Should I move from Android to IOS (apple)?
Discussion
I need some help from you good people.
After owning an original Apple iPhone back in the day I switched to Android and have had many Samsung phones over the years.
My current Samsung S23 contract ends next month and I can feel an itch to move to IOS, mainly to see what all the fuss is about, but should I?
What do you think, should I make the switch or stick and why?
P.S. Was thinking of going for the iPhone 17
KR
MC
After owning an original Apple iPhone back in the day I switched to Android and have had many Samsung phones over the years.
My current Samsung S23 contract ends next month and I can feel an itch to move to IOS, mainly to see what all the fuss is about, but should I?
What do you think, should I make the switch or stick and why?
P.S. Was thinking of going for the iPhone 17
KR
MC
In isolation the iPhone is the boring option. It'll work well, apps are well optimised, it'll get updates for years, but limited options for customisation.
My last Android phone was a Samsung S10 which had two of every app installed, and the launcher was completely changed in an update half way through ownership, which was frustrating. Boring was good when I switched.
The Apple ecosystem is a walled garden. The integration between Apple devices is excellent. When you add in smart devices and HomeKit introduction it can get pretty crazy. You just don't get access to most of it without all devices being Apple.
My last Android phone was a Samsung S10 which had two of every app installed, and the launcher was completely changed in an update half way through ownership, which was frustrating. Boring was good when I switched.
The Apple ecosystem is a walled garden. The integration between Apple devices is excellent. When you add in smart devices and HomeKit introduction it can get pretty crazy. You just don't get access to most of it without all devices being Apple.
mightychipster said:
I need some help from you good people.
After owning an original Apple iPhone back in the day I switched to Android and have had many Samsung phones over the years.
My current Samsung S23 contract ends next month and I can feel an itch to move to IOS, mainly to see what all the fuss is about, but should I?
What do you think, should I make the switch or stick and why?
P.S. Was thinking of going for the iPhone 17
KR
MC
I too was like you, I had an iPhone 3G before iPhones became trendy, switched to Android, then briefly Windows phone (which I really liked) then back to Android and I've been Android ever since, currently on a Pixel 10 Pro XL which is my third Pixel. The wife is a Samsung lover but I find the software too bloaty, give a Pixel a go, they are far cleaner.After owning an original Apple iPhone back in the day I switched to Android and have had many Samsung phones over the years.
My current Samsung S23 contract ends next month and I can feel an itch to move to IOS, mainly to see what all the fuss is about, but should I?
What do you think, should I make the switch or stick and why?
P.S. Was thinking of going for the iPhone 17
KR
MC
Edited by HTP99 on Wednesday 8th October 07:09
I'm Android through and through have been since Galaxy S1, I have had all the Nexus devices and Pixel. I have a work supplied iPhone (XR and then SE 3rd gen). The XR was good, decent size etc, SE is tiny.
IOS and Android aren't to dissimilar these days (well Pixel Android anyway), I think it will come down to how embedded you are in Android's eco system, I use a lot of Google Home devices, Google Photos etc so think the move would be a bit trickier. But if you have any Apple devices already? then it should be an easier move.
IOS and Android aren't to dissimilar these days (well Pixel Android anyway), I think it will come down to how embedded you are in Android's eco system, I use a lot of Google Home devices, Google Photos etc so think the move would be a bit trickier. But if you have any Apple devices already? then it should be an easier move.
I have always had Android and my children have iPhones (Obviously because anything other than Apple is stupid and makes you look like a puaper).
What I find most annoying is how iOS doesn't let you do things that are simple on Android. If I want to copy photos from my Android phone I just connect it to my laptop and copy them across. If I want to put music on my phone again I just copy the MP3s to a folder on my phone.
If you want to do the same with iOS you have to connect to iTunes which 50% of the time will lead to an unfixable "an unexpected error has occured message". If you can connect then you always have to connect to the same laptop, otherwise for some reason it just deleted all your music and only copies what is on that particular PC.
Then there are the apps, I am into retro gaming so have installed all sorts of apps and emulators. This just would never happen on iOS.
As someone who works in IT I just find iOS is too restrictive and stops me from doing what I want.
Plus my phone was £200, if I drop it and it smashed I just buy another, plus nobody wants to mug me for it. My daughter has an iPhone Pro and when she broke the screen it was a £400 repair, or two brand new Android phones.
What I find most annoying is how iOS doesn't let you do things that are simple on Android. If I want to copy photos from my Android phone I just connect it to my laptop and copy them across. If I want to put music on my phone again I just copy the MP3s to a folder on my phone.
If you want to do the same with iOS you have to connect to iTunes which 50% of the time will lead to an unfixable "an unexpected error has occured message". If you can connect then you always have to connect to the same laptop, otherwise for some reason it just deleted all your music and only copies what is on that particular PC.
