Phones So I bought an iPhone... meh...

[Cycling Asia]

I’ve been looking at getting back into Apple’s products because I’ve been seeing a lot of places which are interested in knowledge and experience with them. So, yesterday, I took the plunge and bought an iPhone 11.

Color me unimpressed. I mean, it looks nice and there are certain aspects of the UI which are cool, but everything seems so limited and it feels like I put on a pair of handcuffs. It’s not even a matter of me being heavily invested in Google’s ecosystem: all I have had is an Android-running phone. However, I’ve had to graft onto it Google’s apps (and it feels very much grafted on) and then of course you cannot just take the phone and plug it into any computer to add or remove files.

Apple’s apps are cool, and I guess I can see how if someone is really into doing a lot of multimedia production work, they would be cool to use, but is that all Apple’s much ballyhooed ecosystem is about?

I had gotten it thinking it would be a good idea to have the hardware so I could become familiar with it and claim the relevant expertise on my resume, but who seriously needs to own one of these things just for that, unless you’re literally staring at zero and know nothing about smart phones and other modern mobile devices?

Anyhow, I’m taking this back to Apple today. My Moto G Power is eminently more useful than this thing is.

I've just done the opposite. After 9 years of being in the Apple ecosystem, I was in need of a new phone. As I was running a Series 0 Apple Watch with an iPhone 6+, any phone update would have required a watch update as well (This is how Apple gets you). So, I've ditched the watch and replaced it with a $50 AUD Chinese dumb "smart watch" (which does give me notifications) and the iPhone has been replaced with a $290 AUD Vivo y20s.

I spent the first two days looking at different launchers. I was like a kid in a candy store. I eventually landed on lawnchair launcher (which is an open source launcher). Android is the freedom that iPhone jailbreakers are searching for.

I can attest that moving away from iPhone is like having the cuffs removed. I feel like my phone is mine again.

 

[The Game 161]

My Wife uses JBL earbuds as well and they work just fine with her iPad. Mess with BT settings for what?

Im talking about Earbuds and why everyone thinks they need Apple Airpods. The design for me is reason alone not to buy those. Dont stay in the ears well and they look lame imo. Stem headphones are 2010. When they first came out and i saw them i was like, why the hec did they use that style? New and improvd came out, same dated look.

I know many will say its the best design, works the best,.....yada,yada,yada,but just watch. When they finally redesign them to modernize them, it will be the greatest upgrade ever,....as usual.

Mess with bt settings as it doesn't just start playing with air pods it just works

Put in your air pods and you want to listen via apple watch? Fine works straight away. Using your iPhone? Air pods will work via your phone. Using your ipad? It will work straight away same with mac book. Nothing works like that on any other headphones

As for design? For me it's fine and they are very comfortable more so than any other ear Buds I've ever used. Certainly more comfortable than the galaxy Buds live for one

Whether you like the design or not it's an ironic design that people know what they are straight away. You see them everywhere and sell in massive amount for a reason

 

[Vegastouch]

Mess with bt settings as it doesn't just start playing with air pods it just works

Put in your air pods and you want to listen via apple watch? Fine works straight away. Using your iPhone? Air pods will work via your phone. Using your ipad? It will work straight away same with mac book. Nothing works like that on any other headphones

As for design? For me it's fine and they are very comfortable more so than any other ear Buds I've ever used. Certainly more comfortable than the galaxy Buds live for one

Whether you like the design or not it's an ironic design that people know what they are straight away. You see them everywhere and sell in massive amount for a reason

That reason is imo that those who have Apple assume they need to buy Apple earbuds and don't try anything else. Nobody I know that has a iPhone uses another brand of earbuds which I find odd.

One time a co worker and i were talking and his airpod fell to the ground from his ear and he said "these new ones fall out all the time" as he picked it up a bit irritated.
Think I'd try something else if that was a problem but......people just stick with Apple buds. I don't know, I assume they feel they have to.

As for working with other devices, the ones I use work with my other devices so I'm not sure what you mean there unless you are saying you don't have to turn off BT on other devices but don't know.
I only use my buds on my phone and Tablet. I don't have a watch or a laptop.
Someday I'll likely get a Surface Pro but it isn't something i need.

In any case I don't have a problem using earbuds on things. You act like it is work to use something else and it isn't.
I've never tried any Samsung wireless earbuds so can't comment on those.

Again, I don't feel I need to have same brand headphones and buds as my devices. There are better ones out there.
I don't know, maybe it's Apple having only their stuff work well with each other which imo a reason I wouldnt buy Apple products. I cant stand the earbuds that hang down with a stem. Hated the wired ones that did that which came with the phones.

Freedom to use other things is a big deal to me and other brands make that happen.
I have about 4 other type of headsets (in ear and over ear)synced to my Pixel and 5 year old Samsung tablet and whichever I use they connect within 2 seconds. But yes sometimes i have to turn off BT one one device for it to connect to the other. That effort takes about 3 seconds which may be the devices.

How would you know other buds won't work with Apple devices like airpods do if you never try them?

 

[The Game 161]

That reason is imo that those who have Apple assume they need to buy Apple earbuds and don't try anything else. Nobody I know that has a iPhone uses another brand of earbuds which I find odd.

One time a co worker and i were talking and his airpod fell to the ground from his ear and he said "these new ones fall out all the time" as he picked it up a bit irritated.
Think I'd try something else if that was a problem but......people just stick with Apple buds. I don't know, I assume they feel they have to.

As for working with other devices, the ones I use work with my other devices so I'm not sure what you mean there unless you are saying you don't have to turn off BT on other devices but don't know.
I only use my buds on my phone and Tablet. I don't have a watch or a laptop.
Someday I'll likely get a Surface Pro but it isn't something i need.

In any case I don't have a problem using earbuds on things. You act like it is work to use something else and it isn't.
I've never tried any Samsung wireless earbuds so can't comment on those.

Again, I don't feel I need to have same brand headphones and buds as my devices. There are better ones out there.

Air pods are simply more convenient for most apple users and normally if they have multiple apple devices it makes the most sense.

I'm terms of other devices yes I mean if you have your air pods in you pick up your iPhone it will work through your phone or if you decide to watch YouTube from your ipad it will work with no need to change it in settings it just works with no hassles. Just is seamless with your devices which isn't the case with other headphones.

I have xm3 and each time on my fold 2 there are times where I need to contact them

Galaxy Buds live will work if I last used them on my fold 2 but if I pick up the tab s7 plus I need to go into the settings to connect them which granted isn't a massive deal it is annoying when air pods do this straight away

 

[jdlindsey7]

Air pods are simply more convenient for most apple users and normally if they have multiple apple devices it makes the most sense.

