Phones Sometimes The Grass Really Is Greener On The Other Side - Six Major Things I Think iO

[Tig Bitties]

Great article on Android Police, regarding the true differences between vanilla Android vs. iOS

I thought it might be interesting to use my extensive experience on the Google side of the fence and apply it objectively on the Apple side to see if I could find areas where I thought Android could be improved. Sure enough, I found several key areas where I think Google could stand to borrow a page from the iOS playbook.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/0...-things-i-think-ios-does-better-than-android/

 

[Blaze4G]

I agree with everything except notifications. Although a centralized settings for notifications of all apps is nice. The layout of notifications on iOS is really bad. Also having to manually remove a notification when you have already checked it directly in the app is annoying.

 

[MRU]

analogy wise - for me the grass is much the same grass no matter which field I'm standing in.... And occasionally no matter which field i'm in - you accidentally stand in a cow pat .....

 

[Tig Bitties]

How good is Siri on the 6S ? Can it be used hands free, just speak to it, do something ? Can you say something like " Siri, text Mom; blah, blah, blah " ? Can it read back text messages out loud ?

 

[kevinof]

Notifications and terrible and a pain in the &ss on ios. Also your device is locked and you get a notification which you swipe to delete - it asks for a pin, which you enter and then it deletes the message, then it asks for the pin again if you want to unlock it. Just stupid endless typing of a pin number.

Agree with the rest of the points but then again I could write 20 things that I think Android does better.

 

[apolloa]

How good is Siri on the 6S ? Can it be used hands free, just speak to it, do something ? Can you say something like " Siri, text Mom; blah, blah, blah " ? Can it read back text messages out loud ?

Yes, it is always listening so you just say hey siri and tell it what to do, HOWEVER it isn't the most accurate at detecting what you say, it can certainly slip up and it is still a million miles behind Google Now, for instance ask Google how do you say ................ in Japanese and it will speak what you asked for you, siri just searches the web.

 

[MRU]

How good is Siri on the 6S ? Can it be used hands free, just speak to it, do something ? Can you say something like " Siri, text Mom; blah, blah, blah " ? Can it read back text messages out loud ?

Yep, they introduced always on listening so it can wake with a 'hey siri'. And yep the commands are much same as Google now's.
Results vary though and for Irish names and places both are very much miss rather than hit.

 

[tbayrgs]

Notifications and terrible and a pain in the &ss on ios. Also your device is locked and you get a notification which you swipe to delete - it asks for a pin, which you enter and then it deletes the message, then it asks for the pin again if you want to unlock it. Just stupid endless typing of a pin number.

Agree with the rest of the points but then again I could write 20 things that I think Android does better.

You don't have to unlock your phone to dismiss a notification. Now if you're trying to delete an email message, yes you have to unlock your phone (this seems a quite logical security measure) but you don't need to input a pin if you use TouchID, something that's been around for over 2 years. Guess I never noticed that latter scenario since I've been using TouchID for over two year--it's so seamless and quick it's not an inconvenience. I will agree that Apple is too heavy handed with the security/password precautions as there are too many incidents where I have to input my Apple ID password or PIN manually even though I have TouchID enabled.

 

[Fernandez21]

For me there are only a couple of features iOS is missing from being ahead of Android. Those being:
Multi window, more customizable home screen, home screen widgets, file manager, and allowing emulators in the App Store.

For android, it's a little more difficult to pass iOS, what it needs are:
Better optimizations, better apps (alot of apps are better on iOS), better hangout integration to compete with FaceTime/iMessage, better update support, and extensions for chrome. Some other features such as multi window are available on certain android phones, would be nice if these were universal too.

Until then, both are very similar in my eye, both have certain advantages over the other and neither is clearly ahead. But depending on what your looking for, one will fit you better than the other.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

The integration features between the iPhone, iPad, and OSX is good. But most iPhone users don't have iPads or Macs. So most iPhone users will not factor that in.

