Should I switch to Android or stick with an iPhone?

[jahall05]

Hi everyone!

You're probably thinking "ugh, not another one of these threads", but I am honestly considering my options and am looking for input based on my specific situation/usage.

I currently have a 32GB Gold iPhone 5s with AT&T. I am on the NEXT plan so I pay monthly on my phone. I currently owe 449 dollars to own the phone or just 112.50 to trade the phone in and get another model and start the process over. I am not overly concerned with keeping this 5s in the long run because I do have an old 5 I always kept as a back up phone anyways. I guess it is important to mention I had the iPhone back when it was a 3GS, switched to Verizon and got a Droid 2 and then got the iPhone 4 when it came to Verizon, then got an iPhone 5 with Verizon and most recently switched to AT&T and got the 5s I currently use.

I watch a lot of YouTube videos on my phone currently and the screen size is something lacking with the phones previous to 6/6+ and I am finding overtime that a bigger screen may also improve my typing ability on a phone. I am just thinking of ways a bigger phone could potentially help me. However, I do really like how iTunes works with the iPhone (I never liked dragging and dropping stuff on my old Droid with Verizon) and I like not having a file system because I get OCD about random folders and I found Android a chore to put photo albums on and what not because previous Android phones I have had ended up having more than one photos folder and you had to have pictures in the right one to get them to show up. I do like the ability to expand memory on SOME models (obviously this is not available in all Android phones now). I do have a MacBook Pro and I do have an iPad Mini 2, if this matters.

At this moment it would probably be between an iPhone 6, 6+, Samsung Galaxy S6 (when it comes out for AT&T), and a Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

What do you guys think?

 

[tbayrgs]

They're all good phones (or appear to be in the case of the S6). If the biggest irritation you have with the iPhone now is just the display size, and you are comfortable with its functionality and the Apple ecosystem, I'd suggest you try the 6+. The larger screen real estate and higher pixel density will result in a great experience for video. It'll also mean basically a plug and play situation in replacing your phone.

The Samsung devices are also more than capable for your needs. I only didn't recommend them based on your own admitted tendency to micromanage certain aspects and statement that you liked how iTunes works with the phone (though that really isn't necessary in most regards and there are apps for Android that allow you to continue using iTunes to manage your content). Outside of the proprietary elements of the Apple ecosystem (iMessage, iCloud Photos, Continuity and Handoffs, etc), you can do everything with an Android device and likely more, however it will take a bit of extra effort to have things interact as well between devices, especially since having all Apple devices now makes it pretty seamless. If you're willing to put in a little time though, you can have an Android phone play just as nice with your Mac and iPad in most regards, and you'll have an entirely new world of customization and flexibility at your fingertips, if that interests you. Just have to have patience and an open mind.

 

[stevelam]

it seems like the only thing you're really after is just a bigger screen size. so whats the point of switching to android?

 

[jahall05]

The bigger screen is definitely the biggest motivator for me.

I really like iTunes managing all of my content...I did not know there was a way to make iTunes work with anything outside of the iDevice array...

I also like the customization Android offers...but I feel as iOS advances more of that will become available to iPhone users.

The only thing I don't like about the iPhone 6+ is that it is massive compared to other Android handsets that have the same size screen.

 

[Fireblade]

The bigger screen is definitely the biggest motivator for me.

I really like iTunes managing all of my content...I did not know there was a way to make iTunes work with anything outside of the iDevice array...

I also like the customization Android offers...but I feel as iOS advances more of that will become available to iPhone users.

The only thing I don't like about the iPhone 6+ is that it is massive compared to other Android handsets that have the same size screen.

If you like iTunes (?!?) and IOS, than stick with an IPhone.

 

[jahall05]

Do you guys think waiting for the 's' version of the 6/6+ will be worth the wait at this point?

 

[MRU]

Do you guys think waiting for the 's' version of the 6/6+ will be worth the wait at this point?

I have the 6+ and its the best iPhone I've ever had. Battery life has been superb for me and I have experienced no more issues we the memory management (refreshing of apps) than either the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Alpha or Note 4 has given me in everyday use. I would have no qualms recommending the 6+, I had a 6 before this and found battery life a little lacklustre whereas on the 6+ it excels. Oh and extra landscape features whilst nothing spectacular do indeed enhance the user experience.

I also have a Moto X 2014 which is a lovely phone ergonomically, and I love it's speakers. I get decent battery life and the camera has performed great for me in daylight, my only gripe with it is the very over saturated screen and storage is tight (I only got a 16gb model).

