Started with iOS, tried Android, then...

[SurferMan]

I'm actually on Shostock2 also. The standby time is fine for me on the GSII with that ROM, but it's when I start actually using the phone that it seems to drop like a stone. I typically keep my screen brightness around 50%, but last night I lowered it a little to see if that makes a big difference (since I know the screen can eat up the battery if set too bright).

The best ROM I've ever used, battery-wise, was UnNamed 1.5.1. I couldn't kill that thing, no matter what I was doing. But in that version, the creator removed noise suppression from the mic, and I was getting all sorts of complaints from others that when I was on the phone with them, the background noise was awful. He put it back in in later versions, but I never could duplicate the battery life 1.5.1 had.

I absolutely love Shostock2, though, as far as look and use goes. The only thing I wish the creator would include is the Jkay mod, as I like to be able to remove the battery indicator number from the status bar (otherwise, I feel like I obsess over that number...LOL).

Maybe I should do a wipe and reflash and the battery may get better. I also haven't checked to see if there are any updates lately. Right now I'm running 2.2.6.

Yeh that's weird, I was shocked not just at the incredible standby time, but also in use batt life. Only change I made was deleting Apex from the Rom and sticking with Go LauncherEX as don't really care for Apex. Def a slick Rom. I'm on 2.2.2 still, haven't updated to 3.4 or whatever it is now lol. Screen is kept on auto too.

I used battery calibration after too to get accurate readings, as 1st day was great, then 2nd day was odd as it didn't last as long, but ever since calibrating it has been excellent.

 

[KentuckyHouse]

Yeh that's weird, I was shocked not just at the incredible standby time, but also in use batt life. Only change I made was deleting Apex from the Rom and sticking with Go LauncherEX as don't really care for Apex. Def a slick Rom. I'm on 2.2.2 still, haven't updated to 3.4 or whatever it is now lol. Screen is kept on auto too.

I used battery calibration after too to get accurate readings, as 1st day was great, then 2nd day was odd as it didn't last as long, but ever since calibrating it has been excellent.

Thanks, man. I actually just calibrated my battery over the weekend, so we'll see if that makes any difference. And apparently I have missed some updates...LOL. I'll have to go check those out as well.

I used to use Go LauncherEX exclusively until I tried this ROM. It was the first time I'd heard of Apex and I actually really like it. There are a few little quirks that I could do without, but overall, it's worked well for me.

I may have to give Go LauncherEX another go because I always liked it.

 

[SurferMan]

Thanks, man. I actually just calibrated my battery over the weekend, so we'll see if that makes any difference. And apparently I have missed some updates...LOL. I'll have to go check those out as well.

I used to use Go LauncherEX exclusively until I tried this ROM. It was the first time I'd heard of Apex and I actually really like it. There are a few little quirks that I could do without, but overall, it's worked well for me.

I may have to give Go LauncherEX another go because I always liked it.

Yeh I was going to try task and few others, but this Rom seems to be the go to... but that's the great thing about this phone is I don't think any other Android device has the dev backing that this phone has. Very slick and fast Rom. Current one is 3.0.4 just haven't updated yet lol.

Maybe I didn't play with Apex enough but never cared for it before either so just deleted it from the Rom. I'm just too used to Go LauncherEX settings and customization, I use the UI 3.0 theme which looks sharp along with some other custom icons for Pandora, FB etc. I like keeping Titanium, Badass Battery (free and awesome for monitoring everything), and the calibrator in the scrolling dock.

edit - go figure, just checked and saw this, looks like JKAY stuff is useable now like you were looking for http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1563747&page=510

 

[KentuckyHouse]

Yeh I was going to try task and few others, but this Rom seems to be the go to... but that's the great thing about this phone is I don't think any other Android device has the dev backing that this phone has. Very slick and fast Rom. Current one is 3.0.4 just haven't updated yet lol.

