Switching back to the iPhone 5: Why the HTC One grass wasn't greener

[Angelo_Campher]

My primary phone is a Nexus 4, and I carry others as a 2nd phone, among them an iPhone 5. A Windows Phone could not be my primary phone due to immaturity and lack of apps, but I could easily use the iPhone as my primary phone. However, the small screen is enough to keep me from switching. Due to the iOS UI, it's no easier to use one-handed than my Nexus 4. I also read forums a lot, and watch Youtube & MLB on my phone, and the screen is just simply too small! And just because Apple says 4" is the right size doesn't convince me. They said that about 3.5" too.

As far as the lag, since I've used Nexus I'd say that it's every bit as smooth & stable & fast as the iPhone 5. Not better, but not worse.

How does the iOS UI affect one handed use?

And I agree about screen size. That's very much personal preference but I've watched YouTube and movies on 5" screens and I really can't tell much difference. If anything, phones in general are too small to be immersive as far as video playback is concerned. As for reading forums and such, the web pages are rendered exactly the same, double tap on the area you want to read and it zooms to fit the screen. It's not like a bigger screen presents more content than a smaller one it is just formatted to fit the screen which means slightly larger text but chances are you have to zoom and scroll anyway.

 

[tgp]

How does the iOS UI affect one handed use?

1. Prompts are towards the top of the screen, and the back button is often at the top too.
2. Icons start at the top left corner, the absolute worst place for one-handed use.

These are a couple things I can think of right off. I just know that my 4.7" Nexus 4 is just as easy to use one-handed. No, I can't reach every corner of the screen, but I don't need to. The Note II even has a one-handed mode. I can't speak for its usefulness though as I've never used it.

 

[anon(52425)]

I too left for the HTC One only to return to iPhone after 3 days with it. I don't ever seem to learn my lesson. Did the same for the Galaxy 3 and Nexus 4. I don't know why I keep doing it. Andorid always let's me down.

 

[Wildo6882]

I too left for the HTC One only to return to iPhone after 3 days with it. I don't ever seem to learn my lesson. Did the same for the Galaxy 3 and Nexus 4. I don't know why I keep doing it. Andorid always let's me down.

You need longer than three days with any new phone. It's a change going from iOS to Android and vice versa. If I didn't give something a chance I'd never get to see what other platforms have to offer. There's no way I would have ever stuck with iOS after using Android if I quit after three days. I like both iOS and Android and switch between the two frequently. You say Android lets you down basically because it's different than iOS and you didn't give it a shot. I'm not saying you still wouldn't go back to iOS, but c'mon man, you need more than 3 days.

 

[anon(52425)]

You need longer than three days with any new phone. It's a change going from iOS to Android and vice versa. If I didn't give something a chance I'd never get to see what other platforms have to offer. There's no way I would have ever stuck with iOS after using Android if I quit after three days. I like both iOS and Android and switch between the two frequently. You say Android lets you down basically because it's different than iOS and you didn't give it a shot. I'm not saying you still wouldn't go back to iOS, but c'mon man, you need more than 3 days.

I disagree. I know within a few hours whether or not a phone is for me. I purchase just about every flagship phone released by the big manufacturers in hopes that they provide me with something new and exciting. And they usually fail every time.

I knew after a day with the one that it was going away. And I tried to push it on me.

 

[anon(52425)]

You need longer than three days with any new phone. It's a change going from iOS to Android and vice versa. If I didn't give something a chance I'd never get to see what other platforms have to offer. There's no way I would have ever stuck with iOS after using Android if I quit after three days. I like both iOS and Android and switch between the two frequently. You say Android lets you down basically because it's different than iOS and you didn't give it a shot. I'm not saying you still wouldn't go back to iOS, but c'mon man, you need more than 3 days.

It lets me down because it fails to impress me. Not that it's different. I am proficient in both OS's and know them like the back of my hand. iOS is still and will continue to be my preferred OS. I'll test the android waters. But expect to be let down. I hope one day that will change.

