From Android to iOS and my take.....

[Gator352]

I'm a long time Android user that recently switched to the iPhone and here's why....

I decided one day to get the iPhone 5s (6 wasn't out yet) to see what the fuss was all about. After using it for 3 days, I couldn't get over the 4" screen. I don't like having to shove my phone in my face to see the screen, so I gave it to my mom and got me the LG G3. The G3 was an OK phone that worked but the inconsistent UI animations made it unenjoyable.

My dads phone died (note 2) so I decided to give him my G3 and got me the Note 4 that had just been released. The Note 4 is an awesome phablet but it did not fit in my pocket all that great. I pondered a little bit on the iPhone 6 and decided to give my Note 4 to my brother, whom was using a Moto X, and get me the 6.

After using the 6 now for 3 weeks I can say it's a good phone. It does have it's drawbacks....just like Android does. The phone is the perfect size for my pocket and in my hand....but there are a few things that would make the iPhone and iOS an Android killer and here are my opinions:

1. Give more customization. I mean, come on...let me place my folders or icons where I want them on my home screen. As it is now, it's a snap grid that starts at the top left corner. Annoying. Also, let us have a way to customize the first home screen with say a large clock with date and weather widget or something similar allowing folders to be placed at the bottom of the screen for a sleeker look.

2. Make contact pictures bigger. Pictures smaller than a pinky nail in the contacts app and in-call is ludicrous. With a 4.7" screen, they can be little bigger without compromise.

3. Have all settings within an app. Right now, there are settings in the app and in the settings on the phone. Why?

4. Make siri more useful. I mean, it allows some commands but what if it were....smart. Like when you get a message, it tells you automatically that you have a new message from "XXXX" and ask if you want it read, then ask if you want to reply. Basic commands goes along way when using Bluetooth.

These are just a "few" things that can be done without compromise to make it an even better experience. Don't get me wrong, Android has it's weaknesses too that annoy me. One is the dreaded "com.Android has stopped working" error.

I've learned that no OS is infallible. Both have strengths and weaknesses. I for one will stick it out for a while with iOS to see where it goes and will use both platforms to suit my needs in the long run but will continue to use the iPhone as my daily driver....for now....because well, it's a better phone and that's what I need it to be before anything else....a phone.

 

[the_tech_eater]

Welcome to the dark side and thanks for the write up! Well written and all your points made sense. I'm not sure if Apple will give us those but we'd probably all be better if they did.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Just_Me_D]

Welcome

 

[Trees]

Good perspective. I had/have similar reservations with iOS. In my view, items 1-2 are more pronounced on an iPhone 6+.

If I could move icons/folders down to the screen bottom, that would put my "most used" apps easily within reach. Then the apps that are still on my "frequently used" list can still live on the first home screen, and be easily accessed via the Reachability feature. Or as you suggest, put a 4x1 or 4x2 widget up top, which would push down the "most used" apps to the screen bottom - thus also enabling the easy reach.

For item #2, the pictures are not as important for me, but an option to display small, medium, or large pictures might be nice.

 

[Gator352]

Welcome to the dark side and thanks for the write up! Well written and all your points made sense. I'm not sure if Apple will give us those but we'd probably all be better if they did.
If only Apple would get a clue And thanks!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome

Thanks!

 

[Spencerdl]

ConGrats on the iPhone 6 and Thank You for your take on iOS.....ENJOY

 

[mhunter6378]

Hey Gator good to see you over here. Like you, I've been on Android for a while. Having started with iPhone when it first came out and continuing through the iPhone 5. I just became somewhat bored with it and also needing a larger screen, I switched over to Android about a year and a half ago. Went through many different ones looking for a good fit (and phone) ultimately ending with a Note 4. When the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were introduced I debated long and hard whether I would try one. I wrestled with which I would choose and in the end I got a 4.7 iPhone 6. For me it's just a better fit in the hand and more user friendly one handed. I agree with your assessment, "It's a better phone".

To your points;
1. I totally agree and wished iOS allowed the freedom to place icons anywhere on the screen rather than the snap grid starting top left onward.
2. Having the same issue with contact images I found a solution that worked for me. I found nothing that will change the small icon display in the contacts list and that really didn't bother me. For me initially, contact images sometimes displayed fullscreen when receiving a call and sometimes only as a small icon, it came down to the individual contact image resolution. Some of my contact images are low resolution and I don't want to change them. What I did to resolve this was to create an new image for all my contacts. I found a 1080 x 1920 background that I wanted and with the help of Photoshop placed my contact images on top of the background. By doing so when I added the new image to my contacts, it tricked the system into using all the contact images fullscreen when receiving calls.
3. For me having in app settings control with Android offered great control of the app's behavior. But I actually prefer having all the settings in one place with iOS. This allows me to see everything at one time rather than having to go to each app and then also have to set global preferences.
4. I find Siri to suit my needs pretty well. As to having it read messages, I actually like having to prompt Siri to read my messages over bluetooth rather than just having it automatically do it. If I'm busy or it's just an inappropriate time to deal with an incoming message, it's better for me to not be interrupted by an automatic function.

