My trips to the dark side and back again

[Jtshurtleff]

For what it's worth I just want to preface this by saying I enjoy aspects of all mobile operating systems, my main two favorites being iOS and Android. I switch semi often and always come back. Below is my most recent experience.

March 11th: Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge comes out and like the tech junkie I am I decided to give it a spin. I had grown bored with iOS but that always happens. I stick with iPhone for the same reasons, iMessage and FaceTime, but something on the new models of iPhone was disappointing, 3D Touch. I never use it. The feature, while neat, is not a killer feature. Sure being able to peek and pop is nice and the added benefit of getting access to Live Photos was cool if somewhat gimmicky but, for me, it's lame. After much deliberation I was off into Android world and setting up my phone was a breeze. I used to included dongle that Samsung makes and plugged my iPhone into the Galaxy and all of my music, memos, photos, messages and other important items were transferred over. The process took about an hour but I was at work and didn't mind. Once the phone was up and running I decided to try out a few things, sending messages, setting up Samsung Pay, browsing Google Play and more. The batter seemed to have sprung a leak. I went from 60% after everything had transferred to somewhere near 35% in about 2 hours without doing too much. Disappointment set it and I went to bed that night without doing much with the phone.

I woke up the next morning with 100% battery and all of my stuff on it. I went to work in the yard and listened to some music native to the phone. After about 3 hours of yard and house work I was at 90% Not bad considering my iPhone was usually at about 95% once I got through lunch on weekends (I'm never on it) and I felt like I used it for awhile. Fast forward to 8pm when my day wound down. Not much use from the phone, but I was at home connected to Wifi for most of the day. Battery on the S7 Edge-53%. Wait, what? 53% and the screen on time was just shy of half an hour. Okay not good and why would this happen. GSam battery said wifi used 55% of my battery with Android services accounting for another 25%. Let me reiterate that WIFI USED HALF OF MY BATTERY. I tweaked some settings and decided Sunday would be better.

Sunday I started at 46% and sure enough, the phone died by noon with light use. I also couldn't message anyone which was super awesome!

Monday the phone was returned.

Fast forward a week and my itch had come back. My iPhone was acting weird and battery on it had become erratic. Last Thursday I decided to give the S7 Edge one more try with the Gear S2 to replace my Apple Watch. Thursday was the same setup process and so I didn't get to play with it.

Friday at work I used it how I would use my iPhone, listen to music, watch a few videos, text, email, and make calls. By lunch I was under 50%. I had done some major tweaking but the battery wouldn't last. The true test would be the weekend when I would be taking pictures and videos of my daughter and using it for navigation or anything else one would do on the weekend. Saturday was much better. 100% of my battery to start, 71% at bed time with a fair amount of use.

Sunday my wife dropped her iPhone and it broke, shattered on concrete inside her case. She started saying how she liked my phone and wanted to try it.

Monday I went and got her an S7 Edge to match mine and we picked her out a case and Memory Card to mimic our 128gb iPhones.

Since that day everything has been a compromise. Messaging is a hassle as most Android keyboards have weird autocorrect and prediction. Video calling wasn't so bad to set up but the quality. Wow was it bad. Sending video is even worse because of compression. Call quality was fantastic. Better than my iPhone by a long shot but once I started moving I noticed the signal played a big factor and the S7 had weaker signal in general than my iPhone. Finally, my Bluetooth headphone batter indicator on my iPhone is awesome and I'm never left without juice because I know when to charge it. Android doesn't have this and so it was kind of the last straw.

I am returning to iOS after two brief stints with Android. I'm sure I'll go back again but here's to hoping the iPhone 7 has a better feature than 3D Touch.

 

[anon(9602380)]

Thank you for your in depth comparison. Really appreciated. I personally have not been back to Android since my Samsung S5 work phone (given to me by work). I have always found the iPhone better suits my work flow. Currently have the iPhone 6, but am anxiously awaiting the 7 Plus.

 

[TripleOne]

Thanks for sharing! I personally will never go back to Samsung, I intend to try a Nexus one day in the long run.

