I'm thinking of going to the dark side, can you help?

[fanaticalism]

But, if you switch iPhones, you can log in with your Apple ID-hit "restore from backup"-, and it is set up exactly as the old phone. Can't do that with Android, AFAIK. That is a huge feature to me.

Android is the same. I do nothing other than login and click which backup I want to restore from and then remove any apps I don't want anymore before clicking restore. If I have my old Android device I don't even have to put my login info. Just tap the two devices together. With some apps like Netflix, I am not even required to login either as I enabled trusted app. Just open the app and I'm on my way.

 

[RyanGermann]

I'm in your boat: I'm frustrated with BlackBerry Ltd., not my BlackBerry 10 device.

I've been using an iPhone for about a week: one thing I'm having difficulty getting used to is the lack of the Hub, and one of the chief criticisms of iPhone levied by BlackBerry when BB10 was launched: the "in and out" aspect of navigating apps.

The Multitasking on iOS has improved a lot since BB10 was launched, but now maybe it's too much of a good thing: every app I open is shown there and digging through every app recently used to switch between apps is a bit 'overwhelming'. I wonder if there's a way to limit it to the last, say, 6 or 8?

Another thing I noticed that bothered me a bit: I was chatting with my sister and brother-in-law (separately) and looking up things on the 'net for BOTH of them. Switching between the Browser and back to the IM app had a lag... it's like every time I leave the browser to go to the IM app, I wait for it to 'restart'... and vice versa, when I go to the Browser, the page I was on has to "refresh" when I didn't reload it or anything. I'm sure these are all methods that iOS employs to conserve battery life, and perhaps there's a way to tune that behaviour a bit, because I'm very rarely away from a charging facility for too long, I'd rather have the usage be optimized over the battery life, but I'm still feeling my way around here to overcome some of these, how can I put this... "undesirable" differences from what I'm used to on BB10.

The upsides are huge: iPhones are beautiful, the OS is great, and you'll never have to go without apps. I'm going to stick with it for another week or two... then I'm going to go back to my Z30 to see if I miss it. That will probably be the decision point for me: stick with the Z30, or switch to iPhone once-and-for-all.

 

[arwars]

I was a windows phone user since 6.5 on the HTC Radar. LOVE LOVE LOVE Windows Mobile, start tiles, ease of transferring files between PC and the phone, ability to add a memory card (1520). Currently sporting a 6S+

I was hesitant and debated for a long time in doing the same as you. I tried droid last year and couldn't stand it. The hardware was nice, but the file fragmentation is ridiculous. (photos go everywhere instead of a simple gallery). Not to mention the fragmentation of the OS and overall susceptibility to malware/viruses.

With iPhone, you don't get as many malware/viruses as you would in Android.

You gain the few apps we have been missing in Windows Mobile, including the improvement in app quality (even from MS).

However,
You lose Cortana (OMG, Siri is crippled and ridiculous in comparison)
You lose the better camera. (20mp vs 12mp, but if you go with the 6(s)+ you get to keep the OIS)
You lose Glance Screen ( so bummed about this one), didn't realize how much I relied on it.
You lose the ease in transferring files.
You lose the ability to add storage via memory card.
You lose the new stuff in Windows 10
You lose your cellular data until you turn off Wi-Fi assist.
You get more Ads.
You lose Miracast (now I need to get a Apple TV just to share photos on the tube again).
You GET to buy a lot of crappy power cords!!!
You lose control to Apple.

You can still download HERE maps, so you don't have to use cellular data for maps (pre-load maps on Wi-Fi).

However, maybe you are like me and keep the windows phone as a Wi-Fi device to keep status on Windows 10... and wait for it to mature.

I'm also using my Bing Rewards to buy entries into the 950XL sweepstakes.

I will keep my Apple investment low, so the eco-system doesn't drag me in permanently.

 

[Peligro911]

its just works and simple to setup ..

 

[bluegreen1965]

If you liked Android and BlackBerry, you should try the new Priv. The only reason I'm on a 5S is the camera, The Priv has better camera specs than my Z30. I switch back and forth between the Z30 and 5S because I like elements of both.

 

[cctpitts01]

I have been a longtime Android but went through the same problem you were going through, unless you go Nexus everything is a hot mess OEMs and destroy the core user experience of Android Carriers are screwing up the update schedules and some of them are even removing or screwing up features that were originally on the device when they were first announced ( cough cough Verizon) I at one time looked at Apple being the dark side but decided to make the jump back and got the iPhone 6s Plus and am glad to say I no longer think of it that way anymore. The UI fluid, it does what I need it to and there has been no device I have ever used that gets more battery life then the 6s Plus. I'm currently in the process of looking at getting an iPad now. You can do wrong by giving it a try but I will say this,You'll never want to go back.

