Mobile OSs What would I miss if I switched to Android

[toypadlock]

Serious question here - it's kinda difficult to work out what I'd miss if I switched to Android. I have an iPhone 4 as well as an iMac, an Apple TV and an old iPad.

One of the things that springs to mind is automatic over the air iCloud contact etc syncing which I really like, although I think that might be doable through another means.

Also being able to use AirVideo to display stuff from my iMac on my AppleTv, although i could do that with my iPad.

So - apart from the Apple iOS phone interface - is there anything that would make my experience worse if I switched to one of the new androids or similar.

Sorry for such a vague question!

 

[-MRB]

iTunes sync.
App Store.
Easy software updates.
The camera.
iOS & it's fluidity.


Well, at least that's what I miss.

 

[Want300]

The quality and fluidity of the apps... It is easier for app developers to produce apps on iOS due to the minimal fragmentation among iPhone models.

 

[mattopotamus]

Serious question here - it's kinda difficult to work out what I'd miss if I switched to Android. I have an iPhone 4 as well as an iMac, an Apple TV and an old iPad.

One of the things that springs to mind is automatic over the air iCloud contact etc syncing which I really like, although I think that might be doable through another means.

Also being able to use AirVideo to display stuff from my iMac on my AppleTv, although i could do that with my iPad.

So - apart from the Apple iOS phone interface - is there anything that would make my experience worse if I switched to one of the new androids or similar.

Sorry for such a vague question!

well you hit the nail on the head in terms of losing that Apple Eco-system. That was the biggest compromise for me when I gave android a shot....the google equivalents are atrocious.

As far as contacts and syncing go, google contacts works just as well as the cloud. A big complaint of mine was the default email client (not gmail) just flat out stinks. I search my mail a lot and it seemed to never find anything. The OS is just as easy to learn and many things are much faster with widgets. For example, click a flashlight widget that instantly toggles the LED without having to launch the app like you do on the iphones.

You will find some things you like and some things you dislike. It really depends on each person and what things are most important to you. The only way to know is if you give it a try.

Get a nexus if you go android or else you will wait 6 months to have the newest OS, which is just terrible.

 

[Want300]

well you hit the nail on the head in terms of losing that Apple Eco-system. That was the biggest compromise for me when I gave android a shot....the google equivalents are atrocious.

As far as contacts and syncing go, google contacts works just as well as the cloud. A big complaint of mine was the default email client (not gmail) just flat out stinks. I search my mail a lot and it seemed to never find anything. The OS is just as easy to learn and many things are much faster with widgets. For example, click a flashlight widget that instantly toggles the LED without having to launch the app like you do on the iphones.

You will find some things you like and some things you dislike. It really depends on each person and what things are most important to you. The only way to know is if you give it a try.

Get a nexus if you go android or else you will wait 6 months to have the newest OS, which is just terrible.

I use the camera as my flashlight app, so I can launch it from the lock screen. When in video mode, if the flash is set to on, the led just remains on, and you do not have to start filming anything for it to come on.

----------

This allows me to skip typing in my passcode on the lock screen

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

The few times that I left and came back I missed. The screen quality, the mute switch, tap the clock to scroll to the top ( it sounds little but it's huge, i.e. every web page) , the keyboard (huge miss), one hand usage, hardware build quality, faster charging, and battery life. I think that is all.

And my last android try was an unlocked galaxy nexus with official jelly bean.

Edit: reader view in safari is pretty nice as well. I just wished it synced like Chrome does.

Edit 2: this is going to sound really cheesy and it is probably why Apple fans get called all the names. But in all honesty iOS is just a pleasure to use. I don't know what it is but the other day I spent 30 minutes + playing with an S3 in the AT&T store. It was nice. Then I spent a few minutes playing with an iPhone 4S and it just felt so much better to use and intuitive and smooth and fast and fluid and a pleasure LOL. The stale boring factor is starting not to matter to me anymore. Maybe it is because it is what I am used to...or maybe not. Everyone has their preference I guess. Ok I'm done editing this post.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

iTunes sync.
App Store.
Easy software updates.
The camera.
iOS & it's fluidity.


Well, at least that's what I miss.

That's the biggest one for me. There's just so many things about iOS that make it stand out. I also had a hard time getting used to hardware that wasn't a solid brick of glass and steel. I know some people like lighter devices but I'm not one of them.

