This argument is foolish. Both phones and OS’ have their strengths and weaknesses, and until you spend at least a month with each, you won’t know why each has really good things over the other and vice versa. Neither is bad. I posted this on another thread. Let’s stop arguing about ads. We’ve got great options these days. None of them are perfect.
There really isn’t an easy answer to this (fanboys will have plenty, but they’re not generally really using both ecosystems long enough to tell).
Unfortunately neither side has everything working as well as I personally would like. Both have things that are really great, and in some cases unique to each, and both have things that are also uniquely irritating or frustrating.
Some pros of iPhones that I didn’t recognize until i switched, and some of these are not covered by reviewers much, and may, or may not be important to you, and I’ll follow that with some pros of Android / cons of iOS that you don’t feel until you switch.
Starting off with iOS pros:
1. Apps really are better, and more stable (yes, this is covered by reviewers). But for example, when i tried out the Fold 2, I couldn’t get the CVS app or one of my most important banking apps working on it.
2. iOS’ home screen is a complete mess, but the swipe down to search for apps is a lot more than just a search function. It is AI driven and suggests the 8 most likely apps you’re likely looking for at the time you swipe down. It gets it right for me 90% of the time. So whereas on Android, I had everything positioned exactly where I wanted it, including using the Nova launcher and some really neat swipe folders, here it doesn’t matter. I just swipe down, and 90% of the time, I find what I’m looking for without typing in the first letter of the app already there. For example, i work out on a bike that my wife also works out on. I have to change the bike’s seat height etc after I’m done and I keep my wife’s settings in a note in Google Keep. Every time i finish working out, when i swipe down, Google Keep is the first app in the list.
3. Two factor authentication with iMessage is automatic. So if an app or a website sends me a two factor code by text, I don’t have to go to messages, read or copy the code, then go back and paste it into the app or website. Instead, iOS offers me in the app or website to paste just TFA code, and if I use it, it marks the text message as read for me so I don’t have to go back to messages myself. Small thing, but huge timesaver.
4. Not including covid, all apps pretty much support FaceID for login. You open the app, you’re already looking at your phone, so it authenticates you immediately. No need to use a fingerprint. Face ID is not great for Covid, but Apple is finally catching up to Android cerca 2012 and allowing unlock with the Apple Watch with iOS 14.5 - only took them 8 years.
5. If you have a Macbook as your primary laptop, there’s just no getting around how well the iPhone, Airpods, and Apple Watch integrate with it. I tried a Dell XPS 17 with Samsung Dex to compare when i was trying the Fold 2, and it just isn’t as easy or intuitive. Its really difficult to describe just how useful this is. All i can say is that while I’m working on my MBP, I don’t have to pull out my phone at all. Everything is right there if i want it. Pairing my Airpods to my phone or setting up a new Wifi, all Apple devices i own get the same pairing, same new Wifi with zero effort from me. This is a huge timesaver.
6. The overall echosystem is still unbeatable. As much as I love the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 looks wise, it has terrible app support. WearOS is not great either. The Apple Watch may not look as nice as some of those, but it just works better. Its significantly more reliable for health metrics like heart rate, exercise tracking, etc. I’ve used the Galaxy Watch 3, and the Tic Watch Pro 2 for reference.
7. Standby battery life is just insanely good. There simply isn’t a comparison. I know battery life tests show that some Android phones do as well or better, but they’re not real world. In the real world, on an average day, your phone is in standby mode more often than not. That’s where the iPhone absolutely shines, probably because it sucks at keeping apps open in memory.
8. Privacy…
9. The camera. Yes, there are better cameras on Android phones. But every single time i take a photo with the 12 Pro Max, it is good. On average for non-photographer types, it just works.
10. The video camera. This is more than covered enough by reviewers.
Cons and or pros of Android:
1. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a huge screen whose size is completely useless except for content consumption, because I still can’t have more than 4 icons across and however many vertically than the iPhone mini. Come on Apple, give your users options! I mean app icons are still justified to the top of this huge screen?! Why do i have to use a popsocket or that horrible excuse for this of swiping from exactly the right spot on the bottom of the screen to get to apps on top of the screen? Why do i even need apps on top of the screen? Drives me crazy.
2. Customization is a nightmare in iOS. There just is no comparison.
3. Its just so damn boring. I can’t change anything really other than the occasional widget, which also is implemented poorly.
4. Notifications are still absolutely terrible on iOS compared to Android 9, never mind Android 11.
5. Missing Google Home Screen
6. Siri sucks big time.
7. I really miss running two apps at the same time, or 3 in the case of the Fold 2.
8. Refresh rate at 60MHz is absolutely noticeable when you have this sitting next to that gorgeous Fold 2 main screen. There just is no comparison.
