Hello, I have both s23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max, let me know if you have any specific questions and I'd be happy to share my thoughts if you'd like
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Switching from iPhone to Galaxy?
- Thread starter Ultra AleM
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To each their own but I just don’t understand why someone would want to go to Android from ios. Androids don’t have FaceTime, ApplePay, airdrop, Face ID, sync with applewatch, sync with other apple devices such as MacBook Pro, among many other things… Hey I can even setup a new AppleTV with a iPhone and control a appleTV with a iPhone.
I do macOS alongside Android I think it's a great combo.
Apple laptops are just better than anything Windows has to offer, considering Windows laptops are basically around mac price territory for a while now. Long battery life, great performance, fluid OS, and excellent build quality in a small form factor.
Android is better for me because it just presents so much more value than iPhone. I have a $200 Redmi with a bright 120Hz 6.67" AMOLED, 5000mAh, headphone jack. Dead slow chip compared to Apple but I don't care as I although I game, I prefer low settings anyway. PUBG on low settings is about 45fps.
I used to have an iPhone with a mac but still preferred to keep things separate, answering texts and calls on the iPhone. Airdrop and universal clipboard was nice, but didn't use it much. Now with an Android I rely on Google a lot. Suits me anyway as I use Google Drive along with sheets and docs everyday.
Best combo IMO, nothing beats a macbook for value and nothing beats Android value. Let my phone do phone functions and everything else syncs using Google.
Edit: I appreciate I don't live in the US so a) I can get cheap good quality Chinese phones and b) people here don't rely on imessage, it's basically all whatsapp.
Lots of reasons. Most of your reasons are for people who are so far into the Apple ecosystem that they can't see a way out, but for others Dex, Phone Link, Chromecast, etc. are just as big a deal.
Android also allows me to use a one-handed launcher like Niagra. Springboard is ancient in comparison and Apple is several years past the point where they should rethink how they organize a homescreen. I also don't have to deal with the crap sorting that is App Library on iOS (just let me keep an app where I can find it and stop moving everything). I can sign in once to my password manager and not have to wait on FaceID for every single time I need to fill a password (my phone's unlocked, so just let it trust that I am still me!). For work stuff, I don't have to switch to my Okta app and then switch back to my Outlook since I can actually interact with notifications on Android. It takes a bit more work to make my phone work the way I want it to, but the fact that I can force it to comply to my needs instead of the other way around is very satisfying.
To be fair I think a lot of this comes down to this being a US-centric forum and good value Androids aren't available there. I assume the argument of 'why Android?' comes from americans, while most of those who hold the opposite opinion are from elsewhere.
For example the just the lack of imessage seems to stop a lot of americans using Android while here in Europe it's just not a concern.
Secure in transit sure. But not end to end. Which is where you should be concerned. Unfortunately, many don’t understand the difference. I guarantee you that law enforcement can access all of information with the click of a button
Yes, that's how it is. People that value integration will love the Apple ecosystem. There are others though that don't use the Apple Ecosystem as extensively, so for them this wouldn't be an issue.
I will still be using my iPhone as my primary phone. I ordered the S23 Ultra just for fun, as a secondary device. I know it cannot replace my iPhone, mainly because of the Apple Ecosystem. I am also not prepared to get rid of all of my Apple gear, just for a Samsung smartphone.
There is some truth in the geographic comparison. For example, in Europe WhatsApp is definitely the number one messaging app. iMessage doesn't play such an important role.
You might not care, but others do. Everybody is different.
I love the Apple ecosystem and I will always be in it (at least for a foreseeable time). I am just lucky that I can get a second phone, just for fun. Otherwise I wouldn't be considering an Android phone, not because they are bad (on the contrary), but because they wouldn't integrate well with the other devices I have.
In absolute number yes. But globally 72% of users use Android, whereas in N. America it's 45%. Hence why I was saying that perhaps on this US centric forum most people would be hesitant to switch to Android because most use iOS and it's proprietary features.
Doesn't matter that you haven't personally used WhatsApp, what does that piece of information being to this discussion?
Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide | Statcounter Global Stats
This graph shows the market share of mobile operating systems worldwide based on over 5 billion monthly page views.
gs.statcounter.com
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But apple double dips, huge cost up front and ads later and data mining. * Apple doesn't sell the data but still mines the data for its own use.
Android has a bigger user base worldwide than iOS/iPadOS. In fact, it has the highest user base out any OS worldwide (PC included).
Apple has the most engaged user base between the two. That’s why app developers will likely put their software on iOS due to higher levels of engagement with the user base, whereas Play (and collective Android stores) doesn’t really match up to the user base.
If I needs to connect to someone overseas on a Android then I would have no choice but to use WhatsApp.In absolute number yes. But globally 72% of users use Android, whereas in N. America it's 45%. Hence why I was saying that perhaps on this US centric forum most people would be hesitant to switch to Android because most use iOS and it's proprietary features.
Doesn't matter that you haven't personally used WhatsApp, what does that piece of information being to this discussion?
Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide | Statcounter Global Stats
This graph shows the market share of mobile operating systems worldwide based on over 5 billion monthly page views.
