Moving from Android to iOS

[walkingblind]

Has anyone moved and cares to share what they miss the most? I am considering switching to iPhone 13 mini purely due to its size. I had an iPad Air for a couple of days, but it got returned for its squeaky chassis. As far as OS goes it felt fine, if a bit clunky, but that was probably because the OS was completely new to me. On iPad I used brave for all my media consumption particularly for youtube, but also for instagram, browsing, because it eliminates adds from everywhere. So for youtube, I've tested it on a phone but it's a bit awkward as it is smaller device and I you are using mobile site.

I guess I would miss YouTube Vanced and nova launcher the most, but I wonder is there anything else you found, that bothered you even after awhile?

 

[timeconsumer]

I'm more of an iPhone person but I'm currently using a Pixel 6 Pro as my main device. If I were to switch back to an iPhone here's what I would miss:

• Being able to text through my Windows computer.
• The camera and microphone toggles, I love being able to block these at all times and just quickly enable them when I need to.
• App Drawer is just a quick swipe up on Android. On iPhones you have to swipe all the way to your last page to get to it. Then go to the top to get a list view in alphabetical order.
• Firefox with uBlock Origin on Android gives me a desktop like experience. Safari with AdGuard isn't bad though just a lot of sites will give you annoying popups that you're blocking ads. I don't notice that with Firefox and uBlock Origin.
• Customizations. Android allows you to position apps and widgets anywhere on the screen. You can also install different icons and launchers for additional customizations. Android also takes more advantage of larger screens better with split screen and how the OS scales. On iPhones it seems like it's not really taking advantage of the larger real estate. Not really a big deal since you're looking at the 13 Mini and iOS is fine on smaller screens.
• USB-C charging. Most devices I have use USB-C so I like being able to travel with just one charger.
• Call screening. This is a Pixel only feature though. But I have received less spam calls since moving to the P6P.

I can understand wanting a smaller device, I have always preferred smaller devices. But with the P6P the size doesn't bother me. The weight of iPhones make the phones feel heavier than they should be, in my opinion. A lot of people like this because it gives it a more premium feel but for me it bothers my hands/wrists. The issue doesn't happen on a P6P for me even though I'm using a larger device as the weight distribution is much better.

 

[ian87w]

I have an S21 (primary driver) and an iPhone 7+.

What I miss on my iPhone:
- No twin apps (cannot have 2 whatsapp accounts). This feature is standard on most Android skins sans Google Pixel/stock Android.
- No granular control of app notifications. On iOS, it's just all or nothing.
- Call recording. Auto call recording is standard on Samsung and Xiaomi phones, a really handy feature.
- No SMS spam filter. This is more of a feature of Google's Messages app, but since you can change the default SMS app on Android, any Android phone can take advantage of this as Google made its Messages app available on the Play Store. SMS spams are out of control in my country, so this is very useful, while keeping other SMS through (OTPs, notifications from banks, etc). The only thing I can do on my iPhone is to filter those not in my contact list.

I use Brave on both my iPhone and S21, so browser experience is roughly identical.

Things I like on the iPhone
- Hardware silent toggle. This is really handy, and can be done while the phone is in my pocket since it's a hardware toggle. On Android, depending on the setup, I would at least need two steps or more, and I cannot do it blindly.
- Spotlight search. I find search on iOS to be really fast. On Android, the search feels clunkier.
- More consistent and uniform looking icons. On Android, there are at least 3 contrasts in icon design. Google and its own apps, the OEM stock apps, and the 3rd party apps (which usually still use icon designs from Android 2.x era). There are theming options, but still inconsistent.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I have an S21 (primary driver) and an iPhone 7+.

