Trying out Android after only using iPhone

[Nomad4Ever]

My iPhone 13 Pro recently broke and gave me the perfect opportunity to try switching over. I've made sure over the years to make it so I could switch over as seamlessly as possible if needed. I use a 3rd party password manager instead of Keychain. I use third party cloud storage instead of iCloud. Some things there is no getting around like iMessage but I'm working through it.

I ended up buying a Pixel 8 at Best Buy and plan on using their 2 week return window to see if I can make the switch. There are definitely some big friction points like my car only supporting Apple Car Play for some reason and not being able to iMessage people. iMessage is honestly so much better than anything on Android but supposedly Apple is adding RCS support sometime this year so that would be huge.

I definitely like Android 14 more than iOS. Being able to have Firefox extensions is amazing and I'm a big fan of being able to download stuff from outside the play store. Notifications are managed much better too and getting to use different launchers is nice. Having a proper clipboard and being able to run two apps in split screen puts iOS to shame. I mean iPhone have better processors than most Android phones so there really is no excuse. There is also a BUNCH of AI stuff in Android 14. Some is a bit of a gimmick like using AI to generate a wallpaper but other stuff like Google Assistant being able to wait on hold for your or call and make appointments is amazing. Some of the AI photo editing tools are actually useful too.

Overall it will still be a tough choice. As much as I like Android 14 iPhone hardware is just better and losing access to things like iMessage, Apple Pay (which still seems to have broader support than Google Pay), Apple Car Play, and of course all my App Store purchases is a real pain in the ass.

But I hate the idea of being locked into buying whatever Apple puts out no matter how bad it is. I want to be able to buy the best phone for me whether that's Apple or Android.

Has anyone else made the switch either way and how did it go for you?

 

[ttwtt78640]

I’m not nearly as technically competent (knowledgeable?) as my girlfriend (who loves Apple products), but the following link might prove helpful:

10 Things You'll Notice When Switching From iPhone to Android

Thinking of swapping your iPhone for an Android device? Here are some of the differences you need to prepare yourself for.

www.makeuseof.com

 

[AGENT J]

My iPhone 13 Pro recently broke and gave me the perfect opportunity to try switching over. I've made sure over the years to make it so I could switch over as seamlessly as possible if needed. I use a 3rd party password manager instead of Keychain. I use third party cloud storage instead of iCloud. Some things there is no getting around like iMessage but I'm working through it.

I ended up buying a Pixel 8 at Best Buy and plan on using their 2 week return window to see if I can make the switch. There are definitely some big friction points like my car only supporting Apple Car Play for some reason and not being able to iMessage people. iMessage is honestly so much better than anything on Android but supposedly Apple is adding RCS support sometime this year so that would be huge.

I definitely like Android 14 more than iOS. Being able to have Firefox extensions is amazing and I'm a big fan of being able to download stuff from outside the play store. Notifications are managed much better too and getting to use different launchers is nice. Having a proper clipboard and being able to run two apps in split screen puts iOS to shame. I mean iPhone have better processors than most Android phones so there really is no excuse. There is also a BUNCH of AI stuff in Android 14. Some is a bit of a gimmick like using AI to generate a wallpaper but other stuff like Google Assistant being able to wait on hold for your or call and make appointments is amazing. Some of the AI photo editing tools are actually useful too.

Overall it will still be a tough choice. As much as I like Android 14 iPhone hardware is just better and losing access to things like iMessage, Apple Pay (which still seems to have broader support than Google Pay), Apple Car Play, and of course all my App Store purchases is a real pain in the ass.

But I hate the idea of being locked into buying whatever Apple puts out no matter how bad it is. I want to be able to buy the best phone for me whether that's Apple or Android.

Has anyone else made the switch either way and how did it go for you?

theres nothing "wrong" per say with apple products
i have had both over the years because one of my company gave out Apple phones.

the iphone is a decent product but often it is behind the times regardless of their advertising

to put it as simple as possible
i own an android because i want my phone to do what "I" want it to do, not do what my phone wants me to do lol

so to each their own but i feel out with apple many years ago because they are so shady and proprietary and try to force the apple platform on you at every turn
this is not UNIQUE for companies but they are one of the worst at it and when theres a choice between them and android i pick android every time

for example your two gripes are the fault of apple not android (car only using apply play and imessaging)

but again, to each their own, if being with apply benefits YOU do that, it would never do so for me cause i like the freedom to interact with multiple things and how i want to interact with them and customizable options

 

[Nomad4Ever]

the iphone is a decent product but often it is behind the times regardless of their advertising

I disagree. What Apple does do, they do very well. What they lack is a breadth of features, but that isn't behind the times. Especially when it comes to their laptops these days they don't even have competition. M1 and M2 have better performance and battery life on the CPU side than anything out there and the M2 Ultra is in the range of RTX 3090 desktop performance.

