I like the variety of hardware available, and the customization available in the software, especially with third party launchers.
this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2023
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Well. Long term apple user. I had everything. MacBook, Apple TV, iPhone, Apple Watch. But somewhen I crossed roads too much with the walled garden.
I compared a lot of Android driven brands and how everything works. The final nail was actually usability. I have been more flexible with Android and Windows than Apple and Windows.
Of course the experience is smooth with Apple. But imo Android and iOS devices have their benefits and for me thats Android - Also because I can easily switch brands and stuff.
Mostly Sideloading and GrapheneOS. And that it's mostly open source
Sideloading apps is the main reason. I couldn't use a phone without Adblock.
iPhones are also just way more expensive and the few times i've tried them the UX just sucked so much, form over function.
Don't like Apple's anti consumer attitude, same reason I don't buy Nintendo products.
All my smart phones were Android, but not on purpose: Before buying one, I always entered my size and feature preferences (4G, NFC, water resistant, wireless charging, etc) in multiple sites like https://m.gsmarena.com/search.php3 and the best fits for the best price were always Android phones 🤷
FDroid and custom ROMs
Customization and not being locked into one manufacturer/environment. I currently have a Pixel 7, but if Google made a hardware change that I absolutely couldn't stand, I have a dozen other manufacturers to choose from that might fit my taste better, while retaining all my apps, accounts, etc. If Apple drops a feature... Too bad for you.
Freedom. I feel so restricted on iOS. I want to do this, and this, and that there too!
Anytime anyone asked why, my response has always been "options". Plain and simple.
The price, a burning hatred for apple, and I can switch over to something else like graphine os. I haven't done that yet but I plan to when I get a new phone though!
I actually use iOS but I’ve had phones on both sides of the aisle several times in the last 15 years. I work in cybersec and android excels at that kind of thing. Infinitely more power to access systems, use terminal, pull up ip based webpages, and a far more comprehensive app suite to do so. Personally, I’ve just found iOS more stable in my day to day but I have an android tablet for best of both worlds.
It folds.
I can use a small screen phone when I want to, and open it up for a small tablet when I need it. I also have more choices. I have one Android phone with a headphone jack and a small screen, while I have another Android phone that gets the latest Google software and features.
Z Fold 3 is probably my favourite phone since the S2!
I've had several Notes and some other nice flagships, but by far, the Fold just really hits the spot.
On top of my mind
- I can develop apps quickly and check how it looks on mobile (android can be built on any OS with lesser effort compared to iOS builds)
- RetroGames!
- Sideload apps
- More customisation options
- USB C
I use both Android and iOS Some features I miss on Android are
- Long press on space bar to move text cursor around.
- Seamless integration between Apple Devices
Long press on spacebar to move text cursor around.
You're saying you don't have that on Android? I do. But I use GBoard.
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On my a android 11 / miui 12.5.2 pressing space bar to move cursor works without any problems.
Maybe Xiaomi implemented what iOS did in their miui, however same feature is not present in GBoard or SwiftKey :/
Swiftkey has that option. Settings -> Input
I've done Palm Treos and windowsCE phones and, blackberries, I went Motorola Droid when they first came out, try to short stint with an iPhone 4, went back to Android ever since.
What's blocking me from going back to iPhone? Honestly they're hardware is great. Long battery life reasonable charging. It's the setup of the phone itself It's the software. It hasn't changed significantly since iPhone 4.
I want a large clock widget on my front page I want weather for this week at the bottom I want weather for today hour by hour, below that I want five folders, stuff to use while driving, media stuff, chat stuff, camera stuff, productivity stuff. I didn't want to have multiple desktops, swiping off main will bring me to gaming stuff, then drone flying stuff, then audio stuff.
Android software options historically were cheaper and free options were better than the Apple free options I'm not really sure that's the case anymore.
I'd like to have the option for a round watch with a functional physical bezel, that has 24 hours of battery life.
I'd like not to be penalized for using a Windows PC with my phone and my watch. Even a little garbage like you can reset your Apple account on an Apple device right now, but if you will need to reset it from Windows you have to wait 3 days.
It wouldn't keep me from transferring but, I'd miss stuff like Samsung dex.
The simple act of trying to transfer ownership of an iPhone from one daughter to another this week almost broke me. I hate how difficult they make everything.
