The iPhone Xs is the first iPhone have I used. Prior to this year I have been exclusively using Android smartphones, mainly Motorola and then Google brands. The following are just some random thoughts of a review.
Google Assistant vs Siri
I’m calling this a tie even though all reviewers including MKBHD say Google Assistant is better. Yes Google Assistant is better. It could answer how many season The Big Bang Theory has been on the air and Siri couldn’t but Siri has been more reliable for me in mundane tasks than Google Assistant was. With Siri when I say to call someone it has yet to fail. Sometime with Google Assistant it would just bring up the person contact card but not make the call.
Android Win
The notification system on Android is setup better than on iOS in my opinion. When a new email or text comes in only the section of pixels needed to light up the icon on the screen lights up and not the icon and entire screen. It’s a small thing but I think it would help battery life also. The whole screen may light on iOS because there is such a small number of phones with OLED screens and iOS hasn’t been updated to take advantage of the screen yet. Something else on Android I like better is the command center. You can long press the Wi-Fi icon to quickly change the network you are connected to instead of having to go through settings to find Wi-Fi and make the change. It may be that I have figured it out yet but I Google’s photo app is better than Apple’s version. Google’s photos app separates different photos into folders, like camera pictures, downloaded, screenshots all get their own folders in the app but so far in the photo app on the iPhone everything is just in one location. Again it may be that I haven’t figured out that app yet. I also like having an app drawer on Android. My own home screen was virtually blank with only a few icons with all my other apps just in the app drawer. I also really liked being able to arrange my icons/apps where I wanted on my home screen. On iOS obviously there is no app drawer, all app/icons are on the home screen or home screens and you can’t move the apps around. They have to line up one right after another. You can see an example of what I mean in the pictures I add. You can also change the launcher on Android and theme it and change the icon packs. With Android you can also sideload apps without having to unlock/root or jailbreak your phone. I also prefer Google's Keyboard as it mimics a laptop keyboard more, at least a PC keyboard.
iPhone Win
On the other side I will start with iMessage, do I even need to say anything? Apple’s gestures on the new iPhones are way better than Android’s gestures or the three button navigation on the Pixel phones. It took me no time get used to Apple’s gestures. It seems more natural and intuitive to use. Google’s gestures they are pushing seem half baked and rushed. To me the iPhone Xs is a much better design than the Pixel phones. Last year when the iPhone X was released I couldn’t stand the notch and thought it was ugly and worthless but it has grown on me over the past year. It apparently grew on most of the Android manufactures also as most copied the design but without all the goodies that Apple crammed into theirs. Talking about notches brings me to my next two Apple wins. First I will talk about Face ID over fingerprint sensor. Overall I will choose Face ID over the fingerprint sensor. I personally had issues with the fingerprint sensor on my Pixel phones over the last two years. I’d say I had about 20% failure rate but I have not had any issues, well maybe one here and there, with Face ID. Seems like my main problems are first thing in the morning when it is still dark. Second topic that goes with the notch and overall design is front facing speakers. A good number of my Android phones have had dual front facing speakers. I was a little apprehensive about losing those when I switch to the iPhone but I really like the speakers on the iPhone. I really do think they are on par with, maybe even better than the speakers on my Pixel 2. Hardware in general. Apple’s SOC are way more advanced that Qualcomm and if rumors of Apple working on their own modems are correct than I know theirs will be better also. Bluetooth also works better on the iPhone that the last two Pixel phones I’ve had. Apps on iOS seems to function better than on Android. Also I love the App icon uniformity that iOS has that Google and Android has never been able to get. I think both of the iOS app advantages have to do with ecosystem.
Finally even though Android has a more robust ecosystem I think Apple’s ecosystem, even though I am not in it yet, is by far the better ecosystem. Apple is the only manufacture putting out an iOS device which is why I think apps look and function better.
I am glad I made the switch and have no regrets. I plan on getting a MacBook in the future and I have an Apple watch ordered already. I don't know if one phone is better than the other but for me right now I am preferring the iPhone.