But then you have to put up with the walled garden and so on which is a real shame.

 

[phoenix2020]

My iPhone 13 Pro recently broke and gave me the perfect opportunity to try switching over. I've made sure over the years to make it so I could switch over as seamlessly as possible if needed. I use a 3rd party password manager instead of Keychain. I use third party cloud storage instead of iCloud. Some things there is no getting around like iMessage but I'm working through it.

I ended up buying a Pixel 8 at Best Buy and plan on using their 2 week return window to see if I can make the switch. There are definitely some big friction points like my car only supporting Apple Car Play for some reason and not being able to iMessage people. iMessage is honestly so much better than anything on Android but supposedly Apple is adding RCS support sometime this year so that would be huge.

I definitely like Android 14 more than iOS. Being able to have Firefox extensions is amazing and I'm a big fan of being able to download stuff from outside the play store. Notifications are managed much better too and getting to use different launchers is nice. Having a proper clipboard and being able to run two apps in split screen puts iOS to shame. I mean iPhone have better processors than most Android phones so there really is no excuse. There is also a BUNCH of AI stuff in Android 14. Some is a bit of a gimmick like using AI to generate a wallpaper but other stuff like Google Assistant being able to wait on hold for your or call and make appointments is amazing. Some of the AI photo editing tools are actually useful too.

Overall it will still be a tough choice. As much as I like Android 14 iPhone hardware is just better and losing access to things like iMessage, Apple Pay (which still seems to have broader support than Google Pay), Apple Car Play, and of course all my App Store purchases is a real pain in the ass.

But I hate the idea of being locked into buying whatever Apple puts out no matter how bad it is. I want to be able to buy the best phone for me whether that's Apple or Android.

Has anyone else made the switch either way and how did it go for you?

Not so much a switch as I try to own at least one android device at all times to stay connected to the state of the art outside Apple. Usually this is either a pixel phone or a Samsung tablet. My observations are largely the same as yours - the Apple ecosystem is so nice, but Android devices often push their hardware harder than Apple to do quirky or niche things that I appreciate.

I got my Vision Pro on Friday for example and the fact that I was watching spatial videos taken on my phone within half an hour of opening the Vision Pro box was something to behold, for example….

 

[AGENT J]

I disagree. What Apple does do, they do very well. What they lack is a breadth of features, but that isn't behind the times. Especially when it comes to their laptops these days

i was talking strictly about phones, i havent touched an apple laptop or even seen one in like 7 years lol
my bad i could have been more clear instead of saying "products" but i meant the various phone products

 

[Lycanthrope]

I've used both Android and Apple phones for personal use and work. Of the two, I prefer Android.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

I've used both Android and Apple phones for personal use and work. Of the two, I prefer Android.

The thing I really hate about Android is the god damn bloatware. I really do appreciate Apple not screwing over their users like that or putting ads right into your OS. That's why I ended up going with Pixel as the Google OS is pretty clean compared to Samsung. Also I'll be damned if I have to make a Samsung account to use my phone.

Honestly I would never have considered Android until the recent Pixel phones. Historically I haven't liked Android as much as iOS but I'd say after like Android 12 and especially with Android 14 I think the software side has really caught up and since around 2020 the hardware side has largely caught up or passed Apple.

There are some iOS features I will really miss but so far as someone who is more of a power user and pretty technically inclined (I like running emulators, downloading weird programs from github, etc) I'm loving Android.

 

[Loulit01]

On the bright side, the lightning cable will be phased out.

 

[AGENT J]

The thing I really hate about Android is the god damn bloatware. I really do appreciate Apple not screwing over their users like that or putting ads right into your OS. That's why I ended up going with Pixel as the Google OS is pretty clean compared to Samsung. Also I'll be damned if I have to make a Samsung account to use my phone.

