Switching from iPhone Experience

[tornadowrangler]

(First, I'd like to address that I've had the username tornadowrangler since long before this Twisters movie was ever thought of. They stole it from me. But no, I don't actually wrangle tornados.)

A few months ago I decided it was time to switch to Android. I’d been an iPhone user since 2008, and besides a brief experimentation with the Palm Pre in 2010, I had never considered switching. In fact, I tended to look down on Android users.

Until one day when Tim Cook told a reporter “Buy your mom an iPhone" and laughed at him.

I've been a Mac user since 1992 when I was 10 years old. I was the first person I knew to have an iPod, AppleTV, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and just about every other new Apple product. And that was the first time I looked around and thought, “Are we the baddies?”

Now, I’m not going to argue that anyone else should think this, but that comment soured me on Apple when it came to the iPhone. I think Apple has committed clear “bad guy” actions when it comes to the iPhone, and I wanted to give it up if I could. Again, I’m not going to argue this point with anyone, it’s just my own feelings and opinion which I am not trying to convince anyone else of here.

But, I knew I needed a test run before I committed. I was NOT planning to switch away from Mac or iPad, so I knew there might be potential issues. I got a cheap Android phone off of backmarket.com just to see if I could make the switch work. I ended up with a Moto G Power 5G 2023. Got it for like $140, knowing I would get a better one if this one worked out.

So, how did it go? As far as the switch goes, no real issues. I thankfully got an excuse to get out of the family group chat, so that was a definite plus! (Although once they update to iOS 18 with RCS, they might rope me back in.) The phone was sluggish at times and the photos sucked, but I knew that was because of the cheap phone, not because of Android. I still want to use Photos on the Mac, so I got to connect it with a USB cable to import photos just like old times! The battery life on it was great. Usually could last a day and a half and sometimes a full two days.

A few inconveniences popped up, but usually with easy solutions. For example, I was used to copy-and-pasting images and text from my Mac into text messages on my iPhone. Well, google messages has a web interface and actually connects to the phone to send texts, so I can just open my text messages in Safari and paste there. It was actually easier!

When I decided I didn’t need to switch my SIM card back to my iPhone, I decided to get a better Android to make the conversion complete.

For reasons I will not go into here, I was not considering Samsung. Also, not a big fan of google, so no Pixel either.

Well, since I enjoyed some of the Motorola-specific features of the crappy phone (like double-chop to turn on and off the flashlight and double-twist to open the camera), I decided to look at their better options. Yeah, I read that Motorola is slow at updating Android, but that’s not really a big concern to me. I came across the Razr 2023. I really liked the idea of closing a phone again. Then I remembered, it was a Motorola Razr that I had right before I got my first iPhone. It would only be fitting that I have a Razr after my last iPhone.

Well, the sluggish problems are gone! I can play Fortnite on my phone again for the first time since that Epic lawsuit. The outside feels durable enough to use without a case, though I did get one to use when I feel that I need it. The screen is fantastic. I can open it halfway and watch videos with it sitting up on its own. I really like hanging-up a call just by closing it. It takes better pictures than the cheapo Android phone, but yeah, not as good as the iPhone. Thankfully I’m not a big photo taker anyway since my kids are getting older. I also like that I can open apps in small windows and do split-screen with two different apps.

I do feel the “crease” when my finger crosses over it, but you get used to it and don’t really think about it. It's not really a crease, it's more like a dip. To me it’s definitely not a turn-off.

What can you take from this? Well, if you are on the fence about switching, take the dive! If you just want to test it out, keep your iPhone but get a cheap used Android from backmarket just to try out. If you decide to stay Android, I would recommend a folding phone if you like the idea of it.

That's my switching to Android experience. Ask any question if you have them!

 

[Reverend Benny]

Why not go even further, try Sailfish OS You can run Android apps sandboxed but its not Android and you don't sell yourself to Google or support Apple.

