Feedback From a Long Term iPhone User About One Month Of Android Experience

[jsw]

While I very much appreciate the points in the original post, I think (as have others) that the comparison wasn't as Apples-to-Androids as it perhaps could have been. For all intents and purposes, if you want an Android alternative to an iPhone, your best bets are likely either Samsung's latest (if you don't mind TouchWiz) or Google's latest. Samsung is the market leader, and Google is the Android definitive implementation. In particular, the Nexus (and now Pixel) line, when purchased through Google, has essentially the same support as Apple provides (I've had a couple of phones replaced over the years, and the fact I didn't even need to leave my house to do so was an added plus that, for me, made up for needing to wait two days). A Nexus/Pixel phone will have the latest software for as long as it makes sense (as with iOS, phones more than a couple of years old don't run the latest OS well anyway).

I think there's nothing wrong with preferring iOS and its many benefits. My wife and daughters love it. The apps are almost always better made and more polished. In fact, if I could have iOS apps on my Android phone, I'd be very happy.

That being said, I much prefer the Android OS, and more so as time goes on. I think that Android does a better job of adapting iOS features than iOS does of adapting Android ones. I haven't seen an OS feature in years on iOS that made me yearn to go back. If Apple ever decides that they will do as Android and allow you to not have to have every app on your screen(s) all the time, then maybe I'll look to iOS again. Maybe. But the fact that I can only have certain apps on-screen, wherever I want on the screen, while having a very easily scrolled and alphabetically organized and searchable list of all the others just a tap away... to me, that is the killer feature.

The fact Google Now works better than Siri is a plus.

The fact I can upgrade phones every year for the cost of upgrading iPhones every other year is a plus.

The fact I can change completely how almost everything works if I decide I want to do so is a plus.

The fact that apps can do more within the phone environment (examples: Tasker for, well, almost everything, and AIDE for being able to build phone apps on the phone) is a plus.

Basically... I love iOS apps more. But I love Android (especially Google's flavor of it) more than iOS. So, since to me the delta from iOS to Android is greater than the delta from Android apps to iOS apps, I'm on Android (Google, specifically). That being said, what I'd really want is a better iPod Touch to bring with me along with my Android phone....

 

[Ludatyk]

I would hold out for Allo and Duo, but even then I'm concerned SMS will not be supported for Allo, which would make it DOA.

I'm hopeful for Allo... iMessage won't be coming through Andriod door anytime soon or not at all.

Users are seeking a compelling cross platform solution... granted Facebook & WhatsApp are solid solutions. But with Google Assistant baked into Allo.. I'm intrigued by it. It won't get the numbers as Facebook or WhatsApp... but I'll definitely give it a try.

 

[AustinIllini]

I'm hopeful for Allo... iMessage won't be coming through Andriod door anytime soon or not at all.

Users are seeking a compelling cross platform solution... granted Facebook & WhatsApp are solid solutions. But with Google Assistant baked into Allo.. I'm intrigued by it. It won't get the numbers as Facebook or WhatsApp... but I'll definitely give it a try.

Agreed on this, but if IE has taught us anything, the key is for messaging that many users will use the default regardless of the features.

 

[KentuckyHouse]

Thanks for your insight.

I will have to ask what app my brother's family use...they're all on Android. (Whereas my 2 sisters and I are on iOS.)

I had no idea that Google really doesn't support it much, any longer.

It's not that Google doesn't support Hangouts anymore, it's that they're moving to Allo as their messaging app and Hangout is going to become more focused on business uses.

Do they neglect Hangouts? Absolutely. But they're not abandoning it.

 

[Ludatyk]

It's not that Google doesn't support Hangouts anymore, it's that they're moving to Allo as their messaging app and Hangout is going to become more focused on business uses.

Do they neglect Hangouts? Absolutely. But they're not abandoning it.

Yeah, I can't fully understand Google choosing Hangouts for Allo.

I can only see it as trying to start anew given that Hangouts isn't as popular as the other messaging apps. So, Google decides let's try to shake things up... they talk about this "Google Assistant" in how it plans to be incorporated into Android.

Since it's going to be built in Android... Google then decides to branch out and do another messaging app. I think it was one of those "oh how about this" kind of approach, just to see if it sticks.

 

[mrex]

shouldnt the title be "my experience of the phone called oneplus3 and its os, oxygen os"?

first of all.. the company sucks - i thought everybody knew it already - althought i have their first phone obeplus one which is good generally and for the price damn good. it is running cm though.. not oxygen.

doing your homework before buying the thing saves you from many things, mostly from disappointings, especially if you buy a cheap phone expecting it to be as a phone priced 1200.

 

[mi7chy]

Sounds like OnePlus3 is equivalent to the iPhone to me. Decent hardware but limited by custom flavor of OS. At least with the OnePlus3 it's about half the cost and software can be improved over time.

 

[marcociccone]

Very inter

I’ll keep it short and to the point.

I have been using iPhone since 3GS to iPhone 6 and upgraded every year. Before iPhone 4 was release I tried Google Nexus for about two months before realizing that I made a mistake and then switched back to iPhone 4.

When iPhone 6S was release I did not see much reason to upgrade from iPhone 6. In July of 2016, my wife needed a new phone and I gave her my iPhone 6. Shopping for a new phone I decided to give Android another try with OnePlus 3, which is attractive in terms of value for the price you pay compared to an iPhone.

First two weeks I was impressed with OnePlus 3 and Android in general. Most of the apps that I used on the iPhone, I was able to find in Google Play Store. I got so impressed that I sold iPhone 6 that I gave to my wife and got a second OP3. However, this is where the honeymoon ended.