???i have zero ads in my OS nor do i have to use a samsung account to use my phone

 

[Nomad4Ever]

???i have zero ads in my OS nor do i have to use a samsung account to use my phone

Depends how you buy your phone. A lot of phone carriers will load bloatware or sometimes even ads for their own products right into the phone that can only be removed by rooting the phone. And Samsung requires you to make an account with them to use stuff like Find My on their Galaxy phones on top of also loading up their own bloatware too.

 

[AGENT J]

Depends how you buy your phone. A lot of phone carriers will load bloatware or sometimes even ads for their own products right into the phone that can only be removed by rooting the phone.

ive only ever had att for like 26 years since i was 21 hahaha

And Samsung requires you to make an account with them to use stuff like Find My on their Galaxy phones on top of also loading up their own bloatware too.

again i have a samsung and dont even know what that app is? is it to find your phone? i just use google
as for bloat ware im not aware of any phone not really doing that considering the definition of bloatware could be anything i dont need/want but samsung doesnt force me to use anything and i dont use any of their apps.

what would you consider bloatware thats on the samsung that wouldnt be comparable on an apple

 

[bomberfox]

On the bright side, the lightning cable will be phased out.

Yeah lightning cable had the silly idea that you shouldnt have any coverings to shield the contacts from most of the outside environmemt.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

what would you consider bloatware thats on the samsung that wouldnt be comparable on an apple

Bloatware pushes the Galaxy S23 Android OS to an incredible 60GB [Updated]

Samsung's Android build is 4x bigger than Google's.

arstechnica.com

Unlike the clean OSes you'd get from Google or Apple, Samsung sells space in its devices to the highest bidder via pre-installed crapware. A company like Facebook will buy a spot on Samsung's system partition, where it can get more intrusive system permissions that aren't granted to app store apps, letting it more effectively spy on users. You'll also usually find Netflix, Microsoft Office, Spotify, Linkedin, and who knows what else. Another round of crapware will also be included if you buy a phone from a carrier, i.e., all the Verizon apps and whatever space they want to sell to third parties. The average amount users are reporting is 60GB, but crapware deals change across carriers and countries, so it will be different for everyone.

I hate Samsung so much its unreal. The crap they hardload onto their phones that they sell out to whoever will pay them enough money is disgusting. iPhones and Pixels are pretty much the only phones that don't do this.

 

[Mycroft]

My iPhone 13 Pro recently broke and gave me the perfect opportunity to try switching over. I've made sure over the years to make it so I could switch over as seamlessly as possible if needed. I use a 3rd party password manager instead of Keychain. I use third party cloud storage instead of iCloud. Some things there is no getting around like iMessage but I'm working through it.

I ended up buying a Pixel 8 at Best Buy and plan on using their 2 week return window to see if I can make the switch. There are definitely some big friction points like my car only supporting Apple Car Play for some reason and not being able to iMessage people. iMessage is honestly so much better than anything on Android but supposedly Apple is adding RCS support sometime this year so that would be huge.

I definitely like Android 14 more than iOS. Being able to have Firefox extensions is amazing and I'm a big fan of being able to download stuff from outside the play store. Notifications are managed much better too and getting to use different launchers is nice. Having a proper clipboard and being able to run two apps in split screen puts iOS to shame. I mean iPhone have better processors than most Android phones so there really is no excuse. There is also a BUNCH of AI stuff in Android 14. Some is a bit of a gimmick like using AI to generate a wallpaper but other stuff like Google Assistant being able to wait on hold for your or call and make appointments is amazing. Some of the AI photo editing tools are actually useful too.

Overall it will still be a tough choice. As much as I like Android 14 iPhone hardware is just better and losing access to things like iMessage, Apple Pay (which still seems to have broader support than Google Pay), Apple Car Play, and of course all my App Store purchases is a real pain in the ass.

But I hate the idea of being locked into buying whatever Apple puts out no matter how bad it is. I want to be able to buy the best phone for me whether that's Apple or Android.

Has anyone else made the switch either way and how did it go for you?

Sounds like you've done your homework and you've certainly picked a very good Android phone...the Pixel 8. I have a Pixel 6 and I love it. I won't have to upgrade for several years to come.

I know nothing about iPhones or Apple. I've never used their stuff. So I can't comment on effects of switching to Android. But...out of all the Android phones you could have bought, you picked one that has just about the least bloatware and the cleanest stock Android user interface. And, like you said, you can choose and install a wide selection of launchers.