Maybe I didn't play with Apex enough but never cared for it before either so just deleted it from the Rom. I'm just too used to Go LauncherEX settings and customization, I use the UI 3.0 theme which looks sharp along with some other custom icons for Pandora, FB etc. I like keeping Titanium, Badass Battery (free and awesome for monitoring everything), and the calibrator in the scrolling dock.
Image

edit - go figure, just checked and saw this, looks like JKAY stuff is useable now like you were looking for http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1563747&page=510

I would completely agree that Shostock2 seems to be the go-to ROM at this point. And the GSII does seem to be one of the more supported devices and that's a great thing! We get so many choices on just about everything that it's almost hard to figure out what to use. But, that's what I like about Android...you have choices.

The one thing I haven't figure out how to do yet is use a theme. I could learn if I'd just sit down long enough to read through some threads, but is it just a matter of making a nandroid backup then flashing the theme through CWM? I'm assuming not all themes are created equal and they need to be compatible with the ROM you're using, or can any theme work with any ROM?

And thanks for the heads up on jkay now being useable with Shostock2! That's hilarious that you just happened to run across that right after I mentioned it. Thanks!

I'll have to check out Badass Battery too. I hadn't heard of it before now.

 

[SurferMan]

I would completely agree that Shostock2 seems to be the go-to ROM at this point. And the GSII does seem to be one of the more supported devices and that's a great thing! We get so many choices on just about everything that it's almost hard to figure out what to use. But, that's what I like about Android...you have choices.

The one thing I haven't figure out how to do yet is use a theme. I could learn if I'd just sit down long enough to read through some threads, but is it just a matter of making a nandroid backup then flashing the theme through CWM? I'm assuming not all themes are created equal and they need to be compatible with the ROM you're using, or can any theme work with any ROM?

And thanks for the heads up on jkay now being useable with Shostock2! That's hilarious that you just happened to run across that right after I mentioned it. Thanks!

I'll have to check out Badass Battery too. I hadn't heard of it before now.

Far as the actual themes for Roms directly, not sure. Haven't looked into it much as I just load a theme up in Go Launcher. Just found out about Badass Battery too recently, awesome for a free program, no ads and you can monitor pretty much any usage of any app or the kernel etc and gives you tons of options to organize (like by % power used, CPU minutes used, # times waking device etc).

 

[Calidude]

So I got my Galaxy Nexus a few days ago. First thing I did was flash the latest stock ROM. It was pretty easy to get all my contacts from iCloud to Google contacts.

I have to say that Android is definitely better than iOS. I haven't run into the stability issues people talk about, and I can actually do the stuff I want without having to jailbreak. The lag I used to see on Android 2.x devices is mostly gone from Android 4.0.4, which is great, and I've been reading that the lag can be NEARLY gotten rid of completely with a custom kernel and custom ROM that accomplish a number of optimizations. So far, however on the stock ROM, the lag hasn't affected the usability of this phone for m, since the interface and customizability on Android makes up for the lag quite a bit.

The only concerns I have with Android are privacy concerns. You have to really watch what you do on this phone because more goes to the cloud than you think, but can be turned off. I'd suggest that everybody go through the settings and turn off all these battery draining and snoopy features the minute you get this phone. I don't care if Google knows who I contact and what I write in an email, but I don't need anything else going out to them.

Will I stay with Android? Probably. This version is like a mix of iOS simplicity and WebOS innovation with an actual community behind it that can change things around.

Will I stay with Android in the long term? Probably not. The community and the hackability of this platform is great but too reliant on Google to succeed. I can turn stuff off and I'm going to install a custom ROM but I don't really want to deal with Google this much and it will probably get more creepy in the future. Hopefully Tizen will come out swinging and I'll head there for more freedom.

Overall, I think if people get a taste of pure, non-carrier infected Android, they'll wonder why they spent so much time with iOS. Sure, iOS has always been good to me, never crashing, never making me have to troubleshoot, never giving me a tough time learning how to use it, but it's something that you outgrow, since it will never do what you really want to do. Killing apps for example, is a joy on Android and a pain on iOS. Stuff like that makes you wonder why iOS isn't at that level yet. Apple would have kept me as a user had they simply added things that were common sense, like a quick way to turn off Wifi, or not making me have to move my fingers all the time up and down the screen to navigate apps (which is fixed by Android 4.x's buttons always at the bottom). Really, Apple, I shouldn't have to jailbreak your phone to get things I want done, especially if you have had a desktop operating system userbase for this many years.

