I love Android. Every time I’ve tried to embrace iOS (3 solid efforts) I’ve always bailed. For whatever reason, the things I want to do on a phone have just always been more efficient and intuitive on an Android. And it just keeps getting better.
I also love my Nexus 5, and I’ve barely had it long enough to be in upgrade mode. But I am. For everything it does so well (especially for the price) my values have shifted a bit, and I’m no longer inclined to overlook the two major caveats of this phone; Camera and battery.
As the years rush by I’m in wonder of the photos section of my Google Plus account. It, like, chronologically documents my life.. automatically. All my photos and videos just show up there. Sometimes they even get the “auto-awesome” treatment.
It just kinda bums me out how mediocre all my photos and videos are. Not to mention all the missed opportunities from slow autofocus, bad low light sensing, etc. I know, I know.. woe is me. But if I can, I’d like to look back on the next 5 years with a bit more fidelity.
I’ve also been stricken with a bit of a bum rap this past year. I have an illness that has kept me stuck at home and in beds/bathrooms/waiting rooms/etc. a lot more than usual. This results in increased phone use, and of course, battery drain. Well… turns out the Nexus 5, despite being a truly outstanding phone, isn’t a champion of endurance.
One more thing… (see what I did there?) Though this wouldn’t be a good enough reason to upgrade on its own, all that phone-using time has made me long for a larger screen.
So explore the newer, big-screened, flagshippy Android phones out there! Right?
Well, I have, and I’m just not completely sold on anything. And when I went to reserve one for Lindsey (my fiance), I got a crazy idea… Maybe I’ll give it another kick at the can!
I’m not necessarily jumping ship here. And I’m quite interested to see Android L and whatever new Nexus/Shamu/Silver device it comes with. I’ve also taken a pretty close look at the upcoming Note 4, the new Moto X, the LG G3, HTC M8, OnePlus One and Sony Xperia… *deep breath*
But if I didn’t reserve an iPhone now I’d be looking at next year to get one at retail, and frankly I’d rather be selling than buying when the holiday season hits.
So what are the key factors that might make an Android lover consider switching?
First, you have to be a bit platform-agnostic. I use a MacBook and Windows PC at home. I just switched to a Mac at work from my Windows setup. I’ve had iPhones, Blackberries, Nexi, Motos, iPads, and Tablets of all OS’s. I just like using whatever works best for me.
As long as you’re not too hung up on what logo your devices has, here are a few things that I think make the new iPhone and OS work a lot better for Android users than before.
Third Party Keyboards
This was always my biggest issue. Virtual keyboards still completely suck, and they are the thing you probably use the most on your phone.
For me, a keyboard that accommodates normal thumb typing and gesture (swype) typing is an absolute must because they suck slightly less. If this hadn’t changed, I wouldn’t have even thought twice about these snazzy new devices.
Jury’s still out. But I’d venture a guess that SwiftKey on iPhone will be a sleeper-game-changer. You read it here.
Screen Sizes
Apple ate some crow on this one. I’m actually a bit surprised they didn’t even keep the present form factor and add a size or two to say “Steve Jobs was still right, our customers are just also right too.”
But alas. Bigger is better. And the 5.5 screen might just scratch that Note 4 itch I have.
I haven’t overlooked the fact that the Note packs a crazy high res 5.7 screen into roughly the same form factor though. And if Apple doesn’t think I can see the difference between 401 and 515 ppi, then I guess they’ll never make a higher res screen than this and I’ll never have to upgrade!
Realistically the iPhone isn’t the winner on displays. The point is they offer bigger ones. And since I’m sure they’re still plenty pleasant to behold, they’re another reason I’m opening myself up to seeing other OS’s.
Camera & Video
As I mentioned before, this is a major reason I want to settle into a different device, regardless of OS. It’s not crystal clear who the king of cam is (certainly there are phones with an even greater emphasis on camera.. but not without sacrifices), but when Apple claims they changed mobile photography I can hardly argue.
The iPhone camera is consistently outstanding. And with features like time lapse, video stabilization, and 240 fps video done the Apple way, I’m sure these new devices will set another bar for convenient media-making.
Here’s some iPhone footage from the Keynote. Just wow.
Continuity & Handoff
One of my most used Android features is Hangouts. I can take my conversations from phone to full computer/keyboard at my whimsy. I know Hangouts is on iPhone, and they have iMessage, but hangouts being my one source for conversation is really handy. It doesn’t hurt that my office runs on Google Apps and everyone uses hangouts to communicate.
Apple’s Continuity features seem to be addressing a lot of this pretty elegantly, and is even bringing texting to your Mac, regardless of who you’re chatting with and what device they use.
Don’t get too excited. I think the SMS portion of Apple’s new Continuity service is getting delayed.. and I not sure how any of this applies to Canadians like myself… but that would be one killer feature.