I slightly disagree with battery management since iOS9. iOS battery life is just not what it used to be. But mAh for mAh iOS is still the best than the majority of Android phones when it comes to standby life.

I completely disagree with notifications.

As far as updates .... I always thought that's an unfair argument. Would we have so many choices in the Android world otherwise? If I got to wait for updates to enjoy the features that TW, Sense, and etc, then it's worth the wait for me. Requiring updates as across the board at once, would mean Vanilla Android on every device at the minimum.

And yes, Android still hasn't came up with a decent backup solution. Manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and HTC have better solutions for their phones, and it's still half ass compared to iOS backups.

 

[nj1266]

How good is Siri on the 6S ? Can it be used hands free, just speak to it, do something ? Can you say something like " Siri, text Mom; blah, blah, blah " ? Can it read back text messages out loud ?

Yes. It can do all that. I always use it in my car. I press a button on the steering wheel then Siri beeps and I can tell her all of the following:

1. Navigate to <insert name from contacts>
2. Text <insert name from contacts>
3. Play classic rock music. It creates a classic rock radio station if there is no classic rock music in my music folder.
4. Play Pink Floyd. It plays it.
5. Read my last text.
6. Play my last voice mail.
7. Navigate to <insert name from contacts> via transit. Siri opens a screen with the google Maps icon on it. I touch the icon and navigate to the address.

I have personally tried all of these and I know they work.

 

[nj1266]

Yes, it is always listening so you just say hey siri and tell it what to do, HOWEVER it isn't the most accurate at detecting what you say, it can certainly slip up and it is still a million miles behind Google Now, for instance ask Google how do you say ................ in Japanese and it will speak what you asked for you, siri just searches the web.

Google does not do the one important thing that I would like it to do: navigate to an address from my contacts. Try asking it and it will give a search to addresses on the web to navigate to. If you use your phone as a nav, then this is essential for hands free operation while driving.

 

[Fernandez21]

I find Siri better at somethings and worse with others.

If you tell it to do things, such as set an alarm, a calendar appointment, call or text some one, navigate somewhere, ect. I find that it works better than Google Now.

However if you ask a question such as when does this movie start, when is the game, who is this celebrity, what does this word mean, ect. then Google now works better.

 

[nj1266]

I find Siri better at somethings and worse with others.

If you tell it to do things, such as set an alarm, a calendar appointment, call or text some one, navigate somewhere, ect. I find that it works better than Google Now.

However if you ask a question such as when does this movie start, when is the game, who is this celebrity, what does this word mean, ect. then Google now works better.

I think that is because Siri is more of an assistant than a search engine. Google is more of a search engine than an assistant.

 

[Fernandez21]

I think that is because Siri is more of an assistant than a search engine. Google is more of a search engine than an assistant.

Exactly, which is why find these "which is better" posts funny because it again depends on how it fits your use case.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Google does not do the one important thing that I would like it to do: navigate to an address from my contacts. Try asking it and it will give a search to addresses on the web to navigate to. If you use your phone as a nav, then this is essential for hands free operation while driving.

I never realized that. You actually need to save and label and address within Google Maps. But from contacts it's a no go. Google better fix that before Android Auto comes with new cars, which is most likely 2017.

 

[kevinof]

You don't have to unlock your phone to dismiss a notification. Now if you're trying to delete an email message, yes you have to unlock your phone (this seems a quite logical security measure) but you don't need to input a pin if you use TouchID, something that's been around for over 2 years. Guess I never noticed that latter scenario since I've been using TouchID for over two year--it's so seamless and quick it's not an inconvenience. I will agree that Apple is too heavy handed with the security/password precautions as there are too many incidents where I have to input my Apple ID password or PIN manually even though I have TouchID enabled.

Touchid isn't on the ipad air but yes it would work better.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I really miss home screen widgets.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I really miss home screen widgets.

