Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Cheefy

macrumors member
Dec 27, 2020
94
48
After being a huge fan of Apple since 2006 when I bought my first Apple product (a Macbook), I decided to switch. Moved from iPhone to Android and I sold my Macbook Pro and I'm learning how to use Linux (Fedora).

I'm not trying to incite hate. I'm just explaining the reasons I'm happy with the switch.

1 - Android is more private than iOS; I'm not talking about Google's Android. I'm using CalyxOS and it works great. Apple says what happens in your phone stays in your phone but we all know Tim Cook is full of crap.

2 - Android phones are cheaper; I'm not talking about crappy ones. You can get a Google Pixel 3 (in good condition) for less than $100. You'll only get an iPhone 7 for that price. Losing a lot of value is not good when you buy new but if you feel like switching to Android, $100 + 30min to install CalyxOS is easy.

3 - Android is way more configurable; You can sideload apps, have access to system files so you can copy files to and from the device, change the way the UI looks...

4 - Android is more private; I like how you can use a firewall to block apps from connecting to the internet...You dont need an iCloud account or Google's to use the phone, you have a kill-switch for the VPN (so it wont leak yourIP).

5 - Battery lasts a lot; I guess not having Google or Apple's tracking your phone in the background might help the device because the battery lasts more than a day using it. Of course, mileage might vary (GPS, ****ter all day...)

It takes time to find app replacements but you'll find if you have patience. I was able to find polished apps for my needs.



I might post another thread with Linux but so far my experience have been subpar because Mac laptops are way better than the competition (even in price).
Off you pop then ?.
 

StoneJack

macrumors 68030
Dec 19, 2009
2,735
1,986
For a month, I am using a company issued Surface Duo (Android).
This is worst time ever using an electronic device for me. Android is a such mess, no hardware can save it. It has been most inefficient time for me to communicate as well. Believe it people, we are lucky with iPhones. Can't wait for my Sierra blue Pro max 256GB to arrive and for me to say goodbye to Android.
 

MPclk2006

macrumors 6502a
Sep 20, 2013
523
364
Texas
After being a huge fan of Apple since 2006 when I bought my first Apple product (a Macbook), I decided to switch. Moved from iPhone to Android and I sold my Macbook Pro and I'm learning how to use Linux (Fedora).

I'm not trying to incite hate. I'm just explaining the reasons I'm happy with the switch.

1 - Android is more private than iOS; I'm not talking about Google's Android. I'm using CalyxOS and it works great. Apple says what happens in your phone stays in your phone but we all know Tim Cook is full of crap.

2 - Android phones are cheaper; I'm not talking about crappy ones. You can get a Google Pixel 3 (in good condition) for less than $100. You'll only get an iPhone 7 for that price. Losing a lot of value is not good when you buy new but if you feel like switching to Android, $100 + 30min to install CalyxOS is easy.

3 - Android is way more configurable; You can sideload apps, have access to system files so you can copy files to and from the device, change the way the UI looks...

4 - Android is more private; I like how you can use a firewall to block apps from connecting to the internet...You dont need an iCloud account or Google's to use the phone, you have a kill-switch for the VPN (so it wont leak yourIP).

5 - Battery lasts a lot; I guess not having Google or Apple's tracking your phone in the background might help the device because the battery lasts more than a day using it. Of course, mileage might vary (GPS, ****ter all day...)

It takes time to find app replacements but you'll find if you have patience. I was able to find polished apps for my needs.



I might post another thread with Linux but so far my experience have been subpar because Mac laptops are way better than the competition (even in price).
Meh, you’ll be back, maybe not. I switched, and came back to iPhone after two years. Those “not cheap” phones are cheap and will start dying at around 2 years….
 

Fred Zed

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2019
5,888
6,561
Upstate NY . Was FL.
1 - Android is more private than iOS
2 - Android phones are cheaper
3 - Android is way more configurable
4 - Android is more private
5 - Battery lasts a lot

I disagree with 1 and 4 and I would venture to guess that most people also feel that iOS is more secure, but I suppose it’s debatable.

2 is true. If you want a cheaper phone, Android is probably the way to go. They don’t hold their value as well so you can get them cheaper but when you want to sell it, you won’t get much for it either.

