Cons of switching to the Android family?

[jrswizzle]

I think this "problem" of yours will never exist. It's not like iOS will ever be exactly like Android nor vice versa. Adopting features from each other that help make the experience better for both OS-es doesn't mean they'll both suddenly become the same exact thing. They would still be unique in their own ways of implementing said features.

I was speaking in general - yes to some, no to others. I'll explain below.

To dissuade these desired features that users of iOS devices want sounds like just another excuse from you to apologize for Apple's lack of and/or refusal to add said features.

How am I dissuading? I'm simply presenting an opinion. I wasn;t aware that the posters I was discussing with here had the power to make these changes or that I had the power to talk them out of it....

Let's take Control Center, for example. If Apple gave the users the power to customize what toggles they want there (something often requested by myself and others) to add/remove even re-order the Control Center, how does that suddenly make iOS' Control Center any less unique? It still looks, feels (pulling up instead of pulling down in Android) differently. There is no "problem" here that I can see.

I quite agree, adding customization to CC would be great. I'd love to hear what controls you'd add being that you're so adamant about it. For curiousity sake. It might interest you to learn (though I don't know whether or not you have an iOS device currently) that an app called "Launcher", which was pulled from the app store for allowing other apps to be launched from within its NC widget, will be back in the app store tomorrow. Seems like it's got some pretty cool functionality and its exciting to see that Apple is lessening restrictions on widgets over time.

iOS has added plenty of features that Android created and/or made popular. Likewise, Android has taken plenty of features iOS created and/or made popular. Yet no "problem" has come of this of people fearing iOS and Android are becoming the same or losing their own unique-ness. Quite the contrary. People have warmed to adding similar features to both OS-es. Android lately adding lock-screen notifications? It's great. Is it unique? It sure is. You can expand the notification, the cards look way different than the way iOS does it. Still unique.

Yup, completely agree.

I said this before, how much more satisfied might users be if Apple allowed even more freedom? Even just a little bit. How might users benefit from allowing to set default mail app, or default browser, or default map/navigation app? People are already happy about 3rd party keyboards. Why would there be any fear of losing unique-ness to allow more?

There would be none.

Sure, I agree with all that's said here. Now let me explain my comment....

I personally don't believe 3rd Party defaults will ever be allowed by Apple. I've stated the reasons above, chiefly they don't want 3rd Party apps to have power within their sandbox for security reasons and they want to push users towards Apple services because they feel that's what makes an iPhone and iPhone (the experience of Apple hardware + software/services). You can see the security concerns with respect to the keyboards as they are allowed very strict access to the system.

What I meant by my statement really had mostly to do with what I just typed. Namely that Apple and Google have two VERY different ideals in mind with respect to their OSes. Apple is closed and specific with how they want their experience to be achieved. Google is open and let's pretty much anything happen. These two ideals are at complete odds with one another and could never be truly reconciled. Which is why I said that ultimately an iOS/Android hybrid would never really work because what makes iOS, iOS (the close, experience driven "walled garden") and what makes Android, Android (the open nature or pure, unadulterated customization) would never fit together. They would be at odds.

Now, that's not to say each can't continue to adopt certain strengths of the other. Of course that has, can, and will continue to happen - AND ITS GREAT FOR BOTH SYSTEMS.

But there are some inherent things in each OS that drive the identity of that OS and that would not be able to be merged with its counterpart.

Does this make sense? Please don't read anything into this....just take my words for what they say. I tried to articulate my thoughts the best I could. Again, I'm all for additional customization ability within iOS. I just caution people against expecting it to go so far because I believe I understand the drivers behind the identity of each OS. Fair?

 

[Oletros]

I personally don't believe 3rd Party defaults will ever be allowed by Apple. I've stated the reasons above, chiefly they don't want 3rd Party apps to have power within their sandbox for security reasons

Allowing Chrome to open instead of Safari or Outlook instead of Mail doesn't have any security implication, the sandbox is still the same

 

[jamezr]

Allowing Chrome to open instead of Safari or Outlook instead of Mail doesn't have any security implication, the sandbox is still the same

It would to be the sames as keyboards and widgets.

 

[Surface2Owner]

In my opinion, none other than the fact that you have already invested in Apple's ecosystem. I believe people tend to overstate the virtues of one platform over the other when both are comparable and would only result in marginal differences to one's life.

