Contemplating moving from iPhone/IOS to Android

Soldato
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I've stuck with IOS since I bought an iPhone 3G in 2008 and my moved onto my current iPhone 4S when it was released. The 4s is starting to get a bit long in the tooth and is running slowly plus the battery has seen better days. Also, I'm increasingly finding recent apps run slowly on it or don't support it's non standard screen aspect and the smaller 3.5" display .

I've been fairly happy with the last 2 iphones I've owned in terms of the hardware and overall experience. However, I tend to use Google services for most stuff in general (email/calendar/photos/file storage/etc) so moving away from it wouldn't really be a big deal for me. Windows is my main PC/desktop/laptop OS and I have no intention of buying a Mac anytime soon and the Google browser based apps work really well alongside it so I'd wondered if perhaps moving to an Android based device might be a better fit for me? I have a 2012 Google Nexus 7 tablet so I'm not unfamiliar with the OS.

Size wise I'd ideally want a smaller phone around 5" as I'm not a fan of phablets that cant be wielded with one hand. Probably something around the same dimensions as an iPhone 6 (or the 4.7" 6S which I'd likely buy in a couple of months if I don't see a suitable android handset). I thought about buying something like a cheap secondhand Google/LG Nexus 5 so I can try out android first without excessive cost but would running it on a 2 year phone just put me off and give me a poor experience?

I like the idea of a native Google device so android phone wise I'm favouring the upcoming 2015 revised Google Nexus 5 when it's out in a couple of months time. One of the main things that's put me off android in the past is the OS bloatware/customisations that manufacturers insist on bundling plus the general fragmentation and lack of timely updates as a result.

http://bgr.com/2015/08/07/lg-nexus-5-2015-features-android-pay/

Anyone made the switch from IOS/iPhone to Android? Did you stick with Android or go back to IOS? Would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.
 
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Sounds like the upcoming Xperia Z5 Compact will be perfect for you. Sony's UI is similar to Google's Nexus UI so you won't feel too alienated, and it doesn't offer that much bloat. The Compact series is also easier to hold in one hand, my brother moved from the 4S to the Z1 Compact mostly due to size and was happy with the move. The Z5 Compact will also come with a fingerprint scanner so it will work with Android Pay.

Here's a picture of it compared to the 5s, with the normal Z5 included: http://www.gsmarena.com/live_image_allegedly_shows_the_xperia_z5_and_z5_compact-news-13373.php

Another note, Sony is also doing a little experient with Android, where they keep the OS mostly untouched and only load a few of the Sony apps: http://www.androidcentral.com/sony-working-new-android-software-concept-revive-xperia-smartphones

Whether this will be a move Sony will make in the future with their upcoming phones, no one knows yet. But it seems to be a good idea which will help Sony keep the bloat low as well as good update speeds.
 
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Thanks for the heads up on the Sony Xperia devices. The issue I have with most of the mini/compact devices are that they seem to be slightly more mid-range than the flagship devices and scrimp on some components. For example some of the stories I've read suggest that the xperia Z5 compact will likely have a slow processor than the regular Z5. One thing I like about the 4.7" iPhone 6s is that you don't feel like you're having to go with a lesser spec because you don't want a phablet sized phone.

On a side note most anecdotes I've heard have been from people moving from android to iPhone saying that they'd never switch back again! Anyone moved from an iPhone back to Android and stayed there?
 
The Z1 Compact and Z3 Compact was pretty much the same as their larger counterparts, only difference being battery size and screen size/resolution (but that's due to the physicial limitation). Sony seems to be the only company to ensure their Compact series are proper flagship phones. I would be very surprised if Sony decided to gimp the Z5 Compact.
 
get a phone with stock Android, less crap ftw

Are there any manufacturers, other than Google, that sell stock android phones or would you need to root/flash them with a custom image to get a standard version of android? I haven't really used any non-standard version of Android recently from other manufacturers. I remember a few years ago playing with Samsung Touchwiz handsets and absolutely hating it but that might be improved now?

Orcvader suggest that the Sony ones these days are pretty close to stock. Any other manufactures who are pretty close to stock?
 
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Motorola offers stock Android with decent update speeds but they may be too large for you. Samsung TouchWiz, LG UI, HTC Sense still feel completely different from the stock Google Android.
 
Motorola offers stock Android with decent update speeds but they may be too large for you. Samsung TouchWiz, LG UI, HTC Sense still feel completely different from the stock Google Android.

I'd never really paid much attention to Motorola but it sounds like the Moto X might be worth a look. Size-wise I could possibly tolerate a 5.2" display phone (providing the bezels were thin) but wouldn't want larger than that.