 

[anon(153966)]

...thanks for sharing. I do this every couple of months, no seriously, ask peeps who know me

 

[Jtshurtleff]

...thanks for sharing. I do this every couple of months, no seriously, ask peeps who know me

So do I and I never learn my lesson although my time away from iOS shortens every time.

 

[Wildo6882]

So do I and I never learn my lesson although my time away from iOS shortens every time.

For sharing videos, just use Google Photos. My wife has an S6 edge plus and I have an iPhone. We upload everything to Google Photos and share and swap that way. Works great and no compression on either end.

I'm also a habitual flip-flopper, but I've been on my iPhone 6s Plus since a week before Christmas. I'm really tempted by some of the current crop of Android phones and really want to test them out. I think it'll take more than a couple weeks to make up my mind, though. I HATED my iPhone until I forced myself to use it for a month or so. Now it's the norm. I think that comes into play much more than people think. While these OSes are similar, they are VERY DIFFERENT. And it takes awhile to break that "comfort zone" feeling. A few days to a couple of weeks, at least for me, isn't enough for me to decide. If I only gave my iPhone a few days to a couple of weeks for me to make up my mind, I wouldn't have had it for going on 4 months.

 

[clouds0222]

I know exactly what you mean. My last attempt at android was last year with the Galaxy S6. I tried it for a week or so, but came back to iOS. iOS works best for me, even though I like aspects of both platforms. I decided to stay with iOS for a while before trying again. My thing now is trying to decide which iPhone I want! I have the 6s, tried the SE for about a week or so when it first came out, but it was just a little too small. Now thinking I want to go back to the 6s Plus. Decisions decisions!

 

[clitrenta]

I was on Android for quite a while before coming to iPhone. The battery life between iPhone and any Samsung is definitely noticeable. Also, after I went to a Note 5, BT reliability sunk like a rock. I was lucky to get 3 feet away and trying to sync things like my Fitbit was always a struggle. Since I had an iPhone at work, I tried it on there and it worked perfectly every single time. I was no Apple fan but I pretty much knew that was going to happen. Much easier to make a few iPhone models perfect than to make hundreds of different Android phones perfect. I believe Windows phone would be every bit as good but their app situation is still pretty bad which is really sad because I love its live tiles OS. Anyway, unless something drastic were to change, I have no plans to go back to Android. P.S. I looked at the S7 as well since my daughter had one (briefly). Beautiful piece of hardware but the software makes it a non-starter. Now my daughter is also back on iPhone and I have no plans to leave.

 

[clitrenta]

I know exactly what you mean. My last attempt at android was last year with the Galaxy S6. I tried it for a week or so, but came back to iOS. iOS works best for me, even though I like aspects of both platforms. I decided to stay with iOS for a while before trying again. My thing now is trying to decide which iPhone I want! I have the 6s, tried the SE for about a week or so when it first came out, but it was just a little too small. Now thinking I want to go back to the 6s Plus. Decisions decisions!

I was always a fan of bigger phones but I'm thinking next year (I'm on iPhone for Life plan), I may opt to go to the more normal S size (from current 6S+). Shoot even the 6s is bigger than a lot of phones.

 

[Chuck_IV]

I just came over from being on a Samsung Note 4 and a Note 2 before that. This is my first time one the "other" dark side lol.

Anyway, the very first thing that I was stunned by was in incredible battery life of my new iPhone 6s Plus. It is a beast compared to my prior Note 4, I would use my Note 4 during my day and by lunch it would be around 50-60% tops of light use. I'd have it on the charger by the afternoon if I had any heavy use during the day.(more on this below though). With the iPhone, at the same point, I was still into the 80s percentage range. When I left work, I was still over 60%. I never saw battery numbers like this, even on a new battery on the Note 4. The iPhone is extremely impressive with it's battery.

Now, with that said, the one thing the S7(and the Note 4) have going for it is rapid charging. I could plug my phone in and have it recharged in no time so for me, losing battery, wasn't a big deal because I could either rapid charge it or just plop in another battery(can't do that anymore tho with the S7).

 

[jdfry15]

Bluetooth reliability on the edge was last straw for me and back to IPhone. I listen to tunein or audible while I work. No issues ever with my iPhone. With the edge it always cuts in and out and stutters.