3 is also true, but not important for a lot of people.

5 - the iPhone 13 Pro Max battery lasts crazy long. I’m sure there are android phones with big batteries too. I’m not sure what phone has the biggest battery but both android and Apple have phones with big batteries and phones with small batteries.

So, it boils down to cheaper and more customizable, and I’m glad you’ve found a solution that works better for you =)
Numbers 1 and 5. Funniest joke I’ve read on here for a while. 🤣
 

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
4,890
4,698
Johannesburg, South Africa
First of all congratulations OP! If you are happy with your choice then enjoy it! I don’t know why people have been so rude about your choice in this thread, nothing working with going a PSA about venturing out to something else.

There a lot of us who have jumped between iOS and Android here. I personally used Androids from 2010 and iOS from 2012 and have happily watched both OSs flourish in their own way. It’s nice to venture out every now and again, and also talk to other people on forums who have done the same with varying results for their own personal usage, that’s the beauty in all of this, nothing wrong with trying something new or different, as long as you are happy with your choice. :)
1 - Android is more private than iOS
2 - Android phones are cheaper
3 - Android is way more configurable
4 - Android is more private
5 - Battery lasts a lot

I disagree with 1 and 4 and I would venture to guess that most people also feel that iOS is more secure, but I suppose it’s debatable.

2 is true. If you want a cheaper phone, Android is probably the way to go. They don’t hold their value as well so you can get them cheaper but when you want to sell it, you won’t get much for it either.

3 is also true, but not important for a lot of people.

5 - the iPhone 13 Pro Max battery lasts crazy long. I’m sure there are android phones with big batteries too. I’m not sure what phone has the biggest battery but both android and Apple have phones with big batteries and phones with small batteries.

So, it boils down to cheaper and more customizable, and I’m glad you’ve found a solution that works better for you =)
Point 1 - I agree, debatable especially because it also depends what Android you get, what ROM you are running etc… In my opinion none of these devices are ever truly private, having worked in digital marketing I know that there are so many other ways you are tracked and even the mobile networks are happy to sell your data on, unless you are using some sort of locked down government phone, you will never truly have privacy, but I guess many enjoy being lied to anyway ?

Point 2 - yep android phones are definitely cheaper, they have to be, there is so much competition in Android and OEMs are always striving to give the best value to stick out.

Point 3 - agreed, I used to love customizing my androids when I was bored, but I got sick of it, I found that I actually have a certain setup that I enjoy, and once that setup was available on iOS I was very happy - the setup is having widgets in my Homescreen with News&weather, my Work calendar along with my most used apps, I have that setup now on my 11 Pro Max and very happy with it.

Point 4 - much like point one debatable agreed, again I honestly believe we have little privacy on both, for as long as your cellphone network snitches on you, you have no privacy, privacy is almost a farce on these devices to be quite honest IMO, but hey let’s live in this lie of one is more “private” than the other ?
People claim privacy while having open to public social media accounts and posting their location on Instagram, hilarious. I think the word “privacy” has been seriously diluted in the last decade.

Point 5 - agreed, lots of androids with huge batteries, I think in terms of mainstream globally available phones the 13 Pro Max seems to give the best battery performance especially given that it beats Androids with 5000mAh batteries. Then again you get phones like Asus ROG Phone 5S that have 144hz refresh rate screens along with Foldables that have 8inch 120hz screens etc… in fact some of the longest battery lasting Androids can be found in the mid to low end, where manufacturers have 5000-6000mAh batteries in low end phones with 1080P screens that can last multiple days, take the Xiaomi Redmi 9T which has a 6000mAh battery and GSMArena endurance rating of 150hours
D65D7622-50EB-4F55-B62E-971A6EC79276.png



Contrast this to the S21 Ultra and 13 Pro Max which are both ultra high end smartphones but have much lower battery endurance ratings:
A232F67E-CF40-4AEB-B2A7-6334D7F75FC3.png


We are literally spoilt for choice. If you want to have a super endurance phone you can get yourself some low to mid end Android with average specs and what is pretty a powerbank for a battery lol, or you can get an ultra high end smartphone like a 13 Pro Max or S21 Ultra that will give you a balance of great battery life and great cutting edge specs (power, top camera, top display etc…).