 

[mattopotamus]

I use the camera as my flashlight app, so I can launch it from the lock screen. When in video mode, if the flash is set to on, the led just remains on, and you do not have to start filming anything for it to come on.
----------

This allows me to skip typing in my passcode on the lock screen

I guess you would have to try it on S3 to see what i mean. They have a widget for the flashlight that literally is like a "tap on, tap off". It is instantaneous.

The few times that I left and came back I missed. The screen quality, the mute switch, tap the clock to scroll to the top ( it sounds little but it's huge, i.e. every web page) , the keyboard (huge miss), one hand usage, hardware build quality, faster charging, and battery life. I think that is all.

And my last android try was an unlocked galaxy nexus with official jelly bean.

agreed about the keyboard and tap to top. I tried every keyboard and never got one comparable.

 

[randy98mtu]

For me the biggest would be iTunes/iPod. The more I read these threads, I realize I'd miss the mute switch and the tap to go to the top of a web page.

 

[Want300]

The few times that I left and came back I missed. The screen quality, the mute switch, tap the clock to scroll to the top ( it sounds little but it's huge, i.e. every web page) , the keyboard (huge miss), one hand usage, hardware build quality, faster charging, and battery life. I think that is all.

And my last android try was an unlocked galaxy nexus with official jelly bean.

The mute switch, my favorite phone feature. When I had my GS2 for work, I hated having to toggle volume up and down. Tap to top is super nice as well.

I guess you would have to try it on S3 to see what i mean. They have a widget for the flashlight that literally is like a "tap on, tap off". It is instantaneous.

I get what you are saying, and I understand how nice that is. When you want the flashlight feature, you usually want it open and working as fast as possible.

I use the camera to make it as fast as i can on the iphone.

 

[JamesHP]

Having switched to the GS3 from the iPhone 4 a month ago, the things I'm missing are:

iMessage: never thought I'd miss it quite this much, but sending pics etc without being charged is something I miss, considering hardly any of my friends have whatsapp or similar.

Volume up to take a photo: My photos on the S3 are much more blurry than the iP4, probably because volume up to capture allowed me to hold it still much better.

iTunes: Kies is absolutely terrible in comparison, especially on the Mac. It doesn't work nearly as well and it seems like an afterthought, whereas with the iPhone/iOS products it's just another piece in the jigsaw. It's just not user friendly in the slightest.

The music player: It's just so much more usable on iOS than the S3. Okay, it's bearable, I just prefer the Music app on the iPhone much much more. Coupled with iTunes it makes for a much nicer experience. Add to that scrolling to the left on the multitasking bar for iPod controls - I know the S3 has music player controls in the notification bar, I just prefer the iOS version.

Apps: Android is catching up with iOS, no doubt. But on the whole the quality of the apps is still lacking compared to iOS, particularly when it comes to games.

Mute switch: Very convenient feature, and I do miss it.

Tapping the status bar to get to the top of the page: Keep finding myself trying to do this, even though the feature doesn't exist. That's how used to iOS I was.

I also find the S3 awkward to use in one hand because of its size, though it's an okay tradeoff for the screen size. There are some things I prefer, notably the screen size, the speed of the phone and expandable memory, but I'm considering trading it off for the new iPhone once it arrives.

 

[soulreaver99]

Posted this from another thread:

1. iMessage / Facetime Integration with MacOS - This works really well for me. Love how everything integrates with other iOS devices as well as Mac OSX. Sure there are Android alternatives to texting on your desktop like Mighty Text but it isn't as refined as how iOS does it. If WhatsApp had a desktop application then I'd easily drop iMessage.

2. Shoot pictures using the volume button - the way the iphone is designed, it's shape makes it a perfect point and shoot sized camera.

3. Photos automatically upload to iPhoto and Aperture libraries through PhotoStream - sure there's Drop Box but with PhotoStream, I don't really have to think about it when I want to pull up photos from my Mac

4. Mail App. I hate the default Mail App on the Galaxy S3 (for exchange mail). So much smoother on the iPhone and the Corporate Directory is very well integrated.

5. Most car audio systems including my headunit has better support for the iPhone especially for Pandora and other Music players. I can use Bluetooth on Android but sound quality through the cable is much better.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

Having switched to the GS3 from the iPhone 4 a month ago, the things I'm missing are:

iMessage: never thought I'd miss it quite this much, but sending pics etc without being charged is something I miss, considering hardly any of my friends have whatsapp or similar.

Volume up to take a photo: My photos on the S3 are much more blurry than the iP4, probably because volume up to capture allowed me to hold it still much better.

iTunes: Kies is absolutely terrible in comparison, especially on the Mac. It doesn't work nearly as well and it seems like an afterthought, whereas with the iPhone/iOS products it's just another piece in the jigsaw. It's just not user friendly in the slightest.

The music player: It's just so much more usable on iOS than the S3. Okay, it's bearable, I just prefer the Music app on the iPhone much much more. Coupled with iTunes it makes for a much nicer experience. Add to that scrolling to the left on the multitasking bar for iPod controls - I know the S3 has music player controls in the notification bar, I just prefer the iOS version.

Apps: Android is catching up with iOS, no doubt. But on the whole the quality of the apps is still lacking compared to iOS, particularly when it comes to games.

Mute switch: Very convenient feature, and I do miss it.

Tapping the status bar to get to the top of the page: Keep finding myself trying to do this, even though the feature doesn't exist. That's how used to iOS I was.

I also find the S3 awkward to use in one hand because of its size, though it's an okay tradeoff for the screen size. There are some things I prefer, notably the screen size, the speed of the phone and expandable memory, but I'm considering trading it off for the new iPhone once it arrives.

FYI in case you didn't know the S3 has a "tap to top" feature. I found that it didn't work that well for me. And I'm not 100% sure it is designed to work in the browser but I know it works I contacts. Maybe you will have better luck. It is under setting and the motion controls. You are tapping the actually top of the phone. Not the screen like on iPhone.

----------

Posted this from another thread:

1. iMessage / Facetime Integration with MacOS - This works really well for me. Love how everything integrates with other iOS devices as well as Mac OSX. Sure there are Android alternatives to texting on your desktop like Mighty Text but it isn't as refined as how iOS does it. If WhatsApp had a desktop application then I'd easily drop iMessage.

2. Shoot pictures using the volume button - the way the iphone is designed, it's shape makes it a perfect point and shoot sized camera.

3. Photos automatically upload to iPhoto and Aperture libraries through PhotoStream - sure there's Drop Box but with PhotoStream, I don't really have to think about it when I want to pull up photos from my Mac

4. Mail App. I hate the default Mail App on the Galaxy S3 (for exchange mail). So much smoother on the iPhone and the Corporate Directory is very well integrated.

5. Most car audio systems including my headunit has better support for the iPhone especially for Pandora and other Music players. I can use Bluetooth on Android but sound quality through the cable is much better.

+1 for taking a photo with the volume button.

 

[JamesHP]

FYI in case you didn't know the S3 has a "tap to top" feature. I found that it didn't work that well for me. And I'm not 100% sure it is designed to work in the browser but I know it works I contacts. Maybe you will have better luck. It is under setting and the motion controls. You are tapping the actually top of the phone. Not the screen like on iPhone.

Yeah, I didn't have much luck with it. If it didn't work in such a limited number of applications (Contacts and Email only) I would probably get used to it, but I found myself trying to tap the screen in apps such as Facebook, Twitter etc. Adding to my post slightly I think I just prefer iOS in general compared to Android - it's got better, no doubt about it. It's just not for me.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

The magnifying glass that pops up when editing text. I missed that a lot too.

 

[-MRB]

The magnifying glass that pops up when editing text. I missed that a lot too.

This!

Also - Rooting compared to Jailbreaking is much harder. There are SO many versions of Android it's un true. Cydia also had its uses along with the apps inside it.


The ONLY thing I prefer on my S2 is the screen size. That's it.
Contacts app is crap. Messaging app is crap. Settings UI is crap. LOADS of useless bloatware apps pre installed.

Why did I ever jump ship

 

[cynics]

Depends on that you have on your iPhone. I don't really miss much either way just cause of how I use my iPhone. I've never liked iTunes either.

Although I don't know if you can mirror but there are apps that work with appletv like twonky and air sync double twist. They will also stream to an Xbox or ps3.

 

[toypadlock]

hah, okay - it seems like i'd be better off sticking with the new iPhone for my next upgrade in september then. thanks!