 

[AGENT J]

Bloatware pushes the Galaxy S23 Android OS to an incredible 60GB [Updated]

Samsung's Android build is 4x bigger than Google's.

arstechnica.com

I hate Samsung so much its unreal. The crap they hardload onto their phones that they sell out to whoever will pay them enough money is disgusting. iPhones and Pixels are pretty much the only phones that don't do this.

hmm see the link saying this seems like biased to me "Unlike the clean OSes you'd get from Google or Apple"
they may be "cleaner" but i would never call them clean

but like i said i have a samsung and i dont use any of samsungs stuff nor am i forced too. I load my own launcher, disable anything and everything i can and only run what i want. Not sure if thats harder on certain phones/carriers but never had an issue with it for S phones and ATT

I had the pixel for a while, i did very much like it . . . but a deal came around to get a samsung by just trading in another so i did that . . i could easily go back to a pixel one day though if during the time of my upgrade i find the its the superior of the two. I might be looking next year or the year after. I dont upgrade much anymore since theres not a lot of need for me personally.

my favorite phones were SONYs back in the day but once ATT stopped carring them and i couldnt get them in monthly payments i QUICKLY lost interest lol

 

[Nomad4Ever]

hmm see the link saying this seems like biased to me "Unlike the clean OSes you'd get from Google or Apple"
they may be "cleaner" but i would never call them clean

I mean, they are about as clean as you get. No third party software loaded by default and both let you delete many of even the default apps. I mean Samsung loaded so much crap that the OS takes up as much space as a Windows 11 install while the Pixel is less than 1/5th that size I think makes it objectively bloated. Plus like I said they sometimes comes with software you CAN'T remove. It will say "disable" but you can't actually uninstall it without rooting the phones which is fairly technical.

I load my own launcher, disable anything and everything i can and only run what i want. Not sure if thats harder on certain phones/carriers but never had an issue with it for S phones and ATT

I mean that's the beauty of Android. But yeah it can be harder on different phones/carriers. ATT is not too bad but Verizon loads all kinds of crap. I know my dad's phone had Facebook built in and it couldn't be uninstalled only "disabled".

I dont upgrade much anymore since theres not a lot of need for me personally.

Amen. IMO we basically "solved" phones a few years ago and there really isn't a good reason to upgrade often anymore.

my favorite phones were SONYs back in the day but once ATT stopped carring them and i couldnt get them in monthly payments i QUICKLY lost interest lol

Sony did make good phones. And even though they were jank LG had some funny devices.

 

[AGENT J]

I mean, they are about as clean as you get. No third party software loaded by default and both let you delete many of even the default apps. I mean Samsung loaded so much crap that the OS takes up as much space as a Windows 11 install while the Pixel is less than 1/5th that size I think makes it objectively bloated. Plus like I said they sometimes comes with software you CAN'T remove. It will say "disable" but you can't actually uninstall it without rooting the phones which is fairly technical.

i know your LINK says that but im still left wondering what that is since i have a samsung and i am not familiar with any third party software, especially anything i have to use or cant delete. Does you opr anybody have an example of such? is it for all samsungs? does ATT possibly get samsungs that do not do that?

because trust me if that was on my phone i would HATE IT lol

I mean that's the beauty of Android. But yeah it can be harder on different phones/carriers. ATT is not too bad but Verizon loads all kinds of crap. I know my dad's phone had Facebook built in and it couldn't be uninstalled only "disabled".

i use nova, love it

Amen. IMO we basically "solved" phones a few years ago and there really isn't a good reason to upgrade often anymore.

i had a samsung S7 active (with the 3 physical buttons on the front) for years i didnt want to get rid of it. loved the phone and its ruggedness

Sony did make good phones. And even though they were jank LG had some funny devices.

SONY still makes phone my brain just doesn't allow me to drop 1100+ on a phone.
I KNOW i do the same thing in payments lol but i just cant handle it in a lump sum hahahaha

 

[Lisa]

I've tried an Apple with iOS and I just dont like the limitations compared to Android. I now have an Android One phone and it seems very intuitive to me.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

I'll soon be trading my nine year old LG V20 for a Pixel.
My daughter had an iPhone and I had a MacBook for years to handle Apple HDV footage, but I despised both.
So why did I keep my LG for so long?
Simple, I have over 4000 contacts and phone stores freak out when they see that, plus I just don't like having to switch phones that often, I barely use anything on them except the camera.

 

[Noodlegawd]

iPhones and Pixels are pretty much the only phones that don't do this.

iPhones? Yer kidding, right?