I'm not Android experienced enough to say in the poll that I kept my Android, but it sure looks like I'm headed that way, at least in the short term. I'll be checking out iOS6 this week but I don't expect anything out of Apple other than incremental updates to core apps rather than a better OS experience.

 

[absynth]

As much as I sometimes want to try an Android, I simply cannot. I'm so bored with the iPhone OS which has looked the same more or less since 2007. I was really stoked by the new Galaxy S3, and the Sony Xperia S/P. Went to have a look at both of them today. While the Sony phones felt great, with solid build-quality, the Samsung felt really cheap, like a toy.

However my main issue was not the phones themselves, but Android OS. I simply cannot stand the ugly fonts, ugly icons, and how everything looks half-done and cheap. It feels so "homebrew" or whatever one should call it, you know what I mean! Right now, Windows Mobile seems to impress me the most. However, I will wait and see what the new iPhone brings before making up my mind. If only it looked like the new Sony Xperia P...

The new iPhone must offer a 4" display, however.

Sounds more like you were offended by the Galaxy S3 TouchWiz interface?
Sony's skin is much more elegant.

Either way you should try out the Xperia P again when it receives ICS. The GUI is a vast improvement over 2.3 and IMO also much nicer then iOS.

Very impressed by the Xperia P myself as well... it is going to be my next phone for sure!

 

[jomarr]

Started with a 3GS, tried Android out for a while, sold it and kept the 3GS, then switched to Windows Phone and have no intention of switching back for the forseeable future.

The UI of Lumia 800 is just very tempting. It's so amazing to look at. It's very minimalistic yet it's pretty rad. I have an iPod Touch and its pretty boring. I loved it at first but then it got boring. The only pro of the iPhone for me is that its an all in one device because I really hate carrying 2 devices in my pocket. It's very bulky.

 

[absynth]

The UI of Lumia 800 is just very tempting. It's so amazing to look at. It's very minimalistic yet it's pretty rad. I have an iPod Touch and its pretty boring. I loved it at first but then it got boring. The only pro of the iPhone for me is that its an all in one device because I really hate carrying 2 devices in my pocket. It's very bulky.

You can use any android or windows phone as a capable music player too. You just need to be willing to look beyond iTunes.

For me personally, there is nothnig that iTunes brings to the table compared to stock android music player. But then I like the bare-bones, DIY approach when it comes to music. Not to say there are no capable iTunes alternatives for android.

 

[Internaut]

I can't really tick either box of the poll since my little experiment with going over to the other side is in its infancy. However, a few months ago, my corporate mobile stopped working while I was on the move. I picked up a cheap, SIM free Wildfire S while travelling and you know what? It's fine for what it is! As much as I like iOS and Apple, I guess that makes me pretty much OS agnostic (the only OS I don't like is Windows Phone).

So, I upgraded to a Galaxy S3 and that too is fine and I'll probably stick with it for a year or so. The Ice Cream Sandwich OS brings everything that little closer to Apple in terms of usability and slickness of operation but of course, it's still not Apple. Samsung and Google still can't repeat the old Steve Jobs "Everything just works" maxim but it wouldn't be unreasonable of them to say "Most things just work".

Apple though should take care IMHO. Competing in the courts clearly isn't working for them and they may need to raise their game in raw engineering and design terms. I'm looking forward to seeing what iOS6 delivers, especially running on a 4S.

As an example of where Apple really is behind at the moment, take reading a book: A 4S is fine for reading something using the Kindle or iBook apps but my Samsung's bigger screen is much better. Likewise, I don't read books on my iPad because it gives me neck ache (I ended up buying a Kindle Touch and really like it). If Apple wants to rule the book and self publishing market, they need to up their game. The competition doesn't give up and die because it's Apple.

