Very tempted to jump ship to Android...

[blizeH]

I've had an iPhone ever since the 3G, and honestly couldn't see myself ever switching, but I am so utterly underwhelmed by the iPhone 5 I'm actually considering making the move to Android.

But I'm wondering, what will I miss?

+ The nice interface of iOS?
+ The relatively seamless syncing between my iPad and Apple TV?
+ Gaming, GameCenter and the App Store

And what I certainly won't miss:

- Lack of NFC
- General lack of innovation
- Very expensive storage options (£600/~$970 for 32GB)
- Poor battery life
- Requiring a jailbreak for basic functionality
- Narrow screen
- Propitiatory connections
- Supporting a company that seems utterly unethical
- Nano sim requiring me to change provider, when I'm very happy right now

The problem for me, is the app store for me probably counters all of those negative points. Though I really wish it didn't - it'll be a nightmare re-buying so many apps for Android too - though if I don't jump now, I'll be locked in even further to the iOS ecosystem.

 

[Calidude]

I advise that you wait for the Galaxy Nexus 2 before jumping ship. Pure Android is always the way to start. People usually buy a HTC Sense or Samsung Touchwiz phone and freak out about how Android is terrible when really, that's not the experience you're supposed to have. Or, if you're a reasonable, intelligent person who does their due diligence and finds out what they're getting into, you can buy any phone you want and flash anything you want on it.

Also, a lot of the "open-minded" people who try Android balk and get upset when the OS doesn't hold their hand for them. You need to go in with guns blazing ready to explore what you can do with it and then you will be rewarded with a phone you can call your own. If you think a smartphone is supposed to babysit you like your mother instead of you using it as the useful tool that it is, you'll never appreciate Android.

 

[Catdogchicken]

I advise that you wait for the Galaxy Nexus 2 before jumping ship. Pure Android is always the way to start. People usually buy a HTC Sense or Samsung Touchwiz phone and freak out about how Android is terrible when really, that's not the experience you're supposed to have. Or, if you're a reasonable, intelligent person who does their due diligence and finds out what they're getting into, you can buy any phone you want and flash anything you want on it.

Also, a lot of the "open-minded" people who try Android balk and get upset when the OS doesn't hold their hand for them. You need to go in with guns blazing ready to explore what you can do with it and then you will be rewarded with a phone you can call your own. If you think a smartphone is supposed to babysit you like your mother instead of you using it as the useful tool that it is, you'll never appreciate Android.

Problem is on Android people are spoilt with choices, touchwiz, nova etc etc. But even touchwiz ui is better than iOS ui.

 

[Wrathwitch]

Well speaking as someone who had never owned an Android phone before, I really don't mind TouchWiz because I really have nothing to compare it to. I don't want to really have to flash ROMS etc.

So far the phone is working quite well.

However, I will suggest that you actually GO INTO the nearest Apple Store, and put your hands on the device. This new version may offer what you like.

Android play store does not compare to the App Store no matter what people tell you. Yes a majority of apps are free, but it comes with the advertising that Google requires.

 

[blizeH]

Thank you all so much for the responses, I'm tempted to wait until the Galaxy Nexus 2 is released then trying to get a hands on with both that and the iPhone 5, although I'm guessing that could be a while?

 

[onthecouchagain]

Thank you all so much for the responses, I'm tempted to wait until the Galaxy Nexus 2 is released then trying to get a hands on with both that and the iPhone 5, although I'm guessing that could be a while?

Calidude is on the money.

Given the nature of Android, it's very possible to get a poor Android device. If you're in a hurry, I wouldn't consider anything but the S3 at the moment (maybe the new Droid Maxx/Razrs. Big maybe).

If you can wait, I'd certainly see what the Nexus 2012 brings. It's oddly mum at this time of the year. Usually, by this point, there are tons of leaks and rumors. In any case, it should be released November-ish, so more information is due to come soon.

Once the hysteria of the iPhone 5 launch is over, it'll be easier to get over the hype. There is a world to discover with stock Android. Good luck.