I'm terms of other devices yes I mean if you have your air pods in you pick up your iPhone it will work through your phone or if you decide to watch YouTube from your ipad it will work with no need to change it in settings it just works with no hassles. Just is seamless with your devices which isn't the case with other headphones.

I have xm3 and each time on my fold 2 there are times where I need to contact them

Galaxy Buds live will work if I last used them on my fold 2 but if I pick up the tab s7 plus I need to go into the settings to connect them which granted isn't a massive deal it is annoying when air pods do this straight away

I like the AirPods but my experience is completely different from yours. Standard bluetooth headphones seem to connect and change connections a ton easier than my AirPods. The AirPods often stick to the device they last connected to and sometimes refuse to make a new connection.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Over the past decade plus, I've had a lot of smartphones, 20 or so different phones. Mostly Nexus and Pixel phones, as well as a mix of flagship Samsung and HTC phones.

And 3 different iPhones.

My last iPhone, the 7 Plus, I kept maybe 3 months, before running back to a Nexus 6P at the time. Maybe iOS has radically changed since that iOS9, bit I recall it feeling extremely dated and old, the UI felt like some kids Fisher-Price toy phone.

I know Google phones have their issues, for sure, but there's something special about stock Android I prefer, hard to explain, but a Pixel or even OnePlus phone just operate so much better in my opinion, and iOS still looks and feels very outdated.

And do people really make a big deal about iMessage still? It's just a text app, nothing more. Get WhatsApp and that covers almost everything you need, as well as Google Messages for standard texts. FaceTime, use Google Duo instead or WhatsApp video calls.

Gesture navigation, Apple was first to introduce it, I tried it in some family members phones, and found it strange. Then stock Android changed and added gesture navigation system, and I hated it, I rebelled fur a good year still using the old school 3 buttons, but this year I gave in, and have accepted it and now like it. Anyways, I went to Best Buy last week,to play with a 12 Pro, and holy cow, the Apple gesture system blows compared to Android's, in my opinion. Ok maybe it's not night and day difference, but Android's gestures just feel more fluid and easier to control the phone.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

My last iPhone, the 7 Plus, I kept maybe 3 months, before running back to a Nexus 6P at the time. Maybe iOS has radically changed since that iOS9, bit I recall it feeling extremely dated and old, the UI felt like some kids Fisher-Price toy phone.

iOS has come a loooong way since iOS 9. I would say 12 was where it really came into its current maturity as that was mostly refinements and code cleanup. 13 was a mess and 14 has been mostly decent but honestly the hardware has been the shining star IMO. Last year's 11 Pro and the 12 Pro this year are truly amazing devices and despite the usual gripes around the iPhone forum I think Apple has done a really great job adding long-requested features in a way that doesn't feel rushed. I agree, iOS 9 was pretty terrible looking (like 8 and 7 before it) but it somehow feels less "pastel-y" and childish these days.

I know Google phones have their issues, for sure, but there's something special about stock Android I prefer, hard to explain, but a Pixel or even OnePlus phone just operate so much better in my opinion, and iOS still looks and feels very outdated.

I used a Pixel for a while and likely would have stuck with it were it not for my Apple Watch addiction. iMessage was also a factor, though not as prominent. My sister and her husband are die-hard Android, her only because of his very vocal hatred of iPhones (the last one he used was a 3G). I think Google had a very good thing with the Pixel line but I feel like they've kind of slipped into Apple's old shoes where they're holding back more while increasing prices.

And do people really make a big deal about iMessage still? It's just a text app, nothing more. Get WhatsApp and that covers almost everything you need, as well as Google Messages for standard texts. FaceTime, use Google Duo instead or WhatsApp video calls.

I love iMessage. For one on one conversations or groups with all iPhones, the features are a lot of fun. I think it's absolute crap that I have to ask people to email me photos and videos because iOS compresses the everliving **** out of anything that's sent in a group chat if there's any non-iOS devices included but it's something I've learned to live with.

Anyways, I went to Best Buy last week,to play with a 12 Pro, and holy cow, the Apple gesture system blows compared to Android's, in my opinion. Ok maybe it's not night and day difference, but Android's gestures just feel more fluid and easier to control the phone.

I'm curious about this part. What does Android do differently concerning gestures? What didn't you like about the current system on iOS? I haven't used an Android since the Galaxy S5 so I'm a bit out of the loop.

 

[Vegastouch]

Knowlege Bomb:

iOS has come a loooong way since iOS 9. I would say 12 was where it really came into its current maturity as that was mostly refinements and code cleanup. 13 was a mess and 14 has been mostly decent but honestly the hardware has been the shining star IMO. Last year's 11 Pro and the 12 Pro this year are truly amazing devices and despite the usual gripes around the iPhone forum I think Apple has done a really great job adding long-requested features in a way that doesn't feel rushed. I agree, iOS 9 was pretty terrible looking (like 8 and 7 before it) but it somehow feels less "pastel-y" and childish these days.

I havent had a iPhone for 10 years because everytime i mildly consider one, im reminded of what they are missing. Those long requested features you say dont seem rushed, still arent as good as Android is and ive seen iPhone users say that the newest features of being able to customise screens still arent near as good as Android is while having years to figure it out. Takes many more steps to accomplish something and the icons are still huge and as far as i know, there still isnt any icon packs to be able to change them.

I dont really care about hardware. Im fine with plastic and prefer that to a glass back. Less to worry about breaking, they weigh less and i have a case on my phones anyways so having aluminum or glass on the back wont be seen anyways, so hardware isnt even a thought for me.

I used a Pixel for a while and likely would have stuck with it were it not for my Apple Watch addiction. iMessage was also a factor, though not as prominent. My sister and her husband are die-hard Android, her only because of his very vocal hatred of iPhones (the last one he used was a 3G). I think Google had a very good thing with the Pixel line but I feel like they've kind of slipped into Apple's old shoes where they're holding back more while increasing prices.

Um, the prices have come way down on them so not sure what you mean or you havent been following. The Pixels have become mid spec range but thats what they were when the Google phones first came out as Nexus devices. They were more developer phones and were cheap to buy. My Pixel 4a was $350 and as i consider a 4a 5G later, right now they are $499 before any holliday discounts.
Something Apple doesnt do and when they do, you may save $50.....which since you have to buy your own charger now, isnt a discount at all imo.

