From iPhone 6 to Android phone... suggestions

[skaertus]

Well, here is the thing: the day before yesterday I dropped my iPhone 6 64 GB on the water, and it stopped working. I am still trying to get it dry, but I am almost losing my hopes. I've had the iPhone 6 for 6 months now and it is probably time to move on...

Thing is, I live in Brazil and the iPhone is incredibly expensive here. I checked the prices of the iPhone 6 and it is by far the most expensive smartphone in the market. So, I am thinking of buying something else. My iPhone costed something like US$1,300 when I bought it in January (believe it or not, it was for sale at this price). Now, the iPhone 6 is even more expensive and I am not willing to spend even more only six months later.

Here are the cheapest models I could find, for comparison sake:

The iPhone 6 (16 GB) is 1.39x the price of the Galaxy S6; 1.35x the price of the LG G4; 2.78x the price of the Moto X 32 GB; 1.84x the price of the Droid Turbo 64 GB; 2.38x the price of the Nexus 5.

The iPhone 5s (16 GB) is nearly the same price of the Galaxy S6 and the LG G4; 2x the price of the Moto X 32 GB; 1.33x the price of the Droid Turbo 64 GB; 1.72x the price of the Nexus 5.

So, I think the iPhone is really overpriced here and I would be willing to try something different. Back in 2013, I bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 to replace my iPhone 4s, and I hated it. The Galaxy S4 felt too big, it was uncomfortable to use, slow, full of bloat, had a bad interface, the touchscreen was bad and the full thing lacked polish and ergonomics. It wasn't half as intuitive and practical as the iPhone was. I spent two weeks with it and then I gave it to my mother and bought an iPhone 5.

Now, I want some advice. The Galaxy S4 was terrible for me. But perhaps not all Android devices are the same. I saw a Nexus 5 of a friend of mine, and played with it for a few minutes, and it looked clean and zippy, and comfortable to use. Don't know if it is just an impression or if it will last if I try to have one of these.

I tested some Android devices and I found out that I prefer Android with no optimizations than those tweaked by the interfaces (and bloat) of companies. So, I am leaning towards a Nexus or Motorola device. I would like something with a good screen, a good and responsive touch, tethering capabilities, good performance (but I am not playing games with it, so it doesn't have to be stellar), and good battery life. I am a power user, even though I use it mostly for day-to-day tasks. The iPhone 6 had a terrible battery life for my use; sometimes I drained it to 60% even before I got to work at 9am (mostly due to browsing the Internet and using apps). Due to this reason, I would like something with better battery, and I wonder which Android devices are better than the iPhone in this respect.

I was leaning towards the Moto X or the Droid Turbo, perhaps the latest due to the battery size. Not sure, though. Or should I just give up and buy another iPhone? Any recommendations of what to do?

 

[MRU]

If you can wait till end of the month 28th July - Motorola will be announcing new 2015 Moto's.

By far I prefer Motorola's take on Android which is basically stock with addition to Motorla's excellent additions. It's not really a skin unlike Sense or Touchwiz or LG's UX - its stock with additions which means it remains snappy, effiecnt and closest to a nexus device outside of the nexus.

Sony's Z3 is a great phone that can be picked up cheap and is arguably a far better device than the Z3+/Z4 that has just been released. Sony's lollipop android skin keeps much of stock android but includes many Sony services including s4 remote play etc..

Samsung S6 is a great handset but not sure if you didn't like Touchwiz previously that despite its newer cleaner aesthetics does enough to convert you back to Touchwiz. Under the new pyjamas there is still Touchwiz foibles beneath. Still the handset is very beautiful and very speedy.

Personally I don't like LG's android skin.

HTC's M9 is a solid handset, very fast and speedy too. That being said I feel that Sense 7 has strained from Sense 5 brief of being simple and aesthicly coherent. Much of new sense features feel overly complicated and fussy. That being said it's a solid and fast OS. The biggest issue I found with the device was cellular reception which for me was a little subpar.

You could also look at the likes of the Xiaomi Mi 4 which is a surprisingly nice device with decent specs and great build quality. It's also likely much cheaper than any of the above - it's Android with a iOS touch.

Nexus 5 is good handset but it's camera is a little subpar, battery a little meh and screen quality ok - it's main + of course is it gets latest Google Android OS quickly - the biggest negative is that it's 18+ months old and going to be replaced in 4-5 months with the new Nexus 5

-

But again personally I'd wait to see what Moto announce soon and then decide.