9. That damn notch. Yes, you get used to it. But it never becomes not ugly.
There really isn’t an easy answer to this (fanboys will have plenty, but they’re not generally really using both ecosystems long enough to tell).
Unfortunately neither side has everything working as well as I personally would like. Both have things that are really great, and in some cases unique to each, and both have things that are also uniquely irritating or frustrating.
Some pros of iPhones that I didn’t recognize until i switched, and some of these are not covered by reviewers much, and may, or may not be important to you, and I’ll follow that with some pros of Android / cons of iOS that you don’t feel until you switch.
Starting off with iOS pros:
1. Apps really are better, and more stable (yes, this is covered by reviewers). But for example, when i tried out the Fold 2, I couldn’t get the CVS app or one of my most important banking apps working on it.
2. iOS’ home screen is a complete mess, but the swipe down to search for apps is a lot more than just a search function. It is AI driven and suggests the 8 most likely apps you’re likely looking for at the time you swipe down. It gets it right for me 90% of the time. So whereas on Android, I had everything positioned exactly where I wanted it, including using the Nova launcher and some really neat swipe folders, here it doesn’t matter. I just swipe down, and 90% of the time, I find what I’m looking for without typing in the first letter of the app already there. For example, i work out on a bike that my wife also works out on. I have to change the bike’s seat height etc after I’m done and I keep my wife’s settings in a note in Google Keep. Every time i finish working out, when i swipe down, Google Keep is the first app in the list.
3. Two factor authentication with iMessage is automatic. So if an app or a website sends me a two factor code by text, I don’t have to go to messages, read or copy the code, then go back and paste it into the app or website. Instead, iOS offers me in the app or website to paste just TFA code, and if I use it, it marks the text message as read for me so I don’t have to go back to messages myself. Small thing, but huge timesaver.
4. Not including covid, all apps pretty much support FaceID for login. You open the app, you’re already looking at your phone, so it authenticates you immediately. No need to use a fingerprint. Face ID is not great for Covid, but Apple is finally catching up to Android cerca 2012 and allowing unlock with the Apple Watch with iOS 14.5 - only took them 8 years.
5. If you have a Macbook as your primary laptop, there’s just no getting around how well the iPhone, Airpods, and Apple Watch integrate with it. I tried a Dell XPS 17 with Samsung Dex to compare when i was trying the Fold 2, and it just isn’t as easy or intuitive. Its really difficult to describe just how useful this is. All i can say is that while I’m working on my MBP, I don’t have to pull out my phone at all. Everything is right there if i want it. Pairing my Airpods to my phone or setting up a new Wifi, all Apple devices i own get the same pairing, same new Wifi with zero effort from me. This is a huge timesaver.
6. The overall echosystem is still unbeatable. As much as I love the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 looks wise, it has terrible app support. WearOS is not great either. The Apple Watch may not look as nice as some of those, but it just works better. Its significantly more reliable for health metrics like heart rate, exercise tracking, etc. I’ve used the Galaxy Watch 3, and the Tic Watch Pro 2 for reference.
7. Standby battery life is just insanely good. There simply isn’t a comparison. I know battery life tests show that some Android phones do as well or better, but they’re not real world. In the real world, on an average day, your phone is in standby mode more often than not. That’s where the iPhone absolutely shines, probably because it sucks at keeping apps open in memory.
8. Privacy…
9. The camera. Yes, there are better cameras on Android phones. But every single time i take a photo with the 12 Pro Max, it is good. On average for non-photographer types, it just works.
10. The video camera. This is more than covered enough by reviewers.
Cons and or pros of Android:
1. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a huge screen whose size is completely useless except for content consumption, because I still can’t have more than 4 icons across and however many vertically than the iPhone mini. Come on Apple, give your users options! I mean app icons are still justified to the top of this huge screen?! Why do i have to use a popsocket or that horrible excuse for this of swiping from exactly the right spot on the bottom of the screen to get to apps on top of the screen? Why do i even need apps on top of the screen? Drives me crazy.
2. Customization is a nightmare in iOS. There just is no comparison.
3. Its just so damn boring. I can’t change anything really other than the occasional widget, which also is implemented poorly.
4. Notifications are still absolutely terrible on iOS compared to Android 9, never mind Android 11.
5. Missing Google Home Screen
6. Siri sucks big time.
7. I really miss running two apps at the same time, or 3 in the case of the Fold 2.
8. Refresh rate at 60MHz is absolutely noticeable when you have this sitting next to that gorgeous Fold 2 main screen. There just is no comparison.
9. That damn notch. Yes, you get used to it. But it never becomes not ugly.
Really Apple
Paying all that money so you can see ads everywhere on your device, poor form.