Obviously, this feature won’t hold much sand for Windows users, but I look forward to seeing how it can enhance the Mac/iPhone experience.
Opening up & Cross-app Talk
iOS as a platform is opening up a fair amount, including more ability for applications to communicate with each other. Another thing that makes iOS more like Android, and another reason I’m open to it.
App Store
Google’s Play Store has really come into it’s own, and the last time I was in Apple’s App Store it was a really slow and cumbersome experience.
Now the performance may have been the two year old iPad’s fault (the iPad 3 retina, one of Apple’s bastard sons), but I still think Google’s really got a great thing going. Timed refunds and installing from your browser come to mind immediately.
Apple’s App store is more mature though, and is still often the first and sometimes only place the get the best apps and games.
Google Apps
If I move to an iPhone, I can still use Google Chrome, Gmail, Hangouts, Maps, Authenticator, Drive, G+, and so on, and so forth. And thank goodness, because Google is better at almost all of those things.
WiFi Calling
Tim Cook almost seemed like he thought Apple invented WiFi calling when he revealed the feature. It sounded silly.
As with many technologies Apple uses, this isn’t anything new… but they’ll probably do it really well. And that’d be nice, because I get worse reception than Mars at my house.
Design/Hardware
Last but not least, nothing is built like an Apple. They consistently offer unprecedented visual design and build quality. They also support their devices better than anyone else, even if Apple support has deteriorated a bit with their growth over the years.
I could go on… but just look at it.
If you love it so much, why don’t you marry it?
I haven’t used an iPhone for any meaningful amount of time since the 4s, and I have’t gotten a really good chance to experience iOS 7 (a couple weeks on a sluggish iPad 3 retina actually had me pretty disgruntled). A lot will just come down to seeing how it feels, but there are still a few things I’m not sure about.
Lock screen
I’m not a fan of the song and dance most people do to use their phones. Swiping, passwords, gestures… all an extra step to get to what’s doing.
I see the value of the extra security, but I haven’t lost a phone in 15 years – and if I did, I’d remotely wipe it. In my daily life, I relish being able to just press the power button and go.
Bypassing this is a snap on Android. Maybe there’s an app for this on iPhone.. Maybe the fingerprint unlock is just that slick.. We’ll see.
Notifications
The concept of automatically turning on the screen every time I get a notification absolutely baffles me. I won’t even go into it because it makes me angry.
Android does it really well. Little flashy light lets me know what’s up, power button, pull down top menu, see all notifications.
iPhones can probably achieve this flow more or less now I’m assuming. I’ll just have to play with it.
Customization
The older I get, the less I care to visually enhance my interfaces. But when I can hack at something a bit to make it work more efficiently, that’s valuable to me. I’m not holding my breath for all of my little workflow hacks to port over to iOS, but again, we’ll see!
Price/Specs
This will likely never change, and while I could wax philosophic all day about tech giant business models the simple fact is that Apple products cost more to make, they cost more to buy, and they don’t always compete on spec/$.
Especially when it comes to the things we interact with 100x a day for work and life, it really just comes down to how it feels – and how it works for you.
Investment in Android
Having been in Android land for several years now, I’ve bought some apps. They’ll be there if I ever come back I guess… like the App Store apps I have waiting for me from the past!
Navigation/Multitasking
At least from my limited experience, Android’s persistent three button navigation/multitasking setup is the bomb-diggetty and iOS’s device navigation is a bit more spastic. Maybe I just need to get used to it though…
Bottom Line
I’m going to putz around with a Space Grey 64 Gig iPhone 6 Plus and see how it goes. If it’s not for me I’ll pass it along and report back either way.
Let me know if you have any thoughts on the matter. Just be gentle..
105 thoughts on “I Strongly Prefer Android, So Why did I Pre-order an iPhone?”
The fingerprint login really is that slick. You’ll never want to go back to punching a pin.
What’s the process for unlocking? Power button > put finger on scanner > unlocks?
That’s it. I actually hit the Home button to wake the phone and leave my finger on the button and it unlocks immediately. The only time theres a lag is if my thumb is wet or very sweaty which isnt often.
Hmm. I think I could swing that…
It’s one of my favorite features. It’s even better on the app store because I don’t have to punch in a super long password just to buy an app. Just use my thumbprint and it automatically starts downloading.
and now we can use it for other things like 1password, apple pay, and other apps. It will be nice.
It’s incredibly impressive. The second your finger touches the home button (if you’ve logged your print well enough) you’re already into the home screen. My only complaint is not being able to cherry pick what uses touch id and what doesn’t. Maybe i’m missing something but I would love to be able to use touch ID for the app store only and leave my phone un-locked.