 

[onthecouchagain]

what will I miss?

Honestly, when I made the move from the 4S to the Galaxy Nexus, it was the most liberating thing ever. The phone became so much more usable. People keep saying one of iOS' greatest strength is its simplicity. I think it's misleading. It's simple, but it's also extremely limiting, which oddly makes it less usable.

Best things:

-Alternative (ie. better) keyboards (SwiftyKey is mindblowing).
-Better mail experience (attachments, truly threaded messaging)
-Better browsing experience (Chrome rocks, larger screen)
-Easier access to contacts (direct dialing, direct texting... all this stuff is a blessing when you need to make a really quick call, or when you're driving, etc.)
-Notification light
-Felt SO GOOD to finally not have to rely on iTunes to manage my stuff. Drag and drop is so lovely, so simple.

And one of my favorites...

-Lock screen toggle: A real winner for usability. It was always a pain in the butt to have to input my lock screen code to the iPhone when I was at home. Now, I can toggle the lock screen on when I go out for the security, then toggle it off when I get home where no security is needed to immediately access my phone. It's really lovely. Ditto Sound profile toggles. It offers so much more flexibility than just Mute or no-Mute.


The things I missed from the 4S?

-More polished apps: Have to admit, things just looked more unified with iOS apps. Once you get over it though, it's not a big deal. Also, I was never bothered by the greater number of apps the App Store has over the Play Store. The big players are there, and that's all that matters.

-Camera: the Galaxy Nexus camera SUCKS. Plain and simple. If you're going with the S3 or waiting for the Nexus 2012, this shouldn't be an issue anymore though.

-To some extent, the status symbol of owning an iPhone. It's so shallow and stupid to admit, but you did feel like you were part of a more popular culture whenever you pulled out your phone. It's a love/hate thing with this. Personally, I like my humble and obscure Galaxy Nexus.

Honestly, that's about it.

 

[blizeH]

Thank you, I've tried some of the keyboards on my girlfriends San Francisco and was mostly unimpressed, though I like the one she's using now where it auto predicts various words. Already use Chrome on iOS so really happy with that, and Sparrow has been bought out by Gmail, so that's my mail covered too!

Easier access to contacts sounds great, yet another feature I need to jailbreak for to be able to do on mine. Such a basic, basic feature! The camera on the S3 looks good so yeah that is an option Really couldn't care less about the 'status' of owning an Apple product, half of my Facebook friends (not that I really use Facebook) own iPhones now and are all retards. If anything that's part of what makes me want to move away from iOS!

One thing I don't get is how people talk up drag and drop... I just don't see how that is any easier than being able to sync through iTunes?!

 

[MacManTexas56]

I've had an iPhone ever since the 3G, and honestly couldn't see myself ever switching, but I am so utterly underwhelmed by the iPhone 5 I'm actually considering making the move to Android.

But I'm wondering, what will I miss?

+ The nice interface of iOS?
+ The relatively seamless syncing between my iPad and Apple TV?
+ Gaming, GameCenter and the App Store

And what I certainly won't miss:

- Lack of NFC
- General lack of innovation
- Very expensive storage options (£600/~$970 for 32GB)
- Poor battery life
- Requiring a jailbreak for basic functionality
- Narrow screen
- Propitiatory connections
- Supporting a company that seems utterly unethical
- Nano sim requiring me to change provider, when I'm very happy right now

The problem for me, is the app store for me probably counters all of those negative points. Though I really wish it didn't - it'll be a nightmare re-buying so many apps for Android too - though if I don't jump now, I'll be locked in even further to the iOS ecosystem.

So you own an iPad and AppleTV as well right?

How will you be jumping ship if you still have those devices? What are you going to do when Apple starts allowing Apps on the AppleTV?

So you will continue to buy apps on your iPad and separate apps on your android? How are you really letting go of the Apple ecosystem I don't get it?

Also, I didn't realize that Android's had even decent battery life.

