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Switching to S20+ from iPhone
- Thread starter Deacon-Blues
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I've used Android from 2012 until last year when my Nexus 6p's battery started dropping power unexpectedly. I called it quits when it predictably started shutting down around 35%. Battery life was down to a useful 6 hours. Coincidentally, my wife stopped using her iPhone 7. I used that for over half a year now, so I think I know iOS pretty well in the meantime.
There are several things that I really miss. For example, the Nexus 6p's finger print sensor was much, much more reliable than Apple's. Even worse is the iOS home screen. It's a flash back straight to 2008. The whole world has moved on, but Apple managed to only extend the number of rows of icons. Compare that to NovaLauncher where you get to decide the numbers of rows/columns of icons, or where you can have actual live, usable widgets on the home screen, positioned to half-icon accuracy. I used to have 1 screen with my most useful info (clock, sunrise/set, weather + often used icons), then 1 screen with my calendar. All the rest was in the app drawer. Compared to that, iOS feels like Windows 3.1.
As for ad blocking, "good" Android phones have the advantage of being rootable. You root it, you install an ad blocker that uses the hosts file and nothing from those hosts can pass anymore.
Rooting has the additional advantage that you can install updates way after the manufacturer has abandoned your phone. I had a Samsung Galaxy S2 that got 1, maybe 2 updates. I found out that I had a wide choice of ROMs. After reading up, I picked one aimed at simplicity and performance. It had neat features like sliding over the status bar at the top of the screen to change screen brightness. There's so much more that you can get with community support: built-in high quality codecs and DSP effects, security, power features, many of which Apple will never allow (like a terminal... why not?). You can also just drop Google's Pixel software on it, so you get all their AI prowess for your camera.
Of course there are things I'd miss if I switched back. As a sysadmin, I can share Wi-Fi passwords with a single tap on the screen from my iPhone to a colleague's mac (which works in 80% of the cases). There's the password sharing and AirDrop. But before AirDrop, I had a(n admittedly much more convoluted) way of doing this with an FTP server (server!) on my Android phone. I'm sure there are easier ways to do it than that now.
So I'm seriously, seriously considering moving back to Android. The S10 (Exynos version) looks OK, or the S10+ if I insist on getting the bigger battery. I have an iPadPro+pencil so I don't want another stylus in the Note10. The Poco F1 seems like a great budget option. OnePlus is crazy expensive these days, so it's far less appealing. Still looking for the perfect match of small size, great battery and incredible camera.
There are several things that I really miss. For example, the Nexus 6p's finger print sensor was much, much more reliable than Apple's. Even worse is the iOS home screen. It's a flash back straight to 2008. The whole world has moved on, but Apple managed to only extend the number of rows of icons. Compare that to NovaLauncher where you get to decide the numbers of rows/columns of icons, or where you can have actual live, usable widgets on the home screen, positioned to half-icon accuracy. I used to have 1 screen with my most useful info (clock, sunrise/set, weather + often used icons), then 1 screen with my calendar. All the rest was in the app drawer. Compared to that, iOS feels like Windows 3.1.
As for ad blocking, "good" Android phones have the advantage of being rootable. You root it, you install an ad blocker that uses the hosts file and nothing from those hosts can pass anymore.
Rooting has the additional advantage that you can install updates way after the manufacturer has abandoned your phone. I had a Samsung Galaxy S2 that got 1, maybe 2 updates. I found out that I had a wide choice of ROMs. After reading up, I picked one aimed at simplicity and performance. It had neat features like sliding over the status bar at the top of the screen to change screen brightness. There's so much more that you can get with community support: built-in high quality codecs and DSP effects, security, power features, many of which Apple will never allow (like a terminal... why not?). You can also just drop Google's Pixel software on it, so you get all their AI prowess for your camera.
