# iOS to Android?



## Del-GTi (Mar 31, 2007)

The question that has probably been asked hundreds of times before of should I swap to Android from iOS?

My 7 Plus is getting a bit long in the tooth so thought about upgrading. Problem is I’m getting old and don’t really feel the need to splash out on costly apple products as they seem to be getting more and more expensive. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely a Apple person - the 7+, S4 Apple Watch and 6th Gen iPad. All great products and work well.

The 7 Plus was a refurb, but when I looked back at the order, I paid £550 3 and a half years ago. Expensive (to me) but it’s been a reliable phone. I’d probably buy another refurb and was looking at either a X or XS as I’d prefer something a bit smaller but with same screen size and decent camera. Probably cost me about £400 for one of those. Is there an android equivalent of a similar size to an X/XS? 

Then I look at these budget smartphones which are about half that amount and look to do everything I want but for a lot less money for a new phone, not something 2-3 years old. I could sell all my apple stuff and buy new but would I regret it? I’ve been with apple for about 10yrs and I know that it just works and is reliable. Would I be wrong to switch?


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

I did the switch a couple of years back, there's not much difference between the two these days, they both pinch off each other.

IOS is better for out the box, but you get what you get. Andriod takes a little setting up, but once you've got your head round it and how to access menus etc, it is so much better. Not quite as reliable, but far more customisable. If your Andiod phone's UI is pants, install NovaLauncher and never look back.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Personal choice - you’re going to get both answers I feel. You’ll also find people have done and reverted back and those that have swapped and best thing they did - either direction. 

Daughter has moved from Apple and doesn’t regret it 1 bit, her new laptop she’s bought is far better than a good specked MacBook Pro is for similar money. She’s had a One Plus phone for ages (couple of models) and works a treat for her. 

I thought about swapping from Apple a few years back, but when I looked at the price of the new iPhone (XR) and similar specked android, they were similar priced, so stuck with what I know and like. I’ll go through the same process when I need to swap phone again - but in general, they are all getting expensive ! 

If you can wait til shops are open or if you have someone close that you can try out their android phone, I’d definitely recommend it...


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## The happy goat (Jun 26, 2019)

I use both, Apple for personal and Samsung for work and I’d have the Apple over the Samsung without a heart beat.

I find the Samsung very difficult to navigate but saying that I’ve had an IPhone for 10+ years now so I’m probably just used to them.

As its been said already you’re going to get pros and con of both.


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## GeeWhizRS (Nov 1, 2019)

Currently got an iPhone 12 mini and it's great. Firmly in the apple camp because of the watch which won't play with Android.
If you can do without your apple watch and want to move to the circa £400 Android market, for £349 check out the Google Pixel 4a.


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

I switched from Apple to Huawei because i just fancied a change after my iPhone 7 gave me nowt but issues and my iPhone 8 which was just fine.
I wouldn't get another Huawei phone, the camera is great on the P30 - some of the pictures are amazing - but i have a DSLR so don't really need it and the way it does some things just grate a little. But i had the same thing with iPhones so i guess it's down to personal preference. You can get watches that link directly to the phone but only from Huawei and they are not cheap - see Apple - but then i started thinking, do i really need a watch anyway as the phone has a clock on it. 
Android as an operating system is okay, i tried the Novalauncher that Shiny mentioned but couldn't really get on with it, just a personal thing, and Android does have access to shed loads of apps so in that respect they are good. The P30 charges bloody quickly too, the charging cord is about twice the size of the apple one but i just find myself missing the whole connectivity of the apple phone to my Macbook Air so when the contract is up, i'll be going back to apple and probably the 12 Mini.

However, Android is a good operating system depending on your phone.


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## Vossman (Aug 5, 2010)

It's a difficult choice, some people love Android and some love Apple, it's personal, I used to have Android and a lot of my friends have, I have now used Apple since the iphone 4, then 5 then 6 and 7, currently have an XS that was gifted to me, I had to repair the 7 when the screen broke but if your a bit handy they are simple to repair with videos all over utube. Android is the same. 
I am old school and believe that, if it aint broke don't fix it. 
The XS is a good phone but not much faster than the 7, the 7 does have the A10 chip in it which is fast, your choice my friend.