Try switching, but you will see the overall experience is not the same as Apple. I've tried it a couple times myself. Oh wow this app i found will be so cool on my phone. OH my device isn't supported? I had many run in's like that where an app is available on the store, but my new device isn't supported yet.

----------

Thank you, I've tried some of the keyboards on my girlfriends San Francisco and was mostly unimpressed, though I like the one she's using now where it auto predicts various words. Already use Chrome on iOS so really happy with that, and Sparrow has been bought out by Gmail, so that's my mail covered too!

Easier access to contacts sounds great, yet another feature I need to jailbreak for to be able to do on mine. Such a basic, basic feature! The camera on the S3 looks good so yeah that is an option Really couldn't care less about the 'status' of owning an Apple product, half of my Facebook friends (not that I really use Facebook) own iPhones now and are all retards. If anything that's part of what makes me want to move away from iOS!

One thing I don't get is how people talk up drag and drop... I just don't see how that is any easier than being able to sync through iTunes?!

you want to move away, but you are calling them retards? lol

Yet, you are friends with them right? interesting!

 

[onthecouchagain]

One thing I don't get is how people talk up drag and drop... I just don't see how that is any easier than being able to sync through iTunes?!

Drag and drop simply offers more nuance control. You can organize things just the way you want. Whereas iTunes, to be simple, makes you either sync everything, or sync nothing. If you want to get nuance with iTunes, it's a pain to unsync everything, then only checklist the things you want to sync. But if you want only a few songs from a band, and not the whole band, you have to uncheck the band, but check the individual songs.

To me, that's overly complicated. Whereas in Drag and Drop, you literally just highlight the songs you want from iTunes (or your computer's folder), and drag it over.

 

[Prototypical]

Or, if you're a reasonable, intelligent person who does their due diligence and finds out what they're getting into, you can buy any phone you want and flash anything you want on it.

Or, you can be a reasonable, intelligent person that simply doesn't have that option due to employer BYOD restrictions. I'm not risking my job over rooting and flashing, period. Therefore I have to compare stock vs. stock, and Android doesn't always come out on top in those cases.

I think Android has the potential to be so much more than iOS. I don't think it's an automatic, given fact though.

Some of the complaints about iOS I don't fully understand, though...

Easy access to contacts? Isn't that what "favorites" is for? I can dial my wife in two taps, or none if I use Siri.

Lack of NFC? I suppose in larger metros (and I'd guess the OP is from the UK based on his currency) it's prevalent, but it's virtually non-existent around here. Why spend money on a technology that won't be "big" until the next round of phones (or the round after that) are out? Having "specs" for the sake of having them is just silly.

Bad battery life? If you think the iPhone is bad, you're in for a rude awakening on Android. My Droid was TERRIBLE on battery life. My wife's current Droid3 is horrendous. My buddy's EVO 4G is dead in a matter of hours. You have to be VERY careful about what Android phone you buy to get decent life out of one. My 4S is dramatically better on battery life than my Droid was.

Supporting a company that is unethical? Um, wat? If this is about Foxconn, you probably shouldn't buy any smart phone. Or most electronics, for that matter. Or clothes. or toys. Chinese sweat shops make 90% of what we buy any more. And if this is about Apple's legal battles, there isn't anything unethical about defending legal patents. Business is business. I think Apple opened Pandora's box with the Samsung fight, but whatever... it's their right to do so. And since Apple won, they obviously have a reason to do so.

Most of the other negatives towards iOS are spot on though. All of the major ecosystems have pros and cons.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Some of the complaints about iOS I don't fully understand, though...

Easy access to contacts? Isn't that what "favorites" is for? I can dial my wife in two taps, or none if I use Siri.


Bad battery life? If you think the iPhone is bad, you're in for a rude awakening on Android. My Droid was TERRIBLE on battery life. My wife's current Droid3 is horrendous. My buddy's EVO 4G is dead in a matter of hours. You have to be VERY careful about what Android phone you buy to get decent life out of one. My 4S is dramatically better on battery life than my Droid was.

