Finally time to ditch Apple ecosystem?

[kaardowiq]

Hey ya,

I'm using Apple hardware for more than 15 years now and thinking to ditch the whole ecosystem. In the past when the iPhone came out we all were amazed about how easy everything was to use, the sync went flawlessly - including contacts, cal and music via the local sync. Remembering this time when using Windows Mobile with ActiveSync on USB connections with Outlook was pain in the...

That was the point were Apple kept me in their ecosystem and the beginning of upgrades of Apple products. Several things changed, Cloud is everywhere and you can do most of your stuff directly on your phone. With more and more products even the systems got more complex and complicated. Sounds easy to handover a call from iPhone to Mac and works mostly but can also be pain when this includes AirPods to switch the active device on demand. Mostly this results in a dropped call... There are many little but cool features within the Apple ecosystem e.g. when coding at work on a Mac (I'm always listening to music via AirPods) and my phone rings, I can directly answer the call on the Mac. Spotify fades out with the music, the call is answered and I'm still in the focus without any further harder interrupts; it's like a mate is just speaking to me. No need to take of the headset, looking away from the screen, taking the phone etc. I love this features - as far as they (mostly) work as expected. Currently I'm running on Beta on all my system and Focus mode is finally synced across all my devices. This is awesome since I only set focus mode on an no device interrupts me, when I need the full focus for my stuff.

This are only some examples of little cool features, but are they really needed and worth? My full photo library is synced to iCloud, shared albums, shared space with my wife. It just works more or less (sometimes there're sync struggles that may need just some time to sync). In the past many friends and family members used at least iPhones (but mostly not Mac or iPad) but we were able to use iMEssage and Facetime but most of them moved to Android and therefore use WhatsApp for further communications.

At the moment I'm playing with a Samsung S20 5G running Android 11. I love the Google ecosystem more since it is more cloud based and feels more like the source of truth. Everything is directly synced to the cloud and all devices are fetching the updates. Google Photos is the best tool I've seen so far - the face recognition is awesome and it already allows me to use custom email domains (where we still do not have any further updates from Apple except of "iOS15 supports custom domains" where nothing is visible yet). The S20 is a really great device, I love to side load apps to get rid of ads in further apps and services like YT, running open source applications and especially able to run multiple apps at the same time. DEX mode is awesome, it really feels like a computer when running on an external display with keyboard and mouse and should be able to replace the desktop for most people. Currently I only use my Mac at home maybe 2 hours a month. With DEX I could also develop further in applications, having full shell tools etc.

With the new Macs and M1 chip apple released a monster of power but will limit me for further new hardware upgrades since I need to make sure to support x86. Therefore I need VMs running Windows and Linux in x86 mode - at this point I can say that a new Mac for business is out of scope and will use me to perform a switch. This is mostly the reason why I'm thinking about to leave the Apple ecosystem. Within the next year I need to ditch the Mac and will loose all the nice features - maybe this is the best time to migrate everything and to switch to Android. With PushBullet on Android and "Noti" (OpenSource app) I'm able to recreate a iMessage like setup for SMS/RCS and WhatsApp on Mac, Linux and Windows systems.

But I'm sure I'd still miss some cool things like CarPlay, etc.... Still unsure, even like it seems there isn't any other way!?

 

[ian87w]

It all depends on how deep into the Apple ecosystem you are right now. Apple's advantage is that they make both the software and hardware, both on mobile and laptops/desktops, and also the cloud services. The alternative can never match this as there are already two platforms you have to deal with, Microsoft on the computer OS side, and Google on the mobile OS side. And both companies are actually not on good terms so there will never be totally seamless integration between Windows and Android. You will never see Google putting their apps in the Windows App store. One extreme option is to forego Windows and go with Chromebook, but that's quite an extreme.

The middleman right now is Samsung, and it's the closest thing you can do. Samsung and Microsoft work closely together, that Samsung Galaxy phones integrate pretty well with Windows. Samsung and Google are also close partners. The upcoming Galaxy Watch 4 is the long-waited rejuvenation of Android Wear. Samsung also is the only OEM left making good Android tablets.

