and battery life. At the price Google is charging they shouldn't have cut ANY corners. They need to get out of the habit of cutting corners on their top end devices now that they want to play with Apple and Samsung in the Pro Max and Uktra space. You can't half ass hardware.

So all of this to say that over the years I have learned a few key things. Apple ecosystem is great until you want out partially and want to keep using Apple products. Then the ecosystem feels like lock in. I have learned that as much as I love Pixel they still have some improvements to make and they need to get the same interconnectivity on a Chromebook in Windows PCs because link to Windows on Pixel is not as good as Samsung.

I am getting to the point that I may go more into Samsung as my main set of devices with a PC and have a cheaper Pixel or iPhone, etc. as a backup device.

Samsung has improved the software to a point. Updates are now 7 years!!! ONeUI gets updated much faster than in the past. Some AI enhancements like call screening are features I had been wanting in a phone other than Pixel for a long time. BUT there is still a TON of bloat and apps I can't uninstall or disable. Nothing is perfect but I feel like Samsung keeps me in new devices cheaper than anyone else, delivers consistently high quality hardware, has a competitive ecosystem I don't feel locked into. So I am getting ready to go in all the way. At least I might give it a shot for a while?

 

[Tig Bitties]

It is clear that Apple has from day one had a vision that no one else had in the tech space and with interconectivity of their devices.

It is also clear once the competition realized this, they have been scrambling ever since to catch up. Part of the reason Samsung went into PC space I bet was to offer their customers a complete ecosystem. Without a PC acting as a hub for the phone and tablet, they have no ecosystem.

That all being said, I feel that Samsung does the best at creating a similar environment.

I actually tried the Google ecosystem and as great as the AI is, this is where things fall apart unless you have a Chromebook instead of a PC. Not a fan of Chromebook's in general. For a secure limited use system ChromeOS is great and I know I can use Linux but it is generally the combination of hardware and limited software and cost that keep me away.

I love the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel watch 2 but for the same price I paid Google for those I got the S24U and galaxy watch 6 classic. I already have a s tablet. Everything syncs with my PC. If I had a Galaxy Book I would have even better integration than just link to Windows. With Google link to Windows is bare bones. If I spent a lot more money with Google I could have their Tablet too but I traded in an older s tab for the tab s9 for a couple hundred less than the Pixel tablet.

For me, financially speaking alone Samsung offers me through promotions and trade in deals a way to continually buy new Samsung gear for much less than I could afford new otherwise. They make really good products and solid hardware. Samsung has the best Apple ecosystem alternative. Samsung only let's me down in software and it is not because the software is bad. OneUI 6.1 just isn't as fantastic as Pixel UI but in some ways stands out on its own. In some ways it is better. They just really need to polish call screening and make it work as closely to Google as possible.

So I am re thinking my spending. I will always have some Pixel device because they are fun but the hardware and ecosystem still have some catching up although the Pixel 8 Pro is the best and finest Pixel Google has ever made. They just need to step up the quality even more and use even better components because they are now charging commensurate prices at least in MSRP. Pixel is still a little cheaper but a little cheaper with inferior components doesn't really work at the higher end. They are doing good but they need to continue to give more upgrades. For example, 2 things that would not have been costly but would have added a lot to performance and battery life would be ufs 4.0 storage instead of the ufs 3.1 used and a proper vapor chamber cooling rather than carbon pads and copper tape. It would have given apps better opening speed and better file transfer speeds. Better thermals improve performance and battery life. At the price Google is charging they shouldn't have cut ANY corners. They need to get out of the habit of cutting corners on their top end devices now that they want to play with Apple and Samsung in the Pro Max and Uktra space. You can't half ass hardware.

So all of this to say that over the years I have learned a few key things. Apple ecosystem is great until you want out partially and want to keep using Apple products. Then the ecosystem feels like lock in. I have learned that as much as I love Pixel they still have some improvements to make and they need to get the same interconnectivity on a Chromebook in Windows PCs because link to Windows on Pixel is not as good as Samsung.

I am getting to the point that I may go more into Samsung as my main set of devices with a PC and have a cheaper Pixel or iPhone, etc. as a backup device.

Samsung has improved the software to a point. Updates are now 7 years!!! ONeUI gets updated much faster than in the past. Some AI enhancements like call screening are features I had been wanting in a phone other than Pixel for a long time. BUT there is still a TON of bloat and apps I can't uninstall or disable. Nothing is perfect but I feel like Samsung keeps me in new devices cheaper than anyone else, delivers consistently high quality hardware, has a competitive ecosystem I don't feel locked into. So I am getting ready to go in all the way. At least I might give it a shot for a while?

Good post, thanks. So I assume your liking the S24 Ultra more than the Pixel 8 Pro?

I'm debating on getting the S24U as well, I currently have the Pixel 8 Pro, which I'm a longtime Nexus / Pixel fan, and have owned pretty much each version every year. But I do find the Pixel a bit boring and stale and not really customizable, plus the hardware is just ok, not bad, but not amazing.

