Have you switched from Apple to Android or vice versa?

[Barry]

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/waccobb/keep90days/2013-07-29_19-24-17.pngI've loved my iPhones since the 3GS, but I'm starting get envious of the bigger screen sizes available for Android phones. My 4s is out of contract and I was figuring on waiting for the 5s comes out this fall. But I find myself opening to switching to Android (gasp!).

I (and I'm sure many others) would be interested in hearing from those of you who have used both phones, preferably with recent operating systems (IOS 6 and Jelly Bean). Perhaps you've switched from Iphone to Android or vice -versa, or for some strange reason use both!

Do you prefer one over the other? Why? Is it because of the hardware (screen size, speed, etc) or the software? Please specify which hardware/software you used.

Does the Android (Jelly Bean) offer as seamless experience as IOS? Did you miss something when you switched to the other platform?

Thanks!

[ronliskey]

23004I used an Android X for several years until the battery gave out. A new battery from Verizon would have cost about $50, which gave me the excuse I needed to try upgrading. I switched to iPhone5 just to see which was better, planning to hand it off to someone else if I didn't like it.

In the meantime, I found batteries online for $7, so I'll probably switch back. Hard to argue with $7 for a new battery vs $300 for a new iPhone.

With the Android X, I kept current with all system updates. It was a relatively old model, but well-build and is still popular among the geek crowd. It was maybe showing some signs of age with are few of the newer, more resource intensive apps running too slow. This was related to the age of the gadget, not to the OS.

What I like about the Android

1. Larger screen.
2. Install anything I want from a vast collection of free/free (speech and beer) applications
3. Lots of power tools giving me root access.
4. Good integration with everything except iMessages.
5. More open source, less proprietary than Mac products.
6. Lots cheaper for equal or better technology.
7. The price of peripherals and other extras are not marked up to pay exorbitant Mac licensing fees.
8. I read about vulnerabilities on Android, but never had trouble with this. On the other hand I use reasonable common sense and don't download software that requires more access than seems appropriate for the function.
9. The map app seems better.
10. More freedom to setup the screens however you want.
11. More information about what's going on at the system level.

What I like about Apple iPhone

1. Other Apple users are happy to see another Apple user. (Illustrates the strange power of Apple's marketing program.)
2. The interface is very elegant and easy to use.
3. The camera is awesome (but maybe the newer Android cameras are too?)
4. Integrates well with iMessage, but now that I'm using HipChat (https://www.hipchat.com/), which is better than iMessage and very cross platform compatible, that's not an issue.
5. Overall quality--from software to hardware--is excellent.
6 My hands are well held. I have very little concern that Apple will let me install something bad for my phone, but given Apple's involvement in PRISM, I don't feel equally good about the privacy.
7. Configurations are much easier to find and tweak (but you have access to less of them).
8. The included clock app is better than anything I found on Android.

My Conclusion

1. Both are great.

2. Apple is probably better if you use standard Apple products, are mostly focused on getting the job done fast or having fun with you gadget, and are fine with doing things the Apple way (iCloud, iMail, iCalendar, iMessages), all of which is very well integrated.

3. Android is probably better if you are a hardcore geek, like understanding how your system works, enjoy doing things the fast way using the command line, or need good integration with Google Calendar, gmail, etc.

4. Android is much cheaper. I'll probably switch back for this reason as I find other differences between the two relatively minor. I suppose at this point I'll miss some things on either platform.

5. This is a subjective point, but I really don't like spending too much for a simple plastic protective case that includes a huge hole in the back. which exposes the camera to serious injury, simply so that the Apple logo will show through. That kind of marketing BS red-lines my puke meter. It's bad enough that a mobile gadget is not already built with the protective features it needs to survive typical use.

[Barry]

There's a good article on Gizmodo (https://gizmodo.com/frosted-glass-effects-why-i-switched-to-android-after-1040746797?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_facebook&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow) (comments are good, too) by an Apple fanboy who made the switch. The big take-aways, IMO, are the big screens available on Android and increased flexibility vs Apple's simpler (updated) interface, battery life and hopes the iPhone 5S will offer some true innovation (I'm betting on near-field-communication which will replace your wallet!). I'll probably stay with the iPhone and remain envious of the Android screens.

[Attic]

I know you to be an Apple user .. so in general I would guess its better to stay an Apple user. (Due to the learning curve and the comfort of an environment you know.) If you get an Android device buy something by Samsung .. I have a Samsung device and love it. Apple is better for music appz as Android has high latency other then that I love my Android. Android tends to be a closer working environment for web and social media, it feels very seamless for online communications. If you need to take credit cards on it Square will send you a free card reader for Android. Team Viewer works well on Android cross platform or device to device. I have a Galaxy Series phone and my wife has the same we like them. We also use an Asus Nexus for web cruising and misc other tasks .. it is also very handy. Hope this helps.


https://www.waccobb.net/forums/waccobb/keep90days/2013-07-29_19-24-17.pngI've loved my iPhones since the 3GS, but I'm starting get envious of the bigger screen sizes available for Android phones. My 4s is out of contract and I was figuring on waiting for the 5s comes out this fall. But I find myself opening to switching to Android (gasp!).

I (and I'm sure many others) would be interested in hearing from those of you who have used both phones, preferably with recent operating systems (IOS 6 and Jelly Bean). Perhaps you've switched from Iphone to Android or vice -versa, or for some strange reason use both!

Do you prefer one over the other? Why? Is it because of the hardware (screen size, speed, etc) or the software? Please specify which hardware/software you used.

Does the Android (Jelly Bean) offer as seamless experience as IOS? Did you miss something when you switched to the other platform?

Thanks!

[ronliskey]

Ever the geek, I'm trying something. Will this work? Hey! It worked.

Barry: Feel free to edit and improve. We now have a WaccoWiki! :):


<tbody>
Feature
IPhone
Droid


Price
$199 (w. contract)
Cheaper


Battery life
?
Great


Camera
Great
Not Very Good


App selection
Good
Great


Security
Great (not counting PRISM)
Great (if you're willing to think)


Root access
No
Yes


International
Yes (iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S
Yes (which?)

</tbody>

(including edits from Attic)