iOS is now worse than Android

[freezelighter]

Dear all,

I have owned every iPhone since 2007 and appreciated the simplicity and stability they provided in real-life use. As a journalist and reviewer for a popular mobile innovation magazine back in early 2000s, I have tested over 160 phones with different operating systems incl. Java, Symbian, Bada, Windows, Android etc. and iOS always stood out as something truly special. It was a system you could rely on for functionality, organization, smoothness, perfection, and beauty.

The same applied to all the Macs, MacBook Pros, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and other products I've had at home since the 90s. I loved Apple for this and recommended its products to all my friends who were looking for quality, speed, and technology that just works.

Whether I was simply scrolling through news, listening to music, or playing heavy games, iOS was always a model of perfection - no lags, no crashes, no issues - especially compared to Android. In the well-known battle between these systems, there was always a clear winner for me.

I’ve been comparing iOS and Android since Donut 1.6, and today, with the release of Vanilla Ice Cream 15, I’ve seen how both have evolved. I’ve tried every Samsung Galaxy and other top-tier phones, always hoping to see Android improve on its lags, freezes, and crashes while offering an alternative with interesting design features that iPhones didn't have.

For many years, starting in 2007, iOS updates brought new features while remaining stable, smooth, and lag-free. Every year I bought the new iPhone, and since 2019, I’ve opted for the iPhone Pro.

This year, I got the iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 18, and for the first time in my long experience of living without lags, performance issues, freezes, and crashes, I am truly disappointed. There has been an insane drop in multiple layers of quality, simplicity, reliability, and stability in iOS. iOS 18 feels like Android Eclair to me. It’s as if we've gone back more than 10 years to an unstable system, with constant freezes, unresponsive buttons, screens that don't react, crashing apps, poorly optimized standard apps, and terrible lags everywhere.

Take the Photos app, for example. Once a beautifully organized space for media that I used multiple times every hour, it’s been updated into something completely illogical and unacceptable.

At a team event last week, we had multiple iPhones 16 and 16 Pro running iOS 18. We took pictures, and when we wanted to view them, the app only displayed tiny images, and we couldn’t rotate them nor do anything without restarting the phone — experiencing lags that had never occurred before. This was not an isolated issue with just my device. I have dozens of such examples, and I won’t even go into the bizarre camera button placement or the software, which feels like a bad joke.

The overall performance of iOS 18 is terrible. Nothing feels like an iPhone anymore - nothing is smooth, and there are constant lags and slowdowns. Apps don’t display properly, and the experience is far below what I’ve come to expect.

I don’t know if others feel the same way about iOS 18, but for me, I am now eagerly awaiting iOS 19 and the iPhone 17, whether Air or not.

I hope to see Apple return to the right direction, or this may be my last year using iOS, which, shockingly, now feels worse than Android 💔

Best Regards,
Loyal Apple customer and fan since the 90s

 

[Ninflu]

Thanks @freezelighter for sharing your thoughts on IOS18.

I don't want to argue with you, but you are comparing apple and pears (IOS and Android) as well as you're comparing a full fruit-basket (different devices). IOS 18 is not perfect. As was IOS 17, IOS 16 or IOS 15. IOS used to be a jail, you couldn't do anything without iTunes. That's why people jailbroke their phones.

Android was more open at this time, but anyhow- simpler to use. You simply could do things you couldn't do with IOS. Both OS got better over time, heading partly in the same direction or taking absolutely different ones. While Android is able to run on billions of devices with different hardware, it fit's right perfectly in- while again, IOS is still a jail- you need an iPhone to run it. And even here- it's not perfect, but it just works.

If you're an iPhone User you've to live with the decisions an company is making for you. Same goes for Android. Same goes for Microsoft, same goes for Linux (partly). And also, please keep in mind: every single user has an different opinion and experience. You might experience lags- i don't. You might thing the performance is terrible- but what is performance for you? Is it battery? Is it speed? Is it durability?

If you're hoping for a better OS with IOS19 - don't. Why should Apple bother? IOS 17 is already a done-deal, they'll focus on IOS 18 now. And IOS19 is a while away... if you can't / don't want to deal with IOS 18, take another phone until it get's better. Or get an older device with an older IOS if those have been better for you.