An iPhone is no way in the cards for me, i just can't stand the outdated iOS, it feels so limited and like in jail, plus it also feels like a smartphone still stuck in 2010 or something, with so many things just not done like they should already, T9 dialer Apple? Come on. But it's funny, anytime I'm at best Buy or Target I go to the phone section and play with the latest iPhone, I'm always impressed with how smooth and fluid iOS operates, it feels so nice, and the rounded shape and design of the 15PM is very nice, no question. But then I realize iOS is just not my cup of tea at all, unless there's a pretty big revamp of iOS in the future.

The whole "ecosystem" thing always makes me scratch my head, what does that truly mean? As I own ZERO Apple devices, not one thing in my house is an Apple product.

-Smartphones in my house = 4 Google Pixel's, I have the 8 Pro, my Wife the Pixel 8, my daughter the Pixel 6, and my son the Pixel 5.
-Computers in the house = 3 custom gaming rigs I hand built myself, all running Windows 11 Pro. All pretty high spec'd.
-2 Home theaters, one running on Chromecast and one just the LG SmartTV OS.
-No tablets, zero need or desire for one.
-No Smartwatches, again zero want, and zero need for a smartwatch, I've never been a watch wearer.
-Smart speakers in the house Google Nests.

So which phone would handle all the above best? Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, or an iPhone? I doubt the iPhone as I have no Apple devices, and don't have plans to buy anything Apple, except maybe the iPhone only, I do appreciate the fluid and nice design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

I might just take the dive and try out the S24 Ultra myself.

Opinion?

 

[Aneres11]

Good post, thanks. So I assume your liking the S24 Ultra more than the Pixel 8 Pro?

I'm debating on getting the S24U as well, I currently have the Pixel 8 Pro, which I'm a longtime Nexus / Pixel fan, and have owned pretty much each version every year. But I do find the Pixel a bit boring and stale and not really customizable, plus the hardware is just ok, not bad, but not amazing.

An iPhone is no way in the cards for me, i just can't stand the outdated iOS, it feels so limited and like in jail, plus it also feels like a smartphone still stuck in 2010 or something, with so many things just not done like they should already, T9 dialer Apple? Come on. But it's funny, anytime I'm at best Buy or Target I go to the phone section and play with the latest iPhone, I'm always impressed with how smooth and fluid iOS operates, it feels so nice, and the rounded shape and design of the 15PM is very nice, no question. But then I realize iOS is just not my cup of tea at all, unless there's a pretty big revamp of iOS in the future.

The whole "ecosystem" thing always makes me scratch my head, what does that truly mean? As I own ZERO Apple devices, not one thing in my house is an Apple product.

-Smartphones in my house = 4 Google Pixel's, I have the 8 Pro, my Wife the Pixel 8, my daughter the Pixel 6, and my son the Pixel 5.
-Computers in the house = 3 custom gaming rigs I hand built myself, all running Windows 11 Pro. All pretty high spec'd.
-2 Home theaters, one running on Chromecast and one just the LG SmartTV OS.
-No tablets, zero need or desire for one.
-No Smartwatches, again zero want, and zero need for a smartwatch, I've never been a watch wearer.
-Smart speakers in the house Google Nests.

So which phone would handle all the above best? Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, or an iPhone? I doubt the iPhone as I have no Apple devices, and don't have plans to buy anything Apple, except maybe the iPhone only, I do appreciate the fluid and nice design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

I might just take the dive and try out the S24 Ultra myself.

Opinion?

Lol haven't you always slated Samsung and "lagwiz"?!! Are my eyes deceiving me?!

 

[Harthag]

Good post, thanks. So I assume your liking the S24 Ultra more than the Pixel 8 Pro?

I'm debating on getting the S24U as well, I currently have the Pixel 8 Pro, which I'm a longtime Nexus / Pixel fan, and have owned pretty much each version every year. But I do find the Pixel a bit boring and stale and not really customizable, plus the hardware is just ok, not bad, but not amazing.

An iPhone is no way in the cards for me, i just can't stand the outdated iOS, it feels so limited and like in jail, plus it also feels like a smartphone still stuck in 2010 or something, with so many things just not done like they should already, T9 dialer Apple? Come on. But it's funny, anytime I'm at best Buy or Target I go to the phone section and play with the latest iPhone, I'm always impressed with how smooth and fluid iOS operates, it feels so nice, and the rounded shape and design of the 15PM is very nice, no question. But then I realize iOS is just not my cup of tea at all, unless there's a pretty big revamp of iOS in the future.

The whole "ecosystem" thing always makes me scratch my head, what does that truly mean? As I own ZERO Apple devices, not one thing in my house is an Apple product.

-Smartphones in my house = 4 Google Pixel's, I have the 8 Pro, my Wife the Pixel 8, my daughter the Pixel 6, and my son the Pixel 5.
-Computers in the house = 3 custom gaming rigs I hand built myself, all running Windows 11 Pro. All pretty high spec'd.
-2 Home theaters, one running on Chromecast and one just the LG SmartTV OS.
-No tablets, zero need or desire for one.
-No Smartwatches, again zero want, and zero need for a smartwatch, I've never been a watch wearer.
-Smart speakers in the house Google Nests.

