# Ditching iOS for Android



## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

Well, after 4 years of being a perfectly satisfied Apple customer I'm about to ditch the iPhone for a Pixel 

Never had any problems or issues with iOS and appreciated the fact that I never had to think about it.

My only previous Android experience was with Galaxy Ace years ago. And I absolutely hated it.

I'm confident that the experience on a Pixel will be fine, but is there anything I should be ready for?


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## cybershot (Jan 15, 2018)

Whack noxplayer on a Windows PC, it's basically full fat Android run via virtual machine, and get a feel for it.

If you're sure it's the way to go then follow the steps below and make sure you turn off iMessage before you switch

Switch to Android

Free Android Emulator on PC and Mac - Download Nox App Player


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## cybershot (Jan 15, 2018)

Oh, and just be aware the Pixel has an EOL much sooner than Apple devices.

Google posts end-of-life dates for Pixel phones, security patches guaranteed through late 2019

Not sure about the Pixel 2, apparently the security gumf is changing, but until there's proof in the pudding, I won't ever be touching a 'luxury high end' Android device again because of the above.


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Oh, and just be aware the Pixel has an EOL much sooner than Apple devices.
> 
> Google posts end-of-life dates for Pixel phones, security patches guaranteed through late 2019
> 
> Not sure about the Pixel 2, apparently the security gumf is changing, but until there's proof in the pudding, I won't ever be touching a 'luxury high end' Android device again because of the above.



I'd be changing phones again by the start of 2020 anyway. It'd be annoying i guess to get no further software updates from late 2018 mind. But when I got the 6s I though I'd stretch it to 3, maybe even 4, years use. but as I hit the end of 2 years I thought better of it.


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## cybershot (Jan 15, 2018)

chilango said:


> I'd be changing phones again by the start of 2020 anyway. It'd be annoying i guess to get no further software updates from late 2018 mind. But when I got the 6s I though I'd stretch it to 3, maybe even 4, years use. but as I hit the end of 2 years I thought better of it.



Are you sure it just doesn't need a battery replacement, as per: A Message to Our Customers (£25 to replace battery in UK, visit local apple store)


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Are you sure it just doesn't need a battery replacement, as per: A Message to Our Customers (£25 to replace battery in UK, visit local apple store)



Nah. Battery's ok. Performance is ok. It'd probably be ok for another year.  just wanted a new phone  ...and to do so whilst I could still trade the iphone in for reasonable £. Will actually be paying less for a 128gb Pixel than I was for the 16gb 6s too, which helps.


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## editor (Jan 15, 2018)

chilango said:


> Nah. Battery's ok. Performance is ok. It'd probably be ok for another year.  just wanted a new phone  ...and to do so whilst I could still trade the iphone in for reasonable £. Will actually be paying less for a 128gb Pixel than I was for the 16gb 6s too, which helps.


You'll be getting a class leading camera too.


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## sim667 (Jan 15, 2018)

I thought about doing this, but I can't be arse replacing all my apps etc..... (and don't want to spend the money to do so), so sticking with what I know..... Let us know how you get on


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## editor (Jan 15, 2018)

sim667 said:


> I thought about doing this, but I can't be arse replacing all my apps etc..... (and don't want to spend the money to do so), so sticking with what I know..... Let us know how you get on


Most of the apps I use are free and even the paid ones rarely cost more than 70p or something. And if you sign up to Google Rewards you can get them for free anyway!


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

editor said:


> You'll be getting a class leading camera too.



...and as a long-term Google Drive user, hassle free storage. A big factor for me. Possibly my only bad experience on iOS.


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## editor (Jan 15, 2018)

chilango said:


> ...and as a long-term Google Drive user, hassle free storage. A big factor for me. Possibly my only bad experience on iOS.


Google Photos is ace. Unlimited storage for decent sized images!


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

sim667 said:


> I thought about doing this, but I can't be arse replacing all my apps etc..... (and don't want to spend the money to do so), so sticking with what I know..... Let us know how you get on


My only paid app is Football Manager.


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## Fez909 (Jan 15, 2018)

if you use WhatsApp, you can't restore an iOS backup on Android, and vice-versa. So if you want to keep your old messages, email them to yourself or something...


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## Crispy (Jan 15, 2018)

chilango said:


> My only previous Android experience was with Galaxy Ace years ago. And I absolutely hated it.
> I'm confident that the experience on a Pixel will be fine, but is there anything I should be ready for?



