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matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
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.

Either one of those two cloud syncing methods could be more desirable depending on the user. I'd rather have them on all of my devices so they can be accessed when there's no Internet connection available.
 

The iGentleman

macrumors 6502a
Jul 13, 2012
543
0
Either one of those two cloud syncing methods could be more desirable depending on the user. I'd rather have them on all of my devices so they can be accessed when there's no Internet connection available.

The difference is, with Google's cloud, I can put it on my device should I so desire. For example, I have phones and tablets, and would not want my videos that are on my phone residing on my son's tablet or my tablet. Also, the videos that are on my tablet, I wouldn't want on my phone. If I want access to them, I want to be able to get them, but I do not want them stored locally across all my devices. With the current set up, I can put certain videos on whichever device (locally) I so choose, without having to store them locally on my other devices. It's the freedom to choose. With iCloud I don't have the same freedom of choice.
 

Sounds Good

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 8, 2007
1,692
57
Well, in my case, I'm not a gamer. I've got SongPop and Words with Friends. That's about it. I mostly use my iPhone for email, web browsing, texting, reading the news, and picture/video taking. Oh, and for phone calls. ;)

Also, I've used Gmail, Google Contacts and Google Calendars since, like, forever... and I haven't ever used iCloud (really). I'm not a huge Google fan these days, to be honest, but I'm kinda glued to them a little bit. At least for now.

However, I've used an iPhone since the very first days (I can remember people saying "oooh, is that an iPhone!?") so I'm extremely accustomed to it -- and I've never used anything other than iOS on a phone or tablet. Switching will be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. Challenging! That's a better word for it. :)
 
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cheezeit

macrumors 6502
Jul 10, 2010
493
55
Dallas, TX
I think you'll miss the accessories and the widespread use of everyone using it and a centralized location for support. Granted the android os is catching up, each device is very different thus finding solutions for problems can be frustrating
 

matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
The difference is, with Google's cloud, I can put it on my device should I so desire. For example, I have phones and tablets, and would not want my videos that are on my phone residing on my son's tablet or my tablet. Also, the videos that are on my tablet, I wouldn't want on my phone. If I want access to them, I want to be able to get them, but I do not want them stored locally across all my devices. With the current set up, I can put certain videos on whichever device (locally) I so choose, without having to store them locally on my other devices. It's the freedom to choose. With iCloud I don't have the same freedom of choice.

Exactly my point that it depends on the user. If I want the photos/songs/etc on all of my devices, then clearly iOS makes that easier as it does it automatically, whereas with Android I would have to download all of my content on my other devices after it has automatically uploaded.
 

thatappleguytoday

macrumors 601
Feb 9, 2006
4,099
8,842
Jacksonville, FL
I understand wanting a bigger screen. I did as well, and bought the Nexus 4. It has amazing hardware and the screen was super, but at the end of the day, the bigger screen didn't really make a difference. I'm quite happy with the iP5 screen.

Why do you need the bigger screen of a Note 2 or SG3? Ask yourself that.

You might enjoy the bigger screen, the SD card way, removable battery with the SG3, but you also might miss the Apple ecosystem. You use lots of Google apps so "cloud" services are great with Android too. I used Google Drive and Google+ for all my sharing and uploading to my MBA.

If you never used Android, maybe go buy a Nexus 7 locally just to see if you like the Android OS. I know it's a tablet, but it runs the same OS. I bought mine at Staples and they have a 14 day return policy without a restocking fee.

So if you don't like it, you can return it and not regret selling your iPhone than stuck with a phone you don't want.

Just an idea...hope it helps
 

Explicitic

macrumors 6502
Oct 26, 2012
455
11
Undecided
I think you'll miss the accessories and the widespread use of everyone using it and a centralized location for support. Granted the android os is catching up, each device is very different thus finding solutions for problems can be frustrating

It really isn't...heard of XDA?
 

SomeDudeAsking

macrumors 65816
Nov 23, 2010
1,250
2
Exactly my point that it depends on the user. If I want the photos/songs/etc on all of my devices, then clearly iOS makes that easier as it does it automatically, whereas with Android I would have to download all of my content on my other devices after it has automatically uploaded.

OMG. Never heard of auto-sync or actually used DropBox on a non-iCrippled device?

----------

True, but I find the people to be, excuse my language - romwhores. Overall, I've found them to be mean, and very n00bish.

My experiences are my own - hopefully I stumbled into the exception, not the rule.

"Mean"? "n00bish"? Oh, wait, you probably meant to describe this forum. XDA has much more informative responses and people with real technical know how who actually help. Most of the time, the response from the Apple coalition here is to blame the user.
 