So which phone would handle all the above best? Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, or an iPhone? I doubt the iPhone as I have no Apple devices, and don't have plans to buy anything Apple, except maybe the iPhone only, I do appreciate the fluid and nice design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

I might just take the dive and try out the S24 Ultra myself.

Opinion?

Maybe look at Best Buy, they still are offering a $150 e-gift card with order of the S24U. The price is back up to "normal" and no more double storage promo. Can always return the phone if it doesn't work out.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Lol haven't you always slated Samsung and "lagwiz"?!! Are my eyes deceiving me?!

LOL my old Scamdung, Same-suck, running Lagjizz days are over

Seeing the S23 Ultra last year with my co-worker and playing with them in stores last year, got me very close to getting one, and that's the first time I ever thought of buying a Samsung phone since the 8+ days.

Plus the apps like Good Lock really seem tempting too, I love more customization options, I like settings on top of settings, they seem to offer with that, like the old ROM days I would do with my rooted Nexus phones.

 

[Technerd108]

Good post, thanks. So I assume your liking the S24 Ultra more than the Pixel 8 Pro?

I'm debating on getting the S24U as well, I currently have the Pixel 8 Pro, which I'm a longtime Nexus / Pixel fan, and have owned pretty much each version every year. But I do find the Pixel a bit boring and stale and not really customizable, plus the hardware is just ok, not bad, but not amazing.

An iPhone is no way in the cards for me, i just can't stand the outdated iOS, it feels so limited and like in jail, plus it also feels like a smartphone still stuck in 2010 or something, with so many things just not done like they should already, T9 dialer Apple? Come on. But it's funny, anytime I'm at best Buy or Target I go to the phone section and play with the latest iPhone, I'm always impressed with how smooth and fluid iOS operates, it feels so nice, and the rounded shape and design of the 15PM is very nice, no question. But then I realize iOS is just not my cup of tea at all, unless there's a pretty big revamp of iOS in the future.

The whole "ecosystem" thing always makes me scratch my head, what does that truly mean? As I own ZERO Apple devices, not one thing in my house is an Apple product.

-Smartphones in my house = 4 Google Pixel's, I have the 8 Pro, my Wife the Pixel 8, my daughter the Pixel 6, and my son the Pixel 5.
-Computers in the house = 3 custom gaming rigs I hand built myself, all running Windows 11 Pro. All pretty high spec'd.
-2 Home theaters, one running on Chromecast and one just the LG SmartTV OS.
-No tablets, zero need or desire for one.
-No Smartwatches, again zero want, and zero need for a smartwatch, I've never been a watch wearer.
-Smart speakers in the house Google Nests.

So which phone would handle all the above best? Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, or an iPhone? I doubt the iPhone as I have no Apple devices, and don't have plans to buy anything Apple, except maybe the iPhone only, I do appreciate the fluid and nice design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

I might just take the dive and try out the S24 Ultra myself.

Opinion?

Considering what you said above I think the s24 ultra is right up your alley. Sans a folding phone the s24 ultra is the best of Android. Link to Windows with Samsung devices is fully supported. You can mirror your phone screen on your PC and use the apps and phone with your PC. You can use Android apps from your phone on your PC. I played South Park Phone Destoyer on my PC. Granted a little lag in game but still kind of fun.

Google seems like a good fit because of nest integration but I am pretty sure all or most of the functions are available on the nest app on Samsung? I don't know since I don't have any smart home anything-except my TV.

So beyond the Google appeal, Pixel UI is truly consistent, clear and organized, and a pleasure to use. OneUI offer a bit more refinement but less consistency in the UI which I don't like. The Menu UI needs a revamp. OneUI can get boring but offers a ton of customization. OneUI is bloated and full of apps that you will never use and can't disable or uninstall. But you can disable most, put to sleep anything else and uninstall what you can. Since Samsung gives a lot of storage and Ram the apps issue isn't as bad as in the past but it is still an issue.

Let's talk finances because I didn't mention that. So with my Pixel 8 Pro resale market is $600 and high trade in value is $450 after 3/4 months I have lost roughly $400 to $650 in value??? When you go to trade in your P8P you might get $500 or so? Then you will have to pay $500 or more depending on pricing. With my P7P trade I got the Pixel 8 Pro for just under $600. It came with the watch 2 free but I had a $100 credit so my out of pocket cost would have been higher.

With my Samsung s23 ultra I was able to trade in for the s24 uktra and watch 6 classic for the same price but if I just got the ultra and a couple cases I would have saved a hundred bucks making the Ultra cheaper than the P8P. Oh and I forgot to mention on the P8P I have base config of 128gb ufs 3.1. On the Ultra I have 512gb ufs 4.1 storage. Big difference.

