Switching to iPhone X....... Maybe

[rebretz000]

I am a long time Android user and the past few months I've been thinking of switching to the iPhone X from the Pixel 2. I've been trying to find and read articles about switching and the differences but some questions I have is it worth going iPhone if you are not in the MAC ecosystem? I don't have a MacBook or any other Apple products. I have Google Home products, Chromebooks, I just bought a new HP Laptop.
Mainly I am worried about not being happy with the switch. Anyone recently have first hand experience switching to iOS after being a long tie Android user?

 

[Just_Me_D]

I am a long time Android user and the past few months I've been thinking of switching to the iPhone X from the Pixel 2. I've been trying to find and read articles about switching and the differences but some questions I have is it worth going iPhone if you are not in the MAC ecosystem? I don't have a MacBook or any other Apple products. I have Google Home products, Chromebooks, I just bought a new HP Laptop.
Mainly I am worried about not being happy with the switch. Anyone recently have first hand experience switching to iOS after being a long tie Android user?

If I were you, I would stay with Android because you are fully invested into its ecosystem. That’s not to say that your a google apps and services won’t work with the iPhone X because they will, but mixing the iPhone with your Chromebook, HP laptop and your Google Home product *may* not be as seamless as with Apple products. Know what I mean?

 

[rebretz000]

I know what you mean. I know my mom's iPhone works well with her Google Home mini it's mainly the macbook/laptop issue for me.
It's not that I planned on being invested in Android, all of my Google home devices I received for free so I couldn't pass that up.
I've mainly been looking on switching because of Apple's security. I really like that they encrypt everything where as Google doesn't.
And personally I think the iPhone X may be the best looking phone ever manufactured and I may be the other person who loves the notch.
Thank you for your response.

 

[anon(10000748)]

I made the switch from Android to iPhone a long time ago. However with my current job I've recently had the opportunity to have both a pixel 2 xl and an iPhone X. They are both fantastic. But unless you want to take calls on your laptop having a MacBook isn't necessary for you. Itunes is a little clunky on Windows but it's not that bad at all. Either way you go I don't think youd be making a wrong choice.

 

[metllicamilitia]

The only thing I really find beneficial having an iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV is Continuity and Air Play. I can wireless share my screen with any of my devices and pick up right where I am on any of them. I can also take calls on any of them, including my Apple Watch. So unless any of that is important to you, it doesn't matter much at all in my opinion. I can easily use my iPhone as a standalone device. I almost never use iTunes anymore unless I need to do a deep backup and restore. If you can I would recommend trying one out for a few days before making your decision.

 

[anon(50597)]

If you are concerned with security, the switch might be well worth it.

 

[anon(6014961)]

If you are concerned with security, the switch might be well worth it.

This. The only reason I would never use android is it’s hackable and can get viruses, not to mention the ads! Friend of mine keeps getting ads on his lock screen....wtf!

 

[popkurn611]

I am a long time Android user and the past few months I've been thinking of switching to the iPhone X from the Pixel 2. I've been trying to find and read articles about switching and the differences but some questions I have is it worth going iPhone if you are not in the MAC ecosystem? I don't have a MacBook or any other Apple products. I have Google Home products, Chromebooks, I just bought a new HP Laptop.
Mainly I am worried about not being happy with the switch. Anyone recently have first hand experience switching to iOS after being a long tie Android user?

I was an Android user for a while as well and went back and forth with iPhones and Androids over the past 3 years. The past year and a half I've been on an iPhone and have been trying out pixel 2's for months on end because I miss being an Android user. Problem is, I can't seem to runaway from iOS too long I keep crawling back for iMessage and FaceTime. Once you use an iPhone, it's simplicity is like no other Android device. I bet if you got an iPhone and used it long enough, you will end up buying into the rest of the ecosystem. Once you do that you will realize how well all of Apples products work together. I am not a huge fan of the company, but their product and software speak for itself.

 

[metllicamilitia]

This. The only reason I would never use android is it’s hackable and can get viruses, not to mention the ads! Friend of mine keeps getting ads on his lock screen....wtf!

iPhones can get hacked too. As for the lock screen ads...sounds like an Amazon variant of a phone. It’s cheaper at the cost of lock screen ads.

 

[anon(50597)]

iPhones can get hacked too. As for the lock screen ads...sounds like an Amazon variant of a phone. It’s cheaper at the cost of lock screen ads.

It isn’t just about being hacked. It’s about security of your device, your personal information, browsing, etc.
I’m a firm believer that the best defense is the person holding the device, not the device itself. Yet the very nature of Google is much different than Apple. I’ll take my chances with Apple.

 

[metllicamilitia]

It isn’t just about being hacked. It’s about security of your device, your personal information, browsing, etc.
I’m a firm believer that the best defense is the person holding the device, not the device itself. Yet the very nature of Google is much different than Apple. I’ll take my chances with Apple.