 

[skaertus]

If you can wait till end of the month 28th July - Motorola will be announcing new 2015 Moto's.

By far I prefer Motorola's take on Android which is basically stock with addition to Motorla's excellent additions. It's not really a skin unlike Sense or Touchwiz or LG's UX - its stock with additions which means it remains snappy, effiecnt and closest to a nexus device outside of the nexus.

Sony's Z3 is a great phone that can be picked up cheap and is arguably a far better device than the Z3+/Z4 that has just been released. Sony's lollipop android skin keeps much of stock android but includes many Sony services including s4 remote play etc..

Samsung S6 is a great handset but not sure if you didn't like Touchwiz previously that despite its newer cleaner aesthetics does enough to convert you back to Touchwiz. Under the new pyjamas there is still Touchwiz foibles beneath. Still the handset is very beautiful and very speedy.

Personally I don't like LG's android skin.

HTC's M9 is a solid handset, very fast and speedy too. That being said I feel that Sense 7 has strained from Sense 5 brief of being simple and aesthicly coherent. Much of new sense features feel overly complicated and fussy. That being said it's a solid and fast OS. The biggest issue I found with the device was cellular reception which for me was a little subpar.

You could also look at the likes of the Xiaomi Mi 4 which is a surprisingly nice device with decent specs and great build quality. It's also likely much cheaper than any of the above - it's Android with a iOS touch.

Nexus 5 is good handset but it's camera is a little subpar, battery a little meh and screen quality ok - it's main + of course is it gets latest Google Android OS quickly - the biggest negative is that it's 18+ months old and going to be replaced in 4-5 months with the new Nexus 5

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But again personally I'd wait to see what Moto announce soon and then decide.

Thank you, that was very helpful.

I tried Samsung Galaxy S6 yesterday and it looked very good. A built quality which resembled me the iPhone. There were also other Samsung phones on display that looked good, and were cheaper. The thing is, my previous experience, the Galaxy S4 was terrible and I don't want to replicate it. Did TouchWiz get any better since then? It was horrible at the time.

The Z3 is for sale here at a decent price. Could be an option. HTC models are not for sale in Brazil, so the M9 is out of question. Xiaomi also does not sell its cell phones here.

As for Motorola, I was betting it as my first option. There will be a launch at the end of the month, but I am not sure when those products will become available here in Brazil. And I don't know much what to expect. Will the next Moto X be any more worth it than the Droid Turbo with its large battery?

As for batteries, how do they perform against the iPhone 6? The iPhone 6 I found to have a poor battery life, are these Android devices any similar or even worse? Is it worth to get the Droid Turbo just because of the battery?

 

[mi7chy]

Moto G is popular in Brazil and is equivalent to iPhone 6 but with better battery life and very affordable.

 

[MRU]

Thank you, that was very helpful.

I tried Samsung Galaxy S6 yesterday and it looked very good. A built quality which resembled me the iPhone. There were also other Samsung phones on display that looked good, and were cheaper. The thing is, my previous experience, the Galaxy S4 was terrible and I don't want to replicate it. Did TouchWiz get any better since then? It was horrible at the time.

The Z3 is for sale here at a decent price. Could be an option. HTC models are not for sale in Brazil, so the M9 is out of question. Xiaomi also does not sell its cell phones here.

As for Motorola, I was betting it as my first option. There will be a launch at the end of the month, but I am not sure when those products will become available here in Brazil. And I don't know much what to expect. Will the next Moto X be any more worth it than the Droid Turbo with its large battery?

As for batteries, how do they perform against the iPhone 6? The iPhone 6 I found to have a poor battery life, are these Android devices any similar or even worse? Is it worth to get the Droid Turbo just because of the battery?

Droid Turbo was never available here in Europe so can't speak for that however Jamezr here had one for a short while and I believe he found battery to be a little disappointing given its size. The Moto X 2014 I was able to get around 4-4.5 hr SOT myself, which is very decent considering its battery size - it should in theory be better than the iPhone 6 which I too found a little average battery wise which was one of my main reasons to trade it for the 6+.

One thing I will say is that despite its lower resolution the iPhone 6 screen is better than the Moto X 2014 which tends to be very oversaturated and a little hard to see outdoors.

The camera is better on the iPhone 6 but the Moto X 2014 is not as bad as some reviews painted.

Moto X 2014 samples.

 

[MRU]

Moto G is popular in Brazil and is equivalent to iPhone 6 but with better battery life and very affordable.

Stop with the silliness, it's getting very repetitive.