 

[Wildo6882]

Bluetooth reliability on the edge was last straw for me and back to IPhone. I listen to tunein or audible while I work. No issues ever with my iPhone. With the edge it always cuts in and out and stutters.

This is a pretty common problem with Android phones, it seems. I've never had an Android phone with Bluetooth connectivity like my iPhone. This thing is insane.

 

[Lee_Bo]

My wife has been a long time iPhone user and I've been a long time Android user, so after 8-ish years on Android using mostly Nexus and a few Sammy devices, I got my first iPhone (6s plus) 2 weeks ago today. This was about a 6 month process where I would take her iPhone and my Nexus and put them side by side and compare them. So 2 weeks ago I made the switch and so far have had no regrets.

The very first thing I've noticed was not the phone itself, but the mentality of the Apple and Android crowd. Those of the Apple world, both in real life and on social sites, have welcomed me and wished me great success along my walk in the Apple world, and never saying one negative thing about Android. However, those in the Android world, again both in real life and on social sites, can't stop telling me how much Apple sucks. Others who have made the switch from Android to Apple have also told me it was a great decision for them and have had no regrets about moving.

The only thing I'm really missing from Android is the customization. No icon packs, no launchers and no app drawer. However, these are things I can live without. I turn the iPhone on and it works. Period. I have always said that and will continue to say that.

I do love swiping down and seeing phone, watch and bluetooth battery status at a glance. Yes, I still have a few Google apps installed mainly because I don't have iCloud completely figured out yet. I'm also trying Apple's streaming music service.

Well, that's it for now. More updates to come.

 

[Jazzy79]

Hubby and I just got our first iPhones ever after years of being Android users. The last Android we have is Note 3 no issues with the phones and we still have them. But the deal breaker for me was updates on Android couldn't do it anymore. I do way to much on my phone not to have regular updates from taking to long to update,to then after 2 years no more updates.

I already have a iPad mini so was easy for me to switch. I had enough and I talked about iPhones and how they always update without waiting for the carrier to push the update out so much hubby decided to get a iPhone with me and we both love our iPhone 6s plus 128gb. A few things we miss the widgets but we use to IOS now and we both don't plan to go back either.

 

[Damien_Eternal]

I started my smartphone life as a Blackberry user. From the moment I started using them, I loved them. They were simple to use, quick to figure out and get around and durable as all hell. I kept a case on mine not for the fear of the screen cracking (they didnt have touch screens when I first started with them) but just to keep it looking nice. I went through a few variations starting with the Pearl Flip, then to the first Curve, and from then I kept within the curve series up until the Curve 9350. It was a great phone honestly. Durable as a tank, made calls just fine, did facebook, etc. However the screen size, the limited RAM and CPU power were getting really noticeable. BB was really falling behind the times with such things. This, along with the fact that I accidentally spilled coffee on it prompted my switch. That was to Android.

My first and only Android was the LG Optimus G. Was a solid phone, never really had any issues with it. Had a nice screen, the layout of the interface was acceptable. Took me a bit to figure out how to get around it, but all in all not a bad experience. What really turned me away from it was the lack of updates to android. I had it for a standard contract term of two years and never got even one update (if I remember correctly.) Similarly to the BB, those things seemed to lose support almost as soon as they came out. I talked to other android users and they didnt have much better to say about it. Then was my move to iPhone.

Just before I decided to give up my android, I talked to a few of my friends who used iPhone along with did a fair amount of internet research on them. After about a week of research and thinking it over, I went and got my first iPhone which was a Space Grey 32GB 5s. I immediately fell in love with it. The feel in my hand. It felt much more solid and well built than the LG even though it was smaller by .7" The smaller screen didnt seem to bother me as much as I thought it would. The interface was so much smoother and refined and everything just seemed to work. I really loved the pull down notification center, especially once the ability to add widgets got added in and the control center that you pulled up from the bottom. Everything was right there and easy to use.