In short, for the alternative to match the Apple ecosystem, Samsung is the closest you can get.

Imo you can start small. You don't have to suddenly give up Apple completely cold turkey. What you can do for now is export things like contacts and calendar from iCloud to GMail. Luckily, iOS and macOS play well with Google services as well. I use Google for my contacts, and it syncs with my iPhone just fine. Once you move all the cloud stuff to Google, then it will be easier when you start replacing the hardware side piece by piece.

 

[velocityg4]

Just own iOS, Android, Mac and PC devices. Keep data you need constant access to synced over the cloud. Everything else on a local server. Then if there's some feature you want to fiddle with. You just pick up the appropriate device. Everything you need is already there. So, you can pretty well just switch whenever and however often you want.

 

[boswald]

I was torn at first, but as soon as I disconnected my Apple equipment, I didn't really care. There's a line between liking a product and blindly loving a company, and I found myself slipping into the latter. The more I researched Apple's insane policies (soldered components, ridiculous costs, privacy policies, etc), the less I felt like I belong. I have to ride out my current iPhone payment plan, but when it's done, this thing - and everything else - is going up on Ebay. I'm moving back to Android. Say what you want about Google, but at least there's custom ROMs and third-party app stores. Also works beautifully with Linux, which I miss and love. Already installed my preferred distro on my old Time Machine drive in preparation.

 

[dk001]

As time has moved on, my use of Apple has slowly but steadily dwindled. My MBP gets minimal use these days. My 12 ProMax is more of a backup (work phone). My iPad Pro 11 is the single Apple piece I use most. These have been replaced by alternatives over time. ThinkPad X230, X280, Samsung CB, OnePlus 9 Pro …. These are my main devices. Migrating from Apple to others has been easy to do since I didn’t try to do a big bang move. I phased things in. Apple isn’t what it used to be.

I’ll continue to use Apple however it will continue to dwindle.

Now I just need a great Android tablet to replace my iPad Pro.

 

[Brockyneo]

As time has moved on, my use of Apple has slowly but steadily dwindled. My MBP gets minimal use these days. My 12 ProMax is more of a backup (work phone). My iPad Pro 11 is the single Apple piece I use most. These have been replaced by alternatives over time. ThinkPad X230, X280, Samsung CB, OnePlus 9 Pro …. These are my main devices. Migrating from Apple to others has been easy to do since I didn’t try to do a big bang move. I phased things in. Apple isn’t what it used to be.

I’ll continue to use Apple however it will continue to dwindle.

Now I just need a great Android tablet to replace my iPad Pro.

How are you finding the oneplus 9 pro I’ve just ordered it and was thinking of changing from the 12 pro max but a few reviews of the camera and battery has me worried

also how’s the display compared to the pro max

thanks

 

[dk001]

How are you finding the oneplus 9 pro I’ve just ordered it and was thinking of changing from the 12 pro max but a few reviews of the camera and battery has me worried

also how’s the display compared to the pro max

thanks

Chuckle ... use both and am in the middle of comparing. I have an initial review in this folder....

Camera.
Photos - Some aspects on the 1Plus are better than the 12PM and just the opposite it true.
Video - The 12PM wins except for image stabilization. 1Plus wins that.

Battery - my 12PM is running the iOS 15 beta so it may not be a totally fair comparison. They are pretty close most cases. Where the 1Plus shines is charging. At 45%? 15-20 minutes on the charger, wired or wireless drops it close to 100%. I call it a win for the OnePlus. I have both the supplied wired charger and bought the wireless stand.

Display visually is better on the 1Plus. Size wise it is a bit taller and thinner than the 12PM.
Big item is the weight. After using both the 12PM is noticeably heavier.

Personally the flexibility the OnePlus is giving me makes it my main. One caveat: if you are on AT&T 5G is hard to get and keep. It is an AT&T network issue (working with them on it).

All in all, I like the OnePlus 9 Pro better than the 12 ProMax.

 

[Brockyneo]

Chuckle ... use both and am in the middle of comparing. I have an initial review in this folder....

