Do you plan to switch from iPhone to Android? (2016)

[Radon87000]

As predicted the mid range iPhone users get shafted next year. The screen is less sharper than my 7 Plus and at $649-749 wont come with dual cameras and have lesser RAM. So pay minimum $999 for the dual cameras but get a smaller screen. $1300 for the 64GB Plus variant which will get ProMotion and more exclusives which the smaller X won’t get. The X Plus will get 4GB ram.

 

[I7guy]

As predicted the mid range iPhone users get shafted next year. The screen is less sharper than my 7 Plus and at $649-749 wont come with dual cameras and have lesser RAM. So pay minimum $999 for the dual cameras but get a smaller screen. $1300 for the 64GB Plus variant which will get ProMotion and more exclusives which the smaller X won’t get. The X Plus will get 4GB ram.

Might as well wait xplus.

 

[AustinIllini]

Might as well wait xplus.

Yay a $1400 phone!

 

[Radon87000]

Might as well wait xplus.

Yeah I am thinking the same thing. If I am going to spend $1200, might as well go all out and get the 256 GB X Plus. ProMotion+OLED display is simply too good to be true

 

[AustinIllini]

Yeah I am thinking the same thing. If I am going to spend $1200, might as well go all out and get the 256 GB X Plus. ProMotion+OLED display is simply too good to be true

How much do you think an X+ is going to cost?

 

[Roadstar]

How much do you think an X+ is going to cost?

It'll be close to the "Do I really need two kidneys?" range

 

[convergent]

I know your reply wasn’t directed at me but if it’s alright, all share what I noticed from my time using both an iPhone and Android (Nexus 6P/Pixel XL/Pixel 2 XL)

Outlook is better on iOS. The interface I find nicer, smoother in performance, and more polished. I can’t delete from notifications on Android but can on iOS. It has a multipanel layout on Plus model phones but not on Android. And IIRC, the ability to print was only added to the Android version recently after existing for quite a while on iOS.

Spark, another longstanding, highly praised email client on iOS/Mac, doesn’t have a version on Android. Same goes for AnyList. I know it’s not an earth shattering app but it’s the best app of it’s type that I’ve found over the years on any platform, allows syncing across our family and ditching it when switching to Android was a big compromise for us.

Carrot Weather, again, not on Android.

1Password feels like it’s a smoother experience on iOS and how it integrates with browsers on iOS is just better and takes less effort. The Starbucks app is also better on iOS though it has recently been updated to bring some parity. It still doesn’t allow use of Android Pay in the app, nor prompt me to use a wallet card based on location.

And yes, as others have mentioned, may finance/banking apps are inferior. A pair that I use every day lag behind on Android and don’t offer biometric authetication even though their iOS versions have had it for years.

I’m not cherry-picking apps either—these were the handful I personally already use and noticed in my workflow on both platforms. There tons of apps that have equally good versions on both platforms and certainly many that exist on Android only, especially in cases where there is functionality available to them on Android but not iOS. But for the most part, over time I notice more missing apps/features in apps on Android than the other way around.

Thanks for sharing.

Outlook - I don't use it, but given Microsoft is going heavily in with their Microsoft experience on Android, I would expect Android to eventually be better. I'm using the Microsoft Switcher and really like it, and their expressed continuity strategy is pretty nice.

Spark - I've never heard of it and used Mac/iOS heavily over the past 10 years or so. For email I use Exchange for work and Gmail personally. I use the default email app on Mac, iPhone, Note 8, and Surface Pro. I find them all to work pretty well.

Carrot Weather - Bought it on iOS, simply for its Apple Watch complications. Since I've moved on, have no need for it and there are bazillion good weather apps. Using Weather Underground on the Note 8.

1Password - Agree with you on this, but it also sucks on Windows. I've bought versions on several platforms, but refuse to go to a subscription model, and after it wasn't great on Android I've begun the transition to LastPass which seems to work very well. So basically, 1Password is Apple-centric, so its them that has issues on other platforms. Not unexpected.

Starbucks - Never used it and been slowly moving away from Starbucks in general. I've stopped drinking it at home in our Keurig, and can't remember the last time I went into a Starbucks for coffee unless a colleague took me there.

Agree on the banking apps, but its just with authentication and some support non Apple FPS, some don't. To me this is a wash because Samsung Pay is so much better than Apple Pay.

The apps I use regularly, which is quite a few... I don't notice any difference. If an App doesn't work as well, like 1Password, then I move on to something else. Few things there aren't an alternatives.

 

[jamezr]

It'll be close to the "Do I really need two kidneys?" range

well.....you know...you only need ONE kidney to live.....

 

[Aneres11]

Great write up! I think you could have a good future with your own blog writing these things!

Oh wow thanks dude!!
If only I could afford all the new devices I would be all over it.
At least I’d be doing something I’d be passionate about haha.
Maybe I’ll win the lottery one day.

 

[Radon87000]

How much do you think an X+ is going to cost?

I think it will cost $1200 for the 64GB variant and $1300 for 256GB

 

[AustinIllini]

I think it will cost $1200 for the 64GB variant and $1300 for 256GB.

