iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone vs Android

[snipr125]

The good thing about Android is that there are now decent options in the £100-£250 price bracket. I got my dad a Samsung A20e for £150 and its a decent phone for the price. Also got him a Huawei Mediapad M5 lite (1080p screen and aluminium body) for about same money. He likes them both. I dont let him install banking apps etc though for security reasons. Not everyone can afford iphones/ipads, especially in third world countries where there prices are even more inflated.

 

[Tsepz]

So its been 2 months since i got my 12 Pro Max. And there are a few things which really make me enjoy using the iPhone more than my Android phone(Note 20 Ultra)

1-Ability to see a file without downloading.(Attachments in mail,photos and videos in Whatsapp)
2-Signal seems better.
3-100% of battery seems to last me 1 and a half days and still have 30%-40% left(i had to charge my Android once a day or ill wake up with below 25% battery)
4-Standby uses very little battery. Like 1%-3% for 8 hours of standby.
5-Facetime... its way less speed demanding than whatsapp video call.
6-Camera... the camera is just wow.
7-Tonnes of accessories.
8-Speaker - its loud and clear.
9-User friendly.
10-Siri...useful when driving and emergencies where i need my flashlight.

However these are my PERSONAL preference/experience.

Can pretty much agree with all of this and also love just how much more cohesive stuff is on iOS versus Android, I don’t know if you notice this but even down to aesthetics such as icons all being built to a certain size and standard to look symmetrical to each other where in Android you have developers doing their own things with icons varying size and making the UI look messy and unpolished. Same thing with widgets, iOS may have only just got widgets on the main Homescreen in iOS 14 but the stuff being made right now already looks leagues better than what we had on Android for many years.

Also not forgetting the Taptic Engine, the use of stainless steel frames and everyday I feel like I grow fonder of Safari and how energy efficient it is versus Chrome on Android.

Even though Apple are stubborn on a lot of things I have to say, their strictness and obsession with aesthetics really makes using iPhone, iPad, Watch, Mac etc... really great.

With the above said there are things that can drive one insane on Apple devices but those things are not big enough for me to drop Apple devices as my daily drivers. I doubt I will be going back to Android as my daily driver anytime soon.

I was really drooling at the Samsung S21 Ultra and new Asus ROG Phone 5, but as I watch and read first impressions and reviews I am again and again reminded how of the lack of fluidity, messiness and inefficiency that still plagues Android regardless of specifications due to how much more loose and less strict Google is on developers and manufacturers. You can buy a $2K Android and still find that Instagram does not play nice with its camera, or find the same inconsistency in apps and poor efficiency of apps like Chrome and UI still having a messy look due to icon guidelines not being strict or Widgets not properly optimized for that phones aspect Ratio and UI skin.

 

[keti2377]

I actually had the 12 Pro Max and switched to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. I’ve been in the Apple ecosystem (Apple Watch, iPad Pro, Macbook, etc.) for 4 years now and didn’t even consider switching back to Android but I think after iOS14 was released, I was just frustrated with the lack of features that I waited years for iOS to have that was on my older Android phones. I also didn’t like all the loopholes and hacks that I had to do on shortcut for some level of customization. Most of my relatives uses an Android and they basically convinced me to try out Android phones again lol.

The only issues that I’ve had so far was stuttering when I first got the phone and it may have been due to smart switch so I had to factory reset it in the beginning without smart switch and so far, no issues at all. So far, it’s an *almost* perfect phone for me. I just wished that social media apps didn’t downgrade photo quality when taken from an Android but I can’t do anything about that besides taking pictures straight from the stock camera. But the reason why I did switch to Apple was because of lag after one year. However, that was Touchwiz days and I’ve been told that it has vastly improved with the new OneUI so we’ll see how true that is. I still have all of my Apple devices and my iPhone is used as a backup.

 

[LFC2020]

I actually had the 12 Pro Max and switched to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. I’ve been in the Apple ecosystem (Apple Watch, iPad Pro, Macbook, etc.) for 4 years now and didn’t even consider switching back to Android but I think after iOS14 was released, I was just frustrated with the lack of features that I waited years for iOS to have that was on my older Android phones. I also didn’t like all the loopholes and hacks that I had to do on shortcut for some level of customization. Most of my relatives uses an Android and they basically convinced me to try out Android phones again lol.