 

[macguy59]

That's why I always do a backup via iTunes to the computer. When I pickup a new iPhone at the store, I choose to set it up as a "New" phone. I sign into iCloud and call it good until I can get to whichever Mac I used to back it up. Then I restore from backup at that point. Much quicker restore that way. *Note* If you encrypt the backup you did via iTunes, all of your passwords and app settings will get included when you restore it

 

[pappy53]

Android is the same. I do nothing other than login and click which backup I want to restore from and then remove any apps I don't want anymore before clicking restore. If I have my old Android device I don't even have to put my login info. Just tap the two devices together. With some apps like Netflix, I am not even required to login either as I enabled trusted app. Just open the app and I'm on my way.

Android is absolutely not the same. When I say that iPhone is set up exactly like the old one, that is what I mean. It is an exact duplicate of the old iPhone. When you switch Androids, you have to go back and set up all your screens again, layouts, etc. It is a pain to switch Androids.

 

[pappy53]

That's why I always do a backup via iTunes to the computer. When I pickup a new iPhone at the store, I choose to set it up as a "New" phone. I sign into iCloud and call it good until I can get to whichever Mac I used to back it up. Then I restore from backup at that point. Much quicker restore that way. *Note* If you encrypt the backup you did via iTunes, all of your passwords and app settings will get included when you restore it

Amen!

 

[pappy53]

But getting your apps from the cloud versus the store is a pain and it is so slow it is not funny. I got 6 apps downloaded on my new 6+ and in the exact same time the Moto X PE was setup with every app I had on my older Nexus 5. So I don't really know if that helps a lot if it is a lot slower. I still had to log into all my apps on the MXPE and the 6+ as well.

If you restore an iPhone from an iTunes backup, it is really quick. Plus, if your backup is encrypted, all app settings and passwords are set up, also.

 

[worldspy99]

If you restore an iPhone from an iTunes backup, it is really quick. Plus, if your backup is encrypted, all app settings and passwords are set up, also.

I hate iTunes with a passion so that is a no go, 25 minutes and three apps have not downloaded...

 

[pappy53]

I hate iTunes with a passion so that is a no go, 25 minutes and three apps have not downloaded...

I have a Mac, and iTunes is problem-free. And quick to restore.

 

[worldspy99]

I have a Mac, and iTunes is problem-free. And quick to restore.

Too many update prompts, syncing stuff is a pain. I stopped using it about three years ago for my iPad and iPod. Maybe I haven't had the kool aid yet...

 

[worldspy99]

On a new iPhone 6 with a brand new Apple ID account for a first time user, it took over 1 hour to download 4 apps. On LTE data I downloaded You Tube under 2 minutes on the same phone. With same WiFi connection the iPad downloaded updates to apps within seconds, I'm totally lost as to what is going on....

 

[fanaticalism]

Android is absolutely not the same. When I say that iPhone is set up exactly like the old one, that is what I mean. It is an exact duplicate of the old iPhone. When you switch Androids, you have to go back and set up all your screens again, layouts, etc. It is a pain to switch Androids.

You're not an android user :/. My new phone is literally copied from my old phone.

WiFi settings
App placement
App data
Wallpaper
App logins
Contacts
Photos
Music
Etc

All this is replicated from backup, no difference. I use Hangouts so my messages restore but SMS does not transfer.

 

[pappy53]

You're not an android user :/. My new phone is literally copied from my old phone.

WiFi settings
App placement
App data
Wallpaper
App logins
Contacts
Photos
Music
Etc

All this is replicated from backup, no difference. I use Hangouts so my messages restore but SMS does not transfer.

Yes, I am an Android user. But, I have never seen one restore an exact copy (and have to see it to believe it). It must be something new. I always have to re-do my screen and app arrangements.

 

[fanaticalism]

Yes, I am an Android user. But, I have never seen one restore an exact copy (and have to see it to believe it). It must be something new. I always have to re-do my screen and app arrangements.

Since lollipop it carried everything over except app data which was introduced with marshmallow. The caveat is, you need stock android (or a skinned rom that runs the google now launcher) for it to work that way. So devices that run near stock have this feature like Motorola, One Plus and Nexus.