Then there are the apps, I am into retro gaming so have installed all sorts of apps and emulators. This just would never happen on iOS.
As someone who works in IT I just find iOS is too restrictive and stops me from doing what I want.
Plus my phone was £200, if I drop it and it smashed I just buy another, plus nobody wants to mug me for it. My daughter has an iPhone Pro and when she broke the screen it was a £400 repair, or two brand new Android phones.
ThingsBehindTheSun said:
I have always had Android and my children have iPhones (Obviously because anything other than Apple is stupid and makes you look like a puaper).
What I find most annoying is how iOS doesn't let you do things that are simple on Android. If I want to copy photos from my Android phone I just connect it to my laptop and copy them across. If I want to put music on my phone again I just copy the MP3s to a folder on my phone.
If you want to do the same with iOS you have to connect to iTunes which 50% of the time will lead to an unfixable "an unexpected error has occured message". If you can connect then you always have to connect to the same laptop, otherwise for some reason it just deleted all your music and only copies what is on that particular PC.
Then there are the apps, I am into retro gaming so have installed all sorts of apps and emulators. This just would never happen on iOS.
As someone who works in IT I just find iOS is too restrictive and stops me from doing what I want.
Plus my phone was £200, if I drop it and it smashed I just buy another, plus nobody wants to mug me for it. My daughter has an iPhone Pro and when she broke the screen it was a £400 repair, or two brand new Android phones.
This sums up the differences well. That and free (ad supported) apps.What I find most annoying is how iOS doesn't let you do things that are simple on Android. If I want to copy photos from my Android phone I just connect it to my laptop and copy them across. If I want to put music on my phone again I just copy the MP3s to a folder on my phone.
If you want to do the same with iOS you have to connect to iTunes which 50% of the time will lead to an unfixable "an unexpected error has occured message". If you can connect then you always have to connect to the same laptop, otherwise for some reason it just deleted all your music and only copies what is on that particular PC.
Then there are the apps, I am into retro gaming so have installed all sorts of apps and emulators. This just would never happen on iOS.
As someone who works in IT I just find iOS is too restrictive and stops me from doing what I want.
Plus my phone was £200, if I drop it and it smashed I just buy another, plus nobody wants to mug me for it. My daughter has an iPhone Pro and when she broke the screen it was a £400 repair, or two brand new Android phones.
I recently needed a new phone as my old android phones battery was getting poor, it was 4 years old, and wouldnt last a day.
My friend had and old iphone he wasnt using so he lent it to me for a few weeks to try.
Maybe it was me but i couldnt get on with it, but i dont own anything else apple apart from an old ipod classic.
I didnt like the way it controlled everything you wanted to do, as a phone i liked its small size but in the end bought a new motog55 for about £150ish.
Im very happy with it, for the price its almost disposable.
I think if you have apple everything then its a no brainer, but if not i really believe that android is the way.
And the price difference is huge.
My friend had and old iphone he wasnt using so he lent it to me for a few weeks to try.
Maybe it was me but i couldnt get on with it, but i dont own anything else apple apart from an old ipod classic.
I didnt like the way it controlled everything you wanted to do, as a phone i liked its small size but in the end bought a new motog55 for about £150ish.
Im very happy with it, for the price its almost disposable.
I think if you have apple everything then its a no brainer, but if not i really believe that android is the way.
And the price difference is huge.
My wife switched from Android to Apple recently after being gifted one (against my advice, I'm a die hard Android user
). I tried out her phone and it feels far too clumsy for something that is marketed as intuitive. Having to use gestures instead of a dedicated navigation bar would infuriate me in day to day usage for example. There's plenty of other dealbreakers for me personally like not having multiple profiles, no sideloading , no customization etc.

Start with why.
If it’s for funsies, only you can decide if it’s worth the potential faff and learning new muscle memories.
If you have a more concrete reason, centralise it in your thoughts and undertake a critical, objective (where possible) analysis.
Or post on an internet forum and be prepared to sit in the middle of a heated maelstrom which brings you little or no clarity.
If it’s for funsies, only you can decide if it’s worth the potential faff and learning new muscle memories.
If you have a more concrete reason, centralise it in your thoughts and undertake a critical, objective (where possible) analysis.
Or post on an internet forum and be prepared to sit in the middle of a heated maelstrom which brings you little or no clarity.

I've switched over a couple of times for multiple reasons in the past decade or so.
I can compare it most to switching from a QWERTY keyboard to an AZERTY one. Most of it is the same but if you're used to one, the other will massively frustrate you initially but in the end it's all much of muchness.