That's completely absurd and yet entirely likely.

 

[widgeteer]

That's completely absurd and yet entirely likely.

It's not likely at all. The phones will drop tiers.

 

[Radon87000]

That's completely absurd and yet entirely likely.

Also now watch the Note 9 cost more than $1000. It’s rumoured it’s going to come with a fingerprint sensor under the display and they will jack up the price because of that.

It seems these manufacturers will keep increasing prices till people stop buying them. Just remains to be seen what that limit is.

 

[AustinIllini]

Also now watch the Note 9 cost more than $1000. It’s rumoured it’s going to come with a fingerprint sensor under the display and they will jack up the price because of that.

It seems these manufacturers will keep increasing prices till people stop buying them. Just remains to be seen what that limit is.

I'm going to be really disappointed when the Pixel starts costing that much. I'm not going to get too worked up about it yet, but that definitely feels like a possibility.

That being said, while Samsung, Apple can demand insane prices, I'm not sure Google can yet.

 

[Radon87000]

It's not likely at all. The phones will drop tiers.

Apple has never reduced prices without removing features. If the X gets cheaper next year, they will remove a feature correspondingly.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I’m starting to think perhaps i’ll either have to keep phones longer than 2 years or consider an alternative to the iPhone. I can’t see any other way to absorb this rising cost? It’s very frustrating as the experience remains the same but the hardware is potentially doubling in price in my country. UK carriers are not doing much to help other than marketing £70 p/m contracts as ‘exciting’.

 

[torana355]

I’m starting to think perhaps i’ll either have to keep phones longer than 2 years or consider an alternative to the iPhone. I can’t see any other way to absorb this rising cost? It’s very frustrating as the experience remains the same but the hardware is potentially doubling in price in my country. UK carriers are not doing much to help other than marketing £70 p/m contracts as ‘exciting’.

I think keeping a phone for a longer period is much more viable these days. The amount of power in the phones of 2017 is crazy so there is really no need to upgrade as often. Im on the android side but I plan on getting the S9+ when its released and keeping it for at least 3 years.

 

[Radon87000]

X Plus is also not the end. They also plan on releasing a Note competitior with Apple Pencil support sometime in the future. The X is the S8 competitor. The X Plus is the S8 Plus which means the iPhone X Pro will cost crazy amounts of money if the X and X Plus are a huge hit at those price points.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I think keeping a phone for a longer period is much more viable these days. The amount of power in the phones of 2017 is crazy so there is really no need to upgrade as often. Im on the android side but I plan on getting the S9+ when its released and keeping it for at least 3 years.

I have seen it suggested that the rise in cost of flagship phones may have been in response to the market slowing down in the last 2 years. The manufacturers have noticed more people are keeping their devices beyond a 2 year contract so the price has been raised to recover lost sales. Whether that is true or not I don’t know but I suppose it makes sense.

The iPhone 7 and 8 sold less than the previous iPhones here in the UK and the high price of the X has ensured it won’t break any records. Perhaps technology has reached that point where mobile phones are not changing enough for the demand to remain high every 12 months?

 

[torana355]

I have seen it suggested that the rise in cost of flagship phones may have been in response to the market slowing down in the last 2 years. The manufacturers have noticed more people are keeping their devices beyond a 2 year contract so the price has been raised to recover lost sales. Whether that is true or not I don’t know but I suppose it makes sense.

The iPhone 7 and 8 sold less than the previous iPhones here in the UK and the high price of the X has ensured it won’t break any records. Perhaps technology has reached that point where mobile phones are not changing enough for the demand to remain high every 12 months?

Yes they are falling into the same cycle as a Laptop now I think. I lease my phones so I upgrade every year but with how good the phones are this year i'm going to buy the S9 outright and keep it for a good 3 years.

 

[Puddled]

I’m starting to think perhaps i’ll either have to keep phones longer than 2 years or consider an alternative to the iPhone. I can’t see any other way to absorb this rising cost? It’s very frustrating as the experience remains the same but the hardware is potentially doubling in price in my country. UK carriers are not doing much to help other than marketing £70 p/m contracts as ‘exciting’.

As we enter an era of stagnation and evolution in the smartphone hardware world (ignoring fluff pieces like Face ID, etc) and as commented on by Google during the Pixel 2 Launch, perhaps we are now seeing the start of the shrinking of the gap between "good enough" and "premium" and this is where apple are making moves for the future with their recent pricing and model structure.

In IOS, The Iphone 6 is good enough for the vast, vast a majority of users. Seriously, it probably does too much for some. Apple know this. The users know this and the carriers know this.
Same for Android with the S6, M10, G5 etc.

Nobody needs to upgrade yearly anymore. Nobody really needs to change phones when they are paid off. Phones can be used until end-of-life of the unit.

I notice reviews are focusing more and more on the camera qualities of new phones. I believe this is because it is the only real smartphone function left that a user can notice any tangible differences. (Again with this, most common users are just "Meh, it takes pictures...")