 

[jrswizzle]

It would to be the sames as keyboards and widgets.

Which have extremely strict rules. For instance, passwords cannot be typed on a 3rd party keyboard.

Obviously there's some security concern there, otherwise they wouldn't have made such a big deal about it with respect to allowing 3rd Party keyboards.

Obviously some apps would be more dangerous than others depending on what the app does. Changing a browser might not have any negative affect, but I think it's kind of an all or nothing thing. Do you think people would be good with "You can change your default browser and map solution but nothing else"?

I think Maps is an easy one to explain - data is crowd sourced. Fewer people that use it means it progresses more slowly. Why would they intentionally slow their own progress by letting people use other stuff by default?

To be honest, extensions allow a lot though its not as simple as saying "set as default". I do think extensions do and will continue to allow apps to work their way into others and therefore allow a user to more easily say "I want to open this link in that browser".

Extensions do a lot more too (see the Apple Watch) and I think they are Apple's answer to "setting as default". We'll see.

 

[epicrayban]

Changing a browser might not have any negative affect, but I think it's kind of an all or nothing thing. Do you think people would be good with "You can change your default browser and map solution but nothing else"?

Currently it's "You can change your default keyboard solution but nothing else." How is that any better.

Clearly, it doesn't have to be all or nothing given it's not all or nothing right now.

 

[jrswizzle]

Currently it's "You can change your default keyboard solution but nothing else." How is that any better.

Clearly, it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I guess I see keyboards as a grouping and apps as another. Perhaps it could be further segmented. I don't know.

How popular have 3rd Party keyboards really become on iOS? I was excited for them and downloaded a few, but not even a few months later I opted for the regular keyboard. I've read there have been a whole slew of problems with them.

At any rate, perhaps I'm wrong. It's been known to happen. If I were waiting for it I wouldn't hold my breath though, that's all. But if it does, great! It doesn't bother me at all.

 

[aneftp]

One of the still frustrating things about android is app compatibility. I mean major apps. My kids watch Disney.

I got lg G3.

None of disney channel apps are available on the lg G3. But they are available on other android platforms.

It's Russian roulette when you buy newer android phones with app compatibility.

Same thing happen when i had Galaxy nexus. Same with nexus 5 and nexus 5.

So make sure ur essential apps work before u buy the lastest greatest on android.

 

[jamezr]

One of the still frustrating things about android is app compatibility. I mean major apps. My kids watch Disney.

I got lg G3.

None of disney channel apps are available on the lg G3. But they are available on other android platforms.

It's Russian roulette when you buy newer android phones with app compatibility.

Same thing happen when i had Galaxy nexus. Same with nexus 5 and nexus 5.

So make sure ur essential apps work before u buy the lastest greatest on android.

That is a great point. I looked up the Disney Channel app from the playstore. It was compatible with all my Verizon phones but not my AT&T phones....weird!

 

[SurferMan]

All of these reasons are the exact reasons I switched to iOS. Way too much fiddling around with customizations and settings.

Well, like said, you don't have to and no reason to (unless you want). I root and rom b/c I want to not b/c I have to, though even without that you still have a lot of customization/personalization you can do on Android should you choose to do so (don't have to). Same reason why I've jailbroken iOS for years, mainly b/c I refuse and can't stand stock iOS and how Apple "wants" me to use it, not how "I" want to use it.

 

[epicrayban]

Well, like said, you don't have to and no reason to (unless you want). I root and rom b/c I want to not b/c I have to, though even without that you still have a lot of customization/personalization you can do on Android should you choose to do so (don't have to). Same reason why I've jailbroken iOS for years, mainly b/c I refuse and can't stand stock iOS and how Apple "wants" me to use it, not how "I" want to use it.

100% spot on. Even just a bit of customization makes the phone feel like it's conformed to my needs and usages. And because it's something I use every single day the customization goes a very long way.

And as you say only if anyone wants to customize. If the default experience is fine for you that's great but at least with android the choice is there.

It empowers you.

 

[bubbleboil]

Pros: itune
Cons: itune

The rest doesn't really matter.

