Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

bigup

macrumors 6502
Mar 7, 2008
275
245
United Kingdom
Every year i try to go to the latest S flagship (inc s23 ultra) but end up going back to Apple.

its the same thing each year and android haven’t fixed it yet, that is Delayed Gmail notifications (gmail app).

its beyond me that it’s 2023 and android still can’t get this right. I’ve tried all the battery settings under the sun.

Gmail app on iOS is unrivalled, works 100% all of the time without fail.

if I’m paying £1300+ for a phone, i want it to work properly and not spending time trying to tweak it to get something fundamental such as incoming Email working.
 

Technerd108

macrumors 68030
Oct 24, 2021
2,929
4,106
I have never had a problem with photo backup from an Android phone. I do use Google One.

Maybe if photography is really important and cloud backup is really important than a Pixel phone might work better. Obviously it is already synced and integrated into the Google cloud system and the computational photography is still the best.

I have never bought a Samsung phone for photography. Samsung has always had the best hardware but their photo optimization software has always been a little flaky.

That being said they have improved substantially and there is an upcoming update to optimize the camera system further.

If I was having an issue syncing and backing up my photos I would call Samsung and Google support until it was resolved. They should be able to help. It may take few calls but eventually you should be able to figure out any problems.
 

Matsamoto

macrumors 6502a
Oct 31, 2018
848
7,381
Halmstad, Sweden
One thing I noticed was that my iPhone wouldn't actually back up the photos on Google unless I had the app open the whole time. That must be a limitation of iOS or something because you don't have to do that on Android.
I think you are on to something here🙂
I have seen on YouTube (can’t remember who) that if you don’t have the screen on, the iPhone don’t download.

I have also personally seen this. Tried to download both music (Deezer) and movies
(Netflix) for offline, and the download stops when the screen is off.
So my guess is the same for upload?

Idk if Apple doing this for the sake of battery, or it’s just an iOS limitation as you say.
My guess is iOS limitation.
In that case Android it’s so much better🙂
 

Technerd108

macrumors 68030
Oct 24, 2021
2,929
4,106
Every year i try to go to the latest S flagship (inc s23 ultra) but end up going back to Apple.

its the same thing each year and android haven’t fixed it yet, that is Delayed Gmail notifications (gmail app).

its beyond me that it’s 2023 and android still can’t get this right. I’ve tried all the battery settings under the sun.

Gmail app on iOS is unrivalled, works 100% all of the time without fail.

if I’m paying £1300+ for a phone, i want it to work properly and not spending time trying to tweak it to get something such fundamental as incoming Emil working.

I completely disagree. I have never had any problems syncing mail in Gmail on any Android phone. It has been in my experience the most reliable app for getting emails almost instantaneously.

I have accounts from Apple and Microsoft as well as Google and I like using one app to receive them all and Gmail works really well for this.

On my iPad, and iPhone the mail app constantly hangs up. On the phone it became a real issue. The mail app only syncs when you open the app. Whereas Gmail is constantly syncing. My Mac seems to work better on my M2 version but I had a M1 MBP and it would hang up constantly. Really disappointing experience using mail.
 

Matsamoto

macrumors 6502a
Oct 31, 2018
848
7,381
Halmstad, Sweden
I have never had a problem with photo backup from an Android phone. I do use Google One.

Maybe if photography is really important and cloud backup is really important than a Pixel phone might work better. Obviously it is already synced and integrated into the Google cloud system and the computational photography is still the best.

I have never bought a Samsung phone for photography. Samsung has always had the best hardware but their photo optimization software has always been a little flaky.

That being said they have improved substantially and there is an upcoming update to optimize the camera system further.

If I was having an issue syncing and backing up my photos I would call Samsung and Google support until it was resolved. They should be able to help. It may take few calls but eventually you should be able to figure out any problems.
I have to ask you🙂
If I’m not mistaken you use both iPhone/iCloud and Pixel/Google?
Which in your opinion are the best experience?
Both in sync and ecosystem?
Just curious 😊
 

Technerd108

macrumors 68030
Oct 24, 2021
2,929
4,106
I have to ask you🙂
If I’m not mistaken you use both iPhone/iCloud and Pixel/Google?
Which in your opinion are the best experience?
Both in sync and ecosystem?
Just curious 😊
Google One works exactly the same in my experience as iCloud. Both will instantly backup photos in real time. On my Pixel 7 Pro I get a notification every time a photo is uploaded. On my Galaxy it is in the background.