 

[Oohara]

One thing I will say is that despite its lower resolution the iPhone 6 screen is better than the Moto X 2014 which tends to be very oversaturated and a little hard to see outdoors.

The camera is better on the iPhone 6 but the Moto X 2014 is not as bad as some reviews painted.

OP, if the screen and camera are important to you, I mean in the sense that you'd like to come as close as possible to the iPhone 6 in those two areas, then the Z3 could be well worth a look. Its screen is one of the few Android handset screens that hasn't annoyed me like most of them do. I have a Note 2 and a Note 3, and I love them both, but I can never quite get over that those screens have quite a bit of tint/muddiness in the colors to them compared to the iPhones I've owned (6+ currently). And so do most Android phones that I've tested, if sometimes not quite to that degree: Note 4, Moto X 2014, Nexus 6... This is one of the main reasons why the 6+ currently is my main phone.

But yeah, the Z3 screen on the other hand has very 'clean' colors and very pure whites, I love it (my gf has a Z3). It is also very well built, close to iPhone quality bar the somewhat 'mushy' power button on the side. And the camera is also close to iPhone 6 quality, though it's a bit slower in my experience which leads to quick snaps often being quite blurry.

In general though the Z3 is a very quick phone and a joy to use. Put Nova Prime on it and you can achieve what is the closest to an iPhone experience I've ever been able to get using an Android phone.

 

[WrenFGun]

If you value camera and price, I don't think id buy an Android. The Lumia 640 or 640 XL would be better fits to me with good cameras at a low price. You can even get well spec'd older Lumia used for quite cheap (ICON/930, 1520, 1020).

Again I owned the Moto x and Nexus 6. Cameras not up to snuff.

 

[skaertus]

Droid Turbo was never available here in Europe so can't speak for that however Jamezr here had one for a short while and I believe he found battery to be a little disappointing given its size. The Moto X 2014 I was able to get around 4-4.5 hr SOT myself, which is very decent considering its battery size - it should in theory be better than the iPhone 6 which I too found a little average battery wise which was one of my main reasons to trade it for the 6+.

One thing I will say is that despite its lower resolution the iPhone 6 screen is better than the Moto X 2014 which tends to be very oversaturated and a little hard to see outdoors.

The camera is better on the iPhone 6 but the Moto X 2014 is not as bad as some reviews painted.

Moto X 2014 samples.

View attachment 569552 View attachment 569553 View attachment 569554

How is battery life of Moto X compared to iPhone 6? My biggest issue with the iPhone 6 (and all iPhones, to be frank) was battery life, which I found very poor. I need two iPhone charges each day. Battery life is absolutely crucial to me.

The screen of the Moto X seems pretty good to me, even though it may not match the iPhone's screen. As for the camera, the photos looked good.

 

[skaertus]

OP, if the screen and camera are important to you, I mean in the sense that you'd like to come as close as possible to the iPhone 6 in those two areas, then the Z3 could be well worth a look. Its screen is one of the few Android handset screens that hasn't annoyed me like most of them do. I have a Note 2 and a Note 3, and I love them both, but I can never quite get over that those screens have quite a bit of tint/muddiness in the colors to them compared to the iPhones I've owned (6+ currently). And so do most Android phones that I've tested, if sometimes not quite to that degree: Note 4, Moto X 2014, Nexus 6... This is one of the main reasons why the 6+ currently is my main phone.

But yeah, the Z3 screen on the other hand has very 'clean' colors and very pure whites, I love it (my gf has a Z3). It is also very well built, close to iPhone quality bar the somewhat 'mushy' power button on the side. And the camera is also close to iPhone 6 quality, though it's a bit slower in my experience which leads to quick snaps often being quite blurry.

In general though the Z3 is a very quick phone and a joy to use. Put Nova Prime on it and you can achieve what is the closest to an iPhone experience I've ever been able to get using an Android phone.

The screen is important, of course. However, I don't need the colors to be extremely accurate; if they are fine, it's OK. The Galaxy S4 had oversaturated colors; even though it could be annoying, I could perfectly live with that.

I don't use the camera that much. It is fine to have a camera, but I don't need the best camera in the world.

What really matters to me is: battery life; speed and zippiness; ergonomics and convenience; and interface.

I may try the Z3; how is the interface? Does it receive Android updates often? How far is it from pure Android?

 

[skaertus]

If you value camera and price, I don't think id buy an Android. The Lumia 640 or 640 XL would be better fits to me with good cameras at a low price. You can even get well spec'd older Lumia used for quite cheap (ICON/930, 1520, 1020).