Anyhow, I value your opinion but I don't agree with it completely.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Dear all,

I have owned every iPhone since 2007 and appreciated the simplicity and stability they provided in real-life use. As a journalist and reviewer for a popular mobile innovation magazine back in early 2000s, I have tested over 160 phones with different operating systems incl. Java, Symbian, Bada, Windows, Android etc. and iOS always stood out as something truly special. It was a system you could rely on for functionality, organization, smoothness, perfection, and beauty.

The same applied to all the Macs, MacBook Pros, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and other products I've had at home since the 90s. I loved Apple for this and recommended its products to all my friends who were looking for quality, speed, and technology that just works.

Whether I was simply scrolling through news, listening to music, or playing heavy games, iOS was always a model of perfection - no lags, no crashes, no issues - especially compared to Android. In the well-known battle between these systems, there was always a clear winner for me.

I’ve been comparing iOS and Android since Donut 1.6, and today, with the release of Vanilla Ice Cream 15, I’ve seen how both have evolved. I’ve tried every Samsung Galaxy and other top-tier phones, always hoping to see Android improve on its lags, freezes, and crashes while offering an alternative with interesting design features that iPhones didn't have.

For many years, starting in 2007, iOS updates brought new features while remaining stable, smooth, and lag-free. Every year I bought the new iPhone, and since 2019, I’ve opted for the iPhone Pro.

This year, I got the iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 18, and for the first time in my long experience of living without lags, performance issues, freezes, and crashes, I am truly disappointed. There has been an insane drop in multiple layers of quality, simplicity, reliability, and stability in iOS. iOS 18 feels like Android Eclair to me. It’s as if we've gone back more than 10 years to an unstable system, with constant freezes, unresponsive buttons, screens that don't react, crashing apps, poorly optimized standard apps, and terrible lags everywhere.

Take the Photos app, for example. Once a beautifully organized space for media that I used multiple times every hour, it’s been updated into something completely illogical and unacceptable.

At a team event last week, we had multiple iPhones 16 and 16 Pro running iOS 18. We took pictures, and when we wanted to view them, the app only displayed tiny images, and we couldn’t rotate them nor do anything without restarting the phone — experiencing lags that had never occurred before. This was not an isolated issue with just my device. I have dozens of such examples, and I won’t even go into the bizarre camera button placement or the software, which feels like a bad joke.

The overall performance of iOS 18 is terrible. Nothing feels like an iPhone anymore - nothing is smooth, and there are constant lags and slowdowns. Apps don’t display properly, and the experience is far below what I’ve come to expect.

I don’t know if others feel the same way about iOS 18, but for me, I am now eagerly awaiting iOS 19 and the iPhone 17, whether Air or not.

I hope to see Apple return to the right direction, or this may be my last year using iOS, which, shockingly, now feels worse than Android 💔

Best Regards,
Loyal Apple customer and fan since the 90s

I don't see anything changing, so you might as well switch to Android. Just be warned every time I try, I end up back on an iPhone.

 

[coffeemilktea]

I hope to see Apple return to the right direction, or this may be my last year using iOS, which, shockingly, now feels worse than Android 💔

I think you should just switch to Android now. Either you'll have a great time with another OS, or you'll find yourself appreciating the iPhone despite all its supposed flaws.

 

[imdog]

Yea it's the worst iOS I've ever used, and it would be even if it worked properly but it doesn't work properly at all on my 13 mini with a new battery (from apple). It overheats constantly and is the worst performing phone I've ever used now.

 

[TheBuffather]

While I could never consider Android, I will say iOS 18 feels incredibly sluggish. Dictation, which I use with almost every text message, is excruciatingly slow. The tap issues still persist for me despite the claim they have been fixed. The screen also flickers from time to time.

 

[UliBaer]

Nothing wrong in trying an Android phone for a new experience. There are some really great choices and Android has gotten mature already years ago! I personally would go for the P9Pro, if only it was a little smaller...

Last month on vacation a friend of mine showed me his brand new Xiaomi Redmi xx(Don't know?), which was very well manufactured and felt really nice in the hand. The os was snappy and absolutely no flickering. The photos from that device make me envy the quality.

