Budget Above 25K Moving from Android to iOS...Advisable??

[Arjan]

Hey guys!

I am in dire need of your valuable advice..

I'm thinking about getting an iphone 6 to replace my android device. Is it advisable? Or, should I refrain from switching over?

A little background..
My first smartphone was an iphone 3g and I loved it. It was an awesome piece of equipment and could do amazing things (at that point in time). Eventually, I upgraded to an iphone 4, which was "the thing" at that time and felt satisfied.
However, gradually android caught up with more refined android versions and bigger and better screen, memory and processors. Finally, with the arrival of the Galaxy S3, I could no longer resist the temptation and began reading reviews and articles about android.
Then, I came across Armando Ferreira's youtube videos :

,
and I was sold. I got myself a Galaxy S3 and got introduced to a whole new level of customization! which I could never achieve on my iphone, even after jailbreaking.
Since that day, I never looked back and have changed multiple android devices.

That being said....
I have had my android devices crash on multiple occasions, with a major recent crash in which I lost valuable data - important phone calls log, messages and contacts.
It wouldn't have been an issue if I was in college, but now I'm working...and these kind of crashes is just not acceptable to me anymore. [I might add that such crashes and hang-ups have been frequent with my android devices, although I didn't care much in the past].
Kindly note: I'm a hardcore android user, and I root my android device and flash custom roms and kernels frequently. I have Titanium Backup Pro installed and most of my data backed up, but sometimes I forget to backup, and this is when my android device crashes

Thus, now I have been thinking about making the leap over to iOS.....which - we android fans might not admit it, but deep down in our hearts we know it to be true - does not crash and hang up.
The new iphone 6 has a big screen. The iOS 8 has caught up in some aspects with the android (though still lags behind considerably), it has all the important widgets/shortcuts, more third party apps, a little less restrictions (only a little though).

So, should I make the switch from android to iOS?? Or, would I be disappointed??

If someone has been using both android and iOS, could you please shed some light on the drawbacks of an iphone against an android device...
I need to know:
(a) if I'll still be able to copy paste files from my PC normally (not via itunes, but a third party copy-paste software is okay)?
(b) if I'll still be able to download all my email attachments, songs, videos from web?
(c) if I'll still be able to watch tv shows via online streaming websites
(d)...

Your help will be much appreciated

 

[haiprazzad]

After getting used to android will you be live without customizing the phone the way u like it? once you move to iOS. Because that's the most important for me.

 

[Arjan]

To be honest, I've had my share of customizations on my android devices over the years. At one point in time, I used to flash roms on a weekly basis, but that phase has passed.
Currently, I'm only looking at the simplicity and stability of an operating system on a mobile phone, but not at the expense of some much needed functionalities I mentioned above...

 

[Maniacalgeek]

If someone has been using both android and iOS, could you please shed some light on the drawbacks of an iphone against an android device...
I need to know:
(a) if I'll still be able to copy paste files from my PC normally (not via itunes, but a third party copy-paste software is okay)?
(b) if I'll still be able to download all my email attachments, songs, videos from web?
(c) if I'll still be able to watch tv shows via online streaming websites
(d)...
Your help will be much appreciated

hello Arjan.
To answer your first question,you will be able to perform few copy paste action using applications like iFunbox.\
You will be able to download stuff from web by jailbreaking(which is still not available for ios 8)your phone and install tweaks like safari download manger and enabler.
You will be able to watch watch tv shows via online streaming websites

 

[Sub]

does not crash and hang up.

I don't think this is true. iOS 8 is well known for crashing a lot (just google it), much more so than iOS 7. They will fix it over time, but even historically Android (and apps) is more stable than iOS. Check out Crittercism - http://pages.crittercism.com/rs/crittercism/images/crittercism-mobile-benchmarks.pdf.

This was not the case before iOS 5 or so, when iOS was a simplistic OS, it was really stable then. It is when they had to respond to Android's feature advantage and Windows Phone's design advantage that things started getting out of control, each new release is more unstable than the last. iOS 8 has hit all time highs for instability; reports of constant crashing are all over the internet. So, don't expect iPhone 6 to be as stable as your iPhone 4 or most Android phones at least for a while.

Anyway, the iPhone 6 is an excellent device, hardware-wise. Ultimately these are first world issues, anyone can get used to iOS. But on a granular level, if you use those customisations, then perhaps you will miss it and be disappointed. I have a more fundamental problem with iOS, everything is just slightly inefficient, everything requires more taps and clicks, than Android and even moreso Windows Phone. Again, it's just few seconds here or there, and it's not a big deal, but it is there.