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## Richf (Apr 26, 2008)

I made the switch to Android when iphone 5 came out , had a series of Notes and an S7 in that time but at the end of 2018 my wife bought a new Iphone x and I bought a Note 9 , within 6 months I noticed the battery wasnt performing well and I had to trim back the phone to get it to last all day, by the end of last year it wasnt lasting a whole day even with minimal use. This has been a continuing issue for me and Samsung phones 

So the wife bought a new 12 and gave me her old X and I have to say even at the end of the day I still have 70+% battery life 

Yes android has more features and more free apps but the apple battery management is clearly much much better , have to say I might stay will Apple now


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## virgiltracey (Apr 19, 2017)

I run IOS for phone and android for everything else (tablet, watch, TV).

I use my phone as a phone, so how reliable and easy to mange IOS is, fits the phone aspect well.

On the android devices i do want to install apps from elsewhere, I want to be able to play around a bit and get the best out of it, but that takes time and sideloading apps always has a risk. So I keep them separate, really boils down to what you want out of the device


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Richf said:


> I made the switch to Android when iphone 5 came out , had a series of Notes and an S7 in that time but at the end of 2018 my wife bought a new Iphone x and I bought a Note 9 , within 6 months I noticed the battery wasnt performing well and I had to trim back the phone to get it to last all day, by the end of last year it wasnt lasting a whole day even with minimal use. This has been a continuing issue for me and Samsung phones
> 
> So the wife bought a new 12 and gave me her old X and I have to say even at the end of the day I still have 70+% battery life
> 
> Yes android has more features and more free apps but the apple battery management is clearly much much better , have to say I might stay will Apple now


I can only comment on the last two phones i have had but my iPhone 8 battery was average at best for longevity. The P30 lasts for ever and a day, i've used it when away with the caravan and properly caned the living daylights out of it and usually find it's on about 25% at the absolute worst but usually it's around the 30 - 35% mark. 
So in battery life terms, the Huawei is terrific but for me, it's just the connectivity aspect that is pushing me back towards Apple.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

muzzer said:


> You can get watches that link directly to the phone but only from Huawei and they are not cheap


Any Android watch should work. I have the Samsung Galaxy paired with my P30 Pro and works a treat. Installed Samsung's fitness app as it is better than Huawei's.

Notifications etc all work and i can skip music tracks on my watch to save getting my phone out when i walk to work with my headphones in.


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Shiny said:


> Any Android watch should work. I have the Samsung Galaxy paired with my P30 Pro and works a treat. Installed Samsung's fitness app as it is better than Huawei's.
> 
> Notifications etc all work and i can skip music tracks on my watch to save getting my phone out when i walk to work with my headphones in.


Oh of course, i have a cheap and cheerfull one but rather like Apple, their watches are the best option for their phones and again, like Apple, they are not cheap at all.
But then you use Novalauncher and i've never been able to get on with it, i guess i am too set in my ways to learn how to customise things so don't see the same benefits that you do in using it


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Android, purely because I phones don't have a back button:lol:


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## packard (Jun 8, 2009)

The happy goat said:


> I use both, Apple for personal and Samsung for work and I'd have the Apple over the Samsung without a heart beat.
> 
> I find the Samsung very difficult to navigate but saying that I've had an IPhone for 10+ years now so I'm probably just used to them.
> 
> As its been said already you're going to get pros and con of both.


Exactly the same for me, apple every single time just so much easier, so many more bugs in android


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Shiny said:


> Any Android watch should work. I have the Samsung Galaxy paired with my P30 Pro and works a treat. Installed Samsung's fitness app as it is better than Huawei's.
> 
> Notifications etc all work and i can skip music tracks on my watch to save getting my phone out when i walk to work with my headphones in.


My Samsung frontier 3 watch wouldn't pair with my p30. Seems its hit and miss what works with certain Huawei phones. Saying that the new Huawei gt2 Pro watch is only £229 and looks lovely.


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

iPhones are simple and that really suits people who like just that. The top end Androids are a couple of years ahead functionality/feature/spec wise and are easier to customise, cheaper to buy and aren't plagued by the battery 'wear' issues.

Design/branding is subjective but I get why iPhones are popular, but Android is a no brainer for me, but everyone has different expectations and preferences for a phone.


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## Del-GTi (Mar 31, 2007)

Didn’t expect so many replies on this...it’s definitely a case of personal preference. Thanks for all the comments. 

Been pondering over it this afternoon and start to wonder if it’s worth the hassle. After all, my watch and iPad are perfect and do exactly what I want them to do. Phone still performs ok and at worst I could replace just it and save a lot of hassle.

On the other hand, in a couple of years time I’ll be in the same position except needing to replace the watch and tablet too. Or maybe I’ll have upgraded each of those before that point. Who knows. 

I’m thinking phones etc could be like a variation of shed motoring - either keep it until it becomes unusable or buy something cheap and cheerful on the basis that it does what you need it to do, just without the prestige of the expensive brands.

