Moving from iOS to Android (my experience)

[MrRockliffe]

Hi all

Bit of backstory.


Been an android user since my first proper smart phone, which was an HTC Desire HD. Went through many different phones, but the turning point for me was Pixel 2 XL.



I’d been trying to find an android phone which has clean software, and great cameras. On paper, the Pixel should have been perfect, but I had many software and hardware issues with it. So I switched to the iPhone XS Max.


Other than a brief flirt with the OnePlus 7T, I haven’t been using an android device as my primary phone since. I’ve been using them for work, but I don’t have the same usage requirements and so isn’t representative of how I use my phone.




This last 3 months have been the worst I’ve had in a while for iOS. Perpetual bugs and issues I can’t resolve, even after resets and starting from new. In addition, I’ve had some poor quality issues with the 15 Pro Max, and I’m currently on my third one. It also has issues, and I’ve been in contact with apple since October trying to resolve them (with no luck - this time they’re being extremely difficult and not willing to replace the device without find the exact cause first, also winding me up as they usually do an express replacement as an AppleCare+ buyer).


This got me thinking of trying Android again. I had a Pixel 8 for work, and it was great. Really nice device.



Which device I’ve ordered


I wasn’t sure which device to go for, so I’ve ordered an 25 Ultra and a Pixel 9 Pro XL.



What I’m looking forward to


Keyboard 100%. I’ve always just about tolerated it. After the promises of the iOS 18 improvements, I was hopeful, but it feels every bit as annoying and stupid as before. If you’ve never used the keyboard on android, you’re missing out.

Notifications. They’re fine on iOS, but android has so much more control over how they’re delivered, when they’re delivered, and generally better handling of them.

3rd party app integration. iOS has always been pretty poor at letting you use alternative options for apps, especially for setting default apps. Will be nice to backup everything to an app of choice.

Camera. It’s fine on iOS, but Pixel shots still look killer when I compared back to back.



What I’m going to miss


Handoff/continuity. It’s a feature I use a lot - cutting and pasting between devices is so helpful, as someone who has an iPad and had a MacBook. This could be the one thing which keeps me on iPhone. Or receiving texts / OTPs on other devices.

FaceTime. I use it frequently for phone calls, which sounds weird but phone signal at home is non existent, and for some reason WiFi calling hasn’t ever worked properly for me. It makes the audio quality poor. So I use FaceTime for making audio calls quite a lot.

App APIs. Apple get their new features working within other 3rd party apps so well. In my past experience with Android, it wasn’t great. Things like the fingerprint sensors not being usable within banking apps, or any apps, as an example.

App refinement. iOS apps are typically better optimised than Android equivalents. Same kinda situation as Xbox/Playstation and PC.

Video quality. Camera is say, 8/10 but video quality is nuts on iPhone.

Battery life. It’s why I stayed with iPhone for all this time. Consistently all day battery life.






If anyone has any suggestions to get around the potential challenges, I’d massively appreciate it. Continuity features would be most helpful.



I’ll update my findings

 

[MrRockliffe]

I think you are going to be a bit let down here with delayed notifications but as someone who has switched back and forth between iOS and Android I'd say keep an open mind with Android and try not to think or wish certain things would be done the iOS way or so.

In terms of handoff/continuity if you keep the S25 and then later add more products in the line i.e. tablet/headphones etc you'll be pleasantly surprised I think - Samsung have done a good job at this.

I don’t think I explained it well, but I think Android does it better. It has always been a bugbear of mine how poor it’s handled on iOS.

 

[MrRockliffe]

I'm talking about actual delivery of notifications on time, you'll have delays once doze kicks in. I agree the actual sorting and arranging of them are better on Android.

For example, if I receive an email I'll get the notification instantly on iOS whereas on Android once doze kicks in that email will stop arriving on time. It's not just notifications from emails but applies to many other apps.

Ah I see

Yes that was always an annoyance for me on the android devices I’ve had in the past.

 

[MrRockliffe]

You’ll find bugs which ever OS you land on. Sounds like you are having a bad time with the 15 PM and if that went away you wouldn’t be looking at Android. Personally I wouldn’t run an iPad and MacBook with an Android.

The problem is that I’ve been having the issues for over a year, and haven’t been able to resolve them.

Some issues I’ve been having for 2 years.


The keyboard has been rubbish since my first iPhone




I’ve got the S25 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro XL.



First impressions are:

P9P XL is much more ergonomic of the two, but it’s quite heavy. Squared edges of the S25 Ultra make it really difficult to use one handed


Fingerprint sensors are just better. FaceID has gotten good, but they’re still compromised.