 

[Tpence2177]

It lets me down because it fails to impress me. Not that it's different. I am proficient in both OS's and know them like the back of my hand. iOS is still and will continue to be my preferred OS. I'll test the android waters. But expect to be let down. I hope one day that will change.

Same with me now. I would love for android to just work, but it just doesn't for me. I can see myself staying with iOS for a long time.


Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

 

[brdl04]

Just took back the HTC One. I am partly sad because the hardware on that phone is what I wish Apple would do. The speakers are amazing. The screen is awesome. The aluminum unibody was great. The OS abysmal. It was as many have stated here "work". It is very PC OS styled and not easy to use. Now don't get me wrong, I like the widget idea and the ability to tweak, but it takes too many steps sometimes.

Also as a phone the HTC one was lacking. When I say phone i conclude that people will be calling and texting. The iPhone is far superior for the frequent text and phone call that I do a lot for work.

As a media consumption device the One is a step above. The screen coupled with the speaker placement make it idea.

Also the random lag you get on android is apparent. I just compared the IP5 to the One and it is noticeable.

Just a few observations from a tech lover not a fanboy.

 

[BergerKing]

They always come back! bwwaaaahhhhaaa


Back in the day.. I switched from BlackBerry to Android, then back to BlackBerry. But I have not switched from iOS.. And really don't plan to

Yep, I've seen your remarks on all three, and each has its merits, suffice it to say. While I've tried the iPhone before, it is a solid unit, but try as i may, I have never gotten decent with its keyboard. Next time my daughter comes in, I'll have her try SwiftKey 3,and see if I can do better. I use it on the S3, and it is a work of art.

I've never wanted to post a why I switched or why I'm leaving post. I very always tried to take a new device on its own honor, and if the shoe didn't fit, I found another one. There are comparisons and lessons to be learned, though, in everything that happens!

 

[Richard Nieves]

Right Sean!? There's multiple threads over on the S4 and HTC One forums with this same topic. The Android snobs like to put us iOS users down because we enjoy using a stable and fluid OS with quality apps and that we must be stupid because we'd rather use iOS. I admit I used to be on the Android side dogging iPhone like crazy but I came back and don't miss Android at all. Although I have been keeping up on the One and S4.

What I find funny is watching those threads especially the bug thread which has like 16 pages of numerous crazy bugs and faults. Don't recall seeing that for iOS or the iPhone.


Sent from the collector home world.

I also remember being on the other side, however I never went as far as calling everyone who is against android a "sheep" which I have seen countless times. In the beginning of the iPhone days I can understand why some might say that. When the iPhone got big it was the phone to have, even if you didn't understand it or use it to its fullest potential. The thing is, it was ALSO the phone to have if you wanted a stable, productive and reliable smartphone. However, now that mentality makes me laugh because those people that call ios users "sheep" are the sheep themselves because they have no real understanding of what ios is about and why people use it and are die hard loyal android fans. I love technology. Even when I was against apple, it was more of a "apple is to restrictive" or some remarks about how they need to update the OS. Every OS has its advantages and disadvantages. Android is more modern, sleek, has many hardware choices, is more open and customizable. However you give up some reliability, an inconsistent OS due to lack of updates or custom skins, viruses and annoying malware apps with stupid apps that notify you of adds consistently or download other apps without asking,and has less polished apps. On the flip side, iOS has a very stable OS, reliable updates, has one phone made by the same company, polished and productive/entertaining apps, and a generally better battery life. It's negatives are its limited as far as screen sizes go, less customization (although I really don't notice most of the time), a stale OS design (though there is still some charm in it) and a much more restricted App Store, with less free apps than android. There is always a negative and a positive on either side. What's important to a user is what they will chose a phone on. While stability can fluctuate on android, it stays fairly consistent on ios, thus why people move back. To me, battery life and stability are why I chose the iPhone. Having awesome apps was a nice plus though

 

[Richard Nieves]

Yep, I've seen your remarks on all three, and each has its merits, suffice it to say. While I've tried the iPhone before, it is a solid unit, but try as i may, I have never gotten decent with its keyboard. Next time my daughter comes in, I'll have her try SwiftKey 3,and see if I can do better. I use it on the S3, and it is a work of art.