Also, am I right in saying that Huawei/Honor don’t have access to Google Play store at present?


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Del-GTi said:


> Didn't expect so many replies on this...it's definitely a case of personal preference. Thanks for all the comments.
> 
> Been pondering over it this afternoon and start to wonder if it's worth the hassle. After all, my watch and iPad are perfect and do exactly what I want them to do. Phone still performs ok and at worst I could replace just it and save a lot of hassle.
> 
> ...


Not quite, any phones already here have access but any new phones developed wont have. They are developing their own operating system and allgedly, they will have far more apps than google.

It's swings and roundabouts as you say, some of the Samsung phones are very good, i always used to have LG phones until i swapped to an iPhone and the main reason i went with Huawei was because of one of the themes which is way cool. But apparently it only fully works on the Pro range and the P30 is a big phone already, never mind the Pro and i like to be able to put mine in my pocket.
The misses has a Huawei MATE 20 X 5G doodah and it's flippin huge :doublesho


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## Blue Al (Sep 13, 2015)

I have a 12 mini, but that’s to keep it pocket friendly 
I think you might be better with the se, just from a cost to value experience 
With face mask &#55357;&#56887; the finger print recognition is far friendly day to day


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Blue Al said:


> I have a 12 mini, but that's to keep it pocket friendly
> I think you might be better with the se, just from a cost to value experience
> With face mask �� the finger print recognition is far friendly day to day


If i go back to an iPhone, i'll go with the mini just for the pocket size aspect of it like you. Haven't decided yet, see how i feel when it's due for renewal which is a couple of years away at the minute. I do know if i upgrade, it wont be to another Huawei phone as the restrictions on google usage will have come in by then.
Their cameras are mighty impressive though.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Apparently you can install Google apps on the latest Chinese phones by allowing third party apps in the settings, or so I have read. I probably won’t get another though. To be fair, the P30 Pro is as good as the day it got it and the battery is still very good, so no plans to change yet. 

I’ve still got an HTC HD2 flashed to Android that I use as an MP3 player, if only it had more memory!


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## BrummyPete (Jun 10, 2010)

I tried the opposite last year from android to ios, like the easy nature of the apple phones and like how they are built but found them restricted, but as others have said just use what your comfortable with

Sent from my SM-G980F using Tapatalk


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## Vossman (Aug 5, 2010)

This really is six of one and half a dozen of another thread :lol: 
I use my XS simply for internet, calls and texts and sometimes Netflix when I'm bored anywhere. I don't do social media so for me this phone does just as I need it to, it's simple and it works, bit like me I suppose even though I'm retired :lol:

As you say, what you have works perfectly well so why change, change for changes sake? 

Buy another load of detailing gear instead :thumb:


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

I've tried the Nova Launcher again, so far i've managed to arrange the app icons on the front screen but i'm going to play with it. I may have to upgrade to the Premium and pay for it to get some of the cooler features. We shall see.


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## BrummyPete (Jun 10, 2010)

muzzer said:


> I've tried the Nova Launcher again, so far i've managed to arrange the app icons on the front screen but i'm going to play with it. I may have to upgrade to the Premium and pay for it to get some of the cooler features. We shall see.


Im using Nova and paid for the premium, I personally think its worth it, to note im using it on a Samsung S20


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

muzzer said:


> I can only comment on the last two phones i have had but my iPhone 8 battery was average at best for longevity. The P30 lasts for ever and a day, i've used it when away with the caravan and properly caned the living daylights out of it and usually find it's on about 25% at the absolute worst but usually it's around the 30 - 35% mark.
> *So in battery life terms, the Huawei is terrific but for me*, it's just the connectivity aspect that is pushing me back towards Apple.


Is it because China is sending your more power back via there dedicated connection into the phone........:wave:

Apple and Samsung user here and actually worked for a Telco in the UK and I can honestly say I don't even have a preferred device.

iPhone works more efficiently if you have other iOS devices, just seamless compatibility. Samsung offers more freedom around available apps and how you can interconnect with other manufacturer devices ( i think!)

I must say, car related, the new Android Auto is night and day better than Apple Car Play.


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

B17BLG said:


> Is it because China is sending your more power back via there dedicated connection into the phone........:wave:
> 
> Apple and Samsung user here and actually worked for a Telco in the UK and I can honestly say I don't even have a preferred device.
> 
> ...


Meh, beats being spied upon by Trump.

That's half the idea behind going back to an iPhone, my home set up is all Apple so would make sense to go back to an iPhone.


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