[Q] iPhone users. What do you miss?

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Johncrist1988

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Nov 26, 2012
15
5
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*****UPDATED 11/30/12*****

tl;dr -- It was the best freaking decision I've ever made in my cellular life.

Things we miss:
- iMessage (Use something like Kik as an alternative)
- iLife and iWork for iOS (Various replacements. I started using ePrint by HP for my wireless printing needs. Works almost as well)
- Game Selection (I work on my phone, so playing games doesn't affect me much, but a lot of the core games are still there)

Things you gain from the switch:
- Bigger screen for easier reading.
- Battery life is omg good.
- The cameras are just as good in my opinion. Low light shots are grainy.
- S Pen is really useful for taking notes in a pinch. Pull it out, jot the note, put it back, note autosaves.
- Other S Pen functionality is really nice. Things like previews in the calendar, cutting out parts of the screen to save in notes, etc.
- Performance is bar none better 10-fold perceptively. I never have a moment of hesitation on my phone.
- Tops out at 128GB (Eat that 16GB iPhone 5)
- Size doesn't really hurt your pocket that badly. Bigger screen catches the bosses attention. I have had more than one comment at work about how I take my job seriously being ready for anything like that.
************************************************


I have an iPhone 5 presently and have been debating for several days now whether of not I want to get the Note 2. I have watched Phonedogs comparison and read article after article and it feels like the phones pretty well break even. So I thought I'd ask some former iPhone users about their experience with their switch.

I have Apple TVs and Airport Expresses all over the place. I stream things almost exclusively while I'm at home. I also mirror my phone to the TV at night laying in bed (doing that now typing this). That being said, I know android has apps that support airplay but not necessarily a screen mirroring solution short of VNC that would require a PC hooked up to my TV and a whole lot more of an inconvenience to get fired up.

I don't know what android has that is directly on par with iWork for iOS. I love typing up documents, syncing them to my phone with iCloud, and being able to edit and print them from my phone wireless on practically any and all wireless printers regardless of brand. iWork for iOS works completely and with a full feature set that I don't ever remember finding in Documents To Go. Has this improved at all?

Not knowing much about the Android ecosystem, what kind of apps are equivalent to iMovie? I use that quite a bit and am curious what android solutions match that in ease of use and functionality. I can't stress enough that when I ask these comparison questions, I'm not trying to prove one better. I'm actually wanting to make the switch. I'm just looking to be more informed about what I'm loosing and what I'm gaining before doing so.

What have you iPhone users missed about your iPhone since you made the switch?
 
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themyst

Senior Member
Oct 21, 2008
108
7
In my opinion, the only thing missing on Android is the robust game/app selection and consistency in layout/design. I have an iPad 3 anyway, so I have the best of both worlds regardless. The iPhone in both 3.5" and 4" alike simply isn't useful for my needs anymore.

PS: I have a WDTV Live that will allow the equivalent of "Airplay" without any hassle through the Note 2. In terms of exclusive apps (e.g. Garageband, Numbers, Pages, iMovie, etc.) there is no equal. If you are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, it may be somewhat difficult to switch.

I know the Note 2 comes with Polaris Office included in the stock ROM. Probably won't touch the iWork suite in terms of interface and usability, but give it a try on a demo model and see if it may work for you.
 
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ahmarchi

Senior Member
Aug 20, 2008
1,065
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Greensboro
I miss this little simple function on ios. Say you are at the bottom of a very long Page or document you could double tap the top of status bar and it would move to the top instantly instead of having to scroll up. Nothing big but nice little feature

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
 

ibn762

New member
Aug 15, 2012
2
0
I miss this little simple function on ios. Say you are at the bottom of a very long Page or document you could double tap the top of status bar and it would move to the top instantly instead of having to scroll up. Nothing big but nice little feature

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app

I thought i was the only one who misses that little feature. Aside from that, I currently own both phones and theyre both fantastic but sadly I prefer my Gnote2 over my iph5. The big screen is a huge plus and the S-Pen is really neat. But I do like the apps more on the iphone.
 