Try, you can always come back!

 

[laserfan]

Dear all,

I have owned every iPhone since 2007 and appreciated the simplicity and stability they provided in real-life use. As a journalist and reviewer for a popular mobile innovation magazine back in early 2000s, I have tested over 160 phones with different operating systems incl. Java, Symbian, Bada, Windows, Android etc. and iOS always stood out as something truly special. It was a system you could rely on for functionality, organization, smoothness, perfection, and beauty.

The same applied to all the Macs, MacBook Pros, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and other products I've had at home since the 90s. I loved Apple for this and recommended its products to all my friends who were looking for quality, speed, and technology that just works.

Whether I was simply scrolling through news, listening to music, or playing heavy games, iOS was always a model of perfection - no lags, no crashes, no issues - especially compared to Android. In the well-known battle between these systems, there was always a clear winner for me.

I’ve been comparing iOS and Android since Donut 1.6, and today, with the release of Vanilla Ice Cream 15, I’ve seen how both have evolved. I’ve tried every Samsung Galaxy and other top-tier phones, always hoping to see Android improve on its lags, freezes, and crashes while offering an alternative with interesting design features that iPhones didn't have.

For many years, starting in 2007, iOS updates brought new features while remaining stable, smooth, and lag-free. Every year I bought the new iPhone, and since 2019, I’ve opted for the iPhone Pro.

This year, I got the iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 18, and for the first time in my long experience of living without lags, performance issues, freezes, and crashes, I am truly disappointed. There has been an insane drop in multiple layers of quality, simplicity, reliability, and stability in iOS. iOS 18 feels like Android Eclair to me. It’s as if we've gone back more than 10 years to an unstable system, with constant freezes, unresponsive buttons, screens that don't react, crashing apps, poorly optimized standard apps, and terrible lags everywhere.

Take the Photos app, for example. Once a beautifully organized space for media that I used multiple times every hour, it’s been updated into something completely illogical and unacceptable.

At a team event last week, we had multiple iPhones 16 and 16 Pro running iOS 18. We took pictures, and when we wanted to view them, the app only displayed tiny images, and we couldn’t rotate them nor do anything without restarting the phone — experiencing lags that had never occurred before. This was not an isolated issue with just my device. I have dozens of such examples, and I won’t even go into the bizarre camera button placement or the software, which feels like a bad joke.

The overall performance of iOS 18 is terrible. Nothing feels like an iPhone anymore - nothing is smooth, and there are constant lags and slowdowns. Apps don’t display properly, and the experience is far below what I’ve come to expect.

I don’t know if others feel the same way about iOS 18, but for me, I am now eagerly awaiting iOS 19 and the iPhone 17, whether Air or not.

I hope to see Apple return to the right direction, or this may be my last year using iOS, which, shockingly, now feels worse than Android 💔

Best Regards,
Loyal Apple customer and fan since the 90s

Haha, my reaction to my iPhone 16 Pro vs. the old iPhone 8 that I had is directly opposite of yours. I was reluctant to pop for the $$$ cuz, well, the iPhone 8 made calls pretty much just fine, and I liked the Home button and touch ID. But I've found the 16 Pro to be just a dream to use by comparison, and everything (well almost everything) is light-years ahead of the old (at least) iOS the 8 was limited to using.

Only problem I have with my system now, which includes the latest Ultra watche(s cuz Wife has same as me) is that the Do Not Disturb (Focus) is letting alerts get thru in the dead-of-night. I will readily admit that at least so far I've found the Focus options and settings to be completely impenetrable. C'mon Apple, do better.

I also have a set of Airpod Pro 2nd gen in a box that I'm almost afraid to open. Way WAY too many settings in too many different places...

 

[Mistletoe66]

I wish I could return to my 15 plus. iOS 17.7 is the perfect OS and STABLE.

iOS 18.0.1? Feels like we’re in a beta. We need no apple intelligence rubbish, those are trash bandwagon features. Apple doesn’t need no ai to be honest. Apple just need to be stable, up the ram to 12gb , and bam, we’d buy the latest pro maxes all day.

We ain’t need no android look-alike IOS18, what’s more it’s not even STABLE.

I really hope apple quality team would looo at mceumour forums and work on the patches immediately.