Sailfish OS fourth generation - Sailfish OS

sailfishos.org

 

[Jackbequickly]

Blasphemy!!!

 

[tornadowrangler]

Blasphemy!!!

That really is the same attitude I had up until a couple years ago. But to use religion as an analogy, once you start questioning your faith and see it from the outside, you start to wonder how you ever believed it.

 

[Jackbequickly]

That really is the same attitude I had up until a couple years ago. But to use religion as an analogy, once you start questioning your faith and see it from the outside, you start to wonder how you ever believed it.

I don’t but respect other’s opinions.

 

[fw85]

Sounds like achieving nothing with extra steps inbetween

But hey, at least Google gets to farm your data properly now and sell it out, which is nice.

 

[zarmanto]

(First, I'd like to address that I've had the username tornadowrangler since long before this Twisters movie was ever thought of. They stole it from me. But no, I don't actually wrangle tornados.) ...

Yup; it appears that you've had it for about four years, at least on this forum. Why not return the favor, and steal their movie poster to use as your avatar?

... “Are we the baddies?” ...

I totally get this. I won't be joining you in Android-land -- but I do get it. The problem I have is that the other phone manufacturers out there are run by people who are at least as bad, if not worse. There's a very old quote (which is often misquoted) that readily applies: "The love of money is the root of all evil." And boy-oh-boy, do the stockholders love money!

Bottom line, though: use whatever makes you feel happiest. If Tim's quip causes that to be Android for now, so be it. Google's antics may or may not drive you back to the iPhone at some point, and either way, that's fine.

Because, really... it's just a phone, after all.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

FWIW, I personally would keep the iPhone and add an Android phone just to see if you can deal with the change. We have seen quite a few who were gung-ho, wanting to change only to find out they had buyers remorse or second thoughts.

I've been an Android user since 2010 and last year I purchased my very first iPhone. While the iPhone 13 looks great I kept going back to my Pixel phones because Google's magic software which includes their epic Call Screener just works for me. So my iPhone 13 has been a paper weight, essentially for me. Now imagine if I decided I had enough with Google and their Pixel phones and went all in on an iPhone, only to find out I missed my Pixel phones and everything about them.

So my advice would be to hang on to your iPhone, test the Pixel or whatever Android phone you buy and see if you can handle the switch.

 

[maj71303]

That really is the same attitude I had up until a couple years ago. But to use religion as an analogy, once you start questioning your faith and see it from the outside, you start to wonder how you ever believed it.

I have had flip phones since the z flip 4, z flip 5 and now have the Moto Razr+ 2024 and just loving life. I also have my iPhone 13 mini spare not being used. Love what Motorola has done and IMO it's better than the Z flip 6.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

That really is the same attitude I had up until a couple years ago. But to use religion as an analogy, once you start questioning your faith and see it from the outside, you start to wonder how you ever believed it.

Well I hope iphone doesn't have the same level of conditioning

 

[tornadowrangler]

Because, really... it's just a phone, after all.

I'd love for them to be "just a phone" again. But they've become the primary way many people interact with the world. I've tried to rely on them less and less the past couple years. I try to do most of my web browsing and email on my Mac. I'm not on social media except a burner facebook account to occasionally use marketplace. I've started to use CDs again for music in my car and I've been thinking about getting a stand alone GPS for navigation.

Kinda sad to admit it, but the main apps keeping me from just getting a dumb-phone are the fast food apps.

 

[Ctrlos]

The main reason I won't go back to Android is that I do not trust Google. Not in a privacy kind of way (just using the internet requires a sacrifice of some passive personal data to someone) but because of their love of killing projects. If it wasn't Inbox or Reader it is the Podcasts app; I just do not trust Google to just kill off a product or service that I really like and use all the time. By killing Photos-to-Drive syncing they removed the ability to sync your Photograph library back to a physical drive. You get locked out of your account and its all gone. Android app purchases I made in 2010 are no longer there; on iOS I can still use them.