The only issues that I’ve had so far was stuttering when I first got the phone and it may have been due to smart switch so I had to factory reset it in the beginning without smart switch and so far, no issues at all. So far, it’s an *almost* perfect phone for me. I just wished that social media apps didn’t downgrade photo quality when taken from an Android but I can’t do anything about that besides taking pictures straight from the stock camera. But the reason why I did switch to Apple was because of lag after one year. However, that was Touchwiz days and I’ve been told that it has vastly improved with the new OneUI so we’ll see how true that is. I still have all of my Apple devices and my iPhone is used as a backup.

The honeymoon faze will be over before you know it, nothing has changed with Samsung, still the same frustrating experience, you'll be running back to the greatest OS and phone on the planet, my opinion the s21u isn't in the same league as the 12 pro max.

 

[dk001]

I actually had the 12 Pro Max and switched to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. I’ve been in the Apple ecosystem (Apple Watch, iPad Pro, Macbook, etc.) for 4 years now and didn’t even consider switching back to Android but I think after iOS14 was released, I was just frustrated with the lack of features that I waited years for iOS to have that was on my older Android phones. I also didn’t like all the loopholes and hacks that I had to do on shortcut for some level of customization. Most of my relatives uses an Android and they basically convinced me to try out Android phones again lol.

The only issues that I’ve had so far was stuttering when I first got the phone and it may have been due to smart switch so I had to factory reset it in the beginning without smart switch and so far, no issues at all. So far, it’s an *almost* perfect phone for me. I just wished that social media apps didn’t downgrade photo quality when taken from an Android but I can’t do anything about that besides taking pictures straight from the stock camera. But the reason why I did switch to Apple was because of lag after one year. However, that was Touchwiz days and I’ve been told that it has vastly improved with the new OneUI so we’ll see how true that is. I still have all of my Apple devices and my iPhone is used as a backup.

One thought and I use, I generally ditch the OEM launcher and go with something like Nova instead. WOrked well for me on my last Note and recent Razer. I use both OS’s these days.

 

[yticolev]

Signal I'd have to disagree with as a general statement. At least in my usage Android phones typically have better signal for me.

Don't both iPhones and Android phones use the same Qualcomm modems? Thus any difference in displayed signal strength is meaningless on the same network. Could be a difference in antenna design, but I think Apple simply uses Qualcomm's antenna except for 5G mm.

 

[keti2377]

The honeymoon faze will be over before you know it, nothing has changed with Samsung, still the same frustrating experience, you'll be running back to the greatest OS and phone on the planet, my opinion the s21u isn't in the same league as the 12 pro max.

Honestly, if I still have issues with Samsung though, I’m much more open to try another Android company with a lighter UI. It really just depends on what feature is available though.

I don’t know man, I just love all the features and the options that are available on my phone. Most people don’t care about them and I’ve even seen some people get overwhelmed when using my phone. But I love all the options that I get, and I can simply turn them off if I don’t want to use them. It’s also sooo much easier having all of my main devices using USB-C (S21U, iPad, Macbook). It just *feels* like I’m using a powerful phone even though Apple has the most powerful chipset on the market.

 

[keti2377]

One thought and I use, I generally ditch the OEM launcher and go with something like Nova instead. WOrked well for me on my last Note and recent Razer. I use both OS’s these days.

Nova launcher was definitely my favorite before I switched. I haven’t used it yet because I’ve been enjoying using OneUI with Good Lock. Everything feels pretty snappy and fast so far but I’ll definitely go back when I want to use icon packs and want more customization.

 

[MikeAK]

There are a cpl of interesting posts on this subject from people I suspect haven't used Android in years or only have experience with it on a cheap garbage phone riddled with bloatware.

I am currently on my much loved 6s but in my life I have had the chance to work with many different Android phones thru the years. Android is no longer a joke and has now become a fully mature and fantastic OS. People who have a chance to use it on a quality device should open their minds because they will be shocked how good it is, of that I am sure. I like a lot of what Android is doing.

 

[kamikazeeMC]

I get bored of iOS, switch, then come crawling back every time because of the smoothness, design consistency and edge in app quality.

Though I've been wanting to go back to Android for a little while now to see where it's at. Also I really miss being able to set custom notification sounds for everything, where iOS generally has the same tri-tone for everything. Lets me know what needs intimidate attention or not.