Of course there are things I'd miss if I switched back. As a sysadmin, I can share Wi-Fi passwords with a single tap on the screen from my iPhone to a colleague's mac (which works in 80% of the cases). There's the password sharing and AirDrop. But before AirDrop, I had a(n admittedly much more convoluted) way of doing this with an FTP server (server!) on my Android phone. I'm sure there are easier ways to do it than that now.
So I'm seriously, seriously considering moving back to Android. The S10 (Exynos version) looks OK, or the S10+ if I insist on getting the bigger battery. I have an iPadPro+pencil so I don't want another stylus in the Note10. The Poco F1 seems like a great budget option. OnePlus is crazy expensive these days, so it's far less appealing. Still looking for the perfect match of small size, great battery and incredible camera.
I'm looking to get the regular S20 making the switch from my iPhone 11 pro. I'm tired of iOS and apple revoking my sideloaded apps (I miss the days of Real jailbreaks - the non-revokable ones). Its time for my freedom to be returned to me. And now with 120hz and 5g it seems like its finally here.
The fact Android now supports full gesture control is gonna make the transition a lot easier for me. And i like that Samsung is tryin hard to push the full screen no notch design and we already know samsung makes incredible screens so its all win.
I really can't see a downside to the switch, I'm not invested in the apple eco-system so everything for me is transferable. I just have to get used to using Android as a daily driver.
The fact Android now supports full gesture control is gonna make the transition a lot easier for me. And i like that Samsung is tryin hard to push the full screen no notch design and we already know samsung makes incredible screens so its all win.
I really can't see a downside to the switch, I'm not invested in the apple eco-system so everything for me is transferable. I just have to get used to using Android as a daily driver.
Rubbish!! WhatsApp is superb!!!!
I doth beseech thee, good sirrah, to stay thine hand from further striking that misfortunate, long passed steed. Oh! For 'tis not in God's will that we shalth further brood 'pon the balance of good or ill in matters of iMessage or WhatsApp, ere they be separated not by quality, but of manner of use by good men such as thineself, and thine fellow gentleman.
For me personally, has nothing to do with the quality of the app but rather who owns it. I’d be in a world of hurt in regards to messaging if I lived outside of the US.
I have the 11 Pro Max and have been using an S20+.
Pros of S20+:
Screen is more immersive because no notch. Highly subjective. No excuse for iPhone to have any notch in 2020.
120 Hz is fantastic.
Multitasking / split screen is easy considering the screen real estate.
Background play on various apps (more an Android thing than a Samsung thing).
S20+ is much lighter.
Face unlock goes straight to home screen.
Phone calls sound better to me using earpiece speaker. Highly subjective.
Base storage 128gb and includes SD card slot. Also 12gb memory.
Always on Display that is fully customizable and can be scheduled.
25w fast charging vs. 18w on iPhone.
System wide dark mode including Samsung web browser which is also full / proper dark mode (black backgrounds and not dark gray).
Samsung web browser includes great ad blocking plugins.
Reverse wireless charging. I've used it on my wife's iPhone and on my AirPods Pro. Convenient.
Cons:
No iMessage.
Fingerprint sensor is just as bad as it was on the S10. Face ID is the best in the business on iPhone.
Battery life is not as good as the 11 Pro Max.
Build quality of S20+ feels fantastic, but the 11 Pro Max is in a league of its own.
Phone dialer screen doesn't include an option to view visual voice mail. It's in a separate app and I had to place it in a folder along with the Phone app to make it quickly accessible. iPhone way just makes sense and it is simple.
These are just a few things, only had the phone for about a week. I can't say the S20+ is better than my Pro Max or vice versa. Totally different devices with pros and cons to each.
Hows battery life? I know you said not as good as the Pro Max but thats to be expected. Whats your SOT looking like?
Only received this new S20+ yesterday afternoon so not yet an accurate window. But so far today after 1 hour and 2 minutes screen time I'm down to 82% battery. I have yet to limit all my app background activities which I'm sure plays a role. I have battery set to optimized and using adaptive battery.
Not a major deal. My Pixel 4 XL is worse or very similar and I got along just fine when I was using it daily. Just pointing it out to the person who asked for the comparison, the Pro Max is battery king for me.