Below are picture examples of the homescreen setups of my previous Android phones.
Google Assistant vs Siri
I’m calling this a tie even though all reviewers including MKBHD say Google Assistant is better. Yes Google Assistant is better. It could answer how many season The Big Bang Theory has been on the air and Siri couldn’t but Siri has been more reliable for me in mundane tasks than Google Assistant was. With Siri when I say to call someone it has yet to fail. Sometime with Google Assistant it would just bring up the person contact card but not make the call.
Android Win
The notification system on Android is setup better than on iOS in my opinion. When a new email or text comes in only the section of pixels needed to light up the icon on the screen lights up and not the icon and entire screen. It’s a small thing but I think it would help battery life also. The whole screen may light on iOS because there is such a small number of phones with OLED screens and iOS hasn’t been updated to take advantage of the screen yet. Something else on Android I like better is the command center. You can long press the Wi-Fi icon to quickly change the network you are connected to instead of having to go through settings to find Wi-Fi and make the change. It may be that I have figured it out yet but I Google’s photo app is better than Apple’s version. Google’s photos app separates different photos into folders, like camera pictures, downloaded, screenshots all get their own folders in the app but so far in the photo app on the iPhone everything is just in one location. Again it may be that I haven’t figured out that app yet. I also like having an app drawer on Android. My own home screen was virtually blank with only a few icons with all my other apps just in the app drawer. I also really liked being able to arrange my icons/apps where I wanted on my home screen. On iOS obviously there is no app drawer, all app/icons are on the home screen or home screens and you can’t move the apps around. They have to line up one right after another. You can see an example of what I mean in the pictures I add. You can also change the launcher on Android and theme it and change the icon packs. With Android you can also sideload apps without having to unlock/root or jailbreak your phone. I also prefer Google's Keyboard as it mimics a laptop keyboard more, at least a PC keyboard.
iPhone Win
On the other side I will start with iMessage, do I even need to say anything? Apple’s gestures on the new iPhones are way better than Android’s gestures or the three button navigation on the Pixel phones. It took me no time get used to Apple’s gestures. It seems more natural and intuitive to use. Google’s gestures they are pushing seem half baked and rushed. To me the iPhone Xs is a much better design than the Pixel phones. Last year when the iPhone X was released I couldn’t stand the notch and thought it was ugly and worthless but it has grown on me over the past year. It apparently grew on most of the Android manufactures also as most copied the design but without all the goodies that Apple crammed into theirs. Talking about notches brings me to my next two Apple wins. First I will talk about Face ID over fingerprint sensor. Overall I will choose Face ID over the fingerprint sensor. I personally had issues with the fingerprint sensor on my Pixel phones over the last two years. I’d say I had about 20% failure rate but I have not had any issues, well maybe one here and there, with Face ID. Seems like my main problems are first thing in the morning when it is still dark. Second topic that goes with the notch and overall design is front facing speakers. A good number of my Android phones have had dual front facing speakers. I was a little apprehensive about losing those when I switch to the iPhone but I really like the speakers on the iPhone. I really do think they are on par with, maybe even better than the speakers on my Pixel 2. Hardware in general. Apple’s SOC are way more advanced that Qualcomm and if rumors of Apple working on their own modems are correct than I know theirs will be better also. Bluetooth also works better on the iPhone that the last two Pixel phones I’ve had. Apps on iOS seems to function better than on Android. Also I love the App icon uniformity that iOS has that Google and Android has never been able to get. I think both of the iOS app advantages have to do with ecosystem.
Finally even though Android has a more robust ecosystem I think Apple’s ecosystem, even though I am not in it yet, is by far the better ecosystem. Apple is the only manufacture putting out an iOS device which is why I think apps look and function better.
I am glad I made the switch and have no regrets. I plan on getting a MacBook in the future and I have an Apple watch ordered already. I don't know if one phone is better than the other but for me right now I am preferring the iPhone.
Below are picture examples of the homescreen setups of my previous Android phones.
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