You'll be getting vanilla Android (not Samsung's additions), and it's improved a great deal recently.

The Back button is in a different place and will screw with your muscle memory.

Hold down the power button to take a screenshot

Hold the home button, or enable "hey google" to start Assistant. It shits all over Siri from a great height and I use it all the time. Try things like "when I get to work tomorrow, remind me to call Jane" "3 minute 30 second timer" "next thursday, 3pm, dentists appointment" "what's 50pmh in metres per second?" "give me public transport directions to Trafalgar Square"

If you're stuck in fullscreen, swipe up to reveal the Home button

Hold the task switch button (bottom right, looks like a square) to enable split-screen view. Pressing Home while in split scren will temporarily replace the whole screen with the launcher. When you launch an app it will replace the previously "selected" half of the screen. You can resize the split by draggin the divider. Not all apps support split-screen (usually games).

Swipe down from the top for notifications and 6 quick settings icons. Swipe down to see more settings. In *this* view, tap the pencil and put your 6 most useful settings at the top. I have wifi, bluetooth, do not disturb, flashlight, airplane mode, rotation lock. Yours may differ. Tap a setting to turn it on/off. Hold it to get to the dedicated settings screen for that setting.

The homescreen launcher is much more customisable than Apple's. You can add widgets for things like calendar mini-view or weather forecast, or a fully-navigable menu of your browser bookmarks. Pinch-out on the launcher to edit the layout. Red-X-ing an app here just removes it from the homescreen. Tap the Apps button (centre bottom above Home) for a traditional list of all installed apps. Pinching-out and red-X-ing an app here uninstalls it.


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## High Voltage (Jan 15, 2018)

I am counting the seconds until I can switch from a Sony XPeria Android phone back to an iOS / Apple phone (which model I really don't care as long as it's Apple)

I made the change purely for a cost saving but it's just not worth it to me any more - I absolutely hate everything about the phone and the operating system . . . never, ever again will I venture away from Apple


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## editor (Jan 15, 2018)

High Voltage said:


> I am counting the seconds until I can switch from a Sony XPeria Android phone back to an iOS / Apple phone (which model I really don't care as long as it's Apple)
> 
> I made the change purely for a cost saving but it's just not worth it to me any more - I absolutely hate everything about the phone and the operating system . . . never, ever again will I venture away from Apple


I'm sure all that is really useful to the OP.


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## High Voltage (Jan 15, 2018)

chilango said:


> . . . I'm about to ditch the iPhone for a Pixel  . . .





editor said:


> I'm sure all that is really useful to the OP.



Well, as it would appear that he hasn't actually ditched his iPhone for a Pixel . . . yet, you're probably right, my input could be really useful to the OP


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## editor (Jan 15, 2018)

High Voltage said:


> Well, as it would appear that he hasn't actually ditched his iPhone for a Pixel . . . yet, you're probably right, my input could be really useful to the OP


I don't recall him asking for opinions about the wisdom of his decision. The Pixel is a brilliant phone. No wonder it tops so many reviews (along with the S8).


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

High Voltage said:


> I am counting the seconds until I can switch from a Sony XPeria Android phone back to an iOS / Apple phone (which model I really don't care as long as it's Apple)
> 
> I made the change purely for a cost saving but it's just not worth it to me any more - I absolutely hate everything about the phone and the operating system . . . never, ever again will I venture away from Apple



Funnily enough, that’s pretty much how I felt about my old Samsung!


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

High Voltage said:


> Well, as it would appear that he hasn't actually ditched his iPhone for a Pixel . . . yet, you're probably right, my input could be really useful to the OP



I’m still on my iPhone but the deal is done. I pick up the Puxel tomorrow. I know I’ve got 14 days grace. But I’m confident it’ll be ok.


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

editor said:


> I don't recall him asking for opinions about the wisdom of his decision. The Pixel is a brilliant phone. No wonder it tops so many reviews (along with the S8).



I’m far more ensconced in the Google world than the Apple one now, so that’s another reason...


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## editor (Jan 15, 2018)

chilango said:


> Funnily enough, that’s pretty much how I felt about my old Samsung!


And it's definitely how I felt when I had an iPhone. I fucking hated the thing. Everything had to be done Apple's shitty way or the highway. And don't get me started on iTunes!