 

[RMC Tech]

Many have had an iPhone and switched to an Android device. I'm curious as to how many switched back to an iPhone or stayed with the Android platform.

Looks like.. MOST! Even if it wasn't a mac based site, I think it'd be an overwhelming majority of people switching back to iPhone. After all, iPhone just happens to seriously rock.

 

[speed4tu]

I have had every iPhone and of Droid and incredible. Sold my 4s and now have a galaxy nexus. Ics is so far beyond iOS that apple will never catch up. I'm running a custom from and kernal and have absolutely no glitches from it. Much better than any other version of android. IOS is good to tho. Not bashing it. I will look into iPhone again when new one is released

 

[scadoosh]

good thread, thinking about switching from my iphone 4 to the galaxy s3, just not sure if i should wait for the next iphone announcement to see what its all about.

on a side note, how do you all afford to keep buying/switching out these phones constantly?

 

[Internaut]

good thread, thinking about switching from my iphone 4 to the galaxy s3, just not sure if i should wait for the next iphone announcement to see what its all about.

on a side note, how do you all afford to keep buying/switching out these phones constantly?

I made my iPhone 3GS last three and a half years. Seriously though, on the GSM/UMTS network, if you've got more money than sense, you can simply buy a new iPhone at any point in your contract and move your SIM card to it.

Speaking of which, I got such a good deal for my Galaxy S3 (was intending to buy it for close to the full price but network was kind to me with its subsidy) so there's money in the bank in the unlikely event the iPhone 5 stuns (but far more likely mean old me will keep it in the bank even if the iPhone 5 does stun )......

 

[bigsexyy81]

I actually am happy that I was underwhelmed by iOS 6. I think everything I really had interest in was available on my 4S, so I won't be required to get new hardware for that. And if the hardware leaks hold true, I won't feel like I'm missing out by skipping it.

SGS3 might be my alternating device with the iPhone.

 

[DroidConvert]

good thread, thinking about switching from my iphone 4 to the galaxy s3, just not sure if i should wait for the next iphone announcement to see what its all about.

on a side note, how do you all afford to keep buying/switching out these phones constantly?

If you're going to switch to Android, which ould be good if you're looking for a change, I would personally stay away from Samsung. IMO, you'll get more bang with an HTC.

It seems like a lot of people here want to jump on the Samsung bandwagon but you'll be happier with an HTC. Samsung is great at marketing.

 

[Calidude]

good thread, thinking about switching from my iphone 4 to the galaxy s3, just not sure if i should wait for the next iphone announcement to see what its all about.

on a side note, how do you all afford to keep buying/switching out these phones constantly?

I would wait for the next Nexus phone and decide between that and iPhone 5.

 

[onthecouchagain]

I recently switched from 4S to the Galaxy Nexus and was loving the experience until I woke up to a frozen phone, was forced to do a factory reset, and now won't get past the boot screen. Tried some solutions from XDA Forums, like flashing the stock ROM with Odin, which succeeds, but for some reason, my phone still won't boot.

This has really turned me off. I still think ICS has iOS 6 (and iOS in general) beat on almost every front, but it's stuff like this that really make me appreciate Apple's simplicity, stability, and their stores.

I have a bricked GN, and I'm not sure what to do. Currently using a dumbphone.

EDIT: Calidude, can I PM you regarding what stock ROMs you used?

 

[Hype2k2]

See my signature.
From using my international SGS2 I will never ever use android again. Stock to stock based to cyanogen. Only had a decent experience from Cyanogen, even then I still hated the OS. Got rid of it and picked up a HTC Titan and fell in love with it.

Only problems I had was the terrible call quality, at the time HTC refused to acknowledge. App selection was a bummer but not a deal breaker, could almost always find 3rd party alternatives that worked just as good if not better than Android/iOS counterparts. Why didn't I go back? Waiting to see this falls outcome to use an upgrade on.