 

[LFC2020]

Android is no longer a joke and has now become a fully mature and fantastic OS. People who have a chance to use it on a quality device should open their minds because they will be shocked how good it is, of that I am sure. I like a lot of what Android is doing.

Nothing has changed when I tired a note 10 plus, still the same bloat, un efficient, laggy train wreck.

 

[IowaLynn]

Give me a stylus and I won’t be a dual user: iPhone and Note20U (or S21U)

My first phone was Galaxy Note II and I assumed others would follow.

 

[Abazigal]

I am currently on my much loved 6s but in my life I have had the chance to work with many different Android phones thru the years. Android is no longer a joke and has now become a fully mature and fantastic OS. People who have a chance to use it on a quality device should open their minds because they will be shocked how good it is, of that I am sure. I like a lot of what Android is doing.

With Apple, you are not just buying a smartphone. You are buying into an entire ecosystem.

That’s what sets Apple apart from the competition, and that’s what gets people to (willingly) shell out a premium for Apple products, even as cheaper alternatives exist elsewhere.

No doubt there are good (and pretty affordable) android smartphones out there, but there is still only one Apple ecosystem.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I used Android from 2010 to January 2020 so I'm not going to say it's for dopes and I could certainly dispute most of the OP's ten points if they were generalisations, but he's comparing one specific phone with another so fair enough. Also he (or she) has made the discriminating gentleman's (I really think it's a he) choice and is toting the 12PM so can be considered a rather superior person. Especially if it's a graphite 12PM. Not that I look down on people with lesser phones, heaven forfend. If someone has a scullery maid's phone I think they should be treated kindly and encouraged to better themselves, to improve their station in life as the OP has done. We must none of us succumb to phone snobbery.

Gold is the superior colour ?

 

[Shanghaichica]

The honeymoon faze will be over before you know it, nothing has changed with Samsung, still the same frustrating experience, you'll be running back to the greatest OS and phone on the planet, my opinion the s21u isn't in the same league as the 12 pro max.

He might stay if all your family are using android then it might be a better solution for him. My family is half and half. However I’ve managed to get my mum to switch back to using iMessages. My husband can only use SMS when he is driving in his car as it doesn’t support WhatsApp so now I only use WhatsApp for media for him. He’s also bought himself an iMac. He had a windows desktop which he bought last year. It’s now not working and was giving him a lot of problems during the year he owned it. So I told him to get a iMac which he did. He’s sent the window desktop to be repaired and said he’s going to give it to his brother when it’s working again. He might be more amenable to getting an iPhone when he finally upgrades his phone in September lol

I’ve also started doing competitions with my aunt and cousin with the Apple Watch.

My dad will never use an iPhone again so I’ll have to continue using WhatsApp with him.

 

[Shanghaichica]

With Apple, you are not just buying a smartphone. You are buying into an entire ecosystem.

That’s what sets Apple apart from the competition, and that’s what gets people to (willingly) shell out a premium for Apple products, even as cheaper alternatives exist elsewhere.

No doubt there are good (and pretty affordable) android smartphones out there, but there is still only one Apple ecosystem.

I completely agree with this. There are lots of very good android phones out there, many have features the latest iPhone doesn’t. However for me its the whole package that counts. Apple has the whole package and the others don’t.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Give me a stylus and I won’t be a dual user: iPhone and Note20U (or S21U)

My first phone was Galaxy Note II and I assumed others would follow.

I would love Apple Pencil support for the iPhone.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Nothing has changed when I tired a note 10 plus, still the same bloat, un efficient, laggy train wreck.

I used the note 10+ for 8 days. It was actually a really nice phone. It was fast and smooth and it didn’t lag at all. I enjoyed using the S-pen for colouring and a that time it had a bigger screen than the current max iPhone. However I just preferred to iPhone and the Apple ecosystem.

 

[LFC2020]

He’s sent the window desktop to be repaired and said he’s going to give it to his brother when it’s working again. He might be more amenable to getting an iPhone when he finally upgrades his phone in September lol

Your mission is almost completed ?

 

[secretk]

There are a cpl of interesting posts on this subject from people I suspect haven't used Android in years or only have experience with it on a cheap garbage phone riddled with bloatware.