I think I might jump in here with a similar situation. I had an iPhone 8+ that got stolen, so wound up getting an iPhone x. Been with the iPhone crowd since 6, so am fairly familiar with the phone, apps, and ecosystem. I got the other half a used Samsung Galaxy S8+, and absolutely loved the screen, it blew my iphone screen away in clarity, definition, and in almost every aspect. I traded my iPhone x for an S10+. I really liked the S10+, it was a fine piece of machinery, but there were a few things that bothered me. The fingerprint sensor sucked canal water. It would take several tries compared to the one's on the iPhone, be it the button types, or the non-button on the iphone 8+. In addition, the facial recognition would simply not work in less than perfect light. I could possibly get used to these, and live with them, but the big thing for me was the absolute refusal of Samsung Health to play with virtually any other exercise/health app out there. If I did an activity with my Garmin Fenix, it wouldn't show up in Samsung Health. To make matters worse, the iOS ecosystem has an app (RunGap) that will import from virtually any other app, (except, of course, Samsung Health) and export it to virtually any other app, except, of course, Samsung Health. This makes it difficult to track daily health metrics, unless you drop another 2-400 bucks on Samsungs offering of a Smart watch, which is also nothing compared to the Apple Watch. It tries, (I had the Active 2), but it's just not there. The comparison between Samsung Health and Apple Health is like Donkey Cong vs. Call of Duty - Modern Warfare. Because the activities are such a big portion of my life, as is keeping track of my metrics, it just won't cut it for me. I'm a 72 year old man who has been in sedentiary jobs all of my life, obese, and trying to regain some semblance of health that I've ignored for the last 50+ years.
No it's not.
Even Telegram is far superior than WhatsApp.
The only thing "great" about WhatsApp is just the userbase, meaning most of the time you are forced to use it because everybody else is on it.
So a very easy to use messaging system, that has a good inter face , fully featured, free!!, is used cross platform by almost everyone isnt very good? Ok then!!!!!
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In a nutshell, it hasnt got an apple logo on, so its pants !! What a weird attitude to have!!!
The switch to Android will be easier. iOS is convulated and unintuitive in so many ways in comparison. Finger gymnastics gestures are still annoying and more effort compared to capacitive touch buttons. There's no default contacts app on iPhone. Zoom in/out on Apple Maps is backwards. Double-tap swipe up should zoom out like going up in altitude. Blocking a number not in contacts is so unintuitive and too many steps. Whoever designed the UI was drunk.
Are you sure you're talking about Whatsapp? It's none of those things you mentioned other than the user base. Unless you're correlating quantity as quality.
But hey, ignorance is bliss.
Let's take one example. Let's say you're the OP, wanting to switch iOS to Android. How do you suggest him/her in migrating his/her Whatsapp from iOS to Android?
With telegram, I simply log in on a new device regardless of platform, and all my chat history is there. And I can do this on all my devices, tablets, PC, all at once, without pesky web apps. Try doing that with Whatsapp.
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The regular S20 is truly an underrated device. Imo it's the best value of all the S20 lineup, with the caveat that it is only available with 128GB storage option (a non issue for most people).
There's a reason Samsung pushed youtubers to review the Ultra first. They want people to be tempted to get that instead of the cheaper regular S20.
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To be fair he has a point. I often switch between platforms and wish I was able to restore all my previous chats but I can't. I accept it but I don't like it.
That's one feature, the way he dismiss's it, it suggests it's a piece of sh#t, which is madness....
Well, things did not go exactly according to plan. We got new phones, but not the ones we were expecting to get.
If you like iOS those are great phones. Some of the hardware and software might feel a little dated but it's a great device. Right along with the s20 as the best phone I've ever used.
The 11 pro series is a great phone. Besides the fact that I can’t stop myself from messing with androids, I could’ve happily stuck with the pro max for the whole year. Battery life is the best I’ve had on any smartphone
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