Axious

macrumors member
Nov 1, 2012
39
0
Somewhere in the world
OMG. Never heard of auto-sync or actually used DropBox on a non-iCrippled device?

----------



"Mean"? "n00bish"? Oh, wait, you probably meant to describe this forum. XDA has much more informative responses and people with real technical know how who actually help. Most of the time, the response from the Apple coalition here is to blame the user.

I agree the guys at XDA saved my phone from being bricked once. They are so helpful and they talk like they made android. So whenever I found a problem, xda will solve it (most of the time)
 

matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
OMG. Never heard of auto-sync or actually used DropBox on a non-iCrippled device?

Yeah I've used Dropbox. I didn't mention that because its a third party service that you need a third party account for and nothing whatsoever to do with Google.

Auto-sync doesn't automatically sync photos and videos to other devices so I'm not sure why you brought that up.
 

Tikatika

macrumors 6502a
Mar 12, 2012
712
797
Northern California
Just discussing this very thing with my daughter last night. Both of us have iphone 4 and are thinking of switching to SIII or S4 when our contacts are up. We were both disappointed with the design of the 5...ugly!

I do think we are going to see a greatly changed iOS, if not in 2013, then the following year. Fantastic if it happens ... Love our iPads ... But we use our phones differently.
 

gregrose

macrumors 6502
Jun 24, 2010
393
111
Just discussing this very thing with my daughter last night. Both of us have iphone 4 and are thinking of switching to SIII or S4 when our contacts are up. We were both disappointed with the design of the 5...ugly!

I do think we are going to see a greatly changed iOS, if not in 2013, then the following year. Fantastic if it happens ... Love our iPads ... But we use our phones differently.

every year we expect to see a great change & it never happens :(
 

soulreaver99

macrumors 68040
Aug 15, 2010
3,710
6,427
Southern California
Yeah I've used Dropbox. I didn't mention that because its a third party service that you need a third party account for and nothing whatsoever to do with Google.

Auto-sync doesn't automatically sync photos and videos to other devices so I'm not sure why you brought that up.

What the heck are you talking about? Of course it syncs to other devices. If you have drop box installed on your phone, the photos will show up on your Mac or iPad if you have it installed on both of them.
 

matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
What the heck are you talking about? Of course it syncs to other devices. If you have drop box installed on your phone, the photos will show up on your Mac or iPad if you have it installed on both of them.

I'm talking about the auto-sync settings in a stock Android device. You need to install something like Dropbox to be able to sync photos.

My post was a little unclear.
 

walie

macrumors 6502a
Nov 15, 2010
676
2
I'm talking about the auto-sync settings in a stock Android device. You need to install something like Dropbox to be able to sync photos.

My post was a little unclear.

Install Dropbox, wow, what a huge inconvenience :rolleyes:

With Dropbox, at least you're not limited to WiFi for syncing
 

matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
Install Dropbox, wow, what a huge inconvenience :rolleyes:

With Dropbox, at least you're not limited to WiFi for syncing

Then you have to create an account as well. Considering we're comparing the two, its surely much simpler to use your Apple ID for everything and have iCloud syncing working right out of the box.
 

walie

macrumors 6502a
Nov 15, 2010
676
2
Then you have to create an account as well. Considering we're comparing the two, its surely much simpler to use your Apple ID for everything and have iCloud syncing working right out of the box.

Wow, didn't know it was that complicated to setup Dropbox, do you have a link for a tutorial?

If that's too much trouble, then use google+
 

soulreaver99

macrumors 68040
Aug 15, 2010
3,710
6,427
Southern California
Then you have to create an account as well. Considering we're comparing the two, its surely much simpler to use your Apple ID for everything and have iCloud syncing working right out of the box.

You still have to create an Apple ID, log in, put in your password, turn on photo stream on all your devices.

How is that different from Dropbox, Picasaweb, Google Drive, SkyDrive, etc?

Ok now you're just trolling :rolleyes:
 

Dave.UK

macrumors 65816
Sep 24, 2012
1,290
482
Kent, UK
Then you have to create an account as well. Considering we're comparing the two, its surely much simpler to use your Apple ID for everything and have iCloud syncing working right out of the box.

How about using Google Drive to store/sync. Uses your gmail address that you used to set up your Android device - So exactly on par with iphone.
 

TG1

macrumors 6502a
Feb 21, 2011
592
51
As an iPad owner, I really missed PhotoStream with when I left my iPhone 4 for the Razr Maxx. Having my photos show up on the iPad after a day of taking photos on the iPhone was great. Dropbox is a nice alternative here for Android, just not as seamless. It does have the advantage of also moving videos to the cloud unlike Photostream.
 
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