That's it, I'm free of Apple

[0989382]

I’m guessing with no updates he went back to apple...! But fair play for trying..

I did go back to the Mac mini, returned the S10+, bought another iPhone XR and decided to keep the ThinkPad with Ubuntu on it. It’s going quite well! I use the X280 as a spyware-free Chromebook to access iCloud data

 

[sean_gut]

See, I'd say both worlds have their good sides and their bad sides. I was an Android user since day one. Had the G1 and loved it. Over the years I had a good dozen of Android devices, rooted, unrooted, unlocked and such. I enjoyed the freedom that came with it. Two month ago I bought a Huawei P30 pro, a week later came the ban and I immediately sold it, since I got a good deal for it and decided to switch it up and got an iPhone XS Max. Sure it takes time to get used to and yes you give up some of the freedom that comes with a more open OS buzt hey there is always something... I really like the iPhone and honestly I think it is a bit more secure, wich is good since I do my banking on my phone and well not having to tinker around with the OS is freeing as well... Is the iPhone the best Smartphone? I have no idea, I like it and I will keep it...

 

[z970]

I HATE Google and don't want to go near it's ecosystem any more than I have to, which hopefully will be possible. Especially as I'm sure Android can be adapted in these ways to make it so?

Same here.

Check out LineageOS. (https://www.lineageos.org/)

No Google in sight.

 

[mrex]

Thank god a phone is just a phone nowadays for me... thank you iphone for being so simply, dumb (no customizing). when i had an android phone i was tweaking the home/lockscreen as a grazy person for hours almost daily.. just because it was fun.

I couldnt go back to an android phone, it would be a nightmare again - tweaking, tweaking and more tweaking. Hours and hours for tweaking. Now with iphone i have time for other things too like playing FOE seriously, i loved Zooper, launchers (Nova), be able to customize everything from icons to screen layouts (several differend homescreen (a cubic, rollable homescreen etc)).

Been using iphone for years, the phone has become a phone it used to be before android. A basic device to reach others. So what im actually doing with my phone? Calls, messages, very light browsing when im out, tapatalk, sometimes gaming... at home my phone is on a table 99% of time. It used to be earlier that the phone was 99% on my hands for tweaking it on some way..
No, no android for me or i need to participate AAU (anon. android users).

Btw. I still use android... just alittle bit but not too much

 

[Puddled]

You lasted a week? and gave up because windows doesn't answer the phone?

Disabling apps on Android is basic stuff. I dont use any Google apps on my S6 save the play store. Ive no idea what you found that difficult.

As for cortana, you can use any number of ways to summon her on android or you can use an app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jamworks.bxactions

And remap the Bixby button.

As for data syncing, this 2019, not 2012. Most apps on all platforms have as-it-happens syncing straight out of the box.

If you would have put just a little bit of the effort you will have done previously with ios into Android, you would have been ok.

After a month or two, you would have been flying.

 

[AustinIllini]

You lasted a week? and gave up because windows doesn't answer the phone?

Disabling apps on Android is basic stuff. I dont use any Google apps on my S6 save the play store. Ive no idea what you found that difficult.

As for cortana, you can use any number of ways to summon her on android or you can use an app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jamworks.bxactions

And remap the Bixby button.

As for data syncing, this 2019, not 2012. Most apps on all platforms have as-it-happens syncing straight out of the box.

If you would have put just a little bit of the effort you will have done previously with ios into Android, you would have been ok.

After a month or two, you would have been flying.

Honestly, your post is probably more of an endorsement of iOS than you intended.

"Just do all this customization you don't want to do, give away all your personal information to multiple third party applications and the phone will be iPhone quality on Android!"

If you want stock android, go Pixel. If you want Android Apps in the best hardware, go Samsung

If you want an OS that doesn't rely heavily on Google services out of the box and want a tight ecosystem that doesn't rely on giving more and more information to a third party application, you go Apple. It's that simple

 

[Shanghaichica]

Honestly, your post is probably more of an endorsement of iOS than you intended.

"Just do all this customization you don't want to do, give away all your personal information to multiple third party applications and the phone will be iPhone quality on Android!"