I have stayed with iPhone since. I started out with the 5s, now I have the 6s Plus 64GB in Space Grey (cant stand white phones.) I dont think Ill ever go back, though honestly with this about Apple removing the 3.5mm jack from the iPhone 7 has soured it a bit for me, though not enough to make me turn right back around to Android again.

Curiously, did anyone else around here start with or have a Blackberry at one time or another?

 

[clitrenta]

Damien - The Blackberry was my very first smartphone mostly because at the time, there weren't to many options and I loved the Berry anyway. I used them for quite a long time until the smartphone industry really exploded and Blackberry was content to stay the course. That was fine for a while but eventually I had to switch to get the full use out of a smartphone. I've had everything out there from BB to Windows Phone to Android and now iPhone. Honestly, I think the Windows phone was my favorite OS of all of them but there's just no denying their terrible app situation. iPhone is the next best for me and lets face it, the world caters to iPhone with all the apps and peripherals. Android was cool for a while but I'm just at the point like a lot of people where I just want everything to work. Samsung has really nice phones but far to many connectivity issues for my taste now. I'm on iPhone for life and plan to stay there.

 

[clouds0222]

Damien-I started out with a BB Curve, maybe 8850 or something? anyway I used it for 2 years and I loved it. Durable, easy to use. My first experience with a touchscreen after my BB was the very first Samsung Galaxy device. I was impressed at first, never having used a touchscreen before, but it froze up all the time, among other things. I didn't know how good a touchscreen smartphone could be until I tried my first iPhone, which was the 4s. I loved it and used it for a year or two until the 5s came out. I've tried android a few times here and there. My last attempt was the Galaxy S6 last year, and noting it does have it's positive points, I just prefer the iPhone and iOS. So I'm currently on a 6s Plus and loving it!

 

[bluesqueen23]

I started my smartphone journey with the Palm Treo 700p that ran Palm software. Then, I went to a Blackberry Storm then a BB Tour. After the Tour, I went to an iPhone 4s, 5, 6, 6s+. I most recently tried the Blackberry Priv that runs Android and some BB software. I really liked it until I bricked it while doing a software update. So, I returned it and bought the iPhone 6s+.

 

[Truman82]

S7e user here. Had iPhone 6 before and now I'm thinking what on earth did I tell myself to justify the switch? I think I bought the android as an result of having a divorce. Now I regret it and going to switch back at iPhone 7 plus.

 

[TylerXIII]

Just wanted to join in on this thread! X-Post from CrackBerry WARNING: A lot of reading!

My name is Tyler, and I am a former BlackBerry Addict. I am currently taking a bite of the "Other Forbidden Fruit"

I'm selling my PRIV after 9 months and 4 HW swaps.

I'm just done with the phone. It's admirable that BlackBerry has done so well in regards to this phone in terms of Software support(So far), and hopefully they keep that momentum going for at least two years in regards to a typical upgrade cycle(I know, the upgrade model is going out the window). I'm not sure that another BlackBerry will be in my future if future BlackBerries have this kind of experience(Read below for more context) where one may experience poor build quality and somewhat buggy software(Not so much anymore for BB Android, but still has it's hiccups). If BB10 had better app support and was continuously updated with new features, I would go back to that OS in a heartbeat.

Full disclosure, I do work for a Carrier currently, and I worked for Best Buy Mobile before, so I am well versed in using Android, BlackBerry OS', Windows Phone and iOS as part of my jobs, but also as part of my love of Mobile Tech and the tech world in general. I would consider myself a power user of Android and BlackBerry 10.

In no way, shape or form, have I been pressured to write this due to my jobs, or to put BlackBerry(Which I still love as a company, both as an underdog, the tech giant it was, and ) in a negative light. I am just venting my frustration and writing about my experience with the PRIV.

I have been a CrackBerry addict for almost 6 years. Being that fanboy who would preach the Gospel of the Dark Fruit, and scrunch my face at the mention of iOS, Android(Pre-PRIV) or anything else that would deface the name of the almighty Berry. Yes, I was that guy who would act like a door to door salesman asking, "Have you heard the good word of CrackBerry?", but as time grew, and BlackBerry shot itself in the foot multiple times, more so in the last 4 years, my evangelical ways wore down. I was still a staunch supporter, just not an evangelical going door to door.