You can absolutely do that! If you go to the Touch ID settings, you will see that the iPhone unlock and the iTunes & App Store options are individually selectable. Just disable the unlock and keep the app store settings on.
actually its just put finger on fingerprint scanner > viola
no lock button needed
No need to use the Power button. Press down Touch ID button. Upon releasing it, keep your thumb/finger on it, and it unlocks.
Yeah, this is how I use it, I just press the Touch ID button and keep the thumb on it, the screen turns on already on the unlock animation.
I only use the power button if I want to read the notifications.
No need to use the Power button. Press down Touch ID button. Upon releasing it, keep your thumb/finger on it, and it unlocks.
the lock/power button is more of just an off/sleep switch. You can press the home button (or power button) to wake, which when paired with Touch ID, makes it pretty slick.
Meh when I had the iPhone 5S the fingerprint unlock pissed me off. It wasn’t consistent at all and so I just disabled it because it was useless. Maybe it got better since then?
There were some issues but they’ve been resolved.
Actually the current state of the reader is that occasionally it is too efficient, unlocking the phone before you get a chance to grok all the notifications.
enter the same finger multiple times (as if you are entering more than one finger, but scan the same one again).. I did and my 5s fingerprint unlock works extremely well
This… the finger print scanner really is just that awesome. I really couldn’t go without it these days, as silly as it may sound. It enables me to have a very long password for my iPhone and I honestly wish Apple would enforce long passcodes with it – users would be much better off.
Regarding homepage widgets, in iOS 8 developers can make mini-modes for the notifications screen which get the same AppNap treatment (batched background updates, shut down otherwise) as any other normal app on iOS so that may alleviate things for you a bit in that regard.
If Apple *enforced* long pass codes a lot more people would turn them off altogether. However, they do support long pass codes, which is what security paranoid people like myself use.
Yeah. You get so used to it that using something without it (iPad, older iPhone iPod) you think it is broken, not you heheh
Yes the fingerprint login is SICK, as in ILL, as in FLAWED. DANGEROUS Security Flaw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baio0qUj2Lk
Who uses a pin? LG Knock Code ftw!
People punch pins? I just knock on my phone’s glass twice and swipe in any direction.
You’re gonna miss out on auto-awesome…. for some reason it has a tendency to do weird things with cats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq6hNnzKYgM
If I’m not mistaken I can pretty much replicate the Google+ photo/video setup on an iPhone.. No?
I’ve uploaded photos from my iP on G+ and got the autoawesome effect (last christmas, only time I tried it, to get the snowflakes).
I’ve been automatically uploading all my photo’s and video’s with the G+ app on my iPhone for at least a year and it’s (auto)awesome! I’m getting the automagically editted pictures, Gif’s, stories, everthing. So yeah. Works fine on iOS
Hey bud, shot you an email. I’ve done the same transition (bounced back and forth a few times between Android and iOS) and I’ve comfortably settled in with iOS. If you need any questions answered about features or if you can or can’t do something or replicate similar functionality on iOS as you’re used to with Android let me know. Would be glad to share what I’ve learned.
Saw that! Just hadn’t replied yet 🙂
Thanks man, I appreciate it. I’m sure I’ll have a couple quandaries after a few days 😛
So how’s it going over there? Did you get your phone yet?
Saw that! Just hadn’t replied yet 🙂
Thanks man, I appreciate it. I’m sure I’ll have a couple quandaries after a few days 😛
I’d like to hear your tips.. Plusses and minuses… Im wondering if I should bite the bullet. I just really dont want to spend the time or money
Did you have any specific questions by chance? If so I could definitely answer… there’s a lot I could say but I’m not sure what your’e on the fence about specifically…. if you want I could give you a whole write up but I’d rather speak over G+ or some other service so I don’t clog up his blog post with super long comments 🙂
Once Google comes out with their next Nexus in a month or so, we’ll compare notes. For now, agreed on battery and camera.
I thought people always complained about the iPhone battery. The Nexus 5 camera software got worse…
Apple makes smaller phones – in general – but Apple pays more attention to all the details – hence better SoC, less “Multitasking” and no Adobe mobile Flash… but most already knew that. My iPhone 5 gets pretty good battery life these days.
The iPads have awesome battery life – even if you dont manage it much – and I would assume the iPhone 6 and 6+ would be more similar to the iPads – battery wise.
Apple hasn’t given us the technical specs on the battery. I’ve got two iPhone 6 phones preordered but I’m still keeping an eye out for the Note 4.
We’re in the same boat. Let me know how you settle!
In iOS 8 it will tell you what percentage of the battery usage is taken by what apps.
http://www.apple.com/iphone-6/specs/
I’m in the same exact boat as you. I’m thinking of giving it a try to Apple again. I love Android as an OS, but equally love Apple for its hardware and design skills.