Ill add i was NOT a big fan of Nexus or Pixel before. I had a Nexus 5 and it just was lackluster for me and stock Android was boring and missing things i liked that Samsung added but since ive had the P4a, it has come a long ways even as a mid range device. Some added features are great now with split screen, screen recording and especially call screening being a big one that i like a lot. To name a few.

 

[cuzo]

Over the past decade plus, I've had a lot of smartphones, 20 or so different phones. Mostly Nexus and Pixel phones, as well as a mix of flagship Samsung and HTC phones.

And 3 different iPhones.

My last iPhone, the 7 Plus, I kept maybe 3 months, before running back to a Nexus 6P at the time. Maybe iOS has radically changed since that iOS9, bit I recall it feeling extremely dated and old, the UI felt like some kids Fisher-Price toy phone.

I know Google phones have their issues, for sure, but there's something special about stock Android I prefer, hard to explain, but a Pixel or even OnePlus phone just operate so much better in my opinion, and iOS still looks and feels very outdated.

And do people really make a big deal about iMessage still? It's just a text app, nothing more. Get WhatsApp and that covers almost everything you need, as well as Google Messages for standard texts. FaceTime, use Google Duo instead or WhatsApp video calls.

Gesture navigation, Apple was first to introduce it, I tried it in some family members phones, and found it strange. Then stock Android changed and added gesture navigation system, and I hated it, I rebelled fur a good year still using the old school 3 buttons, but this year I gave in, and have accepted it and now like it. Anyways, I went to Best Buy last week,to play with a 12 Pro, and holy cow, the Apple gesture system blows compared to Android's, in my opinion. Ok maybe it's not night and day difference, but Android's gestures just feel more fluid and easier to control the phone.

I can agree on most of what you said except gestures and if you could elaborate that would be nice. Swipe forward, swipe back, all the same.

I haven't had a android phone since last year so I've been using this iphone 11 pro max. I do notice that at times swiping doesn't work and I need to reach to the top to click back which I hate.

I agree about imessage in a since but the read receipts and the ability to send through wifi with no data is still something that could be handy in case something came up.

I will say what I get upset about is the weird sizes of the iphone, the max is just too big and the pro IMO is too small. I used a s20+ and I found it lighter and taller but just as much screen space.

I realize it will never be a perfect phone, Iphone keeps the width on the device but the weight goes with that while android is more candy bar sized, tall and less width which makes typing more cramped.

BUT

Do you really wanna type out a essay on a phone anyways? I think about that all the time and I was thinking about carrying a small tablet in a bag when I go out, in case I have to do something on the street I could find some free wifi and send a email or whatever on the go.

I guess phones IMO will always be communication devices first, not mean to replace tablets or computers.

 

[ian87w]

I love iMessage. For one on one conversations or groups with all iPhones, the features are a lot of fun. I think it's absolute crap that I have to ask people to email me photos and videos because iOS compresses the everliving **** out of anything that's sent in a group chat if there's any non-iOS devices included but it's something I've learned to live with.

That’s not iOS’ fault. Blame it on the old MMS standard that iMessage has to conform to.

For mixed groups, it’s easier to just create a shared folder in Google Photo, upload the media there, and share the link with the group. Unfortunately other chat platforms like WhatsApp also resize photos to basic low res. You have to send the photo as a file to maintain the original file. The Google Photos option is easier. Not sure if iCloud has a similar feature, but you may want to check.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

That’s not iOS’ fault. Blame it on the old MMS standard that iMessage has to conform to.

For mixed groups, it’s easier to just create a shared folder in Google Photo, upload the media there, and share the link with the group. Unfortunately other chat platforms like WhatsApp also resize photos to basic low res. You have to send the photo as a file to maintain the original file. The Google Photos option is easier. Not sure if iCloud has a similar feature, but you may want to check.

Yeah there’s iCloud photo sharing which is similar in function. Convincing the non-techy folk to drop them there is the hard part.

 

[nickdalzell1]

I'm a bit the same way but it was Android for me during the time that made me go 'meh'

Up until 2009, I was using a Nokia 5185i. I had zero need for a smartphone and thought the iPhone was Newton 2.0 and destined to fail. In my limited mind back in '09, I asked 'why on earth should something as simple as a cell phone become a computer? it just overengineers things!' It made zero sense to me at that time to do email on a 3.5" screen.

But then I found out the hard way that batteries aren't made forever, and once Nokia stopped making batteries for at the time a decade-old phone, they eventually fail. I had started a new job then, and needed to do field service calls and relied on that phone (which admittedly got a far superior signal compared to GSM phones and none of that 'GSM buzz' that was common at the time affected me) and eventually the battery would die a few minutes into a call, which eventually became 1 minute, and then seconds. I kept it plugged into my truck then 24/7 but it wouldn't/couldn't do the job anymore. Boss handed me his 1 year old iPhone 3GS in 2010, he had just upgraded to a new iPhone 4, and he basically said 'ditch the old phone or you're fired' and I reluctantly was introduced to smartphones for the first time in my life.

It amazed me. It was fast, fluid, the skeuomorphic UI literally turned what was otherwise a lifeless hunk of glass and back plastic to whatever I needed it to be, and I do mean literally. Open up the internet radio app, it actually looked like an old FM radio, with 'LCD' display, and tuning 'knobs'. Open up Notes, it was a literal notepad, complete with torn paper animation when 'deleting' a note. It was amazing.

Around 2011, I had just gotten an iPhone 4S, got introduced to Siri, had an iPad, and my first iPod touch. I was so Apple-addicted I couldn't help myself. Battery life was days, not minutes anymore. Nothing could be better, so in 2012, I got a MacBook Pro, with OS X Mountain Lion. Even more fun.

But being a tech geek, I had to know what this 'Android' was all about. Where I lived, everyone used iPhones, but occasionally I'd spot some bearded guy (like hippy type) with a 'rooted' Archos Android tablet, and it was doing some amazing things of its own. It had a stylus integrated, stereo speakers on the bezel, and he had it running Linux of all things. Best I could do was well, play low quality Youtube videos, not run full desktop apps on my iPad.