I started out with the Bold 9900 in 2011. As BB10 came out 2 years later, I was excited. I was like a kid in a candy store, or someone opening a present on their Birthday, just like the first day I got my 9900. I bought my Q10 as soon it was available, and shortly after a Z10 to complement the Q10. After that, I heard murmurs of the Z30 and I knew my contract upgrade would go to that as soon as it came out. As time passed, I couldn't resist the allure of the Red Passport and it's sexy Square/Rectangle shape(However one wants to look at it) in December of 2015. Let's not talk about the Leap AND the Silver Edition passport I picked up not even 8 months later in August of 2015 (I know, I'm nuts)... I'd like to add I had never experienced any issues with these devices, and they were classic BlackBerry build quality, and with that, I knew they were tanks AND well built(This is important for later)!

Then the PRIV came out in November of 2015. November 6th at 10AM, I was at the door of the Rogers store, like a crazed Apple fan at the Apple Store 5 months in advance waiting eagerly for the newest iPhone(Grosse exaggeration I know, but the iPhone part is important). As the door opened, I rushed in and met with my local rep that I usually deal with, she said to me, "You're here for the PRIV I'm assuming?" With a grin, I told her yes, and that I was so excited to get it! She went and grabbed it, and brought it out. As the Upgrade was done, I took it out of the box and saw it for the first time in person, the PRIV! I had so much hope for a company that had some bad times and some poor launches, and for a device venturing into new territory. For me this was a new adventure too, as I would be venturing away from a BlackBerry In-house Built OS, and into an OS that BlackBerry would augment, but not be entirely theirs.
Over the next week, I would discover the first hiccups of owning this phone.

I at the beginning, the PRIV was warm, and would stutter a little from what I would imagine, everything settling in(Just like BB10, right?), and then after a few days, a week at most, the phone would be good to go and fly, just like my BB10 phones.

Boy was I wrong. The phone continued this somewhat stuttery dance, and continued to be a hand warmer(Which was great for the Canadian winter months), though that novelty would wear off as hopeful software updates and app updates, didn't entirely solve the issue. The back, though made of that grippy carbon fiber material I love, would creak and bend while in hand. The screen, though beautiful and in it's curved glory, would depress and click whenever I typed on it(Sure-Press was brought back? I didn't know BlackBerry was going integrate aspects of the BB Storm into the PRIV! XD), and the speaker, while still decent, paled in comparison to the Passport(s) and Z30 in quality and loudness. Call reception(Which is important for me because of my jobs at the time) was less than stellar. In January of 2016, I sent my PRIV in for RMA to get a replacement, hopeful that some, or all issues would be solved with a hardware swap, and I'd be happily married to my PRIV until the next rumored BlackBerry(I was hearing about the Mercury, and that was alluring <3) came into my reality.

The HW Swap wasn't fruitiful. I recieved the replacement, and it was in some ways worse or the same, with the keyboard being extremely mushy and the back creaking even more than before. I was livid, and enlisted another request for a HW swap after 5 days. At this point, I recieved the third phone at the beginning of February, and it seems okay. The screen click is still there, but the backing is better, the keyboard is firm and gives that tactile feedback like I'm used to, and there doesn't seem to be a creak. I lived with this PRIV, knowing that it nothing is perfect, and that I should just enjoy it as it is. I would deal with the heat again, and the lesser stutters at this point, and eventually join the PRIV beta program. I dealt with my PRIV and it's HW issues for another 5 months. I guess with time though, all good things must come to an end.

It is the beginning July of 2016, and my frustrations have my non-existent hair splitting. I'm at my tipping point. I have done another HW Swap at the end of June. With no positive results in terms of overall build quality, and while an amazing iteration of Android at this point, BBDroid was not cutting it for me. It felt so displaced, and there was a lack of synergy between the OS and the BlackBerry exclusive apps that were supposed to placate me for the maintenance-mode death that BB10 currently is on. I hoped that the synergy would improve and help with creating a more BlackBerry-esque experience, but still have the benefits of Android. I began to have wandering eyes. While my CrackBerry addict heart hurt, my mind looked at it all, trying to see what phone would be next for me. Would I look into Android? Only if it was stock(Nexus'/Nexi?) Android so I could get security updates on time and newer versions of Android quicker! Samsung has always been a brand I stay away from. Some of the other skins from LG, ASUS, and OnePlus while less than Samsung, were still too bloated for my liking. With that, I began looking at Windows Phone and... iOS.

