The iPhone from an Android Perspective

[Heat_Fan89]

Google's solution and features are definitely more sophisticated but at the end of the day, in regards to call screening, I’m getting the same results for my needs. I don't recognize a call, I can screen the call, get a live transcript of the dialogue from the caller should they decide to leave message or come back to the saved message later (text or voice) on either platform.

Gotcha, for me, my number is listed as a business and I get literally tons of unknown calls a week. If I didn't recognize the number I would answer the phone and to my surprise it was someone trying to sell me something. So it got to the point I wasn't answering the phone as I normally should especially when it was an out of state call.

Goggle's call screener eliminated all of that for me by having it answer every call automatically and if the caller stated they were calling for my services I would either pickup the call or call them back. I haven't found Live Voicemail do that for me but as you say, use what works best for you.

 

[jamezr]

Wrong thread

 

[sunking101]

Meh. I can make my own phonecalls.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I've had several missed phone calls that Live Voicemail did not interact with because I was away from the phone. With Google's Call Screener it would have answered each of those calls and would have asked the caller why they are calling. If they started speaking, it would have transcribed and saved what they said, even if they decided not to leave a voice mail. If I press the play button on their phone number, I can hear the audio version. I still don't see Apple's Live Voicemail doing anything close to that.

Google has even improved and added to their Call Screener this year in Android 14. Marques Brownlee demoed it in one of his recent videos, if UPS, Fedex, DoorDash or a delivery service were to call you, if you didn't recognize the number, you can tap the Call Screen button. If the person were to say, i'm from UPS/FedEx/DoorDash or I have a delivery for Heat_Fan89, a new set of buttons would appear with options like "leave at the front door, leave around the back door, etc". Google's Assistant would then respond to the delivery person and instruct them where to leave your package.

Apple's Live Voicemail doesn't provide any of that and since going from iOS 16 to iOS 17, my phone is asking me at times to reenter my Passcode, which some say that's because the phone has shut off and rebooted. This issue never happened once while in iOS 16. Since then I have seen it a few times already and has happened to my iPad's running iPadOS 17. But that's a totally separate issue that will eventually get fixed via software.

 

[dk001]

Great thread so far and thought I would drop this in here.
I have an S23 Ultra and have been using the 15 ProMax for two weeks.

• Both great devices.
• Battery life - S23U is better but the 15PM is not bad. I can get a full day from both.
• Feel in hand - S23U wins here. The new curve in the 15PM is nice but still lags the S23U.
• Speed - both are fast and perform well.
• Security - S23U - the added Secure Folder tips the scales here. IOS needs something like this. Like having the fingerprint option.
• Use in hand - S23U by a smidge. The S23U is more comfortable especially one handed but wish the volume and power button opposed each other. The 15 Action Button is oddly placed and not as easy one handed.
• Screen - call it a tie. They are both great!
• Use of USB C extras - both are good however I am having issues with some cables for Extreme SSD On the 15PM. High watt high data cables.
• Charging Speed - S23U - why can’t Apple give us some love?
• Assistants - Google. Siri and Bixby both suck. At least I can make it the default on the S23U.
• Camera - I spend most of my time in the 3x - 10x area. S23U wins here. Video I give to the 15PM along with the selfie.
• Extras - The S-Pen says it all. I found myself reaching for it on the 15PM and wishing it had one. Then there is the alternative app stores. Wish the 15PM had those too.

Going back to my S23U as the main and the 15PM as my second.

 

[Vegastouch]

Ok. On the iPhone, it will go to voicemail if the caller chooses to leave a message, which will also be transcribed.

Isn’t what Google’s doing just them basically handing the voicemail functionality as an intermediary? I’d wager more callers would be willing to respond to a message recorded in my voice than an automated assistant.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the call screening, found it to be a differentiating feature of Pixels but its benefit was really when I had my phone and could interact with it at the time of the call. While not exactly the same, that benefit has been brought to the iPhone in the form of the live voicemail. If I’m not near my phone when the call comes in, both services feel basically the same.

Call screen also detects if it is spam....somehow,... and automatically gets rid of it and you don't even have to touch the call screen button or wouldn't even know you had a call but you will get a notification telling you that call screen took care of a spam call.

The numbers in your contact list , the voicemail takes care of that of you don't answer.
It's the numbers not in your contacts gets the call screen.

It it detects it may be spam then the assistant answer's and asks why they are calling. 98% of the time, in my experience they just hang up so to me it comes in very handy.

I love the call screen feature.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Call screen also detects if it is spam....somehow,... and automatically gets rid of it and you don't even have to touch the call screen button.
The numbers in your contact list , the voicemail takes care of that of you don't answer.
It's the numbers not in your contacts gets the call screen.

It it detects it may be spam then the assistant answer's and asks why they are calling. 98% of the time, in my experience they just hang up so to me it comes in very handy.

I love the call screen feature.

That's what iPhone users have a tough time processing. That's the key point, you don't have to do a thing and the Google Assistant which handles the call screener portion does everything for you.