Annoyingly, following the trend, the 2015 moto X seems to have changed to larger 5.5" and 5.7" displays in the moto x play and style varieties!
 
There are quite a few stock Android phones out there, do not dismiss "unknown" brands of phones, a lot of good thing coming out :D
 
The z3 compact is an absolute gem, if you like the size you wouldn't be disappointed comparing it to an iPhone, the only thing that's better on the iPhone is the snappy camera app. I'd personally wait until September before you make the jump and look at the new Sony
 
The z3 compact is an absolute gem, if you like the size you wouldn't be disappointed comparing it to an iPhone, the only thing that's better on the iPhone is the snappy camera app. I'd personally wait until September before you make the jump and look at the new Sony

I'll definitely be waiting until September as I want to see what the iPhone 6S/7 is like before making a decision. I suspect it'll basically be a spec bumped iPhone 6 with an upgraded CPU/GPU/camera/etc however the 'force touch' functionality sounds interesting as it could make for some cool new features and is a potentially a lot more intuitive than having to hold down for a couple of seconds to select stuff.

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/133...-apple-s-haptic-feedback-technology-explained

Coming from a 3.5" iPhone 4S I still find it funny that we're at the stage where a phone with nearly a 5" screen is referred to as a compact or mini version!
 
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:D I can't cope with phones smaller than 5" for a daily phone, 5.7" feels just right for me (note 4). I use my z3c for when I go cycling/running etc as it's nice and compact and the battery lasts forever
 
Regarding stock Android vs e.g. Samsung's Touchwiz, these are known as "launchers". In Windows, have you ever played around with shell replacements like Litestep and Darkstep? It's basically the same thing in that it replaces the Android's desktop. Two examples are Go Launcher and Apex. I like Samsung phones but not its Touchwiz so I replaced it with Apex.
 
Regarding stock Android vs e.g. Samsung's Touchwiz, these are known as "launchers". In Windows, have you ever played around with shell replacements like Litestep and Darkstep? It's basically the same thing in that it replaces the Android's desktop. Two examples are Go Launcher and Apex. I like Samsung phones but not its Touchwiz so I replaced it with Apex.

It's not really just the launchers though, it's also the unchangable areas like the notification area, the navigation bar, and even the status bar. There's also the core manufacturer apps which could count as part of the UI.

I was using Nova on top of HTC Sense but I still got fed up of Sense after a while (status bar, lockscreen, notification panel) and flashed the GPe ROM, which runs smoother.
 
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I've moved from Android (HTC Desire) to iOS (4S, 5S) to Android again (Nexus 6). I hated some aspects of Android the first time around and absolutely loved iOS.

Back in January I wanted to upgrade the 5S and for a few reasons tried the Nexus 6. Definitely the cost between the iPhone 6+ and N6 helped make the decision.

Whilst I think iOS is the better all round mobile OS the it's been very easy to pick up Android again. The transition was smooth given most apps and services I use are on both platforms. Love the fact I've been able to get away from iTunes, updates are regular and the Google apps are better. Difficult to know for sure whether I will stay on Android but when upgrade time comes around again I expect to.

It sounds sensible to wait for the next Nexus or iPhone device and make the decision from there.
 
It's not really just the launchers though, it's also the unchangable areas like the notification area, the navigation bar, and even the status bar. There's also the core manufacturer apps which could count as part of the UI.

I was using Nova on top of HTC Sense but I still got fed up of Sense after a while (status bar, lockscreen, notification panel) and flashed the GPe ROM, which runs smoother.


Agreed. A launcher can only go so far to mask a system wide skin.
 
If you want a stock android experience but a phone that isn't too big then maybe try the new Moto G. You need the top model that has 2gb of RAM.
Or, like you said, wait to see if we get a 5.2" nexus device. I have a G2 which is 5.2" and it's the perfect size for a phone IMO.
 
Thought about getting a Moto G to try out Android but it's slightly low end in terms of overall specs so I'm gonna hold off a month or two to see how the Nexus 5 turns out seeing as it isn't long to wait and the iPhone 6S will be out around the same time.

Good to know that Motorola are offering phones that are pretty close to stock Android. They really should punt that more in their advertising as I'm sure a lot of people would be see it as a USP given how badly most other manufacturers butcher Android.

I really wish Google hadn't nerfed the Android Silver program as it seemed like a great idea to put an end to unnecessary fragmentation :(

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...-smartphone-makers-weren-t-interested-1269800
 
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