1) Never argued it's hard to dial people on iOS. It's just easier and faster on Android. Plus, you can do direct texting too. It's been a while since my 4S, but I don't remember that feature. SIRI never got the name right when I was driving. It was frustrating. Maybe you've had better luck.

2) You have it on the money. Given the nature of Android's business model, it's very possible to get a very poor Android device with horrible batteries. This is where research goes a long way. For what it's worth, my GN on HSPA+ gets easily 20+ hours of batt life. It's too early in the day to take a screen cap to prove my point, so oh well.

 

[Carouser]

General lack of innovation

If there was a product that did exactly what you needed it to, but wasn't 'innovative' would that be a problem?

If said product cost $100, how much more would you pay for a product which was otherwise identical but also 'innovative'?

I've used all kinds of devices, and I've found myself needing them to do something specific which they didn't do, or didn't do well. However, I've never used a device and said "Why isn't this thing more innovative!? Gaaagh!". Have you?

 

[onthecouchagain]

If there was a product that did exactly what you needed it to, but wasn't 'innovative' would that be a problem?

Yes, if the company responsible is constantly being touted as a constant innovator that pushes the technological frontier.

You seem to be taking people's posts out of context.

 

[Mrg02d]

There is no sense using past android devices to sway him away from android. The GS3 is king of android right now. It will have JB update soon enough officially. If you want to show some balls though, you could root it and install cm10. This will give you th pure JB experience. The gs3 with JB is just as smooth as my 4s was and as smooth as my ipad3 is.

If rooting is completely out of the Q, the wait for the nexus 2 like suggested earlier.

Also, swiftkey 3 is awesome for android.

 

[hajime]

Outlook compatibility

My work place uses Outlook for calendar/appointments. I heard that iPhone does a good job. I bought the Galaxy Note 2.5 months ago and consider to move to iPhone 5 just because of Outlook syncing. Is this worth? Any good app for the Galaxy Note that allows one to sync the device with Outlook perfectly? Thanks.

 

[dmelgar]

I've had an iPhone ever since the 3G, and honestly couldn't see myself ever switching, but I am so utterly underwhelmed by the iPhone 5 I'm actually considering making the move to Android.

But I'm wondering, what will I miss?

+ The nice interface of iOS?
+ The relatively seamless syncing between my iPad and Apple TV?
+ Gaming, GameCenter and the App Store

And what I certainly won't miss:

- Lack of NFC
- General lack of innovation

If innovation means copying Apple, don't get a Samsung.
Otherwise what tremendous innovation do you think you see in the Android world? They're all iPhone style bricks with glass touchscreen running an OS that pretty much looks like iOS.
How about Samsungs great new innovative gestures. How about "tilt to zoom". Whoa. Thats a great innovation. Of course the way to zoom is to tilt the phone.
How about double tap the top of the phone to scroll to the top on a couple of apps.
How about shake to update. That's real intuitive.
Maybe innovation means half heartedly trying all sorts of questionably useful additions so you can list them in an ad, not bother getting them to work well in practice. But hey, you can see a big list. Nice lip stick, but no useful function.

- Poor battery life

Android typically has worse battery life. The architecture means that YOU have to manage runaway processes, memory utilization, power utilization. The S3 provides nice tools to help YOU manage that. iOS manages that for you by being very strict with what apps are allowed to do. Oh yea, but I forget, being strict is so limiting.

- Requiring a jailbreak for basic functionality

Very biased statement. "Basic" functionality. I guess you need to jailbreak to make a phone call or surf the web, or run the hundreds of thousands of apps.

How about the need to root your Android phone for "basic" functionality. Such as uninstalling tons of preinstalled bloatware you can't uninstall and didn't want.