I am currently on my much loved 6s but in my life I have had the chance to work with many different Android phones thru the years. Android is no longer a joke and has now become a fully mature and fantastic OS. People who have a chance to use it on a quality device should open their minds because they will be shocked how good it is, of that I am sure. I like a lot of what Android is doing.

I agree with you on that. Android has definitely improved over the years. It is quite stable currently, has some really good things going for it and I do have enough family and friends that have used Android devices now for few years and they have not experienced lag or anything like that.

I can understand arguments on how long Android devices get updated, on whether they receive so often security bug fixes and on the fact that iOS version of the apps are sometimes better. And of course whatever concerns people have with Google in general. That I respect. I also respect the fact that people like the Apple ecosystem.

I do not understand the arguments on the Android OS itself compared to iOS because IMO Android currently is better. It has less bugs, the Settings menu is organized better, Notifications management is superior, file management is superior. Customization is better - home screen organization in general is easier on Android while on iOS is PIA. There are things where Android just does it better than iOS and that's a fact and can be felt by whoever has used recent Android versions. Localization is also better for Android. For example iOS is not even translated on my native language. As it is my parents cannot use an Apple device because it is not translated on a language they can work with.

Is it enough for everyone to switch to Android - obviously not, but I find it weird to disregard the elements where Android does better. If not for something else than Apple would never improve those aspects on iOS if the consumers don't admit that there is something to be improved.

 

[Spetsgruppa]

Don't both iPhones and Android phones use the same Qualcomm modems? Thus any difference in displayed signal strength is meaningless on the same network. Could be a difference in antenna design, but I think Apple simply uses Qualcomm's antenna except for 5G mm.

In Indonesia flagship Samsungs get Exyshit... thus crap for signal.

 

[LFC2020]

I do not understand the arguments on the Android OS itself compared to iOS because IMO Android currently is better. It has less bugs, the Settings menu is organized better, Notifications management is superior, file management is superior. Customization is better - home screen organization in general is easier on Android while on iOS is PIA. There are things where Android just does it better than iOS and that's a fact and can be felt by whoever has used recent Android versions. Localization is also better for Android. For example iOS is not even translated on my native language. As it is my parents cannot use an Apple device because it is not translated on a language they can work with.

Disagree, as long as google keeps giving out android to whoever puts their hand up, it will remain fragmented, slow software updates, then these companies apply their own skin on top of android which makes it even worse ?‍♂️

How people can say android has gotten better when it’s still the most un efficient OS out there is mind blowing ?‍♂️

Easy to see how bad android is, if it was as good as people say it is, it wouldn’t need 16gb ram, 6000 mAh batteries, These specs are ridiculous for a mobile phone, even with these high specs apple destroys every single one of these phones when it comes to performance, efficiency and longevity, they do it with much lower specs as well.

Not sure where you’re seeing all these bugs, ran iOS 14 from the very first public beta until the final release, haven’t ran into any major issues so far. ?‍♂️

 

[secretk]

Disagree, as long as google keeps giving out android to whoever puts their hand up, it will remain fragmented, slow software updates, then these companies apply their own skin on top of android which makes it even worse ?‍♂️

The updates are slower and this is what I said even in my post.

How people can say android has gotten better when it’s still the most un efficient OS out there is mind blowing ?‍♂️

Maybe we define inefficiency in different ways. How is Android inefficient? iOS is in terms of RAM management. My 4GB 3 years old Android phone reloads less tabs and apps than my iPP with 4 GB RAM. iOS and efficient RAM management is a contradiction. I have lost data due to "RAM management" in iOS. It's that bad. And Apple refusing to put more RAM in their devices make it worse.

Easy to see how bad android is, if it was as good as people say it is, it wouldn’t need 16gb ram, 6000 mAh batteries, These specs are ridiculous for a mobile phone, even with these high specs apple destroys every single one of these phones when it comes to performance, efficiency and longevity, they do it with much lower specs as well.

And yet Android devices battery life is far better than iOS. I am sorry but my Sony phone with 2600 mAh offers me 5 days battery life. There is no iPhone that can offer me that. Yes, Android phones offer more RAM and have bigger batteries and this is why they are more efficient.