Camera.
Photos - Some aspects on the 1Plus are better than the 12PM and just the opposite it true.
Video - The 12PM wins except for image stabilization. 1Plus wins that.

Battery - my 12PM is running the iOS 15 beta so it may not be a totally fair comparison. They are pretty close most cases. Where the 1Plus shines is charging. At 45%? 15-20 minutes on the charger, wired or wireless drops it close to 100%. I call it a win for the OnePlus. I have both the supplied wired charger and bought the wireless stand.

Display visually is better on the 1Plus. Size wise it is a bit taller and thinner than the 12PM.
Big item is the weight. After using both the 12PM is noticeably heavier.

Personally the flexibility the OnePlus is giving me makes it my main. One caveat: if you are on AT&T 5G is hard to get and keep. It is an AT&T network issue (working with them on it).

All in all, I like the OnePlus 9 Pro better than the 12 ProMax.

Thanks for the reply I’m in the uk so shouldn’t have the AT&T problems I’m on the fence myself as I’m new to iOS but think I prifair androids freedom it brings

do you find the one plus to be a bit dark when playing hdr on Netflix,YouTube ect as some people have said in other forums

think I will like a lighter device as the max feels great in hand but a pain in the pocket lol

my main concerns over the iPhone was display,speakers,battery,cameras and future updates and fixes

 

[dk001]

Thanks for the reply I’m in the uk so shouldn’t have the AT&T problems I’m on the fence myself as I’m new to iOS but think I prifair androids freedom it brings

do you find the one plus to be a bit dark when playing hdr on Netflix,YouTube ect as some people have said in other forums

think I will like a lighter device as the max feels great in hand but a pain in the pocket lol

my main concerns over the iPhone was display,speakers,battery,cameras and future updates and fixes

I haven't noticed the dark - I use YouTube a lot and haven't had any issues.
I'll have to play around with Netflix.

Best of luck. I am really enjoying mine.

 

[b0fh666]

same here. already did the switch on the laptop front (to linux) and as the rest of the stuff ages they will be replaced by something non-appl

they priced themselves out of the reasonable and the hardware is not that great these days, software is good but this ridiculous “locking” and “control” things are getting too totalitarian for my taste.

 

[Wreckus]

I'm too slowly moving away from Apple devices. I just bought a samsung Tab S7 256GB tablet to replace my Ipad Mini (Mom needed a new ipad) and I love it.

The only apple devices I have is iphone, watch, & apple tv 4k box.

The only thing that stinks is that the Apple TV app on the google play store cannot be downloaded (think it's only for google tv for now), so you can't download any of your purchased movies & TV shows. If anyone has a way to do download your purchased movies & tv shows, let me know. Apple TV + shows can be viewed via the web, however.

 

[Nhwhazup]

I’m not quite ready to ditch Apple yet. But I’ve definitely hit the Apple dud lottery. I’ve had hardware problems with 4 out of the last 5 devices I’ve purchased. And not minor things - like screen color too warm but the devices totally not working properly. Two iPhone XS Maxes returned for unusable connectivity. My current iPhone 12 Pro will need a new battery by September and my 2021 iPad Pro has a problem with the USB-C connector. So frustrating when you pay a top quality price but Apple is skimping on materials and quality.

 

[RedRage]

I'm in the same boat. I am going to phase out my Apple products. I'm not going to just up and sell everything on eBay tomorrow, but I am going to replace with a non-apple devices when the time comes.

My first change will probably be later this fall when I replace my Macbook Pro.

 

[ian87w]

Imo in reality it is not that hard to ditch Apple. It’s just that if you have been in the Apple ecosystem for a while, you might feel too comfortable, as there are things where you have to do quite a bit of work when going for the alternatives.

Eg. macOS vs Windows. In practice, both OS does their job. But on Windows, you might need to do some maintenances manually, such as uninstalling bloatware on a new PC, updating drivers, etc. And then there are Microsoft’s own telemetries that are getting more invasive by the minute and you have to remember turning them off.

 

[The Game 161]

Apple Watch makes things impossible for me it’s far superior than any other smart watch that’s the issue for me.