Mac11700

Senior Member
Aug 16, 2010
1,367
163
St.Louis
I have an iPhone 5 presently and have been debating for several days now whether of not I want to get the Note 2. I have watched Phonedogs comparison and read article after article and it feels like the phones pretty well break even. So I thought I'd ask some former iPhone users about their experience with their switch.

I have Apple TVs and Airport Expresses all over the place. I stream things almost exclusively while I'm at home. I also mirror my phone to the TV at night laying in bed (doing that now typing this). That being said, I know android has apps that support airplay but not necessarily a screen mirroring solution short of VNC that would require a PC hooked up to my TV and a whole lot more of an inconvenience to get fired up.

I don't know what android has that is directly on par with iWork for iOS. I love typing up documents, syncing them to my phone with iCloud, and being able to edit and print them from my phone wireless on practically any and all wireless printers regardless of brand. iWork for iOS works completely and with a full feature set that I don't ever remember finding in Documents To Go. Has this improved at all?

Not knowing much about the Android ecosystem, what kind of apps are equivalent to iMovie? I use that quite a bit and am curious what android solutions match that in ease of use and functionality. I can't stress enough that when I ask these comparison questions, I'm not trying to prove one better. I'm actually wanting to make the switch. I'm just looking to be more informed about what I'm loosing and what I'm gaining before doing so.

What have you iPhone users missed about your iPhone since you made the switch?

Iwork substitutes..

http://http://alternativeto.net/software/apple-iwork/?platform=android

Imovie substitute

http://https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.forscene.KestrelTest&hl=en

Mirroring...I don't think you can get as close yet outside of VNC...but for utilizing your Apple TV

http://http://doubletwist.com/help/question/how-do-i-stream-to-apple-tv-2nd-generation-from-my-android-device/

All in all...it's going to depend on how deep your into Apple's pockets..Phone for phone...there really is no comparison on the differences...all one has to do is to hold each and use each.

What do I miss the most about my Iphone...simple...all the money I lost making the switch back to my Note II...from all of my expensive apps and extra Icloud storage I can no longer use...but...IMHO...it's worth it...

Mac
 

Johncrist1988

Member
Nov 26, 2012
15
5
Phoenix
I'm not so deep I can't get out. I can return the Airport and iPhone still and swap for the Gnote2. I need to google around more about DLNA devices because streaming is nice, and if there's a.... 'cleaner' product of method of doing it, it may be worth it.
 

Dmwitz

Senior Member
Dec 25, 2010
384
123
Umeå
This is available on the Note 2e

I miss this little simple function on ios. Say you are at the bottom of a very long Page or document you could double tap the top of status bar and it would move to the top instantly instead of having to scroll up. Nothing big but nice little feature

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app

This can be done in 2 ways on the GN2. One wny is to switch on the feature in the settings under "Motion"/"Double Tap". Otherwise, assuming the long text is in a browser you can use Boat Browser (which is very customizable) and has this feature.
Regarding AirPlay and the other things mentioned in this thread, can you not simply keep you iphone as a Wifi only media player/streamer?
I use my old Galaxy SI as such with Spotify. Without a Sim card and a 3g data connection the battery can last almost three days also :D
 
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kevink15

Member
Apr 16, 2012
34
3
The question is per user. I prefer the non-locked down system of Android. Watch a lot of movies and the iPhone has to be jailbroken to do anything other then basic usage. XBMC on my Note2 + MHL adaptor and no rooting. I love the customization.

Another reason I switched was because of iTunes. What a mess. I have a lot of mixes for music and iTunes splits it up. I prefer just being able to dump on my sd card.

Only thing I miss is the gaming apps. But not that much that I would switch back.

Sent from my SGH-I317M using xda premium
 

yellowman82

Senior Member
Jun 12, 2011
1,477
512
I miss this little simple function on ios. Say you are at the bottom of a very long Page or document you could double tap the top of status bar and it would move to the top instantly instead of having to scroll up. Nothing big but nice little feature

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app

You do know the GN2 has this feature right?