I've never wanted to post a why I switched or why I'm leaving post. I very always tried to take a new device on its own honor, and if the shoe didn't fit, I found another one. There are comparisons and lessons to be learned, though, in everything that happens!

I do miss swift key I am one of the few who misses the physical keyboard days and swift key made it easy, especially when they added flow, which added a more accurate swipe-like experience. I agree apple needs some work on the keyboard. I personally would also like haptic feedback, though I know not everyone likes it. I find if I keep the sound on the keyboard though, it feels ever so slightly, as if there is a vibration. (Might just be going crazy though)

 

[Tpence2177]

I do miss swift key I am one of the few who misses the physical keyboard days and swift key made it easy, especially when they added flow, which added a more accurate swipe-like experience. I agree apple needs some work on the keyboard. I personally would also like haptic feedback, though I know not everyone likes it. I find if I keep the sound on the keyboard though, it feels ever so slightly, as if there is a vibration. (Might just be going crazy though)

I loved the physical keyboard on my droid 3. Easily one of the best keyboards on any phone I have ever had. That being said I love the iOS keyboard better than any other on screen keyboard that I have ever had. I gated how loose the screen got on all the droids after a few months of use. It would always move like a 1/4 of an inch while you we're just trying to use the screen. Felt super cheap.


Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

 

[theKHMERboy]

I like how the htc one looks and the features on it but I am not ready to go all complicated on android.. Sticking to iPhone

 

[tylerj67]

I am currently waiting to get my iPhone in the mail right now after using a nexus 4 for about a month. Don't get me wrong the nexus 4 is an amazing phone and google has done many great things with jellybean on the phone and if there were any other phone I would use besides an iPhone it would have to be a nexus 4 because I believe the only way to use android is by keeping it fully stock and not putting "skins" on top of it. Regardless I am getting an iPhone 5 again because I love the way it works with all my other apple devices and how easily apple has made it for me to stay connected. Apps are higher quality, battery life is better and one of the major things I miss is iMessage. iMessage makes it so easy for me to stay connected with my friends and family and works amazingly. I believe that SMS is going to be out dated soon and apple new that. iOS may not be for everyone but if you like something that works seamlessly and is simple to use then get an iPhone because I believe that androids are more for people who love tinkering with their OS.

 

[Aquila]

I am a long time Android user, and right now I am not considering changing that in the near term, however I am very interested in iOS announcements this June. What has me curious is this: (please let me know if this should be a different thread, but the users here seem to be somewhat familiar with both OS's I'm asking about, so I figured I'd start here)

I am a big technology fan in general, however I have never owned anything Apple. I have played with my wife's old iPod touch and with iPhones and iPads owned by my friends and family members. I intimately know all of the arguments in favor of Android over Apple, but I'm curious as to what the value proposition is from the other side of the fence. I'm not really asking to be convinced, because I know it's all about individual preferences in the end, but would anyone be willing to indulge me with the best aspects of iOS (don't necessarily have to be compared to Android) and perhaps some specific things that can be compared, where the execution is better on the iOS side?

Thanks!

 

[delta7]

Customization gets old after a while and you're gonna want something that just works as planned. Having my backups placed in the cloud or on itunes saves me from re-inserting passwords into every program on phone and spending hours getting things to how I like them, it's very convientant and good to use. I get more done with a iPhone because it's just a phone that I use to handle my personal business and keep in touch with people. I don't care about wallpapers, rooting or whatever new hip or cool feature android has because honestly that's not why I buy a phone.

As for the screen size well to be honest even a 5 inch phone can't access a full desktop site without having to zoom in so I don't get the point with this big screen stuff. You're still better off with the mobile view.