Display on S25 Ultra is nuts with the low reflectivity. It’s such a step up from the iPhone and Pixel.


S25 Ultra is the most Apple like. They way in which it works is very familiar coming from an iPhone. Small things like the quick settings.


Pixel feels more fluid over S25.


I’d forgotten how much crap is included on Samsungs by default.

 

[MrRockliffe]

This was a deal breaker for me. Pixel would be my pick. The regular 9 because it’s lighter, doesn’t have gloss side rails and I rarely zoom.

9 is too small for me, and battery doesn’t last long enough

 

[MrRockliffe]

Finding the fit and finish on the S25 Ultra a bit poor.


Example 1: “Samsung” lettering is fuzzy on the back, and on further inspection seems to be misaligned.

Example 2: because the corners are now curved slightly compared to last year, the S Pen sticks out slightly on one side - they haven’t added a curve to it.

Example 3: USB C port seems a little loose and cables a bit more wiggly than I’d like. Same cable in the pixel is rock solid.




Doesn’t feel like a £1200 phone. Then again nor does the iPhone at the moment - I’ve had two units where the frame has separated at the antenna line.




The Pixel is by far the better built device, but I cannot get over how good the display is on the S25! The super low reflectivity, without making blacks look grey, is stunning.

 

[MrRockliffe]

Does the anti reflective coating not wear off over time and make a mess of the screen? I know this can happen on oleophobic coatings.

My understanding is that it’s a characteristic of the glass itself, not a coating.



Pixel battery life seems a bit pants. I fully charged it last night, no sim in. Haven’t really been using it but just picked it up and its on 80%.


Apparently Google Photos has been doing something in the background and munched on the power for some reason. Haven’t missed this aspect of Android.

 

[MrRockliffe]

Is this bad? Surely, no SIM won't make much difference if you're on WiFi? Apps, processor and screen are still going as normal. So, we're talking about 1% per hour? Surely that's not a concern? (Genuinely asking, I don't often have a phone with no SIM and of course, not sure what your usage actually is in this case)

No sim means the modem shouldn’t be working. I’ve got poor/no signal where I am so the modem usually works overtime to try and retain some signal.


Came off charge at 11pm so by 4pm it was on 80%.



I’m not even logged into all my apps yet, just the google services.


By comparison, iPhone 15 Pro Max charged last night too to 80% this morning. Been using it all day including music for gym and it’s on 65% right now.


Pixel has had 5 minutes of screen on time in that time.


Haven’t charged the Samsung since I got it yesterday morning, and it’s on 47%, and I’ve been using it a lot more (over an hour of screen on time).

 

[MrRockliffe]

Conveniently out of the return period by then

 

[MrRockliffe]

I just got a notification for an email!


Which was sent to me 2 hours ago



Will have to monitor this, as I’m currently job hunting + consulting and using my email quite a lot. I can’t have missing/delayed emails to this extent.



Pixel battery has been a lot better since I killed Google Photos. Now down at 70% so I’m seeing expected behaviour now.


Then again, the aforementioned problem is probably why



Thanks to all who have added tips/notes so far, very much helping me find solutions. It’s weird how much I’ve forgotten - I used to be an Android power user running Cyanogen nightlies!

 

[MrRockliffe]

I’m going to be returning the Pixel.


I’m finding more than once emails are coming through too delayed.


More than that though, the device is… fine.



It’s hugely expensive but doesn’t scream premium. Like Pixels have for a while, it just feels behind the competition.



It doesn’t offer anything, other than a clean software experience, that the competition doesn’t.



Battery life has been fine. Cameras are decent but they are on most flagships. Build is fine, albeit very heavy.




It’s a great device in its own merits but the 15 Pro Max still feels quicker, more responsive and a better feature set. Not to mention the battery life trounces the Pixel by such a long way it’s embarrassing.



I charge my iPhone to 80% but no chance I could do that on the Pixel.





The Samsung is a tough one. It doesn’t feel like a flagship, and I’m disappointed they’ve removed features from the S24 Ultra.

The display is phenomenal though. It’s hard to describe without seeing it in person. It’s just so good.



There are many features software wise which are ace as well. Stupid things like being able to move multiple apps around the screen in one go - you can’t do that on a Pixel.


It isn’t quite polished enough though. I see and feel stutters which make me nervous about what it’ll be like in 1-2 years. My S20 FE I previously had did slow down a fair bit in the 2 years I had it, and I wasn’t using it for anything other than work.