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2
 
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skochw

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
60
16
I've owned and used as my main device every iphone up to the iphone 5. I'm loving the Note 2, but there are a few things I miss:

- Overall simplicity. There was a lot of handholding in iOS that I didn't even necessarily realize was happening, which I miss. Biggest/most annoying example so far: sending videos via MMS or email. Unless you have the "limit size to MMS" or whatever checked when you record the video (which would mean a crappy source quality in the video, should you want to use it for anything other than an MMS), you can't MMS it to someone (and unless it's more than a few seconds long, it'll likely be too big to email as well). There are some apps out there for transcoding the video to a lower bitrate, resizing, etc, but this is a royal pain to have to do any time you want to send a quick video. iOS did it all automatically when you went to send the video.

- Better versions of apps. Some apps are just better/smoother on ios. Examples include facebook, Steam, The Weather Channel.

- Photo Stream. My wife is on an iPhone, and we have an old ipad that we use as a photo frame. I miss being able to easily have photos I take appear on both her phone and the iPad.

- iCloud. I miss stuff syncing with my mac desktop apps for things like notes, reminders, etc. I'm sure I could find something to get me by for the notes, and the others I mentioned would sync to a Google calendar, but still. I miss all that happening automatically.

Overall though, I'm very happy to have made the switch. There is no way I could go back to that tiny iPhone screen now. :)
 

twanskys204

Inactive Recognized Themer
Aug 5, 2012
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winnipeg
I miss this little simple function on ios. Say you are at the bottom of a very long Page or document you could double tap the top of status bar and it would move to the top instantly instead of having to scroll up. Nothing big but nice little feature

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app

Go back to iphone..obviously u dont know how to work ir own phone ....maybe u need it simplified from apple sgn2 is better in all aspects
 
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Johncrist1988

Member
Nov 26, 2012
15
5
Phoenix
I've owned and used as my main device every iphone up to the iphone 5. I'm loving the Note 2, but there are a few things I miss:

- Overall simplicity. There was a lot of handholding in iOS that I didn't even necessarily realize was happening, which I miss. Biggest/most annoying example so far: sending videos via MMS or email. Unless you have the "limit size to MMS" or whatever checked when you record the video (which would mean a crappy source quality in the video, should you want to use it for anything other than an MMS), you can't MMS it to someone (and unless it's more than a few seconds long, it'll likely be too big to email as well). There are some apps out there for transcoding the video to a lower bitrate, resizing, etc, but this is a royal pain to have to do any time you want to send a quick video. iOS did it all automatically when you went to send the video.

- Better versions of apps. Some apps are just better/smoother on ios. Examples include facebook, Steam, The Weather Channel.

- Photo Stream. My wife is on an iPhone, and we have an old ipad that we use as a photo frame. I miss being able to easily have photos I take appear on both her phone and the iPad.

- iCloud. I miss stuff syncing with my mac desktop apps for things like notes, reminders, etc. I'm sure I could find something to get me by for the notes, and the others I mentioned would sync to a Google calendar, but still. I miss all that happening automatically.

Overall though, I'm very happy to have made the switch. There is no way I could go back to that tiny iPhone screen now. :)

Those are good points to know, thank you. Looking back I do remember video sending being a pain. I eventually ended up doing private Youtube uploads all the time and linking people to the videos. An extra step.

Not that I'm saying that's a deal breaker at all, but it's those little things. Does Android have a response to Photostream out of the box? If I recall, doesn't it automagically upload to Google+ or something of the sort?
 

skochw

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
60
16
Go back to iphone..obviously u dont know how to work ir own phone ....maybe u need it simplified from apple sgn2 is better in all aspects

Come on, if there's a way to do it and you know how, just tell the guy rather than being snarky for no good reason. This thread is obviously targeted towards people making the switch from iOS to Android, and there is a definite learning curve involved there.

Those are good points to know, thank you. Looking back I do remember video sending being a pain. I eventually ended up doing private Youtube uploads all the time and linking people to the videos. An extra step.