I would argue that something like Sony Z3 Compact hardware would be just as good, and I am pretty sure it will crash much less. And cost much less too.

 

[AMG]

flash stock ram on any android and it wont crash.

 

[pauldmps]

The main reason for instability is the fact that you flashed unofficial software. If you like to tinker with ROMs, then it is better that you get another phone for it & keep your work phone as it is.

 

[paarkhi]

@Arjan, even custom roms shouldn't wipe your contacts, phone logs and messages, as long as you haven't lost them during flashing the ROMs, it doesn't get lost after flashing. You also have many backup apps which backs up all these 3 like GOBackup. Apps crashing is relative, the more you try the unstable stuff (like unstable kernels or ROMs) the more trouble you are in. I'm using Android since last 3 years and never faced any such problem.
but if you really want to try the iOS platform once again then @raksrules can help with all your questions.

 

[Sanav3]

Please give a thought to windows phone as well, Its a capable OS for anyone looking for stability.

 

[Arjan]

After reading through a lot of articles and watching countless videos today...I am now unsure if iphone 6 would be as stable as I had believed it to be.
The iOS still seems very inefficient and lacking so much functionality that android users like me have gotten used to.

I am now thinking about getting a Nexus 5 or maybe wait for the Nexus 6... to experience what others have been calling the best android experience.
Or, should I go for the LG G3? Or, the One plus One? Really confused!
Or, maybe some longtime iOS user can still convince me...

 

[newprouser]

@Arjan, I don't have a direct answer for your questions, But if you do consider using android again, then the following may help protect your data :

1. Make sure you Account Sync Enabled - So your contacts are Synced and stored in GMail
2. Use apps like SMSBackup+ , SuperBackup to automatically sync / upload call, sms, contact details to GMail and also restore them later.
3. Schedule titanium backup to auto-backup apps so that you don't have to manually do it.

 

[ashrr]

Stop flashing stuff. Get a device with stock Android or close to it like a Moto X. Forget about crashes.

Seriously, I haven't had a single crash on my Moto X since I got it. With all due respect, your experience sounds like it was because of user error. Most Android phones are very stable unless you're running beta kernels and nightlies.

 

[ruiner21]

I have been an android user all along, have had android phone even before the first Galaxy S was released. Loved all the iterations of android, flashed custom roms every now n then and was very satisfied for a long time. But a couple of years back, I had a S3 and while it was a great phone, I was getting a little bored of the OS, didnt like the TW skin, so always had cm or cm based custom rom running. With all the phones I changed, the apps remained the same, my own customisation ideas all used up, I started growing tired of android. So finally made up my mind to buy an iphone. Bought the heavyweight of its time, the iphone 5 64Gb. While the phone itself is good, the user experience is too blunt. There is no in app settings, anything you need to change, you have to go to the settings app and then change. And I found myself using my S3 more than the new phone. And the battery life of the iphone was terrible, would die within 4-5 hrs of normal usage with 3G data on. I tried really hard to enjoy the experience which several million people say is the best. But after a couple of months, when I realized that its not working I sold the iphone. Have been using android ever since.

Also, for the crashes part, yes even IOS has many crashes, but the difference being, when an app crashes on android, you get a pop up saying it crashed. While on ios, you just get back on the homescreen without any pop up or anything, the app just quits. Thats the main reason, people dont even realized that the app crashed.

So I would say its just personal experience if IOS would suit you.

Best luck.

 

[Fenix]

If you want total freedom and lots of customizations - Android .
If you want a simple approach at using the phone - ios .

PS : I have been an ios user since iphone 2g and also own an android device.

 

[Arjan]

@ruiner21 Thanks for sharing your experience! I too am going through that phase...where I'm growing tired of excessive customizations, tons of options for everything - even the most trivial of widgets like flashlight has countless options on Play Store (phew!). Maybe I am longing for something simple and aesthetically pleasing, hence my new-found inclination towards the iphone 6.

A point that you and @Sub have raised, regarding the fundamental flaws in iOS - the unnecessary extra steps to complete an action, is one of the major deterrents for me. However, one cannot overlook the fact that the iOS is relatively simple in its approach towards some basic functions.

I'll be visiting a local Apple store today, and try out the iphone 6. I know it wouldn't be much, but atleast I'll get a feel of what I'll be getting into if I finally decide to hop onboard the iOS train.

We'll see where it goes from there...

 

[ruiner21]

^^You sure should try an iphone for once, if you happen to like ios, you will surely stick with iphones thereafter (have a few cases among family n friends).