 

[djharris]

That Comment is Funny and true

I am enjoying Android right now, getting the hang of it. Already rooted and installed new ROm and everyday playing with one setting or another. Its all very satisfying and enjoying but i hate the apps. I have an iPad 3 as well and i am using it way more now than when i had iphone. Now instead of checking twitter on android, i open tweetbot on iPad. Instead of using Reddit on android ( reddit news is a better client ), i use Alien Blue which is The Best experience of Reddit in my eyes.

So in the end, i know i will cave and buy an iphone 5 when it comes out just because of apps on android.

That's funny, I think he said Google NAV makes him want to cheat. Well, he won't have any reasons to cheat with iOS 6.

 

[tbayrgs]

Except for a brief time trying out Windows Phone 7 (much of which I actually did like), I've stuck with iOS since the first iPhone. I've handled/played with any number of Android devices for brief periods of time but just wasn't impressed enough to want to make a more permanent switch.

I can certainly appreciate having greater flexibility in customizing the look and functionality of a phones OS and from everything I've read, it certainly appears that Android can do everything (and more) that iOS can do, by some means. I've read dozens of threads over the years detailing how to duplicate functionality found in iOS in Android but it seems that the solution is always some third party alternative--why can't stock Android fulfill those needs? I'm married with 3 small children so quite honestly, I don't have a ton of free time to play with/tinker around with my phone OS. Personally, our household is fully embedded in the Apple ecosystem (wife's devices, kids devices, computers, media players, etc) and while iOS certainly may not be the most exciting, in an all Apple environment it really does just work. Someone gets a new device--run through the initial setup and it just slides right into 'business as usual' in our home. It's so easy to keep all of our devices in sync using iTunes and iCloud that using another other than iOS is simply more work than I need to be bothered with. Like many, I've spend a decent amount of money on apps over the years so leaving that behind would be less than ideal but even better, we get to use those apps across ALL of our devices.

I'm definitely curious about other devices--really wrestled with whether or not to pick up a Lumia 900 as I find Windows Phone more attractive than Android but no matter what, it's just not going to work as well in my situation so at this point, why bother?

 

[mbell1975]

I did it the other way around. Had Android phones and thought I would give the iPhone a try with the 4s since it had almost caught up to the Android OS feature-wise. Went back to Android within 3 weeks.

 

[Frankied22]

So I too have ventured into android this past week. I had a 3GS for a year and then the iPhone 4 for two years. After seeing the One X I decided to give it a shot.

First off; android 4.0 really is just as smooth as iOS. I haven't noticed any lag. I LOVE chrome browser and Gmail. Also the full blown Google maps is nice. I installed the ICS keyboard to get rid of HTCs horrendous stock keyboard. Also, the screen on this phone is amazing. I would even say its better than the iPhones. I would say the camera quality is better as well, and faster.

There are a couple things that really annoy me however. For one, for some stupid reason HTC really screwed up the multitasking on this phone. Whenever I reopen an app it reloads it! Seriously? That is so annoying. Another thing that gets to me is when I am in the browser there is no way to quick jump to the top of the page. Having to scroll all the way back up is annoying. I know Dolphin HD browser fixes this but I really like Chrome.

Do you guys think I should go with the SG3? I know the multitasking is much more ICS like on the SG3.

 

[monkeylui]

I've been using the Galaxy Tab 2 for a while & really like it. I was hoping apple would release a larger iPhone, but that hasn't happened. So I'm ditching my iPhone 4S for the Samsung Galaxy s3. I'm bored with iOS & was unimpressed with iOS 6. I still have my iPad & love it. But for my phone I want the bigger screen & I like ICS.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Long story short, I was a previous iPhone 4S owner, got the Galaxy Nexus, and my GN crapped out on me (motherboard failure or something).

Now that I'm in need of a new phone, I'm considering going back to the 4S, but am honestly having a hard time accepting iOS' shortcomings now that I know how amazing ICS is. And iOS 6 really doesn't impress.

Google Play sells the GN for 399, where as the 4S is 649. It's literally paying more for a phone that can do less. Very difficult to reconcile and justify that.

I haven't committed to a decision yet, but I'm leaning toward getting another GN. Hopefully I won't get a lemon this time.