Should I keep my Galaxy S4 or buy the Iphone 5s?

[Jacoblee23]

So I had an Iphone 5 with Verizon up until Saturday evening. My fiancee and I decided to get on her plan, so we can save money for our wedding. I got on her unlimited plan with Sprint and decided to try the Galaxy S4. They told me that I could try it out, and if I decided to go back to the Iphone, that I could switch it out for the 5s and they would waive the re-stocking fee.

I am really loving the Galaxy S4. I love the splitscreen multitasking, the gorgeous 5" screen, and the customization. For some reason though it just feels weird to me not having an Iphone, because I have always been a pro Apple kind of guy. I had the IOS 7 beta on my Iphone 5, and I was just growing bored of the simplicity and wanted to try something new. I still loved my Iphone 5 though. I have to make my decision within the next week and a half. What do you guys think?

 

[Iphone5preorder]

Galaxy for sure.

 

[Mxbzz]

The way I see it, you have another week to decide. Let the user reviews of the iPhone 5S trickle through and make your decision then.

Personally, I have grown far too accustomed to having a larger screen. I do like the improved web browsing performance the 5S brings, but I just can't go back to a 4" screen. I'll be holding off on getting another iPhone until they introduce something bigger.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Not just the screen size, but iOS itself still needs to grow. iOS 7 is the right step, but it's also a small step when compared to where Android is (and will be with KitKat coming soon, though that may not be as relevant to your GS4 unless you flash).

The Verge details it well in their iOS 7 review: http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/18/4741724/ios-7-review

Very much worth reading. Here's the Wrap Up portion. I've bolded some relevant lines:


Apple’s on a mission to convince buyers that it’s still relevant, still innovative, still interesting. iOS 7 is full of big, sweeping changes to that effect, and there’s real power in making something look fresh and bright, but in the end the new visuals don’t offer much change under the surface. Not yet, anyway.

There are plenty of APIs and tools in iOS 7 that might make it easier for developers to build beautiful new apps that offer remarkable functionality and tie into the interesting new parts of the OS. But Apple needs to help. The Today screen could eventually be a fantastic Google Now-like experience, with all the information you need quickly, but only if developers can access it. Siri could get better and better, and ultimately let you do everything on your phone with your voice, but only if Siri learns what Evernote is and how she can search it for me. There is finally a more robust sharing menu, but it’s woefully underpopulated. Apple needs developer support, yes, but it’ll get that; what I don’t know is whether Apple will open its doors and give developers access to its best, most integrated features, rather than deciding for its users which three places we want to search or send our photos.

Today, as it rolls out to users everywhere, iOS 7 is still on most levels the same operating system it’s been for six years. Meanwhile Android has become a fun, efficient, flowing operating system that makes it easy to move data between apps, easy to share things, and easy to see only the information you need at the moment. Where iOS 7 still feels like jumping in and out of a series of apps, the best moments of using Android make it feel like a cohesive, unified platform. There’s no question iOS 7 has the foundational strength to match that experience, but Apple has to throw open the doors and let its huge ecosystem build on that potential.

iOS has always been an excellent operating system, and iOS 7 remains an excellent operating system. But if Apple’s goal was to match the power and flexibility of its rivals, iOS 7 feels very much like the beginning of a project rather than its conclusion.



The iPhone 6 (with hopefully a larger screen) and potentially iOS 8 (depending on quickly Cook/Ive want to grow iOS from this point on without Jobs) will be when to keep an eye out.

 

[daveathall]

So I had an Iphone 5 with Verizon up until Saturday evening. My fiancee and I decided to get on her plan, so we can save money for our wedding. I got on her unlimited plan with Sprint and decided to try the Galaxy S4. They told me that I could try it out, and if I decided to go back to the Iphone, that I could switch it out for the 5s and they would waive the re-stocking fee.

I am really loving the Galaxy S4. I love the splitscreen multitasking, the gorgeous 5" screen, and the customization. For some reason though it just feels weird to me not having an Iphone, because I have always been a pro Apple kind of guy. I had the IOS 7 beta on my Iphone 5, and I was just growing bored of the simplicity and wanted to try something new. I still loved my Iphone 5 though. I have to make my decision within the next week and a half. What do you guys think?

