Swapped phones for a day to feel each ecosystem from iOS to Android

[bakron1]

I had a Note 4 Edge and currently are using a iPhone 6+ 64 as my daily driver. I also borrowed my friends S6 Edge for a day to try it out for myself.

I found as the OP, the battery life was terrible, but the screen was nice and bright and crisp. The build quality is much better then previous Samsung devices with the metal frame and glass back.

The one feature is did not like is the S6 Edge features are not the same as the Note 4 Edge which I found to be misleading to folks like myself who have had one.

Overall I found to curved edges cool, but for the average consumer, it's not worth the extra money compared to the cost of the S6.

As far as comparing Android to IOS, I have a large app ecosystem in both platforms. While I like the customization of Android, I prefer the simplicity of IOS. I found some of the Android apps are just not as polished as the IOS versions.

The main thing that keeps me with IOS is I use iMacs in my business and I like the integration between my desktop and my iPhone 6+. Just my two cents worth.

 

[sydneycooper1979]

I picked up and S6 last weekend to try it out. It's probably the best Samsung has put out--Note 4 is close. The display was unbelievable and the camera was outstanding. Probably the closest to an iPhone camera as far as ease of use and being able to get good pictures quickly and on auto settings. That being said, I went back to my iPhone after one week. The battery was horrible. I tweaked a ton of settings and such and could not get it to last a full day. I'm not even a heavy user. I think there is something in the Lollipop software causing this. Its seems most phones on lollipop are having battery trouble. I switch gadgets a lot and enjoy them, but this time I just missed my iPhone. I missed the way iOS does day to day things. I like that I don't have to tweak a lot of things or sacrifice features to get the battery to last. Because what's the point of having a smartphone if you can't use it?

 

[iN8ter]

Honestly the only good android skins are HTC, LG, and SONY. Stock android or Motorola is ideal though.

LG's skin is a copy of TouchWiz, but way worse because it's cluttered, lacks in consistency (some stock icons round, some square, etc.) and has even wilder color schemes (only made tolerably by the washed out screens they use).

The S6 isn't an iPhone 6 Plus class device. That's what the Note 4 is. And it has battery life comparable to a 6 Plus (with basically the same size battery, but way higher screen resolution on a slightly bigger panel). The S6 is more comparable to the iPhone 6, so if you're comparing to the 6 Plus you're missing the point and comparing Apples to Oranges. Anyone who wants more battery and a bigger screen is going to get the Note 4 before they switch platforms to iOS for an iPhone with largely the same battery life, as a Note.

I don't have a problem with Samsung's software. They, really, aren't any different than Apple in what's forced on you. The carriers are a different story, but that's just something you have to deal with if you get a Carrier-branded Android device.

I got my roommate to give the iPhone 6 Plus a try. He's on day 3 or 4 with it and hasn't complained much (though some of the questions he asks, I do feel a little bad and may go with him to exchange it for a Note 4 in a few days...). I tell all my tech-illiterate friends to get one, because they're easy to use, but now I realize that... not so much, when they've been using something else for a few years it becomes as difficult as anything else. Then the power users I send to Android because it does "more, more easily" than iOS. I have both an iPhone and a One M8, cause that's what ballers do.

 

[trparky]

Generally I would consider that going from Android to Apple iOS would go against everything that I believe in seeing as how I like to tweak and tinker with my devices but seeing as how most Android devices sold on the market (95% of them) are carrier branded devices with all sorts of restrictions in place, I can't see the difference between the two platforms.

 

[Darthstorm528]

I have done this on a few occasions. Last year, I spent a few weeks with the Galaxy S5, it was one of the best phones I've used, the camera almost matched the iPhone, I didn't notice the difference in quality from the iPhone's 8MP to S5's 16MP. However, like every experience I had with Android, I couldn't deal with Android's performance of non-smooth and non user friendly like iOS, the customization on Android is Probably the only thing I love about Android, everything else is a win for iOS, simple and user friendly and performance is smooth.

 

[flybub]

Generally I would consider that going from Android to Apple iOS would go against everything that I believe in seeing as how I like to tweak and tinker with my devices but seeing as how most Android devices sold on the market (95% of them) are carrier branded devices with all sorts of restrictions in place, I can't see the difference between the two platforms.

Completely agree. Android still let's you set default apps and change launchers but that's the extent of it. Most Verizon and at&t phones are going to be locked down so there won't be rooting and roms, well maybe root but I don't think many will get the bootloaders unlocked. Used to be you could grab any Android phone you wanted and get to the guts of it, unlock the bootloader, and have a whole page of custom roms to choose from over at XDA, not any more unless you have a nexus device. I have both Android phones and a 6 Plus and I've been using my 6 plus quite a bit lately.

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[anon(153966)]

I like it when people take a moment 'try' another device and OS. Nicely done...

 

[KAY ATCHISON]

I too had been an android user for some years wasn't fond of myself either ,Then iPhone 6plus was released i had to have it and i do my iPhone 6plus Hope they add font style changers and notification light But i still love my iPhone 6plus bigger is way better