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## xenon (Jan 15, 2018)

TBF you don't have to use Itunes at all on the desktop these days. I never have with my 6S.


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## editor (Jan 15, 2018)

xenon said:


> TBF you don't have to use Itunes at all on the desktop these days. I never have with my 6S.


Oh, I know that, but the experience at the time was unforgettably awful, almost as bad as Apple's Quicktime for Windows. Both were total garbage and kept me clear of Apple products from thereon in.


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## xenon (Jan 15, 2018)

editor said:


> Oh, I know that, but the experience at the time was unforgettably awful, almost as bad as Apple's Quicktime for Windows. Both were total garbage and kept me clear of Apple products from thereon in.



Yep, Hence why I've never been able to face using it since having this phone... 

Anyway pros and cons to both systems. I'd never want a mac but just get on better with Ios than Android. I do have an Android tablet BTW. That said, I've started extricating myself from Apple's content somewhat. I tend not to buy Ibooks any more dew to the DRM and prefer Kindle. Which although DRM, is crackable... 

As you were.


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

Is there much difference between iOS and Android in day to day experience  for us ordinary users these days?


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

Spotify killed iTunes for me. Never used it since. Though I am using Apple Music st the moment...


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## cybershot (Jan 15, 2018)

chilango said:


> Spotify killed iTunes for me. Never used it since. Though I am using Apple Music st the moment...


It's on Android too, so you can carry on using Apple Music, if you want.


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## chilango (Jan 15, 2018)

cybershot said:


> It's on Android too, so you can carry on using Apple Music, if you want.



I know. I only use it ‘cos I had a free 6 month trial, with free data whilst steaming it. It appears I’ve been given another 6 months. After which it’ll be back to Spotify I suspect.


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## Nivag (Jan 15, 2018)

chilango said:


> Is there much difference between iOS and Android in day to day experience  for us ordinary users these days?


Not much difference in my experience, it's just personal preference for how the OS works. They all make calls, text and take photos.


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## sim667 (Jan 15, 2018)

editor said:


> Most of the apps I use are free and even the paid ones rarely cost more than 70p or something. And if you sign up to Google Rewards you can get them for free anyway!



I've got some really expensive ones which aren't available on other platforms


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## editor (Jan 15, 2018)

sim667 said:


> I've got some really expensive ones which aren't available on other platforms


The stay with iOS then, I guess. 
Out of curiosity, what are they?


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## BigTom (Jan 16, 2018)

chilango said:


> Is there much difference between iOS and Android in day to day experience  for us ordinary users these days?



I'm an android user but use an iphone/ipad at work and no, the experience is very similar ime.

Settings is laid out differently which is confusing when you need to do something there, otherwise i just find advantages in androids back button and widgets which are great. (I imagine the back button functions are easily accessible on ios, i just don't use it enough to know what multi touch command it is).
Also you can use other keyboards on android (though ios may have changed this?), I love gesture typing, which is now part of the default android keyboard, though part of me thinks i should still install swype out of loyalty/respect.


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## sim667 (Jan 16, 2018)

editor said:


> The stay with iOS then, I guess.
> Out of curiosity, what are they?



This is the main one

Funktion-One | Settings | DP4 Remote


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## Crispy (Jan 16, 2018)

BigTom said:


> I love gesture typing, which is now part of the default android keyboard, though part of me thinks i should still install swype out of loyalty/respect


After trying both for a while, the google version is better IME. Seems to learn my common words more reliably.


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## Throbbing Angel (Jan 16, 2018)

Crispy said:


> After trying both for a while, the google version is better IME. Seems to learn my common words more reliably.



Yeah, I'd agree on that.

You can install Gboard onto iOS devices y'know.  I use it on my iPad. Much prefer it. iPad seems to forget every couple of weeks though and defaults back to the standard one.


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## chilango (Jan 16, 2018)

Fez909 said:


> if you use WhatsApp, you can't restore an iOS backup on Android, and vice-versa. So if you want to keep your old messages, email them to yourself or something...



Oh 

Not the end of the world, but I'll need to look at that....