Now if I could put Android L on a shiny new silver Phone 6…. mmmmm
I’ve gotten hundreds of comments about this (mostly on reddit), and there were like 3 people who actually seem to have a similar sentiment to me. They’ve both matured into really good platforms, and now that they removed a few roadblocks from my way I thought I’d give it another go.
I guess it would be more complicated if I defined myself by what mobile OS I use…
It seems like ios 8 and iPhone 6 have incorporated a lot of Android features to lure Android users. The screen size and third party keyboards were deal breakers for many. I think Google us making a big mistake not releasing L already. If they wait another month or two, they’ll be too late as many users will have abandoned the platform
I have a Nexus 5 and an iPhone 5 right now and feel your pain. Not having a good backup drives me crazy on Android, and lack of a view of seeing what is draining my battery on iOS really stinks. The platforms have never been closer. There’s different pros and cons for each.
“lack of a view of seeing what is draining my battery on iOS really stinks”
You have this feature in iOS 8 in General Settings > Usage > Battery Usage (list of apps sorted by battery consumption for the last 24h and the last 6 days)
Thanks, Majipoor! That’s great to know!
It really is a nice little feature. Not only does it list the power-hungry apps, but also lists the reason for the high battery usage below apps (low signal, background activity, etc.).
naw, I handled a new android recently.. still laggy and looks terrible.. it’s only the same if you’re the sort that can’t see the difference between mac and PC.. or good and garbage
My Nexus 5 is faster than the iPhone 6 I got today and the screen still looks better. And the Nexus is a year old. I’m not sure which Android you used, but that are not all the same.
Day 1 with the iPhone 6 has not gone well. Really bad ergonomics. It is not comfortable to hold. Slippery. They have not fixed the keyboard. And it looks like the same battery issues. The notifications seems to be a total mess again. Ugh.
Some other stuff is great including battery management, being able to take actions in notifications, the larger screen than my iPhone 5 makes a real difference.
You took a good decision.i was on the same boat as yours last year.i was a die hard android fan but I gave iOS a try on my iPhone 5S and boy,it’s the best thing ever happened to me.dont waste this opportunity
What was better?
No app crashes(maybe twice in lifetime).Software updates on time.Great apps made by Apple which Android doesn’t offer.Screen size wasn’t even an issue because 4 inches are not small at all.And the OS was smooth without any kind of lags.And productivity was something Apple is a master at.The camera’s great for serious photographers too.You need to have an OSX for smooth files transferring.Windows isn’t good for file transferring with iOS devices.The only issue was the battery life but I managed it with my power bank.
I want to read what your experience will be after you have the iPhone in your hand for a few weeks and used in your regular and daily life.
It would be interesting to hear the differences, but also the things you had to change or adapt to.
I would like to know what the real mAh numbers are for the 6 battery, not just estimated length of use. Because that changes with each person.
As well, the camera, what the comparison will be to the Galaxy S5 16Mp camera.
Why would the mAh be a better measurement though, since that’s so hardware and software dependent, making it even less universal. And you should be looking at Wh, anyway.
Me too.. Real life experience matters more than hypotheticals
Continuity and iCloud Photo Album have been delayed. iOS 8 GM is the buggiest GM I can remember. I have a strong feeling this newest experiment is going to leave you feeling disappointed again. No question you’ll be impressed by the camera though. It’s the only reason I haven’t jumped ship yet.
I’m prepared for both glee and disappointment.
I strongly disagree with the previous statement. I think you’re going to absolutely love the phone, and will end up sticking with iPhones. Just a theory. I think the iPhone 6 will be the best overall phone one can buy, for a very long time.
Day 1 with the iPhone 6 and I am disappointed by a few things: They have not fixed the keyboard issues as they have really not allowed Swiftkey to create the same type of app, notifications are a mess, the thing is much harder to hold than my Nexus 5 — bad ergonomics.
There’s definitely some improvements. But all those folks saying that it caught up to Android in the areas where it was behind I don’t think actually used Android. The areas it was of Android (camera, admin/backup…) they are still ahead.
Where did you hear Continuity is being delayed? I’ve seen no evidence of that in Yosemite or IOS 8.
It is because you are running Yosemite you see these things 🙂
Well, yes. Continuity is going to require Yosemite. This was always so. 🙂
Continuity hasn’t been delayed… specifically the text portion of handoff is not in the GM but will come when Yosemite is released. This required Yosemite to begin which is probably why it’s not in the iOS 8 GM because there is nothing for it to link to until Yosemite is released in October… Common sense isn’t so common.
What bugs are you talking about? You wrote up bugs at bugreport.apple.com, right? If not, why not?
