Going from iPhone to Android...

[Joe Nerve]

As some already know, I took my iPhone 7 in for a repair last Sunday and the store got robbed while it was sitting there for pick up. The good news is that the camera was busted, and now I'm going to be able to use that phone as an early trade in/upgrade. Bad news is I lost a LOT of pics and information that Apple has determined must have happened during some rare glitch with my device and icloud, where they believe my phone either lost power or internet service during a backup. I spent 3 days on the phone with Apple and about 4 hours. The casket was closed last night. So much for all the pics I took while in Aruba last month :/. As well as about a dozen songs I had written sketch pad style and never backed up. My fault, no need to pile on about that.

After careful consideration and watching about 30 YouTube vids comparing the iPhone X to the Galaxy S9, I decided I'm going back to Android.

My main reasons:

• iPhone doesn't work seamlessly in my car (can't send and receive texts while driving), my wife's Android does.
• I don't want to have to look at my phone to open it.
  
• I spend a LOT of time with IEMs around my neck, and really want to be able to simply plug them into my phone without worrying about an adapter.
• I want to be able to tweak my phone to my heart's content.
• I saw both phones up close and was able to compare. The sound and display are clearly better on the Samsung.
• I'm tired of Apples business tactics and still a little butt hurt about several purchases I made where they came out with the next version 2-6 months later.
• I never (obviously) got the hang of saving pictures and music, uploading them on my phone, or sharing older pictures from my PC. I know now I should have been using Google drive.
• I never figured out how to view multiple pages URLs on an iPhone or iPad. 99% of the time I lose what ever page I leave. Don't remember ever having that problem with Android.
• The main reason I switched from Android to Apple was because I wanted to be able to use the music apps. I never used any of them.
• I'm blown away by the tweak-ability of the Samsung, and really want a lot of the features.

I've got a bunch of other reasons but this is getting long.

My phone is being shipped to the store. Will have it today or tomorrow.

Anyone else switch lately, or considering it?

 

[jmattbassplaya]

I'm considering it. The latest Apple price hike for their phones passed a threshold for me that I'm unwilling to pay since the core value of nearly all cell phones hasn't improved any for a few years, and yet they now seem to think 1k for a phone is reasonable when it will be surpassed in 12 months.

Also, their business dealings are sketchy. I knew they were throttling old phones when they originally said they weren't. Turned out that was a lie. I'm not necessarily even upset at that if they were upfront about it, but they mislead people and, even today, they still push their newest iOS updates on older phones even when I've said no 40+ times.

 

[Bassbeater]

Anyone considering buying a samsung, check out IUNI, I've owned 2 samsung and and IUNI. The IUNI n1 is about $80 and better than both of my samsungs. You usually get a better deal with your provider if you just buy an open/unlocked phone outright and only pay for the sim card, plus you can change providers or use a local burner sim if you go overseas. I suggest rooting your phone with an inexpensive google play store app and then using a full system backup like Titanium.
I've used windows phones, iphones, nokia/candybar phones and androids. Android wins hands down for so many reasons.

 

[almadillo]

Welcome home.

I have a S8 and it is fantastic.
Had a S6 and a S4 before this one.

Love love Samsung phones.

Let us know how you get along with Bixby ....

 

[Gorn]

Being able to put your icons where you want is reason enough.

 

[Ant Illington]

As some already know, I took my iPhone 7 in for a repair last Sunday and the store got robbed while it was sitting there for pick up. The good news is that the camera was busted, and now I'm going to be able to use that phone as an early trade in/upgrade. Bad news is I lost a LOT of pics and information that Apple has determined must have happened during some rare glitch with my device and icloud, where they believe my phone either lost power or internet service during a backup. I spent 3 days on the phone with Apple and about 4 hours. The casket was closed last night. So much for all the pics I took while in Aruba last month :/. As well as about a dozen songs I had written sketch pad style and never backed up. My fault, no need to pile on about that.

After careful consideration and watching about 30 YouTube vids comparing the iPhone X to the Galaxy S9, I decided I'm going back to Android.

My main reasons:

• iPhone doesn't work seamlessly in my car (can't send and receive texts while driving), my wife's Android does.
• I don't want to have to look at my phone to open it.
  
• I spend a LOT of time with IEMs around my neck, and really want to be able to simply plug them into my phone without worrying about an adapter.
• I want to be able to tweak my phone to my heart's content.
• I saw both phones up close and was able to compare. The sound and display are clearly better on the Samsung.
• I'm tired of Apples business tactics and still a little butt hurt about several purchases I made where they came out with the next version 2-6 months later.
• I never (obviously) got the hang of saving pictures and music, uploading them on my phone, or sharing older pictures from my PC. I know now I should have been using Google drive.
• I never figured out how to view multiple pages URLs on an iPhone or iPad. 99% of the time I lose what ever page I leave. Don't remember ever having that problem with Android.
• The main reason I switched from Android to Apple was because I wanted to be able to use the music apps. I never used any of them.
• I'm blown away by the tweak-ability of the Samsung, and really want a lot of the features.

I've got a bunch of other reasons but this is getting long.

My phone is being shipped to the store. Will have it today or tomorrow.

Anyone else switch lately, or considering it?

TL;dr.

Yes.
Quickly.
Don't over-analyze it.
Will it matter 3 months from now? Actually, yes; you'll be better off.