So as a repeat buyer with Samsung I get new stuff more often because when I trade in it is so much cheaper than even budget devices that I continue to buy. I could have gotten the plus and two nice cases for $247 with my s23 ultra trade. The plus also has 512gb storage, same processor, same ram, same screen resolution as the ultra. So if saving money while keeping up to date with a great new device is important Samsung has been really great in this regard over the years.

Now they have pretty fast updates and they have 7 years of updates.

I personally really liked the P8P this year and the Bay color way. But if I had to choose between the P8P and the S24U and could only use one I would get the S24U. The Pixelnis really close but the screen on the S24U is a big step up from anything else on the market. The square design is unique and functional. The performance is better. Can't comment on battery yet. The overall fit and finish is better. The components except for the cameras are better and the cameras are fairly well matched. S pen does every so often come in really handy. But honestly I am personally really torn between the purple plus and blue s24 ultra. The plus is literally the same inside and performs the same. The screen bezels are smaller on the plus. I like the edge to edge glass. But the s24 ultra anti reflective surface is no joke. It is something not talked about much. It really is good at eliminating reflections and glare. Something you have to see for yourself.

If I could go back in time I probably would have not gotten the P8P and rather gotten the Ultra and plus and traded my P7P for the plus and the s23ultra for the s24 ultra. Now I am stuck with the P8P because trade in value is just too low for me to make sense. That is how good these phones are. And again I greatly prefer Pixel UI. But at least I still have call screening in a rudimentary form.

So I don't know what to say. If you are ready to upgrade from the P8P already then I would go for otherwise I would probably wait for a spring/summer sale when they go on sale. Sell your Pixel on Swappa and you will probably do okay. The s24 ultra sort of blows the P8P out of the water and the plus is better as well except for the cameras.

That is my early opinion anyway.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I still have my old Pixel 7 Pro, I went to T-Mobile today, checked on any deals. ( I typically have bought my phones unlocked direct through Google and ) and been with T-Mobile for almost 10 years.

Anyways if I switch my plan to a newer different one, monthly pricing almost the same, they'll give me $1,000 trade-in for my 7 Pro, and I can then pay off the difference ( $300 ) right then and there and my phone bill would be almost the same.

 

[Technerd108]

I still have my old Pixel 7 Pro, I went to T-Mobile today, checked on any deals. ( I typically have bought my phones unlocked direct through Google and ) and been with T-Mobile for almost 10 years.

Anyways if I switch my plan to a newer different one, monthly pricing almost the same, they'll give me $1,000 trade-in for my 7 Pro, and I can then pay off the difference ( $300 ) right then and there and my phone bill would be almost the same.

Not bad.

So I assume you are getting a new s24 ultra? What color?

I think you will be happy as long as you temper your expectations. It is still just a smartphone and probably won't feel all that different from your Pro, well except for the better battery life, no thermal throttling or overheating, better reception than the 7 Pro. Don't get me wrong the 7 Pro was great but it just had a few pain points for me. The s24 ultra removes all of them. To be fair the P8P does too but the ultra takes things to another level in my opinion.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Not bad.

So I assume you are getting a new s24 ultra? What color?

I think you will be happy as long as you temper your expectations. It is still just a smartphone and probably won't feel all that different from your Pro, well except for the better battery life, no thermal throttling or overheating, better reception than the 7 Pro. Don't get me wrong the 7 Pro was great but it just had a few pain points for me. The s24 ultra removes all of them. To be fair the P8P does too but the ultra takes things to another level in my opinion.

I currently have both my original old Pixel 7 Pro and my daily driver Pixel 8 Pro. I'm keeping the 8 Pro for now, but would use the 7 Pro for the trade-in as it's just been sitting in a sock drawer.

I never liked the curved edge screen on that 7 Pro, and battery life and thermals were the worst.

Of the 3 Pixel phones I've owned last few years, I'd rate them in this order;

Pixel 8 Pro
Pixel 6 Pro
Pixel 7 Pro

I've also owned almost every Nexus phone and most Pixel XL phones. Yeah I'm a diehard Nexus / Pixel guy, but always been disappointed in their budget hardware, or Google just never making them true flagships always stepping short of making them truly top dog, it's like they almost purposely gimp the hardware here or there.

 

[JSDK]

I did as you are considering a few years back. I sold my Apple gear (except my Apple TV's) and bought a Galaxy S10, a Galaxy Tab S6 (nice with OLED display), GalaxyBuds and a Windows 10 laptop to round it all up.

The interaction between Samsung's devices is a bit Apple-like. If you receive an SMS on your Galaxy phone, you will also receive it on your Galaxy tablet, and you can also reply from your Galaxy tablet. It worked perfectly. The same with calls - you can receive calls and make calls from both devices. Calling specifically, I found more stable compared to Apple's, where I sometimes found it hit n miss whether the call is forwarded to my iPad. As for photos, calendar, contacts, notes storage space, I went all in on Google's services - and it also worked perfectly, together with Samsung.

