I recently wrote an article; I Strongly Prefer Android, So Why did I Pre-order an iPhone?
It’s a bit long-form – so here’s a more consumable list of reasons current, steadfast Android users might consider buying an iPhone 6:
Third Party Keyboards
I can’t be the only Android user who’s almost had a panic attack trying to use an Apple keyboard in the past few years… (I’m exaggerating, but not by much). No gesture typing? No long press for numbers and characters? No choice in the matter whatsoever?
That’s all about to change, and I think opening up to third party keyboards is the single most influential change Apple could have made towards bringing in Android users.
Screen Sizes
A very close second is the new, larger screens. The smallest one is about the size of my Nexus 5, which makes the current iPhone model look like a phone for ants. This is roughly the form factor most people seem to want, regardless of make. Sure it foregoes a little bit of thumb/screen accessibility, and sure Steve Jobs is probably rolling in his grave, but it seems to be a sacrifice users are willing to make for more screen real estate.
I’d say good on Apple for adapting here, but they really just had to do this to remain relevant.
And then there’s the 5.5. The one that caught my eye. I was going to get a big ridiculous phablet as my next phone regardless, and the iPhone 6+ is one indeed, but it seems more manageable than it’s Android contemporaries. I just hope they put a monster battery in there.
Camera
Few would argue that Apple packs a killer shooter into it’s phones. This isn’t anything new, and while some Android phones do have excellent cameras, they either completely overshadow the device’s other functionality, or simply aren’t as well-rounded as the iSight.
Continuity & Handoff
Google’s suite of communication and productivity tools are really good (Hangouts, Drive, Gmail, etc.), and having them work persistently across devices is wonderful. Frankly Apple’s iCloud, iMessage, and iOffice (or whatever) never really seemed appealing to me. Too flaky, limited, and lame (respectively).
I don’t really know enough about how Apple is implementing these new ‘Continuity’ features, but they sound in a lot of ways like a decent answer to what Google currently does so well. Better late than never.
Opening Up
We talked about it in keyboards and screen sizes. Apple is relinquishing some of their seemingly unshakable paradigms, and turning iOS into a more open-minded platform.
Slowly but surely we will see greater ability for customization, and more leeway for developers to do cool things.
App Store
I haven’t spent much time in Apple’s App Store in recent years, but I know the Google Play Store has really matured. There’s still plenty of garbage in there, but the interface is great, downloads are fast, there’s a timed refund window, and you can do it all from your web browser.
An app store is really only as good as its apps though. And while Android has developed a very respectable catalogue indeed, Apple is still the first place (and sometimes only place) the best developers go to.
Every Android user has a handful of apps they’re patiently waiting for their version of.
Google’s Apps
Know what you’ll also find in the App Store? Quite a few of the things that you love on your Android. Gmail, Hangouts, Drive, Chrome…
So apps-wise, you can get Google on an iPhone – but not Apple on an Android. That made sense. Shut up.
Apple Pay
Apple can make tech stick like no one else. Even Google hasn’t been able to get mobile payments off the ground… But Apple is about to put potential sales in the pocket of millions of shoppers, and retail has been made aware.
Also, and I don’t usually knock Google (shh.. they’re listening), I’d kinda rather Apple win this one anyway. They’re in the business of selling products. Google is in the business of getting all the data, which doesn’t exactly pair well with my most sensitive assets.
WiFi Calling
Like paying for things, this is nothing new to the industry. Like Apple Pay, they’re probably going to do it really well, and their influence will lead to mass adoption. Maybe even Canada will get it.
Design
Last but not least, Apple makes great products. They have access to the best designers, engineers, and fabrication techniques, and it shows. For as long as I’ve been an Android faithful, I’ve had daydreams of running Android on some larger version of an iPhone…
Well, maybe Apple has finally made the iPhone 6 just Android-y enough for that to come true!
9 thoughts on “10 Reasons Android Users May Consider the iPhone 6”
“And then there’s the 5.5. The one that caught my eye. I was going to get a big ridiculous phablet as my next phone regardless, and the iPhone 6+ is one indeed, but it seems more manageable than it’s Android contemporaries. I just hope they put a monster battery in there.”