So I tried Android. All the 'affordable' handsets sadly only ran ancient versions such as Android 2.3 Gingerbread or earlier, and the experience was horrible. It was stuttery, apps always crashed (I had never experienced a single crash on an iPhone) and often rebooted itself when it'd inevitably freeze. I started seeing Android as horrible, and a lousy attempt to cop iOS. I wrote it off, but couldn't stop messing with it. Devices were cheap, and easy to hack, and custom ROMs started to peak, the most notable and one of my personal favorites was CyanogenMod 7.1, which was based on 2.3 Gingerbread, but was offering customization well beyond the norm, including full on themes that not just changed the icons or the launcher, but the entire apps. Want chrome? as in actual skeuo chrome? there's a 'chrome' theme that made every slider, or app button into chrome, not just built-in apps, but most third party apps. Want coverflow? you can skin the AOSP music player to mimic it. It also could do overclocking, split screen, the works. To this day I still miss that level of customization and most modern ROMs are not even close to that. Most just update the version of Android beyond what's last supported on your phone or tablet but not much else. Things like Xposed modules no longer exist, and Google SafetyNet made rooting into a chore.

Still, Android performed like crap compared with iOS, especially the scrolling, and I could never look past that. It irked me too much to stand it. I often used that alone as a red mark against Android and why it'd never be my main daily driver. Also, what little skeuo stock Android could do was nowhere near as detailed or fun as what iOS was doing up to version 6. I've witnessed Android app updates changing things and rearranging stuff too often where one needs to relearn the app every time. Drove me batty. When Google updated Youtube to work with the holo design of Android 4.x, they broke tablet UI, and there were now three options and guessing which one did settings, was a chore. Is it the hamburger menu? the gear icon? the ellipsis? Why, Google, why not a simple menu that pops out with the menu button? Oh? the menu button is deprecated? why? what good does making redundant options and making us hunt for which does 'settings,' a simple task, accomplish?

Well, I took comfort that Apple always improved apps, added more details, and more features with updates, not turn the OS into a chore, or rearrange things needlessly. So I always left auto-update on, and until iOS 7, that worked. When iOS 7 self-installed to my iPhone 4S, and iPad 3, What I woke up to made me wonder if something went horribly wrong or it was in some sort of 'safe mode' because it didn't look right. I searched, and posted on iMore, which was another Mac/Apple forum, and was basically told 'this is the new way' and 'get used to it' along with 'you will be irritated but it will grow on you one day'

Yeah, like a wart. I HATED it. whatever was fun about iOS, what differentiated it from Android was that detail and it was now gone! Why, Apple?! Did you hire some Google UI designer or have they infiltrated Apple?

Angry, and still not happy with having to go to Android, I did a massive phone search. I finally saw Samsung Galaxy devices up close, and they were doing skeuo in a way similar to the old Apple, and showed no signs of changing (but after iOS 7, I figured Samsung would one day go the same direction so my plan was to disable software updates this time) and I left with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, and a Galaxy SIII.

I was even happier with those, not only for doing realistic skeuomorphism, but also adding in cues and sounds from nature on top. the phone was really nice in the hand, and the UI design combined two things I adored, skeuomorphism along with nature. I enjoy walks in the forests and visit deer parks often and it just fit me perfectly. I used Samsung's apps having known how often Google changes things unnecessarily, and found out they fit the UI perfectly, and work as I felt they should, and were pretty darn smooth. The phone felt more like an iPhone in performance than one of those half-garbage ZTE phones I played around on running version 2.3.

So I had finally converted to Android. and for 6 years I was happy and amassed recently a slew of other older Samsung devices and have still preferred Nature UX, as it was perfect for me. Occasionally I'll experiment with Apple as I once did Android, and have a current MacBook Pro, and a few Apple TVs, a newer iPad, and an iPod touch. While it's nowhere near the fun of the days of my 3GS, they work well. I was deep in Apple's ecosystem and my 6 years with Android have now made them so similar I don't feel like anything's missing going from one to another.

I still have problems trying out most modern devices outside my Apple devices, and my iPhone eventually decided it won't send SMS anymore, no matter what. It just outright refuses. My girlfriend uses Android and so I can't use iMessage. I prefer SMS over it anyway, since I've become familiar with those old Chat programs of yore and it reminds me of AIM or MSN Messenger, and having experienced Facebook Messenger's 'features' such as 'delivered, seen, user is typing' and getting confused (as in my girlfriend would be 'typing' but nothing came in, so I assumed she was faking me out, or ignoring me, and sometimes my messages would show 'send' but never 'seen' and it made for some rather rough problems) I preferred SMS just saying 'sent' and waiting for a response. All the rest of those 'features' are confusing clutter. unnecessary. I never group text anyway.

So I'm using a mixture of devices, some old, some new. I have finally found a modern smartphone that fits my pocket and has a comfortable UI design, despite it having a 6.2" display. The LG Stylo 5. It's like a Galaxy Note but not long like a remote control or too wide for my hands. The rear mounted fingerprint sensor can wake and unlock the screen in a tap, avoiding the fingerprint smudges I hate so much (a nice feature given that voice wakeup has been gone from smartphones since the Galaxy S4). I also have a couple of newer Samsung tablets but my times with Android 10 are not good times. Android 10 or at least Samsung's take on it is total dumbing down, and full of nagware designed for the stupid. 'This app has your location' DUH! it's the freaking navigation app! 'this notification can't be turned off' why?! Why must I be pestered about this?! 'This app was shut down to save power' oh? so now I can't listen to music while browsing the web?! Funny, my old SIII can handle that just fine!

"One UI" to me is total garbage. Worse than iOS 7, and Samsung has really ruined the experience. So I guess LG is where it's at now. I still got my old Samsung stuff but one day keeping them alive is going to be a chore, and 3G is dying, and VoLTE is becoming mandated soon, so like it or not, their days are numbered (wifi-tablets being exceptions until the browser is eventually unable to pull up websites) so the LG Stylo is currently the only newer phone I like at the moment. Flat UI still, but at least it's not looking like a Fisher-Price toy. It's got a nice wallpaper, and the icons match it, and offers themes. The UI feels like a modern take on classic Samsung software, and features gone from the later Samsung UI, such as lockscreen shortcuts (as in five, not just two), as well as pop-up window apps (Qslide), and the UI itself are still present, and aren't dumbed down. It can multitask and works perfectly. Running Android 9.0 it feels more like the G3 running KitKat, since the Pie stuff is well-hidden, the clock is on the right, the notifications area can show more than 4 icons, and the app switcher is the older one. Got some nice naturey sounds as well, and it isn't blinding me. Gestures are not forced and if you enable them, they make far more sense than the ones in Android 10.

Most modern devices feel 'meh' to me but it's not Apple or Android, it's all of them. Very few check all my boxes (headphone jack, notification LED, a UI that doesn't treat me like an idiot or look intended for children, etc) but it's not a single OEM I'm married to this day and age. I go with whomever fits my needs/wants in a device.