I ran that setup for 6-7 months and guess what happened. Then Samsung and Android started to bore me. I got tired of constantly changing things, tweaking things - and I got tired of the fact that the interaction between my devices and all those I normally communicate with (iPhone users) was made difficult. Just sending a video clip was difficult. With iPhone it was just something you did via iMessages - with Samsung you just had to find a service where you could upload it, also send a link - or choose the instant messenger service that the recipient used. Although it was not impossible, many things became more difficult. In the beginning, it's a lot of fun to find solutions - but when everyday life knocks, it becomes difficult in an annoying way.

I missed the simplicity that Apple has. That's why I sold it all again - and also found out another drawback with the Samsung/Windows laptop. It was impossible to sell at a reasonable price. Apple equipment is super easy to sell for a good price - but it took a long time before I got rid of my Samsung equipment. But when it was gone, I bought a new iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, and I haven't looked back since.

You always want everything you don't have until you have it.

 

[Technerd108]

I did as you are considering a few years back. I sold my Apple gear (except my Apple TV's) and bought a Galaxy S10, a Galaxy Tab S6 (nice with OLED display), GalaxyBuds and a Windows 10 laptop to round it all up.

The interaction between Samsung's devices is a bit Apple-like. If you receive an SMS on your Galaxy phone, you will also receive it on your Galaxy tablet, and you can also reply from your Galaxy tablet. It worked perfectly. The same with calls - you can receive calls and make calls from both devices. Calling specifically, I found more stable compared to Apple's, where I sometimes found it hit n miss whether the call is forwarded to my iPad. As for photos, calendar, contacts, notes storage space, I went all in on Google's services - and it also worked perfectly, together with Samsung.

I ran that setup for 6-7 months and guess what happened. Then Samsung and Android started to bore me. I got tired of constantly changing things, tweaking things - and I got tired of the fact that the interaction between my devices and all those I normally communicate with (iPhone users) was made difficult. Just sending a video clip was difficult. With iPhone it was just something you did via iMessages - with Samsung you just had to find a service where you could upload it, also send a link - or choose the instant messenger service that the recipient used. Although it was not impossible, many things became more difficult. In the beginning, it's a lot of fun to find solutions - but when everyday life knocks, it becomes difficult in an annoying way.

I missed the simplicity that Apple has. That's why I sold it all again - and also found out another drawback with the Samsung/Windows laptop. It was impossible to sell at a reasonable price. Apple equipment is super easy to sell for a good price - but it took a long time before I got rid of my Samsung equipment. But when it was gone, I bought a new iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, and I haven't looked back since.

You always want everything you don't have until you have it.

It seems that you went back to Apple because other people you were close too were also using Apple products and the Android OS became less new and all of the work arounds became annoying to a point you went back.

In terms of cost it is all about timing for selling any device. If you buy during a sale which often times happen a lot more on Windows devices and with deeper discounts on Apple devices. So if you buy low and sell before the big drop off you don't lose much money at all. In fact, I have actually made money selling a Lenovo 7i 14" used than what I purchased it for a year earlier. I didn't make much but just the fact I more than broke even was amazing and has never happened on a Mac.

Samsung devices work well with a Pc and are even more integrated if you have a GalaxyBook PC.

I am not criticizing your move as I am sure it was the right choice for you but just saying that communication with either other Apple devices or other people with Apple products becomes a problem when you want to use and Android phone. It is a completely artificial situation forced on Apple users to make sure they don't buy anything else and it pisses me off. Apple could make Android and iPhones work as well as other iPhones work with each other if they wanted to.

 

[ofarlig]

I did as you are considering a few years back. I sold my Apple gear (except my Apple TV's) and bought a Galaxy S10, a Galaxy Tab S6 (nice with OLED display), GalaxyBuds and a Windows 10 laptop to round it all up.

The interaction between Samsung's devices is a bit Apple-like. If you receive an SMS on your Galaxy phone, you will also receive it on your Galaxy tablet, and you can also reply from your Galaxy tablet. It worked perfectly. The same with calls - you can receive calls and make calls from both devices. Calling specifically, I found more stable compared to Apple's, where I sometimes found it hit n miss whether the call is forwarded to my iPad. As for photos, calendar, contacts, notes storage space, I went all in on Google's services - and it also worked perfectly, together with Samsung.

I ran that setup for 6-7 months and guess what happened. Then Samsung and Android started to bore me. I got tired of constantly changing things, tweaking things - and I got tired of the fact that the interaction between my devices and all those I normally communicate with (iPhone users) was made difficult. Just sending a video clip was difficult. With iPhone it was just something you did via iMessages - with Samsung you just had to find a service where you could upload it, also send a link - or choose the instant messenger service that the recipient used. Although it was not impossible, many things became more difficult. In the beginning, it's a lot of fun to find solutions - but when everyday life knocks, it becomes difficult in an annoying way.

I missed the simplicity that Apple has. That's why I sold it all again - and also found out another drawback with the Samsung/Windows laptop. It was impossible to sell at a reasonable price. Apple equipment is super easy to sell for a good price - but it took a long time before I got rid of my Samsung equipment. But when it was gone, I bought a new iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, and I haven't looked back since.