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## Jaskery (Jan 16, 2018)

BigTam said:


> I'm an android user but use an iphone/ipad at work and no, the experience is very similar ime.
> 
> Settings is laid out differently which is confusing when you need to do something there, otherwise i just find advantages in androids back button and widgets which are great. (I imagine the back button functions are easily accessible on ios, i just don't use it enough to know what multi touch command it is).
> Also you can use other keyboards on android (though ios may have changed this?), I love gesture typing, which is now part of the default android keyboard, though part of me thinks i should still install swype out of loyalty/respect.


That is the difference between Android and iPhone ,The exterior feature of the iPhone was a home button,But not on the iPhone x.


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## chilango (Jan 16, 2018)

chilango said:


> Oh
> 
> Not the end of the world, but I'll need to look at that....



Just saved all the photos I wanted out of WhatsApp onto Drive. Fairly pain free process.


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## editor (Jan 16, 2018)

Jaskery said:


> That is the difference between Android and iPhone ,The exterior feature of the iPhone was a home button,But not on the iPhone x.


Going for a pre-emptive ban here., given that (a) your post is gibberish and (b) you're posting from a Chinese IP address.


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## Crispy (Jan 16, 2018)

chilango said:


> Just saved all the photos I wanted out of WhatsApp onto Drive. Fairly pain free process.


Get all your contacts into google too


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## chilango (Jan 16, 2018)

Crispy said:


> Get all your contacts into google too



was already using Google for contacts (and most calendar stuff).


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## BigTom (Jan 16, 2018)

Crispy said:


> After trying both for a while, the google version is better IME. Seems to learn my common words more reliably.



Google one consistently fails to recognise "I'm" or "I'll" and has issues often with apostrophied words. I'm hoping it learns (I think one of those two has got better), we'll see.


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## 8ball (Jan 16, 2018)

editor said:


> Going for a pre-emptive ban here., given that (a) your post is gibberish and (b) you're posting from a Chinese IP address.



Seems a bit harsh.
Not like they even said something nice about Apple.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 16, 2018)

chilango said:


> was already using Google for contacts (and most calendar stuff).



Sounds like it's going to be a very easy switch then! 

I'm sure you know, but you can use different apps as the front end for most Google services. I find aCalander displays far nicer then the default one for example.


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## editor (Jan 16, 2018)

8ball said:


> Seems a bit harsh.
> Not like they even said something nice about Apple.


I can forward him your email address if you're that keen on reading some spam.


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## editor (Jan 16, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Sounds like it's going to be a very easy switch then!
> 
> I'm sure you know, but you can use different apps as the front end for most Google services. I find aCalander displays far nicer then the default one for example.




ACalendar is a fantastic app - the way you can swipe to scroll through day/week/month views is brilliantly intuitive. The dev gives away 10% of his revenue to a tapir charity too.

aCalendar - Android Calendar – Android Apps on Google Play


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## 8ball (Jan 16, 2018)

editor said:


> I can forward him your email address if you're that keen on reading some spam.



I didn't see any spam.  It didn't make much sense, but nothing flogging anything or providing a link to click on etc.
Have you been getting lots of spam from Chinese IPs or something?


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## editor (Jan 16, 2018)

8ball said:


> I didn't see any spam.  It didn't make much sense, but nothing flogging anything or providing a link to click on etc.
> Have you been getting lots of spam from Chinese IPs or something?


You can't be this naive can you? It is a hugely common tactic for BB spammers (and bots) to sign up to boards and make a few token posts before delivering their filthy payload of spam.

So when someone signs up from China to make an unintelligible post about an iPhone, my experience tells me it's about 99.9% certain that spam will shortly follow.


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## 8ball (Jan 16, 2018)




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## chilango (Jan 16, 2018)

Well the transfer of data, apps etc etc was so incredibly simple. Just had to connect the two phones with an included wire and press ok.  

Just waiting for my number to transfer across.

The Pixel is nice. Will post on that thread later when I’ve had a proper play.


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## chilango (Jan 18, 2018)

So far, so good.

No real difference in experience tbh.

Almost all my apps transferred over fine.

The Google Apps are notably "zingier" plus there's bonus stuff like Google Trips which (for me) is ace.

Forgot that'd I'd lose Apple Health and all my step count etc. data. Not too bothered really though. Google Fit is a pretty good alternative - it doesn't seem to have the "flights climbed" data which i liked, but does chuck a little map of where I've walked each day which is nice.

Will need a FaceTime alternative and keep an eye on whether my wife's iCal is syncing nicely with my Google Calendar (they were before, as that's what i used anyway, so fingers crossed).