My experience with OnePlus 3

- Good hardware
- Good design

Software is poor. I constantly felt like I was a beta tester of raw software. Instead of enjoying my phone, I spend hours on forums reading workarounds, tweaking the settings, and trying custom roms to get close to iPhone daily experience.

For example:

- Due to Doze bug, timer does not work if you set it for longer than about 30 minutes.
- There is no built in Night Mode
- There is no Do Not Disturb
- Alert slider is useless to me as it only lowers the volume and the screen still lights up when someone calls. No way to achieve true Do Not Disturb Mode unless you turn on Airplane Mode.

Support from OP3 is next to non-existent. Support reps do not address the issue in the ticket nor in the forum discussions. At least the problems that I had with my phone. I was constantly offered stripped phone reset solution for all of my problems. They did not admin that there was software problem on their end. Finally, Carl Pei replied to me and informed me that the issues have been fixed and will be released in the next update. It has been about 4 weeks now and no release.

Android Experience

I really really miss iMessage and the experience it provides. Using solutions like AirDroid, Pushbullet, and Mighty Text led me to experience many frustrations (e.i., delays, authentication, syncing problems, and other issues).

I have learned that I prefer to use a desktop app like Photos and iTunes rather than web apps like Google Photos and Google Music. I like to handle things locally and have them sync via iCloud. Smart photo albums are also essential (e.g., findings photos not in an album).

FaceTime Video and Audio are great and Google Duo cannot replace them.

All of my family members use Apple products and I get disconnected with them. Yes, even Find My Friends is useful as I could not longer say “Hey Siri, where is my sister?”

I finally understand what people mean when they say that iOS apps are more polished than Android apps. There many small things that are just better on iOS in terms of design and functionality.

Positieve Notes About Android

- Files manager and ability to download files from my NAS is cool
- Great selection of Audio Books Player apps
- Notifications are presented in a more useful way than in iOS9
- Multitasking is indeed better.
- Widgets are fun but not essential (for me)

Conclusion

I really miss my iPhone experience. OnePlus 3 is up for sale and I will be buying an iPhone 7. I don’t care if it will be a minor upgrade and if the price will be CAD $1,200. I have learned that I am willing to pay more for a peace of mind, simpliccity, and day to day usability. Thank you OnePlus for teaching me that I am not rich enough to buy cheap products.

Very interesting experience! I tried android too, from yesterday, with a Nexus 6P, after being locked into the apple ecosystem for a life with a 6s plus, 2 macbooks, tv, watch, etc.

And I love the Nexus 6P, guys android on this smartphone flies. Never had a stutter or a crash (funny thing: candy crush drops frames on my 6s plus, but not on my nexus).

I don't use niche apps, just the major ones like uber, facebook, twitter, linkedin... they work the same way on both phones. Also, I live in Italy and here whatsapp is the primary messaging app, so no problem... never used imessage or facetime in my life.

I have only 2 complaints now where I feel it's inferior to my 6s plus.
Camera: the stock camera app of the nexus 6p is slow, really. It annoys me.
Battery: I still needs to polish my Nexus and play with settings, so I installed every app and used it with all permissions (notifications, location, etc) and with minimal use, battery is draining fast. Same use patterns, my iphone 6s plus is 80% at mid-day, while the nexus is 65%.

 

[theinstructor]

It does seem like Android is harder to rein in. Odd things just happen on it. Like despite my husband and I experiencing a breakdown in our Note7's after a week so that all of our apps appeared to have been closed but were not closed. We could not even find apps we knew were open on the app switcher. The phones required a reboot. We don't know how long the phones were going awry before the problem became severe enough to notice, but it was only a week and a half into our new ownership.

Odd things have happened to me on iOS too, especially in conjunction with Apple Watch. But they took much more time to accumulate. Whether it's an iPhone or an Android, you're going to have to reboot your device on a fairly regular basis. I just think you can set a longer interval between reboots on iOS.

My observation exactly. Same same, both paragraphs. My wife and I have had several odd bug-like behavior such as Ok Google just stops working. Reboot. Fixed. Or how about this...wife's Note 7 will NOT backup to the MacBook Pro. No matter what. Mine does. Hers, nope. It also will not transfer pics. It is as if the MacBook Pro will not mount the drive. It does on mine. We are both vanilla, no mods, no difference in configurations and yes we choose "data" mode for the usb connection. Hey, hers worked last week. Backed up, no prob.

I love Ok Google...but not if it stops whenever it wants. If I wanted that I would use that piece of trash named Siri.

 

[5105973]

My observation exactly. Same same, both paragraphs. My wife and I have had several odd bug-like behavior such as Ok Google just stops working. Reboot. Fixed. Or how about this...wife's Note 7 will NOT backup to the MacBook Pro. No matter what. Mine does. Hers, nope. It also will not transfer pics. It is as if the MacBook Pro will not mount the drive. It does on mine. We are both vanilla, no mods, no difference in configurations and yes we choose "data" mode for the usb connection. Hey, hers worked last week. Backed up, no prob.

I love Ok Google...but not if it stops whenever it wants. If I wanted that I would use that piece of trash named Siri.

It's frustrating, isn't it?

 

[verpeiler]

Just got my OPO 3 for some days and I'm very happy so far. The OPO3 has a near-stock-android-experience, and oxygen OS is pretty polished right now, so I really can't agree with you on that part. Some things are just different on android, like switching from Windows to OSX.

The 3-way-switch for notifications is absolutely awesome (most android phones don't even have it as a hardware switch). iMessage and Facetime aren't a big thing in germany, so it's no big deal to "lose" it. The only thing I miss is iCloud photo gallery, since I use it for photo management.