You always want everything you don't have until you have it.

Sounds like me every 1-3 years for the past 15 years, and now I am here being bored of Apple again and considering going Android for 2024.

It always ends the same though, I get tired of having to fiddle with things instead of just relying on it working. “Why did I wake up to a dead phone?”, “Why is my phone hot in my pocket?”, “Why am I getting spam notifications?”, “Why isn’t my photos syncing?”, “Why does backups time out?” and so on.

My last Android was the Fold 2 and I had to factory reset that device at least once a month, and then I felt the poor backups on Android where it doesn’t restore every setting and whatnot, compared to Apple where I can be up and running in 15 minutes again.

 

[Technerd108]

Sounds like me every 1-3 years for the past 15 years, and now I am here being bored of Apple again and considering going Android for 2024.

It always ends the same though, I get tired of having to fiddle with things instead of just relying on it working. “Why did I wake up to a dead phone?”, “Why is my phone hot in my pocket?”, “Why am I getting spam notifications?”, “Why isn’t my photos syncing?”, “Why does backups time out?” and so on.

My last Android was the Fold 2 and I had to factory reset that device at least once a month, and then I felt the poor backups on Android where it doesn’t restore every setting and whatnot, compared to Apple where I can be up and running in 15 minutes again.

Guess it has been a while since you used a Pixel or Galaxy device??

You are right on the backups. But everything else not so much. Enjoy spam calls then get a Pixel. Want to use your phone hands free and dictate an email? Get a Pixel. Similar features are already on or coming to Samsung phones.

But yeah, spam notifications are much worse than spam calls......

Factory reset every month?? Yeah I would be upset too but I think I would return a defective device or get warranty support and not just declare Android crap because of it?? google and Samsung backup in real time? Maybe you had connection issues. Fold 2 was a while ago..

I understand though if something bugs you enough you just get rid of it.

 

[ofarlig]

Guess it has been a while since you used a Pixel or Galaxy device??

You are right on the backups. But everything else not so much. Enjoy spam calls then get a Pixel. Want to use your phone hands free and dictate an email? Get a Pixel. Similar features are already on or coming to Samsung phones.

But yeah, spam notifications are much worse than spam calls......

Factory reset every month?? Yeah I would be upset too but I think I would return a defective device or get warranty support and not just declare Android crap because of it?? google and Samsung backup in real time? Maybe you had connection issues. Fold 2 was a while ago..

I understand though if something bugs you enough you just get rid of it.

Haven’t used Samsung since the Fold 2 (and a returned Fold 3), but that’s only 3 ish years ago. And no, a Pixel wouldn’t help me with scam calls since Google only released call screening in 10 countries, they don’t even sell the Pixel Fold here and I no longer see a reason to switch to a slab phone running Android.

The Fold 2 was just the worst of the bunch when it came to software problems needing factory resets, most of them were relating to random battery drain but also things like backups getting an error and timing out for a few weeks. Doubt it was defective when every Android before (and I started around when it first came out) that also needed them quite often for various reasons, never had an Android be a ”set it and forget it” type of thing where I can rely on it working the same every morning.

I think the killing blow for my Fold 2 was when I yet again woke up to 10% battery but that day I was in a rush to catch a plane.

 

[animalx]

Haven’t used Samsung since the Fold 2 (and a returned Fold 3), but that’s only 3 ish years ago. And no, a Pixel wouldn’t help me with scam calls since Google only released call screening in 10 countries, they don’t even sell the Pixel Fold here and I no longer see a reason to switch to a slab phone running Android.

The Fold 2 was just the worst of the bunch when it came to software problems needing factory resets, most of them were relating to random battery drain but also things like backups getting an error and timing out for a few weeks. Doubt it was defective when every Android before (and I started around when it first came out) that also needed them quite often for various reasons, never had an Android be a ”set it and forget it” type of thing where I can rely on it working the same every morning.

I think the killing blow for my Fold 2 was when I yet again woke up to 10% battery but that day I was in a rush to catch a plane.

Sounds like you're the common denominator. I've had pretty much every major Android release for the last 10+ years, and haven't had to factory reset a phone unless I was trading it in or selling it. So for you to have this "problem" with every single device, I'm going to say the problem was you.

 

[ofarlig]

Sounds like you're the common denominator. I've had pretty much every major Android release for the last 10+ years, and haven't had to factory reset a phone unless I was trading it in or selling it. So for you to have this "problem" with every single device, I'm going to say the problem was you.

Yeah I know it has to do with me, I don’t accept when things aren’t working optimally and will fix any issue. So if my device randomly starts having a higher battery drain than normal without showing any specific app using the energy or some other software bug I will factory restore it to fix the issue (if that is what other people with the same issue reports as fixing the issue for them).

Some people seem fine living with software bugs, I’m not one of them. So when my phone starts draining upwards of 10% battery per hour in idle at random times and no app is showing as being used in the background I will factory reset the device instead of living with it.

