but the reasons are relevant for them - reasons why they chose android in the first place.
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There's one very good reason to choose Android over iOS
- Thread starter ecrispy
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but the reasons are relevant for them - reasons why they chose android in the first place.
I understand and respect that, but you cannot suggest another person's choice is inferior simply because your own criteria is different.
For some people the unlimited access to options and features is their key demand. For others too much choice of features is a hindrance because its confusing. Two different sets of criteria in effect. I wouldn't expect anybody else to choose a device based on my demands so why should anybody else?
You buy what you like and what suits your needs best. For me it is iOS and it can't be rivalled. For you it is Android for the same unrivalled reason. You can't force individual preferences on others and expect them to apply it to their own.
Thing is you haven't explained it. You say it is more free and has more functions etc. but I have yet to read one actual clearcut example.
It seriously irritates me personally, because I came from Android to iOS and can't for the life of me find or remember a single core function that is missing??
Would absolutely LOVE to be enlightened. Was I using Android wrong?
If you are unable to think of 1 core function that Android has that iOS doesnt then your choice to migrate was probably the right choice for yourself.
Well please enlighten me! Again another dodging of the question. Can I not get one straight answer, please?
it all depends on "what you need and what you use". sounds more like you only needed basic things that all phones have. there is no wrong or right way to use, it all depends on needs.
True multi-tasking
True background services/processes
SD-Card support
Apps with more freedom (think torrent downloaders/adblockers)
True widget support
More customization (not fussed about this myself but others like it)
File system access (usb access to drag + drop files without iTunes)
Non-neutered bluetooth (e.g. file transfer etc...)
NFC/Wifi file transfer (yes AirDrop exists but you cant send music/videos)
That's a few of them.
What do you use on your non-rooted phone then that you would be prevented from doing in iOS?
Just give one example, please! I am begging at this point, no one will answer me!
Having wifi turn on / off automatically when you leave or enter the house??? Theres simply sooo much, just checkout Tasker app - that app alone makes the choice clear cut.
all my devices are non-rooted
just one? just check some tasker/trigger app and see... (some functions need a root access)
but if i have to choose one? dont really know what is the best example, but if im thinking back, Note 10.1 was the main reason to dump ipad couple years ago. then i got ipad air, felt like a toy after using Note over a year, sold Air on summer... there are so many things.. a real working bt connection and sharing, nfc, sdcard, to be able to choose default apps/launcher,widgets/lockscreen widgets, multitasking (windows side by side), customization in general...
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Maybe it's that you're not listening. None of my Android devices are rooted and none of my ios devices are jailbroken but I still use Android on the handset and ios on the tablet for many reasons.
Want an example - When I go to bed I stick my phone in the charger, it automatically goes into night mode, dims the screen, brings up the clock, runs up tunein so I can listen to something, and all without touching anything. This is just one small thing and could give many examples of the simple things that Android does that just make my life simpler.
Want another. I travel a lot between London and the U.S. West Coast or London to Asia. Having the ability to take documents on the tablet or phone when you have no net connection or the connection you might have is going to cost me $$$. This is where Android is more flexible than ios (no local storage on Ios). I get so much work done on these long flights just with this alone.
It's not that ios is rubbish, which it's not - I use it all the time on my ipad. It's just that it's not as flexible as Android (unless you jailbreak). Everyone has different needs and as they say YMMV. You pick what suits your needs and move on.
Want an example - When I go to bed I stick my phone in the charger, it automatically goes into night mode, dims the screen, brings up the clock, runs up tunein so I can listen to something, and all without touching anything. This is just one small thing and could give many examples of the simple things that Android does that just make my life simpler.
Want another. I travel a lot between London and the U.S. West Coast or London to Asia. Having the ability to take documents on the tablet or phone when you have no net connection or the connection you might have is going to cost me $$$. This is where Android is more flexible than ios (no local storage on Ios). I get so much work done on these long flights just with this alone.
It's not that ios is rubbish, which it's not - I use it all the time on my ipad. It's just that it's not as flexible as Android (unless you jailbreak). Everyone has different needs and as they say YMMV. You pick what suits your needs and move on.
Thank you!
1 & 2 are very subjective and debatable. Can you give examples (I know I keep asking for this)? For instance I can FaceTime or Skype with someone and simultaneously check my email, retrieve a presentation, edit an Excel file, look up something on another app and remain on the call. I have several background processes going on my iPhone constantly. Such as app notifications, push email, Skype, etc. I can even manage this on an app level, allowing app specific processes to run in the background on an individual level. Is there some process I am unaware of? Or are we talking about malware type stuff that records my keystrokes or illegal transparent surveillance software?