For me as a Mac and iPad user, the iPhone is a better phone not only because of the build quality and function but also especially now with Continuity and the ease of transition from one device to the other. I'm happy to have an iPhone again.

 

[Fit24]

Congratulations on your iPhone 6 and welcome to iMore! Excellent assessment of improvements to enhance the user experience on the iPhone.

 

[Gator352]

Hey Gator good to see you over here. Like you, I've been on Android for a while. Having started with iPhone when it first came out and continuing through the iPhone 5. I just became somewhat bored with it and also needing a larger screen, I switched over to Android about a year and a half ago. Went through many different ones looking for a good fit (and phone) ultimately ending with a Note 4. When the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were introduced I debated long and hard whether I would try one. I wrestled with which I would choose and in the end I got a 4.7 iPhone 6. For me it's just a better fit in the hand and more user friendly one handed. I agree with your assessment, "It's a better phone".

To your points;
1. I totally agree and wished iOS allowed the freedom to place icons anywhere on the screen rather than the snap grid starting top left onward.
2. Having the same issue with contact images I found a solution that worked for me. I found nothing that will change the small icon display in the contacts list and that really didn't bother me. For me initially, contact images sometimes displayed fullscreen when receiving a call and sometimes only as a small icon, it came down to the individual contact image resolution. Some of my contact images are low resolution and I don't want to change them. What I did to resolve this was to create an new image for all my contacts. I found a 1080 x 1920 background that I wanted and with the help of Photoshop placed my contact images on top of the background. By doing so when I added the new image to my contacts, it tricked the system into using all the contact images fullscreen when receiving calls.
3. For me having in app settings control with Android offered great control of the app's behavior. But I actually prefer having all the settings in one place with iOS. This allows me to see everything at one time rather than having to go to each app and then also have to set global preferences.
4. I find Siri to suit my needs pretty well. As to having it read messages, I actually like having to prompt Siri to read my messages over bluetooth rather than just having it automatically do it. If I'm busy or it's just an inappropriate time to deal with an incoming message, it's better for me to not be interrupted by an automatic function.

For me as a Mac and iPad user, the iPhone is a better phone not only because of the build quality and function but also especially now with Continuity and the ease of transition from one device to the other. I'm happy to have an iPhone again.

The image solution sounds interesting. But you would figure that a picture taken with the camera on the iPhone would result in a full screen image. This is kind of reminiscent of Android only using low rez contact pics a few years back.

Well, the siri thing, see, I drive a dump truck for a living and sometimes I get into a fringe area. I noticed that when your signal is low (or no signal at all) siri promptly tells you "I'm really sorry....." prompting you to look at your phone to read the message, especially if you didn't ask it to read your message right then when it came through. I'm not asking for it to read your message automatically....just ask if you want it read...replying "no" OR no reply at all ends the connection...this way there is no interruption or annoyance.

As for app settings, I'm talking about you have in-app settings then you have settings for that app in the settings menu. Like for instance...iMore. You have in-app settings to clear cache, account, etc., but in the settings menu on the phone, that's where you find the background refresh and use data buttons. For most apps, that's where you'll find the notifications settings. I'm just asking why aren't all the settings in one place? Having all the settings in one place is much more efficient than having to configure the app while it's open then go into the phone settings to configure more settings for the same app.

For the most part I'm happy too. So know I have gotten my mom the iPhone 5s, my son the iPhone 6 4.7 and I'm running the iPhone 4.7. I'm trying to get the wife one but she balks when I ask.....she just doesn't like change and is used to her HTC E8. My daughter?? Same as her mom....LOL!!

 

[Ledsteplin]

Gmail contacts will show thumbnail style. iCloud contacts show full screen. If I have a Gmail contact who's pic shows small, I delete the pic and add my own. Then it shows full screen.


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5.

 

[Ledsteplin]

You can move the apps around. But the placement is as you say. You can't start at the bottom. But you can reorganize the apps and folders.


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5.

 

[Flow39]

Welcome to iMore, and thanks for the fresh perspective of the two operating systems

 

[christopholous]

The thing about iOS that bugs me is as follows:

Developers must pay $100 per year to keep their apps in the app store. What does this end up causing? As a developer, you are less likely to bother risking the energy to create a niche app from the love of your heart, since there is no guarantee it will be successful. If your app which you spent hard work on for months ends up not being downloaded, then you will not be able to afford the $100/year fee. To get your moneys worth, you will instead try to pump out as many **** apps as possible as fast as possible in order to maximize the value of paying $100 per year, since that cost allows for an unlimited number of app submissions.

The end result is that 90% of the apps in the app store are garbage.