On my iphone it did backup in the background but I am not sure if it was instant like my Pixel. But it was always there when I needed it.

Since the Pixel notifies me I guess I would say it is better but to be honest I have never had an issue with either.

In terms of ecosystem it depends. Apple is easier to set up because by default everything is connected. On my Galaxy S23 ultra and my Galaxy Tab s8 and my Windows computer I have to manually set it up. Once set up it works the same. I get calls and texts on my phone, tablet and Windows PC.

There are more features with the Galaxy and Windows setup than iPhone and Mac though. I can actually mirror the s23u screen on my PC and I can use my phone apps on my PC which I can't do on my Mac.

Generally though I would say it like this. In terms of ease of setup the Apple ecosystem is best. In terms of features once configured I think Galaxy is best.

On the Pixel everything works the same except for the screen mirror which is exclusive to Galaxy devices. The link Windows to phone app is officially developed and supported by Samsung but oddly enough not by Google so Pixel devices have less functionality.

For example on my iphone of my Mac or iPad are close and connected to the internet and I get a call it will ring on all three devices without me configuring anything. It just works by default. On my other platform if my phone rings and I just had my s8 and Windows PC on without setting it up first nothing would happen on the tablet or PC. So I think in one sense Apple just automatically works better.

I am a person that configures everything so the difference is not an issue for me but for some the Samsung/Pixel way of doing things is less intuitive and more cumbersome.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Matsamoto

jamezr

macrumors P6
Aug 7, 2011
15,837
18,390
US
Thanks for answering

I have tried Google Photo also and it didn’t work either.
After 1 week (!) Google Photo had uploaded 13 GB of 50, and it didn’t even try to upload any more.
So I cancelled this so called “backup” plan.
Google Photo it’s just one of the other crappy backup plans out there.

Maybe Dropbox can actually upload every single photo of my 50 GB of images?
That has not been my experince with Google Photos. It has backed up every photo and video taken on my iPhones and or Android phones.
Make sure you have cellular turned on as well


f2dad9563725114f01816d776f2e572f.jpg




Here is a good article as well

 
  • Like
Reactions: Matsamoto

macbookm1airlover

macrumors member
Jul 9, 2021
87
72
My boss requested that I set one up for him this past week...he's an Android guy...I am an iOS guy...I must say, the Android setup was miserable. Right out of the box, it failed activation, and it was extremely slow when it got to the Home Screen. First world issue, I understand...but it makes me appreciate iOS. Even if (let's be real...when) there are bugs.

The worst day on iOS is better than the best day on Android.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: dk001

Technerd108

macrumors 68030
Oct 24, 2021
2,929
4,106
My boss requested that I set one up for him this past week...he's an Android guy...I am an iOS guy...I must say, the Android setup was miserable. Right out of the box, it failed activation, and it was extremely slow when it got to the Home Screen. First world issue, I understand...but it makes me appreciate iOS. Even if (let's be real...when) there are bugs.

The worst day on iOS is better than the best day on Android.
What Android phone was it?

Talk about bug fest, that is iOS 16 and every initial release of iOS recently.

You know there is a lot of hardware choice on the Android side of things so making a general statement without clarifying what Android phone is a little dubious.

I like both Android and iOS and iPhone and something like a Pixel 7 Pro or Samsung Galaxy Ultra vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max have their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Reading a post like this reminds me how many pompous people there are on both sides when they make such blanket statements.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: icanhazmac

1800AirTAG

macrumors regular
Aug 2, 2014
246
592
No Apple Watch.
No Messages.
No Safari
No Handoff or Continuity.
No Apple Pay.
No Apple TV+.
No Apple Passwords.
No Calls on your Mac.
No Apple Notes.
No Apple Maps.
No Apple Reminders.
No Apple Photos.
No Apple Fitness.
No Apple Numbers, Pages, Keynote.
No iCloud Drive.
No syncing data with any apps piggybacking on iCloud Drive storage.

You can use your AirPods Pro over bluetooth on Android.
You can use Apple Music on Android.

Your phone will send a heck of a lot of data to Google and Samsung, but most people don't care about that.

The way macOS and all your other Apple devices play nicely together is unrivalled by anyone else. That seamless cross-device experience will be the thing you miss the most.

If you're heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, I think it's unlikely the exciting newness of a Galaxy S23 Ultra will remain appealing for long. If your iPhone is your main device however, transitioning to Samsung and Android could work out for you.
So… you’re not switching to android?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Shouldibuy

jamezr

macrumors P6
Aug 7, 2011
15,837
18,390
US
My boss requested that I set one up for him this past week...he's an Android guy...I am an iOS guy...I must say, the Android setup was miserable. Right out of the box, it failed activation, and it was extremely slow when it got to the Home Screen. First world issue, I understand...but it makes me appreciate iOS. Even if (let's be real...when) there are bugs.