 

[animalx]

Yeah I know it has to do with me, I don’t accept when things aren’t working optimally and will fix any issue. So if my device randomly starts having a higher battery drain than normal without showing any specific app using the energy or some other software bug I will factory restore it to fix the issue (if that is what other people with the same issue reports as fixing the issue for them).

Some people seem fine living with software bugs, I’m not one of them. So when my phone starts draining upwards of 10% battery per hour in idle at random times and no app is showing as being used in the background I will factory reset the device instead of living with it.

Gotcha. And if you're having that problem with every device, then clearly the problem isn't the device, it's the user. That's like saying every gas powered car you buy has an engine problem, so you bought electric. If every gas car you get has the same problem, chances are the problem is the owner not the car.

 

[ofarlig]

Gotcha. And if you're having that problem with every device, then clearly the problem isn't the device, it's the user. That's like saying every gas powered car you buy has an engine problem, so you bought electric. If every gas car you get has the same problem, chances are the problem is the owner not the car.

I fail to see how I could make the phone draw 10% battery per hour overnight when I've only installed things like Spotify, Telegram and such. So since you think that is a normal occurance I can only conclude we have different tolerances for what is okay.

And your car analogy is actually apt here, I went electric because I didn't like the inherent delay in the throttle response that exists on all combustion cars. The same way I have so far prefered iOS due to the stability of the software, some people have no problem accepting the throttle resposne delay and some people have no problem accepting the difference in stability.

I have been eyeing a Fold 5 or OnePlus Open to try Android again since it was 3 years since the last time, but when people say that a user can cause problems by installing common apps maybe Android isn’t stable enough for me yet.

 

[Technerd108]

I fail to see how I could make the phone draw 10% battery per hour overnight when I've only installed things like Spotify, Telegram and such. So since you think that is a normal occurance I can only conclude we have different tolerances for what is okay.

And your car analogy is actually apt here, I went electric because I didn't like the inherent delay in the throttle response that exists on all combustion cars. The same way I have so far prefered iOS due to the stability of the software, some people have no problem accepting the throttle resposne delay and some people have no problem accepting the difference in stability.

I have been eyeing a Fold 5 or OnePlus Open to try Android again since it was 3 years since the last time, but when people say that a user can cause problems by installing common apps maybe Android isn’t stable enough for me yet.

What we like in an operating system is personal and nothing wrong with preferring iOS.

However, you are spreading an old misconception about Android phones. In the Tech world things change fast and Android devices from any major OEM do not have the issues you describe and the remedy of reset is what would be considered a last resort. Some of the apps you have installed are always working in the background. The Fold 2 was literally the second folding phone. At that point I don't think any other OEM's had one. So you had to understand there was some risk of using a device in a completely new form factor for any phone company. The downsides of a foldabel is battery life and that has been pretty consistent. So your experience of battery drain might be true but instead of resetting over and over maybe get a bar phone like a ultra or other high end Android bar phone. You would not have had the same issues I guarantee.

So you are saying because you have some obsessive compulsive issues that certain details in the OS like animation speed and smoothness. You can control these settings in developer settings. Also in modern Android phones animations and smooth transitions have been greatly improved in Android 14 and a lot of top end devices have no lag or stuttering at all.

iOS 16 was a hot mess and not stable so I don't know how you can say that Android is not stable enough. I left the iPhone 13 Pro max due to iOS 16 being such a horrible mess. Battery drain, loss of wallpapers, odd crashes etc. Maybe Apple has fixed these issues since my experience but what I am saying is all OS have issues at certain times. Generally they get fixed by Google, Samsung or Apple etc.

Also it is a good idea to try a new OS and device with an open mind every so often. When you get stuck and isolated in one ecosystem it is hard to see things objectively outside of it. So when you try a different OS it gives you a better understanding of the differences and where one OS might be better than another and where they are similar. A cheap Pixel a series every couple of years along with your iPhone would give you a cheap and nice way to explore outside of the walled garden and get a better perspective of iOS and Android and know where both could be improved.

No OS or device is every perfect and we all have different personal preferences so if you try everything and keep yourself OS agnostic it can be a bit more fun using the best of both worlds. But saying an OS and all devices that use it are unstable is rather ridiculous if you just consider market share. If Android was so unstable it wouldn't be as popular no matter if it is cheap. If your phone doesn't work when you need it, it is worthless. So just try something different every so often and you won't have such antiquated and biased opinions.

 

[ofarlig]

What we like in an operating system is personal and nothing wrong with preferring iOS.

However, you are spreading an old misconception about Android phones. In the Tech world things change fast and Android devices from any major OEM do not have the issues you describe and the remedy of reset is what would be considered a last resort. Some of the apps you have installed are always working in the background. The Fold 2 was literally the second folding phone. At that point I don't think any other OEM's had one. So you had to understand there was some risk of using a device in a completely new form factor for any phone company. The downsides of a foldabel is battery life and that has been pretty consistent. So your experience of battery drain might be true but instead of resetting over and over maybe get a bar phone like a ultra or other high end Android bar phone. You would not have had the same issues I guarantee.