Can't remember the last time I ever used 3. That is what cloud storage is for, right? I want a file on my iPhone or iPad, I just drop it into my Dropbox and it is there almost instantly. Works with videos and music too
That also takes care of 7 & 8. Dropbox is my "traditional" file system and there are other equally good cloud services where you can move around and drag and drop files (move, copy & paste, etc) of any kind.Item 4 covers mostly potentially illegal activity like torrents and emulators, and if I'm not mistaken those sorts of apps are not available on the official GP Store either, or? Because neither Google nor Apple are going to take on the liability responsibility for having these sorts of apps on their stores. Ad-blockers are available on iOS in the form of 3rd party web browsers with the functionality. Airdrop does cover the bluetooth and NFC/Wifi transfers - it is a different solution for the same functionality. The music/video limitation is part of liability limitation and is addressed by cloud solutions.
The whole file system thing in general is another example of a different solution to the same problem. It is much easier to find things if apps have their own repository for their own files, especially in the realm of video and music consumption. The expanded "Open in..." functionality also really eliminates this issue.
Just because a solution is different doesn't mean it doesn't provide the same functionality in a different way.
5 & 6 I give you, because iOS is an app focused OS, the OS itself is meant to be a platform for the apps, not a star in the show itself. With iOS 8 though, "real" widgets are actually coming to Notification Center, so even though it comes later, that is no longer a differentiator.
Listen I get that for some, a thing like no external storage, USB or SD card support is a deal breaker, and I respect that, but like I said, I cannot remember the last time I used one, or wished I could. The only thing I ever use that for is importing photos taken on my DSLR onto my iPad, and there is that functionality with the camera connection kit.
The-Real-Deal82 has it right when he says it is a matter of personal choice. These days there is no real "better" it is different OS's achieving the same core things in different ways. What's better for you and your use case is not the same as for me and mine.
Managing my movie, TV show, home video, photo and music libraries and making them available to all my family's devices and to every TV and speaker in my home has never been easier than using Apple's products and ecosystem, and I've used Windows and Linux based solutions throughout the years. It is impossibly seamless and easy. That's just my experience, and I've never had any desire that file sharing of media that I or a family member have bought and own should be easier than it is now. I did under those other OS's.
So for me personally, I've found a perfect fit. I use OSX and iOS exclusively in both my professional and personal life, and have not run into one situation where I have felt hamstrung by my device or the OS it runs.
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That's fair enough and I agree with you in your last sentence for sure. I would simply put what I needed in dropbox before I left on the trip, made sure it was synced, and then used the 128GB of local storage on my iPad to work with it on the trip? Or the 64GB storage on my iPhone...
That sounds like a neat function for night-time. How does it work? Do you just set it up somewhere in settings or is there a script editor you used to make it do that during a certain time of day?
Tasker
Applock
Other app stores (like Amazon & Samsung/Galaxy)
Sideloading. Especially when an app update is buggy, I can easily sideload an previous version.
Selecting default apps
File Manager
Non crippled bluetooth functionality
Non crippled NFC and can choose any NFC wallet app I want. I use Google Wallet.
Multiwindow Multitasking (out of the box from specific manufacturer or with several apps on any android device)
Storage Cards on specific phones
Configure 99% of the settings within the actual app, instead of going back and forth from system and app settings.
Can use, toggle, and sync multiple Google accounts.
Robust system settings that allow you to take control of your device.
Real Widgets. Yes a cliche reason, but they are so useful.
all my devices are non-rooted
just one? just check some tasker/trigger app and see... (some functions need a root access)
but if i have to choose one? dont really know what is the best example, but if im thinking back, Note 10.1 was the main reason to dump ipad couple years ago. then i got ipad air, felt like a toy after using Note over a year, sold Air on summer... there are so many things.. a real working bt connection and sharing, nfc, sdcard, to be able to choose default apps/launcher,widgets/lockscreen widgets, multitasking (windows side by side), customization in general...
Ok, so mostly your preference on how certain things were handled in Android as opposed to iOS. I thought the whole split screen thing was only a year old for the 10.1? iOS might have that as of tomorrow (or might not)
Have you heard of the iOS app ITTT (If this then that)?? It is a tasked/trigger app and is awesome. Check it out.It seems like file sharing (BT or NFC) and SD card/USB in general is the most cited thing among the current Android users? Default apps as in for music and videos mostly, I am assuming?