Lost my WhatsApp conversations, but having been pre-warned (thanks Fez909) had saved the photos i wanted from them.

Only managing a Google Account rather than an Apple and Google account is a lot less hassle.

I miss the physical home button and don't really like the back button.

Multitasking is actually useful.

Not much else to say as far the OS is concerned. It's really not that different in everyday use for me. Which is good.

Seamless, aside from a minor EE hiccup with the sim.

I like the phone too.


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## souljacker (Jan 18, 2018)

chilango said:


> Will need a FaceTime alternative and keep an eye on whether my wife's iCal is syncing nicely with my Google Calendar (they were before, as that's what i used anyway, so fingers crossed).



I find whatsapp better than facetime for video calling personally. Google Duo also works well but everyone, no matter what OS, uses whatsapp so it will work for pretty much everyone.


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## Fez909 (Jan 18, 2018)

chilango said:


> I miss the physical home button and don't really like the back button.


I think this will change for you.

I had to use an iPhone recently for the first time (loaned from a mate while my Android was getting repaired) and the single most frustrating thing for me was the lack of a back button. I didn't have a clue how to get between various screens in apps, and each one seemed to manage it slightly differently.

Not that Android apps are 100% consistent with how they manage the back button, mind. It's much better these days but in the early days the back button was confusing sometimes.

Now it's mostly:

back one -> Take you back a screen
back twice -> take you to the top menu of the current app
back three times -> take you to the last opened app, or to homescreen if you didn't come from an app

One nice thing Android does is allow apps to share stuff between themselves. It's on iOS now, but I reckon Android does it better as it's been baked in since day 1.

Hit the share button in an app and you'll see which apps are configured to receive data from that app. The "clipboard" is usually one of those, and I find that handy.

But for things like sharing a dropbox link with a friend on WhatsApp:

Open dropbox and go to your file/folder -> hit share -> choose WhatsApp -> pick your friend.

As you can imagine, there's lots of different combinations of shares depending on the apps and they all seem to Just Work.

Facetime doesn't really have a decent alternative on Android. There's skype (meh), WhatsApp itself (still a bit meh), or Hangouts - which is actually really good, but no one uses it.


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## BigTom (Jan 18, 2018)

Fez909 said:


> I think this will change for you.
> 
> I had to use an iPhone recently for the first time (loaned from a mate while my Android was getting repaired) and the single most frustrating thing for me was the lack of a back button. I didn't have a clue how to get between various screens in apps, and each one seemed to manage it slightly differently.



This, 100x. I dunno how I'd survive without a back button tbh. I continually get lost in iOS when I need that functionality.
I also miss having physical buttons though like on the first smartphones I had.


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## Fez909 (Jan 18, 2018)

BigTom said:


> This, 100x. I dunno how I'd survive without a back button tbh. I continually get lost in iOS when I need that functionality.
> I also miss having physical buttons though like on the first smartphones I had.


I didn't care for the physical buttons, but I did miss the ball thing when it was first removed from most Androids. It made selecting text much easier and without it, it was almost impossible to put the cursor in the right place. Then Android added tap and hold to zoom in and I no longer missed the ball.

I was anti soft-keyboard for ages. Hated them because they were so slow and had no feedback, so mistakes were common. Then swipe came along and now it actually doesn't matter than you're accurate when typing. As long as you're close enough, the software will (mostly) figure it out. And so I no longer miss physical keyboards.

Never been that bothered about the rest of the physical buttons - they just take up space that could be used for screen/smaller phone.

Why do you miss them?

The only one I've ever cared enough about to notice/would miss, is the hardware camera button I have now on my Sony. It makes a lot of sense to have a hardware button for that. I don't know why more phone manufacturers don't have them.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 18, 2018)

I think Samsung did right making the buttons appear from the bottom of screen. No space lost, but back and home are still in a constant place.


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## souljacker (Jan 18, 2018)

Fez909 said:


> The only one I've ever cared enough about to notice/would miss, is the hardware camera button I have now on my Sony. It makes a lot of sense to have a hardware button for that. I don't know why more phone manufacturers don't have them.



A lot of phones are using the double-tap of the power button method now, which is just as good.