All the features you like on the SGS4 are not available on the 5S, which will still be a brilliant phone, but "feeling weird not having an iPhone" IMHO is not good enough reason to give up features that you love, and if you were bored with iOS 7 already I would suggest that you may not feel any better some time in the future.

What is not in doubt is that whichever phone of the two you do decide on, it is/will be superb, great problem to have.

 

[Evnor]

Follow your heart (= keep the S4 ).

 

[The Game 161]

depends how much screen size means to you and the great features that come with it.

 

[mjb1975]

So I had an Iphone 5 with Verizon up until Saturday evening. My fiancee and I decided to get on her plan, so we can save money for our wedding. I got on her unlimited plan with Sprint and decided to try the Galaxy S4. They told me that I could try it out, and if I decided to go back to the Iphone, that I could switch it out for the 5s and they would waive the re-stocking fee.

I am really loving the Galaxy S4. I love the splitscreen multitasking, the gorgeous 5" screen, and the customization. For some reason though it just feels weird to me not having an Iphone, because I have always been a pro Apple kind of guy. I had the IOS 7 beta on my Iphone 5, and I was just growing bored of the simplicity and wanted to try something new. I still loved my Iphone 5 though. I have to make my decision within the next week and a half. What do you guys think?

Why would you let other people decide whats best for YOU? Only YOU can make that decision. I have the S4 but I also have an iPod Touch and iPad mini, so I get to use both Android and iOS, and they both have their pros and cons. I suggest you read the Andatech review on the 5s where they break down how very good the A7 chip and new camera are. I'll admit I am now considering moving towards the 5s now too.

 

[Krimsonmyst]

I am really loving the Galaxy S4. I love the splitscreen multitasking, the gorgeous 5" screen, and the customization. For some reason though it just feels weird to me not having an Iphone, because I have always been a pro Apple kind of guy.

A few years ago this was me. I had an opportunity to try out the Galaxy S2, and I took it. At first it felt weird. I felt out of place, I missed things I was used to having and for the first month or so I lost count of how many times I would think, 'Well on the iPhone I could just...'

But then, after about that month point, I started to hit a turning point and started to think the Android way. Instead of being frustrated that something didn't work the way it did on the iPhone, I found out how I could do it better on the S2.
I did some research into custom launchers, and then from there started learning about rooting, roms, kernels etc (which I'm not saying you have to do, but its an option).

I suppose the upshot of what I'm saying is that if you give it enough time, despite your reservations about it 'feeling weird', you may find yourself coming around to fully embracing Android. On the flip side, you may not.

The important thing to remember (and something that I think is one of the main reasons why people 'switching' to Android sometimes go back to iOS), is that Android is not iOS. The more you try to make Android work like iOS, the more disappointed you're going to be.

You need to learn how to make Android work like Android, tailored to you.

Best of luck

EDIT: Since that first experience with the S2, I've purchased an S3, and am now using an S4. I also have a Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.

 

[scott craft]

Why would you let other people decide whats best for YOU? Only YOU can make that decision. I have the S4 but I also have an iPod Touch and iPad mini, so I get to use both Android and iOS, and they both have their pros and cons. I suggest you read the Andatech review on the 5s where they break down how very good the A7 chip and new camera are. I'll admit I am now considering moving towards the 5s now too.

I'm also considering the 5S after reading Anandtech's review. I'll probably end up with the G2, but I want to look at the 5S.

 

[Oohara]

Why would you let other people decide whats best for YOU? Only YOU can make that decision. I have the S4 but I also have an iPod Touch and iPad mini, so I get to use both Android and iOS, and they both have their pros and cons. I suggest you read the Andatech review on the 5s where they break down how very good the A7 chip and new camera are. I'll admit I am now considering moving towards the 5s now too.

Chill... Nothing wrong with asking for advice.

To the OP: if you were getting a bit bored with iOS, now is the perfect time to give Android a test run.

You get to test the bigger screen, which IMO is something everyone who is on the fence should do thoroughly before deciding to stick with the entirely different ballgame which is the small screen on the iPhone.

And right now, Android is where all the action is. The New iPhones aren't substantially different from how they've been for years, whereas the S4 and other Android phones are full of stuff that'll be totally new to you, with an OS that is currently far ahead of iOS when it comes to having a dynamic set of possibilities.