If iOS 10 finally allows home screen Widgets, and at least some basic customization like themed icons without the need for JB, and allow me to place an app icon anywhere on the screen, that would go a long way, and I would be tempted to come back.

But as it stands right now, iOS 9, IMO feels very dated next to Android currently, and I find iOS to be a major turnoff and uncomfortable to use.

 

[Fernandez21]

The integration features between the iPhone, iPad, and OSX is good. But most iPhone users don't have iPads or Macs. So most iPhone users will not factor that in.

I slightly disagree with battery management since iOS9. iOS battery life is just not what it used to be. But mAh for mAh iOS is still the best than the majority of Android phones when it comes to standby life.

I completely disagree with notifications.

As far as updates .... I always thought that's an unfair argument. Would we have so many choices in the Android world otherwise? If I got to wait for updates to enjoy the features that TW, Sense, and etc, then it's worth the wait for me. Requiring updates as across the board at once, would mean Vanilla Android on every device at the minimum.

And yes, Android still hasn't came up with a decent backup solution. Manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and HTC have better solutions for their phones, and it's still half ass compared to iOS backups.

While difficult, I think the update situation could be fixed. Imagine if instead of touchwiz, you get a Samsung services pack that brings all the features of touchwiz. That way Google can release the updates immediately and Samsung can still have its customizations. It might even make things easier for them since they just have to worry about keeping their service pack up to date.

 

[apolloa]

Yeah Google voice recognition for me is much better then Siri is. Also I think notifications are miles better on Android but that's thanks to the little bar at the top telling you what new thing it is.

I'm getting bored of my iPhone already, it's screen looks a bit of a washout next to my Sony tablet, meh may have to take a look at the Xperia compact at some point. Now I have my IPod Touch I have access to my iOS apps. Let's see what Sony announces next month.
Think I like the fiddling interaction you get with Android over the iOS simple plain approach, still want an IPad Pro though.

 

[kasakka]

I agree with the list even if it isn't anything all THAT important. I really hate that I have to hunt for settings to turn off notifications in each app separately and even on custom ROMs things like notification sounds and notification lights are on different pages in settings for no good reason.

I really wish both vendors allowed a service type app package that could add functions to the main OS and integrate more deeply, obviously with far stricter regulations on the quality of the app. Now you need jailbreak on iOS and custom ROMs on Android to add things like settings that should really come with the OS in the first place.

 

[apolloa]

If iOS 10 finally allows home screen Widgets, and at least some basic customization like themed icons without the need for JB, and allow me to place an app icon anywhere on the screen, that would go a long way, and I would be tempted to come back.

But as it stands right now, iOS 9, IMO feels very dated next to Android currently, and I find iOS to be a major turnoff and uncomfortable to use.

Go and use an iPad Pro, trust me it gives IOS an entirely new lease of life that it needs. Having that big screen makes it so much easier to use and bring up split windows etc, it feels a lot better.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

One thing the iPhone lacks for me is a TRUE call recording app. iOS only has apps that call record from 3rd party services, and just don't work the majority of the time. Even Jailbreak doesn't provide a decent call record app.

If there was something like the ACR app for iOS, that would increase my chances of going back to iPhone.

 

[Robisan]

SMS/MMS - If you're on Verizon their Messages+ app offers the same cross-platform functionality as iMessages (can't speak to compression however).

Notifications - I'll trade a little complexity in settings for the robust delivery in Android. Simple/easy settings for near useless output is no value to me.

Updates - Will never buy a carrier-branded phone again. Staggered rollouts don't bother me.

Backups - I'll give iOS the nod here, though I'll pass on the homogenization and lack of customization that enables iOS's seamless backup/recovery.

Connectivity and file access - This is the big deal-breaker for me. The iTunes/Lighting port gatekeepers and the hoops they make you jump through to accomplish (or not) even basic tasks is untenable. Apple could make an iPad Pro with a reach-around and/or hookers & blow accessory and I still wouldn't by it without USB and file system access.