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## cybershot (Jan 18, 2018)

Now I'm on an X without any kind of buttons. I love it, just swooshing my finger around to move around. Using my iPad Air and having to use the home button now grinds my gears. A back button would just puzzle me, but like the X, I'd probably just get used to it after a bit. I guess it comes down to preference, but I think you easily re-train your brain on how to use the device within just a few days.


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## BigTom (Jan 18, 2018)

Fez909 said:


> I didn't care for the physical buttons, but I did miss the ball thing when it was first removed from most Androids. It made selecting text much easier and without it, it was almost impossible to put the cursor in the right place. Then Android added tap and hold to zoom in and I no longer missed the ball.
> 
> I was anti soft-keyboard for ages. Hated them because they were so slow and had no feedback, so mistakes were common. Then swipe came along and now it actually doesn't matter than you're accurate when typing. As long as you're close enough, the software will (mostly) figure it out. And so I no longer miss physical keyboards.
> 
> ...



I just like the tactile feedback of an actual button.


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## Throbbing Angel (Jan 18, 2018)

chilango said:


> So far, so good.
> 
> 1.Will need a FaceTime alternative and keep an eye on whether my wife's iCal is syncing nicely with my Google Calendar (they were before, as that's what i used anyway, so fingers crossed).
> 
> ...




I find Google Duo reliable for face to face between Android using people - dunno about Applers using it and what their experience is like - does the Google Hangouts app still do video calling? Facebook Messenger?  IMO?   There are loads
You need ButtonMapper - you can make them all do what you want, multiple things for different numbers of presses - I came from Motorola phones to an S7 so was kinda freaked by getting the home button back - so now to go Home I press the back button twice - no grubby physical pressing for me!
Glad to hear it!

e2a: I don't recall how much I paid to get the functionality I have in Button Mapper, if I paid at all, b ut it certainly was nowhere near £14 - they quote a range of in app purchases ranging from 69p to £14.49 - just thought I'd mention that before you d/l


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## Sasaferrato (Jan 19, 2018)

editor said:


> Oh, I know that, but the experience at the time was unforgettably awful, almost as bad as Apple's Quicktime for Windows. Both were total garbage and kept me clear of Apple products from thereon in.



Firstly, sincere condolences.

Apple Quicktime, there is a blast from the past.


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## paolo (Jan 20, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Now I'm on an X without any kind of buttons. I love it, just swooshing my finger around to move around. Using my iPad Air and having to use the home button now grinds my gears. A back button would just puzzle me, but like the X, I'd probably just get used to it after a bit. I guess it comes down to preference, but I think you easily re-train your brain on how to use the device within just a few days.



I thought I might not like it, but yeah, in just a day, I found I really liked the swipe up. And yep, now the home button on my iPad feels clunky.


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## mwgdrwg (Jan 23, 2018)

paolo said:


> I thought I might not like it, but yeah, in just a day, I found I really liked the swipe up. And yep, now the home button on my iPad feels clunky.



Swiping is what I miss most about my old BlackBerry 10 phone. Easily the best OS I've used, and I'm glad that Apple are beginning to steal some of the best aspects


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## Rosemary Jest (Feb 2, 2018)

I use Android phones and also an ipad mini, the lack of a back button does do my nut on the ipad at times. It's also painfully slow but is quite old.

I see the appeal of apple stuff for their simplicity but it aint worth paying a massive premium in my eyes. (I got my ipad for free).

Let's face it, most people get iphones and macs for the logo and perceived prestige of using them, a 80 quid android phone does the same things as an 800 quid iphone, but you look more of a tight arse with a cheapo android sitting on the table next to your frappe and panini. Probably made in the same factory too. Capitalism working at it's very best/worst innit?


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Feb 2, 2018)

Rosemary Jest said:


> I use Android phones and also an ipad mini, the lack of a back button does do my nut on the ipad at times. It's also painfully slow but is quite old.
> 
> I see the appeal of apple stuff for their simplicity but it aint worth paying a massive premium in my eyes. (I got my ipad for free).
> 
> Let's face it, most people get iphones and macs for the logo and perceived prestige of using them, a 80 quid android phone does the same things as an 800 quid iphone, but you look more of a tight arse with a cheapo android sitting on the table next to your frappe and panini. Probably made in the same factory too. Capitalism working at it's very best/worst innit?



An 80 quid Android phone is a very different beast to a premium phone, no matter what OS the premium phone is running. The difference in screen quality and speed are the two that will be the most noticeable, but there are many more.