- Supporting a company that seems utterly unethical

Samsung's CEO is a convicted criminal that was pardoned. They account for a large percentage of the South Korean GDP. They have grown their cell phone business by imitating others. What exactly is unethical behavior?
http://www.kernelmag.com/features/report/3028/samsung-power-corruption-and-lies/


What you can look forward to is:

• Lack of support. Once you bought your phone, good luck getting updates and fixes. Unless you manage it yourself of course. You can root (ie jailbreak) and put your own ROMs on. General Android attitude is if you have a problem, buy a new phone. Samsung Galaxy S4 rumors already starting talking about February.
• Free for all Google "Play" store. Need to put your guard up for malware laden apps. Watch out for apps that ask for too many permissions on your phones, such as who you're calling, your contacts, etc. Enjoy apps so focused on advertising that they make themselves hard to use. WeatherBug playing video ads you can't get out of.

----------

Android play store does not compare to the App Store no matter what people tell you. Yes a majority of apps are free, but it comes with the advertising that Google requires.

Google does not "require" advertising. Have no idea what you're referring to. Google doesn't care what you put in your app. Its not a walled garden like the appstore.

 

[blizeH]

Thank you again for your responses - dme, you raise some very interesting points, thank you. I guess Samsung aren't some amazing perfect company like some people make them out to be, although there are still some big plus points for having the S3.

In particular I've just looked up SwiftKey - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hQT-o8ch0o

God damn, I'd absolutely love to get something like that on my iPhone!

I am still leaning iPhone by the way. I have so many god damn apps on here, and love that any apps I buy work both with my iPhone and iPad. iCloud syncing is another huge benefit too... but there's still something really appealing about the S3 (or the Xperia V, or the Optimus G...)

 

[3bs]

Thank you again for your responses - dme, you raise some very interesting points, thank you. I guess Samsung aren't some amazing perfect company like some people make them out to be, although there are still some big plus points for having the S3.

In particular I've just looked up SwiftKey - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hQT-o8ch0o

God damn, I'd absolutely love to get something like that on my iPhone!

I am still leaning iPhone by the way. I have so many god damn apps on here, and love that any apps I buy work both with my iPhone and iPad. iCloud syncing is another huge benefit too... but there's still something really appealing about the S3 (or the Xperia V, or the Optimus G...)

SwiftKey is amazing! The screen on my GS3 broke so while I was waiting for my replacement I had to go back to my 4S and it was torture having to use the keyboard on it! Swype is also surprisingly very accurate but sometimes I get bored of swiping across the screen so I go back to SwiftKey.

 

[dmelgar]

In particular I've just looked up SwiftKey - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hQT-o8ch0o

God damn, I'd absolutely love to get something like that on my iPhone!

Just tried it on my Android phone. It does work pretty darn well.
When I had my iPhone, I could type very fast. I've never been able to do that through multiple Android phones. I know part of the problem was/is inaccurate touch sensors, but I think software is a big part of it too. In general the iOS keyboard worked better for me. I'll get to try it again Friday when my iPhone 5 arrives.

Swiftkey is working well. Thanks for the tip. I can type as fast as my fingers will let me. Text is total garbage, but it fixes it and got everything right except "iOS". I could even use something like that on the Mac.

 

[nuckinfutz]

Thank you again for your responses - dme, you raise some very interesting points, thank you. I guess Samsung aren't some amazing perfect company like some people make them out to be, although there are still some big plus points for having the S3.

In particular I've just looked up SwiftKey - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hQT-o8ch0o

God damn, I'd absolutely love to get something like that on my iPhone!

I am still leaning iPhone by the way. I have so many god damn apps on here, and love that any apps I buy work both with my iPhone and iPad. iCloud syncing is another huge benefit too... but there's still something really appealing about the S3 (or the Xperia V, or the Optimus G...)

Dude. You're really in a haze. You've spent too much time on here having people tell you that Android is good and that you need gimmicks Swiftkey.

I can dictate into an iPhone a paragraph of text much faster than Swittkeys or Swype.

NFC ...are you really stressing over a feature that you "may" use a couple times a month. I find Square to be superior to NFC. It really sounds like people are afraid that NFC is going to take off and their phone won't have it. That's not likely in the next couple of years. Square is doing fine without NFC and so will others like Paypal, Verisign and more.

Other than ridiculously large phones there's little that is in Android that's going to be better than an iPhone 5. There performance is insane, the display is going to be punchy and longer and the camera is really fast.