If you want stock android, go Pixel. If you want Android Apps in the best hardware, go Samsung

If you want an OS that doesn't rely heavily on Google services out of the box and want a tight ecosystem that doesn't rely on giving more and more information to a third party application, you go Apple. It's that simple

I think sometimes people just can’t be bothered with the work it takes to change over to a new system. I’m one of them. My workflow is set up for iOS/macOS on multiple devices and I just can’t be bothered to change it. There’s nothing wrong with android but as a daily driver I’m not willing to take the time to change things. I think that’s fine.

However I didn’t necessarily agree that an android phone out of the box heavily relies on google. The only google services you need to use are the play-store and google maps. Unless you have a pixel phone, another android phone will come with other web browsers, messaging apps and email clients installed. When I had Samsung devices I just mainly used the default Samsung apps. The only google services I used were the play store and maps. I used an SD card to backup my photos and the stock photo gallery app.

I ended up using google docs and google drive because I bought a chromebook which gave me free drive storage and came free with the google suite. If not for the chromebook I wouldn’t have used those services.

Apart from the play store I am virtually using the same google services I used on android on iOS. I use google maps. That’s it.

 

[0989382]

You lasted a week? and gave up because windows doesn't answer the phone?

Disabling apps on Android is basic stuff. I dont use any Google apps on my S6 save the play store. Ive no idea what you found that difficult.

As for cortana, you can use any number of ways to summon her on android or you can use an app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jamworks.bxactions

And remap the Bixby button.

As for data syncing, this 2019, not 2012. Most apps on all platforms have as-it-happens syncing straight out of the box.

If you would have put just a little bit of the effort you will have done previously with ios into Android, you would have been ok.

After a month or two, you would have been flying.

Android wouldn't let me disable the apps I wanted to disable. Nobody was able to tell me how to remap the Bixby button, but many said Samsung have intentionally prevented that from being allowed.

Answering the phone is pretty important though, and synced keychain with your computers and other devices, when you're used to it, really saves time. Especially as every one of my few hundred online accounts have unique Safari generated passwords.

I know, if I stuck it out and did more work yeah it'd have been fine. I just didn't personally make the sacrifices. Some people might read this and be inspired and go the full way, knowing the issues I had and deeming them no problem. Hopefully they do!


There is one killer feature Samsung offer that Apple don't and probably never will have a chance of matching... the 30 day any reason open box used device returns policy!!!

 

[Mahasamatman]

Android wouldn't let me disable the apps I wanted to disable. Nobody was able to tell me how to remap the Bixby button, but many said Samsung have intentionally prevented that from being allowed.

Sadly Samsung are possibly the worst android brand to try. Their phones are pretty damned well made and work very well but but they duplicate most of the Google apps and add their own stuff like Samsung pay which nags incessantly to be set up, even if you don’t want it. The fact they add their own skin and apps means security updates are delayed and phones stop being supported early, even for security updates. Never mind with the lag your carrier adds to getting releases out.

The lesser brands that don’t have this additional cruft - Motorola and Nokia - are far better imho if you want to go the android phone route, but even then no.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Sadly Samsung are possibly the worst android brand to try. Their phones are pretty damned well made and work very well but but they duplicate most of the Google apps and add their own stuff like Samsung pay which nags incessantly to be set up, even if you don’t want it. The fact they add their own skin and apps means security updates are delayed and phones stop being supported early, even for security updates. Never mind with the lag your carrier adds to getting releases out.

The lesser brands that don’t have this additional cruft - Motorola and Nokia - are far better imho if you want to go the android phone route, but even then no.

Of course there are no benefits to owning a Samsung phone, only downsides.

 

[michael9891]

Sadly Samsung are possibly the worst android brand to try. Their phones are pretty damned well made and work very well but but they duplicate most of the Google apps and add their own stuff like Samsung pay which nags incessantly to be set up, even if you don’t want it. The fact they add their own skin and apps means security updates are delayed and phones stop being supported early, even for security updates. Never mind with the lag your carrier adds to getting releases out.

The lesser brands that don’t have this additional cruft - Motorola and Nokia - are far better imho if you want to go the android phone route, but even then no.

Spoken like a true iPhone owner. I might pop onto an iPhone XR thread and say what I don't like about a phone I've never owned and have no intentions of owning.