So far the bug are:
1. Cameras control needs to be pressed TWICE despite selecting single press.
2. 16 pro max constantly WARM. ALWAYS.
3. 16 pro max battery drains while doing very light tasks
4. Bluetooth connectivity disconnecting and reconnecting issue
5. Battery drain SHOULD BE FIXED

 

[russell_314]

Take the Photos app, for example. Once a beautifully organized space for media that I used multiple times every hour, it’s been updated into something completely illogical and unacceptable.

I agree change can suck if you’re used to something and then it gets changed. Apple can’t keep the Photos app the same forever. There are quite a few YouTube videos out there on how to customize it to make it work better for the individual person. Unlike previous versions of Photos, this is highly customizable so you can make changes to it

The overall performance of iOS 18 is terrible. Nothing feels like an iPhone anymore - nothing is smooth, and there are constant lags and slowdowns. Apps don’t display properly, and the experience is far below what I’ve come to expect.

I agree. I had the same issue with 16.0. I learned my lesson never to get an iPhone on launch today and don’t download the latest version iOS when it comes out. Wait at least till the .1 update but preferably a few weeks after because sometimes .1 adds new features that can introduce new bugs.

I don’t know if others feel the same way about iOS 18, but for me, I am now eagerly awaiting iOS 19 and the iPhone 17, whether Air or not.

I guarantee you iOS 19.0 will do the same exact thing. Apple has not done well with their initial releases. I’m not sure if it’s a quality control issue or they’re just in a hurry to get out new features but I agree it needs to be changed.

I hope to see Apple return to the right direction, or this may be my last year using iOS, which, shockingly, now feels worse than Android 💔

That was my thoughts about iOS 16.0… Apps crashing, the phone would crash and restart. It was not fun!

 

[kalphr]

On my aging iPhone SE 2020, iOS 18.1 beta has significantly increased system performance and responsiveness. 18.0 was unusable, and I had downgraded to iOS 17 for a time.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I agree change can suck if you’re used to something and then it gets changed. Apple can’t keep the Photos app the same forever. There are quite a few YouTube videos out there on how to customize it to make it work better for the individual person. Unlike previous versions of Photos, this is highly customizable so you can make changes to it

They could have and should have kept it mostly the same. I mean, look at the other core apps. When was the last time Messages got a needless overhaul? And yes, it's customizable, but not in a way that replicates previous functionality. Some workflows are entirely broken with this new design.

Making it customizable doesn't make it better.

 

[DukeSilver79]

I get that some see this title as clickbait, but I do feel sometimes like Apple does so many things now, but few of them are done with excellence. It seems there is a ton of things that work "pretty well." Maybe I'm just getting old, but I do wish sometimes for less features done better.

 

[redbeard331]

I fully agree, this isn’t your father’s Apple computer company, the only thing keeping me around is the ultra watch.

What I did which worked well for me was to buy an Android phone and carry both around with me. Doing this also made camera comparisons convenient as I’d take pics with both phones and be able to compare them later. I swear some of the older Samsung phones took better pics than the new ones, maybe it was when they still had some of their camera people around, I don’t know, but the thing produces better iq than iPhones half a decade newer.

I’ll probably end up doing this again as I want a pixel 9 pro much more than the 15s.

 

[russell_314]

They could have and should have kept it mostly the same. I mean, look at the other core apps. When was the last time Messages got a needless overhaul? And yes, it's customizable, but not in a way that replicates previous functionality. Some workflows are entirely broken with this new design.

Making it customizable doesn't make it better.

I think by keeping it the same they would fall behind. Don’t worry the other apps you mentioned will have their turn.

 

[HouseLannister]

Saying iOS is worse than Android isn't saying much. Android has been very, very good for over a decade. Just switch.

 

[Paddle1]

18.1 beta feels no worse than iOS 17 on my iPhone 12. From what I've been hearing 18.0.X just doesn't seem to be fully optimized on iPhone 16.