Next year, things may be very different, as Apple are under pressure to present a bigger screen phone. Right now though, the iPhone is a pretty mundane deal in comparison. I just switched to Android myself after using iPhones since the 3G, and I'm happy I did. I might go back to an iPhone next year, but is certainly not going to happen as things are right now.

 

[Technarchy]

I'm on the fence currently, but there is a high possibility my Galaxy S4 will be sold to fund an iPhone 5S before the year is over.

I've spoken plenty about my dislikes with the S4, and how they currently outweigh the likes.

I am hoping next months 4.3 update for the galaxy gear release irons out some of the issues with the S4. I'm giving Samsung a fair chance to impress me, but so far my reaction to the S4 is really ho-hum.

 

[onthecouchagain]

So I had an Iphone 5 with Verizon up until Saturday evening. My fiancee and I decided to get on her plan, so we can save money for our wedding. I got on her unlimited plan with Sprint and decided to try the Galaxy S4. They told me that I could try it out, and if I decided to go back to the Iphone, that I could switch it out for the 5s and they would waive the re-stocking fee.

I am really loving the Galaxy S4. I love the splitscreen multitasking, the gorgeous 5" screen, and the customization. For some reason though it just feels weird to me not having an Iphone, because I have always been a pro Apple kind of guy. I had the IOS 7 beta on my Iphone 5, and I was just growing bored of the simplicity and wanted to try something new. I still loved my Iphone 5 though. I have to make my decision within the next week and a half. What do you guys think?

OP, if iOS isn't exciting you, not much will change about the final version of iOS 7, as it seems like you already know.

Watch The Verge's review of iOS 7. It's unapologetic of iOS 7's shortcomings.

 

[KentuckyHouse]

OP, if iOS isn't exciting you, not much will change about the final version of iOS 7, as it seems like you already know.

Watch The Verge's review of iOS 7. It's unapologetic of iOS 7's shortcomings.

YouTube: video

Thanks for sharing that, couch. I like when reviewers don't pull punches and that was a great review.

 

[Tikatika]

I love my S4, more every day. Its fate was sealed as my keeper phone when I mistakenly installed iOS 7 on my iPad Mini today. I detest it. It may look great on the iPhone but it is just ugly on an iPad. And there is still so much it DOESN'T do.

I am now considering gifting the Mini and getting the Samsung Tab 3 8". Every day that goes by I find myself being drawn further away from iDevices.

However, I still love my iMac, a lot!.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Thanks for sharing that, couch. I like when reviewers don't pull punches and that was a great review.

Agreed.

The slow UI animations would drive me nuts. Among other things.

There's a thread with reported UI lag over in the iOS forum, even with the final build. As iOS gets "heavier" ever so slowly with features, I wonder if it'll throw into the spotlight Apple's frugal hardware updates (like the 1GB of RAM)...

The more I think about it and the more I get over iOS 7's new fresh coat, the less hopeful I am about iOS in the future. I don't know how I feel about it now.

And for all those iOS users who constantly talk about the all important lack of lag of iOS, should you worry?

 

[tbayrgs]

Agreed.

The slow UI animations would drive me nuts. Among other things.

There's a thread with reported UI lag over in the iOS forum, even with the final build. As iOS gets "heavier" ever so slowly with features, I wonder if it'll throw into the spotlight Apple's frugal hardware updates (like the 1GB of RAM)...

The more I think about it and the more I get over iOS 7's new fresh coat, the less hopeful I am about iOS in the future. I don't know how I feel about it now.

And for all those iOS users who constantly talk about the all important lack of lag of iOS, should you worry?

After updating my iPad Mini to iOS7 and using it for maybe an hour, I can verify that the Verge review is pretty spot on. I noted a handful of annoyances over in a thread in the iOS7 subforum and my initial impressions aren't improving.

- Lot of lag on my iPad Mini--apps opening to a white screen for up to 3-5 seconds, same goes when closing apps, sporadic lag when just navigating around the OS, and worst of all, lag when using the keyboard.

- Inconsistency with multitasking gestures, specifically that they don't work when using Siri.