On the iPhone in order for Live Voicemail to work, you have to be at the phone and manually send it to voicemail which then sends the caller a message as to why they are calling. It's up to the caller whether to leave a message or not. And your results match mine. When a caller hangs up it's 95% spam.

Live Voicemail is a step in the right direction but it still is not on the same level as Google's Call Screener. And I don't even know if the iPhone has the feature on the Pixel phones where you can have the Google Assistant ring back the number if you are going to be on hold for a long time. And there's another feature where the GA can process on the phone screen the phone maze prompts for you so you don't have to wait to be told, press 1 for english etc. It's on your screen.

 

[Ludatyk]

That's what iPhone users have a tough time processing. That's the key point, you don't have to do a thing and the Google Assistant which handles the call screener portion does everything for you.

I stand corrected... wasn't aware Google automatically picks up phone calls. Dope feature...

 

[Vegastouch]

I stand corrected... wasn't aware Google automatically picks up phone calls. Dope feature...

View attachment 2302916

where did you find that? I see call screen above but im haven't been able to find the options shown. I just wanted to make sure I had that checked.

Nevermind, found it in the phone app.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

where did you find that? I see call screen above but im haven't been able to find the options shown. I just wanted to make sure I had that checked.

Nevermind, found it in the phone app.

That option was done away with in favor of a three tier system: maximum protection, medium protection, basic protection. If you select maximum protection, it screens every call.

 

[Vegastouch]

That option was done away with in favor of a three tier system: maximum protection, medium protection, basic protection. If you select maximum protection, it screens every call.

I have mine on medium. I don't need it to screen calls on my contact list.

 

[dk001]

I had a couple of folks on another site ask me why I like Android over iOS since I use both. Here is a shorter version of what I passed on.

Currently using a 15 ProMax along with my S23 Ultra.
With the 15PM I am having issues where Notifications when clicked launch the app which then crashed sometimes.
With the 15PM I have been having WiFi issues, both properly staying connected and with speed - it’s low.
In iMessage I select the camera, take a photo, it appends to the message, and sometimes (only to non-iOS messages) the message fails.
Launch an app and it will randomly freeze.
Bluetooth has issues especially when it comes to my AirPods.
etc…

With my S23U I am not having anywhere near the issues I have in iOS. if I have an issue with a default app I can choose another to be the default. It runs more like iOS used - It just works.

I like both devices. I just have become frustrated with the lack of quality (OS software) especially when it comes to iOS.

 

[mjschabow]

I had a couple of folks on another site ask me why I like Android over iOS since I use both. Here is a shorter version of what I passed on.

Currently using a 15 ProMax along with my S23 Ultra.
With the 15PM I am having issues where Notifications when clicked launch the app which then crashed sometimes.
With the 15PM I have been having WiFi issues, both properly staying connected and with speed - it’s low.
In iMessage I select the camera, take a photo, it appends to the message, and sometimes (only to non-iOS messages) the message fails.
Launch an app and it will randomly freeze.
Bluetooth has issues especially when it comes to my AirPods.
etc…

With my S23U I am not having anywhere near the issues I have in iOS. if I have an issue with a default app I can choose another to be the default. It runs more like iOS used - It just works.

I like both devices. I just have become frustrated with the lack of quality (OS software) especially when it comes to iOS.

I wonder if you got a lemon. I literally have none of those issues on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I'd contact Apple for a replacement device.

 

[dk001]

I wonder if you got a lemon. I literally have none of those issues on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I'd contact Apple for a replacement device.

I do have an appt at the Apple Store (2 hours away) to get the WiFi checked. It runs slower than any other device I own.

These issues seem to be software related and others are experiencing the same, better, or worse -Reddit, X, Discord, Apple Discussion - so unless Apple produced a batch or two of defective units …
Feels like I am back running betas.

 

[vinegarshots]

Never understood the iMesssge argument. My social circle at the moment is about a 70/30 mix in favor of iPhone. We all use Whatsapp. I also have a few acquaintances on signal. That being said, It always surprises me when I still here people say they can't get family and friends to download a messing app to stay in touch with them. Must make you feel real valued. Lol. I can't imagine anyone would want to use a proprietary messaging app in today's connected world. SMH.

Im guessing you dont live in the USA. I don't know a single person who uses Whatsapp, and I've never installed it on my own phone, either.

 

[Vegastouch]

Never understood the iMesssge argument. My social circle at the moment is about a 70/30 mix in favor of iPhone. We all use Whatsapp. I also have a few acquaintances on signal. That being said, It always surprises me when I still here people say they can't get family and friends to download a messing app to stay in touch with them. Must make you feel real valued. Lol. I can't imagine anyone would want to use a proprietary messaging app in today's connected world. SMH.

I don't know anyone that uses WhatsApp. And there's no need for it.

I have family and friends on both Android and iOS and we just use our own messaging apps and it works just fine between them.

Never had anyone ask me what messaging app I'm using because something didn't work.

 

[dk001]

I have a spare device (ThinkPhone) that I put Sunbird on to handle multiple messaging apps - unified inbox.