I’ve seen a lot of Uber and Bolt drivers use those low to mid end big battery androids in their cars while their main phones are usually some iPhone or Samsung flagship or mid end.

I personally have an iPhone 11 Pro Max as my main phone and Huawei Mate 40 Pro as my secondary, very happy with both and both give me enough battery to make it past a full day of usage.
I would love to get a Google Pixel 6 Pro as a secondary device though but they don’t sell them here in South Africa. Nice to have variety, it’s not for everybody though but I guess for those of us who are enthusiasts it’s nice to be able to switch up sometimes. There are things I wish my iPhone had that the Huawei has and Vice versa, unfortunately for me the perfect phone still does not exist, lol.
 
Last edited:
  • Love
Reactions: decafjava

Fred Zed

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2019
5,888
6,561
Upstate NY . Was FL.
First of all congratulations OP! If you are happy with your choice then enjoy it! I don’t know why people have been so rude about your choice in this thread, nothing working with going a PSA about venturing out to something else.

There a lot of us who have jumped between iOS and Android here. I personally used Androids from 2010 and iOS from 2012 and have happily watched both OSs flourish in their own way. It’s nice to venture out every now and again, and also talk to other people on forums who have done the same with varying results for their own personal usage, that’s the beauty in all of this, nothing wrong with trying something new or different, as long as you are happy with your choice. :)

Point 1 - I agree, debatable especially because it also depends what Android you get, what ROM you are running etc… In my opinion none of these devices are ever truly private, having worked in digital marketing I know that there are so many other ways you are tracked and even the mobile networks are happy to sell your data on, unless you are using some sort of locked down government phone, you will never truly have privacy, but I guess many enjoy being lied to anyway 🤣

Point 2 - yep android phones are definitely cheaper, they have to be, there is so much competition in Android and OEMs are always striving to give the best value to stick out.

Point 3 - agreed, I used to love customizing my androids when I was bored, but I got sick of it, I found that I actually have a certain setup that I enjoy, and once that setup was available on iOS I was very happy - the setup is having widgets in my Homescreen with News&weather, my Work calendar along with my most used apps, I have that setup now on my 11 Pro Max and very happy with it.

Point 4 - much like point one debatable agreed, again I honestly believe we have little privacy on both, for as long as your cellphone network snitches on you, you have no privacy, privacy is almost a farce on these devices to be quite honest IMO, but hey let’s live in this lie of one is more “private” than the other 🤣
People claim privacy while having open to public social media accounts and posting their location on Instagram, hilarious. I think the word “privacy” has been seriously diluted in the last decade.

Point 5 - agreed, lots of androids with huge batteries, I think in terms of mainstream globally available phones the 13 Pro Max seems to give the best battery performance especially given that it beats Androids with 5000mAh batteries. Then again you get phones like Asus ROG Phone 5S that have 144hz refresh rate screens along with Foldables that have 8inch 120hz screens etc… in fact some of the longest battery lasting Androids can be found in the mid to low end, where manufacturers have 5000-6000mAh batteries in low end phones with 1080P screens that can last multiple days, take the Xiaomi Redmi 9T which has a 6000mAh battery and GSMArena endurance rating of 150hours
View attachment 1918656


Contrast this to the S21 Ultra and 13 Pro Max which are both ultra high end smartphones but have much lower battery endurance ratings:
View attachment 1918657

We are literally spoilt for choice. If you want to have a super endurance phone you can get yourself some low to mid end Android with average specs and what is pretty a powerbank for a battery lol, or you can get an ultra high end smartphone like a 13 Pro Max or S21 Ultra that will give you a balance of great battery life and great cutting edge specs (power, top camera, top display etc…).


I’ve seen a lot of Uber and Bolt drivers use those low to mid end big battery androids in their cars while their main phones are usually some iPhone or Samsung flagship or mid end.
Pointer 5. Android batteries aren’t big enough for the resources that they consume, a 5000mAh on an android is the equivalent of 3300mAh pack on an iPhone. Cue Samsung, for every Google system process or app on their devices, there is another duplicate Samsung equivalent running and installed as well. Heaven forbid users install any type of social media apps on android device , that’ll result in even quicker battery drain.

