I'll probably get a lot of hate for this, but after 10 years of being an avid Android fan and supporter, I have moved back to iOS and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
All I can say is I don't regret it one bit. I was the first to make fun of iPhone users in the past, but Apple have made such strides, it's a real pleasure to be back. Yes Apple wait years to implement features that have been available on Android for ages and call it new and revolutionary, but what they do, they do better than anyone else. The biggest thing is just the cohesiveness between the hardware and software. Everything works flawlessly together and the user interface looks great.
What has annoyed me with Android are things like manufacturers not having their own email or messaging apps. You're forced to download a third party app which never really feels in tune with the particular phone/skin/version of Android. And yes you can say the Gmail app is the stock Android email app, but not everyone is a fan, including me. I know it's probably unavoidable due to nature of AOSP, but still, there is a clear divide between the hardware and software for the most part compared to iOS.
The other thing that stopped me using (and mocking) iOS is the fact that a lot of things were a pain in the backside to do and the general incompatibility with a lot of platforms. That seems to have changed as well as I had no issues connecting directly to my NAS drive and Windows PC to access all my files, either while on the same LAN or through 5G when I'm not at home. Youtube Vanced (now ReVanced) was another big thing, but you have options in iOS for that as well.
App tracking was another reason I made the switch. You can simply disable app tracking for all apps with one toggle and all newly installed apps will abide by this as well. Yes, no one really knows if it stops all tracking in its entirety, but it's an option that is not available in Android. You can use a third party app like Blokada to achieve the same result, but you cannot run a VPN service at the same time. Now I can run my VPN service and have app tracking blocked at the same time. Not to mention battery life. I am not a super heavy user, but I get three days out of a single charge with 20% battery left. Even with heavy use, you will struggle to kill this thing's battery in a day as you get 10-14 hours of screen on time depending on how you use it. Standby drain is also nonexistent, the bane of so many Android users' lives, mine included. The cameras and especially video recording is also top notch. Possibly a little boring compared to some of the features you get in Android, but as an everyday point and shoot device, it's hard to beat.
Notifications is the one thing where I would say I still prefer the way it's done in Android, but with everything else working so well I can forgive that. Price is another drawback as Apple charge ridiculous amounts for their hardware, so this is the only time in 10 years where I will keep the same phone for more than a year.
I will still keep my Pixel and have it as a backup phone, but for now I am super happy I made the switch. And I will understand it if not many of you agree.
All I can say is I don't regret it one bit. I was the first to make fun of iPhone users in the past, but Apple have made such strides, it's a real pleasure to be back. Yes Apple wait years to implement features that have been available on Android for ages and call it new and revolutionary, but what they do, they do better than anyone else. The biggest thing is just the cohesiveness between the hardware and software. Everything works flawlessly together and the user interface looks great.
What has annoyed me with Android are things like manufacturers not having their own email or messaging apps. You're forced to download a third party app which never really feels in tune with the particular phone/skin/version of Android. And yes you can say the Gmail app is the stock Android email app, but not everyone is a fan, including me. I know it's probably unavoidable due to nature of AOSP, but still, there is a clear divide between the hardware and software for the most part compared to iOS.
The other thing that stopped me using (and mocking) iOS is the fact that a lot of things were a pain in the backside to do and the general incompatibility with a lot of platforms. That seems to have changed as well as I had no issues connecting directly to my NAS drive and Windows PC to access all my files, either while on the same LAN or through 5G when I'm not at home. Youtube Vanced (now ReVanced) was another big thing, but you have options in iOS for that as well.
App tracking was another reason I made the switch. You can simply disable app tracking for all apps with one toggle and all newly installed apps will abide by this as well. Yes, no one really knows if it stops all tracking in its entirety, but it's an option that is not available in Android. You can use a third party app like Blokada to achieve the same result, but you cannot run a VPN service at the same time. Now I can run my VPN service and have app tracking blocked at the same time. Not to mention battery life. I am not a super heavy user, but I get three days out of a single charge with 20% battery left. Even with heavy use, you will struggle to kill this thing's battery in a day as you get 10-14 hours of screen on time depending on how you use it. Standby drain is also nonexistent, the bane of so many Android users' lives, mine included. The cameras and especially video recording is also top notch. Possibly a little boring compared to some of the features you get in Android, but as an everyday point and shoot device, it's hard to beat.
Notifications is the one thing where I would say I still prefer the way it's done in Android, but with everything else working so well I can forgive that. Price is another drawback as Apple charge ridiculous amounts for their hardware, so this is the only time in 10 years where I will keep the same phone for more than a year.
I will still keep my Pixel and have it as a backup phone, but for now I am super happy I made the switch. And I will understand it if not many of you agree.