Works great!
Currently: WhatsApp, FB Messenger (Meta), SMS, iMessage.
Coming soon: Telegram, Discord, RCS, Slack

You can set it as your default but there are issues with RCS for now.

 

[ios3]

As someone who might soon switch to an S23 after being an iPhone user since the 3G, this is a great thread to have. I've just grown impatient and annoyed with iOS's lack of software quality.

The other forums have (unsurprisingly) strong biases towards their phone choice and it doesn't really help when making a decision. So, thank you for creating this thread and for everyone's contributions!

 

[ios3]

That's what iPhone users have a tough time processing. That's the key point, you don't have to do a thing and the Google Assistant which handles the call screener portion does everything for you.

What's sad is this screening can be done at the carrier's level. Telus in Canada has a call spam screening feature that requires an unknown caller to dial the random number that is spoken. This has reduced my spam calls to zero

 

[edubfromktown]

As someone who might soon switch to an S23 after being an iPhone user since the 3G, this is a great thread to have. I've just grown impatient and annoyed with iOS's lack of software quality.

The other forums have (unsurprisingly) strong biases towards their phone choice and it doesn't really help when making a decision. So, thank you for creating this thread and for everyone's contributions!

Best of luck and that is why I gave up on iPhone's too.

My suggestions are:

Sync your contacts with a Google account prior to switching.

Deregister iMessage on your existing phone in advance. Note: you can still iMessage and FaceTime with others from an associated e-mail account logged in on a Mac or iPad.

RCS messaging generally works well with one-on-one iPhone user chats and groups of people including them too. The only downsides are that videos sent from iPhone users are of lesser quality and sometimes photos I send to them are not delivered (they are if I use the Gallery app to select and share so it may be a Google Photos odditiy/bug).

Learn the basic in's and out's of Android navigation which are different for sure and take time to gain proficiency.

I find Samsung's additions to "pure Android" are beneficial other than many of their duplicate apps alongside Google's offerings. The Samsung specific ones I use are:

Expert Raw camera (with direct Adobe Lightroom integration)
Gallery (similar editing and magic eraser functionality and sends photos more reliably)
Secure Folder (isolate/encrypt financial +similar apps and data separate from everything else stored on the device).
Smart Switch (to make local backups of my phone to an external SD card connected via the USB-C port).

I would steer clear of Beeper and Sunbird iMessage utilities due to major privacy concerns!

Be careful what additional apps you install. I use Goggle Advanced Protection program to scrutinize Play Store apps to a somewhat higher level of security and privacy.

One thing I never liked were the default launchers other than on OnePlus devices. For consistency when switching between different manufacturer devices, I decided to use Nova launcher. There are numerous other launchers to choose from if you also find the default offering to be less than ideal.

 

[ios3]

Best of luck and that is why I gave up on iPhone's too.

My suggestions are:

Thank you for taking time to write this useful advice on this transition! I dabbled with android years ago and liked it, but I was stuck in my iOS ways 😂.

The funny thing about sending media over RCS is even iMessage is hit or miss when it comes to video compression. I will just move to WhatsApp or threaten green bubbles!

 

[Harthag]

Thank you for taking time to write this useful advice on this transition! I dabbled with android years ago and liked it, but I was stuck in my iOS ways 😂.

The funny thing about sending media over RCS is even iMessage is hit or miss when it comes to video compression. I will just move to WhatsApp or threaten green bubbles!

Whatever you do do NOT use Sunbird, it is still pulled from use due to security issues. The best method is to run a server on your Mac or virtual Mac if you have a PC, and use AirMessage or Bluebubbles. I've used them both, prefer Bluebubbles since it worked with Android Auto before when I tried it.

Good luck with your switch if you choose to do it!

 

[Ctrlos]

I have a spare device (ThinkPhone) that I put Sunbird on to handle multiple messaging apps - unified inbox.

Works great!
Currently: WhatsApp, FB Messenger (Meta), SMS, iMessage.
Coming soon: Telegram, Discord, RCS, Slack

You can set it as your default but there are issues with RCS for now.

Given the recent Nothing debacle you might want to rethink Sunbird. They aren't encrypting iMessage at all.

Beeper Mini however allows iMessage on Android without needing a Mac server backend. Heck, you can use it *without* an Apple ID! The company reverse engineered the iMessage protocol which apparently is perfectly legal under the DMCA apparently.

 

[dk001]

Given the recent Nothing debacle you might want to rethink Sunbird. They aren't encrypting iMessage at all.

Beeper Mini however allows iMessage on Android without needing a Mac server backend. Heck, you can use it *without* an Apple ID! The company reverse engineered the iMessage protocol which apparently is perfectly legal under the DMCA apparently.

Chuckle - so true.
I removed Sunbird when the Nothing mess came to light. I was disappointed as I was looking forward to the functionality on my Nothing 2.

 

[mjschabow]

I'll say this. I rarely visit these forums anymore because I'm content now. When I was on Android, I thought about switching back to iOS almost daily. Now being on iOS for over 2 months, I haven't thought about switching back to Android once. I'm sure I'll be swayed again at some point, but what can I say. I'm an Apple guy even though they piss me off sometimes.