 

[Digital Dude]

I have similar issues with iOS 18, but frankly, I haven’t been a fan of iOS for the last three years or so. As a long-time Apple user, I’ve stuck with it, but it’s getting harder. Ever since Apple lowered its quality standards after losing Steve, it’s just not the same. If the competition offered something like Face ID and a comparable watch, I’d be gone. 🤷‍♂️

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I think by keeping it the same they would fall behind. Don’t worry the other apps you mentioned will have their turn.

Fall behind what exactly? It's a nice way to justify change for change's sake, but only if there's something to fall behind in the first place.

 

[russell_314]

Fall behind what exactly? It's a nice way to justify change for change's sake, but only if there's something to fall behind in the first place.

People want different features. Things change. Should we still be using iOS 4?

Also I believe iOS allows the use of different apps to browse photos. I bet someone will fill in the need for people wanting a simpler photo browser

 

[freezelighter]

I had similar issues with iOS 18, but frankly, I haven’t been a fan of iOS for the last three years or so. As a long-time Apple user, I’ve stuck with it, but it’s getting harder. Ever since Apple lowered its quality standards after losing Steve, it’s just not the same. If the competition offered something like Face ID and a comparable watch, I’d be gone. 🤷‍♂️

The first thing that was really impacting my daily life with iOS was the so called flat design in iOS 7.
I don't think Steve would welcome such change.

As for Apple Intelligence in iOS 18, Apple's approach on it is a major failure to me.
Steve was realistic and what he demostrated and promised in keynotes was not only delivered on time but exceeded expectations by far.

 

[SebCohen]

Dear all,

I have owned every iPhone since 2007 and appreciated the simplicity and stability they provided in real-life use. As a journalist and reviewer for a popular mobile innovation magazine back in early 2000s, I have tested over 160 phones with different operating systems incl. Java, Symbian, Bada, Windows, Android etc. and iOS always stood out as something truly special. It was a system you could rely on for functionality, organization, smoothness, perfection, and beauty.

The same applied to all the Macs, MacBook Pros, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, and other products I've had at home since the 90s. I loved Apple for this and recommended its products to all my friends who were looking for quality, speed, and technology that just works.

Whether I was simply scrolling through news, listening to music, or playing heavy games, iOS was always a model of perfection - no lags, no crashes, no issues - especially compared to Android. In the well-known battle between these systems, there was always a clear winner for me.

I’ve been comparing iOS and Android since Donut 1.6, and today, with the release of Vanilla Ice Cream 15, I’ve seen how both have evolved. I’ve tried every Samsung Galaxy and other top-tier phones, always hoping to see Android improve on its lags, freezes, and crashes while offering an alternative with interesting design features that iPhones didn't have.

For many years, starting in 2007, iOS updates brought new features while remaining stable, smooth, and lag-free. Every year I bought the new iPhone, and since 2019, I’ve opted for the iPhone Pro.

This year, I got the iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 18, and for the first time in my long experience of living without lags, performance issues, freezes, and crashes, I am truly disappointed. There has been an insane drop in multiple layers of quality, simplicity, reliability, and stability in iOS. iOS 18 feels like Android Eclair to me. It’s as if we've gone back more than 10 years to an unstable system, with constant freezes, unresponsive buttons, screens that don't react, crashing apps, poorly optimized standard apps, and terrible lags everywhere.

Take the Photos app, for example. Once a beautifully organized space for media that I used multiple times every hour, it’s been updated into something completely illogical and unacceptable.

At a team event last week, we had multiple iPhones 16 and 16 Pro running iOS 18. We took pictures, and when we wanted to view them, the app only displayed tiny images, and we couldn’t rotate them nor do anything without restarting the phone — experiencing lags that had never occurred before. This was not an isolated issue with just my device. I have dozens of such examples, and I won’t even go into the bizarre camera button placement or the software, which feels like a bad joke.

The overall performance of iOS 18 is terrible. Nothing feels like an iPhone anymore - nothing is smooth, and there are constant lags and slowdowns. Apps don’t display properly, and the experience is far below what I’ve come to expect.

I don’t know if others feel the same way about iOS 18, but for me, I am now eagerly awaiting iOS 19 and the iPhone 17, whether Air or not.

I hope to see Apple return to the right direction, or this may be my last year using iOS, which, shockingly, now feels worse than Android 💔

Best Regards,
Loyal Apple customer and fan since the 90s

This quickly turns into a d(upside down)issing contest where we all defend our chosen standpoint to the hilt. But these are just my two cents.