Apps for me are still better on IOS but that’s not to say apps are bad on android just for me don’t look as good. Not like content is different

I think if you are so used to iOS maybe wait for the new pixel

 

[ian87w]

Apple Watch makes things impossible for me it’s far superior than any other smart watch that’s the issue for me.

Apps for me are still better on IOS but that’s not to say apps are bad on android just for me don’t look as good. Not like content is different

I think if you are so used to iOS maybe wait for the new pixel

We will see what the Galaxy Watch 4 will bring. It's about time for Google (with the help of Samsung) to get a bit more serious about wearables.

 

[The Game 161]

We will see what the Galaxy Watch 4 will bring. It's about time for Google (with the help of Samsung) to get a bit more serious about wearables.

Yeah certainly seems like a good step in the right direction.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Apple Watch makes things impossible for me it’s far superior than any other smart watch that’s the issue for me.

Apps for me are still better on IOS but that’s not to say apps are bad on android just for me don’t look as good. Not like content is different

I think if you are so used to iOS maybe wait for the new pixel

The new galaxy watches look quite good. We will have to wait and see what the Series 7 Watch brings but already the galaxy watch has blood pressure recording and snore detection during sleeping. Also there is this new BIA sensor. A lot of the issues would be solved with the addition of the play store. If it gets the Google assistant then that puts it in a really good position.

i think the only outstanding thing for me would be the ability to control playback on the chromecast/Google home speakers. However that could be solved by being able to access the play store.

Apple Watch has better complications but I saw an improvement from the OG galaxy watch to the GWA2 in this regard.

 

[The Game 161]

The new galaxy watches look quite good. We will have to wait and see what the Series 7 Watch brings but already the galaxy watch has blood pressure recording and snore detection during sleeping. Also there is this new BIA sensor. A lot of the issues would be solved with the addition of the play store. If it gets the Google assistant then that puts it in a really good position.

i think the only outstanding thing for me would be the ability to control playback on the chromecast/Google home speakers. However that could be solved by being able to access the play store.

Apple Watch has better complications but I saw an improvement from the OG galaxy watch to the GWA2 in this regard.

Will see how apps are on the néw galaxy watches as somebody who uses a fair enough that’s important for me. One area where galaxy doesn’t compare is activity Rings and competing with others.

 

[GenRen]

Пришло время заменить мой iMac. Мне не очень хотелось брать первую версию Apple Silicon, поэтому я решил использовать Windows. Но надолго меня не хватило. Купил М1 и вернулся домой. )

 

[Vegastouch]

Eh, I switched 10 years ago. Was an easy transition.
I don't wear a watch so it's no factor for me.

 

[Apple$]

I'm all over the place when it comes to OS's. I use a Pixel 3a as my phone, iPad for tablet, and a Microsoft Surface Pro 5 as my main computer. That way, I'm not locked into one system, and if there's a app that my Pixel doesn't have, I can go to my iPad. Though in the brief time I owned a iPhone 8, it was nice to experience the connectivity between the iPhone and iPad. (Like syncing between devices.) I was on the fence of getting the 12 or 13 mini, but I may have to hold off on that (for now) and stick to budget Android phones, because why pay the Apple tax when Apple's marketing of privacy is flushed down the toilet? ?‍♂️

 

[Shanghaichica]

Will see how apps are on the néw galaxy watches as somebody who uses a fair enough that’s important for me. One area where galaxy doesn’t compare is activity Rings and competing with others.

They mentioned something about competing with others in the keynote. Also they have that three coloured Heart thing instead of rings.

I think the Apple Watch for interactive workouts.

 

[HerbertDerb]

What else do we switch on? Custom rom'd pixel? The usability isn't there in android devices.

Normal Samsung with Google drive synced? Samsung pre-installs Facebook on their devices that you cannot remove. Only "disable". Btw. Google scans ALL of your photos when you sync them in.

Use iphone with sevices like Tresorit? And disable iCloud photos + drive? Golden plan.

 

[RedRage]

It's really not that hard when you think about it. People are just lazy lol