As for pointer 1, let’s not forgot who Google are as an entity and how they generate revenue.
 

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
4,890
4,698
Johannesburg, South Africa
Pointer 5. Android batteries aren’t big enough for the resources that they consume, a 5000mAh on an android is the equivalent of 3300mAh pack on an iPhone. Cue Samsung, for every Google system process or app on their devices, there is another duplicate Samsung equivalent running and installed as well. Heaven forbid users install any type of social media apps on android device , that’ll result in even quicker battery drain.

As for pointer 1, let’s not forgot who Google are as an entity and how they generate revenue.
Point 5 is really dependent on the device and manufacturer you have chosen, a 6000mAh android Xiaomi obliterates both a high end Samsung and iPhone, choose what fits you best and enjoy it.

As for point 1, again, Google and Apple are just one matter in a bigger scheme, when the people who transmit your data themselves sell it. We seem to focus so much on Google and Apple and forget that mobile networks themselves sell data on. Layer in social media etc…
The day I hear and see proof that there has been zero hacks, zero sales of data and data leakages from all of these companies I will truly believe in “privacy” on our smartphones, until then I’m not subscribing to this dreamland of one is safer than the other, if one is truly concerned about their privacy to a high degree, rather give up anything that connects to the internet and go live in the woods.
 
  • Like
Reactions: decafjava

Fred Zed

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2019
5,888
6,561
Upstate NY . Was FL.
Point 5 is really dependent on the device and manufacturer you have chosen, a 6000mAh android Xiaomi obliterates both a high end Samsung and iPhone, choose what fits you best and enjoy it.

As for point 1, again, Google and Apple are just one matter in a bigger scheme, when the people who transmit your data themselves sell it. We seem to focus so much on Google and Apple and forget that mobile networks themselves sell data on. Layer in social media etc…
The day I hear and see proof that there has been zero hacks, zero sales of data and data leakages from all of these companies I will truly believe in “privacy” on our smartphones, until then I’m not subscribing to this dreamland of one is safer than the other, if one is truly concerned about their privacy to a high degree, rather give up anything that connects to the internet and go live in the woods.
You see that’s the issue for my region the USA. Xiaomi devices are not officially sold here nor do they support some important 4G LTE bands. Which brings me back to a point that I’ve raised here before. That being the lack of diversity and choices for the consumer. Without getting political look at what happened to Huawei just before they tried to break into the USA market. And I’m referring to their handsets and not their 5G infrastructure. They didn’t want another player of that stature competing with the few that were already established here. Huawei did make the worlds best android devices without a shadow of a doubt. Remember, politicians fight for those that line their pockets ( especially in the land of the free ).

There’s nothing about Google and the word privacy , it’s like chalk and cheese. However, I do agree Apple ain’t no angel either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: decafjava and Tsepz

decafjava

macrumors 603
Feb 7, 2011
5,530
8,049
Geneva
@Tsepz and @Limeybastid thanks for some polite, informed and interesting posts. Makes my occasional foray outside of the community section worth it. As it happens I am upgrading my 7 plus in a couple of weeks or so (hopefully before Xmas) to a 13 pro max. Looking forward to learning FaceID and a big camera upgrade and from what you posted a significant battery upgrade as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tsepz

Fat_Guy

macrumors 65816
Feb 10, 2021
1,035
1,099
I’ll weigh in here.


I’ll bet the reason he left was over the whole CSAM business which also pisses me off. I see Apple is going after NOS (Pegasus) which is a good first move but killing CSAM off for good will bring back the privacy devoted users more than anything.


Also realize that Google pays Apple billions (like 15 Billion a year now) to be the default search engine and I bet 99% never go in there and change to Bing or DuckDuckGo so there goes the privacy argument there.


As for leaving why not keep all your phones. I have 5 right now with 2 iPhones. One Galaxy Note. One BlackBerry (a Passport) and a Pinephone (Linux) running Ubuntu Touch. Believe it or not the Pinephone is my backup - this setup actually works and my most used app is YouTube. So I don’t come and go cause I’m in all of them. 4 operating systems but OS10 will be dead in like two months. My most memorable phone is the BlackBerry Passport. The last Hooray for BlackBerry. I was in New York with one before it went on sale in the States and it was the coolest phone while there. You get women who would move closer to me on the street to sneak a peek at the square cellphone. One women shouted “Hey that’s a Passport” and in one office a crowd gathered to check it out while I was there as at that time Blackberries were still corporate stuff.



