Phones How much worse is integration with apple computers on a non-apple phone?

[nano]

I'm finally ready to get my first smartphone, planning on using t-mobile to keep costs down...

I've been an apple guy for years, currently running a tower, laptop, and iPad. I know that integration using an iPhone is easier/better than with a non-apple phone, but how difficult/limited will integration with my other devices be if I buy a Galaxy 2S for instance?

Not looking to do anything super fancy, but I would like to have updateable access to calendar, contacts, email, etc. I'm not super tech-savvy, but I'm not tech-clueless either, probably somewhere right down the middle.

How much more difficult will it be to achieve this level of integration with a non apple phone, and how much more limited will my level of integration be?

Alternatively I know I could get an unlocked iPhone 4s perhaps...

 

[lamboman]

I use Google's services, and find that they work just as we with my Macs as iCloud does. Of course, for bookmark and tab syncing I have to use Chrome on the Mac, but that works fine as well.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

If you get a Gmail account and use that for all your syncing an Android phone works as well under Mac as it does Windows (or even Linux)

As mentioned to take full advantage of the browser syncing you'll need to use Chrome if you're not already but it is a fantastic browser.

 

[tbayrgs]

Obviously using Google is easiest but if you want to sync with iCloud, at least contacts and calendar, check out SmoothSync for Cloud on the Google Play store. Has done the job for me with my Nexus. As mentioned, you'll need to use Chrome if syncing bookmarks/tabs in a browser and a different third party app for task/reminders.

 

[nano]

Thanks for the replies so far.

So it sounds like one has to kind of piecemeal it, different apps from different places for different tasks?

Also, if anyone knows of a good all-in-one guide online for this, I'd be most grateful for a link.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

So it sounds like one has to kind of piecemeal it, different apps from different places for different tasks?

What do you mean? Sign up for a Gmail account. Install Chrome on your Mac.

Setup your Google account in Chrome. That takes care of all browser based syncing.

Open up System Prefs on the Mac. Go to Mail, Contacts and Calendars (ML). Add your Gmail account. Now you have synced Contacts, Email and Calendars with Google. Might need to add this manually to Contacts app, I cant remember.

Install "Android File Transfer" application on Mac. Now you can browse files on your Android Device if it requires MTP.

Better yet, install "Droid NAS" on your phone. Now your phone will show up in Finder as an APF networked device for seamless file transfers.

I use Dropbox for file syncing across all my devices regardless of OS.

 

[nano]

What do you mean? Sign up for a Gmail account. Install Chrome on your Mac.

Setup your Google account in Chrome. That takes care of all browser based syncing.

Open up System Prefs on the Mac. Go to Mail, Contacts and Calendars (ML). Add your Gmail account. Now you have synced Contacts, Email and Calendars with Google. Might need to add this manually to Contacts app, I cant remember.

Install "Android File Transfer" application on Mac. Now you can browse files on your Android Device if it requires MTP.

Better yet, install "Droid NAS" on your phone. Now your phone will show up in Finder as an APF networked device for seamless file transfers.

I use Dropbox for file syncing across all my devices regardless of OS.

Thanks Sickboy! Like I said, I have basic computer savvy but am brand new to smartphones, so I really appreciate you breaking it down for me like that. Any other suggestions/instructions are much appreciated.

Sounds like my friend was wrong when he told me that using a non-apple phone would be a clusterf*uck...

 

[djarpit]

what do you mean by syncing.

here is my set up and my phone

Mac Book Pro and Samsung Galaxy SIII

Photos: I have dropbox Auto upload. Never have to attach my computer and phone to transfer photos

I also use Google Plus auto upload on wifi. Which means any new photos and videos get instantly uploaded in google plus. I can choose to share them later if I wish, but they are always there as a backup.

Music: I use Play Music. I download manager and tell it where my music is. Automatically all is uploaded to cloud and I can access it from my phone and choose what I want to keep offline and I can always stream it.

Anything you buy from google will be there.

Address book: Already syncs to your gmail account. You can sync your google account to your address book or just open browser and access it. No biggie.


Calendar: Ical and google cal can be easily integrated.


I am not sure what else you would need to "integrate" Feel free and I can share my experience.

And most awesome thing is lets say I wanna transfer a movie.. just load up SDcard adapter with micro SDtransfer and its on your phone.

Broswer: Use Chrome and chrone on phone and everything syncs fine.

 

[kdarling]

Sounds like my friend was wrong when he told me that using a non-apple phone would be a clusterf*uck...

The key is try to avoid getting locked into anybody's device-dependent services.

For example, for cross-device contacts, email, calendar (and often bookmarks as well) most people have long since moved to using Google:

Then, no matter whether you get a tablet, Android phone, iPhone, Blackberry, WebOS, Windows Phone, or whatever... just enter your Google account and everything loads and stays sync'd up between them.

(Google licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft for the push services.)

Choosing a cross-device IM and video chat might be a little harder, but I just use mail/MMS and Skype myself.