My newest purchase is the Note 4, its great but I do find it quite a 'brick' like compared to both my moto x and iPhone aesthetically. Looks fabulous without a case, but somehow looks very square / angular and chunky in many of the cases I've tried. Performance is great and so is battery life. Lollipop has addressed much of the issues I have had with touchwizs aesthetics in regards to stock apps. Camera is great overall.


I would recommend any of these devices without hesitation - each with their own set of caveats.

There is no perfect device, but if you can settle for excellent - you can't really go wrong and no I wouldn't wait for the 6s/6+s if I wanted an iPhone.

 

[Savor]

I don't want to really compare switching platforms like getting into a relationship with someone new while missing your ex but it kinda is.

If you want to start FRESH, you need to answer if you can leave iOS completely? Cleanse it out of your system if you need to. You can't just have one foot out the door while trying to start another relationship with something newer. It is like having a new gf/bf but you still are friends with your ex on FB. You still have pix of them. You still text them. Eliminate them all. Shut them off. Yeah, you will miss some features from iOS, but how can you move on if you keep thinking or using those you will greatly miss? No different than buying a newer house or newer car. Of course you will miss somethings from the previous, but you need to learn to move on...

Android is no perfect OS either just like there is no perfect human or thing. You will miss somethings from iOS. But once you realize Android's benefits which might take some time, you may never want to go back to the previous. You have to ask yourself how committed are you. If you can't live without iTunes/iMessages or own a Mac, then stick to iOS. If you can, then try Android. But commit to it. Learn to live without using iOS or anything from the Apple ecosystem to make the transition to Android much easier. Don't look back if you want to move forward.

I did use Android and iOS concurrently before. It is starting to feel the same to me. I am using Android & Windows Phone now and i still prefer the former. Android has given me "habits" I can no longer break like gesture swipes/shortcuts and checking my RAM and more detailed battery usage. Or change an ugly icon I don't like. Keep the text condensed or change the name of an app to avoid double lined names. I also still love the old school Bluetooth data transfer since I am not always online.

My Top 12 most important apps

#1 - Nova Launcher Prime
#2 - QuickPic
#3 - All In One Gesture
#4 - All In One Toolbox
#5 - Wakeup Touch Nexus - nomore wearing out physical buttons
#6 - SwiftKey
#7 - Notification Toggle
#8 - Screen Off & Lock - Swipe up gesture linked to Nova
#9 - Lazy Swipe
#10 - Greenify - 2x tap gesture to hibernate on status bar via #3 app
#11 - DynamicNotifications
#12 - TubeMate - Better than MXTube. Download all the adult vids you want with the url link. I have hundreds of videos of NBA mixes, horse racing, and phone reviews I can watch OFFLINE thanks to this site.

^^ Majority need to autostart and put on whitelist in case of boosting which it kills any apps. I know task killers arent a good thing and Android RAM isn't like Windows but I need to clean cache (junk files) and "boost" since my phone starts to slow with 70-80% RAM usage.

Honorable mentions -
AdBlock Plus
CPU Tuner
CM Browser
CM Security
CM Speed Booster - Cute animation and it does speed up my phone
ES File Explorer - Still use even if All In One Toolbox does it too.
Moon+ Reader (use BookZZ.org for free reading material)
MX Player - Love the play audio while screen off feature
MoboPlayer - Mini window player on homescreen.
ConvertPad
VidTrim Pro - Edit videos for only the "good parts" and save space.
Music Player (by Bitsy) - Decent-looking that replaced UberMusic
Androidify - Very cute. Got my Android in LA Clippers gear and will use as an avatar in the future.

^^ Most of these apps you won't really find on iOS. I know because I checked.

 

[MRU]

^ its nothing like a relationship, its a phone.

 

[Fireblade]

^ its nothing like a relationship, its a phone.

True, but a relationship can be like IOS, lots of compromises and restrictions

 

[Lloydbm41]

Do you guys think waiting for the 's' version of the 6/6+ will be worth the wait at this point?

Likely getting 2GB of RAM and base model will be a 32gb version. Yes, I think it is worth the wait.

P.S. If you want a larger phone and want to dable in Android, find a used 2013 Moto X for cheap. I particularly like the Moto X because of the unique features it adds and it uses the same nano-sim card as the ATT iPhone, so you can swap between the 2 phones.