Was it more involved than sign out -> factory reset -> set up as a new phone? (I'm just curious, have been on android for a few years now)
There were some self inflicted complications to be fair. I couldn't fully back up the broken phone because it was in a family group with an expired payment card. My wife hadn't had her iPhone for years so that was a pain in the arse to resolve which included waiting nearly two weeks for an email from Apple. Even when I got into her iCloud account updating the bank card failed every time, also you can't modify a family group in the browser. I ended up borrowing a family members old iphone so I could set it up as my wifes and disband the family group, then update the payment method directly on the broken phone. We could then pay the 70p or whatever for additional storage and back it up. I couldn't factory reset the other phone because in addition to the passcode, you also needed the screen time passcode which nobody could remember. I eventually installed iTunes on my PC and wiped it that way. I mean if you know all the security information I imagine it's a lot easier but I wouldn't have had this much trouble had they been android phones.
Not an Apple fanboy in the slightest but one could argue that the fact it was so difficult (without knowing ALL the security details) is a feature not a bug.
iOS is confusing as hell and extremely limiting.
I will agree it's limiting, but it isn't anywhere close to confusing. The one thing I will say is that some app settings are tucked away in the iOS settings app, which I would prefer them to be in the actual app.
Beyond that, I don't find it confusing at all.
Both are correct. You can hand an iPhone to a 3 year old and they'll figure it out. If you're used to Android and care about changing things or accessing files, iPhone is a pain in the butt.
other linux phones are not really viable. I dont like supporting apple and even if I didnt care about that, their iOS is far too restrictive.
also Tachiyomi
I prefer Android because we all do not have much choice. Once I preferred Symbian, it was an inconvenient system for advertising salesmen, then there was Windows mobile, I liked it too, but it died quickly. I like the pushbutton phones with proprietary firmware the most, but unfortunately these days it's hard to live without mobile apps.
If you use any app other than what Apple provides, you become a second class citizen on your own phone.
Third party apps simply don't integrate with iOS nicely unless Apple allows it. Even though you can choose a web browser, it has to use Safari's underlying code base.
I'm on a Pixel 7. A lot of people say it's like Google's iPhone, but I can use Firefox as my browser natively. Adblocking actually works, too. I can choose any app as a default for whatever. Lots of FOSS! Google doesn't own my Pixel the same way Apple owns the iPhone.
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The camera on the pixel phones.
My friend recently went on a trip into the mountains for some hiking, they took some photos that made me ask if it was from a DSLR camera, but it was just from a Pixel 7 Pro. Amazing how far phone cameras have come.
I may be one of the last hangers-on for this issue, but: my Android phone has a headphone port! That was non-negotiable for me last time I got a new phone. Earbuds do not stay in my ears, are super uncomfortable, and I don't want to charge a wireless headset or mess with an adapter all the time. I have cheap wired headphones for going out and about that I don't lose when they fall out because the wire catches them, and really nice wired headphones at home that are much better quality than wireless ones. My car also has a 3.5 mm hookup that sounds a lot better than Bluetooth audio.
Besides that: Having more customization and control. Firefox + adblockers and other extensions. ReVanced for YouTube. Easier access to the phone's storage and files. Being able to block ads adds so much quality of life.
I absolutely agree with the 3.5mm headphone port. I use mine all the time as every wireless set of earbuds that I've tried has hurt my ears in minutes. I also can't forget to charge my wired ones. It's getting harder to find a decent phone that has both a headphone port and a micro SD card slot.
I literally can't keep the wireless earbuds in! I don't know if my ears are too small or weirdly shaped on the inside or what. Sometimes I can kind of wedge them in for a minute, but only by having them actively digging into the sides of my ear. That hurts and it still falls out as soon as I move my head.
My current phone doesn't have a micro SD card slot, but that's another improvement I would really like to have. I like to keep a lot of pictures and files on my phone and it would be great to be able to upgrade the storage as it fills up.
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I dislike Apple alot, stupidly Expensive, more than they devices worth, very restrictive on what you can do with them (treat their customers as kids) and their monopoly.
There is also a wide variety of Android phones with different price ranges, and features (like my beloved headphone jacks), wider customisation and a somewhat better repaiability sometimes.
I first made the switch to android after my iphone 5 died and found out the newer models wouldn't have an aux output. I have significantly more chances to use a 3.5mm plug than bluetooth in my life, so it was an easy choice.
7 years later, and I still have the same phone. No bloat, and updated the way I want it. I charge it once per day at high-performance mode, and the battery is holding strong.
I keep an iphone dongle in my car for friends, because I am a gentleman, but they always remark on how easy it would be to just have the damn aux port.
Which brand is your Android phone and are you running an alternative Android-based OS like /e/ or LineageOS?
- File management is noice, the ability to plug in a USB C usb is very clutch.
- I swear a lot more apps on iOS are subscription based than on Android.
- A lot more open source apps.
- Modded apps.
- I can easily connect my phone to my laptop and copy actual files.
- Sideloading.
- Choice.
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