- Spotlight search is now often unusable. It is supposed to be able to be accessed with a downward swipe within any app or home screen--go ahead and try to access it in any app that also uses a downward swipe such as Mail, the App Store, or any browser.

UPDATE: Well, seems that I misunderstood the instruction on this one (though I think it was poorly worded--app page doesn't imply home screen, at least to me) and that swipe down action only works on home screens.

Spotlight Search: Spotlight, which allows users to open apps and locate both files and information, can now be accessed by swiping downwards on any app page. Previously, it had a dedicated screen that was accessed by swiping left on the home screen.

I'm going to keep using it for a while before passing final judgement but have to say I'm feeling a bit disappointed so far.

 

[onthecouchagain]

After updating my iPad Mini to iOS7 and using it for maybe an hour, I can verify that the Verge review is pretty spot on. I noted a handful of annoyances over in a thread in the iOS7 subforum and my initial impressions aren't improving.

- Lot of lag on my iPad Mini--apps opening to a white screen for up to 3-5 seconds, same goes when closing apps, sporadic lag when just navigating around the OS, and worst of all, lag when using the keyboard.

- Inconsistency with multitasking gestures, specifically that they don't work when using Siri.

- Spotlight search is now often unusable. It is supposed to be able to be accessed with a downward swipe within any app or home screen--go ahead and try to access it in any app that also uses a downward swipe such as Mail, the App Store, or any browser.

I'm going to keep using it for a while before passing final judgement but have to say I'm feeling a bit disappointed so far.

Sorry to hear. Genuinely.

Once again (and this isn't directed at you, Tb) I have to ask, are people so sure specs don't matter? Should people be content with multi-year old hardware just because it happens to run its current iteration of iOS fine -- in other words, what about next year's iOS or the year after that? Is Apple's slow/frugal hardware strategy biting them in the butt in times like this when the new software is a little heavier with some more features? What happens come iOS 8 then? Is this really worth top dollar, or bragging rights to say Apple updates old generation hardware?

People really need to ask themselves and Apple these questions. I've always said it, the slow game in a fast industry hurts themselves and the customers (even if most of those customers don't ever want to admit it).

 

[tbayrgs]

Sorry to hear. Genuinely.

Once again (and this isn't directed at you, Tb) I have to ask, are people so sure specs don't matter? Should people be content with multi-year old hardware just because it happens to run its current iteration of iOS fine -- in other words, what about next year's iOS or the year after that? Is Apple's slow/frugal hardware strategy biting them in the butt in times like this when the new software is a little heavier with some more features? What happens come iOS 8 then? Is this really worth top dollar, or bragging rights to say Apple updates old generation hardware?

People really need to ask themselves and Apple these questions. I've always said it, the slow game in a fast industry hurts themselves and the customers (even if most of those customers don't ever want to admit it).

Yeah, I won't make any sweeping generalizations considering the Mini really is using dated hardware and it may scream along on the iP5 and iP5S but it is sad that hardware that is 9 months old is already suffering. And only one of the 3 issues I mentioned would improve with improved hardware.

I was looking forward to a high resolution iPad Mini but after becoming accustomed to the benefits afforded by Android and now that we are seeing much more capable Android tablets on the market (Nexus 7, upcoming Note 10.1, LG G Pad 8.3, amongst others), the luster of the iPad is wearing off for me. I'm giving the Nexus 7 another try (LTE model) and the small updates Google pushed out seem to have improved the touch responsiveness. Surprisedly, I'm most excited to try the Note 10.1--surprised because I generally don't like Samsung's design (hardware or software) but the features they've added are really compelling to me.

Alright, enough of me dragging the thread off on a tangent...

 

[daveathall]

My first reaction is to keep my S4, I have an iPad mini and will get the benefit of iOS 7 so can get a feel for the new OS.

 

[mjb1975]

My iPad mini is running iOS 7 just fine, not sure what some others are complaining about. It "lags" about as much as any Android phone Ive had including my S4, which isnt really lag at all. One great thing about Apple is that its the same build of the OS on one device from one manufacturer and they can address fixes rather quickly. Unlike Android where if you had issues, Google would blame the manufacturer (HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola etc..) and then the manufacturer would blame your carrier and your carrier would blame them both and you were stuck with bugs for sometimes months.Early adopters are always going to get bugs, wait for 7.1 if minor things annoy you.