 

[michael9891]

I'm a bit the same way but it was Android for me during the time that made me go 'meh'

Up until 2009, I was using a Nokia 5185i. I had zero need for a smartphone and thought the iPhone was Newton 2.0 and destined to fail. In my limited mind back in '09, I asked 'why on earth should something as simple as a cell phone become a computer? it just overengineers things!' It made zero sense to me at that time to do email on a 3.5" screen.

But then I found out the hard way that batteries aren't made forever, and once Nokia stopped making batteries for at the time a decade-old phone, they eventually fail. I had started a new job then, and needed to do field service calls and relied on that phone (which admittedly got a far superior signal compared to GSM phones and none of that 'GSM buzz' that was common at the time affected me) and eventually the battery would die a few minutes into a call, which eventually became 1 minute, and then seconds. I kept it plugged into my truck then 24/7 but it wouldn't/couldn't do the job anymore. Boss handed me his 1 year old iPhone 3GS in 2010, he had just upgraded to a new iPhone 4, and he basically said 'ditch the old phone or you're fired' and I reluctantly was introduced to smartphones for the first time in my life.

It amazed me. It was fast, fluid, the skeuomorphic UI literally turned what was otherwise a lifeless hunk of glass and back plastic to whatever I needed it to be, and I do mean literally. Open up the internet radio app, it actually looked like an old FM radio, with 'LCD' display, and tuning 'knobs'. Open up Notes, it was a literal notepad, complete with torn paper animation when 'deleting' a note. It was amazing.

Around 2011, I had just gotten an iPhone 4S, got introduced to Siri, had an iPad, and my first iPod touch. I was so Apple-addicted I couldn't help myself. Battery life was days, not minutes anymore. Nothing could be better, so in 2012, I got a MacBook Pro, with OS X Mountain Lion. Even more fun.

But being a tech geek, I had to know what this 'Android' was all about. Where I lived, everyone used iPhones, but occasionally I'd spot some bearded guy (like hippy type) with a 'rooted' Archos Android tablet, and it was doing some amazing things of its own. It had a stylus integrated, stereo speakers on the bezel, and he had it running Linux of all things. Best I could do was well, play low quality Youtube videos, not run full desktop apps on my iPad.

So I tried Android. All the 'affordable' handsets sadly only ran ancient versions such as Android 2.3 Gingerbread or earlier, and the experience was horrible. It was stuttery, apps always crashed (I had never experienced a single crash on an iPhone) and often rebooted itself when it'd inevitably freeze. I started seeing Android as horrible, and a lousy attempt to cop iOS. I wrote it off, but couldn't stop messing with it. Devices were cheap, and easy to hack, and custom ROMs started to peak, the most notable and one of my personal favorites was CyanogenMod 7.1, which was based on 2.3 Gingerbread, but was offering customization well beyond the norm, including full on themes that not just changed the icons or the launcher, but the entire apps. Want chrome? as in actual skeuo chrome? there's a 'chrome' theme that made every slider, or app button into chrome, not just built-in apps, but most third party apps. Want coverflow? you can skin the AOSP music player to mimic it. It also could do overclocking, split screen, the works. To this day I still miss that level of customization and most modern ROMs are not even close to that. Most just update the version of Android beyond what's last supported on your phone or tablet but not much else. Things like Xposed modules no longer exist, and Google SafetyNet made rooting into a chore.

Still, Android performed like crap compared with iOS, especially the scrolling, and I could never look past that. It irked me too much to stand it. I often used that alone as a red mark against Android and why it'd never be my main daily driver. Also, what little skeuo stock Android could do was nowhere near as detailed or fun as what iOS was doing up to version 6. I've witnessed Android app updates changing things and rearranging stuff too often where one needs to relearn the app every time. Drove me batty. When Google updated Youtube to work with the holo design of Android 4.x, they broke tablet UI, and there were now three options and guessing which one did settings, was a chore. Is it the hamburger menu? the gear icon? the ellipsis? Why, Google, why not a simple menu that pops out with the menu button? Oh? the menu button is deprecated? why? what good does making redundant options and making us hunt for which does 'settings,' a simple task, accomplish?

Well, I took comfort that Apple always improved apps, added more details, and more features with updates, not turn the OS into a chore, or rearrange things needlessly. So I always left auto-update on, and until iOS 7, that worked. When iOS 7 self-installed to my iPhone 4S, and iPad 3, What I woke up to made me wonder if something went horribly wrong or it was in some sort of 'safe mode' because it didn't look right. I searched, and posted on iMore, which was another Mac/Apple forum, and was basically told 'this is the new way' and 'get used to it' along with 'you will be irritated but it will grow on you one day'

Yeah, like a wart. I HATED it. whatever was fun about iOS, what differentiated it from Android was that detail and it was now gone! Why, Apple?! Did you hire some Google UI designer or have they infiltrated Apple?

Angry, and still not happy with having to go to Android, I did a massive phone search. I finally saw Samsung Galaxy devices up close, and they were doing skeuo in a way similar to the old Apple, and showed no signs of changing (but after iOS 7, I figured Samsung would one day go the same direction so my plan was to disable software updates this time) and I left with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, and a Galaxy SIII.

I was even happier with those, not only for doing realistic skeuomorphism, but also adding in cues and sounds from nature on top. the phone was really nice in the hand, and the UI design combined two things I adored, skeuomorphism along with nature. I enjoy walks in the forests and visit deer parks often and it just fit me perfectly. I used Samsung's apps having known how often Google changes things unnecessarily, and found out they fit the UI perfectly, and work as I felt they should, and were pretty darn smooth. The phone felt more like an iPhone in performance than one of those half-garbage ZTE phones I played around on running version 2.3.

So I had finally converted to Android. and for 6 years I was happy and amassed recently a slew of other older Samsung devices and have still preferred Nature UX, as it was perfect for me. Occasionally I'll experiment with Apple as I once did Android, and have a current MacBook Pro, and a few Apple TVs, a newer iPad, and an iPod touch. While it's nowhere near the fun of the days of my 3GS, they work well. I was deep in Apple's ecosystem and my 6 years with Android have now made them so similar I don't feel like anything's missing going from one to another.