Again I owned the Moto x and Nexus 6. Cameras not up to snuff.

The camera is not that important to me. Windows phones are fine and have a good value, but there are not many apps available to them. I wonder if anybody has recent experience with them.

 

[petvas]

If you want a high quality device from a hardware perspective, then I can suggest the HTC One M9 and the Samsung S6/Edge. They are the best designed phones out there in the Android world.
If you like simple, intuitive interfaces, then you might prefer the stock Android experience, or the Sense UI that comes with the HTC One M9. If the camera is important to you then you have to choose between the Samsung S6/Edge and the LG G4. It all depends what you want.
I own a HTC One M9 and I love it.

 

[MRU]

How is battery life of Moto X compared to iPhone 6? My biggest issue with the iPhone 6 (and all iPhones, to be frank) was battery life, which I found very poor. I need two iPhone charges each day. Battery life is absolutely crucial to me.

The screen of the Moto X seems pretty good to me, even though it may not match the iPhone's screen. As for the camera, the photos looked good.

It's always hard comparing battery like for like as in Android we tend to use 'SOT' as an indicator. (screen on time) whereas on iOS it is hard to gain a true measure.

Android battery life regardless of device can often be inconsistent in that on one day you could get excellent battery life and the next not as good and yet your usage pattern was much the same. Apps running in background or a buggy app update is likely the cause of this but it does happen.

That being said I would say the Moto X has better battery than the iPhone 6, but not hugely better.

Indeed you would have to look at devices with bigger batteries such as Note 4, Nexus 6 which do get much better battery life. However as I mentioned and as above poster also mentioned the Z3 has good battery life and really good battery stamina mode too.


--------------
As for your question regarding skin on the Z3.

The Z3 on Lollipop is actually very close to stock android in look and feel. Icon sizing, drop down notification menu (near as identical) and many apps like clock and calculator remain near stock versions. Lockscreen and such is near stock too.

However Sony has arguably better settings menu and far better personalisation options than on stock android (stock android you still can't choose a different Lockscreen wallpaper to home screen wallpaper for example).

Sony's App drawer likewise whilst very stock like (though more KitKat than lollipop) is actually imho better than stock lollipop in that whilst remaining clean and aesthetically coherent it allows the ability to hide apps, create folders and sort apps in anyway you want. Sadly you still can't do that with stock android.

So yeah - whilst in most ways the device is very close to Google's design ethos for lollipop

Sony is also one of few manufacturers who support AOSP Android project and indeed actually has released the Android M files not long after Google for developers to get their hands on . So you can if you wish put stock android rom onto a Z3.

As previously mentioned the Z3 screen is very much like the iPhone but with actually even more colour accurate whites (probably best whites and white calibration on any android handset)

As for latest updates currently it's on 5.0.2 with 5.1.1 being reportedly being pushed out this month.

The Z3 is indeed a very solid choice.

 

[skaertus]

If you want a high quality device from a hardware perspective, then I can suggest the HTC One M9 and the Samsung S6/Edge. They are the best designed phones out there in the Android world.
If you like simple, intuitive interfaces, then you might prefer the stock Android experience, or the Sense UI that comes with the HTC One M9. If the camera is important to you then you have to choose between the Samsung S6/Edge and the LG G4. It all depends what you want.
I own a HTC One M9 and I love it.

Thanks for the advice. In any case, HTC does not sell its smartphones here in Brazil, so it is out of question. I am leaning towards the stock Android experience, as I had a bad experience with Samsung in the past.

 

[sartrekid]

There are also other, perhaps lesser known but solid options (in addition to the great choices already mentioned in this thread). I've checked first whether they're available in Brazil, and the below are reported to be, so here goes:

- OPPO R7 (probably the closest you'll get to iPhone in terms of aesthetics):

- Huwawei Ascend P7, P8, Honor (very similar in style to iPhone 5S):

- Asus Zenfone 2:

 

[skaertus]

It's always hard comparing battery like for like as in Android we tend to use 'SOT' as an indicator. (screen on time) whereas on iOS it is hard to gain a true measure.

Android battery life regardless of device can often be inconsistent in that on one day you could get excellent battery life and the next not as good and yet your usage pattern was much the same. Apps running in background or a buggy app update is likely the cause of this but it does happen.

That being said I would say the Moto X has better battery than the iPhone 6, but not hugely better.