Do buy and try to adjust with the ecosystem. No matter how many times you get a hands on experience with the phone, you wont have any idea of how it will be for your daily useage. So buying the phone and using it as the primary phone is the only way to go. No1 can tell how your experience will be with that ecosystem.

So, best luck.

 

[rakesh_ic]

This thread and thoughts of @Arjan felt like my inner self. Though I havent used the IOS or iphone, i wanted to move out of this android world for 2 reasons- bored of customization so much that I am no more caring my home screen too, the freshness in a new eco system that i get to try and the simplicity ppl talk about in IOS.

I got my wife an iPhone 5s as the first step and I did like it And so, am getting an iPhone 6 for myself from US through a friend which will be waiting for me in UK as I am travelling there next month

 

[rajkumar_pb]

@Arjan
I am also having same dilemma. But here the mistake is purely on my part. I tried to flash a custom ROM in my Nexus 5(ofc, all backed up) and soft bricked because of silly mistake. And there I was, fiddling around phone for 2 days to get it back to old shape. But then what is the fun of having Nexus 5 without having Custom ROM? For those 2 days, I thought of shifting to iOS and even used my cousin's iPhone 4s for a couple of days.

But once my N5 is stable, I felt the difference b/w these 2 worlds. At some point, I felt iOS is better but after using it for a couple of days, I come to my senses to understand that is how you get attracted towards iOS. As someone pointed, as simple as iOS looks, it gets as tougher in some scenarios even for small task. So I started adding +1 for each pros and -1 for cons. Guess what, difference between them is one sided(because I am an avid Android user) and at end of the day, Android beats iOS by huge margin.(Android - 7, iOS - 4)

If you want a stable peaceful experience, as you mentioned, get a Nexus device. Live with Stock OS which is more than what you need for D2D tasks. Trust me, Stock KitKat is what I am living with all these days, and have tried few famous ROMs, but didn't find much difference except few(which we don't use anymore, as I am done with tinkering and customization's). So, give a try at iPhone 6 as well as Nexus 5/6 and see which suits you best.

But Verdict for me is, Nexus devices will offer you much more flexibility and usability with Stock Android, than in iOS.

 

[Sub]

A point that you and [USER=38070]@Sub have raised, regarding the fundamental flaws in iOS - the unnecessary extra steps to complete an action, is one of the major deterrents for me. However, one cannot overlook the fact that the iOS is relatively simple in its approach towards some basic functions
[/USER]

Really, iOS is "simple"? It seems very messy to me. It was simple when the OS was simple, but that is not the case anymore. The notification centre is a total mess, especially with the widget-like things forced in iOS 8. The biggest problem is the design language for all apps, buttons all over the place, there's just too much tapping and moving your fingers around, and the most bizarre omission is the lack of a back button. Now that iOS is on a decent sized screen it is unacceptable, you have to double tap (reachability), bring the app down, and then move up to tap the software back button. Seriously, how can anyone call this "simple"?

If you want simple but elegant, try Windows Phone. Start screen, notification/action centre, all customisable but impossible to make a mess of. The key functions in all apps are at the bottom in iconography, so there's no need to look around for buttons or reach to the top (as in Android apps too) or "pivoting" - you just swipe left and right to take you to different tabs, that really saves on tapping around. So simple, yet so effective! It's just these small things that add up to an efficient experience.

I'm an enthusiast like many of you, and Android has way more features and customisability than iOS or Windows Phone. But on a daily basis where I just need my phone to get my work done, Windows Phone just lets you finish your tasks early with minimum hassle and get back to your life. It may be only a second or two each time, so really not a big deal, just a first world problem!

 

[m-jeri]

Last Friday I got my new iPhone. Was using a Note 3 N9005. Personally, I don't see much of a change.

I use cloudreader which has itunes file transfer feature which helps me read all my pdf's and comics. The file transfer is as easy as using Media Transfer mode for android.
I use iPod Touch 5G for my music already, so music shift is nothing. Same UI and process.
I use VidOn Player for my Videos. Which again have the iTunes file transfer feature.
I use Netflix for all my streaming needs. Across my iPad Air, Note 3 N9005, Dell Venue Pro 11 and now iPhone 6 Plus.

And truth to be told, I am finding nice free app's in App Store than I find in Play Store. Apps that let me tinker with phone.

One App I am missing or not able to find is a puzzle game. One where you move the blocks around to make one go out. . But there maybe alternatives.

But the one App I am going to miss is the Nokia Here Maps. BEST NAVIGATION APP EVER. It is a Samsung Galaxy exclusive now. Dunno if they will bring to iOS.