I still have problems trying out most modern devices outside my Apple devices, and my iPhone eventually decided it won't send SMS anymore, no matter what. It just outright refuses. My girlfriend uses Android and so I can't use iMessage. I prefer SMS over it anyway, since I've become familiar with those old Chat programs of yore and it reminds me of AIM or MSN Messenger, and having experienced Facebook Messenger's 'features' such as 'delivered, seen, user is typing' and getting confused (as in my girlfriend would be 'typing' but nothing came in, so I assumed she was faking me out, or ignoring me, and sometimes my messages would show 'send' but never 'seen' and it made for some rather rough problems) I preferred SMS just saying 'sent' and waiting for a response. All the rest of those 'features' are confusing clutter. unnecessary. I never group text anyway.

So I'm using a mixture of devices, some old, some new. I have finally found a modern smartphone that fits my pocket and has a comfortable UI design, despite it having a 6.2" display. The LG Stylo 5. It's like a Galaxy Note but not long like a remote control or too wide for my hands. The rear mounted fingerprint sensor can wake and unlock the screen in a tap, avoiding the fingerprint smudges I hate so much (a nice feature given that voice wakeup has been gone from smartphones since the Galaxy S4). I also have a couple of newer Samsung tablets but my times with Android 10 are not good times. Android 10 or at least Samsung's take on it is total dumbing down, and full of nagware designed for the stupid. 'This app has your location' DUH! it's the freaking navigation app! 'this notification can't be turned off' why?! Why must I be pestered about this?! 'This app was shut down to save power' oh? so now I can't listen to music while browsing the web?! Funny, my old SIII can handle that just fine!

"One UI" to me is total garbage. Worse than iOS 7, and Samsung has really ruined the experience. So I guess LG is where it's at now. I still got my old Samsung stuff but one day keeping them alive is going to be a chore, and 3G is dying, and VoLTE is becoming mandated soon, so like it or not, their days are numbered (wifi-tablets being exceptions until the browser is eventually unable to pull up websites) so the LG Stylo is currently the only newer phone I like at the moment. Flat UI still, but at least it's not looking like a Fisher-Price toy. It's got a nice wallpaper, and the icons match it, and offers themes. The UI feels like a modern take on classic Samsung software, and features gone from the later Samsung UI, such as lockscreen shortcuts (as in five, not just two), as well as pop-up window apps (Qslide), and the UI itself are still present, and aren't dumbed down. It can multitask and works perfectly. Running Android 9.0 it feels more like the G3 running KitKat, since the Pie stuff is well-hidden, the clock is on the right, the notifications area can show more than 4 icons, and the app switcher is the older one. Got some nice naturey sounds as well, and it isn't blinding me. Gestures are not forced and if you enable them, they make far more sense than the ones in Android 10.

Most modern devices feel 'meh' to me but it's not Apple or Android, it's all of them. Very few check all my boxes (headphone jack, notification LED, a UI that doesn't treat me like an idiot or look intended for children, etc) but it's not a single OEM I'm married to this day and age. I go with whomever fits my needs/wants in a device.

I thought this thread was about someone who bought an iPhone and wasn't impressed. I didn't realise people were posting their autobiographies. From the quick scan, I'm amazed flat UI wasn't mentioned.

 

[nickdalzell1]

I was the type who bought an Android phone and wasn't impressed. Now it doesn't matter which you choose, they're both so close and alike, they're both boring and 'meh'. Not too often I can even get something new I can like these days.

Everything today is pretty 'meh'. homogenized, dumbed down, mainstream. Oh, and I did mention Flat UI design about three times at least. Still not a fan, and hoping it's not forever.

 

[michael9891]

Everything today is pretty 'meh'. homogenized, dumbed down, mainstream. Oh, and I did mention Flat UI design about three times at least. Still not a fan, and hoping it's not forever.

As opposed to the "good old days" of the 3GS and all it was capable of. You sure like to complain a lot.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I like the AirPods but my experience is completely different from yours. Standard bluetooth headphones seem to connect and change connections a ton easier than my AirPods. The AirPods often stick to the device they last connected to and sometimes refuse to make a new connection.

This is my experience with the AirPods Pro. The Airpods (2 Gen) is actually fluid across my Apple devices. Don't know why the Pros are so finicky doing the same.

 

[nickdalzell1]

As opposed to the "good old days" of the 3GS and all it was capable of. You sure like to complain a lot.

And you seem to be unaware of the 'ignore' feature. If you don't like my posts put me on ignore and move on.

Is it that wrong to prefer the depth of iOS 6 over the pastely garbage LeapPad interface of today? I honestly can't imagine why we're pulling an 80s interface design on the screen tech we have today. It's such a regression. Flat UI has had more than 8 years. if Skeuo was old after 6, why isn't flat 'dated' to everyone by now?

 

[michael9891]

And you seem to be unaware of the 'ignore' feature. If you don't like my posts put me on ignore and move on.

Is it that wrong to prefer the depth of iOS 6 over the pastely garbage LeapPad interface of today? I honestly can't imagine why we're pulling an 80s interface design on the screen tech we have today. It's such a regression. Flat UI has had more than 8 years. if Skeuo was old after 6, why isn't flat 'dated' to everyone by now?

If you have the right to post the same complaints in excruciating detail over and over in multiple threads, I've got the right to have my say. You'd be hard pushed to find a member on here who doesn't know about your hate for modern phones that are all "bricks with a garbage flat UI".

 

[Zaft]

I feel like android users are more interested about why people have iPhones then actually using three android phones.

 

[lordhamster]

I’ve been looking at getting back into Apple’s products because I’ve been seeing a lot of places which are interested in knowledge and experience with them. So, yesterday, I took the plunge and bought an iPhone 11.

Color me unimpressed. I mean, it looks nice and there are certain aspects of the UI which are cool, but everything seems so limited and it feels like I put on a pair of handcuffs. It’s not even a matter of me being heavily invested in Google’s ecosystem: all I have had is an Android-running phone. However, I’ve had to graft onto it Google’s apps (and it feels very much grafted on) and then of course you cannot just take the phone and plug it into any computer to add or remove files.

Apple’s apps are cool, and I guess I can see how if someone is really into doing a lot of multimedia production work, they would be cool to use, but is that all Apple’s much ballyhooed ecosystem is about?

I had gotten it thinking it would be a good idea to have the hardware so I could become familiar with it and claim the relevant expertise on my resume, but who seriously needs to own one of these things just for that, unless you’re literally staring at zero and know nothing about smart phones and other modern mobile devices?

Anyhow, I’m taking this back to Apple today. My Moto G Power is eminently more useful than this thing is.