More manageable? With one hand? It’s basically identical to the Note 4 with respect to dimensions and weight. If you want a truly compact 5.5″ smartphone that weighs a lot less than the 6+ just look at the LG G3.
I’ve seen numerous accounts from the hands-on at the event that stated the 6+ felt much easier to use in one hand than other big screen Android devices.
It is narrower by a touch than the Note 4, and the screen is .2″ smaller. There are slightly bigger bezels on the Apple, again likely making for easier reach.
The one-handed mode looks handy too, but it’s only because iOS lacks a dedicated back button.
Overall very good list and basically the main reasons I’m considering getting an iPhone to try out. However, it is ridiculous to act like the iPhone Plus is somehow magically easier to handle than big Android phones. The Plus is bigger than the Note 4 and the OnePlus One – 2 Android phones that are often ripped for being too big.
If you want a big phone that is your choice, and obviously many people want the Note 4 or the OnePlus One because of its size, but the iPhone Plus has not somehow taken this screen size and turned it into a phone that is easily used one-handed.
Either way I’m very interested to hear your thoughts when you get the iPhone later this week. I’m definitely on the fence over whether I could switch or not.
I’m not acting like it’s magically easier though.. I haven’t used it so I wouldn’t know.
I’m just saying the consensus seemed to be that it felt a bit narrower in hand than the comparably big phones out there. Maybe it’s the thickness?
And again, it is a bit narrower…
That’s all I’m saying though. No idea how it will play out in my hand.
Shrug. We’ll see!
I had a OnePlus One for a few days and couldn’t get used to the size so when I looked at this I knew the iPhone Plus would be too big for me: http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size#/phones/size/Apple-iPhone-6-Plus,OnePlus-One/phones/8908,8603
But of course that is just my opinion and variety is a good thing for everyone.
Size aside when you do get your iPhone I’m particularly interested in how you feel about using iMessage and Continuity. One of the biggest issues I have with Android is that almost every one of my friends use an iPhone and their communication to each other works so much better. Although there are a couple other things I like about the iPhone (camera and getting apps right away in particular) that is the biggest reason I’m looking into iOS. Worth the switch or am I making too much of it?
“And then there’s the 5.5. The one that caught my eye. I was going to get a big ridiculous phablet as my next phone regardless, and the iPhone 6+ is one indeed, but it seems more manageable than it’s Android contemporaries. I just hope they put a monster battery in there.”
More manageable? With one hand? It’s basically identical to the Note 4 with respect to dimensions and weight. If you want a truly compact 5.5″ smartphone that weighs a lot less than the 6+ just look at the LG G3.
I will almost certainly get the next Nexus device, but if I don’t like it, I may go for an iPhone 6. I personally prioritise the increased intuitiveness I have experienced, over having a great camera and battery (I always have access to USB for charging at work), but the other point of view is certainly not lost on me.
The main selling point for me would be to have 64gb+ instead of 32gb. The new Moto X ticks a lot of boxes for me, but it does only offer 32gb. This is not a massive issue, but the extra space would be lovely for Comixology, music and photos (the camera would help here too!). I really do hope Android vendors match Apple here in the near future.
I could really benefit from Continuity & Handoff, but my 2009 Macbook is too old, and Pushbullet has been a revelation for SMS and notifications.
The last iPhone I owned was an iPhone 4. I could certainly use iOS8 and be content given that the OS is opening up a bit now (Tweetbot, Alien Blue and Unread wouldn’t hurt either!), however, in spite of the third party keyboards, sharing features, improved notifications etc. I hold little hope of my main bugbear ever being addressed, which is the Springboard.
I always found having a wall of apps when you unlock the phone, to be impersonal, and a sloppy method of organisation. Surely it makes more sense to put what’s immediately useful/desirable on the homescreen, and then have everything else in a drawer ordered alphabetically? I was using Spotlight a lot to open apps, and I still see people doing this today!
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