The worst day on iOS is better than the best day on Android.
I have had that exact thing happen with new iPhones right out of the box though. Then in you look in the iPhone threads here on MR a LOT of people had those issues on new iPhone release day.
These issues are not platform specific to be honest here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: yui4

bigup

macrumors 6502
Mar 7, 2008
275
245
United Kingdom
I completely disagree. I have never had any problems syncing mail in Gmail on any Android phone. It has been in my experience the most reliable app for getting emails almost instantaneously.

I have accounts from Apple and Microsoft as well as Google and I like using one app to receive them all and Gmail works really well for this.

On my iPad, and iPhone the mail app constantly hangs up. On the phone it became a real issue. The mail app only syncs when you open the app. Whereas Gmail is constantly syncing. My Mac seems to work better on my M2 version but I had a M1 MBP and it would hang up constantly. Really disappointing experience using mail.
You only have to Google “gmail notification delay” to see how wide spread the issue is. And it’s not a new thing either.

There is an adb fix which works until you reboot the phone. But even this fix didn’t really help me as it broke again even without rebooting the phone.

Mail app on iOS I never use. I just use the gmail app, which my watch, iPad, MacBook and iPhone get alerts sometimes 5 mins quicker that when I was testing on s23 ultra (again have tried all battery optimisation settings)

Doze on android is a mess imo.
 

Technerd108

macrumors 68030
Oct 24, 2021
2,929
4,106
You only have to Google “gmail notification delay” to see how wide spread the issue is. And it’s not a new thing either.

There is an adb fix which works until you reboot the phone. But even this fix didn’t really help me as it broke again even without rebooting the phone.

Mail app on iOS I never use. I just use the gmail app, which my watch, iPad, MacBook and iPhone get alerts sometimes 5 mins quicker that when I was testing on s23 ultra (again have tried all battery optimisation settings)

Doze on android is a mess imo.

I am not arguing that some people may experience what you describe. All I can relay is my own experiences going back to before the Galaxy S4 with multiple android phones from multiple vendors with a pause when I got my first iPhone, the iPhone 11 Pro Max and used it and an iPhone 13 Pro Max for over a year as my main device, but besides that gap I never experienced this issue.

I got the Pixel 7 Pro in December followed by the s23 ultra and I have not had an Gmail notification delays.

I have had Android tablets and inexpensive Android phones and Gmail is extremely fast.

Now that is my experience which all I can comment on. Do other people have different experiences? Of course. I just don't think it is typical but I could certainly be wrong. It is not something I have heard about being an issue generally when people complain about Android phones.
 

Matsamoto

macrumors 6502a
Oct 31, 2018
848
7,381
Halmstad, Sweden
Google One works exactly the same in my experience as iCloud. Both will instantly backup photos in real time. On my Pixel 7 Pro I get a notification every time a photo is uploaded. On my Galaxy it is in the background.

On my iphone it did backup in the background but I am not sure if it was instant like my Pixel. But it was always there when I needed it.

Since the Pixel notifies me I guess I would say it is better but to be honest I have never had an issue with either.

In terms of ecosystem it depends. Apple is easier to set up because by default everything is connected. On my Galaxy S23 ultra and my Galaxy Tab s8 and my Windows computer I have to manually set it up. Once set up it works the same. I get calls and texts on my phone, tablet and Windows PC.

There are more features with the Galaxy and Windows setup than iPhone and Mac though. I can actually mirror the s23u screen on my PC and I can use my phone apps on my PC which I can't do on my Mac.

Generally though I would say it like this. In terms of ease of setup the Apple ecosystem is best. In terms of features once configured I think Galaxy is best.

On the Pixel everything works the same except for the screen mirror which is exclusive to Galaxy devices. The link Windows to phone app is officially developed and supported by Samsung but oddly enough not by Google so Pixel devices have less functionality.

For example on my iphone of my Mac or iPad are close and connected to the internet and I get a call it will ring on all three devices without me configuring anything. It just works by default. On my other platform if my phone rings and I just had my s8 and Windows PC on without setting it up first nothing would happen on the tablet or PC. So I think in one sense Apple just automatically works better.