You can go Android if you want but It doesn't really sound like your problem is OS related.

 

[b24pgg]

If innovation means copying Apple, don't get a Samsung.

dme, you raise some very interesting points, thank you.

I have no vested interest in the decision you make, but I think it's important to note that a lot of what dmelgar said is untrue, or at the very least a gross misrepresentation of the truth.

1. Whether Samsung copied Apple or vice versa shouldn't really be of any concern to you as a consumer. Both companies have lost patent cases to each other, for example:
   
   Apple Loses Patent Lawsuit Against Samsung in Japan
   
   
2. Battery life on Android can't be compared across different devices and different manufacturers. Android is an operating system used on a multitude of different hardware configurations, and battery life can vary immensely based on processor speed, screen brightness/technology, data/background app usage, battery mAh, etc. To say that "Android battery life is poor" just makes no sense. Having said that, SGS3 battery life is amazing.
   
   
3. dmelgar suggested that the freedom that Android allows for background apps and power management is somehow a disadvantage; I wholeheartedly disagree. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
   
   Sure, a lot of people are perfectly happy with the iPhone. But once you've truly experienced Android and the freedom it provides, I just can't imagine why anyone would want to go back. A lot of times people try to list the things you can do with Android that you can't do with iOS, but the thing is that the freedom of Android would make that list nearly endless. There are so many little nuances that just aren't possible with the iPhone. Here is a perfect example of someone who has customized his Android device into something tailored precisely for him.
   
   
4. Widgets. The basic iOS UI is essentially an app drawer - pages and pages of app icons. Android's UI is whatever you want it to be. Put toggles for WiFi/brightness/GPS on your home screen. Put a news widget that cycles through headlines. Add a widget that shows your most recent email or social network status updates. Add a photo frame that does a slideshow of your favorite photos (and these were things you could do on Android two years ago - I don't even know what all kinds of widgets exist today.)
   
   
5. Think you'll see too many ads? No problem. Download AdAway - problem solved. Something like this would NEVER be allowed in the Apple App Store.
   
   I know change isn't always easy, especially when you've gotten comfortable with what you have. But if you decide to try Android, my guess is that a few months from now you'll wonder why you never made the switch sooner.

 

[The Robot Cow]

Imo i say the Nexus is THE BEST android phone out there. Its always ahead of the other android devices with the latest android os version. You could try out a galaxy nexus straight from google for $350 unlocked and no contract for a gsm network.

https://play.google.com/store/devic...XZpY2VzX1VTX18xX3Byb21vXzEzNDc2OTA0NTIyOTciXQ..

But within the next couple months there will be a major change for the nexus. There will be multiple nexus' instead of just one.

Just give it a try and see which one you like better.

 

[dmelgar]

I have no vested interest in the decision you make, but I think it's important to note that a lot of what dmelgar said is untrue, or at the very least a gross misrepresentation of the truth.

If you want to have an intelligent discussion, don't label what other people say as "untrue" as in lying unless you have concrete facts to back it up.
You counter with opinions.

BTW, Adaway requires a rooted phone. I'm sure you can accomplish the same with a jailbroken iPhone.

 

[b24pgg]

NFC ...are you really stressing over a feature that you "may" use a couple times a month. I find Square to be superior to NFC. It really sounds like people are afraid that NFC is going to take off and their phone won't have it. That's not likely in the next couple of years. Square is doing fine without NFC and so will others like Paypal, Verisign and more.

NFC has SO many more applications than just payment processing. Get on eBay and buy some NFC stickers. Put them in some of your frequently visited spots (car/bike/office/bedside table/whatever) and you can create automated tasks that are done when you touch the tag.

Having said that, maybe it's just because I'm in a big city but most stores I visit now have NFC capability on their credit card machines. It really makes absolutely no sense to me why Apple didn't include it in the iPhone 5.

----------

don't label what other people say as "untrue" as in lying unless you have concrete facts to back it up.

My entire post backed it up. OP can make of it what he wants.

Adaway requires a rooted phone.

So?