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## Rosemary Jest (Feb 2, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> An 80 quid Android phone is a very different beast to a premium phone, no matter what OS the premium phone is running. The difference in screen quality and speed are the two that will be the most noticeable, but there are many more.



Maybe they are slightly quicker, but lets face it, grot videos in slightly higher definition may look 'nicer', but they are still grot videos.


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## editor (Feb 21, 2018)

In case anyone was still using it: Swype has been deaded: Swype Keyboard is officially being discontinued


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## BigTom (Feb 21, 2018)

That's a shame, not that I use it anymore as I couldn't be bothered to reinstall it with the default keyboard doing gesture typing. I dunno if Swype was the first but it was the first I heard of or used and I never want to go back. Swype genuinely made a huge improvement to my experience of using my phone.


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## Me76 (Feb 21, 2018)

I have decided that once my current 5s  dies I'm going to go android.  The difference of buying a new phone for £150 or a second hand one from eBay for the same price.


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## joustmaster (Feb 21, 2018)

I moved back to Android after 2 or 3 years of ios. 
I'm glad, over all.

Any suggestions for a good android podcast app? I've tried a couple but they've been a bit shite. 
Happy to pay a couple of quid


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## chilango (Feb 21, 2018)

A few weeks in and I'm no longer noticing any difference in my experience. It obvs helps having a decent phone.


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## Throbbing Angel (Feb 21, 2018)

joustmaster said:


> I moved back to Android after 2 or 3 years of ios.
> I'm glad, over all.
> 
> Any suggestions for a good android podcast app? I've tried a couple but they've been a bit shite.
> Happy to pay a couple of quid



Podcast Addict does it for me
I use the free version, ad supported. There is a pay version, three quid I think.


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## Crispy (Feb 21, 2018)

joustmaster said:


> Any suggestions for a good android podcast app


Pocket Casts
Better than Podcast Addict and I've used both pretty heavily.


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## joustmaster (Feb 21, 2018)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Podcast Addict does it for me
> I use the free version, ad supported. There is a pay version, three quid I think.





Crispy said:


> Pocket Casts
> Better than Podcast Addict and I've used both pretty heavily.


Thanks. I will give both ago, starting with Pocket Casts. 

Its strange that I never bothered with podcasts when I was last on Android. But now its something I use every day.


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## Throbbing Angel (Feb 21, 2018)

I really like the BBC radio player for their podcasts too, btw


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Mar 10, 2018)

Throbbing Angel said:


> I really like the BBC radio player for their podcasts too, btw



I use the Radio 4 and World Service loads on long drives. Annoyingly my car stereo is bust, really missing it.


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## mauvais (Mar 10, 2018)

Throbbing Angel said:


> I really like the BBC radio player for their podcasts too, btw


That's what I do/did for a living, glad you like it


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## mwgdrwg (Jun 26, 2018)

joustmaster said:


> I moved back to Android after 2 or 3 years of ios.
> I'm glad, over all.
> 
> Any suggestions for a good android podcast app? I've tried a couple but they've been a bit shite.
> Happy to pay a couple of quid



Acast has been my favourite.


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## Me76 (Jul 14, 2018)

Me76 said:


> I have decided that once my current 5s  dies I'm going to go android.  The difference of buying a new phone for £150 or a second hand one from eBay for the same price.


So my phone hasn't died but the OH's has.  He isn't as tech savvy as me so I am the one going to make the switch. 

I had an experiment a while ago with an android phone a friend gave me for about a month and it was all good apart from space and music.  

It was only a 16gb phone so I decided as long as when I bought a new one it had enough space I'd be fine. 

I upped my budget a bit and have ordered an Honor 9 that's coming on Monday.  

I'm excited and nervous at the same time.  Excited as this will be the first brand new phone I've had in about 10 years, having only been buying second hand iPhones from eBay in that time.  

Nervous as this is me properly going away from iOS.  There will be no back up handset to fall back on.  

I'll let you know.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 14, 2018)

Me76 said:


> So my phone hasn't died but the OH's has.  He isn't as tech savvy as me so I am the one going to make the switch.
> 
> I had an experiment a while ago with an android phone a friend gave me for about a month and it was all good apart from space and music.
> 
> ...



Now your free of iOS you could add another 128gb for sub £30...


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## Me76 (Jul 14, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Now your free of iOS you could add another 128gb for sub £30...