 

[mrex]

So you put the ones you look at most on top - similarly, you'd put your most used widgets in Android on the closest home screen....otherwise, you'd be scrolling through home screens to find the one you want if you put it on the 3rd or 4th....

except you can scroll/use widgets on android without opening the app itself. it is not just a notification... Zooper is very powerfull widget app and im now running like about 10 differend widgets on my homescreen - zooper widgets and other widget apps.

Obviously Apple is doing SOMETHING right....otherwise there would be a billion iOS devices in the wild.

i wish there would be another manufacturer for ios. but that aint gonna happen... unfortunately...

 

[mrex]

One of the still frustrating things about android is app compatibility. I mean major apps. My kids watch Disney.



I got lg G3.



None of disney channel apps are available on the lg G3. But they are available on other android platforms.



It's Russian roulette when you buy newer android phones with app compatibility.



Same thing happen when i had Galaxy nexus. Same with nexus 5 and nexus 5.



So make sure ur essential apps work before u buy the lastest greatest on android.

disney is known to be imcompatible with many android devices... if disney is an essential and major app for you, then you need to check their help-section to check the compatibility. it has been since disney developed their first apps for android and it still is the same with disney.

i never had experienced it myself during all these years i have been using androids.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I'm surprised nobody has said 'not having a cool phone' yet.

 

[jrswizzle]

except you can scroll/use widgets on android without opening the app itself. it is not just a notification... Zooper is very powerfull widget app and im now running like about 10 differend widgets on my homescreen - zooper widgets and other widget apps.





i wish there would be another manufacturer for ios. but that aint gonna happen... unfortunately...

Seems like you haven't actually used widgets in iOS. They are most certainly actionable without going into the app....

 

[tbayrgs]

Seems like you haven't actually used widgets in iOS. They are most certainly actionable without going into the app....

I know there's a thread on the front page but figured I'd mention it here since we're discussing the difference in widgets on iOS and Android. Launcher has once again been made available and I highly recommend it for any iOS user. It's basically the iOS version of the ability to add quick shortcuts to directly launcher calls/messages to specific users or quick launch apps or functions, straight from the today tab of the pulldown shade.

I was lucky enough to get the free version back before it was originally pulled but missed out on being able to upgrade to the pro version. Very glad Apple reconsidered their policy regarding widget functionality.

 

[aneftp]

disney is known to be imcompatible with many android devices... if disney is an essential and major app for you, then you need to check their help-section to check the compatibility. it has been since disney developed their first apps for android and it still is the same with disney.

i never had experienced it myself during all these years i have been using androids.

Not just Disney. Apps like NFL mobile didn't work with new nexus phones Until after the regular season as over did they finally fix it! That was the Verizon Galaxy nexus

HBO go incompatible with certain android phones as well.

Like I said. It can be a pain having the lastest greatest android phones waiting for ur major apps to become compatible.

I use all types of mobile operating systems. Have used the original android 1.0 HTC G1 through multiple nexus, galaxies etc. not trying to bash android.

Just wish google would stream line their process to make all approved apps compatible across the board.

 

[mrex]

Seems like you haven't actually used widgets in iOS. They are most certainly actionable without going into the app....

some on ipad. not good enough to get me there.

 

[kis]

I generally like Android as on OS. My problem is Google and the amount of data it collects - and what would happen to the data if my account is breached.

 

[epicrayban]

I generally like Android as on OS. My problem is Google and the amount of data it collects - and what would happen to the data if my account is breached.

Yawn. This again?

Just curious, you've never googled anything in your life? Or you've never watched something on YouTube? How about Google maps? Even back when it was the only and default map option on the iPhone?

Never?

In all seriousness you have nothing to worry about. Read up on the subject. If you like android go ahead and enjoy yourself worry free.

 

[AustinIllini]

Yawn. This again?

Just curious, you've never googled anything in your life? Or you've never watched something on YouTube? How about Google maps? Even back when it was the only and default map option on the iPhone?

Never?

In all seriousness you have nothing to worry about. Read up on the subject. If you like android go ahead and enjoy yourself worry free.

Agreed on this. Google is everywhere. If you have a gmail account, android isn't going to make a bit of difference.

 

[kis]

Yawn. This again?



Just curious, you've never googled anything in your life? Or you've never watched something on YouTube? How about Google maps? Even back when it was the only and default map option on the iPhone?



Never?



.

