What might I miss if I switch from iPhone to Samsung/Android?

[Sounds Good]

Hi guys,

I don't really have any complaints about the iPhone (I had the original iPhone for years and now have an iPhone 4). But since I'd like a larger phone I'm toying with the idea of switching to either a Samsung Galaxy S3 or a Note 2. I waited for the iPhone 5 hoping it would be larger/wider, but of course it's only taller.

I've never used Android before so I know nothing about it, which makes me nervous about a switch. So before taking the leap, what things might I miss from the iPhone and/or iOS?

My wife also has an iPhone (as do other family members and friends) so I'll likely miss iMessage. But other that that, what things might make me regret switching to Android and leaving the iPhone behind?

Thanks in advance...

 

[thejadedmonkey]

iMessage, there's some banking apps that aren't up to snuff...

 

[zbarvian]

iMessage, AirPlay, the better apps and games, the reliability and speed of iOS, stuff like that. Android is completely open, so you can tinker and tweak it to your liking, and it has some cool features. I think many iOS users are like you and are being persuaded by the larger screen sizes of Android devices. There's pros and cons to both platform.

 

[blackhand1001]

^there are lots of apps that aren't available on iOS that android offers so the app arguement is kind of stupid. There is a lot to gain with android.

 

[Sounds Good]

I think many iOS users are like you and are being persuaded by the larger screen sizes of Android devices.

That's my only motivation -- I want a larger screen. If the iPhone 5's screen was the size of the Samsung S3 I'd own one already and wouldn't think twice about Android. Period. (but it's not, unfortunately)

 

[zbarvian]

^there are lots of apps that aren't available on iOS that android offers so the app arguement is kind of stupid. There is a lot to gain with android.

Yes and they all relate to the openness I mentioned. But in terms of quality and polish, iOS is going to be in the lead for the foreseeable future. There are many killer apps that just don't exist on Android, and many apps on Android still feel like cheap iOS ports. Developers make more money on ios and prefer developing for that platform, so its usually first when it comes to new apps and updates. And don't even get started on games.

 

[OceanView]

All the fear mongering people talk about Android is just that.
Nothing has happened to me or anyone else I know that uses android.
If you use your common sense you will be fine. Just stick to the major apps.

I have been a loyal iPhone user for many years and would never have thought I would even consider anything else but with the dissapointing small screen of the iPhone 5, I took the opportunity to try something else.
First I bought the Note and now the Note II and both are nothing but amazing pieces of technology.
So many more options and the ability to customize to your hearts content.
I can't imagine going back to the iPhone. It seems so 2007.

Try the Samsung S3 or Note II, you won't regret it.

 

[TennisandMusic]

My GF just switched from her iPhone 5 to a Galaxy S3 because the iPhone just could not hold a connection on T-Mobile. She was pretty scared about doing so, since she had used only the iPhone since the 3G days.

A few days in and she thinks the iPhone is pathetic and will never go back apparently. If what she says is anything to go by, you won't miss anything at all. She is not a "tech person" either. Capable, but not into the stuff.

 

[onthecouchagain]

A larger screen size--glorious though it would be--would not solve all that is lacking with ios. Just saying.

 

[daveathall]

I am not technically gifted but switched from a 4S to a Galaxy S3 fully intending to revert back to iOS when the iP5 arrived, I soon found that I preferred the S3 over the 4S and preferred it over the 5 also. I sold both my iP4 and iP5 . I also bought a Nexus 4 but can't for the life of me choose between them. I didn't find any of the apps that I used on iOs were missing or sub standard in the Play Store. I don't find any lags or bugs in either of my phones. What I will say is that if you are expecting an iOS like OS you will soon be back on a iP5, give Android a good two or three weeks before you discard it.

As good as the iPhones are, and IMHO, they are very good, I won't be going back anytime soon.

 

[zbarvian]

A larger screen size--glorious though it would be--would not solve all that is lacking with ios. Just saying.

Nor does it with Android. Both are pretty lacking, but the hardware choice is a great perk of Android.

 

[F123D]

The only thing I miss is a comparable site to appshopper.com. All the ones I've come across aren't as good.

 

[ACint24]

I have been back and forth on Android and iOS the last 2 months. I want to stay on android but I keep coming back to iPhone.

In my opinion there is two major things you will miss:

iMessage: if you know a lot of people with iPhones and have iPads/Mac osx computers

Apps: android has caught up A LOT butttt the quality of apps on iOS is FAR superior.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Beeplance]

No one mention that he'll be missing iCloud? Although I think there's a counterpart for Android...

 

[thejadedmonkey]

No one mention that he'll be missing iCloud? Although I think there's a counterpart for Android...

If anything, iCloud is a detriment to iOS, compared to google (which exists in the cloud) or SkyDrive.

 

[Beeplance]

If anything, iCloud is a detriment to iOS, compared to google (which exists in the cloud) or SkyDrive.

Oh? It's quite a useful feature for me, especially for keeping all the things like contacts and calenders synced across all devices. I know Google should have something like this also, so it should be ok for him.

 

[ozziegn]

Air Play alone is what will always keep me to the iOS platform. Android can never touch that....