I'm a frequent platform switcher as I love both. I have a Pixel 4XL and a 12 Pro max on my desk right now. Honestly, for me there is negligible difference anymore. Especially now since Apple has an "app drawer".

• Customization: I hear people talk about this all the time, but it really isn't something I do. Sure I could change the system font on my Pixel to comic sans... or change all the icons and launchers. I've just never felt the need to do so. I just use the phone pretty much bone stock.
• Widgets: Both OSes have them now, yet I've never used them on either. Most widgets are stupid wastes of screen space and battery that convey little useful info. Certainly not useful enough that I'd want them on my home screen 24/7.
• Ecosystem: I've got my Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Photos all in Google, which is why swapping back and forth between Apple and Android is so simple and seamless for me. The other apps I use are near identical on both platforms.
• Files? I've never once felt the need to go rummaging through the file system on either phone to move files around. I really don't understand WHY would I need to move files and folders around on a phone... seems like an old-school way of doing things when the UI should abstract all this "management" away from you.

Things I like better on Android:

• I prefer the UI of Android's notifications slightly better.
• I like being able to use a non-webkit based browser that allows plugins like firefox
• I like being able to use multiple bluetooth "profiles" for example disable music on my car's built in bluetooth and use a 3rd party bluetooth dongle for music while my car's built in system is used for calls.
• I love the Google assistant integrations, especially call-screen, recording transcriptions.
• Google photos works better on Android as it doesn't auto-close in background preventing uploads.

Things I like better on iOS:

• Dual Sim is way better on iPhone. On iPhone you can set up Automatic carrier switching to have the phone switch sims when one carrier has low signal...kindof like a more customizable version of Google FI. Also, you can do "wifi calling" over cellular data. This is a HUGE feature for international travelers. Your phone can make and receive phone calls over the data connection of the other sim.
• iMessage: Controversial, but as an American MOST of my contacts are on iPhone...which means iMessage is better than being relegated to SMS. My European contacts all use WhatsApp which is better than SMS but still sucks. Personally, I love signal but I can't get more than 3 people I know to use it.
• Continuity: Continuity mode is awesome
• Airdrop: Yes google has added a similar feature, but no Android users I know have this yet... nor do they know how to use it. Most iOS users are aware of airdrop.
• Magsafe: Biggest problem I have with my Pixel is getting the damn phone to align on the pixel stand properly for QI charging. I wish Google had kept the damn magnets from the Nexus 5. MagSafe makes wireless charging idiot proof.

 

[Shanghaichica]

The allure of the Apple ecosystem comes into play when you own multiple apple devices and they all work great together.

The standard combo is iphone+Apple Watch+AirPods. Throw in the ipad for airdrop and app sharing, then Apple TV and HomePod for airplay and that’s where the synergy really makes its presence felt. But of course, that’s a pretty hefty investment to make all at once.

I agree. The more Apple devices I buy the more I seem to benefit from the integration. I know Samsung have been working hard on improving the integration between their devices and now have a decent ecosystem, although not as good as Apple’s. However that was one of the things that really irritated me before I switched back to Apple in 2014. None of the android devices I used talked to each other, even if I had a Samsung phone and tablet. The ecosystem is also what keeps me using an iPhone and other Apple devices.

 

[Vegastouch]

I'm a frequent platform switcher as I love both. I have a Pixel 4XL and a 12 Pro max on my desk right now. Honestly, for me there is negligible difference anymore. Especially now since Apple has an "app drawer".

• Customization: I hear people talk about this all the time, but it really isn't something I do. Sure I could change the system font on my Pixel to comic sans... or change all the icons and launchers. I've just never felt the need to do so. I just use the phone pretty much bone stock.
• Widgets: Both OSes have them now, yet I've never used them on either. Most widgets are stupid wastes of screen space and battery that convey little useful info. Certainly not useful enough that I'd want them on my home screen 24/7.
• Ecosystem: I've got my Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Photos all in Google, which is why swapping back and forth between Apple and Android is so simple and seamless for me. The other apps I use are near identical on both platforms.
• Files? I've never once felt the need to go rummaging through the file system on either phone to move files around. I really don't understand WHY would I need to move files and folders around on a phone... seems like an old-school way of doing things when the UI should abstract all this "management" away from you.

Things I like better on Android:

• I prefer the UI of Android's notifications slightly better.
• I like being able to use a non-webkit based browser that allows plugins like firefox
• I like being able to use multiple bluetooth "profiles" for example disable music on my car's built in bluetooth and use a 3rd party bluetooth dongle for music while my car's built in system is used for calls.
• I love the Google assistant integrations, especially call-screen, recording transcriptions.
• Google photos works better on Android as it doesn't auto-close in background preventing uploads.

Things I like better on iOS:

• Dual Sim is way better on iPhone. On iPhone you can set up Automatic carrier switching to have the phone switch sims when one carrier has low signal...kindof like a more customizable version of Google FI. Also, you can do "wifi calling" over cellular data. This is a HUGE feature for international travelers. Your phone can make and receive phone calls over the data connection of the other sim.
• iMessage: Controversial, but as an American MOST of my contacts are on iPhone...which means iMessage is better than being relegated to SMS. My European contacts all use WhatsApp which is better than SMS but still sucks. Personally, I love signal but I can't get more than 3 people I know to use it.
• Continuity: Continuity mode is awesome
• Airdrop: Yes google has added a similar feature, but no Android users I know have this yet... nor do they know how to use it. Most iOS users are aware of airdrop.
• Magsafe: Biggest problem I have with my Pixel is getting the damn phone to align on the pixel stand properly for QI charging. I wish Google had kept the damn magnets from the Nexus 5. MagSafe makes wireless charging idiot proof.

Customization isnt for everyone but having not tried to do it, you may be missing out. I dont do a lot of it but i do some.

I dont change the fonts but i do use different icon packs. You can also make the icons a little smaller so they arent so big which is a bugger on iOS. They are huge. I prefer round icons as well to the square ones.

Launchers, i always end up going back to Nova which is where i get icon packs. Never liked TouchWiz on Samsung and although Googles Launcher is OK on the Pixel, Nova is still better.

I like that i can have up to 7 icons on my dock and make them smaller still to differ from the regular icons. iOS still only allows 4 big ones.

The File system isnt something i use a lot at all but just the other day i went in it looking thru picture files and found a pic that i couldnt find in my Google Photos. Not sure why but it was nice it was there. I dont know if anybody moves things around. Dont think thats what it is all about, but you can create folders and move things around. Its just nice to have a file system where you dont on iOS.