I’ve had every Ericsson phone that came out. I think I was first in the world using WAP! I had a T68 and a camera dongle. I’ve had every imaginable Android phone since HTC Sense except for a short stint with a 2 year old hand me down iPhone 6 after I broke one of my Android phones. (I just never felt I “belonged” in Apple World, don’t ask me why….)

7 months ago I bought an iPhone 15 Pro 512GB, new, full price (which I don’t think I’ve ever done with a phone before). I was so excited. Cutting edge!

I know about muscle memory, reluctance to change and all that. So I’ve given it quite some time to settle down. Sure, it’s a good phone. BUT I have NEVER been so…underwhelmed before in my life with anything I’ve bought.

“Is THIS what I’ve paid 2000$ for?”, I keep asking myself?

I’ve always been envious of iPhone users because I KNEW they were better. And iPhones haven’t gotten “worse”…everything else has just gotten just as good. In some cases even better.

Android and iPhone are on par today.

Yes, there are some integrations with MacOS that’s soooo smooth and cool. And let’s not forget about security. But these are not the selling points they once were. Except the info you give Google that is.

But, an iPhone is no longer giving you you’re moneys worth comparatively.

And you have Apples “gatekeeping” to monetise every inch of their system. Lile locking Spotify out from using volume control buttons when you use AirPlay….for “security” reasons…(when we all know it’s because they have a competing service…) when my 4 radio apps of various nationalities all lets my control the volume when using AirPlay. There’s so many of these roadblocks Apple invents it’s becoming ludicrous.

So….yeah….its definitely not worth the full price anymore. But it’s a nice ego boost when you actually can afford it. But it’s not the most bang for the buck…

 

[laserfan]

Only problem I have with my system now, which includes the latest Ultra watche(s cuz Wife has same as me) is that the Do Not Disturb (Focus) is letting alerts get thru in the dead-of-night. I will readily admit that at least so far I've found the Focus options and settings to be completely impenetrable. C'mon Apple, do better.

To follow-up on this complaint, I believe my problem with Focus is likely related to my "Share Across Devices" being set to ON and then my iPad Mini 4 is running old iOS 15, whose options are "less complete" compared to 18. I turned off Sharing on the Mini.

While the Apple ecosystem is impressive in many ways, it has become obvious to me that you're "in for a dime, in for a dollar" i.e. you'd best have only devices that are consistent in re the OS rev levels.

As a (bizarre to me) aside, the iPad Mini iOS15 can't run the Apple Store app!!!!?!!! Wouldn't you think Apple would want me as an old Mini owner to upgrade????

 

[mikelets456]

Nothing wrong in trying an Android phone for a new experience. There are some really great choices and Android has gotten mature already years ago! I personally would go for the P9Pro, if only it was a little smaller...

Last month on vacation a friend of mine showed me his brand new Xiaomi Redmi xx(Don't know?), which was very well manufactured and felt really nice in the hand. The os was snappy and absolutely no flickering. The photos from that device make me envy the quality.

Try, you can always come back!

I used to root Android phones all the time---because, at first, they were quick, snappy and great. Then after a few updates they would get bogged down, frequent freezes, I would reboot daily, etc. Go onto the Android forums, they're just as frustrated---

The thing I like best about the iPhone, is everyone in my family has one---including my wife. When I'm driving I hand my wife my phone if it's something I can't access and she knows exactly how to locate it. When we had Android phones, same platform but two different manufacturers, she had no idea how to find things on my phone. Believe me, it usually happens on the important occasions.

I would suggest to the OP trying an Android on a 30 day "approval" or get a tablet and try it out. I have an Android tablet and it's such a joke---it's newer than my 2017 Ipad Pro and is sluggish as all get out and freezes all the time. My iPad pro hasn't been rebooted in over a month and is fast and snappy.

 

[a-m-k]

I've jumped from an iPhone 12 mini to the iPhone 16 and I thought the iPhone 16 was way more advanced. Heck, it wasn't a mini, so I was looking to the design changes. (Internal and external.) The internal speakers and external speakers are so clear, it's like the person you are talking to is right next to you.