Indeed you would have to look at devices with bigger batteries such as Note 4, Nexus 6 which do get much better battery life. However as I mentioned and as above poster also mentioned the Z3 has good battery life and really good battery stamina mode too.


--------------
As for your question regarding skin on the Z3.

The Z3 on Lollipop is actually very close to stock android in look and feel. Icon sizing, drop down notification menu (near as identical) and many apps like clock and calculator remain near stock versions. Lockscreen and such is near stock too.

However Sony has arguably better settings menu and far better personalisation options than on stock android (stock android you still can't choose a different Lockscreen wallpaper to home screen wallpaper for example).

Sony's App drawer likewise whilst very stock like (though more KitKat than lollipop) is actually imho better than stock lollipop in that whilst remaining clean and aesthetically coherent it allows the ability to hide apps, create folders and sort apps in anyway you want. Sadly you still can't do that with stock android.

So yeah - whilst in most ways the device is very close to Google's design ethos for lollipop

Sony is also one of few manufacturers who support AOSP Android project and indeed actually has released the Android M files not long after Google for developers to get their hands on . So you can if you wish put stock android rom onto a Z3.

As previously mentioned the Z3 screen is very much like the iPhone but with actually even more colour accurate whites (probably best whites and white calibration on any android handset)

As for latest updates currently it's on 5.0.2 with 5.1.1 being reportedly being pushed out this month.

The Z3 is indeed a very solid choice.

Thanks. How is battery life on Z3 compared to, say, Moto X?

 

[MRU]

Thanks. How is battery life on Z3 compared to, say, Moto X?

Z3 is noticeably better than the Moto X and has an excellent 'stamina' mode for getting even more battery life.

 

[skaertus]

There are also other, perhaps lesser known but solid options (in addition to the great choices already mentioned in this thread). I've checked first whether they're available in Brazil, and the below are reported to be, so here goes:

- OPPO R7 (probably the closest you'll get to iPhone in terms of aesthetics):

- Huwawei Ascend P7, P8, Honor (very similar in style to iPhone 5S):

- Asus Zenfone 2:

Thanks, I will check out those!

 

[sartrekid]

Z3 is noticeably better than the Moto X and has an excellent 'stamina' mode for getting even more battery life.

This is one of the finest features of the Z series. I own a Z Ultra and it's one heck of a phone, even if it's almost two years old now. Knowing that it can last for a few days in Stamina Mode without having to worry about recharging and carrying an extra battery charger or cables is just brilliant.

 

[skaertus]

Z3 is noticeably better than the Moto X and has an excellent 'stamina' mode for getting even more battery life.

This is one of the finest features of the Z series. I own a Z Ultra and it's one heck of a phone, even if it's almost two years old now. Knowing that it can last for a few days in Stamina Mode without having to worry about recharging and carrying an extra battery charger or cables is just brilliant.

How does this "Stamina Mode" works? Can I use the phone to browse the web and the apps and it will still keep battery from draining too quickly?

Is there a similar effect that can be obtained (via apps for instance) in other phones?

 

[skaertus]

Does anybody has any experience with the Droid Turbo? It would cost roughly the same as the Z3.

I also heard that Android 5 has better power management and battery life improves as a result. How true is that?

To give you an idea of how important battery life is for me, it is about 1pm here where I live. I woke up at 9am and the iPhone 5s I am using (which I borrowed from work) is already at less than 30%.

 

[sartrekid]

There are two different options on my Xperia Z Ultra:

1. Stamina Mode

In this mode, you can pretty much do everything, however, it won't give you as much battery life (around 8 hours and approx. 24 hours in standby-mode)

2. Ultra Stamina Mode

This mode is extremely powerful. It disables most functionalities except the basic ones like making and receiving phonecalls, messaging, etc. The advantage is that you have around 4 days of battery life and 14 days in standby-mode.

 

[MRU]

How does this "Stamina Mode" works? Can I use the phone to browse the web and the apps and it will still keep battery from draining too quickly?

Is there a similar effect that can be obtained (via apps for instance) in other phones?

It works by adjusting things like cpu speed, brightness, and turns off certain elements whilst screen is not working.

Most phones have some for of battery saving.

 

[dennbailjn]

Based on your list, Moto X or the LG G4

 

[Isamilis]

Do you use apple ecosystem already? Do you buy songs from iTunes or ebook? Did you use iCloud extensively already? If so, better buy the cheapest iPhone you can afford (i.e. iPhone 5/5s). I had been back and forth from androids to iPhone and found it was very hassle to switch & moved the data.