“if Apple doesn’t think I can see the difference between 401 and 515 ppi”
The samsung Note uses a pentile display, so despite the “bigger number” of 515, it is a worse display.
There’s more to specs than numbers.
“Based on our extensive lab tests and measurements, the Galaxy Note 4 is the best performing smartphone display that we have ever tested,” DisplayMate concludes.
http://bgr.com/2014/09/15/samsung-galaxy-note-4-display/
Or just Google Note 4 Display…
Fair enough. I haven’t seen a Note 4 in person yet. I know that in the past the pentile displays have been criticized…
So I was wrong.
But the secondary point remains and is strengthened by your link: pixel density is just one factor in what makes a great display. Measuring things solely by which number is bigger doesn’t give the whole picture.
I haven’t seen it in person either. I almost don’t want to…
You’re absolutely right that there’s more to performance (in all aspects) than simply the specs. If that weren’t the case I wouldn’t even be considering an iPhone in the first place 😛
Former Nexus 5 owner here. (Currently using a Moto X.) The battery of the Nexus 5 only drained with continuous onscreen use. Like just about every other smartphone. I’m willing to bet your battery life with the iPhone 6 is basically the same when using the phone in a similar manner compared to the N5.
Can’t say anything bad about the Nexus 5 camera. Shoot in HDR mode all the time and you’ll be surprised by how good it is.
I have no problem with someone trying an iPhone out of curiosity. The iPhone 6 is basically a Nexus 5 running iOS and made out of metal. (Same weight, almost same height and width.) It also happens to be $300 more off-contract. You can almost buy 2 Nexus 5’s for the price of one entry level iPhone 6. Also IMO iOS is terrible at notifications compared to the Moto X’s active display and every other Android phone’s notification light.
I can say so much bad a bout the Nexus 5 camera, haha. It’s one of the worst ones available on a decent phone. Slow, terrible autofocus, dismal low light performance, etc. The battery also gives out on me halfway through a day of moderate use.. I don’t have any hard data for you, but it seems considerably worse than the average flagship phone out there.
I love the phone, and it is an absolutely killer value. But you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think the camera and battery are major tradeoffs you have to make. I’m glad they are sufficient for you though!! I hate being a spoiled brat.
I’m sorry but I don’t agree regarding the Nexus 5 camera. The general consensus is that you need to use HDR to really get the most out of it, which isn’t a big deal. The camera software update really helped with autofocus. Low light is probably the only thing I agree with you regarding the camera. Even the 5S IMO leaves a lot to be desired in low light.
Curious why you think the iPhone 6 won’t also top out halfway through a day in your moderate use. The 6 Plus should have a killer battery but the 6 itself will most likely have similar battery performance to the Nexus 5. I have used the iPhone 5, S4 Active, and now my current Moto X in similar manners. Basically all perform equally with respect to battery life. Onscreen usage = battery drain. Continuous use of your iPhone 6 will most likely be the very same.
I don’t think the Nexus 5 camera and battery are tradeoffs. I seriously don’t. I ended up with the Moto X because I find it ergonomically superior, the screen has richer colors, and the speaker is much louder. The one true flaw of the Nexus 5 is the speaker IMO. Not the camera or battery life.
Again, I have no issue with you wanting to try an iPhone 6. Personally if I was a Canadian I’d be all over the Galaxy Alpha. 4.7″ screen, 115 grams. In fact I’m seriously considering importing one if it’s not released in America.
That’s ok. Agree to disagree 🙂 I found the HDR mode to result in marginally better photos, and found it to slow things down even more. Worse than grainy weak photos, it’s the missed opportunities that really get me.
Regarding battery, as I mention in the post, I’m going to try the 6 plus. I have high hopes for it. I think they left battery life out of they keynote because the 6 probably isn’t any better than the 5S. Just a guess though.
I really like the Moto X (new one especially). It’s probably #3 on my list right now (after iphone and note). It would have been the perfect upgrade to the Nexus 5 (albeit not a huge one). The reviews I read all say the same thing though, mediocre camera and battery. I get that it’s a marvel in every other way, but it just doesn’t align best with what I want right now.
The best Android contender for me seems like the note 4. And it looks like a wonderful device.. But I like my Android stock, and touchwiz honestly seems like almost as big a leap as iOS to me at this point.
The alpha looks fantastic, but I want a bigger phone 🙂
They didn’t leave battery life out of the keynote (only for the watch). The iPhone 6 is a bit better than the 5S, the 6 Plus is a fair bit better than the 6.
Oh! Thanks for filling me in. Must have missed that.