I dont use a lot of Widgets either but you can make them any size you want.

I use Chrome & Firefox and even have the Microsoft Browser that is used sparingly.

I didnt know there was a "Pixel" stand for wireless charging. We just have a couple of stands we got at Costco and they work good. I dont even know the name of them. No magnets in it as you just put the phone on it vertically and it works. My Pixel 4a dont have wireless charging but other phones that have it work good.

 

[Shanghaichica]

That reason is imo that those who have Apple assume they need to buy Apple earbuds and don't try anything else. Nobody I know that has a iPhone uses another brand of earbuds which I find odd.

One time a co worker and i were talking and his airpod fell to the ground from his ear and he said "these new ones fall out all the time" as he picked it up a bit irritated.
Think I'd try something else if that was a problem but......people just stick with Apple buds. I don't know, I assume they feel they have to.

As for working with other devices, the ones I use work with my other devices so I'm not sure what you mean there unless you are saying you don't have to turn off BT on other devices but don't know.
I only use my buds on my phone and Tablet. I don't have a watch or a laptop.
Someday I'll likely get a Surface Pro but it isn't something i need.

In any case I don't have a problem using earbuds on things. You act like it is work to use something else and it isn't.
I've never tried any Samsung wireless earbuds so can't comment on those.

Again, I don't feel I need to have same brand headphones and buds as my devices. There are better ones out there.
I don't know, maybe it's Apple having only their stuff work well with each other which imo a reason I wouldnt buy Apple products. I cant stand the earbuds that hang down with a stem. Hated the wired ones that did that which came with the phones.

Freedom to use other things is a big deal to me and other brands make that happen.
I have about 4 other type of headsets (in ear and over ear)synced to my Pixel and 5 year old Samsung tablet and whichever I use they connect within 2 seconds. But yes sometimes i have to turn off BT one one device for it to connect to the other. That effort takes about 3 seconds which may be the devices.

How would you know other buds won't work with Apple devices like airpods do if you never try them?

It’s not about having the same brand of headphones as my phone. The airpods work better with my iPhone and other Apple devices than any other wireless earbuds.

A few examples:

Once I pair my airpods to my iPhone, they are automatically paired to all my other Apple devices. I don’t need to manually pair them to my other apple devices.

The AirPods will switch between my devices automatically. So if they are connected to my iPhone and I’m listening to music and change my mind and decided that I want to watch a video on my iPad. As soon as I start playing a video on my iPad the airpods will automatically switch to the audio from my iPad.

The airpods have wireless Siri. I can use Siri on the airpods to send messages, make calls, get information, start, music play back, set timers, add events to my calendar. All without taking my phone out of my pocket. None of the other wireless earbuds with voice assistants will intgrate as well with my phone as well as Siri.

If I’m listening to music and I get a message Siri will read it out to me.

These are all features that I wouldn’t get with another pair of wireless earbuds.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I'm a frequent platform switcher as I love both. I have a Pixel 4XL and a 12 Pro max on my desk right now. Honestly, for me there is negligible difference anymore. Especially now since Apple has an "app drawer".

• Customization: I hear people talk about this all the time, but it really isn't something I do. Sure I could change the system font on my Pixel to comic sans... or change all the icons and launchers. I've just never felt the need to do so. I just use the phone pretty much bone stock.
• Widgets: Both OSes have them now, yet I've never used them on either. Most widgets are stupid wastes of screen space and battery that convey little useful info. Certainly not useful enough that I'd want them on my home screen 24/7.
• Ecosystem: I've got my Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Photos all in Google, which is why swapping back and forth between Apple and Android is so simple and seamless for me. The other apps I use are near identical on both platforms.
• Files? I've never once felt the need to go rummaging through the file system on either phone to move files around. I really don't understand WHY would I need to move files and folders around on a phone... seems like an old-school way of doing things when the UI should abstract all this "management" away from you.

Things I like better on Android:

• I prefer the UI of Android's notifications slightly better.
• I like being able to use a non-webkit based browser that allows plugins like firefox
• I like being able to use multiple bluetooth "profiles" for example disable music on my car's built in bluetooth and use a 3rd party bluetooth dongle for music while my car's built in system is used for calls.
• I love the Google assistant integrations, especially call-screen, recording transcriptions.
• Google photos works better on Android as it doesn't auto-close in background preventing uploads.

Things I like better on iOS:

• Dual Sim is way better on iPhone. On iPhone you can set up Automatic carrier switching to have the phone switch sims when one carrier has low signal...kindof like a more customizable version of Google FI. Also, you can do "wifi calling" over cellular data. This is a HUGE feature for international travelers. Your phone can make and receive phone calls over the data connection of the other sim.
• iMessage: Controversial, but as an American MOST of my contacts are on iPhone...which means iMessage is better than being relegated to SMS. My European contacts all use WhatsApp which is better than SMS but still sucks. Personally, I love signal but I can't get more than 3 people I know to use it.
• Continuity: Continuity mode is awesome
• Airdrop: Yes google has added a similar feature, but no Android users I know have this yet... nor do they know how to use it. Most iOS users are aware of airdrop.
• Magsafe: Biggest problem I have with my Pixel is getting the damn phone to align on the pixel stand properly for QI charging. I wish Google had kept the damn magnets from the Nexus 5. MagSafe makes wireless charging idiot proof.

Great post, as I am currently using the Pixel 4 XL, and was thinking of maybe switching

 

[Shanghaichica]

I can agree on most of what you said except gestures and if you could elaborate that would be nice. Swipe forward, swipe back, all the same.

I haven't had a android phone since last year so I've been using this iphone 11 pro max. I do notice that at times swiping doesn't work and I need to reach to the top to click back which I hate.

I agree about imessage in a since but the read receipts and the ability to send through wifi with no data is still something that could be handy in case something came up.

I will say what I get upset about is the weird sizes of the iphone, the max is just too big and the pro IMO is too small. I used a s20+ and I found it lighter and taller but just as much screen space.

I realize it will never be a perfect phone, Iphone keeps the width on the device but the weight goes with that while android is more candy bar sized, tall and less width which makes typing more cramped.

BUT

Do you really wanna type out a essay on a phone anyways? I think about that all the time and I was thinking about carrying a small tablet in a bag when I go out, in case I have to do something on the street I could find some free wifi and send a email or whatever on the go.

I guess phones IMO will always be communication devices first, not mean to replace tablets or computers.

I have 2 iPads and 2 MacBooks but I still do most of my typing on my iPhone beca use it’s more convenient.