 

[apcman]

I had a android prior to my iPhone 6 and one reason why I switched and I don't think enough emphasis is put on this is support. I liked the android phone and it is a good OS but the iPhone does all the main stuff a smartphone should do. Do I want to change a few things of course but for the most part I can do everything my droid can with little or no effort. My old android broke within its warranty and I had to give up trying to get it fixed since Motorola and verizon just would not help. Moto just shuffled me through the maze and no one would help. I had a issue with the iPhone and the applecare helped me get the issue resolved without any hassle. I don't care about spending hours rooting I just want a phone that does smartphone like things and the iPhone does it all. You can't put a price on having a support network that gets the problem fixed without having to pull your hair out all the time.

 

[Gator352]

Gmail contacts will show thumbnail style. iCloud contacts show full screen. If I have a Gmail contact who's pic shows small, I delete the pic and add my own. Then it shows full screen.


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5.

That was it. It's because I'm synced to google and not iCloud for contacts. Thanks!

 

[Septembersrain]

My biggest setback is that even though they allow widgets, I can't find any that'll allow quick settings. That's the one thing I absolutely loved about my Note 3. It has an easily scrollable belt with options to turn things on and off with a click. It's a little irritating sometimes to go hunt down the same settings with 3+ steps each time.

I used to miss Swype severely, thankfully that's no more an issue. It's still buggy though but it's getting better each update. I understand it'll take time and work.

I do hope they'll put 2GB of RAM in the next iteration. It can sometimes bug me all the browser reloads and app crashes. I have to consistently close down all apps manually to insure that while I'm doing a back and forth, neither app/browser will reload/crash.

 

[dave_austin]

Excellent assessment. Your story sounds nearly identical to mine, and I agree completely on the customization point.

 

[Gator352]

My biggest setback is that even though they allow widgets, I can't find any that'll allow quick settings. That's the one thing I absolutely loved about my Note 3. It has an easily scrollable belt with options to turn things on and off with a click. It's a little irritating sometimes to go hunt down the same settings with 3+ steps each time.

I used to miss Swype severely, thankfully that's no more an issue. It's still buggy though but it's getting better each update. I understand it'll take time and work.

I do hope they'll put 2GB of RAM in the next iteration. It can sometimes bug me all the browser reloads and app crashes. I have to consistently close down all apps manually to insure that while I'm doing a back and forth, neither app/browser will reload/crash.

I personally think Apple put in 1 GB of ram for one sole reason: To only reliably do one thing at a time to keep a smooth experience! Multitasking was NEVER on SJ's list of things to do but they had to because of backlash. With 2 GB of ram, that would never be an issue. But like you said, maybe in the iPhone 7??

I agree about the 3+ steps to do basic things. It's annoying. I also do miss the Note 4 in a lot of ways but Androids inconsistent UI and errant apps drove me away. I get tired of errors especially when it's at the worst possible moment and the phone crashes! BUT in the 3+ weeks I've used the iPhone, I have had to reboot many times because of widgets not working (Quick-Tap) to be exact and/ or simply the phone not responding like it should.....I blame iOS 8 and not the hardware. I have faith in Apple fixing the problems iOS 8 has created.

 

[Flow39]

I personally think Apple put in 1 GB of ram for one sole reason: To only reliably do one thing at a time to keep a smooth experience! Multitasking was NEVER on SJ's list of things to do but they had to because of backlash. With 2 GB of ram, that would never be an issue. But like you said, maybe in the iPhone 7??

I agree about the 3+ steps to do basic things. It's annoying. I also do miss the Note 4 in a lot of ways but Androids inconsistent UI and errant apps drove me away. I get tired of errors especially when it's at the worst possible moment and the phone crashes! BUT in the 3+ weeks I've used the iPhone, I have had to reboot many times because of widgets not working (Quick-Tap) to be exact and/ or simply the phone not responding like it should.....I blame iOS 8 and not the hardware. I have faith in Apple fixing the problems iOS 8 has created.

The widgets are more often than not a developer problem, not Apple. I'd blame the developers for the widgets not working.

 

[Ledsteplin]

I personally think Apple put in 1 GB of ram for one sole reason: To only reliably do one thing at a time to keep a smooth experience! Multitasking was NEVER on SJ's list of things to do but they had to because of backlash. With 2 GB of ram, that would never be an issue. But like you said, maybe in the iPhone 7??

I agree about the 3+ steps to do basic things. It's annoying. I also do miss the Note 4 in a lot of ways but Androids inconsistent UI and errant apps drove me away. I get tired of errors especially when it's at the worst possible moment and the phone crashes! BUT in the 3+ weeks I've used the iPhone, I have had to reboot many times because of widgets not working (Quick-Tap) to be exact and/ or simply the phone not responding like it should.....I blame iOS 8 and not the hardware. I have faith in Apple fixing the problems iOS 8 has created.

You don't think the 6s will have 2 gb of RAM in September? If not, what will be their big selling point?


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5.