Not that I'm saying that's a deal breaker at all, but it's those little things. Does Android have a response to Photostream out of the box? If I recall, doesn't it automagically upload to Google+ or something of the sort?

It does upload to Google+, yes. I wound up turning that off, though, since I rarely use Google+. I did turn on automatic photo/video uploading for Dropbox, though, and I am absolutely loving that. I know there's photo/video upload in Dropbox for iOS, but this all happens via a service running in the background, so you don't have to have the actual Dropbox app open for it to happen.

Something else to note about the auto-upload for Dropbox (and Google+, for that matter): you can use that to share videos/images easily. Only issue is the person receiving it has to download/stream the full-res video or image, and you have to wait for it to upload before you can share itg. Still much easier than transcoding just to send a video, though. :)
 
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    Go back to iphone..obviously u dont know how to work ir own phone ....maybe u need it simplified from apple sgn2 is better in all aspects
    Well this post was just flat out rude and uncalled for. There is no reason to post like this here. If you dont have a helpful opinion or answer, then dont post.
    8
    Hey Coolio,

    Why are you answering to my post then?

    This is the type of things that make the developers not listen... and therefore, not develop and make something good, because people will actually eat anything they are fed.

    Want to know what i miss? Being able to answer a call when in a call and not have both calls dropped... Or being able to do the simple things and the little things like actually calling with a certain degree of efficiency.

    Coolio, I wasn't answering your post, however, I was pointing out how ridiculous it is. How can anyone say that the IPhone/IOs is more customizable than Android? If you want to bring valid points to the discussion please do. But customization being in the favor of Apple, is not one of them...

    As far as your other points perhaps they are valid through your experience but I have no trouble switching calls. Placing phone calls is difficult for you on this phone?

    Lastly, the irony...a fan of apple telling me ill "eat anything I'm fed"...really dude?

    Sent from my SGH-I317 using XDA Premium HD app
    6
    Go back to iphone..obviously u dont know how to work ir own phone ....maybe u need it simplified from apple sgn2 is better in all aspects

    Come on, if there's a way to do it and you know how, just tell the guy rather than being snarky for no good reason. This thread is obviously targeted towards people making the switch from iOS to Android, and there is a definite learning curve involved there.

    Those are good points to know, thank you. Looking back I do remember video sending being a pain. I eventually ended up doing private Youtube uploads all the time and linking people to the videos. An extra step.

    Not that I'm saying that's a deal breaker at all, but it's those little things. Does Android have a response to Photostream out of the box? If I recall, doesn't it automagically upload to Google+ or something of the sort?

    It does upload to Google+, yes. I wound up turning that off, though, since I rarely use Google+. I did turn on automatic photo/video uploading for Dropbox, though, and I am absolutely loving that. I know there's photo/video upload in Dropbox for iOS, but this all happens via a service running in the background, so you don't have to have the actual Dropbox app open for it to happen.

    Something else to note about the auto-upload for Dropbox (and Google+, for that matter): you can use that to share videos/images easily. Only issue is the person receiving it has to download/stream the full-res video or image, and you have to wait for it to upload before you can share itg. Still much easier than transcoding just to send a video, though. :)
    5
    so was this post.
    I would suggest a private message as to not clutter up the forum.
    Hi, you may not have noticed that Im the Moderator of this forum... so when you tell me that my post was rude when Im trying to encourage that non-helpful posts should not be posted, well that sort of just adds fuel to the fire as your posts didnt help the conversation either. The difference however, is that I am doing my job as to moderate this thread (in my section) back toward the conversation. I also wasnt cluttering up the conversation as many people needed to read my post to help encourage non-helpful posts.

    Hope this clears up your missconfusion. :)
    5
    People talk about customization, but I think the iPhone with jailbreak is more customizable than Android.

    Check this out

    http://youtu.be/J4Q_97exnJk

    Not necessarily this is what I am looking for, but you can see the level of smoothness and the possibilities with iOS vs Android. There is no way to have this level of customization right into the OS.