Duplicate most of the Google apps? Never had this trouble.

Samsung pay always asking to be set up? Never had this trouble.

Samsung's own skin adds many great features. Never had a problem with security updates.

 

[Mahasamatman]

Of course there are no benefits to owning a Samsung phone, only downsides.

Never said that, please don’t make things up.
[doublepost=1561229551][/doublepost]

Spoken like a true iPhone owner. I might pop onto an iPhone XR thread and say what I don't like about a phone I've never owned and have no intentions of owning.

Knock yourself out. For myself I owned an S7 edge for a year before an update to the non-carrier version of Android bought with it a whole different level of nagware.

Duplicate most of the Google apps? Never had this trouble.

I suppose everyone likes using two browsers, email apps and pay apps on their phone. It just doesn’t suit me.

Samsung pay always asking to be set up? Never had this trouble.

I’ll see your anecdotal evidence and raise you mine. I put up with it for a day.

Samsung's own skin adds many great features. Never had a problem with security updates.

Your mileage clearly varies. But I do know that after six months of no updates I updated by S7 edge to the non-carrier version because I wanted to avoid being open to known vulnerabilities.

 

[michael9891]

Never said that, please don’t make things up.
[doublepost=1561229551][/doublepost]
Knock yourself out. For myself I owned an S7 edge for a year before an update to the non-carrier version of Android bought with it a whole different level of nagware.

I suppose everyone likes using two browsers, email apps and pay apps on their phone. It just doesn’t suit me.

I’ll see your anecdotal evidence and raise you mine. I put up with it for a day.

Your mileage clearly varies. But I do know that after six months of no updates I updated by S7 edge to the non-carrier version because I wanted to avoid being open to known vulnerabilities.

Talking about a phone that's years old on a thread about an S10.

I've only ever used one browser and one email app on a Samsung. Maybe you needed help using it.

 

[Mahasamatman]

Talking about a phone that's years old on a thread about an S10.

I've only ever used one browser and one email app on a Samsung. Maybe you needed help using it.

Ooh, I like you, you’re funny.

 

[trinec]

On the one hand, you can't compare an old lady to a younger one - would you? Probably only (G)/MILF. On the other hand the S7 still gets security updates after this age. For everything else, it depends...

 

[mi7chy]

I suppose everyone likes using two browsers, email apps and pay apps on their phone. It just doesn’t suit me.

As a matter of fact I do. I switch between Chrome and Samsung browsers, MX Player and Kodi for media players, etc. along with ability to change default app which is lacking on iOS. Whatever preinstalled apps can be disabled so no big deal.

 

[Swampbaby985]

A few months ago, and for the past 10 years as of June 6th, I've been a loyal and enthusiastic fan of Apple devices, software and especially the ecosystem. I had an iPhone XR 128GB and Mac Mini 6-core and iPad Air 3, now all sold. Before this, I had an iPhone SE and a TouchBar 2018 MBP with 512GB storage. I had a LOT of my cash in Apple's pockets.

As of tomorrow morning, I'll wake up a Windows + Android man.

It started with buying a used ThinkPad X280 at a steal of a price, £600. It's got 16GB RAM, vPro i5 quad core, 1080p screen 256GB (soon to be upgraded - yay, upgrades again!) ssd. Two weeks in and I've not had any nasty surprises. It's also got 2.5 years of Lenovo warranty on it, no need to pay for Apple Care thankfully. But realistically, I'll order and fix it myself, because now.. I can! No more long trips, petrol burned, my work working around me Mac-less for a week, getting my Mac returned with an eye lash on it etc.

I sincerely loved Apple and still admire and respect it, but I've turned into the very person I argued with before in saying that "They're good, but they're just not for me". And I wouldn't dispute the benefits of the Mac either, they're real and impressive in their own right.

As WWDC comes up, usually I'm buzzing to see what we'll get. And truth be told I was worried it'd make me regret selling my devices, but my experience so far has been so positive on W10 and the Microsoft Ecosystem that I'm no longer worried.

My back is turned on Apple now. I just ordered a Samsung Galaxy S10+ to replace my iPhone XR, which I've only had since January. Why? The XR is great, but it's not as well integrated into my new setup and new found joy of being in Microsoft's bubble as an Android phone can be. I HATE Google and don't want to go near it's ecosystem any more than I have to, which hopefully will be possible. Especially as I'm sure Android can be adapted in these ways to make it so?