Yes, I can use Android without using any Google services whatsoever. You can fudge together Samsung and Microsoft into something that isn't as slick and 3rd parties that might go under one day can also close the gap.

Or I could just stick with Apple. They're not perfect and they do occasionally kill things I like (RIP iTunesU) but whilst I can easily pull my photos from the cloud onto a backup HDD, fill in gaps in the streaming library with my own MP3s and crucially do all of that with a PC or a Mac then I will stick around.

 

[macfacts]

What can you take from this? Well, if you are on the fence about switching, take the dive! If you just want to test it out, keep your iPhone but get a cheap used Android from backmarket just to try out. If you decide to stay Android, I would recommend a folding phone if you like the idea of it.

Suggesting ppl get a cheap android device to test is a terrible idea, that just created more apple fans thinking android devices "lag".

 

[zarmanto]

Suggesting ppl get a cheap android device to test is a terrible idea, that just created more apple fans thinking android devices "lag".

Truthfully, that impression is hard to escape, either way. For better or for worse, Apple has the financial heft and influence to buy up the first run options on all of the highest end silicon manufacturing, meaning that all that's left for Androids... is silicon that lags behind. The fact that a lot of Android manufacturers also happen to intentionally target the lower end of the market only exacerbates that disparity.

That said: I actually agree with Tornado's approach. I've suggested slightly older model Mac Minis as an introduction to people considering the switch from Windows to Mac, and on those rare occasions that someone actually gives a Mac a fair shake, there's always a decent chance that they'll upgrade to an even better Mac later. Taking the "I don't like what that guy said!" and the "I don't like walled gardens!" elements out of the equation, most non-Apple users who give Apple's operating systems a genuine chance find themselves surprised to discover that there's a whole lot to like.

But the obvious counter to that is that it only stands to reason that the very, very few people who've never tried Androids and/or Windows would also find something to like about them -- again, assuming an open mind and a decent chance.

I'd love for them to be "just a phone" again. ...

Then I have good news for you -- it's still true!

Granted, we certainly do a lot more with our phones, since that fateful day when Steve introduced the world to the iPhone with the phrase, "An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator... these are NOT three separate devices!" And the list of things that our phones can do for us has only grown over time from the three categories he targeted -- but it really is still "just a phone." It has become an easy way to connect digitally with other people in our lives -- but I think it's important to never lose sight of the fact that those people are still going to be a part of our lives, regardless of whether we use an Android or an iPhone or a cheap crappy flip phone.

Priorities matter. And to me, the people are far more important than the specific tools we use to transfer ones and zeros from us to them.

 

[Jarutais]

Motorola sucks though... If you want the better experience you should either try a Pixel or flagship Samsung model.

I live in a country where Android dominates and even among us Motorola is the ******** brand to go for an Android phone. They thinker too much with the OS filling it with their crap software and you can't expect more than 2 years of software updates sadly.

 

[mansplains]

That really is the same attitude I had up until a couple years ago. But to use religion as an analogy, once you start questioning your faith and see it from the outside, you start to wonder how you ever believed it.

Alternatively, your questioning leads to a better understanding and reinforces your beliefs. Whether in a religious context or trying another product line, as I haven't liked my android experiences.

 

[HouseLannister]

like double-chop to turn on and off the flashlight

What a waste of a double-chop! And now I'm hungry.

 

[tornadowrangler]

Suggesting ppl get a cheap android device to test is a terrible idea, that just created more apple fans thinking android devices "lag".

Hmm, hopefully most people on a Mac web forum would be aware that a a cheap android phone is going to be sluggish compared to a top-of-the-line model.

After all, it worked for me. I was able to cheaply discover that I wouldn't miss the iphone, and then upgrade to a better device once I was confident I wasn't wasting hundreds of dollars. I should clarify that I now always buy devices outright and unlocked and never get on a carrier contract or payment plan for my phones. I realize that's not a position many people are in, including me years ago.