 

[blackhand1001]

No one mention that he'll be missing iCloud? Although I think there's a counterpart for Android...

The android counterpart is more mature and has been around since the beginning of Android hence its much better inegrated.

 

[j0nblayz]

Air Play alone is what will always keep me to the iOS platform. Android can never touch that....

Theres airsync by doubetwist, its few bucks but brings airplay integration to your android device. So streaming to appletv from android device is possible. Also also wifi syncing.

Theres also allshare, samsungs answer to airplay. Its not as smooth as airplay, but the features are amazing. To stream media to all surrounding devices at once is pretty cool. For example, your with your friends, all got android devices, you shoot a picture to everyone which telling a story. Sure beats passing your phone to each person. My parents bought a new samsung smart tv, has pretty good integration with his galaxy note II.

Im also considering switching to a note II, however im too committed to the ios. I spent too much money on apps/games and integrated everything. I guess i can redo everything, however until samsung/android finds a solution to iMessage i will probably hold off. I use Messages on my macbook and will miss that feature too much, lol.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

If money was no object, or you've got a little extra to spare, I'd highly suggest that you buy a used Android device off of Craigslist...even a rooted Nook Color would work for this. Android devices seldom hold their resale value like Apple devices do so they are typically quite inexpensive.

Buy it, set it up with your own gmail credentials, and load that puppy up with as many of the apps from the Android Play store as you can muster. Focus on the "best of" for music, movies/videos, games, productivity apps, etc. Try to find the same versions of your favorite iOS apps as much as possible (I'd argue the Top 25 for each platform are almost identical), but where not possible, sub in the best of the best from the Play store. Ask here or check out any of the Fandroid-esque specialty sites for their top lists.

Then, use your iPhone ONLY for phone calls and TXT messages for a week. For absolutely everything else, use your Android device. See what you find "missing" if anything from the experience.

My bet......unless you've got some particular iOS apps that you really love and they aren't available on Android, you will find that you don't "miss" anything in particular moving from iOS to Android. What most people seem to say they "miss most" is really not a particular app but the overall feeling of belonging to one ecosystem or the other.

 

[Sounds Good]

What most people seem to say they "miss most" is really not a particular app but the overall feeling of belonging to one ecosystem or the other.

That's probably what I was looking for. I'm not as concerned with apps that might be missing, but things that people are "used to doing" on their iPhones that can't be done on Android. The only example I can give is being able to scroll to the top of a page by touching the top of the iPhone screen (from what I read this can't be done on Android). I'm guessing there are other things like this that people miss once they switch. Does that make sense?

 

[matttye]

iMessage, AirPlay, iCloud, speed/touch response, iTunes (check if Google Music is available where you live), amongst others.

 

[Mxbzz]

That's probably what I was looking for. I'm not as concerned with apps that might be missing, but things that people are "used to doing" on their iPhones that can't be done on Android. The only example I can give is being able to scroll to the top of a page by touching the top of the iPhone screen (from what I read this can't be done on Android). I'm guessing there are other things like this that people miss once they switch. Does that make sense?

I was missing that as well but found a browser that added the functionality of scrolling to the top/bottom, Boat Browser. I actually really enjoy this browser. It's very clean and simple.

There's not a whole lot I miss about iOS. In fact, if that scrolling dealio weren't mentioned above I wouldn't have remembered about it. I've learned to adapt to Android and haven't found a reason to go back to my iPhone yet.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

^^ What the above poster said reflects my opinion as well. Functionally, with current Android builds, there's little if anything functional you'll find missing in moving from iOS to Android. In fact, for me, I find the amount of functionality in Android a bit "over the top" as it goes way beyond what I need/want in a mobile phone or tablet OS. But that's a personal preference thing, not a lack of functionality.

App-wise, ditto. You may find that the more popular games aren't available on Google Play (or not available in the same variety/timing), but I don't view my phone as a gaming platform so again, not a biggie. Same for most productivity apps (although I do find that note-taking apps on iOS are far superior to anything I've found for Android thus far....which is odd considering Android actually supports a stylus natively).

The biggest difference is "feel" and the ecosystem changes. And even this depends on your personal ecosystem. If you already live in a Windows/iOS world, I'd argue you already have a mixed ecosystem and won't mind the changes that much. If you are 100% OSX/iOS, then the change to Android may be a bit more jarring as there are some workarounds involved (but no real deal breakers).

Ultimately, I still stick by my earlier recommendation. Go cold turkey for a week and try it on. Some people adjust perfectly fine. Others...not so much. YMMV.

 

[The iGentleman]

Nor does it with Android. Both are pretty lacking, but the hardware choice is a great perk of Android.

What exactly is so lacking?

Oh? It's quite a useful feature for me, especially for keeping all the things like contacts and calenders synced across all devices. I know Google should have something like this also, so it should be ok for him.

Contacts and calendars have been synced to the cloud on Android for years, it is nothing new at all. Honestly, Google's cloud services are more robust than iCloud. For example, videos can be backed up to the cloud automatically, whereas with iCloud it cannot reside there. Instead it merely uploads it to the cloud and then downloads it to connected devices.

Air Play alone is what will always keep me to the iOS platform. Android can never touch that....

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