On Android you have many choices on how to automate it - Tasker is one. You can also use nfc tags (stick one on your charger by your bed) and when the phone triggers on it, it does whatever you've set it up to do. It's a great use for NFC. There is also a Daydream option in Android that allows you to fallback to an app when charging, docked etc. You can have it show a clock (I use timely).
It's also cool at night when you've got this all running and yet you want to remind yourself to do something the next day you just say Ok Google and Remind me to ... and all hands free.
Another thing that a lot of Ios users dismiss are widgets. I use a couple of widgets but I use them a lot. I have 3 email accounts, two calendars,some travel widgets and a custom (in house) widget for viewing the status of our cloud servers. I can flip though pages and get a complete update of all my accounts, calendars and other items in detail without having to open up any app. I know Ios has "widgets" but to me they are way too limited and drive me nuts. They come nowhere near the usefulness of Android widgets.
I think if you're heavily invested in Apple kit then it makes sense to stick with ios. It just makes life easier and simpler because when it comes to integration if you have all Apple kit then it just works great.
70% of the people I communicate with (my kids, staff, customers) use Android and not ios. That's make my decision easier.
BTW - multitasking and background processes are nothing to do with malware.
Quick addition - Sharing on Ios drives me nuts. I get docs, messages, photos , charts from everywhere and then have to forward them (share them) to someone else. On Android it's simple(s). You can share from anything to anything. So I get a chart in on email, I can share to dropbox, twitter, whatsapp, google drive and on and on. Ios just falls down in this area and it's a real crippler. Yes there are workarounds but I shouldn't have to. They take time and that's something I don't have (a lot of the time).
It's also cool at night when you've got this all running and yet you want to remind yourself to do something the next day you just say Ok Google and Remind me to ... and all hands free.
Another thing that a lot of Ios users dismiss are widgets. I use a couple of widgets but I use them a lot. I have 3 email accounts, two calendars,some travel widgets and a custom (in house) widget for viewing the status of our cloud servers. I can flip though pages and get a complete update of all my accounts, calendars and other items in detail without having to open up any app. I know Ios has "widgets" but to me they are way too limited and drive me nuts. They come nowhere near the usefulness of Android widgets.
I think if you're heavily invested in Apple kit then it makes sense to stick with ios. It just makes life easier and simpler because when it comes to integration if you have all Apple kit then it just works great.
70% of the people I communicate with (my kids, staff, customers) use Android and not ios. That's make my decision easier.
BTW - multitasking and background processes are nothing to do with malware.
Quick addition - Sharing on Ios drives me nuts. I get docs, messages, photos , charts from everywhere and then have to forward them (share them) to someone else. On Android it's simple(s). You can share from anything to anything. So I get a chart in on email, I can share to dropbox, twitter, whatsapp, google drive and on and on. Ios just falls down in this area and it's a real crippler. Yes there are workarounds but I shouldn't have to. They take time and that's something I don't have (a lot of the time).
AppLock is a great 3rd party app! Not a core functionality though. Aren't Amazon and Samsung stores only available by default to those manufacturers' devices?
Sideloading is good - there is one!
Selecting default apps is nice, but isn't really a core functionality, and again this is mostly useful for video/music/PDF's so you can specify a 3rd party app you prefer? Unless you want to open Office files in Google Docs apps...I mean its not like you can't experience your media on the default apps, but I agree it is a nice option.
Think I have adressed everything else though. As far as customisation goes, I spend all my time on my iOS devices in apps, not staring at the home screen, so I have never felt compelled to pimp it out more than to choose my own wallpaper, even when I had an Android phone? Again, personal preference.
Multiple Accounts is good - there is number 2, especially with these things getting up to 128GB now, there is room for multiple accounts on the same device. But here we come into the business models of the two companies. Apple wants to keep their mobile devices personal to a single user so they can sell more devices. Google doesn't care how many devices are out there, they want to get as many accounts as possible so are happy to provide that functionality to increase the number of ad profiles that can collect and use.
I think so far we have Sideloading and Multiple Accounts as two core functions that iOS doesn't have in any capacity.
note 10.1 was out 2 years ago with multitasking..
iOS might have that as of tomorrow (or might not)
yeah, may have on someday, but i suppose to use them now - not on somaday, maybe...
iftttbut they are not the same thing. ifttt is more online while tasker is more "what device do when.."
not only file sharing, you can use them as do something, when... a browser is a default app for example...
and for me it is ability to choose - it can be just a simple thing like a launcher or to be able to choose another smartdevice, e.g. smartwatch and knowing they will work with other devices too..
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All of that is valid and I completely respect that. Like I said it depends on the use case. I am puzzled by the Dropbox bit. I use that all the time to share stuff cross platform and it has never been a problem, ever.