 

[tornadowrangler]

Alternatively, your questioning leads to a better understanding and reinforces your beliefs. Whether in a religious context or trying another product line, as I haven't liked my android experiences.

Very true! Just wasn't the case for me.

 

[tornadowrangler]

Motorola sucks though... If you want the better experience you should either try a Pixel or flagship Samsung model.

I live in a country where Android dominates and even among us Motorola is the ******** brand to go for an Android phone. They thinker too much with the OS filling it with their crap software and you can't expect more than 2 years of software updates sadly.

You're probably right. I'll probably get a different brand in a few years, I just really happen to like this particular model, and Motorola has some brand nostalgia for me.

 

[chanchowancho]

The only thing I can contribute to this, as an avid "switcher" (backwards and forwards, although on iOS for a couple of years straight now) is to really appreciate the new ecosystem (iOS or Android) you absolutely have to "close the door" and get rid of your old phone.

I got a Galaxy Flip 4 a while ago, but made the mistake of keeping my 13 Pro Max nearby, and it's familiarity felt like slipping into a warm bath... After two months I bounced off the flip, which in hindsight I'm convinced I would have kept if I'd given it a proper go... Previously I'd always get rid/give away my old phone.

 

[winxmac]

First got exposed to android but purchased a pre-owned iPhone 5 in 2016... I'm a late adopter...

Currently using both iPhone 13 Pro and Galaxy S10+

Was a long time Windows user before purchasing a pre-owned 2015 MacBook Pro 15" in 2023 but already tried macOS on a Dell laptop, a.k.a. Hackintosh, around late 2019/early 2020/2021

The best way to experience android is to use a flagship Google or Samsung phone, but not everyone can afford that...

The best way to experience iOS is to use flagship iPhone from 2018 onwards, but since Apple Intelligence is only for iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max and newer, maybe get the 2024 flagship or newer...

I chose the iPhone for its standard/neutral looking photos and videos [and I don't use Photographic Styles] while I use Galaxy S10+ for the microSD card slot and headphone jack... Also, prior to EU enforcement, android allows different browser engines unlike iOS which only allows Webkit...

In the end, we all have our own use cases and our financial situation, so use whatever suits your needs...

 

[chargerinthebox]

Lifetime android user, I am going to switch to iOS with the iPhone 16 PM. Let's see how that goes!

 

[ThailandToo]

That really is the same attitude I had up until a couple years ago. But to use religion as an analogy, once you start questioning your faith and see it from the outside, you start to wonder how you ever believed it.

I used to be an Apple fanboy and have made plenty off AAPL, but I decided the company’s greed is not good - in fact, I believe Apple is in the business of ruining people, making them addicted to the ecosystem. I do have the latest iPhone Pro Max, iPad Pro M4, and MacBook Pro; however, I also have a Pixel Pro 8 and a Lenovo Thinkpad. I believe that consumers who are willing to have a serious thought experiment will ever realize the cognitive dissonance in supporting Apple‘s anticompetitive approach to business. The government in the US will not stand up to them and Trump even caved to them, so it’s up to the people to stop promoting them. Like you, I find Tim Cook to rub me the wrong way. I actually think he’s a jerk and a greed-filled jerI.

I would like to support open platforms that offer interoperability between other systems. Your comment about copying something then pasting on another is how every device should be able to work. And that’s what people mean when they say “open.” I hope that people stop buying things based on social pressures and greed-focused CEO statements.

 

[Ungibbed]

I've done this switch just recently and picked up a Sammy S23 Ultra having sold my 14 Pro Max. I just feel that the iPhone as a platform (hardware) has stagnated and really needs a refresh. I liked the screen on my phone with it's hard corners and the pen is a nice little addition for fast notes/memos but the honeymoon is over and now it is rather annoying that Apple and it's hardware/software has so many walls to keep the little green robots at bay.

I don't want much, but the least thing Apple can do is please, please, please... release an AirPods app for Android. One exists for Beats but otherwise you're made to struggle.