And the apps still aren't there and it's gonna be a while till Google give incentives for developers to make apps for android, not root or adblock or any other apps to change the OS but apps that people actually can be productive with. I can side load any APK into android and bam! free app without paying and this still hasn't changed and I don't need to be rooted either.

I'm convinced that former apple users are just bored with IOS so they switch to android but they switched out of boredom not outta productivity.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...message-video-always-says-file-too-large.html

This poor girl is aging quickly trying to figure out with Android won't compress her videos she takes and wants to send to her friends.

Android is good for some people, those who like to tinker it's great but for regular folks who just use a phone as a communication, media tool I prefer the iphone better.

 

[xanadome]

I don't care much about large screen phones and customization. So I don't any reason to switch to android. Staying with the iphone 5 and enjoying its one- handed usage and iOS stability.

If future iPhone should go beyond the current size, I might search for something smaller. To me, the iPhone 4s was the sweet spot. If I need to see something in a cellphone size screen, I rather reach for my iPad or laptop. 5" phone or Sammy Note II is ridiculous.

 

[swarlos]

The benefits of iOS greatly out way the drawbacks for me and I used to be on the Pro-Android/iSheep fence but decided to come back to iPhone after my 2 year hiatus with the 5 and being able to reflect on my time with Android I'm very happy I came back.

As for the benefits that I so adamantly cherish are the excellent battery life compared to my 4 android phones I've owned, the cohesiveness of the OS and the quality of apps, the assurance of knowing only one device will be coming out a year versus the multitude of devices per quarter on Android, the joy of knowing when the update to iOS will be and that nearly every iDevice owner will get it at the same time!

I know the argument about rooting, customizing and that iOS is for old and stupid people but really I've been down that road and it was a pain in the arse flashing a rom, then logging into all my services, and restoring all my apps then turning on all the tweaks I wanted from that rom plus the kernel flashing to get amazing battery life and this was a weekly if not daily occurrence with my last Android, a Galaxy Nexus.

It's not that I still don't stalk AC or the forums I've been reading a ton of the One and S4 threads and kind of laugh at the sticky threads for bugs because they have a laundry list of issues that most iOS users don't. I'm not saying that iOS doesn't have it's share of bugs but compared to both those phones it's very minuscule and me personally haven't experienced a one and with that along with the other benefits I mentioned is why I will not be going back to Android.

I still plan on getting up and watching the Google I/O keynote tomorrow!


Sent from the collector home world.

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

I actually recently switched from a Droid Razr HD. I've bounced back and fourth for a while now between Android, iOS and even BlackBerry. There are things I love and things I hate about each platform, but in the end I do always find myself coming back to iOS. I think Android has a lot of very solid ideas and features, but the way in which a lot of them are implemented is horrible.

Android, from my experience anyway, can be wildly inconsistent in the speed and fluidity department. This was especially apparent on my Razr HD. One day it would fly along like a jet engine, the next even simple tasks like swiping between homescreens would cause a pitiful display of lag that really made it look like a phone that's been out for a couple of years.

I still love Android (as I love iPhone and iOS), but I'm completely satisfied with my iPhone 5 for the time being. No regrets in coming back.

 

[anon5664829]

I am a long time Android user, and right now I am not considering changing that in the near term, however I am very interested in iOS announcements this June. What has me curious is this: (please let me know if this should be a different thread, but the users here seem to be somewhat familiar with both OS's I'm asking about, so I figured I'd start here)

I am a big technology fan in general, however I have never owned anything Apple. I have played with my wife's old iPod touch and with iPhones and iPads owned by my friends and family members. I intimately know all of the arguments in favor of Android over Apple, but I'm curious as to what the value proposition is from the other side of the fence. I'm not really asking to be convinced, because I know it's all about individual preferences in the end, but would anyone be willing to indulge me with the best aspects of iOS (don't necessarily have to be compared to Android) and perhaps some specific things that can be compared, where the execution is better on the iOS side?

Thanks!

International ecosystem. more availability, "polish" of apps i.e. Gmaps on iOS vs Gmaps on Android.or Infinity blade 2 or mailbox etc.