Normally, I wouldn't tell anyone to wait for the S model, but this year is different. The iPhone 6 will really benefit from 2gb of RAM. Worth the wait IMO.

 

[Savor]

I will repost my previous post here too.

But I will mention a few more useful apps but I no longer use.

Du Battery Saver - Love the notification sound but I had to uninstall it because I don't need another booster for some placebo effect. Also the RAM usage. I can always check my SOT with a shortcut with my Settings icon app.

GSam Battery Monitor - I tried using this for awhile and it is very detailed BUT it isn't as accurate with SOT like Du and WakeLock Detector. And the RAM use too.

WakeLock Detector - Very light RAM usage but already confident that my phone goes to deep sleep as my standby time is fine and Greenify hibernates my apps when the screen goes off. I don't need seeing the SOT either as the Settings app does that for me already.

Read this article written last year -
www.cnet.com/news/ios-vs-android-why-it-no-longer-matters/

Over the following weeks, however, I dabbled with a number of mobiles (the Galaxy S3, the HTC One M8 and the Sony Xperia Z1, which was my surprise favourite). But beyond the first 48 hours or so, any sense of strong emotion towards Android, either positive or negative, was notably absent.

The reason is that, with every Android phone I tried, it was much easier than I expected to get back to the smartphone experience I was used to.

The services I used the most were right there at my fingertips, in less than half an hour. It's true that there's a difference in the apps available for iOS and Android, and that iOS still tends to get new apps first, but for me at least, there was nothing missing. I realised the apps I used the most were multi-platform, third-party and free to download.

I suspect the hold that app ecosystems have on us will only get looser. For one thing, it's rarer and rarer to find apps you need to pay to install. All the apps listed above were free, even though many of them are services I pay for in one way or another. I've spent a lot of money on iOS apps over the years, but when I switched to Android, I didn't end up paying for anything twice.

Generally, all homescreens is an app launchers including Android and WP. If I wanted, I can also theme my phones to look like iOS or Windows Phone's Live Tiles which isn't frequently found on that platform. We have a toggle switch and notification panel here and there. Slightly different lockscreen. But generally the experience are all the same. The difference really comes down to how much rely on certain services or proprietary software Apple offers you. But most UI experiences and even app catalog between iOS and Android is nearly the same.

Except I use gesture swipes with mines. Swipe up on the homescreen and the screen goes off. Swipe down and the notification panel comes down. Double tap on homescreen and Flipboard opens which replaces my BlinkFeed. Double tap to the left status bar area and Greenify hibernates my apps. Double tap the right area and silent mode. Either swipe bottom left and right corners opens up Lazy Swipe. I can go on and on with my app shortcuts but neither iOS and WP offers this right out of the box. Neither is checking actual screen on time usage, RAM usage, or checking the current CPU speed and temperature is quite as detailed like on Android.

 

[apolloa]

Hi everyone!

You're probably thinking "ugh, not another one of these threads", but I am honestly considering my options and am looking for input based on my specific situation/usage.

I currently have a 32GB Gold iPhone 5s with AT&T. I am on the NEXT plan so I pay monthly on my phone. I currently owe 449 dollars to own the phone or just 112.50 to trade the phone in and get another model and start the process over. I am not overly concerned with keeping this 5s in the long run because I do have an old 5 I always kept as a back up phone anyways. I guess it is important to mention I had the iPhone back when it was a 3GS, switched to Verizon and got a Droid 2 and then got the iPhone 4 when it came to Verizon, then got an iPhone 5 with Verizon and most recently switched to AT&T and got the 5s I currently use.

I watch a lot of YouTube videos on my phone currently and the screen size is something lacking with the phones previous to 6/6+ and I am finding overtime that a bigger screen may also improve my typing ability on a phone. I am just thinking of ways a bigger phone could potentially help me. However, I do really like how iTunes works with the iPhone (I never liked dragging and dropping stuff on my old Droid with Verizon) and I like not having a file system because I get OCD about random folders and I found Android a chore to put photo albums on and what not because previous Android phones I have had ended up having more than one photos folder and you had to have pictures in the right one to get them to show up. I do like the ability to expand memory on SOME models (obviously this is not available in all Android phones now). I do have a MacBook Pro and I do have an iPad Mini 2, if this matters.

At this moment it would probably be between an iPhone 6, 6+, Samsung Galaxy S6 (when it comes out for AT&T), and a Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

What do you guys think?