I can’t get a clear picture on Nexus 5. The last update made it worse. I keep trying to change settings & nothing
Completely disgree with the last statement. I moved from iPhone 4 to HTC One about 2 years ago and notifications on iOS is by FAR superior. Android puts the little annoying notification light up on the top which tells me absolutely ZERO about what the notification is unless I, wake device, unlock the screen password, then pull down the notifications bar every time my phone buzzes.
iOS on the other hand, the entire screen lights up into wake, then places the notification on screen so I can actually see who or what it is that MAY or may not be requiring my attention (without me ever having to touch the device). This is important as the notification is sometimes completely uninportant. If I glance at the device on my desk and the notification is actually important, I can then easily respond by simply tapping on said notification. If I wanted to, I can swipe down and see all other notifications, but for the most part this is simply not necessary as I am already up to date by simply glancing at the device on previous occasions when the screen actually lit up.
While this might seem insignificant, it is extrememly handy when trying to concentrate on work at your desk and not having to stop doing what youre doing each time to innteract with your device for each and every buzz.
Good luck with that when you don’t see your screen light up. It’s ass backwards. Unless your reply on a buzz or sound, you will indeed miss a notification on iOS. There is no brain to their system. Screen lights up or else.
Moto X has the best notification system with Moto Display. Tells you exactly what kind of notification you have even when you simply pull the phone out of your pocket. Put the Moto X aside for now, even a colored light is much appreciated versus having to wake my phone to check on things in case I was busy doing something else. You can’t be serious that iOS is superior at notifications versus Android. And if you are, I cannot disagree more.
I’m a bit disappointed with Apple not including OIS in the base iphone 6. (Only the 6plus will get that feature.)
I have an Xperia Z and the 6 is nearly the same size, which I find is just too big to use one-handed.
I like having the extra real-estate when watching video/games/etc, but as a phone I find it very cumbersome. I can only imagine what a behemouth the 6plus and the Note4 will be… Still we shall see.
How has Apple’s support deteriorated in recent years? The iPad 2 has been supported 5 different iOS version, (4-8) and the last three Mac OS X releases (10.8-10.10) have had no change in system requirements.
Just their actual service technicians/geniuses. It’s still the best, so kind of a moot point.
As far as security goes. You don’t have to use a password on the phone, if you don’t want one. The security options include “Turn Passcode Off” as an option.
You will still want to set up your fingerprints on the fingerprint reader so that you don’t have to enter in the App Store password every time, or be able to use Apple Pay, or any of the other functions that Apps may be using the fingerprint security system for in the future.
That said, I agree with the others saying the fingerprint login system is VERY slick. You still have to enter in the password once after a power-up or reboot, but that’s it.
You can’t use touch ID without a passcode. It can be a 4 digit passcode, but you have to have it as a backup. Also you will be forced to use the passcode in certain scenarios (first time buying an app after rebooting phone, for example).
This is a great article and I am very interested in your results, both good and bad with the iPhone 6+ and iOS 8.
Agree about camera & battery, that’s why I’ve switched… To an oneplus one. I’m really impressed with both.
iOS is great and the iPhone is an even better phone, but where ppl see the fingerprint sensor as a major advantage, I see the back button as a thing I can’t live without and the reason why I’m not coming back to ios. It’s a huge deal for me, and the whole “double click plus select the app to come back” feels just awkward.
Looks like Apple doesn’t know how to include more features either. On the iPhone you can swipe down from the top to see your notifications, swipe down from anywhere on the homescreen to launch a search, or swipe up from the bottom to see the control panel. Meanwhile, in android l you only swipe down from the top. Android is getting simpler and iOS more complicated.
I’ve seen countless screenshots on FB / twitter of the gallery app. Ppl can’t figure out how to share a pic?
Anyway, this is a personal decission and you’ll be happy with your iPhone.
Android gives me things that iOS can’t by design, so I have no choice here.
Oh and Btw, we are talking about $350 vs $850. I paid exactly $500 for a Sony rx100 mkII a few months ago. And this camera blows away any iPhone and will do for a few years.
What back button? Whenever I read about it in articles, people say it’s completely INCONSISTENT.
I very rarely use double-press, I just press then find the app on my home screen or bottom bar (I have pages of apps, but the VAST majority I actually use are on the first page, sometimes in folders).
I don’t know if you have used android lately. The back button is inconsistent within certain apps, but not between apps.
Use case: I’m using Chrome, I find a website I wanna share w someone, I press “share” and see like 20 apps (not just email or imessage), share the link and press back to come back to chrome. The same with Twitter, photos or almost any app.
I have an iPhone 5s right here with ios8 and I just can’t do that. Might seem silly but I care much more about these things than the fingerprint sensor. It’s a personal thing, maybe, but it’s important to me.
And better not get started on how iOS and Android deal with screens / drawer :p
My homescreen has just the 10 apps I use the most. For everything else, Mastercard. I mean, he drawer. Good luck hiding newsstand.