Anyway all phones have their merits and problems. I just wish Apple would formally cancel the device scanning business once and for all. Probably get the OP back into the fold also.
 
  • Like
Reactions: peneaux

Fat_Guy

macrumors 65816
Feb 10, 2021
1,035
1,099
“This isn’t an airport. No need to announce your departure”



Actually - and I’m guessing but the OP says he isn’t coming back - he probably didn’t mind the iPhone and iOS; but Apple did something really bad and “forced” him to leave which would piss anyone off and make them more vocal as they leave. Voicing your displeasure is a valid form of displeasure. Why didn’t he get really specific - maybe because he didn’t want someone to associate him with being a pedophile or someone with something to hide even though all he is interested in is his privacy. Don’t know for sure but I’m just speculating…
 

Simacca

macrumors 65816
Jul 31, 2008
1,421
735
UK, South East.
After being a huge fan of Apple since 2006 when I bought my first Apple product (a Macbook), I decided to switch. Moved from iPhone to Android and I sold my Macbook Pro and I'm learning how to use Linux (Fedora).

I'm not trying to incite hate. I'm just explaining the reasons I'm happy with the switch.

1 - Android is more private than iOS; I'm not talking about Google's Android. I'm using CalyxOS and it works great. Apple says what happens in your phone stays in your phone but we all know Tim Cook is full of crap.

2 - Android phones are cheaper; I'm not talking about crappy ones. You can get a Google Pixel 3 (in good condition) for less than $100. You'll only get an iPhone 7 for that price. Losing a lot of value is not good when you buy new but if you feel like switching to Android, $100 + 30min to install CalyxOS is easy.

3 - Android is way more configurable; You can sideload apps, have access to system files so you can copy files to and from the device, change the way the UI looks...

4 - Android is more private; I like how you can use a firewall to block apps from connecting to the internet...You dont need an iCloud account or Google's to use the phone, you have a kill-switch for the VPN (so it wont leak yourIP).

5 - Battery lasts a lot; I guess not having Google or Apple's tracking your phone in the background might help the device because the battery lasts more than a day using it. Of course, mileage might vary (GPS, ****ter all day...)

It takes time to find app replacements but you'll find if you have patience. I was able to find polished apps for my needs.



I might post another thread with Linux but so far my experience have been subpar because Mac laptops are way better than the competition (even in price).

Trying to validate your decision by over explaining. Yea right . Number 1 and 4 is a load of bs btw
 

StoneJack

macrumors 68030
Dec 19, 2009
2,735
1,986
After having to use Android for a month, I am seriously thinking of having two iPhones, one main and one backup.
 

iHorseHead

macrumors 68000
Jan 1, 2021
1,603
2,012
Numbers 1 and 5. Funniest joke I’ve read on here for a while. 🤣
I don't understand why.
I've had Android phones and batteries have lasted for longer time. I really don't get how it's funny or what's joke about it.
When I used Huawei, it had super battery saving mode, which meant that you could only make phone calls and receive text messages when it was activated. (No internet connection whatsoever).
I know plenty of people who have had iPhone and have had issues with batteries. I remember my friend saying that Sony Xperia's battery was way better than her iPhone 7 and asked my experiences with it.

My other friend got a new battery for iPhone SE (the old one) and the battery was still awful. She switched to Android and has way better battery.
I was thinking about switching to Android completely as well, because of the battery (my iPhone 5s has battery issues and it randomly shuts down since 2018 even when the battery was 60% and then showed me that my phone is out of battery. Replaced battery for 50€ at Apple reseller and still had the same issue.) People on this forum were laughing at me and saying it's not true till someone (I don't remember his username) admitted that older iPhones really had bad batteries and it's true that even iPhone 8's battery is bad. He also added that the problem disappeared with iPhone 11. Thanks to him I got iPhone 12 mini in Spring, I think and I don't really complain and I don't have battery issues as of now.
The only thing I miss from Android is YouTube Vanced, but I use YouTube on Safari with Adblocker. I haven't found my way around blocking ads on YouTube in the app and I don't want to pay for premium. YouTube Vanced is the best thing on Android.