From what you are saying that YOU want from a phone, if you can handle the size of it get yourself an iPhone 6 Plus mate, or wait for the next 6 Plus.

You Tube works fine on it and you'll get your bigger sharper screen.

 

[Sensamic]

I might switch back to iOS for my next device, mainly because I'd find it really boring to buy a third straight Android device.

I don't really like iOS, but I kind of need some fresh air and it would be interesting having an iPhone again. My only iPhone was the 4, and it'd be interesting to see how far iOS and iPhones have come.

Maybe later in the year I'll buy a second hand iPhone 6 Plus.

 

[Lloydbm41]

I might switch back to iOS for my next device, mainly because I'd find it really boring to buy a third straight Android device.

I don't really like iOS, but I kind of need some fresh air and it would be interesting having an iPhone again. My only iPhone was the 4, and it'd be interesting to see how far iOS and iPhones have come.

Maybe later in the year I'll buy a second hand iPhone 6 Plus.

Larger 1080p (or 750p in my case) screen, better camera, a 'real' notification center with widgets and swipe style keyboard all made it worthwhile for me to switch back. Only thing I want now is the ability to put icons where I want on the screen. But, iOS is a different animal from back then on the 4.

 

[Savor]

To me, alot of this mobile OS platform switching reminds me alot of the video game console days. I grew up on the NES first but was at the pinnacle of the 16-bit era when most had only one console and had to choose a side between Nintendo vs SEGA. I was still interested into consoles up until the 6th gen (PS2) era. By Xbox 360/PS3 era, alot of franchises lost their exclusiveness from a specific console. Of course I will always be a PlayStation fan just because I could play Uncharted or God of War series which weren't found on the Xbox 360. This applies to folks who love Nintendo exclusives as well.

Things like iTunes, iCloud, or iMessages are exclusives for Apple. If you can live without them, then move on. If you have even the smallest doubt you can't, you might better off not to make the move. Eliminate the maybes and either you do it or you don't. I know iMessages is a big deal for people here. That, and many folks do use a Mac which works better with an iOS device. It really is up to the poster how dependent you really are with some of Apple's exclusives. I never got into iMessages. To text, I use Google Voice in the US. And I use the regular prepaid offer (less than 20 cents) to unlimited text for 3 days in the Philippines for people in the same network. For MMS, I use Viber.

 

[lowendlinux]

If you like iOS or have a lot of paid for apps just get an iPhone.

 

[Phil A.]

I've had iPhones and various Android phones over the years, but have decided to stick with iPhones now (I still use Android tablets as well as an iPad though).
The main reasons are the tight integration with OS X (iCloud photos, handoff, etc), Apple Pay (if it ever arrives in the UK) and the Apple Watch.
Another big reason is the release cycle - when I was using Android I was forever tempted by the latest and greatest phones which seemed to come out about 4 times a year, whereas with the iPhone it's only once a year

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

True, but a relationship can be like IOS, lots of compromises and restrictions

That is true if the person is difficult to begin with! lol

 

[Mildredop]

Do what you want. Do what you fancy. Do whatever.

It's a phone. It's not important. It's not a life-changing decision.

Try something different. Don't like it? The iPhone will still be there to go back to.

 

[MRU]

Do what you want. Do what you fancy. Do whatever.

It's a phone. It's not important. It's not a life-changing decision.

Try something different. Don't like it? The iPhone will still be there to go back to.

Exactly. It's a phone - it's not a life changing moment ....

 

[rockitdog]

My friends call me a (cell phone) train wreck. In the past few years I've had the iPhone 5, 5s & 6. Also the Galaxy SIII, IV V and HTC One M7 and and nexus 5 and Moto X thrown in for fun...

I really enjoy the flexibility that Android provides but I seemingly always comes back to me missing the stability and simplicity that iOS brings. I had been using the Galaxy S5 w/ lollipop for the past month and have hated all of the new notification changes. Android 5.0 is a nightmare for me, so much so that I went and got myself a shiny new iPhone 6 yesterday and I couldn't be happier.

I'm not one to root and run custom ROMs. I just want a phone to work and work well for more than a year. Every Android I ever used eventually succumbed to performance issues and that gets old. I know an iPhone will also slow down but I know that it will receive timely updates and work well for 2 years.

 

[Sensamic]

Do what you want. Do what you fancy. Do whatever.

It's a phone. It's not important. It's not a life-changing decision.

Try something different. Don't like it? The iPhone will still be there to go back to.

Agreed.