So you’re agreeing with me that it’s inconsistent.. inconsistent within an app is still inconsistent.
BTW, I haven’t used Android, and I mentioned that above. (I’ve probably used someone’s for a minute or two total..)
Safari: hit share button.. It’s that simple.
Let me explain it better. All you do in Android goes to a “virtual stack”. Say, you open an app within another one. If you press back, you go back to the previous app. Within an app, that means the back button usually gets you back to previous screens. Example: you open an app with a list, you open an element on a new screen, you press back and you are on the home screen again with the list.
This some times doesn’t work this well but it’s that app’s fault. It’s like blaming iOS if the Twitter app crashed. The back button is something that Android provides and a lot of developers are just not used to it (they might come from iOS) and they don’t pay enough attention to it. When it works, and that’s 99% of the time, it’s a killer feature over iOS (again, for me).
I really, really miss the back button when using iOS. It makes alot of tasks much easier.
And I was beginning to think I’m the only one. I fear I like it so much that I may just return mine so I can get the back button back in my life
I can confirm the SMS feature works perfectly with upcoming OS X Yosemite. Been using the feature for a couple of months. Have no issues SMS’ing (send/receive/to/from) Android friends. Of course iMessage has been enabled and working between desktop (Mavericks and Yosemite) for a long time.
Yosemite is still in beta, but getting closer to gold master. Far less bugs than beta 1 (which didn’t allow SMS)
I want to read the article a month after your switch. I have a Mac & a Nexus 5. Everyone I know has an iPhone. Ive been reluctant to switch for many of the same reasons. I dont know if I’m doing something wrong but after the last update, my camera is useless. All my pictures come out grainy and blurry. My friends iPhone photos look professional. I was thinking of doing Tmobile 1 week iPhone test to see how that goes. Swiftkey is a must and that will switch. Google Now would be missed as will be my widgets… Androud saves me $… Amazon apps constantly free; Google Play Rewards too. I’ve never paid for an app… I dont really wanna start over… Or follow the trend… But….. Im not a super techie so really want to hear what you say later
Warning…. SwiftKey on iOS isn’t nearly as good as on Android. Its a bit awkward, there’s no getting to the numbers by holding down the key, there’s no dictation on that keybaord (you have to swtich back to the Apple keyboard), and there’s no advanced features like activating the navigation buttons.
This is a HUGE let down for me.
Try Swype
To me it seems this is not the most well thought out thing to do, pre-ordering a phone and bailing on Android while the most exciting version of the OS is due to being released shortly.
Hope you get to feeling better. Sometimes it’s the journey, not the destination.
Thanks man. :p
This is to be expected. As iOS slowly morphs into an Android clone, there are fewer distinctions between the two. Their baby widgets, new sharing between apps, 3rd party keyboards, larger screens, etc. closed the feature gap…..just a bit.
For me, they’d have to do at least four more things before I’d even consider an iPhone:
1) Get some REAL widgets: The notification widgets they have are cute but why tiptoe toward the inevitable? Give folks homescreen widgets already and stop with the grid of icons. I can open my phone and do so many things without ever opening an app. Make the homescreen more productive not just app-filled wallpaper. And speaking of the homescreen…
2) Let me make any app the default. No I don’t want to just use your crappy apps. If I want a new dialer, let me have it. If I prefer Google Maps let me have every map link open Google maps.
3) Include a real file system. It’s useful for pouring through documents, photos and everything else on your phone but it also lets you connect USB drives to load/move files without iTunes/Dropbox.
4) Automation, i.e. the Tasker clause. This is a big one. It is great to have your phone do things based on other things, and not just the few things Apple deems OK like geofencing. No possibility for Tasker, or another Tasker-level phone automation alternative, no me as a customer.
BONUS: 5) Install apps from anywhere. This is less of an issue since, I believe, Apple is better at approving apps and approving them more quickly. But I’d still like the ability to install apps from other developers/stores. I’ve used some cool apps from folks who don’t have established beta programs.
That’s a small and doable list. I think iPhone will have them all eventually, except installing apps from anywhere. Their App Store is sacred. But do the first four at a minimum and we can talk.
You gotta be dreaming if you think they are gonna allow apps like Tasker. It took them a few iterations to bring a basic feature like copy-paste. No one, and I’ll say this again, no one having an iPhone cares about something like Tasker. Mostly because they don’t even know what that thing is.
I have to say it shocked me that they allowed third-party keyboards, that brings a new whole world of privacy concerns for them. I tend to think they will be even more strict with this kind of apps, and it’s going to be harder to release new ones.
File system? I think they are closer to remove it from OSX than bringing one to iOS. And I have to say, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea. At least for beginners / ppl who have no idea about computers.