So you are saying because you have some obsessive compulsive issues that certain details in the OS like animation speed and smoothness. You can control these settings in developer settings. Also in modern Android phones animations and smooth transitions have been greatly improved in Android 14 and a lot of top end devices have no lag or stuttering at all.

iOS 16 was a hot mess and not stable so I don't know how you can say that Android is not stable enough. I left the iPhone 13 Pro max due to iOS 16 being such a horrible mess. Battery drain, loss of wallpapers, odd crashes etc. Maybe Apple has fixed these issues since my experience but what I am saying is all OS have issues at certain times. Generally they get fixed by Google, Samsung or Apple etc.

Also it is a good idea to try a new OS and device with an open mind every so often. When you get stuck and isolated in one ecosystem it is hard to see things objectively outside of it. So when you try a different OS it gives you a better understanding of the differences and where one OS might be better than another and where they are similar. A cheap Pixel a series every couple of years along with your iPhone would give you a cheap and nice way to explore outside of the walled garden and get a better perspective of iOS and Android and know where both could be improved.

No OS or device is every perfect and we all have different personal preferences so if you try everything and keep yourself OS agnostic it can be a bit more fun using the best of both worlds. But saying an OS and all devices that use it are unstable is rather ridiculous if you just consider market share. If Android was so unstable it wouldn't be as popular no matter if it is cheap. If your phone doesn't work when you need it, it is worthless. So just try something different every so often and you won't have such antiquated and biased opinions.

I’ve had around 10 Android phones, along with 12-13 or so iPhones so I’d say I have been hopping operating systems quite a bit and that I’ve tested them both. It’s just a fact that stability have been an issue for me on my Androids, and I haven’t been alone since the issues I’ve run into have been commonplace at that time. Could be because the only “Google” devices I’ve used was one of the earlier Nexus phones and a Nexus tablet.

As for the Fold 2 (and at least one other phone) a factory reset actually stopped the phone completely draining overnight (happened randomly but multiple days a week) so it shouldn’t be a hardware issue. But on the Fold 2 it came back after 3-4 weeks and needed another factory reset. The time I spent on resetting that phone cost me more than multiple Folds would have cost, if they had a “1 button restore” like iOS it would have been okay but that doesn’t seem to exist.

I really see no point in getting a slab Android phone today, it doesn’t add anything my iPhone cannot do. For now foldables are only on Android though so they are a reason to get it for me.

I’d like to try the OnePlus Open but they have terrible service here (sounds like that is true everywhere), the same is true for Samsung since they closed their own service centres here but the Fold 5 can be had through my carrier though so then I can get their insurance have it replaced within 48 hours if it breaks.

 

[RSB96]

I have sometimes thought about changing ecosystem. In fact, I'm slowly making an Android/Windows ecosystem to go testing alternately. I currently have a Dell Vostro I5, a Pixel 8 Pro and soon I will have a Galaxy Tab S9 +. I have a Sony WF-1000XM5 that I love, maybe even more than the second generation AirPods Pro.

My Apple ecosystem is complete (Mac Studio, MacBook Pro, iPad Pro/mini, iPhone Pro Max and Watch Ultra, plus the AirPods, Apple TV and HomePod). It's an ecosystem I love, but, like many here, it bores us. In particular I'm bored by the iPhone and iOS/iPadOS.

My main problem with the "alternative" ecosystem is Windows. I don't like it at all and for me, macOS is infinitely better, I don't know if it's out of habit. But I don't find it intuitive, aesthetically I find it much less attractive and the UI is very inhomogeneous. I have tested it on a wide variety of PCs, generally mid/high end or "High end" PCs and my experience is the same.

On the other hand, with Android I feel more or less comfortable. It is true that the PixelOS UI is not as unified as iOS, and there are certain apps that are very poorly optimized, being a copy of those of iOS, but that feel strange on Android.

However there are Android details that I love, like the clipboard. It's one thing I don't understand why iOS doesn't have. The notification system is infinitely better than on iOS and is much more customizable in this regard.

In my case, I use FaceTime a lot and it is much better than other alternatives, especially in terms of stability and image quality. However, iMessage is not widely used in Spain, so it is not a determining factor for me either.

There are things about Google that I really like, all the new AI features, for example and that I would like to see in Apple. I would like to see a renewed iOS 18, both aesthetically and internally, that they integrate notifications in the dynamic island, that they introduce an improvement in notifications, that they put AI inside the photo editor.

But on a day-to-day basis, I'm so used to using iCloud, photos, contacts, passwords... it's all so easy and convenient... that even though I've synced all my accounts and contacts to Google, in the end I always find it more convenient to do it with Apple's ecosystem.

I love it about the Pixel 8 For the cameras, the software, and for the AI features, but I find Apple's ecosystem on a day to day basis easier and faster to use. Back to the same thing, habit? Maybe, is it possible that with iOS 18, if they put in everything that is rumored, the "boredom" will go away, at least for a while? It's possible.