For anyone to bash you would be petty as hell. Whether you need an Android device or not, they make tech that does some things Apple doesn’t. They excel in areas Apple doesn’t. When I’m finished with residency I intend to own both the latest iPhone and latest Samsung Galaxy. Because I love tech and can appreciate both. As far as ecosystems, however, I will continue to live in the Apple ecosystem. It really is too easy.
Oh please, the iPhone isn't all that.
I was quite disappointed by my iPhone 12 Pro Max's battery life and going to the iPhone 13 Pro was just meh. I am much happier (and more productive) with my Galaxy Z Fold 4.
I love MacOS and have two Macbooks (an Air and Pro), an M1 Mini, and contemplating another M2 Pro Mini or Mac Studio. Also have an iPad Pro 12.9 but I don't use it much now that I have the Fold 4 with me all the time. The iPhone is too plain and basic for my needs with limited widgets/customization and poor multitasking. The thing I miss most about leaving iOS is losing use of my beloved Apple Watch 7 LTE. I genuinely miss my Apple Watch more than the iPhone.
Overall the camera is better on iPhone than my Z Fold 4, but not significantly so. The iPhone 14 Pro Max's (Samsung) display is gorgeous and the island was a clever implementation, but beyond that it's the same bland iPhone to me. If Apple releases a foldable phone with true multitasking (i.e. NOT Stage Manager) then I might come back. Otherwise I'm perfectly happy using Macs and carrying a different phone in my pocket. It's all about which tool works best for me and iPhone isn't it.
I'm not surprised OP finds the S23 Ultra appealing. I loved the Note line going back to the 4, 5, 8, and 10+ before I switched to iPhones, and then switched back to Android. I loved the precision of the S Pen and took copious notes during meetings, including diagrams, snapshots, and it was all so easy to organize notes and multitask.
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I would say that it is complicated. As others have said it depends a lot on how invested you are in an ecosystem.
However I don't like being locked into something by a company that makes it purposely difficult to use alternative services. Google has many apps that work on iOS and Apple not only doesn't allow a lot of iOS native apps to work on Android they make iMessages as incompatible as possible.
Apple could literally make iMessages available for Android. They could make Facetime for Android but they don't because they want to lock their customers down. They make any transition from iOS to Android as difficult as possible.
In my opinion if you make the best phone then why not make it easy to switch to Android? People who would switch would naturally come back because you make a better product. If you make it difficult then it shows a lack of confidence in your own products. Also if more people on Android were exposed to Facetime, and iMessages they might be interested to see how it works on an iphone and it would serve as free advertising.
All that being said for most apps on iOS there is a Android app equivalent or a workaround.
Once you have determined that despite the drawbacks of leaving the Apple ecosystem you still want to try Android then you can make honest comparisons.
Honestly Apple makes the most premium feeling phone and one of the best designs-period. No Android phone looks as nice when the total package is considered not just one aspect or component. A series processors are the fastest SOC in the phone space period. Apple OS support in terms of years is the best in the business.
BUT Apple purposely holds back on cutting edge components and features arbitrarily. Apple doesn't allow much customization of the UI. Apple charges a lot.
USB C on iPhone is taking forever. I have a few Apple products and they all use USB C but my newest 2022 iPhone has a lightning port? Why? Apple could put Always On Display on iPhone 13 Pro Max but doesn't. Why? Bluetooth standards, wifi standards are not latest gen. Why? Storage and ram are not the latest standard. Why? Cameras just got a 48mp sensor this year. Why?
Now most iPhone users could care less about any of what I mentioned in the paragraph above. If it works and is fast then who cares?
Screen tech? Not the very best.
So in the larger view Apple is great. The phones look incredible and have premium build and materials. But they charge a lot for their devices and most of what I said is for the Pro, Pro Max version of the iPhone. If you bought a regular iPhone 14 there is essentially nothing different about it from the 13. So if you were to upgrade you essentially paid for a title. Even with Samsung holding back it's best cameras and screen for the Ultra all three s23 get the same latest processor and all but the base model s23 get ufs 4.0 and faster ddr5 ram.
I don't understand how Apple can get away with using the a15 from last year in a new phone. One of the things I liked about iPhones were that every iPhone got the best, latest a series chip.
E Sim only. Why? It is not a benefit to the consumer in any way. Since these are expensive phones why not leave a sim tray in the phone?
Ultimately in terms of why you want to switch over from iPhone to Android and whether you should do so is completely up to the individual. Why not just out of curiosity? Why not because Android phones are more customizable, have had newer features first and because you have a lot more hardware choices? Why not because you just want to try something different?
After having been an Android user for years and getting tired of fragmentation with Android updates I switched to iPhone and I loved it although there were several things that bugged me in the UI and settings it was overall a great experience. Over time more Android features got added to iOS which was great. Then for the first time in a while after the iOS 16 update I was not happy using my iPhone. Still I was seriously considering upgrading my 13 Pro Max to a 14 Pro Max.