Well, this is the thing that annoys me about android .  

They give it you can add a SD card, but there are so many apps that don't support it.  Even when you get one that can be formatted as I did when I had my experiment.  

So I have bought a 64gb phone, which my iPhone is, so I should be fine . And I will add and format my SD card that I bought and also put as much as I can on that and have more space.


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## editor (Jul 14, 2018)

Me76 said:


> Well, this is the thing that annoys me about android .
> 
> They give it you can add a SD card, but there are so many apps that don't support it.  Even when you get one that can be formatted as I did when I had my experiment.
> 
> So I have bought a 64gb phone, which my iPhone is, so I should be fine . And I will add and format my SD card that I bought and also put as much as I can on that and have more space.


Almost all of the big apps I use support the SD card, but its main use is for filling up with photos and tunes.


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## Me76 (Jul 14, 2018)

I've had an android tablet for about 6 years. 8gb, and 28gb SD card . I might as well only have 6gb.   

Luckily I only really use it as an ereader but when I've wanted to use it for more I've been blocked . 

Basic stuff like weather and trains won't go on SD card . Same as social media stuff. Never mind any games .


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 14, 2018)

Me76 said:


> Well, this is the thing that annoys me about android .
> 
> They give it you can add a SD card, but there are so many apps that don't support it.  Even when you get one that can be formatted as I did when I had my experiment.
> 
> So I have bought a 64gb phone, which my iPhone is, so I should be fine . And I will add and format my SD card that I bought and also put as much as I can on that and have more space.



Sure. But you can put all your photos and music on it, leaving more space on the phone.

There is good reason for it. SD cards could be slower and less reliable then the internal memory, so even if you can put apps on there, I don't bother. Mind you with 64gb internal that would be a lot of apps.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 14, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Mind you with 64gb internal that would be a lot of apps.


Couldn’t go back to 64gb. It was driving me nuts!


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## mauvais (Jul 15, 2018)

A 4GB game! That you haven't used for a year. I mean, it's your own doing isn't it?


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## cybershot (Jul 16, 2018)

mrs quoad said:


> Couldn’t go back to 64gb. It was driving me nuts!
> 
> View attachment 141230



I know an Android thread, but seeing your photos usage has reminded me that, I have no idea what the iPhone X does different, but since I've had it, and I've took a lot of photos and videos, the storage for them on he actual phone has never, and I mean never, gone more than 200MB. I know it uses some HEIC format, which converts to jpg also when you use iCloud, or if it's the iOS rather than the X itself. It's something I need to look into more on how/why it's doing this. Not that am I complaining because photo storage and not easily being able to tidy up the cache for photos/videos that were happily stored on iCloud was a big problem when I had an iPhone 6 with less storage.

Sorry for the tangent guys!


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## Me76 (Jul 16, 2018)

Honor 9 in hand and all set up. Its very whizzy!  Fingerprint sensor is so quick.


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## Crispy (Jul 17, 2018)

cybershot said:


> I have no idea what the iPhone X does different, but since I've had it, and I've took a lot of photos and videos, the storage for them on he actual phone has never, and I mean never, gone more than 200MB.


Check in Settings, Photos and you probably have Optimise Storage turned on. This aggressively relies on iCloud to store the actual photos, while keeping a thumbnail cache on the phone.


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## mrs quoad (Jul 17, 2018)

mauvais said:


> A 4GB game! That you haven't used for a year. I mean, it's your own doing isn't it?


Pffff. 

You should see my Steam library :/


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## cybershot (Jul 17, 2018)

Crispy said:


> Check in Settings, Photos and you probably have Optimise Storage turned on. This aggressively relies on iCloud to store the actual photos, while keeping a thumbnail cache on the phone.



Yeah I'm assuming it's that, however pretty sure I had this enabled on my 6 but Photos still used to consume gigabytes of internal storage. Maybe iOS 11 just deals with it better. My Mum now has that handset so I'll have to have a nose next time I see her to see if it's doing the same.


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## Me76 (Jul 20, 2018)

So I've done it for good now and I think my grumps are still the same as they were when I did my trial. 

I really do miss the tapping the top of the screen rather than scrolling 

There's no reminder app as default so I'm having to do third party and it keeps reminding me on my lock screen for the next reminder 

Apart from that I'm just having to deal with a much bigger handset, but that isn't androids fault


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