My smartphone lifespans since my 1st device in 2009:

Iphone: 12 months
Iphone: 18 months
HTC: 18 months
HTC; 24 months
Samsung: 27 months (current device, no current plans to change)

(As it happens, i don't really see any major functionality improvements since i moved from the Iphone.)

So, as we keep them longer, and the boundaries blur, companies will need to do something to keep revenue up and differences obvious.

Apple are obviously going down the premium manufacturer route. Charging high prices for fit and polish
Samsung with the S and Note series as well,

But there is a huge middle ground which is opening up. A place where The tech is good enough, the price affordable, and the longevity un-compromised. Apple have thrown in the SE here, but it is my belief its really only aimed at Apple fans. It is not a high selling device. Apple sell old devices (like the 6S) but again they are not really a targeted product. They are there to get the most out of the tooling costs of each model.

The rising star in the future of this middle ground may be the likes of the Samsung A series. These are phones with the best features of the flagships, but at a significantly reduced cost. They are a workman series. Good enough and cheap enough for most, but with a good name behind them and good support and aftercare.

the era of the flagship is ending. We are moving into the era of ubiquity and value for money. We no longer need the flagship to have a reasonable user experience. Good enough is good enough.

The average person cannot and will not afford $1000 smartphones.

 

[jamezr]

I think it will cost $1200 for the 64GB variant and $1300 for 256GB

You might be on to something....
I might not keep my iPhone X as it is a little on small side for my preferences

If these rumors are true...next year could be a sales super cycle for Apple....

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

As we enter an era of stagnation and evolution in the smartphone hardware world (ignoring fluff pieces like Face ID, etc) and as commented on by Google during the Pixel 2 Launch, perhaps we are now seeing the start of the shrinking of the gap between "good enough" and "premium" and this is where apple are making moves for the future with their recent pricing and model structure.

In IOS, The Iphone 6 is good enough for the vast, vast a majority of users. Seriously, it probably does too much for some. Apple know this. The users know this and the carriers know this.
Same for Android with the S6, M10, G5 etc.

Nobody needs to upgrade yearly anymore. Nobody really needs to change phones when they are paid off. Phones can be used until end-of-life of the unit.

I notice reviews are focusing more and more on the camera qualities of new phones. I believe this is because it is the only real smartphone function left that a user can notice any tangible differences. (Again with this, most common users are just "Meh, it takes pictures...")

My smartphone lifespans since my 1st device in 2009:

Iphone: 12 months
Iphone: 18 months
HTC: 18 months
HTC; 24 months
Samsung: 27 months (current device, no current plans to change)

(As it happens, i don't really see any major functionality improvements since i moved from the Iphone.)

So, as we keep them longer, and the boundaries blur, companies will need to do something to keep revenue up and differences obvious.

Apple are obviously going down the premium manufacturer route. Charging high prices for fit and polish
Samsung with the S and Note series as well,

But there is a huge middle ground which is opening up. A place where The tech is good enough, the price affordable, and the longevity un-compromised. Apple have thrown in the SE here, but it is my belief its really only aimed at Apple fans. It is not a high selling device. Apple sell old devices (like the 6S) but again they are not really a targeted product. They are there to get the most out of the tooling costs of each model.

The rising star in the future of this middle ground may be the likes of the Samsung A series. These are phones with the best features of the flagships, but at a significantly reduced cost. They are a workman series. Good enough and cheap enough for most, but with a good name behind them and good support and aftercare.

the era of the flagship is ending. We are moving into the era of ubiquity and value for money. We no longer need the flagship to have a reasonable user experience. Good enough is good enough.

The average person cannot and will not afford $1000 smartphones.

I agree with a lot of what you say here. The only factor I can see that could potentially cut the life short of a device or ruin the user experience is the updates. Up until 4 weeks ago I couldn’t fault my 6S. Battery life was brilliant, the navigation was smooth between apps etc. Now after 4 iOS 11 updates my phone is still into lower power mode by 2.30pm most days. The animations freeze often too. Today I was trying to take a photo of my two little girls and we all know you have to be quick with kids. The bloody camera froze up! Repeatedly pressing the home button in panic not to miss the opportunity and I get the Apple logo. I actually threw the phone at that point lol.

I do wonder how many more updates my phone will take and it’s just over a year old. It’s pretty bad form by Apple and sadly mine isn’t an isolated case.

 

[jamezr]

FaceID might be fooled by your younger children who look like you....

We are seeing a flood of videos on YouTube from iPhone users who have gotten their hands on the new iPhone X and are trying to trick the Face ID. When my wife and I received our iPhone X, we had no such intention. However, things changed right after we were done setting up our new iPhones on November 3rd. We were sitting down in our bedroom and were just done setting up the Face IDs, our 10-year-old son walked in anxious to get his hands on the new iPhone X. Right away my wife declared that he was not going to access her phone. Acting exactly as a kid would do when asked to not do something, he picked up her phone and with just a glance got right in.

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/11/14/face-id-spoofed-by-child-and-mask/

 

[Klyster]

Yeah FPS is much much more secure.
I'd even say my face scanner is more secure...going by anecdotal evidence.
Revision 2 will be better though...