What I miss on my iPhone:
- No twin apps (cannot have 2 whatsapp accounts). This feature is standard on most Android skins sans Google Pixel/stock Android.
- No granular control of app notifications. On iOS, it's just all or nothing.
- Call recording. Auto call recording is standard on Samsung and Xiaomi phones, a really handy feature.
- No SMS spam filter. This is more of a feature of Google's Messages app, but since you can change the default SMS app on Android, any Android phone can take advantage of this as Google made its Messages app available on the Play Store. SMS spams are out of control in my country, so this is very useful, while keeping other SMS through (OTPs, notifications from banks, etc). The only thing I can do on my iPhone is to filter those not in my contact list.

I use Brave on both my iPhone and S21, so browser experience is roughly identical.

Things I like on the iPhone
- Hardware silent toggle. This is really handy, and can be done while the phone is in my pocket since it's a hardware toggle. On Android, depending on the setup, I would at least need two steps or more, and I cannot do it blindly.
- Spotlight search. I find search on iOS to be really fast. On Android, the search feels clunkier.
- More consistent and uniform looking icons. On Android, there are at least 3 contrasts in icon design. Google and its own apps, the OEM stock apps, and the 3rd party apps (which usually still use icon designs from Android 2.x era). There are theming options, but still inconsistent.

With the new Pixel 6 phones you can now toggle silent mode with a quick double tap on the back of the phone, just below the rear camera.

 

[ian87w]

With the new Pixel 6 phones you can now toggle silent mode with a quick double tap on the back of the phone, just below the rear camera.

That’s just Pixel only. Similar with how OnePlus being the only OEM that tried a physical silent toggle. In the end, they are not in the majority of Android phones.

 

[Ludatyk]

Multitasking and Sound Assistant are the two reasons why I’m an Android user now. Customization is awesome, call recording, notifications and everything that comes with Android… is incredible.

But for me… being able to have multiple windows open on my Galaxy Fold, having a video playing while listening to audio (music or podcast) in the background is a feature I’ve grown accustomed to.

 

[kaardowiq]

Yep, features I really love - but to be honest, most features are only really cool on Samsung. When it comes to other devices many features are missing. Outcome - Samsung and Apple almost equal when it comes to the price.

 

[cuzo]

Can someone assist?

1. Does IOS use more data than Android? I'm on a RP 8 gig plan a month and I keep running out of data within 2 weeks and I mostly just use reddit and facebook and browse messageboards online.
2. Does IOS have a browser with a datasaver feature? I know Opera mini had this for a while on android?

 

[ian87w]

Can someone assist?

1. Does IOS use more data than Android? I'm on a RP 8 gig plan a month and I keep running out of data within 2 weeks and I mostly just use reddit and facebook and browse messageboards online.
2. Does IOS have a browser with a datasaver feature? I know Opera mini had this for a while on android?

I don’t think iOS use data more than Android. If you keep running out of data, you may need to look at the apps you have installed that are using data in the background. Go to your cellular settings and you can see which apps using how much data.

For browser, install ad blocker. That alone can save you data quite a bit.

In the end, it’s about usage. Watching YouTube/insta stories and streaming music can add up data fairly quick.

 

[TechRunner]

Can someone assist?

1. Does IOS use more data than Android? I'm on a RP 8 gig plan a month and I keep running out of data within 2 weeks and I mostly just use reddit and facebook and browse messageboards online.
2. Does IOS have a browser with a datasaver feature? I know Opera mini had this for a while on android?

"Free" games that run video ads in them suck up lots of data, too.

 

[IowaLynn]

My love affair with big phones is over. Note, Galaxy Ultra, but still have Surface Duo 2. The size, weight of the 13 Mini is welcome. The iPad Mini I guess serves as in-between. I keep AdGuard Pro everywhere, Android, Mac, Windows and of course iOS/iPadOS.

I just, after 8 years iPhones, found a feature by accident - prioritize app downloads/updates, when setting up new iPad and 80 apps vying to update (Lightroom looked stuck). I never was big on Nova or launchers, OneUI on Galaxy is fine by me. MS Launcher though is a joke on Duo.

I have always had an Android and iPhone, one as backup and 2nd line or in case of problems. In a sense, I never "switched" but which fit my needs that day or that app.

 

[cuzo]

Thanks for the advice