 

[clientsiman]

You know better but I think it's better keep your Galaxy S4. The way I see it, iOS is for kids and grandpas .

Install a custom rom if you ever get bored with your phone.

 

[Dmaynard83]

You know better but I think it's better keep your Galaxy S4. The way I see it, iOS is for kids and grandpas .

Install a custom rom if you ever get bored with your phone.

I feel like when I was on my s4 I was trying to get the aosp pure google vanilla experience where everything was smooth. After looking at the nexus 4 I saw that even my old iPhone 4S was smoother.

I understand there is a customization aspect, and there are other features that will be missed on android. But I think some people just want a smooth, fast device without useless features that will never be used.

 

[Oohara]

Agreed.

The slow UI animations would drive me nuts. Among other things.

There's a thread with reported UI lag over in the iOS forum, even with the final build. As iOS gets "heavier" ever so slowly with features, I wonder if it'll throw into the spotlight Apple's frugal hardware updates (like the 1GB of RAM)...

The more I think about it and the more I get over iOS 7's new fresh coat, the less hopeful I am about iOS in the future. I don't know how I feel about it now.

And for all those iOS users who constantly talk about the all important lack of lag of iOS, should you worry?

I played around with iOS 7 for a while on an iPhone 5 and it killed whatever urge I had actually start to feel for a 5s.

The UI animations are just obnoxious. I recently realized I could turn them off completely on my Note 2 and this enhanced my user experience markedly, I absolutely love tapping an icon and having the app just be there immediately, almost like it had appeared at the mere thought of opening it. After that, the iOS 7 animations felt like such a step back.

Overall the OS feels just to crammed together and messy. In particular Control Center, where it is also immensely frustrating that you can't customize its contents. And I found myself failing to close it several times too, as if the touch area of the "handle" was just too small.

And skeumorphism still lingers in places. The Reminders app for example has this structured fake paper background which really feels off. Actually I was quite surprised at the state of the OS as a whole. What I've disliked most about Android since getting my Note 2 is that Touchwiz + Nova gets a bit contradictory and untight at times, and I have been missing the seamlessness of iOS's UI design - but now it is simply not very seamless anymore.

After testing iOS 7, whatever irritation I felt towards Android now feels less significant. With the current state of iOS, a new iPhone would simply not be an alternative for me. Hopefully they will improve it in the future.

Oh, and a last thing. Ironically, I think iOS 7 would be much better on a larger screen, as the main impression I have after testing it is that it was just too crammed together on the iPhone...

 

[onthecouchagain]

The UI animations are just obnoxious.

I keep reading about the terrible UI animations. Can you elaborate what they are exactly besides apps launching slowly? I'm very curious.

----------

I played around with iOS 7 for a while on an iPhone 5 and it killed whatever urge I had actually start to feel for a 5s.

The UI animations are just obnoxious. I recently realized I could turn them off completely on my Note 2 and this enhanced my user experience markedly, I absolutely love tapping an icon and having the app just be there immediately, almost like it had appeared at the mere thought of opening it. After that, the iOS 7 animations felt like such a step back.

Overall the OS feels just to crammed together and messy. In particular Control Center, where it is also immensely frustrating that you can't customize its contents. And I found myself failing to close it several times too, as if the touch area of the "handle" was just too small.

And skeumorphism still lingers in places. The Reminders app for example has this structured fake paper background which really feels off. Actually I was quite surprised at the state of the OS as a whole. What I've disliked most about Android since getting my Note 2 is that Touchwiz + Nova gets a bit contradictory and untight at times, and I have been missing the seamlessness of iOS's UI design - but now it is simply not very seamless anymore.

After testing iOS 7, whatever irritation I felt towards Android now feels less significant. With the current state of iOS, a new iPhone would simply not be an alternative for me. Hopefully they will improve it in the future.

Oh, and a last thing. Ironically, I think iOS 7 would be much better on a larger screen, as the main impression I have after testing it is that it was just too crammed together on the iPhone...

Really interesting stuff.

I guess now that the coat of paint is wearing off, people are discovering that it's still just iOS, limitations and all -- and possibly worse...