 

[Bassbeater]

I'm not sure but I seem to recall that if you ever synced your iphone to your itunes on your computer some of your media might be in sub folders. It might be worth reading about. Also I'm sure you sent some good pictures of vacation to your friends, so you can always ask to have them send those back so you don't lose everything. Aruba is pretty nice, maybe you need to go back and get some new pictures.

 

[klejst]

I made the same switch years ago and I kick myself for not doing it sooner. I get to each their own, however the ability to install what apps I want, not have to use Apple software products to be able to use my phone and being able to customize my phone pretty much how I want it was enough for me. I also had quite a few issues with Apple iCloud working and syncing correctly. I have never been a Apple fan boy and only reason I got the iPhone to begin with was because it was a free phone promo, once my contract was up I jumped. Have yet to have an issue.

 

[Xandrell]

I still have a S3. Works as good as the day I got it 5 years ago. Only had to replace the battery. Use it on stage all the time with the Pro Metronome App in the band I play drums in. I hook the Peterson Body Beat Pulse right into the headphone jack.

 

[Funky Ghost]

I like both, but for different reasons.

I have an I8Plus ( My very first smart phone )

I have 2 Android ( Samsung - Kindle HD Fire ) notebooks.

If I could meld them both into a perfect device that would be divine.

I much prefer the I phone as a communicating device.

I much prefer the Android as a reading and media device.

I'm too damn old to squint at a smart phone for video and to read e-books. My 10 inch notepads ( Samsung and Kindle HD Fire ) make that a non issue.

The map feature for giving a current location and sharing with another I phone is the best thing since sliced bread. It's saved my bacon a few times and is the kind of tech voodoo I could not do without now.

TL;DR - I dig 'em both.

 

[rtslinger]

Android has always been my choice of phone, it does what I need it to do, is reliable and nearly indestructible when compared to my kids iphones which nearly all have had screen damage after one drop no matter what protective case of screen armor they had.

 

[Gorn]

An iPhone 6/7/8 shaped device, but twice as thick with a battery that lasts a whole day, with a fingerprint sensor on the back and running Android would be the perfect phone.

 

[Funky Ghost]

An iPhone 6/7/8 shaped device, but twice as thick with a battery that lasts a whole day, with a fingerprint sensor on the back and running Android would be the perfect phone.

I'm very new to smart phones, so battery working all day? Mine doesn't need charging for 2 days at a time so far. Maybe that will change? Of course, I'm not glued to it either and I don't stream on it. It's a phone and text device. I use mine as such.

 

[JRA]

i just don't know apple products well, so i have an android phone, but: 3 family members (millennials) have switched from iphone to android for (they say) the same reason: "i can actually do more of what i want to do with the android."

iphone was the benchmark, but i guess those days are over.

good luck with your new phone!

 

[Gorn]

I'm very new to smart phones, so battery working all day? Mine doesn't need charging for 2 days at a time so far. Maybe that will change? Of course, I'm not glued to it either and I don't stream on it. It's a phone and text device. I use mine as such.

I'm not glued to the phone on the snapbook and the instachat all day like a millennial, but I'm on my phone a lot. Lots of reading and gaming. 90% of smartphones can't last the day for me.

 

[kamm]

I recently switched from an iPhone 6s+ to a Samsung S8. I’ve generally been very happy with iOS, but the new iPhones no longer have proper headphone jacks. I’m not going to by a sleek, expensive phone that will ultimately require a dongle hanging from the bottom just so I can use normal headphones.

Having had the S8 for a few months now, I’m fine with it as a workhorse phone, but there’s definitely not the same attention to detail that makes iOS a generally smooth experience. I won’t be switching to an Android tablet anytime soon, but I’m content with it as my phone.

For example, Samsung has their own virtual assistant (Bixby), which they felt compelled to dedicate a hardware button to (and don’t allow you to reassign). However, the Bixby app doesn’t actually work for myself and many other folks. Not to mention, I think most people would prefer to use Google Assistant.

 

[Joe Nerve]

For example, Samsung has their own virtual assistant (Bixby), which they felt compelled to dedicate a hardware button to (and don’t allow you to reassign).

You can't reassign it (at least I think you can't, but I don't have my phone yet), but you CAN turn it off if you don't want to use it.

My iPhone used to kick into Siri mode all the time when I didn't want it to, and honestly - it never helped me outside of finding my car.

The more I'm thinking about this and researching it, the happier I am with my choice. I still have 2 iPads I'll be using for anything I ever wanted an Apple device for, so I'm confident I won't be missing anything. Really looking forward to learning as much as I can about the Samsung, and tweaking it into a very personal device.

I have a strong feeling Apple is in trouble here. I can't imagine them adding features people are starting to buy Samsungs for without totally reworking the iPhone/iPad. And if they do that, they're going to lose a lot of the people who love the iPhone for it's simplicity. And I really think they blew it by taking out the headphone jack. IMO, that was just plain stupid. With other phones at least you have the option to go wireless. iPhone forces you into additional purchases, and for anyone using wired IEMs, well... that sucks. I know we're not HUGE part of the population, but we're significant enough. The people in my band don't want to upgrade from the 6, just for that reason.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

 

[Bassbeater]

For battery life it is good practice not to leave your phone plugged into the charger, but to wait until it is 10-15% before plugging it in and then charge it completely. If you do this, especially when the phone is new, the battery seems to last longer and hold a charge better. I charge my phone every other day and use it quite a bit.

 

[GregC]