I am a person that configures everything so the difference is not an issue for me but for some the Samsung/Pixel way of doing things is less intuitive and more cumbersome.
Thanks!
Interesting to hear.
But can you turn off notifications on the Pixel?
I think I would be nuts if I get a notification every time a photo was uploaded😁
 

Matsamoto

macrumors 6502a
Oct 31, 2018
848
7,381
Halmstad, Sweden
That has not been my experince with Google Photos. It has backed up every photo and video taken on my iPhones and or Android phones.
Make sure you have cellular turned on as well


f2dad9563725114f01816d776f2e572f.jpg




Here is a good article as well

Thanks for the guide. Maybe I did something wrong, but I didn’t get it to work.
Another person said in a post here that photos don’t upload when the screen is off, and it’s an iOS limitation.
On Android (I think) it doesn’t stop the upload when the screen is off.
In that case it’s gonna take ever and forever to upload 50 GB of movies and images for my iOS devices😂
 
  • Like
Reactions: jamezr

The Game 161

macrumors Nehalem
Dec 15, 2010
30,282
19,502
UK
No Apple Watch. No problem
No Messages. No problem
No Safari. Great
No Handoff or Continuity. No problem
No Apple Pay. No problem
No Apple TV+. Perfect
No Apple Passwords. No problem
No Calls on your Mac. No problem
No Apple Notes. No problem
No Apple Maps. Perfect
No Apple Reminders. Who cares
No Apple Photos. No problem
No Apple Fitness. Perfect
No Apple Numbers, Pages, Keynote. No problem
No iCloud Drive. No problem
No syncing data with any apps piggybacking on iCloud Drive storage. No problem
If somebody have none of that then you aren't fully into ecosystem with all that comes with services. Which in that case switching isn't an issue.
 

Yebubbleman

macrumors 603
May 20, 2010
5,796
2,385
Los Angeles, CA
I'm getting a bit bored of Apple, and am thinking of trying something new.

I believe that Android is much more customisable than iOS, and that interests me.

Android IS more customizable than iOS. Though, I'd ask yourself what it is that you want to customize. Unless it's more a matter of principle that you want something that gives you greater flexibility in general.

How well will an S23 integrate with my Macs?

This is very subjective. You don't have AirDrop or iCloud Drive, but if you use Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive as your primary vehicle of sending files to and from devices, you won't really be impacted too much by this. You will lose the ability to answer phone calls from your Mac (or any other Apple device) as well as to send and receive SMS/MMS messages from your phone via Messages. Though, you might be able to do so via a web app. Not sure. Your iCloud e-mail will work just fine on your phone. Contacts and Calendars may be iffy, unless you use clients that support adding those accounts manually, though that could be tricky. If you were using Gmail instead of iCloud for storing your contacts and calendars, integration between your Mac and an Android phone such as the S23 shouldn't be that much of an issue.

Other than that, no big deal, really.


I'm pretty sure it won't work with my AirPods Pro, Apple Watch or Apple TV?

Your AirPods Pro can function as a normal pair of bluetooth headphones. You lose on instant pairing and some of the other features that Apple has that are unique to using them with other Apple devices. But they function otherwise with non-Apple things.

Your Apple Watch requires an iPhone to update and sync. If you kept your current iPhone around, you could still use your Apple Watch, but you're not going to be able to sync anything to the Android phone. Furthermore, unless you connect the iPhone you pair your watch with to a WiFi network, your watch will not know to connect to a Wi-Fi network and just be useful for fitness tracking and whatever apps you have that don't require Internet. It's honestly a crap situation for Android users that otherwise want to be Apple Watch users. For all the good Apple claims it does by saving lives with the Apple Watch, the obvious footnote is that it only cares about saving iPhone customers' lives.

The Apple TV is not really dependent on you owning an iPhone in any way, nor any other Apple product, for that matter. That initial setup is made a lot easier, and both iOS and iPadOS have built-in Apple TV remote functionality, but none of these are must-haves in order to use an Apple TV.

Apple TV+ doesn't have a dedicated app you can use with Android. You gotta log in on the web. Incidentally, of all of the devices that Apple makes on which you can watch TV+ content on, the iPhone is the least comfortable for long term viewing.
 

The Cockney Rebel

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Nov 16, 2018
2,412
2,898
Android IS more customizable than iOS. Though, I'd ask yourself what it is that you want to customize. Unless it's more a matter of principle that you want something that gives you greater flexibility in general.