Both iOS and Android are good. I still have a phone with Android 9 on it and it's fine. It's some Motorola and I could live with it.

People who say that a phone is a phone are correct. That's what I've actually realised using Android and iOS and Windows and MacBook.

A phone is a phone and a computer is a computer. I have no complaints about Android or iOS or macOS and Windows. Everything's good :)

In real life I don't even know any 'fanboys'. People who I know in real life often switch from iPhone to Android and vice versa. Most people I know are using Windows because of games though.

This OS war is getting pretty boring as well, to be honest. And personally, I don't recall when I last had malware on Windows or on Android. I had malware issues when I was a teenager and Windows XP, but I was either an awful computer user or Windows is more secure nowadays. Then again I don't use Ares, Limewire and eMule(?) I think it was eMule? anymore. If I wanted privacy I'd go with some older phone that has no Internet connection.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Fred Zed

Taz Mangus

macrumors 604
Mar 10, 2011
7,815
3,504
I don't understand why.
\When I used Huawei, it had super battery saving mode, which meant that you could only make phone calls and receive text messages when it was activated. (No internet connection whatsoever).

In low power mode, for the iPhone 13, iOS will shut down the 2 performance cores and will down clock the 4 efficiency cores from 1.83 GHz to 1.37 GHz. In low power mode, the A15 only uses about 3 watts of battery. And the A15 in low power mode is about as powerful the SD888. You can even game in low power mode and achieve a perfect 60 fps.

I know plenty of people who have had iPhone and have had issues with batteries. I remember my friend saying that Sony Xperia's battery was way better than her iPhone 7 and asked my experiences with it.

How long and how often did Sony give Android support on their Xperia phone?

The only thing I miss from Android is YouTube Vanced, but I use YouTube on Safari with Adblocker. I haven't found my way around blocking ads on YouTube in the app and I don't want to pay for premium. YouTube Vanced is the best thing on Android.
Try using AdBlock Pro. It is free and it will block the video ads on YouTube. I use it and it works great.
 
  • Like
Reactions: decafjava

iHorseHead

macrumors 68000
Jan 1, 2021
1,603
2,012
In low power mode, for the iPhone 13, iOS will shut down the 2 performance cores and will down clock the 4 efficiency cores from 1.83 GHz to 1.37 GHz. In low power mode, the A15 only uses about 3 watts of battery. And the A15 in low power mode is about as powerful the SD888. You can even game in low power mode and achieve a perfect 60 fps.
I still prefer a better choice that Huawei for example had. 5% of battery could last me the whole day on super power mode.
There were other options as well.
How long and how often did Sony give Android support on their Xperia phone?
When I used Xperia I got one major OS upgrade and security updates for around 2 years. The situation with Motorola is a lot better though.
Even Samsung supports their phones for 6 years from now on. My friend had expensive Xperia, so I know she got 3 years of upgrades. It was me who pushed her to the iPhone and she no longer has listened to my advice, since she hated the iPhone, but she still uses the same phone.

Try using AdBlock Pro. It is free and it will block the video ads on YouTube. I use it and it works great.
I am using AdBlock Pro, but still, YouTube Vanced or Android was way better. It also skipped all the promotions, so I didn't have to listen what VPN is or how to shave my balls with manscape.
 

sjperformance

macrumors 68010
Oct 7, 2013
2,002
2,155
Miami 305
I drive a 2021 Volvo XC90 3 row suv because of my kids. My neighbor drives an Audi Q7 3 row suv because of his kids. Guess what? We both happy. We both could care less what we drive. We both love our SUV’s. Enjoy your phones people. Use what makes you happy.
 

ian87w

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2020
8,704
12,638
Indonesia
I drive a 2021 Volvo XC90 3 row suv because of my kids. My neighbor drives an Audi Q7 3 row suv because of his kids. Guess what? We both happy. We both could care less what we drive. We both love our SUV’s. Enjoy your phones people. Use what makes you happy.
I think if you go to car enthusiast forums, the flame wars are more fiery than here… ?
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.