Ultimately the cost was too high and I had to stop using the 13 Pro Max because of a carrier switch and locked phone. So I decided even though I was deep in Apple ecosystem to switch to a Pixel. Was it perfectly easy? No. But was it as bad as I feared? Definitely not. I actually like the Pixel a lot more than the iPhone. I like the exclusive Pixel features. I like having a choice. I don't like being locked into any ecosystem and Google is a lot better and so is Samsung in that way. If you use a Samsung phone and a Samsung tablet and a windows computer then you can have the same experience as Apple but you have more features.
I still like iOS and iPhones but the myopic view that iPhones are superior and more private and secure is wrong. At this point no mobile OS is private and Google is just as secure. In terms of hardware I guess it boils down to appearance or substance, freedom or integration and more or less choice.
So if you make the switch it is not going to be just rainbows and unicorns. Android is not superior to iOS but both systems have their unique strengths and weaknesses. What you prefer comes down to personal preferences. But if you have been stuck just using one OS for a long time why not give something new a try just to see the difference. If anything it will make you appreciate the change or appreciate what you have missed all the more.
However I don't like being locked into something by a company that makes it purposely difficult to use alternative services. Google has many apps that work on iOS and Apple not only doesn't allow a lot of iOS native apps to work on Android they make iMessages as incompatible as possible.
Apple could literally make iMessages available for Android. They could make Facetime for Android but they don't because they want to lock their customers down. They make any transition from iOS to Android as difficult as possible.
In my opinion if you make the best phone then why not make it easy to switch to Android? People who would switch would naturally come back because you make a better product. If you make it difficult then it shows a lack of confidence in your own products. Also if more people on Android were exposed to Facetime, and iMessages they might be interested to see how it works on an iphone and it would serve as free advertising.
All that being said for most apps on iOS there is a Android app equivalent or a workaround.
Once you have determined that despite the drawbacks of leaving the Apple ecosystem you still want to try Android then you can make honest comparisons.
Honestly Apple makes the most premium feeling phone and one of the best designs-period. No Android phone looks as nice when the total package is considered not just one aspect or component. A series processors are the fastest SOC in the phone space period. Apple OS support in terms of years is the best in the business.
BUT Apple purposely holds back on cutting edge components and features arbitrarily. Apple doesn't allow much customization of the UI. Apple charges a lot.
USB C on iPhone is taking forever. I have a few Apple products and they all use USB C but my newest 2022 iPhone has a lightning port? Why? Apple could put Always On Display on iPhone 13 Pro Max but doesn't. Why? Bluetooth standards, wifi standards are not latest gen. Why? Storage and ram are not the latest standard. Why? Cameras just got a 48mp sensor this year. Why?
Now most iPhone users could care less about any of what I mentioned in the paragraph above. If it works and is fast then who cares?
Screen tech? Not the very best.
So in the larger view Apple is great. The phones look incredible and have premium build and materials. But they charge a lot for their devices and most of what I said is for the Pro, Pro Max version of the iPhone. If you bought a regular iPhone 14 there is essentially nothing different about it from the 13. So if you were to upgrade you essentially paid for a title. Even with Samsung holding back it's best cameras and screen for the Ultra all three s23 get the same latest processor and all but the base model s23 get ufs 4.0 and faster ddr5 ram.
I don't understand how Apple can get away with using the a15 from last year in a new phone. One of the things I liked about iPhones were that every iPhone got the best, latest a series chip.
E Sim only. Why? It is not a benefit to the consumer in any way. Since these are expensive phones why not leave a sim tray in the phone?
Ultimately in terms of why you want to switch over from iPhone to Android and whether you should do so is completely up to the individual. Why not just out of curiosity? Why not because Android phones are more customizable, have had newer features first and because you have a lot more hardware choices? Why not because you just want to try something different?
After having been an Android user for years and getting tired of fragmentation with Android updates I switched to iPhone and I loved it although there were several things that bugged me in the UI and settings it was overall a great experience. Over time more Android features got added to iOS which was great. Then for the first time in a while after the iOS 16 update I was not happy using my iPhone. Still I was seriously considering upgrading my 13 Pro Max to a 14 Pro Max.
Ultimately the cost was too high and I had to stop using the 13 Pro Max because of a carrier switch and locked phone. So I decided even though I was deep in Apple ecosystem to switch to a Pixel. Was it perfectly easy? No. But was it as bad as I feared? Definitely not. I actually like the Pixel a lot more than the iPhone. I like the exclusive Pixel features. I like having a choice. I don't like being locked into any ecosystem and Google is a lot better and so is Samsung in that way. If you use a Samsung phone and a Samsung tablet and a windows computer then you can have the same experience as Apple but you have more features.
I still like iOS and iPhones but the myopic view that iPhones are superior and more private and secure is wrong. At this point no mobile OS is private and Google is just as secure. In terms of hardware I guess it boils down to appearance or substance, freedom or integration and more or less choice.
So if you make the switch it is not going to be just rainbows and unicorns. Android is not superior to iOS but both systems have their unique strengths and weaknesses. What you prefer comes down to personal preferences. But if you have been stuck just using one OS for a long time why not give something new a try just to see the difference. If anything it will make you appreciate the change or appreciate what you have missed all the more.
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