Yes, their policies are different. And the reason iPhone's are more secure is because they are always being hacked. There's always a new vulnerability found that Apple has to patch. People spend more time hacking iPhone's than any other phone it seems. But yes, Apple has built in dual end encryption for a lot of things.

 

[anon(50597)]

Yes, their policies are different. And the reason iPhone's are more secure is because they are always being hacked. There's always a new vulnerability found that Apple has to patch. People spend more time hacking iPhone's than any other phone it seems. But yes, Apple has built in dual end encryption for a lot of things.

There’s always a new vulnerability in every OS including Windows. Apple fixes them much quicker than Android though mostly because of Androids fragmented system. Most people using Android aren’t on the latest build.
Apple is more locked down, which some people don’t like (walled garden?). It’s important to me but I understand other people liking the freedom of Android. They just have to be super careful.

 

[Mr Segundus]

It isn’t just about being hacked. It’s about security of your device, your personal information, browsing, etc.
I’m a firm believer that the best defense is the person holding the device, not the device itself. Yet the very nature of Google is much different than Apple. I’ll take my chances with Apple.

Pixel phones are just as secure as iPhones. They get monthly security patches and since they come from Google, they have the latest Android version. The fallacy that Android phones aren't as secure as iPhones is false and needs to just go away.

If you're browsing the web on public WiFi without a VPN, it doesn't matter if you have an iPhone or an Android phone, your personal info is vulnerable.

 

[anony_mouse]

I've mainly been looking on switching because of Apple's security. I really like that they encrypt everything where as Google doesn't.

I recently bought a cheap Android phone and it is fully encrypted. I would be surprised if the Pixel 2 was not fully encrypted.

Having said that, the importance of all this "investment in the ecosystem" stuff is exaggerated. Few important apps are now paid for (*). As long as you avoid services which are specific to one platform, switching is easy enough. It's important to choose say, Spotify and Kindle which work on all platforms rather than services which are tied to a specific platform (I think Apple Music is available for Android). If you do this, it will be easy to switch platforms whenever you need to. The future is unpredictable so it would be daft to assume that one particular platform will always be the best for you.

So if you like the iPhone 10, go for it!

(*) payments these days tend to be subscriptions for cross platform services such as Netflix or Spotify.

 

[anony_mouse]

If you're browsing the web on public WiFi without a VPN, it doesn't matter if you have an iPhone or an Android phone, your personal info is vulnerable.

This point is actually a bit overstated. Sensitive information is usually encrypted using TLS or similar, so an eavesdropper watching your network traffic will not be able to access it. At most, they will be able to tell who you are communicating with (your bank, an online shop, etc), but not the content of those messages.

If you log in to a site which doesn't use a secure connection, then an attacker can steal your credentials, but you should anyway not do this even with a VPN and even on your home internet connection.

Of course, it's better to have multiple layers of protection rather than just one, and you should always be careful when connecting to public hotspots (with or without a password). But the extra risk of using a public hotspot compared your home internet connection is not so high.

 

[anon(50597)]

Pixel phones are just as secure as iPhones. They get monthly security patches and since they come from Google, they have the latest Android version. The fallacy that Android phones aren't as secure as iPhones is false and needs to just go away.

If you're browsing the web on public WiFi without a VPN, it doesn't matter if you have an iPhone or an Android phone, your personal info is vulnerable.

Pixel phones are an outlier compared to all Android phones.
I’m not here to argue against Android, I used to use it myself, but it is no match for security against Apple overall.

 

[anony_mouse]

Pixel phones are an outlier compared to all Android phones.

Genuine question - in what way are Pixel phones an outlier compared to other modern Android phones regarding security?

 

[o4liberty]

Stay with android if you don't have any Mac products.

 

[gnirkatto]

Genuine question - in what way are Pixel phones an outlier compared to other modern Android phones regarding security?

Pure Android, getting security patches instantly, whereas many other phones get them much later, if at all.

 

[anony_mouse]

Pure Android, getting security patches instantly, whereas many other phones get them much later, if at all.

OK, true to some degree. Although there are a growing number of Android One phones out there (e.g. Nokia's 2018 range) which also get quick updates.

BTW, Android and iOS updates are not directly comparable.
On one hand, Apple does usually supports its devices with software updates for a long time (this is probably related to the fact that they sell them for a long time - the iPhone 6S is still officially produced, and I suspect they actually still make the iPhone 6). However, security critical components such as the web browser are part of the core OS build and can't be updated separately.
On another hand, Android devices are not usually supported for so long (or sold for so long). However, large parts of the system are updated regularly and independently of the core OS.

So my 2013 Moto G runs Android 5 (I think), but still has the latest version of Chrome, Messages, Photos, Google Play Store bundle (which provides a lot of the APIs used by apps), Mail client, etc. My iPad 3 runs iOS 9 (I think) and is stuck with a three year old web browser (etc) forever.