 

[fanaticalism]

https://youtu.be/ev_vsKzS2Ks

Here's a video showing how it works. This is with 5.0

 

[pappy53]

Since lollipop it carried everything over except app data which was introduced with marshmallow. The caveat is, you need stock android (or a skinned rom that runs the google now launcher) for it to work that way. So devices that run near stock have this feature like Motorola, One Plus and Nexus.

That is a huge caveat. Most users won't have that ability, since they use Samsungs, and don't use Google Now Launcher. Every iPhone user has this available with no caveats.

 

[EvoMperor]

I'm back to the iPhone from Android. I hope this will help more than confuse but here's my take on it. First let me tell you that the switch back was not by choice. I got some faulty LG G4's that were causing such a headache that the best option for me at the time was the iPhone. Like some others in this thread, I'm not loyal to one brand but rather I go wherever technology and innovation leads. I owned every single iPhone up until iPhone 4 and then made the switch to Android when the galaxy S2 was released. I've been with Android ever since and never looked back so when I came full circle I was excited because I never got to experience things like siri, fingerprint scanning etc. I was expecting iOS to be vastly different than the way it was when I left it but it's not. I'm not saying that is a good or bad thing.
For you it might be completely different because of never owning an iPhone but I'm not sure if you've ever owned an iPad or anything else with iOS baked in. Saying all that, below are my pros and cons of what I think so far of the current iPhone.
Pros:
Stability - This devices is definitely one of the most stable and fast devices I've ever owned. Apple iPhones are the king of optimizing the OS to make the hardware truly shine. Caveat, there are bugs but not deal breaking.
Camera - It is one of the best on the market. Not much difference to the LG G4 which was one of the biggest selling points. The colors don't come out overly warm or cool and stay true though I haven't shot too much low light at this point so I can't speak on the flash. Live photos is pretty neat but I don't understand why its only random photos (maybe someone can explain?)
Fingerprint Scanner - As much as I joked about this feature when it was introduced, it's very efficient way to keep your phone secure and quickly unlock it for access.
Apple Pay - This goes along with the fingerprint scanner. Used this for the first time last week and it's very handy.
3D Touch - This feature is pretty nice and has tons of potential but needs more 3rd party app support.
No bloat - I believe one thing apple has always gotten right is their insistence to provide an unadulterated experience with their devices.
Facetime - Oh how I've missed this. iOS video chat works better than hangouts or any other app I've used. It's just simple and works.
Visual voicemail - Coming originally from iPhones this is probably the one thing I missed the most. While google voice transcripts are hilarious to read with friends and family on inebriated evenings. Apple nailed this one on the head from the start and is perfect for what it needs to do without all the bugs and fuss I've experienced with other voicemail apps.
iPhones just work for you - plain and simple, out of the box iPhone is just an overall efficient beast that can do any task you need it to without having to mess with much. Nexus devices biggest flaw has always been its inability to include the bleeding edge hardware in its offering. Rooting devices that aren't nexus (which I did a lot) alleviates this but when a new software update drops, waiting for a new exploit is agonizing.

Cons:
Siri - It's not what I was expecting and he/she is quite bulky. Google Now is vastly superior in its efficiency and I wish there was an option to replace siri for it.
No system-wide default changing - With the expansion of options for tasks in the app store since the last time I was in the ecosystem, it's annoying that you can only change your defaults within certain apps. It's a bottleneck that creates bugs. One big annoyance is the SwiftKey keyboard bug where it will open the stock keyboard randomly within certain apps.
No widgets - If you're used to widgets its hard to be without them. It takes that many more steps to get the information you need.
Very little customization - you'll notice very quickly that your customization options are severely limited.
Slow transition animations and many unnecessary steps - the UI is beautiful but time and efficiency is important to me. After the first couple times watching the apps float smoothly across the screen, I'm over it. I also wish I could adjust UI to decrease the steps it takes to perform certain actions.
Google apps suite - Call me crazy but the first thing I did when getting my iPhone 6s plus was install ALL google apps I used to use on my android devices. I do believe that because google is so interconnected with the internet that it has more powerful utilities for multitasking etc. The apps dont have all the features offered on android OS but its still more efficient than the provided iOS suite.

There's also things I'm indifferent about but it all comes down to your own preferences as a user. The list above is just that, my preferences. Everyone's different but I hope I answered some questions you or others might have had. Hopefully one day Apple and Android users will learn to peacefully coexist as there is so many differences but they also share so much in common. So much can be learned from the other to improve. enough with the light or dark sides, cheers!