Not sure where you’re seeing all these bugs, ran iOS 14 from the very first public beta until the final release, haven’t ran into any major issues so far. ?‍♂️

It is buggy. I wait 2-3 months to install a newly released major iOS version. I rely on my company iOS testing before installing new major iOS version. Apple has notorious talent to break basic things in iOS like messages, mail, RAM management, synching between devices with the same Apple ID, not saving files properly when downloading from browser. Currently I have issues with even the Camera app - cannot handle well taking photos around sunset time. It does not calculate exposure properly, I have to do it manually every time and even then I end up with streaks of colors in the sky instead of smooth color shading.

Last week I had to restart the phone because iOS does not kill apps properly and a certain app was rogue. So no biggie, I restarted the phone and then using it in landscape was broken as it would show me the today view. So I had to restart it again. So I lost 5 minutes to deal with it because iOS does not know how to kill rogue apps properly. Every major iOS version introduces worse RAM management and increased apps and tabs reloads. Then Apple takes 3-4 months to fix it with patches and with the new version is the same. It is like deja vu. Every version.

 

[The Game 161]

Picking between top end iPhones and the very best from android which is the S21 ultra is purely down to OS preference and the apple ecosystem

Android has come a long way even from the past 1-2 years. Android works great for most part and really and has no more bugs than any iPhone has these days

I love the iPhone and the ecosystem but I can’t sit here and say the 12 pro max is a better overall phone to say the S21 ultra. The S21 ultra is the most featured packed phone you can buy so overall the S21 ultra is the best phone you can get right now if the OS was no option

120hz ltpo display
Best display
Best resolution
Spilt screen multitasking
Pop up windows for multitasking
Interactive widgets
Place icons anywhere
Periscope lens for great zoom
Reverse wireless charging
Fingerprint scanner in the display

That’s a lot of things the ultra does better than the iPhone. Granted the following are rumoured on 12s pro line/iOS 15

120hz ltpo
Touch ID
Always on display
Interactive widgets

So the advantages the ultra has will be less Come September hopefully. If iOS 15 adds spilt screen then the gap is a lot smaller even for features


And yes my phone I use is the 12 pro max as I prefer iOS as my daily due to the ecosystem and of course the Apple Watch but if Os was no preference the ultra would be the better choice as it has features the iPhone needs which some of these will be on the iPhone this year hopefully

I still think apps are better on iOS though and obviously updates are better and Instant on iOS where in android even though it supports 3 years can take 2-4 months for the latest OS to arrive

Just impossible to truly compare iOS to android as it’s more than just features as to why people pick iPhones

 

[The Game 161]

The updates are slower and this is what I said even in my post.

Maybe we define inefficiency in different ways. How is Android inefficient? iOS is in terms of RAM management. My 4GB 3 years old Android phone reloads less tabs and apps than my iPP with 4 GB RAM. iOS and efficient RAM management is a contradiction. I have lost data due to "RAM management" in iOS. It's that bad. And Apple refusing to put more RAM in their devices make it worse.

And yet Android devices battery life is far better than iOS. I am sorry but my Sony phone with 2600 mAh offers me 5 days battery life. There is no iPhone that can offer me that. Yes, Android phones offer more RAM and have bigger batteries and this is why they are more efficient.

It is buggy. I wait 2-3 months to install a newly released major iOS version. I rely on my company iOS testing before installing new major iOS version. Apple has notorious talent to break basic things in iOS like messages, mail, RAM management, synching between devices with the same Apple ID, not saving files properly when downloading from browser. Currently I have issues with even the Camera app - cannot handle well taking photos around sunset time. It does not calculate exposure properly, I have to do it manually every time and even then I end up with streaks of colors in the sky instead of smooth color shading.

Last week I had to restart the phone because iOS does not kill apps properly and a certain app was rogue. So no biggie, I restarted the phone and then using it in landscape was broken as it would show me the today view. So I had to restart it again. So I lost 5 minutes to deal with it because iOS does not know how to kill rogue apps properly. Every major iOS version introduces worse RAM management and increased apps and tabs reloads. Then Apple takes 3-4 months to fix it with patches and with the new version is the same. It is like deja vu. Every version.

Every OS has some kind of bugs my 12 pro max recently anytime I open the camera roll I get the spinning circle and takes a few secs and I have to reopen it again

This has happened more lately. So we need to stop acting like iPhones are flawless. Bugs do exists I don’t have many but this is something I have noticed lately