I’ve used Android for years and settling back in to iOS from my N5 your point about widgets couldn’t be more wrong. I now have the ability to use my widgets anywhere from within any app without having to leave the app I’m in to access them. This is immensely more useful than having to quit the app I’m in, swipe 3 pages to the left, then finally interact with the widget I need… 1 quick pull down and all my widgets are there… no app quitting, no desktop swiping to get to that particular widget if it’s not on your default home screen. To each his own, but it seems your opinions are preformed without actually anytime spent with the things you opinions are about. They are pulled from pictures on the internet and out of the air. I love my N5, it was a great device save for the camera (both the protrusion size and quality); however the iPhone 6 with the notification widgets have really increased the speed of my workflow. I think home screen widgets are now the cute ones… having all your data and activities immediately accessible from wherever you are? Now you’re talkin’!
I am really looking forward to see your opinion on the new iPhone after this post. I think you could be surprised about how much it has changed since the 4S, and well the camera and the fingerprint capabilities are my favorite on my 5S.
I feel pretty much the same way, and couldn’t avoid writing my reasons as well. Here is my mega-post about this same topic: “I’m switching from a Nexus 5 to an iPhone 6 Plus, and here is my history”: http://blog.svpino.com/2014/09/18/im-switching-from-nexus5-iphone6plus-this-is-my-story
As an Android user, I’m tempted to switch back to iOS because of the continual “Androification” of the platform. Apple is starting pull its head out of its ass and give people what they want, instead of telling them what they should want (as Steve Jobs once said).
One caveat for potential switchers:
the iPhone 6 battery life isn’t that great, according to reviewers (some have even said that it’s “mediocre.”) My Galaxy S3 isn’t perfect, but I have a massive 7000 mah battery on it that can last up to 3 days. Everything is a tradeoff, but if you’re switching because of battery life you’ll be disappointed.
I have just one comment regarding what you said above “The concept of iOS automatically turning on the screen every time I get a
notification absolutely baffles me. I won’t even go into it because it
makes me angry”
For me, the fact that Android does NOT do this
makes me REALLY REALLY REALLLLLLLLY angry. It baffles me that someone
would not want this feature. Like you, I also made the switch, but the
opposite way, a while ago from the iPhone 4 to the HTC one which I have
now had for almost 2 years.
While at work, I often get tons of
notifications a day, some from business email, some from personal email
(gmail), some from, whatsapp, google hangouts, social networks, various
random applications and even the more primitive SMS. When I get these on
Android, all I see is a little flashing light, this basically tells me
NOTHING other than that I have a notifciation which I am already aware
of because of the sound or vibration the device has just made, in other
words, the notification light is POINTLESS unless I missed the initial
notification. This might seem like a small issue to some, but when
coming from iOS only then can one appreicate the purpose of the iPhone
screen lighting up with each notification …let me explain.
While
working at my desk, this usually invloves lots of typing, reading,
concentration and on the odd occasion communicating with colleatgues via
the landline phone.
With the iPhone, I am able to simply leave the
device on my desk between myself and my desk keyboard and while working
or somewhere nearby and as soon as I hear a notification, I can simply
glance at the iPhone screen and know if it is something urgent or a
message from someone important that needs my immediate attention. If it
is NOT urgent and simply SMS or email spam etc, or just an annoying
person that I do not feel like responding to at that time, I can simply
ignore and keep working (and more importantly concentrating). If it
requires my attention I can simply swipe directly onto that notification
as the screen has already in wake, which then invokes the lockscreen
password and go directly to the said application and respond. 2 swift
moves, glance, swipe. ( side note: on iOS If you do not want lockscreen
notifications for any application this can simply be turned off via
settings) (side note 2, the lockscreen password also goes away with the
fingerprint biometric reader, which should make the process even
swifter)
With Android, I have to physically stop doing what I am
doing every time any notification goes off, pick up the device, unlock
with the annoyingly placed top power/standby button (on HTC ONE), then
swipe up to unlock, enter my lockscreen password, then pull down top
menu and find which notification I just received, then tap on
notification which takes me to the application to respond. The major
difference here being that I am forced to stop doing what I am doing for
EVERY notification.
This may seem like something small but
coming from iPhone to Android, this is one feature I have sorely missed
and I cannot understand why on earth the Android way would be better
other than for someone who has never really experienced this the other
way around. The only explanation I can think of for Android doing things
this way and not lighting up the screen was to conserve battery life.
In my opinion iOS’es power management is by far superior to Android
espeicalliy in stand-by mode. Don’t touch your iPhone for extended
periods of time and watch the battery indicator only move down 1% every
hour. Good luck achieving that with my HTC one. I am venturing a guess
as to this being the reason why Android screen doesn not light up and
show you the actual notification.
Thanks for sharing your information……………..,
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