I don't get the fuss over iPhones tbh, for daily use they work just as well and very similar. The biggest pro of them is when you buy into the ecosystem, but I've always had a gaming/workstation PC and only ever ran one MacBook as a daily.
All Android now because of cheap phones for the kids and the wife was used to it, we're on google calendars, google photos, google drive and it all works really well.
Since about 4 years I've been hooked on foldables and it doesn't seem to be in sight yet at Apple either.
I can compare it most to switching from a QWERTY keyboard to an AZERTY one. Most of it is the same but if you're used to one, the other will massively frustrate you initially but in the end it's all much of muchness.
I don't get the fuss over iPhones tbh, for daily use they work just as well and very similar. The biggest pro of them is when you buy into the ecosystem, but I've always had a gaming/workstation PC and only ever ran one MacBook as a daily.
All Android now because of cheap phones for the kids and the wife was used to it, we're on google calendars, google photos, google drive and it all works really well.
Since about 4 years I've been hooked on foldables and it doesn't seem to be in sight yet at Apple either.
Still Mulling said:
Start with why.
If it s for funsies, only you can decide if it s worth the potential faff and learning new muscle memories.
If you have a more concrete reason, centralise it in your thoughts and undertake a critical, objective (where possible) analysis.
Or post on an internet forum and be prepared to sit in the middle of a heated maelstrom which brings you little or no clarity.
Agree.If it s for funsies, only you can decide if it s worth the potential faff and learning new muscle memories.
If you have a more concrete reason, centralise it in your thoughts and undertake a critical, objective (where possible) analysis.
Or post on an internet forum and be prepared to sit in the middle of a heated maelstrom which brings you little or no clarity.

For me, its a tool, it does it jobs, introducing more change is a bad thing. I was very tempted to replace my 5yo S10 with a new old stock S10!
As it happens I have found the A56 a good phone and at £280 via a 3rd party seller on Amazon./Ebay its a very good price for a tidy phone.
My wife has has a number of iPhones including both SE's and is now on a 3yo iPhone 13 Pro or whatever it is.
Works well for her but I struggle to do even the basics such as load an app or switch from app to app!
I think this thread proves it's down to personal preference and what you are used to.
I was Apple back in the days of the iPhone 6 & 7 then moved to Android for probably over a decade and now back on iOS. I moved back to Apple because my BMW only has Carplay not Android Auto.
I now use both an iPhone as my personal phone and an Android as my work phone and I really dislike the Android phone but I think it's more to do with the work based software than the phone itself.
For me at the moment I don't see myself moving away from Apple, I do find it much slicker than my previous Android phones and now easier to use but I think the difference between the latest iPhone and the top Android phones will be very marginal for most people except the really geeky ones who love to argue over the differences on a spec sheet.
I was Apple back in the days of the iPhone 6 & 7 then moved to Android for probably over a decade and now back on iOS. I moved back to Apple because my BMW only has Carplay not Android Auto.
I now use both an iPhone as my personal phone and an Android as my work phone and I really dislike the Android phone but I think it's more to do with the work based software than the phone itself.
For me at the moment I don't see myself moving away from Apple, I do find it much slicker than my previous Android phones and now easier to use but I think the difference between the latest iPhone and the top Android phones will be very marginal for most people except the really geeky ones who love to argue over the differences on a spec sheet.
The main no-no for IOs for me is that inability to sideload apps. I use revanced youtube, which is a patched version of youtube, (no ads, can turn off all the annoying features, etc)
(You can install non Apple store apps, but you need to sign them with a Apple Developer cert, £100/year, and the signing is time limited, so you cannot make one then use it forever, it will stop working when the signing expires...there are probably other ways, but you are essentially fighting against Apples walled garden approach)
Also as mentioned you are steered heavily towards the Apple ecosystem and if you stray outside the experience suffers. One example is bluetooth audio codecs. With Apple unless you use their Airpods you are limited to the one very basic audio codec. With Android you have varrious lossless or low latency codecs to choose from (depending on headphones) AptX, LDAC, LHAC etc.
(You can install non Apple store apps, but you need to sign them with a Apple Developer cert, £100/year, and the signing is time limited, so you cannot make one then use it forever, it will stop working when the signing expires...there are probably other ways, but you are essentially fighting against Apples walled garden approach)
Also as mentioned you are steered heavily towards the Apple ecosystem and if you stray outside the experience suffers. One example is bluetooth audio codecs. With Apple unless you use their Airpods you are limited to the one very basic audio codec. With Android you have varrious lossless or low latency codecs to choose from (depending on headphones) AptX, LDAC, LHAC etc.
dhutch said:
Where you expecting anything else, from the title alone this thread is exactly as I predicted.
No not expecting anything more at all, what does amuse me, and it's not a dig at people in this thread but more widely on social media I see people getting very heated over arguing which is better. Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff