Lifetime Android user, switching to iOS/iPhone

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JagoSev

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#259927 30-Oct-2019 23:32

Hi, as the title suggests, I've been a lifetime Android user. Generally I update my phone every year around this time once all the big players have released their models. I'm seriously considering an iPhone 11 Pro. It's main rival is the Note 10 +.

I have zero experience with an iPhone but am aware of the most common quirks/issues of switching to iOS from Android. Can anyone share their experience of shifting from one to the other and perhaps some lesser known issues to keep in mind? I find that it is the little things that make me feel a phone a phone is either good or great.

I won't be conducting business on the phone. Calls and data are both unlimited and I do consume and run a lot ofedia through my device.

Any help is appreciated.

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meow
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#2346567 30-Oct-2019 23:55

I was a lifetime Android user who switched to an iPhone around 2 years ago now.

Some pros:
1) You stop caring about software updates - Apple are very good at keeping your phone secure.
2) My phone is still as fast as the day I bought it. Apple, once again, are very good at optimizing their software.
3) I've got ad blocking in the default web browser, natively. (also tip - Safari is very good and fast, don't switch out your browser to Chrome).
4) Airpods are seriously handy. I use them for phone calls, music etc. They're well worth the coin.
5) The Apple Watch just works and Apple Pay is very handy to have both on my phone and watch. My watch is actually my main method of paying for things now.
6) My phone survived being dropped in a bucket of paint, fully covered (including all ports) and going through a bath of water + sugar soap to clear it all out without tripping moisture sensors internally.

Some cons:
1) You do lose some customization.
2) Price.
3) No USB-C (but I don't see this as a big thing like everyone else as I use wireless charging anyway).
4) Siri - however, she is improving and Siri Shortcuts is just great.
5) Dual sim is still a struggle as providers are not really taking up esim in a rush.
6) iCloud - it is handy to have (and I opted for it). You don't need it (and can use Google Photos as an example instead) but it does fully backup your phone for actually not too much cost wise per month - you can also share this storage with others in your family.
7) Spotify won't download your playlists in the background, Netflix won't download offline videos in the background, Google Photos will stop syncing until you re-open the app at times - it is a security feature with the iPhone (I think 10mins after you switch to another app or close an app it stops some background activities) but can sometimes be annoying if you're wanting to grab some Netflix shows for the train, sync your offline playlists or ensure your photos are uploaded. Lucky most apps remind you of this fact and tell you to re-open the app.

The camera is very good on the new iPhones, they're insanely fast, iMessage + Facetime is very handy and Apple have your back when it comes to privacy. For example, they prompted all users in a clear way if Apple is allowed to keep Siri recordings to make Siri better and also provided a very clear way of purging your previous Siri recordings stored at Apple. They also like to limit how much information apps can collect (looking at you Facebook) and ensure you know what apps are tracking you via location data on a regular basis.

The reason for me switching was software updates and stability. I just want a phone that is reliable and gets updated. Apple do have a very good history of providing software and security updates and not once have I thought of going through the trouble of jailbreaking my phone due to limitations.

Apps are often more polished on iOS devices and there is far less crap in the app store as compared to Android. And as software refinements happen, it is clear Apple are listening to their customers with what they want especially so with iOS 13.

No, I am not a "Fanboy" - I just like a phone that works well. The build quality, software, ecosystem and performance of iPhones is just great. I do still have an Android phone for my work sim, my parents have Android phones, my partner has a S10+. It is personal preference.

But honestly if you're thinking of taking the plunge give it at-least a month to fully adjust to it - my biggest struggle with switching was "Android can do it like this, why can't the iPhone" and having to learn new ways of doing things I normally did but I think with iOS 13 this struggle will be less as more features that exist in Android are on the iPhone also.

And lastly (edit): Don't go by specs! Ram is seriously not an issue with iPhones and I have not once wished that my phone had more ram. The CPU is also incredibly powerful (people estimate Apple are around 2-3 years ahead of the Qualcomm variants). And also, purchase the 256gb model if you can.

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mattwnz

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#2346569 31-Oct-2019 00:36

A few things that the iphones can't match the samsung notes models on, which are features that will probably eventually comes to the iphone pro models in future years,

(a) Obviously the pen. Once you get used to that, it is game changing for many things.

(b) Using multiple apps at the same time. Eg you can watch a video in a popup resizable windows while writing or reading. Or do split view.

(c) Desktop mode - Basically you can turn your phone into a desktop PC with a bluetooth keyboard and touch pad/mouse. But it isn't a feature I personally use much.

Personally if I update my phone every year, I think I would go for the note if you want those features. If I was keeping the phone for 3+ years, the iphone IMO is possibly a better deal, as apple historically s support ios on older models for a lot longer than android manufacturers.

I have both an iphone and a note, so have the best of both worlds. I need the iphone for my apple watch.

tripp

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#2346574 31-Oct-2019 05:33

I made the switch from android to iOS and now back to android.

I did like the iphone but i found there were things that did drive me nuts, with work I get emails 24/7 and with my android device i could get email apps to only push message etc to my phone during my business hours, iOS did not have this and my phone would not shut up (i like getting my personal stuff 24/7 but not so much work stuff).

I also found that after a while i just stop caring what the number was on notifications red dot etc.

Siri was awful for using in the car (i.e. navigate to xxxxx). I did find siri great for other things like getting to jobs on time with traffic (she would tell you when you need to leave to get there in time).

Battery life on iphone XR however was awesome, charging was still slower than other devices however :(

Iphones are ugly as sin when it comes to the desktop.

Back on android for a number of reasons now, mainly dual sim, android auto, price of device etc.

JagoSev

9 posts

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#2346578 31-Oct-2019 06:57

Thanks for the answers guys, lots of points well made to digest.

JagoSev

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#2346579 31-Oct-2019 07:04

One thing I forgot to ask is how fast/reliable are the streaming and DLing on the iPhone? I play a lot of Netflix and other streaming services on my phone for my daughter so slow and spotty data use would be annoying.

Kiwifruta

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#2346593 31-Oct-2019 07:38

JagoSev: One thing I forgot to ask is how fast/reliable are the streaming and DLing on the iPhone? I play a lot of Netflix and other streaming services on my phone for my daughter so slow and spotty data use would be annoying.

More a question about how fast is your network. The iPhones are solid devices.

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lNomNoml

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#2346599 31-Oct-2019 07:59

Personally I will never support Apple until they allow the right to repair as per the current case in the USA about Apple not allowing/severely blocking your right to repair the device you have paid for, it's an evil, landfill filling practice that's pushing the industry in the wrong direction especially in this environmental conscious age we are in, we all really need to move to a time where repairing is the first option than just buying another one. You only have to watch 1 or 2 Louis Rossmann videos on YouTube to see just how evil Apple are.

But yeah as the points above by all means Apple is more polished and their devices "just work" but when they don't you end up paying for it.

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#2346602 31-Oct-2019 08:07

tripp:
... with my android device i could get email apps to only push message etc to my phone during my business hours, iOS did not have this and my phone would not shut up (i like getting my personal stuff 24/7 but not so much work stuff).

What android email app were you using?

GSManiac

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#2346609 31-Oct-2019 08:17

I've moved three family members from android to ios and all three as their first complaint lamented the lack of a dedicated "back" button. Ive never used an android phone but I can't see why they're so hung up over it.

Benjip

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#2346630 31-Oct-2019 09:46

lNomNoml: Personally I will never support Apple until they allow the right to repair as per the current case in the USA about Apple not allowing/severely blocking your right to repair the device you have paid for, it's an evil, landfill filling practice that's pushing the industry in the wrong direction especially in this environmental conscious age we are in, we all really need to move to a time where repairing is the first option than just buying another one. You only have to watch 1 or 2 Louis Rossmann videos on YouTube to see just how evil Apple are.

But yeah as the points above by all means Apple is more polished and their devices "just work" but when they don't you end up paying for it.

And personally I am pleased that Apple doesn't allow any Tom/Dick/Harry to open up my iPhone and swap out parts to get access to my data.

michaelmurfy

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#2346635 31-Oct-2019 10:02

tripp:

I made the switch from android to iOS and now back to android.

I did like the iphone but i found there were things that did drive me nuts, with work I get emails 24/7 and with my android device i could get email apps to only push message etc to my phone during my business hours, iOS did not have this and my phone would not shut up (i like getting my personal stuff 24/7 but not so much work stuff).

I've worked around this by using a different email app for work - you're able to from there separate out the notifications.

I also found that after a while i just stop caring what the number was on notifications red dot etc.

Yeah that is normal - it is just more visible on iOS than Android in this case but I bet if you were shown the notification count you'll be the same on Android also.

Siri was awful for using in the car (i.e. navigate to xxxxx). I did find siri great for other things like getting to jobs on time with traffic (she would tell you when you need to leave to get there in time).

"Siri navigate to 123 fake street with Google Maps" works now.

Battery life on iphone XR however was awesome, charging was still slower than other devices however :(

I think that is less of a problem - I charge my phone overnight and could go for 2 days without charging it again. I use Wireless Charging anyway which is slow.

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gehenna

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#2346639 31-Oct-2019 10:11

I was a lifetime iPhone user who switched to Android. So much better now. I still have an iPhone to keep up with what's happening. But I feel that after Android Pie things got good enough in the Android world for me to finally jump ship. No regrets either.

JaseNZ

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#2346712 31-Oct-2019 11:20

I used to be a lifetime Android user and switched to iPhone 10 XS Max when it came out, The main reason I switched is I have a macbook pro and the wife had an iPhone and we both have ipads.

I changed because it was so easy to integrate everything together.

Did not upgrade to the 11 but will upgrade next year when 5G is in them. I do like the firmware upgrade is always instant as opposed to having to wait for the telco to pass on an Android update. I love the new Apple car play and use it all the time.

Also changed to the apple watch which I feel is so much better than the Samsung watch I had and works flawlessly with the phone.

Its always going to be a preferential thing and if you have always used android you will find it a big adjustment it just takes time.

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#2346749 31-Oct-2019 12:44

I moved from being a lifetime Android user (most recent a Galaxy S9+) to the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

I did not have a good experience with the S9+ as it was quite buggy, bluetooth / push notifications / app crashes and I was desperate to move away from Samsung.

The things that were important to me:

Local support & warranty
Primary Camera
Battery backup

The iPhone fit the bill & I've been very happy with my jump.

I like Carplay a lot more than Android auto as I find it has better integration support in my car. It's also working great with my Samsung watch and just feels so much more polished.

The user experience IMO is absolutely fantastic & I don't see myself going back anytime soon.

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#2346803 31-Oct-2019 14:06

Android (Samsung) to Iphone then to Android (Huawei for 3 models). Contemplating going back due to current Huawei issues and because the iPhone 11 Pro Max is the right size I am after. BUT and it is a huge BUT. I god damn hate the no back button. Boss has an iPhone 10 and sometimes its easier to hand over than navigate. You get stuck in an app and no way back one screen. Stupid.

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