That's BS and you know it. Using the search engine is pretty harmless by itself. As soon as you're logged in using a google account and perform the same search, however, the fun begins. You can turn off search history, location history etc., but by doing so, you also cripple your Android experience (forget about using an Android Wear watch without Google Now enabled). Google makes money from collecting, combining and selling personal data. This isn't something I'm comfortable with. I'm sure many people don't care - which is perfectly fine, but it's not for me, that's for sure.

Google isn't the only company making a living from exploiting their users' personal data (Facebook springs to mind), but they're the worst offender, by far.

 

[ACE_350]

I'm one of those individuals that have tried to make constant switches to Android. I've been using a iPhone for a very long time, I started right around the iPhone 3G, I had the original first generation iPod Touch so I have been on iOS for a very long time.

The biggest reason why I keep switching back is the Apple ecosystem, software, and user experience for me just remains to seem unmatched. I enjoy Android a lot, and lots of time I think the devices are a lot cooler, but iPhone for me just has the rock solid reliability and ease of use. I always run into some type of snag on Android, some type of nuance where I constantly have to fiddle with the device to get it to work right, I can give a case and example:

I do a lot of group texting with my friends and family, no matter how hard I try and how many apps and settings I configure it never works 100% correctly for me. One of the contacts will fall out of the group message, a message won't send, or fail, or something along those lines, or it will be bugged. On my iPhone? Not so much, it works pretty much 100% of the time without me having to toy or mess around with it.

iMessage in general is a pretty amazing platform in itself. Nearly all of my friends and family use iPhones and when iMessage is running it makes for sending and receiving messages, pictures, and videos flow like honey. Everything sends through without a hunch. No video limits, or delays, or bugs.

The fluidity and smoothness never ceases to amaze me, everything just works and is very uniform. The smoothest Android phone I've used to date is the 2nd generation Moto X, and even at times I still ran into a few stutters, jerks, and janks at times. I think it is just the natural part of the OS. It's not as optimized as iOS. You could be running a octocore clocked over 3Ghz with 8GB of RAM on Android and I think simply due to the way the OS is coded it will still lag and stutter at times. Apps are a lot more polished and work better, I don't find problems where my battery gets drained out from them. Software updates are uniform and you're never guessing when you're due for a upgrade or abandoned by your manufacture or carrier on a software update on your device.

While Android a lot of the time can have better battery life on devices, I feel like it's more achieved with brute force rather then efficiency, lots of manufactures just slamming a huge battery into the device, this is cool, but lots of the times I feel Android devices run more warm in the hand, and standby time is never quite as good. I can go to sleep with my iPhone at 60% (example) and I will wake up with it at 60%. Android not so much, I'll wake up with it maybe at 48%. iOS is so efficient on battery life, I could only imagine what Apple could actually achieve with battery sizes comparable to other Android devices. My battery demands aren't high like some other peoples might be, but this is what I've personally observed.

But I like Android. Something about it always draws me to it and I'm always trying a couple flagships throughout the year to try and get me to switch, but I always return back to my iPhone every time. The closest device ever that almost got me to permanently switch was the Moto X 2014 and Nexus 6. But still no dice. The iPhone 6 still prevails for me and will continue to do so.

If Android can achieve more uniform software updates, more fluidity and perhaps a more reliable messaging system similar to iMessage (Hangouts maybe?) .. I can consider switching. I think SMS is a outdated technology, with all the strong LTE networks available, I should be able to send a video to a friend or family member longer then 10 seconds. The fact that I can't do that in 2015 is pretty ridiculous in my opinion. But anyhow,

just my two cents, for people that pine over switching devices these are the core reasons I continue to stick to my iPhone. It's boring and plain at times, but it just works.

 

[epicrayban]

That's BS and you know it. Using the search engine is pretty harmless by itself. As soon as you're logged in using a google account and perform the same search, however, the fun begins. You can turn off search history, location history etc., but by doing so, you also cripple your Android experience (forget about using an Android Wear watch without Google Now enabled). Google makes money from collecting, combining and selling personal data. This isn't something I'm comfortable with. I'm sure many people don't care - which is perfectly fine, but it's not for me, that's for sure.

Google isn't the only company making a living from exploiting their users' personal data (Facebook springs to mind), but they're the worst offender, by far.

I think you need to do more research about Google. Or not. Whichever. It's your own lost especially if you actually like android as you've stated.