It’s also a terrible design ergonomically. Edges are sharp to hold and the corners are causing issues with my trousers - they poke out and cause greater wear.




I think that Android is for me though. I love the keyboard and flexibility of it. I just need a manufacturer to make a device which actually competes hardware wise with an IPhone.


There are many other things about Android which I have really missed - I’ll have to collate a list once I think about them all.

 

[MrRockliffe]

It's embarrassing this is a thing in a native app, Google really need to do better, this is a basic functionality of a phone you'd think.

I'm patiently waiting for the day this is fixed and may consider the move back.

I’m currently doing some consulting and dealing with C suite execs, so missed emails doesn’t look so great on my part!

 

[MrRockliffe]

Hence why I recommended using a different email app. The Gmail app is just... bad.

I like to separate my emails between different apps so that I know which email is for which account just by seeing the icon difference. It helps me organise my emails better.



I think I’m going to move to the Samsung, but I’m not 100% yet.


The emails thing is… annoying. But broadly everything else is either as good, or better by a long way.


There are two things which are really winning me over:


1. Display - though I think the iPhone 17 PM will have it too.
2. Keyboard - I’m horrified I managed to tolerate the iOS one for so long, but it’s so bad. It corrects words I’ve spelled correctly to different words, all the freaking time.



That and the constant hardware issues with the iPhone.

 

[MrRockliffe]

I’ve ended up keeping the Samsung, and it’s great.


Apple are continuing to gaslight me, despite providing multiple videos/pictures of the ongoing issues. Having to do a section 75 claim on my iPhone.



The main problem I was facing was the Gmail app and notification sync. I don’t think it’s an outright “Doze” issue as it’s seemingly the only app which is this delayed.


I downloaded the Samsung email app to compare. Signed into my gmail account.


Received an email through the Samsung app around 5pm one evening, at the same time (roughly) as my iPhone. The gmail app didn’t notify me of that email until I unlocked the phone next at roughly 9pm (I was bingeing Severance )



Keyboard = bliss
Screen = immense



What do I miss? The well thought out gestures in iOS.


I still find hamburger menus which you can’t use gestures for anymore with Android.


I don’t like that you can’t swipe up for tabs in any of the browsers I’ve used, like you can in iOS.


iOS feels better thought out than Android for this.




But the power to customise so much more is awesome and I’d forgotten how much I “tolerated” so many aspects of iOS.



Will keep my iPad and MacBook because there aren’t any tablets or laptops which I’d spend any money on, even if I had unlimited funds.


OnePlus pad was the closest contender but no biometric is a deal breaker.

 

[MrRockliffe]

The Samsung email app seemed to be doing the trick, but I'm finding that email notifications have slowed drastically again.

For example, I had an email come through at 09:20 on my iPhone, and it still hasn't arrived on the Samsung yet.



Also, Android Auto has been a bit buggy, and I'm getting a lot of audio playback issues, mostly skipping. The audio doesn't stop, it just misses a bit.

 

[MrRockliffe]

What I noticed was after a restart of the device(s) or a software update/clean install the notifications would be fine, but give it a few days and doze just goes super aggressive and I'd get delayed notifications from most apps, even repeated notifications that I would swipe away that would randomly appear again after a few hours. It was all very frustrating but if they do manage to fix this in the near future I would definitely switch back to Android.

For now, I don't have any of these issues on iOS and the compromises of iOS are ones I can live with for now because the core functionality of what a mobile phone should be works just fine.

I think this is why I'll be switching back.

I just can't have emails delayed by an hour - I'm running a project for a rollout of a new software tool for a company, and I'm first line of support.

I've got it set up that I receive emails when people submit a ticket, but those emails are coming in an hour or two delayed, which doesn't look good on my part/reduces the time in which I have to respond.

 

[MrRockliffe]

Just spent a few minutes on support with Samsung. They're really nice, and significantly more helpful than Apple.

Within minutes of going through troubleshooting steps, they offered me a return or replacement.


While it seems Google haven't resolved some core issues with the OS, I'd undoubtedly buy another Samsung product based on my experience with them.

 

[MrRockliffe]

what is this slowemail thing ? Surely you just make the email software check the server, or set it to check auto every 10/15/ mins or so ? I don't understand how *the phone* is causing your emails to show slowly.

Email notifications on iPhone are pushed to the device, so you get notified the moment they come in (like a text message)


On the Samsung, they’d come in when they felt like it



Changing the sync rate from auto to a set interval would probably fix it, but use more battery which is a compromise I shouldn’t have to make