 

[bembol]

iTunes. How it organizes it, access to my Purchased content.

I love Macs and it's really the only reason why I keep going back to the iPhone. I had the 3GS, 4, 4S and soon 5.

 

[Calidude]

If you have all those other devices, yes, its better to stick to iPhone.

Most of us Android phone users don't have all those devices. We simply have an iPad or a Macbook at most.

 

[sentinelsx]

The ONLY thing I prefer on my S2 is the screen size. That's it.
Contacts app is crap. Messaging app is crap. Settings UI is crap. LOADS of useless bloatware apps pre installed.

If Apple made two 4.3 inch and 4 inch iPhone variants they would rake in sales like no tomorrow. Still easy to keep things under control compared to hundreds of android models and satisfy everyone. They do it with their computers, why not with tablets and phones?

I love my GS3 but iOS even with its iron fist is a pleasure to use compared to android. Just feels far more polished, smooth and intuitive. However, the moment i hold an iPhone now i just can't shake the feeling i am holding a miniature phone. The 3.5 inch screen starts to feel even smaller after using the GS3 for a couple weeks.

 

[Mac.World]

Volume up to take a photo: My photos on the S3 are much more blurry than the iP4, probably because volume up to capture allowed me to hold it still much better.

Seems I need to bring this up sinse I know people aren't reading the manual. You don't have to push any buttons at all with the S3. You can take pictures on verbal command or via the timer. You can create time varied photo's by keeping the aperature open longer (think fireworks), you can set the metering and iso manually...

The S3 is more than a regular cheap point and shoot camera or an iPhone. You actually need to know how to use it in order to get great shots. The iPhone is easy and requires zero effort to take okay shots. The S3 CAN do the same, but I would at least change two settings so there is no blur and colors look more natural. Make sure the anti-shake and auto-contrast are on.

----------

This!

Also - Rooting compared to Jailbreaking is much harder. There are SO many versions of Android it's un true. Cydia also had its uses along with the apps inside it.)

another false rumor I hate seeing spread. Although when we had Jailbreakme.com on 3.0, that really was simple, so simple a cave man could do it.

Anyway, jailbreaking 5.x and rooting a newer phone like the S3 is exactly the same knowledge level. Both require you to download a piece of software that actually does the jailbreaking/rooting and both require a file that is used. Both are downloaded and then 2 or 3 clicks, wait the few minutes while the magic happens and done.
Now if you want to ROM an Android phone after rooting, so you can change the look and actions of your phone, well that is some extra steps, but since iPhone doesn't have this ability (and no Dreamboard doesn't count as it is not the same thing) we won't go there.

 

[nickchallis92]

Having been an android user all my life, I bought an iPad to see what the rave was about iOS. I honestly couldn't see it.

You all see a couchy easy to use OS whereas I see a ridiculously boring wall of squares. I also hate iTunes with a passion. Also how deluded is it having all your settings in the settings menu. A seriously overrated experience.

 

[Mac.World]

Having been an android user all my life, I bought an iPad to see what the rave was about iOS. I honestly couldn't see it.

You all see a couchy easy to use OS whereas I see a ridiculously boring wall of squares. I also hate iTunes with a passion. Also how deluded is it having all your settings in the settings menu. A seriously overrated experience.

Please don't come in here just to bash on Apple, iOS or its users. Your experience would be typical for a life long Android user. We do things for ourselves, where as iOS takes care of it for you, getting it out of the way, so you don't have to think about it and can therefore just enjoy whatever it is you are doing. This is Apple'smdesign philosophy... KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) This is not derogatory in any way. This is also a Navy Seal saying. The iPhone appeals to more people, since it is appealing to the masses, both technologically dumb and smart alike.

Personally, I prefer my S3 to an iPhone, with all of its features, but that doesn't make the iphone or ios crappy or overrated.

 

[sentinelsx]

You all see a couchy easy to use OS whereas I see a ridiculously boring wall of squares. I also hate iTunes with a passion. Also how deluded is it having all your settings in the settings menu. A seriously overrated experience.

My GS3 looks the same with wall of icons. I tried some widgets but i probably looked at them once in 3 weeks lol. Useless and overrated IMO.

Also like having settings in one settings app. It is a pain not to know how to set up something because you are searching in the wrong place.