This is very subjective. You don't have AirDrop or iCloud Drive, but if you use Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive as your primary vehicle of sending files to and from devices, you won't really be impacted too much by this. You will lose the ability to answer phone calls from your Mac (or any other Apple device) as well as to send and receive SMS/MMS messages from your phone via Messages. Though, you might be able to do so via a web app. Not sure. Your iCloud e-mail will work just fine on your phone. Contacts and Calendars may be iffy, unless you use clients that support adding those accounts manually, though that could be tricky. If you were using Gmail instead of iCloud for storing your contacts and calendars, integration between your Mac and an Android phone such as the S23 shouldn't be that much of an issue.

Other than that, no big deal, really.




Your AirPods Pro can function as a normal pair of bluetooth headphones. You lose on instant pairing and some of the other features that Apple has that are unique to using them with other Apple devices. But they function otherwise with non-Apple things.

Your Apple Watch requires an iPhone to update and sync. If you kept your current iPhone around, you could still use your Apple Watch, but you're not going to be able to sync anything to the Android phone. Furthermore, unless you connect the iPhone you pair your watch with to a WiFi network, your watch will not know to connect to a Wi-Fi network and just be useful for fitness tracking and whatever apps you have that don't require Internet. It's honestly a crap situation for Android users that otherwise want to be Apple Watch users. For all the good Apple claims it does by saving lives with the Apple Watch, the obvious footnote is that it only cares about saving iPhone customers' lives.

The Apple TV is not really dependent on you owning an iPhone in any way, nor any other Apple product, for that matter. That initial setup is made a lot easier, and both iOS and iPadOS have built-in Apple TV remote functionality, but none of these are must-haves in order to use an Apple TV.

Apple TV+ doesn't have a dedicated app you can use with Android. You gotta log in on the web. Incidentally, of all of the devices that Apple makes on which you can watch TV+ content on, the iPhone is the least comfortable for long term viewing.
Thank you for the constructive feedback.

I think I’d just like to try something new, if you know what I mean?

I feel the iPhone has become stagnant, and quite honestly, I’m bored of it.

As you say, though, Apple devices all sync with each other, which makes things much easier.

Thanks again.
 

danb1979

macrumors 6502a
Feb 5, 2015
687
977
Preston, Lancs - UK
Loving my S23U

Sold my 14 Pro Max 2 weeks ago after buying the S23U and couldn't be happier

Still have my M1 MBA, M2 Mac Mini Pro, iPad Air 5th Gen, Apple TV4 etc; so well stocked with Apple.

The S23U is overall a better phone; as others have said, the screen is superb; the battery life is superb, the flexibility/customisation & overall usability are superb and the camera is an absolute belter!

If it really interests you then go for it; you won't regret it 👍🏼
 

kp98077

macrumors 601
Oct 26, 2010
4,151
2,655
For me I’m looking for less weight! I had the 14pm but hated the weight and now have the 14 plus and it’s much better. Assuming the 23+ is pretty good? I don’t need huge. Big is good. iPhone is a bit boring. Can I still send pics to iPhone users?
 

kp98077

macrumors 601
Oct 26, 2010
4,151
2,655
I just remember with Samsung a few years ago I could never be in a group iPhone chat this was very annoying!
 

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,780
10,844
I have to disagree here🙂
I use to have OneDrive 1TB on my Win 10 and also iCloud for Windows.
Beside an iPhone and iPad (see below for more info)
Maybe I did something wrong but I couldn’t get OneDrive and iCloud to sync.
I got pictures on iCloud that wasn’t on OneDrive, and vice versa.
Tried to read about it but nothing helped.

So now I don’t have any of the two online backup, just a lots of hdd and ssd 🙂

Never had those issues with One drive. iCloud for Windows can be a little iffy, mainly the slow speed with uploading is the issue I've experienced.
 

macbookm1airlover

macrumors member
Jul 9, 2021
87
72
What Android phone was it?

Talk about bug fest, that is iOS 16 and every initial release of iOS recently.

You know there is a lot of hardware choice on the Android side of things so making a general statement without clarifying what Android phone is a little dubious.

I like both Android and iOS and iPhone and something like a Pixel 7 Pro or Samsung Galaxy Ultra vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max have their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Reading a post like this reminds me how many pompous people there are on both sides when they make such blanket statements.
This thread is about the S23 Ultra. I assumed it would be obvious which phone; however, I do apologize for not making it more clear!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sebalto

sunking101

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2013
7,416
2,656
As soon as someone lists off a ton of the Apple gear they own and asks how Android will integrate with their Macs I know it's 100% a non-starter. You are clearly an Apple ecosystem guy and will end up swapping back should you briefly leave.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.