The screen size of the XR from the SE was fantastic, but I found myself envious of Android friends having the split screen use of their phones - replying on WhatsApp whilst continuing to watch your YouTube video etc. I hope for better use of the now larger screen.

The bigger and hopefully better battery life of the S10+ is also welcome, as the improvement from SE to XR was.

I'll admit I'm no Android expert and acted too quickly, not being able to closely identify every spec and review of every choice I had like is advisable, but the S10+ comes from a manufacturer which if anything is as credible and established and popular as Apple today and ranks high on all of the current 'best' lists too. I've found that these lists tend to nail it for most users cases and hope it has in this case.

I considered the Xperia 1 but its focus on creators and video and 'on-phone' apps isn't where my money is best concentrated.

Now, I hope my integrated S10+ and W10 X280 can work reliably, for a long time and with power to spare for at least 3 years. Then I'll know if I ever want to reconsider Apple, and with a better focus on Pros and admitting their mistakes lately, perhaps that'll be the place to do it. But they lost me, as my career increasingly depended on their hardware they lost me as a 'pro'. And whether I'll reconsider in a few years depends on how well Lenovo's ThinkPad reliability and Microsoft's listening to customers and tuning of Windows and finally Samsung's never ending battle to 'beat' the iPhone holds true to itself.

I can continue to update this periodically for anyone else considering a drastic move like this, and would be happy to answer any questions or take any advice. Do you guys think I made the right choice going from X10+ from XR?

I was totally onboard with your post until I came upon the mention of Windows phone...ugh
[doublepost=1562522177][/doublepost]

As a matter of fact I do. I switch between Chrome and Samsung browsers, MX Player and Kodi for media players, etc. along with ability to change default app which is lacking on iOS. Whatever preinstalled apps can be disabled so no big deal.

My default browser of choice on my Google Pixel 3 is Samsung Browser because of the ad blockers.

 

[Fried_Gold]

Can't really complain about Google apps on a Google owned OS and Samsung apps on a Samsung device, also Android/Windows integration when they are not made to work together like MacOS/iOS.

At least you tried but going off everything you've said you should have stayed with what you had.

 

[Tsepz]

I think sometimes people just can’t be bothered with the work it takes to change over to a new system. I’m one of them. My workflow is set up for iOS/macOS on multiple devices and I just can’t be bothered to change it. There’s nothing wrong with android but as a daily driver I’m not willing to take the time to change things. I think that’s fine.

However I didn’t necessarily agree that an android phone out of the box heavily relies on google. The only google services you need to use are the play-store and google maps. Unless you have a pixel phone, another android phone will come with other web browsers, messaging apps and email clients installed. When I had Samsung devices I just mainly used the default Samsung apps. The only google services I used were the play store and maps. I used an SD card to backup my photos and the stock photo gallery app.

I ended up using google docs and google drive because I bought a chromebook which gave me free drive storage and came free with the google suite. If not for the chromebook I wouldn’t have used those services.

Apart from the play store I am virtually using the same google services I used on android on iOS. I use google maps. That’s it.

Well said, I fully agree.

If it’s worth anything, I found getting accustomed to iOS a lot easier due to having the iPad and and the MacBook Air already, whereas with Android you will typically have the phone and maybe a tablet but no fully fledged desktop OS that fully integrate with Android.

I had no idea I would enjoy the XS Max this much, but here we are. I always did look at it with a different feeling vs. previous iPhones but never thought I’d jump in and get it but now I am so glad I did.

With the above said I still love going back to my P30 Pro and giving Android a good go.

Android as a stand-alone OS is fantastic, I love how an Android phone feels like a Desktop PC in your pocket, phones like the S10, P30 Pro, OnePlus 7 Pro and Note9 are built for absolute convergence, but in a world where devices need to talk to each other more and the need/want for mobile-to-desktop integration, I have to say iOS to MacOS hits the spot so damn well it should be a crime.