If I need to share something, even an entire project, I just share a dropbox folder from my phone and it is all there for anyone else regardless of what OS or class of device they are using...
NFC tags also sound neat, like personal little iBeacons. I can see the attraction to that. I use Do Not Disturb in iOS and have set recurring alarms for different days of the week, but don't use my phone as a bedside clock to display the time all night long.
IFTTT is a good tasker app on iOS, but takes a little bit different approach
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note 10.1 was out 2 years ago with multitasking..
yeah, may have on someday, but i suppose to use them now - not on somaday, maybe...
but they are not the same thing. ifttt is more online while tasker is more "what device do when.."
not only file sharing, you can use them as do something, when... a browser is a default app for example...
Yup, IFTTT, missed the F
Yeah, browser is one I forgot. Though you can click and hold on a link to copy it in an email in iOS and then use the Open in function under sharing to open it in whatever browser has built in support for the Open in API.I want to thank you guys seriously, because one can become really entrenched and not realise or care what's going on or is possible on other platforms, and that goes for users of all OS's, not specific to iOS and Android.
Yup that's a problem. Found that I haven't run into a situation where I want to share something with someone and haven't had a Wifi or cellular signal.
I get what you are saying though, I mean there are extreme cases where you may need to share something and the only possible way would be to take out a physical media stick like USB or SD card.
In an Airplane at 40,000 feet for example, and you want to transfer a file to the person sitting next to you?
I guess I expect to be able to have Wifi access on international business trips at the hotel and at the client/partner/supplier's offices. Same with personal vacations at the hotel.
or just via bt... at your home or friends home or cafe or where ever. just couple days ago my bf sent me file in a sec using nfc... no need for internet, clouds or whatever.
isnt that abit akward to always hold and copy links (if it is even possible in all cases)? i dont know how ios8 works because i dont have any ios devices right now, but a short time ago, safari was the only browser that opened links. also you were able to install differend browsers but they were using the same engine as safari anyway. now with ios8 i have no clue, but somehow i think it hasnt changed much?
myopicpaideia said:
isnt that abit akward to always hold and copy links (if it is even possible in all cases)? i dont know how ios8 works because i dont have any ios devices right now, but a short time ago, safari was the only browser that opened links. also you were able to install differend browsers but they were using the same engine as safari anyway. now with ios8 i have no clue, but somehow i think it hasnt changed much?
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There are plenty of legit torrents. Many Linux distris can be d/l via torrent. There is plenty of totally legal stuff you d/l too. This said, you can do direct downloads of illegal movies, or simply go to an illegal streaming site and watch it in your browser.
And what is "potentially illegal"? I can use email to do potentially illegal illegal things. In fact, to use a phone is really illegal while driving. That didn't stop Apple from making phones in the first place.
The torrent argument is simply stupid. If that's really important then ask dad to install net-nanny or similar software to keep you safe. As an adult I like to decide for myself what to do. BTW, the legality of movie torrent D/L depend on the country. It's not regulated in all countries. Hence it's legal in some places.
Yes, I get your point completely, my point is you don't find them on the App Store because of the stigma surrounding these tools, and the potential for complicit liability, and because there are most likely agreements in place with Apple's media partners to not have those apps on the App Store.
Indeed I agree, this is the major difference between Google and Apple. Google is primarily a search engine and data collection/advertising company, whereas Apple make software and hardware in conjunction with media based companies and pay exclusive rights, not to mention revenue to organisations promoting copyrighted content, i.e iTunes.
Anybody who thinks Apple are suddenly going to allow apps that enable users to commit piracy and download illegal content really don't understand Apple's business model at all. We have had apps get through the net like cartoon HD, movie mania etc, but Apple are very quick to close these loopholes. Its annoying sometimes for the users but at the end of the day its protecting content that really shouldn't be accessed for free. If you want torrents that allow access to illegal content, there are options with Android.
Its hardly a legitimate critique of iOS though just because it doesn't condone such things.
I agree with what you're saying about Apple and torrents etc. Part of their brand identity is keeping things clean, legit and safe. I totally understand why they'd sacrifice certain functionality and perhaps lose the odd customer in order to keep this image intact.
Sometimes the limitations are frustrating though. I like to buy music from bleep.com (100% legit site) that is difficult to find elsewhere, but their download system isn't allowed in iOS:
Which devices can I download to?
The Bleep download service should download to all computers. Mobiles and tablets running the Android platform should work running Firefox. Downloading to Apple mobiles and tablets is not possible. Please just download to a computer and transfer.