    You're kidding right? Don't get me wrong, that tweak was VERY well implemented and if iOS actually came with that feature, it would be a great addition to the software and give iPhone users something to say they can compete with android on...

    But you do realize that android has had these sorts of things in custom ROMs for YEARS, right?? I'd even give the benefit of the doubt and say, until ICS (Android 4.0) came out last year Oct-Nov, that some of these things weren't well implemented... Android 4.2 is definitely getting even better with these things...

    Below are some screenshots of a custom ROM I'm running from CyanogenMod team... This is CM10.1 (Android 4.2)... These are stock android features and not skinned phones with "Sense" for HTC or "Touchwiz" for Samsung... I'll only compare feature for feature from that video, I won't even mention custom kernels to over or under clock the processor, as well as tons of other tweaks you can do with that alone... I won't mention the custom theme I'm running (Google Le Bean on the Play Store made by me), I won't mention that I can configure hardware buttons like the volume up button to skip tracks without even turning on the screen... or that I can open directly to apps, look at widgets or slide directly to the camera with stock Android... I'm only gonna compare what's in the video you linked...

    STOCK +4.0 Android has recent app window too... and on there you can already see a sorta full window of what you were doing on app, its not a tweak... U can swipe apps away or long press an app and see the app info or remove it that way if you choose... Tweaked ROMs allow for the added button (top right on this rom but I've seen it on the bottom left which is better IMO) to close all apps with the press, not hold, of a button...

    y2etehy5.jpg


    The other things the video mentions are already, mostly, included in STOCK +4.1 Android in the notification panel (I prefer it there)... Starting with 4.1, app devs can now include expanded notifications... But if its an app like a music player or similar, they can also include convenient quick buttons that let you interact with the app without even opening it up... You can see in the screenshots below, the notifications are expanded for music, gmail, and G+... You can also see in another shot, that you can collapse notifications... In fact, they only auto-expand when there's space to expand... Otherwise if the panel is full they will popup collapsed and a simple swipe down on that notification and it expands... Expanded or not, you can see how easy it is to control a music app or +1/respond to a post on G+, etc... Some app devs haven't implemented this new feature yet... but the ones that have, I fully take advantage and use the quick options they bring... And you can easily hit the little button next to the date to remove them all or swipe away one by one... This is all 100% stock android too, no tweaks needed for any of this...

    Expanded:
    regagy5u.jpg


    Just G+ Expanded:
    va9asube.jpg


    Everything Collapsed:
    gy9eqa3u.jpg


    Toggles are newly implemented into Android as a stock feature... There's no customization in stock form... You even have a nice little picture from your Google account in case you forget what you look like... But with this custom ROM, I can choose all sorts of toggles to add/remove... This ROM just allows you to rearrange these "tiles" to any position you want... Long pressing on them takes you directly to that tiles setting in the normal settings menu...

    anavyva2.jpg



    Now some things to mention... Although 100% stock android only got some of these features with the recent 4.2 update... Some features, like the toggles, have been included in Touchwiz ROMs since at least Android 2.3, possibly earlier (Idk)... Touchwiz is the Android that comes on the GS3 and Note2, etc...

    I hope you enjoyed your schooling for the day... That was a long reply to type on my phone, I'm out lol...

    *edit*
    Almost forgot to include that you can't use the tweak in that video on iOS 6... You'd have to downgrade lol... Along with that, I read in the comments that the devs are gonna charge $2.99 for that tweak... Now since I dabble in devving and I make themes for custom ROMs, it would be great to make money on everything I do... But c'mon, aside from me chewing that video up, we get all of these things for free... And IMHBAO (in my humble but accurate opinion), they're better implemented on Android than on iOS... But maybe that's just because of iOS overall ui...

    Also, did I mention these screenshots were on my Nexus S 4G... The Nexus S 4G celebrated its 2 YEAR old birthday a few days ago... Say happy belated birthday :) ... Its crazy how its this old but still gets every single feature that Google can come up with... Unlike some devices *cough*iPhone4 & lower*cough*

    Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2