It still freaks me out how my iPhone XS Max, my old iPad Air 2 and my MacBook Air all allow me to flow between them, answer calls, pick up where I left off from one to the other, it’s STUPID good and quite frankly has me hooked. I love technology and I now see why Apple folks get so engrossed in the ecosystem, it’s ridiculously good.

I wish Google would find a way to make it this hard to leave Android the way Apple has made it hard to leave iOS.

The OS and Security updates in iOS will also always be ahead I guess, you look at a phone like the iPhone 6 Plus which came out in 2014 like the Galaxy Note 4 and Nexus 6 and yet the iPhone 6 Plus got its last update now in 2019, 5 years later, while the Note 4 and Nexus 6 lost update support around 2017, it’s insane.

 

[jamezr]

Never said that, please don’t make things up.
[doublepost=1561229551][/doublepost]
Knock yourself out. For myself I owned an S7 edge for a year before an update to the non-carrier version of Android bought with it a whole different level of nagware.

I suppose everyone likes using two browsers, email apps and pay apps on their phone. It just doesn’t suit me.

I’ll see your anecdotal evidence and raise you mine. I put up with it for a day.

Your mileage clearly varies. But I do know that after six months of no updates I updated by S7 edge to the non-carrier version because I wanted to avoid being open to known vulnerabilities.

Do you only use the default apps on your phones? You know there are better alternatives than the default out of the box apps? I don't use the default mail client of my Xs Max...because the mail app in IOS just doesn't cut it for me.
I don't the default mail app on my Pixel 3 XL as well for the same reasons. But Samsung does provide a lot of features you can only find on their phones.
Then for me the S7 was not a very good phone to be honest. If that is what you base your Android experiences on then please try a phone like the S10. I think you will be amazed at the difference between the user experience s of the 2 phones.

 

[tbayrgs]

Well said, I fully agree.

If it’s worth anything, I found getting accustomed to iOS a lot easier due to having the iPad and and the MacBook Air already, whereas with Android you will typically have the phone and maybe a tablet but no fully fledged desktop OS that fully integrate with Android.

I had no idea I would enjoy the XS Max this much, but here we are. I always did look at it with a different feeling vs. previous iPhones but never thought I’d jump in and get it but now I am so glad I did.

With the above said I still love going back to my P30 Pro and giving Android a good go.

Android as a stand-alone OS is fantastic, I love how an Android phone feels like a Desktop PC in your pocket, phones like the S10, P30 Pro, OnePlus 7 Pro and Note9 are built for absolute convergence, but in a world where devices need to talk to each other more and the need/want for mobile-to-desktop integration, I have to say iOS to MacOS hits the spot so damn well it should be a crime.

It still freaks me out how my iPhone XS Max, my old iPad Air 2 and my MacBook Air all allow me to flow between them, answer calls, pick up where I left off from one to the other, it’s STUPID good and quite frankly has me hooked. I love technology and I now see why Apple folks get so engrossed in the ecosystem, it’s ridiculously good.

I wish Google would find a way to make it this hard to leave Android the way Apple has made it hard to leave iOS.

The OS and Security updates in iOS will also always be ahead I guess, you look at a phone like the iPhone 6 Plus which came out in 2014 like the Galaxy Note 4 and Nexus 6 and yet the iPhone 6 Plus got its last update now in 2019, 5 years later, while the Note 4 and Nexus 6 lost update support around 2017, it’s insane.

Your statements in BOLD are my feelings as well. If I was using my smartphone in a vacuum, I'd almost certainly choose an Android flagship. Their stand alone capabilities, customization, and flexibility give it a level of utility that can't be replicated in many areas on iOS on an iPhone.

But my smartphone isn't my sole device and as you clearly stated, the way devices within Apple's ecosystem work together so seamlessly (most of the time ) adds value that's greater than the sum of it's parts. It's why I find it so difficult to extract myself from Apple because I cannot find the same level of synchronicity with individual devices from separate manufacturers.

 

[AustinIllini]

In a vacuum, I would want an iPhone quality piece of hardware running pure Android.

At this point, the next best thing, because we don't live in a vacuum, is the pure Apple ecosystem for me.

 

[valinda]

For me, I have no problem using both systems. Right now I am using my S8 since Saturday, this phone still works good for me. It will be 2 years old in October.. When I feel like it, I will switch my SIM card back into my XS.