I have multiple Windows devices at home and I figured the integration would be great! And it would have been, if I could find a Lumia 950 or 950XL that were at a decent enough price outright considering I wouldn't be able to get them on a carrier. I didn't have the best of luck with that, but I knew it would work well for my needs as I borrowed a Lumia 1520 from my buddy who had moved OS' and phones. So if I could find a well priced Lumia 950/950XL, I'd be good! I still had to give the "Other Forbidden Fruit" a chance, just to be fair.

I borrowed a iPhone 6S Plus from my friend who had moved up in storage to a 128GB from his 16, so I took it for a spin. Now for me as I said earlier, I was hesitant, still against Apple and their products(Though I activated iPhones each day and helped customers with their iPhones, not to mention sometimes teaching them about features that may be useful), and I almost just gave it back to him, say screw it, and find a Lumia 950/950XL. My CrackBerry heart was broken at this point because I kept it and gave it a try. I was pleasantly surprised with this phone.

I used the iPhone 6S from the beginning of July to the 21st, where I discovered the ins and outs of Apple's ecosystem all over again(I had used an iPod touch in 2009, and then it broke...), and the perks of Apple pay with my bank and other cards. I discovered the even better camera (FF and Rear) than the PRIV(It had a great rear camera which I took some BEAUTIFUL shots with, but the FF camera left something to be desired).
I found that the fingerprint reader that was BLAZING fast! The screen while not QHD like the PRIV, looked good, and I didn't mind that having a slightly lower res screen saving me some battery power. I enjoyed the synergy of the apps in regards to Apple making them work in a way that just seemed to make sense. App switching, while strange at first with either 3D touch on the left side of the screen or a double tap of the home button, was easy enough with practice.
Oddly enough, I found the iPhone 6S Plus peaker to be SLIGHTLY better than the PRIV(Perhaps it was placebo in terms of quality, it was still louder overall). Believe it or not, not once did I have a dropped call with the iPhone in the 21 days I borrowed it from my buddy(I know, surprising right?), wheras I have had more than my fairshare with the PRIV(Which is hard to admit because I know all of my other BlackBerries were historically better with cellular reception and call quality).
This trial period culminated with the fact that I only had to reset the phone twice in 21 days! One time for the SW reset of the phone so I could start fresh after my buddy lent it to me, and the other for an iOS update that was released on July 18th. Otherwise, I had no acting up of apps, freezing, heat ups of the phone(That I could feel,perhaps the aluminum body helped.), and I certainly didn't have to worry about battery life, this has actually been great where I'm ending my days with about 45-55% on moderate usage, and 15-35% on heavy usage! The PRIV, though it had good battery life after Marshmallow, still was beat out by the 6S+. I would find the PRIV having to be charged before I went out instead of not worrying that I'll be okay. Good thing Quick charge is a mainstream thing now!

I also know I have the reliablitiy of iOS updates for at least 2-3 more years if I keep this device that long, which is a CRUCIAL aspect for me. I'm aware HW makers usually only have a 1-2 year SW cycle of support usually, but it's nice to know I won't have to upgrade my phone too soon just because of SW support ending.

Point was, I was sold on the iPhone after so long of resisting it. I became a power user with iOS and went for my own iPhone. I bought a 6S Plus 128GB(At a discounted rate, can't afford that outright ) on July 22nd. I'm now a happy camper, and while I'm sad that my CrackBerry addiction has ended on a sour note, I hope it's only for now. I hope that BlackBerry can blow us out of the water with the Mercury and the All touch super monster that's "Coming Soon"(BlackBerry should TM that phrase ).

I will always be a CrackBerrian and be in this community, just need some time away from the devices associated with it